I’m over at Brian and Tammy’s house having dinner (Sam and Lily are tearing up the joint), but I thought I would throw up a thread for you all. Saw a couple WP errors when trying to get connected, so I’m sure you all are having to deal with it too. Couple more days.
Open Thread
by John Cole| 85 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Palooza
On for the first time in 2 days. I have Balloon Juice withdrawal. I need my snark.
JK
Chris Cillizza offers his closing thoughts on Mouthpiece Theater
“Since some of you have been very critical of my role in Mouthpiece from the start, I wanted to also give you an explanation of why doing it appealed to me in the first place.
We are in an experimental age of journalism in which many of the old ways of doing business are rapidly being transformed. I have always believed that experimentation — and the willingness to fail — sit at the center of any creative endeavor, and have done my best to bring that mentality to the Fix each and every day. What did I learn from doing Mouthpiece? That I am not funny on camera (this will not be a revelation to many of you), that name-calling is never the stuff of good comedy, and that the sort of straight, inside dope reporting I pride myself on made for a somewhat discordant marriage with the sort of satire Mouthpiece aimed to create.”
h/t http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/fix-notes/a-word-on-mouthpiece-theater.html
JK
John,
Formatting options (boldfacing, block quotes) are still effed up. I hope you’re able to bring back the toolbar containing the buttons for these various formatting options.
ronin122
Kenyan Birth Certificate Generator
John McCain’s (h/t TPM)
General Winfield Stuck
When WP error is put to rest, I plan to skip all the stages of grief and go straight to “acceptance”.
ronin122
Found this at TPM: (I think the previous try was modded)
Just Some Fuckhead
I had a tomato sandwich using one of the beefmaster tomatoes from the garden. It was delicious. Then for desert, I had cheese crackers with jalapenos from the garden while sitting on the back patio.
Unfortunately, the mosquitos were so bad I was forced back into the house to get my .22 pistol. I prolly killed a couple of ’em and the fence needed replacing anyway.
Bad Horse's Filly
So a soldier who refused to deploy to Iraq because he believed it was a violation of international law was demoted and jailed. Think our favorite BO (Birther Objector) will get anything similar for his refusal to deploy? Just wondering. Have a wonderful night everyone.
Off to celebrate my birthday…that is, if in fact I was born. My birth certificate is only a white on black microfilm copy. My state won’t even accept it as proof for a DL. I’m sure this will stunt my political ambitions in the future.
Bad Horse's Filly
Ooops, forgot the link. I’ll be so glad when edit comes back.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-08-05-soldier-refused-deployment_N.htm?csp=34
JK
Greg Mitchell on Pittsburgh Area Shooting
“Like many other news organizations, the Associated Press today is reprinting excerpts from the online diary kept by George Sodini, who killed three women and then himself at a Pittsburgh area fitness center last night. The diary focuses on his severe problems with women (surely his biggest motivator in the slayings) and other worries related to family and layoffs. But it also includes comments about the “liberal media,” the “Obama economy” — and it opens with remarks about last fall’s election, the election of “The Black Man” and jokes about black men bedding white women.”
h/t http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/media-ignore-pittsburgh-k_b_251797.html
RedKitten
Happy birthday, BHF! Have a great one!
Things quiet on this front. We’ve had a pretty little fox hanging around our place, caching food in various spots in the yard. She’s curious about humans, but still a little timid. My friend Jody managed to get some fantastic photos of her with his telephoto lens.
Oh, and John, I put up a couple of new pregnancy pics on my Facebook. Don’t worry, they’re not of my nasty swollen feet again.
General Winfield Stuck
Your feet are pregnant?
General Winfield Stuck
HummerCam on
ChrisB
Sorry to bring bad news to an open thread but I saw this article when I got home:
At the park near my house, there are kids that age doing conditioning drills to get ready for football practice, which starts in a week and a half.
Is Glenville anywhere near you, John?
South of I-10
@RedKitten: Aren’t you due any day now? I hope all goes well. It has been crazy around here, just back from a week in Florida visiting with my brother and his family. We had a blast!
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead:
I would like you, and everyone here (because I need witnesses) to know that I have gone to Facebook and at long last accepted your invitation to Friend you. I have also written very nice and complimentary things on your wall, erasing all those previous snarky and belittling things I pissed on your wall when I wasn’t terrified of you.
Hugs, Fuckhead!
Just Some Fuckhead
Woohoo, one friend!
General Winfield Stuck
@Laura W:
Hugs here to, fuckhead.
Can I piss on your wall?
RedKitten
You’d almost think they were. They’re quite Fred Flintstone-esque in nature (except that unlike Fred, I have the proper number of toes.)
And South, I’m due a week from tomorrow, so the big arrival could be any day now, or it could be three weeks from now. Either way, I will be a mother before the milk in my fridge expires, which puts into perspective how close the time is drawing.
Laura W
@Bad Horse’s Filly: Happiest Birthday to my “Soul” sister from a different mother!
This reminds me of you…and it’s a great jumping song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iuP87yhbw4
Incertus
Does anyone else think we should have let the Republicans blow up the filibuster back in 2005 when they were threatening to do it over judges?
AhabTRuler
@Laura W: Does that mean that if I get a gun people will be my “friend” too?
Anne Laurie
Happy birthday, Bad Horse Filly!
If we’re starting a pool, RedKitten, I want the 11th, just because. And I’m looking forward to pictures, too.
General Winfield Stuck
Yes, but Fred had to make his car go with his feet. Whole different ballgame.
Demo Woman
@RedKitten: What about pics for the non facebook crowd.
joes527
@General Winfield Stuck: PandaCam on too
Anne Laurie
Incertus, for whatever reason, my PC running IE-7 only ever shows the header on your blog. But I will take the excuse to add that Charlie Gibson, on the evening news, said that “President Obama… seems to be growing impatient” with Republican / Blue Dog recalcitrance (not Gibson’s term) on health care reform. Here’s to the hope that this is the first salvo in BHO’s “Fvck You Sideways, Wellpoint Enablers, It’s Mandate Time” tour. If it makes Charlie Gibson uneasy, that can only be a good thing.
General Winfield Stuck
@joes527:
Thanks Joe. Panda looks asleep, but have bookmarked it. Loves me some Pandas:)
Beauzeaux
“I thought I would throw up a thread for you all.”
OK…I guess…just make sure you rinse it off first.
RedKitten
@DemoWoman:
Not sure if these links will work — it’s the first time I’ve used Photobucket, so I just copied the HTML code…
RedKitten
Okay, so that didn’t work.
Let’s try this:
Pregnancy pic
Flintstone Feet
OGB
@General Winfield Stuck: Have to admit that “Hummercam on” made me think of something totally unrelated to birds…except in the British sense of the word. All the same, the stream is awesome. Love the chirping audio. You must be west coast, or thereabouts (judging by the daylight)?
RedKitten
Oh for fuck’s sake, I’m trying my best to embed the links, and it’s just not working. Bah.
All right, here’s the pregnancy pic:
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv290/RedKitten1975/week38deux.jpg
And here’s the pic of the Flintstone feet:
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv290/RedKitten1975/IMG_3553.jpg
Demo Woman
@RedKitten: mmm what link?
General Winfield Stuck
@OGB:
SW New Mexico.
Demo Woman
@RedKitten: Your poor feet! Now that you are on maternity leave, I hope that you are pampering them.
If we have a pool I pick the 9th. Your picture is adorable, but I don’t thing the baby wants to wait another week.
harlana pepper
Ms. Maddow is slicing teh astroturf movement beautifully tonite.
Demo Woman
I just watched HBO’s “Grey’s Gardens” thanks to Netflix while drinking a cheap merlot. After losing their housekeepers, did they just become accustomed to clutter? How does that happen?
Left Coast Tom
So I guess the NRA serves a purpose after all.
Several years ago I landed at the King Salmon, AK, airport. Inside the “terminal” building I looked outside and saw a bunch of people standing around with mosquito headnets on. Thankfully the airport had a shop selling headnets. It was one of my wiser $3 purchases.
OGB
@General Winfield Stuck: It’s a wonderful world we live in, when I can be sitting on my patio in San Diego and drinking scotch/rocks while watching/listening to hummingbirds eat from a feeder at a total stranger’s house almost a thousand miles away. Thank god for Al Gore.
WereBear
Love Rachel!
Whoda thunk it… someone with a doctorate in Political Science doing a politics show?
What a wild & whacky concept.
Emily's Forests
@RedKitten: Your pregnancy photo is completely lovely!! May your labor be quick and easy. Also don’t be surprised if you do some serious night sweats the first week after the baby is born as you get rid of all that extra fluid (feet and elsewhere I’m sure). Blessings and blessings.
Demo Woman
@RedKitten: A few hours after the second son was born, I walked down to the scale. I had gained two pounds since my dr. visit the week before. My son was 8 1/2 lbs so it’s still confusing to me how that happened but the water gain takes a while.
Emily’s right, it takes at least a week and then some.
Betsy
@Bad Horse’s Filly:
Happy birthday!!
@RedKitten:
What a lovely picture! (You can probably guess which one I’m referring to.) I go in for the 15th, since first babies are usually late, but I hope yours isn’t *too* late!
Lesley
And while you’re there, Tunch is tearing up your place.
Here’s a book for Lily.
Laura W
@Demo Woman: JenJen and I loved that movie.
I am watching the most recent episode of “Weeds” for the second time tonight with a cheap Pinot Grigio. It’s just that good (the show.) I think everyone here should be required to view it, frankly. Except for Krista’s poor feet. OUCH! (But the full body shot is beyond adorable. OUCH!)
Suck ‘N Spit, all y’all!
http://www.weedsepisodes.org/season-5/season-5-episode-9-suck-n-spit
spartacvs
LAPD Chief William Bratton will announce his resignation today.
Shorter NRO
Blacks need not apply
Max
@RedKitten: Your poor feet. I get that sometimes when I travel. I refer to it as being “cankley”.
Gordon, The Big Express Engine
@Just Some Fuckhead: This post leads me to believe you may be BOB, or you read his blog too much…
grouchygardensa
thanks to our price gouging 7-11, am drinking MGD. Cat is sitting on me. am tired of being made fun of by Canadian friends re: lack of universal health coverage.
Gordon, The Big Express Engine
@RedKitten: Jiminy Cricket! Those feet are out of control! My wife (mother of 2) luckily did not have any foot problems. Being 9 months pregnant in Houston in mid-August was bad enough!!!
The Other Steve
My representative… Erik Paulsen (R-MN 3rd) isn’t doing any townhall meetings in August near as I can tell.
Our former Rep… Jim Ramstad had a long standing tradition of meeting with constituents whenever he was back in town.
Hmm, I see his District office is just a couple blocks down from where I live. I may have to stop by there and find out what’s going on.
Gordon, The Big Express Engine
@The Other Steve: Unfortunately, my bloated hack of a Congressman, John Culberson, already had his town hall. Here’s how it was advertised on his website:
“Please join me for a neighborhood meeting at the Jersey Village City Hall -16327 Lakeview Drive, Jersey Village, TX 77040 – from 6:30 – 8 p.m. to discuss my strong opposition to President Obama’s liberal agenda of nationalized health care, energy taxes, and record deficits.”
Gordon, The Big Express Engine
@Gordon, The Big Express Engine: Correction. It’s tomorrow. Wish I could go and ask pointed questions. Alas no…
KG
I’ve got you all beat when it comes to lousy congresscritters – I’ve got Gary Miller (douchebag, CA-42). He just published something about health care:
Well, sure, you could ask your doctor, or you could just listen to my talking points.
cbear
“Chairman Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday that the company intends to charge for all of its news Web sites. “Quality journalism is not cheap, and an industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalizing its ability to produce good reporting,” Murdoch said.”
In other news: Local wastewater sewage plants to charge customers by the turd.
(Ok, I made that last one up.)
JK
@cbear: I was just about put a link to that story.
FUCK the NY Yankees
Bad Horse's Filly
@RedKitten: That pix is beautiful. Pregnancy agrees with you. Popped in to show my friends the cuteness that is Lily. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Now bring on the chocolate cake.
Oh and BTW, my birthday started off beautifully with the big old reunion at Burbank airport this morning. Anyone else see Clinton biting his lip to hold back tears when Laura Ling was thanking him? And Euna Lee holding her daughter, man that did me in.
Laura W. Listening to your song now. Thanks! Write something dirty on JSF wall for me, okay?
Darkrose
Hippo Birdies, BHF!
And RedKitten, that’s a wonderful picture. Sorry about your feet, though–can’t be comfortable.
MBSS
anyone have any thoughts about the KO/Glenn Greenwald/Stelter issue?
anyone following this?
JK
@MBSS: I think Stelter is full of shit and doesn’t know his ass from his elbow. The NY Times should never have hired that douchebag.
Third Eye Open
T-Pain for president. You gotta love college towns.
burnspbesq
@KG:
You don’t have me beat.
CA-40. Ed Royce.
And the town I grew up in is now part of NJ-05, which is represented by Scott Garrett.
Suck on that suckitude, y’all.
MBSS
@jk
the problem is that KO confirmed to greenwald that nothing greenwald said was factually incorrect. and greenwald went by stelter’s story and also has an anonymous source. KO’s explanation last night is contrary to his admission to GG. KO seems a tad bit disingenuous to me.
burnspbesq
@cbear:
Oh, for pity’s sake – I won’t be able to read Ahn-drew’s columns in the Sunday Times.
;-)
Ash Can
Pix/vid or it didn’t happen.
Yutsano
@grouchygardensa: Every time I mention my Canadian friend who got skin cancer right-wingers insist I made up the story. The fact is he was seen, treated, and had follow-up care all in a timely and efficient manner. Oh and he didn’t pay a dime for it.
SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta
@Bad Horse’s Filly: Hey! Happy Birthday!!
Montysano
@Just Some Fuckhead:
My wife has the greenest of thumbs. We have tomato plants that are 6′ tall. Gorgeous plants….. with very little fruit. In fact, that’s been the story of our garden this year: large, healthy looking plants with little produce. It sucks.
SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta
@Demo Woman: I wondered the same thing often since seeing the movie. Must have been some kind of mental illness there for both of them to live in such apparent lack of awareness to their environment.
BTW don’t see the usual preview option…
Steeplejack
@RedKitten:
Here’s the code that works. You can use this until the site gets fixed.
{a href=”HTTP_Link_You_Want”}Accompanying_Text{/a}
Replace curly braces with angle brackets.
Also, I have noticed that the HTTP link has to include the “http://” prefix; you can’t just start with “www”.
Steeplejack
@RedKitten:
A radiant mother-to-be!
But, damn, baby, those feet . . .
Steeplejack
@Steeplejack:
I meant to write “the HTML link has to include [. . .]”.
Anne Laurie
Come to our house, Demo Woman, and you can watch it in action. {sigh}
RedKitten, a woman who can keep her toenails perfectly polished even when pregnancy has swolled up her poor feets like that… is a better woman than I’ll ever be!
Montysanto, you’re not alone. Our tomato vines are incredibly lush, but they’re only just starting to ripen fruit, almost a month later than usual. And the few ripe tomatoes we’ve had so far are just NOT up to the usual tastiness standard, dammit. Here in New England, they’re blaming excess rain & relatively cold temperatures during June and July — it’s been like somebody switched our weather with Seattle’s.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Montysano:
Maybee a pollinator issue? I put water out for the bees. Seems to help, I have over a hundred green tomatoes on eighteen tomato plants.
Steeplejack
@Demo Woman:
There’s definitely mental illness involved, and I think it’s close to, but not the same as, depression. Something about feeling unable to cope with the outside world, and sort of burrowing under a pile of stuff to keep the world out and feel obscurely secure, sort of like in a fortress. Or maybe it’s just that getting to the place where you can tune out the outside world also leaves you where you unfortunately tune out the more immediate mess in which you live. There also seems to be a heavy OCD connection. Can’t throw anything away, pointless categorizing and assorting of the trash, etc.
There is a growing body of literature about people beset by “clutter” (the polite term), but the women in Grey Gardens go beyond that, into the realm of what I would call squalor.
The classic case is that of the Collyer brothers in the 1940s. Two reclusive guys living for years in an inherited New York brownstone, and when they were discovered to have died in 1947 the authorities pulled 103 tons of junk out of the house. The clutter was so bad that the second brother’s body was not found until 18 days after the first brother’s.
The Wikipedia article is fascinating, even though the sourcing is a little sketchy.
MikeJ
You can have it back. That stretch of high 90s-low 100s we had sucked. Even at night, when it should have been 55-60 it never got below about 68.
Thank gopod today was fairly normal. I can think of no good reason for it to ever get above 75.
Steeplejack
@MikeJ:
I could go 80°, maybe 85° with low humidity, but then I am renowned for my hardy constitution.
OriGuy
@KG: I wonder how many people will ask their doctors and find out that they’re all for it. I know my doctor is sick of fighting dozens of plans to get approval for things, and he is part of a big medical group which has people to do the paperwork.
Anne Laurie
Well, I’ve been told tomatoes won’t set fruit unless temps are above 78 degrees. Apart from that, I agree that anything over 85 is unfit for humans, especially since around here high temps usually mean unspeakably high humidity. Don’t like opening my front door and getting hit with a blast of hot damp that suggests somebody’s taken a long hot shower without turning on the exhaust fan first.
auntieeminaz
@RedKitten:
You look gorgeous. With a full moon tonight I would guess you must be very close to B-Day. BTW, I have a necklace that looks just like the one you are wearing. Copper disks by any chance?
Chuck Butcher
@burnspbesq: Suck on that suckitude, y’all.
Oh krie-yie, I live in a state with 4 D Reps and 2 D Sen and I get Greg Walden (OR2-R).
RedKitten
I actually re-did them yesterday, in an opalescent white. Picture, if you will, the sheer entertainment value of watching someone with that large of a baby belly trying to paint her own toenails. I should have charged admission.
R-Jud
@RedKitten: Your hair is faaaabulous.
If your swollen feet bug you, find a reflexologist. My SIL does it and was using me as a case study. The only positive benefit I ever noticed was during the end of my pregnancy (and immediately after the C-section), when the treatments totally de-puffed my feet for about 48 hours.
I think the 17th is the day.
Ash Can
@RedKitten:
::is gobsmacked::
I recall having to go through amazing contortions just to put on socks when I was that far into pregnancy. I wouldn’t have been able to paint my toenails unless I used a ceiling roller.
And BTW, you look terrific! :)