Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Petty moves from a petty man.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

With all due respect and assumptions of good faith, please fuck off into the sun.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

So many bastards, so little time.

Our messy unity will be our strength.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

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Open Thread

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Made it to the hotel in one piece. Meetings until late in the evening. I’ll try to check back later and give you all another thread, provided you have not blown the place up. I don’t have time to read the news or blog, so if I missed anything of note, fill me in. Although Friday usually is a slow news day.

Reader Interactions

174Comments

  1. 1.

    JGabriel

    WaPo Marketing Executive Resigns After ‘Salons’ Incident:

    Charles Pelton, who had helped organize and promote the monthly dinners as The Post’s newly hired general manager of events and conferences, made no mention of the controversy in his resignation letter to Post President Stephen P. Hills. […] The dinners were to be held at the home of Post publisher Katharine Weymouth.

    I guess no one’s in a position to ask Katie to resign…

    .

  2. 2.

    Lola

    Apparently, Sen. Harkin is promising a public option (I think with no trigger) will pass in the Senate. If so, that would be a near miracle.

    I’m not sure why progressive groups aren’t pressuring the Senate Dems to committing to voting for cloture. Any ideas?

  4. 4.

    Trinity

    DC is the center of the wingnut-o-sphere this weekend. I can not wait to get the hell outta here.

    Beer me!

  5. 5.

    SenyorDave

    I see the House Democrats are going to go after Wilson (admonish him) for not apologizing to Congress.

    My question is why? Just leave it be, to most people Wilson is an idiot. Why make him a conservative martyr.

  6. 6.

    JGabriel

    Lola:

    I’m not sure why progressive groups aren’t pressuring the Senate Dems to committing to voting for cloture. Any ideas?

    Probably because there’s no bill on the floor yet. Various groups may not want to press for cloture until they know the final bill meets their goals, or is at least something they can live with.

    After all, some progressive groups are still pressing Congresspeople NOT to vote for any bill without a public option. So pressing for cloture now may be a little premature.

    .

  9. 9.

    Polish the Guillotines

    Sact’o River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers last night. First round of the PCL playoffs tied at 1 and 1. Go Cats! I’ve got tix for game 3 of the PCL championships if they make it. So win, goddammit!

    Speaking of Sacramento, The Drip denies he had any affairs — he just talked a good game. Frankly, I would find it even more schadenfreudalicious if he’s telling the truth. What kind of moran commits political sepukku by pretending to have a mistress?

  12. 12.

    DougJ

    My question is why? Just leave it be, to most people Wilson is an idiot. Why make him a conservative martyr.

    I think it’s bad for the institution to do otherwise.

  13. 13.

    robertdsc

    I’m not sure why progressive groups aren’t pressuring the Senate Dems to committing to voting for cloture. Any ideas?

    According to the people at FireDogLake, the major groups are under the thumb of the White House.

    Jane Hamsher refers to these groups and their co-opting by the White House as the veal pen.

    The Netroots are independent, but it’s difficult for them to have any real effect on the goings-on in Washington.
    If you’re Al Giordano, you think that going through the White House’s political/organizing arm is the answer. But since the White House message machine is ridiculously out of tune and out of touch with reality (pushing co-ops and triggers when the nation wants a public option), I’m not sure he’s right.

    Mayan death panels 2012!

  14. 14.

    KG

    @SenyorDave: nothing wrong with reminding the public that your political opponent is a jackass. Plus, if they censure him, that makes it even more fun to run against him in a swing district.

  15. 15.

    Polish the Guillotines

    @SenyorDave: I’m with ya. Sure, they’ve gotta enforce the rules and all, but it would be big win if Pelosi just came out and said “It’s enough that he apologized to the President and the President accepted. Now, if he feels obliged to apologize to his colleagues on the floor of the House, I’ll make sure he’s able to do so.”

  16. 16.

    KG

    @DougJ: yeah, that too, got to have some sense of decorum in Congress. It’d be nice to get back to the “we’re Democrats and Republicans until 5 pm” mindset, but I don’t see that happening for a decade or two.

  20. 20.

    Zifnab

    @robertdsc:

    But since the White House message machine is ridiculously out of tune and out of touch with reality (pushing co-ops and triggers when the nation wants a public option), I’m not sure he’s right.

    I don’t know if the nation wants a public option so much as they want what they’re being sold. You can’t chant “Public Option! Public Option!” and turn around and put single payer or co-ops or expanded Medicaid on the table. That’s just confusing.

    Even in his address, Obama remained very wobbly on this. He says he wants to cover everybody, but he says he wants to compromise on how we cover everybody. In my ear, that doesn’t make any sense.

  25. 25.

    robertdsc

    Zifnab, on a national scale, co-ops won’t work. They’ve been demonstrated to not work in several states. I read one bit at Digby’s that mentioned Wisconsin having both co-ops and a public option. The public option worked and the co-ops didn’t. That’s direct evidence, yet dumbass Kent Conrad is still pushing the idea. What makes it worse is that he’s actually said, on camera that co-ops don’t bend the cost curve at all. So they’re doubly worthless.

    As for triggers, there’s 47 million Americans without insurance now. Putting it off for a decade or more and subjecting them to insurance company gaming won’t help anyone. It’s criminal enough that the plans in debate right now won’t go into effect until 2013. But the President did make an intriguing point in the speech by giving voice to the concept of a bare-bones policy as a stopgap measure. I think that’s a good idea that should be explored and implemented ASAP.

  26. 26.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @gex:

    Girlfriend made me drive to LA from Mpls. for a weekend conference this summer. Sucked, big time.

    Damn! How long was that. I’ve done 16 hours in two days before. 10 hours in one, but only because there was love involved. I’d do that anytime.

  27. 27.

    JGabriel

    @DougJ:

    I think it’s bad for the institution to do otherwise.

    That’s my take too. If you don’t enforce the rules on House decorum during a presidential address, you pretty much leave them prey to open disregard.

    Hell, Jean Schmidt had to withdraw her remarks after implying that Murtha was a coward. If Wilson won’t apologize to the House, then a reprimand or admonishment is in order — even if only to mark that such behavior is not acceptable.

    .

  28. 28.

    Crashman06

    I know there are some homebrewers in the audience… I’m thinking about making a beer with ginger for my 3rd brew. The recipe in my book calls for 4oz of fresh ginger at the beginning of the boil. Won’t that boil off the flavor/aroma? Any idea?

  29. 29.

    CaseyL

    You’re at a conference, John?

    Well, darn. I hoped you were on a weekend of adventure and romance.

    Is this one of those college professor get-togethers? Be funny if you ran into Thoreau (from Unqualified Offerings) – but he’s a self-described fizziks professor.

    Have as much fun as you can, anyways – and we’ll drink all your booze be good while you’re gone. Really.

  30. 30.

    burnspbesq

    I am so not happy with Holder. A United States Attorney flat-out, no-doubt-about-it lied to a Congressional committee, and you’re not going to prosecute?

    That does it. I want his head on a fucking pike, in the middle of the intersection of 10th and Constitution. And leave it there until it starts to smell bad.

  31. 31.

    Crashman06

    DougJ,

    I believe you recommended that I have dinner at Toque during my Montreal trip.

    Me and my new fiancee thank you deeply. No joke, it was the best meal of both of our lives.

  32. 32.

    General Winfield Stuck

    There is so much horseshit blather swirling around the Health Bill, I am just not going to listen to any of it. Harry Reid is being his two faced weak self, Pelosi is speaking in tongues, and Obama is open to ideas from Mars.\

    It all don’t mean nothin’ until we get a conference report in a month or so, what the Senate passes beforehand and ditto for the House is just grist for the DC wanker mill. Until they get together and decide what is going to be put up to a final vote.

    And the censure of Joe Wilson is contingent on him not apologizing on the House Floor, as I read it. Which seems more unlikely as the braying winger Hyenas are now busy making him a crown of thorns for his new beatitification as Joe’n of Arc.

    IOW’s Cole, shit still is crazy here in the land of mad wizards.

  33. 33.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    So the House wants to force Joe the Heckler to apologize from the well. Calling the President a liar is specifically prohibited in the House rules, but I don’t know if its worth the trouble, is it? Obama accepted the apology.

  34. 34.

    burnspbesq

    The only time I wish Hilary had won is when I think about the possibility that Mary Jo White would be AG instead of Holder.

    Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  35. 35.

    wasabi gasp

    Love made me take my old girlfriend on a road trip across the country. Hate made me leave her in Las Vegas.

  37. 37.

    eyepaddle

    @gex and @arguingwithsignposts

    A few years ago I drove from MPLS to Ithaca NY for a conference, satellite radio helped immensely. I can’t complain about it though–I REALLY wanted to bring my kayak and you just can’t fit those on an airplane.

    The conference was actually fairly useful too.

  39. 39.

    D-Chance.

    Glad to see you made it in one piece, Cole.

    Since the Coast Guard has our backs, staving off that evil Iranian navy (or whatever CNN was conjuring up), I doubt there will be much else in the way of threats to our national security today. And, thus, Obamamerica has surpassed Bush in the protection of our homeland.

    Meanwhile, on to important stuff… who’s got what on this Sunday’s NFL action?

  41. 41.

    JK

    @JGabriel:

    I hope Nancy Pelosi comes to her senses and lets Dems go ahead and censure crazy Joe Wilson and/or make him apologize on the House floor.

    Wilson is a world class hypocrite. One minute he issues a lameass written apology. The next minute, according to TPM, he’s expressing thanks for all the support he’s received for his outburst. He also goes on the radio show of knuckledragging neanderthal Sean Hannity who tells him he did nothing wrong.

  45. 45.

    JGabriel

    The Grand Panjandrum:

    Calling the President a liar is specifically prohibited in the House rules, but I don’t know if its worth the trouble, is it? Obama accepted the apology.

    I think it’s worth the trouble. Wilson’s outburst was an insult not just to the president, but a breach of House rules, and an insult to House members and the people — us — they represent.

    .

  46. 46.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    @Zifnab:

    Even in his address, Obama remained very wobbly on this. He says he wants to cover everybody, but he says he wants to compromise on how we cover everybody. In my ear, that doesn’t make any sense.

    I think Obama’s speech was carefully crafted to maintain enough ambiguity that everybody could see in it what they want to see – a sort of Health Insurance Reform Rorschach Test as it were.

    David Brooks heard it and thought “teh Left is fncked – neener, neener!”. Moderate Dems heard it and thought “Some sort of slimmed down public option is going to be in the bill”. The netroots would probably be throwing rotten cabbages at Obama if it weren’t for the emotionally masterful way he closed the speech pivoting off of Ted Kennedy’s letter to make a moral argument for liberal principles in the abstract (no matter how watered down in practice) and because Joe Wilson made a spectacle of himself.

    What I took away is that Obama is going to keep splitting the difference on the really tough decisions over this bill (like public option) up to the very last minute, which will be take place partially behind closed doors anyway, when the House and Senate bills are reconciled. This speech had two purposes: (1) to convince moderates that the health care reform being proposed is a very good thing, and the death-panel folks should be ignored as a bunch of screaming loons, and (2) to convince progressives that even if they are convinced the bill sucks, they should go ahead and swallow anyway because he will still respect us in the morning.

    I think he succeeded at (1) but would have narrowly failed at (2) if Joe Wilson had kept his fat trap shut.

  51. 51.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @D-Chance.:

    (or whatever CNN was conjuring up),

    CNN go Ric-rolled on the training exercise in DC this morning, and have spent the rest of the day whining about it.

    They were the ones who thought it was real, tee hee/

  52. 52.

    burnspbesq

    @The Grand Panjandrum:

    If it plays out that way, Holder’s isn’t the only head I will want to see on a pike.

    You’re either for the rule of law, or you’re not. You don’t get to set it aside when it might get in the way of your legislative agenda.

    This is a bad call, and I’m not giving out any passes on it.

  54. 54.

    Morbo

    So, would it be hyper-partisan to point out that Obama has now officially kept us safe from mass terrorism longer than the Bush administration did?

  55. 55.

    J.

    Football (for the rest of us)! Any Giants or Jets fans out there? You think Eli is worth the $106.9 mil the Giants are paying him? Is Mark Sanchez the next Joe Namath?

  59. 59.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    @JGabriel: My first reaction was they should tear his heart out and hand it back to him while its still beating. However, after some reflection, I just don’t know. But he certainly has it coming, and I have little sympathy for a guy who belongs to a white supremacist/secessionist group like the Sons of Confederate Veterans. After a little more reading about this guy I’ll probably be back to wanting him tarred and feathered out in front of the Capitol.

    And you are correct that it was an insult cast upon the members and the American people. I certainly don’t want to sound like I’m defending him. I’ll probably be back to wanting him tarred and feathered out in front of the Capitol by tonight. I guess I’ve just seem so much over the top behavior from these guys lately this is actually pretty tame by comparison. Joe the Heckler was dumb enough to do it a place where that sort of behavior actually might have consequences.

  60. 60.

    JGabriel

    Morbo:

    So, would it be hyper-partisan to point out that Obama has now officially kept us safe from mass terrorism longer than the Bush administration did?

    Only in the way that it’s hyperpartisan for Democrats to tell the truth.

    .

  61. 61.

    YellowJournalism

    Got a free moment to just pop in and say hello to everyone and try to catch up on what’s been going on.

    I kind of took Labor Day weekend literally, spending 21 hours in labor for my new little guy. Hubby and I welcomed a 6 lb 10 ounce baby boy into the world on September 5. “Little A” looks exactly like his big brother, who is thrilled with him and not showing jealousy (yet). It’s been a really long week. Little A is not much of a nighttime sleeper at this point.

    I really missed my BJ during this week, especially with all the craziness going on in the world!

  63. 63.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    @burnspbesq: I’m with you on this. I railed against the war criminals and the DOJ enablers for years. Now that a Democratic administration looks like it is more than willing to give them a pass is quite a let down. If we don’t have the rule of law then exactly what is it that will hold us together as a nation? I actually fear this outcome as much as the original offenses.

  69. 69.

    jibeaux

    Also too, a FOURTH Pirates of the Caribbean? Isn’t that a little more mileage than one generally gets out of amusement park rides? I mean, I would watch Johnny Depp watching paint dry, but I dunno.

  71. 71.

    Gordon, The Big Express Engine

    @J.: No one is worth that much. As a Giants fan, that was a tough one for me to figure out, not that they signed him long term, but that it was for so much. That being said, I think he will live up to much of the contract. He’ll never be paid the whole amount anyway – the guaranteed portion is much less than that ($35mm or so) and actually less than what Rivers is getting, but more than Big Ben

    Going to Giants @ Cowboys next week to watch Dallas lay a big fat egg in their first game in Jerry’s new stately pleasure dome.

  73. 73.

    burnspbesq

    Fucking Greenwald: Holder does this, and he’s going off on Norman Podhoretz?????

    Paging Mr. Horton, Mr. Scott Horton.

  75. 75.

    JK

    @Morbo:

    I don’t expect Pat “nazi loving” Buchanan; raving, drooling, bedwetting lunatic Glenn Beck; pearl clutching, pregnant pauser Peggy Noonan or any other wingnut asshole giving Obama hosannas or kudos for keeping us safe.

  77. 77.

    JGabriel

    The Grand Panjandrum:

    I guess I’ve just seem so much over the top behavior from these guys lately this is actually pretty tame by comparison. Joe the Heckler was dumb enough to do it a place where that sort of behavior actually might have consequences.

    I agree that the behavior itself is pretty lame compared to other GOP outrages, but sometimes you have to demand your consequences where you can get them.

    If the GOP can take Congressional time to condemn a MoveOn ad, then the Dems can take time to admonish Wilson for insulting Obama from the well of the House during a presidential address. More importantly, I think it’s necessary for the House as an institution to mark the breach of decorum in its records — with an apology from Wilson if he’ll provide one, or a reprimand if he won’t.

    An apology would be better, but I suspect Wilson would rather be a “martyr” for the right rather than pull back to provide a lesson in civility and grace.

    .

  78. 78.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @YellowJournalism: That’s great news, YellowJournalism. Congratulations to you, hubby, big brother and Little A. Please send photos to John when you can so he can post them for us to admire alongside RedKitten’s little one!

  81. 81.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @General Winfield Stuck: Honestly, that Libby is SO cute! She looks like an expensive, realistic stuffed toy. I keep looking for a price tag affixed to her ear.

    And I’m a longtime chipmunk fan, so always appreciate photos of Alvin and his friends.

  82. 82.

    JGabriel

    jibeaux:

    I would watch Johnny Depp watching paint dry

    Of course, an argument can be made that watching Depp watch paint dry would be more entertaining and artistically interesting than watching him, once again, pretend a green screen is a sea monster.

    .

  85. 85.

    South of I-10

    Katie the kitty made a break for it when Mr. South opened the door last night. I have been out in the rain looking for her all day. This totally sucks.

  87. 87.

    Svensker

    @YellowJournalism:

    I kind of took Labor Day weekend literally, spending 21 hours in labor for my new little guy. Hubby and I welcomed a 6 lb 10 ounce baby boy into the world on September 5.

    Congrats! (I thought the second one was supposed to squirt out like a peeled grape — guess not, huh?)

    Hope the jealously lies low with the big brudder.

  88. 88.

    ellaesther

    @YellowJournalism: Hey congratulations! And best of luck with the whole “not sleeping” doohickie. It’s rough, but it gets better. No — I promise! I just can’t tell you when. (I remember thinking “If someone would tell me: You won’t sleep well until this day,” I could mark it on my calendar and prepare myself emotionally…! Sadly, no one does that. But it does get better!)

    Oh, they’re so briefly so little! I miss my babies. I mean, these big kids I have are sure delightful, but I would love to go visit my babies again.

  89. 89.

    ellaesther

    @The Grand Panjandrum: I can’t decide. On the one hand, he absolutely should. I mean: What the hell? And while he insulted the President, he also insulted the House, so each deserves an appropriate response.

    On the other hand, doing so makes him an ever bigger martyr and means the issue doesn’t go away….

    I think I vote no. Like anyone’s asking me! (Other than you, I suppose!)

  90. 90.

    General Winfield Stuck

    Dumbass Todd filling for Tweey on Hardball, is asking Rep Clyburn of SC why Obama polls so poorly in the south. “Is there a problem is the south with Obama” and asked with a straight face.

  91. 91.

    burnspbesq

    Weird, random factoid: did you know that Donald Rumsfeld and Liz Phair graduated from the same high school?

  94. 94.

    CaseyL

    @South of I-10: Oh, no. Hopefully, the rain kept her under cover nearby. Put food out for her – and keep calling; cats’ hearing is their keenest sense.

    Best of luck coaxing her home!

  96. 96.

    Kryptik

    I have a modest proposal.

    For those self-identifying Liberals, Progressives, Democrats, or otherwise reality-based folk on the Health Care issue, please no longer use the F-Word.

    Due to the ‘honorable’ Senator responsible for the Gang of Six giveaways, I say we should have a change of language. Baucus? Nay, I say Bauc You, Max.

  99. 99.

    Comrade Darkness

    On the Republican Lawmakers who should have been institutionalized front, we have another poster child in Steve Nunn of Kentucky.

    Ex girlfriend with protective order, dead of 5 bullet wounds. He, found in cemetery with offerings left on his ancestor’s graves and slitted wrists.

    He’s been arrested for …. wait for it …. possessing a gun, which is in violation of the protective order. Wheee! Kentucky wins again. At least they didn’t just give him a medal for discharging a weapon during an act of manly courage or something. Maybe they leave that for the NRA.

  100. 100.

    ellaesther

    @JK: No, of course YOU don’t think that. YOU are a reasonable person! Much like myself!

    It is my sad impression, however, that SOME people in this country — the type of people to use the phrase “you lie! you lie!” as a rallying cry at anti-government protests — are not quite as reasonable as, say, you. Or me.

    I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are some lunatics out there….

  103. 103.

    linda

    Dumbass Todd filling for Tweey on Hardball, is asking Rep Clyburn of SC why Obama polls so poorly in the south. “Is there a problem is the south with Obama” and asked with a straight face.

    msnbc is intent on ginning up a new controversy: ‘white house aides claim ‘republicans are racists’.

    mike barnicle got it rolling on monday with a black female radio host from sc asking her ‘gosh, just what do you think makes republicans so angry with barack obama; i just can’t for the life of me figure out why people are so angry with that nice young black fella. he speaks so well.’

    jesse jackson was on earlier this afternoon to answer the question. and now chuckie-t pursues the issue. they can’t wait for a white house representative or a high level democrat make that statement: ‘republicans are racist’.

  104. 104.

    srv

    Meetings until late in the evening

    Who has meetings on Friday evenings? Just what are these meetings for, and who with?

    I suspect a nefarious agenda here. Soros? MM? WaPo get together? CFR?

  105. 105.

    JK

    @ellaesther:

    You bet your screen name I KNOW there are plenty of lunatics out there. Many of them are shock troops for Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, or Rusgh Limbaugh. I say fuck ’em. Joe Wilson needs to apologize on the House floor.

    I could use a good inspirational poem right now.

  106. 106.

    JGabriel

    General Winfield Stuck:

    Dumbass Todd filling for Tweey on Hardball, is asking Rep Clyburn of SC why Obama polls so poorly in the south.

    Might have been best to just smile knowingly and throw the question back in Todd’s face, “I don’t know, Chuck. Why do you think that is?”

    .

  107. 107.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Svensker: I have a colleague whose daughter gave birth yesterday. It was her second. From the time her water broke to holding the baby in her arms: a grand total of 20 minutes.

  108. 108.

    Bubblegum Tate

    @JK:

    Where does Liz Phair stand on enhanced interrogation techniques, extraordinary rendition, and military tribunals?

    She keeps standing 6 feet 1. Instead of 5 feet 2.

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @South of I-10: Oh, that’s terrible. I’ve been there and I know how worrying and frightening it is. I do hope Katie the kitty returns to you, safe and sound (if wet), and seriously chastened by the experience.

  111. 111.

    JGabriel

    JK:

    I could use a good inspirational poem right now.

    I hope this one works:

    Concerning That Prayer I Cannot Make
    by Jane Mead

    Jesus, I am cruelly lonely
    and I do not know what I have done
    nor do I suspect that you will answer me.

    And, what is more, I have spent
    these bare months bargaining
    with my soul as if I could make her
    promise to love me when now it seems
    that what I meant when I said “soul”
    was that the river reflects
    the railway bridge just as the sky
    says it should—it speaks that language.

    I do not know who you are.

    I come here every day
    to be beneath this bridge,
    to sit beside this river,
    so I must have seen the way
    the clouds just slide
    under the rusty arch—
    without snagging on the bolts,
    how they are borne along on the dark water—
    I must have noticed their fluent speed
    and also how that tattered blue T-shirt
    remains snagged on the crown
    of the mostly sunk dead tree
    despite the current’s constant pulling.
    Yes, somewhere in my mind there must
    be the image of a sky blue T-shirt, caught,
    and the white islands of ice flying by
    and the light clouds flying slowly
    under the bridge, though today the river’s
    fully melted. I must have seen.

    But I did not see.

    I am not equal to my longing.
    Somewhere there should be a place
    the exact shape of my emptiness—
    there should be a place
    responsible for taking one back.
    The river, of course, has no mercy—
    it just lifts the dead fish
    toward the sea.

    Of course, of course.

    What I meant when I said “soul”
    was that there should be a place.

    On the far bank the warehouse lights
    blink red, then green, and all the yellow
    machines with their rusted scoops and lifts
    sit under a thin layer of sunny frost.

    And look—
    my own palm—
    there, slowly rocking.
    It is my pale palm—
    palm where a black pebble
    is turning and turning.

    Listen—
    all you bare trees
    burrs
    brambles
    pile of twigs
    red and green lights flashing
    muddy bottle shards
    shoe half buried—listen
    listen, I am holy.

    .

  114. 114.

    Capn America

    I’m still a newbie here, but what does John do, day-to-day? Is he just a blogger? I know he’s been in the military, but that’s about it…

  115. 115.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JK: Here you go.

    If you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
    If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too:
    If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
    Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

    If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
    If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same:.
    If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
    Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

    If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
    And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
    And never breathe a word about your loss:
    If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,
    And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

    If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
    If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much:
    If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
    Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

    Oh wait, isn’t that what you wanted?

  118. 118.

    JK

    @JGabriel:

    I’ve reached a point where nothing could truly help, but that is one great poem. I hadn’t heard of it or the author before and now I’ll try to find other works by her. Thanks for clueing me in to something new.

    I wish there could be a thread sometime devoted to poems and great passages from novels, short stories, and essays.

  120. 120.

    ellaesther

    @JK: Ok, I have a confession: I actually know very little poetry! A few poems/poets have spoken to me powerfully over the years, but the well is kind of shallow. I thank you for your faith in me!

    Having said that, I did post two things over at my place that are, kind of, poetry to me: Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” (really most of that album, as well as Devils and Dust), and Jon Stewart, starting and stopping and stumbling and crying through his first effort to be back on screen after the attacks 8 years ago. Sometimes honest human frailty is a kind of poetry, too, I think.

    And I see that JGabriel has taken beautiful care of you regardless. Wow, that is a lovely, lovely piece of work.

  124. 124.

    sistermoon

    CNN has just released a whiny, pouty statement about the Coast Guard “training scare” over the Potomac today. You know – thoe one that scared no one except CNN.

    You guys got played. Admit it and move on.

  126. 126.

    Michael D.

    The ACORN scandal, while appropriate to report, reminds me of a quote:

    “Getting hit by lightning is an infinitesimal event. But when it happens, everyone hears about it.”

  129. 129.

    Linkmeister

    @wasabi gasp: I can’t remember the formula exactly, but I remember somebody positing that the perfect C&W song had to have a cheating husband, a bottle of booze, and a train.

    That’s what I was aiming for.

  130. 130.

    JK

    @ellaesther:

    Thanks for mentioning Springsteen and Stewart.

    Seeing your reference to Stewart, reminds me of the new found respect I came to feel for David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien following the 9/11 attacks (I didn’t start watching Stewart till well after the 9/11 attacks occurred).

    I thought Letterman, Leno, and O’Brien were incredibly moving, heartfelt, and sincere in their opening remarks when they all returned to the air with new broadcasts following the 9/11 attacks.

    It’s very disheartening and discouraging to see how malignant media carcinogens like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, et al have poisoned the well of civil discourse since 9/11 and it’s even more gut wrenching to see how many knuckle dragging neanderthals have fallen hook, line, and sinker for their shameless demagoguery.

  132. 132.

    JGabriel

    Lacy K. Ford, Jr.:

    Many South Carolinians of both parties have suffered unexpected embarrassment from two of the state’s most prominent Republicans — Governor Mark Sanford, who admitted an affair with an Argentinian woman, and Congressman Joe Wilson, who broke all the rules of Congressional decorum by shouting “you lie” at President Obama during his speech. [Emphasis added.]

    WTF? Why would Democrats have anything to be embarrassed by? This is taking “both parties” rhetoric a (another) step too far.

    Jeebus.

    .

  140. 140.

    JK

    @JGabriel:

    Congrats. It looks like you’ve hit a home run among the commenters here with that poem.

    The positive feedback you’ve received reinforces my desire to see a thread devoted to poems and memorable passages from novels, short stories, and nonfiction.

  142. 142.

    ominira

    @jibeaux: That’s intersex to you. It must suck to be raised and socialized as a girl and then later find out you’re both male and female and noone knows what to do with you. If the test results hold up (right now people are just reporting a rumor) she’ll be the next in a long series of athletes who have female sex organs and the male XY chromosome.

  143. 143.

    smiley

    @freelancer: @freelancer: ratemyprofessor.com? Seriously? It might be OK for identifying whether a faculty member is at a particular school (which is all you did) but that site is responsible for students who need challenge avoiding professors who might challenge them. That’s it’s main function. That site is about avoiding hard work. Plus, it’s an internet poll. Only those who are motivated to do so, out of malice or praise, post there. It’s not a valid indication of faculty effectiveness or popularity. /soapbox

  146. 146.

    RedKitten

    @YellowJournalism: Congrats, YellowJournalism! So when did you want to set up a play date for our boys? :)
    @smiley: I don’t know — I think ratemyprofessor can have some valid uses. I’m sure some people do use it to avoid profs who will challenge them. However, speaking from my own university experience, some profs are just really, really bad at teaching. I took a class on the Arthurian Legend in my second year. And while I don’t doubt that the professor knew his subject matter, his method of teaching was to stand facing the blackboard, mumble incoherently, and occasionally write down one or two disjointed words from whatever it was he was saying. The man had NO business teaching a class, and I really wish I’d known that ahead of time — it would have saved me a lot of frustration.

  147. 147.

    RedKitten

    @smiley: She’s asking you to give John a modicum of privacy. Even if you do know the name of your bloghost’s employer, it’s considered good form to refrain from talking about it.

  149. 149.

    freelancer

    @Laura W:

    Perhaps it was a mistake or overreaching to answer the question on Cole’s behalf, for that I feel some regret. I definitely don’t want to out him to the extent that Malkin is cruising by to look at his countertops.

    However, he has mentioned his classes, his ABD status (recently), and if you post here from behind a firewall, you get an error message with his gmail account listed. I want to respect his privacy, but even he might acknowledge he doesn’t write completely anonymously.

    I’m going to drop the whole matter because it’s none of my fracking business, but in my humble opinion, it’s similar to the way that Surgical Oncologist David Gorsky posts at Science-Based Medicine, but also tongue in cheek psuedonym/”anonymously” as Orac at Respectful Insolence.

    At this point I’m sorry I even brought it up. Back to work.

  150. 150.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @South of I-10:

    Damn I hope you find her. It sickens my stomach when one of mine doesn’t come home for dinner for just one night (mine are indoor/outdoor), it usually works out okay but I have been known to be standing at the door calling a name into the early morning hours.

  151. 151.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @freelancer:

    If there had been a picture of Cole on that link, I would have joined in with foul. But no info beyond what we already know was present, except some comments from his students.

    Which does out him some, as being not quite the badass blog warrior as some might think.

  152. 152.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Ditto, I hope she comes home, soaking wet, dirty with mud, tired and hungry and meowrs the following

    “Well fuck that! I am never doing that shit again”

  153. 153.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @JK:

    For example Rush today was railing against the president’s call for a day of “community service and remembrance” as “communist” that no one needs to be told to do any community service, that it is simply a way of turning everyone into brown shirts or something, he was basically saying that Community Service is a bad thing, let the prisoners pick up the trash! How dare the President turn a day of mourning and shared fear into a day of helping out one’s fellow citizens, it is community agitating, it is ACORN! Blaghgghhghghghghghhg. (I listen to this mother fucker so you guys don’t have to)

  154. 154.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Did I mention on my trip to the Blue Ridge this summer I saw my first chipmunk in the wild? Okay so it ran across the road in front of the car as we were going up a windy mountain road but I was beside myself with glee, I had never seen one before. Then when we were at grandfather mountain there was one in the deer enclosure. I suppose we never see them as we are always up there in the winter and no doubt they are hibernating.

  156. 156.

    South of I-10

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I still can’t find her. I am f’ing sick. I have been walking my neighborhood for hours. I hadn’t let her out yet, but my other cat is indoor/outdoor. She just got fixed a week ago. Time for some wine and I will start again in the morning. I am just so worried. It is supposed to rain all weekend and UL has another home game tomorrow, which means a lot of traffic in my neighborhood.

  162. 162.

    South of I-10

    @gnomedad: I have food out. I call her everytime I walk outside just in case. I tried to get Pati (my older kitty) to tell me where she went. But if Pati knows, she’s not talking.

  167. 167.

    Chris Johnson

    Meh. I liked the Kipling, too.

    I have to work crazy hard just to stay afloat, often on stuff that I don’t know if it’ll really work. Most of it reacts better to me grinding away at it with mad persistence than to me feeling myself holy. To me, the old racist creep speaks more directly, because apart from the white man bullshit, or for that matter sexist bullshit, I don’t really get a choice in the matter.

    If I do things the Kipling way, eventually they work.

    If I try to feel holy in my limited self and circumnstances, I just get more depressed.

    I’m not one bit holy, but I am very determined, have guts enough to care about people even when they might let me down, and I’m not dead yet.

    Thanks for the Kipling :)

  168. 168.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Crashman06: Wait, hold up a second! You can’t just drop a ‘my new fiancee’ into the convo and blithely go on your merry way! We were there for you during the ring process and the where should I propose process. We certainly deserve to be in on the big reveal! Details, man!

    @Gex: The things you do for love…

    @South of I-10: I’m sorry, South. I really hope you find her. I’m sending positive vibes in your direction.

  172. 172.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ Chris Johnson 10:15 pm

    Well, thanks. I have to say I have always felt ambivalent about Kipling. My grandparents (who were more or less Kipling’s generation) were avid fans, and since they were both enthusiastic reader-alouders, Kipling stories and novels and poems are among my earliest and fondest memories. When you’re three or four years old, you don’t worry about racism and sexism and imperialism; you just groove on the relentless “rumpty-tumpty” cadences and strong predictable rhymes.

    Once I was old enough to begin developing both a social conscience and an enhanced definition of “poetry,” I rejected poor Rudyard out of hand for several years; later I welcomed him back into my life but often felt rather ashamed and embarrassed about my early affection for him. And I guess I still do . . . .

    So that’s all right, Best Beloved. Do you see?

  173. 173.

    Anne Laurie

    @YellowJournalism: Congratulations!
    @South of I-10: If your missing cat isn’t on your doorstep by morning (which I most sincerely hope happens) see if your Animal Control department or one of the local shelters will loan you a Havaheart trap. Gnomedad is right, unlike dogs, cats usually stay close to home after an “escape”. Use something really stinky (tuna in oil, say) and be sure you set the “bait” well towards the back of the trap, so your little wanderer can’t reach it without triggering the door shut behind her. If you cover the trap with an old blanket or tarp you may be more likely to attract your pet rather than a racoon, skunk or possum. Last time a “new” cat did this to us, she spent almost two weeks lurking in the gun club property across the road before deciding, on a particularly dank February day, that even if she didn’t particularly approve of indoor living she was tired of having wet feet… so don’t lose hope!

    In any case, you will want to contact Animal Control, and all the local shelters / veterinary hospitals, just in case some kind soul finds her before you do. Also, if you’re in a built-up area, you may be advised to call the local sanitation department — goddess forbid, but some urban departments keep track of dead pets.

  174. 174.

    Original Lee

    @SiubhanDuinne: It took me a long time to go back to anything except the Just So Stories once I was old enough to look beyond the rhythm and the rhyme and see the racism. Some of his ghost stories gave me the willies, though, and there was one short story about a Russian spy that took me years to grok. Rikki-Tiki-Tavi remains one of my favorite not-Just So Story.

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