Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

The words do not have to be perfect.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Our messy unity will be our strength.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

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

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Stand up, dammit!

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Tuesday Night Open Thread

Tuesday Night Open Thread

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I’m completely unimpressed with the television offerings tonight, and after multiple hours watching training videos, I think my eyes would pop out of my head if I tried to read, so we are spending the night working on “sit”:

wealmosthavesit

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this dog (and before you ask, I still love Tunch to death)? And yes, I am fully aware that the blanket is hairy and needs to be shaken out and washed, but I have been really busy lately.

Have at it.

Reader Interactions

102Comments

  1. 1.

    Comrade Darkness

    Oh, awesome. Lily has learned some facial expressions from Tunch. This is the this damn well better be worth it look.

  3. 3.

    Max

    @John Cole – I thought you were going to do doggy classes. Even if Lily is a good dog and listens, I would still recommend taking the classes. It reinforces the bond and is really great quality time with your dog, when you dog is being made to think and learn, which is very healthy for them.

    /off soapbox

  4. 4.

    Max

    P.S. I recommend both Chopped (Food TV) and Flipping Out (Bravo). They are on tonight. Good times. I heart Jeff Lewis.

  6. 6.

    MikeJ +3

    The way Lily is sitting, the kitties on the blanket on the vertical part of the couch are grooming/worshiping her.

    My artichoke heart/pesto pizza is baking. Mmmm.

  10. 10.

    parksideq

    I still love Tunch to death

    Tunch was watching you type this, wasn’t he?

    On a random note, with all the news lately of the teabaggers injecting race into the national discourse, it got me thinking, where are all the non-white nutters? Well, I found one (apologies if this has already been linked to recently).

    I’m not saying that black people can’t be conservatives, but I’ll gladly claim Kanye West over that asshole.

  11. 11.

    sistermoon

    Anyone who doesn’t fall in love with that face is probably inhuman.

    By the way, is anyone else sick of seeing Tom DeLay’s gyrating, spandex-covered ass?

  13. 13.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @sistermoon:

    By the way, is anyone else sick of seeing Tom DeLay’s gyrating, spandex-covered ass?

    Largely why I’m currently boycotting teevee and especially cable news. Not enough brain bleach on this rock to wash out that image.

  16. 16.

    John Cole

    @Max: Going as soon as they start- want to avoid Petco because I try to support local shit over bigbox stores, and I think there will be too many distractions at Petco.

    @sistermoon: I thought Kelly Osborne was good, tbh.

  19. 19.

    gyma

    @sistermoon:

    By the way, is anyone else sick of seeing Tom DeLay’s gyrating, spandex-covered ass?

    Don’t you think it was fitting that he was clothed in shit-brown? Made him look like a literal sack of shit.

  21. 21.

    Max

    @John Cole: Good to hear. Yes, stay away from PetCo / Petsmart / etal.

    I went to some good classes via a Learning Annex type school.

    You’ll enjoy them. But, I will warn you, if you are at all competitive, these classes will bring out the devil in you.

  23. 23.

    schrodinger's cat

    @John Cole:
    Tabouli is quite good for you, especially if you don’t put too much oil in it.
    I use tomatoes, a mix of fresh mint and basil, red onion finely diced and lime juice along with some salt to make Tabouli

  24. 24.

    jl

    Sweet picture. I remember the first pictures of that there dawg. Very touching contrast.

    But where is Tunch? This is evidence that Cole is still OK. But what about the rest of us? Could we get a fix on the location of the His High Dignityness the Tunchinator please.

    A commenter lied that Tunch was on Google Earth and I looked hoping that track him and take cover if he was ever heading my way. But, no luck.

  29. 29.

    Rey

    Lily is completely adorable. That look on her face was the same look my dog gave me ( I use to call it his slack-jawed yokel look ) when he was ready to go out for his last piss of the night so he could go to sleep.

    I’m soooo brunt on cable news and pundits. I only watch Rachel and Countdown (with the volume mute). Who would have thunk 2 yrs ago that the only rational, reasoned, informative and smart cable news show would be hosted by an Out Lesbian PhD??? That’s change I can believe in….

  30. 30.

    Jared's Foe

    People need to keep badgering John until he fixes the link that is now missing from the Balloon Juice header graphic. It’s incredibly easy to fix, and leaving it broken will be a major loss of traffic to the blog. There are countless people who will follow links to individual posts, and then try to get to the homepage by clicking on that header. But now it’s broke, and there is no clear alternative link to get to the homepage. Users could edit the URL manually, but 95% of users will bail out instead. This is like locking the door to your business at noon and driving away potential customers.

    Keep the heat on until John fixes it, at least if you have an interest in the success of this blog. (And I do.)

  31. 31.

    Kirk Spencer

    John, my tabouli recipe is simple and I like it. Hopefully you’ll get some outstanding ones from others but in case you don’t, here’s mine.

    For ONE (my family doesn’t like it, I love it, etc.)

    1/2 c chopped parsley
    1/2 c bulghur wheat
    1/2 c hot water.
    2 Tablespoons chopped mint.
    two green onions, chopped.
    one small tomato, chopped.

    Soak the wheat in the water for about half an hour, then combine all ingredients (toss, not stir, to prevent mashing). Mix in the dressing.

    Mine is about a quarter cup of lemon juice, a third of a cup of olive oil, a tablespoon of fresh-ground black pepper, and a pinch of allspice.

    By the way I’ve been TOLD this should be four servings. Feh. Mine, all mine….

    (And you should be happy. The first time I wrote this for someone it was a lot more longwinded and full of “couple handsful of parsley” and such, but I had a friend who wanted it in ‘standard’ format. Easier to read, disappointing tendency to ignore “ooh, let’s add a bit of this.”)

  32. 32.

    Steeplejack

    Who’s a shmoogy dog?! You’re a shmoogy dog! Yes, you are! Nom-nom-nom-nom-nom!

    Okay, that was the rum talking.

    Steep + 4.

    And, Laura W–I know you’re out there–I find myself really liking the Bitsy Win-O-Meter ad. I think you’ve captured the spirit of the [unnamed implement] ad without scaring off the Balloon Juice rookies.

    Just voted and pushed her up to 640.

    That is all.

  33. 33.

    kindness

    You’re both charmed. It seems from here that it’s a really good adoption for both of you.

    Training…my dogs obey me kinda. They know when to do so & that’s the part that makes their stubborn times OK to go through. I’ve had dogs that obeyed like they were trained but my current two will listen, but obey on their terms, not mine.

    Tuesday is a good night to roam the DVR.

  35. 35.

    wonkie

    I was taking dogs through dog lessons for a dog rescue group for a while. We just had a lady come in and give lessons to a small group, usually three people and three dogs. I liked that format; I learned a lot, the dogs learned a lot, and we all got to be sort of friends.

    Then the dog rescue group euthanized the dog I was taking through lessons. She was only one lesson short of getting her certificate. They didn’t even bother to tell me or the teacher. I came to take her for a walk and do some practice and she ws gone.

    That was about three weeks ago. I know I should think of the dogs first and keep on volunteering to help the dogs but I can’t go near the place without crying. I can’t even think about it without crying,

    I wish there was some other place around here where I could volunteer to help dogs.

  36. 36.

    JK

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I’ve been browsing through your blog and just wanted to tell you that you’re doing a terrific job. You pack more passion and conviction into your posts than just about any other blogger I’ve read. I look forward to reading your next post.

  37. 37.

    Cat Lady

    I love to see happy Lily! More Tunch!

    Leaves orange Skies blue
    Winds bring hints of arctic snow
    Fruitful darkness waits

    /equinox haiku

  40. 40.

    asiangrrlMN

    @JK: Aw, thanks, JK. I appreciate it very much, especially coming from you. I am concentrating on my fiction right now, so the blogging will be a bit lighter. Plus, I am really experiencing political burnout. Still, it’s a boost to hear nice things about my blogging. You’re welcome on my blog any time.

    wonkie, that’s messed up. Seriously. I’m sorry.

  42. 42.

    burnspbesq

    Apropos of not much, I just wanted to point out that the kid who scored the winning touchdown last night played Division 3 college football.

  44. 44.

    Geeno

    JC – you two were sooooooooo lucky to find each other. She has been good for tyou, and you have obviously done wonders for her. This is a perfect adoption story.

  45. 45.

    JK

    I am concentrating on my fiction right now

    Is this fiction that will be posted on a website or will it be appearing in a print publication?

  47. 47.

    John Cole

    I’m actually thinking about writing one of those sappy “me and my dog” books. I have a natural resource- my posts and pictures on this blog. Plus, I could donate any funds to the Animal Rescue.

    Back to the tabouli- the other day someone was talking about a specific type of grains which are supposed to be good for you. Does what bulghur count?

  51. 51.

    asiangrrlMN

    @John Cole: Do it! It would be teh awesome, especially if you include blog entries in the book. Heh.

    @JK: And before you ask, I write heartwarming stories of love, redemption, and hope.

    No. I have a few essays published in the Asian American Renaissance Journal from many years back. I have tried, but my stuff is deemed too violent. I tried to publish right after 9/11, and people were looking for nostalgia.

    Ha! Just kidding.

  52. 52.

    Fencedude

    @Jared’s Foe:

    People need to keep badgering John until he fixes the link that is now missing from the Balloon Juice header graphic. It’s incredibly easy to fix, and leaving it broken will be a major loss of traffic to the blog. There are countless people who will follow links to individual posts, and then try to get to the homepage by clicking on that header. But now it’s broke, and there is no clear alternative link to get to the homepage. Users could edit the URL manually, but 95% of users will bail out instead. This is like locking the door to your business at noon and driving away potential customers.

    Or, they could spend 5 seconds looking and realize that the link is in the tagline.

  54. 54.

    Fencedude

    Oh yeah, and this is why the internet gods invented the “back” button.

    (I have heard rumors of an “edit” function, but I see no evidence…)

  55. 55.

    Cat Lady

    @John Cole:

    Quinoa. It has an alkaline flavor which is good for you because our internal pH should be alkaline to resist disease, but it’s hard to like as a substitute for other grains like rice and bulghur which absorb other flavors. It’s an acquired taste which I haven’t acquired yet. Working on it.

  60. 60.

    TuiMel

    From out here on the BJ Community periphery, I just have to say (without cynicism or sarcasm) that it has been so heart-warming to watch the Cole rescues Lily / Lily rescues Cole show. This is to take nothing away from Tunch, believe you me. I am a dog person (although my JRT’s have always seemed to have “cat like reflexes”), but there is something about Tunch. He needs a story written about him and what lurks behind his oozing “je ne sais quoi.”

  63. 63.

    Violet

    @wonkie:
    Oh, that’s awful. No warning? Heartless and horrible.

    @John Cole: Whole grains in general are good for you, but Cat Lady is right that quinoa is supposed to be better than many due to its pH, protein content (higher than most grains) and low-GI content. Bulghur wheat is good for you unless you have problems with wheat (wheat allergy and/or celiac).

    Wheat is a problem for a lot of people, even if they don’t know they’ve got a problem. Try giving up wheat for a few weeks and see if you notice a change. It can especially affect things like allergies. I just caught up with an old friend over the weekend and turns out she’s been wheat-free for several years now and hasn’t had any allergies in that time, whereas she used to have bad ones.

    @Cat Lady: Are you rinsing the quinoa before cooking it? Supposedly the saponin (bitter outer coating) isn’t supposed to be a problem these days as it’s processed out, so it doesn’t need rinsing, but I think it tastes better if you do. Also, try roasting it before you add the water. Just put it in the pot and stir it around until you smell the popcorn-like smell that tells you it’s browning/roasting. Then add the water. It gives it a much nuttier taste.

    I tried several brands of quinoa, including the bulk Whole Paycheck one, but the Arrowhead Mills brand seems to have the best taste. I think it’s the mildest, too.

  64. 64.

    Betsy

    @Betsy:
    Oh, I know. I meant more that I was replying to the issue raised in your comment, rather than blaming you personally for a rare failure of John’s blog. :)

  65. 65.

    MikeJ

    (I have heard rumors of an “edit” function, but I see no evidence…)

    Works fine for me on Win and linux. Did you make an exception in noscript so javascript could run here?

  66. 66.

    Comrade Darkness

    @John Cole: taboulli is very very good for you. Anything that green has to be.

    You have Madhur Jaffery’s world of the east cookbook? I’d recommend it for your shelf, if not.

    She says:
    3/4 cup fine grain bulgar wheat
    2 med tomatoes
    4 T finely minced onions (I’d go with a cippolini here)
    ADDED: 2 cups finely chopped italian parsley
    3 T lemon juice
    1 t salt
    2 T olive oil
    crisp inner leaves from a head of romaine

    she wants you to seed the tomato and chop finely, soak the wheat in 4 cups water for 45 minutes, then drain the wheat in a dish towel lined colander, bundle it up and squeeze out all the liquid you can. drain the chopped tomatoes too. mix everything together and serve on a bed of romaine that you use as scoops to eat it.

    she reports at the top of the recipe that she lived on this while working at the UN. So, must be healthy.

  67. 67.

    gyma

    I had a pretty good quinoa salad recipe but I can’t seem to find it. It was something like this:

    Added to a couple cups of cooked quinoa was a cup or so of black beans, corn, seeded and chopped tomatoes, some black olives perhaps, maybe some green onions or cilantro dressed with a bit of olive oil and either lemon or lime juice and a smidge of salt. Top it off with some crumbled feta cheese, and voila – a healthy lunch.

  68. 68.

    wonkie

    Thanks for the sympathy.

    I really loved volunteering at the dog rescue. I got very attached to may of the dogs. It was so rewarding to see them go to homes, some after as much as a year of living in the rescue kennel.

    There was no vaild reason to kill Tawny. The dog rescue has two dogs on the premises that have bitten people and four that are too feral to adopt out to anyone. Tawny was dog aggressive butr people social, like many pitbulls. She passed her temperment test. She was goinng to get her Basic Obedience certificate. She got killed for being a pitbull.

    So ayway thanks for letting me dump this sad story here.

    I’m sponsoring a dog at Missouri Pitbull Rescue in Tawny’s memory. I guess I’ll switch to helping dogs by donatinng money instead of time.

  69. 69.

    mai naem

    Lily looks like she needs a throne to sit on.

    Taboulleh is good for you as long as you don’t put all that oil in there. Quinoa has to be cooked in just the right way to taste good. Otherwise it tastes like plain grainy rice with absolutely no accompaniement.

  70. 70.

    Cat Lady

    @Violet:

    That’s a really helpful suggestion, thank you. I want to like it because quinoa is a complete protein source which is hard to get without eating animals and animal products.

  71. 71.

    jl

    @John Cole:
    John Cole
    “I’m actually thinking about writing one of those sappy “me and my dog” books. ”

    I hope you write one, and pour your caramal pudding heart out. I will read it and love it. I love the countryside in your part of the country so lots of rails to trails pics with happy dog running action, please.

    As for sappiness, do not worry, you can write companion “How I Survived the Tunchinator”.

    Well, if you do survive Tunch, you can write it, but I am an optimistic person so give it at least even odds.

    PS: the shots of Lily rolling in whatever she finds might to into an appendix, or afterword, or something like that.

  72. 72.

    Violet

    @Cat Lady:

    Yeah, I’m the same way. I do like quinoa, and the pan roasting makes it taste really good, but it takes just that little bit more time than if you just toss the grains and rice in and turn on the burner. And I’m lazy. So brown rice wins out more often than not.

  73. 73.

    arguingwithsignposts

    when is an open thread a candidate for discard?

    I just finished watching the “House” season opener and I so identified with so many things in that that it was scary.

    thanks bj community for keeping my spirits going.

  74. 74.

    Comrade Darkness

    @mai naem: What’s wrong with olive oil? Without it, it will have a bad glycemic index juju. I.e. it will be all carb with a smattering of soluble fiber. The middle eastern diet is far better balanced on sugars as a fraction of total calories than ours. I, personally, wouldn’t set it back off kilter by taking out the glycemic load-neutral calories, especially heart healthy ones. If you cut all the voluntary heart-healthy fats in recipes you will only eat accidental fats, which are almost all heart un-healthy.

  75. 75.

    Corner Stone

    @jl: Some side dishes like salsa, potato salad, cornbread, etc. can totally be done better at home with a few tweaks. Tabouli on the other hand…find some place that’s beyond decent and just buy it.
    Kind of like spring rolls – sure, you *can* make them if you choose. But I’ve got a great place 1/2 a mile away that sells the best damn shrimp spring rolls & peanut sauce I could ask for, going for 3 for under $4.
    Save the effort for things you can do better.

  76. 76.

    Corner Stone

    @arguingwithsignposts: For a seriously smart guy, House wasn’t too damn swift in the opener.
    Fight the people who control your meds and your license? Nuh-uh.
    Scale it back, give em what they want, open up in group and then sashay your way back to your life. Not too bright even though it filled the plot points.

  78. 78.

    JK

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Agreed. The House season opener was great. One minor criticsim. I was thinking House’s rehabilitation at the mental hospital maybe should have extended to 1 or 2 more episodes. But I realize that when you’re dealing with tv and film you often have to truncate storylines due to time constraints. Andre Braugher was brilliant in his guest starring role. I wish he’d get more roles. I don’t know her name, but the actress who played Dr. Beasley was also very impressive.

    Week in and week out, I think House is one of the best tv drama series around. For me, the recent crop of tv drama series have produced some of the most compelling fictional characters I’ve ever encountered. I’m thinking of characters like Greg House, Tony Soprano, Vic Mackey, Tommy Gavin, and Bobby Goren.

    Damn those NY Yankees. They’re winning again

  81. 81.

    mai naem

    @Comrade Darkness:
    I guess I think of the American diet and the calorie count which is a hundred calories a tablespoon. Personally, I think salads have a lot of wasted calories in the dressing. My family has pretty much always used salt/cayenne pepper/lemon and or yogurt which tastes just as good as a salad dressing with a whole lot less calories.

  92. 92.

    Calming Influence

    For the Balloon Juice Dictionary (with apologies to Occam):

    “Tunch’s Razor: when confronted with two bowls of food that have the same nutritional and caloric value, eat them both.”

  95. 95.

    wasabi gasp

    @Corner Stone: Agree with that.

    A tabbouleh jones (or hummus, or falafel or…(oh man, I’m gettin’ hungry)) is a great reason to drop fifty at the local middle eastern joint. Twenty of which is gonna land on baklava.

  96. 96.

    Anne Laurie

    Daniel Pinkwater, in Uncle Boris in the Yukon, has a wonderful essay about the good things that happen when rescue dogs get the chance to learn human/dog communication, for which the shorthand is “obedience training”. Specifically, Pinkwater talks about rescuing a malamute/Akita mix named Jacques, and the way Jacques’ self-confidence blossomed once he could convey “I am Jacques, who knows to sit.” In the photo, Lily (who was a terrified pound puppy only a couple months ago) is doing her own version: “I am Lily, who knows sit! I am sooo cool!”

  98. 98.

    someguy

    Hey, don’t look now. Zelaya is back in Honduras and it’s looking un-coup-y.

    With a little luck he can seize power back and jail the fuckers who threw him out.

  100. 100.

    Obama Death Panel Chairman (formerly glocksman)

    @JK:

    Genco Pura olive oil is the best.
    Or so their salesmen say, and who am I to argue with them?

  102. 102.

    Jay in Oregon

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Thanks.

    Still no word on the fertility test. It will come; and my wife is correct in one thing, that the answer does not really change where we are right now. She’s not going to leave me if I can’t father children, and she’s not going to stay if I can.

    My goal for the rest of this week is patience.

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