Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“woke” is the new caravan.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

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

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Find someone who loves you the way trump and maga love traitors.

I really should read my own blog.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

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

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

Too little, too late, ftfnyt. fuck all the way off.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

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

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

Reader Interactions

174Comments

  4. 4.

    PurpleGirl

    Hope you feel better soon. And yes, we need, we want, we demand pet pictures… Tunch! Lily!

  7. 7.

    Brachiator

    Hey, at least the Japanese love Obama:

    nytimes.com/2009/10…..ch.html?em

    When Utako Sakai was changing the background music in her beauty parlor recently, she did not opt for the classical piano pieces she usually chose. Instead, she picked her favorite CD: “President Obama’s Inaugural Address,” released by Asahi Press, a Japanese publisher of language books. She says the speech lifts her spirits and helps her to learn English all at once. “All our customers love it,” said Ms. Sakai, who is based in Ayase City, in Kanagawa Prefecture, outside Tokyo.

    The speech CD and its accompanying book have been a resounding success, selling 200,000 copies since its release in January. A compilation of President Barack Obama’s speeches has done even better, selling half a million copies since November, solidifying his role as Japan’s English teacher. Publishers have since flooded the market with over a dozen language-learning titles, including “Speech Training: Learning to Deliver English Speech, Obama Style”; “Learn English Grammar From Obama”; and “Yes, I Can With Obama: 40 Magical English Phrases From Presidential E-mails.”

    How do you say, “The wingnuts heads will explode” in Japanese?

  9. 9.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Hope you get to feeling better, JC. I have these bouts about twice a year (sinus infections and stuff).

    Been traveling way too much over the past two weeks, but it was good traveling, so that’s a positive.

  12. 12.

    Keith G

    Just finished listening to Michael Jackson’s This Is It. Wow, a very good song. Great voice and production.

    What a loss, man, what a loss.

  13. 13.

    Svensker

    Go Jets!

    Off to MIL’s house to watch the game, so have a good evening, y’all.

    (How great is it that the Broncos beat the Pats…in OT? Suck on that, Belli.)

    Hope you’re feeling better soon, John.

  14. 14.

    Midnight Marauder

    @freelancer:

    I’ve been craving an OT all day because the retarded flaming flame war, and now…I got nuthin’.

    Yeppers. All I can muster is this here post co-signing on to another post. Real fucking original.

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    @freelancer: Fudge you! I demand you deliver nuthin’ to us Right Now!
    If you do not I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
    Butthurt, butthurt, butthurt.

  16. 16.

    Comrade Jake

    Is that a picture of two gay cats who are married and have served openly in the kitty army? Why yes, I think it is.

  17. 17.

    Corner Stone

    I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Anthony Bourdain’s Sardinian wife.
    Nope, I’m sure. I love her.

  19. 19.

    scav

    There have been better days. And I’ve really been slacking on the pet pics:

    we’ll hope that’s a causal relationship and not a mere correlation so that all we need tomorrow is for you to be posting more often. So, as you may be the center of at least this world, take care of yourself.

    Best thing today was learning that Nasa’s LCROSS tweeted from Doug Adams as it was hitting the moon. The whale, not the petunias. Oh well, I guess they had air time to fill up, because I aspire to be the latter. Here

  20. 20.

    wrb

    Buried a kitten today.

    Spent the weekend watching her die.

    She was just too brave and full of life.

    She thought mock attacks on the older female cat were play.

    Until she was cut up, sliced open, bad.

  24. 24.

    freelancer

    @Midnight Marauder:

    It’s okay, you aped my thoughts on why I continue to read Sullivan as well. No harm, Great Minds and all that.

    @Corner Stone:

    Here’s some nothing. I believe the idiom is to make mountains out of molehills.

    Citing concerns for the safety of students and staff, Superintendent Christopher Manno has asked organizers to reconsider the protest because classes will be held that day. Manno said protesters will not be allowed on school property and additional district staffers will be on hand.
    The protesters refused, of course, to reconsider:
    Bill Haney, a rally organizer, said members of several groups would take part in the protest, although it was not clear Sunday how many people would be involved.
    “Consider this a protest to squelch this trend to politicize our youth,” organizers said in a prepared statement. “We are supporting the constitutional rights of our children and protest against the progressive social agenda promoted by the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association.”

  26. 26.

    Montysano

    Shorter insurance industry: “If you try to rein us in, even in the slightest way, we will fuck your shit up.”

    To borrow one of the best BJ screen names: Polish the guillotines. Until this shit stops, we are toast.

    Last week was a brutal one, and didn’t end until Sunday night. For me, I think straight tequila and Funkadelic is tonight’s prescription.

  31. 31.

    Keith G

    Whoa. Juicers, I gotta ask for your good mojo.

    Just got word from my guy (hs sweethearts many years ago) who lives ½ way across Texas. He is an adoptive dad of two beautiful boys. All have had the flu. The youngest, 5 yr old Oscar, is right now being taken to an ER after a relapse with apparent complications.

  33. 33.

    freelancer

    @scav:

    That is pretty awesome, considering Bob Novella of the SGU podcast posted something similar the day of:

    I can’t help but think of Douglas Adams’ The HitchHiker’s Guide to the Universe (…I mean ‘Galaxy’) when a whale appears, out of all improbability, far above an alien planet, falls to the surface, and thinks to himself…
    “And what’s this thing coming toward me very fast? So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like ‘Ow’, ‘Ownge’, ‘Round’, ‘Ground’! That’s it! Ground! Ha! I wonder if it’ll be friends with me? Hello Ground!”

  34. 34.

    General Winfield Stuck

    Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canuckistanians!

    I thought Columbus day was October 12 throughout the America’s, except for the US on the second Monday of Oct..Which this year is on the 12th.

    Are you having a two-fer, or is Thanksgiving the same as Columbus Day.?

  42. 42.

    Ditka

    When people start quoting “anonymous sources” from “inside the administration” has anyone considered that there are a lot of Bush holdovers inside the administration who have been trying to disrupt Obama’s agenda? In fact I think this is the reason republicans have been blocking so many of Obama’s replacement.

    mainjustice.com/2009/10/02/one-third-of-us-attorneys-are-bush-holdovers/

    I just read this article and it appears that Bush holdovers are drafting the offensive legal arguments put forward by the Obama administration.

    americablog.com/2009/06/mormon-bush-holdover-filed-anti-gay.html

    Could this be Harwoods source?

  46. 46.

    Violet

    @Keith G:

    Oh, that’s terrible. H1N1 is bad stuff. I hope his boy is okay.

    @wrb:
    So sorry for your loss. Very sad.

    It’s the kind of day where voting for Bitsy was my biggest accomplishment. I’m not sure what that says.

  48. 48.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Ditka:

    I would be happy to see all the DC media adopt a ban on “anonymous sources,” especially WaPo, which used to know WTF they were doing (see Watergate, Richard Nixon episode) – with the exception of whistleblower-type stuff, in which case they’d have some actual source documents.

    Now, it’s just a beard for admin officials and others to spout whatever B.S. they are peddling this week.

    My FSM, why won’t the village media grow a spine?!?!?

  49. 49.

    Bubblegum Tate

    @slag:

    Agreed, the comments are hilarious.

    I’m inclined to think it’s real, but at the same time…has this woman seriously never seen sports fans root for their favorite teams? In Philly of all places? How new to her can this possibly be?

  51. 51.

    Demo Woman

    @RedKitten: Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you are stuffed and happy. I just clicked on your site and noticed two new pictures of Sam. He is getting so big!

  54. 54.

    Violet

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    My FSM, why won’t the village media grow a spine?

    That’s the trillion dollar bailout question. I think it’s because they’re owned by corporations who don’t want them to have a spine. So they don’t.

  55. 55.

    General Winfield Stuck

    The Beck crazies are now harassing kindergartners for what.

    Singing an Obama Song;

    The planned rally has school district officials planning to beef up security at the B. Bernice Young School in Burlington Township, which houses kindergartners through second-graders.

    The song drew national attention last month after a video of the performance was posted on YouTube. Conservatives say it shows how schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to idolize Obama, allegations school officials have denied

    We need a tea bagger hunting season.

  57. 57.

    Ditka

    @arguingwithsignposts:
    If I were an unscrupulous journalist who wanted someone “close to the administration” to spout some anti-gay crap, something to annoy lefty bloggers or whatever, I would be looking for a Bush holdover. This is clearly happening with the military, how can we find out if this is what is happening here?

    Ideas?

  62. 62.

    MikeJ

    We need a tea bagger hunting season.

    Some will argue that the way to handle this is to simply refuse to enforce the law while others will say that if you want to do it you should lean on congress to change the law so it can’t just be undone by fiat of an unfriendly administration.

    Oh wait. What thread am I in again?

  64. 64.

    South of I-10

    @Keith G: Sending my best wishes to Texas. I can’t imagine what a horrible feeling that must be. I am hoping to get Little South vaccinated before she gets it.

  70. 70.

    tripletee

    Only had time to skim the blog the last week or so, but I’ll tell you one thing: I think we need some more threads full of straight people whining about gay people whining about straight people whining about how gay people are so whiny. That never gets old.

  72. 72.

    MikeJ

    a mano-a-womano

    Mano a mano means hand to hand, not man to man. But does anybody actually think it harms Obama to have the “left” visibly and vocally upset with him?

  73. 73.

    Makewi

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Oh, I’m sure the little kids don’t mind, what with them already knowing what a great God Obama is. They can counter that protest with a joyful singing of his praises.

    ohobama
    your mama
    hey hey
    goodbye

    Good fun for all.

  75. 75.

    Ash Can

    @RedKitten: Oh my yes, Happy Thanksgiving. (I’ve learned that Canadian Thanksgiving is the start of the slippery slope into the holidays. Eek!)

    @Corner Stone:

    a really good steak with a couple dirty martinis?

    Ooh, you speak-a my language.

    BTW, re the kitty in the photo, cats have no fucking bones, do they?

  77. 77.

    General Winfield Stuck

    MikeJ

    Depends on what it’s about. A second hand report of what some staffer might have said is one of those things that falls under silliness IMO. What is this whole bruhaha about anyway?

    Obama gives a positive speech about Gay rights, and the left goes bonkers cause Obama hasn’t acted after 9 whole months into a 4 year term, with a country otherwise in shambles, and two wars going badly.

    If the staffer used the word “fringe” then that was wrong. The rest of the alleged staffer quote was spot on,

  81. 81.

    slag

    @MikeJ:

    But does anybody actually think it harms Obama to have the “left” visibly and vocally upset with him?

    Well, it depends. If the benefits of liberal enthusiasm outweigh the benefits of pats on the head from David Broder, then yes. But I’m guessing probably not.

  84. 84.

    Comrade Kevin

    On my local news, they ran a “story” about the talks about closing Gitmo, and included was an interview with some guy who apparently was on the USS Cole. He said he was opposed to closing Gitmo because bringing suspects to the USA triggers Constitutional rights of due process and the like, and that terrorist suspects don’t deserve due process.

    It’s always nice to hear from people with obvious contempt for the principles of the United States.

  86. 86.

    General Winfield Stuck

    More of this please.

    Calling Fox News “a wing of the Republican Party,” the Obama administration on Sunday escalated its war of words against the channel, even as observers questioned the wisdom of a White House war on a news organization.
    “What I think is fair to say about Fox — and certainly it’s the way we view it — is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party,” said Anita Dunn, White House communications director, on CNN. “They take their talking points, put them on the air; take their opposition research, put them on the air. And that’s fine. But let’s not pretend they’re a news network the way CNN is.

    But let’s not pretend they’re a news network the way CNN is.

    Ouch!. this is so long overdue for dem powers that be. Of course, it is tempered by all the other Obama Fail./snark

  90. 90.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Calling Fox News “a wing of the Republican Party,” the Obama administration on Sunday escalated its war of words against the channel, even as observers questioned the wisdom of a White House war on a news organization.
    “What I think is fair to say about Fox—and certainly it’s the way we view it—is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party,” said Anita Dunn, White House communications director, on CNN. “They take their talking points, put them on the air; take their opposition research, put them on the air. And that’s fine. But let’s not pretend they’re a news network the way CNN is.

    Yeah, CNN is totally different. They use Drudge as a middleman between themselves and Republicans.

  91. 91.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Tattoosydney:

    I have been trying to ignore most of the gaytrage…. Has it stopped yet?

    Yes, thankfully I was able to bring about peace using my powerful charm and charisma. I’m exhausted.

  92. 92.

    South of I-10

    Has anyone else been following the Solar Decathalon? ULL’s Team Beausoleil won the market viability challenge today. It’s a really cool house, if you are in DC, you should check it out.

  93. 93.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    Yeah, CNN is totally different. They use Drudge as a middleman between themselves and Republicans.

    Yeah, CNN sucks, but they aren’t malignant right wingers acting as an RNC Pravda wing and telling the world it’s news.

    CNN just dabbles in the RW occult.

  94. 94.

    Elie

    HENS –

    Is good for the ego. when I call and they come
    running, squawking and clucking, because its feedtime,
    and once again I can’t resist picking up little Lazarus,
    an orange and whitle pullet I adore.
    “Yes, yes, everything will be okay”, I say to her glaring mongrel face. Come September she’ll begin to lay the blue-green eggs I love poached. God dooms the snake to taste nothing but the dust and the hen to 4,000 or so ovulations. Poor Lazarus – last spring an intruder murdered her sisters and left her garroted in the coop. There’s a way the wounded light up a dark rectangular space. Suffering becomes the universal theme. Too soft, and you’ll be squeezed; too hard, and you’ll be broken. Even a hen knows this, posing on a manure pile, her body a stab of gold.

    – Henri Cole

  95. 95.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @Tattoosydney:

    Has it stopped yet?

    Depends on whether Cole raises up from his sickbed to post another thread with wires hanging out the side.

  96. 96.

    JK

    @General Winfield Stuck: @Just Some Fuckhead:

    Yeah, CNN is totally different

    Yeah CNN is different. They have Lou Fucking Dobbs, last week Ann Coulter got an hour on Larry King’s show, and John King played footsie with Dick Darth Cheney in one of his first interviews after leaving the White House.

  97. 97.

    geg6

    It is entirely possible that the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins will be undefeated in about 20 minutes. They are looking quite good even if the season’s barely begun. Hopefully, this sort of good news will contribute, in some small part, to a return to good health for our blog host. Hey! That reminds me. Does Lily have any Pens gear?

  98. 98.

    Corner Stone

    @kommrade reproductive vigor:

    HE’S MARRIED?? There goes my fantasy life.

    Let us be a bastion of peace, teh gays and teh strates working together and set a proper example. You take him and I’ll steal his smokin’ hot wife Ottavia Busia.
    Or whatever you choose, as long as I get Ottavia. I’m easy that way.
    I’ve only ever been in love like this once a weekend.

  99. 99.

    Corner Stone

    @Ash Can:

    Ooh, you speak-a my language.

    Shall we compare the three best steaks we’ve ever experienced (outside of cooking for ourself) ?
    Or maybe the best 3 cocktails we’ve ever been served?

  100. 100.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Corner Stone:

    Or maybe the best 3 cocktails we’ve ever been served?

    Hmmm. The manhattan I was served in Louisville, or the Appletini served in Manhattan. So many choices…

  101. 101.

    Ruckus

    @RedKitten:
    I like the last one – I haz a sad. I think there’s one of me when I was that age with the same lower lip. I always thought it was gas but I like your title better.

  102. 102.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Am I the only one who thinks the Dolphins look like an early ’80s Broncos in those orange uniforms?

  104. 104.

    demkat620

    @Bubblegum Tate: Um yeah, that lady’s crazy.

    From the comments:

    Jesus:

    Chase Utley IS Jesus though. “World F’ing Champions!” sayeth the lord our saviour, thy will be done.

    Amen brother!

  105. 105.

    burnspbesq

    Hating the Yankees has not drained my reservoir of hatred.

    I got some left for the Phillies.

    C’mon Rocks.

  107. 107.

    demkat620

    @burnspbesq: Um, why hatin’ on my Phils?

    Rocks are about to win. Lidge is gonna pitch to Tulawitzski. This will not end well for Philadelphia.

  108. 108.

    Ruckus

    @RedKitten:
    You know that I’m still envious because he has more hair than I do. And he’s probably grown more. Hell he was born with more hair than I have left. Oh well at least it’s not shinny on top. Yet.

  110. 110.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    Hey, at least the Japanese love Obama:

    Could you imagine the results if the Japanese used speeches by Bush to learn english?

    @freelancer:

    This is why I like hanging out here at BJ, interesting people finding interesting links I would probably otherwise miss. That and John’s righteous rants. Nice catch!

    I prefer to call them “Beckerheads”. I bet the lesson that the Beckerheads taught those four to seven year old kids is that their parents have been lying to them.

    They don’t have to mature, they can act like a children for the rest of their lives if they want to! There is even a political party who will support them!

    Subjecting children to that hateful shit ought to be a crime. I would sarcastically ask them if they were proud of what they ‘accomplished’ but the response is already obvious.

    They are. You have to be mentally fucked up beyond belief when you think that doing something like this is a good idea. The Beckerheads showed those kids what some of the faces of hate look like that they will face as adults.

    KeithG: Sorry to hear of that and I hope for the best for them. I heard that the swine flu is really hitting the young pretty hard and that the pediatric death toll is already almost at the yearly flu season average. My wife is ill too but she is not running any temp yet though she is just coming down with whatever it is. I am nervously keeping an eye on her.

    wrb: That is really sad, I’m sorry to hear of your loss.

  111. 111.

    demkat620

    Yeah! We’re still playing baseball in PA, my friends!

    Nice, Lidge actually saved a game.

  112. 112.

    HRA

    wrb: Sorry for your loss.

    Keith: I offer my mojo for the child.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians (born in Windsor)

    Hope you are feeling much better, JC.

    My ire would have had no end if my kids were in the school and those loose teabaggers were picketing it.

  113. 113.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @JK:

    Why Declaring War on Fox News Could Be a Mistake for Obama

    Fuck it. That weenie magazine don’t surf!

  114. 114.

    JK

    @burnspbesq:

    Hating the Yankees has not drained my reservoir of hatred.

    I hear you. I’ve got some left for the Sunday morning shows and the Today Show.

  115. 115.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    I have been trying to ignore most of the gaytrage…. Has it stopped yet?

    Pretty much. I suspect someone handed out some counterfeit Obama Ponies and told each of the recipients that it was a secret and not to tell anyone else about their good fortune.

  116. 116.

    geg6

    demkat620: I don’t watch baseball (no self-respecting Pittsburgher does), but go Phils! Always gotta support the other PA teams if I can. Meanwhile, the Pens kick ass.

  121. 121.

    JK

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Fox News is an abomination, an obscenity and a crime against truth and facts. On the other hand, I don’t know if the White House is making the right move by denouncing Fox directly. Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly love playing the victim card. Anita Dunn may have played right into their hands with her remarks.

  122. 122.

    Bhall35

    Ok, I’m gonna go there. From Tom & Lorenzo’s review of Sunday’s Mad Men. This.

    “Maybe it’s not supposed to happen right now,” says Betty to Carla and we are treated to one of those golden moments where the show masterfully comments on the modern world by delving into the world of a half-century ago. It may not have registered with every viewer, but believe us, the gay ones got it because that is exactly what well-meaning supporters have been saying to us for a decade now regarding our own civil rights struggles. Be patient. Don’t ask for too much equality because it might piss people off. It’s no more an acceptable argument for denying civil rights today than it was in 1963, and with the Sal storyline, we simply don’t believe that this was merely a coincidence or that we’re reading too much into it.”

    For the those interested in the whole review:

    projectrungay.blogspot.com/2009/10/mad-men-s3e9-wee-small-hours.html

  123. 123.

    JK

    @MikeJ:

    Two of my greatest wishes are that the Yankees not win a World Series title for another 20 years and that Fox News files for bankruptcy within the next decade. I take a backseat to no one in my disgust for Fox News. They are the most intellectually dishonest news organization in America. I hope Obama’s staff knows what they’re doing when it comes to criticizing Fox and that this strategy doesn’t blow up in their faces.

  124. 124.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    @DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal): We have realized we all have an enemy in common. A group so evil and twisted they threaten to tear down all that is decent and cast us into a pit utter insanity.

    I speak, of course, of the many headed beast that is Wonkette.

    [Warning: The poster of this link is not responsible for any eyeball tearing, broken glass chewing or dashing in front of cross-town trains to make the awful pain stop that results from clicking on the link – Hey, I didn’t get a pony!]

  126. 126.

    JK

    @Bhall35:

    Last night’s episode of Mad Men was the best of the series so far. I really enjoyed seeing Don get some well deserved smackdowns. I hope he gets even bigger smackdowns in the weeks to come.

  127. 127.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    @wrb:

    Sorry about your kitty!

    When I was a kid an adorable little stray cat showed up at our house. We took her in but a month later she took sick and died. What a sweetie.

  128. 128.

    Ash Can

    @Corner Stone:

    Or maybe the best 3 cocktails we’ve ever been served?

    I could talk about a great martini a local joint used to serve, but I’d have all the goddamned martini purists shitting all over this thread, so fuck that. Instead I’ll just say that if it’s kept simple and made with the good stuff, you can’t go wrong. Also, a good pinot noir combined with grilled salmon with roasted red pepper cream sauce totally rocks.

    @JK:

    Why Declaring War on Fox News Could Be a Mistake for Obama

    When I read this, I immediately thought of that line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “What’re you going to do? Bite my kneecaps?”

  129. 129.

    freelancer

    @JK:

    I’m on ep 3 of the first season, so sorry to be a wet blanket, but if you’re going to post something spoilery please note that, and I’ll skip your comment.

    Thanks

  132. 132.

    Bhall35

    @JK: Yeah, frankly I was stunned by pretty much all of it. (Spoilerish ahead)

    And as I’ve read in that review’s comment thread, these are the same people that created The Sopranos, so they have no problem getting rid of fan favorites like Joan or Sal. They may not come back.

  134. 134.

    burnspbesq

    @demkat620:

    Um, why hatin’ on my Phils?

    You have to ask a lifelong Mets and Rangers fan that question?

    Plus Penn stole my undergrad school’s football coach in the mid-90s.

    There’s nothing wrong with Southeastern Pennsylvania that I couldn’t fix with a designer plague and some nukes. And if South Jersey becomes collateral dmage, so much the better. 201 fa life!

  136. 136.

    JK

    @freelancer:

    Duly noted, but I studiously avoided the specific details of the incidents.

    Have you ever watched The Shield, Rescue Me, or Breaking Bad? I recommend all of them just as strongly as Mad Men.

  138. 138.

    geg6

    Personally, I’ve had about enough being haranged by people with whom I agree on substance. I’m powerless to do more than I already do to support civil rights for all as I am not a congresscritter or a state legislator. I don’t think this current approach is productive and I do think that the LGBT community should listen to Barney Frank. But what do I know about how to be effective in advancing a legislative agenda item like civil rights protection for a persecuted minority? It’s not like I’ve ever seen any other similar sorts of battles or studied them and learned a few hard lessons along the way. And with that I bow out of this topic. Sooooo, anyone watching Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives? They had a place in Cleveland that grows their own produce and herbs and that is frequented by Iron Chef Michael Symon, whose restaurant Lola is freakin’ awesome. I may have to find this place as Cleveland isn’t an unusual trip to make from my part of PA. Two hours in bad traffic. The only things about Cleveland that I envy are the Clinic and some great restaurants. Mostly owned by Michael Symon.

  139. 139.

    JK

    @Bhall35: @freelancer:

    These are the same people that created The Sopranos

    Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men, was a writer and producer for The Sopranos during the show’s fifth and sixth seasons.

    The 2 historical events I’m most eagerly anticipating on Mad Men are the JFK assassination and the start of Beatlemania.

  140. 140.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @JK:

    For me this isn’t about whether it’s good politics or not for Obama, though I doubt it will help or hurt him.

    There is a bigger issue at stake. And that is the continuing bifurcation of what is realty and what’s not. When a country starts dividing down the middle on what should be common basic facts then it is headed toward a bad end. It is how civil wars germinate.

    I have no illusions that Obama taking on Fox as a lie as a news organization will stop this divide as it seems to be taking a life of it’s own, and thus will play out however.

    But somebody has to stand up and call a lie a lie at some point and I am glad it is the POTUS,.

  141. 141.

    ericvsthem

    @burnspbesq: I live in SE PA, just outside of Philly in Upper Darby. Like the Powder Blue Satan, I like my urban hellhole, but more than that, I like watching your over-hyped baseball club falling well short of pre-season expectations while the World Fucking Champions head back to the NLCS.

  142. 142.

    JK

    To Dodgers and Phillies fans,

    Best of Luck the rest of the way. For the good of baseball, I hope your team pulls out all the stops to prevent the damn Yankees from winning another World Series.

    To Angels fans,

    Best of Luck the rest of the way. Don’t leave it to the Dodgers or Phillies to clean up your mess. BEAT THE DAMN YANKEES NOW.

  143. 143.

    madmommy

    The hideous orange unis the Dolphins are sporting tonight are hurting my eyes. And yes, they do look more like the Broncos of a few years ago. But nothing will top the abomination that was the yellow and brown that Denver wore yesterday. It looked like Charlie Brown on acid.

  144. 144.

    Bhall35

    @JK: My comment was poorly worded; I know Weiner and several others worked on the Sopranos, I was thinking more about why that might make them less likely to cave to fan pressure regarding the survival of some characters.

    OTOH, I cannot imagine how they’re gonna handle JFK. It doesn’t seem like they would approach it head on, but we’ll find out within the next 4 episodes.

  146. 146.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @geg6:

    I’m with you on these things. I understand both sides, but my bacon isn’t cooked either way. I wish congresscritters had spines. that is all.

    so, i’m playing with the ipod touch. any games anyone would recommend?

  147. 147.

    JK

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    I’m all in favor of calling out Fox News for their corrupt and blatantly biased reporting. I hope Obama’s staff calibrates the tone of their criticism and doesn’t get carried away. I can envision a scenario where CNN, the NY Times, the Washington Post, et al rally to the defense of Fox News out of a sense of solidarity to a fellow news organization if they feel the White House is hitting Fox too hard.

  148. 148.

    arguingwithsignposts

    OT (is there such a thing on an open thread), I’d highly suggest driving the blue ridge parkway for anyone. Through virginia, but the speed limit is set at 45 mph, and it’s gorgeous this time of year. some great restaurants off the roadside.

  149. 149.

    JK

    @Bhall35:

    I was thinking more about why that might make them less likely to cave to fan pressure regarding the survival of some characters.

    This is one issue to which I haven’t given much thought. I think the writing is strong enough to sustain the loss of any key characters.

    OTOH, I cannot imagine how they’re gonna handle JFK. It doesn’t seem like they would approach it head on.

    I think it would be a huge mistake not to approach JFK’s assassination head on given the magnitude of the event.

  150. 150.

    jwb

    @JK: Yeah, unfortunately, Murdoch is more likely to wind up owning the NY Times than that Faux News will go bankrupt any time soon. The problem is that 20% may not be a sufficient population to run a competitive political party but it is certainly a sufficient audience to support a cable channel.

  151. 151.

    Bhall35

    @JK: I actually hope you’re right, but they’ve been dealing with other things a bit more obliquely (like Marilyn Monroe’s death). Maybe the turning point in this respect for the series is the aftermath of MLK and JFK. Although, I’ve never been very good a predicting the directions this show goes in, which is one of the things I love about it.

  153. 153.

    freelancer

    @JK:

    Have you ever watched The Shield, Rescue Me, or Breaking Bad? I recommend all of them just as strongly as Mad Men.

    This is the 3rd or 4th time we’ve had this conversation. The Shield is awesome. Rescue Me is one of those shows I let fall through the cracks, and Breaking Bad is amazing TV.

    I’m one of the people here who has been obsessively evangelizing The Wire to you. I saw the whole series on sale at a used record store in Nebraska last week for $100. You’re running out of excuses, especially in a place like NYC.

  154. 154.

    kay

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    I thought his press person handled it well. She was fairly chirpy and upbeat while earnestly consigning FOX to the partisan section.

    It has to be a plain statement of fact, without a lot of heat, and she did that. It’s the truth as they see it, and they’re through pretending it’s different. Gibbs always struck me as one of those essentially ruthless southerners who smiles a lot and looks friendly, and he’s never been shy about calling out FOX, and he’s her boss.

  156. 156.

    Nicole

    Most annoying Monday evening. A very religious friend asked me to watch Ben Stein’s “documentary” Expelled and, in an effort to be nice, I did. Or half of it. After 45 minutes I feared I couldn’t sacrifice any more brain cells and remain sentient.

  157. 157.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @kay:

    Prolly gave roger Ailles a case of acid reflux, the fat bastard.

    On a happier not, I am all giddy about getting Comcast Hi Speed internets tomorrow morning. From the now unreliable 1.5 mbps dsl to 6mbps. I just hope Comcast isn’t worse than Qwest.

  158. 158.

    JK

    @freelancer:

    I’ve been caught up in a lot of different activites over these past few months and I lost track that we’d covered that ground. I’ll check out The Wire, if you check out Rescue Me. I know Denis Leary committed a cardinal sin by shamelessly stealing many routines of Bill Hicks, but he’s great on Rescue Me and the show has a brilliant supporting cast.

  159. 159.

    JK

    @Nicole:

    Ben Stein

    YUCK. This pathetic, miserable SOB blames Charles Darwin for the rise of Adolf Hitler. Pat Buchanan believes the west misunderstood Hitler’s intentions. How the hell do people with views as totally fucked-up as Ben Stein and Pat Buchanan continue to retain credibility and respectability within the punditocracy?

  160. 160.

    Nellcote

    Hey people! Maybe we could do something constructive and send Rep. Murphy some support, money, mojo…

    Rep. Patrick Murphy, Veterans Announce Efforts to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

    Congressman Takes Lead on H.R. 1283, Military Readiness Enhancement Act, to Overturn Policy

    (Washington, DC)- Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA, 8th District) today joined veterans and policy advocates to announce taking the lead on H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Congressional effort to overturn the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

    patrickmurphy.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=478&Itemid=93

  161. 161.

    kay

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    He made me cringe at the beginning. I wanted everyone to be polite. Hah! That seems incredibly naive now.

    He’s aggressive when defending Obama. His whole body language and tone. It took getting used to. The soft accent is deceptive with those guys.

  162. 162.

    Corner Stone

    @arguingwithsignposts: and @ Ash Can:
    Can’t name the best “3” cocktails I’ve ever had but I can say one of the best was at Bobby Flay’s restaurant in Vegas.
    Herradura Silver in a fresh squeezed over rocks margarita. That was probably the most memorably good cocktail I’ve had in a long time. I’ve had a couple really good dirty martinis, but when you get ’em dirty enough for me to enjoy them it’s usually academic. Ketel One usually does the trick for an affordable quality dirty martini.

    As for steak, I’ll stake out 3 spots in no particular order:
    Filet at Smith & Wollensky in CHI
    Prime rib (rare, rare, rare) in the Studio Cafe of MGM Las Vegas (10 years or so ago)
    Filet in the Big Sky steakhouse in the Coushatta casino in Louisiana

    Honorable mention – The Capital Grille in Houston. Always consistently awesome.

  167. 167.

    Nellcote

    @JK:

    In both Time mag. and on MSNBC, Dunn has been very careful to seperate Fox reporters (Major Garrett is mentioned specifically) from the rest of the what they do. If this is pre-emptive against a media wagon circle then I think it’s pretty canny. I’m glad she’s in the WH. She seems to be bringing some much needed energy and discipline to the communications team, Harwood’s secret friend not withstanding.

  169. 169.

    freelancer

    @JK:

    I will check out Rescue Me, when the time is appropriate, and as a possible bonus incentive of viewing The Wire, you should know that you get to see Callie Thorne (Rescue Me’s Sheila Keefe) nekkid in all her hotness. I’m not gonna say which ep, that would be too easy.

    Right now, Mad Men is kicking my ass. I don’t know what was wrong with me a year ago when I watched 2 eps and completely dismissed it. We share the same taste, and so far in terms of recommendations, you’re batting 1.000.

    To JK but also to everyone else, please check out the awesome new podcast of Marc Maron’s called WTF. Anyone who enjoys commenting here should find it right in their wheelhouse. It’s been on for about 8 weeks, just started taking donations, I’ve already given him like $70. It’s that good.

  170. 170.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    @kommrade reproductive vigor:

    That picture might be worth a thousand words but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the guy in it weighs a thousand pounds. The comments at Wonkette are great as usual…lol!

  171. 171.

    JK

    @freelancer:

    You get to see Callie Thorne (Rescue Me’s Sheila Keefe) nekkid in all her hotness.

    As an actress, Callie Thorne is great. She does absolutely nothing for me in terms of sex appeal. As far as “naked in all her hotness” is concerned, I’d prefer Andrea Roth from Rescue Me, Jenna Fisher, Rose Byrne from Damages, Mary Louise Parker, Maura Tierney, Jennifer Morrison from House, Sonya Walger from Flash Forward, Gillian Jacobs from Community, Tina Fey, or Julia Louis Dreyfuss.

  172. 172.

    BDeevDad

    Working for a TV station evidently gives one the power to change insurance policy much faster than Congress

    Rocky Mountain Health Plans said Monday it will no longer consider obesity a “pre-existing condition” barring coverage for hefty infants. The change comes after the insurer turned down a Grand Junction 4-month-old who weighs about 17 pounds. The insurer deemed Alex Lange obese and said the infant didn’t qualify for coverage.

    The child’s father works at NBC affiliate KKCO-TV in Grand Junction, and news accounts about the boy’s rejection made national headlines.

  173. 173.

    MJ

    White House Talks DADT With Lieberman

    This is encouraging news. However, I shudder at the prospect of having to read the inevitably smug posts that our favorite blog-madinejads will write taking credit for these developments.

    Shortly after President Barack Obama pledged Saturday to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the Administration’s highest-ranking LGBT official said the White House is speaking with certain senators about strategies for repealing the policy — specifically Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    “On ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ this administration is talking directly to the Hill — we are in direct discussions with Senator Lieberman,” John Berry, the director of the Office of Personnel Management, told The Advocate.

    A spokesman for Senator Lieberman confirmed that the senator had been speaking to the White House about the bill. “Senator Lieberman has had discussions with representatives of the Administration and others on the best way to reverse this policy, which he has opposed since it was first proposed in 1993,” said Marshall Wittmann, Lieberman’s press secretary. Wittmann gave no further information on the senator’s plans regarding the legislation.

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