Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

The revolution will be supervised.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

It could be worse. Vance could have said “post-menopausal sows.” Waiting for that audiotape to surface.

I really should read my own blog.

Second rate reporter says what?

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

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

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

The words do not have to be perfect.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Cole, when it comes to calico cats, restraint is overrated.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

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

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

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Open Thread

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

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Seven hours is too long to hold it.

***Update***

It seems like a while since my last photo blog, so meet the new lens. A manual-focus Sigma 50mm f2.8 1:1 macro arrived yesterday from KEH.

macro

The compact lens fits nicely on a little E-P1, even attached with a Hong Kong Nikon-m4/3 adapter from kp_store on eBay (the adapter also works well, although it grabs the lens a little tighter than I like). All-metal construction gives the lens some heft and wonderful focus action. Although lens weight makes the camera a bit front-heavy and the light meter goes Galt whenever I put on a manual lens, sharp close-ups call for a tripod and exposure bracketing no matter what so it is not that big a deal.

Some tests will determine whether this becomes my go-to portrait lens; so far all signs point to yes.

Reader Interactions

71Comments

  4. 4.

    valdivia

    so not to return yet again to my grading woes but I just had a student put spain and portugal in this hemisphere when filling out a map of latin america. This is it. I am done. Our children iz not learning.

  13. 13.

    valdivia

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    so I refuse to read him care to tell us what he is on about? I really loathe the man. As I loath mini Cheney who is out castigating Obama for not respecting the troops the way Bush did. Ahem.

  18. 18.

    Ash

    Oh, I see the president formally lifted the HIV ban today.

    Why didn’t he do it six months ago?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Bastard.

  20. 20.

    Brick Oven Bill

    I have previously been critical of Sheila Bair. I take this back although she should still not seek to sensor blogs (‘the blogs are out of control’). Reviewing the record, Sheila warned us in August, 2008 of unnamed investors taking short positions in the market.

    One month later, in September, 2008, someone withdrew $500 billion from the money markets, Lehman was allowed to fail by Geithner and crew, the market tanked, those with short positions made a lot of money, McCain lost his lead, and Obama/Geithner were seated.

    Hedge funds are not required to disclose short positions to the SEC. This is wrong.

    Name the names of those who withdrew that $500 billion.

    Go Sheila go. She knows something. Do not doubt me asI am a better financial analyst than Nouriel Roubini.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Joey Maloney: Here’s what’s even stupider. In Erick Son-of’s post, he doesn’t seem to know whether Pomeroy is a Representative or a Senator. (Check the mailing address he gives.) The idjit doesn’t know the difference between the two chambers of Congress? And he expects people to take him even remotely seriously?

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @valdivia:

    god. is it too early to start drinking?

    No.

    how the hell am I going to get through the remaining 15 exams?

    I suggest drinking.

  26. 26.

    MikeJ

    how the hell am I going to get through the remaining 15 exams?

    Stand on the sixth step of a staircase.
    Throw the stack of papers down the steps.
    Assign them grades A-F based on which step they land on.

  28. 28.

    Mr Furious

    Tim, what does 50mm equate to on your sensor?

    I use a 50mm 1.4 as my go to portrait lens. On my D80 that’s about 75mm…

    85mm was the standard lens for film

  29. 29.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @valdivia:

    Shorter Kraut: Obama has done nothing, absofarkinlutely NOTHING, since he took office but blame Bush. For everything bad. Also too, he is a lot like USSR dictators.

  34. 34.

    valdivia

    @MikeJ:

    you people are encouraging very very bad behaviour in yours truly. How can I ever thank you? I am starting with a drink and if that does not work….

  36. 36.

    mr. whipple

    i loves my Sigma macro. (105mm 2.8)

    I’ve got a Sig 50 2.8. Love it, too. Might be a little too sharp for portraits. I think I prefer my Minolta 50 1.7 for that.

  37. 37.

    Sentient Puddle

    So Lieberman is saying that he’ll campaign for Republicans in 2010.

    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me sixteen times…?

  38. 38.

    bago

    OT: but David Brooks is literally claiming retardation as a virtue.

    tenacity, the ability to fixate on a simple conviction and grip it, viscerally and unflinchingly, through complexity and confusion.

    Literally saying that being a fully convinced idiot ignoring the complexities of the world around him is a good thing. Shorter Bobo: I like my useless idiots good and dumb. It’s almost like the DC power brokers almost value ignorance in their vassals. This might explain the veneration of our last executive.
    You know it’s bad when people are complaining “Dude, where’s my idiot?”

  39. 39.

    Tim F.

    @Mr Furious: The 4/3 doubles focal lengths compared with 35mm film. The 50mm 2.8 macro thus becomes a 100mm 2.8 macro and just about perfect for a portrait prime.

    I do not know the minimum focal distance exactly. About an inch sounds right. It’s pretty bloody close.

  43. 43.

    WyldPiratd

    freelancer@12:

    Incongruity is the perfect word for this Southern dude’s rant. I’ve had an ongoing yelling match at my TV for years watching the cable crap for 8+years along with the not quite as thick southern accent.

    Thankfully, I haven’t broken my monitor yet by throwing things at it. That soft foam rubber ball over-the-door hoops set was the best purchase from WallyWorld ever.

    The sad thing is that most of my white Southern brethren are more similar to crazy-assed teabaggers–either deeply stupid, deeply brainwashed or deliberately obtuse; mostly from a deep-seated hatred of brown skinned folks.

  44. 44.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Original:

    Shorter Kraut: Obama has done nothing, absofarkinlutely NOTHING, since he took office but blame Bush. For everything bad. Also too, he is a lot like USSR dictators.

    Edited for clarity:

    Shorter Kraut: Obama has done nothing, absofarkinlutely NOTHING, since he took office but blame Bush. For everything bad. And it’s all bad. Also too, he is a lot like USSR dictators.

  46. 46.

    bago

    Seriously. Fucking seriously. David Brooks thinks that tenacious idiots are the kind of people that should be in charge of life or death decisions. Speaking as someone with family in the Military, “Sweet bleeding Christ, what a fucker!”.

  50. 50.

    Randy P

    Can some regular fill me in a little on BoB? Here’s my history: I was aware of John Cole and his Republican-to-Democratic transformation. I have occasionally followed a link here, but didn’t read the blog regularly. Till I read through the comments one day. I am completely and totally addicted to you guys and your particular sense of humor. I’ve only been regularly reading for a couple of weeks.

    One of the things that was the most fun for me was resident troll BoB, his little slices of wingnuttery and the responses from the community. That’s about as far as I can stand to go into wingnut territory. So I was catching up this morning and read a comment from yesterday that “BoB was recently banned, but apparently has spare IP addresses”. Is this true? What did he do beyond the usual, er, discourse to earn bannedness?

    My first reaction was “awww, too bad. Those exchanges were always fun.” And just when I came in here to ask this question, I see him back. So that would be the spare IP thing?

    Is this a repeating pattern?

  52. 52.

    bago

    like most people who have spent a lot of time in Afghanistan, believe this war is winnable.

    Sweet Fucking Hockey Hole! The stupid is LEGION!

  54. 54.

    bago

    But they do not know if Obama shares this gut conviction or possesses any gut conviction on this subject at all.

    Titties on the Poop Deck McGibbons! Colbert can’t even muster this level of willful ignorance!

  55. 55.

    Demo Woman

    @Randy P: B O B normally gets a time out for his racist comments. John shows tremendous patience for allowing him back in. IMO

  57. 57.

    Demo Woman

    @Sentient Puddle: Booman is calling for Lieberman to be kicked out of the party. I have to admit that I think Joe would love that because then he could whine on TV 24/7. I’m not saying that he should keep his chairmanship but I do think that the timing is not right. Let’s pass health care and then show him the door.

  60. 60.

    Crashman06

    @Randy P:

    My first reaction was “awww, too bad. Those exchanges were always fun.” And just when I came in here to ask this question, I see him back.

    I used to think that way about BOB too, and I still do for the most part, but he can be mind-blowingly offensive sometimes so I can understand the occasional banning.

    Haven’t been lurking around the comments too much for the last couple weeks though, so I missed whatever comment prompted the most recent ban.

  61. 61.

    Mark S.

    @Randy P:

    This thread.

    The village has spoken. All we need is a heavy footprint and an extra dose of stick-to-it-ness to succeed in Afghanistan. No analysis of who the hell we’re even fighting over there, or why Afghanistan has no functioning state after eight years of nation-building.

    Why can’t we just send the Village over there?

  62. 62.

    Randy P

    @Mark S.:

    I see. I didn’t read comments on that one at the time. The story enough was enough to depress me and I wasn’t up to discussing it.

    Yeah, I agree. Pretty awful stuff.

  63. 63.

    moosehockey

    @Mark S.: I would also like to see a projected cost analysis from these MF’s. Why do they only care what health care reform costs? 3000 people died on 911, we are still in Afghanistan after 8 years, and 45,000 die each year from inadequate health care coverage.

  64. 64.

    moosehockey

    Oh, and I’ve lost count of just the American dead from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but we could factor those in as well. (Since we only care about Americans, of course) How hard is it to do some sort of “is it worth it” analysis for these folks?

  70. 70.

    kilkee

    I think I might be crazy, but I just put in a big Ebay bid on a Pentax 67, i.e., a 6×7 FILM camera that weighs about 75 pounds, can barely be used w/o a tripod, and takes about 10 pics per 120 roll. Midlife crisis? Beautiful, though — nothing digiatl matches the beauty of medium format film.

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