Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Second rate reporter says what?

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

This is dead girl, live boy, a goat, two wetsuits and a dildo territory.  oh, and pink furry handcuffs.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

T R E 4 5 O N

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

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

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

In after Baud. Damn.

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

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

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

No one could have predicted…

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62Comments

  2. 2.

    valdivia

    I am up and ready!

    In the meantime messages that conflict with our O-Bot programming: the new meme emerging as heard on NPR this morning is that we have seen an incredible rise in terrorist attacks in the last few months. They of course imply that this is Obama’s fault.

  3. 3.

    jeffreyw

    Silliest damn thing I ever heard, day before xmas is boxing day, xmas is unboxing day, and today is box-in-the-trash day.

  4. 4.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    I’ll have to recalibrate it first, Grover and his pet Hamster are interfering with the reception. The signal keeps fading in and out but I heard something about an aggressive thug of a president who is such a weakling that his Chief of Staff actually runs the country. Oh, and that he should be impeached.

    Also. Seeing lots of really poor spelling over at Kos lately, much like Hillaryis44, Confluence and No Quarter. Too.

    Oh well, that Hamster rat ain’t gonna fuck itself. Someone has to do it!

    Welcome back John. :)

  5. 5.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Happy Boxing Day backatcha! Boxing Day is one of the world’s great inventions. I’m going to stock up on cards, gift wrap and decorations at ridiculous deep discounts for next year, go see a movie matinee (A Single Man? Up in the Air? Nine? The Young Victoria? I love having so many good choices), and then this evening go to a Boxing Day knees-up hosted by a couple of expat Brit friends. Should be a good day.

  8. 8.

    Redshirt

    I love being an O-Bot. Cuz I love Obama! It’s so much more relaxing than the years 2001-2008.

    Personally, I think Obama has done a fantastic job in year 1. Solid A. Sure, he didn’t get everything done he wanted, but I think anyone with a hint of objectivity knows why: Because the Senate is dysfunctional and the Republican Party is insane.

    I hope the heck some people wake up – I don’t want 2012 to be another Clown War.

  9. 9.

    Keith G

    @valdivia: Oy!

    Two mornings in an row I get Juan Williams on NPR. Baby Jesus is flippin da bird.

    The Detroit story interests me, though:

    Liquid injected into a powder-like (maybe) substance causing “popping noises” and a localized intense fire.

    As a senior in hs (an hour south of Detroit but in Ohio), some of my mates and I slipped into chem lab storage and made off with a fair amount of lump sodium. This was the laid-back 70s and though we caused a bit of popping and smoke filled mischief we never got caught.

    Mix sodium with water and depending on the amount, it pops and burns intensely, clinging to whatever the minor explosion has thrown it onto.

    We caused an impressive burn in a ceiling tile when a golf ball sized chunk was tossed into a toilet. The ceiling survived, the toilet was cracked. And after we were sure the ceiling was “out”. We quickly got out of there.

    I relate this just to note that there are a bunch of ways to cause fire, smoke and even explosions and lots of way for folks (both smart and not) to get this stuff.

    I will be interested to learn not only what was being used, but why someone who wanted to cause harm waited until the plane was so close to landing, especially if he knew he was using an incendiary and not necessarily an explosive device.

    Maybe he fell asleep. Maybe he wasn’t especially bright. It will be an interesting final week to 2009.

  10. 10.

    Annie

    @valdivia:

    In addition to implying that it is all his fault, I heard and read this morning that Obama is paying too much for his vacation, that he did not go to church, and that the Obama family opened presents later in the day — and, somehow all of this also is connected to an increase in terrorism…

  12. 12.

    Tomlinson

    @Annie:

    In addition to implying that it is all his fault, I heard and read this morning that Obama is paying too much for his vacation, that he did not go to church, and that the Obama family opened presents later in the day—and, somehow all of this also is connected to an increase in terrorism…

    They’ve also shut down a portion of the beach. Very bad. My brother, who lives in Kailua, might be somewhat pissed except he’s an OBot. And he figures that every time the Obama’s vacation on his local beach, his property values go up, so he’s good with it. Typical OBot rationialzation.

  13. 13.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Annie: Wait, the Obamas . . . WHAT? (I can hardly bring my fingers to form the words) . . . they opened their presents *later in the day*!!? Those terrorist-loving Christmas-hating traitors!

  14. 14.

    Tomlinson

    I relate this just to note that there are a bunch of ways to cause fire, smoke and even explosions and lots of way for folks (both smart and not) to get this stuff.

    Laptop batteries being right at the top of the list.

  17. 17.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @arguingwithsignposts: Awww. Smudge is lovely. So relaxed and happy after her interlude as a Fierce Pirate. AAARGH Kitteh!

  18. 18.

    Maude

    @Keith G: How long is it before everyone has to be in the airports nude and stay that way for the flight.
    We can have stupid terrorist stories to lighten up the day.

  19. 19.

    Redshirt

    Frankly, the easiest solution would be to drug every airline passenger and then just fit us into lockable storage slots where we stay asleep for the duration of the flight. I would have chosen this willingly during the 38 hours in the air/airports coming back from Australia. It’s win-win!

  20. 20.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @awsp:

    So the global uppity war on Christmas carries on unabated.

    Fixed, because we all know what they *really* mean.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Annie: You know, I can’t prove this is true, but it occurs to me that the Villagers, who of course operate on Eastern time zone clocks, might have seen a news report from the Hawaii White House that the Obama family were currently opening their presents (at, let’s say, 10:00 am local time) but because their own Village clocks were all set to 3:00 pm at that moment they decided it was “late in the day” for unwrapping gifts.

    Okay, maybe that’s not what happened, but they’re stupid and self-centered enough that it *could* be true. It would be irresponsible not to speculate . . . .

  23. 23.

    D-Chance.

    Let me get this straight: a Nigerian who claims to have ties to Al Qaeda almost blows up an airliner in Detroit, and liberal bloggers are all bothered and upset at… Pete Hoekstra.

    Uh-huh.

  25. 25.

    rachel

    @D-Chance.: Let me get this straight:

    Idiot does something stupid! Other idiot says something stupid! Stupid troll *is* stupid! Film at 11:00! !

    Got it.

  26. 26.

    valdivia

    yeah I don’t know why I bother with NPR is what my alarm clicks into. That gets me out of bed quick though to turn it off! Juan Williams did it for me this morning.

    Don’t you all get the sense that King and Hoesktra etc talk about how devastating the attack would have been because they are dying all that devastation didn’t happen so they can blame the president? And I find it funny that in terms of economics the President cannot take credit for what he averted but in terrorism if it didn’t happen it’s so close to happening that they have be lame him? Maybe its my O-Bot programming but all this just does not compute.

  27. 27.

    AkaDad

    @D-Chance.:

    Let me get this straight: a Nigerian who claims to have ties to Al Qaeda almost blows up an airliner in Detroit, and liberal bloggers are all bothered and upset at… Pete Hoekstra.

    Yeah, because you can’t be upset about terrorism and at the same time be upset when a douchebag politician tries to politically exploit the situation.

  29. 29.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @bondwooley: Easy-peasey. I impose on John Cole a resolution to post a new picture of TUUUUUUNCH! every day of the year.

    I’m pretty sure I can talk asiangrrlMN into co-sponsoring.

  30. 30.

    Annie

    @D-Chance.:

    Let me get this straight: a Nigerian who claims to have ties to Al Qaeda almost blows up an airliner….and once again a Republican Congressman tries to exploit the situation for his own political ends…

  32. 32.

    Doctor Science

    Today’s puzzle: Rest on the Flight.

    Yesterday’s book: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, by John H. Watson, M.D..

    You can tell what movie we saw yesterday. Rating: Fun for the whole family, provides full helpings of just what it says on the tin. No pretense of deep meaning, fights and explosions, banter, level of male eye-candy: incandescent.

    Only downside: the main actresses, especially Kelly Reilly (who plays Mary Morstan), have crossed into the Uncanny Botox Valley for me. Seriously, I thought it was going to turn into a crossover with V, that she’d turn out to be a carnivorous lizard-alien wearing a human suit.

    Do people in Hollywood not notice any more that a frozen rictus is creepy, not beautiful? I’m not blaming the actresses, really , if “work” is the only way for them to get work — but in my innocence I’d think directors would want to have actresses who are physically capable of conveying emotion.

  33. 33.

    South of I-10

    Someone help me with this chant: I must not feed the collarless black Lab at the back door. . .

  35. 35.

    Elie

    I should have posted this first:

    Lieutenant Elie Obot reporting for duty, sir, yes sir, aye aye and all that…

  37. 37.

    SGEW

    Frankly, I find the “O-Bot” stuff kind of unsettling, even if it is self-aware/ironic/snark/pomo whatever. But that’s just me.

  39. 39.

    media browski

    Anyone else remember the Mighty Orbots cartoon?

    A bit of Kahlua and coffee before the morning’s orders come down the Mass Rahmulator Device, and I’ll be ready to put on my jackboots and get back to undermining the progressive movement.

  41. 41.

    Elie

    @Redshirt:

    I know this day is coming…

    By the way, I am fully sympathetic for the painful time spent in airports and in the air on these horrible airplanes anymore. I just hate it…hate it…

  42. 42.

    Sanka

    Something needs to be done about these Republicans and their anti-regulation, anti-middle class, pro-business policies:

    The two main issues concerning regulators were trading and clearing of swaps, which allow investors to bet on or hedge movements in currencies, interest rates and many other things. Swaps generally trade privately, leaving competitors and regulators in the dark about the scope of their risks. In November 2008, the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee proposed forcing all derivatives trading onto exchanges, where their prices could be publicly disclosed and margin requirements imposed to insure that participants could make good on their market bets.

    But a financial-overhaul bill passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 11 watered down or eliminated these requirements. The measure still allows for voice brokering and allows dealers to use alternatives to public exchanges.

    In an interview, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, who led efforts to craft the bill, defended the legislation, saying it is tougher than critics say. He said its clearing and trading provisions would require greater disclosure of trades and resulting risks, and give regulators more power to monitor and manage such risks.

    Clearly we need to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and for the Democrats running in Congress to bolster their razor-thin majorities into super-duper majorities so the world can see that governing with Democratic principles can bring about real change and benefit the middle-class real change in Washington.

  45. 45.

    mandarama

    @Doctor Science:

    You can tell what movie we saw yesterday. Rating: Fun for the whole family, provides full helpings of just what it says on the tin. No pretense of deep meaning, fights and explosions, banter, level of male eye-candy: incandescent.

    Oh, goody. I want to see this, and was hoping the reviews would be positive! Thanks.

    I know what you mean about the Botox crowd. Last time I saw a pic of Meg Ryan, I was thinking, what’s wrong with her mouth? Turns out it’s excessive collagen injection. Ew.

  48. 48.

    burnspbesq

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    It is indeed a happy Boxing Day for supporters of the storied English football club Nottingham Forest (long story as to how I became one of those). At the midway point of the season, we are sitting in second place (well, for about the next 20 minutes or so – when West Brom finishes beating last-place Peterborough, we’ll be back in third). A return to our rightful place in the Premier League beckons.

    C’mon you REDS!!!!!

  50. 50.

    burnspbesq

    @D-Chance.:

    Umm, explain to us all why your use of the word “almost” is anything but demagoguery and fear-mongering. The available facts do not support your assertion, by any stretch of the imagination.

    And Hoekstra is being an ass, plain and simple. Like I said, demagoguery and fear-mongering.

  52. 52.

    South of I-10

    I am pretty sure there is a sign etched into my house somewhere that says, “Wait for the woman, she will feed strays”. The lab wandered up last night. Mr. South was outside enjoying the new fire pit he got for Christmas, I walk out and the Lab is sitting there by him. Of course, he didn’t feed the dog.

  53. 53.

    Midnight Marauder

    @SGEW:

    Frankly, I find the “O-Bot” stuff kind of unsettling, even if it is self-aware/ironic/snark/pomo whatever. But that’s just me.

    Your apprehension has been noted, citizen.

    /O-Bot…AWAAAAAYYYY!

  54. 54.

    asiangrrlMN

    @arguingwithsignposts: SMUDGE! Cutest kitteh ever!

    @Maude: I’d be into that. I don’t particularly pay attention to all the security changes because I get stopped every time I fly. Even before 9/11, I did. I just build it into my time. Apparently, I look like a terrorist (and I dress up nicely when I fly, including covering up my tats).

    @South of I-10: I knew you would feed the poor doggy.

    I am not an O-bot, so do I still get to hear the secret message?

  55. 55.

    CalD

    O-bots? I thought all right-thinking people were supposed to be down on the O-man now, for failure to deploy the bully pulpit pony to bring us single-payer healthcare and with it, the severed head of Big Pharma. Or do we know for sure now that it’s Rahm Emanuel who’s been secretly pulling the levers? Perhaps he discovered the undisclosed location of Dick Cheney’s control center.

  57. 57.

    eemom

    I’ll see your O-bot, and raise you a Rahm-bot.

    Someone’s gotta root for the Evil Puppet Master of the President /Mastermind of FannieFreddie/Destroyer of the Public Option underdog.

  59. 59.

    YellowJournalism

    “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine”

    I don’t know about you guys, but all I’m getting on my ring are these stupid commercials.

    (Damn, someone beat me to it! Never jump the reading before posting.)

  60. 60.

    KDP

    I’ve nothing to report except that my Windows 7 install to a new partition (created with Easeus Partition Master) on my XP laptop went smooth as silk.

    The whole process took less than an hour, and the only hiccup so far is that I had to set encryption to optional for my VPN to work to function. Overall, it’s very cool, I like the new windowing interface, but I wish they’d left Quick Launch. I’m now simulated by adding desktop to the task bar. I’m liking this enough to consider keeping it as the primary OS on this computer.

  61. 61.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I am not an O-bot, so do I still get to hear the secret message?

    When I get done decoding this week’s message I’ll share dear. I mean, that’s what you do in marriage, amirite?

  62. 62.

    KDP

    @South of I-10:

    Nice. I think mine would not care for the competition. I found, fed, and turned over to the local shelter a beautiful husky mix a couple of months ago. A real love he was too, I was walking my Shadow when he lolloped up to us and followed us home. Guess he knew a soft touch when he saw one. Poor baby was skin and bones.

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