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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  February 6, 20109:22 am| 67 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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There is a little bit of snow outside.

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Previous Post: « “If Obama’s A Socialist, He’s Dyslexic”
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Reader Interactions

67Comments

  1. 1.

    jeffreyw

    February 6, 2010 at 9:27 am

    Just enough to be pretty.

  2. 2.

    WereBear

    February 6, 2010 at 9:30 am

    We didn’t get any. But it’s 2 right now.

    That’s all. Just 2.

    Latest on the Pet Food Contamination scandal post here.

    Probation and fine.

    A travesty of justice.

  3. 3.

    chopper

    February 6, 2010 at 9:32 am

    we don’t have much in NYC. good.

    i just keep thinking of being in DC during the last one, and this one is likely to be worse. DC drivers are idiots in clear weather, add 2 feet of snow and it’s just hell.

    trying to get back from the store i had to help dig 3 people out on a main thoroughfare so i could get by (the dumbass israeli dudes at the front couldn’t figure out what i meant when i kept yelling ‘don’t step hard on the gas!’. desert people==no good in snow). then walking back to the car i looked and saw the entire ramp off the beltway was clogged with stuck cars. people literally couldn’t get off the interstate.

    today i’m staying in and entertaining the baby.

  4. 4.

    Libby

    February 6, 2010 at 9:32 am

    We got nothing here in midwest NC at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mts. But I did see a few flurries this morning. Guess we still might get some snow.

  5. 5.

    Bort

    February 6, 2010 at 9:35 am

    We’ve had 50 degree days here in Seattle. Of course last winter really sucked.

  6. 6.

    New Yorker

    February 6, 2010 at 9:35 am

    There’s a dusting on the ground in NYC. I blame Al Gore for being fat and flying around in a private jet.

  7. 7.

    General Winfield Stuck

    February 6, 2010 at 9:40 am

    Today we make history. The very first Tea Bagger Convention kicks off in Nashville. Be sure to tune in for tonight’s speech featuring the deep thoughts of Sarah Palin on why Obama is the devil, and how to clean up from a record number of idiots under one roof/

    And earlier, an appetizer lecture at 1:00 pm eastern time, a comparative study of the Obama Administration and Marxist Dictators of South America. I kid you not.

  8. 8.

    robertdsc

    February 6, 2010 at 9:41 am

    It’s raining here in LA. Not too hot on going into work this morning, but I have to.

  9. 9.

    GReynoldsCT00

    February 6, 2010 at 9:46 am

    Got nothin’ in CT…

  10. 10.

    Help Me Rhonda

    February 6, 2010 at 9:47 am

    We have 17 inches here in Philly already and still coming down pretty steadily.

  11. 11.

    Svensker

    February 6, 2010 at 9:49 am

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    And earlier, an appetizer lecture at 1:00 pm eastern time, a comparative study of the Obama Administration and Marxist Dictators of South America. I kid you not.

    You really are kidding…aren’t you?

  12. 12.

    EFroh

    February 6, 2010 at 9:49 am

    My workplace follows the Fed. Gov’t status, so here’s hoping they shut down for nearly a week like they did back in….97, I think.

    The only sad thing about this storm (for me), is that we’re losing a ton of trees, due to the weight of the snow and the wind. You could hear the loud cracks as they gave out all last night. :(

    Stay safe everyone.

  13. 13.

    demkat620

    February 6, 2010 at 9:56 am

    Over a foot here, west of Philly. 9 degrees too. Also.

    This sux ass. I hate winter.

  14. 14.

    General Winfield Stuck

    February 6, 2010 at 9:57 am

    deleted

  15. 15.

    khead

    February 6, 2010 at 9:57 am

    My workplace follows the Fed. Gov’t status, so here’s hoping they shut down for nearly a week like they did back in….97, I think.

    Might have been ’03. I remember getting a lot of time for that one. No way Uncle Sam opens for a while though. Chopper’s description of the “idiots” here is pretty accurate.

  16. 16.

    General Winfield Stuck

    February 6, 2010 at 10:01 am

    @Svensker:

    try that again

    Speaker, ANA PUIG-“Correlations between the current Administration and Marxist Dictators of Latin America” 9:00-10:00am

    not 1 pm though

  17. 17.

    geg6

    February 6, 2010 at 10:03 am

    23 inches here in the western ‘burbs of Pittsburgh. The airport is shut down and it’s still coming down. I really should have packed enough clothes for the weekend because I have no idea when I’ll be able to drive home. Thankfully, my John is cooking me breakfast and I’m sitting in the sunroom, sipping coffee with pretty doggoes at my feet. It really looks lovely out there.

  18. 18.

    Neddie Jingo

    February 6, 2010 at 10:06 am

    It was during the Blizzard of ’96 (I think I remember that right) that we had the Great Government Shutdown Crisis. A certain White House Intern of no insignificant girth caught the eye of the President when she brought in pizza for the late-working staff. I believe a visible thong panty stirred conversation between the two. Good times, good times…

    I associate that event with peanut butter and Ruffles sandwiches, which was all that was left to eat in the house when they plowed us out, three days after the last flakes fell.

  19. 19.

    Evolutionary

    February 6, 2010 at 10:06 am

    I left this on the earlier snow thread too.

    To see daily snow and precipitation reports for the lower 48 States measured and reported daily by volunteers go to CoCoRaHS, Community Cooperative Rain, Hail and Snow network. Data can be viewed in map or tabular form. New volunteers are always welcome!

    I think I will make either Chicken stew of Sausage soup today with over 17″ of fresh powderery snow on the ground now here in SE PA we are not going anywhere!

    Cheers

  20. 20.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 6, 2010 at 10:09 am

    Just boring rain in Atlanta.

    Has anyone else received a “send us money” email from a new group called LeftPAC.org?

  21. 21.

    Nethead Jay

    February 6, 2010 at 10:12 am

    For anyone interested, livestream of Obama addressing the DNC winter meeting: Livestream

  22. 22.

    mcd410x

    February 6, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Cole @top: Pictures?

    @Nethead Jay: How’s the free agent market shaping up? We could really use a closer, even if we have to give up some young talent.

  23. 23.

    rootless_e

    February 6, 2010 at 10:15 am

    @General Winfield Stuck: that’s not all that far fetched – if you don’t think that the Pinochet plan is on the right-wing agenda, you are mistaken.

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 6, 2010 at 10:16 am

    @General Winfield Stuck #16: That would presumably be 9:00-10:00am local time which is CST. So 10:00-11:00am for those of us in the Eastern time zone. IOW *now*. Me, I’m listening to “Car Talk” on NPR.

  25. 25.

    Comrade Mary

    February 6, 2010 at 10:17 am

    Like the beer commercial says, there are two seasons in Canada: winter and patio. Right now, it looks a lot more like patio.

  26. 26.

    KCinDC

    February 6, 2010 at 10:23 am

    I heard Daniel Schorr on NPR talking about tea partiers: “these people, many of them young…” Maybe it looks that way when you’re 93.

  27. 27.

    Annie

    February 6, 2010 at 10:30 am

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Yes, but you already have missed the two best sessions led by Joseph Farah (WND) and Judge Moore on why Obama is the anti-Christ, and how to take back all of our cultural institutions — the media, schools, etc. — and return the country to its fundamentalist Christian roots. And, quick before the military is overrun by “the gays.”

  28. 28.

    mcd410x

    February 6, 2010 at 10:33 am

    JOZY!!!

    lol at the Hull crowd chanting “U-S-A!”

  29. 29.

    Nethead Jay

    February 6, 2010 at 10:40 am

    @mcd410x: Huh?

  30. 30.

    LuciaMia

    February 6, 2010 at 10:49 am

    Here in northern NJ, nothin’. Perversely, I feel left out.

  31. 31.

    LuciaMia

    February 6, 2010 at 10:52 am

    Request, Can we please get rid of that ‘Hostigator’ ad? There’s four of them in a row and you can’t escape it’s stupid bouncing gator.

  32. 32.

    demkat620

    February 6, 2010 at 11:04 am

    Ed just declared the state a disaster area. My husband still thinks he’s going to work tonight.

    Na. Ga. Ha. Pen.

    I am about to hide the keys.

  33. 33.

    eemom

    February 6, 2010 at 11:08 am

    we have about 20 inches here in NoVA. Some idiot in a SUV got stuck trying to make a u-turn in our cul de sac, so that was kind of fun to watch.

    I asked my husband to go out and help him but he refused. Something about natural selection.

  34. 34.

    gogol's wife

    February 6, 2010 at 11:12 am

    In Central Connecticut we have no inches. Of anything.

  35. 35.

    demkat620

    February 6, 2010 at 11:17 am

    @gogol’s wife: That is because Holy Joe protects you.

  36. 36.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 6, 2010 at 11:19 am

    And in snowy MN, what do WE have? Let me check….That would be a whole lotta NOTHING. Damn it. Oh, pardon me. We have THREE whole inches. Woot-the-fuck-hoot.

    @jeffreyw: That’s very lovely.

    @WereBear: Your blog post said it best. It’s a real crime.

  37. 37.

    PurpleGirl

    February 6, 2010 at 11:21 am

    Yeah, NYC didn’t much very much and it came this morning. It snowed a very short time; as I said in an earlier thread, I woke 6:30ish and there was no snow and when I woke up a second time at 7:40ish it had snowed and stopped. Now it’s just cold. I feel cheated.

  38. 38.

    PurpleGirl

    February 6, 2010 at 11:27 am

    General Winfield Stuck: The Tea Party Convention started Thursday afternoon and only goes through the banquet tonight. Here is the web page with its schedule of meetings

    http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com/schedule–topics.aspx

    Tancredo and Judge Moore have already spewed their special brands of garbage.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    February 6, 2010 at 11:29 am

    The hostgator ads jumping around on the left are way over the top, and they make it difficult to read BJ. I almost posted yesterday because one was bad enough, but now there are 4 or 5 and it is really bad. Help, please.

    Edit: Hadn’t seen the post by LuciaMia when I posted this.

  40. 40.

    Max

    February 6, 2010 at 11:30 am

    Rain in Oakland. Sick of rain I am. Thankfully, yesterday was clear enough for my lawn guy to get in to mow. I had the everglades in my yard. Expected a gator to mosey in.

    So, I had an interesting conversation with two republicans yesterday. These are professional guys, police/corporate security types. About a month ago, they were presidents of Sarah Palin’s fan club. Wanted her to be the nominee in 2012, thought she was qualified, etc. Now, they have soured on her and are starting to see the light. The reason? Her Fox News appearances. They are just catching on to her “word salad” and it’s really turning them off. I say, let her have the spotlight, because the more a thinking republican sees of her, the more support she loses.

    I asked them who’d they like to see for the GOP in 2012, and they didn’t seem too keen on anyone. One said he refused to vote for Romney. They both thought the nominee as yet to come out of nowhere. Interesting conversation.

    Oh, and I’m making cheesburger soup today. Yum Yum

  41. 41.

    jeffreyw

    February 6, 2010 at 11:35 am

    @WaterGirl:
    Here ya go.

  42. 42.

    jeffreyw

    February 6, 2010 at 11:37 am

    @Max:

    Oh, and I’m making cheesburger soup today. Yum Yum

    Pics n recipe pls kthnxbai

  43. 43.

    Josie

    February 6, 2010 at 11:38 am

    I thought I was the only one put off by the jumping alligator, since I am old and cranky. Glad to know I’m not the only one. I want that alligator off my lawn.

  44. 44.

    PurpleGirl

    February 6, 2010 at 11:40 am

    @LuciaMia:

    Are you using FireFox as your browser? If you are, right click on the gator ad and choose “block images from Project Wonderful” (bottom of list of actions you can choose). Viola, the ad loses its graphics but still shows text for the ad. It appears to work for any ad. (Those animated ads drive me crazy, they are too distracting.)

    ETA: I just found this fix for the animated ads. I have to try it on some other ads now.

  45. 45.

    Max

    February 6, 2010 at 11:40 am

    @jeffreyw: Here is a link to the recipe I use.

    http://dineanddish.net/2009/11/halloween-traditions-recipe-cheeseburger-soup/

  46. 46.

    jeffreyw

    February 6, 2010 at 11:46 am

    @Max: Oooh! I could eat that!

  47. 47.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 6, 2010 at 11:49 am

    @Max: OK, but the problem with your statement is, “thinking Republican”. Let’s face it. The Republicans who are left aren’t much of the thinking types. And, I would bet that these same guys would vote for John Thune if he’s able to put together a coherent platform. It’s all about image. P.S. That cheeseburger soup looks yummy.

    @jeffreyw: I expect plenty o’ pics when you make it.

  48. 48.

    Svensker

    February 6, 2010 at 11:54 am

    @Max:

    So it’s like broccoli cheese soup, except with beef instead of broccoli? Hmmmm. Did you try it yet? Like it?

  49. 49.

    mcd410x

    February 6, 2010 at 11:54 am

    @Nethead Jay: it’s a baseball joke

  50. 50.

    blondie

    February 6, 2010 at 11:58 am

    We’ve got snow. Boy, we’ve got snow! We broke 2 feet about two hours ago, and it’s still coming down hard here in the Eastern Panhandle (WV). I’ve got some good pics, but don’t know how to embed them. If someone wants to see them – the folks in CT or MN, for instance – tell me how to post them.

  51. 51.

    gypsy howell

    February 6, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    @Max:

    They both thought the nominee as yet to come out of nowhere.

    Scott Brown. Guarantee it.

  52. 52.

    AhabTRuler

    February 6, 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Henri isn’t as interested in going walking today. Too much, even for him.

  53. 53.

    Max

    February 6, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    @Svensker: Yes, I’ve made it before and it’s really good. Just the right amount of cheesy and rustic.

    @gypsy howell: I brought him up. Not conservative in their eyes.

  54. 54.

    Kathi

    February 6, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    A solid 25″ at my place in New Ken, east of Pittsburgh, with a 3′ drift on the front stoop against the door. Luckily, the granddaughters spent the night and are slowly digging us out. Had to pack down a path for the old, decrepit chow mix, who can’t handle heavy snow anymore. Both dogs became used to the powder of the Colorado mountains and are sort of blown away by this.

  55. 55.

    jeffreyw

    February 6, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    @asiangrrlMN: You betcha! Too!

  56. 56.

    Nethead Jay

    February 6, 2010 at 12:28 pm

    @mcd410x: Ah okay. Baseball is not my sport at all, more into football, both the Soccer and American variant (Geaux Saints!).

  57. 57.

    burnspbesq

    February 6, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    @mcd410x:

    There’s been a lot of that “USA” stuff at Goodison Park recently, as well.

    As a Galaxy fan, this makes me nervous. As a Forest fan, if we get promoted and don’t try to get Landon, I will be seriously pissed off.

  58. 58.

    Annie

    February 6, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    @Max:

    Double yum…thanks for the recipe. As it seems that we, in DC, will be buried for several days, I think making this soup for the weekend will be perfect…I have a nice cabernet to go with it.

  59. 59.

    Ana Gama

    February 6, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    Meanwhile, over in Colorado Springs, CO, they are getting ready for the reality experiment in “less government is more better.” Thirty percent of the streetlights will be turned off next week, they are selling the police copters, no funding for parks maintenance, no street paving, no buses on weekends or evenings, etc. etc.

    Hope they like it!

    http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14303473

  60. 60.

    WaterGirl

    February 6, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    @jeffreyw: Thanks for the hot tip! The ads were making me crazy and using up a ton of bandwidth.

    I use Safari on my mac – I hate Firefox – so I went looking for Safari ad blockers. Found one, installed it, didn’t do anything. Found another, installed it, didn’t do anything. (Yes, I was restarting Safari after the installations.)

    Found a third, installed it, this time I got an error message when Safari opened, saying it couldn’t run because it was missing a file. I won’t be happy if I get an error message every time I open Safari, but all the BJ ads are now gone, so that’s good!

    Any snow leopard users here who have a Safari ad blocker that they like?

    Edit: quit Safari and opened a second time. Error message is gone and so are the ads. Yah!

  61. 61.

    chopper

    February 6, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    @khead:

    yeah, uncle sam gave me a few extra days off that year.

  62. 62.

    mcd410x

    February 6, 2010 at 1:14 pm

    @burnspbesq: I can’t wait for the next phase of the LD-Beckham battle. I think done properly that could provide much motivation.

    Though I’m less familiar with this Galaxy of which you speak — semi-pro? ;)

  63. 63.

    Paul L.

    February 6, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    Surprised Doug J. has no post about Wingnuts suppressing Free speech after claiming to champion it by supporting the worst Supreme Court decision since Dred Scott the overturning of Mccain-Feingold (BCRA).
    Wingnuts engaged in a witchhunt to persecute and arrest a man exercising his First Amendment rights

    BG McSoulpatch arrested by FBI

  64. 64.

    burnspbesq

    February 6, 2010 at 1:40 pm

    @mcd410x:

    I can’t wait for the next phase of the LD-Beckham battle. I think done properly that could provide much motivation.

    I don’t think any US player will lack for motivation come June 12. And that goes double for those who play their club football in England. It will be incredibly sweet if the US wins 2-1 on goals from Donovan and Dempsey with Howard making a bunch of great stops.

    The only time I will ever root for a Goat against a G-man is if Bornstein ends up starting at left back and facing Beckham.

  65. 65.

    Bender

    February 6, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    STOLEN VALOR UPDATE: Thanks to the good work of bloggers nationwide!

    Michael Patrick McManus was arrested Friday night after a federal judge signed a warrant for his arrest. The FBI says he was arrested without incident.

    John ran an inquiry on Brigadier General Douchebag last week. Well done all.

  66. 66.

    asiangrrlMN

    February 6, 2010 at 3:51 pm

    @AhabTRuler: I don’t blame Henri. That’s a hell of a lot of snow for one little cat, even a smooth, sleek cat like Henri.

  67. 67.

    DaveInOz

    February 6, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    What snow? It’s 31 degrees C here and sunny.

    On a serious note, it’s the one year anniversary of the ‘Black Saturday‘ bushfires in Victoria.

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