Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

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

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

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

“woke” is the new caravan.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

So many bastards, so little time.

We will not go back.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

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

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100Comments

  5. 5.

    canuckistani

    Just let them grow wild and free, for as the saying goes, “let your toenails grow wild and free”

  6. 6.

    Snowshoe

    This is what pedicures were invented for. I hear that many NFL players are getting them now, so it shouldn’t be a threat to your masculinity! Seriously, I don’t care for the foot massage & all that, but they are a great thing when, for whatever reason, you can’t easily cut your own toenails.

  7. 7.

    Comrade Mary

    Smear tuna on them, then invite Tunch in for some amuses-bouches. Think of it as a test of his love.

  8. 8.

    jrg

    For good clean fun

    It’s been a long time since I had any good, clean fun with my toenails, seeing as how they have become thicker than they are long.

  9. 9.

    WereBear

    Dude, what kind of emergency is this? You shouldn’t even be walking around that much.

    And… yes…

    John! You should have done that before we left!

  11. 11.

    Brian J

    Two items via Paul Kedrosky:

    1. I don’t know how many people here know or care much about Niall Ferguson, but it’s always bizarrely fascinating to read about the exploits of someone like him. In this case, he’s hooking up with anti-Islam, American Enterprise Institute-supported activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It’s kind of amusing that he’s associated with the Tory party that has made and issue out of promoting marriage but has cheated multiple times.

    Also, early nominee for quote of the day: “Ayaan is gorgeous, but it’s tricky with a fatwa to find guys.”

    2. This might be old, but Paul made a chart showing what situation we’d be in if spending had grown at 4 percent instead of 8 percent. Turns out, we’d have had a surplus in 2008, albeit a small one. It’s not exact, to be sure, but it’s just some more proof that Bush screwed us.

  12. 12.

    cat48

    Well if your attempting that, it appears you are feeling a lot better; and that is a good thing. Good news for Obots.

  14. 14.

    Betsy

    @Brian J:
    Ugh, that man is intolerable, irresponsible, and inconsiderate. This is far from his worst offense, but it was one close to me – a dear friend of mine was a grad student of his. She was on the job market. It took him THREE MONTHS after she asked him to send in his recommendation letters for her. This made them two months late to most of the schools she was applying to. It likely was a factor in her not getting any interviews.

    That is totally, totally unacceptable. It is part of your job and responsibilities as a faculty member to send in such letters on time, more or less. His flakiness and irresponsibility probably cost her a job or two.

  15. 15.

    Sentient Puddle

    @Snowshoe: I agree here. I (a male) used to get pedicures because of an ingrown toenail. And I make no bones about the fact that, aside from when they dug around trying to pull that sucker out, pedicures felt really nice.

    The only time I ever felt like my masculinity was threatened was when I allowed my sister to convince me to get the pedicurist to paint my toenails pink. But yeah, that one I brought onto myself.

  16. 16.

    jeffreyw

    There were 3 hawks here this morning, but they didn’t seem to get along. I barely got a pic of one chasing another, but the pic is poor. Just caught them in the corner of a frame, not in focus. Won’t link to it, but I did put it up.

    This is what draws them.

    Calling for snow overnight, should be crazy action at the feeder tomorrow.

  17. 17.

    Betsy

    @Brian J:

    It’s kind of amusing that he’s associated with the Tory party that has made and issue out of promoting marriage but has cheated multiple times.

    See also: Gingrich, Newt. Craig, Larry. Vitter, David. Stanford, Mark. Foley, Mark. Etc. etc. etc.

  19. 19.

    Bat$hit Crazy Overdrive

    Awww – it’s crazy little Shelly Bachmann with one of the greatest ideas the G(NO)P has had in like – well ever. Remember “Hands off my Medicare” from last summers tea party twits?
    I’m sure they’ll all be behind getting rid of those nasty SS checks they’ve been receiving every month since it’s the patriotic thing to do to help us get off the road to socialism we’ve been on.

    thinkprogress.org/2010/02/08/bachmann-remove-socialsecurity/#comments

  20. 20.

    Brian J

    @Betsy:

    Oh, please. Didn’t you hear that guy tapping his feet in the restroom in Minneapolis was an ACORN employee sent there to trick Sen. Craig? I thought everyone knew that.

  21. 21.

    aimai

    Get help now, John. Before you amputate. Really, this is actually something that people pay to have done if its physically difficult for them to manage it themselves.

    aimai

  22. 22.

    Pasquinade

    FReepers and teabaggers betrayed by Captain America

    freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2446876/posts

    Marvel Comics: Captain America Says Tea Parties Are Dangerous and Racist

    publiusforum.com/2010/02/08/marvel-comics-captain-america-says-tea-parties-are-dangerous-and-racist/

    In issue number 602 of Captain America, a new story line has begun called “Two Americas.” In it the current Captain (there have been a few of them, apparently) is on the trail of a faux Captain America that is mentally deranged and getting chummy with some white supremacist, anti-government, survivalists types going by the name of “the Watchdogs.” While investigating this subversive group, Captain America and his partner The Falcon — a black super hero — have decided to try and infiltrate the secretive organization.

    In preparation for the infiltration, Marvel Comics depicts the two super heroes out of costume and observing from a rooftop a street filled with what can only be described as a Tea Party protest. The scene shows crowds of people in city streets carrying signs that say, “stop the socialists,” “tea bag libs before they tea bag you,” and “no to new taxes.” Naturally, the people in these crowds are depicted as being filled with nothing but white folks…

  23. 23.

    RedKitten

    For good clean fun, sit down, put your right hand behind your back, and then try to cut the toenails on your left foot using only your left hand. Good times.

    Do you have an inner ear problem or something? I’m not understanding what is supposed to be so difficult about that.

  24. 24.

    SIA

    Just think of all the gratitude for the simple things in life this experience is providing for you :)

  26. 26.

    Blue Raven

    For good clean fun, sit down, put your right hand behind your back, and then try to cut the toenails on your left foot using only your left hand. Good times.

    You prop the foot on something to put it close to waist height and bend forward from the pelvis, reaching around the left leg as you lean around the other side. What am I missing here?

  27. 27.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Chad N Freude: Bwahahahahahaha! That is so damn funny!

    @jeffreyw: I love the hawk, of course, and the cardinals are so brilliantly red. Beautiful.

    And, we are supposed to get 6 – 8 inches of snow, but I am not holding my breath.

    Cole, I second, third, fourth getting a pedicure. No, I’ve never done it, but I do NOT want to see you hurt yourself again. I’m guessing the difficulty is that it’s not easy to use clippers with your opposite hand. Me, I’m ambidextrous, so no worries there.

  28. 28.

    A Mom Anon

    Well kids,my puppy has Demodex mites. Sigh. So,I take her to the vet and he prescribes something called Promeris. Which is a flea and tick liquid stuff you put on between the shoulders(and appearently it kills these mites too),but,it’s highly toxic and the doggie can’t lick it or it could make her sick. I put it on her on Saturday morning,but there was so much in the applicator and her hair is so slick and short that I couldn’t get it all on her without it dripping all over the place. She didn’t get a full dose so I doubt it’s going to help. AND,the stuff is dangerous for people with diabetes to get anywhere near(my husband has type II). Anyhow,she’s itching and crying and I have no idea how to help her and it’s driving me insane. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in a week. I’m supposed to put this crap on her again in three weeks,and it’s pretty nasty.

    Is there anything I can do for the itching at least? An oatmeal bath didn’t help at all and the only thing the vet would suggest is Benadryl. Help doggie people,help.

  30. 30.

    PTirebiter

    Put a smallish grinding wheel on your Dremel tool, then set the trigger lock. The noise should keep the pets safely away from any shavings spray. You might consider safety glasses for yourself.

  32. 32.

    jrg

    A Mom Anon – When I put frontline on my dog, I put it in a couple of spots to keep from saturating a single spot. Otherwise it will drip onto other parts of the dog. Give that a try.

    [edit – just try to keep it somewhere between the shoulder blades. AFAIK, there is nothing special about this spot other than the fact the dog cannot reach it to lick it off]

    Also, a vet might be able to give you something that will sooth the dog’s skin. I’ve got some at home called Derma*something*.

  33. 33.

    horatius

    I can do that real easy. I am ambidextrous. Try cutting the fingernails of your left hand with just your left hand. That’s a skill few people have.

  35. 35.

    Max

    @A Mom Anon: So sorry to hear this.

    I’ve used the formula below when Max has been itching.

    – 1/3 water
    – 1/3 baby oil (to soften the skin)
    – 1/3 listerine (the reg brown type)

    Also, have the vet show you how to put on the medicine, it shouldn’t drip all over. Max takes the Frontline Plus on his shoulders each month and you have to make sure to get to the skin. He’s takes the weigh-size up a level, so I pour half of the treatment on him, blow it dry and then put the remainder on.

  36. 36.

    carlos the dwarf

    @PTirebiter:

    “Bring the foot to the drill, not the drill to the foot.”
    [actual words from a former teammate of mine, about how to relieve the pain and pressure caused by bleeding under the nail.]

  38. 38.

    WaterGirl

    @A Mom Anon: The whole situation sounds maddening, and of course the itching and crying must be breaking your heart. Besides, your new baby was supposed to be a bundle of joy, not heartache and frustration.

    I am hoping others can be more helpful, but here’s all I’ve got:
    – Explain the situation to your vet
    – Is there an alternate product that could be used?
    – If not, make the vet apply the next dose.
    – Could this be an allergic reaction to the Promeris?
    – Consider a new vet if your vet is not more helpful with this
    – Fish oil can be really helpful with itching in dogs

  40. 40.

    mattH

    Front page is dead to me. Used an Atrios link to get here and start running the site from post to post.

    And now it’s not.

  41. 41.

    Sibelius

    The site’s not opening for me in either Chrome or IE8. Works in Firefox, but I’ve given up on FF due to other issues. Anyone else using Chrome and having troubles?

  42. 42.

    Paul L.

    Time for Doug J to get angry.
    Wingnuts applaud the arrest and prosecution of a man exercising his First Amendment Rights using a unconstitutional law passed by the Bush administration that is almost as bad as the Patriot Act.

    Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School who is not involved in the two cases, said the Stolen Valor Act raises serious constitutional questions because it in effect bans bragging or exaggerating about yourself.

    Stolen Valor in action- BG Poseur McSoulPatch goes to court.

  43. 43.

    LuciaMia

    Oh, the poor dog, (and poor you) Years ago when our dauchound had hives due to an allergic reaction, we mixed up a thick paste of baking soda and water. Applied it to skin and wrapped a towel loosely around her. Obviously this was done when one of us could sit beside her on the couch and keep things in place. It did help.

  48. 48.

    tamied

    I went for a pedicure once and a bride-to-be and her fiance came in and got a pedicure together. He obviously didn’t have a problem with the manliness of it all.

  51. 51.

    Elie

    Yeah, that is tough but for me, blow drying my hair with my right arm (without the assistance of my left – I am left handed), every day. I also resorted to spray deodorant rather than stick for a while.

    Also, by some perverse reality, suddenly I had to scratch itches on my back and opposite shoulder and neck that I could not reach easily, resorting to scraping my back and neck on wall edges unless my hubby was home to give a hand. This is also when you find out how creative and resourceful you can be with one hand and strong motivation to get something done.

  56. 56.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    @A Mom Anon:

    Puppy wouldn’t happen to be a collie or collie mix, would it?

    When Gregor had demodex we gave him ivormectin, but some breeds (such as collies) have very adverse reactions to it. Did the trick, though.

  57. 57.

    Tsulagi

    For good clean fun…

    Well now that does sound like fun. Kind of like the merriment I’m having trying to find a spot on my body that isn’t bruised or hurts. Last week I was broadsided by an 18-wheeler doing around 40.

    Want to hear some irony? I get tagged by a semi, car flipped and was cut out of it by the FD while unconscious. After spending days being scanned, probed, and in general totally violated by terrorists in this hospital, best they can tell is that I have minor strains, sprains, cuts, and a concussion. Whereas you had a relatively slow speed slip on ice blowing out a shoulder. Luck of the draw. Or maybe Jesus loves me more. ;)

  59. 59.

    jacy

    @A Mom Anon:

    My dog had demodectic mange when I picked him up at the shelter. Demodex mites are normal flora on a dog, and usually only cause a problem if there is an underlying factor, such as an immune deficiency or extreme stress. (We determined that Wilson’s mange was stress related from abuse, abandonment and time at the pound.)

    I have heard that certain breeds, esp. beagles, are more prone to outbreaks of demodectic mange than others. We cleared Wilson’s up without meds, just twice weekly baths with clear tar shampoo. Sometimes applications of tea tree oil help with the irritation and itching. It took about three months though, and some of the patches still haven’t completely disappeard, although he’s not actively infected.

    I know people who have treated demodectic mange with injectable ivermectin, which is generally a parasite treatment for livestock, but occasionally used in companion animals. I’ve never used it personally, so I can’t recommend or not recommend, but it might be something to ask your vet about or get a second opinion. I did a lot or research when Wilson had problems, and I read lots of anecdotal reports that people had great results. I would have eventually tried that route if it hadn’t cleared up on its own.

    Hope this helps! And good luck, it’s miserable for the critters.

  63. 63.

    BombIranForChrist

    Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while:

    Since Harry Reid is likely to go down in defeat, who will replace him? Any thoughts?

    j

  66. 66.

    Sentient Puddle

    @BombIranForChrist: #2 and #3 in the Senate are Durbin and Schumer, so most likely one of those two. If I were to bet on one, I’d say Schumer, because he’s got a lot of chits he can cash in after gaining 15 seats as head of the DSCC (plus however many other open Democratic seats he defended, not sure how many are there off the top of my head).

  67. 67.

    Joey Maloney

    From Josh Marshall:

    Surprisingly, the National Tea Party convention turns out to be a frothy brew of birtherism, anti-immigrant hysteria, homophobia and Christian fundamentalism. Didn’t see that coming.

    Tea Party: brewing up American Santorum for everyone!

  71. 71.

    Ash Can

    @beltane: Armando’s having a row with some Juicers on the previous thread. Maybe a load of PUMAs are spectating and overburdening the server.

  73. 73.

    gypsy howell

    Anyone know what happens to Murtha’s house seat? Guv appointment? Special election?

    Any bets on whether it stays Dem?

  77. 77.

    Joshua Norton

    Surprisingly, the National Tea Party convention turns out to be a frothy brew of birtherism, anti-immigrant hysteria, homophobia and Christian fundamentalism

    And that differs from the mainstream Repug party how, exactly?

  83. 83.

    Anne Laurie

    @A Mom Anon: Did the Benadryl not help? It’s usually pretty effective for itching, if only because it’ll make her sleepy enough not to pay attention to the itching. I’ve heard Vitamin E gel is good as a topical anti-itch treatment, but of course you need to check any kind of bath, lotion or dip with your vet to make sure it won’t interfere or interact with the Promeris…

  86. 86.

    SN

    For some reason I can only access Ballon Juice via Google cache. When I just click on the link directly it takes me to a blank page. I’ve cleared my cookies and cache and even tried a diff. browser but it still isn’t working.

    Anyone else having this problem?

  87. 87.

    A Mom Anon

    @Anne Laurie: I just found out about the benadryl this morning when I called the vet. I’ll be giving her some closer to bedtime since I can only give it once every 12 hours. She has another appt for shots on the 16th,so hopefully the Promeris will do at least a little good by then. I have no clue about how this stuff works,all I know is that it’s really nasty(it stinks like crazy too). I keep seeing all kinds of opposing info on the interwebs about this stuff too so I have no idea what to think.

    Besides the mite thing,Abby is actually gaining ground healthwise. She’s gained over 8 lbs in less than a month(she was scrawny and undernourished when I got her) and is growing like a weed. She’s eating,sleeping,pooping and playing like she should be.She’s also pretty much housebroken. Besides the rashy places her coat is lovely,really sleek and very soft(she’s a black and tan doberman/gsd mix-mostly dobie). From what I’ve been reading,sometimes the milder cases of this mite can sometimes get better with little intervention,IF the doggie’s immune system kicks in before the mites get totally out of hand.

  88. 88.

    Tsulagi

    @Anne Laurie:
    The credit goes to my German girl. She deployed her front, side, curtain air bags, and gave her all for me. I’m in mourning. RIP, M5.

    Also too, RIP, John Murtha. It’s been a shitty week.

  89. 89.

    SN

    I can’t seem to access Balloon Juice directly. I have to get to it via Google cache. When I click on the link to get to Balloon Juice directly it goes to a blank page. I’ve cleared my cookies, cache and even tried a different browser…same thing.

    Anyone else having this issue or had this issue and know how to fix it? Is it just that something’s wrong with the server?

    Thanks.

  91. 91.

    licensed to kill time

    Ok, BJ just died and came back to life – ZOMG, it’s a Zombie!

    (ETA – may have been caused by the slugfest on the Rahm thread.)

  92. 92.

    WaterGirl

    @A Mom Anon: My dog weighs 40 pounds and they had me give 2 benadryl 4 times a day when he was hot pink at Christmas. How much does your dog weigh?

  93. 93.

    A Mom Anon

    @WaterGirl: She’s 25 lbs,so according to the vet,she gets a 25 mg capsule every 12 hours. Now that The Husband is here,I’m going to have him hold her and I’ll give her the pill.

    If I lose a finger in the process,I’ll let ya’all know,lol.

  98. 98.

    Ruckus

    @Elie:
    Ex boss broke both thumbs, both in casts for 6 weeks. Try thinking about all the things that are absolutely necessary to do that friends now have to help with. Starting with getting them to unzip his pants.

  99. 99.

    PTirebiter

    @Origuy: Holy crap! I was kidding about using the Dremel. It might make sense in a Tom & Jerry Cartoon, but a really bad idea for actual pets or humans.

  100. 100.

    Anne Laurie

    @PTirebiter:

    I was kidding about using the Dremel. It might make sense in a Tom & Jerry Cartoon, but a really bad idea for actual pets or humans.

    Not necessarily. Professional dog groomers have been using a “nail grinder”, which is just a dremel with a specialized attachment, for at least 25 years; the “Pedi Paws” as-sold-on-tv gizmo is a cheapo version of that. Professional manicurists also use a low-power dremel-type tool for acrylic nail tips as well as horny toenails. Whether John would want to experiment with a high-powered grinder one-handed is another issue… that’s why paying for the services of a “nail esthetician” is probably a better idea.

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