Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

This really is a full service blog.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

T R E 4 5 O N

People are complicated. Love is not.

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

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Republicans do not pay their debts.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

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

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Infrastructure week. at last.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

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Reader Interactions

21Comments

  1. 1.

    SiubhanDuinne

    This has been up for an hour and a half, and I’m the first responder? (Heh, “first responder.”)

    Well, I’m sad to wake up to the news that Peter Graves has died. Loved the original Mission: Impossible, and the Airplane! movies.

    Off to get dressed and to tackle another work week. Have a good one, all.

  2. 2.

    harlana peppper

    Good morning, I hope you all won’t think this blog-whoring is too lame, but since this is an early morning open thread, I am posting my link to the Unemployment – Health Insurance blog, I hope it is not too lame a blog, I am technologically/intertrons challenged, as you can see, but I wanted to create an outlet for the unemployed, underemployed, under/uninsured to express their personal stories and understandable frustrations. Any suggestions from you techie-smarty pantses for this trial balloon would be most appreciated (that is if you can avert your eyes from the “curvy” ad for just a moment) Just don’t make me feel to horribly dumb, please. :)

    Thank you!

    PS – how does one say “no” to the sweetest kitty in the wor-uld who has just had surgery – I have to get up and go to the unemployment office this morning and she just insists on getting on my lap. Every time I have to move her, I am awash with guilt

  3. 3.

    Phyllis

    Three weeks until Spring break, and the last Monday I have to be in the office until then. The birdies are chirping like mad this morning, and yesterday I saw a dogwood beginning to bloom. I’m in a pretty good mood for the Monday after the time change. I’m sure it means some manner of doom will befall me before the day is out.

  4. 4.

    WereBear

    @harlana peppper: In those situations, I show how upsetting it is that I must go… and how much I’ll miss them.

    They can “get” that you have to do certain things, like go to the grocery store.

    Promise hugs when you come back!

  5. 5.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Anne Laurie: BTW, not ignoring the cartoon, but it’s waaay too tiny to read on the B’Berry screen. Promise I’ll check it out later on a proper monitor.

    @harlana pepper: I haven’t clicked your link yet, but I don’t think it’s a lame idea at all — in fact, I would imagine *lots* of unemployed, underemployed, insurance-challenged, job-seeking, or about-to-be-any-of-those-things, would welcome a place to vent and share their experiences. I’m fortunate to hold a good job now, but believe me, it hasn’t always been that way! I can think of plenty of times when I would have embraced such a site both as a rant outlet, but also as a place to go for encouragement and advice. Good luck (with the blog and in your own situation). Oh, and what WereBear said about the kitteh in your lap: they really do understand if you explain *where* you’re going and *why* you have to go there and *when* you’ll come back.

  6. 6.

    Napoleon

    Local news reports here in Cleveland report that when Obama flies in today to speak on healthcare he will be traveling on Air Force One with Kucinich.

  7. 7.

    harlana peppper

    @SiubhanDuinne: thank you so much for your support! – I actually wonder if I should use a different blog format since I just had a smack-forehead moment when I realized I cannot upload images – if I can muster the courage, I would like to incorporate into the blog photos of the unemployment lines in my county, which are substantial, and photos of individuals in that line along with their stories as well – I am scared about the idea, I don’t know why, as I have stood in these lines with these people so many times and somehow, and I know had anyone asked me, I would love to have vented my own story – the people I’ve seen are so damned stoic, but one wonders what suffering lies beneath the self-control and how much they would like for someone to just show they give a damn. I just have anxiety about approaching strangers like some sort of reporter – don’t know why, I am not particularly shy, normally.

    One of the oddest things I hear, when I’m in the line, are old guys blaming the gov’t for whatever, everything (??) (I once heard one call Obama an “idiot”) – one wonders why they are even there unless their SS just doesn’t cover their cost of living but it can’t be that high, they look pretty pitiful. And there they stand waiting to get in for their gubmint check, even so. You just have to be amazed and keep your mouth shut.

    Anyhoo, cat back on lap, she will not allow me one moment on this couch without being on my lap. The other two are jealous as shit, I am helpless under her sway. And I have tried to tell her I have to go here or there, she is relentless! ((sigh))

    At any rate, I cannot blame her – I am going to miss standing in the unemployment line this morning as I am running too late, have to get there at least 45 minutes before they open if you don’t want to wait forever. And Mondays are a bitch, I’m just not up to it. Tuesday it is.

  8. 8.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @harlana peppper:

    I cannot upload images.

    Actually, you can. Right above the edit window when you’re adding a new post are a series of WYSIWYG icons. One of those is “Add Image.” You can upload an image by clicking on that icon. Not sure what the storage capacity is on blogger.

    BTW, blogger is one of the oldest platforms, but it’s also one of the uglier ones on the backend. I prefer WordPress.com, but to each his/her own.

  9. 9.

    Mike Toreno

    “Makes you feel better about Cole’s “support your local pet shelter” posts, eh?”

    Actually, no, because I already feel great about them.

  10. 10.

    Bootlegger

    Balloon Juice NCAA tourney pool is open for business on Yahoo. Don’t forget the “seed bonuses” when you make your picks. You’ll need the group ID# in the group label below.

    BALLOON JUICE GROUP ID# 61659
    “Consistently Wrong Since 2002”

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    if I can muster the courage, I would like to incorporate into the blog photos of the unemployment lines in my county, which are substantial, and photos of individuals in that line along with their stories as well – I am scared about the idea, I don’t know why, as I have stood in these lines with these people so many times and somehow, and I know had anyone asked me, I would love to have vented my own story – the people I’ve seen are so damned stoic, but one wonders what suffering lies beneath the self-control and how much they would like for someone to just show they give a damn. I just have anxiety about approaching strangers like some sort of reporter – don’t know why, I am not particularly shy, normally.

    As long as you get permissions to post photos and/or stories (I don’t know what’s legally required, but to me it seems only decent) I imagine you’d have people eagerly volunteering. If you’re nervous about just asking them flat-out, maybe you could wait until you’re deep in conversation with someone and then just say something like, “Wow, what a time you’ve had! Would you be willing to let me put your story on my blog?” (and let’s face it, we *all* think our own stories are endlessly fascinating to everyone else!). That way it would flow naturally out of the conversation rather than putting you in an uncomfortable “inquisitor” mode.

    The one caveat I have — and this stems from a long-ago experience I had of being unemployed — is that there is often a lot of shame and “it’s my fault” and true depression associated with standing in the UI line and the whole situation. I know from your posts that you are sensitive to this and respect it, but if some people decline your invitation to share with a wider audience, even anonymously, that could be why. (I don’t even know why I’m mentioning this: I know you’ve already thought of it.)

  12. 12.

    Maude

    @SiubhanDuinneIf you take a picture of someone, you have to get a release signed. To publish a pic without it can get you into trouble. If you use a story, again, a release.
    I hope kitty starts feeling better.

  13. 13.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Maude:

    If you take a picture of someone, you have to get a release signed. To publish a pic without it can get you into trouble. If you use a story, again, a release.

    No, not if they are in a public place, and not if it’s used for journalistic purposes (i.e., not in an advertisement). But it’s not a bad idea anyway. And if they are submitting stories to a blog, they’re granting permission by submitting the story.

  16. 16.

    KCinDC

    Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli, fresh off being overruled by his own (also Republican) governor on encouraging colleges to discriminate on basis of sexual orientation, comes up with a new way to embarrass his state: embracing birtherism.

  17. 17.

    moe99

    Speaking of how to promote yourself. Remember when Newsweek published some tripe about the quiet dignity of Rielle Hunter?

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/233977/

    Well, while that article was being written, Miss Hunter (whose birth name was Lisa Druck) was talking with GQ and that finished product is out. The photos and her interview show her to be nothing more than a tart. I feel sorry for their child.

    http://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201004/rielle-hunter-john-edwards-exclusive-interview

  18. 18.

    harlana pepper

    Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions! I appreciate it very much. I suppose it would be best to just let people who visit the blog themselves, post their stories, as I certainly do not want to get into any legal trouble.

    Thanks again!

    PS, kitty is doing great

  19. 19.

    Bruce Webb

    @arguingwithsignposts: “Not sure what the storage capacity is on blogger.”

    Basically unlimited, your Blogger images just go to your Picasa web albums. It is all just Google behind the scenes.

  20. 20.

    Yutsano

    Howdy y’all.

    So I’m sorta out of the loop here for about a week or so, at least until the current ads rotate out. I get that John has no control over their content and we just have to be patient, but that image cannot be on my work computer period. So I’m here I just can’t be as active as I’d like. Luvs y’all tho.

  21. 21.

    asiangrrlMN

    @harlana peppper: Good luck with the blog. I think it’s a great idea. As for the cat, look her in the eye and say sweetly, “Hon, if you want to eat, I have to go.” That should do the trick. (I kid only because I know how guilty they can make you feel).

    @Yutsano: The sexy high-heels ad? I think it’s trying to tell you something….

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