Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

As long as McCarthy is Speaker, the House will never be in order.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

An unpunished coup is a training exercise.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

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

“woke” is the new caravan.

This fight is for everything.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

In my day, never was longer.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

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Reader Interactions

194Comments

  2. 2.

    eemom

    I have a nice hand carved wood “No Whining” sign in my kitchen that I bought in Vermont a long time ago. Would you like to borrow it for the blog?

  4. 4.

    JAHILL10

    Exactly. This has to be the longest political week of my life excepting the run up to the general election in 08. Can’t we just pass the damn bill so the noise machine might turn down from 11 for a few days?

  5. 5.

    lamh31

    Sorry if this is whining,but Kucinich To Announce His Vote On Health Care Wednesday

    Isn’t Kucinich already on record as a “NO” vote for HCR? If this announcement is just to say that he’s STILL voting no, then he is an idiot.

    What would be the point of the announcement, just to reiterate his already on record decision NOT to vote for the bill?

    Here’s what I expect if he does announce a “no” vote, the MSM will treat him as more of an unserious laughingstock than they usually do, and his “supporters” will say “at a boy Dennis”, his “detractors” will say “oh brother, Dennis is an idiot”, and the world will move on.

    Besides the stupidity of it, it would basically be seen as a really “dick” move by Obama supporters in his district. But maybe there aren’t that many, so Dennis feels fine about it.

    IDK, it’s still just seems stupid to announce his confirmed no vote if that’s what he does. A press release woulda be fine.

    I’ve honestly never heard of Kucinich before 2008 elections (which is kinda funny, since my mom lives in Ohio, you’d have thought I woulda heard the name before…) but, was he always such an attention whore or not?

  7. 7.

    Help Me Rhonda

    I’m roasting a whole chicken tonight for the first time. Sure smells good and looks like it’s browning appropriately. I’m a little worried it’s going to dry out.

  9. 9.

    mcc

    @lamh31: Now that’s interesting. I can’t think of any reason he’d go to the bother of scheduling an announcement that unless he’s creating political space for him to walk back his promise to vote against on the televisions last week.

    Unless it’s just a way to get a few more minutes of preening time in front of television cameras.

    …wait. I guess that means I can think of a reason why he’d do that.

  10. 10.

    lamh31

    Man it’s already Tuesday, and I’m already tired of this HCR hysteria going on.

    Anyway, to ease my mind, I’ve been playing around with my IPod library, and trolling for vids on Youtube.

    Found this video, and wanted to bring a little soul to BJ:

    I was listening to my Gladys Knight and the Pips greatest hits at work.

    And I found this vid, a live version of
    My Imagination

    I dare anyone not to start tapping their feet. The Pips are really working it!

  12. 12.

    mcc

    @lamh31: For the first time in a very long time, I’m finding the hcr news this week enjoyable to follow.

    There’s actually substance and relevance to the events which are happening! Also we seem to be actually winning now, which doesn’t hurt :P

  13. 13.

    Violet

    @Help Me Rhonda:
    I love roasting chickens. They’re so easy to do and you get leftovers for awhile, depending on how many people you have in your household.

    I generally put butter on the outside and roast at 400 degrees for a little over an hour. I used to bother with the meat thermometer, but now I just go by look and smell. Never had any problems with them drying out.

    Hope you enjoy yours.

  15. 15.

    mr. whipple

    What would be the point of the announcement, just to reiterate his already on record decision NOT to vote for the bill?

    Because he can gets on the TV, which he seems to deeply need.

  17. 17.

    Leelee for Obama

    Bye-the-bye, was there any earlier discussion of Gen. Petreaus” announcement that it’s time to end DADT? I didn’t hear any major wing-nut head explosions, so just curious what anyone else has heard.

  18. 18.

    schrodinger's cat

    I have a question for the kitteh people here, I have two cats (both indoor), one of my kitties attacked the other kitteh, it was a case transferred aggression, an outside kitteh came into my backyard and was on the other side of the french doors, this got my boy kitteh excited, he transformed into the battle cat mode (bottle brush tail, flat ears etc) and jumped on my other cat. This was two weeks ago. Aggressor cat has forgotten the original incident, but the kitteh who was attacked remembers and hisses and growl at the boy kitteh. He ignores her for the most part and tries to give her a wide berth. What can I do to reduce the anxiety of my girl kitteh and make peace between the warring parties?
    Any suggestions?

  19. 19.

    SiubhanDuinne

    You know what creeps me out? DEAD PEOPLE on my teevee trying to sell me stuff. Just turned on MSNBC to watch Countdown, and there was Peter Graves pitching a reverse mortgage. Isn’t there some kind of convention (not rule, not law, just custom) that says once a pitchman shuffles off this mortal coil, the advertiser should pull the spots? (Rhetorical question, obviously I know the answer.) I didn’t like it with Billy Mays last summer and I don’t like it with Peter Graves now. (I would make an exception for famous PSAs like the anti-smoking spots that Yul Brynner and others did, specifically *intended* to air after their deaths.)

    /rant

  20. 20.

    Violet

    @MikeJ:
    I’ve used several different ovens in my chicken roasting career (heh) and have found that temps and times vary quite a bit. I had to increase the temp dramatically in my most recent oven from the one I was using previously.

    No, I haven’t actually tested any of them to see if the temps are accurate. I just go by look and smell for what I’m cooking and adjust cooking times and temps accordingly.

  21. 21.

    Phyllis

    Winthrop finally decided to actually play, but whoever wins this play-in is gonna get slaughtered by Duke.

  22. 22.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Leelee for Obama: End DADT and Israel is not infallible. I guess he’s tired of people asking if he’s going to enter the GOP prez primary.

    I’ve been thinking I want to roast a turkey before the weather gets too warm. Just for the sandwiches.

  23. 23.

    kordo

    Can we have Sinead O’Connor back now? No disrespect to any practicing Catholics out there, but your your leaders are vermin. She got hammered for calling a spade a spade, and I for one would like to see the lady vindicated.
    I’ve lost the link, but I’m with the poster who pointed out the fact that (some) Catholics are truly dedicated to following what Jesus actually meant, as opposed to what a bunch of perverted old men, dead for centuries, twisted it into.
    Plus, I just really dig her music. Here ya go-

    The Emperor’s New Clothes

  27. 27.

    mcc

    @schrodinger’s cat: Forwarding this from the spouse:

    Just time, really. Give her extra attention, but ideally while smelling like the boy (hold him first). Hold her, give her attention, then have someoe bring the boy in, keep distance, when she starts getting upset, have them back off, and you pet her lots to calm her. Over time the person holding boykitteh should be able to get closer without setting her off.

  31. 31.

    schrodinger's cat

    @RSR: I think America’s Test Kitchen also has a recipe, I am not 100% sure, but I think it was called, “Chicken under a brick ” or something close to it.

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    @lamh31: Does anyone else remember years ago when The Pips performed on Saturday Night Live – without Gladys Knight? As I remember, the front microphone was empty and they had The Pips singing the background and doing their moves. It was very funny!

  35. 35.

    Kevin @ Political Amorality

    So you’re o.k. with passing an unconstitutional bill using an unconstitutional process that’s going to add to the deficit, provide 6 years of benefits for 10 years of taxes, and possibly end up bankrupting the country?

    Tell me where any of that makes sense please.

  36. 36.

    schrodinger's cat

    @Restrung: I am afraid they are going to kill each other when I leave the house, so I have been keeping them in separate rooms at night and when I leave for school and am tired of playing the umpire between the two of them.

  38. 38.

    The Populist

    @Leelee for Obama:

    It is interesting that the last person in the Military I’d ever expect to be pragmatic in this area would be Petraeus. Pragmatism: 1,000 – Right Wing idiocy: 0

  39. 39.

    Help Me Rhonda

    @schrodinger’s cat: I think to “butterfly” it is the same as “trussing” it, right? If so, then yes, I did truss it.
    @Violet: It’s just the two of us, so we should be feasting on this bird for at least part of the week.
    @MikeJ: I’m using kind of a modified version of the recipe in Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything. What a fabulous cookbook for someone who is very new to cooking anything beyond heating leftovers and very basic pasta with sauce from a jar.

    I’ve never been much of a cook (or frankly, had much interest in it), but after I was laid off last year I started cooking for me and my partner and I’ve actually gotten to be a pretty decent cook. And I’m getting a little more adventurous and willing to improvise. It gives a great feeling of accomplishing something during my day and we eat much healthier now.

  41. 41.

    mr. whipple

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    We have cats that are constantly at each other. Boys vs boys, boys vs girls, girls vs girls. It sometimes sounds horrible, but nothing ever comes of it and apparently injuries in these things are pretty rare. It’s almost like every day they have to reestablish a pecking order or something.

    Only once did a male bite another male.

  42. 42.

    Tom Hilton

    @SiubhanDuinne: I remember a point in the early ’80s when there were three separate dead people commercials all on at the same time: Yul Brynner (anti-smoking, I think), John Wayne (for Great Western Savings–the message being “I’m dead but the bank’s still here”, I guess), and the cast of the Addams Family (for Santitas, and that was just frickin’ weird). They all creeped me out individually, but seeing them in close proximity to one another was even creepier.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    @schrodinger’s cat: I wonder if giving your little girl Rescue Remedy might help with her anxiety. I would do that for a start.

    Plus, our very own WereBear has a website that is all about cats. She’s a great resource: http://wayofcats.blogspot.com/

    The site really helped me a lot with my new kitties and she is kind enough to answer if you post a question on her site.

  49. 49.

    slag

    John’s on the Twitter and yet I don’t recall him mentioning Erick the Red’s Superbowl-tastic tweets. Holding out, I see. This is why CNN is the most trusted name in news and John Cole is not.

  50. 50.

    PeakVT

    Man it’s already Tuesday, and I’m already tired of this HCR hysteria going on.

    I had to unplug a few weeks ago – no NPR (except PRI’s The World), no Beebe (their US coverage continues to get worse), avoiding most of the major blogs. It’s been a relief.

  52. 52.

    schrodinger's cat

    @mr. whipple: Mine fight too, they have been together for six years and generally get along well. Somehow this fight seems more serious, lots of hissing and low pitched growling, especially from the female cat, she is still spooked and not ready to forgive.

  53. 53.

    Annie

    @mr. whipple:

    I have one boy and one girl. They go at each other at night. Usually, it is just play, but sometimes I have to separate them. Even as rough as they get, they don’t seem to hurt each other. Once they get their aggression out, they go to opposite ends of the room. During the day while I am at school, they seem to be fine, although several times I have found area rugs in different rooms and have wondered how that happened. Probably better not to know….

  55. 55.

    jeffreyw

    @Help Me Rhonda: Though it’s not “butterflying” in the usual sense, I’ve had good luck taking kitchen shears and cutting out the backbone. Two parallel snips along each side of the bones as close as you can, snip out the ribs after that. The chicken can then be splayed out with the breast up. Be sure to pat the skin dry with a paper towel-that allows the skin to crisp.

  56. 56.

    Nellcote

    @lamh31:

    Isn’t Kucinich already on record as a “NO” vote for HCR?

    FWIW Howard Fineman said his “sources” said
    DK is going to announce a yes vote.

  57. 57.

    demkat620

    Sorry John, I don’t have the patience or the eyesight for needlepoint.

    Lately with the number of things and appliances that need fixed at my now 10 year old home. I think I’m living that movie.

    And my husband is not a handy person.

  58. 58.

    Mnemosyne

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    You could try one of those Feliway plug-ins. I’ve never noticed a huge difference with them, but some people swear by them. You’re probably going to have to treat them as though they’ve never seen each other before and keep them separated. If the boy has things he likes to lie on (blanket, towel, etc.) you could put it in the room with her so she gets used to his scent again.

    It’s probably going to take quite a while for things to calm down, unfortunately. Female cats are often dominant over neutered males, so she may be extra pissed that he turned on her because he challenged her dominance.

    Just a thought.

  59. 59.

    kordo

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    “an unconstitutional bill using an unconstitutional process that’s going to add to the deficit, provide 6 years of benefits for 10 years of taxes, and possibly end up bankrupting the country?”
    How is it “unconstitutional”? Majority rule no longer Amuriccan, eh?
    Forget for a moment that it’s very nearly deficit-neutral, where was your concern over this matter when the deficit was being blown out of the water?
    “..6 years of benefits for 10 years of taxes..” Umm, please explain what your talking about. Does the bill sunset in 10 years? Are you the only person who knows this? Did Jeebus tell you this is the case, or just Glenn Beck (they are not the same person, btw).
    Bankrupting the country?? We’ve been living off of Chinese credit for 20+ years, dude. Welcome to reality.

    LOL, having read your site, I’m sorry I was as polite as I was. I suggest you go Galt as fast as possible, Though I doubt your pasty white, overfed ass would last 6 months. Eat shit, and beat yourself with a shovel, nutsack.

  60. 60.

    Mark S.

    @Leelee for Obama:

    Considering the mancrush McCain had on Petraeus during the campaign, will this mean he will finally come out in favor of DADT? Let’s get our Walnuts Decoder Rings out:

    McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said her boss has not shifted his position. She noted that Mullen said repeatedly that he was speaking for himself and not for the military, and she dismissed Gates’s testimony because he was expressing the Obama administration’s line.

    I think it’s clear that this will not sway Senator McCain. First, Petraeus said, “I believe the time has come to consider a change to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.” By using the first person pronoun, General Petraeus, like Admiral Mullen, was clearly speaking for himself and not the military.

    Second, since this is similar to the administration’s position, the general’s opinion can be safely dismissed because McCain hates Obama and is still incredibly bitter that he lost.

  61. 61.

    Joseph Nobles

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    Well, you see, I’ve got this great recipe for chili, but I can’t make it anymore unless I have health insurance. So once we get health insurance, I can start making this recipe again! It’s verra good.

  66. 66.

    mcc

    This diary just showed up on dailykos, saying:

    Howard Fineman just reported the Congressman will have a press conference tommmorow where he will be announcing his support for the bill. Although it will be reluctant support, he WILL vote for the final bill. He also said he will emphasis, as Obama did, that this is just a first step in the reform effort.

    It would be great to see this, but I’m a little hesitant about taking too seriously an internet post saying that the Countdown television show said that a guy from Newsweek said that Dennis Kucinich will say something 15 hours in the future

  67. 67.

    eemom

    so if Kucinich does announce a change of vote tomorrow……Jane Hamsher will stand alone as The Only True Progressive Left In America.

    That’ll be a fun day over at Lake Batshit.

    The question is, will she give back the $16K she “raised” for Kuch yesterday to her donors……..just like she’s demanding all the other corporateselloutwhore yes-voters give her back the $$ she “raised” for them with her “public option pledge”?

  68. 68.

    schrodinger's cat

    @WaterGirl: I will try the Rescue remedy, I have Feliway diffuser plugged in my hallway. I have got them to a point where they ignore each other, but if boy kitteh starts to approach my girl kitteh, hissing and growling starts, he then retreats to his corner.
    Thanks for your suggestion, and yes it has been a very difficult two weeks for me.

  69. 69.

    Chat Noir

    @JAHILL10:

    This has to be the longest political week of my life excepting the run up to the general election in 08.

    Earlier this evening, I told my husband this exact sentiment. I keep checking here, Benen’s place, other blogs, to see if there’s any news. Good lard, HCR should be a no-brainer but it can’t be when you’ve got lies upon lies being reported as fact.

  70. 70.

    Mnemosyne

    Also, too, do any of you do needlepoint or embroidery or whatever it is called. I’d like to buy a “Home, crap, home” for my wall (I’m assuming you all have seen the Money Pit).

    Go to Etsy. You can find anything on Etsy. I bought G a tiny crocheted Grim Reaper for Valentine’s Day last year.

  71. 71.

    demo woman

    @Leelee for Obama: Republicans are very odd folks. Scott Brown who posed nude and is pro-choice is now a favorite of the party. If Petraeus wanted to run, the troops would rally around him. Of course if he wanted to run as a democrat, then he would be a traitor. Party first and fuck the country is their new motto.

  72. 72.

    Mike in NC

    Had a second job offer in one week, albeit a temporary gig as a Census worker for the county. Good for no more than two months. Must report for four days of boot camp on Monday. Being in the South, will that involve any martial arts or small arms training? How about Hazardous Duty pay?

  73. 73.

    mr. whipple

    @Annie:

    We have a male that hates one female and humps the other, even though he’s fixed. They say this is aggression, but they are best buddies, if you get my drift. He goes after the other female, who hisses and growls, but other than a few tufts of hair and a lot of noise, never any damage.

    Every morning the males fight, with the male that invariably gets his ass kicked instigating it every time. (He’s the humper above.) You’d think he’d learn. Every day, same show.

  76. 76.

    scav

    @Help Me Rhonda: Actually, I think trussing it is more akin to bondage (tying it up) and butterflying it more akin to removing its breastbone and squishing it (ok, everyone together: Spatchcock!).

  80. 80.

    Cat Lady

    That’ll be a fun day over at Lake Batshit Janestown.

    You thought they drank the kool-aid before.

    Didn’t Kucinich go “for a ride” in Air Force One? I picture him being dangled out of the open fuselage door. It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

  82. 82.

    mr. whipple

    If what they are saying about DK is true, you can all thank me. I know it was my calls that did it. :)

  84. 84.

    Violet

    Also, too, do any of you do needlepoint or embroidery or whatever it is called. I’d like to buy a “Home, crap, home” for my wall (I’m assuming you all have seen the Money Pit).

    Are you buying a house, John Cole? Inviting us all over for the housewarming party?

  85. 85.

    auntieeminaz

    No whining here. Spent three hours today in front of the local office of Rep. Harry Mitchell (Dem., AZ-5) with the OFA people. The teabaggers have been hanging out there for a few weeks with their “Don’t Tread On Me” flags and obnoxious signs.

    Signed your Change.org petitions also, too.

  86. 86.

    schrodinger's cat

    @Help Me Rhonda:

    I think to “butterfly” it is the same as “trussing” it, right? If so, then yes, I did truss it.

    I don’t think they are the same, do tell us though how your chicken turns out. Are you roasting potatoes with it?

  89. 89.

    Chyron HR

    @Cat Lady:

    I picture him being dangled out of the open fuselage door.

    Clinging to Rahm for dear life?

    (Yeah, you know what I mean. That.)

  92. 92.

    Dannie22

    @lamh31

    I received an email from my senator Sherrod Brown. He flew back with president Obama on Air Force One yesterday. My guess is that they tag teamed poor lil Dennis and scared him into voting yes.

  93. 93.

    Corner Stone

    @El Cid:

    Maybe Dennis K managed to get something else promised to him.

    He’s already got a smokin’ hot wife so what’s left? Bacon of the month subscription?

  94. 94.

    debit

    It being Spring, I am very excited about my bikes. I have a 2001 Specialized Crossroads hybrid that I rescued from a garbage heap last year. Since it needed work, it sat in my basement until I found someone willing to help me convert it to a road type commuter. We picked up the drop bars, a crankset and a stem today. Tomorrow the bar end shifters, pedal and clips. I seriously can’t wait.

  95. 95.

    Lurker

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    Tell me where any of that makes sense please.

    OK. My applications for individual coverage have been rejected three times by three different health insurers because of a preexisting condition.

    However, I can buy guaranteed-issue group health insurance for myself if I notarize a general partnership with my spouse, file a DBA, get an EIN from the IRS, and open a business checking account. I can’t be insured as an individual, but insurers have no problem covering me as a “business” owner, even though I’m just as risky to insure.

    Tell me how the status quo makes any sense, please.

  96. 96.

    Corner Stone

    Also, too, do any of you do needlepoint or embroidery or whatever it is called.

    You are breaking Just Some Fuckhead’s fucking heart.

  97. 97.

    Colette

    @ John Cole: So, although it makes me feel like a little old lady to say this, I do embroidery – but I’m not a big fan of cross-stitch, which is probably what you have in mind for your “Home, Crap Home” sampler. I can do it, I just don’t like it much. Someone would have to make it worth my while.

    Also, there are quite a few cross stitch generators out there. It’s pretty simple and you could do it yourself, à la Rosey Grier. Maybe it would be a nice little rehab project for you.

  98. 98.

    Chat Noir

    @Dannie22:

    I received an email from my senator Sherrod Brown. He flew back with president Obama on Air Force One yesterday.

    I will quote President Obama from yesterday’s visit to Ohio: “I love Sherrod Brown.” I second that sentiment. I also love his raspy voice.

  99. 99.

    Redshift

    @El Cid: Fine with me if he did. That’s the way politics is supposed to work — reps use votes as leverage to get things they want (and if they’re actually good reps, things that they think are good for their constituents.) Of all the hypocritical crybaby acts from the GOP, one of the worst that was gleefully picked up by the media was their whining about backroom deals to get votes for HCR, when they had spent eight years raping the system, openly and in “backroom deals” to get goodies for themselves and their contributors that had absolutely nothing to do with the good of their constituents or the country.

  100. 100.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @mcc #66

    the Congressman will have a press conference tommmorow

    Tommmorow and tommmorow and tommmorow
    Creeeeeps in this pettty pace from daaay to daaay

  101. 101.

    Shell Goddamnit

    The plug-in cat calmers might help. I have heard they actually work but have no evidence.

    I don’t mean to encourage kitten-aquisition, exactly, but my #1 (in seniority of course) cat would beat up on the #2 cat incessantly until I got #3, who apparently is cat oil to the squeaky cat wheels, and now all is serene. As one option, I recommend finding a reputable foster outfit and volunteering, it’ll give the both of them something new to think about. You will need a spare room the new cat can be kept separate in for about a week till it can be mainstreamed. After a few foster rotations your cats will be so blase you can mainstream the new ones in an hour or so.

    I once boned & stuffed a whole chicken – forgotten where the recipe came from. It was very odd, like handling a chicken overcoat.

  103. 103.

    Leelee for Obama

    @Tom Hilton: Thank you, I’m fairly tickled!

    @Mike in NC:Good on you! Let us know what they expect…I thought about applying for one of those jobs, but I’m a little woman and and I don’t have any weapons, so coffee and bagels for me! I kid, I kid. I’m sure you’ll be fine!

  104. 104.

    El Cid

    @mcc:

    I’m a little hesitant about taking too seriously an internet post saying that the Countdown television show said that a guy from Newsweek said that Dennis Kucinich will say something 15 hours in the future

    Clearly you are not qualified to be a major print or TV journalist.

  105. 105.

    Dannie22

    @chat noir

    I love Sherrod Brown too. I’m proud of him for working so hard on healthcare.

  107. 107.

    Phyllis

    Our school bond referendum passed! The vote is unofficial until certification Friday, but I can’t remember the last time our Election Commission was reversed. This means a new K-6 school and extensive repairs and upgrades to our middle and high school. And jobs! in our rural area.

  108. 108.

    Kevin @ Political Amorality

    @ Tom Hilton

    Care to provide any facts to refute my argument? Or would you just like to “deem” yourself right?

    @ Kordo

    Where does the Constitution grant the government authority to force people to buy goods and services?

    It’s not deficit neutral without the shady accounting:

    http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/12/news/economy/debt_health_care.fortune/index.htm

    That article also explains the 10 years of taxes for 6 years of benefits as Paul Ryan already explained at the Health Care summit.

    Care to provide any facts of your own, or would you just rather call names?

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @freelancer
    @Tom Hilton

    I gues I don’t have a problem with ads like that as long as somehow they acknowledge — humorously or somberly — that the spokesperson IS dead and everyone knows it and the fact that he’s dead is part of the message. It’s when the same old commercials just carry on as though nothing had changed that I feel a little ooky.

    @Elisabeth: Yes, I agree. Billy Mays is why the Good FSM in hir Infinite Wisdom invented the mute button.

  110. 110.

    Leelee for Obama

    John, I would be happy to do that for you. I have some medium tan linen and lots of floss, so tell me colors and what size you’d like and I’ll find a place to download a graph.

  111. 111.

    Morbo

    @Mnemosyne: QFT, I just hit up “home crap home” on Y! shopping, and etsy was the only result that involved cross stitch. Ah, cross stitch; I remember in middle school Home Ec. where I cross stitched a scene depicting the desolation of Smaug with a little red dragon flying off in the distance. I imagine it’s still at my parents’ house.

  114. 114.

    El Cid

    @Redshift: As someone else somewhere suggested, they should have been offering Olympia Snowe the new $100 million Maine Lobster Research Center or whatever to simply buy her vote. Not that it was likely, but, still, how does anyone think that FDR got the New Deal passed by Southern segregationist Democrats other than bringing in all sorts of goodies to their states?

  119. 119.

    PurpleGirl

    Kevin@Policital Amorality:

    It’s not deficit neutral without the shady accounting:

    So, you’re against the way the Iraq War was funded and you let your congresscritters know that? Did you complain to the president about it?

  122. 122.

    scav

    Bravo! I knew we should be able to count on there being at least a few other folks here running dangerously about with needles and thread (as opposed to just needles and ??). As my current needle mania involves steeks, it’s not exactly relevant unless John wishes to hang himself on the wall. Which some of us might pay to see, actually.

  123. 123.

    mr. whipple

    @ellaesther:

    Thank you. I’m serious. You may think it’s a small thing, but it isn’t. It was all possible because millions of people like you stood up and put forth effort.

  124. 124.

    Phyllis

    @Leelee for Obama: Thanks. It’s a great feeling. The Vote No crowd was vociferous, but really nasty. I think it turned folks off. We had a great Vote Yes committee and they worked their rear ends off.

  125. 125.

    Leelee for Obama

    @ellaesther: Thanks, ellaesther. I am just as punched as please (old Johnny Carson joke here). bookmarked your links, and will read soon. Did you see the post about Petreaus” briefing? It will blow your socks off! It’s # 89 in the What they call moderate thread!!!!

  126. 126.

    Lurker

    @ellaesther: I’ll add my thanks to mr. whipple’s. Because of the combined efforts of people like you, people like me may soon have a chance to buy health insurance.

    Thank you. :-)

  127. 127.

    Leelee for Obama

    @scav: Are you turning pullover sweaters into cardigans, or is there another kind of steeking? Inquiring minds and all that.

  128. 128.

    JAHILL10

    @MikeJ

    “Rahm must have shown up at DK’s house with a bar of Irish Spring.”

    This made me giggle like a middle schooler. Thanks, I needed that.

  129. 129.

    oscarbob

    An e-mail I just received from a friend. Someone I thought knew better. My brain hurts.

    OBITUARY

    Born 1776, Died 2008

    It does not hurt to read this several times.

    Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning last November’s Presidential election:

    Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29

    Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000

    Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million

    McCain: 143 million

    Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:

    Obama: 13.2 McCain: 2.1

    Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.

    Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare…”

    Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the “complacency and apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.

    If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

    If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message.

    If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

  130. 130.

    WereBear

    @schrodinger’s cat: It’s awful when they don’t get along. It’s good advice to de-sensitize them to each other. If it’s gone on for two weeks already, it’s not going to solve itself.

    It’s possible to re-introduce them. I have a 4 step cat introduction program you can adapt.

    Since so many people spoke about cat harassment, I have an article about it that might help.

    Thanks for the recc, Watergirl! However, that’s my old blog, which is neglected, mostly. This is the real blog.

    Because I love the kitties! Who are, oddly enough, the underdog of the pet world.

  131. 131.

    scav

    @Leelee for Obama: More than one kind of steeking? eek! Knitting the entire body in the round and then cutting (yes, see above comment, eek!) the holes for the sleeves. Handy for two-color knitting (fair isle or Scandinavian). Couple of different ways of pulling it off. Here’s ONE

    EDIT: Let me be very clear. You then knit the sleeves after sort of folding back the cut edges.

  133. 133.

    PurpleGirl

    Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota

    Sounds like wingnut to me.

  134. 134.

    R-Jud

    @debit:

    It being Spring, I am very excited about my bikes.

    I swam 5k this morning for the first time in a while and it was easy peasy bright and breezy. My fear of bikes is the only thing that keeps me from being a triathlete (as opposed to a tryathlete).

  135. 135.

    mr. whipple

    @Lurker:

    The weekend before the election, we were tasked with going to our neighborhood office to deliver door hangers. And we pull up at this volunteer’s house, where she had hosted a bunch of college kids for months that were working for the Obama campaign.

    And the street is packed with parked cars. Plates from all over the USA, people had come from all over to help. It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.

  136. 136.

    Colette

    @mr. whipple: That’s a beautiful thing. We’re going to have a little bit of that feeling back the second HCR passes, no matter how flawed it is.

    @oscarbob: Since I’m stuck in moderation for too many linkies, send your friend this.

  137. 137.

    scav

    @PurpleGirl: not only a wingnut, he’s pulling crap with his statistics that make me want to go all quantitative geographer on his sorry ass. hell yeah, let’s ignore where the people are and what they want and count up acreage!

  139. 139.

    Restrung

    this has been bugging me about Prezzie elections, and I didn’t hear anything from the big news orgs after Barack Obama was elected POTUS.

    Making a serious point in a left-handed way:
    If this round of health insurance reform passes, will it mean the war in Viet Nam is over?

    Obama, Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Clinton, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter.

    McCain, Bush, Bush, Dole, Bush, Reagan, Reagan, Ford.

    Barack Obama was fickin 14 or so when Nixon ended the war. gack! don’t flame me. just being a dick here. :) OW!

  140. 140.

    Anne Laurie

    @Colette:

    I’m not a big fan of cross-stitch… I can do it, I just don’t like it much.

    See, I adore cross-stitch, because I get great results when I pull my thread “too tight”. Even with a hoop, my freehand embroidery tends to turn into stumpwork, but as long as I use an extra thread I can turn out very nice professional cross-stitch pieces. And I find it easier to ‘hide’ mistakes and/or amendments to a cross-stitch pattern than to freehand work…

  141. 141.

    Martin

    @oscarbob: Nice to see that wingnuts still hate ‘representative’ democracy. Is he really advocating that Alaska get 20% of the vote in the presidential election?

  142. 142.

    PurpleGirl

    Restrung: I don’t think the 60’s/70’s and the Vietnam war will be over until every last one of us alive at the time is dead. They can’t let go of their feelings about the time period and us.

  143. 143.

    debit

    @R-Jud: Impressive! (I cannot swim worth a damn.) Afraid of bikes or biking? I started biking sort of grudgingly; needed to get in shape but bad knees took serious running out of the picture. So I started biking and very quickly became addicted to it.

  144. 144.

    Colette

    @Anne Laurie: Half of what I dislike about cross-stitch is the relentlessly kitschy patterns. Puppies, bunnies, adorable rose-covered cottages – yeesh, slaughter ’em all. Give me the cruelty of crewel any day.

  145. 145.

    Tax Analyst

    @slag:

    But he hit me fiiiiirst!

    I had a cousin who used to whup on his older but smaller brother. When his mother reprimanded him for this his reply was, “But ma, he hit me back first!”

  146. 146.

    mr. whipple

    @Colette:

    That’s a beautiful thing. We’re going to have a little bit of that feeling back the second HCR passes, no matter how flawed it is.

    It was a beautiful thing, one of the highlights of my life.

    I don’t know if the elation will be there over HCR. It’s been a long and messy fight, the sausage making was very ugly, and the disappointments have been great. Perhaps some time will need to pass and adjustments made, and maybe in 20 or 30 years people will look back and say, ‘yeah, that was a great thing.’

  147. 147.

    ellaesther

    @mr. whipple: That is exactly (and I mean: almost word-for-word) what I told my kids after they’d gone through a good few days without me home (in the care, I hasten to add, of their loving and delightful father — but they missed me, the lambs!) because I was out working for Obama. The day after the election, I said: “This is why I did it.” Because a mass movement is only a mass movement if each of us takes the responsibility to move.

    So I meant it too, I really did. I think that when the bill passes (tphoo, tphoo! fingers crossed!), we BJers should throw ourselves a party (and get our Tim F. a wee gift! [Perhaps something in the way of a Tunch mug…?]).

  148. 148.

    Anne Laurie

    @Colette:

    Half of what I dislike about cross-stitch is the relentlessly kitschy patterns. Puppies, bunnies, adorable rose-covered cottages – yeesh, slaughter ‘em all. Give me the cruelty of crewel any day.

    See, when I hear ‘crewel’ I always think ‘badly proportioned Jacobean floral samplers in subfusc colors’, which I know is not the whole of the field but does seem to represent an outsized proportion of the available offerings. Another advantage to xstitch is that it’s easy to ‘edit’ commercial patterns, leave out the over-fussy bits, and combine multiple graphs to get exactly the design I’m looking for. I once did a very formal Victorianesque piece that said “My dog has NEVER done THAT before! ! !” as a prize for an obedience trial, and was told after the fact that the person who’d won it didn’t appreciate the humor but she did get three offers to buy it before she left the site…

  149. 149.

    Tax Analyst

    @mr. whipple:

    Every morning the males fight, with the male that invariably gets his ass kicked instigating it every time. (He’s the humper above.) You’d think he’d learn. Every day, same show.

    “THIS TIME will be different!! I’ll kick his cat-ass so good he’ll be yowling & howling for weeks about his poor, sore asshole.”

    Some cats are notoriously bad at calculating “Risk/Reward” scenarios.

  150. 150.

    Leelee for Obama

    @scav: That’s an interesting blog post! I’m just learning about the steeking process, so it’s interesting as all get out for me! Gots to love the knitting in the round. I love purling, it makes me feel all left-handed, but not when I’m trying a pattern.

  152. 152.

    PTirebiter

    @kordo: Thanks, I haven’t listened to that in at least 15 years. How could I have forgotten? “through their own words, they will be exposed…”

  153. 153.

    ellaesther

    @Leelee for Obama: You’re welcome, and here’s to hoping that the Luck o’ the BJ rubs off on this vastly underemployed writer…! Do you mind telling us what you’ll be doing (or did I miss that somewhere)?

    I saw it yesterday morning (it’s in one of those millions of things I linked to) and it blew not only my socks off, but the top of my freaking head as well! I mean, holy hell!

    (And why did I see it so quickly? Because of Twitter. I’m going to write a book: “How I Learning to Stop Worrying and Love the Tweet.”)

  155. 155.

    Mnemosyne

    @scav:

    I’ve fallen deeply in love with Being Koi, so I may be trying my very first steeks soon. Crochet, since I don’t have a sewing machine. I’ve only been knitting for about three years, so it’s a little nerve-wracking to even contemplate.

    Ironically, I used to cross-stitch, but my carpal tunnels won’t let me do that anymore.

  157. 157.

    Leelee for Obama

    @PurpleGirl: This is holy writ, PurpleGirl. Attrition is all the youth have to save them We can’t live forever, even with better health care.

  158. 158.

    Leelee for Obama

    @ellaesther: I will buy that book, make it an e-book and cut out the middles!

    I’m going to start out counter/bakery/register and make them need me so bad they’ll make me a supervisor or something. It’s the work I love best, and all the endless people will just energize the hell out of me! I’ve done the waiter/bartender thing and I love it, but these days, working for tips would terrify me! This is like a cafe I managed in NYC years ago, but with corporate backing. They are really good to their people, and promote from within quite a bit. So, I’m really keeping a positive outlook.

  159. 159.

    oscarbob

    @Colette & Martin
    What scares me is that I’ve known the guys on the e-mail list that this was sent to for years. No real political shit until we elected a half a black guy. When they are your friends of 20 years, it’s tough to broach that subject.

  164. 164.

    Tax Analyst

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    160 comments and not one intelligent rebuttal of my previous comments?

    “Butthole” points do not require re-butthole.

    Sorry, you lose, but thanks for playing. Maybe John will send you a “Home Version” so you can sharpen up your game.

  165. 165.

    Svensker

    @Help Me Rhonda:

    I’m roasting a whole chicken tonight for the first time. Sure smells good and looks like it’s browning appropriately. I’m a little worried it’s going to dry out.

    Invest in an instant read meat thermometer. Really worth the money.

    Roast chicken is one of the most delicious things in the world. Yummmmm.

  166. 166.

    Svensker

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    So you’re o.k. with passing an unconstitutional bill using an unconstitutional process that’s going to add to the deficit, provide 6 years of benefits for 10 years of taxes, and possibly end up bankrupting the country?

    We’ve already invaded Iraq. Get with the program.

  167. 167.

    scav

    @debit: he said something require attention?

    it amuses me no end that we’ve practically got a steeking quorum now.

  168. 168.

    freelancer

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    I used to think I was a snob about about conservatives, but the thing I came to realize is that they are genuinely dumb. You’re an idiot with no understanding of history or reality. Do us here a favor and go back to AM radio, where you have a much larger palette of free opinions and it’s not like you’re all taking marching orders from self-described rodeo clowns.

  169. 169.

    Restrung

    @PurpleGirl:

    Restrung: I don’t think the 60’s/70’s and the Vietnam war will be over until every last one of us alive at the time is dead. They can’t let go of their feelings about the time period and us.

    Eh. when they get pushing eighty or so, they sure like the idea of the demon weed. As long as it’s properly regulated. My old man would NOT love a tie-dye. Still hates hippies, even as I tell him he is one for demanding proper safety upgrades in the pools. dumass needs some weeeed.

  170. 170.

    Mike in NC

    160 comments and not one intelligent rebuttal of my previous comments?

    Must suck to be you, troll.

  173. 173.

    WereBear

    @Leelee for Obama: It did sound like something you were looking forward to. May you be as happy as my youngest brother, who loves his job in an Austrian pastry shop (in the Adirondack Park, NY.)

    Everyone is happy around coffee and goodies.

  177. 177.

    freelancer

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    Dude, this is a muthafuckin’ open thread on a nonwingnut site. What you are engaging in is the very definition of wasting time. You don’t see me dicking around on HotAir or RedState or Confederate Yankee, or some other Fox News forum, sheesh. If you really wanted an honest opinion about why liberals support gubmint run healthcare, you wouldn’t stomp in here like some obnoxious pig-ignorant retard who just shut off Mark Levin and is all jazzed up and wants to punch some ebil libtards.

    DIAF,
    Sincerely,
    freelancer

  183. 183.

    debit

    @freelancer: Guys like him remind me of a man I saw on some self help, Dr Phil type show (I was at the dentist office). He had issues, one of them being he spit constantly, which other people found disgusting. But his reaction was to find everyone else disgusting. “You swallow your own spit!” he said to the audience in tones of utter revulsion and horror, as repulsed as if everyone had wiped their butts with their hands and then wanted to shake his.

    So whenever a winger or a birther or a deather spouts some nonsense, like how Congress passing legislation is somehow unconstitutional, all I can think of is that guy who can’t swallow his own saliva and instead has to spit it everywhere, but doesn’t understand why everyone avoids him.

  184. 184.

    Svensker

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    Do you want to stop calling names and present some sort of logical response so we can stop wasting time?

    We are not wasting time.

    You come in here and drop a turd and then act all shocked when people point out that it’s a turd and don’t want to talk to you.

    If you want to “discuss” Michelle Bachmann talking points, I suggest you go try to talk to Michelle Bachmann.

  187. 187.

    Restrung

    “What are you doing here?”
    “It’s a free country in’t it?”
    “Well, it ain’t a free shop now, is it? Now fuck off.”

    Spitters can go DIAF. oops.

  189. 189.

    Svensker

    @Kevin @ Political Amorality:

    This place is worthless. You guys want to all sit around and circle jerk each other while the government takes your freedom. You all deserve to be serfs.

    That actually got a LOL from me. Well played!

    I don’t remember you from the anti-Iraq war marches. Nor does your face look familiar from the anti-torture rallies. Which ones did you attend?

  191. 191.

    Anne Laurie

    @mr. whipple:

    We had your steak coffee rub again tonight. Fantastic, thanks!

    Credit where credit is due: That was not me, it was Bad Horse’s Filly. But I’m sure she’ll be pleased that you’re pleased!

  192. 192.

    asiangrrlMN

    @debit: I like this analogy. It’s perfect.

    God, this new troll is tedious. Low self-esteem/overweening sense of self-importance, stupidity, Glenn Beck talking points, and bad breath all in one. If he shows up again, I might have to add him to my pie list.

  193. 193.

    Help Me Rhonda

    @schrodinger’s cat: Turned out great. Very juicy on the inside, nice and brown and crispy on the outside. I did a variety of roasted veggies (eggplant, etc. and apples). Very tastey! Thanks to all for the helpful hints.

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