Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

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

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

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

Not all heroes wear capes.

He really is that stupid.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Peak wingnut was a lie.

T R E 4 5 O N

Second rate reporter says what?

In my day, never was longer.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

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

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Hot air and ill-informed banter

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I have company and am heading to a birthday party, so behave.

*** Update ***

Got sucked in to Public Enemies and didn’t make it to the party yet, but before leaving, I really need to flame this movie. Talk about taking a compelling story and destroying it with shitty camera angles, long unnecessary pauses, and filters on the lenses that make it look like some shitty film noir. I seriously hope the guys who scorched all the Star Wars movies branch out and give this piece of shit the beating it deserves. I an’t count how many times during the movie I thought “Why the fuck am I supposed to care about any of these people? How are they central to the story?” And the music. Feh.

And has there been a worse accent than Christian Bale as Purvis? WTF was that? By the end of the movie, I was ready to give Costner an Oscar for Thirteen Days.

Utter shit.

Reader Interactions

226Comments

  1. 1.

    Josie

    That is a very cryptic message. There must be more to this that meets the eye. Hmmmm.

  3. 3.

    SIA

    We just came over to Alabammy for a few days. My niece was here and when she left turned off the circuit for the fridge. Had some nice specimens growing in there. Had to bring the cats cause we’re having the house nuked (90 year old house gets some serious bug problems). Juliette threw up, peed and pooped in her crate to get even. The young lady does not like to travel. Angel however, kicked back and enjoyed the ride. His crate his clean. A beautiful cedar tree got knocked down in a storm. It’s hot as shit and I hate summer. All that being said, I have no problems, and life is fine. “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.
    Enjoy your party John. You seem to be getting very sociable since you got your house.

  5. 5.

    Comrade Jake

    I’m always curious as to what the BJ commentariat not behaving would look like.

  6. 6.

    jeffreyw

    @SIA:

    “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.

    Things in themselves and judgments about things. Very Stoic.

  7. 7.

    slag

    I have company and am heading to a birthday party, so behave.

    I’m not sure I follow the logic here. Are you asking that we not embarrass you in front of your friends? Because those kinds of requests always backfire.

  9. 9.

    SIA

    @jeffreyw: That the FSM for teh google

    “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

    from Hamlet , Wm. Shakespeare; Act II, scene ii

    And I’m still salivating over those fried green tomatoes, young man. Tsk tsk.

  11. 11.

    dmsilev

    @Comrade Jake:

    I’m always curious as to what the BJ commentariat not behaving would look like.

    I’m more curious as to what we look like when we *are* behaving. It’s a much rarer condition.

    dms

  13. 13.

    kdaug

    @dmsilev: My guess is a bunch of over-educated middle-aged folks sitting around, typing on their computers on a Saturday night.

    Could be wrong, though.

  27. 27.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @SIA: I’m just sitting on the stairs in my jammies spying on the grown-ups through the bannisters.

    Edit before anyone else does: “What those stairs were doing in my jammies I’ll *never* know!”

  31. 31.

    gnomedad

    I have company and am heading to a birthday party

    I hope you’ve given your company something to do while you’re gone.

  38. 38.

    debit

    No trailer ride for Chloe today. She had a date with the groomer for her summer look and needed to decompress afterward. However, after I put a ratty old towel inside, she decided it was okay for sleeping.

    @SIA: I’m finding it sad that I would rather stay home and look at my dog than go out on a Saturday night. I used to have a social life, once upon a time.

  41. 41.

    suzanne

    Went to the Humane Society today with the family and brought home a new baby. :) Soooo excited!

    She needs a name. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

  42. 42.

    Roger Moore

    @General Stuck: And in the actual event, he couldn’t hold perfection through 9. I wonder if he’s going to get a chance to pitch into extras.

  44. 44.

    bkny

    holy hell, pat lang has a post reading the st johnnie/senator huckleberry/holy joe travelling show to israel: war with iran is on the horizon.

    Graham was even blunter.

    “The Congress has Israel’s back,” he said, “and never misunderstand that. Whatever relationship problems we have had in the past, it has never seeped over into Congress. The Congress has been united in protection of one of our best allies in the world, the State of Israel.”

    http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2010/07/the-senators-from-tel-aviv.html#comments

  50. 50.

    AhabTRuler

    @SIA: I have always cottoned to: Oh, god. I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself the king of infinite space were it not that I have bad dreams.”

  52. 52.

    lamh32

    Spending a boring Saturday evening at home. I’m sitting here watching “Unfaithful” on HBO. I’ve seen the movie before, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. I tell ya’ll what, I love me some Richard Gere, and it was great to see is doing something different than he usual suave guy thing, and even as a hetero-female, I can admit, that Diane Lane is one hot piece of …for her “age group”, but there is one primary reason why I like watching this movie:

    olivier Martinez!!
    Sexy latino looks, romantic French accent, how could you go wrong? am i right ladies?

  54. 54.

    Svensker

    @kdaug: Speak for yourself. I’m old and ignorant and sitting around on a Saturday night typing on my computer. While watching HGTV re-runs.

  56. 56.

    Comrade Mary

    I finally did my second metric century of the year today (huge gap since April), and now I just want to sit down and watch the flickery box thingies. Maybe I’ll really liven things up and make some tea, too.

  57. 57.

    SIA

    @debit: You still have a social life! It’s just not out there with the crazy! Besides dogs are the BEST company. I have become a real homebody as I’ve gotten older. Also, I work out of my house, so I’m home a lot. A friend recently said to me, “Yeah, but you’re a shut-in”. LOL.

  58. 58.

    CynDee

    @SIA:

    Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

    I’m thinking
    A stinking
    refrigerator
    is bad.

  60. 60.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Comrade Mary #54:

    I finally did my second metric century of the year today

    That sounds really impressive, and congratulations, but I have no idea what a “metric century” is.

  61. 61.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Comrade Mary #54:

    I finally did my second metric century of the year today

    That sounds really impressive, and congratulations, but I have no idea what a “metric century” is.

    Edit: as soon as I typed that, I thought “World of Warcraft”! Because every time I ask what something means that I’ve never heard of, it always turns out to be a WoW thing.

  62. 62.

    SIA

    @AhabTRuler: Now that is deep.

    ETA: @Suzanne – I can’t view the picture! Wanna see the new baby!

    ETA: @ Debit OMG Chloe is adorable! I love that name! My first dog, a black lab, was named Chloe. What a sweetie.

  63. 63.

    Comrade Mary

    A metric century is a bike ride of 100 kilometres, or about 60 miles. I want to do a real century of 100 miles, too, but my lady parts and me are still negotiating about that.

    It was a pretty slow ride, so it’s more about perseverance than athleticism. And lots of sunscreen.

    EDIT: Sorry, nothing to do with WoW.

  65. 65.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Comrade Mary #61: Wow, that truly *is* impressive! Thanks for the explanation, and sincere congratulations.

  67. 67.

    debit

    @Comrade Mary: Oh, congrats!! I am very impressed.

    Hey, if you don’t mind my asking, what saddle do you use? I have a Specialized something or other that’s great for commuting, but causes profound pain in my, er, sensitive bits after about 30 miles. It has the cut out design for female saddles that’s supposed to prevent that particular pain, but instead seems to be the cause of it.

  69. 69.

    Cain

    Wow, slashdot links to balloon-juice. I’d never thought that would happen. Apparently, mistermix’s blog post on “ten years behind” has garnered some attention in regards to our broadband adoption.

    Considering, conservatives just want to go back to the 50s what would be the point? Meh.

    In other news, my parents got nailed by a scam and some dude took off with 80K with a bank transfer to somewhere in China. Be careful out there boys and gals. (the bank refunded the money, but they are out 80K)

    cain

    edit – there arae a lot of glibertarians on slashdot.. I bet they’ll love reading alot of these posts. heh.

  73. 73.

    WaterGirl

    @suzanne: Congratulations! Here’s a list of girl names that were suggested when I got my kitties.
    alice, astra, chase, chloe, cinnamon
    claire, currie, daffy, diesel, ella
    ellie, emmeline, emmalynn, ginger, goofy girl
    gracie, hailey, harding, hobbes, juliet, juliette
    jumper, kate, lala, lana, lexi, lexie
    lola, l’pard, madison, masha, mocha
    moxie, natalie, nora, norma, penelope
    penny, river, roxy, rumpleteazer, sabine
    sabrina, sadie, sara, sasha, selina
    silk, silky, tigger, twist, twister
    whompers, willow, zebra, zoe

    Edit: I couldn’t view the photo, either, so I don’t know if any of these would be good for your new girl.

  75. 75.

    Roger Moore

    @Cain:

    what’s a good whiskey for Manhattans?

    A proper Manhattan is made with rye. The one you’re most likely to find is Jim Beam Rye.

  76. 76.

    lamh32

    Okay,

    From the “good book”, we are told “thou shalt not commit adultery”. But let’s forget that for a moment. LIke I said, I’m watching “Unfaithful”, and I would like to think that if I had a signicant other, I’d never ever cheat, but I gotta admit, Olivier Martinez would be some tempations…but I digress.

    People, if you are going to cheat, then at the very least, if you are going to lie to your husband, wife, GF, BF, FwB (friend with benefit) please at least make sure that ur lie can be verified. I.E. don’t say your going to be at the spa at a certain time, and give them the name of the spa, unless you’ve actually set up appointment at said spa. Seriously, are cheaters so oblivious to the lies that they just don’t beleive that the significant other might just check up on them?

  77. 77.

    debit

    @CynDee: Well, it’s certain that the winter of her discontent has been made glorious summer. She’s got the haircut to prove it.

  78. 78.

    Bella Q

    @Cain:
    I wouldn’t put a good whiskey in a Manhattan, because a good whiskey should not be subjected to that kind of torture. I suspect, however, that doesn’t exactly answer your question. So I’d recommend a nice, inexpensive whiskey for a Manhattan, heh.

  81. 81.

    lamh32

    Is Public Enemies the movie with Johnny Depp? If so, I saw that on HBO, but I decided to watch “Unfaithful” instead. thx to the rant update, I guess I’m glad I didn’t

  83. 83.

    CynDee

    @SIA: I think you applied Shakespeare very well. It’s just that the lesser among us (speaking of myself only) just LOVE to have a literate springboard for getting in some sort of clever last word. Sigh.

  84. 84.

    General Stuck

    @Comrade Mary:

    A metric century is a bike ride of 100 kilometres, or about 60 miles

    WoW, I used to that sort of thing when younger, but about 50 miles was as far as I went. But it was a cheap ten speed and up and down Appalachian mountains. I hike a couple of miles now and pretend it’s the Decathlon.

  87. 87.

    Mark S.

    Talk about taking a compelling story and destroying it with shitty camera angles, long unnecessary pauses, and filters on the lenses that make it look like some shitty film noir.

    Yeah, that sounds like a Michael Mann movie. He’s the only director in the world who could make a movie about the life of Muhammad Ali boring.

  89. 89.

    debit

    Seriously, Richard the Third is my favorite.

    But I, that am not shap’d for sportive tricks,
    Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
    I, that am rudely stamp’d, and want love’s
    majesty
    To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
    I that am curtail’d of this fair proportion,
    Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
    Deform’d, unfinish’d, sent before my time
    Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
    And that so lamely and unfashionable
    That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them;
    Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
    gave no delight to pass away the time,
    Unless to see my shadow in the sun
    And descant on mine own deformity:
    And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
    To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
    I am determined to prove a villain,
    And hate the idle pleasures of these days.

    Obligatory youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWkietU8WzQ

  91. 91.

    Comrade Mary

    Thanks SiubhanDuinne and debit! I don’t want to make 60 miles sound like an incredible number, especially at the speeds I manage, and it really is mostly about finding a route that isn’t too hilly for your current level of fitness and sticking to it. (Water, carbs, more water, sunscreen, more carbs, more water, more sunscreen and occasional breaks.)

    @debit: saddles really are an individual thing. I think there are some saddles that are just cut in a way that don’t fit everyone’s bits, but it could be a matter of bike fit, too. I AM NOT A FIT EXPERT, but the people at your local bike shop are. Were you fitted when you got the bike?

    For example (and this is just an example), I found that scootching my saddle ( a really cheap Schwinn WID Comfort Saddle) back about an inch or so on the rails helped me. But I also think that I’ve tilted the nose down too far, so I’m slipping forward and putting more weight on my poor hands. (Got to fix that tomorrow).

    I saw a white Specialized saddle on a Dolce I was lusting over in a bike shop today. It’s a little firmer than my cheap saddle, a little longer in the nose, and a little narrower, I think. The cutout seemed about the same size as mine. Maybe the saddle really is a bad fit for you (the cutout especially), or maybe it can be salvaged with some crucial positional tweaks.

    A couple of useful links on saddles:

    The venerable Sheldon Brown.

    Jim Langley.

  92. 92.

    demimondian

    @lamh32: Writes that one should at least make sure ur lie can be verified.

    In general, I have always sought out corroborative details intended to give artistic verisimilitude to otherwise bald and unconvincing narratives. I have, however, rarely provided verifiable fibs in those narratives.

  93. 93.

    Yutsano

    @debit: Momma kitty is the barn cat Lucy, she JUST had her litter of four, that’s one of the mewling beasts running up to her. Well, about as well as six week old kittens run in semi-tall grass anyway! The funniest part was one of them started to follow me as I started to go back to the house and latched onto my shoe. My mom picked her up and whisked her away. She’s too young to take now anyway, and I already have two furballs I have to negotiate a move for.

  96. 96.

    Comrade Mary

    @General Stuck: Getting a cheap 10 speed up any goddamn hill, let alone mountains, earns my unending admiration. I SUCK at hills (although the fact that I’m riding a 35 pound mountain bike with slicks can’t help much either).

    EDIT: Any amount of time on a stationary bike would make me chew out my own jugular vein, SIA. You’re a stronger person than I am.

  97. 97.

    Hunter Gathers

    And has there been a worse accent than Christian Bale as Purvis? WTF was that? By the end of the movie, I was ready to give Costner an Oscar for Thirteen Days.

    In all honesty, Costner’s accent in Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves was much, much worse. I couldn’t help but think “How the fuck did a guy from Orange County end up in medieval fucking England?” Jodie Foster’s faux West Virgina ‘accent’ in Silence of the Lambs runs a close second. “Who the fuck do you think you’re fooling, Clarice, with your good bag, cheap shoes and shitty accent?”

  98. 98.

    scav

    Easy and handy quote, adaptable to many purposes: “Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman bastards!”

    Not my absolute favorite but a Swiss army pocketknife one that’s easy to remember.

  99. 99.

    lamh32

    @demimondian:

    I know what I’m gonna say might be weird, but I would prefer my lover/boyfriend/husband, or whatevah would at least go to the trouble of trying to lie to me with as much extensive detail and planning as possible. Wouldn’t it be more insulting if they thought you were so gullible, that an insanely impossible lie would do for you.

    It kinda reminds me of that song by Shaggy ““It Wasn’t Me”

    “…she caught me in the shower…saw me banging on the sofa…etc” and Shaggy says to tell his girl…”It wasn’t me”

  104. 104.

    demimondian

    @lamh32: I see what you’re saying, but I don’t think I completely agree. If anything, having my wife/GF/partner put immense effort to create a complicated (and expensive) lie would make me angrier: “You went out and spent money so you could lie to me more effectively? Why didn’t you just tell the truth?”

  105. 105.

    SIA

    @Alice Blue: But that scene when DeNiro is with Nolte’s girlfriend scared the bejeebus out of me. I was not prepared for the cheek thingy.

  106. 106.

    pdf

    I’m a huge Michael Mann fan, and I hated Public Enemies. Don’t shoot a movie set in the 1930s on grainy digital video. Just don’t do it. Also, and this may be a little inside-baseball, but it’s widely rumored that Mann is going deaf, but insists on doing his own audio mixing, which is why the gunshots are so fucking loud in his movies.

    Meanwhile, I’m watching Prince of Darkness, a semi-forgotten John Carpenter movie from ’87 that is absolutely scary as hell.

  107. 107.

    ajr22

    Ya Public Enemies is turrible, the sounds for that movie is just so bad. I keep turning the volume up, but the words are not becoming any easier to hear.

  108. 108.

    lamh32

    @demimondian:

    Yeah, I hear, but man it would just insult my intelligence if they really thought a throw away lie would work on me.

    Still, doesn’t matter anyway, the actual cheating would def take precedence. It’s would only be miles down the road before I would even think about the details of the lies without wanting to kick ’em in the nads.

  109. 109.

    Alice Blue

    @SIA: DeNiro’s accent is the only real complaint I have about Cape Fear. The last scene when he’s talking in tongues creeped me out. I don’t think anybody was expecting the cheek thingy.

  110. 110.

    JAHILL10

    @pdf: LOVE Prince of Darkness for a line that Joe Bob Briggs wrote in his review of it describing “Alice Cooper bicycle-fu.”

  112. 112.

    SIA

    @Alice Blue: Robert Mitchum was scary in the first version too. The Max Cady character was just creepy in general, very effective as a villain.

  113. 113.

    Yutsano

    @jl: HA! I thought maybe from the title it would be the Biltmore Ducks! Glad to see there isn’t a monopoly on that sort of thing running around out there.

  117. 117.

    lamh32

    Oh good Lord, now HBO’s showing Julia Roberts in “Sleeping With the Enemy”. I’m never gonna get to sleep, if HBO don’t stop showing either a) completely crappy movies, that never the less I love even though the same could be seen on lifetime any day (Sleeping With The Enemy) and b) not so crappy movies that star extremely hot French Spaniard movie stars (unfaithful).

    Fudge it, I’m turning off HBO…

  120. 120.

    Yutsano

    @General Stuck: Remeber the immortal words of those sage gentlemen Phineas and Ferb:

    Fame is fleeting…but the Internet is forever.

    It’s already out there. Plus one would think the relief of pressure would have the OPPOSITE effect, but I r not a geologist. Have a friend from college who has a doctorate in it, so if I could find him (last I heard he was in Indiana) I could inquire if there’s anything to that.

  121. 121.

    Kristine

    Speaking of horrible horror, currently watching Van Helsing. With all the great stories out there, I don’t know why this crap gets made. It’s not even good camp. I’m only watching because of 1) Hugh Jackman, and 2) I can’t figure out how Kate Beckinsale functions in that bionic corset.

  122. 122.

    Vico

    @Roger Moore: In my neck of the woods, a Manhattan made with rye is called a Rob Roy. Not that many people drink rye anymore. Or watch the movie.

  125. 125.

    dopealope

    @Vico:

    I think a Rob Roy is made with Scotch.

    Although traditionally the Manhattan is made with Rye, most modern versions are made with Bourbon. I think a very serviceable bourbon for the Manhattan is Maker’s Mark, or if I’m feeling splurgy, Knob Creek. The worst Manhattan I ever mixed was with Anchor Steam’s Old Potero: great whiskey, lousy drink.

  126. 126.

    SIA

    @Alice Blue: Oooh. Good one. I have kind of an attraction/repulsion thing with Robert Mitchum. My father once flew him to a UFO show in Viet Nam and said he was drunker than anyone he’s ever seen in his life (and he would know!)

  127. 127.

    SIA

    @dopealope: I always thought a Rob Roy was the boy’s version of the drink we used to get as kids at the Officer’s Club, a “Shirley Temple” (seven-up with cherry juice). Ver-ry sophisticated. But maybe that was a Roy Rogers. Ha.

  128. 128.

    eemom

    @lamh32:

    “Unfaithful” was the only movie in which I’ve ever been able to endure Richard Gere. Guess many would disagree, but I never understood what anybody sees in him. Hate that smarmy ass smirk of his.

    Don’t care for Julia Roberts either, and the two of them in “Pretty Woman” were about as barfworthy as Hollywood gets. Which is saying something.

  130. 130.

    Steeplejack

    @General Stuck:

    Solaris is strangely hypnotic, which I think is probably the point of the whole thing. Don’t want to venture into spoiler territory for those who haven’t seen it, but it is very cool how the “entity” chooses to communicate with the humans.

    I seem to remember that Lem’s original novel is pretty good, although it has been about a hundred years since I read it.

  131. 131.

    BethanyAnne

    I had a good movie night. I *finally* got to see Avatar. I dropped by the website after watching it, and it looks like plans are afoot to have it back in the IMAXs in August. Dunno whether I’ll go for the 3D IMAX or not. Thoroughly enjoyable flick – made me wish I could play a game in a world that pretty. It’ll be really nice when MMOs hit that level of pretty.

  132. 132.

    SIA

    @AhabTRuler: Well there you go. In the six degrees of separation in my blog ramblings, Dad also flew Roy Rogers (not sure if it was Korea or Nam), and they shared the same birthday, Nov. 5th. We have a picture of them together. It was a real thrill when we were kids.

  133. 133.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack:

    I seem to remember that Lem’s original novel is pretty good, although it has been about a hundred years since I read it.

    That would be a really neat trick, since the book was written in 1961. But you’ve been rather tricky at these sorts of things before.

  134. 134.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @Comrade Mary: That’s awesome. I will not even comment on my pathetic ride today, felt like I was riding on flat tires. Tomorrow is another day.

    RE: Public Enemies – I think I left a comment here the night I fast-forwarded through it, saying how any director who could make both John Dillinger and Johnny Depp boring should never be able to make another movie. Ever.

  135. 135.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @Yutsano: Hey I’ve had a totally out of control and stressful week, so haven’t been here much, so I don’t know if you’ve shared this, but how did the job interview turn out?

  136. 136.

    Yutsano

    @TaMara (BHF): I haz no issue with sharing the news again, as I’m too lazy to go scrounging in the archives for it and I can access it much easier from another source:

    I’M A FED!!

    I got a phone call last Tuesday right before I arrived at work so I couldn’t answer it, so I tried to call back at work but wasn’t able to until Wednesday morning. I left a voicemail for the agent, she called me right back, and I accepted the position at 9:15 AM this morning! I’m so excited, and now I have to get busy, as I have a shit ton of things to arrange now before I start. Fortunately for me I get two months to get it all together! I’M EXCITED!!

  138. 138.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @eemom: I’ve always loved Richard Gere – the only reason I could tolerate Pretty Woman. Though I can understand how he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak. But, on a personal note, he is a very, very nice guy in person.

  139. 139.

    lamh32

    @eemom:

    OMG…we are soul sisters…can’t stand Pretty Woman either. Not so much for Julia and gere, but becasue the hooker finds john of her dreams storyline was too stupid for my taste. Besides, she was the best kept hooker I’ve seen in a while.

  141. 141.

    Steeplejack

    @lamh32:

    Olivier Martinez, you say? Then do I have the movie for you–The Horseman on the Roof (1995). Martinez with Juliette Binoche. There is swashbuckling; there is bosom-heaving; there is even the backdrop of Provençe in the 1830s. It’s got it all. Highly recommended. In fact, I was just thinking of buying it on Amazon last week because I was looking at something else and it came up as a related item. Haven’t seen it since it was first in the theaters–which was about a week and a half in a few big cities.

  142. 142.

    Yutsano

    @TaMara (BHF): I’m resigning my current position on Monday, which will give me six weeks to move and get everything settled before I start training September 13th. (My last day will be July 29th.) I’m probably going to squeeze a goof off to Canada for a week in there as well. I figure I could just play that by ear as I go along.

  143. 143.

    SIA

    @General Stuck: Haha! that is f*cking hilarious! USO, USO, USO!
    (Though, to blather on about mon pere, he and a few other pilots DID see a UFO in Alaska in the early 60’s!) :)

    @Yutsano, I am very, very happy for you. Where are you moving?

  146. 146.

    Yutsano

    @SIA: Seattle proper. My new workplace is on 2nd in downtown on the 20th floor (or 19th or 21st depending upon where they decide to put me.) so I’ll have to pack up my stuff and my cat (the other kitteh is being taken by my mom, she had him before I did and refuses to give him up) and hitch it on over there. I’m already scanning housing although I won’t seriously scrutinize until August. I’ve already seen a few good possibilities, plus one of my work perks is I get what’s called an ORCA pass which can be used on any public transport in the Seattle area, including ferries. So the possibilities are very very exciting!

  148. 148.

    SIA

    @Yutsano: Seattle is the coolest city, I loved it when I once visited. I’m so glad you’re getting out of the job you didn’t like. And federal benfits too, yes indeedy. Expecting photos, lots of photos on your new digs & town. Congratulations!

  151. 151.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @eemom
    @lamh32

    Oh lordy, I *detest* Julia Roberts. I don’t know what it is, but something about her just creeps me out a little bit.

    As for Richard Gere, I don’t have the same visceral reaction to him, but I’ve never *ever* seen him play a role I liked.

    So yeah, I’m also obvs not a fan of Pretty Woman and would like to join your club, subscribe to your newsletter, etc.

  152. 152.

    asiangrrlMN

    Hello, bitchez. Who is still up? I won’t be for long. I’m exhausted. And, sucky about Public Enemies. I love me some Johnny Depp which means I will probably see the movie at some point.

    @General Stuck: Well, I’m shirtless and only in South Park boxers. Does that count?

    Steepman and Yutsy, you both are here too early.

  153. 153.

    Yutsano

    @SIA: I am definitely for sure going to have to get a better camera phone just so I can take pictures of the new view from the office. I can’t even describe how AMAZING the west side view is!!

    @asiangrrlMN: JUBLEYS!!

  157. 157.

    Mark S.

    @Steeplejack:

    I hated it. It was about four hours long, Al Pacino is very hammy, and the plot at times requires the cops to be incredibly stupid.

    SPOILERS

    When Val Kilmer tries to go visit his wife towards the end and the cops have the place all staked out, he is able to get away from the cops with apparently a fake ID. He’s been under surveillance for months and the cops must have tons of pictures of him, he looks exactly the same, he’s got injuries somewhat consistent with being shot fleeing a bank robbery, “But the ID says Ben Dover so it can’t be him.”

  159. 159.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Mark S.:

    No kidding. I kept watching Public Enemies and thinking “OK, when’s it going to get good?” Seriously, Michael Mann is to taking a great story and completely fucking it up what the Republicans are to taking a great country and completely fucking it up.

  160. 160.

    Yutsano

    @SIA: But…but…but…the new phone will be so pretty! Plus I really am a believer in multitasking gadgets, I blame Alton Brown’s influence.

    @Steeplejack: Speaking of crazy kids…of course you knew someone would look it up. Plus to be honest it gave me a reason to look it up since I couldn’t recall the exact date of publishing anyway.

    @Wile E. Quixote: If I have never told you to remind me to never piss you off, please feel free to smack me around for being remiss on that point.

  164. 164.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mark S.: Yes. Your clip did not work last night, and I went to bed grumpy. So, you owe me a song. Hey, I didn’t make up the rules (yes, I did); I’m just telling you the lay of the land.

    This is my mood right now. The actual song starts about 1:00.

  165. 165.

    Mark S.

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I’ll listen to it in a minute (youtubes are kinda slow to load on my laptop).

    Was the video that didn’t work the guy tripping out over a double rainbow? You didn’t miss much if that’s what it was.

    The songs I came up with before I saw your last comment: two sort of obscure songs from well known bands:

    Stones: Memo From Turner

    Pink Floyd: Free Four

  166. 166.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Yutsano:

    Cool! Welcome to Seattle. Capitol Hill is a nice area, and close to downtown (if you’re working at the Federal Building) and West Seattle is nice, more affordable than Cap Hill and has pretty good access to downtown Seattle via bus. Of course Cap Hill has the advantage of being close to Po Dog. Mmmmmm, Po Dog, I might have to go there this week and try their corn dog instead of my usual Deep Fried Danger Dog.

    If you’re at the Jackson Federal Building you’re also only five blocks from the Pike Place Market and about three blocks from Pioneer Square. Congrats on the new job!

  167. 167.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mark S.: No. It was the Robot Chicken or whatever. The Star Wars one. I don’t like the Stones. I DO like Floyd. Never heard that Floyd song before, and I like it (even though it’s not really them, if you get what I’m saying). We’re square now. Ta.

  168. 168.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Yutsano:

    You’re also about a block from the Colman ferry terminal, so you can leave work a little early in the fall and take the ferry to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton and back and see the sunset. It’s a nice ride.

    I don’t know where you’re living now, but one thing I’ll warn you about, the days are short here in the winter. The sun is behind the mountains by about 4PM, so you’ll be going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. It’s nice in the summer, it’s light by 5 and stays light until 10 in June and July, but winters can be somewhat depressing.

  169. 169.

    Mark S.

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Why do you say it’s not really them? I don’t know that much about Pink Floyd.

    ETA: Star Wars? Robot Chicken? Are you sure that was me?

  171. 171.

    jl

    @Yutsano:

    Congratulations on your new job.

    What kind of FED! will you be? Or is it top secret?

    I have to go beddytime very soon. Doing an all day hike tomorrow starting early. But I will surely check back to find out.

    Seattle is a great city. When I had family living there they complained about the weather. But the weather was always totally perfect when I was there: sunny with beautiful puffy clouds, perfect temp and perfect breeze and perfectly timed perfect showers.

    So, I now assume the natives just lie about the weather to keep strangers away.

  172. 172.

    burnspbesq

    @lamh32:

    she was the best kept hooker I’ve seen in a while.

    The law student/escort from season 1 of “The West Wing.” I would have socrat’ed with her all night.

  175. 175.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mark S.: Oh, sorry. The beat is completely different than most Floyd songs. Way too chipper and happy. Um….Yeah. About that video. It wasn’t you. Sorry. It Was Matt S. Do you live in NYC? Hm. OK. Anyway, thanks for the extra vid! Much appreciated.

    @burnspbesq: Ha. No, I’m just fucking hot. I would be totally nude if my mom wasn’t still visiting. When I am at home, I wear as little clothing as possible. I hate clothes.

    @jl: It’s like the weather here. It’s really not as cold as everyone says it is. We just say that to keep the assholes out.

  177. 177.

    Yutsano

    @jl: You will be targeted for elimination now. Nothing personal, but you are revealing too much.

    @Wile E. Quixote: I went to high school in Bremerton, so the long dark days of winter are nothing new to me. In fact, because of the ORCA pass, I’m seriously considering living across the water. That’s a long commute every day though. And I already haz plans to catch me a few fish at Pike Place.

    BTW I usually don’t like hot dogs, but Po Dog could change my mind there.

  178. 178.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    End of the week for me, and I got out of work a little early tonight. (“Early” = 11:20 p.m.)

    If you like Depp, check out Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man. Trippy. Just bought it on sale a few days ago. Haven’t seen it since I saw it in the theater back in the day. Awesome soundtrack by Neil Young. Seems to consist mostly of him dropping his guitar in interesting ways in an echo chamber.

  179. 179.

    burnspbesq

    Got dragged off by spouse and kid to see “Despicable Me” tonight. Has some unbearably sappy/corny moments, but is generally pretty good.

  180. 180.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @jl:

    Nope, the weather here can really suck sometimes. The standard joke in Western Washington is that summer doesn’t begin until July 5th. Actually it was July 6th this year, it was cold and drizzly on the fourth and fifth. But the fact that it was colder than usual in Seattle this year in May and June proves that global warming is a myth, because Al Gore is fat and gets handjobs.

  181. 181.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mark S.: Well, we have hit over a hundred before with eighty percent humidity, so yeah, it’s not always sub-zero temps, alas.

    @Steeplejack: Oooooh! A friend told me about that movie. I wanna see. Like I said, I will probably see Public Enemies at some point just because I’m working my way through Depp’s oeuvre.

    @burnspbesq: Is that the animated one with Steve Carrell?

  182. 182.

    jl

    tomorrow from Yahoo weather :
    Minneapolis
    high 79, low 61, scattered storms
    (not really topless in boxers weather, AsiangrrlMN drunk or what?)

    Seattle
    high 80, low 57, mostly sunny

    Fogbottom sh*tp*t weatherhole, CA
    high 65, low 57, mostly cloudy

    Weather report said it was ‘sunny’ today, but I was outdoors most of the time and I missed it.

  183. 183.

    Jbird

    Yeah, the one thing I kept thinking through that movie was that if I wasn’t already interested in the Dillinger myth, I’d probably not give a shit about half of these people as film characters.

  184. 184.

    jl

    @Wile E. Quixote:

    Dude, the family I had in Seattle moved away.

    Invite me up whenever you want good weather, it has never failed. I swear.

    I used to go up there a lot, and the weather was always great when I visited.

  185. 185.

    asiangrrlMN

    @jl: Not drunk. Anything over seventy degrees is topless/boxers weather in my book. Missed your last line until I re-read your comment. Snort. You’re funny.

  186. 186.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Yup. And I’m trying to wrap my brain around the concept of a 16 year old wanting to see that. The new Toy Story I could buy because that’s a classic that’s been around over ten years now, but Despicable Me? Not so much.

  187. 187.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Yutsano:

    @Wile E. Quixote: I went to high school in Bremerton, so the long dark days of winter are nothing new to me. In fact, because of the ORCA pass, I’m seriously considering living across the water. That’s a long commute every day though. And I already haz plans to catch me a few fish at Pike Place.

    “Welcome back” he said, feeling like something of a tool after explaining the joys of Seattle to someone who lived in Bremerton. I grew up in Port Orchard. Hey! You’ll be back in Seattle in time to do the Puyallup!

  188. 188.

    Steeplejack

    @Mark S.:

    But he’s Val Kilmer! It’s acting! Genius!

    Reminds me of the apocryphal story of a producer who supposedly said, referring to Kilmer’s reputation as a hard-to-work-with diva, “I wouldn’t hire Val Kilmer to star in The Val Kilmer Story.”

    As for Heat, yes, it has a few macguffins hanging out in the breeze, but what action/thriller/suspense movie doesn’t? I thought it had a great feel throughout, and I didn’t even mind Pacino’s hamminess*, which usually drive me up the wall. Great connection between De Niro and Amy Brenneman in their scenes. And truly an all-star cast. So I will forgive it a lot.

    &#042 My favorite Pacino movie (post-Godfather, of course) is Carlito’s Way, where the hamminess is so dialed back as to be nonexistent. Great little movie.

  190. 190.

    Mark S.

    @asiangrrlMN:

    The humidity is what I remember. We had a family reunion at one of the ten thousand lakes. The funny thing was that even though it was a fairly large lake, it was only like two feet deep unless you went way into it. So cooling off in the lake meant either lying down in it or walking like a half mile into it.

  191. 191.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: I dunno. I like some animated movies, and I’m more than double that age.

    @burnspbesq: I saw clips on Colbert’s show. Maybe they were saving the best for the theatre?

    @Mark S.: We have nearly 15,000 lakes. Of course, some of them are more accurately named ponds, but you know. And, yeah, some of the ‘lakes’ are very shallow, so not much relief there.

  192. 192.

    Yutsano

    @Wile E. Quixote: Well you had no way of knowing that as AFAICR I never disclosed where I went to high school on BJ before. Mentioned college quite a few times but that’s in the southeast corner of the state. It wasn’t a bad supposition to make honestly. I am excited about the possibility of moving back home from the other side of the mountains however, to answer another question you asked me previously.

    @asiangrrlMN: Don’t get me wrong, I’m a total anime nut, and I will watch Miyazaki until my eyeballs bleed. But Dreamworks hasn’t done anything interesting to me in quite some time, and this one doesn’t seem any more appealing. Maybe I’m just getting cranky in my old age.

  193. 193.

    jl

    There must be something wrong with me. I tolerate high temp high humidity summer weather very well.

    So what am I doing in the SF Bay Area?

    It was supposed to be sunny this weekend, but it’s not panning out.

    Sometimes water water comes out of the sky and gets you slightly wet, but it is not officially raining. It is just the ‘marine layer’. There are these miserable ‘marine layers’ that cloud up the mornings in Southern California coast too, but at least they do not rain on you.

    Summer starts here in late August, or early September. But I want my summer now. Probably need to get off my fat ass and visit California to see some summer weather.

  195. 195.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: You kids get off my lawn! But, yeah, I know what you mean.

    @jl: Hey, some people like heat. My best friend is one of them (she’s from Florida). Some people like cold. I’m definitely one of them! To each his/her own. I used to live in the Bay Area, and I did not like the weather at all.

  198. 198.

    jl

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I love the heat, and I love the cold, very much love the snow. I just feel it is very appropriate to see the sun more often than not in the summer time. Which ain’t happening so far in this weird little thingajig stuck on to the edge of California.

    So right now a little envious of people who are getting some kind of real summer weather.

  199. 199.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Wile E. Quixote: I have to disagree. Pacino totally ruined that movie for me (well, to be fair, he just added to the ruined quality of it with his over-the-top portrayal). I didn’t even watch the second disc because I found the first disc so torturous. Ooooooh. I said the “T” word.

    ETA: Full disclosure: I can’t stand Pacino in general.

    @jl: I see your point. I actually like sun, but I prefer it to accompany twenty below weather. I hope you get your real summer soon.

  200. 200.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Are you going to go indulge yourself in Alan Rickmany goodness now? I just want to be able to account for your absence should this indeed occur.

    @Steeplejack: If you watch any Miyazaki and/or Studio Ghibli and aren’t moved to your core there is something seriously wrong with you. And I don’t want to know what that is.

    I haven’t written my resignation letter yet. Cwap.

  201. 201.

    jl

    @Yutsano:

    I have to turn in to get enough sleep for a day of hiking.

    But I am curious about what kind of FED! you will be, so will be looking for any clues you drop in this here blog.

    If it is an exciting job, and you end up participating in a high excitement spy exchange at an airport at some international mystery spot, I expect we will hear about it here asap. In code if need be.

  202. 202.

    Steeplejack

    @Wile E. Quixote:

    Pacino’s hamminess is not always a bad thing. Loved him in Angels in America, and I think I might like the new(ish?) Kevorkian movie* that is on HBO now. But I keep missing it and/or forgetting to DVR it.

    &#042 Don’t know that he’s hammy in it, but usually with Pacino that’s a safe assumption.

  203. 203.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    As I may have said here before, I feel that if everyone was forced encouraged to watch My Neighbor Totoro once a year we would live in a much better world. I know it has kept me from going up the clock tower with my rifle these last 20 years.

    I haven’t written my resignation letter yet.

    No problemo.

    Dear [insert name of boss]:
    __
    This is to notify you that I will be leaving Acme Corp. as of [insert date] to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with my family. Suck. on. it.
    __
    Sincerely,
    __
    [your name here]

    No need to thank me.

  204. 204.

    jl

    @asiangrrlMN: Good Lord, you are hard core. How low can you go?

    Better not answer that. In Alaska I met refugees from the upper midwest who told me that they decided to move because the Alaskan weather was so much nicer!

    No telling what kind of weather mayhem you are willing to put up with.

    I love afternoon summer showers they have in midwest and back east. And thunderstorms, though if I lived there I would probably not have the sense to stay alive over a whole season of them.

  205. 205.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Mmmm, Alan Rickman….I am gonna watch Steepman’s fave video that includes AR over and over and over again. BRB.

    I love Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle best, but also enjoyed many of the other Miyazaki films.

    @jl: If he tells you, then he will have to kill you. Night, FH#4. Sleep well.

  206. 206.

    Mark S.

    Did anyone see Insomnia? I thought Pacino was good in that, but I was really surprised that I liked Robin Williams as well. I usually hate Robin Williams.

  208. 208.

    asiangrrlMN

    @jl: I drive with the windows open and a t-shirt on until it’s zero degrees. With proper clothing, I can go outside in thirty-forty below weather (with windchill). They no longer measure any lower than that, so I do not know. We had a hundred below once when I was a kid. I was at Disneyland at the time! It was sixty-five and drizzling, and the ride operators kept apologizing. We were the only people in shorts.

    @Steeplejack: Hahahahahahaha!

  210. 210.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack: You have noooo idea how much I want to include the suck.on.it. part. I shall refrain because I do want to maintain an air of respectability here. You have tempted me madly however.

    @asiangrrlMN: I’ll be honest, I feel a touch neglected here. I’ve mentioned my new employer several times previously. Now I feel like playing with jl like a cat with a toy. This could be fun. Oh yes, this definitely could be fun.

    @asiangrrlMN: And JC mops naked and sleeps in jammies. I shall never understand the universe.

  211. 211.

    asiangrrlMN

    @jl: I sleep nekkid with no blankets. In the winter, I sleep nekkid with many blankets. Night!

    @Yutsano: Ha! You have mentioned it many times, but you haven’t said what specifically you’ll be doing for the Feds. And, I like the way you play.

  212. 212.

    Steeplejack

    @Mark S.:

    My whole problem with that was that I saw (and liked) the original Norwegian movie first and generally dislike the usually inferior Hollywooden remakes. All that was true in this case, too, but the Hollywood version was all right, and it probably would be more likable if you hadn’t seen the original.

    ETA: Not (deliberately) being a snob. I just like foreign movies and tend to see them when they first come out. So later, when the Hollywooden remakes come down the pike it’s all too often: “WTF?!”

  213. 213.

    Joel

    @Wile E. Quixote: feels like its been forever since I went to any of the “cool” neighborhoods. braved a venture into fremont for the Marination Mobile; highly recommended. Parfait ice cream, also.

  214. 214.

    Mark S.

    @Steeplejack:

    I believe you that the original was better; I haven’t seen it. The remake is kinda special for me cause I saw it during a stressful time in my life where I wasn’t sleeping well and was always feeling worn down and tired. You really don’t think very well, and I could totally sympathize with Pacino gunning down his partner who was going to rat him out to Internal Affairs.

    Well, maybe not that last part.

  215. 215.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mark S.: I totally get the not sleeping well part and not being able to function because of it. I just fear the movie because I loathe Pacino, can’t stand Williams now, and I found the premise ridiculous. Do you think I could get past all that?

  218. 218.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    Do the feds know you are psychologically 13 years old? Can’t believe that didn’t come up on one of their tests.

  219. 219.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack: Considering the fact that one of the folks who interviewed me was a dead ringer for Guy Fieri, that shall not be a detriment.

  220. 220.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    Touché.

    I’m out. Got to get to sleep so I can be semi-awake for a World Cup cookout at the brother’s house tomorrow, probably followed by a viewing of Lost in Translation. I made his extended entourage watch Ghost World last week, which led to a semiotic discussion of the career of Scarlett Johansson. Lost in Translation seems like a nice bookend. Might reward them later with Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

    Oh, yeah, we also watched Black Dynamite, just to keep it real.

  221. 221.

    Restrung

    drive by, but
    Somebody had a worse night than mine!! I went to a class reunion, ffs.

  222. 222.

    debbie

    I didn’t mind the movie at all; to me, ithe way it was filmed seemed similar to “Bonnie and Clyde.” But then, it’s hard to be objective when Johnny Depp’s on the screen.

  223. 223.

    bago

    @BethanyAnne: You can. Lost Planet 2, Gears of War 2 has some tribal action towards the end. The team behind Ico loves their myst-like viewpoints.

  225. 225.

    Cain

    @BethanyAnne:

    @bago: cool, I’ll give those a look. Playing Torchlight at the moment. Spiffy little game. :)

    Clearly you have taken advantage of the Steam sale. :) I miss checking every day for deals now..

    cain

  226. 226.

    Fleas correct the era

    Shorter Public Enemies:

    Don’t rob banks.

    I don’t think there was anything there beyond that. A dreadful movie; I’m sincerely sorry I went to see it.

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