Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

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

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Come on, man.

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

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

“Alexa, change the president.”

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

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

We still have time to mess this up!

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

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Another Open Thread

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I’m not going to give any spoilers, but so help me, if they kill off a certain character in White Collar I am going to freak out.

Actually walked down the street to talk my mother off the ledge, but she taped the show and did not watch. She still hasn’t recovered from when they killed off Dorfman in Monk.

Reader Interactions

123Comments

  4. 4.

    smiley

    Since this is an open thread, I’m going to post a portion of a letter to the editor from my local paper:

    He rants about conservatives “spouting hate” when you have two liberal Democrat senators wishing Sarah Palin had been in Ted Stephens’ plan crash.

    The letter was about how liberals, not conservatives, are the hateful ones. Anyone know who the “two liberal Democrat senators” were? Do I smell another right-wing chain hate email?

  5. 5.

    Dan

    I’m not going to give any spoilers, but so help me, if they kill off a certain character in White Collar I am going to freak out.

    Seriously.

    There’s no way they even consider it, is there?

    A coma, maybe? Sure… That wouldn’t be the greatest, but I suppose they could make that work.

  6. 6.

    jl

    White Shadow? Isn’t that one of the Green Hornet’s sidekicks? Or am I confused.

    I guess this TV crisis is the RL nonsense you mentioned earlier. I suggest that members of the Cole clan have a drink before watching these shows on the tube, to ease the dramatic horrors that might arise.

  13. 13.

    arguingwithsignposts

    In TV-related news, watched 6 seasons of “P33P Show,” starring Mitchell & Webb, over the weekend. At once a brilliant show, and yet George Constanza-level painful in a comedic way. Highly recommend it. Available on Hulu.

    You can thank me later.

  15. 15.

    geg6

    Whoa. Sorry John. Our teevee tastes are really polar opposites, I’m starting to think. First it was Buffy. And now your inexplicable love for these two shows. I can’t fathom any of them. But then what do I know. Everyone I know is excited to see Hawaii 5-0 making a comeback. We (my friends and I) used to make fun of that show back when it was on the first time around. Astounding to me that anyone would watch this kind of crap warmed over. But apparently they all will and are eagerly anticipating it. Obviously I don’t have the pulse of the nation when it comes to pop culture.

    That said, any other “Mad Men” fanatics just bowled over by how goddam awesome Sunday’s ep was? Best ep of the series, perhaps. Certainly, what a tour de force by Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss. Just blew me away in every way: acting, writing, direction, scoring. Best stuff on the tube.

  17. 17.

    Lolis

    White Collar had a great premeire. The rest of the shows have gone steadily downhill. Although I do love the unabashed bromancing that the show depends on.

  18. 18.

    Davis X. Machina

    @TooManyJens: The New Hampshire lower House is the second-largest parliamentary body in the English-speaking world. Each rep has a whopping 3,300 constituents. It’s ridiculously easy to run for, and to get into.

    When I was in college I knew a poli-sci major who ran for and served in the NH House, but who upon returning to campus and applying for real-world-experience credits for her activity received only six credit hours.

  20. 20.

    KG

    @Davis X. Machina:

    When I was in college I knew a poli-sci major who ran for and served in the NH House, but who upon returning to campus and applying for real-world-experience credits for her activity received only six credit hours.

    Sumbitch, I wish I would have thought of something like that when I was working on my polisci degree. I’m sure I could have got credit for running for the state legislature out here.

  21. 21.

    Daddy-O

    Here’s an open thread topic:

    Trevor Hoffman is one strike away from his 600th major league save…

    Mission Accomplished!

  24. 24.

    tomvox1

    They killed Dorfman on Monk?!? Oh, noes–I was watching it a year behind on DVD! Thanks a lot, John… *sniffle*

  26. 26.

    Mnemosyne

    @geg6:

    Everyone I know is excited to see Hawaii 5-0 making a comeback. We (my friends and I) used to make fun of that show back when it was on the first time around. Astounding to me that anyone would watch this kind of crap warmed over. But apparently they all will and are eagerly anticipating it.

    Three words: Daniel Dae Kim. Two more: possibly shirtless.

    And for the (straight) fellas, Grace Park. Something for everyone.

  27. 27.

    Paula

    @geg6:

    One can enjoy both Mad Men and White Collar — although if you mean “invest” in some kind of deep, personal way I would have to say that I have trouble “getting invested” in MM characters as much as I have trouble w/ WC. They’re a bit like bacteria in the petri dish of sixties America.

    Also, I would say they’re both made to be consumed on a superficial level, although they deal in the facets of different “surfaces”.

    But methinks Cole has a point. If WC is meant to be pure entertainment as you’re suggesting, then they’d better not kill off one of the characters that makes the show likable — because (unlike, say, Buffy) it certainly won’t have the depth to salvage the audience otherwise.

  28. 28.

    Corner Stone

    @NobodySpecial: Nothing wrong there dog. I personally enjoy all the old Law & Order reruns.
    But if you actually give a shit about characters in the epi’s?
    Hmmm…

  32. 32.

    J.W. Hamner

    So I’m headed to Vegas for the first time this weekend, and I know Balloon Juice has a nice combination of degenerates and foodies, so what restaurants do you guys recommend? I’m not adverse to $100+ multi-course meals, but I don’t intend to pack a blazer and/or tie and we’re staying at Mandalay Bay.

  33. 33.

    suzanne

    Please allow me to be all schmaltzy and lame for a minute. I am feeling like such a proud mom at the moment. I put up a Harry Mitchell for Congress yard sign this afternoon, and my six-year-old liked it so much, she wanted to make one of her own. So we read “Grace for President” (which is a fabulous kids’ book about running for office and elections), and she asked about Mitchell’s campaign platform, and why we are supporting him. Then she made him the world’s more adorable sign that says “Harry Mitchell is the BOMB!”. I told her I would take her down to the campaign office this week so she could deliver it in person and see what a real campaign is like.

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne

    @J.W. Hamner:

    I don’t know if the Las Vegas location is any good, but Border Grill out here has very yummy upscale Mexican food, and yet would not require a tie. And it looks like they’re right at the Mandalay Bay.

    I’m also always tempted to stop by Red Square at the Mandalay Bay, if only to see their authentic (and headless) Lenin statue.

  37. 37.

    NobodySpecial

    @J.W. Hamner: Can’t help ya, man. I spent the only days I had in Vegas going to panel discussions most of the time. The only food I remember was Mark Warner’s spread at the Stratosphere (complete with a fucking chocolate fountain) and I have a pic somewhere of me with NYBri from Dailykos and a couple of fifths of Captain Morgan.

  38. 38.

    Ann Marie

    White Collar may be fluffy, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Besides the eye candy (both leads, for me), I like the supporting cast — especially the one who damn well better not be dead. The plots are fun, the dialogue is amusing. It’s a pleasant way to spend an hour.

    I tried Mad Men back when it began, but was turned off, probably because at 55, it represents an era I spent my youth running away from. That, and I can’t stand the advertising industry. It’s gotten such great reviews, however, that I may have to try it again.

  39. 39.

    Mark S.

    Obama Against a Compromise on Extension of Bush Tax Cuts

    President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.

    This seems pertinent to the argument we were having earlier today, but it was so damn convoluted I’m not sure who was right about any of it.

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    @J.W. Hamner: Couple things. First, the MB buffet is pretty darn good, and worth one trip.
    Second, if you want the best, most fresh, wicked tasty margarita, go to Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Caesar’s Palace, and get it with Silver Herradura.
    Good food there too for lunch. But that was the best margarita I have ever had.
    At MGM Grand (which is close to MB) both Emeril’s and Nobhill Tavern are good, but be ready to pay a premium for the quality.
    I’ve never been but have heard multitudes tell me about the Steak House at Circus Circus.
    Honestly, don’t go to Vegas for premium dining. It’s pretty much a sham.

  43. 43.

    Steeplejack

    [Rushing past comments with eyes closed to bottom of thread]

    Gonna watch it from the DVR in a few minutes after chillin’ from work for a bit.

  44. 44.

    Mark S.

    Oh, here we go:

    Martin Feldstein, who was economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan, said all the Bush tax cuts should be extended for two years because even letting those for the wealthy lapse would be “a blow to a very fragile economy.” To the chagrin of the White House, Mr. Obama’s recently departed budget director, Peter R. Orszag, took the same stance on Tuesday in a column in The New York Times.

    That isn’t exactly what Orszag said. He said keep the tax cuts for the top 2% if that was the only way to keep the tax cuts for everybody else. Sheesh, they should let Jack Tapper write this article. He got it right.

  45. 45.

    Mnemosyne

    @Ann Marie:

    If it helps, after a few episodes it settles down into a pretty harsh critique of the whole era and it’s not much of a glamorization at all. Take the episode in the second season where one of the executives gets so drunk at the office that he literally ends up pissing himself right before a big client meeting.

  46. 46.

    Corner Stone

    @Corner Stone: Rio buffet is good too, but not worth the hassle.
    I’ve been to Vegas maybe 30+ times now. The dining there just isn’t what they try to sell it as.
    If you can get a spot in a decent place in a premium hotel you are going to pay NYCx2 prices for the food. For no real reason.
    Just IMO.

  49. 49.

    KDP

    @suzanne: That is too sweet, ellaesther is right, the campaign folks are going to love it.

    Waiting for White Collar and Covert Affairs to come on. I find them good mind candy, although I prefer Covert Affairs over Withe Collar.

    Spent Labor Day streaming episodes 1-9 of Lost to my BluRay through Netflix. Never got into the show when it was on the network, but I’ve enjoyed the episodes I’ve watched so far so I may just work my way through them all.

  50. 50.

    El Cid

    Jeffrey Goldberg invited to Cuba by Fidel, Fidel complains about Ahmadinejad’s anti-Semitism.

    HAVANA – Fidel Castro criticized Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for what he called his anti-Semitic attitudes and questioned his own actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 during interviews with an American journalist he summoned to Havana to discuss fears of global nuclear war.
    __
    Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, blogged on the magazine’s website Tuesday that he was on vacation last month when the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington — which Cuba maintains there instead of an embassy — called to say Castro had read his recent article about Israel and Iran and wanted him to come to Cuba…
    __
    …He said Castro, who himself has been a fierce critic of Israel, “repeatedly returned to his excoriation of anti-Semitism,” chiding Ahmadinejad for denying the Holocaust. Castro said that Iran could further the cause of peace by “acknowledging the ‘unique’ history of anti-Semitism and trying to understand why Israelis fear for their existence.”

    This will confuse some of the radical-pro-Israeli-militarism members of the Fidel-obsessive Cuban exile community.

  52. 52.

    KG

    @J.W. Hamner: way off strip, but Gordon Ramsey has a restaurant at Green Valley, haven’t ate there, but reputation is pretty solid. I like the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, fairly good quality. If you’re looking for a buffet, I’m partial to the Rio and the Paris. Even though I spend a lot of time out there, it’s been a long, long while since I’ve done the “nice meal on the strip” thing.

  53. 53.

    Cacti

    My Cardinals death watch continues. Another chance to gain ground slips away in 4-2 loss to Brewers.

    For the love of FSM, please don’t renew La Russa/McGwire after this season.

    It’s painful enough that we extended our GM who thought it prudent to trade our best hitter with RISP for a #4 starter.

  56. 56.

    asiangrrlMN

    @suzanne: Not lame at all. I think it’s great, and I’m sure Harry Mitchell will appreciate it, too!

    @Corner Stone: Damn straight.

    I’m doing laundry and cleaning for a parental visit. I am now taking a break. My dogs are barking, and they ain’t that cute. Someone entertain me.

    @Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: Am I an anti-Semitic for saying Marty Peretz is a shit-head who needs to STFU (I just read your latest blog entry)?

  57. 57.

    JWL

    I was shocked into grief that Sunday night when Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen were chopped at the Alamo…

    I was likewise caught flat-footed a year or two later, when Richard Attenborough and my new found friends were executed in cold blood by their German captors…

    “Nobody told me there’d be days like these..”

  58. 58.

    Yutsano

    @J.W. Hamner: I think Mario Batali has a restaurant at the Mandalay, if it’s the steakhouse I’m thinking of. If not hunt down anything run by him. Your tastebuds and tummy will thank you immensely.

    @asiangrrlMN: When I do a spell check suggestion for your handle, the first listing is Australasian. That and FH #1 got his hippie government and keeps his female PM.

  59. 59.

    Mark S.

    @El Cid:

    Hmm. I wonder if Fidel reads any of the other Atlantic bloggers. I know he reads Sully because he’s softened his position on gays. Maybe he’ll renounce communism and embrace Galtism from reading McMegan.

  61. 61.

    Amir_Khalid

    @jl: The White Shadow was a 1970s TV show that starred Ken Howard as the coach of a high-school basketball team. Really good, as I recall.

  63. 63.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Hey, how you doing? How’s the move going?

    @Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: Well, he is a shit-head, so whatever that makes me, I accept it. And, thanks. I’ll need it.

    @Yutsano: That’s a sign! Once the Republicans take over the country again, I’m marrying FH#1 for realz and changing my nationality. And, wheee! I was wondering about their elections. So glad to know it turned out well.

  67. 67.

    Yutsano

    @Mnemosyne: I did not know he was partnering with the Bastianich clan for that new place. That would be all sorts of teh awesome. It is time to utilize the feminine wiles on G, preferably for your birthday.

    @asiangrrlMN: Still in the almost done category, should be pretty much complete tomorrow. I have to do one final trip home then I’m in Seattle permanently from there. And I bought myself a new laptop. I had no idea how much my old machine sucked until now.

  68. 68.

    El Cid

    I guess I could have read Fidel’s views earlier if I hadn’t skipped the Monthly Review‘s translations of the Reflections of Fidel.

    Here’s Fidel Castro himself:

    If I were to be asked who best knows about Israeli thinking, I would answer that without question it is Jeffrey Goldberg. He is an indefatigable journalist, capable of having dozens of meetings to ascertain how some Israeli leader or intellectual may think.
    __
    He is not neutral, of course; he is pro-Israel, without question. When one of them does not agree with the policy of that country that too is not done halfway.
    __
    For my aim, it is important to know the thinking that guides the main political and military leaders of that State.
    __
    I feel that I have the authority to have an opinion because I have never been anti-Semitic and I share with him a profound hatred of Nazi-Fascism and the genocide perpetrated against children, women and men, young or aged Jews against whom Hitler, the Gestapo and the Nazis took out their hatred against that people.
    __
    For the same reason, I abhor the crimes committed by the fascist government of Netanyahu which kills children, women and men, young and old in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank.
    __
    In his illustrated article “The Point of No Return” that will be printed in The Atlantic journal in September 2010, now available on the Internet, Jeffrey Goldberg starts his more than 40-page paper; I am taking the essential ideas from it in order to enlighten the readers.

    After that, Fidel just reprints quotes from Goldberg’s article.

    As a bit of context, Fidel Castro has been really, really worried about the likelihood of nuclear war according to his writings over the past year.

    Also, yes, he obsessively reads US papers online as well as many magazines and blogs.

    In his 2 part “Reflections of Fidel” most recently, he gives an incredibly thorough timeline of daily news reports having to do with Iran, Israel, the US, Russia, and other nations relating to the dangers of nuclear weapons development or loss. In fact, he cites 238 articles, thus calls the op-ed “238 Reasons to Be Worried.”

  69. 69.

    Cacti

    @J.W. Hamner:

    Try Fleur de Lys at the Mandalay Bay. It’s a Hubert Keller place. It’s one of the better priced fine dining experiences on the strip.

    If you want to go uber high end go to Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand. The only 3-Michelin Star restaurant in Vegas.

    For buffets, the seafood buffet at the Rio or the lunch buffet at the Bellagio are my favs.

  71. 71.

    El Cid

    @arguingwithsignposts: More in the sense of sharing radical anti-Muslim and anti-Arab attitudes in a blend with their hatred of anything to the left of their Bircherite views of Communism and Fidel being the sources of all evil in the world. To them, since leftists have often backed, say, Palestinians, they’re pretty much the same.

  72. 72.

    Cacti

    @General Stuck:

    I’ve pretty much given up on the division race. If the Reds play .500 ball the rest of the way, they’ll need to finish 19-7 to tie in the standings.

    They still have 4-game stands with ATL and Colorado left so there’s a possibility of the Wild Card.

  73. 73.

    Jules

    @geg6:

    Mad Men was amazing this week….and funny.
    Dr. Lyle Evans indeed.

    Brutal season opener for Sons of Anarchy. Folks, y’ll should be watching this show.

  74. 74.

    El Cid

    @asiangrrlMN: Fidel Castro has never, ever been — right or wrong in my view — anything less than an extremely informed and intelligent observer.

    Since retiring and publishing his views constantly, he’s written reasonable things all the time. People would also be surprised how once you subtract the dorky over the top rhetoric, revolutionary slogans and cute jokes, Hugo Chavez is a reasonable analyst of world affairs, too. Taking those out might also reduce his speeches down by several hours.

  77. 77.

    roshan

    This is why Wonkette should be made a necessary reading every damn day!

    Piper Palin Called Into a Radio Show, We Guess
    Why did we put Conservatives4Palin in our RSS feed? Right now we are slitting our wrists, because this is just awful. Piper Palin “called in” to this terrible Alaska morning drive (for commutes from one patch of barren tundra to another?) time radio show on Joe Miller’s glorious primary day, yet “this one slipped through the cracks” for C4P. THANKFULLY, the interview was replayed yesterday, and they caught it, and now we can go kill ourselves.

    __

    David Plouffe Going To Tell It To You Straight: You Make Democrats Lose
    Listen up, liberal assholes. You’re not excited to vote in the midterms this year? Go fuck yourself. Look at this video that David Plouffe e-mailed out: he has a bunch of maps behind him. You want to doubt him? Look at these fucking maps. He knows what he’s talking about. Do you know how hard he worked on those maps? Your friend Barack Obama is going to lose his majorities unless you give him some money and then get off the Internet and go yell at some people to vote.

    __

    Bristol’s TeeVee Outfit Revealed! (SPOILER: It Is Awful)

    It’s just relentless skewering of anyone who tries to step into the spotlight and pretends to be real. Someone said that Wonkette is supposedly driving the media narrative in DC with their absurd and funny articles on the bizarreness of today’s GOP, I hope it’s true.

  78. 78.

    Hal

    I love the midterm elections. My mother’s friend just forwarded this ridiculous and amazingly racist and xenophobic email to a whole slew of people. It really is a treasure to behold, and at this point, so non-shocking it blows the mind.

    Sorry for the huge post, but the stupidity of this email just deserves a mocking.

    The next few years should be fun:

    I Am the Democratic Liberal-Progressive’s Worst Nightmare

    I am a White, Conservative, Tax-Paying, American Veteran, Gun Owning Biker. I am a Master leather worker. I work hard and long hours with my hands to earn a living.

    I believe in God and the freedom of religion, but I don’t push it on others. I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and drive American-made cars, and I believe in American products and buy them whenever I can

    I believe the money I make belongs to me and not some liberal governmental functionary, Democratic or Republican, that wants to share it with others who don’t work

    I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way

    I think owning a gun doesn’t make you a killer; it makes you a smart American

    I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it.

    We don’t allow the KKK anymore, so we don’t need the NAACP, or the ACLU either

    I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac or any other item, you should do it in English. I believe there should be no other language option

    I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to

    My heroes are Malcolm Forbes, Bill Gates, John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson, who makes the awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles

    I don’t hate the rich. I don’t pity the poor

    I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it

    I’ve never owned a slave, nor was a slave. I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks, and neither have you

    I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country

    This is AMERICA …We like it the way it is and more so the way it was …so stop trying to change it to look like Russia or China , or other socialist countries

    If you were born here and don’t like it, you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you. (And take Barack Hussein Obama and his group with you.) Massachusetts started the ball rolling. Keep it going

    I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the White House, the seat of our biggest problems

    I want to know which church is it, exactly, where the Reverend
    Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution

    Can I get an AMEN on that one?

    I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what color you are, but not just because you happen to ride a bike

    And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my driver’s license.

    I think it’s good…. And I’m proud that ‘God’ is written on my money

    I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don’t want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.

    I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause…. Get a job and do your part to support yourself and your family

    I believe that it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents….

    I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think

    I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA

    If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I’m a BAD American

    If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know

    We want our country back! Keep this one going.

  79. 79.

    asiangrrlMN

    @KG: Do not blame you. I don’t want to read a damn thing Chiang Kai-shek said/wrote no matter how brilliant it may have been. I was forced to visit his memorial while I was in Taiwan during my semester in Asia, and I had to walk out during the tour.

  80. 80.

    El Cid

    @KG: Yeah, well, that would eliminate lots of commentary. Most of the Israeli government eagerly backed the destruction and slaughter of Gaza, killing several hundred Palestinian civilians. US leaders happily slaughtered several million souls in Indochina, yet we still pay attention to their commentary. The absolute worse that could be accused of the Cuban government, as bloody and repressive as it has been, is a choir of angels singing compared to the US’ death squad and genocidalist allies throughout Latin America.

    It’s not about whitewashing Fidel Castro’s actions and I understand that some people are going to be much, much closer to those directly suffering. But Castro’s not some jackass like Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe, and personally I find it fascinating that a man who has played such a central role in Latin America and the world — I think South Africa might not yet have been free had Cuban troops not kicked South African military ass at Cuito Cuanavale — is weekly writing opinions and analyses.

    It’s kind of bizarre. It’s not like it’s some rote repetition of revolutionary slogans or dogmatic slogs through musty Marxist texts. Imagine the utter shit that would come weekly from Muammar Khadafi, and he’s anything from the dimmest of potentate bulbs. Pinochet’s role in Latin America and the world was much more limited (sort of a chain of fascist overthrows of leftist regimes throughout the region), so I don’t think weekly columns would be that interesting from him, but it still would be pretty odd.

  83. 83.

    Zuzu's Petals

    Heck, I don’t even think Kate is dead.

    I wonder if Tiffany Amber Thiesen is going to be (literally) calling in her scenes in this episode too. What gives, do you think? Is she preggers?

  86. 86.

    YellowJournalism

    @J.W. Hamner: The Rio buffet is indeed excellent. Go there just for the gelato, if not the selection. It’s a fun place to gamble in, too.

    My sister went to Vegas last month, and she is bummed that she didn’t get to go to the Mesa Bar and Grill or to PF Chang’s. She was going to have lunch at the Mesa Bar and Grill, but the couple she and her fiance were with were too cheap to enjoy something like that. She’s been to PF Chang’s before, and from what she’s told me, if you’re a Chinese food fan, you need to go there.

  88. 88.

    Steeplejack

    @Steeplejack:

    Damn! I knew it was going to be that character.

    And now the Braves have lost and let the Phillies into first place for the first time since May 30. Damn, damn, damn.

    I blame Obama for this.

  89. 89.

    WaterGirl

    @Zuzu’s Petals: I wasn’t sure who that was so I went to google to type “Tiffany Amber Thiesen photo”. But before I could type the “h” in photo, google suggested “Tiffany Amber Thiesen pregnant”, with the first link there talking about her bringing her new baby to work on Aug 1. So yeah, I think you’re right!

    Edit: plus, her face had gotten a lot fuller, which is usually the second clue, after the phone calls. I assume that’s what happened with the grifter on leverage, too, for the season where they only spoke to her by phone?

  90. 90.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: I joke about needing therapy at the end of the TV season in may when it seems like every show either kills off someone you like or leaves you hanging wondering if whoever it is is really dead.

  93. 93.

    suzanne

    @YellowJournalism:

    She’s been to PF Chang’s before, and from what she’s told me, if you’re a Chinese food fan, you need to go there.

    Pleh. We have P.F. Chang’s all over the place here and for at least three years, everyone who came to visit from out of town wanted to go, so I ended up going at least once every six weeks or so. I think it’s highly overrated, personally. It’s overpriced for what you get, and has that generic “edgy” decor that I am so freakin’ over.

  95. 95.

    asiangrrlMN

    @suzanne: I was gonna say…yeah, ix-nay on the chain Chinese restaurants. Pro tip: The dirtier the restaurant and the more garish the decoration, the better the food will be.

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: And of course, it’s all the Dem’s fault for calling the GOP guy a carpetbagger, thus FORCING the GOP guy to publish the addresses…of the Dem’s staffers. Yeesh.

  96. 96.

    Steeplejack

    @WaterGirl:

    Yeah, I know what you mean. I have been sitting here trying to think what was the worst cliffhanger I ever saw, but I can’t think of one. After a while they sort of all run together. But this one really hit me. I sort of thought it was coming, but the way they handled it was still well done. Oh, well, so we’re waiting until, what, December?

  97. 97.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Hey, how you doin’?

    My indicator for Chinese restaurants–and, admittedly, this comes from a honkie–is if they do dim sum every day, not just on Sunday. Have a really good one right across the parking lot from the Big Box Bookstore, and I hit them about once a week.

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: I think it’s gonna be okay, though. They have the character (who shall remain nameless) in the bit at the end where they are promoting the show in January, so I think s/he will make it.

    Of course, this is coming from the person who didn’t like the ending of LOST and decided not to accept the (false) ending that was portrayed on tv. I have changed the ending and it is much better than theirs.

  99. 99.

    suzanne

    @asiangrrlMN: I am anti-chain restaurants as a rule. Though when I just can’t handle cooking/parenting/life anymore, I have been known to break down and take the child to the Olive Garden. She gets macaroni and cheese, I get salad and a night free of being told how little she likes my cooking. There’s just so many good local places here, better food and less expensive.

  100. 100.

    Daddy-O

    @Cacti: I’m a Cardinals watcher, not a fan.

    They’ll NEVER get rid of LaRussa. He’s the “best manager in baseball.” Because the Cardinals’ owners SAID so. Even though he’s the most overrated manager in baseball, truth be told.

    So why will they never get rid of LaRussa? Because the billionaire owners of the Cardinals share his values.

    Teabagger values. Glenn Beck’s values. Corporatist values. Any other fool MLB managers making appearances to legitimize butthole surfers like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin?

    And I can’t root for Albert Pujols ever again, until he publicly refudiates his appearance at the Beck MLK Anniversary. He trusted LaRussa, and Tony fucked his reputation forevermore. Anyone who mixes radically conservative politics with baseball on such a public forum deserves condemnation. This is mine.

  102. 102.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Daddy-O:

    And I can’t root for Albert Pujols ever again, until he publicly refudiates his appearance at the Beck MLK Anniversary. He trusted LaRussa, and Tony fucked his reputation forevermore. Anyone who mixes radically conservative politics with baseball on such a public forum deserves condemnation. This is mine.

    Generally meh on the Cards, but I’ll co-sign this paragraph if allowed.

    (although I kind of like the new GM guy – heard him speak once and do a q&a)

  104. 104.

    roshan

    WTF is going on?

    Breaking! GOP’s Much Ballyhooed 10 Point Lead in Gallup Poll Disappears – Dems, GOP Tied
    __

    The latest Gallup update on 2010 voting preferences marks the first time in over a month at which Republicans have not held an advantage among registered voters on Gallup’s weekly generic ballot update. This shift, coupled with the fact that Democrats led on the measure earlier in the summer, shows that voter sentiments are not immune to change. Hoping to prove this, Democrats from the president on down are gearing up to maximize their chances of keeping party control of the House, just as voter attention to the campaign is increasing after the Labor Day weekend.

    The enthusiasm gap still remains though.

    Republicans Maintain 25-Point Lead on Enthusiasm
    __
    There has been no change in the advantage Republicans hold over Democrats on motivation to vote in the fall elections. Republicans remain twice as likely as Democrats to be “very enthusiastic” about voting, tied with the previous week’s measure as the largest such advantage of the year.

  105. 105.

    Daddy-O

    @arguingwithsignposts: Thanks. It’s worse than I described, really. Hard to give enough details in a thread comment, so I’m sorry if this takes up too much bandwidth–but here goes:

    Politics at the ballpark.

    Tuesday night a group of tea party activists took their political message inside Busch Stadium. Cardinals Manager Tony LaRussa even weighed in…

    Some 46 members of the St. Louis Tea Party took in Tuesday night’s Cardinals match-up against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

    “Part of the gate goes to the Arizona Diamondbacks and there are a lot of groups that are boycotting Arizona. We’re “buy-cotting” Arizona,” said St. Louis Tea Party Organizer Bill Hennessy…

    “This is America right? You’re supposed to be able to have opinions and disagree, and a lot of things they do I think are correct. I’m actually a supporter of what Arizona’s doing, you know, people don’t fix your problem, and the government, national government doesn’t fix your problem, and you’ve got a problem, they’ve got to take care of it themselves,” said LaRussa.

    “Anybody, I mean if you had the opposite view and you wanted to come out and have your signs, I mean this is great, you’re going to have 40 thousand people here to see it perfect. I don’t care,” said LaRussa when asked about the ballpark as an arena for politics…

    See also: Tony LaRussa says he supports Arizona immigration law

    What a complete asshat. Douchebag. Fuck face.

  109. 109.

    Anne Laurie

    @TooManyJens:
    __

    WTF is the problem with NH Dems?

    We Massholes have been asking that question for more than 200 years now.

    Srsly, between the traditional “rock ribbed independents” (crabbed, soulless bigots) and the “Taxachusetts escapees” glibertarians who move across the border but still take full advantage of Massachusetts jobs & cultural amenities, it seems from here like the NH Dems have that dysfunctional-trailer-trash problem — they aren’t aware that not every family dinner is supposed to end in a fist-fight, because it’s always been that way around their House.

  112. 112.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Steeplejack: Heh. That was a good movie. Pretty accurate, too. And, I don’t have to move anything because I’m pretty discreet and circumspect, anyway. No one in my family reads my blog, so I’m safe there. By the way, I was informed that my blog is blocked as an adult site in the Madison library. That cracks me the fuck up.

  113. 113.

    Mark S.

    How good were those A’s teams LaRussa had in the late 80’s? McGwire, Canseco, Ricky, Eckersley.

    Of course, steroids had a little bit to do with their success.

  114. 114.

    BDeevDad

    @KG: Love Sons of Anarchy but pissed me off that they killed half-sac last year. Nothing better happen to the kid.

  115. 115.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    By the way, I was informed that my blog is blocked as an adult site in the Madison library.

    Kudos! You have arrived as an agent of subversive insurrection. Now you know all the uncool high school hipsters will be jonesin’ for your site. Tell ’em to watch Ghost World.

  116. 116.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Steeplejack: I haven’t seen it myself. #Hangs head in shame# I will have to subvert them in other ways. I am really curious as to what got me tagged as an adult site.

    P.S. You back on the nightshift?

  117. 117.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    All night shifts this week–3:00 p.m. to close (11:00-11:30, depending on how much carnage there is). But then next week I’m doing two opening shifts and three closing shifts. Circadian rhythms reeling. Which reminds me: I am appalled to see that it is after 3:30, so I am scuttling off to bed right away. I have a hard time sleeping past sun-up, so that means I have to try to grab a catnap around noon, which doesn’t always work or is often unsatisfying. I know you know where I’m coming from. Steep out.

  120. 120.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I do love catching the good, grey NYTimes in ridiculous errors that somehow escaped writer and editor alike. This howler is from Friedman’s column today:

    the awful violence that followed the breakdown of the Oslo peace process rung virtually all the romance out of this relationship.

    Sometimes you just can’t unwring that bell.

  122. 122.

    JoeF

    @Dan:

    Letting said character die/leave the show would reduce the enjoyability of the show by at least half. Seriously. He may be a secondary character but he’s a huge chunk of the charm and wit of the show in the long run.

  123. 123.

    Phoebe

    That’s how I felt about a certain character in The Wire, but not only did they not kill him off, but his was one of the very few happy endings. See how sensitive I am to the potential spoiling? In case someone out there hasn’t seen it.

    Because this is the open thread:
    To whoever recommended “Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam” [the movie]: Thanks! It was very very well done and fascinating and, uh, cleared my sinuses.

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