Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans in disarray!

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

This fight is for everything.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

Bark louder, little dog.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

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

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

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

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

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Open Thread

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Homecoming weekend here in town, so I’ve got some old friends staying the week-end, so don’t expect to hear much from me.

I had to go to the big city to stock up on food and liquor, and I took the back roads to get there and took some pictures I thought you might enjoy. This is one of my favorite roads in the world- winding through narrow roads and sharp turns with great straightaways, all bracketed by beautiful old trees and brilliant foliage. Makes me wish I was driving an RS4, but then I would probably kill myself:

I love this time of year. The air is cool and crisp and humidity free, the leaves are starting to change color, and I can drive too fast down the country roads with my windows open, performance today cranking, and forget about everything. Good times.

BTW- Performance Today has a download of the day you should check out. The only thing better than good music is free good music.

I just had a large cup of coffee with a liberal dose of irish whiskey in it. This could get ugly. Also too, Don Julio and Tuaca waiting in the wings.

Reader Interactions

156Comments

  3. 3.

    Jager

    So you live near the Nurburgring? A ZR1 or a Porsche GT-3 would be perfect on that road. Hell, an old MG TC would work, a car with a wood framed body and a tractor engine can be pretty damned exciting at 50mph.

  4. 4.

    Jim, Once

    Some of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever driven through were in your part of the world. I must get back there.

  5. 5.

    That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)

    I went to see Eddie today, and it wasn’t a total success. He was glad to see me, I think, and I enjoyed petting him for a bit, but he also peed on the couch in the visiting area towards the end, and he also managed to get his bandage off. Unsurprisingly, “doing well” means that his foot is a mess, and it was bleeding a fair amount, likely due to the efforts at bandage removal. So, I think I’m going to stay away until things are farther along.

    He’s on the good painkillers, so he was a bit spacey, even by his standards. His face was a mess, because he can’t wash either side of it right now. I’m used to having to use a warm washcloth to get eye gunk off of the left side, but there was food everywhere in his fur today. Except on his front leg, which was shaved all the way to the shoulder. Nekkid cats are pretty silly looking.

  6. 6.

    R-Jud

    I just had a large cup of coffee with a liberal dose of irish whiskey in it.

    I was in Edinburgh two weeks ago and had a very, very, very nice coffee with Scotch whisky and a liberal amount of whipped cream on a perfect fall morning near the castle. I’ve been thinking about it pretty much every morning since.

    However, tonight’s tipple was Pommeau de Bretaigne.

  9. 9.

    That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)

    Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe Lou Holtz? He was the coach at Minnesota when I came up here, and I didn’t like him then. He left town in a truly unseemly fashion, and we were promptly put on probation, just like every other school he’s just left.

    I dislike everyone connected to E$PN’s college football coverage (hey, would someone roll that bus over Herbstreit?), but I reserve a special place on my hate list for the Music Man.

  10. 10.

    That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)

    I just had a large cup of coffee with a liberal dose of irish whiskey in it.

    DFH

  11. 11.

    Annie

    Enjoy the weekend and the friends. And, we, all, will adjust to not hearing much from you — except for all the posts where we will hear from you! That’s why we love ya.

  12. 12.

    That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)

    @jeffreyw: “I mass 40 times this little furball, and would you please rescue me from it?”

  17. 17.

    slag

    Homecoming weekend here in town

    This raises an interesting question. Is your hometown more like the town in Footloose or more like the town in Napoleon Dynamite? In other words, do you have a “town bully”, a “town slut”, a “town drunk”– any of those kinds of things?

    Seriously, those pictures are beautiful.

  18. 18.

    beltane

    We’ve had nasty flooding here today with the Lamoille River out of its banks and all over the place. Days like this make me grateful I live on top of a hill. And Al Gore is fat.

  20. 20.

    Anne Laurie

    @R-Jud: “That’s quite an excellent scumble, young lass, and yes I would be pleased to have another. Or you could just save us both the effort, make it a double.” — Nanny Ogg

    My pre-ordered copy of I Shall Wear Midnight just arrived…

  21. 21.

    The Dr

    RS4? Is John Cole a car guy and never mentioned it? If not, still magnificent taste in understated performance sedans.

  22. 22.

    lamh32

    Damnit,

    ya’ll had such glorious reviews of “Castle”, that I decided to watch it, and damn if ya’ll weren’t right. It’s pretty good. I actually remember watching a part of the pilot when it first came on, but for some reason, I didn’t watch the whole thing. I’m surprised I missed it. So of course now, I’ve got to catch up, as if I needed another show to add to my show list…!

  23. 23.

    comrade scott's agenda of rage

    Have motorcyled that exact road at least once. Me and my wife (she has her own).

    No Harley’s either, crotch rockets that excel screaming down those roads.

  28. 28.

    Martin

    ZOMG, I just learned that the joos got to Sanchez! Stewart kills Crossfire. He gets Sanchez fired. Is there no limit to his power!?

  30. 30.

    Jager

    @The Dr:

    The problem with Audi owners is they drive too fast at inappropriate times and they drive on the Freeway in a gear much lower than they need. I have an RS4 owner in my neighborhood and when he comes home he drives like he is pitting at LeMans and his aftermarket exhaust is too damn loud. Me, I have electronic cut outs on my Z06, quiet as a mouse then hit it and the beautiful V8 sounds reverberate off the canyon walls. Speaking of booze anybody ever try Bulleit Bourbon?

  34. 34.

    eemom

    @Martin:

    guess we’ll find out if we wake up on the morning of Nov. 1 to find the Teatards gone and all the bobblebots suddenly talking sense.

  37. 37.

    lamh32

    @JPL:

    I don’t really have a much to add to the discussion about Sanchez remarks on a moral level, but on a purely superficial level, I never could stand Rick Sanchez, even before he got his new show.I just thought he was so pretentious (sp?) and phoney with his jacket-less, shirt sleeves rolled up leaning to one side, wanna be Cronkite/Edward R Murrow azz. He just irked me and it never left!So bu-by Rick. See ya when I see ya!

  39. 39.

    Martin

    @slag:

    In other words, do you have a “town bully”, a “town slut”, a “town drunk”—any of those kinds of things?

    Yes, ironically, they’re all Cole.

  40. 40.

    General Stuck

    I do miss the fall colors back east this time of year, and the weather is pretty good, but what follows is what I couldn’t hack and do not miss a bit. Cold damp dreary rainy days, sometimes for a week straight.

    The weather in the SW desert in the fall is nothing short of paradise, when the monsoons have stopped like now, every day is a postcard from heaven. Temps in the 70’s and 80’s with zilch humidity and pristine air and plenty of sunshine that won’t take your skin off like in July. Cool nights in the 50’s and 40’s and it all goes on till December, but even then it is still wonderful, punctuated by some winter now and then.

  41. 41.

    Roger Moore

    I just had a large cup of coffee with a liberal dose of irish whiskey in it. This could get ugly. Also too, Don Julio and Tuaca waiting in the wings.

    Why do you hate America? A real Heartland American(TM) would be sticking to Real American(TM) drinks like Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey.

  42. 42.

    Martin

    @eemom: Well, I’m a wee bit hopeful on that front for a change. CNN has gotten decidedly less dickish since they cut Klein loose. Cooper is actually doing journalism again on a regular basis. Sanchez is gone – quite decisively, in fact. Who knows, maybe the new guy has determined that ‘douchebag media outlet’ doesn’t get viewers. Spitzer also has the potential to not suck. Let’s see what happens.

  43. 43.

    something fabulous

    Gotta say, just finished a long-delayed vaccuuming, and I can’t see the thrill, myself.

    @That’s Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN): PS: Good luck to you and Eddie! When my black cat had to get shaved a few years back for the IV, was the first time I realized their skin underneath matches! He had one nekkid grey crepe-paper leg for a coupla weeks after everything else healed. SO undignified!

  47. 47.

    Dennis SGMM

    Makes me wish I was driving an RS4, but then I would probably kill myself…

    Why spend all that money? Just buy an old Miata. You can get one with plenty of life left in it for well under 5G’s and it can go a lot faster than you can on a winding road.

  48. 48.

    Moses2317

    I’m certainly no firebagger, but this Third Way stuff trying to push Democrats to always run to the middle drives me nuts. Here is my response to it:

    I’m not surprised that Third Way, a corporate backed group whose board of directors is filled with folks from the world of finance, would find yet another excuse for Democrats to further dilute their message in an ongoing effort to attract “moderate” voters. Unfortunately, all this has done is allow our political discourse to move farther to the right, as one side aggressively presents its case while the other side is always moderating its case.

    The Third Way analysis is based on flawed assumptions and ignores critical facts.

    First, it ignores the fact that turnout, especially in mid-term elections, is quite low. That means that a highly motivated group of people can win elections even if they are far from constituting a majority, because the motivated folks will turnout.

    Second, it assumes, with no proof, that the liberal message does not appeal to moderates. But this is simply not true. For example, 78% of Americans want Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repealed, the majority of Americans are pro-choice, want more environmental protections, support preserving Social Security, and wanted Wall Street and health care reform to go farther. But each of those are “liberal” positions that Third Way would probably tell Democrats to downplay.

    Third, the Third Way analysis assumes that voters vote based on policy rather than appearances. But this is often not true. The biggest problem many Democrats face is that while people generally agree with Democrats on the issues, they feel that Democrats are not willing to fight for what they believe in. The Third Way just encourages an approach that makes Democrats look even weaker.

    As the 2008 elections and the past couple of weeks of the polls tightening up show, Democrats do better when they strongly fight for what they believe in. We should ignore Third Way’s misguided advice and work to fire people up about the significant progressive victories that Democrats have achieved over the past couple years


    Winning Progressive

  51. 51.

    Dennis SGMM

    @Jager:
    Definitely. I owned an MG-TD, a couple of Sprites, a Healey 3000 MKI and an Austin Cooper 1275 S back in the Sixties. Campaigned a bugeyed Sprite in autocross. Then life reared its ugly head.

    Found my Miata at my mechanic’s. Has a rebuilt engine with 35K on it, tight suspension, and a good convertible top. MY dear wife caught me eyeballing it every time we drove by and she told me, “Just buy it or you’ll never forgive yourself.” Best $4500 I ever spent. Now I can be Stirling Moss, Tazio Nuvolari and Phil Hill at 40MPH on Glendora Mountain Road.

    The funny thing is, the Mazda does it better with its left hand and the radio playing than many of the cars that we spent so much time and money on back in the day.

  52. 52.

    futzinfarb

    Has anyone seen a dismemberment of William D Cohan’s editorial at the NYT “The Elizabeth Warren Fallacy” anywhere? I forget – is Cohan a good guy or a bad guy?

  53. 53.

    stuckinred

    Rachel is highlighting the origins of the tea party by tracing it back to the People’s Bi-Centennial in 74. I have goggled it a number of times and never got much. Any of you old mofo’s besides me remember it?

  55. 55.

    Jibeaux

    Wnen I go to downloads today I see like 85 separate chamber music downloads. Is that what JC is referring to?

  56. 56.

    Moses2317

    @futzinfarb: I read the Cohan piece this morning and have been so outraged by it that I haven’t been able to write a rational response yet. I don’t know anything about Cohan, but did notice this in his bio:

    He worked on Wall Street as a senior mergers and acquisitions banker for 15 years. He also worked for two years at GE Capital.

    Certainly raises questions in my mind about who he is to say that it is the consumer’s fault when they are taken advantage of by subprime lenders, check cashing places, and credit card companies.


    Winning Progressive

  57. 57.

    Jager

    @Dennis SGMM:

    I didn’t own an American car for over 30 years, after a string of 911’s I got into a pissing contest with my dealer and walked on a deal. A friend had a new Z06, lost his job and I bought it for a great price with 9k on it, love it. In the early 70’s, I raced a well modified MGB for a couple of seasons, then moved into a full race 68 Mustang for 2 years, got tired of finishing mid pack against guys with more money than I had. The only tracks I’ve been on since have been on the occasional track day. I raced karts on a pretty high level when I was a kid and have never lost the passion for good driving at speed. I put both my girls through the Skip Barber School and they have never had an accident or a ticket! The Miata is a terrific car, the ones I’ve driven make everything seem second nature.

  58. 58.

    burnspbesq

    @futzinfarb:

    Seeing a stretch of road like that makes we want to clean up my 20-year-old Klein Performance (all Shimano Ultegra) and get back in shape. Or buy another Boxster. Or both.

  59. 59.

    hitchhiker

    All I have to say is . . .

    glad to have BJ to keep me company in the quest to not go insane on a daily basis

    glad that I just got a new Mini. drives like a freakin’ dream and makes me smile every time I look at it

    glad that I’m away from my desk & sitting in my kitchen

    glad that the g’dam midterms will soon end

    glad for chardonnay

    cheers, all of you

  62. 62.

    burnspbesq

    @Dennis SGMM:

    Now I can be Stirling Moss, Tazio Nuvolari and Phil Hill at 40MPH on Glendora Mountain Road.

    Come down our way sometime. Get off the 241 at Chapman Ave. and turn left. Santiago Canyon Road to Live Oak Canyon to Trabuco Canyon. Have lunch at Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse.

  64. 64.

    Dennis SGMM

    @burnspbesq:
    Will do! I have to settle mostly for keeping the Miata dusted right now; recovering from some back surgery and that little sucker does ride a bit hard.

  65. 65.

    Jager

    @burnspbesq:

    I used to have an office in OC and I spent alot of time there. I took my car in for service at Power Chevrolet in the Irvine Auto Mall, there was another black Z06 in front of me, his back tires were almost bald. We were talking and I asked him how many miles he had on it, he said “5500, but I just can’t drive slow on Trabuco Canyon Rd”!

  66. 66.

    futzinfarb

    @burnspbesq:

    Klein Performance – stiff aluminum frame, rough pavement – forgive me if all my poor aged body can think of is the first nine words of this. Give me a compliant, engineered carbon fiber frame these days – please.

  68. 68.

    transneptunian object

    @Jager: Bulleit bourbon is the bomb. In a good way. I like the rye in it. Since I’m out of it, cracked a Maker’s Mark instead.

    +1

  70. 70.

    burnspbesq

    @futzinfarb:

    The Performance was pretty comfortable; it had a longer wheelbase and slightly more relaxed angles than the Quantum. More forgiving handling than the Quantum, also too. But it was still a Klein – all that light weight and stiffness made it an extremely efficient way to convert leg power into speed.

    If I were to put it back on the road today, I would probably go to wider tires (at least 25 mm, maybe even 28 ) to make the ride a little plusher.

  71. 71.

    Mark S.

    @futzinfarb:

    I love how that doofus makes a big deal that the new agency will cost $500 million a year. That’s 0.01315% of the federal budget!

  72. 72.

    Yutsano

    @burnspbesq: Sounds like a decent excuse to harness and/or redirect some 16 year old energy. Of course you’d probably have to work up some before things get too competitive.

  73. 73.

    Jager

    @transneptunian object:

    I tried Bulleit at a tasting, bought a big jug at Costco, now they haven’t had it for a month! I’ve had to buy it at Von’$.
    It switched me off Knob Creek, however,if I could afford it I’d drink Bookers all the way to Betty Ford.

  74. 74.

    BDeevDad

    Can you bring back the dumbest thing seen on the tubes thread because Sharron Angle has a runaway winner.

    Government isn’t what our founding fathers put into the Constitution

  75. 75.

    Jager

    @burnspbesq:

    I have a late 80’s Giant ATX 770 with a modified fork and some other stuff I did to when I rode alot. Took it this past spring to get some new tires and the damn kids at the bike shop were all gathered around like it was pristine ’53 Corvette, yelling at each other, hey look at this antique!

  78. 78.

    Tattoosydney

    @Yutsano:

    My mileage has never varied when it comes to Mr Pratchett.

    This one is particularly good, although with (I think) an aura of sadness. From the story arc and the character cameos, I got the sense he’s tidying things up a little, just in case each book ends up being his last.

  79. 79.

    Steeplejack

    @beltane:

    I’m telling you, the 10/30 Stewart/Colbert thing is going to be big. Big! Like a politico-comedic Woodstock for these scaled-down post-ironic times. Years from now there will be dried-up Gen-Y’ers claiming that they were there on the Mall that fateful day.

    I, in fact, actually will be there.

  81. 81.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney: He could very well decide that this book will be his last. Or take a pause from Discworld for awhile and pursue other directions. If he decides to write his latest opus with that possibility in mind I say FSM bless him.

    @Steeplejack: I should hate you with the fire of a thousand suns, especially since this happens ON. MY. BIRTHDAY. Instead I shall expect no less than a thorough on the ground report. Leave no stone in turn.

  82. 82.

    Dennis SGMM

    @Yutsano:
    To me, Pratchett is simply delightful. I’ve read fifteen of his Discworld books so far and not one of them has been a disappointment.

  84. 84.

    Tattoosydney

    @Yutsano:

    If I had my guess, I would say that he sees it as his duty to leave his characters in an appropriate place in case death (or, more horribly, senility) comes calling for him.

    I am reminded of Patrick O’Brian managing to get Aubrey promoted to Admiral at the end of his very last book.

  85. 85.

    Steeplejack

    @Tattoosydney:

    I want to thank you again for introducing me to the Discworld novels about a year ago. (They were discussed here in general, but I remember your comments as being the most persuasive.) I petered out in the middle of the one about the film industry–I can’t even remember the name now–but I loved the various subseries about the Night Watch, Death, Rincewind and Granny Weatherwax and the witches.

    This is making me want to get cracking on the Tiffany Aching novels. The Wee Free Men is the first, I presume?

  86. 86.

    Mark S.

    @BDeevDad:

    That’s pretty tough to beat, but the article brought up something I’ve been wondering for a while. Where on earth have teabaggers been getting the notion that there is a danger Sharia Law is going to be imposed on us?

    “Dearborn, Michigan, and Frankford, Texas are on American soil, and under Constitutional law. Not Sharia law. And I don’t know how that happened in the United States. It seems to me there is something fundamentally wrong with allowing a foreign system of law to even take hold in any municipality or government situation in our United States.”

    Frankford, TX apparently only exists in Angle’s mind, and do a google search on ‘dearborn michigan sharia law’ and you’ll be treated to 60,000 links to wingnut blogs.

    Some Christian missionaries got arrested at an Arab festival for breach of peace. It sounds like it was bullshit and they shouldn’t have gotten arrested in the first place. But if Dearborn were really under Sharia Law, wouldn’t they have already had their heads chopped off by now?

  87. 87.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    I have already begun a training program to master my Droid’s features for photography and movie clips in advance of the big day. (My Droid really is incredible! Love it, love it, love it.)

  88. 88.

    Steeplejack

    @Tattoosydney:

    Damn! I love the Aubrey/Maturin novels as well.

    My brother had flooding in his basement a month ago and was most upset about the fact that the water had come close to the box containing his complete set of O’Brian novels.

  89. 89.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney: I would hope that is the case, although it would be a huge tragedy in the world of literature should Mr Pratchett die. I think the world is still reeling from the unfortunate and untimely passing of Douglas Adams.

    @Steeplejack: Good Omens. It’s a collaboration between Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Hysterical take on Revelations that will make any fundevangelist scream in mortal terror.

  90. 90.

    Ash Can

    @jeffreyw: Caption:

    “Dat hoomin wuz yummy. Tasted kinda like kibbles an grayvee.”

    “Mmm, I t’ink more like chikin.”

    @Breezeblock: Boy howdy. You could burn down a whole city block with a jigger of that stuff and an open flame.

  91. 91.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    Where is your polygamous wife tonight? I found myself in the somewhat unseemly position of defending Alan Rickman in her absence in a thread downstairs. With video clips, no less.

  92. 92.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack:

    Where is your polygamous polyamorous wife tonight?

    FTFY. My guess is napping. Although she’ll kick herself later, she lurves seeing FH #1 drunk.

  93. 93.

    Tattoosydney

    @Steeplejack:

    I petered out in the middle of the one about the film industry

    “Moving Pictures” wasn’t a great book. I suspect he wasn’t wasn’t quite sure where to take his writing. “Reaper Man” which follows it is a lot more … well, personal. He starts to treat his characters as real people (even when they are apes or turtles).

    It’s worth reading a lot of the later books, even if you got tired of the earlier and mid career ones. “Small Gods” is one of the best satires on religion ever written. The City Watch books developed into deadly serious political crime thrillers with jokes – “Night Watch” is an extraordinary and very touching book that would have won the Booker Prize if it wasn’t a “fantasy” novel.

    … Granny Weatherwax and the witches. This is making me want to get cracking on the Tiffany Aching novels. The Wee Free Men is the first, I presume?

    Yes. WFM, then Hat Full of Sky, then Wintersmith, and now I shall Wear Midnight. They are basically a continuation of the Witches storyline, but without Granny and the other older witches being the main characters, which lets Pratchett explore a much more human side of the story. They are quite lovely. They also contain the Nac Mac Feegles, who I ken may be the best characters Pratchett has ever created.

    “The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents” is also one of my favorites amongst his books. Talking rats, talking cats and a really quite frightening and cruel villain.

  94. 94.

    Ash Can

    Oh, and country backroads are the best. The husband and I were known, back when we were footloose and fancy free, to spend weekends meandering along the squiggly deerpath roads and little farm lanes of Wisconsin. And I do mean “meander” — we’d go well under the speed limit, but always with an eye on the rear-view mirror. When a local would come up behind us, we’d pull right over and let them pass. Then we’d keep meandering along and enjoying the scenery. Good times.

  95. 95.

    BDeevDad

    @Mark S.: Aren’t these the same idiots that support Texas secession? Just tell them the fake city of Frankford seceded early.

  96. 96.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    Damn your eyes, sir. I believe polygamous is correct, what with all the bandying about of “wife” and “hubbies.” To make your polyamorous “fix” complete, you should have changed wife to something else. Partner? I don’t think so.

    You are correct to sit down, sir. I will await the judgment of the gentlewoman herself.

  97. 97.

    Tattoosydney

    Halp, halp! my carefully considered reply to Steep about the joys of later Pratchett has gone into moderation.

    Link to justify the post – The Kinks – Lola. Because I was reminded of it last night. It got a lot of airplay when I was at boarding school – and communal singing if I recall correctly. Straight boys. Hmmm.

  99. 99.

    Tattoosydney

    @Steeplejack:
    @Yutsano:

    I love the Aubrey/Maturin novels as well.

    I didn’t expect to like one, but I took one on holiday and was enthralled. Then I read one each holiday after that, but finally just had to buy them all and read straight through.

    I would hope that is the case, although it would be a huge tragedy in the world of literature should Mr Pratchett die.

    I suspect I will actually burst into tears.

    I think he’s just being practical and has decided that he needs to write each book just a little as if it might be his last, in case the Alzheimer’s takes away the chance.

  100. 100.

    Tattoosydney

    @Yutsano:

    I read the whole post twice, and I have no idea what trip word I put in there.

    Call in the Australian Defence Force!

    Except Australia allows the gays and even the trannies into its armed forces, so they will obviously be incompetent and unable to help.

  101. 101.

    Steeplejack

    @Tattoosydney:

    I think he’s just being practical and has decided that he needs to write each book just a little as if it might be his last, in case the Alzheimer’s takes away the chance.

    Agreed. Plus there must be an urge, after such a long and prolific career, to write each book so as to wrap things up just a little in case death might take away the chance.

    (The Death of Rats is one of my favorite minor characters in the series, and the novel where Death gets “demoted” and goes to work on a farm–Reaper Man?–is one of my favorites.)

  102. 102.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney:

    I read the whole post twice, and I have no idea what trip word I put in there.

    It’s WordPress. It don’t need to follow no stinkin’ rules especially its own. It’s a crappy platform that also is one of the simplest to maintain. I think that’s why it’s so widely used.

    Except Australia allows the gays and even the trannies into its armed forces, so they will obviously be incompetent and unable to help, not like the good old US army.

    Heh. Lines like that make the Dawg laugh. He thinks DADT is the biggest joke ever made, especially since no one would buy it in his case. Plus that fact didn’t stop Georgie from crying to Howard to join his wittle Iraq adventure. Why yes I am still bitter about that why do you ask?

  103. 103.

    asiangrrlMN

    Hello, bitchez. Have I heard my name being bandied about in vain? Why, yes, I have. Steepman, which thread? I have some headbashing to do, I see. And, the gentlewoman from MN would like to say, she considers herself omnisexual, thankyewverymuch. Oh, and I was out with a friend tonight having an orgasm over the best damn dessert I’ve ever had.

    And, just to piss everyone off, I did not like the one book from the DiscWorld series that I read. Discuss.

  104. 104.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Mmm…culinary orgasm. Those can be fun. I haven’t had me one of those in awhile. Perhaps tomorrow when I go scrounging up Thai food.

    And, just to piss everyone off, I did not like the one book from the DiscWorld series that I read

    Which one? Frame of reference would help. And no I’m not keeping the wrath of FH #1 off you.

  106. 106.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: It was a chocolate ganache truffle. I took one bite, and my friend started laughing. She asked, “That good?” Apparently, the look on my face was close to the one I have when I orgasm. Oh my god. It was…mmmmmm….and it was the pre-dessert dessert.

    Death. Someone here suggested it to me during one of the other TP threads. I had read Good Omens a while back, and I loved it. I then read all the Neil Gaiman books I could get my hands on, and I really grooved on him (except for his incurable penchant for having happy endings). The Brits tend to do two different kinds of humour–dark, mordant, bitter like Gaiman and goofy, slapstick like Pratchett. Obviously, I prefer the former to the latter.

    P.S. I started Small Gods, read about two chapters, and quit. I just couldn’t get into it.

    @Yutsano: Loved loved loved that book.

  107. 107.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN:

    The Brits tend to do two different kinds of humour—dark, mordant, bitter like Gaiman and goofy, slapstick like Pratchett.

    Put the two in a blender, add a good shot of gin, and you get Good Omens. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t their only collaboration but it sure was fucking hilarious.

  111. 111.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney:

    Well, that was anticlimactical!

    Okay, when you’ve made the English pedant start making up her own grammatical forms, u r doing something right. I lift a glass of chocolate milk in your direction.

  112. 112.

    Tattoosydney

    My reading recommendation for the day – “Packing for Mars” by Mary Roach. Roach is a journalist responsible for Bonk (a really funny exploration of sex) and Stiff (same, except for death).

    This book is about the practicalities of going into space – loneliness, dust, smells, poo and Chimponauts. Great fun, and very informative, although you may end up, like me, watching Apollo moon landing conspiracy videos on youtube at 3am.

  115. 115.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney:

    although you may end up, like me, watching Apollo moon landing conspiracy videos on youtube at 3am.

    Interesting, since your country is one of the strongest proofs out there that the Moon landings did indeed occur. The exact explanation is long and complex, but in a nutshell it has to do with how the telemetry arrived and how it was distorted in such a way that only it impacting Australia at just such an angle is possible if you’re aiming from the moon. Hell even the summary is hard to spit out.

    @asiangrrlMN: IIRC Anne Laurie front paged it. I’m thinking it’ll make a decent Christmas present for someone. Maybe my SIL for the irony alone since she works with the Kindle.

  123. 123.

    Tattoosydney

    @asiangrrlMN:

    My favourite neologism for the day was “skimbled”.

    Skimble: v to move across the surface of water in an irregular fashion. “The boat skimbled across the lake.”

    ETA – Which Urban Dictionary also uses to mean “To cross a crowded dance floor whilst also swaying to avoid fellow dancers, often with drinks in hand.”

  126. 126.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack: All. Kinds. Of. Win. Patrick Warburton. Also.

    @Tattoosydney:

    Which Urban Dictionary also uses to mean “To cross a crowded dance floor whilst also swaying to avoid fellow dancers, often with drinks in hand.”

    Or as some might label it, being gay and old enough to go to clubs.

  130. 130.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Horrible shift at work tonight. Understaffed (as usual, lately), and the manager on duty made some boneheaded decisions that made it much, much worse. Ugh.

    I’m supposed to work again at 4:30 tomorrow, but I’m probably going to “call out,” in defiance of my raging WASP work ethic. The place feels totally fucked these days, and I’m not feeling the rah-rah loyalty vibe in the wake of my “annual review” a few days ago.

    I don’t expect to hear from the bro’ man this weekend. He is getting inundated with his significant other’s Brazilian posse, so he will be drinking caipirinhas and working on his Rosetta Stone Portuguese (in that order).

  131. 131.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: I hope it’s the latter and then the former, and, yes, pass on any Tunchie/vomit combination.

    @Steeplejack: Man, that sucks about work. Take a mental day. You sound like you need it. And, for some reason, I read this:

    He is getting inundated with his significant other’s Brazilian posse

    and read this:

    He is getting inundated with his significant other’s Brazilian–

    and my brain stopped and substituted ‘wax’ automatically, which gave me a disturbing mental picture.

    Update Eleven Billionty and Infinity and Beyond: WTF Rosetta Stone Portugese?

  132. 132.

    Yutsano

    @Steeplejack: You do realize this situation will only deteriorate going into Q4. You may not survive getting through your silly season with your sanity intact. I’d suggest raising unholy stinks about the situation, but documenting the fuck out of everything.

  133. 133.

    2th&nayle

    @jeffreyw: Jeffrey, I have had one perfectly shitty day and had resolved to hate everyone, including myself, right up until I saw these pics of Homer and Friends. You’ve restored my relish for life! I gotta go with the “Kitteth see, Kitteh do.” caption. Too Funny!!

  137. 137.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Rosetta Stone is a big publisher of learn-a-foreign-language DVD sets. Bro’ man has been working on his Portuguese (Brazilian Portuguese, not, er, Portuguese Portuguese) to better mind-meld with his S.O. And to understand what all the Brazilians are saying about him at social events.

  138. 138.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Steeplejack: Ah! Got it. Of course, I was thinking about the original Rosetta Stone which makes absolutely no sense (nonsense?) in this context.

    @2th&nayle: Thanks! It’s easy for me to be inspired by the cuteness that is Homer.

    @Yutsano: Funny. I usually use a toothbrush to brush my tongue, but different strokes for different folks!

  140. 140.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: I’ve thought about using it to brush up on my three other primary tongues (German, French, and Japanese) but just haven’t bothered yet. I think I’m being cheap for really no good reason. But I really want to go somewhere next year. Like New Zealand.

  142. 142.

    2th&nayle

    @Yutsano:

    I’ve thought about using it to brush up on my three other primary tongues…

    hahaha! That’s a very interesting image! hahaha!

  149. 149.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: She is. When Crowley is listening to the radio in his car right before Satan communicates with him. The song he has playing is “I Should Be So Lucky”. It’s twue.

  150. 150.

    Steeplejack

    @Yutsano:

    You do realize this situation will only deteriorate going into Q4.

    Yes. This has been bothering me a lot lately. I cannot see going into the holiday season (the store makes 50 percent of its annual money in November-December) with the current skeleton-crew management philosophy (and managerial miscues). I’m thinking that I need to redouble my efforts to get out of there as soon as possible.

  152. 152.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Whoever wrote that annotation was having him/herself a wee bit too much fun. Scroll down to the one about the Spanish resort town. I admit it, I LOLed at that.

    @Steeplejack: Remember this always: the best revenge is a happy life. Ganbatte kudasai.

  154. 154.

    Yutsano

    @Tattoosydney: Palau? :)

    Actually all the flights I researched out of LAX all made a stop in Melbourne before heading down to Christchurch. Actually, hold that thought and check your e-mail in a few minutes.

  155. 155.

    RSA

    @Dennis SGMM:
    __

    Just buy an old Miata. You can get one with plenty of life left in it for well under 5G’s and it can go a lot faster than you can on a winding road.

    That’s probably the book value of my ’99 Miata. It’s a lot of fun to drive, even if I have no special skills or training. I’ve been told that a Miata club goes out to western North Carolina, a few hours from where I live, for roads just like the ones John describes.

  156. 156.

    Zuzu's Petals

    That looks like some of the scenery I saw on the Amtrak Capitol Limited last year … very lush.

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