Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

We still have time to mess this up!

This really is a full service blog.

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

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

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

The lights are all blinking red.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

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Reader Interactions

57Comments

  1. 1.

    AAA Bonds

    Obama should make the State of the Union about unions and use his special guest appearances to introduce frightening-looking union leaders and organizers in the balconies.

  2. 2.

    Phyllis

    Quiet evening watching UK pretty much eviscerate the Gamecocks. What fun. And polishing off my first bottle of 2 Buck Chuck-Trader Joe’s opened in Greenville last year & a friend who lives up there hooked me up.

    I see via the internetz they will also soon be opening a store in the Charleston area. I can see a road trip from Sarah Palin’s house. Woo hoo.

  3. 3.

    KG

    I’ll be watching UFC, Fight for the Troops… lamenting the fact that I walked away from the martial arts about four years before MMA blew up.

  5. 5.

    Redshirt

    My friend and I have maintained a quaint tradition of letter writing – actual letters, sent in the mail. I suppose I’m not pure enough, since I use a computer rather than by hand, but still, I think my intent is noble enough. It’s such an archaic tradition, and we’ve moved on so far since we started it in 1993. It’s serious business, the letters – I just finished the first draft, 11 single spaced pages. I’ll go through it again and tighten it up, then a final proofread, and print.

    It’s so much fun, though admittedly, a lot of work. 1st draft took me 6 hours!

    My friend writes short stories, so I have two of his to edit and critique. I’ve been doing editing work for him for over 15 years now. Egads! Neither of us has published, however, though he’s far more involved in the biz.

  6. 6.

    PurpleGirl

    This afternoon I watched the 1963 Jason and the Argonauts. An ad said they are showing The Uninvited tonight. I really love the Ray Harryhausen special events in Jason so I actually stopped doing other stuff and watched the movie. (I’ve been going through papers to declutter.) The Uninvited is a ghost story from the 1944 with Ray Milland. I haven’t seen it in ages, so I’m looking forward to that. I like Turner Classic Movies… Not a double feature timewise, but two movies I like a lot. I haz a happy.

  7. 7.

    eemom

    KO update:

    http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/olbermanns-msnbc-exit-was-weeks-in-the-making/?hp

    I like this part:

    Months before Comcast was expected to gain control of NBC Universal, Comcast officials were worried about the perception that they might interfere with MSNBC for political reasons.
    One executive, who asked not to be identified because Comcast had instructed employees not to speak about the situation, said the company dreaded the prospect of being blamed if Mr. Olbermann were to quit soon after the takeover.

    Poor widdle Comcast — it was all “worried” and “dreading” that we wuz gonna be mean and blame it for stuff. : (

  9. 9.

    PurpleGirl

    @Redshirt: I understand the preference for paper letters.

    I’m a member of an APA (amateur press association) and we are still doing it on paper through the mail. Most of us use computers to produce our submissions but the actual final pages are paper. (We do the multiple copies needed on photocopiers or printers, not on mimeographs.) We’ve discussed doing the whole thing electronically but we like the paper form.

  10. 10.

    Max

    We are having friends over to play “Dominion”. If you haven’t played it, check it out at Amazon. I’m so addicted. We’ve got the original set and the Intrigue add on. Soon to get Alchemy.

    It’s a fantasy-type card game. Family friendly.

  13. 13.

    lol

    @Max:

    Dominion’s great. Very easy for non-board game player types to play.

    The attack cards from Intrigue can get out of hand though. There’s a couple that involve looking through people’s decks and if you have 6 people playing, it kills the momentum of the game pretty easily.

  14. 14.

    Shadow's Mom

    Reading journal articles for my “Organizational Diagnosis for Changing Organization” and “Fundamentals of Information Management in the Public Sector” classes while streaming Season 7 of Buffy on Netflix.

    Today I also made a draft video demonstrating how easily one can build a Website on Google Sites for a project in the Inf. Mngmnt Class.

    Anyone out there know of any small towns or non-profits who are using Salesforce or Google Sites as a mechanism to maintain Web presence and data collection for their constituents inexpensively and with a minimal need for IT support? I’m looking for sample sites that I can incorporate into a presentation for the Inf. Mngmnt project. Any help appreciated.

  15. 15.

    gbear

    @efgoldman: Best wishes to your BIL. This is a pretty good video joke that was posted in TBogg’s comments today. I hope it’s not some old thing everyone’s already seen. I’d never seen it before.

    I’m doing laundry this evening and looking around the internets for a good blood pressure monitor. VERY cold night in store for the Twin Cities.

  16. 16.

    Punchy

    I’m very, very afraid the apocolypse is neigh. Gave both dogs peanut butter-flavored bones, and they’re dissing them. This is akin to a child eschewing a tootsie-roll, or a Republican ignoring a tax loophole opportunity, or a priest passing on a naked boy. Unheard of.

  17. 17.

    Southern Beale

    What’s the evening entertainment looking to be in your household?

    We got a Roomba at CostCo today. I think when it’s charged I’ll turn it loose and watch the cats and dogs freak out.

  18. 18.

    Max

    @lol: Yeah, they can get pretty brutal.

    It’s interesting the instinct of different players. Some go for the cool action cards, others (like me) go straight for gold.

    Great game.

    @BGinChi – that’s for when our friends leave… ;)

  19. 19.

    SIA

    @PurpleGirl: I LOVE The Uninvited. I read the book too. I’ve seen in many times but I’m recording it again. Love the house. I always check out the great set design in old movies. And Ray Milland is SO urbane.

  20. 20.

    dmsilev

    Was out walking earlier this evening, and noticed big “Store Closing, everything on sale!” signs outside the area Borders.

    The to-be-read pile just grew by several entries.

    dms

  21. 21.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Anyone here live in or near Jackson, MS? I haven’t been there for at leat 10 years but it looks like I *may* have to go for 2-3 days later this week, and would enjoy meeting up with a Friendly if the trip actually happens.

    I admit, though, that I’m kind of hoping for that rainsnowsleet “wintry mix” that’s forecast for Tuesday morning. If I’m really lucky, it will fuck up all my travel plans and I can stay put.

  22. 22.

    gbear

    @dmsilev: my sister bought a Borders gift card for me for Christmas but hasn’t mailed it to me yet. I even asked her to just give me the code number off the back so I could use it for an on-line purchase but she said she was too busy at the moment. I hope I get to use the damned thing before the company goes under. I didn’t know they were in such bad shape until a couple weeks ago.

  25. 25.

    frosty

    Evening’s entertainment? 1) Sitting by the fire and trying to stay warm in this drafty old house. 2) Finishing the reading assignment for Nixonland. Ugh. Nothing has changed in 50 years — they’re still using the techniques he pioneered of stoking resentment. 3) Trying to figure out if I’d rather pick up a guitar or another book. 4) Thinking about getting myself a bourbon on the rocks.

    But hey, I’m happy that I’m not at work tonight trying to meet an impossible deadline like I was two weeks ago.

    frosty +0 so far

  27. 27.

    dmsilev

    @gbear: Around here, they’ve already closed one big store downtown, and I guess others are on the chopping block. This must have been the very beginning of their closing-out sale, since all the shelves were fully stocked with books. I assume that if I go back in a week or two, the place will be the bookstore equivalent of a carcass that’s been stripped to the bone by scavengers.

    dms

  28. 28.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    Presently watching The Sea Hawk, no it is not about Matt Hasselback, but the 1940 film with Errol Flynn. Maybe later catch Spartacus God of the Arena again

  31. 31.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    @AAA Bonds: Great movie! McKellan kicks ass in that movie. Oh BTW in watching The Sea Hawk, I got to say Alan Hale Sr was a cool actor.

  33. 33.

    suzanne

    What’s the evening entertainment looking to be in your household?

    Well, I took the dog and went for a run. I know I’m supposed to wait six full weeks before exercising, but, God, I missed it so badly, so I started running again a few days ago.

    And, just to rub it in, I wore a tank top and shorts. Y’all that ask me incredulously why I live in Phoenix—that’s why.

  34. 34.

    BGinCHI

    @suzanne: Don’t make me come out there and recline in a lounger in your back yard with a cold drink and maybe some peanuts or better yet cashews.

  35. 35.

    frosty

    @BGinCHI: Ha! Thanks, I’m leaning that way, but not ready to commit.

    Also, too, not exactly a guitar: Nationsl Style O. I want to relearn a couple of Linda Rondstadt heartbreakers before Valentine’s Day: (S)he Darked the Sun and Number and a Name. Nothing like songs of Dear John letters and stalkers for the holiday of love.

  36. 36.

    hamletta

    Alan Hale Sr was a cool actor

    He was great! And he was in everything. He’s like Thomas Mitchell: They were always supporting players, but they were in all the best movies.

    And he (Hale) invented the foldy-uppy theatre seat, according to IMDB, anyway.

  37. 37.

    M. Bouffant

    I will be out painting the town red, rocking & rolling through L.A.’s various musical haunts, & staggering in at 0400ish.

    No, wait, that was 20 yrs. ago. Tonight I’m well over 50, & have a cold. The DVR is 87% full, so I must decide between Thunderball, One, Two Three, Buckaroo Banzai, Mystery Street, The Green Berets, Forbidden Planet & several other movies + a mess of tee vee shows backed up on it.

  38. 38.

    Skepticat

    It’s a bit unnerving that the instant I saw that comic this morning I thought of this blog. Not any specific animal (or person), you understand, just the blog.

    My entertainment is being grateful that I’m a long way from New England weather for the winter.

  39. 39.

    Mnemosyne

    Still frantically preparing for our winter foray to Chicago. (Plane tickets from Los Angeles to Chicago are dirt-cheap, BTW — whodathunk it?) I’ve bought a few wool sweaters, a new winter jacket, and knitted myself a hat, gloves, and a scarf. Now I’m making some slipper socks and hopefully that will be the last of it.

    We’re cat-sitting for one of Gerard’s co-workers — she’s the one who adopted Charlotte’s sister, so we get called on for cat-sitting every so often. There’s a day or two of hissing and growling and then she seems to realize, “Hey, wait, I remember this place! And these cats! That’s my sister — I should go smack her in the head.” Much better than when she stayed with her owner’s cousin and ended up pooping under the couch because she was too scared to get out and go to the litter box.

  41. 41.

    Mnemosyne

    Also, I fourth or fifth the recommendation to watch The Uninvited (though it doesn’t start until 7:15 for us West Coasters). It has some scary/creepy parts but I don’t know that I would call it a horror movie the way that, say, The Haunting is a horror movie — it’s more of a supernatural mystery story. Great movie, lots of fun.

  42. 42.

    beergoggles

    My fridge is so stocked with leftovers that keep falling out when the doors are opened, that my dogs would never stop me from opening them.

  46. 46.

    Linda Featheringill

    CBS has canceled Medium! That’s terrible!

    I just watched last night’s episode online and the last 10% or so of the show really looked like a finale. So I checked online and it was!

    OH, that is just so sad.

  48. 48.

    tkogrumpy

    Entertainment? I’m cutting out ribs and formers for a 48″ wingspan model of a 1950 Stinson 4 place light plane. Ya, I know. doesn’t sound very entertaining.

  49. 49.

    CA Doc

    @mnenosyne-going to Kansas City on Thurs, so I went out today to try to find a real winter coat to wear over business clothes. Surprise-no such thing exists here! (Probably exists in San Francisco but that’s too much of a trek)
    Tonight’s entertainment was a really good steak and a bottle of Louis Martini cabernet. Haven’t had steak since Christmas Eve, so I don’t feel too guilty.

  50. 50.

    4jkb4ia

    Federer Update:

    Robredo takes second set 6-3. (Federer took first set, but Robredo should be very easy)

  51. 51.

    Yutsano

    First of all, read the headline of this LZ Granderson column. Then read it and tell me the editors at ESPN.com don’t piss you off to no end.

    (edited to fix stupid name spelling mistake)

  52. 52.

    Mnemosyne

    @CA Doc:

    I had to order mine online from Sierra Trading Post. If you still have time to stop in somewhere, your best bet is probably REI, or Sport Chalet as a second choice — they both carry a lot of ski stuff, but REI’s tends to be less, um, brightly colored.

  55. 55.

    CA Doc

    @mnemosyne
    LOL, that’s exactly what I’m trying to replace, a too colorful ski jacket that I bought in the early ’90’s and looks dated, to say the least.

  56. 56.

    RossInDetroit

    Tonight? Afternoon nap, simple dinner and catching up on the last 3 episodes of Burn Notice from Amazon. Hate TV. Love that show.

  57. 57.

    catdevotee

    OK, Mr. catdevotee and I are not usually much for TV – except the football games he *can’t* miss no matter what – but today, because we were both feeling a bit crappy, we watched Sea Hawk (wonderful fun), then The Uninvited (seemed to be channeling Rebecca too much, or maybe vice-versa).

    I didn’t miss out on the beautiful day in southern coastal Oregon though. 68 today, sunny, and our daffodils are already up. An early azalea is in bloom out the dining room window.

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