Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

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

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

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

No one could have predicted…

This really is a full service blog.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Everybody saw this coming.

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Open Thread

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This post is in: 

Beautiful spring morning here- a bit chilly, but I went without a jacket this morning anyway because I like nippy mornings. Wakes me up. The kids are enjoying the weather, too:

I tried to get Rosie in the picture, but she is a Jack Russell Terrier, and that means if I am standing trying to take a picture, she must be at my feet looking at me attentively to do something interesting. FASCINATE ME! BALL! WALK? DO SOMETHING!

Speaking of Rosie, the other day on twitter I was kind of mad at her, so I said something to the effect that I would give her to Jeffrey Dahmer if he asked nice. This morning I thought about what an awful thing to say that was, and then I started thinking about what Dahmer really did, and the fact that he ate brains and other body parts, at which point I said to myself “The mind is a terrible thing to taste,” I realized that I never see NAACP commercials on tv anymore and I don’t know why. I used to see them all the time as a kid. Am I just watching different channels and they don’t show up, or have PSA’s gone away. Then I began to wonder if I am clearly insane, or if everyone has streams of consciousness like this in the morning before coffee.

Also, I woke up singing the Albania song from Cheers.

Reader Interactions

117Comments

  3. 3.

    RedKitten

    Yeah, my mind sometimes goes on really weird, meandering journeys as well. The fun thing is when you’re with someone like-minded, and it becomes a stream-of-consciousness conversation. And only later, do the two of you look at each other and go, “How in the hell did we GET on this topic anyway?”

  4. 4.

    tess

    It usually takes me 2 cups of tea; maybe 1 cup of coffee is enough for others. It’s a good rule to follow, (though I’m only half-in to my Tunch mug this morning, and not following my own advice).

  5. 5.

    cathyx

    I’m sure the reason you don’t see those commercials anymore is because the government cut their funding.

  6. 6.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Everyone has those streams of consciousness; most have the sense not to publicize them. I guess that is what makes you different.

  9. 9.

    Bruce S

    Shameless blog’hoing, but if you’re interested in what real fiscal conservatism might look like, as opposed to nonsense proffered by some sophomoric clown who reads Atlas Shrugged while he’s on the potty (Congressman Ryan, is that you?), check out this bit on a new report on long-term deficit strategy from the CBPP:

    http://titanicsailsatdawn.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-fiscal-conservatives-like-these.html

    Some good charts, for those of us who don’t like fine print.

  10. 10.

    General Stuck

    First thing I do in the morn brush the dog and feed my teeth. Things usually come together after that.

  14. 14.

    Maude

    @General Stuck:
    Bet you’re spittin’ fur for most of the day.

    Tunch is such a sweet softie.
    A delightful poet to start the weekend.
    We have a tough wind and it’s low forties. Not bad for March.

  16. 16.

    Omnes Omnibus

    FWIW this post sent me prowling You Tube for Replacements songs. How is that for a stream of consciousness flow?

  17. 17.

    Amir_Khalid

    So does this mean that you’re definitely not giving Rosie away to the first homicidal maniac who asks?

    If that stream-of-consciousness thing leads you to an intriguing thought, don’t forget to write it down, so that you can share it with us.

  18. 18.

    Seebach

    One of the most intense scandals the field of psychology has faced over the last decade is the involvement of several of its members in enabling Bush’s worldwide torture regime. Numerous health professionals worked for the U.S. government to help understand how best to mentally degrade and break down detainees. At the center of that controversy was — and is — Dr. Larry James. James, a retired Army colonel, was the Chief Psychologist at Guantanamo in 2003, at the height of the abuses at that camp, and then served in the same position at Abu Ghraib during 2004.

    Today, Dr. James circulated an excited email announcing, “with great pride,” that he has now been selected to serve on the “White House Task Force entitled Enhancing the Psychological Well-Being of The Military Family.” In his new position, he will be meeting at the White House with Michelle Obama and other White House officials on Tuesday.

  20. 20.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    @ John Cole. You border on the Adriatic. That one is ingrained in my head as well.

  22. 22.

    eemom

    it took me forever to figure out what EVOO meant. Then when I finally did I felt really stoopid cuz it’s so obvious. And besides I use it all the time.

    Anyway Jeffrey Dahmer wouldn’t have eaten Rosie. He didn’t like girls.

  25. 25.

    eemom

    ….also too, someone linked a while back to a post from about 2003 where you, John Cole, were watching some dog show on teevee and you said that Jack Russells were your absolute all-time favoritest kind of doggie in the whole wide world. bwaaahaaaahaaaahaaaaa.

    What did Jeffrey Dahmer say to Lorena Bobbitt?

  30. 30.

    schrodinger's cat

    I is in your windows stealing your sunbeams
    ETA: Lily looks ladylike, notice the daintily crossed paws.

  35. 35.

    licensed to kill time

    I am prone to singing in the morning, too. For some reason it’s usually either “Whatcha gonna do with a drunken sailor?” (which has prompted my partner to ask me “Well, what are you gonna do with that drunken sailor?!”) or “William Zantzinger kilt pore Hattie Carroll”. You have to sing it that way, with an accent and all.

  36. 36.

    bemused

    Our family dentist has talked for years about the big increase in putting in crowns he attributes to stressed out people clenching their teeth. His advice is to turn off the news and have a glass of wine. I imagine that wouldn’t help destress people without a job for months or losing their homes but good general advice. I never seem to be able to do that for long though. I can’t stand not knowing what the bastards are up to next.

    Yesterday, my spouse had a dental appt and our dentist told him all his appointment the day before, every one, were broken teeth from clenching.

  37. 37.

    Genine

    You rock, John. You share what most people would hide. That can be an admirable quality a lot of the time. :-D

  39. 39.

    New Yorker

    “The mind is a terrible thing to taste,”

    You a Ministry Fan, John? I personally prefer “Psalm 69”.

  41. 41.

    HRA

    This woke me up sans real coffee! I have those streams whenever I can break away from the pc at work. Too lazy to think in the bleak am.
    Nice pic. Going to have to get serious about trying to use my brand new laptop’s pic feature sooner rather than later.

  42. 42.

    RedKitten

    @JPL: It’s going okay. All three of us are just getting over a wicked stomach bug. I caught it first, which meant that I then had to take care of husband and baby while still recuperating. Bleurgh.

    I just added a couple more photos to the feed, including this one, which I just love.

    In other news, my job has now been made permanent, instead of being on a 12-month term basis. So that’s a huge weight off my shoulders.

  44. 44.

    New Yorker

    Also too, you’re right, you don’t see United Negro College Fund ads on TV anymore. Did James O’Keefe destroy that organization in a previous life?

  45. 45.

    suzanne

    That’s weird. The other day, I woke up with “The Kelly Song” stuck in my head. Yesterday, though, it was this. I prefer KELLYKELLYKELLYKELLYKELLYKELLYKELLY.

  47. 47.

    WaterGirl

    @RedKitten: Oh my god, SamKitten is huge! Still gorgeous, but how is it possible that he is this grown up? “Have you been feeding him?”, she asked in a stern voice.

    Maybe you can fill me in on something? i knew you had a new job, and then months later I went to your blog (when you linked to a really cool jewelry box made out of wood) and then I wondered if the blog was the new job.

    Either way, big congratulations on the permanent job. Big sigh of relief.

  48. 48.

    scav

    @TaMara (BHF): I’m only halfway through my first coffee and read “You can’t always Net what you want” and was quite happily looking forward to a takedown of our non-tax-paying financial overlords. Sigh. Go UK!

  49. 49.

    WaterGirl

    @suzanne: I have been wondering your your new job is going. (sorry in advance if you have written about this and i am asking you to repeat yourself.)

  50. 50.

    Zen Koan

    Albania! Albania!
    You border on the Adriatic
    Your land is mostly mountainous
    And your chief export is chrome.

  51. 51.

    Chad N Freude

    For those of us who are not thrilled at the way the DOJ has gone after the criminals who benefited from so-called Liar Loans, see this Joe Nocera piece. Take your blood pressure meds first.

    For those who can’t be bothered to read the whole thing: An almost, if not entirely, innocent borrower, possibly framed by the IRS, is in prison and has been order to pay more than a quarter of a million dollars to Countrywide (now part of BofA), the worst of the criminal lending institutions. Justice Is Served!!!

  52. 52.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Comrade Mary: Those were indeed the United Negro College Fund pieces. And quite effective they were. When my parents gave me an allowance, the deal was 10% had to go to the charity of my choice.* I could not have an allowance until I chose. So I selected the UNCF, because I’d seen the PSAs. I’m not sure how I heard of AIM, but my father long after told me that when I asked to add a second charity for another 10% and it was the American Indian Movement, he had a pretty good sense where I was headed politicophilosophically when I got older.

    *It occurred to me only much later that I generally got my full allowance and my parents made the donations extra, which may have started when I added AIM, as the amount I got didn’t change. I was many years ago, and I was a kid, so who really knows. What I do know is that it was an effective way to instill the habit of giving. And for that I thank my folks. I know the Kroger Round Up code, even now that it’s changed to 4 digits,so that I can tell even new cashiers how to do it for me, and give the spare change to that program with every purchase.

    Happy weekend Juice stand folks.

  53. 53.

    JPL

    I trying to update my kitchen on a limited budget and I’m in search for a slide in range. The online stores are considerable less expensive and they offer free shipping and no sales tax.. Wahoo. One of the sites I’m looking at is AJ Madison which has mixed reviews. The negative reviews appear to deal with installation which wouldn’t apply to me.
    Has anyone else had experience ordering appliances online?

  56. 56.

    lllphd

    so’s you’ll know, PSAs were mandatory until the 80s, when guess who!?!decided to let the corporations decided freely to make such public service available to the public.

    no longer mandatory, so …you no longer see them.

  57. 57.

    asiangrrlMN

    TUUUUUUUUUNCHIE! There’s my handsome boy. Lily is looking ever-so-lovely as usual. I saw that Twit, Cole. I admit it. I laughed.

    And, Tuuuuuuuuuuuunchie!

  58. 58.

    fraught

    That’s seriously pre-dementia stream of consciousness going on there, John. You’re around 50 now, right? Expect some really lively stuff floating around your brain-well over the next 20 years or so. Then you’ll be normal again, for your age. Woke up humming “Boys of Summer.” Sort of nice, considering I’m not a boy and it’s not Summer.

  59. 59.

    Yutsano

    @lllphd: How is it the one who no haz TV has seen several of these? They tend to be on mid-day plus they’re rather classy and well-produced.

    @asiangrrlMN: Hehehe. I knew for sure that would make you haz a happy. And if you needed more evidence Eurovision is rigged: Yohanna lost out to some Norwegian git who couldn’t sing his way out of a paper bag.

  60. 60.

    RedKitten

    @WaterGirl: The blog was a paid hobby, but I don’t think it’s working out. To be a successful blogger, I think you have to be pretty passionate about your subject, especially in a niche blog. So I’m still dabbling at it, but have let the proprietor know that my heart’s just not in it anymore, and that it’s not fair to him or his business if I’m just phoning it in.

    Besides, I’m at the point where I’d prefer to divest myself of obligations, instead of taking any more on.

    Especially considering the fact that now that we know my job is secure, we’ll probably start trying for Sibling of SamKitten in the next few months…

  61. 61.

    Angry Black Lady

    “The mind is a terrible thing to taste,”

    HA! i knew you were a sick puppy.

    Relatedly, the other day I went to google what time basketball started and I reflexively typed “NAACP” in the search box instead of “NCAA.”

  62. 62.

    Maude

    @JPL:
    I’d go to a small appliance store where they measure and install, plus take away the old stove.
    It is risky to order a major appliance online. If there is something wrong, you probably have to pay shipping.
    Don’t get stingy on appliances. A good oven can last a very long time.
    It’s worth paying the money at the start. Save up for it if you need to.
    We have a small appliance store here and people go there because they can get something fixed if it develops a problem.

  63. 63.

    Angry Black Lady

    Then I began to wonder if I am clearly insane, or if everyone has streams of consciousness like this in the morning before coffee.

    be glad you don’t have ADD. my mind runs like that all the time unless i cram adderall down my gullet.

  65. 65.

    Linda Featheringill

    Hi, John.

    Sometime when you are feeling brave, ask your mother if you as a child were as difficult to live with as Rosie.

    I ask because it sometimes looks like you’re working off a Karmic debt.

  70. 70.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Yutsano: She mentioned not wanting to show up to work with whiskey on her breath; I offered an alternative. No code.

  72. 72.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    I just read Benen’s depressing take on the odds of a government shutdown. I should be okay, my spring quarter Gi Bill benefits should be processed before the projected shutdown date, assuming a shutdown doesn’t last too long.

    I dunno if I’m going to hell for saying this, but I hope teabagging veterans who receive VA benefits who voted Republican in the midterms have bad stuff happen to them as a result of this. People vote fuckers into office, they deserve to taste the consequences.

  73. 73.

    Lesley

    I am late to this party but how darling is that photo! Even Grumpster Tunch looks optimistic. It’s nice to see Lily again.

  74. 74.

    Yutsano

    @Amanda in the South Bay:

    I just read Benen’s depressing take on the odds of a government shutdown.

    My workplace is in an absolute panic over this situation, mostly because a vast majority of my co-workers are married with small children. In fact one is an actual single-income household, and he’s really concerned. I’m lucky that I have a decent savings cushion saved up so I can survive for awhile, but I’m gonna be pissed for not getting a three paycheck month, which April is. Dammit.

  76. 76.

    Yutsano

    @Omnes Omnibus: The two week and the three week extensions of the CR were mostly political pandering because Boehner was afraid of pulling the trigger. But now the teatards are in an absolute snit about the last one passing, and it took in much fewer yea votes than the first one. I could honestly see it failing the House. Plus this is starting to coincide with the raising of the debt ceiling, which will cause a perfect political storm. If that occurs during the middle of the shutdown…we’re beyond fucked.

  77. 77.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    Well, I have a bunch of savings saved up, but that was supposed to go towards surgery in late April. I also work part time, so that’ll help a bit, and I don’t think a shutdown is going to last too long, (i’ve been hearing that troops won’t get paid on May 1 if it goes that long).

    I’m sorta lucky-single with a sizeable savings and a part time job. But yeah, this is going to suck for a lot of people-including me. I have a rather important trans related surgery planned, and fuck the Republicans for their little stunt. Yeah, I hope veterans who rely on VA benefits and who voted Republican reap their rewards. Sorry, if people are that fucking stupid, they should be punished for that stupidity.

    And yes, there are tons of veterans who rely on the post 9/11 Gi Bill solely, and/or have families. We are talking about a pretty catastrophic situation here, and I’m not normally a blogospheric worry wort.

  78. 78.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    And yes, I hope I get a Moore Award or several for saying that GOP voting veterans who receive VA benefits suffer. I’m that fucking upset. And fuck Sully and his upper middle class affluent bullshit.

  79. 79.

    Yutsano

    @Amanda in the South Bay: Oh trust me: a shut-down would cause a few wrinkles in my personal plans as well. Not to mention I’m not certain how all the medical stuff will work during the shutdown (am I responsible for just my share or the whole cost and do I get reimbursed if I have to shell out?) but I have a feeling my union is working overtime on all that. I hope they are anyway.

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    @RedKitten: Glad to know what’s up, and congratulations on the plan for SiblingKitten!

    Edit: I may just buy one of those jewelry boxes for myself for my birthday. Do you get a cut if I someone get to a link from your blog?

  81. 81.

    Comrade Mary

    @Angry Black Lady: OMG — does that stuff really work? I’m getting assessed (expensive!) and am considering moving to meds if they could give me a fingerhold on handling my life.

  85. 85.

    WaterGirl

    @Comrade Mary: Mary, my sister tried the ADD drugs. They didn’t really help her, though I understand they can often be very helpful. What helped her the most was taking high doses of Vitamin D. Her doctor did the test and found her levels to be really low, so now she takes 2,000 whatevers a day and she feels a lot more in control of her life. FWIW

  86. 86.

    WaterGirl

    @WereBear: Oh my gosh, Tristan is huge! I loved your photo the other night, with all 3 on the bed together. I don’t know if you saw my reply that night, but Tristan and my Willow look so much alike! How much does Tristan weigh now?

  89. 89.

    WaterGirl

    @Comrade Mary: I’m not good with pills, either, but the VItamin D is really changing her life.

    Do we need to ask you every day on the blog if you’ve taken your Vitamin D? :-)

  92. 92.

    suzanne

    @WaterGirl: Awwww, thanks for asking about the job. No, I am not going to repeat myself, because it’s already been keeping me so busy that I barely have time to read blogs, let alone comment. It’s going well thus far. I have started my NCARB file, so I will be accruing hours towards my licensure soon. (For those of you that don’t know, to become a licensed architect, you have to have a master’s degree in architecture, pass a battery of exams called the AREs, and accrue hours worked in a number of different areas of practice. Takes a minimum of three years of full-time work to accrue those hours, takes most people an average of five. So far I only have the degree.) But my company will pay for me to take the exams, which cost thousands of dollars, and they already have me working on a great project—gutting/redesigning an emergency room. I am a workaholic by nature, so I am trying to discipline myself to work no more than an hour late every day in order to come home and love on my family. I am very happy to be working. The money, while not fabulous, doesn’t hurt, either.

  93. 93.

    kdaug

    @RedKitten:

    Yeah, my mind sometimes goes on really weird, meandering journeys as well. The fun thing is when you’re with someone like-minded, and it becomes a stream-of-consciousness conversation. And only later, do the two of you look at each other and go, “How in the hell did we GET on this topic anyway?”

    And thus, the BJ commentariat. Behold.

  95. 95.

    David Brooks (not that one)

    In a looooong rehearsal of Carmina Burana, percussion principal. Weather outside is blah anyway.

  100. 100.

    WaterGirl

    Here is an email message I drafted in support of WereBear getting the Purina Cat Chow Correspondent position she wants. I don’t do Facebook or Twitter, so sending the email is the only option for me.

    Did anyone else write an email message?

    Any constructive comments for how to improve my email before I press “send”?

    Hello,
    …
    I read your description of the Purina Cat Chow Correspondent and what they will do, and I cannot imagine a person better suited to this job than Pam of the Way of Cats.
    …
    Passionate?
    Knowledgeable?
    Vibrant personality?
    Interest in learning and sharing about the cat-owner relationship?
    …
    You have described Pam perfectly!
    …
    Pam and The Way of Cats have changed the lives of my kitties. I found Pam’s website over a year ago, only after I had lost my beloved kitty to chronic kidney failure, and I can’t tell you how much I wish I had known about Pam’s website as my sweet kitty and I were nearing the end. Pam’s Cat 911 e-book has been a terrific resource – I bought the e-book and read it cover-to-cover before I brought my 2 new kitties home. Because of Cat 911, I was able to recognize my boy kitty’s UTI problems before any of the commonly known symptoms had appeared. When the kitties suddenly started gaining too much weight, Pam was able to help with that, too, even more than my vet, and now my kitties are slim again!
    …
    Pam has been the source of information that has changed the relationship I have with my kitties. When my kitties started to go through a phase when they were interacting with me less, I just re-read some of the articles on Pam’s blog and discovered some things I could do to change that. And it worked, my kitties are snuggly again!
    …
    I hope you will hire Pam as your correspondent – it’s like this job was made for her!
    …
    All the best,

  101. 101.

    Josie

    @Comrade Mary: I had the same problem with my pills (blood pressure, vitamins, and such) and read somewhere to connect them to some action you take every day, such as first cup of coffee, brushing teeth, washing face, etc. I have a high protein milkshake every morning now and take them with that after my first cup of coffee. It sounds slightly OCD, but it works for me and pills are done for the day.

    I have to say that the vitamin d is working for me–no more depression and much more energy.

  105. 105.

    Comrade Mary

    WaterGirl, Yutsano, and Josie: you and the rest of the commentariat are my Borg life coach — thanks!

  108. 108.

    Corner Stone

    the other day on twitter I was kind of mad at her, so I said something

    That actually was pretty awful.
    You and J. Michael Neal need to come to a couple uncomfortable truths. He needs to put that cat down, for the cat’s sake. And you need to admit defeat and find Rosie a rescue home somewhere before you Louisville her.

  111. 111.

    BruceFromOhio

    Also, I woke up singing the Albania song from Cheers.

    Sounds like a pretty ordinary collection of thoughts to me, except for this last one. Maybe you should talk to someone.

  113. 113.

    mclaren

    Good gawd, Tunch looks like a negative photograph of a black hole. That cat is gaining so much weight it’s going to spontaneously sink to the center of the earth.

  114. 114.

    RossInDetroit

    Then I began to wonder if I am clearly insane, or if everyone has streams of consciousness like this in the morning before coffee.

    I sometimes wake up with good ideas. This morning before I was really awake I decided to drive 80 miles to visit my mother. I’m glad I did. She makes good tea. Plus I found out that 3 weeks ago my step father had a bad accident at home and has had a pacemaker ‘installed’. I did not know these things. She hates to burden the kids.
    Mom, I love you.

    But one day I woke up and decided to use Google earth to look up a place where something exciting happened back in the ’80s. I was halfway through my first coffee when I decided that I had never stolen an airplane in my 20s and that was just a dream.

    So morning ideas are mixed.

  115. 115.

    Corner Stone

    @RossInDetroit:

    Mom, I love you.

    This can not be said enough.
    Tomorrow take a minute and call your moms and tell her you love her. Don’t worry about all that old bullshit you weren’t big enough to work through 10 years ago. Just call her, tell her you’re sorry and you love her for how hard she tried.

  116. 116.

    Corner Stone

    @RossInDetroit:

    I was halfway through my first coffee when I decided that I had never stolen an airplane in my 20s

    Ever play that drinking game “I never” ?
    I just drank.

  117. 117.

    RossInDetroit

    I have this really vivid memory of the stolen airplane incident. But it couldn’t have happened. The area where I recall it taking place has been built up for 100 years and has never had an airstrip. Plus I doubt I could land a small plane in the dark.
    I had a concussion a few years ago that made my memory unreliable for a while. When I recovered, my memory was a little TOO good. I ‘remember’ things that didn’t actually happen. Odd stuff requires independent validation before I can place any confidence in it. But apparently I did go to Bermuda for 2 weeks alone when I was 19. I was pretty sure that was another dream until I found the airline ticket from 1979.

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