Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

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

I really should read my own blog.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

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

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

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Reader Interactions

146Comments

  1. 1.

    Ron

    I’m sure it would be a big step up in many ways, but I wonder if it would be a change for the better or not for how this place is.

  7. 7.

    eastriver

    a retarded idea. more proof that JC drinks too much, then asks his pets for advice.

    FULL TARD.

  9. 9.

    General Stuck

    Probably for the best, before Cole completely loses his mind.

    And that is not an insult, or much of one. I couldn’t put up with this shit as sole proprietor. I can barely stay semi sane as an idiot commenter.

  11. 11.

    Paul W.

    I know, right PaulW? Well at least there is “space” between us. I’m sure everyone who isn’t us can also tell us apart by that.

    And yeah, usually I try not to post so close to yours as I’m more a lurker than a real commenter.

  12. 12.

    RalfW

    I think over time this dump would be less dumpy.

    I like dumpy.

    And I don’t just say that as a knee jerk reaction to the threat of change.

    Being part of a larger site means stylebooks, house-effects, whatever you want to call them. I don’t care what iron clad gar-un-tees JC could get (if he bothered), over time, they’d pretty up the place. Politics ain’t pretty.

  14. 14.

    Radon Chong

    So John said something earlier today about trolling his own readers, and now you’re showing him how it’s really done, right? RIGHT?

  16. 16.

    dww44

    I hope it doesn’t happen. This is my go to site, where I mostly lurk, but I must agree with Paul W’s comment about the commenters at the Daily Beast.

    If it does happen, I will be very sad. This whole internet blogging journalism seems to have entered a period of rapid change. Not the least of which are site redos which are not improvement on what they replaced.

  17. 17.

    danimal

    Will they provide technical support?

    You know, so I don’t have to scroll 4/5 of a mile to read comments on occasion?

  19. 19.

    Earl Butz

    I always expect to click my bookmark and get a 404 that says “Fuck you ungrateful assholes, I’m taking the animals for a walk and turning off the server.”

    I am not in favor but agree with Stuck above; I wouldn’t put up with the constant torrent of abuse John gets virtually every day.

  21. 21.

    Lynn Dee

    I don’t care for Tina Brown. She seems like a biyotch to me without any redeeming skills or attributes. Other than that I have no opinion of the move being considered.

  24. 24.

    PaulW

    @Paul W.:

    I know, right PaulW? Well at least there is “space” between us. I’m sure everyone who isn’t us can also tell us apart by that.
    And yeah, usually I try not to post so close to yours as I’m more a lurker than a real commenter.

    Wait. How do I know I’m not you? What’s the codephrase I promised myself if I ever ran into a future version of me would give my past self for verification…?

  25. 25.

    Zelma

    If this is serious, I can understand but would not be real happy. Although don’t comment much, this is my number one blog destination, not only for the front page stuff but also for the comments which I read assiduously. Call me selfish, but I like the feeling of intimacy and community which Balloon Juice has. I worry that this might be lost on a larger platform.

  29. 29.

    Mike Goetz

    Wow, you’re going to throw in with such luminaries as Niall Ferguson, Howard Kurtz and Mark McKinnon? Well, I suppose you’ll class up the joint a bit.

    This blog was nice while it lasted.

  30. 30.

    Bruce S

    Tell Tina your commenters are holding out for bigger boodle or we’ll abandon ship. Don’t play this the way the White House plays “negotiating” with the GOP. Take her for every last dime you can get. If the money’s good, go for it.

    (And be sure to turn around and start another blog on blogspot or typepad…just to let her know that you’re on the same ethical page.)

  32. 32.

    Ron

    @Zelma: Yeah, that was my thought as well. I can’t blame John for doing it, but I think the community feel here (or dysfunctional family feel as it sometimes seems) would be damaged by this sort of move.

  34. 34.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    Blech. That’s really all I have to say. Eddie is eating and running around, but also slowly licking off his fur; I think there’s some sort of skin allergy, but the tests came back saying his problems were mostly related to grasses, and there’s no way the grasses in Minneapolis are causing anyone serious problems yet. The only other thing that was borderline positive was dust mites, and I have no idea how to get rid of them. Then again, *I’m* having some serious itchy skin problems, so maybe I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on when I start heading to the doctor to have it checked in a couple of weeks.

    Beyond that, I’m kind of mad at a roleplaying friend, and I’m starting to worry about my mental health again.

    Blech.

  35. 35.

    mr. whipple

    I think this blog should be moved to the Atlantic, so ya’ll can be closer to McMegan.

  37. 37.

    fraught

    Only if BJ commenters share in the profits. Isn’t Sully moving to the Beast? Too Close.

    30 days hath…

  38. 38.

    newhavenguy

    Daily Caller’s full already?

    Nice TPM piece on lawsuit against James O’Keefe, famous for his stings revolving around child prostitution, Pimps n’ Hoes role playing and of course the floating rape kit thing with “This bubble-headed-bleach-blonde” from CNN.

    The thing that made me vomit in my mouth a little bit:

    [Plaintiff’s attorney] also writes that O’Keefe’s claim that the California statute penalizes the use of video technology by individuals with their families — like “a husband who, seeking to
    preserve a spontaneous and unselfconscious family moment, surreptitiously turns a video
    recording device” on his wife — is “creepy in the extreme.”

    I’m not the libelous type, but bed wetting, fires and small animals come to mind. I guess it’s good that he found a more productive outlet for his… well, whatever there is there instead of “feelings” than that other noted Young Republican Ted Bundy.

    Maybe I’m just a prude, but when you start incorporating “surreptitious” video into your “spontaneous and unself conscious family moments”? Really? Family moments? (Wait WTF, unselfconscious???)

    Um, yeah, you are one sick fuck. That’s illegal, by the way, and it should be. 1st Amendment and all, I still think all participants must agree to be in your sex tape, Jimmy, or you are committing a crime. Sorry, I know what that must do to your secret feelings of power. And yes, James, I know that’s why you are a Libertarian.

    Even without the Freudian slip, “creepy in the extreme” doesn’t begin to cover it. Also note this was Mr. O’Keefe’s argument in court, not confessions to his shrink or anything.

    Just a pawn, but a very, very scary and creepy one.

  39. 39.

    danimal

    @Radon Chong: That was my first thought as well. If this is a spoof, it’s a classic.

    If it’s not, then I hope Cole et al get rich off the deal, especially the folks on the public payroll.

  42. 42.

    Resident Firebagger

    Wish I had a snarky comment, but I don’t. B-J would probably improve the Daily Beast, and not the other way around. Cole would retain some sanity, and I certainly won’t fault him for wanting to do that.

    Then again I wonder if Cole is projecting his frustrations with Rosie onto the commenters. The owner of my duplex has a Jack Russell Terrorist, and that little dog is crazy hysterical like Michele Bachmann.

    I guess I had a somewhat snarky comment after all…

  44. 44.

    Arclite

    Nice April fool’s joke play off Sully’s move, but if we did move there, at least we’d have tiered comments. This blog has outgrown the flat comment thread model.

  45. 45.

    drknow

    Don’t do it. The Beast is unintelligible on a good day and mostly they are fucked. There’s no sign of life. Do you really want to be sucking Barry Diller’s toes while Tina Brown explains why the Daily Beast is better than Huffpo…

    plus Sullivan is going to be there shortly…

    plus do you want all of us to be subjected to Newsweek subscription offers.

    plus Daily Beast really sucks and Balloon Juice doesn’t.

  46. 46.

    Suffern ACE

    I’m thinking National Geographic or Juxtapoz would make me happier. I’d like this blog to have better pictures or postings on hip lowbrow art and sneakers. But beggars can’t be choosers.

  47. 47.

    beabea

    @Zelma: Agree word-for-word, right down to the “infrequent commenter but I read all the comments” part, etc. And I’ll second OCD #26 while I’m at it. Of course none of this would exist without John’s efforts but isn’t there some other way to make this work better for him? With the rest of the world as messed up as it is, I am very fearful of the Law of Unintended Consequences attaching to Balloon Juice. Like some kind of blog equivalent of New Coke or something.

  49. 49.

    MattR

    @newhavenguy: It took me quite a while to figure it out, but I think he is talking about a situation where a husband decides to surprise his wife with some ridiculously extravagant gift and wants to get the surprised reaction on tape.

  50. 50.

    AAA Bonds

    I think we should send the CIA in, because they are always doing things that make liberals happy in other countries.

    Yep, the good ol’ reliable CIA. I trust those boys. Love ’em, even.

  54. 54.

    AAA Bonds

    No, seriously, the Daily Beast is shit. But can y’all pass up the publicity? Could I?

  56. 56.

    Moonbatting Average

    @mr. whipple: Who gives a shit about McMegan? A move to the Atlantic would get them closer to St. Sully!

    (my 4/1/11 prank: emailing my advisor to let him know that my dog ate my thesis)

  57. 57.

    asiangrrlMN

    @MattR: I don’t care what that piece of shiitake’s reasoning is (and, by the way, I think you are being far too generous in your assessment of O’Keefe and/or his lawyer). It is extremely creepy and icky and if a partner of mine did that to me for any reason, that partner would be in a world of hurt. As lawyer dude said, courts have a word for this–criminal.

    @Moonbatting Average: Nope. He’s moving to The Daily Beast, which is what spurred this spoof post.

  59. 59.

    Citizen_X

    @Radon Chong: You just know that the first four words of DougJ’s first draft were “John’s in talks with Arianna…” but he decided, “No. Too obvious.”

  60. 60.

    newhavenguy

    @Comrade DougJ: A while ago a few people at work were wondering why one of our execs wasn’t getting repeated airline confirmations in his e-mail.

    After a few hours someone realized it was Virgin airlines… whose mail was bludgeoned to death by the spam filter.

  61. 61.

    Bruce S

    Honestly, whatever ups readership if you maintain editorial control over your “God’s Little Acre” on the Beast. This may be an April Fool’s post that went up prematurely, but if not, that’s my honest opinion. “Purism” is for…uh…purists. That doesn’t seem to be one of your flaws.

  62. 62.

    max

    Gee. Why not the New York Times, huh? HUH?

    max
    [‘Is there something wrong with y’all?’]

  63. 63.

    James E Powell

    I fear it would be the end of the last blog that I read several times a day, every day.

  64. 64.

    beabea

    I’m assuming DougJ isn’t posting from Tonga or Fiji, but even if he were, it’s not April 1 yet even there . OTOH, John has mused in the past about commenters that post for awhile and then disappear. So maybe this is a way of smoking out long-lost commenters?

  65. 65.

    erlking

    The amount of coin that it would bring in for Charlie’s Angels would almost make it worthwhile, but those comment sections on DB are full of assholes. So, not worth it.

  67. 67.

    MattR

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I don’t care what that piece of shiitake’s reasoning is

    I read that as “shitcake” and wondered when you fell off the wagon.

    I think you are being far too generous in your assessment of O’Keefe and/or his lawyer

    I was completely fluxxomed by O’Keefe’s statement and that was the only thing I could come up with that made any amount of sense. I don’t think it is too unreasonable to think these jackasses can come up with ridiculous hypotheticals that distort the law in order to further their own agenda.

    if a partner of mine did that to me for any reason, that partner would be in a world of hurt

    I think my reaction would depend on how quickly the other person showed me the camera. If they walked right over, turned it off and brought it out to show me then I don’t think I would be pissed off. Especially if it was a great surprise.

    As lawyer dude said, courts have a word for this—criminal.

    No doubt.

  68. 68.

    Kristine

    Apropos of nothing, I’m wondering why the BJ tweets post in duplicate? It’s a consistent, repeatable thing. The tweets travel in pairs, like nuns in a cloister.

  69. 69.

    RossInDetroit

    John’s in talks with Tina Brown

    What section of the Yellow Pages has cleaners to get these head fragments off the walls?

  70. 70.

    asiangrrlMN

    @MattR: Yeah. I wasn’t yelling at you. I just really loathe this piece of caca, and I don’t understand why he’s not in jail.

    I haven’t fallen off the wagon, but I will admit that I have expanded my exempt list: Asshole, ass, and jackass are all legit (body part, body part/animal, animal). But, it’s getting harder and harder with all the batguanocrazy crap coming out of the woodworks.

    I really miss my swears.

    ::Said in a wistful tone::

    ETA: Lent is really Fu Schnicken long. I’m just sayin’.

  73. 73.

    Mitch Guthman

    No money, no life. If there is money in it for him and he will enjoy roughly the same editorial freedom, he should go and get the money and the recognition.

  74. 74.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Radon Chong: I thought everyone knew that Doug J is the best troll in the business. So clearly, when John wants to be serious about trolling the blog, he turns to the master.

  75. 75.

    newhavenguy

    @MattR: One hopes. I’d also think that competent counsel would find a way to phrase it in a less repellent, creepy fashion.

    I’ll bet you a dollar O’Keefe insisted on that phrasing. Maybe I just read too much criminology and abnormal psych, but the power/secret/control aspects of all of his public fantasies are really unnerving. Little Jimmy reminds me of a lot of celebrities I learned about in those textbooks.

  77. 77.

    Luc

    If it would be somewhere on AOL – OK – I hear they pay well.
    But Daily Beast? Can Tunch live with one more beast?

  81. 81.

    DaddyJ

    This blog is like a local bar where you can’t see in the windows and the proprietor is a little bit…uh, he’s a character. But that’s why I lke to hang out here. I would regret the inevitable introduction of ferns, antiques, survey cards at each table and a flair-wearing waitstaff.

  83. 83.

    MattR

    @MikeJ:

    The real trolling is the fact that it is true and nobody would believe it coming from DougJ.

    I can’t believe that Republicans haven’t used that strategy on April 1st.

    @MattR:

    Ass over teats!

    Is that a p0ker hand? Sounds like a type of full house. (EDIT: Aargh, I am stupidly throwing myself into moderation all over this thread. I hope that is not an early sign of carbon monoxide poisoning)

  85. 85.

    Donald G

    In the event Dougj ain’t trolling: John, don’t do it. Remember what happened to Captain “Special Ed” Morrissey after he started taking Michelle Malkin’s shilling over at Hot Air.

  86. 86.

    Ronzoni

    Remember TBogg? Sorta got lost fer me when he moved over to Firedoglake. Gaaaa! Bad Idea.

  87. 87.

    Suffern ACE

    @DaddyJ: Next thing you know, your quiet evening is interrupted by a host of FPers singing the corporate “Happy Birthday” song with sparklers.

  88. 88.

    RossInDetroit

    So now I have to go find another belligerent crank to be verbally abused by? I might as well spend more time at work.

  89. 89.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @MikeJ: ZOMG, you’re right. @asiangrrlMN: Have you tried “holy ship!”? Calling people “bucketheads” or “dipweeds”? Complaining of “shiploads* of stupid” or “stupid shipstains” — it has to be hard with Easter so late.

    * I stole “shiploada” from Bob Herberts last column.

  90. 90.

    beabea

    @DaddyJ: Agree. Who wants ferns instead of the gardening talk, bird-feeding and pet care advice we get here? Who needs antiques when we can comment on pics of John’s furniture? This comment section is better than any survey cards. And no flair-wearing waitstaff can ever measure up to a naked-mopping bloghost.

  91. 91.

    MattR

    @MikeJ:

    The real trolling is the fact that it is true and nobody would believe it coming from DougJ.

    I can’t believe that Republicans haven’t used that strategy on April 1st.

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Ass over teats!

    Is that a p0ker hand? Sounds like a type of full house. (EDIT: Aargh, I am stupidly throwing myself into moderation all over this thread. I hope that is not an early sign of carbon monoxide poisoning)

    [Reposting since I am not sure if any FPer’s are around to unlock the original from moderation)

  92. 92.

    FlipYrWhig

    I hope after the move there’s a user ID system like they have on DailyKos or, for that matter, on The Prisoner, so we can know for sure who’s been around longest and therefore ranks highest. Also we could have “mojo” so we can recommend each other’s posts and then complain about how it’s being manipulated.

  93. 93.

    Judas Escargot

    Just peeked over there and clicked the ‘Politics” tab.

    OMG! Geraldine Ferraro is dead!

  98. 98.

    asiangrrlMN

    FYWP. Repost. I said the dreaded gamblin’ word.

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Nope. I’ve pretty much settled on Damascus figs, Hades, shiitake (mushroom for emphasis), batguanocrazy, Fu Shnickens, fusilli, fumigating, dingdang, I threw in a Dalmatians or two along the way, but that didn’t really catch my fancy, and a few variations thereof. It really is hard to keep coming up with new swears since I mostly use them for emphasis.

    I was not raised Catholic, so I had NO IDEA Lent was forty days and forty nights. We’re not even halfway through.

    ::weeps quietly::

    Oh, I forgot. Anus beret and anal cap are a few more I use.

    @MattR: That would be an awe-sum card hand. “My ass-over-teats beats your jackhole-over-buttocks any day!”

  99. 99.

    TooManyJens

    @MattR:

    I can’t believe that Republicans haven’t used that strategy on April 1st.

    Didn’t they release their “budget” on April 1 a couple of years ago? The one that was all big fonts and bubble diagrams?

  100. 100.

    CaseyL

    I’m with the herd on this one:

    1. Ha! Great April Fool’s joke.

    2. Wait; what? It’s for reals?

    3. Profit!! (for John)

    I hope it’s not true, but if it is true, and our host will earn googobs of cash, then he should go for it. I love the idea of John getting rich from this blog, which has been my home away from home for many years now.

  101. 101.

    LosGatosCA

    Don’t let him take a penny under $350M.

    I’ll be bittersweet in never visiting this site again, once I realize that John’s just another corporate whore selling his visitors’ eyeballs for a godless buck.

    But then I’ll reflect a bit and send a proposal to John – an offer to have him be my sugar daddy, just like George Soros has been for him.

    I’d love to share my ideas on the new site I’m planning but I really want to maintain the exclusivity for John to start working on doubling hid $350M. I can tell you that I’ve opened up a new account in the Caymans and I’ve put the GE tax accounting team on retainer in expectation of John going all in on it.

    Just one question, does Tina Brown have $350M to blow on a shitty blog like this? Cause those tax guys are soaking me and I don’t want to waste real cash if John won’t have the funds to subsidize me for years until I get my own $300M+ deal.

  102. 102.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    Hmmmm… big commentariat community vs. no more FYWP. I’ll take FYWP, Alex.

    OTOH, do commenters get paid per comment at Tina’s Place? Or maybe just for the wittier ones?

  103. 103.

    newhavenguy

    @fraught: No, I don’t know that either. A little homicidal triad joke on my part. It’s how they do. Not all of them grow up to be serial killers, to be fair to Mr. O’Keefe. Some find productive outlets for their rage and emptiness in careers as managers, trial attorneys, sales, fraud… a lot of choices out there for a sociopath. Wall Street can be good for that kind of personality too, though I think O’Keefe is more of the abusive prison guard type.

  108. 108.

    piratedan

    does this mean that John keeps BJ going and that Tunch is posting at TDB? At least he’d be more informative than Sully, possible more entertaining too.

  111. 111.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    Reposting, since I changed my handle and was stuck in moderation for more than an hour . . .

    Blech. That’s really all I have to say. Eddie is eating and running around, but also slowly licking off his fur; I think there’s some sort of skin allergy, but the tests came back saying his problems were mostly related to grasses, and there’s no way the grasses in Minneapolis are causing anyone serious problems yet. The only other thing that was borderline positive was dust mites, and I have no idea how to get rid of them. Then again, I’m having some serious itchy skin problems, so maybe I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on when I start heading to the doctor to have it checked in a couple of weeks.

    Beyond that, I’m kind of mad at a roleplaying friend, and I’m starting to worry about my mental health again.

    Blech.

  112. 112.

    sukabi

    if this a serious proposition I’d say no… why on earth would you want to share the same blogspace with dimbulbs like Meh-gan McCain?

  116. 116.

    xyzxyzxyz

    Political: I just watched “Inside Job”. I just don’t know how you move forward. The usual suspects are advising the current administration, no one will face penalties, and the financial sector is stronger than ever. On one hand you think “throw the bums out”…but will we get better with another admmin? Probably not. So, I guess the appropriate response is to organize and support people who are working for the average folks. I don’t expect any comments on this since that conclusion is obvious…..but after the movie I’m feeling that we’re moving backwards. That has to change.

    Non-political: I adopted a rescue dog two months ago (largely because of some of the posts here and thinking “why not me?”). “Betsy” and the family are making progress. She’s afraid of other dogs, and she jumps on the counters when we’re not at home. Although she’s old (10 years), she’s sweet with people, and may be the best dog I’ve ever shared my house with. I can deal.

  117. 117.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): My elderly cat (16 or so) has been licking off the fur on her belly for years. The only time it stopped was when she was terribly lethargic with a double whammy of respiratory and thyroid diseases. I assume it’s allergies of some kind. I’ve changed around food brands and litters and it hasn’t helped with the licking. The vet’s perspective appears to be that, given how many different things she has had wrong with her, no problem that isn’t immediately life-threatening is worth bothering to treat. Sometimes I appreciate that, and sometimes it makes me sad.

  119. 119.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    @FlipYrWhig: It’s unlikely I’ll treat it. I’m just thinking that itching all the time isn’t any more pleasant than being in pain all the time, so I’m trying to keep it in mind as I make decisions. That said, he’s eating, so I’m not going to do anything about it now.

  121. 121.

    HE Pennypacker, Wealthy Industrialist

    I guess it’s not HuffPo, that’s something. I like the idea of John cashing out, if that’s what’s really on offer. But I don’t like the idea of not having a place where I want to comment. Plus, there are tabs there for food, business, causes, yuppie swine, and organic salad, but nothing for drunk posting and pets? Fuck it, it’s not the kind of place I want to hang out.

  122. 122.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Yeah, that was our basic criterion too: can’t do anything that upsets her desire to eat, because she’s damn stubborn, and if she gets it in her head that she doesn’t feel like eating, pounds will just disappear. Does Eddie by any chance lick plastic, like dry-cleaning bags? My cat loves to do that, and I have no explanation for it.

  123. 123.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    @FlipYrWhig: He doesn’t. I have another one that chews on plastic. However, I’ve figured out that she only does it to make herself throw up when she’s upset that I’m not paying attention to her. She’s the household diva.

    However, I didn’t phrase myself clearly. If I see enough evidence that all of the itching really bothers him, I will put Eddie to sleep over it. As I said, that’s as bad as chronic pain. I just don’t see any reason to at this point.

  126. 126.

    neal peart

    Geddy, Alex and I knew this fucking blog would pay for itself. Don’t settle for less than $300m.

  128. 128.

    WaterGirl

    The Daily Beast gets trashier every day. I don’t see John making this move.
    (please let me be right)

  129. 129.

    Anne Laurie

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):

    The only other thing that was borderline positive was dust mites, and I have no idea how to get rid of them. Then again, I’m having some serious itchy skin problems, so maybe I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on when I start heading to the doctor to have it checked in a couple of weeks.

    This has been a horrible, horrible few months for those of us with what the marketers call “winter itch“. Basically, if you are susceptible to skin problems at all, the low indoor humidity & the fact that molds & mildew spores are recirculating through the heating ducts leads to skin so dry it itches, so you scratch it, which leads to rashes — or fur loss, for our animal housemates. I’ve got patches of eczema for the first time in years, the Spousal Unit’s rosacea is acting up, and our one dog with “skin issues” has been scratching his cysts till they bled.

    Don’t know what Eddie’s dietary restrictions are, but if you can get more oils in his diet (drain a can of tuna or sardines in olive oil & see if he’ll lick it up) that may help some. The other thing is to open the windows & get some air circulating in your house, which really isn’t feasible when the temperatures insist it’s mid-February instead of almost-April. If your furnace has an air filter, changing it might be a good idea. And If Eddie mostly spends his time in one or two rooms, and he doesn’t mind the noise, a HEPA air cleaner might make both of you more comfortable.

  130. 130.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    @Anne Laurie: I don’t have a heating system at all. I use plug-in oil radiators. I might try an air cleaner, and maybe see if he’ll take some olive oil with the gravy he gets his meds in.

  133. 133.

    Elizabelle

    I hope DougJ is kidding.

    Not very funny. This place is authentic.

    It wouldn’t be were it attached to any of the big media companies.

    PS: I don’t like tiered comments, FWIW. Choppy.

  134. 134.

    Steeplejack

    Can you use the word socialism in comments over there? &#146Cause if you can, I’m tempted. Very tempted.

  135. 135.

    Montarvillois

    If you can’t get enough information about the upcoming royal nuptials, go to The Daily Beast.

  137. 137.

    JGabriel

    DougJ @ Top:

    John’s in talks with Tina Brown about moving this dump to the Daily Beast. Thoughts?

    If this means we’ll all finally get our Soros checks, then Hooray! Otherwise, not so much.

    I’m assuming this is an early April 1st “present”.

    .

  138. 138.

    licensed to kill time

    I didn’t believe this for one second, DougJ. But way to give a bunch of coronaries to the commentariat!

  140. 140.

    Haiwei

    Also assuming April fools joke. If it were serious, it would obviously mean the death of the blog.

  143. 143.

    LGRooney

    Only if you lock in all of us current commenters and take us along as front pagers. We’ll make it our own!

  145. 145.

    lllphd

    i gotta say, the biggest laugh for me came when i looked at the number of comments: 144.

    too funny.

    (and that’s meant as a compliment; you guys sneeze more cool than tina will ever have.

  146. 146.

    Msskwesq

    NO, no, no! I cannot stand the Daily Beast. Tina Brown is just disgusting. NO! This Blog is just right, don’t change anything!

Comments are closed.