Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Republicans do not trust women.

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

Republicans in disarray!

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

He really is that stupid.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

We will not go back.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Books are my comfort food!

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

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

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

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

All hail the time of the bunny!

An almost top 10,000 blog!

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

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Reader Interactions

144Comments

  1. 1.

    lamh34

    OMG!! What is up with these air traffic controllers?

    Close Call!!!

    The Washington Post reports that a White House plane carrying Michelle Obama on Monday almost hit a military jet and had to abort a landing at Andrews Air Force Base, because a traffic controller made a mistake.

    Officials told the Post that the traffic controllers thought the military cargo jet couldn’t get out of the way on the runway before Obama’s plane landed. A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration is expected later in the day..

    Another non-Politico link:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/plane-with-michelle-obama-had-to-abort-landing-due-to-mistake/2011/04/19/AFsRLC7D_story.html

  2. 2.

    Violet

    You think you’ve got it bad. I’m on Prednisone and it’s making me want to eat everything in sight. I feel like I’ve gained five pounds in two days. Ugh.

  3. 3.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Just get out and walk two or three miles a day. With or without the pooches.

  4. 4.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Asked way downstream in EDK’s thread: anyone know anything about a near miss/aborted landing on a plane with FLOTUS aboard? Am trying to find updates but not much luck so far.

  6. 6.

    Studly Pantload, Vibrant Trollbot for Obama

    That must explain why you haven’t had a drink in weeks and are guzzling tea these days.

    I could do without the pizza; instead, I’d be thinking about beer constantly. (Which, come to think of it, is also a very Homer-esque thing to do.)

  7. 7.

    Loneoak

    My big news: there will be a Loneoak, Jr! Due on Thanksgiving day.

    Trying to convince my wife to name it after someone from the 2010 Packers will be a challenge, though.

  9. 9.

    demkat620

    I have lost 12 lbs by walking and watching portions.

    Tried to cut down on the carbs too.

  15. 15.

    kindness

    Eat celery. It takes more energy to push it through your system than you can get out of it. Don’t slather it with peanut butter or cream cheese either….that’s plain cheating.

  20. 20.

    MikeJ

    @SiubhanDuinne: Doesn’t sound like that big a deal. I’ve been on planes where the same thing happened.

    A cargo plane was on the runway when flotus’ plane was cleared to land, which is pretty normal. Everybody thought it would be clear of the runway before her plane got there. Cargo plane was slow turning off, her plane had to go around.

    I got a wonderful aerial tour of San Francisco from a 747 when the same thing happened at SFO once. I would guess it happens several times every day.

  21. 21.

    joeyess

    Mmmmmm……….. pizza.

    My favorite Simpson’s episode involves the discovery of one of Bart’s teachers being gay and Homer being bound and determined to disabuse Bart of having any of teh gay rub off on him via association.

    Setting about his task, Homer arranges a series of “manly” activities for Bart to engage in. One of which involves buying Bart a pack of cigarettes. Taking him down to the local smoke-shop, Homer asks Bart which brand Bart would like to try……. “Ok, boy…. what brand of cigarettes should we buy?” Bart answers “Virginia Slims”. We’re then treated to the patented Homer “D’oh!”

  22. 22.

    lamh34

    speaking of the Simpsons, here is a perfect description of Mitt Romney stolen from one of my fav bloggers. Read the whole post if ya like, if ya haven’t read Black Snob before, she is fantastic and it’s a pretty funny pseudo-profile of Mittens!

    Mitt Romney Is My Favorite Lovable, Extremely Wealthy Hypocrite

    …I love Mitt Romney. Not enough to ever vote him president or anything. But I love him the way that he looks and sounds like an Evil Ned Flanders who actually sucks at being evil. Like, he tried being evil. He really, REALLY tried! But as a testament to nearly every actual Mormon I’ve ever met, he’s a pathetically nice person … even when hating everything about you…

  23. 23.

    Nicole

    Elisabeth Sladen, who played my favorite companion on Doctor Who, passed away today. So sad.

  24. 24.

    Svensker

    Low carb. No pizza or donuts, but lots of chops, steaks and cheese. And celery. And salads. It’s not so bad, really. Rough if you’re a vegetarian, however.

  26. 26.

    Joe Beese

    Chris Floyd:

    Back in the heady, heated days before the invasion of Iraq, one of the quickest ways to be relegated to the margins of the debate was to claim that the financial interests of politically connected oil companies played any role in the considerations of the great statesmen of the West as they confronted the global menace of Saddam Hussein. … But this week, the Independent unearthed a remarkable cache of “smoking gun” documents that confirm, yet again, the collusion of political leaders and oil barons to divvy up Iraq’s oil — months before the invasion was launched. The documents — minutes of meetings between British ministers and senior oil executives — paint a bald, brazen picture of politicos and plutocrats jockeying to ensure that the oil barons get what one of Blair’s own ministers called — in the Capone-like patois that our great and good use when they think no one is listening — “a fair slice of the action” when the invaders seize control of Iraq’s oil. … And you can bet your bottom dollar that the same kind of “conversations” revealed in the Independent are going on right now, hugger-mugger, between politically connected oil companies and the great statesmen of the West as they seek “a fair slice of the action” in Libya’s oil fields.

  27. 27.

    gene108

    Trying to lose weight but all I can think about is pizza.

    Me too.

    I really don’t know why God made pizza so tasty and so bad for you at the same time. If ever there’s proof of a vengeful God, it’s negative dietary effects of ice cream and pizza versus how damn tasty they are.

  28. 28.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Trying to lose weight but all I can think about is pizza.

    Which diet ya on?

  29. 29.

    You Don't Say

    I’m in the same boat. Lost about 12 pounds and want to keep the momentum going because I could gain it all back in a second, but all I want to do is eat. :(

  32. 32.

    General Stuck

    Funny, for some reason, I feel like a Scarecrow. And all I can think about is — if I only had a brane/troll bait

  35. 35.

    trollhattan

    @MikeJ:

    The supposed big deal is that it was a monster C17 while she was in a 737. Minimum distance was five miles and this was a “serious loss of separation.” Whatever that means.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/plane-with-michelle-obama-had-to-abort-landing-due-to-mistake/2011/04/19/AFsRLC7D_story.html?hpid=z1

    Also, too. Voter fraud! Now in new Republican Mint Chippie flavor.

    http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/04/allegations-of-vote-fraud-dise.html

  36. 36.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @Loneoak: Congratulations! And just in time, that SamKitten looks like he’s soon to be a our collegiate mascot instead of our baby mascot. We need a new baby to ooo and aahh at. Save our toddler ooo’s and aaaah’s for SamK.

  37. 37.

    Very Reverend Crimson Fire of Compassion

    @Loneoak: Congrats! Maybe if you present the name in a different context, like some beloved dead relative you want to memorialize . . .

  41. 41.

    Turgidson

    This probably isn’t easy to arrange in your town of 300, but I’ve found that sometimes the only way to beat a pizza craving is to allow yourself one (1) slice only. I walk to a nearby place that sells by the slice when I have a craving yet know it’s a bad idea to make/order a whole pizza.

  42. 42.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    So eat pizza. Just one slice (share it with a group of people). And then walk, walk, walk. 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week can actually help you lose weight and keep it off. Works for me – I hate running and I eat everything I want to, just in much smaller portions than I used to plus 8 servings of fruits and veggies (those fill you up but have fewer calories).

  46. 46.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Loneoak: Why? Why would that be a problem? Aaron Charles Donald Clay Zombo Loneoak is a perfect good name. Just move Zombo to the front and add terminal “A”s to the other names if its a girl.

  47. 47.

    Kirk Spencer

    So? Have pizza. Just… not a 12 inch super deluxe deep dish with extra everything. Make your own 6 or 8 inch (size depends on your diet restrictions and appetite needs.)

    Let me even help you do the “quick” way instead of doing everything from scratch (best, but time consuming).

    Buy a loaf of frozen bread dough. Use a new hacksaw blade unless you’ve a knife that’ll handle frozen goods, and cut off a 3 inch piece (roughly 1/4 or 1/5 of the loaf). Set that in a bowl to thaw, wrap the rest and put that into the freezer for next time. (Or cut the rest up and wrap them individually so you don’t have to buy new blades for the hacksaw.)

    Sauce: Least effort is to buy a small jar of an adequate commercial spaghetti sauce. Spoon out about 1/3 cup, then go nuts with spices. A clove or 20 (grin) of minced garlic. A dash of oregano, thyme, parsley, basil, a hint of clove and cayenne, go make it personal. One small hint – don’t be subtle with the spices. They’ll be spread thin and they’ll fade from the heat. Oh – if you’ve got it add about half a teaspoon of wine. It’ll help bring out the tomato flavors.

    Toppings: A bit of mozzarella, and whatever you want the cheese to cover. Mushrooms are excellent for the dieter, as are most veggies. Meats are ok, but they’re the most likely thing to bust your diet. Because it’s diet, no more than three toppings under the cheese, and one is best.

    (If you want a personal favorite, slice the mushrooms, then saute them in some garlic butter. season with a bit of salt and rosemary, finish with a bit of ground pepper.)

    Stick your pan in the oven and turn it on to 450. By pan I mean pizza stone if you have one, cast iron griddle for second choice, cast iron skillet turned upside down for third choice.

    Roll out the dough to 6-8 inches round. Put it on a wooden cutting board (because i suspect you haven’t got a peel) that you’ve dusted with corn powder, and make sure it slides when you jiggle the board. Lightly spread the sauce on the dough, spread the toppings, finish with the cheese.

    Oven’s hot? slide the pizza onto the pan and close the door. 10-12 minutes and it’s (probably) done, though if you loaded it heavy it’ll take longer.

  48. 48.

    bemused

    I suppose making a “healthy” version pizza wouldn’t cut it. When I’ve got a craving for one particular meal, I’ll think about it for days.

  49. 49.

    birthmarker

    @Loneoak: My original due date by way of doctor was Nov. 24th. Then changed to November 30. Baby arrived on Dec. 10th. Weighed almost 10 pounds, too, I might add!!

    The bad part was I quit going to work at Thanksgiving, and nearly died of boredom. Mopped every day–you know, to get ready for the baby..

    Over 20 years ago, now.

  55. 55.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @birthmarker: This reminds me of my littlest brother. He was due early December, I was 15 and was spent that first part of December jumping every time a teach got an intercom call, thinking it would be calling me out of class to watch my other brother while mom went to the hospital. Instead he decided to be born two days before Christmas, while I was on break. Took all the fun out of it.

  56. 56.

    MoZeu

    I find only swimming will allow me to eat whatever I feel like and still lose weight. Today I swam for about 80 minutes. I just had a Boont Amber and ate a fully loaded Chipotles carnitas burrito with guac and extra meat. I swear I could eat something else now if I really wanted to. And tomorrow I will not have gained a pound.

    I tell ya’, if you can get into swimming, you’ll be a happy and svelte man forever. I only took it up as an adult. It can be done.

  58. 58.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @PurpleGirl #13: look at time stamps, I was writing while lamh was posting. I acknowledged ASAP. Not to be snarky :-)

    Thx to everyone who replied. Some day I’ll learn to recognise media hyperbole for what it is.

  60. 60.

    BombIranForChrist

    As an arugula eating elitist hippie, I enjoy a nice slice or 12 of pizza, but the biggest threat to my waistline is hummus. I would eat gallons of the stuff, if my stomach was big enough. And soon it will be.

  61. 61.

    Dee Loralei

    @Nicole: Damn, she was awfully young, wasn’t she? Now that means no more Adventures of Sarah Jane. I had season three in my queue and should be getting them later this week or early next.

  66. 66.

    MikeJ

    @trollhattan: Meh. They still weren’t that close together and the only problem was that had they landed in sequence the C17 wouldn’t have cleared the runway yet. The controllers noticed and they went around. Which is why you have controllers.

  69. 69.

    MattR

    @Loneoak: Thanksgiving is a wonderful day to be born. I highly recommend it.

    EDIT for John:
    Mr. Burns (Golfing with Homer): Use an open-faced club! A sand wedge!
    Homer: Mmmmm… open-faced club sandwich.

  74. 74.

    daize

    @sukabi: Remember the episode in which Homer’s head was transformed into a giant donut? He kept eating pieces of it in spite of Marge’s admonishments because, “But I’m so tasty!”

    John — don’t imagine your head as a giant pizza.

  76. 76.

    JGabriel

    @The Bobs:

    If it were up to Obama, you couldn’t get a pizza, only broccoli.

    I like broccoli. On pizza.

    Also without pizza.

    .

  77. 77.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @stuckinred: Hey, I am heavier than I once was but I wouldn’t say i am fat. Of course, I was merely airborne qualified and didn’t serve in an Airborne unit.

  78. 78.

    Nicole

    @Dee Loralei: Liz Sladen was young- 63. I’m glad she had so much career success at the end (I think SJA is a terrific kids’ show and love that the main character was an alien-fighting lady in her 60’s). I heard they had about half of the current season shot. So sad.

  80. 80.

    trollhattan

    @freelancer:

    Don’t torment yerself too much. They’re better than the Usual Suspects but no match for a better-than-average local burger purveyor of the four-napkin variety. I appreciate that they don’t franchise, but where’s my toy?!? [/channeling daughter]

  83. 83.

    MoZeu

    @stuckinred: If I could get there 7 days a week, I think that would work great. But I’m only able to get there about 3 days a week, so I really try to so as much as I can. You probably swim fast, too. I am pretty much of a slow poke, but few can beat me for endurance!

  84. 84.

    MoZeu

    @stuckinred: If I could get there 7 days a week, I think that would work great. But I’m only able to get there about 3 days a week, so I really try to so as much as I can. You probably swim fast, too. I am pretty much of a slow poke, but few can beat me for endurance!

  85. 85.

    trollhattan

    @JGabriel:

    A local place makes a pizza with broccoli rabe that’s far tastier than it should be. They also have Racer 5 on tap.

    Dayummmn, I’m getting hungry here.

  86. 86.

    piratedan

    here’s the question, do you want a happy JC, top of his game, busy blasting the media, the R’s, the D’s and the rest of the happy panache of punditry?

    orrrrrrrr

    would you prefer a slightly grumpy JC, who will be a bit more ill-tempered, quickly judgmental and less tolerant of the dumbfuckery?

    these are the choices that try men’s souls… eat what I want and make my tummy happy but feel vaguely guilty about it or eat what I should and be resentful that I still didn’t get what I wanted.

    oh hell, I got nothin’

  88. 88.

    dan

    Maybe if we stop saying that we want to tax the “rich”, yahoos won’t get so upset. They all think that they are one scratch-off or American Idol audition away from being rich themselves.

    We have to make the case that we need to tax the ultra-rich or mega-rich or super-rich or whatever term will make the point that we are talking about people that make the Oprahs and Charlie Sheens look poor.

  90. 90.

    freelancer

    @trollhattan:

    I mostly miss the unique way they’re ordered and prepped. Animal Style is good, but like once a month at the most because it’s so bad for you. Locally, we just started getting Five Guys in the last couple years. YUM.

  93. 93.

    trollhattan

    @freelancer:

    We just (well, sort of just) got a 5 Guys here. Worth checking out? Probably not coincidentally it’s near one of our In-N-Outs.

  95. 95.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    .
    .
    I’ve always had a great relationship with the whites. They’re very open to most things. Front door, back door, whatevs. Especially Ginni.
    .
    .

  97. 97.

    sistermoon

    The Twitterboards are on fire about Dylan Ratigan’s interview with Andrew Breitbart today. Most popular sentiments seem to be “Ratigan tongue kissing Breitbart… Dylan Ratigan just called the President a LITTLE BOY!!!”

    Did anyone see this? What happened?

  98. 98.

    Yevgraf (fka Michael)

    Is it just me, or does anybody else find “The Borgias” to be so boring as to be nearly unwatchable? It is like watching paint peel, and I say that as somebody who has really read up on the Borgias and Medicis over the past few years.

    I only made it about halfway through the pilot.

  102. 102.

    freelancer

    @trollhattan:

    Five Guys is definitely worth going to. They have a small menu, and you can pick any of the toppings for no additional charge. The only thing to remember is that their “Little Ham/Cheeseburgers” are regular sized, and their standard “Hamburger/Cheeseburger” is a double. Also, regular fries are like a 20oz cup full, and large fries should be its own meal.

  107. 107.

    MIWill

    I watched a Moody Blues youtube video last friday, from I think 3 Quarks Daily, which had a handful of vids (for the fun of friday I guess). Anyway, it was a version of “Ride My See Saw.” I enjoyed it.

    Ok, but it’s been 5 days; this damn song has now been buzzing around my head like a insect.

    G?ddimmit

  108. 108.

    Gravenstone

    @Omnes Omnibus: About 45 minutes south of GB. Hell of a lot of energy in this storm. I’m really not looking forward to seeing what awaits me tomorrow morning.

  110. 110.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Gravenstone: I am waiting for my wife to call me to say that she doesn’t want to walk home from school in the sleet. I hope she does call because she will NOT be a happy camper if she walks a mile in this.

  112. 112.

    stuckinred

    @MoZeu: Not so fast, 1250 a day in 30 minutes. 227 miles last year, we have a little club where we keep track and get a shirt.

  114. 114.

    meh

    I, too have been on the weight loss train. I have been sorely tempted to derail said train due to (what I believe) is the only redeemable thing ever to come out of Pittsburgh. The Steel City Steak and Cheese. Take a 12″ bun, line it with french fries, then stack on a half pound of steak and cheese (provolone please) and top with fried onions. Holy shit, so good.

  115. 115.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    @sukabi:
    .
    .

    you are a bad, bad boy…. lol

    Actually you can call me a baaad baaad boy because I’m the black sheep of the United States Supreme Court.
    .
    .

  117. 117.

    MikeJ

    Only 10 minutes until Skynet is supposed to become aware, if the time given in the movies is east coast time. 5:11PM, April 19.

    On Edit: D’oh. 8:11PM of course.

  118. 118.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    .
    .
    @John Cole:

    Trying to lose weight but all I can think about is pizza.

    Ginni too. All she can think about is her high-protein diet.
    .
    .

  120. 120.

    Anne Laurie

    @Loneoak:

    My big news: there will be a Loneoak, Jr! Due on Thanksgiving day.
    __
    Trying to convince my wife to name it after someone from the 2010 Packers will be a challenge, though.

    Congratulations! Maybe if you start by arguing in favor of ‘Miles Alden Loneoak’ you can negotiate backwards?

  121. 121.

    burnspbesq

    Spending a lot of time listening to the new Jason Isbell record. Best new music so far this year, IMO.

  126. 126.

    burnspbesq

    @stuckinred:

    Taco Mesa is a small chain of quick-service restaurants in OC run by a mad culinary genius named Ivan Calderon. The blackened calamari taco is one of his signature dishes, and it is seriously to die for.

    “borrrrring” referred to in-n-out. It’s really good, but just not very exciting. It’s also the only fast food chain in SoCal that still employs limply-faced Caucasian teenagers, which is unsurprising given the Snyders’ politics.

  127. 127.

    stuckinred

    @burnspbesq: And has little jesus sayings on their cups. My family is up in the South Bay and whenever I’m out there I buy a shirt or two. They always look stunned when I tell them I don’t eat that stuff!

  129. 129.

    LGRooney

    “Don’t blame me, I’m not the one who puts butter in your coffee.” – Marge

  130. 130.

    Strandedvandal

    Losing weight is easy.
    Step 1 Go to India
    Step 2 Buy a bottle of water from a street cart
    Step 3 Drink it
    Step 4 Wait…

    I’ve caught something from what I assumed to be a fairly innocuous piece of fruit that local brought from his garden. Here’s hoping it isn’t Cipro resistant. At this rate, I should be down to 175 in no time and ready for race season. Sure beats all that pesky training.

  131. 131.

    Anne Laurie

    @stuckinred:

    Why is it that everyone I know that was airborne is fat?

    I’m guessing the high-stimulus-craving ‘Impulsivity’ neurochemistry that makes certain individuals willing to jump out of perfectly functional airplanes also makes it harder for those same individuals to resist delicious, easy-to-obtain, high-caloric foodstuffs even in the face of logical arguments that they’re unhealthy over the long term.

  132. 132.

    birthmarker

    @luc: I clicked on this link and began to browse around, and lo and behold on April 9th, under a post called Jousting With the Atlantic, the blog author got into a long point counterpoint concerning fat consumption in the diet of aboriginals with McArdle!!

  133. 133.

    Jill

    You know, if you allow yourself a slice or two of pizza, you might find it easier to have just a little instead of the whole pie.

    I’m not particularly fond of cheesecake. Too heavy, too much like eating a wad of cream cheese. But if you tell me I can never have cheesecake, you can bet your life that I’m going to want cheesecake — large quantities of it — NOW.

  134. 134.

    licensed to kill time

    @Strandedvandal: haha! I’ve suggested that very thing as a sure-fire weight loss program for years, only it was ‘buy ice-cold water for 2 paisa from street cart, make sure to use communal cup’. Once you get over the horrible week, enjoy the rest of your time in India and come home rail thin.

    Better than a spa, cheaper, too!

  135. 135.

    Platonicspoof

    Trying to lose weight but all I can think about is pizza.

    Do you like tangerines?

    This article looks promising if you like to do interesting experiments on yourself.

    An example of a link with tips on adding tangerine peel to your diet.

    Or, looking on the bright side, you could eat the pizza and stay bulked up to defend yourself when wrestling with sumocat Tunch.

  136. 136.

    HE Pennypacker, Wealthy Industrialist

    Celebrate by wrapping a stick of butter in a pancake and eating it.

  137. 137.

    General Stuck

    @stuckinred:

    Why is it that everyone I know that was airborne is fat?

    Having been one of those fools, I can say that I hover somewhere in the nethers of fat and just muscular, or athletic. Maybe it is because they ran us near to death those 4 weeks of training to skin and bones, and now we have spent our lives overcompensating. I dunno

  138. 138.

    BR

    Here’s a simple trick that actually works, but it’s a bit weird:

    Twice a day, eat a spoon of vegetable oil (preferably one of the more flavorless varieties), and don’t eat or drink anything before or after (except water) for about an hour on either side.

    That’s it. It won’t have a profound effect, but you’ll find that your appetite decreases a fair bit, and not from nausea or anything like that.

  140. 140.

    Luc

    @birthmarker: Yes, when I read it a few days back, I was very surprised the “common theme” of improving on McArdles arguments. At least she picked an interesting topic.

  142. 142.

    Nimm

    @freelancer:

    Also, regular fries are like a 20oz cup full, and large fries should be its own meal.

    Serious understatement.

    Five Guys Fries (large)
    1,464 calories
    71 g fat (14 g saturated)
    213 mg sodium
    ……

    That’s just about three meals worth of calories.
    Probably the “worst” order of fries in the country, calorically speaking.

  144. 144.

    YoYosarian

    I watched some of the Brietbart “interview”. Ratigan is a fucktard. Treats AB like a legit author. AB gets 15 minutes to spew his bs on natl tv. MSNBC no less.

    Forget pizza. Run and do the Insanity workout. Ill make a man o’ ya.

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