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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  November 8, 20115:18 am| 46 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Science & Technology

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I misspoke yesterday; the next GOP debate isn’t until Wednesday, so you’ve still got time to (a) monitor local voting results; and (b) stock up on your painkiller of choice.
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And while we’re talking about weird life forms, Mulder, the Obama Administration has officially stated that “The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race. In addition, there is no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public’s eye,” which will of course convince exactly none of the individuals who felt it important to raise this issue.
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What’s on the agenda for everyone’s local contacts, extraterrestrial or otherwise?

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Previous Post: « Cainwreck: Fifth Woman Steps Forward
Next Post: Ask Me, I Won’t Say No, How Could I? »

Reader Interactions

46Comments

  1. 1.

    R-Jud

    November 8, 2011 at 5:24 am

    My Mom is up for re-election today (as County Commissioner, not as Mom). I doubt she will lose her race, but I’m still going to be on pins and needles until the results are in.

    As an expat, I can’t vote in county elections– and anyway I’m registered in IL, not PA– but I was able to write a few ads and press releases for her.

  2. 2.

    Mustang Bobby

    November 8, 2011 at 5:26 am

    Today marks the eighth anniversary of my humble little blog, Bark Bark Woof Woof.

    Thanks to you folks here at BJ that have stopped by. Someone said there would be refreshments later.

  3. 3.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 5:27 am

    Agent mulder has obviously not met the repub presidential candidates.

  4. 4.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 5:32 am

    Wow. Herman was on TV and he said that he’s giving a press conference today because “we’re taking this head on”.

    That was most likely not intentional but the next one definitely was, the host made a joke about how maybe Cain should hire Allred, and Cain mugged and smiled and rolled his eyes and said “You almost made me say something that my handlers say you should not say!”, and then “Let me just put it this way: I can’t think of anything that I would hire her to do!”, with lots of smiling and winking and then repeating “I can’t think of a thiiing!”, just to be clear that all innuendo was intentional this time.

    This guy is not only toast, he’s more deserving of being toast than anyone I’ve seen in a long time.

  5. 5.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    November 8, 2011 at 5:45 am

    Special Local Option Sales Tax vote here today and it is specifically for schools. We’ll see.

  6. 6.

    Joseph Nobles

    November 8, 2011 at 5:48 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Unbelievable. On par with Scott Brown’s “Thank God” when told Elizabeth Warren had not taken her clothes off to get through school.

  7. 7.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    November 8, 2011 at 5:48 am

    RIP Smokin Joe.

  8. 8.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 5:54 am

    @Joseph Nobles: No kidding.

    A guy passionately denying allegations that he’s a misogynist who habitually engages in sexual harassment and possibly sexual assault responds to a question about the attorney involved with insults about how “he wouldn’t pay her for sex”?

    Yeah, that should do the trick, Herm.

    I actually never bought the “this is all just theater” much before now, I mean sort of, but I figured he’d love to actually win and might just be deluded enough to think he could. Watching that though, yikes. No one can be that stupid and out of touch.

  9. 9.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 6:05 am

    “I can’t see him anymore, he’s a liar,” Mr Sarkozy said in French.

    “You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day,” Mr Obama replied.


    Cue rw poutrage, calling Obama unamerican

  10. 10.

    JPL

    November 8, 2011 at 6:09 am

    @R-Jud: Good luck to your mom and please let us know how the election turns out. How’s your leg?

  11. 11.

    JPL

    November 8, 2011 at 6:12 am

    @amk: Well if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Countdown until congress demands an apology from the President because Israel is our BFF.

  12. 12.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 6:17 am

    @amk: “you may be sick of him” is a very particular translation of what he said as reported by the French site:

    Tu en as marre de lui, mais moi, je dois traiter avec lui tous les jours !”

    Another translation, and actually the one I would do, is:

    “You may be fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day”

    The “moi, je…” is a French construction and not likely what Obama said. The “sick of him” vs “fed up with him” choice could go either way really, but for me “sick of him” together with “me, I have to..” gives it a slant that I don’t see in the French. I mean God knows what they actually said anyway, but even taking the French site as gospel it’s already been sensationalized just getting to English.

  13. 13.

    R-Jud

    November 8, 2011 at 6:17 am

    @JPL: Leg’s much better, thanks. I started walking again last week, about 5k a day. I only have trouble on steep downgrades because the quads are still very weak. Still, I should be good to start running again by New Year.

  14. 14.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 8, 2011 at 6:18 am

    @Mustang Bobby:

    Congratulations on your blog longevity. I’m sorry to say I wasn’t previously aware of it — but I am now, have it bookmarked, and will check it regularly.

  15. 15.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 8, 2011 at 6:21 am

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    Was there ever an unlovelier acronym than SPLOST?

  16. 16.

    gocart mozart

    November 8, 2011 at 6:23 am

    Jesus Christ was kind of a dingus. This explains a lot.

  17. 17.

    WereBear

    November 8, 2011 at 6:25 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: No one can be that stupid and out of touch.

    I dunno. He’s an African-American Tea Party darling who is rich from (excuse me) nothing very special that I can see from here. He thinks grabbing women’s private parts is the way to get them to sleep with him. He approved that campaign ad with Smoking Guy.

    I HAVE to believe he lives in a very strange delusional world.

  18. 18.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    November 8, 2011 at 6:30 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: ESPLOST?

  19. 19.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 8, 2011 at 6:33 am

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    And apparently we’re getting TSPLOST next year. I should have stipulated SPLOST and all its bastard children.

  20. 20.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 6:38 am

    @WereBear: I guess. I never thought he was very bright or articulate either, but to not realize that right now it’s time for “oh goodness, no I would never treat women that way” rather than jokes that imply that you routinely hire women for sex but not that lawyer cause she’s ugly — man oh man. That’s blinder than I imagined.

  21. 21.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 6:43 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Speaking of oddities of french language, is Michele in italian, a man’s name or a woman’s ?

  22. 22.

    JPL

    November 8, 2011 at 6:44 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Cain makes his money from a radio gig and book sales. If he continues the race much longer, more females will take the stage and it could damage his reputation. He’s bright enough to realize that so, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped down soon. He’ll give the right wing excuse that he wants to protect his wife and the liberals made him do it, also, too.

  23. 23.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 6:51 am

    @amk:

    That usually corresponds to “Michael” for Italians, Michelle for them is “Michela”. You can see those here.

    So now to that e-mail from Italy you got you know which way to respond ;) Depending on all sorts of factors and preferences and etc of course.

  24. 24.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 6:56 am

    @JPL: Oh I knew his campaign would be called off soon, I just didn’t think he was actually trying to sabotage it until I saw that clip just now.

    I figured he planned to ride the gravy train as far as others would let it take him, collecting as much gravy along the way as possible.

    Edit: Yeah I see what you’re saying. Who knows. If he is intentionally smothering his own candidacy anyway — good job last night!

  25. 25.

    WereBear

    November 8, 2011 at 7:05 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Your points are excellent ones… for someone who is actually looking for a political career.

    But I’ll give the guy this: He seems to know how to make the Koch Brothers happy. While I’m not at all clear on what that might entail, it is obviously highly lucrative and does not interfere with hobbies.

    Perhaps they are the “hidden planetary system” that is warping the orbits from what we would expect.

  26. 26.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 7:08 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: You, a mind reader ? I got a mail for the first time from italy and replied safely with full name and no prefix.

    How the hell one asks the gender of a person on intertubes in a bidness environment ?

  27. 27.

    mikefromArlington

    November 8, 2011 at 7:13 am

    Wow so Heilman on morning Joe said Eric Erickson is articulate and he reads him every morning. Lol

    So did Eugene Robinson…wtf

  28. 28.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 7:14 am

    @WereBear: You’re misunderstanding. Ah well ;)

    One more time: I don’t think Herman Cain expects to be elected President. I also don’t think he wants the gravy train he’s on right now to end. Why would he?

    JPL’s point about how this may be true but he’s seen the tipping point where after this it’s diminishing returns, so he’s torpedoing the campaign intentionally, okay meh, maybe. I don’t actually buy it, but it’s possible. If Cain thought that women coming out with all this after today would “damage his reputation” I think it’s a little late, myself ;)

  29. 29.

    JPL

    November 8, 2011 at 7:21 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Good point but imo, Cain suffers from narcissism and believes what he says. How else to explain his statements that the poor don’t suffer under his tax plan? Cain might be uninformed but he’s not stupid.

  30. 30.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 7:21 am

    @mikefromArlington: Isn’t eugene a dkos dahling ?

  31. 31.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 7:23 am

    @amk: I imagined that’s what it was :) No not mind reader, just lots of experience with it.

    I do the same as what you did, done it a million times. The real trick is to make sure you at least get the first and last in the right order, the French have this habit of doing SMITH, John and sometimes with African names and missing commas or they do the caps wrong, you end up writing to the equivalent of “Smith John” or etc by mistake.

  32. 32.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 7:47 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Now you tell me. :)

    the French have this habit of doing SMITH, John and sometimes with African names and missing commas or they do the caps wrong, you end up writing to the equivalent of “Smith John” or etc by mistake.

  33. 33.

    scav

    November 8, 2011 at 7:48 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: whew, I am relieved because my intuitive context-derived understanding of « en ai marre de » was basically “had it with” / “had enough of” and I would hate to think of the outrage I have caused over decades if I had gotten it wrong. But that does raise a recent silly question. I just ran across « ras le bol » which covers similar ground — more emphatic than « j’en ai marre » or not? I’m guessing yes but may be running into northern France / southern France differences.

    (yes, I’m having fun playing with tags again, cheap thrill)

  34. 34.

    schlemizel

    November 8, 2011 at 7:51 am

    I’m finally back to work . . . maybe radiation treatments are not the worst thing that could happen to a fella :D

    Oddly enough none of the major problems that existed when I went out on medical leave were fixed in my absences.

    On the political front I am now a big supporter of Herman Cain – at least he has made it clear what I have to do if I expect a job in his America. Hell, in 40+ years I have had to do more disgusting things to keep a job.

  35. 35.

    Amir Khalid

    November 8, 2011 at 7:59 am

    @amk:
    Sorry, but I don’t see the controversy here. It’s common knowledge that Bibi’s a liar. The US State Department probably says the same thing in private. And it was Sarko who called him a liar; all Obama said was, he’s the one who has to deal with Bibi every day.

    (I know, I know: the Republicans won’t care, they’re going to pin this on Obama anyway.)

  36. 36.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 8:00 am

    @scav: Had it, had enough, yeah all of those.

    That’s a good question re the other expression, my first instinct was that ras le bol was not just more emphatic but actually vulgar, though I couldn’t think of why. After a quick Goog here’s an explanation (in French, sorry) that if correct at least, goes into how and why.

    The operative part of the first paragraph would translate to “had it up the ass” more or less.

    I mean both are slang, but “j’en ai marre” isn’t obscene in any way.

  37. 37.

    amk

    November 8, 2011 at 8:03 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    egg.sack.lee.

    the Republicans won’t care, they’re going to pin this on Obama anyway

    Asked and answered.

  38. 38.

    Mino

    November 8, 2011 at 8:10 am

    Cain is the Republican id made manifest. Take note, peeps.

  39. 39.

    scav

    November 8, 2011 at 8:13 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Youpee for my gut reactions, I don’t think I’ve folded «le bol» into the working vocabulary yet. And many additional thanks for the gory in French details, I want to know exactly when I should pull it out of deep storage.

  40. 40.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 8:19 am

    @scav: Actually that’s not current slang so be careful ;)

    It’s definitely tricky, because people make this gesture with ras le bol of moving your hand over your forehead and head, and it does give a sort of “my bowl is full” look. The site however was saying that “bol” used to be slang for “ass” in the olden days and that that’s what the expression really meant when it started.

    My impression is that most people using aren’t conscious of the ass reference but they would think it was more emphatic and vulgar. Good question anyway, I’ll have to ask someone today. Carefully.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 8, 2011 at 8:21 am

    @schlemizel: Glad you’ve finished with the rad treatments and are back at work. Don’t push yourself too hard at first, even if all the same problems are awaiting your attention. They can wait a little bit longer.

  42. 42.

    evap

    November 8, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Voting for SPLOST here and (more importantly!!) Sunday alcohol sales! I raise a glass to the thought of being able to buy alcohol on Sunday!!

  43. 43.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 8:33 am

    Noticed in passing: The Guardian (Via Mistermix two threads up) reports the same story and uses almost exactly the translation I proposed above, rather than that one from the BBC.

  44. 44.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    November 8, 2011 at 8:39 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Actually on second thought, no they don’t. They make it “You’re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day.” adding the question mark, which makes it even worse.

    Idiots.

  45. 45.

    scav

    November 8, 2011 at 8:58 am

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Will do so, and as I definitely came across it with the gesture, I may not have wandered into a small village of aged grape-raising vulgarians. Add a few extra thanks to your tab for that site — it’s like Miss Manners only re-incarnated as a French dictionary. (Can one possibly get more French than referring to Phraséologie potagère, les noms de légumes dans les expressions françaises? And it’s a book!)

  46. 46.

    piratedan

    November 8, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    well at least Cain can proclaim that he’s a self made martyr to the cause….. another victim of that pronounced media bias.

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