Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

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

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

The revolution will be supervised.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

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

You cannot shame the shameless.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

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

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

You are here: Home / Music / Early Morning Open Thread: Winter Solstice

Early Morning Open Thread: Winter Solstice

by | 87 Comments

This post is in: ,

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It’s scienterrificly official: Here in the dark Northern Hemisphere, every day will now be just a few precious seconds longer.
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And I sincerely hope our readers in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying their long, sunny summer days as well (you lucky bastards).
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Bonus clip, a musical explication of the human need to huddle together against the darkness…
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Reader Interactions

87Comments

  5. 5.

    Jack Canuck

    They’re predicting 32 (celsius) and sunny here in Melbourne on Christmas Day. Which is nice and all, but still seems pretty damn strange to a Canadian, even if this is my sixth year down here.

  6. 6.

    Triassic Sands

    Best day of the year: Beginning of DST.

    Worst day of the year: End of DST.

    Second best day of the year: Day after winter solstice.

  7. 7.

    geg6

    Been weirdly warm here the last few days, in the 50s and 60s. I like it. Been off since last Friday (won’t go back until the 3rd…yahoo!) and have had fun decorating and finishing my shopping. Last trip to the stores today, for groceries and some fine cigars for my John. Best Christmas I’ve had in years so far.

  8. 8.

    Suezboo

    Overcast and cool near Cape Town.
    We had the driest winter ever this year (I blame algore)and the Climate Change Conference in Durban which just ended was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that it rained buckets every day.It’s the New Extremism in the weather that is so scary, no?
    Keep warm, Northerners. It Gets Worse.

  9. 9.

    Southern Beale

    Local news doing a thing on the all the soldiers returning from Iraq just mentioned the tripe that the soldiers “gave their lives to help the people of Iraq.” No, they didn’t. They gave their lives for oil.

    Let the rewriting of history begin.

  10. 10.

    Mustang Bobby

    It is one of the quirks of living in south Florida that I had to take the car in to get the air conditioning recharged while I’m on Christmas break.

    The patio door is wide open to welcome the returning sun.

  11. 11.

    JPL

    GenStuck hasn’t been around for a few days. New Mexico is getting a lot of snow and I’m wondering how little Charlie is coping. I have to shovel a path for Moxie when we get an inch.

  13. 13.

    Phylllis

    High here in lower SC is forecast for 78. About right for this time of year for me as a native Floridian, although after over twenty years here I’ve grown to like it a little colder. I’ll be even happier in January with the not-budget busting electric bill as well, even if it does include our portion of the town’s Christmas lights (according to local legend).

  18. 18.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Southern Beale:

    They didn’t even do that.

    They gave their lives so the deserting coward could show up his pa, and so Dick Cheney’s cronies could fill their swimming pools with benjamins looted from the US treasury.

  19. 19.

    Schlemizel

    @Southern Beale:

    Let the rewriting of history begin.

    “We had things taken care of till Obama took over”
    “We would have won if not for the politicians”
    “We were spit on in San Francisco”

    “How Do You Ask a Man to be the Last Man to Die for a Mistake?” I don’t know but this time we know who that man was.
    Spc. David E. Hickman, late of Greesboro, NC

  20. 20.

    Xenos

    Low 40s here in the Ardennes. Last year was a December reminiscent of the Battle of the Bulge, meteorologically. This year we have had barely a hint of frost, but buckets of rain. I always wanted to live in Vancouver, so I guess this is my chance.

  21. 21.

    Hill Dweller

    @JPL:

    Those Iraqis are now repaying us by exploding bombs and killing dozens of people

    We were just delaying the inevitable civil war. Invading that country was a disastrous mistake.

    I suspect something similar will happen in Afghanistan if/when we leave.

  23. 23.

    DZ

    mid 50s today and tomorrow in Paris then high 40s for the weekend. Then back to my little place in the SW of France where it will be roughly the same as Paris.

  25. 25.

    jon

    @Raven: Did I go to the college bar or did the college bar come to me? In this world, it’s not too easy to tell sometimes.

    Can’t find the video, but I bet the crowd yelled a lot of “Woooooooooooo!” at this historic first. I also bet the coverage would be a teensy bit different if it was two men. College bar, indeed.

  28. 28.

    DZ

    @Xenos:

    I have no serious complaints about my life. Clovis was indeed a smart barbarian.

    Plus, Paris is beautiful at Christmas, and the Parisians are nice, unlike most of the year.

  29. 29.

    middlewest

    @jon: @jon: I “bet” the Navy crew who lobbied and paid for this moment to happen conducted themselves with more dignity than you are capable of.

  30. 30.

    Hill Dweller

    Why was some hack in the WH press corps explicitly saying the President should be doing more to help Boehner?

  31. 31.

    Raven

    @middlewest:

    For the historical significance of the kiss, there was little to differentiate it from countless others when a Navy ship pulls into its home port following a deployment. Neither the Navy nor the couple tried to draw attention to what was happening and many onlookers waiting for their loved ones to come off the ship were busy talking among themselves.

  32. 32.

    JPL

    @Hill Dweller: Everyone knows that the President of the United States can introduce bills on the House floor.

    also, too.. if the president would promise to end women’s rights and drug test those lazy bums who file for unemployment, then the bill might pass.

  34. 34.

    Cat Lady

    People are still wearing shorts in the Boston area- it’s been in the 40s and 50s, and no snow since the Halloween storm. After last winter’s feet and feet of snow, the only people grumbling are the snow plowers. Fuck ’em. My forsythia bloomed on December 1st. I could get used to this. Thanks algore!

  36. 36.

    jon

    @Raven: And I’m certain this is a nationwide story just because. It’s not as if any publisher wants to put that photo in the paper. But they were all forced to. By the historical significance.

    I think it’s a nice, heartwarming story. But two women kissing isn’t exactly breaking any social barriers.

  37. 37.

    Southern Beale

    Utah man wins a Lamborghini and crashes it the same day. The money quote:

    Dopp wasn’t injured, but his wife said she was shocked

    Really? You were shocked your husband would go joy riding in his new 640-horsepower sports car and he’d wreck it?

  38. 38.

    JPL

    @Cat Lady: I still have some roses, azalea blossoms and my butterfly bush is budding. Of course it’s suppose to be seventy today in the ATL area. I didn’t notice blossoms on the forsythia though.

  39. 39.

    amk

    @Hill Dweller: WH should bring on some high school students during the PC. At least the questions will make some sense when compared to these third-rate two-bit overpaid hacks.

  40. 40.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Cat Lady: LOL Mine is blooming right now too, weird as it is. It is supposed to be 74 and sunny here in Eastern NC today my last day of work before a glorious five day break. I will need it too, I have a ton of spring bulbs I have to get in the ground, and thankfully those that are already in the ground are poking up so I won’t end up digging them up to plant the new ones like I usually do.

  42. 42.

    cmorenc

    The longer, darker, lower-humidity clear nights of the winter-side half of the year are better for those among us who are amateur astronomers. We are among the few who do not get depressed by the long, dark skies of winter, so long as they are clear skies. However, the shorter, warm nights of summer looking toward the magnificent dense swarm of stars toward the center of our galaxy in Sagittarius and Scorpio are magnificent too. Hey, it’s all good to us, so long as it’s a clear, dry, and stable night and the rest of you don’t gratuitously burn a bunch of unshielded lights wasting untold amounts of energy uselessly into space instead of efficiently lighting what you need to see.

  50. 50.

    Hill Dweller

    @Baud: Yeah, I had read it before posting here.

    It’s so blatantly obvious Boehner’s refusing to allow a vote because IT WILL PASS. And the crazy wingers, who want more in exchange for a ‘yes’ vote, don’t want to go on record voting ‘no’.

  52. 52.

    jon

    @Raven: Yeah, because only a complete idiot would ever imply that the reason it’s an international news story could be related to the fact that they’re attractive women. Show me similar coverage for two male sailors and maybe I’ll admit to being of sub-par intelligence.

  53. 53.

    Amir Khalid

    @Southern Beale:
    If I won a Lambo in a contest, I’d sell it, buy a more sensible car, and put the rest of the proceeds in the bank.

    Many years ago, a cigarette company sponsored a quiz show on Malaysian TV, with the first prize being the winner’s choice of either one million ringgit (then some US$400K) or a Ferrari Testarossa worth slightly more. There were two winners: both picked the money, because it was more useful than a fancy Italian sports car that would be ridiculously expensive to run. I suspect this is why there wasn’t a third season.

  56. 56.

    Southern Beale

    In case you missed the latest Fauxtrage: Fox and Sarah Palin have freaked out over the White House Christmas card which, despite being almost identical to one Ronald Reagan sent out, is not traditional enough for them because it doesn’t display enough “faith, family and freedom.” LOL.

    Meanwhile, Fox Business News sends out a Christmas card showing two foxes roasting the NBC peacock over an open fire.

  58. 58.

    Nemesis

    Ethnic differences in Iraq?

    Pleased that we highlighted the folly of such pop psychology.

    Millions of innocent people buried in the sand.

    Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters, moms and dads, lovers and friends, beat down, tortured, maimed, broken forever.

    For what? Continued US imperialism. America as exceptional! No apologies needed.

  61. 61.

    Suffern ACE

    @Baud: Good lord. Did they follow up with the Egg Nog question or wondering if things couldn’t be improved with an informal caroling session down K-Street? Maybe if Obama bought a toy for Boehner’s dog instead of Bo.

  63. 63.

    PurpleGirl

    I woke up on time (6:30 or so); got dressed and made the bed; took the shopping cart and went to the tree sellers two blocks up on Queens Blvd and bought a 5-ft tree. (It’s on the terrace until I clear the table top for it.)

    Yesterday we arranged the flights for my friend in L.A. to come to NYC for a few weeks.

    The holidays are looking up.

  64. 64.

    handsmile

    @Southern Beale: , @rlrr:

    Why I’m so old I remember when Mitch Daniels, Shrub’s first OMB director, estimated in December 2002 that the Iraq war could cost $50-60 billion. He disputed claims by a Bush economic adviser Larry Lindsay of war costs running up to $200 billion as “the upper end of a hypothetical.”

    For such financial acumen, Mr. Daniels currently reigns as the governor of Indiana and remains a Village heartthrob.

    Paul Wolfowitz, another foreign and financial affairs genius for the Cheney/Bush regime, who assured Congress in March 2003 that oil revenue would pay for Iraq’s reconstruction (“We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon”) is now a scholar-in-residence at the American Enterprise Institute and chairman of the US-Taiwan Business Council.

    Ah, good times, good times.

  65. 65.

    Suffern ACE

    @Suffern ACE: “Has the President thought about inviting Cantor over for figgy pudding? I mean look at what happened last time they met for direct negotiations. They met and two months later-a breakthrough.”

  67. 67.

    Cermet

    @jon: Don’t you think your comment on a three-way was and is the issue here? That was not needed nor proper for this historic picture.

  70. 70.

    Gin & Tonic

    @lol: It was a CNN interview, and he didn’t “run out.” I watched the clip, and it wasn’t at all like the breathless coverage. He was just too clumsy to get the mike off by himself, and Gloria Borger either didn’t know how to or refused to press her advantage at the end, falling over herself to apologize. It was completely lame. If I was Borger I’d be embarrassed.

  72. 72.

    Cermet

    @Nemesis:Yeah – all true but think, at least bush can now (or is that continue?)fu*k his mother being the conqueror of Iraqi. And cheney can continue to fu*k the rotting corpse that he prefers …oh, wait, isn’t he also a rotting corpse and isn’t that what he normally eats? These facts explain a lot, in retrospect. And John voted for these monsters that murdered countless children? Glad that isn’t on my soul … .

  73. 73.

    PurpleGirl

    @Southern Beale: The Obama card is composed much better, internal lighting values are better and much closer to the faux family holiday values Palin thinks she remembers.

  74. 74.

    jon

    @Cermet: I know it’s an obscure fantasy (hell, even those libertines in France don’t have a term for it) but I think there’s just a slight possibility that the reason that photograph is being put in so many places may in fact be related to the fact that some people (men and women) like to look at two attractive women kissing.

    It’s a sweet story and all, but show me two men doing that and getting similar attention and then we can start talking about historic changes in this country, culture, and so forth.

    Also, too.

  75. 75.

    Cermet

    @jon: That isn’t the issue I have with the first post nor what I was saying. Adding the comment about a three-way undoes the importance aspect of this picture – the issue is that all gays can act like anyone else and need not ‘perform’ for our sexual fantasies. Not trying to insult you, just pointing out that single part of your post was the problem.

  78. 78.

    Judas Escargot

    @Cat Lady:

    My forsythia bloomed on December 1st. I could get used to this. Thanks algore!

    Yep, ours re-bloomed that week, too (Salem). We were spared any real snow during the Halloween storm –just a dusting that melted by noon the next day– so thus far it’s been a snowless winter.

    Woken up by lovely thunderstorms and torrential rains after midnight last night. Very strange.

  79. 79.

    Phoenician in a time of Romans

    Well, yesterday here in sunny Wellington, I got out early after a staff Xmas do, and went and sat on the promenade around Oriental Bay, reading the latest Terry Pratchett novel and occasionally ogling the PYTs celebrating the sun by competing for the maximum amount of skin exposure.

    The winner, by the way, had a great deal of faith in the tensile capacity of two pieces of string.

  80. 80.

    andy

    Up here in Minnesota, we’re almost guaranteed a Brown Christmas- the first in *my* lifetime of fifty years.

    Up until about ’98, when the weather started getting really weird, we always had snow up to mid-calf at least by this time. Anybody who says there isn’t anything happening with the weather is full of shit!

    On the bright side- I’m still wearing my sandals!

    For you people stuck in the southern hemisphere- our first real ice this year:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964542@N08/sets/72157628278539477/

    Our snowless Minnesota down by the Mississippi, shot eight days before Christmas:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964542@N08/sets/72157628463781915/

  83. 83.

    Nellie in NZ

    Yesterday (solstice) was sunny and warm in Taupo, center of North Island (New Zealand). This morning (Friday, the 23rd), the sun is shining on Mt. Doom (Ngaruahoe) at the other end of the lake (all as viewed from my window).

  85. 85.

    Ruckus

    Anne Laurie

    Tine Thing Helseth That girl can belt out on a horn.
    This is the second time in a week that I have run across music that I would not have normally listened to. And I have been wrong not to listen.

    Rajaton (H/T echidne at Eschaton)

    So thanks for opening my ears. And mind.

  86. 86.

    Phoenician in a time of Romans

    @Paul in KY:

    Please, please have photos :-)

    Yeah, right. I’m already trying not to get caught looking at femmes too young for me; you think I’m going to conspiciously take pictures of them? You want to wind up beaten up by their boyfriends?

    I’ll tell you what – I might grab some time and head out there later this afternoon. I’ll be sure to dedicate a few of those sneaky glances to you…

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