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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by $8 blue check mistermix|  August 9, 201211:43 am| 47 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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From this album by this band. Open thread for the bluebirds in all your hearts.

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Previous Post: « Speaking of Picking Your Battles
Next Post: You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer »

Reader Interactions

47Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    August 9, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Sweet story I wanted to share with you.

    It seemed impossibly cute, but mostly impossible, when Evan Moss, 7, wrote and illustrated a book last year called “My Seizure Dog.” He wanted to raise $13,000 to buy a service dog to help with his severe epilepsy, and the book depicted all the great things he would do with such a dog. One example: Eat pizza.
    __
    Then, thanks to a remarkable outpouring of public support, he raised $45,000, enough to buy service dogs for himself and seven other people.

    Read the story, look at the pics, and dare you not to smile.

  2. 2.

    BGinCHI

    August 9, 2012 at 11:49 am

    I like it, mm. Reminds me of an Arctic Monkeys ballad or a slow Wombats song (there are no slow Wombats songs).

  3. 3.

    Linda Featheringill

    August 9, 2012 at 11:57 am

    I am happy to report that once again Canada has not invaded the US. All is peaceful on the North Coast.

    The animals are happy today. I would be happier if I didn’t have to work today. But then I would be unhappy if I didn’t have a job. Reality bites.

  4. 4.

    Alexandra

    August 9, 2012 at 11:57 am

    Just watching the finals of the Olympics women’s boxing. They’d knock the living daylights out of most of us here, I’d wager.

  5. 5.

    mistermix

    August 9, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    @Elizabelle: Great story.

  6. 6.

    Cassidy

    August 9, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    @Alexandra: I love women’s combat sports. Next weekend is a big match between, arguably, the two best women MMA fighters. I’m looking forward to it.

  7. 7.

    Felanius Kootea

    August 9, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    @Elizabelle: What a heartwarming story.

  8. 8.

    giltay

    August 9, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    It occurs to me that this might be an opportune moment for the Democratic campaign to run an ad about how gosh-darn bipartisan Obama is, and mention instances where he’s adopted the best ideas from the other side, then put Romneycare front and centre. Wingnut heads shall explode.

  9. 9.

    Violet

    August 9, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    Did anyone see that Ann Coulter has suggested big money donors stop donating to Romney if he refuses to fire Andrea Saul:

    Anyone who donates to Mitt Romney, and I mean the big donors, ought to say if Andrea Saul isn’t fired and off the campaign tomorrow, they are not giving another dime, because it is not worth fighting for this man if this is the kind of spokesman he has.

    THERE’S NO POINT IN GOING TO THE CONVENTION AND PUSHING FOR THIS MAN IF HE’S EMPLOYING MORONS LIKE THIS. THIS AD IS THE TURNING POINT AND SHE HAS NEARLY SNATCHED VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT! [SIC] [screaming and convoluted logic original].

    (Seen at GOS.)

    “Republicans in Disarray” is a much better story for ratings than the sad horse race narrative.

  10. 10.

    chopper

    August 9, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    anybody else watching the slow-motion fallapart of the arctic sea ice this year?

    while i love this blog, i think it would really benefit from a FPer who tackles energy and climate issues. a while back one promised to blog about energy issues but it never materialized.

  11. 11.

    amk

    August 9, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    Curiosity Rover doesn’t find intelligent life in Mars either.

  12. 12.

    BGinCHI

    August 9, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    Sick of Michael Phelps?

    http://xkcd.com/

  13. 13.

    meander

    August 9, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    More benefits from the wonderful coal industry for West Virginia!

    From the Rural Blog (remaining text in this comment is a direct quote, which will no doubt be screwed up by the BINO — blockquote in name only — in WP):

    In southern W.Va., 5% of land has been mountaintop mined, but 22% of streams show harm from mining

    About 5 percent of southern West Virginia has been excavated by mountaintop-removal coal mining, but 22 percent of the region’s streams show significant harm to aquatic life, according to a study by Duke University researchers. The study could have implications in other areas with high rates of surface mining. (NASA satellite image: mine in Boone County)

    Researchers say large amounts of minerals leach into streams from valley fills that have been filled with rock blasted from the mountaintops and ridges above. Sara Peach of Chemical and Engineering News reports that researchers have previously documented water pollution near individual mines, but have not been able to detect how far the pollution traveled, study author Emily Bernhardt said. Her study found harm to aquatic life in more than 1,700 miles of streams in southern West Virginia.

    Bernhardt and her co-authors mapped chemical and biological data from 223 streams sampled by the state Department of Environmental Protection between 1997 and 2007, and found that salinity and mineral levels in the region’s streams increased with the total area of mountaintop mines. They also discovered that as the number of mines increased, fewer sensitive insect species were found downstream. Substantial declines in insect populations were seen with just 1 percent of upstream land mined. In areas where 5 percent of upstream land has been mined, so many species have disappeared that the streams would qualify as biologically impaired, a designation that would place the streams on a list of waterways that states have to rehabilitate.

  14. 14.

    Linda Featheringill

    August 9, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    @chopper:

    I second the motion.

    There are probably a number of folks who are following the situation but don’t know enough about it to really write about it.

  15. 15.

    Violet

    August 9, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    @meander: Was in southern WV recently. Our river guide told us that mountain top removal was affecting the water quality of the Gauley river, which in the fall for the release weekends is a huge money maker for that area. People come in from all over to run the Upper Gauley then. The rest of the year it’s not as big a deal, but if the water quality is affected to where it’s not safe to run, that’s going to be a huge problem for the outdoor recreation business there.

  16. 16.

    Culture of Truth

    August 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Jobless claims dropped 6,000. They were expected to go up 10,000.

  17. 17.

    Violet

    August 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    @BGinCHI: That’s funny. I’m not sick of Micheal Phelps because the swimming is only one week during the Olympics. After that, he’ll do a few talk shows and then maybe we’ll see him on Subway commercials and then he’ll vanish. I hope he enjoys his retirement and finds something he loves to do. He’s been fun to watch.

  18. 18.

    amk

    August 9, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    @Violet: +1. He is a great athlete.

  19. 19.

    Mark S.

    August 9, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    I wonder if our media will ever realize that neocon foreign policy is really unpopular.

  20. 20.

    Elizabelle

    August 9, 2012 at 12:33 pm

    @amk:

    He might be a terrific spokesman for thriving while being ADHD too.

  21. 21.

    amk

    August 9, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    @Elizabelle: I didn’t know that. I’ve seen only his performances. Yes, he would make a very good spox.

  22. 22.

    gbear

    August 9, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    I’ve been getting ready to introduce a new cat into my household this friday. My present cat (11 year old tort) has been an only cat for the last 1.5 years and she’s never shown any signs of enjoying having everything to herself. The new cat is a 6 year old orange tabby that’s been living with two other cats, a pug and two humans.
    I’ve got the house cleaned and ready to keep the cats separated for a couple days. I’m hoping that the new cat doesn’t freak out about being relocated to a strange environment. She seemed pretty even-tempered when I visited last sunday. I brought home a small cloth that had been rubbed on the tabby’s face to pick up her scent. My tort’s been lying on the cloth and purring almost constantly since I gave it to her. I take this to be a good sign that my cat won’t freak out. I hope this goes well.

  23. 23.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    August 9, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    @BGinCHI: “He ate all of it?!”

  24. 24.

    Raven

    August 9, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    @Elizabelle: Many of us are.

  25. 25.

    BGinCHI

    August 9, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): All the way to the shaved carrots at the bottom.

  26. 26.

    Ripley

    August 9, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Mother Ripley passed away early this morning, after a rapid decline from a long struggle with TIA/stroke complications. We knew it was coming, but it feels so weird.

    She was 92 and led an exemplary life. I’m just grateful that she’s not lingering and suffering anymore.

    Pre-tears stage at +1 (and I don’t care what time of day it is)

    ETA: To avoid confusion – I’m the WhiskeyFire Ripley, not the other Ripley.

  27. 27.

    R-Jud

    August 9, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Open thread for the bluebirds in all your hearts.

    What about the birdhouse in my soul?

  28. 28.

    Raven

    August 9, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    @Elizabelle: And, by the way, it’s not a “disorder”. We are hunters in a farmer world.

  29. 29.

    Yutsano

    August 9, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    @Linda Featheringill:

    I am happy to report that once again Canada has not invaded the US

    Damn slacker Canuckistanis. It’s not like they couldn’t just roll down I-5 and take possession of Seattle in like a day.

    (Tacoma would be a wee bit more complicated, thanks JBLM!)

    @Ripley: Hugs. 92 years ain’t a bad run.

  30. 30.

    Linda Featheringill

    August 9, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    @Ripley:

    My sympathy to you and your family for your loss. Rest in peace, Mother Ripley.

  31. 31.

    Violet

    August 9, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    @Ripley: Very sorry for your loss. Even though you can see the blessings that she’s not suffering, it doesn’t make it easy. Be easy on yourself as you grieve. Sending hugs.

  32. 32.

    Raven

    August 9, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    @Yutsano: They won Bronze in the soccer.

  33. 33.

    Elizabelle

    August 9, 2012 at 1:17 pm

    @Raven:

    Hey, I am a fellow ADHD-er. Promise.

    ETA: Am in the “gift, not a disorder” camp, but makes for some absurd circumstances some times.

  34. 34.

    Elizabelle

    August 9, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    @Ripley:

    Hugs. Your mom saw a lot during her 92 years. Condolences to you and your family.

  35. 35.

    Brachiator

    August 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm

    I’m going to send a thank you note to the producers of Total Recall. Went to the movies to beat the heat, and asked the ticket seller if TR was as bad as I had heard. He said, “Yeah, the movie sucks real bad. I saw it and was very disappointed.”

    So I bought a ticket for Ted, which turned out to be a delightful, deft and inventive comedy. I’m not a big fan of “The Family Guy,” and even though I heard good things about the movie, I had been dragging my feet.

    The movie is sufficiently raunchy without the pointless fear and trembling and sickness unto death with respect to female characters. Shorter, Mila Kunis is hot and sweet, as are the secondary actresses.

    And I love it when gags are set up and pay off well.

    The movie is also a kind of backhanded love lettter to Boston.

    Funny and an offbeat date night movie if your significant other has a good, dirty sense of humor.

    May skip the upcoming Bourne Legacy unless knowledgeable friends give me the high sign. The standard “omnipotent but evil CIA” setup is stale cheese, and the idea of this new Bourne as not superbly trained but genetically modified (it’s in the trailer, so not a spoiler) seems like, well, overkill.

  36. 36.

    the Conster

    August 9, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    @Ripley:

    Condolences and hugs to you. My mom died in March after many years with Alzheimers, and it’s just the past couple of weeks that I’ve really started to feel the loss of the mother I had that knew who I was and loved me wholeheartedly. Between March and now I felt mostly relief that her awful struggle was finally over. It’s going to take time to process feelings, and one day it will hit you like a ton of bricks that your mother is GONE.

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    August 9, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    @Ripley: Very sorry for your loss.

  38. 38.

    Cassidy

    August 9, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    @Brachiator: On one hand I want to see Bourne because of Renner. OTOH, it seems they’ve made him play the soulless, expressionless killer type which negates all his good acting qualities.

  39. 39.

    Cassidy

    August 9, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    @Brachiator: On one hand I want to see Bourne because of Renner. OTOH, it seems they’ve made him play the soulless, expressionless killer type which negates all his good acting qualities.

  40. 40.

    Brachiator

    August 9, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    @Cassidy:

    On one hand I want to see Bourne because of Renner. OTOH, it seems they’ve made him play the soulless, expressionless killer type which negates all his good acting qualities.

    I like Renner and I love love love Rachel Weisz, and this still is not enough to get me excited about the new Bourne movie. I may end up seeing it, but it’s just not high on my list.

    I can lazily fire up the Roku device and catch up on a backlog of movies and TV shows via Amazon Instant Prime Videos. Gotta try out the iPad add as well. Did not see the original language “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” films, and hear they are all pretty good.

  41. 41.

    burnspbesq

    August 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    @Yutsano:

    They’re still too upset about the women’s soccer semi to get organized.

    Final about to kick off. Boxx restored to the US lineup. Grumble …

  42. 42.

    Cassidy

    August 9, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    @Brachiator: I’ve been meaning to watch them; they’re on Netflix. Unfortunately, foreign cinema is only enjoyed by me. I’ve been able to get my two oldest into South Korean and Chinese action and horror movies, but I don’t think they’ll go for the heaviers tuff.

  43. 43.

    burnspbesq

    August 9, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Dream start for USA.

  44. 44.

    Brachiator

    August 9, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    @Cassidy:

    I’ve been meaning to watch them; they’re on Netflix. Unfortunately, foreign cinema is only enjoyed by me. I’ve been able to get my two oldest into South Korean and Chinese action and horror movies

    Nothing wrong with South Korean and Chinese action movies.

    By the way, a great (and a little bloody) action films, still in the theaters in some markets, is The Raid, which features Indonesian martial arts.

    One of the things I loved about Southern California when my family moved here, was watching Japanese samurai films dubbed into Spanish with English subtitles, on the Spanish language tv stations here. It was amazing to see how well the samurai sensibility translated into Spanish.

    And some of the people I know who love film in general, and foreign films in particular, had their initial interest sparked by their love of Bruce Lee’s Chinese kung fu films.

  45. 45.

    HRA

    August 9, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Try #2

    Out here on vacation close to Chesapeake Bay with the entire family. I have not been on my pc or watched any news. No TV here. Finally got on my laptop.

    It’s absolutely great out here – weather, kids crabbing and fishing, etc. Still can’t wait to go home. Blech on work though.

    Missed reading here most of all.

  46. 46.

    Cassidy

    August 9, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    @Brachiator: I am eagerly awaiting The Raid on Netflix. That just looks like an incredible ride from the start.

Comments are closed.

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    August 9, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    […] Dogcatcher: KILR (Self-released, 2012).  I found these guys over here at a political blog I read called Balloon Juice.  The music is very American with touches of […]

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