Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

One way or another, he’s a liar.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

This fight is for everything.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

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

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Republicans do not trust women.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

Our messy unity will be our strength.

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

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Don’t it make my brown eyes blue

Reader Interactions

205Comments

  1. 1.

    MoeLarryAndJesus

    Q: What color were Christa McAuliffe’s eyes?

    A: Blue. One blew this way and the other blew that way.

    (Okay, so it works better when spoken.)

  3. 3.

    Randy P

    Only one that comes to mind is “Baby’s got blue eyes” by Elton John.

    There’s another line in another Elton John song, “Your Song” about how “I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue”.

    I’m not very good at this.

  4. 4.

    Wag

    Lets get the obvious Who lyric out of the way so we can move on.

    No one knows what it’s like…

    Edit
    Curses beaten to the punch.

  5. 5.

    LanceThruster

    I’ll use this opportunity to say how much I love Nanci Griffith’s “Once in a Very Blue Moon.” I saw her twice and she never played it. I wonder if it’s too painful for her.

  6. 6.

    Mnemosyne

    The General already beat me to the only other song I know that has lyrics about blue eyes. Sorry.

  9. 9.

    suzanne

    Eric Clapton’s “Blue Eyes Blue”, which is from his uninspired adult-contemporary period.

  18. 18.

    JPL

    Gotta say there are lots of brown eyed and green eyed folks so why exclude them? Are you trolling again?

    whoops ..wrong thread

  20. 20.

    The Dangerman

    @LanceThruster:

    I’ll use this opportunity to say how much I love Nanci Griffith’s “Once in a Very Blue Moon.” I saw her twice and she never played it. I wonder if it’s too painful for her.

    I’ve seen the wonderful Ms. Griffith around a dozen times and I can relate; I was always hoping for a live “There’s a Light Beyond These Woods”, but, given it’s autobiographical nature (“when we lost John”), it could just be too much for her on stage.

  24. 24.

    red dog

    Neil Armstrong has died. Neither Romney or Ryan are man enough or moral enough to wipe his ass. Armstrong credited all of America for helping him. He knew he had help “building”. Those of my generation who were glued to the TV in 1968 know the real “Eagle has landed”

  25. 25.

    andrew long

    Temptation by New Order

    Oh, you’ve got green eyes
    Oh, you’ve got blue eyes
    Oh, you’ve got grey eyes
    And I’ve never seen anyone quite like you before
    No, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before

  26. 26.

    MikeJ

    You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last
    But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast
    Yonder stands your orphan with his gun
    Crying like a fire in the sun
    Look out the saints are comin’ through
    And it’s all over now, Baby Blue

  32. 32.

    Roger Moore

    @danah gaz (fka gaz):
    Q: What does NASA stand for?
    A: Need Another Seven Astronauts.

    And honestly, I think half of the point of talking about Ryan’s blue, blue eyes is to point out that he can’t be completely full of shit, since they haven’t turned brown yet.

  33. 33.

    NotMax

    Are you really wise?
    do you realize
    that those devil eyes
    are bluer than the skies?
    baby blue, I love you, I do
    – “Baby Blue” 1961, (The Echoes)

    Five foot two, eyes of blue,
    But oh! what those five feet could do,
    Has anybody seen my gal?
    Turned up nose, turned down hose,
    Never had no other beaus,
    Has anybody seen my gal?
    – 1925, (The California Ramblers, & many more since )
    Listen

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    Deja vu – it was like I had seen this title on a thread before.

    But is it still deja vu if the google can tell you that it really happened before, on april 30?

  35. 35.

    Dennis SGMM

    @Roger Moore:

    And honestly, I think half of the point of talking about Ryan’s blue, blue eyes is to point out that he can’t be completely full of shit, since they haven’t turned brown yet.

    That just means that he’s a quart low.

  41. 41.

    gbear

    How about a thread for songs about widow’s peaks. To me, his Eddie Munster hairline is the thing that stands out.

    Edit: A search of YouTube turned up one song titled ‘Widow’s Peak’, but it sucked.

  44. 44.

    Comrade Mary

    They’re only red from all the thoughts unused inside my head
    They’re only red from all the things I could have done instead
    So when you look into these eyes I hope you realize
    They could never be blue

    Ryan 0 Heaton 4

  46. 46.

    LanceThruster

    @The Dangerman:

    Almsot a dozen sounds like quite a treat. My 1st time was at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles and she had a fill-in for the opening act who floored me with her opening number (Iris deMent – Let the Mystery Be). To this day, I don’t even remember who she was subbing for.

  47. 47.

    karen

    Pale Blue Eyes – Velvet Underground

    On the day that you were born the angels got together
    And decided to create a dream come true,
    So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair
    Of golden starlight in your eyes of blue

    What is it about blue eyes that make them the standard of beauty and honesty?

  52. 52.

    LanceThruster

    @Wag:

    Howard Stern played a demo tape of Stephen Stills doing all of Suite Judy Blues Eyes solo. Fvcking incredible.

  53. 53.

    cbear

    I can’t believe no one has thought of this one….and it’s one of my all time favorite songs. Plus the title and parts of the lyric are very appropriate…

    Bowie: “Sorrow”

    With your long blond hair and your eyes of blue
    The only thing I ever got from you
    Was Sorrow – Sorrow
    You’re acting funny, try to spend my money
    Out there playing your high class games
    Of Sorrow – Sorrow

  60. 60.

    Dennis SGMM

    @LanceThruster:

    The acoustics of the Cal Poly San Luis gym compelled Stills’ band, Manassas, to sit out the scheduled concert. Stills came back out and put on a solo concert, just him sitting in straight backed wooden chair, his banjo and guitar. One of the best damn’ concerts I’ve ever heard.

  63. 63.

    JPL

    OT.. Dowd’s column almost makes up for her treatment of Gore except for this one line… Romney and Obama are both running for their bases — and Mitt is running from his own elusive better angels. I am now convinced that journalist are forced to tread the both side do it line or be fired. … Do read the oped piece though. link

  67. 67.

    NancyDarling

    What about Ryan’s sanpaku eyes? The only musical reference I can find is “I’m Sorry” from John Lennon’s album, Mind Games. Here’s the lyric.

    When I’m down, real sanpaku
    And I don’t know what to do

  68. 68.

    PurpleGirl

    OT: From Yahoo News:

    “The Republican National Convention will convene on Monday August 27th and immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, August 28th,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus in a statement Saturday. “After consulting with Governor Scott, NOAA and local emergency management officials, we are optimistic that we will begin an exciting, robust convention that will nominate the Romney-Ryan ticket.”

  70. 70.

    The Dangerman

    @LanceThruster:

    Almsot a dozen sounds like quite a treat.

    For good or for ill, she’s really quite something live; almost always for the good, thank goodness, and when it’s good, it’s magical (I should explain the other – let’s just say her live “electricity” occasionally, thankfully rarely, forms into a lightning bolt and it’s not pretty)…

    …plus, her shows always have a fine man/woman ratio (even given that a good portion of the women would have no interest in me, it’s still a fine ratio).

  72. 72.

    suzanne

    That tonic POS that was so popular in ’97…”If you could only see how blue her eyes can be when she says, when she says she loves me….”

    I much prefer “Brown-Eyed Girl”. We don’t get enough songs.

  73. 73.

    dedc79

    Not exactly a favorite, but there’s a song by the Cary Brothers called Blue Eyes. I think it was on the Garden State soundtrack.

  76. 76.

    LanceThruster

    @Dennis SGMM:

    Glob, how I love (and miss) a good live show. I go ape when YouTube pulls some incredibel clip from some show I was not lucky enough to attend.

    There’s two that watching make me happy to be alive. One was AC-DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” promo for Iron Man 2 with an Argentinian crowd making a huge stadium look like a mosh pit and dancing girls in Iron Man outfits putting the Rockettes to shame (all pulled last time I checked).

    Another was Bryan Ferry in Germany about a decade ago doing “Let’s Stick Together” with these high kicking dancers (pure eye-candy) showing what having fun in life is all about. I sat grinning like an R-tard. I know music is not curing cancer or whatever but anyone who can bring so much joy to others is OK in my book.

    OT – did you make your Glendale classic car show? We’re neighbors somwhat. I used to live in Monrovia and worked Glendale/Burbank for the TelCo for awhile and moved to the high desert. Lots of classic cars seen on the road around here for some reason (money & climate?).

  79. 79.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    Bill Maher on GOP “magical thinking”

    “The symbol for their party shouldn’t be an elephant — it should be a unicorn.”

    QFT

    It’s no secret that I dislike the guy, but it’s things like this that prevent me from writing him off completely.

  84. 84.

    JGabriel

    __
    __
    Anoniminous:

    Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain

    I prefer The Reivers’ (aka Zeitgeist) cover of Blue Eyes Cryin’ In The Rain, but since I can’t find it anywhere, I guess this cover of their arrangement will have to do, from We Are Beatrice.

    Other than that, most of my other favorite songs about blue eyes have already been posted: Temptation and Pale Blue Eyes.

    .

  85. 85.

    Jamey

    Luscious Jackson: Naked Eye
    GDed: Brown-Eyed Women
    The Guess Who: These Eyes (Are Cryin’)
    Split Enz: Eye Got You*

    *cheat. But it’s the song I had running through my head all week.

  86. 86.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Geez, you guys are young. From 1914:

    HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL ?
    (Music : Percy Wenrich / Lyrics : Jack Mahoney) – 1914

    Five foot two, eyes of blue,
    oh, what those five feet could do:
    has anybody seen my gal?

    Turned-up nose, turned-down hose
    Flapper? Yes sir, one of those
    Has anybody seen my gal?

    Well, if you run into a five-foot-two
    covered with pearls,
    Diamond rings, all those things,
    Bet your life it isn’t her

    But could she love, could she coo!
    Cootchie-cootchie-cootchie coo!
    Has anybody seen my gal

  89. 89.

    Lurker

    A Facebook acquaintance claimed that she will vote this fall for Mitt Romney solely because she disagrees with the Affordable Care Act. When confronted with facts about the ACA, she produced a bunch of anti-Obama talking points. She even blamed the President for losing our country’s credit rating, even though it was House hijinks that brought that about.

    I hope enough people show up at the polls to counter her vote, but I’m still bummed that lying to voters works so well for the GOP.

  90. 90.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Jules Massenet:

    Oeuvre tes yeux blues, ma mignonne!

    (Open your blue eyes, my darling!)

  92. 92.

    NancyDarling

    For all you gray or hazel or green eyed people out there, from a geneticist’s point of view, there are only two eye colors—brown or blue. Except for albinism, of course,

  93. 93.

    jwb

    Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz.

    ETA:
    Die zwei blauen Augen
    von meinem Schatz,
    Die haben mich in die
    weite Welt geschickt.
    Da mußt ich Abschied nehmen vom allerliebsten Platz!
    O Augen blau,
    warum habt ihr mich angeblickt?
    Nun hab’ ich ewig Leid und Grämen!

    [The two blue eyes
    of my darling
    they sent me into the
    wide world.
    I had to take my leave of this most-beloved place!
    O blue eyes,
    why did you gaze on me?
    Now I have eternal sorrow and grief. Full Translation here]

  98. 98.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    Tonight the fun ends and the ?? begins…

    I get to start taking meth tonight and get to take it once a week for a long, long time, if it don’t make me too sick or kill me. No, not that kind of meth! This meth is called methotrexate, aka chemo, and it’s for my rheumatoid arthritis. It’s a lower dose than cancer patients take but it still carries the same ‘baggage’. If I lose my long hair then it’s really going to suck but that’s the way shit rolls.

    Sucks but at least there’s something that can be tried to slow the progression of this disease down a bit. I’m not looking forward to this one bit but I look at it as just another thing I have to do to keep on keepin’ on.

    Cause in the end, that’s all that counts.

  102. 102.

    LanceThruster

    Leon Russell’s “Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” (mentions blue-eyed son) I like it better than Dylan’s (Dylan wrote it, right?)

    [my memory operates very slowly]

  103. 103.

    Waynski

    Found this over at the Washington Monthly, quoting the dolphin lady quoting a Romney staffer about his humor:

    On a conference call recently, he asked a question of his staff. No one answered. Mr. Romney waited. “Bueller? Bueller?” he said, in a perfect imitation of Ben Stein.

    I think the quote leaves out the obligatory HA! HA! HA! Romneybot laugh software. That said, I’d like to answer Mitt’s question with two questions from Jello Biafra, “Why are you such a stupid asshole? Would you really like to know?”

  106. 106.

    Nicole

    From one of my favorite XTC songs, “Then She Appeared”-

    And the sun which formally shone
    In the clearest summer sky
    Suddenly just changed address
    Now shines from her blue eyes

    Song also notable for likely being the only one in pop history to mention Fox Talbot.

  109. 109.

    lamh35

    Hmmm, so they cancelled the first day of the convention huh. That sure ain’t a good sign of things to come is it.

    Why does God hate the Republican conventions???

  113. 113.

    raven

    @lamh35:

    Speaking of eyes

    Shapes of things before my eyes,
    Just teach me to despise.
    Will time make men more wise?
    Here within my lonely frame,
    my eyes just heard my brain.
    But will it seem the same?

    (Come Tomorrow) Will I be older?
    (Come Tomorrow) May be a soldier.
    (Come Tomorrow) May I be bolder than today?

  116. 116.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @JGabriel: love the dBs, love Amplifier. Also, the Reivers are hard to find on the Internet, whoever mentioned them upthread. I think their albums are supposed to be re-released (or have been recently).

  117. 117.

    raven

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Our dear friend finished her 6 weeks of chemo and radiation for anal cancer. She had beautiful long hair since her undergrad days in Boulder in the mid-60’s. It was fucking brutal but she hung tough, kept her sense of humor and is now feeling way better. Not out of the woods but there is hope.

  118. 118.

    NancyDarling

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Bummer, Odie. Has your rheumatologist tried to get you in any trials with experimental drugs? My niece was in one for lupus and it was really working for her. Then the Israeli company that makes the drug was bought by a larger drug company and they stopped manufacturing it. She takes methotrexate now—probably in smaller doses than yours. It tears up her stomach though.

    God speed!

  123. 123.

    Mnemosyne

    @NancyDarling:

    One of my friends in high school had green eyes and her driving instructor INSISTED that she fill out her learner’s permit with “blue” eyes because there were no eye colors other than blue or brown, and hers weren’t brown, so they must be blue.

    I’m not sure if he was colorblind or just an asshole.

  125. 125.

    Valdivia

    Neruda’s love Sonnet #8 talks in the first stanza about eyes the color of the moon, which might be close to his idea of blue.

    Other than that I got nothing.

  127. 127.

    Valdivia

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    My mom took it twice and she got her hair back once she stopped taking it (for cancer). You sound like you have a strong spirit ready to fight on, only way to take the pummeling life sometimes throws our way. Best wishes for you.

  128. 128.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Third verse of a beautiful Hebridean folk song (“An Island Sheiling Song”):

    Like the blue gentian blooming wet wi’dew in the sunshine
    are the eyes of my Mairi, purple blue in the sunshine,
    Mo Mhairi, mo leannan, mo Mhairi my beloved.
    Lily white, pure, gentian eyed is my Mairi, my beloved.

  130. 130.

    dance around in your bones

    @JPL:

    Jezuz H. Christ, beaten to the punch by about ninety gazillion commenters.

    That’s what having 3 little grand-baby-boys that you LIVE WITH will do for you.

    Also, for some reason I got lost in the YouTube zone with Pulp Fiction scenes for about an hour, so ……..not up to snuff on the BJ scene.

    SO sue me, it’s Saturday. Plus I am kinda loaded (uh…..+ 3 or 4 or maybe more :)

  132. 132.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @PurpleGirl:

    Thanks! Me too!! :)

    @raven:

    That’s brutal. I hope she makes it out of it well and it sounds she has the right attitude, which can be very helpful in the fight. Best wishes to her and her family.

    @NancyDarling:

    I’m just getting started and I’m not sure I want to be a guinea pig right out of the gate. ;)

    Thanks!

    @suzanne:

    Thanks! The doc warned me about the things to look out for and I’ve been doing some research on my own since finding out the course of action.

    I rode my motorcycle to the doc (about a 300 mile trip with the diversions on the way back). When he came in the exam room he saw my gear in the chair next to me and asked if I was a motorcycle rider. When I said I was, he said ““What are you doing here?”…lol! After the exam, x-rays and lab work, he said that he was surprised by my level of activity for the advanced nature of my disease. I told him that I have a high level of tolerance for pain and I just keep pushing on through it. I do so much with my hands that I just can’t stop using them or I would just feel worthless.

    It was a nice ride there and back though, which made for a better attitude on my part. If it had been pouring rain I probably would have been more depressed about it, especially on the way back home.

  133. 133.

    SiubhanDuinne

    O/T, and perhaps it’s been mentioned, but the RNC has fence led Monday’s events in Tampa.

    Thank you Jesus Isaac.

  134. 134.

    SiubhanDuinne

    FYWP for not letting me edit from iPad, and FYAC for turning “cancelled” into “fence led.”

    Stoopid AutoCorrect.

  136. 136.

    raven

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Thanks, these folks really have no family. He’s 75 and a retired Spanish prof and she was his student. They have a place in the Quarter and one here in Athens and they have lived fully in the 20 years we’ve known them. You sound like to live like they do, full on.

  138. 138.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    Oh shit, man, I’m really sorry. But slowing the RA is by far the most important thing. We’d all rather have you around bald than not here at all with long hair.

    Here are some long-distance hugs: {{{{{OHM}}}}}

  139. 139.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    Your Bright Baby Blues

    I can see it in your eyes
    You’ve got those bright baby blues
    You don’t see what you’ve got to gain
    But you don’t like to lose
    You watch yourself from the sidelines
    Like your life is a game you don’t mind playing
    To keep yourself amused
    I don’t mean to be cruel baby
    But you’re looking confused

    (early-ish Jackson Browne)

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Feel better man. It may make your hair really wiry and kind of kinked – that what it does to my friend who takes the RA dose, which she says helps. She hates the new hair texture.

    @Stuck @jeffreyw those are some amazing shots. Thank you.

  140. 140.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Maude:

    It will if I can stop taking it. I’ve talked to some people who have been on it for twelve years now! I would call this mess a hair-raising experience but… ;)

    @arguingwithsignposts:
    @Valdivia:
    Thank you both! :)

    @Svensker:

    Thank you too and no, life isn’t fair. We all get dealt some shit in our lives that we have to deal with and I’m no different from anyone else in that respect. This is my shit to deal with and as with everything else I do, I’m going to do the best I can at it.

    That philosophy has worked well for me so far! :)

  141. 141.

    dance around in your bones

    P.S. – I have to say I love these music threads – they give me endless amusement and fun. Even if I don’t comment much because of the aforementioned grandkids and etc.

    I am often trying to catch up – two or three days behind….sucks to be me, I guess.

    But I love the little dudes. pretty much.

  142. 142.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: no, life isn’t fair. i had a colleague collapse and die this week at work. he was late 50s and a great guy. So enjoy it while you have it. And best to you and yours.

  144. 144.

    MoeLarryAndJesus

    Untitled, ee cummings

    Buffalo Bill’s
    defunct
    who used to
    ride a watersmooth-silver
    stallion
    and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
    Jesus
    he was a handsome man
    and what i want to know is
    how do you like your blueeyed boy
    Mister Death

  149. 149.

    Mary G

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: I’ve been on the old methotrexate for years with no side effects at all. Back in the 80s the entry in the Physician’s Drug Reference scared the shit out of me – it had a big black bar around it and all kinds of dire warnings. My doctor made me sign a four-page informed consent form that started out wiht “This drug could kill you.” Then it went through all kinds of other unpleasant posssible results. None of them happened. As long as you have the regular blood tests it can’t really hurt you – your rheumatologist will catch anything bad before it gets going. If you aren’t sent for blood tests, you need a different doctor.

    Whether it actually does any good or not, that I cannot say. I don’t really think so, but they won’t let you have the better biologic drugs without it, so give it a shot.

  150. 150.

    John Hall

    You can’t hide your Ryan eyes
    You’re a guy that I just despise…

    All the ‘blue eyes’ songs I could think of were named so I just went with the Eagles lyric change. Sorry.

  152. 152.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @raven:

    It sounds like he has some great friends for support so that’s great to hear. Yes, “full on” has always been the way I’ve lived my life.

    You see more and get more shit done that way. Time is limited! :)

    @Yutsano:

    That and joints don’t grow back…lol. If they did I would never run out of weed!

    Thanks, I’ll take all the luck I can get. :)

    @SiubhanDuinne: “We’d all rather have you around bald than not here at all with long hair.”

    My sentiments exactly, same with my wife. She likes my ugly mug a lot, especially after all of these years together. Same with the kids.

    I guess I didn’t beat them too much as kids. ;)

  153. 153.

    Nicole

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: I’m sorry about the chemo, but glad there are some treatments to try. My uncle’s mother developed rheumatoid arthritis in her 20s (this is back in the 1940s) and died when my uncle was 13. He remembers her as pretty incapacitated most of the time- couldn’t go outside much, etc. Treatments now are considerably better, I imagine.

  154. 154.

    JGabriel

    @lamh35:

    Hmmm, so they cancelled the first day of the convention huh. … Why does God hate the Republican conventions?

    Yep, the first night of the Republican National Convention is CANCELLED.

    It’s almost like God doesn’t like them. Or maybe she wants them to think a little bit about global warming, and its effect on hurricane frequency and intensity, and, you know, ironic consequences in general.

    .

  159. 159.

    Ann Rynd

    Raining frogs Monday is cancelled. Locust plague on Tuesday as sceduled. Ann Romney turning to pillar of salt moved to cocktail hour, Wednesday.

  160. 160.

    lamh35

    @JGabriel: Steele to critics: ‘Get over it’

    Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele lashed out Saturday night at Republicans grumbling over the party’s decision to hold the GOP convention in Florida at the height of hurricane season. With Tropical Storm Isaac forcing Republicans to cancel the first day of proceedings, some party operatives are privately pointing a finger at Steele, who helmed the GOP when the party settled on Tampa.
    “They just need to stop that s***, ok, get over it,” Steele told POLITICO…

  161. 161.

    Dennis SGMM

    @LanceThruster:
    Sorry for the delayed response. Didn’t make Glendale. My son and I did go to our town’s Flashback event and we just returned. Rods, customs, gassers, antiques and some plain old cars that get driven every day. Good times.

  164. 164.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    I’m sorry to hear that about your colleague. I’ll take RA over dropping dead any day! Thanks!

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    Thanks for the luck! From what the doc said, if this stuff works and I can tolerate it well, I will be on it for a long time. No remission for RA, just delaying tactics.

    If it goes then it goes. I’ve been proudly wearing this pony tail since my early teens and while I’ll miss my “asshole detector”, I’ve had some great times while sporting it.

    @Mary G:

    Thank you for the encouraging words Mary! :) While I’ve been reading about the effects and the experiences of others who have or are currently taking it, I’m not dwelling on the negative. That’s just not a good way to start this out, IMO. I’m more interested in what people are doing to handle taking it and what serious side effects to watch out for. The doc already warned me that I was going to be having lots of lab work and how important it was to stay on top of everything.

    I’m not looking forward to it but I am going to deal with it in the best way I can.

    Thank you again for the encouraging words and advice! :)

  166. 166.

    Ash Can

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Sending positive thoughts your way. A neighborhood girlfriend underwent chemo for a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer a year ago. She lost all her hair and felt lousy for a while, but she beat the cancer and bounced back beautifully. And her shorter hair now is the best style I’ve ever seen on her.

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Five foot two, eyes of blue,

    Love it! It makes me recall one night some years ago when the husband and I went up to Milwaukee to see our Cubs play the Brewers. After the game, we were walking along with the crowd along a wide pedestrian walkway to the east parking lots. An older fellow was walking along with his adult son, and the two of them were singing the entire Top 40 from 1919. They had the entire crowd singing along — three-part harmony, the whole shot. It was a beautiful thing.

  169. 169.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Nicole:

    Thanks, and yes, we’re lucky to have many more options than what they had back then. The doc told me that my active lifestyle is a good thing and to keep it up (as if!) as it would be helpful in battling this.

    I gots lots of shit to do and I’m not stopping! :)

    @Steeplejack:

    Thanks! JA rocks, I’ve always loved listening to their music. As Starship they were ok but their early stuff kicked ass.

  170. 170.

    Mary G

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: RA is a bitch and a half, all right, possibly the only thing I hate more than Republicans right now. But you can live with it. I hope you have Medicare or other great insurance.

    You have the right attitude. In 1983 my doctor told me to stop renting a wheelchair and buy it, because I was never going to walk again. I went home and called the Arthritis Foundation. They gave me a list of specialists, I switched to one of them and I am still walking on my own two feet – not much, but enough. The first row of carpals in my wrist collapsed and disappeared, and the second row was not in good shape either, but I didn’t want to have it fused because I still had function in it, although the pain was unbearable. The hand surgeon suggested a temporary fix – he just removed the nerve endings in the joint, so I couldn’t feel anything. He though it would last about a year, because the tendons in my fingers had nothing to attach to and they would soon stop working, however they were managing at the time. That was in 2007, and I am typing this with my fingers that aren’t supposed to work, but still do. Being a stubborn, ornery cuss is, in this case, an advantage.

  171. 171.

    WaterGirl

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: That news pretty much sucks.

    It sounds like you are one tough cookie, though, so I have high hopes that you’ll do okay. What a great attitude you have, you deserve the best.

  172. 172.

    bootsy

    @General Stuck: The problem is that Ryan’s dreams are definitely as empty as his conscience seems to be.

    In the 2008-ish DC Comics book Final Crisis, there’s an alternate universe Superman who lives on an Earth where the Nazis won World War II. His description of it reminds me of Ayn Rand/Paul Ryan/David Koch’s plan for America: “A Utopia built on human suffering.”

  174. 174.

    Ash Can

    @SiubhanDuinne: And somehow, all the millionaire celebrity preachers who have a direct phone line to God and are so quick to inform us that any and all natural disasters are punishment from The Boss for sins and abominations have, on this subject, scurried back under their rocks faster than roaches in an infested kitchen when the light is flicked on. Imagine that.

  175. 175.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Ash Can:

    Thank you! It’s always great to hear when someone beats the Big C, especially when it’s a rare form and the odds are against them.

    Congratulations to her and I hope luck stays with her.

    @lamh35:

    Mikey doesn’t like it? I’m glad he helped to make the pick though with the crazy the Repubs were going to unleash in Tampa I wouldn’t be surprised one bit to find that they are breathing a sigh of relief that the crazy will be one day shorter.

    As long as they can crown Rmoney, beat their chests a bit and then get the fuck out of Dodge, I think that’s all they really care about right now.

    Just let the Titanic sink already!

  176. 176.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Mary G:

    Nope on the Medicare and our insurance flat out sucks donkey balls. We will deal with it somehow, as we always have with everything else life has thrown at us. It does throw a wrench in the plans to work until I drop though…lol! I know that my attitude is going to matter and I intend to keep my attitude on fighting this.

    I hope I’m half as tough as you are Mary. Kudos on fighting the good fight, the one that really matters. Keep being ornery, it works!

    @WaterGirl:

    Thank you! I’ve always said that I love a challenge and boy do I ever have one in front of me right now!

    Time for me to ‘put up’ because I’m not going to ‘shut up’! :)

  178. 178.

    DesertFriar

    its ruinous and true
    how this sheltered loveless life
    fades into the weakest shade of blue
    weakest shade of blue

    could it be so wrong, so wrong?

    Weakest Shade Of Blue – Pernice Brothers

  179. 179.

    dance around in your bones

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    Odie Hugh Man, I just wish you all the best….just get better and keep commenting here, ok?

    This getting sick/injured just sucks, and it’s hard (for people who haven’t been there/experienced that) to…relate. Luckily here on BJ you have an empathetic/supportive crew.

    So, hang in there, dude!

  180. 180.

    karen

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    Sweetie

    I’ve had RA since 2004 I know EXACTLY what you’re going through. I started on MTX but I won’t lie, it made me nauseated but they if they give you Zofran (the same kind of antinausea pills they give you for chemo) that helps so much.

    I also know what it’s like to feel alone and have people not understand how RA works and that it’s more than just arthritis. Did you just get diagnosed? They started me off on MTX because the insurance company made me choose the least expensive option.

    I’m here for you. Any time you need to talk. Ask one of the front pagers for my email and email me and I’ll give you my phone number if you need to call.

    {{{Odie Hugh Manatee}}}

    I don’t know if you have insurance but my Enbrel is subsidized. They pay up to 5,000.00 every six months which has helped me immensely. Definitely, look into the subsidies you can get from drug companies, without the subsidy it would cost me $1.2 to 1.5K a month.

  185. 185.

    Mary G

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: @karen: Karen is right. There are a lot of new products for RA coming down the pike and luckily this competition means that the drug companies are offering a lot of co-pay waivers for six months to a year, or ongoing assistance since everything is so expensive.

    With insurance, the thing is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. They will deny everything they can for any reason that they can think of. When Enbrel first came out I had Health Net (or, as I called it, “Hell Net”) HMO and they refused to pay for it because my doctor thought I might not have regular RA, but some obscure and extremely rare form of arthritis that Enbrel was not approved for. They call these “orphan” diseases. I yelled and screamed to no avail.

    Finally I cc:d my latest scorching email to a guy named Al Martinez who wrote a column for the LA Times. All he did was email me back “Go gettum, Mary!”, but they were so frightened by the possibility of bad publicity that they reopened my case. I had also been trying other things and ended up on a clinical trial of Anakinra that gave me free drugs for three years, so I never followed up, but no definitely doesn’t always mean no with insurance. The Anakinra worked great, until it didn’t, and when I finally got the Enbrel it didn’t work at all. You have to just keep trying stuff until something works. Everyone is different.

    I wish you didn’t have to go through this. I’ll send my email to Anne Laurie so if you want to talk more, you can contact me too.

    It seems like so many more people are coming down with RA lately. A dear friend’s husband who was a rabid wingnut, goes to Rick Warren’s church, watched Fox 24/7, was diagnosed last year at 65 years old, right after he retired. They were horrified when they found out his copay under Medicare part D for Enbrel was $900/month. Suddenly my years of angry outbursts about the need for health care reform made a lot more sense to them and he only watches Hannity now. Who knew?

  186. 186.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @dance around in your bones:

    Thanks for the kind words! :)

    @karen:

    Thanks for all of the encouragement, the prescription info and the offer for any help I may need for advice!! :) Yes, I was just diagnosed with it in July and just saw my “rheumy” for the first time on Tuesday. He said he wanted to start me off on MTX because he prefers to start with what he feels the patient may respond best to (and to keep expenses down, which is fine with us!). We have insurance but they fight just about everything that a doc prescribes unless it’s a cheap generic drug. Get outside of that and forget the insurance, it’s pretty much coming out of our pockets.

    {{{Hugz!}}} :)

    @Mnemosyne: @Yutsano:

    I’m already a MM cardholder here in Oregon, so at least I have something handy to help fight the nausea and appetite problems. That’s the reason I was able to get it in the first place, so I guess it’s carry on! :)

    @Mary G:

    After dealing with the workers comp case from hell for over 17 years, I’m used to having to fight the ‘establishment’ for what I need and I can be one tenacious SOB when I have to be. Thank you and everyone else for any and all advice for dealing with this, I have to admit that it’s pretty intimidating but I’ve always been one of those “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it” types of people. Well, this bridge is here and I’m going to cross it. Exactly like many others have before me and those who will follow. If I need any advice or help on the side I will be sure to get hold of you right away.

    Advice is priceless, especially from those with the experience who are willing to give it! Thank you very much!! :)

    Regarding your friends husband, it’s good that his attitude is changing but I wish people were willing to care for others while knowing that same care will be there for them if they ever need it. Instead, too many don’t care until it’s their own nads that are in the fire. We all have to look out for each other, despite what the forces who seek to divide and conquer us have to say about it. Still, better late than never but if he hadn’t been put in this position then he wouldn’t have changed his opinion in the first place.

    I just took my iron pill (it wasn’t rusty!) and plan on taking my first weekly dose of MTX around 1 AM and then laying down for rest if I can. I hope tomorrow goes ok but I’m about as prepared as I can be for whatever it throws at me.

    My wife said that she won’t be offended if I toss up her great meal and dessert. That made me laugh a bit…lol!

  187. 187.

    Mnemosyne

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    I was pretty sure that was one of the first things you would do. ;-) Apparently there are some concerns that smoking it could be counterproductive if you’re one of the people whose lungs are affected by the RA, so you may want to experiment with other delivery systems just in case.

    ETA: According to the articles I saw online, what it’s really good for is pain relief, which may be why your doctor was surprised at your relatively low pain level.

  188. 188.

    karen

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    WIth the MTX your dosage will be gradual. You’ll take it once a week and you’ll be getting blood tests to check your sed rate. The good thing about it being once a week and usually the same day (mine was Mondays) you can plan around it.

    I don’t know if they’re in Oregon but there are always RA clinical trials going on and it’s a good way to try out new drugs.

    Just a bit of advice and I’m sorry if I’m yapping too much. The whole idea of taking the MTX or any of that stuff is to basically suppress your immune system. So you’ll get sick more easily. Stay away from people who are sick if you can.

  189. 189.

    dance around in your bones

    @Mnemosyne: I have some – shall we say – personal experience with a delivery system called The Volcano? which apparently sort of vaporizes the herb..

    Gawd-damn, does it make me happy. Much more than the ETOH, which, much as I love it, tends to make me more depressed.

    I gotta get one of those MM thingamajigs.

  190. 190.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @dance around in your bones: I’ve tried a volcano, and various other vaporizer devices. I no longer smoke, but I was a daily smoker (actually around a dozen times a day) up until earlier this year. My problem with all of these devices was the fact that after several tokes the back of my throat would begin to catch, as if sore, despite simply inhaling vapor. It did not seem to matter how low I set the temp, and I’m not the only one I know who shared this complaint.

    I found from experience, that when available, some good kief in a little “bat” (one of those tiny little tube pipes approx the size of a cigarette) did the trick and I only needed 2 or 3 hits, despite my enormous tolerance to the stuff. Much easier on my lungs than any other method. I can’t recommend this enough. Hash may work too, but I used knives for that, and that carries it’s own problems. Kief, IMO, is the way to go.

    ETA: I live in one of the best places in the nation in terms of quality pot – it wasn’t due to low quality gear.

  191. 191.

    dance around in your bones

    @danah gaz (fka gaz):

    Having had plenty of experience with the various forms of pot, hash, kief, hash oil and etc (not even gonna mention other naturally grown substances) I think it’s just personal differences or preferences that let us settle on our preferred substance.

    I have to say that I never thought I would see the day that we could go into a “pot” store and choose between types of pot and delivery systems – i.e. brownies or whatever, not to mention the vaporizer devices.

    I mean, I date from the day of $10 lids and nobody caring much about it to the Gawd-damn War On Drugs.

    I remember when our veggie compartment in our fridge was full of Thai sticks and Heineken. THAT was a good combo!

  192. 192.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Mnemosyne:

    I do know how it helps with dealing with pain, that’s for sure! After seventeen operations on my hands, forearms, elbows, neck and everything that entails, I’m very familiar with how it helps with pain management. I was on a synthetic opioid and several other drugs that made my stomach pure hell so I know how much it helps!

    @Mnemosyne: @dance around in your bones:

    I have a vaporizer on its way as I write this. My wife is experimenting with brownie recipes too, which sounds just fine to me. I once made spaghetti sauce with some righteous skunk and I plan on trying that again. That stuff was so good that we munched that stuff so fast that it disappeared in nothing flat.

    @karen:

    They are starting me out at 10 mg. (4x 2.5 mg tabs) but the doc told me that he dosed me low because he wants me to keep taking Advil while starting out. I got all of the stomach warnings from him but after two ulcers in the past, I know what to look for and how to try and avoid it.

    You aren’t yapping too much and every bit of advice is appreciated because you have no idea what I am or am not aware of. Keep yapping! :) I am aware of the immunosuppressive functions and the need to keep away from things that can cause problems. I’ll be avoiding sick people and unnecessary crowded situations from now on, that’s for sure!

  194. 194.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: I make (made, I guess) the best brownies known to man.

    It’s pretty easy, zero pot flavor, yet knock you on your arse. I’ve shared my technique and become something of a local legend for that. It’s easy though:

    NO BUTTER. Unless you want your brownies to taste like pot.

    1. Use oil. Cook pot in a wok, pouring some oil over it, and mashing it down til everything is brown – low + medium low heat. (Stinks like hell but oh well). When you are done strain the oil into a jar using a coffee filter. It’s hot so be careful. If the oil isn’t black or very dark green you need more pot, more time, or less oil. I usually use trimmings (best to know a grower – stems and base shake are fine) I’ve used upwards of two pounds of that crap (from a bad harvest) for one double-batch. Just make sure the pot is dry as hell before you start. You may want to air it on a screen under a window for 24 hours if uncertain.

    2. Go ahead and use brownie mix, but when you buy it, look for the stuff that takes the MOST oil of all brownie mixes available. Failure to do so makes it taste vaguely like dogfood.

    3. Prepare the brownies like normal, substituting the doctored oil.

    Presto. Awesome brownies. they do not taste altered so beware. Wait 10 minutes before going for seconds or you’ll end up in a coma =)

    hope this helps.

    ETA: My wife issued some feedback. Wait 20 minutes or maybe 30 – depending on your metabolism I guess. And she claims it paralyzes, not knock you on your arse as is my experience. YMMV =)

  195. 195.

    Mnemosyne

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    Ugh. Opioids. I found out the hard way that I’m one of the people who gets the lovely Vicodin side effect of uncontrollable vomiting. I got to find this out at 4 am while I was still on crutches after my knee surgery. So not worth it, especially since it didn’t seem to do a whole much for pain relief anyway.

  196. 196.

    Mnemosyne

    @dance around in your bones:

    I am the white sheep in my family: don’t smoke either tobacco or pot, drink maybe once a month or so, and usually only one or two if I do.

    Both of my parents and all four of my older brothers smoked (and all of my brothers smoked pot) and drank heavily, so I guess my teenage rebellion against them was to not do any of that.

  197. 197.

    dance around in your bones

    @Mnemosyne:

    I always told my friends that the way to raise straight kids was to be as crazy/hippie as possible. Then they would go out of their way to be as different as they could be.

    I think it skips generations, the Wild Thang.

  198. 198.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @danah gaz (fka gaz):

    Thanks for the recipe!! I’ll turn it over to my wife and let her loose on it. I’ll let you know what I think when she makes a batch. As far as dosing, I have won multiple bongathons and I have no problem saying “Yes!” when someone passes the stash. At my peak I was burning through a qp a month but now I run on about two oz a month.

    I’m getting old. ;)

    @Mnemosyne:

    Yeah, I was on Talwin for twelve years. I started out at eight tabs a day and finally took myself off of it about three years ago. I wasn’t hooked on it, the shit worked and rather than lying around buzzed out of my brain instead I rebuilt my motorcycle from the frame up, stripped and painted my wife’s car, rebuilt the engine and tranny in our Mustang, ran my business and so much more. The doc told me that if you have real pain issues then it would have this kind of effect. I felt like I could take on the world, it suppressed pain that well, but I had a problem of pushing myself too hard because it covered up my pain problems that well.

    I finally quit them because I got tired of fighting the insurance company over the coverage (Talwin is expensive stuff, a bit more than $400 a month for it at eight tabs a day) and I decided that the operations had reduced my pain and problems to a point that Advil would work. It took some adjusting (Advil doesn’t deal with pain as well as Talwin did) but I was right and it worked. I still miss it when the pain becomes more than Advil can handle but luckily that isn’t too often.

    I’m allergic to many painkillers (and other drugs) and as it was I had to take Vistaril with the Talwin to keep hives at bay. I’m hoping that I don’t have any allergic reactions to MTX.

  199. 199.

    CaliCat

    I have blue eyes so ima talk about brown eyes. I love the line in Bob Seger’s Night Moves “She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes”. I always picture a young Cher or some gorgeous lady like that. However, I cannot stand the relentlessly corny “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. Sha la la la la for the love of god make it stop!

  200. 200.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @CaliCat:

    When I read your “Sha la la la la” it made me think of this great song.

    I saw Bob Seger in concert back in the 70’s. It was during his Night Moves tour and the show was fucking excellent!

  201. 201.

    CaliCat

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: LOL I kind of like that Sha la la song. So quintessential groovy 70s. Sounds more earthy and less contrived than BEG. Yeah, I can imagine what those Seger shows were like. I was a bit too young to go to concerts during that era. I know I missed out. Oh well, my early 80s Van Halen memories will have to suffice.

  202. 202.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    I think Thunder Island is one song that has worn well with time. Another song of his that I liked was Shakedown Cruise. I’ve seen Van Halen in concert several times, Van Hagar too but I liked the original VH much better. My wife said she was attracted to me because I looked like David Lee Roth…lol! Playing in a local rock band helped too. :)

    I spent a lot of time at concerts in the 70’s and 80’s and I have seen some great bands and have had some ass kicking times that I’ll never forget. Supertramp, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Fastway, Kiss, Ozzie (w/ Randy Rhoads), Cinderella, Motley Crue, Scorpions, Metallica, Def Leppard, Heart, Aerosmith, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Journey, Ratt and too many others to mention, along with their opening acts. I still have many of my concert t-shirts, bandannas and arm/headbands from the shows. If it was close enough and I could get to it, I went.

    Good times. Lotsa good times.

  203. 203.

    CaliCat

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Those were the days for sure. I still have most of my concert stubs from the 80s. I feel bad for kids today, they’ll never know the awesomeness of great arena rock.

    Also, sorry to hear you have to take that yucky medicine. Just keep focusing on the good it’s doing. Easier said than done I know. Just take it day by day and of course keep coming to BJ. There are so many great people here who truly care and don’t forget about the LOLZ. If nothing else, BJ is always good for a laugh and we all know laughter is good for the immune system.

  204. 204.

    bob h

    Scientists believe all people with blue eyes had a common ancestor about 10,000 years ago somewhere in N. Europe.

  205. 205.

    presquevu

    I had a dream and you were in it
    The blue of your eyes was infinite
    You seemed to be
    In love with me
    Which isn’t very realistic

    You may sing me “They Were You”
    And I start crying halfway through
    But nothing else you say is true
    So I don’t believe you
    I don’t believe you

    From I Don’t Believe You by the Magnetic Fields

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