Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

In my day, never was longer.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

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

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Books are my comfort food!

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Second rate reporter says what?

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Somebody needs to explain to DeSantis that nobody needs to do anything to make him look bad.

When we show up, we win.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

I did not have this on my fuck 2024 bingo card.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

I really should read my own blog.

It’s not hopeless, and we’re not helpless.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Alternative history is always a weak argument. Always.

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47Comments

  8. 8.

    TheMightyTrowel

    Sending a little swealtering heat in your direction(s) – it’s hitting 40c today and will get higher next week – mid to high 40s in South Australia so it could be worse. Fire warnings everywhere. My laptop is… unhappy.

  9. 9.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Okay, I waited long enough. Happy b-day, Or something like that.

    Also too, I just hid the FB feed from my one gun nut family member. should I have defriended her? Probably. OTOH I have family dynamics to deal with and this dumb as a stump branch is tiny and isn’t reachable.

  11. 11.

    RobertDSC-iMac G5

    I’m finishing downgrading the new iMac’s software from 10.5 Leopard to 10.4 Tiger.

    I have several other Macs that run various combos of Tiger and Panther, so Leopard was a bit much. But since the downgrade, I’ve had less problems so far. Keeping fingers crossed that this Mac will last for a bit because I like it a great deal.

  13. 13.

    NotMax

    @freelancer

    One of those shows you either love or loathe.

    I fall into the first category, and have been trying (usually unsuccessfully) to push it on friends since 2009.

    For those who have never seen it, picture the X-men if written by David Lynch, Tim Burton and Patrick McGoohan, with a dash of John Cleese tossed in.

  15. 15.

    freelancer

    @NotMax:

    The way I think of it is, Did you like X-Men? Did you ever watch Alphas? Watch this UK black comedy version of superheroes, where none of them are heroes, but sometimes they do heroic things.

  16. 16.

    Hal

    Working a double, 3pm to 7am. I feel like I’m in a sci fi movie where time keeps repeating itself. 4 and 1/2 hours to go might as well be 4 days.

  19. 19.

    Alison

    @Or something like that.Suffern Ace: Happy birthday, if you’re still awake :)

    I know the exact time I was born too, because it was so close to being awesome. My birthday is July 11 – 7/11 (which, haha, I always say people have no excuse for forgetting it since it’s so easy to remember) – and I weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces. I was born at 7:23 pm, and once as a kid I said how cool it would have been if I’d been born at 7:11 (I still think so because I am a dork). My parents disagreed, however, because that would have meant I was born in their car in the hospital parking lot. I was three weeks late, and once labor finally started, I basically shot out like a slimy little cannonball.

  20. 20.

    sharl

    Happy Birthday, Suffern Ace!
    …
    It’s apparently not wholly new information, but I just heard a sad, sweet, and gutsy interview on BBC with Bobby Womack, where he discussed his recent diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer’s, yet he keeps on keepin’ on.

    I couldn’t locate an online link to audio of the interview – I think it might have been excerpted from this episode of the Gilles Peterson show, which appears to be 3-hrs long – but here’s a written account.

    I watched that goddamn disease kill my grandmother over several years. Makes me weepy all over again.

  21. 21.

    NotMax

    @freelancer

    Also too, for those who have never seen it, it MUST be watched in sequence from episode 1, season 1 or things will make little sense.

    Seasons 1, 2, the 15 minute Vegas short after season 2, and then season 3 are essentially one long story arc and a definitive ending.

    I’ll give them props for trying to continues the franchise with season 4, but it wasn’t necessary.

  22. 22.

    freelancer

    John fucking “Captain Jack Harkness” Barrowman pops up in a scene in Zero Dark Thirty, and I couldn’t contain myself.

  24. 24.

    HeartlandLiberal

    We decided to see “The Hobbit” Friday. In 2D. We do not like 3D.

    On the whole, we were thrilled with the movie. Neither of us, who have been Tolkien fans since the 60’s, had any complaints about the inclusion of background stories from the appendices of Tolkien’s books, because they provided context and illumination to the saga, not just padding. Martin Freeman as Bilbo is just wonderful.

    Our only real complaint was the sequence in the Goblin kingdom under the mountain when the party is escaping. Sadly, once again, we have the total triumph of CGI over reality, with violence so over the top it loses its entertainment value. No human being can survive the G-Forces or the shredded and collapsing bridges, or the final scene of the whole party skiing what looks like a half mile down a series of crevasses on a collapsed bridge, while being showered with missiles of shredded lumber. That was the one moment when Jackson just lost me completely. If I wanted to watch a “Transformers” movie, I would do that. But I didn’t, and I don’t.

    I did not find the high frame rate at all apparent or disturbing, FWIW.

    Also, there were moments when the dialog was self-conscious high camp, such as the last words of the Goblin King. Did not like.

    Altogether, a great movie.

  27. 27.

    onlymike

    Hi all. I’ve been having major problems with my computer. I haven’t been able to get online for the last couple of days so haven’t been able to provide an update (sometimes I’m able to get online but can’t stay online – some of it may be the service but I’m afraid most, if not all, of it is my computer.

    I’ve been prescribed fluoxetine for OCD to start with – with further medication(s) likely still to come. It’s going to take me a while to actually see a therapist but there are things I can do in the meantime. I still have to get blood work done (went to do it Wednesday morning but I han’t fasted for 12 hours beforehand – wasn’t told that on Monday.) I’ve talked to people about housing assistance – will have more to do on that on Monday as well. Overall, I feel pretty good about the future (as in, that I have one…)

    Also, last night I spoke to someone who may have a job for me – it’s a customer service position and probably not much more than minimum wage but it’s a job and that is certainly something I need. I’ll know more about that on Monday as well. I’m optimistic about Monday but at the same time I have sort of a calm-before-the-storm kind of feeling right now … or maybe it’s a waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop feeling, I’m not sure. I know there’s a metaphor that fits but I can’t come up with it right now.

    Anyway, the cats and I are doing well. I’m unable to sleep right now so I figure I’ll watch Chris Hayes (I’m usually unable to wake up to watch it though I catch most of MHP.) So that’s good – maybe I’ll be able to catch it tomorrow as well.

  30. 30.

    onlymike

    And I was able to submit the comment without being kicked out of Balloon Juice – that’s encouraging! Of course, this thread is dead but still …

  32. 32.

    Raven

    @onlymike: there is an article in the NYT about the pres of Uraguay. He spent 12 years in solitary . It is a wonderful story but one thing he says is”you can always start over”

  33. 33.

    Southern Beale

    Rep. Marsha Blackburn voted no on Hurricane Sandy relief because the Club For Growth says to. Funny I don’t recall her having a problem getting FEMA relief for her district after the 2010 floods hit Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

    But she did put forth a bill to defund Planned Parenthood yesterday. How’s that for pro-life: deny insurance payments to flood victims, deny poor women healthcare. Jesus is totally down with that.

    I can’t for the life of me understand why we can’t find a person to run against this idiot.

  36. 36.

    Phylllis

    @Southern Beale: I will be in Nashville January 19th-24th (leaving early am on the 24th). I’ll be at Opryland for a conference, but will have a car. Any restaurant recommendations? Opryland is chock-full of them, but I’d like to try one or two local places. Plus, staying cooped up in that place for the whole trip will make me stabby.

  37. 37.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Alison:

    Happy birthday to Suffern Ace!

    Alison, my birthday is August 3 and I was born at three minutes past eight in the evening. Alas, it was many decades prior to 1983 because 8/3/83 at 08:03 would have been cool. I do remember making note of that moment, though, which was actually my 41st birthday.

  39. 39.

    Elizabelle

    @Or something like that.Suffern Ace:

    Happy Birthday dude.

    @onlymike:

    Great to hear. Please keep us posted, and good luck to you and the felines.

    ====

    Power off in my neighborhood from sunset last night to 6:01 a.m. today. Rather liked it; have a gas fireplace and candlelight. Read a book I’ve not picked up in ages.

    Loved being offline, briefly, although house got down to fifty degrees, and I must remember to collect the fresh salmon from my car NOW (realized that would stay colder than the fridge). It’s low twenties at night in the DC ‘burbs this week.

  42. 42.

    Schlemizel

    @onlymike:

    I don’t know of a delicate way to put this so I’ll be blunt. I have been on fluoxetine for long periods of time (should probably be on it again but the blackness is telling me not to bother). I found out a very common side affect that none of my doctors ever told me about is sexual dysfunction. If you notice an issue talke to the doctor about Bupropion (trade name Wellbutrin). It also combats the sleepiness that can come with Fluoxetine and is a mild anti-depressant.

    Good luck on the job front. I was unemployed for a period a few years ago and it is very hard on a person. Also it seems it be a bar against further employment. Once you have a job for a while you find it will be easier to get a new job.

  43. 43.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Phylllis: A couple of years ago, I was was in Nashville and I had a fantastic dinner at the Germantown Cafe. I sat by big windows where I could see, cue Bob Dylan, the Nashville skyline. I had the plum pork; it was really good.

  46. 46.

    Lojasmo

    @HeartlandLiberal:

    The goblin crash scene was the one that bothered me too. The riddle scene was amazing! My guess is that you saw the normal frame rate. A majority of cinemas had the normal frame rate playing, only a handfull in majro cities had the double rate.

    I saw it a second time, in 3D, ahd though, like you, I am not a huge fan of 3D, it brought something to the movie I would not have expected, and really liked.

  47. 47.

    Mandarama

    @Phylllis: I’m a Nashvillain too…over in the same area of Germantown is Monell’s (great for brunch but really anytime!) and a tiny bakery called The Cupcake Collection that is fantastic! Hope you enjoy it here.

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