Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

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

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

With all due respect and assumptions of good faith, please fuck off into the sun.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Everybody saw this coming.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

Republicans do not pay their debts.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Come on, man.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

This blog will pay for itself.

You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Previous Site Maintenance / Open Thread

Reader Interactions

143Comments

  4. 4.

    Schlemizel

    THANKS! FOR WHAT? They didn’t use comic sans like I demanded!! This whole thing just sucks now.

    Seriously, thanks guys. REally for all you guys put up with, particularly the ones who work on the sit itself. THANKS

  5. 5.

    Corner Stone

    I’m still wondering how this blog could sustain “Recent Comments” for the last 10+ years but the “progress” to a new design meant it could not be possible.

  6. 6.

    Roger Moore

    Except that the reply button overlaps comment text that extends to the bottom right of the box. Perhaps it should be relocated to the upper right, opposite the name and posting time.

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    Link to 538 in Blogroll still not updated. Silver’s place changed URLs nearly 3 years ago.

  8. 8.

    gogol's wife

    I love it. It’s so much more readable. The only problem is I spend too much time here now.

  9. 9.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I think the site looks great! I was having some issues at first, as I use the iPad almost exclusively for my BJ-ing, but I think I’ve managed to sort them out. Love that the rotating tags are back, and I do like the general look of the place. Nicely done, all.

  10. 10.

    Betty Cracker

    Agreed — kudos to MM and the designer. It looks great, and I am thrilled the indentation associated with the comment number is gone. It always hugged the crap outta me when a word was left dangling by that goddamned indentation.

  11. 11.

    Roger Moore

    @Corner Stone:
    For some reason, probably related to the general incompetence of FYWP’s design, the processing time required to make the box skyrocketed when the number of comments exceeded some magic number. This actually happened a few weeks before the redesign went live, which I’d expect you to remember if it’s actually that important to you.

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    @Roger Moore: Yes, wanker, I do recall the merciless slaughter of Recent. It was somewhere around the time Cole got picked up by Reddit and the whole site went shit sideways.
    And, gfy on points because the only feature I gave a shit about for the last 8+ years was Recent Comments.

  16. 16.

    SIA

    It looks good but I can’t read the print on my iPad. Mobile site is even harder. Can the font size be increased? Please?

  17. 17.

    Citizen Alan

    Okay, I don’t know what anybody else is seeing but I have three columns. The one in the middle contains articles and comments and it is only three inches wide. Once you get past the box for “meta” stuff and the site meter, the left and right columns are blank space. Is it just me or what?

  18. 18.

    Joy in FL

    I like the look.
    I also really like seeing the time an entry was posted.

    Thanks to those who did the work.

  21. 21.

    Corner Stone

    @Omnes Omnibus: He’s always hated Recent as he knew it gave me succor.
    I’m expecting a sincere and lengthy apology sometime around 2016.

  24. 24.

    Amir Khalid

    @Corner Stone:
    Click on Comments RSS in the Meta box, in the right-hand column, and you’ll get all the recent comments. Not just a list of who posted them and in which threads, but the comments themselves.

    I hope this helps.

  25. 25.

    Corner Stone

    @Omnes Omnibus: In your new, and somewhat undefined judicial capacity, can I file suit before your jurisdiction to have Cole hog tied upside down and flayed by the surviving members of the Dixie Chicks until he renounces his Stillerdom?

  26. 26.

    kerFuFFler

    Been reading some of the threads about the outrage over Obama being shielded by an umbrella——my favorite comment:

    “Butthurt, how does it work? “

  27. 27.

    gelfling545

    So that this thankless job will not remain thankless: thank you. The new design is great.

  28. 28.

    sacrablue

    Okay, I know I’m going to get in trouble for bitching, but it’s what I do best. For the most part I like the cleaner style of the redesign. As a retired graphic designer though, there is one thing that is still bugging me: can someone please standardize the justification of the advertisements within their white boxes? I suppose they would look best center justified, but as long as it is consistent I can be okay with it. I’m going to go back to keeping my mouth shut now (well, maybe).

  29. 29.

    Gin & Tonic

    I get Newsmax headlines in a box on the right side. WTF is up with that? I don’t come here to get Newsmax shit.

  30. 30.

    Corner Stone

    @Roger Moore: I feel kind of bad for you, Roger. How does it feel knowing Daniel Craig has fucking obliterated your pathetic reprisal of one of the key modern fiction literary figures turned big screen?
    Poor bastard.

  31. 31.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Corner Stone: No. I just going to be doing contested hearings dealing with unemployment compensation and related things. This means I won’t have contempt powers – which I would need in order to do that.

  32. 32.

    Corner Stone

    @Amir Khalid: If I wanted to go Meta I’d spend my time contemplating why Omnes chooses to wear horse hair collared shirts.
    But thanks.

  36. 36.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Corner Stone: Well, yeah, but I won’t have the power to order it to be done. ALJs are judges like Associate Producers are Producers in Hollywood.

  38. 38.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    Ah, that new blog smell. Let’s see how she does getting on the freeway!

    Thanks to everyone who participated in the redesign.

  39. 39.

    Roger Moore

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I get Newsmax headlines in a box on the right side. WTF is up with that?

    They’re paying for the privilege. Think of it as Newmax subsidizing Balloon-Juice, and it will have a beneficial effect on your blood pressure.

  43. 43.

    gbear

    I miss the little button at the bottom of each thread that takes you back to the top. Why was this essential feature sacrificed in the upgrade? It used to be so much easier to get around on this blog. I can hardly stand to come here now.

  45. 45.

    Sandra

    It’s so grown up! Like my niece who went to “The Prom” tonight. It’s a good thing.

  47. 47.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Did you folks find Stuck floating around somewhere in the database or is he still missing?

  50. 50.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Corner Stone:

    What a douchecanoe

    I am in love with that word. It has now supplanted “asshat” in my personal VOS (Vocabulary Of Scorn).

  51. 51.

    Haydnseek

    Although I disagree with those who think the new, cluttered layout is wonderful, that’s not really important. Perhaps you could address the fact that when I refresh the comments page to get to the bottom in a timely manner, it hangs up in the middle of the page, and stays there. No arrow at the bottom of the comments to immediately go back up top? Why would you want to do that? I remember the five-minute countdown that appeared that told you how much time you had to edit or delete your comment. It now shows up about one out of ten times. I guess form really does follow function.

  55. 55.

    MikeJ

    Overall I like the look, but if I could change one thing I’d make the center column fluid width, Half my screen is unused

  56. 56.

    Schlemizel

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Relax & ignore – you can chuckle a little each time you see it knowing that the assclowns are helping fund our happy little band

  57. 57.

    lamh36

    My god baby Maddie hanging out in NOLA with my mom& the fam. Don’t be jealous of her boogie!
    1https://mobile.twitter.com/psddluva4evah/status/335898500120342528/photo/1

  59. 59.

    NotMax

    @Omnes Omnibus

    For those who may not know, wigs became the fashion for the better off and the truly well-to-do because they cut their hair extremely short (or shaved their heads) as a way to ward off head lice.

  60. 60.

    jl

    Me too. In fact, I’ve been thinking what a great format the new metamorphosis and astounding transformation of the blog into total awesome would be for pet pix.

    And the raw animal power and strength displayed in the last set of blurry fat boy, errr, I mean, Tunchpix, inspired me so.

    But, Cole is a callous monster, he says so himself. So I’ll forget about it.

  61. 61.

    Schlemizel

    @Roger Moore:

    There’s nothing wrong with that name.

    There was nothing wrong with my name, until I was about 12 years old and that no talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys!

  64. 64.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    I think the site looks amazing and whatever else that will keep the proprietors from nailing themselves back up on the cross.

  66. 66.

    RSA

    Our designer and Mistermix need a round of applause.

    (Slow clap, with everyone joining in after three beats.)

    Mistermix sandbagged us with an intermediate release, but it’s pretty good now.

  68. 68.

    ? Martin

    I made a stylish theme that tones the new layout down some and makes some simple typgraphical changes.

    Requires stylish plugin for Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

    I set the default font to the quite good open-source Adobe Source Sans Pro. Their Source Code Pro is also very good as a fixed-width font. I increased the comment font size a bit, and it’s easy to see where in the stylish theme the size is set and increase it.

    I stripped away a number of the surrounding elements. The ads still load, but they don’t display, so Cole keeps getting paid.

  69. 69.

    NotMax

    All that’s missing is a script to turn everyone’s cursor into a mini-Tunch.

    (And yes, mini-Tunch is an oxymoron.)

  71. 71.

    Haydnseek

    @efgoldman: Hello Mr. Goldman! I know you probably don’t have a rooting interest in tonight’s Kings vs. Sharks game, but as a hockey fan it should be very exciting, if game two is any indication. I live in Los Angeles, and win or lose, it’s a good rivalry.

  73. 73.

    ? Martin

    I made a stylish theme that tones the new layout down some and makes some simple typgraphical changes.

    You can read all the details once someone takes post #69 out of moderation.

  74. 74.

    MikeJ

    Another bug in the new design, which I have pointed out previously: The rotating tagline doesn’t unescape single quotes in “and we/’re all out of bubblegum”.

  80. 80.

    NotMax

    While speaking about names, absolutely true (and I keep an old copy of the phone book around to show to people who don’t believe it) thing one family here named surnamed Silva laid on their 3 sons.

    Son #1 was named Sterling
    Son #2 was named Quick
    Son #3 was named Hi Ho

  81. 81.

    gogol's wife

    Does anyone remember the day (and I think it was just a day, or maybe less) when we all had avatars? They were just assigned to us, and they were little green spacemen and purple people-eaters?

  83. 83.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @gogol’s wife:

    Does anyone remember the day (and I think it was just a day, or maybe less) when we all had avatars? They were just assigned to us, and they were little green spacemen and purple people-eaters?

    That never happened and we won’t speak of it again.

  90. 90.

    Mike in NC

    Went to get a haircut today and discovered a magazine called “Reminisce”, which apparently is all about 1940s and 50s nostalgia for aging white people. Put out by Readers Digest, which I recall being huge fans of the Nixon administration and the Vietnam war.

  91. 91.

    rikyrah

    Kay,

    did you see this?

    MAY/JUNE 2013
    “No to Profit”
    Fighting Privatization in Chile Lili Loofbourow

    Everyone in Chile can recite the following facts: adjusted for income, Chile has the most expensive higher education in the world. Per student, the country spends less than any other, and the student spends more.

    These facts were once a point of pride.

    During the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, education, previously considered a public good, was commodified and repackaged as a private investment yielding purely private gains. But since student protests began in 2006, Chileans have been trying to get their education back.

    …………………..

    But the plan backfired. Instead, three tiers developed: the private schools for which the student paid full price; the subsidized private schools, which generally required that the student pay a small fee to supplement the government subsidy; and the public schools. Wealthy and middle-class students fled public schools in favor of private or subsidized private schools. Poorer students, for whom the vouchers were primarily intended, were much less likely to attend the subsidized private schools. Some couldn’t get to schools across town, some couldn’t afford the supplementary fee, and some students or their families simply didn’t understand or act on the opportunity. Swamped with applications, many subsidized schools started “creaming off” and accepting only the highest-achieving students—those who were easiest and cheapest to teach and who most likely could afford to pay. Government funding that had previously gone to public schools was diverted to subsidized private schools, leaving public schools with shrinking budgets to educate the country’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged students.

    Not surprisingly, the students attending public school fared worse than their peers. Their scores on standardized tests went down, but so did the quality of instruction across the board. Chile has the most expensive education in the world, yet the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked primary education there 119th out of 144 countries. The higher education system ranks 91st and math and science education rank 117th.

    This educational model doesn’t just fail low-income students. It also magnifies class difference, since the voucher system intensifies social segregation. Upper and middle-class families not only pay to separate their children from poorer students, but the families of poor students have been known to spend shocking proportions of their income on expensive private schools to ensure that their children will study with the elite. Instead of pedagogical excellence, status becomes the criterion by which well-informed consumers choose their children’s schools. In conversational Chilean, to be “bien educado,” or well educated, is to be well bred, to have good table manners, avoid controversial subjects, and perform one’s class. These are the relevant tools for success. This is the education that matters.

    http://www.bostonreview.net/BR38.3/lili_loofbourow_chile_education_privatization.php

  92. 92.

    Punchy

    Fat thunderstorms forming in western KS. Nado warnings popping up. KC metro gets this shizzle tomorry. Could make for an interesting day….

  93. 93.

    dance around in your bones

    @gogol’s wife:

    Does anyone remember the day (and I think it was just a day, or maybe less) when we all had avatars? They were just assigned to us, and they were little green spacemen and purple people-eaters?

    Ha! I remember! I turned my avatar into some hippy-trippy tie dye thing. Then Cole came on and said he could not live with the awful avatars, so poof! they were gone.

    Good, I always think they look stupid anyway.

    eta: I think the site functions pretty well, looks more sterile and cleaner, I guess. I liked the old look with the megaphone guy and the fat grey curvy numbers and the floating platforms for comments.

    This is only the eleventy-billionth time I’ve said this, so what the hell.

  94. 94.

    sacrablue

    @Haydnseek: Yes, I think this design is better than the previous one. I didn’t say it was perfect. Besides, if I wanted a putdown like the one you just dished out I could have gone into the family room and talked to my spouse. And yes, before you go there, I know this is Balloon Juice, and people aren’t always kind to each other, but I don’t require that kind of insult, just for expressing an opinion. In other words, Go Fuck Yourself!

  95. 95.

    Steeplejack

    @Roger Moore:

    That’s not happening for everyone. On this machine (Firefox, Windows XP), the Reply button is on a separate line below the last line of the comment.

    Perhaps this has something to do with your browser settings (e.g., amount of zoom, “Zoom Text Only” on or off)?

  98. 98.

    ? Martin

    And just updated my stylish theme to make it easier for anyone to turn on/off individual boxes just by commenting/uncommenting one line in the code. Wanted to put the lexicon back in on mine. That’s a lot easier now. Each section is commented in the style so you can easily tell what it refers to.

  99. 99.

    Roger Moore

    @Steeplejack:

    Perhaps this has something to do with your browser settings (e.g., amount of zoom, “Zoom Text Only” on or off)?

    Probably. I was using somebody’s user theme to increase the font size, which looks as if it’s less necessary now. When I turn it off, I don’t see the problem anymore.

  101. 101.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Haydnseek:

    The operative word is “were”, as in WAS. ;)

    I like everything but the fixed center column width. Still, great job in getting everything up with minimal disruptions.

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    Why? I’m always entertained when they ask us for help in pounding in the last nail. Killjoy.

  103. 103.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    @Mike in NC:

    Went to get a haircut today and discovered a magazine called “Reminisce”, which apparently is all about 1940s and 50s nostalgia for aging white people.

    Mmmm, the good’l days; Red-baiting, McCarthyism, segregation, duck-and-cover drills. As an aging white person I spend many happy nanoseconds reminiscing about those halcyon days when polio was virulent and incurable.

  105. 105.

    Steeplejack

    @gbear:

    If you’re reading on a computer, you can use the awesome power of the Home button to go the top of the page. Not quite as convenient, on a Chromebook you can mash Ctrl+Alt+Up.

  106. 106.

    Haydnseek

    @sacrablue: You didn’t say it was better. You said it was cleaner. It clearly is not. Every other box tinted blue (for no reason) with an unnecessary black outline? The earlier design was demonstrably cleaner than this. If were dealing with a language issue, okay. But if not, Fuck You, because you simply do not understand the meanings of simple english words. Read your own fucking post, asshole.

  111. 111.

    lamh35

    @Omnes Omnibus: that’s thanks to my aunt. my aunt, Maddie’s mother, has always believed that if it ain’t bright, it ain’t right! Seriously, lol.

  113. 113.

    Haydnseek

    @Higgs Boson’s Mate: Not in this case. Would you say a 16th century French sideboard was “cleaner” than a Danish Modern coffee table strictly in terms of design? Of course not. Taste has nothing to do with it. Remember, the original statement was “cleaner,” not “better.”

  114. 114.

    trollhattan

    It does look good, so it must suque, correctomundo?

    O/T, suck this, Rih Perry.

    A California law that requires all semi-automatic handguns to be equipped with technology that stamps its identifying information on bullet casings is now in effect after years of delays.

    Though signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007, the law couldn’t take effect as it was supposed to in 2010 because of patents on the technology, including at least one that had been bought up by a gun rights group to delay the law’s implementation.

    On Friday, Attorney General Kamala Harris [who is hawt!] officially certified and announced that patents were no longer an issue. Former state Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who authored the law, hailed it as a “monumental day for law enforcement” and said it was the first such law to go into effect in the nation. Other states, notably New York, have looked at such a law, but have had troubles getting it passed.

    “This very important technology will help us as law enforcement in identifying and locating people who improperly and illegally use and discharge firearms,” Harris said.

    The law doesn’t impact the more than 1,200 guns already on the state’s official firearm roster. Only new or modified semi-automatic handguns sold in California must be equipped with the technology that “microstamps” a bullet casing with a code identifying a gun’s make, model and serial number whenever the gun is fired.

    http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/18/5430874/calif-law-takes-effect-on-microstamping.html

    Don’t know why anybody fought this, other than hippies wanted it, but it would be a good technology to pair with gunpowder taggants.

  115. 115.

    Ronzoni Rigatoni

    @Omnes Omnibus: I think it woulda been a lot more fun if the many ALJ’s I was in front of over the years had to wear those powdery wigs. At least I’da been able to excuse the laughter.

  118. 118.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    @Haydnseek: For the record, I hope the Sharks get it together, and yes it is tiring for two rounds and done. As for the site redesign I think it is fabulous. One more thing it sucks that there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, but it was goog that Gary Stevens won on Oxbow.

  121. 121.

    Haydnseek

    @Mr Stagger Lee: Couldn’t agree more. Gary Stevens in the irons has influenced my betting patterns for years, mostly for the better. I, too, yearn for a triple crown winner, that just means that it will be all the sweeter when it happens. As much as I love a game seven in the playoffs of every sport that uses this playoff format, I must continue to root for the Kings, as I have since 1969. The site redesign is obviously a matter of taste, as long as it doesn’t interfere with ease of use. Wouldn’t Sharks or Kings vs. Pens be cool in the finals? Cole’s posts would be priceless……..

  122. 122.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    If you want to laugh at how stupid the crazies are getting, check out the “Featured Story” at the top of the FP at Redstate…lol! They have posted a ‘joke’ draft copy of an IRS questionnaire to determine eligibility for the new health care exchanges being offered this fall.

    Epic winger fail at humor, as usual.

  124. 124.

    Steeplejack

    @? Martin:

    Cool! I will check this out.

    I retreated into “wait and see” mode earlier this week after thoroughly confusing myself with fiddly changes on three platforms (Chrome on Nexus 7 tablet and Firefox on Windows XP and Windows 7 on two different computers with different screen resolutions), compounded by the ongoing fiddly changes being made by the Balloon Juice crew.

  129. 129.

    Steeplejack

    @Maude:

    Well, you are bright, no doubt, but I don’t know about the background. Mine is white, but it doesn’t seem whiter than white.

    Maybe you’re seeing more contrast because they went back to black text from the gray?

  131. 131.

    Jay C

    Maybe I’m missing something re the site redesign, but when I view BJ on my iPad, I get the choice of the “mobile version” – which sucks badly, IMNSFHO – or the “normal” view, in which the two side columns are OK, but the middle (text) column comes out about an inch-and-a-half wide, and any comment longer than a one-liner snark-rejoinder runs on for what seems like feet of screen space? Any way to adjust the column size?

  132. 132.

    StonyPillow

    Mostly lurk here and listen to me betters, but this dog walks on his hinder legs just fine.

  133. 133.

    Steeplejack

    @Jay C:

    I don’t have an iPad, but I have heard that the site looks better in landscape mode. I don’t know whether there has been a fix or a better tweak in the last few days.

  137. 137.

    oaguabonita

    No. No, in fact it does not look good. I hate it when sites make the content column skinnier and skinnier as I [control-+] to increase the font size to legibility. Eventually reaching an impossible-to-read column of single letters.

    Who could possibly have ever thought this a good idea?

    Brad Delong’s is the other site I can think of that adopts this bizarre, anti-reader quirk.

    Bad, bad idea.

  138. 138.

    wasabi gasp

    Here’s some more stylish stuff:
    This slims down BJ to 1024 pixels.
    This minimizes the comments style a little bit.
    And, this keeps Newsmax off your eyeballs.

  139. 139.

    2liberal

    pie filter is not working for me under firefox. I am already sick of Cornerstone and ted /helen

  142. 142.

    Corner Stone

    @2liberal: God damn son.
    How bout you go fuck yourself? That speed you on your way any? How about this?
    Go fuck yourself and you’re a serious douchecanoe motherfucker.
    Now go fuck off you fuckstick fucker.

  143. 143.

    HelloRochester

    It is a grand and glorious thing. Mistermix, like myself, is a native of the Flower City so send him a case of Genesee Ice and I’m sure he’ll call it even because cheaper than Pepsi.

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