Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

The revolution will be supervised.

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

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

The willow is too close to the house.

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

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

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She Was Terminally Pretty

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Got home from a town planning commission at eight and started to cook a late dinner, turned the boob tube on, and just spent the last three hours watching a really excellent documentary on the Eagles. Not really one of my favorite bands, but damned if I didn’t know every single song. I’ll still take a solo Joe Walsh over them, because it’s music and a personality I can recognize and understand, but still, this was a great documentary.

Another documentary I really liked was Knuckleball, about the pitch and mostly centered on Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey and their careers and their relationships with Phil and Joe Niekro (who were born about 30 mins away from me, btw) and Charlie Hough. Really a great show.

Reader Interactions

104Comments

  1. 1.

    Comrade Jake

    Just finished the first ep of Jack Taylor on Netflix, JC. Not bad. Thanks for the tip.

  2. 2.

    mainmati

    Where do you find these weird docs? I grew up a Pittsburgher. Union family. We kids in ’60s and ’70s were hard core rock and roll. The Eagles were always like flaky to our community. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, absolutely anything Blues, etc. oh yeah. Not the West Coast flakes.

  5. 5.

    PsiFighter37

    God I hate LeBron James, their bandwagon fans, and the entire Miami Heat. The Spurs need to pull it together here and bring it back.

  7. 7.

    MoeLarryAndJesus

    Ever see this poem from Bill James? (1987 Baseball Abstract):

    “Casey Chases a Knuckler”

    Rough, tough, Charlie Hough
    All eight innings had his stuff
    Floating light from Charlie’s cuff
    Breaking late and just enough
    To keep the scoreboard bare.

    And yet, the Mudville fans did dare
    To hope that foul would soon turn fair.
    A single here, an error there,
    Casey stood on deck and glared
    At rough, tough Charlie Hough.

    Casey snorted, loud and gruff,
    “I’ll knock that busher on his duff.
    Bring him on, I’ll call his bluff;
    How dare he aim that piece of fluff
    At Casey’s mighty stick?”

    A home run now would tie it quick.
    Charlie gave his wrist a flick;
    Casey took a mighty lick.
    The hearts of Mudville landed sick;
    Just three pitches did the trick
    From rough, tough, Charlie Hough.

  9. 9.

    Mandalay

    I’m not meaning to speak ill of the dead, but I was a bit surprised to see that the late Michael Hastings had said this: “Mainly you really have to love writing and reporting. Like it’s more important to you than anything else in your life–family, friends, social life, whatever,” he wrote.

    And it reminds me of the Yahoo CEO who said of her priorities in life: “For me, it’s God, family and Yahoo, in that order“.

    I assume these people are being honest and sincere, but why would you choose to publicly say things like that? Must be a bit of a bummer for a child or spouse to learn that someone they love finds writing or God more important than them.

  10. 10.

    raven

    @SiubhanDuinne: Hey, got in touch with the on call doc, I went and got a bottle of something that put me in moderation when I posted it on the earlier thread. I drank it and expect to continue on any moment. I don’t care if I have to stay up all night, I want this over tomorrow.

    thx

  15. 15.

    mainmati

    Oh and another strange anecdote, my parents knew Elroy Face (don’t you love the name?) who was a famous relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ’60s, famous for his knuckle ball, which I think he may have invented or at least perfected. He had a farm east of Pittsburgh and we used to go out there as kids to do fake fishing while the ‘rents drank beer. He was (probably is since he still lives) a really funny guy. I mainly only remember trying to figure out how someone could throw a baseball really fast with your knuckles. He didn’t let on to this little kid.

  19. 19.

    mai naem

    I’ve always liked the Eagles. I had a discussion with a friend after Michael Jackson died. Who else would get the reaction that Michael Jackson did when he died? There’s not a whole lot of people. The Obamas, the Clintons,The Brit Royals, Madonna, Paul McCartney (but he’s getting up there in years so it wouldn’t be as much of a shock), Beyonce?, Rihanna?, George Clooney?, Jlo? Brangelina?

  21. 21.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @raven: Doesn’t really matter where they were came from, though. They were part of the core of the LA country-rock scene in the early 70s. Hell, they started as Linda Rondstadt’s backup band.

    I read somewhere they liked the name “Eagles” because it sounded like a Detroit gang.

  22. 22.

    Forked Tongue

    Can I just say while I’m relatively early in the comments that JOHN COLE HAS THE WRETCHEDEST, MOST FUMIGATION-WORTHY TASTE IN MUSIC I HAVE EVER SEEN IN SOMEONE I MIGHT CONSIDER A COMRADE? Thank you. I feel better now. Joe Walsh. Freddie Mercury. Zappa. JEEBUS!!!

  24. 24.

    Redshirt

    Blow your mind time: The Eagles song “Take it Easy” – “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona…”

    is not the easy listening 70’s rock song you might think it is. Consider Winslow, Arizona is home to the state prison of Arizona, and there are many signs in the area warning drivers not to pick up hitchhikers.

    Now, listen to that song again, and see if it changes.

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    Saw the Eagles once, opening form Jethro Tull. Was it an omen?

    Thread needs moar Poco.

  30. 30.

    burnspbesq

    @raven:

    None of the Eagles are from the West Coast.

    That depends on whether you consider Sacramento “the west Coast.”

  31. 31.

    burnspbesq

    Best song I’ve heard tonight?

    “We Are Going to Brazil,” by the American Outlaws, from the Live at Rio Tinto collection.

  32. 32.

    Spaghetti Lee

    Is it just me or does Manu Ginobili look less like a pro athlete than any other pro athlete? I had a few high school science teachers who had that beard and that hairline.

  34. 34.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @raven: Well, we caught a mouse in the attic. Saw a lot of fishing boats out on the water the other day, but I wasn’t on any of them.

    Using a bit of vacation to hang out with my cousins and go through massive amounts of family papers and photos and, well, stuff. Heading back Thursday, probably on the road for two days and change. Should be home sometime Saturday, then just one more week of work until retirement!

    Going to bed now. Again, good luck tomorrow. I’ll be thinking about you and peering in occasionally to check the open threads for updates.

  36. 36.

    Spaghetti Lee

    @raven:

    Nothin’ personal, but you might want to just avoid this thread. It’s 2 minutes left in overtime and you know someone’s gonna post the result when it’s over.

  37. 37.

    the Conster

    Shout out to Tim Wakefield from this grateful Sox fan. Tim went from goat in 2003 (Aaron Fucking Boone) to hero, and when each one of those NY/Red Sox games went into extra innings way into the night in the 2004 ALCS, he was a stand up guy. He and Dave Roberts will never have to buy a beer in Boston.

    I’ve been listening to Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs all night. Burt’s songs are everywhere, but here’s an antidote to the Eagles. It’s a LOVE song.

  43. 43.

    Alison

    @burnspbesq: I’m confused why everyone is saying this. The sports journos I’ve seen all say it’s not mathematically clinched yet. I feel like we all need to knock on wood from now till September… :/

  48. 48.

    Suffern ACE

    Darn now there will be a game seven. Yay, now it’s over and the Spurs win. (He says so as to not spoil it for anyone).

  50. 50.

    Redshirt

    RA Dickey’s story is pretty interesting. Look it up if you don’t know.

    Gaylord Perry is the greatest baseball name ever, btw.

  53. 53.

    burnspbesq

    @Alison:

    We have 13 points from six matches. Sixteen has always been enough to qualify. Our four remaining matches (in order) are Costa Rica away, Mexico at home, Jamaica at home, and Panama away. If we don’t get seven points from those matches, we should be profoundly embarrassed.

  54. 54.

    PsiFighter37

    God fucking dammit. I hate that flopping, whining asshole more than the Republican Party right now.

  56. 56.

    burnspbesq

    Eighty-nine minutes of dreary, but the goal was exquisite. The run that Zusi made to pull the Honduran right back out of position and open up the space for Johnson was one of those little things that casual fans miss, but it was absolutely key and a thing of subtle beauty.

  61. 61.

    Alison

    @burnspbesq: I know, I know. Like I said, I’m an eternal…not pessimist but big giant worrywart when it comes to the MNT :)

    CR away will be a tough one, but I’m looking forward to another dos a cero against Mexico.

  66. 66.

    Cacti

    Oh Spurs. Let that 5th ring slip right off your fingers.

    TD lit it up for 3 quarters and then looked every bit of his 37-years in the 4th.

    Hate to say it, but I don’t see them bouncing back in game 7 on the road.

  69. 69.

    Tripod

    The key feature of the L.A. music scene of the late 60’s early 70’s wasn’t some bullshit about musical style. It was the time and place where, as Van Dyke Parks put it, they corporatized rock. A few folks got insanely rich from it. Azoff, Geffen, Henley and Frey, the rest of the band maybe not so much.

  70. 70.

    Joseph Nobles

    The Texas Lege just passed SB 5, a collection of anti-abortion laws. Well, the Senate has, and that was the hurdle. The House will pass it and Rick Perry will sign it. Texas will have five or six abortion clinics that will meet the ambulatory surgical clinic regulations. Five or six for the entire state. Women will have to have 3 (I think) in-clinic visits just for a medical abortion. All abortions are banned after 20 weeks (utterly unconstitutional). Life or imminent severe impairment of physical bodily functions of the mother are the only exceptions after 20 weeks.

    A freaking travesty, this legislation.

  72. 72.

    Yatsuno

    @Joseph Nobles: They’re sucking up to the wingnuts. It’s the only way they can try to stem the demographic tide. They also are aiming to get it to SCOTUS so Roe v Wade can finally be overturned. They WANT to get sued and waste the money on it.

  74. 74.

    Joseph Nobles

    @Yatsuno: It’s going to be a few years of hell for Texas women, though. Sadly, this was Rick Perry’s special session (which is supposed to be used only for emergency legislation). It tosses the 2/3rds rule out the window in the Senate. But the vote was 20-10. They didn’t even need the special session to do this.

  78. 78.

    Alison

    @Joseph Nobles: It’s so horrible. Breaks my heart for women living there, especially poor women. How the fuck is a low-income single mom in western TX supposed to get to a clinic?

    HA HA I know she’s NOT, that’s the whole point. And it’s vile and repugnant. And cruel.

  79. 79.

    Yatsuno

    @Alison: Sluts MUST be punished. Bebehs MUST be protected. Wimmins MUST be under the heel of their husbands. Becuz Jeebus.

  80. 80.

    SixStringFanatic

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Hakan Loob is still my favorite sports name of all time. That there exists a Hakan Loob Trophy (given annually to the top goal scorer in the Swedish Elite League) is just icing on the cake.

  81. 81.

    Kevin

    @mainmati: Elroy Face was NEVER a knuckleballer. Are you confusing him with Hoyt Wilhelm? I’m a crusty old geezer, and can’t believe no one has pointed out your error, unless my bad eyes scrolled past an earlier comment :-)

  87. 87.

    MattR

    @Kevin: I completely missed that. I would guess that mainmati was thinking of Face’s forkball.

    @FlipYrWhig: That reminds me of the joke about how Canada got its name. They decided to pick letters out of a hat to come up with the name. The guy reaches in, grabs a letter and says “C, eh”. He reaches in again and says “N, eh”. He reaches in one more time and announces “D, eh” And there you have it C-A-N-A-D-A

  94. 94.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    @Redshirt: well, I was suggesting that the California legislature might think about outlawing executions, and that bozo piped up. He’s an anti-Muslim, anti-Catholic bigot, who bitched about me suggesting that guys throwing petrol bombs aren’t exactly politically helpful.

  95. 95.

    Anne Laurie

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: Official story, as per the Wik: “The name of the band was first suggested by Leadon during a peyote and tequila-influenced group outing in the Mojave Desert, when he recalled reading about the Hopi’s reverence for the eagle”. The oft-repeated story, per Rolling Stone, had Henley finishing “… but Glenn liked it because he thought it sounded like a gang name.” One had the impression was that Henley and Frey were not always the best of friends…

  97. 97.

    Comrade Nimrod Humperdink

    @Spaghetti Lee: John Kruk, Cecil Fielder, and David Wells would like a word. Then again, Kruk himself said he was a ballplayer, not an athlete.

  98. 98.

    TriassicSands

    @SatanicPanic:

    I watched Knuckleball recently and really felt like the material was a bit thin for the length of the film. An hour would have sufficed, I think.

    @mainmati:

    I mainly only remember trying to figure out how someone could throw a baseball really fast with your knuckles.

    First, the knuckleball is usually thrown much slower than a fastball, curve, or slider. Second, it isn’t really thrown with the knuckles as the film shows quite clearly.

    I agree with Kevin; you must be confusing Face with someone else…or, as is pointed out in the film, lots of pitchers “have” a knuckleball, they just never throw it during a game. Rather, it’s something you play around with during practice and screwing around.

    That said, your memories of Face being a nice guy are a lot more important than what pitches he threw.

  99. 99.

    Fred

    When did so many people get so down on The Eagles? Seems like for the past ten years 3/4 of opinioners say they always hated them but back in ’70s-80’s I don’t recall anybody not liking the band. Maybe I just ran with a low class crowd.
    p.s. I still enjoy their music, even with Joe Walsh although I could do without that fucking talkbox thing he was so hung up on. It’s a guitar dude. You know how to play it so do that.

  102. 102.

    Uncle Cosmo

    The Orioles picked up Hoyt Wilhelm in the late 1950s & the knuckleballer quickly became a fan favortie–IIRC he started one season 8-0.

    No one knows where a knuckler is going to end up, not the pitcher, not the batter, & sure as hell not the poor catcher who has to keep it from rolling to the backstop.The Birds got Wilhelm because they thought their starting catcher, one Gus Triandos, could manage that, but they took no chances & had a special catcher’s mitt made about the size of a trashcan lid (maybe larger). It wasn’t for catching anything but for blocking the ball so it stayed out front. Of course next offseason MLB issued a regulation limiting the permissible circumference of all fielding mitts…

    The two O’s pitchers I remember from my younger days as the best at utterly humiliating a batter were two Mikes, Cuellar and Boddicker, & neither was a knuckleballer. Cuellar’s “out” pitch was an 80 mph fastball that no batter could catch up to–after setting them up with incredibly slow nasty-breaking curves & screwballs, the “heat” looked like it was moving at warp speed. Boddicker (older Sawx fans will remember him, you traded for him later) had more junk than Sanford & Son & threw it from 3 locations at about 5 speeds (one in reverse I think). I was at old Memorial Stadium with my dad for the 1983 playoffs when Bodds struck out 13 or 14 White Sox, & even from general admission by the RF foul pole you could see that some of those batters felt like crawling back to the dugout on all fours with the bat between their teeth….

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