Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I really should read my own blog.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

This chaos was totally avoidable.

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

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

When we show up, we win.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

You are here: Home / Absent Friends / Open Thread – “When I was about sixteen years of age…”

Reader Interactions

46Comments

  1. 1.

    Collin

    Please pass on to John that I have received threat notifications from my antivirus program the last two times I have logged on to your site. Something called “Exploit Invisible (Frame Inection (Type 1707))

    Won’t be back till my antivirus judges your site safe.

    Collin

  3. 3.

    gbear

    People Get Ready by the Impressions

    73 year old Lester Chambers (of the 60’s band The Chambers Brothers) was attacked by an unhinged 43 year old woman on stage last night for dedicating this song to Trayvon Martin. He wound up in the hospital.

    Edit: Damn I’m slow…

  4. 4.

    Violet

    @Collin: I had that happen yesterday one time when I refreshed a page. I wonder if it might be due to an ad. Since they rotate and change, and it only happened once, I figured that was the problem.

  5. 5.

    Ted & Hellen

    Open thread discussion question for the BJ Dominant Botsplainer Commenter Cohort:

    Trayvon Martin was 17 years old.

    The boys found guilty in the Steubenville case were 17 and 16 years old.

    Why is Martin a “child” while the Steubenville pair (as frequently asserted here) were “men” who deserved to be tried as adults?

    Discuss.

  12. 12.

    Older

    Well, as an old person, with a largish number of children, I will hazard a guess.

    There are things which are appropriate, and things which are not, at any age. The Steubenville boys had made a decision to act inappropriately “mannish” (if you recognize that term, and I will admit it’s old folks’ talk). Whereas, Trayvon was acting entirely appropriately for a child.

    Many’s the time one or more of my kids walked down to a nearby store to get candy and a soft drink. All the way from 6 years to, yes, 17 years of age. I don’t believe he assaulted anyone. I feel terrible for his parents. I don’t know how I would have survived such an incident had it involved my kid. What can you do? How can you go on?

  13. 13.

    The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik

    Again, the worst thing to come out of this whole fucking disaster is how it turned into a trial in Trayvon Martin and he was found guilty posthumously.

    Oh, and good christ, T&H, you are an unforgivable asshole.

  16. 16.

    Ted & Hellen

    @The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik:

    How so?

    I am asking a relevant question, and you are avoiding it.

    All three were/are about the same age, yet one is conveniently a CHILD and the other two are conveniently MEN, according to the prejudices of the commenting observers. I am interested to know the process by which this distinction was made.

    I seek only to learn.

  18. 18.

    MomSense

    @Sarah, Proud and Tall:

    Since I rarely get to “see” you here, I wanted to thank you for saying enough good things about Dr. Who that I finally decided to watch and am now completely head over heals for Who!

    I found this today and have decided to make one–knitters are the best and of course someone found a way to knit a tardis wrap! I really should send it to you as a thank you.

    http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss12/PATTbigger.php

  20. 20.

    Cygil

    Hey, Ted & Hellen

    All three were/are about the same age, yet one is conveniently a CHILD and the other two are conveniently MEN, according to the prejudices of the commenting observers. I am interested to know the process by which this distinction was made.

    Honestly, nobody cares about your inane gotcha freeper botsplainer talking point.

    Perhaps it’s the same reason your guy is a “statesman” and my guy is a “politician”. Or our guys with guns are “soldiers” and their guys with guns are “insurgents” or “terrorists”, that is to say one is the honorable party and the other side is the fucking perpetrator.

    Or perhaps it’s a minor hypocrisy that doesn’t fucking matter one bit, when you realize a vigilante mall ninja with a ludicrous alibi got away with murder because of racism, stupidity of “stand your ground”, and stunning incompetence by the police and district attorney’s office.

  23. 23.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    @Ted & Hellen:
    1. Show me where the steubenvill pair was assserted to be men here on this blog.
    2. Just because the law calls them men doesn’t mean they are.

  24. 24.

    Ted & Hellen

    @gbear:

    You’re not very smart, are you?

    My question regards the BJ commentariat, not the court system.

    I am of the opinion that a juvenile is a juvenile until he or she stops being a juvenile by age, not by some arbitrary bullshit like your link.

    Why couldn’t the heinous nature of a crime be a rationale for arguing that the juvenile offender was too YOUNG to understand the gravity of it, as opposed to omg the crime is nasty so let’s pretend the offender is an adult even though they’re not, which makes no sense.

    By the way, gbear, I think you should be banned and have request Cole do so. Just cause.

  27. 27.

    Ted & Hellen

    @muddy:

    Could you explain how victim/perp alleged issues change their chronological age?

    Either they are all children or they are all adults, or maybe just maybe they are all “juveniles.”

    Consistency is a thing you should consider.

  29. 29.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Narcissus:

    Trayvon has repeatedly been referred to as a “child” in BJ comment threads.

    Many commenters here called for the Steubenville perps to be tried as adults.

    If you don’t recall those statements, then don’t worry about it. Ignore me.

  33. 33.

    AxelFoley

    Think it’s time for Cole to finally permaban this fucker.

    T&H, if we were in the same room, your ass would have my foot in it.

  36. 36.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    @AxelFoley:

    You serious?

    I suspect not, dear.

    @all

    Now, all of you play nice. I’m not a believer in the banning, and I suspect taking anything up with Cole right now would be a STUPID FUCKING IDEA, so you all play nice and I won’t have to come in there.

  39. 39.

    Ted & Hellen

    @AxelFoley:

    T&H, if we were in the same room, your ass would have my foot in it.

    Gosh, you’re awfully butch and fierce over the intertrons, sister man.

  40. 40.

    Ted & Hellen

    @AxelFoley:

    Think it’s time for Cole to finally permaban this fucker.

    You should write JC several emails expressing your deep disappointment in how he is running this blog that you pay good money to read.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Ted & Hellen:

    The boys found guilty in the Steubenville case were 17 and 16 years old.

    Wikipedia:

    w

    Two students and high school football players, Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays, both 16 at the time of the crime, have been convicted in juvenile court for the rape of a minor.

  43. 43.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ted & Hellen:
    John Cole did warn you, when you tried to pick a fight with Betty Cracker and Cassidy right after your most recent time-out, that you were now on your very last chance. (He also called you a pox on this blog, remember?) You seem eager to use up that last chance.

  45. 45.

    Ted & Hellen

    @Amir Khalid:

    And you are concerned for me?

    Yeah, because poor Betty is such a delicate, foul mouthed flower and needs to be taken care of and all.

    Please. Cole loves me and pays me to post here. The fact that this causes you deep concern is a plus.

Comments are closed.