Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

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

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

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

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

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

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

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Open Thread

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What’s going on with you guys?

From the news:

Zimmerman’s girlfriend recants her claims of gun threats

Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner receives sentence of 90 days home confinement

 The Army is launching a fuel cell testing initiative with General Motors at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan.

 The X-47B Unmanned Combat Aerial System has completed carrier qualification tests

This one is a week old, but I don’t remember seeing anyone blog it.  I was going to, but I forgot (perhaps I blogged it.  I’m getting old…er):

Supreme Court refuses to hear a challenge to PPACA’s individual mandate

Reader Interactions

59Comments

  2. 2.

    Big R

    Finally turned off my Facebook. I am very clearly addicted, as evidenced by my withdrawal symptoms. So this needed to happen. Maybe I can come back later and be more healthy about it. Anybody else experienced this?

  5. 5.

    joel hanes

    @Big R:

    Abandoned Facebook about three years ago.

    Sometimes feel a pang when family members keep in touch through FB and I’m left out;
    but then I remember the stream of “friend” requests from people I barely know or whom I have purposely cut out of my life, the Farmville updates, the Christian homilies from Those Who Must Evangelize, the endless self-absorbtion of the adolescents updating status every few minutes …

    The only thing I really miss is sharing pictures.
    The next time I need to do that, I’ll (re-) set up Picassa, or a tumblr.

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    How are you doing, Soonergrunt? Do you still have snow on the ground?

    How is Soonerdaughter and her liquid diet?

  9. 9.

    brettvk

    @Big R: Not trying to sound smug or concern-trollish, but fb has always given me this weird creeper vibe that I don’t feel from, say, Google. This is probably irrational and I don’t know why fb’s so offputting. I have a phony account so I can comment on some sites, but I don’t friend anybody and avoid going to my bestie’s page even though that’s the best way to keep up with his gigs.

  10. 10.

    brettvk

    @Big R: I was horrified years ago when I realized I had a LinkedIn profile I’d never created, but I couldn’t discover a way to delete it. Do their overlords allow you to do that?

  11. 11.

    catclub

    How much are the aircraft carrier drones NOT like fighter planes? It calls them Unmanned Combat Aerial System, which sounds threatening to fighters. Landing on a carrier also seems threatening.

  12. 12.

    Big R

    @brettvk: I dunno. You don’t want to be entirely without an online presence, as that screams “hermit in the woods”, but my Facebook was a weird hybrid of personal stuff and professional stuff. So I got rid of it. Maybe I’ll reactivate it someday to go and get the list of people I actually want to spend time with, then start over from scratch and be much more selective about who I let in.

  14. 14.

    Soonergrunt

    @Elizabelle: Yeah, we still have snow. The schools are still closed because none of the cities in the metro has the capability to plow any but a few of the main streets and they worry about school buses getting stuck or in accidents on the side streets.
    Soonerdaughter is taking the liquid diet in stride. She’s annoyed that she won’t have Christmas candies and cookies, but apparently ice cream shakes are on the list (I don’t pretend to understand that,) so she’s experimenting with ice cream and Boost and ice cream and Ensure.
    I made pizza for dinner tonight, and she just looked at me with this sad expression. I’m a terrible father.

  15. 15.

    Fluke bucket

    Seeing a lot of bitching about the trans pacific partnership. I read about it and I still do not know WTF it is.

  18. 18.

    Big R

    @brettvk: A friend of mine used to capture that feeling really well when she said, “On the Internet, if you’re using the service for free, you are not a customer; you are the product.” That never bothered me; still doesn’t. When I left, it was because I didn’t and don’t like how Facebook makes it very easy to be passive-aggressive over your disagreements with people. That’s one of my bad habits and my pet peeves, so a particular event I’m not going into made me think I should take a break.

    Of course, it’s not really gone. Nothing ever is, on the Internet. We all just have to learn to mediate the long memory of the new world with our expectations that youthful mistakes don’t last forever.

  19. 19.

    Elizabelle

    @brettvk:

    I listed my LinkedIn profession as “vagrant.”

    Haven’t given them any further info, because I want my privacy.

    Wondering if vagrant will come back to haunt me.

  20. 20.

    brettvk

    @Big R: Since I’m no one important and old enough to be with my (probable) final employer, I’m more inclined to resent being profiled without permission than being mistaken for a backwoods technophobe.

  22. 22.

    Big R

    @Big R: On mobile, so can’t edit. Just adding: while I left for personal reasons, I’m now glad I did, as the effect has been terrifying. How many times a day did I automatically tab over there, just to kill time? Jesus fucking Christ.

  24. 24.

    Big R

    @brettvk: Fair enough. My dad just started a job with the best employer in the country (TM Soonergrunt), and I told him that this is his last job, because if he loses this one before retirement, I’ll kill him.

  26. 26.

    dmsilev

    @raven: The good thing about taking ~500 photos is that picking out a couple dozen decent to good ones is straightforward. Tedious, but straightforward. And I’ve been shooting this event for enough years that I know more or less where to go and what to look for.

    EDIT: Should add that there’s a fair amount of luck and timing as well. The first photo, of the blue flame from the water bottle, was capturing an event that lasted for about 0.5 seconds. You need decent reflexes, a decent camera, and foreknowledge of what’s coming to get that shot.

  27. 27.

    David Hunt

    Just logged onto Healthcare.gov and it’s working for me! I got to compare plans and such. I’m going to look at Health Savings Accounts tomorrow (that info is readily available where I work) and decide if that’s an advantageous option and I should be enrolled by the end of the week. I’m much more optimistic about this thing now. Although I knew that I could get a good deal if I could manage to get to the end, I was worrying about the site giving me what I need. I’m much less worried now.

  30. 30.

    Ripley

    Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner receives sentence of 90 days home confinement

    The fapping, it will be epic.

  39. 39.

    SiubhanDuinne

    George Zimmerman’s girlfriend recants allegations he threatened her with gun

    Uh-huh.

    “I am not afraid of George in any manner and I want to be with him,” Scheibe stated.

    Uh-huh.

  41. 41.

    ranchandsyrup

    90 days home confinement for Filner is just not punitive enough for the local wingertariat. But they’re rejoicing because the puppet candidate of Poppa Doug Manchester win the runoff election easily.

  43. 43.

    Dead Ernest

    Entertaining headline from The Register in UK…

    NASA Mars tank Curiosity rolls in old wet patch, will sniff for signs of life

  50. 50.

    ruemara

    I had a very decent Sunday, which was spent wandering Cow Palace taking pictures at the Dickens Faire. The best thing, for my money (rhetorical, because my friend got me in and paid for meals) was all the performances. The belly dancers were great and age/shape inclusive, which was the bomb. The Morris Dancers were fab and great to watch. There was also some fun “lectures”, which were decently scientifically accurate and had some fascinating props to look at and touch. If you’re in the Bay, I recommend it. I’d never been before, now I wish I could go back. I didn’t get to see even half of it. Did see the Saucy French Postcards, which was more fun than I would have thought. And I have to say a huge thank you to my uberboss, who basically handed over her $1500 camera rig so I could take some decent shots. It improved my mood frm the moment I knew I’d be able to do some proper work. No pay, but I was happy to trade a day out for some work.

  51. 51.

    BruceFromOhio

    The X-47B Unmanned Combat Aerial System has completed carrier qualification tests.

    In my head, I hear Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice saying, “The Skynet funding bill is passed.”

  52. 52.

    BruceFromOhio

    @raven: Now Da Bears are just running up the score. Not that there is anything wrong with that on Ditka Night @ Soldier Field.

    I feel just a teensy bit bad for the Dallas D, freezing their asses off while getting stuffed. It is balanced by the sour mug on Jerry Jones that brings warmth and joy to my heart.

  54. 54.

    YellowJournalism

    @SiubhanDuinne: So mug I that article reminds me of friends and family who would take back abusive men or recant abuse allegations simply because they feared being alone or didn’t want their child’s father in jail or, worse, they were threatened by the boyfriend or the boyfriend’s family. I’ve even heard the whole “cops misunderstood” excuse!

    And how do cops misunderstand you claiming he pointed a gun at you?!

  57. 57.

    PurpleGirl

    @dmsilev: Nice pictures of lab work and kids. Hope some of those kids discover an interest in science. (Even when I knew my Chemistry major wasn’t going to continue, I took a lab work course (Quantitative Analysis) because I wanted the time in a lab before changing my major.)

  58. 58.

    PurpleGirl

    @ruemara: It’s nice to hear you had a good day, enjoying yourself and doing some things you really like to do.

    How is the fundraising going to get the new camera?

  59. 59.

    ruemara

    @PurpleGirl: Well… so far, 3 people have contributed $40. I’m hoping the pics are good enough to show some merit, but I fear I will be just refunding the donations of my 3 friends who have donated. At this rate, It’ll take another year to get a camera set and my time is short.

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