Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The willow is too close to the house.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

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

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

We’re not going back!

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Republicans don’t trust women.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

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

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

No one could have predicted…

It’s a doggy dog world.

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122Comments

  4. 4.

    Phylllis

    Enjoying the peace and quiet until hubby comes home from work and cranks up today’s bowl games.

  5. 5.

    Rey

    …if I have enough Tequila to last for the next 2 days, or should I leave my comfy couch and Breaking Bad marathon to go to the liquor store. That’s what is on my mind, nothing less- nothing more. Oh yeah, Bean soup or crab legs for dinner!

  6. 6.

    raven

    The orthopod wants to MRI my shoulder with and eye toward “bicep tendon release” scope. Elway had it and won a superbowl so there is that. Any experience in BJ land?

  11. 11.

    ranchandsyrup

    Making a plan come together like Hannibal on the A-team for anniversary gift. Got tickets to Grimes concert up in Hollyweird. Used miles to fly in Grandma for babysitting for a couple of days. Made reservation at Bazaar and got the hotel worked out. Wife’s never been to the Getty so we’re gonna do that as well.

  12. 12.

    Mustang Bobby

    Got the “Bones” marathon on TNT going; playing Solitaire on the laptop, got the patio door open to let in a cool breeze, which is nice after three days of drizzly rain.

    BTW, anyone have a suggestion on a safe and eco-friendly way to dispose of CFL bulbs?

  14. 14.

    MattF

    Saw part deux of ‘The Hobbit’ last night, will probably see ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ in the next day or two, probably will see ‘Her’ over the weekend. Tolkien would object (I guess) to having his children’s book turned into a ‘comic book hero/action’ genre movie– but I enjoyed it.

  15. 15.

    Gin & Tonic

    @raven: My son had arthroscopic surgery for a torn labrum (also shoulder, also “small scope”) about six weeks ago. It looks minor when you watch it on YouTube, but he’s still barely moving that arm, and is facing months of PT.

  18. 18.

    Betty Cracker

    Wondering something: Does anyone know if Microsoft changed the Word auto-correct function between recent MS Office versions to make it a lot less stringent, meaning you have to go back and correct clumsily mis-typed words that used to be automatically corrected? If so, do we know who is responsible, so we can go introduce a box of frozen squid to his HVAC system?

  19. 19.

    raven

    @Gin & Tonic: Yea, that appears to be a much more serious surgery even though it is also done arthroscopically. With the long bicep tendon it looks like the often just “release” it with little impact on the operation of the shoulder. The most common complaint is “popeye” bicep!

  20. 20.

    Emerald

    In a day and a half I’ll have health insurance for the first time in 12 years.

    Yeah. I’m spending the time in bed with the covers pulled over my head (as soon as I get off the intertubz).

  24. 24.

    Roger Moore

    @scuffletuffle:
    Lots of places have hazardous waste roundup days where you can dispose of all kinds of stuff they’d rather you not put in the landfill. Any kind of fluorescent bulb fits the bill, so they’re worth watching for.

  29. 29.

    andy

    Rolled into work Christmas Eve (I work second shift) and opened my company e-mail only to discover that our unit had been sold. Our new owners showed up thursday morning with applications/insurance packets and a big management team. They seemed nice but this whole week really freaked me out.

    Why does Management everywhere always seem to run their psy-ops during the holidays?

  30. 30.

    IowaOldLady

    I’m working a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle and waiting for my husband’s vacation to be over so I can have some time with just me. (Am I the only one who longs for that?)

  32. 32.

    Botsplainer

    My business website is sucking ass. Site metrics have gone off a cliff over the past 6 months, with the contact and revenue falloff to match. Such few calls as have actually been coming in via the site not only don’t have money, they never had money and are unlikely to have money in the future. To add insult to injury, the goddamn thing costs more than my mortgage and is hanging around my neck like a stone.

    Getting the provider to actually do something about it is worse than pulling teeth, as their reps are getting replaced quarterly (when they’re being replaced at all). When I bitch, the advice comes down to “claim your Yelp site” (which will not happen the way they want it, I’m not going to subject myself to negative anonymous reviews) or to pay them a pile to do a bunch of backlinking (which I refuse to do, since they aren’t delivering on what I already pay them to do.

    Last week’s rep said “You need to do onsight blogging as opposed to offsite links to your blog. Somebody should have told you that. What we first set you up for was right, but that has now changed.” I pointed out that his predecessor advised me that his focus was supposed to be on new contracts, and not service on the existing contracts – he had nothing to say on that one.

    I have a sneaking suspicion that this very large SEO company has been getting all their sites slapped with Google penalties because of black hat backlinking, but they denied it when I asked.

  36. 36.

    Roger Moore

    @scuffletuffle:
    I’m thinking of the local sanitation district or whomever else runs the landfill. It’s in their best interest to make it as easy as possible to properly dispose of hazardous waste that shouldn’t wind up in the landfill, so in many places they sponsor disposal events. I know that’s the way it works in my area.

  38. 38.

    Roger Moore

    @andy:

    Why does Management everywhere always seem to run their psy-ops during the holidays?

    I assume they want the news to dribble out rather than to break to everyone at the same time because it reduces the risk of concerted action by employees. The holidays are a good time for that because lots of people are gone and dribble in over a span of a few weeks.

  39. 39.

    RaflW

    I know that web ads are at least partially tied to my browsing history, but what on earth makes John Cornyn’s programmers think a 2nd Amendment web ad on the BJ home page will interest me?
    Other than that, what’s on my mind? I’m just extra crabby about GOP evilness vis. unemployment ins and SNAP cuts.

  42. 42.

    NotMax

    @Mustang Bobby

    Don’t know about where you reside, but lots of places have an e-cycling facility or drop-off.

    Suggest phoning your refuse service or local government office and asking about disposal options.

  43. 43.

    hildebrand

    My son was accepted at the University of Chicago!!! Now, we wait for the financial aid package to see if we can actually afford to send him to U Chicago.

  44. 44.

    Ruckus

    Reading Digby this morning and came across this.
    I read Digby every morning. I think the anger is often a little too close to the surface but I also think she posts many good things.
    This is not one of them. Don’t get me wrong Phil Anderson is an asshole. An Asshole Deluxe. But her comparison to Osama based on looking alike because they have beards? Almost all men have beards, many of them shave them, a lot do not. That beard doesn’t make any man an asshole, his actions and words do that. To imply otherwise is to be a bigot. Now to say that we all don’t have some bigotry in our heads would be stupid, we are after all human and that seems to be our nature.
    But should we at least try to see that physical attributes are or at least should not determining factors in being acceptable to each other? We can not show our beards by shaving but they are still there. If we are gay we can deny that and hide in the closet, but we are still gay. We can cross dress or even change our gender, but why should that be a negative, no one changes their gender willy nilly? Our color? We can’t change that. We for the most part are who we are physically. What is in our heads is what makes us assholes or not. What we do and say is what makes us assholes or not. Not how we look or what our sexual organs are. One last thought, a hoodie doesn’t make one a gang member.

  45. 45.

    Comrade Jake

    @hildebrand: Congrats! An excellent school, and not a very easy one to get into. Your son must be rather bright.

    I hope the financial aid package works out for you.

  46. 46.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    Got my shoulder scoped for a torn rotator cuff 12-15 yrs ago. The operation wasn’t that big a deal. The recovery was. But what I had and what you have are not the same thing so there’s that. And my shoulder was and is worlds better.

  47. 47.

    realbtl

    Our bass player is back in town so tomorrow night I get to move back to dobro and guitar from bass. Few things are more boring than playing bass in a bluegrass/country rock band. Bom bom bom bom ACK!

  48. 48.

    srv

    Japanese outdo Republicans:

    In what appears to be a horrific abuse of some of Japan’s most desperate and vulnerable people, homeless men are reportedly being recruited to clean up the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

    The destitute are said to be the most likely to accept minimum wage for what is probably one of the most undesirable jobs in the world.

    It’s always troubled me that US reactor folks are largely unionized. Someone needs to look into privatizing that with street folks.

  49. 49.

    Quaker in a Basement

    @Betty Cracker: Betty, you can customize AutoCorrect to suit yourself. Open Word and select the File menu, then choose Options, Proofing, and Auto-Correct Options. Using the table of corrections, you can make Word do whatever you like.

  50. 50.

    2liberal

    as i look forward to the last holiday for some time i am just thankful i have steady employment with good benefits (knock on wood) and wish a better year for all those who are suffering thru this campaign-contributor driven political economy.

  51. 51.

    Ben Cisco

    My bout with the virus from hell is in the latter rounds now. Only problem is I had to come to work anyway and I’m so bloated I look like a freaking parade float and feel like Anderson Silva’s leg. On not much but water and ELECTROLYTES!, yet. Ye Olde Friendly Apothecary suggested Imodium AD +, hope he knows his stuff…to be safe I banished the few people who showed up today from my area and have been wiping everything down like a lunatic. But two days off after this – yay!

  52. 52.

    srv

    @hildebrand: I don’t understand Chicago providing financial aid.

    Isn’t that a bastion of freshwater economics? Is your child not required to be a self-actualized wealthy person capable of supporting their own education?

  53. 53.

    Ruckus

    @Emerald:
    Congrats!

    Someone posted on my FB feed wondering who was going to ignore the insurance deadline. Several of the more ignorant said no government was going to make them get insurance. One pointed out that the deadline is actually in April, that Dec 23 was for Jan 1 start date. I may go back and point out that their state makes them purchase auto insurance so unless they are driving without insurance a government already does force them to purchase private insurance. I wonder if they have PMI on their home loan?

  55. 55.

    mouse tolliver

    Since righties are so quick to throw out charges of pedophilia when arguing against marriage equality, I hope this gets a lot more attention.

    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/29/duck-dynasty-star-girls-should-carry-a-bible-cook-and-marry-when-they-are-15/

    Phil Robertson encourages young men to pursue underage girls and marry them at 15 or 16. Gotta lock ’em down early so’s you kin learn ’em whatfore and train ’em to be obedient. Otherwise they might grow up to full grow’d womin with wants and needs and minds of they’s own.

  56. 56.

    Gin & Tonic

    @raven: Yes, he is, and this was the result both of a deteriorating condition and a specific injury which compounded that.

  58. 58.

    Betty Cracker

    @Quaker in a Basement: I know I can go in and add words I commonly fuck up to the table, but it used to automatically correct a lot more than it does now. Really obvious shit that couldn’t be anything but a typo where the intended word is really obvious.

  59. 59.

    Hungry Joe

    Daughter still home from first quarter at UC Davis; she occasionally breaks away from friends to pass through the house and say hello. Tomorrow we’re hosting a neighborhood Eastern Standard Time party: At 9pm people say “Happy New Year!” and either walk home or go off to a REAL shindig. We’ll be asleep by 11, and by 6:30am on Jan. 1 I’ll be out walking the doggie, feeling insufferably smug and superior.

  61. 61.

    Yatsuno

    @hildebrand: Training another Chicago union thug I see. Good for the both of you! I’d suggest scouring for every scholarship he could possibly qualify for and put in for them, even a $5K award from several sources will help A LOT.

  63. 63.

    max

    @Ruckus: But her comparison to Osama based on looking alike because they have beards?

    Well, yeah. bin Laden came from a Saudi royal family and as a consequence was far wealthier than most, and was certainly highly literate, well educated and extremely intelligent, which would be unusual for American fundamentalists, but seems to be the standard for Islamic fundies.

    Of course, he’s dead, so I imagine he won’t mind the comparison.

    Japanese outdo Republicans:

    The Japanese are quite rough on their impoverished. Of course, to be fair, they also do their damndest to keep people employed.

    max
    [‘Unlike us.’]

  64. 64.

    schrodinger's cat

    I need a suggestion from the BJ hive mind, for a microwave. My Panasonic Microwave has stopped working, it is a little over a year old. Previous microwave lasted for about 3 years before that the microwave I had lasted me for well over 5 years or so. Am I just having bad luck with microwaves or are they crappier these days?

  66. 66.

    dr. luba

    I’ve been sick since just after Xmas. Luckily, only had to work lightheaded, coughing and achy one day. Been hanging out in front of the fireplace (despite 40 degree weather out) since. Of course, now that it’s in the teens, having trouble getting the fire going….. I have been avoiding all elderly and susceptible members of the human race.

    Xmas tree, hot tea and Lilyhammer on Netflix have gotten me through. Now it’s Ukrainian Xmas music and working on my delayed annual letter. And back to work tomorrow, of course.

  67. 67.

    scav

    @Betty Cracker: From a quick skim. Mickysoft has been changing things in there, but it mostly seems to be menus. Read something about custom word lists getting lost between upgrades. Any chance it’s that?

  69. 69.

    dr. luba

    @schrodinger’s cat: Much crappier. My first discount small microwave lasted almost 20 years. The replacement (Sunbeam) just made it out of warranty.

    I now have a small GE and it is working well, except the touchpad is looking worn. Bought it based on Amazon reviews.

    I should add that almost all appliances are now Chinese-made and pieces of crap. My brother replaced all of his kitchen appliances two years ago. All have needed service calls, and the warranty is only one year. The last two repairs he shelled out for and was not happy.

  70. 70.

    Suffern ACE

    Saw Her. And it kind of proved what I’ve thought for years. It’s not that machines can’t love; it’s that they don’t particularly find us stimulating.

  71. 71.

    hildebrand

    @Comrade Jake: Thank you. We are exceptionally proud. He has worked many long hours to get to this level – he is very bright, but he also has a tremendous work ethic (many hours of homework and studying each night – and still has a decent social life). He is going into Physics, so Chicago is a great school for him – plus, we love the fact that they still highlight the liberal arts. He loves the campus, the quirky nature of the student body, and, of course, Chicago.

  73. 73.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Ben Cisco:

    I had it five years ago. It was literally coming out of both ends of me at the same time. It hit on a Thursday night. I pretty much slept through Friday. Woke up famished on Saturday, had some chicken noodle soup…Then, about an hour or two later, the farting started. It lasted for about five hours. It was as if the boys band from “The Music Man” was marching out of my butt, seventy-six trombones leading the way, coming out single file.

    I so wanted to get some Immodium at that point, but we were in the midst of a nice little blizzard. When the snow finally let up on Monday, I had to get about eighteen inches of snow off the car, then rock it out of my parking space.

  75. 75.

    hildebrand

    @Yatsuno: Yes, indeed. Now that he has been accepted at his first choice he is turning his attention back to scholarship applications. He decided that since he got into Chicago that he didn’t feel like bothering with Columbia or MIT (sorry, Tom L., he just likes the vibe of the Physics department at Chicago better) – so this clears up some space to dig up more scholarships with which to apply.

  76. 76.

    WereBear

    @hildebrand: Congratulations!

    Sounds like he is an excellent candidate for those specialty scholarships for students who have already settled on their major: especially if he has some awards or work to show in that area.

  77. 77.

    ericblair

    @Hungry Joe:

    Tomorrow we’re hosting a neighborhood Eastern Standard Time party: At 9pm people say “Happy New Year!” and either walk home or go off to a REAL shindig.

    We’re on the Right Coast and used to have British New Year. Great with small kids. It’s over at 7 pm and you can put them to bed. Bonus points if you can dig up a Union Jack to wave around.

  78. 78.

    hildebrand

    @srv: Only in the Economics department. My son will be safely ensconced over in Physics. My son was hopeful that President Obama, after the conclusion of his term, would come back to teach an undergrad class on Con Law.

  79. 79.

    Roger Moore

    @schrodinger’s cat:
    How did your microwave stop working? If it just completely died with no warning, it’s probably a blown fuse. I’ve been told that this is by far the most common way for microwaves to die, and it’s easily fixable. The fuses are usually located inside the case and require you to take the outside off to get to them, but they’re otherwise a snap to replace.

  82. 82.

    burnspbesq

    @IowaOldLady:

    (Am I the only one who longs for that?)

    No, you’re not. My favorite four days of the year are the two days driving back from Seattle in August after dropping the kid off at school and the two days driving up in May to pick him up.

    I’m also planning a trip to Durham for myself for March. Three basketball games and two lacrosse games in three days. Hoping I’ll see some of my Duke buds at the women’s basketball games.

  86. 86.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @ranchandsyrup: We went to Getty Center when it first opened, it’s very nice. We were planning on going to the Villa this past fall, but my wife’s work schedule changed and we couldn’t do that. They do have deal on parking, since it’s otherwise free, when you do both in one day. They are pretty close to each other, 10 miles or so.

  87. 87.

    flukebucket

    Need to know the best wireless ear buds on the market. I am tired of getting the god damn wire wrapped around my arm and neck and everywhere else when all I am trying to do is listen to music while I do yard work.

  88. 88.

    srv

    @hildebrand: Well, congratulations. If he’s thinking of a PhD, careful what he picks. Post-doc cousin is struggling finding anything long-term as the US isn’t interested in funding sciency stuff anymore, and that trend is likely to continue.

  89. 89.

    Betty Cracker

    @scav: Shouldn’t be that since it’s common words that are affected. The mister says I should just TYPE BETTER.

  90. 90.

    catclub

    @Roger Moore: I replaced a capacitor in mine about 10-12 years ago. Works fine ever since. There are certain persons in my house who would appreciate an excuse to replace said wall mount appliance.

  93. 93.

    hildebrand

    @srv: Interestingly enough, he seriously considered the University of Edinburgh for his undergrad, and will be visiting a couple German universities this summer, just to start exploring graduate degree options. He told me that he will pick his foreign language based on what would be best to open doors for graduate work.

  95. 95.

    ruemara

    Just returned from dropping off several boxes of clothes and items for the local Goodwill. All that’s on my mind is how much I miss my cats and how I really hope this upcoming year is 1000 times better. Really, a job, please. One that pays decent money, that I can consider a future being possible. That’s about it. And thin thighs in 30 days.

  97. 97.

    RAM

    Watched “Hopscotch” again the other day, the 1980 Walter Matthau-Glenda Jackson romantic-spy-comedy-thriller, and was struck by its parallels with the recent Snowden (International Man of Luggage) affair. “Hopscotch” is one of my all-time favorite movies and watching it once again confirmed what a great movie it is. If you haven’t seen it lately, I recommend doing so. You’ll be glad you did.

  99. 99.

    lurker dean

    @Betty Cracker: i’ve noticed that too, betty. it doesn’t seem to correct anything any more. i’ll admit, though, to spending about an hour a day cursing at ms word because it just plain sucks. give me wordperfect back any day.

    i’m forced to use word at work but use open office at home because it’s marginally better, i seem to have to curse at it less. for example, open office’s spell check on the fly seems to work better. also, open office offers a suggested word as you type, and you hit return to accept the suggested word. i think it looks at your previous usages of the word for the suggested word, which is very helpful when you have to use a lot of weird industry-specific words in the document that you repeat over and over. and when you suck at typing, lol.

  102. 102.

    RAM

    @raven: Charlie Varrick is another all-time favorite of mine; a really great movie. Matthau is one of those actors who just never seemed to age.

  103. 103.

    Yatsuno

    @Betty Cracker: Hey, if it gets that cheesy dumbass blonde off my TV screen I’m all for that. I’m not sure why he was let go in the first place, AFAIK the Bucs didn’t do that terrible under his tenure. But that was a few years ago.

    Odds are you’ll end up with some college coach.

  104. 104.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @hildebrand: I would think that the aid application at UofC would automatically enter the kid into consideration for any university-based scholarships. As a result, he should just be looking for outside aid, right?

  105. 105.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    Stuck at home with another sinus/migraine headache and my boss is calling my cell phone freaking out because a vendor hasn’t been paid due to a systemwide problem. And then the vendor called me on my cell phone to say they’re going to cancel our purchase if I don’t confirm the payment is in process by tomorrow.

    The most annoying thing is that my boss seems to have somehow decided that I am personally responsible for what is, again, A SYSTEMWIDE PROBLEM AFFECTING THE WHOLE FUCKING COMPANY. But the real problem is that I’m not following up enough. Feh.

  106. 106.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @raven: Just got back from a week with the parents. It was a tough game; the teams were pretty evenly matched this year.

  107. 107.

    WereBear

    @RAM: Mr WereBear surprised me with the DVD of Charlie Varrick this Christmas.

    Now my Walter Matthau crime trilogy has been completed: Charlie Varrick, The Laughing Policeman, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

  108. 108.

    Yatsuno

    @Omnes Omnibus: It’s my understanding you guys get the 49ers first. I could be wrong about that but I’m too fecking tired to look it up right now. You should, however, chew them up and spit them out nicely.

  109. 109.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Yatsuno: Kaepernick has been a nemesis for GB the last two years. Fucker’s from Milwaukee. Hopefully, the emotional uplift of getting Rodgers and Cobb back, beating the Bears, and getting into the playoff (plus home field) is enough change things.

  112. 112.

    raven

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yea I guess, I mean you have to figure in stupidity and when you do the Bears suck even more than usual. Pick up the fucking football. The whole thing reminded me of the Auburn game.

  114. 114.

    hildebrand

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yes. We are looking at outside scholarships. Chicago is wholly need based – no merit scholarships. Thankfully, a very generous gift a number of years ago provides a very substantial amount of financial aid for students whose parents are regarded as middle or lower class (pegged at 90,000 and under). Nonetheless, his job over the next couple weeks is to finish scholarship applications. If anyone knows scholarships for physics majors, let me know – I may have missed something in our search.

  115. 115.

    seaboogie

    @schrodinger’s cat: My last 2 places have had tiny galley kitchens, so I returned the resident microwaves to the landlords so that my espresso maker has room on the approx. 6 ft of counterspace. Don’t miss nuking food at home a bit. Big plus is the small gas range – I love cooking with gas. My ex put a top of the line stainless GE microwave into his new place and it really never worked right; it’s basically a large, fancy clock that doubles as storage, or for generating colorful invective if he ever does choose to use it.

  116. 116.

    PaulW

    Schiano is no more a Bucs head coach. Relief, joyous relief. Some all to the common pulpit and cry all “FREEDOM LIBERTY AND ENFRANCHISEMENT”.

  120. 120.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @RAM:

    I think it’s less that he never seemed to age and more that he seemed older than his age from the beginning. He was 36 when he had his first major film role (in “Bigger Than Life,” with James Mason) and looked like Mason’s contemporary even though Mason was almost 10 years older.

  121. 121.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    I wouldn’t say that Charlie Varrick is my favorite movie but I do like it. Just watched it again yesterday and I have to say it hasn’t aged as well as Matthau himself has.
    @Mnemosyne (iPhone):
    I think you are correct. Matthau always looked middle aged and used in every movie. Others aged, he simply looked older all his career.

  122. 122.

    andy

    @Ruckus: Be sure and tell them too that the government compelled them to sign up for Selective Service as well. Me, I think having affordable insurance beats the fuck out of being made into a trigger-puller for Uncle Sugar should the next war the GOP starts runs totally out of control.

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