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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  April 27, 201412:13 am| 143 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Readership Capture, OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUDS, Rare Sincerity

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This is going to throw longtime readers for a loop, and no, I am not on acid, but I just wanted to say that I love you all.

The last couple OF years I have gone through shit after shit, from my shoulder surgery to the anxiety attacks to my dad’s heart attack to my dad losing a peg to a wood chipper and Tunch being killed to my other personal issues and so many other things, and most recently my friend Holly, and every time I post about one of these episodes, I feel like I have an extended family here. And every time I post something like that, you all respond with advice and kind words and good vibes and common experiences, and it just makes everything easier to deal with.

I really appreciate it, and I like the way you all take care of each other. This is a rare and good thing, and I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it on the front page. We’re not a major blog, and we don’t break big news, but we have solid people, solid readers, and I think we just have a good thing going.

So, in a rare moment, allow me to say something nice to you all.

What the fuck are you waiting on? I already said it. Fuck off, you illiterate shits, and scroll back up.

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Previous Post: « Sterling’s gold
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Reader Interactions

143Comments

  1. 1.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    April 27, 2014 at 12:18 am

    I knew we’d get to the fuck off, you buncha morons, at some point. I’m glad you got that out of the way early. You’re a mensch, Cole, and we all know this.

  2. 2.

    jb

    April 27, 2014 at 12:18 am

    That was beautiful

  3. 3.

    srv

    April 27, 2014 at 12:19 am

    On Thursday evening, conservative lightning rods Sarah Palin and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz took a stage in Oklahoma and threw their weight behind T.W. Shannon, a rising GOP star vying for an open U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma.
    …
    Shannon recently stepped down as speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to run for Coburn’s seat. Observers see Shannon as an embodiment of a fresh-look GOP. Shannon, who is African-American and an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation tribe, offers both a strong conservative track record and a cultural counter-balance to the image of an aging, white Republican party.

    So what do 32 Tea Party Leaders in Oklahoma have to say about this guy being rammed down their throat?

    As conservative grassroots leaders and activists from across the state of Oklahoma we are dismayed that you have endorsed T.W. Shannon for U.S. Senate without having fully researched and vetted the candidate. Each of the top three contenders to replace Senator Tom Coburn has a voting record that is easy to research.

    “Boots on the ground, grassroots leaders and activists were never consulted regarding who the true conservative candidate was before endorsements were made. Claiming the conservative mantle and deeming yourself as the “grassroots candidate” without the authentic conservative record and actions to support it, instead, makes you a poser.
    …
    “Before announcing his candidacy to replace Senator Tom Coburn, T.W. Shannon had never stepped foot inside a Tea Party, Liberty, 9/12 Project meeting, rally or event; once he made his announcement he began showing up at meetings with little or no notice.

  4. 4.

    srv

    April 27, 2014 at 12:21 am

    you all respond with advice and kind words and good vibes

    I’m trolling when I do that.

  5. 5.

    CTVoter

    April 27, 2014 at 12:22 am

    I admit. I was waiting for a #RickRoll. Kinda bummed.

  6. 6.

    TaMara (BHF)

    April 27, 2014 at 12:22 am

    Well now I can go to sleep, happy in the knowledge that John Cole not only loves us but thinks we’re all pains in the ass. A perfect post. Love you too.

  7. 7.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 12:24 am

    I love the “OF“.

    Also, I offer something both inspirational and sad. Be glass half full or half empty. The Pogues 30th Anniversary concert. Shane is a wreck, but Shane is still alive and able to perform.

  8. 8.

    Botsplainer

    April 27, 2014 at 12:24 am

    This is going to throw longtime readers for a loop, and no, I am not on acid, but I just wanted to say that I love you all.

    You are soooo wasted right now.

    I’m thinking of destroying the minibar right ow, but would have regrets.

  9. 9.

    xane

    April 27, 2014 at 12:25 am

    Namaste… ?

  10. 10.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 12:26 am

    @efgoldman: I am neither an insomniac nor a misanthrope. Really. I am just a natural night owl.

  11. 11.

    Botsplainer

    April 27, 2014 at 12:31 am

    There’s nothing peaceful about that yoga shit. It hurts; I stumbled into a class a couple of weeks ago and stayed because I’m polite.

    It was torture designed by a sadist – the kommandant commanding the class refused to release us from stress poses forever, and that resting downward doggie-style “resting” (my ass) pose was the worst.

    It was pure evil.

  12. 12.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 12:32 am

    @efgoldman: I would be much happier with a noon to 8:00 p.m. schedule. 2-3:00 a.m. is my natural bedtime.

  13. 13.

    Mary G

    April 27, 2014 at 12:33 am

    Who are you and what have you done with John Cole?

    /snark

    Seriously, love this blog, JC, and most everybody on it.

  14. 14.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 12:38 am

    Who are you and how much ransom are you holding the real Mr. Cole for?

    But I kid.

    For fans of deadpan dark, dark humor punctuating proletarian life’s repeated blows, two entries showing up on TCM (all times Eastern):

    Monday, April 27, 2 a.m.: The Match Factory Girl

    Monday, April 27, 3:15 a.m.: Ariel

    Both directed by Aki Kaurismäki If only have time for one of them, go with Ariel. It;s the more memorable and life affecting of the two, IMHO. Finnish films, but the dialogue is spare and even secondary to the visuals and circumstances.

  15. 15.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 12:38 am

    @efgoldman: Shane has obviously acquired dentures. They don’t fit properly and he is overly sibilant. He has also gained weight and has an overhanging pot belly. He looks like a wreck not like someone who just got older. But, being Shane, the fact that he is alive and performing is a good thing.

  16. 16.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 12:41 am

    @NotMax

    Ack! Of course, the dates should both be April 28.

    Mea culpa.

  17. 17.

    wmd

    April 27, 2014 at 12:43 am

    Did anyone not see what was coming after the break? Seriously Cole…

  18. 18.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 12:45 am

    Folks that REM did this song called Superman:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxQS6lfn0yU

    They did a few albums like Fables of the Reconstruction that some could argue are like the best albums of the last 25 years. I will admit some of their more recent stuff not so much. But do me a little and search and find of some of their early Athens music and tell me they don’t just flat out rock!

  19. 19.

    columbusqueen

    April 27, 2014 at 12:46 am

    Right back at you, big guy. :-)

    BTW, also a huge fuck you regarding the Pens winning tonight.

  20. 20.

    Roger Moore

    April 27, 2014 at 12:48 am

    @efgoldman:

    Of *course* you post this in the middle of the fucking night, when nobody but insomniacs and other misanthropes are up.

    And people on the West Coast.

  21. 21.

    Fuzzy

    April 27, 2014 at 12:50 am

    How about our buddy Teddy Cruz posing with his new tiger skin rug bought with taxpayer dollars for office decorations. Ain’t he grand.

  22. 22.

    Suzanne

    April 27, 2014 at 12:50 am

    Dawwww. Group hug, y’all.

  23. 23.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 12:51 am

    @Tommy: I have always listened to “Superman” before any job interview.

  24. 24.

    Hal

    April 27, 2014 at 12:52 am

    Niger Innis: Cliven Bundy ‘Clumsily’ Stated an Important Point

    This is what being a black conservative amounts to in today’s GOP. A black man defending a white man’s overt and obvious racism in order to appeal to a 99.9% white audience that would never tolerate Innis denouncing Bundy.

    But I suppose I shouldn’t be so harsh, since Innis cured Bundy of his racism:

    “We talked for about an hour, and it was a good give and take,” Innis said. “At first, Cliven kind of stood his ground and said, ‘I said what I said, and I stand by it.’ I communicated to him, and this is when he really got it.

    Remember black conservatives; you will always have to say some version of this:

    “What would’ve been better is if Cliven had said, ‘Look, there are a number of blacks and Latinos and poor whites now that are involved in a real slavery, which is the slavery of government dependence,'” Innis said. “I’m up here in Tonopah, which is part of my district, and I was just talking with a local businesswoman who pointed across the street and talked to me about low-income housing or free government-subsidized housing and how the people there do not work because they don’t have to.

  25. 25.

    emoush

    April 27, 2014 at 12:56 am

    I’m a lurker. . .a 100% lurker. John, I stumbled upon you shortly after you saw the (progressive) light and despite the fact that I don’t contribute, I enjoy you and your life story and your pets and friends and all the folks that do participate. So even though I’ve added nada to the online dialogs, please know that I appreciate the SHIT outta Balloon Juice and the BJ community (although that sounds really raunchy) and you are part of my daily news reads. I can do without the curmudgeon shtick, but that’s a whole different conversation. I don’t “speak” for the lurker community, just me – but I say Godspeed to you and all who inhabit these pages.

  26. 26.

    Botsplainer

    April 27, 2014 at 12:56 am

    @Hal:

    He danced for his pay.

    So did that jackass Manning.

  27. 27.

    Mnemosyne

    April 27, 2014 at 12:57 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Morrissey still sounds frickin’ amazing. He looks like Fat Elvis, but apparently he was taking good care of his voice.

  28. 28.

    LosGatosCA

    April 27, 2014 at 12:59 am

    Like Ferris at the end of the movie.

    Knew it was coming here, didn’t disappoint. You never do.

  29. 29.

    Botsplainer

    April 27, 2014 at 1:02 am

    Opted for pool instead of salt surf – it’s a little rough and very dark, not a soul in sight. I’d hate to get hurt on a lark.

    The pool is one of those chemical-free, osmotic things. Water pretty pure.

    It’s nice.

  30. 30.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 1:03 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I don’t think you are joking when you say that. I recall going to college, grad school at LSU in the early 90s. You had to go through the Varsity in Baton Rouge and play a song like this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOQGWnxdHGE&feature=kp

    REM. Everybody came through there. It was just a given.

  31. 31.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 1:06 am

    @Mnemosyne: Shane always meant more to me than Morrissey. That Shane is alive and performing is wonderful. That Shane lived to be the wreck that he is is sad. I can actually reconcile the two ideas. I wish Shane well.

  32. 32.

    mai naem

    April 27, 2014 at 1:07 am

    So, Rosie where’s John? Did you run in front of him and trip him? Is he unconscious? Hope you realize John is not going to be giving you any treats for a very long time when he comes to.

  33. 33.

    mtmofo

    April 27, 2014 at 1:09 am

    I don’t comment much here, though I’ve been a “member” for years, and stop by multiple times a day to see what’s haps.

    Luv ya, John. Ya big lug.

  34. 34.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 1:12 am

    @Tommy: Dude, Blues Traveler? What the fuck? I assume you have never noticed m my music posts here. Jesus. Blues Traveler. I mean, fuck.

  35. 35.

    xian

    April 27, 2014 at 1:14 am

    you never said you’re not on ecstasy

  36. 36.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 1:15 am

    @Botsplainer: @Tommy: Sorry to hear that.

    Opted for pool instead of salt surf ….

    My family has no connection to FL or a beach. Honestly not a huge fan. I am a hiker camper. I like mountains and fields. Brother just got married on a beach, cause well a beach. We were there a week and I never wanted to leave. I GOT the concept of a “beach bum.” I didn’t want to leave the place. Could have stayed there the rest of my life.

  37. 37.

    AnotherBruce

    April 27, 2014 at 1:15 am

    I love you too, grandma, but you still smell like mothballs.

  38. 38.

    Howard Beale IV

    April 27, 2014 at 1:19 am

    That vid sucks.

  39. 39.

    Thymezone

    April 27, 2014 at 1:20 am

    Well, since I am in my tenth year of reading this blog regularly, and since I made many thousands of posts under at least a couple dozen handles, and since I not only figured, I expected that the second page of your remarks was going to be a knee to my groin, and wasn’t disappointed, and since no other blog has held my attention lo these many moons, and since we’ve probably told each other to fuck off dog knows how many times over the years, all I can say is …..

    Keep up the good work. I’ll probably still be here ten more years from now and there is nothing you can do about it, no matter how much you wish it weren’t true.

  40. 40.

    trollhattan

    April 27, 2014 at 1:21 am

    Ah love ya, man.

    /Bud lite guy

    Attended first pro soccer match tonight and kinda liked it, so people CAN change.

  41. 41.

    SarahT

    April 27, 2014 at 1:22 am

    John Cole, you are the wind beneath our wing(nuts?). Glad things are looking up for your friend. Now go to bed before you break something.

  42. 42.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 1:23 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’ve not seen your posts I guess. I’ve seen a ton of amazing bands live. Maybe at least one, if not two of the best concerts I’ve seen live are the Blues Travelers. They were just that good live mom a small venue.

    Just as an aside Cowboy Mouth. Saw them play in an alley when they were called Dash Rip Rock in Baton Rouge. Took a group of co-workers to see them play the 930 Club in DC. They were like what the fuck is going on, these folks flat out rock,

    Saw them play like a 20 minute set to close Jazz Fest in New Orleans and it was staggering.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEfpoUuKFOY

  43. 43.

    darms

    April 27, 2014 at 1:24 am

    JC, been reading you since the days you were a right-winger (even then you showed some smarts despite…) Don’ t comment much but do read your place daily and am grateful. Thank you. FWIW my kid brother (-2 years, 2 months & 22 days) is dying of liver cancer due to Hep-C, in 4 months he has gone from “healthy” (riding his bike 20 miles no stretch whatsoever) to looking (tonight) ‘sepulchral’ and very much ‘skeletal’. He’ll be dead by the end of May. I am alone but again Mr. Cole, I thank you & your community as w/o you folks i would be even more isolated…

  44. 44.

    Roxy

    April 27, 2014 at 1:25 am

    Awww big guy you brought a tear to my eye and my heart was getting that tight feeling. Love and kisses to you.

  45. 45.

    Thymezone

    April 27, 2014 at 1:25 am

    And before I forget, I am pretty sure that you owe me money.

  46. 46.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 1:26 am

    Here is Shane at his peak.

  47. 47.

    SarahT

    April 27, 2014 at 1:30 am

    @AnotherBruce: hahahahaha

  48. 48.

    SarahT

    April 27, 2014 at 1:31 am

    @AnotherBruce: hahahahaha@darms: oh man… Don’t know you but I am so sorry.

  49. 49.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 1:36 am

    @Tommy: Not to be snotty, but if Blues Traveler is your peak concert, I feel sorry for you.

  50. 50.

    darms

    April 27, 2014 at 1:38 am

    @SarahT:
    Don’t cry: rejoice in his life, he made it 55 years, 56 next November if he lives. Our dad made it to 36…

  51. 51.

    darms

    April 27, 2014 at 1:43 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    Pink Floyd, 1972, McFarland Hall, SMU (cap 3K). Yeah it burned me from most other concerts. And the ticket was ~$5 if I recall…

  52. 52.

    Mnemosyne

    April 27, 2014 at 1:44 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    There’s too much alcoholism in my family for me to find Shane especially interesting or appealing, but I understand that everyone’s mileage varies for stuff like that. I feel the same way about Hunter S. Thompson — just don’t really get the excitement.

  53. 53.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 1:47 am

    @Mnemosyne: Shane’s problems aren’t what make him appealing. Shane’s talent does.

  54. 54.

    Jay C

    April 27, 2014 at 1:47 am

    What the fuck are you waiting on? I already said it. Fuck off, you illiterate shits, and scroll back up.

    Now there’s the Cole we all know and love!

  55. 55.

    SarahT

    April 27, 2014 at 1:48 am

    @darms: Crap – SO did not mean to have my reply to you and the “hahahaha” comment together – I was WordPressed. Your brother is lucky to have you – you’re lucky to have each other, for however long, Lost a kid brother, too – he was only 45. It’s hard. Anyway, good thoughts to you both – take care of yourself.

  56. 56.

    Jade

    April 27, 2014 at 1:50 am

    John, your life is an extended episode of the Truman Show. In a world full of fake bigoted people, it is refreshing to have an internet friend who is so messed up (read NORMAL).

    Just when I was ready to ask WV to secede from the union cuz they wuz racist hillbillies, enter the Cole clan of warm, loving, non-racist people; to save WV’s statehood.

    I think you are an atheist or something related, however, I have no doubt that the Balloon Juice prayer circle is responsible for Holly’s amazing recovery. You’ll just have to deal with that.

  57. 57.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 1:54 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: No worries. See them in a place in 1993-94 with 200 people? Not my best concert, but a good one. If I had to list my best concerts of all time I am not sure how I’d go about that.

    The Dead
    The Dead
    The Dead

    Maybe Los Lobos at Bonorro a few years ago.

    Dr. John at the Kennedy Center with Keb Mob playing backup on steel guitar.

    I always have to put the Funky Meters at the top. The Meters. The Uptown Rulers. I’ve heard they are the most sampled band ever.

    Gosh I don’t know. So many to choose from.

  58. 58.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    April 27, 2014 at 2:01 am

    Late-night Meters: “Stormy.”

  59. 59.

    RandomMonster

    April 27, 2014 at 2:02 am

    Your last comment below the “continued reading” fold made it all worthwhile :)

    Well played.

  60. 60.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 2:04 am

    @Tommy: The Meters, the NOLA funk.RnB band? They are stunningly cool.

    Dude, don’t fight with me about music. It matters to me and you just want to talk about your multi-bedroom house. Not the music .

  61. 61.

    Tommy

    April 27, 2014 at 2:08 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I am not fighting with you on music. Lets talk the Meters.

  62. 62.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 27, 2014 at 2:12 am

    @Tommy: Start with this.

  63. 63.

    max

    April 27, 2014 at 2:12 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I would be much happier with a noon to 8:00 p.m. schedule. 2-3:00 a.m. is my natural bedtime.

    Yep. 4-5 is mine. You can get shit done between midnight and four.

    @Tommy: They did a few albums like Fables of the Reconstruction that some could argue are like the best albums of the last 25 years.

    I don’t know about best albums (too many albums unheard to say), but Fables is their best record of the first 5 (six). Murmur is a little repetitive (since they stretched out an EP to make an LP), Reckoning a bit emo, Life’s Rich Pageant is a little formula for REM, and Document is definitely formula, but the best lyrically.

    Therefore, REM – Fables of the Reconstruction of the Fables – Can’t Get There From Here wins.

    Fuck off, you illiterate shits, and scroll back up.

    Go find your mustard and then come back and tell me that.

    max
    [‘Sssshhhhh.’]

  64. 64.

    JasonF

    April 27, 2014 at 2:21 am

    I rarely comment, but I really do love this blog in large part because this is a wonderful community.

  65. 65.

    Howard Beale IV

    April 27, 2014 at 2:24 am

    Maybe we should all chip in and get him a subscription.

  66. 66.

    Three-nineteen

    April 27, 2014 at 2:25 am

    Hi John- I just want to let you know that when you put up these posts, you are always in my thoughts, even if I don’t always comment on them because if my own issues.

  67. 67.

    WaynersT

    April 27, 2014 at 2:28 am

    @Tommy:

    Ha, the Varsity! Too many nights and too much money wasted there and The Chimes.

  68. 68.

    mobile RoonieRoo

    April 27, 2014 at 2:31 am

    We love you too. You and Balloon Juice posters and commenters alike are what let’s me know I am sane most days. Having a community of like minded people is huge for maintaining ones sanity.

  69. 69.

    WaynersT

    April 27, 2014 at 2:34 am

    @Tommy:

    Any chance you were my neighbor on Azalea street in Baton Rouge ’93 that blared the funky meters AT ALL HOURS? The sole reason I hate the meters was bc that guy.

  70. 70.

    RandomMonster

    April 27, 2014 at 2:50 am

    Seriously, though, we all know you’re an irascible dick, and then you post something like this to rub in our faces just why that doesn’t matter. There’s a reason why we all come back (most of it due to endless yack about pets).

  71. 71.

    piratedan

    April 27, 2014 at 2:58 am

    for all of you that have been supportive in the past, my bestest feline buddy Jake has passed. He went at home and he never complained and it was a tear filled ride to the vet to have his remains cremated. While there’s been a fair amount of personal pity partying going on, I know that we gave him a great home and that he had a great run and that he was loved and gave love in return.

    no need to comment, I know that the support is there and has been there and will be there in this community. It’s how we help each other here and while I know that we share disagreements on nuance, degree and methodology at times (depending upon the topic), the folks here are good people and I just wanted to say thank you. Keep rescuing those critters and sharing your lives together and let each of you enrich the other, regardless of species.

    It’s hard to type without the tears welling up because I’m just so incredibly sad that we couldn’t have had longer, selfish bastard that I am. This is the only part of pet ownership that I dislike, these goodbyes (well tbh I’m not especially fond of vet bills either, but they’re like taxes… if you want nice things, you have to expect that they’ll be some cost attached). So tonight or even this morning, be sure to hug your buddy and let them know that you’re happy to have them there with you in your life (regardless of species).

  72. 72.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    April 27, 2014 at 3:07 am

    @piratedan:

    My condolences on your loss. I’m looking at my housecat right now, dozing at her workstation and keeping me company when I know she’d rather be in bed.

  73. 73.

    A Humble Lurker

    April 27, 2014 at 3:11 am

    I like this place.

    @mai naem: He should totally do a post as one of his pets like, once a week or something. I’d read it.

    @darms:
    Words aren’t up to the task, but I’m sorry about all that.

  74. 74.

    Howard Beale IV

    April 27, 2014 at 3:12 am

    @piratedan: My condolences on your loss. The last feline I released from her pain was 16 years old while I was in the middle of relocating to a new job.

  75. 75.

    Amir Khalid

    April 27, 2014 at 3:12 am

    @piratedan:
    No matter how long you have with them, it never feels like it was long enough. I hugged and kissed my Bianca this morning, and tonight I’ll get to hug her again. ((((hugs)))).

  76. 76.

    Arclite

    April 27, 2014 at 4:06 am

    @srv:

    African-American and an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation tribe

    And he’s CONSERVATIVE? What. The. Fuck?

  77. 77.

    A Humble Lurker

    April 27, 2014 at 4:20 am

    @Arclite:
    Either no shame or no brain.

  78. 78.

    JGabriel

    April 27, 2014 at 4:54 am

    @efgoldman:

    Of *course* you post this in the middle of the fucking night, when nobody but insomniacs and other misanthropes are up.

    Well … aren’t we the ones who need it most?

  79. 79.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 5:33 am

    @JGabriel: And then the early morning crew shows. . .

  80. 80.

    SectionH

    April 27, 2014 at 5:39 am

    @piratedan: of course “we” gotta comment.

    When I cry for farewell posts (always), that little cynical piece of my brain always know I’m really crying again over the critters I’ve lost, but not entirely. Somewhere safe from the media, the word “empathy” still has meaning. I’m kinda glad that word doesn’t get shopped around too much, because we’ll lose it pdq…

    Damn straight, adopt. Old cats first. Old dogs first.

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 5:42 am

    @raven

    Present.

    (Just in case attendance is being taken.)

  82. 82.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 5:49 am

    @NotMax: G’day digger.

  83. 83.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 5:53 am

    @raven</a.

    And g'day right back at'cha.

    Kee-rist on a cracker, high school ain't what it used to be.Boy kills girl who turned down prom date

  84. 84.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 5:54 am

    @raven

    And g’day right back at’cha.

    (Fixed link. It’s been that kind of a day all around.

    Kee-rist on a cracker, high school ain’t what it used to be.

    Boy kills girl who turned down prom date

  85. 85.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:08 am

    @NotMax: Ugh.

  86. 86.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 6:13 am

    @raven

    Must admit to never quite getting the point of the prom thing.

    My high school’s students (way back in the Bronze Age) voted to do away with them as being meaningless artifacts of an earlier time, so they were never a part of my experience.

  87. 87.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:22 am

    @NotMax: I went in the Army before my Sr year but I took a girl in the class ahead of me my jr. I didn’t have a license yet and she drove her folks 63 Ford convertible. I was really sick the day before and the day of but I was able to make it anyway. I did not have a corsage but she seemed ok with it. She was a cheerleader and quite the stunner. Why she ever hung with me is one of the great mysteries of my life. She ended up at UK and came to see me at Ft Knox when I was in training because her roomies dad was a Colonel at the post. I actually went to their house and had dinner and then we went to Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. We spent the night together in hotel in Lexington the night before I shipped out for Korea. She hinted at doing the deed but I told her that I respected her too much. I never saw her again although she did write for a while. I found out a few years back that she married a guy who did his PhD here and she lived here before I showed up. And that is my prom story.

  88. 88.

    David Fud

    April 27, 2014 at 6:24 am

    @Botsplainer: I ripped cartilage in my shoulder doing that, so I heartily agree about downward dog and yoga. I swore it off. I might do some hot (bikram) again someday, but I have cut the torture yoga out of my (mostly non-existent) regimen.

  89. 89.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:26 am

    @David Fud: You read this entire thread!

  90. 90.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 6:27 am

    @raven

    Good story.

    IIRC, the students at high school also voted to divert any funds set aside for proms to be used to establish an in-school draft counseling program.

    This was prior to the birth date lottery system.

  91. 91.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:32 am

    @NotMax: Things changed a great deal between 66 when I went in and just a few years later when I came home. There was really very little understanding of what we we into even though we already had guys killed from my high school.

  92. 92.

    different-church-lady

    April 27, 2014 at 6:33 am

    That was a rather sophisticated gag for you, Cole.

  93. 93.

    NotMax

    April 27, 2014 at 6:39 am

    @raven

    You betcha. ’66 was a transition (Frank Sinatra still hit #1 on the charts) – it really did become a whole different world from ’68 onward.

  94. 94.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:41 am

    @NotMax: It was da dawning of da age of Aquarius. . .

  95. 95.

    Mustang Bobby

    April 27, 2014 at 6:42 am

    John, you’re welcome. Happy to be here. So would it kill you to list my little blog on your blogroll? (Kidding. We love you, man.)

  96. 96.

    raven

    April 27, 2014 at 6:44 am

    @Mustang Bobby: And get Pat fucking Lang the hell off of it.

  97. 97.

    c u n d gulag

    April 27, 2014 at 7:02 am

    Something nice, from Mr. Cole?

    Will the miracles never end?

    We LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES you, John!

    “Stay thirty, my friend!”

    Or, have you given up drinking, like you said you would?

    If you have – “Stay hydrated, my friend!’ :-)

  98. 98.

    The Pale Scot

    April 27, 2014 at 7:28 am

    And regards to you to friend,

    I was always partial to the muppet version, just saying.

    Furry Happy Monsters Shiny Happy People

  99. 99.

    The Pale Scot

    April 27, 2014 at 7:34 am

    @The Pale Scot: Sobriety is a hell of a drug

  100. 100.

    satby

    April 27, 2014 at 7:38 am

    Back atcha John.

    @ darms: sorry your brother is so seriously ill, I know hope is slim but if there’s any shot at a liver transplant or something I hope it comes through for him.
    @ piratedan: condolences on the passing of Jake.

  101. 101.

    gogol's wife

    April 27, 2014 at 8:09 am

    Hahaha! I can’t wait to read the thread, but I have to go to church, although my husband always says about BJ, “It’s your church! It’s your church!”

    Thanks, reverend Cole, keep on preaching.

  102. 102.

    Svensker

    April 27, 2014 at 8:10 am

    @darms:

    So sorry to hear that. God, that’s hard. Hugs to you.

  103. 103.

    WereBear

    April 27, 2014 at 8:10 am

    I was wondering if it was really the John Cole we know and love.

    And it was! :)

  104. 104.

    Poopyman

    April 27, 2014 at 8:24 am

    Was going to point out the (inevitable?) Newsmax headline, but I see @Hal: beat me to it.

  105. 105.

    SuperHrefna

    April 27, 2014 at 9:10 am

    @NotMax: Thank you for the heads up about the Kaurismaki! I’ve got my DVR all set up to capture the deadpan Finnish goodness.

    And JC we love you too.

  106. 106.

    SuperHrefna

    April 27, 2014 at 9:17 am

    @darms: I’m so sorry darms. I can’t think of any thing to say to make the impending death of your little brother hurt less, because there isn’t anything, but I just wanted you to know I’m thinking of you both and so sorry that this is happening. Life is so cruel.

  107. 107.

    Ferdzy

    April 27, 2014 at 9:25 am

    Very late here, but I just want to say my thoughts are with Darm (I too have lost a brother) and all the people who have said goodby to their furry friends lately. Seems to be a lot of that going around. ;(

  108. 108.

    WaterGirl

    April 27, 2014 at 9:28 am

    @AnotherBruce: My first chuckle of the day.

    Edit:

    @darms: And now my first tears, just 6 or 7 comments later. I am so sorry about your brother.

  109. 109.

    WaterGirl

    April 27, 2014 at 9:42 am

    @piratedan: So sorry for your loss. Jake. What a great name for a kitty. They leave such a big hole. Big hug.

  110. 110.

    Luci

    April 27, 2014 at 9:47 am

    Yup… what everyone else said… I came along not too long after you saw the light, and I’ve been hooked since. I seldom post, as I am not sure I have a lot to contribute, but I am sure I real virtually everything and most of the other posts too. This is one of the best communities online I think, and it’s about the best thing in the world to sit and read it and relax. Let’s hope for MANY, MANY more years of John, Lily, Steve, Rosie, and now Shawn.

  111. 111.

    gene108

    April 27, 2014 at 9:49 am

    @Botsplainer:

    You had a bad yoga instructor / teacher.

    A good teacher would make sure you had alternatives, if you are not able to do the poses. It took me over a year to be able to do some of the poses close to correctly.

    Look for a beginners beginner class.

    It can keep back and joint problems at bay, if you work up to doing the poses.

  112. 112.

    Violet

    April 27, 2014 at 9:57 am

    Thanks, John. Love you right back.

  113. 113.

    Carnacki

    April 27, 2014 at 10:10 am

    @Mary G: You know who else had a Mary and the initials JC? Jesus.

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    April 27, 2014 at 10:17 am

    @darms: You are not alone. You have all of us. (Didn’t mean to scare you.)

    Seriously, I hope you will comment more as the days go by.

  115. 115.

    WaterGirl

    April 27, 2014 at 10:20 am

    @raven: Prisoner exchange!

  116. 116.

    baquist

    April 27, 2014 at 11:04 am

    As a several times a day lurker for years who only occasionally comments, thank you John, and same to you. My family couldn’t pick this blog out of a lineup but all know who Tunch, Lily, Rosie and Steve are. Just keep it going!

  117. 117.

    J R in WV

    April 27, 2014 at 11:43 am

    @darms:

    So sorry to hear about your little brother. My little brother is a varmit (moved to Texas for work, won’t leave now that work is over!), but I love him anyway.

    Hang in there! You should show up here for some remote support when you feel the need, there’s come pretty good folks here from time to time. Hardly any trolls.

    Best wishes!

    JR

  118. 118.

    Johannes

    April 27, 2014 at 11:44 am

    @piratedan: so sorry for your loss, PirateDan.

    As to the main post, thanks, Cole, for making this place what it is.

  119. 119.

    Elizabeth

    April 27, 2014 at 11:50 am

    Love you too, John, ya big galoot. Now back to mostly lurking.

  120. 120.

    BubbaDave

    April 27, 2014 at 11:58 am

    @piratedan:
    Deepest sympathy.

  121. 121.

    BubbaDave

    April 27, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    @darms:
    I can’t imagine what you’re going through– you and yours are in my thoughts and prayers.

  122. 122.

    JoyfulA

    April 27, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    @Tommy: Best concert ever: James Brown in a private venue, maybe 200 people max, 1965. Amazing, just amazing.

  123. 123.

    kdaug

    April 27, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Straight to hell, Cole.

  124. 124.

    elftx

    April 27, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    It was an article in the Chgo. Tribune that brought me to this blog before the start of Shock and Awe I think.
    Was truly impressed with your writing but could not understand how someone so obviously intelligent went out of their way to back what the administration was doing at the time. It was fascinating.
    The folks that comment etc here are all worth reading and that says a lot about the community you have developed. So Thanks and Luvya back!

  125. 125.

    Mnemosyne

    April 27, 2014 at 1:21 pm

    @NotMax:

    We ended up at a mid-range restaurant with a bunch of promgoers last night and I have to say, it seemed like the kids were alright. One of the boys accidentally bumped into a waiter and sent a whole tray of drinks flying so of course there had to be applause, but they also gave an extra trip to the servers. One poor girl was throwing up in the bathroom and her girlfriends were taking care of her (I assumed she had food poisoning or the flu since it seemed like 7:15 pm would be a little too early to be that drunk, but who knows?)

  126. 126.

    Hungry Joe

    April 27, 2014 at 1:46 pm

    ***SIGH*** Late to the thread as (not quite, but almost) always. Still, I want to say that I had no intention of de-lurking (Me? Comment on a blog? Never!) until a couple of years ago when one day I just said, What the hell. I’ve never seen another blog even remotely resembling this one, and the more I read it the more interesting it gets as a social phenomenon: It’s a community but it isn’t; there are people here who I I’ve never met and never communicated with, yet I know them personally and like them a lot; I feel very much at home here, which is both odd and isn’t, given that I’m sitting at my desk in my home office.

    And Cole is turning out to be one of the great characters in modern American literature.

  127. 127.

    kc

    April 27, 2014 at 1:50 pm

    I certainly hope you’ve snapped out of it by now.

  128. 128.

    WaterGirl

    April 27, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    We love you back.

  129. 129.

    gogol's wife

    April 27, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    @Hungry Joe:

    Well said.

  130. 130.

    RosiesDad

    April 27, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    snfff

  131. 131.

    BruceFromOhio

    April 27, 2014 at 2:36 pm

    So, in a rare moment, allow me to say something nice to you all.

    WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU USING JOHN’S ACCOUNT TO POST THIS CRAP?

    What the fuck are you waiting on? I already said it. Fuck off, you illiterate shits, and scroll back up.

    Oh. OK. Well, fuck it, that’s more like it.

  132. 132.

    kindness

    April 27, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    I never thought about it but it makes sense that the chick from the B-52s is the one doing backing vocals on several cuts on that record. She’s good. Not sure the B-52s ever got the acclaim for their musicality rather than their theatrics.

  133. 133.

    Mary Brown

    April 27, 2014 at 9:53 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I think I’ll give Superman a try when I apply for a job tomorrow too. Can’t hurt. Thanks for the idea.

    Love you too John.

  134. 134.

    dance around in your bones

    April 27, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    Dead thread,as usual,but I just had to tell you John what a great community you have created. BJ is about the only blog I read and it makes me laugh and cry and get angry and then say fuck it. This earth is to go on with or without us and in the vastness of space and time, why will it really matter?

    I do want to express my gratitude for your blog and the incredible commentariat that populates this place. Kudos, Cole…….

    Also, I loved Blues Traveler back in the day, and I have no idea who Shane is, so sue me.

    Muchas Gracias for creating this blog so all us nutballs can hang out on it and express our ever so vital opinions :) We love you back, you grouchy ol’ love puppy.

  135. 135.

    agorabum

    April 27, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    ***slow clap***
    Well trolled, well trolled…

  136. 136.

    Ol' Nat

    April 28, 2014 at 1:39 am

    Keep it up! I so appreciate what you do!!

  137. 137.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2014 at 8:50 am

    @max: I like ‘Green’. Call me crazy…

  138. 138.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2014 at 8:51 am

    @piratedan: Sorry to hear about Jake. Know you gave him a great home. Hoping for better days soon.

  139. 139.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2014 at 8:55 am

    @darms: Very sorry to hear of your brother’s illness. Just tell him how much you love him.

  140. 140.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2014 at 8:57 am

    @kindness: B-52s should be in rock HOF.

  141. 141.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2014 at 8:58 am

    @dance around in your bones: I think it’s Shane MacGowan of The Pogues. Could be wrong though.

    If it is, I did see The Pogues back around 1991 at Bogarts in Cinn. Great set.

  142. 142.

    Trinity

    April 28, 2014 at 9:53 am

    I’m verklempt.

  143. 143.

    PonB

    April 28, 2014 at 11:17 am

    What @baquist said…

    Also, you do have an extended family here…thanks for sharing yours with me…

    – PonB

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