Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

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

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

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

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

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

We still have time to mess this up!

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

An almost top 10,000 blog!

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

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

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

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

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Consistently wrong since 2002

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Friday Open Thread: Public Art Edition

Friday Open Thread: Public Art Edition

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This Airstream sculpture grouping that is exhibited on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando is controversial:

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I don’t understand why since it’s fabulous. There was a character in a Tom Robbins novel (Skinny Legs and All I think?) who welds aluminum drumsticks onto an Airstream and becomes a celebrated artist.

Looking forward to the long weekend. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself, but valued commenter Tybee inspired me with an idea on an earlier thread: I’ve been meaning to borrow my sister’s kayak and explore some mangrove tunnels, so maybe I’ll do that.

What are y’all up to?

Reader Interactions

89Comments

  2. 2.

    FlyingToaster

    We’re off to the local (8 blocks!) historical estate for their plant sale. In the rain.

    Then a garden day, since the trip to the Children’s Museum was cancelled at 8am due to WarriorGirl kicking me in the face.

    I have about 50 seedlings that need to have their peat plug covers split and them potted into bigger cells. Next week they’ll be big enough for the cold frame. And the days will be in the 70s and nights above 50 (good for the basil and parsley, the tomatoes and peppers can stay in the basement another week).

    I envision a trip to Agway.

    Later is the last teacher conference of the year, then WarriorGirl’s musicianship class, which I may pawn off onto my husband pleading headache.

  3. 3.

    danielx

    NOT going to the Speedway to see Sammy Hagar and Sublime for Carburetion Day*. Aside from that, hopefully seeing some live music elsewhere and enjoying some absolutely gorgeous weather. Aside from the usual tasks that is….

    *Yes, yes, I know they haven’t used actual carburetors on regular cars for thirty years at least, let alone on open wheel race cars. Tradition.

  5. 5.

    Trentrunner

    borrow my sister’s kayak and explore some mangrove tunnels

    So that’s what the kids are calling it these days? Be safe!

  6. 6.

    Schlemizel

    Mrs. will be returning for caring for our daughter late Saturday night. Daughter recovered very well & even went back to work (which is good because there is no paid time off. Given the quick turn around & no need for nursing care Mrs. S drove a couple of hours and saw a couple of cousins she has not seen in a awhile. They spend a very fun night from what I hear. So the rip was successful on many levels.

    I imagine she’ll want to relax a bit once home but the weather is predicted to be perfect so I expect to put some miles on the bikes Sunday and Monday. Knock the rust off our joints & I should be plenty stiff & sore in time for Work Tuesday.

  7. 7.

    RaflW

    I assume by controversial, folks mean “I think it’s ugly.”

    If that’s the case, then the entire Houston, TX, metro area freeway system is out of control controversial. Because 100,000 monopole billboards hawking everything from guns to $99 divorce to women’s fur coats is the most gawdawful visual assault on the senses that can be imagined (by stupid people, to boot!).

    As opposed to a half dozen partially buried Airstreams, which is quirky and, at freeway speeds, over in about 4 seconds or something.

  8. 8.

    Belafon

    Went to a really cool concert last night. Mark Wood, of Transiberian Orchestra, goes to various schools (for a fee, though it only took like one fundraiser to get the money, so it wasn’t really outrageous), and plays some rock music with the orchestra students. Imagine a bunch of middle school violinists, cellists, and bass players walking around, swaying and really having a lot of fun while playing Crazy Train, Enter Sandman, and We Will Rock You. My son had a lot of fun up there.

  9. 9.

    Charles Doggart

    It’s Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch, but with campers. Now all you need is a steak house with an eating challenge and you’ll be all caught up.

  10. 10.

    RaflW

    Oh, and besides ranting and raving on the internet, I’ll be getting new tires for the car today, in advance of a big summer road trip with the Mr. that’s coming up in June.

  11. 11.

    Roxy

    I love the Airstream sculpture grouping.

    Tonight me and my sisters are going to see SF Giants game beat the Twins. Go Timmie. Not sure what we are going to do for the rest of the long weekend. For sure not driving or flying.

  12. 12.

    EriktheRed

    No long weekend for me. I have to work tomorrow and I’ll probably have to work Sundy as well.

  13. 13.

    maya

    I’ve heard of similar art (still a work in progress) of Subarus in a Farmer’s Field, somewhere in WV.

    If each Airstream had a Commandment engraved upon it would it be more, or less, controversial?

  14. 14.

    danielx

    @Joel:

    Wouldn’t know, I just know I don’t want to see any show with Sammy Hagar as the headliner. Besides, I’m kinda past wanting to hang out with thousands of drunks. A few dozen, no problem, but thousands, no. The people and the noise, y’know – I’m with Yogi Berra: nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

    Edit: now there’s a place featuring bands called Melodious Thonk and Kapow at Midnight playing tonight. Sounds right up my alley, as it were.

  16. 16.

    AliceBlue

    I’ll be working–Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Sigh.

    That’s law #1 of retail. When everyone else is off, you’re working.

  18. 18.

    Chickamin Slam

    It’s Florida. Anything becomes controversial. Why in a few years swimming will ignite a firestorm of debate. Is the breast stroke or backstroke the most efficient way to swim to work? Or should the government give vouchers to those that don’t have a skidoo as an incentive to buy?

  19. 19.

    MikeJ

    @danielx: You can skip the race. Hamilton and Rosberg are going to finish it 1st and 2nd even though they will actually be in Monaco finishing that race 1st and 2nd.

  20. 20.

    dr. bloor

    @different-church-lady: Eh, think of it as an “homage.”

    Easy to see how it makes Floridians uncomfortable. That’s basically their future when the Giant Hoax That Is Global Warming finishes off those ice shelves and turns the dial on hurricanes up to eleventeen.

  21. 21.

    Tone In DC

    @FlyingToaster:

    Then a garden day, since the trip to the Children’s Museum was cancelled at 8am due to WarriorGirl kicking me in the face.

    No Playstation for the kid!

  23. 23.

    ruemara

    Quietly tearing my hair out and job hunting. I don’t know. Product launch did not meet the poobah’s expectations. You’d think the fact that the people in charge of the launch & my training taking a hike a couple of weeks before would be noted as a potential cause. You’d also think the direction to scrap the campaign due to said people taking a hike would also be noted. But it is obvious incompetence on my part , since I was supposed to stroll in, and with no training, no experience, and no guidance, orchestrate a product launch that sold several hundred units in 2 days-by myself. I need to get a job where people don’t pick the black woman because they’ve hit a disaster and they need to blame her for not fixing shit right away and creating a goddamned diamond out of it. If it had been the only thing on my plate, it would have been enough. But I’m also responsible for the entire online learning portal vendor search, customer service and tech support. None of which have any experienced staff to guide me. This is why black people are crazy. Life like this makes you go nuts.

  24. 24.

    the Conster

    Boomer and Ellen Cherry, and the room with the wolfmother wallpaper. My favorite book.

  26. 26.

    Tone In DC

    None of which have any experienced staff to guide me. This is why black people are crazy. Life like this makes you go nuts.

    Not that it’ll help things where you are, but I’ve seen similar treatment at several jobs (they all happened under the maladministration of a certain Connecticut cowboy, funny how that worked). It was like a bad movie. But it actually happened.
    One woman just left the office one day and simply didn’t come back, no notice or anything. Given the situation, I definitely could not blame her.

  28. 28.

    SiubhanDuinne

    My favorite public art installation is quite new — huge, beautiful horses’ heads (“The Kelpies”) — located in Scotland midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. This is most definitely on my must-visit list for the next UK trip.

    In other news, feeling slightly nostalgic as today would have been my 50th wedding anniversary. Sadly, the marriage ended in divorce, but Ken and I remained good friends right up until his death, and I am grateful for that.

  29. 29.

    Avi

    @Chickamin Slam:

    Or should the government give vouchers to those that don’t have a skidoo as an incentive to buy?

    That’ll never happen with our Legislature, but they might do a sales tax exemption. Unless the vouchers are a way to give money to their Talibangelist friends; then they might do it, until our Supreme Court strikes it down (thanks to the Chiles appointees who are still there).

  31. 31.

    CaseyL

    This is Folklife Festival weekend in Seattle!

    Plus a 60s tribute band I love is playing tomorrow night, and I’ll likely go and shake my booty.

  34. 34.

    the Conster

    @Ben Cisco:

    I read that earlier from my FB feed, and am trying to put it out of my mind. I don’t think we need to search the heavens for alien life forms – there are pod people among us. When they finally figure out where he lives, which they will, he’ll go all Men in Black on them.

  37. 37.

    feebog

    Golf on Saturday, dinner party and cards with friends on Sunday, then heading to Vegas Monday to celebrate by *9th birthday. Enjoy your weekend everyone.

  39. 39.

    SatanicPanic

    If I’m totally recovered from this cold I’ve had… party! If not, maybe go see a movie. We’re trying to decide what movie to see- XMen, Godzilla or wait for Transformers. I am leaning toward Godzilla, my son is saying Xmen and Transformers doesn’t come out for a few more weeks. I guess it will probably be XMen.

  41. 41.

    Ruckus

    @Ben Cisco:
    WTF????
    I’m almost speechless. And for me that’s saying something.

    What a total fucking asshole.

    OK now I’m speechless.

  45. 45.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ruemara:

    Thanks, ruemara. No need at all to condole, it’s all a long time ago. I was really just kind of shaking my head in amazement, because fifty years, holy cow!

  48. 48.

    PaulW

    @SatanicPanic:

    everyone will be lining up to see X-Men this weekend. Try Godzilla, it’s decent (there are issues with its overall lack of kaiju punching kaiju, but it’s a damn well-made movie which you can’t say – Michael Bay cough – about other summer blockbusters).

  50. 50.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ruemara:

    Now that I’ve read my way backwards in the thread, I see that I am the one who needs to condole with you. With all the great conversation and, I think, a lot of soul-searching recently about reparations and white privilege, it still rather takes me aback to learn through your (and others’) everyday experiences just how pervasive racism remains, and how raw it is. Thank you for your willingness to share those experiences; it can’t be easy.

  51. 51.

    geg6

    I have a four day weekend and I’m doing as little as I possibly can.

    Well, I do have to do some housework, the laundry and make a barley and asparagus salad for the family festivities on Monday, but that’s it. And I might tackle the bonus room that I’ve been ignoring for about four years now, what with the detritus of John’s daughter’s belongings still piled in there and all the boxes of my own stuff from when I moved in. We never use the room, so I have ignored it successfully up until now. But I really want to spur John into putting some real effort into selling this huge barn of a house. And getting the place into better order might help provide some motivation.

    So that whole thing about doing nothing is just a fantasy.

  53. 53.

    piratedan

    getting the house ready to go on the market… so touch up painting and decluttering in preparation for the new flooring which is replacing the flooring that we bought nearly two years ago that turned out to be fucked up (and a long arduous process that was to prove that we weren’t the cause of the non-existent water damage)…. so I’ll live vicariously thru you guys and your holiday adventures…

  54. 54.

    NotMax

    @PaulW

    You didn’t think there wasn’t a sword in that umbrella, did you?

    :)

    “Think you can handle this unruly brood, ninja nanny?”

    “Shuriken.”

  55. 55.

    SatanicPanic

    @PaulW: Our family likes even the Michael Bay robots. I know, we have bad taste. We also like kaiju. Basically, if Hollywood could release a new Pacific Rim sequel every summer we’d be there.

  57. 57.

    boatboy_srq

    This Airstream sculpture grouping that is exhibited on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando is controversial:

    Trailer. Trash. End of story.

    Another I’m-in-I.T.-so-weekends-are-meaningless three-day slogfest here.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @geg6:

    When is the wedding? Must be getting pretty close. Did you ever manage to find the dress and shoes you were shopping for?

  60. 60.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @geg6:

    When is the wedding? Must be getting pretty close. Did you ever manage to find the dress and shoes you were shopping for?

  63. 63.

    Morbo

    Top Gear would love that sculpture. Anything that results in a destroyed “caravan”.

  64. 64.

    Elizabelle

    I like Airstream-Henge.

    Have seen the Cadillacs near Amarillo, TX. What’s even weirder is the land behind, which looks like a cash crop of used aerosol paint cans festooning the fields. People spray paint the Caddies; toss the cans. It’s Texas.

    Public art, and a little exercise walking out from your vehicle.

    My late great pup’s name is on a Cadillac, under many layers of subsequent graffiti, no doubt. She was marching around the installation with me.

  65. 65.

    rea

    I’ve been meaning to borrow my sister’s kayak and explore some mangrove tunnels, so maybe I’ll do that.

    Pooor Betty, swallowed by a python while kayaking. We’ll miss her.

  66. 66.

    Robert Sneddon

    The Glasgow College of Art building is on fire according to the BBC. It’s not just the fact it’s a world-famous John Rennie Mackintosh building, it was the last day of prep for the final-year students and all their project work has gone up in flames along with the library, the interiors and everything else.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-27541883

  68. 68.

    Elizabelle

    @Robert Sneddon: oh no. Terrible news. Hope the building can be restored. I love Mackintosh’s work.

    A shame about the students’ art, too. At least the building was safely evacuated.

  69. 69.

    Paul in KY

    @Joel: Their lead singer & main songwriter (at the time) passed away 10 or more years ago.

    Real shame.

  71. 71.

    Paul in KY

    @Ben Cisco: I look forward to when this sick bastard is in jail & also look forward to the guards telling the other inmates exactly what he did.

  73. 73.

    Bob In Portland

    You Tube video which appears to show Ukrainian helicopters firing on their own troops.

    This was the attack that was supposed to have been done by the separatists, which I suggested yesterday was a false flag.

    Dang those phones with cameras!

  74. 74.

    Fred

    I recall the Air Stream turned into a turkey, in the Robins book was supposed to have been an Air Stream motor home/van. I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing. Did they really make a motorized Air Stream? That would be pretty cool.

  75. 75.

    Paul in KY

    @burnspbesq: He’s completely wrong about her reasons for writing what she does. She’s a paid Koch hack whose job is to not let any inconvient facts get in the way of the narrative she is paid to further.

    McArglebargle can DIAF, as well as all her male compatriots.

  79. 79.

    burnspbesq

    @Bob In Portland:

    I suppose it’s never occurred to you that helicopters can be hijacked or commandeered by forces other than the owners, and that video can be faked.

    When you show up here with something worthy of being taken seriously, it will be. Unitl then …

  80. 80.

    burnspbesq

    @Paul in KY:

    And you just neatly illustrated Kleiman’s point.

    In one ear and out the other. I can hear the wind whistling all the way out in SoCal.

  81. 81.

    PaulW

    @Robert Sneddon:

    The Glasgow College of Art building is on fire according to the BBC. It’s not just the fact it’s a world-famous John Rennie Mackintosh building, it was the last day of prep for the final-year students and all their project work has gone up in flames along with the library, the interiors and everything else.

    O.o

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  82. 82.

    Bob In Portland

    @burnspbesq: There’s videos of Nazis burning people alive in Odessa. You apparently don’t think that’s evidence enough.

    The “official story” is that the guard post was attacked by rebels. You see any rebels in the video? Or maybe those babushkas hijacked the helicopters. The helicopters aren’t even in the “official story”. So the rebels have hijacked Ukrainian helicopters and the regime in Kiev fails to mention that in their reports of what happened? That’s pathetic, burns.

    Serious question: How long until you realized your government was lying to you in order to invade Iraq? A week? A month? A year?

    How long did you think that those death squads in Latin America were freedom fighters before you changed your mind? Until the mass graves were found?

  83. 83.

    LanceThruster

    Waiting out the calm before the storm. Massive layoffs at my work these past two weeks. Supposed to be done until next January. We’ll see.

    Hope to be able to enjoy the meteor shower this weekend, though. My neck of the woods should be near perfect conditions.

  84. 84.

    Mnemosyne

    @Bob In Portland:

    There’s videos of Nazis burning people alive in Odessa.

    Really? Of Nazis? With brown uniforms and swastikas and everything?

    Or are you once again using “Nazi” as a synonym for “Ukrainians I don’t like”?

  85. 85.

    tybee

    I’ve been meaning to borrow my sister’s kayak and explore some mangrove tunnels, so maybe I’ll do that.

    once you yak, you’ll never go back.

  86. 86.

    Bob In Portland

    @Mnemosyne: Am I exaggerating by using the term “Nazi” to describe the people who burned people alive in the trade union building in Odessa? These are people who like Nazis, people who want to rid their country of ethnic Poles, Rumanians, Jews and Russians. People who march in parades saluting the “Hero Of Ukraine” Stepan Bandera who helped the Third Reich kill Poles, Jews and Russians. Millions. People who call themselves Nazis.

    Funny you won’t respect these Ukrainian Nazis by calling them what they call themselves, but I guess you need to do that to keep your government’s brand of “truth” alive.

    Were the death squads in Guatemala and El Salvador Nazis? Well, their leaders were members in good standing in the old World Anti-Communist League. They would get together with other fascists from around the world and talk about things that Nazis would chat about. They would rub elbows with actual Nazis who had survived the war thanks to those ratlines. So you might say that mass killings of indigenous people directed by leaders who hang out with Nazis weren’t actually Nazis. They were patriots who got carried away, or something. If you want to narrow the definition further you can say that the people in the US who call themselves Nazis aren’t really Nazis because they belong to, say, the Aryan Nation or the KKK or some other fraternal organization that is not, specifically, the Nazi Party. Or that the American Nazi Party isn’t the same as the German Nazi Party of WWII.

    But it seems to me that of all the wannabe Nazis around the world the Ukrainian Nazis are as close to the definition of Nazi as you can get these days without reincarnating Adolf.

    Not you, though. You merely collaborate by refusing to look at what’s around you. You are merely a conformist. Hide within your dictionary. Hide within your snide remarks. In a year or so you’ll see others around you admit to what’s happening in Ukraine and you’ll feel safe to come out and acknowledge reality. Maybe when a Republican is in the White House with guns a-blazing. That would make you merely an abetter of Nazis.

    That’s why I keep asking the people here at Balloon Juice how long it took each of you to figure out the okeydoke of Iraq. You folks here are pretty clever, so maybe a year or two. I doubt any of you were out in the streets protesting before the Shock and Awe. You had victory gardens to attend to. I bet a lot of you actually enjoyed the Shock and Awe. And you were all for invading Afghanistan to get Osama. How long did you stick with that program? Four years? Eight years?

    There’s a reason why none of you answer that question. Even if you now acknowledge that back then the government lied to you you “believe” or “hope” that the good guy now in the White House wouldn’t lie to us and he wouldn’t allow the State Department to lie to us. And we wouldn’t aid bad people. Right? Besides, Putin = Hitler, although Saddam used to equal Hitler, the Ayatollah used to equal Hitler, Assad equals Hitler, Khadafy equalled Hitler. It seems wherever our bombs fall there is a Hitler below. (Hitler must like swimming in oil.) Except when we support the guys who honor Hitler as their liberator.

    And doesn’t Hunter Biden look good in a suit!

    (I am willing to again explain to you how fascism works as a two-tiered system, but only if you pull out the “there are Jews in the coup government” card again. This is the 21st Century. Anyone can be a Nazi as long as they don’t admit it.)

  87. 87.

    Mnemosyne

    @Bob In Portland:

    In other words, you’re using “Nazis” as a meaningless synonym for “Ukrainians I don’t like.”

    I doubt any of you were out in the streets protesting before the Shock and Awe.

    What is it like to always be wrong?

  88. 88.

    Bob In Portland

    @Mnemosyne:

    http://rt.com/op-edge/ukrainian-nationalists-attacked-police-888/
    https://portside.org/2014-02-27/us-backing-neo-nazis-ukraine
    http://nsnbc.me/2014/03/04/ukraine-israeli-special-forces-unit-neo-nazi-command-involved-maidan-riots/
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/ukrainian-rabbi-plays-down-neo-nazi-threat-nationalists-n51186

    Look at the pictures I linked to. I guess that tattooing swastikas across one’s chest doesn’t qualify as Nazi enough for you. To me that’s pathetic, and that makes you a pitiful conformist.

    As far as being right, I was right about Vietnam. How about you? I was right about Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Iraq and Afghanistan. How about you? Ah, the question that conformists refuse to answer. Always one war late to the table.

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