Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Republicans in disarray!

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Books are my comfort food!

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

Fucking consultants! (of the political variety)

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

How stupid are these people?

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

Reader Interactions

135Comments

  1. 1.

    Frankensteinbeck

    Still weirded out and amused by Amazon sending me an email asking me to send hate mail to Hatchette.

    You should go see Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a lot of fun.

  2. 2.

    MomSense

    Drinking coffee and about to pull a blueberry pie out of the oven. Then I will be keeping boys away from the pie until it cools.

  3. 3.

    Amir Khalid

    And don’t forget to bring your 3D clip-ons.

    Which poorly-reviewed movie should I see: Hercules or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Their trailers were equally unpromising.

  5. 5.

    cwolf

    Can you spot the most phallic cloud formation?
    Are you sure those “phallic cloud formations” aren’t from a power plant or cement factory giving us a rotten CO2 fuck?

  8. 8.

    Mustang Bobby

    Flying back to Miami tonight from Cincinnati on the only non-stop American has between the two cities and it’s a commuter-sized plane. Two-plus hours in a seat that was last fitted for a ’67 Volkswagen. Yip-yah.

    On the upside, I had a nice time with my folks, watched a lot of Tiger baseball, and I still have a week of vacation yet to go.

  10. 10.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    @Frankensteinbeck: If you feel like a laugh, go to Amazon and check out the reviews for the Ammosexuals first tome into kids books, My Parents Open Carry
    Classic Line from a reviewer.

    Wait for the sequel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
    “My Dark-Skinned Parents Open Carry. Or At Least They Did Until the Cops Shot them Fifty-Two Times.”

  12. 12.

    JCT

    @Mr Stagger Lee: Priceless – thanks for the laugh!

    Hosting a faculty recruitment BBQ tomorrow – busy making homemade ice cream, peach-blueberry crumble/crisp, and rub for the better half’s wicked ribs.

  13. 13.

    Alex S.

    On Iraq, Obama might be thinking that whenever he thought he was out, they pull him back in.

  14. 14.

    ruemara

    trying to move forward on some take home work and I’ve found that the password I had for the company blog system is incorrect. rasinfrasin. Plus, after a blissful night with no FedEx girlfriend after 7 straight nights, guess who’s now here? I have to discuss with my roommate the whole guests forever thing. My goal is to polish off enough marketing tasks that I can attend GoG tomorrow without worrying about monday’s product launch. But I’m working so slowly and badly. Maybe I should have gone in to work today.

  18. 18.

    MattF

    I’ve got three movies on my list: Lucy, GoG, and A Most Wanted Man. Seeing two movies in one weekend isn’t going to happen and I’m guessing that GoG will still be around in two weeks, so the current plan is Lucy tomorrow, A Most Wanted Man next week, and GoG in two weeks.

  20. 20.

    raven

    Just came from the Athens Makers Fest:

    Artists, crafters, developers, innovators, creators, makers.
    Join us on Saturday, August 9, to celebrate technology, innovation and creativity at the Lyndon House Arts center for an event that is truly the first of its kind in Athens. We’ll have over 40 different kinds of makers exhibiting and teaching as visitors explore things such as metal working, wood carving, 3D printing, interactive technology and more.

  22. 22.

    mai naem mobile

    I had an awesomely witty post yesterday that wouldnt post but now that I got shit to say it works. wtf.

  23. 23.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Mustang Bobby: Hercules would have to be really, REALLY gay to out-gay 300, which of course the conservatards lurved to death, all this “FREEDOM!” nonsense being spouted by Spartans, for the love of Zeus.

    Makes me think it’s an updated Steve Reeves movie.

  24. 24.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @cwolf: I’m thinking the one just to the right of the setting sun is the most obvious, but I wouldn’t discount that one 2/3rds of the way to the left which seems to have some balls attached to it.

  26. 26.

    mai naem mobile

    So, my 59 yr old aunt died last saturday, my niece had a late miscarriage(~32wks) 4 wks ago and a close family friend(chronically ill) died 3 wks ago and I just found out another aunt is expected to be gone within six mos. This year is turning out to be as sucky as last year.

  28. 28.

    opiejeanne

    Dave harvested the onions he planted while I photographed the process and read to him about what to do next. I have a nasty cold and a screaming headache and should be in bed, but it was nice being out in the sunshine for a bit.

    I took pictures.

  31. 31.

    indycat32

    Researching cell phone plans. I don’t use my cell much and do not need a data plan. I currently have Tracfone, but I’m fed up with them. I got a new phone last year. They promptly deactivated the old phone but couldn’t manage to activate the new one. It took them 5 days and multiple calls (good thing I still have my land line) and when they did get it active they couldn’t manage to transfer my old number to the new phone. That is until two days ago when I discovered I suddenly have my old number. So, anybody use Republic Wireless?

  32. 32.

    Suffern ACE

    No turtles for me. I’m looking forward to Helen Mirren in Hundred Foot Journey. Not great reviews, but probably the best adult movie out there. I should probably see Calvary, but Frank and Ross have already ruined it for me.0

  33. 33.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @opiejeanne:
    YAY. It’s getting pretty popular. It’s now at Barnes and Noble!

    @Amir Khalid:
    Yes, it’s an email Amazon sent to all authors who use Kindle Direct Publishing, which is every author who sells on Amazon and has any titles not sold through the ‘big six’ publishers. That’s a lot of people. A LOT of people. It’s an 1100 word screed that reads like Mary Sue fanfic, comparing Amazon to Gutenberg and invoking Orwell repeatedly. It ended by asking us to write hate mail to Hachette and suggested talking points we could use. I’m not even offended, just baffled. Why would this ever be a good idea? Do they even think Hachette cares what non-Hachette authors think? Do they realize how ridiculous Amazon looks?

    I’m not even on Hachette’s side here. I don’t like the big six. The email is just weird on every level, and the author community’s reaction is ‘Bwa?’ I woke up to this, and I still can’t get over it.

  34. 34.

    opiejeanne

    @Frankensteinbeck: I’m trying to remember where I was, I think it was at Barnes and Noble, inside the bookstore.

    We have both a Nook and Kindle and I’m pretty sure I bought it on the B&N Nook. I’d have to check.

  35. 35.

    donnah

    My 21year-old son is a big fan of Marvel comics and he saw GoG this past Friday: love, love, loved it. He said he will see it again soon on the big screen.

    My oldest son, 27 years old, called my husband and me a few nights ago. He said us he wanted to tell us how much he loves us, and that he appreciates how much we love him and have been there for him growing up. He said he had just seen Boyhood and it moved him so deeply that he had to call us. That was pretty awesome.

  38. 38.

    Keith G

    Yesterday, I bought an Asus T100, mainly as my travel-time media center. Over the last 6 years, I have gathered up a bit of a library of film purchased from Amazon which I could store and play on my Windows laptops and tower using their locally installed player, Unbox.

    So last night, I could not find any reference to Unbox on Amazon.com. My heart sank as I began to think that I had just spent a chuck of money on a unit that, while very good, would have lost some of the functionality that was important to me. So I called Amazon tech support, and sure enough as of Aug. 1, they were abandoning Unbox and thereby limiting the type of “non-Amazon” units that could download rented or purchased movies from Amazon.

    The tech guy appreciated my somewhat caustic response and sent me a non-public link to be able to download the Unbox player. If any of you have a substantial Amazon library, keep this change in mind as you consider new technology.

    The T100 seems like it’s going to be a sweet machine. I tested it out this afternoon with Star Trek (2009). Very nice.

  40. 40.

    Libby's person

    Saw GoG last week; loved it. Clever dialog, and actual character development, surprisingly. I actually want to see it again.

    I’m spending part of my weekend trying to figure out how to keep my house from trying to kill me. Just figured out that I’ve been getting allergy-triggered migraines for years. I’ve known about and been treating the allergies, but just figured out the migraine part. I think we may (finally!) have a winning hypothesis about why I get allergic to my house once or twice a year. The testing starts next week. We’ve been working this problem for 5 years; I hope we’re right this time!!! (We’ve pretty much eliminated all the other possibilities.)

  41. 41.

    caring&sensitive

    @indycat32:

    When I’m in the US I use lycamobile, pay as you go. $10 minimum topup, 3 cents a minute for all calls to or from Canada and the US, and as long as I use the phone at least once every 90 days, the time/minutes don’t expire. I don’t use data either

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    @MattF: Can the government really keep all that money? Assuming it’s really her money, that seems wrong, even if she was trying to bring it in without declaring it.

    She can’t be too bright, though, since she couldn’t even get her amounts straight when she was lying on her forms!

  45. 45.

    rikyrah

    @indycat32:
    I have no help for your cellphone issue. I am curious as to the answer. My cellphone could be considered an 8-track, and the time will come when I will have to upgrade. The most minutes that I have used in a month for the past 5 years is 200, so I don’t want to pay a lot for a cellphone.

  46. 46.

    MattF

    @WaterGirl: I guess it’s contraband– not contraband per se but likely the fruits of something illegal. If not, and she just happens to keep her savings in her girdle, then maybe not.

  47. 47.

    Violet

    @indycat32: @rikyrah: Before I got my fancy smartphone–two years ago now–I went to Target and bought a phone off the rack. It worked on T-Mobile so that’s what I used. It was pay-as-you-go. I could either go to a store and get them to load more minutes, go online and do it that way, or call and use a credit card and load minutes that way.

    I was charged for texts and phone calls and found I was using around $20-30/month–I talked a lot due to things going on in my life at that time.

    The service from T-Mobile was good. There were only a few places I didn’t get coverage from them. I would use them again. The pay-as-you need option works reasonably well. At the time, you could pre-pay $100 and then your minutes lasted you a full year without expiring. I found that a better deal than paying $20 at a time or so but the minutes only lasted three months.

    Some friends currently use a lower price phone provider after having had AT&T forever. Her texts don’t always come through to me now. Sometimes when she reboots her phone they come through then. Recently I got two of the same text from her about three seconds apart–and about ten minutes after she’d sent the text (it was only sent once). Sorry can’t remember which provider it is but I can ask my friend if you want.

  49. 49.

    Cacti

    I just noticed one of NoiseMax’s headlines was “White Students No Longer to be Majority in School”.

    I never click through on any of them, but I was curious about the tone of the article. Mourning, angry recrimination, paranoia, or all of the above?

  50. 50.

    indycat32

    @rikyrah: that’s why I was interested in Republic Wireless. I’ve never used over 200 minutes/month. RW uses WiFi first and if that’s not available it switches to cell and most of my phone use is at home where I have WiFi. They offer unlimited talk/text for $10 a month. I’m looking for something reliable (i.e., not in danger of going out of business) so I can ditch my land line which I never use for outgoing calls, and is costing me $36/month

  51. 51.

    Botsplainer

    @WaterGirl:

    Big assed nono. ICE is very specific and literal on its currency control, as very bad transactions accompany large accumulations of laundered cash, chief among them being drug deals, human trafficking and tax evasion.

  52. 52.

    Violet

    @indycat32: I don’t know what my friend’s provider is but see my comment above re: texts showing up much later. Her phone is the same. It’s only since they switched to the lower cost provider that this problem started.

  55. 55.

    Helen

    @efgoldman: Lots of women. Young women. They just call it “Spanx” now and say it “smooths” you. Bullshit. Spanx hurts just as much the old time girdles.

  56. 56.

    Cacti

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Hercules would have to be really, REALLY gay to out-gay 300, which of course the conservatards lurved to death, all this “FREEDOM!” nonsense being spouted by Spartans, for the love of Zeus.

    But the movie Spartans were gay-hating freedom fighters, as opposed to the slave-holding pederasts that the historical Spartans actually were.

    300 might have been cinema’s most fascist offering since Triumph of the Will.

  57. 57.

    Helen

    @Botsplainer: Isn’t it the rule that you can carry any amount of money anywhere – you just have to tell them you’re doing it? I am pretty sure I read that on my landing card last time I went to Europe. It asked “do you have more than $10,000?” and then went on to explain what you could and could not do.

  58. 58.

    indycat32

    @Violet: Delayed texts would not do. My sister’s great grandson taught her to text and now that’s about all she uses. My search isn’t solely about cost (I can afford $20-30/month), but I hate paying for something I don’t use (e.g., land line). Most of the “established” carriers assume everyone needs data or, if you don’t want data, offer a low-end phone for their basic plans.

  59. 59.

    Elizabelle

    I’m interested in the lower cost mobile phone service too. I have AT&T mainly because I haven’t switched; well past the 2-year plan obligation.

    Chat on about it, please.

  61. 61.

    MattF

    @Elizabelle: In fact, AT&T has a low-cost low-data plan. I discovered this when I bought a new phone and my bill jumped upward by 35%– when I complained at an AT&T store, they mentioned the low-cost plan. BTW, my bill came down the next month to its previous level, so I decided to just let the previous setup go on as before.

  64. 64.

    BethanyAnne

    I’m continuing to clean up my apartment today. May head to IKEA to get a “BILLY” bookcase later.

    I put my 19 year old cat, Cheyenne, to sleep yesterday. She had bone cancer, hyperthyroid, and failing liver. The steroids stopped making her comfortable last week, and there wasn’t really anything I could do for her anymore. 19 is a pretty good run for a scrawny feral kitten caught from behind a pier. I guess it’s a side note, but there’s a truly great vet clinic on Kingsland Road in Katy, TX.

  65. 65.

    raven

    @BethanyAnne:

    We who choose to surround ourselves
    with lives even more temporary than our
    own, live within a fragile circle;
    easily and often breached.
    Unable to accept its awful gaps,
    we would still live no other way.
    We cherish memory as the only
    certain immortality, never fully
    understanding the necessary plan.
    — Irving Townsend

  66. 66.

    Josie

    @Helen: I wore a spanx for my son’s wedding (I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else). It worked as intended, but I sure wouldn’t have wanted anyone filming me getting into it.

  67. 67.

    Elizabelle

    @Violet:

    Great to hear re calling AT&T. Will do and will tell you what the result is.

    ETA: I mean, I know that’s d’uh land, but you’d surprised how many of us don’t get around to doing it!! I have been thinking for months upon months that I don’t use my phone anywhere as much as the usual person, and the plan is too expensive.

  70. 70.

    BethanyAnne

    @efgoldman: Just picking the damn thing up from the palette last night was impossible. I need a bookcase, but I may have to look at other options.

  71. 71.

    Violet

    @BethanyAnne: Sorry for your loss.

    @Elizabelle: Yep. I got big discounts last month when i called AT&T. I recommend calling them every six months to a year, depending on how long your discount runs. They checked my mobile bill and made some suggestions. They’ve changed some of the plan rules since I got the phone and I could get just as good of a data plan for about half the cost. So I did that.

  72. 72.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @rikyrah:

    Not pertinent to this thread, but I wanted to tell you I loved Your comment to Booman about Obama’s vacation. I knew before I even saw the sig that it was from you!

  73. 73.

    Suzanne

    So I’m quitting my job on Monday. I got a super-aggressive job offer yesterday, offering me just shy 10 G’s more than I make now, and will be working on exactly the projects I want to work on. With more flexibility, and half-day Fridays.

    I need to buy a new car soon. I test-drove a 2014 Nissan Rogue today and really loved it. Price looks really competitive, too. I want one of the crossover SUVs to replace my CR-V, which is about to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Thoughts?

  74. 74.

    PurpleGirl

    @BethanyAnne: Cheyenne, RIP. I’m sure you’ll remember all the good times you had with her BethanyAnne. And at some point, when you’re ready, you’ll find another kitten/cat to love and keep you company. It won’t replace Cheyenne but will be a new love.

  76. 76.

    PurpleGirl

    @Suzanne: No thoughts on the car — I don’t drive.

    On the new job: Congratulations!!!. That sounds great. Best wishes for the future career.

  77. 77.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @BethanyAnne:

    Condolences on Cheyenne. Nineteen years is a long time, but still too short. I always like to picture kitties who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge as finding themselves at the edge of the Milky Way lapping up all the creamy bits.

  78. 78.

    Violet

    @Suzanne: Awesome! Congratulations! That’s excellent. I know you’ve been frustrated with your job. Sounds like this move is a good one.

    No recommendations on the vehicle. But isn’t this a good time of year to buy a new car as they want to get rid of the current year models to prep for the new ones?

  80. 80.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @mai naem mobile:

    I am so sorry. For some reason those losses always seem to come in bunches. I hope this is the end of them among your family, friends and acquaintances, and although it’s still early to be thinking of New Year’s, I hope 2015 is a much better year.

  82. 82.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Suzanne:

    Good for you on the job! And ignore whoever it was in the “shitty jobs” thread earlier who said that 30% of working for any architect was the worst.

    If you’re in the market for a Subaru, I hear the fields of West Virginia have them all over the place.

  83. 83.

    JCT

    @Suzanne: The new Subaru Forester gets high marks. Long-lasting buggers too. I’ve got a 10-yr-old Legacy that still runs like a top. I think moving to AZ from the NE gave it a new lease on life.

  86. 86.

    geg6

    Steelers pre-season, sausage stuffed banana peppers (from the garden!) smothered in tomatoes (canned from the garden last year!) with pasta in parsley butter (from the herb garden!) and sautéed zucchini (from the garden!). Love cooking with stuff we’ve grown. Picked up a delicious Portugese red to go with it all. Tried this wine a week ago and I’m in love.

    Be interesting to see if the Steelers look as good as the local sportscasters are saying. Who can tell at this point anyway?

  87. 87.

    BethanyAnne

    I’ve been looking at petfinder to distract myself. So many kitties near me. I do feel bad that I’ve also considered buying a ragamuffin kitten. Ragamuffins just look like great little beasts.

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    @Suzanne: Big congratulations!

    I don’t know for sure if this is an issue where you’re at, but…
    At many universities, once you get your phd you need to get a job at a different university than the one where you got your degree. The thinking is that you’ll still be seen as a grad student when you’re now a professor. So you go work somewhere else for awhile and then you can come back and be viewed in a new way.

    I wonder if something like that might be at play in your current job. (Not suggesting that you would want to come back to this job, though.)

  90. 90.

    rikyrah

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    thanks.

    but, that post pissed me off.

    Barack Obama has taken the least amount of vacation of the last 5 Presidents.

    there’s a Congress that is paid 174k and barely works 3 whole months for an entire year.

    and someone complains about the President getting a 10 days with his family?

    it’s not like the President actually gets a vacation because the White House goes with him wherever he goes.

    How dare this President not go to Motel Six and eat at Tasty Freeze.

    who does he think he is…going to Martha’s Vineyard [/snark to the nth degree]

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    @rikyrah: Booman’s post pissed me off, too. And don’t get me started on the whole “we’ll lose the senate because Obama didn’t go down to the border” thing. Bullshit. If he did go, they would say he was just using it as a photo op. The game is rigged and he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

    I would bet a lot of money that the secret service thought it was not a good idea to go to the border.

    Barack Obama is the most talented person I have ever seen in my lifetime. He could be doing absolutely anything, and he and his family are sacrificing so he can lead our country. Screw anybody who wants to criticize him for taking a vacation with his family. With all the technology now, he’s tuned in no matter where he is.

  92. 92.

    Violet

    @WereBear: Wondered if you were following the proceedings of the Ancestral Health Symposium. You can follow #AHS14 on Twitter for links and updates. I mentioned resistant starch to you the other day and there’s a ton of stuff on the gut microbiome and its relationship to health issues. Thought it might be of interest to you.

  93. 93.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @rikyrah:

    Oh, I completely agree. The thing is, he’s going to get grief from the Rethugs and the press no matter what he does. If he stays in the WH, they’ll call him on jeopardizing his health and mental well-being by ignoring the importance of relaxation and down time. If he goes on vacation, he’ll be slammed for golfing while Iraq burns. Every single moment of his Presidency has been characterized by “can’t win for losing.” That being the case, he should do what is fucking well right for him and his family, and damn the critics.

    ETA: Alsotoo, what WaterGirl said.

  94. 94.

    Gin & Tonic

    Huh. Got moderated and don’t know why. I’ll try again: dry-aged rib-eye, fresh tomatoes still warm from the afternoon sun, and a Trappist ale. Indulging myself.

  95. 95.

    WaterGirl

    @SiubhanDuinne: There’s a certain freedom that comes with “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. If you’re gonna get smacked no matter what you do, then you may as well do what you think is right.

  96. 96.

    Suzanne

    @WaterGirl: In order to grow your salary in architecture, you definitely have to leave, or threaten to leave. My boss asked if I would be open to a counter-offer, and I said yes, but that it would have to be a really compelling offer. So we’ll see if or what they come up with. I’ve been pretty frustrated at my current place because they literally cannot hire people fast enough, and they’ve made a couple of bad hires, and we are just drowning in work, but with no end in sight. It is just wearing me out. And some of our newbies PEACE OUT after their 40 hours are up, and no one is really saying to them that it’s not okay to leave that extra work for their other team members. All in all, it’s a good place to work, but the situation is unsustainable and yet doesn’t seem to be getting better. But what a change from five years ago. Right now, there’s just a real shortage of qualified people, because so many people left the field.

  97. 97.

    WereBear

    @Violet: Nope, didn’t catch that, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.

    I’ve been eating a lot of seafood lately (doing Epi-Paleo) and have discovered the joys of sardines and mackerel. Really!

  98. 98.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @WaterGirl: Even I’m a little surprised at how little traction the “don’t/go to the border!” thing got.

    Politico will get Very Concerned about Obama’s vacations, because the Beltway takes its cues from the right, just compare coverage of this and his golfing to Bush’s “brush clearin” and golfing. I usually like Booman, but he’s wrong on this.

    Also amused to see “Arthur Gillroy” still posting his drivel over there. Seems to me he GBCW’d about a year ago.

  100. 100.

    BethanyAnne

    @WereBear: As always, your words help. Thanks. I am planning on cleaning the apartment a couple of times, and making sure that I shampoo the rug at least twice to get out all the pee smell I can from the last few weeks. Then I want another pair of cats. I think maybe I’ll go to a shelter and just sit with the cats for a while.

  101. 101.

    Violet

    @WereBear: You might want to check out Dr. Grace’s blog if you haven’t already. Really good stuff on gut health and relation to overall health.

    Glad you are enjoying the seafood. Were you not eating it before?

  102. 102.

    Violet

    @Suzanne: I’d say take the new job. You come in at a higher level and will be perceived as more experienced, better qualified, etc. Don’t burn bridges and keep the door open at your current place. Sounds like you could always return if things don’t work out at the new place.

    The half day on Fridays sounds like gold to a working mom with little kids. If that’s for real and it doesn’t turn out that you’re working all day Friday plus weekends, then you can’t beat that schedule.

  103. 103.

    WaterGirl

    @Suzanne: Good people leaving is the natural consequence of not having enough people, or the right people, for an extended period of time.

    I have been on both sides of the 40-hour a week thing. I can completely see working a zillion hours to get over a hump on a particular project with a non-arbitrary deadline. But if that turns into the new normal, I think it’s a different story.

    I worked like that for years and regularly gave up weeks of paid vacation every single year. At some point, when they continued to not give us enough resources, I said “enough!”. I started taking my vacations, and I told the folks who worked for me that we were all going to start taking our vacations. And if we were sick, we weren’t coming in to work. At that point, all we were doing is enabling our unit to get by on fewer people than were required. Screw that. It’s just not sustainable.

    Good for you for knowing you are worth more than that and lining up something new. And if your current place ever gets itself together, who knows, you may end up working for them again some time in the future.

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I never read Arthur Gilroy, which is easy because his comments have such a distinct style that they are easy to recognize before you start reading. :-) So if he had a GBCW post, I missed it along with all his others.

    Maybe I’m crazy, but when I saw your nym just now I had a flashback to the Obama blog. Did you comment there under that name? Did you do a video after you lost a friend on september 11?

  107. 107.

    Violet

    @WereBear: Well good for you! The oily fish are especially good for you. And they come in convenient tins that you can take with you places. Apparently Trader Joes has some good tinned varieties including oysters.

  108. 108.

    Elizabelle

    @BethanyAnne:

    Hugs. I know you miss the wonderful Cheyenne, and that you had her for 19 years says she was one happy cat. So sorry for your loss.

  109. 109.

    WaterGirl

    @WereBear: Sometimes the right cat comes along, and you surprise yourself by being ready.

    I went to the pound 2 months after I lose my kitty soulmate, just to dip my toes in the water and think about maybe thinking about getting a kitty at some point in the future. And there was my Willow and she was so beautiful that I took her, and they asked if I would consider her black brother because they had already been separated from their other two kitty siblings, and I said “well, I won’t not consider it”.

    Three days later, I was leaving the pound with my two new kitties and I tearfully said to the lady “But what if I can’t love them?” That turned out not to be a problem!

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    @BethanyAnne: My heart goes out to you.

    I was never a cat person until I met my kitty soulmate when he adopted us at work. After that, I couldn’t imagine ever not having a kitty again. I know you miss Cheyenne, and on top of that I imagine your house probably feels strange without a kitty soul in it.

  115. 115.

    WaterGirl

    @WereBear: I noticed yesterday that he is starting to grow into his ears! I kind of miss how HUGE they were. He is adorable.

    I’m sorry to know that we will all be sharing tears for Reverend Jim one of these days. Not a complete surprise, but very sad nonetheless.

  116. 116.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle:

    Hate to Say It, But…
    Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 9:00 AM via Booman Tribune

    Not that it is fair, but the president will be vilified every day that he spends vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard. He obviously doesn’t care, but he probably should. Not everything in politics is fair, and politicians should be able to discern when their actions are going to cause damage to their popularity. Considering what is going on in Israel and Iraq, a president on vacation is going to take on water in rather disastrous fashion. Holding fundraisers during the vacation will only add to the damage.

    The man needs and deserves some rest and relaxation, but it is going to come at an unacceptable political cost.

    boomantribune.com/story/2014/8/9/94937/87499

  117. 117.

    Violet

    @WaterGirl:
    From that post:

    Not everything in politics is fair, and politicians should be able to discern when their actions are going to cause damage to their popularity.

    Yes, because popularity is what counts as a politician. Not doing the right thing.

  118. 118.

    Elizabelle

    @WaterGirl:

    Thank you! Reading it now.

    Although, seems some neighbors are out in the cul de sac with electric guitars. Might have to go see what’s up with that…

  121. 121.

    WereBear

    @WaterGirl: It’s James Bond who is 18… and has slowed down considerably this summer.

    I’m gonna fall apart when that happens. He’s been my Special Cat Guy for so long!

    But at the same time, I am determined that he’s not going to have many bad days. We had a full workup at the vet a few months ago, and he’s in the very early stages of kidney disease. As soon as he’s not feeling well, we’ll say goodbye.

    He hates the vet and all medical procedures. Some cats can handle intervention, but he’s never adjusted to any treatments. At this point, since I can’t tell him “You’ll get better,” I’m not putting him through stuff like that.

    But he’s still having a good time!

  122. 122.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Elizabelle:
    @WaterGirl:

    And here is rikyrah’s comment, similar to what she posted above:

    Re: Hate to Say It, But… (4.00 / 12)
    Phuck this shyt.
    Man has taken the least amount of vacations amongst the last 5 Presidents.

    You got a Congress that simply does not work.

    Every year they’ve come up with some shyt to try and phuck with his vacation.

    Go on vacation, Mr. President.

    Go on vacation.

    He’s a Black man not going to Tasty Freeze…they gonna be mad either way.

    Phuck ‘ em.

    by rikyrah on Sat Aug 9th, 2014 at 10:18:11 AM EST

  123. 123.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WereBear:

    But he’s still having a good time!

    The most important thing! He will tell you when it’s no longer fun (but you, of all people, know that).

  124. 124.

    WaterGirl

    @WereBear: I knew that, I just typed the wrong name. It’s your fault for having two Jim/James kitties. :-)

    Yep, having to let that special guy go is almost unimaginable.

    That last night with quiver, I tried so hard to memorize his face and his walk and everything about him. He knew it was his last night, too. The vet was coming at 11 the ned morning. We went to bed early and he stayed with me the whole night, except when he got up to drink the water I put in the bedroom. No matter how many times he changed position, he was always touching me in some way, even if it was just the bottom of his little paws.

    For the first time in a long time he did all his old regular stuff – grooming my hair, etc. Much weaker and for a shorter time, but it was all part of his goodbye. He loved me as much as I loved him, but we both knew it was time.

    Just last week out of the blue I though of my sweet boy and started crying, and it’s coming up on 5 years. He was my guy.

  125. 125.

    BethanyAnne

    @WereBear: I had 2 for the longest time. But when Suli, my Siamese mix, passed in 2012 it was a revelation how much Cheyenne loved being the Only Cat. It was like she expanded to fill the space. So I went without a 2nd for her sake.

  129. 129.

    Joel Hanes

    @efgoldman:

    Who wears a girdle anymore?

    Now : many old fat people, men and women, who have had abdominal surgery and who are subject to repeated hernia.

    When I was in jr. high school : all the “good girls”, and every female teacher, and most of the women at church.

  130. 130.

    WereBear

    @Joel Hanes: I was a child watching my mother get ready for a party, wrestling into her girdle, when I declared that I was never wearing one of those!

    And I never have. It’s like an Iron Maiden made of rubber.

  132. 132.

    WereBear

    @WaterGirl: Ahhh, just got smacked around on an atheist board today. Did you know it was insulting to assume another human being has one?

    Yeah. I’m astonished as well.

  133. 133.

    Elizabelle

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Righteous rant by rikyrah. And she’s right.

    I hadn’t known that Martha’s Vineyard was a longtime vacay spot for the black mid and upper class. Excellent.

Comments are closed.