• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

We still have time to mess this up!

No one could have predicted…

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

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

Let there be snark.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

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

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

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

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

The willow is too close to the house.

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

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2014 / Are You Crazy, Are You High? Or Just an Ordinary Guy?

Are You Crazy, Are You High? Or Just an Ordinary Guy?

by @heymistermix.com|  September 8, 20149:45 pm| 99 Comments

This post is in: Election 2014

FacebookTweetEmail

andrew_is_scared Following up on John’s post, I thought you might want to see this display of Andrew Cuomo’s fear and loathing, as delivered to my house. Four pieces of direct mail in two weeks, two of which arrived today. Add to that two polls, some robo-calls from Democratic luminaries (like Kirsten Gillibrand) urging me to to vote for Kathy Hochul, and Andrew hiding from view, I think he’s a running scared.

So, New York Democrats, you know what to do. If you want to see Andrew’s worst fears come true, vote for Zephyr Teachout in tomorrow’s primary. Only about 350K Democrats are expected to vote, so your vote counts a hell of a lot more than in the average New York statewide election.

Even if you don’t want to vote for Teachout, if you want to give Mario’s kid some agida, split your ticket tomorrow. Vote for Wu for Lt. Gov. and Cuomo for Governor. Give him a hemorrhoid he won’t forget.

Polls open at noon and close at 9 so you’ll need to plan accordingly.

Update, via commenter BBA: “[V]oting hours for primaries are 6 AM to 9 PM in NYC and its suburbs (Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam) as well as Erie County (Buffalo), noon to 9 PM in the rest of the state”.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « (West of) Boston Area Meet-Up, Next Saturday, Sept. 13
Next Post: Late Night In-It-to-Win-It Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

99Comments

  1. 1.

    cmorenc

    September 8, 2014 at 10:13 pm

    Polls open…at NOON !??

    I think I see part of the problem here already.

  2. 2.

    Elizabelle

    September 8, 2014 at 10:15 pm

    Yeah, noon is interesting.

    How’s NY State on early voting? Are they stringent about who qualifies to vote absentee?

  3. 3.

    ? Martin

    September 8, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    Reminder to California residents: new law goes into effect next week requiring a minimum of 3 feet distance when passing cyclists.

  4. 4.

    Jerzy Russian

    September 8, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    You have a double “to” in there, as in

    “Add to that two polls, some robo-calls from Democratic luminaries (like Kirsten Gillibrand) urging me to to vote for Kathy Hochul,”

    I think Zephyr Teachout has the coolest name ever. I hope she wins.

  5. 5.

    Helen

    September 8, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    @Elizabelle: The info I got from the NYS Board of Elections says that NYC and 6 of the largest counties open the polls at 6am. Those are the most densely populated counties. I guess just for the primary the less populated counties open at noon.

    ETA – and there’ no early voting in NY. Don’t know about absentee.

  6. 6.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    There is something about that shot of Cuomo, where I guess he is smiling but it looks like he is pain, Maybe passing a kidney stone? Someone poking him in the rear?

    Anyway, reminded me somehow of this I saw on TPB blog today.

    Outgoing Politico Editor Never Fit In: ‘He’s Old School, We’re New School’
    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rick-berke-politico-old-school

    People at political think they are ‘New School’? Really. (Edit: I meant, ‘Really? WTF?’, just to be very clear)

  7. 7.

    BBA

    September 8, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    From NYS election law, section 8-100.2, voting hours for primaries are 6 AM to 9 PM in NYC and its suburbs (Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam) as well as Erie County (Buffalo), noon to 9 PM in the rest of the state. General elections are always 6 AM to 9 PM statewide. Odd, that.

  8. 8.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    @? Martin: You are just getting that? Wisconsin has had it since 1973.

    ETA: I learned to drive with the rule in place; the one I have been working on adopting since I started cycling is the Dutch practice of reaching to open the drivers door with the right hand. It causes you to rotate your body and makes it less likely that you will door some poor bastard on a bike,

  9. 9.

    PsiFighter37

    September 8, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    Dude, there is no fucking way polls open at noon in NY. IIRC, they open at 6 AM on days where there’s an election (at least in NYC).

    I have to move tomorrow, but I may go and cast my vote before the movers come (as opposed for after).

  10. 10.

    piratedan

    September 8, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    why not vote for who you want, it’s a primary after all. have a good day those that are exercising their civic duty and participating in our electoral process.

    can’t wait for the election to be here so I can stop being harassed via e-mail by whomever has set up the Dem strategy of reminding and touching base every 30 minutes. Not a great idea guys.

  11. 11.

    elftx

    September 8, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    So I had to go listen to it but realized he may need to “shake it” as those winds are a’comin

  12. 12.

    Mike Jones

    September 8, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    I’ve gotten robocalls supporting Hochul from Hillary Clinton. Disappointing. I’m particularly disappointed in Gillibrand; I think actually endorsing Teachout/Wu would be asking too much, but I’d have hoped she’d sit it out at least.

  13. 13.

    Another Holocene Human (now with new computer)

    September 8, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    @Helen: I think it’s absentee with a proven reason, you know, old school absentee.

    Blanket absentee makes it easy for the bourgeois class to double vote or vote where they don’t actually reside, which is something they do and justify with reference to antique European voting by top property owner only systems. Or because their life is so complicated or some crap.

    Poor people who move all the time get forced to file provisional ballots which don’t get counted because peasants.

  14. 14.

    Another Holocene Human (now with new computer)

    September 8, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Florida got it a few years ago but it’s not enforced.

  15. 15.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    @Another Holocene Human (now with new computer):

    Blanket absentee makes it easy for the bourgeois class to double vote or vote where they don’t actually reside, which is something they do and justify with reference to antique European voting by top property owner only systems. Or because their life is so complicated or some crap.

    Bullshit. Blanket absentee makes it easy for anyone to vote. Despite the fact the Wisconsin has limited its in person absentee rules, it is still very popular and makes it possible for who might have complicated lives (like someone with kids who has two jobs) to find a time when it is comparatively convenient to vote.

  16. 16.

    Mnemosyne

    September 8, 2014 at 10:53 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):

    Apparently some cities are re-doing their streets so you have the driving lane, the parking lane, and then the bike lane, with the bike lane closest to the curb. Here’s Cincinnati’s plan (scroll down for diagram). It seems much more sensible than having bike traffic squished between car traffic and parked cars. Plus you reduce the number of potential doorings since every car has a driver but not every car has a passenger.

  17. 17.

    laym AKA albany layman

    September 8, 2014 at 10:57 pm

    @jl: I picture that smile being the prelude to his entire head opening up, like in the Monty Python Terry Gilliam animations, in order to eat people in one gulp.

    Cuomo sucks. Don’t vote for him.

  18. 18.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Not every city or every street can be done that way. That is why I really like the right hand open concept (reverse in RHD countries) even though I only manage to remember to do it about 40% of the time. Habits die hard.

  19. 19.

    Poopyman

    September 8, 2014 at 10:59 pm

    OT, but I wanted to point out the nice Newsmax headline before I trot off to bed:

    Ben Carson on Ray Rice: ‘Let’s Not Demonize This Guy’

    Just throwin’ that out there. You’re welcome.

  20. 20.

    askew

    September 8, 2014 at 11:00 pm

    @cmorenc:

    Yeah, polls open at noon? That is bullshit. How is that happening in the Dem controlled state?

  21. 21.

    Mnemosyne

    September 8, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):

    Something better needs to happen. I’m getting tired of seeing new ghost bikes all the damn time.

  22. 22.

    PurpleGirl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    Polls in NYC open at 6 AM and close at 9 PM. My polling place is a quick 3 minute walk across a play area. I’ll be voting early. Voting for Teachout/Wu. I’ve been getting phones calls for a number of candidates and I’m just tired of the phone calls.

    ETA: If you are not sure of the polling times and your polling place, check on-line with the Bd of Elections.

  23. 23.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    @Poopyman:

    ‘ Ben Carson on Ray Rice: ‘Let’s Not Demonize This Guy’ ‘

    So… losing it for a second and slapping some one is bad. But you beat someone until they don’t move anymore, let’s think about that one carefully for a a while, lest we judge too harshly.

    I’ll look for a Ben Carson Mel Gibson panel on anger management. It will be interesting.

    Edit: actually Carson would probably say just losing control for a sec and slapping somebody is just shit happens, if its the guy. I admit I don’t understand the ‘Carson Scale’ of physical assault very well.

  24. 24.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Each of my two main cycling routes has at least one ghost bike. One of them in a place where it make no sense at all – at the top of a hill on a two mile straight stretch.

  25. 25.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    @jl: The ins-and-outs of whether losing his job or being indefinitely suspended are one thing; judging him a less than good person for what he did is another.

  26. 26.

    Another Holocene Human (now with new computer)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    @Poopyman: He knows who signs his paychecks. Especially if, as I’ve heard, Johns Hopkins cut him loose. Really sad.

    Then again, Jack Kruse is a neurosurgeon, too. That link is a very small taste of the crazy. Very small. His website was a couple of step away from Time Cube.

  27. 27.

    askew

    September 8, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    @? Martin:

    What if the bicyclist is riding in the middle of the lane? That happens in the MN burbs all the time even though we have beautiful bike paths that go unused. We have bikers who bike down the middle of the lane and refuse to move over even though they are blocking the entire road. Then, they blow through stop signs and almost cause accidents. So many asshole bikers in MN.

  28. 28.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:13 pm

    @PsiFighter37: Dude there’s more to NY than just the city (or the island, depending on whom one has to remind).

    Happy moving and nuptials, btw. Very busy time for you.

  29. 29.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:16 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Unless the consequences of Rice’s actions were an unfortunate accident of him briefly losing control, I think he is a bad person, and should get a very severe penalty. Seems like he beat her pretty badly and knew he was doing it, but I admit I do not know for sure.

  30. 30.

    Ernest Pikeman

    September 8, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    @? Martin:

    Reminder to California residents: new law goes into effect next week requiring a minimum of 3 feet distance when passing cyclists.

    Hey, nice, I was just thinking of biking my commute for the first time tomorrow. Not that this makes any difference to the psychos driving around downtown SF. But I do look forward to the street theater of the, err, more excitable San Francisco bike fanatics quoting the letter of the law to some beemer-zoomers.

  31. 31.

    mai naem

    September 8, 2014 at 11:18 pm

    I’m surprised at the number of people on this blog who’ve not heard of Teachout before. She did some pretty important stuff in the Dean campaign. Has Dean endorsed her? I would be pretty disappointed in him if he endorsed Andrew Cuomo over Teachout.

  32. 32.

    askew

    September 8, 2014 at 11:19 pm

    OT – I am seeing so many racist tweets from Obama supporters towards Latinos because they are angry that Obama is delaying immigration executive order. It’s turning my stomach.

  33. 33.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm

    @mai naem: It will be interesting to see what Dean does. I think, like Obama, Dean is not as progressive in some ways that people assume he is. Also, like Obama, Dean was not considered ‘in the club’, partly because like Obama, he was not a complete sell out hack, so people, especially corporate media, wanted him down and out and eager to help make that happen. That is setting aside the race angle of course.

  34. 34.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm

    @askew: And what about the asshole drivers who bring their right mirror right ott my left hip and then honk their horn? The cyclists do have the same right to use the road as cars. Moving over is a matter of politeness.

    @jl: I thought it was rather clear that I felt the same.

  35. 35.

    askew

    September 8, 2014 at 11:23 pm

    @mai naem:

    Teachout seemed to have burned some bridges post-Dean. kos is not endorsing her because of some bad blood between the two even though Daily Kos endorsed Wu. Don’t know if she burned bridges with Dean or not.

  36. 36.

    Ben

    September 8, 2014 at 11:24 pm

    @jl:
    Yeah, Dean had A+ ratings from the NRA, and lobbies for the health care industry. Had he won, we’d be seeing the same complaints from the Purity Brigades…

  37. 37.

    askew

    September 8, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):

    You don’t have the right to ride down the middle of the road and shut it down because you are a selfish asshole. Nor do you have the right to blow through stop signs and ignore other traffic laws because they are inconvenient for you. I almost got in a car accident with kids in the backseat due to a biker ignoring traffic laws so I am a little sick of the BS peddled by bikers that they are always in the right.

  38. 38.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:27 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): OK. I thought probably so. Cole hasn’t banned me yet, so was just putting in my two cents. Sorry if it sounded like i was all up in your grill.

  39. 39.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    @jl: Dean was a smart, personable, centrist Democrat who was against the Iraq War. As far as being as in the club, he is a distant cousin of GWB and a Yale fraternity member. He isn’t an outsider.

  40. 40.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    @jl: It’s cool. As we all know, tone is sometimes hard to determine on the ‘net.

  41. 41.

    Kay

    September 8, 2014 at 11:38 pm

    This is a review of Teachout’s book.

    In Corruption in America, an eloquent, revealing, and sometimes surprising historical inquiry, Teachout convincingly argues that corruption, broadly understood as placing private interests over the public good in public office, is at the root of what ails American democracy.
    As Teachout makes clear, the framers themselves predicted that corruption would be a constant threat. George Mason, for example, warned that “if we do not provide against corruption, our government will soon be at an end.” It was a preoccupation of the founding debates. In James Madison’s notebook from the summer of 1787, “corruption” appears fifty-four times. As Teachout puts it, “corruption, influence, and bribery were discussed more often in the convention than factions, violence, or instability.”
    By corruption, the founding era did not mean simply the explicit exchange of cash for a vote, what the Supreme Court in its campaign finance decisions has come to call “quid pro quo corruption.” Teachout notes that the word “corruption” came up hundreds of times in the Constitutional Convention and the ratification debates, yet “only a handful of uses referred to what we might now think of as quid pro quo bribes,” constituting “less than one-half of 1 percent of the times corruption was raised.”

    We could hold them to a higher standard than the statutory definition of “corrupt” when we choose to elect them, and we could do it without passing any laws :)

  42. 42.

    jl

    September 8, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): But unless you are an insider it is not for you to say who is in and who is out. And, among the powerful people ‘in the club’, any deviation from groupthink on any important topic is betrayal enough for banishment.

    So,you have some points, but I think Dean’s dissent from Iraq marked him for outcast, even if his views on different topics span a wide spectrum, and he is not the pure progressive some assumed he is or was.

  43. 43.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 8, 2014 at 11:52 pm

    @jl: Like I said, he was a smart, personable, centrist Democrat who was against the Iraq War. That’s it. Kerry was actually left of him on the vast majority of positions.

  44. 44.

    Culture of Truth

    September 8, 2014 at 11:54 pm

    ‘Let’s Not Demonize This Guy’ ‘ — yeah, it’s not like he got shot by a police officer or something

  45. 45.

    trollhattan

    September 8, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    @? Martin:
    Am not expecting to get any extra breathing room come the morning–the Suburban mirrors will still be trying to decapitate me on the way to work.

    I’d settle for some of these assholes learning what the funny stick on the left side of their steering wheel is for. “Hey, it’s mah bidnez where ah’m turnin’, not yerz!”

  46. 46.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 9, 2014 at 12:00 am

    @trollhattan: I run into more problems on country roads than I do in Madison proper.

  47. 47.

    trollhattan

    September 9, 2014 at 12:02 am

    I brought my plane to Reno, just to crash and die.

    RENO, Nev. — A pilot died in a plane crash Monday while attempting to qualify for the Reno National Championship Air Races, the same event where a wreck in 2011 killed a pilot and 10 spectators on the ground.

    No one else was injured in the crash that occurred about 3:30 p.m. on the north end of the race course at Stead Airport north of Reno, far away from the grandstand where the 10 people were killed three years ago, race spokesman Mike Draper said.

    Qualifying was canceled for the rest of the day and scheduled to resume Tuesday, though that could change, Draper said.

    Draper said he had no details on the crash that involved a plane in the sport class and that authorities were investigating.

    It marks the 21st fatal crash in the 51-year history of the Air Races and the first since Jimmy Leeward, 74, of Ocala, Fla., died on Sept. 16, 2011. That crash was the only one where spectators died.

    http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/08/6690231/pilot-killed-at-air-show-where.html#storylink=cpy

    Mentioned back in ’11 a friend was close enough to the crash to be hit by debris–bruised pretty bad but luckily that was all. The next year one of the race officials intoned, “The crash was a tragedy, but the real tragedy would be to cancel the race.” Their brains are screwed together a little different up there.

  48. 48.

    trollhattan

    September 9, 2014 at 12:05 am

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
    There are a couple counties in my region I simply won’t ride. Too much attitude &/or too many close calls. That and no repaving since 1994.

  49. 49.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 9, 2014 at 12:06 am

    @trollhattan: Les 24 Heures du Mans continued after this.

  50. 50.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:09 am

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): We’ve still got some wild west in us. Lane splitting is legal here. Nothing like having a motorcycle whiz 6″ from your driver mirror going 60MPH faster than you – at night, and you never saw him coming up on you.

  51. 51.

    trollhattan

    September 9, 2014 at 12:11 am

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
    Yup, the German love for (small bits of) France can’t be denied. Ironic it was a gullwing.

  52. 52.

    Alison

    September 9, 2014 at 12:12 am

    @? Martin: Wait, really? And what if doing so means crossing the double yellow line into oncoming traffic? We’re just supposed to chill behind the bicyclist until one of us turns?

  53. 53.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:13 am

    @trollhattan: My mom had tickets in the section where the crash happened in 2011. She and her husband were out seeing another sight that day. They would have certainly been killed had they been there.

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): But that crash changed motor racing completely – not just endurance racing, but everywhere. They created an isolated pit lane and introduced a massive number of rule and safety changes in almost every segment of racing. Thankfully an event like that can’t even be conceived of today.

  54. 54.

    trollhattan

    September 9, 2014 at 12:14 am

    @Alison:
    An arterial with a double-yellow line should have enough room, per code, to still be legal (not that everybody follows code).

  55. 55.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 9, 2014 at 12:16 am

    @? Martin: I don’t disagree with you. OTOH, I was responding to a specific comment.

  56. 56.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:19 am

    @Alison:

    The version that will take effect does not allow drivers to cross a double-yellow line to pass. If they can’t abide by the new 3-foot rule, they must slow to “a safe and reasonable speed” when passing. Vetoed versions of the bill allowed drivers to cross double-yellow lines to pass bikes at a safe difference.

    California will be the 23rd state to enact the 3-foot rule.

    So, we’re not early, but we are above average.

    ???

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 9, 2014 at 12:22 am

    @Alison: Yes, I have an equal right to the road on my bicycle as I do in my car. I love riding one, and I love driving the other.

  58. 58.

    trollhattan

    September 9, 2014 at 12:23 am

    @? Martin:
    Wow, what a relief.

    IIRC the plane hit the VIP seating area on field level. My friend and his buddies had passes for there but stayed in the stands instead, not knowing they made the best decision of their lives. The amount of gore was unfathomable and it was fortunate that many badly injured folks were saved–the EMTs were very prompt.

  59. 59.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    September 9, 2014 at 12:26 am

    OT: I just saw a TV ad that had a song with lyrics saying “I am looking for someone other than my wife” and then giving a website. At least, it is honest.

  60. 60.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:28 am

    @trollhattan: The codes have changed, and have exceptions granted by CalTrans. Older roads don’t have those clearances. Consider Trabuco Canyon road. The trees overhang the road that there are places that a cyclist can’t be right on the shoulder (along with the occasional drain). The road is narrower than current code (excluding the current requirements for bike lanes and buffers) – only 10′ in places, so some cars couldn’t stay inside the double yellow and still allow for 3′ to the cyclist.

  61. 61.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:34 am

    nobody is pure. nobody is righteous. I’m okay with that.

  62. 62.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:36 am

    @trollhattan: Yeah, she called as soon as she heard where the crash was and was really shaken. They were at the show alone and didn’t know anyone else in that seating area other than who they chatted with the day before.

    That left me a bit rattled as well. She sent me the photo of the plane just before it hit with her seat circled. They almost certainly would not have survived. They’d never been to Reno before and took half a day off to go check out some other stuff. They chose wisely. They’re not going back, though they have gone to see a few Red Bull races since then.

  63. 63.

    cckids

    September 9, 2014 at 12:36 am

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):

    OT: I just saw a TV ad that had a song with lyrics saying “I am looking for someone other than my wife” and then giving a website. At least, it is honest.

    Here in Vegas (around the airport) there are billboards advertising some service that will create a paper trail for you to cheat on your spouse (receipts, etc) so that you can make it look like a business trip. Oy.

  64. 64.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:37 am

    for some reason, this really works right now:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4wcNVbYOQ

  65. 65.

    ? Martin

    September 9, 2014 at 12:38 am

    @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Ashley Madison? Their whole business model is sneaking out on your spouse. Their slogan is “Life is short. Have an affair.”

  66. 66.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:39 am

    the right gets awfully cynical, sometimes, but the left gets awfully precious. maybe we need to just back off sometimes with the pearl clutching. it ain’t that good a world. deal.

  67. 67.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    September 9, 2014 at 12:44 am

    @Mnemosyne: In the past week, most recently tonight, I’ve almost been hit by a car while on my walk. It seems that drivers in Glendale don’t stop at stop signs, they slow but don’t STOP. I don’t have much hope that the new law regarding bicycles will have much of an effect.

  68. 68.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:48 am

    just ask omnes. my music alone. which, by the way:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyAZQ45uww

  69. 69.

    Mnemosyne

    September 9, 2014 at 12:49 am

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    I can’t find the statistic, but at one point I was told that Glendale had the highest pedestrian death rate in the entire state. Part of that is stubborn old people insisting on jaywalking across 4 lanes of traffic, but there’s also that huge segment of bad drivers in expensive cars they can’t control. (Is it a stereotype if I’m talking about my fellow Europeans?)

    ETA: Weirdly, I have very few problems on my bike in GDL. I’ve run into far more asshole drivers in Pasadena and Burbank.

  70. 70.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:57 am

    seriously? no omnes. nancy sinatra, and no omnes?

  71. 71.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 12:58 am

    moody blues?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9muzyOd4Lh8&list=RDN-aK6JnyFmk&index=6

  72. 72.

    Alison

    September 9, 2014 at 1:03 am

    @? Martin: Okay, I guess that sounds doable. I know people love to hate on car drivers, but plenty of bike riders are assholes too, and I’ve had a few pretend that there’s no bike lane and ride along the edge of the driving lane. Frustrating.

  73. 73.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:09 am

    @Alison: they are annoying, sometimes.

  74. 74.

    A Humble Lurker

    September 9, 2014 at 1:11 am

    @Little Boots: it ain’t that good a world. deal.

  75. 75.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:12 am

    @A Humble Lurker:

    exactly.

  76. 76.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:14 am

    needs more omnes.

  77. 77.

    Richard Shindledecker

    September 9, 2014 at 1:18 am

    I am so going to enjoy this vote!!!!!

  78. 78.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:22 am

    @Richard Shindledecker:

    it will be interesting.

  79. 79.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:22 am

    @Little Boots:

    Written by Joe South, who also did this, which is hitting me tonight. Two weeks in Vegas with another week to go.

  80. 80.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:24 am

    as long as steeplejack is back, all is well.

  81. 81.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:29 am

    seriously, my one comment about cuomo is awaiting moderation? that’s the comment.

    johnny.

  82. 82.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:31 am

    @Little Boots:

    Aw, shucks.

    Joe South is a favorite of mine. Wrote a lot of songs for a lot of people. Billy Joe Royal, “Down in the Boondocks.”

  83. 83.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:35 am

    A song from around the same time: the Bobby Fuller Four, “I Fought the Law.” Bonus—go-go dancers!

    Trigger warning: potentially unsafe gun practices depicted in video.

  84. 84.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:37 am

    @Steeplejack:

    FYWP! Moderation for no good reason.

    The Bobby Fuller Four, “I Fought the Law.”

  85. 85.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:38 am

    @Steeplejack:

    Test: Apparently FYWP just doesn’t like the YouTube URL.

  86. 86.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 1:39 am

    Wait a minute? Does FYWP not like me?!

  87. 87.

    Little Boots

    September 9, 2014 at 1:39 am

    oh, don’t you aw shucks me, and also, still moderated?

    what did I ever do?

  88. 88.

    Another Holocene Human (now with new computer)

    September 9, 2014 at 1:43 am

    @jl: To be fair to Rice, that could just be the person he’s become after being bashed in the head and suffering brain injuries.

    Violence and traumatic head injuries seem to go together.

  89. 89.

    Another Holocene Human (now with new computer)

    September 9, 2014 at 1:45 am

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Isn’t that the definition of the “California stop”?

  90. 90.

    Violet

    September 9, 2014 at 1:47 am

    @Alison: I bike commuted for years and hate asshole bike riders as much as anyone. They make life more difficult for all cyclists. The other day I had a geen light on a local road by my house and this cyclist just blew through a red light–not a stop sign but a red light–right in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes in the middle of the intersection to avoid hitting him. And I was the one with the green light! Asshole.

    As for bike lanes, I guess it depends where you live but a lot of the ones near me are worse than useless. They’re right by the curb and collect all the road debris so unless you’ve got extra sturdy tires you’ll get a flat way more often than in the road. And that’s just the small stuff. Big crap collects there too, and you end up having to dodge it. It’s mostly not worth it. There are a few roads with good bike lanes but mostly I take back roads instead.

  91. 91.

    Violet

    September 9, 2014 at 1:51 am

    Gah. Stupid moderation. I guess I used some forbidden words. See if this works:
    @Alison: I bike commuted for years and hate asshat bike riders as much as anyone. They make life more difficult for all cyclists. The other day I had a geen light on a local road by my house and this cyclist just blew through a red light–not a stop sign but a red light–right in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes in the middle of the intersection to avoid hitting him. And I was the one with the green light! Jerk.

    As for bike lanes, I guess it depends where you live but a lot of the ones near me are worse than useless. They’re right by the curb and collect all the road debris so unless you’ve got extra sturdy tires you’ll get a flat way more often than in the road. And that’s just the small stuff. Big crap collects there too, and you end up having to dodge it. It’s mostly not worth it. There are a few roads with good bike lanes but mostly I take back roads instead.

  92. 92.

    Violet

    September 9, 2014 at 1:54 am

    This is funny. Still in moderation. Trying again.
    @Alison: I bike commuted for years and hate a$$hat bike riders as much as anyone. They make life more difficult for all cyclists. The other day I had a geen light on a local road by my house and this cyclist just blew through a red light–not a stop sign but a red light–right in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes in the middle of the intersection to avoid hitting him. And I was the one with the green light! Jerk.

    As for bike lanes, I guess it depends where you live but a lot of the ones near me are worse than useless. They’re right by the curb and collect all the road debris so unless you’ve got extra sturdy tires you’ll get a flat way more often than in the road. And that’s just the small stuff. Big stuff collects there too, and you end up having to dodge it. It’s mostly not worth it. There are a few roads with good bike lanes but mostly I take back roads instead.

  93. 93.

    Steeplejack

    September 9, 2014 at 2:11 am

    @Violet:

    I think everyone was getting moderated for a while.

  94. 94.

    Fred Fnord

    September 9, 2014 at 2:13 am

    @askew: Depending on what state you’re in, cyclists may indeed have the right to take up an entire lane if they feel it necessary. (Most states, IIRC, in fact.)

    It is certainly your prerogative to decide that they are Bad People™ for doing so, though. And, if history is any guide, should you feel the urge to run one over a couple times, you won’t be punished in any way. Because people who ride bikes aren’t important.

  95. 95.

    Violet

    September 9, 2014 at 2:14 am

    @Steeplejack: Guess so. I was working on removing potential offending words. Just guessing as to what the problem was. Whoever is in charge can delete two of my three similar posts. The second two were just trying to get past the mod filter.

  96. 96.

    Fred Fnord

    September 9, 2014 at 2:15 am

    @Ben: Or, to put it another way, some of us would be unhappy with some of his stances, and some of you would hate us beyond all rationality for such treason. So it goes.

  97. 97.

    tbhidk

    September 9, 2014 at 8:51 am

    @Alison:

    I work in a major city, and am a public transportation/pedestrian gal for most of my day. Pedestrians and drivers are sworn enemies, but the one thing we can all agree on is that bikers are assholes. They think they’re some kind of pedestrian/automobile hybrid and blow through stoplights, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings with impunity. Oh, and to you “I have just as much right to the roads as you do” folks — No, you don’t. I pay money to register my vehicle to use those roads every year. Until you do the same, you’re second class citizens. Deal with it.

  98. 98.

    Mnemosyne

    September 9, 2014 at 10:55 am

    @tbhidk:

    I pay money to register my vehicle to use those roads every year. Until you do the same, you’re second class citizens.

    Uh, very few cyclists only have a bicycle. I pay to register my car, too, even though I use the roads less than you do. So what’s your excuse now for deciding I have to be a “second-class citizen” if I choose to ride my bike instead of driving my car?

    Don’t get me wrong, I agree that there are asshole cyclists out there, but do they really outnumber the asshole drivers who are texting, putting on makeup, blowing through stopsigns, following too closely, etc. etc. etc?

  99. 99.

    Mnemosyne

    September 9, 2014 at 11:03 am

    Interesting survey here in California: everyone wants more separated bike lanes, including drivers. So which is it, drivers: continue treating cyclists as “second-class citizens” who have to ride in the same lane you do, or spend a little money on separated bike lanes that will make everyone happy, including drivers?

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - BarcaChicago  - Off the Gunflint Trail/Boundary Waters 8
Image by BarcaChicago (7/11/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • chemiclord on Saturday Morning Klown Show Open Thread: GOP Falling Into the Pit They Have Dug (Jul 12, 2025 @ 9:57am)
  • New Deal democrat on The Ongoing Texas Tragedies (Jul 12, 2025 @ 9:53am)
  • JetsamPool on Saturday Morning Klown Show Open Thread: GOP Falling Into the Pit They Have Dug (Jul 12, 2025 @ 9:53am)
  • Geminid on Saturday Morning Klown Show Open Thread: GOP Falling Into the Pit They Have Dug (Jul 12, 2025 @ 9:52am)
  • Chris T. on Friday Night Open Thread (Jul 12, 2025 @ 9:48am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!