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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  September 30, 20144:20 pm| 62 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Got back from the doctor and the diagnosis is an inner ear and outer ear infection and a throat infection. I also was told I am a jackass for waiting so long and given drops and cipro.

While I was at the grocery, someone scraped my car and just left w/o telling me and there are no cameras at the store.

All that is left to make today perfect is for the Pirates to lose.

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Previous Post: « Empricism, another victim of gun culture
Next Post: Better get your ebola shots »

Reader Interactions

62Comments

  1. 1.

    PopeRatzy

    September 30, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    How about you just wait until tomorrow for the Pirates to lose?

  2. 2.

    Dave L

    September 30, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    Well, I can put your mind at ease on THAT score, at least…Pirates don’t play until tomorrow.

    And Volquez has been close to unhittable the last two months. Relax, we’ll lose to Washington instead.

  3. 3.

    currants

    September 30, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    Good for you, getting to the doctor!

  4. 4.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 30, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    I have a huge dent in my passenger door, courtesy of some similar parking lot bang and run. It’s annoying. Too bad antibiotics won’t fix cars.

    I cast an early ballot today. It was lunch time and 4 or 5 other people were there to vote at the same time, which is the most I’ve ever seen at early voting. They were all middle-aged or older women.

  5. 5.

    Mike J

    September 30, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Cameras in parking lots are signs of the police state until my car gets scratched.

  6. 6.

    slag

    September 30, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Listening to the WH BRAIN Conference: whitehouse.gov/live/white-house-brain-conference and wondering if anyone is really taking note of whether or not this WH is changing the federal government’s relationship with science and technology on a fundamental level.

    I’m thinking about how they keep talking about this initiative as a “new model” for gov’t in science. Taking that in conjunction with Code for America: codeforamerica.org/ and how healthcare.gov was recovered, I get the feeling that some deep stuff is happening that few are paying attention to.

    Anyone-?

  7. 7.

    WereBear

    September 30, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    I also was told I am a jackass for waiting so long and given drops and cipro.

    Let me guess… you’re a guy!

    Feel better soon. :)

  8. 8.

    WereBear

    September 30, 2014 at 4:28 pm

    @slag: wondering if anyone is really taking note of whether or not this WH is changing the federal government’s relationship with science and technology on a fundamental level.

    Shhhh. We don’t want the wingnuts to know.

  9. 9.

    Another Holocene Human

    September 30, 2014 at 4:28 pm

    @slag: Obama admin has changed a lot of things in positive ways but don’t tell any lefties that.

    I don’t really get why people who engage in single issue lobbying and direct action all the time get so pissy when politics is only capable of accomplishing what politics is capable of accomplishing. I mean, DUH, that is why you engage in direct action! If politics could do it all we wouldn’t need to do community organizing. DUH SAUCE. Ding ding, clue train entering the station, please step back.

  10. 10.

    Violet

    September 30, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    Well that sucks. I hope the medication works and you feel better soon. Sorry about the car.

  11. 11.

    Another Holocene Human

    September 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady: Hah, I have a dent in my car caused by a coworker who was such a little shit, he got another coworker to lie and say HE did it and then beg for mercy not to report it.

    Thankfully they don’t salt the roads here and it’s not rusting out or anything but …

  12. 12.

    flukebucket

    September 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Somebody please assure me that what the Oklahoma Federal judge thinks about Obamacare makes no difference.

    The last I heard I thought it was going to be heard “en banc” or something.

    Is Obamacare here to stay or are we going to have to go through this courtroom drama for many more years to come?

  13. 13.

    Another Holocene Human

    September 30, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    Re: dipshit ACA subsidy ruling, if intent doesn’t matter in lawmaking, we’re really fucked.

  14. 14.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 30, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    @Another Holocene Human: Mine is rusting. I couldn’t believe it.

  15. 15.

    Belafon

    September 30, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    I got an ear infection about a year ago. I take really good care of my hearing, but that ear infection cost me some of my higher range hearing. It’s really annoying, I have to ask people to repeat things I used to could hear without any trouble.

  16. 16.

    Trollhattan

    September 30, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    Not the new Subi. You’re clearly not meant to have nice things.

  17. 17.

    aimai

    September 30, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    The best way to think about it is to remember that you have taken an important step in getting better. At a certain point “toughing it out” is a total waste of time. No one is giving any prizes for the “guy who refused to see a doctor because it seemed kinda wussy.” Take the meds, drink lots of fluids, make yourself tons of hot ginger/red pepper/lemon/honey tea and rest up. You really have to take care of yourself.

  18. 18.

    aimai

    September 30, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    @flukebucket: Different case. That was the DC circuit which heard that circuit case and overruled it.

  19. 19.

    Belafon

    September 30, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    @flukebucket: Yeah, I love the fact that he referred to a ruling that has been vacated by the issuing court.

  20. 20.

    The Dangerman

    September 30, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    I’m 100% sure the Pirates will not lose today.

  21. 21.

    Uncle Cosmo

    September 30, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    Hey Cole, I’m rooting for the Parts, as my WV kin call them. Ran into a website t’other day that ranked all possible WS (by subjective if not suspect criteria) & their #1 matchup was Parts-O’s (hon), mostly for history’s sake. We in Birdland are sill pissed at Willie Stargell for 1979, & we’d still be pissed at Clemente for 1971 if he hadn’t been kilt in that plane crash…

    Also I have a photo of my dad ca. 1939 jogging in from the infield in a Pirates uniform–he played SS for the Grant Town (WV) Pirates semipro team that went to Battle Creek MI in 1939 & 1940 as one of 14 teams in a national championship. It seems the team’s equipment manager (which FTR was sponsored by the local coal mine & is indirectly responsible for my being a Marylander instead of a Moutaineer) knew someone in the major league club’s front office & whenever the big club sprung for new uniforms, he’d drive the 80 miles to Forbes Field & buy the old ones for the team. So it wasn’t a (then-)current Parts uniform but so what.

  22. 22.

    Tree With Water

    September 30, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    If you had enlisted in the navy instead of the army, Cole, your ship would have sank. It’s an absolute miracle that you lived to make it out of a war zone.

  23. 23.

    slag

    September 30, 2014 at 4:42 pm

    @Another Holocene Human: Part of the challenge is that it’s hard to tell how meaningful these innovations actually are. They sound cool, but I don’t have good insight into all of the levels (organizational, technological, etc) they reach, so it’s hard to tell how cool.

  24. 24.

    Emma

    September 30, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    I got my tochis handed to me by my doctor too. She was livid I had waited a full week before going to see her. Considering my history of sinus and inner ear infections, I wasn’t surprised.

  25. 25.

    jl

    September 30, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    Sorry Cole is having a bad time. I thought he posted once that any day he did not fall down and hurt himself was a good day, so there is that. Though I hope I did not jinx things.

    Hope Cole feels better soon, and that bounder who scraped his care is apprehended and brought to justice by officers of the law.

    Or the Pirates lose and Cole’s day is ‘perfect’. Whatever works best, is OK with me.

  26. 26.

    burnspbesq

    September 30, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    @flukebucket:

    We have appellate courts for a reason.

  27. 27.

    PhoenixRising

    September 30, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    I suggest soothing your irritated membranes by starting a flame war on Twitter….oops, too late! Enjoy yourself!

  28. 28.

    Trollhattan

    September 30, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    It’s Jerry’s Big Bill-Signing/Not-Signing Day. IIRC if he doesn’t sign it’s a pocket veto, but didn’t grow up here so don’t have that detail burned into the young lobe of my crunchy brain.

    Anyhoo, on gunz.

    Gov. Jerry Brown took mixed action on several gun control bills Tuesday, approving a measure allowing temporary restraining orders to block gun use but vetoing legislation that would have required Californians to register home-made guns.

    Assembly Bill 1014, by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, was the Legislature’s central response to the lethal shooting in May near the University of California, Santa Barbara. It will allow family members of someone who is displaying signs of mental instability to request a court order temporarily barring gun use and purchase.

    Families of people killed in Isla Vista had lobbied for the bill at the Capitol.

    Brown also signed Senate Bill 199, by Sen. Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, which will require toy guns to be brightly colored. Proponents cited incidents in which police officers have shot young Californians wielding realistic-looking toy guns.

    You won’t be shocked to learn that certain gun-humpers opposed the make-toy-gunz-colorful bill. Because the next obvious step: Bushmasters only in pink .

    More bills here:
    sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/##storylink=cpy

  29. 29.

    jl

    September 30, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    @PhoenixRising:

    Because of your comment I checked out the BJ blogboss’ twitter twits. I have no clue what that is about. But I saw this:

    “Also, fuck all of you.”

    I see, so only Cole’s twitter audience rates that kind of insult now. Not the blog audience.

    Hey Cole, what happened to the love, huh?

  30. 30.

    JPL

    September 30, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    If you were at a Walmart, you’d be blamed for having your car scratched.

  31. 31.

    Mj_Oregon

    September 30, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    Time to pop some popcorn and sit back and watch the craziness take over – first diagnosed case of Ebola in the US is in a Texas hospital. Let the games begin!

  32. 32.

    JPL

    September 30, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    @Trollhattan: It makes sense that toy guns are brightly colored and it’s surprising to me that someone would complain. .

  33. 33.

    ThresherK

    September 30, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    @Uncle Cosmo: The last remaining Expos fan in CT rues 1979 also, especially having a pitching staff cram what seemed llike 45 games into the month of September due to rainouts.

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne

    September 30, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    We are officially committed to moving, which means we’re both hyperventilating. God, moving sucks. I always mean to take Dave Barry’s advice to just set all of our belongings on fire and walk away, but there are air quality ordinances around here.

  35. 35.

    Lit3Bolt

    September 30, 2014 at 5:05 pm

    Somehow, I’m sure the Steelers will lose again today as well. You lose multiple times when beaten by the Bucs.

  36. 36.

    JustRuss

    September 30, 2014 at 5:08 pm

    Blew out my ACL 30 years ago, two weeks ago it decided to go out again and have been hobbling ever since. Seeing a phys therapist next week. And of course, everything is hitting the fan at work. Good times.

  37. 37.

    Belafon

    September 30, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    @Mj_Oregon: I went off on someone on Facebook who blamed Obama’s immigration policies for ebola being here.

  38. 38.

    RaflW

    September 30, 2014 at 5:13 pm

    All that is left to make today perfect is for the Pirates to lose.

    At least you didn’t go to the doctor in Dallas.

  39. 39.

    Violet

    September 30, 2014 at 5:14 pm

    @Mj_Oregon: Is it actually confirmed that it’s Ebola? Heard they were speculating on it but wasn’t confirmed.

    Edit: I see it’s confirmed now.

  40. 40.

    Lavocat

    September 30, 2014 at 5:14 pm

    Damn, how you make me laugh, Cole!

    I flashed on Lloyd Bridges a la “Airplane” and realized you probably picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue.

  41. 41.

    PJ

    September 30, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    This one is for the Bobs – Russia claims that the Hong Kong protests are a put up job, just like the ones in Ukraine:nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/hong-kong-protests-are-a-us-plot-says-russia.html nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/hong-kong-protests-are-a-us-plot-says-russia.html

  42. 42.

    NotMax

    September 30, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    As the garage at mom’s place is (a) tiny – only has ten parking slots, (b) horribly designed and (c) one side of her designated space is a cinder block wall, asked the super if it was all right to put up some carpet on the wall so she wouldn’t ding the driver’s door of her new car.

    Got the okay, went out while I was there to get some el cheapo but not ugly carpet mats (white, package containing 2 for less than four bucks at Home Depot) and some ultra-heavy duty adhesive. Should anyone in the future ever want to remove the carpet mats now stuck onto the wall, they’ll need a blowtorch to do so.

  43. 43.

    burnspbesq

    September 30, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    @PJ:

    I’d like to send BiP on a mission to explain to Shaktar Donetsk fans that it’s all for the best that their home stadium was shelled by the separatists and the club is playing its “home” matches in a stadium that’s closer to Berlin than it is to Donetsk.

  44. 44.

    Josie

    September 30, 2014 at 5:26 pm

    @Mnemosyne: I am currently packing up my belongings in preparation for a move. I am about 3/4 of the way finished. Your bonfire idea is sounding pretty good at this point.

  45. 45.

    ThresherK

    September 30, 2014 at 5:28 pm

    @Mnemosyne: We are approaching the same status. But we are two packratish types in ahouse with 16 yrs of entropy at play. In very few circumstabces would I be the decluttery one. The recycling barrel has a weight limit of 200lbs, and it was severely tested.

    Keep us updated.

  46. 46.

    Trollhattan

    September 30, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    @JPL:
    They very literally can’t stop themselves. Suspect it’s in their DNA.

  47. 47.

    Bill Arnold

    September 30, 2014 at 5:48 pm

    @Trollhattan:

    certain gun-humpers opposed the make-toy-gunz-colorful bill.

    In the future there will be gun-fetishist augmented reality apps available for smart eyewear, that make anything long and hard look like a gun.
    (pun intended, maybe.)

  48. 48.

    delk

    September 30, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    On the brighter side, with the Cipro you are covered if there is an anthrax outbreak.

  49. 49.

    JR in WV

    September 30, 2014 at 6:05 pm

    @JPL:

    But see, some REAL guns intended for young women are already colored brightly – Pink to match their Coach clutch bag.

    Wife has a blued steel Rossi .38 special. NOT pink. Thankuverymuch.

  50. 50.

    Roger Moore

    September 30, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    @JPL:

    It makes sense that toy guns are brightly colored and it’s surprising to me that someone would complain.

    Gun lovers want toy guns to be as close to the real thing as possible because it enhances their fantasy life. Realistic toys let you get deeper into the fantasy that you’re shooting the real thing.

  51. 51.

    Another Holocene Human

    September 30, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    @slag: staffing the NLRB is pretty fucking meaningful and easy to understand

    yet the “alternative” news sources lefties depend on failed to really tell anybody about it, I’d say NPR did the most coverage from what I saw, I guess because lefties are all about heightening contradictions and actually being able to fight ULP battles with corporate scum isn’t useful to the party cause

  52. 52.

    Manyakitty

    September 30, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    Went to the doctor myself today. Got another antibiotic since the first one didn’t work, and now it seems I have bronchitis. Gah.

  53. 53.

    Mnemosyne

    September 30, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    @delk:

    Or if Steve bites him. When my brother’s cat bit me, they gave me a quadruple antibiotic that included Cipro (in the pre-9/11 days). Because cat bites are nasty and get infected easily.

  54. 54.

    Lymie

    September 30, 2014 at 7:18 pm

    Turning into a wrinkly party around here – sharing our ailments. Next topic – who died recently, discuss.

  55. 55.

    Mnemosyne

    September 30, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    @Lymie:

    Yeah, that may not go well. We’ve had a couple of suicides and deaths-by-overdose (aka accidental suicides) around here lately.

  56. 56.

    Howard Beale IV

    September 30, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    Former Senator Larry “Wide Stance” Craig ordered to pay $242,000 in improperly used campaign funds to cover legal expenses.

  57. 57.

    Sonora

    September 30, 2014 at 8:35 pm

    Sounds awful, Cole. Eat lots of yogurt. Cipro will do away with your good gut bacteria as well as the bad ear infection.

  58. 58.

    Gvg

    September 30, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    My year old minivan has scrapes on top of the front hood. Like someone set a large box on top of it then dragged it down the car. I am not certain when it happened because I don’t inspect the top of the hood every time I drive and I just cannot figure out exactly what someone did to result in so many scuff marks. I also don’t know if modern finishes can be buffed out. I think everything is clear coat now?

  59. 59.

    Diana

    September 30, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    yes, but your pets are all fine.

  60. 60.

    billb

    September 30, 2014 at 11:43 pm

    Cole = Ebola – runaway runaway

  61. 61.

    SWMBO

    October 1, 2014 at 1:37 am

    Read the directions and info sheet. Ask your doctor or pharmacist. Find out if there’s things you are/aren’t supposed to do. (Tetracycline and birth control could get you pregnant for instance). I was given an antibiotic recently and before he gave it to me, my doc said to take a probiotic two hours before/after taking it because you don’t want the probiotic to use up all the antibiotic. It keeps the gut from getting out of whack. There are other things I was taking that are contraindicated at the same time as the antibiotic. (I couldn’t take magnesium or potassium within two hours either.)

  62. 62.

    poptartacus

    October 1, 2014 at 4:09 am

    Oh Lord Jesus,Baby Jesus, and God, and the creepster. Let the pirates lose
    amen

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