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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Mid-Afternoon Open Thread

Mid-Afternoon Open Thread

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Steve woke me up at 5:30 again this morning, and it is snowing and blustery outside, so I am about to take a long afternoon nap. One of my fraternity boys (Christion- Rosie’s favorite) has been staying here since Friday (he had no ride home until tonight), and he has been crashing on the couch for the last couple of days, and man does he make me jealous. Not only is he able to sleep through Steve, but he can sleep through anything. The boy can nap, too. He can go from being wide awake to sleeping soundly in about the time it takes him to put his head on a pillow. I had forgotten what that was like- just having two speeds, on and off. I used to be like that when I was in the younger and in the army- I could sleep anywhere anytime. Easy as flipping a switch, and I had no idea what a luxury it was. Jealous, I say. That whole spiel about youth being wasted on the young, etc.

Almost had another stereotypical Cole disaster today. My general store makes a special sandwich and lunch that differs every day, and today was chili. I really like their chili, so I went to the store and got a styrofoam container for lunch. Walking home, I slipped a little bit on the slush, and because I am so conscious about injuring my shoulders again in another fall, I always tuck my arms in and clench my fists so if I do fall, I’ll just fall and let my padded body absorb the blow.

At any rate, I regained my footing and didn’t fall (YAY ME!), but I did manage to clench my fists so hard that I punctured the styrofoam container in my right hand and shot molten hot chili all over myself. Damnit.

Here’s Lily, snoring on the home office couch, because she is a dog and that is what they do:

princesspea

Some times a comfy couch isn’t enough, and you just gotta have the pillow, too. I’m about to wake her up, but only because I am going to say “Lily, naptime,” and she will run into the bedroom and get under the covers. Yes. We’re co-dependent, and I am not ashamed to admit that I can not sleep unless I feel my litte lump curled up next to me.

Reader Interactions

192Comments

  3. 3.

    Amir Khalid

    It’s always good to see sweet Miss Lily. She seems to be awake in that picture, though. Her eyes look like they’re open.

    Did you have enough chili left for your lunch, or were you forced to go back for more?

  5. 5.

    beltane

    It’s snowing out and I am gripped by despair. Two of the cats just came in from the snow and are drying themselves by the woodstove as though they’re a pair of mittens.

  6. 6.

    Pogonip

    A shaken Officer F. R. Iendly said, “It was hideous. The guy was mopping. That’s all I’m going to say right now.”

  8. 8.

    Suzanne

    Well, the weather is glorious here. 66 degrees, sunny, light breeze. Still full of guns, but there’s some perks.

    I am at work. Want to go home early this afternoon.

  9. 9.

    NotMax

    Walking and chewing gum carrying food at the same time.

    Progress, progress.

    Then again, it could have played out like the proverbial creation of Reese’s cups and you would be known as the inventor of the Chili Slurpee.

  10. 10.

    shelley

    Jeez, Cole. Even tho the grocery’s within walking distance, maybe you should consider driving from now on. In your case it seems a lot safer when you’re off yoiur two feet.

  11. 11.

    Tone In DC

    Down goes Frazier!
    Down goes Frazier!

    Chili clean up on aisle 5.

    In all fairness, I have slipped on ice, slush, snow, wet old stone steps, and institutional linoleum (the linoleum was in college; sobriety was not observed at that juncture). I am just glad that our esteemed host is okay.

    But, yeah… he oughta go back for more chili. Just sayin’.

  13. 13.

    JustRuss

    t I punctured the styrofoam container in my right hand and shot molten hot chili all over myself.

    Don’t ever change Cole. I can’t wait for Balloon Juice: The Movie , too bad Chris Farley isn’t available.

  14. 14.

    Tone In DC

    @Pogonip:

    A shaken Officer F. R. Iendly said, “It was hideous. The guy was mopping. That’s all I’m going to say right now.”

    LULz.
    Maybe Steve or the frat brother can find that damn mustard.

  16. 16.

    Pogonip

    @Tone In DC: 34 years ago, I spilled a jar of applesauce all over the kitchen floor right when my son was toddling around. He slipped; there was a shocked pause and then the crying started. To this day he is the only person I know who has ever been applesauced.

  17. 17.

    cckids

    My son just called, & the friend who was giving him a ride home tonight just cancelled with car troubles. So either we drive 950 miles round trip to get him home, spend way, way too much on a plane ticket, or let him be alone for Thanksgiving. Also for his birthday, which is this weekend. His roommate & girlfriend are already gone.

    Choices, choices.

  19. 19.

    cckids

    @Pogonip: Many, many years ago I was making some kind of fruit syrup for pancakes; maple syrup base & blueberries. In a John C. moment, I caught the pan with the stirring spoon & pulled it off the stove.

    Not burned, but 3 or so cups of syrup makes a hell of a mess. We found more of it for years.

  20. 20.

    Lavocat

    When you comment on Lily, I can’t help but to have a mental image of the film “Darling Lili” playing in the background. Yeah, the therapy has yet to kick in.

  21. 21.

    Violet

    @cckids: @NotMax: Agreed–look into a bus. Not sure where he’s coming from but there might be last minute ride-sharing available too, like from a college campus or something. Might get him part of the way and you could pick him up then.

    Also, could he rent a car?

  22. 22.

    Hawes

    I’d like to see a YouTube channel devoted to dramatic slow motion recreations of Cole falling, nearly falling and not falling but otherwise injuring himself. I see Seth Rogen playing Cole.

  23. 23.

    Lavocat

    @JustRuss: The dialogue would basically be a constant stream of obscenities with people falling down and breaking shit. Yeah, I’d pay to see that.

  24. 24.

    cckids

    @NotMax:

    Is there a bus?

    There is, but for some reason, the online scheduler says it will take 20 hours to get from Reno to Vegas. Must be some kind of layover, because there aren’t enough towns on the way, even if they stop at all of them.

  25. 25.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @cckids:

    I think NotMax’s suggestion of a bus ticket isn’t bad. If he’s willing to do Thanksgiving Day on his own, a plane ticket leaving Friday would not be crazy expensive since it’s a “regular” travel day (though if he must fly back Sunday night, that will up the expense considerably).

  27. 27.

    kindness

    It’s getting cold so I cover our smallest pup (Lilly sized) with a blanket in the early morning before I leave. She loves the blanket. She won’t go under the covers though (thankfully). The cats will do that.

  28. 28.

    cckids

    @Violet: He’s just 21, all the rental agencies want you to be 25. The problem is, he has class till 7:30 tonight, which eliminates most people who are driving; they’ll have already left.
    Also, its Reno to Vegas; the distance, time & cost of gas are enough that most people fly, the cost differential is not enough for the time, wear on the car & boredom of driving through that part of Nevada.

    Cannot believe Greyhound – leaves at 7:20 tonight, gets here tomorrow at 3:40. WTF. And still costs $110.

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    I just saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Films in a finite series like this one shouldn’t be judged like stand-alone films, but the series as a whole is looking very good. in recent years, pop fiction for the young has given us some fine films like The Fault In Our Stars and the Harry Potter series and the better comic-book films.
    I don’t see what’s wrong with splitting a book into a two-part movie; in fact I wish the Harry Potter series had done it from Goblet of Fire on.

    I also wonder if Mockingjay Part 1 is banned in Thailand because of that three-finger salute.

  32. 32.

    cckids

    @Lavocat: Gotta get the spouse home to be with our other son & the sick dog first. Our Pomeranian is having unpleasant gastrointestinal issues, we are having a low-scale “fight” about who drives & who stays home & cleans up the both-ends fun.

  33. 33.

    Cacti

    This must be some sort of cruel joke:

    Save The Children organization awards warmonger Tony Blair its “global legacy award,” sparks a massive revolt among its own staff.

    Link

  34. 34.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    We get to leave early today, so I’m going to try and beat (some) of the rush at the grocery store. We’re not cooking tomorrow, but I’m craving chicken and rice soup after some tummy troubles last night. ?

    No cooking for me tomorrow, just a day of trying to pretend my sister in law’s cooking isn’t that bad.

  35. 35.

    Tone In DC

    I second the kid renting a car. Even a “premium” level vehicle would cost under $125 per day.

  37. 37.

    Violet

    @cckids: Yeah, I know about that age restriction for renting a car, but at this point maybe you could co-sign to get him the car. Can’t parents do that or other adults? Some sort of deposit or guarantee?

  38. 38.

    Pogonip

    @Hawes: The Cole Channel: All Mishaps, All The Time.

    Also, John, tell Christian he should sleep while he can, because after he goes through menopause he may be plagued with insomnia.

    Darn kids. Sleeping.

  41. 41.

    Jebediah, RBG

    Cole:

    We’re co-dependent, and I am not ashamed to admit that I can not sleep unless I feel my litte lump curled up next to me.

    Me too – if I am not touching Juno or Chucky I have a much harder time getting to sleep. I really like having Juno against my ribs with my arm and hand around her, which works well for a ten-pound pup. I think Chucky has figured that out, and most nights now she will curl up into as tight a ball as possible for a lanky 75-pounder and scooch up against my side. My arm doesn’t go around her as easily as it does Juno but I love it anyway…

  44. 44.

    cckids

    @Violet: I will look into that. I just got a text from his girlfriend; she’s already home in CA, but they live only 4 or so hours from Reno & they may drive over & take him in. Will have to talk to him first, once he has a break in class.

    He was invited earlier to spend the holiday with her & family, but he’s nervous. He’s met her parents, but this is full-on immersion in FAMILY. They’ve been dating for a year, though, so at some point he needs to suck it up & go there.

  48. 48.

    lamh36

    Someone already poates but here it is again.

    Video shows Cleveland officer shot 12-year old within seconds on scene http://t.co/JJncCcPOuA

    Seconds…for a child to comprehend the severity of the situation. Let the victim blaming begin! .

    They’ve already been headining the kids father having had criminal issues. Cause of course doubt they’d find a record for a 12 year old. So instead let’s focus on the father!

  52. 52.

    Trollhattan

    @NotMax:
    I can vouch for Reno, where I took Amtrak just to watch a man di…uh, hit the kaseenoes back when I was young and foolish. It’s actually a beautiful trip from the west, across the Sierra Nevada. You can wave to the Donner ghosts along the way.

  53. 53.

    jl

    Sorry to hear about the latest Cole Disaster (patent pending… why not, Cole,might as well make some money off them).

    That kind of thing happens to me on a regular basis, which is why I always go for the special sandwich if I am taking it out. Won’t catch me walking around with no molten chili, fer sher.

  54. 54.

    NotMax

    Did the marketing for Turkey Day feast yesterday. Managed to get everything I was after (enough for a meal for a multitude or in this case for li’l ol’ me for perhaps 10 days) at just under sixty smackers, which includes the cost of a 15-pound bird. The shopping fu was strong this time out.

    Higher than my usual food expenses, but willing to splurge a bit for holiday feasts. Only thing have to prepare ahead today is the cranberry relish, which needs several hours or overnight in the fridge in order to gel.

  56. 56.

    Cacti

    @lamh36:

    That video was horrific.

    You can tell that the “suspect” in this case was just a kid.

    Cop car races in, passenger jumps out and proceeds to blast him.

    The Cop’s story that they told him to put his hands up 3-times before his summary execution just sounds like a post mortem CYA by the killers.

  57. 57.

    Death Panel Truck

    I wake up every morning with two cocker spaniels snuggled up against me so tight it’s a chore getting out of bed. El Duque’s on the left and Chico (pronounced “Chick-o” – he’s named for Chico Marx) is on the right. It’s a good feeling knowing your dogs love you. Or maybe they just want to snuggle up against my overweight body to keep warm. They keep me warm, too. They’re like two little space heaters. Every night is a Two Dog Night around here.

  58. 58.

    cckids

    @aimai: Yes, he’s been gone for a while, but this would be his first holiday alone. Not the end of the world, but lonely.

    Plus, ongoing health issues with our oldest son & our Pom make me want to get us all together while we can.

  59. 59.

    Trollhattan

    My Friday nomination for nextest dumb cop story.

    MESA COUNTY, Colo. — In an incident that has been described as everything from comical to life threatening by the involved parties, the arrest of Nathen Channing this week might also be described as timely.
    Channing, a 27-year-old Fruitvale resident, was taken into custody on Sunday night for pointing a banana at a pair of Mesa County Sheriff’s deputies, both of whom initially believed the piece of fruit was a handgun.

    The arrest came a day before a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson, who classified Michael Brown as menacing before he shot and killed him — a classification that has been widely criticized.

    The same sort of criticism might be levied at the pair of Mesa County deputies who mistook a banana for a handgun. Then again, there are plenty of others who would say Channing got exactly what he deserved for antagonizing a pair of law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis. The two involved Mesa County deputies were identified as Joshua Bunch and Donald Love, both of whom were identified as victims in the case against Channing, who was arrested on two counts of felony menacing.

    In an arrest affidavit, Bunch wrote that he was driving northbound over the 29 Road bridge just north of D Road in unincorporated Mesa County, which is just east of Grand Junction, when he noticed Channing walking on the sidewalk. Eventually, Bunch wrote, Channing “reached into the left side of his coat and pulled out a yellow object, pointing it into the air then in my direction as I approached him.”

    “Fearing it was a weapon,” Bunch wrote that he sped off. And knowing Love was traveling behind him, Bunch said he radioed his fellow deputy to warn him. As he returned to the area, Bunch wrote he witnessed Channing point the same object at Love. As Love got out of his vehicle and approached Channing, Bunch wrote his fellow deputy said he “observed what appeared to be a yellow tube with a black center” and also stated he “thought it was a gun.”

    “Deputy Love stated he was in fear for his life at this point and was in the process of pulling out his handgun when Nathen yelled, ‘It’s a banana!’” Bunch wrote.

    In describing his own misinterpretation of the object, Bunch wrote that “based on training and experience, I have seen handguns in many shapes and colors and perceived this to be a handgun.”

    Going right past the Fruitvale angle to cite that last bit about guns taking many shapes and colors. The kid killed for having an airsoft rifle is being noted as having removed the all-important bright-colored marker from said gun, making it sound like he played a role in his own death. Locally, we had a kid shot dead by cops while wielding a fake rifle, and the leg. actually passed a law (NRA-opposed) that all toy guns be brightly colored.

    Sooooo, if somebody can be arrested for wielding a banana that the cop “perceived” to be a gun, what the fvck is the point of brightly colored toy guns? For that matter, what’s the point of toy guns at all if every object known to man can be considered a weapon? And yeah, I realize that that is the reality for every boy five and younger.

  60. 60.

    Lavocat

    @cckids: I’m a HUGE fan of spontaneous road trips and the memories thereof. Think “Gumball Rally”, if you’re old enough to remember.

  61. 61.

    cmorenc

    @John Cole:

    My dog, an Italian Greyhound, often sleeps with me too – under the covers, curled up against me. A small, affectionate but non-yappy dog can be the closest thing to a living teddy bear you’re allowed to get away with. She occasionally snores, but softly and smoothly as a bare whisper of wind.

  62. 62.

    Eric U.

    I’m always doing that with hot items, so I don’t think this rises to the usual level of Cole-ness.

    Seemingly credible people say that simply relaxing is just as good as sleeping. So I lie to myself and think this over and over and go right to sleep. This especially works if my thoughts are racing.

  63. 63.

    Tommy

    @Death Panel Truck: My cat wakes up almost underneath me. Or on me. I find when I roll around in my sleep she will openly wake me with a “firm” paw to my forehead. I will admit, with no malice, she has found herself on the floor. She never stops coming back ….

  65. 65.

    Amir Khalid

    @beltane:
    Well, the Token Black Candidate is neurosurgeon Ben Carson rather than pizza guy Herman Cain. That’s something of an improvement, even if the white guys are the usual gang of idiots.

  66. 66.

    Trollhattan

    @cmorenc: 3:20 was our Dalmatian’s arrival time this a.m., consarrnit. Sleep becomes 50% less restful after her arrival, but most days that’s not until 4:30 or so. Gonna be a long winter.

  68. 68.

    Trollhattan

    @Amir Khalid:
    Has ol’ Herm ruled out another run? Seemed to enjoy the attention last go-round, and perhaps he has a new “nein-nein-nein” plan to unveil.

  69. 69.

    cckids

    @Lavocat: I LOVE road trips. If I go on this one, though, we’re having Sara Lee pies & no home-made rolls tomorrow. I think my spouse wants to go, he has to clear the afternoon though. I know he will not bake if he is the one home.

    Last minute planning. Always fun.

  71. 71.

    cckids

    @NotMax: No, we’ve got 4 different family branches converging at Mom’s house, 2 of whom also are juggling the other side of their family obligations. Not gonna happen.

    Edit to add: It is rather like a State Dept treaty negotiation, with everyone’s varying schedules. We’ve moved it to Friday or Saturday before, but this is the first holiday since my dad passed & my mom is very committed to Thanksgiving day. The rest of us are just trying to make this smoother for her.

  72. 72.

    Tommy

    @NotMax: We are going all the way Saturday. Not saying it is the “best” idea but how to get an extended, extended family in one big room for a day. I don’t expect anybody to feel sorry for me, but tomorrow I will spend it alone. Friday parents in town and we start to cook for Saturday. Families? Parents in town Sunday and Monday.

  73. 73.

    Tone In DC

    @Trollhattan:

    A banana.

    Not a toy gun, not a wallet, not a black Boston stapler from Office Depot.

    A damn banana. I cannot deal with this shit.

    I doubt this is the issue, but anyway…. If that cop’s eyesight is so limited that he cannot discern a banana versus a handgun, I then I truly don’t want that guy on the street. My dad is over 70, and wears bifocals. His prescription is STRONG. Dad can see better than that cop, apparently.

    And if this officer is SO fearful/paranoid/non-reality based that the kid spooked him with something that (except for approximate size) bears NO resemblance to a gun, then I really think Dirty Harry ought to quit the job and take up chess or something.

    /end rant.

  75. 75.

    Mike E

    It’s been 25 years since the Great Thanksgiving Blizzard had me nose down in a ditch off of I-95 in Virginia… my brand new Nissan Sentra was no match for the 8 inches of wet snow that fell in about 2 hours.

    I got out, surveyed the situation, and concluded I was well and truly fucked when a Jeep 4×4 with a winch(!) stopped, the owner got out and asked, “Do you need help?” I was elated, thinking he would get my car back up on the road…no such luck, I would only get a lift to the next exit to call a tow truck, he didn’t want to “mess up” his new Jeep. I went from low, to high!, and then, totally resigned to my sorry fate.

    All of a sudden, a Sunbird(!!) pulls up with 3 Marines in jeans and polos, they burst out, “Here’s another one! Yeehah!!” and scramble down into the ditch to push me outa there. I smile at Mr Jeep and say, “Give these boys a hand?”

    After the successful extraction, the gents all went their merry ways and I drove even moar carefully to arrive at my destination with a really great story, if just a bit later than I’d planned.

    This is what Thanksgiving means to me!

  76. 76.

    gogol's wife

    This thread looks delightful. I’m going to snuggle up with it (it’s snowraining outside, yecch) after I play the piano for my husband for a while. I got this great collection of schmaltzy arrangements by one Dan Coates, and he can hear me stumble through Over the Rainbow ten times a day. He’s a great husband.

  77. 77.

    WereBear

    Attention all insomniacs: I’m experimenting with the Brain Wave app (binaural science) and I’m impressed. They have a Deep Sleep setting. But I’m also fond of the Release Anxiety, ’cause dang I need it.

  80. 80.

    Iowa Old Lady

    @cckids: That sounds like a good idea. He isn’t even my kid, and I’m relieved.

    ETA: Also his university if asking for trouble by running classes that late on the night before a holiday. Around here, the universities get the entire week off and make up the days elsewhere. It’s safer.

  84. 84.

    NotMax

    @Tommy

    I prefer spending holidays alone. Always have.

    Gatherings amongst my family are the stuff of legend, and not the good kind*. The tension and rancor just beneath the surface would raise the blood pressure of a corpse. One reason I moved 6000 miles away.

    Friend from here accompanied me on a trip back to NY many years ago, which happened to coincide with some big holiday or other. My step-sister’s hubby whispered to him to follow and marched him right to the bar. “Here’s the liquor. Trust me, you’re gonna need it.”

    Nowadays that what falls under the definition of family has been whittled down by time, I’m assured things are not nearly as ghastly as they once were.

    *There was one Thanksgiving when I was a tyke which culminated in the parents either storming out or being tossed out. The three of us ate in the car – a Thanksgiving dinner of bologna and cheese sandwiches purchased from a vending machine at a closed gas station. In New Jersey. In the rain.

    And that was a mild example.

  85. 85.

    cckids

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    Also his university if asking for trouble by running classes that late on the night before a holiday. Around here, the universities get the entire week off and make up the days elsewhere. It’s safer.

    SO much smarter, that’s what my daughter’s university does. This is the first year he’s had trouble; for whatever reason, this professor is a real hardass about no-one skipping class today.

  86. 86.

    Tone In DC

    @Mike E:

    my brand new Nissan Sentra was no match for the 8 inches of wet snow that fell in about 2 hours.

    Glad to hear the few and the proud got you out of that situation. And don’t hate on the Sunbird! GM was okay, sometimes, back then.

    It wasn’t a ditch, but back in 2006 I was driving near Route 7 in Alexandria in four or five inches of fresh, wet snow. In was in my 1993 Camry, a bare bones car with less than stellar handling, and no ABS.

    I was moving along around 30 miles per, and hit the brakes coming down a hill near Belmont TV, forgetting I needed to pump the brakes, in those conditions. The car took me around in a 360 like a scene from the Blues Brothers, and the right front wheel hit the curb.

    After taking a deep breath, I got out, and verified that wheel was still actually on the car. I got back in and drove home, at a snail’s pace.

  88. 88.

    cckids

    @NotMax:

    My step-sister’s hubby whispered to him to follow and marched him right to the bar. “Here’s the liquor. Trust me, you’re gonna need it.”

    That is a good host.

    Holidays with my in-laws are similar, though with more passive-aggressive BS rather than open fights. We don’t visit them at holidays anymore.

    The last time we went there for Xmas, we’d been there for 3 days & my daughter (then 12) pulled me aside & asked if I was OK, because, as she said “I’ve never seen you drink so much”. Haven’t been back at holidays since.

  89. 89.

    NotMax

    @Iowa Old Lady

    Know that back when I was at college they would go out of the way to lay out a full-on feast for those students who couldn’t get away (foreign students and the like), had nowhere to go or were unable or unwilling to travel for whatever reason.

  90. 90.

    Amir Khalid

    @Tone In DC:
    Deputies Love and Bunch’s real motive for pressing a felony charge against Nathan Channing and his lethal banana was petulance. One can only hope that the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department sees it that way too, and does not refer this ridiculous charge to the prosecutors.

  93. 93.

    Jay C

    @cckids:

    Cannot believe Greyhound – leaves at 7:20 tonight, gets here tomorrow at 3:40. WTF. And still costs $110.

    According to online maps, it’s 448.5 miles from Reno to Las Vegas – 490 scheduled minutes for that trip comes out to a nice even 55 mph – which they may have to post for some inane legal reason – but I’ve driven that highway (OK, in the last century, but still), and there’s not only a whole lot of nothing along that road, but I recall that anyone driving any vehicle larger than a Smart ended to floor it and buzz along at whatever “maximum velocity” might come out to: Reno-Vegas really ought not to take more than about 6 hours.

  94. 94.

    Joy in FL

    1. John Cole: I’m sorry, but I laughed out loud at you puncturing the chili container. Very glad that was the worst of the damage.

    2. Lily is so perfectly beautiful. Thank you for that photo.

    3. I love this blog and deeply appreciate those of you who write the front pages.

    4. Happy Thanksgiving to everybody on Balloon Juice.

  95. 95.

    Amir Khalid

    @gogol’s wife:
    Do you also do any songs from Les Misérables? Little Cosette’s solo Castle On A Cloud might work for you, if you’re not into the big belty ones like I Dreamed a Dream or On My Own.

  96. 96.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I know this will never happen, because she doesn’t want to do the work of a campaign, but I hope she’ll keep the dream alive for her own ego and torment the man she thinks dissed her, and just having it in the NYT is some well deserved sand in the old man’s shorts

    At the top of their list of potential targets are politicians like Senator John McCain of Arizona, a proponent of an immigration overhaul. Their fantasy candidate: Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain’s former running mate, who now spends much of the year at her home in Scottsdale, Ariz. Two prominent conservative activists, who spoke anonymously to reveal private discussions, said leading Tea Party figures planned to reach out to Ms. Palin to see if she was interested in running against Mr. McCain.

    also, too, doesn’t being a snowbird violate her self-described status as rugged Alaskan?

  97. 97.

    Trollhattan

    @Tone In DC:
    I hear you. I’m trying to stick with the obvious–soooo obvious–humor but instead keep pivoting to the question: if you can be arrested wielding a banana can you likewise get your ass shot dead for the same?

    Sadly, we all know the answer.

  98. 98.

    Mike E

    @Tone In DC: Not hating, just astounded. Miracles come in many forms, apparently.

    I just sprang for 4 new tires for my daughter’s Pontiac, having had a few too many weather experiences over the years. I’m a bit broke now for the holidays, but the peace of mind is well worth it.

  101. 101.

    ItAintEazy

    @lamh36: Well, case closed. The kids was clearly reaching for his proverbial waistband.

    Now excuse me while I vomit from watching that snuff film.

  105. 105.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Trollhattan: Had to click on the link just to confirm that the banana-wielding gentleman was White. So of course, he’s alive and wasn’t shot.

  106. 106.

    scav

    Just finished a T-dayeve experimental dry run. Ikea flat-pack turkeys are fun (TJ’s brined boneless breasts) although lacking the all important crunchy stolen skin off the carcass and mashed potatoes with whole grain mustard? Cook them in half broth half milk. Stunning. I’m not sure the real event will manage to top this.

  107. 107.

    grandpa john

    @Jay C: Hey, I drive a Smart Car and I can keep up with Interstate traffic no problem, My wife wants to get rear window sign saying

    You have just been passed by 3 cylinders

  108. 108.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Mike E: I used a Radio Flyer red wagon to lug groceries home when I was in grad school. (Put it behind a meat counter while I was shopping.) It worked fine and usually got me a month’s worth of food in a single trip. I got some funny looks using it though… :-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  111. 111.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Trollhattan: Believe me, I’m not rugged enough for June or September in Scottsdale, much less July or August, but I’m pretty sure Sister Sarah goes back to Wasilla in the summer to pose in front of that nice lake and pine trees for Fox.

  113. 113.

    gogol's wife

    @Amir Khalid:

    This is a big gap in my knowledge. I’ve never seen or listened to Les Misérables, and I only know I Dreamed a Dream because I watched the YouTube of Susan Boyle’s first appearance. There aren’t any songs from it in this book. One of these days I have to make up this deficit.

  114. 114.

    Trollhattan

    @NotMax:
    So you’ve met my in’-laws.

    Sufficient quantities are out of state, dead or in prison now that the intrinsic dread is nearly gone. We’ll be hosting the normal wing this year.

  116. 116.

    JPL

    @lamh36: I’m not sure what happened to that video. It just says nbc.com.
    I don’t understand why they pulled up along side of him. Why not pull up on the street and tell the kid to drop the gun. Although the police were not informed that the caller thought it was a toy, their actions raise some serious issues with me. Maybe I watch to much TV.

  117. 117.

    Comrade Luke

    I just remembered something, I think – I need some of the older proletariat here to confirm or deny: wasn’t one of the big arguments for beating Rodney King to a pulp that he was all hopped up on drugs, and kept charging/fighting back? In other words, a demon?

    It seems to me that the whole situation boils down to one thing: community officials were trying to operate as they’ve always operated, not realizing that the rest of the world now has ways to call them on their bullshit. Instead of reacting to that, Ferguson officials have just put their heads down and rammed their way through the whole process like they always have.

    The frustrating thing is that the lesson learned won’t be that their actions are wrong, it will be that they find new, creative ways to allow them to keep getting away with it.

  120. 120.

    FlyingToaster

    @JPL:

    hmmm Where does Scott Brown live?

    suburban DC, since 2010.

    He’s out looking for a wingnut welfare gig, since he got beat by another girl. So if the Democrats want to put up a woman to run for McCain’s seat, former Senator Centerfold might just be interested in renting a condo in Phoenix…

  122. 122.

    Amir Khalid

    @gogol’s wife:
    You didn’t see the movie? Quick, go get the DVD. Anne Hathaway’s I Dreamed A Dream rivals SuBo’s for legendary status. Sam Barks’ On My Own is radically different from the 25th Anniversary Concert version she was already famous for, and even better.
    ETA: Also, read the book — in one of the more recent translations, like Julie Rose’s. I’ve read that one, and have also downloaded the original French text from Project Gutenberg.

  123. 123.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @WereBear: Tell me more, please.

    J has had terrible sleeping problems since she was a kid.

    Do you use it with earbuds, or a speaker? Does it shut off after a while (e.g. a sleep timer)? What do you do about waking up in the AM – can you still hear your alarm clock?

    Thanks!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  124. 124.

    Tone in DC

    @Amir Khalid:
    I get the petulance. Some spite mixed in, I think.

    To me, that was the second reaction. The first thing Dirty Harry did was go get reinforcements. Then he and his buddy Martin Riggs came back and displayed the petulance.

  127. 127.

    JPL

    How do I tame a hyper dog? I’ve been cooking side dishes all day and he’s running around hoping the company and their dogs will appear any minute.

  129. 129.

    David Fud

    @cckids: You sure it isn’t 340am? Seems like a dumb question but that would make sense in terms of 8 hrs on the road from 7pm or so.

  130. 130.

    cckids

    @Jay C:

    490 scheduled minutes for that trip comes out to a nice even 55 mph

    I realized I wasn’t clear in my comment. That is 7:20 pm tonight, until 3:40 pm tomorrow afternoon. 20.5 hours.

    There has to be either a stop, a detour into CA, an abduction along the Alien Highway or something.

  131. 131.

    cckids

    @Mike J:

    Does she still get those Alaskan welfare checks all the rugged individualist Alaskans get?

    Nope, she doesn’t live in AK enough of the year.

  132. 132.

    Mike J

    @David Fud: Apparently they had one that left at 9am that gets in at 6:30pm, 9.5 hours later. The 7:30 departure is listed on their web site as being 20 hours, 20 minutes.

    Same bus runs tomorrow though. He’ll miss most of the day, but it beats 20 hours on a bus. Spend the night in your own bed and get in 3 hours later.

  133. 133.

    JPL

    @Amir Khalid: We eat around one and we have another custom. A son stops and buys the local paper with all the ads. After the feast we lounge around and share the paper and ooh and aah about all the ads. That’s all we do. Maybe football is on in the background but not necessarily. The joke is we don’t shop on Black Friday but a custom is a custom.

  136. 136.

    cckids

    And, to update this minor drama, Grandma (my mom) called him & bought him a plane ticket, he is going to reimburse her about 1/2 of it. As I said upthread, she is having a very tough time this holiday & wants us all around.

    Grandma’s heart (and pocketbook) FTW.

    Thanks to all of you who offered ideas, you are great!

  137. 137.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @JPL: The promise of a treat gets our Sophie’s attention. She gets the reward when she’s quiet.

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  139. 139.

    Mnemosyne

    @Violet:

    Between moving and vacation, I had to taper off, but I’m trying to get back on. (And, yes, last night could easily have been a nasty FODMAPs attack rather than food poisoning. I’m still going to throw the leftovers away just in case.)

    Trying to find any edible bread-like substance is a giant pain in the ass — it seems like all of the manufacturers of gluten-free breads stuff it full of honey and inulin or chicory root, which are themselves big FODMAP triggers. So far, Glutino seems to put the least amount of excess crap in their breads. The bread is a little squeaky, but it’s not too hideous.

  140. 140.

    raven

    Sharknado at the beach today! 5 sandsharks, one bonnethead and a nice whiting right at sunset that I’ll use for cutbait. If you are going to catch stuff you can’t keep sharks are fun because kids on the beach go apeshit and come running to see and touch them. There is something about sitting in a chair with rods in the water and drifting in and out to the sound of kids playing. Why do little girls scream so much?

  141. 141.

    Mnemosyne

    @Comrade Luke:

    Since no one else answered and the iPad killed the reply I thought I’d made: yes, the claim by the cops in the Rodney King beating was that they thought he was on PCP. Seems like they don’t even bother to make that claim anymore (though I guess there was a feeble attempt to blame it on marihuana, the weed with roots in Hell!)

    And the world is literally watching us — the BBC World Service radio broadcast this afternoon spent its first 20 minutes discussing Ferguson. Most countries around the world are wondering what the fuck is wrong with us. I’m still not sure if the authorities in Ferguson didn’t realize they were getting worldwide coverage, or if they just don’t care.

  144. 144.

    Violet

    @Mnemosyne: I’ve given up on gluten-free breads. I make do with crackers. They seem to work a lot better and you get a satisfying crunch. Can’t make a sandwich or toast, though, which are the biggest things I miss.

    Check to see if any local bakers make some gluten free breads. I’ve found a couple that are much better and much less filled with crap.

  145. 145.

    cckids

    @raven:

    Why do little girls scream so much?

    In my experience (I have 5 sisters, 1 daughter & 14 nieces), it is largely a group activity. Also, they really like the noise.

  147. 147.

    JPL

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: The big dog is staying over night tomorrow. Rather than sleep with the master in the guest room, he chooses my room so he can sleep next to Finch. They are like little kids having a sleep over. Good times. Now I have to go pick up the toys that the mutt has thrown all over.

  149. 149.

    Violet

    @Mnemosyne:

    I’m still not sure if the authorities in Ferguson didn’t realize they were getting worldwide coverage, or if they just don’t care.

    Don’t think they care and if they’re aware are probably kind of excited about it. They’re big news. But when it dies down no one will be watching them and they can go right back to being the white people in control. They’ll go on fleecing the black community by issuing bullshit citations and traffic stops and shooting black citizens at will. It’s what they do.

  150. 150.

    raven

    @cckids: It’s funny but it doesn’t seem to be an issue with her. However, we have spent tons on money on her eyes and she just can’t wait to bury her mug in the sand!

  154. 154.

    cckids

    @Violet: They are also so, so, SO sure they are right & righteous. And, as we’ve seen in the appalling coverage & comments about the GJ results, they have plenty of company in their sad little bubble.

  156. 156.

    Mike E

    @raven: I gave my buddy a hard time surf fishing because he kept catching dogfish/lil sharks…I said, “You keep catching the same shark…is the bait that good?!”

  159. 159.

    raven

    @Mike E: Ah, this splains it:

    Spiny dogfish sharks are gregarious (social) and travel in schools of hundreds to thousands of individuals. These schools are sometimes segregated by sex and age. They are called dogfish because they travel and hunt in packs. They also migrate in schools, following cool waters.

    and this

    “Spiny dogfish typically travel in large schools, voraciously grabbing all baited … chasing away other species that they are feeding upon,”

  161. 161.

    Mike E

    @raven: I suggested he put a tag on it just in case it was the same shark, so we could tell em apart…he was getting pretty peeved at me until he reeled in a nice weakfish. Surf fishing definitely takes stamina!

  162. 162.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Trollhattan: “put themselves in harms way on a daily basis” is such a crock of shit unless we’re including poor diet and lack of exercise.

    Still nice to hear Channing wasn’t filled full of bullet holes by what appears from apologists for modern American police officers to be nothing more than human time bombs or animals without agency who kill remorselessly with little to no provocation.

  163. 163.

    raven

    @Mike E: I am totally wiped out. I realize that the shoulder problems I had last year came from repeated wading out to my chest and casting heavy weights as far as I can. It was fairly warm today, low 60’s and the water temp is the same but the wind was a crusher. I’ll take most of the day off tomorrow and have a measly 5 hr boat trip Friday. Saturday and Sunday I’ll give it my best shot and then have a year to recover.

  164. 164.

    Mike E

    PBS Nature show alert: My Life As A Turkey is on at 8p EST…really cool story, and remarkable when you realize the naturalist recreated it for this program. Well done.

  165. 165.

    Tommy

    @cckids: I don’t mean this to sound remotely the wrong way. When I was in Baton Rouge in the early 90s. Didn’t spend a number of major holidays with my parents. They were about 900 miles away.

    I got adopted by local people. Recall saying things like that isn’t something you serve on Thanksgiving. They said it is what they serve. Have for generations. Making a couple of those dishes tomorrow. They are fucking family favorites now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Or put another way maybe living away from home for a major holiday or two isn’t the worse thing in the world.

  167. 167.

    Mike E

    @Tommy: Agree. My 1st Xmas away from home in NC was in Wilmington, we (a bunch of new arrivals from up north) were taken in by the TV station’s African American camera operator and her family…we ate like monarchs, it was one of the best gastronomic holidays I ever had!

  168. 168.

    WereBear

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I use ear buds (some kind is mandatory) and I listen to the program while I’m getting ready for sleep, then disengage for actual sleep.

    But there are sleeping earbuds, and ways of setting timers in the Brain Wave program for a sleep/wake sequence.

    I also follow Circadian Rhythm protocol — wearing BluBlocker sunglasses after sunset, (and/or a screen that blocks blue light or using an f.lux program on my laptop,) keeping room lights low or red-tinted (I use a salt lamp,) dropping caffeine, and wearing a sleep mask.

    This regimen has moved my sleep from 4-5 hours (normal going-to-sleep but awake at 2 AM – 6 AM) to 8-9 hours… and when I’m really wiped out, I can do 12.

  169. 169.

    gogol's wife

    @Tommy:

    I also have great memories of Thanksgivings with the families of college friends because I couldn’t afford to go home.

  170. 170.

    Violet

    @Tommy: I think it’s probably better if you plan it to be that way rather than think you’re going home and find out at the last minute your ride let you down and you’ve got nowhere to go. When that happens you might luck out and find a place to got but you also might not. Which means no family to celebrate with, no new foods, no place to go. That sucks.

  171. 171.

    Tommy

    @Mike E: I am not remotely saying not talk to your parents for almost 20 years like I did. But to experience Thanksgiving in Baton Rouge/New Orleans or DC, just a different world isn’t a bad thing.

  172. 172.

    NotMax

    Headin’ out to mow the property. Seemingly overnight, the grass has magically gotten shin-high again.

  173. 173.

    Tommy

    @Violet: I am almost, just almost willing to bet if they are not too proudful and ask for help they will find something special. Southern hospitality is an actual fact.

  174. 174.

    mdblanche

    @beltane: I don’t think “deep bench” is the term you’re looking for. I think you meant to say “clown car.”

    Seriously, I kept hearing in 2012 that all the good candidates were going to wait until 2016 but Romney stills seems the best candidate the GOP have with double digit name recognition among their own base. That can’t be right.

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    At the top of their list of potential targets are politicians like Senator John McCain of Arizona, a proponent of an immigration overhaul. Their fantasy candidate: Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain’s former running mate, who now spends much of the year at her home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

    Scottsdale, eh?

  176. 176.

    Tommy

    @Violet: Whoops. Makes me then want to say go put $50 for me on black. I’d think a totally different situation. Not one I could navigate.

  177. 177.

    beltane

    I never participated in a family Thanksgiving until I grew up and had my own family. We do the turkey for the kids, but basically Thanksgiving is just the brown and beige nonentity of a holiday that precedes the month long Sinterkaas/Saturnalia/Solstice/Christmas that follows. My most memorable Thanksgiving was during Freshman year of college when some of my high school friends and I went to the very packed opening of Star Trek IV. We were the only ones not in costume but a good time was had by all.

  179. 179.

    beltane

    @mdblanche: I’ve read that the so-called insiders find Jeb Bush too dull, Ted Cruz too crazy, and Chris Christie and Rand Paul too unreliable in their determination to bomb people and invade other countries.

  180. 180.

    Violet

    @Tommy: Hospitality is not confined to the American south, so there’s a good chance someone would add an extra place at their table. But your $50 on black is a good bet since her son needs to get from Reno to Las Vegas.

  183. 183.

    Tommy

    @Violet: Hospitaliy, good hospisality is defined to the south for me.

    But I will say this is about my favorite holiday. Been buying gifts for the last year. I try so hard to buy “cool” gifts for my family members. I think about it all the time. I just prefer sitting down and having a huge meal, banter, and well just that. I always feel like my gifts are not good enough. I didn’t think about them enough. Maybe I should have spend more. I FUCKING HATE it.

    This holiday is good ……

  184. 184.

    mdblanche

    @beltane: That’s what disqualifies Christie, not whatever else is lurking beneath the George Washington Bridge? I could have sworn he was a hawk. Didn’t he invade Arrakis after it was reassigned to House Atreides?

  185. 185.

    beltane

    @mdblanche: Maybe he doesn’t have the necessary gleam in his eye when he speaks of the threat from Iran. Choosing John Bolton as his running mate may satisfy the Moar Bombs Forever! crowd.

  189. 189.

    Ruckus

    John
    This may be a dead thread but I thought I’d let you know that when I was in the navy I learned to sleep anywhere, any time. Attention, parade rest, 5 in guns going off a few feet away, didn’t matter. A few seconds or hours, sleep was not only possible, it was necessary. If for no other reason, it helped with the sanity level. As in having some.

  191. 191.

    J R in WV

    @Tommy: Our elderly cats, now gone from among us, used to slip silently into bed with us, and lie against the top of my head, to stay warm on cold winter nights. Rufus started the tradition, and when he died of kidney failure, Harvey took his place.

    They were old old cats when this started, and they purred gently most of the night, which was soothing to me as I slept with them.

    The dogs are too big to fit in the bed with us, so I’m pushing for a new king size, to replace the queen size we have now.

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