Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

No one could have predicted…

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Consistently wrong since 2002

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Let there be snark.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Happy NYE!

Happy NYE!

by | 84 Comments

This post is in: 

Wasn’t the best year, wasn’t the worst year, and I had only one injury related hospital visit (and it didn’t require surgery!), so it wasn’t too bad, I guess.

This year, I said I was going to quit drinking, and I did. So for next year, I am going to lose weight and to stop being such an asshole all the time (thinking of a particular tweet in really poor taste last night). Let’s make it two and up my game.

Thanks for everything, some of you people are swell. The rest of you, well.

I’m gonna go eat ginger snaps w/ milk, watch some Homicide Hunter with Joe Kenda or maybe that new Denzel movie on PPV, and pet the piglets. Shawn is out on the town with his new hotness that he is pursuing, so it’s just me and the animals.

Enjoy your hangover tomorrow, kids! And don’t forget to eat pork and sauerkraut for good luck. I already have mine ready to go in the slow cooker tomorrow at 6 am when Steve wakes me up for his breakfast.

Reader Interactions

84Comments

  3. 3.

    BubbaDave

    Pork and sauerkraut? Eh, whatever– but it’s the black-eyed peas that REALLY count for good luck. (As my mom reminds me every year, “The only year we skipped the black-eyed peas, the apartment burned down and you were born.”)

  6. 6.

    Mike J

    @Mike J: Haveyou ever noticed how shitty the mix is on the movie?

    Far away, for to see, friendly angel come to me.

    Melvin Belli in it.

  8. 8.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    Sauerkraut? Yuk, I guess I have to turn in my German card. I’ll take Kimchi any day over sauerkraut.

  9. 9.

    Les Nessman

    “I never trust a man who doesn’t drink.” J. Wayne
    “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”
    ― Ernest Hemingway

  14. 14.

    Calming Influence

    The Influence Clan and a delightfully robust crowd of beloved friends, friends of friends, and (I’m sure they’re somebody’s?) friends are bundling up, nipping at Sinfire and other distilled spirits, and icing champagne in prep. for sitting out in the field and watching the Space Needle fireworks across the Sound. Last year was completely fogged out, but it is crisp and clear tonight.

    We’ve been incredibly fortunate. I vow to continue to appreciate that it has been very much a series of lucky rolls of the dice that has put us here. I vow to help load the dice for those who have had a couple of bad rolls, and to work toward making life in this country of ours less of a crap shoot (Thank you Obamacare!). And I vow to have a great new year.

    Best wishes and a Happy New Year to all the Juicers,

    JSC, aka Calming Influence

  17. 17.

    Steeplejack

    @Mike J:

    Yeah, awful. I turned it off after a few minutes because it was shaping up to be as ponderous and tinny-sounding as I remembered it from when it first came out. And I didn’t want to ruin the good feeling I had from watching the last part of A Hard Day’s Night before it. A much better way to start the new year.

  20. 20.

    Steeplejack

    I missed the actual moment of midnight. I was looking at something, then looked at the clock and saw “12:01.” And no volley of fireworks from the neighbors to alert me. Whoops. Can I get a do-over?

    Didn’t drink anything tonight. I have a bottle of champagne, but I didn’t feel like it. Had some pizza and a Coke. Good times. Now ready to call it a night. Glad to be home after my two-day trip to Chincoteague Island, and I didn’t sleep well in the hotel last night.

    Happy New Year to all Juicers!

  22. 22.

    Tree With Water

    @Mike J: The Stones could hardly have landed in a worse place in the Bay Area to hold a concert. Very cold in December, of course, wind swept, wind chill thru the bones-type wind, and out in the middle of nowhere, both then and now. Nothing but bare, freezing hills in winter- it was a titanic bonehead of a move in every respect, and it happened in Bill Graham’s backyard. I had just started high school. Because none of my friends my could drive yet, I didn’t go. A year later, I would have been there. But even then, even had I gone, I would have wisely avoided standing in proximity to the Hells Angels. I would not have approached within 100 yards of their parked bikes. Just a year before, I had witnessed the Angels swarm out of their seats at the Cow Palace to wail on Evil Kneival and his crew at the conclusion of his daredevil jump over.. it was like 25 or 75 cars, the guy was absolutely insane (but he made it). I’ve got Gimmee Shelter on here, too, and just listening now to the limelight loving attorney Melvin Belli wheeling and dealing makes me smile at the memory of the scramble that week to find a venue.

  23. 23.

    TriassicSands

    Shawn is out on the town with his new hotness that he is pursuing,

    Jeebus, John, is that really the most flattering way to describe a person? I’m assuming it’s a female. Surely, there is a better way to refer to her than as “his new hotness.” It’s a big language with lots of words. I’ll bet with a little effort you can do better.

    In any event, Happy New Year to you and your critters. And Shawn. And everyone else at BJ.

  25. 25.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    Thanks for keeping the lights on JC (and all the front pagers). Best of luck to you, and to us all.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  26. 26.

    Tommy

    @efgoldman: I spent a lot of time in NOVA. Most of my adult life. If you move there and want some suggestions on this or that, I could help.

  28. 28.

    SWMBO

    Happy New Year to all peeps and pets! Our pups freaked out when I had them outside a couple of hours ago and someone lit off a bright and loud cannon cracker. Much barking and freaking out. I brought them in, waited til everyone had calmed down a bit and fed them a treat. Other boom booms didn’t seem to bother them after that (but they were inside). I’ll take them out well after the last of the noise is over and hopefully next time they’ll be meh.

  29. 29.

    Tommy

    Happy New Year to you all. May this New Year bring you all what you want. Happiness, love, health, and I hope peace.

  31. 31.

    Mike in NC

    Denzel? Like the guy a lot but watching “Equalizer” right now is a really dreary and depressing experience. Terrible goddamn movie in every possible way.

  33. 33.

    Kitty

    Happy New Year! Thanks for the blog. Congrats on sobriety. I’ll have 20 years on the 13th – it hasn’t sucked!

  35. 35.

    Citizen_X

    @TriassicSands:

    is that really the most flattering way to describe a person?

    Oh, for fuck’s sake, leave him alone. Yes, it’s fine. Here’s hoping everybody finds new hotness–or rekindles the old!–in the coming year, be it male, female, gay or straight.

  36. 36.

    Luna Sea

    Pork and sauerkraut? Hmm, can I have a turkey reuben instead, please?

    Happy, healthy, successful and peaceful 2015 to all, critters included.

  39. 39.

    Original Lee

    Happy New Year John, and all the other BJers. Here’s hoping 2015 will be better than 2014.

  40. 40.

    Felonius Monk

    Happy New Year, Juicers. May you all prosper and be of good health.

    And may Steve find the mother lode of tuna.

  44. 44.

    Feebog

    Just saw a picture of my granddaughter who is recovering from her horrible car accident in December 20. Made my day. Hell, it made my year! Happy New Year to you all, stay warm and safe tonight.

  45. 45.

    lamh36

    Happy New Year…BJ.

    I’m in ER because my mom decided tonight would be a good night to dislocated her knee while walking down the stairs…ugh!

  46. 46.

    Southern Beale

    Not quite midnight here in Nashville. Husband and I went to our traditional restaurant we always go to on New Year’s Eve, went to the movies (saw The Imitation Game), I just did my annual Burning Bowl ceremony and now I’m waiting until midnight, at which time I plant to go to sleep.

    Happy New Year to all the BJ crowd!

  47. 47.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    It’s still 2014 here on the sinister coast.

    @Tommy: BTW, ended up running my own WordPress server. Pretty slick. Now, I’m reading the documentation and tinkering.

    @Major Major Major Major: Enjoy your honeymoon, the wife and I did our’s there.

  48. 48.

    James E Powell

    Happy New Year to you, John G Cole, and to everyone else hangs around this noisy corner.

    In loving memory of my maternal grandmother I start each year with pork roast, sauerkraut w/caraway seeds, dumplings, and green beans.

    Based on my recollections of the comments on most football threads, I am among a handful of regulars here who will be wearing Scarlet & Grey tomorrow. Dum spiro spero.

  49. 49.

    danielx

    NYPD work slowdown: if they’re only arresting people “when they have to”, does that imply that under ordinary conditions they’re arresting a lot of people just to be assholes and meet statistical goals?

  51. 51.

    Schlemazel

    HNY from the CST zone. I was thinking earlier that this is the first year in 2 decades I was not dealing with a death or major medical or financial event in the family. I have high hopes for 2015 despite the election past. Hope all you juicers (even the dry juicers :) ) have a wonderful year too.

  52. 52.

    PhoenixRising

    @James E Powell: Hey, are you one of my cousins?

    HNY, Juicers, both the juiced at this hour and the rest of us.

    Good work, Cole. 5 months is a lot of 6ams sober.

    Go outside (if you can see Orion) and look for the comet. It’s near the belt. It’s an omen…and unlike the two (2) pigeons our 9 lb, 15 month old tabby brought through the dog door today, perhaps a good one.

  54. 54.

    CaseyL

    Folks in the neighborhood are setting off a few fireworks, nothing too bad. Kitties were in, then out, and will probably want to come back in if the boom-booms continue.

    Still 90 minutes to go to actual 2015 here on the Left Coast, but I doubt I’ll be awake at midnight so I’ll wish everyone a *wonderful* new year now.

  55. 55.

    Don K

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    That’s pretty funny. When I went to Korea, I said, “Okay, I understand Kimchi. It’s just sauerkraut with some hot peppers.” Of course, not even Germans feel compelled to consume sauerkraut for breakfast the way Koreans do kimchi.

    I’m a fan of sauerkraut, but then I was raised on the kraut my dad and one uncle made every fall. It was never duplicated after Uncle Charles died. We all figured it had to do with the case of Yuengling (not chic, just cheap in those days) Charlie laid in for the weekend, and the high probability that some of said beer got spilled into the crocks. No store kraut can compare, but at least Hengstenberg is acceptable.

  56. 56.

    SarahT

    Huge Mazel Tov on remaining John Cole +0, and keep up the good work in 2015. And thank you so much for this place.

  60. 60.

    Suzanne

    Happy new year! I hope 2015 brings us all the liberal joys our hearts could ask for. I hope STEVE gets himself a new kitty friend.

    We are in NW Arkansas visiting my in-laws—and we are missing snow at home in downtown Phoenix tonight. Excited to go home tomorrow to sleep in my own bed. I’m old and my spine needs proper alignment.

    That means my birthday is next week. Holy fuckin old.

  62. 62.

    Violet

    Happy New Year, John and all the Juicers. Fireworks still going here. Wish they’d quit so I can sleep. Dogs in the neighborhood still barking.

  63. 63.

    John Casey

    Happy New Year, JC, but your resolutions are incomplete.

    3. I will stay off all roofs.

    JC

  64. 64.

    ruemara

    Happy New Year y’all. I think I’ll go practice my french and hit the sack. Somehow, I don’t think I need to be awake for a new year to start.

  65. 65.

    Mike J

    If Ken Russel wasn’t dead I’d nominate him for pope. He knew how to do a religious scene in a move.

  67. 67.

    mai naem

    Happy Fucking New Year To All! May All Your Wishes and Resolutions come true.

    Kimchi has a disgusting smell. I don’t know how anybody can eat it with that stink.

  69. 69.

    magurakurin

    John, a hit tip to your for quitting the booze. I’m sure you will find it to be the best thing you ever did as even more time passes. I quit in 1988, and it remains to this day the single best thing I ever did to improve my life. Good luck to you and happy new year. Thanks for this blog, I read it every day, and I don’t think you are an asshole at all. cheers.

  71. 71.

    Ruckus

    @Steeplejack:
    My neighbors(every single one of them if you judge by the noise level) started the barrage(several sounded like medium bore artillery) about 10:30 but at about 12:15 went completely silent. So mine made up for yours. Count yourself lucky.

  72. 72.

    Villago Delenda Est

    John, unless Tapper was asking that question in preparation to answering it with some profiles of some of the crew and passengers lost, that was a perfectly good response on your part, because I’d wager Tapper was not asking that question in preparation to such profiles, because most of them were South Asians, who don’t count as real people as far as the scum of the Village are concerned.

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    Happy (slightly belated) New Year! I forgot to drink, so no hangover for me tomorrow. There will be a splash of Kahlua in the sauce for the chocolate chip Dutch baby, and we may crack open the prosecco if we have some orange juice.

  76. 76.

    R-Jud

    Happy New Year, John, and congrats on your first few months of sobriety! My mom just picked up her 10-year chip on Christmas Eve.

    I spent NYE on a plane traveling from EWR to BHX. The Bean puked on me four times– basically whenever she wasn’t sleeping– and the flight attendants were unbelievably unhelpful.

    Naturally, now that we’re home and clean, she’s wide awake, watching Star Wars, and my husband is upstairs kneeling in front of the toilet.

    I like to think it’s going to get better from here.

  83. 83.

    Citizen_X

    @R-Jud:

    watching Star Wars, and my husband is upstairs kneeling in front of the toilet.

    Phantom Menace has that effect.

Comments are closed.