• 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.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

No one could have predicted…

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.

This blog will pay for itself.

The next time the wall wtreet journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

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

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

I was promised a recession.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Come on, man.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by Soonergrunt|  October 15, 20159:17 pm| 124 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

FacebookTweetEmail

I’ve been doing a lot of hiking here in Salt Lake City and the surroundings.  It’s beautiful here.  Going to do some more this weekend.  I’m starting a new work schedule soon that will allow me every other Friday off.  Work is going well.  I’ve been driving around Utah and parts of western Colorado and southern Idaho for my job.  I’m so glad to be back in the mountains again.  Western Wyoming is also part of my area of responsibility, but I haven’t had any calls up there yet.  I went to Colorado earlier in the week, and I picked up a couple of cases of Fat Tire and 90 Schilling amber ales.  They’re pretty good.  There are local breweries here in SLC, some of them pretty good, but the beer here is on the expensive side.

If you can get out and about before the weather turns chilly where you’re at, I highly recommend you do so.

I haven’t been watching the news much recently, and I don’t notice that I’ve missed much.  I have been rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Netflix.

What’s on tap for you all this weekend?

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Rand reconfirmed
Next Post: The soft bigotry of no expectations »

Reader Interactions

124Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    I’m suspending my campaign so I can spend some time selling my book.

  2. 2.

    raven

    October 15, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    Hey man!

  3. 3.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    Who’s your favorite character on Buffy and DS9?

  4. 4.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    @redshirt:

    Willow is underrated.

  5. 5.

    JPL

    October 15, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    Happy hiking!

  6. 6.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    I love hiking but have never been to SLC. I’ll have to put it on my list.

  7. 7.

    chopper

    October 15, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    maybe I’ll enter the lucky charms sweepstakes. you can win one of ten limited-edition ‘marshmallow only’ boxes.

  8. 8.

    divF

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Here in NorCal everyone is complaining about the heat. Unlike you, we are waiting for Fall to come so that the weather is cool enough for outdoor activities.

    ETA:
    @chopper: Yuck!

  9. 9.

    Starfish

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Are you going to invest in snow tires soon? Yes or Yes

  10. 10.

    Gimlet

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/trump-campaign-manager-americans-wouldnt-flee-as-refugees-li#.kmKEg9JMQE

    Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says Americans wouldn’t become refugees like Syrians and questioned why young Syrian men are leaving instead of fighting to support their country.

    Since the start of the Syrian civil war, millions of Syrians have fled the war torn country for Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

    “When you think about it, fundamentally, people say okay, if you want to leave your country and you’re a healthy male maybe between the age of 18 and 35, why are you leaving you country to go to another country,” Lewandowski said this week on the John Fredericks Show. “I can’t imagine anyone from our country doing that. We would see our men, double down, support their country, make sure that we continue to have the greatest country in the world.”

  11. 11.

    PaulW

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Going to the Florida Writers Association conference this Friday.

    Gonna finish editing a novella for direct epublishing.

    Getting things prepped for NaNoWriMo here in Florida this November.

    I wanna see 100 of you writing 50000 word novels next month.

  12. 12.

    cmorenc

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    I’m an amateur astronomer, and I’m going to a star party at Staunton River State Park in southern Virginia camping out for the weekend with roughly 150 of us from across the US East Coast, and taking my two telescopes with me (a 12 inch aperture reflector, and a high-quality 4 inch apochromatic (no color distortion) refractor. This site is in an isolated rural area with relatively dark skies where the band of the Milky Way is visible naked-eye, as well as many fainter DSOs (deep-space objects) from tens of thousands to tens of millions of light-years away, including several thousand galaxies outside our own.

    To take off on an inversion of a classic line from the Monty Python “I’m a Lumberjack” skit…”we’ll observe all night and sleep all day”. You’ve got to love the name of the astro club from Chapel Hill, NC which organizes this twice-annual event: CHAOS (Chapel Hill astronomical observation society).

  13. 13.

    Mike J

    October 15, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    @Baud: Willow is one of the most beloved characters. Everyone loves Willow. She’s not underrated. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone say Buffy was their favorite character.

    I’m a Faith fan.

  14. 14.

    chopper

    October 15, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    for those interested, Biz explains it.

  15. 15.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    @Baud: Is she really? I feel like there are lots of people who love Willow and even Dark Willow. And even magic drug addict Willow.

  16. 16.

    Srv

    October 15, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    Bryce, Zion, arches, Mormons… Utah is like another planet.

    And the aliens there take slower traffic keep right seriously.

  17. 17.

    FlyingToaster

    October 15, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    It’s going to finally go below freezing this weekend (Boston area), so that the ragweed will let up. I cleared out the lower half of the backyard today (yard waste pickup tomorrow morning); I expect to do the upper half next week, and the side garden the week after that.

    Saturday morning is music school; afternoon is skateboard and bicycle; evening is Doctor Who.

    Supposedly there’s a performance that WarriorGirl is playing in Sunday, but the forecast says 44° at stage time, which is colder than her teacher wants violins playing. Especially outside in the wind. So we might get a Sunday off BEFORE Thanksgiving :)

  18. 18.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    @Mike J:

    Glad to hear the good news about Willow.

    Buffy didn’t age that well as the show went on, IMHO.

  19. 19.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    @FlyingToaster: It’s ragweed that’s been killing me lately?

  20. 20.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 9:31 pm

    Sooner, glad to hear the job is going well.

    Weight Watchers meeting tonight. I’ve lost 15.5 pounds since early September. Enjoying the moment, and not thinking about how much more I have to go.

  21. 21.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:31 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Maybe I can get some of his Brinks Trucks at a discount.

  22. 22.

    Mike J

    October 15, 2015 at 9:31 pm

    @Baud: Season 7 was interesting. BUffy wanted to charge in and fight the terrorists Big Bad all by herself, and it ends in a debacle. It only works when she brings in all the smaller powers (potential slayers) to help.

  23. 23.

    Soonergrunt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    @redshirt: On BVTS, I’ve always identified with Xander. With the exception of living on a hellmouth, his life was pretty much like mine in high school. Always second fiddle, always alone, until the one relationship he had in school, which he inevitably screwed up.
    On DS9, I’ve loved the whole crew, everything about the show. Other Trek always showed us what we could aspire to, but DS9 admits that even as we aspire to great things, we are still flawed creatures, but that we can be great in spite of ourselves.

  24. 24.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    @Baud:

    Buffy didn’t age that well as the show went on, IMHO.

    Bossy Buffy from Season 7 was a total jerk. Hey gang, here’s another lecture!

  25. 25.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 15, 2015 at 9:33 pm

    Judy Woodruff is speaking tomorrow at an event I am attending. Is she worth seeing?

  26. 26.

    Mike J

    October 15, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    @Soonergrunt: The Zeppo showed how important Xander was. He also got to nail Faith and made a vengeance demon love him.

    And of course he spent thanksgiving with syphilis.

  27. 27.

    Elizabelle

    October 15, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    @Baud: NOooooo!

  28. 28.

    beltane

    October 15, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    @Gimlet: This is why Trump is leading all other Republicans in the polls. He makes wingnuts feel good about themselves. Jeb just tells them that stuff happens.

  29. 29.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    @Soonergrunt:

    I watched the first 2-3 seasons of DS9, but I fell out of it. I should try to watch the whole series at some point since people really seem to like it.

  30. 30.

    Elizabelle

    October 15, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: I kinda like her. Creature of Washington, but she and husband Al Hunt still seem pretty sharp.

    Were it Cokie Roberts, I would advise “noooo! Find a happy hour instead!” Judy Woodruff might be good. You will have to tell us.

  31. 31.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    October 15, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    @divF:

    We are still on track for a strong El Niño year — at this point last year, it had already broken up. West Coasters should get their roofs checked now and not wait for the rains to show up:

    http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/101515-noaa-strong-el-nino-sets-the-stage-for-2015-2016-winter-weather.html

  32. 32.

    Soonergrunt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA: Congratulations!
    I’m still doing WW. Been hovering at 240lbs. Another reason I took up hiking.

  33. 33.

    benw

    October 15, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    Watching LA/NY. Tied in the 4th. Come on, Mets!

  34. 34.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    @Elizabelle:

    I’ll be back once Hillary and Bernie and O’Malley flounder and worried Democrats are looking for an alternative.

  35. 35.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    @Baud: Yeah, exactly when you stopped watching there’s this big war which lasts the whole rest of the show.

  36. 36.

    JPL

    October 15, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    It would be nice if someone told the falcons to hold on to the ball. ugh

  37. 37.

    benw

    October 15, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    @Baud: Pulling a Romney, eh?

  38. 38.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    @benw:

    My dogs ride inside the car, tyvm.

  39. 39.

    sharl

    October 15, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Sooner! Thanks for checking in, and for that report of living life well. I hope you find some fun winter weather to do as well.

    I remember growing to like ST:DS9 more than I thought I would, though I cannot fully explain that. I know that part of it was how they didn’t feel compelled to conclude those story arcs imbued with moral ambiguity* with figurative giant pretty tie-it-all-up ribbons and happy play-out music. [*For example, the manner by which Cisco contrived to get the Romulans involved as allies in a war.] Some thoughtful writing there IMO, but there’s a commenter in these parts who could address this series with more passion and insight than me, if his nym is any indication.

  40. 40.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    I so rarely watch tv now the commercials just kinda blow me away.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    October 15, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    @JPL:

    It won’t matter.

  42. 42.

    hilts

    October 15, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    What’s the event that you’re attending?

  43. 43.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    October 15, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA:

    Congrats! I lost 32 pounds in 2005 and got to lifetime (after 5 previous attempts). I gained some of it back after a knee surgery, but even half-assing the program had kept me from going all the way back up.

    Just keep plugging away and it will work. Perfectionism is the killer and is what leads to most people’s downfalls (“Well, I just ate two cookies, may as well finish the bag since I’ve already ruined everything!”)

  44. 44.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 15, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    @hilts: convocation at the university of the south

  45. 45.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    October 15, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    Weekend plans include taking the spouse to the airport (he’s going to Chicago for a few days to see his family) and going to Yarnosphere in Long Beach (CA). Hopefully it won’t suck.

  46. 46.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    @Soonergrunt: Where you are, it would be criminal not to hike.

    I walked or rode my bicycle everywhere before I left Brooklyn, and didn’t anticipate that I wouldn’t be able to do that when I moved to Georgia. I get a lot less exercise now.

    And I quit smoking a few years ago. I had read somewhere that people usually put on about 10 pounds when they quit. Right. 10 pounds a day, maybe.

    So yeah, I need to get this under control.

    @benw: Wore my 7 Line Army shirt the other night. It obviously didn’t help. Sorry.

  47. 47.

    PurpleGirl

    October 15, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    Began a couple of necklaces and will try to finish them this weekend. On Saturday there is a Pumpkin Patch fair at my complex and I’ll take a walk through it for the vendors. The kids will have inflatable rides and pumpkin carving areas. It’s aimed at building community among the newer residents with young kids (or grandkids). Then too there is also going to a yarn store for “I Love Yarn Day” activities. (I haven’t decided which store I want to go to yet.)

  48. 48.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    @Mnemosyne (tablet): Yep. I like the indulgence and activity points. They build cheating into the program. Works for me.

    Congrats on the weight loss!

  49. 49.

    Elizabelle

    October 15, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    @Baud: Dogs? Lucky dude. I have no pets at the moment. Sadly.

    Describe, please.

    I used to have beagles. And I will, again. (Right now, I take my neighbor’s lab/pit bull mix out walking 5X a week, minimum. Love that dog.)

  50. 50.

    Elizabelle

    October 15, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA: Did we ever find out if Mumphey named his pet “Mingobat?” Did we ever see a pet pic?

    ETA: I love your name. It’s one of the best, ever.

  51. 51.

    JPL

    October 15, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    @Baud: I blame Goodell

    if he is in your cabinet, don’t expect me to donate.. just sayin

  52. 52.

    Elizabelle

    October 15, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    @Baud: OK. But I kinda liked the daily campaigning and comments.

    Baud 2016. Your pets’ lives may depend on it.

  53. 53.

    benw

    October 15, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA: Can’t win ’em all. Congrats on the quitting and the weight loss!

  54. 54.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    October 15, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA:

    The articles I’ve seen said that nicotine burns at least an extra 100 calories a day (possibly more depending on how much you smoke) and it takes your body a full YEAR to re-adjust after you quit. Even if you cut back your food intake and increase your exercise, you could stay steady or even gain after you quit smoking because of that long re-adjustment.

  55. 55.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    October 15, 2015 at 9:58 pm

    Good to hear you’real well, SG.

  56. 56.

    NotMax

    October 15, 2015 at 9:59 pm

    @Baud

    so I can spend some time selling my book.

    Does the crayons come with it or are those extra?

    ;)

  57. 57.

    dedc79

    October 15, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    @benw: not a strong start by degrom by any means, but man is he working through it.

  58. 58.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    @Elizabelle: I don’t know what he named the dog. I probably missed that thread. Mingobat would have been great.

    I couldn’t come up with a good nym on my own. Should have just asked a three year old as soon as I started commenting here.

  59. 59.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 10:02 pm

    @Mnemosyne (tablet): I’ve seen the same info. I’m glad I didn’t see it when I was smoking — it would have given me another excuse not to quit.

  60. 60.

    currants

    October 15, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    Sooner, it’s always great to see you here.

  61. 61.

    Tim C.

    October 15, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    Saw this over at Slate. Short version is that Jeb! appears to be spending a large number of those Brinks trucks.

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/10/15/jeb_bush_s_campaign_spending_problem.html

    My initial read was Jeb! still had a shot if he could ride it out till Trump and Carson crash (which may be a false assumption). But this makes it seem the campaign is on the edge of disaster. Also, what does it say that Ben Carson got more money than Jeb? My eyes are popping out of my head.

  62. 62.

    MomSense

    October 15, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    Nice to see you, Sooner!

    Glad to hear all the shaper ups are shaping up!

    In spite of eating way too healthy my cholesterol is still high. The good is really good but still. When I first went veggie (plus some seafood) it improved but now it’s even worse than before.
    Maybe I should just eat a hamburger and forget about it.

  63. 63.

    ThresherK

    October 15, 2015 at 10:18 pm

    Wife sick, some weird infection on salivary glands behind the jaw which turned the skin on that area a bright pink. Anti-biotics going down the gullet, lots of rest and fluids. And I made homemade chocolate milkshakes, which she insists her doctor prescribed.

  64. 64.

    Jager

    October 15, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    Sooner drop into to Dinosaur National Monument. It’s great. The drive from there to Echo Park is a short one. Echo Park is the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers. Fantastic hiking. Major Powell had a great adventure there on his way to the Grand Canyon.

  65. 65.

    JPL

    October 15, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    @Tim C.: In order for Jeb to rise, he would have to call out Ben on his bull about the holocaust. Jeb is to scared to do it. If he did, Trump would attack him. They are appealing to the ignorant.

  66. 66.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 15, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    @MomSense: Same thing happened to me. My good got better but bad stayed bad. It’s probably genetic.

  67. 67.

    ThresherK

    October 15, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    @efgoldman: Gramm? Great comparison! He had negative charisma, no ideas to speak of, pundits held him in much more esteem than the public, and I don’t even remember who he lost the R-Nom to.

    Just another straight white male Christian who thought that overcoming all those advantages to win state-wide office in Texas meant he had political chops.

  68. 68.

    Felonius Monk

    October 15, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    @Baud: I so wanted to be Secretary of Jazz. I’ve even ordered lawn signs:

    Vote for Baud and Get the Fuck Off My Lawn

  69. 69.

    Doug R

    October 15, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    @cmorenc: Hope you get to check out that Dyson sphere.

  70. 70.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 10:24 pm

    @MomSense: What kind of oils do you cook with?

  71. 71.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    @Doug R: It can’t be a fully functional Dyson Sphere.

  72. 72.

    MomSense

    October 15, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    @redshirt:

    Just olive oil.

  73. 73.

    Schlemazel

    October 15, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    We are in Northern Minnesota, had hoped to do some biking on the beautiful fall trails but the wind was about 1000 MPH so we just did some walking. Tomorrow looks to be about the same, we’ll see. Probably going to see The Bemidji Beavers play the North Dakota Green Slime (women’s collegiate hockey).

    Sooner – glad to hear you seem to be in a better place, hope everything is looking up from here.

  74. 74.

    MomSense

    October 15, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I think it is genetic.

  75. 75.

    Doug R

    October 15, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    @Baud: I liked the ferrengi episodes, found the rest of the show depressing and tedious.

  76. 76.

    amk

    October 15, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    aqua buddha – I may be under water but I am still breathing, ok? Now, leave me ALONE.

  77. 77.

    benw

    October 15, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    @dedc79: Totally. Now Syndegaard trying to hold a 3-2 lead.

  78. 78.

    Doug R

    October 15, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    @redshirt: it’s still under construction of course

  79. 79.

    PurpleGirl

    October 15, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    @MomSense: The thing about cholesterol is that not all of it comes from external sources. The body also produces it. It can be a very hard thing to fight and reduce.

  80. 80.

    MomSense

    October 15, 2015 at 10:41 pm

    @Felonius Monk:

    Did you see the concert at the White House last night? My hero Buddy guy played and Trombone Shorty was amazing. The whole concert was great.

  81. 81.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 10:42 pm

    @efgoldman:

    @redshirt: @MomSense: Not moose oil or bear oil?

    I have beaver gland secretions that I keep for special cooking occasions.

  82. 82.

    blueskies

    October 15, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Dude, seriously, UINTA Brewing.

  83. 83.

    Denali

    October 15, 2015 at 10:44 pm

    @Soonergrunt,

    Great to hear from you! Makes me want to plan a trip out west to the desert and the mountains.

  84. 84.

    Gin & Tonic

    October 15, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Here’s a great headline from my Google news feed: “2 Men Argue, Shoot Each Other on NC Street; Both Die”

  85. 85.

    schrodinger's cat

    October 15, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    @Baud: Season 5 is the best season. I love DS9. Best Trek ever, it has great characters, Kai Winn, Garak, Gul Dukat.

  86. 86.

    seaboogie

    October 15, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    @Baud: Once you’ve sold your book, you should probably buy another one, it’s nice to have some reading material at hand.

  87. 87.

    Jay C

    October 15, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Definitely Darwin Award nominees.

    Heh. An Award which is very often given posthumously….

  88. 88.

    schrodinger's cat

    October 15, 2015 at 10:55 pm

    I have been tuning out the derp of the presidential campaign by and large. Been delving deeper into history of the Raj. It was even worse than I had imagined.

  89. 89.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 15, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    @efgoldman: Yes, it’s like winning Upper Class Twit of the Year.

  90. 90.

    PurpleGirl

    October 15, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    @efgoldman: That’s why I said he should get an honorable mention… he didn’t take himself out of the gene pool but he might have.

  91. 91.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 15, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    @efgoldman: Last event is shooting one’s self.

  92. 92.

    seaboogie

    October 15, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    @Elizabelle: @Baud: Only good thing about that Romney dog story (which still has me SMH is astonishment – who fucking DOES that!?) was the noble creature’s name – Seamus – also the name of my beloved former golden companion (hence my nym).

    I have a DFH, dog loving neighbor who had a “Dogs Against Romney” sign in her yard – next to the water bowl for the neighborhood pooches. We’d always stop for a sip after a swim in the pond after I took the original Seaboogie for a walk and swim.

  93. 93.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 11:14 pm

    #neverturnonheat

  94. 94.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 15, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    @efgoldman: Including the self-parasitic vampirism.

  95. 95.

    seaboogie

    October 15, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: When I was just a sprite I dated a rather much older fellow from the UK who worked for the Beeb during the Python days. He related one tale where the Python fellows tied him to his office chair, gagged him and rolled him onto the elevator and left him there. It was a fond memory for him. Then again, this is the same fellow who moved in with a colleague and her husband, and the former BF and colleague were having an affair – I guess they do things differently across the pond. “Darling, you won’t mind terribly if my lover comes to live with us, will you dearest?”

  96. 96.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    October 15, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    @benw: Well, that was fun. I hate having to root against Chicago, but not that much.

  97. 97.

    Wally Ballou

    October 15, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    The Mets will be facing the Cubs in the NLCS, aka the Ron Santo Memorial Series.

  98. 98.

    joel hanes

    October 15, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Don’t ever change. Or forget.

    hat-tip

  99. 99.

    joel hanes

    October 15, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    @redshirt:

    It can’t be a fully functional Dyson Sphere.

    “It looks like a star with a ring around it.
    What is it?”

  100. 100.

    ruemara

    October 15, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    Sounds like you’re really working on that mind-body connection, Sooner. I hope things are moving where you want them to.

    My weekend starts right now. I’ve had the most painful communication with my storyboard artist, but I think we’ve worked out that he is working on finishing the big dance scene and there’s about 7 more pages to finish up. I am delving into the workpile of AD, which means I’m knee deep in the legal paperwork for rights, clearances & NDAs, and generating the call sheets. 7 days to principle shooting. And film insurance is expensive y’all. All this, and I need to figure out costumes.

    Support a literal starving artist. I’ve cut out food and gone without health insurance, so go buy a nice picture or something. get a damn bug on a cup, but buy a damn thing. https://unimedia.smugmug.com/ yes, I’m cranky, sleepy and hungry and I spent all my marcom skills at work.

  101. 101.

    joel hanes

    October 15, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    @redshirt:

    beaver gland secretions

    Actual Castor oil?

    I hear it’s good for winter moccasins.

  102. 102.

    benw

    October 15, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA: Tense, but good. I’m happy to root against the Cubs! Chicago means White Sox.

  103. 103.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 15, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    @joel hanes: I think he meant bile.

  104. 104.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 11:49 pm

    @joel hanes:

    @redshirt:

    It can’t be a fully functional Dyson Sphere.

    “It looks like a star with a ring around it.
    What is it?”

    They say it’s a collection of comets; a commentary collection kicking off copious amounts of dust. Could the disturbance be this cloud?

  105. 105.

    Jager

    October 15, 2015 at 11:50 pm

    @efgoldman:

    I recall a live Darwin Award Winner from a few years ago. He replaced a fuse in his pickup with a .22 cartridge, it heated up and hit him in the family jewels rendering him sterile.

  106. 106.

    realbtl

    October 15, 2015 at 11:50 pm

    You’re in beautiful country SG, enjoy as much of it as you can.

    I left beautiful Montana today for a 4 day visit to my daughter in Albany NY. Never been in NY so looking forward to seeing the sights and hopefully getting in some good ethnic food eating.
    Maybe even real bagels rather than the pale imitations I get at home.

  107. 107.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 15, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    @Jager: Aha. A technicality. As a lawyer, I like it.

  108. 108.

    SFAW

    October 15, 2015 at 11:53 pm

    dedc79, benw, and the rest of the Mets fans –

    I know what we’re doing Saturday night, starting around 8 PM.

    Of course, it would be nice if Cespedes stops swinging at balls in Australia (or China, or wherever they were), and if Duda reverts to his July-vintage streakiness, instead of his current 0.600 KAB percentage [sic].And I hope deGrom returns to his usual form in his next start.

    @benw:

    I hear ya. My brother hates the Cubbies – not enough to have a shrine to Bartman, however – and it’s rubbed off on me.

    LET’S GO METS!

  109. 109.

    J R in WV

    October 15, 2015 at 11:55 pm

    Sooner, good to hear from you! I second Dinosaur National Monument, a wonderful place to hang! And look into the mystery of the Uinta Mountains, which are sideways from all the other basin and range mountain ranges, for no detectable reason.

    I’m going to help the next door neighbor and best friend finish putting cedar siding on their new house. It’s been finished with the best house-wrap for years now, and they finally gave in and ordered siding, which is beautiful! The house is so much more finished with siding on it, DUH! And the wood is so pretty with the sun shining on it.

    They have an acre on the ridge top edge of our farm, where they have been building their new house for years, mostly by themselves. She worked with a friend who was an electrician, and is now a licensed electrician herself, and does all the tricky wiring projects.

    They’re both biologists, he works for the feds and was counting on a government shutdown to do the siding, but gave up on the Rs to come through when he needed them a week or so ago. All there is left to do is one gable end and some smaller dormer sides up on the roof.

    I think it will be great fun, since I haven’t been worrying about it for 4 or 5 years. Neighbor probably has a different outlook!

    Should be pretty in WV for the next couple of weeks, beautiful fall weather. I just did bring in the begonia from the front porch, lest she get too cold.

  110. 110.

    Karen

    October 15, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    @SFAW:

    My father keeps asking me if we can keep Cespedes but I want to keep Murphy!

  111. 111.

    redshirt

    October 15, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    @realbtl:

    I left beautiful Montana today for a 4 day visit to my daughter in Albany NY. Never been in NY so looking forward to seeing the sights and hopefully getting in some good ethnic food eating.
    Maybe even real bagels rather than the pale imitations I get at home.

    Good luck to you.

    I doubt you’ll get the best ethnic food in Albany, unless you are truly from the deepest of Montana. And then it will be pretty good. Like, all Thai food is god.

  112. 112.

    dedc79

    October 16, 2015 at 12:03 am

    @SFAW:

    Heroes of the series

    1) Murphy (3 HRs off of Kershaw/Greinke and the heads up move to third base on the walk)
    2) deGrom (Lights out in Game 1 and fought through 6 hard innings tonight)
    3) Familia (16 up, 16 down including 6 out save)

    Cespedes has looked lost out there, other than that monster home run in game 3, but I think getting away from Kershaw/Greinke will do wonders for him. Wright and Duda will need to wake up too.

  113. 113.

    LeonS

    October 16, 2015 at 12:08 am

    I started DS9 but chickened out. Those 7 seasons scare me. I’m worried once I get into it I’ll sit there for 100 hours straight, losing my job and family… Man was not made for netfilx!

  114. 114.

    SFAW

    October 16, 2015 at 12:22 am

    @Karen:
    Murphy’s likely gone, Herrera probably take his place, and from what I can glean from my brother (who follows them more closely than I do), it could be an upgrade.. Cespedes? I’m not convinced yet. Yeah, he had a great August, but his batting eye is not the best (to put it tactfully) – he goes after scalp-high fastballs, and stuff bouncing off the left-hand batter’s box (I think I saw him do that five times tonight, maybe more, tonight). And all that August or September talk about him as MVP seemed pretty f’ing silly.

    @dedc79:

    I agree with almost everything you wrote. I don’t think distance from Kershaw/Greinke will necessarily cause Cespedes to get back to his July/August form – chasing after scalp-high fastballs is something he does, even when he was hitting well. The fishing after stuff low-and-so-far-away-it-was-in-the-dugout is another problem for him, and I don’t think it’s a function of Kershaw/Greinke. I’m also disappointed with d’Arnaud, and Wright needs to get his shit together in the next two days. I don’t even bother watching his at-bats for the last three games, because his batting has been terrible. He’s about a .300 hitter lifetime, it would be nice if he could get to half of that.

    I was really nervous after the First, and I figure deGrom was tired, because he doesn’t usually have to pitch out of jams every inning. Probably means the Mets need to stick with a five-man rotation next year.

    But, no matter what: LET’S GO METS!!!

    ETA: And Sandy Alderson needs to find a batting coach. Yeah, Long has a good resume and all that, but a lot of the Mets’ problems would improve if they could learn how to hit – consistently.

  115. 115.

    Petorado

    October 16, 2015 at 12:22 am

    Sooner, since you’re in SLC you’ll have to get some brews from Wasatch Brewery, especially the Polygamy Porter– “Can’t have just one!” They’re notable for the humorous tweaks at the non-imbibing populace in the Beehive State. But if you cross the CO border, consult this map to find some more of the good stuff.

    If you ever make it further east and cross the divide, I’m sure some of us Front Rangers could get together for a meetup and play host to show you around the Napa Valley of beer over here. Would be fun!

  116. 116.

    burnspbesq

    October 16, 2015 at 12:25 am

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA:

    Wore my 7 Line Army shirt the other night

    Which one do you have?

    I think I’m going to take my life in my hands tomorrow, and wear my “Take Back New York” t-shirt under my Seaver jersey while out and about in SoCal.

  117. 117.

    burnspbesq

    October 16, 2015 at 12:27 am

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    I assume that by now everyone knows that the Andrew J. Robinson who played Garak is the same Andy Robinson who played the killer in the first Dirty Harry movie.

  118. 118.

    SFAW

    October 16, 2015 at 12:32 am

    @Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA:

    7 Liine Army? Outstanding!

    @burnspbesq:

    my Seaver jersey

    What do you have against The Glider?

    Just kidding. Loved Seaver, and may Dick Young burn in Hell forever.

  119. 119.

    FlyingToaster

    October 16, 2015 at 12:56 am

    @efgoldman: Suzuki School of Newton. The Newton Harvest Festival is held outside on the Green in Newton Centre.

    Not the orchestra, just the Book 2&3 violins and violas.

  120. 120.

    FlyingToaster

    October 16, 2015 at 12:59 am

    @redshirt: I live two blocks off the Charles. Your mileage may vary.

  121. 121.

    FlyingToaster

    October 16, 2015 at 1:22 am

    @efgoldman: WarriorGirl doesn’t go to public school. When I realized what was happening with Watertown, she’d already done two years in SSN’s preschool. I kept her there for pre-K and found a local private school that includes weekly group Suzuki strings. She’ll be there until 8th grade. She’ll keep on at SSN through at least book 3 (end of 4th grade, probably), and then I’ll let her make the call.

    The new Watertown Superintendent is talking about reinstating the art, music, and foreign language programs in the grade schools, since eliminating them in favor of test prep has caused scores to drop.

  122. 122.

    NotMax

    October 16, 2015 at 1:23 am

    @realblt

    Albany is, in a word, a pit. Makes Harrisburg look fast-paced, cosmopolitan and exciting. Wouldn’t expect much insofar as real Noo Yawk bagels.

    Haven’t been there in probably 50 years, though. Venerable eateries? Keeler’s, sadly, is long gone. However, Jack’s Oyster House appears to still be chugging along.

  123. 123.

    Aleta

    October 16, 2015 at 3:12 am

    @realbtl: You can find true old style nyc bagels in Troy, (closer to how H&H bagels were), but I guess your daughter knows where to take you in Albany, too. Good NYC pizza in Troy too, and of course lots of Greek and very good Italian in Albany-Troy etc. From Troy if you drive east on Rt 2, the road starts to climb pretty quickly and the foliage should be getting great right now. It’s probably nice in any direction, but 2 is a fun road going toward Vt and Ma, where the leaves are probably going wild this week. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

  124. 124.

    Hunter

    October 16, 2015 at 10:08 am

    It’s already gotten chilly here, at least by my standards — fifties and sixties, but with biting winds — so I think sitting in the park reading is over for the year. Been exploring some of Chicago’s cultural offerings (in the broad sense) — the Chicago Architecture Biennial is at the Cultural Center and a few other places, and I’ve been reacquainting myself with the Field Museum.

    And watching Midsommer Murders and nature programs from PBS and the BBC on Netflix. Midsommer Murders is excellent, but the nature programs are really not much more than anecdotes strung together.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

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

2023 Pet Calendars

Pet Calendar Preview: A
Pet Calendar Preview: B

*Calendars can not be ordered until Cafe Press gets their calendar paper in.

Recent Comments

  • NotMax on Respite Open Thread: *Legendary* Bucket-List Outing (Jan 27, 2023 @ 5:24am)
  • eclare on Respite Open Thread: *Legendary* Bucket-List Outing (Jan 27, 2023 @ 5:12am)
  • sab on Respite Open Thread: *Legendary* Bucket-List Outing (Jan 27, 2023 @ 4:46am)
  • NotMax on Respite Open Thread: *Legendary* Bucket-List Outing (Jan 27, 2023 @ 4:37am)
  • Ruckus on Respite Open Thread: *Legendary* Bucket-List Outing (Jan 27, 2023 @ 4:36am)

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
We All Need A Little Kindness
Favorite Dogs & Cats
Classified Documents: A Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Front-pager Twitter

John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
ActualCitizensUnited

Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice   

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

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

Email sent!