Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Second rate reporter says what?

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

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

This really is a full service blog.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

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

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

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

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

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

I was promised a recession.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

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NFL Open Thread

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I’ve got to go to an outdoor family birthday shindig shortly, so I’m going to miss most the action. But here are my fearless picks:

week 11 nfl picks

As I’ve freely admitted, wishful thinking is a factor in some of my picks (except for the Bucs, where my hard-won pessimism manifests), but my track record on bending events to my will is spotty at best. Perhaps it’s time for a new strategy…

The Patriots are an absolute lock to win tomorrow. They are going to beat the Bills and beat them soundly — you can take that to the bank. By the shimmering blue light in Tom Brady’s irises to the dark, shadowed shelter in the hollow of His chin dimple, the New England Patriots are going to win!

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

161Comments

  2. 2.

    Bitter Old Man

    Don’t bet against the Lions! This is the time of the year when they usually start winning in order to screw up their draft position. I think Oakland is the favorite, so the Lions can’t win without covering.

    Not that I recommend betting on the Lions, either.

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Today is huge for the Packers. Either they get their shit together and start playing like they did at the beginning of the season or their slump endangers their season.

  6. 6.

    Tom Levenson

    Best thing about the Pats playing on Monday is that I don’t give my family further reason to take away my phone to prevent my obsessive refreshing of the score (as I pretend to pay attention to them, and try to stick to my resolution of watching an amount of NFL that asymptotically approaches zero). At least on Monday evening I can hide from scrutiny more easily.

  7. 7.

    redshirt

    Ah, Betty trying the old “reverse jinx” trick.

    Objectively, Mrs. Cracker, I give the Bills a decent shot. The Pats have suffered a lot of big injuries the past few weeks, and the Bills have been playing well. That said, Pats 27, Bills 20.

    My UPSET LOCK OF THE WEEK is Chicago over Denver. Book it, Libs.

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    B Crack, you’re picking Brock O’s first start at CHI for the Broncos? Think that maybe their tenacious D may be revitalized and shut down the Bears run game (since Alshon is out Langford is all the O da Bearz have) ?
    And picking against the Triumphal Tony Rome Return?
    I like the Cards in their matchup v Cincy and I simply have no idea what kind of team the Atlanta Falcons are right now.

  10. 10.

    Corner Stone

    Brussels is closing schools on Monday.

    MSNBC: The Belgium Minister is speaking native Flemish. We don’t have a translator for that but we’re going to continue to listen to him for a while anyway.

  11. 11.

    Tom Levenson

    @redshirt: I’m a no-cable guy (or rather, minimal cable that does not include ESPN, and kept only because it is, bizarrely, cheaper to get the two-service bundle than just reasonable internet speeds). But, of course, I’m a local, so they serve the game up to us on NBC.

  12. 12.

    CaseyL

    @Corner Stone:

    MSNBC: The Belgium Minister is speaking native Flemish. We don’t have a translator for that but we’re going to continue to listen to him for a while anyway.

    Now that’s funny. I wonder if they had their French interpreter all ready to go, and what followed was a few minutes of utter panic as their French interpreter said, “Um… he’s not speaking French,” and everyone asked, “What language is it, then?,” until someone finally realized it was Flemish, and put out an SOS asking if anyone in the building is fluent in Flemish. Meanwhile, the video feed played on…

  14. 14.

    scav

    @Corner Stone: Sorry, my first instinct is that a lack of a translator wouldn’t impede comprehension by the audience in any form, shape or fashion, but then I remembered the journalists have a mild interest in getting any examples of red-blooded bomb them all quotes, so maybe would regret the absence (saves effort of having to invent rationales).

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    @CaseyL: They did have their French translator there. The minister spoke in French for a bit but apparently someone asked him a question in Flemish and that’s how he answered. I do imagine it caught MSNBC by surprise.
    The other day when Kerry gave his speech in French they were translating it and then it shifted to his Russian counterpart and the translator said on air, “He’s speaking Russian. I don’t speak that.”

  17. 17.

    scav

    @Corner Stone: So the language options have apparently been reduced to “American” and “Foreign”? Oh, or yet another example of downsizing the workforce to the point where you’ve not the staff to handle anything but bog standard.

  18. 18.

    jeffreyw

    My attempt, last week, at producing a banana blueberry loaf with cinnamon crunch topping failed. Mrs J diagnosed the failure to be a result of too many blueberries. Sounds crazy, I know! Too many blueberries is an oxymoron, I say. Mrs J is trying to prove me wrong today. The betting window is open.

  20. 20.

    JPL

    Betty just put a jinx on the Pats, imo. Since I’m without cable, I can’t watch the Pats but ESPN now has a lock on college football playoff games. ugh

  21. 21.

    Brachiator

    @Corner Stone:

    Brussels is closing schools on Monday.

    So, things continue to be in shutdown mode?

    I cannot say that I blame them. Even if someone wants to say that fear, or caution, has won. It’s just too simplistic to insist on the defiance of acting as though there is no danger.

    Not being a big sports fan, I watched some of the Sunday news shows. Nothing but confusion and nonsense. Maybe I will watch some football instead.

  24. 24.

    Scout211

    So does anyone else think that the 49ers placing Kaepernick on injured reserve for the rest of the season for a non-throwing arm shoulder injury . . . sound fishy?

  25. 25.

    Corner Stone

    @jeffreyw:

    Mrs J is trying to prove me wrong today. The betting window is open.

    My bet is that whatever outcome Mrs. J produces, it will be loudly delicious.

  27. 27.

    Amir Khalid

    @Corner Stone:
    It amazes me that MSNBC can be in Belgium and not have a Flemish interpreter available. Do its people there only ever meet French speakers?

  30. 30.

    redshirt

    @Scout211: It seems like it might be, but it’s definitely not. Due to arcane clauses in his contract, if he’s injured they can’t cut him until he starts playing again – which would be next year. So this limits the 49ers options, thus it does not seem fishy.

  31. 31.

    Corner Stone

    @Brachiator: MSNBC tells me that the city of Brussels is on “maximum” threat level and the areas in the rest of Belgium one level lower. They have shut down mass transit and now schools. Whatever intel they got a hold of, it certainly made their nether regions pucker and pucker hardcore.

  32. 32.

    FlyingToaster

    @scav: Oddly enough, MSNBC is located in NYC, where there are translators available around the clock (see: United Nations).

    I think it’s because the higher-ups at Comcast don’t know that Belgium is made up of Flemings (speaking a variant of Dutch) and Walloons (speaking a variant of French). Dog help them if you have to interview someone from Switzerland*. So they don’t want to staff up for some language that nobody knows about*.

    *French, German, Italian or Römansch
    *New York used to be New Amsterdam. Comcast is not only evil, it’s fucking stupid.

  36. 36.

    jeffreyw

    @Corner Stone: Ha! No bet. Mine was tasty but it assumed the form of a breakfast bar rather than that of a loaf. She just asked if the batter looked a bit too dry and I told her I added a little water at this stage, thinking the same thing.

  37. 37.

    redshirt

    @Scout211: I believe so, as long as they don’t have anyone else on IR.

    They’ll try and trade Kaep so I don’t see how it’s in their interests to create a fake injury. Its real.

  39. 39.

    JPL

    @Corner Stone: Why wouldn’t the terrorists just wait? I’m not sure they have the police force necessary to go door to door.

    My son did consulting work in Brussels. He was there for months on and off.

  41. 41.

    Tenar Darell

    @Tom Levenson: Nice to know I’m not the only one. But, usually no one is around to stop me/guilt me. Oh, and re: tv watching, it’s not cheating if the game is on at the gym, is it?

  43. 43.

    debbie

    @Corner Stone:

    I heard about this overnight on the BBC, but nothing here so far today:

    The heightened terror threat is thought to have been sparked by fears that Salah Abdeslam is in hiding in the Brussels area. The 26-year-old French man is believed to be one of the ringleaders of the Paris attacks in which 130 people died last Friday. He has reportedly been in touch with friends on Skype asking for help in getting back to Syria.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/nov/21/paris-attacks-three-suspects-including-alleged-scout-arrested-in-turkey-live

  44. 44.

    scav

    @FlyingToaster: Two languages in a single country?! How can that be?? No civil wars over who gets the #1 button in automated phone messaging?! (I actually somehow knew a Römansch speaker. He looked and acted far more Italian than one Italian I knew at the time, who was actually born in Switzerland as that was the closest hospital to his village.)

  45. 45.

    Corner Stone

    That was a nice defensive play by the Jets DB to break up an almost catch by Watt in the end zone.

  47. 47.

    Corner Stone

    @JPL: I’m not sure but if I had to guess I would say any possible terrorist in-country would be overthinking what intel had been picked up by the govt there. So either panic and try a hasty exit or maybe decide to attempt to carry out their plan and take as many with them as possible.

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    @Corner Stone: Yep. I was reading the BBC news story about the situation there:

    Brussels will stay on the highest level of terror alert, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel says, amid a manhunt for suspects linked to the Paris attacks.

    Schools, universities and the metro in the Belgian capital will remain closed on Monday, Mr Michel said.

    “The threat is broader than the one suspected terrorist,” he told Flemish broadcaster VRT.

    Soldiers joined police officers on patrols in Brussels over the weekend. Many public spaces in the usually bustling capital were deserted, as people heeded official warnings to avoid crowds.

    I don’t know how long something like this can be sustained, or what has to be done to restore some feelings of security.

  49. 49.

    khead

    @redshirt:

    My UPSET LOCK OF THE WEEK is Chicago over Denver. Book it, Libs

    I’m with you, but Denver made things look too easy on their first drive.

  50. 50.

    scav

    @FlyingToaster: Additionally, what sort of journalistic lack of curiosity (or, being kind, amnesia) can result in everyone bering able to trot out that Belgium didn’t have a government for ever so long and not having a clue about the two language populations that really stood rather at the heart of it.

  51. 51.

    ? Martin

    @JPL: I think one concern is that the house in Saint-Denis that was raided apparently was prepared for a new attack. One open question in all of this is who is making the suicide bombs? The worry is that they’re coming out of Brussels and that there is an undiscovered bomb factory that is presumably equipped to strike and the authorities are just hoping to tighten things down enough that they can close in on it. It may be easier to find new people to coordinate attacks than find people who are experienced at making these kinds of bombs, so you want to root out the latter more than the former.

  53. 53.

    max

    It ate my post. FSCK. OK, still no idea what’s happening, so its just like picking on time.

    Oakland over Detroit. Indy over Atlanta. No idea about Jets/Houston. Bucs over Philly. Denver over Chicago anyway. Minne over GB. St.L. over Baltimore (agh). Dallas surprising Miami, also surprising Dallas, probably me as well. Carolina over DC because ha ha. Arizona over Cincy. No idea about SF v. Seattle, inclined to go with SF for some stupid reason. KC over SD. Buffalo over New England because I am stupid that way.

    except for the Bucs, where my hard-won pessimism manifests

    The Bucs have apparently remembered what sport they’re playing.

    max
    [‘They might even continue until the end of the season! It could happen!’]

  54. 54.

    Brachiator

    @scav:

    Two languages in a single country?! How can that be?? No civil wars over who gets the #1 button in automated phone messaging?!

    No, but you get occasional political paralysis.

    Back in 2010-2011, Belgium had a political crisis that prevented formation of a government for 589 days. They managed to survive, but this had to be a pain in the butt. Imagine if we had government gridlock like that here in the US. Oh, wait….

  55. 55.

    tbone

    The only good thing about the Patriots season this year is my fantasy football team name:
    Tom Brady’s Deflated Balls.

    Unfortunately the best thing about the team is the name.

  57. 57.

    Zinsky

    @Omnes Omnibus: The Vikings are going to beat the Packers like a rented mule. Like a red-headed step-child. So hard their children will be born dizzy. Etc.

    The Vikings will lay plunder to their land and hearth, burn thier families and salt the earth in thier wake. And they will get mean!

  58. 58.

    khead

    Every week I pick a bunch of teams that I like (or think I like anyway – see list above) and put them in parlays. Then, usually at the last minute, I pick a “what the hell” card of teams. Today’s “what the hell” card is TB, St Louis, and SD. So far, it looks better than most of the other stuff I picked.

  63. 63.

    Goblue72

    @redshirt: Jamie Collins, who was set to return, is apparently not playing against the Bills Monday and is not over his going on 2 weeks illness.

    Edelman out until start of post-season, Lewis out for entire season, Solder gone for the season, Collins still out, Marcus Cannon is questionable, Vollmer is questionable, and now Chandler Jones has a nagging abdomen injury.

    I’m just praying Brady stays upright most of the game, we play kinda soft and just eek out a win without having to push too hard. The boys need some rest.

    Our bye week came way too early in the season.

  70. 70.

    Goblue72

    @redshirt: True. And non-football related injuries can be kept vague on the injury reports.

    The Jones thing freaked me out. He has a history of being unable to stay healthy. But he’s such a disruptive force. It’s been so long since we’ve had a real pass rush. This year’s front 7 are reminding me of the days of Seymour, McGinest, Warren and Bruschi.

  71. 71.

    redshirt

    @Goblue72: Yeah, and the secondary is way better than anyone thought it would be. I feel like we might have to rely on our D for a few weeks until the offense can retool with the loss of Lewis and Edelman.

  74. 74.

    Goblue72

    @redshirt: Secondary a pleasant surprise. Though I expect our really good play up front has been making the backfield look better. The team is disrupting the QB and stuffing the run quite well. Overall, our defense is ranked middle of the pack in the NFL, but we’re #2 against the run and #3 in team sack totals, but kinda middling against the pass.

  76. 76.

    khead

    Cutler throws awful INT. Denver RB returns the favor by tripping on grass on 4th and 1 inside the 5.

  81. 81.

    redshirt

    @Goblue72: No doubt, but Malcolm Butler made me a true believer last week against Beckham – arguably the best WR in the league. Butler is better than Revis, especially compared to this year’s Revis.

  83. 83.

    currants

    @Tommy: TOMMY!

    Quick thank you: for the first time, I wrote an entire comment (in another thread), hit enter, and did NOT lose the whole thing because I forgot to log in first. Nice upgrade–THANK YOU!

  90. 90.

    Corner Stone

    @Davebo: Blue shows flashes once in a while but comes and goes, ISTM. Grimes is a more reliable between the tackles runner but IMO won’t break a defense. We’re really running up a steep hill without a healthy Foster.

  94. 94.

    Corner Stone

    @JPL: Indeed I am! But what I said earlier still holds. I have no idea what to expect from this years Falcons squad. Finish the year 2 – 5? Split it 4 – 3? Who knows.

  95. 95.

    Corner Stone

    Bad job by Texans upstairs booth. Why challenge that catch call?

    ETA, there was no good reason to challenge that. Not enough film to overturn and you still have them in the middle of the field.

  98. 98.

    Goblue72

    @redshirt: That is a total fanboi statement.

    Revis may be starting the downside of his career. He’s getting older and had an ACL injury a couple years back. Coaches will need to use him a wee bit differently than just letting him do his thing. But he’s a first ballot HOF lock and still a very good player.

    Butler is holding his own in this his second season, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

  100. 100.

    redshirt

    @Goblue72: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Revis has had a notably down year. Butler is playing great – he shut down Beckham last week with one on one coverage.

  104. 104.

    redshirt

    @Davebo: Now I’m even more curious – how is it used by landscapers? Why is it called monkey grass?

    To note, I am doing large landscaping work right now and in the spring will be planting a ton of grass, so can this “monkey grass” help me?

  106. 106.

    marduk

    @Goblue72: No, it’s obvious watching the games. Revis is getting exploited by offenses now. Just blown away by double moves deep. He’s not suddenly a bad corner but he’s definitely performing worse than Butler this year.

  109. 109.

    Botsplainer

    OT – I have been vetoed on the addition of chorizo to the stuffing, which I think is a crime.

    Did it once about five years ago (had it browned off and slipped it in when nobody was looking); I found it marvelous.

  111. 111.

    max

    @Botsplainer: OT – I have been vetoed on the addition of chorizo to the stuffing, which I think is a crime.

    Could you get away with spicy Italian sausage?

    max
    [‘Sausage in stuffing is not that uncommon.’]

  112. 112.

    redshirt

    @Davebo: Google? Cool, I’ll look it up.

    Since you’re a trusted Texan fan and one of the few not pied by Corner Stone, can you do me a favor and ask him how many people he has blocked? I have an over/under of 15.

  113. 113.

    gene108

    Goodness Betty, your Bucs are crushing the Eagles. Martin might set the single game rushing record.

    Off-season is going to suck in the greater Philadelhpia area.

    Philly is going through pro-sports hell right now.

  115. 115.

    Elmo

    With my beloved Chargers going 2-7 so far and talking about moving to hated Los Angeles, I think my 30-year obsession is in its last days. If they actually do move, they will be dead to me.

  116. 116.

    Botsplainer

    @max:

    Best I can do is a side dish of dressing. The only pork products allowed around the turkey are the slices of bacon which baste and protect the bird for the first couple of hours of roasting (the gravy is the shizzle).

  117. 117.

    JPL

    I’m trying to put up snow village houses and watch the Falcons at the same time. That’s a dangerous thing to do if you are a Falcons fan.

  118. 118.

    elmo

    slices of bacon which baste and protect the bird

    I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    @Botsplainer

    No law against offering more than one choice of stuffing.

    (Chorizo lacks the pronounced sage note of a good country-style type sausage, but whatever floats yer boat.)

    Which reminds me that should begin the soaking of various dried fruits in cheap brandy for use in the stuffing I usually make strictly for use with Turkey Day leftovers.

  123. 123.

    PurpleGirl

    As anyone here ever made a turducken? I have a friend of who made one for his birthday dinner one year. A lot of work, a lot of work. But it is good when you slice it and see the three different fowl meats and stuffings. My friend has not made one again but he’s been tempted to buy one ready made.

  125. 125.

    goblue72

    @marduk: I don’t think anything I wrote indicates contrary. Yes, Revis skills are declining, and yes, Butler is holding his own.

    But, its only his second season. He didn’t look all that hot against Decker a few weeks ago in the Jets game. And at some point, he needs to go from breaking up passing plays, to forcing more turnovers. He’s 1 interception so far this season. Revis, even in his decline, has 3.

    Like I said, coaches will need to use Revis a little differently. BB knew what he was doing with Revis last season, used him appropriately, and Revis finished the season as the Pats best defensive player. Just throwing him man-on-man at every team’s #1 and letting him do “Revis Island” isn’t going to work as well going forward. That said, I don’t think Bowles is that coach. To the degree Revis wanted to go out on a high note with the back-end of his career, he needed to chase the money less and chase the coach more. I have no doubt that if he was still on the Pats that BB would use him well and he’d be the best player on their secondary.

  129. 129.

    NotMax

    Way too much work for something that is primarily a novelty.

    IMHO, also, the duck (like the proverbial cheese) stands alone. Too luscious a voice to get lost in the trio, as it were.

  139. 139.

    Davebo

    @redshirt: Of course, per game. $5 to park in the old Astrodome.

    The last Texans game I went to the tickets were great seats but $138 a pop.

  140. 140.

    redshirt

    @Davebo: Yeah that’s not limited to the Texans. All sports has gone through those price changes. Season tickets to the Pats is a $2000 per person commitment for the ticket alone.

    I used to live next to Fenway Park and would chuckle as parking rates would go from 30$ in the regular season up to $100 in the playoffs in the same crappy parking lot.

  141. 141.

    goblue72

    @Davebo: I dunno, but the Panthers this season look legit. Scary legit. This cannot be permitted. The Lombardi trophy must stay north of the Confederacy. Over last 20 years, it has only had to spend 3 in enemy territory. (I recognize that Maryland was a border slave state on the southside of the Mason-Dixon line, but it didn’t secede, and since then has clearly absorbified itself into the North.)

  142. 142.

    khead

    Chip Kelly, contact your realtor and start looking at college towns. Jeff Fisher might need to talk to a realtor too.

  143. 143.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    Okay, this Packers-Vikings game really does look like the “game of the week.” I hope the Packers have awakened from their midseason reverie.

  145. 145.

    Schlemazel

    @redshirt:
    We paid $8 to park for the hockey game last night but they were putting out the signs for todays Vikings game & it was $30 for them. That is still cheaper than when they were downtown in the Metrodump. My guess is next year it will be at least $50 to park. I just don’t see how they can stay in business in this world.

  150. 150.

    jayboat

    For those of you unable to watch certain games due to geographical or other restrictions, I am here to remind you of thefeed2all.eu because fuck Roger Goodell.

    Damn the Falcons.

    That is all.

  157. 157.

    SFAW

    @Corner Stone:

    I honestly think Fitz is out on his feet.

    Ten games into the season, and you’re figuring that out now? Yeah, I know, I know, he’s a Hahvahd boy, so how bad can he be? (Because those Ivy Leaguers kick ass when they get to the pros, of course.)

    Some Jets blogger commented that Sanchize is doing better, and he doesn’t have any receivers. I almost miss Chad Pennington.

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