Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

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

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

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Republicans do not pay their debts.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

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

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

The willow is too close to the house.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Everybody saw this coming.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Monday Evening Open Thread

Monday Evening Open Thread

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My favorite reaction to the Steve Harvey mis-crowning incident:

It’s an unseasonably warm evening, and we’re sitting on the patio watching the hens do their last minute foraging before re-cooping themselves for the night. What are you up to this evening?

Reader Interactions

84Comments

  3. 3.

    Mnemosyne

    I feel a little lame, but I did not finish the knitted gifts on time for my nieces in FLA, so I sent them books instead. (It’s okay, they like books.) Since I’m about 80 percent done with each gift, I guess there will be a Boxing Day mailing.

  5. 5.

    Betty Cracker

    @schrodinger’s cat: They are well, thank you for asking! I think we’ve figured on the optimal dose of Patsy’s thyroid medicine; her weight and energy levels are better. Daisy has unfortunately learned how to turn the Roomba on, so we’re trying to break her of that. Hope all your pets are well!

  7. 7.

    burnspbesq

    There’s likely to be a Republican meltdown overnight and into tomorrow. The IRS issued proposed regulations this afternoon that would require U.S. based multinationals with > $850 million in revenue to being providing “country-by-country reporting,” i.e., a detailed look at how and where the group earns income, beginning with taxable years ending in 2017.

    If we’re lucky, this will cause Hatch and Rand Paul to stroke out. More likely, House Republicans will re-double their efforts to impeach IRS Commissioner Koskinen.

  8. 8.

    Mustang Bobby

    I found the perfect present for my friend Bob who collects antique scientific instruments at the same antique shop that sold me my dining room chairs: a microscope from the 1950’s complete with three working lenses. Christmas shopping is officially done.

  11. 11.

    Brachiator

    @burnspbesq:

    If we’re lucky, this will cause Hatch and Rand Paul to stroke out. More likely, House Republicans will re-double their efforts to impeach IRS Commissioner Koskinen.

    Damn. This will get ugly. I think that impeachment papers have already been drawn for past “offenses.” Will new Speaker Ryan really sign on for this?

    By the way, this is what impeachment would mean for Koskinen (from a Forbes artilce):

    If the House votes to impeach Mr. Koskinen, he gets tried by the Senate. Two-thirds of the senators have to vote in favor for there to be a conviction. The effect of conviction would be that Koskinen would be immediately fired and if they want to rub it in disqualified from ever holding federal office. There is no appeal.

    On the other hand, John Koskinen is 76 years old, and may not have any fvcks to give if these fools actually move against him. He has served honorably.

  13. 13.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks

    I´ve been in Tela, Honduras for a week alone with a 3 year old and an 8 year old, and we´re still alive! My wife is landing in about three hours, and I´ll have some help. But things have gone pretty well, so far. The first place we stayed, which I arranged from the U.S., had water that smelled like it came from a swamp with a dead body in it, and was infested by noseeums. But we foud a new place (though the asshole who rented the first house doeThe week before we left, the girls had been hard to deal with, and my wife had jokingly told me that I needed to take them out of the country for their own safety. Now that I´ve been here alone with them, even navigating a trip to the clinic when the older one was throwing up because she wouldn´t eat anythinjg and doesn´t like washing her hands, I need my wife to give me a breather, again for the chidren´s safety, so I don´t kill them.

  19. 19.

    donnah

    My sis is home for the holidays, so yay! But we spent her entire first day home baking cookies. Boo! But tomorrow we get to go shopping, so yay!

    She hasn’t been home for two years and we are always online chatting, but having her here in person is the best Christmas gift ever.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    @MomSense:

    I need to finish a hat and scarf and start a second scarf. Luckily, I’m making the scarves with chunky yarn on 10.5 needles, so they’re going fast.

  26. 26.

    Gian

    I posted a snip and a link to the news story about an Al Shabab attack on a bus from Kenya,

    previous link was to time, this snip is from BBC News:

    A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses.

    They told the militants “to kill them together or leave them alone”, a local governor told Kenyan media.

    At least two people were killed in the attack, near the north-eastern village of El Wak on the Somali border.

  30. 30.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: That’s what I say when they predict rain in these parts. (Rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow.)

  34. 34.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    I’m way north of Buffalo in a small Ontario town for a night. It’s been raining since I left Detroit at 6:00 am. I’ll be home tomorrow and staying in MI until I head to Alabama early on 12/26 for a week.
    Happy Solstice everyone!

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    @schrodinger’s cat: I was looking at the weekend domestic box office results and noticed this little tidbit:

    Not to be overlooked, two Bollywood films took advantage of a prime opportunity for counter-programming with Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani scoring ninth and tenth place positions (earning $2 million and $1.7 million, respectively).

  39. 39.

    Mnemosyne

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    They were correct on Saturday — the skies opened up at Disneyland. Luckily, I had cheapo ponchos for the kids and a raincoat for myself. It cleared up by 7 so we could still ride Radiator Springs Racers.

    @Baud:

    Zoom out on the radar map and you’ll see the ginormous weather system headed this direction.

  41. 41.

    east is east

    Six service members killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban. What the hell are we still doing there? Come on Obama, this is just stupid.

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Has my christmas package arrived yet? I addressed it to Baud for President!

    Did I get that wrong? Maybe it should have been Baud 2016! I guess it’s the thought that counts.

  47. 47.

    Germy

    @WaterGirl: I addressed my letter to “Baud 2016” and just assumed the post office would know to forward it to Baud’s headquarters in the north pole.

    My “dear Baud” letter was basically my wish list: Universal Healthcare, Peace On Earth, and Free Ice Cream.

  48. 48.

    Baud

    @WaterGirl:

    Has my christmas package arrived yet?

    Jeez, WaterGirl. You know my campaign supports the War on Christmas. How will it look if I receive a “Christmas” gift from my number one confidant?

  51. 51.

    Germy

    Listened to Harry Shearer’s Le Show this Saturday. He began by saying “Merry War On Christmas everyone”

  56. 56.

    east is east

    @Baud: Yes, black bear attack on a scoutmaster in New Jersey. It’s like you can’t walk into a bear’s den anymore without being attacked. This isn’t addressed in your platform?

  57. 57.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Smedley Darlington Prunebanks: A family friend with the US State Department, who has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the last couple of decades, was also stationed in Honduras for a time. She says it’s the worst country she’s ever been in, and pulled every string possible to end her duty early and get out.

  58. 58.

    Baud

    @east is east:

    A dog that was with the hikers barked at the bear.

    “The bear then ran up a hill and away from the scene.”

    Dogs will be well taken care of in the Baud administration.

  59. 59.

    WaterGirl

    @Germy: That’s a good list. I am clearly doing this wrong. You asked for everything you wanted, I tried to find the perfect gift for Baud.

  61. 61.

    Mnemosyne

    @Baud:

    Yep, that’s the one that’s headed south to us. It’s supposed to be here in the early AM — Weather Underground says about 3 am.

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    @Germy: Speaking of free ice cream, what is your favorite flavor? Over the past few years, coffee has become my favorite. But there’s nothing like vanilla with homemade hot fudge sauce on it, so if presented with coffee ice cream vs. vanilla with the hot fudge, I would have to go with hot fudge.

    But I only eat the good stuff, so in your next letter to Baud, could you modify your ice cream request to make sure that even the good stuff is free?

  65. 65.

    burnspbesq

    @Baud:

    I think he would also lose his federal pension

    It’s unlikely that Koskinen would miss it very much. He has enough money to have buildings named after him on college campuses (specifically, the soccer/lacrosse stadium at Duke).

  67. 67.

    Germy

    @WaterGirl: coffee, vanilla ice cream. Fudge. That’s what I mentioned in my letter to Baud at the North Pole. My Baud 2016 lawn signs keep disappearing. I have to assume the GOP opposition is up to its usual dirty tricks.

  68. 68.

    workworkwork

    My wife and I are enjoying my garlic-roasted chicken and veggies. I haven’t made it in some time. It’s delicious but the prep is kind of messy.

    I also got my boneless turkey breast this morning at the local upscale market. I’m going to try roasting it up this Thursday like I did at Thanksgiving. That came out pretty well, despite the recipe severely underestimating the cooking time. (Thank goodness for digital meat thermometers.)

    I’d been feeling pretty cruddy today until I started cooking dinner. Who knew cooking was therapy?

  69. 69.

    Baud

    @Germy: Have you given thought about booby trapping the signs with explosives. I, of course, will issue a full pardon should the “authorities” intervene.

  70. 70.

    Germy

    @Baud: I have not progressed to booby traps. But your scare quotes around authorities reminds me again why you have my vote.

  71. 71.

    Mnemosyne

    I have to fight through the crowds to try and find a rib roast at Costco tonight. Everyone pray for me.
    ;-)

  72. 72.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Damn, that´s mighty harsh. Honduras has a lot of problems, a good many of the U.S.´s making, but it´s a great country, with great people. I know a lot of Americans can´t seem to get beyond the poverty, but once you get to know people, it can be hard not to love the place.

  74. 74.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Ideally I want one with bones, but if I have to go boneless, I will. I have to work all week, so I don’t have a lot of time to spend tracking down just the right piece of meat.

  75. 75.

    Pogonip

    I like Philadelphia vanilla with chocolate sauce and pecans.

    For those of you who have a Kroger in your area, their Private Selection Honey Vanilla Bourbon Pecans are the bomb. They’d be good on ice cream all by themselves and would also make great pecan pie.

  76. 76.

    Mandalay

    @burnspbesq: There was another proposed regulation from the IRS a couple of weeks ago that I thought would cause a huge uproar but it seems to have slipped under the radar, for now at least. It was titled “Substantiation Requirement for Certain Contributions“, and the IRS want to make it optional for nonprofits to collect the Social Security numbers of donors of more than $250. It’s not hard to see where they are going with that approach in the long term.

    And the best part about it is that the IRS has determined that if (when) they decide to proceed they don’t need permission from any fucker, however important they might be:

    Certain IRS regulations, including this one, are exempt from the requirements of Executive Order 12866, as supplemented and reaffirmed by Executive Order 13563. Therefore, a regulatory impact assessment is not required. It has also been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations.

    The TLDR version of that is “Listen up you tax cheats, we have a red hot p*ker that will be going right up your ass and there is nothing you can do about it”.

  78. 78.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Mnemosyne: I don’t have a lot of time to spend tracking down just the right piece of meat.

    There’s a joke here, but I’m too polite to bring it up.

  80. 80.

    J R in WV

    I just finished eating a lamb in red wine recipe from Julia’s first French cooking book. Oh, my!

    It was a little more effort than just stew, but came out really good. With saffron mashed red jacket potatoes, and Cabernet to drink.

    Hurray for me!!!!

  81. 81.

    amk

    so betty, how many times you are gonna bring harvey’s fubar this week? I already counted thrice and now a dedicated thread?

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