Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

People are complicated. Love is not.

This blog will pay for itself.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

I really should read my own blog.

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

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Let there be snark.

Bark louder, little dog.

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

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

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

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

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

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

This really is a full service blog.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Accountability, motherfuckers.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Monday Morning Open Thread

Monday Morning Open Thread

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Get Fuzzy

(Get Fuzzy via GoComics.com)
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Another feel-good story for our inner Satchels, per the Washington Post:

In a small, two-bedroom apartment in Corona, Calif., Trinity Santos, 5, reads her hardcover copy of “Green Eggs and Ham” again and again. She never tires of the Dr. Seuss classic, sometimes reading it to her 3-year-old brother, Joshua, said their mother, Diane.

Life is a struggle for the Santos family. Diane worked as a waitress before her children were born, and the family of four lives on the $35,000 that her husband earns as a phlebotomist. They don’t have much. But the children own the four dozen books in a small, homemade bookcase, courtesy of First Book, a nonprofit organization that combines market forces and philanthropy to get new books into the hands of poor children to encourage early reading.

“I didn’t have books at home when I was growing up in the Philippines,” said Diane Santos, 33, who connected with First Book through a local parent­ education program she attended shortly after Trinity was born. “I learned the most important thing is reading with them, talking to them, introducing new words.”

First Book, founded in the District in 1992, has grown into a sophisticated national enterprise that gave away more than 15 million new books to low-income children and teens in 2015. But as financial troubles have deepened in households nationwide, First Book has turned to items well beyond books, this year adding winter coats, nonperishable snacks, toothpaste, fleece blankets, underwear and other goods to its charitable arsenal…

More than 215,000 teachers, libraries, health clinics, after-school programs, shelters, faith-based groups and others — more than five times its 40,000 users in 2012 — are now registered to use First Book. Any provider or program is eligible if at least 70 percent of the children served come from low-income families…

First Book’s website says it can triple donations through December 31, if you’re looking at your tax deductions.

***********
Apart from hanging onto hope (if only by our fingertips), what’s on the agenda for the start of this foreshortened, wrapping-stuff-up week?

Reader Interactions

84Comments

  1. 1.

    PurpleGirl

    Trying this week to wrap up 2015 stuff (bills, mostly), set up the calendar for the start of 2016, and get a lot of decluttering done.

    In light of what First Book does, I wonder about the status of Reading Is Fundamental, a federal program that also worked to get books to low-income children. When I worked at Learning Leaders (formerly the New York City School Volunteer Program), we had several special reading/book programs. (For years we administered RIF in schools where had other volunteer programs.) My favorite reading was Authors Read Aloud which sent children’s book authors into schools to read their book(s) to a class and discuss writing with the students. I recently looked at the Learning Leaders website and it is half the size it was when I worked there and several of the special programs — like Authors Read Aloud and ArtWorks — were no more. The economic collapse of 2008/2009 really did a number on their funding.

  2. 2.

    WereBear

    I got hooked on Bar Rescue this weekend, had never seen it before. Turns out, even bars are not recession-proof. Most of the stories had a middle that went “and then 2008 happened.”

    Tell me again how the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility? I keep forgetting.

  3. 3.

    BruceFromOhio

    Back to the grind, with its associated barriers and pitfalls.

    Thanks for the link, AL, this sounds like a really cool organization. I can attest first-hand to the power of books and reading in the formative years; it makes Maslow’s hierarchy a bit more attainable, and can free the mind in ways unmatched by other means.

  4. 4.

    Soprano2

    I’m dreading work this morning. I live in SWMO, or, as it’s now known after the past weekend, Lake Missouri, and I work for the local sewer department. I dread the phone calls from people with water in their basements that are sure to come our way today. We’ve done a lot of rehab work the past four years; this will show how much good we’ve done.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @PurpleGirl:

    The economic collapse of 2008/2009 really did a number on their funding.

    I suspect it was the GOPs fetish for cutting programs that help those people that did them in. The rising deficit was just an excuse.

  6. 6.

    Mustang Bobby

    Packing up and checking out of the hotel in suburban Cincinnati, then spending the day with my parents before heading to the airport and going back to Miami this afternoon. I had a nice time that included a meet-up with a local B-J comment thread denizen and meet my great-nephew.

    When I got here the weather was in the 60’s, but now it’s back to normal Ohio-in-December: 30’s and steel grey skies and raw. I remember why I moved to Florida.

  7. 7.

    PurpleGirl

    @OzarkHillbilly: Learning Leaders was raising money to meet a 4.5 million budget a year. Almost all of that was foundation/corporate grants and individual donations. They had a contract with the NYC Department of Education for parent training, but that was a few hundred thousand a year. Most of LL funding was from the private sector.

    ETA: When Learning Leaders was started it was part of the Board of Education. Then it was taken private to avoid some of the politics in NYC education. The name was eventually changed to Learning Leaders from NYC School Volunteer Program because so many people and funders thought we were part the Board of Education and was funded by the City.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: I’m treading water up here in Washington Co. We got 6 inches the past 2 days and we’re supposed to get 4 more today. Flash flood warnings up everywhere and Roads under water everywhere. the STL Post Disgrace says says the STL area has now broken the record for wettest year ever (58.14 inches) and the rivers are supposed to crest later this week just 2nd to what they did in ’93, the big difference being in ’93 the rivers came up, and stayed up, for a month. They’re going to crest and drop fairly quick this time.

    Still, we’ll have some widespread flooding this week. I-70 is under water in St Charles this morn and it won’t surprise me in the least if I-44 goes under at St Clair later today (it’s already under water in Phelps county). The wife may have an interesting commute today.

  9. 9.

    Baud

    BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces said on Monday they had seized a strategic government complex in the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State after a fierce weeklong battle to retake it, following a brutal seven-month occupation by the extremist group.

    “The security forces have entered the governmental buildings and raised the Iraqi flags over them after killing many ISIS militants, and the rest have escaped,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military, said.

  10. 10.

    PurpleGirl

    As to one point the article makes — reading (and talking) to children when they small is vitally important to their success in school and life. Children need to establish early a relationship to reading and gaining a large vocabulary. It must start before they reach school and be reinforced by parents reading to them and reading themselves. That’s where the parent training contract Learning Leaders had comes in — they were training parents, especially of kindergarten age children, how to read to the child and play learning games with children. So many parents hadn’t had this done with them, they needed to taught to do simple things. Also how to be involved with their children’s education and school.

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @PurpleGirl: Sorry, I had a brain fart there, I saw “Reading is Fundemental” and then “Learning Leaders” and conflated the 2. Reading really is fundamental.

  13. 13.

    Amir Khalid

    My Monday is done. I went to a hospital clinic to have my swollen pinky seen to. An X-ray found erosion of the bone in the middle segment of the finger (I guess that’s it for my dreams of playing the guitar righthanded), and I have an appointment with an orthopedist for Thursday. I’m on paracetamol for the swelling in my left hand.

  16. 16.

    JPL

    @OzarkHillbilly: The normal creeks have been flooding around the Atlanta area and a few bridges in Northern GA have failed, but we haven’t had nearly the amount of rain as you have had. The system over you is suppose to move east today, so we shall see. Take care.
    How’s the hobbling going? Are you behaving?

  22. 22.

    Amir Khalid

    @Baud:
    A cause for the bone erosion? Some kind of bacterial infection, most likely, which may require a course of antibiotics.

  25. 25.

    raven

    @Amir Khalid: Mine was badly dislocated playing hoops 10 years ago and this spring I sliced it open and severed the ulnar nerve. It’s beat up but it doesn’t bother me save a bit of tingling.

  26. 26.

    magurakurin

    @Baud: good news. And the Kurds in Syria have made a big advance, too. There is talk that they are going to cross the Euphrates River and head west. If they do Turkey will be pissed.

  28. 28.

    Baud

    Holy cow

    After 209 Days at Sea, Man Rows From U.S. to Australia
    MON, DEC 28

    After leaving San Francisco in June, 53-year-old John Beeden rowed 7,400 nautical miles, in what is believed to be the first successful person to row solo and non-stop from North America to Australia.

  30. 30.

    debbie

    @PurpleGirl:

    Happily, RIF is still around, celebrating 50 years. I worked for a publisher that published lots of RIF books. Amazing how those little paperbacks just sold and sold.

  34. 34.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Amir Khalid: An osteomyelitis is nothing to play with and having it in multiple locations is very serious, especially in this day and age of antibiotic resistant infections. My son almost lost a leg to one a way back when and things are a lot dicier now. If you don’t see significant improvement in just a few days, don’t wait, go back and demand a blood test. In fact, I’m not sure I wouldn’t demand one now.

  37. 37.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning, all. Hope many of you are taking more time off this week. (My sister is, and that soothes me as much as it does her. She has been frenetically busy this year.)

    Wishing you all a marvelous final week of 2015 (and only good things for us all in 2016).

  39. 39.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    It’s freezing here, quite literally. Fortunately my long nightmare with the November Win10 update on my Intel Compute Sticks seems to be coming to a close.

  42. 42.

    Bruuuuce

    Feeling for all the folks in the disaster areas from NM through TX through the Midwest to the Southeast. Looking forward to the Congressfolk from NY/NJ/CT and other areas affected by Hurricane Sandy voting, without hesitation, to provide federal disaster relief to all the areas whose reps tried to withhold it here.

  43. 43.

    Satby

    @raven: My dad played an exhibition game against the Globetrotters once and always laughed that he was the guy Meadowlark Lemon pantsed in that game.

  46. 46.

    Satby

    We have the promised freezing rain falling now, it was supposed to end by midmorning but now the advisory and radar are showing it’s going to last all day. And I start my job, not just training, today. Ugh.

  47. 47.

    Bruuuuce

    @OzarkHillbilly: Do you mean that the area is physically not a place to build in, or that the people are recalcitrant, ignorant, stubborn, and other suchlike? We could say the first about Bound Brook, NJ, for example, but at least some of the people there are worth saving. I can think of a few communities where I might say the second, but most of those aren’t prone to natural disasters.

  49. 49.

    debbie

    @Bruuuuce:

    Looking forward to the Congressfolk from NY/NJ/CT and other areas affected by Hurricane Sandy voting, without hesitation, to provide federal disaster relief to all the areas whose reps tried to withhold it here.

    I hope one of those Cogressfolk brings that up as the legislation is introduced.

  50. 50.

    Jerry

    First Book seems like a nice organization and all, but why no mention of the library in Corona, CA? Public libraries are an essential part of any community, but are especially important for those that don’t have as much money as the rest. If this family were to visit their local library (this is assuming that they can get there, of course), they would have shelves upon shelves of books for their children; for free!

  52. 52.

    debbie

    @Satby:

    Good luck driving. At least you won’t be dealing with all the rush hour traffic. That’s more dangerous than ice!

  55. 55.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Baud: Have you seen pictures of him? He looks like Sisyphus! (Or my picture of him) Not an ounce of fat on him.

    BBC.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  56. 56.

    rikyrah

    UH HUH

    UH HUH

    ……………………

    CHICAGO POLICE SHOOTING OF GRANDMOTHER, TEEN DRAWS CRITICISM
    BY MICHAEL TARM
    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    CHICAGO (AP) — Bettie Jones, known in her Chicago neighborhood for her work with anti-violence community groups, was killed by police responding to a domestic disturbance just hours after she hosted family on Christmas Day.

    The fatal shooting of Jones, 55, and 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, a college student visiting his father for the holiday, at a West Side apartment has raised further questions about a police department already under intense scrutiny. Grieving relatives and friends of the two victims gathered Sunday to remember them and criticize city officials who they said had once again failed residents.

    The shooting happened early Saturday morning at the small two-story apartment, where Jones lived in a ground-floor apartment and LeGrier’s father in an upstairs unit. Police, who were responding to a 911 call made by LeGrier’s father after an argument with his son, have released few details beyond a brief statement.
    ……………………………………………………..

    Sam Adam Jr., a lawyer for the Jones family, said Jones and LeGrier were apparently shot near the doorway of the home, but that shell casings were found some 20 feet away. He said that raised questions about whether police could have perceived LeGrier as a threat at such a distance.

    It couldn’t be independently verified that the casings had any link to Saturday’s shooting.

    Adam also said police took the hard drive of a home-security camera from across the street, but it was unknown if it or other cameras in the neighborhood captured the shootings.

  57. 57.

    Satby

    @raven: Great picture! Yes, St. Sabina was my dad’s parish back in the day, he was (I think) just out of high school at St. Leo’s when the game took place.
    St. Sabina is where firebrand priest Father Phleager is now. Very activist parish on the sout’ side.

  60. 60.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Satby: Thanks for sharing the story about your dad. Meadowlark Lemon was a genius.

    Best of luck with your job and the drive!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  62. 62.

    Paul in KY

    Back on 23rd, my parent’s main sewer pipe in basement cracked. Had to get them out of house & into hotel. Had plumbers over there that day for clean up/diagnosis of cause. I now know why plumbers make so much money. Had to clean it out by hand. Those 2 guys deserved combat pay.

    Think tree roots got into pipe & caused clog. Will have to replace pipe out to sewer. Yippie.

    Parents fine, just want to go home.

  65. 65.

    Satby

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: My dad was always somewhat proud of that incident, but there was nothing he enjoyed better than a joke on himself. He was a good man and a good cop; if he hadn’t died in 1989 I think what has happened to the force he was on would kill him today. He took a great deal of pride in how he could defuse situations and never needed to draw his gun. He would be appalled today.
    Thanks!

  67. 67.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Bruuuuce:

    the people are recalcitrant, ignorant, stubborn, and other suchlike?

    West Alton is long time unincorporated settlement that lies within the long low finger of land between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. Every time God pees, they go under. But first they call for sand baggers. Then they rebuild. Again.

  69. 69.

    WaterGirl

    @raven: yeah, but did either of you throw up on yourselves in the car? You haven’t lived til you do that. I got suddenly sick while driving alone and was so sick that I called my best friend and asked her to stay on the phone with me until I could make it home. I really thought I might crash the car but I was so sick I was afraid of what would happen if I just pulled over. Fun times!

    I did feel for you guys when I read that yesterday. Glad you made it home!

  71. 71.

    PurpleGirl

    @Jerry: But the children can’t keep the books at the library. The thing about First Book or Reading Is Fundamental is that the child gets to keep the book. It becomes their property. I know that Learning Leaders, in their parent training, teach parents about how to use a library and its various resources but there is something special when the child can keep a book. (We can only speculate as to how much First Book talks about libraries in their trainings and materials.)

  72. 72.

    PurpleGirl

    @Paul in KY: When my friends had the house in Boca Raton there was a huge tree in the front yard. Not sure why N decided the tree had to come down but he did. The guy who mowed their lawns wanted $150(?) to cut the tree down; a licensed, bonded tree puller quoted him $350 to take the tree down. N, contrary to usual behavior, hired the licensed, bonded tree puller and they set the date. The day came, the guy is cutting the tree down, section by section and suddenly chaos breaks loose — water is gushing up. The tree’s roots had wrapped themselves around a water main that went through the front yard. The water main for the cul de sac. The reason you hire the licensed, bonded tree puller is that he knows the guys in the water district office and can call them on Sunday afternoon about the water main breaking. So the water district guys help to pull out the stump and the water main gets fixed.

    Sorry for parents in having to deal with this problem.

  73. 73.

    Jerry

    @PurpleGirl:
    I understand that the children can keep the book with this program, but funny thing about children, they outgrow things very quickly. The greatest thing about the public library is that there are tons of new books waiting for them. Age appropriate books, as well, no matter how old they are.
    Please understand that I’m not belittling this program. It’s just that a public library can never be beaten. Besides, there are many other services a good public library will offer other than just books. The free Internet access being the most important.

  74. 74.

    PurpleGirl

    @Jerry: I’m sure First Book does talk about libraries. I can say that because Learning Leaders teaches about libraries and their resources in their parent trainings.

    ETA: And we’re talking at cross purposes now. I think the article wanted to highlight one aspect of First Book. Anne Laurie wanted to present them as a good place to give some money.

  75. 75.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Jerry: I never out grew ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ or “The Grinch who Stole Christmas”. Some books are with you forever.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    @Jerry: If you don’t have much money, you may be working multiple jobs and it’s hard enough to shop and put food on the table. There might just not be time or energy for running to the library. I think your life has to be pretty smooth in order to fit trips to the library into it.

  77. 77.

    randy khan

    @Jerry: Speaking just for myself, the little bookcase in my room was someplace I turned to again and again even thought I was a big user of the local library. I read a lot of the books repeatedly, and once I got to chapter books, they were good for a long time. Owning a book just is different from taking it from the library; you read books you own differently than ones that are just borrowed.

    This is not to belittle libraries at all – I spent a lot of time in the library and read a lot more library books than books I owned growing up (particularly books from the school library) – but a book you own is sort of like a toy that you play with again and again, and that’s a good thing.

  78. 78.

    J R in WV

    Libraries are the Nuts! I was able to read at a young age, as my Mom and Grandma both read to me a lot. As oldest son, I got a lot of individual attention until little bro showed up. By which time I was reading kid’s books on my own.

    By the time I was 6 or 7 Mom was going to the library and letting me loose in there. At first the librarians wanted to restrict me to 2 books at a time. Mom spoke to them, and I was allowed to take as many as I could carry. Small town, everyone knew everybody. I also outgrew the kid’s department pretty early.

    Then as an adult I could afford to buy books, and had trouble keeping the library books apart from our books. We stopped using the library for years.

    But now I am less busy, and have resumed using the resources at the library, mostly for borrowing classical music CDs, of which they have thousands, at least. Wonderful variety, I suspect the local professionals help with selection, or perhaps the library has a designated employee with a strong musical gift.

  82. 82.

    mclaren

    …the family of four lives on the $35,000 that her husband earns as a phlebotomist.

    I’m narrowing the problem down to the choice of profession as “phlebotomist.” Alchemist, phlebotomist, dowser and ufologist all look like poor career choices for the 21st century.

    A society should not reward people for practicing pseudoscience as a profession.

    On the other hand, economists are highly paid, so we’re not consistent in applying that rule as a society…

  83. 83.

    Steeplejack

    @mclaren:

    Snark fail? A phlebotomist is a med tech who draws blood.

    I’d love to see what a phrenologist would make of your head.

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