Yesterday started sadly so I thought I’d post something fun and tender to start the day today. We saw Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle over the weekend. (Thanks Alamo Drafthouse!) Tati was a postwar French amalgam of Charlie Chaplin and Samuel Beckett. (Seriously, they played a short before the movie featuring David Lynch saying so.) His movies are sweet and weird and moving and funny all at the same time.
The scene that elicited the most guffaws needs no explanation:
I can imagine our H. erectus ancestor kids pulling the same prank a million years ago, and whoever succeeds us a million years from now doing the same.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone :)
I had to break out the Eskimo coat this morning :(
Hillary Rettig
still waiting to see how cold it has to be before Bill aka Superfur decides he doesn’t want a long walk.
NotMax
Now there’s a line you don’t see in the news very often.
Amir Khalid
@NotMax:
Clearly, Police Sergeant Greg Stewart is not one to overstate his case.
Betty Cracker
Had to take one of my dogs to the vet early this morning for some routine blood work (she’s on thyroid meds), and that’s always a production, getting one dog to stay put while the other is leashed and taken outside. We always walk them together, so the left-behind dog sees the departure of her companion as a grave injustice. It was made all the more fraught by the fact that no one else was at home.
Punchy
This just makes no sense. Isn’t intimidation and harrassment against the law?
I cannot imagine just how many dead black, Muslim, or Hispanics would be in that bird house if those ethnicities were protesting instead of cracker cowards in cowboy hats…
Hillary Rettig
@Betty Cracker: glad it’s routine! that’s why we prefer our dogs portable; must be quite a feat to wrangle boxers.
Calouste
I saw a few of Tati’s movies in high school. The French teacher was a big fan and organized screenings.
Thoughtful Today
Short film:
“The Red Balloon.”
Just because.
Benw
@Betty Cracker: or the look of total outrage when one dog gets fed when the other has to skip a meal.
peach flavored shampoo
@Betty Cracker: I think every mulitiple dog owner has experienced this. The howling, whining, death-stare-out-the-window as you take only 1 down the street, and the F.U. look you get when you return. I can only imagine how worse it is that the 1 dog gets to go to the vet and pick up 1000+ new scents, so the Left Behind Dog is teased mercilessly by these mysterious new dog stinks.
rikyrah
Uh huh
this is the truth
……………………………
HERE’S PROOF THAT THE PRESS WON’T LET DONALD TRUMP DESTROY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
January 11, 2016
There’s a widespread belief that Democrats are likely to win this year’s presidential election no matter what, and that the GOP is utterly doomed if Donald Trump is the nominee. I don’t share that belief — but even if it’s accurate, even if a Trump-Clinton or Trump-Sanders race ends in a Democratic landslide, I can guarantee you that the GOP will recover from the Trump campaign almost instantly.
How? The press will do what it always does when Republicans stumble: It will give the GOP a do-over.
Don’t believe me? Go to Politico today and read about Paul Ryan, who’s positioning himself to be the face of that do-over:
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Paul Ryan talked about the ills of the criminal-justice system. He quizzed GOP presidential hopefuls at a forum here about what they’ve done to help the impoverished and vowed that Republicans, if they put their minds to it, could “make breakthroughs” in the war on poverty.
This is what Ryan wants his Republican Party to look like. But it bears little resemblance to the one on display in the presidential primary, a battle that some senior Republicans say has gotten so coarse that it’s putting their congressional majorities at risk.
So as Ryan tries to reassert the party’s substantive side with a series of policy rollouts in the coming months — a conservative replacement to Obamacare, tax reform, a criminal justice bill — he’s also looking to give the House GOP its own identity.
Germy
I always loved when Jacques Tati did his comedy spoofing incomprehensibly cold and impractical modern architecture.
rikyrah
Two Southern states point in two different directions
01/12/16 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
When the Affordable Care Act was taking shape several years ago, one of its more popular provisions was the creation of state-based exchange marketplaces. By now, most Americans are probably familiar with the concept: states would create marketplaces for insurers to compete for the public’s business, and consumers could choose the best plan for their needs.
Kentucky, previously a national leader in ACA implementation, embraced the idea with great enthusiasm, creating the Kynect system, which proved to be a great success. Newly elected Gov. Matt Bevin (R), however, is dismantling it anyway. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported yesterday (via Charles Gaba):
Following through on a campaign pledge, Gov. Matt Bevin has notified federal authorities he plans to dismantle kynect, Kentucky’s health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act. […]
………………………………………………………………..
But there’s also an under-appreciated irony to this: Bevin, the far-right Republican governor, is also abandoning the tenets of his own ideology. By scrapping Kynect, the Tea Party Kentuckian is shifting power from his state to Washington, D.C., on purpose, without explanation.
A few states away, in Louisiana, we see a state government pointed in a more constructive direction.
Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) was sworn in yesterday’s as the Pelican State’s new chief executive, and he quickly turned his attention to Medicaid expansion through the ACA. Reuters reported:
Edwards, the first Democrat to hold the office of governor in Louisiana since 2008, said he planned to begin accepting federal funding on Tuesday to expand healthcare to residents through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
“Your tax dollars should not be going to one of the 30 other states that have expanded Medicaid when we are one of the states that expansion will help the most,” Edwards, 49, said during the address.
About an hour after being sworn in, the new Democratic governor published a tweet about his priorities: “Tomorrow I am going to accept the federal funding to expand Medicaid so working families in [Louisiana] can access healthcare.”
It’s a classic elections-have-consequences moment.
Face
@Hillary Rettig: I’m surprised women want to mess with Boxers. Have you seen what Mayweather has done to past girlfriends?
rikyrah
DA HAIL!?!?!?
As poison gas billows, profits take priority, residents suffer
Congressman Brad Sherman talks with Rachel Maddow about how he and his Porter Ranch, California neighbors are coping with the massive, months-long, toxic gas leak in their town, and how the pace of dealing with the gas is slowed by the insistence that the gas be sold at regular market rate instead of being disposed of as the environmental crisis that it is.
rikyrah
This is a criminal enterprise, from top to bottom, and all these mofos need to be in handcuffs
……………..
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/11/16
Meager progress in Flint toxic water crisis by Michigan’s Snyder
Rachel Maddow reports on local clean water and filter distribution centers in Flint, Michigan running out of supplies already as Governor Rick Snyder is slow to implement an effective relief plan.
J
@Germy: Me too. Iove them all, including Playtime.
gvg
Due to allergies, I may be the only person who has a dog that loves baths so much he get jealous when the other dog gets a bath and he doesn’t. His skin feels better after a bath and he loves them. I say bath and he runs for the shower. One time I gave him a bath but was tired and put off the other dogs bath till the next night. The next night he sulked and whined, and I ended up giving him a second bath.
I have never had them fuss about only one going to the vet, so far. Allergy dog does like car rides though so it could happen.
Hillary Rettig
@Calouste: sounds like a great teacher
Hillary Rettig
@Thoughtful Today: very nice! a classic
Hillary Rettig
@rikyrah: I guess if you’re cold blooded enough to poison kids in the first place it’s not going to be a priority to take steps to un-poison them.
Hillary Rettig
Meanwhile, the NY Times twists itself into a headline pretzel to avoid having to write “Bernie Sanders surges in Iowa.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/us/politics/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-supporters.html
Shell
Morning started out sunny and bright. Getting socked in now; snow showers later, no accumulation. Fine with me, considering last winter.
Shell
All the newsies keep saying that Obamas last State of the Union won’t be the usual. As Charlie Pierce often says, Obama is out of fucks to give. Maybe he’ll burst into song at one point.
Central Planning
Today I learned that David Bowie got busted here in Rochester, NY for marijuana possession back in 1976. Apparently the cops were very polite and he was very pleasant throughout the whole process.
Satby
Repost from deadish morning thread: And for those wondering how I can be commenting? I’m home; I got to the address after a miserable drive and it was a 100 unit apartment complex. I didn’t have an apartment number. The complex office helpfully suggested when I asked where the X family lived that they could tell me if I had the apartment number. By then I just said fuck it, came home, and called that stupid company and gave notice. Since 12/16 I’ve had a total of barely 29 hours of work. It’s just not worth it.
I had a great phone interview yesterday for a very close local position, they just called back to verify that the shift is an evening or overnight one and that I’m ok with those. It would be less conflict with the girls schedule, so I am. It would also be more money. Everyone cross your fingers!
japa21
Probably early on tonight, Obama will point out that this will be his last SOTU, which will result in a standing ovation…from the Republicans, who will once again show their total lack of class.
It will be interesting to see who are the no-shows on the GOP side. Will Cruz be there?
No people have been more shrill about showing respect for the office of the President through the years then the Republicans. No people have shown more disrespect than the Republicans.
Germy
@japa21: Kim Davis will be there, but she won’t be sitting near MIchelle.
sparrow
@Hillary Rettig: I guess different people write the headlines than write the article, because what the article paints is a pretty clear picture (including that Hillary’s people think it’s a one-point race). Though they may be exaggerating to try to turn out more people for Hillary.
I guess at least it won’t be a boring start to the primary season. This is the first year I’ve actually got it marked on my calendar. Eight years ago I was much more ok with either Obama or Clinton, so didn’t watch as closely until the end.
Betty Cracker
@japa21: Absolutely right. I dread watching the SOTU because I know that’s going to piss me off.
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker: Do what I do – take both dogs to the vet, leave one in the car (if the weather isn’t too extreme).
Amir Khalid
@sparrow:
I was under the impression that The New York Times had it in for Hillary. This is the newspaper that ran all those ominous-seeming stories about the Benghazi emails that turned out to be nothingburgers.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’d be surprised if Obama isn’t ready for that one.
@Germy: I urge Republicans to cling tightly to the anchor of “traditional marriage” this year. Does Trump talk about the issue at all?
Snarkworth
My parents took me to see Tati’s Mr. Hulot’s Holiday when I was a wee bairn. Do I remember correctly that there was no dialogue?
WaterGirl
Hillary, that video clip is so sweet and charming. Just the antidote for my misty-eyed day!
Glad ot see you posting here. Not sure if I missed the announcement or if you just jumped right in.
lurker dean
@Satby: fingers and toes crossed!
WaterGirl
@Thoughtful Today: Is that based on the book? I recall getting that book from a boyfriend when I was in high school. I believe I still have it somewhere! I will have to watch the video after my new cable modem arrives. I have been in Comcast internet hell since the middle of last week.
Iowa Old Lady
@Satby: Hope the job works out. Sounds promising because not everyone likes those shifts. When my sister’s kids were grade school age, she worked as a nurse third shift and slept while they were in school.
catclub
@rikyrah: I have not yet, but I think I will go ahead with a very cheap bet:
Paul Ryan as this year’s GOP nominee out of a brokered convention.
catclub
@rikyrah: The two directions are not that different. Louisiana House
of Representatives refused the Governor’s choice of Speaker – first time in modern history. GOP obstruction
continues.
japa21
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Oh, I am sure he will be ready for that, and probably had a good comeback line. Just the fact they are doing it will, as Betty states, piss me off.
They pissed and moaned about how some Dems didn’t give Bush a standing ovation, and then they would go ahead and do this.
And I really don’t want to see the smirks on Ryan’s face. In fact, I don’t want to see Ryan’s face at all.
Shell
@japa21: Ryans smirk or Boehners asleep/drunk slack face. What a choice
Satby
@WaterGirl: I hope things are ok!
@Iowa Old Lady: yeah, thanks, I certainly do too. I just couldn’t with the job I had, too much bait and switch, too many unnecessary errors and wasted time for which I didn’t get paid. I’m a hard worker, but I spent almost as much on gas as the total amount they paid me so I’ll probably come out ahead not working for them even without the “income”.
smintheus
Mon Oncle is one of my favorite movies ever. The fish fountain represents one of the funniest and most sharply observed running gags in the history of cinema.
Mnemosyne
One of the earliest silent films to survive is a 3-minute opus where some little kids step on a hose so their dad gets a squirt of water in the eye. I think it may be French, too.
Mnemosyne
@Mnemosyne:
Found it! It’s a Lumiere film, known as “The Sprinkler Sprinkled”.
For all of the image of the French making deep, intellectual films, they do love slapstick.
catclub
@Mnemosyne: They like Jerry Lewis. Do they like Adam Sandler?
Marcelo
@Hillary Rettig: That Alamo Victory Vanguard series is AMAZING. I hosted the previous screening in that series of “Seven Samurai,” and I was also the host for the one before that (“Shadow of a Doubt”). It’s so fun to do the Q&A with so many young film fans.
I’m bummed that I had to miss Mon Oncle, as it’s a very important film to me. I used to be a sound editor, and MO is one of the great sound effects movies of all time.
Thanks for coming! Please keep coming to Victory Vanguard shows, it’s a new program and we want it to be around for years to come!
Steeplejack
@Snarkworth:
Yeah, pretty much. I seem to remember a little muffled talk as background noise and also a newscaster’s voice coming from a radio, but that’s it. Basically a silent movie with really good sound effects (the boing! of the restaurant door).
kdaug
Keep forgetting Alamo Drafthouse has expanded beyond my sleppy little burg…
Tom D
Ah, Jacques Tati. I showed Mon Oncle to my 7 yr old grandchildren who totally got it. Then we watched Tati’s animated ‘The Illusionist’ and over the weekend ‘Mr. Hulot’s Holiday’ which they watched a second time, and then acted out their favorite parts. Great stuff. ‘Illusionist’ streams. The others were at the public library, bless its heart.