Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

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

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

This fight is for everything.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

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

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

You cannot shame the shameless.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

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My daughter has several aquariums — she probably has a total of 200 gallons under aqua-cultivation in various parts of the house. I think my favorite fish is this puffer:

image

Looka that face!

image

And the pretty pattern!

image

His eyes move independently, like a chameleon, and he appears to have nostrils (or something — do fish have nostrils?) on wee stalks, which is kinda weird. Fascinating little fishy!

It’s awfully hot here today, so I’m avoiding the outdoors until late afternoon. The mister is turning the peppers he grew this spring into several kinds of hot sauce, so the house reeks of vinegar.

What are y’all up to?

Reader Interactions

207Comments

  1. 1.

    debbie

    We had aquariums when we were kids, but my favorite was my father’s seahorse (small size) aquarium. Lots of upkeep but they were so cute.

  2. 2.

    Corner Stone

    Had planned on going to the Boat Show but after some negotiations we will now be going to the indoor kart racing facility.

  3. 3.

    JMG

    In my absence the first three weeks of the month, pollen season finally ended, so I am cleaning the back screen porch and porch furniture. A disagreeable chore with a big payoff.

  4. 4.

    Betty Cracker

    @debbie: How cool! My daughter is dying to get seahorses but is daunted by the upkeep. Even the relatively simple aquariums she keeps now require a lot of attention.

  5. 5.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    Got a Koi pond in my new house. Did the annual clean out last weekend. Not loving the Koi fish for the last week, but I’ve come to forgive them their maintenance issues now that I’m no longer in pain.

  6. 6.

    Scamp Dog

    Flying to Michigan to visit Mom for a week. She’s 84 now and still mobile, so we’ll travel around the state a bit and see some sights.

  7. 7.

    Mike J

    Going to go do a little boat maint, and if I don’t take it out for a sail, I may go over to the Ballard locks to watch. I’ve never taken a boat through, and while I know by the book how to do it, I’d like a little first hand observation since I have to navigate them soon.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    @Mike J: We’ve taken our motorboat through locks a time or two, and it’s easy-peasy. It’s probably more complicated on a larger vessel, though.

  9. 9.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @Scamp Dog:

    Flying to Michigan to visit Mom for a week. She’s 84 now and still mobile, so we’ll travel around the state a bit and see some sights.

    Welcome! Dunno where you’re coming from, but if you’re headed to DTW it’s hot and sunny. Good news: airport renovations done and no freeway work by the airport.

  10. 10.

    Wapiti

    …he appears to have nostrils (or something — do fish have nostrils?) on wee stalks, which is kinda weird.

    Fish do have nostrils, but I think they are used only for smelling/chemical detection. On a salmon, for example, they are not used for breathing; not connected to the mouth or gills.

  12. 12.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    This morning like every Saturday I did maintenance on the 10G aquarium with my wife’s ‘rescue’ goldfish*. Watered the houseplants and cleaned Barney the turtle’s aquarium. I should do yard work but it’s hot out. Probably going to the store for groceries instead.

    * long story.

  13. 13.

    Thoughtful David

    Making a decision on a cabin to spend a week in up by Quebec City. Mmmm…cooler weather.

  15. 15.

    Mike J

    @Betty Cracker: The scary thing is on weekends they’ll get 100 boats in the lock at once, and on a small (27′) sailboat we’ll dwarfed by many of them. Lots of fenders, keep the lines tended, it shouldn’t be hard, but still a little nerve wracking.

  16. 16.

    xenos

    I am looking into setting up a big aquarium for goldfish. They seem to be easy fish to keep but difficult to keep well. I think I need to set up a couple sumps and lots of filtration.

  17. 17.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Betty Cracker: Even the relatively simple aquariums she keeps now require a lot of attention.

    that’s what keeps me from having fish, or birds.

    hell, that’s what keeps me from having all but the heartiest houseplants

  19. 19.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    file under “Pick me, Mr Trump*! Pick me!”

    Newt Gingrich @ newtgingrich
    Solid positive statement by @realDonaldTrump on reaffirming US British ties after the Brexit vote. Churchill and Thatcher would be proud.

    and the response from someone with a knowledge of Churchill deeper than a one hour History Channel special or the (I’m sure in the works with a ghost writer) O’Reilly bio

    Edward Luce ‏@ EdwardGLuce 21h21 hours ago
    Awful. Churchill dreamt the European Union, Thatcher proposed – and negotiated – the European Single Market.Edward Luce added,

    * “Can I call you Donald?”
    “No”
    “Thank you, Mr Trump!”

  20. 20.

    CaseyL

    When I volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium, the coral reef tank had an enormous variety of puffer fish, covered all over with fleshy spines. The critter used to come up to the glass to say “hi!.” I don’t think I ever saw it puffed up – that would have been impressive! – but one of the things I learned there was that puffing up was stressful for the fish. Not something they do lightly. The internal mechanics, when you think about it, are pretty damned stressful.

    I love saltwater tanks. Someone I worked with a few decades ago had one at the office. I’d hand-feed them. The lionfish came right up to take the anchovies from my fingers. (My hands reeked of anchovy for the rest of day, no matter how much I washed them.)

    Any tank requires more sustained attention and care than I’m good at giving, but I do like them. Very soothing, watching fish.

  21. 21.

    Shell

    Gosh, I posted a link to a recipe and that put me in moderation? Jeebus. And does anybody actually get around to moderating these things?

  27. 27.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Shell: (This is probably already answered by the time I post this, but…)

    A “naked link” is one where the text for the URL is simply posted as text. Rather than as an “anchor tag” in which the URL shows up when you put the mouse pointer on it but looks like other text.

    Use the “Basic HTML Tips” button above the text entry box to post a non-naked link (until the problem is fixed again).

    Hope this helps.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  28. 28.

    germy

    Eight Days A Week

    Ron Howard’s new documentary about the Beatles’ touring years.

    I’m old enough to remember Beatlemania. Everybody it seemed either loved them or hated them.

  32. 32.

    delk

    Today is the National Organization for Marriage’s annual anti-gay march on Washington, DC. The pitiful turnout is so small, an intern from Think Progress hand counted all 237 of them!

  33. 33.

    Elizabelle

    Betty: I think you should look beyond your family and chickens and file to run for US Senator of your great state.

    For reals. I mean, the competition is Marco Rubio and whoever the Democrats york up.

    You have the skills and intellect and could get some attention. Trust me on this.

  34. 34.

    germy

    @delk: And so soon after Orlando. You’d think they’d look at each other and say “Maybe what we’re doing is wrong.”

  35. 35.

    germy

    @Elizabelle: It would make a great human interest story for the journalists: “Her yard full of chickens and kitchen smelling like vinegar, Florida woman jumps into the race”

  36. 36.

    JCT

    This weekend the canned jalepenos I made last month will be ready for a taste test – they’re sweetened “Cowboy Candy” – addicting stuff. Pepper plants are about ready for their second harvest but have to get up at 5 AM to pick them because of the heat in So AZ right. First set of tomatoes almost ready too.

    About to head downtown to get son’s apartment setup as a surprise. Got him lots of fun stuff including a turntable!

  38. 38.

    Mnemosyne

    @Bex:

    That’s the charity I was already planning to donate to now that I’ve gotten paid. Even better, the Giant Evil Corporation I work for (which has some large facilities in Orlando, which may give it away) will match my donation, so they’ll get $200 for the $100 I’m donating.

  40. 40.

    germy

    @Shell: I wonder what that would be worth today. I had a hardcover first edition of “In His Own Write” but lost it in a move…

  42. 42.

    germy

    @JPL: The chickens could be put to work licking envelopes and doing other GOTV efforts.

    [Confused senior citizen]: “I got a phone call, but when I picked up all I could hear was clucking noises. So I voted for Betty.”

  43. 43.

    Shell

    edition of “In His Own Write” but lost it in a move…

    Me too! A Sigh for all the lost things that would be quite collectible today. Like that issue # 1 of Vampirella.

  44. 44.

    Mnemosyne

    Also, I’ll be continuing the research for my novel. Fun fact I found out: if you were an American traveling in England in the early 1800s, your accent sounded like a Londoner’s to most people’s ears.

    (This from the journals of Benjamin Silliman, who was from Connecticut and became a distinguished chemist.)

  45. 45.

    FlyingToaster

    @germy:

    And so soon after Orlando. You’d think they’d look at each other and say “Maybe what we’re doing is wrong.”

    But Jeebus… never said a damn thing about sexuality. Or gender.

    And, for the NOM folks, he didn’t speak English, and he wasn’t an Anglo-Saxon.

    {Cue the fainting couches now, especially in a DC summer}

    The problem with authoritarian types, is when they’re confronted with facts that belie every damn thing they think, they just fucking double down. If you’re lucky, it’s dealing with a Gish Gallop. If not, it’s like arguing with furniture.

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne

    Speaking of pet fish, one of my duties at a previous job was caring for a goldfish they had somehow acquired. I actually loved that fish because he (she?) was excited to see me every morning, which was more than I could say for my coworkers. It would do little flips as soon as it caught sight of me.

    Sadly, when our offices were moved up to the third floor, we had to give the fish to another department. Hopefully they took good care of it, because it was already pretty old for a goldfish.

  52. 52.

    germy

    @MattF:

    ‏@davidfrum
    Who needs George Will? Or Mormons? Or moderates? Or women? Or really anyone except older white men with impulse control issues?

  53. 53.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @satby: Can you send me a link to your FB (off site)? I want to see the photos. Where are they at the Quicken FB?

    I do hope this gets something done. Drink for me, and pet all the rescue critters. I’m guessing the cats are stressed only by your stress, if even that. Being cats, and above it all.

  56. 56.

    laura

    I’m making slip covers for the spouse’s chair with vintage banana leaf fabric for the back side and Terry cloth towel for the Dave side. It’s in the hunerds here in Sacto, so laying low.
    My cousin’s out from Ohio with her two oldest kids because Zack’s gay and just turned 21 and she wanted to make sure to be in San Francisco for his first pride parade. They’re sending texts and photos and asking about which place on Mission to get their burrito on.
    Good times!

  57. 57.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @different-church-lady:

    with my wife’s ‘rescue’ goldfish*

    Showed up on your porch as a stray?

    Rescued from inadvertent maltreatment at the hands of a kid 10 years ago. Now they’re my responsibility.
    She takes care of her dog Geezer, AKA Doglius, and Sunny her Gray Parrot.
    I manage Barney the Amazon River Turtle, my pet since 1987.

    We do not travel for vacations.

  60. 60.

    gogol's wife

    @germy:

    Kinda like a certain musical about the first Secretary of the Treasury.

    Seriously, it feels the way it did in 1964.

  61. 61.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @MattF:

    According to Twitter, George Will has left the Republican party.

    It’s hard to imagine what the party still had to attract him besides disdain for the poor. Judging from the evidence on hand he can manage that on his own.

  63. 63.

    J.

    Betty, does Puffy have a name? (My husband would love to get an aquarium, but he’s not so good at taking care of stuff — and we have two cats.)

  64. 64.

    SFAW

    @Mnemosyne:

    I though I should warn the Hamilton haters

    Why? Did you like the show?

    I just received a Hitlary fundraising e-mail, where if I donate (and win the drawing), I get ticket(s) to see Hamilton. Naturally, I deleted the request with “extreme prejudice.”

    Kidding, of course — I did send money. The only question is: if I win, do I go see it, or send you in my stead?

  65. 65.

    SFAW

    @J.:

    Betty, does Puffy have a name?

    These days, he prefers either “Diddy” or “Sean,” I think.

  69. 69.

    amygdala

    Another upside of Cracker for FL Senate: a Baud-Cracker 2024 (or vice versa) ticket. A chicken in every yard!

  70. 70.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    Well, that sucks.

    My dad lost his right eye to ocular melanoma in 2013. I got a note from him yesterday (while I was out of town) that it has spread to his liver (5 lesions < 1 cm, biopsy confirmed). He hasn't talked to his doc yet, but it doesn’t sound like much can be done.

    Jimmy’s cutaneous melanoma was different and that kind responds well to the new treatments. Ocular melanoma is still very poorly understood.

    2016 has really sucked so far this year for far too many of us, amirite? :-(

    Hang in there, everyone. Let’s enjoy the good things while we can, and do what we can to make things better.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  71. 71.

    Mnemosyne

    @SFAW:

    I got the same email. Pistols at dawn?

    Totally random, but one of the interesting articles I read about the show was an interview with Leslie Odom Jr talking about how he visited the actual site of the duel as part of his research and spent a lot of time looking out over the Hudson and thinking, “That’s a long row back when you’re dying.”

  72. 72.

    MattF

    @Bex: I only wonder. As far as I can tell, the wingers at the WaPo are unanimously anti-Trump– even torture apologist Marc Theissen has stepped back and said that Trump is really a left-wing terrorist.

  73. 73.

    SFAW

    @efgoldman:

    I haven’t sent any money yet, I’ll wait until the thing settles in, but this seems like a really good idea.

    I have recently been ruminating regarding what level of massacre it would take for the NRA to say “OK, maybe we’ve pushed this too far.” I have come to the tentative conclusion that the only one that would elicit that reaction would be if someone went to an NRA Executive Board meeting, and introduced them all to his “Little Friend.” It is possible — in theory, at least — the next-level-down NRA-ers are not as crazy nor as assholish as Wayne LaPierre et al. Unlikely, but possible.

    ETA: No, I’m not advocating, suggesting, or otherwise seeking that.

  74. 74.

    Mnemosyne

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:

    I’m so sorry. When it gets to that point, the best they can hope for is to control the growth. Sometimes that can be surprisingly successful — my father-in-law had a glioblastoma, which is one of the nastiest brain tumors, and he had two years of pretty good quality of life thanks to chemotherapy with Avastin.

  75. 75.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @Bex:

    Is David Brooks next?

    That would require making a decision, and a commitment to something other than his own moral superiority. I see Brooks curled up under the coffee table until November with his thumb and blankie.

  76. 76.

    Elizabelle

    @Bex: Somehow, I feel the Democrats are safe from a George Will or David Brooks infestation. Thank Dog for that.

    Will has declared himself “unaffiliated.”

    Maybe he is working up his Gary Johnson column now, even as we snark.

  78. 78.

    laura

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: man what a gut check! My dad’s got cutaneous melanoma too, and it appears to be manageable. Here’s hoping that your dad may benefit from one of the new therapies for aggressive cancers like those used on President Carter.
    Best wishes in the coming days and weeks.

  79. 79.

    Doug R

    We’re headed across the strait of Georgia to go camping west of Victoria. There wasa pod of orcas as we were leaving the terminal but we didn’t see them. Another pod coming up I hear now

  80. 80.

    Elizabelle

    Also, can you BE on the ABC Sunday shows if you’re not formally a Republican?

    I mean, except for George Stephanapolous and the intrepid Paul Krugman (who suffers fools bravely, from time to time).

    Is George Will now going to be the brave truth teller? I mean, except for global warming and …

  82. 82.

    MattF

    @Elizabelle: It’s true that lately Brooks has indulged himself in jaw-dropping flights of solipsistic nonsense. Someone should ask him the key question: Do you believe that there are any other conscious entities in the Universe?

  83. 83.

    Betty Cracker

    @Elizabelle: Ha! Thanks, but trust me, I am completely ill-suited for politics! I swear too much.

    @J.: “Bloat,” of all things. I call him “Diddy,” sometimes, or “Staypuft.”

  84. 84.

    germy

    @gogol’s wife: I read an interview with the Hamilton musical director and he said the King George song “You’ll Be Back” has some Beatle song references in it.

  87. 87.

    Elizabelle

    @MattF: No clue. I never read Brooks, unless it’s really a howler. And then, pretty much the NYTimes reader comments. No no to Bobo.

    Brooks’ biggest contribution is giving Driftglass fresh material with which to sharpen his skills.

  89. 89.

    satby

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I only put examples on FB, but I can send you some.
    My anger translator (handyman Shawn) stopped by and was trying to talk me down when I looked out the window and saw them walking through a flower bed to load more wood onto their truck. Not easy to miss it’s a flower bed because it’s a 3 foot frame sunk into the hill in front of my yard. When I went and told them to stop walking through it, they said they were going between the bushes and kept doing it. I have bulbs and other perennials planted between. Shawn went out to talk to them, told them to stay off the flower bed, finish and just leave. He made me promise to stay inside, because he recognized them and I think he thinks I’ll get myself shot.

  90. 90.

    satby

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: OMIGOD, that puts my little problems right into perspective. I’m so sorry Scott, I hope they discover more that might help than they think is possible right now.
    So soon after your mom, your dad must just be reeling, as you probably are too. Best wishes possible for you all.

  91. 91.

    Elizabelle

    @Betty Cracker:

    I am completely ill-suited for politics! I swear too much.

    What the fuck is wrong with that?

    You got brains. A good sense of the absurd. You’re not a careerist. Elizabeth Warren would go nuts over you.

  93. 93.

    Major Major Major Major

    The puffer’s smell organs are mounted on tiny stalks on its snouts. These stalks may have evolved to accommodate the puffer’s beak. The stalks allow water to flow through the scent-sensing organs, improving the puffer’s sense of smell. This gives the white-spotted puffer fish a better than average sense of smell for a fish.

    Cool! I like learning about these things more than the mystery of not knowing. The answer is almost always cool. Like those little balls on stalks that crane flies have in their armpits, turn out to be a self-correcting mechanism against the wind blowing them around that essentially act as gyroscopes.

  94. 94.

    lol chikinburd

    Speaking of emails, just had to say bye to DFA today. Endorsing Bernie didn’t make me want to unsubscribe, but endorsing Alan Grayson for the FL Senate seat just did. (They’re endorsing Alan Grayson for the FL Senate seat.)

  96. 96.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @MattF: I’m not sure “apologist” is the right word for Thiessen. “Enthusiast” is more what he is.

  100. 100.

    Mnemosyne

    @satby:

    I realize we’re probably not dealing with super geniuses here, but shooting someone in a dispute over firewood would pretty much guarantee life without parole, because they wouldn’t exactly be hard to find, FFS.

    I would definitely complain to the insurance adjust who hired them, in writing, with a cc to his/her supervisor. I’ll bet at least one of them is a relative of that adjuster.

  101. 101.

    smith

    @satby: What is it with guys like this and flower beds? I had a new fence put up last year and the guys doing it, even though they were really cooperative and polite, just would not stop running down the flowers, even after several small tantrums from me. I concluded that there must be some contrarian macho flower-hate thing going on: ‘Not gonna break my manly stride for no sissy flowers!’

  102. 102.

    Randy P

    @Mnemosyne: The history of the “American” accent has kind of interested me (in a back-burner sort of way) ever since seeing Gangs of New York. It was obvious the filmmakers were attempting to extrapolate a plausible 1860s-era New York accent, noticeably different from now, and it did sound like it still had a little bit of English in it.

    Very cool that you found a first-hand description.

    Films of the 1930s had a very English-sounding (to my ears) accent also (think Glenda the good witch in Wizard of Oz) but I think that was an affectation of the way actors were trained rather than an actual accent anybody spoke with.

  103. 103.

    Gelfling545

    @Shell: I gave mine to my daughter’s (now ex) husband. It’s ok though as my granddaughter is his only child so it will go to her.

  104. 104.

    germy

    @Randy P: I remember seeing a PBS documentary about the CCC, and they showed a newsreel of some 1930s teenaged boys talking and their accents sounded like the old men of today.

  107. 107.

    MomSense

    Took a long walk through the woods then went wading in the ocean with the dog. The cold water felt good to me and I’m not wearing a fur coat in this heat. Now the pup is napping in front of the fan and I’m sitting outside under the umbrella thinking I may switch from sipping lemonade to something else later.

  108. 108.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    Frak! Just got a work call. Have to fly to San Antonio and drive to a bunghole border town on the otehr side. One of those Federales in squads on armored trucks towns.
    This ain’t gonna be fun. Been there, had the fights in broken Spanish and swore I wouldn’t go back.

  109. 109.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @efgoldman: They’re well aware that a sizeable fraction of their membership (and their board of directors) shouldn’t be armed under any circumstances, but it’s not politically correct to be open about that.

  110. 110.

    Shell

    a plausible 1860s-era New York accent,

    I remember seeing a BBC program about acting Shakespeare. The director gave an example of whatt they think people sounded like in his day, and it was almost an American accent.

  115. 115.

    PsiFighter37

    It’s a pretty warm day here in NYC. The wife is out the rest of the day/night with a couple friends, so I’m probably just going to keep it chill and relax. First weekend back in the city in more than a month, and will be out of town again next weekend – so I want to relax more than anything. I really do need to sit down and figure out some organizational stuff with work, though…will probably sort that out later tonight over a drink. There’s also a lot of chores to be done (washing dishes, putting away laundry, doing laundry) that need to get done too. One of those weekends where I’d like to abdicate any kind of semblance or responsibility for anything, but I really can’t.

  118. 118.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @Scamp Dog:

    coming from Denver, flying to Flint, as it happens.

    Just this moment got ordered to fly from Detroit to San Antonio, drive to Eagle Pass and wait for a bonded driver to go to Piedras Negras to work. I did this routine 2 years ago, and this customer and I do not like each other.

  120. 120.

    hamletta

    @efgoldman: While most actors were trained with the Mid-Atlantic accent, Hepburn’s accent was her own. She was a true Yankee blue blood.

  122. 122.

    Mnemosyne

    @hamletta:

    I always assumed that Hepburn’s public accent was a slightly exaggerated version, because she was probably told early on that her accent was “wrong,” so she doubled down on it out of stubbornness.

    I have no proof of this, but it seems plausible, no?

  124. 124.

    germy

    @Shell: It was interesting reading about Daniel Day-Lewis researching his “Lincoln” role, trying to get the voice right. He finally settled on a James Taylor accent.

  125. 125.

    germy

    @Mnemosyne: I remember Robert Klein’s routine about 1930s character actors like Edgar Kennedy who had to start every sentence with “Say….!”

  126. 126.

    Matt McIrvin

    @efgoldman: When same-sex marriage first becomes legal somewhere, there’s a burst from pent-up demand, then the rate goes back down to what you’d expect from the number of gay/bi people. I imagine we had that burst in a large chunk of the country last year.

  127. 127.

    WaterGirl

    @germy: That might not have the outcome they are expecting. :-) I think that would eliminate most of the republican voters I’ve seen…

  129. 129.

    bemused

    @germy:

    Tancredo might want to give that idea a bit more thought and and consider the ability of his voters to pass such a test.

  132. 132.

    germy

    @WaterGirl:

    That might not have the outcome they are expecting. :-) I think that would eliminate most of the republican voters I’ve seen…

    Sample questions: “Do you believe global warming is a Chinese hoax? Do you believe in supply-side economics? Do you think Obama owns a time machine?”

  133. 133.

    Mnemosyne

    @Shell:

    I saw a really interesting thing on TCM that the accent we think of as “pirate” is because the actor in the first sound version of Treasure Island had that very specific West Country English accent and it stuck. Similarly, people still recognize a “Dracula”/vampire accent as the natural Hungarian accent that Bela Lugosi had.

  134. 134.

    WaterGirl

    @bemused: The law of unintended consequences. Again.

    I wonder if these guys were absent in grade school on the day we learned to draw a dotted line from one thing to another. They don’t seem to be able to do that.

  135. 135.

    germy

    @bemused: Why does so much of the hate come from repub politicians with vowels at the end of their names? There was a time when someone named Tancredo wouldn’t have been allowed near conservative office. And Alito would have been laughed out of the college admissions office.

    My father barely survived WWII. And when he got out and looked for work he was told by more than a few people “We don’t hire Italians.” It never would have occurred to him to be anti-immigrant. Maybe he was a rare bird, I don’t know…

  138. 138.

    Elizabelle

    @Mnemosyne: Speaking of vampire accents:

    Have to laugh: the Generator hostels play Europop, and there’s a kind of mesmerizing version of “I Want to Rock with You” that sounds like it’s sung by Dracula. Cracked me up every time it came on.

  140. 140.

    Elizabelle

    @efgoldman:

    mrs efg and I have really enjoyed every one we’ve been to.

    You and mrs efg are the best, and she classes up any gathering she’s associated with.

    We still have a $25 gift certificate from Murphy’s in Old Town to drink up. We will have to do a get together late summer/early fall and hope you are in town to see the grandcharmer.

    I shall pass the gift cert on to boatboy or another candidate** if we can’t make a meetup happen before too long.

    ** for safekeeping. Not for personal consumption, natch.

    Maybe we should do another trivia night and win some more free drinks.

    ETA: Siubhan! Come on down! (Up. Whatever.)

  141. 141.

    Mnemosyne

    Back to the subject of the thread, here’s one of the coolest relatives of the seahorse: the leafy sea dragon. If you’re ever in So Cal, I think they have them at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

  142. 142.

    WaterGirl

    It really feels like Sunday afternoon to me. I am so sick of this disgustingly hot and humid weather.

    I think I’m going to make gazpacho for dinner. I used to use picante V-8 instead of regular V-8, because it had just the right kick without being too spicy. Then they discontinued the picante V-8. Bastards. Now it’s either regular (blah) or spicy (too spicy). I’m wondering how many serrano and/or jalapeño peppers to puree in with the 4 cups of V-8 to give it a little kick. Any idea?

    I will go chop my veggies and come back for (hopefully) an answer before I add the V-8.

  143. 143.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @WaterGirl:

    Ugh. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go.

    I may be off the hook. We found a Mexico tech to go and I’ll support him by phone. The last time I was there the customer pulled lots of shenanigans like not taking me back to the US at the end of my workday (not allowed to drive or stay overnight in border cities), trying to get me to bypass Passport Control to get through the border faster, fibbing to my boss about the hours I put in, etc. I’d like to do this job because high power laser optical repairs are the one fun part of my work, but I’d like to do it in, for instance, Texas and not Coahuila.

  146. 146.

    satby

    @smith: etc all: well I just got a call from a polite and patient young woman who is a Client Relations/Social Media Advocate in the Quicken Loans Executive Office. We went through the entire story again and she said she would follow up with several people but that the top executives get these reports. Do they bother reading them might be a question. But now I will wait and see what else developes.
    I’m refusing to step foot outside until they leave, we’re on hour 9.

  147. 147.

    Elizabelle

    @satby: What are the pets (dogs) doing, while all this is going on?

    I am concerned about meth heads knowing about your property and you.

  149. 149.

    satby

    @Mnemosyne: yeah, the inspector this morning was big month’s mom, I think.
    I made it clear to the Quicken advocate lady that these guys getting tossed off their vendor list was probably in Quicken’s best interest.
    So now, it’s winethirty somewhere, right?

  151. 151.

    Elizabelle

    @satby: Def winethirty in Barcelona.

    Sipping some Rioja and thinking I should venture out for some din din.

    We have a kitchen, but not ambitious enough to cook tonight. Cheese and crackers and an orange would be about perfect.

    TV’s off, but found a station with “Rizzoli and Isles” in Spanish, with subtitles. Could be very very good practice. Dialogue sounds much faster and more word-packed than US version, but I didn’t watch that particular show, so who can say?

  152. 152.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Elizabelle:

    We still have a $25 gift certificate from Murphy’s in Old Town to drink up.

    Wow! I’m amazed it’s still valid! What a fun evening that was — as were all the other BJ meetups I’ve had the privilege of attending.

    Siubhan! Come on down! (Up. Whatever.)

    You know, I just might. Haven’t made any big travel plans one way or the other, but I do want to get up to see my cousins in Canada later in the summer, and could think about heading over to NoVa on the drive back and then down to Hampton to see my brother. ¿How much longer do you expect to be in España? I’m having a lovely time reading your descriptions.

  154. 154.

    Elizabelle

    @ Siubhan: gift cert does not have an expiration date. That surprised me.

    Yeah, it would be great to see you again! Think I will stay in BCN another month. At some point I have to come back because (a) 90-day limit on my visa, since I did not plan to be here this long and (b) election this fall! Got some work to do.

  155. 155.

    Mnemosyne

    @satby:

    The one good thing is that if one of them does manage to injure him/herself or further damage the house, you already have plenty of documentation so they can’t sue you. Small blessings.

    If you put orange juice in it, it’s a mimosa, and you can have a mimosa any time of day you want.

  156. 156.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:

    Oh, Scott, I’m so sorry. That really sucks. However much time your dad has remaining to him, I hope it is the best possible quality, with plenty of family and laughter and good memories for all of you to tuck away and take out whenever you need them.

  157. 157.

    Elizabelle

    @efgoldman: Eh, just learn how to make a potato tortilla and squeeze a fresh tomato out on bread.

    I am getting tapas-ed out. Never tire of the olives or salads, though. Other than calamari, I am octopussed out too.

    And: there is semi-decent gazpacho in the grocery stores.

    And I like that they put olives and an orange slice in a glass of vermouth.

    And that dogs are IN the restaurant or bar while you’re sipping it.

    ETA: and in the metros and on trains, too.

    Who knew that we at Balloon Juice are all Spaniards?

  158. 158.

    rikyrah

    They should just admit it -all you gotta be is WHITE

    …………………………………………..

    found at POU:

    MonieTalks
    Y’all…

    The new angle spreading among white Evangelical America is that Trump has just accepted Christ…he is a “baby Christian” according to Dr. James Dobson.

    …….”How recent?” asked Anthony, clearly surprised and encouraged by Dobson’s statement.

    “I don’t know when it was, but it has not been long,” replied Dobson. “I believe he really made a commitment. But he’s a baby Christian. We all need to be praying for him, especially if there’s a possibility of him being the next executive officer.”

    Dobson underscored that Trump as a “baby Christian” simply doesn’t yet know how to speak about his faith.

  159. 159.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @satby:

    I’m so glad you’re documenting everything and sharing the high (or, rather, low) points with us. This has turned into an almost unbelievable saga. May it conclude in whatever is the best possible way for you and the animals, and at some point, think about turning it into a book.

    Have you been in touch with the girls to let them know what fun times they’re missing?

  160. 160.

    gogol's wife

    @rikyrah:

    Or act on it. I think that will probably be a lot longer time coming. He’ll be yapping his mouth about it before you know it.

  161. 161.

    Jim Parene

    @CaseyL: Great story. Helpful hint: to remove the smell of fish from the hands, rinse hands in mouthwashh. A capful of mouthwash in the wash also will eliminate stuborn odors.

  162. 162.

    maya

    Yeah, back to the subject of the thread. What was it, anyway? Fishies. Years ago I had two fancy tail goldfish that I kept outdoors in a half-cask oak barrel lined with 6mil sheeting. They were out there all year long and sometimes in the winter there was even a sheet of thin ice on the top. [This is NorCal so winters not too severe.] They muddled on, just a bit slower perhaps, but still shook their fancy tails a lot. Never knew that they were tropical and should be in warmer water. They seemed to like their home. Even the cats came to visit and drink out of barrel, but never bothered them at all. The fish seemed to like the attention.

    In the summer months yellow jackets would often lite on the surface of the water for a drink. One of the fish (Chuck & Di, were their names) apparently tried to go for a yellow jacket and got stung. I only noticed a day or so later when I saw that it wasn’t moving much at all and had the stinger still in it’s face. It was obviously numbed by the sting and couldn’t move. The other fish kept pushing it along, round and round the barrel. This went on for about 9-10 days. Day and night. I checked quite often and this routine never stopped. Finally, the stinger fell out and both fish were back to their normal routine. That other fish saved the affected fish’s life. There was little I could do. They were best buds, don’t know what sex they were, never had little fish and unfortunately, a raccoon eventually got them one night. I had them for almost 4 years in that outdoor aquarium. Still miss the little critters.

  163. 163.

    Elizabelle

    @rikyrah: FFS.

    That’s why they talk about Obama as a secret Muslim. Because they don’t want to admit that he is closer to Jesus’s example than they are. Or any of their ridiculous political Christian GOP politicos.

    Jimmy Carter is living your faith in action, if your faith includes the Golden Rule.

    FWIW, Tim Kaine is a committed Catholic (albeit not the “pro-life” but not for animals, medievalist and men running around in dresses type that the late and still very defunct Antonin Scalia exemplified). The type that cares about housing and caring for people in need and promoting civic action.

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    @raven: Actually, even though I am not crazy about winter I am a snow girl, so that looks kind of appealing! Lovely photo of the family, too.

    But if it was winter I couldn’t go swimming (only swim outside) so I guess I should quit complaining.

  167. 167.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:

    If you put orange juice in it, it’s a mimosa, and you can have a mimosa any time of day you want.

    Nominated for rotating tag.

  169. 169.

    marilynD Southern Oregon

    @lol chikinburd: There is an article in Salon on line regarding what a disaster Patrick Murphy has turned out to be….It was posted yesterday

  170. 170.

    satby

    @SiubhanDuinne: Valentina just saw the pictures on FB last night, her first question was whether I and the pets were all ok.
    Big success there, she used to be very afraid of dogs.

  171. 171.

    StringOnAStick

    Re: seahorses for pets, get the red rider version from the seahorse farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. They’ve been developed for the aquarium trade and are bred in captivity, rather than being captured from a reef, often without their mate and at very high mortality rates. They are a pretty brick red and have been raised around humans so are quite tame.

    If you ever find yourself on the Big Island near Kona, be sure to do the tour at the seahorse farm. Very interesting and at the end they have you put your hands in a tank and they have a seahorse wrap it’s tail around your finger – very cool experience. They also have a room with tanks of various seahorse species, plus the ones that look like leaves too.

  172. 172.

    raven

    I’m sorry but the tree guys story reminds me of when when had a metal roof replaced. I worked about 50 miles from home and had already left when I got a call from my wife and she said “I thing there are pirates here”! I mean those kinds of dudes are going to look rough, I’m not sure that we should expect them to show up in cute little Burger King outfits.

  174. 174.

    Mnemosyne

    @rikyrah:

    To gogol’s wife’s point, I suspect that Dobson will be yet another in a long series of Trump boosters who will end up looking like a jackass because Trump doesn’t take advice from anyone, ever. And in Dobson’s case, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving asshole.

  175. 175.

    PurpleGirl

    @germy: I was at the concert at Shea Stadium in 1964. My parents, my brother, and I spent the day at the World’s Fair and then my brother and I rejoined our parents in the Fair after the concert. It was loud. I’d swear that any of the singing you heard was a ‘memory’ of what the song sounded like because the fans were just that loud. Also there was a rumor that they were being brought into the stadium by helicopter. So every time a copter flew over the stadium, the fans went wild with their screaming.

  177. 177.

    satby

    @raven: I didn’t. But the crew here yesterday from the professional tree company at least appeared to bathe and had all their teeth.

    The sin of it is is that these are poorish people. They called all their friends to come get free wood for their woodburners for the winter. And they were working a potentially dangerous job for what I am positive isn’t all that much (bet less than $1k) though the invoice charge will be the same or more than if the professional crew had done it. They’re also getting screwed a bit by this.

  179. 179.

    StringOnAStick

    Did sacreblu find a home for that lovely bobtail kitty that came to his home? That smiling cat face is haunting me so I’d love to know if things worked out; anybody know?

  180. 180.

    MattF

    @rikyrah: I was just boggled by Dobson’s claim. I mean… yeah, I know, I know… but how can this be anything but the rankest hypocrisy? I usually put stuff like this into the ‘Inscrutable_Gentiles’ folder– but, seriously, folks, WTF?

  183. 183.

    raven

    @satby: Ain’t many wealthy people in that line of work. I have a friend who owns a tree company and his guys are young, hipster types and safety is paramount. His work isn’t cheap but he earns it.

  186. 186.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    1) I’m going to do the July writing project Camp NaNo this year. Anybody wanna join the cabin?

    2) Trump is so bull-headed and ill-informed about the Brexit vote that he keeps insulting the Scots WHILE HE’S STILL IN THEIR COUNTRY. Jebus Tapdancing Christie. At some point the locals are going to arrest him for being a complete idiot.

    3) I am so convinced that Trump has insulted Scots just like this before that I refuse to accept item 2) as a bad case of Deja Vu.

    4) Anybody else read The Devils Panties? Jeannie’s latest “What Not to Say in the Bedroom” is too painful to be funny.

  187. 187.

    Cat48

    @rikyrah:

    I wonder what the Evangelicals require regarding baptism? I don’t know what faith Dobson follows. The Southern Baptists would require baptism right away, with the church members as witnesses. Some faiths are satisfied with baptism at birth. Time will tell.

  188. 188.

    Mnemosyne

    @raven:

    Just saying, she didn’t take a look at what they were wearing and decide they were jerks. They showed themselves to be jerks pretty quickly.

  194. 194.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    Thanks everyone. I appreciate the thoughts and good wishes.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  195. 195.

    bemused

    @WaterGirl:

    That’s something that has mystified me for years. I’m pretty sure that when they were kids they caught on fairly quickly when their parents told them things like don’t jump off a roof, flap your arms and think you will fly or don’t touch the stove burners. Somewhere in between childhood and adulthood they seem to have completely forgotten to think about consequences even when their actions come back to bite them, not just other people.

  196. 196.

    Ruckus

    @Betty Cracker:
    One can learn not to swear in front of an audience. I did. And I have trouble talking to normal people without using George’s 7 words. All of them.

  198. 198.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    @Timurid:

    Piedras Negras
    My deepest sympathies…

    I see you’ve been there. I don’t know the town, as I’m not allowed to set foot on the street when I’m there. Driven from US hotel to worksite and back. But what I’ve seen outside the vehicle doesn’t fill me with gladness for the people who live there.
    Plus it’s flaming hot.

  199. 199.

    Mnemosyne

    @WaterGirl:

    I’ve posted this before and it makes me laugh every time because, let’s face it, at some point when we were kids, all of us managed to convince ourselves that somehow a shark got into the swimming pool: Glass Shark.

    (Nothing scary or gory, just a podcast comedy routine about that feeling as a kid.)

  201. 201.

    sacrablue

    @StringOnAStick: Not yet. I’m waiting on Laura, who has an elderly cat that is having some health issues. If she decides she can’t take him, I’ll ask BJ again. For the moment, the mostly-feral cat is learning to tolerate the bobtail most of the time. My other three cats just stare at him and then ignore him. The bobtail still is nameless, although the suggestion has been made to call him Kemuri (smoke).

  202. 202.

    Mnemosyne

    @sacrablue:

    Ignoring is good. It’s hissing and growling that you have to worry about. Our smallest cat decided to try and scare some other animal out of the alley behind our apartment one night and woke me up out of a sound sleep with her howls of rage.

  203. 203.

    The Lodger

    @Cat48: They’re looking for donations now and baptism at a time TBD. As for the rich man entering the Kingdom of Heaven, that’s so 32 AD.

  204. 204.

    Cat48

    @The Lodger:

    So, another fundraising scam? I have to say he wasn’t sounding very Christian in Scotland today, but since he’s a “baby” right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. :)

  205. 205.

    J R in WV

    @CaseyL:

    Vinegar and/or lemon juice helps eliminate fishy smells. Or lime juice. Any acids, then wash with a little scrub brush.

    A local acquaintance used to run sushi place, great chef. Married head waitress, local gal. Sold successful restaurant, now, years later, all gone.

    He started a successful saltwater reef aquarium service, with huge tanks of wonderful coral, sponges, seahorses, fish, seaweeds, etc.

    Then started also selling take-out Japanese dinners.

    Now aquariums are gone, seafood is food again.

    Circle of life!

    I love aquariums, M D Anderson has huge aquariums all over the hospital, but so much work!

  206. 206.

    J R in WV

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:

    Scott,

    Sorry to hear the bad news from your Dad. My Dad had melanoma, and bits were removed for years, until he looked like a very successful knife fighter. He finally died of side effects of chemo for a rare leukemia. If you add it up, I think he had 5 different kinds of cancer by the end.

    My Dad was a sun worshiper – I love the shade, but do wind up working outdoors some.

    Hang in there with him as much as you can. Family Leave act allowed me to spend lots of time with Dad as he entered hospice back in the day. 12 years ago now.

    Best of luck.

  207. 207.

    Hunter

    If fish have nostrils (I don’t think they do), I can’t imagine what they’d use them for — they don’t need them to breathe, and there’s no sense of smell underwater — fish, etc., taste the water instead. Maybe they’re sensors to detect changes in water pressure or to detect electrical fields of other fish.

    And I think I got the wasp who was thinking of moving in to leave. He didn’t seem to want to, so I forced the issue: there’s a gap between the screen and the upper storm window in the office (which is, I suspect, how he got in), so when he finally flew into the window and a little way up the screen, I shut the window until he got the hint and left.

    Let’s hope it stays that way. He wasn’t bothering anything, but I don’t like the idea of something that’s potentially painful flying around the room.

    And it’s Pride Day in Chicago; high forecast at 90, with rain. It’s raining now, but it never, in 40+ years, has rained on our Parade.

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