Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it’s a trap.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Not all heroes wear capes.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Washington Post’s Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Fight them, without becoming them!

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

This fight is for everything.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

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

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

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

Everybody saw this coming.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

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NFT Open Thread

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I can’t take it any more. I declare that the comments in this Open Thread shall contain no fucking Trump.

Thread commenters may talk about whatever they wish, with the exception of:

(a) all persons surnamed Trump;
(b) all companies, trusts, political organisations owned or operated by such persons; and
(c) their respective directors, employees, consultants, agents and representatives, present or former.

Any commenter posts containing references to such persons, whether direct or oblique, may be rewritten, gleefully, and at the entire discretion of me.

Reader Interactions

93Comments

  3. 3.

    Francis

    So, SPT, any cocktail recommendations for the fall? I’m thinking Sazeracs, myself. Alternatively, experimenting with Campari.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    Can we talk about card games, and in particular games where sometimes one suit counts for more than the others?

  13. 13.

    TaMara (HFG)

    I have what appears to be a vineyard in my new backyard. I doubt concord grapes make great wine, so I’ll just have to open a bottle and partake while I make jelly.

  15. 15.

    Betsy

    Marla Ma – –

    The other day, as I was picking my nose while chugging Bud Lite from a can,

  17. 17.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    @Francis:

    I bought a very good book the other day called Boozehound, by Jason Wilson. It’s a boozy, entertaining travelogue and Wilson knows his booze. There’s a chapter which you would enjoy on using digestifs where he runs through about eight different variations on the Negroni.

    He’s the cause of my current Mai tai obsession, and caused me to go online the other day and order falernum and six different types of vermouth.

    My other drink at the moment is the Manhattan. Marrakech is lovely, but no one there can mix a drink for shit and so we defaulted back to Manhattans as almost impossible to fuck up. Now I can’t stop drinking them. Also a “Manhattan” made with a good aged Venezuelan rum.

    Hmmmm. Now I want a Sazerac.

  19. 19.

    Imonlylurking

    I will tell my spider story-guaranteed violation free!

    About a week ago, my best friend’s parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and I was invited. (I’m basically their fifth child.) We got back to town on Monday the 22nd and on my way to work the next morning I noticed a GORGEOUS orb weaver web on the recycling bin. This spider had used the handles as one boundary and the concrete as the other boundary, and I am sorely regretting not taking a picture of it. Trash pickup day is Wednesday and that week was not recycling week, so I was able to carefully maneuver the other containers away without disturbing the web.

    Fast forward to this just past Friday, when I noticed a sore throat just after lunch. By Saturday I had a fully-developed summer cold from heck, including fever. It was gross. Sunday night I did not sleep very well. At all. But, Monday at work we had a Big Thing (Not Trump! I promise) and I convinced myself that even though I was clearly not at 100% I could probably manage to be useful in some fashion. So off to work I went.

    My first clue that something was wrong was when it took me 4 tries to get out of the garage. I have a new-to-me car, a 2013 Ford Focus, which has those blind spot bubble lenses on the side view mirrors and at one point I distinctly recall watching that spider scrambling to get out of the way as I lurched back and forth in my really dreadful attempts to get into the alley.

    Made it to work, everybody told me to go home, I said, why on earth did I think I felt well enough to come in, went home, and went to bed for two days.

    I woke up this morning with a clear head for the first time since Saturday morning, and my first thought was that it was trash AND recycling day, and I was going to have to destroy that gorgeous web. This, after traumatizing the poor spider on Monday. So off I went, again, all psyched up to apologize to Spider and relocate her before destroying her home–and there was no web.

    Spider was like, “Fuck this, I’m out!”, packed up her web, and vanished.

  21. 21.

    Baud

    My attempt to post a link to something very well written about a prohibited topic has been foiled. Now I just have to wait and hope that Sarah posts a link to it somewhere else that doesn’t involve me breaking the rules and being a very naughty boy who deserves a spanking.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @eclare:

    I saw FFJ last week. Saw Southside With You this afternoon, and really liked it. I expect future filmmakers will cover the Obamas in an edgier fashion, but this was a totally believable, and very sweet, depiction of a date-not-date, with moments of awkwardness, and honesty, and blazing insight.

    The foreshadowing that some have complained about (not here) is pretty unavoidable, I’d say; and, in fact, I think the cinematographer took full advantage of the audience’s knowledge of what lay ahead: there is a brief image, in the park, of the two of them side by side, shot from behind, so that all you see are the silhouetted outlines of their backs. This is almost identical to an iconic photo of POTUS and FLOTUS on the balcony of the WH looking out across the lawn. I don’t know whether it was coincidental or deliberate, but it was very effective.

    So interesting to see, within just a few days, two quite different but both very enjoyable biopics.

  25. 25.

    hovercraft

    Lets see how this discretionary re-write works.
    David Brooks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    He’s a shitgoblin, al’abalah, loser.

  26. 26.

    Roger Moore

    @Sarah, Proud and Tall:

    Also a Manhattan made with a good aged Venezuelan rum.

    No such thing. If it isn’t made with rye, it isn’t a proper Manhattan. I might stretch as far as using bourbon, but anything but an American whiskey is some other drink.

  27. 27.

    Keith G

    Here’s a change of pace covered in cuteness:

    Sam Tsui and Casey Breves are two LA based recording artists. They got married in April and then they wrote an original song to be the backdrop of a video showing clips of their wedding day. It’s a really neat presentation, almost as cute as a room full of puppies.

  30. 30.

    hovercraft

    @Calouste:
    Well we could take up Adam’s terrible suggestion from the last thread and discuss Chuck Todd’s uselessness here.

  33. 33.

    Joel

    So, I was reading this book the other day, perhaps you’ve heard of it? It’s by Sinclair Lewis: It Can’t Happen Here…

    [Comment permitted unedited as it clearly refers to the successful Presidential campaign of Kanye West in 2024.]

  37. 37.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @efgoldman:

    I expect it’ll be around for a little while yet. In the meantime, have lots of fun with Daughter efg and Granddaughter efg (and, I assume, also Son-in-law efg?)

  39. 39.

    joel hanes

    I kinda hope someone writes a comment all about the oversized clitorises of hyenas – a topic about which I feel great fascination.

    Apropos nothing except my current musical mania :
    anyone who cares at all about R&B or “soul music” owes it to themselves to watch this,
    and to hang on for all three songs :
    St. Paul and The Broken Bones NPR Tiny Desk Concert

  41. 41.

    Gin & Tonic

    More or less recovered from jet lag at this point, so I wanted to thank Lufthansa for their choice of available movies in steerage. I managed to watch both Miles Ahead, the semi-factual Don Cheadle movie about Miles Davis and Born to be Blue the semi-factual Ethan Hawke movie about Chet Baker. I was very impressed with Hawke’s work. Cheadle was good, too, but the plot was a little too manic. Kind of a shame neither film was in circulation in theaters for very long, but both were of the sort that can work passably on a small screen.

  42. 42.

    hovercraft

    @hovercraft:
    Nicely played, the he also too is a shitgoblin and an idiot.

    EDIT : She stole my words and left no trace. She has denied me my first amendment rights, I demand my freedom!

  43. 43.

    gogol's wife

    @eclare:

    I think he’s a woefully underrated actor. He reminds me of an earlier Grant — a light touch but with the capability of conveying depth when needed.

  47. 47.

    Felonius Monk

    @efgoldman:

    Of course Chuckles is useless here.

    Chuckles (aka Chuck Toad, aka FuckaChuck) is not only useless here, he’s useless everywhere, especially on NBC/MSNBC.

  48. 48.

    Mustang Bobby

    I saw Rep. Blake Farenthold (R as in Repulsive) on the tee-vee and immediately thought that on his salary he could afford dental implants, but then he’d lose his resemblance to an over-sized Alfred E. Neuman.

    The dude is a walking wedgie waiting to happen.

  50. 50.

    Hal

    I’m watching Prescription Thugs on Netflix. It’s one of those documentaries that seems grounded in logic, but one too many questionable premises and contributors that make me question some of it’s conclusions.

    One of the films experts is a guy with a Phd in homeopathy, and another is a former pharmacy rep who boldly proclaims she is not afraid of the pharmacy industry trying to kill her. Also, the filmmaker Chris Bell, interviews people wearing a backwards facing baseball cap and shorts. Dress up a little.

  52. 52.

    hovercraft

    @efgoldman:
    Sorry I was not clear. He is useless everywhere. Actually, he may be useful to his family, but I can’t imagine he is anywhere else.

  54. 54.

    debit

    I found out today that I need all new ductwork to three of the bedrooms, which means ripping out the finished ceiling in the basement. The warranty better cover this, she muttered darkly.

  57. 57.

    Aleta

    I’m pretty sure the undersized goblin himself died in the Queen’s chambers long ago, but I’ve always wondered who TAUGHT Rumpelstiltskin (early German artist of the Auric Hay school). And if a lineage of students continued on through the centuries, but was brutally snuffed out in the 1885 purge of all sprites in the Prussian territories above the level of minor flower fairy on the orders of Bismarck.

  58. 58.

    Brendancalling

    I started running again this week, after being laid low by Lyme all summer.

    Lyme ain’t no joke.

  64. 64.

    debit

    I recommend Dr. Pimple Popper and Mr. Wilson.

    You’re welcome.

    Don’t click that link. Just…don’t.

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    @Sarah, Proud and Tall

    Falernum good.

    Half dry vermouth and half sweet vermouth over ice makes a Half and Half (unimaginatively named drink, eh wot?), a pleasant change of pace to sip on.

    I like to poach bay scallops in dry vermouth plus a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, along with a few wafer-thin slices of lemon in the pan (removed after the liquid heats and just before adding the scallops).

  67. 67.

    Les Bonnes Femmes

    I just saw the Marlene Dietrich documentary, called Marlene naturally, this morning before work. It was the first time. It is wonderful. I know I am not alone in adoring feisty or “difficult” artists. And, gosh, she was a handful for Max Schell, her old co-star, who made the film.

    Plus, I just got a very good book on music in Kubrick films. I am going to create the Ultimate and Greatest Best Kubrick Soundtrack Playlist evah!

  68. 68.

    The Dangerman

    @debit:

    Don’t click that link. Just…don’t.

    Oh, spoil my fun, go ahead.

    ETA: For those wondering, DPP is a UCLA person and our paths crossed.

    ETA: NO, I’M NOT MR. WILSON

  69. 69.

    jl

    @Sarah, Proud and Tall: And now you drag the goings on of librarians (librarians!?) into it. This is a family blog.

    I hate to say it: Sarah Proud and Tall is depraved, utterly and completely depraved. But I repeat myself. Sorry.

    I’m gong to watch developments in my pants. Wish it involved smoking hot young Aussie beach babes, but hey, may be unexpected uprisings….

  71. 71.

    Gin & Tonic

    @efgoldman: In the Chet Baker movie, yes. In the Miles movie, I’m not sure. But in reading about it, they used a lot of actual Miles recordings, with Cheadle (who actually spent four years learning the trumpet) faking along.

  72. 72.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @efgoldman:

    You feel like coming up, door is always open.

    Nice, thanks! Maybe next year. This weekend I’m heading up to Asheville for a talk and book signing by Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny, staying with a friend I met online at least 17 years ago.

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    On the fence about the new WoW expansion. Some welcome improvements, some frustrating if not downright annoying stuff. As a time sink, it’s certainly successful.

  77. 77.

    Larkspur

    @Imonlylurking: This is the giant orb golden spider which was a topic of discussion some days ago, right? That thread and your comment made me recollect a trip I made to Florida years ago. I went with a friend, her mom, and my friend’s bratty little brother. We went to a golden orb spider habitat in the Everglades.

    There was a wooden walkway through the swamp, starting at a covered kiosk with lots of explanatory placards, the ceiling of which was densely populated by the spiders themselves. The bratty little brother pinched off a bit of his sandwich and tossed it up into a web. A spider looked at him, then hauled her considerable bulk over to the crumb and I swear, she pitched it right back at him. It was awesome.

    But I couldn’t complete the whole walkway loop. There were spiders draped everywhere on trees and shrubs and the whole thing was beautiful and totally beyond my ability to experience without hysteria. My loss. I’m glad your spider got away safely and without collateral damage.

  79. 79.

    laura

    @Francis: @Francis: so here’s the Indian Summer:
    2oz pear vodka
    1oz grapefruit juice (fresh ruby if possible)
    1oz sparkling apple cider (alt. still or hard cider)
    Lemon peel

    In a shaker with ice, vodka and grapefruit juice shaken vigorously
    Poor into crushed iced filled glass add cider, stir and squeeze the peel over and drop in.
    Enjoy with a late summer afternoon sit on the porch.

  80. 80.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    @NotMax:

    Yum. My haul the other day included two bottles of Atsby’s New York vermouth (the Armadillo Cake and the Amberthorn), an Oscar 697 Rosso (which i thoroughly recommend), two bottles of Madeneii Australian sweet vermouth, two bottles of Grand Marnier (ooops pressed twice) and several bottles of bitters, including an Australian made Angostura-like.

    I’m looking forward to the weekend.

  81. 81.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    @Origuy:

    The Drunken Botanist is really good book. I tormented my bartender at the Gretz into making almost everything in there for me.

    I was most disappointed I couldn’t find the schnapps they make by securing the bottles of spirit over the spring growth tips of spruce trees. Yum.

  82. 82.

    Mike J

    @Hal:

    Also, the filmmaker Chris Bell, interviews people wearing a backwards facing baseball cap and shorts. Dress up a little.

    Pretty good for a guy who’s been dead since ’78.

  85. 85.

    JR in WV

    @TaMara (HFG):

    I think all grapes can make good wine. With very sweet grapes, you need to let the ferment for quite a while, and you might want to filter the juice to remove seeds and grape-skins.

    But my Uncle Archie used to make good wine from dandelion blossoms and honey, so I think Concord grapes should work.

    Now for a great wine, you need both good grapes AND expertise, which I don’t have on tap, not for wine. Other alcoholic beverages, sure.

  87. 87.

    Miss Bianca

    @Origuy: One of my favorite reference books.

    Just finished bottling some mead tonight made from a kit that a friend of mine gave me – God knows how long it had been kicking around her place. Fireweed and blackberry honey, if I remember correctly. Anyway, the kit advocated a kind of complicated two-step process that involved the sort of clarifiers you use for wine – something my brewing buddy and I never bother with, usually.

    Verdict: good color, disappointing taste – kind of like cheap white wine, rather than the gorgeousness we usually accomplish. Next up, in a hat tip to drunken botany: a “retsina” mead – mesquite honey with pinyon resin, and an elder-blossom/flower mead.

    Anyway, good color, but rather

  89. 89.

    Aleta

    @JR in WV:

    my Uncle Archie used to make good wine from dandelion blossoms and honey

    My aunt used to make elderflower champagne; quite good. My mom made elderflower-sugar-alchoholic-fizzing-wineish-something as well. Used the big heads of the flowers when they were fresh in bloom midsummer.

  90. 90.

    ChrisGrrr

    Even the threat of revising my comment, with or without my name removed from the result, means the safe course of action is to skip every post from this front-pager from now on.

  93. 93.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    @ChrisGrrr:

    Oh please. It was a one off thread gimmick which was fully disclosed in writing in the main post, and which the rest of the punters seemed to enjoy – particularly the ones who set me the challenge of tracking down their comments and coming up with some hopefully entertaining changes.

    Otherwise I apply the John Cole rule, Your comment isn’t going to be edited (other than if you ask me to fix a link, which sometimes happens), and won’t be deleted unless it is poisonously rude, sexist, racist, homophobic etc or abusive of another commenter. If you say something dumb enough to be called on, I am more than comfortable that the Juicers can deal with the dumbness with appropriate mockery.

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