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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Me The Next Four Years

Me The Next Four Years

by John Cole|  December 19, 20169:46 pm| 206 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links

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This idiot was trying to make a racist announcement and this guy kept yelling ?NOOOOO in his face lmao pic.twitter.com/dvSGCLIPJ6

— pb (@paigebrittany) December 16, 2016

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Previous Post: « Sufganiyot: Jelly Donuts For the Jewish Festival of Lights
Next Post: Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Holiday Drama »

Reader Interactions

206Comments

  1. 1.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    Based on the picture from the other night it looks like its you now.

  2. 2.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    That man is my new hero, and I would like to buy him the beverage of his choice.

  3. 3.

    Elizabelle

    December 19, 2016 at 9:51 pm

    We can all do that.

    Goats do it even more charmingly.

  4. 4.

    HinTN

    December 19, 2016 at 9:51 pm

    Add we used to say down here, “Hell yes, by God!”

  5. 5.

    HinTN

    December 19, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    @Mnemosyne: ?

  6. 6.

    magurakurin

    December 19, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    Coming soon to a back alley in Wisconsin. Thanks WWC! Heckuva job!
    In Russia, Dozens Die After Drinking Alcohol Substitute

  7. 7.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: lol…it’s the vest…John seems like the type to ALWAYS where those tech vest type things…lol

  8. 8.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    December 19, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    I saw Rogue One today. The first two-thirds was very good. Then it lost its focus and tried to become a very different movie on the fly, and it didn’t work.

  9. 9.

    schrodingers_cat

    December 19, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    If you want a break from the crazy, check out Movie Snob aka Mnem’s review of His Girl Friday

  10. 10.

    russell

    December 19, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    i love that guy. for best results, have a nice garlic and onion sandwich beforehand.

  11. 11.

    schrodingers_cat

    December 19, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    @magurakurin: Substitute for Obamacare and Medicare.

  12. 12.

    Woodrowfan

    December 19, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    where was this??

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 10:00 pm

    YESSS!!! If I had a BF, this is what I’d want to see for Valentine’s Day! Forget about a damn romcom…lol
    #johnwick2

  14. 14.

    magurakurin

    December 19, 2016 at 10:03 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: It’s sad that we got rolled by a crumbling petrol-state run by autocratic dickhead…and hardly anyone seems to care.

  15. 15.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 10:04 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I really did see the movie in a whole new light after our press shot themselves in the foot this year and then looked around to see whodoneit.

  16. 16.

    Ceci n'est pas mon nym

    December 19, 2016 at 10:09 pm

    Hello, BJ. Dipping my toe back into reading political blogs for the first time since… since… something I can’t quite remember. I tried a few times but always found that I just couldn’t read anything about the current state of the political world. I’ve been getting my Snidely Whiplash-for-Secretary-of-Tying-Women-To-Railroad-Tracks news second and third hand.

    I’m still stuck somewhere in denial. I know we have to get fighting mad and then actually fight. I’ll get there. But I’m not there yet.

    I did hear one interview with Elizabeth Warren on Rachel Maddow’s show shortly after the election. That interview has been what’s kind of kept me going the last month. That lady didn’t take any time to wallow, she’s right in the thick of it. Has to talk to and deal with these people face to face.

    Anyway, glad to see you are all still here and still have your senses of humor. I’m sure mine will come back soon.

    Actually, it better come back pretty damn soon because on some bizarre impulse I signed up for a comedy-writing class that begins in a couple of weeks (given by a local improv theater, and I’ve taken a few improv courses as well).

  17. 17.

    BGinCHI

    December 19, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    Cole, you’ll be yelling NOOOOO because of racism, but you’ll also be yelling it because your roof is leaking and your dogs set your new kitchen on fire.

  18. 18.

    Ceci n'est pas mon nym

    December 19, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    I seem to be on the automatic moderation list again, dammit. Is it because I’ve been absent over a month so the system doesn’t recognize me? Or am I going to have to change nyms again?

  19. 19.

    Jordan Rules

    December 19, 2016 at 10:12 pm

    Funny…that’s how I imagined you over the next few years.
    Righteous turrist fist bump to you JGC.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    Speaking of which, I bought my mother-in-law and her sister a fire extinguisher for Christmas after their 40+-year-old stove caught on fire and they had to buy a new one.

    Our poor niece (10 years old) was using it at the time and was a little traumatized, but the firefighters were able to confirm that it was the stove itself that caused the fire, not any of the food she was cooking. Still, best to have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.

  21. 21.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    House Hunters in Holiday, FL…never heard of that city

    Am I the ONLY person who could live w/o “soaker tub”…personally..I’d be fine with just a BIG shower…don’t like bath water

    I’d be a horrible home buyer. too simple. give me cable, internet, parking & big ole fancy kitchen…the rest I don’t care!

  22. 22.

    Central Planning

    December 19, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    Speaking of kitchen fires, the host at a holiday party this past weekend had a Feuerzangenbowle. He successfully avoided the kitchen fire.

    The mulled wine was DELICIOUS and it was fun to watch. So much so, I bought one today. I can’t wait to try it out for one of the family parties we will be having :D

  23. 23.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym: @Ceci n’est pas mon nym: The apostrophe is what is landing you in moderation. The most recent WP upgrades don’t like apostrophe.

  24. 24.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    @lamh36:
    Also too…I’m NOT fan of a two story…I used to like two story townhouses, but not anymore

    Also think I don’t know about a kitchen open to living room…I mean…have you ever fried chicken or fish…smells stick to everything.

    #HouseHunters

  25. 25.

    frosty

    December 19, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym: Based on some comments yesterday, the blog doesn’t like apostrophes in nyms. Alain may or may not be working on it.

    ETA: Fast work Adam!

  26. 26.

    donnah

    December 19, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    I love the “No!” guy soooo much! I know I’m gonna feel like doing the same thing for a long time.

  27. 27.

    Comrade Mary

    December 19, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: We need to get Little Bobby Tables working on the next release.

  28. 28.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:26 pm

    @Comrade Mary: I just post stuff, I don’t handle the tech. Don’t know nothing about the tech.

  29. 29.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 19, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    @Comrade Mary: Oh, man, I thought I was the only person around here who laughed out loud at that. I actually have that strip on a t-shirt.

  30. 30.

    schrodingers_cat

    December 19, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    @lamh36: Me loves a tub! I love to soak, like the Indian water buffalo!

  31. 31.

    Lizzy L

    December 19, 2016 at 10:30 pm

    @lamh36: With you. I don’t have a bathtub — just a shower. I’m quite happy.

  32. 32.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    December 19, 2016 at 10:31 pm

    OK, let’s try it without the apostrophe…

    Nope, that’s not it. Still thrown into moderation.

  33. 33.

    Dadadadadadada

    December 19, 2016 at 10:31 pm

    @Comrade Mary: If Balloon Juice had a Like button I would hit it 1,000 times for that comment.

  34. 34.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 19, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym:

    Heads up: you might have problems writing/​editing comments because of the apostrophe in your nym. It’s a known recent problem.

    ETA: Redundant again, I see.

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: You’re good now. Every time someone posts with a new nym it goes into moderation the first time. You should be good to go from now on.

  36. 36.

    StringOnAStick

    December 19, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    I’m going to a protest at the rethug Senator’s local office tomorrow, organized by MoveOn in support of Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA. He’s not up for election until 2020 but I want him getting nervous about it starting NOW.

  37. 37.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 19, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    WordPress is the fucking worst. I’ve been elbow deep in it for like three weeks.

  38. 38.

    notoriousJRT

    December 19, 2016 at 10:37 pm

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym:
    apostrophe problem with nym

  39. 39.

    notoriousJRT

    December 19, 2016 at 10:37 pm

    @notoriousJRT:
    I stand corrected. My guess was old news….

  40. 40.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: I hope you’re wearing gloves!

  41. 41.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    Smh…Really….b…really

    @Amy_Siskind Amy Siskind Retweeted The Hill
    Obama golfing in Hawaii right now is not making him look so hot. He can take an extended vacation as of January 20th.

  42. 42.

    Brachiator

    December 19, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    @Mnemosyne:Good review. I had almost forgot how clear eyed Hawks is about the corruption of the political establishment, and this is equalled by the corruption and cynicism of the press. If any good, let alone justice comes out of this mess, it is in part because the reporters are competent, not lazy hacks. But still it’s about getting the story and selling papers.

    But on the romantic comedy side, it is still refreshingly brave that Hildy clearly demonstrates disdain for a traditional domestic role. I still feel sorry for Ralph Bellamy, who’s a nice guy, but just the wrong guy.

  43. 43.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 19, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: PHP doesn’t even come with gloves, if you want to use gloves you have to make your own gloves, WordPress is the worst thing

  44. 44.

    hovercraft

    December 19, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    @lamh36:
    I didn’t like that overly shiny black marble or granite floor in the house they bought. I like the open kitchen to the family room, it allows you be part of what’s going on with the kids. Yes it allows cooking odors to travel further, but that’s a trade off.

  45. 45.

    debbie

    December 19, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    @donnah:

    I could really use him at work.

  46. 46.

    Mj_Oregon

    December 19, 2016 at 10:43 pm

    I think someone needs to develop a hand-held, battery powered thingy that belted out NO! in different random voices as loud as you could make such a device whenever you pressed the sacred button. Or, maybe NO! in a dozen different random languages, but still as loud as possible. Nothing fancy, just a cylinder with a button and a speaker on one end. Anyone have an inventor streak? I think it would be wonderful to take to protests.

  47. 47.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 10:43 pm

    @lamh36: Fuck me to tears. There are people who will still be bitching about him five years from now.

  48. 48.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: good to know

  49. 49.

    hitchhiker

    December 19, 2016 at 10:45 pm

    UPDATE for friend o’ the blog Susan. Little medical catch-22 issues were swallowing her, so our blogfather JC put up a post late Friday night that linked to her GoFundMe.

    She’s like $100 shy of a modest $6k goal. You all heard about this, right? Right?
    https://www.gofundme.com/susans-medical-bills?r=13830

  50. 50.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 10:47 pm

    @hovercraft: I noticed the floors too…wasn’t a fan either. But then I wasn’t much a fan of the house they chose at all.

  51. 51.

    Another Scott

    December 19, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    @Mj_Oregon: Like Say No!!!? (I haven’t tried it myself.) Sounds like a good idea to me. :-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  52. 52.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 19, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Is it WordPress per se or is it the barnacle-like encrustation of plug-ins and extensions that seem to accrete to it?

  53. 53.

    Nicole

    December 19, 2016 at 10:51 pm

    This pleases me.

  54. 54.

    hovercraft

    December 19, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    @lamh36:
    If there is an attack in America, then the President can put away his clubs, until then what the fuck do these morons want him to do? I’m sure he’s spoken to the relevant heads of state, and is getting his PDB, and since America now thinks sweating the details is passe, why the should he do anything different. The shitgibbon is destroying all norms, and yet the public seems to be becoming more comfortable with the thought of it taking office everyday. There is nothing Obama can do to stop the this, regardless of how the green lantern fans believe he can, so why not enjoy his vacation. Till January 20, he has to endure people bitching about what he’s doing with his time, but he ignore them safe in the knowledge that he did his best, and America chose not to listen.

  55. 55.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 19, 2016 at 10:54 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): the latter. WordPress does one thing well, and that’s a blog with a basic comment system, categories, and tags. Everything else is shoehorned in, there’s very shoddy tooling and package management, no curation, and PHP is a nightmare in that sort of scenario.

  56. 56.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    @lamh36:

    Because white people got themselves in a fix and now Obama has to rescue us?

    Listen, morons: Obama spent eight years trying to save us from ourselves, and we spit in his eye. Why is he supposed to keep trying?

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    @hovercraft:

    If there is an attack in America, then the President can put away his clubs, until then what the fuck do these morons want him to do? I’m sure he’s spoken to the relevant heads of state, and is getting his PDB, and since America now thinks sweating the details is passe, why the should he do anything different. The shitgibbon is destroying all norms, and yet the public seems to becoming more comfortable with the thought of it taking office everyday. There is nothing Obama can do to stop the this, regardless of how the green lantern fans believe he can, so why not enjoy his vacation. Till January 20, he has to endure people bitching about what he’s doing with his time, but he ignore them safe in the knowledge that he did his best, and America chose not to listen.

    This is what I meant when I wrote “Fuck me to tears.”

  58. 58.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    @hovercraft: The tweet was actually in response to his press conference on Friday and not doing something either more forcefully in regard to the Russian cyberwarfare or to somehow do something in regard to the President-elect. His going on a regularly scheduled vacation was just too much for her.

  59. 59.

    Mj_Oregon

    December 19, 2016 at 10:57 pm

    @Another Scott:

    Close, but not quite. Having to use your cell screen for each NO! wouldn’t have quite as much power as holding something similar to a small flashlight over your head and pressing the button over and over to get the NO!’s really going. Get a bunch of them together and you might drown out the offender completely and possibly get onlookers laughing. You might want to add a particularly loud and sharp NYET! to the mix, given the situation we find ourselves in.

  60. 60.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 10:58 pm

    @hovercraft:

    This political cartoon is over 100 years old, and yet still true to this day.

  61. 61.

    Another Scott

    December 19, 2016 at 10:59 pm

    @efgoldman: Around here (NoVA) we’re told (by the county sanitation people) to throw old smoke detectors in the trash. The idea of throwing radioactive stuff in the trash gives me the creeps, but there you are. (I did try taking them to the dump once to recycle them (or something) – they wouldn’t take them.)

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  62. 62.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Similar to the above video…fun in Scotland where kid with bagpipes shuts down nutjob hate preacher on the street…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwLaDzKFiBY

  63. 63.

    Another Scott

    December 19, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    @Another Scott: Whoops. I now see you were talking about fire extinguishers, not smoke detectors. That’s what I get for reading the thread backwards…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  64. 64.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:01 pm

    @celticdragonchick: That’s a classic. I posted that when it was first making its rounds. I’ve actually been in the flat where that video was taken from. Back when I lived in St. Andrews when I was a student there.

  65. 65.

    Brachiator

    December 19, 2016 at 11:03 pm

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym:

    I saw Rogue One today. The first two-thirds was very good. Then it lost its focus and tried to become a very different movie on the fly, and it didn’t work.

    Odd. I think the movie found its focus in the final third. But I see your point. Some critics and ordinary viewers are trying to figure out how Disney insistence on major rewrites and reshoots affected the final result.

  66. 66.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    @Brachiator: Along the lines of this:
    ETA: Apparently there are spoilers at the link!!!!
    http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-first-script-for-rogue-one-had-a-completely-differe-1790296533

  67. 67.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Nothing like Highland pipes to make conversation impossible…

    A few years ago at the Loch Norman Games, I had to ask a piper to please go somewhere else. We were having the Scottish harp competition…and harps DO NOT compete with pipes.

  68. 68.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 19, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Agree, just wanted to clarify where you were coming from. The basic WordPress foundation seems pretty solid.

  69. 69.

    Pogonip

    December 19, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Yes! And everyone who isn’t in an all-electric area, don’t forget the carbon-monoxide detectors.

  70. 70.

    Brachiator

    December 19, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    This political cartoon is over 100 years old, and yet still true to this day.

    Great cartoon. Do you have any info on what publication it’s from and when it appeared?

  71. 71.

    NotMax

    December 19, 2016 at 11:09 pm

    So, Mr. Cole, is the furnace in the new house doing its thing okay? Don’t recall any mention of how that’s going. Gas or oil?

    /inquiring minds

  72. 72.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    @NotMax: Oil? Do people still do that?

  73. 73.

    Brachiator

    December 19, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Wow. This link contains some major spoilers, for the sake of anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet.

    I think the studio decision, if this is true, made for a better movie.

    Have you seen it yet?

  74. 74.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    @Brachiator: I really liked the movie. Better than The Force Awakens IMHO.

    The director did his first movie a few years ago…little ultra low budget sci fi flick called Monsters. Part Italian neo-realism, part road movie, part war movie…and monsters. I thought it was going to be another “Sharknado” or some such. Damn was I wrong. Parts of it reminded me of Apocalypse Now...gliding up a river with an orange sunrise playing on the waters and existential dread as the constant companion.

    Utterly brilliant masterclass in guerilla film making. He would show up without permits or anything and ask locals to just play along and improv dialogue. It worked.

  75. 75.

    Ajabu

    December 19, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    @lamh36:
    My wife loves a tub. I NEVER, EVER use one. Shower only.
    As far as a house, I bought her an appropriate plaque:
    “The only reason I have a kitchen is that it came with the house”.

  76. 76.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    @celticdragonchick: How droll…

    So funny story. As our deployment to Iraq approached, the brigade scheduled long weekends. Which, as you know, are so that the Soldiers deploying can spend more time with their families. One of those weekend I and one of my teammates flew over to Scotland from Germany, stayed with a friend from when I lived there, and spent four days with me and her showing him the sights. In St. Andrews we went into one of the kilt makers, specifically the one where I used to rent my formal highland wear for formal balls when I was a student there. We went upstairs in the shop, the same little old lady was still working there. As we walked in, she glanced up, saw us, saw me, and said: ‘just give me a moment, dearie and I’ll get ye’r card”. The card was the index card with the details from my last kilt rental. That was 13 years prior. I had not set foot in the shop, because I’d not been back to Scotland, for 13 years. She had a great memory.

  77. 77.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 19, 2016 at 11:12 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): like, I’m sure the WordPress core itself can handle some damn apostrophes.

  78. 78.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    @efgoldman: I love bagpipes. However, Highland pipes do not play well with others. As a harper, I do have to arrange some degree of separation.

  79. 79.

    hovercraft

    December 19, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Peoples reaction to that still bothers me. As I said he warned us, they didn’t listen, and now we want him to what, voice our outrage? That’s not him and never has been, he has always had a way more optimistic view of our country than I have, but that’s him. Yes he could have gotten up and given America a stern lecture about how badly ‘we’ screwed up, but we already know that. He put the best spin he could on our current decent into hell.
    @Mnemosyne:
    I love that, I’d never seen it before. Unfortunately it could have been written for the Obama reign of terror.

  80. 80.

    The Pale Scot

    December 19, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    Pff.. Like that’s not you man. Whose the friend taking the vid?

  81. 81.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:14 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yes in NY and New England.

  82. 82.

    rikyrah

    December 19, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    @lamh36:
    I would much rather have a shower with all the bells and whistles .
    I want a laundry room on the same floor as my bedroom, and I want a banquette in the kitchen.
    I want a ranch with a finished basement

  83. 83.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    In case this was missed over the weekend. Jingle Barack.

  84. 84.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    @Brachiator: I have not seen it yet and did not realize there were spoilers. I’ve updated the comment with a spoilers warning.

  85. 85.

    The Pale Scot

    December 19, 2016 at 11:16 pm

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym:

    Snidely Whiplash-for-Secretary-of-Tying-Women-To-Railroad-Tracks news

    ClapClapp

  86. 86.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:17 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Putting in new ones? I get that old ones exist.

  87. 87.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Awesome. :)

    The kilt maker we use for my kid (since he is still growing) keep their reference stuff for him wherever we run into them at the various games.

    I promised my spouse a formal kilted skirt in Douglas Grey when she finished her degree. Now I have to manage to pay for it…

  88. 88.

    hovercraft

    December 19, 2016 at 11:19 pm

    @Ajabu: @lamh36:
    My mother does not shower, she only does baths.

  89. 89.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Ok, sorry. Was not tracking.

  90. 90.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 19, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Damn straight.

  91. 91.

    NotMax

    December 19, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    Adam L. Silverman

    P.D,Q.Bach Sinfonia Concertante for bagpipes and lute. Don’t skip over the introduction, it’s worth hearing.

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:21 pm

    @celticdragonchick: 2nd mortgage!

  93. 93.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    @NotMax: Will do.

  94. 94.

    Brachiator

    December 19, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    @celticdragonchick: I keep hearing good things about “Monsters.” I’m going to have to track it down.

    I think that the director, Gareth Edwards, brought a superior visual imagination to the project, which helped overcome some script problems.

    I don’t know that I liked this better than The Force Awakens. Don’t make me choose! I think I liked the main protagonists in Force a bit more. But there are parts of Rogue that were absolutely delightful, even some of the more intense scenes. And I noted earlier that Rogue One makes The Phantom Menace and the other prequels feel flabby and unnecessary.

  95. 95.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:23 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: My question was ambiguous.

    @Adam L Silverman: Sell firstborn.

  96. 96.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    @rikyrah: I guess I like a ranch style…to be honest…I just don’t really know the styles of houses…I mean I’m from NOLA, so of course I know a shotgun house from any other (newsflash I don’t like shotgun houses), but otherwise, I only have a vague idea of house styles but nothing to make a difference in my choices.

    Also being from NOLA, below sea level, we don’t do basements…lol

  97. 97.

    The Pale Scot

    December 19, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    because your roof is leaking and your dogs set your new kitchen on fire.

    Wow; memory flare, long time ago I wuz driving and listening to a college radio folk/country type of show and heard a great song that went;

    Well my chimney has crumbled and my roof has caved in
    Letting in the sunshine and the rain
    And the only friend I got left is that good ol’ dog of mine
    and a broken down log cabin in Julaine.

    And have never been able to track down the tune,
    The guy sounds familiar though
    Anyone know the song?

  98. 98.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Just about.

    She also wants a set of uilleann pipes…which are crazy expensive. My bargain on that was she gets those when I can get a new 36 string Celtic harp.

  99. 99.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    December 19, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Ah, Steeplejack, you’re never redundant and you have a very nice tablet. I found the tablet fits in my medium camera bag perfectly.

  100. 100.

    newdealfarmgrrrlll

    December 19, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    @hitchhiker: our blog father is a mensch. He asked this morning if he should bump it to the top again, and I said no, it’s close enough. My manager and coworkers are figuring out how to carpool me to work until I get new eyewear for driving, so I won’t have as much income loss as I initially feared. Which means, enough funds for the dreaded Trip To The Vet! I better dig out the cat carriers now so they can get used to them sitting innocently by the door.

    I’m still overwhelmed by the generosity and kind messages showered upon me by commenters. Knowing all my old medical bills will be paid off by the end of the year will make this one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had.

    And! After cataract surgery, which I went ahead and scheduled for February 13, I’ll be able to see well enough to take some decent pet pics, which I can send along with an update. Of course, the surgery doesn’t mean that my lack of photography skills is gonna improve …

    I’m still overwhelmed

  101. 101.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Sorry, my Google-fu is failing me. I saw it years ago and it made enough of an impression that I was able to find it in an image search, but Getty Images is not good about provenance information for stuff that’s out of copyright.

  102. 102.

    gene108

    December 19, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    @lamh36:

    Am I the ONLY person who could live w/o “soaker tub”…personally..I’d be fine with just a BIG shower…don’t like bath water

    I’d be a horrible home buyer. too simple. give me cable, internet, parking & big ole fancy kitchen…the rest I don’t care!

    I think the soaker tub could be optional. But a couple cannot live without an open concept main floor, and double sinks in the master bath. Plus no carpet, hardwood throughout or go home.

    /watch HGTV too ???

    //sarcasm

  103. 103.

    James E Powell

    December 19, 2016 at 11:29 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    RWers have never stopped vilifying Jimmy Carter. This is true even of RWers who were still in high school when Carter left office.

  104. 104.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    @efgoldman: I did not know that, in truth

    However….

    The sheer power of a pipe band standing 5 feet away from you while playing Scotland the Brave is almost overwhelming. Exhilarating, really. Makes me want to grab my Claidheamh Mòr sword and find the English…

  105. 105.

    Mnemosyne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    If we’re talking house styles, G has promised me that we can buy a Storybook house as soon as I become a bestselling author. ?

    I would be satisfied with a nice Craftsman bungalow, too.

  106. 106.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    @efgoldman: When I lived in CT in the ’70s, our house had gas. But we were in Fairfield County.

  107. 107.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 19, 2016 at 11:30 pm

    @efgoldman: Pretty limited service areas for natural gas, too ,and LPG comes out too expensive in comparison for heating (although I have it for the kitchen.)

    I burn probably 200 gal/mo of fuel oil in the coldest months.

  108. 108.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:31 pm

    @Brachiator: Do find Monsters. It is worth a couple hours of your time. Especially if you like progressive allegory sci fi.

  109. 109.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 19, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    But we were in Fairfield County.

    Well, excuuuuuse us, then, Mr Bigshot.

  110. 110.

    celticdragonchick

    December 19, 2016 at 11:33 pm

    School to teach tomorrow, so good night all…

  111. 111.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Goddamned right.

  112. 112.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    @celticdragonchick: I’m well aware on the uillean pipes. They’re expensive and not easy to fine. Got schlepped all over Dublin with the same teammate who went to Scotland with me trying to find a set for his son.

  113. 113.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Does “schlepped” have meaning in Ireland?

  114. 114.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 19, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): the fact that there are WordPress plugins that can’t handle apostrophes tells you all you need to know about the PHP community.

  115. 115.

    seaboogie

    December 19, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    @lamh36: We would be unlikely roomies – you and me….

    I LOVE my 300 sq.ft. in-law apartment precisely because it has a tub (and a super-sweet and functional design – helloooo vaulted ceiling!). Baths get me closer to normal, especially with a good dosing of dead sea salts. Since everything is in proximity to everything else, cooking smells to be what they be. Onions are the clingiest scent….guess I’m just going to have to smell delicious. Haven’t cooked fish yet for the very reason you mention. Maybe a grill for the patio in the summer….

  116. 116.

    rikyrah

    December 19, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    That video up top had me HOLLERING ????

  117. 117.

    Suzanne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:42 pm

    @gene108: I am very anti-open concept. First of all, it’s essentially the default in cheap production houses over the last 25 years, and they enclose a lot of square footage without really making well-proportioned, useful interior space. And they are noisy. Kitchen noise while I am trying to listen to music in the other “room “makes me crazy. I know that the open concept became more popular as formal living and entertaining waned as a lifestyle, and I understand that it is helpful for families to have clear sight lines with young kids, but give me rooms with doors or Shoji screens any day of the week.

  118. 118.

    rikyrah

    December 19, 2016 at 11:42 pm

    @lamh36:
    Being from the Midwest, I don’t grasp buying a house without a basement ??

  119. 119.

    Suzanne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:43 pm

    @efgoldman: You need new windows and to insulate your roof or attic. And you gotta do continuous insulation. Thermal bridging is a bitch.

  120. 120.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 19, 2016 at 11:44 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Loving the S2. Had occasion to do some stuff on the old Nexus 7 yesterday, and I was amazed at how slow it was. You get used to the new and better so quickly. Only thing I don’t like is that the speech to text is markedly worse than on my cell phone, and the autocorrect choices are sparse and really stupid. But those are minor complaints in the grand scheme of things.

    Still need to find a good case/​cover.

  121. 121.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    @rikyrah: There is a reason that tornadoes don’t completely wipe out neighborhoods up here. The houses had roots.

  122. 122.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yes, there are Jewish Irish. Just as there are in Scotland. Fun fact: Scotland was one of the few places that never expelled its Jews unlike England. What I never came across is whether there’s a Judaeo-Gaelic.

  123. 123.

    Suzanne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:46 pm

    @rikyrah: In areas that flood, like New Orleans, basements would be a flood hazard. In places like Arizona where the ground is kaliche close to the surface, basements wouldn’t be more stable than slabs on grade, and adds a lot of cost.

    I miss having a basement.

  124. 124.

    Another Scott

    December 19, 2016 at 11:46 pm

    @The Pale Scot: Google tells me it’s Bill Monroe – Log cabin in the lane.

    HTH!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  125. 125.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 11:48 pm

    @seaboogie: lol…it’s funny really, cause I have been seriously thinking about moving into a studio apartment once I decide when I’m moving…mostly to save a bit of money, but also too, I’m single…just now figuring out that aside from needing to have a Queen size bed and a “decent” kitchen, I don’t really need the “room” of a 1 bedroom…I mean…I watched tv in my bedroom more than I did in my living room when I had an apt.

  126. 126.

    RealityBites

    December 19, 2016 at 11:48 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Lots of rural areas with no gas lines. Oil heat is still very common. I have a 550 tank. Other rural options are propane and wood/wood pellets. I get a 5 cent per gallon discount if the bill is paid by cash or check within 2 weeks of delivery. I expect oil to be going waaaay up in price soon. Good for the Russian economy and the paychecks of the oil executives. Not looking forward to setting the thermostat on 55 and wearing lots of sweaters.

  127. 127.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Well, the guy who expelled the Jews from England was known as the “Hammer of the Scots.” Also, Cromwell, who gets a lot of shit for intolerance here, allowed the Jews to return.

  128. 128.

    NotMax

    December 19, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    @Adam L.Silverman

    Drudeo-Christian tradition in Eire?

  129. 129.

    lamh36

    December 19, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    @Suzanne: right…NOLA is below sea level…basically, the further down you dig, you are likely to hit water, than more dirt…so 6 feet under in NOLA..doesn’t always mean hard earth.

    It’s why we have those historical above ground cemeteries.

    So I’ve NEVER had a basement…and don’t even talk about a basement apartment…

  130. 130.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    @NotMax: You don’t look Druish…

  131. 131.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    @efgoldman: England, you daft minkey.

    ETA: Yes, I wrote minkey and I meant minkey.

  132. 132.

    NotMax

    December 19, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    @lamh36

    Remind me, please, after I win the big lottery and want to build a community for BJers not to employ the French for scouting settlement sites.

  133. 133.

    Schlemazel

    December 19, 2016 at 11:55 pm

    @The Pale Scot:
    “Log Cabin in the Lane” By Bill Monroe. Though you might have heard someone else version

  134. 134.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:55 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Cromwell was a human shaped bag of contradictions.

  135. 135.

    Suzanne

    December 19, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    @efgoldman: Windows are, in most houses, where energy is disproportionately lost. Either they leak or they absorb UV light or they aren’t insulated. Also, in commercial buildings, in most of the country, you’re required to have continuous insulation systems and to eliminate most thermal bridges to meet the requirements of the IECC. Homes lag behind commercial buildings in this regard.

  136. 136.

    Schlemazel

    December 19, 2016 at 11:57 pm

    @celticdragonchick:
    My one great regret is that I never learned to play the bagpipes! I have a practice chanter but I have not gotten the hang of it yet.

  137. 137.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 19, 2016 at 11:57 pm

    @efgoldman: Well played!

  138. 138.

    NotMax

    December 19, 2016 at 11:58 pm

    @Adam L. Silverman

    “You don’t have to be Druish to enjoy O’Levy’s rye bread.”

  139. 139.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:59 pm

    @NotMax: Quebec is lovely. Montreal works.

  140. 140.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 19, 2016 at 11:59 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Aren’t we all?

  141. 141.

    Schlemazel

    December 20, 2016 at 12:00 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: Dublin used to have a very large Jewish population & a Jewish mayor at a time when the English still ruled. I know this because Tommy Machem & the Clancy Brothers had a song about a cop who arrested a Jewish shopkeeper when he mistook the Hebrew writing on the windows for Gaelic (which was outlawed by the English) and then had to face the wrath of the mayor.

  142. 142.

    lamh36

    December 20, 2016 at 12:01 am

    @NotMax: lol..well…lol

  143. 143.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2016 at 12:01 am

    @Omnes Omnibus

    Exceptions that prove the rule.

    ;)

  144. 144.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:04 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Eh, it’s endemic. I feel like I spent half my programming career debugging edge/​boundary conditions in code written by colleagues who were cutting corners or not thinking things through. Add in amateurs and hobbyists hacking away at an open-source platform, and . . . shudder.

  145. 145.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2016 at 12:04 am

    @Schlemazel: My very poor joke about whether Yiddish was recognized in Ireland has backfired. I am not remotely surprised that Jews exist/ed in Ireland. Or in any other European country. Or any other place.

  146. 146.

    RealityBites

    December 20, 2016 at 12:06 am

    Will retire in about a year and a half, if Social Security and Medicare are still around. Going to clean all the accumulated stuff out of my current house and move much closer to town and all of civilization’s amenities. After spending most of my life helping elderly and disabled relatives (and occasionally friends), I am going to have a house with NO STAIRS. It will have an open floor plan, and I will modify it to keep me independent for as long as possible. I’ve been pretty lucky with my health so far, but I’ve seen too much about how even minor problems can really affect quality of life if you’re not prepared. Wide doorways, big bathroom, step in shower, handrails, wheelchair accessibility. No kids or close relatives to count on, so I want a place I where can take care of myself as long as possible. Easy care house, not too much lawn or stuff to worry about. Just need to make sure I outlive the cats or have good arrangements made for them.

  147. 147.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:07 am

    @Another Scott: Damn, You’d the Entity and shit

    “the lane, Juliane; It never occurred to me.

    Looks like it’s a going to be hard to find

    Much ‘blodged ..

    Tips Hat

  148. 148.

    Schlemazel

    December 20, 2016 at 12:08 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I am often surprised at the places they survived given the regular efforts to eradicate them. Given the strong Catholic foundation there I was very surprised when I learned about the mayor thing. Sorry I didn’t get your joke, went right over my head.

  149. 149.

    Mart

    December 20, 2016 at 12:10 am

    @donnah: I love the “No!” guy soooo much! I know I’m gonna feel like doing the same thing for a long time. I dream like a concealed carry guy of stopping the bad guy; except for me it is protecting one of the Muslim woman in our community who are regularly harassed. My wife teaches a lot of Muslim early learners, and several of her mothers have come to school crying after being threatened by tough guys hollering at them – with their kids in the car. Since they have brown skin, a scarf, and three babies in the car; they must be terrorists.

  150. 150.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:12 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    That’s not my minkey.

  151. 151.

    Schlemazel

    December 20, 2016 at 12:12 am

    @The Pale Scot:

    if you want an electronic copy youtube seems to have many versions:
    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cabin+in+the+lane

    I don’t see Monroe’s though

  152. 152.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:15 am

    @Adam L Silverman:

    What I never came across is whether there’s a Judaeo-Gaelic.

    Jewish guilt Irish-Catholic guilt? Same bowl of porridge.

  153. 153.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 12:16 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Python doesn’t have these problems. We’re talking about a web-specific technology (literally only for the web) failing at… Unicode.

  154. 154.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:17 am

    @lamh36: If your not living where there’s stuff to just walk out the door and go to, small places can get stuffy.

  155. 155.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2016 at 12:20 am

    @The Pale Scot: ‘cuse me while I kiss this guy…

    :-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  156. 156.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:21 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Not really up on Python, but I’m guessing there are ways that idiots can shoot their toes off with it. Maybe just different toes.

  157. 157.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2016 at 12:22 am

    @gene108: “I can’t cook in this kitchen! The counters aren’t granite and the appliances aren’t stainless steel!!! AAAIIIIEEEEE!

    After hearing that a few times I stopped watching the standard House hunters. mr opiejeanne likes the International version but we are both sick of people who want a 2-bedroom apartment in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and their budget is $250 a month.

  158. 158.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2016 at 12:22 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Yep.

    @efgoldman: And before the Shoah? German Jews were more integrated and accepted, in the “my friend, Reuben, is Jewish. Oh, then he doesn’t do Christmas like we do” accepted. And then shit went off the charts. I worry.

  159. 159.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2016 at 12:22 am

    @Schlemazel

    An anti-eradication Xmas wish. :)

  160. 160.

    Mart

    December 20, 2016 at 12:23 am

    @efgoldman: That made me laugh. Our second was/still is a card carrying terrorist.

  161. 161.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2016 at 12:23 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Mixing tabs and spaces is fun in python…

    Cheers,
    Scott.
    (“Don’t to that!!”)

  162. 162.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:25 am

    @Schlemazel: You know I was thinking that it was the Bill Monroe version. But the 78rpm version is obviously ancient, maybe it’s someone else. Ya, lots of versions to go thru. Weekend maybe

  163. 163.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:27 am

    @Another Scott: Ohh…

    Nifty

  164. 164.

    Schlemazel

    December 20, 2016 at 12:28 am

    @NotMax:

    That was horrible! Thanks for sharing

  165. 165.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2016 at 12:29 am

    @Schlemazel: Co-sign.

  166. 166.

    rikyrah

    December 20, 2016 at 12:30 am

    @Suzanne:
    I understand about New Orleans, and I first visited it, I was freaked out, as a child, taking a tour of the graveyard, and Everyone buried above ground. That was after the drive to the city over Lake Ponchetrain..One of the scariest drives for a kid.

  167. 167.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2016 at 12:31 am

    @Schlemazel

    Trust me, the others considered and jettisoned were infinitely worse.

    :)

  168. 168.

    The Pale Scot

    December 20, 2016 at 12:32 am

    Nite All

  169. 169.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 12:33 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): yes, but those ways don’t usually end up in the easy-to-install-package marketplace.

    ETA: or if you’re feeling a severe case of kids on your lawn there’s fortran.io https://fortran.io

  170. 170.

    Mayim

    December 20, 2016 at 12:35 am

    @Adam L Silverman:
    No Judeo-Gaelic that I know of ~ the Jews in Scotland were on areas that spoke {Lowland} Scots/Lallans [a Germanic dialect, rather than the Celtic Gaelic] in the relevant time frames ~ and Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen likely never had a majority of Gaelic speakers. The Jewish community also never reached a reasonable critical population mass for developing a distinct language/dialect.
    Also ~ the lack of any expulsion may well be explained by lack of Jews to expell, as much as religious tolerance. There’s no real historical records of any significant numbers Jews in Scotland before the late 17th century, if my memory hasn’t failed me completely;-)
    But, yes, overall, Scotland would have been one of the least bad places to be a Jew in Europe for most of the last thousand years.

  171. 171.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:45 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    “Finally, a FORTRAN Web framework.” Said no one ever.

  172. 172.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 12:51 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): whoever wrote that said it!

    ETA: Go is fun, have you used go?

  173. 173.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:54 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Well, said no one ever except that one demented guy.

  174. 174.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 12:56 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): my boss said it ironically today when we stumbled on that, does that count?

  175. 175.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2016 at 12:57 am

    @NotMax: I love that. It’s terrible. But in a good way. Well, maybe a good bad way.

  176. 176.

    Mike J

    December 20, 2016 at 12:58 am

    I’d rather do web apps in fortran than php.

  177. 177.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 12:58 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Downloaded it after our previous discussion but haven’t played with it yet. Still trying to summon the will to live after the election.

  178. 178.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2016 at 12:59 am

    @efgoldman: If only our elections all used punch cards. Maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess.

  179. 179.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2016 at 1:01 am

    @efgoldman: John won’t be using an oil furnace, he’s West By God Virginia they use coal.

  180. 180.

    seaboogie

    December 20, 2016 at 1:01 am

    @lamh36: Well…I lucked into a super-great studio, simply by putting out into the universe exactly what I wanted: Gas stove, hardwood floors (laminate, but I’m not about to quibble), tub, and a vaulted ceiling. Got all that plus a dishwasher and my own W/D on the covered patio. A wee closet and a walk-in general storage closet too. I could not possibly be happier.

    I’m newly realizing that having everything prettty proximal is quite ideal for me – makes me happy to see the kitchen space from my bed. And when the bathroom door is open, I look over yonder and realize – that is one fine toilet! Seriously – it’s a really nice toilet.

    If you do decide to downsize, put everything you want out into the universe with great intention – it can be quite a surprise when what you want becomes available. I say this realizing that not every place is as organic and fluid and quirky as the Sonoma environs, but you never know until you try for it.

  181. 181.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 1:03 am

    @Yarrow: did you forget all about chads?

  182. 182.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2016 at 1:03 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Mine came with a case, it’s really nice. It’s the Samsung book case.

  183. 183.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2016 at 1:04 am

    @Major Major Major Major: A proper punch card will not have chads!

  184. 184.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 1:04 am

    @efgoldman:

    I had a cube neighbor in the ’80s who ran (and endlessly tweaked) his NFL betting program in COBOL. Having an obsessive hobby is a great way to learn a programming language.

  185. 185.

    Villago Delenda Est

    December 20, 2016 at 1:05 am

    @Yarrow: Somehow the Brits manage to do elections with paper ballots. We really, REALLY need to rethink how we tabulate votes, and process them. Touch screen Diebold-type shit (Diebold got out of the election biz after 2004 because the flakiness there was rubbing off on their REAL business, ATMs, which must be flawless, because money, ya know) just doesn’t cut it. Too many transparency issues.

  186. 186.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 1:06 am

    @Yarrow: then he who controls the hole-punching device…

  187. 187.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 1:09 am

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Will check it out. Need to get on Amazon and see what’s available.

  188. 188.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2016 at 1:13 am

    @Major Major Major Major: @Villago Delenda Est: Paper ballots. And X number of districts, chosen randomly by something like one of those lottery ping pong ball machines, will be audited every election. if a district hasn’t been audited in Y years/elections, it automatically gets audited. But they’re still up for random auditing every time.

  189. 189.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 20, 2016 at 1:13 am

    @Yarrow: Oh, I totally agree, I was just snarking.

  190. 190.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 1:29 am

    @efgoldman:

    Ah, I see, “enormous” is your problem. This was the early ’80s, microcomputers, very wild and woolly. CP/M mostly on Altos computers. If you could spell CP/M and COBOL and get at least one right you were almost guaranteed a job. Most of our stuff was in Microsoft BASIC, but we did have the one COBOL product, for which this guy was the product manager and sole guru.

  191. 191.

    Gretchen Diefenderfer

    December 20, 2016 at 1:45 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well you know the coming recession will be Obama’s fault!

  192. 192.

    Aleta

    December 20, 2016 at 1:45 am

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IpoTKnDPw
    Al Green –

  193. 193.

    Villago Delenda Est

    December 20, 2016 at 2:22 am

    @Gretchen Diefenderfer: If not Bill Clinton’s or Jimmy Carter’s.

  194. 194.

    Gretchen

    December 20, 2016 at 2:24 am

    Love ya, John. I look forward to four years of Cole Nooooooos.

  195. 195.

    Gretchen

    December 20, 2016 at 2:28 am

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym: good for you! I look forward to hearing how it goes resistance takes many forms and comedy is one of the strongest.

  196. 196.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2016 at 2:33 am

    @Steeplejack

    No love for SNOBOL?

  197. 197.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    December 20, 2016 at 2:44 am

    @NotMax:

    Don’t even start.

  198. 198.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2016 at 2:59 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): How about PL/C?

  199. 199.

    Kayla Rudbek

    December 20, 2016 at 3:03 am

    @Another Scott: but if you throw away too much radioactive material at once, the radiation detectors at the landfill/incinerator will pick up on that and set off all kinds of alarms

  200. 200.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2016 at 3:05 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): This is the case that I have for my Tab S2.

  201. 201.

    Lurking Canadian

    December 20, 2016 at 7:48 am

    @Villago Delenda Est: We use paper ballots and make an X in a box with a pencil. Instant paper trail.

    BUT…

    We vote for one thing at a time. Literally. During a federal election you are answering exactly one question: Pick the candidate you want for your local MP.

    I’m not sure that pencil and little box technology would scale when you are simultaneously selecting President, Senator, Representative, Judge, Sheriff, DA, and on and on down to Sewer Commissioner Second Class.

  202. 202.

    zhena gogolia

    December 20, 2016 at 8:07 am

    @Mnemosyne:

    Wow, that is an iconic video.

  203. 203.

    Gavin

    December 20, 2016 at 10:14 am

    @Ceci n’est pas mon nym:

    That lady didn’t take any time to wallow, she’s right in the thick of it.

    Not really. Warren only bothered to make a statement about DAPL after everything had already been done.. let alone actually visit the location while the issue was still in the air. And what, she’s only now even mentioning predatory evictions by Mnuchin’s OneWest? Why do you think this wasn’t worthy of a Democratic response while it was actually happening?

    Rachel Maddow gets paid $7M/yr. What do you actually think her motivations are? She’s just as much a tool of the establishment as anyone else who’s more blatant/dumb.. to keep the money train flowing. Is she better than most? Yes. But is she actually a progressive? Nope.

    Jimmy Dore and TYT and naked capitalism are far better for actual news.. I can’t stand MSNBC’s mouthpiecing of the Republican / Republican-Lite establishment.

    Actual news has to come out of England – who’s shocked that once again the CIA is lying? Or, of course, the silly assertion that the CIA knows who did it – but isn’t arresting them. After all, the CIA, the same group that boasted they scared Russia into re-electing Yeltsin is now crying “Mommy, Vlad is playing with my hacking toys!”

    I’ll watch MSNBC once I see them report that the reason the US is in Syria is… in support of a pipeline for a corporation.

  204. 204.

    Brachiator

    December 20, 2016 at 11:37 am

    @Gavin:

    Rachel Maddow gets paid $7M/yr. What do you actually think her motivations are?

    I don’t know and neither do you. Nor can you simplistically make some judgement based on her salary.

    But is she actually a progressive?

    Being a progressive in and of itself means nothing..

    Jimmy Dore and TYT and naked capitalism are far better for actual news..

    Actually no. And they do more commentary than news.

  205. 205.

    Larkspur

    December 20, 2016 at 11:47 am

    @Brachiator: Upvote, like, etc.

  206. 206.

    J R in WV

    December 20, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    The last time I smelled coal burning around a residential neighborhood was in Pennsylvania, when we went up there to tour Falling Water (The Kaufman’s Frank Lloyd Wright house) and Kentuck Knob (another FLW house very near Falling Water).

    Almost as soon as we crossed into PA there was that bitter smell, which I grew up around – my grandma got free coal for years, grandpa worked in the mine til he died of lung disease, ans it was the best part of her “pension”!

    They heated my grade school with it, too.

    But no more, I never smell coal around here anymore. Just wood smoke.

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