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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Say hello to “Dartboard Squirrel”

Say hello to “Dartboard Squirrel”

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Years ago, my husband installed a dartboard in our tiki bar in a very ingenious manner. Since the structure lacks walls, he affixed it to a sturdy board that is mounted to the rafters on hinges. It swings down for use and can be locked back up against the rafters when no one is playing.

We haven’t played darts in a while. I noticed the other day the cigar box that contains the darts had been moved. Upon closer inspection, I saw bits of the bristle board poking though the cracks and noticed that the wire circle that sections off the target wedges and bullseye was hanging out the other side of the board. Then I noticed that the culprit was inspecting me:

So squirrels have made a nest of our dartboard. We’re tempted to unlock the bolt and swing the board down, but there might be a squirrel avalanche. You win this round, squirrels.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

154Comments

  1. 1.

    jl

    A critter gone wild in the very domicile of a delicate maiden post. Knew it was Lady Cracker before even looking at the top.

  2. 2.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    SENATE GOP VOTES DOWN CORETTA SCOTT KING

    GOP Senate votes down reading of letter from Martin Luther King’s widow on the subject of Trump’s AG nominee….

    I don’t think that’s a headline and story they really want

  5. 5.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: Maybe you want to rephrase this:

    A critter gone wild in the very domicile of a delicate maiden

  7. 7.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I may just have arranged to have drinks with a senior W DoD official. It was not intentional.

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    Telling a sitting female Senator to sit down and shut up. That is some level of balls I am unaware of.

  11. 11.

    Hal

    Wait, so anything related to Sessions nomination and subsequent denial to a federal judgeship is off limits?

  19. 19.

    CaseyL

    @Hal:

    Wait, so anything related to Sessions nomination and subsequent denial to a federal judgeship is off limits?

    Remember: it’s OK to be a racist; it’s not OK to call someone a racist. Because racism doesn’t exist, or wouldn’t if we didn’t keep calling attention to it. Or something like that.

  20. 20.

    Tokyokie

    Have you considered using the squirrels as a dartboard? Although you probably wouldn’t want to use the fancy tungsten-alloy darts on them.

  24. 24.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Corner Stone: I’m a forty-nine year old white guy from Flyoverland. I cannot imagine that telling Warren that she will not use the words of Coretta Scott King to tarnish the good name of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions will play well (and I know he didn’t choose his name, but he’s chosen to live up to it).

  25. 25.

    PhoenixRising

    I’m out. This thread is going to have me dreaming of a squirrel avalanche onto Mitch McConnell’s desk tomorrow consisting of the top story: Senate’s Dierksen Office Building Evacuated Due to Faxes Of Long-Lost Coretta Scott King Letter on Jeff Sessions.

  26. 26.

    Emma

    @Major Major Major Major: I didn’t say anything about voting right now. I’m talking about anger. And women don’t rely as much on “play”. I was at my dentist’s this morning — an all-women office — and we spent quite a time discussing the President* and his poisonous brood. That conversation rippled out to other women. This will too.

  27. 27.

    Corner Stone

    I wish Warren had pulled out her walking cane and went over to beat Mitch into the hospital with it.

  30. 30.

    efgoldman

    @Major Major Major Major:

    I’m not saying it isn’t awful but I doubt it’ll get much play.

    As i said in the last thread: Apparently Yertle McTurtle’s staff never explained this tweetler thing to him – that a message can get around the world instantaneously. Several Dems have already twittled about it.

  31. 31.

    mai naem mobile

    For the Metro Phoenix BJrs Paul Gosar (R AZ4) is having a town hall meeting on Thurs Feb 23, 6pm at the Best Western in Gold Canyon. For people not familiar with Gold Canyon it’s 5-7 minutes from Apache Junction right off I 60. It’s basically <30 mins from the East Valley.I am going to try and be there work willing. I think this is a test run for a GOPr townhall in AZ because I think it's intentionally set where it is to minimize turnout. They want to know if they need to be scared.

  32. 32.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Hal: Senate Rule #19 is written to prevent senators from disparaging each other on the floor of the Senate, as well as within committee/sub-committee work. That’s what Senator McConnell invoked. It really doesn’t apply here given the nature of the debate – Senator Sessions fitness to be the Attorney General, but McConnell wants to move things along and wants to protect Senator Sessions, hence the invocation of Senate Rule 19.

  34. 34.

    efgoldman

    @Corner Stone:

    I wish Warren had pulled out her walking cane and went over to beat Mitch into the hospital with it.

    Lots of tradition there. Charles Sumner was from MA.

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    @skerry: The letter is actually already part of the existing Congressional Record from when Senator Sessions was nominated for and denied appointment to the Federal judiciary.

  37. 37.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Emma: My daughter, my first-born baby (now a mother herself, but still my baby) has been relatively non-political most of her life, although understanding and fulfilling her civic duty to be educated and vote. But I tell you, this Betsy DeVos thing has turned her into someone I barely recognize. She is on fire! It’s probably relevant that she is a union thug public school teacher in a majority-minority district, but I’ve really never seen her like this. I know others have remarked on the conversion of their loved ones, but this is a sight to behold.

  40. 40.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Corner Stone: I worked with and know several of them that I provided support for in 2008. They were also professional when I dealt with them as were the ones under President Obama.

  41. 41.

    skerry

    Going to make a sign “Nevertheless, She Persisted”

    “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

  42. 42.

    efgoldman

    @Betty Cracker:

    So squirrels have made a nest of our dartboard.

    Try mothballs or moth flakes. It’s how we got rid of Rocky Racoon and his family in our attic. Toss some up above the board, or hand some netting as close as you can get with mothballs in it.

  45. 45.

    Adam L Silverman

    @efgoldman: I have a very close friend from grad school who is now the acknowledged authority on Congressional (and by extension American politicians) tweeting. He wrote the first assessment of it shortly after members of Congress started tweeting and its become a sub-specialty ever since. I keep meaning to ask if he’s branched out into Congressional use of instagram or vine or tindr or grindr or anything like that. I’ll text him tomorrow and report back!

  46. 46.

    Howard Beale IV

    @Adam L Silverman: And Buzzfeed reported that King’s letter was never entered into the Congressional Record during Sessions’s nomination back in the 80s by none other than Strom Thurmond.

  50. 50.

    Adam L Silverman

    @efgoldman: Remember, members of Congress are indemnified from criminal prosecution for anything they do as part of the course of their official duties. So if there’s a parliamentary justification for bludgeoning a fellow member of Congress to death, this could get interesting.

  53. 53.

    efgoldman

    @Gin & Tonic:

    this Betsy DeVos thing has turned her into someone I barely recognize. She is on fire!

    mrs efg and I will be married 40 years this August. She’s voted every time, but is basically non-political; I’m the political junkie in the house, especially since I discovered this place and other blogs ~2004-05.
    This morning she was sitting with her laptop, following the DeVos vote in real time…. and cursing up a storm.
    Peach Pustule and his merry band have energized a shitload of people.

  55. 55.

    efgoldman

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I have a very close friend from grad school who is now the acknowledged authority on Congressional (and by extension American politicians) tweeting.

    Of COURSE you do.

  58. 58.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    To the extent that Princeton undergrads are vastly different.

    I’m sure they are. I’d even bet that you’ll find more than one shade of blue oxford button-down among the entire student body.

  59. 59.

    Timurid

    At this point every Democratic Senator should take their turn at the podium with a copy of the King letter and make McConnell rebuke each and every one of them.

  60. 60.

    Emerald

    McConnell might not be too worried about the fallout from his action tonight if he’s sure that AAs and others just aren’t going to be able to vote in 2018. Getting Sessions in as AG will pretty much assure that, especially after Roberts gutted the VRA.

    Method to their madness.

  62. 62.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mike J: I’m not surprised. The Awlakis are a large and influential family throughout Yemen. My understanding is that the 8 year old Awlaki girl and her mother had been taking to that area by her grandfather who is a member of what passes for Yemen’s government right now. But even more so than that, as we’ve heard a lot of recently, borders have to be enforced. If anyone can enter your country and commit acts of violence, you don’t have a country.

  63. 63.

    Corner Stone

    @lamh36: Every D Senator should start at the part of that letter the previous one left off. There is nothing more important than can be said about this asshole right now.

  64. 64.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    Dartboard’s in the cupboard? Dart’s in the cupboard? Squirrel’s in the cupboard…

    Farewell and adieu to you Spanish ladies….

  66. 66.

    Peale

    @Mike J: I’m confused as to which government of Yemen we’re talking about at the moment. The one that we’re trying to destroy? The one who allies with Al Queda every once in awhile to push out the one we don’t like?

  68. 68.

    efgoldman

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I’d even bet that you’ll find more than one shade of blue oxford button-down among the entire student body.

    Maybe even a stripe or two. Brooks Bros sells ’em.

  69. 69.

    burnspbesq

    Listening to a replay of this afternoon’s oral argument in the Ninth Circuit. DOJ lawyer getting skewered. I am enjoying it.

  72. 72.

    Adam L Silverman

    @burnspbesq: This is not a problem. As the new Administration and a member of Congress have announced, these folks are not a problem, not extremists, and not terrorists.

  75. 75.

    lamh36

    ‪Notice too ALL FEMALE GOP SENATORS votes to shut Warren up!‬

    These are the 49 shameful senators (all Republicans) who voted to ban the words of Coretta Scott King tonight. senate.gov/legislative/LI…

  79. 79.

    Corner Stone

    @lamh36: You mean Collins and Murkowski aren’t the heroic warriors we saw them to be when they sooooo bravely voted against DeVos?
    This is my shocked face.

  80. 80.

    efgoldman

    @Corner Stone: @Timurid:

    At this point every Democratic Senator should take their turn at the podium with a copy of the King letter and make McConnell rebuke each and every one of them.

    They won’t do it, but ‘Fie wuz the Dem caucus, I’d call a press conference and all just stand there with duct tape over their mouths.

  81. 81.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Matt Viser ‏@ mviser 7m7 minutes ago
    Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) is now on the Senate floor, reading portions from the Coretta Scott King letter.

  88. 88.

    tobie

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’ll be curious to see if they tell a male senator to shut up.

    I’m surprised Dems haven’t asked the Senate Parliamentarian to weigh in on whether Rule 19 applies when a sitting senator is being discussed in the context of his nomination to a cabinet post i.e., not in his capacity as senator.

  90. 90.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Julian Sanchez ‏@ normative 2h2 hours ago
    Wherein the United States Senate discovers a phenomenon known as the Streisand Effect.

    If, like me, you didn’t know, the Streisand Effect refers to the time Babs sued to block publication of pictures of her beach house, making everyone want to see the pictures.

  97. 97.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Steven Dennis ‏@ StevenTDennis 6m6 minutes ago
    Cory Booker is now up. (Merkley appeared to avoid the part of the King letter impugning Jeff Sessions)
    Steven Dennis ‏@ StevenTDennis 2m2 minutes ago
    Booker: “She wasn’t just quoting something that she heard on the street. She was quoting Coretta Scott King.”

  101. 101.

    CaseyL

    An avalanche of squirrels!

    The official collective noun(s) for squirrels are dray and scurry. A “scurry of squirrels” sounds perfect.

    But I kinda like “an avalanche of squirrels,” too. I speak as someone who for many years fed the ones around my house, and would often have eight to twelve of them outside waiting for me to scatter the peanuts. “Avalanche” is kind of how it felt – especially when they started fighting over the territory. I was caught between wanting to break up the fights (who knew the little bushy-tails would actually draw blood from each other!?) and, sanely, not wanting to get bitten myself.

    Any idea how many are up there?

  105. 105.

    Mary G

    Those knuckleheads have now assured that thousands more people will read that letter than would have if they’d just let her read it without comment. There must be 100 copies on my twitter right now.

  106. 106.

    efgoldman

    @CaseyL:

    I speak as someone who for many years fed the ones around my house

    Oh for FSM’s sake, WHY? It’s not like they needed the help.
    We’re trying to figure out where we can leave poisoned peanut butter without the birds getting into it.

  107. 107.

    lamh36

    Bullshit…nothingthe Dem can do to stop Sessions as long as all GOP votes for him…all they need is Pence like with DeVos.

    I want them to read every god damn bit do the letter so it’s ok the record for sure…so they when Sessions is confirmed and rolls back al the civil protection against racial discrimination like the racist assholes want…that letter from Coretta would we glaringly resonant!!!

    ‪@CharlesPPierce ‬
    My suggestion is that Ds stop talking about the Warren thing and get back on why Sessions is not the right choice for AG

  108. 108.

    SWMBO

    @Betty Cracker: Mothballs repel mosquitoes too. My dear departed MIL used them in the garage and porch and didn’t have any in the house.
    It’s a pity that a crucifix and a garland of garlic isn’t more helpful.

  110. 110.

    burnspbesq

    Washington’s state SG did a really good job in oral argument, even given the fact that some of the questions were softballs.

  112. 112.

    Timurid

    I still don’t know why a Senator hasn’t yet stood at the podium and read the whole letter, ignoring any protests.
    What are they going to do, send him to Vietnam?

  114. 114.

    Betty Cracker

    @Adam L Silverman: I’m glad you mentioned it as I had no idea it was bearing down on us! I got a severe weather alert on my phone a while back but assumed it was for rip tides and didn’t read it (been getting those nonstop).

    One of my car windows is stuck down, damn it! I put a contractor bag on the door. Hope that holds. There’s too much crap on the carport to pull it under. Thanks for the heads-up! Are you battened down?

  115. 115.

    Corner Stone

    @lamh36: I agree 1000%. Why let this pass? They will never be able to explain why Sessions is the wrong choice without using this as the foundation.

  116. 116.

    burnspbesq

    If this case gets past the inevitable motion to dismiss, the discovery is going to be insane.

  117. 117.

    lamh36

    After being stopped by McConnell, Warren read the Coretta Scott King letter outside the Senate 1/2 thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/02…

  120. 120.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: I was going to mention that you are depraved, but I see you just did a good deed for the Lady Cracker so I’ll save it for later.. And probably everyone knows that anyway,

  122. 122.

    Calming Influence

    “Hey, you ever smell moth balls?”
    “Sure. Why?”
    “How’d you get their little knees apart?”

    What? It’s a critter thread, amirite?

  123. 123.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Betty Cracker: Yep, we’re good. My dogs, 5 and 3, both provide lots of advanced warnings as they don’t like thunder, driving rain, and driving wind. So they’ve gotten their happy pills and I’m just listening to the rain on the roof, the thunder, and the wind. I’m likely to have to go out tomorrow and fix the neighbor’s patio furniture. He’s ill, just sold the place, and hasn’t been in his house for almost a month. He’s got a glass topped patio table with an umbrella through it that turns over in high wind as its not weighted properly. If I’d had more warning, I’d have secured it before it started pouring.

    Keeping good thoughts for your car’s interior!

  124. 124.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: Not that I’m contesting being depraved, but I’m curious as to what brought this observation on now?

  126. 126.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I know [Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III] didn’t choose his name, but he’s chosen to live up to it.

    To his credit, he didn’t saddle his son with JBS IV. However, one of his grandsons is named Jim Beau.

    “G’night, Mama! G’night, Grandpa!”
    “G’night, Jim Beau!”

  127. 127.

    Timurid

    @lamh36: Did he tackle her? Did he pull out a taser? Otherwise she should have kept reading right where she was.
    People, the comity train has long since left the station. Right now it’s orbiting Alpha Centauri.

  131. 131.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @skerry:

    Going to make a sign “Nevertheless, She Persisted”

    I have an artist friend who does feminist drawings and sayings for t-shirts, buttons, posters, etc. First I heard of the Warren thing was on FB earlier when my friend posted that she was busy sketching out a “Nevertheless, She Persisted” design.

  132. 132.

    randy khan

    @Timurid:

    I think the Dems have played it right. Not because of comity, but because the headline now will be “Republicans Stop Warren from Reading CSK Letter,” not “Warren Defies Senate Rules.”

  134. 134.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: You are doing good meteorological deeds right now. I am ever optimistic and always hope reprobates will reform them themselves. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.

  135. 135.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Major Major Major Major: Apparently he was unable to answer macroeconomic questions for the President when the President called him and asked him about weak dollar/strong dollar at 3 AM.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-administration-leaks_us_589a45f1e4b04061313a1fbb?

    WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was confused about the dollar: Was it a strong one that’s good for the economy? Or a weak one?

    So he made a call ― except not to any of the business leaders Trump brought into his administration or even to an old friend from his days in real estate. Instead, he called his national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, according to two sources familiar with Flynn’s accounts of the incident.

    Flynn has a long record in counterintelligence but not in macroeconomics. And he told Trump he didn’t know, that it wasn’t his area of expertise, that, perhaps, Trump should ask an economist instead.

    Trump was not thrilled with that response ― but that may have been a function of the time of day. Trump had placed the call at 3 a.m., according to one of Flynn’s retellings ― although neither the White House nor Flynn’s office responded to requests for confirmation about that detail.

    Two sources confirm the leak.

  138. 138.

    Timurid

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The White House is already leaking like the Titanic, but leaks only matter if the right people care.
    From the looks of the Nuremberg rally in the Senate tonight, none of them care.

  139. 139.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Timurid: If/when it starts to look like it will effect their majorities in each chamber, they will start to care. I think they are putting up a brave front and aren’t sure which way to turn. They’re freaked over the phone calls and the number of constituents, regardless of party, showing up to their offices and town hall events opposing everything. To the point where it was reported this afternoon that the GOP House Caucus had a meeting about security concerns for when meeting with constituents. That takes us into this dynamic (partially related to the post I just put up):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9IKQpu50o

    On the other side, they’re scared the President will treat about them and end their chances of reelection. I have no sympathy for them. They have sold out their country for temporary power, handing their inheritance as Americans to a hostile foreign power and that power’s quislings. They have no integrity. They have nothing but hypocritical self-righteousness.

  142. 142.

    Adam L Silverman

    @rikyrah: 1) Not confirmed yet. 2) He probably doesn’t have those folks private phone #s. LTG Flynn as the National Security Advisor is, essentially, on call 24/7 because the President is on call 24/7 – even if the current one hasn’t quite gotten that memo. The Secretary of the Treasury is usually not on call 24/7.

  143. 143.

    Mnemosyne

    @randy khan:

    Yep. Now the story is “Read the letter the Republicans tried to hide!” If Warren had persisted, it would have been “Out-of-control Dems break rules!”

    Well played, Sen. Warren.

  146. 146.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Adam L Silverman: Maybe it’s just me, but I would think that a high-powered international business tycoon like DT would know about currency exchange rates and what the implications of strong vs weak dollar are.

    It’s almost as if he doesn’t know as much about business as he claims.

  149. 149.

    pvmike

    @102 On first read, I thought the white supremacists were marching through Florida. We do live in interesting times.

  150. 150.

    Gretchen

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Jefferson Beauregard didn’t change his name, but it speaks to where he came from and what his parents thought important when they chose the name of not one, but two Confederate generals for their bouncing boy. And that he hasn’t dropped the Beauregard. Lots of people have embarrassing middle names that they drop or deemphasize. Not JBS.

  151. 151.

    seaboogie

    @Adam L Silverman: Should it come to pass, one hopes that when POTUS “feels” he needs the nuclear launch codes, the dude with “the football” will direct T to the Secretary of the Treasury. Much confusion ensues. Everyone has a good laugh later.

  154. 154.

    Singing Truth to Power

    After Warren was silenced, Merkley, Sherrod Brown, Udall, and Sanders read the letter, without being reprimanded or stopped. And the video of Warren being silenced had more than 5.0M views last I heard. McConnell didn’t do a very good job of crushing this –

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