Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

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

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

Nikki Haley, who can’t acknowledge ‘slavery’, is a pathetic shill.

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

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

People are weird.

This really is a full service blog.

Another missed opportunity for Jamie Dimon to just shut the fuck up.

Let me file that under fuck it.

The revolution will be supervised.

Democrats are back in array!

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

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

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Saturday Morning Open Thread: Hello I Must Be Going

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Hello I Must Be Going

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Shamelessly stolen from Cole’s twitter feed. It was a lovely gathering last night, and I can’t thank Tom Levenson enough for organizing it, but my tolerance for meatspace interaction has been met for the next mumble-mumble. Apologies to anyone I missed greeting, while going up and down that long table!

Although commentor Flying Toaster and I agreed that we’re going to have to find some excuse to have a meetup at the Helmand… one of these days.

Apart from making plans for future meet-ups in your own locales (anyone can volunteer! show us cranky Bostonians how it should be done!), what’s on the agenda for the weekend?
***********

Speaking of people who are SO OVER the jobs they willingly assumed, at least I’m not this putz…

Reader Interactions

263Comments

  1. 1.

    satby

    So will someone have more pictures, it at least give us an idea of who is in the one John posted? Glad you all had a great time, and that the turnout on such a lousy weather day was good.

  2. 2.

    OzarkHillbilly

    In this New Age of Trump, we.are.fucked. The good thing is Republicans are dry fucked 3 times over with a rusty farm implement.

    Hey, lemons, lemonade, all that.

  3. 3.

    satby

    Oh, and good morning all!
    After 3 days of not doing much because it rained and was chilly the entire time, I head back to work. Today is supposed to be sunny and much warmer. So frustrating.

  4. 4.

    Zinsky

    Adam Silverman had the same video a few threads down, but didn’t do a very good job of providing context, so you may not have recognized it. Trump is a vulgar, disrespectful moron and this video proves it. Impeach this worthless degenerate and let’s move on…

  7. 7.

    satby

    @OzarkHillbilly: Honestly, I’m just trying to make it a year before I quit for good. And I’m only doing that not to screw over the doctor by being a short hire, or I’d give notice today. The office manager is like working for a schizophrenic.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @raven: It’s OK, Not Max (IIRC) pinch hit for you. Hit a double off the right field wall too.

    Congrats to the Mississippi St women. To the UConn women I can only say, All good things must come to an end.

  11. 11.

    satby

    @OzarkHillbilly: Ozark, question: I ordered a dishwasher (oh happy day) and intend to put it in a 24 in cabinet that currently has drawers by removing the drawers and rails (and the side pieces if I need to). It will be immediately next to the sink cabinet. Will that work (I know theoretically, you can’t say for sure if you haven’t looked at it).
    Edited to compensate for Kindle’ s weird idea of help.

  12. 12.

    Geoduck

    Just a general comment: I hate having to use the Internet on April 1. If this attitude makes me a dowdy old stick in the mud, so be it.

  13. 13.

    p.a.

    Wish I could have made the meetup.
    Miss St- wow. Gotta read analysis to see what happened.

  14. 14.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: Sounds like some of the foremen I’ve had. I always made it bearable by fucking with them in ways that they knew what I was doing and why I was doing it but couldn’t find a reason to start their screaming. They hated me.

  15. 15.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning, all.

    Sounds like it was a Boston meetup for the ages.

    @satby: sorry to hear that. Maybe you will outlast the office manager/psycho.

    Not April Fool’s: doing a final pack this morning. Sailing off to Barcelona late this afternoon. Opportunity presented itself, and happy to get away from TrumpLand. Maybe it looks funnier from over there.

  17. 17.

    satby

    @Elizabelle: Oh, so lucky! Barcelona is wonderful. I was there in 2012 for work and had only a weekend to see much of it, but I hope to go back some day.

    Edited to add, I doubt I will outlast her even though she’s 70, because she’s in good health and has no intention ever retiring, apparently. She comes to work to get away from the hubby.

  18. 18.

    Another Scott

    Morning all. I’m glad the meetup was a success.

    Hug your pets extra long today (and every day).

    We suddenly lost our Sophie this morning. Apparently hemangiosarcoma – she was fine (for being an old pooch) around 9 PM but by 1 AM she was in distress and we took her to the emergency vet…

    She was 11 and cheated death several times, but it wasn’t to be today. :-(

    Rest easy, good girl.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  20. 20.

    Eric S.

    Getting up far too early because I have to work today. My company is installing a new CIS system and this weekend is or 3rd and last dress rehearsal before the real go live in 3 weeks. Lest you think April Fools day is an auspicious day to do this, our first dress rehearsal was on Friday the 13th.

  30. 30.

    Elizabelle

    @JPL: Look forward to it. We will visit Bermuda and Madeira on the way, and travel through the strait of Gibraltar, although no promise we will actually see it.

    Being out in the middle of the Atlantic, away from the internet, is appealing. Have some good books along.

  35. 35.

    FlyingToaster (Tablet)

    @satby: Nobody else took pictures. The conversations were too interesting to stop and pose for pictures.

  40. 40.

    Raven

    @Elizabelle:

    Remember a time when cruising truly meant getting away from it all? Blissfully unaware of work piling up at the office, no cell phones buzzing with messages or computers cluttering up luggage, the cruiser simply tuned out and kicked back. Those blissful days are not so long ago; Norwegian Sky was the first cruise ship to feature an Internet cafe when it debuted in 1999.

    http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1419

  42. 42.

    satby

    @Elizabelle: He’s still working too! I was accused fairly often of being a workaholic when I worked full time because I worked such long hours. But that was what the job and my family needed for support. I’ve been working the last few years (with significant detours occasionally) to get my life in order expressly to retire and do all the things that got left out by all that work. The concept of working so late in life eludes me.

  44. 44.

    Baud

    Drtrucker in WaMo

    Trump is President in part because too many Republican voters decided years ago to declare war on both the Democratic Party and basic facts. Are these Americans willing to lay their weapons down, finally? If they refuse to, then it won’t be long until there is another Trump-type in the White House, one who will fail just as spectacularly as this one has, one that will be just as much of a national and international embarrassment. We’ll be right back into this sick, sad mess.

    At some point, Republican voters disappointed by Trump have to face history and themselves, so to speak. Do they have the courage and integrity to do so?

    I remain unconvinced.

  45. 45.

    Raven

    @Baud: I think it may have been a mistake but I just signed up for the Verizon Unlimited. They offer $10 off for auto pay and 15% off for vets.

  46. 46.

    Baud

    @Raven: Why do you think it was a mistake? I don’t know about their new unlimited plan, but they usually let you switch plans easily.

  47. 47.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: Yes, it will work in that location. Normal install would be to remove that cabinet altogether because the DW requires the full 24″ side to side. But if I am reading you right, after the drawers come out you have 24″ clear between the side rails. If this is so, you actually have a 27″ cabinet.

    Not knowing exactly how this cabinet is constructed, but most have 2 sides and a bottom that is 4 inches above the floor. In addition to the 24″ of width and depth you need 34 1/2″ ht for the DW and that is what you should have from floor to the under side of the counter top. Whether it does or not I would still say that you should just remove the cabinet altogether. There shouldn’t be more than a few screws holing it in place (2 each on the side rails, high and low, 1 or 2 at the top nail rail into the wall framing, and 2 or 4 at the corners into the counter top. Then it should slide out easily enough. A fly in the ointment might exist in the flooring. If you have a ceramic tile floor that was installed after the cabinets were installed, you will have app. a 1″ lip to get over when removing the cabinet and installing the DW. If this is the case, you will have to lift the counter top, which again shouldn’t be too difficult and involve nothing more than removing the screws attaching it to the cabinets and disconnecting the plumbing, and should there by any caulk at the walls, cutting that. Lift up the front edge of the CT and put a couple 2x4s under it to hold it up.

    If your cabinet is a 27″ cabinet, after removal you will have 3″ to fill at the sides of your dishwasher. You can take the side rails off the old cabinet (without damaging the finished faces) and screw them back onto the other cabinets where they were before. The finished faces are all that can be seen so any damage to the other 3 surfaces doesn’t matter. Then install the DW according to Hoyle.

    If you have European style cabinets, that is a different kettle of fish. But as I remember the pictures, I am pretty sure your cabinets aren’t.

    Hope this helps. If any of the above is confusing, copy/paste it back to me and I will try to find a different set of words to describe it.

  48. 48.

    Raven

    @Baud: I dunno, it’s still a bit expensive. I started using my Dish Anywhere app and it counts as video so I actually ran out of 8 gigs and had 17 days to go!

  50. 50.

    Baud

    @Raven: That makes sense. I don’t watch a lot of video except at home, so tye cost of unlimited doesn’t make sense for me, but video will eat up your data.

  52. 52.

    Raven

    @Baud: yea, I’m getting pretty dumb with Amazon Prime, Dish, Netflix, Charter Spectum Internet and Verizon.

  55. 55.

    satby

    @OzarkHillbilly: nope, that’s perfect! I usually rely on the handykid to tell me, but he’s AWOL again. They were expecting a baby about now, so it could be that.

    I ran the numbers, and just don’t want to spend the majority of the rest of my inheritance on remodelling the kitchen. So I’m making do with the current layout and counter, but getting a new sink, faucet, dishwasher, and fridge because the one that’s here is on its last legs. Pulling out the bizarre tiki hut light above the sink and putting up additional wall cabinets from ReStore, should be able to do the whole revamp for under $2k including appliances and labor (I hope).

  56. 56.

    Baud

    On Today, apparently people are getting killed because of the new trend to take selfies on train tracks.

  57. 57.

    Lapassionara

    @Baud: so long as they are in thrall to the R-W, science denying Christians, the answer is no.

    Good morning, everyone.

  60. 60.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    The meetup turned out to be a lot of fun, given the cat herding required to get everyone who made it into position. Thanks Tom Levenson! Great to meet you! It turns out that my across the table companion had a seminar with my MIT professor (now emeritus) uncle back in the 80s. Boston as it turns out is a small town. Given the worst weather Boston has to offer (freezing rain), the parking (always difficult), traffic (always difficult) and the events going on – Celtics home game, Wilmer and Warren rally, and an anime convention in Back Bay (my train goes through Back Bay so good thing I knew that because, yeah, that explains a lot), the turnout was more than I expected. I even got my daughter who lives in the neighborhood to come – she asked “who are these people again?” After trying to explain the inexplicable it became clear that John has created something really hard to do – a community of people that come back here day after day, year after year. Cheers to you John. It was a real pleasure to finally meet you. Many blessings to you and safe travels.

    To ef and Mrs. ef: FSM blessings to you to for making the trip up – would love to have stayed to talk with you longer but I couldn’t miss my train. Let’s do another when the weather is nicer – paging Anne Laurie.

  61. 61.

    satby

    And, time for me to go. Hoping it’s nice and sunny like this tomorrow when I start at 11 instead of 9, so I can plant the shrubs that were delivered this week. 4 blueberries and two more lilacs. Did I mention I went a bit overboard on lilacs?

    Big virtual hug Scott. You did good by your girl, she knew how much you loved her, and that’s what they live for. So sorry again.

  62. 62.

    Keith P.

    Made myself some cheese eggs for breakfast…old classic that my mom would sometimes make for me (but apparently never for my brother). Total comfort food that I have to make myself because nobody seems to know how to make it like my mom. Waffle House once served me scrambled eggs streaked with runny cheese (it’s supposed to be kind of custardy), and last time I visited my brother, I had to teach him how to make it for me :)
    I’m probably going to make another round since I haven’t been able to sleep all night due to hunger pangs.

  63. 63.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: Cool. Are you going to be able to put in a vent hood? IIRC running it outside could be problematic for you. I really can’t imagine going with out one. When I installed ours I had to custom bend a # of pieces to make the ducting work. We have a low ceiling and I only had room for a small soffit above the cabinets. Was rather proud of myself when I was finished with it.

  65. 65.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: And getting hit more while crossing streets because of texting. Silly me, here i was thinking it was because of stupidity.

  68. 68.

    Baud

    I can’t believe there are no photos. Every attendee needs a time out for that failure.

  70. 70.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Illinois family discovers ties to Underground Railroad

    SPARTA, Ill. • The hackberry tree in front of James and Phyllis Hayes’ house has seen it all.

    The tree, whose girth is larger than most any adult arm span, has ushered in six generations of the Hayes family to the Sparta estate about 55 miles southeast of St. Louis. It has seen birthday parties, Christmas mornings and funerals. The tree has also kept secrets — most notably the quiet arrival of slaves stopping on their way to freedom as part of the Underground Railroad.

    James is the fifth generation of his family to live at the home. He and his wife bought it from his aunt and uncle, Gladys and Russell Hayes, and moved into the house in September 1978.
    ……….
    As they slowly moved through the house, cleaning and modernizing it, James and Phyllis came across a box in the attic. It was filled with hundreds of letters dating to before the Hayes family settled in Southern Illinois. When they read through the letters and started to ask questions, they found out about the family’s incredible history. James’ great-great-great-great-grandfather, William, was a known abolitionist, James said. He assisted slaves escaping north to freedom by opening his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad, a network of havens that lead to free states and to Canada.

    “It was something the family just didn’t talk about,” James said.

    James said black residents in the community seemed to have more of an idea about the significance of their house. “The older black families … were familiar with the story more than my family was,” he said.

    Quite a find.

  71. 71.

    Keith P.

    @OzarkHillbilly: I was hoping that they were ‘railroad ties’, thus proving that the Underground Railroad was an actual railroad. Alas, I am disappointed again.

  74. 74.

    Ella in New Mexico

    Reports that Giuliani and Mike Mukasey are helping defense of Turkish guy on trial for Iranian money laundering scheme:
    http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-why-giuliani-defending-alleged-iranian-money-launderer-n739811

    They were hired to “go around” the prosecutor and judge to help the defendant.

    Flynn plotted on behalf of Turkey to illegally kidnap and deliver Gulen to Erdrogan.

    These guys cross the legal line on a daily basis in their business lives, and they expect anyone to believe they wouldn’t actively collude with Russia to throw the God-damn election?

    I’m back to wondering if we need the Justice department to examine the voting machines in FL, PA and WI. I’m not putting ANYTHING past these guys, as crazy as it might seem.

  76. 76.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    The Hill‏Verified account @thehill

    Sanders defends Trump voters: Most aren’t racist, sexist, deplorables

    Attacks Democrats every chance he gets, defends racists, sexists, anti-semites, Muslim and immigrant haters every chance he gets. Wilmer is Trump Lite.

  79. 79.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Good Morning! You coming into St. Louis for the March for Science at the end of the month? I’m putting together a group to meet at Howards in Soulard (old HiWay Bar at Lynch and 13th, by AB Brewery). Thinking we will carpool from there (march is at 3:00, I think) and gather there afterwards..cheap drinks, decent food, Soulard owned, great patio, and jazz at 6 if people stick around. A BJ commentator reached out to me on another thread…she’s from Florida but will be here for family and is doing the march. Let’s make it a BJ meet up if others are interested, plus I’ll include some other friends…Sarah Jane, Sam, Marsha, Kathy W from the January march. More details later.

  81. 81.

    Elizabelle

    @Raven: Yes, they do have internet at sea, but it’s way expensive ($30/day if you don’t buy service for whole trip) and spotty. One captain reminded us not to expect much; “not much call for internet from the whales and fish out here.”

    You can get internet service as a freebie if you buy a more expensive fare; I would prefer the wine package.

    Anything to break away from screen time!

  82. 82.

    OzarkHillbilly

    The kingdom of women: the Tibetan tribe where a man is never the boss

    From the perspective of an outsider – particularly one from China, from where the majority of tourists come – the Mosuo are “condemned” as a society of single mothers, says Waihong. “Children are born out of wedlock, which in China is still unusual. But this isn’t how the Mosuo see it – to them, marriage is an inconceivable concept, and a child is ‘fatherless’ simply because their society pays no heed to fatherhood. The nuclear family as we understand it exists, just in a different form.”

    Men and women practise what is known as a “walking marriage” – an elegant term for what are essentially furtive, nocturnal hook-ups with lovers known as “axia”. A man’s hat hung on the door handle of a woman’s quarters is a sign to other men not to enter. These range from one-night stands to regular encounters that deepen into exclusive, life-long partnerships – and may or may not end in pregnancy. But couples never live together, and no one says, “I do”.

    “For Mosuo women, an axia is often a pleasurable digression from the drudgery of everyday life, as well as a potential sperm donor,” says Waihong.

    Women own and inherit property, sow crops in this agrarian society, and run the households – cooking, cleaning and child-rearing. The men provide strength, ploughing, building, repairing homes, slaughtering animals and helping with big familial decisions, although the final say is always with Grandmother. Although men have no paternal responsibilities – it is common for women not to know who the father of their children is, and there is no stigma attached to this – they have considerable responsibility as uncles to their sisters’ children. In fact, along with elderly maternal great-uncles, who are often the households’ second-in-charge, younger uncles are the pivotal male influence on children.

    “Mosuo men are feminists by any standards,” says Waihong. “Boys think nothing of looking after their baby sisters, or taking their toddler brothers by the hand everywhere. I was once made to wait before talking business with an elderly Mosuo man until he had bathed his family’s twin baby girls and changed their nappies.”
    ………….
    In the absence of marriage as a goal, the only reason for men and women to have anything resembling a relationship is for love, or enjoyment of each other’s company. If it runs its course, the usual reasons for staying together – for the children, societal or financial reasons – don’t apply. As an unmarried woman in a community where marriage is non-existent, Waihong felt at home.

    “All Mosuo women are, essentially, single,” she says. “But I think I’m seen as an oddity because I’m not from here, and I live alone, rather than with a family. I get a lot of dinner invitations, and my friends are always egging me on to find a nice Mosuo lover.” Has she? “That would be telling.”

    With life centred on the maternal family, motherhood is, unsurprisingly, revered. For a young Mosuo woman, it is life’s goal. “I’ve had to advise many young women on ovulation, so keen are they to get pregnant,” she says. “You are seen as complete once you become a mother.” In this respect, Waihong, who doesn’t have children, is regarded more keenly. “My sense is that I’m pitied,” she says, “but people are too polite to tell me.”

    What happens if a woman doesn’t want children? “That’s simply not one of their choices. To even ask that question is to see the Mosuo through our eyes, our way of doing things. The question is not pertinent,” she says.

    And what if they can’t have children, or produce only boys? “They will formally adopt a child, either from an unrelated Mosuo family or, more commonly, from one of their maternal cousins,” she says. “A few generations ago, before China’s one-child policy – which extends to two in rural areas – families were huge. There are a lot of cousins around.”

    My list of books to be read has grown again.

  85. 85.

    efgoldman

    @satby:

    Will that work (I know theoretically, you can’t say for sure if you haven’t looked at it).

    That’s where ours was and is. It was there when we bought the house; when it crapped out,the new one went in the same space.

  86. 86.

    Baud

    Someone wants to be a hero

    Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Tex.) officially entered Texas’s 2018 race for U.S. Senate Friday, making a bet that the growing Democratic “resistance” could break a 24-year Republican lock on the Lone Star State.

  89. 89.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: Yeah, I’ll join up. I’ll try to hook up with some other folks who might be interested too. As to a BJ meet up, we might have one cooking in the next couple weeks or so when (?????)(brain fart brain fart) comes with their very intelligent son who is competing in the robotics competition.

  90. 90.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Baud:

    He can’t get the base of the party to buy what he’s selling, so he throws them under the bus. If he had won the nomination, he would have found out right away from the deplorables how Jewish he was. What a self-absorbed privileged egotistical fraud. I will never forgive DWS for letting him run as a Dem.

  91. 91.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @efgoldman:

    Isn’t that Bostonian for “Hi, nice to meet you. I understand you’re from Canada – that sounds awesome!”

  92. 92.

    efgoldman

    @Baud:

    You spent all night talking about me?

    We all agreed that you’re an existential danger to the republic.

  95. 95.

    efgoldman

    @Baud:

    apparently people are getting killed because of the new trend to take selfies on train tracks.

    If it’s not an April fool’s joke, it’s Darwin working things out

  96. 96.

    Keith P.

    I was hoping that Trump would go after Bed, Bath, and Beyond this morning for dropping Ivanka-wear. Instead, he’s going after “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd”. Yes, Trump is making fun of someone else’s eyes. Can’t wait to see who he calls “Fat-ass”

  100. 100.

    aimai

    @Baud: Yes, I’m disgusted with him. And its sparked the usual suspects at dKos to come out of the woodwork and deny that they spent the campaign posting russian hate speech against HRC to one another madly, even setting up reddit diaries to do so and wishing death on HRC.

  103. 103.

    efgoldman

    @Baud:

    John had nice things to say about you.

    I said nice things about him, too, in the second post-meetup thread; but we got home awfully late, and nobody except the late night Juice crew was here.

  105. 105.

    efgoldman

    @aimai:

    Yes, I’m disgusted with him.

    Were you there last night and I just missed you among all those people?

  106. 106.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Cool. Let’s keep each other in the loop. Have you checked out Howards? Fabulous transformation of Patti and Possum’s old Hiway Bar (although I still miss that filthy dive)…woman owned…mishmash of people from the old Molly’s/Allen Ave/Shanti days and Clementine’s. If it looks like we have several for after the march, I’ll get Judith to set up a big table for us.

  107. 107.

    Doug R

    @Ella in New Mexico: You don’t need the machines hacked if the vote totals site is hacked.
    Remember what Stalin said: “It doesn’t matter who votes, It’s who counts the votes”.

  111. 111.

    efgoldman

    @Baud:

    I think she’s talking about Wilmer

    I know she was; but if she was at the meetup (in her home town) and I didn’t get to speak with her, I am, desolé

  113. 113.

    WaterGirl

    @AdamK:

    They look like are a dysfunctional family trying to cover up Grandpa’s dementia.

    fixed that for you

  114. 114.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @efgoldman:

    I don’t think she was there, but the only issue I have with the meetups is the inability to engage with everyone who comes, due to the seating constraints and the number of people who came.

  116. 116.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly:

    Have you checked out Howards?

    No, I haven’t spent much time in Soulard the last decade and a half. Kind of hard to believe I’ve been living out here for 15 years. Time flies when you’re having fun. I well remember the Hiway Bar. Calling it a “filthy dive” is being kind.

  117. 117.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: My first thought was “that’s awful”. My next thought was “survival of the fittest”. What they are doing is stupid. But so is crossing the street while looking at your phone and I see people doing that every single day. So dumb.

  119. 119.

    aimai

    @efgoldman: Oh, no! Hi ef. I am so sorry I missed the meet up! Ridiculous! But I had to attend my father’s 85th birthday party-happy to report that the man is going strong, stronger, strongest! and by the time it was over I was too tired, after a day of trauma wrestling at my internship, to pop over to see you all. I was really, really, sorry to miss this once in a lifetime chance.

  120. 120.

    ArchTeryx

    I never thought the cupidity of the Republicans would be what saves my bacon in the Age of Trump, but that certainly seems to be the case. It’s put me in a very weird place – one of celebration, when in no f’ing way I should be celebrating. There are a LOT of people who’s oxes are still being gored, mostly at the state level…all those locked out of healthcare by Medicaid refusenik states, those AAs whose bodies are on the line every time they encounter a cop, all those caught up in the new deportation merry-go-round.

    I escaped my fate, but lots of folks are not, and it ain’t all about me. It certainly has inspired me, though, and ’cause I now have a disease I can control, it means more energy for activism.

  122. 122.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    I fondly referred to it as its own ecosystem. Health department finally stopped her from serving food. The kitty litter boxes did get a bit out of control. You won’t even recognize the place.

  123. 123.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I am growing to hate Bernie Sanders, and I say this as someone who voted for him in the primary. He has lost the plot.

  124. 124.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: But his acolytes will come and swarm the comment section and attack anyone who so much as questions their idol’s motivations. Democratic party is the only thing that is standing between T and Rs in Congress. And all that the senator from Vt and his supporters have done is to knee cap it at every juncture.

    ETA: Before you absolve him of Russian collusion remember that we haven’t seen his tax returns either.

  125. 125.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Spanky:

    Warren thinks of him like all of his colleagues do – that he’s a PITA who pulls his holier than thou shtick and never gets out in front of anything except to get in the way.

  132. 132.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Baud:

    That incompetent, self-absorbed old fuck is killing us. If he doesn’t have a Democrat opposing him next year, I’m donating to his GOP opponent just to shut him the fuck up.

  133. 133.

    GregB

    Rumor and apparently not April Fools, is that George Takei will take a run at Devin Nunes’ Congressional seat.

  134. 134.

    Adria McDowell (formerly Lurker Extraordinaire

    The last Microsoft update seriously screwed up my HP laptop (the one I use for school work). Will be replacing it with a Mac Mini today. I just need a computer that works! Husband asked for the laptop for iTunes use.

  135. 135.

    hovercraft

    @Elizabelle:
    Best of luck in your new home. So jealous, I’ve always wanted to visit Barcelona.

    @Another Scott:

    I’m sorry for your loss. Sounds like she lived a long well loved life, may she rest in peace.

  136. 136.

    NotMax

    @Keith P.

    Building some retaining walls using railroad ties (waterside and also fully on land) many moons ago, learned two neat-o builder’s terms: deadmen and riprap.

  137. 137.

    Quinerly

    Check out Stephen King’s piece in The Guardian today. No linky on the smarty pants phone.

  138. 138.

    Marcopolo

    @Quinerly: I’ve seen several different times posted for the March. The MobilizeMo event calendar says 9 am while the St Louis Science March Twitter feed says 1 pm. I hope everyone coallesces on the correct time as it gets nearer. I will be at the march w/ friends so perhaps I will run into y’all.

    Also for folks near St. Louis, I’ve been invited to my first local Indivisible meeting this Monday night 6-9 pm at the Webster Groves library. Organizing & post card signing are on the agenda. Here’s an event link for interested people: https://actionnetwork.org/events/indivisible-st-louis-planning-meeting-and-postcard-writing-event?source=direct_link&

  140. 140.

    hovercraft

    @Baud:

    On Today, apparently people are getting killed because of the new trend to take selfies on train tracks.

    So natural selection is proved once again ;-0

  142. 142.

    Amir Khalid

    @WaterGirl:

    My problem with Wilmer has always been that he wasn’t much better prepared to govern than Trump. He certainly wowed a lot of people with the pretty idealism in his stump speeches. But in the endorsement interviews he sat for, his answers consistently showed that he hadn’t thought through even his pet issues: what he needed to do to address them and how to do it. And if something wasn’t a pet issue of his, he tended to be only dimly aware of it. I would take any advice from Wilmer on the Democratic party’s path forward with a grain (or more) of salt.

  143. 143.

    Iowa Old Lady

    I’m reading The Things They Carried, and can’t believe I’ve missed this book until now. It’s so well done.

    Also worth rejoicing for me personally, Amazon finally restocked my latest novel. They’ve shown it as “temporarily out of stock” for about 6 weeks. You will not be surprised to learn that this reduces sales. Not that they were great anyway. My sales fell off a cliff in November. I blame Trump.

  145. 145.

    Iowa Old Lady

    @Amir Khalid: That was my objection to him too. When he said he’d get Mitch McConnell to agree to his agenda by pointing out the window to the millions of people he’d get to come to DC on apparently every issue, I realized it was worse than I thought and stopped considering him at all.

  147. 147.

    hovercraft

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Sanders defends Trump voters: Most aren’t racist, sexist, deplorables

    Attacks Democrats every chance he gets, defends racists, sexists, anti-semites, Muslim and immigrant haters every chance he gets. Wilmer is Trump Lite.

    Both sides!! That’s why he’s an independent, donchaknow. This is why despite being just a cranky old guy who’s been in the senate forever with barely anything to show for it, the media keeps putting him on TV. For all that he caucuses with them he’s more critical of democrats than republicans.

  149. 149.

    Yarrow

    @Baud:

    Sanders criticizes Clinton campaign, Democrats at Boston rally

    Ugh. He’s doing his Greatest Hits tour just like Trump is with those dumb rallies. Maybe they should team up and all their fans can chant “Lock Her Up!” together. They have the same Russian support.

  150. 150.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Amir Khalid: I reviewed the web page for his Boston rally pretty carefully yesterday, searching for some variant of the word “Democrat.” That search was fruitless.

  152. 152.

    Baud

    @Amir Khalid: I preferred Hillary because she was more capable, but I could live with Wilmer’s shortcomings in that respect. What I can’t live with is his constant negativity towards us. He should have learned from the election that once you open that door, you can’t shut it at your convenience.

  154. 154.

    germy

    @hovercraft:

    the media keeps putting him on TV.

    I never really saw him on TV before he started criticizing democrats and HRC. Before that he was just another progressive invisible man. Just like I never see anyone from the Black Caucus on the morning shows.

    Suddenly the villagers found a use for wilmer. And he probably thinks all the attention is because of the strength of his ideas.

  155. 155.

    Quinerly

    @Marcopolo:
    My Microsoft calendar is screwed up from the last Microsoft update. I was going off of what the commentator from Florida who is coming in said. Looks like we have enough time to hopefully pull it all together. Would be nice to meet you. You live in Webster? Great area. I have a lot of friends there. Love your little music fest.

  158. 158.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Stephen White‏ @sgw94

    Stephen White Retweeted The Hill

    Trump voters still approve of Trump at almost 90% and that’s why Bernie Sanders can kiss my entire black ass!!!

  159. 159.

    NotMax

    @hovercraft

    who’s been in the senate forever

    To be fair, he was elected to the Senate in 2006, so now serving his second term there. It was the House he was in “forever.”

  161. 161.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    I never really saw him on TV before he started criticizing democrats and HRC. Before that he was just another progressive invisible man. Just like I never see anyone from the Black Caucus on the morning shows.

    Suddenly the villagers found a use for wilmer. And he probably thinks all the attention is because of the strength of his ideas.

    This, because no matter how evil Republicans are they have to bash Democrats. I will contribute to whoever challenges him in any election from now on, he is a hack.

  164. 164.

    Gelfling 545

    @satby: From the forecast it looks like rain for most of April here. Of course April showers bring May flowers. But then May Flowers bring Pilgrims & everything goes to hell so it’s always something.

  165. 165.

    hovercraft

    @Baud:

    I try to be measured when it comes to him

    Why bother, he never does? I gave him the benefit of the doubt initially, he showed his true colors, so fuck him, and his stupid “I told you so”, bullshit. He ran and lost, no one stole it from him. What’s with these entitled assholes from the outer boroughs who just can’t get over themselves? Fuck em! :- (

  166. 166.

    germy

    @Argiope: They’ll be busy during the 2020 election, picking at whoever wins the dem nomination. “Kirsten Gillibrand’s husband is a venture capitalist!!” etc.

    I just want to see who plays spoiler in four years. Dr. Jill? Wilmer again? Maybe Jane Wilmer!

  167. 167.

    Amir Khalid

    @RedDirtGirl:
    Calling Wilmer by his real name attracts the Bernista trolls, who have set up Google alerts to tell them when he is being mentioned.

  170. 170.

    pamelabrown53

    @Marcopolo: #138.
    Re: March for Science-St. Louis. Facebook page says 12:30 to 3:00 PM. @ 1801 Market Street. Hope this helps.

  174. 174.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    @Baud: Manchin’s marginally better than Wilmer. He may not vote with the Dems 100%, but he isn’t actively trashing them in the media everyday, and he hasn’t poisoned a whole group of voters against the Democrats. I said it before, Trump wants to burn it down and Wilmer is providing the gasoline.

  180. 180.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    EricFive‏ @KingEric55

    Bernie attacks Dems when Obama was prez Attacks Dems during primaries Attacks Dems when alternative is Trump Attacks Dems when Trump is prez

  182. 182.

    germy

    @Baud: I still feel like this is all a satirical novel. A conservative democrat named “Man Chin”? President Trump? A daughter with a “K” added to her mother’s name?

    Can someone please put this back in the slush pile?

  183. 183.

    Kristine

    @Another Scott: Heartfelt sympathies. I lost my King to that a few years ago, and yes it is so sudden. He survived the first episode and had surgery, but it was a holding action. The second downturn came months later, and they weren’t going to open him up again.

  184. 184.

    WereBear

    @satby: The concept of working so late in life eludes me.

    It all depends on what that “work” is.

    I am trying to turn my online cat blog into a home business. Because that’s about the only retirement option I have.

  185. 185.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Marcus H. Johnson‏Verified account @marcushjohnson 10h10 hours ago

    I just saw someone else say this and its 100% true: Bernie’s base was fairly wealthy college white kids. Not poor union workers.

    Nat W‏ @nsw43
    Replying to @marcushjohnson @Chambord22

    Hillary’s base was the poor. He’s a charlatan.

    QFT

  188. 188.

    hovercraft

    @ArchTeryx:
    Their stupidity and inability to take yes for an answer has been saving us all for a while now. Remember if they had been able to accept yes, Obama and Boehner would have completed that deplorable “grand bargain”, as it was we’re still living under the constraints of sequestration. Our precious purity ponies seem to want to follow their example. Obamacare is by no means perfect, but as you can attest, it is life saving for millions of people.

  190. 190.

    Kristine

    @satby: Sounds like something I’m planning. I don’t want to give up my current cabinets because they’re real wood–they just need to be painted/stained. But a new countertop, backsplash, and sink would go a long way toward updating the area. And a new fridge. I had to go with an 18″ dishwasher because old house/smaller-scale kitchen, but it’s plenty big enough for me unless I go on a baking binge.

  191. 191.

    aimai

    @GregB: That is going to be a huge mistake. I met George Takei at a fund raiser and I think he is well past being able to function 24/7 in the spotlight. He’s very funny on twitter, and courageous, and all that but he is going to say something really problematic about two times out of four. He’s really too old to do this.

  193. 193.

    Nelle

    I rarely comment here but am a constant reader. Is there anyone in the Kansas City area that would like to meet up on April 22 (March for Science)?

  195. 195.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Baud:

    [Wilmer] is pretty infuriating.”

    Says St. Bernard of Vermont: “Trump did not win the presidency. The Democratic Party lost the presidency.”

    With friends like that…

    ETA: Apologies for block quote snafu.

  197. 197.

    HeleninEire

    So there’s a informational/news show being broadcast on Tuesday here with the title “Donald Trump: How Scared Should We Be?”

    Oy.

  200. 200.

    hovercraft

    @Baud:

    Because we’re stuck with him. I treat Manchin the same way.

    Yes we are stuck with him, but I don’t give him the same leeway as Manchin and Heidkamp, they are democrats from ruby red sates and they have to be cognizant of that, Wilmer is from the Peoples Republic, he has n excuse. He is a contrary, cantankerous old fart who’s finally gotten his moment in the sun and is determined to shit on the very people who gave him the opportunity to make his case, but then had the audacity to not anoint him as our savior.

  208. 208.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Baud: They have no courage, and they have no integrity. They are vile racist, sexist scum who are dedicated to Cleek’s Law in everything they do. They wallow in resentment. Everything wrong with their lives (and that’s a lot of things) are not their fault, how can they be, when they are the superior white master race.

  209. 209.

    hovercraft

    Glad to see people are still riled up and showing up at town halls. Keep the pressure on, make them squirm.

    Utah Rep. Booed At Town Hall, Constituents Demand Russia Probe

    By MICHELLE L. PRICE Published APRIL 1, 2017, 9:47 AM EDT
    SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A crowd of more than 1,000 people in Utah’s Democratic stronghold booed Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart at a Friday night town hall as the congressman defended GOP positions on health care, public lands and immigration.

    Audience members yelled, “Do your job,” imploring him to investigate and denounce connections between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia and to hold the new administration accountable.

    Stewart started the event at a high school in Salt Lake City by acknowledging that most of those in the crowd didn’t vote for him, but he said he thinks it’s still important to hear them — one of the few comments he made that received applause.

    “It’s my job to be here,” he said. The crowd applauded and one person shouted, “Tell that to Chaffetz!”

    The event marked the first town hall by a member of the state’s all-Republican congressional delegation since Rep. Jason Chaffetz was shouted down by a cacophony of boos at a February town hall………….

    Stewart then told audience members that it’s their right to demonstrate, but he asked if they think people watching the crowd’s behavior would want to support them.

    Some of the loudest objections came in response to questions about the president and Russia. Laura Wolf of Salt Lake City asked Stewart, who serves on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, whether he was concerned about Russian interference in the U.S. election and Trump’s possible ties, or whether he was just concerned about leaks of classified information.

    “I’m equally concerned about both and we want to find out the answer to both,” he said…………

    Just before the election last November, Stewart said he would vote for Trump, despite having denounced him for comments in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which the president bragged about groping women.

    Stewart said last year that he was supporting Trump in order to prevent Democrat Hillary Clinton from winning, particularly because he was concerned about the next president filling vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court…………..

  210. 210.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Milan Schipper’s plan was to backpack through Australia, taking in its lush coastal landscapes and white sand beaches before heading to college this fall.

    But instead, the Dutch teenager found himself 10,000 miles away from Sydney, Australia – staring out at a snow-covered, frozen landscape – as he realised that he had accidentally booked a flight to Sydney, Nova Scotia, a municipality of 32,000 people on Canada’s east coast.

    “I thought I was going to Australia, but that turned out a little different,” the 18-year-old told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.
    …………….

    He began to worry he had made a mistake during a stopover in Toronto, after he glimpsed the plane lined up for the final leg of his flight. “The plane was really small and so I figured, would that make it to Australia?” he said.

    His suspicions were confirmed after he boarded and checked the flight map on his seat screen. “I saw the flight plan was going to go right, not left. It was about the time that I realized there was another Sydney,” he said. “I felt terrible. I think I swore in my head for like 10 minutes. But there was nothing I could do about it because I was already up in the air.”

    Clad in a T-shirt, sweatpants and a thin jacket, he landed in Sydney, Nova Scotia, where residents were bracing for a snowstorm expected to bring gusting winds of up to 90km/h and another 10 to 15cm (four to six inches) of snow.

    He tracked down a few airline employees to explain what had happened. He ruled out heading straight to Australia – which would have cost him another €1,500 ($1,600) and more than 30 hours of travel.

    Instead he opted to head home, spending five hours in Sydney’s airport before flying to Toronto and then Holland. His father came to fetch him at the airport.

    “He felt really sorry for me,” he said. “He also laughed an awful lot, just like everyone else.”

    Yep, I’m laughing too.

  211. 211.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Another Scott: What can one say but deep condolences? The family dog/cat/(fill in the blank of the more exotic here) is another member of the family, and the loss is no less profound. Sophie is chasing butterflies in a green, sunny field somewhere right now, though, and that’s good!

  212. 212.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Everything wrong with their lives (and that’s a lot of things) are not their fault, how can they be, when they are the superior white master race.

    Yes. Because personal responsibility is for those OTHER people.

  213. 213.

    hovercraft

    @JPL:

    I’d prefer not to be that close to him. just sayin

    LOL ;- )

    Me neither, but I’d be willing to make that sacrifice for my country. I know as disgusting and traumatic as it would be for me, it would be worse for him and might finally cause him to stroke out, thus saving the world. That sacrifices I’m willing to make for you. You’re welcome !

  214. 214.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @OzarkHillbilly: One’s first reaction on this day is to wave it off as an April Fool’s joke, but the Guardian article had links to previous instances of tourists seeking koalas in New South Wales and winding up with moose in Nova Scotia.

  215. 215.

    Fair Economist

    @AdamK:

    They look like a dysfunctional family trying to cover up Grandpa’s dementia.

    Appearances are undeceiving.

  217. 217.

    Brachiator

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    In this New Age of Trump, we.are.fucked. The good thing is Republicans are dry fucked 3 times over with a rusty farm implement.

    The weird thing is that Republicans are loving it. I was just reading a Guardian story that noted that Trump has an 84 percent approval rating among Republicans even though his approval is at an all time low among sane people.

    VP Pence’s weird morality also excites the GOP faithful.

    ETA Coming late to comment about the meet up. Looked like big fun, would love to see more pics.

  218. 218.

    Ruckus

    @satby:
    I’ve been working for 55 yrs, mostly in a machine shop, on your feet on concrete all day long. A couple of detours as a change up but still mostly on my feet physical work. “The concept of working so late in life eludes me.” Me too. I like the challenge of the doing, but I like the not doing better. So right now I’m semi retired and also trying to get my ducks in a row to remove the semi part.
    @Another Scott:
    Sorry about your loss.

  219. 219.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Brachiator:

    The weird thing is that Republicans are loving it.

    They are only loving it because so far he hasn’t been able to do any of the things they say they want him to do. Once he actually succeeds at something they will be among the first to squeal and do it the loudest and the longest.

    Except of course for the 1%.

  220. 220.

    Brachiator

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    I just saw someone else say this and its 100% true: Bernie’s base was fairly wealthy college white kids. Not poor union workers…

    Hillary’s base was the poor. He’s a charlatan.

    This is dumb. Crazy ass Trump is destroying the country, and some people insist on playing games, fighting old battles and arguing over trivia instead of joining forces to fight the real enemy.

    Old bad habits are hard to break.

  221. 221.

    Applejinx

    @RedDirtGirl: Because that’s the name of a murderous catamite out of a movie, and they are absolutely who he thinks they are. If he does manage a ‘medicare for all’ bill these Democrats will kill it just because it comes from him. Bernie’s increasingly right about a lot, and it’s pretty tragic.

  222. 222.

    Applejinx

    @germy: How are you going to go MORE horrible than a murderous catamite out of Film Noir? Just call him ‘Hitler’ and be done with it? For fuck’s sake.

    Meanwhile I’m still seeing millenial friends squeeing and getting really excited just when Bernie Sanders turns up in public where they are. My Twitter today notably featured some candid pics where Bernie just happened to be walking by and in the shot, and the kids were freaking out… still.

    You can strike him down… maybe… but man, good luck surviving that as a party.

  223. 223.

    Chyron HR

    @Applejinx:

    So did the Great One ever bother coming up with an excuse for why he doesn’t support Rep. Conyer’s ‘medicare for all’ bill?

  225. 225.

    Brachiator

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    They are only loving it because so far he hasn’t been able to do any of the things they say they want him to do.

    People, especially undocumented immigrants, have already been hurt by Trump policies. His executive orders and installed cabinet picks promise more pain to come. His foreign policy is a vile shambles that gives aid and comfort to the wicked. His “opening up” of American support of military campaigns in the Middle East have caused civilian deaths. The state level wars against women and gays are heating up.

    The lines have been drawn for future battles, and Trump supporters are very happy to be where they are. Granted, there are a some who are reconsidering their vote. It’s early. It will be very interesting to see what happens next.

  226. 226.

    Applejinx

    @Chyron HR: Dunno. And I’m kind of leaning towards his opinion.

    It’s not that he’s great, he’s not. He’s an old socialist and doesn’t really have implementation for stuff. In the Presidential election I voted for his primary rival and got some people to do likewise, and it was like pulling teeth. In New Hampshire we were making all kinds of excuses for her and claiming support for her would help a liberal agenda, and on the whole people didn’t even believe it and just humored us.

    Forget the presidential election, the Democrats came close to losing the primary, and then got so close to losing the presidential election that it was stealable and was stolen. That’s unforgivable on both counts. HOW did Bernie end up in the position he’s in, when he started the primary run as purely an issues stalking-horse and never once thought he was going to win? Everybody knew it was going to be Clinton. And then everybody knew she was going to win the election.

    Why was it not immediate and conclusive in the primary? Why was she not able to blow away whatever margin of stealing Trump managed? I mean, this was seen as a given.

    Bernie is not wrong, for all that it pisses people off. It should not have been POSSIBLE for Clinton to lose, nobody should’ve given a shit about her emails for all the media hype and Republican witch-hunting. I was down for a female President even if it was her. Democrats fucked this up. It shouldn’t even have been close and you know it.

  227. 227.

    Applejinx

    I’m gonna ask again: what is so hard about co-opting the messaging and saying OH MY, how right Bernie is, and that’s why we are all totally carrying his flag going forward? (which is why he’s not actually in charge, we have that covered, we promise we’re representing those lofty ideals)?

    What is so hard about fucking LYING to get votes if that is really where this is at? If it’s not lying and Democrats are not really just about cutting deals for the wealthy and undermining progressive stuff for being ‘unrealistic’, what is so hard about taking the reins and taking credit?

    I was SO ready to watch Hillary Clinton do exactly that and it would have worked quite well. If that stuff actually represented what she wanted she should’ve been happy to do it. Instead we’ve got President Trump. How unlikely are those words? At least the Republicans are still worse. That’s convenient I guess.

  229. 229.

    Brachiator

    @Applejinx:

    It shouldn’t even have been close and you know it.

    This is stupid, wrong and irrelevant. The question is where do we go from here?

  230. 230.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Applejinx:

    ou can strike him down… maybe… but man, good luck surviving that as a party.

    Rich white college kids are not the party.

  231. 231.

    Ruckus

    @Baud:
    He and Warren are fellow senators and we need him on our side there. But if he is going to try to litigate his failings in the election for ever I wonder if it’s worth the cost.

  232. 232.

    Brachiator

    @Ruckus:

    BS seems like such a nice person. Oh wait, I meant asshole.

    He’s in the Senate, working with the Democrats (as well as pursuing his own agenda). What would you prefer, and what would it get you?

  233. 233.

    Brachiator

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Rich white college kids are not the party.

    No single group or demographic is the party. Forget about Sanders for a moment. The Democrats need someone to appeal to younger voters, period. Who you got? How you gonna get there?

    Union voters, especially white male union voters were peeled away and voted for Trump. How you going to get them back?

  234. 234.

    Ruckus

    @Amir Khalid:
    This. Exactly.
    If he wasn’t a senator that caucuses with us, he would be worth less than totally useless. It galls my butt that he gets to spew his crap on the Democratic dime and people who seem to be liberal lap it up. I’m not sure he’s quite as dangerous as drumpf but he sure is in the same neighborhood.

  235. 235.

    Applejinx

    @Brachiator: Yeah, that’s the real question.

    Literally none of the millennials I know are rich kids, and they were all totally in the tank for Bernie. I work for a convention so I’m exposed to their social media a lot more than a typical person in my age group (gen X, atari wave). I wish to hell I was a rich dude because I’m watching these kids live utterly unstable, ‘precariat’ lives of just barely clinging to the world by their fingernails. They don’t know any other way to be. They have no hope. And that’s my generation’s job, they ought to be trying to do better ;P

    They should have been natural Democratic voters. There shouldn’t have been any of them thinking Trump would hopefully be okay. Literally all the ones I know who were hoping to ‘MAGA’ are completely disillusioned. They should be natural Dem acquisitions at this point.

    Depends on whether the Democratic Party is completely dedicated to purging the ‘rich white college kids’ and going for… what? Union workers? Why, because in an era decades before any of these kids were born the Democrats were strong and gave us the 40-hour week? These kids don’t have that. It’s the ‘three 20-hour jobs on call simultaneously’ week. Plus Uber.

  236. 236.

    Citizen_X

    @OzarkHillbilly: But Cape Breton Island–where Sydney is–is a gorgeous and fascinating place to visit, in the summer. At least he should have visited a local pub and heard some great music!

  237. 237.

    Chyron HR

    @Applejinx:

    Why was it not immediate and conclusive in the primary?

    Because none of the state primaries were winner-take-all, allowing your candidate to always stay close enough that it was mathematically possible to win while never actually having a chance of winning.

  240. 240.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Applejinx: So what’s your answer? To shit all over the Democratic party like Wilmer did in Boston last night? That’s a path forward?

  241. 241.

    Applejinx

    @Chyron HR: So? Why did he get so many votes in ANY state outside Vermont where of course we’re gonna vote for him, maple syrup commies that we are? Why was it even close if the Democratic standardbearer represents people’s values and is a capable administrator? Former Secretary of State for fuck’s sake?

    Don’t even tell me Bernie was so hugely powerful and manipulative, or that the MSM (villago delenda est!) was THAT effective at brainwashing. They should be about as plausible as Weekly World News or the National Enquirer. For that stuff (and HER EMAILZZZ!) to get such traction is evidence of a grave loss of faith in what the Democrats are supposed to be about. It shouldn’t have even been close in a world where the Democratic Party was capable, effective and working for the people.

  242. 242.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Quinerly:

    My Microsoft calendar is screwed up [. . .].

    Could your time zone be set wrong because of your recent trip?

  243. 243.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Wilmer’s biggest problem is that he can talk the talk, but he cannot walk the walk. Hillary could do both.

  244. 244.

    Ruckus

    @Brachiator:
    You will notice my post at #231.
    Just because I called him an asshole doesn’t mean we don’t have to put up with him. He is a fucking asshole. There I’ve said it again. How does that change anything? So my question is do we have to take him on the road and let him fuck us some more? Maybe we could just leave him home because he creates havoc for us in public, will that make him vote with republicans in the senate? I don’t think he will, any more than he already does. And if he wants to take his show on the road on his own dime and time, that’s his privilege.

  245. 245.

    Applejinx

    @Gin & Tonic: “No no, that’s the OLD Democratic Party. Everybody learned a hard lesson and obviously the rest of the country is seeing the terrible mistake they made. It’s time for everyone to get behind the NEW Democratic party, which does all the great things people wanted out of Bernie Sanders and just happens to have pretty much all the same old faces, but you can see they’re the new Democratic Party because they’re totally not trying to purge everybody they blame for losing!”

    Cynical, yes, but how difficult is this really? You go ‘those ones who didn’t win the Presidency and House and Senate, THERE’S your problem! Here, have a totally new Democratic party inspired by what we learned!’

    You don’t even have to change a note. Just lie.

    If you’re not even willing to lie it sounds dangerously like you need to run Hillary again, and double down on the old team. I realize this blog is loaded with ‘old team’ loaded for bear, but dammit, at least PRETEND to be this year’s model.

  247. 247.

    frosty fred

    Looks like no one else finished the thought, that “ka” ending is a diminutive. Ivanka means Little Ivana.

  248. 248.

    Ruckus

    @Gin & Tonic:
    To this troll, yes that is the only way forward. I’m just wondering if this is actually BS posting, trying to be coy and secret.

  249. 249.

    Chyron HR

    @Applejinx:

    Look, as far as I’m concerned your candidate (or his chosen successor) is perfectly welcome to have the 2020 nomination. But to do that you have to win a primary, and much as it chaps your hide, that means you need to get votes from Democrats who care about “fake issues” like abortion rights, gun control, and black people not getting summarily executed at routine traffic stops. You don’t get to come in second and demand that the party throw the primary results out and declare you the winner by fiat. So quit yer bitchin’.

  250. 250.

    Applejinx

    @Ruckus: Impossible, he isn’t a rich white college boy :P

    I love how there can be only one person in the world who doubts the awesomeness of Democratic Party leadership. When the Republicans acted like this we thought they were idiots.

  251. 251.

    Applejinx

    @Chyron HR: Oh hell no! No no no! 2020 needs to be a younger person! We’re done with incredibly old people being run for this stuff!

    Also, I never said a thing about ‘fake issues’, I’m to the left of Bernie on gun control (Vermont is real rural, lotta hunters: venison hunters).

    Seems to me people putting ‘economic insecurity’ in scare quotes like they do around here, are the ones claiming ‘fake issues’. That still bothers me. Quit yer bitchin’ yourself. ;P

  252. 252.

    CaseyL

    BS helped spread Russian disinformation. He ladled it out and his followers gobbled it up.

    He’s a vanity candidate, a vanity politician, and his followers are the Left Wing equivalents of Trump supporters: invincibly ignorant while convinced they’re the only ones who know “the truth.”

  255. 255.

    CaseyL

    @jurassicpork:

    I don’t know if you were ever an actual commenter, but so far as I can tell the only time you show up is to beg for money.

    Some time back Cole called you out on it, and you vanished for a while.

    Now you’re back.

    Please take your begging bowl elsewhere.

  256. 256.

    tybee

    @Gin & Tonic:

    if you call him by his given name here it sends up the bat signal and the trolls descend

    and voila! they begin to crawl out from the cess pool

  263. 263.

    Ian

    Serious question, why do you continue to quote M.H.? You blasted me repeatedly for being a Sanders supporter during the primaries, yet you quote one of the most deranged anti-Clinton demagogues almost every post. I do not get it.

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