Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

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

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

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

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

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

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

Petty moves from a petty man.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

A tremendous foreign policy asset… to all of our adversaries.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

In my day, never was longer.

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

Our messy unity will be our strength.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / How Do You Keep Up With the Insanity

How Do You Keep Up With the Insanity

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As you all know, ABC was down for the weekend so I didn’t spend too much time paying attention to the news, but I tried to blog about something this afternoon, and saw Trump’s comments about Kim Jong Un after his comments about that lunatic Duterte and then ran into the Civil War shit and just said oh fuck it all.

It’s amazing.

At any rate, watching the Pens (what a third period comeback) and thought you all would appreciate this rainbow over my parent’s backyard:

Reader Interactions

142Comments

  3. 3.

    efgoldman

    At any rate, watching the Pens (what a third period comeback)

    [Typing just as the Caps score the OT winner.]
    I hate both teams, but the Pens, down the best player in the league and at least two others, showed cojones I didn’t think they had.

    ETA: Winner scored by one of several Boston U guys in the game.
    Maybe giving up football in the 90s was the right move.

  6. 6.

    SiubhanDuinne

    The rainbow is beautiful, and so is your parents’ back yard.

    You haven’t said anything about Ginny and Guesley (sp?) in years. Are they still around? Still funny? Would love an update, with anecdotes, photos, and videos.

  7. 7.

    Davebo

    Rockets are blowing out the Spurs and the Astros are beating the Rangers.

    It’s a good day in Texas. It was even fairly cool this morning!

  8. 8.

    Major Major Major Major

    Very nice… purple things.

    I just had a legit infomercial moment in my life.
    Him: “Wow honey, the floor is so clean, and how’d you do the whole apartment while I was at the store?”
    Me: “I used the Swiffer© WetJet™®!”

  12. 12.

    smintheus

    @efgoldman: Can never cheer for a team that hired Matt Cooke, but on the other hand the Caps and Ovechkin are pretty dirty and deserve every playoff loss that comes their way.

  14. 14.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @amk: @RedDirtGirl: I remember when people were complaining that he was too restrained after he moved to his new gig. Maybe he was just finding his footing.

  16. 16.

    Mnemosyne

    I don’t get this type of migraine very often, but today I had the kind where looking at a backlit screen feels like someone is sticking needles in my left eyeball. And it still feels kinda like that, so I probably won’t be around much tonight.

    I’m starting to suspect that my new generic isn’t working as well as the previous generic. Who do I tell? Express Scripts? My doctor?

  17. 17.

    efgoldman

    @smintheus:

    Can never cheer for a team that hired Matt Cooke

    As I’ve said before, when they play each other I want the meteor.
    But credit where it’s due. Losing the best player on the planet could have caused them to turtle, but they sucked it up big time.
    As a Bruins fan, of course, I hope Cooke gets run over by a rampaging moose, then eaten by a bear.

  24. 24.

    Mnemosyne

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I mentioned it to my doctor, but it sounded like she wanted to switch me to a totally different medication? I really think it’s a manufacturer problem, because I had no trouble when I was getting the Roxane/West manufactured generic, but the Dr. Reddy’s manufactured generic doesn’t seem to be working.

    It’s Montelukast (Singulair), if anyone’s dying to know.

  28. 28.

    Yarrow

    @Mnemosyne:

    I’m starting to suspect that my new generic isn’t working as well as the previous generic. Who do I tell? Express Scripts? My doctor?

    Both, but you’ll need your doctor to write you an exception to get the name brand prescription covered. There’s a mechanism for it. If you call Express Scripts and ask them you should get someone who can explain their procedure. Sometimes you have to call more than once to get a good person. They can either tell you where the form is on their website or fax something to your doctor. Then your doctor needs to fill it out and send it back. If you haven’t already discussed it with your doctor they might not know what it’s for when it arrives, so that’s why you need to talk to your doctor. Depending on how good your relationship is with your doctor sometimes that sort of thing can be done just via the office staff.

    Edit: This procedure is to get the lower price for the name brand. If your doctor just specifies name brand on the prescription you can get it but it might not be covered at the best price or at all.

  30. 30.

    smintheus

    @Caphilldcne: Yeah, GTH Caps.

    I’m still holding my breath that the excellent rookie Carlo comes back and has a career left, after Ovechkin shoved him head first into the boards in the meaningless last game of the season.

  33. 33.

    smintheus

    @efgoldman:

    As a Bruins fan, of course, I hope Cooke gets run over by a rampaging moose, then eaten by a bear.

    I hope Cooke gets bit by a rabid turtle.

  36. 36.

    Mary G

    Scalzi’s got back from book tour and wrote another good entry on the state of politics:

    Any thoughts on Trump’s cast of characters?

    Outside of the generals (now that Flynn’s gotten to boot), none of them appear any smarter than Trump, which is a genuine tragedy for everyone. The one atom-thick silver lining in this is that it seems the fascist wing of the White House — people like Bannon and Gorka — seem to be losing to the colorless Randians like Jared Kushner and Mnuchin, and think of where we are in this moment in history where bland Randians are the preferable option to be lurking about near the Oval Office.

    Among the yahoos, I feel mildly sorry for Kushner, who is clearly in over his head, but is also the only one Trump seems to trust to do anything, which which is why the lad seems to be running a shadow state department out of an Oval Office broom closet. I’m disappointed in Ivanka Trump, who I had hoped might be the lone sensible Trump, but who at this point seems to be as much a grifter as any of the rest of them, and is willing to flat out lie about her dad’s positions on things (particularly women’s issues) with a straight face. At least that meeting in Europe she was at when she did that had the good sense to boo her for it.

    He lives in Ohio amongst a sea of Republican voters, and it’s always interesting to see how he deals with it. Mostly by saying they’ll never vote Democrat, and it’s a shame.

  37. 37.

    momus

    What type of Trump property will Kim Jong trump promise to build in NK if Un just chills? A Trump hotel/Tower or a golf resort, perhaps.

  39. 39.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Mary G: Thank you for your generous donation to NAMI by way of Team Bella Q.

  40. 40.

    gbbalto

    John –
    So glad things are going so well with ABC. I am terrible with relationships myself. I hope this sticks and it gives me a little hope that I can do better.
    ETA: Most of my problem is on me but I am inspired.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne

    @1stgengirl:
    @Yarrow:

    What’s really weird is that I’ve never actually taken the name brand. It’s the switch to a different generic that’s messing me up.

    I should have known it was going to be a problem when I couldn’t take the the new generic before bed because it was causing insomnia. I switched to taking it in the morning and no more insomnia.

    @Major Major Major Major:

    My migraines are relatively mild so I don’t usually consider myself a migraineur (and some people with severe migraines scoff at me), but then weird things like this happen and I’m like, Oh, shit, I guess it really is a migraine.

    Also, I loved the story about your mom. I was supposed to be getting a company car?!?

  50. 50.

    FlyingToaster

    @Mnemosyne: My experience with a failing generic: Doctor. Pharmacist. Express Scripts. HR. Because even though the doctor and pharmacist were on board with the change in meds, Express Scripts couldn’t make the change without me and HerrDoktor’s HR director and some other 3rd party (advocate hired by HR to deal with BCBC and Express Scripts) coming on board.

    One thing my doctor noted, and then changed me anyway after six months: your metabolism can develop a tolerance to a med and it then becomes less effective over time. Or the side effects accumulate (ding! ding! ding!).

    YMMV.

  53. 53.

    dmsilev

    Sure-fire way to be depressed about human nature: Spend the last few evenings reading a book about the life of Jim Jones, culminating of course in the Jonestown mass suicide. Good book (“The Road to Jonestown”) but man when you know the story is going to end the way it did…

  54. 54.

    efgoldman

    @FlyingToaster:

    My experience with a failing generic: Doctor. Pharmacist. Express Scripts. HR.

    Express Scrips was my employer insurance mail order of choice for a few years. We didn’t have that kind of problem, but they were generally a pain in the ass to deal with

  55. 55.

    randy khan

    @smintheus:

    Aren’t we supposed to say “That’s hockey”?

    Living in DC, I hear a lot about Ovechkin (naturally nearly all of it positive), but I am struck at how rare the combination of top goal scorer and guy who likes to hit is. There’s the legendary Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight, for those who don’t know), but really very few scorers like contact like contact as much as Ovechkin, and he definitely seeks it out more than nearly anyone else.

  57. 57.

    Mnemosyne

    @FlyingToaster:

    The difference was like flipping a switch — I took the last of the previous manufacturer’s medication one night, switched to the new one the next night, and had two sleepless nights before I thought to check the bottle. D’oh!

    The Giant Evil Corporation is self-insured, so we usually have fewer hoops to jump through since our insurance company is just an administrator. Usually.

  58. 58.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): It’s okay. I just try to keep any giving rather private. I don’t always chose to help every cause mentioned here and I don’t want to seem as though I am picking favorites. If I could have figured out how, I would have given in a way that did not give the recipient my info, but would still have given me the tax deduction. My usual method – when possible.

    After all, I have an image to maintain.

  59. 59.

    Yarrow

    @Mnemosyne: Ugh. That’s a pain. It sounds like something you take regularly and need the three month supply from Express Scripts. You could ask them about suppliers. It’s possible you could get an exception to get a three month supply from a local supplier (Costco, local supermarket) if they have the generic supplier you want.

    I’ve seen you mention the abundance of wildflowers in CA this year. Could the increased pollen be contributing to your migraines so that medications that used to work don’t right now?

  62. 62.

    Barbara

    @Mnemosyne: There is a lot of counterfeiting with prescription drugs. I might call ESI and tell them that the one generic did not seem to work but that the other did, and see whether they would be willing to follow up.

  63. 63.

    dmsilev

    @Major Major Major Major: Well, no mass suicides of believers who followed their cult leader even as he descended into madness. Yet.

    (as an aside, the book had a paragraph or so near the end railing about the prevalence of phrases like “drink the Kool-Aid” in modern idiom, because for starters Jones and his followers used something called Flavor-ade. Got the feeling that correcting this usage mistake was a personal hobbyhorse of the author.)

  64. 64.

    Mnemosyne

    @Yarrow:

    It’s possible even though I don’t have allergies because asthma can be triggered by stuff like pollen even in the absence of an actual allergy. Which is why non-allergic asthma sucks. We also had about a week of very dry, very windy weather, which is always bad for my asthma, and my migraines are tied in pretty closely with my asthma.

    But I’m going to see if my doctor can get me the name brand and see if that works better. Barring that, it’s back to getting it doled out month-to-month at CVS since their generic works for me.

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Ironically, one of the reasons I was prescribed Montelukast in the first place is that it’s the best asthma medication for migraineurs. D’oh!

  65. 65.

    Mnemosyne

    @dmsilev:

    The part that really depressed me in the PBS documentary (and people who are easily depressed by evil should stop reading this comment now) was that Jones’s enforcers made sure that people would kill themselves by force-feeding the poison to the babies and kids first — even snatching babies away from their mothers — and then giving everyone else the choice between cyanide or being chopped to pieces with machetes.

    The majority of the people at Jonestown were not willing to commit suicide and were forced into it.

  66. 66.

    amygdala

    @Mnemosyne: This happens with generic-to-generic switches sometimes because FDA requires they be bioavailable in a specified range around the brand name drug. If generic A is at the upper end of that range, you may actually get a bit more drug than the brand name, with more benefit (albeit with increased risk for side effects). If you then get switched to generic B, which is at the lower end of the range, you can find yourself undermedicated.

    I think Adam’s right about going to your doc. That you know what generics you were and are should help him/her and your pharmacist straighten things out. It’s not common, but a few plans actually allow specification of specific generics, which can get you the stability of a single preparation without getting dinged financially for being on brand name.

    It’s not that brand name is necessarily better, but that it can be the only way to ensure the same preparation across prescriptions. For drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, which includes most drugs that affect the brain, that can be the difference between a drug working without side effects and not working or working with significant side effects.

    Hope you feel better soon. Sending you a virtual dark room and cool compress.

  67. 67.

    Lizzy L

    How Do You Keep Up With the Insanity?

    I don’t. I realized the other day that I don’t have to, because it’s just going to keep coming. Not all of it comes from Mr Orange. For example, the Commerce Secretary (Wilbur Ross) was at some dinner when he said in a speech that the 59 missiles we hit Syria with was like an after-dinner mint. Or some such crazy thing. I’m sure that DeVos and Perry and Carson say batshit insane things regularly, but the reporters can’t even be bothered to tell us about those things, because OrangeHair’s wacko tweets top them every time. I don’t even try to keep up any more.

  68. 68.

    Mnemosyne

    @Barbara:

    I was wondering that. They seem like a pretty big company to get conned like that, but some pretty big companies have been the unwitting buyers of counterfeit merchandise.

  69. 69.

    BellyCat

    @Mnemosyne: The wife has migraines often with barometric pressure changes and Imitrex has been remarkable. If it can’t handle her migraines, a rarely needed boost from half a Vicodin usually licks it (with a nap).

  70. 70.

    FlyingToaster

    @Mnemosyne: Oh, that’s either crap quality control or a really nasty “inert” ingredient*. Doctor, pharmacist, Express Scripts. Let them all know. Something definitely ain’t right.

    * “inert” ingredients are fine if they aren’t a fucking allergen. It’s happened to me twice, hence both my doctor and pharmacy check my scrips.

  71. 71.

    jacy

    Sad news: our old dog Biz is coming to the end, I fear. He’s a black lab mix who’ll be 17 in September. The last two days he’s been unable to get up by himself, although he does get around okay once you help him. But he’s started to growl when touched, and sleeps 90% of the time. And his appetite is nil, even though he’s usually a trash hound. The worst part is, he’s six months younger than my son, and we’ve had him since he was 4 weeks old. So they’ve spent their entire lives together. Lochlainn is pretty crushed by the whole idea — I think part of him still believe that’ll Biz will magically live forever. After what’s happened the last couple of years, he’s going to be devastated to say goodbye. :(

  72. 72.

    Yarrow

    @Mnemosyne: If you have the old bottle with the name of the manufacturer of the generic that works you could call around and see if any local pharmacy has it. The manufacturer of it should be in fine print somewhere on the bottle.

    CVS can switch their generic medications too. I had that happen for something I was taking at Walgreens several years ago. I didn’t even look at it when I picked it up but like you I had some side effects (nausea in my case) and read the fine print. They’d changed manufacturers.

    Wouldn’t surprise me if your high pollen year is triggering some kind off immune response that in turn is making your asthma/migraines worse. Even if it doesn’t manifest as an allergy it doesn’t mean there’s not something going on that isn’t quite as obvious.

  73. 73.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @jacy:

    That is so tough, no matter when it happens. Biz himself, I suspect, will be very accepting. Lochlainn (what a wonderful name!!) may be intellectually prepared but emotionally unready. I hope Biz has an easy transition, and that his passing doesn’t leave too many extra scars on the rest of the family. Hugs and scritches, as appropriate, to all.

  75. 75.

    Mark

    Keeping up with the insanity has just kind of taken on a life of it’s own. I spend a lot of time watching and listening. I don’t remember what my life was like before.

  76. 76.

    J R in WV

    @Mnemosyne:

    Wife has many meds, insurance “covers” them, supposed to be mail order. One med, the mail-order co-pay is $600 for a 90-day supply. The Dr who prescribes that med, after she fusses a little about it, tells her that his clinic pharmacy charges a cash total of $67 for that same amount.

    Now that’s a rip-off of the first degree!! Granted, she has to drive nearly 3 hours round trip, is that worth $500? oh yeah!

  77. 77.

    Major Major Major Major

    Off topic, if such a thing can be said about a comment on this thread.

    At work today I was talking about the Seattle Mystery Bookshop, one of my most favorite bookstores in the world, and how I’d been reading a lot of things recommended by the worker Fran over the last couple years. She likes a mix of cozy-but-dark British mysteries, local Pacific Northwest urban fantasy, and sassy concept sci-fi like Ready Player One. Anyway we have a writing club at work and one of the other people was involved in this conversation too. But the coworker I was talking to asked me, oh, is that the kind of books you write?

    I hemmed and hawed a bit because the genre is slipstream but that’s not a term a lot of folks know. The other writer chimed in with “he writes more… sarcastic absurdism.”

    I’ll take it!

  78. 78.

    Davebo

    OK, both my home teams win big AND Fox news seems to be self destructing.

    It’s like Christmas in May!

  80. 80.

    Bess

    Some people have been bent out of shape a bit over Elon Musk “advising” Trump. Here’s an outtake from his most interesting TED interview recently given…

    Chris: I’m kind of sick of politics but I do want to ask you this. Your(sic) on a body now giving advice to a guy who has said he doesn’t really believe in climate change and there’s a lot of people out there who kind of think you shouldn’t be doing that. They’d like you to walk away from that. What would you say to them?

    Elon: Well I think that this first of all I’m just on two advisory councils where the format consists of going around the room and asking people’s opinion on things. And so there’s like a meeting every month or two. You know that’s the sum total of my contribution. But I think to the degree that there are people in the room who are arguing in favor of doing something about climate change or, you know, other sort of social issues. You know, I mean, I’ve used the meetings I’ve had thus far to argue in favor of immigration and in favor of climate change and if I hadn’t done that there wouldn’t… that wasn’t on the agenda before. So maybe nothing will happen but at least the words were said.

    Most interesting interview. Suggested reading…

    electrek.co/2017/05/01/elon-musk-on-boring-company-semi-truck-mars-ted-talk-transcript/

  81. 81.

    Mnemosyne

    @BellyCat:

    My primary triggers are asthma and bright light. If my asthma is under control and I wear my sunglasses outside, I can go months without a migraine, which is why it’s especially annoying that I’ve had two in two months.

    Ugh. Bedtime for me. Good night, all.

  82. 82.

    Mnemosyne

    @jacy:

    I’m so sorry. But 17 is a hell of an age to get a lab to — you guys should be very proud that you gave him such a great life that helped him live so long.

  83. 83.

    fuckwit

    I’m impressed with the new, mellow, content, happy Cole.

    He’s not pissed off about politics, or sports, or the dogs, or his mustard or his Subaru or his icy steps or his expensive house or his own big mouth or whatever clusterfuck he used to complain about at the moment.

    He seems, happy. Well-adjusted. Content. Appreciating the beauty of nature, his girlfriend, his home, his life, himself. I’m happy and proud. That kind of contentment is hard-won and well-deserved.

  84. 84.

    Major Major Major Major

    @jacy: I’m so sorry to hear that. But 17 is a ripe old age, and a lot of years of a great life for any creature, especially a dog.

    We all learn something from a pet’s passing, too, no matter our own age ?

  85. 85.

    Mike J

    Seattle Police Dept.‏Verified account @SeattlePD 1 minute ago
    5th arrest earlier this evening: 19-year-old taken into custody for misdemeanor theft – stealing another demonstrator’s flag. #MayDaySea

  87. 87.

    jacy

    Thanks, all. I think Biz is ready. He’s just tired. And he’s been one lucky dog — three near-death experiences in his life, including once being hit by a car when he slipped through the fence as a young dog, which ended in a 40-minute wild ride in the middle of the night to the emergency vet with me holding his abdomen closed with my hands. He’s a trooper. My ex-husband called him “Plasma” for a while, because we spent the money we would have spent on a new plasma TV on his vet bills. He’s been a very good boy, and very spoiled, and well-loved. Lots of snackies, lots of skritches, and he always got to sleep between us on the bed with a pillow over his head if it thundered too much. He’s going to leave a hole in the world.

  88. 88.

    CaseyL

    @jacy: Did you say Biz would be 17 in September? 16+ years is an amazingly good long life for a dog! – no wonder Lochlainn thought Biz would live forever. But that must make losing him so much harder. I hope you and your family can take some comfort in knowing what a terrific life you gave Biz.

  89. 89.

    Yarrow

    Not sure what to make of this.

    France’s millennials on why they’re supporting Marine Le Pen: ‘We are the future and this is what we want’

    Dressed in blue and red stripped T-shirts, a group of school pupils, aged between 14 and 17-years-old, were franticly waving French flags and boards with Ms Le Pen’s slogan “Choose France”.

    “We are France’s future and this is what we want,” said one of the girls, from the wealthy area of Versailles in the south west of the French capital.

    “To save France,” said another boy in the group, who was also too young to go to the ballot box. “Whatever is going on now cannot continue.”
    …
    Marie Desmazieres, 27, a Front National elected representative for a region in northern France, told The Independent issues around French identity and the love for her country prompted her to take an active role in the party.

    “There are many young people like me, who are holding public offices,” she said. “Young people are very attracted by the Front National because it is mainly young people, who feel concerned about mass immigration. They are living it every day.

    And this from someone waiting in line to get into the Le Pen rally caught my eye:

    As queues formed in front of two kiosks selling sandwiches and hot drinks, one man said: “At least here they sell French crepes instead of kebabs.”

  91. 91.

    Yarrow

    @jacy: Awww…he sounds like a great dog. He does sound ready and our last and greatest responsibility to our beloved pets is listening to them at that time. I hope you can all take joy in the wonderful times you had with him and cherish those memories.

  92. 92.

    jacy

    @CaseyL:

    Yep, 17 — for two years Loch has been joking that he’s “immortal,” but time catches up with us all. He’s had a good run, and I’ll choose to remember that. :) The hardest thing for Loch, I think, is it’s letting go of his childhood in a way. First the divorce and then moving out of the old house and his dad changing so much, and now he’s coming up on high school graduation next year and college — it’s a lot for a kid. I wouldn’t want to be a teenager again for all the tea in China.

    And when the time is right, maybe in a few months, we’ll head to the shelter and find somebody who really looks like he needs a friend……

  93. 93.

    Suzanne

    @jacy: Ohhhh no. I’m so sorry. Losing them is just agonizing. Watching them suffer is even worse. Hugs to you and your son.

  95. 95.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Yarrow:

    “Whatever is going on now cannot continue.”

    This is like half of Trumpism/Brexitism/FNism/etc. in a nutshell. The incoherent rage of the structurally privileged because they haven’t been given what they were “promised” on a silver platter. Then they assign blame to the guy next door who talks funny. As one does.

  96. 96.

    Ruckus

    @Mnemosyne:
    I’d tell your doc first.
    Found out today I may have had a TIA. This kicked off a whole new series of testing for over the next month or two. This getting old shit sure can suck some days.

  98. 98.

    NotMax

    Been a while without some music to soothe the fevered mind and get the toes a-tapping.

    Howzabout a different take on an oldie but goody, with three guitars and what I guess might be described as German scat singing.

  100. 100.

    hitless

    So, I have no twitter and can’t answer all the “why was there civil war” stuff, but has anyone mentioned that Lincoln told everyone:

    One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.

    It’s the 2nd inaugural. It’s inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial, in case someone wants to take the President there and read it to him.

    The address is amazing…I trust an intellectual such as Megan McArdle must be aware if it.

    If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

  101. 101.

    Another Scott

    @jacy: I’m sorry. You did a great job with your pup and he’ll always be with you.

    Take care.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  102. 102.

    jacy

    @Suzanne:

    Thanks. :)

    BTW, the Sunday meeting with The Ex and The Whore went pretty well. No bloodshed. We hashed out the summer in an equitable way. The Boyfriend only had to kick me under the table four times to keep me from doing something untoward. The best part? When we were leaving the coffee shop, I turned to The Boyfriend and asked, “So, what was your main impression?” He replied, “Man, she has a HUGE ass.” And I laughed and laughed. He’s a keeper.

  103. 103.

    Another Scott

    @Ruckus: Yikes! Do what you can to recover fully. The brain is much more able to “heal itself” than we used to think, but it can need help.

    Fingers crossed!

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  104. 104.

    Ruckus

    @FlyingToaster:
    Docs have been trying me on a lot of different things over the last 18 months and they all do one of 3 things, cause me severe issues from the get go, become ineffective in about 2 months or actually work as advertised. That third one is rare and has happened twice.

  106. 106.

    NotMax

    @hitless

    Causes? Laid out in stark detail in the Cornerstone Speech by former Congressman and then v.p. of the Confederacy Alexander Hamilton Stephens:

    But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better, allow me to allude to one other though last, not least. The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the “rock upon which the old Union would split.” He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old constitution, were that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was that, somehow or other in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the constitution, was the prevailing idea at that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged against the constitutional guarantees thus secured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the “storm came and the wind blew.”

    Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North, who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics. Their conclusions are right if their premises were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails. I recollect once of having heard a gentleman from one of the northern States, of great power and ability, announce in the House of Representatives, with imposing effect, that we of the South would be compelled, ultimately, to yield upon this subject of slavery, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics, as it was in physics or mechanics. That the principle would ultimately prevail. That we, in maintaining slavery as it exists with us, were warring against a principle, a principle founded in nature, the principle of the equality of men. The reply I made to him was, that upon his own grounds, we should, ultimately, succeed, and that he and his associates, in this crusade against our institutions, would ultimately fail. The truth announced, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a principle in politics as it was in physics and mechanics, I admitted; but told him that it was he, and those acting with him, who were warring against a principle. They were attempting to make things equal which the Creator had made unequal.

  107. 107.

    Ruckus

    @Yarrow:
    The VA almost exclusively uses generics and will change suppliers when supplies or cost is better. If we used universal healthcare, that would be the situation for everyone. Big pharm of course being one of the reasons we won’t see UH in my lifetime.

  108. 108.

    Ruckus

    @Mnemosyne:
    Two in two months? I’ve had 4 in the last 4 months (including one tonight) and that’s down. For a while there I was getting one or two a week. I know one a year is too many, which is why I’m ecstatic about the new regimen I’ve been on. It’s not perfect but going from 4-8 a month to 1 a month is huge. As you know.

  110. 110.

    Ruckus

    @jacy:

    He’s going to leave a hole in the world.

    They always do. I think it’s hard on kids to see family pass. But it happens. It will again and again in his life. That Biz got to make such a positive impression on your son is both a blessing and an issue. I hope you can find a way to make this as easy as possible but he, and you, will need to talk about this. While it isn’t quite the same but when my sister passed we did a Quaker meeting for her per her request. There were at least 75 people present and the circle itself was the largest I’ve ever seen at about 25 seats. If you aren’t up on Quaker meetings, there isn’t a leader, anyone can get up and say anything they want, as long as no one else is talking. You get a chance to tell a story, or a bit of history or even a joke, or all of the above. Whatever reminds you of the person. You talk as long as you want, then sit down. After a respectful moment someone else stands up and talks. When there is no one left who wants to speak, that circle is finished. It is a wonderful way to share, I learned things I never knew about my sister, some of them quite funny, some rather poignant. It helped to close that chapter of both her life and our interactions with it.

  111. 111.

    Mary G

    @Yutsano: If I had ever thought about Jimmy Kimmel’s, I would have assumed that he was a libertarian dudebro, especially because he got his start with the lunatic Ben Stein. But that was a tearful, heartfelt story and might just kill Trumpcare for good.

  112. 112.

    jacy

    @Ruckus:

    Thank you for that. I’m going to try and get him to talk about Biz. He’s a surly teenager, so opening up about things is not something he’s used to right now, but I think it will be good for him to talk about all his memories, and we can all share memories of what we loved about Biz and all the stories. He has a white blotch on his chest that looks like a frozen chicken with the wings and legs out, so we used to call him Super Chicken Dog. And he never liked to lick your face, put he always put his paw out to shake whenever he met a new person. And he hated storms, and would shiver until you held him, even thought he weighed 75 pounds. But when I despair for Loch being kind of cold and distant sometimes, and being a sarcastic little monster, I always remember how much he loves that dog. He’d jump in front of train for that dog, no second thought. It reminds me what a good kid he is inside, underneath all the bluster.

  113. 113.

    Mel

    @Mnemosyne: So sorry you are feeling bad. Migraines are so damned awful.

    Definitely tell your doctor. Sometimes generics don’t work quite as well as the non- generics. (Toprol and its generic are a good example. Toprol is a blood pressure med that can also help to control tachycardia and fibrillations. For a small percent of people, the generic doesn’t work as well as the non-generic.)

    Even though they have the same chemical formula for the active ingredient, the “non-active” ingredients in the formula can be different. The ingredients can even vary from one company’s generic version to another company’s generic version, so if you have any allergies (esp. to dyes, yeasts, preservatives, etc.) it can be really helpful to check the ingredients in the generic version that your pharmacy or specialty pharmacy is providing, to make sure that the non-active ingredients list doesn’t contain anything that might be causing a reaction.

    Hope you feel better soon. Try and rest if you can.

  114. 114.

    akryan

    And that’s the danger. It’s so easy to say, “Oh, fuck it,”. I do it all the time. That’s how Trump has gotten away with everything. He just keeps coming up with new terrible shit so fast that no one thing ever sticks around long enough to sink your teeth into. It becomes numbing. I think the key is to just focus in on one thing. Until the Russia thing is resovled, something I’m pessimistic about actually, nothing else is as big.

  115. 115.

    Ruckus

    @Yarrow:
    @Another Scott:
    Saw my doc and relayed any changes since last visit. I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping track of progress or regression and my description of an incident got his attention. But I was not expecting this at all. Doc told me to pay attention and if this or anything like it happens again, go directly to an ER, do not pass go or drive yourself. I’m taking him seriously.

  117. 117.

    Ruckus

    @jacy:
    I relayed that story because I know for some people it’s very hard to talk about a loss and some will hold that inside for decades. I’ve been in other Quaker meetings and mostly people talk about the bible or how some event is making them feel. But a memorial meeting/circle (that’s my description, not necessarily theirs) is about the passed. Yes it can be scary, and yes it is cathartic, but not everyone is willing to participate. Which is OK, participation is not required. I have over the years been to lots of funerals/memorials, for family, now for friends and for me talking about it helps immensely. I just went to a friends memorial, she was my sisters partner for nearly a decade and I’ve know her for over 40 yrs and a lot of people there got up and talked about her. Not quite the same but both worked. A thing to understand is that you don’t have to say it all at once, which I really appreciate and I’d bet others would as well. You can get up or talk as you see fit or as you are ready. If you get stuck or want to just start crying, you sit down and soon you can talk again. With your son, maybe you share and let it go at that for a while, days even. See if he comes around on his own. If he does he may really surprise you and open up far more than you expect.

  118. 118.

    SRW1

    Trump would be honored to meet Kim Jong Un, but as Tillerson stated “no discussions”.

    So, ahm, chocolate cake?

  119. 119.

    bystander

    @??‍? Martin:

    Really need to make up some ‘Dunning/Kruger 2020’ bumper stickers.

    I keep telling the quisling trumputinites on F/b and in the comments section at WaPo that they should consider offering themselves up as study material at the Dunning/Kruger Institute.

  120. 120.

    bystander

    @Yutsano: I appreciate Kimmel’s comments but “partisan squabbling”? Why could he not give credit where it is due to the Democrats who passed the ACA without one single repub vote? And why can he not say who is trying to deny children with pre-existing conditions healthcare, the repubs?

    I hate bothsiderism.

  122. 122.

    prob50

    @NotMax:

    Causes? Laid out in stark detail in the Cornerstone Speech by former Congressman and then v.p. of the Confederacy Alexander Hamilton Stephens:

    EDIT NOTE: Somehow I managed to screw up the blockquote – the below comment was mine, not Stephens’s.

    What a ponderous dipshit! And he even started his ignorant racist speech “But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better” ahisnd then proceeded to go on ever tediously with his ignorant, ill-informed blather. His speech did seem to confirm one area of white superiority – windy bloviation, which I’m sure he felt amply demonstrated his intellectual superiority over not only the negro, but also all those silly abolitionists.

    Unfortunately his current day ilk still dominate many legislative bodies in the Deep South.

  123. 123.

    OGLiberal

    @dmsilev: Check out Raven by Tim Reiterman. Despite the fascinating and horrible story, there seem to be very few books about Jones/The Peoples Temple. I think that’s because Reiterman wrote his first and others were probably like, “OK, why bother.” Couldn’t put it down and read it twice. Reiterman covered Jones for the SF Examiner and was there and got shot shot during that killied Leo Ryan and others. (Jackie Speier, who currently represents Ryan’s old House district, was there as well as an aide for Ryan and almost died from her wounds,)

  124. 124.

    TriassicSands

    @Yutsano: @bystander:

    I hate bothsiderism.

    Unfortunately, anyone ignorant of the reality of US politics could come away from hearing
    Kimmel thinking the risk to people with pre-existing conditions [s caused by “partisan squabbling,” when the truth is it caused entirely by one party. Kimmel owes the Democrats a huge apology.

  125. 125.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning, all.

    Come on, NY Times. Spit it out. This article is written by Republican normalizer Peter Baker (look over there! Clinton impeachment). Blurb that arrived via email today:

    With Civil War Remark, a President Who Doesn’t Go by the (History) Book
    By PETER BAKER and JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH
    The president’s comments about the Civil War underscored what seems to be a tenuous understanding of the events that preceded his ascension to power.

    And that sentence, my friends, is one college professor’s example of “inkfish.”

    Call a spade a spade, Fucking New York Times. It could be the only thing that saves us. This newfound appreciation for idiocy and climate change denial is sinking your boat. You just don’t see it.

  126. 126.

    Betty Cracker

    @Elizabelle: Just read a transcript of Trump babbling incoherently to a pair of Bloomberg reporters yesterday. I used to think he was a malignant narcissist. Now I believe he’s a malignant narcissist with galloping dementia.

  127. 127.

    Elizabelle

    @jacy: Ahhh. Best to you and your family during Biz’s last days. What a great long life for a dog!

    Rather amazing your son has had one canine stalwart through all his growing up years.

  128. 128.

    Elizabelle

    @Betty Cracker: Yeah. I’ll look, but I wonder if we might see a removal from office sooner rather than later. (Talking in 18 month timespan.)

    Even so, the investigation of Russian leaks must continue, and I hope it takes the whole Republican leadership down eventually. And we get a caretaker government or fresh elections. No rewarding the Republicans for stealing this election. They must pay.

  130. 130.

    Betty Cracker

    @Elizabelle: Distant thunder woke me up. Tried to go back to sleep but that didn’t pan out, so I made coffee instead. :)

  132. 132.

    Steve in the ATL

    @NotMax: his great great (not sure how many) grandson is/was a judge in Athens, GA and swore me in as a member of the Georgia bar. Is my legal career tainted?

  134. 134.

    bystander

    @Betty Cracker:

    Distant thunder woke me up.

    I hope it’s the drumbeat of the coming revolution you hear.

    I hear Romans yelling at each other at the restoration site across the way.

    Upstairs from us is Eric Clapton’s ex and the mother of the little kid who took a header out the 53rd floor window. I’m not finishing that thought, but man, can she clomp around in high heels at all hours of the night.

  135. 135.

    Elizabelle

    @Steve in the ATL: It’s morning in Barcelona. I am in this loveliest of cities until, perhaps, mid-July. Have become one of the larks of Balloon Juice as a result. It is almost 11:00 am local time.

  136. 136.

    Elizabelle

    The League of Women Voters put out this alert:

    Despite public opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act, Congress is at it again. Just like the last plan, their latest attempt to repeal the ACA will raise costs and cut coverage for millions of Americans.

    We know we’ve asked you before – and if you haven’t done it – it’s not too late.

    Join us for a National Call-In Day TOMORROW!

    Call your Representative at 866-426-2631 and tell them to reject repeal and #ProtectOurCare: Stop trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act!

    The House of Representatives wants to vote on this new plan this week.

    We can’t let this happen!

    If it passes:

    24 million Americans will lose coverage by 2020
    Costs will increase for seniors and those with pre-existing conditions
    Women will go back to paying more than men for basic care
    Women will lose access to safe abortion care and see increases in costs for birth control
    Medicaid patients – including millions of children, seniors and people with disabilities – will no longer be able to get the care they need
    In fact, the only real winners under this new legislation are the big interests and the wealthiest Americans.

    Even if you’ve already called your Representative – call them again! 866-426-2631

    Tell the House of Representatives: Americans can’t afford to lose our healthcare coverage.

  138. 138.

    satby

    @jacy: jacy, so sorry about your old guy! 17 is a remarkably long life for a lab mix, he clearly was a happy, loved boy. If you can get a vet to make a home visit, that might be less traumatic for all of you. Condolences, especially to Lochlainn.

  139. 139.

    The Simp in the Suit

    So it’s all just rainbows and ponies, eh Cole? Well la-dee-fuckin’-dah. Fuckin’ flightless bird fan. Wanker.

    But glad about ABC.

  142. 142.

    Tarragon

    OK, that’s funny. I jumped into the most recent thread to update about my wife’s migraines before I knew the migraine discussion was over here. It’s hard to keep up around here anymore.

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