Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

If West Virginia and San Francisco had a love child.

Motown is Joe-Town!

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

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

“But what about the lurkers?”

I desperately hope that, yet again, I am wrong.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Cole is on a roll !

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

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

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

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Republicans in disarray!

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

Donald Trump, welcome to your everything, everywhere, all at once.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Last Minute NY City Meet Up: RedDirtGirl Invites You to Her Self Thrown Surprise Birthday Party

Last Minute NY City Meet Up: RedDirtGirl Invites You to Her Self Thrown Surprise Birthday Party

by | 92 Comments

This post is in: 

I’m elevating this from comments to front page on behalf of RedDirtGirl (whether she likes it or not!):

New York City area Balloon Juicers: in observance of my birthday week I’m throwing myself a surprise party!
It’s at Sunny’s Bar in Redhook (link below). The weekly bluegrass jam starts at 9pm and it’s beautiful space. So…
You are invited to my
Surprise*
Potluck**
52nd Birthday
Party
this Saturday,
the 24th
at sunnysredhook.com.

* I’ll be there for the weekly bluegrass jam that starts at 9pm. If you are in the tri-state area/general vicinity, please come by!

** bring a SMALL, shareable treat.

Now don’t spoil the surprise by RSVPing!

Yom hooledet sameach! Sanna halwah ya jameela!

(and that’s all the ways I know how to say happy birthday in Semitic languages)

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

92Comments

  1. 1.

    Hal

    Just wait until you are discriminated against based on the law, then you can come back and we’ll reconsider.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/mississippi-gay-religion-injunction.html

    Thursday’s 16-page ruling states, in essence, that the plaintiffs challenging the law, many of whom are gay Mississippi residents, lacked standing because the law had not yet injured them.

    “None of these plaintiffs has clearly shown an injury-of-fact, so none has standing,” the judges wrote.

    So just wait for the endless possibilities:

    It would allow religious organizations to engage in job and housing discrimination against L.G.B.T. people; allow public school counselors to refuse to work with L.G.B.T. students; and potentially force child-welfare agencies to place L.G.B.T. children with anti-gay foster or adoptive parents.

    And you heteros need not feel left out either:

    The law also contains provisions that could potentially affect single heterosexual people. “For example,” the authors of the analysis wrote, “it would allow a religious university to fire a single mother working in its cafeteria, who supports her children on her own, because the university has a religious opposition to sex outside marriage.”

    Though I should point out that single mother could be a lesbian.

  4. 4.

    efgoldman

    Wish I were closer.
    ============
    The unavoidable can no longer be avoided. Saw my nephrologist yesterday, most recent blood tests came back today. I start dialysis ASAP.
    The good news is (1) everyone tells me I will feel a lot better. I have felt like absolute shit lately. I’ve never been a physically active/motivated person, but all i want to do is sleep. (2) It moves me up on the transplant list (two years last month) and (3) I can now do it at home, overnight, without going to a center. If you live in New England, as I do, that is no small thing six months of the year. (Neither the center nor Medicare/Medicaid provides transportation)
    The down side is mrs efg had a whole herd of cows. That’s her fear/adrenaline rush. After 40 years I’ve learned not to argue, or try to reassure – that makes it worse. Just shut the fuck up and get out of the way. In a couple of hours it dissipates.
    Anyway, I hope I’ve started by a month from this week. The kids will be here for a long weekend, and I have an almost four-year-old I have to play with.

  7. 7.

    Steve in the ATL

    Bluegrass in Redhook? Be right there as soon as I grow a beard and throw on a plaid shirt.

  11. 11.

    efgoldman

    @Hal:

    “None of these plaintiffs has clearly shown an injury-of-fact, so none has standing,” the judges wrote.

    So, wait, lawyer people. By that logic, the state could re-instate segregation and other Jim Crow laws, and no-one could take it to court unless they could prove actual harm? Oh, this is gonna’ be FUN, FUN, FUN!

    I have a not so modest proposal: Next time Dems have the budgetary power, cut the fuckers off. Every fucking one of the traitor states gets far more money from the feds than they send back in taxes. (For most blue states, it’s just the opposite.)

    Fuck ’em. If they want to be part of a civilization, let them act civilized.

  16. 16.

    satby

    @RedDirtGirl: wish we weren’t all spread out world-wide, because if we all got together in Red hook for blues it would be the best bash evah! With you in spirit, and an early very Happy Birthday RedDirtGirl!

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    @efgoldman:

    Ugh. Dialysis is no fun, but it kept my dad going for a good 10 years past where his failing kidneys should have killed him. (He ended up being ineligible for a transplant because he had a small tumor in his lung, and cancer + transplant drugs = no bueno.)

    If mrs efg has the kind of freakouts that can be relieved by doing something, buy a couple of dialysis-friendly cookbooks so she can start re-jiggering your meals.

  22. 22.

    efgoldman

    @Steve in the ATL:

    this was a ridiculously bad legal opinion.

    Of course it is. It sounds like a Janice Rogers Brown special. Was it that circuit?
    Problem for the plaintiffs, though was that it was the appeals bench, right? Not the district court?
    Am I correct that the only other thing they can do is ask for en banc or try to get SCOTUS to take it?

    Or they could just draw and quarter Phil Bryant and the majority of the MS legislature. That works too.

  26. 26.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @efgoldman:

    Oh, my friend. Please feel much better, very much sooner. I want you to be dancing at your granddaughter’s wedding. And my love to mrsefg, who takes on an entire family’s worth of fretfulness.

  29. 29.

    Steve in the ATL

    @efgoldman:

    Am I correct that the only other thing they can do is ask for en banc or try to get SCOTUS to take it?

    You are correct, and clearly engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Off my corner, ho!

    Also, hope you bounce back quickly.

  30. 30.

    Aleta

    RedDirtGirl, Happy birthday to you. Sounds like a real good party, and I wish I was there. will send something by river.

  31. 31.

    Mnemosyne

    @RedDirtGirl:

    A quick word of advice — make sure to bring some green balloons with you so folks can find you since you want to try and make it a surprise.

    ETA: I am on the Left Coast, so can only be there in spirit. ?

  33. 33.

    Another Scott

    @efgoldman: I hope it goes as well as it should, that you feel better as a result, and your time comes for the transplant.

    A guy I work with donated a kidney to someone else he met at work. He’s an amazingly selfless person. I hope you find someone like him, too.

    Enjoy your time with your grandchild. It seems like every time you mention her another year has flown by…

    Best wishes to Mrs. efg as well. Maybe a game will help?

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  35. 35.

    Mike J

    Wish I were on the other coast for the festivities.

    In other news:

    Maggie Haberman‏Verified account @maggieNYT 1 hour ago
    NEWS – Mike Pence and Charles Koch held a 45-minute meeting at Broadmoor in CO Springs, spox for Koch umbrella group confirms.

    Right down the canyon from my first job at Seven Falls. Is Koch prepping to fire Trump?

  37. 37.

    tobie

    Happy Birthday, RedDirtGirl. How cool to have a party in Red Hook. I lived there in the 1980s and loved it. Enjoy the celebration.

  38. 38.

    La Caterina (Mrs. Johannes)

    @efgoldman: Adding my wishes that the dialysis makes you feel better. I know someone who’s been on peritoneal dialysis going on 8 years and she is in great shape. We’re all rooting for you.

  43. 43.

    jl

    ” I’m throwing myself a surprise party! ”

    The resident BJ security, spies and spooks front pagers have no comment on that approach to a surprise party?
    Hope everyone has a great time, and happy birthday to RedDirtGirl.

  44. 44.

    Hal

    Big fat motherfucking sigh….

    Senate Judiciary Committee leaders said Friday they are seeking information about former attorney general Loretta Lynch’s alleged efforts to stifle the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while Clinton was secretary of State.

    “Comey was reportedly concerned that the communication would raise doubts about the investigation’s independence and began discussing plans to announce the end of the Clinton email investigation rather than simply referring it to the Department (of Justice) for a prosecutorial decision,” the committee’s statement said. “Comey’s extraordinary action to announce the end of the investigation was a break from Justice Department protocol, and was later cited as justification (by the White House) for his removal from the FBI.”

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/23/senators-investigate-whether-loretta-lynch-tried-stifle-clinton-email-probe/103140596/

    Oh great meteor, end it now.

  45. 45.

    Jim Parene

    @efgoldman: Please enjoy the wonders of modern science and be strong on your road to recovery. I hope you enjoy many years, playing with your grandchildren.

  46. 46.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I really don’t want to see efg dance. But then again, He has enough sense to make sure I get nowhere near his granddaughter’s wedding. So, I subscribe to your hope.*

    *efg – Please don’t make me watch you dance. Dance, but don’t make me witness it.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne

    @Hal:

    I saw that earlier, and apparently they want to ask her about the faked memo from Russia that made that claim.

    If it means that she gets up in front of the Senate and swears under oath that the memo is fake because what it claims happened never happened, then I call that a win. I understand being annoyed that she would be dragged up there, but I feel fully confident that the “email” is a forgery and I see no problem with having her confirm that under oath.

  54. 54.

    Ohio Mom

    @efgoldman: Oh dear. A change in health status is always a big mental adjustment.

    Still, you are following my general rule of thumb, which is, If you have to have a medical condition, try to have something lots of other people have. You want the doctors to have a well-rehearsed protocol, you don’t want them improvising.

  56. 56.

    Ohio Mom

    @RedDirtGirl: And once again, I regret leaving my homeland, New York. Wish I could celebrate with you — hope your birthday is everything you want it to be.

  57. 57.

    PJ

    @RedDirtGirl: Sunny’s is one of my favorite places in New York, and the world. I am glad it’s going to survive, but please do not spread the word about it too much . . . At least we’ve got a few years before the luxury condos start filling up Red Hook . . .

  58. 58.

    Mnemosyne

    @MomSense:

    I clicked on the story — they want to ask her about the forged email that Comey was shown that supposedly said Lynch was trying to torpedo the Clinton email investigation:

    The committee, in a statement released Friday by Grassley and Graham, cited an April story by The New York Times reporting that the FBI came into possession of a batch of hacked documents, including one authored by a “Democratic operative who expressed confidence that Ms. Lynch would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far.” After reading that story, Grassley requested a copy of the document from the Justice Department, which he said never responded.

    IIRC, apparently the FBI was unaware that more than one person in the United States is named Loretta Lynch, and that one of them is involved in state-level politics in California. Basically, they freaked Comey out because they mixed up two Democrats who happen to have the same name.

  60. 60.

    westyny

    I moved from Redhook to Middlesex county in January. I miss it terribly. Since I’ve never met a bjackel in its spotted hide I would drive in for this, but I’m teaching upstate. Happy Birthday!!

  62. 62.

    Bruuuuce

    Happy birthday, RedDirtGirl, from Da County of Queens. Sadly, my mobility is once again impaired (read: back on crutches to facilitate the healing of another foot wound), so can only be there in spirit.

  63. 63.

    efgoldman

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I really don’t want to see efg dance.

    True story. With all the grace and elan I could muster, I stepped on the hem of my daughter’s wedding dress at her reception and almost tore it.

    I’ve been listening to music, but the thread didn’t get that far without me. I went on a Russian music kick for some reason: Rimsky, Tchaikovsky Shostakovich, the Firebird finale is in my ears as i type.

    It’s really easy (as the regulars know) for me to get all cynical and angry around here, especially in present circumstances. So let me say, really truly, those of you I’ve met and those I’ll never meet, I love all you rotten bastard jackals. And I don’t even like cats.
    Thank you all for your thoughts. I don’t happen to believe in prayer, but hey, what can it hurt?

    Look at it this way: 20-25 years ago, I’d be planning my funeral, which would be coming up very soon. As somebody said upstairs, this is a chance to extend my life, maybe for years, and live halfway normally until/unless I get a new kidney. Worth a shot.

    Now back to the normally scheduled fuck yous.

  67. 67.

    MomSense

    @efgoldman:

    When my dad was in the hospital, one of my cousins told me not to tell my dad she prayed for him. Praying is not for me either but I will think intensely about good health for you and relief from worry for Mrs ef to the g.

  71. 71.

    Lyrebird

    @efgoldman: Go EFG go! Rooting for you and the docs, too!

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I did exactly that kind of dancing this evening with the sprout… gotta enjoy while your little ones actually want to dance with you outside of wedding contexts and all that. Still got treated to a massive meltdown later, and I so hope the people next to us in the hotel were not trying to get to sleep early!

  72. 72.

    gene108

    @efgoldman:

    What type of dialysis are you opting for?

    I have been doing in-center hemodialysis for the past month.

    You will feel better.

    It is tedious and time consuming, but not that bad or uncomfortable.

  74. 74.

    Gretchen

    @efgoldman: I don’t understand about Mrs. ef goldmans herd of cows? I hope the dialysis makes you feel better and you have fun with the granddaughter. And Red Dirt Girl, I wish I could join you for your birthday. I will be there in spirit and I hope it’s lovely

  75. 75.

    efgoldman

    @gene108:

    What type of dialysis are you opting for?

    As I said above, overnite at home.
    This is New England, I can’t count on the weather several months of the year. Neither the center nor Medicare provides transportation. It’s only a couple of years ago that we literally couldn’t get out of the house, let alone drive. All the New Englanders remember it.
    Supplies and everything are delivered to the door, all i have to do is find room (not so easy in our house, but still). Much easier.

  76. 76.

    Yutsano

    @efgoldman: My good fellow bandsman, I wish you much love and peace in this stressful time. Have they done typing on family members yet?

  77. 77.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Gretchen:

    I don’t understand about Mrs. ef goldmans herd of cows?

    When someone is upset, they’re “having a cow.” Mrs. efg was really upset.

  79. 79.

    Laura

    Your surprise party sounds like a great good time and many happy returns of the day!

    Sending best wishes to EFG on the road to wellness. I didn’t know that there was an option to dialysis at home. That has got to be a huge relief to be in your own surroundings and routines.

  80. 80.

    Mnemosyne

    @Laura:

    I think it’s relatively new. My dad was hoping to do it but I think his kidney disease was already too advanced by the time it was available. I can’t remember now — he died in 2013 of multiple causes, all of them related to smoking. Kids, don’t smoke!

  82. 82.

    seaboogie

    @efgoldman: now that you are up against it, I wish you so very well in dealing with it. Sorry that this is your struggle, and also pitching in the onion from my belt on your behalf. It’s a Walla Walla/Vidalia hybrid, so it is sweet – as are my wishes for you.

  83. 83.

    JR in WV

    @efgoldman:

    E F… hope it goes well for you. Know you have so much else going on in your life right now, this will be a terrible distraction from all that real world shit, in Vermont? New Hampster? one of those.

    Not a prayer, but will be thinking of you and hoping things go well – who knew you could get dialysis at home therapy??? I was pretty impressed by my Mom’s oxygen concentrator, using a molecular sieve to pull extra O2 from the air for her COPD.

    Indeed folks, DONT SMOKE TOBACCO!!! because it will fuck you up. It got my mom bad. Dad’s COPD was from chemo for his leukemia, which he beat, pretty much, but it tore his lungs up. Again, he got 4 or 5 extra years with grandsons, so all good. 80 is not a bad run.

  84. 84.

    Elizabelle

    Happy Birthday Week, RedDirtGirl. Wish I could be there to celebrate with you. Enjoy!

  85. 85.

    JAFD

    Happy Birthday, Red Dirt Girl, and many many more !

    (unfortunately, spending weekend in far exurbs, long walk from Red Hook, darn)

  89. 89.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @efgoldman: Late to the party, but…

    You, you crotchety old sumbidge, account for exactly 1/3 of the total number of Juicers I’ve met IRL whose name I remember; mrs ef being a second third.. (There were ~8 others in that disaster of a DC meetup way back when, in a boiler factory that called itself a bar where we screamed at each other over distances of 18 inches, but only one other name I can recall.)

    So from a purely selfish perspective you have to hang in there, nay, live long(er) & prosper, or I will have no visual reference to hang my BJ presence on.

    Seriously, the best of luck with the treatments, & here’s to your rapid ascent up the transplant queue & the appearance of a suitable donor forthwith. We auld pharts have to persevere – who else is better qualified to heckle & hector the young’uns that desperately need it?

  91. 91.

    JAFD

    @efgoldman: You know we’re all pulling for your continued existence, happy and hale, on this planet.

    Wonder if Mrs EFG has ever heard of NASA’s plan, back in the early ’60’s, to send a half-dozen cows into orbit…

    ‘Twould have been “The Herd Shot Round The World”

  92. 92.

    The Lodger

    @efgoldman: Best of luck. Although a friend with the same problem says you will be feeling much better soon. Take some reading materials with you.

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