Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

This really is a full service blog.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Saturday Evening Open Thread

Saturday Evening Open Thread

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So, my Gators are playing Kentucky this evening. Last time Kentucky beat Florida, I was a student at the University of Florida. That was a very, very, VERY long time ago. Ronald Reagan was president!

However, we suck this year, so, this game could be all ‘Cats. They’re ahead so far.

Anyhoo, we’re eating tacos with homemade hot sauce, accented with Guatemalan sour cream, which is creamier, saltier and more delicious than regular sour cream.

What are y’all up to? Open thread!

Reader Interactions

190Comments

  3. 3.

    BCHS Class of 1980

    It is a big downer to lose to one of the schools that consider football season a way to kill time until Midnight Madness. I know; a few years ago WVU managed to lose to Kansas.

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    @Doug R

    The original TV series, where the older kid thought it ultra-hip to be billed by the single name “Wesley” in the credits for the early seasons?

  5. 5.

    cain

    So, I think most of you know I have been looking for a job. I got hired finally last week and very abruptly moved to Denver from my beloved Portland. The job couldn’t be more perfect for me. I’m given enormous respect and wide latitude to do whatever I want. I took a pay cut, and went out of my support network. So far, I’ve been treated with kid gloves. They know what I’m giving up. It is a positiion of huge influence if I’m given free reign.

    But emotionally, I’m having problems… I”m away from my the state I love dearly, and dealing with the sudden change in cities. I feel depressed in the evening, but feel very inspired and happy during the day because of the job. I’m sort of confused. I am no longer married, and the last 18 months have been tumultous. So, I am hoping that I can find a life here in Denver with this company who are willing to bend backwards for me.

  6. 6.

    PaulWartenberg

    I went to a local comic store dressed as Harvey Bullock for the Harley Quinn 25th anniversary (oh GOD, we’re old) celebration.

    Tomorrow, I hope to watch the Bucs game at a sports bar. Any watch parties going on out there?

  7. 7.

    PaulWartenberg

    @cain:

    You’re in a good situation to think of this as a new beginning. Denver is not too bad a place to go to. You just don’t know anybody in the area for fun/adventure.

    I heartily suggest going to your local library and joining a writing group or quilting group. Get creative.

  8. 8.

    Mnemosyne

    @cain:

    Sounds like you need a meetup. I know there are a lot of Juicers who live in Colorado, but I’m not sure how many of them are close to Denver.

    You’ve only been there a week, and it’s a big change. Give it time.

  9. 9.

    JMG

    Just finished doing the dinner dishes. Cod dusted with pimente d’espillette (French Basque spice), green beans, salad. One thing about New England, tomato season lasts longer here, until Columbus Day some lucky years, so we’re still getting awesome tomatoes for salad or, as I will do tomorrow, breakfast.

  11. 11.

    lamh36

    Watching Stevie Wonder on the Global Citizen’s Concert.

    I love Stevie Wonder. I love that Stevie is political at his concerts. He always has been…had to check a coworker bout it once…

    coworker had seen Stevie at NOLA Jazz Fest & she was talking shit cause Stevie spent time during his sets & ad lib some political stuff

    Told her azz..Stevie has ALWAYS been political. U OBVIOUSLY nvr paid attention to his lyrics other than the melody I guess

    Like Bish…have you NEVER listened to Living in the City? Pastime Paradise? Higher Ground?

    Bish probably thought Stevie just did “Isn’t She Lovely” or “I Just Called to Say I Love You”… Bish probably didn’t even realize “Happy Birthday” was about the MLK Holiday…

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    Ed Anser!

    @TheOnlyEdAsner
    Follow
    More
    I am taking a knee on Sunday. I might need someone to help me up. #TakeAKnee

  18. 18.

    Ohio Mom

    @cain: Are there other Juicers in the Denver area? Isn’t Miss Bianca somewhere in Colorado, maybe she is somewhere in (I think they call it) The Front Range? Maybe you can organize a meet-up and make some non-work contacts that way?

    We just had a meet-up in Cincinnati and it was lots of fun. Ohio Dad (who rarely reads BJ) was amazed that a group of strangers could be so at ease and have so much to talk about — it was essentially a big blind date after all.

    Other than that bit of advice, all I can say is give yourself a lot of credit and cut yourself some slack. It’s hard moving someplace brand new, you deserve kudos for being so brave. There’s lots of great stuff to see in Denver, I hope you are taking yourself on lots of fun outings.

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    @cain: That’s a lot of change in a short time. It’s good to have at least one facet of your life that makes you feel inspired and happy! Maybe give yourself time to let the other part fall into place.

  25. 25.

    Gretchen

    @cain: I’m glad you found a job you like. I’m sure the rest will fall into place from there. I hate that “this isn’t home” feeling when I move to a new place. I find that if I get everything unpacked, hang my pictures, put personal items out, get a plant or two, it feels like home more quickly and I can go from there.

  26. 26.

    Ruckus

    @cain:
    I’ve had 3 completely different careers. I’ve moved 2500 miles, twice, 500 miles once. It’s new, it seems strange but it’s people and places. It takes a bit to get adjusted to a new life, especially in a new town/state. Give yourself a chance to settle in and find out what’s going on around you.

  30. 30.

    Mike in NC

    @cain: Good luck in your new surroundings. Many of us have been through it. I had a nice job in Newport, RI in 1989 and was suddenly laid off. Company offered to relocate me to the DC area and I felt like it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. A year later things were pretty stable and I had a girlfriend and a number of new acquaintances. Hang in there.

  31. 31.

    Gretchen

    @cain: the mountains near Denver are gorgeous. If you’re an outdoorsy sort maybe you can find a hiking/orienteering/rock climbing group.

  35. 35.

    Lyrebird

    @lamh36: Right, musta never heard Stevie’s song about living in the city (sorry I can’t remember the title), which is probably as old as I am! I tell fellow melanin-deprived people who feel uncomfortable with Ice T, NWA, etc etc, to consider how history might have changed if more people had listened to Stevie’s lyrics (about miscarriage of justice & unjust imprisonment & so on) and done something back then!!!!!

  37. 37.

    Ruckus

    @lamh36:
    I know how Ed feels. Getting down on a knee is tough. Getting up with two knees that almost aren’t isn’t fun at all. Now Ed is older than me but closer to the ground. Still if I have trouble I can’t imagine what he feels like. The fact that he’d volunteer to do this gets him a lot of respect from me.

  39. 39.

    Mnemosyne

    @Ohio Mom:

    I do type about 70 words a minute, and I’m on the laptop, so I’m not trying to thumb-type. ;-)

    But I need to put my shoes on so G and I can go out for date night. Mexican food within walking distance, so I can have a margarita or two.

  40. 40.

    Steve in the ATL

    @cain: I was in Denver all week–why didn’t you call me? I know–you were probably too high on marijuana cigarettes to even dial a phone. Damn hippies.

  41. 41.

    Lyrebird

    @cain: One of the wisest and sanest people I’ve ever met did me the biggest favor evAR when she admitted that she got panic attacks for her first six weeks at any given new job.

    I’m telling myself to withold judgement on anything and just keep showing up as best I can for six months in my/our new situation.

    Plus all the more active suggestions above…

    Plus some good wishes!

    I didn’t get the Denver job I applied for, but the area seems mighty neat! Live music outside at that “urban renewal” place where the old airport was…

  45. 45.

    Lyrebird

    @Mnemosyne:

    Seems like something that will come in handy for the next few years.

    Hmm, I don’t know if someone’s made a GIF out of one of the few super-heavy-metal songs I can quote, but it’d be relevant here…

    Sad But True, Metallica

    Have a great dinner out!

  50. 50.

    cain

    @PaulWartenberg: Thank you, I will do that. I think quilting is kind of cool.. it’s very creative endeavor. Thanks for chiming in.

    In case, people dont know what the job is Im a community manager for a linux based laptop firm and my job is to promote their OS that they included.

  52. 52.

    cain

    @Mnemosyne: Thank you, Mnemosyne. I’ll do my best. I have some college friends. Since I’m no longer married, I’m looking at Tinder to make new friends.

  53. 53.

    lamh36

    @NotMax: It’s just the premiere ep though right? The rest of the series is on CBS’ streaming site?

    Which I don’t have an I refuse to pay for either…nope…

    I don’t get why they didn’t put it on their primetime broadcast lineup

  54. 54.

    Adam L Silverman

    @cain: I just put the bat signal up to a couple of our Colorado commenters and posters. Hang in there, hopefully they’ll check in before too long.

  55. 55.

    satby

    @cain: that’s a lot of upheaval cain, so don’t beat yourself up about feeling a bit down and adrift. A good job you enjoy is a good foundation to start building a new life. Denver is a very outdoor activity oriented city, so you can probably find people to go hiking or riding with with the meetup app.
    And if there are Denver Juicers, I hope you can arrange a meetup with them.

    Edited to add: I really just hibernated the first few months after I moved here because the previous year in my life had been full of loss and upheaval too. That’s ok, you need to process so you can move forward. Be gentle with yourself.

  56. 56.

    Aimai

    @cain: don’t limit yourself to the work world for social support. Get a cat or dog. Get a theater membership and begin going regularly and to after show talks, join the local museum and library and start going to talks. Put an add in the paper and start to meet people.

  57. 57.

    cain

    @Corner Stone:
    They are a small but growng company, they know they are getitng me cheap. I will do what I can for them for about a year or more and then I am going to look to jump. The job is very visiible, so I’m hoping that will help me. In case you are interested the company is system76

  59. 59.

    jl

    At first I thought the gators mentioned were the enchanted beasts of the Cracker estate’s enchanted jungle island, come to pay honors to the Lady Cracker.
    Then, I realized it was about college football, and I lost interest.

    Sour cream foodie snobbery noted. And from Florida, of all places. SF Bay Area foodie snobbery is not amused. Good day, Lady Cracker, I say, good day.

  60. 60.

    lamh36

    @lamh36:

    Replying to @SantiagoMejia @sfchronicle and 2 others
    After the anthem, teammate Mark Canha embraced him. #BruceMaxwell #anthemprotest #oakland #athletics

  61. 61.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Topher SpiroVerified account @ TopherSpiro
    This is a great idea. If Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg want to restore some goodwill, Facebook would send open enrollment alerts.

    Oliver Butler‏Verified account @ oliverbutler 5h5 hours ago
    Share the F out of this idea. Break Twitter.

  62. 62.

    cain

    @Baud:

    @cain: Congrats on the new job. I hope the social stuff works itself out sooner rather than later.

    It will. I”m really good at creating and supporting communities. I wil make this company successful because I have a pretty good rolodex of people I know. Plus it spreads Free Software which is the ultimate goal for me. It will still be a challenge, but at least they are willing ot let me travel all over the place and meet my friends :)

  66. 66.

    cain

    @Ohio Mom:
    I’m totally doing that and keeping an open mind. But you know, I miss my friends. I miss my ex-wife too, and I know she misses me even though we are apart, and she is seeing someone else. But we had a rapport and loyalty no matter how messed up it is.

  67. 67.

    NotMax

    @lamh36

    Yup. And I also have no intention of signing up for the CBS pay site.

    Netflix is showing the episodes on a 24 hour delay in 188 countries, but not in the U.S. or Canada.

  68. 68.

    efgoldman

    @Ohio Mom:

    it was essentially a big blind date after all.

    I’d never thought of them that way, but now that you mention it….
    I have no fear of blind dates; mrs efg and I were a blind date 40+ years ago.

  69. 69.

    Bostondreams

    Gator defense simply cannot tackle. And the offense is pathetic. Losing to Kentucky for the first time since the pre-Spurrier era is just unacceptable. Coach Mac has to be on the hot seat, despite the two division crowns.

  70. 70.

    jl

    Though, thanks to Cracker for pics and info earlier today on Cockroach Mountain, or Hill, or Mound, or extra large hummock, whatever it is. I’m putting that park on my places to visit if I am ever in that area.

  71. 71.

    lamh36

    Comment from a HS friend of mine on FB, who’s an online sports writer, when I asked about the “power” of the NBA vs NFL players union.

    LAMH: Question for those who know better than I…outside looking in, it seems like the NBA players association have more “power” in terms of disagreeing w/the owners, than the NFL players association does?

    FB FRIEND: True the NBA players know they are the product that fans clamor for and their union and CBA is air tight, strong as a mug. Most of that cats like LBJ been speaking out. To me baseball has the best overall union but NBA is 1B. It’s not even close football is down the list.
    Adam Silver isn’t crazy he knows he can’t be a Goodell type and try to grow the brand and extent reach. He can’t quell voices like Goodell tries to. Those cats in basketball NBA know their worth and they know no LBJ, Curry, Durant, Chris Paul etc NO NBA. They flex their muscles and rightfully so

  74. 74.

    Steve in the ATL

    @A Ghost to Most: not this time; I’ve been there before. Only had time this trip for Deer Creek Canyon and the Chimney Gulch trail at Windy Saddle Park, which thoroughly kicked the ass of this elderly, out of shape flatlander. But I made it all the way up to the Buffalo Bill museum! I love it out there. Wish I were there more often.

  76. 76.

    jl

    @lamh36: For some reason, NBA players come off as better, more thoughtful, spokesmen for their causes, on average. I don’t know what it is. Maybe smaller teams, and less emphasis on team loyalty. Maybe something about the culture of the different sports.

    I don’t want to generalize. There are Rodman types to counterbalance James and Curry. But that is my impression on average. But I don’t follow football much, and know baseball and basketball much better.

  77. 77.

    Jeffro

    Heard Kelli O’Hara sing tonight – amazing! Even if not completely my cup of tea, still, what a talent.

  83. 83.

    Ohio Mom

    @cain: Sounds like you would have missed your ex no matter where you are — even if you lived down the same street. It’s a lot of history you two share and there is no substitute for history. But clearly you do not, sadly, share a future. You will make your own future and it will be full of surprises.

    I have lived in Cincinnati for over thirty years, and although I have stayed put, I have plenty of friends that I have made over those three plus decades that I miss — they all moved away! One of them moved to Colorado Springs in fact. It is true that my losses have been spread over time and yours are all at once but that is life, we are always starting over in one way or another.

  84. 84.

    PaulWartenberg

    @NotMax:

    I have not been hearing good things. that the main character is going to be Spock older half-sister (?!?!?!?!) is just setting up disaster. why can’t they create characters with at least some original backgrounds?

  85. 85.

    Adam L Silverman

    @PaulWartenberg: That is not quite correct. As has been widely reported in pre-debut publicity, but just in case:

    SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

    The main character, the first officer of the titular Discovery, was fostered and raised by Sarek and Amanda after her parents, visiting faculty at the Vulcan Science Academy, were killed. She’s not a half sister. Not a sister from a previous marriage. Not adopted.

  86. 86.

    Steve in the ATL

    @debbie: not really. I work for a company these days so I am dealing only with the unions that represent our employees. We are coast to coast, though, so I have bargaining and arbitrations all over the country. Our industry has been unionized forever, but very few of our bargained for employees pay dues in right to work states, and employees have filed decertification petitions in more than one place.

    My opinion is that unions in general are not showing workers that they add value–they already health insurance and weekends, and they don’t get more money or more time off or better benefits than the non-bargained for employees so they get nothing for their dues money. Throw in the concerted attacks on unions by the chamber of commerce, right wing think tanks, and republican politicians over the last 35+ years, and it’s tough times for unions. The balance of power in like the 1920’s, when management has almost all the power and the unions and workers very little. That really needs to change (but don’t tell our executive committee that I said that!).

  87. 87.

    Ohio Mom

    @cain: Did you see comment # 79? You do know how to get Adam’s email from the top of the page — ask him to send your contact info to Ghost.

    And now it is my bedtime. Sweet dreams to all…

  89. 89.

    Another Scott

    @cain: I remember now. Just open your conversation with, “Did I yet tell you about the dinner party I threw for Linus Torvalds?”

    Don’t do it too many times though – you don’t want people to think you’re all high falutin and stuff. ?

    Seriously, do what you can to get settled in your new home and then get out there. You’ll find compatible people quicker than you think.

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  91. 91.

    lamh36

    @Adam L Silverman: thx for that info…I’ve found alot of mis-information about the show and character background, esp since the show is anchored by a Black woman…

    I’d love to watch the show, but I’m NOT gonna pay for CBS Access..nope…maybe I’ll find it at some point on some streaming site?

  92. 92.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @lamh36: Evan Grant‏Verified account @ Evan_P_Grant 58m58 minutes ago
    Just FYI, the A’s player who kneeled during anthem is the son of US soldier & was born on a base.

    also, too, a soldier responds to Ben Sasse. That would be the Ben Sasse who sat there grinning like an idiot when Bill Maher dropped an N-bomb on him as part of a “joke” about slavery

  94. 94.

    Ohio Mom

    @Steve in the ATL: I can’t go to bed without saying I believe, and agree with, what you said but those workers! Thinking they already have health coverage and weekends so why have a union?

    I already didn’t have the flu before my shot last week, what good did it do? How much longer do they think they are going to have all the good things they have without the union?
    As they say, SMH.

  96. 96.

    M. Bouffant

    After the Rams beat the 49ers (Thurs.) & U.S.C. beat U.C. Berkeley (today) I’m waiting for U.C.L.A. to whup Stanford for a SoCal sweep (on the road) of the Bay Area. And watching the Giants-Dodgers game. California Über Alles!

  101. 101.

    Adam L Silverman

    @NotMax: As lamh has indicated, because it is going to be on CBS’s own streaming service, and I’ve no desire to buy into that, then I won’t be watching it unless I”m sent on temporary duty outside the US where I can watch it on Netflix.

  105. 105.

    J R in WV

    @cain: We had a great time when we visited Denver last week. There’s a lot of light rail, and at the 16th Street pedestrian mall, they run continuous rail cars that are free to move about the very long mall.

    Plus pot is legal there, and not here. That was interesting to us seeing full page ads in the newspapers, seeing big grow factories in the warehouse district, smelling the aroma of growing weed inside the huge warehouses converted to indoor grow factories. Probably not so interesting to someone from the west coast.

    Lots of book shops, interesting shops, great restaurants. Get ready, though, it’s going to be cold. Winter is coming!!!

    ETA: Congrats on the new job, sounds great!!! Try to keep an even keel, and come here if you need support!

  106. 106.

    Adam L Silverman

    @japa21: That’s what I’ve been able to tell. Given the differences in demographics between players in the NFL and NBA, and to a lesser extent MLB, and the owners and fans this may be one fight he shouldn’t have picked. It isn’t going to take much from the players to completely disrupt any given Sunday in the NFL. Or Monday night. Or Thursday night.

    There’s no strategy here. Not even tactics. Or, at least, poorly thought through and thoroughly reflexive tactics.

  107. 107.

    mai naem mobile

    @Adam L Silverman: I remember when Newsmeat was around David Sterns donations happened to be on the header and he gave a huge amount of money to the Dems. I don’t know if it was ideological or business reasons but Trumps an idiot to go after Steph Curry anf she would be a bigger moron to go after LeBron.

  108. 108.

    Another Scott

    @Adam L Silverman: We know that Bannon figures riling up the Left is the path to 1000 year Trumpian Reich. I’m hopeful that it won’t work, but we have to be smart about fighting them. We can’t forget the 9/30 Reconciliation deadline while we hammer Donnie on this racist stuff too.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  110. 110.

    J R in WV

    @cmorenc:

    Only good things that ever came out of Kentucky are bluegrass music and Muhammed Ali.

    Hey! My Grandma came out of Kentucky!! You take that back! Also, old time music, which is the foundation of Blue Grass came out of WV, SW Va, and Tennessee as much as it did Kentucky.

    I will admit Grandma moved to WV as soon as she had a job offer, as there weren’t many jobs in Ky, even back in the early 1900s.

  111. 111.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Another Scott: No argument here. Unfortunately given the health care debate CNN has scheduled for Monday night, that ship went down in the harbor before it had a chance to sail.

  113. 113.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Ohio Mom: most of our bargained for workers are openly republican (well, the white ones). It’s bizarre to sit in meetings where the folks on the management side of the table are more liberal than the ones on the union’s side.

    Unions really need to figure out what their “value add” is today and sell the hell out of it to workers.

  114. 114.

    JCJ

    @J R in WV: ed a little bit ago. My wife likes to use old recipes

    good evening! I want to thank you for the recipe (peach kuchen) that you posted a little bit ago. My wife likes to try old recipes and we really liked it a lot. She had made a peach pie and a peach cobbler earlier this summer, but your recipe was the winner.

  116. 116.

    JCJ

    @mai naem mobile:

    David Stern is a proud Democrat. The previous owner of the Milwaukee Bucks was Senator Herb Kohl, and one of the current owners has sat with Bill Clinton when the Bucks play the Nets in Brooklyn.

  118. 118.

    Scamp Dog

    @cain: Welcome to Denver! I’ve been here since 2001, and it’s been good for me. I’ve made some noises about putting together a meetup for local juicers, and it’s time I went ahead and did it. Somewhere I have a list of Denver-area commenters, I’ll have to dredge that up from wherever I stashed it.

    Adam, could you pass along my contact info to cain? I’m looking forward to getting in touch!

  119. 119.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Adam L Silverman:
    I don’t understand why CBS wouldn’t put it on normal primetime television. The popularity of the Nu-Trek movies should prove that ST is still relevant and popular. Are services like CBS All Access really the future? I can Netflix or Amazon Fire TV, but CBS?

  123. 123.

    Adam L Silverman

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: The issue is that Star Trek is owned by two different companies. CBS owns the TV rights. Paramount owns the movie rights. For certain things they have to be in agreement, such as marketing. As a result given this year being the anniversary year for Star Trek, you now know why that hasn’t been marketed and played up. Because neither company would take the lead, nor would they make a movement without the other. Here’s a rundown on the corporate meshugas:
    http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek_corporate_history

    Break

    Did you get my replies to your email?

  124. 124.

    ellie

    @cain: Denver is pretty great. My husband and I moved here for his job nearly six years ago and I really like it now but it was difficult at first. I can see @117 Scamp Dog wants to have a meet up; that is a great idea.

  127. 127.

    Scamp Dog

    And in sadder news, I had to take my Border Collie, Biscuit, to the hospital yesterday. It turns out she had some pretty severe anemia, idiopathic hemolytic anemia, if I remember the diagnosis correctly. Her immune system was destroying her red blood cells, while her bone marrow was still making new cells. They give her a transfusion and tried some immunosuppressive drugs, but her immune system just kept chewing up the newly added cells along with the old ones. There were a few frighteningly expensive and unlikely-to-work things we could have tried, but around 1:00 am we put her down.
    We’ve had a bunch of adventures together, which I’ll be posting them on my blog over the next days and weeks. Click my ‘nym, and you can read the first two.

  134. 134.

    marv

    @lamh36: This cuts pretty deep for me. I was a professional baseball player in the ’70’s, couple months in the big leagues, maybe a thousand games in the minors, and they played the anthem before every one. I was reading native American history then, not uneducated at all but totally ignorant of that chapter until then, and I just could not raise my cap to my heart, as all the other ballplayers did. One great exception – the terrific catcher Ted Simmons, who used to call it “The Stand Up Song” and also kept his hand at his side. We just started doing that (the Anthem) doing wartime and never stopped. It is clearly a custom more honored in the breach than the observance. (And for God’s sake in the good old ’70’s we never had to go out and stand on the baseline for the stupid ritual. Everybody just hung out in the dugout.)

  136. 136.

    Belafon

    Your team is in Lexington where my oldest just started grad school. My wife’s alma mater, Arkansas State University, played SMU here in DFW.

  138. 138.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Yeah I did! Thanks for the suggestions! They should help a lot. One question I did have is what titles to look out for once I get caught up a little bit. You also mentioned the solo runs of different titles, like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Those are the three I would be most interested in.

    By the way, you don’t have to worry about recommendations for Marvel as much, as I’m more of a DC fan. However recs for Spiderman or Captain America would be appreciated.

    ST:
    Damn that really blows. Corporate bs strikes again. I don’t feel like shelling out money for a streaming service for only one show. That’s just going to kill it. Someone upthread called it the USS Platitude. Going off that alone it sounds like some watered-down corporate friendly version of Trek that doesn’t challenge the viewer.

  143. 143.

    ruemara

    @cain: One, go out. Go enjoy something happening around you. Join groups like on meetup or tinder or couchsurfing and yes, connect with Juicers in your area. I can attest that EVERYONE I’ve met has been a nice, fun individual with so much to say and lots of personality and some of them even let me hang in their homes and spoil their kids and cats. Do it. Congrats on the new job, you’re doing phenomenal and what you’re going through makes perfect sense. Hang in there and let yourself connect with this place.

    @Scamp Dog: I’m so sorry. It’s never a long enough time with our fourlegged friends.

    I’ve been ridiculously busy with work and since I passed my 1 year hire date without them firing me, I think I may have passed out of probation. I am now living with the guy I am definitely not dating and that’s going surprisingly well. We have an odd fit with each other. He’s only here until he’s ready to move to LA a few months, but so far he’s cleared the backyard, started setting up plants, and generally settled himself in. It’s been interesting.

  145. 145.

    J R in WV

    @cain:

    In case you are interested the company is system76

    Wow, what a small world. We ordered a laptop from them just about a month ago. A little expensive, but very high quality. The volume when watching TV is a little shaky, too high too low hard to control, but the picture quality is fabulous. Will buy another one soon.

    Ubuntu 16.04 LTE – very nice not to need to install Linux onto a Windows machine and hope everything works. I have one Acer laptop we could never get the wireless working, I’m using a long ethernet cable around the house.

  147. 147.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Timurid: Think somebody’s getting bad news about Jared?

    Donald J. Trump‏Verified account
    Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won’t be around much longer!

    bang up job, General Kelly

  148. 148.

    raven

    @marv: I played on a nutty softball team in Champaign Urbana and we had a guy named Don Collins play with us one year. He’d played in the minors for a while and was a hell of an athlete. He would NOT do the post game handshake, said he just couldn’t do it.

  153. 153.

    seaboogie

    @satby: also good to remember that this is one of the most melancholic times of year, especially if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I’m not afflicted by SAD, but these last few weeks have been a time when I just need to sit with the melancholy, knowing that it will eventually pass.

  154. 154.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Lalophobia:

    […]
    The government did not say who was behind the hacking attempts or provide details about what had been sought. But election officials in several states said the attempts were linked to Russia.

    The Wisconsin Election Commission, for example, said the state’s systems were targeted by “Russian government cyber actors.” Alaska Elections Division Director Josie Bahnke said computers in Russia were scanning election systems looking for vulnerabilities.

    A spokeswoman for Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, the president of National Association of Secretaries of State, said Lawson requested a list of the states where there were hacking efforts. In most cases, states said they were told the systems were not breached.

    Federal officials said that in most of the 21 states the targeting was preparatory activity such as scanning computer systems.

    The targets included voter registration systems but not vote tallying software. Officials said there were some attempts to compromise networks but most were unsuccessful.

    Only Illinois reported that hackers had succeeded in breaching its voter systems.

    Other states said their cybersecurity efforts turned back efforts to get to crucial information.

    “There are constant attempts by bad actors to hack our systems,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, said in a statement. “But we continue to deflect those attempts.”

    Colorado said the hacking wasn’t quite a breach.

    “It’s really reconnaissance by a bad guy to try and figure out how we would break into your computer,” said Trevor Timmons, a spokesman for the Colorado secretary of state’s office. “It’s not an attack. I wouldn’t call it a probe. It’s not a breach, it’s not a penetration.”

    Earlier this year, a leaked National Security Agency report detailed that hackers obtained information from a company that provided software to manage voter registrations in eight states. The May report said hackers sent phishing emails to 122 local election officials just before the November 2016 election in an attempt to break into their systems.

    The latest disclosure to the states comes as a special counsel investigates whether there was any coordination during the 2016 presidential campaign between Russia and associates of Donald Trump.

    Trump, a Republican who defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, has called the Russia story a hoax. He says Russian President Vladimir Putin “vehemently denied” the conclusions of numerous American intelligence agencies.

    For states that were told they were not targets, the news brought relief.

    “This is one time we like being at the bottom of the list,” said Lisa Strimple, a spokeswoman for Nebraska’s secretary of state.

    But what happens when you’re not successful? And what happens when bad actors do more than just “recon”? Obviously it’s trying to find weak spots for future mischief, like next year or 2020. What if Trump makes it to 2020, only to win once again by the EC?

  157. 157.

    Adam L Silverman

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Actually Clapper made it clear what happened:

    And:

  158. 158.

    efgoldman

    @Mike in NC:

    pretty damn good odds that Fat Bastard will decide to nuke North Korea as a Thanksgiving present

    I’m pretty sure the military guys have told him, repeatedly, that a war on the Korean peninsula would cost several million lives, including most of the American military and civilians on the ground.
    I’m also sure that, in his single-minded idiocy, that fact will not penetrate nor have any consequences to him. He’s wrong, but….

  159. 159.

    marv

    @raven: Well, that’s pretty cool. There was a code, if you know what I mean, and the reason it was so great is everyone had to figure out for themselves just what it meant.

  160. 160.

    lgerard

    @Adam L Silverman:

    A detailed CIA psychological profile of Kim, who is in his early 30s and took power in late 2011, assesses that Kim has a massive ego and reacts harshly and sometimes lethally to insults and perceived slights.

    Sound like anyone we know?

  161. 161.

    J R in WV

    @JCJ:

    I’m glad you tried it and liked it. I fool around with the recipe, different spices that I expect weren’t available in 1900 in Pennsylvania, where it came from. It’s out of my great-grandparents in Pennsy-Dutch country, one of my Great Aunts sent to her new sister-in-law, my Grandma Grace, when she married my Grandpa Bill. So he could have some home cooking in a new place in wild West Virginia.

    Some brandy on top helps, or Mace with the Cinnamon. But the original recipe is really good.

    Thanks for letting me know you tried it, and liked it. Best way to use fresh peaches in my book, bar none.

  166. 166.

    J R in WV

    @Scamp Dog:

    I’m so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you tried hard, and did the best thing in the end. It’s always hard to do that last important thing for the furry kids we love. Very hard. Hang in there.

  167. 167.

    Feathers

    Cain – you said you were interested in quilting, but what about knitting? There is actually a knitting social scene. One of the things that can help me when the depression comes nipping is to get out to knitting groups. You don’t even have to really talk, just work on your project and be polite. But it does get you out and with people you share a common interest with. On Ravelry, the knitter/crocheters Facebook, you can search for knitting groups by zip code. I checked Rav and there is an LSG Colorado board, LSG – Lazy, Stupid, and Godless, being probably the closest BJ equivalent there.

    But various art classes can also help with meeting people. I find that doing something really helps break the ice. And there is something about creating a tangible object that really does help.

  169. 169.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @lgerard:
    Kim’s what Trump wishes he could be
    @Omnes Omnibus:
    That’s just WI. No evidence yet of direct vote tampering but there could be in the future. This time around they were looking for vulnerabilities. They’ll probably be back in the future. Belgium was smart for switching back to paper ballots. I wish Americans were that smart.

  170. 170.

    Aleta

    @cain: A woman I know, a poet who teaches in Boulder, opened with other artists and her husband a bookstore/performance space/music/maybe coffee shop etc in Denver called Counterpath. A nonprofit. Supposed to be dedicated to forming community. Quite a few things take place there, something every week. Some of it might be interesting, like the dance perfs. Can’t say about the rest. Some of their choices might be weird.

  176. 176.

    Adam L Silverman

    @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I have no idea. I don’t recall any specifics about it in the unclassified report that Clapper released after the election. And I’m not going to look now. That said, if the overall conclusion was classified, Clapper just declassified it. And if that’s the case it should tell you just how concerned about all this he is.

  177. 177.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I don’t know much about the technical side of things but how hard could it be for a nation state to pull it off? To hack into the central database or wherever they keep the vote tallies for each state or county system and change them just enough so their chosen candiate wins?

  179. 179.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I never said anything about you or the job you did during those years. I’m talking about this potentially happening in the future. I’m just worried is all.

  183. 183.

    Ruckus

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    What if the goal is not to actually hack all the voting systems?
    What if the goal is to look like they are attempting to hack strong systems and create doubt?
    Hack some easy systems in a way that doesn’t attract too much attention and just fuck with systems that are reasonably not hackable.
    Remember who runs Russia and what he did before this. I’ve written here before that the USSR used to have ships follow us around when we were in the north Atlantic. They’d stay about 1/4- 1/2 mile or so off to one side and just back of our stern, but every so often they’d pull along side, staying about the same distance away. There really was little to no military value in this but that wasn’t what it was for. They were fucking with us, keeping us from turning too quickly in one direction and they’d do it for days. They would disappear when we refueled at sea, too much danger to them if something went wrong because one ship would have to turn away. All they needed was one captain to be an idiot and while most were OK there were some that freaked out rather easily. This can be the same thing, fuck with us and cause enough freak outs and all of a sudden our votes don’t matter. They don’t have to actually do anything but fuck with us for this. And they are good at that.

  184. 184.

    burnspbesq

    Duke is undefeated and Florida State is winless.

    Oumar Niasse scored three goals for Everton this week.

    Alabama Republicans somehow found not one but two creepy old white guys to run for Sessions’ old Senate seat.

    Truly this is a strange world in which we live.

  186. 186.

    Doug R

    @NotMax: The movie, which Netflix is sending in 1080 using about 7mps, which considering they send 4k at 15mps is very detailed. Closeup of Will Ferrell’s and t Rex’s faces looks great.

  189. 189.

    dp

    Betty, my Bayou Bengals are going to play your Gators in a few weeks, and I’m afraid it may be a case of resistable forces meeting movable objects. Whatever bragging rights the victors get likely won’t be worth much!

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