Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

With all due respect and assumptions of good faith, please fuck off into the sun.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

The only way through is to slog through the muck one step at at time.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

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

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

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

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

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

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

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Afternoon Open Thread & Writing Group Update

Afternoon Open Thread & Writing Group Update

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This post is in: 

Looks like we could use an open thread. I’m also going to post a holiday cookie recipes post tonight. Plus there might be a super secret reveal.

There will be the last writing group chat of the year on Sunday.  Same chat time, same chat place.

The photo above was from looking at lights last night. Started with walking Bixby through city park and watching hockey practice at the ice rink. Bixby was convince he could stop that puck and the players were willing to let him try (I nixed that idea).  But I might go ice skating with friends on Saturday night.

What are you up to today? Open thread.

Reader Interactions

126Comments

  2. 2.

    raven

    I’m obsessing over ticket delivery! I have 6 Rose Parade tix in the hopper, two I bought and four I’ve sold. UPS just informed me that the tickets I’m going to use have made it to Atlanta and are “out for delivery”. The four I sold have yet to be shipped from Pasadena but I have some time until I have to ship them back out. Finally the ticket office for UGA said the game ticket would be mailed the 13th so I’m hoping they come today too!

  3. 3.

    ruemara

    I have about 20 days to finish my script for Writers on the Verge at NBC. It needs 2 songs and to wrap up the overall episodes. I wrote a Steven Universe 2 parter because I’m so fucking extra. I just hope I’m not making an utter fool of myself. And I need to review my most recent short and see if I have the scratch for submitting for another short script contest.

    I made a mess of cookies that need to be boxed up and shipped. Plus a few more recipes need to be made. This week and last week have run into each other as long ass weeks. this year’s cookies are white chocolate ginger and double chocolate peppermint.

  4. 4.

    Major Major Major Major

    I’m almost ready to start on my urban fantasy noir about an actuary who is also a wizard. I wrote the last chapter a year ago but decided to devote my attention to finishing my other book rather than working in parallel. Now that I’m going to be in editing mode on the latter, I can get to work on the former! There’s also a few overlapping characters, as I work in a Pratchett-esque fashion, so it was good to have the first one done first.

    I needed to do more occult research anyway, which is also something my webcomic has been helpful for.

  12. 12.

    cope

    We’re prepping for a visit from our daughter and grandkids tomorrow. Homemade meatballs? Check. From scratch Asian salad dressing? Check. Ingredients for garlic bread and Asian salad? Check. Lemon poppy seed bread finished? Check.

    Tonight, I will be assistant coaching the high school boys team from the school from which I retired. We are currently undefeated and after making the final four last season, have a realistic shot at going all the way.

    See, raven, it is an open thread.

  13. 13.

    MikeS

    For the OT people: There are several lawsuits in Pennsylvania right now against our Gerrymandered Congressional map. (I live in the PA 7th district which is referred to as the district which looks like “Goofy kicking Donald Duck”) Several Citizens are suing the Republican State Legislative leaders who drew the map. To speed things up a Judge is holding a trial for fact finding, but he won’t render a decision, he will hand it over to the State Supreme Court to render a decision about whether or not to throw out the map and create a new fairer map in time for the 2018 election. You can read about how the trial is going here with the daily updates. Yesterday’s “rebuttal witness for the republicans sounds rather snotty and incompetent. She didn’t “do the work” required of an expert witness!

  14. 14.

    gene108

    @raven:

    Good thing you apologized, you know, if you post off topic, you’ll probably get ban hammered…this blog is very, very strict on such things…

  15. 15.

    Steeplejack

    @Cacti:

    State Senator Richard Ojeda (D-WV) says what Dems really need to do is keep chasing the rural white vote.

    To be fair, that’s pretty much all he’s got in West Virginia. But, yeah, maybe he shouldn’t be giving that same advice to everyone else.

  16. 16.

    The Moar You Know

    State Senator Richard Ojeda (D-WV) says what Dems really need to do is keep chasing the rural white vote.

    @Cacti: He’s correct as far as his state goes, as that’s all they have.

    In California, by way of example, you’d want a different approach.

  17. 17.

    Cacti

    @Cacti: He’s correct as far as his state goes, as that’s all they have.

    In California, by way of example, you’d want a different approach.

    When your only tool is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail.

  19. 19.

    TenguPhule

    Donald Trump laced into FBI leadership today, while proclaiming his loyalty and support for law enforcement in an address at the agency’s training academy.

    “It’s a shame what’s happened” with the FBI, the president said as he left the White House for a speech at the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia. He called the agency’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email investigation “really disgraceful” and told reporters “we’re going to rebuild the FBI.”

    Shortly afterward, Trump lavished praise on graduates of a weeks-long FBI National Academy program and their families, touting their accomplishments and pledging his unwavering support. Trump told law enforcement leaders he is “more loyal than anyone else could be” to police.

    “Anti-police sentiment is wrong and it’s dangerous,” he added. “Anyone who kills a police officer should get the death penalty.”

    Smells like good old fashioned fascism.

  21. 21.

    Steeplejack

    My agenda for the day has cratered. I had been planning to go out to the deli to get a gigantic pastrami sandwich, which I’ve been jonesin’ for all week, but it’s cold and gray outside, and I remembered that the deli is in an area where the afternoon rush hour on Fridays seems to start about noon. Curse you, lazy bureaucrats and defense contractors! And, just when I was about to push myself over the edge and go out anyway, I noticed that some icy flecks of snow are starting to accumulate on car windshields down on the street. So that’s it: I’m staying inside, having lesser (but still good) food for lunch, possibly looking at a bit of a siesta later.

    I do need to call a friend at some point and give her design feedback on some book pages she sent.

  23. 23.

    Yutsano

    @TenguPhule: Okay yeah that’s just gross.

    Slight more on subject: what are the odds of getting a cookie recipe thread? I’m moving into my new apartment this weekend and need to do a test run.

  24. 24.

    Janet Strange

    Using the open thread to update my email. I haven’t commented in so long I have no idea what email I used when I signed up. It might be useful to have one that works some time.

  26. 26.

    Spanky

    @Yutsano: Didn’t read the OP?

    Looks like we could use an open thread. I’m also going to post a holiday cookie recipes post tonight. Plus there might be a super secret reveal.

  27. 27.

    Ohio Mom

    Today is half catch-up, half fall in a heap: put a load of laundry in, lie down on bed; make lunch, lie down in bed. Pretty soon I pick Ohio Son up from school and take him to his psychologist. I predict I’ll be in my pjs by seven.

    Yesterday was Ohio Dad’s first full day home from the hospital. My sister, who had been in charge of carting Ohio Son to his activities while I kept OD company in the ICU, went back to Michigan.

    It’s nice and peaceful here now but all the stress of the last couple of weeks has caught up with me. I’m looking forward to not doing anything for a couple of days.

  28. 28.

    Spanky

    @Spanky: Also too ….

    Looks like we could use an open thread. I’m also going to post a holiday cookie recipes post tonight. Plus there might be a super secret reveal.

    I’ve got my suspicions that there will be sqweeing.

  32. 32.

    Brachiator

    @Cacti:

    State Senator Richard Ojeda (D-WV) says what Dems really need to do is keep chasing the rural white vote.

    Worked for John Kennedy in W Va in 1960.

  33. 33.

    Humboldtblue

    @Cacti:

    He’s in Logan County, WV. He can’t NOT represent lower middle class white people, they make up 96% of the population. And he’s using a lack of health care, mental health care and addiction services along with gross income inequality as major planks in his platform. That cleaves pretty close to the national Democratic message.

    Logan County, WV — The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 2.1% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population.

    And if you’re in California, Covered California enrollment has been extended a week to next Friday, the 22nd.

  34. 34.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    My agenda for the day has cratered. I had been planning to go out to the deli to get a gigantic pastrami sandwich, which I’ve been jonesin’ for all week, but it’s cold and gray outside, and I remembered that the deli is in an area where the afternoon rush hour on Fridays seems to start about noon.

    I’m in Southern California, and it’s a nice day. I haven’t had pastrami in a while. I’m having ramen today, but I will have a pastrami sandwich tomorrow and dedicate it to you.

  38. 38.

    Chyron HR

    @Cacti:

    democrats-stop-blaming-voters-and-do-some-soul-searching

    One of the great reliefs of Virginia and Alabama is that voters seem to be becoming aware of the plain and simple fact that they are the ONLY ones who are responsible for the outcome of elections.

  44. 44.

    Noah Brand

    So, here’s a question.

    It is fair to say that the Trump Organization behaves as though it has no money, period. It pays its bills late when it pays them at all, it’s got more bankruptcies than an entire trailer park full of its fans, and it avoids all questions about how much actual money it has. So it’s safe to assume the answer is none. No money.

    We also know that the Trump Organization has been shuffling as much government money as possible into its own pockets, via overcharging the Republican Party, the Secret Service, and other groups that can’t say no, for the use of its facilities.

    So my question is where that money is going. The amounts involved aren’t nearly as huge most government theft; we’re talking high six, low seven figures. New York asshole grifter money, in other words. Is it just covering the bills they can’t avoid paying? Is it all being blown on gold-plating things? How much of it is paying the vig on their loans from the Russian mob? Has anyone done a decent analysis on this?

  45. 45.

    jacy

    I’m working on a new art project that is going to lend itself to a children’s book. I’m in negotiation with an artist for some supplemental design work — and she’s in Moscow. So clearly we DO have penetration at all levels.

  47. 47.

    eclare

    @Noah Brand: My theory for a while is that although Trump does have some real estate assets, he is cash poor, which is why almost all of his deals now just involve licensing his name. No cash up front, steady payments to him throughout. But no one has been able to do any analysis because no tax returns and not a public company.

  50. 50.

    SenyorDave

    My congressman is Elijah Cummings. I live in a gerrymandered (the geography is ridiculous) majority black district that consists of two groups: relatively poor inner-city minorities and upper middle class suburban whites and Asians. Ojeda’s message makes sense for WV but doesn’t work for my area, or most of the country.

    I do think that the Democratic party has an opportunity to change some minds, but it needs to be identified as the party that will protect SS and Medicare, and remind people how the Republicans lower taxes for rich people and then look to cut those two programs.

    Trump does present an historic opportunity because of his unpopularity.

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne

    How would the other writers feel about doing discussions about or recommendations of craft books? I’m in craft book reading mode while I let my rough draft percolate in the back of my brain.

    Today is our big office potluck, which is always a huge deal. We call it a “potluck,” but really we all pitch in $10 and get lunch delivered, because the GEC still says our boss is not to spend company money on lunch for office parties. And yet somehow buying decorations for them flies under the radar … ?

  52. 52.

    Steeplejack

    @Brachiator:

    Thank you in advance for thinking of me! Grilled rye, melted provolone, Russian dressing, maybe a touch of slaw, please.

    The deli—Celebrity Delly [sic]—is one of my food finds of the last year. I realized that there were foods that I was frequently pining for but not having, and then it hit me: I could use the awesome power of the Intertubes to hunt down good places. Duh! Celebrity is mildly inconvenient to get to (in a busy shopping center off a busy road), but it’s worth the effort. Friday and snow were the deciding factors today.

  53. 53.

    RobertDSC-Mac Mini

    @Cacti:

    The Representative is missing two key things, the first of which I think gets overlooked in discussions about Appalachia and other rural places.

    No one has an inalienable right to mine coal. Just because their ancestors did it going back generations doesn’t mean it should be protected in perpetuity. Their entitlement for wanting coal mining jobs because “that’s what my dad and grandpop did” is pure bunk.

    The other thing is what is the Representative doing to bring other industry to his district? Come up with ideas on how to get other businesses established in his district? Bring government services and facilities there? Stop catering to the mine owners and miners. Do something else.

  54. 54.

    Jeffro

    My glorious 3-day streak of pho for lunch came to an end today, and I also can’t seem to quit listening to Smithereens albums (although another hour or two should do it).

    However, in good news, Joe Hill’s latest is a really good read. 4 short novels called “Strange Weather“. (Hey with four very weird, very different short novels and a weather theme, you could almost say they were about…Different Seasons).

    Almost done with ‘Apt Pu…’ er, excuse me, ‘Loaded’. What great characters – check it out!

  56. 56.

    satby

    Reposting from dead thread below because we need all the good news we can get these days:
    In happy kitty news Smokey Joe, the cat I was called to rescue as a starving, frightened kitten from a disgustingly filthy hoarder house where he was abandoned 6 months ago has found his forever home and new family! He was adopted last night, and they sent me a picture of him already stretched out on a bed getting scritches.
    That’s what keeps us going.

  65. 65.

    satby

    @rikyrah: hooray! One of those is mine for the loan I took out for my kid at Wyotech, based on the fraudulent promises they made that made the Dpt.of Ed shut them down.

  67. 67.

    satby

    @rikyrah: yeah, this:

    One of those investigations in 2015, a collaboration between California authorities and the Obama administration, found that Corinthian widely misrepresented job placement rates for graduates of its Everest and WyoTech schools. As a result, the department agreed to expedite loan discharges for students who attended those schools, a slow-going process that started to make headway at the end of the Obama administration. But not a single claim has been approved since Trump came into office.

    I applied almost two years ago.

  68. 68.

    opiejeanne

    Tamara, on the Seattle meet-up thread you mentioned that you’d met us but I can’t for the life of me remember meeting you. Did you come to a meet up in Seattle back when Obama was in office?

  72. 72.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @raven:

    Oops, sorry, I thought it was an open thread.

    It’s both titled and tagged “Open Thread.” You’re fine.

    Anyhow, Rose Bowl tickets are a BFD — even I know that! — and we all want to know when they will arrive.

  73. 73.

    Lyrebird

    @ruemara:

    I just hope I’m not making an utter fool of myself.

    If you are, it’s for all the right reasons, so GO RUE!

    BTW a million years (make that weeks) ago, you posted a link to an excerpt of your writing. I found it very vivid and interesting even if I didn’t completely understand. So, see message in previous paragraph.

  74. 74.

    Yutsano

    @Mnemosyne:

    rugelach

    Okay that just made the list for a cookie to make in new place! Was aiming for some shortbread and possibly something truly sugar cookie related. But it’s open right now.

    @Major Major Major Major:

    there are Christmas cookies up in the kitchen

    Rugelach are technically Hanukkah cookies so…

  75. 75.

    StringOnAStick

    I’m home monitoring our two kittens today after they got their second set of shots (age:12 weeks) and de-worming. The blood test today shows no feline HIV, so that’s excellent since the were rescued orphan barn kittens, and they’ve already forgotten that I’m the one who stuck them in the carrier and took them to the vet for the first time ever (the lady who rescued them at 2 weeks old had already done the 8 weeks vaccines and de-worming #1).

    I am seriously tempted to go get a Vietnamese noodle bowl. It’s a bit of a way to get there but the weather isn’t bad and is about to turn that way, probably for the rest of the winter. Denver has had basically no winter so far. If it hadn’t snowed yesterday then Tuesday would have broken the record of over 63 days straight of no snow. If the kittens look good then I think I need to go for it so I can scratch this food itch.

  78. 78.

    Mnemosyne

    @ruemara:

    I just hope I’m not making an utter fool of myself.

    Just make sure there isn’t a page limit. If you submit something that’s twice as long as they specified, they will disqualify you. If necessary, only submit the first part and leave them dangling.

  79. 79.

    Mnemosyne

    @Lyrebird:

    We should do both: writing craft books for the writers thread and regular craft books for a regular thread. ? I know we have a lot of crafters here (mostly knitters/crocheters, but donnah does beautiful art rugs).

  81. 81.

    d58826

    What a relief. Little Mario is going to vote for the ‘steal from the poor to give to the rich’ tax bill. Given some of the squeaking noises he was making I was afraid that he had started to grow an embryonic backbone. But fortunately he is back to his good old spineless empty suit self.

  82. 82.

    Fair Economist

    @Cacti:

    State Senator Richard Ojeda (D-WV) says what Dems really need to do is keep chasing the rural white vote.

    Well, in West Virginia they really do, because WV doesn’t have enough of the urban or ethnic voters that won in AL. It’s 93% white, and the largest city has only 51,000 people.

    Different places call for different tactics.

  86. 86.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @Cacti:

    Yes, Ojeda should really concentrate on GOTV efforts for the black vote in WV’s 3rd congressional district.

    And you probably think HE is stupid.

  91. 91.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    @gene108:

    Yeah, it sucks. But she got very good treatment in the current film. When I thought [plot detail redacted]. I’m not sure, how they will shoe horn her into Ep. 9.

    Come on, dude. It’s reasonable to expect that the vast majority of people haven’t seen the movie yet – it opened yesterday! – and just dropping a spoiler into an open thread like this is really shitty.

  96. 96.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    @Mnemosyne:

    I sent G a photo of my Breakfast of Champions a couple of days ago: half of an IKEA cinnamon roll, two rugelach, and two pieces of Sees Candy.

    YUM! The only thing missing from that breakfast is the other half of the cinnamon roll.

  98. 98.

    Jeffro

    @Steeplejack: @Steeplejack:

    I whipped up a nice 21-song “best of” mix last night that includes the Smithereens’ covers of “The Seeker”, “Pinball Wizard”, and “Lust for Life”. (Plus, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” just because it’s almost Christmas.)

    The whole thing wraps up with “Especially For You”, a perfect ending with that saxophone fading out. Ah well…

  100. 100.

    rikyrah

    NONE DARE CALL IT COLLUSION

    ……………………….

    We know that Russian spies approached the Trump campaign offering assistance in the election multiple times. At least twice, Russians dangled the lure of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, including stolen emails, and both times, Trump campaign officials (George Papadopoulos and Donald Trump, Jr.) expressed interest. Trump, Jr. was particularly enthusiastic about the idea of cooperating with the Russians, and shortly after he welcomed Russian spies to Trump tower for a meeting about “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, he coordinated messaging with Wikileaks, which operated last summer and fall as a cutout for Russian hackers.

    After repeatedly communicating to Russia (in public and in private) that they welcomed interference in the election, Trump and his aides cast public doubt on whether the saboteurs were Russians at all. When Trump went on to win the election after benefiting from this interference, members of his inner circle, through Michael Flynn, secretly connived with Russia to subvert the countermeasures the American government had undertaken as penalties for Russia’s interference.

  104. 104.

    germy

    House Ethics Committee to investigate sex harassment allegations

    USA TODAY-1 hour ago

    WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into first-term Rep. Ruben Kihuen following accusations the Nevada Democrat sexually harassed a campaign staffer during last year’s run for Congress.

  106. 106.

    gene108

    @Comrade Colette Collaboratrice:

    I am trying to avoid spoilers. I am not sure how I ruined the film for you. Sorry, if I did.

    Edit: The characters in Star Wars movies are risking their lives and therefore there will be cases, when they have death defying scenes in movies. That is what I was thinking, with regards to my comment and why I thought it was very general and not giving away anything.

  112. 112.

    WaterGirl

    @Mike J: Where did you see that?

    edit: I just went to What’s 4 Dinner to see if that’s how. Squee!

    edit 2: oh my god, beyond adorable!

  116. 116.

    TenguPhule

    @d58826: So all of them are due to go up against the wall when the revolution comes.

    Makes the accounting easier, at least.

  117. 117.

    PaulWartenberg

    @d58826:

    So we’re basically screwed. The GOP will vote for an odious tax cut bill that a majority of Americans DO NOT WANT, and we’re going to pay for it for the next ten generations unless we vote the bastards out in 2018.

  119. 119.

    d58826

    @PaulWartenberg: Have to vote them out in 2018 and 2020 at both ends of PA. Ave. And in the Senate need 60 vote majority. Tough hill to climb so we are probably screwed.

  125. 125.

    Cacti

    @Amaranthine RBG:

    Yes, Ojeda should really concentrate on GOTV efforts for the black vote in WV’s 3rd congressional district.

    And you probably think HE is stupid.

    Yes, HE is stupid.

    HE needs rural white voters, ergo ALL Dems need rural white voters. And to make his point, he uses Doug Jones.

    That’s really fucking stupid. Like Amaranthine RBG – level, Bernie Sanders underwear sniffing stupid.

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