Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

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

Battle won, war still ongoing.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

The willow is too close to the house.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

In my day, never was longer.

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

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

Republicans don’t trust women.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

You are here: Home / 2017 / Archives for December 2017

Archives for December 2017

Xmas Evening Open Thread

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From irrepressible commentor OldGold:

How is Christmas like an ordinary day at the office?

You do all the work and a fat guy in a bad suit gets all the credit.

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The snowplow guy, bless him, showed up (we didn’t expect him!) to remove the ice barricade at the end of the driveway, and the Spousal Unit is using his new electric snowblower on the walk. After getting a (surprisingly nice!) Frasier fir yesterday, we decided to wait to decorate it until after this evening’s traditional meal at our favorite Chinese restaurant. So I’m good for the evening…

Hope y’all are equally pleased with your Juul choices, whatever those might be!

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Quiet Christmas Open Thread

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Pretty tired today and plan to emulate the Beast as much as I can. I am planning on cooking a standing rib roast and sides (recipe here) later today.

 

What are you up to today? Family, friends….stress? Here’s a good place to connect if you need a break or support.

Open thread.

P.S. Last night I received a six week picture of Scout – you can click over here to see it.  Yes, I’m terrible, because I’m enjoying these “puppy reveals”.

 

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On the Road and In Your Backyard: Movies

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Good Morning All,

Merry Christmas to all, or just “have a great day/night”. I’m 46 and it’s been amazing to me watching how Christmas as celebrated in North America, England, and continental Europe has infiltrated non-Christian countries. In Japan, they eat fried chicken – thank you Col. Sanders – and I’ve seen great non-Christian celebrations in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Really, they celebrate gift-giving, lights, good food, friends and family, in a civic festival context. This is good – there’s a certain non-religious aspect of Christmas that is truly the reason for the season for so many, captured well during an opening to a Christmas Doctor Who special a few years back (“well done, you can make it through the dark, etc.”). Which reminds me – are you as pumped for the female Doctor’s debut? I wish my mother had lived to see it, for she watched the original broadcasts in London when she was young, and remained a lifelong fan. Like so many things, I owe my love of something amazing to her having blazed a path.

So I wish you all some joy and happiness to you and yours on this Christmas day, and may the rest of this year be merry.

With that, I will not be sharing pictures today, but two offbeat movie recommendations. The first one’s a fun Finnish Christmas movie, so long as you don’t mind seeing lots – and I mean LOTS – of naked old men with saggy balls. Don’t let that turn you off – this is a really great movie.

The next one isn’t a Christmas movie – really anti-Christian in a way – yet it’s a similar modern European exploration of myths and legends set in winter mountains. I find this kind of exploration of myth and legend so completely fulfilling, like great reinventions of ghost stories. I’d recommend seeing them with English subtitles, especially with Trollhunter – Norwegian just sounds so nice to the ear.

Bonus:

Very silly vampire movie, with more instances of the word “fuck” than any movie known. If you need to bust a stitch laughing your ass off and don’t mind profanity, this is a great escape. Enjoy!

 

And with that, Merry Christmas to all. I’ll have pictures and more normal content tomorrow!

To submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email

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Monday Morning Open Thread: Merry Xmas (If You Can)

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How’s the Official USA Yule Holiday treating you, o Balloon-Juice jackals?

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Late Night Open Thread: Musical Interlude

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(My favorite Christmas carol, and one written by a Jewish composer. The grocery where Guilherme Assunção currently works is not quite close enough that we shop there, but given the number of small venues around here, I’m hoping to see him on a larger stage someday.)

I’m guessing there are still West Coast jackals wrapping last-minute gifts / finishing the meal prep / waiting for the travel-delayed relatives to show up. Not to mention those in more distant climes, now cleaning up after the big celebration (possibly nursing sunburns to go with the incipient hangovers.

Merry Whatever-Year-End-Celebration, y’all!

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Merry Christmas Eve

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I bought Dom, Taylor, and Brienne (Gerald’s kids) an Xbox one, and they have their Christmas tonight and called and they are over the moon. Gerald and his wife (they’re the ones who got married in my dad’s back yard) bought them a bunch of games, so it worked out real well. They’re super good kids, and I don’t really have anyone for whom to buy gifts, so this was nice.

Currently watching my own personal vikings marathon and am going to have some homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh pineapple chunks because I forgot to buy strawberries but they suck this time of year anyway and this pineapple is super ripe. My town is super quiet, my parents and family are in South Carolina at my parents winter rental, and we are supposed to get snow tonight, so things are looking pretty solid.

And before you ask, there are two reasons I do not go to the beach with my family. The first is logistics- I would rather low crawl through manure than drive 12 hours with three dogs to go to a small beach cottage with my family and my sister’s dogs, my brother’s dogs, and my parents dogs. Plus I know their internet will be shitty.

The second is principle- for 20+ years with the exception of when I was overseas in the military or working retail and volunteered to work doubles so the folks with kids could take off, I had to drive my ass to Bethany for every god damned Christmas. Then I move 100 yards down the street from my parents, and the assholes move Christmas three states away. I can take a hint.

Finally, I talked to GeG tonight, and I demanded Lovey pictures:

I think that pudgy little girl is my spirit beast.

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