Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

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

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Bark louder, little dog.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

He really is that stupid.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

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

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Nature / Duck, Duck, GOOSE (Open Thread)

Duck, Duck, GOOSE (Open Thread)

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A sad but inspiring tale about a goose in New Zealand:

Blind, bisexual and polyamorous goose involved in love triangle dies, aged 40

A blind bisexual goose named Thomas has died in New Zealand at the age of 40. He spent six years in a love triangle with two swans and helped raise their dozens of babies.

Years ago, Thomas segregated himself from other geese and instead chose a black male swan named Henry as his life-long mate for 24 years.

When Henry fell in love with another swan, Henrietta, Thomas stayed with the pair and helped raise their cygnets up until Henry died in 2009.

Sounds like a very understanding goose. He was reportedly buried next to his soul mate, Henry. Rest in peace, Thomas the Goose.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

257Comments

  6. 6.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Those kinds of relationships are UNNATURAL!!!! Those geese should have been sent to a Christian camp where they would have PRAYED THE GAY AWAY!!!

  9. 9.

    germy

    On TV and the movies, people never power down their laptops. They just slam them shut.

    And people never end phone conversations by saying “OK, goodbye.”

    Whenever a movie or TV show tries to portray people in the 1930s and ’40s (when men wore hats) the hats never fit right. They’re always too big.

    Everyone in the movies (now matter what their job is or how much they earn) lives in a charming Arts & Crafts home with dark woodwork in a gorgeous, tree-lined, walkable neighborhood, or if they live in an apartment it’s a spacious brownstone in a spotless city. No raised ranches or tiny studios.

  11. 11.

    Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)

    @schrodingers_cat: I seriously can’t take this in. This is business. It’s work. Apart from any moral outrage or personal relationships, if an employee can’t meet the standards of a workplace, you have to let them go. Workplaces have procedures and rules to guide you when things are hard. If they like Porter (or any of the apparently multiple others) so much, meet in a bar after work.

  15. 15.

    HAL

    Watching the Sunday morning cooking shows and I think out of a 20 minute show you get maybe 12 minutes of cooking and the rest is their kids, spouses, friends, gardeners doing fuck all to do with cooking.

    “Earlier in the day I made an 8 layer triple chocolate cake. Go to foodnetwork.com for the recipe. Now, while I cook this lasagna, let me show you the paper mache hearts the kids are making for Valentine’s day.” Argh!

  18. 18.

    germy

    We watched a PBS marathon of Africa’s Great Civilizations. Wife ordered the DVD.

    Henry Louis Gates Jr. really gets around.

  21. 21.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    I hope so. Charles P. Pierce brings the cynicism:

    The DACA beneficiaries are still out in the cold, their fates hanging on a promise from Mitch McConnell. (N.B.: McConnell’s promise was premised on the government’s staying open. Technically, of course, it didn’t, and McConnell is quite the weasel. If he wanted an out, he’s got one.)

  23. 23.

    Kay

    @germy:

    Everyone in the movies (now matter what their job is or how much they earn)

    My daughter and I laugh about this. They also have jobs like “own a bakery” or “own a dress shop” yet they never go to work- instead they have a quirky, funny incredibly loyal and wise assistant who is always at work when they drop in.

    We feel they are misrepresenting small business and also exploiting their assistants :)

  28. 28.

    Magda in Black

    @HAL:
    I’ve reached that point with (some) food blogs, too. 87 pictures of how great it looks, 13 paragraphs of how you “feel” and your nostalgia…….
    Get to the damned recipe ! ☺️

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    @Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): It makes me crazy. It seems like a “interim” security clearance should have an expiration date by which you either get clearance or you don’t get to stay on the job.

    If anyone can get interim clearance, and interim clearance can effectively last forever, then we really don’t have any security clearance at all.

    After typing that I decided to google for the technical term for interim security clearance. This came up:

    Both Porter and Kushner have apparently had this interim clearance for a year, though Moss said, “the interim clearance really isn’t supposed to last longer than somewhere between 90 and 180 days. The agency is supposed to have rendered a decision at that point one way or the other as to whether or not to grant a clearance.”

    bolding is mine. The rules just don’t apply to these guys. Must be nice. Assuming you don’t have a conscience, I guess.

  35. 35.

    germy

    @Kay: I always felt like people in Hollywood (Woody Allen is an example of this) who have never had actual… jobs… have weird, childlike ideas of what earning a living outside of show business is like.

    Woody started writing jokes as a teenager and has never worked a day outside of comedy.

  39. 39.

    Brachiator

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    This is fun. Humans have been ingenious for a long time.

    Oh, very cool. If I am following the Twitter thread correctly, this was discovered in 1868. In any case, stuff like this should be included in children’s science texts. It makes science seem less dry and connects ancient times to contemporary life.

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    @schrodingers_cat: This whole linking of Dreamers to Immigration reform is bullshit. We had protections for Dreamers until Trump blew it up. I think that by agreeing to link the conversations we are already letting Trump win.

  42. 42.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: Can they be saved and at what cost? If T gets even a fraction of what he wants regarding legal immigration that would be a red light to all immigrants that you are own your own and at the mercy of this Nazi regime.

  47. 47.

    WaterGirl

    @Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): Well, most everything seems kind of futile right now, but we can’t let that stop us. The one thing that doesn’t seem futile are the special elections we are winning.

    The republicans never stop fighting or scheming, whether they are in power or out of power. They are evil and they don’t have ethics and they don’t have morals and they don’t appear to see all people as actual human beings, but I’ll give them this: they have stamina.

  48. 48.

    schrodingers_cat

    @WaterGirl: They are probably not Dreamers, but not “criminals” that we need to be saved from either. Another man who has been here since he was 1 1/2 years old is being deported he has a child with leukemia who is 5.

  50. 50.

    debbie

    @Baud:

    Am I not paying attention or has Miller been quiet lately?

    Meanwhile, his soulmate (Richard Spencer) is suing Kent State because they won’t let him speak there on the anniversary of the Kent State shootings. I can’t believe he thought he’d get approval, but this is just about as tasteless as he’s ever been. Though everything he does is pretty much tasteless.

  57. 57.

    WaterGirl

    On a lighter note, my niece just texted and I am getting the pups a day early. I am at the same time excited and wondering if I should have my head examined.

  62. 62.

    Brachiator

    @Baud:

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I don’t think comprehensive immigration reform will pass this time either. The key issue is saving the Dreamers.

    Yep. Trump claimed that he undid Obama’s executive order because he wanted Congress to act, but it may be that he wants to force a deal that will give him a wall.

    We will see if the GOP really wants to help the Dreamers or whether they are just lying again. And Trump would have to sign anything that was passed.

    I can’t see GOP extremists and nutcases in Congress going for comprehensive immigration reform. Keeping it off the table inflames the base, keeps them angry. GOP legislators can then keep hitting them up for money and votes while blaming the Democrats.

  63. 63.

    Sloane Ranger

    Just come back from seeing Paddington 2 at our local community theatre/cinema. What a great feel good film! Virtually every living British actor was in it as well as shout outs to several dead ones.

    The place was full and I wasn’t the only adult who didn’t bring a child as cover.

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    Is it just me, or does D.R. Tucker at Washington Monthly seem to be getting even worse than he was before?

    Yesterday’s Part II of Impeach Trump led with one good thing about Nancy Pelosi for her 8-hour marathon in the House last week, and then he went on to add a stream of everything he thinks she has done wrong since the beginning of time. At that point, I couldn’t bear to actually read the article so I just closed the tab and moved on.

  69. 69.

    debbie

    @Brachiator:

    You’re giving Trump much more credit than he deserves for thinking ahead. He did it to be mean and spiteful, and he did it just to be mean.

  71. 71.

    debbie

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Google says you’re right! I’d never heard of that, but I noticed kitchn kept popping up in my Google searches. I like them because there’s a lot of “how to” aside from specific recipes. That’s what I mostly need: techniques.

  72. 72.

    WaterGirl

    @Amir Khalid: Thanks for reminding me that this is the Duck, Duck GOOSE thread.

    Betty, I am remiss in not having commented on how wonderful that story is and for not thanking you for starting my sunday on a positive note.

  73. 73.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Yep. I don’t read Atkins anymore, but for some reason D.R. Tucker makes me crazy – I want to slap him upside the head.

  74. 74.

    Baud

    A politico article called “Hillary needs to move on” appeared on my feed. I didn’t click so I didn’t see who wrote it. I’m sure there is a companion article about Mitt Romney.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    @schrodingers_cat: Remind me of that once they get here. I recall that with my latest pup, I could choose one activity per day. I could either show or cook a meal, but I couldn’t manage both in one day. At least these guys are house trained, or so my niece tells me!

  77. 77.

    Immanentize

    What about the Dreamers? What about our “leverage?”

    Whatever leverage that ever existed (almost none) still exists. And let’s be honest, the Dems never had much leverage unless you consider shutting down the government, putting hundreds of thousands of government workers out of work, closing health care and V.A. and social security offices, risking the health of hundreds of thousands more and maybe failing to raise the debt ceiling, creating a constitutional violation of the full faith and credit clause, “leverage.”

    But what passed the House and Senate was a budget framework, not a budget. It included a few, but very few, actual appropriations. Those bills will/must come later and will be subject to filibuster. Maybe it will all be in some huge omnibus which will include all sorts of merde, but also relief for Dreamers. But the debt ceiling hostage is probably off the table for a while to come (18 months?), unless the tax cuts really impact federal revenue.

    The idea of leverage was always bullshit considering the leverage the other side has (controlling the executive and legislative branches). Dems cannot get anything to the House floor without Ryan’s approval — even when we had the amazing “leverage” everyone thinks we have lost. The only true power left to Democrats is the Senate filibuster. Whoopeee!!! Power! Leverage! Get real people, as someone here wrote, we lost the battle when Trump was elected and we failed to take back the Senate in November 2016. So stay focused and win back the House in 2018. That will be real power again — true bargaining leverage.

    And QUIT BLAMING DEMOCRATS FOR “ABANDONING” THE DREAMERS!!!

  80. 80.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Immanentize:

    And QUIT BLAMING DEMOCRATS FOR “ABANDONING” THE DREAMERS!!!

    Not blaming the Ds at all. I think they are doing the best they can with the incredibly weak hand that they have been dealt. As an immigrant and a naturalized citizen I can’t help but feel abandoned at the mercy of the Nazis in charge, with how this debate has gone. YMMV obviously.
    ETA: I mainly blame the people who voted for T as the President.

  84. 84.

    Amir Khalid

    I have a bleg.
    In guitar acquisition news, I am considering a few Les Paul-type options, in descending order of expense:
    Epiphone Les Paul Studio
    Epiphone Les Paul 100, bolt-on neck, 2/3 the price of the Studio
    European-brand copy (Harley Benton), set neck, half the price of the Epi Les Paul Studio
    Epiphone Les Paul Special, bolt-on neck, 1/3 the price of the Studio
    Chinese copy, bolt-on neck, 1/4 the price of the Studio

    Any thoughts from the guitar-playing jackals?

  85. 85.

    Schlemazel

    @germy:
    Nobody living in an apartment ever locks their doors. They lever leave dishes in the sink or cloths on the floor. Even low level employees have nice places with expensive furniture.

  87. 87.

    JR

    @jeffreyw: Serious Eats was my go-to for a while, but their recipe production has slowed.

    Cook’s Illustrated is an old standby but they are a subscription service.

  89. 89.

    Chyron HR

    @Immanentize:

    And let’s be honest, the Dems never had much leverage unless you consider shutting down the government, putting hundreds of thousands of government workers out of work, closing health care and V.A. and social security offices, risking the health of hundreds of thousands more and maybe failing to raise the debt ceiling, creating a constitutional violation of the full faith and credit clause, “leverage.”

    But it worked for Sheriff Bart!

  90. 90.

    WaterGirl

    @Humdog: That is certainly good advice. The problem is that they show up in my RSS feed and tempt me, ever hopeful that the writer will be someone decent.

  91. 91.

    Brachiator

    @debbie:

    You’re giving Trump much more credit than he deserves for thinking ahead. He did it to be mean and spiteful, and he did it just to be mean.

    I don’t think that Trump is a strategic thinker. Not at all.

    But he is fixated on getting his wall. And one thing that neither Republicans nor Democrats nor reporters seem to grasp is that everything that Trump says about bipartisanship or negotiations is BS.

    But he keeps coming back to his fixed ideas. And also the stuff he promises his base during political rallies.

    The Republicans have been cowed and try to give Trump what he wants, to keep him happy.

  93. 93.

    WaterGirl

    @bystander: We certainly have the talent here on BJ to write, illustrate, publish and promote the book. I say we do it! Baud, the Bisexual Goose

    edit: Baud, we would need your permission, of course.

  96. 96.

    Percysowner

    For those of you who like history and podcasts, I’m going to throw one out here. James Boulton, who just wrapped up his Queens of England podcast has started an new podcast The Other Half which will focus on wives throughout history. He’s starting with the Roman Empresses. The reason I’m mentioning this, is the second episode just posted and it deals with the fall of the Roman Republic. There are some unsettling parallels between then and now. Plus he puts out quality material in an interesting way.

  97. 97.

    Schlemazel

    @HAL:
    ARG! That dreadful cowboy woman. Add to the fact she has the most annoying voice and I really don’t buy her homespun BS, it is painful to watch.

    I noticed today that Giada had her new squeeze on the show & to celebrate she had the girls on full display. I honestly had not noticed he fashion sense until I was reading a feminist political blog and some of the women noted that they lusted after her & watched only because she showed a lot of cleavage.

  98. 98.

    Humdog

    @schrodingers_cat: don’t you think that the dreamer deportation is stalled as the courts have tied it up? I believe the courts are the only thing that can keep Dreamers here until we take back Congress. It is horrifying for them, their families and for any other immigrants. I am so ashamed of my countrymen.

  100. 100.

    Schlemazel

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Do you think there are 30 goopers that will vote for anything even halfway decent? I think Pelosi’s ‘filibuster may be the only thing that can get through that den of jackasses.

  101. 101.

    Immanentize

    @schrodingers_cat: Of course, how you feel is up to you, but this is the part that chaps me:

    with how this debate has gone.

    It has been a lot more front and center than I ever thought possible. That shows that there is still a majority constituency (as demonstrated by polls) to do something to help DACA folks. However, that majority disappears when DACA protections are weighed against the only non-ballot box solutions that Democrats can employ (shut down and debt crisis).

    So Dreamers were abandoned by Trump — and Trump alone — when he ended the program. Period.
    The fact that there has been a “debate” at all should be seen as a sign of strong resistance by the powers of good.

  102. 102.

    jeffreyw

    @JR: Yeah, Serious Eats is a good site, but I never go there to browse. I usually start my searches with an ingredient or two and then sample the recipes that turn up. Kenji is opening a brick and mortar site and he has been pretty busy with that.

  105. 105.

    MisterForkbeard

    @schrodingers_cat: I don’t think that specific example was someone in DACA, though he was a Dreamer. Reason being, he’d been deported a couple of times since he was a teenager and re-entered illegally. I think that bars him from the DACA program.

  109. 109.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Humdog: Dreamers are not even one tenth of the undocumented population. No one is even talking about the Gingrich era legislation that Bill Clinton signed into law which is responsible largely for the ballooning of the undocumented population. America wants its rented mules but wants them to live in perpetual fear. That’s what T’s deportation campaign is about. Its the logical next step to the R designed IIRIRA.

  111. 111.

    Schlemazel

    @debbie:
    I don’t recall Nigella getting a lot of comments but there was another woman, she was canadian & had lived in France for some time. Her show was around French cooking. I loved her work but those ladies loved the eye candy. Her show disappeared which is too bad because it was decent. Now I can’t even remember her name. To the Great Gazoogle I guess

  113. 113.

    Doug R

    @WaterGirl: Leviticus 19:33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

  115. 115.

    Schlemazel

    @Baud:
    Based on what? Do you seriously think there are 30 reasonable Republicans in the House on this issue? I think maybe they can get a couple from Texas and FLorida who fear for their seats but still short of what is needed to pass.

    @schrodingers_cat:
    yeah, neither do I

  116. 116.

    Brachiator

    @Percysowner:

    For those of you who like history and podcasts, I’m going to throw one out here.

    Another history podcast to sample. Thanks!

    I recommend a couple. Rex Factor is a cheeky but well-researched look at the rulers of Britain and Scotland, and each episode looks at various aspects of a king or queen, including scandals, and considers whether they have that certain something, that It Factor that lets them really stand out.

    The British History Podcast stands out for looking at the historical evidence in new ways. The host’s look at women and the Vikings, for example, is rich and subtle.

  117. 117.

    Baud

    @Schlemazel: I don’t think Ryan allows it to go to the floor to fail. He’s not quite that dumb. And there are some GOP congresscritters from moderate districts.

  119. 119.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Watching the pairs figure skating and heard “Olympic Athletes from Russia” for the first time. Interesting concept, punish Russia for their doping but not any individual athletes who have never been guilty of it and allow them to compete under the Olympic flag and separate logo so their years of training do not go to waste for the sins of their country. I like that idea.

  120. 120.

    Amir Khalid

    Southampton 0-2 Liverpool at halftime. But as always, with my guys’ defence, it ain’t over till it’s over.

  121. 121.

    Schlemazel

    @Baud:
    And I see him letting it get a vote so that the tiny handful of members who have large Hispanic populations can claim they were not against it. They will fall short of the 30 votes needed to pass because more of them have staked their seats on brown hate.

    Then, if it should pass I expect hair furor to stomp on it, he love blood sport.

  123. 123.

    chris

    @debbie:

    Am I not paying attention or has Miller been quiet lately?

    Your comment reminded me of this article from the SPLC. Spencer was Miller’s mentor at college.

    “I knew [Miller] very well when I was at Duke. But I am kind of glad no one’s talked about this, because I don’t want to harm Trump.”

  124. 124.

    HAL

    @Schlemazel: My favorite Pioneer Woman show was when she made roast beef sandwiches and stuffed fruit in bags for a kids football game. The only cooking she did was some cookies.

    Giada’s cleavage is famous. She’s been showing off her dough for years, in between pronouncing spaghetti.

  125. 125.

    germy

    White House wants to turn space station into a commercially run venture, NASA document says

    The Trump administration wants to turn the International Space Station into a kind of orbiting real estate venture run not by the government, but by private industry.

    The White House plans to stop funding the station after 2024, ending direct federal support of the orbiting laboratory. But it does not intend to abandon the orbiting laboratory altogether and is working on a transition plan that could turn the station over to the private sector, according to an internal NASA document obtained by The Washington Post.

  126. 126.

    Baud

    @Schlemazel: We’ll see. I think there are more worried Republicans than that. But I don’t feel strongly.

    Remember Ryan isn’t going to allow a vote unless Trump approves the deal.

  127. 127.

    Schlemazel

    @Litlebritdifrnt:
    . . . punish Russia for their doping but not any individual athletes who have never been guilty of it CAUGHT . . .
    Other than curling I sincerely doubt any of the winners are clean, ours, theirs or others. The best, like Lance Armstrong, just don’t get caught.

  129. 129.

    Schlemazel

    @Baud:
    Given the tangerine tantrums inability to maintain a position for 5 consecutive minutes he could change his mind depending on who talked to him a minute ago.

    The unspoken thing though is that Ryan could rightly believe that the Dems will get the blame for a failure to pass DACA (yes, it is stupid but then Dump received 10s of millions of votes) and it might be a smart political play going into the election to just let it die.

  130. 130.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I just read that Porter senior served in 3 presidential admin. Oh and they are Mormon.

    I didn’t know that Porter and both his ex-wives were Mormon. Trump keeps whining about lack of due process, and conservative nut jobs keep wanting to believe that Porter didn’t do anything. But the Guardian has a story about how both women went to their Mormon bishops to get counseling. These bishops, all men, have no special training in counseling. They all strongly counseled against divorce. At least one bishop was also Porter’s friend.

    ETA. I have trouble creating a link to the Guardian with my mobile browser, but the story should be easy to find.

  131. 131.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @jeffreyw: I tend to use the BBC recipes site the most because they have the ingredients in my language (ie kilos and grams as opposed to a cup of this and a cup of that). I like watching cooking competitions because I pick up all sorts of recipes and techniques there. One of the best was how to make the absolute most divine scrambled eggs (Masterchef Australia), using the technique of putting the eggs, cream and butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. The eggs are deliciously creamy and moist and never overcook because there is no direct heat to the eggs. I will never make scrambled eggs any other way again.

  133. 133.

    Amir Khalid

    @Schlemazel:
    Actually, Lance Armstrong did get caught. It took many years, true; but as cleverly as the squirrel hops around, he must eventually touch the ground*.

    *Old Malay proverb.

  134. 134.

    Baud

    @Schlemazel: It’s not a stupid theory to believe that the Dems would get blamed. We’re already seeing people lay the groundwork for that. I do think it’s harder to do that if the Senate passes a bill that House Dems can vote for, however.

  135. 135.

    Humdog

    @schrodingers_cat: I keep getting stuck on how can they restrict to skilled immigration. The founding principle, tho we never live up to it, is all are created equal. How can you square that with picking and choosing immigrants? Anti immigrants do not accept that we are stronger and better because of immigration nor that we need them. Evil ostriches. I understand Kochs are priming Congress to increase visas that leave immigrants and current populations at risk of exploitation because of course they do. We absolutely must have pathways to full citizenship and none of this half assed indentured servitude.

  136. 136.

    germy

    thread:

    So, yeah, about that.

    I put in my two weeks notice.

    I work at Montana Department of Labor.

    There were going to be ICE subpoenas for information that would end up being used to hunt down & deport undocumented workers. https://t.co/TqBBjPDmNa— Jordon Dyrdahl-Roberts (@dyrbert) February 8, 2018

  139. 139.

    HeleninEire

    At a cool “artsy” cinema called The Lighthouse. Here to see “All the President’s Men.” This movie is FORTY TWO years old! Damn.

  140. 140.

    Doug R

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I miss the strong confident America not this home of the bed-wetters who need a wall to keep them safe.

    It’s always been bed-wetters, what do you think the second amendment’s about?

  141. 141.

    Brachiator

    @Amir Khalid:

    Actually, Lance Armstrong did get caught. It took many years, true; but as cleverly as the squirrel hops around, he must eventually touch the ground.

    Armstrong got caught, but athletes feel it’s worth the risk. And some athletes rationalize cheating, saying that they need it to keep up with those who don’t care about the rules.

    Studies note that the science of cheating is always ahead of the science of catching cheaters.

    And when you require that athletes give blood samples that can be tested in five years with new anti-cheating regimes, athletes find ways to provide somebody else’s blood, or have someone pay to have samples lost or stolen.

    ETA. Great proverb.

  142. 142.

    Mandalay

    Our corporate masters at work:

    A server at an Outback Steakhouse in Palm Beach Gardens says she was fired on Thursday after posting on social media that she was not tipped for a $735 take-out order placed by Christ Fellowship…

    …Yoder said, out of frustration, she posted on Facebook that Christ Fellowship left her no tip on an order totaling $735 — but did not mention where she worked.

    Yoder said a male friend who saw her post told her to delete it, and he told her he would call Christ Fellowship about the incident. Yoder said the friend told her the church was going to contact the restaurant to make amends.

    When Yoder arrived at Outback the next day for her shift, she was told by her manager that Christ Fellowship got a full refund for the $735 order and she was fired.

  146. 146.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Schlemazel: I don’t know, I suppose in things like cross country skiing they could be doping but I doubt it in things like figure skating. It requires skill and grace as opposed to brute strength. That’s how tiny countries like mine can produce geniuses like John Curry and Robin Cousins (and of course Torville and Dean). I will never forget Robin’s gold winning performance. He is such a nice guy, and is still to this day. His later development of the back flip blew me away every time I saw it. I loved him so much.

  149. 149.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: Thanks, it’s an old pic(9/11/16). I’ve been going though my old pics and getting rid of temp files(tif files) that I’ve created and ran across this set. It’s the first time I went out to try to shoot the Milky Way. Unfortunately the moon is right next to the Milky Way and it’s light makes it difficult to get a good shot. I’ll try this location again when the moon’s not in such an unfavorable position.

  153. 153.

    Brachiator

    @Humdog:

    I keep getting stuck on how can they restrict to skilled immigration. The founding principle, tho we never live up to it, is all are created equal. How can you square that with picking and choosing immigrants?

    The lie is that this is part of running America like a business. So you force immigrants to provide and be judged by a resume.

    Also, the crap about skilled immigration is a double lie. The goal is to try to limit immigration to white people, using the fig leaf of “skilled immigration” as a cover. This also permits sensitive white people to be racist without having to fess up.

    But of course the mask drops when Trump wonders why we have to take in people from shit hole countries.

  155. 155.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: The color in the sky at the bottom left is light pollution from LA, the color at the bottom right is from the sun(and light pollution from Oxnard/Ventura) since I took the picture too early. There are a number of problems with that picture, I just thought it was interesting that the Milky Way was actually visible and the setting was nice.

    ETA: I added the location where the pic was taken on Flickr.

  156. 156.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    @Brachiator: But what about the fans? They all say shame on the cheaters, but then they demand STRONGER, FASTER, HIGHER!!! Baseball and the fans had no problem with steroids when all those home run records were falling, until the shame became to unbearable (that’s why no Baseball executive or media member should be in Cooperstown, if you are going to ban the Bonds’ the Clemon’s , the Sosa’a or the MacGiwers of the game). But the fans ought to be shamed too. Baseball is just one example

  157. 157.

    B.B.A.

    @debbie: The more “respectable” racists equivocate between “of course Jews are white, look at Judah Benjamin” and the usual rootless-cosmopolitan narrative, depending on the audience and what’s most convenient in the moment.

  158. 158.

    realbtl

    @Amir Khalid: It sounds like you are ordering a guitar. The first thing i do when buying a new guitar is hold and play it. If you can’t do that I’d probably go for something between high and low price. My sense of instruments in the lower price range (under US $1500) is that set vs bolted is probably not an issue. I’d also google each for reviews. Take reviews with a chunk of salt but you can pick out trends negative or positive. Hope this helps. I’m flying home today so will be offline for the day.

  159. 159.

    Ohio Mom

    @schrodingers_cat: Yes. It started as Maxwell’s then-wife’s contribution to the growing Apartment Therapy empire.

    That was back in the day when there’d be posts like how to use black electrical tape to outline a headboard. No headboard, just tape, in case I wasn’t clear enough. You don’t find downscale stuff like that anymore over there.

  160. 160.

    J R in WV

    @Amir Khalid:

    My next door neighbor rebuilds really old broken guitars and fiddles, as well as playing them. Banjos, too, a little, they’re way stronger than fiddles and a little stronger than guitars. I think he would tell you to go with a set neck, as the bolt on leaves mcsh more room for shifting that would make it really hard to be in tune across the fretboard.

    Wait, I’ll ask him…

    Paul says for sure get one with a set neck.

    He wondered if a used Gibson might be found, but I told him where you are… since he repairs them, a used instrument is always preferable to him as they also provide a potential chink of income if they’re slightly bent and he fixes them. He’s been doing it for years now, and people send him broken fiddles and guitars from around Ohio and such.

  161. 161.

    Ohio Mom

    @Brachiator: Wait till Trump’s real base — well-enough-to-do middle-aged white men — figure out that “skilled immigration” means “people who could do YOUR job, maybe for less.”

    Because we already have “skilled immigration,” it’s called HB1 visas, and the Trump fans I am in the most contact with are computer engineers who hate the HB1 program.

  162. 162.

    B.B.A.

    @Brachiator: Canada has a “skilled immigration” policy. It’s also getting less and less white each day. I’d be okay with copying their laws wholesale, adjusting the number of immigrants relative to total population. But I don’t think the Reich-wing would like having that bluff called.

  164. 164.

    scav

    Don’t quite see why Thomas’ story is sad: he found and got to spend his life with the love of his life; Henry and Henrietta were fine with it and they and the cygnets had a third beak helping with child care.

  165. 165.

    eric

    @Amir Khalid: I have an early-70s Les Paul. Tuning is the biggest issue because of the angle of the tuning pegs to the neck. make sure you try out the one you are buying to see how well it stays in tune.

  166. 166.

    B.B.A.

    Are we pushing open borders? I’m somewhat hesitant to – there are a few undesirables, like Sebastian Gorka, that I’d prefer to keep out of our country.

  167. 167.

    J R in WV

    And regarding the goose, what a sweet story. I’m glad Thomas landed in a sweet spot where he could do well and have other birds he could help with the family. Hard to imagine a better outcome than 40 years with his tiny flock and fellow swans. The photo says it all, nearly.

    A happy ending for Thomas, really. A good home, and love. and 40 years!! Who knew Geese lived and loved that long!

  168. 168.

    Amir Khalid

    @realbtl:
    Bolt-on neck LP types are not a quality issue, true, but they aren’t as close a copy as a set-neck. Harley Benton copies are generally well thought of by European YouTubers. I’m also considering a Japanese copy — those have a good rep too. Your advice is much appreciated. Thanks.

  169. 169.

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

    @germy:
    And the good guys (usually) win at the end of the film

    Oh and bullies never try to seek revenge after getting beaten up by their long-term target.

  170. 170.

    J R in WV

    @Mandalay:

    When Yoder arrived at Outback the next day for her shift, she was told by her manager that Christ Fellowship got a full refund for the $735 order and she was fired.

    So standard operating procedure for Christ Fellowship, huh? What a surprise. And how naive her “male friend” was to assume that Christ Fellowship would do the “Christian” thing and tip their waitress!! Or maybe he isn’t the friend she thought he was….maybe a Christ Fellowship type inside?

    The nerve of people, forming christian groups to NOT be christ like in any way! As if the red letters in the bible are words to be left out of your reading! It’s how we can guess that there is no g-d, if there was the so-called christians would be getting struck by lightning all the time.

  171. 171.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Ohio Mom: Yes we do have skilled immigration, there are two main categories of immigration, family based and employment based. Currently family based categories get 3/4 of the greencards and while employment based categories get 1/4. H1-B is a long term work visa but it is temporary and the road from an H1-B to a green card (permanent resident) is not a simple one.

  172. 172.

    Amir Khalid

    @J R in WV:
    I’m a hobbyist player. I don’t think I can justify the price of even a used Gibson, which is at least 4x the corresponding Epi. An Epi Les Paul Studio is just under RM1,500, cheaper than an Epi LP Standard, and at about my limit. (I prefer the Studios’ understated look anyway.)

  173. 173.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    @WaterGirl:

    Both Porter and Kushner have apparently had this interim clearance for a year, though Moss said, “the interim clearance really isn’t supposed to last longer than somewhere between 90 and 180 days. The agency is supposed to have rendered a decision at that point one way or the other as to whether or not to grant a clearance.”

    An “interim security clearance” — “we haven’t made up our minds yet” — sounds like an interim security risk.

  177. 177.

    Leto

    From the Green Book to Facebook, how black people still need to outwit racists in rural America

    A historical travel guide once listed safe pit stops for black motorists in Jim Crow America. When a family sought similar advice on Facebook last year, they were deluged with replies

    I remember that last summer the NAACP put out the travel warning for people of color traveling through Missouri. This explores that more. Also I found the last line of the article really sad.

  178. 178.

    cintibud

    @J R in WV: Actually, from the linked article it seems that the Church fully intended to make it good. It was the Outback management that fired her.

  179. 179.

    Steve in the ATL

    @schrodingers_cat: I was at a charity event last night and chatted with a woman who works at Emory University in admissions for the business school. She had just returned from India, in search of high GMAT scores. Emory relies on foreign students for high scores and, importantly, payment of full tuition. She said that the formerly robust Chinese pipeline had almost completely dried up because of trump.

  180. 180.

    Amir Khalid

    @WaterGirl:
    I asked Adam about this. He says there’s always a security officer in charge of deciding how long to let someone work on an interim clearance, but in his experience they typically give hardly any leeway at all. He reckons the time allowed Jared and Porter is most unusual, bu also notes that the Trump admin has no respect whatsoever for Norm.

  182. 182.

    scav

    @J R in WV: It’s a little-known biblical fact that they stiffed the restaurant where they ate the last supper. “Do This in remembrance of me.”

  184. 184.

    Brachiator

    @B.B.A.:

    Canada has a “skilled immigration” policy. It’s also getting less and less white each day. I’d be okay with copying their laws wholesale, adjusting the number of immigrants relative to total population.

    I prefer the US to Canada. I don’t see any reason to copy their immigration laws or their tax laws. Maybe copy their healthcare policy.

    The US has done well with people who just want to come here. Successive generations have created new industries and opportunities that have equalled or far exceeded what the resumes of some who bring their current skills.

    We currently have an immigration system that looks at skilled immigrants, as others have noted. What problem are you solving by focusing exclusively on skills based immigration?

    Also could we apply it retroactively, go back three generations? Because obviously a lot if the people who are here now don’t measure up if you apply this new standard.

  185. 185.

    Ohio Mom

    @schrodingers_cat: I should emphasize I’m fine with immmigration in all its forms.

    But the dittoheads my husband works with, proud Trump supporters one and all (how he puts up with this, I can never fathom), would flip out if they ever allowed themselves to see the contradictions in what they profess to believe and value.

  187. 187.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    I think Thomas the goose is a wonderful love story. I had no idea geese lived so long, and it sounds like he had a good long run.

    @J R in WV: So, I inherited a mid-late 30s O model Martin. It’s not worth much, but it’s just taking up space, so I want to get it repaired and sell it, so someone who’d appreciate having a vintage guitar can own it. Is that the kind of thing your neighbor might do? An old D, I’d keep, of course :) There’s a luthier in IN that a musician friend tells me folks think highly of, but he didn’t note whether the guy’d worked on any of his guitars…

  189. 189.

    germy

    Standards are so low for the stuff we put in our mouths. Even lower for our pets’ food:

    (WCMH) — The FDA says it plans to investigate after a drug commonly used to euthanize pets was found in cans of dog food.

    Washington, D.C. TV station WJLA partnered with Ellipse Analytics to test several brands of wet dog food for the drug pentobarbital. In all 62 samples of more than two-dozen brands were tested.

    One brand, Gravy Train, repeatedly came back positive for pentobarbital, according to the station. Out of the 15 cans tested, nine tested positive.

    While the cans contained low levels of the drug, federal rules say that none is allowed.

    Gravy Train is made by Big Heart Pet Foods and owned by Smucker’s.

    Big Heart Brands also makes Meow Mix, Milk Bone, Kibbles’n Bits, 9 Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, Milo’s Kitchen, Alley Cat, Jerky Treats, Meaty Bone, Pounce and Snausages.

    Just last year, Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food recalled some lots of its Hunk of Beef product due to the presence of Pentobarbital.

    The FDA says Pentobarbital can affect animals that ingest it, and possibly cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea, or in extreme cases, death.

  191. 191.

    lgerard

    I can remember when conservative politicians used to boast about how their parents or grandparents came to this country with 12 cents and walked uphill 8 miles every day to work 4 jobs in order to pursue the American Dream for their children.

    Now it turns out that these are the very people we don’t want!.

    Who knew?

  193. 193.

    guachi

    @Amir Khalid:

    I asked Adam about this. He says there’s always a security officer in charge of deciding how long to let someone work on an interim clearance, but in his experience they typically give hardly any leeway at all.

    True dat. I currently have a clearance and I’ve never known anyone with an interim clearance to get anywhere near classified information except maybe on our advancement exams (I’m in the Navy). Heck, I know people with clearances who can’t get read on because the Security Officer said ‘no’.

  194. 194.

    Brachiator

    @scav:

    It’s a little-known biblical fact that they stiffed the restaurant where they ate the last supper. “Do This in remembrance of me.”

    Judas was supposed to pay and leave a tip.

  195. 195.

    B.B.A.

    @Brachiator: Not really my point. If we are to have some limits on immigration – and I’m not arguing we should! open borders worked well for us! – then the question is what limits to have, and the points-based system in Canada makes more sense to me than our current one.

    The whole idea behind the 1965 immigration act was to get rid of explicit racial quotas and set up a seemingly neutral system that still effectively assigned most of the slots to white people. The “diversity lottery” came from the same idea – Ted Kennedy was upset that Irish people couldn’t get visas anymore. Now that neither of them favor white people, the Reich-wing thinks this was our insidious plan all along and wants to go back to the 1920s quota system that explicitly favored the Herrenvolk. The less overt of them say “skills based” as if this would also implicitly mean white people. To which I say, look who’s immigrating to Canada. Spoiler alert: they ain’t white.

  197. 197.

    FlipYrWhig

    @retiredeng: Tucker is stupid and Atkins is malicious. I gave up on that place long ago. The weekends on the front page there are like giving the keys to the Booman comment section.

  198. 198.

    WaterGirl

    @cintibud:

    Actually, from the linked article it seems that the Church fully intended to make it good. It was the Outback management that fired her.

    I’m not buying that. Not for a minute. If the fellowship thought they had screwed up, the waitress would never have been fired without the fellowship people raising a fuss and getting her un-fired.

    I have to wonder if the person who fired her wasn’t a member of the Fellowship who was embarrassed by the waitress saying something, and that’s why she had to be fired.

  199. 199.

    WaterGirl

    @retiredeng: It took me a second to make sense of that because my dog’s name is Tucker and I had mentioned him in an earlier thread. I never read the comments except here, so I am glad to hear he was getting flamed.

  200. 200.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @FlipYrWhig: and since he’s not stupid enough by himself, he imports some Jonathon Turley stupid

    And I think history will be very, very severe, not just for Speaker Pelosi, but all of the Democrats, of how they could let this come to pass where they stood silent and did nothing in the face of such a compelling criminal record.

  201. 201.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Canadian system favors immigrants that already have close family in Canada.

    Good to know. Conservative and even “moderate” pundits like to claim that the Canadian system is hard headed and efficient. A FTNYT op-ed piece, for example.

    Ever since the mid-1960s, the majority of immigrants to the country (about 65 percent in 2015) have been admitted on purely economic grounds.

    Soon he gets to that familiar place…

    Given the xenophobia now sweeping the rest of the West, Canadians’ openness might seem bizarrely magnanimous. In fact, it’s a reasonable attitude rooted in national interest. Canada’s foreign-born population is more educated than that of any other country on earth. Immigrants to Canada work harder, create more businesses and typically use fewer welfare dollars than do their native-born compatriots.

    None of those lazy welfare recipients. Of course, let’s omit the fact that in the good old days, there were few social services and immigrants were herded into slums. And still succeeded.

    Naked link:

    https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/opinion/canada-immigration-policy-trump.html

  202. 202.

    cintibud

    @WaterGirl: Did you read the article? I can see that you still might not buy what they are saying but here is what the article says:

    Christ Fellowship said in the statement to The Post that their intent “was to find a way to get a tip to the employee and did not desire in any way for punitive action to be taken.”

    “We did not call the restaurant to have her fired, we wanted to get the situation resolved,” said David Lonsberry, an executive director of business for Christ Fellowship, who also spoke to The Post.

    Lonsberry, said the group is trying to make the situation right, and that members usually leave a generous tip on take-out orders because a lot of church members work as servers.

    “That night, we had a volunteer go to the restaurant and pick up the order since we were having a big conference. He probably didn’t know to tip since it was a rush of the moment thing,” said Lonsberry.

    “We love our volunteers, and the one chosen to assist with this pick-up errand was not aware of our gratuity tipping practices,” the statement read. “At no time, did any Christ Fellowship staff dine-in the restaurant that evening as we were hosting a major event at the time.”

    Christ Fellowship said they are trying to contact Yoder.

  203. 203.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Ugh, Turley. Bob “Daily Howler” Somerby had Turley pegged long ago as the guy who never saw a president he didn’t want impeached. Olbermann used to have Turley on a lot and he was repetitive enough that it became a running joke-slash-bet between my wife and me about how close to the beginning of his segment Turley would say, “I’m concerned, Keith.”

  204. 204.

    Brachiator

    @B.B.A.:

    If we are to have some limits on immigration – and I’m not arguing we should! open borders worked well for us! – then the question is what limits to have, and the points-based system in Canada makes more sense to me than our current one.

    You make a lot of good points.

    But the plain fact is that Trump and his advisors are racists who are looking for ways to exclude as many nonwhite people as possible and to try to limit immigration to white people.

    Even if the immigration system needs to be improved, this is not the same thing as demonstrating that we need limits based on either the Trump plan or the Canadian model.

    I wouldn’t trust anything that Trust had to say or offer.

    Past comprehensive immigration reform plans were blocked. I wonder how they addressed the issues you mention.

  206. 206.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Immanentize: There was a commenter on LGM who argued that the Dems should have forced a shutdown, not necessarily to help immigrants, but because our only recourse at this point is to intentionally destroy the economy and damage this country in order to damage Trump and the Republicans, who would be blamed for the resulting suffering. (It’s what they did, after all.)

    The commenter got a lot of pushback from basically everyone else there. But I found myself getting upset reading the thread, not because they said that, but at the possibility that they might be right.

  207. 207.

    B.B.A.

    @Brachiator: I understand most of them leave the 1965 framework intact, because we’ve forgotten how to design government programs instead of just twiddling at the margins.

    FWIW, if I were dictator, I’d issue unconditional green cards to all Mexicans and Salvadorans, just to spite Steve King. (Thank god I’m not dictator.)

  208. 208.

    Ruckus

    @J R in WV:
    I’ve driven home from work in OH in the middle of lightening storms, it looks cool and scary at the same time. But from the number of strikes in a very short time I’d say they were aiming for someone. Didn’t see any hits on cars but in the space of a mile I’d say I could see about 20 strikes, all of that ahead of me. Chance? Bad aim? A warning?

  209. 209.

    Brachiator

    @Leto:

    From the Green Book to Facebook, how black people still need to outwit racists in rural America

    Thanks for the link for this. Not enough people know about the Green Books. A timely Black History Month lesson.

    And it is tragic that some white people feel so emboldened to openly express hostility towards people of color that guides like the Green Books are needed again.

  210. 210.

    Baud

    @Matt McIrvin:

    but at the possibility that they might be right.

    That theory is not the least bit plausible. Do we not talk about IOKIYAR and “both sides” enough?

  212. 212.

    HeleninEire

    Just saw “All the President’s Men.” Awesome flick. Totally forgot that Jason Robards played Ben Bradley. Jason Robards….swoon…

  213. 213.

    Travels with Charley

    Late to the thread, but a thank you to Schrodinger’s Cat! I just saw PAdmavat and it was great! Very lush…ending was sad, of course. Balloon Juice is so great! I learned about HAmilton from Mnemosyne and Indian movies from schrodingers cat??

  215. 215.

    Leto

    @Brachiator:

    And it is tragic that some white people feel so emboldened to openly express hostility towards people of color that guides like the Green Books are needed again.

    As American as apple pie =/

  217. 217.

    Mike in NC

    @Leto: If anybody publishes a book on safe places for non-whites in this country, call it the Orange Book in honor of Trump.

  218. 218.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Brachiator: The biggest difference in the Canadian system is that the immigrant can self-petition. In our system you have to be sponsored for permanent residency either by your family or by your employer. The Canadian system gives pts based on educational attainment, age, language skills, relatives in Canada, job offer in hand etc. Every province sets its own immigration quota, every year.
    As for welfare under the current laws in the United Sates, unless you are a child or a senior over 65, as an immigrant you are not entitled to SNAP benefits and such for 5 years after you get your GC.
    ETA: We do have the self-sponsorship option here to, however the bar for that is very high. When immigration restrictionists say “skilled immigration” that’s typically what they have in mind.

  219. 219.

    James E. Powell

    @Amir Khalid:

    Advice from a life-long sufferer of Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. I’ve heard some good things about the high-end Epiphones. But going below $500 new – that’s in the states, don’t know how prices vary in your locale – it’s hit & miss. And that means you have to play them to find out if they’re what you want.

    Are you buying in person or ordering in? If in person if you can, take someone who’s been playing longer than you to try it out. I’ve shopped guitars that I was all set to buy only to have one of my much better friends point out things I did not notice.

    Is this going to be your only guitar? Your #1? If so, take your time and make the move that feels the best & sounds the best to you.

  220. 220.

    oldgold

    @WaterGirl:

    Is it just me, or does D.R. Tucker at Washington Monthly seem to be getting even worse than he was before?

    Yesterday’s Part II of Impeach Trump led with one good thing about Nancy Pelosi for her 8-hour marathon in the House last week, and then he went on to add a stream of everything he thinks she has done wrong since the beginning of time.

    D.R. Tucker’s article is awful. In particular, his criticism of Pelosi is wildly off base.

  223. 223.

    Ruckus

    @Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:
    My cousin is a luthier. I haven’t spoken to him in a while due to life and distance so I don’t know where he is in his luthier career. But he is meticulous in every thing else I’ve seen him do…… If JR’s friend isn’t interested I can see to hook you up. I also used to know a fellow who owns(ed) a business repairing all sorts of musical instruments, he would also do or know someone, but I’d have to track him down, it’s been 8-10 yrs since I’ve last seen him. He and I were bench mates during a titanium bicycle frame building class.

  226. 226.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @MomSense: Get my email from Adam! Or Cole, because I’ve mislaid the password the the one I log in with.

  228. 228.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    @germy:

    One brand, Gravy Train, repeatedly came back positive for pentobarbital, according to the station. Out of the 15 cans tested, nine tested positive.
    While the cans contained low levels of the drug, federal rules say that none is allowed.

    All those euthanased horse carcasses gotta go somewhere.

  229. 229.

    glory b

    @Schlemazel: Honestly, I saw a program where Giada was cooking with her mother (think of a middle aged Sophia Loren) and her mom showed more of her girls than Giada did!

    As my mom would say, “Apples don’t fall far from the tree.”

    But I haven’t watched much of her show lately. I didn’t even know she had divorced.

    And Pioneer Woman? Agreed, her show is annoying, but I’m a committed city girl, and living out on the prairie like that would freak me out. Along with only going to town for church and to get groceries? Not for me.

    Besides, my father didn’t trust living around white people like that. You never know when they will tun on you (snark? Hmm).

  233. 233.

    mai naem mobile

    @Brachiator: The bishops told the ex-wives to be careful and think about the consequences aboit reporting because Porter had poltical ambitions y’know.

  234. 234.

    WaterGirl

    Dear Front Pagers:

    No new threads in 6 hours… we were bad? We’re sorry, we’ll be better. Okay, I mean, were we worse than usual? And I can’t promise that we’ll behave better, but a new thread would be lovely.

    Signed, one of the Jackals

  235. 235.

    Suzanne

    @mai naem mobile: A lot of abuse of women gets covered up in the LDS Church. This has happened to many people I know or who are friends of friends. I can say with absolute knowledge and certainty that there are child molesters in positions of authority in that Church, and that it is not unknown.

  240. 240.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @HeleninEire:

    I hope the TCM Big Screen Classics folks schedule that soon; haven’t seen it in many years. Actually, I’d love to see The Post and All the President’s Men screened back to back one of these times, especially as ‼️‼️ SPOILER ALERT ‼️‼️ The Post teases Watergate in the very last scene.

  243. 243.

    Steeplejack

    @Sloane Ranger:

    Late to the thread, but glad you reminded me of this. A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went to see Call Me by Your Name. It was sold out, so we went to see Paddington 2 on a whim, based on showtime and my faint recollection of the trailer.

    It was delightful! Well written, funny, and the acting was great. It’s important in these totally implausible farces for the actors to play it deadpan, and they all were perfect, even down to the lesser supporting roles. The movie had the airy feel of a really good rom-com, although of course it’s not a rom-com. Recommended! It even made me want to see the first Paddington (which I have not done yet).

  246. 246.

    zhena gogolia

    @Steeplejack:

    I’m so glad you liked it. My husband and I went to see it right after we had lost the second of our two cats in the space of a week. We cried through the whole thing but it was sweet and cathartic. So beautifully made in every way.

  249. 249.

    Origuy

    A friend of mine told me a story about when she lived in Oregon, about 30 years ago. A couple she knew was driving through Oregon. He was black, she was white and very pregnant. They stopped for gas and waited for someone to serve them (no self-serve pumps in Oregon). After a while, it became clear that no one was going to help them. She went into the store part of the station, knocked a whole row of snacks on the floor, and yelled, “I think the baby is coming!” They got their gas.

  250. 250.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Ruckus: @MomSense: I’m very excited at the possibility that the guitar might get a Balloon Juice home where it will be appreciated!

  252. 252.

    MomSense

    @Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:

    My son is beside himself. I asked Adam for your email. Please excuse my bragging mom thing for a minute but he plays Robert Johnson blues. When he plays solo gigs, the olds/guitarists show up to hear him play. Most of the time he plays guitar with several working bands but doesn’t get to play acoustic Delta blues.

  253. 253.

    Steeplejack

    @zhena gogolia:

    It was really good. I’ve been bedeviled by the fact that I can’t come up with an elevator-pitch recommendation to get people to go see it. Sort of hard to describe in a nutshell without making it sound like just another me-too kids’ movie.

  254. 254.

    WaterGirl

    @Origuy: Do not fuck with pregnant women!

    Years ago, my pregnant friend was at the library. She was very sensitive to smells at that point, and some guy was actually smoking a cigar in the library. That is not allowed, of course. She politely asked him to put it out, saying the smell was making her feel sick. He was not happy. WHO THE HELL WAS SHE TO TELL HIM TO PUT OUT HIS CIGAR???

    She threw up, and made sure to do it all over his shoes. I wish I had been there to see it.

  255. 255.

    dww44

    @HAL: I’m with you on this analysis. Not nearly enough real cooking on Food network, and by golly, the same 3 hosts every day almost all day. The Pioneer Woman is long since passed by “had enough” point.

  257. 257.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    It was really good. I’ve been bedeviled by the fact that I can’t come up with an elevator-pitch recommendation to get people to go see it.

    I haven’t seen it yet, but really want to if I can make. Some time. Apparently, Paddington is a huge British tradition and his stories have brought smiles and laughs and tears to generations of kids. And I guess the movie works its magic just as well.

    I also hear you should stay through the very end of the movie.

    ETA. You might take a look at critic Mark Kermode’s review on YouTube.

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