Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

I really should read my own blog.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

The revolution will be supervised.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

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

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

“woke” is the new caravan.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

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

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

We will not go back.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Consistently wrong since 2002

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: A Little Levity

Open Thread: A Little Levity

by | 151 Comments

This post is in: 

Since I believe we might all be a bit tightly strung today. At least I am.

Pretty much.  And something a little different:

Image may contain: sky, tree, outdoor and nature

Donkey nannies in Italy.
Each year in Italy, grazing animals are moved from high pastures down to the plains. Newborn lambs are unable to make this journey on their own. Instead, they ride in the pouches of a specially made saddle on the back of a donkey or a mule nanny. They are taken down at rest stops and returned to their mothers for a bite to eat and a bit of nuzzling.  Photo: medeamoon

I’m struggling to catch up with work that piled up while I was on “vacation.” How is your afternoon going?

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

151Comments

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    Awww, lambs in a blanket. Seconded on the wolf; really enjoyed dropping my ballot off last week.

  5. 5.

    geg6

    I am now in love with donkey nannies. Too cute!

    I am, unfortunately, so caught up at work that I have way too much time to spend online. I blame my high level of anxiety for making me so productive and efficient. So I’m trying to find ways to not think about my high level of anxiety. Which leads to even more anxiety.

    The only treatment for this, I have found, is animal videos. It’s the only thing that calms me and make me laugh. One way or another, tomorrow should end this free floating anxiety. Not sure where I’ll be emotionally when that happens. Which totally dependent on what happens. Which makes me anxious. Which leads to….

    Damn. I’m off to watch some animal videos.

  10. 10.

    Yarrow

    That tweet – that’s me. I’ve been running on rage for two years. I could have chosen the straight ticket Dem option but I didn’t because I wanted the satisfaction of actually voting for each Dem candidate in every single race. It was very satisfying.

    @geg6: Did you name your kitten yet? When you said she had cat-eye eyeliner I thought of Amy Winehouse.

    @TaMara (HFG): Yay! I voted for them!

  12. 12.

    C Stars

    @Mary G: Angell’s prose has the kind of clarity that must come of almost 100 years of refinement. And the last sentence is of course a bit of a tearjerker:

    When you do go to vote on Tuesday, take a friend, a nephew, a neighbor, or a partner, and be patient when in line. Just up ahead of you, the old guy in a sailing cap, leaning on his cane and accompanied by his wife, is me, again not minding the wait, and again enthralled by the moment and its meaning.

  13. 13.

    Mnemosyne

    The big takeaway from the thread below for me is that I really need to re-read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Maybe after NaNoWriMo is done and I get my manuscript submitted to the Golden Heart contest.

  15. 15.

    Betty Cracker

    I’ve been working my ass off ever since we moved — cleaning, patching walls, painting, cutting and placing shelf liners, figuring out where to put stuff, spelunking through boxes to find random shit like can openers, etc. It’s exhausting, but the upside is that I’m no longer fretting over the decision to move since that’s done, and I’m generally too busy and/or tired to worry about politics all that much. And since I’m now smack-dab in the middle of nature all the time, I have that source of solace constantly instead of as a special treat I have to make an effort to access.

  19. 19.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Mnemosyne:
    I remember reading it in high school and I think the hardest part about it was the fact that it was a first-person narrative written in dialect. I agree with you that Huck realized that he was living in a corrupt society that devalued entire groups of human beings. In fact, I might reread it since you brought it up.

    Might reread A Streetcar Named Desire, too.

  21. 21.

    Chip Daniels

    For anyone who is anxious about tomorrow, one thing to keep in mind is that no matter what happens, we are still in for a long war over freedom and justice.
    Even if the Dems sweep every race, the Trumpists won’t give up and disappear, and neither should we if the reverse is true.

    Every election is just another battle in a very long campaign. Let it always be said of us- “Nevertheless, they persisted!”

  23. 23.

    lamh36

    Afternoon BJ.

    I dragged my younger sister to see Bohemian Rhapsody on Saturday and I told her it would be the #1 movie over the weekend. It did even better than predicted! I really enjoyed it and my sister who did not know Queen like I did, really enjoyed it too.. I said Saturday, after seeing the film, if you are a fan of the music and Freddie Mercury for THE MUSIC then def see it. If you want to see some in depth play by play if the personal life of Freddie Mercury, then this may not be enough for you. But the music…the music…can’t be beat. I would def see it again and def see it in IMAX or Dolby Digital sound!!

    ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a hit all over again: Queen biopic rocks box office with $50M

    One thing to dispell, they definitely did not shy away from Freddie Mercury’s sexuality and IMHO and def went up to the line of not crossing over the PG13 rating.

    ETA: Here’s my “full” twitter review of the movie. Short review…see it or the music and if you are a fan of the band and Freddie Mercury. Oh and Remi Malek…DEF should be ready for an Oscar nom…even if the critic reviews for the flick was mixed (although the audience cinemascore was an A), the consensus is that Malek IS the stand out!

  24. 24.

    Snarkworth, short-fingered Bulgarian

    @Yarrow: I’m with you about voting for each office rather than punching the straight-ticket button. It feels so good to bash the buttons individually. “Take that (punch) and THAT (punch) aaaand…THAT!! (punch)”

  25. 25.

    Ruckus

    When I was filling out my ballot, every time I got to not vote for republican, I think I looked like the right picture. A take that, asshole kind of thing. Felt good.

  27. 27.

    TenguPhule

    @Chip Daniels:

    For anyone who is anxious about tomorrow, one thing to keep in mind is that no matter what happens, we are still in for a long war over freedom and justice.

    The battle of Midway and this time we don’t know if we’ll manage to find and sink their carriers first.

  29. 29.

    Ruckus

    @germy:
    Saw those in a couple of Dodger’s games I went to with dad in the early 60s. Seemed strange in LA but then suits and ties were still rather common up until about then. And yes, I refuse to talk about the suit mom made me wear for easter one year. Use your imagination.

  31. 31.

    TenguPhule

    I will just note that the attempted assassination of multiple Democrats by pipebomb has completely dropped out of the news in favor of non-stop “CARAVAN OOGABOOGA” coverage.

    This timeline is so fucking bad. The media has learned nothing from “But her emails!”

  34. 34.

    Spanky

    @TenguPhule:

    Speaking of whales, the one of the fisherman jumping on a humpback to free it from a rope was exciting.

    Ahab tried that, and look what happened to him.

  37. 37.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @TenguPhule:
    Thanks. I got a little worried when you didn’t reply to my mea culpa last thread. I thought you might have been mad at me still.

    Anyway, here’s hoping for tomorrow. Plan to watch the returns on TV or just wait until the next day?

  38. 38.

    TenguPhule

    @Ruckus:

    And yes, I refuse to talk about the suit mom made me wear for easter one year. Use your imagination.

    You were the basis for the “A Christmas Story” outfit?

  39. 39.

    Mary G

    @lamh36: Happy (belated?) birthday! ⭐??????

    I love Queen almost as much as I love David Bowie, I was going to wait until it came out on digital, but I think I will make the teens go with me to see it this weekend, after hearing from you and geg6.

  40. 40.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Ruckus:

    And yes, I refuse to talk about the suit mom made me wear for easter one year. Use your imagination.</blockquote

    As long as it wasn't for your birthday.

    ETA: Damn blockquote fail.

  41. 41.

    germy

    @Spanky: Possibly his mother had something to do with it as well. She was a writer and editor.

    Roger edited “later years” James Thurber, which couldn’t have been an easy job.

  43. 43.

    Spanky

    Hey WaPo! What’s so difficult about using the word “lying”?

    ‘Full Trumpism’: The president’s apocalyptic attacks reach a new level of falsity

  46. 46.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @lamh36: I doubt if I will see it. Moving in my circles in the 80s Mercury was a known pedophile. I have no plan to celebrate that.

  47. 47.

    Ruckus

    @ruemara:
    Now that’s just mean…..he said giggling
    No it was a regular suit for a 4-6 yr old. Boy. My sister gave me the picture 2-3 yrs before she passed, all family pictures over the ages, the album was titled dysfunctionalfamilyalbum. I’d forgotten about the suit, more like blocked it out in my mind, thankfully. The color was the issue. OK and the suit itself as well.

  58. 58.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mary G:

    Most people (at least most jackals) probably know this, but in case someone doesn’t: Roger Angell was the stepson of E. B. White (of Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and “Strunk & White” fame).

  60. 60.

    Mary G

    Ugh, this is horrible:

    BREAKING: CREW discovered that Ivanka Trump’s business just won approval for 16 new Chinese trademarks, even though the brand shut down this summer. One of the trademarks covers voting machines.https://t.co/NLrJ9vGQf4— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) November 5, 2018

    They will not go gently.

  61. 61.

    Kent

    @TenguPhule:

    The battle of Midway and this time we don’t know if we’ll manage to find and sink their carriers first.

    Actually a stunningly apt analogy. It’s been since the early part of WWII that we went into major battles not knowing how they were going to come out and only hoping that we have done everything possible to tilt the odds in our favor. Or, in this case whether we manage to overcome all the odds tilted against us in terms of money, gerrymandering, vote suppression, etc.

  70. 70.

    germy

    @John Revolta: Benchley could be salty when not in public. He told John O’Hara “John, I’m your friend, and all your friends know you’re a son of a bitch.”

    EDIT: When Benchley died, O’Hara inherited his banjo mandolin.

  72. 72.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Actually, I’m feeling pretty good about most of our statewide and local races. We should win senator, governor and secretary of state handily. My congressman will win easily too. Much tighter are the races for NM CD-2 (Xochitl Torres Small) and land commissioner, and I am feeling pessimistic about the latter election in particular. I hope to be pleasantly surprised. I’m also going canvassing again tomorrow morning so as not to rely overmuch on hope.

    I also think that we’ll take back the House of Representatives by a healthy margin. The Senate, not so much. Every possible digit is crossed for O’Rourke, Abrams, and Gillum. Never learned how to cross my eyes, so someone else will have to do that instead.

  73. 73.

    divF

    Re: the donkey nannies. When Madame was in med school, she participated in an emergency drill during her pediatrics rotation which involved wrapping up newborns and placing them in vests much like the donkey is wearing. They did not go to the next step, which was to climb down a ladder to escape the building.

  74. 74.

    geg6

    @Yarrow:

    No, we haven’t named her yet. We’ll have to soon, though. I’m hoping to get a picture to TaMara when I can get her to hold still. Maybe the BJers will have some good options (like Amy Winehouse!).

  75. 75.

    Uncle Ebeneezer

    @Mary G: For anyone who wants to hear a much more strongly worded argument, check out Rod’s rant at the beginning of yesterdays episode of TheBlackGuyWhoTips. TLDL- he calls out and eviscerates the activists who are urging people not to vote or making excuses for doing so. It’s brutally honest and great. (starts around the 7 minute mark)

    Note: it is specifically directed at Black non-voters, but the same principles apply to the White people who choose not to vote or throw their vote to a 3rd Party while pretending that they are not choosing to fuck over marginalized groups.

  76. 76.

    Death Panel Truck

    @lamh36: That movie rewrites history in quite a cynical fashion – it has Mercury telling his band mates he was HIV+ just before Live Aid in 1985, when in reality he wasn’t diagnosed until 1987. If the filmmaker is willing to tell the big lies, he’s willing to tell the small ones, too. Hard pass.

  77. 77.

    Platonailedit

    Just watched a 30 min panorama piece on bbc. The ‘reporter’ kept going back to the same 3 or 4 trumpturds in W Va, who claimed fealty to him despite their shitty lifes, and predicted armageddon like ‘civil war’ if the traitorous thug is impeached. On fucking bbc. Journalism is dead.

  80. 80.

    PaulWartenberg

    I’m with Saturday Night Live about this Tuesday’s election: I AM ANXIOUS LIKE A MOFO.

    http://noticeatrend.blogspot.com/2018/11/midterms-2018-anxiety-yes.html

    And yes, all because 2016 we saw Hope give us NOTHING because of questionable polling, targeted voter suppression, likely Russian hacking, and an antiquated Electoral College system that skews results to small states that mock the nation’s majority of voters.

    I mean, the polling NOW is supposed to be better… and here in Florida I see a LOT MORE enthusiasm for Gillum that can translate into a broader Blue Wave here in a battleground state… and for all the voter suppression efforts by the GOP they can’t stop ALL of US, hopefully.. and the odds all favor Dems taking the House, right? RIGHT? RIGHT!??!?!?!!?!?!!?!!?!!?!?!! (gasp) (inhale) (panicked praying to Old Gods and New)

    Yeah, Tuesday night is gonna be a night where I wish I developed a sense of smell to drink beer early and often.

  82. 82.

    germy

    @John Revolta: Good question. Some contemporary comedians have never heard of him, and some idolize him. Hell, twenty-something standup comedians are giving humorous powerpoint presentations. I imagine the Harvard grads know all about him because of the Harvard Lampoon and Hasty Pudding, etc.

    Have you read the biography his son wrote? It’s charming while ignoring the sensationalistic aspects of Robert’s adventures.

  83. 83.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    I’m hopeful. I’m terrified. I’m hopeful. I’m terrified. I’m hopeful…

    I’m assuming there will be lots of live-blogging tomorrow night. I’m going to try to distract myself till 9 pm before I start looking.

  85. 85.

    Catherine Pierce

    My car engine started hissing last night when I turned it off. I’m currently waiting for the dealer to get back to me so I can find out if driving 6.6 miles will make it explode.

    Does the Balloon-juice hive mind have an opinion? The internet says it is either an overheating problem or a leak in a vacuum line.

  86. 86.

    Yarrow

    @Mary G: I cannot wait for Kremlin Barbie to pay for her treason. Azerbaijan and China are where she’s going to be in big trouble. So her nonexistent company got trademarks. Add it to the charges. Her turn is coming. Tick tock.

  88. 88.

    TenguPhule

    @Yarrow:

    You know the caravan story will be off the news on Wednesday. Just like Ebola was after that election.

    We can only hope. Because if its not, its Riechstag time.

  89. 89.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Listening to John Kasich, Republican governor of Ohio, bragging about how he implemented Obamacare, which word he’s careful not to use, and talking about how he doesn’t see leaders in either party and he doesn’t know what Democrats stand for.

    All the MSNBC panelists are being very polite and not calling him on his bullshit

    ETA: my god, he’s a rambling idiot

  90. 90.

    TenguPhule

    @PaulWartenberg:

    I mean, the polling NOW is supposed to be better

    Hell, the voting machines and processes were supposed to be better. I asked this last year and was told about all these people and organizations working on making sure that THIS TIME it gets done right. And still the same old shit from the same usual suspect States. Its maddening.

  92. 92.

    geg6

    @eemom:

    Bullshit. There were no bad faith moments in the film. His bisexuality was definitely covered. Mary, the female love interest, was in his life until he died and he left her a large portion of his estate. His last lover was portrayed very sweetly and sympathetically. And the idea that this was some kind of bitter slap by Brian May and Roger Tayler is ridiculous. It’s a loving portrayal of him. I’m sorry, but if the Sasha Baron Cohen version of this film had been what they went with (with graphic sex scenes and all), it would have been not only a film that wouldn’t currently be topping the box office, but a repudiation of the privacy that Freddie Mercury always erected around his personal life. The asshole that wrote that review knows nothing at all about Queen and their creative process and nothing at all about Freddie Mercury. Yes, there are some things that are changed from the complete facts, but that is true in any biopic that wants to clock in at less than five hours. None of my LGBTQ friends felt the way this reviewer did about the film. I’ll take their word (all OG Queen fans) over this idiot’s.

  93. 93.

    oldgold

    The photo in the post reminds me of a quip Winston Churchill made about his political opponent Clement Attlee: “A sheep in sheep’s clothing.”

  94. 94.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    it’s barely a blip on the radar of filth at this point, but…. ew

    Sam Stein @ samstein
    Trump just complained that PC culture doesn’t allow him to say that his daughter is beautiful

  95. 95.

    germy

    @geg6: Do they use the original Queen recordings or did they recreate all the music? That must be the toughest part of a movie like this, getting the music right.

  98. 98.

    Jeffg166

    I put my limited Christmas decorations up this afternoon. If it isn’t up for two months why bother.

  100. 100.

    Brachiator

    @eemom:

    Was surprised to see this given what I’ve heard from folks here. Haven’t seen it myself.

    Bohemian Rhapsody Is an Insult to Freddie Mercury

    I know there are other negative reviews but this one is particularly scathing (e.g., “gay shaming”).

    What a load of crap.

    Here is the only thing worth quoting from the article you linked to.

    Mercury was never out to the general public, never spoke about his sexuality to the press, and there are conflicting remembrances about how open he was and to whom.

    And the movie is true to this.

    I was not a huge Queen fan. But I really enjoyed this movie. I totally understand that Freddie Mercury is a gay icon, but I don’t know that he was trying for this himself (I think he would happily accept it). The film greatly succeeds in two huge areas: given a sense of Mercury’s emotional life and in showing off the amazing musicianship of the band. And of course, Mercury’s incredible stage presence.

    You can also see how this is an “authorized biography,” which means that the surviving members of the band, and perhaps Mercury”s family and friends wanted to make sure that the most acceptable image of everyone is depicted. Otherwise you would not have any movie at all. But the music, and other views of Mercury and Queen can be found by anyone who wants that sort of thing. In the meantime, the film itself rocks.

  102. 102.

    geg6

    @germy:

    They use the original. Although I read an interview with the cast and they said that they always sang during the scenes because, with the original tracks playing, they could and they said it made them get into it more. Also, the scene where Roger Taylor is recording the “Galileo”s is actually the actor. I was impressed to learn that.

  104. 104.

    SenyorDave

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Trump just complained that PC culture doesn’t allow him to say that his daughter is beautiful

    He’s pissed because he can’t call her a nice piece of ass like Howard Stern did while Trump was on the show, and you can hear Trump laughing in the background. If I was in a similar situation I’d be looking to take Mr. Stern out back and kick his ass.

  107. 107.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Brachiator:

    Here is the only thing worth quoting from the article you linked to.

    Mercury was never out to the general public, never spoke about his sexuality to the press, and there are conflicting remembrances about how open he was and to whom.

    Pretty much.

  108. 108.

    Mary G

    Come on Iowa, do the right thing:

    Rep. Steve King just now in Hampton, Iowa, talking about the courts, says after the election maybe “we’ll have a 7-2 court” and maybe we’ll get lucky and “Kagan and Sotomayor will elope to Cuba.”— Adam Rubenstein (@RubensteinAdam) November 5, 2018

  110. 110.

    catclub

    @TenguPhule:

    And still the same old shit from the same usual suspect States.

    It is almost as if you needed a Voting Rights Act to impinge on the equal dignitude of some states that cannot seem to produce fair elections.

  114. 114.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Mary G: There’s a good chance the IA delegation will change from 3R-1D to 1R-3D. That may have to be the best IA can do. OTOH, maybe NW IA will surprise me.

    ETA: I think of it as the IA version of the 27% crazification rule.

  115. 115.

    Brachiator

    @Uncle Ebeneezer:

    For anyone who wants to hear a much more strongly worded argument, check out Rod’s rant at the beginning of yesterdays episode of TheBlackGuyWhoTips. TLDL- he calls out and eviscerates the activists who are urging people not to vote or making excuses for doing so. It’s brutally honest and great. (starts around the 7 minute mark)

    I was thinking about posting a link to this. Glad you beat me to it. Definitely worth a listen.

  117. 117.

    Jay

    “This is unambiguously fascist rhetoric. These words were spoken immediately after three mass murders were committed by right wingers against perceived enemies of Trump’s white nationalist state, while another Trump supporter attempted to assassinate two ex-presidents, along with other anti-Trump political figures.

    Why does the New York Times, which, like the rest of the mainstream media, has been identified by Trump as an “enemy of the people” (again, this is unambiguously fascist rhetoric in its most classic form) continue to treat Trump and Trump supporters as something other than a fascist authoritarian and his collaborators and enablers?”

    http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/11/new-york-times-publishing-fascist-propaganda

  118. 118.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: It’s the standard sexual predator response, isn’t it? The inability to distinguish between criminal /predatory behavior and normal human behavior.

    “Saying you want to screw your daughter is bad”
    “See? I can’t even say my daughter is beautiful!”

    “Please don’t rape women in your workplace.”
    “See? We’ve outlawed harmless flirting!”

  119. 119.

    Uncle Cosmo

    Late to the thread as ever, & rather o/t, but…

    One of Fiedler’s singular accomplishments was to propose a SF novel for consideration the National Book Award in 1973 (though the notion apparently fell flat with the other judges). The book in question, The Iron Dream, by the consistently-underestimated-except-by-fellow-SF-writers Norman Spinrad, is still well worth it. Readers with even a nodding acquaintance with the conventions of heroic fantasy & a bit of real-world detachment will have their cage rather thoroughly rattled – particularly in this day & age.

  120. 120.

    Yarrow

    @Mary G: I mentioned this yesterday, but I met Julián Castro and heard him say a few words. He said he couldn’t wait to hear the the news say that J.D. Scholten has won and Steve King has lost. This was not in Iowa. Made wonder if he knows something we don’t know. Maybe that race is closer than we dare think.

  121. 121.

    Aleta

    Dominic Holden @dominicholden
    DOJ sending staff to monitor 35 jurisdictions for compliance with voting rights laws — here’s DOJ press release with the list.

    Only 35?

    I counted:
    4 locations in Alaska; 4 in AZ
    3 locations in FL, 3 in TX
    2 locations in CA, GA, MA, NEV, NJ, ND
    1 location in IA, KS, NY, OK, PA, RI, SD, UT, VA
    (Specifics at @dominicholden.)

  122. 122.

    Brachiator

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    I’m assuming there will be lots of live-blogging tomorrow night. I’m going to try to distract myself till 9 pm before I start looking.

    I’m going to relax, watch a movie, and try not to look at any election coverage until Wednesday morning.

    Also, I early voted and don’t have to worry about getting to my polling place.

  123. 123.

    TS (the original)

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: And if you look at the front page of the WaPo at the minute (I refuse to give NYT a click so don’t know about it) 99% of stories are positive to democrats. Not a RWNJ pundit is in sight. After 2 years of supporting trump – suddenly the media sees good in Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Suddenly the media sees the racism in Donald trump & refuses his ads. Suddenly my a… The media sees a blue wave tomorrow and they want to have access to the winners or be on the right side of history.

    Media does what is good for media – I spit on their 2 year support for racist bigots.

  124. 124.

    Yarrow

    @Jay:

    Why does the New York Times, which, like the rest of the mainstream media, has been identified by Trump as an “enemy of the people” (again, this is unambiguously fascist rhetoric in its most classic form) continue to treat Trump and Trump supporters as something other than a fascist authoritarian and his collaborators and enablers?”

    Because they’re working for someone else, not the people who buy their papers. When the boss says do something they do it. The boss apparently doesn’t want them to point out the fascism and authoritarianism of the current regime so they don’t.

  125. 125.

    Kelly

    We’re gonna do a little work on a Santiam Pass XC ski trail tomorrow. That’ll keep us out in the fresh air until election results start to come in. Fresh air and a little sweat is always relaxing.

  127. 127.

    Brachiator

    @Jay:

    Why does the New York Times, which, like the rest of the mainstream media, has been identified by Trump as an “enemy of the people” (again, this is unambiguously fascist rhetoric in its most classic form) continue to treat Trump and Trump supporters as something other than a fascist authoritarian and his collaborators and enablers?”

    They still don’t think it can happen here in the good old United States of America.

  128. 128.

    Mnemosyne

    @Brachiator:

    I went to Pasadena to try and early vote yesterday, and I couldn’t get near the place, so I’ll be at my polling place bright and early tomorrow instead. At least my sample ballot is all filled out.

  130. 130.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: It’s amazing that we have an openly racist President and yet 40% of the population are cool supporting him and the entire GOP votes in lockstep to support his policies. I no longer wonder how Germany ended up with Hitler.

  131. 131.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @JPL: Heh> I sometimes wonder if Tiffany is gonna turn out to the be the Ron Reagan of the clan

  133. 133.

    ruemara

    @Patricia Kayden: They just don’t believe it will be that bad. In the movies, there’s always that one person who sees their buddy as a zombie, shambling towards them. They’re ALWAYS asking, “Hey, you ok? You need help?” until their now zombie buddy eats their face. The dumbest fucker. Now you know that frustrating character has very large numbers.

  134. 134.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Patricia Kayden: it’s profoundly depressing. I keep coming back to Jamelle Bouie’s (I think it was his) about white people who think racism is just bad manners (I think he used it specifically with regard to the political chattering class). I never bought into the idea that we had reached a post-racial world, but it seems like the rot is spreading, or just revealing itself more and more.

  135. 135.

    Brachiator

    @Mnemosyne:

    I went to Pasadena to try and early vote yesterday, and I couldn’t get near the place, so I’ll be at my polling place bright and early tomorrow instead.

    Wow. I guess the word got out. When I went, last weekend Sunday, there were no lines or long waits.

  137. 137.

    mad citizen

    OMG, trumpov is doing a rally in my hometown of Fort Wayne Indiana tonight for the R senate candidate. Large crowd expected at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum–hey that’s where I saw REO Speedwagon and caught a drumstick at my first rock show.

    Although Donnelly is my blue dog Senator I have to vote for, hopefully I’ll get some satisfaction with a victory tomorrow night.

  138. 138.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Jay: The short answer is that FTFNYT is trying to have it both ways – preserve its reputation as a cultural icon while soliciting clicks from the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers it despises because they’re stupid enough to buy the shit being hawked by advertisers willing to pay for exposure. Or something like that.

    There’s a quote in the comments to that LGM piece: “…[T]he Mercers and Kochs liked what Trump was doing so they threatened to cut off the money if the GOP tried to crown Jeb or Rubio.” Bangalore! The Global Oligarchs are in the same relation to Trump as were the German industrialists with Hitler in 1933: He’s doing (as is Putin) the things they want – letting them loot the planet while destroying any governmental entity that might be strong enough to block them – & they figure they can control his excesses. Bad idea.

  140. 140.

    Kent

    @catclub:

    I no longer wonder how Germany ended up with Hitler.
    . . .

    Germany voted for Hitler when unemployment was 47%. We are not in that territory at the moment.

    In the last free and fair election in Germany, the German Federal Election in November 1932 the Nazi’s got 33% of the vote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_federal_election,_November_1932 Hindenburg reluctantly appointed Hitler chancelor after a coalition government failed to form. After that the Nazi’s began to dismantle the democratic institutions and seize power through undemocratic means. They held another election in 1933 after the Nazi’s unleashed a reign of terror on other parties and still didn’t manage to win a majority.

    A majority of Germans never voted for the Nazi’s in any free election ever.

  146. 146.

    Brachiator

    @Kent:

    A majority of Germans never voted for the Nazi’s in any free election ever.

    A majority of Americans did not vote for Trump.

  147. 147.

    Kent

    @Brachiator:

    A majority of Americans did not vote for Trump

    You are right of course. But a whole lot more voted for Trump than ever voted for Hitler. In fact a very tiny fraction of Germans ever voted for Hitler directly as it was a parliamentary democracy so they voted for their own local Nazis. They had a separate presidential election in 1932 and Hitler was trounced by Hindenburg. 49% to 33%

    The point is that the Nazi’s never came close to a parliamentary or presidential majority ever. They seized power through other means.

  150. 150.

    Amir Khalid

    @germy:
    Tht is usually not done, of course. I do remember reading that the actors who played The Doors in the Jim Morrison biopic actually performed in public as a Doors cover band.

  151. 151.

    J R in WV

    @Catherine Pierce:

    A car won’t overheat in 7 miles unless all the coolant is gone from the radiator. A vacuum leak won’t harm much at all, something might not work that needs vacuum. Looking in the radiator for fluid is easy, there’s a push down and twist cap on most of them and it’s safe to look it it’s cool to the touch. There’s usually a mess of spraying fluids if the cooling system is failing and it’s still hot.

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