Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

We’re not going back!

House Speaker candidate unfamiliar with how to win non-gerrymandered election.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

That pie keeps getting more and more forks, reducing anyone’s chance of even a Perot.

“In the name of Zandar, I will fight the Stupid!”

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

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

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson: the bland and smiling face of evil.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

A consequence of cucumbers

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

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

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Post-Thanksgiving Open Thread: Replete

Post-Thanksgiving Open Thread: Replete

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  1. 1.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    May we all open our hearts and reach across tables today. May we all find hopes and values in common. May there be pie. Happy Thanksgiving.

    “Lock her up!!!!”

  2. 2.

    Yutsano

    I’m thankful we at least have the House.

    I’m thankful we can start to at least mitigate the damage happening now.

    I’m thankful that liberal policy might be on its way back.

    And I’m really thankful for y’all. I started lurking around 2009. Finally broke in around 2010. Have loved this ride ever since.

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    As a cake person, will never capiche dessert pie love.

    There’s a high end bakery here whose pies my friends ooh and ah over. Straight sugar would be less sweet.

  5. 5.

    Wag

    What an amazing Twitter thread. it is the best thing that I’ve read that truly captures why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
    thanks for sharing it.

  6. 6.

    A Ghost To Most

    I’m thankful that the Sentinelese people had the good sense to kill the outlaw christian book banger before he could infect them with his lies. Hopefully, he did not infect them with disease.

  8. 8.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    I’m thankful for all the wonderful jackals I’ve gotten to “meet” here over the last 2 years. I was a lurker for many years and finally decided to dip my toe in the water around May of 2017. I haven’t looked back since. I’m thankful for the conversations I’ve taken part in and the advice that I’ve gotten, even if I regrettably didn’t always take it.

  13. 13.

    Major Major Major Major

    We doing the thankful thing?

    A lot of my dreams came true this year, and I’m thankful for everybody’s help and support along the way. Thankful the election went as predicted, though it could have been better obviously. Thankful that my friends & family are mostly healthy.

    Oh and there was a ridiculously attractive gentleman at the thanksgiving dinner we crashed, so that was nice too.

  15. 15.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @A Ghost To Most:
    That’s true. I was researching this a bit and discovered that after a time, inbreeding wouldn’t be a problem since in such an environment and society those with the genetic defects would die before being able to reproduce. They likely wouldn’t be treated like European royals.

  16. 16.

    A Ghost To Most

    The title said something about The Book of Mormon, of which I am ignorant (musical).

    I hope the translation is “Keep that bullshit to yourself”.

  17. 17.

    Boussinesque

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: I’m glad that you delurked. I’ve been reading the site for a decade but only started commenting around the same time as you, and I think the rash of new commenters gave me the courage to finally join the conversation.

    And I’m thankful for this entire community, as intelligent, humane, contentious, and kind as it is. Happy holidays, jackals!

  18. 18.

    NotMax

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Also an apparent aversion to or possibly taboo about green items.

    …When a group of archaeologists managed to reach relatively close to the island without being shot at with arrows, they [the natives] received buckets as gifts, in red and green colours along with pigs. The poor pigs were killed and buried. Strangely, the Sentinelese took the red buckets but left the green ones on the shore.… Source

  20. 20.

    Boussinesque

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: I’m glad that you delurked. I’ve been reading the site for a decade but only started commenting around the same time as you, and I think the rash of new commenters gave me the courage to finally join the conversation.

    And I’m thankful for this entire community, as intelligent, humane, contentious, and kind as it is. Happy holidays, jackals!

  21. 21.

    Mike in NC

    Dinner guests all left by around 7:30, and it’s now 10:00, so cleanup of the dining room and kitchen took about 2-1/2 hours. Doing the second load of dishes right now. Utterly exhausted! Popped a couple of Ibuprofen and fixed a cocktail to unwind. Next year somebody else will host Thanksgiving.

  22. 22.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Oh and there was a ridiculously attractive gentleman at the thanksgiving dinner we crashed, so that was nice too

    Does Mr. Major Major Major Major know about this? //

  23. 23.

    NotMax

    @A Ghost To Most

    Just listen. The musical (by the team responsible for South Park) is pointedly anti-religion. Your guess at the translation is mild in comparison to the actual one in the lyrics.

  24. 24.

    Steeplejack

    Interesting that the very first comment on Hillary Clinton’s Twitter post is some nimrod saying “I’m very thankful you’ll never be president.” There are a lot of negative comments, of course, but I wonder at the level of obsession or whatever to camp out on her feed so that you can be sure to get in a negative comment right away.

    I know it takes no effort to “follow” someone’s feed, but if you really, really hate someone, why would you want to be peppered with every comment they post? Rhetorical question.

  26. 26.

    raven

    It was just us and a neighbor for dinner and we watched “The Russian Are Coming” after. Seeing all the panic about the Russkie’s made me realize we’ve been a chickenshit nation for a while. Anyway I started the day on BJ with this link about my buddy who was KIA 50 years ago today and I’ll end it the same way.

    PFC Andy Stein
    E 2/7
    USMC

  31. 31.

    Chetan Murthy

    I’m thankful to live in a city and state surrounded by people of color and LGBTQ folks. And by white people who are thankful for those folks, too. I’m especially thankful for all the grandmas and aunts who made this election win happen. And especially so for my niece and nephews.

    And now a bleg: I listen to Youtube for music (like the youngs, so I hear; I’m young and heart, I swear! haha, no, I’m ollld). And recently I find myself listening to Bonnie Raitt. She’s supposed to be a country singer, but honestly, I can’t see much difference in a lot of her music, from many modern blues singers. So, two questions:

    (1) is this a reasonable characterization of her work? [well, maybe I shouldn’t care — I like it]

    (2) are there other singers like her, that I oughta know of? I listen to Beth Hart already.

  33. 33.

    Fair Economist

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:

    I’m surprised, given the official estimates of 40-500 inhabitants, that the Sentinelese haven’t become extremely inbred.

    It takes a while, generally centuries to millennia even in a population that size. I suspect they weren’t quite so hostile to outsiders before the Europeans came, and even 1 migrant per generation is enough to largely keep inbreeding in check.

    Besides, they might be rather inbred. It’s not like we would know if their infant mortality rate was 3x what it should be.

  34. 34.

    A Ghost To Most

    @Boussinesque: It’s good to get some folks in to counter us old cranks. I’m so old here, I remember when Raven was stuckInRed, and I was fupDuck. Lots of right wingers who faded away after JC’s “conversion”. This was a much wilder place then. Times change, but JC did a good thing, although he might not admit it. Besides, how many full-service blogs do you know of?

  36. 36.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @A Ghost To Most: @Suzanne:

    Missionary organizations are calling him a “martyr” and the family even called upon the Indian government to release the fishermen who took him to the island, saying he was “acting under his own free will”. Sorry, that doesn’t excuse culpable homicide.

  37. 37.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Chetan Murthy:
    Always considered Bonnie Rait more blues than country. You might enjoy Tedeschi-Trucks….Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks…bluesy with a touch of Allmans.

  38. 38.

    A Ghost To Most

    @Suzanne: Why would you feel shame? He broke the law and endangered the population by his mere presence, because he was convinced his BS was more important than their lives.

    The asshole asked for it.

  39. 39.

    Boussinesque

    @A Ghost To Most: I’ve never been at any blog quite like this. Back in the day, I started at Pharyngula and Pandagon, but even they weren’t as wide-ranging as here, I think. I consider this place my home on the Internet, and I feel indebted to all the diversity of experience I get a window into from the commenters here. I remember some of the older names, but they’ve kind of faded over the years, although I do recall Omnes’ stalker’s ‘nym, for whatever reason (strange the things the brain will latch onto).

  42. 42.

    NotMax

    @raven

    Not to be a downer, but what transpired 55 years ago today also needs to be acknowledged

    For us olds, seems more like 55 minutes ago.

  43. 43.

    frosty

    @raven: I watched that movie last year and it still held up pretty well. Alan Arkin was great and Jonathan Winters was, well, Jonathan Winters. Also great.

  44. 44.

    Steeplejack

    @raven:

    I need to go visit the wall. My Uncle Dean is on there (KIA in ’64). Died just short of his 32nd birthday. I went to the site you linked this morning, and seeing his picture really hit me.

    RIP to your buddy.

  46. 46.

    Chetan Murthy

    @frosty:

    Bonnie Raitt is a blues singer

    Interesting. Growing up in Texas, she was always known as a country singer. But hey, it’s all good. I can listen to her *now*. Ha!

  47. 47.

    frosty

    @Boussinesque:

    I consider this place my home on the Internet, and I feel indebted to all the diversity of experience I get a window into from the commenters here.

    That’s exactly how I feel too. Thanks for everything, JGC and jackals!

  49. 49.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Boussinesque:
    I’ve seen you around every once in awhile. You should comment more often. It’s good to belong to a community like this.
    @Fair Economist:
    That’s what I found when I was looking that up. Reddit is good for some things. I even found out that the Amish were suffering from genetic disorders.

  50. 50.

    Suzanne

    @A Ghost To Most: I feel bad because somebody died, and it didn’t have to be that way, and the missionary probably did think he was doing something good and now he will never learn that he was wrong. I’m not losing sleep over it, because he did undoubtedly bring it on himself.

  54. 54.

    Steve in the ATL

    @frosty: Winters was an incredible talent. And he totally didn’t stain his legacy with his role on “Mork and Mindy”.

    Na-Nu Na-Nu!

  55. 55.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Suzanne:
    That’s sort of how I feel about people convicted of murder. I feel bad in the sense that a lot human potential was wasted; their lives were thrown away in such a senseless act, as well as those of their victims.

  60. 60.

    lollipopguild

    @NotMax: “The Russians are Coming!, The Russians are Coming!” In trump’s case they are already here. Very funny movie, a great cast of actors.

  64. 64.

    Mnemosyne

    @Suzanne:

    It’s not uncommon for religious people who have suicidal feelings to seek out dangerous situations that are likely to lead to their deaths so they won’t have the sin of deliberate suicide on their souls. Given the very nasty reputation of this particular island and native people, I strongly suspect that’s what was going on with this guy.

  66. 66.

    different-church-lady

    @frosty: Some of it hasn’t aged well, but a lot of it is still just as jaw-dropping as when I was a kid.

    There’s this moment where Phil Silvers does a simple double take, and I watched it like 37 times trying to figure out why it was so funny, and still couldn’t.

  67. 67.

    MattF

    Well, at the moment I’m listening to Gillian Welch singing ‘The way that it goes’. Gives me Chills.

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    @Major Major Major Major

    …There is, however, only one name that has been synonymous with New York cheesecake for over six decades, and that name is Junior’s. Source

    Google tells me they also have a Times Square location. Dunno if it’s on a par with the old original.

  69. 69.

    Boussinesque

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I don’t comment as frequently just because I’m usually late to threads, and it’s hard to get long enough breaks during work to comment. That, and I often feel like others have already said everything I’d want to say, and I’m reluctant to comment if all I have to add is “right on!”.

    But thank you for the sentiments, and I’ll try to comment more frequently. =3

  70. 70.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Major Major Major Major:
    I actually was not. Didn’t watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That’s super cool though! I tried watching some of Super but it has a different tone then what I remember of Dragon Ball. That includes the DB and Z. I suppose, in the case of Z, that has a lot to do with the soundtrack and scrip. DBS is more obviously aimed at small children, imo, then DB or Z were.

  73. 73.

    TomatoQueen

    @Chetan Murthy: You ask about Bonnie Raitt. She is a blues singer and guitar player and was very much a part of the blues revival, which reintroduced Sippie Wallace and Alberta Hunter to new audiences in the early 70s, as a denizen of the Boston folk/blues scene (where I first saw her). The inflection point album for her was Give It Up, same era. I saw her in London in the summer of 1977 at Hammersmith Odeon in mid-August (you could smoke and drink in those old palaces then), surprise guest one Elton John. What a night that was. Her father was John Raitt, who originated the role of Billy Bigelow in Carousel. Not a country singer, altho’ you’ll find cross-over among the session musicians on some of her albums.

  81. 81.

    Jay

    @Suzanne:

    A quick google search would have informed the ignorant that he was a direct threat to the continued existence of the Islanders, than they were to him.

  82. 82.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Suzanne: Yeah, I agree. You read someone’s work for long enough and value it, and, well, sure they occasionally fly off the handle. Who amongst us does not?

  92. 92.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Oh. Anyway, I remembered the Pathfork website you created a year or so ago. I was looking through it and discovered some of my ideas I had written up. It never got past the basic descriptions for settings/characters and plot summaries, but it I feel like I could use some of the material for a short story.

    Here’s a description for a setting:

    Terra, Sol System, United Imperium of Terra (3500 CE)

    An interstellar confederacy of thousands of star systems, it is the most oppressive totalitarian regime in human (terran) history. The Imperium is spread out over 20,000 light years, approximately 20% of the length of the Milky Way Galaxy. The UIT’s main rival is the Aujornis Union (AU).

    Terra, known as Earth in the distant past, is the homeworld of humanity. It is also the capital of the United Imperium of Terra. The UIT is a post-scarcity civilization.

    It is primarily a civilian world, with tens of billions of terran inhabitants.

    The independent thought of nearly all of its exclusively human inhabitants is curtailed. It is impossible to disobey the orders of the Imperator (and agents acting in his name, also under his absolute control). Much like the Imperial Japanese of old or the Germans under Hitler’s reign, citizens possess a fanatical sense of love and respect for Imperator Dominatus. All aspects of life are strictly controlled by the imperial government and their planetary-level counterparts. The Imperium is largely peaceful and orderly but culturally stagnant. Like their imperator, terrans are incredibly xenophobic and live to serve the Imperator, whom they worship as a deity.

    Approximately 1% of all terrans are unable to be fully controlled by the Xanos beams that are broadcast across the UIT, so traditional propaganda is used to augment the Xanos device. These terrans are vulnerable to the (an immortal like Imperator Dominatus) resistance movement. The Imperium has its own secret police force, the Imperial Security Directorate (ISD), to identify potential political dissidents as well as foreign spies. The director of the ISD report to the Imperator himself.

    I was thinking of the short story involving an interrogation scene of a supposed rebel. I’m not sure what the rest of the plot would be, but I know I want to do that type of scene.

  95. 95.

    MissBarbie

    @A Ghost To Most: I heartily concur. As soon as someone uses the word “Satan” in an unironic manner,
    I’m forced to assume that the speaker is either an idiot or a conman.

  98. 98.

    J R in WV

    @Chetan Murthy:

    And recently I find myself listening to Bonnie Raitt. She’s supposed to be a country singer, but honestly, I can’t see much difference in a lot of her music, from many modern blues singers.

    NO, no. I don’t know where you could have gotten the idea she’s a country singer. She’s pure blues, slide guitar, the works. Have seen her several times, wonderful performer in the blues styles.

  99. 99.

    NotMax

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise….

    Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency….

    Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Imperator….

    Our *four*…

    :)

  100. 100.

    Jay

    I’m thankfull Gavin McInnes is disavowing the Proud Boys now that they are a “extremist” organization,

    So who’s going to tell the Proud Boys when it’s okay to masturbate, now?

  102. 102.

    Burnspbesq

    @Chetan Murthy:

    Where did you get the idea that Bonnie Raitt is or ever was a country singer? She comes from a musical background (her father was a huge musical-theater star in the 1950s), but she discovered the blues as a teen and that’s where she first came to notoriety. FWIW, my personal view is that Sweet Forgiveness (1977) is her best record.

    If you like Beth Hart, Susan Tedeschi should be right up your alley.

  105. 105.

    Mary G

    Just got back from dinner with old friends, where we had a lovely talk about how much we hate the president, and ate turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and all the usual stuff, came in the house and there is a big party with ham, beef and a million other things here. I’ll finally have some leftovers tomorrow!

  106. 106.

    Burnspbesq

    If you want to hear something completely-out-of-left-field amazing on YouTube, check out sacred-steel band The Campbell Brothers’ take on “A Love Supreme.”

  109. 109.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    From the last thread:

    @raven: Maintaining altitude here, in a holding pattern waiting to discuss lower back surgery with the neuro. It seems that my lower half doesn’t want to keep supporting the upper half. Other than that, doing well and working my ass off.

    I caught your post earlier about your brother. One of too many lost, every one of them forever missed by their loved ones.

  112. 112.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    Also, from the same setting from the same “story” I was working on at the time:

    Aujorn, Sindous System, Aujornis Union (3500 C.E.)
    A federal union of 300 star systems containing thousands of inhabited worlds spread over 12,000 light years, it is remarkable for being a prosperous and open democratic society that owes its success primarily to its diversity. The main rival of the AU is the United Imperium of Terra.

    Federal parliamentary republic.

    Any member world, which includes colonies a member may have, possess the right to secede, executed by invoking Article X of the AU Founding Charter. Members are mostly internally autonomous, with the federal government handling foreign affairs.

    To be considered for membership, each world (planets or moons) must submit an application to the Federal Assembly for majority approval. All potential candidates must be unified at the planetary level, maintain nominal control of their home star system, and by neccessity be capable of translational travel. They must have a democratic form of government that is in compliance with the Founding Charter. Typically, star systems have an average of one planet that originates intelligent life. Each member must uphold the rights of all citizens as delineated in the Founding Charter as well as their own planetary charter or risk severe sanctions from the federal government on Aujorn aimed at planetary-level officials. Eventual expulsion from the Union may be a result.

    In its 800 year existence no member has ever invoked Article X. It has been traditionally understood that the benefits of belonging to the Union far outweigh those of independence. The scientific, economic, and defensive advantages that come with union are the most cited reasons.

    Aujorn is the capital planet of the AU in addition to a founding member of the Union. The AU is a post-scarcity civilization.

    I also like to worldbuild, and designing societies/governments is something I enjoy. I remember writing this during the span of an 20 minutes or something, so there’s probably lots of flaws.

  115. 115.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @NotMax:
    Just googled that. Monty Python! There’s actually really cool slot machines based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

  117. 117.

    Jay

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:

    The “best” interrogations of the Nazi War Criminals were conducted by a Canadian Army Major.

    He would feed them tea or coffee, cigs and biscuits.

    He would start off with “conversations” about tactics, strategy and other aspects of their “professional roles”,

    Converstation after conversation moving on more and more to more controversial subjects, day after day, never judging,

    Letting them hang themselves by being an active listener.

  118. 118.

    debbie

    @frosty:

    It would also be a good time to see Dr. Strangelove again. In light of current events, ‘m thinking George C. Scott was underacting.

  120. 120.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Jay:
    Eh, I was just thinking about doing it along these lines, ala the Dead Kennedys:

    You’ve been hanging ’round
    With an enemy of the state
    Come with me
    To the building
    That no-one stops to watch

    C’mon bleed
    C’mon bleed
    C’mon bleed
    Bleed for me

    We’ll strap you to a pipe
    Electrodes on your balls
    C’mon scream
    C’mon writhe
    Face down in a pool of piss

  121. 121.

    debbie

    @J R in WV:

    Her slide guitar playing is awesome. She also got a new generation interested in bluesmen like Buddy Guy (and I’m drawing a blank on the others, dammit).

  123. 123.

    Jay

    @debbie:

    The scariest part of Dr. Strangelove is that the CT in the movie, sounds like your Facebook Rage Uncle back in 2003, arguing about Saddam’s nukes.

    Now it’s QAnon, 19 different flavours of MGTOW CT, Nazi CT, vaginal eggs, Antivax and 3 different kinds of Flat Earthers, all jumbled together with Climate Change Deniers.

  126. 126.

    a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)

    @Chetan Murthy: I agree that Bonnie Raitt is more a blues singer than a country singer, although the blues creeps into country music more than some of country’s fans care to admit.
    You might look into Emmy Lou Harris and Gillian Welch as well.

  127. 127.

    frosty

    @debbie: Yes indeed. I’ve been thinking over movies the kids at work (and my kids) need to see, starting with Casablanca. I forgot about Strangelove, but it’s on the list now.

  131. 131.

    prostratedragon

    @NotMax: And some of its many, many descendants, Brazil most obviously. Metropolis came out in the late 20s. I’ve wondered whether George Orwell saw it.

  132. 132.

    evodevo

    @Suzanne: Don’t feel too bad….the common theological thread for them is that when all the world’s people have “heard the word” then the world will end and Judgement Day is at hand. So. The reason they want to spread the Gospel is essentially to bring an end to everything. I don’t feel bad at all when these idiots get theirs.

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