Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

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

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

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

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

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

Republicans in disarray!

It’s the corruption, stupid.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

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

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

I was promised a recession.

You are here: Home / Music / Looks Like We Could Use an Open Thread

Looks Like We Could Use an Open Thread

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I took my mom for Thai food for dinner as her favorite Chinese restaurant was closed. As you all know that is a violation of Judaic Law. So I’m going to have to get a rabbi to write the restaurant’s owners a ticket!

For those playing the at home game of “what did the Jews we know eat on Christmas?” I had crispy duck panang, and I had it hot! I also had fresh spring rolls. I think that qualifies for a triple entree score.

I figured we could use a bit of music, so here’s a couple of Christmas, or Christmas adjacent, songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znY3bezzFqU

Merry Christmas and Open Thread!

Reader Interactions

47Comments

  1. 1.

    Shana

    Hubby and I had chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. Paul Prudhomme’s recipe. My mother always made clam chowder for New Year’s Day, which we can’t do cuz kosher, but a yummy soup seems called for.

    Saw Mary Poppins Returns this afternoon, which was more enjoyable than most of the reviews led us to believe it would be, but I don’t think LMM is getting his Oscar out of this role.

  2. 2.

    Gozer

    Ate penne and later ramen.

    Forgot to go to the grocery before the holiday and Dr. Mrs. G and I didn’t feel like schlepping to Philly for Szechuan.

  3. 3.

    Brent Wilson

    So I’m going to have to get a rabbi to right the restaurant’s owners a ticket!

    Small typo there obviously.

  4. 4.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Shana: Might I recommend using the same recipe, just switch out your favorite mild white fish like haddock of pollock for the clams and either vegetable oil or beef or chicken fat for the bacon or fatback when sauteing the diced onions and potatoes? You’ll get a fish chowder, not clam, but it should be close enough for kashrut work!

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    We had German food for lunch, because my sister in law decided she wanted to cook some things that reminded her of home. Cabbage and (chicken) sausage. Certainly tasty, but a bit different from the usual Christmas fare of Roast Beast.

  9. 9.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    Just came back from watching Vice, Christian Bale played it low key, Steve Carell I thought stole the movie.

  12. 12.

    FelonyGovt

    We’re doing our Jewish Christmas dinner tonight at the local Chinese restaurant (they better be open!). Last night was Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) with my Latino in-laws.

  13. 13.

    JR

    Do the dried shrimp in most Thai food count as a Kosher violation? Inquiring minds would like to know.

  14. 14.

    planetjanet

    I had planned to go to Applebee’s with Mom today as it is nearly the only restaurant open in this small town. I was expecting a fairly bleak day as Mom barely talks to me. But Mom informed me late last night that my cousin had invited us to dinner at her house with a few close friends. Very pleasant surprise and a very gracious hostess. I am grateful.

    I was sipping my coffee in the hotel lobby this morning when I heard Snoopy and the Red Baron come on. The memories of it softened my demeanor.

  15. 15.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Shana: I had the pleasure of eating gumbo at K-Paul’s when chef Paul himself was in the kitchen, and that was ambrosia that I have never been able to replicate. That was in the day when you’d stand outside waiting for a table, and end up being seated with strangers so every table was full.

  19. 19.

    Mnemosyne

    Juat got back from the family supper (i.e. late lunch) in Long Beach. Homemade ravioli and tortellacci courtesy of my uncle, plus a ton of desserts and wine.

    I don’t think LMM is getting his Oscar out of this role.

    Yeah, he was good, but it was definitely a supporting role to Emily Blunt despite his billing. Plus I’d rather have him get his Oscar for songwriting anyway.

    But Dick Van Dyke was amazing, and that was not special effects or CGI. He really does still dance at almost 93! And I was surprised by the Balloon Lady cameo at the end, though IMDb’s trivia gives it away.

  20. 20.

    tobie

    In honor of our Hin-Jew household we had potatoes in a tomato and tamarind sauce and a cauliflower-yogurt-egg curry plus rice. My Christmas carol favorites seem to be all the darker tunes–Carol of the Bells (which always struck me as more haunting than joyous), Little Drummer Boy (I bawl at the lines at the end, “And then he smiled at me…”), and Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s “I believe in Father Christmas,” which has this odd Imperial Russian theme and closes with the bitter verse, “The Christmas We Get, We Deserve.” All told, it was a lovely, quiet day at the ranch. Wishing everyone restful and fulfilling days ahead.

  21. 21.

    Gin & Tonic

    @tobie:

    Carol of the Bells (which always struck me as more haunting than joyous)

    The original song and melody were not for Christmas anyway, they were а New Year’s song, telling the story of a swallow visiting a household and foretelling a bountiful spring.

  22. 22.

    tobie

    @Gin & Tonic: That’s interesting. I could see how the insistent beat of the song would match lines about the flight of a swallow and the message it brings. Thanks for the historical tidbit.

  23. 23.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Gin & Tonic: @tobie: I’m pretty sure I posted the Shchedryk last year, but here you go:
    This was the version I posted last year:

    And here’s one with the lyrics posted in the video in both Ukrainian and English:

  24. 24.

    Amir Khalid

    I know it’s not nice to pedant, so forgive me …

    So I’m going to have to get a rabbi to right the restaurant’s owners a ticket!

    In other news, I have just this ten minutes ago purchased yet another guitar online. This is a low-end Yamaha acoustic, and will be my last gear acquisition, I swear. For the foreseeable future, anyway.

  27. 27.

    Jeffro

    Between Adam’s note about Thai and my happening to notice that the local Indian place was open this evening…I think we’re gonna have to broaden our horizons here at the Fro household next Christmas. It isn’t ALL about the Chinese food and “Die Hard”…can be Thai or Indian food and “Die Hard” ;)

    Btw my…excuse me, the kids‘…favorite gift this year was our the 2-tank remote control tank battle game. SO much fun (and perfectly scaled for toy army men, too!)

  29. 29.

    randy khan

    The Jews I know (well, many of them) at dinner at my house, our traditional Christmas dinner at which I am the only Christian. This year I told them that I was feeding them to try to convert them, but that I was doomed to failure because Jewish holidays all have good food. (As one of the friends at dinner tonight told me years ago, the easy way to explain most Jewish holidays is “someone tried to kill us, G-d saved us, let’s eat.”)

    Tried a couple of new things. The pear tart looks like a keeper.

  30. 30.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Adam L Silverman: To those who might be inclined to ask about the translation of the “if not money, then chaff” line, the idea is that you’ll have a lot of chaff because you harvested a lot of grain (whether you sold it for money or not.) So it’s predicting a bounty either way.

  31. 31.

    Mike in NC

    Friends sent us a Honeybaked Ham, which somehow got lost by UPS. They tracked it and in the meanwhile a replacement was shipped. There are just the two of us so we donated one to the local food bank.

  34. 34.

    Schlemazel

    About 4 years ago we had no family obligations one Christmas. Right after Thanksgiving I called the most authentic Chinese place in town (our fav was closed for the holiday) and found even a month out we had a limited number of times to chose from. The placed was packed when we got there & when we left, nobody was just walking in and getting a table, Apparently this is a tradition that is catching on

  35. 35.

    Bruuuuce

    @Amir Khalid:

    This …will be my last gear acquisition, I swear.

    ::laughs:: A clear case of GAS. Which, from a fellow would-be sufferer (restrained only by lack of money and space in the home) is a perfectly reasonable “disorder”

  38. 38.

    Bruuuuce

    Tonight was Instant-Potted ham cooked in apple juice, with a side of corn. Nom! Lunch was a more classic delivery from the local Chinese place, accompanied by not a movie, but the BBC America Doctor Who Christmas specials mini-marathon. And now getting ready to get to work for our 12:01 AM reopening. (Graphical support for an investment bank, in a 24/7 center.)

  39. 39.

    Ruckus

    @Schlemazel:
    Yep, no xmas obligations here either. But then it’s been that way for a few years. Only relatives are cousins that live far away. A good number of my friends have passed in the last 2 yrs and/or live thousands of miles away.
    So just now deciding on what’s for dinner. A quiet night, work tomorrow.

  41. 41.

    J R in WV

    @Amir Khalid:

    You are SO funny!!! Last Guitar!! Hear that? That’s me laughing at you. I bought my last laptop last week, also, too… hahaha!!!! Last camera last spring, also. Right?

    I went to the grocery store yesteday, and I hear there was a landslide after I came home, the 4-lane to town is blocked North bound. Oops! Good thing I got enough to cook for several days while they clean up the mess. Jules said it was still blocked this evening, she took the detour to get home.

    Anyway, I got a package of beef filet which I used to make beef stroganoff, which we had with the traditional egg noodles and champagne from France… ummm good!

    ETA: Next door neighbor has both guitar acquisition syndrome AND banjo acquisition syndrome. Has won ribbons for banjo and fiddling. Teaches at a high level, rebuilds really old ones.

  43. 43.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Adam L Silverman: That comment was not intended to dissuade you from posting, just to note that non-native speakers, even if they are well-trained, will have pronunciation and intonation issues that are noticeable.

  46. 46.

    Jay Noble

    Did dinner this evening at one of our Interstate 80 Love’s truckstop and it’s iHop Express. While military, law & fire, and medical folks always get a shout out, the truckers and the networks that keep them going rarely do. So Merry Christmas to them!!!!!

    If you want become grounded and very humbled in a hurry, hearing “Customer 36 – your shower is ready. please proceed to shower number 3.” will do it for you.

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