Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

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

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

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

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

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Come on, man.

The willow is too close to the house.

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

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

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

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Bark louder, little dog.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

You are here: Home / Past Elections / 2020 Elections / Open Thread: Shirley Chisholm Would Be Proud…

Open Thread: Shirley Chisholm Would Be Proud…

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… Yet also, exasperated. It’s been more than forty years, people!

Aren’t “we” supposed to learn from our godsdamned mistakes? How often do “we” need to be told?…

… Fellow Americans, we have looked in vain to the Nixon administration for the courage, the spirit, the character, and the words to lift us, to bring out the best in us, to rekindle in each of us the faith of the American dream. Yet all that we have received in return is just another smooth exercise in political manipulation, deceit and deception, callousness and indifference to our individual problems, and the disgusting playing of divisive politics, pitting the young against the old, labor against management, North against South, blacks against whites. The abiding concern of this administration has been one of political expediency rather than the needs of man’s nature. The president has broken his promises to us, and has therefore lost his claim to our trust and confidence in him. I cannot believe — [applause] I cannot believe that this administration would ever have been elected four years ago if we had known then what we know today…

Reader Interactions

144Comments

  1. 1.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Don’t at all want to derail the thread topic so early, but I know a lot of people are interested (reposted from the cellars of Betty C’s thread on the Trumpence visit to MLK).

    *****

    Talked at length with efgoldman this afternoon, and let him know — both at your behest and on my own account — that he is loved and deeply missed amongst the Jackal Juicetariat.

    At the moment he is home, but bedridden. They are trying to get all the necessary signoffs (I gather quite a few are required, so it’s complicated) for him to be admitted to a rehab facility and hopefully regain at least some mobility. I’ll phone again at the end of January to get an update.

    Because he’s confined to bed most of the time, he can’t get to a computer and thus can’t comment on BJ these days. Not even a good hearty “fuckem.” He said he really misses the political discussions and insights here — these days he’s pretty well limited to CNN and “Face the Nation” and suchlike. Not enough snark.

    He did say that when he came back online in December with his “I’m home!” message, he was utterly floored by the many Juicer responses. It may go against his curmudgeonly persona, but he seems very much touched, even overwhelmed, by the affection and concern we have for him.

    Mrs. efg wants him up and mobile again so he can Do Things Around the House.

    He shared the news that his daughter and son in law and their young family are moving from a tiny cramped apartment to a townhouse (with a yard) in about a week. They are very excited!

    His great joy (I could hear it in his voice, and it was wonderful) was being able to spend time over the holidays with granddaughter (5-1/2) and new grandson (six months) when they came to visit. He is clearly besotted with both of them, which is as it should be. A besotted efg is a good thing.

  9. 9.

    Ohio Mom

    @SiubhanDuinne: Maybe we need a fundraiser to get efg some kind of set up so he can use a laptop in bed. Poor guy, stuck with what’s on TV. That would make me depressed.

    Thanks very much SD for updating us and posting this news more than once. Some days I don’t get to every thread because real life.

    When you have another chance to talk to him, let him know we think about him and are still pulling very hard for him.

  11. 11.

    Ohio Mom

    @Baud: Me either.

    If this was a sitcom, the director would cut out a few of them because that’s too many for most audience members to keep track of.

  12. 12.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Too many comments for me to risk replying to all and being catapulted into Link-Overage Hell, but I did and will continue to pass along love and greetings and good wishes. Happy to serve as the go-between.

    /s/ efg’s amanuensis

  13. 13.

    Anne Laurie

    @SiubhanDuinne: News of such a beloved member of our Jackal community is never off-topic — thank you so much!

    I’d suggest a fundraiser to equip Himself with a lightweight wireless tablet-plus-keyboard, but I suspect Mrs. EFG would *not* thank us for giving him the excuse to keep lying around in bed (/snark).

  14. 14.

    MisterForkbeard

    @SiubhanDuinne: Question – would EFG like an older laptop, if he can’t get to the computer at his bed? I can probably rustle up an older one of mine (4-6 years old, should be fine for websurfing and mail it off to him.

  15. 15.

    Mnemosyne

    I’m going to repeat this adorable story from a few months ago since it’s relevant here: new Massachussetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley really wanted Shirley Chisholm’s old office but drew a high number in the office lottery, so California Rep. Katie Hill claimed Chisholm’s office and then swapped with Pressley so she could have it. I’m not crying, you’re crying! ?

    https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/12/219775/ayanna-pressley-shirley-chisholm-office-swap-katie-hill

  19. 19.

    gene108

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Thanks for the efg update.

    @Baud:

    Same here. I think the Asian guy at the end of the top row (on the right facing the screen) is the one pushing guaranteed basic income. It would be cool, if that happened

  21. 21.

    WaterGirl

    @Ohio Mom: I second the “let’s get efgoldman a laptop or a tablet of some kind” idea. I’m in if we do it.

    SD, what do you think of that idea? If we do it, I definitely think we should find out from them whether it should be a mac or PC laptop or an apple or android tablet.

  23. 23.

    Major Major Major Major

    Still ten degrees outside, with wind kicking plastic bags up and above the fifth floor I’m on here. Negative-six with wind chill (a measurement which is, not fake, but misunderstood; I digress). I haven’t left except to go up and down forty-odd flights of stairs, so, decent exercise?

    @SiubhanDuinne: Thanks so much for keeping us posted!

    @Baud: I can make out all but five.

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    I don’t think it’s any female candidate’s fantasy to die like Aslan so Narnia can live. But that’s how history works: Women push into forbidden male territory, and get screamed at and treated like freaks, but the next time a woman enters, it’s normal for a woman to be there.

    I think it’s more often the case that a woman has always been there. But she was ignored or disregarded.

    The first three senators to run for president this cycle are women.

    That is a sentence we’ve never been able to write before.

    So damn cool. It will be an interesting field. Right now, I’m not worried about “too many” candidates in the field, or who may cancel who out. I look forward to the primaries and the debates. I don’t have any particular favorite now.

  28. 28.

    debbie

    @WaterGirl:

    efg’s smart, so obviously an Apple. Something smaller, like a refurbished iPod mini, would be easy to hold while he’s in bed.

  29. 29.

    Adam L Silverman

    @WaterGirl: I have an older MacBook Pro that I haven’t used in years since I upgraded to a new one back in 2013. It’s been wiped and reset and is sitting in a protective sleeve. For simply accessing the internet it would work fine.

  31. 31.

    Brachiator

    Appreciate the efg update.

    Could he use a tablet instead of a PC?

    Or perhaps a lightweight, relatively inexpensive Chromebook?

  34. 34.

    Betty Cracker

    I have a new Android tablet that I bought for a nephew who received two for Christmas, so I took it back and got him something else. It was inexpensive but would be fine for light web surfing, and I’d be happy to donate it to EFG.

  37. 37.

    JPL

    OT There is an ad that ran several times during the local news blaming Mitch and David Perdue for the shutdown. It’s by the Majority Forward pac and I’m wondering if anyone else saw it but with another republican senator targeted.

  44. 44.

    The Lodger

    I keep electronics way, way past their expiration date but I’m glad someone has some functional hardware to send to efg. To paraphrase Charlw Pierce, it’s always a good week for efg news.

  46. 46.

    Ohio Mom

    @Mnemosyne: Once upon a time, I did a school report on Shirley Chisholm and I’ve felt an attachment to her ever since (which certainly isn’t true of a lot of past report topics, looking at you, Thomas Alva Edison).

    I’ve seen the office switch story before but it’s nice to be reminded of it.

  48. 48.

    Yarrow

    @SiubhanDuinne: Thank you so much for calling him (them) and letting us know how he’s doing. Sending good wishes to the efg’s so he can get the rehab he needs. I’m sure Christmas with the grandkids was wonderful for them all.

    @Ohio Mom: I was thinking the same thing! There are good deals all the time and places like Costco and Groupon for older model laptops or tablets. We should be able to put something together.

  49. 49.

    Ohio Mom

    @SiubhanDuinne: When you tell efg about the generous offers made here, be sure to emphasize that we are doing this selfishly, for ourselves; we miss him and want to hear his comments again.

  51. 51.

    martha

    @JPL: hah! I just saw the Cory Gardner version. I hope they play it on a continuous loop here in Colorado. He needs to be defeated, the weasel.

    Coincidentally, we saw ex-Gov. HIckelooper at the Denver airport last Friday night. I wanted to ask him if he would run for that seat, but decided to let him get home.

  54. 54.

    Ohio Mom

    @Yarrow: I want to emphasize that I would hardly know where to begin when it comes to choosing among laptops, tablets, and whatever.

    I am leaving that to all of you who are much more sophisticated tech consumers.

  59. 59.

    danielx

    Just found out I’m supposed to “say a few words” – i.e.; give a eulogy – at a funeral tomorrow. Fuck!

  63. 63.

    Miss Bianca

    @martha:

    Here’s hoping!

    What’s funny is that the publisher of the online newspaper I write for is a Republican (also a govt. contractor, so she gets it about The Pain) who keeps thinking that somehow Cory Gardner is still an honorable man. I keep shooting that shit down a la Silverman. To the point where, now that we’re planning some media events where we might be inviting him to show up, I hear her saying, “make sure Miss Bianca gets sent out on an extended run as the Coffee Girl…”//

  67. 67.

    Yarrow

    @Ohio Mom: I don’t either and first we might want find out the extent of his mobility issues. A laptop might be too heavy or a tablet might be too awkward for him to use without a keyboard and so forth. If any of his mobility issues involve hands, arms or shoulders that could also affect what he can do. Something that does voice-to-text might be helpful for him.

  68. 68.

    Yarrow

    @Miss Bianca: I’ve found that going with the “Look at what they do, not what they say” tactic can help in those situations. Your publisher may think he’s “honorable” but ask her what honorable means when translated into action. Sometimes I’ve had that break through where other things haven’t worked.

  70. 70.

    Plato

    The first three senators to run for president this cycle are democratic women.

    Another notable point.

  71. 71.

    martha

    @Miss Bianca: Ohhh interesting. First and foremost, does she really think Cardboard Cory will show up? And if he does, you’ll need to be around to report his lies. I mean, this “but he’s really a nice man” baloney just irritates me.

  72. 72.

    Miss Bianca

    @Yarrow: Well, I dunno. Worth a try, I guess.

    On the other hand, she is an advisor to Doug Lamborn (R-Dobson Springs), and clearly sees *him* as a useless fuckstick, so there’s always hope!

    @martha: Unknown, at this point. The invitations are going to be going to him, his staff, Bennet and his staff, Polis and his staff, et al. We’ll see!

  74. 74.

    Mary G

    @SiubhanDuinne: Thanks for sharing this. I am relieved, although in my experience it’s really hard to get into rehab under Medicare. Crossing fingers for him.

  75. 75.

    germy

    I’m seeing a lot of articles about Daniel Larsen and the Innocence Project.

    Has Kamala Harris been asked about it since she announced her candidacy? I’m not sure if it’s a real issue or something that the Intercept crowd is magnifying for political purposes.

  78. 78.

    Ladyraxterinok

    @Ohio Mom: In the 72 IA caucus I didn’t vote for Chisholm because I didn’t think she had a chance. Afterwards I decided never again to make that my main consideration. At least START with someone I truly admire!

  79. 79.

    Gravie

    I cast my first-ever presidential vote for Shirley Chisholm in the Florida primary. I still like to brag about it.

  82. 82.

    Chetan Murthy

    I spend a lot of time using a laptop in bed. Two thoughts:

    (1) Used to code that way, long/long/long into the night. I put the laptop on my knees, and that works for me, but not for all folks. There’s something called a “lapdesk”, and back when I looked into it, there was, like, *one* sold by some guy from his garage (or so it seemed). Times have changed, and here’s a roundup of offerings: http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-lap-desks.html

    I’m sure there are lots to consider. But if he’s spending a lot of time bedridden, he might not want to always be holding a laptop (or tablet) up with his hands. It gets tiring.

    (2) We should find out what efg would want in the way of a device. People get set in their ways — if somebody tried to get me to use a Windows (or Apple) machine, I’d pitch a fit. Ditto an android tablet. But OTOH, Chromeos on a Chromebook Flip, and I’m happy as a clam. Or Linux, of course. Others will have their own opinions. Both for form factor, and O.S. I think it’s worth asking efg what he wants.

    And yeah, I’d be in for helping to pay for this device.

    And since everybody has suggestions, I’ll add my own: If efg is good with Chromeos, I’d go with a second-generation ASUS Chromebook Flip ($500). Because it’s got a keyboard, you can actually type comments at decent speed, edit, etc. Because it can be flipped-over into “tent” mode (and it’s got a touchscreen), you can lie in bed (or on a mat at the gym *grin*) and put it on your tummy and page thru comments like a pro.

    And it runs all android apps. I used it for over a month when my main laptop was in the shop, and basically everything was fine fine fine. Watched movies with xbmc, read books with Libby and an epub reader, and of course, Chrome is Chrome.

    Of course (again) if he’s a Windows/Mac user, this is *right* out. *right* out. And if he’d prefer a tablet (even with the sub-par input method — but hey, de gustibus) again, right out.

    ETA: The chromebook flip is really light, too. Long battery-life, nearly-full-size keyboard. Great display (too high-res for my old eyes).

  83. 83.

    jc

    Any Dem candidate running for president had better be ready to play hardball. The opponent is a huge, bloated target that Dems better be looking to eviscerate. The hard right ditched comity long ago, the left can’t be bullied into pulling punches. As we speak, Trump is busy thinking up juvenile nicknames for Biden, Harris et al.

  87. 87.

    Yarrow

    Speaking of people announcing they’re running for office, in case anyone missed it Tulsi Gabbard has a primary challenger.

    State Sen. Kai Kahele to announce bid for Congress, challenging U.S. Rep Tulsi Gabbard
    …
    Kahele is the Senate Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water and Land. He is also a Hawaiian Airlines pilot and like Gabbard, a combat veteran.

    Edit: Here’s his campaign announcement video.

  88. 88.

    MomSense

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Thank you so much for the update. Please tell him how much we miss him.

    Would a tablet help him to be able to read and comment? I got my kindle on one of those amazon sale days for $50 and I think full price it’s only $89.

  89. 89.

    danielx

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’d better come up with something – guy was from a large Irish Catholic clan, he had six living brothers who will all be there and they are all bigger than me. Not to mention the rest of his family members, most of whom are also bigger than me.

  90. 90.

    Barbara

    @Chetan Murthy: I was thinking something similar. I don’t know what he could or would use. A lot of mobile devices are not easy to use for people with disabilities, but he might not have the setup for a tv that is Internet enabled.

  93. 93.

    frosty

    @Gravie:

    I cast my first-ever presidential vote for Shirley Chisholm in the Florida primary. I still like to brag about it.

    I did the same in the California primary. And here I am still bragging about it. :-)

  96. 96.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @Chetan Murthy: when we first got an iPad for a family member with Parkinson’s, I found a product called Gripcase that works extremely well. Rubber so it cushions the tablet from falls, and made so there’s a handle on every side of the rectangle. I wound up buying myself one for my own iPad. Gripcase

  101. 101.

    Mnemosyne

    @danielx:

    If it helps, an Irish Catholic family will want you to tell funny stories. Source: my own family and my Irish Catholic uncles-in-law who started making jokes at the close of their brother’s (my father in law’s) wake.

  102. 102.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Kayla Rudbek: This seems more for protection, than support? The idea with these lapdesks is that you don’t have to hold the thing up at all — you rest your wrists on the lappie to type, but you don’t actually hold anything. Again, I’ve never used one, but I came pretty close to getting one, b/c I was working all night in bed, night-after-night.

  105. 105.

    Steve in the ATL

    @danielx: Irish? Change “fuck” to “fook”. Catholic? Give an extended rant on the MAGA boys from Kentucky, and throw in a few references to priestly child molestors.

    You’re welcome.

  107. 107.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @Adam L Silverman: Briahna is looney Wilmer cultist.

    Bernie Sanders Isn’t A Democrat… Thank God

    He advances true Democratic values without the party’s toxic political brand

  109. 109.

    cain

    I think it’s kind of cool that we have two candidates that have some kind of indian link. I think only Tulsi is a practicing Hindu. I’m not sure what religion Kamala is practicing, but you know two indian names. Cool.

  110. 110.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Aw yeah—you the man!

    *cough* If only. If only. That was back when I believed that I actually worked for the stockholder, and believed that if only I worked hard enough, I could convince management to remedy their foolish decisions. Fix the moronic design decisions that had so fatally hobbled their products. I remember one particular instance when we were up at three different locations (UK, Japan, US) basically until 3am, helping a customer debug a gynormous pile of bugs. Turned out, all the bugs were caused by the product, and a particular mode of use. We taught them to never have to use that mode, and voila, all the bugs went away. Of course, the open-source work-alikes for the product didn’t provide that modality, so what we were really teaching the customer, was how to *not* use any of the differentiating features of the product. HA!

    Enterprise software is the shittiest software in the world. Bar none.

  111. 111.

    Aleta

    Nathan Phillips spoke of his concern to protect the young people who were trying to follow him across the Lincoln Memorial plaza. This is written by one person who became trapped with him, surrounded and mocked by the Covington Catholic school boys. Staring Down the Smug Face of American Violence, by Hunter Hooligan

    My sibling, Autumn, and I arrived at the rally for the first Indigenous Peoples’ March with our hearts full and our spirits high. … The day’s march had settled on the plaza of the Lincoln Memorial to raise awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women.

    Indigenous women are one of the most vulnerable populations in this country; they are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, murder, human trafficking, and kidnapping.

    We had come to represent the women from our own Mvskoke family who are victims of these crimes.
    …
    …

  112. 112.

    Chetan Murthy

    @cain:

    I’m not sure what religion Kamala is practicing, but you know two indian names.

    I know I’m not supposed to, but it’s difficult not to feel some “ethnic pride” that she’s running. And that she’s so well-respected and skilled. Of course, if she were like …. Bobby Jindal or Nikki Haley or Raj Shah or Ajit Pai or Seema Verma, I wouldn’t be feeling ethnic pride — rather, deep shame.

  115. 115.

    trollhattan

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    As one of a kajillion objectively pro-efgoldman juicers, I add my hardy get the hell well soon and a bonus fuckem, because efgoldman. All the best, my man.

  116. 116.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Ben Cisco: Well, I -am- proud of Sen. Harris, and many other Dem senators and Reps. E.g. Nancy SMASH! Kickin’ ass, they are. Kickin’ ass. But I do feel a little guilt, that part of my pride in Sen. Harris, is that she’s part-South Asian (by her mother).

    ETA: Just to be clear, *most* of my pride is in her obvoius competence. Y’know, like the fact that I would *never* *ever* want to be across the committee-room from her at a hearing. Lordy, *never*. Whereas Trey Gowdy, or Devin Nunes, or that jackass Kennedy from Louisiana (?) ….. heh. *giggle*. Or Gym Jordan — lordy, it’d be so hard to not clap back at him. All these GrOPers, I don’t understand why witnesses haven’t clapped-back at them. They’re better adults than I.

  118. 118.

    Origuy

    Somebody on Twitter already tried to birther Kamela Harris, even thought she was born in Oakland, because her parents weren’t citizens. I don’t think that’s going to get very far; the guy was apparently reading his own version of the Constitution. Tulsi Gabbard was born in American Samoa, her father is part Samoan. Her version of Hinduism is somewhat out of the mainstream, as I understand it. I don’t claim to know much about it.

  119. 119.

    BruceFromOhio

    @Suzanne: Had to read that twice, slowly, and yes, happy to chip in if it helps.

    @Ben Cisco: This. It’s not the skin or the name or the ethnicity, it’s what we do in the life we are provided. Quality humans come in so many variations, we should just celebrate them as we find them, no questions asked.

  120. 120.

    Suzanne

    I suppose I could share some good news: I am all knocked up like a cheerleader. Spawn the Youngest due sometime around June 29.

  125. 125.

    Suzanne

    @Yarrow: I feel like hell. I get a less-common pregnancy side effect called vasomotor rhinitis, which is essentially extreme swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose due to increased estrogen levels. So I can’t breathe (ergo can’t sleep), I’m getting sinus infections, and my nose won’t stop bleeding. OB decided that it is beyond his expertise, so he sent me back to my ENT. ENT said my nose is essentially all scab and scar right now, bleeding from so many blood vessels that he can’t cauterize it.

    But…..I have had shitty luck in the past. So I’ll take it. For 22 more weeks.

    I had to swallow hard to type that last part.

  128. 128.

    schrodingers_cat

    @cain: Tulsi is a member of an offshoot of the Hare Krsna cult, does that make her a Hindu? She has no Indian heritage. Kamala’s mother is Tamil and she is close to her mother’s side of her family according to an interview of Harris’s that I read sometime back.

  130. 130.

    Ohio Mom

    @SiubhanDuinne: so many good ideas on this thread re: technology for efg.

    I am left wondering if he has a visiting OT working with him and, if so, why she has not addressed this vital “activity of daily living” (that’s OT jargon). OTs have all sorts of gadgets, gizmos and tricks to help their patients accomplish what they need to do.

    Certainly, connecting a patient with friends and support via the internet could be a morale builder, and also a source of intellectual stimulation. It’s a quality of life issue (to my way of thinking, anything to spare someone from endless TV is a quality of life issue).

    Thank you for broaching this subject with efg, and good luck.

  131. 131.

    TomatoQueen

    it won’t let me edit so congratulations to Suzanne and sympathies at that fucking rhinitis, with nosebleeds and headaches as I remember, oi. Still, a June baby in the end.

  132. 132.

    Ohio Mom

    @Suzanne: Oh How wonderful! I remember how devasted you were when an earlier pregnancy didn’t last. That was awful to hear about.

    So happy there will be another Spawn joining your family. Congrats to you, Mr. Suzanne and Spawn 1 and Spawn 2.

    ETA. Rats on the sinuses.

  134. 134.

    Suzanne

    Thanks, all. I am very excited, as are Mr. Suzanne and the Spawns.
    The feeling-like-shit is taking a bit of an emotional toll, but I am trying not to think about it. I ruined a shirt by bleeding all over it this morning. Sigh.

  136. 136.

    Anne Laurie

    @danielx:

    I’d better come up with something – guy was from a large Irish Catholic clan, he had six living brothers who will all be there and they are all bigger than me. Not to mention the rest of his family members, most of whom are also bigger than me.

    The default in such situations is “What could I possibly say that you all couldn’t say better?”

  139. 139.

    Steeplejack

    @Chetan Murthy:

    I read a little of this thread a while ago, got called away to do something else, and came back to post an impassioned screed, only to find that you’ve covered pretty much everything.

    Let’s:

    1. Find out what efgoldman wants/​needs.

    2. Get it to him, either via donation or doing a whip-round to raise funds to buy it.

    “Bedridden” can mean a lot of things, from “almost comatose” to “just can’t put weight on my [foot/​knee/​whatever].” What I do remember from three weeks of it decades ago is that it’s incredibly tedious and boring (assuming you’re not at the comatose end of the spectrum). So anything that would make it easier for efg to pass the time is a good thing.

    As for a “desk” or stand of some type, the IKEA Svartåsen is a good, cheap possibility at $25. Goes up only to 30" high, though.

  141. 141.

    Ruckus

    @BruceFromOhio:

    Quality humans come in so many variations, we should just celebrate them as we find them, no questions asked.

    QFT.
    And also the variations very, very rarely have anything to do with the quality of the person. Quality comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders and yes even ages.

  142. 142.

    Ruckus

    @Steeplejack:
    If, he can speak but is physically weak then a device that can be voice activated might be the best. I’ve heard that Apple stuff is pretty good at that, especially since the new OS, Mojave brought over Siri to desk and laptop. I believe that the iOS stuff already does that pretty well. Maybe that’s a way to go. More expensive but seems to work well. Android also does this with google voice but my understanding is that it isn’t as good.
    In any event, good to hear about EFG and let’s all hope he gets what he needs. I haven’t been bed ridden as an adult but was a lot as a kid and it was not fun in the least.

  143. 143.

    Steeplejack

    @Ohio Mom:

    Of course! I’m not saying, “He gets this stand or else!” I’m just suggesting that we not get tunnel vision about what we think he needs. “Let’s get him an iPad Mini! They’re easy to hold.” Maybe he wouldn’t like holding it, maybe it would be difficult, maybe he would prefer to have a keyboard to type on. Etc. Let’s find out exactly what he needs before we start throwing stuff at him.

    ETA: And I was responding specifically to Chetan Murphy’s mention of “lapdesks.”

  144. 144.

    Mnemosyne

    @Suzanne:

    Chiming in late but whoo-hoo! Congratulations! With the pregnancy-related sinus thing, hopefully they’ll either be able to figure out how to give you some temporary relief or your hormone levels will re-shift and let go of your nasal passages.

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