Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

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

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Republicans don’t trust women.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

This blog will pay for itself.

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

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

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

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

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

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

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

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

No Justins, No Peace

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

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Thursday Respite Open Thread

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And some make their own dreams come true…

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70Comments

  3. 3.

    Another Scott

    Persistent birdy! Poor fishy, but birdy has to eat too.

    In other news, Twitter:

    LOLGOP @LOLGOP

    LOLGOP Retweeted Elizabeth Warren

    These kind of pleasantries seem trifling but they’re the mark of someone who can unite the party and, as much as possible, the country.

    LOLGOP added, Elizabeth Warren Verified account @ewarren

    It was inspiring to see @Hickenlooper’s commitment to bettering our country during his campaign. I’m looking forward to fighting alongside him as we work to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in 2020. https://twitter.com/Hickenlooper/status/1162046556440268800 …

    2:05 PM – 15 Aug 2019

    Yup.

    Nancy’s good at this too. We all need to pull together as a team, and build each other up.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  6. 6.

    HeleninEire

    Headed to Dublin in 3 weeks to celebrate my birthday (it’s a big one; I’ll tell you more on the day). When I get back I wanna adopt a dog. I have never owned a dog so I will be looking to you jackels to help me through the first few months.

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    @dmsilev

    Once the glaciers are gone, there’ll be all that land available for golf courses! //

    (He probably thinks the place is really, really green, too.)

  10. 10.

    NotMax

    @dmsilev

    The much more depressing side of the coin is that Greenland came up as an answer to the question “Where can we set up concentration camps en masse where the media and bleeding heart do-gooders won’t be nosing around?”

  17. 17.

    NotMax

    @Raven

    Trying (one episode at a time, spaced widely apart is about all I can take) to get through The Boys, which so far encapsulates pretty much everything that has been wrong with comic books since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight altered the landscape and became a template rather than a popular anomaly.

  18. 18.

    raven

    @HeleninEire: The first thing you have to come to grips with is that they are probably not going to outlive you and, at some point, it’s going to be your responsibility to let them go. It’s really tricky to know when it’s time. There are a million perspectives but it’s going to come down to you or, in our case, us. We went through cancer treatment and recovery with Raven and, while it bought us several years, much of it was terrible and we still had to let him go. That said,

    We who choose to surround ourselves
    with lives even more temporary than our
    own, live within a fragile circle;
    easily and often breached.
    Unable to accept its awful gaps,
    we would still live no other way.
    We cherish memory as the only
    certain immortality, never fully
    understanding the necessary plan.
    — Irving Townsend

  20. 20.

    Mary G

    Here’s the scary news for Team Trump in the FOX poll:Trump polling below *40* against every tested D challenger.

    Biden 50, Trump 38.
    Sanders 48, Trump 39.
    Warren 46, Trump 39.
    Harris 45, Trump 39.

    — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) August 15, 2019

  21. 21.

    Raven

    @NotMax: Yea, I don’t know if we’re going to hack it. The brief “Warren” with Martin Clunes was pretty good but this may be a snoozer.

  23. 23.

    Anotherlurker

    @HeleninEire: Happy upcoming birthday, H in E. !! Are you turning 21?
    I adopted 2 of my fur babies from L.I. Golden Retriever Rescue. They are based in Plainview, NY and they are great organization.

  25. 25.

    Jay

    What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

    He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life – – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’ The Six-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

  28. 28.

    TenguPhule

    @planetjanet:

    How much longer before Trump nominates his horse for a Cabinet position?

    He doesn’t have a horse. That ass Jared will have to make do.

  29. 29.

    Jay

    @Raven:

    Many times, but it’s a sad statement on the MSM that some of the best journalism in the US today, is Teen Vogue.

    On the other hand, the Kids are Woke as fuck.

  30. 30.

    dmsilev

    @planetjanet: He’s afraid of animals, best I can tell. I looked it up once; he’s the only President in the last 150 years (since James Polk) not to have any pets.

  33. 33.

    NotMax

    So, 50 years ago this week young NotMax (see: DFH) was away working in the boonies of the Poconos while his parents were the ones who went to Woodstock.

  34. 34.

    Juice Box

    @HeleninEire: Get the kind of dog you want and don’t be guilted into getting a shelter dog. A neglected, untrained dog with an unknown background and potential behavioral problems isn’t always the best choice for a first time dog owner. OTOH, puppies, while reallllly cute, are a major project.

  37. 37.

    Raven

    @NotMax: I was a two digit midget just like now. 19 and a wakeup. The hated times had a good article about Santana and Woodstock. I went to see him (them) in San Fransisco September 4th and I had never heard of him. It turns out not many other people had either and Graham getting them the Woodstock gig put them on the map. Took me 50 years to find that out!

  39. 39.

    Barbara

    @HeleninEire: I don’t know what is available but I adopted a 3 year old chihuahua mix, fully potty trained, from a shelter. A good shelter will try to understand your experience and living situation. They don’t want the dog to come back.

  40. 40.

    trollhattan

    @HeleninEire:
    It’s hard not to scoop up the very first dog and take it home.

    Don’t. Take somebody with you with instructions to ankle-tackle you, if needed, to not make an impetuous choice. After spending some time with the pups, you’ll know when the right one picks you. Kismet.

    Agree with everybody who says it will change your life for the better. Lurve the doggies.

    Also, too, if you make yourself available to pet-sit you can learn a lot before finding yours.

  41. 41.

    gbear

    @trollhattan:

    I was visiting the National Eagle Center which is a bit down river from the St. Croix after it joins with the Mississippi. One of the staff was telling me that when an eagle locks it’s talons onto a fish, they actually lock in place. If the eagle makes the mistake of locking onto too large a fish, they can get dragged under water and drown. Being too much of an over-achiever can be deadly.

  42. 42.

    Jay

    @HeleninEire:

    Digger went through 3 homes, 2 years in shelters, 1 year in foster, before he got “here”. Casey chose him.

    He was massive high energy, super focus, so he either needed a job, a triathelete to train with, or us.

    So, get a dog that suits your life. If zoomies in the livingroom, cuddles on the couch and sleeping in your bed is your life, there’s dogs for that.

    If your life is 10k training runs, El Capitan on weekends is your life, there’s a dog for that.

    If your life is a couple of strolls down urban streets sampling the local food, there’s a dog for that.

  44. 44.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    When you realize all your dreams are about to come true.

    Did somebody mention dreams?

    I will see my dreams come alive at last, I will touch the sky!

    I was doing some reading today about nuclear pulse propulsion, specifically about Project Orion. Basically, nuclear bombs are shot out the back of the craft where they explode and the force of the explosion is absorbed by a specially coated metal plate attached to shock absorbers, propelling the spacecraft forward.

    Theoretically, you could reach 3% of c with such a drive. This type of starship could be built right now with available materials. It would still take a century to reach our nearest star, Proxima Centuari, which is why such a drive would be best suited for a generation ship.

    Of course, the Outer Space Treaty prohibits nuclear testing in space, so this concept is out. Plus, there’s very few exoplanets that we know of that are habitable for human life that are reasonably nearby.

    One thing I’m unsure of is how any crew would be able to communicate with Earth using conventional radio technology. Radio waves travel at the speed of light but I’ve read that radio transmissions from Earth blend into the background noise of the universe after a light year or two. So even if such a starship reached the Alpha Centauri system (which is 4 ly away), I wonder if it’s radio transmissions would be able to reach Earth? It’s probably just a question of how powerful the transmitter is, since radio waves from strong lightning storms have been detected from exoplanets much farther away than Alpha Centauri

  48. 48.

    NotMax

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    In the novel Footfall, to reach a nearby alien mother ship necessity compels us Terrans to quickly roll out and put into use one such ship. With, if memory serves, a big half-sphere of concrete as a shield.

  49. 49.

    NotMax

    Italics fail. Fix, @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    In the novel Footfall, to reach a nearby alien mother ship necessity compels us Terrans to quickly roll out and put into use one such ship. With, if memory serves, a big half-sphere of concrete as a shield.

  52. 52.

    Yutsano

    As I noted on Twitter, that is most likely a female. But oh boy did she have ambitions! I also love how proud she was at the end.

  53. 53.

    satby

    @Juice Box: shelter dogs aren’t normally neglected and untrained. And they’re screened for temperament and adoptability, which breeders don’t give a rat’s ass about since their goal is to sell. And shelter dogs and cats make wonderful pets.

  54. 54.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @NotMax:

    Yup. I ran across that while reading about NPP/Orion. It seems like something worth picking up.

    I was wrong about the maximum speed for a thermonuclear Orion-type starship. It’s possible to reach between 9-11% of c and travel to AC in about 44 years

  55. 55.

    HinTN

    @NotMax: Pournelle and Niven wrote of such a ship as the means to get off planet and go after the aliens in orbit who were using kinetic weapons (“throw rocks” from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) to keep the good earthlings down.

  56. 56.

    HinTN

    @NotMax: Pournelle and Niven wrote of such a ship as the means to get off planet and go after the aliens in orbit who were using kinetic weapons (“throw rocks” from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) to keep the good earthlings down.

    Revelation – That was Footfall !!!

  58. 58.

    Jay

    @chris:

    @Jim Parish:

    I think it comes out of the “Duck Soup” aneceda, back in the fax days, heart warming stories that can’t be pegged back to any one verified person.

    It’s all over the intertubes.

  59. 59.

    dmsilev

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Signals from Earth blending into the background is about leakage from signals that we’re sending from the ground to the ground. A dedicated signal in space is a very different matter. We can still talk, albeit slowly, to Voyager 2, despite the fact that it’s transmitter has only a tiny amount of power to play with. Sure, Alpha Centauri is a few hundred times further away, but a notional nuclear pulse ship is going to have megawatts of power to run into their transmitter, not a few watts.

  61. 61.

    Ruckus

    @HeleninEire:
    My last dog, the ornery bastard, was an 11-12 yr old cocker spaniel. I saw him at a pet adoption day at a Petsmart. He was ornery for sure, but he was the best companion I’ve ever had. Now he would have been a handful for a first time owner but patience was, as always a virtue because he was worth it.
    And the senior thing, yes you will lose them, but what you get before that can be amazing and worth while. I just remember that all of us have a beginning, a middle and an end. You can be the person who makes the middle part and the end worth it to them. They will appreciate it even if they don’t understand why.

  62. 62.

    Jay

    @satby:

    Yeah, a friend has been looking for 3 years to replace her teacup Yorki, Ramsey. No go with “breeders”. With some steering, she’s now looking at rescues.

    Rambo was a pit bull in all of a few ounces, and a rescue, her first Teacup Yorkie.

  63. 63.

    Kirk Spencer

    The pets of my life have been rescues or foundees. My Cat (dead two years now) literally walked in the front door and jumped on my lap. I agree with the suggestions of going that route. If possible don’t pick the first one you see. Don’t immediately dismiss it, but don’t commit till you’ve given the others a chance.

    The whole experience will change you for the better.

    Oh, and to supplement @raven you will inevitably need this:

    Rainbow Bridge
    -Author Unknown
    There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth.
    It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of all its beautiful colors.
    Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows,
    hills and valleys with lush green grass.
    When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.
    There is always food and water and warm spring weather.
    The old and frail animals are young again.
    Those who were sick, hurt or in pain are made whole again.
    There is only one thing missing,
    they are not with their special person who loved them so much on earth.
    So each day they run and play until the day comes
    when one suddenly stops playing and looks up!
    The nose twitches! The ears are up!
    The eyes are staring and this one runs from the group!
    You have been seen and when you and your special friend meet,
    you take him in your arms and hug him.
    He licks and kisses your face again and again –
    and you look once more into the eyes of your best friend and trusting
    pet.
    Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together never again to be apart.

  64. 64.

    Sab

    @satby: I’ve had two shelter dogs and they were both wonderful dogs.

    I’ve raised three dogs from tiny puppihood to old age, and I would never do it again. Housebreaking. Shoe eating. Furniture leg eating.
    Puppies are cute, but they are not good dogs yet, and won’t be for at least two years.

  65. 65.

    A Ghost To Most

    If JC is around, the spoon lives, is basically roughed out, and I only cut myself once more. I need to set it aside for a bit, and prepare to entertain my sisters for a few days.

  66. 66.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @NotMax: The very idea of my parents at Woodstock, ha ha!! But my older brother went, and sadly, he now resides on the dark side.

  68. 68.

    feebog

    @HeleninEire:

    I recommend connecting with several rescue organizations that rehome dogs. In our case we have one dog who we adopted from an owner who was moving overseas. The other’s owner died. In most cases they do not have behavioral problems and you have a health history.

  69. 69.

    MoxieM

    @Jay: @HeleninEire:

    Truth!

    Allow me to suggest: Don’t get a Newfoundland. Although they are calm and loving and sweet and gentle–and can be terrific apartment dogs, they are not (generally) for first time owners. They are smart (sneaky-smart), stubborn, enormous, expensive–everything dog seems to come in up-to-100 lb increments, and them more. You’d be buying more… always. The same is true for any extra large breed, and the furry ones require grooming. I just shelled out $140 including tip for Murphy, and she’s only 90 lbs (a Gt Pyr/lab mix.)

    But if you do decide there is a breed you love, most AKC clubs (American Kennel Club) have regional breed rescues. The good ones try really hard to match person and dog. Many come from families in financial distress and so on–not all from misbehaved dogs, is what I’m saying. The often have a page on the website that says, “So you really want a So-and-so”–then it lists all the tiresome, noisy or expensive characteristics of the breed.

    But you’ll be rewarded a zillion times over with love and more love from a doggo. They grow your heart like nobody’s beeswax.

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @Raven:
    If you get Netflix there is one of their specials on called Resurface about disabled vets learning to surf. A guy wanted to do something and as he was a surf instructor that’s what he chose. Pretty interesting to see some radically disabled vets learn to surf. And live.

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