Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

We still have time to mess this up!

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

No one could have predicted…

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Democrats are back in array!

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

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

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Friday Morning Open Thread: There’s Still Time!…

Friday Morning Open Thread: There’s Still Time!…

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Nobody tell Cole about this, he’s got enough on his plate ottoman already. But if you’re curious, ActionNews suggests checking the shelter’s Facebook page.

Elsewhere… The Repubs have already decided that Trump is gonna lose in 2020, because we all know deficits only matter when there’s a Democrat in the Oval Office:

Further proof:

So — while we must still do our best to Dump Trump — here’s to the success of Amy McGrath!

Reader Interactions

161Comments

  2. 2.

    Raven

    I’m trying my new Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad since I bought a used Thunderbolt monitor and plan to use my personal Mac when I turn in all my work equipment. It works!

  3. 3.

    satby

    @rikyrah: @Raven: Good morning ?

    Now that I’ve been up for two hours and am on my second cup of coffee, I think I’m just going to go back to bed. My sleep schedule is so messed up.

  4. 4.

    Raven

    I’ve been waking up at 4. I move out to the couch and sometimes I get back to sleep and sometimes I don’t. Maybe it will change when I retire but I doubt it, my old man was like this too.

  5. 5.

    NotMax

    A little thing I learned this week (and trivia for TCM watchers) –

    One of the short subjects which used to precede movies in theaters and which comes up regularly on TCM is The Passing Parade (was also an ongoing radio broadcast), written and narrated by John Nesbitt . Turns out Mr. Nesbitt was the grandnephew of John Wilkes Booth. His grandfather was the other famous Booth actor of that time, John’s elder brother Edwin.

    Edwin Booth, by the way, was the one who pulled Abe Lincoln’s son Robert to safety after he fell between the platform and a train which had begun to pull out (this was before the assassination).

  6. 6.

    frosty

    @Raven: How short are you now? Less than two weeks? My target is Jan 31 but I’m not counting down yet. I’ve considered posting short-timer jokes on my cubicle wall but I don’t think people would get the right interpretation since I’m 5’4”. Could be embarrassing.

    ETA went to bed early ‘cause I was beat, looking forward to 7 hrs of sleep. Woke up at 4:30 after 5 hrs. This sucks. Gonna put the phone down and see if I’m tired enough to drop off again.

  7. 7.

    Raven

    @frosty: My last day of work is the 3rd. I’m really not doing much since I work from home and we’re in a bit of a lull. We didn’t count the last day so if I do that it’s “Friday week” as they say here in Georgia. Either way I’ll be a one digit midget tomorrow. I’m ready for it to be over just because it becomes all consuming like it or not.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Looking for a high of 79 today but right now the air is thick and lies over everything like a warm, sodden blanket. Blech.

    Tomorrow on the other hand, 80 degrees, low humidity and sunshine. A perfect day for the Festival of Nations at Tower Grove Park in STL, which is where you’ll find me, stuffing my face:

    Savor flaky Greek or Turkish baklava, Ethiopian injera with doro wat, Polish sausage, Bolivian salteñas, Mexican tamales, Afghan sambosa, Filipino kebabs, Bulgarian bacon-wrapped chicken skewer, and much, much more!

    Listening to music

    Sway to Afro-Cuban beats, reggae, samba and more.

    and watching dance

    from Spanish flamenco to a Vietnamese dragon dance, from the thunder of Ivorian drums to the lively chimes of bells accompanying our popular belly dancers.

    Right now it looks like I am going by myself (Mrs OHB’s back has been a nightmare, and my son is rock climbing) but I might be able to hook up with some friends who are supposed to be there (but never answer my calls or return them) (Hmmmmm…. maybe they are trying to give me a hint? They should know by now, I don’t take hints.) but it doesn’t matter, I love this festival, it is just too much fun.

  9. 9.

    Spanky

    @Raven: Five months retired now, and it’s gotten worse for me. Part of it is my back bothering me with the uptick in physical labor this summer, but I think it’s mostly from Trump.

  10. 10.

    Raven

    @Spanky: What’s gotten worse for you, life? I’m planning to really kick up the physical activity, I know sitting on my ass fir the last 15 years hasn’t been good even though I swim and walk.

  12. 12.

    Butter Emails

    I really hate the words “tough choices”, because what it really means is “we’re going to cut essential spending on health, science and technology and royally fuck over poor people so we don’t have to raise taxes on rich people”.

    If you’re not a sociopath the choice is actually pretty easy. Raise the top marginal tax rates back to what they were before Reagan came along and add a new special tax break for high earners, then look a ways to keep them from hiding the income. You’re welcome.

  15. 15.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Lapassionara: It’s a hoot. I used to go every year but the past few years my attendance has been more spotty. (didn’t make it last year). Be prepared to do a lot of walking as it spreads out over a fair sized area and you’ll want to take it all in.

  18. 18.

    Spanky

    @Spanky: I’ve always had back issues, so it was no real surprise. Still, at this age I know it probably won’t get much better. Unless it gets so bad thst surgery is indicated.

  21. 21.

    frosty

    @Spanky: I’ve had issues on and off. I recommend this book. Might have been Raven who suggested it; one of our valued commenters anyway.

    Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery

    The author tried everything. Half of it is what doesn’t work and the other half is about what does. Definitely read it before surgery.

  22. 22.

    WereBear

    @rikyrah: Good morning!

    Had a bit of a despair meltdown as I keep hearing the stock market is in all kinds of gyrations. Actually referred to “the orange fart cloud” with the new people (my employer switched plans) transferring my 401k.

    I’d taken everything out of the stock market, and now they are pulling me back in :)

    But then, this is tRump’s America, so it’s not like I’ll ever get to retire, OR get my hands on what’s left.

    I say this much, mutant ant overlords would behave in ways that are much more understandable.

  24. 24.

    Raven

    @Spanky: I fractured T-6 in 1974, spinal fusion, bone graft and Harrington rods and almost no issues since. I think the sitting has caused some sciatica issues.

  29. 29.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbillyI’ll be there both days! Missed it last year because of the extreme heat. It’s one of my favorite St. Louis events. Also, heads up… Liquid Gold at The Venice. Red will be working, plus a fundraiser for teaching supplies.

  31. 31.

    Quinerly

    @Lapassionara: great vending also. Wonderful African gentleman now out of Chicago with beautiful mud cloths and mud cloth clothing. I have bought several of his pieces over the years. The vending, like the food, is set up by country. I’m drawing a blank on his country of origin right now.

  32. 32.

    trnc

    I have given my largest single donation so far this cycle to McGrath.

    @Butter Emails:

    I really hate the words “tough choices”, because what it really means is “we’re going to cut essential spending on health, science and technology and royally fuck over poor people so we don’t have to raise taxes on rich people”.

    These types of policies are win win for repubs because a lot of dems will donate more to Planned Parenthood and other orgs whose funding is being cut (or essentially made impossible by republican policy), so that’s less money going to candidates running for office. Meanwhile, winners of feckless tax policy and regulation stripping can spend more on repubs and still turn a profit.

  33. 33.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Butter Emails:

    I really hate the words “tough choices”

    It’s abuser language. ‘This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.’ ‘Tough love.’ It is almost never true, but it’s how abusers not only justify venting their cruelty, but pat themselves on the back for their moral superiority in doing so. It has been a major Republican talking point at least since Reagan. Note that the national punditry use this line of thinking themselves.

  35. 35.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: Good, I was gonna try and catch her before I left town, nice to know I’ll finally get to drink in a little gold too. I’ll forgo some kebabs so I can make a donation.

  36. 36.

    satby

    @JAFD: Good morning again!
    @debbie: I drink a lot of coffee and tea, so they don’t keep me awake anymore. Laid back down for an hour, but hearing “this is NPR” in the radio snapped me right back up. Pavlovian response, I need to turn it off as soon as I hear that.

  37. 37.

    rikyrah

    @Butter Emails:
    I will remind folks that November 2018 saved the American Social Safety Net. They were about to go all speed ahead with gutting it, using ‘the deficit’ as the excuse , leaving out that the reason it was increasing were those phucking tax cuts.?

  38. 38.

    Frankensteinbeck

    The filibuster allowed McConnell to prevent legislation that would fix almost every national problem. The filibuster stopped McConnell from stripping every piece of progressive legislation from the last 150 years.

  39. 39.

    Baud

    @rikyrah:

    I will remind folks that November 2018 saved the American Social Safety Net.

    Truth. Just because the Republicans put a hiatus on talking about it doesn’t mean it’s out of their minds. It shouldn’t be out of ours.

  40. 40.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: We usually get a basket, not sure what I’ll get this year. If my wife ends up not coming, it’ll probably be some little something for her.

  42. 42.

    Baud

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    The filibuster stopped McConnell from stripping every piece of progressive legislation from the last 150 years.

    To be fair, they had a chance to end the filibuster when the GOP still held the House and didn’t. I don’t know if that’s because there are still enough power-hungry institutionalists in the GOP, or because they realized that needed an excuse for not getting things done that voters would hate.

    I tend to favor getting rid of the filibuster, but make no mistake, if we do that, we’ll forever have to be extra vigilant about ensuring that Dems have a backstop in either the House or the Presidency to prevent the worst things from happening.

  44. 44.

    Quinerly

    I’m catching up on threads I missed yesterday. The late night thread around 1:30AM is a real hoot. Was everyone drinking? My laughter over the “toast tree” startled a snoozing Poco.

  46. 46.

    JPL

    @rikyrah: Yesterday I googled Popeye’s to see if one was near me. It’s not to far so I might try a chicken sandwich. Even the Washington Post rated Popeye’s better. lol

  50. 50.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Baud:

    they had a chance to end the filibuster when the GOP still held the House and didn’t.

    I’m convinced it’s because McConnell couldn’t get the votes to do so. All it took was three Republicans who are old-fashioned and stubborn on process, hate McConnell but can’t stick it to him in public, or did not want to have to put their money where their mouth is and actually vote on Paul Ryan’s shit storm of government annihilating legislation. Blocking is much easier than passing anything.

    Then again, maybe it’s McConnell who didn’t want to work, because like I said, blocking is much easier than passing anything. He failed in overturning Obamacare and barely passed a gigantic tax cut for the rich, the two pieces of legislation his caucus wanted most. Maybe he didn’t want to have to corral votes over and over and over, knowing he’s not that good at anything except getting past 40.

  51. 51.

    Baud

    @rikyrah:

    DOJ’s excuse was that it contracted with a 3rd party to produce the newsletter & no DOJ personnel reviewed it.

    To be honest, this is superficially credible. Agencies do contract with media aggregators to collect stories relevant to the agency’s work, which are then emailed to people in the agency so they can stay abreast of current news. If that’s what happened here, there should be some investigation into the types of sources the media aggregators are looking at for stories.

  52. 52.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Baud: @rikyrah: Destroying the social safety net is never out of their minds. They’ve hated Medicare since its creation and hated social security as well.

    As far as the ACA goes, well, kinda obvious with Obama having to veto 60+ repel attempts.

  54. 54.

    Quinerly

    @JPL: we have them here in St. Louis. Never even think about eating at one. But the Louisiana Popeye’s… that’s the ticket. Late night after a full day of a music fest. That’s some greasy, good eats. ? (Bojangles is rather good in NC when traveling. Their motto is “Born and Breaded in NC.” plus country ham biscuits!)

  60. 60.

    PST

    We once had a cat that reached 26 pounds. He had black and white markings like a Holstein. We used to call him the CatCow.

  63. 63.

    Kay

    The best thing to do with Social Security is just take it off the table. It’s a necessity. You can’t cut those. There is no magical math formula that will somehow result in “less funding, same benefit”. Stop looking for one. It isn’t like health care where you can cut costs and (theoretically) get the same or better value. When they “reform” Social Security they are cutting benefits. They can dress it up any way they want but it’s simple- it’s a cash payment. They can either reduce the length of the payment, cut the size of the payment, or increase the individual contribution to the payment.
    Just put it in as a fixed cost and get on with it. It costs what it costs. That’s the (actual) realist approach. All of this handwringing and moaning is the play-acting. If they were “serious” (they’re not) they would admit that the baseline public pension has to be provided or there will be a drop in the standard of living for the half of retirees who get most of their income from Social Security. There is no way around that.

  64. 64.

    Betty Cracker

    If the Dems win the presidency and Senate in 2020, we’ve got to end the filibuster. I understand the arguments against it, but at this point, it seems like playing by two sets of rules is the worst of both worlds. If simple majorities mean Republicans go after the social programs when they’re in power, at least their true agenda will become clearer to low-info citizens. And so will ours.

    Right now, Republicans get all the advantages (wingnut judges and tax cuts) while Democrats spend most of their time trying to keep Republicans from dismantling government behind the scenes. If we keep the filibuster, we’ll get nothing done, and the lack of progress will be dispiriting to our low-info voters. I won’t vote for a candidate in the primary who wants to keep the filibuster.

  65. 65.

    frosty

    @JPL: New Orleans School of Cooking told us Popeye’s red beans were good. They are, and that’s a pretty good endorsement.

  66. 66.

    Ken

    @Chyron HR: When you give a cat’s weight, is that shaved or unshaved? I’ve had cats that must have been half fur, at least by volume. Bath-time always revealed a scrawny Gollum-like horror.

  68. 68.

    Kay

    What happens when we take Social Security off the table. All these poseurs and frauds have to focus somewhere else. They have to spend their days handwringing about some other expenditure. Who knows? Freed from the obsession with the big pot of money they can’t get their greedy paws on maybe they’ll develop some OTHER actual ideas that don’t involve gutting the public pension system.

  70. 70.

    A Ghost To Most

    I showed the BJ post and pix of uber-chonk cat to my visiting wingnut sister.
    She wanted to read the comments. I waved her off. “It’s a tough room, particularly for someone of your persuasion.”

  72. 72.

    Kay

    Social Security is a safety net all right. It’s a safety net FOR THEM. As long as they can chase this magical dream of providing the same benefit for the same length of time with lower funding they don’t do anything else. If we took it off the table they’d have to come up with some actual, realistic ideas that won’t result in a drop in the standard of living for +/- 50 million people. Social Security isn’t generous. It’s a rock bottom amount. Work on something else. Health care, for example. That can be distributed and paid for and provided different ways- 1700 a month in a cash payment at 67 can’t be- it is what it is. It’s either fund it sufficiently or cut it.

  73. 73.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Butter Emails: I’ve seen some discussion in the science-fiction fan community about how fond the genre is of “tough choices” stories in which somebody is forced to commit an atrocity for the greater good (“The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin is an archetype). To some extent it’s the demand of high drama, but often there’s a mean-spirited, punching-down quality to these stories and the overall effect is authoritarian and numbing. The situations tend to be highly contrived and there’s relatively little discussion of the systemic failures that these situations would represent in real life: the imputed moral is “life is tough and the universe doesn’t care about your feelings”, not “someone screwed up badly just to get us all here”.

  77. 77.

    Kay

    @Immanentize:

    Exactly. He was right, too. We all watched Bush crash and burn with his shitty “reform”. The “third rail” position was the sensible, serious position. Ever since they all decided they could natter on and on about it they haven’t done anything else. It’s a kind of crutch for conservatives. It’s made THEM irresponsible because it’s always sitting there and they ALWAYS go there and no where else. Take it away from them. Not an option.

  82. 82.

    Immanentize

    @Kay:
    Is it as simple as saying, “Social Security is off the table, but the military budget is on it?”. I’ve never understood why our huge military budget is not in the discretionary budget pile.

  89. 89.

    Immanentize

    @Raven:
    Because of when I was born, I can get the max at 69 and six months. Like you, I intend to work until that day. But it is not a lot. I will need to have my house paid off and not have my 401k utterly destroyed by then plus SS to live a reasonable old age life. Or, the Immp can strike it rich and take care of dotage Dad.

  90. 90.

    Kay

    @Immanentize:

    Everytime I think the treatment of Clinton was partly a result of sexism (and I do think this) I remember how Al Gore was treated. But then I remember media basically turned him into a “girl” and I’m back at sexism :)

    They were just awful to him. The whole thing was this sneering, insane archaic campaign to portray him as not manly enough. That fully half of it was conducted by women in media is just the icing on the cake.

  94. 94.

    Immanentize

    @Kay:
    Mo Do was, if not the architect, the chief builder of that bullshit. She tried hard to feminize Obama too, but by then most people were on to her schtick and the intertubes folks called her on it all the time.

  95. 95.

    dmsilev

    @Immanentize: Hopefully the next generation are more interested in blowing the family fortune on large-scale drunken debauchery than anything else.

  96. 96.

    Spanky

    CNN has reported the news, but still beneath the big news of the day,

    Romance scam ‘one of largest in US history’

  98. 98.

    Baud

    @Immanentize:

    Unfortunately for us, a lot of the intertubes switched sides in 2016.

    They’ll treat all our candidates awful, but Clinton was a perfect storm because she was anathema to every horrible person here and abroad.

  100. 100.

    raven

    @Immanentize: It’s weird, I spent so many years not giving a shit and now I find I’m in a fairly decent position with both of us with a pension, a health insurance subsidy for both of us and a reverse mortgage. Of course we’re on our own as far as kids but my facebook has blown up with parents of new middle school kids freaking out so I’ll take thew bad with the good on that!

  101. 101.

    Kay

    @Raven:

    They do make it but the key seems to be housing. If they can get and keep affordable housing they can be ok. That budget will work. I assume some of them are getting food stamps, which they don’t talk about but is fine with me- both that they don’t talk about it and (I hope) get them. If I were a real estate developer I wouldn’t build upper income retirement villages. I’d build lower income retirement villages. That need is only going to get bigger. We have long waiting lists on every unit of affordable senior housing in a 3 county area. You can’t find it. The apartments are really simple- one floor, individual entrances, tiny concrete patio, parking steps from the door. They’re really not asking for a lot. You could put hundreds up in one mini mansion development.

  102. 102.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Immanentize: It was just really hard to pull that with Obama– he was such a good-looking, obviously virile, socially affable guy, the standard Dowd attack wasn’t plausible. But Barack Obama is an unusual person. I think it could still work on most other politicians.

  103. 103.

    Baud

    @Spanky:

    Federal authorities cited the case of the Japanese woman, known only as “F.K.” in court papers, on Thursday when they announced an indictment charging 80 people with stealing at least $46 million through various schemes that targeted businesses, the elderly and anyone susceptible to a romance scam. Most of the defendants are Nigerians.

    Fascinating.

  104. 104.

    Wapiti

    @Kay: I’d even suggest that we need to increase Social Security for many. When the minimum wage is bumped up to $15, the cost of living goes up and the SS beneficiaries purchasing power goes down.

  105. 105.

    Spanky

    @raven: Well tobe fair, having middle school-age kids is going to freak a lot of parents out. A friend of mine has triplet 12 year old girls, and sometimes it’s hard to peel her off the ceiling.

    (BTW, this combo is best if Mom is menopausal.)

  107. 107.

    raven

    @Kay: Come to think of it that is all my sister has. Her husband was disabled for almost 20 years before he died and that was all he left her. One of her daughters bought her house so I think she’s ok there but there are not many frills. It’s a good thing her and her thee girls are so close.

  109. 109.

    Kay

    @Immanentize:

    Obama and men just fascinates me because he had some way of reaching them without being a big, loud asshole. He managed to make not being an asshole legit, which is just an amazing feat. There’s like this other way to be. I don’t know- he has a sense of humor- maybe that was it. Not wingnut men, of course. Not birthers and that crowd. Men who aren’t obsessed with politics seemed to accept him in some essential way.
    I watched a press conference once where he was defending access to birth control in this dignified, grown up, practical way instead of this awful “she’s a whore, but heck they’re in the Bible too!” way or, worse, apologizing on our behalf like it’s something shameful, and it’s just “well, would ya look at that- men can do that!” :)
    A good advocate for women who is not one. My stars.

  111. 111.

    rikyrah

    @Kay:

    What happens when we take Social Security off the table. All these poseurs and frauds have to focus somewhere else. They have to spend their days handwringing about some other expenditure. Who knows? Freed from the obsession with the big pot of money they can’t get their greedy paws on maybe they’ll develop some OTHER actual ideas that don’t involve gutting the public pension system.

    clap clap clap clap clap

  112. 112.

    Kay

    @Wapiti:

    Well, that or offer other subsidies. They don’t have to means test Social Security, which is an AWFUL idea. We means test plenty of other things and seniors can use those as budget supplements. Housing, for one. Heat. Food.

  113. 113.

    Steeplejack

    I saw this thread on Twitter this morning. A nice picker-upper going into the day and a respite from Trumpian bullshit.

    Last night I was in a loo and a woman entered the only other stall crying. I did the awkward shout over and asked if she was ok or wanted to talk about it, or needed a hug

    — Agnes (@agnesfrim) August 22, 2019

  115. 115.

    Immanentize

    @Kay:
    Housing is always the most important thing when talking about real poverty. Stable housing means stable schools for kids, job access, services, neighbors who might help, etc.

    We were talking about moving relatives into senior living facilities yesterday. My Mom is about to be 89. She stayed in the four bedroom, five floor split level until she was 82. It was paid for and familiar. She did not want to leave, but one day she woke up and said, I’m lonely, get me outta here! She is now in a transitional care facility. In her own apartment, she gets one big meal a day and otherwise cooks for herself. And she can socialize, walk to the store, get to church etc. She is very happy, except she says she now has problems remembering people’s names! (I do too, I tell her) But Social Security and Medicare (plus) make her easy living possible. It’s not Grand living, but very nice indeed.

  118. 118.

    Raven

    @Kay: When Michelle first dated him she had her brother, Craig, go out and shoot the rock with him. Craig approved, you can tell a lot abut someone on the basketball court.

  121. 121.

    raven

    @Immanentize: When we did our addition we put a focus on accessibility. We have three floor but could make it on the first floor when necessary. Of course we also added on so we could have a king and the pups could sleep with us but now they can’t!

  122. 122.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kay: I was reading something the other day about an affordable senior housing scheme set up with roommates. It’s like college dorm suites, but designed for the elderly, a “Golden Girls” scenario. The idea is that it’s not only more affordable with people sharing expenses, it also keeps the occupants from feeling isolated. I’m a loner, so that sounds hellish to me, but most people aren’t! :)

  123. 123.

    Betty Cracker

    @Immanentize: Someone on Twitter said the best way to memorialize Koch would be to pour a quart of crude oil into a municipal water supply.

  125. 125.

    Tenar Arha

    @Matt McIrvin: I just read something on how that was all JW Campbell’s lovely misogynistic idea bc of Jeanette NG’s acceptance speech.

    Okay, found it here.

    This seems to have been par for the course for JWC, who liked to micro-manage his writers: Campbell also leaned hard on Tom Godwin to kill the girl in “Cold Equations” in order to turn his story into a parable about the foolishness of women and the role of men in guiding them to accept the cold, hard facts of life.

  126. 126.

    Kay

    @Raven:

    My husband says that too. And tennis. I have a friend and her husband plays tennis with my husband and we don’t go out together because my husband says “nope- I know him”. He seems fine to me but apparently tennis reveals some inner horribleness. She stopped asking which was a relief because if she had asked him he would tell her.

  127. 127.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Matt McIrvin:

    “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin is an archetype

    Apparently Godwin did not want the girl to die. Campbell insisted. Vehemently. He sent it back to Godwin three times, because Godwin kept finding ways to save the girl. Campbell was racist as Hell, sexist as Hell, and a major example of toxic masculinity – and as editor of Analog, he made or broke the careers of most of the mid-1900s science fiction authors.

  128. 128.

    hueyplong

    I find myself hoping that Koch actually figured out a way to take it all with him.

    Would minimize future damage and perhaps trigger some entertaining family unpleasantness.

  129. 129.

    Steeplejack

    @JPL:

    Seconding what frosty said. The Popeyes red beans are surprisingly good. Worth a trip to check ’em out.

  130. 130.

    Raven

    @Kay: Yea I’m sure it does. I have known some really good people who turned into real assholes on the court. Don’t get me started on parents in kids sports!

  131. 131.

    Nina

    Social Security cost of living increases are calculated based on the national average monthly wage, so increasing the minimum wage will increase everyone’s SSA check the next November.

  134. 134.

    Raven

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: We lived in a house with 7 people and eight dogs. One of the roomies had a mom who was a shrink and they had a conference at the U of I. She brought colleagues just to “observe us”! We were high as the cost of living!

  136. 136.

    Chyron HR

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    It would be fine if they’d changed the stowaway to a boy (although the story have less emotional impact), but having them die is kind of the entire point. That’s what makes it real science fiction and not “sci fi”, or even worse, “SF/F”.

  137. 137.

    Raven

    @rp: When we go married a number of our friends couldn’t come to the party because it was Pride weekend. Two of our gay couple friends got married during football games. We went but I told em. “whats up with this???”

  138. 138.

    Chyron HR

    @hueyplong:

    I find myself hoping that Koch actually figured out a way to take it all with him.

    Consider: They may have literally set the planet on fire to serve as their funeral pyre.

  139. 139.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Chyron HR:

    having them die is kind of the entire point.

    Campbell’s point was that women are foolish and need men to educate them in the cold, uncaring logic of facts. He made the death necessary to the story. Godwin wanted something else.

    That’s what makes it real science fiction and not “sci fi”, or even worse, “SF/F”.

    Although it sounds like you’re being sarcastic.

  143. 143.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Raven: “We were high as the cost of living”

    That would help. I’m reading comments some of my neighbors made on a recent satisfaction survey. These people need something to mellow them out.

  144. 144.

    Yutsano

    @Butter Emails:

    Raise the top marginal tax rates back to what they were before Reagan came along and add a new special tax break for high earners

    Eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax. It was stupidly conceived when it was created and serves zero purpose other than to trap a narrow band of taxpayers

    That and remove the preferential treatment of interest and investment income. And a 1 cent tax on all stock transactions. It’s really not that hard except it would inconvenience rich people.

  145. 145.

    Raven

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Yes, Friends, welcome to Pastor Flash’s our of Reckoning,
    with Organ Leroy at his organ again,
    and the Fifty-Voice St. Louis Aquarium Choir.

    I’m Decon E. L. Mouse.

    But, Dear Friends in these days of modern time,
    when you can’t tell the AC’s from the DC’s,

    well aren’t we all yearning for someone who can turn on a little stopping power?

    Dear Friends,
    I mean a smokey glass
    Don’t you think I mean a lightning rod
    with which to chase these spooks away?

    Don’t you know I mean our own Pastor Rod Flash!

    He’s been up for a week,
    but he’s coming down!
    Dexterity:

    White Lightning,
    White Lightning,
    this is Ground Beef Control.
    Do you read me?
    Over.

    I read only Good Books
    . Over.

    Ho, ho, ho!
    You must be way out there, Pastor.
    Over.

    I’m high, all right,
    but not on false drugs.

    I’m high on the real thing,
    Powerful gasoline,
    a clean windshield,
    and a shoeshine.
    Over.

    He’s turning over!
    Dexterity:

    I’m all right, Roger.
    Just a little argument with my co-pilot.
    And guess what, Rog?
    The little needle pointing to “E”
    –and, while that’s always stood for Excellent in my Book,
    I guess it means I’m out of gas.

    You’ll have to sing me in, my friends.
    My favorite.
    Hymn 15–17.

    Aghh . . . [fading]
    Dexterity:

    I’m down!

    Thank you, Dear Friends,

    I’m down,
    I’m grounded,
    safe and sound,
    trailing clouds of glory,
    I’m down.

    And I’m marching!

    Yes, Dear Friends,
    I’m marching to dinner!

    ‘Cause Godamighty, I’m hungray!

    Yes! I’m hungray!
    Safe
    and sound
    and hungray!

    We’re hungray!

    Of course you’re hungray!

    I’m hungray!
    We’re all hungray!
    So let’s eat!

    Let’s eat!

    And he said the word!
    What was it?
    And we ate it!

    Hot dog!

    And what was the word?
    Hot Dog!

    Hot Dog!

    Yes, Dear Friends,
    a mighty Hot Dog is our Lord!

    I’m not talking about Hate!
    Dexterity:

    No, I’m talking about Ate!

    Dinner at Eight!

    Let’s eat!

    More sugar!
    Dexterity:

  147. 147.

    Miss Bianca

    @WereBear:

    I say this much, mutant ant overlords would behave in ways that are much more understandable.

    “If only the Queen knew!”

  148. 148.

    Yarrow

    @Kay:

    The best thing to do with Social Security is just take it off the table.

    How could that be done? Democrats take it off the table and Republicans put it back on the table next time they’re in power.

  149. 149.

    Miss Bianca

    @Frankensteinbeck: The editor of the local paper I work for actually had to use the term “moral hazard” to describe how our Hospital District, who runs the local clinic and EMS, is being treated by our Board of County Commissioners (bone-headed Rethugs all who were put into office after the petulant, spiteful teabaggers of our region issued a fatwa – sorry, recall- on the moderate Republicans we had elected).

    It all has to do with an out-of-district community at the extreme eastern edge of our county, who hasn’t joined the hospital district, doesn’t pay any taxes to support it, and expects emergency services anyway. And the county, instead of trying to work with the hospital district, has immediately threatened them with a lawsuit. Which all of us will pay for, of course. Sound familiar?

  151. 151.

    Yarrow

    @satby: @Raven: Just a PSA that if your sleep is disrupted a lot it can be a sign of depression. It’s worth mentioning it to your doctor.

    In general if you’re having trouble sleeping, a good first step is to work on your sleep hygiene. Especially no screens the last hour before bed. Blue light filters can help but best is none. There are lots of tips on sleep hygiene online if you want to learn more.

  154. 154.

    catclub

    @Yutsano:

    Eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax. It was stupidly conceived when it was created and serves zero purpose other than to trap a narrow band of taxpayers

    I thought there was one year when the alternative minimum tax hit Trump very hard, and without he would have owed nearly nothing.
    IN which case, I have a hard time letting it go. The narrow group of taxpayers it hits all look pretty rich to me.

  155. 155.

    Jay C

    BTW, Anybody have any polling on Amy McGrath-vs-Mitch McConnell? As pleasant a prospect as sending Moscow Mitch into (a doubtlessly-well-funded) retirement might be: I’m thinking that it’s Kentucky, after all: and one really has to wonder how many voters (and yes, I know the partisan breakdown in KY) are going to pull the lever for any (D) – especially after Sen. Yertle blankets the state with high-volume reminders that Democrats are The Party Of Satan.

  156. 156.

    Miss Bianca

    @Jay C: I dunno – “Moscow Mitch” seems to be gaining some traction as a moniker of shame. Maybe that shame will penetrate and puncture his voting bloc, who knows. But we gotta hope.

  158. 158.

    Origuy

    No polls on that race, but the statewide races this November look promising.

    New internal Democratic polls reveal that the GOP is struggling in three critical Kentucky races taking place in November. In the gubernatorial race, incumbent GOP Gov. Matt Bevin is trailing Democratic Attorney General Steve Beshear 48 to 39.
    Further down the ballot, the GOP is also vulnerable. In the attorney general race to replace Beshear, former Democratic state House Speaker Greg Stumbo is ahead 46 to 39 against Republican Daniel Cameron, the former legal counsel to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And in the secretary of state race, where incumbent Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes is retiring, Democratic former Second Lady of Kentucky and Miss America 2000 pageant winner Heather French Henry leads GOP former Justice Department lawyer Michael Adams 52 to 37.

  159. 159.

    mrmoshpotato

    @hueyplong:

    :
    I find myself hoping that Koch actually figured out a way to take it all with him.

    Haha. The family is left with nothing because David died first and figured out how to take the entire stock portfolio with him.

  160. 160.

    Another Scott

    Re the picture up at the top, it looks like BeeJay has a problem with his left eye (much larger pupil than his right, he keeps the lids closed more). Here’s hoping it’s temporary. And that he finds a good home.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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