Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

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

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

Republicans in disarray!

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

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

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

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

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

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

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

by | 174 Comments

This post is in: 

I guess every front pager has a Thanksgiving post, so here is mine. Mom, dad, Seth, Devon and her husband are coming for dinner. The house has been cleaned, the turkey is in the oven, the stuffing is made, the potatoes are peeled and soaking and ready to go, applesauce is chilling in the fridge, cranberry sauce is likewise chilling, sauerkraut is in a pot ready to go, and I am playing a little warcraft before I take a nap. Dad is bringing a couple dishes, as is Devon.

Hope you all have a good one. I hope Trump’s suck and his cheeseburger is shitty.

Reader Interactions

174Comments

  1. 1.

    patrick II

    Happy Thanksgiving John , and thank you for creating this wonderful blog. The posts are amazing, and the conversations that follow are often more so. “A community of Kindness Smarts, and Realism” could be an alternative, but much less colorful name for your blog.

    Have a good one.

    Warm Regards,

    Patrick

  2. 2.

    West of the Rockies

    You know, for as wealthy as he is, for as much power and privilege as he and his family have, none of them look genuinely happy or even content. They al look annoyed, dissatisfied, put-out, disappointed, and unrelaxed.

  3. 3.

    raven

    Just up from the beach to get some dinner going. Not much happened until I was chatting away with my bride and one of my rods flew out of the holder and headed out to sea. I dove for it and scraped up a knee. It was a hell of a fight and people followed me way down the beach. It turned out to be a ray but, when you don’t know what is stripping your line, it’s still really fun!

  7. 7.

    trollhattan

    Happy Thanksgiving from our family to all you frontpagers, blog fathers and jackals. BTW, it has been determined by Science that the Venn diagram of those three shows everything enveloped by jackal.
    Family is off to adventure on I-5 over the Grapevine, which was closed overnight by snow but shows traffic now going, slowly, over the summit. They have a few hours for things to sort themselves out.
    We had our dinner yesterday and I have enough leftovers for several food comas. And a dog to entertain.
    It’s all good.
    As to that crime family in charge, a hearty efgoldman to them all. Live long and prosper, Nancy SMASH, Adam Schiff and Notorious RBG. And may Jimmy Carter make it to a hundred.

  8. 8.

    James E Powell

    Happy Thanksgiving, John Cole and to Jackals everywhere for whom this is not just another Thursday.

  12. 12.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @raven:

    That’s too bad it was only a manta ray. Do you just fish for sport or have you ever cooked what you catch? The fresher the fish, the tastier it is.

  17. 17.

    Baud

    the turkey is in the oven, the stuffing is made, the potatoes are peeled and soaking and ready to go, applesauce is chilling in the fridge, cranberry sauce is likewise chilling, sauerkraut is in a pot ready to go,

    All you need is a bag of salted dicks for a truly John Cole Thanksgiving.

  18. 18.

    Mike in DC

    @debbie:

    We just need to get Rich Man Syndrome diagnosed as a serious mental illness, then we can adjust our tax policies to alleviate this pressing societal problem.

     

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

  19. 19.

    FelonyGovt

    Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am very grateful for this blog, for its founder, all the front pagers and commenters. Having a nice quiet family day here, watching it rain in Southern California.

  20. 20.

    Major Major Major Major

    Happy thanksgiving, JC and everybody else!

    My folks are in town so we’re getting early dinner at a restaurant in a couple hours, then we might go see Knives Out after. Walked down the street to see the parade earlier. Missed Pikachu but saw Olaf ??‍♂️

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I sent you an email the other day FYI, I know you don’t really check that account

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I am grateful that you are back with us.  I have to ask, what did you say last night to flip you into spam?  twice?  must have been something interesting, but when I released them, there was nothing there.

     

    Happy Thanksgiving to *all!

    *And especially Dad Cole.  I am usually pretty good at games, and last night I could not catch a break while we were playing Rummikub. I picked up tile after tile that matched with NOTHING, finally exclaiming “oh my god!” – I sound just like Dad Cole when he caught the wet pups jumping on the furniture while he was vacuuming all those years ago.  I wonder if I saved that link somewhere?

  25. 25.

    Yutsano

    Happy Turkey Day! The bird is in the oven, the stuffing tastes fantastic, and everything is coming together. I still haven’t gotten up and showered although that’s the next step on the agenda.

     

    Oh and I am wearing a great quote from one fictional professor regarding not wanting to live on this planet anymore.

  26. 26.

    Ben Cisco

    Happy Thanksgiving to the Jackalteriat. I’ve got a full crew inbound, and it will be fun-filled and 45-free.

  29. 29.

    scav

    The turkey is at a neighbor’s; our job is to stare down a mountain of roasted veggies including potatos, beets (variously colored), parsnips, carrots and celeriac. The cows across the street will be thankful for the peelings and odd bits. No one will be left out of the feast.

  31. 31.

    WereBear

    Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Jackals. Especially those who have kept the blog going all these years.

    If we are going to reminisce about favorite posts, I fondly remember one about the face of Jesus appearing on a dog’s butt. The comments became so filled with outrageous puns someone wrote us up on the Great Orange Satan.

  32. 32.

    Patricia Kayden

    Thanks for this blog which is helping to keep me sane, John. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day with your human and furry family.

  33. 33.

    Ruckus

    Cole

    I hope Trump’s suck and his cheeseburger is shitty.

    A good thought for Thanksgiving!

    But of course it will suck and his cheeseburger will be shitty, it’s trump. Everything in his orbit is shitty, because it’s the trump effect.

    Websters.

    The trump effect.

    Everything within his sphere of exposure will be distorted, disabled, deluded and/or destroyed, just by exposure to his being. It is immeasurably worse than just the opposite -see Midas Touch. The only thing positive about the trump effect is that good people can see what needs to be fixed, what the obvious problems are, because the trump effect highlights each and every possible issue that needs correction while it’s putting them in the place to cause the most damage. The trump effect is the manifestation of conservatism, the concept that staying with the known shitty is preferable to the better, because the better is unknown and therefore unreliable. The trump effect is the mobius strip of conservatism, it’s making the bad worse just because you know it’s bad so it’s not a surprise that it is.

  34. 34.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @raven:

    Cool! I love seafood and it’s not something I get to eat every day and should eat more of tbh

     

    @schrodingers_cat:

     

    Funny how men like Modi or Trump claim to care for the “common” man but don’t in reality, esp if it’s convenient for them

  35. 35.

    Ruckus

    @debbie:

    Why would they look happy? The only thing that makes them possibly happy is more. And there are limits to everything, much as it disturbs the powerful, wealthy few.

  37. 37.

    The Pale Scot

    Hectic in the kitchen at the moment, just want to point out WBGO Newark’s blues program is on, it’s rockin’ except when it’s not

     

    Peace to all

  38. 38.

    Bruce K

    Mr. Cole, thank you for hosting this island of (sometimes irritated) calm in a storm-ravaged sea. The world needs more places like this.

    I’m having dinner alone; the last Thanksgiving I spent with family was 2007. But I’m still lucky; I can call them and see them over video chat. I’ll set aside a moment’s prayer for the thousands who aren’t nearly that lucky.

    Granted, they need more than prayer. A lot more.

  39. 39.

    geg6

    He apparently grew a pair and dropped into a Iraq or Afghanistan to greet the troops.  I have to say I’m amazed.

  40. 40.

    bystander

    While I’m loving the Giuliani shitshow, I want to throw a brick every time I hear the “he was America’s mayor!!” No, you peabrains on tv called him that. Real New Yorkers knew he was a media creation, just like twitler. When you live with their b/s 24/7 you have to realize what grifters they are.

  41. 41.

    Quiltingfool

    Happy Thanksgiving to all!  I love Balloon Juice, and I enjoy reading all the comments; I read several blogs, and the commenters (is that a word?  Should I say jackals?) are the absolute best.  I just got done making 4 batches of cookie dough – chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle and brownie.  Our family dinner is Saturday, so tomorrow is my prep day.  My husband’s family loves cookies and they go over much better than pie.  Go figure, cookies are tasty, but I love pie!  Still, the cookies make me very popular, so there is that.  Sounds like everyone is having wonderful food, and I hope the fellowship is even better.

  42. 42.

    Kayla Rudbek

    Happy Thanksgiving to you jackals who are celebrating! We have yet to start the cooking, but there are just two of us at Casa Rudbek so we can set our own schedule. We already did the running/exercise to justify our eating.

  44. 44.

    oatler.

    Whenever I hear fire trucks howling down the street today I assume someone tried to deep-fry a turkey.

  45. 45.

    Calouste

    @geg6: The shitgibbon you mean? Well, if I had the choice between a trip to Afghanistan and spending a day with that family….

  47. 47.

    otmar

    Happy Thanksgiving!

     

    We don’t do that thing here in Austria, the closest thing is Erntedank, but that is a lot earlier and definitely not a national holiday.

  49. 49.

    justawriter

    I think in the spirit of the season people need to remember that the modern thanksgiving celebration had nothing to do with genocidal pilgrims sponging off their neighbors but was created in 1863 to celebrate the beginning of the end of the MAGA hats of that era.

  50. 50.

    cliosfanboy

    Heading to 4 Ps in Falls Church with the wife for  Thanksgiving buffet.  Enjoy your holiday everyone.

  52. 52.

    debbie

    @Raven:

    Looking at that knee, it must have really been a leap to catch up with your rod. One would almost think you’re a football player! ?

  53. 53.

    debbie

    @geg6:

    He also lied through his teeth when he said he was only the messenger in expressing how much the American people love the soliders.

  54. 54.

    Raven

    @debbie: I was in a chair above the water line when I took off. It was moving really fast and it was $150 reel so I had to give it all I had. I dove and my knee hit first. . .the price we pay.

  55. 55.

    HeleninEire

    LOL. So CNN sent me an alert that Trump and Melania went to Afghanistan to visit the troops.  I just received the following alert.

     

    “Correction: the previous alert said that the first lady was with the President in Afghanistan. She was not.”

     

    LOLOLOLOLOL. Yeah no shit.

  57. 57.

    Martin

    Happy thanksgiving all. I’m thankful for all of you and for having a place like this to rant about stupid political shit and whatever else my family doesn’t want to hear me rant about. I’m especially thankful for Cole for hosting us here.

     

    John, best wishes to you and your family. May your dad be free of hospital visits, your pets free of illnesses, and your Subaru free of ditches.

  58. 58.

    Steve in the ATL

    @trollhattan:

     

    I have enough leftovers for several food comas. And a dog to entertain.

    I also have enough leftovers for several food comas or, in the alternative, 3/4 sating one of the two dogs.

     

    @raven: I caught a nice red at the neighborhood wine shop and am drinking it today.

     

     

    @debbie:

     

    I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone very powerful, wealthy, and privileged looking very happy.

    I don’t know—I’ve met Ruckus and he seemed pretty happy

  59. 59.

    J R in WV

    My introduction to Rays was just off Key West in the early 70s, when a huge Ray jumped right in front of us, seemed as big as the 17 ft boat we rented from the EM club. Wasn’t, but such a shock to see it airborne like that! amazing moment I hope to never forget.

     

    ETA: And thanks for reminding me of that wonderful sight!

     

    AND John Cole, Thank You for this blog, I know it’s a ton of work, thanks for everything!!

  61. 61.

    Raven

    @J R in WV: that’s funny, we saw weird triangular critters jumping at sunset. I asked a marine biologist friend I’d rays jump and she said yes! I had no idea!

  63. 63.

    Sab

    @WereBear: Also, my dad’s blind cat is downstairs yowling. He has food. He has water. I think he is lonely. He has become a random pee-er so I don’t want him in the bedroom ever again. Am I a bad person if I ignore him for a while?

     

    ETA: He might also want the turkey in the oven. He loves turkey. First thing I ever fed him, when he was a random stray, was a Thanksgiving turkey wing.

  64. 64.

    J R in WV

    What blew our minds was the size of the monster we saw jump clean into the air. It was really big. Even given the tendency to inflate over the decades, it was huge, not even a splash when it hit the water.

  70. 70.

    Pete Downunder

    It’s already Black Friday here in the land down under. It’s a bit of a puzzle since we don’t do Thanksgiving, but it’s a trend that started a few years ago, probably due to increasingly desperate bricks and mortar retailers. We are also slowly adopting Halloween, which was not a thing here even 15 years ago.

     

    Happy Thanksgiving to the jackals, g’day everyone.

  72. 72.

    Ruckus

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Thanks!

    But I’m not wealthy or privileged, in the traditional sense.

    I do try to be happy, the alternative sucks and doesn’t feel good. And wealthy and privileged happy is a fools happy. Happy is inside, not superficial crap you surround yourself with to make you look happy. Contentment is happy. Greed is not happy, that’s why greedy people have to continue to collect things which will never make them happy because they think things are happy. But they never are. Contentment is happy.

  73. 73.

    cliosfanboy

    This is late but if Tbogg reads this thread i was so sorry to hear about Fenway. :(

     

    I am thankful for the time we have with our fuzzy family members…..

  75. 75.

    zhena gogolia

    I’m in my office in the middle of Thanksgiving Day because my internet at home has been out since 10:00 AM yesterday and all I get from Frontier is a recorded message saying there’s a service outage and no estimated time of restoration. I can’t wait until a business day so I can dump Frontier.

  76. 76.

    zhena gogolia

    Not having the greatest Thanksgiving of my life. Hope you’re all in a better mood than I am.

  77. 77.

    Jay

    Earlier this year, Congress rushed to approve BILLIONS more $ for ICE + CBP.

    I saw members voting YES w/o even a summary of the bill. Nobody cared then how we’d pay for it.

    Now ICE is setting up fake universities to trap students.

    Yet we were called radical for opposing it.— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 27, 2019

  78. 78.

    trollhattan

    Oh, fark me sideways Bloomberg is advertising on the NFL pregame show. Dramatic voiceover with dramatic piano. I’m sold!

     

    Spend some damn money on me, Mike, I have a big-budget yard makover in mind plus our HVAC will be 30 YO next year. I will stimulate this damn economy and defeat climate change.

    Annnnnd, there’s a second Bloomberg ad.

  80. 80.

    J R in WV

    @chris:

     

    The ray we saw jump could easily have been 12 feet across. As I said, we were in a little outboard, max the boat  could have been was a 19′, more likely 17’…

     

    We did in the water sports, snorkeling until I bought a scuba tank from a shipmate for $75. Read the US Navy Divers Handbook, went out and did it. Shallow reef water, one tank, no wet suit, no gauges, no problems.

     

    The boat was IIRC under $20 from the EM club. Saw things, colors, critters, amazing to a kid from WV. Was like flying on another planet!

  82. 82.

    feebog

    Happy Thanksgiving Jackels.  John, thank you for creating this wonderful community of experts, gadflies, curmudgeons and misfits, you all keep me sane and grounded.  It’s Thanksgiving, so of course the tankless hot water heater went out.  At least we were able to shower in the guest house.  The missus is making butternut squash with candied bacon and cranberries.  It smells so good I am ready to cry.  Headed out to the In-Laws for dinner shortly, so signing off for the day.  Hope everyone enjoys their day, no matter how you are spending it.

  86. 86.

    Sab

    @feebog: Let us celebrate Thanksgiving on Balloon Juice with a pedantry war: how do you spell “jack*l”. I typed a comment, and realized that after many years here, I didn’t actually know. AL or EL?

  90. 90.

    Keith P

    Can anyone shed some light on this – I was making green bean casserole using those whole beans in a bag.  I rinsed the beans, trimmed them, cooked them with some rendered bacon and white wine….and it started smelling like dirt.  Literally, like dirt after it rains (it’s a bacteria making the smell IIRC).  I was hoping the smell would go away after cooking with all the casserole stuff for a half hour, but it came out of the oven smelling like dirt, and after the first bite, I could not ignore the dirt taste.

    Is this remotely common?

  92. 92.

    zhena gogolia

    @Sab:

     

    I realize it’s because I can’t constantly track Trump’s misdeeds in real time via Twitter. I see Sondland’s a sexual harasser. What a surprise.

    Have a great day, everyone! Off for goose.

  95. 95.

    Mary G

    The humongous rainstorm that was predicted for yesterday kept getting pushed back and pushed. It finally arrived at 8:30 with an emergency cell phone alert that scared the shit out of me, ferocious winds and has been raining ever since. I am bummed I will have to cancel going to my friends, because they live up in the hills with stairs coming out of the garage and a very steep driveway that is a nightmare for a wheelchair on a dry day and I just can’t face it. Everyone tries to help but we are all older and health challenged and I envision us all tangled and mangled in a pile on the street below. They will bring me leftovers tomorrow and I have a defrosted steak and potatoes I have been meaning to cook for two days I can eat if I want.

  96. 96.

    Raven

    @Mary G: Carefully with needlenose pliers. I actually cut the line and that took the pressure off the rig and it came out easily. It’s getting them back in the water that is a trick. It’d not huge like the one’s described but it was plenty big and when they are flat in the sand they are very difficult to move. I managed to drag it with the pliers enough to get water under it. The crowd really liked that!

  97. 97.

    Jay

    @Keith P:

     

    in order to keep the beans from browning, and to increase the shelf life, they flood the sealed bags with inert nitrogen gas.

     

    some people are very sensitive to the smell and taste, some don’t ever notice it. For some it’s dirt, others, plastic. It’s kinda like the cilantro effect.

     

    to avoid it in the future, don’t buy cut green beans or whole green beans in a sealed bag. By them loose or in the loosely knotted bags. Within a certain distance of the growers, fresh green beans are sold year round in flats and loose bagging, not just the branded sealed bags and semi processed.

  98. 98.

    Ruckus

    @zhena gogolia:

    Don’t go with Spectrum. Had Spectrum for 4 yrs. Four crappy years. My 8 months experience with Frontier is that it is far, far better. Now I am in a Frontier all fiber optic. 200mps up and down. Was with spectrum supposed to be 100mps up, far less down but it never was over upper 20mps and cost $10/month more. I did get to practice my swearing with spectrum though, should I be happy about that?

  104. 104.

    Keith P

    @Emma: I would have actually been better off buying canned beans in this case.  Lesson learned.  But the casserole *looked* great, so I have that at least.

  105. 105.

    Jay

    Just another reminder that the ADL's so-called "expert on right-wing extremism" is trash. https://t.co/Hhr77OFY19— Ash J (@AshAgony) November 27, 2019

    Looks like @egavactip has now changed his article without issuing any sort of correction or statement after attempting to argue that a far-Right Libertarian account with 73 followers was evidence that "far-left" anarchist movement is promoting a neo-Nazi term for race war. pic.twitter.com/cV8MVX1shp— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) November 26, 2019

  110. 110.

    feebog

    @Ruckus:

    OK, I said I was signing off, but we are waiting for the squash to cool a bit so it does not melt the container bag.  I had Verizon fios and then they sold it to Frontier.  Had to switch to ATT for phone and TV  because I could not get Frontier out for service right after the switch.  I have Spectrum for internet, with no real issues.  But I would love to have it all back together.  Any problems with Frontier service?  I am in North Valley area.

  111. 111.

    Skepticat

    I’ve spent most of the day in the blazing sun sorting through what I can get to in a nine-foot-high pile of debris from my home. It’s amazing what survived—generally totally useless things, like lightbulbs in a defunct ceiling fan, while what I cherished most is in tiny shards. However, I did find the ashes of my beloved Maine coon cat. Once I can get help to move the remains of the west wall, I may find more from the kitchen. I’m about to head down island to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with The Eight Who Stayed (the working title of the book about the ordeal of Dorian I’m helping write)—the heroes on this tiny island who stayed in a bunker through the entire storm (sixty hours in winds up to 220 mph, with six dogs and three cats) and have worked incredibly hard and held the place together since. One of the only seven houses on the island still inhabitable, indeed largely undamaged, is the home of my closest friends, the lead couple and their teenage son, and though we have power only a few hours from the generator each day, no hot or fresh water, and no grocery or hardware stores, we’re going to have a very happy and thankful meal together. I may have lost my home and fifty years of small treasures, but the large treasures I retain are some of the most wonderful friends anyone was ever blessed to have. We who are Abaco strong wish each of you a very, very happy Thanksgiving. (To the big turkey in D.C., not so much.)

  112. 112.

    Jay

    @Yutsano:

     

    and it’s not just that they have become lying trash, in the time of Trump and Bibi, they have become morons, catering to morons, as well.

     

    ”Boogaloo” is not an antifa code word for inciting a antifacist race war against all whipple.

     

    ”Electric Boogaloo” is,…..////

  113. 113.

    Jay

    @Sab:

     

    they don’t like him, his foundations or his policies, for the most part, but they also don’t like how he is used to express veiled and unveiled antisemitism.

  118. 118.

    trollhattan

    @Mary G:

    Be safe.

    The fam texted to say they’re allowed southbound on the Grapevine now, so fingers crossed they get over with no further excitement. Their reward is an 8:30 soccer match tomorrow, then back over the Grapevine immediately afterwards for Saturday’s XC meet in Fresno. Weather allowing, of course.

    Winter 2019-20: MIA, now making up for lost time.

  126. 126.

    rikyrah

    For any Black women who wear their hair natural

     

     

    Mielle Organics is having a sale until Midnight CST today.

     

    EVERY PRODUCT is $5

     

    EVERY PRODUCT ?

  130. 130.

    debbie

    Sniffle.

    My heart…

    This little monkey was injured & nursed back to health by a Veterinary Centre in South Africa.

    When he was rescued, his family followed him to the centre & waited on the roof for weeks.

    Checkout their reactions…❤️?

    pic.twitter.com/4PvaadqBCu
    — FierceWarriorNStilettos (@InactionNever) November 28, 2019

  136. 136.

    Jay

    @debbie:

     

    that’s when his natural audience will be free to tune in. MAGAt’s banned from family gatherings and registered sex offenders.

  139. 139.

    Jay

    @debbie:

     

    the DRPK News Team has a strong commitment to being accurate and responsible, thus their coverage of Gym Jordan, Boris de Piffle Johnson, etc.

     

    thus when they made the error of posting that Dolt45 had pardoned the Country of Turkey on November 28, 2019, only to discover that Dolt45 had actually pardoned a turkey, the domestic fowl, and that the Country of Turkey had been pardoned weeks earlier and given a free hand to commit another genocide,

     

    they were duty bound to correct the record.

  141. 141.

    Jay

    According to filings in 2018 Ukraine prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko declared that he took in $741,698.34 in govt income with a prosecutors salary of $74,197. His MP wife his wife Iryna, has $2.45 million in cash on a salary of $18K plus expenses. https://t.co/y8pnCCHpxY— Robert Young Pelton (@RYP__) November 28, 2019

    Square G54 on your Impeachment Bingo Card,…….

  142. 142.

    joel hanes

    I made stock Tues from wings and necks, did prep work Wed, brined the turkey, stuffed it this morning, did steamed string beans in garlic butter, roasted acorn squash with butter and brown sugar and raisins, mashed potatoes, hot rolls, _copious_ gravy.   Mom made the crudities relish tray; sister brought excellent scalloped corn.   One sister couldn’t make it, so there were only four of us for dinner with enough food for twelve.   Very relaxed pace, though I’m amazed at Cole being able to take a _nap_ while the bird is in the oven — I spend those hours making side dishes and setting the table.

    Twelve degrees outside, snow on the ground and more coming within a day or so.

     

    Best to all of you, and all of us.

    May there be better days ahead for our nation.

  147. 147.

    frosty

    Thank you John Cole for this blog and to all my fellow commenters and lurkers. You help keep me sane and fighting.

  148. 148.

    Jay

    Dominic Cummings, senior aide to the Prime Minister, apparently resigned three weeks ago. THREE WEEKS AGO.It's only being reported now. And the BBC Politics account is…tweeting about scones. pic.twitter.com/DAApmVqmPx— Adam Smith (@adamndsmith) November 27, 2019

    Remember? The guy with the shady mystery years in Russia, the National Security Clearance granted with no vetting, and all the Russian Ogliarch buddies?

  151. 151.

    Ruckus

    @feebog:

    Frontier has been the best service I’ve ever had.

    However and it’s a big however it is all fiber optic in my area. You can get from 50/50 to 1t/1t service here. I have 200/200 and it’s more than adequate for normal house service. If your area doesn’t have all fiber optic service I have no idea how good it would be.

  154. 154.

    Redshift

    Happy Thanksgiving, all! We went to my parents for the day. My sister and niece are in town from Louisiana, my brother is local, and my cousin and aunt stopped by after dinner.

     

    Our contribution was veggies and dip before dinner, and potatoes/onions/peppers roasted with olive oil. Everyone liked them, and all of the other traditional dishes were good, as always. Everyone behaved and things were pleasant. (I don’t have any maga types in the family, but some years dad gets cranky and makes things unpleasant; not this year.)

  155. 155.

    realbtl

    Just finished up my single old fart’s T day, 6 friends, simple food and good times.  Wishing the same to the jackals.

  157. 157.

    Jay

    Judging from y’all’s posts, the Leftie/Democratic War on Thanksgiving isn’t going all that well.

  163. 163.

    Renie

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Glad to find out I’m not the only one who has HoneyBaked spiral ham on Thanksgiving.  It’s a tradition since none of us like turkey!!!  Love their chocolate cake but they always run out so fast.

  164. 164.

    Jay

    THE SEVEN SECRETS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

    1. Private school

    2. Legacy Ivy admission

    3. Nepotism hire

    4. Seed capital from family

    5. Club memberships

    6. Personal assistant, nanny, ghost writer

    7. Journalists who ask, “What’s your secret?” and uncritically publish the answer
    — Sandra Newman (@sannewman) November 26, 2019

  165. 165.

    oldgold

    The gaslighting is getting worse.

     

    The Trump’s campaign is attacking The Washington Post with a bizarre claim.

    @TeamTrump

    · Nov 27

    Washington Post claims – without evidence – that @realDonaldTrump shared a “doctored” photo. https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1199734452672446464

  166. 166.

    Citizen Alan

    @Jay: The comments were nauseating. The most disgusting thing about living in 21st century America as we draw closer to Christmas is the universal belief that “successful” is just a synonym for “unbelievably rich.”

     

    “A man cannot serve two masters or else he will love one and hate the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.”

  168. 168.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @Jay: nitrogen gas shouldn’t have any odor/smell at all.  I would bet that there was something wrong with how the beans were cleaned and there was some sort of contamination present.

  170. 170.

    Fair Economist

    @Jay: The “dirt” smell comes from certain soil bacteria which can live on food. The sealed bag is probably the key issue, not nitrogen, because the responsible bacteria do fine in air. I get the smell when I pour boiling water in my sink; they can grow in the food scraps in my garbage disposal. The boiling water kills them and releases the smell.

     

    Wiki says acids will break down the components; I’ve never tried because it’s not in the food I’m planning to eat.

  171. 171.

    Jay

    @Kayla Rudbek:

    I looked it up. Apparently there is a small number of people to whom nitrogen smells like either dirt or plastic. Because they are using it as a “preservative”, excluding O2, that doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be anything “off” with the beans.

    It’s apparently like “the cilantro” effect. SWIMBO says cilantro tastes fresh, clean, citrusy. To me it tastes like Ivory Snow Soap, fresh or cooked.

    http://camcarb.com/food-packaging.html

  172. 172.

    Jay

    @Fair Economist:

     

    the thing is, if the soil bacteria are present enough to make even the cooked beans smell like dirt, well then the beans started off as 90% compost, and that’s visible, ( brown spots, black spots, white fur, yellow dots) and readily apparent texturally, ( slimy, gooey paste).

     

    firm clean green beans that still have snap in them, will never smell like dirt, even when partially covered by dirt from the garden.

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