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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Everybody saw this coming.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

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

Republicans in disarray!

Let there be snark.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

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

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Cole is on a roll !

This really is a full service blog.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I really should read my own blog.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Friday Evening Open Thread: Countdown

Friday Evening Open Thread: Countdown

by Anne Laurie|  December 20, 20196:45 pm| 264 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Dog Blogging, Open Threads

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Don’t drink and prime. pic.twitter.com/AxQRGkaptl

— You Had One Job (@_youhadonejob1) December 18, 2019

Good thing you got home, that thing attacked me. pic.twitter.com/GMDgpV1sQL

— You Had One Job (@_youhadonejob1) December 18, 2019

Dog statue with a snow dinosaur on its back pic.twitter.com/yp2r88ddU6

— 41 Strange (@41Strange) December 19, 2019

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Previous Post: « Friday Afternoon Open Thread
Next Post: Late Night Open Thread: STAR WARZ »

Reader Interactions

264Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    December 20, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    I don’t shop enough.

  2. 2.

    Yutsano

    December 20, 2019 at 6:50 pm

    I am sooooo not ready. And I have pulled way too many derps today. I should just go home and get into bed.

    Instead I’m going to physio. Where one of my derps has already happened.

  3. 3.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    December 20, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    Loki climbed one of the tall cat trees today!

  4. 4.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    I have to go to a party tonight. I am so not in the mood. The person who offered to host this party is as scattered as anyone I can imagine. She didn’t check her email so didn’t know she was supposed to send out invitations so they went out two weeks late. Then when she did send them out she set time wrong, told people the wrong amount for the white elephant gift exchange $$ limit and didn’t send invitations to half the people who were supposed to get them. So others had to go in and correct the mistakes. It’s hard to imagine how much wronger she could have got it.

  5. 5.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    December 20, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    DH walks into the living room and notices I have the fire on because I am cold. “Oh you were cold huh?” he says. He then walks out of the living room leaving the f*cking door open, making the room colder. I swear sometimes I could murder him.

  6. 6.

    Yutsano

    December 20, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: WOO-HOO!!!

  7. 7.

    geg6

    December 20, 2019 at 6:57 pm

    A couple more quick presents are still needed (gift card for my brother and something Steeler related for my older sister who is a huge fan). I have wrapped about half of the presents, which is massively early for me. Usually, I’m scrambling on Christmas Eve to get it all done. My food contribution for the family meal. Making twice baked mashed potatoes. They are only actually baked once, but they have all the ingredients of a twice baked potato. Easy peasy to make ahead and do the bake when I get to my sister’s house. Yay! I’m organized for once!

  8. 8.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: lol Now you want to kill him after spending all that time getting his visa in order.

  9. 9.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    @JPL:   Not Visa but green card..

  10. 10.

    jk

    December 20, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    Biden supporters,

    When will you people wake the fuck up?  His record as a senator flat out sucks- supported the Iraq war and the crime bill, treated Anita Hill like dirt, and always favored banks and credit card companies over consumers.

    He’s an atrocious public speaker, has less charisma than a glass of warm milk, and at 77 years old his age and health will be a huge liability in the general election.  Republicans will be flooding the zone 24/7 about the risks of having a 77 year old as our next President so pull your heads out of your asses and find yourself another candidate to support.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    December 20, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    @jk:

     

    I’m confident that approach will be effective.

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    December 20, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    @jk: Biden is not my first choice of the remaining candidate, but might I suggest that you fine tune your persuasion approach somewhat?

  13. 13.

    Calouste

    December 20, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    @jk:  The imPOTUS isn’t much younger.

  14. 14.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 7:17 pm

    @Yarrow:
    She made a typo in her address on the invitations?

  15. 15.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Other than spousal lunkheadedness, how’s the move into the new place going?

  16. 16.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    Home from surgery to take out my stupid malignant lymph node. Went very well (God/dess bless anesthesiologists who take you seriously when you tell them gas anesthesia makes you very sick). I felt pretty perky soon after, walked over a mile from the surgery center back to the subway at Columbus Circle, and demanded to go browse in the shopping center a little bit before going home. Once the lab results on the node are in I’ll meet with my oncologist and figure out next steps.

    Two dear friends, who design their own holiday card every year sent the best one yet. A picture of them, depicted Victorian style, under what they called a Peach Mint tree, and above it, a title quote: “Mmmm… Peach… Mint!” I love them so much.

  17. 17.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    @jk:

    Sir, this is a Arby’s thread.

  18. 18.

    Baud

    December 20, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    @Nicole: Good news.

  19. 19.

    sukabi

    December 20, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:  depending on method of murder you could solve your heat problem.?

  20. 20.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    @Nicole:
    Progress! Sending good thoughts for the lab results.

  21. 21.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    @Nicole:  You have nice friends and I hope the news come back good.

  22. 22.

    Ohio Mom

    December 20, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    Nicole @16, Keeping fingers and toes crossed for the best possible results for you. Keep keeping us posted.

  23. 23.

    Mr. Mack

    December 20, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    @Nicole: Ah, been there.  All I can say is the mental battle is nearly as important as the physical one.  Sound like you got this.

  24. 24.

    Renie

    December 20, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Got suspended from Twitter last night for posting hate speech.  What did I write that was hate?  I called Laura Ingraham a ‘bimbo’.   If that is hate speech what do they call what the orange buffoon posts.  I’m appealing the suspension just on principle but never realized how much I use twitter until I couldn’t. LOL

  25. 25.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    @Nicole: Best of luck with the lab results.  The waiting must be agony.

  26. 26.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    @Steeplejack:  lol My nextdoor will sometime get political and someone posted a did you see how McBath voted for impeachment.   First comment was Sir, this is Arby’s.  

    fyi for those who don’t know Nextdoor is a neighborhood news site.

  27. 27.

    Roger Moore

    December 20, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    @Yarrow: 
    This sounds like passive aggressive behavior from somebody who didn’t really want to host the party but was bullied into doing it. Either that or somebody completely scatterbrained.

  28. 28.

    lamh36

    December 20, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    TV Alert peeps. Eddie Murphy returning to host SNL tomorrow night! First time in 35 years! Set your DVRs!!! Like I said before, I might actually watchin SNL live for the first time in FOREVER! Musical guest is Lizzo!!!

     

    Here’s his TODAY show interview with Al Roker

    https://youtu.be/FK9wny0lWSA

     

    And here he is talking to Jimmy Fallon:

    @THRtv

    Eddie Murphy Recalls Prince Stories, Confirms and Denies “Folklore” Trivia on ‘The Tonight Show’ (Exclusive)
    https://twitter.com/THRtv/status/1208178024589357057

  29. 29.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    @Renie: haha  If they think bimbo is bad, you should hear what I say about her.

  30. 30.

    HinTN

    December 20, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    I must have missed it.  Where’s the calendar?

  31. 31.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 20, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    @HinTN:
    The deadline for submitting pictures was just last week.

  32. 32.

    chris

    December 20, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    @41Strange is good twitter

    The Psychedelic Cats of 19th Century Painter Louis Wain. H. G. Wells said of him "He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves." pic.twitter.com/234I1Wyuir— 41 Strange (@41Strange) December 20, 2019

  33. 33.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 7:40 pm

    @lamh36: Lizzo!  Thanks for the heads up.  When I was in college I had a videotape of Eddie Murphy’s best sketches, watched at least once a week.

  34. 34.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    December 20, 2019 at 7:42 pm

    @Nicole: Good for you. I hope the eventual news steers you in a relatively easy direction.

  35. 35.

    UncleEbeneezer

    December 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    In about 3 hours my vacation officially starts.  We are heading out to Borrego Springs for my birthday, to a little resort with neat vintage trailers and nice tennis courts, pool, hot tub etc.  After 30+ years of playing and a couple years of coaching I will finally get a couple lessons that focus on MY game.  And this damn sinus infection I’ve been suffering all week seems to finally be over.

  36. 36.

    HinTN

    December 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): Yeah, but we were led to expect that we could order in time to have them for Christmas presents.

    ETA: I really do want that great set of tributes and I know it’s a volunteer gig.

  37. 37.

    BBA

    December 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    Holy fucking shit, I agree with Christianity Today. There’s a first for you.

  38. 38.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    @lamh36: True story, my anesthesiologist today told me he’d seen Eddie Murphy do stand up way back in the early 1980s (after he’d started on SNL, but before he became the biggest star in the world).  If I can possibly stay up late enough, I’m totally watching tomorrow.  I’m really excited to see him, too.  Partly because I adored watching him on SNL as a child (“C-I-L-L. My. Land. Lord.” still makes me laugh), and partly because I’m really interested to see how’s he’s evolved as a comedian since then, since I assume the opening monologue will be standupesque.

    He was robbed of the Oscar in Dreamgirls.  Not that I’m still annoyed about it or anything.

  39. 39.

    tokyokie

    December 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    @Renie: 

    I, for one, would never call her a bimbo. But Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS……

  40. 40.

    Baud

    December 20, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    @BBA:

    Congrats on accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

     

    ETA: Oh, that other thing.  That’s good too.

  41. 41.

    coin operated

    December 20, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    @BBA:
    Same here. Blew my mind seeing them come out for removing Trump from office. Hoping for a few more cracks in the dam.

  42. 42.

    WaterGirl

    December 20, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    @jk: Ho ho ho!

  43. 43.

    burnspbesq

    December 20, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    @jk: 

    Yeah, now that you’re done airing your grievances, perhaps you will, however grudgingly, admit that Biden has the only characteristic that matters.

    He ain’t Trump.

  44. 44.

    BBA

    December 20, 2019 at 7:49 pm

    @Baud: Can I still get Chinese takeout and go to the movies on the 25th, or is that not kosher? Can I still say “kosher”?

  45. 45.

    lamh36

    December 20, 2019 at 7:49 pm

    @Nicole: totally robbed!  I still scream it out when I catch the movie on repeat…grrr.

  46. 46.

    lamh36

    December 20, 2019 at 7:50 pm

    @eclare: One of my male cousins LOVED Eddie Murphy back then.  So he used to have all his standup videos and movies and the one “Best of Eddie Murphy” on SNL thing they issues way back when

  47. 47.

    Baud

    December 20, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    @BBA: When you’re saved, they let you do whatever you want.

    You’re a dude, right?

  48. 48.

    chris

    December 20, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    The Russians are… in the room. (Article attached.)

    Trump administration demanded Democrats strip Ukraine aid language from spending package… https://t.co/RaPUeRBzNk— Robert Costa (@costareports) December 20, 2019

  49. 49.

    Emerald

    December 20, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    @burnspbesq: 

    Also, he ain’t Wilmer.

  50. 50.

    Amir Khalid

    December 20, 2019 at 7:55 pm

    @JPL:

    I miss Arby’s. They were in Malaysia for a few years back in the 1980s, then they left. Their roast beef sandwiches tasted far better than Mickey D’s burgers. Sigh.

  51. 51.

    J R in WV

    December 20, 2019 at 7:57 pm

     

    If we could reliably receive NBC, and IF we weren’t going to attend a solstice party Saturday evening… then I might want to watch SNL with Eddy Murphy. Maybe.

  52. 52.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    My wife and her co-conspirators went down to the Athens Unsilent Night. I’ve been too sick for that mess.

  53. 53.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 7:58 pm

    @eclare: HOT TUB!!!!

     

    and

     

    THE BED IS ON MY FOOT!!!

  54. 54.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    @raven: Ah yes, hot tub!  Saw your health news earlier, glad for the good result!

  55. 55.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    @eclare: “I’M GOIN IN NOW. . . .AOOOW, TOO HOT”!

     

    THX

  56. 56.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:05 pm

    @raven: Gonna make me sweat!

  57. 57.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    Music hath charms and all that but can foresee multiple problems and confusions with deploying it in this fashion.

  58. 58.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    @eclare: Laraine Newman was great in the Exorcist bit!

     

    It was Richard Pryor not Eddie.

  59. 59.

    Amir Khalid

    December 20, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    Liverpool FC just signed a forward from Red Bull Salzburg. He’s a Japan international named Takumi Minamino. I fear for the TV commentators who will soon be tasked with describing a rapid exchange of passes between players named Fabinho, Firmino, Mané and Minamino.

  60. 60.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    @raven:

  61. 61.

    Roger Moore

    December 20, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    @Amir Khalid: 

    I fear for the TV commentators who will be tasked with describing a rapid exchange of passes between players named Fabinho, Firmino, Mané and Minamino.

    That’s why they get paid the big bucks.

  62. 62.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    @lamh36: My top five Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! Oscars (in no particular order):

    Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls

    Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream

    Albert Brooks in Broadcast News

    Brokeback Mountain

    Everything that was up against Forrest Gump

    (Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! Stats are based on quality of work as well as quality of what beat them)

  63. 63.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 8:14 pm

    Coolness. The Aeronauts now live on Prime. Been looking forward to it. Hope raises its battered head once again for a minimum of disappointment.

  64. 64.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    @Nicole:
    Pete Postlethwaite 
    In the Name of the Father.

  65. 65.

    Mnemosyne

    December 20, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    @Nicole: 

    Former SNL-ers always get robbed at Oscar time. Bill Murray is on that list.

  66. 66.

    Bmaccnm

    December 20, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    @Baud: I know I was convinced. “He’ll be 77 years old” is a deadly jab at someone who might run against Donald Trump. Why didn’t I think of that?

  67. 67.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    @Nicole: I would add Denzel in Malcolm X.  Yeah Ellen Burstyn, wow.  What a movie, too.

  68. 68.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 8:18 pm

    @Amir Khalid:  There was one two miles from me but it recently closed. The few times I went it was for their chicken which was quite good.

  69. 69.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    @chris:  I don’t understand why the dems didn’t block it.

  70. 70.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    @eclare: Awful movie, right up there with Nil By Mouth and Once Were Warriors.

  71. 71.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    @raven: Oh my god, that was SUCH a good film.  The best thing Daniel Day Lewis ever did.  (full disclosure, I am not a particular DDL fan, but I thought he was just sensational in that movie.  As was Postlethwaite.  Man, I need to go rewatch it)

  72. 72.

    rikyrah

    December 20, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    @Nicole: 
    Sending you prayers ??

  73. 73.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    @raven: I saw Once Were Warriors in the theater.  I felt really bad for my friend who accompanied, who had wanted to see some light romantic comedy, but it was sold out and I mentioned I wanted to see Once Were Warriors (all I knew was that it was about an Māori family).  I don’t think he ever forgave me.

  74. 74.

    chris

    December 20, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    @JPL: Article says Trump wouldn’t sign and that would shut the government down. Article also says this goes back to Puerto Rico.

  75. 75.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    Jane Fonda should have won for They Shoot Horses Don’t They..     

    I hold grudges.

  76. 76.

    laura

    December 20, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    @Nicole: 
    Crossing finger toes and eyes for good luck and ninja-style treatment plan for you – and grateful that your care team listened to you about the sedation.

  77. 77.

    JPL

    December 20, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    @chris: Let him shut it down.  It’s time the raise their voices to stop the manic in chief.

  78. 78.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    @rikyrah: Thank you.  I don’t think there will be chemo as it’s a regional recurrence (not distant) and the cells are estrogen positive, which doesn’t really respond to chemo, but I don’t know whether there will be radiation or not (obv., I would prefer “not”).  Tamoxifen for sure.

  79. 79.

    PJ

    December 20, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    @jk: Just because you asked so nicely, has Santa got a present for you – you’ll get 1 more year of campaigning and then 8 years of Joe as President to look forward to!

  80. 80.

    geg6

    December 20, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    @lamh36:

    Heard he’s gonna do Mr. Robinson, one of my all time faves.  I hope he pulls out the ol’ Gumby suit, too.

  81. 81.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:31 pm

    @Nicole: At least there was sort of a decent ending. Nil By Mouth is the story of Gary Oldham’s life in East London. Ray Winstone is an absolute brute.

  82. 82.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 8:32 pm

    @Amir Khalid:
    I like Arby’s too. There’s only one (somewhat) near me, not very convenient, so I don’t go often. But, yeah, the roast beef sandwich with the horsey sauce.

  83. 83.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:33 pm

    @eclare:

    I would add Denzel in Malcolm X

    I don’t think I watched them that year- I had to google to see who won, and holy cow, you’re right.  That was clearly Pacino’s consolation Oscar.

  84. 84.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 8:33 pm

    @raven: I’ve never seen Nil By Mouth.  Is it one I should see to have seen or no?

  85. 85.

    MomSense

    December 20, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    @Nicole: 

    So glad you came through it ok. Rooting for you!!

  86. 86.

    MomSense

    December 20, 2019 at 8:36 pm

    @Steeplejack:

     

    We got the meats?

  87. 87.

    Duane

    December 20, 2019 at 8:37 pm

    @NotMax: That sound is nice and all, but maybe it could  sound like something proven to work… like a bus!

  88. 88.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    @Nicole: I love Winstone and when I say awful I mean awful like Warriors. I wouldn’t recommend it, maybe Sexy Beast instead.

    This says it better than I can

     

    Bleak raw movie that cuts to the bone with its sheer force

    Aidan McGuinness6 September 2002
    This is far from an easy movie to watch and is not really a good definition of `entertainment’ (although it is disturbingly compelling). It’s got about as much hilarity as `Monster’s Ball’, `Dancer in the Dark’ and `Requiem for a Dream’.

    There’s not really a plot here. What we’re looking at is a family in council housing – a poor, distraught family, torn apart by the people. Kathy Burke is Valerie, the long suffering wife of Ray (Ray Winstone). Ray is a drunken abusive man, haunted by his demons. He fights regularly with Valerie’s heroin addicted brother, who cannot escape his own life style. Over this watches Valerie’s mother, Janet, in a resigned fashion, lost to any real hope of something different. We get to spend some time with these characters, seeing how their lives develop. Unlike traditional movie structures we’re not really building to a giant convergence of plot lines, a climatic final scene. Real life is not like that – it’s a series of events, marked by occasions. This is the view the movie takes and it works well because it makes it far more credible than a final showdown involving a gun and a murder. What’s even more interesting is that while Ray is `bad’ he could not be quite considered evil – there’s a darkness in him that he’s fighting against. There’s a great scene involving a telephone which brilliantly highlights how torn apart these characters are and how nothing is ever quite as simple as you would like to believe.

    The acting is astonishing. I can’t praise either Burke or Winstone enough. One of the reasons this movie is so unnerving is that the characters are believable – and this is due to the actors behind them. When Winstone’s face becomes animated with range it really seems like he is ferocious, full of venom. You would race across the other side of the street from him, seeing the fury inside this man. Burke herself could have just played the demure wife but she adds far more complexity. Yes she is suffering, but there’s a great hint of steel beneath her – shown in the delivery of a dialog, or the turn on a face. By not distracting us with pretty faces, director Gary Oldham manages to deliver actual characters. The energy – unflinching – delivered by them makes them seem horribly like people you know can exist within miles of your home.

    Oldham himself shows a good directorial view. The movie uses a lot of hand-cameras (and presumably some unusual film stock) to get a grittier realism. This is aided by some excellent cinematography – the lighting is bleak, subdued, in keeping with the movie. Even the sunshine is pale, as if there’s never really any hope to be had. The sound design is crisp, and generally minimalist – instead letting the camera and acting tell the story rather than forced manipulation via a composed piece. The set design also deserves a nod – the house around which a lot of the movie resolves has a real `lived in’ feel. Too often Hollywood directors décor their house in a few luxury sofas and leave it at that. Here there’s a real sense of a home with condiments and grit engrained in the walls. It all adds up the power. Ultimately though it is Oldham’s unflinching depiction of the events that stands in the movies favour – the camera is close, it’s there, you cannot escape through some banal metaphor (which is typical of most movies).

    `Nil By Mouth’ is more of an `experience’ movie. It’s a wrenching, arresting viewing that is sometimes very difficult to watch because you know there’s a horrible shade of truth to it. It’s not necessarily something you’d watch repeatedly (unless you’ve a shade of masochism to you), but it is something that will leave a little indelible mark on you as something to muse on. Definitely worth seeing – but be prepared. 8.1/10

  89. 89.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    Clapton soundtrack

  90. 90.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    @Nicole:

    Glad the surgery went well and that the anesthesia wasn’t a problem.

    My favorite Eddie Murphy bit was his James Brown singing “Hot Tub” in a gold lamé Speedo, dipping his toe into a hot tub: “Owwwww! Too hot!”

  91. 91.

    The Dangerman

    December 20, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19…

  92. 92.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    @Nicole: Definitely.  Scent of a Woman?  Please.

  93. 93.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:49 pm

    @eclare: Ever see Scarecrow with him and Hackman?

  94. 94.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    December 20, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    TPM has posted its nominees for this year’s Golden Duke Awards, named after corrupt Duke Cunningham. The awards recognize the “biggest political disasters” of the year, but I’d add the disasters seem to be all self induced.

  95. 95.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    @raven: No, off to the google!

  96. 96.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 8:55 pm

    @eclare: Funny and intense.

  97. 97.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 8:55 pm

    @Nicole:
    Off the top of my head:

    ‣ Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski. But the voters downgrade comedies unless there’s sufficient shmaltz involved.

    ‣ Denzel Washington, Malcolm X, 1993. The winner: Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman. Really?

    ‣ Denzel Washington, Courage Under Fire, 1996. Robbed of a nomination, at least. Kind of a minor movie, but Washington was terrific as a troubled Army officer. And, checking IMDB, what a deep cast: Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Matt Damon, Bronson Pinchot, Seth Gilliam, Regina Taylor, Scott Glenn, Tim Guinee, Sean Astin.

    ‣ Stephen Fry, Wilde, 1997. Nuanced portrait of Oscar Wilde. With Jude Law and another all-star cast.

  98. 98.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 8:55 pm

    @JPL:
    Is Arby’s code for something?

  99. 99.

    RedDirtGirl

    December 20, 2019 at 8:56 pm

    Popping in to say hi to my favorite group of irascible jackals. I haven’t been around much, but thanks for always being here when I need a bit of grounding, or perspective, or solace. Here’s s to things going our way in 2020. ???

  100. 100.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 8:58 pm

    @raven: Looks interesting

  101. 101.

    RedDirtGirl

    December 20, 2019 at 8:59 pm

    @Nicole: wishing the best of outcomes for you.

  102. 102.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 8:59 pm

    @JPL:
    I thought that movie was a little overwrought, but Fonda definitely deserved the Oscar she got for Klute. That holds up when it comes on TCM occasionally.

  103. 103.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:00 pm

    @Steeplejack: I’ll hang from a shower rod and whistle Maytime. . .

  104. 104.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2019 at 9:00 pm

    @debbie:

    “Yes, I was emotional last Thursday. I hope everyone can understand I was there as a son, husband and dad.”“Sir this is an Arby’s”— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) October 4, 2018

    (Re the Kavenaugh hearings)

    HTH!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  105. 105.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 9:09 pm

    @Another Scott:

    Thanks, lol.

  106. 106.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:09 pm

    It was illuminating to see people developing their “I’m too pure to vote for [insert name]. [he/she (choose one)] is too [insert adjective],” bullshit in real time.

    I don’t really give a fuck if you live in the bluest of blue states, there are people who gave their lives to get the right to vote, and anyone who treats voting as a fashion statement or method of virtue signaling is an entitled shit in my books.

    Thanks and please go about your evening.

  107. 107.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    @MomSense:
    Well, somebody’s got a beef, that’s for sure!

  108. 108.

    Kayla Rudbek

    December 20, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    How the heck did I manage to injure my second toe along the bone closest to the foot? It’s been hurting for a couple of days now. I will get a cramp there from time to time, but this is the worst it’s ever been.

  109. 109.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    @Duane

    Imagine being on the sidewalk of a heavily trafficked street, with multiple buses – some stopped and others in motion – blaring out both sequences, out of unison.

  110. 110.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:  Tell it

  111. 111.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek: Do you do carpentry in your sleep?

  112. 112.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 20, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    For the first time in over 30 years, my son will not be home for our Christmas Eve dinner. He’s already pretty melancholy about that, as is his mother.

  113. 113.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek: I broke a toe in the surf at Kaneohe, flew home and broke one on the other foot on my sis’s couch.

  114. 114.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    @Nicole: Excellent news. Fingers crossed going forward!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  115. 115.

    Kayla Rudbek

    December 20, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: wouldn’t sleep-carpentry affect my hands more?

  116. 116.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek: Not if you dropped shit on your feet.

  117. 117.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek: @raven: raven nailed it – so to speak.

  118. 118.

    Keith P

    December 20, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    Everything that was up against Forrest Gump

    Pulp Fiction

  119. 119.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    Charlie Pierce finally tells us about how he got hit by a car, and how he’s doing.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  120. 120.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 20, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: If I skipped an opportunity to vote I’d be afraid of my father rising from his grave to point out how very disappointed he was in me.

  121. 121.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:19 pm

    @debbie:

    Know your meme.

    It’s Twitter/​Internet shorthand for when someone is going on a long, possibly unhinged rant about a contentious or complicated issue and someone punctures the rant with “Sir, this is an Arby’s.” Venue is inappropriate and/​or nobody cares.

  122. 122.

    Cameron

    December 20, 2019 at 9:20 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:  Absolutely positively. Even if one thinks the eventual nominee sucks/blows/has-other-inhale-exhale-problems, the supporting cast that nominee assembles will be light years better than the Circus of Fail that we’re enjoying at the moment.

  123. 123.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:20 pm

    @RedDirtGirl:
    Thanks for dropping by. You have been missed!

  124. 124.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 9:22 pm

    @Steeplejack

    Are you by any chance intimating there aren’t eels in my hovercraft?

    :)

  125. 125.

    karen marie

    December 20, 2019 at 9:22 pm

    @Renie:  Good luck with that.  I had a similar experience, and I got no response to any of my appeals.  I refused to remove the tweet (I had suggested to a particularly deplorable deplorable that her children should leave her out on the sidewalk once she becomes old and useless) and I was locked out of my account.  I just made a new one, which is fine except I’ve gotten boatloads of snotty comments from assholes about the recent start date of my account.  I don’t bother trying to explain, I just block them and move on.

     

    Best of luck!

  126. 126.

    Mai naem mobile

    December 20, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    @Nicole:  The Mission only won for the music and possibly cinematography. I am too lazy to look it up but I believe it was up against The Color Purple which got everything except Steven Spielberg getting dissed. Anyhoo, The Mission was a damn good movie and got robbed even if it was The Color Purple.

  127. 127.

    Chris T.

    December 20, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    @Nicole: Radiation treatment for cancer sucks, big time. Spouse and sibling both had small cancers and both got this treatment. Both were told that it would cause some fatigue. Both thought “enh, fatigue, ok”. Both then said: whoa, you said some fatigue, you should have said you’ll feel like you should be in a coma for the next six months.

    (The tradeoff is that apparently it cuts the risk of recurrence, at least for spouse, in roughly half, which is pretty good. But you’ll have no energy with which to do anything, for quite a while.)

  128. 128.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 9:25 pm

    @Another Scott: Great post, thanks.

  129. 129.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 20, 2019 at 9:27 pm

    @Another Scott:  But he does not, in fact, tell us how he got hit by a car.

  130. 130.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:28 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I couldn’t vote for 16 months after I came home from Vietnam. I don’t miss.

  131. 131.

    karen marie

    December 20, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    @Another Scott:   Thank you for posting that link.  I was disappointed but not surprised that Mr. Pierce didn’t describe the accident.  I would guess it’s on advice of his attorney.  One never wants to say things that might contradict what was said previously or subsequently.   But I am very relieved that the snowbank was there to preserve his noggin.  He is a national treasure.

     

    Best wishes for a long life to Mr. Pierce and to all Balloon Juicers.

     

    You kids are the best.

  132. 132.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: My mother would be more…physical.

  133. 133.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:30 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:
    Can’t go into a long riff now, but re your question about learning Spanish from zero:

    Check out Pimsleur. It’s audio/​conversation-oriented and, though you’ll need grammar study and “book learning” later, it gets your ear off to a good start and it really takes you a long way toward being functional as a tourist/​visitor in Spanish-speaking countries.

    There are three long series (available on Audible), and there’s also a $30 quickie intro set that would give you the flavor and let you see if it’s a fit for you.

    More details on request.

  134. 134.

    Mai naem mobile

    December 20, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Dan Ackroyd is an underappreciated actor. I don’t think he’s ever won an Oscar and he deserves one.

  135. 135.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    @NotMax:

    Possibly.

  136. 136.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 20, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    @lamh36: I’ll be watching the whole show for the first time in I don’t know.

  137. 137.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 20, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    @Steeplejack: Thank you.

  138. 138.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    @karen marie: Missed ya, still up the road?

  139. 139.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    @Mai naem mobile: Murray is really good in The Razor’s Edge. He made a deal that he’s do Ghostbusters if they remade it.

  140. 140.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek:

    Google “buddy taping.” Instant pain relief.

  141. 141.

    James E Powell

    December 20, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    @Nicole:

    My top five Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! Oscars (in no particular order):

    I take a perverse satisfaction from the Academy getting the Oscars wrong. Same with the Grammies.

  142. 142.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:42 pm

    @raven:  John Cusack has a deal where he will do big budget things if the studio then funds his artsy stuff.

  143. 143.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    @debbie: Yea, I dislocated my pinky playin hoops and that’s what they did after I made the dude who passed me the ball reduce it. It permanently fucked up my finger.

  144. 144.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: The Grifters!

  145. 145.

    James E Powell

    December 20, 2019 at 9:45 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    anyone who treats voting as a fashion statement or method of virtue signaling is an entitled shit in my books.

    Omnes Johnson is right!

  146. 146.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 9:47 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    Ex-SNLers also hold the group record for biggest oeuvre of crappy movies.

    @Mai naem mobile:

    Aykroyd is a talented actor, but Oscar-worthy? Like in what?

  147. 147.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:50 pm

    @Steeplejack: Nothing but Trouble.

  148. 148.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    Great explanation, thanks!

  149. 149.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 9:52 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: oops, murray

  150. 150.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 9:54 pm

    @raven: Don’t know it.

  151. 151.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 20, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:  Ah, Trouble, with a capital “T”, and that rhymes with “P”, and that stands for pool.

  152. 152.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2019 at 9:59 pm

    @chris: The blurb I saw says he also didn’t like funds for Ukraine, I guess Daddy Vladdy called.

  153. 153.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    @Mai naem mobile

    Obviously the Academy voters are prejudiced against those with webbed feet.

    ;)

  154. 154.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    December 20, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    @geg6: “I’m Gumby damnit!”

  155. 155.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    @Kayla Rudbek:

    Here’s a photo showing how to buddy tape. A little bit of gauze or cotton to cushion and some loosely wrapped tape. That self-adhesive stuff is great for this.

  156. 156.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 10:05 pm

    To all of you who encouraged me to get my A1C checked, I did this afternoon. Saw the NP, told her what I told all of you earlier today; she didn’t seem very concerned but sent me for a bunch of lab tests.

    I expect the A1C to be bad, from my symptoms. I had a very good test result in May so this is jarring, but we’ll see. I’ll get the news next week.

  157. 157.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 10:07 pm

    @opiejeanne: Wishing the best for you.

  158. 158.

    debbie

    December 20, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    @Another Scott:

    I had no idea. He didn’t miss his weekly appearances on Only a Game.

  159. 159.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    @opiejeanne: Hope for the best. I dodged my bullet today.

  160. 160.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    Trolling?

  161. 161.

    zhena gogolia

    December 20, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    Dragnet.

  162. 162.

    James E Powell

    December 20, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    You all have to see the new Disney + show about guide dogs,  Pick of the Litter. You have to.

  163. 163.

    zhena gogolia

    December 20, 2019 at 10:19 pm

    @James E Powell: 
    Looks great.

  164. 164.

    mad citizen

    December 20, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:  I like Cusack and it’s a good negotiation deal, but is he still a hot enough box office actor to demand such a deal?

  165. 165.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 10:22 pm

    @zhena gogolia:
    Aykroyd was great in Dragnet. Also in Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers and especially Grosse Pointe Blank. I just don’t see Oscar bait.

  166. 166.

    zhena gogolia

    December 20, 2019 at 10:26 pm

    @Steeplejack: 
    I was kind of kidding.
    Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, and Barbara Stanwyck never won competitive Oscars. Nuff said.

  167. 167.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 10:31 pm

    @eclare: Thanks. This is a hard time of year to avoid sugar, at least for me.

  168. 168.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I was kind of kidding.

    Sorr-ee! He was really good in Dragnet.

  169. 169.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    @raven: Yes you did, and I’m very happy that you’ll be sticking around and not having surgery.

    Thanks. I made two desserts for tomorrow’s party. I don’t think I’ll be eating them, or maybe just a smidge if I manage to eat enough protein and veggies and nuts. One of them is like a big cookie crust  with caramelized cream and sugar and almonds on top. Almond tart. There’s a tiny bit of booze in it.  I may have a tiny bit of that instead of the other stuff, which is basically eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and gelatin. dyed pale pink. It’s like a fluffy gelatin but with lots of sugar.

  170. 170.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    @Steeplejack: I am ashamed to admit that I own an embarrassingly large number of Will Ferrel movies.

    He’s sort of a hometown boy.

  171. 171.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 20, 2019 at 10:39 pm

    @Steeplejack: 
    Huh. Had no idea there was a Dragnet movie, much less one starring Aykroyd and Hanks.

    Wasn’t Dragnet pretty much straight-up police propaganda?

    I’ll never forget watching the Today show one morning a couple years ago, probably when I was in high school in 2010-2014, and there was this 20-something African-American dude in a suit being interviewed and he brought up Dragnet and “Just the facts, ma’am”, laughing like he made the funniest joke. All I could think was what a fucking dweeb this guy was; a real life Carlton Banks without the charm or wit.

    I’m pretty sure this was around the time a lot of attention was starting to be drawn to police shootings of black people

  172. 172.

    zhena gogolia

    December 20, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    @Steeplejack: 
    Yes, I agree.

  173. 173.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    @Steeplejack: Who me?

  174. 174.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    @opiejeanne: Ma! Meatloaf!

  175. 175.

    BBA

    December 20, 2019 at 10:49 pm

    Hot take: in 1868, it was a mistake for Congress to impeach Andrew Johnson. When an unelected President moves by executive fiat to bring back slavery, reinstate the rule of the Southern planters, and undo the hard-fought military victory of the Civil War, the appropriate response is a coup d’etat.

  176. 176.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 20, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Yes, you. In the library with the candlestick

  177. 177.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    @opiejeanne:
    Some of them have made good movies—Will Ferrell more than most—but, damn, somebody should be made to pay for A Night at the Roxbury.

  178. 178.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    December 20, 2019 at 10:52 pm

    @raven:

    The Grifters!

    One of my all-time favorites. Probably Anjelica Huston’s best performance, and Pat Hingle as Bobo Justice would make Tony Soprano run and hide

    ETA: Wasn’t Dan Ackroyd nominated for an Oscar for playing Jessica Tandy’s son in Driving Miss Daisy?

  179. 179.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 20, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    @opiejeanne:

    Does that collection include Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby? Or Elf? ; p

  180. 180.

    RedDirtGirl

    December 20, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    <@Gin & Tonic: That sounds like@Steeplejack: hmm, I’ll have to check that out. Spanish was my first language, but I was back in the states by the time I was two, so I didn’t develop much of a vocabulary.

  181. 181.

    Omnes Omnibus

    December 20, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Library, sure.  But a candlestick isn’t really my style.

  182. 182.

    the Conster

    December 20, 2019 at 11:04 pm

    @jk: 

    He’s the only one making this about Trump. Nothing else matters unless we get rid of Trump.

  183. 183.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 11:04 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):  Both.

  184. 184.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 20, 2019 at 11:06 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Aykroyd was nominated as best supporting actor for Driving Miss Daisy.

  185. 185.

    Jay

    December 20, 2019 at 11:08 pm

    BREAKING: A Trump advisor told the WI GOP that “Traditionally it’s always been Republicans suppressing votes in places”—& "It’s going to be a much bigger program, a much more aggressive program, a much better-funded program" in 2020. Give to fight back: https://t.co/wRSt7EtOgD pic.twitter.com/Zr19EgEG9S— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) December 20, 2019

  186. 186.

    RedDirtGirl

    December 20, 2019 at 11:09 pm

    I’m going to practice posting a link. This WaPo piece says the dems cut Ukraine funding from the spending bill. to avoid a promised veto.

  187. 187.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 20, 2019 at 11:10 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    Elf really holds up.

    “You sit on a throne of lies!”

  188. 188.

    opiejeanne

    December 20, 2019 at 11:10 pm

    @Nicole: late to the party, but wanted to say  I’m glad they took you seriously. Had a similar experience last summer with my cataract surgery.

    I hope your labs come back good.

  189. 189.

    Another Scott

    December 20, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): Elf is a really good movie.

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  190. 190.

    Steeplejack

    December 20, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    @RedDirtGirl:

    Success!

  191. 191.

    eclare

    December 20, 2019 at 11:17 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): Again, what a cast:  Mary Steenburgen, James Caan, Ed Asner, Zooey Deschanel.

  192. 192.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 20, 2019 at 11:21 pm

    @eclare:

    And a very solid script.

  193. 193.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 20, 2019 at 11:27 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone):

    Absolutely. It’s a modern Christmas classic. Easily one of Farrel’s best movies

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    What is your style, Omnes?

    ; p

    @opiejeanne:

    Taladega Nights is a guilty pleasure. It can be pretty funny. IIRC, it had NASCAR drivers from the early-mid 2000s era of NASCAR cameo in it; TV commentators too

  194. 194.

    Jay

    December 20, 2019 at 11:30 pm

    Getting into movie trivia pic.twitter.com/nOaWx5QsJb— Kompromatthew (@MattTheGweat) December 21, 2019

  195. 195.

    Ilefttxwhenannlost

    December 20, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    @lamh36:  tito get me a tissue

  196. 196.

    Ruckus

    December 20, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    @Amir Khalid: 
    No cows were harmed in the making of those McDs burgers……..

  197. 197.

    Jay

    December 20, 2019 at 11:41 pm

    It's Chekist Day again (see below), commemorating the founding of perhaps the bloodiest secret police in all history. Which in a sane & normal country would be a day of mourning rather than celebration.https://t.co/nT9Ntuf425— John Schindler (@20committee) December 20, 2019

  198. 198.

    Captain C

    December 20, 2019 at 11:44 pm

    I@Nicole:  I would add Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth.

  199. 199.

    NotMax

    December 20, 2019 at 11:45 pm

    Yay! Recent Comments are back (again).

  200. 200.

    Ruckus

    December 20, 2019 at 11:45 pm

    @Nicole:

    My experience with radiation for treatment is that the new machines, which can target a very small area, work and the only real issue is the time it takes. Every weekday for 9 weeks for me. It was far better than watching my sister do chemo. That kicked her ass.

  201. 201.

    TriassicSands

    December 20, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    @Nicole: 

    Wow! Worst holiday present ever. I hope things look up from here.
    Best wishes imaginable.

  202. 202.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    @Steeplejack: I immensely enjoy The Big Lebowski.  My husband loves it, but feels that Bridges’ biggest robbed, robbed I tell ya was was for The Fisher King–  that Robin Williams was up for Best Actor for what was a supporting role, and that Bridges didn’t get a nomination.

    Though he fully admits he’s not sure he would have given the award to Bridges over Hopkins for The Silence of the Lambs that year (also, one could argue, a supporting role, but one that certainly became iconic).

    Thanks for the kind wishes, everyone, by the way.  I went away from the computer to watch Midsommar with the spouse (we both love horror movies).  I liked it quite a bit.  He’s now watching the remake of Evil Dead, which I suspect is not going to be as good. ;)

  203. 203.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 11:50 pm

    @Ruckus: Thanks.  I am scared about potential fatigue. I just started rehearsal in a play with a theater company I really enjoy, in a play I’d really like to do (about terminal illness, natch).  It’s a light rehearsal schedule and a showcase, so a very short run, but I really, really, really, don’t want to have to leave it because my goddamn body turned traitor on me.  Health first, of course, but I’m hopeful it’ll work out.

  204. 204.

    TriassicSands

    December 20, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    @opiejeanne:

    Most people only have trouble between January 1 and December 31.

  205. 205.

    hilts

    December 20, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    Top 4 Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! Oscars

    Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II
    Bette Davis in All About Eve
    Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane

  206. 206.

    Ruckus

    December 20, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    @Chris T.:

    How long ago was this? I had radiation treatment 3 yrs ago and basically the only problem was getting to and from the appointment.

  207. 207.

    Jay

    December 20, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    A textbook example of how twisted the "objective reasonableness" prong of QI has become. No reasonable person let alone LEO would think detaining another in waste for 6 days is reasonable in any circumstance. But modern QI jurisprudence cares not for good sense. https://t.co/PfVJX8yL7g— JT Morris (@jtmorristx) December 20, 2019

  208. 208.

    Yarrow

    December 20, 2019 at 11:57 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Bill Murray was totally robbed when he didn’t win Best Actor for Lost in Translation.

    @Roger Moore: No, she volunteered. She was all excited about it. She is very scatterbrained so none of this really surprised me. Still… Party turned out okay. Everyone had fun. But one of the people who was supposed to be there wasn’t and now we’re not sure she even got her invitation since several people we know didn’t get theirs.

  209. 209.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 11:57 pm

    @Ruckus: Dude that I served with in Korea had a stroke and wasn’t taken to the hospital for two days. He’s been in a coma for a week and I’m pretty sure that’s not good. I learned of it about 30 minutes after my biopsy came  back negative but it’s kind of smooshed the joy. We reunited by chance on a UC Berkley blog post about the DMZ war and he recognized my name. By virtue of that we put together a group of about 10 of us from the same battalion from 53 years ago. Shit’s got me tossin and turning.

  210. 210.

    Nicole

    December 20, 2019 at 11:57 pm

    @Captain C:

    I would add Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth.

    Over Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love?  Yes indeed.  A friend of mine was at an Oscar party and when the winner was announced, screamed, “Enjoy that Oscar the Weinsteins bought you!”

    I did like Shakespeare in Love as a movie (sacrilege, I know, but I didn’t think Saving Private Ryan was all that, other than the first 8 minutes which are brilliant), but GP was just adequate.  And Judi Dench got Best Supporting as her consolation for not getting Best Actress for Her Majesty Mrs. Brown. She was in SiL for what, 9 minutes?

  211. 211.

    raven

    December 20, 2019 at 11:58 pm

    @Nicole: Hanks was wonderful. But then  The Thin Red Line got totally ignored and IT is a great film.

  212. 212.

    TriassicSands

    December 21, 2019 at 12:00 am

    @burnspbesq:

    Funny, Tulsi Gabbard “ain’t Trump” either.

    That certainly isn’t the only characteristic that counts.

  213. 213.

    Yarrow

    December 21, 2019 at 12:02 am

    @raven:  Ohhhh…Sexy Beast. Now there’s a film. Ben Kingsley was so amazing in that film. Could not take my eyes off him. Utterly terrifying.

  214. 214.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 21, 2019 at 12:03 am

    @Jay:

    What is QI in this context?

  215. 215.

    Aleta

    December 21, 2019 at 12:03 am

    @hilts: Goodfellas, Raging Bull

    And whatever good movies were left out of nominations the year of Titanic.  98? 99? 97?

  216. 216.

    raven

    December 21, 2019 at 12:04 am

    @Yarrow:  And Ray seemed so. . . malleable.

  217. 217.

    raven

    December 21, 2019 at 12:05 am

    @Aleta: And the Irishman is awful.

  218. 218.

    Ruckus

    December 21, 2019 at 12:06 am

    @Nicole:

    I was doing a lot of walking during treatment, on occasion I had to walk the 2 miles from the train station to the hospital. No big deal. Some people say that the fatigue can get to you but my oncologist told me the new machines can be focused so well that there isn’t a lot of stray radiation. Much safer and far less side effects. And that’s my experience.

    Let’s hope that you don’t need anything else, that’s the best news.

  219. 219.

    Yarrow

    December 21, 2019 at 12:08 am

    @raven:  I’m gonna have to watch it again. I have to be prepared. Kingsley is just terrifying in that role.

  220. 220.

    jk

    December 21, 2019 at 12:09 am

    @burnspbesq
    Biden is painfully out of touch and out to lunch.  Every time he opens his mouth, you have to hold your breath, cross your fingers and pray that he doesn’t say something stupid.  Democrats can so much better than settling for this clearly over the hill buffoon.

  221. 221.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:10 am

    @hilts:

    hilts
    DECEMBER 20, 2019 AT 11:53 PM

    Top 4 Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! Oscars

    Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II
    Bette Davis in All About Eve
    Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane

    Ooh! This is fun and brightens my evening.  Let’s see who won those years:
    1975: Art Carney, Harry and Tonto.  Did not see (in fact, never heard of), so cannot judge, but sounds like a Legacy Oscar.

    1955: Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday.  Tough call.  Also an iconic performance, and Anne Baxter also being up for All About Eve probably split the vote.  Man, I love All About Eve.

    1963: Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird.  Also iconic performance, but having seen both pictures, I agree with you.  Peck’s Atticus Finch was definitely the feel-good choice.

    1942: Gary Cooper, Sergeant York.  Never saw it.

    Excellent Robbed, Robbed I Tell Ya! list!

  222. 222.

    hilts

    December 21, 2019 at 12:11 am

    @Aleta:

    To me Goodfellas, Citizen Kane, and Malcolm X are the 3 greatest films to not have won the Best Picture Oscar.

  223. 223.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    December 21, 2019 at 12:14 am

    @jk:  Yawn
    I don’t remember if you’ve always been a troll, but you are know.

  224. 224.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    December 21, 2019 at 12:15 am

    @hilts:

    I think after Malcolm VIII and Malcolm IX people were a little tired of the franchise.

  225. 225.

    Ruckus

    December 21, 2019 at 12:18 am

    @raven:

    Sorry about your buddy. Yeah a week long coma after a stroke doesn’t sound all that positive.

    I’ve been through stroke protocol twice now, with nothing found. No tumors, no active stroke issues, well except for the possibility from the brain aneurism. Which no one noticed the first time around. They went back to the MRI 2 yrs ago and found it still there, same size, now it looks like I’ll have to do an annual MRI to see if it burst, but of course it’s probable I’d know before that if it bursts. And kills me.

    Life is a game of risk. You plays the game, the game plays you.

  226. 226.

    Anne Laurie

    December 21, 2019 at 12:20 am

    @Amir Khalid: One of my favorite (mostly non-political) daily cartoon strips is Tank McNamara, which was invented in the 1970s.  The eponymous character is a former American football defensive back, now a sports broadcaster, a ‘fumblemouth’ early tasked with pronouncing the names of Slavic tennis players…

  227. 227.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:21 am

    @Aleta:

    And whatever good movies were left out of nominations the year of Titanic.  98? 99? 97?

    I just looked up the other nominations and gadzooks, what a weak bunch that year (although I quite enjoyed The Full Monty and liked LA Confidential reasonably well).  I had to look up what came out that year and Boogie Nights and Wag the Dog were both better than these nominees, I think.

    …And I was today years old when I learned there was a 1997 adaptation of Washington Square, my favorite Henry James book.  I’ll have to look it up.

  228. 228.

    NotMax

    December 21, 2019 at 12:21 am

    @Nicole

    (we both love horror movies)

    If you have access, Dutch series coming to Netflix very soon you might give a glance, Ares (sorry, no English subtitles at the link). Also a Portuguese series which sounds intriguing, Spectros (no trailer or teaser which I could readily find on quick search).

  229. 229.

    hilts

    December 21, 2019 at 12:22 am

    @Nicole:

    I thought Art Carney was fine in Harry and Tonto, but certainly not unforgettable, as Ed Norton he was unforgettable and iconic.  Pacino in Godfather Part II was amazing from start to finish.

    I’m a big Gregory Peck fan, but would preferred him to get an Oscar for Twelve O’Clock High.

    For All About Eve, I would have given Anne Baxter the Best Supporting Oscar and Bette Davis the Best Actress.

    As far as Orson Welles and Citizen Kane, voters were intimidated by Hearst to blackball the film at the Oscars.

    Also, Network and All the President’s Men losing to Rocky for Best picture is indefensible.

  230. 230.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 21, 2019 at 12:23 am

    @Yarrow: SEXY BEAST

    Kingsley is amazing in that movie!

  231. 231.

    Anne Laurie

    December 21, 2019 at 12:24 am

    @Nicole: That’s great news, and here’s hoping all follow-ups are equally pleasant!

  232. 232.

    NotMax

    December 21, 2019 at 12:25 am

    @NotMax

    (No edit function.) Slight correction: Make that a Brazilian series, not one coming out of Portugal. And left out the info link – Spectros.

  233. 233.

    jk

    December 21, 2019 at 12:27 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    When Biden loses to Trump, it will be the planet’s funeral and you’ll only have yourself to blame.

    Biden is the dummy who said Dick Cheney and Mike Pence were decent guys so I guess you’re ok with his ability to judge a person’s character.

  234. 234.

    TriassicSands

    December 21, 2019 at 12:29 am

    @Aleta:

    Bot left out but nearly shut out was L.A. Confidential. Nine nominations — two wins (Best Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay).

    Titanic took Picture, Director, Cinematography, Art Direction, Film Editing, Original Dramatic Score, and Sound Mixing.

    None of the actors in L.A. Confidential got nominations — Spacey, Pearce, and Crowe.

    Titanic ranks high on my list of worst films to win the Best Picture award.

  235. 235.

    Yarrow

    December 21, 2019 at 12:29 am

    @mrmoshpotato:  Yep. Amazing. It’s hard to describe unless you’ve seen the film. Terrifying. Breathtaking performance. Cannot take your eyes off him.

  236. 236.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:30 am

    @raven:

    The Thin Red Line got totally ignored and IT is a great film.

    It’s the only one of the nominees I didn’t see (go figure; I was very into seeing as many nominees as possible back then.  As opposed to now, when I don’t even watch the Awards).

    I agree, Hanks did a lovely job (he seldom does otherwise).  But I’m in agreement with the late William Goldman who said of SPR the first 28 minutes told us that war is hell and the last hour told us that war could be a neat learning experience for little Matt Damon.  That opening segment, though (I don’t know why I said 8 minutes above- maybe I am still remembering how terrifying and awful and brilliantly disorienting that sequence was).

    Also, I’m so glad to hear your results were benign and I am so, so sorry to hear about your friend.  I can imagine that’s leaving you in a really rough spot tonight.  Thinking of you.

  237. 237.

    Ruckus

    December 21, 2019 at 12:30 am

    @raven:

    Also, just for the sake of discussion, over the last 3 yrs, 11 people I know have passed away. Only one was older than me when they went and he was 1 yr older, knew him from HS. The only person I knew at his service recognized me from over 50 yrs ago and he’s another one of the 11.

    We’re old. Maybe aged well sounds better, but still at our age and with all the diseases from our childhoods, cars without seat belts, or decent brakes, war, life in general, we are still here and not doing all that bad. Keep on keeping on, it’s really all there is. I’m trying to make it till at least 95, mom would be pissed or proud, she made it till the last day of her 94th yr.

  238. 238.

    Anne Laurie

    December 21, 2019 at 12:33 am

    @Steeplejack: Denzel Washington, Courage Under Fire, 1996. Robbed of a nomination, at least. Kind of a minor movie…

    WRONG!  Just for the scene where skeevy presidential aide Moriarty tries to get chummy about MoH ‘optics’ with Washington’s character, who withdraws himself to a great distance without moving an inch, Denzel deserved the award.  But Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Matt Damon also turned in stunning performances, in a Rashamon epic that deserved far more attention than it got.

  239. 239.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:33 am

    @NotMax: Oh my goodness, we are totally going to put both those series on our watch list.  Thank you! Now that Watchmen is over (with an absolutely perfect finale), I’m out of series to watch. I don’t watch a ton of TV anymore, but when I find a show I like, I’m very dedicated.

  240. 240.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 21, 2019 at 12:33 am

    @Yarrow: Exactly. He’s an unstoppable, destructive force of nature in human form.

    I gotta track that down again.

  241. 241.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:40 am

    @hilts:

    Also, Network and All the President’s Men losing to Rocky for Best picture is indefensible.

    Would you believe Rocky is the only one of the Rocky movies I haven’t seen? (including both Creed films).  The Rocky sequels aren’t GOOD films, by any stretch of the imagination, but I grew up in small-town PA and I have 3 brothers, so do the math.  I’m not proud of it, lord knows.

    I liked the first Creed film quite a lot, though.  As a kid, I was team Apollo in II-IV, so I was pretty excited for Creed. :)

  242. 242.

    opiejeanne

    December 21, 2019 at 12:41 am

    @TriassicSands: haha!

  243. 243.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 12:43 am

    @Anne Laurie: Thanks, Anne Laurie!  I can but hope.  My mom did not have a good outcome, but that was in 1982.  A cousin’s grandmother, on the other hand, had breast cancer off and on for over half a century and died a couple of years ago at 102 of old age.  I could be satisfied with that.

  244. 244.

    Anne Laurie

    December 21, 2019 at 12:50 am

    @debbie: Is Arby’s code for something?

    Sir, this is an Arby’s is a quip implying that someone has just gone on an unrelated rant at a drive-thru restaurant. May have been sparked by the fact that Arby’s are (were) open very late, which meant they attracted drunks looking for something other than fast food.  Been circulating on the web for almost a decade now; the newer variant is Sir, this is a Wendy’s. 

    (I personally suspect Trump’s notorious fondness for fast food has influenced the spread of this meme on political twitter.)

  245. 245.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 21, 2019 at 12:54 am

    @raven:

    I’m so sorry to hear that about your friend. I wish him the best of luck. And glad to hear your biopsy was negative

  246. 246.

    hilts

    December 21, 2019 at 12:58 am

    @raven

    The Irishman is awful

    Can you put some meat on those bones or as Sen Pat Geary would say can you amplify your statement?  In what respects was The Irishman awful?

  247. 247.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 21, 2019 at 12:59 am

    @Nicole:

    Also, I’m glad your surgery went well to remove that lymph node

  248. 248.

    TriassicSands

    December 21, 2019 at 1:03 am

    @raven:

    They must be checking his brain activity. Do you know anything about that?

    When my mother had a stroke, they monitored her brain for a couple of days. Her brain was gone and they took her off life support. If your friend is still being maintained after this long, there ought to be some hope (depending on who is calling the shots — one assumes a family member).

  249. 249.

    Jay

    December 21, 2019 at 1:06 am

    @Steeplejack (phone):

    Qualified Immunity.

  250. 250.

    Jay

    December 21, 2019 at 1:08 am

    The White House tried this month to embed ICE agents within the HHS refugee agency that cares for unaccompanied migrant children — part of an ongoing effort to use information from their parents and relatives to target them for deportation. https://t.co/gSxoBcMbwr— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) December 21, 2019

    New docs show RCMP officers were instructed to “use as much violence toward the gate as you want” ahead of an operation to remove a roadblock erected by Wet’suwet’en people to protect their ancestral land and stop construction of a natural gas pipelinehttps://t.co/WdlV6deZPm— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) December 21, 2019

  251. 251.

    Chris T.

    December 21, 2019 at 1:11 am

    @Ruckus: One was about 3 years ago, give or take, the other about 1.5 or 2 years ago.

    Maybe it depends on other things too, such as where you get zapped. Spouse’s radiation was to chest, sibling’s was to head.

  252. 252.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 21, 2019 at 1:12 am

    @hilts:

    Didn’t see the movie, but I have to make this stupid joke:

    Martin Scorsese is a total hypocrite! He criticized superhero movies as not being true “cinema”, but he’s making a movie called “Irish Man”!

  253. 253.

    NotMax

    December 21, 2019 at 1:12 am

    @Nicole

    In the spirit of the season, have you ever seen Rare Exports? Currently available on Prime.

  254. 254.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 1:14 am

    Holy cow, it’s after one; I really should try to sleep (though this has been an excellently entertaining thread and thanks again, everyone for the good wishes).  Raven, I look forward to your review of The Irishman (I have not seen.  It appears to be… kinda long and I hear the women characters have about 8 lines between all of them).

    And the remake of Evil Dead was terrible, my husband tells me.  This is my shocked face (insert non-shocked face emoji here).

  255. 255.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 21, 2019 at 1:15 am

    @NotMax: Now I have to re-watch Rare Exports too!  (shakes fish at you)

  256. 256.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    December 21, 2019 at 1:15 am

    @Jay:

    I’ve said it before: conservatives (authoritarians and fascists, really) will interpret the law to give themselves the outcomes they want, and barring that, will just outright break the law. They rely on other people following norms and laws to get away with it. It’s a disgusting Orwellian farce.

  257. 257.

    Nicole

    December 21, 2019 at 1:16 am

    @NotMax: Okay, one more before I go to bed- I LOVE Rare Exports!

  258. 258.

    Jay

    December 21, 2019 at 1:31 am

    the future of conservatism is groyper obsessed college republicans debating whether or not the holocaust happened pic.twitter.com/Yc7UqMBFD6— Nathan Bernard (@nathanTbernard) December 19, 2019

  259. 259.

    Ruckus

    December 21, 2019 at 2:51 am

    @Chris T.: 
    Saw guys with both lung and brain cancer. Didn’t hear anyone say there was a problem with fatigue but I didn’t talk to them often.
    Maybe I’m the exception, my oncologist seems to be happy with where I’m at after 3 yrs and I just saw him last month.

    @Nicole: 
    I’ve had quite a bit of cancer in the family tree, so it’s been many decades of dealing with it. Mom made another 50 yrs after hers so keep up the good thoughts, and best of luck.

  260. 260.

    Aleta

    December 21, 2019 at 2:52 am

    @Nicole: Maggie Smith and I’m pretty sure the great Jennifer Jason Leigh are in W. Sq.

    Saw it once, so long ago, and  I’ve been wanting to watch it again. I see it’s on youtube for free right now,  but the perspective or ratio or whatever the word is, is botched, so for me it’s too horribly disfigured to be bearable to watch. But dialog is all there.

  261. 261.

    Aleta

    December 21, 2019 at 2:58 am

    @Nicole: Glad to know it went well so far.  So far so good…   Hope the play will work out, and that many good things also appear in your new year.  Sending every good vibe I’ve got down the coast to you.  ? ? ? ?

  262. 262.

    Jim

    December 21, 2019 at 5:20 am

    The kitty and Christmas tree – lovely . I like animals but especially cats .

  263. 263.

    WaterGirl

    December 21, 2019 at 9:13 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: If I’m thinking of the right nym, there was something about the first comment (that has to be approved) that gave me pause, but there was nothing explicit in the comment that I could point to, so I approved it.

    If you guys haven’t read the comment policy on the new site, you can find it in the Footer.

    Here’s an excerpt that may be relevant to this conversation:

    Things You Should Avoid That May Lead to Punishment

    1. Just generally being a no-life asshole who derails every thread with your own personal hobby horse. Yes, we have the pie filter, but some people don’t like to use it. They shouldn’t have to suffer because some idiot has come in and posted 75 comments that have nothing to do with the original post.

    2. Repeated attempts to derail a conversation. Unlike yours truly, we have actual experts here – Adam, Cheryl, David, Tom, and others are good at what they do. We are lucky to have them. When they are trying to have a serious conversation and you are just trolling or being a jerk, you take away from the rest of us. You are stealing a valuable asset: their time and wisdom. It’s selfish and irritating, and I don’t want to see it.

    3. Again, left blank here for other things you all will inevitably come up with.

  264. 264.

    Miss Bianca

    December 21, 2019 at 11:08 am

    @Nicole: Actually, I just watched Creed and it has gotten me to wanting to watch the Rocky movies – haven’t seen any of them since the original Rocky, which I saw in the theater. I think I was 12.

    Anyway, I have a feeling that the original Rocky will hold up quite well. I still remember a *lot* of scenes and images from over 40 years ago, and to me that’s a sign of a good movie.

     

    Good luck with your treatment!

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