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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Hodgepodge Post #2

Hodgepodge Post #2

by WaterGirl|  May 22, 20203:19 pm| 139 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Like last time, there is  a gaggle of things to cover, but here’s a little Henry before we get started…  
You’ve seen the first two pictures, supplied for comparison purposes.

Henry with his usual cut.

This was Henry’s new look, with no pet groomer access, just me trimming bit by bit when he sits in my lap.

Hodgepodge, Mishmash or Smorgasbord?

Henry today with a big yawn, in desperate need of a trim.
He reminds me of one of the muppets.

Hodge Podge Post #2

Henry’s big finish to his big yawn.  

The pet grooming scissors have arrived, with the rounded tips so I can’t poke his eye out when he’s squirming as I try to trim around his face.  Pet groomers opened in Illinois in early May, but we’re not going until June 18.  Other people can be the guinea pigs.

Balloon Juice Published Authors List

It’s about time to update our BJ Published Authors List.  (You can find it in the footer on every page.)  Look for a post for that either this weekend or next.

Balloon Juice Blogroll

It’s been about 6 months since we asked for input on blogs to include in the blogroll.  Look for a post for that either this weekend or next, also.  If you have a personal blog, we’re glad to link to it.  If you have suggestions for others, let us know when the post goes up.

BJ Zoom Meetups 

There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in some Zoom Meetups early on – are we all Zoomed out?  Imm and others had offered to help.  Move forward?   Or declare that “seemed like a good idea at the time” and let it go?  Chime in with your thoughts, please. 

SiubhanDuinne, RedDirtGirl, KSinMA, FelonyGovt, Josie, hitchhiker, Ben Cisco

Audio only: Joy in FL, Baud, SWMBO, Melusine.

UK: Sloane Ranger

Possible hosts:  Origuy

Weekly Pet Thread 

There was definitely interest in a weekly “showcase your pets” thread, and I have a couple of submissions already.  If the pet thread is of interest and you have a preference on day/time, please chime in below:  Door #1: Friday evenings, Door #2:  Saturday morning at 10am, Door #3: Saturday afternoon sometime. 

Sharing Alain’s Sourdough Starter 

Where are we with sharing Alain’s Sourdough Starter?  Auntie Beak sent out 8 packets and said she can make more and send them out.  Bill had some starter dried and ready to go (at least he did previously, and hopefully could again).  Comments are closed on the original thread, but if there is still interest in getting sourdough starter, we can get that going.

Interested:  Beth, Laura Too, Currants, Spanish Moss.  Betsy.

Last Item: Save Lives / Vote by Mail

Wolvesvalley created some stickers for anyone who is interested. It’s really quite simple to just print these on labels.  If they don’t line up just right, the directions linked to below will tell you how to make the necessary adjustments.

The Word versions of each file can be downloaded below.

For standard mailing labels:
 
Save Lives * Vote by Mail
Avery-5160-Vote-by-mail-01-no-starsDownload
 
Avery-5160-Vote-by-mail-02-one-starDownload
 
Avery-5160-Vote-by-mail-03-3-starsDownload
 
These are for circle labels
 
Avery-22877-Vote-by-mail-04-circleDownload
 
Avery-22877-Vote-by-mail-05-circle-starsDownload

 in case the labels don’t line up perfectly with a simple File -> Print.

Printing Vote by Mail labels

Open Thread.

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Previous Post: « Hey, Look! Another Post About Kristi Noem
Next Post: GOP Venality Open Thread: When the Hellmouth Opened »

Reader Interactions

139Comments

  1. 1.

    Beth

    May 22, 2020 at 3:26 pm

    Actually adore Henry’s longer-haired look!

    And raising my hand for some sourdough starter is enough is available. Am late hopping on the baking-at-home train, but excited nonetheless.
    Thanks!

  2. 2.

    Annie

    May 22, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    Henry is adorable no matter what length his fur is.

  3. 3.

    Miss Bianca

    May 22, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    You say “looking like a muppet” like it’s a *bad* thing!

  4. 4.

    Laura Too

    May 22, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    I adore your Henry! I’m interested in all of the above. I somehow missed out on the sourdough thread-I don”t know how that happened but I really would love some of Alain’s starter. You can use my pics of Henry I sent, or I can send other ones. He’s a very photogenic ham.

  5. 5.

    jeffreyw

    May 22, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Katie’s getting a bit shaggy, and she got into a fight with a raccoon down in the gully. I’m not saying the shaggy coat made her especially grumpy, although I can’t rule out her taking badly a snide remark from the ‘coon. Gabe was losing his fucking mind but wasn’t injured.

  6. 6.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 22, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    Henry has a prehensile tongue!

    If others are still interested, I’d be up for a Zoom chat at some point.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 3:43 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Have you talked with your brother lately?  Do we have a tune to go with your awesome coronavirus ballad?

  8. 8.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 3:43 pm

    @jeffreyw:  Raccoons are scary!  Glad everybody is safe.

  9. 9.

    randy khan

    May 22, 2020 at 3:45 pm

    I assume some people will opt for doors #1, #2, and #3.

  10. 10.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    May 22, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Puerta número 2!

  11. 11.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    May 22, 2020 at 3:48 pm

    A co-worker told me today she is driving 8+ hours to Indiana later to pick up a Corgi puppy.  I know zero about this particular breed.  I just told her better you than me.

  12. 12.

    NotMax

    May 22, 2020 at 3:53 pm

    Door #3.

    Meantime, as respite, at home manipulating his balls.

    ;)

  13. 13.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    @randy khan: Do we even have that many pets?  Of course we do.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: How can that tongue fit in his tiny little mouth?

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    @Laura Too: Not just pics!  You’ll want to write something up about your Henry.  :-)  Stories of how he came to you, or fun/sweet/crazy things he does.  Whatever you want.

  16. 16.

    debbie

    May 22, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    There should be a BJ Bread Bake-off with Alain’s starter. Bake off a loaf and send it to WG for judging.

  17. 17.

    Barbara

    May 22, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    @Old Dan and Little Ann:  I have had three corgis and the third had deep seated problems. He remains the only dog I ever gave up on. They have dominant personalities and I strongly advise her to undertake serious training, with a professional if at all possible. They are adorable, given their short little legs and smiley face, but they are sturdy and bossy dogs and you need to socialize and train them really well.

  18. 18.

    p.a.

    May 22, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    You realize, of course, that in the post DIY grooming pics Henry appears to be earless ??

  19. 19.

    Josie

    May 22, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    @Old Dan and Little Ann:
    I have a corgi, and he is by far the smartest, most intuitive dog I have ever had. His intelligence is matched by his obsession with food and his ability to shed fur from one end of the house to the other. So there you have the good and the bad. He also has a big dog’s bark, which I like since much of the time I live alone.

    ETA: The living alone part is done now.  I am sheltering in place with my middle son and family.  Duncan enjoys helping to herd the two and the five year old.

  20. 20.

    Currants

    May 22, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    I would love some sourdough starter. I lost track of the last round of requests (semester, grading, virtual, all that) but if I can get back in the running I’d be grateful.

  21. 21.

    Mai naem mobile

    May 22, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    I like your amateur second cut better than the professional top one. Henry is just a big smiling fluffball.

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    @p.a.: I am looking at him from behind right now and I promise he still has ears.  Ask me again tomorrow after I use the new grooming scissors.  :-)

  23. 23.

    Sab

    May 22, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    Untrimmed Henry doesn’t look particularly desparate to me. He just looks untrimmed, and quite happy about it. Later he might feel otherwise.

  24. 24.

    RedDirtGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    I’d be up for a Zoom meet-up some time.@SiubhanDuinne:

  25. 25.

    Sab

    May 22, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    @p.a.: Unkind!

  26. 26.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    @Mai naem mobile: I am expecting serious spikes in the next 2-3 weeks, also.  Let’s hope we are both wrong.

    And when we get a big second wave in the fall or winter, a whole bunch of people are going to say “who could have known?”

  27. 27.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    May 22, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Henry is so cute.

  28. 28.

    raven

    May 22, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Oregon and Vine Henry in the back, Lenny middle and Ralphie front.

  29. 29.

    RedDirtGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    @NotMax: I clicked on the link without knowing who posted it, but guessed NotMax correctly.

  30. 30.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    @Mai naem mobile: He really is.  He LOVES people.  Anyone.  Everyone.  A friend of mine calls him Prozac because he’s such lover and a snuggler.

    We’ll have to see how I do with the new scissors.  Good or bad, I will share a pic.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    @debbie: We’ll need a different judge.  I am not a sourdough person.  John Cole, perhaps?

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    @Sab: Perhaps I assumed that Henry feels the same way that I do about my hair at the moment!

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    @raven: Were two of them brothers?

  34. 34.

    HinTN

    May 22, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    I’m  with @Jo Jo las Orejas:

  35. 35.

    Josie

    May 22, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    My daughter-in-law and I attacked my hair last weekend.  It didn’t turn out too terrible.  I did the front, and she did the sides and back.  I was just glad to get it up off of my neck.  We decided she had a shot at a second career if needed (She’s an attorney).

  36. 36.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    May 22, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    @WaterGirl: Let’s not forget the Georgia governor[*] (he gets an asterisk for the same reason Trump does), who only recently discovered that people can be asymptomatic but contagious, only a few months after every medical expert had been screaming that non-stop.

  37. 37.

    debbie

    May 22, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I decided to get my hair cut tomorrow. I’m going to wash it and she’ll cut it dry. She’ll be masked up, as will I. We will be the only two people in the building. Fifteen minutes, tops.

  38. 38.

    Villago Delenda Est

    May 22, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    Henry sets the canine standard for dashing and debonair.

  39. 39.

    JohnPM

    May 22, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    ” Pet groomers opened in Illinois in early May, but we’re not going until June 18.  Other people can be the guinea pigs.”

    We took our 3 Shih tzus to our regular groomer on May 5, the first week they were open.  We had groomed them once about a month prior and it didn’t go very well.  We ended up giving our youngest dog a reverse mohawk.

  40. 40.

    raven

    May 22, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    @WaterGirl: Ralph and Lenny were, I’m not sure which the third one was, maybe Daisey Rosie

     

    You know what? I think this was Henry’s litter because my 56 GMC is behind me and the boys were grown by the time we lived on Oregon St and I bought that.

  41. 41.

    JoyceH

    May 22, 2020 at 4:31 pm

    My Jazzy needs a groom, but I’m not ready to take her out yet. So I’m doing a lot of brushing/combing on my own. For those of  you out there with floofy dogs that don’t get trimmed, but rather brushed, if you’re flummoxed by tangles etc, I have a recommendation – Cowboy Magic! It’s a detangler, originally intended for horse manes and tails, but lots of people use it for their dogs, their kids, and themselves.

    In other news, this might be jibberish to most of you, but the authors here will understand – I got another BookBub! My Regency “Katherine, When She Smiled” will be featured on June 18th. I had a previous BookBub for another book, and boy, did it deliver!

  42. 42.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    @Josie: I keep thinking, oh I can ask Tina to do the back… nope. Distancing.  Are you guys staying in together?

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est: Henry thanks you!

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:35 pm

    @raven: They cut a nice picture, the three of them.

  45. 45.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: How do these people get elected?  (Answer:  cheating)  Still, how can they be so deliberately obtuse, at best?

  46. 46.

    Roger Moore

    May 22, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I am expecting serious spikes in the next 2-3 weeks, also.

    I am expecting an obvious upswing, but nothing even close to the rapid spike we had back in March.  The government may declare things open again, but a lot of people are not going to go along.  As long as many people are still social distancing, wearing masks, etc., we won’t get the kind of really rapid upswing we had before any of those measures went in place.

  47. 47.

    raven

    May 22, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    @WaterGirl: I’ll have to root around and find the picture of about 8 of them at the Voorhies Castle. My buddy owned it for a few years.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:42 pm

    @Roger Moore: I really hope you’re right.  When it comes to something that can kill you, I’m gonna err on the side of caution.

  49. 49.

    Josie

    May 22, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Yes.  I normally come to Houston every two weeks to help with child care.  I happened to be here when things got weird, and they talked me into staying here since I would be alone if I went back home.  They were both working from home for a long time, and she still is, so I help entertain the kids and cook and stuff so she can work.  It’s not ideal, but it’s so much better than being by myself for weeks on end.

  50. 50.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    @raven: I’ve never heard of that.  It says Illinois, is it in Champaign?

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 4:45 pm

    @Josie: That sounds like it works for everyone!  I can attest to it not being a barrel of fun to be here on my own.  But I do have my 4 guys.  If I lived alone with no pets, I think I would be really struggling.

  52. 52.

    raven

    May 22, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    @WaterGirl: Bement.

     

    Nels Larson, a Swedish immigrant who at one point controlled all the land in Voorhies, commissioned the house for himself in 1900; construction was completed in 1904. The two-story house was designed to resemble a Swedish palatial manor, and its name comes from its castle-like appearance; while its design resembles Queen Anne architecture, its symmetrical plan distinguishes it from the style. Its unusual appearance made it a local attraction which drew visitors from throughout central Illinois. After his wife Johannah’s death in 1914, Larson abandoned his castle, which sat empty until the 1970s.[2]
    Architecture[edit]
    The house’s southern corners feature round turrets, each with a conical roof and a finial. While the turrets were originally a story taller than the house to provide views of the surrounding area, Larson later had them lowered for aesthetic reasons. The main entrance to the house, located between the turrets, features a portico with Doric columns and a balustrade along the second-story porch roof. The second story of the house is sided with scalloped wooden shingles, a Queen Anne-inspired element which contrasts with the roof shingles. In addition to the turrets, the roof includes both gabled and hippedsections and dormers, which is typical of Queen Anne works. Decorative iron pieces top the roof’s various ridges, and Swedish-styled lightning rods are located in several places.[2]

    Larson also built a clock tower barn on his property in 1905. The clock tower stood 68 feet (21 m) tall and included a Seth Thomas clockworks, which the company considered “the finest they could make”. The tower’s brass bell could reportedly be heard up to 5 miles (8.0 km) away. A tornado destroyed the barn in 1976.[2]

    The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[1]

  53. 53.

    Jeffro

    May 22, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    I swear all the national snooze media reads this blog: they’re (finally!) asking questions, like so many of us, about the missing ‘second half’ of trumpov’s physical

    LOL WHAT PHYSICAL?? He had a mental breakdown/panic attack. Won’t be the last one, either.

  54. 54.

    Laura Too

    May 22, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    @WaterGirl: Being as he is my only child, I won’t have any problem boring you all to tears with my pics and stories. I may even set up a slide show, thanks for asking.

  55. 55.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 22, 2020 at 4:59 pm

    @WaterGirl: I have talked with him, but apparently he is less than inspired. Plus, he wants to call it the “Cornrow Blues,” which I vetoed on grounds of gratuitous racism, so I think he’s a little miffed about that. I’ll ask him him again when we talk this weekend, but in the meantime if any musically-talented Juicers want to try their hands, I’d be very pleased.

  56. 56.

    Roger Moore

    May 22, 2020 at 4:59 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    We’ll need a different judge. I am not a sourdough person. John Cole, perhaps?

    I nominate Tom Levenson.  He’s been posting pictures of his wife’s adventures in baking, so he’s clearly well qualified.

  57. 57.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Agree on the proposed name.  Can you re-post the words?  All I remember is how good it was, but no details.  We do have some musicians here.

  58. 58.

    mrmoshpotato

    May 22, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    Speaking of doggos…

    I believe that’s actually a small dog affixed to his upper lip. Maybe a sheepdog or a Maltese. https://t.co/Rxg1RXaOJU— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) May 22, 2020

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 22, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    @WaterGirl: Sure.

    Well, I got no Rona symptoms,
    And I’m feelin’ pretty fine.
    But it’s gettin’ mighty borin’
    When I walk that Rona line.
    I got the Ronavirus-19 blues.

    I had some cabin fever.
    All I did was ask.
    But they said, “No, you can’t go outside
    Without you wear a mask.”
    I got the mask-wearin’ Ronavirus blues.

    Couldn’t see no doctor,
    Couldn’t see no nurse.
    The Rona gonna make me sick
    Or maybe sumthin’ worse.
    I got the mask-wearin’, stay-inside, Ronavirus blues.

    Well, my man done up and left me,
    He took the pickup truck.
    He took the dog, the cat, the gun,
    But I don’t give a fuck,
    Because I got the blues, the mask-wearin’, stay-inside, hope-he-gets-the-Ronavirus blues.

    Now I ain’t scared of dyin’,
    I ain’t got no fear:
    But I’m low on toilet paper,
    And I’m runnin’ out of beer.

    So listen, all you children,
    Here’s the modern drill:
    If the Rona doesn’t kill you
    Then the isolation will.

    I got the stay-inside, quarantine, wash-your-hands, wear-a-mask, social-distance, touch-me-not, runnin’-low-on-toilet-paper, Ronavirus-19 blues.

    In my head, I’m hearing kind of “Heartbreak Hotel” chords, but I don’t want to unduly influence anyone.

  60. 60.

    Benw

    May 22, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    Henry is rad.

    The stickers are cool.

    Commenter pet threads are awesome.

  61. 61.

    realbtl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I’m getting more of a CCR swamp sound for the lyrics.

  62. 62.

    Delk

    May 22, 2020 at 5:41 pm

    My husband cut my hair yesterday.  I have paid for worse on more than one occasion. I trimmed my beard last week so he didn’t have to do that part.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    @Delk: I hope you tipped him well.

  64. 64.

    eemom

    May 22, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    @Barbara:

    I remember Ivy! Such a sweetie. And also how devoted to him you were.

  65. 65.

    Roger Moore

    May 22, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    When it comes to something that can kill you, I’m gonna err on the side of caution.

    That’s exactly the point: you’re not alone in that.  There may be some people who go back to living as close as possible to the way they did before COVID-19, but I’m reasonably confident they’ll be the minority.  Only the most crazily optimistic people are acting as if COVID-19 is completely over.  Even people who are tired of isolating are likely to take some precautions, and even people who take no precautions at all will get some protection when the people around them aren’t as cavalier.

    What I’m worried about is that it will take a while for people to figure out that things are getting out of control again.  If the numbers go up by 30% per week, people may think of that as not that bad in comparison to where we were in March and not realize that it’s actually worse because we’re starting from a higher baseline.

  66. 66.

    Gin & Tonic

    May 22, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    @Jeffro: Boy, I don’t know if this is an NBC typo, or what the WH actually said, but it’s perfect:

    because Dr. Conley is an imminently qualified talented physician

    He’ll be a qualified doctor any day now, I’m sure.

  67. 67.

    raven

    May 22, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    @realbtl: Some folks are born made to wave the flag
    Ooh, they’re red, white and blue

  68. 68.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 22, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    @realbtl: Hadn’t thought of that, but it does have a Fogerty vibe to it, now you mention.

  69. 69.

    Delk

    May 22, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    @WaterGirl: I bought him a new iPhone.

  70. 70.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    @Roger Moore: I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that a society that would say “oh well” – when kids are mowed down in schools and black men and boys are murdered in the streets by police – would eventually shrug and say 100,000 people dead, “could have been worse”.

    But it does.

  71. 71.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    @Delk: Excellent choice!

    But where do you go after that, next month or the month after that?  You’ve set a pretty high bar.  :-)

  72. 72.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 5:53 pm

    @Roger Moore: I’ll second that!

  73. 73.

    trollhattan

    May 22, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Heh, good one!

  74. 74.

    Elizabelle

    May 22, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    Always a good day to see Henry’s sweet little face.

  75. 75.

    Steeplejack

    May 22, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    @Old Dan and Little Ann:

    Corgis shed like crazy. Sort of surprising from the way they look.

  76. 76.

    SWMBO

    May 22, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    Haven’t read the comments yet.

    I groomed pets to pay my way through college.

    The pet grooming scissors have arrived, with the rounded tips so I can’t poke his eye out when he’s squirming as I try to trim around his face.

    You can still poke his eye out.  When you are trimming the face, put the blades flat on the muzzle.  Point the tips up if possible, not towards the eyes at all.  Trim below the eyes from under the ear with the tips pointing forward towards the nose.  Trim above the eyes by trimming from the back of the head, pointing the scissors to the back.

    Hold his face by putting three fingers under his chin and your thumb across the top of his muzzle. Use your index finger behind his ears. It gives you better control and he can’t lunge forward into the scissors.  He may try to back out of the grip but it gives you time to stop and move the scissors.

    You can use peanut butter (or cream cheese or other treat food) applied to various places (wrist, for instance) to keep him focused on something besides what you’re doing.

    Biggest thing to remember, no dog was ever harmed by letting it sit for a while half cut.  You can pick another time to trim the other half of his face and he can rock a Phantom of the Opera look for a day if it stresses him (or you) too much.

  77. 77.

    Elizabelle

    May 22, 2020 at 6:00 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:   Great, great catch. And it is definitely from one of the White House communications professionals.  (Albeit without a [sic] that would have made it even funnier.)  Deere in the headlights!  From Jeffro’s link to an NBC report:

    [Sean] Conley replaced Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who left the job in a failed nomination to serve as secretary of Veteran Affairs.

    Two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News that Jackson handpicked Conley as his successor and that Conley is viewed by many within the White House Medical Unit as having been unfairly promoted to the job of physician to the president without proper vetting.

    White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere disputed that characterization, telling NBC News in a statement: “This type of reporting is grossly irresponsible because Dr. Conley is an imminently qualified talented physician with a wealth of experience well-suited to serve President Trump and ensure he remains very healthy to continue his work on behalf of the American people.”

  78. 78.

    Origuy

    May 22, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    A note on Zoom meetings: by default it treats music as background noise and tries to cut it out. The result is very choppy. We discovered this in my Scottish Dance group when someone tried to demonstrate a new dance they had devised. To fix this, the host has to go into their Settings menu, choose the Audio options, click the Advanced button, and enable the Original Sound option and turn off background suppression. Then whoever is playing the music has to select the Enable Original Sound option on their screen.

  79. 79.

    KSinMA

    May 22, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    I’d be up for a Zoom meetup.

  80. 80.

    Roger Moore

    May 22, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I think it’s a mistake to say that “our society” doesn’t care about mass shootings.  The vast majority of Americans think they’re a problem and believe we should put some kind of restrictions on guns to make them less frequent.  The problem is that our political system is more responsive to small but loud single issue pressure groups than it is to less focused beliefs held by a large majority- especially if those pressure groups have big financial resources from either corporate or plutocratic backing.

    That’s exactly what’s happening with the push to reopen right now.  Most people are far more worried that we’ll reopen too quickly than too slowly, but a handful of billionaires have backed a small but loud pressure group to demand we reopen.  It’s incredibly stupid, but even politicians who ought to know better are having a hard time resisting.

  81. 81.

    Elizabelle

    May 22, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Of course, the meat of that NBC story is that NBC has found people with knowledge of the situation willing to say Conley is “viewed by many within the White House Medical Unit as having been unfairly promoted to the job of physician to the president without proper vetting.”

    And the words spokesman Deere chose.  “Well-suited” to serve this particular president.  Why, in particular?  What does Conley allow or ignore?

    And the idea that Trump is “very healthy” and working on behalf of the American people is just laughable, more so every day, but it’s probably from the Boehner-McConnell school of PR.  If a Republican does it, it’s for “the American people”, even if it’s just for 0.01% of them.  Or to save his own ass.

  82. 82.

    MagdaInBlack

    May 22, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    @raven:

    We had one just like the middle one, Lennie (?) My husband named her Sugar, because she was as sweet as. ☺

    Eta: that was the one he found sitting along an exit ramp along Rte 80 near Ottawa IL

  83. 83.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 22, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    @Origuy: The Lurching White Sergeant?

  84. 84.

    Joy in FL

    May 22, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    I would love to listen in on a Zoom meeting. I doubt I would say much, but I would enjoy hearing what is said.

  85. 85.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    @SWMBO: Thank you so much!  Saved and printed for this weekend when I try my hand at grooming.

  86. 86.

    Baud

    May 22, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    @Joy in FL:

    A lurker option would be cool.

  87. 87.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    @Origuy: Thank you!  Saved for reference.  Are you interested in a zoom meetup, or merely providing technical advice?

  88. 88.

    frosty

    May 22, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: This is what I hear in my head. It’s not a straight-up 12-bar blues, but it’s still a I-IV-V chord song. I’m adding a line to make it work. Melody would be any old blues melody. Blues shuffle rhythm.

    [I]Well, I got no Rona symptoms,
    [I]And I’m feelin’ pretty fine.
    [I]But it’s gettin’ mighty borin’
    When I [I7] walk that Rona line.

    I got the [IV] Ronavirus Blues [V] (STOP)
    I got the Ronavirus-19 blues. [I]

    A chromatic walkup from the IV to V chord works in the chorus, Do the walkup, bang out the V chord, sing the next line without accompaniment then start back in on the [I].

    Do you still correspond with Steve Quarantining in the ATL? He might have some ideas too.

  89. 89.

    Sloane Ranger

    May 22, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    Henry’s soon sweet! I am happy to take part in a Zoom meetup  if it takes place at a “civilised” time for the UK.

  90. 90.

    Mai naem mobile

    May 22, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    @WaterGirl: I don’t know if I saw it here or on Twitter but there was a woman who put saran wrap around her head and put peanut butter on the saran wrap and did the dogs nails while the dog was too busy licking the peanut butter to disturb her.

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    @Roger Moore: You’re right.  It’s not lack of caring.  But we don’t seem to be able to collectively do anything to make it stop, or to even turn the tide.

    It’s discouraging, and yes, we are seeing the same thing with talk of reopening just because people want it to happen.  And the politicians who know better and are still allowing themselves to be pressured – they have no business being in the positions they are in if they can’t stand up to that pressure.

    Just like I think you shouldn’t be a manager if you’re not wiling to fire someone when necessary.

  92. 92.

    Origuy

    May 22, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    @WaterGirl: I suppose I could host. I’ve hosted a few with my work account, that were not work related. My limit is 300 people, but all the ones I’ve hosted were much fewer. I would prefer not to find out the hard way that I pushed my luck, though.

  93. 93.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    @Baud: @Joy in FL:

    Audio only and/or lurker options can be accommodated.

  94. 94.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    @Sloane Ranger: Okay, help me out here.  If it’s 7pm blog time (Eastern) what time is it in your neck of the woods?

  95. 95.

    FelonyGovt

    May 22, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    @WaterGirl: Reopening just because people want it: like this? (Trump says he is going to order all churches and houses of worship to open)

  96. 96.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    @Mai naem mobile: I’d probably suffocate, with both dogs and both cats trying to lick the peanut butter at the same time.

    I think that was here because I read that, too!  Perhaps with an only pet?

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    @Origuy: Oh gosh, anything that big would be unmanageable!  But I added you to the list as a possible host.  Thanks so much!

  98. 98.

    FelonyGovt

    May 22, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    I would also be interested in a Zoom meetup.

  99. 99.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    @FelonyGovt: He is a very dangerous and evil idiot.

    Someone needs to do a Willie Horton type ad against Trump, with the Rs in the Senate playing the role of the person who let the dangerous guy out on the street.

  100. 100.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    I am taking names on the Zoom meetup.  No ass-kicking, just name-taking.  thanks

  101. 101.

    Baud

    May 22, 2020 at 6:48 pm

    @WaterGirl: 
    Will there be ass kicking during the Zoom meetup?

  102. 102.

    Steeplejack

    May 22, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Midnight in Britain. They’re five hours ahead of Eastern Time.

  103. 103.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    @Baud:  No rules in place yet – would ass-kicking be considered a plus, or a negative?

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    @Sloane Ranger: Hi again.  Can you give me a time range for what you would consider civilized?  :-)

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    @Steeplejack: Thank you!

  106. 106.

    Baud

    May 22, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Depends on the kicker and the kickee.

  107. 107.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    @Baud:

    Verbal ass-kicking allowed, if warranted.  No physical ass-kicking allowed.

    Henry will be the arbiter of what crosses the line.

  108. 108.

    Bumper

    May 22, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    Henry looks great!

    Late to thread, but wanted to let you and Auntie Beak know that I received the dehydrated sourdough starter and am currently getting it up and ready. We’ve just started the daily maintenance phase and it’s doing really well, despite my inexperience with sourdough.

  109. 109.

    Josie

    May 22, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    I would like to try a zoom meeting, even though I am technologically illiterate.

  110. 110.

    hitchhiker

    May 22, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    count me in.

  111. 111.

    SWMBO

    May 22, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    @WaterGirl: If you have a sturdy table or counter that you can leash him and tie the leash so he doesn’t get away, that could be useful. (Tie it to a leg or drawer or door pull)

    Take off your watch or jewelry. It’s distracting for both of you. It blocks the peanut butter or cream cheese too.
    The main thing about a scissor cut is that it’s not as short as a clipper cut. Much less noise and trauma for both of you. And he’s going to the groomer next month anyway. If all you’re doing is trimming his eyes so he can see, that shouldn’t take long and you can both forget whatever happened.
    just remember not to ever point the tip of the scissors at his eyes. If you’re trying to trim around the eyes, keep the blade flat to the bone and even if he lunges or squirms, there’s not as much room for eye poking.
    Good luck to both of you.

  112. 112.

    SWMBO

    May 22, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Also. I would like to lurk if I can figure out how.

  113. 113.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    @SWMBO: You call in with your phone or your computer (without video).  Then if you just want to lurk, you just don’t talk.

  114. 114.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    @SWMBO: I’ve been trimming the hair on his back and legs with my pointy little sewing scissors.  When I talk on the phone he wants to sit in my lap, so I keep the little scissors next to my chair so I can just pick them up and start snipping as I talk.

    But I didn’t want to use those anywhere near his face, for sure, so I haven’t touched that area, as you can see.

    I added your second set of instructions to the first ones and will read again before I start.  thanks again

  115. 115.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    @SWMBO: I keep a piece of Japanese Washi tape (decorative and easily removable) over the camera on my laptop.   That way if a site defaults to video, or if an update were to change my defaults, I can never get caught unawares in my PJs or whatever.

    I do feel the need to say that I always wear pants.  Or shorts, PJ bottoms, or capris.

  116. 116.

    Spanish Moss

    May 22, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    I am interested in some of Alain’s starter. I did sourdough years ago, but eventually didn’t feed it often enough to keep it going. Too much going on with the kiddos to keep track of it. Now that I have an empty nest, I should be able to keep on top of it (I tell myself).

  117. 117.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    I am making a list of sourdough peeps to send to Auntie Beak – just heard back from her and she is willing to do another round!

    She got it down to a science last time.  You just had to send her a self-addressed stamped envelope (2 stamps because it can’t go through the machine because it’s uneven) and she sends you the nifty little packet.

    She was able to 8 or 10 last time.

    Four so far in this thread:

    Beth
    Laura Too
    Currants
    Spanish Moss
  118. 118.

    NotMax

    May 22, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    @WaterGirl

    Very first thing done with the tablet I got for use when I’m in NY, the moment it came out of the box and wrapping had been removed, was affixing a layer of electrician’s tape over the cameras and another piece which had stuck to it a small bit snipped off a cotton ball over the mic.

  119. 119.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    @NotMax:  But my tape is prettier.  :-)

  120. 120.

    NotMax

    May 22, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    @WaterGirl

    Basic black is always in style, isn’t it?

    :)

  121. 121.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    @NotMax: haha!  Yes it is.

  122. 122.

    Sloane Ranger

    May 22, 2020 at 9:13 pm

    @WaterGirl: Hi. Sorry for late reply. I hope you pick this up. I posted then watched TV then fell asleep in my chair:)

    To me “civilised” means anytime between 10am – 10pm UK time.

    Cheers.

  123. 123.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    @Sloane Ranger: Got it!  And I presume that means finished by 10pm UK, which means a start of 9pm UK at the latest.

    Which Steep tells me would be 4pm.

    We may want to start with a couple of the Zoom Meetups.  One for folks who want it to be in the evening and another fo folks who  want daytime (like you!).

  124. 124.

    Sloane Ranger

    May 22, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    @WaterGirl: Hi. Sorry for late reply. I hope you pick this up. I posted then watched TV then fell asleep in my chair:)

    To me “civilised” means anytime between 10am – 10pm UK time. I think we’re 5 to 6 hours ahead of you.

    Cheers.

  125. 125.

    WaterGirl

    May 22, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    I’m gonna close the computer and eat dinner – how did it get to be after 8 already?

    I’ll check back in on this thread tomorrow morning.

  126. 126.

    Sloane Ranger

    May 22, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    @WaterGirl: If it helps I’m happy to start at 10pm (5pm your time?) to finish 11ish.

  127. 127.

    TomatoQueen

    May 22, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    The Prine Family and his record company  Oh Boy Records are hosting an online tribute on June 11th at 7:30 pm (est), YooToob and Fbk. Details at   https://www.jambase.com/article/picture-show-a-tribute-celebrating-john-prine

  128. 128.

    Mohagan

    May 22, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    @Mai naem mobile: Me too!

  129. 129.

    emrys

    May 22, 2020 at 10:18 pm

    Weekly pet thread:  door 1 best, then door 3.

  130. 130.

    Gvg

    May 22, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    i just received a request to vote by mail flyer. Evidently somebody is on the ball in my county.it was addressed to resident and it looks like everyone is getting the flyer. This hasn’t happened before. Florida has early voting for a few weeks ahead mostly at the local libraries. I have been doing that for a decade and it’s very popular. I think lots of people have looked ahead and said we need to do mail.

    Florida already had vote by mail no reason as an option but it wasn’t that popular before. This means no need for our legislature and Governor to do anything (safest choice for democracy)

  131. 131.

    SWMBO

    May 22, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    @NotMax: The Click and Clack Tappet Brothers method?  Excellent!

  132. 132.

    Betsy

    May 23, 2020 at 12:24 am

    May I have some of the starter?

  133. 133.

    Melusine

    May 23, 2020 at 12:33 am

    Would definitely be interested in an audio-only zoom – or is there an option to turn individual cameras off? I’ve been in quarantine a while and tend to forget that pants aren’t always optional. ?

  134. 134.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    May 23, 2020 at 5:15 am

    @WaterGirl: I’m down with doing a Zoom meeting.

  135. 135.

    TheronWare

    May 23, 2020 at 8:45 am

    Yay Henry!

  136. 136.

    WaterGirl

    May 23, 2020 at 10:46 am

    @Betsy: I sent your info to Auntie Beak.  

  137. 137.

    WaterGirl

    May 23, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    I believe there’s still room for about 5 sourdough starters in the batch Auntie Beak is working on, if others are interested.

  138. 138.

    2liberal

    May 23, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    @Melusine: is there an option to turn individual cameras off?

     

    in zoom there is such an option.  as a failsafe you can put tape over the camera lens also.

  139. 139.

    PaulWartenberg

    May 24, 2020 at 12:07 am

    I am coming to this very late, sorry.

    Balloon Juice Blogroll

    It’s been about 6 months since we asked for input on blogs to include in the blogroll. Look for a post for that either this weekend or next, also. If you have a personal blog, we’re glad to link to it. If you have suggestions for others, let us know when the post goes up.

    I dunno if I shared it before, but I have an inconsistently – maybe twice a week – running political blog You Might Notice a Trend at https://noticeatrend.blogspot.com/

    BJ Zoom Meetups

    There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in some Zoom Meetups early on – are we all Zoomed out? Imm and others had offered to help. Move forward? Or declare that “seemed like a good idea at the time” and let it go? Chime in with your thoughts, please.

    I have Zoom on a laptop and would like to chat, depending on the day and time.

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