Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

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

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

Alternative history is always a weak argument. Always.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

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

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

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

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it’s a trap.

This really is a full service blog.

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

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

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Friday Evening Open Thread: Rocky the Xmas Owl

Friday Evening Open Thread: Rocky the Xmas Owl

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If I know New Yorkers, there’s all sorts of farces / musicals / childrens’ books being written about a little owl with big dreams, who finally makes it to Broadway… only to get rudely dumped back in the sticks of Saugerties…

I mean… does this tiny queen look grateful for being captured?

Reader Interactions

49Comments

  3. 3.

    Spanky

    The northern saw-whet owl is a small owl native to North America. Saw-whet owls are one of the smallest owl species in North America. They can be found in dense thickets or conifers, often at eye level, although they can also be found some 20 feet up.

  5. 5.

    PsiFighter37

    Gah…seems like we are on track to narrowly lose IA-02 after all. There was a miscount in the numbers in one county, so the Democrat is behind by 7 votes with only one county left to recount. Hopefully Brindisi holds on in NY-22 (up 13 votes).

    It also seems like we are narrowly gonna lose CA-25…my hope? That Katie Hill decides to rejoin the rat race and win back her old seat in 2022. This is a district that should be ours. We should also find better candidates to retake the two OC counties we lost, as well as the Central Valley one where we crush at the presidential level but underperform massively at the congressional level (CA-21).

  6. 6.

    Brachiator

    Owl by myself

    The avian puns must be flying.

    Owl Be Thinking of Yule, Next Christmas.

    It was fitting that Rocky was cared for at the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.

    The BBC story also notes that Rocky was fed mice to help her get back to health. Once again, rodents get the short end of the stick. Circle of Life.

  9. 9.

    PsiFighter37

    @mrmoshpotato: Think you mean 223-212 if all races stay as is, which is a 5-seat majority (218 being the bare minimum). Subtract Richmond and (likely) Haaland, and it will be 221 for a while. I sure hope the moderates and Squad folks can stop their feuding and focus on getting stuff done when the new Congress convenes.

  13. 13.

    Jeffro

    Thanks everyone for the numbers but now…double ugh.

    Let’s get a good rest in this holiday season, and then crank. it. up.  We’re going to be needed for those midterms, whew!!

  15. 15.

    burnspbesq

    @PsiFighter37:

    I sure hope the moderates and Squad folks can stop their feuding and focus on getting stuff done when the new Congress convenes.

    Not bloody likely, I’m afraid. If House Dems can’t pass legislation without the Squad, we are well and truly fucked.

  16. 16.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @PsiFighter37: I wouldn’t call CA-25 a natural for the Dems, Santa Clarita is pretty suburban and the rest is really rural.  I was a bit surprised it flipped in 2018, but Katie Hill was a good candidate and she had ads in heavy rotation on the TV.

    ETA:  Looks like it also has Simi Valley as well as Palmdale and Lancaster, still it’s not like the basin politically.

  17. 17.

    Feathers

    San Diego Zoo did a presentation at the World Fantasy Convention when it was held there. Got to see a pangolin up close! But very cool was a huge owl. It was not far away when it suddenly started flapping its wings. I didn’t hear a thing, totally silent. But the power of the displaced air blew my hair like a strong wind gust. Just amazing. Can’t see one now without imagining the blowing hair.

    There is some sort of party next door with many shrieking, playing children. No idea what the social distancing protocols are and I’m not going to check.

    As to Congress, the big thing that needs to happen is a strong playing of the refs. We really can’t allow Republicans to keep claiming the moral high ground. Part of the problem is that opposition is always seen as being from the right. On the ACA, it always looked unpopular, but when the question was properly asked, a large majority thought it was either fine or didn’t go far enough.

  21. 21.

    Yarrow

    @Feathers:  Along those lines, I was surprised to see this awesome thread from NeverTrumper and LP advisor Tom Nichols last night:

    But more to the point, why is it always a plea for *us* to understand *them*? Why is it always one way? Why is there never a plea – or demand – to people in rural Indiana to say: “Listen, you better start understanding the 100 million Americans who aren’t like you.”
    — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 27, 2020

    I’m so f*cking tired of people going to rural Wisconsin like anthropologists on a field trip. Take those same people from Oshkosh and put them on a bus to Boston or LA and say: “You better learn about these people. They’re your fellow citizens and they way outnumber you.” /3x

    And just to continue this rant a little more: These Trump voters did not spend a lot of time saying “You know, the inner cities are a mess, and people there seem desperate and unhappy. I wonder why. Maybe I should understand them more.”

    Instead, they said: F*ck those cities. /1

    I swear, he sounds like a Juicer. There’s more if you click through.

  23. 23.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    Oh, I think I did answer, but I’ve had an update since then. Still very concerning, but they drained about a gallon of dark fluid from her kidneys — I didn’t even know that was possible — so she’s in slightly less pain. They also drained bloody fluid from her knee and are dealing with the infection that seems to be playing merry havoc with all the bits and corners of her body. This, I’m certain, is much more detail than you were bargaining for!

    Her BP dropped very low last night so they moved her to an ICU bed to administer a particular medication to get the numbers back up (some special monitoring equipment, apparently). She’s far from being out of the woods, but we’re all being cautiously optimistic.

    Thank you so much for asking, and for caring.

  26. 26.

    PsiFighter37

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Yeah, I agree – having done that drive, I would think of Palmdale/Lancaster as mostly GOP territory for sure (particularly the parts in those areas where no one is around). That said, it’s frustrating because it has become a Democratic-voting district, and given how strong a performance Katie Hill had, it’s disheartening to see that someone who seems like a strong candidate on paper (Christy Smith) can’t replicate it.

  27. 27.

    PsiFighter37

    @Goku (Amerikan Baka): I would suspect it is 221-211 when things get started in 2021. I doubt either NY-22 or IA-02 are resolved by then, Richmond will have resigned (Haaland – probably not until she is formally nominated and confirmed).

  31. 31.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    is a blood infection the same as being septic?

    I guess. Haven’t heard the word “septic” used. Joyce is on massive antibiotics. Along with, you know, massive painkillers, and this specialty BP thing. Probably other stuff, too.

  35. 35.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @PsiFighter37: I was looking at Wikipedia on the district, while they went for Hillary in 2016, they went for Mitt in 2012.  The majority of the time they’ve gone for Republicans.  Chairman Jerry didn’t win the district in either of his last two runs for Governor.

  37. 37.

    Goku (Amerikan Baka)

    @NotMax:

    Haha, very funny : ). Truth be told, I consider myself a late Millennial. As for Zoom, I just didn’t feel comfortable showing my face or voice is all

  39. 39.

    mrmoshpotato

    @NotMax: Taking. The. Piss. :)

    @Goku (Amerikan Baka): I enjoyed some lurking.  Good conversation was had.  It was nice to hear people talking about what we chat about in the comments as opposed to just reading it.  Especially given the isolation we’ve been under because of this blasted virus.

  40. 40.

    Bex

    The Ravesbeard Wildlife Center is having a Go Fund Me fundraiser if anyone here is so inclined.  I mentioned this the other day if y’all missed it.

  46. 46.

    bluefoot

    I’m sorry I missed the BJ zooms but I ended up on family calls/zooms in between actually cooking myself dinner (I am a household of one) and then an extended family zoom that went on for quite some time.  It sounds like a splendid time was had by all.

  49. 49.

    bluefish

    @SiubhanDuinne: reminded me of walter

    cannot sleep … in the midst of somma kind of somma kinda manic epi that will make all human or virtuals toss me out … on my sad old stubborn heels … out, old woman

    let it be over and may the old show the young out of the eye of the needle so they may rule in time … see how they love it

    four five years of hell on earth … let’s just to the next damn chapter

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