• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let there be snark.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

I was promised a recession.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Not all heroes wear capes.

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

As long as McCarthy is Speaker, the House will never be in order.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

This really is a full service blog.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

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

I really should read my own blog.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread (and Tom Levenson 8 pm Zoom Reminder)

Open Thread (and Tom Levenson 8 pm Zoom Reminder)

by WaterGirl|  December 7, 20207:30 pm| 36 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

FacebookTweetEmail

Open Thread.

I’ve been away from the blog for most of the day, the only thing I’ve seen is the sad news about Penelope Pearl.  What’s been happening on the political front?

⭐️

And one last reminder about the Tom Levenson zoom about his book at 8pm BLOG TIME (aka Eastern).

We are opening the “doors” at 7:30 for conversation as people arrive, and then the event program starts at 8.

So if you’re thinking “oh shit, I meant to sign up for that” or if you are wondering if it’s too late, it’s not.

If you’re interested in joining us, send me email and I’ll send you the link.  Time gets away from all of us these days, so I will watch this thread and my email for any late deciders.

 

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Monday Evening Open Thread: Bill ‘Ever Lower’ Barr Attempts to Sand Off the Fingerprints
Next Post: Breaking: President-elect Biden Has Chosen GEN (ret) Lloyd Austin as His Nominee To Be the Next Secretary of Defense spy v. spy flyouts»

Reader Interactions

36Comments

  1. 1.

    MisterForkbeard

    December 7, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Boo! I can’t make the book event. No plans to record it anywhere, right?

    Maybe somebody responsible can take some notes for me :)

  2. 2.

    Glidwrith

    December 7, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Shit for brains has shorted us vaccine. Govenor of Florida sent the goon squad to seize the computer of the whistleblower who was showing he was manipulating COVID numbers.

    You know. FUBAR.

  3. 3.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    @MisterForkbeard: It is being recorded.

  4. 4.

    Yutsano

    December 7, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    I just sent you one. I have zero issue being fashionably late…

    AND i JUST GOT YOUR RESPONSE!

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    @Glidwrith: Oh my god.  Not enough to mess with the testing and PPE, now with the vaccine.

  6. 6.

    Glidwrith

    December 7, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    @WaterGirl: Details:

    https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/07/world/covid-19-coronavirus/trump-administration-officials-passed-when-pfizer-offered-in-late-summer-to-sell-the-us-more-vaccine-doses

    The initial 100 million doses equals 50 million people. No more Pfizer vaccine until midsummer.

    Moderna can only do 10 million people by year’s end

    ETA:  https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-01/pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-emergency-use-what-to-know

  7. 7.

    PsiFighter37

    December 7, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    Looks like Biden is bypassing Flournoy for SecDef and picking a retired general (Lloyd Austin) for the job. Not to concern troll much, but I am getting the distinct feeling that Biden is getting boxed into picking folks more for demographic reasons than because they may be the most qualified in his mind. Also, I honestly do not love the idea of generals running the Pentagon. Didn’t love it with Mattis either.

  8. 8.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    @PsiFighter37: No more generals.  I hate that.  The previous generals gave generals a bad name.

  9. 9.

    MisterForkbeard

    December 7, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    @Glidwrith: Wait, for Moderna and EOY do you mean 2020, or 2021?

    And not surprising that Trump fucked it up. Sigh.

  10. 10.

    PsiFighter37

    December 7, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    @WaterGirl: None of the retired generals who were SecDef did a good job so far (George Marshall and Mattis). No reason to believe Austin will be any different. I wonder if Gillibrand will vote against Austin on principle – she was the only one who voted against Mattis. Don’t understand why Flournoy wasn’t picked (she was the obvious choice), and this seems likely to be problematic – I just don’t think any retired generals have managed the political side well, with Colin Powell being the person who failed the most when in a seat of prominence.

  11. 11.

    zhena gogolia

    December 7, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    @PsiFighter37:

    You are doing quite a bit of concern trolling, as a matter of fact.

  12. 12.

    zhena gogolia

    December 7, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    Sorry about the book chat but I’ve been on Zoom all afternoon. Can’t take any more.

  13. 13.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I get that!

  14. 14.

    MisterForkbeard

    December 7, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    @WaterGirl: I’m not a big fan of generals in any government position, though if you’re going to do it then SecDef is… defensible.

    I think this might have been to counter the “Biden’s only hiring corporatist warmongers” crap I’m seeing on the left. But since that was always bullshit to begin with, it’s probably not related.

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Serious question: Is expressing concerns the same thing as concern trolling?

  16. 16.

    zhena gogolia

    December 7, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    When it’s repetitively directed at the decisions of the president-elect, yes.

  17. 17.

    schrodingers_cat

    December 7, 2020 at 8:23 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I too am Zoomed out. Do. Not. Want.

  18. 18.

    schrodingers_cat

    December 7, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    @zhena gogolia: It started the night of elections. You are not the only one that has noticed.

    I am not too happy about generals running the Pentagon as a matter of principle but Biden has earned my trust and I am going to wait before I add my voice to the chorus of concern.

  19. 19.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 7, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Oh my god. Not enough to mess with the testing and PPE, now with the vaccine.

    Not surprising from a pile of shit mobster crime family.

    I hope we bury all of these fuckers under the prison.

  20. 20.

    zhena gogolia

    December 7, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Same here.

  21. 21.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    December 7, 2020 at 8:31 pm

     

    @PsiFighter37:  what makes you say Flournoy is a better pick?  I would say her advocacy for invading Syria is disqualifying.

    Austin is a good guy (photo) and he was very loyal and helpful to the Obama/Biden administration.  But even if he shouldn’t be the pick because of valid concerns of a former military officer heading DOD, that doesn’t mean Flournoy is a good pick.

  22. 22.

    mrmoshpotato

    December 7, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    @zhena gogolia: No go-kart racing tonight, eh?  Zoom zoom!

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: If we ignore that the general is the general, what do we know about him and his past, his beliefs, his politics and his world view?

  24. 24.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    December 7, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    There may valid reasons to support or oppose Austin, but Flournoy isn’t a good pick.  Certainly if Austin supported invading Syria I would find that disqualifying.

  25. 25.

    satby

    December 7, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    @WaterGirl: Adam has a whole post on it, but when Obama fired Matthis Austin replaced him and worked with Obama-Biden during the rest of the term. They like and trust him and that’s good enough for me.

  26. 26.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    @satby: That’s good to know.  How is that possible if he has only been retired from the military for 4 years?

    That math isn’t making sense to me

    Plus I am watching this thread in case someone wants to get on the zoom, so I can’t go to Adam’s thread at this point.

  27. 27.

    PaulWartenberg

    December 7, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    Ron DeSantis is being a dick in Florida, ordering police raids on his COVID critic.

    https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1336071466748698624

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 9:00 pm

    @PaulWartenberg: That’s horrifying.  Trump has opened Pandora’s box.

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    December 7, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    @WaterGirl

    One the one hand, get your point.

    On the other hand, PHRASING!

    ;)

  30. 30.

    Glidwrith

    December 7, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    @MisterForkbeard: Possibly dead thread, but 2020

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 9:44 pm

    @NotMax: I’m not seeing the phrasing issue, but then I am tired so maybe I am being dense.

  32. 32.

    O. Felix Culpa

    December 7, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    @NotMax:

    I join you WG in densehood or density or denseness. I too am not understanding. PHRASING is usually best left unexplained, but in this case…. :)

  33. 33.

    CaseyL

    December 7, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    I had some work issues that went way past my nominal quitting time, so it couldn’t be helped – but I am still really really bummed to have missed this.

    My apologies, Tom! Hopefully you’ll do this again.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    December 7, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    @CaseyL: I’m sorry you weren’t able to make it!

  35. 35.

    NotMax

    December 7, 2020 at 10:17 pm

    @WaterGirl

    A case of difference between Pandora’s Box and Pandora’s box (when discussing Mr. Grabby-hands).

    :)

  36. 36.

    lurker

    December 7, 2020 at 10:54 pm

    @WaterGirl: hope you guys had a good zoom. i had something come up and had to miss it. for better or worse, it came up early enough that I did not email about the code. i figured watergirl should know

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Comments

  • Redshift on Contrition Kitchen (Open Thread) (Sep 22, 2023 @ 5:57pm)
  • sab on Contrition Kitchen (Open Thread) (Sep 22, 2023 @ 5:57pm)
  • Roger Moore on Bibi & Bone Saw (Sep 22, 2023 @ 5:55pm)
  • Redshift on Contrition Kitchen (Open Thread) (Sep 22, 2023 @ 5:55pm)
  • sab on Contrition Kitchen (Open Thread) (Sep 22, 2023 @ 5:54pm)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
What Has Biden Done for You Lately?

Balloon Juice Meetups!

All Meetups
Talk of Meetups – Meetup Planning

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Cole & Friends Learn Español

Introductory Post
Cole & Friends Learn Español

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!