Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

How stupid are these people?

This really is a full service blog.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

White supremacy is terrorism.

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

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

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

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

I really should read my own blog.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Christmas Loot (Open Thread)

Christmas Loot (Open Thread)

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Did you get any good stuff for Christmas? I received many nice things, including a Waterpik Sonic Fusion thingie that I’d specifically requested from Santa. I’ve never had anything but a regular toothbrush until now, but I despise flossing the old fashioned way, so I figured I’d try the water method. Love it so far, though one has to be careful with the buttons or one can accidentally squirt water all over one’s boobs.

Other stuff I got: a bourbon cake, Florida Gators socks, two very nice bottles of wine and a fancy wine kit, a novelty tea towel, a mask that makes the wearer look like a fox from the nose down, several books, flannel pajamas, several Hot Wheels cars, truffle salt, and fancy honey. Overall, a nice haul.

It was the coldest Christmas we’ve had in a while; it was down to 28 degrees F a couple of mornings in a row, but it’s supposed to warm back up tomorrow, thank dog. Open thread!

Reader Interactions

231Comments

  1. 1.

    raven

    I’ve already posted the thread painting of Lil Bit twice so I won’t do it again but it is wonderful.

  2. 2.

    PaulWartenberg

    I received a clothes rack for my garage.

    Also a $10 gift card for Barnes&Noble, so DAMMIT drop suggestions on what book I should buy.

    Oh, and because my 2019 Christmas gift from my parents got nuked by pandemic – my parents were going to pay for a European vacation, I have STILL never traveled overseas – that got rolled over into the 2020 gift of a new Ford Escape Hybrid. They were out of blues so I requested a black one, I’m planning on calling it my Batmobile.

  3. 3.

    VeniceRiley

    I don’t want anything because I’d just have to haul it overseas with me; so I had future Mrs. buy me an instant pot pro 8 liter model that was on sale in UK. That’s also my best bet for anything I need to plug in…. because adapters= UGH.
    I bought her a waterproof pillow and item shelf for our new tub.

  6. 6.

    Jacqueline Squid Onassis

    I got a selfie light ring and breast reconstruction.  So a little more than I’d asked for.

  7. 7.

    geg6

    I got loads of hoodies (my COVID work-at-home uniform), some books, socks (again, a work-at-home staple, three pairs of Cuddle Duds (women’s long underwear), some restaurant gift cards for local places, four bottles of wine and Ina Garten’s newest modernized comfort food cookbook.  Some other small things, like fancy tea towels, Christmas ornaments (my friends get me wine themed ornaments every year) and some Lush bath bombs.  Good haul for me, too.

    As for you thin blooded Floridians, I’d have killed for a low of 28F.  Snow storms and arctic cold were the reality here in Western PA.  Happily, today we have bright sunlight and highs in the low forties.  So, basically, a heatwave.

  8. 8.

    CaseyL

    Best prezzie:  a “book night” kit from a friend: bag of cheddar popcorn and Forever POTUS’ new book, A Promised Land.

    Best self-prezzie:  A gorgeous, vintage, solid wood Crate & Barrel media console with cabinet and shelves (and that required three people to carry), bought on Craig’s List and now will be an auxiliary glasswork space.

  10. 10.

    satby

    I got a Kindle Fire HD 10. This thing is big. And some nice chocolates and a gizmo called the Fasta Pasta, which I love. Works great, because I hate hauling out a big pot to boil water for pasta.

  11. 11.

    Doc Sardonic

    @geg6: This thin blooded Floridian is about ready to find a colder place. Hell of a note, born in Fl, raised in Fl, lived here most of my life, but the heat kills me and I am now allergic to the whole damn place. The days that we have all four seasons in 12 hours are also killing my joints

  12. 12.

    BSR

    Sous Vide cooking set (heater, tub, cozy).  Used it to make the beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner, which turned out very well.

    I asked for it, so now I have to figure out what to make next…

  13. 13.

    Yutsano

    I got an UnderArmour hoodie that doesn’t guard against the cold like my Seahawks hoodie does. I got nice Christmasy socks. And a small grater that looks like the sword from the Zelda franchise. Probably the big winner was the $200.

    And tomorrow I find out if I work the rest of the week so yay?

  14. 14.

    scav

    A neighbor photographed a bit of my weed garden and had it enlarged (wallflowers, bunny tail grasses and a bee).
    And there were socks. Cast iron spice grinder.

  15. 15.

    satby

    @Capri: I bought myself one after a trip to England several years ago. Now I keep it at the market and my neighboring vendors and I share a cuppa every morning, thanks to my British vendor next to me.

  18. 18.

    MagdaInBlack

    My best gift came from my oldest and dearest friend ( since kindergarten) cause she knows me and christmas so well : a pair of grinch socks =-)

  19. 19.

    Doc Sardonic

    @BSR: highly recommend pork chops with salt, pepper and cooks choice of marinade. Vacuum pack ‘em and let them sit in the refrigerator for 24 or more hours then sous vide, finish of with a good sear.

  20. 20.

    Rusty

    Favorite was a 1000 grit diamond sharpening hone to add to some old oil stones I use for sharpening hand planes, draw knives, spokeshaves and such.  I have gotten into woodworking with hand tools (I follow an unplugged wood working group on facebook).  The most unexpected was from my job, been there less than a year so figured no end of year bonus.  I was wrong, and it will definitely help with having to move and buy a house in a more expensive area.  Uprooting the whole family is hard enough, any relief on financial pressures is gratefully received.

  23. 23.

    Emma from FL

    I got a Hufflepuff charm for my Pandora bracelet (no jokes about Hufflepuffs! you ever seen a pissed off badger?); several absolutely beautiful Peter Pauper journals; a Kindle 10 for movie watching; home made lobster mac and cheese for Christmas Eve lunch; and a USPS boxful of specialty pens and useful assorted drawing materials.

    In other words, I raked it in. My mercenary soul is overjoyed.

    (added) and a Giada cookbook.

  24. 24.

    CaseyL

    @geg6:  @Doc Sardonic:

    A vlogger who moved from the UK to the US has a YouTube channel “Lost in the Pond,” where he talks about the everyday differences between Brit and Yank (our kitchens, our holidays, etc.).

    He recently posted “5 US cities with weather most similar to England.”  My city, Seattle, took the top spot, with the most British Isle amount of sun, wind, rain and temperatures.  Made me giggle with pride (if that’s a thing).

    My Mom, who still lives in Florida, today told me very happily that the weather there is cooling off. In absolute terms, not just by-South-Florida standards.  Apparently it was in the 40s there this morning.  Time to break out the fleece!

  27. 27.

    narya

    My parents’ “donation” to my building/reno fund hasn’t arrived yet (no big deal), but that’s really it. And I don’t really give many gifts, either–gift cards to my team (they’re late going out because I found some cool cards that were delayed two weeks in getting to me) and to my nephews, to encourage their cooking adventures (King Arthur for one, Penzey’s for the other). I got myself registered for a year-long running/exercise challenge; there are various distances for each state, and you get a little magnet of each state you complete. I won’t get them all, but I should be able to get 15 or so, and it will help me be motivated. I looked at how much I ran this year–nearly 650 miles in 9 months–and decided that this would be a good challenge for me. It will also maybe get me to go fix the rowing machine today, too, because that can count

    ETA: no big deal that it hasn’t arrived yet! I’m so grateful for their help (they contributed to the kitchen fund last year).

  28. 28.

    Sister Golden Bear

    No real family and almost all my friends are starving artists — as in literally starving and wondering if they’re going to have a roof over their heads. So no presents.

    Plus with being un/underemployed for 11 months and counting there wasn’t much in the budget for self-presents — although I did get a box of Williams Sonoma dark chocolate peppermint bark, and a nice bottle of wine, plus a copy of “Hogfather” (thanks M4 for the recommendation). First luxuries in a long time.

  30. 30.

    Cmorenc

    @PaulWartenberg:
    i had a 2005 ford escape hybrid that lasted for nearly 300k without any serious or expensive mechanical problems until it finally started to show signs that cumulative wear and tear were likely to begin causing a series of more frequent and expensive repair issues.  BUT: when i began shopping for its replacement in 2019, i was surprised to find out ford had discontinued making hybrid escapes a couple of years ago, and they didn’t have any satisfactory equivalent option to suit my tastes, and so got a toyota rav-4 hybrid instead.

    Did ford change their mind and resume making escape hybrids in 2020?  I informed my ford dealer that i would have stayed with them had ford continued to offer the hybrid version of the escape- maybe enough like-minded folks gave them similar feedback about why they were losing sales bc ford had ceased offering a good hybrid small suv

  31. 31.

    zhena gogolia

    We agreed no presents, but I got him a Vermont Country Store sweater (won’t be here until March) and he got me a book about Biden by Evan Osnos (some very annoying analysis like — young people are suffering because of Iraq, Katrina, and the 2008 crash and it’s all the fault of Nancy Pelosi and the gerontocracy, the words “Bush” and “Republican” never mentioned in the analysis), Obama’s book, and a new biography of Cary Grant. Friends kept sending/dropping off all kinds of sweets, so we’re set for a while in that department.

  33. 33.

    West of the Rockies

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Wine, chocolate and a good book/series… that’s not a terrible Christmas if you have friends to share with…

    (Yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition.  Call it a big FU to 2020.)

  36. 36.

    WaterGirl

    @zhena gogolia: I can’t even imagine how one takes thread and material and turns it into a likeness of a dog, let alone making it look not just like your beloved dog, but catching the eyes and the face and the personality perfectly.

    The mind boggles.

  39. 39.

    scav

    @zhena gogolia: Our neighborhood / second-tier bubble was nicely balanced between cookies and candies, with sprinkles of wine, tea and coffee — Score! (we contributed bohemian bread to the mix.)

  40. 40.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    Christmas present-wise, I am 100 pages into “A Promised Land.”  Long live PBO!  Santa forgot my Laphroaig so I had to go but some yesterday. From me to me.

  42. 42.

    geg6

    @Doc Sardonic:

    I recommend Virginia or Maryland.  You’ll get cooler temps most of the year, not nearly as much snow as we get here and the glory of all four seasons.  You’ll need some Zyrtec or whatever in late spring, summer and early fall, but it’s worth it for living in such lovely, blue states.

  48. 48.

    AliceBlue

    I got a boatload of books and lots of chocolate, so I’m a happy camper.

    Speaking of the Waterpik Sonic Fusion toothbrush/flosser, I ordered one on the day after Thanksgiving, not as a present, but because our dentist recommended it.  Shipped on December 7, now sitting in a distribution center in Texas “in transit – arriving late”.  Gee, ya think?

  51. 51.

    Ivan X

    I got construction completed on our new house on our new coast. It needed a new roof, foundation support, new electrical, new garage floor, new bathroom. Sheesh! But now all we need is power and we can move in!

  55. 55.

    raven

    I also got a lazy-boy recliner and it’s a little better but still isn’t solving my sitting issues. I have a nerve conduction study scheduled this week so, hopefully, I’ll know more soon.

  56. 56.

    Anotherlurker

    I got the best Xmas present ever.  On Dec. 18 I picked up my new rescue Pup, Addie. She was saved from a Chinese slaughterhouse .  She is a beautiful 8 year old Golden Retriever who was used to produce puppies for the butcher.

    She is very affectionate, wicked smahart and trained, for the most part.

    She loves to cuddle and loves other dogs.

    She is the new Love of my Life!

  57. 57.

    opiejeanne

    It was a nice Christmas Day, much better than my melancholy Christmas Eve.

    A phone call from my niece in Switzerland on Christmas Eve morning and I could hear her baby talking in the background. A FaceTime with my sister. a phone call from our oldest girl who is camping in Florida on an island on the Gulf, texting with everybody else all day.

    I have email from friends and family that I still need to answer, that got lost in the drama of the greenhouse burning down.

    Gifts include a roll of toilet paper with Trump’s face on it. I’ll put it in the powder room for the time when we can have guests over again. Maybe I’ll just set it on the tank, to make people laugh.

    My sister sent us a $25 gift card for See’s Candies, and almost everyone gave us candy. Our son sent me some beautiful socks, a very nice cast aluminum hare for the garden, and a silly little kit to make a tree look like a fairy cottage: 2 windows and a door. He sent mr opiejeanne a plush robe.

    There were books, oranges, more candy, and a set of four retro red metal chairs that mr opiejeanne has started assembling.

    mr opiejeanne gave me a little red flashlight, one of those powerful ones. Those are great in a power outage, and great for looking for little things I’ve dropped on the floor or on a patterned rug.

  58. 58.

    Spanky

    @geg6: , @zhena gogolia:

    Yinz are very generous with your recommendation of Maryland. Being a 40+ year resident of MD after being born & raised in PA, I’d have recommended PA! It’s true that MD has everything from the ocean to the mountains, but that’s not unique. Here on the coastal plain it gets hot & humid as shit in the summers, and the sub-freezing winter air is dank. Stick to higher elevations.

  59. 59.

    Kent

    My daughter gave me Obama’s new book, bought not from Amazon, but from a local independent bookstore in Hood River OR.  Very proud of her on multiple levels!

  60. 60.

    ixnay

    @zhena gogolia: depends on where in Maryland. I grew up north of Baltimore in the 60s, hated the humidity (frizzy hair) and, in particular, the mockingbirds who sang all night outside my window. And now I miss the mockers.

  63. 63.

    Redshift

    I got a compact Keurig that was well reviewed, so I guess I’m officially a coffee person now. I won’t ask for recommendations, because I don’t really like coffee, but I’ve become something of an expert on coffees for people who don’t like coffee. (Mainly, it seems to be thati have a really strong reaction to bitterness.)

    Santa also brought the Ms. a fire pit, so we can hopefully do some outdoor socializing before spring.

    Other than that, I was glad to not get too much else, because while I love getting presents, I don’t really want any more stuff. I’m still trying to figure out a good solution for that.

  64. 64.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    My spouse gave me a 3 hour class ( virtual at your own pace) on owls from the Cornell Ornithology Lab, a vampire shaped kitchen gadget for mincing  garlic (it says you don’t have to peel it!) and a set of Bose noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones.  I dislike ear buds as well as most headphones, but these give my ears enough distance from my music while cutting out the outside noise.  I gave him Abominable Snowman pjs among other items.

  70. 70.

    Redshift

    @evodevo: Mockingbirds absolutely do sing all night, but only during mating season. We had one outside our bedroom window one year, luckily they’ve been further away the rest of the time.

  71. 71.

    Jay

    Because 2019 and 2020 have been tough years for us, and 2021 is going to be another hard year for many in our communities, T and I gave everybody on our gift list, recurring monthly donations in their name to local Food Banks and other Community Support organizations.

    That’s also what we gave each other, that and. King Crab dinner.

  73. 73.

    Another Scott

    @geg6: Depends where in Virginia, also too.  Weird weather patterns often seem to break over I-95 – east will get rain/ice while west will get snow.

    And the NoVA megalopolis can have horrible traffic – at least in the Before Times.  We’ve been fortunate enough to live 20 minutes from work.  I don’t know how people who have to live an hour+ away to be able to afford their rent can do it.

    :-(

    But the area has a lot to offer, also too.  That’s obviously why people want to live here.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  74. 74.

    trollhattan

    @evodevo:

    Our northern mockingbirds (in California) will yell through the night during a certain part of summer. I don’t know whether it’s nesting season or before, when the boys are  looking for a mate, but it can make it difficult to keep the windows open.

    Many years ago we had one who would mimic a car alarm.

  75. 75.

    Yutsano

    @Roger Moore:

    Obviously, you should get Money For Nothing by Balloon-Juice’s very own Tom Levenson.

    My present to me father. Which I will be “borrowing” as soon as he has finished it.

    @West of the Rockies: Heh. English grammarians could never forgive English for its brutal Germanic roots for not being elegant French. But ending a sentence with a preposition is common in Germanic languages.

  76. 76.

    Mike J

    I got a cool new watch that is supposed to help me with sailboat racing starts. In trying to figure out how to use it, I’ve determined that you really need to be out on the boat to apply it all, and when I’m on the boat I have too much other stuff to do to learn new tech.

    I’m sure I’ll learn it, but I’m going to need to take something easy like the J/80 out and not try to learn on the Etchells, which is a stupidly complicated boat on its own (which is one of the reasons I lurve it.)

  80. 80.

    debbie

    @Redshift:

    I’ll probably miss the post where you ask for recommendations, so I’ll tell you now: Eight O’Clock Coffee. Strong, not knock-you-down strong, but never bitter.

  81. 81.

    Immanentize

    The Immp got me a nice pre-amp for the vintage turntable I recently finished getting back in order.  And a record.  A friend gave me the Lego Elf house which has great beds that dump out sleeping elves to get back to work!  And I got some Godiva truffles.  And I got myself a 13″ Japanese knife because of long sushi fish (or because it is such a beautiful tool?)

  82. 82.

    different-church-lady

    I got a promissory note for an end to the FUCKING PANDEMIC, and lots of work bookings for January. And on Christmas morning news that instead of disassembling and reassembling the spine of a good friend like they thought the were going to need to, they can instead treat his staph infection by pounding him with antibiotics at home. So I think Flying Spaghetti Santa was pretty good to me, considering.

  84. 84.

    geg6

    @Another Scott:

    I know Williamsburg and Norfolk best, but have spent time everywhere in the state.  We spent summer vacations every other summer with our cousins who lived in Williamsburg.  Their dad was a historian for the Navy, so we spent a lot of time in Norfolk, too.  Also had a friend who lived in the mountains in Stuart, VA. As a 20 yo, my friends and I used to spend vacations in Virginia Beach.  Also had a good friend who lived in Arlington who I would go to visit for long weekends, which we’d spend exploring everywhere in DC.  Love me some Virginia.  Maryland is also great.  Spent lots of time in Baltimore, Annapolis and Ocean City.  Oh, and can’t forget Deep Creek Lake!

  86. 86.

    sixthdoctor

    Received Cyberpunk 2077, and within five minutes I managed to die by falling off a tower because despite playing video games for almost forty years I STILL suck at them. Enjoying it so far though, even though (or because) I’ve spent half my playing time going through all the crafting menus…

  87. 87.

    There go two miscreants

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I got a rock.

    Well, no wonder — you’re still back on Halloween!

     

    ETA: I got a surprise gift of 6 bottles of wine from a friend. Still expecting something from my grandkids though (I sent their stuff late too!)

  89. 89.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Got a Nintendo Switch, which are hard to get right now, a UV light sanitizer, a hands free cell phone holder, a water-proof bluetooth speaker, bluetooth headphones, some jeans, shoes, a new watch, a belt, shoes, and pillows

    All in all, I had a pretty good Christmas : )

  91. 91.

    J R in WV

    We didn’t do anything special really. Ate and drank well. Earlier in 2020 I ordered Wife a new larger laptop, which took a while to get where we needed it to be. Now it’s her full time machine. 17″ screen, which works until her cataract surgery come February. Same model as she’s been using, just a size larger with both hinges fully functional. Never been drenched with wine or coffee, yet.

    Then last night I dumped half a glass of sparkling wine onto my laptop keyboard. Dry wine has less sugar to make things sticky, so it seems fine today. My first computer fluid dump error in a long career using and working with computers. All System 76 (built in Denver CO) machines running Ubuntu, pre-installed.

    I got tired of laptops with hardware that have no open source drivers…

  92. 92.

    mrmoshpotato

    @evodevo:

    I think you mean whippoorwills…mockingbirds don’t sing after dark…and YES whippoorwills CAN drive you crazy.

    I think you mean the whippoor WILL drive you crazy.

    I’ll see myself out.

  96. 96.

    Comrade Colette

    I got a self-massage hammer AND a neck massage gadget, both of which are wonderful, a sparkly striped sweater, and new whisks to replace the decades-old ones that are rusting to pieces.

    Today is my 60th birthday. My parents are stopping by with a German chocolate cake in a little while, but I don’t think I’m getting any more gifts today. Monsieur Colette turned 60 earlier this year and we both decided we’re just going to ignore/postpone any birthdays that happen during a pandemic.

    @Betty: one has to be careful with the buttons or one can accidentally squirt water all over one’s boobs.

    Keep working at it. After 50+ years of practice, I can now do that with practically any water source, no fancy toothbrush needed.

  101. 101.

    frosty

    @Spanky: @Doc Sardonic: @geg6: @zhena gogolia: I’m going to second Spanky’s advice. Maryland is very nice, I lived there for 25 years before moving back to PA where I grew up (dammit!). If you’re trying to avoid Florida heat and humidity, stick with the Piedmont, not the Coastal Plain. You can get away with A/C for just a few weeks in late summer, otherwise the weather is pretty nice.

    As far as Virginia, we have several friends who retired in Harrisonburg. A nice small town, with a college and wineries nearby. We gave it some thought but didn’t want to be that far from our grown kids.

     

    @Spanky:

  103. 103.

    PaulWartenberg

    @West of the Rockies:

    Well the previous car was a 2007 Mitsubishi that had gotten up to 130,000 miles, and dad is one who insists on getting a replacement at 100,000, and on my librarian salary it’s a bit tricky to do on my own (I tried it back in 2002 with a relatively cheap PT Cruiser which weak engine aside was a really nice car, it was something I tried paying off with a manageable loan at $166 per month and even then my parents freaked about it). Since I commute a lot to work, we looked at fuel efficiency which narrowed it to hybrids, and the Escape has a decent reputation, and so far I’ve had it for almost the whole month and I’ve only gassed up ONCE and I’m sitting here wondering why they don’t make EVERY car a hybrid because DAMN this runs so well and I don’t have to gas it every week anymore.

  104. 104.

    Redshift

    @Comrade Colette: For some reason I’m reminded of when my brother and I were staying together earlier this year. He was pretty amused by the contrast between our toothbrushes. His is an electric toothbrush with some fancy stuff, and mine is bamboo, practically just a stick with bristles. (Can’t remember what the bristles are, but it’s all biodegradable.)

  106. 106.

    randy khan

    My wife and I got each other a tea bowl by one of our favorite ceramic artists, Ani Kasten.  We’ve been buying her things for a long time, and the tea bowls are pretty reasonable by the standards of artists who are as good as she is.  And, miracle of miracles, it arrived before Christmas, [s]even though it was shipped on December 8.[/s]

  107. 107.

    PaulWartenberg

    @frosty: I spent a few years in Virginia Beach VA. Very scenic, the mid-Atlantic coastline. If someone is looking for places to retire that’s not Florida, I should note that most Floridians I know who retire have gone back up towards North Carolina. It’s not as far north (and expensive) as New York/Illinois, and it’s not as emotionally draining as South Carolina.

  109. 109.

    BC in Illinois

    Christmas Day I got the gifts that complete an earlier gift.

    Mrs. BC has taken up the ukulele. (She is a life-long trumpeter.) She practices, plays and sings, and listens to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. (Available on the Ukulele World Service. See Youtube.) She has wanted me to play along, which is natural, because I have played guitar and piano since the Eisenhower administration. So she got me a *U-Bass* this fall. It is tuned like a bass guitar –EADG– but the strings have the consistency, feel, and sound of large rubber bands. We have played together, but it hasn’t been a hit.

    Christmas, as we get together with one family at a time, here in St Louis (and Zoom with the Iowa and N Carolina families), I mentioned the need for a small, *really small* amp. And from two sources, I have received (on loan) a really small amp, and a cord to hook it up  to the guitar. Sitting around, in two separate places, unused.

    It turns out that among these two daughters and two sons-in-law, three of them have dabbled with playing (or wanting to play) bass guitar. I have achieved the dream of all of them. Sort of. I’m okay on the simple stuff. If, by next Christmas, I am regaling the assembled BC family with the greatest hits of John Entwhistle and Jack Bruce, then there may need to be an intervention.

  113. 113.

    Suzanne

    @geg6:

    Snow storms and arctic cold were the reality here in Western PA. 

    It wasn’t that cold in PGH…. got down briefly into the teens but NBD. Took Spawn the Younger sledding today and it is waaaaaarm.
    I got a nice roasting pan from Williams Sonoma. Then I made Christmas dinner in it.

  116. 116.

    Suzanne

    My favorite present was a new President. I hear it will be delivered in about a month. Delays at the USPS, I understand.

  118. 118.

    Geminid

    @Another Scott: Roanoke is a nice city with a temperate climate. Floyd County to the south of Roanoke is good if one likes country life. And Augusta County, west of the Blue Ridge from Charlottesville, has good places to live.

  121. 121.

    opiejeanne

    @evodevo: Mockingbirds DO sing after dark, at least in SoCal they do. I would fall asleep trying to figure out what they were imitating.

    I did identify most of their “songs” but the one that surprised me the most was the sound a neighbor’s garage door made when it opened or closed.

  122. 122.

    frosty

    @BC in Illinois: Heh. I have also dabbled with wanting to play bass, to the point where I bought one  (Epiphone Rivoli hollow body) and an amp to go with it (Peavey Basic 50) and several books. The dabbling urge comes about because when you’re a guitar player and you look around for people to jam with, all you see are other guitar players.

  124. 124.

    mali muso

    I too got the waterpik thingie for Xmas and am trying to get the hang of not spraying water all over the bathroom while making use of it. My teeth and gums definitely do feel cleaner, and given that I have skipped my bi-annual cleaning(s) for the whole of 2020 due to COVID, it seems like a good investment.

  129. 129.

    Redshift

    @opiejeanne:

    Mockingbirds DO sing after dark, at least in SoCal they do. 

    East Coast, too.

    I’m not sure what’s happened to our mockingbirds. We used to have lots of them, including ones nesting in our yard and feasting on holly berries. They’re still around, but not as many, and most of the holly berries are going uneaten. I’m hoping it’s just a boom-and-bust population cycle. I haven’t heard about anything particularly afflicting them.

  130. 130.

    Ruckus

    Betty, I have a WaterPic and think it’s the greatest gadget on the planet. Except that my dentist says still floss because you have to get under the gums on the sides of the teeth to clean them out, that’s where the stuff goes and the WaterPic can’t get in there and clean that area out. It’s where periodontal disease starts and builds, according to my dentist. The WaterPic is very helpful, a great tool, but only one of the three you need. They are floss, WaterPic and a toothbrush.

    My grandparents had only one of these tools and gramps had false teeth, as did many of his generation. Easy to clean but a pain to have to deal with. The percentage of people with false teeth has fallen dramatically over the last few decades, because the tools to keep our teeth healthier are readily available. I say use them all, done properly they work and allow you to keep your teeth.

  132. 132.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I got a new PC at the beginning of December for my Xmas present.  It started having Ethernet connection problems that wouldn’t resolve with changing energy saving features, etc.  Then the Ethernet controller disappeared from the device list…then showed the hardware was disconnected. Did a system restore back to 12/10.  Controller still missing. Plugged Ethernet adapter into a different USB port.  Controller was recognized and working followed by a big crash.  Now…can’t boot, can’t repair, can’t restore, can’t reset. If I can’t reset, I can’t return as it has tons of personal data. An expensive brick for now. Hope to have a call with Costco and LG tomorrow. 

  133. 133.

    Comrade Colette

    @Redshift:

    I’m not sure what’s happened to our mockingbirds. We used to have lots of them, including ones nesting in our yard and feasting on holly berries.

    Oh, they’re fine. They’re here, nesting in my yard and eating my holly berries and making an unholy racket and taunting my cats. We live near a busy freeway that leads to the public hospital and one of them now includes a siren in his song.

  135. 135.

    Richard

    I got a beautiful warm alpaca poncho and gloves. And my neighbor who i had a dispute with a couple years ago gave me a nice set of artists pens and a plate of cookies from our best local baker. And the landlord gave me a bag of mandarin oranges. No complaints.

  136. 136.

    opiejeanne

    @zhena gogolia: We don’t know, and the sheriff’s dept fire inspector didn’t know. Another inspector is coming tomorrow, but there’s so little left that finding the starting point of the fire seems impossible. We had a small space heater set up away from the benches or anything else that might be fuel for a fire, and it was hooked to a rheostat, set to come on at 35F and off at 45f. Both had “fail-safes” built in, so they had to both fail at the same time.

    It was a 10×12 with 6mm double-walled polycarbonate panels, and we had beefed it up with an interior wooden skeleton because of the windstorms we get here, and polycarbonate burns like mad. So much of the items inside just evaporated in the incredibly hot fire.

    We lost all of our garden tools and gardening equipment. Shovels, spades, hoes, rakes, loppers, secateurs, crop covers for the raised beds, potting materials, pots, a few plants, all gone in about 90 minutes. The fire would have burned longer, but the fire department showed up and put it out, with a bit of difficulty.

    Photos here, at the bottom of the page:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowwhite/albums/72157714036513623

    These are photos that show the greenhouse. https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowwhite/albums/72157717539602707

  142. 142.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Major Major Major Major:

    There’a a free download of Mario Kart, so I might play that. Since it also comes with a 3 month online membership, I also plan to play classic NES stuff that’s emulated. I used to play games on the old NES my dad owned when I was a kid

  147. 147.

    Suzanne

    @Ruckus: One of the weird aspects of coronavirus for me has been needing to find a new flossing habit. I used to floss in the car while stuck in traffic with the little flowers (yes, I know, wasteful, but so much more pleasant). Now that I’m working from home most days and not commuting, I haven’t been good about it.

  148. 148.

    mali muso

    @Major Major Major Major: if you can believe it, I have actually been on a THRICE a year schedule due to not-great gums, so not fake news for moi!  Hoping not to be like my grandparents who each had a full set of false teeth and used to enjoy scaring the grandkids by popping them out at opportune moments.

  149. 149.

    cain

    @satby:

    I watched the video for that thing and it seemed just like something out of the 80s infomercial..  Love it. It does seem useful, I think my parents would like that.

  150. 150.

    germy

    What is the deal with this person? Why is she doing this?

    This thread about Alec Baldwin’s wife and the brand she’s built:

    You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin’s commitment to her decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person

    — elena ilana alana alina elana (not) (@lenibriscoe) December 21, 2020

  151. 151.

    cain

    @Capri:

    I love the one I got.. got one for my parents too. It’s very useful when I need to get water at a certain temperature for proofing or something.

  155. 155.

    cain

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Ugh – sorry to hear that. If you have an email address, happy to send you an amazon gift card! Watergirl knows my email address.

    I hope that once Biden comes in charge that we can do something about the wreck we have found ourselves in.

  158. 158.

    Ruckus

    @Immanentize:

    They are fun. They of course didn’t warn me so my response to the first, lower limb test was graphic – and loud. But that’s how they know the signal gets to the brain, the brain responds with the first profane response that comes to mind. The attending didn’t bat an eyelash while the resident was stunned. The upper body test response was not produced with quite the same fervor. Still got my attention.

  162. 162.

    cain

    @J R in WV: Then last night I dumped half a glass of sparkling wine onto my laptop keyboard. Dry wine has less sugar to make things sticky, so it seems fine today. My first computer fluid dump error in a long career using and working with computers. All System 76 (built in Denver CO) machines running Ubuntu, pre-installed.

    System76?!! Ya know I used to work for them when I was in Denver. Interesting to see a customer on here. Are you using Pop!_OS – the underlying tech – GNOME is the project I’ve been working on for 23 years.

    ETA – cat spilled wine on my Dell laptop – and it never recovered :( That was back in 2001 or something. I got many laptops all of them running Fedora Linux.

  163. 163.

    Another Scott

    @Sure Lurkalot: That’s rough.

    There are lots of free Linux tools with “ddrescue” that can get your readable data off the Windows drive even if Windows won’t boot.  There are even bootable USB utilities with it.

    Do you have access to another working PC?

    Look around at things like this: https://www.system-rescue.org/

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  165. 165.

    trollhattan

    The dog got three gifts: stuffed skunk with a supposedly not-hearable-by-humans squeaker*, a throwy toy and a food puzzle toy. The first lived less than an hour, the second has been ignored and the third is a gen-you-wine hit: West Paw Rumbl.

    *”Do you think they’re pulling one over on us?” I asked the spouse.

  166. 166.

    Ruckus

    @Suzanne:

    It’s like every other habit that is good for you but not, well, sexually pleasurable. You have to do it often enough that it actually becomes a habit. I find doing it regularly at the same time helps. Now if I ever figure out how to do that…. being habitual about forming a habit, sounds like an oxymoron.

  169. 169.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @zhena gogolia:  This was a gift to myself but very much needed after such a nightmare of a year. My wife also got me some Norwegian wool slippers (so I don’t get another bout of chilblains), a collapsible steamer rack and a Japanese donabe (rice cooker) which we will try out tonight

    Added: I also just discovered a Google Photos act I set up but forgot about that has some great pix of Junebugs in it.  A very nice Holiday surprise!

  171. 171.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Suzanne:

    I almost don’t remember what it was like to not wake up every day and be afraid.

    Same here! Which strangely reminds me that I need to buy a bottle of champagne for the 20th next time I have to venture out to the store.

  172. 172.

    Patricia Kayden

    Truth.

    Everyone’s heard the saying “like rats deserting a sinking ship.” But that’s not what’s happening now with the GOP and Fox News. It’s more like rats STAYING ON the ship and telling us they’re not really rats at all.— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) December 27, 2020

  175. 175.

    Ruckus

    @trollhattan:

    They must not be making enough money off of it. So there are 2 solutions. Make it better or kill it. It’s adobe so which do you suspect they might choose? Yeah me too, I’m going with kill, it seems to suit their style. Hey in 9-12 months they will come out with a different product, that doesn’t work as well, costs more and they will also treat it like oxygen, making it a part of every thing else so you have no choice but to use it. And pay them to do so.

  176. 176.

    There are those who call me...tim... (Still posh)

    Told all there was naught I wanted or needed, so the usual quality fruit, snacks and baked goods from here and there, plus a very groovy Johnny Cash tee, which I can’t wait for the first warm day to wear. Thank you, She Who Is My Wife.

  177. 177.

    patrick Il

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Was it a smart one? I got one of those when I was a kid  but couldn’t teach it any tricks.

    And for you younger ones, one year a clever enterpreneur put a rock in a box, called it smart, and sold millions.  I think presently  he is selling tickets to Trump’s inauguration

  178. 178.

    Anotherlurker

    @rikyrah: I tried to send pictures, with instructions on the email address of Water Girl. I thought I did it properly, but all I got was 2 days of notifications that it was undeliverable.

    Oh well.  I’ll keep trying.

  179. 179.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Another Scott: Unfortunately , though I prepared a recovery USB very shortly after I bought the brick, it won’t boot from it either. It is very determined to thwart every remedy I know.

    Sincere thanks for suggestions but at this point, I want to get my data off of it, return it and get my money back.

    But reading about Opiejeanne’s greenhouse…now that’s heartbreaking.

  180. 180.

    Josie

    @opiejeanne:

    You reminded me of the mockingbirds near the house where the boys grew up.  I had an aviary outside with cockatiels, one of whom I taught Steve Martin’s line, “Get that cat outta here!”  The other cockatiels never picked it up, but some of the mockingbirds did.

  181. 181.

    Yarrow

    Wow, hearing about all of your lovely gifts is making me…I guess sad is maybe the right word. You are all fortunate to have people in your life who care enough about you to give you such nice gifts.

  186. 186.

    Yutsano

    @trollhattan:

    Lord help us if they decide to kill Acrobat.

    Will never happen. The federal government pays way too much for us to use it. Inasmuch as it drives me nuts using it half the time.

  188. 188.

    Nelle

    Best gift?  Six bottles of New Zealand wine.  I love the wine, but I love the fact that it is from a friend I made and that I’ve kept for 64 years.  We became friends in Kindergarten.

  189. 189.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Suzanne: I’m not celebrating New Year’s. (I usually don’t.  “Oh.  It’s 12:30.  Ok.”)

    January 20, 2021 12PM Eastern is New Year’s this year.

  195. 195.

    WhatsMyNym

    @zhena gogolia: 

    So what are we supposed to do to replace Flash?

    HTML5. This is old news and folks have had over 2 years warning.

    ETA:  Lifehacker said this 2 years ago – So if Flash is about to be abandoned by Adobe, is a security nightmare, and has been largely ignored by the majority of web developers for years now, you might as well stop using it, too.

  196. 196.

    Jay

    @patrick Il:

    started off as the “Pet Rock”, which you could teach tricks to, like “play dead”, or “roll over”.

    these days it would have to come with a graphics card and be bluetooth enabled.

  197. 197.

    WaterGirl

    @Sure Lurkalot: Someone may have already said this, but they should be able to let you keep the hard drive, even if you have to pay a small amount to do it.

    They do that all the time for universities where there are privacy issues, and data.

    edit: By “they”, I mean companies like Dell and others who sell to universities and corporations.  I have no idea about Costco.

  200. 200.

    zhena gogolia

    @WhatsMyNym:

    If I’m not a web developer I don’t have to do anything, right? YouTube has already been using this new thing and I don’t have any problems with it.

  201. 201.

    opiejeanne

    @Sure Lurkalot: I would be just as broken up if my computer did what yours did; I have the scars on my soul from computers deciding to become bricks.

    TThe problem is that I’m 70, my husband is 73, and we get tired a lot faster than we used to. Rebuilding will be tough, even with the help offered by family members.  The greenhouse is covered by our homeowners insurance, with a $1k deductible, and cleanup/salvage is covered. The cleanup crew is bringing an inspector tomorrow and they will help us find anything salvageable. We can’t tell if the metal parts of the shovels and other tools are reclaimable, but it’s too dangerous to dig them out until the frame comes down. A garden bench that was inside seems ok.

    Meanwhile I’m looking for receipts for the things we’ve added this past year, and there were quite a few things that there is not even a trace of left in the debris. Things just evaporated.

  205. 205.

    WhatsMyNym

    @zhena gogolia:   You’ve already been using HTML5.   Most browsers partially block Flash or have removed it already.  It’s that much of a security risk.  MS will remove it completely from Windows  very soon.

    ETA:

    Microsoft will end support for Adobe Flash Player on December 31, 2020, along with Adobe and their other industry partners. This means that starting January 2021, customers will no longer receive security updates for support for Adobe Flash Player. Microsoft will also take steps to remove Flash from the Windows operating system. More information can be found here.

    Here’s what you can expect for each Microsoft browser:

    Flash is currently disabled by default in the new Microsoft Edge. However, users may re-enable it on a site-by-site basis through December of 2020.

    In January 2021, Flash will be fully removed from the new Microsoft Edge. The schedule of changes is available here.

    Flash will not be disabled by default from the legacy version of Microsoft Edge (built on EdgeHTML) or Internet Explorer 11 prior to its removal in December of 2020.

     
    ETA 2: Safari 14 purges it on macOS.

  208. 208.

    Zelma

    I asked for pajamas and a Kindle cover. I got four pair so I have enough to last the rest of my life. My Trumpy son-in-law sent me a My Pillow. I would have been pissed except we won and they didn’t. I also got The Splendid and the Vile. I’m at the point in my life when the last thing I want is more stuff so I am quite content with my Christmas – except it was really weird opening my gifts all by myself.

  210. 210.

    bjacques

    Got notice of my Christmas prezzy Nov 3, delivery date Jan 20 (Suzanne got there first, ages ago). Me and the missus are content.

  211. 211.

    Comrade Colette

    @WaterGirl: Same, although it was more of an occasional treat. A friend with a bad back and plenty of money and time on his hands ordered a huge selection of massage devices from Amazon, tried them all, and kept only the ones that worked well, so he told Monsieur Colette what to buy.

  213. 213.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    I got a good start to my new physical library – my Forever President’s A Promised Land and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Brothers In Arms – The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes.

    Was able to catch up with the kids, grands and great-grands – the youngest of whom is learning Spanish @>2 years old. In the midst of all the madness, life continues to amaze.

    Looking forward to 1/20 and the official end of America: Age of Moron. Hope the mid- and end-credits scenes are decent…

  214. 214.

    No name

    @Yarrow: I’m so sorry.  I seem to remember you have had a rough few years so it must be even more disheartening.  I do hope the new year treats you kindly.

  215. 215.

    Origuy

    @mrmoshpotato: Have you tried nakedwines.com? They have a growing selection of wine, including several sparkling wines. I have to put in a plug for my housemate’s cousin, who has his own label of sparking wines. He has worked for several Napa and Sonoma County wineries. His name is Rob McNeill; Naked Wines has four selections. We have some on order.

  216. 216.

    Ivan X

    @trollhattan: 

    Flash has been on its way to the grave since the fateful day a decade or so ago that Steve Jobs wrote an infamous 1,700 word public screed on Apple’s web site enumerating, in exacting and well reasoned detail, why Flash would never be allowed to run on an iPhone or iPad. (This was in response to Adobe’s public complaint at Apple’s prohibition to date.)

    Since then, as iPhones gained in popularity, web developers have transitioned away from Flash based web sites, rather than having to maintain an unrelated desktop version and mobile version of their sites.

    At this point, a tiny minority of the web still uses Flash, and certainly no new site being developed in it, so it is hardly in Adobe’s interest to keep Flash going, even apart from the much mentioned Swiss cheese security problems. (This is entirely different than Acrobat/PDF, which is widely used on every platform and which makes money for Adobe.)

    If, at this point, there are still web sites out there that depend on Flash, well, that’s on the web developer. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck for you if you still need a site that hasn’t gotten with the program, but such is the nature of technology — it changes. Java based web sites no longer exist, either.

    I haven’t run Flash for two years and can’t think of one place I’ve needed it in that time. Even lollygaggers like MLB and MSNBC have ditched it. I’m guessing that you’re less dependent on it than you think.

  217. 217.

    Origuy

    The only Flash I’ve seen recently has been on the Santa Clara County’s COVID website. You have to explicitly enable it on Chrome. I hope they have someone working to redo the tables and charts in HTML5. It would be a bad time for it to stop working.

  222. 222.

    Jacqueline Squid Onassis

    @Ivan X: It was a brutal recovery for a few weeks because of the abdominal portion of the surgery (DIEP Flap – a really cool concept) but I can see I’m going to be very happy with the results.

  223. 223.

    Ruckus

    @Yarrow:

    I wrote a long screed about this but it turned out inappropriate. OK maybe started that way as well. Sorry about you not having any gifts either. We get used to xmas being that time. It’s been a shitty year on so many fronts. Stay safe, stay sane.

  225. 225.

    Zelma

    @zhena gogolia:

    It’s still in the box.  I may give it to the thrift store.

    My son-in-law has a weird sense of humor.  Now, if my daughter had sent it, I would have attributed it to malice.

  227. 227.

    Ruckus

    @zhena gogolia:

    Thanks! It’s OK, I’m used to this now, being the last of the family. Hell I was born last so it’s been over 71 yrs of being last. I was engaged 20 yrs ago, and very, very glad that didn’t go any farther. One just has to look for the good, because it’s there, even if sometimes we have to hunt for it with a microscope. Especially during a year when you can’t get out and search.

  229. 229.

    StringOnAStick

    @Ruckus: What he said.  And I’d say that less than half the patients I treated as a dental hygienist can get away with just one cleaning a year and the people with periodontal disease need at least 4x per year if they really want to keep their teeth.  I just saw a bit of research that having uncontrolled perio disease is definitely a risk factor for bad Covid outcomes, most likely because it increases your level of systemic inflammation.  That systemic inflammation issue is why diabetes is a risk factor as well.

  230. 230.

    Ruckus

    @StringOnAStick:

    Dentist is a she. A very good she. I’ve had a number of dentists over the years, my first as a child was a sadistic bastard. Enlisted dental tech in boot camp was one of the best. Actual dentist in my last week at boot camp was decidedly not. And so it goes. The world does not want me to run across that one from the last week of boot camp. It decidedly does not. The law would likely frown on it as well.

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