Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

This fight is for everything.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

When we show up, we win.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

So very ready.

He really is that stupid.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

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Archives for 2020

Squishable temporary morning open thread

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Y’all. I think this is a real thing that happened:

What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen? Me: “The Man Who Loved Women,” starring Burt Reynolds. I was a fucking CHILD, and I walked out of the theater because it was so bad.

I also hate the sports drama movie “Rudy” and ridicule my husband for liking it. But now I know it’s not even the worst movie called “Rudy.”

Open thread!

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On The Road – J R in WV – Tucson Desert Garden photos

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J R in WV

When I saw the several beautiful garden posts, I realized that I had taken photos of “gardens” in Tucson, when I stayed at one of my favorite hotels there, Lodge on the Desert. This hotel was built way out on the desert floor, far from old Tucson, back in the 1920s or ’30s. Since then it has been enlarged, and the city of Tucson has greatly expanded past the Lodge.

Our tiny ranch in AZ is more than 2 hours SE of Tucson, so when we have business or pleasure in the city, we try to stay at the Lodge, which is very comfortable, and not expensive for the area. The plantings are full of local foliage and the buildings are very in character for the South West desert country — very thick masonry walls, very silent inside perhaps excepting overflights from the local USAF base right in town.

 

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On The Road - J R in WV - Tucson Desert Garden photos 6
Lodge on the Desert room interiorFebruary 10, 2019

This is a really nice room at the Lodge on the Desert. The fireplace is so traditional, as is the furniture and feel. I thought it might help some folks relax, as I always do staying there.

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Nov. 23-24

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show full post on front page

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Florida Man Does Something Good!

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Florida Man saves his puppy from a gator!

Don’t even think about messing with this Florida man’s puppy.

Richard Wilbanks, 74, acted swiftly when his 3-month-old pup Gunner was snatched by an alligator in the backyard pond of his home in Estero, near South Florida’s Gulf Coast.

In a stunning video, Wilbanks wrestles the young gator in waist-deep water, bringing it above the surface and prying open its jaws to release the King Charles Cavalier spaniel.

“We were just out walking by the pond,” Wilbanks told CNN, “and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick.”

Acting on adrenaline or instinct, Wilbanks said he just “automatically jumped into the water.”

He said he sustained some injuries to his hands and went to the doctor for a tetanus shot to be safe.

Gunner had one small puncture wound to his belly, but is doing fine after a trip to the vet, Wilbanks said.

Wilbanks told WINK News that he understands this is the alligator’s home and does not want it removed from the pond. He urged other pet owners to keep their animals away from the water’s edge.

The dramatic encounter was caught on camera thanks to a partnership between the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fSTOP Foundation as part of a campaign called “Sharing the Landscape.” Its mission is to help the community understand and appreciate the wildlife they live near and help reduce conflicts.

Meredith Budd, the regional policy director of the Florida Wildlife Federation, said the cameras typically capture videos of deer or bobcats. It’s not often they catch something like what Wilbanks and Gunner went through.

“We live on a shared landscape,” Budd said. “We don’t just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape.”

Louise Wilbanks, Richard’s wife, told WINK the incident has given them a new appreciation for the wildlife near their homes.

“We do need to be aware they are wild animals. They’re not here for our benefit. We’re very lucky to share this space with them,” she said.

Here’s a bit more video with some reporting:

As a native Floridian who grew up on a salt water canal that fed into Tampa Bay, but has also lived in areas of the state with lakes, retention ponds, and cypress swamp and scrub just outside my doors – front and back – one of the things you learn is that gators can be anywhere. And that they’re fast, very, very fast. When I’m out with the dogs near water, even if it is just low lying scrub that has filled up because of rain to form a pond, I keep eyes on the water and my ears focused on any movement in it and along its edges. Day or night!

And Gunner is a very good and very lucky boy!

Open thread!

 

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On The Road – way2blue – Salzburg In November, Fall Color

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way2blue

I was in Salzburg for a couple weeks in late 2010, visiting friends who live near the airport. They loaned me their mother’s bicycle to get around. I mostly rode along the path by the stream,

  • Glanbach

, on the back side of the airport or through the tunnel into

  • Altstadt

. Sometimes I would park the bike at the base of the ridge,

  • Mönchsberg

, which frames the southwest side of

  • Altstadt

, climb to the top for the view and to visit the modern art museum. Short cool days, cold nights with remarkably clear weather.

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On The Road - way2blue - Salzburg In November, Fall Color 7
FESTUNG HOHENSALZBURG

Autumn view of the fortress which overlooks Salzburg from its south side.

The Twelve Days of Treason – by SiubhanDuinne

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What better way could there be to celebrate the beginning of the transition to President Biden than a delightful song?

The Twelve Days of Treason – by SiubhanDuinne

We bring you the Twelve Days of Treason, written by SiubhanDuinne, of course!

On the First day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
A drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Second day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Third day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Fourth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Fifth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Sixth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Seventh day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Eighth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Eight million voters,
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Ninth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Nine misspelled twitters,
Eight million voters,
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Tenth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Ten pending lawsuits,
Nine misspelled twitters,
Eight million voters,
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Eleventh day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Eleven MAGA rallies,
Ten pending lawsuits,
Nine misspelled twitters,
Eight million voters,
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

On the Twelfth day of Treason
The Trumpers gave to me:
Twelve Sharpies signing,
Eleven MAGA rallies,
Ten pending lawsuits,
Nine misspelled twitters,
Eight million voters,
Seven fake reporters,
Six Steve Mnuchins,
Five grifting kids,
Four Seasons sod,
Three wedding vows,
Two tiny hands,
And a drunk Rudy Giuliani.

? Song requested by MomSense, and as always, SD delivers.

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