Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Consistently wrong since 2002

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

It’s not hopeless, and we’re not helpless.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

The current Supreme Court is a rogue court. Very dangerous.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Saturday Night Open Thread

Saturday Night Open Thread

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Last night I felt the temps dropping early and it started to rain, and I said to myself “it’s going to snow,” so I promptly pulled a pork shoulder out to defrost. It did in fact snow, and I spent a nice day napping, reading, playing video games, and cleaning, and paid ZERO attention to the news as the smells of delicious pork and sauerkraut wafted through the air and slow but steadily made my ANIMALS MENTAL. By the time it was mostly done they were all in the kitchen getting underfoot and I shooed them all out. Except Lily, who was allowed to come back in because in this benevolent dictatorship I’m the dictator and I make the damned rules.

It was delicious, btw. I made some mashed potatoes, too, and had a simple dinner of just the three of them. For dessert I had not one but two Asian pears, and they were most excellent even though it is the dead of winter.

That was a wonderful thing you all did today, btw. Thank you so much for helping her out and providing a way for her to keep her loved ones. I feel so lucky to be associated with you fuckers. I will never forget what you did for me and Lily.

Oh, last call for the reader submissions on what you are looking forward to both personally and legislatively in the new administration. Get those in because I would like to have them as part of the BJ inaugural festivities.

I’m off to shadowlands.

Reader Interactions

56Comments

  2. 2.

    Lapassionara

    I don’t know about you guys, but I am really grateful for our Blog Father, and the Front Pagers, and the Regular Commenters.

  3. 3.

    Fair Economist

    My rabbit goes mental at the smell of roses. I’m afraid to have them in the house. I’d feed him some but I suspect they’re loaded with pesticides not intended for mammalian consumption.

  4. 4.

    seefleur

    Dear Mr. Cole,

    As a long-time lurker and sometime commenter, I have to post this: You sir, are a mensch. Period. Even though you probably don’t want to be titled as that. Tough shit, you ARE.  Without this site and a couple of others, I would have committed Hari Kari  years ago. My spouse is intensely jealous of the fact that I head to your blogsite religiously (and as an atheist, that’s kinda amazing) because he says that I pay more attention to this blog than I do to him. Yeah, whatever, if only he were as amusing/amazing as the posters here… meantime, THANK YOU for keeping me out of the local headlines – “Local Woman Goes BONKERS due to dealing with ASSHOLES in the neighborhood with tRump flags”. Not a good look for someone with working ties to law enforcement… Just sayin”…

  8. 8.

    Fair Economist

    @Comrade Colette: I got some dried rose petals which are supposed to be safe for human consumption and he loves them. But he doesn’t go mental for them, which I can understand because the fragrance for live roses (the ones with scents, anyway) is much more enticing than for the dried petals, which just smell nice.

  10. 10.

    something fabulous

    Hi All. Wanted to wait for an Open Thread (though of course all threads are open…) to share an update to my guest post on Thursday night about my beloveds, that you all so kindly responded to.

    Sweetest Baby Milo died peacefully in his sleep here at home at around 7pm last night, aged 17+-ish. Thoughtful and sensitive to the last: even saved me the hard decision of how/when/where to set up that final vet visit. Gigi and I are so grateful for all your support as we start out on our new normal. I will miss him forever. Thank you so much for the kind thoughts you shared: the best memorial to the very best boy.

  11. 11.

    Kent

    Completely random story that I overheard this evening while my wife FaceTimed her brother in Chile.

    My brother-in-law is an investment banker and VP for a giant French banking conglomerate in Santiago Chile.  He handles their Latin American investments so he has teams of investment bankers that he manages in all the big Latin American cities like Santiago, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Lima, etc. and he travels a lot.

    Last week he brought a young subordinate with him on a trip to a conference or meeting of some sort in Bogota.  They were explicitly warned by their local office to stay in their hotel and use the corporate drivers for transit back and forth to the convention center nearby due to the threat of kidnapping.  My brother-in-law is fussy and, of course, complied.  His young subordinate though, is something of a party guy and decided to sneak out to some big night club a block from the hotel.

    Of course he gets himself kidnapped for ransom outside the night club.  They hauled him to some nondescript apartment and held him while they negotiated with his company for the ransom.  Apparently all the big companies that operate in Colombia and Mexico have kidnapping insurance and all the gangs know it.  So they know exactly how much to ask and it is all just business.  He said the guys were super polite and apologetic and got him take-out and a beer while he waited.  Said they were guys that worked at a gas station mini-mart but did kidnappings as their side-gig for a local gang to cover the rent.  All very routine.  The whole experience took less than 6 hours.

    My brother-in-law was furious and the subordinate was reprimanded by the company for failing to follow precautions and costing them a bump in their insurance policy.  But the kid thinks he got a great drinking story out of the experience.

  12. 12.

    CaseyL

    @Kent:

    But the kid thinks he got a great drinking story out of the experience.

     

    He better dine out on it while he can, because my guess he won’t be picked to go to conferences anymore. Idiot!

    @something fabulous:   A good death, as much as death can be. I am so sorry.  What a lovely sweet boy he was.

  14. 14.

    Geoduck

    @Kent:  But did the kidnappers wear masks and practice proper social distancing? (Or course, the fact that the subordinate snuck out to the night club in the middle of a pandemic should be another black mark in his file..)

  16. 16.

    Zelma

    I know this isn’t a political thread but I wanted to give everyone a heads up that Ben Sasse has an article at Atlantic, “QAnon Is Destroying the Republican Party from Within.” It’s his pretty standard analysis of what’s wrong with society, but he does attack the conservative media and the Evangelicals. And Trump. Of course, he has to do his “both-siderism,” as if some random comments on MSNBC and CNN are the equivalent of what Fox, Newsmax et. al. are doing. It sounds like he is a “yes” for impeachment, but we shall see.

    I guess having just been elected for six years after cozying up to the Trumpists has given him cover.

  17. 17.

    Don K

    @NotMax:

    New Year’s dinner in my family, for good luck in the year (well, and a regular part of the diet, no matter when in the year it was).

    Yes, there is a lot of German in my background, why do yu ask?

  18. 18.

    Punchy

    I dont think you wanna be associted with me fucker.  Im a terrible fucker.  A better fucker there are many.  Im just an average fucker, whereby other fuckers fuck waaaay better than this fuck.

  22. 22.

    scav

    @Kent: The kid does rather exhibit the attitude toward risk that one would much not want in one’s personal investment banker (Why the hell not, it’s all other people’s money!).  But then, it’s not like he’s an aberration and without peers.

  23. 23.

    citizen dave (aka mad citizen)

    @Zelma: Thanks for this post.  The word that comes to me for Sasse is “useless”.    These people need to totally repudiate the crazies and say how their party will move and how it will improve and be a moral party.

  24. 24.

    Kattails

    @something fabulous: Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that, although the best possible way to head out over the rainbow bridge.  It was a lovely post and Im glad you shared it with us.  You shared a wonderful time together and will always remember that extra little spark in your life.

  25. 25.

    Punchy

    @Zelma: anyone at least 2 steps left of Trump (Sasse, Romney (!), Murkowski) might as well go indy.   The R party is about to become so stupid-reactionary that anyone not  wiling to golden-shower the former pres is going to be instantly labeled a RINO.

  26. 26.

    Kent

    @scav:@Kent: The kid does rather exhibit the attitude toward risk that one would much not want in one’s personal investment banker (Why the hell not, it’s all other people’s money!).  But then, it’s not like he’s an aberration and without peers.

    You would think. But I guess even in Latin America they still like to hire frat-boy type douches if they went to the right school and have the right last name.  I think from the company’s point of view, it’s not about *management* of money.  It’s about SALES and bringing in new clients.  And the douchey party types tend to be good at sales.

  29. 29.

    Kattails

    @Fair Economist: Deer.  Rosebuds.  Just when they’re getting ready to open; it must be like a candy store to them.  The first time it happened I was like wait–where? who?–until I saw the prints, and the fact that they were all neatly snipped off as though by scissors.

  30. 30.

    Kent

    @Zelma:

    I know this isn’t a political thread but I wanted to give everyone a heads up that Ben Sasse has an article at Atlantic, “QAnon Is Destroying the Republican Party from Within.” It’s his pretty standard analysis of what’s wrong with society, but he does attack the conservative media and the Evangelicals. And Trump. Of course, he has to do his “both-siderism,” as if some random comments on MSNBC and CNN are the equivalent of what Fox, Newsmax et. al. are doing. It sounds like he is a “yes” for impeachment, but we shall see.

    I guess having just been elected for six years after cozying up to the Trumpists has given him cover.

    He can always put his money where his mouth is and join a party that does value intelligence and has ethics.  I’m sure Schumer can find him a nice committee assignment and lots of pork for Nebraska in exchange.

    But of course he probably needs all his Q-idiots to get re-elected.  So he’d rather be craven and just whine about it in the Atlantic to make himself feel better.

  32. 32.

    eddie blake

    @something fabulous:

    so sorry for your loss. one year ago today, we lost our lil black dust goblin, linden.

    it’s rough. be glad you made a good cat-home. relish the memories  (right now, catie is purring in my lap as i write this, butting her head against my hand.)

    all the condolences

    eta- ANNNND she knocked over my glass.

  33. 33.

    Pete Downunder

    Gary Delaney – British comedian – said he has a loud and obnoxious neighbor, so now he knows how Canada feels.

  34. 34.

    Martin

    because in this benevolent dictatorship I’m the dictator and I make the damned rules.

    See folks, this is how you tell the big lie – a lie so colossal that no one would believe that someone could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.

  35. 35.

    Tim in SF

    Hey John Cole, maybe there should be a post where we trade our favorite methods and recipes for cooking pork shoulder. I’ve cooked it for 12 hours in a smoker – that turned out wonderfully. I’ve also tried 60 hours and 48 hours via sous vide, with the last three hours in the smoker for the flavor. Those were even better.

  37. 37.

    Kent

    @John Cole: @Tim in SF:  I’m simple. I put a pork shoulder in the slow cooker. I cover it in sauerkraut. I turn it on. I come back in eight hours.

    The simplest and the best, imho.

    I do the same thing, except I’ll toss in half a bottle of whatever fancy beer I have in the fridge and a spoon or two of Dijon mustard as well to give it a bit of a kick.

  39. 39.

    ghost cat

    @something fabulous:

    I’m so sorry that Milo died. I’ve found that the happiness of so many years’ memories plus the sadness that there will be no more can be very hard. Sounds like he fought to stick around as long as possible! I’m glad you and Gigi still have each other.

  42. 42.

    ghost cat

    I’m having trouble finding the right words to say how grateful I am to you all in the Balloon Juice community-of-absolutely-amazeballs-people. Because of you, I’m sitting at home tonight with my blood pressure back down to near normal, as long as I ignore everything about COVID & the tens of millions of armed trumpers still trying to stop the nonsteal, and I’m happily running the cats ragged with the laser toy. I can breathe again. John Cole and WaterGirl and everyone else in the BJ family–you guys changed my life today, and I can’t thank you enough. For years now, I’ve depended on all of you as an emotional refuge from the absolute craziness in the US. I like my news and commentary with large doses of snark, wisdom that I don’t have, and humor, and I thank you all for that too. BJ is a rare and amazing bunch. I can’t remember how I discovered you guys–maybe through tbogg? Is that possible? But I’m glad I did because I may have gone quietly and totally nuts over the last five years, and especially after COVID hit. It will be nice if things get dramatically better after Jan 20, but I’m afraid the extremist violence isn’t over. I’ll still need my cat family for sanity. Again, thank you all for that gift.

  43. 43.

    something fabulous

    @eddie blake: Ha! Perfect ETA! Go Catie! Gigi approves.

    @ghost cat: and thank you too (as I seem to be replying on a dead thread– sorry to have gotten back to it when we’ve moved on!) –but glad to see the great outcome for you and yours!

  44. 44.

    something fabulous

    @Amir Khalid: Thanks again! We’re doing our best. She is here giving an excellent snuggle as we speak, making it tough to type, but of course must work around that. Priorities!

  46. 46.

    mayim

    Once again late to a fairly dead thread but…

    @something fabulous: huge virtual hugs to you! May the happy memories some day outweigh your grief!

    @ghost cat: so glad you have that weight off! This last year has been awful, and too many of us are carrying such burdens. I am attempting to figure out way too similar a situation [although only two cats] and the physical and mental drain is so hard! Virtual hugs for you and virtual scritchies & Temptations for your beasties!

  47. 47.

    oldster

    “had a simple dinner of just the three of them.”

    Damned shame about Steve, but at least you didn’t eat Lily.

  48. 48.

    xjmuellerlurks

    @John Cole:   You might like to try Szeged Goulash as a change of pace for your pork and kraut.  My mom used to make this when I was a kid.  Pork shoulder, onions, kraut, seasoned with paprika and finished with sour cream.   I use a variation of this recipe, but it’s my starting point.  It tastes like mom’s.

    http://labellecuisine.com/archives/Main%20Dish/Szeged%20Goulash%20(Szegediner%20Gulyas).htm

    i’m having trouble posting this link  you may have to copy and paste…

  51. 51.

    eachother

    The Covid and vaccine lies making me tender. The insurrection and the damage to the country making me tender. I finished Book 8 of The Expanse making me tender. The tenderness and Love I find here, causing me eye lubrication loss.

  52. 52.

    J R in WV

    @something fabulous: 

    Sorry to hear of your loss. Even when you are expecting it you are hit hard.

    I too am grateful for the Balloon Juice community, which has helped us stay a little calmer during the past 4+ years. I miss e f g saying fuck ’em. Others who have moved on one way or another.

    But the people are good folks, willing to help out in a fur baby crisis, or any other crisis.

    Thanks, John G Cole, for starting this thing up and keeping it rolling all these years!!

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