Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

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

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

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

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

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

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

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

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

You are here: Home / Elections / Biden-Harris 2020 / Friday Morning Open Thread: Celebrate! (Then Get Back to Work)

Friday Morning Open Thread: Celebrate! (Then Get Back to Work)

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I think most of us have had enough time & space to be able to enjoy this in the spirit it was intended, now.

Reader Interactions

278Comments

  9. 9.

    Punchy

    I dont see a path forward for Biden now that he’s got Articles of Impeachment filed against him.  His ((checks notes)) abuse of Ukrainian-powered Chinese schemes will soon force him to isolated exile in Maui.

    Game…set….avocado, libtards.

  10. 10.

    Geminid

    @rikyrah: Good morning. Hope it’s a nice day where you are. It will be sunny and low 50’s in Virginia.

    The saga of the NY 22nd Congressional continues. Republican Claudia Tenney leads Anthony Brindisi by 29 votes out of 315,000 cast, with challenges to 2500 votes still being resolved. Yesterday Oswego Judge Scott DelConte sent 1000 affidavit ballots back to Oneida County for evaluation. Oneida failed to process 2400 DMV registrations in time for the November election, and then would not count these 1000 affidavit ballots. Judge DelConte indicated that if the ballots were otherwise sound, he would count them.                                      When he took up the NY 22nd case in November, Judge DelConte said it was more important to get the outcome right than to get it “right now,” and he seems to have meant it.           From Syracuse.com.

  11. 11.

    NotMax

    (Both links from stories published late last year.)

    While never for a minute thought it would happen immediately, expect the jackhammers will be munching concrete at a certain Sunshine State spot sooner rather than later.

    Also too,

    Currently, most aircraft are prohibited from flying within a 30-mile radius of Mar-a-Lago. Commercial traffic is diverted to another runway, a welcome respite for neighborhoods under the existing flight path but annoying residents in neighborhoods under the alternate runway.

    If air traffic is not diverted when Trump visits as a former president, commercial jets will resume flying directly over Mar-a-Lago — as often as every 10 to 15 minutes. The jets are so loud that it is nearly impossible to hold a conversation on the outside dining terrace and pool area at Mar-a-Lago, where big-ticket fundraisers and events are held.
    [snip]
    A spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration said the FAA issues temporary flight restrictions at the request of the Secret Service. However, no flight restrictions were issued when Obama recently flew to Miami to speak at rallies for former Vice President Joe Biden, now the president-elect. Source

  12. 12.

    O. Felix Culpa

    So nice to wake up to good news and a competent administration that takes action for our common welfare. Good morning!

  15. 15.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Geminid: Our high today is 19. Your weather sounds lovely.

    I finished reading Carl Hiaasen’s SQUEEZE ME last night. It takes place in Florida, and includes scenes in a place called Casa Bellicosa where a president lives. He’s identified only by his secret service name, Mastadon, but obviously you know who he is. The funny thing is that after Wednesday, the scenes he’s in were less satisfying to read. I no longer felt that angry need to see him ridiculed. He was history.

  16. 16.

    Cermet

    well, all really good progress and more to come;however, unless the dems either use the threat of fillibuster removal or get a spine and kill that slavery based pratice Biden’s ability to get even a proper Covid bill into law is very bad.  The thugs will do everything possible to gut it so the economy goes into the toilet enabling them to position themseleves for 2024. These asswipes will stop at no point in destroying the country so they can retain power. These are sick animals that will kill hundreds of thousands more amerikans if it allows them to regain power.

  18. 18.

    SFAW

    @rikyrah:

    Yes, it is. Every day that I wake up to the (now former) Murderer-in-Chief being gone from the White House is a good day. And this Biden kid is showing promise in the job.

  20. 20.

    Geminid

    @NotMax: Reuters reports that Iranian leader Khameni’s twitter feed had an image of a golfer being targeted by a drone, and quoted a Khameni speech about the killing of General Solemeini in which he said that “revenge is certain.”                              Rattling the 320 lb. gorilla’s cage.

  21. 21.

    Princess

    Every now and then I think it would be fun to know exactly how miserable Trump is right now (Because you know he is. Not being president is difficult to adjust to for even the most even-keeled of men.) and then I think nah. You can get addicted to Schadenfreude and it’s better to go cold turkey.

  22. 22.

    waratah

    The last word on the LOD show last night was a real gift for me. He played a video of the West Wing intro with this Whitehouse as the stars. I could not find it last night but I would love to see it again.

  23. 23.

    Phylllis

    @Princess:  I remember President Obama talking about feeling confused & sort of annoyed post-presidency because the vehicle he was in was stopped at a light. He had to remind himself he no longer got to blow thru lights/traffic

  24. 24.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @NotMax: expect the jackhammers will be munching concrete at a certain Sunshine State spot sooner rather than later.

    I fully expect trump to think it is now his right to fly in and out on his chopper and refuse to remove it on those grounds. The lawsuits will stretch out for years.

  26. 26.

    SFAW

    @Geminid:

    Rattling the 320 lb. gorilla’s cage.

    So you’re saying that His Obeseness is 7-foot-3 tall? Because DOCTOR Ronny Jackson said his BMI was 29-something, and that’s how tall Shitgibbon would have to be with that weight.

  27. 27.

    brantl

    This has been bittersweet for me; I lost my job yesterday, and have been tumbling through several in a year, as Stump’s tarrif wars and Covid have screwed over the economy. I found out I was to be unemployed at 4:10 on the 20th. And my wife wonders why I hate Stump…… (To be fair, I hated him for all the Nazistic shit that he had pulled, before that.)

  28. 28.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    Oh holy crap. I just saw a tweet from a young scholar in my field who’s in a department including both writing and speech. Her dean approved a new tenure track position for the department, but left it to the chair to decide if it should go to the writing side or the speech side. She says it ‘s like the Thunderdome in there at the moment. This is how departments develop 20 year grudges.

  30. 30.

    SFAW

    @NotMax:

    Intended to do this yesterday but Morpheus intervened.

    Are you a blue-pill guy? Or a red pill? [Not that I know what either one does.]

  36. 36.

    TS (the original)

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I fully expect trump to think it is now his right to fly in and out on his chopper and refuse to remove it on those grounds. The lawsuits will stretch out for years.

    From what I have read he is not even supposed to live there for more than 7 days at a time. He seems to be ignoring that one also.

  39. 39.

    brantl

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:  I’ve had 4 jobs in the last year and 3 months. An automation job was killed by Stump’s tarrifs, had to take a sweatshop line maintenance tech job, it just goes on and on.

  45. 45.

    Baud

    A Dem is in the White House, the usual suspects are on the prowl.

    Another urgent item for Biden’s to-do list: The looming Social Security funding crisis

    Washington Post: Breaking News, World, U… / by Michelle Singletary / 11min

  49. 49.

    Baud

    @Immanentize:

    Funny you should mention that. Also in the NYT today:

    Biden Wants to Raise Taxes, Yet Many Trump Tax Cuts Are Here to Stay

    NYT > Top Stories / by Jim Tankersley / 2h

     

    While Democrats have vowed to repeal the former president’s signature 2017 law, his successor is more likely to tinker with it, given constraints.

  53. 53.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @waratah:

    Oh, I love it! Saw it early in the week, then on LOD last night. I’m glad to have the link right at hand, so I owe you thanks for prompting me to find it!

  57. 57.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: I’m not techy enough to know, but I find it hard to believe that a mic and camera in the exercise room is a security threat as opposed to a great way to connect with folks for a few minutes every other day or some such (politics 101). There probably are a few issues but I can’t see them being insurmountable.

  58. 58.

    Soprano2

    @Princess: Because you know he is. Not being president is difficult to adjust to for even the most even-keeled of men.

    I’m not so sure about that. I said to my  husband last night that Trump’s life now is probably not much different than it was on Tuesday – get up, watch a lot of TV, play golf, etc. How can he tell he’s not president anymore?

  60. 60.

    Immanentize

    @Baud: you want to run government at least a bit like a business?  Well, you can’t stay afloat by cutting everything.  It is time to find more revenue!  Angel investors even (i.e. the billionaires).

  63. 63.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: Sycophants aren’t worshiping the ground he walks on? People now treat him like a loser? His steaks come rare? The ketchup bottle is always empty?

  66. 66.

    Geminid

    @Baud: Aside from considerations of justice, I like Comprehensive Immigration Reform for the practical reason that the addition of millions of younger wage earners to the Social Security system will change actuarial projections substantially for the better.         Another pragmatic reason I hope this issue is given high priority in the new Congress is that immigration reform is a potent wedge issue for Republicans. There are several fault lines between the Wall Street Journal/Chamber of Commerce wing and the “populists,” but immigration reform is the most fraught and fractious.

  70. 70.

    hueyplong

    The Diet Coke Button seems particularly infantile.  Take in that one fact, assume lots more like it all around, and marvel at anyone who worked in that place and thought anything was ok.

    Hiring departments in every establishment in America should be given pause.

  71. 71.

    JMG

    I am sure the Peloton company would be more than delighted to let the Feds rig up a secure link to Biden’s trainer and visuals of his choice. Kinda good advertising.

  72. 72.

    karen marie

    @NotMax: Even better, Trump will get a letter from the town attorney – perhaps by the end of January – telling him he can’t live at Mar a Lago.

  73. 73.

    Skepticat

    What a breath of fresh air Jen Psaki is as press secretary. Having intelligent professionals are back in charge is breathtaking.

    Yesterday a very conservative friend in Maine posted a picture of President Biden, and I almost was afraid to read it. I was astounded to see that he was reposting a message from someone that Biden hadn’t been his first choice, but he’d support him all the way. Not only that, but the post was liked by a number of other very right-leaning people. I feel the stirrings of hope.

  74. 74.

    Soprano2

    @OzarkHillbilly: Oh, I bet at Mar-a-Lago they still treat him like that. I figure he’ll live in a bubble for the rest of his life, where he’s always admired and fawned over. Wealthy people can create that for themselves. Well, as long as he still has money anyway…..

  75. 75.

    germy

    When federal agents asked Houston police Officer Tam Dinh Pham why he was in Washington during the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, he said he had traveled there on business and then attended the president’s rally on a whim. But most importantly, Pham told the agents, he did not go inside the Capitol during the attempted insurrection.

    That’s when an FBI agent showed him his own deleted images and videos from inside the Rotunda on Jan. 6, according to court documents.

    Faced with the photo evidence, Pham then allegedly admitted to climbing over torn-down fences to get inside. But still, he insisted his reasons were benign: He just wanted the rare opportunity to view “historical art,” investigators said.

    Pham, 48, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of unlawful entry of the Capitol and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He is one of more than a dozen off-duty police officers under investigation for allegedly participating in the violent and chaotic insurrection earlier this month.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/22/police-officer-pham-capitol-riot/

  77. 77.

    Soprano2

    @hueyplong: The Diet Coke Button seems particularly infantile.  Take in that one fact, assume lots more like it all around, and marvel at anyone who worked in that place and thought anything was ok.

    That sounds like a wealthy person thing to me. Some of them always make sure they can have anything they want at the push of a button. And yeah, I agree, people should have realized things were not OK in that place, but I think a lot of them started out almost worshiping him (puke), so they thought whatever he did was great.

  78. 78.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Soprano2:

    How can he tell he’s not president anymore?

    He’s not the national center of attention, constantly seeing himself referred to as the president and his every action treated as defining America.  He can’t give orders to nearly as many people with the power to hurt nearly as many people.  Nobody is begging and bribing him for pardons and other political favors.  He is no longer protected from prosecution.

    When you put all of those together, I am confident he is thrashing in fury and depression, and we just aren’t hearing about it because his fucking fee fees are no longer important.  Which, you know, is maybe the worst thing of all to a malignant narcissist.

  80. 80.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @germy: But now think of the guy at the other end of that button, who sits in a room all day just waiting for the little light to go on. He’s now unemployed. Thanks, Biden!

  82. 82.

    Soprano2

    @Frankensteinbeck: When you put all of those together, I am confident he is thrashing in fury and depression, and we just aren’t hearing about it because his fucking fee fees are no longer important.  Which, you know, is maybe the worst thing of all to a malignant narcissist.

    I think that, and the fact that he’s no longer on any social media, is why we aren’t hearing about it. (We’re still hearing about Trump voters and their feelings, I just heard a story on “Morning Edition” this morning!) My comment was mostly about how his day to day life hasn’t changed much because he didn’t really do the job at all, he just occupied the slot “president”. I do feel sorry for the people who work at Mar-a-Lago, I’m sure their lives are miserable right now.

  83. 83.

    aliasofwestgate

    @JMG:  I’m pretty sure they helped him set up an encrypted link of some sort. He wouldn’t even have gotten it in the door if it was that bad of a security risk.

  84. 84.

    karen marie

    @Soprano2: He’s lost the taxpayer-funded crowd of “yes men.”  Who’s he going to scream at now? The guy who makes the omelets?

  85. 85.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Soprano2: I do feel sorry for the people who work at Mar-a-Lago, I’m sure their lives are miserable right now.

    I don’t, they chose it.

  86. 86.

    Bruuuuce

    @OzarkHillbilly: How difficult would it be for the Secret Service to find and vet a personal trainer, or even a small group, to work out in the mornings, as well as a straightforward not IoT exercise bike? If they could fix the situation with Obama’s Blackberry, they can do this

    ETA: And JMG and aliasofwestgate have their finger on a better, more likely solution

  87. 87.

    germy

    @Soprano2:  …he didn’t really do the job at all, he just occupied the slot “president”.

    And before that, he occupied the slot “successful businessman”.

  90. 90.

    HinTN

    @Skepticat: Did you know that beginning on Inauguration Day (1/20/21) we have ten consecutive days whose dates are palindromes? How’s that for a good omen?

  91. 91.

    Ken

    @germy: Pham, 48, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of unlawful entry of the Capitol and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

    They can also add “lying to a Federal agent during investigation of a crime” to the list if they want.

  95. 95.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    I’m annoyed that his louts of adult children still get Secret Service protection for 6 months, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s small potatoes.

    It’s interesting how hard it is to stop talking about Trump. Maybe we need the equivalent of a swear jar on some threads.

  97. 97.

    frosty

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I just finished Squeeze Me a week ago. I didn’t think the scenes with Mastodon were that critical- Hiaisson’s take on his fellow Floridians was up to his usual standards though.
    I’m embarrassed to say I was halfway through it before it dawned on me why he gave it that title.

  102. 102.

    Bruuuuce

    I missed last night’s threads (being busy with my overnight shift at work, as usual). Have we mourned Mira Furlan (Delenn on Babylon 5 and, I see at IMDB, Danielle Rousseau on Lost)? JMS posted yesterday that we’ve lost her.

  105. 105.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    We made the rounds of YouTube clips from the late night shows last night and noticed that for the most part, T**** was not even mentioned. I noticed a few weeks ago that Colbert never mentioned his name anyway. I don’t know how long that was going on. But he had barely any jokes or clips either.

    I don’t recall T**** in a lot of headlines the last few days either. He truly is fading into obscurity.

    Till the prosecutions begin anyway.

  106. 106.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Soprano2:

    Oh, and let me throw one thing more in.  His income stream just nosedived.  He was struggling before he became president.  Sometime during his first year, he became so radioactive and hated that business at his properties dropped to a fraction of what it used to be.  All his money has been made on grift the last four years.  On 1/20 hundreds of lobbyists looked around their rented Trump office or hotel room and said “Thank God I can get out of this dump.”  The bribes turned off like a faucet.  Shit like his making military in Scotland stay at his hotels is being canceled right now.  He had two months where his followers were willing to pour money on him to overturn the election.  That is over.  Most of his fleecing the MAGA flock is over, and the remaining flock is peeling away, fast.  The money from trying to overturn the election is all he’s got now, and his properties and the lifestyle he has become accustomed to are bleeding it away.  This is all sinking in, and getting worse and worse as he watches.

    As for his day-to-day life, I think it has changed hugely.  He just moved, which is always big.  His days did revolve around being president, he just was lazy as fuck about it.  No more sitting in the Oval Office surrounded by proof he has the most prestigious job there is.  No generals having to sit and listen to him talk down to them.  No hours a day spent with courtiers begging for his royal approval.  No tweeting.  The sucking up he is getting is a hollow joke compared to what he got as president.

  107. 107.

    germy

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    I predict he’ll sell off a bunch of properties, and then get a gig at OANN for a steady income stream, and maybe a cut of their profits.

    Plus, he’s got millions of loyal fans who’ll be contributing to whatever “PAC” he sets up to pay himself.

  108. 108.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @SFAW: My bet is that those who are there, have been there for years, maybe since pre Pres trump. No sympathy from me.

  109. 109.

    Hoodie

    @Frankensteinbeck:

     Shit like his making military in Scotland stay at his hotels is being canceled right now.

    Who was it that said Obama taking a vacation in Hawaii was “exotic”?   It’s staggering to remember just how much Trump was a walking advertisement for the privilege of less than mediocre white dudes.

  110. 110.

    Soprano2

    @karen marie: Who’s he going to scream at now? The guy who makes the omelets?

    Yes. It won’t surprise me if they have a wave of people at Mar-a-Lago quitting their jobs in the next month. It’s one thing to work there when he comes every few weeks, but a completely different thing if he’s there every day.

  112. 112.

    Amir Khalid

    @Bruuuuce:

    Not yet. You’re the first to mention her passing. I liked what I saw of her acting. Per the JMS tribute, she was a much-loved member of the Babylon 5 cast.

  114. 114.

    germy

    @Soprano2:

    I thought he hired mostly desperate undocumented immigrants?

    If there’s a mass round of resignations, will he have any problem finding new employees to abuse?

  115. 115.

    Ken

    @Soprano2: I expect a lot of Mar-a-lago memberships will also be cancelled, or not renewed.  I keep imagining Trump as a cut-rate Nora Desmond, swanning around his empty property and living in the past. Not that he’ll be swanning for long if the city holds him to the contract.

  116. 116.

    Baud

    WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to sign two executive orders Friday to address the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, including expanding food stamps and beginning the process to require that everyone working for the federal government get a minimum wage of $15 an hour.

    ……

    The second executive order Biden is expected to sign will revoke orders signed by former President Donald Trump to restore collective bargaining power and ask federal agencies to pay a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

    Biden will also start the planning to require federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage and to provide emergency paid leave.

  120. 120.

    Baud

    They learn nothing.

    There might well be someone at some media outlet who did say that administering 100 million doses in 100 days was not possible. But Biden told the journalists in the State Dining Room that “you all said” it was impossible, and that’s clearly not true.

  122. 122.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    Oh, and let me throw one thing more in.  His income stream just nosedived.  He was struggling before he became president.

    I was wondering if we’d done this yet. Fahrenthold, of course.

    Trump steps out of the White House and into a company in crisis 
    Those losses were worst in the places where Trump could least afford it: His Washington hotel, which has a $170 million loan outstanding, saw revenue drop more than 60 percent. His Doral resort in Miami — also carrying a huge debt load — saw a 44 percent drop.

  128. 128.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Corporate-consensus neo-liberal who’s not socially regressive

    Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias 3h
    Two executive orders coming today, per Brian Deese comments to reporters yesterday:
    — 15% enhancement of Pandemic EBT benefits for kids who’d normally get free school lunch
    — SNAP increase eligibility expanded to include the 12 million poorest families previously left out.

    Dr. Lauren Bauer @laurenlbauer
    Expanding eligibility for SNAP Emergency Allotments to families receiving the maximum benefit (5M kids)
    Increasing the value of Pandemic EBT by 15% for FRL kids (let’s get more states approved…)
    Reassessing the THRIFTY.

    The Biden Admin is serious about child hunger.

  130. 130.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: The Khameni tweet probably is just short term psychological warfare. But General Solemeini was a much revered figure, and I would not be shocked if the IRGC took a shot at trump in a couple years. I imagine the Secret Service will be checking golf courses for IED’s. But I don’t think agents will be throwing themselves in front of drones.

  131. 131.

    Soprano2

    @Frankensteinbeck: I hadn’t thought about his money bleeding away. I think his kids are soon going to rue the day he ever ran for president, as they find their lives getting worse and worse by the day. The Kushners can fall back on his family’s fortune, but in  many circles they will be pariahs for the rest of their lives, and they probably can’t ever go back to living in New York City. I think after 6 months they’re going to find they hate living in Florida, and I this it’s hilarious!

  133. 133.

    Jeffro

    Biden & Co hitting the ground sprinting – GOOD

    Let’s congratulate them publicly, even as we lay into the Republicans for continuing with their lies, obstruction, and more lies.

  138. 138.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @cain: MJ = Morning Joe. A show which I’ve never watched but which is apparently a regular part of the morning for many juicers.

  140. 140.

    Mo Salad

    @Geminid:  The best part is that when you combine it with the rescinding of the air traffic diversions, he’s going to hear impending doom every 10 minutes.

  141. 141.

    cain

    @brantl:

    So sorry to hear that. I can completely emphasize with that feeling.

    I think I’m more of the ‘why does your wife not hate Trump’? :D

  143. 143.

    WaterGirl

    Pet Bleg sent by BillinGlendaleCA:

    This is Mabel. She came to my door 3 years ago. She was hungry, skinny and suffering with a terrible case of flea dermatitis. I began feeding her and once I had built some trust, I took her to the vet. She became our community cat within our small apartment complex and I made sure she got the monthly flea control she needed to keep the dermatitis away. She made it clear that she was happier outdoors as long as she had a safe and warm place to sleep at night.

    The months rolled by and Mabel formed a special bond with my neighbor, Karen. She began spending the evenings indoors watching tv and napping on Karen’s sofa, but ultimately preferred to leave at bedtime. But a few months ago, Mabel decided the indoor life wasn’t so bad and Karen officially adopted her!

    Mabel is no spring chicken! The vet thinks she’s at least 12 years old. A recent check up revealed that she desperately needs some dental care, which explains her terrible breath! Karen is retired and can’t afford the $975 for oral surgery (including bloodwork).

    I know times are tough for many people right now, but if you can afford a small donation towards Mabel’s vet bill Karen would be so grateful. Her surgery is scheduled for January 28th. The detailed estimate is attached. Thank you!!

    Fundraiser by Melissa Krumholt : Mabel’s Dental Surgery (gofundme.com)

    The Karen in the story is BillinGlendale’s wife.  They have raised $425 of the $975 needed.  Click the link above if you’d like to pitch in.

    *Moral of the story is that all Karens are not bad?  :-)

  144. 144.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Princess:

    Every now and then I think it would be fun to know exactly how miserable Trump is right now (Because you know he is. Not being president is difficult to adjust to for even the most even-keeled of men.) and then I think nah. You can get addicted to Schadenfreude and it’s better to go cold turkey.

    I’m delighted to simply not think about him much. Joe Biden’s been President for almost two whole days and has spent it doing all sorts of good stuff. And I’ve had Dylan’s “New Morning” going through my head ever since I woke up yesterday.  So happy just to be alive, underneath this sky of blue…

    There are battles ahead, of course. But I’ve spent more time grinning in the past two days than in the previous two months.

  145. 145.

    Calouste

    @germy: Any opportunity for people convicted based on that officers testimony to appeal based on the assumption that a police officer who is willing to lie to the FBI about crimes they committed themselves might also be lying on other occasions?

  146. 146.

    cain

    @Baud:

    It’s kind moronic given our orange menace was busy talking about state secrets on an unsecured phone talking to all his friends. By this point, I suspect we don’t have much secrets left to expose other than whatever Biden himself plans on doing.

  149. 149.

    Geminid

    @Wag: Rightly or wrongly, I don’t see the Senate taking away trump’s Secret Service protection even if it convicts him and imposes sanctions like depriving him of his pension. Conviction seems like a 50-50 proposition at best, so we may never know. But it would be funny if trump’s invitations to join his golf foursomes are turned down, and those who accept try not to spend much time near him. And hit the turf when a truck backfires in the distance.

  150. 150.

    cain

    @Ken:

    Can’t wait for the first time Trump calls into Fox and Friends. He’s going to be that old geezer guest they are trying to avoid but he keeps calling into the show and they have to take his calls because their viewers are all fans.

  151. 151.

    Another Scott

    Reuters:

    U.S. House to deliver Trump impeachment to Senate on Monday: Schumer
    By Reuters Staff

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives will deliver an impeachment measure charging former President Donald Trump with inciting insurrection to the Senate on Monday, starting a trial process that could ban him from holding office again, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday.

    “The House will deliver the article of impeachment to the Senate. The Senate will conduct a trial of the impeachment of Donald Trump. It will be a full trial. It will be a fair trial,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.

    Monday is the 25th. It looks like Moscow Mitch wanting to put it off until February might not mean much.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  152. 152.

    WaterGirl

    @Another Scott: I read that McConnell wants to put it off until February “to give Trump more time to prepare”.  I didn’t read the article, but that was a headline on the Washington Post.

    I wonder if “more time to prepare” is code for “Trump needs more time to find an attorney to represent him in the impeachment.”

  153. 153.

    Immanentize

    Hank Aaron died today. Such a quiet and classy athlete.

    If you want a review of racism in America, check out his history especially the responses to his home run record.

  154. 154.

    dmsilev

    @Another Scott: So I assume the Senate will do the split-schedule thing? Run the trial in the morning, do other business like confirming Biden’s nominees and work on the first wave of legislation and so forth in the afternoon.

    Good to see that Pelosi and Schumer are giving McConnell’s requests the proper degree of consideration.

  156. 156.

    leeleeFL

    @Soprano2:  It has been my experience that crappy LEOs have always believed they were not subject to the annoyances of the law.
    That the better ones rarely let them know that they’re wrong is the problem.

  158. 158.

    dmsilev

    @WaterGirl: I read, I think yesterday, that Trump had found at least one not-ridiculous attorney to represent him.

    Hope the guy got paid in advance.

  159. 159.

    WaterGirl

    @dmsilev:

    Good to see that Pelosi and Schumer are giving McConnell’s requests the proper degree of consideration.

    That’s the nicest spelling of fuck Mitch McConnell that I have ever seen!

  164. 164.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @dmsilev: a South Carolina attorney recommended by Lindsey Graham, somebody on MSNBC said. I think that’s one place where being trump’s impeachment lawyer might pay off, politically or professionally

  165. 165.

    WaterGirl

    @Another Scott: My dog Tucker is in a similar situation, but we have pet insurance.  I highly recommend pet insurance to anyone with a pet.

    I vowed 10 years ago when I lost my kitty soulmate that i was never going to have to consider cost when making decisions about any of my guys.  Never again.

  166. 166.

    sdhays

    @Another Scott: Moscow Mitch has been demanding a bunch of shit for a guy in the minority. I wonder if this partially a reaction to his intransigence over rules for the Senate. Basically Schumer saying, “If you’re going to waste time with your hissy fit over a “promise” over the filibuster, we might as well just get this trial out of the way. Oh, and fuck you, Mitch.”.

  168. 168.

    cain

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Someone else did as well. I remember ranting about it at the time – I think it was Judith Miller. She mumbled something about real Americans  vacation at Pebble Beach. (or maybe it was some beach on the east coast)

    I was like.. what is he, a coal miner? Is this 1952? Jeezus..

    I fucking hate this whole ‘real Americans” nonsense. We are diverse group of people and we take vacations around the world. The dude grew up in Hawaii.

    ETA – Ugh, I shouldn’t have searched.. now I have to revisit the stupidity – and it’s much worse when read what’s being said and knowing what 4 years of Trump doing nothing while 400k people died. Won’t link – nobody needs their mellow harshed this morning. But fuck Steve Doocy.

    ETA2 : oh it wasn’t Judith Miller and it was Cokie, and it wasn’t Pebble Beach but Myrtle Beach (which is why I made that pointer to coal miners – wasn’t that their favorite hotspot?)

  169. 169.

    japa21

    IMHO, Biden has accomplished more in two days to better the United States than Trump did in 4 years.

    I know, low bar since Trump didn’t do anything to better the United States.

  171. 171.

    dmsilev

    @WaterGirl: Continuing on that theme,

    Schumer rejects McConnell proposal to affirm to spare the filibuster as part of power-sharing deal. “Leader McConnell’s proposal is unacceptable – and it won’t be accepted.”
    — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 22, 2021

    Edit: Schumer, slightly paraphrased: “Senator? You can have my answer now, if you like. My final offer is this: nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally.”

    (would have been better coming from Harry Reid, but oh well)

  172. 172.

    Miss Bianca

    @Immanentize: I remember seeing him on TV around the time he was overtaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. I cheered for him even tho’ he wasn’t a Detroit Tiger, therefore, Not On My Team!

    RIP, Hank. Yeah, he was a class act.

  174. 174.

    Bruuuuce

    @Immanentize: He was a mensch, and the noncheating HR champion (at the top of his very long list of accomplishments).

    May his memory be a blessing and please, Powers That Be, after 2020 and now Don Sutton and Aaron, can we stop watching MLB HoF members drop like flies?

  177. 177.

    Brachiator

    Just getting my day started in Southern California.

    I was listening to a podcast in which people were noting their reaction to the inauguration. Lots of positive reactions, with some folks noting that the inauguration felt like the “real” start of the New Year.

    And it is so wonderful not to be bombarded with some angry Twitter rant from What’s His Orange.

  183. 183.

    japa21

    @Immanentize: I grew up a Milwaukee Braves fan during his rise to stardom. Totally humble then and never stopped. The only reason I continued being a Braves fan when they moved to Atlanta was because of him. It was wonderful to see him retire as a Milwaukee Brewer and hit his last career home run in Milwaukee.

    He put up with a lot of shit.

  190. 190.

    sdhays

    @cain: Maybe she can go to Moscow and oversee the construction of Trump Tower Moscow. I hear it’s lovely this time of year.

  192. 192.

    Ken

    @cain: Ivanka is going to hate it. She’ll miss 5th Avenue

    New York is where I’d rather stay
    I get allergic smelling hay
    I just adore a penthouse view
    Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue
    (Sorry, but they say the best cure for an earworm is to share it.)

  193. 193.

    Miss Bianca

    @dmsilev: I just finished watching Godfather and Godfather II for the very first time a couple weeks ago, and found that that line of dialogue – which had seeped into my brain by osmosis over the course of dozens of meme exposures over the years – was just as satisfying *in* context as it has been *out* of.

  195. 195.

    Mike in NC

    Hating Donald Trump for 40 years gave me a pretty bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, so I still have a hard time believing the filthy bastard is finally gone and might be convicted in the Senate of treason. Tears of joy come from time to time…

  196. 196.

    citizen dave

    @cain: And from upthread on this one, Cokie Roberts was the F-ing worst!  Hawaii, USA!  One small reason I supported Kamala (aside from many big ones, work ethic, smarts, etc.) was the simple fact that she is a Californian.  It’s a little different.  As a midwestern person with a stepson in Cali (and grandson), I like having some Cali views at the highest levels in our government.  The nation is too eastern-focused.

    We had Ronnie and Nixon, but I’m blanking on whether we’ve had a high-ranking California Dem getting shit done.  California Über Alles (it was a catchy DK song, but it was weird that Jello feared a Zen fascist state from Jerry Brown).

  198. 198.

    sdhays

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: When they took his account away, it was likely he ceased to be. It’s marvelous. A silver lining in that dark, dark cloud from insurrection day was the social media companies finally being willing to cut him off BEFORE he was no longer Preznit.

  200. 200.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @cain: what I know about Miami high society comes from Carl Hiassen novels, but I imagine Ivanka will fit in quite well. I think it all depends on how much she’s bought into the idea she has a political future– I suspect all the way– and how-much her hyper-manicured persona sells to her father’s base in the exurbs and The Villages. To which I say: I have no fucking idea

    ETA: the 2018 races in FL were actually pretty close, weren’t they? DeSantis v Gillum and Scott v Nelson? maybe there’s hope….

  204. 204.

    citizen dave

    @japa21: Wait, I’m hearing former Indianapolis Clowns player Henry Aaron has passed.  Condolences.  Hope he went on the great things after his time in Indy:

    “In 1952, as a skinny, crosshanded-batting eighteen-year-old, the future home run king played shortstop for the Negro American League’s Indianapolis Clowns under manager Buster Haywood for about three months. Aaron had been signed in April for $200 per month by Bunny Downs, the Clowns’ business manager, after being discovered the previous season (1951) while playing with the semi-pro Mobile Black Bears in an exhibition game against the Clowns. During the time he was with the Clowns, he was scouted by both the New York Giants and the Boston Braves and, although the Giants were unimpressed, the Braves bought his contract from Clowns’ owner Syd Pollock.”

  205. 205.

    sdhays

    @citizen dave: Before you knock the mid-west too much, I just want to give a shout-out to Illinois, which has pretty much the best track record of all the states in terms of Presidents it’s sent to Washington:

    • Lincoln
    • Grant
    • Obama
  206. 206.

    BruceFromOhio

    @Brachiator:  MrsFromOhio and I were discussing how to help legions of fascists deprogram, and how the ban hammer has taken the entire anger-fueled adrenaline rush of the cult down by 25-33%. This makes openings for the less-angry to take a breath, stop and THINK. Let ’em go vent and plot on Putin’s servers, it has the double-duty of an internet septic tank: gives the shit a place to go, helps reduce contamination of every other environment.

  207. 207.

    gene108

    @Immanentize:

    If you want a review of racism in America, check out his history especially the responses to his home run record.

    I wrote a book report on Hank Aaron in the second grade. The racism he faced did get mentioned, and has stuck with me. Plus, the poor conditions and pay in the Negro Leagues versus MLB.

  212. 212.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @sdhays: Reagan was born in IL.  Lincoln, Grant, and Obama were born elsewhere – specifically, Kentucky, Ohio, and Kenya Hawaii.

  213. 213.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @citizen dave: The ONLY high-level Democrat getting shit done up to a couple of days ago is Nancy Smash from good ol’ California

     

    ETA: I know she’s originally from Baltimore, but…

  215. 215.

    BruceFromOhio

    @WaterGirl:

    I wonder if “more time to prepare” is code for “Trump needs more time to find an attorney to represent him in the impeachment  a country without a US extradition treaty that will accept him. ”

    That’s how I read it. Impeachment in absentia is just fine with me.

  226. 226.

    Soprano2

    @cain: Nope, they hate all the Trumps there too. They might flee to one of those ostentatiously wealthy small Middle East countries.

  228. 228.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Ha!  Not judging, just wondering what gets you “Madame” and what gets you “my wife”.

    Maybe “my wife” is when she’s in the doghouse?  Kind of like when my mom called my sister:  “Kathleen Joan Elizabeth”.  All three names meant you were in big trouble.

  230. 230.

    Amir Khalid

    I saw this on YouTube. It’s MSNBC reporting that Chuck Schumer declared the Senate will receive the article of impeachment against Trump on Monday. My inner 12-year-old giggled at Schumer’s slip of the tongue.

  231. 231.

    Ken

    @Soprano2: I’m pretty sure you actually have to be ostentatiously wealthy to live in those countries.  Well, other than in the barracks they use to warehouse the imported labor.

  237. 237.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Dan Lamothe @DanLamothe
    Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general and son of a former postal worker in rural Georgia, was just confirmed by the Senate to become secretary of defense. He will become the nation’s first Black Pentagon chief.

    Lloyd Austin will oversee a force that is both a melting pot of American diversity and dogged by questions of that diversity rarely finding its way to senior ranks.
    He also will take over as the military grapples in a more serious way with how to root out extremism in the rank

    The vote: 93-2. The dissenters: Hawley and Lee

    ETA:

    Shay Khatiri @ShayKhatiri ·12m
    This begins Shay’s crusade of correcting people who call Lloyd Austin “General Austin.”

  241. 241.

    frosty

    @Bruuuuce: As my mother (born there) used to say: Chicken in a car and the car won’t go, Chi-car-go.

  246. 246.

    Amir Khalid

    @BruceFromOhio:

    They — New York AG James, her counterpart in Georgia, Manhattan DA Vance, somebody — should file charges against Trump, ASAP, and then have his passport impounded toute de suite because he’s an obvious flight risk.

  249. 249.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Ken:

    “Senators will have to decide if they believe Donald John Trump incited the erection – incited the insurrection – is a dick.”

    Fixed.

  250. 250.

    artem1s

    @Baud:

    I think I read that Biden cleared it with the security folks.

    yes, the way Hillary cleared the use of a personal server with Secret Security and the State Department.  didn’t stop the GOP or media from screeching about it four years after the fact.  Expect this to be the next ongoing scandal to avoid having to answer questions about the lack of security in the previous administration.

  258. 258.

    Brachiator

    @Bruuuuce: 

    I missed last night’s threads (being busy with my overnight shift at work, as usual). Have we mourned Mira Furlan (Delenn on Babylon 5 and, I see at IMDB, Danielle Rousseau on Lost)? JMS posted yesterday that we’ve lost her.

    A talented and brave woman. I recall reading about how she had been a relatively big deal in Yugoslavia, but was fired by the Croatian National Theater because she would not indulge the bullshit ethnic bashing of Serbs that was sweeping communities. Ultimately she and her husband had to flee the country.

    She was great in “Babylon 5.” I loved her character so much.

    Condolences to her family and to the B5 and Lost fan communities.

  260. 260.

    Geminid

    @Amir Khalid: You asked a Texas jackal about about Lubbock Texas last night. Two years ago I drove through Lubbock on the way from Atlanta to Santa Rosa NM. I can report that the area was very flat, and the local AM station was all agricuture news, all the time. It seemed an OK town, but unlike some other parts of Texas it is static economically, so a lot of people leave.    Back in the 50’s, Buddy Holly drove across the state border to record in Clovis, NM. Bassist Waylon Jennings might have gone along. I’m told that Jennings would have died in the plane crash that killed Holly, had he not given his seat to The Big Bopper.

  262. 262.

    sab

    We just got a call back from drug store. My brilliant husband got us on a covid shot waiting list! They will call us back to set up an actual appointment when they know how much vaccine they are getting in the next shipments.

  264. 264.

    MisterForkbeard

    @hueyplong: I’m super late to this thread, but the Diet Coke Button IS infantile but not in a way that bugs me at all.

    If I was the president and actually wanted to do my job properly, take being president seriously etc., I’d enjoy a few perks. Having someone deliver a diet coke when I want one isn’t a bad idea, especially if I’m in meetings all day and my office can’t have a mini-fridge in it.

    The “On a silver platter” thing is really stupid, but that might just be a ItsTheWhiteHouse thing.

  265. 265.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Immanentize:

    I so vividly remember watching that moment on TV as it happened. At the time, I didn’t even follow baseball, but I knew I had to see history being made.

    in the early 1990s, for a short time — a year or two, maybe — the Atlanta Braves had an upper management office in CNN Center, right across the hall from the Canadian Consulate General, where I worked. I certainly would never claim to know Hank Aaron, or even to have met him, but we occasionally left our offices at the same time and exchanged pleasantries. He had the kindest face. A gentleman in every way. I really feel personally bereft at today’s news.

  267. 267.

    citizen dave

    @Benw: Oh yes, I know about the TWO versions of California Uber Alles–you make a good point, it makes more sense for Reagan.

    Speaking of, Camper van Beethoven’s “Sweethearts” is a beautiful tune (to link to the fact he was Illinois-bred):

    ‘Cause he’s always living back in Dixon
    Circa 1949
    And we’re all sitting at the fountain, at the five and dime
    ‘Cause he’s living in some B-movie
    The lines they are so clearly drawn
    In black and white life is so easy
    And we’re all coming along on this one
    ‘Cause he’s on a secret mission
    Headquarters just radioed in
    He left his baby at the dancehall
    While the band plays on some sweet song
    And on a mission over China
    The lady opens up her arms
    The flowers bloom where you haved placed them
    And the lady smiles, just like mom
    Angels wings are icing over
    Mcdonnell-Douglas olive drab
    They bear the names of our sweethearts
    And the captain smiles, as we crash

    ‘Cause in the mind of Ronald Reagan
    Wheels they turn and gears they grind
    Buildings collapse in slow motion
    And trains collide, everything is fine
    Everything is fine
    Everything is fine

     

    (I totally forgot about Californian Nancy Pelosi absolutely killing it in the 21st century)

  269. 269.

    TomatoQueen

    Wasn’t here until now (lunchtime) so missed the chance to help with Mabel. Merlinus Ambrosius a Very Naughty Boy sends a BRRP! and we both send best wishes and get well soon.

  271. 271.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @MisterForkbeard: yeah, the White House is run like an elaborate mansion, a lot of it I assume based on the model of an aristocratic house in Victorian England. What was weird was reports early on that he loved the button, and used to show it to visitors as if it were the coolest thing ever. I remember thinking it was kind of odd for an alleged billionaire to be so fascinated with a modern day bell-pull and servants. I assumed that button was already there, then to find out he had it installed….

  272. 272.

    karen marie

    @WaterGirl: I considered “pet insurance” but $200/month with a $1500 deductible is way out of my league. It doesn’t cover “wellness” care like annual shots, heartworm test, and such like. My 11-year-old spaniel is facing having multiple teeth pulled at her next dental cleaning. The vet said it will be ~$1500. That would wipe out most of my savings but would not be helped by insurance because of deductible.

  274. 274.

    sdhays

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’m aware of that. Reagan went to elementary school in my hometown – I’ve seen the plaque. But Illinoisans didn’t give him his start in public office. That’s all on California.

  276. 276.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Chief Oshkosh: I know she’s originally from Baltimore, but…

    But what?!?!?

    Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi learned most of what she needed to know about politics in Baltimore’s Little Italy at her father’s knee – Tommy D’Alesandro, former Congressman and Mayor of Baltimore. The rest has mostly been application.

    ETA: When the time comes we’ll go down to Little Italy and replace that statue of Columbus that was tossed into the Inner Harbor with one of Nancy SMASH!

    (Tl;dr version: Go screw yourself.)

  277. 277.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Brachiator: Way too many of the Babylon 5 ensemble died early:

    Andras Katsulas (G’kar) – 59

    Gerry Doyle (Garibaldi) – 60

    Richard Biggs (Dr. Steven Franklin) – 44

    Stephen Furst (Vir) – 53

    Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen) – 61

    Michael O’Haire (Cmdr. Sinclair) – 60

    and now Mira Furlan (Delenn) – 65.

  278. 278.

    WaterGirl

    @karen marie: Wow.  What company did you look at?

    I use PetPlan and the deductibles for my guys are 150.00 each.

    $100 a month for my 45 lb. dog, who is definitely bigger and most costly than your spaniel, unless you have one of the bigger spaniel models.  :-)

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