Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

I really should read my own blog.

with the Kraken taking a plea, the Cheese stands alone.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Second rate reporter says what?

When we show up, we win.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

… looking like a winsome Bee Gee who has stumbled into teaching geography

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

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

Come on, man.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

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

Good lord, these people are nuts.

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

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

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

It’s easier to kill a dangerous animal than a man who just happens to have different thoughts/values than one’s own.

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Open Thread

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I have a love-hate relationship with this picture.  I love the hamster in the pocket, but for some reason at first glance the fellow reminds makes me think of Jared.  But I have to believe that love wins out over hate, eventually, and this looks like a fine family, and the hamster is adorable.

Plus, doesn’t love always win out, in the end?

Photos are part of the collection sent to me by Subaru Diane.

Reader Interactions

120Comments

  3. 3.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Photos are part of the collection sent to me by Subaru Diane.

    I knew I had seen those somewhere, recently. Glad to see you making such good use of them, WG!

    Incidentally, and FTR, if I knew anything about the sources of these photos, I would gladly provide credits. But they came to me in an email from my cousin, who probably got them in a message from her sister-in-law, who undoubtedly picked them up from a Facebook page of a friend-of-a-friend, who saw them in a listicle somewhere.

  10. 10.

    Dan B

    Rodents come in such a range of sizes, like these two.  But where is the Capybara/ Wombat species the size of a Water Buffalo?  Imagine the nibble marks that would leave!

  12. 12.

    Juju

    Who knew capybaras were so cuddly?

    The sister looks like a younger Jared with longer hair.

  18. 18.

    Phylllis

    Ultra-wealthy mega donor Darla Moore has blasted the University of South Carolina for not sending her condolences on the passing of her mother on April 1st. Which brings up the question-does one donate to an organization because of belief in and support of their work and values, or to add to the list of sycophant butt-kissers in an attempt to find meaning in your otherwise empty life? Darla appears to be the the latter. What an entitled, self-centered, tone-deaf twit.

    Also, really? Your mom just died and this is your priority?

  21. 21.

    Dan B

    One rodent i wish was domesticated is the Pika or Rock Rabbit.  It’s a denizen of alpine regions in rockslides.  They are the cutest with cute round ears and a high whistle to signal danger.  It makes for a wonderful echo in bouldery and rocky swales.  Pro tip: Do not attempt to hike with a Jack Russell Terrier in Pika territory!  Un-possible, or nearly so, even with a strong leash and strong leash arm.

  24. 24.

    J R in WV

    I saw a advice-wanted letter in the Guardian where this young woman’s boy friend wanted her to move in with him and his kids… but she had to pay more than half her income for “her share” of the mortgage payments. She talked about her mortgage payment, his mortgage payment, wanted advice on what to do.

    My first and only thought was “That isn’t a boy friend, that’s a guy who wants your money. Dump that MFer immediately!”  Run away, Run away!!!

  26. 26.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Phylllis: Ah yes. Universities are totally known for their heart-felt condolences. Same way I get a warm fuzzy feeling when my dentist’s office wishes me a happy birthday via automated text message.

  27. 27.

    Roger Moore

    @Phylllis: ​
     

    Which brings up the question-does one donate to an organization because of belief in and support of their work and values, or to add to the list of sycophant butt-kissers in an attempt to find meaning in your otherwise empty life?

    ¿Por que no los dos?

  29. 29.

    Humanities Prof

    If anyone is familiar with the books of Bill Peet (of which I was a big fan as a wee little lad), capybaras are basically Wumps.

  33. 33.

    Brachiator

    Is the woman in the photo a Lady Reverend?

    Ultra-wealthy mega donor Darla Moore has blasted the University of South Carolina for not sending her condolences on the passing of her mother on April 1st.

    Maybe they didn’t want it confused with an April Fool’s Day joke.

    From a Wikipedia article on Moore:

    A 1997 article in CNN Money by Patricia Sellers states: “To get a picture of Darla Moore, imagine, say, a cross between the Terminator and Kim Basinger, with a wicked South Carolina drawl. Upon first meeting, she can come across as a prima donna, tough and aloof. ….”

  35. 35.

    scav

    @Phylllis: I mean, isn’t that what traditional families are valued for?  Their deaths are all about you. Plus, if personal asses aren’t permanently and publicly smoochied, what’s the point if being a philanthropist? (I mean, clearly you’re the anthopod that’s buying the philia.)

  39. 39.

    Phylllis

    @scav: I know my first thought when a loved one dies is ‘where are the form condolence letters from flunky functionaries filled with trite phrases-those are the ones that will provide me solace at this time’.

  41. 41.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

     

    @J R in WV:

    Ironically, I met a young woman today who has been in a similar relationship for four years and made the down payment, along with other expenses.

    ”But I didn’t know he was a psycho despite his previous mental health hospitalizations, and he’s been able to keep his dentistry license” was not a good shield to what I had to explain to her about assets and child custody.

  42. 42.

    Ken

    @Phylllis: “Dear PHYLLIS, We are so sorry to hear about the recent loss of your ERROR: 'RELATIONSHIP' MISSING OR UNDEFINED. In these moments, many people find comfort in making an additional gift in the memory of their loved one,…”

  47. 47.

    Baud

    @Phylllis:

     I know my first thought when a loved one dies is ‘where are the form condolence letters from flunky functionaries filled with trite phrases-those are the ones that will provide me solace at this time

    If I didn’t get birthday emails from my auto insurance company, it’d be like I wasn’t even born.

  48. 48.

    dmsilev

    @Phylllis: I am actually a bit surprised. Universities devote a lot of effort towards keeping big donors happy, or at least feeling appreciated. A ‘mega-donor’, whatever the threshold for that is, might well expect a condolence call from the university President.

    Maybe she’s just such an ass that they decided not to care?

  52. 52.

    gwangung

    @Phylllis: Hm. My job is to keep track of such passings. One thought is that someone fell down on the job.

    On the other hand, what was the gap? If it was only a week out, the internal notifications aren’t quick enough to know immediately….

  56. 56.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Ken:

    I know, but you know, dentist. They’re sadistic psychopaths from the start.

    The observed adderall abuse was another key component of the pathologies…

  58. 58.

    germy

    Capitalism-Loving Dad Doesn’t Get Why Things Aren’t Built to Last Anymore

    In a puzzling yet unsurprising development out of your hometown, 62-year-old, capitalism-loving dad Robert Schorn doesn’t get why all the things he buys just aren’t built to last anymore.

    “I got these sneakers six months ago, and they’re already falling apart,” says Schorn, referencing shoes from a company whose profit relies on exploiting the cheapest labor legally possible and whose products are designed to be replaced four times a year. “Things just aren’t built like they used to be.”

    Schorn, who prides himself on his rationality, objectivity, and unclouded decision-making, maintains that capitalism is the superior economic model because deregulation breeds innovation and also because socialism is “evil”.

    “At least as an American I’m free to make my own choices,” Schorn says, ordering a replacement screen on Amazon after the frame of his last one broke after three weeks. “I used to get these at that little hardware store down the street, but, you know, they closed.”

    While Schorn is frustrated with the short-termism and low quality of present-day manufacturing, he is unwavering in his defense of capitalism.

    “That’s the beauty of this system,” Schorn says. “If I’m dissatisfied with the quality of these sneakers, doesn’t matter if I’ve been a lifelong customer, I can take my business elsewhere.”

    At press time, Schorn was buying tennis shoes from a subsidiary company of the same corporation that made his original pair, which he will also throw out in six months.

    https://reductress.com/

  60. 60.

    Phylllis

    @gwangung: That was my thought–April 1st was only last Thursday, could be some folks took Good Friday & maybe even Monday off. It would be great if a letter postmarked 4/1 shows up…today.

  61. 61.

    LiminalOwl (formerly The Fat White Duchess)

    @scav: It’s not philia.  Storge, maybe, but even that seems like pushing it.

    (I’m reading C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves yet again, if anybody’s wondering.)

  62. 62.

    LiminalOwl (formerly The Fat White Duchess)

    WaterGirl: love the pocket hamster! Thank you!

     

    And I recommend the Twitter feed of Capybara Man to everyone.

  63. 63.

    germy

    I sued the Daily Mail for their publication of my nonconsensual nude images. Today, we lost in court because a judge – not a jury – thinks revenge porn is free speech. This fight has massive implications for any woman who ever wants to run for office, so quitting isn’t an option. https://t.co/Sjhl5XOB6j

    — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) April 7, 2021

    “Free speech” … Jesus!

  65. 65.

    Leto

    @germy: That’s the laugh I need to cleanse the palate after responding to the conservative shitheads on my state senator’s FB feed regarding her support for trans people/expressing disgust over Pennsylvanian Republicans trying to introduce anti-trans sports laws. (Yes yes, FB bad, all that). Really got them to fly that hate flag on that.

  69. 69.

    Miss Bianca

    @Dan B: oh, pikas! Yes, they are almost unbearably cute. It’s been several years since I’ve seen one – I used to see them all the time on the scree piles when hiking in the Lost Lake area on CO’s Western Slope. Sadly, I’ve heard that they are yet another critter who may fall victim to global warming.

  70. 70.

    Anoniminous

    And in other news …………

    Brits are discovering leaving the EU means they are no longer part of the EU.

    Much hilarity is ensuing as long term Brit ex-pats in Spain have discovered they are illegal immigrants.

  71. 71.

    trollhattan

    @germy: ​
     
    “Back in the day” friends ran a video store–VCRs, televisions, Very Expen$ive movies on tape–and one of the brands they carried was RCA. Except RCA was just a name slapped on Japanese-made gear by then but a certain sort of duffer would come in and insist on only looking at RCA decks “because they’re American.”

    And so it goes.

  72. 72.

    Miss Bianca

    So, according to IRS.gov, they sent the latest COVID relief payment “to the address I had previously provided” on March 24. Too soon to start wondering, “where the hell is it, then?” Or too late?

  76. 76.

    germy

    This bird

    The Wren's Breath

    I had a vision of this photograph about 3 weeks ago and this morning after a lot of effort all the relevant bits came together and I finally managed to photograph a wren's breath

    Canon R5 and Canon 800mm L pic.twitter.com/kRKRiG2Pwo

    — Oliver C Wright (@OW_Photography) April 7, 2021

  77. 77.

    different-church-lady

    @Miss Bianca: On the one hand, mails be slow nowadays. On the other, check theft has been going way up for a couple of years now.

  79. 79.

    smith

    @germy:  a judge … thinks revenge porn is free speech

    Apparently, Matt Gaetz thinks along similar lines, and has gone to great lengths to support this “right.”

  80. 80.

    LiminalOwl (formerly The Fat White Duchess)

    @germy: Damnit. And just as Gaetz (and others of his ilk) wanted.

    Has everyone seen this already?

    (In WaPo, which won’t let me link properly, but google on headline)

    http://Matt Gaetz opposed Florida revenge porn bill

    @smith: ah, you got it while I was editing.

  81. 81.

    Leto

    @Anoniminous: I remember either reading an article, or seeing a news clip, about some Brits living in Spain who had voted leave, expecting to be able to stay in Spain, then discovering the results. They expected either the UK Home Office to do something, or the Spanish government… not like everyone basically warned them of what would happen, nope, not gonna let a bunch of people in Brussels tell US what to do… dumbasses.

    For our UK friends here, I’m really sorry for shit heading your way. Hopefully you can get things turned around.

  82. 82.

    Dan B

    @Ken: The last dentist I had learned that dentists were the professionals most likely to murder their families.  He cut back on his patients.

  83. 83.

    trollhattan

    @Dan B: ​

    @Miss Bianca: ​
     
    Picas are adorable, and not easy to spot. I’m more likely to see their little piles of plants drying for storage than the cute li’l critters themselves–although one does her their warning calls.

    To your point they’re being forced upmountain by climate change and the parts of the Sierra Nevada I usually hike they’re exceedingly rare already (one eventually runs out of mountain). They were more common in the Cascades and Olympics when I was a kid and hopefully are still doing well there.

    The little round ears are the clincher.

  86. 86.

    sab

    @Dan B: Wow. I did not know that, but once upon a time I worked at an accounting firm where one of our dentist clients did murder most  of his family and also all the dinner guests.

  88. 88.

    JeanneT

    Love the capybara hug pic!!

    (If you aren’t already aware, capybaras are classified in the rodentia family ‘Caviidae’ , and their closest cousins are the much smaller cavies we know as Guinea pigs (which are also quite adorable, as well as edible in some cultures). My last Guinea pig, Mr. Bill Nibbles, lived with me for five years before he died – but some pet cavies live to 8 years old – they’re a lot more durable than hamsters!)

  90. 90.

    Dan B

    @Miss Bianca: Pika’s habitat is moving upslope as alpine zones move up and subaloine vegetation encroaches.  They get pushed to diminishing terrain and are effectively pushed up the top of narrowing peaks.  It’s sad.

  91. 91.

    kindness

    Oh, I want a capibera.  Where do I go (besides Central/South America) to get one.  At least I wouldn’t have to worry about my cats attacking and killing it for play and I suspect my pups would give it reasonable berth as well….so long as it wasn’t trying to eat their food.

  92. 92.

    sab

    Is it just me, or does the mom in that picture look like an Episcopal priest? She might just be wearing a turtleneck, but it looks more clerical.

  93. 93.

    Hoodie

    @Phylllis: My son is a former Gamecock.  Moore has a complicated relationship with USC.    I think she feels that she has a proprietary interest in the school because she helped put their business school (their flagship program) on the map  (thus raising the school’s profile) by doing things like financing facilities that are pretty over the top. She has given a metric shitload of money to USC and to Clemson (who did bother to send their condolences).  South Carolina is a the red-headed stepchild to their neighbors in NC and GA. I think she views these donations as trying to pull SC out of the plantation era and onto a level playing field with its neighbors.  She got into a fight with USC when Nikki Haley replaced her on the USC board with a political donor.  She also had a conflict with them because SC’s GOP governor bigfooted into the selection of the replacement for the pretty widely liked president Harris Pastides.  My son says the guy who replaced him, the former West Point chancellor,  has turned out to be ok and not the Trumper some feared he would be.

  95. 95.

    J R in WV

    @Ken:

    I get an actual card, but they also handle my renter’s insurance.

    Do they also cover your boat? Motorcycle?   ;~)

  96. 96.

    Dan B

    @trollhattan: I hope they’re doing okay in Washington’s mountains but I’ve read they’re declining.  I used to see many on every fourth hike into alpine country.  We’ve got good snow cover this year which helps since they don’t hibernate and need snow as insulation for their homes in the rocks and to keep their food caches safe into Spring.

  97. 97.

    scav

    @LiminalOwl (formerly The Fat White Duchess): Will utterly admit to winging it herr, but I’m not seeing evidence of much storge from the donor-party in question to the fjord-pining mater and any form-letter storge from USC would strike me as taking its alma mater-hood a little too literally. Maybe I need to read the book.

  98. 98.

    J R in WV

    @WaterGirl: ​
     

    Hey, Leto. What is LOL funny about this ruling? it’s appalling.

    Pretty sure Leto agrees with you on that. Expostulation in shock at the decision… Me too!! Shock. Freedom of Wut?!!?!!????

  99. 99.

    trollhattan

    @Dan B: ​
     
    California had a second very sub-par snow year in a row, which stresses alpine zones considerably. It’s part of a long-term trend of what could be a megadrought. I know some specific spots in the Sierra that once had snow through the summer but now are bare by fall. Those little areas of life above treeline can be delicate and don’t recover easily.

  101. 101.

    JaneE

    @Phylllis: Several of the charities I contribute to send me Thanksgiving greetings (along with requests for more money, of course) and I know we get birthday greetings from someone we either contribute to or do business with.  Apparently a hundred or two a year is enough to rate a fancy request for funds once a year.  Most of the time it is just standard #10 envelope with mailing labels/notepads/magnets/tote bags.  I just wish they would forego the freebies and let me make my donations in peace when I choose to send money.

    I suppose that if you qualify as a “mega” donor, you expect a little more.

  102. 102.

    zhena gogolia

    @sab:

    Good call. Someone up above identified the person as M T Anderson. From his Wikipedia:

    Anderson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father Will Anderson was an engineer, and his mother Juliana Anderson was an Episcopal priest.

  103. 103.

    JaneE

    @trollhattan: Some of the Sierras due west of me used to have snow until the next season’s snowfall began.  Now most of that is already gone on the south facing faces and even some of the north faces.  For the last few years the Whites seem to get and keep more snow than the Sierra, 25 years ago it was the reverse.  65 years ago there was enough snow near Mammoth Lakes to let a couple of dozen kids and adults have a snowball fight at the end of August, and most of the mound was still left by the time we had frozen our hands off.

    But climate change can’t be real. /s

  104. 104.

    rikyrah

    You know that it kills the MSM that they can’t tone police 46 for calling these voter laws

    “the new Jim Crow.”

    The Democrats may have a messaging problem usually, but not with this issue.
    The language used is strong, powerful and THE TRUTH.
    It kills them that they can’t “both sides” the issue.
    The step up of corporations killed any chance of them doing that.

    Keep on calling it out, 46.
    Never stop calling it what it is.

    The new Jim Crow.??

  106. 106.

    Leto

    @WaterGirl: it’s an expression of incredulity. Yeah, I don’t get how how posting someone’s naked anything, without their permission, is somehow protected under the first amendment.

  107. 107.

    WaterGirl

    @Leto: I guess it is if you’re a judge who thinks the slut deserves it for having the photo taken in the first place.  People like this cretin do not belong on the bench.

  109. 109.

    NotMax

    @sab

    Quiet chuckles elicited in the Brit series Grantchester when, every time the priest-slash-detective is out and about in civvies, someone inevitably comments “You’re not wearing your dog collar.”

  110. 110.

    J R in WV

    @WaterGirl:

    People like this cretin do not belong on the bench.

    I figure the judge is a member of the guy’s frat, or poker night, or such like. Should have recused himself, couldn’t imagine needing to do such a thing, he’s judicial after all.

  114. 114.

    LiminalOwl (formerly The Fat White Duchess)

    @scav: Entirely possible that I’m misunderstanding the terms, despite CSL’s best efforts. Mostly I was trying to say that I saw very little “liking” anywhere in the story.

    i do wish I had taken Greek in college. But the first two semesters were only offered at 8 a.m., and it was a five-days-a-week class.

  115. 115.

    ZeeLizzee

    Off topic question from long time lurker:

    I suddenly find myself with two cars and have to sell one. I’ve gotten an offer for each from CarMax. They were both about the same and 2-3 thousand MORE than I expected.
    Does anyone have experience selling to CarMax?  Would you recommend them as a buyer? Should I hold out and try to sell private party?

    Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

  116. 116.

    Gin & Tonic

    @ZeeLizzee: No relevant experience, since I tend to drive cars until they return to their base elements, but if CarMax is offering you more than you expected, take the money and run. Their check will clear, but if you waste the next month chasing an extra thou from a private party, and they can’t produce the cash or give you a bad check or something, you’ll wish you had taken the first deal.

  117. 117.

    ZeeLizzee

    @Gin & Tonic: that’s kinda what I’ve been thinking. Now I have to decide what’s more important to me: great gas mileage or great looks. I’m leaning toward the mileage. Thank you!

  118. 118.

    Mary G

    @different-church-lady:  I don’t now why, but the IRS made a direct deposit into the checking account I’ve had for ten years for my Social Security, but mailed me a card for the $1,400 stimulus the same day. (Both prior stimulus payments were direct deposit.) The card came in an envelope I almost threw away unopened because it looked so much like junk mail. I was sure it was an offer to sell me better car insurance or something.

  119. 119.

    ZeeLizzee

    @Mary G: my husband’s first two stimulus payments were made by check, the last was direct deposited. His social security had been direct deposited since 2014.

  120. 120.

    kmax

    @Ken: I know this is a dead thread, but I just want it on record that you may have made the funniest comment I’ve read on this blog in oh so many years. :-)

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