Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

Innocent people do not delay justice.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

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

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

You cannot shame the shameless.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

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

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

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

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

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

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

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

You are here: Home / Popular Culture / Sunday Evening Open Thread: Choose Your Player

Reader Interactions

107Comments

  5. 5.

    Yutsano

    Rabbit in the middle row. It me.​

    EDIT: We also need more information on what’s happening in Cuba. If anything. Twitter reports are unreliable at best.

  7. 7.

    Geo Wilcox

    Bottom left with a little bit of the badger and raccoon thrown in for good measure.

  9. 9.

    Hilbertsubspace

    Reads a lot of theory.  No one knows wtf they’re ever talking about.

    Well damn.

    My pretentious choice of name makes this easy.

  10. 10.

    Emma

    It looks like Redwall? I like to think that I’m the bottom left corner, but I may actually be the hedgehog above…

  16. 16.

    CaseyL

    I’m the over-erudite blue jay (I think it’s a blue jay), bottom third from left.

    Or possibly the cute-and-doomed hedgehog.

  18. 18.

    Anne Laurie

    @CaseyL:I’m the over-erudite blue jay (I think it’s a blue jay), bottom third from left.

    Pretty sure that’s a kingfisher.

    (And the top-right bird, despite my first impression, is not a chickadee but a Eurasian blue tit.)

  21. 21.

    Anne Laurie

    @Omnes Omnibus: Specifically, one of the Toad Hall variety. That’s my boy.

    Sad but true: A.A. Milne Kenneth Grahame based Toad on his only son, who was (undiagnosed but) bipolar, and who came to a sorry end.

  22. 22.

    James E Powell

    This place is a have for the top right types, me included. I have developed some “Seems deep, etc.” in my older, isolated days.

  25. 25.

    Nutmeg again

    @Emma: Yes! thank you–was trying to remember the name. My kid was very into Redwall. I seem to remember she even built a castle from a kit-type-thing?

  27. 27.

    RSA

    Nice. I think they need a dilettante: “Knows a little about a lot, but nothing really useful.”

  28. 28.

    NotMax

    While it certainly won’t click with everyone, be it noted the softly surreal Rosalie Goes Shopping is available on Prime. If you liked Bagdad Cafe (a much, much better outing), you might want to give this one a go.

    Frustrating in that one can see where it wants to go but it never quite reaches the target. Nice to see Brad Davis was seemingly unconcerned with showing he isn’t exactly the tallest guy in the room. Also was bemused in that no matter how often he showed up, Judge Reinhold looks all of maybe 15 years old. Painless enough way to escape for 90 minutes if nothing else is beckoning your attention. Would suggest turning on closed captioning as some of the accents run to the thick side.

  29. 29.

    Cermet

    Little doubt I’d be the Kingfisher – bottom line, second from the right. Always reading, always (well, most times) right.

  32. 32.

    dexwood

    Over the decades of my life? Been a third of them during different growth spurts. More like a good old dog now.

  33. 33.

    scav

    Read a lot of theory — but that’s far from the only reason no one ever understands wtf I’m talking about.

  36. 36.

    MagdaInBlack

    @NotMax: I watched that years ago, and still make obscure references to “Rosalie Goes Shopping” that I then have to explain ?

  45. 45.

    Almost Retired

    Open thread? So I have to go play the part tonight of dutiful faculty husband at an event at the home of my wife’s school’s new Executive Pooh-bah Czar Supreme Suzerain (they’re a bit casual with titles there, but he’s essentially her new boss). And I have been provided with a list of sartorial and conversational rules of behavior – no politics, no flip flops (both sartorial and political), no sarcasm, no more than two drinks (size not specified, so I spy a loophole), and absolutely no negative opinions whatsoever about the Catholic Church or Catholicism at her Jesuit institution. I think it would be best if I fake laryngitis and hang out at the kid’s table. Long night ahead.

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Almost Retired: if your drink has never been fully emptied, adding to it doesn’t constitute another drink.  One drink, never empty, but never full.

  52. 52.

    satby

    Been watching the new Leverage: Redemption and, man I missed this show while it was off the air. So happy it’s back!

  53. 53.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Almost Retired:

    play the part tonight of dutiful faculty husband

    Isn’t it lovely?  When I was in grad school, there was, like, *one* female faculty member in my department (mid-80s).  So great that there are so many more now.  I wonder how that works: I bet there are guides for faculty spouses about how to prepare for such shindigs, how to assemble lists of conversation topics, etc, etc.

  55. 55.

    Immanentize

    @Almost Retired: a thought…. Just ask:

    “If Jesus was to return as a thief in the night, how do we discern if he has returned?

    Jesuits love fucking love when people ask about “discernment.”

  58. 58.

    HeleninEire

    Too old for this shit but got nowhere else to be.

    Easy.

    ETA: LOL looks like I’ve got lots of company!

  60. 60.

    PaulB

    Bottom right for me, although I would change it to “Whistles and sings even though everyone wants him to stop.”

    Unlike most people who whistle, I’m quite good at it. Still annoying to those around me, though. Unfortunately, it’s an unconscious habit and I’m not always aware I’m doing it.

  64. 64.

    CaseyL

    @Anne Laurie: OK: erudite about a wide number of subjects, but identifying birds is not one of them :)

    @Almost Retired:  Sounds like a normal faculty mixer in some ways – I can’t imagine any negative remarks about the institution being welcome at an event celebrating that institution, secular or sectarian.

  65. 65.

    Another Scott

    I guess I’m the badger today.

    J came home from a Target pickup and said her brake light was flashing. The car has had a small drip for a while, but I thought that was an oil drip (as it was low on oil recently too). Hmm.

    Open the hood, brake fluid is about 1/4″ below Minimum level. Yeah, that’s a problem. Top up the brake fluid reservoir, turn on the engine, pump the brake pedal. Hmm. That doesn’t feel right. Pump it some more.

    “POP”

    Pedal goes to floor. What was that noise?

    Get out, see brake reservoir level drop as I look at it. Look under the car, see brake fluid streaming down the center of the firewall, but it’s not clear where it’s leaking – can’t see anything unusual when looking down from up above. Maybe at some metal brake pressure distribution union at the firewall? Master cylinder? Metal brake line?

    2000 Corolla with 118,000 miles.

    I’ve hated the car for ages (it was extremely cheaply made and just about every plastic bit on the car has broken at least once – door handles (inside and out), trim around the doors, front seatbelt light rarely goes out properly, etc., etc.), but J wants to keep it alive for now and has no interest in car shopping during COVID.

    Monday will be fun – getting the car towed, maybe getting a rental, etc., etc. :-/

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  66. 66.

    dexwood

    I think most images are being chosen based upon how you’d like others to see you. Night all.

  71. 71.

    Mary G

    Bottom left with top right thrown in plus the other seven, I think I have multiple personalities.//

  72. 72.

    Dan B

    @Another Scott: A good friend had a 20 year old car that she bought new.  She didn’t want anything newer.  Finally the repairs were thousands more than the car was worth.  After much anxious shopping she found a top of the line, leather interior, bells, whistles Prius.  She ecstatic.  Then the rental unit in her house was vacated and toxic mold discovered, plus expensive leaks.

     

    We had to ditch the Leaf we were leasing because the Lead Acid battery regularly discharged.  New model is nicer.  Then TV died…..

  74. 74.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @Another Scott:  If your car has drum brakes in the rear, then you’ve popped one of the wheel cylinders. You may not see any oil until you take off the tire and drum. This happened to me once.​

    If that’s the case, let a pro repair it.

  75. 75.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    A mixture of raccoon, badger, and the rabbit on the bottom left.  This is not my own opinion, it is based on my last performance review.  There in writing was that my work was excellent, timely, innovative, and professional, but that management found me intimidating, so my good ideas were not considered.  I asked my manager what I was to do with this.  She denied writing it and said her supervisor wrote it. I asked her supervisor what was up, and he denied writing it.  I decided to figure out was a fool’s game and that since I had 30 years in and could retire, I needed to be away from them. So I retired.

  77. 77.

    CaseyL

    @Cheryl from Maryland: Good for you!

    That’s the problem with some managers, esp. the ones who have only been managers (rather than techs, designers, etc.): they don’t understand *what* they’re managing, and are intimidated by people who do.

    It’s a lovely feeling to be able to give ’em a FU and dance out the door.

  79. 79.

    stinger

    @Emma:

    It looks like Redwall

    That was my thought, too — that these were residents of Mossflower Woods!

    I also was looking for an additional 4 critters, thinking they could all be matched to one of the 16 personality types.

  80. 80.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @CaseyL: You are absolutely correct.  And it was a joy.  I had to “befriend” those managers on Facebook, so unfriending them once I retired was another pleasure.  I’m happy to say that the staff members at my level whom I mentored are still my friends and email me at times on how to solve a problem.  I email them back with what I think are good exhibition ideas — one which appears to be going forward is on Lowriders as that is a worldwide phenomenon (there are Lowrider clubs in Japan).

  82. 82.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Since so many people opted for the upper-right, I guess I’ll pick… “Reads a lot of theory”.

    I’m watching the recording of the Virgin Galactic flight from earlier today. It’s so obviously commercial and hokey, one big commercial for Virgin. But that somehow makes it all the more exciting. This is truly private business in space, just the way so much of early sci-fi imagined it. It’s really a new era.

    Also one of the panel of commentators, a company scientist who will be flying a future mission, apparently has a daughter named “Delta-Vee”. How beautifully geeky.

  84. 84.

    Another Scott

    @Jay: @Dan B: @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:  Thanks for the comments. I looked around some more – still can’t find where the leak is. Of course, 20+ years of grime and corrosion could be hiding cracks..
    The MC and booster seems dry, as do the lines and the distribution block. Nothing obvious up above, but the huge leak is definitely along the firewall or somewhere nearby. The front half of the MC (for the rear brakes) is empty while the rear half still has fluid, so that’s a clue, or at least cuts the problem in half.

    I don’t have time to fight with it and try replacing parts – we’ll have it taken to our neighborhood shop and let them troubleshoot it…

    Thanks again.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  86. 86.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Thanks. I finally figured that out after some fumbling around on Amazon. Maybe I’m a feeb, but I find that their channel information is maddeningly opaque. Do I have to subscribe to the IMDB channel, or do I just call up each episode and assume it’s free. What I see is “Stream episode 1 with ads,” which seems to hint that subsequent episodes wouldn’t be free.

  87. 87.

    Steeplejack

    Now starting Professor T on PBS. OCD criminology professor consults with the police, pisses everybody off but gets results. Starring one of the Death in Paradise guys. The Belgian original of this series was pretty good (streamed it on PBS Passport).

  88. 88.

    laura

    I’m a badger, from a long line of badgers and yet, I wasted years wishing I was the wee hedgehog because no one was interested in young badger.

  92. 92.

    Steeplejack

    Professor T was pretty good. Worth a look. This episode followed the script of the original Belgian one very closely. Almost spooky in places. The star is Ben Miller, with a good supporting cast. I found myself comparing them with the Belgian originals.

  96. 96.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    The Prime interface could indeed be less congested, however if you scroll down vertically through the categories (Watch Next, Movies We Think You’ll Like, etc.) eventually you’ll come to one titled IMDb TV through which you can then scroll horizontally to find what’s there. When then you click on a title you’ll get an interim screen with a small notation just below its Watch button as to what seasons or episodes are included free. That interim screen is handy as it will also state if a specific episode or season is not part of the free offerings and enable you to backtrack before incurring a charge.

  97. 97.

    stinger

    @Steeplejack: Watched it tonight. Was hoping it would be a new season of the Belgian version, but it was British. I admit it’s easier to watch without subtitles so I can multitask.

  98. 98.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    First season of the original version happens the be available on Prime for the month of July only. There’s a category, by whatever logic often hidden pretty far down so requires a lot of vertical scrolling to get to it, labeled ‘Titles to sample this month.’ Find it there.

  100. 100.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Thanks for the road map. So is the IMDB channel à la carte or is there some option to subscribe to the whole channel (if I wanted to)?

  102. 102.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    By having a Prime membership one is already subscribed to the IMDb channel. Amazon is not very clear about that being the case. The challenge is finding it amongst all the listings; it tends to move around. Sometimes it’s there after scrolling vertically down only 4 or 5 blocks, other times it may be 10, 12, or more places down.

    Of course, once you find something on it you want to watch you have the option to add that title to your watchlist to get to later on or else just begin watching. Doing either will cause the title you’ve chosen to appear in the Watch Next queue.

  103. 103.

    James E Powell

    @2liberal:

    I’m not understanding why we don’t have normalized, no sanctions relations with Cuba.

    Do Cuban Americans in Florida still insist upon a policy of inflicting pain on people living there? Castro’s dead. Isn’t it time to move on from rage over the revolution?

  104. 104.

    Steeplejack

    @James E Powell:

    A Castro is dead. Fidel’s brother Raúl just stepped down from leadership in April and still has a position of some power. The aftermath of the revolution is still alive, at least for some people.

  106. 106.

    BarbR

    Def. bottom line, last one on right. Trying to learn violin at 70; not going well.

    Reading these tags a great way to start the day.

  107. 107.

    J R in WV

    I’m about out of patience with Cuban refugees who still want their grandparents’ material possessions in Cuba returned 2 or 3 generations after they fled. Many of those people are still very well to do from their ancestor’s success.

    Prior to the Castro revolution Cuba was owned and operated by fascists and mobsters, I have no pity for their descendants and their financial condition.

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