Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“But what about the lurkers?”

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

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

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

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

We still have time to mess this up!

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

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

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

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

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

This blog will pay for itself.

The lights are all blinking red.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

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

Saturday Open Thread

by | 243 Comments

This post is in: 

Open thread.  Looks like we need one!

I often see comments like “I hope someone puts up a thread about …”  So while you’re chatting in this thread, if there’s something you’d like to see a post about, feel free to toss that into the comments.  No promises, of course, but it might be interesting to have a bunch of those ideas in one place.

Did I say open thread?

Reader Interactions

243Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    I am watching Bosch, now on Season Three.  I was googling something about season 3 and google “helpfully” made all sorts of suggestions.  One of them was something about Maddie dying.  Surely they won’t kill off another  female family member in his life?

    When we were talking about the new Bosch spin-off, someone said they hoped they bring Maddie back… surely that means she is not dead?  Unless the new spinoff is a supernatural show and they bring people back to life?

    Heading out to water my flowers for a few minutes, but I hope that I will return to news the Maddie is alive and well on the current Bosch.

  3. 3.

    Another Scott

    Biden’s statement on Afghanistan:

    BRIEFING ROOM
    Statement by President Joe Biden on Afghanistan
    AUGUST 14, 2021

    Over the past several days I have been in close contact with my national security team to give them direction on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan.

    First, based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military, and intelligence teams, I have authorized the deployment of approximately 5,000 US troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops during our mission and those at special risk from the Taliban advance.

    Second, I have ordered our armed forces and our intelligence community to ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan.

    Third, I have directed the Secretary of State to support President Ghani and other Afghan leaders as they seek to prevent further bloodshed and pursue a political settlement. Secretary Blinken will also engage with key regional stakeholders.

    Fourth, we have conveyed to the Taliban representatives in Doha, via our Combatant Commander, that any action on their part on the ground in Afghanistan, that puts US personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong US military response.

    Fifth, I have placed Ambassador Tracey Jacobson in charge of a whole of government effort to process, transport, and relocate Afghan special immigrant visa applicants and other Afghan allies. Our hearts go out to the brave Afghan men and women who are now at risk. We are working to evacuate thousands of those who helped our cause and their families.

    That is what we are going to do. Now let me be clear about how we got here.

    America went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to defeat the forces that attacked this country on September 11th. That mission resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden over a decade ago and the degradation of al Qaeda. And yet, 10 years later, when I became President, a small number of US troops still remained on the ground, in harm’s way, with a looming deadline to withdraw them or go back to open combat.

    Over our country’s 20 years at war in Afghanistan, America has sent its finest young men and women, invested nearly $1 trillion dollars, trained over 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police, equipped them with state-of-the-art military equipment, and maintained their air force as part of the longest war in US history. One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country. And an endless American presence in the middle of another country’s civil conflict was not acceptable to me.

    When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor—which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019—that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on US forces. Shortly before he left office, he also drew US forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500. Therefore, when I became President, I faced a choice—follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our forces and our allies’ forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country’s civil conflict. I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan—two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth.

    ###

    (Emphasis added.)

    Well said.

    Cosign.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  4. 4.

    p.a.

    Hive mind: looking into a mini CPAP for ease-of-travel.  My home equipment supplier doesn’t do minis.  Plenty on line.  Anyone have experience with them?  I’m going out, but will check in here as able.  Thanks.

  7. 7.

    brendancalling

    Yesterday I got up at 7:30 went to the local urgent care clinic for my Covid travel test, so I could have it within 72 hours of travel to Canada (I live in Burlington VT). When I got there, the line was already out the door and the clinic had just opened. The receptionist told me that the lab was overwhelmed, and was currently returning results within 5 days. This was not welcome news.

    A friend on the east end of the state, which has an even smaller population, suggested I call their clinics. I got an appointment and drove an hour and a half to get tested. Results would come in 1-3 days. There was no line. No news yet.

    i’m on edge, to say the least. I haven’t seen the kid in 18 months.

  8. 8.

    sab

    I have six indoor cats. We now have an upper respiratory infection spreading like wildfire. One got it, then a second, now a third. They are sitting around looking squinty-eyed and sneezing like mad. Anyone have any experience with this?  Vet put patient #1 on an antibiotic, but it is probably a virus

    ETA Patient #3 also has asthma.

  9. 9.

    MattF

    @Another Scott: I was about to post some of that. And for those armchair generals who are now demanding that American troops prevent the fall of Kabul… Are you prepared for the edifying spectacle of American troops firing on Afghan government troops to keep them from running?

  10. 10.

    Woodrow/asim

    @OzarkHillbilly: Maybe because it’s in — at best — bad taste?

    I know it’s a joke, but as someone who dealt with a lot of homophobic crap as a male belly dancer, much less my Trans friendships, it’s a joke that hits a little close to my experiences.

  11. 11.

    Scout211

    Paging Mary G. . . .

    My sister got an appointment for my BIL for his COVID booster shot already!  (He has leukemia and is on one of the meds that qualifies him for the booster right now).

    She signed up with one of the national pharmacy sites and they already had the site updated for COVID shot #3.

    He does have an appointment first with his blood cancer specialist.  They recommend that in case the doctor thinks the meds should be adjusted for the shot to be more effective.  The vaccination appointment is scheduled a few days after the doctor’s appointment.  But the pharmacy had open appointments for the booster shot as soon as this Monday.

    Yay!

    Text added for clarity.

  14. 14.

    Woodrow/asim

    @MattF: These assholes don’t care.

    If they did care they’d be wearing masks.

    All they want is, to quote the Bible, “wars, and rumors of wars” to keep them happy and sated that America is feared in exactly the way we think we should be.

    It’s up to the rest of us — luckily, the majority — to work night and day to keep that group as marginalizing as they deserve. (The trouble is, we tend to have crap to do other than sit around and throw brickbats at “the Libs”…)

  16. 16.

    sab

    @germy: Looked at patient # 1. We thought she had something up her nose. He thought she had a respiratory infection. No culture done.

  17. 17.

    Another Scott

    @p.a.: No personal experience, so maybe not relevant, but I thought I’d pass this along while I cool down from cutting the grass…

    I usually start my medical-information search at the MayoClinic.org site.  In this case, they have a “store” with items that their physicians recommend. Their Sleep Apnea Catalog (36 page .pdf) has a couple of travel CPAP machines on page 5: ResMed Air Mini, Transcend 365 miniCPAP Auto.

    HTH a little.

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  19. 19.

    Cermet

    @Woodrow/asim:  Could be a reference to some Scotsmen in their native garb – some of them really shouldn’t be showing off their legs … at least not without a bagpipe

  21. 21.

    germy

    @sab:

    I hope your cats improve quickly.   If feline #1 improves on the antibiotics, the vet will know the correct course of action.

    It’s sad to see them in discomfort.  And no fun giving them medicine.

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    @brendancalling: So the plan to see him on Sunday isn’t going to work, but I presume that there was nothing magic about Sunday and if it turns out to be Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, that’s okay?

    I was thinking about you this morning and your plans with your son tomorrow.  Sorry to hear that this are delayed yet again.  But hopefully not for long.

  23. 23.

    cope

    I just made an appointment for my wife to get her third vaccination as she is an organ transplant recipient.

    We got a little rain from the fringe bands of what was once Fred. Grace may have a greater impact in mind for us midweek. I will repeat myself from earlier by noting that the NHC should have named this season’s “G” storm Ginger. Surely an opportunity was missed.

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

     

    Here’s something that’s had me wondering recently: Everybody knows that there’s a handful of very talented performers who have won the EGOT (Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony). 

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_EGOT_winners

    I started wondering if there are any performers who were nominated for all four of the big awards but won none of them. Tried to plot it out manually by looking at lists of past nominees, but that exhausted me so that I had to take a nap after about ten minutes. And my Google skills aren’t slick enough to find out whether anyone else has ever calculated this.

  25. 25.

    Skepticat

    @sab:

    You don’t want to hear that the CDC says cats can get COVID-19, do you? However, they usually contract it only from being heavily exposed to a human with it, so maybe they all “just” have a garden-variety URI. The thought of pilling six cats is intimidating. I wish you much (good) luck.

  27. 27.

    germy

    @p.a.:

    I used to work with a guy who underwent surgery to correct his sleep apnea.  I have no idea if it helped, as I left the company shortly after and didn’t keep in touch.

    I’ve read that surgery is a no-no, because it might lead to scarring that will worsen apnea.

    I don’t know if this is still the case, or if surgery has improved since I read that.

  33. 33.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @WaterGirl:

    Could you maybe stop making a spoilery situation more spoilery?! I just started binge-watching and am not as far along as you. Dunno, I’m guessing there might be others in the same boat.

  40. 40.

    stinger

    Since I’ve heard nothing since, is it safe the assume that the “Jimmy Carter is in hospice” tweet a day ago was about some other J. Carter and not the beloved former President?

  42. 42.

    sab

    @Skepticat: My husband’s first reaction was “the cats have covid!!!” My response was “whete and how did they get it? Indoor cats all. Newest cat got neuteted at the vet about 10 days ago. I think he brought something home while being asymptomatic.

  45. 45.

    trollhattan

    The union representing Sac Police Department has protested the city employee Covid vaccine mandate. I wonder what actions they will take for this guy?

    A Sacramento police officer was arrested and charged with domestic violence on Friday after prosecutors previously declined to press charges.

    In a news release, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said Justin Shepard, 30, was charged with possession of anabolic steroids as well as domestic violence, stemming from an incident earlier this year.

    Shepard was arrested May 7 in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident that took place in Natomas. At the time, the Sacramento Police Department said that the victim showed visible signs of injury from the attack. He was released and charges were not filed.

    The District Attorney’s Office said its prosecutors found insufficient evidence to file charges as of June 9. However, as the Police Department was investigating the officer over the allegations of domestic violence and for potential anabolic steroid use, Shepard “was involved in another domestic violence incident” in San Francisco, according to the District Attorney’s Office, prompting prosecutors to file charges.

    “Based on new criminal conduct and further investigation, our office filed domestic violence charges stemming from the May 6, 2021 incident,” the District Attorney’s Office said in the news release.

    He was booked into the Sacramento County jail on Friday on an arrest warrant from San Francisco and two local arrest warrants. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office records show that he was released from custody the same day.

    Shepard was one of the defendants named in a 2020 lawsuit over a police shooting outside a midtown Sacramento Safeway in December 2019. The lawsuit alleged that a dog was injured by an officer’s gunfire, and the city of Sacramento later agreed to pay $99,000 to the dog’s owner in a settlement.

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article253493174.html#storylink=cpy

  46. 46.

    Suzanne

    @Another Scott: I am really sad about Afghanistan, but I also don’t see that a better outcome was possible.

    If anything, I hope that the American people learn that voting for warmongers makes us nothing but poorer, deader, and more humiliated.

    And now, I feel like every dollar appropriated to the American military should go to helping Americans find better things to do: go to college or trade school, feed kids, provide free healthcare.

  47. 47.

    Another Scott

    @WaterGirl: I did a quick try to see if there was such a list.  I didn’t find anything.  There are lists of people nominated for Oscars who never won, people who need an Oscar to get an EGOT, etc., but I haven’t seen what Subaru wants.  It’s probably out there, maybe on FB or something.

    Maybe Steep would have better luck?

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  48. 48.

    joel hanes

    @p.a.: ​
     

    My experience:

    Online sellers will not sell you a CPAP unless your doctor prescribes it.

    So see your sleep-study doctor FIRST, and explain your objectives, and go from there.

  51. 51.

    trollhattan

    @Suzanne:
    Speed and breadth of the collapse are a strong indicators the outcome is baked in. Taliban are clearly proxies for external influences in the region because there’s no way they could have armed themselves and mastered the logistics without significant support.
    I shudder for the Afghan women and children. “Monsters” is an adjective I hear constantly from Afghan women interviewed by reporters. They know from the 1990s exactly what to expect.​

  53. 53.

    japa21

    @debbie: ​
    Of course that part is never, ever mentioned in the media, just like Obama getting out of Iraq was pretty much dictated by the agreement Bush signed is never mentioned.

     

    ETA: Loved the part where he mentioned TFG inviting the Taliban to Camp David on the eve of 9/11.

  54. 54.

    JoyceH

    @Suzanne: ​
     

    I am really sad about Afghanistan, but I also don’t see that a better outcome was possible.

    What baffles me is how we keep creating for foreign countries these equipment-heavy western-style armies, that then immediately get defeated by guys in pickup trucks.

    But the public at large in Afghanistan doesn’t WANT the Taliban back. They’ve seen what it’s like when the Taliban rules the country. They’re voting with their feet and fleeing the country.

    Why, during the Taliban’s previous ascendancy, was there never a locally-grown insurgency? Snipers, night strikes and IEDs? I mean – they’re guys in pickup trucks!

  55. 55.

    Suzanne

    @trollhattan: Agreed. That entire country is going to suffer under the Taliban, with no end in sight. But there is not a damn thing we can do about it, and I am pissed that we got embroiled there at all. We got bin Laden. It’s over. It should have been over years ago. It should have been over before it started.

  56. 56.

    trollhattan

    @japa21: Status of Forces Agreement, yes?

    The U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (official name: Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq On the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq) was a status of forces agreement (SOFA) between Iraq and the United States, signed by President George W. Bush in 2008. It established that U.S. combat forces would withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, and all U.S. combat forces will be completely out of Iraq by December 31, 2011.

  57. 57.

    Al Z.

    @Skepticat: Although it’s probably the biggest, the Red Dress Run didn’t originate in New Orleans. It’s a Hash House Harrier event held throughout the US. I may be attending the live event in Syracuse on August 21st if my marathon training allows. Proceeds goes to Clear Path for Veterans.

  58. 58.

    Ohio Mom

    @brendancalling:

    I bet your kid is also on a knife’s edge. I think time passes more slowly for kids, so it might feel even longer to him since you’ve seen one another than it does to you.

    Hope you have a relaxed visit and that it is the first of a long tradition.

  59. 59.

    Poe Larity

    @WaterGirl: I wouldn’t worry until the spin-off. As a private dick, he’ll probably go more film-noir and the women will be dropping like flies.

  61. 61.

    Ohio Mom

    @joel hanes:
    Ohio Dad’s sleep doctor has been very helpful with all sorts of questions about cpaps, their settings, best masks, etc. The suppliers, not so much.

  64. 64.

    Woodrow/asim

    @WaterGirl: You all are likely right, and I’m actually in a poor mood — I just walked away for a bit and realized I’m becoming Roy Kent(!!!) today.

    Sincere apologies, gang, for being all cranky for no reason in the thread :)

  65. 65.

    Abnormal Hiker

    @cope: Hurricane Ginger (1971) holds the record as the longest-lasting continuous tropical storm ever in the north Atlantic. She spent 27 days as a tropical storm and 20 days as a hurricane. Much of that time was spent going backwards (but not on heels). The name seems to have been dropped when NHC switched to male-inclusive lists.

  66. 66.

    WaterGirl

    @japa21:

    Loved the part where he mentioned TFG inviting the Taliban to Camp David on the eve of 9/11.

    Yes!  That was Obama-level shivving.  Nicely done.  Let the facts speak for themselves.

  67. 67.

    Brachiator

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I started wondering if there are any performers who were nominated for all four of the big awards but won none of them.

    That’s a heck of a rabbit hole to run down. Good luck with that.

    Here’s an easy little tidbit.

    The only two people to win both an Oscar and Nobel Prize are George Bernard Shaw and Bob Dylan.

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    Hm. Don’t think we’ve ever had a thread about recommendations for wines. Speaking for myself, suggestions which take the least chomp out of the wallet would be most welcome.

  69. 69.

    WaterGirl

    @Poe Larity: I haven’t heard a thing about the spinoff except that someone here mentioned something about a spinoff, but no details were provided.

    I wondered if he was going to be a private eye in the spinoff.  Hell, I wondered if he going toe a private eye in season two!  :-)

  70. 70.

    RSA

    @WaterGirl: I’m reminded of a recent discussion on Defector on a topic that wandered to Luke’s father in Star Wars. A Dutch guy commented, “You know, ‘Vader’ means father in Dutch? In the Netherlands people were saying, ‘So that’s the big surprise? Really?’”

    Made me laugh.

  73. 73.

    Obvious Russian Troll

    @brendancalling: We did drive-through testing at Walgreens on our way back to Canada at the end of June. Isothermal amplification is used by the ID NOW test that some Walgreens have; this technique is accepted by the Canadian government. We just drove up, swizzled the swab around both nostrils for a bit, sent the test kit through and they had the results within a few hours. They did not ask much in the way of questions and did not charge us anything.

    The downside is we couldn’t get an appointment on the same day, and coverage in Vermont doesn’t seem all that great. However, other drug stores in the area may also offer it (particularly if you have other big chains like CVS). You can also get regular PCR testing.

    Also, border security being what it is it if I were going through again I’d have some documentation on what kind of test it is; the email they sent with the results did not have that and we had to mess around with the border agent for a while.

  75. 75.

    J R in WV

    @cope: 

    only Lynn Redgrave is on the list of Anti EGOT Winners.

    How can this be? Such a great practitioner of her craft!

  77. 77.

    laura

    @sab: Yes- it’s an upper respiratory infection and you’ll probably have to get the liquid amoxicillin. We call that pinking the cats. Our first shelter cat Mr. Minkers had it bad and my husband does an excellent imitation upon demand. Good luck!

  80. 80.

    Nukular Biskits

    How about an open thread dedicated (wait … would that by definition make it NOT an “open thread”?) to ranting about family members who refuse to get vaccinated?

    I’m the father of two college-educated sons … who have, so far, refused to get vaccinated. (if only Balloon-Juice allowed emojis here ….).

  81. 81.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Been in jury duty all week.  It was supposed to be 5 days, but looks like it’s gonna be 6-7.  It’s been interesting, but tedious/exhausting just trying to concentrate for 6+ hours a day.  I’m ready for it to be over, though I do really appreciate the work of lawyers, judges, juries etc.

    We just finished season 2 of For All Mankind last night.  It really is one of the best shows on tv right now.  We also started Underground Railroad which we love because Barry Jenkins rules.  And last night on a lark we watched the 2009 reboot of Friday The 13th which was pretty terrible, even for Michael Bay.  Also been really loving White Lotus.

    This morning our feral semi-domesticated cat “Mommy Cat” finally came in all the way to our kitchen/living room.  She and her son Jamie, and our other cat Sally were all obsessively waiting by our dining cabinet.  We finally realized that a lizard or mouse must’ve gotten in and they were all just waiting to pounce.  Mommy Cat left a dead mouse on my drum throne and a dead grasshopper in the backroom the other day.  She’s cute and we love her but she’s also quite deadly.

  82. 82.

    Poe Larity

    @WaterGirl: I think Welliver wanted his own show again. You will see a change in the dynamic and plots as the seasons go on. Welliver did an interview a few years back where he rants about (unnamed) actor(s) not knowing their lines, wasting time, etc.

    By season 6, everyone is pursuing their own subplot and they meet up at the end of the show and chat. Season 7 seems almost an over-the-top redemptive arc not just between characters but actors too.

    So I’ll predict the new show will be more gritty Welliver centric with the old Bosch cast being more a supporting cast.

  84. 84.

    Brachiator

    @trollhattan:

    Taliban are clearly proxies for external influences in the region because there’s no way they could have armed themselves and mastered the logistics without significant support.

    There is a long history of Afghanistan tribal ass kicking just since the 19th century.

    The First Anglo-Afghan War, also known by the British as the Disaster in Afghanistan) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. Initially, the British successfully intervened in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad (Barakzai) and former emir Shah Shujah (Durrani), whom they installed upon capturing Kabul in August 1839. The main British Indian force occupying Kabul along with their camp followers, having endured harsh winters as well, was almost completely annihilated during its 1842 retreat from Kabul.

    The Taliban and other forces may get some support from Pakistan, but they have developed skills over a long time. They also keep weapons abandoned or given to them by defeated forces. There are stories of them burying weapons for future use.

    An old rifle is still useful to a skilled sniper.

  85. 85.

    Quinerly

    Big dog park day for JoJo las Orejas and his new friends Roxie, Mikey, and Louie. Me… I have spent the day rearranging my small city courtyard for 3 days of HVAC folks. Replacing and relocating 2 zoned AC compressors (1991 one still limping along). Broke my heart to dig up cannas and elephant ears this early but they were where was decided for relocation. New refrigerant lines, New electrical for them. Kinda done for the day. Listening to Al Kooper. Drinking Milwaukee’s “Beast… Heavy.” Hope everyone had a great day!

  87. 87.

    James E Powell

    @Brachiator:

    Only marginally related, but it’s kind of like an awards list and this is, after all, an open thread.

    The election of Joe Biden added the University of Delaware to the list of colleges that have produced both a president and a winning Super Bowl quarterback (Flacco).

    The others are Miami University (Harrison/Roethlisberger), Michigan (Ford/Brady), Naval Academy (Carter/Staubach), and Stanford (Hoover/Plunkett & Elway)

  88. 88.

    Scout211

    @Nukular Biskits:

    You mean like this? ? Or this? ?

    Emojis work if you’re on a mobile device.  Do either of those emojis work for how you feel about your non-vaccinated kids?

    Added: one of our adult grandsons held out until recently when his college required vaccinations to be on campus for this fall. It is definitely frustrating. ?

  91. 91.

    zhena gogolia

    @J R in WV:

    Let me remind you that Charles Chaplin, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, and Alfred Hitchcock never won a competitive Oscar.

  92. 92.

    opiejeanne

    @WaterGirl: Not sure if anyone else has answered, but I think you need reassurance. No, she does not die. That would destroy Bosch and he wouldn’t be the same.

    In the books there are some scary-ass story-lines that involve her, but like I said, her death would change Bosch irreversibly, and I’m pretty sure his fans like him the way he is

    There are several characters that I will miss, but I’m not sure they can fit into the spin-off series. Crate and Barrel, and Lt Billets (Bullets).

  93. 93.

    emrys

    @sab: a nebulizer is good for helping clear some of the gunk out of their sinuses.  probably easier for you to check with your vet than me getting into all the details but WaterGirl can give you my email if you’d like more information.

  98. 98.

    germy

    Informative thread:

    COVID Update: I’ve had dozens of people ask me with Delta here, what is the COVID end game.

    Because I don’t know, I interviewed 6 experts on various elements— variants, vaccines, global, policy, ev biology & historical precedence.

    Will break it down here. 1/

    — Andy Slavitt ??? (@ASlavitt) August 14, 2021

  100. 100.

    Jenny Howard

    @Skepticat: cats have their own corona virus. Presents as upper respiratory for a short period. The only problem is that it can mutate into Feline Infectious Peritonitis which is horrible and fatal. I learned this when I lost a beautiful red Burmese queen rescued from a D-list cattery. I had two other cats at that time, one from the same cattery; neither of them developed FIP. Last I heard, Kansas State Vet college (among others) had developed a vaccine.

  103. 103.

    J R in WV

    My understanding is that the Taliban is organized and funded by both the Pakistani security forces AND the Saudi Wahabi religious extremists. They are not a bit concerned with their popularity among the Afghani population.

    = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

    On a completely different topic, yesterday we had repeated thunderstorms, heavy rain, etc. Was 95 or so when that started, the storms dropped the temps a little. Today not quite 90 but humidity is peaking. We are lucky enough to have country dogs that have seen and heard thunderstorms since they were tiny puppies, so not upset by the noise etc yesterday.

  104. 104.

    Quinerly

    @Another Scott: I’m a fan of TJ’s Spanish wine section. I used to buy the one with the chicken and golden egg on the label. It was discontinued. Now I buy the zebra one. $5.99.

    Whatever you do, don’t buy the one with the pig on the label for $4.99. Spend that extra dollar!?

  109. 109.

    WaterGirl

    @opiejeanne: Glad to know that!

    Titus Welliver, who has embodied Detective Harry Bosch for seven seasons, will return for the new series. He’ll be joined by Madison Lintz, who plays daughter Maddie Bosch, and Mimi Rogers, who plays Honey “Money” Chandler.

  110. 110.

    Quinerly

    @frosty: I just went thru that a couple of years ago. Got about 15 years out of the last one. What brand did you get? I shopped them around. Went with one off of Amazon…. Frigidaire.

  111. 111.

    RSA

    @WaterGirl: Ah, I guess it’s Anne Laurie who’s been quoting Defector lately. It’s a new sports-and-other-stuff site made up of writers who quit or were fired from Deadspin, after their new-ish management demanded that they stick to sports.

    Anne’s been linking to David Roth there, who has good political insights and writes well. I’m a fan of Drew Magary and his humorous posts there.

  113. 113.

    WaterGirl

    and…

    Much of the team behind Bosch and many of the actors in the show are confirmed to return for the follow-up.

    There’s more returning talent behind the camera too. Series creator Eric Overmyer is overseeing the new show while Michael Connelly, the author of the books the Boschseries are based on, will also be returning for the new iteration.

    Production on the new series has officially begun.

    This was confirmed last week by Connelly as he gave fans a short insight into what the spin-off will look like. He shared a small clip of a scene being filmed and wrote that the Bosch spin-off will be a “new show” with the “same DNA.”

    The new spin-off series of Bosch will launch on Amazon’s IMDb TV. This free ad-supported service is currently only available to viewers in the United States.

    There is currently no release date scheduled for when we might see detective Bosch and his new show yet, but since filming has already started, it implies we could be seeing the return of these characters in the next year or so.

    Ugh on the free ad-supported service.  I HATE ads.

  115. 115.

    brendancalling

    @WaterGirl:  yeah, we (Sam and I) talked about it today. Monday will work (I think), but then it’s definitely another test and 3 day wait.

    I’ve been checking my email obsessively all day, as you can imagine. I’ll send photos when I get over.

    TBH, I’m planning on how I can get over there and not leave. I might have an ace in the hole for that…

  117. 117.

    p.a.

    @Another Scott: tks, great info.
    Can’t seem to load multiple replies so: germy- know 2 people who had the op. No, and I mean NO good results. And unless I suddenly take up wilderness camping it’s not a real need.
    joel hanes- yep, already spoke to them.

  121. 121.

    Poe Larity

    @WaterGirl: Yes as it goes on, but it wraps up nicely.

    I didn’t dislike any season, but by 6, it was less a partner show and a myriad of subplots. S7 is excellent.

  122. 122.

    WaterGirl

    @p.a.: You click reply on the first person you want to reply to.

    Then click the X to close that window.

    Then go to the next person you want to reply to, and click reply on their comment.

    That leaves you with @first person and @second person.  You can reply the same thing to both, or you can say one thing under person one and another thing under person two.

  123. 123.

    Yutsano

    @Another Scott: ​ I fear for the women in Afghanistan. But a lot of them have had years of education including university degrees. I can see some of them employing Lysistrata in their forced marriages. And as Amir Khalid has said, the only parties that would be happy with a return to the Taliban foreign inspired regime would be the Saudis and the ISI. I wonder how different it would be this time just based on what women plus little foreign aid will make.

  125. 125.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @japa21: to his credit, I heard Barry McCaffrey on MSNBC yesterday make the point several times– Nicolle Wallace and Brian Williams were deploring the withdrawal– make the point that things have only been relatively calm lately because trump persuaded the Taliban that we’d get out if they stopped shooting. As I recall he’s never been a reluctant hawk, and he seemed resigned to the fact that there was no better option.

  126. 126.

    Brachiator

    @James E Powell:

    The election of Joe Biden added the University of Delaware to the list of colleges that have produced both a president and a winning Super Bowl quarterback (Flacco).

    Very cool.

    I also found this recent story to be quite fun.

    Last weekend, NBA star Javale McGee and his mother, USC Trojans legend Pamela McGee, made history as the first mother and son to win gold medals at the Olympics.

     

    Pamela, 58, starred for the USC Trojans who were featured in the Women of Troy documentary on HBO, is a Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer who won a gold medal in 1984. Thirty-seven years later, not only did her son also bring home an Olympic gold medal after the United States beat France 87-82 last Saturday but he’s also won three NBA titles.

  128. 128.

    Poe Larity

    The Russians aren’t really thrilled for the Taliban. Plenty of trouble they can cause in border states

    Taliban militants have taken control of Afghanistan’s borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russia’s Kommersant daily reported on Wednesday, citing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, heightening security concerns for Moscow.
    As for China, let their ambitions sink. Suicide bombers have been hitting foreign buses in Pakistan. Don’t know the bent of this story, but talks about China and Pakistan.

    https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/the-china-pakistan-partnership-continues-to-deepen/

  130. 130.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Woodrow/asim:

    — I just walked away for a bit and realized I’m becoming Roy Kent(!!!) today.

    He’s here! He’s there! He’s every fuckin’ where!

  131. 131.

    frosty

    @Quinerly: Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 was in most of the “best of” reviews. HD and Lowes were out but there was an appliance store 50 miles away that had it. I got their next to last one.

  132. 132.

    Scuffletuffle

    @sab: so sorry to hear, have 2 myself that are always dealing with respiratory issues. I tend to just clear the nose as a often as possible with a saline solution. It seems to help.

  135. 135.

    Brachiator

    @Yutsano:

    I fear for the women in Afghanistan. But a lot of them have had years of education including university degrees.

    These are the women whose lives are most at risk.

    If the past is any indication, the Taliban will unleash hell on Earth on the populace.

    I wonder how different it would be this time just based on what women plus little foreign aid will make.

    I am not sure what you mean here. The Taliban don’t care about foreign aid.

  138. 138.

    pat

    Wasn’t Afghanistan known as “the graveyard of empires?” As it always was, so shall it be.

  139. 139.

    Quinerly

    @frosty: I think that’s mine!

    Last one was a Frigidaire too. Like I said lasted 15 years. Probably closer to 20. My basement is a walkout with windows, 75% above ground. But limestone walls from 1885. This time of year it runs 24/7. 70 pints with dedicated drain. Built to run. Enjoy!

  140. 140.

    CaseyL

    Re: Afghanistan: the reason the soldiers we trained and supplied for 20 years collapsed at the first sign of trouble is because they knew their government wouldn’t last one Friedman unit after our departure, the Taliban would take over, and everyone who fought them would be killed.

    Everything I’ve heard about the central government (such as it is/was) makes them sound at best ineffectual, and more likely too busy being corrupt to actually build a country.

    It’s a damn shame we can’t simply get all the women and girls out of there; let those misogynistic douchecanoes try building a Caliphate or whatever with no women at all. That’s what I’d do, if given even one fifth of the total resources we squandered there.

    In other news:  Seattle weathercasters lied about the heat breaking today.  It’s still hella hot (though nothing at all like late June); now they’re saying things will cool off tomorrow.​​​

  141. 141.

    Geminid

    I am sitting on my porch, listening to thunder. Central Virginia been in drought the last two months but we finally got rain the last two days. Cool and cloudy tomorrow, then a week of rain days. If we hadn’t had a very wet winter and early spring we’d have been in real trouble. I wish we could send some rain to the west coast though. Those wildfires are appalling.

  142. 142.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    the sad truth is the country stopped caring about Afghanistan probably when the economy crashed in 07

    Ruben Gallego @RubenGallego 2h
    What I am feeling and thinking about the situation in Afghanistan, I can never fit on Twitter. But one thing that is definitely sticking out is that I haven’t gotten one constituent call about it and my district has a large Veteran population.

    Nick Confessore @nickconfessore Aug 13
    Curious, for my non-media, non-politico followers: Is anyone in your life closely following, or talking about, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan?
    In my circles, the withdrawal seems to exist in a bubble, away from everyday American life — much like most of the war itself.

  143. 143.

    JMG

    The speed of the Taliban takeover makes me believe that the collapse of the Afghan army and police was pre-negotiated early this year or sometime last year, and that Biden’s total withdrawal announcement was just the trigger for a done deal. It doesn’t mean opponents of the Taliban have joined them, just that they’re biding their time until it’s their turn to be the murderous insurgency.

  146. 146.

    Uncle Cosmo

    Lots of excitement yesterday afternoon/evening in in the ‘hood.

    First, the storm. I don’t recall ever enduring that level of meteorological violence. Massive amounts of rain driven by winds so strong they splattered my bedroom AC – which is under a sizeable awning. Those winds picked up a small table on my porch and literally ripped the bolted-in top off the stand.

    At about 5:30 PM the power failed in the whole neighborhood, and was not restored until shortly after 9 AM. ACs in each window, that I could not remove without risking aggravation of a herniated disc…and there was no hint of a breeze anyway… so I spent the night in the bedroom at about 85 F, humidity about 190%. Waking nightmare. In desperation I soaked a towel and wrung it out and lay underneath it. I may have gotten 2-3 hours of fitful sleep (but see below)…

    After the storm blew through I decided to keep the fridge closed and venture out in search of supper. Just as I finished dressing, flashing red lights came through the blinds. A hook and ladder truck had pulled up right in front of my auto, and I obviously was going nowhere, which annoyed me til I saw the ladder extend to a roof across the road and firemen sprinting to the door as black smoke poured out from under the porch awning of the family who were my first friends when I arrived over 30 years ago. The BCFD broke down the front door and dragged hoses inside as the man on the ladder breached the roof. I didn’t see anyone come out, which concerned me; later I saw the widow and her son living there were both out and unharmed.

    (The final indignity: Furious pounding from across the street at about 4 AM, as the son tried to reseat the front door and fasten it closed. I understand the necessity, but I can’t imagine how anyone else managed to sleep through the racket.)

    NB Once the power came back on, I read through Cole’s thread about backup generators with a new interest in the subject…

    Interesting times…

  147. 147.

    JMG

    PS: Iran would be the logical country to support anti-Taliban armed resistance. They don’t want Saudi Arabia to be able to open a second front in their cold, well, room temperature, war.

  148. 148.

    Brachiator

    @CaseyL:

    Everything I’ve heard about the central government (such as it is/was) makes them sound at best ineffectual, and more likely too busy being corrupt to actually build a country.

    The key cities have often been distinct from the countryside and tribal areas. It has always been difficult to cobble together a stable political entity in the region.

    It’s a damn shame we can’t simply get all the women and girls out of there; let those misogynistic douchecanoes try building a Caliphate or whatever with no women at all.

    Sadly, the Taliban would probably raid nearby countries and kidnap women.

  149. 149.

    debbie

    @Woodrow/asim:

    I think it’s the time of year and the weather. A couple of usually calm, sedate art groups I follow on FB have been surprisingly combative and trollish.

  151. 151.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski · 8h
    Carlos Piccata, who says he is a combat vet, to the Shasta, CA county commission: “It’s not going to be peaceful much longer. We’re building, we’re organizing. You won’t stop us when the time comes. This is a warning for what’s coming. There’s a million people just like me.”

    this guy who says he’s a vet, who presumably went through some extreme discomfort during training and his service, is ready to choose violence over wearing a piece of cloth over his face when he goes to the Piggly-Wiggly

  153. 153.

    trollhattan

    @raven:

    Per the NCAA for FY 2019

    The total athletics revenue reported among all NCAA athletics departments in 2019 was $18.9 billion. Of that amount, approximately $10.6 billion (56%) was generated revenue by the athletics departments, leaving nearly $8.3 billion (44%) that had to be subsidized by other sources at schools across the Association, such as institutional support and student fees.

    https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/finances-intercollegiate-athletics

  154. 154.

    Brachiator

    @JMG:

    The speed of the Taliban takeover makes me believe that the collapse of the Afghan army and police was pre-negotiated early this year or sometime last year…

    It doesn’t mean opponents of the Taliban have joined them, just that they’re biding their time until it’s their turn to be the murderous insurgency.

    This would not surprise me. It will be sad, but telling, to see how quickly the Taliban move to neutralize these potential opponents.

  155. 155.

    trollhattan

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    Jeez. Wishing you calmer days. Wonder how bad the neighbors’ damage was? Fire doesn’t have to burn much to still have a big loss from smoke and water damage.

  159. 159.

    Bunter

    @WaterGirl: ​  IMDb TV’s ads aren’t too bad. I watched Leverage:Redemption on the site and I didn’t find them particularly. I will admit to trying to skip them out of habit but, hey, they give me a show I want to watch? And I don’t have to subscribe to yet another streaming service? Yeah, I’ll suffer through ads. Besides, it’s time I can read the posts and comments here.​

  161. 161.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @cope:

    Thanks! I somehow missed that footnote when I was perusing the EGOT Wikipedia entry, but that absolutely answers my question. Lynn Redgraves for the win nomination!

  162. 162.

    WaterGirl

    @Bunter: I have been spoiled by decades of Tivo where I can just press a button and skip the ads.  I don’t think I would watch a show if I had to sit through ads.  Bummer.

  165. 165.

    Geminid

    @JMG: trump in effect prenegotiated an Afghan surrender when he left the Afghan government out of the negotiations that led to his phony peace deal with the Taliban. trump knew the Talban wouldn’t honor the agreement, and the Taliban knew that trump cared about no one but trump, and acted accordingly.

    trump’s master in Moscow may have ordered this, perhaps at their Helsinki meeting.

  166. 166.

    Suzanne

    My contempt for Lindsey Graham has somehow increased, even though I thought it was already at its maximum.

    “Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told the New York Times he called Joe Biden shortly after the election to try and repair their fractured friendship, allegedly telling the president-elect that he only attacked Biden’s son, Hunter, to satisfy Trump supporters.”

  167. 167.

    BeautifulPlumage

    If WaterGirl is still around…I’d like a cooking thread. I just bought a pack of boneless pork chops and want to make something in the slow cooker but I’m in need of ideas. The caveats: no tomatoes, peppers of any kind, easy on added sugars. I do have garlic, lemons, a decent range of spices, vinegars, oils, etc. Anyone up to make suggestions?

  168. 168.

    Central Planning

    @NotMax: We tend to like the Coppola reds. They are in the $15-20 range.

    We are always in the lookout for a good Barolo, but the good years get expensive quickly.

  172. 172.

    Geminid

    @mrmoshpotato: Kroger’s has several types of ” Bay Bridge” wine for $2.99 a bottle. I wouldn’t say they are good, just good enough for me.

    Curious: do you consider yourself a commentater? Asking for a friend

  173. 173.

    CaseyL

    @Suzanne: He brings new depths to being despicable, doesn’t he?  What a horrible existence.

    It’s not surprising Trump cut the legs out from under the Afghan gov’t:  if you’ll recall, he also cut the legs out from under the Kurds. (Though betraying the Kurds is nothing new; Bush the First did the same thing.)

  174. 174.

    J R in WV

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Carlos Piccata, who says he is a combat vet, to the Shasta, CA county commission: “It’s not going to be peaceful much longer. We’re building, we’re organizing. You won’t stop us when the time comes. This is a warning for what’s coming. There’s a million people just like me.

    This guy needs to be in prison for making deadly threats. If we let the non-violent criminals go I’m sure we have room for a million violent revolutionaries. Fuck those guys!!

    Revolution because of face masks? Should be taken into custody and vaccinated repeatedly until immune. Fuck those guys.

  175. 175.

    Brachiator

    @RSA:

    When I was living in California in 2005-6, it was two buck Chuck.

    They continue to have a great selection of moderate priced wines.

  177. 177.

    Quinerly

    @mrmoshpotato: yep. Usually my “yard beer” is Beast Light.

    Today, was a 5.2% day.  Lots accomplished with Mr. Knopler, Mr. Kooper, Mr. Dylan and now the ex Mr. Dunaway’s  musical assist. (paging…. Raven to identify the ex Mr. Dunaway. What a pairing they were. )

  178. 178.

    Bunter

    @NotMax: ​  Don’t know how inexpensive you’re looking for but, Santa Cristina Campogrande Orvieto and Hermanos Malbec are both good sub $20 wines (even in NYC)​

  180. 180.

    Starfish

    @CaseyL: From my understanding, Iran was trying to do some charitable work in education in Afghanistan because it harms them if they have to take in a bunch of uneducated refugees.

  182. 182.

    RandomMonster

    @WaterGirl: Or maybe everyone is out having some fun on this Saturday afternoon?

    Does cleaning the fridge count? Probably not, but at least I was seasoning a wok at the same. Now I stir-fried some fish in a black bean suace. Hot!

  183. 183.

    Steeplejack

    @Nukular Biskits:
    If you are on a Windows computer, you can get the emoji menu by pressing and holding the Windows  key and then pressing the Period key.
    On Macs the key combo is Command-Control-Space.​

  184. 184.

    WaterGirl

    @BeautifulPlumage: I am no help at all on pork chops, and if I put up 3 posts in a row John will shoot me. :-)

    In college I used to put pork chops on top of either sliced potatoes or uncooked rice, cover the whole thing with a can of cream of celery soup, cover it and let it cook.  That was good, but I’m pretty sure you are looking for something more sophisticated than that!

    Since there’s no thread yet after this one, maybe folks will chime in with suggestions.

    edit: I think you might be able to go to TaMara’s What’s 4 Dinner Solutions website and type “pork” in the search box and get some recipes.

  188. 188.

    NotMax

    @Bunter

    Yeah. While ad-free rocks, the breaks on IMDb TV aren’t so frequent or lengthy as to be an overt annoyance.

    Ditto when it comes to the free streaming service Tubi.

  189. 189.

    Another Scott

    Simon Gallup leaving the Cure again is one of the signs of the apocalypse isn't it?

    — HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) August 14, 2021

    Could be. :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  191. 191.

    lowtechcyclist

    If Adam Silverman has the time and energy for it, I wouldn’t mind seeing an explainer of WTF we are doing in Yemen. And why, given that it is a country that most Americans know jack shit about and care even less.

  193. 193.

    Mary G

    @Scout211: Congratulations to your BIL and thank you for the information. I am going to do the sensible thing that I did not do when I got the first shot, and call my rheumatologist tomorrow. There are several recommendations on the web for timing, some of which I like more than the other. It’s good to know there will be no problem scheduling it when the time is right!!

  194. 194.

    James E Powell

    @debbie:

    I think it’s the time of year and the weather. A couple of usually calm, sedate art groups I follow on FB have been surprisingly combative and trollish.

    I think the whole nation – maybe the world – is worn out from COVID and the Delta upsurge is pushing some of us to the edge.

  195. 195.

    Geminid

    @CaseyL: Iran might try to protect the 4 million Hazara, who are fellow Sh’ites. The Hazara have a long history of oppression by other Afghans, but the Taliban was especially brutal to them. The destruction of the statues at Bamiyan was nothing compared to what the Taliban did to the Hazara people in the surrounding province.

    The Hazara homeland is in central Afghanistan, unconnected  to the Iranian border. The Iranians have the experience and resources to make trouble for the Taliban if they want to, though. They are not shy about intervention, at least not in the nations to their west.

  197. 197.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @trollhattan: No way to know right now. What the smoke and fire don’t screw up the water usually does. Hard to imagine they’ll be able to stay there before repairs. The son (who opened his bedroom door to a cloud of smoke, ran for the bathroom, climbed out the window to the front porch awning & jumped to the lawn) said something about going in to recover his things. You just hope the floor hasn’t been compromised to the point where he falls through.

    (Just FTR, this is a pretty sedate neighborhood most of the time – biggest hassle is when the folks next door go out for the evening and leave their 20something sons home, who then crank the stereo up to about 140 dB for a few hours…)

  199. 199.

    NotMax

    Quinerly

    Can speak from experience eating them more than a half century ago that Faye Dunaway makes killer chicken salad sandwiches.

  200. 200.

    Quinerly

    @MagdaInBlack: and our Mr. Knopfler just had a birthday. 72 years old.

    And let me take this opportunity to say “fuck you, Clapton and Van the Man.” Done with you. (Covid hoaxers, anti maskers, to clarify. I’m not just ranting for the sake of ranting or maybe I am? ?)

  201. 201.

    J R in WV

    Don’t know if the tragic outcome looming in Afghanistan is worse than that for the Kurds, maybe too early to tell. Bush was such a monster, Trump may have him beat!

  202. 202.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: we have had this discussion on this very blog! I was bowled over then. And the thread died… I never got to delve into the details. I’m assuming Mr. Wolf wasn’t around…..

  203. 203.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Quinerly: Oh my Thank You twice ?

    Eta: never was a big fan of Clapton (ok maybe briefly in the Bell Bottom Blues era) and then I read an excerpt of his bio: the man has always been a dumbass.

  204. 204.

    Mo Salad

    Closing in on 48 hours of lost power in suburban Detroit. Tossed all of the contents of my fridge except beer and cheese into the trash, which was convenient because the Friday pickup got pushed to Saturday due to the garbage crews falling behind due to all of the extra trash pickups of flooded basement flotsam.

    Sat outside and got caught up on reading, while getting up and opening my car every 10 minutes to unplug and replug the USB cords for my phone and backup battery. The utilities have an auto shutoff. Looks like I’ll get through John Moe’s Hilarious World of Depression in one day.

    Just ate an entire Little Ceasars thin crust Extra Most Bestest because I do not have a functioning fridge for the leftovers (Sure, let’s go with that.)

    WAS going to go the LFC Detroit’s home bar for the match, but just ended up watching a pirate stream on my phone. I have unvaccinated idiots in my office and I will not be the one to give them Delta. My patience with them is running thin.

    ETA – Made the mistake of capitalizing the first letter of my email address. Moderation hell.

  205. 205.

    Yutsano

    @Mary G:

    I am going to do the sensible thing that I did not do when I got the first shot, and call my rheumatologist tomorrow.

    Your rheumatologist takes calls on Sunday? :D

    Sorry to make fun I’ve done the same thing myself. I’m guessing you mean Monday.

  207. 207.

    NotMax

    @Quinerly

    This was some years prior to Wolf entering the fold.

    Not a very interesting story. Small group of us, when in high school, would get together once in a while to play cards. She was shacked up at the time with the father of the guy who had the best set-up for holding a card marathon and would trot out refreshments.

  209. 209.

    Quinerly

    @MagdaInBlack: I actually bought and waded thru his memoir. Asshole.

    Van has disappointed me. Actually have met him. In NOLA. Always loved his music. Even that grueling “Hymns to the Silence” phase.

    (there’s a Valerie Bertinelli (with pic) tweet going around that sums up Clapton.)

  214. 214.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Quinerly: Found it. Nice reference in the thread to the George Harrison wife affair. He prob hit on Valerie too.  Yeah, Im in sat night frivolous gossip mood. ?

  216. 216.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: I just checked her Wiki. Wolf was in 1974. First marriage. She’s 80. Hard for me to take some of this in, as my mom would say. I just had the milestone of 60. Ugh.

    BTW, there’s a great pic circulating around this week for some reason. Keith R, Chuck Berry, Leonard Cohen, and Peter Wolf. It’s fabulous. Cohen is standing over them all. At first glance, he looks like he has 4 hands. ?

  218. 218.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    A wine I like for summer is Portuguese vinho verde (“green wine”). Very light, refreshing, just a tiny bit of sparkle. And cheap. You probably can’t get it at the supermarket (I haven’t checked), but most wine stores should have a modest selection. I like Caiu a Noite, but I got something else when that was out and couldn’t tell a difference. Both were $9 a bottle.

    I am a cava hound and will once again recommend Conde de Caralt as a very nice cheap bubbly. (Gold label, not the other one.) About $11-12.

    Like someone upthread, I like the Coppola reds, and for everyday “I just want a glass of something” red wine I like Black Box Cabernet. Keeps for quite a while, so I don’t have to worry about “I opened the bottle so now I have to drink it.” I tried several different box wines, and that was the one I settled on.

  219. 219.

    Quinerly

    @MagdaInBlack: Maybe BJ needs a  Sat night purely gossip thread? Mindless entertainment and gossip thread? I’ll start…  Been watching old Dark Shadows episodes. (I’m up to 1795 storyline, in “living” color, Angelique’s arrival, Vicki’s witchcraft trial. I feel like I’m 6 years old again…

  223. 223.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Quinerly: LOL we used to race home from school to watch “Dark Shadows.”

    I have a weakness for the celebrity rag stuff, I bonded with my husbands grandmother ( from Macon MO) over them. We used to read them and laugh. Now I share the laughs with a childhood friend.

  225. 225.

    FelonyGovt

    Just bought an air fryer. I hope I wind up using it and it isn’t just another expensive dust catcher on the kitchen counter.

  227. 227.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    @Quinerly: I’m going to try to find the old Kolchak Night stalker episodes and maybe Columbo   My dad and I used to watch them all the time. Dark Shadows was awesome.

  228. 228.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    Look forward to September (sometimes October), when for a limited time the Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône Villages shows up at the Costco here. Under 8 clams a bottle; trick is to open it and allow it sufficient time to breathe in the goblet before partaking.

  231. 231.

    J R in WV

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    Been in jury duty all week. It was supposed to be 5 days, but looks like it’s gonna be 6-7.

    You have my sympathy. Jury duty is hard. Hope everyone on the jury can work together well. Good luck!

  232. 232.

    Steeplejack

    @FelonyGovt:

    America’s Test Kitchen has a book, Air Fryer Perfection, that looks good. I don’t have an air fryer, but I have a couple of their books on other topics, and they are excellent. It’s on sale for $15 now. It’s also available at Amazon, where you could check out the reviews, if you want to.

  233. 233.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Costco has at least one vinho verde, Casal Garcia, for $6.50, according to the Google. Might be seasonal, though.

  236. 236.

    Steeplejack

    @EmbraceYourInnerCrone:

    Columbo is available on Tubi, IMDB-TV and DirecTV. Kolchak is available on NBC streaming (different from Peacock, I think).

    Also, several third-tier cable channels air reruns of both on the regular. In fact, Kolchak is on MeTV tonight at midnight EDT. Columbo is on MeTV at 6:00 p.m. EDT Sunday. And Sundance has started running two-episode blocks in the wee small hours.

  238. 238.

    Quinerly

    @EmbraceYourInnerCrone: DS is free on Prime. They have it from the very beginning pre Barnabas. I think Tubi has them too. I have really enjoyed them the last year I’m about 1/3 through them. 1200 and some change for total # of episodes. I’m somewhere in the 300’s. Maybe episode 400. Also there’s a great documentary on Dan Curtis. Available on Prime.

  240. 240.

    Obvious Russian Troll

    @brendancalling: 

    You’re welcome. I’m tempted to tell you to get two different tests to stay on the safe side–we were considering it.

    Good luck (and I hope you don’t need it)!

  241. 241.

    LivinginExile

    @sab: I have multiple cats of my own,plus I took care of a shelter for a few years, and usually there is not much you can do for their kitty cold.  The antibiotic won’t help with the virus, but can help if it starts to become an infection in the lungs.  Usually they get over it like we do the common cold.  Some people swear l-lysine powder will help, others people say it doesn’t.  If their eyes get gummy they should be gently cleaned, and the vet should have cream in a tube you can put in their eyes, which really helps.  Another commentor mentioned FIP, which is fairly unusual, but something to ask your vet about.  The last I heard the vaccination for FIP had problems.  This virus can go through a shelter before you can say, oh shit.  Good luck.  Hope they all get better soon.

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