Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Come on, man.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

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

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?

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

This really is a full service blog.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

The willow is too close to the house.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Let there be snark.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Keeping Traditions Alive

Keeping Traditions Alive

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It’s very important that old institutions keep our internet traditions alive, so thanks to the Powder Blue Satan for their work:

Keeping Traditions Alive

For those of you not aware of all internet traditions, background here. Shit. And for those of you wondering about the provenance of the phrase “aware of all internet traditions,” go here to Anne Laurie’s still awesome Lexicon.

Reader Interactions

99Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    Thanks for the reminder of the annual “Preznit Giv Me Turkee” post. Hard to believe it’s been 18 years since Dubya.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    As one who is ignorant of most internet traditions, I’m really not getting this one. I understand it, but like a lot of jokes, I just don’t get it. One must’ve had to have been there.

  8. 8.

    Another Scott

    Speaking of blasts from the past that have continued relevance today (I believe this has been mentioned in earlier threads, but the quote is good)…

    ?https://t.co/e2TIusm1eT pic.twitter.com/6aAgTdEzIi

    — Centrism Fan Acct ? (@Wilson__Valdez) November 25, 2021

    “If Glenn Greenwald has anything to say to me, he’s more than welcome to get his ass on a plane and come back to the United States and tell me face to face how stupid he thinks I am, but he knows better than that. He wants to hide out in Brazil on his private beach or whatever.

    (via eclecticbrotha)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  14. 14.

    MelissaM

    Thank you for reminding me of the original “I am aware of all internet traditions” post. That was hilarious.

    Lexicon issue: When you hit a letter in the alphabet to go to that section, it quickly takes you to that letter section, then bops you back to the beginning.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  15. 15.

    Another Scott

    @tom: That is really excellent.

    You can do that in Michigan: Dispute the taste in someone else’s mouth.

    :-)

    Thanks.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  17. 17.

    Another Scott

    @schrodingers_cat: That’s one strutting beastie!  :-)

    Excellent.  Thanks for sharing.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too, and to all the jackals and jackal-adjacent!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    @MelissaM:

    Lexicon issue: When you hit a letter in the alphabet to go to that section, it quickly takes you to that letter section, then bops you back to the beginning.

    Hmm.  I just went to the lexicon, chose ‘R’ and it took me to R.  And left me there.  There was no bopping. :-(  What letter did you choose?

  20. 20.

    lowtechcyclist

    @schrodingers_cat: I have started a new tradition of sharing my art.

    Hey now, how can we be aware of all Internet traditions if people keep starting new ones?  ;-)

    Happy Thanksgiving back atcha!

  24. 24.

    Scout211

    @Another Scott:

    Did you read the Rolling Stone article?

    I read the whole thing yesterday and came away with lots of mixed feelings.  It felt like the author had some hidden agendas and almost seemed as though he was writing an article about how Winner was exploited by The Intercept but the article itself seemed, well, kind of exploitive. I wonder if anyone else had that impression. It’s just a sad, sad story.  I hope she can bounce back.

    But in response to the quote you cited, GG had a typical comeback:  It’s all Bill Clinton’s fault!

     “I’m not ‘hiding out’ anywhere. I live in Brazil because my husband and children are Brazilian and at the time we married, Bill Clinton’s Defense of Marriage Act prevented us from getting immigration rights to live in the US. I’m in the US frequently.”

  28. 28.

    brendancalling

    Happy Turkee Day.

    I got my booster yesterday, and have mainly been in bed sleeping ever since. I feel a bit better this AM, but a little discomfort is worth not winning a Herman Cain Award.

    if I’m up to it, I’m dropping by some friends later for Friendsgiving. If not, well the new season of “Big Mouth” just dropped on Netflix.

  29. 29.

    Another Scott

    Dean Baker at CEPR – Being Thankful this Thanksgiving:

    Okay, I’m an economist nerd, so don’t expect a run down of all the good things and bad things we have seen in the last year. I will focus on the economy, but I have to say a few words about the pandemic.

    No one can be happy about the resurgence of case numbers this fall, but there is an important point worth recognizing. As public health experts have repeatedly said, this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. I realize that many people who have been vaccinated are still getting the virus (including me).

    But the people filling the hospitals, and especially the intensive care units, are overwhelmingly unvaccinated. The story is even more striking if people get booster shots. This further reduces the risk of serious illness, especially for older people and those with serious health conditions.

    […]

    It is worth noting that these price rises reflect worldwide conditions, not just the U.S. market. This point is important because other countries didn’t get the same boost to their recovery as we saw here with the American Recovery Plan (ARP) that President Biden pushed through Congress. This indicates that much of the inflation we are now seeing had little to do with the ARP, but rather was due to problems with reopening that would have been present regardless of the extent to which we boosted the U.S. economy.

    The other point is that the price declines recently seen for many commodities supports the argument for the price burst being a temporary one, which will be reversed in many areas. I have used televisions as a canary in the coal mine for this story. After rising by 10.2 percent from March to August (a 26.3 percent annual rate), television prices have since fallen by 2.8 percent in the last two months. They still have a way to fall to get back to their March level, but my guess is that this decline will continue and that we will see a similar story with many other products that had pushed up inflation earlier this year.

    There is one other point worth making on the temporary side. Contrary to the prediction of Larry Summers and other inflation hawks, the dollar has not fallen in value in the wake of the ARP. In fact, it has risen sharply. The dollar is up by almost 10.0 percent against the euro since the start of the year.

    This matters not only because it suggests that financial markets don’t see a story of spiraling inflation (the continued low interest rate on 10-year Treasury bonds also supports the temporary story), but it also means that imports should be falling in price in the months ahead. To take a simple case, if a car or television set sells for the same price in euros in Germany or the Netherlands as it did at the start of the year, it would now cost 10 percent less in dollar terms.

    […]

    It’s a good, thoughtful piece (as Baker’s stuff always is). Click on over.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  31. 31.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @NeenerNeener: I never said it was a joke. I said that “like a lot of jokes, I just don’t get it” but in this case it’s the relevance I’m not getting.

  33. 33.

    Another Scott

    @Scout211: I’m kinda in the “rooting for injuries” camp when it comes to RS vs The Intercept.  (I was rightfully pointed out, here, as being naive and credulous about the RS story “A Rape on Campus”).  Glem is pathological.

    Winner was definitely a pawn in too many people’s agenda.  I hope she can bounce back.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  35. 35.

    NeenerNeener

    @OzarkHillbilly: It goes back to Dubya sneaking into Iraq for photo ops of him slicing and passing out turkey to the troops. That post mocking the media was Atrios’ response, and he’s been posting it on Thanksgiving every year for about 18 years now.

  37. 37.

    Ohio Mom

    Making good headway on dinner. Our only guest will be Ohio MIL, who has been a royal pain of late — too long a story, suffice it to say, narcissism and the age-related erosion of verbal filters don’t mix well.

    Oh well. I still get to eat stuffing, my favorite of the traditional dishes.

  40. 40.

    jeffreyw

    @Scuffletuffle:

    I was just kidding, that was thanksgiving eve dinner.  I have a roasted chicken, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, cranberries, sticky sweet potatoes, and dressing either cooking or in the warmer.  Pumpkin and apple pie for dessert.

  43. 43.

    frosty

    @tom: This was good, occasionally a little gruesome. I sent it to my Michigan cousins to see if they’ll recognize any of it.

    “The door is about four steps away. In Michigan you’d drive it if you could.”

  44. 44.

    narya

    I got boosted Tuesday, and by noon or so yesterday, was feverish and tired. Finally logged out of work around 2:30 and sat in My Chair and drank tea and watched TV, and . . . by 11:30, the fever was gone. I went to bed and woke up this morning, feeling pretty good. I’ve made the pumpkin seed brittle and the pumpkin brûlée, and the crackers are waiting to be rolled out & baked. I’ve changed the second dessert (because of course I have) and I’m going to make some hazelnut japonais, top that with some hazelnut/ginger mousseline (basically, pastry cream with other stuff), and the put the poached pears on top of that. We’ll see if the energy lasts. There are a few more people/households than I would have wanted, but I also didn’t have the heart to say no, and everyone is vaxxed and several are boosted, so . . . it’s probably okay. What’s sorta funny is that if it were completely up to me I wouldn’t do anything at all–but it’s important to my friend/neighbor, and I feel like we should all take care of each other in whatever ways we can. And, really, it’s fun to make desserts for others, and the food and company will be lovely, so I’m not exactly sacrificing, just anxious, and probably more anxious than I need to be.

    I’m so grateful for this space! I’m grateful for science. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to work from home for 18 months and counting, and I’m grateful for my team. I’m grateful that my parents have been able to survive this so far. I’m grateful for friends and the resources to have good food. I’m extraordinarily fortunate, all things considered. And I’m grateful to all of you. Even when folks disagree vehemently and even if things sometimes get snippy, people here try to respect the space, and I truly appreciate the variety of opinions, even the ones w/ which I disagree. Thanks to John, and WaterGirl, and Anne and Betty and Adam, and all you commenters; you make my life better.

  45. 45.

    jonas

    @NeenerNeener: ​
      Wasn’t there a NYT reporter who had annoyed the press secretary with his noted lack of toadying and subsequently wasn’t included on W’s super-secret Thanksgiving trip to Iraq where he was received like the second coming of both Jesus and Alexander the Great? I forget who it was, but this was Atrios’s response to both the MSM’s fawning adoration for Bush and his flight suit codpiece-style of presidenting as well as the press office’s petty politics.

  46. 46.

    BigJimSlade

    Happy thanksgiving everyone!
    Yeah, Anne Laurie’s lexicon is great – I found that and went through it a couple years ago – what a stroll down memory lane (even if it brings back some of that anger, too – like the press having to kiss Bush’s ass, or no preznit give me turkee).

  50. 50.

    zhena gogolia

    @OzarkHillbilly: Didn’t GWB serve a turkey in Iraq? The form says the journalist didn’t get to go to Iraq because they asked a hard question. So presumably if they’d gotten to go to Iraq with GWB, he would have given them turkee.

  51. 51.

    zhena gogolia

    @jeffreyw: I couldn’t get a turkey breast, so I’m going to use the turkey rub on some chicken for our post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. (Our friend always serves goose, so we like to have turkey afterwards, but our local Stop & Shop is now like a Moscow gastronom circa 1991.)

  52. 52.

    Salt Creek

    @NeenerNeener: It wasn’t even a real turkey, it was plastic, it was fake. A perfect metaphor describing the Gulf War. The casualties weren’t fake but everything else was.

  56. 56.

    trollhattan

    The form is frealz from the Bush II WH? Mind = boggled but only a Trump can sand off the rough edges of the monstrous boulder of awfulness that was the reign of the 43rd “president.” Thanks again, Supreme Court, and I do not mean to imply I am today giving thanks for you in your current form. Wait for Festivus.

  59. 59.

    Brachiator

    @jeffreyw:

    RE: Non-trad thanksgiving dinner:

    Jerked Tilapia and Coconut Rice

    Mmm! Sounds delicious. A welcome addition to any Thanksgiving feast.

  60. 60.

    James E Powell

    @trollhattan:

    We have so many to thank for the Bush/Cheney Junta: FTFNYT, Nader, Palm Beach County Democratic Party, stupid American voters who thought Bush wanted to have a beer with them, and many more. I’m never going to get all the way over it.

  61. 61.

    NotMax

    @oatler

    Know from when first brought it up that at least one other person here was also charmed by R A. MacAvoy’s Tea with the Black Dragon. Although cannot say whether or not the passage of years since its initial publication has been kind to it.

  63. 63.

    matt the somewhat reasonable

    @Scout211: That guy lies like normal people breathe.

     

    The bill moved through Congress on a legislative fast track and met with overwhelming approval in both houses of the Republican-controlled Congress. On July 12, 1996, with only 65 Democrats and then Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WI), in opposition, 342 members of the U.S. House of Representatives—224 Republicans and 118 Democrats—voted to pass DOMA.[21][22] Then, on September 10, 1996, 84 Senators—a majority of the Democratic Senators and all of the Republicans—voted in favor of DOMA.[23][24] Democratic Senators voted for the bill 32 to 14 (with Pryor of Arkansas absent), and Democratic Representatives voted for it 118 to 65, with 15 not participating. All Republicans in both houses voted for the bill with the sole exception of the one openly gay Republican Congressman, Rep. Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin.[24][25]

    While his stated position was against same-sex marriage, Clinton criticized DOMA as “unnecessary and divisive”,[26] and his press-secretary called it “gay baiting, plain and simple”.[27][28] However, after Congress had passed the bill with enough votes to override a presidential veto,[28] Clinton signed DOMA.

  64. 64.

    matt the somewhat reasonable

    Greenwald is such a lying sack of shit.

    However, after Congress had passed the bill with enough votes to override a presidential veto,[28] Clinton signed DOMA.

  66. 66.

    Feathers

    Here is a thread of West African alternative Thanksgiving dishes. I like to go trad for the holidays, but Nigerian Smoked Turkey and Cinnamon Plantain Cake may get a tryout. Link

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @Salt Creek:

    The casualties weren’t fake but everything else was.

    I wonder how many wars through out history this could be said about….

    I imagine the number is just a bit above zero. OK quite a bit.

  73. 73.

    Kelly

    Mrs Kelly and I are having a quiet day by ourselves. When my oldest sister married way back in the mid 1970’s my Mom decided to simplify her children’s lives and said go to your in-laws family gathering on Thanksgiving and Christmas we’ll get together the Saturday after. Mrs Kelly decided this is a good tradition extended it to our kids.

    Mrs Kelly cooked our turkey yesterday over lump charcoal in our Kamodo Joe bbq. Weather forecast was more favorable for outdoor cooking yesterday. Had a tasty dinner from it last night and I’ll walk a bit of it over to Mom’s house today.

  77. 77.

    Ken

    @Ruckus: Jenkins’ ear was cut off, Griffin’s pig was shot, and Remontel’s pastry shop was looted. So there have been at least three wars with real causes.

  78. 78.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Kelly:

    my Mom decided to simplify her children’s lives

    Initially read this as Mom decided to simplify her children’s livers.

  82. 82.

    206inKY

    The “Jane Hamshers of the Left” entry in the lexicon is something else. Did not realize this blog went through a phase of defending the vile hatemonger Ben Domenech.

  83. 83.

    drunkenhausfrau

    I feel like I aged 20 years from 2016 to now… This post feels like another lifetime entirely.

    Thankful for this community…

  86. 86.

    Miss Bianca

    I’m sorry, but “preznit give me turkee” will never not make me laugh. A true holiday classic. Happy T-Day, jackals!

  90. 90.

    JoyceH

    @Eunicecycle: I’m trying very hard to become unstuck. Currently working on Mary Bennet and the Haunting of Longbourn, it’s been slow going but I seem to be picking up speed, so fingers crossed. I’ve also been working on a really massive whole house declutter and that seems to help.

  95. 95.

    jimmiraybob

    “…posted at Atrios’ political blog…”

    Who?  Checks notes. I believe it was Sidney Blumenthal’s blog.  (see “all internet traditions.”)

    Happy Turkee Day Everyone.

  97. 97.

    Soprano2

    @James E Powell: Me either, I will never say Bush was anything but appointed by the SCOTUS to his first term. There were way too many irregularities and Republican officials deciding everything in Bush’s favor for me to ever consider it legit.

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    @trnc: It should definitely be in there!

    Anne Laurie had plans to update the Lexicon (a big job!) after the site rebuild.  But her Covid beat takes a lot of time, so I suspect we won’t see a Lexicon update until Covid is beaten back.

  99. 99.

    oatler

    @Ken:

    In Pynchon’s “Mason and Dixon” Mason visits the jar holding Jenkins’ ear and whispers the wish that Dixon has a safe journey while at sea and Dixon hears it

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