As always, look for the helpers.
If you do, these days you can pretty much be assured that you will find this man:
We all are Citizens of the World. What’s good for you, must be good for all. If you are lost, share a plate of food with a stranger…you will find who you are. ~ Chef José Andrés.
Good Morning from @WCKitchen partner Biscuit Love…picking up over 200 meals they have been preparing since early today! I’m headed to meet some of our WCK teams in Kentucky as we make sure communities and search & rescue have fresh meals today and ongoing… #ChefsForKentucky pic.twitter.com/mx7QPbU5Wx
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) December 12, 2021
Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund
More places you can donate. Not vetted by me personally but by a radio station.
h/t Banditqueen for bringing Kentucky to my attention.
Totally open thread.
WaterGirl
Please notice that I have added a tag:
Talk About Whatever You Want.
WaterGirl
2.
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
Why José Andrés doesn’t yet have a Nobel Peace Prize, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a Congressional Medal of Honor is beyond me. He is a true American hero.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: I can answer the Medal of Honor question. He isn’t in the military. The others? I am sure they are on their way.
whomever
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: His restaurants are also superb. I’ve eaten in a couple of them and they are some of the best meals of my life.
JPL
Give credit where credit is due, because of trump, Jose Andres went into a new direction.
MomSense
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer:
I’ve been donating to his world central kitchen for years now – not much but it’s what I can do. He is absolutely one of our world’s great human beings. He filmed a video with Kamala Harris back in 2020 that is worth watching.
jonas
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer:
I’ve heard somewhere that he’s been nominated for the Nobel several times over the past couple of years, but hasn’t won yet. He’s a top contender, though.
WaterGirl
Please notice that I have added a tag: Talk About Whatever You Want.
Does that make it more clear that in an open thread you can talk about whatever you want?
During the early months of the pandemic there were people who wanted to talk about all Covid, all the time because it was so important why could we think about or talk about anything else? There were also people who needed to get away from all Covid all the time, and thus the respite threads were born. And people were asked to respect those boundaries.
But I think maybe as a group that lesson may have been over-learned.
Steeplejack, in the earlier post, may have identified one of the tricky things about open threads.
If you don’t start with anything up top, other than Open Thread, that’s pretty lackluster.
Even if you call it Open Thread in the title, people tend to start discussing whatever tidbit is used up top to get the post started.
Sometimes I even add the sentence “Totally open thread” at the bottom of the post itself, to make it even more clear. Often people still talk only about whatever bling is up top, even if it was just intended as something fun or interesting to get a conversation going.
Even if you add “Open Thread” as one of the categories on a post, often people limit themselves to whatever’s up top.
Sure, things like Guest Posts or Medium Cool or On the Road should be kept on topic because someone’s photos or trips or ideas are being featured.
But many of the other posts are wide open for discussion, yet some people don’t seem to recognize that. Just because we include a photo of a beautiful bird, or a flower, or a cute photo of our pup or kitty, or remind people that the calendars are available for order, or a link to Joe Biden’s press conference… that doesn’t mean it’s a respite thread, or a garden thread, or a pet thread, or a calendar-only thread, or a talk about the exact thing that Biden said in his press conference thread.
edited
P.S. intended to be explanatory, not scold-y. so please take this comment in the best possible way. :-)
VOR
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: check the awards section of his Wikipedia article. National Humanities Medal. Order of Arts and Letters from Spain. Princess of Asturias Award.
He would not have received any awards from TFG. Chef Andres was supposed to have a restaurant in the DC Trump Hotel but pulled out after TFG said immigrants were rapists. Chef Andres became a US citizen in 2013.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Also, the one FPer who seemed to feel strongly about enforcing thread discipline has hied herself hence to LGM. The informal convention always was that even dedicated threads became open after 100-150 comments unless my memory deceives me.
West of the Rockies
I wonder how many red state senators voted against supplying aid to the Paradise Camp Fire victims in 2018. At least until the Tangerine Turd showed up in “Pleasure” to admonish people for failing to rake the forest.
japa21
@WaterGirl: Well, I felt chastised.
Ruckus
@VOR:
There can not be a farther separation between any human and what gives the impression that it’s human, a horribly raised and pompous mound of bacteria and crap, than between Chef Andres and that unnamed fucking jackass. And yes that last bit was me being as nice as possible, after all it is Sunday.
Renie
I hope when Rand Paul or Tom Massie show up reporters ask them why they asked for federal assistance when they always voted against other states receiving it. The twisted logic that would come from their mouths should be interesting.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes, but I thought the number was 50.
WaterGirl
@japa21: For real? If so, that was definitelynot my intention!
WaterGirl
@Renie: They will never be asked by the press corpse.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Maybe that’s more over-learning? Just because one or two front-pagers want you to stick to whatever is up top doesn’t mean all of them do.
If Open Thread is in the title, or in the categories under the title, or “open thread” or “totally open thread” or “*this thread, it is open” is added at the bottom of the post – then people can talk about whatever they fucking well please.
(okay, that last sentence is me venting!)
*That last one is Tom Levenson’s version!
Almost Retired
OK, in the spirit of totally open thread, here’s a totally random observation: All hail the annual Puzzle Mania section of the Sunday New York Times, which includes dozens of word games and the Super Mega crossword. Thus begins 24-48 hours of ignoring friends, family, clients and fundamental basic hygiene until ALL the puzzles are completed (except the cryptic crosswords….I just can’t…) TTFN until about Tuesday.
Chief Oshkosh
@West of the Rockies: Remind me, what is the voting record of the junior Senator from Kentucky with regards to FEMA and relief packages?…
Chief Oshkosh
@Renie: Easy; they’ll whine that the reporters are trying to politicize the tears for the Sweet Baby Jesus.
WaterGirl
@Almost Retired: That sounds wonderful, but I imagine a subscription is needed to access Puzzle Mania, yes?
I guess we’ll see you on Tuesday, then. Have fun, and don’t forget to eat, sleep, and shower.
Baud
@Renie:
Answer: “Because we know that Democrats are morally superior to Republicans.”
japa21
@WaterGirl: Sorry, I forgot the //
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@Omnes Omnibus:
He served in the Spanish military :-)
Can’t that count?
pat
Has MItch had anything to say about the tornadoes? Unbelievable destruction.
Benw
Went to see the Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet last night and it fucking slapped
debbie
@pat:
His junior co-legislator has been trying to portray himself as the sole Senator and leader of the Call to Help.
Jinchi
@Chief Oshkosh: He voted against all of them. I’m pretty sure he wanted to abolish FEMA.
But he’s a libertarian so its not hypocrisy. His ideology is just ‘me me me’.
Amir Khalid
This may be of interest to American jackals: Chris bin Mike al-Wallace is leaving Fox News, immediatement, to join the CNN+ streaming service that will launch in the new year.
debbie
@Jinchi:
And yet, he pens this:
Dan B
Just an odd coincidence. We lived in a town in Arkansas when I was a kid. The huge swarm of tornadoes started a couple miles from there. I found photos of three funnel clouds, including the one that tore the roof off the nursing home. That one looked like it was a half mile wide!
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: I feel scolded! :), so I’m going to watch this video of a sledding pup living its best life.
debbie
@debbie:
And this:
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
This is Balloon Juice. We jackals talk about whatever we fucking well please regardless.
Redshift
Speaking of helpers, the Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service is having a gift drive for gift cards to supply Afghan refugees with the things they need. This link is for Northern Virginia, where lots of the refugees arrived, there may be others for your local area.
Basically, they’d like gift cards because while it feels good to donate physical stuff, the variety of things people need makes that impractical, and their storage is full thanks to generous donors.
WaterGirl
@Benw: I love The Nutcracker. Jealous!
I did not know the slang term slapped. If I’m just hearing about it, that probably means it’s about to be replaced with something else.
Martin
@Amir Khalid: Agreed. When I showed up here there weren’t rules – Cole just swore at us.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Were you the one who posted that on the earlier thread? I have already sent that to my dog loving friends and family.
Love the way he carries his own sled as he runs back up the stairs.
mrmoshpotato
@Benw: Thank you, John Oliver.
WaterGirl
@debbie: I was sure that was going to be link to donate to his own campaign.
MagdaInBlack
@Amir Khalid: ???
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: Pretty sure I didn’t post it before. Either way, looks fun as hell, and great design on the ramp.
mrmoshpotato
It’s 48F outside! In mid-December! In Chicago!
Get your shit together, weather!
Also, can someone teleport a chicken sandwich to me?
ETA – and Sunday Night (American) Football is Bears at Packers.
Go Bears! (Try not to lose too badly.)
WaterGirl
@Amir Khalid: Some jackals do exactly that, which is great on most threads.
Some others feel there are too many “silo” threads. I am trying to point out that some of the jackals may be taking too literally what is up top on a thread that is marked as an open thread in some way.
I have literally had people write to ask for more open threads. You mean just an “here’s an open thread” post? Nope. Like a “wide-open thread with a couple of sentences and a pic of my peonies in the summer and a link to a funny tweet?” Nope, not like that either.
Do they want a political thread on a particular topic? Nope, not that either.
Sometimes I feel like the dog that’s supposed to be learning a new trick and wants to do whatever it is you want, but he can’t exactly figure out what that is.
Maybe I should learn to not care what people are asking for, but that’s not my nature, so I guess I’m trying to start a discussion that will allow me to figure out what the new trick is.
Gravie
@whomever: me, too. We used to frequent Jaleo in Bethesda, Maryland whenever we wanted a special night out.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: It deserves to be widely seen, so that’s even better if multiple people are linking to it.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
Don’t not care, but don’t worry. If someone has something to say, they’ll say it, however they can.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: I made an “adequate at best” version of my usually awesome chicken and dumplings last night, I would be happy to share that with you so it’s gone sooner.
I did think about possibly throwing it in the trash but I haven’t pulled the trigger on that yet.
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: Agreed! (Watches it again.)
WaterGirl
@debbie: I don’t worry. I know this is Balloon Juice where it really is not possible to please all of the people all of the time.
But it is frustrating to be asked for something that you think we’re already doing. and not being able to figure out where the mismatch is.
I am a data girl, so details are super helpful.
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl:
Does it not freeze well?
delk
Can we have a post about making final car payments? I have something to contribute.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato:
What’s the point of freezing something for later when it isn’t very good?
Rather than take up freezer space until I can feel better about throwing it out, I could just let it sit there until it goes bad.
Or I could just throw it out now. Eating isn’t supposed to be a chore. :-)
WaterGirl
@delk:
How about this one? We’re only at comment #50 so there’s plenty of life left in this thread. The best threads are the ones that start out talking about pumpkins and end up with a long discussion about roller coasters. (or whatever)
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl:
Oh, that bad? ☹️
UncleEbeneezer
@WaterGirl: Sounds like we need a tag for threads that are about open threads! ?
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: No.
Mary G
Speaking about helpers, I just about fell out of my chair just now. Housemate is in Guatemala attending her grandfather’s 90 BD party so it’s just the teen and I now. I came out into the main room and my adored new heater was on as well as the fan over the dining table. I asked him to turn it off and he told me he had mopped the floor. On his own initiative – she’s not back until Wednesday and I was going to do it Tuesday night. Will miracles never cease?
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Yeah, that bad. And I’m a pretty good cook, or so I have been told.
WaterGirl
@UncleEbeneezer: I almost put up a post titled:
“Open Thread” Open Thread. But I resisted.
banditqueen
I’ve never been near a tornado (it was rainy and warm in the northeast), but the 11 Dec storm squall line that generated the deadly tornados in IL, KY, TN stretched from New England to the east coast of TX. Two companies in the path of the tornados had employees working overnight–an amazon warehouse and the Mayfield candle factory where the employees were working mandatory overtime and could be fired if they refused. Workers’ rights and safety at stake, climate change with massive storms… Thank you for posting on this issue and to everyone here: If it’s possible, a small donation to Jose Andres or any of the local sites would help.
WaterGirl
@banditqueen:
There’s something wrong with a world in which you can be fired for not wanting to put your life in danger.
“Essential workers” = “expendable workers”
Disgraceful.
VeniceRiley
New wife is about to land in London. Feel a bit as if I launched her into Omicron central. But at least she’s triple jabbed and gets a couple days more off to test again. With this new variant, I do worry about new case outbreaks at the prison where she works. Am very thankful we squeezed this trip and wedding into the brief respite from worse travel shutdowns!
Skepticat
José Andrés and World Central Kitchen were literal lifesavers in Abaco and Grand Bahama after Hurricane Dorian. I never had any of their meals, as I felt they should go to those without the resources I was fortunate enough to have, but everyone said it was not just sustenance but also excellent cuisine. I asked my senators to nominate them for the Nobel Peace Prize (which went to the World Food Programme in 2020), for it’s an amazing program. I may do that yet again.
brendancalling
@Renie: Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell refused to support Hurricane Sandy relief when we needed it. I will never forget them, or the people who keep putting them back in office—so while they have my thoughts and prayers, that’s all I’m interested in contributing.
Sorry, but I have a long memory—my parents had limited flooding, but they had neighbors who were devastated by that storm, and Kentucky flipped them the bird.
Nelle
@Renie: Massie should sell his family guns and give money to relief.
WaterGirl
@VeniceRiley: You waited so long, at least you caught a break there. This is hard on all of us, but especially for people who are mostly separated from their loved ones, like you and brendancalling, among others.
debbie
@banditqueen:
I was wondering whether mandatory overtime was why those businesses were humming away at the time of the storms. Especially those buildings, with zero in the way of any safety spaces.
WaterGirl
@brendancalling: I will offer the counterpoint that there are a lot of good people in Kentucky who deserve to be cared for, and who did not vote for their piece of shit senators.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
I’ve been forced to do mandatory overtime. There were co-workers that would take as much overtime as they could get, but I really hated it and was more than willing to forgo the extra pay. I suggested to one boss that I be allowed to schedule others to take my time, but that went nowhere.
WaterGirl
@debbie: Expendable workers.
At least people seem to feel more able to make a change now than they did before the pandemic.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
Which is really ticking off corporate America!
Anotherlurker
@Chief Oshkosh: I still haven’t forgiven him for fucking around and delaying aid to Superstorm Sandy victims.
He can go and @#$##%%^!!!! and Di#.
MagdaInBlack
@WaterGirl: Also consider if OT pays $12, then regular time is $8. Probably a good job in that part of the state and they can’t afford to lose it.
Spanky
@pat:
Yes. “I can do worse.”
VeniceRiley
@brendancalling: Lot of AfAm in that candle factory. I highly doubt they voted for them. But you are entitled to your feelings- particularly when they are such hypocritical aholes!
banditqueen
@WaterGirl @debbie: Both amazon and the candle factory are hyper-busy this season but both companies could easily have released their employees in plenty of time to ensure that the lives of people working for a minimum wage weren’t lost just to generate moar profits. Instead they worked until the sirens went off and by then… but the KY gqp offers thoughts and prayers to guide the devastated poor through this. Who needs action or Jose Andres?
@brendancalling: I understand, and the hypocritical, capitolizing, self-serving gqp reps of the state are schmucks of the first order. I was in NYC at a high school in Harlem just to provide medical support at a shelter and suddenly it was a disaster everywhere. But those schmucks that ‘represent’ KY can’t be allowed to stand in the way of providing help for the working poor of their state–that comes from the dems not the gqp.
Sister Golden Bear
After 5-1/2 months, my whole house remodeling is almost done!
New hardwood floors were installed last week, so all the really disruptive stuff is done.
Still some smaller stuff to do — finish painting the bedroom and baseboards, assembling lots of IKEA closets, building a small closet in a hallway corner, and putting in the new interior doors when they arrive.
But it’s really nice to be able to start putting the house back together. Using as an opportunity to do a reverse Marie Kondo — leaving stuff in the garage (for now) unless I really need/want it. Good way to downsize and declutter, although I’ll still need to go through at the stuff in the garage later.
WaterGirl
@debbie: That’s just the icing on the cake. :-)
brendancalling
@WaterGirl: And that’s sad for them.
Sister Golden Bear
@Sister Golden Bear: And I swear the next time I get the urge to do a whole house remodel, I’m just gonna torch the place, collect the insurance money and buy a new home.
West of the Rockies
Always odd to me how something you’ve made ten or 1,000 times just turns out subpar or bad. Watergirl’s chicken and dumplings, this morning’s coffee here.
MagdaInBlack
@Sister Golden Bear: Pretty much what my husband said during the remodel of our “money pit.” Also ” who was the genius who thought this was a good idea?” (me)
frosty
@WaterGirl: LOL you crack me up sometimes. Good comment though and thanks (again) for everything you do.
banditqueen
@brendancalling:
Nah, that doesn’t work at all. Don’t let them republicanize you.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@MagdaInBlack: heh, that’s the title of Obama aide Alyssa Mastromonaco’s book, Who Thought This Was A Good Idea?Apparently it’s something PBO would say when he got cranky on the campaign trail.
germy
West of the Rockies
You know, I hear that people in Iceland use very little coal, very little. [Gestures with tiny hands.] And they have no tornadoes. None. That’s incredible. That’s what people say. So Kentucky should start eliminating coal and I think they’d be very surprised with–with the results. Someone should look into that.
mrmoshpotato
@West of the Rockies: Your logic is impeccable. Do you have a newsletter?
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: Thank you for everything you do for the blog.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: It’s only in the print edition.
By some miracle, they actually delivered it today. Yay! I don’t get final papers until Friday.
MomSense
@Benw:
Sooo envious! Who danced sugar plum?
JoyceH
I suppose you folks saw that Anne Rice died the other day? I’m avoiding Facebook and Twitter for a while, so I don’t turn into That Person who feels compelled to post, “It’s not Interview With *A* Vampire, it’s Interview With *The* Vampire.”
brendancalling
@banditqueen: that’s just, like, your opinion, man. And I’ll leave it at that, because I’m already in a bad mood and don’t want to escalate.
zhena gogolia
@JoyceH: I did not see that.
germy
banditqueen
@germy:
You wouldn’t want to have employees steal electricity would you? Will no one think of the poor employer?? /////
mrmoshpotato
@germy: Hahaha! And some of that list is just stupid!
germy
@banditqueen:
dc
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer:
He won the Princess of Asturias in Spain 2021 (Premio de la Concordia): https://www.fpa.es/es/premios-princesa-de-asturias/premiados/2021-jose-andres-y-la-ong-world-central-kitchen.html?especifica=0&idCategoria=0&anio=2021&especifica=0
germy
@mrmoshpotato:
Here’s something I’ve been complaining about for years:
WaterGirl
@West of the Rockies: I wonder that, too!
It works in the reverse occasionally, too. My brownies are super good, always, but ONE TIME they were so amazing that if I could have figured out how to replicate the result I would have opened a brownie-making business.
Sadly, I had done everything the same so there was no replicating the result.
Geminid
@banditqueen: One good thing about following @Ragnarok Lobster on twitter are the intelligent people he retweets. One of them is Democrat @Kenneth House of Pfizer, who had this to say about disaster relief:
banditqueen
@germy: @germy: Another Xmas miracle :) And now we know, all we need to do is make our employers happy! Then they might miracle us :)
WaterGirl
@germy: That’s pretty good!
I think they spelled “be an indentured servant or slave” wrong, though.
brendancalling
@banditqueen: but if I was in charge, any relief money for Kentucky would be predicated on a formal, abject, unconditional apology by the Kentucky Senate and House delegations to the people of NJ, NY, and everywhere else hit by Sandy. Entered into the Congressional record.
I think that’s fair, civil, accountable, and polite. I say the same every year when Houston floods and comes begging for money instead of bootstrapping.
WaterGirl
I have probably gotten 30 weigh loss SPAM messages in the past week, and I unsubscribe to every single one. Yet I am still getting them. No idea whether there is a lag time before unsubscribe will take effect or if they just put the useless unsubscribe button in there for laughs.
I finally clicked the update my information button and updated my email address. I changed it to [email protected].
Please allow me a moment of hope that my address change will work.
rikyrah
?MEDIA ALERT?
‘White House Christmas’ Returns to HGTV and Discovery+ Dec. 12, 2021
HGTV’s fan-fave holiday special, White House Christmas — starring HGTV host and designer Genevieve Gorder — offers viewers a special VIP-access tour of the residence’s iconic rooms and spaces as decorated for the holiday season. First Lady Jill Biden is on hand to help guide the tour and to share some background and history.
The 2021 edition of HGTV’s annual special White House Christmas premieres this year on HGTV Sunday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. ET/PT. The popular and visually dazzling special spotlights the iconic home’s brilliant holiday displays — including 78,750 dazzling lights, more than 10,000 ornaments, 6,000 feet of ribbon and 41 Christmas trees. The special will also be available to stream on Discovery+.
WaterGirl
@brendancalling:
I LOVE that idea, as long as they have to apologize to Puerto Rico, also.
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@dc:
Oh, indeed. He’s won a shitlosd of awards and prizes, and well-deserved. But how I would love to hear his Nobel speech. How I would love to see President Biden fasten the Medal of Freedom around his neck.
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@brendancalling:
Two words:
BRILL. YUNT.
JoyceH
@rikyrah: I actually have an alarm set on my phone to remind me of this! I used to watch their White House holiday specials, but sure didn’t during the Trump years. It’s just so exciting to have normal people back in our White House!
The Thin Black Duke
Open thread? Because it’s kinda depressing ranting about How Awful Everything Is, I wrote a somewhat light-hearted essay about Robert De Niro, one of my favorite actors. I think I need to do a few more like this before I go back to slamming the keys of my laptop again.
banditqueen
@brendancalling: It would be awesome to get a well-deserved apology (and authorizing funds for catch-up on infrastructure that still needs lots of attention)–but congress really is broken and expecting an apology from some of their worst before proceeding with life-saving interventions isn’t going to happen now. We can’t leave it to employer “miracles” or even the incredible logistics of organizations like World Central Kitchen. Work to get more dems in congress. To do that, get more dem voters registered. Dems do the work.
WaterGirl
@The Thin Black Duke: That was fun!
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Sister Golden Bear: Your new space sounds beautiful.
Jackie
@rikyrah: THANK YOU!!! Just now set to record? I can watch it after SNF!
raven
@The Thin Black Duke: Nice piece except that I thought “The Irishman” sucked too.
Ever see “Raging Bullwinkle”?
The Thin Black Duke
@WaterGirl: Thank you. I fantasize about seeing De Niro appearing in a Wes Anderson film, maybe. Or Christopher Nolan giving him a call.
The Thin Black Duke
So did I. (sigh) I don’t think De Niro needs to do anymore Scorsese movies. It’s like a bored cover band doing a set of their greatest hits.
germy
@The Thin Black Duke:
He was good in an old TV commercial, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCPSNHkyzvc
raven
@The Thin Black Duke: It seemed promising!
Soprano2
Convoy of Hope from Springfield is already on their way to Kentucky. I hope Mayfield can get help and advice from the city of Joplin, MO, which went through a much similar experience in 2011. Strangely enough, we were in D.C. on a trip when that happened. It was weird seeing the news about something that local only on CNN.
I just said to my husband that I don’t know why Andres hasn’t gotten the Nobel Peace Prize yet. Who is more deserving? What kind of fortitude does it take to keep showing up to disasters?
Yutsano
@Soprano2: We need to get a former winner to nominate him for the prize. Maybe we can spam Barack Obama about it. Andrés definitely deserves the recognition here!
Dorothy A. Winsor
I’m about 40% of the way through Adam Schiff’s book, and he has absolutely no use for Kevin McCarthy.
Almost Retired
@Sister Golden Bear: We are planning a total remodel starting in August, after my wife retires. We’re moving out and renting a series pf Air B&B’s all over town to explore various parts of the city (September in Santa Monica, October in Pasadena, etc.) And some international travel — all interspersed with occasional check-ins at the worksite to see how the project is progressing. It will be a delightful adventure. Right?!? Right!!!?!?!!! RIGHT!!!??!!!
banditqueen
@Redshift: Thanks for this alert about assisting Afghan refugees.
zhena gogolia
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Who does?
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I imagine that was the cue for a whole lot of side eye from Michelle, who had to be talked into supporting his political plans.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@zhena gogolia: Good point.
Schiff usually tries to be diplomatic, but he lets his scorn for McCarthy show.
Anoniminous
With every house remodel the first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time and the last 10% takes the other 90%.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Almost Retired: What could possibly go wrong?
debbie
@germy:
I’m sniffling over the other grab in that tweet. I hope Dunkin is sufficiently humiliated.
Oh, who am I kidding?
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
In the late 1960s I spent not a few years protesting conscription, but as I’ve aged I am more and more thinking that some kind of mandatory service would be a fine thing for the country and its citizens. AmeriCorps, VISTA, Peace Corps, Teach for America, military — whatever — but some kind of program where young Americans of every background would be thrown together, trained, and serve in a constructive way for two or three years. Give them a decent wage and promise of a subsidised post-secondary education or vocational training. This could solve dozens of problems at once. Is anybody looking at something like this? Is it doable? (Don’t tell me how the Republicans will never go for it, I know that; but could it be done, politics aside?)
We need to start thinking in Kennedyesque aspirational terms. We’ve gone all timid.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
Unsubscribe doesn’t mean what it used to. Now, it translates to “We got us a live one!”
raven
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: universal, no exceptions
StringOnAStick
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer: That’s a grand idea I completely agree with, but I want to get voting rights handled first. I suspect some of the climate change provisions that create a Climate Conservation Corps (or similarly named) are a great start.
debbie
@The Thin Black Duke:
Y’know, if Christopher Plummer and Michael Caine never ran out of legit jobs, De Niro should really have done better. Maybe he objects to small, independent films?
I’d like to see him in a Wes Anderson film.
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@debbie:
Yup. It means, at least in my gmail program, that they don’t stop sending their emails; they do go to Junk or Spam, but because they’re still being sent and received, presumably they still count as “live ones” for whatever metrics the senders are using.
Lightly edited.
raven
@Sister Golden Bear: They start on our floors on our rental tomorrow. We’ve been at it since September and hope to be able to rent it by Jan 1. We’ve been really lucky to have a competent, creative, communicative contractor (friend too) We had to tear out the floor joists and sill and do a total rebuild but it will be a really nice 812 sq ft “bungalow” soon.
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@raven:
Absofuckinglutely.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Our house was sided in the last few weeks. It was quite the facelift. New kitchen next month. Whok-hoo!
debbie
@debbie:
ETA: I think one difference is Caine and Plummer were happy with small roles, whereas I don’t think De Niro has even tried them.
zhena gogolia
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Sometimes I think McCarthy is worse than McConnell.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer:
Isn’t there a reality show like that?
Baud
Test
SiubhanDuinne, Mob Enforcer
@Baud:
I dunno. Have never been attracted by “reality” TV. But I might watch this, if true.
The Thin Black Duke
@debbie: Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. For example, if The Father is the last film Anthony Hopkins does, that would be a splendid epilogue to a distinguished career. There’s no reason why De Niro shouldn’t have that opportunity as well.
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: C-
Fair Economist
@WaterGirl: I for one think there is currently a good balance of open and focused threads.
jnfr
I do love Chef Andres. We give to WCK, it seems like, every time there’s a disaster. They are always on the scene.
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: You pass with flying colors. Welcome back, how was your trip.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: Understood, and thanks, but if we get a nice thread by an irregular front pager about an important topic, one that is being discussed with thoughtfulness and seriousness, then it’s hard to throw in a “here’s something stupid/funny/cringey” comment even if it’s marked “open thread” (certainly not until the comments die down a little). There have been occasions when we get a couple of posts like that in a row. They’re great and important and part of the reason why many/most of us come here, but they’re not the same as a “talk about whatever” open thread.
If you catch my drift. :-)
Sometimes having a bit of code kick off a fresh “here’s an open thread” post would be helpful, but sometimes it seems like there’s a battle of bigfeet and conversation keeps moving upstairs before the existing thread has really ripened. So, I have no solution.
Thanks for all you do.
Cheers,
Scott.
The Dangerman
@WaterGirl: I’m calling shenanigans
Sister Golden Bear
@Dorothy A. Winsor: It’s a night and difference, so much better after hating the kitchen and bath for 18 years. Plus, even with the construction dust, it’s amazing how much better my allergies are after replacing the carpet with hardwood.
@Almost Retired: <puts on my almost straight face> Right.
Seriously, if you’re not going to live there, and especially if you’re planning to travel, you really need someone who can keep tabs on things and can make the little/not so little decisions that come up along the way.
@Anoniminous: Truer words have never been spoken. My contractor was really good about keeping things on schedule, but the last 10% is still taking the other 90% of the schedule.
@raven: Congrats. Having a competent, creative, communicative contractor is a godsend.
zhena gogolia
@Sister Golden Bear: Did you live there the whole time? Do you have animals?
Our house needs to be nuked from the inside, but we just never can face the disruption.
dexwood
@Fair Economist: I agree. Some people are born to complain. There is no way to please everyone. I’m always amazed by the hard work and dedication of the front pagers. If you don’t like a post find something else to read, be patient until something you like shows up.
NotMax
@Benw
Heh. Mom (a spry 93) attended the matinee yesterday.
Citizen Alan
@banditqueen: They will kill us all if they can.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat:
?
Rested and ready to do battle.
Ohio Mom
@raven: That includes adapted and modified, as well as inclusive positions for young people with disability, right?
NotMax
@rikyrah
The ne plus ultra of White House tours.
:)
AWOL
@debbie: “Brazil,” anyone? He was in his prime when he took on that cameo.
His wife is a spendthrift. He works on trash to support her need to consume.
WaterGirl
@Almost Retired: Oh my god, you are going to let remodeling happen unsupervised day-to-day?
In my experience, contractors make all sorts of stupid decisions if left on their own(not including OzarkHillbilly, of course!). I would NEVER do a remodel if I weren’t going to be around.
WaterGirl
@debbie: I still have pretty good luck with unsubscribe.
Except for these fuckers! Maybe the email address change to the nonexistent email will resolve the problem in a few days.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott:
Those probably don’t get marked Open Thread, and if they do, then it’s totally up to the commenter. I’m not talking about ruemara’s threads, for instance. I’m talking about the myriad of open threads that don’t get used as seen as open threads.
Benw
@MomSense: Tyler Peck, she was phenomenal!
@NotMax: ha, same show we were at! Small world
WaterGirl
@Another Scott:
A bit of code?
Madeleine
Thanks for the links banditqueen/WaterGirl. I gave a bit to WCK and the Western Kentucky fund.
I heard a survivor of the candle factory interviewed on NPR. The company knew the storm was coming and sent the workers to the “safe area” at 6:00 for awhile and again at 9:00 until the storm destroyed the building. That safe area? Not safe at all. When asked what might have done differently, she told the reporter that other businesses in the area had sent workers home. She thought that would have been better. I’m so livid I can’t even really feel it! Unconscionable, worthless, moneygrubbing owners and higher-ups who no doubt still have nice homes . . . and life!
Benw
@WaterGirl: of course they do the classic Balanchine/Tchaikovsky version and it’s based :)
raven
@Ohio Mom: Heck yes
banditqueen
@Madeleine: Thanks so much for helping out–repubs won’t so it’s up to dems. So much wrong with all of this–people died to keep up with the season’s profits. Both facilities were absolutely destroyed and they’re both located where there’s a genuine tornado season. Why weren’t the employees sent home? Why isn’t there a building code to reduce collapse risk under anticipated conditions? Climate change and weather disasters. And we have to fight the gqp to address any of this.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: You know – a SMOP.
;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Juju
@Renie: Maybe that kind of question would set whatever that thing on Sen. Paul’s head that he calls his hair on fire.
Soprano2
@Almost Retired: Hahahaha……good luck!
Soprano2
@banditqueen: Without a doubt this was a horrible tragedy, and it certainly sounds like neither company had a storm shelter that was appropriate for their situation. In my building at work, we would go into the bathrooms because they are concrete block with no windows. If it ever happens I hope that’s adequate protection, but tornadoes are horribly unpredictable; the roof could completely cave in, for example. When my grandmother was 9, she was picked up and carried some distance by a tornado. The only injury she had when it was over was to her foot; all her life she had a calcified bump on the top of her foot that made it hard for her to find shoes she could wear comfortably. I guess this is my way of saying that even if they had sent people home, it might not have saved everyone’s lives. Also, when people live in “Tornado Alley” many of them become inured to these watches and warnings, especially because with new technology TV channels have hyped it up a lot (I call it Weather Porn). I won’t go to the basement unless I hear that there is a confirmed tornado on the ground in the side of the city I live on. The number of times in my 60 years that I’ve actually been concerned about a tornado hitting near me is once, in 1983, when radar detection technology was not nearly as good as it is now. It’s entirely possible that both companies were negligent and completely disregarded the safety of their workers, although I have a hard time imagining that the managers at those places disregarded their own safety. I think time will tell what actually happened.