Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I really should read my own blog.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

People are complicated. Love is not.

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

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

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

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Republicans in disarray!

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

He really is that stupid.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

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

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

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Reader Interactions

90Comments

  2. 2.

    Chetan Murthy

    John, if you felt like it, I bet a bunch of folks would ooh-and-aah over before-and-after photo pairs.

  5. 5.

    lifeinthebonusround

    Cole, that’s how you know you’re where you belong.  Glad you’re there.  Glad you’re here posting.

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    @SpaceUnit:  I cringed when I read your comment.

    Walter was a wonderful success story, but we will hope that no other house ever comes with a dog that has been locked inside, emaciated and abandoned.

  14. 14.

    realbtl

    Ah yes Walter.  You are a good man John Cole and that’s why I have hung around here since your R days.

  18. 18.

    Another Scott

    Congratulations. You’ve done well.

    It’s hard for me to believe that the year is nearly over; at the same time, January seems like 5 years ago…

    Meanwhile, …

    What sensible judging looks like.

    (Don’t miss the understated brutality of Footnote 1.) https://t.co/n1JMnRG1O7

    — Cristian Farias (@cristianafarias) December 18, 2021

    Excellent. There are still sensible judges out there.

    (via Popehat)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  19. 19.

    Almost Retired

    congratulations, especially on your timing. Can you imagine trying to overhaul an older home today, with supply chain issues, temporary spikes in the costs of materials and a labor shortage?  There would be years of “this fucking old house” posts.  I think even Lily would have wanted to maul  the contractor is you were starting this project today.  Enjoy your beautiful home and your exquisite timing..

  25. 25.

    Almost Retired

    @raven:  That gives me hope, because we are in the planning stages of a major remodel, even though the timing could be better.  I’m going to a neighborhood holiday party tonight, so I think I’ll try and get the busy local contractor liquored up and get him to submit a bid between shots.  It’s my only hope.

  27. 27.

    SpaceUnit

    You know, there’s something from that incident that I don’t actually recall . . . was the scumbag that abandoned Walter ever charged and prosecuted?  Or did John track the fool down and introduce himself?

  28. 28.

    JPL

    Debit is a true angel.   Walter lived his best life with her going to spas and getting groomed.   It might have been a short life, but it was a life well lived.

  30. 30.

    raven

    @Almost Retired: We got incredibly lucky with our contractor. He’s an old friend and he and his partner were really great to work with. All the subs were great as well but, I have to say, the painting and sheet rock dudes stepped in partially because we’ve used them before and I’ve gotten them tons of work. The cherry on top is the tenant we got who is a homeowner and an artist in LA with family here so he and his wife are taking a (long term lease) but only plan to be here about half the year! Here’s a shot of the kitchen, the floor will be sanded and finished next week.

  32. 32.

    Almost Retired

    @raven: Beautiful kitchen (and those floors…wow).  Thanks for the positive story, as I’ve only received doom and gloom input from friends on the subject.  And….yeah…I recognize the irony of posting on BJ to get a respite from the doom and gloom.

  34. 34.

    raven

    @Almost Retired: Things really worked out for us but we’ve lived here a long time a have some pretty great connection. One strange thing is that I always thought our contractor was just a roof guy. In July I needed help with a stuck door and just asked him if he would be interested in working on the floor. It turned out that the the joists and sills were shot and it required an entire rebuild. He has a two-year waiting list so we’re thanking our lucky stars every day.

  36. 36.

    CaseyL

    I remember when John fell through the deck while inspecting it.  And thinking “omigod, don’t get any closer!” when he showed a picture of the death trap Staircase That Opens Up in the Middle of the Floor Without a Guardrail.  And the photos of his friends who redid the bathroom.

    Yes, I would LOVE to see a lot of before and after photos!

  38. 38.

    raven

    @Dan B: Granite, they are textured and were the least expensive option in that material. I had ZERO to do with any of the selections of anything! We did a FaceTime with the tenant and I never knew that my bride is a born real estate salesperson! I just held the phone!

  40. 40.

    CaseyL

    In the most unsurprising Breaking News ever, Washington State Representative Doug Erickson (RWNJ-Ferndale) has died.

    (He’s the anti-vax, anti-mask nutjob who caught Covid down in El Salvador and begged to be airlifted to Florida to be treated with whatever quack nostrum DeSantis was peddling.  Then he just vanished from sight. I guess the quack nostrum didn’t work)

  41. 41.

    Dan B

    @CaseyL: Me three!

    I just found pictures of my former house’s kitchen before and after.  Before was horrible.  After was amazing.  I miss that kitchen.

  42. 42.

    Lyrebird

    OT but related to his earlier post: can anyone recommend some favorite board games that tweens or young teens might enjoy?  Ones who also like Stardew Valley and any game with Quest or Tycoon in it?

     

    Used to really like Race to the Treasure, but getting too old for it.

  43. 43.

    JMG

    John, you turned your house into a showcase, and a loving sanctuary for all living things (including humans no matter what you say). It’s an amazing accomplishment. You should turn the lights out before bed each night feeling tremendous pride.

  44. 44.

    Dan B

    @raven: They almost looked like soapstone.  My kitchen counters are large ugly pinkish tan tiles and the edge tiles are falling off.  Your granite would look great.

    And, glad to hear you married well!

  46. 46.

    Yutsano

    @CaseyL:  I was about to post that as I just got the alert on my e-mail. It’s a tragic loss for his family, so I wish them well. But no real sympathy for the fucker who found out.

  47. 47.

    dmsilev

    @CaseyL:

    “It’s tragic, the guy was one of the smartest people I know, and this floor speeches, his knowledge and environmental issues of all that stuff, was just fantastic,” said Fortunato.

    Ericksen had been an outspoken critic of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s orders and mandates, intended to fight the spread of the virus. He had introduced legislation intended to protect the rights of people who won’t get vaccinated and had repeatedly called on Inslee to resign.

    It was unclear if Ericksen had been vaccinated.

    Clearly State Senator Fortunato doesn’t know any actually-smart people.

  48. 48.

    raven

    @Dan B: She’s a peach and the daughter of an old school builder and SeeBee. I learned long ago to get out of the way, she knows what she wants and it’s always right (except for the perfectly good ceiling fan she wants to replace!

  53. 53.

    Steeplejack

    @Steeplejack:

    Just an all-around great guy.

    It was unclear Friday why Ericksen visited El Salvador—but it’s not his first visit to that country or others in recent years.

    Ericksen in 2019 registered with the U.S. Department of Justice as a foreign agent to conduct lobbying work on behalf of the Cambodian government, scoring a $500,000 contract for his new firm.

    That contract came after Ericksen traveled to Cambodia to observe—and ultimately praise—the country’s widely condemned 2018 elections. Those elections took place as a government crackdown shuttered independent media organizations and dissolved a key opposition party.

  54. 54.

    Almost Retired

    @raven: Awesome.  I don’t quite have the same connection with the local “in demand” contractor we will see at the party tonight, so I doubt we can jump the remodeling queue.  But I did suggest to my wife it might be fun to watch “Indecent Proposal” before we went to the party.  No particular reason I picked that movie.

  55. 55.

    Ken

    @Steeplejack: He registered as a foreign agent while he was a state representative? Or did he get elected after he became a foreign agent? Either doesn’t speak well for the voters in his district.

  58. 58.

    Jackie

    @CaseyL: I wonder how long before Inslee calls for a special election. Any hope at all a Democrat can win this seat? Or, at least a non-Trumplican!

  65. 65.

    CaseyL

    @raven: Oh, that is a darling little house!  I assume you have a hands-off attitude towards your tenants, but it would be fun if you got to see his art, or him doing his art.  Is there room for a studio?

  67. 67.

    raven

    @CaseyL: No, in fact we had a couple of people who worked from home look at it and decide it was too small. It’s only 816 sq ft. We did thorough background and financial checks on everyone and I think this person will be able to afford a space to work if he wants one.

  70. 70.

    prostratedragon

    @raven:  Really cute for living though, and the kitchen looks big enough for a 4-seater dining table, and for actual cooking.

  71. 71.

    raven

    @CaseyL: The last tenants were two plus the guy’s kid every other weekend and two giant dogs. He had a john boat in the driveway and often parked a fucking pontoon boat in front. He liked to clean fish in the driveway and leave deer heads out to “season”.

  74. 74.

    raven

    @debbie: Twenty five years promoting breast feeding and she retired  years ago at 60! Now she’s busier than ever with a never ending stream of dog parades, garden clubs and art projects!

  75. 75.

    mvr

    @schrodingers_cat: One week after we moved in the beast was elected, it felt like the bottom fell out of my world.

    We’re about to have serious foundation work done on our house and this small part of me keeps worrying that we will have to flee to a blue state because it is starting to seem like our Governors are getting more right wing and more powerful even as there get to be more Democrats. And they are now doing things for spite.

    For example conservation easements, which allow working farmers to generate money for conserving habitat, are now controversial even though it is typically conservative farmers who make money from them.  All because Biden is pushing land and water conservation.

    The work we are having done was to get more shop space and to repair cracked walls. But if we’re not going to live her very long, what is the point.  Working on a basement is not a money maker if you are selling a house (as our contractor cautioned us).

    I’m thinking I don’t need to plan for a long retirement because they will kill us before too long.

  76. 76.

    raven

    @debbie: Oh, as far as the doors. Our neighborhood is near an old textile mill and we think that it was a duplex for workers. There were no bathrooms in any of the historic houses and they all have added on spaces in the rear.

  77. 77.

    CaseyL

    @raven:

    He liked to clean fish in the driveway and leave deer heads out to “season”.

     

    Erm… how far is this place from your main house, the one you live in? And is it usually downwind or upwind from the rental property?

  81. 81.

    persistentillusion

    @raven:  Heh, my house is 783 square feet. Two bedrooms, one for me and one for the world’s most spoiled dog. Fortunately, she doesn’t use the indoor toilet

    ETA – lovely house and enviable garden in front of the main house.

  83. 83.

    susanna

    The house has charm and I like the colors you and/or the wife chose.  I think it was your own colorful garden pictures posted awhile back, so give us a photo when the rental garden is done.  This looks really nice – congratulations on a job well done!

  85. 85.

    prostratedragon

    At 10 Eastern TCM is showing Gold Diggers of 1933. Standard 30s “let’s put on a play to save our bacon” musical, but ends with a really great number, “Remember My Forgotten Man.” It was Busby Berkeley’s tribute to bonus marchers that he had seen the previous year. The main performers of the number are Joan Blondell and, in the sung part, Etta Moten.

    It was a bit radical to have a black woman in that number, representing all women many of whom were white. Ms. Moten was in later years known around Chicago as Etta Moten Barnett, local journalist and host of a popular radio show. I met her at tea parties a couple of times in the early 60s, where she might talk a bit about her Hollywood days. She specifically referenced this number as one she was very proud of, and said she enjoyed working with Berkeley, as she did a few times, and with Blondell. Mrs. Barnett lived to be 102. In those late years my father visited her regularly, as pastor of her church, and I think co/officiated her funeral. He said she was a firecracker all the way.

  89. 89.

    sab

    We have reached the awkward age when all the contractors my husband knows have started to retire. Fortunately my stepson’s best friend got into the business a few years ago and seems to be doing well at it.

  90. 90.

    Anonymous At Work

    On that day, many years ago, you never realized that the Army had not trained you to curse and swear sufficiently for the task ahead…

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