Yesterday was Festivus and I forgot.
Does this mean I am happy?
by John Cole| 92 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Yesterday was Festivus and I forgot.
Does this mean I am happy?
This post is in: Something Good Open Thread
Just because I like it: pic.twitter.com/Qloo6wR614
— Debby Witt, AKA Grandma Bear (@debbywitt) December 12, 2021
— Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens (@CSMFHT) December 20, 2021
Feb. 11, 1963… A booming, unmistakable voice welcomes viewers into her studio kitchen: "Boeuf Bourguignon! French beef stew in red wine." And so begins the career of the greatest TV chef of all-time. ???????
A Julia Child Christmas Day marathon starts Saturday at noon on GBH-2! pic.twitter.com/OW67VRf49B
— GBH (@GBH) December 20, 2021
What makes the New York City Ballet, one of the top ballet companies in the world, perform 'The Nutcracker' every year since its 1954 premiere? @Reutersgraphics details the ballet's success ???? https://t.co/bKCYDTYrrD pic.twitter.com/tPXDE02Cna
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 21, 2021
Modern times in Estonia. A robot which had become stuck in the snow, saw me coming, and asked with a synthesised voice whether I could help out. So I did, and both of us carried on with our day. pic.twitter.com/4H7SbwVn6t
— IllimarLepikvonWirén (@iLepikVonWiren) December 7, 2021
by DougJ| 65 Comments
This post is in: Absent Friends
From friend Batocchio:
It’s time once again to continue a tradition started by Jon Swift/Al Weisel, the “Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves.” Jon/Al left behind some wonderful satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. (Here’s Jon/Al’s massive 2007 and 2008 editions. Our smaller revivals from 2010 through 2020 can be found here.)
If you’d like to participate, just reply to this e-mail or write to me (Batocchio9 AT yahoo DOT com) with your best post of the year before 12/25:
Blog Name
Title of Post
Link
Author of Post
Brief Description/Pitch of the Post (1–2 sentences)
(If it’s not a reply, adding “best post” in the subject line would also help.)
To modify Jon Swift’s 2008 solicitation:
I would be very honored if you would participate and send me a link to what you think was your best post of [2021], along with a short description of it. Please make the hard choice and send me only one link. I would like to post it before the end of the year, so if you could get it to me before Christmas, I would really appreciate it.
One submission per blog, please, otherwise things can get messy. Group bloggers can pick a piece among themselves, but are also welcome to submit their work via their individual blogs, if they have them.
As usual, I’m aiming to find the right balance between “inclusive” and “manageable.” If you know a few excellent blogs (preferably on the smaller side) that you suspect might not be on my radar, feel free to send me their website address (and contact info, if you have it).
Thanks,
Batocchio
This post is in: Activist Judges!, Open Threads, Politics
Trump’s bogus assertion of post-presidential executive privilege to shield White House documents from the January 6th select committee was shot down by an appeals court on December 9th. Yesterday, in a last-ditch effort to keep the documents secret, Trump went running to a US Supreme Court he personally stocked with what he thinks are three personal stooges. WaPo:
“President Trump is more than an ordinary citizen,” [future disgraced Trump lawyer Jesse R.] Binnall’s filing says. “ … He is one of only five living Americans who, as former Presidents, are granted special authority to make determinations regarding the disclosure of records and communications created during their terms of office.”
Nonsense. I’ll be surprised if even the three awful conservative hacks Trump installed go along with this bullshit charade. Not because they possess a shred of integrity or feel bound to uphold the US Constitution — they don’t. But like virtually all elite establishment Republican hacks, they probably view Trump as an embarrassing though temporarily necessary tool of destiny.
They believe they can safely cast Trump aside now that he fulfilled his purpose by elevating them to their ivory tower positions. I suspect that in their minds, Trump is merely a regrettable footnote in the otherwise unbesmirched biographies of conservative legal titans, so the less said about the crass oaf, the better.
Anyhoo, J6 Committee Chair Rep. Bennie G. Thompson also had a request for the Supremes:
“The Select Committee is investigating a deadly assault on the United States Capitol, the Speaker of the House, the Vice President, and both Chambers of Congress, and a dangerous interruption of Congress’s constitutional duty and the peaceful transfer of power,” House General Counsel Douglas N. Letter wrote.
“Delay would inflict a serious injury on the Select Committee and the public by interfering with this mandate,” he added, suggesting the justices decide by Jan. 14.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Republican justices kick the can down the road a bit. The only thing at stake is the ability of one of three coequal branches of government to protect itself from a despotic attempt to destroy it perpetrated by another coequal branch of government. The Federalist Society hacks on the court would probably find that matter less pressing than a regulation that limits corporate power in some way or a ruling that thwarts the objectives of religious fanatics.
Open thread.
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Proud to Be A Democrat, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Something Good Open Thread
Cali Zoo in Colombia gifted its residents with their favorite food as part of Christmas celebration pic.twitter.com/smfWAPjjo5
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2021
I’m generally a fan of zoo-animals-opening-presents clips, but this is the first one I’ve seen that includes butterflies!
Elsewhere, wrapping up a very busy week:
Packages are moving, gifts are being delivered, and shelves are stocked. Today, retail inventories are up more than 3% from last year.
We’re making progress.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 23, 2021
President Biden to ABC: "If the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 23, 2021
A Biden administration effort to reunite children and parents who were separated under President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance border policy is making progress as it nears the end of its first year, with 100 children returned to their families.https://t.co/PGRb71NCJW
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 23, 2021
President Joe Biden is making two final nominations to the federal bench this year as he caps his first year in office with 40 judges confirmed, the most since Ronald Reagan’s presidency. https://t.co/m7aPK8sOTA
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 23, 2021
A lot of economic data out today. But one figure stands out:
– When @POTUS took office, 880,000 people EACH week were filing for unemployment
– This week, that's down to 205,000Overall, we had 20m+ on unemployment a year ago, today, that's under 2m.
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) December 23, 2021
This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs
Risk is a spectrum, not an absolute. Whatever your plans are for this weekend, please consider at least making one change, any change, to reduce your risk.
If we all take a little bit fewer risks, that can add up to helping keep everyone safer. #TinyWiseDecisions
— Dr Ellie Murray, ScD (@EpiEllie) December 22, 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Dec. 23-24Post + Comments (46)
by WaterGirl| 17 Comments
This post is in: Holidays When We Were Little
?Keep sending your pics! We’ll run them from now until New Year’s Eve. ?
Who knew all the BJ peeps were so adorable when we were kids?
? All holidays matter. ?
John Smallberries: “that’s me at 9 months old,
plus the old man and my mom.”
Christmas 1957.“That copy of The Night Before Christmas lasted and was read on Christmas Eve for at least another 30 years before it fell apart. But my mom still has the remains stashed somewhere.”
Cathie from Canada
“So it may be a little odd to see two sweet little twin girls with toy cars,
but that was our best Christmas gift that year!”
JanieM
“That’s me on the left, in the Davy Crockett suit I wanted so desperately for Christmas in 1955.
I’m sure my mother got it for me
while hoping it would be just an anomaly on my path to true femininity.
Um…no.”
Elma, Carol, and Betty
Kenosha, circa ?
(Maybe we can guess from the tinsel? ~WG)
Elma
“Got a doll and stiches for Christmas.”
Santa and Stacy
“I’m a lurker but faithful longtime reader.
I just like this picture so much, especially the woman with the cigarette.
This was about 1983.”
On The Road – Holidays When We Were Little – 12/24Post + Comments (17)