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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Republicans do not trust women.

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

He really is that stupid.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

All hail the time of the bunny!

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

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

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

No one could have predicted…

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

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You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning

This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning

by WaterGirl|  January 8, 20225:28 pm| 239 Comments

This post is in: Anniversary Week, Balloon Juice

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After this post, the (anniversary) Party is Over, unless Betty Cracker or someone else sneaks in an anniversary post before midnight!

Here’s an awesome video of Lily and Rosie and Guesley!

So nice to see everyone in their prime!

I want to give another shout-out to Steeplejack for all the time he spent and energy he expended helping to find the classic posts.

John Cole Registers as a Democrat
Tunch’s Cat Tower (did not get the reception Cole hoped for!)
RedKitten Play-by-Play of the Birth
SamKitten

In this last anniversary post, can we talk about favorite comments over the years?

Commenters we miss and why?  (If we build it, they will come?)

And in the spirit of “make new friends, but keep the old”, if you have a favorite commenter or a front-pager who’s still here that you really appreciate, feel free to chime in with that too and tell us why.

And a few more classic posts for your reading pleasure.

Steve
First Meeting with Steve
Say Hello to Steve
Steve Gets ‘Tutored’

Rosie
Rosie!
Doggie Drama Update
Rosie’s Adoption is Official
Rosie Is One of the Pack

Thurston
Ginger, Thurston and Lovey!

There are so many more of Thurston and the whole crew that i will just link to all of them in a comment below.

This marvelous poem by Subaru Diane came in just under the wire!  (details in the comments below)

BALLOON JUICE TURNS TWENTY
by Subaru Diane

Balloon Juice is really as good as it gets
(Come for the politics, stay for the pets)

Sometimes it’s cheerful and sometimes it’s rude
(Come for the animals, stay for the food)

It’s for excellent jackals — plus assholes and dicks
(Come for the recipes, stay for the flicks)

It’s for interests, hobbies, and fun of all sorts
(Come for the movie nights, stay for the sports)

It is run by a fellow who doesn’t wear pants
(Come for the football and stay for the plants)

It’s for brilliant professors and every-day loons
(Come for the gardens and stay for the tunes)

We argue the redistribution of wealth
(Come for the music and stay for the health)

So many smart people! So many good deeds,
So many great outcomes we planted as seeds.
This place fits as comfortably as an old glove,
So come to Balloon Juice and stay for the love.

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Previous Post: « 20th Anniversary Ramblings
Next Post: Saturday Night Open Thread: One of the Dumber Timelines »

Reader Interactions

239Comments

  1. 1.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    What no “Failed Foster” for Thurston?

  2. 2.

    debbie

    January 8, 2022 at 5:32 pm

    Schlemezal (or however he was spelling his nym at the time) chasing trick or treaters down the street will always be my favorite post.

  3. 3.

    Yutsano

    January 8, 2022 at 5:33 pm

    TattooSydney.
    RedKitten.
    AsianGRRLMN.

    And three who can’t return:
    GeneralStuck
    efGoldman

    Schlemazel

    EDIT: I’m not understanding the format fail here. Obligatory FYWP.

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    Bnut and his tale of the girl with the houndstooth bra in NOLA.

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Oh my god, Steep found a thousand Thurston posts:

    First mention of Ginger, Thurston and Lovey.
    Quick Puppy Update
    Another Puppy Update
    Puppies, Puppies, Puppies
    Good Things Come in Small Packages
    Puppy Update 7
    A Few days after Thurston & Lovey arrived
    Thurston Photo!
    Ginger Gets Loose / Dumpster Diving
    Naptime
    Ginger Update

  6. 6.

    Yarrow

    January 8, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    Mnemosyne. Wish she’d comment again.

    Corner Stone. Always cracked me up.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Laughing at the description, but I have no memory of that story.

  8. 8.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    @WaterGirl: He was very proud.   She must have been something.

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    I just added the RedKitten play-by-play of SamKitten’s birth.

  10. 10.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 5:50 pm

    You did great work with this, WG.

    And thanks to Steeplejack.

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 5:50 pm

    At the end of 2015, I jotted down a few couplets. Honestly have no recollection whatsoever whether or not I posted any of them in the comments at that time. Anyhow, I’ve dusted them off and slightly tweaked them for the Twentieth. Dedicated to the Jackaltariat, near and far, present and absent. Here’s to another score of years!

    BALLOON JUICE TURNS TWENTY
     
    Balloon Juice is really as good as it gets
    (Come for the politics, stay for the pets)
     
    Sometimes it’s cheerful and sometimes it’s rude
    (Come for the animals, stay for the food)
     
    It’s for excellent jackals — plus assholes and dicks
    (Come for the recipes, stay for the flicks)
     
    It’s for interests, hobbies, and fun of all sorts
    (Come for the movie nights, stay for the sports)
     
    It is run by a fellow who doesn’t wear pants
    (Come for the football and stay for the plants)
     
    It’s for brilliant professors and every-day loons
    (Come for the gardens and stay for the tunes)
     
    We argue the redistribution of wealth
    (Come for the music and stay for the health)
     
    So many smart people! So many good deeds,
    So many great outcomes we planted as seeds.
    This place fits as comfortably as an old glove,
    So come to Balloon Juice and stay for the love.

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    Valdivia
    Violet
    arguingwithsignposts
    Mnem
    asiangrrl

    Where did all the Jen’s go?  Jen, JenJen, Too Many Jens…

    I wish we would see more of these guys in real time: cleek, LAMH, aimai, Morzer,

  13. 13.

    Raoul Paste

    January 8, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    I’m a relative short timer, but my favourite comment was a response to a very long Tony Jay post:

    ” Sir, this is a Wendy’s drive-through“

    I’m even chuckling now

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:53 pm

    @Baud: Thank you!

    I think John hates me for it. :-)

    Sunday morning: “WaterGirl has all sorts of fun things planned.”

    By 9pm on Sunday John had texted me: “I am tired of the anniversary already.” ?‍♀️

    Too late, John, too many things were already in the works.

    edited

  15. 15.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I nominate Suburu for best BJ poet.

  16. 16.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:55 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I LOVE that!  Thank you, SD.

    edit: Yes on best BJ poet!

  17. 17.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 5:55 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Good list.

  18. 18.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 5:55 pm

    @WaterGirl: Morzer comments infrequently, but still comments(may be due to his location and timezone).

  19. 19.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    @Baud: I think if we all chant the names of the peeps that we miss, and turn around 3 times, they will appear on the blog.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: okay, i’ll fix that!  he clearly needs to comment more often if i think he’s totally gone. :-)

  21. 21.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 5:57 pm

    @Baud: As much as it pains me to type….   What Baud said.

  22. 22.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 5:57 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    And then they kill us?

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    @Baud: Oh, wait, did I confuse the directions for the chants?  That was not intended as a conjure up the murderer’s chant.  sigh

  24. 24.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:01 pm

    @Baud: agree. Love all the frontpagers even when I disagree with them

  25. 25.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: brilliant ?

  26. 26.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    @WaterGirl: He comments more at nights, so we west coast folk and night owls see him more than y’all further east.

  27. 27.

    jeffreyw

    January 8, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m nominating you the Balloon Juice Poet Lariat for rounding up all those stray couplets.

  28. 28.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:06 pm

    I miss all the ones wg listed. Probably mnem most of all

  29. 29.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I think it depends whether you turn clockwise or counterclockwise.  I can’t remember which is which.

  30. 30.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    @Baud: Doesn’t that depend on what hemisphere you’re in?

  31. 31.

    JanieM

    January 8, 2022 at 6:11 pm

    @Raoul Paste: that’s hilarious, I missed that, though i always read Tony Jay’s posts if I catch them.

    It reminds me of another wonderful comment, when a commenter whose name was Uncle (something or other) seriously annoyed a lot of other people, and Uncle Ebeneezer posted this. I laughed all day.

  32. 32.

    Fair Economist

    January 8, 2022 at 6:13 pm

    This has been great fun. Thanks to the FPs and organizers, and of course all the many contributors who have made this so lively and fun over the years.

  33. 33.

    NotMax

    January 8, 2022 at 6:13 pm

    LAO
    RedDirtGirl (not gone but too rarely heard from)
    Hdeki (ditto)
    JAFD (ditto again)
    HeleninEire (ditto thrice)
    Bella Q
    Mingobat
    Just Some Fuckhead
    And I know going in I’m not gonna remember the correct spelling, but sounded like Ladyranxerox.

  34. 34.

    debbie

    January 8, 2022 at 6:13 pm

    @jeffreyw:

    ??‍♀️

  35. 35.

    debbie

    January 8, 2022 at 6:14 pm

    @Fair Economist:

    Seconded.

  36. 36.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 8, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    @JanieM: Likely that was Uncle Cosmo, who is not to everyone’s taste.

  37. 37.

    Scout211

    January 8, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    I’ve been reading threads and comments for many years and sometimes post a comment. The thread that I thought was the most memorable and most fun was (I think) just last year.  I don’t remember how it started, but it turned into a fun thread full of pedants. It was comment after comment of each jackal’s most hated examples of people mangling the English language. Improper grammar, annoying spelling errors, mispronunciations,  misspellings and so many annoying things that *other people* say. It was so funny and also quite informative.  :)

    It was so much fun and the subject matter was so universal that it seemed to invite new lurkers to join in, which is always nice.  In fact, I like all the threads that welcome lurkers and shy commenters to join in on the discussion.

  38. 38.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    @NotMax: Fuckhead shows up on occasion.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: More often would be nice!

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    I thought for sure that Omnes or BG might get Valdivia to stop by this week. sigh

  41. 41.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    @NotMax: Yes!  except that i don’t know who Hdeki was.

    i miss muddy, too.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    @Baud:

    What is this, high school yearbook?

    (Thanks, Baud.)

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    Sometime in the next few days I will move all the anniversary posts out of the sidebar and replace them with a single page that has all the links.

  44. 44.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 6:27 pm

    @jeffreyw:

    Hahahahaha!! ??

  45. 45.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    @WaterGirl: can soonergrunts meta thread be added? I’m on my phone now but I could send you the link later

  46. 46.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:30 pm

     

    OL AZUL!!!!!!

  47. 47.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    Did Sarah Plain and Tall show up? Her posts always made me laugh.

  48. 48.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 8, 2022 at 6:31 pm

    Along these lines, I suspect I’m not the only one who finds there are fewer trolls here these days, and of much lower quality. Who misses, say, BiP or BOB, or UNLIMITED CORPORATE CASH!! or the guy for whom every thread could be about guns? Not to mention the, um, characters, like m_c or the small footwear one.

  49. 49.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:32 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: I doubt it. They haven’t been here for ages

  50. 50.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: glockmeister or something like that. Wth is a magazine anyway?

  51. 51.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 6:34 pm

    Can’t remember if it was already posted earlier this week, but here’s Soonergrunt’s epic “meta” thread from 2012.

  52. 52.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:34 pm

    @Steeplejack: thanks ?

  53. 53.

    The Dangerman

    January 8, 2022 at 6:35 pm

    @Scout211: I think that started when the Blog Boss made a comment about a comma. I could easily be wrong.

    Thanks to all for this trip down memory lane.

  54. 54.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 6:37 pm

    @raven:

    Wait, is that supposed to be a list of people you miss?

  55. 55.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    January 8, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    A couple of posters I miss are Thymezone and Rome Again.

  56. 56.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I think it’s his favorite people I’m conspicuously missing

  57. 57.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: thymezone, yeah!

  58. 58.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:39 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Better? I’m watching the Broncos and Chiefs and not really paying attention.

  59. 59.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:39 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I was adding as I went.

  60. 60.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    @raven: well you’re one of my favorites regardless

  61. 61.

    CarolPW

    January 8, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    @raven: Me too.

  62. 62.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    I sometimes wonder what happened to redshirt (not redshift). Lived in Maine, was a prolific commenter who suddenly disappeared right after (I think) Dolt 45’s election in 2016. I remember he(?) and Omnes had a hilarious argument about what constituted a compound. I think redshirt said he lived in one.

    I miss Corner Stone (his kid is 17 now!), seaboogie and Dance Around in Your Bones, in addition to others listed above.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:42 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Dammit, I had found that one and left it open so I could add it to the list and then must have lost the plot.

    Yes, that can definitely be added.

  64. 64.

    mali muso

    January 8, 2022 at 6:42 pm

    I miss ABL. I do check her out on Twitter but it’s not the same as having her here.

  65. 65.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:42 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: She just seemed to fall off the earth one day, no one seems to know what happened.

  66. 66.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:42 pm

    For spicing things up, eemom cs and jsf

  67. 67.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    @zhena gogolia: back atcha

  68. 68.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:44 pm

    @WaterGirl: steep provided the link above

  69. 69.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 6:44 pm

    I let Valdivia know about this thread, and she asked me pass on that she loves you all but is horribly busy right now.  I offered to pass on something more insulting and dismissive, but she said no.

  70. 70.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    @Steeplejack: @zhena gogolia:

    i just added it to the list in the sidebar.

  71. 71.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    She was always classy.

  72. 72.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    @Odie Hugh Manatee: Yes!

  73. 73.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: did you see Peter fritzell died? Or you didn’t know him. Wonderful guy

  74. 74.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 6:47 pm

    @mali muso: I miss her, too!

    If I could have just one of the Past Authors back it would be ABL and Soonergrunt.  :-)

  75. 75.

    jeffreyw

    January 8, 2022 at 6:49 pm

    @debbie: ?

  76. 76.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    I remember he(?) and Omnes had a hilarious argument about what constituted a compound. I think redshirt said he lived in one.

    IIRC, Redshirt(named after the Star Trek redshirts that always end up dead in each episode) was a ‘she’ and lived in rural Maine.  She said she lived in a compound, Omnes said it’s not a compound without a bunker which it didn’t have.

  77. 77.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Well, that comment makes no sense now!

  78. 78.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    @WaterGirl: Isn’t that two?

  79. 79.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    @Steeplejack: redshirt never had enough buildings for a compound.  OTOH, I would probably insisted that a compound required n+1 buildings where n= however many redshirt had.

  80. 80.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    58.

    raven
    JANUARY 8, 2022 AT 6:39 PM

    @SiubhanDuinne: Better? I’m watching the Broncos and Chiefs and not really paying attention.

  81. 81.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Yeah, I saw.  I took one course from him.

  82. 82.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 6:55 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Aha, yes.  A bunker.

  83. 83.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 6:55 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Yes! The bunker requirement.

  84. 84.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    Where has Adam disappeared to? Maybe my timeline is all messed up, but it feels as though he hasn’t commented, let alone FP’d, for several weeks.

  85. 85.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 6:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Maybe he got busy with his job, I don’t comment much on the days that I work.

  86. 86.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 6:58 pm

    Our floors are done!

  87. 87.

    NeenerNeener

    January 8, 2022 at 6:59 pm

    @raven:

    Very nice!

  88. 88.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    @raven:

    That is some nice looking wood.

  89. 89.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I comment more when work is busy.

  90. 90.

    cain

    January 8, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    Hey @watergirl – can you find my first post again? My email address is the same as it has always been. :)

     

    ETA oh wow!! #90!!!! YESSSS!!

    Also, we put an offer on a new house and it got accepted. It’s crazy money though – damn west coast lifestyle.

  91. 91.

    Phylllis

    January 8, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    @Yarrow: Yep, I miss Cornerstone too.

  92. 92.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:  Those are my two #1 choices. :-)

  93. 93.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    @Baud: When I working, I don’t comment at all…just running around the Home of the Orange Apron looking for stuff folk ordered.

  94. 94.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    @Baud: Red oak, we left the floor in the closet and the floor dude said “Ah, that beautiful old heart pine”! Unfortunately the powder post beetles like it too!

  95. 95.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    @raven: Gorgeous!  When can I move in?

  96. 96.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    @WaterGirl: When the guy who rented it “long term” and plans to be here maybe half the year moves out!

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    @cain: Congratulations!

  98. 98.

    Felanius Kootea

    January 8, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    I definitely don’t miss matoko-chan but did anyone ever figure out what a cudlip was?

  99. 99.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 8, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    @raven: Looking good.

  100. 100.

    Geminid

    January 8, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    @Scout211: Some threads bring out the language pedants. People really like to flout their knowledge of grammar and usage.

  101. 101.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    @OzarkHillbilly: Ever use Rubio Monocoat? 

    It’s a matte finish you can walk on in a day!

  102. 102.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    @Geminid: ha!

  103. 103.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 7:08 pm

    @Geminid: Nice try.

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:08 pm

    @raven:

    Beautiful!

  105. 105.

    Steve in the ATL

    January 8, 2022 at 7:09 pm

    @Geminid: I believe you meant to use “whom” there.

  106. 106.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    @cain:

    Congratulations on the new house!

  107. 107.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    @cain:

    ?

  108. 108.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    @cain: Our new tenant lives in LA and I think this $1300 a month house is a steal for him.

  109. 109.

    jeffreyw

    January 8, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    @Geminid: I see what you did, cast a lure in close, under the overhanging bush where the big ol’ gooduns hang.

  110. 110.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    January 8, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    @raven: ​  What type of brand and product did you use?
    Was it hard to install?​

  111. 111.

    Yutsano

    January 8, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    @WaterGirl:  I told SG we were talking about him. I don’t have a response yet.

  112. 112.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 8, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    @raven: No, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that’s what floor layers were using in my latter days. I can’t help but wonder about the look on my face the first time I was told, “No, you can go ahead and trim it out tomorrow.” I remember coming in, opening the door and getting onto my knees and very warily touching the floor. And then a foot out. And then 2 feet out. And then…

    At some point I decided it wasn’t my problem if they were wrong.

  113. 113.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 8, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    @raven: That floor looks good enough to walk on!

  114. 114.

    rekoob

    January 8, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    This has been a great retrospective, and thank you, WaterGirl, for putting it all together. I’ve done some searching (thanks for the search-fu, Steep!) and looking at my own archives. As near as I can tell, I started lurking around 2008, just before the election. I have appreciated all the front-pagers and most of the commenters, and while I haven’t added much to the conversation over the years, I’ve followed it assiduously and to my great benefit. This has been an amazing source of information, debate, and reflection.

    I’ve had the good fortune to trade messages with Elizabelle, Quinerly, TomatoQueen, and Steeplejack on various topics relating to my location in Central Virginia, my time in New Mexico, my almae matres (St. John’s College and the University of Chicago), and my forthcoming exploration of the Eastern Seaboard and beyond.

    I am perhaps one of the few who still uses RSS feeds to alert me to new posts. I started with Bloglines, moved to Google Reader, and thence to Feedly, which still operates. Most likely, I got here via Obsidian Wings, since I enjoyed hilzoy’s perspective, as many others here have done.

    I get my dopamine hit when I see an update on Balloon Juice, and since I usually read all of the comments, I’m pretty far behind the commentary most of the time. I seem to comment more frequently on the Medium Cool with BGinCHI, since it’s largely about recommendations and what’s neat. I like that we have such a great group of sentinels watching out for what’s coming next.

    I’ll end this with gratitude to the entire Jackaltariat. In the past 18 months, I lost both my mother and my nearly 18-year-old dog (Floyd and John’s Lily could have been siblings, right down to the curled-back tail). Collectively, you helped me prepare and understand the loss. I’m stronger and better, thanks to all of you.

    Onward and upward!

  115. 115.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Literally.

  116. 116.

    Felanius Kootea

    January 8, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    @cain: Congratulations! A friend went through several bidding wars for places that weren’t even at the top of her initial list, so I know it can get crazy on the west coast. Finally she got lucky when a couple made a decision to sell to her (second highest bid) instead of an investor with an all cash bid because they had gone through the same thing for their new home and appreciated that she planned to actually live in the home.

  117. 117.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    @Yutsano: I really miss him here, and i don’t really do twitter. :-(

  118. 118.

    Felanius Kootea

    January 8, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    @Geminid: That was really good – my right eye twitched a little!

  119. 119.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: 3/4 red oak and Monocoat finish.

    It wasn’t hard for me to install, I just paid the $9000 to have it done. This job entailed removing the entire flooring system, joists, sills, subfloor (not included in the 9k) and replacing. We took out walls and insulated the whole joint so we’re looking at around $65k we hope

  120. 120.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    @cain: Your first comments in this post from 2007.

    You used your real name so i’ll just provide the link above.

  121. 121.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 8, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    @cain: ETA oh wow!! #90!!!! YESSSS!!

    Oh great.  Now you’ve decided 90 is special too.

  122. 122.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    * DVR Alert! *

    Director’s cut of Lawrence of Arabia coming up at 8:00 EST on TCM.

  123. 123.

    debbie

    January 8, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    @raven:

    Love them!

  124. 124.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    @OzarkHillbilly: Fortunately our carpenter works with the floor guy all the time so I think it’s kosher.

  125. 125.

    Another Scott

    January 8, 2022 at 7:21 pm

    Thanks WG and Steep and JGC, and everyone here.  You make me spend far too much time here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

    He’s not missing, but germy nee germy shoemangler has to be one of my absolute favorite ‘nyms and commenters.  Lots and lots of clever folks here to go with the clever handles.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  126. 126.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:21 pm

    @raven:

    Very nice color.

  127. 127.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:23 pm

    @Steeplejack: The boss lady is responsible for all decisions.

  128. 128.

    Redshift

    January 8, 2022 at 7:24 pm

    @cain:

    Hey @watergirl – can you find my first post again? My email address is the same as it has always been. :)

    Me, too! If you posted a response to my original dead-thread request, I missed it.

  129. 129.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    January 8, 2022 at 7:25 pm

    @raven:

     

    Did the contractor supply the wood or did you pick it up from a box store?

    How long was the installation process?

     

    Thanks.

  130. 130.

    James E Powell

    January 8, 2022 at 7:26 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    A proper compound has a helipad.

  131. 131.

    CaseyL

    January 8, 2022 at 7:27 pm

    What a trip down memory lane the lists of names are!  We have lost so many people over the years, and considering how many died that we know about, I worry about the ones who dropped off without a further word.

    I do think our tempers have gone completely to shit over the last 5 years, and it’s possible some folks dropped out just because they were worn out – not from BJ, necessarily, but from, well, everything.  I feel it myself pretty often.

    Don’t miss the trolls, though.

  132. 132.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 8, 2022 at 7:28 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    Director’s cut of Lawrence of Arabia coming up at 8:00 EST on TCM.

    Oh, so David Lean thinks he’s better than Svengoolie!

  133. 133.

    Another Scott

    January 8, 2022 at 7:29 pm

    @mrmoshpotato:

    90 is not a Special Number.

    [/pedant]

    Hehe.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  134. 134.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:29 pm

    @raven:

    I like lighter-colored wood floors, but a lot of them look washed out. Yours is just about perfect. Nice touch of honey. Give the boss lady a ?.

  135. 135.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    @rekoob:  I use Leaf, which is an RSS reader that uses Feedly for the feed.  I don’t read the posts in Leaf but it does tell me when there’s a new one!

    That’s a lot of loss in a short period of time.  No matter how old you are or whether you can see it coming, you’re always too young to lose your mom.

    Glad you are here.

    Do you have a new dog, or are you planning to get one?

    The first comment I see from you is in this post from 2014, but you might have used a different email before that.

  136. 136.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 8, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    @James E Powell:  Well yeah.  A bunker is a necessary but not sufficient item.

    ETA:  Without it, one has a hunting and/or fishing camp.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

  137. 137.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    @mrmoshpotato:

    TCM getting ruthless with the counterprogramming!

  138. 138.

    Felanius Kootea

    January 8, 2022 at 7:31 pm

    @CaseyL: Oh God I just remembered E.D. Kain!

  139. 139.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:31 pm

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: The wood came from a supplier in “Bethlehem” GA. It sat in the house for three months while the other work was done. We had hoped it was going to be done my Christmas and they got the prep done but didn’t actually lay and finish it until this week. The new tenant was going to come the 15th but we talked and, partly because of covid, he’s going to wait until Feb 1 to come and “furnish” it.  We’re not going to charge him even though he was willing to pay the 1/2 month.

  140. 140.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    @Redshift: I just did the first 10 requests in each thread, so I did not get to yours.  But I’ll do it now because you asked so nicely. :-)

  141. 141.

    No name

    January 8, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    One of my favorite posts:

    https://balloon-juice.com/2009/12/16/pet-rescue-thread/

  142. 142.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 8, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    @Another Scott: Of course not, 42 is THE SPECIAL NUMBER.

  143. 143.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    @Felanius Kootea: Check out the Past Authors page linked in the sidebar and in an earlier comment.

    That’s a real trip down memory lane.

  144. 144.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    @Steeplejack: She smat. . . We can’t wait to see the 8ft cherry planks they joined and are making into a counter top.

  145. 145.

    Spanky

    January 8, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Re-reading the Please get my fucking Subaru out of the field post reminds me how fucking useless AAA is and always has been.

    Ymmv, and if it is, good on you. But three bad experiences between the Mrs and me is two too many.

  146. 146.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:36 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Looked up his archives. The last time he posted was December 20. I had hoped to see a 20th-anniversary post from him. Hope you’re right that he’s simply too busy with work to bother with the likes of us to conceive, research, and write a special anniversary message.

  147. 147.

    Sure Lurkalot

    January 8, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    I’ve enjoyed the retrospective even though being a relative newbie, there is a sense that you kind of had to have been there to get the repartee. Still amazes me that so many have contributed for so long.

    About the time I started to check in more frequently, HeleninEire was moving to Eire and I was so jealous of her being wisely born to escape the trump regime. Mnemosyne, Cornerstone, Schlemazel (sp?) and EF Goldman we’re almost always around and I miss them too.

  148. 148.

    ThresherK

    January 8, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    I cannot Yahoogle things properly, so: Can someone find out my first post in these pages?
    Also, as a fellow Southern New Englander who knows Wright’s Dairy makes a mean pie, I miss EFGoldman, whom I once asked “Is your nym a combination of EFHutton and GoldmanSachs?”

  149. 149.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:38 pm

    @No name: That was such a sweet story!

    I added it to the list of links and called it Sweetest Pet Rescue Story.

  150. 150.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    January 8, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    @raven: ​

    Did the 9 grand include the wood or was that just for the labor?

  151. 151.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I did write to every front-pager letting them know the anniversary was coming up.  Not asking them to write a post but letting them know so no one got blind-sided or got caught flat-footed because they didn’t know in advance.

    A few wrote posts, some didn’t.  I’m really pleased that Tim F wrote one!

  152. 152.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:42 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I am just tickled to know that someone knows to go to the Authors page. :-)

  153. 153.

    Sure Lurkalot

    January 8, 2022 at 7:42 pm

    @raven: Great job on the renovation of your rental, looks modern and homey. Hope your tenant loves it!

  154. 154.

    James E Powell

    January 8, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    Has anyone seen Amir around lately? Last post I remember from him he said he was checking into a hospital. Anyone know how he’s doing?

  155. 155.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    @James E Powell:

    That’s the last I heard.

  156. 156.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    I’ve always thought it would be interesting to see a world map with dots or clusters wherever jackals live. Wouldn’t need to identify specific commenters, so no fear of doxxing — just a nice visual representation of how we’re distributed. How hard (or easy) would that be to compile, based on folks’ willingness to volunteer the information?

  157. 157.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    @Redshift: The first post I found with a comment from you was in 2014.  Unless you changed your email address at some point, that would be your first comment.

  158. 158.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    I went there to look up Hillary Rettig. I had completely forgotten about her, but she was a great front-pager for a while. Saw her name when I was spelunking in the archives.

  159. 159.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    It’s a good shortcut for certain kinds of searches.

  160. 160.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    @James E Powell: I suspect that we are all wondering about Amir.  I know I am.  I have not seen him since that announcement that referenced “a few days”.

    Fingers crossed, we all love Amir.

  161. 161.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    @James E Powell:

    Don’t think there has been any word since then. I am worried too.

  162. 162.

    Mike E

    January 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    @raven: The oak floor I helped install in my brother’s Philly row house 35 years ago is still going strong…his daughter bought the house and stripped it down to the studs, that floor and the entryway staircase are the only things she left alone!

  163. 163.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning 1

  165. 165.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning 2

  166. 166.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    @WaterGirl:

    Wow, this really IS a full-service blog!!

  167. 167.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:53 pm

    @Steeplejack: I really liked Libby Spencer, who filled in for DougJ for awhile when he was away.

  168. 168.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 8, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    @Steeplejack: Lawrence of Arabia vs Frogs!

  169. 169.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I want to know why more of those guys aren’t commenting!  :-)

    edit: Are the 14 from Russia reading, or trolling?  Inquiring minds…

    Actually surely the ones who are trolling have a VPN or something in place so they don’t look like they are coming from Russia.

  170. 170.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 7:55 pm

    @rekoob: so sorry for your losses

  171. 171.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 7:56 pm

    @Another Scott: germy is great

  172. 172.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 7:59 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Nice.

    Who is “not set”? CIA?

  173. 173.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 7:59 pm

  174. @cain: congrats on the house.
  175. @raven: nice looking classic wood floor. I truly believe the currently trendy white/grey plank tile is going to be the future 80s grey/mauve/carpet/tile combo.

  176. 174.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:00 pm

    @Baud: Probably

    edit:  Seems like one would have to go out of their way to have their location “not set”.

  177. 175.

    zhena gogolia

    January 8, 2022 at 8:06 pm

    @raven: Enjoying Bleak House while stretching my arm. Makes me want to read it again.

  178. 176.

    mrmoshpotato

    January 8, 2022 at 8:06 pm

    @Baud:

    Who is “not set”? CIA?

    You – blowing your cover.

  179. 177.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:07 pm

    @ThresherK: Your first comment was this:

    Are there boat magazines on the coffee table? That’s always a bad sign.

    That’s a classic!  Here’s the thread from 2010.

  180. 178.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 8:08 pm

    @WaterGirl: wow, I wasn’t expecting so many countries. That’s a big reach. Wouldn’t have expected Pakistan, Ukraine and Luxembourg. I am disappointed not to see one African country. Not even South Africa, Egypt or Rwanda.

  181. 179.

    FelonyGovt

    January 8, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    I’ve really enjoyed the anniversary retrospective, even though I don’t comment all that much and have only been here since 2016. Thanks, WaterGirl!

  182. 180.

    scav

    January 8, 2022 at 8:11 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: They’re on the map, presumably just with lower numbers.

  183. 181.

    Suzanne

    January 8, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: nice looking classic wood floor. I truly believe the currently trendy white/grey plank tile is going to be the future 80s grey/mauve/carpet/tile combo.

     
    Gray is already over. The interior designers I’m working with are doing lots of honey and warmer colors. Warmer than the blonde maple that was so big about 10-15 years ago, but not all Ye Olde Earlye American knotty pine or routed oak.

    But we just did our living room and dining room floors. We pulled up the carpet and intended to just refinish what was there, but there was oak only at the perimeter and pine in the center. And some of the oak had split over the years and the previous owners replaced with cheap lumber. So we decided to put a new floor on top. We did oak, but fairly dark, since there is dark oak elsewhere in the house. It is more formal than I would have chosen had I been working with a blank slate…. but my architectural values lead me to hold fast to what is good.

  184. 182.

    BeautifulPlumage

    January 8, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    Happy 20th! Thanks for the retrospectives. I’m relatively new and enjoy what you all built.

  185. 183.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: More than that!

    When we get down to countries 98, 99 and 100 (Afghanistan, Belarius and Cuba) there is only per person for each one.  124 countries represented on BJ.  Here are the last 25.  Alphabetical order, of course.

    This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning 3

  186. 184.

    Wanderer

    January 8, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    Congratulations Balloon Juice on 20 years. Thank you to all the front pagers for keeping everyone thinking and learning and hoping. Thanks to all the commenters. I really enjoy everything you write (except one pie lover). 

  187. 185.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    @FelonyGovt: You are most welcome!

    Glad you are here now.

  188. 186.

    realbtl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    Some of you may enjoy a serious way back trip.  John Cole 2-2006 Flame warriors.https://balloon-juice.com/2006/02/13/flame-warriors/

  189. 187.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 8:14 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile:

    The same thing struck me, about no African nations. As cosmopolitan as we otherwise are, that really seems anomalous.

    I guess it was always too much to hope for Antarctican representation.

    :-)

    ETA: Just saw WG’s final list, and there are in fact a few African nations listed — Sudan, Rwanda, Niger — so six of the seven continents are represented. Cool!

  190. 188.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 8:15 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    What’s the time frame?

  191. 189.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    @Baud: December 9 , 2021- January 7, 2022

    aka, The last 30 days.

  192. 190.

    Baud

    January 8, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Oh wow. I feel seen.

  193. 191.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:  Balloon Juice by continent:

    This Party Is Over, But the Next One Is Just Beginning 4

  194. 192.

    rekoob

    January 8, 2022 at 8:21 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thank you for your kind response and observations. Judging from my Bloglines account, I may have used my quadri**** address at gmail earlier. I often forward items from my RSS feed to archive/review later, and I saw that I did that with BJ in September 2008.

    No plans for another dog at the moment, since I plan to split my time between Coastal Delaware and NYC, and I have a friend with a delightful 14-year-old Poodle. We all have that one dog — Floyd was mine.

  195. 193.

    No name

    January 8, 2022 at 8:21 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thank you!  The picture of that happy boy ❤️

  196. 194.

    Mary G

    January 8, 2022 at 8:21 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: I hate that stuff. Looks like a milk spill gone wrong.

  197. 195.

    Sure Lurkalot

    January 8, 2022 at 8:22 pm

    @WaterGirl: Amazeballs!

  198. 196.

    Redshift

    January 8, 2022 at 8:28 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thanks! Not bad for my first outing.

  199. 197.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 8:31 pm

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Both

  200. 198.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: Our bathroom will be such.

  201. 199.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    @Redshift: Not at all!

  202. 200.

    rekoob

    January 8, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Thank you. All of us benefit from the collective support the blog provides.

  203. 201.

    Mary G

    January 8, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    @Suzanne: ANY suggestions on how to find a landscape designer/contractor? I took out a mortgage to pay a good one and no one has even had time to do a paid consultation. All my neighbors are probably dissing me for not wanting a giant, ugly “infrastructure installation” or replacing the yards with more house, but somebody must need work.

  204. 202.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    @WaterGirl: Sounds like you have some good things in your life, including a delightful pup.  Maybe at 14 “dog” might have been a better word choice?

  205. 203.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 8, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    Soonergrunt sighting upstairs!

  206. 204.

    ThresherK

    January 8, 2022 at 8:45 pm

    @WaterGirl: ​
      Thanks for that nugget. My guess was our blogmaster’s Subaru stuck in the field saga. Alllmost.

  207. 205.

    raven

    January 8, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    @Mary G: Have you tried things like “Angie’s List”

     

    How to Use Contractor Referral Websites

    Tips for using online resources to get the best contractors for your projects

     

    It’s not the same but we used Zillow for our rental and it worked well.

  208. 206.

    There go two miscreants

    January 8, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    @WaterGirl: I have really enjoyed the anniversary posts and comments, and the geographic reach of the blog is impressive! Thank you for all the work putting it together.

  209. 207.

    Suzanne

    January 8, 2022 at 8:54 pm

    @Mary G: God, I am having a hard time finding good contractors, too. I found a good landscape company in my area by total chance. Literally just by driving around and I saw a truck, snapped a picture of their info, and looked them up. Do you need design or just work? Does anything you plan to do require a permit? Otherwise, you know all the ways I’d suggest…. ask neighbors, troll local magazines and look at the image credits, check Nextdoor, etc.

  210. 208.

    Suzanne

    January 8, 2022 at 8:59 pm

    I would also check nicer neighborhoods for local companies. Usually posher suburban neighborhoods have higher standards for their landscape (plant quantity, size, tree variety, etc.) and the landscape companies that work in those places will be able to help recommend plants that will meet your needs.

  211. 209.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 9:07 pm

     

     

    @WaterGirl: I am impressed to see Syria and Papua New Guinea and I am surprised to see Uruguay so low considering there’s supposed to be lots of ex-pats living there.

  212. 210.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 8, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: Don’t want to be That Guy but a) geolocating IP addresses is an inexact science and b)   I bet a good number of unique visits here are spiders/bots.

  213. 211.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    @Suzanne: I just figure ‘standard’ color woods will never look ugly dated and you can do the trendy stuff with furniture and easily removable decor.  My issue with grey is that if grey gets dirty and/or worn it looks dingy. I don’t even like grey cars. I would like to see green(not 70s avocado green) make a comeback. I did notice the 2022 color of the year is what I call an ‘ice green’ which I’ve always liked because it’s the kind of subtle color that changes depending on what it’s next to.

  214. 212.

    Suzanne

    January 8, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    @Mai Naem mobile: If you’re talking about the Benjamin Moore color of the year, October Mist, I agree with you 100%. I love that silvery sage green and always have. Thinking about it for my dining room. (Many companies do a Color of the Year thing, it was started by Pantone. They will all say that the color is different. Gives you an idea how rigorous all that color science is.)

    I like gray, but even I am over it for interiors right now. Everything dates. I tend to like things that are fairly spartan and material-y/textural. Honestly, w/r/t personal decorating, I say to mix up things, as long as they are good quality. And not too much brown boxy furniture.

  215. 213.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    @Mary G: i think things will pick up once COVID(cross fingers)rates drop. Good landscape people are hard to find. My neighbor is a property manager who has steady work and even he can’t seem to find good people.

  216. 214.

    Fake Irishman

    January 8, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    Late to the party per usual (having an infant and a three year old does that to you), but thanks to Watergirl and Steeplejack for putting this all together. I started lurking in 2010 and commenting a bit in 2011. When my union got put in the crosshairs of a right wing group in 2012, I wrote Kay (then a front pager) asking if she would amplify our plight. I don’t know why I reached out to her, but somehow I trusted her  to understand and you all to help us out. It was gratifying to be right in both counts.

    When one Richard Mayhew became a front pager in 2013, I was amazed at his granular knowledge of health insurance, which really complemented my policy knowledge and interests. He actually @‘s me on Twitter from time to time and always engages with ideas and questions. We’ve written one academic piece together and he’s introduced me to several cool colleagues in addition to discussing a few of my articles in this blog. All these cool things happened to me because John Cole  is a misanthropic mensch that attracted this community of misfit toys through random foresight, basic humanity and lots of pet pictures. It’s incredible and humbling how many really talented and committed folks are on this piece of electronic real estate.

    Now, according to blog custom, I believe I am supposed I tell you all to go F*** yourselves.

  217. 215.

    J R in WV

    January 8, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    @raven: ​
     

    Our floors are done!

    Did you ever tell us what wood the floor is? I’m asking…

  218. 216.

    Laura Too

    January 8, 2022 at 10:07 pm

    I am so grateful to you all! Mr. Steeplejack you had a formula to find old posts but I can’t find it, so if you see this could you put that in here? I would love to poke about for some old posts. I spent today in kind of a sad place- it is Schlemazel’s birthday and close to the anniversary of his death and our family keeps his FB page alive to meet every year. It is really nice to stop by here & find people bringing him up with such kindness.

    Watergirl, you are amazing! Putting this all together takes work and you have such a big heart.

  219. 217.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    @Suzanne:

    The Benjamin Moore “Color Trends 2022” page has some nice looks. I like the October Mist, also the Pale Moon yellow that is in some of the pictures down the page. I am tired of all white, which a lot of the shelter shows (HGTV, etc.) seem to be overdoing now.

  220. 218.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    @Suzanne: the sage silver green is the color I am talking about. I get ideas from a lot of good stuff I see in commercial buildings – don’t care if they’re old or new buildings. Everything from the landscaping features to furniture. And I figure they’re going to put stuff that’s going to be durable not just throwaway garbage.

  221. 219.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    @Fake Irishman:

    Fuck you, too, buddy! Coffee and doughnuts are to the right.

  222. 220.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Red oak.

  223. 221.

    Mai Naem mobile

    January 8, 2022 at 10:13 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: it was kind of cool thinking somebody from Papua New Guinea was reading BJ. Oh, well…

  224. 222.

    One of the Many Jens

    January 8, 2022 at 10:15 pm

    @WaterGirl:  ::waves hand::  Hey there, one of the many Jens is in the building! This anniversary extravaganza has been great, and I’m much appreciating it (and still catching up) – thank you all for putting this together!

    Happy 2022 to all Juicers! (Egads, I’m still having a mini heart attack every time I write “2022.” How?!?)

  225. 223.

    J R in WV

    January 8, 2022 at 10:16 pm

    @J R in WV: ​
     

    I see you told us Red Oak, which I would have guessed had I had to guess. Beautiful wood, can’t wait to see the cherry.

    Our floors are hickory with multiple coats of matte poly, really pretty, There’s a frame of walnut around the edges, which if I had properly understood flooring when I dreamed that up I would not have done. It turns the flooring project into cabinet making …

  226. 224.

    NotMax

    January 8, 2022 at 10:17 pm

    @Steeplejack

    You prankster, you. Nothing on B-J is to the right.

    :)

  227. 225.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 10:20 pm

    @J R in WV: In case raven has retired for the night, i believe it is red oak.

  228. 226.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 10:21 pm

    @Laura Too: Give me a shout if you want some help finding old posts.

  229. 227.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 10:23 pm

    @One of the Many Jens: There’s no such thing as having too many Jens!  Lurk less, comment more. :-)

  230. 228.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 10:26 pm

    @Laura Too:

    A general Google search would start with

    site:balloon-juice.com [search terms]

    where “[search terms]” is replaced by the word(s) or phrase(s) you are trying to find. (Don’t put the brackets in your search terms.)

    Keep in mind that searching for a single nym is going to be tough, because Google seems to let “ephemeral” terms fade away after about 10 years. And, of course, you may get hundreds of hits for a single nym. It’s usually beetter to search for, or include in your search, words that go to a specific event.

    . . . Okay, I went back through my notes and found the following links re Schlemazel. I don’t know if they’re in order—or even useful—but at least they could provide you a starting point for searching.

    Laura Too (Schlemazel’s niece) on his death:
    https://balloon-juice.com/2019/01/25/rip-schlemazel/#comment-7168632

    TomatoQueen: https://balloon-juice.com/2019/01/25/rip-schlemazel/#comment-7168748

    J Michael Neal: https://balloon-juice.com/2019/01/25/rip-schlemazel/#comment-7169023

    Laura Too (Schlemazel’s niece; [email protected]): https://balloon-juice.com/2019/01/25/rip-schlemazel/#comment-7169099

    Picture and bio of Schlemazel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN/photos/a.155508271208046/2134592426632944/?type=3&theater

    “Into the Mystic” for Schlemazel:
    https://balloon-juice.com/2019/01/25/good-thoughts-for-schlemazel-an-ongoing-series-of-posts/#comment-7166946

    I think I’m under the limit for hyperlinks. ?

  231. 229.

    Laura Too

    January 8, 2022 at 10:28 pm

    @WaterGirl: Awww, you are so sweet! I know how busy you are. I think you did try to find some for me but I know it can be labor intensive.

  232. 230.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 10:29 pm

    @Laura Too: Actually, I still have my notes from when I looked for him in 2019 so I could easily get you started.

  233. 231.

    WaterGirl

    January 8, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    @Laura Too: I just sent you about 40 links from my notes file your uncle for 2019.

  234. 232.

    Sister Golden Bear

    January 8, 2022 at 10:41 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    here’s Soonergrunt’s epic “meta” threadfrom 2012.

    Genius!

  235. 233.

    Laura Too

    January 8, 2022 at 10:50 pm

    @Steeplejack: Thank you for this!!! I will never forget your kindness to me, the tour, the taxi, the talk. I hope someday to come back between variants to meet up and finish our conversation.

  236. 234.

    Laura Too

    January 8, 2022 at 10:51 pm

    @WaterGirl: You are positively amazing!!! Hugs!!!!

  237. 235.

    Steeplejack

    January 8, 2022 at 10:51 pm

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Just went back and read some more of it myself. It is great!

    It reminded me that I miss shortstop. Another good commenter who disappeared. Would occasionally reference the third baseman, apparently their partner.

  238. 236.

    Sister Golden Bear

    January 8, 2022 at 10:57 pm

    @Suzanne:

    If you’re talking about the Benjamin Moore color of the year, October Mist, I agree with you 100%. I love that silvery sage green and always have. Thinking about it for my dining room. (Many companies do a Color of the Year thing, it was started by Pantone. They will all say that the color is different. Gives you an idea how rigorous all that color science is.)

    Although interestedly for 2020 the majority chose sort shade of green.

    Apparently, according to the YouTube interior designers I follow, it’s rare to see that sort of alignment.

    And I’m happy it’s green — although I prefer stronger, darker greens —because as I’ve been whole-house redecorating (in addition to whole-house remodeling) I’ve been wanting to use green as one of the secondary accent colors, but last year it was really hard to find things like kitchen canisters in green.

  239. 237.

    mvr

    January 9, 2022 at 12:19 am

    @Steeplejack: FWIW, when I used your tip from a previous post (site:balloon-juice.com nym) (repeated by you in this thread as well) I found that it helped to put in a year as in “site:balloon-juice.com nym 2008”.  Without the year the oldest thing I found for my nym was 2009, but with “2008” added I was able to find an earlier post of mine.

    I still wonder whether I have found them all, but anyway for anyone else who is looking, adding a year might get you something that doesn’t come up otherwise. Or at least it did for me.

  240. 238.

    WaterGirl

    January 9, 2022 at 12:43 am

    @mvr:  The first comment I find from you was March 16, 2008 on this post.

    I searched on your email address and your nym, and that’s the earliest comment I find.  When you search from the back end the results are pretty definitive.

    Hope that’s what you were looking for!

  241. 239.

    Steeplejack

    January 9, 2022 at 12:50 am

    @mvr:

    Putting in a year can sometimes work, but it can also get you a lot of spurious hits where people are referring back to “in the 2008 election campaign,” etc. Glad you were able to find some stuff.

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