Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Come on, man.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

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

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Consistently wrong since 2002

I was promised a recession.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

This really is a full service blog.

I really should read my own blog.

In my day, never was longer.

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

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Open Thread

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I am finally feeling better on day for of the Z-pack, so that means I am now doing all the little shit I didn’t do the last week. Like get groceries and what not and clean the bathroom and stuff like that. I did stop by the Italian place and picked up a pound of pastrami sliced wafer thin, so hot pastrami is on the menu.

In other news, he can be a cranky prick (coming from one), but thank goodness we have Adam here. That post on Ukraine, combined with Gin & Tonic’s backgrounder, was better than anything I read in the MSM.

Reader Interactions

282Comments

  1. 1.

    Steeplejack

    Mmm, pastrami . . .

    I had really good corned beef with potatoes and cabbage at an Irish restaurant yesterday. Definitely hit the spot.

    Also, the best Wordle starting word has been calculated.

  2. 2.

    JPL

    Earlier after reading Gin and tonic’s updates, I noticed Lindsay Graham is going to be on Face the Nation tomorrow.   I laughed out loud.  He’s taking McCain’s place and Megan must be so proud.   I’m glad that you are feeling better.

  4. 4.

    steppy

    Damn straight. Please don’t think I’m kissing your ass, but it’s worth reminding everybody that you have assembled an astounding slate of expert analysts and just plain good writers.

  5. 5.

    zhena gogolia

    @jeffreyw: Oh, man, that looks good (twitter let me look at it for two nanoseconds). I haven’t had a reuben in years, and haven’t really wanted one, but now I do.

  6. 6.

    Steeplejack

    @jeffreyw:

    Kudos on your right-sized Reuben. I quit going to my regular deli because the last couple of times the pastrami sandwich I got was a thin, dismal thing. Oh, also the pandemic. But I need to find a new deli.

  7. 7.

    satby

    I still haven’t caught up to the house work from the whatever I had right after New Year. But tbf, this was the first week I didn’t need any medication for symptoms either.

  11. 11.

    satby

    I made gumbo with shrimp and Andouille sausage on Friday to have for this frigid weekend. That spice really warms you up.

  12. 12.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    Kudos on your right-sized Reuben. I quit going to my regular deli because the last couple of times the pastrami sandwich I got was a thin, dismal thing.

    I feel your pain. Pastrami is the king of sandwich meats. One place near me raised their prices. I understand, but just cannot justify paying. Another place is pretty good, but does not deliver, and I get tired of having to navigate around and through people who refuse to wear masks.

  13. 13.

    geg6

    Had some beef and sausage meatballs and red sauce in the freezer, so that and a salad will be dinner tonight.  And tomorrow it’s going to be chicken and dumplings.  Cold weather like this always sends me straight to comfort food.
    CBS is having a special on the holocaust tonight that I’d like to check out.  After that, I don’t know what to curl up and watch.  Are there any good movies on Netflix or Prime?  I hate superheroes, horror, action.  Comedy and documentaries are my favorites.

  14. 14.

    Cermet

    But Adam was a bit gung-ho and never addressed the heart of the issue – that NATO and expansion into Ukraine is an extreme threat to Russia – so exactly what did we expect? Also, aren’t we being over-the-top in our reaction considering we have no dogs in that fight? Of course, that is me wondering why so few people are pointing that out.

  15. 15.

    germy

    MEDIA: if you’re interested in booking me for commentary about the possibility of Russia seizing Ukraine after a full conventional invasion, I’m available to appear on your program and sob / weep inarticulately

    — Adrian Bonenberger (@AdrianBonenber1) January 28, 2022

    Not getting any takers for this so far. Maybe I didn’t paint a vivid enough portrait. You: asking questions about disposition of forces, how I feel about likely collateral damage, refugees, why won’t the West act, etc. Me: sobbing uncontrollably. Bawling, inconsolable

    — Adrian Bonenberger (@AdrianBonenber1) January 28, 2022

  16. 16.

    zhena gogolia

    @geg6: We’re enjoying The Gilded Age, but it’s on HBO Max. If you don’t like horror, Last Night in Soho is not for you (it wasn’t for my husband either, once it took that turn), but I adored it.

  18. 18.

    Steeplejack

    @Brachiator:

    I would always get takeout, and the pain felt that much worse with the reveal at home, where I couldn’t say “WTF?!” or at least give someone a hard look. I’ve got a line on another deli that’s farther away, but I haven’t made the trek yet.

    ETA: I have thought about just buying a pound of pastrami and making the sandwich at home, with strict portion control. But that feels like it somehow wouldn’t taste exactly right.

  19. 19.

    eclare

    @satby:   Yum!  PS my feral kitty came by yesterday and today, I hadn’t seen it in a while.  I still can’t get near it, but it knows where to get the good stuff, wet food!

  21. 21.

    Ohio Mom

    @Steeplejack: I feel somewhat vindicated, my starter word is “least”. That’s only one letter different, an “s” instead of an “r.”

    If nothing comes of that, my system breaks down. Sometimes I go with “drink,” other times “bunch.” I think the best Plan B word deserves some research.

    Also, you should know that since you mentioned the Wordle archive, I have spent way too much time there. I click the Random button and it hardly matters if I get a game twice or more, I apparently retain no memory of previous games: I get “ivory” wrong again and again. Anyway, thanks.

  22. 22.

    zhena gogolia

    I mean, I was just broken by looking at my latest issue of Russian Life, a perfectly innocuous magazine that publishes all kinds of interesting articles about . . . well, about Russian life. They had to print the disgusting “foreign agent” disclaimer — they printed it in huge letters, which only highlighted its disgustingness. I am so sad for that country. Because Putin is so scared of fucking “foreign agents” publishing recipes for cabbage soup. Vomit.

  24. 24.

    Tehanu

    That reminds me, we haven’t been to Langer’s for a while. Pastrami on rye with Thousand Island dressing and Swiss and tomato and mustard, and dill pickles, and mushroom barley soup on the side… yum! If only their kishke was as good as my Grandma Frances’ was.

  25. 25.

    satby

    @eclare: Oh, I’m so glad! Obviously it has some hiding place for rough weather. The two I was feeding are now fully inside. In fact the orange boy just called me from the isolation bedroom to say he’s ready for dinner. He’s like a big orange Steve, very chatty.

  26. 26.

    zhena gogolia

    @geg6: It’s not as good as Downton but still quite watchable. It’s all sorts of New York stage actors — Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, etc. — flashing by. Cynthia Nixon has created a totally new character, you almost don’t believe it’s the same person who played Miranda. Meryl Streep’s daughter is beautiful but doesn’t really know how to act yet, but I’m enjoying her.

  27. 27.

    Anotherlurker

    @geg6: If you like documentaries, try “Plants Behaving Badly” on Prime.  It is a David Attenborough vehicle and it is so good!

    Episode 1 deals with carnivorous plants (Pitcher Plants, Venus Fly Traps, Sundews, etc.) .

    Episode 2 deals with Orchids.

  29. 29.

    Brachiator

    @Cermet: 

    But Adam was a bit gung-ho and never addressed the heart of the issue – that NATO and expansion into Ukraine is an extreme threat to Russia…

    Not everyone agrees that this is the case.

  31. 31.

    eclare

    @geg6:   I assume you’ve watched Hacks?  The latest season of Queer Eye came out a couple of weeks ago on Netflix.  They mainly focus on helping people doing charitable work after the first episode, which was interrupted by the pandemic.

  32. 32.

    Steeplejack

    @Ohio Mom:

    My strategy has unconsciously settled on getting my vowels sorted out, so I’ll start with something like tears followed by pious. I’ve been trying later and arise or raise.

    There is also unlimited Wordle at Word Master.

    ETA: It’s interesting how many words have just one vowel in them, which really narrows down your solution search. Also, a repeated vowel can really screw you up.

  33. 33.

    steppy

    @Ohio Mom: I kind of settled on “aisle.” Vowel heavy with two common consonants. I am sure that the analysis on Plan B words is ongoing.

  34. 34.

    Rob

    @Ohio Mom: I start off every day with both “teary” and “pious” (between them they have all the vowels), and sometimes get the word on the next line. Or, sometimes I don’t get the word at all (“whack” iirc a couple or so days ago).

  37. 37.

    steppy

    @Rob: That’s good. “Aisle” doesn’t really have the vowels in optimal positions, except for the terminal “e.”

  38. 38.

    Rob

    @Steeplejack: The day of “whack” I was flummoxed because there was only one vowel that came up with teary/pious as my first two tries. That one vowel was also the only letter. I eventually asked my wife, who did get it correctly, what the answer was.

  41. 41.

    Ken

    @zhena gogolia: Because Putin is so scared of fucking “foreign agents” publishing recipes for cabbage soup.

    Berlin Correspondent was on a few nights ago. Dana Andrews as an American news correspondent in 1941 Berlin, and sneaking code phrases about troop movements literally under the noses of the censors. Putin may be worried the soup recipes have similar content. Or that Russians might start saying “wait a minute, people in other countries can get cabbage???”

  42. 42.

    lollipopguild

    @zhena gogolia: Nato is a threat to Putin just by existing. Putin wants the old cold war commie empire back so that he can have more stuff to control/steal. Trump and Putin are much the same, no matter how much they have they always need more! No matter what Nato and the west “give” putin he will always demand more.

  44. 44.

    Steeplejack

    @geg6:

    You’d have to pay 3 bucks to rent it on Amazon, but Echo in the Canyon is a very good documentary about the Los Angeles music scene in the late ’60s.

    I thought of it today because someone posted a funny Twitter comment about “looking at a map of Laurel Canyon in 1971 to see who’s going to leave Spotify next.”

  49. 49.

    satby

    @eclare: Done! He and the little black female will be doing the vet run next week. The female is already spayed but needs her shots, he needs the full works and enough time for the hormones to subside a bit before they join the general population at chez cray-cray.

  50. 50.

    Mousebumples

    @Steeplejack: ADIEU and BAYOU have been 4 vowel* starts I’ve tried periodically, depending on my mood.

    *Yes, the Y in bayou isn’t a vowel, but it might be a vowel in the Wordle.

     

    Dinner-wise, we had chili tonight, courtesy of Mr. Mouse. So many onions, my eyes were watering from across the room as he chopped them. But it tastes good, on a cold January night!

  51. 51.

    Brachiator

    @Ken:

    But surely we can agree that NATO expansion to Ukraine would be an extreme threat to Russia’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine?

    Not the same thing as “an extreme threat to Russia.”

    The US has just barely avoided making China into the horrible enemy that we must fight. There is no reason, as of yet, to fall into a similar trap with respect to Russia.

  52. 52.

    Steeplejack

    @steppy:

    Then go with raise. Although I don’t think it’s a priority to get the vowels positioned exactly right away. I just want to see which ones are in there.

  53. 53.

    Brachiator

    @zhena gogolia:

    raven hates it — but if you’re not too demanding, I think it’s enjoyable.

    I am very demanding. But I am curious. I would like to see an interesting show about the Gilded Age. The era still gets talked about, but I can’t think of too many tv shows that ever really dealt with the period.

    As a comparison, I enjoyed Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence.

  54. 54.

    Steeplejack

    @Rob:

    One vowel immediately gets me thinking about two-letter combinations like wh, th, gh, ck, sn, etc. Also to be on the lookout if that vowel is repeated (limit).

  58. 58.

    lahke

    @Rob:
    “Ocean” and then “build” if that comes up dry. Wordle Unlimited is letting me play all day–was able to score couple of two-round solutions.

    Edit: thanks for all the great alternatives!

  61. 61.

    eversor

    For anybody playing the PC games Dread Hunger dropped this week and is amazing.

    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418630/Dread_Hunger/  it’s loosely based off the original arctic expeditions where they got stranded, killed each other, got killed by animals, and engaged in canibalism.  It’s got online with screw over the players playing with you and throws in some super natural stuff as well.  If you saw The Terror on streaming you know what to expect.

  63. 63.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    I thought of it today because someone posted a funny Twitter comment about “looking at a map of Laurel Canyon in 1971 to see who’s going to leave Spotify next.”

    That is very droll.

    With this in mind, it has been interesting to read about the big artists who have recently sold their music catalogs. I dread the soundtrack to all the TV commercials to come. But happy to see these artists cash in big.

  65. 65.

    Leto

    Archaeologists have unearthed a flawless Roman blue glass bowl in the Dutch city of Nijmegen

    Archaeologists excavating the site of a comprehensive housing and green space development in Nijmegen’s Winkelsteeg, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, have uncovered a magnificent Roman blue glass bowl in immaculate condition.

    The glass bowl is at least 2000 years old, and there is not a chip or crack on it.

    “This is really special,” says archeologist Pepijn van de Geer, who led the excavation.

    In his statement, the archaeologist said that the bowl was Roman production, that it may have come from big places such as Xanten or Cologne in Germany, and that there were glass workshops there at that time. However, he also mentioned the possibility that it was made in Italy.

    “Such dishes were made by allowing molten glass to cool and harden over a mold. The stripe pattern was drawn in when the glass mixture was still liquid. Metal oxide causes a blue color.”

    There’s a picture of it, along with the excavation site, and it’s simply stunning.

  66. 66.

    Tazj

    Does anyone know about garage doors? The springs specifically? We replaced the springs last May and they’re broke again. I think the ones in May replaced springs that were less than a year old.

    The last time we replaced the springs I asked the repairman if there was anything we could do to stop this from happening so frequently . Buy better springs ? I’ve read online there are springs that should last through more cycles of opening and closing. The repairman dismissed this idea.

    We do use the garage a lot but have made a concerted effort this year to only open when necessary and leaving it open when possible. It is also very cold here in the winter so I imagine that puts more wear and tear on the garage.

    My husband wants to stay with the same company but I’m not sure. I’d be willing to pay more money if things would last longer.I’m tired of this happening so frequently but maybe it can’t be helped? I would appreciate your opinions.

  68. 68.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    I think you missed some snark there.

    Entirely possible. Silly me, I presume that most people (DougJ excepted) will be fairly serious when talking about the possibility of war.

  73. 73.

    PJ

    @Cermet: That’s because it’s horseshit.  NATO is not going to make a first attack on Russia.  All of those former Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries wanted to be in NATO precisely because they were afraid Russia would invade and intimidate them the way it has Ukraine.

  74. 74.

    Brachiator

    @Leto:

    Thanks. I had read the WaPo piece before. I know this period fairly well, and am looking for something in the way of a historical drama that suits my mood. So I am willing to give it a shot.

  75. 75.

    different-church-lady

    thank goodness we have Adam here.

    Most certainly, over the years, you have been blessed with some first rate talent around here. (As well as occasionally cursed with some cut-rate…)

  78. 78.

    different-church-lady

    @germy:

    You: asking questions about disposition of forces, how I feel about likely collateral damage, refugees, why won’t the West act, etc.

    Oh, yeah, like our nowadays media is going to ask him any questions that sophisticated…

  82. 82.

    Brachiator

    @NotMax:

    Upstairs, Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street pretty much topped of my tank when it comes to the class-focused period genre.

    Previously, I had really enjoyed The Forsyte Saga.

    Maybe someone is working on The Pastrami Makers.

  83. 83.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Steeplejack: Just finished up a pound of pastrami…bought some artisanal sauerkraut at Whole Paycheck and made about 4 reubens here at home. They were quite good and I’d say go for it.

  91. 91.

    Frank Wilhoit

    @Tazj: That’s a stumper.  Manufacturing defects aside, the only physical cause that I can theorize is if the springs were overtensioned when the door is up — but it would be implausibly difficult to install them so.

  93. 93.

    Scout211

    @Tazj:

    I am no expert but a little over a year to replace the springs seems like there might be a problem.

    Our previous two houses had solid wood doors and the springs had to be replaced in both of those houses. We eventually replaced the solid door in both houses with the kind that roll up in sections. I think they are insulated fiberglass.  In both houses we never had to replace the springs again. I think the roll up door has one big spring running horizontally at the header and the solid door type has two springs on either side of the doors.

    If you have a solid wood door, it might be time to replace the whole door with the roll up kind.

    But again, I’m no expert. Just a homeowner.

  96. 96.

    Jay

    @Cermet:

    Ukraine can’t join NATO until all it’s border and territorial conflicts with it’s neighbours are resolved, peacefully, lasting and by treaty.

    Due to the Soviets, WWII and the Soviets, now Putin’s Russia, at best, in 40-50 years, Ukraine will be in the position to join NATO.

    Putin and Russia know this, so the whole Ukraine/NATO thing is to just sucker the Rubes and Morons.

    What Russia/Putin want’s is the post Soviet Ukraine as an exploited economic colony of Russia, rather than as an an economic partner to the EU and global markets.

  98. 98.

    dexwood

    @Scout211: My experience with our old 1950 door. The door was damn heavy, great springs, but they were tired. A roll up door with keyless entry is so much easier, especially as you age.

  99. 99.

    NotMax

    Watched The Good Traitor last evening. Not entirely successful, by turns absorbing and hackneyed (it zigs when it cries out to be zagging) but am not sorry I put it on.

    Strange casting for FDR, though. No effort made to make the actor look like him and nary a hint of FDR’s affected manner of speech.

  100. 100.

    Jay

    @Tazj:

    look at replacing the swing up door with a roll up door or a springless barn door.

    Since Covid hit, I have been noticing a lot of defective tempered metal products, from cables, bolts, forgings to springs.

  101. 101.

    StringOnAStick

    @Tazj: Get a different garage door company; springs should last at least 10-20 years and they are dangerous so don’t try to repair or replace it yourself.  Lasting just one year is bullshit.  I bet they didn’t adjust them properly and now you get to buy it again.  Try someone else, definitely.

  103. 103.

    Kirk Spencer

    Here, today, it’s chiles rellenos.

    I’m beginning to get a handle on the batter, and I figured out how to get a clean peel and void of the peppers a handful of weeks ago. Another couple dozen meals and I might even be able to call it something I do an ok job of making.

    I’d post a picture or two, but finally got facebook to ignore me and don’t want to tempt twitter.

  105. 105.

    Jay

    @dexwood:

    I like custom double swing out barn doors. They can be built to R30, air tight seal in the same footprint of a swing up or roll up.

  106. 106.

    Jackie

    @geg6: Thanks for the Holocaust special notification! It’s called Undeniable: The Truth to Remember. I just set it to record.

  109. 109.

    Tazj

    Thanks a lot to everyone taking the time to reply.I’ll show the replies to my husband. I agree and I think things should last longer.

  113. 113.

    Suzanne

    My WORDLE starting words are TRAIN and LOUSE. Have worked well for me so far.

    I got some terrible news today. The lady who was the admin at my former office in Phoenix passed away. She was hit by a car while riding her bike on 1/13, which I knew, and she had been in a medically induced coma since then. But she took a turn for the worse yesterday. It’s really, really sad. I know or am two degrees of separation from a lot of people who have died in Phoenix while on bicycles, and it’s really scary and terrible.

    In local news, things seem to be less crazy after the bridge collapse. The kids are off school on Monday and Tuesday anyway, so that should be helpful in minimizing traffic for at least a couple of days. That bridge connected Forbes Ave, which is a major thoroughfare, so traffic is gonna be FUBAR for a while.

    I need to buy a pair of new boots. I have a pair of rubber boots for the snow, but I need something a bit less LARGE but also warm. Everything in that category seems to be UGGS or Ugg-adjacent. And I am a grown-ass woman in my 40s and I just cannot be seen in Uggs, as I am not a thirsty hypebeast. I just want toasty feet.

  116. 116.

    trollhattan

    @Tazj:

    Just had a spring replaced and the dude explained there are different grades, with the better ones higher diameter. They’re color coded and he upgraded the broken one from white to red.

    Also said they’re in short supply and hard to find ATM.

  118. 118.

    Ohio Mom

    @Tazj: We’ve lived here 20 years and replaced something in the garage door mechanism — I don’t remember what — once. And we open and close the garage several times a day.

    The gizmo that turns the ceiling light on when the garage door goes up or down no longer works but that of course is an entirely different thing. I think we are waiting for Covid to end to call in the repair guy.

  121. 121.

    dexwood

    @Leto: I know four talented glass artists, two of whom make bowls. Their creativity, their skills floor me. Good as they are? This bowl is something to strive towards. The work of a master. I’ve been on digs in the SW where you find broken clay bowls, but always broken ones.

  122. 122.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @different-church-lady:

    Most certainly, over the years, you have been blessed with some first rate talent around here.

    I mentioned in a dead thread a few posts down that Imani Gandy, aka ABL, was a guest this evening on Al Sharpton’s program on MSNBC. She was on to talk generally about the Supreme Court vacancy. She gives good interview — I had seen her only once before on TV and that time she was just one on a multi-person panel so didn’t get a chance to shine solo as she did today.

  124. 124.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Steeplejack: Well, that is the hard part. The only choices I had were domestic, Pepperidge Farms, Orowheat. I chose the Pepperidge light with seeds. Once it was all buttery toasty, it was good but I will try to source better. Sourdough Reuben works for me too but I can already hear the yowls.

  126. 126.

    Benw

    @Sure Lurkalot: yum! I bet it would work well with ground seitan as a turkey substitute.

    We’re snowed in but no power or (god forbid!!) internet loss. I’ve got a couple french honey-baguettes ready to pop in the oven (fresh dough from the breadmaker).

  127. 127.

    Ohio Mom

    @NotMax: I shudder when I hear about Reubens, it’s against the law to put cheese on corned beef or pastrami.

  128. 128.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Thanks for the tip. McLean is not in my usual hunter-gatherer range, but that restaurant is about 15 minutes away, according to Google Maps.

  129. 129.

    Mallard Filmore

    RT (Russia Today) puts out videos on YouTube. The title of a vid from yesterday is “NATO backs down on Russian rhetoric; Pentagon confirms no US soldiers to Ukraine (full show)”

  132. 132.

    cope

    @Suzanne: The last pair of winter boots I bought were the kind with leather uppers, rubberized bottoms and a removable liner. L.L. Bean makes such a boot but mine were some cheaper brand. Many of the women’s models are not ugly and very practical for slushy conditions.

  133. 133.

    Jay

    @dexwood:

    try Fine Homebuilding, Workshop editions probably.

    When we lived in Maple Ridge, I replaced the single double wide roll up with 4 R30, ( and a post), airtight barn doors with single lights. Had swing out tool/parts racks that folded up against the garage door sides for storage, swung out against the garage doors for use.

    Also had 30” x 30” cabinets  for power tools like a planer, drill press, etc, that could be latched together, for example, around the table saw, to provide either a massive work surface for infeed and out feed, or create a manufacturing line, (cut, plane, mould, sand , chop/trim),

  138. 138.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Thanks—nice arrangement.

    The big day was Wednesday—7️⃣0️⃣. I’m officially old. Can’t skate on “late middle age” any more.

  140. 140.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @germy: I removed Spotify from my devices when I read about the Neil Young imbroglio.

    It would be a good thing to load up all these app bros and other 21st bros into a Bezo bazooka and, well, you know how this ends…

  142. 142.

    NotMax

    @Ohio Mom

    Come munch by me. Pastrami and cheese, though, works better as a duet than corned beef and cheese. Or, FSM forbid, chopped liver and cheese.

    Would you contemplate glopping ketchup on pastrami? How about slathering the bread with mayonnaise?

    Yet Russian dressing is the standard.

    ;)

  146. 146.

    Steeplejack

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    I have not been able to find a pumpernickel I like since my former grocery closed two years ago. It was replaced by a much better “super” Giant with a much better bakery—where they actually make stuff on site!—but I haven’t seen pumpernickel there. I usually get a loaf of sourdough and use that for everything.

  147. 147.

    Suzanne

    @Jay: I have a serious pair already. I would like something fashionable, and TBH easier to put on, but…. not Uggs.

  148. 148.

    Scout211

    @Jay

    It doesn’t sound like you can add an automatic door opener to those doors, can you? That would be a deal breaker for me.

    Our previous home was in an HOA neighborhood and they would never allow that  type of door. But we are free from that in our current home.  I guess I just can’t quit the automatic door opener.

  149. 149.

    Another Scott

    HBD Steep!

    In other news, HarrisonJaime calls out the whisperers against what he’s done at the DNC, and in politics in general. A short thread.

    My grandpa used to say “if you aren’t man or woman enough to put your name on it & your reputation behind it , then it ain’t worth being said or done.” There is a lot of unnamed bullshit in politics, but no one can ever say that I don’t work my ass off for what I believe in.

    — Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) January 30, 2022

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  150. 150.

    Leto

    @dexwood: yeah, this is just a stunning piece of work. And it’s wholly intact, after 2k years which is just mind boggling to think about. I hope they’re able to identify the region where it was made (either Germany or Italy). And to quote Dr Jones: THAT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM! ;)

    @geg6: I read the review, but I also have the episode sitting on my dvr. I’m of the same mind: check it out for myself and see what’s what. Just wanted to present a “formal” review of the show and some initial thoughts/impressions.

    Regarding the CBS special: golf is currently interrupting it. It’s supposed to start immediately following the future parking lot structure, so stay patient I guess.

  151. 151.

    Ohio Mom

    @Steeplejack: January 26th…we will have to make a note. You are usually the keeper of Jackal birthdays but you shouldn’t have to do that for yourself.

    I am soon to be 67, haven’t considered myself later middle-aged for a while. I call myself a beginner elderly.

  152. 152.

    Scout211

    @Steeplejack:

    Happy Birthday!  We were born in the same year and I have less than two weeks until I reach that number that shall not be named!!! 

    It shall not be named and you can’t make me! ?

  154. 154.

    Ohio Mom

    @NotMax: It’s not as though I don’t eat shellfish or pork, or cheeseburgers and chicken parmigian — I love melted cheese on all sorts of things. Just something about putting cheese on meats found in kosher delis seems too wrong to contemplate. 

  155. 155.

    Jay

    @Suzanne:

    for “fashion” winter boots, I would look at Tack Shops for “winter riding boots”,

    My “fashion” experience is as a dude in the Interior, -40, and the Lower Rainland. Interior, Sorels, layers, insulated pants, down vests and Storm Jacket, Lower Rainland, GorTex, layers and waterproof hiking boots.

  156. 156.

    Suzanne

    @Leto: Funny you mention. I was looking at those today. I was leaning away because they don’t go up the ankle and they didn’t seem like they would be warm enough. But you like?

  159. 159.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Helen Kennedy @HelenKennedy

    Remember that Washington State cop who became a right wing hero and was lionized on Fox when he taped himself telling the gov to “kiss my ass” and resigned instead of getting vaccinated? He just died of Covid.

  160. 160.

    Jay

    @Scout211:

    you can, but it’s tricky. Each door was as hard to open as a 36” front door.

    For me, the insulative value and soundproofing of the doors was worth the minor inconvenience of having to open the doors.

    My double garage was also my shop and major storage, cars were only in there for maintenance and repairs, or really nasty weather.

  164. 164.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Ohio Mom: I don’t like cheese on any meat, and especially corned beef or pastrami but the Reuben is a rare departure from my usual rule. I don’t have them often if that helps put me right with my heritage.

  165. 165.

    Jay

    @Suzanne:

    alpaca wool or fleece oversocks. Gortex socks if it’s really wet.

    the double sock is an old hikers trick. Sock rubs on sock, not boot rubbing on sock then foot, fewer blisters.

  167. 167.

    Leto

    @Suzanne: My wife and I both own a pair; I just went over and put them on again to check, mine come up to my mid ankle. Personally I don’t think it’s an issue as I’m always in pants, so my pants come down over the top. From a wearability standpoint: absolutely love them. I own several pair as I personally think they’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. From a sustainability standpoint, I don’t think they can be beat. When Amazon ripped them off a few years ago, by selling a copy of them as an Amazon brand, the only thing AllBirds asked was that they do so in the same sustainable method AB does. Very warm, comfy, green, pretty much all I you can ask for. Unless it’s length higher up the ankle… :P

    And as @Jay: mentioned, socks. Personally I wear both Darn Tough and Smartwool socks. Again, merino wool which is naturally hypoallergenic, no itch, anti-chaf, wick sweat/funk away, and are perfect for this weather. My wife, Avalune, turned me on to merino wool many years ago and I’ve never looked back.

  170. 170.

    Suzanne

    @Jay: Yeah, I definitely do the double-sock thing when in those type of capital-C Conditions. I need something more for the kind of running-around-town, walking-the-dog, schlepping-the-groceries kind of activities. That’s really how I spend most of my non-work non-sleep time.

    That and hanging out on BJ, of course.

  175. 175.

    Abnormal Hiker

    @Rob: I start with ADIEU and then STORY. On the third guess. I try to position vowels identified by the first guesses and include N and L if possible. So far I have mostly solved it by 4th guess.  Solution profile 0-0-4-13-2-0

  177. 177.

    M31

    @Tazj: 

    I’ll echo what others have said about garage door springs being dangerous — an old landlord of mine tried to replace one himself and the scar on his face was really impressive. Missed his eyes, at least //yikes//

  178. 178.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    I don’t hold out great hopes but will keep an eye out.

    (That expression always reminds me of that great little scene in THE EDUCATION OF H*Y*M*A*N   K*A*P*L*A*N:  Writing a letter to his uncle, as an exercise in his ESL evening class, Mr Kaplan says “If your eye falls on a bargain, pick it up.”  This causes both tittering and consternation among his fellow students, and the instructor, Mr Parkhill, suggests that Mr Kaplan find another way to phrase his sentence. No, says Mr Kaplan, he wrote precisely what he meant. “Because, Mr Pockheel, mein onkel has a glass eye!”

    I loved those stories. H*Y*M*A*N   K*A*P*L*A*N is one of the great American literary characters of the 20th century.)

  180. 180.

    NotMax

    @Abnormal Hiker

    No one takes a cue from the linotypist keyboard?

    ETAOI, then NSHRD.

    :)

    Full disclosure: I don’t Wordle. Played hours and hours of Jotto when but a callow lad though.

  189. 189.

    Leto

    @Sure Lurkalot: isn’t it? Regarding socks: when I first started distance running, I was getting blisters. Did some research on what ultramarathon runners wore (what I was transitioning into) and found that they wore merino wool socks due to the anti-chafe, anti-microbial, moisture wicking features. My wife Avalune, master knitter, had already told me these things but it kind of sealed the deal for me. My feet have thanked me ever since.

  194. 194.

    Suzanne

    @Leto: I tried to buy a new pair of running shoes yesterday. I have a pair of New Balance, but my fourth and fifth toes go numb in them once I’ve been running for a couple of miles or so. So I wanted to buy some more. The dipshit at Dick’s Sporing Goods was ignoring me, so I left without buying anything. Leaning toward Brooks Ghost.

  198. 198.

    Mousebumples

    @Suzanne: North Face. I bought some years ago, and they’re holding up well. They have a rubber base and fabrics top, but – especially if I wear wool socks with them – they’ve kept my feet warm when clearing Wisconsin snow or going to a Packers game for hours, including tailgating.

    I’ll do some Googling to see if I can find a link. I bought these at an actual shoe store maybe a decade ago.

  200. 200.

    eclare

    @Leto:  I can verify SmartWool  socks are great.  When I wear them with hiking boots I always also wear a pair of light sock liners.  As Jay said, prevents blisters.

  202. 202.

    Leto

    @Suzanne: Brooks are excellent. They have big enough toe boxes where that shouldn’t happen. I still own several pair (previously owned several iterations of the Ghosts), even though I can’t run anymore. If you’re set on Brooks, I’d suggest going through their website and using their “shoe finder”. Basically answer a few questions to find your type, go from there. Or if you want to try before you buy, you have a Fleet Feet there in Pittsburg. I’d recommend them as a very high quality store that should be able to help you out. “Dipshits at Dicks” is probably the best description I’ve heard for them.

  203. 203.

    Ken

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m searching to see if there are another two awards similar to the Herman Cain and Darwin. I’m hoping to garner some minor fame for coining the equivalent of EGOT for dead idiots.

    Ideally the other two would begin with O and A, so it could be the CODA.

  204. 204.

    satby

    @Steeplejack: Happy Birthday, belated!

    One of my best friends is having her 70th today. She’s not at all averse to telling everybody her age though, she’s survived two heart attacks and three coronary bypasses, the first of each when she was 43 after delivering her last child.

  206. 206.

    Leto

    @eclare: agreed for hiking boots. My military boots were the same way. If she goes with the AllBirds, a single pair will work. The ABs are all wool, so it’ll be a wool on wool contact.

  208. 208.

    Suzanne

    @Leto: I’m not set on Brooks, but I’ve been looking specifically for ones with bigger toe boxes and the consensus seems to be that Brooks are best for that issue. So I was thinking I would give them a try.

    I just looked, and we do have Fleet Feet here, not too far away. Thanks for the tip. I had Runner’s Den in PHX and I miss it.

  209. 209.

    Steeplejack

    @planetjanet:

    No. They have great pizza and (some) sandwiches, but they don’t have everything. I’m closer to the one in Westover, but the other one is close to Sighthound Hall. I’ll check their pastrami the next time I’m there.

  210. 210.

    NotMax

    @satby

    He may not be present at the moment but JAFD was looking for lotions geared to very dry, cracking hands. Does your inventory include anything(s) along that line?

    If so, will try to remember to point him to it here when he appears.

  211. 211.

    Leto

    @Suzanne: This is the first place I’ve lived that has had specialty running shoe stores, which was really cool. Hopefully your FF there will serve you well. When you finally decide on a pair, you’ll have to let us know how it turns out! :)

  212. 212.

    KrackenJack

    @Leto: Had to pop in to say thanks for the link with the detailed info. I had seen the general news articles, but I really like understanding the context and technique.

  213. 213.

    eclare

    @Suzanne:   I got a pair of Brooks at Fleet Feet here.  Before that I was all New Balance, but that store was much further away.

    They are so light!

  215. 215.

    Scout211

    @Suzanne:

    Back when I was a runner I started wearing men’s running shoes. The toe box in men’s shoes are larger than in women’s shoes and they also seem to leave more room for added insoles. Now, I buy men’s shoes for all my sport shoes, walking boots, work boots and hiking boots. 

  218. 218.

    Jay

    @Suzanne:

    retail these days isn’t what was retail.

    I don’t get paid anymore, or get benefits, from selling more.

    At best, I get a fabric badge and a few words for month after month in Covid World, providing exceptional “Customer Service”, as a “disposable worker”, while in my “spare time”, in an understaffed department, am supposed to also service and repair tools, ( my job description says that’s my key priority, which is BS, because I am scheduled front facing).

    Almost every Corp has a “Voice of the Customer” website, where  you can give Kudo’s to an individual worker, online. Almost nobody ever uses this and roughly half the “responses” are “bitchfests” or trolls.

    “We”, my dept got a particularly heinous one a couple of months ago, enough to attract MGMT/Corp attn.

    Luckily, they came to me, and not my DS to “discuss it”.

    I read the complaint through, and simply pointed out that it was utter BS, for a bunch of reasons, first and foremost that no Store rents the tool they claimed to have rented.

  220. 220.

    Suzanne

    @Scout211: That’s interesting. I used to have a pair of Nikes for running that were freaking perfect, but I wore them out and they don’t make them anymore. The New Balance were good and I never noticed an issue, until after the last Spawn was born. They are probably also just worn out. I tend to keep shoes way too long because I feel bad about how much they cost.

    When we moved away from AZ, I purged a lot. I still had shoes from high school. Ahhhhh.

  222. 222.

    persistentillusion

    @Suzanne: I have a pair (not a runner, but a friend owns a running shoe store) and love them.  Nice heel support, comfortable as all get out.

  224. 224.

    Suzanne

    @Jay: I kind of hate shopping. Even pre-Rona, I was doing a lot online because I get frustrated when a store has a wait, or doesn’t have my size, or whatever. I’m sorry you have to deal with dickheads. I am very happy to pay more for good service and good salespeople. In the absence of that, I will just shop less.

  226. 226.

    eclare

    @Suzanne:   I also hate to shop.  As I say “I do not shop, I buy.”  If I wander into a store it is because I need to buy something, not for entertainment/to kill time.  And I will also pay more for service.

    Why yes, I am sitting here in a fleece pullover that I bought in 1998.  The elastic at the wrists is shot, but other than that, it’s in good shape.  Buy Patagonia, it lasts.

  227. 227.

    CarolPW

    @Suzanne: Being pregnant softens your bones, and most women’s feet spread out. Getting older can do the same thing as the tendons and muscles lose tone. My feet are a size and a half larger than when I was younger, which sized me out of nearly all women’s shoes entirely (I now wear a 9 1/2 men’s).

  228. 228.

    Suzanne

    @eclare: I buy a lot at Costco while walking past the clothes on the way to the meat and toilet paper departments.

    “Oh look, they have hoodies on sale. I’ll take three. What color? All black, of course. No black? Gray then.”

  229. 229.

    Steeplejack

    @Leto:

    “Specialty running shoe stores.” Boy, I flashed back to Phidippides in Atlanta. Had to look to see if it was still around. I must have first gone there about 40 years ago. Bought a pair of urine-yellow Nikes that I thought were the culmination of the running-shoe art. Which they were, replacing a three-stripe pair of fake leather Adidas clunkers.

  230. 230.

    Suzanne

    I just realized that I am sitting here wearing a hoodie, pajama pants, and socks from Costco. Slippers for Amazon.

  231. 231.

    Leto

    @Suzanne:  this is one of the biggest problems when it comes to runners: they keep their shoes well past their life cycles. And most of them do it for the same reason you do: cost. Depending on the brand, person’s weight, amount of miles per training session, shoes will last between 300-500 miles. Say the vast majority of runners simply don’t track their mileage, so the first time they notice something “wrong” is when they start to hurt. Knee and ankle issues, along with hips and back. Most experts say that’s the best signal that it’s time to swap, though in your case (toe numbness) it’s essential to get out asap.

    I still have my pair of Inov8 X-Talon’s that I used for ultras and obstacle course running (Tough Mudder/Total Warrior). Haven’t worn them in forever, but refuse to get rid of them just out of sentimental reasons. I also still have my last pair of Addidas Copa Mundial’s soccer cleats that I haven’t worn in… well can’t quite remember. I’ll never get rid of those for the same reason.

  233. 233.

    Suzanne

    @CarolPW: So I have had problems with this since Spawn the Youngest was born. My hands swelled up toward the end of that pregnancy, but the swelling didn’t entirely go away after she was born, and my right hand was partially numb for a while. My OB sent me to a hand specialist, and he did all the nerve tests, and he said that there wasn’t any nerve damage, but it was likely that fluid retention from nursing was compressing the nerve and contributing to carpal tunnel. So I still sleep with a wrist brace. I will note that I am almost ten pounds lighter than before I got pregnant, and I still had to get my rings resized larger. I would not be surprised if my feet were similarly affected.

    Side note: the men who say that pregnancy is NBD and therefore want to take our choice away can fuck all the way off the surface of the earth.

  234. 234.

    Leto

    @Steeplejack: I’d heard of those stores, but the towns the military stuck me in just didn’t cater to that demo. Growing up I remember the one store in Charleston, SC that was specifically all soccer equipment, and how I thought I’d found the holy grail when I learned about it. When I started playing club level soccer, and then high school/college, that’s where I’d go each year to get a new pair of cleats. Went from some funky plasticy Nikes to Addidas Copa Mundials, intermixed with some Puma Kings.

    Also pretty sure I remember those urine-colored Nikes. My dad was a runner and they were still making those when he was running marathons… oof!

  238. 238.

    Suzanne

    @eclare: That’s how they do it at Runner’s Den. I’m still learning the stores here. I’m going to check out Fleet Feet. Maybe next weekend.

  239. 239.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    [email protected] · 30m
    After ranting about the prosecutors investigating him, Trump calls the prosecutors racist and says if they do anything illegal, he hopes there are massive protests in DC, New York, and Atlanta

    @BillKristol 5m
    Trump seems very worried about criminal prosecution, actually mentioning DC and Atlanta (aspects of the attempted election fraud, I assume) and NY (Trump Org). He seems to be inviting mob action against officers of the law if he turns out to be at legal risk. Pretty dangerous.

  240. 240.

    Steeplejack

    @Leto:

    Heh, just want to clarify that those Nikes were great. I think I ran my first Peachtree Road Race in them, and I would have bought them again, except (of course) when you wear out your shoes and go back for another pair of the same you find out that the company is like two models past that and they’re no longer available. I never did figure out that if I liked a pair I should buy a backup pair then to save for later. But, hey, expensive. ? False economy.

  241. 241.

    NotMax

    @Suzanne

    Always on the lookout for a pair of quality slippers. Lots and lots of the ones today wear out, become ratty looking or otherwise lose what padding they have in the sole after a year.

    Scored a pair of fantastic leather bedroom slippers from the closet of a dead grandfather many moons ago. Size and a half too small but they eventually stretched enough to fit. Wore them until they disintegrated some 20 years after i got hold of them.

  242. 242.

    eclare

    @Suzanne:   Good luck!  I had a very good experience at the one here.  I went during a busy time, and the salesperson took plenty of time with me.

  247. 247.

    Suzanne

    @NotMax: I like to wear slipper socks INSIDE the slippers. It feels decadent.

    So this week, my firm made my WFH permanent. It’s so nice, not wearing shoes. Fuck shoes.

  248. 248.

    Leto

    @Steeplejack: no, I’m sure they were great. I just remember the color! And similar to your Peachtree, my dad running the Cooper River Bridge Run each year with a different colored pair of shoes each year.

    That was something that also took me a while to figure out: two pairs of shoes, so I could rotate them. I knew people who’d buy up to 5 extra pairs of a shoe they loved just so they’d have them in the future. Never did that but understood why.

  249. 249.

    eclare

    @Suzanne:   Yay!  I am also in the no shoe club, unless I am exercising.  Currently wearing flip flops (I also hate socks, unless I am exercising).

  254. 254.

    Steeplejack

    @Suzanne:

    Well, you’re sort of at the mercy of the manufacturers and what they think is currently “hip.” And sooner or later you realize that, whatever the target demographic is, you’re not in it.

  255. 255.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    Have a pair of fake leather (read: plasticky) no name brand running type shoes with a reversed swoosh on them which picked up for two dollars at a sidewalk sale during the 1970s. Still in service and barely noticeably the worse for wear.

  258. 258.

    Suzanne

    @Steeplejack: Oh, I realized that long ago. I actively try to buy items without logos on them and that is more difficult than you’d think. Part of why I cannot bring myself to buy Uggs, even though they look warm and comfortable, is because they have a logo on them and fuck you Uggs. No one wants to sell to people who thinks logos are terrible.

  259. 259.

    Leto

    @Steeplejack: there’s also the theory that bright colors help drivers/pedestrians see you (shoes, shorts, shirt). Every bit helps, that’s all I can say.

    Fun story: about 8 years ago the Air Force tried to do away with “loud” colors for running shoes. White, black, and navy blue were the only authorized colors. I think this lasted like a month, maybe two, before “leaders” realized… holy shit, running shoes basically don’t come in those colors. That was an especially fun period.

  260. 260.

    mrmoshpotato

    “The only reason you should take Ivermectin is if you want to fuck a goat.”

    -Lewis Black livestream from Tulsa, OK a few minutes ago

  261. 261.

    Steeplejack

    @Suzanne:

    I try to avoid logos too. Mostly comes up with polo shirts for me. Ralph Lauren Polo is the worst, but others have obnoxious ones too.

    I would proudly wear the Izod alligator—except for the new models where it’s huge.

  265. 265.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    I’m slightly surprised they made it to the outlet store. There are a lot of outlet-store malls in Delmarva, but the prices aren’t really much less than retail. The draw seems to be no sales tax (in Delaware) and the chance to find a model that went out of style three days ago. And the fact that all of the stores being in one place can instigate spree-level shopping.​​

  267. 267.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    Well, this was some 45 years ago, when outlet stores weren’t A Thing.

    Was a sweater factory in the town nearby where lived in the Poconos which would hold a factory seconds sale a few times a year. Took some pawing through the bins to find the best of the lot but as they were sold for practically pennies it was worth the time.

  270. 270.

    Dopey-o

    @SiubhanDuinne: re: H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N

    For some reason in the far distant past at St Mary’s parochial school, the nun who taught 3rd grade english decided i should memorize large portions of The Education of Hyman Kaplan.

    Catholic, Germanic Cincinnati in 1959? WTAF? Did lasting permanent damage to my psyche and sense of humor. And sadly, I never thanked her.

  271. 271.

    NotMax

    Report received by phone a few minutes ago on snowfall on the North Shore of Lawnguyland: 17 inches.

  273. 273.

    Soprano2

    @Suzanne: I heard a story where a big brand tried selling T-shirts without their logo or name on it, and they couldn’t sell them. I don’t like it but I understand it.  I don’t like the highly visible logo stuff, like a big “MK” all over a purse, but if the name is small it’s OK. I have a pair of Uggs house slippers, I’m not sure where the name is on them.

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