Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Battle won, war still ongoing.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

He really is that stupid.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Motown is Joe-Town!

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

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

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

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

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread and Sunday Auction Outcome

Open Thread and Sunday Auction Outcome

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I am finding that “living in interesting times” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Open Thread and Auction Outcome: Results from our first Ukraine Auction, courtesy of MomSense

In case you missed it, here is Sunday’s auction post.  Bidding ended at 2pm today – for items that people were bidding on.  The remaining 3 items are still available for bidding.

Even if you weren’t the highest bid, MomSense is willing to make three more of the hats, and those of you who were next in line after the highest bigs for those have the opportunity to get your hat after all!

Auction for Ukraine: First Up, MomSense! (Open Thread)

Item 1: Jasper Hat  (bidding starts at $60)

Named for the amazing Jasper Beach in Cutler Maine.  The beach is rocky beach with stones of all sizes from pebble to Boulder. The design is meant to look like the play of the tides with the stones.  The wool is hand dyed in Texas 100%  superwash merino ethically sourced in Peru.


The Jasper Hat was super popular.  BottyGuy won the winning bid for the Jasper Hat at $200!  Congratulations!

For those who were outbid by BettyGoy, don’t despair, MomSense says she can make two more Jasper hats!  HinTN and PAM Dirac, the two extra Jasper hats can you go to you guys for your bid amounts, if you want them.

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Item 2:  The Coastie (bidding starts at $60)

This hat is called the Coastie inspired by Rockland’s Broadway Knight, my family history of shipbuilding and seafaring, and the modern day knights – the US Coast Guard stationed in Rockland.  The pattern is made of traditional cables that look like rope and armor.  The yarn is 100% merino from Queensland Australia. It looks rustic but this is wicked soft and warm.

The Coastie went for $125 – to A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan).

Congratulations!

Thor Heyerdahl, you were the runner up at $110, and MomSense can make one more Coastie.  So that one is yours for $110 if you want, and if not, Madeleine is next in line for the Coastie if she wants it.

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Item 4: Baby Beanie  (bidding starts at $25)

Soft merino/cashmere in a beautiful sea glass color.
16-18 inches circumference but very stretchy.
Can add a pompom or two if wanted.

Auction for Ukraine: First Up, MomSense! 6

The Baby Beanie goes to Montanareddog with a bid of $50.  Congratulations!

“My niece is within days of giving birth to her first born, after years of trying, including a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. A BFD for the family.  We know it’s a boy, and he will make me s great-uncle for the 1st time. #4, the baby beanie seems like a perfect gift. “

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Item 5: Summer Daisy Hat   (bidding starts at $25)

newborn to six months, 16 inch circumference
Perfect for summer! 100% cotton.

Auction for Ukraine: First Up, MomSense! 11 Auction for Ukraine: First Up, MomSense! 12

The winning bid for the Summer Daisy Hat was $50 from Nancy.  Congratulations!

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Item 7:  Gnome Hat  (bidding starts at $25)

This is a 100% merino infant gnome hat. Very soft and warm. Perfect for baby’s first Christmas. Can add a white pompom to make it a Santa hat.This is a Scandinavian hat pattern.

Auction for Ukraine: First Up, MomSense! 16

The winning bid for Gnome Hat went to grandmaBear for $30.  Congratulations!

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Major shout-out to Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937 who made a generous match amount for the Coastie:

“It’s gorgeous but my knitting wife would be suspicious of me wearing a hat not made by her.”

And to Sure Lurkalot, as well.

And of course a big shout-out to MomSense for her generosity!

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If you made the winning bid, please claim your beautiful fiber item in the comments, make your donation through the Balloon Juice for Ukraine thermometer, and send me and email with your ActBlue confirmation.  Once you send me email we can work out the shipping/delivery details.

Any questions, I am here to answer them.

Otherwise, totally open thread!

 

Reader Interactions

55Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    Remember, you can select just one or two or all of the charities when you click on the thermometer.

    Just remember that you have to do that first, before you do anything else in order of your personalized split to take effect.

    Oh and…

    If all the winning bidders claim their items and the runner-ups claim their hats, plus the two generous donations that weren’t bids… that comes to well over $1,000 for Ukraine.

    MomSense, you did that, along with the folks who bought the items and donated.  Bj peeps are the best.

  2. 2.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    Hi WG, I’m claiming my Coastie hat, and I have made my contribution to the thermometer.  I just sent you a forward of the ActBlue receipt.  Let me know if it doesn’t come through.  I sent it to WaterGirl at Balloon-Juice.com.  And thanks to both you for running the auction and to MomSense for the beautiful knitting.

  3. 3.

    Ishiyama

    If you want to know what the Russians are up against, this is from the front lines (50 kilos is a load):

    “We each carried 50 kilos of materials on our backs, we had Javelins,” said Valery, a sergeant who took part in the operation, referring to the US anti-tank weapons.

    The 54-year-old electrical engineer in the Kharkiv metro, a veteran of the Soviet campaign in Afghanistan, enlisted right after Russia invaded on February 24.

    “I was expecting they’d hand me a shovel and an old gun, as in Afghanistan, but look,” he said, spreading his arms to show his kit. https://www.rawstory.com/caught-them-by-surprise-ukraine-troops-take-kharkiv-village/

     

  5. 5.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Since this is Open Thread:

    We are getting more serious about the idea of relocating to the East Coast (sometime in the fall) and are looking for places within a 2 hour commute of NYC.  Our main target, right now is Hudson Valley NY because we like the vibe and the potential hiking, scenery etc.  But we would also be open to places in PA (like Stroudsburg) or NJ, provided they have: 1.) a bit of charm 2.) fairly affordable (we would be renting) and 3.) close to public transportation (we only have one car and my wife will have to commute to NYC once or twice a week).  Anyways, would love to hear any insights/suggestions.  We will likely have to get a realtor to help us, as we will need to find a place before moving.

    Also does anyone have experience shipping a car cross-country?  That might be cheaper than me driving across country and staying at motels etc.

  8. 8.

    Ruckus

    @Ishiyama:

    50 kilos is indeed a lot on your back. 50 kilos = 110lbs.

    Walking over rough ground with 50 kilos strapped to your back while likely risking being shot at is pretty damn amazing.

  10. 10.

    Ruckus

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    I have driven across the county a number of times but a while ago so pricing has changed. But the trip itself wasn’t all that bad. Twice I moved everything in a largish truck with my vehicle on a trailer. Once drove coast to coast in 3 days stopped 2 nights. The speed limit was 75 except in the costal states so it actually was faster than I expected it would be. And no, I would not attempt that now, the last time was 17 yrs ago.

  11. 11.

    grandmaBear

    Hi Watergirl,

    I’m claiming my gnome hat, and sent you my receipt/confirmation.

    Thanks so much for this and all you do for Balloon-juice

    And thanks to MomSense for her skill and generosity!

  13. 13.

    geg6

    Since this is an open thread, I just want to say that Suzanne and I have been plotting a Pittsburgh Balloon Juice meetup for June 4 or 5 in the afternoon.  The plan is to have it happen during the Three Rivers Arts Festival so that it will, hopefully, incentivize people to come since there are plenty of things to do before/after we jackals get together.  The festival is no longer being held in Point State Park and is now in the Cultural District.  There are lots of restaurants/bars in the district and nearby in the Strip District or across the bridge in the North Side, so I’m going to look into possibilities.  Not quite ready for a formal announcement yet but if anyone is in or will be in the area and wants to join us, I really hope you will.  I am going to press our blog lord heavily to make an appearance since this is as close as a meetup is likely to get to West Virginia.  Wish me luck with that.

  14. 14.

    Raven

    @UncleEbeneezer: I assume they still have “driveway” companies that contract people to drive a car from one place to another

     

    eta the google says there are loads!

  15. 15.

    Raven

    @Ruckus: It’s the whole point of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.

    The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 15 and 20 pounds, depending upon a man’s habits or rate of metabolism. Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake. Dave Jensen, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, and several hotel- sized bars of soap he’d stolen on R&R in Sydney, Australia. Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers until he was shot in the head outside the village of Than Khe in mid- April. By necessity, and because it was SOP, they all carried steel helmets that weighed 5 pounds including the liner and camouflage cover. They carried the standard fatigue jackets and trousers. Very few carried underwear. On their feet they carried jungle boots—2.1 pounds—and Dave Jensen carried three pairs of socks and a can of Dr. Scholl’s foot powder as a precaution against trench foot. Until he was shot, Ted Lavender carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope, which for him was a necessity. Mitchell Sanders, the RTO, carried condoms. Norman Bowker carried a diary. Rat Kiley carried comic books. Kiowa, a devout Baptist, carried an illustrated New Testament that had been presented to him by his father, who taught Sunday school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As a hedge against bad times, however, Kiowa also carried his grandmother’s distrust of the white man, his grandfather’s old hunting hatchet. Necessity dictated. Because the land was mined and booby-trapped, it was SOP for each man to carry a steel-centered, nylon-covered flak jacket, which weighed 6.7 pounds, but which on hot days seemed much heavier. Because you could die so quickly, each man carried at least one large compress bandage, usually in the helmet band for easy access. Because the nights were cold, and because the monsoons were wet, each carried a green plastic poncho that could be used as a raincoat or groundsheet or makeshift tent. With its quilted liner, the poncho weighed almost 2 pounds, but it was worth every ounce. In April, for instance, when Ted Lavender was shot, they used his poncho to wrap him up, then to carry him across the paddy, then to lift him into the chopper that took him away.

  16. 16.

    TinRoofRusted

    @UncleEbeneezer: Hi, I would recommend you take a look at Nyack, NY or Piermont,NY.  They are in Rockland County so close to NYC but because they are on the Jersey side of the Hudson the cost of living is a little cheaper than places in Westchester. Both are very charming villages with fantastic views of the Hudson and the Tappan  Zee Bridge (though now it is the Mario Cuomo Bridge).  Nyack might be better as they have more rental housing. I have lived here for 18 years now and love the area. As to getting into the city you there are buses that go through both to the Port Authority or you can take a bus across the bridge to the Tarrytown train station.

  23. 23.

    narya

    @UncleEbeneezer: The Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area might fit your needs. A friend of my brother is an electrician, mostly works in NYC, and basically takes a bus into the city and home. Since they finished Rte 78, it’s also driveable. Another option: Philadelphia! GREAT city, and tons of trains back & forth to NYC each day.

  24. 24.

    JoyceH

    Hey, MomSense, I just now noticed the mention of Cutler Maine. Are you from there? I was stationed at Cutler back in the ‘80s. Beautiful place!

  26. 26.

    TinRoofRusted

    @Raven: we went there a few times when we were in Athens. I was at Tech and we would make the trip for games, parties and music. Beer was not 25 cents though or at least I remember being disappointed it wasn’t.  But then again it was well over 30 years ago so my memory is more than fuzzy. Also too way to much cheap beer.

  28. 28.

    CCL

    @UncleEbeneezer:   I have had my car shipped from East Coast to Arizona and then back again.  It was actually easier than I thought and well worth the money.  It was more pricey going west to east, but they dropped the car off right at my driveway.    It arrived safe and sound both times and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    @UncleEbeneezer

    If regular commuting to NYC is planned, first have to decide which better suits your (and her) preferences, by train or by bus. Generalizing:

    Ignoring for the moment New Jersey, in New York state if railroading more suits your needs, then for regularly scheduled service you’re going to be pretty much limited to areas along or near the Hudson (for example, Poughkeepsie).

    Traveling by bus opens up not only other Hudson communities (Tarrytown, for example) but some of the Poconos in PA (albeit pushing the edge of being within 60 minutes) and NY communities along or near the Delaware River (for example, Port Jervis) and, inland, the southern outskirts of the Catskills region (for example, Goshen).

  30. 30.

    JAFD

    @UncleEbeneezer: If you’re looking for something ‘way out in the hills’, friend of mine is minister of church in Long Valley, NJ, about five miles from end of NJTransit RR line to Hackettstown.  Will ask WaterGirl to send me your email, and I’ll zap you hers.

  31. 31.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @NotMax: This is basically the calculus we are doing.  Train definitely preferred since bus has more traffic and can be less reliable.  We are open to anyplace within a 15-20 minute drive to a station that would be 1.5+ hours to NYC.  So far we are definitely aiming further up the Hudson Valley since the rent is cheaper.  Also we’ve lived a long time near mountains so I think we’d vastly prefer some hills to look at than areas west of NYC.

  32. 32.

    PAM Dirac

    I definitely want a Jasper for my final bid. I’ve sent a ActBlue receipt to the watergirl BJ address. I was just thinking that it’s personal for me in two ways. My paternal grandmother was born in Ukraine. Also, my father was stationed at Loring AFB in Maine for a while and 3 of my bothers were born there. One of the 3 unfortunately was a victim of the first COVID wave. So I have two relatives to remember when I wear the hat. Thanks very much.

  34. 34.

    TinRoofRusted

    @UncleEbeneezer: the other consideration is where in the city is her office?  Because getting into Grand Central or NYP is usually just the first part of the commute. If her office is on the east side then Metro North might be better. But on the west side NJT might be the way to go. I personally work in Newark so I drive to Pearl River, NY (13 – 15 minutes from the Nyack ymca, depends on which lights I catch), catch NJT there and switch at Seacacus. Just over an hour or at least it was pre-COVID.   We go back a week from today so I need to check the schedules.

  37. 37.

    Nancy

    Nancy here claiming the charming daisy hat. I’ll deal with the details tomorrow but a quick message to say that I’m delighted with my purchase. The wonderful spirit of all the bidders and the donations by the talented Momsense renew my belief in humanity.

  41. 41.

    HinTN

    @WaterGirl: Speaking of ships crossing in the night, I replied to your email with a question now answered: I made my contribution to the Ukraine fundraising widget. I was interested to see that my tip to Act Blue was reflected as part of the total donation. So, $125 split 5 ways plus the $5 tip showed up as a $130 donation to Ukraine. Hmmmmmm.

  42. 42.

    Jackie

    question for nonsense, you posted a leaf infinity spaced a while ago, would be happy to buy the pattern or bid on it

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    @HinTN: In case it helps to know this, the thermometer was at exactly $30,000 when your donation went in, and it now stands at $30,125.

    So I do believe that your tip was credited properly as a tip and not as $5 for Ukraine.

  45. 45.

    HinTN

    @WaterGirl: It was odd, it said $30,130. I should have taken a screen shot. I am glad thre thermometer displays what we’ve given to the charities without tips, although those are important, too.

  46. 46.

    Madeleine

    If Thor Heyerdahl hasn’t accepted the Coastie, I’ll be happy to have it. I don’t remember my last bid, but I planned to go as high as $100, and that ‘s what I’ll donate.

  49. 49.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    @WaterGirl: I’d like to claim the runner up hat, but want to make sure that as a Canadian, I’m allowed to donate through ActBlue? It’s only the political donations that I have to steer clear of?

    Otherwise, feel free to pass it along to Madeleine.

    Thanks.

  50. 50.

    WaterGirl

    @Thor Heyerdahl: These are charitable donations not political ones, so I think you should be fine.

    Maybe the only one to stay away from would be the Vets one?  Even though they are directing this money to Alexander Vindman’s medical supplies etc for Ukraine, that one might LOOK political because that organization is political.

    But I think if you donated to any or all of the others I can’t see that there would be a problem.  Do you want to try it?

  52. 52.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    @WaterGirl: Thanks. It went through. Added my 110 greenbacks (plus a tip for AB) to the Balloon Juice thermometer.

    For follow-up use the email address from the donation [DELETED]- not the one attached to my nym.

  54. 54.

    MomSense

    You guys made me cry thinking about how generous you are.  I am thinking of you as I knit ?.

  55. 55.

    WaterGirl

    I now have email from all the winning bidders, and from all the lucky recipients of the “MomSense will make 4 more hats” decision for runners-up, and MomSense has mailing addresses for each of you.

    She is going to mail the Baby Beanie out to Italy tomorrow as top priority, as the baby may come this week, and then she will work on mailing the others that she has in hand.

    I am closing this thread, so if there is any followup needed, please send me email as I won’t be checking back on this one.

    Between the knitted items, the $250 match for the Coastie, and the $100 donation in the comments … this auction raised exactly $1,250.  That’s quite an impressive haul!

    Thank you MomSense and everyone else who participated.

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