Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Days Since JD Vance Insulted Women Across America: Zero

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

The new republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

President Biden is doing good where he can, and getting it done.

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Please don’t feed the bears.

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

This really is a full service blog.

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

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

“They not like us!” (that’s for sure!)

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

The Supreme Court is corrupt. Democrats must win in November and force court reform.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Sunday Afternoon Open Thread

Sunday Afternoon Open Thread

by | 119 Comments

This post is in: 

So obviously no one is interested in where we’re going with fundraising.  Here’s an open thread instead.

In case you missed it in this morning’s post, Secret Agent Man .gets a facelift from Lefthanded compliment

There’s a man who lives a life of trouble
The dumb things that he does he does’em double
With ev’ry move he makes
Another rule he breaks
Odds are he will do the same tomorrow.

Pennsylvania man, Pennsylvania man
I think they’ve got your number
You’re snide, you’re shrill, you’re vain.

Dude thinks he’s so cool, he’s actin’ sassy
But Scranton ain’t the same as Tallahassee
With ev’ry speech he makes
Another vow he breaks
Odds are he will do the same tomorrow.

Pennsylvania man, Pennsylvania man
I think they’ve got your number
They’re callin’ you insane.

I can’t say what the point of all his can’t is
He’s soundin’ like some clone of Ron DeSantis
A grifter on the make
He’s more than I can take
Odds are he’ll be even worse tomorrow.

Pennsylvania man, Pennsylvania man
I think they’ve got your number
You’re totally inane.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

119Comments

  1. 1.

    sab

    Temperature is down and late in the year and it might rain, so mashed potatoes and baled saurkraut for dinner tonight ( with sausage tossed on top of the saurkraut because I want meat or fake meat.)

    Tomorrow the potatoes can go with meat loaf and the saurkraut can go on hot dogs and I can have leftover stir fry chicken, onions, celery and maybe broccoli.

  2. 2.

    Steeplejack

    @WaterGirl:

    So obviously no one is interested in where we’re going with fundraising.

    I thought the tone of your previous post was “status report—responses optional.” And maybe—hear me out—the middle of a Sunday afternoon when people are probably having fun and recharging their batteries is not the best time to ask them to get into the weeds of election strategery. The post is there; people will come back to it at their convenience.

  5. 5.

    NotMax

    Trivia;

    Heard tell Patrick McGoohan despised the theme song cobbled together for American broadcast. (Program was originally Danger Man in the U.K.)

  6. 6.

    Suzanne

    I am in my fucken forties and I am still breaking out. God. I feel like my skin has just been super-oily for the last few weeks. Gross.

  9. 9.

    Scout211

    Since my internet was down for several days I have been catching up on the news. I was happy that Lyndsey Graham was ordered to appear before the grand jury in Georgia but now the order has been temporarily stayed and sent back to the lower court to be reviewed. Link

    It seems like a Republicans are using the free speech defense to defend themselves when they lie but have no problems passing legislation to take away free speech from others when they tell the truth, like teachers . . .

    A federal appeals court on Sunday temporarily paused a district court’s order requiring that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina appear before a grand jury probing plots to illegally influence the 2020 election results in Georgia.
    The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals sent the proceedings around the Fulton County grand jury subpoena back to the district court judge with the instruction that the judge consider whether the subpoena should be partially quashed or modified in accordance with the Constitution’s speech and debate clause.

  10. 10.

    JoyceH

    Ooh, good, open thread. I’m looking for group experience/wisdom/whatevs. Here’s the backstory – I’ve been craving a rowing machine. I used to love the rowing machines at the Y, but I don’t see myself being comfortable going to the Y’s fitness center any time in the foreseeable future. So I’m going to buy my own and set it up in my library/office. When I imagined how the purchase would work, I thought I’d go to the local store, see and try out the various assembled rowers available, and then buy one, paying for delivery and assembly.

    But here’s the reality. I’ve been checking around for the various local sporting goods sellers, and the idea that I’m going to get to see and try out an assembled model are out the window. One sporting goods store only has two very expensive Nordic Track models, and nobody else who sell rowers have any assembled floor models at all.

    So it looks like I’m going to wind up buying a rowing machine online. Both Walmart and Amazon have a wide variety available, from very cheap to very expensive, and they both offer set up and assembly for an extra fee. Sooo – anyone here have any experience in having exercise or other equipment delivered and assembled? Anyone have any recommendations (or anti-recommendations) for specific machines? I’m willing to go up to and perhaps over $500, and both Amazon and Walmart have rather extensive customer review sections, and some of the customers post videos of their machine in operation, so that’s fairly reassuring…

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211: I just saw that a few minutes ago on the washington post and it pissed me off.

    They all fucking think they are above the law because they are in congress.  I hope they find out differently.  Do they issue Get Out Of Jail Free cards on the first day of congress???

  13. 13.

    sab

    @zhena gogolia: Much better. Hobbling around. Trying to be independent while not killing himself. The iv antibiotic works and I seem to be able to administer it without killing him. His doctor upped his opioids because he hates how opioids feel so not likely to be addicted, but with the pain gone he can do better on PT.

    We are a month behind on convalescense but he is still alive and intact.

    I cannot believe how many old associates and classmates have gotten in touch. He had no idea that this many people cared if he lived or died.

    I keep reminding him most people are good people. Now he agrees.

  16. 16.

    Steeplejack

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Yeah, WaterGirl apparently just yanked it, which pisses me off. It was a viable thread and had ongoing comments, even if not the ones she wanted.

  17. 17.

    JoyceH

    @WaterGirl:

    They all fucking think they are above the law because they are in congress. I hope they find out differently.

    Well, I’d think he’d WANT to testify to tell his side of the story! Seems like the grand jury already has several people who swore under oath that Graham called Raffensperger and asked him to pitch out hundreds or thousands of votes. So heck, if Graham isn’t willing to go under oath that ‘no no, that’s not what I meant!’, why doesn’t the grand jury just go ahead and indict his ass?

  21. 21.

    Steeplejack

    @JoyceH:

    Graham has been baying about “more transparency!” around the Mar-a-Lago “raid.” Funny he doesn’t want it for this. 🧐

  24. 24.

    RSA

    @JoyceH: Have you considered buying a used machine from, say, craigslist?   I just checked, and in my area there a dozens listed, from inexpensive to $1000+ models.  (They’re also the kind of equipment that people tend to buy and never use…) This wouldn’t directly solve your shipping problem, but some sellers might be willing to deliver for a fee.

  26. 26.

    Steeplejack

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    In case you missed it in the ghost thread, I think “family day” is a euphemism for when the actual birth date is not known, or maybe the date of adoption.

    And Murderball is officially named Milo, but he is universally known by his street name, Murderball. Originally he was “the new office assistant” for a long time, as he climbed on Popehat during Zoom sessions as a kitten.

  27. 27.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @JoyceH: IANAL but I can’t for the life of me figure out how a Senator from South Carolina calling state officials in Georgia on the phone fits into the speech and debate clause by any stretch of even the Alitoan imagination

    They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

  29. 29.

    trollhattan

    @JoyceH: Concept 2 is top-quality, few bells and whistles, and have been made for decades so should be available used. Absolutely bombproof, and parts are available for old ones.

    That’s my suggestion, anyhoo.

  35. 35.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: again, IANAL but I’ve seen a couple of twitter lawyers make this point.

    southpaw @nycsouthpaw
    The district court laid out its thoughts on the speech or debate clause at some length already; not sure what the remand is for.

    Stephen fowler @stphnfwlr · 7
    NEW – 11th Circuit temporarily blocks Sen. Lindsey Graham from testifying in Fulton County Special Grand Jury and sends Graham’s motion to quash subpoena back to district court to further discuss potential Speech or Debate protections. #gapol

    .I can only assume the judge who made this ruling (an Obama appointee, yeah I checked) wants belt-and-suspenders in the face of Lindsey’s inevitable appeal?

  37. 37.

    bk

    Maybe someone who is better educated than I am can explain how the speech and debate protection extends to his call to the GA SoS. Because I can’t.

  40. 40.

    Another Scott

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Thanks for posting this – saved me some cutting and pasting (I saw the pup’s comment also too).  Belt and Suspenders makes some sense, given the need to get it right, but it still seems very strange.

    IA(still)NAL.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  43. 43.

    Geminid

    @Cameron: Johnny Rivers’ “Secret Agent Man” was a catchy tune with a good hook. The American network did well to use it as the TV show’s intro.

  44. 44.

    Jay

    @JoyceH:

    rowers work on resistance.

    resistance can be supplied by

    an air wheel and a cable, ( smooth, low initial resistance, easy on the body, noisy),

    hydraulic, (shock absorbers), constant resistance.

    resistance bands, ( bungees, sorry, no experience).

    I like the air resistance ones, as a key thing is a smooth start and smooth operation.

  46. 46.

    Pennsylvanian

    Saw some comments about the upcoming Wagner family trial in Ohio on another open thread. It is a shocking story. I don’t like to be a “fan” of true crime but I have read about the details in many famous cases over the years, Helter Skelter, Fatal Vision, etc. and have listened to Red Handed and Casefile fairly regularly. I like the way they handle the victims respectfully; not all podcasts are equal in that regard.

    There is a podcast called The Piketon Massacre about this murder of 8 members of the Rhodes family. It is a shocking but intense look at a very unusual family. If one is planning on following the trial, it would be some excellent background.

  47. 47.

    James E Powell

    @NotMax:

    Heard tell Patrick McGoohan despised the theme song cobbled together for American broadcast. (Program was originally Danger Man in the U.K.)

    That’s an unintentionally cool song. An often popular bar band song, back in the day.

    But that reminds me. Did anyone watch The Prisoner remake? I started it, but somehow let it go. I don’t remember why.

  48. 48.

    Elizabelle

    @Pennsylvanian:  Yes!  I mean to listen to the Piketown podcast.

    I’ve been fascinated with the Wagner/Rhoden case.  A lot of pathologies there, and rather convenient to have them be in the news as Ohioans are voting.

  49. 49.

    Scout211

    I didn’t realize Margaret Sullivan is leaving journalism to teach at Duke University and write fiction. Her column will be missed. Link

    Sullivan called on the industry to rely less on “knee-jerk” live coverage and instead do more to bring in meaningful context and thoughtful framing to better inform their audiences. She also encouraged outlets to explain why they are making certain coverage decisions, like if they aren’t airing a speech live to avoid airing lies.

    “The deeper question is whether news organizations can break free of their hidebound practices — the love of political conflict, the addiction to elections as a horse race — to address those concerns effectively,” Sullivan wrote. “For the sake of democracy, they must.”

  51. 51.

    Suzanne

    @JoyceH: I have had good luck with Costco exercise equipment. They can ship and set up. And their return policy is great.

    As for rowers, I can’t help much. I have heard good things about the Hydrows, but I’m sure they’re expensive. I have a couple of sets of resistance bands, which are okay.

  53. 53.

    Layer8Problem

    @Steeplejack:  Nope, I liked it.  “High Wire” by Edwin Astley and His Orchestra.  That Sixties harpsichord stuff brings me back like with Petula Clark and Bacharach-David.  You gonna say you hated The Avengers‘ theme too?  And I liked Rivers’ AND Devo’s “Secret Agent Man.”

  54. 54.

    Ohio Mom

    @RSA: My method for finding a local mover is to ask the neighborhood furniture consignment store. They always have some guy with a pick-up truck or van in their metaphorical Rolodex.

    The first one they recommend fifteen or so years ago was a sweetie. I used him a couple of times, for moving hand-me-down furniture from my mother-in-law and a Craig’s List find. But the last time I tried, his son answered the phone and said he had died. I relayed my condolences, sharing how much I enjoyed his impromptu mini-concerts on the piano in our foyer.

    So it was back to the consignment store this summer to get the couch I bought off Facebook Marketplace home. Another lovely man, only $100 an hour for him and his two assistants and they wrapped the couch in plastic, which I thought totally unnecessary.

    If it weren’t for used furniture, I wouldn’t have any furniture at all.

  56. 56.

    James E Powell

    Will we ever be free of Democrat vs Democrat bullshit? This stuff drives me crazy.

    Has it occurred to any “Democrats who don’t want to be seen with Biden” that if they made the appearance with the only president they’ve got and made the affirmative case for him and the Democratic Party’s achievements since January 2021, that maybe – just fucking maybe – Biden would be more popular? Do they feel no obligation to promote their own brand? Has Democrats dissing a Democratic president ever worked well in the midterms?

  57. 57.

    Hildebrand

    If you have not been watching Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ on Netflix – allow me to offer a very enthusiastic recommendation.  The first season is outstanding – albeit harrowing at times (episode 5 is not for the faint of heart) – but I will definitely recommend episodes 6 and 11 (‘The Dream of 1000 Cats’ is an utter delight).

    I read the comic book as it came out and I’ve always found it to be unsettling and moving in equal measure. I am hopeful that Netflix will greenlight a second season (and beyond).

  58. 58.

    kalakal

    @NotMax: Thank you for that, I’d never heard of the program Secret Agent but I do indeed remember Danger Man and its follow up* The Prisoner

    *Mcgoohan claimed they weren’t related

  59. 59.

    James E Powell

    @Scout211:

    Sorry, Margaret Sullivan, but “meaningful context and thoughtful framing” do not draw clicks, so that’s never going to happen. And what’s more, you know it will never happen.

    We – meaning Democratic types – need to stop asking the press/media to be better. Instead, we have to find ways to get to our voters and any persuadable voters by other means.

  62. 62.

    frosty

    @JoyceH: The best is a Concept 2. Rowing clubs don’t use anything else. I bought a used Model C from a rowing club in 2020 for about $500.They’re big, 8 ft long, 1 1/2 ft wide.

    Here’s a place to start your search:

    https://www.startrowing.com/how-to-buy-used-concept2-rowing-machine/

    Here’s where I found the one I bought:

    https://www.row2k.com/classifieds/index.cfm?view_cat&cat=rowing-machines-for-sale

    I got it from a club in Jacksonville FL that was downsizing it’s indoor rowers. They sold three or four to a club in Washington and delivered them. I had a short drive to meet them and pick mine up, so I didn’t have to deal with delivery. Setup was easy, it was already assembled, just broken down for travel.

    Good luck!

  63. 63.

    Suzanne

    @Ohio Mom:

    If it weren’t for used furniture, I wouldn’t have any furniture at all. 

    Come sit by me, on my couch that I got from Facebook Marketplace.

    I did get my dining room table and chairs new, because our dining room in Phoenix was a weird proportion and I struggled to find something that would fit. We also got our outdoor furniture new, after the break-in. But everything else is used… handed down, thrifted, vintage.

    I actually hate the couch and I want to get one from a store. I’m waiting until Spawn the Youngest is a bit older.

  64. 64.

    kalakal

    @NotMax: The Avengers was the coolest program ever made. Not to be confused with the 80s remake/follow  up The New Avengers.

  66. 66.

    sab

    @Suzanne: My city lets us put extra big trash out every week. Neighbors and professional scavengers always check us out.

    Nearby suburb has extra big trash  week once a year. My sister in law lives there. That weekend everyone is circling in their pickup trucks, looking for a better couch. A year later I am still laughing. And I own many curbside pickups I like a lot.

  67. 67.

    JoyceH

    @Suzanne: I just thought to check Facebook marketplace, and MAN is there a lot of exercise equipment that’s ‘almost new’! Alas for all those Good Intentions…

    Still kinda thinking I want to buy new.

  70. 70.

    Geminid

    The JCPOA talks to limit Iran’s nuclear program look like they may reach a positive outcome soon. The intention is to reinstate the original agreement that President Obama made in 2015 and that his successor walked away from in 2019. Delegations from Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany have been mediating between a U.S. and an Iranian delegation in Vienna for over 8 months.

    I found an interesting analysis of Iranian thinking on the matter by the Energy Intelligence Group (energyintel.com), titled “Iran: what’s driving the JCPOA Talks from inside Teheran?”

    Dubai-based reporter Olivia Klaus cuts to the chase for her industry audience:

        Energy Intelligence’s Research and Advisory unit estimates under it’s “breakthrough” scenario that Iran’s exports could rise to 2 million barrels a day from around 600,000-900,000 b/d now.

    The new agreement will only last until 2025, and if Iran puts its new centrifuges back on line then, sanctions could be reimposed. Still, as Esfender Batmenghelidj, founder of the economic think tank Bourse and Bazaar says, Iranian leaders have good reasons to accept the new agreement:

         Even if you expect the agreement to fall apart in two years time, take the deal now, give the economy some breathing room, and use the opportunity to stabilize the system and prepare for the eventuality in 2025.

    A new JCPOA will catch pushback from Republicans and some Democrats, but I don’t think that will have an impact in the midterms. At least in this country, Iran’s nuclear program is more of a coffee table issue than a kitchen table one.

  71. 71.

    sab

    Anyone else watch Dark Winds on AMC? We liked it a lot. Tony Hillerman story on Navajo Reservation. Navajo Nation says they didn’t get it right. Actress playing Leaphorn’s wife, who is Din

  72. 72.

    piratedan

    @kalakal: those Laurie Johnson theme variations on their mid 60’s seasons evoke a certain style of cool that were hugely influential on my teenage years, that effortlessly cool smooth transitions between jazz and pop.  It’s there in the pantheon of other ultra cool shows that had similar themes, Mission Impossible, and Man from UNCLE

  73. 73.

    kalakal

    @Mnemosyne: Congratulations!

    One thing that puzzles me and I apolgise if this is a stupid question but I clicked on the link to the Orange County site and the first category is “Historical Lute”. I’m baffled by the Lute

  74. 74.

    Mnemosyne

    @kalakal:

    Lol! The formatting is all messed up on their page. The first place winner for Historical is “The Skull and the Lute,” but the formatting mashes the table together in a weird way if you look at it on anything smaller than a tablet.

    (I got third place in Historical, FWIW.)

  75. 75.

    Suzanne

    @JoyceH: Facebook Marketplace is great. Our neighborhood also has a “freecycle” Facebook group that is nice for helping things find a new home.

    We are about to give away a lot of baby stuff. However, I will note that SuzMom just unboxed a bunch of new toys from Amazon. EHHHHH.

  76. 76.

    sab

    @sab: … says her parents who grew up on opposite ends of reservation  cannot agree on correct accent or pronunciation of many words.

    Husband and I grew up two blocks apart in Ohio and cannot agree on “roof” and “root.”

  77. 77.

    kalakal

    @Mnemosyne: Lol indeed! I’m looking at it on a phone. Makes sense now thanks. I had a terrible feeling I was even more out of touch with the modern world than I thought  Once again congrats

  78. 78.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @JoyceH: they have a used sports equipment business in the Phoenix area with a few locations.  I buy tennis balls for my doggos from there(you can’t beat $20 for a 100 tennis balls.) Anyhow I’ve never paid attention to their rowing machines but my guess is a place like that would be willing to set it up for you to try. Obviously this is if they have a place like that where you live.

  80. 80.

    Geminid

    @James E Powell: Job number one for Democratic candidates is to get elected so they can support President Biden in the next Congress. As Nancy Pelosi told Mikey Sherrill in 2018, “just win baby!”

    That Hill article seemed designed to rile up Democrats and I guess it worked. There are always people ready  to fight over the apples of discord journalists toss among Democrats.

  81. 81.

    Suzanne

    @Mai Naem mobile: Are you talking about Play It Again Sports? That’s a nationwide chain! I didn’t know they did fitness equipment, but I’ve definitely gotten weights stuff from there.

  82. 82.

    SFAW

    @JoyceH: ​
     
    [I only saw frosty’s reply, others may have replied with the info I’m adding below.]
    I’m going to second frosty re: Concept 2. You can often find one for relatively inexpensive $$$ on Craigslist.
    C2 rowers (a/k/a “ergs”) are pretty durable, you can reasonably get well over a million meters without needing to replace parts, especially if you oil the chain regularly.
    I would stick to getting a Model C or Model D. A Model B doesn’t have the better monitor as standard equipment (although some people have retrofitted newer monitors onto older ergs). A Model A is OK, but it’s pretty primitive in comparison.
    Where in the country are you?

  83. 83.

    Ohio Mom

    @Suzanne: When Ohio Son was a toddler I bought an ugly (to me) but very lightly used love seat for our family room at a consignment store, on the theory that I would enjoy every nasty thing he did to it.

  84. 84.

    Ohio Mom

    @JoyceH: You can certainly go window shopping and try out all the different brands of rowing machines that way. Once you see how much a new rowing machine costs, you might reevaluate. Or not.

  87. 87.

    Pennsylvanian

    @Elizabelle: the Wagner/Rhodes case has haunted me since I stumbled on the podcast. But I can’t unring that bell.

    They spared the children, but oh those poor children.

  88. 88.

    sab

    @Suzanne: We got our dining room table, four chairs and a hutch from local antique mall for under $800.

    I have 100 plus  year old farmhouse chairs going to Humane Society thrift store this week. They will probably get $ 10 bucks a chair, which is what I paid for captain chair I got from them last year.

    My grandmother, who died  about 1980 had them. My stepkids and my sister’s kids never saw them in site. Nice chairs, but they need to move 9o to avoid the dump.

  89. 89.

    JoyceH

    @SFAW: I’m in rural Virginia. The closest “city” to me is Fredericksburg, and they are where I’ve struck out on floor models.

  90. 90.

    sab

    @Ohio Mom: We had an inherited from grandparents big living room chair that survived four generatioans in my family.  It was known as a good dog chair.My husband’s cats just shredded the thing in about three months without even trying.

  91. 91.

    Faithful Lurker

    @sab: I’m a huge fan of Tony Hillerman and I was amazed at the ways they distorted the story. It was more like Game of Thrones in the Navajo Nation than a Hillerman story. They started and abruptly abandoned stories all the way through. They made the Navajoes behave like white men. I watched fascinated by the bad story telling. The scenery was nice.

  92. 92.

    Suzanne

    @sab: So SuzMom tried to pass down this big leather club chair that had belonged to her grandfather. I had it for a few years in my early 20s, and it had already been restored/reupholstered once, but the thing just absolutely fell apart…. the leather cracked, the straps in the bottom shredded, and the frame basically broke. SuzMom was heartbroken to get rid of it, but I am not going to keep or move stuff that is a mess. And it was more money to fix it than it was worth. I may purchase one at some point that is similar to honor the memory, but at this point, I have plenty of stuff. If something comes in, something else has to go out.

  93. 93.

    J R in WV

    as a child in the 1950s, my grandfather had a big oak and cast iron rowing machine in his basement. He needed to keep is arm strength up to use crutches to get around… he only had one left leg, lost his right leg in a farm accident in the early 1900s. Gangrene set in, they took it off at the hip. He did everything but use a wheelbarrow, can’t do that with one leg!

  94. 94.

    Wapiti

    @JoyceH: No experience with buying exercise equipment online, but I was amused because I have a rowing machine (Concept II ergometer) that I parked in my sister’s basement about 20 years ago and recognize that I need to dispose of it. Not even sure the console works anymore. You’re not in Seattle by any chance? :D

  95. 95.

    Cacti

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: IANAL but I can’t for the life of me figure out how a Senator from South Carolina calling state officials in Georgia on the phone fits into the speech and debate clause by any stretch of even the Alitoan imagination

     

    As Justice Sotomayor noted in her dissent in the school prayer case, the current SCOTUS extremists aren’t above just making shit up to reach a desired outcome.

  98. 98.

    The Lodger

    @Steeplejack: They played the Danger Man theme as, I guess you would call it, a secondary score in most of the episodes. Much better version than whatever that clip was trying to be.

  99. 99.

    Suzanne

    I took the path of least resistance with dinner this evening, and I made a crockpot of chicken cacciatore. It seems straight out of 1978. But it’s so good. Anyway, it was the best version of it I’ve ever made. I don’t like capers, so I leave those out, but I threw in some of the Trader Joe’s bomba paste and some white wine and it came out great. I love how the mushrooms get all tomato-y after hours. Mmmm.

  100. 100.

    Scout211

    Ron Johnson won’t testify to the Jan. 6 Committee because he only plotted to overthrow the election for “a couple seconds.” “I had virtually no involvement!” he said. “Literally, my involvement lasted seconds. OK?”
    Twitter.com

  102. 102.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Scout211:

    “I had virtually no involvement!” he said. “Literally, my involvement lasted seconds. OK?”

    Fine, RoJo. Say exactly that to the J6 Committee, under oath.

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:

    Amazon informs me I pre-ordered it two months ago!

    So glad your writing continues to garner acclaim and awards. I’m looking forward to reading your story.

  106. 106.

    James E Powell

    @Geminid:

    It’s more than that. There are people who don’t really know what to think about Joe Biden because the only thing they hear on the news is negative. Then they hear that their local Democratic person doesn’t want to be seen with him.

    That does not make the local Democratic person more popular or more likely to be re-elected. The people will not vote or they will vote for the Republican.

    RUNNING DOWN YOUR PARTY’s PRESIDENT HAVE NEVER BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE YOUR STANDING WITH VOTERS!!!

  107. 107.

    Geminid

    @James E Powell: You  choose to let that Hill article make you mad at Marcie Kaptur and other Democratic candidates. Kaptur is at least as good a Democrat as you. She started volunteering for the party when she was 13, and has been a very productive (and very liberal) Democratic Representative for 30 years. Wikipedia tells me:

        As of March 2022, Kaptur voted in line with Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time.

    You assert that the tactics described in the Hill article won’t work. Do you really think you know political campaigning better than Marcy Kaptur? One time she carried that seat when Reagan won the district by 10 points, and she’s won 74% of the vote in many elections since. Now Ohio Republicans have redrawn Kaptur’s district to try to knock her out. You should be cheering her on instead of tearing her down.

    You would do well to put your political acumen to work helping take back those Southern California seats Republicans flipped in 2020, and leave Ohio to Ohio Democrats.

  109. 109.

    SFAW

    @JoyceH: ​
     
    You’ve probably already checked, but in case you haven’t: there’s a Model D with a PM3 monitor (it’s an older model monitor, but still plenty good) for $650. That’s an OK price, but not great. It’s also probably higher than you want to go.

    While I was looking on CL, I also spotted a place where you can rent a rower by the month. They’re apparently located in Manassas, and it looks like the ergs rent for $69/month (if you rent one for 3 or more months).
    The advantage of renting one is, of course, you get to try it out, see if you like it enough to buy one. [Although I’ve “fallen off the wagon” so to speak, I really enjoy erg-ing. Some people find it boring, but there are software apps to make it more interesting.]
    Here’s a link to the part of their site where they list available rowers:
    http://www.rowerrentals.com/rowing-machines.html

    Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Good luck!

  111. 111.

    SFAW

    @Mnemosyne:

    Hey! I’ve been wondering if you’ve been OK, since I haven’t seen you here for awhile. Glad to see you, and extra glad to see your good news!

  112. 112.

    Geminid

    @Cameron: I happened to have read that story in a different site, and others on the subject as well. But you may have noticed that I wrote “may come to a positive conclusion,” instead of “will etc.”

    Either the U.S. or Iran can still stop the deal anytime up to its signing. Then it will only last until 2025 anyway.

  114. 114.

    Geminid

    @Cameron: Congress could screw it up. But I think the new JCPOA will be signed and there won’t be the votes in Congress to screw it up. And then everyone will start worrying about and planning for when the agreement lapses in 2025.

  115. 115.

    Cameron

    @Geminid: Another argument for re-electing Joe Biden (or any Democrat with similar views) – if the treaty’s working, why bugger it up?  Of course, if we’re unfortunate enough to wind up with Trump or a DeSantis or similar, whether it’s working or not is unimportant.  I thought Obama pulled off one of the few solid foreign policy agreements of the last 30 years, only to have the swinish oaf throw it out simply because it was Obama’s deal.

  116. 116.

    James E Powell

    @Geminid:

    Maybe you ought to cut back on the caffeine.

    I’m not tearing anyone down.

    I was an Ohio Democrat for many years before moving to California. There is nothing peculiar or special about Ohio that makes running against your party’s president a winning strategy. I guess it worked so well for Democrats in 2010 that they want another debacle. Ohio Democrats are not exactly political geniuses. They allowed their swing state to turn into a Republican paradise where are right-wing dipshit like Kasich is considered a moderate. So please, sit down and take a rest.

    We are the better party, we have the better president, the better candidates. We have to tell people that, instead of shunning our own team.

  117. 117.

    Geminid

    @James E Powell: You led off with “Will we ever be free of this Democrat v. Democrat bullshit?” And then you proceeded to squabble over Democrats just like that article baited you to do.

    You tell me I need to use less caffeine, but you’re the one hollering at me in all caps!

    Marcy Kaptur did not “run down” Joe Biden but you did tear her down, just not by name.

    Since you are are handing out suggestions I have two for you: Don’t fall for the apples of discord outfits like the Hill toss out.

    And don’t pound out your conclusions in all caps. That suggests a lack of confidence in your argument.

  118. 118.

    SFAW

    @Geminid: ​
     

    And don’t pound out your conclusions in all caps. That suggests a lack of confidence in your argument.

    Maybe he’s just practicing for sending Cole an e-mail, because he heard Cole likes that?

  119. 119.

    evodevo

    @Faithful Lurker: Me too…midway through the first episode, I said to Mr. evodevo that it didn’t ring true with what I remembered from his books…and I read ALL of them.

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