Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

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

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

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

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

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

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

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

Russia bombs Ukraine’s maternity hospitals; Republicans in the House can’t sort out supporting Ukraine.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

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

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: You Go, Joe!

Open Thread: You Go, Joe!

by | 153 Comments

This post is in: 

I just love this guy. As the proud Auntie of a current HS Band member, this tickles me.

And because I know my audience, here’s Jasper with his two ladies:

May be an image of dog

Don’t be fooled, Scout is still reluctant, though she joins in the backyard morning race around the yard.

Open Thread: You Go, Joe!

Trixie is happy to have another buddy.

This is an open thread

Reader Interactions

153Comments

  1. 1.

    rikyrah

    President Joe Biden is a good man. And, I think that’s what I love most about him. Just being a phucking DECENT HUMAN BEING.

     

    It’s SO needed.

  7. 7.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @eclare:

    Amen to that too, although Scout looks more doubtful than happy. Jasper, on the other hand, ….

    ETA: Speaking of other hands, my, what big paws those doggies have!

  11. 11.

    Mike in NC

    Article today in the local paper about how the Republican-controlled NC General Assembly wants to slash the salaries of public school teachers, and especially principals, by $10-20K. The GQP War on Education continues…

  15. 15.

    Ken

    @germy shoemangler: Interesting psycho-perceptive experience. The top of the photo looked right, then I scrolled down and felt myself go rapidly through “photo artifact?” — “data glitch?” — “something in orbit?” — “movie special effect, maybe battlecruisers?” — “oh right….”

  17. 17.

    germy shoemangler

    @Ken:

    Planet of the Ducks.

    [screaming as statue of liberty is revealed]:  “You damned dirty ducks!”

  19. 19.

    J.

    OMG, those photos of the dogs are priceless, especially that first one. Though your furniture must take a beating.

  22. 22.

    Joy in FL

    I love these dog photos. Thank you for posting them. I’ve had three Great Danes in my life, sequentially, not at the same time. They were the most amazing best friends, and I miss the big dog presence in my life. Your photos let me see that, and I’m glad you have it, and those dogs have you.

  23. 23.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @rikyrah: Obviously his experience as Senator, VP and connection to Obama were huge factors, but I also think his heart-on-his-sleeve decency was another one that helped him win the crowded 2020 Primary.

  25. 25.

    different-church-lady

    @rikyrah:

    And, I think that’s what I love most about him. Just being a phucking DECENT HUMAN BEING.

    Which, sadly, is also exactly what his (our) opponents hate the most about him.

  26. 26.

    Betty Cracker

    Our two 20-ish pound dogs seem like they fill the entire house sometimes. Trying to imagine how horsies like those would make it seem! :)

  27. 27.

    TaMara

    @Betty Cracker: Funny thing, my friend who raises Great Danes (who I got both Scout and Trixie from) has two rescue Boston Terriers they are fostering until a home can be found for them together. She says she can barely keep up with them! And she has something like 10 Danes right now.

    Danes are so mellow, other than having to constantly walk AROUND them and pick up their toys, they aren’t much effort. LOL. Mostly is just reminding them the bipeds are in charge.

  29. 29.

    cain

    “He’ll fight for freedom, wherever there’s trouble, prezident joe is there… Prezident Jooooeeeee, the great american hero!”

  30. 30.

    Ksmiami

    @rikyrah: All I wanted from Biden was for him to be a decent human, but he will end up being one of the most significant presidents (in a good way) of my lifetime.

  31. 31.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @TaMara:

    Heh. My 9-pound rescue Maltese tries to assert his inner bosshood from time to time, but any dog that can be picked up with one hand just ain’t gonna win that battle with the resident bipeds. The fluffy cuteness does cause people to melt, though. Extra treats are sometimes given.

  33. 33.

    Betty Cracker

    @TaMara: I’ve never met a Dane who wasn’t mellow. Same with Saint Bernards — my sister had one, and he was a big old sweetie!

  34. 34.

    gvg

    Hmm, my sister just asked me a few days ago if I wanted two undisciplined but sweet Danes that a neighbor of hers was going to have to rehome. She had watched them get 2 puppies, then not put any effort into raising them to have manners and now they can’t handle them. She had told them over and over what they needed to do and wasn’t listened too. We are both too busy to take it on. Our aunt used to raise Danes so we know…anyway I suggested finding the breed rescue club. I know there is one. Our aunt used to be really involved. Some people are just fools.

    By the way, if you think you want a certain breed, check out the local rescue club, you will get your eyes really opened and find out if its right for you and you may get a bargain dog.

  39. 39.

    NutmegAgain

    @TaMara: This!  When I first started, ah, collecting Newfies, I had to tell people that they didn’t take up much psychological space. Meaning that they tended not to demand attention all the time (although they do love to lie in strategic places on the kitchen floor).  These are lovely photos of your beautiful dogs, and they do capture the essence of big dog energy. Wishing you years of tranquil life interspersed with hilarious clowning.

    My answers to the usual questions:

    “what do they eat?” Small children (actually less than a Lab)

    “they must shed all the time!” nope mostly 2x a year, aptly called blowing coat

    “Oh my God! what IS that?!?”  It’s really good for your skin, just gently massage it in (drool, heh)

    I’m feeling a bit obsessive, since I had to send Murphy on her final journey yesterday.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Question for the Jackaltariat: The (redacted) Mar-a-Lago search affidavit is supposed to be released sometime today. Is this likely to be an event, with press announcements and TV cameras and so on, or does the DoJ just quietly put it out there and let it sit until somebody notices? Given the level of anticipatory coverage, I would guess the former — but I’m not sure if that’s how these things are done, or what the protocols are.

  44. 44.

    LAO

    @SiubhanDuinne: Magistrate Judge set deadline for today at 12:00 pm eastern time. 3 sealed documents have just be filed. T minus 26 minutes.

    ETA: the unsealed redacted affidavit will be filed on the docket sheet, available to anyone with a PACER account.

  45. 45.

    TaMara

    @NutmegAgain: I’m sooo sorry. I was telling Watergirl and Adam that Jasper could very well be a reaction to the grief I’m still feeling over losing Bixby. They leave such BIG holes.

    Also, there’s a t-shirt text I’m going to find for you along the lines of answers to constant big dog questions. :-)

  46. 46.

    Ken

    @SiubhanDuinne: I assume it will be released in the same way as the warrant and inventory were, but I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember how that happened!  Maybe it shows up on the court’s public records of the case?

    Anyway, within two or three minutes of that, a thousand different websites and twitterers will have copied it, so I’m not worried about missing it.

  49. 49.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @SiubhanDuinne: Deadline was noon. I just googled “affidavit” to see if there was any announcement of its release.

    Not yet.

    DOJ is going to file that at 11:59:59, aren’t they? I’m not sure exactly how it will be released, but as Ken says at #46, it will no doubt be on all the news sites by 12:05. Maybe even Fox, but I doubt it.

  55. 55.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @MomSense: ​

    The Fulton County Georgia DA said something similar. She was being polite to the politicians she’s investigating, and they thought that meant they could take advantage of her.

    My wife’s students have often made the same mistake.

  56. 56.

    cain

    @TaMara: We have two dogs named Trixie and Scout. Trixie lives with my ex-wife and Scout lives with my wife’s ex-husband. We’ve babysat both. :-) (we have a sane extended family)

    My cats are Luv and Khush and my step daughter has Louis. (after Louis Vitton) Of  course, I have my own name for him which is Llewellyn – which apparently in welsh means lionlike leader. Which interestingly enough, as the older, the two younger ones Luv and Khush follow him around like their leader. :-)

  58. 58.

    PAM Dirac

    I don’t know how to link to twitter, but here is the text from Scott MacFarlane:

    FLASH: Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentences Capitol riot defendant Howard Richardson to 46-months prison She criticizes Richardson for trying to “minimize” his role on Jan 6. Judge: “The events of January 6 were an Insurrection.. not a protest. Certainly not a peaceful one”

     
    I like how the sentences are trending upward. I guess the the DOJ is starting to get into the bigger fish.

  61. 61.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @LAO: I think I’m correct in thinking of you every time I see Andrew Weissman on television? Was it you who do defense work in Manhattan and have gone up against him in court?

    In any case, I add my voice to those glad to see you in these parts

  62. 62.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Ken:

    Thanks! I guess I was wondering whether there was going to be some kind of live coverage, or whether it was going to warrant a dedicated BJ thread. But I imagine both legacy and social media will keep us informed!

  63. 63.

    Amir Khalid

    Is it difficult to learn to solder? I have a soldering iron, some solder, and a set of Alnico V pickups to put in my Squier Strat. I’m hoping I can pick up the skill from YouTube.

  66. 66.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Michael Sallah @MikeSallah7

    EXCLUSIVE: A 33-year-old Russian-speaking immigrant posing as Anna de Rothschild — a member of the European banking dynasty — infiltrated Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s entourage. Said one guest: “How did they allow it?”

    You can just hear trump: Rothschild? That sounds fancy? Does she know the queen?

    The British documentarian who followed the trumps around during the campaign and after said trump is obsessed with old Betty.

  67. 67.

    LAO

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: LOL  Yes.  He’s the guy who asked me (when I was a first year associate and he was the chief of the criminal division in the EDNY) “what’s a nice jewish girl like you doing working for the mob?”  Thankfully, I responded — the better question is what’s a nice jewish boy like you doing working for the government.  Anyway, he’s a dick but I like him better now that I’m on the same side as him.

  70. 70.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Amir Khalid: Soldiering?  Just obey legal orders, keep your head down, and don’t walk on the Sergeant Major’s grass and  you should be fine.

    What?  Soldering?  No idea.

  75. 75.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @LAO:

    Anyway, he’s a dick but I like him better now that I’m on the same side as him.

    Heh. I have trouble keeping bios and nyms together in my head, but that stayed with me, especially since between twitter and MSNBC, he’s so often in my media bubble

  81. 81.

    CaseyL

    @LAO: Maybe wait an hour?  I assume the Federal Court system can’t just connect to a bunch more servers on the fly, so…

    PS – Delighted to see you here again!

  82. 82.

    TaMara

    So it looks like something has been released, but not the affidavit itself.  I’ll let someone else post a new thread. I’ve got to get my day going – I just walked all three dogs separately to give Scout some special time and the other two some extra leash training, so I’m way behind.

    Here’s the link: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/64872441/98/united-states-v-sealed-search-warrari/

     

    JUST IN: DOJ proposed redactions and reasons are released —https://t.co/Y8IlzFV5KV
    — Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) August 26, 2022

  84. 84.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Jazz fans, check out this absolutely ridiculous version of Night In Tunisa by Jesus Molina.  Incredible to see kids playing at this level at such a young age.

    For anyone struggling to count along, the time signature is 11/8 on the verses and 4/4 on the B-sections and 6/8 on the bridge.

  85. 85.

    Cameron

    @Betty Cracker: Reverse is true, too.  When I got home after holding my 25-lb terrier as she moved into the next world, I was amazed at how large and empty a one-bedroom apartment could be.

  87. 87.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @LAO: Very heavily redacted means there is some really serious/sensitive shit which equals more serious charges/sentence, no?

  89. 89.

    Immanentize

    @LAO: Hi LAO!!!!

    I came to see what people are saying about Pacer crashing.

    What? How?! I thought that was a bullet proof case management system!

    😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

    I just pulled something laughing at my own joke.

  95. 95.

    Scamp Dog

    @Amir Khalid: It takes a little practice, that’s all. Do a few tries on some spare wire before making the actual attempt. Make sure you have good ventilation, solder fumes can be nasty.

  97. 97.

    Immanentize

    @LAO: I expect the legal basis will remain mostly intact while the factual basis will be nearly entirely redacted.

  98. 98.

    RedDirtGirl

    OT?

    My sisters and I moved my mother from an assisted living facility to a nursing home last week and it has been one nightmare after another. We knew that it would be a challenge, but the level of staffing is horrendous and we are just in shock. We have found outside aides to be with her during the day, but would be interested to hear from others who have had to go through this, whether there is hope for improvement, what to do, what recourse we might have…

    I mean I know this country’s HC system is a sh*t show, but, JFC.

  99. 99.

    LAO

    @raven:

    @zhena gogolia:

    Boo because I want the details.  But yes, I certainly agree that the witnesses need to be protected.  And it also certainly indicates that the investigation is continuing with the potential that criminal charges may actually be filed.  Which was something that I was actually very skeptical of.  So, it’s a good thing but I am personally disappointed.

  103. 103.

    There go two miscreants

    @Amir Khalid: It’s not hard to learn. Practice on wires and contacts that are close to the size on your good (valuable) parts so you get the hang of it. I haven’t watched any of the youtubes (I have been soldering electronics for 50 years) but there are probably some good ones. If you use leaded solder, use the 63%/37% alloy (lowest melting point). There are also solders with lower melting points for delicate stuff.

  105. 105.

    Gravenstone

    @Amir Khalid: soldering isn’t difficult, per se. The big issues are making sure you don’t let the heat destroy delicate components (heat sinks are used to control that) and that you’re not accidentally spreading solder where you don’t want, which can lead to short circuits.

  108. 108.

    Jay

    @Amir Khalid:

    clean, ( oxidization mucks soldering up), flux or flux core solder, get the iron hot, ( test with solder), get a good connection, ( solder bubbles on the iron help), then solder.

    practice on scrap chunks of wire until you are comfortable.

    Have the right “iron” or tip for what you are soldering, too big is bad, too small is slow. Cold joints suck, ( blob of solder, not making a full connection, so intermittent connection).

    Silver solder is a whole different “game”.

  109. 109.

    Immanentize

    @LAO: They just took the payment system from copying pages and planted it on top of a fully online, digitized system. It is horrible! There is a good pro publica piece in there somewhere.

  111. 111.

    FelonyGovt

    I love President Joe’s expression when he does something “naughty”, like when he first takes the baton in that video. It’s this cute little smile – “I can get away with this!”

  112. 112.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @germy shoemangler: ​IIRC the late great Carl Sagan once remarked that the most prominent spectral line in the atmosphere of Jupiter belonged to the same chemical most prominent in bovine flatulence (his exact words; for the rest of us it’s “cow farts”). (He was having some fun – the common culprit is, of course, methane. [Pronouced meth-ane. Mee-thane for Brit twits and Commonwealth hangers-on in the audience. Crikey!])

  113. 113.

    Immanentize

    @There go two miscreants: And, in a pinch, solder paste on some electronic parts. But not guitar pickups. Also, a good soldering iron is a good tool, although a craft one works in a pinch too for things like wiring.

  114. 114.

    SteveinPHX

    @Amir Khalid:

    I was raised by a ham radio guy who liked to build his own rigs. Practice-practice-practice.
    Also, I think it was Scamp Dog who had good words. Ventilation! Check out a couple You Tube videos.

    I learned to do it. You can too! I got my ham license in 1990.

    I see more good advice that came along!

  117. 117.

    Elizabelle

    FYI.  Today is International Dog Day.

    Although.  When is it never not IDD in a jackal’s home? They rule.

  125. 125.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Ksmiami: Hospodi Bozhe, we agree on something!​ (feints) ;^D

    (And I’ll bet my lifetime’s been a fur piece longer than yours – the first Democratic election I worked in was the same year Uncle Joe made it to the Senate.)

    (Yeah, yeah, I know: stopped clock, twice daily…)

  127. 127.

    Scout211

    CONCLUSION 79. Based on the foregoing facts and circumstances, I submit that probable cause exists to believe that evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation 18 U.S.C. §§ 793(e), 2071, or 1519 will be found at the PREMISES. Further, I submit that this affidavit supports probable cause for a warrant to search the PREMISES described in Attachment A and seize the items described in Attachment B.

  128. 128.

    FelonyGovt

    @LAO: Great to see you here! Yes, PACER is a shit show. I’ve had the misfortune of having to use it occasionally and I can’t believe how bad it is- and how expensive it gets for documents that should be publicly available.

  131. 131.

    Ken

    @Amir Khalid: The key technique that I remember is to never touch the solder to the iron. Instead you need to heat the wires until they melt the solder.

    The other approach, dripping molten solder over the wires like sealing-wax, is useless.

  134. 134.

    RedDirtGirl

    @Immanentize: Not yet. We entered private pay and are applying now. But she has memory issues, which is also a big factor. Not full-on dementia, but it affects here ability to remember to use the call button, etc. Assuming that anyone will answer it.

  135. 135.

    zhena gogolia

    @RedDirtGirl: I hope you can get help. We needed to do private aides when a relative was in assisted living, but in the nursing home they seemed to be pretty on top of things.

  136. 136.

    Anotherlurker

    @Amir Khalid: Youtube would be a good place to start for a break down of how to solder.  From my own experience, it just takes some time and patience.  Remember: you heat the wire or the connector, not the tin itself.

    Take the time and you will develop proficiency.

  138. 138.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Omnes Omnibus: Umm…the ghost of American Motors would like a word with you.

    The Pacer’s fatal flaw was being overcome by events. IIRC, AM designed the Pacer for a Wankel rotary engine, which would have fit nicely into that snub nose and made it run like a batoutahell – but the small and powerful Wankels of that era got lousy gas mileage.** Enter the OPEC oil embargo… They had to swap the rotary out for standard ICEs, and buy Gojira-size shoehorns for their assembly lines, and Welcome to Fusterclucksville…

    ** “You can have small, powerful, or fuel efficient – pick any two…”

  142. 142.

    Another Scott

    @Amir Khalid: As others have said, it’s not difficult.  The main things are:

    1. Keep the soldering iron clean.  The tip should be shiny.  If it’s not, then either the temperature isn’t right or it needs to be cleaned.  E.g YouTube (1:21).  I’ve got an ancient block of “Sal Ammoniac” (ammonium chloride) at work that I use.  There’s newer stuff that probably works better.
    2. Use the right kind of solder.
    3. Get the connection hot enough, but not too hot.  It depends on the various metals, the solder, the thickness, what they’re connected to, etc.  It takes practice.  If you’re setting the insulation on fire, you’re probably getting it too hot.  ;-D

    Weller has lots of good information as you might expect. :-)

    Finally, if you’re doing more than very occasional soldering, an adjustable iron really does make things much, much easier and reproducible.  You don’t have to spend $500 for a regulated-temperature iron (though those are very nice), but something like this for $33 is a worthy upgrade.

    HTH a little.  Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.
    (“Whose dad would tell stories about his RCA color TV failing because of the bad quality of the solder joints…”)

  143. 143.

    Another Scott

    @LAO: I wonder why??

    It’s always good to see you posting.  I hope you and your pooch are doing well.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  145. 145.

    Another Scott

    @RedDirtGirl: It’s hard.  My MIL was in an assisted living/nursing home place (Alzheimer’s/Parkinson’s) for a while at the end of her days.

    Having your own aid help out can make a huge difference.

    In our case, the staff at the place were generally trying their best but were over-worked and the place was under-staffed.  My J visited after work almost every day and for several hours on the weekends.  She got to know the aids very well.

    Get to know what meds she’s taking and understand when and how they should be given.  Getting medication right is a never-ending battle, and the aids generally don’t have enough time and training and experience to know if there’s a mistake in the instructions (e.g. time-release morphine should never be crushed up!!).

    The staff will be more attentive and helpful if you and your aids can help them out and understand their plight.  Talk with the on-site management if you’re not getting satisfaction, but recognize that off-site management may be tying their hands.  If things are bad enough, talk to the state licensing agencies and the Medicare administrators.

    Just my $0.02.  Hang in there, it’s a tough and painful job.  Know that you can’t fix everything no matter how hard you try – you can only try to make things a little better.  Take care of yourself – it’s vitally important.

    Best wishes, and good luck,
    Scott.

  146. 146.

    NutmegAgain

    @pat: The crunchier, the better!

    Actually, most Newfies have a remarkable affinity for kids. Nana, in Peter Pan was a Newfie–JM Barrie had one so he knew. I’ve heard tons of stories of Newfs at the beach deciding they needed to “rescue” kids playing in the surf. Mixed reactions!  My Duncan tried to rescue some folks who had jumped out of their canoe and were swimming it across a lake. Comedy gold!

  147. 147.

    kalakal

     

    @Amir Khalid:  It’s not difficult

    This is really good advice

    @Ken:

    The key technique that I remember is to never touch the solder to the iron. Instead you need to heat the wires until they melt the solder

    Practice first and you’ll be gold

  149. 149.

    JCNZ

    @NutmegAgain: Sorry for your loss. Murphy is such a great name. We’ve had Newfies for thirty years (Griz 1, 2, & 3 – and now Bonnie, a rescue). All breeds are great, no doubt, but Newfies should be COMPULSORY!

    (Also, the footage of Joe’s instant reaction to that boy with Down’s Syndrome is for the Ages)

  151. 151.

    NutmegAgain

    @Another Scott: So sorry to hear about this. My mom, who died a number of years ago, had a couple of progressive conditions, although not dementia. (COPD–I swear 2d hand smoke, congestive heart failure, spinal stenosis.) She was not an easy person to be with when she was younger and healthy; old and sick? well, I was beyond grateful for the aides and all the staff at the place she went to live. She moved into independent living, and once the mobility got too challenging she moved to the on-site nursing unit. Pretty delux. More importantly, the care was very good. Wishing everyone with elderly parents all the patience and energy in the world.

  152. 152.

    NutmegAgain

    @JCNZ: Another member of the tribe-  Howdy!  I’ve had rescued Newfers for about 30 years. My heart has been filled and broken on the regular. I bought one dog from a high profile big deal breeder, but that’s a story for another time. Murph turned out to be 90% Gt Pyr, 10% Black Lab, and her name was the rescue name–I figured she had been through enough when I got her at age 8. She was a character!

    I’m not sure everyone is cut out for dematting a Newf dog, but they are for certain the best family pets. Humble opinion etc.

  153. 153.

    Gravie

    Great to see Kristin Mink — who posted the video of Joe with the band — on the site again. You may remember her from 4-5 yesrs ago when she confronted Scott Pruitt in a DC restaurant and told him to GTFO of office. She has now entered local politics and I predict she will go far, as she is bold, fearless, and committed to all the right things.

Comments are closed.