Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

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

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

The lights are all blinking red.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Come on, man.

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

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

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

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

T R E 4 5 O N

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

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

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Somebody needs to explain to DeSantis that nobody needs to do anything to make him look bad.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

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

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

You are here: Home / Politics / Biden Administration in Action / Saturday Morning Open Thread: Happy Nice Things

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Happy Nice Things

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(Mid-Autumn / Moon Festival — as I understand it, roughly analogous today to Thanksgiving in America)


… It has taken more than a century to develop effective vaccines as the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, is spectacularly complex and elusive. It is a constantly moving target, shifting forms inside the body, which make it hard to immunise against.

Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the first vaccine – developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK – to be used in Africa.

However, the Oxford team claim their approach is more effective and can be manufactured on a far greater scale.

Trial results from 409 children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, have been published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. It shows three initial doses followed by a booster a year later gives up to 80% protection…

The team will start the process of getting their vaccine approved in the next few weeks, but a final decision will hinge on the results of a larger trial of 4,800 children due before the end of the year.

The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer – the Serum Institute of India – is already lined up to make more than 100 million doses a year.

Prof Hill said the vaccine – called R21 – could be made for “a few dollars” and “we really could be looking at a very substantial reduction in that horrendous burden of malaria”.

He added: “We hope that this will be deployed and available and saving lives, certainly by the end of next year.”

Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants. The disease still kills more than 400,000 people a year even after dramatic progress with bed nets, insecticides and drugs…

Gareth Jenkins, from the charity Malaria No More UK said: “Today’s R21 vaccine results from Oxford’s renowned Jenner Institute are another encouraging signal that, with the right support, the world could end child deaths from malaria in our lifetimes.”

Much more detail at the link.

This is a fun D&D thread to eavesdrop on (trigger warnings: mild disrepect towards public figures, cartoonish violence against Piers Morgan)…

Reader Interactions

89Comments

  1. 1.

    germy shoemangler

    It’s really funny that the US right-wing has gone all-in on both revolutionary war cosplay *and* pearl-clutching “how dare you insult the dignity of the British monarch!” royals veneration simultaneously.

    — Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) September 8, 2022

    Here’s a funny prediction: right wingers suddenly start showing a lot more respect and admiration towards Charles now that he’s King even though he’s the same overmatched doofus he always was. They just love power and authority and will suck up to it wherever it exists

    — Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) September 9, 2022

  5. 5.

    Betty Cracker

    @OzarkHillbilly: I would caption that photo: “Look at mah glorious ta-tas!” Also, I didn’t know there was a bird called a European Shag, but of course there is!  ;-)

  6. 6.

    Splitting Image

    I’m in the middle of a large project to upgrade all of my music files to FLAC. I just discarded all of my Pink Floyd MP3s that I ripped from the CDs back in 2006 or so and am now listening to shiny new lossless files.

    I am now tackling a 30-CD set of Telemann music.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    @zhena gogolia: Conservatives have a knee-jerk opposition to egalitarianism and are enraged by conversations about the impact of colonialism, so it’s not surprising they’re reacting this way. What surprises me is that one old lady’s death provided so many people such an astonishing array of opportunities to show their entire ass.

  9. 9.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @germy shoemangler: Heh, very graceful. Speaking of grace, slept over at some friends’ Soulard home after a Mardi Gras parade. I awoke in the AM and espied their Siamese Cat sitting atop the 2nd floor railing. It stood up, streeeeetched, turned around, took a step… And fell 15′ SPLAT on the floor.

    Jumped up to it’s feet and tried to pretend that that didn’t happen.

  10. 10.

    germy shoemangler

    That moment when you’re supposed to debate your Republican opponent at a local TV station but instead she stages a fit over their COVID-19 safety visitor policies so the debate gets canceled LOL

    And she calls me the drama queen 🤣 pic.twitter.com/UByG0ocYgS

    — Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) September 9, 2022

  22. 22.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Oh noooooes… Lesbian Polar Bears!

    “We cannot accept gender indoctrination,” he told La Stampa. “Once again the politically correct has struck, at the expense of our children. Can’t children just be children?”

    Only we get to engage in gender indoctrination!

  23. 23.

    Ken

    @germy shoemangler: Cats never dwell on their mistakes.  It’s enviable.

    We will discreetly avoid asking whether this is because they are the ultimate zen masters and have achieved a perfect state of tranquility, or the ultimate narcissists and simply do not acknowledge that they have ever made a mistake.

  25. 25.

    Geminid

    Ulysses Grant caught some tough breaks in his thirties and one of them was a bout of malaria that kept him from working “Hardscrabble,” his farm outside St. Louis. So Grant moved to town and took a job with a real estate firm just in time for a recession. Grant missed out on a couple of other jobs and had to move to Galena, Illinois to work in his family’s leather store.

    This was somewhat of a comedown for Ulysses, but he had good months in Galena. A neighbor recalled that Grant spent his time off work playing with his kids.

    Grant apparently beat the malaria and he went on to a healthy and successful second career in the the US Army.

  26. 26.

    Betty Cracker

    I don’t know what to believe on Twitter, but it sure sounds like Ukraine is kicking Russia’s ass!

  28. 28.

    Scout211

    If you first suspend the fact that Peter Navarro rarely tells the truth and is a self-serving narcissist, his new book could be interesting.  The Guardian has a copy. Link

    The gossipy excerpt claims that by mid-2020 the campaign’s big donors wanted Jared out as campaign director and to be replaced by Bannon, who was seen as responsible for his first election win. The story goes that Trump agreed but was too afraid to confront his son-in-law because it would cause “family problems.”  So they enlisted the founder of Home Depot, Bernie Marcus (a big donor) to tell Jared but Jared refused to step down. The man who made “You’re fired!” famous, could not actually say it in real life.  Or in Peter Navarro’s mind, at least.

    The review goes on to say, “Navarro’s dim view of Kushner permeates his new book: one section is titled Both Nepotism and Excrement Roll Downhill.”

    Apparently there is another chapter that catalogues just how poorly Trump chose just about every executive position.

    On the page, Navarro risks Trump’s ire by criticizing his actions as president, at one point devoting six pages to outlining “why a president who is supposed to be one of the greatest assessors of talent … would make such bad personnel choices across so many White House and cabinet-level positions”.

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Italian politician demands ban on Peppa Pig episode showing lesbian couple 

    I see things are going so well in Italy that this is an “issue.”

    (I have no idea what Italian government is like these days.)

  36. 36.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Ken:

    @Betty Cracker: I don’t know what to believe on Twitter

    I heard Piers Morgan was beaten to death by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

    See, now, that’s just wishful thinking.

  38. 38.

    mrmoshpotato

    Amazing turn around by Frances Tiafoe last night even though he still lost the US Open semifinal.

  41. 41.

    Betty Cracker

    If it’s true Russian lines are collapsing, Carlson will be inconsolable.


    It’s difficult to parse the ramblings of an insane, hate-filled goober, but it sounds like he’s peddling a theory that Biden is “destroying the West” on purpose to usher in an age of Chinese global domination? Is Russia supposed to be part of “the West” in Carlson’s scenario? I wonder what he makes of Putin rattling the ammo begging bowl at North Korea?

  42. 42.

    geg6

    @Betty Cracker:

    I know.  Been following Kos’s and Hunter’s reports on GOS and Adam’s posts here and skimming print MSM.  Also Cheryl and Farley over at LGM.  I’m reluctant to get too far over my skis, as I am not a military expert in any way, but damn it’s looking good for Ukraine.

  44. 44.

    Matt McIrvin

    @germy shoemangler: It seems to me like Charles has gone through a lot of reputation-laundering in preparation for his assuming the Crown. The Queen declaring earlier this year that she wanted Camilla to have the title of Queen Consort, contrary to decades of statements otherwise, was the last element in normalizing Charles. I expect he’s going to get a lot more automatic respect than people might have expected, not just from the American right.

  45. 45.

    MomSense

    Kid left yesterday for Spetses with friends.  He keeps giving excuses for why he hasn’t sent any photos. I know he’s having too much fun I just want to see some Aegean and buildings.  Anyway he’s loving life and definitely wants to stay there.

  46. 46.

    Baud

    When I die, please limit the funeral rites to seven days.  That would be more in keeping with my everyman image.

  47. 47.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    For the Chicago area folks: Later today, I’ll be selling books at LITfest in Highland Park. It’s on the corner of Central and St. Johns, sponsored by an organization called East on Central. My “shift” is from 2:30-5 or so. If you’re around, please stop by. I need friendly faces

    ETA: Does this count as a happy, nice thing?

  48. 48.

    MomSense

    @Betty Cracker:

    I follow a Ukrainian artist on Instagram who has been posting incredible photos, interviews and footage throughout the war.  Seeing the footage today of people coming out of their homes to welcome Ukrainian soldiers has been incredible.  If anyone is on Instagram follow tribal.cat

    She is a photographer who used to travel around the country doing portraits, weddings, etc in addition to her fashion and art photography.

  53. 53.

    kalakal

    @Betty Cracker:

    Is Russia supposed to be part of “the West” in Carlson’s scenario? I wonder what he makes of Putin rattling the ammo begging bowl at North Korea?

    Simples. It’s all Bidens fault, if he and his magic laptop weren’t so mean to poor, naive, trusting Vlad, a man overflowing with generosity and the spirit of human kindness, he wouldn’t have been forced to defend himself from the Satanically inspired invasion of Kyiv by the evil Ukranians. And now thanks to Bidens secret codes in his magic laptop poor Vlad is running out of bullets and has turned for help to that champion of liberty Kim Jong-Un, the People’s Pal, vouched for by non other than Honest Don himself. Just look what Biden made Vlad do!

  55. 55.

    Montanareddog

    @Ken:

    I heard Piers Morgan was beaten to death by the Archbishop of Canterbury

    FAKE NEWS!!! I am reliably informed that Piers Morgan was shot and fell off a fleeing Russian T-72 in Ukraine. The tank driver was so bereft at causing the death of such a great man that he deliberately crashed his vehicle into a tree.

  57. 57.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Betty Cracker: Putin endeared himself to the American right with Obama-era propaganda in which he really explicitly framed himself as the defender of White Christendom against the dusky and sexually degenerate hordes. That’s why you got all these American evangelicals saying things like “we need a President like Putin, a STRONG leader who loves his country.” White Christendom is what they consider “the West” and they also equate that with patriotism, etc. It’s a different move from the equation of East/West with Communism/capitalism that prevailed during the Cold War.

  62. 62.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: When I die I want them to skip the funeral thing altogether. Unfortunately, I won’t have any say in the matter.

  67. 67.

    kalakal

    One of the nicest things I know is the National Aquarium of New Zealand’s Little Penguin Sanctuary. To help it out they’ve been running a charming social media campaign of ‘Good Penguin of the Month/Naughty Penguin of the Month’ for years where you can learn how Tux cleaned out his nest while Draco stole Mo’s fish and pushed Captain in the water etc. It’s very sweet and funny and helps a good cause. Every Year everybody gets to vote for Penguin of the Year and they run a spoof campaign for each of the rescued Korora (Little Penguins). The current election has about 2 days to go

    It’s a nice thing and I love it

    https://www.nationalaquarium.co.nz/visit/penguin-of-the-year/

  68. 68.

    Captain C

    @Betty Cracker:

     I wonder what he makes of Putin rattling the ammo begging bowl at North Korea?

    I suspect Tucker is a master of compartmentalization, willful ignorance, and combining the two creatively such that his head doesn’t explode on air from the cognitive dissonance that would otherwise be required to maintain his positions, even if he’s otherwise (as he is) a masterful bullshitter.

    I also think he’s basically his frozen food empire trust fund away from being a literal serial killer clown.  He gives off that particular creepy vibe to me.

  69. 69.

    Geminid

    My comment about Ulysses Grant got me thinking about Debbie, and how she’s talked about reading Grant’s memoirs in college. I sure hope Debbie’s ok.

  73. 73.

    Amir Khalid

    @germy shoemangler:

    The British Royal Family hasn’t held real power and authority in a hell of a long time. Since then it has merely been performing power and authority theatre. (There’s a line in the movie The King’s Speech, in which George V, Charles III’s great-grandfather, grumbles that the Royal Family has been reduced to a troupe of actors.)

    King Charles will not reign as an all-powerful sovereign. As a constitutional monarch, he will mostly be doing as he is told by Britain’s head of elected government — Liz Truss and whoever follows her as PM.

    I can very easily imagine American Republicans fawning over a king with only ceremonial powers, just as TFG revelled in the trappings of POTUShood but ignored the job.

  74. 74.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @OzarkHillbilly: Just arrange with the nearest med school to donate your body as a gross anatomy cadaver. It’s not much paperwork, and it prevents a lot of muss and fuss for your survivors. Be sure to give the likely survivors all the contact info for the med school, though, or all of it is for naught.

  75. 75.

    JAFD

    On the topic of ‘Bad Taste British Monarchy Jokes’, my contribution,

    _Prince Upton’s Disease_. To wit:

    Back when the young man who’s now next in line for the throne (good Lawd willin’ and the Thames don’t rise) was born,

    there were suggestions that he be named ‘Prince Upton’

    and, then, his family could sign their Chrismas cards

    “Up, Chuck, and Di”

  80. 80.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: Winston was deeply offended when you (rightfully) told him he was acting like a dick. For someone who said we might as well bring on a thermonuclear war, he sure had a thin skin!

    I wonder how Wetzel’s doing. He flounced off after he insulted someone and they pushed back. “Goodbye, cruel Balloon Juice!”

    Wetzel seemed like an ok guy. His long comments were fairly unreadable but evidently he had a lot to get off his chest.

  81. 81.

    StringOnAStick

    @mrmoshpotato:

    (I have no idea what Italian government is like these days.)

    Unfortunately the RW is ascendant in Italy: Putin has been messing in their society and politics for quite some time too.

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: I don’t really remember Wetzel.  I would use the shrug emoji here, except that I HATE what the merged site does with emojis in general, and shrug girl in particular.

    She is one of my two favorite emojis, and I miss her!

  86. 86.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: Wetzel’s an Atlanta area guy who showed up this winter a commented for a couple months. He and I talked fishing some. Wetzel had some health problems, and I hope he was well enough to catch some bass this summer.

  88. 88.

    VOR

    @Chief Oshkosh: My late wife died from cancer. The lead surgeon on her final operation, a very experienced surgical oncologist, commented that he was surprised by how far the cancer had spread. Every single biopsy they took in her abdomen was positive. Her particular form of cancer likes spreading to the brain as well. So just assume the cancer was in every part of her body.

    She died mid-afternoon. That evening I got a call from the hospital’s med school asking if we would donate her body for transplants. I was stunned and asked if they had looked at her chart to see how far the cancer had spread. Response was yes, and we still want it. I turned them down, not wanting to take a chance of spreading the hellish illness to anyone.

  89. 89.

    Stephen

    @Splitting Image: Totally the way to go. I did this a while ago and have not regretted it. And you can generate MP3s or other file formats off the FLACs as required. FLAC, using the Vorbis file format, also has very flexible metadata tagging, which lets you do all sorts of things.

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