Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

In my day, never was longer.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

This fight is for everything.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

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

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

I was promised a recession.

Infrastructure week. at last.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Hey Lurkers! (Holiday Post)

Open Thread: Hey Lurkers! (Holiday Post)

by | 244 Comments

This post is in: 

looking in a large storefront window with reflections in the glass and a sign that says “Come in, We’re Open"

 

It’s way past tine for another thread for all the lurkers out there.  I have been remiss – it’s been nearly 6 months since the last one!

You may already know this, but when you post your first comment, it goes into moderation, and sometimes it takes a while for one of us to see it and free your comment so it shows up for everyone.  Once it’s released from moderation, it goes into the comments with the time-stamp for when you first submitted it, so then most people probably never see it.  So it’s not surprising that first comments often don’t get replied to.

So here’s a special open thread where I can keep a particular eye out for first comments that go into moderation.

A few of you who poked your heads up on previous lurker threads have turned into commenters, but don’t let that scare you away!

In any case, it’s lurker appreciation day here on Balloon Juice!  Welcome, all.

Totally open thread.

Reader Interactions

244Comments

  1. 1.

    Villago Delenda Est

    By all means, air your grievances.  Like how idiotic it was to trade Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps.

  9. 9.

    Another Scott

    It’s good to see this thread – it’s been a while. Lurkers de-lurk – it’s fun!

    In other news, my Saint Javelin stickers finally arrived! Ukraine to Toronto to NoVA. It took a month, but it’s worth it – they’re very nice.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  13. 13.

    Rob

    It’s 21 degrees F in the Maryland suburbs of DC … inside the Beltway. Heading down to about 9 degrees by sunrise. We had rain, a little sleet, back to rain, then snow. Now the sky is blue and the wind is blowing hard.

    For comparison, the average low for the coldest part of January is 27 if I recall correctly. Tomorrow’s *high* should be 21, and Christmas Day’s 27…

    It’s COLD

    Happy holidays to everyone! And thank you, WaterGirl, for this post.

  16. 16.

    currants

    Hi, all,
    I’m not really a lurker, just an avid reader and infrequent commenter. And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posts, and everyone who comments, and everyone who keeps things working. I love this blog–just knowing there are good people here reliably lifts my spirits any time.

  17. 17.

    Cap'n Keith

    A lurker who appreciates you all (well, most of you). Temps here in Vermont will go from 50 at 5pm to 20 by 11pm. We need MORE SNOW. Hope I bought enough garlic for the twice baked potatoes.

  18. 18.

    James E Powell

    Weather.com says it’s going to be 81F & Sunny on Christmas Day here in Southern California.

    A white Christmas is wonderful when it’s on your TV screen.

  19. 19.

    WaterGirl

    @Cap’n Keith: So Vermont is a day or two behind Illinois.  We had that delight just before you!

    I am with you on more snow.  If we have to have winter, snow is the one redeeming quality.  The cold, not so much.

  23. 23.

    Li-Li D

    De-lurking to say thank you for all of the terrific info & insights. The Covid posts and the Ukraine posts have been the greatest resource. The books, TV, film recs have brightened my life.

    The comments on this site are worth reading, and I often read them all.

    Critters, recipes, travel photos, humor, this place has it all. Oh, and politics!

    Love you guys, and our blogfather.

  26. 26.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    It’s up to 6 here at City Park in Denver.  Got down to -9 last night, -13 the night before.

    If I wanted weather like this, I’d live in Alamoso or Gunnison.

  27. 27.

    JoyceCB

    Hello from Toronto, where the snow has been blowing sideways for the last six hours!  I only post about three times a year, so I still feel very much like a lurker.  On the Road, Albatrossity’s  bird photos, and the pet pics help keep me sane.  Big thanks to everyone here.

  31. 31.

    geg6

    Say hi lurkers!  We love and appreciate you!

    -1F with windchill at -24 here In beautiful Beaver County, PA.  I refuse to take a single step outside.  It’s predicted to be 60 by New Year’s Day though, so I suppose I can soldier through with my fuzzy slippers, my heavy Fabletics fleece (a newfound favorite that I cannot recommend enough) and some warm soup (the ground beef and gnocchi one, WG) with a nice Pinot noir and crusty bread for dinner.

    Any if you lurkers reading anything good?  I love history and biography, Grisham type lawyer thrillers/mysteries and Gabaldon type historical fantasy.  Do not like sci-fi, graphic novels or pretentious authors like Jonathan Franzen, Jonathan Safran Foer or David Foster Wallace.

  34. 34.

    Alison Rose

    @James E Powell: Should be around 64 up where I am. I don’t go outside but I appreciate the bit of warm-up because when it’s super cold (as it was a week ago, and yes, that’s relatively speaking) my heater has to run basically all day to keep it comfortable inside.

  35. 35.

    WaterGirl

    @JoyceCB: I was just thinking how interesting / odd that it seems like I can see the wind today – because it’s not snowing but the wind is blowing the snow around.  So I can actually see gusts as the snow blows by.

  39. 39.

    Kathleen

    We’re at  whopping -2 in Cincy. Technically we had 3 hours of a blizzard last night/early this morning. Fortunately my flight to Tampa has not been cancelled but delayed to departure time of 10:42 pm. I am taking a car service to the airport. Traveling really stresses me out. No good reason, but it just does.

    Wishing everyone a joyous, peaceful holiday season!

  41. 41.

    KM in NS

    Hi… lurking from Nova Scotia. The wind and rain are wicked!!

    @geg6- I’m reading “ Five Love Affairs and a Friendship” by Anne de Courcy. It’s about Nancy Cunard and the Roaring 20’s. I’ve got “ The Incredible Human Journey” by Alice Roberts up next.

    Happy Festivus for the rest of us!  Lol

  43. 43.

    BellaPea

    Long-time lurker. This is one of my favorite blogs–love the political posts, pet photos and recipes. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. John, hope you feel better soon.

  46. 46.

    Minstrel Michael

    I never posted a lot, and my posts were hardly ever timely enough to participate in an actual conversation, so mainly I lurk.

    I almost posted on the fusion power thread, but I had to remember some stuff and research some other stuff. I’m old enough to have attended the 1964 New York World’s Fair, which I thought was awesome, and one of the things I remember most was General Electric demonstrating (what they said was) controlled nuclear fusion. There was a transparent dome a couple feet in diameter, embedded in what looked like a space age stereo cabinet. (There are photos on the intertoobz; I used a search string like “1964 worlds fair General Electric fusion.”) They gave a brief explanation of what fusion was (the H-bomb dialed back for peaceful purposes), recited a little countdown, and there was a bright flash of light in the dome and a really loud snap. The way I remember it, which may be faulty, they indicated that they were using a magnetic bottle to contain the hydrogen.

    Now, realizing that it took half a century to do it better, I’m beginning to wonder whether what I saw was in fact controlled fusion on any level, or whether it was something Disney technicians (who GE admitted they hired to design their pavilion) gimmicked up to impress those of us who were about to become the Star Trek generation.

  53. 53.

    Ron From MInnesota

    Long time lurker (back when Tunch was still running a tight ship). Thanks to all of the folks who keep this place tidy and operational. Long time Democrat and US Navy Corpsman from 72 to 76.  Retired 3 years ago. First time commenting as usually by the time i think of something worthwhile to say, one of you has already posted it!   Thanks to all you who post as I usually learn something every time I check in, even for some things i really don’t need to know about!!!! :).

    Best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2023!!!!  Thanks again for being here!!!!

  56. 56.

    Phylllis

    Like currants, somewhere in the lurker gray area. Any chance of a holiday Zoom? Those were fun, tho I know they take work on the back end. Anyhoo, beautiful & sunny outside here in the SC Midlands, but the wind chill is around 8°. Not going back outside until Monday if I can help it.

  60. 60.

    Alison Rose

    My mom just posted this on Facebook and it made me think of our blogfather:

    Hey Facebook! Stop giving me friend suggestions! I don’t want any more friends and you should mind your own business!

  61. 61.

    CAinCA

    Hi everyone from a lurker who’s been around since the mid ‘00s.

    I mostly don’t comment because usually someone else has already said what I was going to say, but much more wittily.

    Thanks to all of you for your thought provoking comments, travel photos, interesting links and pet photos.

  62. 62.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    If I wanted weather like this, I’d live in Alamoso or Gunnison.

    Hey, it’s all the way up to 9 at my house about 5 miles southeast of the park. Come on down! It’s positively balmy!

    At least we didn’t get too much snow (I know many of you love it but I’m especially wary this year after spraining my ankle a few months ago), and it’s supposed to be in the 40’s for the drive to the hills tomorrow.

  65. 65.

    realbtl

    It was -32º here Wed morning and my power went out from 7:00 AM to noon.  -21 yesterday, -7 this morning and my house heat is struggling to get to 45º, probably make it back to normal by Christmas.  Welcome to Montana.

  69. 69.

    swordfish

    This is a great blog, in a good old-fashioned way.  I’ve been reading here for years.  There was a time I was active on a couple of websites which are now, like so many, defunct.  My son, my only child, died in 2012 at the age of 27.  I don’t seem to have much to say since that happened.  I’m also a 5 time cancer survivor, which took most of my energy for a few years.  And now I have ALS.

    This sounds like an unremitting tale of woe but that’s not how I think of it.  Losing my son was a great sorrow, but I had 27 wonderful years with him.  I could do without the ALS, but I wouldn’t even be here to have it except for the brilliant cancer surgeon at M D Anderson who gave me another 12 years of life.

    And my ex and I got back together, even got remarried (legal reasons mostly) and we have a lot of fun.  Even now.  I can still walk and talk so the help I need is mostly being driven places and opening stuff.  (My hands went first.)

    I’ve hardly ever posted but I’ve often contributed to charities or political stuff here.  It’s a great place and you should all be proud.  I’ll try to say hey once in a while.

  71. 71.

    SeattleDem

    My part of near-Seattle has a quarter inch of black ice on top of crusty snow. I just mopped up a pint of water in my entry hall where I suspect an ice dam backed up the scuppers and caused overflow into the structure of my roof parapets. Word to the wise, don’t build flat roofs where you might get snow and ice and rain in the same day.

  72. 72.

    MattF

    Comment from the Fediverse:

    I’m remembering all the things I promised I’d do when Hell froze over, and I’m not sure I’m going to have enough time today.

  74. 74.

    CaseyL

    Hello and welcome to all the lurkers, semi-lurkers, and regular BJers!

    Seattle is on ice, literally, and everywhere.  Every horizontal surface is thickly coated in the stuff.

    The only people out and about are there because they have to be.  My neighbors (not those, another set) are trying to get to the airport to catch a flight for the holidays: FSM’s mercy on them.

  75. 75.

    LindaM

    Lurking from Indy for many years. My problem (well, one of my problems) is I come in too late and it seems everyone has already said what I might want to say, so I just stay in the shadows. I did send WG pictures of my two wonderful kittens–without their consent. Thanks WG.

  77. 77.

    Ohio Mom

    @Minstrel Michael: I also went to the 1964-65 Worlds Fair, though I don’t remember the fusion exhibit. I do remember the combo television-phone, where you could see who you were talking to and they could see you.

    Lots of jokes about what if someone called early in the morning and you were still in your pajamas with uncombed hair. Har-har.

    We’ve all lived to see that, still waiting for the underwater cities I saw in a different pavilion.

  79. 79.

    EarthWindFire

    @geg6: Infrequent commenter, recommend Kirsten Miller’s The Change for a thriller with a fantasy twist. It’s written especially for women too.

    I got Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry in my bookclub gift exchange. Starting that tonight.

    Cold in northern Virginia. Can’t wait to go down to Richmond Christmas Day for a whopping high of 35F lol.

  80. 80.

    Rachel Bakes

    Spent today baking and hoping the power wouldn’t go out mid-bake. Hi to all and thanks for all you do to help keep me sane

  82. 82.

    Eric S.

    @MattF: Therr are many videos of Seattle drivers slipping and sliding in snow and ice. In part because they rarely deal with the conditions but, yes, the hills play a big role in it too.

  83. 83.

    WaterGirl

    @swordfish:  Wow, that’s a lot to catch up on.  Seems to me that you probably have plenty to say, whenever you’re up for commenting!

    So very sorry about your son, and your trials and tribulations. But you seem to have a wonderful attitude about it all, and I’m glad to hear that you are back with your -ex.

    Yes, please do say hey whenever you are up for it!

  84. 84.

    zhena gogolia

    Lurkers shouldn’t be so worried about repeating what somebody has already said. Everybody expresses themselves in a unique way, it all adds to the conversation.

  85. 85.

    Baud

    Lurkers shouldn’t be so worried about repeating what somebody has already said. Everybody expresses themselves in a unique way, it all adds to the conversation.

  87. 87.

    WaterGirl

    @LindaM: We have nearly a hundred people who have sent in photos, and more are still welcome if anyone hasn’t sent theirs yet, but depending on when you sent yours in, it could be a few days before yours show up!

  88. 88.

    caring & sensitive

    I’m here in Greater Vancouver (hi Jay) and it’s 27 F. (I’m old and I don’t do centigrade.) I’m retired so I don’t have to go out and it’s a fucking winter wonderland out there. Right now freezing rain. The good news is it’s supposed to turn to real rain tomorrow and be in the mid 40s for a week. It’s my younger granddaughter’s 3rd birthday tomorrow and it breaks my heart that my wife isn’t around to enjoy it. When we got married we hadn’t discussed having kids and when we finally had the discussion she said that she had no interest in being a mother but she really wanted grandkids and knew of no other way to get there. (Needless to say she was a great mother.)

  91. 91.

    Geoduck

    Another WA state semi-lurker. Here in the SW corner of the state, we have a thin but nasty ice coating on everything. Or at least my street, a couple of blocks away it might be different.

  92. 92.

    Alison Rose

    @caring & sensitive:

    (I’m old and I don’t do centigrade.)

    That’s okay, most of us are USians and we don’t, either. I have a handful of FB friends in the UK and whenever they’re complaining about temperatures, I have to Google it because I can’t do that math in my head.

  93. 93.

    Josie

    Welcome to all lurkers and semi-lurkers. I am so happy to know that there are many people out there who like the same things I do–cooking, gardening, reading, pets, politics, and much more that I can’t think of right now. What a great meeting place.

  94. 94.

    Fake Irishman

    @swordfish:

    Wow, your life sounds like the plot to one of those off-beat Indy films that is extremely sad, quite profound and yet somehow keeps you laughing uproariously throughout the entire screening.

    Thanks for sharing, the donations,  and your kind words for the jackaltariat. May you and the ex-ex continue to have fun times together!

  95. 95.

    Ohio Mom

    Lurkers,
    Doesn’t sound like you’ve noticed but there are a lot of off-topic comments at this place.

    So everyone else has already made the points you wanted to make? Just comment on anything. The conversation here will veer off in a new direction and that’s fine. Happens all the time.

  98. 98.

    Bellapea

    @WaterGirl: Yes, it is a combination of my two cats names, Bella and P’Nut. Bella left us two years ago, but P’Nut is still going strong at 18 years old.

  100. 100.

    Scout211

    Welcome to all you lurkers! Come forward and say hi.

    I am reading a common theme from many of your de-lurking comments today.  It seems like you all think you shouldn’t post a comment because your thoughts have already been posted in a thread and maybe even in a more clever way.  So you remain in the background.

    Maybe a way to start getting more comfortable with commenting is to link to someone else’s comment and then say something like, “that was my thinking” or “good point” or something like that.  It’s a way to feel like you are part of the community and maybe after a few of those comments, you can post a comment of your own.

    TBH, this could work because one thing that many jackals here appreciate is recognition of just how great our comments are.  LOL Just kidding . . . maybe.

  101. 101.

    X Foley 8

    @Rachel Bakes: Greetings RB. Insert nutmeg/spice/baking quip (my experience is even a little is too much). We’re experiencing mid-bombogenesis temp drop right now. Unnerving.

    I agree that this site has powerful sanity-saving benefits, bigtime.

  102. 102.

    Alison Rose

    @Baud: A friend who grew up in the States went to London for graduate school, and she said that was one of the hardest things to adjust to — looking at the weather and seeing “30” and realizing, “Oh yeah, it’s hot out”.

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    @Ohio Mom:

    Doesn’t sound like you’ve noticed but there are a lot of off-topic comments at this place.

    So everyone else has already made the points you wanted to make? Just comment on anything. The conversation here will veer off in a new direction and that’s fine. Happens all the time.

    That is so true, and such excellent advice!

  109. 109.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211:

    …because your thoughts have already been posted in a thread and maybe even in a more clever way.

    Welcome to my world!  And life with Baud, and all the other clever folks.

  111. 111.

    Wolvesvalley

    @raven:

    I love this paragraph from the Washington Post story (gift article) about the debate in the House (I don’t know whether the author was deliberately using this phrasing on Festivus, and the bolding is mine):

    In a precursor to the political battles to come, McCarthy took to the House floor earlier in the legislative debate to air numerous grievances with the spending measure — that it failed to fund border enforcement, made worse the problem of fentanyl and was “jam-packed with wokeism.” He blasted its inclusion of funding for some lawmakers’ pet projects, known as earmarks, even though the House GOP voted to preserve their ability to seek them in the new year.

  112. 112.

    sp98

    A lurker since ca. 2006 – don’t comment because I don’t have anything to add to the brilliant posts of the front pagers and the insights and humor of the commentariat.  Can hardly go a day without dropping by to get my fix.

    Since we’re giving weather reports – cold and windy in Tidewater Virginia with low tonight of 10 F, almost unheard of here for December.

  115. 115.

    CAinCA

    @Alison Rose: I’m from Canada, and we switched to the metric system when I was a teenager. I now live in California and am able to convert between the two systems pretty easily.

    ETA: I feel for all of you in Vancouver, I remember how awful snow days are.

  118. 118.

    caring & sensitive

    @WaterGirl: At the risk of sounding maudlin not having her here just makes me sad. My other granddaughter turned 6 a couple of weeks ago and my wife died when she was 3 months old. At least she got to see her and hold her. On a lighter note I love this site. It is my first stop with my morning coffee and I check in a couple of times a day

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    Some fun holiday-related fare on TCM this weekend. All times Eastern.

    Today, 8 p.m. Remember the Night. Stanwyck and Macmurray.
    Saturday, 9 a.m. The Great Rupert. See Durante upstaged by a squirrel.
    Saturday, 1:45 p.m. It Happened on 5th Avenue. Showcase roles for Victor Moore and Charles Ruggles.
    Saturday, 4 p.m. Christmas in Connecticut. Stanwyck and Greenstreet.
    Sunday, 2:15 p.m. The Man Who Came to Dinner. Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan back up a tour de force for Monty Woolley.
    Sunday, 4:15 p.m. Holiday Affair. Soft-edged Mitchum.
    .

  122. 122.

    kalakal

    @Alison Rose: The hardest adjustment for me is USAian date formats. I spent over 50 years doing dd/mm/yyyy and you lot have to be different. I still screw up. Changing the way you write your birthday after 1/2 a century is tough

  123. 123.

    Suzanne

    Currently -1 F here in beautiful PGH.

    So Mr. Suzanne and Spawn the Younger decided to go for a walk.

    LUNATICS.

    Consensus: “ It’s ASS cold.”

    No shit.

  125. 125.

    CaseyL

    F° to C°, I do a quick-n-dirty conversion: F minus 32 and then multiply by 1/2.

    72-32=40.

    40 x .5 = 20.

    So 72°F is approximately 20° C.

    It is not exact, but it gives you a ballpark.

    (And reverse that for C° to F°)

    An interesting thing I’ve noticed on YouTube is that many farming/gardening channels routinely give both temperatures, knowing their audiences are not limited to USians.

  131. 131.

    James E Powell

    @CAinCA:

    I’m from Canada, and we switched to the metric system when I was a teenager.

    I remember as a child my Weekly Reader assuring me that the US would be on the metric system in a year or two.

    Remember McMetrics?

  133. 133.

    Forever Lurker

    Hello from upstate/western NY. I’ve been lurking far too long, but reading this top-10000 blog nearly every day.

    Thanks to all the front pagers and others for their hard work.

  134. 134.

    Scout211

    @CAinCA: We lived in Stockton and went a little further up the hill to retire, too. But up highway 12, not 50.

    But other wise, same. 😊

  136. 136.

    kalakal

    @Alison Rose: I won’t mention the 4th of July then :-).

    Seriously I still have trouble with it. UK switched from imperial to metric when I was 12 so I’m happy with either but prefer metric. OTOH I get to confuse the hell out of people by stating my weight in stones

  138. 138.

    WaterGirl

    @caring & sensitive: That’s not maudlin, that’s human.

    I know it’s not the same, but I was so glad that my dad overlapped with my great nephew.  The memory of standing in the living room of my dad’s apartment, and my dad holding Cody in his arms, is etched in my memory forever.

    Cody’s head was shaped just like my dad’s, and now that he is grown up, he has the same beautiful hands my dad had.

  140. 140.

    lurker

    de-lurking from the east coast of the pacific ocean and its general vicinity to say “hello” and such …

    am relatively close to McCarthy’s district at the moment (travel for holidays) … will be happy to get back to less conservative neighborhoods soon …

    may try to come up with a different nym sometime…

    oh cr*p … think they saw me … (hides)

    (lurking again…)

  141. 141.

    like a metaphor

    been a lurkey turkey here for at least ten years- thanks for all the laughs, and for the cool information you guys always share.   peace & love to all of you

  144. 144.

    brendancalling

    @Cap’n Keith: I moved back to Philly from Vermont in August. Glorious summers, very rough winters. I don’t envy you those winters. The cold is tolerable, but the darkness is very tough. Where are you living?

  148. 148.

    Uncle Cholmondeley

    The other day, I learned something that might have made my life (or, at least, the SAT) a little easier if some math teacher had told me 40 years ago:

    Percentages work in both directions.

    That is, 50% of 6 is the same as 6% of 50.

    Mind blown!

  149. 149.

    brendancalling

    @JoyceCB: my kid’s flight from Montreal w/a layover at Pearson was canceled today. They rebooked him for tomorrow after it dies down. Stay warm!!!

  151. 151.

    Suzanne

    @NotMax: I have never heard that!

    My boss made a joke about Dire Straits the other day, and I was like, “Lou, nobody on this team under 40 got that joke.”.

  152. 152.

    WaterGirl

    @lurker: You might!  I think we might already have a “lurker” with a different email address.

    I remember it was really hard to figure out what my nym should be, but as soon as this one came to me I knew it was the one.

    Kind of like naming a pet.  You can think of a million names, but then there’s finally the name where you know that’s it.

  154. 154.

    Three Dots

    Hello, folks, I have been reading this site almost daily, ever since the host was voting Republican. Last time I posted here was in about 2011.

    This is a great forum – educational, funny, relaxed – and I appreciate the front-pagers and frequent and not-so-frequent commenters. Special mention to Mr. Silverman’s Ukraine updates.

    Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has had pouring rain and temps swinging wildly from the 30s to the 50s F.

  157. 157.

    lurker

    @WaterGirl: have emailed you from a different email address that is reliably active.  the email address I signed up with and still use with the site is not great these days.  so, probably the same person (who needs to hide again…)

  158. 158.

    Alison Rose

    Why is Ari Melber talking to Michael fricking Moore about the J6 report? And why can’t Michael Moore afford a better hairstylist? Also he’s insisting trump isn’t stupid, that he’s very clever. Because he’s avoided jail thus far?? Good lord.

  160. 160.

    Trivia Man

    I’ve been lurking for so ling I’ve been to a meet up with the blog-father when he was still drinking booze. But recently I signed up to pass on a resource for the recently widowed, I hope someone was able to put Mr. Tammy in touch with that group. https://soaringspirits.org/

    But I generally have nothing to add to the conversation, just here to be entertained and pick up on news items that I haven’t heard about. Plus cats. I still miss Tunch, but Steve is a worthy successor.

  163. 163.

    Marigold

    I’ve delurked a time or two, but I don’t think I’ve posted since the Great Merger and I don’t know if it reset moderation.

    2022 has been… a lot.  I’m introverted and a slow writer in the best of circumstances, but oof, the creative well ran dry this year.  I’m hopeful that 2023 will be better, so I’ll try to throw in some “me too!”s at wittier jackals.

    Stay warm and stay safe out there, y’all!

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    @Trivia Man: John has been overwhelmed and now he’s sick, so I doubt that he has shared that with Brian.  And I only know Brian from conversations about the GoFundMe.

    If you still have the link to the GoFundMe, I think you could add that in a comment on the fundraiser, and maybe Brian would see it that way?

  167. 167.

    KM in NS

    @WaterGirl: OMG! Temps are easy (says someone who grew up in the Imperial System ). It’s the weights and measures that get me. I remember asking (in German) for 2 kilos of sliced meat. Lol. Had to get the lovely lady to stop as the mound of meat built up. Lol.

  170. 170.

    thruppence

    Mostly lurker for several years, now very occasional commenter, grateful for this community in hard and good times.

  171. 171.

    Geminid

    Hoping all you lurkers are safe and happy.

    And if you feel like commenting, come on in, the water’s warm!

  175. 175.

    Cmorenc

    @Alison Rose:

    Out of the last 100 friend suggestions for me by facebook, 98 were complete strangers, and the other two were people I only casually knew of but really had little basis for connecting to.  Yeah the statistics cited are dubious insofar as literal accuracy, but not all that far off, either.

  176. 176.

    Trivia Man

    @WaterGirl – It’s a very well known group, I’m not comfortable spamming it in a fundraiser like that. They never send material to someone on behalf of another, they will only send the “recently widowed” materials to someone who can personally share it to someone they actually know.

     

    My friend who is very involved with the group said that it was the most important resource she had for healing. I was fascinated to learn that they have sub-groups for different types of loss. Some have young children, maybe it was a same sex partner and there is little social support, for some it came after a long illness, for others it was a young person and completely unexpected… so many ways to lose and so many ways to heal.

  177. 177.

    knally

    I’m in Old Hampshire so the time zone difference means I’m either too late or too early for commenting, but I did manage to delurk with an On The Road post, and am looking at what photos I have to make one or two more OTR’s.

  179. 179.

    NotMax

    Question for the lurkertariat.

    Fixin’ to throw together a fancy bread recipe which calls for chopped walnuts. Don’t have any in the house and am not about to brave the holiday weekend supermarket. But I do have a small pouch of shelled pistachios* which I can easily pulse into tinier pieces in the mini food processor.

    What say y’all?

    *Not an ingredient I would often have available, but the package was 75% off at Target the last time I was in town.

  180. 180.

    peter

    Very occasional poster, but avid reader and beneficiary of the Balloon Juice collective wisdom. Thanks for the COVID updates, the terrific Ukraine chronicles, and so much else. It’s nice to have an oasis of thoughtful sanity to escape to!

  181. 181.

    HinTN

    @Minstrel Michael: That pavillion was wonderful! The revolving seating moving to the next chapter in “the history of electricity” or whatever they called it. The robots in each scene acting out life in that era. The exit into the world of tomorrow. Wow!!!

    Yeah, I’m old but I’m a kid at heart.

  182. 182.

    David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch

    Omnibus bill passed.

    Only 9 republicans (Cheney, Kinzinger) voted for it.

    1 Democrat voted against it (AOC) and 1 Dem voted present (Tlaib). That’s a shame. In addition to Ukraine defense, it included a ton of good domestic programs. A ton. I mean, even Bernie for it.

  183. 183.

    Pete Downunder

    G’day  from downunder. It’s 22C (70F) here at 8 am Xmas eve. Going to 26C (nearly 80F) today. I’m not really a lurker, just an infrequent commenter (the time difference is brutal – we’re GMT +10 here).

    Happy holidays to everyone.

  184. 184.

    rekoob

    Occasional commenter. A quick weather update from Coastal Delaware — currently 27F/-3C, winds gusting to 40 mph/64 km/h (or kph, if you prefer). Warming up mid-week.

  185. 185.

    Trivia Man

    @Cmorenc I have a friend who got creeped out by a FB suggestion. He was in a bar and saw someone he knew from high school but hadn’t seen in several years. It was in passing and he’s pretty sure the other person didn’t notice him. An hour later that old friend was suggested on FB. The assumption is that they have mutual friends and the secret spy in his pocket made a connection based on location proximity.

     

    The massive data isn’t that novel, what’s a game changer is the speed and accuracy of filtering through incredible amounts of data. The stat I saw is that more “data” has been created in the last 2 years than in all human history up to that point.

  186. 186.

    Rebelsdad (fka texasboyshaun)

    Hi everyone! It’s definitely winter now in Jersey City, it’s 23 degrees out with a windchill of just 6. I’m on Day 2 of a chest cold that right now is just meh but feels like it wants to get worse. I’m up to date on all my covid and flu shots.

    I was doing my laundry this morning and the super told me that one of the residents here died last week. He was only 60 and in decent health. He was fully vaxxed but still caught covid along with pneumonia. Three days later he was dead. I feel terrible for him and his family. It was sobering to hear.

  188. 188.

    redoubtagain

    Prefer to lurk because I always learn something here. Thanks for keeping the doors open and the lights on.

  189. 189.

    Nilnoc

    You guys are all so fast. By the time I think of anything to say, bloglife has moved on. Anyway, hi! From 50 miles northwest of DC.

  192. 192.

    SeedyStatistician

    Long time lurker, first time poster!
    I’m posting primarily to get the balloon juice version of a blue check (would it be a blue balloon?) but also because I keep following Betty Cracker on social media.   :)

  196. 196.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Another Scott: ​

    @Minstrel Michael: Hey, maybe I saw you there?!?

    Hey, I was there too! We drove up from northern Virginia. I was ten, and it was a lot of fun.

    @realbtl: ​

    It was -32º here Wed morning and my power went out from 7:00 AM to noon. -21 yesterday, -7 this morning and my house heat is struggling to get to 45º, probably make it back to normal by Christmas. Welcome to Montana.

    Wow, I hope it doesn’t kill off the dental floss crop!

    I think I’ll stick to visiting Montana in the summer, thanks.

    It was snowing briefly in Dunkirk, MD today, that’s all I’ve got.

    @sp98: ​

    Since we’re giving weather reports – cold and windy in Tidewater Virginia with low tonight of 10 F, almost unheard of here for December.

    Where in Tidewater? I lived in Newport News for three years back in the 1980s (I was a math instructor at what’s now Christopher Newport U.) and my recollection is that 10 F. was almost unheard of in January and February as well.
    One memory for the California folks: I spent the first few years of my life in a house on Woodrow Wilson Drive in Los Angeles. I remember one early morning sometime during the 1957-58 winter when it snowed, and Dad got us all to the window so we could see that rarity. (He didn’t know yet that the company he worked for would transfer him to DC the following summer, and we’d have plenty of opportunity to see snow the next winter.)​​

  198. 198.

    The Quiet One

    Lurker late to the party again, from frosty KC. A bit scared of Baud so back I go, under cover. John

  201. 201.

    WaterGirl

    @Pete Downunder: So nIce to see you again!

    Happy holidays to you, too

    edit: I have probably told you that I have a cousin Pete who lives in Australia, and every time I see your nym I think of him.  We have never met.

  207. 207.

    BSR

    Ha! True lurkers like me won’t be drawn into a lurker’s open-thread. We’re way too smart for….

    ..oh shit.

    Well since this mic is on…it’s not too cold here (Denver). We had our real cold day yesterday (high of 1) and we’re back to t-shirt weather in the mid-teens today. Sending it east.

    Thanks for all the behind the scenes work, WG – we lurk, but we do appreciate it!

    BSR

  210. 210.

    Rabble Arouser

    Hello! I’ve been aggressively lurking here since, oh, late 2007-early 2008 thereabouts, sometime just after Cole’s conversion, I believe. I rarely if ever feel that I have anything to add that I don’t already see in the comments so you’ll rarely if ever see me throw in my two cents. I sure do love the community here, posters and commenters alike. Anyways, happiest of holiday wishes to the jackaltariat! May you create lurk-worthy content for another 15 years!

  212. 212.

    OHJo

    Another lurker popping in, grateful for the wide range of topics here, and knowledgeable commentary! It barely got up to 0 today in SW OH. This is the first year I’m able to focus on family activities this time of year, and it’s wonderful! Have enjoyed many years as church musician, so this week was always most hectic. Happy holidays, all!

  214. 214.

    moslygrey

    Maybe I’ll be the last lurker and be the most latest to the party. I’d come here to get a reasonable right-wing opinion back in the day from Mr. Cole but the comments, oh boy. Also, I loved the Tunch(also Steve). Anyhow, this place and LGF are two places I wouldn’t have thought I’d be reading and visiting all these years later but here I am. I read the threads as I am able which means I’m always a few hours behind and any comment I would make has usually been made in a better fashion than I would have. Anyhow, this joint has some awesome front pagers and always love the critter posts.

  216. 216.

    sp98

    @lowtechcyclist: ​
      Williamsburg. I’ve always been struck at how the climate becomes progressively milder heading southeast down the Peninsula in less than 100 miles – Richmond will get snow or ice while we get rain, and so on down to Hampton – wonder if some of that is proximity to the Atlantic.

  218. 218.

    HumboldtBlue

    I’ve been lurking since 2006 or so, I’m very shy, so it’s hard to participate, but I’ll give it another go!

  219. 219.

    JAFD

    @Rebelsdad (fka texasboyshaun): ​
     Holiday Greetings from Newark !
    Hope you feel better real soon ( i recommend hot tea with honey, lemon and ginger.)
    Sorry to hear about your neighbor passing. Am old man who asks, sometimes, how much sand is left to my hourglass…
    Mayhaps we’ll see you at the next GetToGether ?

  229. 229.

    frosty

    @geg6: ​Biography: Geena Davis’s memoir: Dying of Politeness. Up Jumped the Devil (Robert Johnson). Trevor Noah: Born A Crime

    History: Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed ENIAC (first multi-purpose computer)

  230. 230.

    Lehrjet

    Lurked for a long time, just started commenting, but been here for years. Cold as hell in Central PA. -14 wind chill  brrrrr

  234. 234.

    lowtechcyclist

    @sp98: ​

    Williamsburg. I’ve always been struck at how the climate becomes progressively milder heading southeast down the Peninsula in less than 100 miles – Richmond will get snow or ice while we get rain, and so on down to Hampton – wonder if some of that is proximity to the Atlantic.

    I’m sure it is, water is just so dense, and whatever temperature it’s at has a much bigger effect on the air than vice versa. The water never cools down as much as the air, so it’s always going to be warming it in the winter.​

    Anyway,. welcome to the commentariat!

  237. 237.

    Dr.Ms.Sardonicus

    Always a lurker, never a commenter, but I’ve been feeling especially bad/concerned for John and his oh-so-shitty year, so maybe I will change my ways in 2023. Happy holidays, y’all!

  238. 238.

    Rebelsdad (fka texasboyshaun)

    @JAFD: I’ll try to make the next one! There was one in NYC a few months ago but I found out about it last minute so I couldn’t go.

  239. 239.

    La Nonna

    De-lurking to say a big thank you to the blogfather, front pagers, and all who regularly comment, this is my first morning stop each day to keep current on all things US.  It’s a great perspective that most EU news services don’t provide.  The time difference gets in the way of commenting, but let me say the weather in Ostuni is 62F, the roses and narcissi are in bloom, Italy’s “caos ordinato” continues to amuse and amaze us.

    Happy holidays and a wonderful 2023 to all, Ciao

  240. 240.

    Sid_Viscous

    Ok, sure, I’ll throw something out there… Among Cassidy Hutchinson’s valuable contributions so far is this:

    Her testimony has put the phrase “I don’t recall” right next to “thoughts and prayers” in the Pantheon of Republican Bullshit.

  243. 243.

    SeedyStatistician

    @WaterGirl: thanks! It’s an amalgam of my passion (making crop art for the Minnesota State Fair) and my job (teaching statistics.)

    To weigh in on the temperature conversation: it’s so cold in Minnesota that the salt they put down isn’t melting the ice on the roads, so the family and I are hunkering down with Mimosas, baking, napping, and later watching Glass Onion.

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