Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

T R E 4 5 O N

Nothing worth doing is easy.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

That meeting sounds like a shotgun wedding between a shitshow and a clusterfuck.

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

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

He really is that stupid.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

So fucking stupid, and still doing a tremendous amount of damage.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

Petty moves from a petty man.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Hey Lurkers!

Hey Lurkers!

by | 344 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 time for another thread for all the lurkers out there.  I don’t think we’ve had one for a few months.

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

344Comments

  1. 1.

    BottyGuy

    I’ll try to comment again, but I think my Nym/email association is still messed up in the database. I could comment for a little while when the site had to move.

     

    So Hello.

  2. 2.

    neabinorb

    Hello, WaterGirl and the BJ community, It’s Sunday afternoon in Indiana, a beautiful spring day. I’m getting ready to do some carving. I’m carving myself a goddess, a graven image. It’s an especially nice piece of limestone, and I’ve got some excellent podcasts queued up, so it’s going to be a good afternoon.

  4. 4.

    Chat Noir

    I have been a lurker since 2008, with an occasional comment here and there. Balloon Juice is my first stop every morning.

  5. 5.

    Ron from MN

    Howdy from Minnesota, one time commenter, long time reader, been around since Tunch was in charge. I really appreciate all of the front pagers and most of the comments from folks here. Very Proud to be a Minnesotan right now as the Democrats here finally got control of the senate (already controlled the house and governorship) and have gotten almost all of their objectives passed. Very Progressive  agenda and the republicans are howling about it, so you know it must be good stuff!!!!!!

    thanks again for all you folks do here!!

  6. 6.

    eclare

    @neabinorb:

    Carving limestone?  Wow.  Although I guess it’s porous?  Goddess…nice.

    Gorgeous day here in Memphis, 73 and sunny.

  7. 7.

    TheOtherHank

    Mostly a lurker, but I do comment from time to time. The sun is out in Pacifica, CA. I’ll most likely run some errands and do a bit of yard work.

  8. 8.

    West of the Rockies

    Welcome aboard, lurkers!  I recall posting several times before getting a response (and it happens often now as well, even though I’ve been here for well nigh 15 years).  Don’t despair if it takes a few postings to feel like you’re being read and welcomed.

  9. 9.

    knittingbull

    Have a rhetorical question for the “not possible to change your sex” loons ( I know I’m addressing reasonable loons)-ask the Bible thumpers , if God created Adam, and then took a rib from him and created woman, then he must have a changed the sex of his rib clone. So the second “human” in creation was a trans woman and God (parent) was the culprit. Which means in Texas, Florida, Missouri, Montana, and all the other trans care banning states would have to arrest, prosecute and imprison God for affording a minor (remember “Eve/Adam” had just been created/born) what they banned by legislation.

    I’d be curious (not really) to hear their answer

  10. 10.

    West of the Rockies

    @TheOtherHank:

    My cousin lived in Pacifica on a cul-de-sac where the other five homes all fell into the ocean (serious erosion problem in her particilar area).

  12. 12.

    Jebeelzabub

    Howdy Balloon Juice!

    Long time lurker here, I’ve been visiting this site 2 or 3 times a day for at least a decade. I feel like I know all the frequent commenters like you frequent commenters do ;-)

    It’s a little drizzly here in Austin, and we’re now the 10th biggest city in the nation, which seems so very odd.

    Anyway, hope everyone is having a great day, and who knows, maybe I’ll comment more than once a decade!

  20. 20.

    2liberal

    I’m a longtime viewer and occasional commenter (commentor?).  Back when we had NFL game day threads I used to change my nym to something like “the steelers are bradys bitches aka 2liberal”  however that is now offensive for being discourteous to women and we don’t have nfl game threads anymore anyway.  I was hoping it would be the blogfather who would have to liberate me from moderation.,

  22. 22.

    patrick II

    Not exactly a lurker, but I just want to take a moment to thank Watergirl for all she does for this sight.  She is a combination of intelligence and generosity that, as much as anyone, keeps this community alive and helps move it in a positive direction.

    Thank You, Watergirl.

    Patrick

  23. 23.

    H.E.Wolf

    Welcome lurkers both new and returning. One of the best parts is the excellent nyms y’all bring to the party!​
     
    And you yourselves too, of course. :)

  24. 24.

    Kyle Rayner

    I always wonder if I need to stick to one single device so each separate one doesn’t register a separate “first comment.” (Would keep my pies unified too, I guess.) Alas, consistency eludes me.

    That’s enough commenting for me for 2023, I suspect.

  26. 26.

    pajaro

    longtime lurker, now occasional commentor.

    Thanks for being here.  I spend too much time on the internet, but this is one stop I don’t regret.  Anne’s coronavirus posts and Adam’s updates on Ukraine have been required and extremely valuable reading for me.  Keep up the good work, all of you, please.

  28. 28.

    Gvg

    @WaterGirl: clownfish and parrotfish change their sex naturally. Clownfish are the ones that live round anemones. The live in a cluster around. Big anemone (carpet type) in the pacific and it turns out the biggest one is a female and the next biggest is the male. The rest are juveniles. If the female is killed the male becomes a female and the next biggest becomes the male.  If the male is killed, one of the juveniles move up. We found this out when we found out how to captive breed clownfish sometime in the 70’s.

    Parrotfish it’s the other way around. A school has one male and about 20 females. If the male is killed, a female changes sex to male. It takes a few weeks and they are different colors so it’s quite visible including the changeover. Very colorful patterned fish, parrotfish. They are the ones that munch Carl reefs and digest the coral into sandy beaches. When we visited the Caribbean for the best vacation of my life when I was 12, the guides pointed it out to us.

    God does not have a problem with sex changes.

    i don’t think those are the only examples, they are just two I knew of a long time ago.

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    @Kyle Rayner: That’s no big deal.  If you want to comment in this thread from each of your devices, we can get that out of the way for all of them. :-)

    Then it’s a total non-issue going forward!

  34. 34.

    JCNZ

    “So it’s not surprising that first comments often don’t get replied to.”

    So sad. If only the internet had come up with an easy way to – let’s say – “like” a comment…

  35. 35.

    Math Guy

    @Ron from MN: Moved to Minnesota from Missouri about one year ago and so much happier living in a blue state even if this past winter was brutal.

  36. 36.

    The Up and Up

    Lurking of late. Trying to get through a rough patch through therapy and long walks. A minus tide yesterday so I went out to

  39. 39.

    xephyr

    This has been one of my daily stops for ages, because for me it’s an oasis of sanity – for which I’m very grateful. My own solution to world problems today will consist of trying to color match the chalk I’m using to fill cracks on my back porch so it looks like the surrounding cement. If that doesn’t work, I have plenty of other ideas…

  40. 40.

    The Quiet One

    This is still my first stop in the morning and thanks for being here! My new favorite thing is TicToc so of course Congress feels the need to have hearings and for Montana to ban it…haha

    I’m finding lots of great content for ‘woke’ people at the TT. And some just plain old fun stuff too.

     

    Sunny and mild here in Missouri, open the pool soon!? So much work getting it ready.

  41. 41.

    Tony Jay

    I bid a very good evening to all you lovely lurkers from over here on the Island of Running With Scissors.

    Remember the three rules.

    1) If you post a comment, it will be read, usually by a LOT of people.

    2) If no one responds to your comment, it’s because they already agree with you.

    3) If someone does respond to your comment but they’re an arsehole about it, that’s just because they’re an arsehole, it’s nothing to do with you, you’re great.

    There’s a rule 4, but that’s just administrative guff about how to respond to the Blogmaster’s latest brush with Darwin Award infamy*.

    Have fun.

    * By laughing

  42. 42.

    JCNZ

    @Grumpy Old Railroader:  I’m from way down in the South Pacific, and I go on this site every day (emails, then BJ, then The Guardian, then TPM, in that order – with a weekly glance at the New Zealand Herald) and, like you, have done so since the Days of Tunch. I have no idea how I stumbled on it, being technically and internetally-challenged, but I love this community. I don’t know how I would have survived the Days of trump* without it.

  46. 46.

    Remember Rufus

    OK, I’ll bite… been lurking for many years now, never posted.  I’m writing to you from central Illinois.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous sunny day here today! My family relocated here from Texas last year to escape the increasing insanity in that region. 🙂

    It is so incredibly nice to be away from that  place.

  48. 48.

    OhThatMarcy

    Long long time lurker, at least since Shrub was in office; daily reader (via RSS) and also follower of John and Betty in the land of the twits. As someone said above, I could not have survived His Orangeness without you all. Gardening today in the incipient mist, north of Seattle.

  50. 50.

    Steeplejack

    @JCNZ:

    Apparently one of the hardest things for people to grasp is that comments are read by a lot of people even if they don’t get a reply. So speak out and know that you’re heard!

    Also, that gripe is particularly rich coming from longtime lurkers who have never replied to anyone themselves.

    And a like button?! Next you’ll be wanting threaded comments. Harrumph.

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    @WaterGirl: You know, it just occurred to me, if any of you lurkers are artists or authors, I’m pretty sure you qualify for being featured, so if that’s you, send me an email ( watergirl at balloon-juice.com ) and we can get that set up.

  53. 53.

    KrackenJack

    @neabinorb: ​
      I’m sure others have said this already, but I’d like to learn more about the process and results. I’m all about graven images.

  58. 58.

    Roberto el oso

    I de-lurked some few weeks back and I have to say that WaterGirl responded to my first comment with a welcoming message within what seemed like minutes.

    Oh, and good afternoon to all from Houston!

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    @Remember Rufus: I am in central Illinois, too, and yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day.  Today it’s getting a little warmer – I like 75 degrees! – but still nice, and not muggy yet.

    Stress isn’t additive, it’s exponential, so I can only imagine the stress of everything that’s going on, plus being in a state run by crazy republicans.

  63. 63.

    Jay

    @xephyr:

    chalk?

    Good crack repair in concrete involves quite often concrete or urethane caulks, (sometimes these days, mostly foundations, two part epoxy injections),

    The first question, is “why crack”? Poor expansion cut lay outs? No buffer board between concrete and immovable objects, (like posts, houses)? Fine crack or big crack? Subsistence of the soil underneath?

    Once the cause has been defined, the “best” repair can be undertaken.

  64. 64.

    Caroline

    Lurker here, although I’ve probably commented 3 times total. I read the site every day (along with WaPo and FTFNYT and NYMag). In Jan-Feb 2020 it was very helpful to know exactly what was going on with the strange disease going around. And in the dark days when TFG was in office it was great be part of this smart community.

  67. 67.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Jay: Always good to lecture new people about what you think they are doing wrong.  That way they feel welcome.

  68. 68.

    Tony Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    I hate the thought of anyone feeling that the comment they spent blood, sweat and tears crafting went ignored. It didn’t. I read every comment* on every post, I just don’t always reply because sometimes even I can’t figure out how to work a dick-joke in there and I just nod in agreement instead.

     

    * Okay, not every comment. There are names I just scroll right past because life’s too short to waste eyeballs on the Badfaith Bettys** and Ego Beavers of this world.

    ** No actual Bettys were in any way, shape or form included in this insult! She’s a cracker.

  69. 69.

    Lethe

    This is my first site every day. I think I have commented once or twice, but most of the time others have said what I think much more eloquently (or spicily).

    You folks have been great for my sanity. I moved out of the US to the Dominican a few years ago after my neighborhood, friends, and most of my family became toxic. I donate and I vote, and thankfully my kid in the US volunteers as well; we’ve had some good pointers from here as to where to help.

  70. 70.

    WaterGirl

    @Caroline: I envy people who have nice first names.  (Mine is boring.)

    What I think is interesting is when someone named “Jim” chooses a name like “Bob” for their nym.  I always figure there is a backstory there.

  73. 73.

    TheOtherHank

    @West of the Rockies: Yeah, the north end of Pacifica is built on cliffs that are really just a pile of mud with delusions of grandeur.

    In the early days of YouTube if you searched for Pacifica, CA, the main hit was video recorded back during the 82/83 El Niño storms of aparment buildings falling into the ocean. Everyone has known for a long time that that part of town is on it’s way out.

    A few years ago the city council tried to have a public discussion about to do about rising sea levels. It featured phrases like “managed retreat”. The folks who live on top of the cliffs went ballistic. As if the city planning for what to do about the cliffs eroding was going to make it happen faster.

  74. 74.

    Steeplejack

    Posting from an old tablet to see if I get moderated. Pretty sure I’ve never used it here.

  75. 75.

    WaterGirl

    @Tony Jay: I still remember how vulnerable I felt when I wrote my first few comments.

    It’s maybe not as vulnerable as telling someone you love them for the first time, but you’re still putting yourself out there, and it’s hard when nothing comes back.

    General Stuck acknowledged my first few comments, which made me feel welcome.  I’ll always be grateful to him for that.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    @Lethe:

    …most of the time others have said what I think much more eloquently (or spicily).

    Otherwise known as every day as WaterGirl!  But I don’t let that stop me.

    I will never be the most clever, or the most eloquent, or the most literary, but I like to think we all add something good to the mix.

  77. 77.

    Steeplejack

    @Steeplejack:

    Back to my usual computer. The previous comment was from a tablet that I haven’t used even to browse the Internet in general in probably five years, and I don’t remember ever using it to comment on Balloon Juice. Too ungainly.

    Anyway, that previous comment went straight through immediately without moderation. Anecdatum.

  78. 78.

    Tony Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    Imagine if your first comment was telling someone you loved them!

    Say what you like about his politics, but Brick Oven Bill dealt with that calmly and with manly grace.

  79. 79.

    Rachel Bakes

    Frequent lurker back to say hi again. Every digit crossed that my son will get over the cold that brought him home from school early last Monday and kept him all week with a fever. So very tired of this

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    @Tony Jay: I can see that happening – it’s so fun when Leto and Avalune are talking trash on the blog.   Suzanne and Mr. Suzanne discovered that they were both reading Balloon Juice when they met.

    Who knows?  Maybe Suzanne wrote “Will you fucken marry me?” on Balloon Juice, and the future Mr. Suzanne knew it was her. :-)

  82. 82.

    hitchhiker

    Semi-lurker here, moved from Seattle to Whidbey Island a few years ago. I used to comment fairly regularly, now mostly read and nod.

    Thanks for being an outpost of sanity and good will.

  83. 83.

    catpal

    Mostly lurker here. Hello from upstate new york – and thank you for this blog and writers and commenters.  Reading here keeps me somewhat sane and I appreciate the humor, learning new stuff, pet love, compassion and sharing the anger at all things republican.

  85. 85.

    BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️

    Hello lurkers!!

    Not commenting as much these days (real life stuff); don’t get to read the threads like I want, just popping in when I can.

    Been here in one variation or another since the Great Orange Satan started unraveling after President Obama got elected. This site has seen me through good and very bad times. It’s a great place to be.

  87. 87.

    HeleninEire

    Hello Lurkers. I was at first a lurker then a frequent commenter for many years. I’m not sure how long I’ve been here. Certainly after John saw the liberal light, but I do remember King Tunch. So….12 years??? Dunno. I’ve sort of turned back into a lurker-ish. I read almost all posts but often after 2 new posts have already posted so it’s bit to late to put in my $.02.

    Anyhow….welcome. The more the merrier!

  90. 90.

    OhThatMarcy

    @Tony Jay: We have a neighbor to whom I refer as “Betty Buttinski,” and again, no actual Betties are implied or inferred. It’s just so damned alliteration-friendly.

  95. 95.

    The Up and Up

    @WaterGirl:

    Probably. I think I went to type, “Welcome lurkers to the Balloon Juice Jackaldom” or such.

    But yes a minus tide meant I could walk out to the wreck of the Captain Barker, a WW1 era concrete boat later used by Foss Maritime until mid 1950s. Later mysteriously beached in the Nisqually Reach c. 1970 ? Debate on the time.

  96. 96.

    Hangö Kex

    @patrick II: ​

    Thank You, Watergirl.

    So say we all.

    I have been (mostly) lurking in the Ukraine thread; this has special significance here in Finland as we have a long land border with Russia (which feels much safer now as a NATO border :). Lately I have been especially lurky: death in the family, propping up the bereaved, helping with the practicalities.

  97. 97.

    JCNZ

    @Steeplejack: “Also, that gripe is particularly rich coming from longtime lurkers who have never replied to anyone themselves.”

    But, Steeplejack – I have! To quote the inestimable WaterGirl: “I hate the thought of anyone feeling that the comment they spent blood, sweat and tears crafting went ignored.” And yet…

    (Insert “crying with laughter” emoji here)

  98. 98.

    FastEdD

    Thanks to all who make the lurkers feel welcome.

    It is Indy 500 qualifying this weekend. Or as one of my favorite drivers (Katherine Legge) put it yesterday after 4 of the most nerve wracking laps ever:

    Squeaky Bum Time

  100. 100.

    HeleninEire

    @WaterGirl: No. Not at all. Just been busy. But I have fewer than 3 years until retirement. Yeah, the exact date is March 13, 2026. And then you will never get rid of me! 😆

  101. 101.

    ginkgo

    For years I have clicked on BJ several times a day. Also remember Tunch (I cried when he died). Live in Alabama and this blog has allowed me to keep my sanity throughout the years. It helps to know not everyone is fruit bat crazy because sometimes it seems like everyone around here is.

    Have to watch what I say to people I don’t know well. Sometimes I have to be careful what I say to family too. Some of my family are big Trump supporters and antivaxxers. Actually had one of my cousins beg me not to get a COVID booster. Still can’t believe she said that to me since I am a physician.

  103. 103.

    Tony Jay

    @OhThatMarcy:

    Two people on the Internet agree. It is now a confirmed fact. 👍

    Though when I hear someone fussing ‘Betty Badgenes’, I know they’re referring to the late Queen.

  106. 106.

    WaterGirl

    @Hangö Kex:  Losing a family member is so hard.  Sometimes your role is exactly what you have written, propping up the people  who are struggling, and helping with the practicalities.

    I remember when my mom died, and I had just driven into town.  A neighbor came over and as she was leaving she said “let me know if there’s anything I can do”. I looked over at the counter the was covered with unwashed dishes – that she had just passed while heading for the door – and I thought “you could wash the fucking dishes!”

    So sometimes doing the dishes, or whatever, is exactly what is needed.

    I crossed paths with a fellow at work for awhile, and i learned that if you have to ask, it’s much better to say “What can I do to help?” as opposed to saying “let me know if there’s something I can do to help.”

    One feels like you really want to help, and the other feels like something you say.

  107. 107.

    JanetteinNC

    Long-time lurker (probably since 2004). Just popping out my head to let you know how much I appreciate this community.

  111. 111.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Tony Jay:

    Remember the three rules.

    1) If you post a comment, it will be read, usually by a LOT of people.

    2) If no one responds to your comment, it’s because they already agree with you.

    3) If someone does respond to your comment but they’re an arsehole about it, that’s just because they’re an arsehole, it’s nothing to do with you, you’re great.

    I wasn’t going to comment, see 2) above, but it seemed worth repeating.

  114. 114.

    Scout211

    Hi to all the lurkers and semi-lurkers! 👋

    Welcome to the jackal herd! Hmmmm, that doesn’t sound right . . .

    ::googles a group of jackals::

    A group of jackals is sometimes called a pack or a tribe.

    Correction:  Welcome to the pack or tribe of jackals!

  115. 115.

    trollhattan

    @ginkgo: ​

    Actually had one of my cousins beg me not to get a COVID booster. Still can’t believe she said that to me since I am a physician.

    Good grief, that’s like advising a pilot to fly the plane from the wing while wearing a tutu and eating bonbons.

  116. 116.

    Taken4Granite

    Mostly lurker, occasional commenter. It’s a sunny afternoon here in New Hampshire, but I am staying around the house because Sunday is laundry day.

  122. 122.

    Steeplejack

    I went out for a short spin—sudden, dire urge for a Whopper (which occurs only once every few months but cannot be ignored)—and lucked into a great set on SiriusXM’s Soul Town. Here’s a perfect song for this mild, sunny day: “Funky Nassau.” Give me a scratchy beat and a lively horn section any time!​

  123. 123.

    WaterGirl

    @ginkgo:

    Actually had one of my cousins beg me not to get a COVID booster. Still can’t believe she said that to me since I am a physician.

    That’s totally nuts!  Was there a reason given?

  128. 128.

    lefthanded compliment

    Delurking to say thanks to all who make BJ an oasis of (relative) sanity amidst the GOPi desert of MAGA madness.

  129. 129.

    ginkgo

    @trollhattan:

    That sounds like things I have to deal with every day. You should try being an Ob/Gyn in Alabama. You would not believe the strange ideas I hear about women’s bodies, sex, etc every day.

  133. 133.

    Spanky

    @Hangö Kex:

    Lately I have been especially lurky: death in the family, propping up the bereaved, helping with the practicalities.

    I’ve been in that spot, as have many here, fortunately. I say “fortunately” because it’s the right thing to do and is immensely appreciated, whether you get acknowledged or not. And it’s a part of being a community of humans.

    And I appreciate your take on matters when you comment in Adam’s daily posts.

  136. 136.

    Spanky

    @HeleninEire:

    But I have fewer than 3 years until retirement. Yeah, the exact date is March 13, 2026.

    Not that your counting, or anything.

    (Waving from the other side of retirement.) Come on in! The water’s GREAT!

  138. 138.

    Pilgrimtraveler

    Longtime lurker, rare commenter, driving through Illinois, about to pass through Mitch McConnell territory (during which I will have to plug my nose and become, temporarily, a mouth breather), en route to Georgia where I deliver over 40000 pounds of meat to a Costco DC in my role as an OTR trucker. I’m also a photographer (formerly a teacher of photography) who has been pondering a contribution to the BJ Pictures from the Road series. In my case, the pictures would be literally from the road. Or, perhaps I should offer some of my earlier work, pictures of blues musicians; or, perhaps I should do both. —Anyway, I check in on the site multiple times daily and won’t leave home without it.

  140. 140.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Roberto el oso:

    glad you de-lurked!

    saw too late your friendly reply to a comment of mine. Conversations on the blog can be like talking with parents of small children, we get easily distracted from the conversation for reasons unrelated to the conversation

    Looking forward to more comments from you

    and all other ex-lurkers!

  141. 141.

    OhThatMarcy

    Two people on the Internet agree. It is now a confirmed fact. 👍

    @Tony Jay: Thank you. I am now just trying out bells and whistles so feel free to ignore me (on this thread, for today). 😎

  146. 146.

    Brixta

    Finally posting something after many years reading this blog, sometimes daily, sometimes with a gap in time. Yes, back to the days when John was a Republican, since a moderate blog was what I was looking for to see what “the other side” was thinking. And it was pretty clear what the farther-right side was thinking, so…

    But in his typical curmudgeonly fashion he didn’t stay a Republican that long,. Was fascinating to watch the change though and the people and their animals come and go. So, hello BJers. I may not comment often, but I know I’ll stay.

  148. 148.

    CarolPW

    @zhena gogolia: Me too. And when I woke up the next morning still sorrowing, I tried to remember which of my pets had died. Remembered it was Tunch and not one of mine, but it didn’t make me feel any better and I cried again.

  152. 152.

    zhena gogolia

    @CarolPW: The “OBEY” logo on my Tunch sweatshirt is fading out. I keep not washing it because I don’t want the logo to disappear. My Lily apron is in much better shape because I don’t cook all that much. Or at least while wearing an apron.

  153. 153.

    Cowgirl in the Sandi

    Hello from Lyon France (on vacation) Balloon Juicers.  Tonight my husband had to have a hamburger so we went to a place that advertised American hamburgers and milkshakes.  Did you know the French eat their hamburgers with knives and forks!

    Thanks to WG and all the front pagers and Cole – you do a great job!

  155. 155.

    Hangö Kex

    @WaterGirl:

    I’m glad I can do practicalities & propping up here; the deceased dear old chap did it for me in the past when I was in dire straits.

    @eclare:

    Thank you.

  159. 159.

    eclare

    @Taken4Granite:

    Laundry day here too.  Pleasantly relieved, I got a stain on a new shirt the first time I wore it, and one of those Spray n Wash type sprays worked!

  161. 161.

    lowtechcyclist

    Not sure I’ve commented from my phone before. Let’s see if this gets stuck. 🙂

  166. 166.

    trollhattan

    @ginkgo: ​
    I say this without a trace of irony: You’re doing the Lord’s work and the women of that beleaguered state are lucky to have you. Chin up!

  168. 168.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Taken4Granite:

    recently at Wonkette, Dennis Hartley, reporting on the Seattle International Film Festival:

    “Punderneath it All  (USA) **½
    True story: I once got into such an intense pun battle with a co-worker that I literally chased him down the street shouting puns as he drove away. That said, I was today years old when I found out pun “slams” and tournaments are a thing. Abby Hagan’s documentary delves into pun culture. A fun watch (albeit for a niche audience) but may become redundant for some (I bet you’re glad I didn’t say “repundant”).”

  170. 170.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brixta: I’ve let you out of moderation and you are free to comment as much or as little as you like.

  173. 173.

    cain

    @Gvg: ​
     
    Yeah that’s when these folks say that God is mysterious and we don’t always know his plan. And I’m thinking ‘MF, you apparently k you can pick out his plan otherwise .. ‘

  178. 178.

    Another Scott

    Fewer lurkers – that’s always a good thing.

    Meanwhile, …

    WSJ: Jeffrey Epstein was blackmailing Bill Gates over a past affair (and we thought of a lot of euphemisms to avoid using that word for some reason) t.co/WdBGbVnBZf

    — southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) May 21, 2023

    This is my shocked, shocked face.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  181. 181.

    WaterGirl

    @Gin & Tonic: I once read that women “spend” way more words in a day than men do.  Like by a factor of 7 or something.

    *It’s been years so it could be a factor of 5, so let’s just say that women typically spend a boatload more words than men.

  182. 182.

    Baud

    @Tony Jay:

    There’s a rule 4, but that’s just administrative guff about how to respond to the Blogmaster’s latest brush with Darwin Award infamy*.

     
    Having sex with cheese isn’t really life threatening (as long as you remember the safe word).

  183. 183.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Hangö Kex: I can post more Nightwish videos if it helps?//

    More seriously, my sincerest condolences. We’re all keeping good thoughts!

  184. 184.

    gliese1288

    This is one of a handful of blogs I look at almost every day, and have done for probably 20 years now — back in the day it was Rude Pundit, Steve Gilliard, Digby, Balloon Juice. Never commented here before today, I’m not a lurker on every site I read, but lurking is what I’ve done here. If you are keeping track of who reads: I’m an early-50s university music professor in Montreal Canada.

  185. 185.

    WaterGirl

    @ginkgo:

    Also remember Tunch (I cried when he died).

    So say we all, or at least all of us who were here then.  I blurted out “oh no!” and then sobbed.  Still tearing up thinking of it.

  193. 193.

    Taken4Granite

    @BlueGuitarist: Somebody once claimed to me that there weren’t any puns about magnetohydrodynamics. I promptly proved him wrong: Resistivity is futile.

  194. 194.

    Gin & Tonic

    @WaterGirl: I remember a few years ago talking to a woman friend, about a male friend of hers I’d recently become acquainted with. I said he’s nice enough, but he talked my ear off. She said “that’s odd, I know him as a mute.” Different standards

  196. 196.

    Ron from MN

    @Math Guy Welcome to Minnesota, My wife and I moved here from Iowa in 1979 .  This Winter was particularly hard, but we needed the precipitation even though it was the frozen type.  Hope the move works out for you!

     

    @Math Guy:

  197. 197.

    Cowgirl in the Sandi

    Traveling – we still live in California.  France is lovely this time of year – any time of year really. But they need to get with the hamburger program!  BTW, this place also had milkshakes – they were very popular.

  203. 203.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Yep.

    I wasn’t able to read Balloon Juice for the better part of several months after the huge tree fell on my house on May 31, 2013.

    But on that particular day, I somehow felt compelled to check in on Balloon Juice, and the first post I saw was John’s post about Tunch.  I am pretty sure I had felt a disturbance in the force, and that’s why I came to the site after weeks/months away.

    And then General Stuck.  I still miss him.

  204. 204.

    Adam L Silverman

    Just want to let everyone know that even when I’m busiest and don’t hang out in the comments of my Ukraine war update posts, I still read all the comments. And as I mentioned, I’m basically not around for doing other posts or commenting in other front pagers’ posts because between the projects I’m working for work and those updates, I’ve got no time to do so.

  205. 205.

    WaterGirl

    @Ron from MN: Haha, you are kind of right about that.

    Did you see Steep’s question about whether your capital O in ROn is intentional?  If not, we can get that fixed today while you are here.

  207. 207.

    Ron from MN

    @Steeplejack: yes, it is actually a typo  but now I have it pasted in my head  it’s ok.  It separates me from any other Ron from MN’s  :)

  208. 208.

    Tony Jay

    @Baud:

      Having sex with cheese isn’t really life threatening

    Someone clearly hasn’t got to volume II of Frolics With Fondue.

  209. 209.

    WaterGirl

    @Gin & Tonic: Funny.

    Remember the movie where a couple is talking to a therapist, and he asks how often they have sex?  She says something like “we have sex all the time” and he answers “we almost never have sex”, but they both described the same frequency.

  213. 213.

    WaterGirl

    @Cowgirl in the Sandi: I was just thinking the other day of how much I loved our Paris On the Road series.  Even if you’re not in Paris, France photos would be most welcome.

    Hint, hint.  Dextrous just submitted a France post that shows these amazing flowers growing up the side of a tall building.

  214. 214.

    Hangö Kex

    @Spanky: ​Quite: this certainly feels like the absolutely right thing to do; no burden, but kind of like a privilege, really.

    Also, re: meta-comment: thank you for the kind words. :)

  218. 218.

    jame

    Greetings from south of Albuquerque. I’ve been reading since before John Cole came over from the dark side. I appreciate the pet stories (especially the ducks), the garden pictures, and these last few years, the updates on COVID and Ukraine. Thank you for being both a trusted source of information and an online haven.

  221. 221.

    Ron from MN

    @WaterGirl: sure if you would be so kind, i  don’t proofread or type so well!  That can be a dangerous combination!!!!

    thank you very much!!!

  222. 222.

    Adam L Silverman

    @WaterGirl: I had a twelve minute window of availability and checked the front page, noticed the red “awaiting moderation” geegaw, and figured I’d lend a hand.

  223. 223.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I pulled together a lot of their comments for the year we added comments to the BJ Pet Calendar.

    Maybe I should dig those out and post them.  I bet a ton of them are still relevant.

  225. 225.

    ginkgo

    @trollhattan:

    It is scary here in Alabama and other red states.

    I can potentially be sentenced to 99 years in prison for practicing ACOG’s standard of care in certain cases.

    For instance, if a woman’s membranes rupture before 20 weeks, there is no chance that the baby will live because the amniotic fluid is required for lung development. The standard of care is to recommend delivery so the woman doesn’t develop an infection that could kill her.  Based on the way the law is worded, I am actually suppose to wait for the woman to develop an infection (possibly sepsis) to end the pregnancy if there is still a heartbeat. The problem with that is not everyone comes back from sepsis.

    This is absolutely crazy. They truly do not care that the woman could die.

    Sorry about getting onto one of my soapboxes, but you cannot imagine how angry I am about this type of situation. I’m the one who has to care for these people. These are real women I am caring for, not just possibilities.

  233. 233.

    Roberto el oso

    BTW, I de-lurked over at LawyersGuns&Money on the same day as I de-lurked here, my reason being that Erik Loomis, one of the front-pagers at LGM was practically salivating with glee at his upcoming obituary of Jimmy Carter, which he cheerfully anticipates will stir up trouble … I decided I needed to be ready to push back, simply so that I didn’t sit helplessly enraged and in silence. Not the best of reasons, I guess, but so far I’m glad I’ve emerged from the hedges.

  235. 235.

    rekoob

    @Steeplejack: Greetings from Coastal Delaware! I haven’t been commenting much lately, but I’m around. Perhaps we could meet at Chesapeake & Maine sometime this Summer.

  236. 236.

    Sans Simian

    Delurking to say hi.  I’d post more but I’ve been fighting a head cold for weeks.  (And yes, I tested for COVID right away; immunocompromised folks in the house.)

  237. 237.

    ginkgo

    @WaterGirl:

    I hear them from patients, spouses and rarely colleagues, but usually not from other Ob/Gyns. Had a general surgeon try to talk to me about third trimester abortions once. Do you know what we call it when we end a pregnancy at that time? A delivery!

    We do have an Ob/GYN in the area that refuses to place IUDs because he believes that cause abortions. By the way, they do not.

  238. 238.

    WaterGirl

    @Roberto el oso: Erik Loomis can go fuck himself if he is salivating with glee at the thought of Jimmy Carter’s demise, for any reason.

    Apparently the not seeing certain people as human beings disease has infected him.

  243. 243.

    RaflW

    @Jebeelzabub: Hello! and…

    Good lord. I lived in Austin 1989-1995. The year I moved there, we were already joking/lamenting about the growth, as I’d been a frequent visitor from Ft Worth & Houston for about seven years at that time.

    10th biggest? I guess some of that is how one defines a city. Austin is in the mid-upper 20s in terms of MSA (metropolitan statistical area). Even that is a bit shocking.

    I was at a memorial service yesterday in Houston for a friend’s mom, several of us were former Austinites, and a few current. We talked about Austin’s incredible unaffordability now.

    I paid $43,000 for the house I lived in. In 1989. TEN minutes by bike from the U.T. campus! Figure 14X inflation on that. Damn.

  245. 245.

    Steeplejack

    @rekoob:

    Good to see your nym!

    Rehoboth Beach looks unlikely for me this summer. The Sighthound Hall mob is going to Europe for an extended trip, and I have volunteered to manage the estate and hang out with Chip von Chippendale, the resident non-sighthound. And they have opened the Rehoboth Beach house for rentals. The nerve!​

    ETA: How are you liking Lewes (if I remember correctly) and environs?

  247. 247.

    SteveinPHX

    Thank you for “shaking the bushes” once again. Scared up this lurker. I remember you did this several weeks ago.

    BJ’ers are getting me thru this debt ceiling crisis. I hope Biden eats McCarthy’s lunch and sends him home hungry.

    Vodka pasta for supper!

  248. 248.

    Sans Simian

    @RaflW: Yeah that 10th-largest is going strictly by city limits.

    Then again, Austin city limits are kinda famous:

    “Whiskey River, take my mind…”

  252. 252.

    Bromodor

    To be honest, I don’t recall if I ever set up an identity for commenting. Like others have noted, I’m generally  in agreement with most of the front pagers, and don’t really feel a need to comment that often. Keep up the good work, and I’ll try to be more active in the future.

  253. 253.

    Nukular Biskits

    @ginkgo:

    I’m seriously considering moving out of the benighted state of MS when I retire.

    I waffle on this quite a bit, but there are times that I truly think that there is simply no way this state is going to move into the 20th century … and, yes, I meant “20th”.

  254. 254.

    tobie

    I’m not sure where I fit on the continuum of lurkers and regulars. I was a regular here and left in 2020 and stayed away for 3 years. I always appreciate the front pagers posts. It takes a lot of time to do the research for a post, find an angle that will spark conversation, arrive at fresh insights about current affairs, etc. I’m amazed that the front pagers do this so well not just once but multiple times a day. Hats off to all of you and much gratitude.

  257. 257.

    karen marie

    @West of the Rockies:   You’re so optimistic about this crowd.

     

    @Tony Jay:  For a while, if I commented using one device, it would sign the other one out and I’d have to sign it in to comment from there.  I don’t know why – and I’m not going to question it – I probably shouldn’t jinx myself by even mentioning it – but for a while now I’ve remained signed in on both devices.

  260. 260.

    ginkgo

    @Nukular Biskits:

    I am from Alabama, but grew up in Tennessee after my parents divorced. Moved back to Alabama after residency since I had family here.

    Probably would be happier in a blue state, but I love what I do here. The patients are usually very happy to talk to someone who understands where they are coming from. I am married, had infertility, been pregnant , raised children and have anxiety and depression along with other medical problems. I do actually understand what they are going through and this really does help me with my patients.

  262. 262.

    Sorryforlaughing

    Late to the party but delurking for the second time in a few months to say hi, everyone! I’d add my name to the Balloon Juice creatives list, except I’m just learning how to draw in midlife and it’ll take a while to call myself an actual artist.

    Also, regarding Roberto el oso’s comment I’ve learned the hard way never to read any of Erik Loomis’ LGM posts, for a large host of reasons.

  263. 263.

    rekoob

    @Steeplejack: Although it’s unfortunate that you’ll not be around much this season, perhaps later in the year.

    Bought a bike and have been tearing up the trails between Lewes and Rehoboth — no sightings of the President at Cape Henlopen, but it’s been great to get out and about.

    We flipped a Delegate seat (RD 20) and a Senate seat (SD 6) last November. Not complacent, since the Rs are spoiling for a rematch. It’s been interesting being in the Red part of a Blue state. School board election 3 weeks ago fended off a MAGA-adjacent challenger.

  266. 266.

    Nukular Biskits

    @ginkgo:

    Born & raised here in MS.  Originally from Meridian but been on the Coast for nearly 36 years.

    My roots run deep here but, with the passing of Momma a couple of years ago and both my sons fully grown, there’s not as much to tie me down now.

    The MS Gulf Coast is relatively liberal compared to everything north of I-10 (except around the college towns).  I used to joke that going back home was like traveling back in time 50 years or so.  A lot of the beliefs, attitudes and opinions are little different there now than what they were when I was in elementary.

    That’s not to say there hasn’t been any progress … it’s just been glacial, at best.

  269. 269.

    WaterGirl

    @Bromodor: You’re allowed to comment, even if you agree. :-)

    I think it means a lot to folks when they stick their neck out and write an comment, and someone else says they agree.  That way they don’t have to wonder if anyone even read what they wrote, or wonder why no one replies!

  270. 270.

    karen marie

    @Cowgirl in the Sandi:   Beats Amsterdam.  I had a hamburger there in 1977 and it was literally a burger made of ham.  Most foul!  (I like ham a lot but not when I’m expecting beef.)

  272. 272.

    SpaceUnit

    I’m mostly lurking today but the best way to deal with that asshole Loomis is to suggest that you’ve heard the Drive By Truckers are breaking up.

  274. 274.

    ginkgo

    @Nukular Biskits:

    Live fairly close to the Mississippi border so I see patients from there. From what I can tell talking to my patients, Mississippi is actually worse than Alabama.

  276. 276.

    Steeplejack

    @rekoob:

    Cool!

    There is great walking/​biking between Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. My brother regularly walks that route when he’s down there.

  278. 278.

    Nukular Biskits

    @ginkgo:

    You’ll get no disagreement from me on that. And it doesn’t help that the folks here keep voting for the same type of “conservative” pols every election, people who are set and damned determine to prevent any progress that doesn’t exclusively benefit the “right” citizens (which means “white”, “male”, “conservative” & “Christian”).

    Thus, my Twitter tagline (which some here have seen this previously):

    When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Mississippi because it’s always 50 years behind.

  279. 279.

    cvannatta

    Hello, lurkers, semi-lurkers, and occasional commenters.

    And thank you to all front-pagers, with your relevant and sometimes irreverent content. I read BJ most days.

    As to commenting, I’m not so much a lurker as a slacker, and am almost always late to the thread. Sometimes days late because I didn’t notice the date of the last comment. I was recently in Australia for three weeks (with 1K+ photos to prove it), which explains why no comments for 3 weeks, but of course, it doesn’t explain the previous 6 months of slackerly behavior.

  280. 280.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Baud:

    Yesterday, had a get-together with folks in the neighborhood.  One of the couples are snowbirds from ND, about to head back for the summer.  The husband made some oblique reference to not ever drinking Budweiser again. Nice guy otherwise, but that was telling.

    So … although it doesn’t let MS or AL off the hook, it’s strangely comforting to know that we don’t have a monopoly on haters.

  284. 284.

    WaterGirl

    I’ll check back later this evening or in the morning to approve any new comments that are in moderation, so you’ll be good to go for whenever you want to comment in another thread.

  285. 285.

    Dan B

    @hitchhiker:  I did three large projects on Whidbey, Earth Sanctuary, and two 20 acre residential projects. One was where the plane crash occurred.

  290. 290.

    Ruckus

    @Rachel Bakes:

    I once spent 9 days in the hospital with a 105 deg temp. After passing out in the chow line at 0 dark thirty on a nice chilly winter morning in San Diego and being carried like a sack of whatever to sick call. Then sitting there burning up and shivering till dark and then transported in the bed of a pickup to the hospital across the base. This was during boot camp in the navy. I’d say good times but lying that much seems in bad taste. It came from inoculations – we got I think 8 or 9 of them in what seemed about 30 seconds the afternoon before. Air guns and needles. Oh the fond memories

    Hope your son is fine very soon.

  291. 291.

    Steeplejack

    @Pilgrimtraveler:

    Might be from Wallace Stevens, “The Man with the Blue Guitar.”

    They said, “You have a blue guitar,
    You do not play things as they are.”

    The man replied, “Things as they are
    Are changed upon the blue guitar.”

  292. 292.

    geg6

    @WaterGirl:

    I was at a huge birthday/engagement party for my sister.  I burst into tears in the middle of the crowd.  People thought I was ill or hurt.  No, I was mourning a floofy, gorgeous blog cat.

  294. 294.

    Travels with Charley

    Hello another long-time lurker!  I love this place and check it daily (often several times per day). The value of the posts and the discussions are …priceless. It’s hard to explain to other people, who read their news from a paper each morning, or a newscast each night. Here, we often get a *debate* about what things mean, which is far more valuable than just being told what to think.

  295. 295.

    geg6

    I forgot to welcome the lurkers!  Welcome!  Comment!  Join in, the water’s fine!

  297. 297.

    WaterGirl

    @Travels with Charley: I think so, too!

    Sometimes someone on Balloon Juice will say X about whatever we are discussing.  Sometimes I nod (at least inside) and agree with their point.

    Then someone else will say Y about the same topic, and that makes sense, too.  It’s not that I’m wishy-washy, it’s just that various expressed points of view help me see the whole picture and sometimes I change my mind.

  299. 299.

    hitchhiker

    @WaterGirl:

    Arrival of 3 grandkids living nearby in the space of 11 months. First a set of twins, (born literally during the Jan 6th riot), then a cousin for them the following December.

    One baby takes up a lot of time/mental energy. Two are an order of magnitude more demanding. Three is full on balls to the wall. I’ve been busy helping my daughters.

    The kids are all going to be in preschool before we know it, around the time the first Biden administration is ended … then I’ll have some leisure to be more active here.

  301. 301.

    Rachel Bakes

    @WaterGirl: home tested him once and me twice-all negative. Dr tested for flu A & B, Covid and RSV but I haven’t heard yet. He’s not acting like he did when he had Covid last year but that doesn’t necessarily signify

  305. 305.

    thruppence

    Late to the thread; very occasional commenter. Late because I did San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers today and I am in my sixties and no athlete. I AM SORE!

  312. 312.

    WaterGirl

    @thruppence: When I said “wow” it was because I had googled and saw that it was “a footrace” and 7+ miles.

    Not until I clicked Scout’s link did I realize that it’s not just a regular mini-marathon or anything like that.

    The photos at that link are great.

  313. 313.

    Scout211

    @WaterGirl: The story behind this weird Bay to Breakers tradition in San Francisco

    Check out the photos in the article.  Bay-to-Breakers is full of fun and costumes.

    Competing in the centipede division requires a team of no more than 15 runners who are linked by a bungee cord or similar connector. (One floater runs detached so that they can replace a fellow team member in the case of an emergency.) Any costumes are allowed, but they must include “twinkie feelers” on the head of each runner, and the final runner in the group must wear a stinger “of appropriate design and toxicity.” Then there’s the required completion of the Lenichi Turn, a 360-degree revolution at Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park, purportedly named after a pair of Eastern European centipede runners.

  315. 315.

    thruppence

    @WaterGirl: Not a footrace for me, more of a seven mile trudge. Going in, I wasn’t sure I’d make it, I did it 32 years ago but I’m not that guy anymore. That I live in the Denver area gave me a few extra red blood cells for the Hayes street hill, that and the neighbors hanging out their windows and playing thumping dance music

  317. 317.

    BellyCat

    Noting that “invited lurker” is far more welcomed than far too frequent accusations of “troll” for same parties in the not too distant past. Thanks for the welcoming post WG!

  318. 318.

    rivers

    Mostly a lurker, very occasional commenter – I want to second all the notes of thanks to WaterGirl and all the other posters (plus the regular commenters ). This is also my first stop in the morning, and even on days when I’m taking a break from online, I always check in once a day with Balloon Juice. (This was one of those days – just came back from a performance of Bach’s “Mass in B Minor” at Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square. It was glorious. As was the day.)

  323. 323.

    Rebels Dad

    We’ve been through this before, WG, and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong to always go straight to moderation. It’s not your fault, obviously- perhaps there’s some little-known sprite in the Intertubes whom I’ve displeased.

  326. 326.

    2liberal

    @SpaceUnit:  I’m mostly lurking today but the best way to deal with that asshole Loomis is to suggest that you’ve heard the Drive By Truckers are breaking up.

     

    He’s big on a band called Wussie also.  I think some of the founders have passed however.

  327. 327.

    Steeplejack

    @Rebels Dad:

    Are you (still) putting an apostrophe in “Rebel’s”? That goes straight to moderation. An explanation of how to insert a proper apostrophe that will pass muster has been offered several times, but apparently you didn’t see it.

  328. 328.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: @Rebels Dad:

    No, we’ve tried it, but it didn’t work.

    I looked, and there does not seem to be any character between the l and the s.

    Steep, can you reply to both of us with just Rebel’s Dad (with the magic apostrophe that usually works) so they can just paste that into the nym field?

    If you can do that right away, and Rebel’s dad can post a comment using the copied nym that you will supply, I can approve right away and then we can see if a second test comment goes through.

    Otherwise, I am headed for bed.

  329. 329.

    Orpho

    I have successfully lurked here (well, the earlier version site) since 2005 or so; went to one meetup in the Pittsburgh area, but I think I posted a grand total of 3 comments in 10 years. I figure my time has come again; just wanted to thank all you folks in this community for keeping things together around here for so long.​​

  332. 332.

    WaterGirl

    @Rebels Dad: Steep gave you the nym with the magic apostrophe in his comment #329.

    ARE YOU STILL HERE?

    Can you IMMEDIATELY copy that and paste into the nym field and post a new comment?

    If you can do that ASAP, I will approve it immediately and then you’ll need to do another comment to make sure that one goes through without moderation.

  334. 334.

    Gemina13

    Good evening from Tacoma – not exactly a lurker, but I pop in occasionally to comment and read. I’ve been taking note especially of the posts on Bakhmut. With its emergence as a Pyrrhic victory on steroids, I wonder if Prigozhin has beefed up his personal security and is avoiding windows, high places, possible death from above, i.e., or if he still thinks Putin’s going to let him live. I could be persuaded either way, myself – it depends on how big the cut of Wagner Group’s “royalties” from African countries & Syria is to Vlad Vladimirovich.

    Still, they don’t have to kill him now. They can wait until Wagner Group’s coffers are fat again, and then have FSB figure out a way to eliminate Prigozhin and rob WG blind.

  337. 337.

    Nerdlum

    Hope I’m not too late to the thread. Longtime lurker (since 2010 or so), never a commenter…

  339. 339.

    WaterGirl

    @klokanek: Welcome!

    If your comment showed up with a note that it was awaiting moderation, then it was your first comment.  If you didn’t see that message, you must have used this nym before.

    Nice to see you, in either case.

  341. 341.

    WaterGirl

    @Rebel’s Dad: So you must have copied in the nym from Steeplejack’s comment?

    Did your first comment go into moderation?  If so, it has obviously been approved by another front-pager.  If so, did you try a second comment that went through right away?

    If so, congratulations!

Comments are closed.