I was going to go to a preserve this morning to look for Florida Scrub Jays, but it was intermittently rainy — sudden heavy, blinding downpours — and I didn’t feel like driving in that, so I stayed home and watched the waterbirds instead, including Roseate Spoonbills:
Also, a public service announcement for y’all: Avoid Maureen Dowd’s latest column in The Times. It features one of her dimwit sibling’s opinion on what Joe Biden should do about a family matter that’s really nobody else’s damn business.
Like Tom Friedman and the homespun “wisdom” of innumerable taxi drivers, Dowd conjures up opinions from Repub siblings to give voice to dumb, gossipy shit that maybe even she dimly senses is beneath the notice of a long-tenured columnist at the Paper of Record.™️
Dowd has been unoriginal, cloying, snipey and tedious for so long that I can’t remember if she was ever anything else, but this is a new low, even for her. Zero stars!
Open thread.
PS: I originally titled this post “Sunday Afternoon Open Thread” but caught it before publishing. This day feels like a Sunday for some reason, but I am overjoyed to recall that another entire day of glorious indolence stretches out before me. Woohoo!
Baud
Same. Although that’s because I took yesterday off for a family event.
rikyrah
America’s
KAREN!😂😂😂😂😂
MSNBC (@MSNBC) tweeted at 9:52 AM on Sat, Jul 08, 2023:
“She’s become America’s Karen,” @DavidJollyFL says about Casey DeSantis. “It doesn’t matter if it’s presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one.” https://t.co/Hn0POU398v https://t.co/SmVXBqfzpy
(https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1677692236383805441?s=02)
Jackie
Maureen Dowd sounds like a gossipy old biddy. The headline was all I needed to read to guess the gist. Mind your own business; it’s NONE of your business!😡
jackmac
Thanks the warning to avoid Maureen Dowd this week. As a rule I generally skip her, although sometimes a headline on her column sparks my interest. But even then once I start reading my gag reflex kicks in, prompting a search for something more interesting like Sunday Styles or the NYT’s real estate porno features (which overpriced apartment did THEY choose?).
BeautifulPlumage
Dowd was the brainiac who traveled to CO to try legal weed and didn’t ask advice or read the directions so ate a whole edible bar instead just a section. IIRC she spent the rest of the day in bed. Idiot.
MattF
Dowd has one huge, historical plus on her side: she insisted, from the very beginning, that Colin Powell was lying about Iraqi WMDs. Worse, for her Village pals, she insisted that everyone knew he was lying. So, she passed a specific test that nearly all of her peers failed.
Lapassionara
I love your wildlife photos, BC. Perfect for any afternoon.
Maxim
I am very glad it’s not Sunday, not least because I would be late getting ready for a belated birthday gathering with family. But also because I would prefer three-day workweeks and four-day weekends as the norm.
trollhattan
Can I add Kathleen Parker to the list of Dumb Columnists with Lofty Platforms?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/23/lighting-bulbs-incandescent-expiration/
Yeah, as stupid as it sounds at first glance.
R'Chard
Saturday feels like Sunday because we had Tuesday on Wednesday.
Betty Cracker
@MattF: Really? I don’t remember that, but good for her.
@Lapassionara: Thanks! It takes absolutely no talent or effort; these gorgeous creatures wander in and out of my yard all day.
Salty Sam
Aaahh, Spoonbills! My favorite water bird from our days living on the coast. There were several times they flew overhead, surprising me, and I just remember this gorgeous pink streak across an electric blue sky. Woah!
Jay
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/how-newfoundland-puffins-helped-save-the-bird-s-population-in-maine-1.6897387
Wombat Probability Cloud
When I read your first line, my brain saw “Maureen Dowd’s last column…” and I felt relief. Alas, not quite yet. I read her during the Bush years but, sadly, she hasn’t evolved since then. Meanwhile, the Roseate is gorgeous, thank you.
Alison Rose
I’d skimmed the Dowd column earlier, rolling my eyes and giving up about halfway through. But I did peek at the comments and they seem somewhat split as to whether they agree with her and her busybody sister. This one honestly made me laugh:
I mean, I barely believe it, but if I pretend to…seriously? You voted for him and supported him, but you don’t want him to run for reelection because of a complicated private family matter that is absolutely none of your business nor anyone else’s?
Mousebumples
Low key day here, but I just read on Mastodon that a Dane County Judge has thrown out the 1849 state abortion ban? I’m off to look for more details – but I also read that (if true) Plannex Parenthood in Madison, Milwaukee, and Sheboygan will start offering abortion (health care!) services as soon as is practicable.
Betty Cracker
@Salty Sam: I used to work on the 10th floor of an office building on Tampa Bay, and it was always a treat when a spoonie flew by at eye level. Such an amazing color! I’ve noticed that the ones that feed in fresh water tend to be lighter pink. Here’s a bird with much brighter pink that I saw on a golf course near the bay several years back. The bill is nobblier too — I don’t know if that’s an age thing or what.
marklar
One of the best things about Roseate Spoonbills is their latin name….Platalea ajaja!
Mousebumples
@Mousebumples: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/07/wisconsin-judge-allows-lawsuit-challenging-1849-abortion-ban-to-proceed/70392325007/
Not a lawyer so I’m not sure if this was a procedural decision vs one that actually changes things (*pending State Supreme Court appeals)
P.S. Another thanks to everyone who helped GOTV in February and April. Judge Protasiewicz is seated in a few weeks! 🎉
Baud
@Alison Rose:
Signed, Doug J.
Betty Cracker
@Jay: What a cool article — thanks for sharing that! I love puffins and definitely plan to take a trip north to check out Atlantic Puffins. I managed to spot a Tufted Puffin in Oregon a couple of years ago. It was dumb luck; a lot of other birdwatchers weren’t able to spot one.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: My “weekend” is Monday and Tuesday this next week, the next week it is Tuesday and Wednesday, the week after that it is Wednesday and Thursday; retail…
rikyrah
Connecticut, not a good look 😒
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dMbtfk/
Baud
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA:
8 days a week.
trollhattan
@Betty Cracker: If you ever find yourself in Iceland, don’t be surprised to see the cute li’l things on the menu.
Have never been where they live but would love a chance to photograph them. The cris-crossed fish in the striped orange beak, the big orange landing gear, their little bird hobbit villages, it all seems so absurd in a real critter.
rikyrah
The Hill (@thehill) tweeted at 3:16 PM on Sat, Jul 08, 2023:
“Ron DeSanctimonious is desperately trying to get out of the Presidential race, while at the same time saving face for 2028, where he has been greatly damaged,” Trump claimed. https://t.co/SraSukb08t
(https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1677773572222099456?t=oZjvhF3r6YxNVj5BFxYVtw&s=03)
Dorothy A. Winsor
Beautiful pics of the spoonbills, Betty.
BeautifulPlumage
@Betty Cracker: wow, beautiful plumage. Love all your pics, even though living right on the water like that seems dangerous – Crocs & snakes & bugs, oh my!
Baud
@BeautifulPlumage:
You would say that.
Alison Rose
@Baud: Basically.
Ken
Between Betty thinking today is Sunday, and WaterGirl (IIRC) thinking Thursday was Friday a few weeks ago, we must seriously consider the possibility we’ve all lost a day somewhere. Probably aliens.
BeautifulPlumage
@Baud: only when appropriate ; )
Firebert
Inquiry for the hive-mind: does anybody have experience dealing with Social Security Admin about appealing cuts in SSI payments? My SO had a large reduction back in April over having too much money in the bank briefly two years ago (pandemic stimulus payment.) Then, this week, she received notification that she was overpaid over the last two years, and they want almost $13,000 paid back. I’m confident our congressman, Greg Casar, would be helpful, but SO can’t handle the stress of anything but the most painless process.
Suzanne
I did two hours of yoga today and my muscles feel so gooooooood. I did a workshop on straddles and splits about two weeks ago, and have been working them since. I can do the full seated straddle pose (chest on floor, arms stretched out) and stay there for a long time. I can do the splits on both sides, but hold it for less time….I am trying to adjust to that back-knee-ground-into-floor feeling. The limp noodle feeling is a thing I chase.
Ohio Mom
It’s good to have warning about what not to read.
I am not paying too much attention to this story but I remember seeing somewhere that Hunter Biden was sending a healthy amount of child support on a monthly basis — $20,000, which comes to nearly a quarter of a million a year, which is the total amount it is usually estimated to raise a child all the way from birth through age 18.
Apparently, Hunter has renegotiated the suppport terms, which seems more than fair to me. If the girl’s family hasn’t been managing this windfall well (I have no idea), more money isn’t going to help, and if they have been, well, they ought to be set.
It isn’t up to Joe Biden to direct his son’s life, if Hunter has drawn certain boundaries, it’s only proper that his dad respect them.
Baud
Has Omnes posted recently?
Jackie
TIFG stiffed Joni Ernst last month – leaving her stuck with the bills.
It’s worth clicking the link for the laughs 😁
He also signed a bike helmet – along with several other repug candidates, but signed it with both #45 and #47 behind his name, making it “worthless to auction.”🤭
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iowa/
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Yup, means I get those lovely 6 day workweeks; and they wonder why I’m a bit testy on day 6.
trollhattan
I can never be convinced Trump understands this particular gag name. They had to have added it to his autocomplete library (pronounced “libary”).
waspuppet
@rikyrah: What possible reason is there for anyone, anywhere, ever, to quote something Donald Trump says by itself, as if he’s speaking out of some kind of knowledge, experience or reflection?
Like, OK, The Hill. Let’s make it interesting. Shut your doors if Ron DeSantis makes it to Super Tuesday. Still wanna send that out there?
As for Maureen Dowd, all you need to know about The Village is that they think she’s a good writer. I have honestly read better flat-out writing by high schoolers.
Winter Wren
Spanish Moss and I enjoy seeing the scrub jays at the Helen and Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary. They are pretty much a guaranteed encounter – very inquisitive and unafraid of humans. Florida’s only endemic bird species!
Another Scott
@Firebert: My understanding is that the COVID stimulus payments did not count against federal benefits. IANAL.
E.g. Here:
HTH a little. Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
Presidents are public figures. And people are understandably curious about their lives. Also, political figures often talk about their families. The worst use them for props to show how much they embody family values.
However, I don’t believe that Dowd gives a shit about what she writes about in her column. Nor is she in any position to make judgements about Biden. Dowd’s reference to her sister’s sentiments about Biden reeks of hypocrisy and is clearly disingenuous. It seems just another smarmy attempt to pile onto Hunter Biden.
Lastly, the political press used to avoid stories about the underage kids and relatives of political leaders. There is absolutely no reason for Dowd to even come close to violating this unofficial policy. Her editors and the Times publisher are responsible here as well.
I also think that any who are curious about the column and underlying story might reasonably agree that families are complicated and that only people with bad intent have a need to indulge in petty gossip.
Tony Jay
@Jackie:
So he agrees that he didn’t win the 2020 Election? Do the MAGOPs know he’s sold them out? /s
lowtechcyclist
@trollhattan:
I guess she must really like changing light bulbs. I almost never have to change a bulb anymore, because the LED bulbs last years and years. And I don’t miss it. (I’d be all-LED by now, except the CFLs won’t die either.) I used to have to keep a shelf full of light bulbs in the hall closet, now I just keep a few in the basement.
And of course they use less electricity, so that’s a nice bonus. But even aside from that, why the fuck would anyone want incandescent bulbs anymore? Just on the sheer hassle factor, they’re really really stupid.
Chetan Murthy
@trollhattan:
When was this misogynist[1] piece of shit ever anything else?
[1] I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s also a racist & homophobe, but I’m referring specifically to her “I’m the mother of men, and all this women’s rights stuff is infuriating! We need to let men be men!” or some such. Piece of shit, that woman.
mrmoshpotato
@BeautifulPlumage:
Oof!
Added – LOL!
Thankfully, you can’t OD on pot!
different-church-lady
Birds aren’t real.
Roseate Spoonbills really aren’t real.
zhena gogolia
@jackmac: She occasionally, OCCASIONALLY, has a fairly interesting interview on Sundays (although, come to think of it, that hasn’t happened in a while). Otherwise I just drive on by.
zhena gogolia
@different-church-lady: I have been in love with roseate spoonbills since I had a bird sticker book as a child and it was my favorite favorite. But I’ll never see one in person, because I’ll never go to Florida.
Brachiator
@Firebert:
California residents participating in certain programs were given this guidance. I don’t know whether something similar might apply in the situation you describe.
Unfortunately, I am not an expert on this area, but you may need some competent legal advice.
Ken
@lowtechcyclist: Between incandescent bulbs, rolling coal, and donations to Trump’s six legal defense funds masquerading as PACs, it’s remarkably expensive to own a lib these days.
Jackie
@Brachiator:
“Lastly, the political press used to avoid stories about the underage kids and relatives of political leaders…”
Amy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, and the Obama girls might disagree…
Phylllis
I am aware it’s Saturday, as the usual lineup on the local PBS station is on. I do have to occasionally remind myself I do not have to go to work Monday. Or ever again unless I choose to. And it feels fabulous.
Ruckus
@BeautifulPlumage:
Idiot.
Concerning Dowd, I thought that was the automatic reaction….
Suzanne
@lowtechcyclist: She likes the warmer light of incandescents.
I wonder if she knows you can order LEDs of varying color temperature.
Betty Cracker
@Winter Wren: Good to know they are there! We saw some at Oscar Scherer park on the western coast a few years back. The place I was headed to is near Deland. Such a lovely color on those birds!
pat
So what happened with Biden’s grandson?
narya
@Firebert: Honestly, if you can swing it, call your local bar association and find an attorney who handles SSI; the BA should be able to give you a recommendation or at least a list. These cases can be awful, and having someone on your side who knows the law would be a good idea.
Winter Wren
@Betty Cracker: Yes, they are beautiful and make such a wide variety of calls and sounds.
mrmoshpotato
@MattF: Credit where credit is due.
And burn in Hell Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld. Dick, W, and Condi will be joining you.
Ruckus
@Maxim:
When you are so fully grown that everything starts to slow down no matter what the hell you do, you will enjoy when every day is a holiday. Some get there as early as 65 yrs old. Some with no idea what work is get there sooner. Some with no concept or ability to stop get there 5-10 yrs later.
Enjoy what you can when you can…..
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Was the dress code on the invitation “Pants Optional”?
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan: Adult-sized Easy-Bake Oven?
Betty Cracker
@zhena gogolia: Roseate Spoonbills are also found in the Caribbean and South America.
Jackie
@Tony Jay: I think a tiny cell in his head recognizes he can’t run for #47 if he’s #46 – he’d be termed out🙄
Ruckus
@trollhattan:
You can still buy incandescent lightbulbs?
trollhattan
@mrmoshpotato: You should see her tanning bed!
Jay
@different-church-lady:
it’s an interesting Globalist/Deep State spy drone design choice though,///
I would have gone with a largish hummingbird design instead.
lowtechcyclist
@Phylllis:
160 days from now (but who’s counting? ;-) I’ll be joining that club.
Yeah, I’m ready.
trollhattan
@Phylllis: 👍👍👍
Dream the dream, live the dream.
Firebert
@Another Scott:
@Brachiator:
SO had made a point of saying that when she filed her appeal back in April. Right now, we’re mostly after is hearing about the process from someone with first-hand experience. I want to be able to gauge how stressful the ordeal would be, for the sake of SO’s emotional health.
Another Scott
Meanwhile, yet another fact that will likely be suppressed if the book burners get their way… Phys.org:
Cultural biases have been a huge impediment to all sorts of attempts to understand the truth of scientific findings. It’s always good when people step back and let the science lead the way and not ass-u-me.
Cheers,
Scott.
trollhattan
@lowtechcyclist: Am reminded of my buddy’s FIL who assiduously hoarded leaded paint on account of “they’re not letting us buy it anymore!” and thus, left his daughter and SIL the task of legally disposing of it all after he left the planet. The ammo and VHS porn collections also required dealing with.
I’m not informed of any secret asbestos stash, but would not be surprised in the least.
Phylllis
@lowtechcyclist: @trollhattan: Yesterday was a little weird, as I haven’t cooked dinner on a Friday night in about a million years. We need to find a new ‘dinner out/order in pizza’ night.
Betty Cracker
This new series on Amazon sounds intriguing:
Review at Vanity Fair.
Brachiator
@Jackie:
I meant those members of the press who weren’t jerks. Pundits were rightly castigated for their rude remarks about presidential kids.
And it is sad but telling that Republican presidential kids tend to be left alone more than kids of Democrats.
mrmoshpotato
@Ken:
If Melon Husk throws himself into the Sun…
And I really hate that “Probably Aliens” meme. Makes me want to punch him harder.
Jackie
Montpelier, VT – “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the passing of a law that could render driver’s licenses and other forms of identification from several states invalid, including Vermont.
Florida Senate Bill 1718 is considered to be a policy to crack down on illegal immigration, attempting to prevent the use of publicly funded services by those who may not pay taxes.
As of July 1, in addition to Vermont, four other states’ IDs will face extra scrutiny from police, as they may provide forms of identification to applicants who do not give proof of citizenship or legal status:
Delaware
Connecticut
Hawaii
Rhode Island
The law directs Florida police officers to write a ticket to anyone they pull over who has what is now recognized as an invalid license.”
Why these particular states and not others?
And Hawaii??? Who drives from Hawaii?
https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/local-news/florida-announces-restrictions-on-vermont-licenses/
nebber mind. DRIVERS LICENSES🤦🏼♀️
Geminid
@Betty Cracker: My friend Debbie was telling me about Deadloch, said it was pretty good.
Jay
@Suzanne:
I convinced a customer, over a decade ago, who was having me install a massive chandelier, silver, chrome, Waterford glass, 325lbs, 70 candle bulbs as a display piece in her show room, to let me install LED bulbs.
I pointed out the cost differences in operation, and did a full sheet on how long it would take the (at the time), expensive LED’s to pay for themselves over incandecants, (lower energy costs, fewer replacements).
The white light with the silver and Waterford created a stunning display.
With in two years, every bulb in her furniture showrooms was LED, other than the flurescent overheads. By then warm white bulbs were available at the same price as bright white.
It wound up saving her $248 a month on hydro bills.
Tony Jay
@Jackie:
Yeah, but if he were ever re-elected (not going to happen, obvs, but hypothetically) you can bet your last ration bar that he’d immediately issue an executive order invalidating the whole of Biden’s term and demand that everything referring to ‘the 46th President of the United States’ be immediately burnt, deleted, painted over, lasered off or otherwise damnatio memoriaed.
Because he’s a petty loon, just like all the sad creeps who support him.
Ruckus
@Brachiator:
This.
Ohio Mom
@Firebert: Go ahead, call your Congressman’s office but I might also consult with an Elder Care attorney, they are experts in Social Security programs and law. One question the attorney could help you with is whether or not you can actually be involved in this process — do you have Financial Power of Attorney? Maybe you don’t need it, I don’t know, but if you do, you may hit a few roadblocks as her advocate.
I know, attorneys are expensive but someone on any sort of federal disability has to have all their affairs in financial and legal order. If need be, the attorney can help set up accounts that will shelter SO’s assets (for example, a special needs trust, ABLE account, etc.)
As I remember, the Covid relief money was not supposed to be counted as income for SSI recipients but there might have been a deadline for spending or sheltering it; we put Ohio Son’s payments in his ABLE account.
Ohio Family is in the middle of a Social Security appeals process ourselves right now. When Ohio Dad and I started drawing our retirement benefits, Ohio Son went from receiving SSI to receiving SSDI-DAC (disabled adult child); the amount Son receives increased and somewhere in the transition (we know exactly where but I’m simplifying here) an arithmetic mistake was made.
But our discrepancy is less than $2,000 so while we are appealing, we realize we have no reason to be too bent out of shape. Your SO though… $13,000 is big chunk.
One thing I’ve learned is that Social Security offices vary widely. We are somewhat fortunate in that our local office is a fairly well-run place; the office in Chicago where our appeal is being considered, not so much.
Finally, be warned the Social Security’s wheels grind very, very, very slowly. You send off your paperwork and you have no way of knowing where it is, who is reading it, what the timeline will be or when you will hear back.
Oh, I almost forgot. Put SO’s Social Security number on every single piece of paper you send them. Even if you have a stapled bunch of papers, put the number on every page. I always use a bright-colored magic marker.
Good luck!
Dan B
@Suzanne: Not only color temperature but also accurate color rendering -CRI. I’ve got CRI 95 and up. The color temperature matters a lot less when the CRI is very high.
Ohio Mom
@Firebert: Alsi, the attorney can also explain how any eventual marriage will screwup SO’s benefits permanently.
Ruckus
@lowtechcyclist:
The apt complex I live in changes the bulbs in the installed lights in the kitchen and bathroom and they don’t use incandescent any longer. It’s possible that CA doesn’t allow them to be sold as I no longer see them in stores.
trollhattan
@Jay: I’ve gone through the house fixtures and once LED capsules to replace the many odd-base halogens became available, have been able to convert nearly everything to LED. It comprises a 90% reduction in wattage rendering lighting effectively “free” to power. (i.e., two hours of the electric oven use more power than all the lights in a month.)
Because the kWh rates are never not going up I can’t know how much going through the trouble saves on our bill, but it has to be considerable given California rates.
I’ll add that the most troublesome light fixtures are in ceiling fans with remote controls. Swap out the old halogen for LED and some of them will not turn completely off, even with dimmer-compatible bulbs. Weird.
Suzanne
@Dan B: If you read the piece, she whines that she is no longer able to buy pink incandescent bulbs, as those throw a really flattering light and make one’s skin look very warm and glowy.
It’s all just very silly, There are LED equivalents readily available.
Brachiator
@Another Scott:
I love this stuff. It bugs me that some scientists are always looking for important males and signs of rigid social hierarchy. We may never know how many prehistoric societies were organized or why some people were apparently revered.
This also reminds me of a dig where some objects which some thought were part of a religious cult really looked like and probably were dildos.
Anyway
Lovely pictures. The birds are so pretty.
Ohio Mom
@Firebert: From the Social Security site, a description of the appeals process:
https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-appeals-ussi.htm
Ruckus
@lowtechcyclist:
Remind me then, so I can welcome you aboard the USS retired.
Been here almost 2 yrs now. Time goes by fast when you don’t have to look at the clock….
trollhattan
@Suzanne: God yes, Phillips has their HUE line where you can dial in any bloody color you want.
lowtechcyclist
@Jackie:
I guess Rhonda and the FL legislature are unfamiliar with Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution: “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.”
IANAL, but my WAG is that drivers’ licenses would qualify as ‘records’ under that section of the Constitution.
mrmoshpotato
@Jackie:
And his “signature” looks like a seismograph sucking Putin’s asshole.
FastEdD
Happy International Skinny Dip Day!
Jay
@trollhattan:
it’s voltage leakage.
We were on solar for two decades. When I bought the special LED bulbs for the bathroom, (MIR) they were $150 each, and I had to wait two months because they were backlogged, (airport retrofits).
Now you can buy them off the shelf for a little more, (pennies) than Halogen MIR.
All the other bulbs were standard base LED’s.
I found that with some dual electronic devices, the LED’s would glow, just from leakage from the computer controlled portion of the device.
It takes mere microwwatts to cause an LED to start to glow.
Frankensteinbeck
@trollhattan:
He doesn’t. Somebody asked him about it, and his definition was wildly wrong. I think he said it meant disloyal?
@Another Scott:
This is a beyond huge factor. Until very, very recently, the logic that women warriors weren’t a thing has been “We only find weapons in men’s graves” and “We know it’s a man’s grave because we found weapons.” Skeletons are hugely unreliable in determining sex. Vast amounts of bullshit gets written down as an accepted fact or interpretation and hangs on for decades or centuries. Eventually the scientific process grinds down these falsehoods, but especially if they involve gender roles they can hang on insanely long.
I get really into this stuff. My eyes were opened to it in college entomology courses, when one of my professors had to tell us to ignore what the book and other teachers said, thrips do not have ‘rasping/sucking’ mouth parts. The big thrip expert in the 50s died, a comment about that was found in his notes, and it was in textbooks for like 50 years.
Dan B
@Suzanne: I love the LED’s that have phosohors for red and purple. They make white and black skin look great.
Jay
@Suzanne:
there are LED’s out now where you can use a remote control to set what colour, shade or colour pattern* you want them to display.
*all the colours of the rainbow and then some, for how ever long you want them to hold that colour, and in what ever pattern you want the colour change sequence to be.
trollhattan
@Jay: That sounds right. You’d never notice it with an incandescent and would need to hook up a wattage or amp meter to even detect it.
I wonder if this is what actually happened with the Hanukah miracle?
Ruckus
@lowtechcyclist:
I guess Rhonda and the FL legislature are unfamiliar with Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution: “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.”
Didn’t you know, they are above the law, just ask them. Of course the other possibility is that they are fucking morons.
I’d go with C – Both of the above.
Chetan Murthy
@Jay: Since clearly a lot of the jackals are using LED lights, I thought I’d ask: I have LED lights I bought some years ago, but in my house they flicker non-stop. Perhaps the problem is that my apartment, the wiring is really, really old. I mean, old enough that I’m a little scared of getting an air fryer: I wouldn’t want to burn down the house due to the 100-year-old wiring shorting out. It’s not my house (I rent) and I’m loath to push my landlord on what would obviously be a massive rehab (my rent is low for SF) so …..
Are there LED lights that are good for lower-power situations? Or maybe is there just a good brand of LED lights that don’t flicker?
Burnspbesq
ICYMI, X Inc., the corporate vehicle Leon Skum used to acquire Twitter, is suing Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, the law firm that represented Twitter in its successful attempt to force him to go through with the deal after he tried to renege, to recover approximately $90 million in fees. The complaint is a hoot.
lowtechcyclist
@Ruckus:
Don’t worry, you won’t be able to miss it unless you’re in a coma for the first half of December. The countdown will be visible. :-D
mrmoshpotato
@Tony Jay:
Enjoy prison, you insurrectionist suckers!
Wapiti
@lowtechcyclist: One use for incandescent bulbs: because they burn hot, one can put a small piece of frankincense (like half the size of a lentil) on the bulb in a lamp, and it will slowly burn the incense. It’s a nice smell.
Phylllis
@lowtechcyclist: Life is Good has a Retirement Defined shirt; I wore it a couple of times to work. Coworkers did not appreciate it nearly as much as I did.
rikyrah
Explanation of Tesla, Twitter and Apartheid Clyde 🧐
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dMoX4H/
geg6
Sitting in Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field, really) with my younger niece waiting for Ed Sheeran’s show to start. Nice evening with a breeze wafting through from the three rivers. Life is good right now.
Wapiti
@Chetan Murthy: I’d ask if you have dimmer switches. LEDs need a modern type of dimmer switch, the old school dimmers don’t work well with LEDs.
That said, early generation LEDs don’t seem to last as long as promised. I have some circuits where the old LEDs flicker but new ones don’t.
mrmoshpotato
@Ken: LOL!
rikyrah
@waspuppet:
The Hill is a small step up from Tiger Beat on the Potomac 😒
trollhattan
@Chetan Murthy: By any chance are they on dimmers? Not all LEDs are dimmer compatible and some older dimmers don’t play nice with any.
Maybe try swapping in a new dimmer-compatible bulb and see if the flicker goes away.
The possibility that it’s defective ancient wiring is frankly, not comforting. Are your outlets two- or three-prong?
Chetan Murthy
@Wapiti: Yes, both fixtures where I have the LEDs are fitted with dimmer switches. Again, don’t think I can (erm, “want to”) ask my landlord to replace ’em.
Maybe this means there’s nothing to be done.Ah so there are “dimmer compatible bulbs”. I’ll look for those. Thank you!rikyrah
@Suzanne:
I read this with envy.
My stiff self can’t even think about yoga 😔
Another Scott
@Chetan Murthy: LEDs don’t take much power, so it’s probably not your home wiring.
Some LEDs do not like some types of dimmers and will flicker and complain about them.
In general, there are so many different brands from so many different manufacturers, and they’re changing so often, it’s probably best to look at reviews. If you see lots of complaints about flickering, then you might want to try a different brand.
I’ve had decent luck with Philips Flicker Free Dimmable A19 bulbs (those are a newer version of ones I bought) with dimmer switches I’ve installed. They’re a lot cheaper than they were a few years ago, so it’s not too painful to buy a few and see how they work for you.
HTH a little.
Cheers,
Scott.
SiubhanDuinne
@different-church-lady:
Paging Different Church Lady. There is an Albatrossity on Line 1 for you. Albatrossity, holding on Line One for DCL….
Ohio Mom
@Wapiti: That’s how my childhood Easy Bake Oven worked, the heat from a lightbulb cooked the cake batter.
Steeplejack
@Suzanne:
You can order “programmable” LEDs and tune them however you want.
I have one remaining lamp that uses an incandescent bulb. It is an oddball, Asian-looking lamp that a friend gave me. I really like it, but the harp is too short for a newfangled bulb to fit. I should get a new shade or a harp extender (NotMax recommended one of those), but I’m reluctant to buy sight unseen.
zhena gogolia
@Betty Cracker: nah going there either
lowtechcyclist
@Chetan Murthy:
My LEDs never flicker, and I didn’t buy anything special, just whatever the local Ace Hardware had when I was still replacing incandescents. (Can’t remember when I last had to buy more bulbs.)
I’d guess it’s the wiring, and all I can say is: don’t forget to regularly replace the batteries in your smoke alarms, and rent a safe deposit box at your local bank for any papers you really need to keep the originals of.
zhena gogolia
@Steeplejack: last Endeavour episode was fab
Another Scott
@Burnspbesq: Given that Melon doesn’t like paying for anything (rent, severance, servers, etc. – his attitude seems to be, “Don’t you know I’m rich. I don’t need to pay for stuff.”), I’m not surprised by him filing this lawsuit. I am kinda surprised that any lawyer was willing to take the case given the above though…
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
@Frankensteinbeck:
Also, “we found weapons, must have been a woman warrior,” is also a leap.
We often don’t know why the objects were buried with a person or what they represented.
But I hugely enjoy that scientists are discovering that remains they thought were men are later shown to belong to women.
Frankensteinbeck
@rikyrah:
I question his reasoning on one thing: I’m not sure Tesla’s stock will fall further. It’s possible! But it is where it is now because the system isn’t much based on reality. Who knows what it will take for reality to assert itself? In stocks, there’s no actual reason it has to, and a whole lot of people are deeply invested (literally and figuratively) in the idea that Tesla is infallible.
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
LED’s flickering means that either the transformer/circuit board is on it’s last legs or a bad electrical/intermittent connection.
We have been here 3 years, the apt is 7 years old, and I have had to replace all but one of the 4 bulb base tracklight LED’s, and that one is flickering.
Quite often, Landlords go for the cheapest option.
EG, our deadbolt died less than a year into our occupancy. I looked up the brand, $2.75 if you bought 100 out of China. There are 200 apartments in our building, so,……..
So I replaced it with a $12 Slage.
Any of the name brands are better than the off brands. Phillips, LEED, etc, but cost a little bit more.
Buy a six pack, (save a few bucks) of a Name Brand, change a bulb and see if the problem goes away. If it does, use the others, if not, return the pack.
The other possibility, (bad connection), can be fixed with dielectric grease, which is a gap filling electrical conductor. A dab on the base and a dab on the threads will solve the problem if the socket is poorly made or worn.
rikyrah
Why the child show Arthur was obviously Black 🤣🤣🤣
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8drYJCV/
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
the dimmer compatable bulbs are only compatable with electronic dimmers, not the rheostat based dimmers.
Allmost all LED bulbs are compatable with electronic dimmers.
Electronic Dimmers are cheap and easy to replace.
Rob
This morning at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in northeast DC I saw the continuing Roseate Spoonbill. It was in view for 20 minutes before an approaching kayaker prompted it to fly out of site. Spoonbills normally don’t get as far north as DC or Maryland.
(back to lurking)
Suzanne
@Jay: Yep! I have them! I can control them from my iPad! #buildingnerd
Chetan Murthy
@Jay: I get you, but:
But good to know. Maybe I’ll mumble about it and see how they react.
Gin & Tonic
@Burnspbesq: In a case like this, does Wachtell retain some other firm to defend them, or do they do it in-house?
Maxim
@Baud: Haven’t seen him.
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan:
I believe you meant sunburning bed!
rikyrah
Did you all know about birthday cakes being sold at McDonald’s??😳😳😲😲
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8drdRw3/
Suzanne
@Steeplejack: I have a lamp that is a family heirloom (beautiful little copper thing), and I took it to a lamp shop a couple of years ago and had them do a bunch of work on it to make it functional. They somehow modified the part where the harp attaches so that a standard one fits. Also had it rewired and soldered (do you solder copper?) these little caps back on. I bought it a new vellum shade and now I have a warm white LED in it.
This house that we bought in PGH was full of fluorescent lighting when we moved in. I’ve removed most of it, but still have a bit to go. I won’t let Mr. Suzanne turn the fluorescent lights on. THEY’RE SO BAD.
The Pale Scot
Only thing I can say is nobody “misplaces their blow”
If I lose it in CBGB’s then it’s fuck, someone else is doing my blow.
If I lose at my workplace then I’m there until I find it.
Unless I’m so tweaked that I’m past the point of no return
Maxim
@Betty Cracker: Just finished that the other night. We loved it.
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan:
Nominated.
Matt McIrvin
@Alison Rose: As I mentioned in the other thread, she’s not the only person who’s suddenly decided Biden is a bad person over this. The friend I had to mute just responded to any and all pushback with “this is a little child–nothing else matters!“
Mike S. (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
@Jay: I was at the Audubon Camp in Maine the first year any of the transplanted Newfie Puffins were old enough to come back “home” on Eastern Egg Rock and maybe begin to think about breeding in the next couple of years. Dr.Stephen Kerss lifteted one of the transplanted little pufflings of the current year’s cohort to show him to the group of campers in all its fluffly cuteness!
I got to see many adults years later when we went to Trinity Bay and Witless Bays in Newfoundland and they are wonderful!
Congrats to the Maine Puffin Project’s success and thanks Canada!
pat
@Matt McIrvin:
So what is this all about? I don’t want to have to read Dowd to find out!
indycat32
@Chetan Murthy: My house is 105 years old, with old wiring.I have all LEDs , none flicker.
Chetan Murthy
@Matt McIrvin: Gosh I really do wonder what these people think abvout Li’l Donnie canceling his preemie infant nephew’s health insurance to get back at his brother!!?!?!?
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
try changing the bulb first.
if that doesn’t work, the grease.
in total that’s less than $15.
if that doesn’t work, then you know it’s the dimmer and not the bulbs or the socket.
If you pull the dimmer knob and remove the electrical cover plate, there will be a make and model stamped on the cover plate. You can then google it and see if it’s LED/CFL compliant.
All you will need is a straight screwdriver.
Once you know what the problem is, they you can decide on what you want to do.
With the kitchen track lights, a bulb would start flickering, about 3 months later would light then occasionally die, and after about 2 months of that, would be dead. Cinzowa LLC is not a “name brand”.
In the place we had in Kamloops, all the LED’s were going strong after over 20 years, but then, there were not cheap options at the time as LED bulbs were leading tech. Cheap clones were not available.
trollhattan
@Jay: My lucky experience is the old dimmers play okay with most, but not all LED bulbs labeled dimmer compatible, so the right lamp might yet be a simple fix.
I’m not shy about swapping out switches, fixtures and the like but I’m not a renter. Just finding the
breakerfuse box can be an adventure!Baud
@Matt McIrvin:
Makes you wonder how much they’ll care about the welfare of children when it comes to voting.
Not really any different than how the anti-abortion folks wail about the babies.
Steeplejack
@zhena gogolia:
Damn it! Just today I was getting PBS Passport set up on the TV here at Sighthound Hall so I could stream the last season or two. I’m moving it up the list.
So far I have streamed all four seasons of The Good Place (very good; Netflix) and the one season of Poker Face (also very good; Peacock). Today I watched Cocaine Bear, which I was hyped to see by the previews a few months ago, but it turned out to be one of those movies where almost all of the good scenes are in the trailers. Not recommended.
Mike S. (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
OT: Does anyone here subscribe to Ground News? I was looking at a Youtube Video by Real Science a channel I like about Mola Mola fish and the video sponsor was Ground News. They have a discount for their top tier sbscriptions. They are a news aggregator that rates the left-right bias of news reporting among other things.
If anyone here uses it I’d like to know if you think it’s worth the price. Thanks.
Matt McIrvin
@pat: Hunter Biden fathered a child, by someone now deep within the right-wing noise machine apparently, who isn’t counted as a granddaughter of Joe Biden by the White House website (and, I think, in some statements by Biden himself). Fox News and such has been having a field day with “Biden denies his own granddaughter!” This seems to hit some people really, really hard.
Eyeroller
@Chetan Murthy:
Are they enclosed in a fixture as opposed to being in lamps? I had an overhead fixture that ate LEDs until I bought one rated for an enclosed application.
Matt McIrvin
@Chetan Murthy: I don’t think the danger is that people will vote for Trump. It’s that they’ll vote third-party or stay home. Or grudgingly vote for Biden but only after spending a year badmouthing him to other people who will stay home.
M31
lol are you all reading about DeSantis’s latest law that takes away alimony? I wonder what percentage of the Villages fall in that category. There’s going to be some organization called First and Second Wives Brigade making a new kind of Molotov cocktail out of a hairspray can and it’s going to be glorious hahahahaha
Jay
@trollhattan:
you have a fuse box?????????
back in my day we had a panel we stuck pennies into!
///
pat
@Matt McIrvin:
Thanks. So an actual daughter of his son is not considered a granddaughter? I have absolutely no experience with this sort of family drama (no kids, thank god) but is does seem a bit…strange.
Must be more to it, right?? Maybe..
Steeplejack
@rikyrah:
That’s hilarious!
Eolirin
@Another Scott: They’re not supposed to count, but SSA makes errors all the time. You need to be have documented this stuff very well to be able to challenge it.
Jay
@Mike S. (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!):
Perun and a couple other you tube bloggers pitch Ground News.
Often with discounts and trial options if you use their promo code.
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan:
Oh the blood red Melina Dump could get!
Dan B
@Chetan Murthy: CREE and Waveform are great brands of LED’s. CREE is not as high a color rendering as Waveform. I’ve tried LED’s from dozens of manufacturers and these are the best except for very pricey SORAA.
Ruckus
@lowtechcyclist:
Any thing is possible for an old fart….
mrmoshpotato
@FastEdD:
Don’t go skinny dipping in International Falls.
Eolirin
@Jackie: So people from those states can no longer drive cars in Florida, a state that relies on tourism to keep it’s economy afloat. Smart.
Jay
@pat:
the child was the result of a “hook up”, which may have been a targeted seduction by a Reich Wing activist from Redneckistan.
Hunter was paying $20k in support a month for years, and has just managed to renegotiate that down. Way over the norms of childcare support.
The mother and all her family are rabid Trumper’s and GOP ratfuckers.
The WhiteHouse website does not list her as one of President Joe Biden’s grandchildren.
Wingers are faux freaking out.
Baud
@Jackie:
I hope the government of those states issues warnings to their citizens not to drive in Florida.
Ruckus
@Phylllis:
That is a great site, saved it and I have my eyeballs on a few good shirts.
Steeplejack
@Suzanne:
I have long thought about taking my lamp somewhere to get it modernized, but, hey, COVID seclusion. And I don’t know if it needs that. I have a 35w incandescent bulb in it now that casts a nice, mellow glow over the corner by the computer desk. (Also have a task lamp right by the computer.) It might only need space to fit an LED bulb. That was going to be my first shot.
D’oh! It suddenly dawns on me that I could try an LED bulb in it without the shade on, just to see if it works. One of my motivations is to have the lamp be programmable from my phone or tablet and also perhaps set up the dreaded Alexa so that I could tell her to turn on the lamp when I come home. My building is from about 1960, and the apartment doesn’t have a lot of outlets or wall switches.
ETA: I have those long fluorescent tube lights in my kitchen. Do not like. I wonder if there is some non-invasive replacement for those.
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah: Lemme guess. Burgers as the “cake,” Big Mac sauce as the “frosting?”
Cameron
@Jackie: Or maybe he just thinks 47 comes after 45.
Ruckus
@Eolirin:
I know, have known, a few residents of FL that were/are very smart.
But in my nearly 3/4 of a century have I never seen or heard anyone say the entire state of FL is smart. And we keep seeing evidence provided by some of those very smart residents of FL that prove that.
Layer8Problem
@mrmoshpotato: What’s the big danger there, frostbite or mosquitos?
Jay
@Steeplejack:
there are LED replacements available for all the Fluorecent tubes.
Bright white to warm white to grow lights.
mrmoshpotato
@Layer8Problem: Frosty mosquito bites!
Another Scott
@Baud: The most recent thread I can quickly find with him is from June 30.
Maybe he got caught up in the Birdsite explosion??
Strike that, he welcomed RedKitten back on July 2.
Dunno.
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
@Another Scott:
Thanks. Probably a vacation.
Ruckus
@Steeplejack:
There are LED replacements for florescent tubes. Lots of normal places sell them. Google it.
Now the news, my employer replaced a couple 8 ft fixtures with LED tubes and they do draw less juice but they are brighter. At least in my experience.
Ruckus
@Cameron:
Or maybe SFB doesn’t think at all, just regurgitates.
Cameron
@Eolirin: Well, I don’t know that everybody with one of those license plates will get pulled over; there may be certain additional (wink, wink, nod, nod) criteria.
Mousebumples
@Baud: re OO – just posted on the Birdsite a few hours ago.
https://twitter.com/OmnesOmnibus64/status/1677738428740378625?t=-PlKW0BTSTqnq7BoTGb0sQ&s=19
May be a mental health blog break, too. I know I’ve taken those in the past.
Jackie
@Eolirin: I don’t get why people from those states, but not others🤷🏼♀️ Does Pudd’n Boots have extra distain for “those people?”
Baud
@Mousebumples:
Well, now I’m insulted.
sab
@pat: Hunter on his drugged drunken up running away from life drive across country from DC to California associated with some very iffy people on the way. One of them got pregnant. She sued for child support. He refused to pay because he claims he didn’t even remember her. The DNA test proved the child was his. The court awarded child support at a level to live at same level as his kids from marriage ( $20,000 per month.) Hunter really fucked up.
Joe Biden does not want to welcome the kid (and the mother) into his family.
My only opinion is Hunter fucked up. Hunter has responsibilities, but I really don’t see why Joe does. If he and Jill wanted a relationship and the mother objected as grandparents they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. So what Joe is saying is the flip side of that coin.
Steeplejack
@Jay:
Thanks.
trollhattan
@Jay:
+1 Highly recommended. Brighter, better color, no more mercury!
Mousebumples
@Baud: we should create the Baud-site Twitter alternative. No need for Threads, or Post, or BlueSky. Baud-site for all your social media needs…
Jay
@Jackie:
they are States that will issue Drivers lisence’s to refugees and the undocumented.
Jackie
@Ruckus: I love love Life is Good shirts! Good quality, great sales on a regular basis. They are 100% cotton, so keep shrinkage in mind – or hang dry as I do.
Baud
@sab:
I don’t know or care about this story, but how old is the child? Does Hunter have an active relationship with the kid? I’d be a little surprised if Joe said no to Hunter. But otherwise I agree with you.
Juju
@lowtechcyclist: why is being a woman such an insult for you?
Jay
@trollhattan:
plus with the right level of static electricity, you can play Star Wars with the bulbs in the parking lot with out worrying about a razor thin glass bomb going off on the first strike.
Baud
@Mousebumples:
And no Nazis allowed!
Sure Lurkalot
@Ruckus: The LED tubes are very bright. Bought 4 fixtures for the garage and relocated one to the basement.
Jay
@Baud:
she’s 4, and no, Hunter Biden has no relationship with the child, the mother or the family, other than giving them money,
and from all accounts, they don’t want any kind of relationship with any of the Bidens other than money and selling their story to Jim Hoft or Still Dead Briebart.
Another Scott
@Steeplejack: @Jay: @Ruckus:
Yup. When some renovation work was done in my lab at work several years ago I asked for LED replacements for the 4′ long fluorescents. There are drop-in replacements so you don’t have to mess with rewiring it – if the ballast is good. If the ballast fails, then you have the usual issue of replacing it. :-/
The guy who did the bulbs said that they were dimmable as well, but we didn’t bother with replacing the switch with a dimmer switch.
The ones we have are:
ELB Plus
LED T8-48-14-840-FHF
This looks similar and mentions dimming. They’re roughly $10 a piece (and you can probably find a place that sells them individually).
HTH a little.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
Jackie
@Jay: OH! THAT makes it “understandable!”🤪
I hope the word gets out! DeStupid is really trying to decimate FL’s population, isn’t he!
Mousebumples
@Baud: well, of course not. And that should include the fascism-curious MAGA headcases.
Baud
@Jay:
Well, jeez. I thought they were the ones pushing for it, either for personal or political reasons. That’s the only way the “controversy” makes sense.
It would be beyond offensive for Biden to appropriate this child as his grandchild against the wishes of the parents, and especially the custodial mom.
Jackie
@Jay: Other than the Biden name. The judge sided with Hunter, so no last name of Biden for her.
I hate when “adults” use innocent babies as pawns.
eclare
@The Pale Scot:
Good point
Another Scott
@Juju: I’ve called him Ronda here, and called that TIFG lawyer guy Patsy Baloney.
In my case, it’s (admittedly childish) making fun of their names (and giving them fewer hits in Google) and harkening back to KissThisGuy.
If it’s coming across as sexist, I’ll stop.
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
sab
@Baud: I don’t know. Beau died in 2015, and Hunter blew things up in the next couple of years, so the child cannot be older than seven. Probably some creepy Republican is shit stirring here to both families’ detriment.
A lot of families have mixed up backgrounds and horrible people. My stepdaughter’s grandmother tossed her into horrible foster care at age four when her mother was institutionalized with MS. My husband is still furious because he is a man who could always get a good job. Not so true for the grandmother who was married to a man who wanted no difficult small children around.
I am going by my usual trust in Joe Biden to do the decent thing. If accepting this child was doable he would have done it.
Dan B
@Steeplejack: There are LED tubes that work in fluorescent but they’re skinnier so the balast has to come out and the things the tubes plug into need to be replaced. You’ll want 2700K (warm).
Jay
@Another Scott:
Rhonda is mild compared to what Betty has called him. : )
Dan B
@Ruckus: They are brighter. We have friends we guided through. They used half the number of tubes.
Steeplejack
@Another Scott:
Thanks.
sab
@Jay: Seems a lot like another Clinton bimbo eruption, except Joe Biden had nothing to do with it.
Jay
@Dan B:
there are direct LED replacements for the T-8 florescent tubes, yes they are thinner, but there is no need to change the ballast, (as long as it is in good shape or contain PCB’s) or the end fixtures.
Good ones start at $60. but can range all the way up to $350 for a Uline.
Steeplejack
@Dan B:
Thanks. I’m clear on the color temps. Just didn’t know if there were easy replacements.
pat
@Jay:
Ah, so not a little baaabbbyyyyyyyy.. Thanks.
lowtechcyclist
@Juju:
You must be new around here. “Rhonda Sandtits” has been a frequently used play on “Ron DeSantis” here at BJ.
As Another Scott pointed out, kinda like “excuse me while I kiss this guy.”
Jay
@sab:
if the media were doing their jobs, (buhahahahaha), they would be looking at the Komromat angle.
other than that, it’s a nothingburger and fauxrage.
Shakti
@Jackie: AFAIK, all 50 US states have been REAL ID compliant for at least 2 years.
That means:
“At a minimum, you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status.”
IME, that means ALL of your government names on your current documents have to match and they scan all of that into the DMV database.
So, I don’t know WTF is going on with DeSantis/Florida singling out people with driver’s licenses from those 4 states for extra scrutiny. Maybe I’m not up on wingnutMAGA whistles?
Geminid
@lowtechcyclist: I’ve been around here since that name was introduced. I thought it was puerile then, and it still is. Beavis and Butthead-level humor.
I don’t take it the way a woman might, but I remember at least one woman here who objected early on.
sab
@Jay: Yes.
Jay
@Shakti:
they grant DL’s to “un documented” immigrants and asylum seekers, with out noting that on the DL or their Social Security Number.
So a Floriduh! Cop has to do some actual leg work.
In Floriduh!, you can’t get a DL as an asylum seeker or an “un documented” immigrant.
Ron Deathsantis is doing his best to keep Floriduh! White Reich Wing.
Jackie
@Shakti: WA state doesn’t require Real ID until May 2025.
But we’re not on Pudd’n Boots list of undesirables.
sab
@Jay: Gotta give them credit for dedication. To have a child by someone you despise, knowing it will grow up fatherless, just to own some libs.
Wow.
Amir Khalid
@rikyrah:
Apparently McDonalds outlets in Jakarta, Indonesia now offer a wedding reception package at a very reasonable price.
Juju
@Another Scott: It does seem sexist to me. It reminds me of the unofficial saying of my high school graduating class, “ when in doubt don’t woman out.” That bugged me to distraction. I’ve also known four Rhondas in my lifetime, each smart, thoughtful and empathetic women. As far as the use of Patsy Baloney, I’ve never seen that as sexist. A patsy can be a woman’s name, but also a sucker, or person who is easily manipulated, which is what I always took that to mean until you equated that with sexism. I have been known to miss the obvious on occasion. I think patsy is actually very descriptive of Mr. Cippilone. Anyhoo.
Cheers to you as well,
juju
Juju
@Amir Khalid: Wow. That’s a dream come true, except for the missing chocolate fountain. 😜
SteverinoCT
I bought a “garage style” LED fixture, 2 ft long and wide enough to hold two standard tubes, but instead has a row of LED beads. I got it to put over my desk at home because the room light is behind me and casts a shadow on my work. It is so bright that I put a sheet of paper inside to help the diffuser. Works great. It uses a pull-chain so no fancy wiring; just an ugly power cord run over to the main light.
sab
@Amir Khalid: Do they cater, or close the restaurant?
Steeplejack
@sab:
Own some libs and get a quarter mil a year.
Another Scott
@Juju: re: your high school – that is absolutely horrible and unacceptable. What kinds of monsters in authority there put up with that crap?
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Juju
@Another Scott: It was 1979. Just about everyone. The people who did the yearbook actually put it in the yearbook.
zhena gogolia
@Juju: For Italian-Americans, Patsy is a male nickname.