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You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Birdwatching / Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

by | 228 Comments

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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!

Reader Interactions

228Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    This day feels like a Sunday for some reason

    Same. Although that’s because I took yesterday off for a family event.

  3. 3.

    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!😡

  4. 4.

    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?).

  5. 5.

    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.

  6. 6.

    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.

  8. 8.

    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.

  11. 11.

    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.

  12. 12.

    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!

  14. 14.

    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.

  15. 15.

    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 voted for him, and had a yard sign in front of my house. But, he lost me on this. As a grandparent, it is just too cruel. I absolutely do not want him to run again.

    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?

  16. 16.

    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.

  17. 17.

    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.

    Saturday Afternoon Open Thread 17

  18. 18.

    marklar

    One of the best things about Roseate Spoonbills is their latin name….Platalea ajaja!

  19. 19.

    Mousebumples

    @Mousebumples: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/07/wisconsin-judge-allows-lawsuit-challenging-1849-abortion-ban-to-proceed/70392325007/

    A lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 19th Century-era abortion law at the center of Wisconsin politics may proceed, a Dane County judge said in an order Friday while also signaling she did not believe the law in question bans consensual abortions.

     

    Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit from defendant Sheboygan District Attorney Joel Urmanski, who argued in May that Attorney General Josh Kaul, who brought the lawsuit, was asking a judge to perform the duties of lawmakers and was ignoring the fact that lawmakers have put forward language to repeal the original abortion law and decided against passing it.
    Schlipper in her Friday order rejecting Urmanski’s argument said doctors deserve an answer to which abortion-related state law they should follow now that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, putting back into effect laws in Wisconsin that were dormant under the 50-year decision.
    The judge also signaled she did not believe the law in question, a statute written in 1849, applies to abortions but to feticide.

    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! 🎉

  21. 21.

    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.

  25. 25.

    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.

  28. 28.

    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!

  31. 31.

    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.

  33. 33.

    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.

  34. 34.

    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.

  35. 35.

    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.

  37. 37.

    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/

  39. 39.

    trollhattan

    @rikyrah: Ron DeSanctimonious

    I can never be convinced Trump understands this particular gag name. They had to have added it to his autocomplete library (pronounced “libary”).

  40. 40.

    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.

  42. 42.

    Another Scott

    @Firebert: My understanding is that the COVID stimulus payments did not count against federal benefits.  IANAL.

    E.g. Here:

    Stimulus Payments and SSI/SSDI
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    * The stimulus payments will not count as income for that month
    * The stimulus payments will not be counted as a “resource” for twelve months from the month of receipt
    * SSI recipients do not need to do anything to receive stimulus payments

    Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
    * The stimulus payments are categorized as unearned income
    * SSDI benefits are not impacted by unearned income
    * The stimulus payments will not have an impact on SSDI or Social Security Retirement benefits
    * The stimulus payments will also have no impact on Medicare premiums or eligibility
    * SSDI recipients do not need to do anything to receive stimulus payments

    HTH a little. Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  43. 43.

    Brachiator

    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.

    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.

  45. 45.

    lowtechcyclist

    @trollhattan:

    Can I add Kathleen Parker to the list of Dumb Columnists with Lofty Platforms?

    Why I ordered 200 incandescent lightbulbs

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/23/lighting-bulbs-incandescent-expiration/

    Yeah, as stupid as it sounds at first glance.

    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.

  46. 46.

    Chetan Murthy

    @trollhattan:

    Can I add Kathleen Parker to the list of Dumb Columnists with Lofty Platforms?

    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.

  47. 47.

    mrmoshpotato

    @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.

    Oof!

    Added – LOL!

    Thankfully, you can’t OD on pot!

  49. 49.

    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.

  50. 50.

    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.

  51. 51.

    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.

    Will this stimulus payment be counted as income or affect my benefits?

    Like the first two stimulus payments, this third payment is not counted as income and won’t affect your benefits at all. The money can be used for any reason, even for items above and beyond basic living expenses. The money is also protected from being counted as a resource for twelve months. After 12 months, any unspent stimulus money can be counted as a resource by Social Security. If you receive SSI and have more than $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple) in assets, you may be required to spend that money down or risk having your benefits being suspended. SSDI recipients do not have this $2,000 limit.

    Unfortunately, I am not an expert on this area, but you may need some competent legal advice.

  52. 52.

    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.

  53. 53.

    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…

  54. 54.

    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.

  57. 57.

    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!

  59. 59.

    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.

  61. 61.

    mrmoshpotato

    @MattF: Credit where credit is due.

    And burn in Hell Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld.  Dick, W, and Condi will be joining you.

  62. 62.

    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…..

  63. 63.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    I took yesterday off for a family event.

    Was the dress code on the invitation “Pants Optional”?

  70. 70.

    lowtechcyclist

    @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.

    160 days from now (but who’s counting? ;-) I’ll be joining that club.

    Yeah, I’m ready.

  72. 72.

    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.

  73. 73.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, yet another fact that will likely be suppressed if the book burners get their way… Phys.org:

    When archaeologists first discovered the 5,000-year-old ornate tomb in Spain, they assumed it was for a man. It held a rock crystal dagger, ivory tusks and other lavish items. But now they’ve determined the remains are those of a woman, and all it took was two teeth.

    The researchers used a new method of determining sex that analyzes tooth enamel. This technique, developed about five years ago, is more reliable than analyzing skeletal remains in poor condition, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

    Most details about the life of the “Ivory Lady,” as researchers dubbed her, remain a mystery but there are some clues.

    “She was buried alone in a tomb with very special artifacts,” said Leonardo Garcia Sanjuan, a co-author and archaeologist at the University of Seville in Spain. “That shows that she was a special person.”

    The tomb is located a few miles west of Seville, near Spain’s southern coast, and was excavated in 2008. Archaeologists thought it contained a young man based on an examination of the poorly preserved bones and the fact that several precious items found in the tomb—including ostrich eggshells and amber along with the tusks and dagger—indicated that the individual held a high social status.

    The new technique detects differences in the chemistry of tooth enamel between males and females and can be used even when full DNA is not available.

    [ Image caption – This photo provided by the ATLAS research group of the University of Seville in July 2023 shows a rock crystal dagger with an ivory hilt and sheath discovered in a tomb in Valencina, Spain, dated between 3,200 and 2,200 years ago. When archaeologists first discovered the ornate tomb, they assumed it was for a man. But now they’ve determined the remains are those of a woman by analyzing tooth enamel, according to a study published Thursday, July 6, 2023, in the journal Scientific Reports. Credit: Miguel Ángel Blanco de la Rubia/ATLAS – University of Seville ]

    “This research provides one more piece of evidence questioning old historical narratives,” said Alison Beach, an historian at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, who was not involved in the study. It shows that “it’s not exclusively true that men have always been the most revered or held the most authority.”

    Marta Cintas-Pena, a co-author and archaeologist at the University of Seville, maintains a database of Copper Age burials found at 21 different archaeological sites on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal. It currently has records for 1,723 individuals.

    “The Ivory Lady’s burial stands out, head and shoulders, above everyone else—there is absolutely no known male or female burial that compares to hers,” said Garcia Sanjuan.

    For around 250 years after the Ivory Lady’s burial, newer graves were built around hers—but always with a 100-foot (30-meter) buffer zone, he said. And around 80 years after her death, people reentered her tomb and placed additional votive objects inside, including the crystal dagger.

    […]

    Katharina Rebay-Salisbury, a co-author and archaeologist at the University of Vienna in Austria, suspects the same misidentification might be true at other ancient tombs where researchers assumed, “Oh, this is a rich and prominent person, it must be a male.”

    Recently other researchers determined through DNA analysis that a decorated Viking warrior buried in Sweden was a woman, upending prior assumptions.

    “If we go back and test, we will get a few more surprises,” Rebay-Salisbury said.

    More information: Marta Cintas-Peña et al, Amelogenin peptide analyses reveal female leadership in Copper Age Iberia (c. 2900–2650 BC), Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36368-x

    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.

  74. 74.

    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.

  76. 76.

    Betty Cracker

    This new series on Amazon sounds intriguing:

    Deadloch is the Feminist Crime Parody You Didn’t Know You Needed

    This delightful Australian import, originally called Funny Broadchurch, starts off as a spoof before blooming into an addictive, hilarious thriller that stands on its own.

    Review at Vanity Fair.

  77. 77.

    Brachiator

    @Jackie:

    Amy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, and the Obama girls might disagree…

    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.

  78. 78.

    mrmoshpotato

    @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. 

    If Melon Husk throws himself into the Sun…

    And I really hate that “Probably Aliens” meme.  Makes me want to punch him harder.

  79. 79.

    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🤦🏼‍♀️

  81. 81.

    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.

  82. 82.

    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.

  84. 84.

    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!

  85. 85.

    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.

  87. 87.

    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.

  88. 88.

    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.

  89. 89.

    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.

  90. 90.

    Brachiator

    @Another Scott:

    Recently other researchers determined through DNA analysis that a decorated Viking warrior buried in Sweden was a woman, upending prior assumptions.

    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.

  93. 93.

    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….

  95. 95.

    lowtechcyclist

    @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.

    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.

  96. 96.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Jackie:

    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.” 

    And his “signature” looks like a seismograph sucking Putin’s asshole.

  98. 98.

    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.

  99. 99.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @trollhattan:

    I can never be convinced Trump understands this particular gag name

    He doesn’t.  Somebody asked him about it, and his definition was wildly wrong.  I think he said it meant disloyal?

    @Another Scott:

    Cultural biases have been a huge impediment to all sorts of attempts to understand the truth of scientific findings.

    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.

  101. 101.

    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.

  102. 102.

    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?

  103. 103.

    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.

  104. 104.

    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?

  105. 105.

    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.

  106. 106.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Ruckus: ​
     

    Remind me then, so I can welcome you aboard the USS retired.

    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

  107. 107.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Tony Jay:

    So he agrees that he didn’t win the 2020 Election? Do the MAGOPs know he’s sold them out? /s 

    Enjoy prison, you insurrectionist suckers!

  108. 108.

    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.

  109. 109.

    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.

  111. 111.

    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.

  112. 112.

    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.

  115. 115.

    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?

  116. 116.

    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!

  118. 118.

    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.

  121. 121.

    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.

  123. 123.

    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.

  125. 125.

    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.

  126. 126.

    Brachiator

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    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.”

    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.

  127. 127.

    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.

  128. 128.

    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.

  130. 130.

    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.

  131. 131.

    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)

  133. 133.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Jay: I get you, but:

    1. I rent
    2. I’m not an electrician
    3. I’m a bit loath to push my landlord to do things like this, b/c my rent is low for SF (was market-rate in 2007)

    But good to know.  Maybe I’ll mumble about it and see how they react.

  138. 138.

    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.

  139. 139.

    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

  142. 142.

    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!“

  143. 143.

    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!

  146. 146.

    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!!?!?!?

  147. 147.

    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.

  148. 148.

    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!

  149. 149.

    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.

  150. 150.

    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.

  152. 152.

    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.

  153. 153.

    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.

  154. 154.

    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.

  155. 155.

    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

  157. 157.

    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..

  159. 159.

    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.

  161. 161.

    mrmoshpotato

    @trollhattan:

    God yes, Phillips has their HUE line where you can dial in any bloody color you want. 

    Oh the blood red Melina Dump could get!

  162. 162.

    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.

  165. 165.

    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.

  166. 166.

    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.

  169. 169.

    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.​

  172. 172.

    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.

  178. 178.

    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.

  180. 180.

    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.

  182. 182.

    Jackie

    @Eolirin: I don’t get why people from those states, but not others🤷🏼‍♀️ Does Pudd’n Boots have extra distain for “those people?”

  184. 184.

    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.

  187. 187.

    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…

  189. 189.

    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.

  190. 190.

    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.

  192. 192.

    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.

  194. 194.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Ruckus: The LED tubes are very bright. Bought 4 fixtures for the garage and relocated one to the basement.

  195. 195.

    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.

  196. 196.

    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.

  197. 197.

    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!

  199. 199.

    Baud

    @Jay:

    and from all accounts, they don’t want any kind of relationship with any of the Bidens.

    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.

  200. 200.

    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.

  202. 202.

    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.

  203. 203.

    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.

  204. 204.

    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).

  209. 209.

    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.

  212. 212.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Juju:

    why is being a woman such an insult for you?

    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.”

  213. 213.

    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.

  214. 214.

    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?

  215. 215.

    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.

  217. 217.

    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.

  218. 218.

    Jackie

    @Shakti: WA state doesn’t require Real ID until May 2025.

    But we’re not on Pudd’n Boots list of undesirables.

  219. 219.

    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.

  221. 221.

    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

  223. 223.

    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.

  226. 226.

    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.

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