Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

An unpunished coup is a training exercise.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

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

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

I also would like a pony to improve my balloon juice experience.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

“But what about the lurkers?”

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / 2024 Primaries / Saturday Morning Funnies Open Thread

Saturday Morning Funnies Open Thread

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Saturday Morning Open Thread:
Yup!

And Pence’s parade was only the second saddest Iowa primary candidate appearance this week…

Reader Interactions

281Comments

  1. 1.

    George

    Apparently that was not Mike Pence at all, which does not detract from that kid making a helluva throw.

  2. 2.

    NotMax

    Because had nothing better to do, spent a spell ruminating regarding Smiths named Jack.

    Whispering. (Presented by Fox!)

    Whistling.

    Searching for a W word to apply to the current one. Watchful? Wily? Willful?

    (Actually like Veracious, but for the slightly differing initial sound unless spoken by Ensign Chekov.)     ;)

  3. 3.

    gene108

    The girl has a cannon for an arm. Threw it on rope and a direct hit to the head.

    ************

    Why is Ron wearing a sweater vest in fucking July?

    That’s just weird in much of the northern hemisphere, including Iowa.

  4. 4.

    Betty Cracker

    @gene108: This is the only time I’ll ever defend Ron Fucking DeSantis, but he is a Florida native, and if it’s under 70 degrees, outerwear is required.

  6. 6.

    Another Scott

    @George: Yeah, it’s not Pence.  I mean, he doesn’t even look like him (Pence is stiff and shorter and has a bigger belly).

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  7. 7.

    Betty Cracker

    The Tampa Bay Times had an alarming report about the private army DeSantis is standing up at taxpayer expense:

    Many were told they would volunteer for a revived State Guard with a nonmilitary mission: help Floridians in times of need or disaster.

    Instead, the state’s National Guard trained the volunteers for combat. Khakis and polos were replaced by camouflaged uniforms. Volunteers assured they could keep their facial hair were ordered to shave. And they were drilled on how to rappel with ropes, navigate through the woods and respond to incidents under military command.

    When DeSantis announced in 2021 that he wanted to revive the long-dormant State Guard, he vowed it would help Floridians during emergencies. But in the year since its launch, key personnel and a defined mission remain elusive. The state is looking for the program’s third leader in eight months. According to records reviewed by the Times/Herald and interviews with program volunteers, a number of recruits quit after the first training class last month because they feared it was becoming too militaristic.

    The State Guard reports directly to the governor. I’m sure this is fine. [insert dog in burning coffee shop meme here]

  8. 8.

    Baud

    I feel like a stick in the mud, but hitting random passerbys with water balloons kind of sucks.  I don’t think she should be arrested or anything, but I’m confident I wouldn’t take pleasure if some dude hit Kamala with a water balloon. (I realize that’s not really Pence).

  10. 10.

    Another Scott

    @Baud: He wasn’t a passerby.  It’s a NY thing.

    (repost from another jackal in an earlier thread) IndyStar.com:

    It was Nassau County [NY] Executive Bruce Blakeman who took a well-tossed water balloon to the back of his cranium during a Fourth of July parade in Stewart Manor, NY.

    “The water balloons and soaker guns are a long tradition at the Stewart Manor parade,” Blakeman said on Facebook, adding that he had fun during the annual event. The girl who threw the balloon at him with such ferocity, Blakeman joked, has a possible future career with the New York Yankees or Mets.

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  11. 11.

    Kay

    “For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking another historic step to right these wrongs and announcing $39 billion in debt relief for another 804,000 borrowers. By fixing past administrative failures, we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve, just as we have done for public servants, students who were cheated by their colleges, and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans. This Administration will not stop fighting to level the playing field in higher education.”
    Today’s action is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s implementation of the payment count adjustment announced in April 2022. That action addressed historical inaccuracies in the count of payments that qualify toward forgiveness under IDR plans. Under the Higher Education Act and the Department’s regulations, a borrower is eligible for forgiveness after making 240 or 300 monthly payments—the equivalent of 20 or 25 years on an IDR plan or the standard repayment plan, with the number of required payments varying based upon when a borrower first took out the loans, the type of loans they borrowed, and the IDR payment plan in which the borrower is enrolled. Inaccurate payment counts have resulted in borrowers losing hard-earned progress toward loan forgiveness. This action also addresses concerns about practices by loan servicers that put borrowers into forbearance in violation of Department rules. The Department previously began discharging loans for borrowers who reached forgiveness for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) through these changes.

    So first they did the public service loans (those were screwed up by DeVos – she refused to discharge the debt) then they did a huge block of students who were ripped off by for-profit scam colleges, then they did disabled people. The IDR people are now up.

  15. 15.

    Tim Curtin

    The sweater vest ooga booga magic which DeSantis is trying to appropriate from Santorum in Iowa and Youngkin in VA requires a fleece vest, not a windbreaker.  Same rookie mistake JR Majewski made in OH.

     

    Imagine how insulting it would be to be a Republican and have these guys literally play dress-up and start wearing glasses and shit because that’s how dumb they think you are.  It’s like something out of Teletubbies.

  18. 18.

    Baud

    As DeSantis said, let’s hope there are no more hurricanes in Florida.

    AAA pulls back from offering insurance in Florida, following Farmers

  20. 20.

    Baud

    You would think someone who hates LGBT people as much as DeSantis does would stay away from Dairy Queen.

  23. 23.

    EarthWindFire

    @Tim Curtin: Republican candidates wouldn’t think their voters are idiots if their voters didn’t keep giving them reason to believe.

  26. 26.

    Realworldrj

    ruh roh

    dq rainbow blizzards are a gateway to crt cultural marxism wokeism

    ”INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE: We believe in and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.“

  31. 31.

    Jeffro

    They’re ALL really going to try the “fleece vest” thing?

    (eyeroll) (hard

    ETA: at least Youngkin didn’t start this all off by wearing a red fleece Speedo…we’d be in real trouble then…

  32. 32.

    MomSense

    @Tim Curtin:

    I refuse to let those assholes ruin a classic garment.  I do object to fleece, however.  It’s fucking plastic and it pollutes every time you wash it releasing micro plastics.  And at the end of its life it ends up in a landfill where it will be forever because it won’t decompose.  Or it gets incinerated releasing toxic chemicals into the air.

  35. 35.

    Geminid

    What’s with this branded clothing thing DeSantis has going? Does he expect enthusiastic Republicans to start wearing them to his rallies?

    That short sleeved “DeSantis” shirt he was wearing the other day made him look like a gas station attendent. And now he’s modeling the DeSantis Bobblehead souvenir!

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    So, made plane reservations for the NY trip.

    Carefully scanning the e-mail confirmation, saw they misspelled my name by one letter.

    Took 75 minutes on the phone to straighten it out.

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    Speaking of funnies…I think it was yesterday where George Will had a piece up titled “Neither trump Nor DeSantis Will Get the GOP Nomination”

    (I mean, I want a pony for Christmas too, George – nah gonna huppen!)

    Buried in all the nonsense was this part, as if this somehow GOP voters are suddenly going to find trump and DeSantis unacceptable because of their pro-Putin stances:

    The Republican nomination contest is accelerating, as is Ukraine’s counteroffensive, the latter underscoring the stakes of the former. During Spain’s civil war, a rebel general boasted that he had four columns marching on Madrid and “a fifth column” in Madrid, meaning supporters of the army’s insurgency. Vladimir Putin’s fifth column is not in Kyiv but in the Trump-DeSantis faction of the Republican Party.

    Putin has two hopes for a less than completely mortifying rescue from his Ukraine blunder.  One is the election of trump, whose frivolousness about national security complements his weakling’s admiration for a bully. Putin’s other hope is the election of DeSantis, who says (or said, before retreating when criticized) Russia’s attempt to erase a European nation is a “territorial dispute.”

    Say whut not???
    Anyway, the kicker was at the end, when he said that not only will the nominee not be trump or DeSantis but…of course…this mystery savior nominee would be…bad news for Joe Biden.

  45. 45.

    Jharp

    So when can we expect felony assault charges brought against the 12 year old girl who nailed Pence with the water balloon?

  46. 46.

    Baud

    @Jeffro:

    Wishful thinking, but this is good.

    Vladimir Putin’s fifth column is not in Kyiv but in the Trump-DeSantis faction of the Republican Party.

  48. 48.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Baud: I agree. It’s a bully move. Water balloon fights are great if everyone is in on the fight.

    ETA: Reading more of the thread, I see that maybe everyone WAS in on the fight, or at least expected some wet hits.

    I’m going to go yell at kids to get off my lawn now…

  50. 50.

    Another Scott

    @Jeffro: [argle bargle] GQPers know that they and all their friends and relations only vote for GQPers, but they don’t win elections.  It must be because the Demonrats have twisted the system and cheat and let illegals vote through things like early voting.  If Demonrats are for it, we have to oppose it.  Therefore the only patriotic thing to do is to keep Demonrats from voting so that the true Will of The People comes through. [/argle bargle]

    It’s tribal.  You won’t get Youngkin or any fellow travelers to overtly tell the press that their policies are lies and BS so that they can maintain power.  One might get some mileage from recordings and “leaks” of them talking about it, (the press loves, loves, loves “leaks”), but only for a time.

    “Youngkin and the Republicans think that only people they pick, and only people that agree with them, should be able to vote and have their votes count.  Our parents and grandparents fought hard to leave us with a strong nation with self-government where everyone’s vote matters.  We’re not going to let the extreme MAGA Republicans steal that birthright from us…” – sensible Democratic candidate.

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  52. 52.

    Elizabelle

    @Jeffro:  Thank you for saving me from having to click on George Fucking Will.

    Got to say, the headline was inviting.  But seeing his byline?  Hard pass.

  55. 55.

    Elizabelle

    @Jeffro:

    Vladimir Putin’s fifth column is not in Kyiv but in the Trump-DeSantis faction of the Republican Party.

    GF Will actually wrote the truth.  Although, not about Ukraine, as he was intending.

    About the war on democracy in the US.

  57. 57.

    Kay

    Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dished out wild COVID-19 conspiracy theories this week during a press event at an Upper East Side restaurant, claiming the bug was a genetically engineered bioweapon that may have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
    Kennedy floated the idea during a question-and-answer portion of raucous booze and fart-filled dinner at Tony’s Di Napoli on East 63d Street. “COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” Kennedy said. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”
    “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” Kennedy hedged.

    Just asking questions! This is who the anti woke ninnies are supporting. My goodness.

  60. 60.

    Elizabelle

    @NotMax:  In baseball years?

    I guess, given the wretched stable** of conservative columnists the WaPost pays, he has to stay on.  He actually tilts that crew towards … a version of reality.  Some columns.

    ** apologies to horses

  61. 61.

    Kay

    He’s perfect for the anti woke ninnies- he’s an idiot who uses their ridiculous debate club language. They lap it right up.

    There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted.

  62. 62.

    mrmoshpotato

    @NotMax: Did their hold music include Play That Funky Music White Boy?

    (I remember that from some commercial years ago.)

  64. 64.

    Geminid

    @Baud: I was encouraged by the House vote yesterday on military aid to Ukraine. There were 70 Republicans voting against, but that’s fewer than I would have predicted 6 months ago.

    One factor could be that Tucker Carlson, Putin’s leading American apologist, has lost his platform. I wonder if Carlson’s “Tankie” embrace was a factor in Murdock’s decision to pull the plug on his popular, populist show host.

  69. 69.

    gene108

    @Betty Cracker:

    This is the only time I’ll ever defend Ron Fucking DeSantis, but he is a Florida native, and if it’s under 70 degrees, outerwear is required.

    Can’t project strength*, if a 60°F morning temp, with highs in the 80°’s forces him to bundle up.

    * The most confounding thing to me about Ron’s presidential campaign is his inability to project masculinity.

    On paper, for a politician, he has some good background for projecting masculinity and normalcy. Former Navy officer (from what I understand, even JAGS have to pass basic training, which isn’t nothing) and captain of the Yale baseball team would usually be enough to project masculinity. If he got a pickup truck, and bought a farm or ranch, he’d be golden.

    Hell, Ron’s Little League baseball team made the Little League World Series. So many voters were kids who played youth sports and/or have kids in youth sports, playing Little League baseball is wholesome and relatable.

    Bush, Jr. was a cheerleader at Yale, IIRC, and a “part-time” TANG pilot and convinced voters he was a manly man.

    I feel like it’s one of the easiest sells in American politics for a politician with military experience to run the occasional clip in a campaign ad with them in uniform. A picture of a young Ron in the Little League World Series would make a good three to five second sound bite in an ad.

    Yet he puts out strange campaign ads with clips of oiled up body builders, and bad electronica music. If Casey’s managing his public image, she is a complete and total failure at it.

  73. 73.

    Kay

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Agree. The debt relief people have not covered themselves in glory crediting Biden with his actual record. They’re too far afield from reality for me now. They turn these things into terms of art. “Debt relief” now has a narrow meaning and triggers a pat response. It was like when they seized on NAFTA as a term of art that meant “everything bad that has happened to working people in the last 40 years”. They just summoned the word and it got a response. Where I live – lots of trade with Canada- you would be “well, Canada though. Canada is in North America and in NAFTA, huge trading partner, high wages, worker protections”. Forget it. NAFTA no longer meant North American Free Trade Agreement. It meant “the bad thing”.

  74. 74.

    Subsole

    @Geoduck:

    Yeah. That’s how you knew it was bullshit. Actual ranchers don’t enjoy clearing brush. Nobody enjoys clearing brush. Especially people who do it regularly.

  79. 79.

    trollhattan

    @Jeffro: ​George woke up in 1980, evidently.

    They pay him for this stuff?

    Although, I’m tickled with the notion of Putin backing Desantis as a shortcut to “winning” Ukraine (whatever he thinks that look like in 2023) because it’s as likely as him successfully marching on Beijing.

  80. 80.

    Layer8Problem

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:  :-)  Me too.  However, reading about Kennedy has me plotting a trip out for brunch and a Bloody Mary, maybe hold the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, vegetables, and ice.  I mean this is the man that will split the Democratic party?  This is a Kennedy?  Somebody’s got pictures of him doing something is all I can come up with.

  81. 81.

    Kay

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I do think normie debtors are paying attention because they’re all looking at their loans anticipating payments starting back up, so the timing/promotion right now is smart.

    I’m interested in the auto enroll process they use. I think they can do it because they actually take out the old rule and put in a new one instead of modifying the rule.

  82. 82.

    NotMax

    @mrmoshpotato

    Actually was placed on hold several times over the course of the whole megillah. Music was a 15 second loop so bland and generic it made Walter Wanderley‘s ensemble sound like the London Philharmonic in comparison.
    :)

  83. 83.

    zhena gogolia

    I wish there were a way to watch TCM without having it on cable. They’re doing a B-movie festival. I’d love to see “Dead Man’s Eyes” again.

  84. 84.

    m.j.

    The minimum wage in Iowa is still seven dollars and twenty five cents per hour.

    Ron Desantis isn’t worth that much.

  85. 85.

    Geminid

    @Baud: There is a core of pro-Ukraine Reps in the caucus, but I think you are right about the majority. It wouldn’t take much for a number of them to hop back on the fence. One more reason to hope the Ukrainian counter-offensive achieves substantial gains.

    Republican Senators seem more united in their support of Ukraine. They helped pass the $44 billion in military aid in the December Omnibus funding bill. That was a very consequential provision that did not get much attention in the pre-Christmas rush.

  88. 88.

    Kay

    We really have to raise taxes on the ultra wealthy. They get more decadent and ridiculous and dangerous every year. I cannot believe these silly, coddled people are financially backing RFK Jr. Do they not see what he’s doing with the “targeting” bullshit? How stupid are they?

  89. 89.

    Ken

    @Tim Curtin: The sweater vest ooga booga magic which DeSantis is trying to appropriate from Santorum

    He’s trying to associate himself with Santorum? Does he not know how to use Google?

  93. 93.

    Subsole

    @Kay:

    They see.

    They just think money grants immunity.

    And y’know? After the last few decades, I cannot say as I blame them for thinking it.

  94. 94.

    Ken

    @Baud: Interesting article, especially that AAA is pulling back because the re-insurers are raising their prices for Florida. That means every other consumer insurer is facing the same. Also that the re-insurers’ actuaries have looked into their crystal balls and not liked what they see for Florida.

    Up to now, a bank might still write a loan because an insurer will take the risk, and an insurer might still write a policy because the re-insurer will take the risk, but if that’s changed, well, I hope no one has their retirement fund invested in Florida real estate.

  96. 96.

    Jerzy Russian

    Does he not know how to use Google?

    I can’t keep up, but perhaps Google is too woke for DeSantis to use? Is there an alternative, sort of along the lines of Conservapedia?

  98. 98.

    NotMax

    @@zhena gogolia

    TCM available on several streaming services, either as part of the basic roster or as a low price add-on. Upside is streaming includes a rotation of on demand offerings so one is not necessarily locked in to watching what’s on at any given time.

    I get it as part of the Hollywood Extras add-on with Sling Blue. Extra six clams per month for the package, which as well as TCM includes nine other networks such as Sundance, Reelz, FXX, FXM, etc.

  99. 99.

    Baud

    @Ken:

    I pulled it from a jackal I follow on Mastodon. But he uses his real name there, and I can’t recall what his BJ nym is.

  100. 100.

    Kay

    @Subsole:

    The Chinese are in cohoots with the Jews (or vice versa?) to kill “Caucasians and black people”

    This is the person they’re demanding other people “debate”. A combination of Covid, BLM and Me Too drove them completely around the bend. They’re all insane now. We have to take some of their money before they get us all killed.

  101. 101.

    MomSense

    @Ken:

    I’ve been saying for 20 years that it will take the reinsurers to force action on climate change.  SwissRE execs are sitting like 1400’ above sea level saying we don’t have to fucking take on that sponge state risk.
    I wonder how many climate deniers in  Florida realize the ground they stand on is porous.

  102. 102.

    Ken

    @gene108: Hell, Ron’s Little League baseball team made the Little League World Series.

    My immediate, uncharitable thought was that he hired a bunch of ringers.

  103. 103.

    frosty

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I did a trial run of a pot of straight decaf yesterday to see if it would help me sleep. It did! Two hourlong naps in the afternoon and evening. Nighttime? Just the same as usual, out for an hour, awake/dozing for 3 or 4, then maybe 2 hours around dawn. My usual 6 1/2 hrs is creeping down to 5.

    Back to half regular / half decaf today. I may start the decaf experiment again when I don’t have anything to accomplish some day this week.

  104. 104.

    Baud

    @Kay:

    The Chinese are in cohoots with the Jews (or vice versa?) to kill “Caucasians and black people”

     

    Stop spreading misinformation, Kay. It was only the Ashkenazi Jews.

  105. 105.

    Steeplejack

    @zhena gogolia:

    I just looked. Dead Man’s Eyes is not on Max.

    There seems to be a way to subscribe to TCM directly, but I couldn’t find the details or cost. Their site is oddly impenetrable. Hulu might be a better bet. I can’t check that right now.

  106. 106.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, re Betty’s thread a week or so ago, MiamiHerald.com (use a Private Browsing window to avoid the pay counter) has a story from 5 days ago about the Florida Democrats conference at the Fontainebleau:

    […]

    Yet plenty of attendees had their own prescriptions for fixing Democrats’ struggles in Florida.

    Susan Khoury, who ran unsuccessfully last year for the Democratic nomination for a Miami-Dade County Commission seat, said that Florida Democrats needed to be “more vocal” and actively contest even the most difficult offices for Democrats to win.

    “To me, every single race in Miami-Dade County should have a Democratic person running,” Khoury said. “You shouldn’t allow anybody to win without any competition. You earn your votes. If they deserve it, they’ll win it.”

    Millie Herrera, a Miami businesswoman who served on the Miami-Dade County Democratic Executive Committee, said that Democrats had “abandoned the Hispanic community” and needed to rethink their strategy for winning back Hispanic voters in South Florida, especially after the 2022 midterm elections, which saw DeSantis win Miami-Dade County. “We need to have Puerto Ricans knocking on Puerto Rican doors. We need to have Cuban Americans knocking on Cuban American doors,” Herrera said. “We need to be there.”

    Annette Taddeo, a former state senator from Miami who challenged Fried for Florida Democratic Party chair earlier this year, said it was too early to make a judgment call about the direction of the state party and its prospects, noting that Fried and her team were still in the early phases of rebuilding the organization.

    Whether they are able to do that, she added, will depend on whether they can raise the money to compete with Republicans on the ground. “You could have the best plan in the world, but if you’re not raising the money, how are you going to pay for any of this?” she said.

    Yup, enough resources, and having candidates willing to get in there and fight for votes are important.

    I like the energy and the clear thinking.

    Forward!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  108. 108.

    citizen dave

    I have never delved into how the insurance companies do cost allocation across their states.  These developments are interesting.  In my job (electric grid costs) we talk a lot about cost causation.  Spreading the costs of Florida over the rest of the customers is “socialization”.  Our insurance company  operates in just 12 eastern/midwest states.  If we ever leave these states, I hate the thought of choosing a new company.

  109. 109.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    That’s become like “the tell” for me with these conspiracy theorists we’re inundated with – they love to sprinkle random specificity into the theory. I think it works too- I think it fools bozos like Joe Rogan and Glenn Greenwald ” ah, ASHKENAZI – clearly he knows what he’s talking about!”

    A dumb bigot would just say “the JOOS”. This is elite level bigotry.

  111. 111.

    zhena gogolia

    @NotMax: I have Amazon Prime (with Acorn and Britbox and Paramount), Max, and Netflix. Is it available on any of those, do you know? I don’t see it.

  112. 112.

    kalakal

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Lol! It’s safe(ish). It’s an article about the ad, not the ad itself ( there is a link to that). He got a lot of flak ( ahem ) as he has the same level of helmet authenticity as Dukakis did. His labelled shirt outfit does however suit him, he makes a really convincing gas station attendant. I really hope someone walked up to him in DQ and placed an order.

  113. 113.

    Layer8Problem

    @NotMax:

    “Music was a 15 second loop so bland and generic it made Walter Wanderley‘s ensemble sound like the London Philharmonic in comparison.”

    Hah! You laugh, but once upon a time I constructed in my basement lab an almost-corporate-level Home Phone Switch! Putting out ring voltage and everything, complete with Interactive Voice Response, fun voice prompts (“we’re sorry, but the phone switch has been eaten by weasels” was a favorite), voice mail, the works. Asterisk software, a free computer, and a phone card, if anybody’s wondering. When it came time to choose the on-hold soundtrack, I racked my brain for appropriate 1960’s mind-sapping elevator music, and realized there could only be one: Walter Wanderley’s Summer Samba.

    My partner did not share my crazed enthusiasm, and my being unable to guarantee five-nine’s availability for the thing without a proper UPS put a stop to it. Oh well.

  115. 115.

    mrmoshpotato

    @zhena gogolia:

    I wish there were a way to watch TCM without having it on cable. They’re doing a B-movie festival. I’d love to see “Dead Man’s Eyes” again.

    You’ve made me go down a very fun IMDB rabbit hole.

  116. 116.

    Yarrow

    @zhena gogolia: Good information here.

    You don’t need a cable subscription to watch Turner Classic Movies (TCM) as a live TV channel.

    Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV all offer different channel packages for streaming TCM live.

    A more affordable option is Max (formerly HBO Max), which has a dedicated section to TCM films, but does not offer a live TV channel. .

    Additional information at the link.

  117. 117.

    NotMax

    @zhena gogolia

    Other than limited offerings on Max, sadly no.

    I don’t have Max, but this info from when it was HBO Max may be of help. My understanding is that the TCM offerings on Max are curated by HBO (Max) staff, not by TCM, so that’s why I describe them as limited.

  119. 119.

    trollhattan

    @Layer8Problem: ​
    Sounds mental, but in the good way. :-)

    My bro went to MIT in the ’60s and the dorm hivemind rigged up their own phone exchange that bypassed the pay phone enabling them to call anywhere free. That was during a time where long distance kicked in not all that far away and required shoveling coins into the payphone more or less continually–the farther the the other party the faster you shoveled.

    IIRC there was a different hack that emulated the chime the phone made indicating money had been fed in.

    Nerds gonna nerd.

  122. 122.

    mrmoshpotato

    @kalakal:

    His labelled shirt outfit does however suit him, he makes a really convincing gas station attendant. I really hope someone walked up to him in DQ and placed an order. 

    LOL!

  125. 125.

    zhena gogolia

    @Another Scott: OMG, thanks! I have to find a scene that I’m always quoting but am not sure it’s correct — “I’m just a useless hulk of humanity.” Now my husband can see the source for my constant refrain.

  126. 126.

    Citizen Alan

    @MomSense: Wow! I was this many days old when I learned this! I had always assumed it was somehow a byproduct of wool since, you know, that’s what the damned word means.

  128. 128.

    Kelly

    @frosty: I always had irregular sleep habits. Usually asleep around 11 to midnight, usually up 7 to 8 am. Summer time I might be up at daylight, like this morning. But often I’d stay up reading or watching tv till 2 am. The extra awake time was useful. Didn’t matter if I slept well I could still have a perfectly active day. In this my 67th year when I’m up past midnight I’m too groggy and my eyes are too tired to read or watch tv. Sometimes I wake up at 3 or 4 am for a while. I lay there thinking this is boring but doing anything except lying the quietly makes it worse.  I’m kinda sluggish all day.

    Last night was a good sleep. :-)

  129. 129.

    MazeDancer

    DeeSantis has such a nasally voice  it hurts to listen.

    Also, the clap-trap he is spouting hurts to listen, but the nasal is painful.

  130. 130.

    MazeDancer

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Wondered why he was going long-sleeved, too. But if you are insisting on the windbreaker vest, short sleeves looks really dumb.

    Don’t quite understand why he doesn’t have a name branded polo for July in Iowa.

  131. 131.

    Another Scott

    @zhena gogolia: Glad to help!

    I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before.  I started watching it…

    Uh, oh.  Having that shelf of bottles with liquid chemicals and putting one of them on his eyelids can’t be safe…!!

    Enjoy!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  132. 132.

    Cameron

    So while Florida is enjoying the highest inflation rate in the country, and both its insurers and migrant workers are decamping, the governor is playing some sort of performative costume drama in Iowa. Great. Swell.

  133. 133.

    MomSense

    @Citizen Alan:

    The word fleece is used about wool, but the modern fleece people buy at Patagucci, North Face, Bean’s etc. is plastic.  They started with good intentions trying to reuse plastic bottles, but they’ve known for at least a decade that it is highly polluting when washing it and that it cannot be disposed of responsibly.

    It’s really the same for all the petroleum based textiles.  Hard to find all wool, hemp, and linen but worth it. Cotton can be problematic, too just because of all the chemicals used in the growing and processing.

  134. 134.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @NotMax:

    Carefully scanning the e-mail confirmation, saw they misspelled my name by one letter.

    NowMax?
    NetMax?
    HotMax?
    NotMay?
    NotWax?

  135. 135.

    Andrew Abshier

    I see DEESantis has achieved “please clap” status.  Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

  136. 136.

    The Moar You Know

    Water balloon girl throws like Joe Montana.  Goddamn.  Haven’t seen that sort of on target, super fast toss since ol Joe played with the Niners so long ago.

    Baseball?   Naw.  If it weren’t for the CTE, I’d say somebody needs to get that girl playing football ASAP.

  137. 137.

    Kay

    @Cameron:

    I see people who look like migrant construction workers with Florida plates in rest stops in MI and OH. I think they’re working up here. Plenty of work. They don’t have to remain in Florida.

  139. 139.

    Cameron

    @Kay: They’re not remaining in Florida. DeSantis was warned about this, but why would he spoil his tough-guy image just because it would be the right thing to do?

  141. 141.

    Brachiator

    @zhena gogolia:

    I wish there were a way to watch TCM without having it on cable. They’re doing a B-movie festival. I’d love to see “Dead Man’s Eyes” again.

    From a site about cord cutting…

    You can watch TCM on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS and Android, and your web browser

  145. 145.

    Geminid

    @Another Scott: An interesting article.

    But I would note that former State Senator Annette Taddeo did not exactly “challenge” Nikki Fried for the State Chair position. It was more the other way around. Ms. Taddeo had campaigned for the position quite a while before Nikki Fried threw her hat in the ring.

  151. 151.

    Subsole

    @Kay:

    Agreed. They’re clowns. Fucking “first-as-Hitler-then-as-Kardashian” clowns. As you repeatedly point out – they are sloppy.

     

    It’s genuinely kind of amazing. These people have managed to convince me that the wealthy grow best when cropped. Vigorously.

  153. 153.

    NotMax

    @Alison Rose

    Weren’t around when for a time every front pager was assigned a different color?

    Threads looked like a kaleidoscope threw up on them.

  154. 154.

    Subsole

    @MomSense:

    Even if they did, it don’t matter.

    This is all just a giant, shrieking Romanticist tantrum. A backlash against the Enlightenment. It is the rebellion of the Id. It’s why I don’t hold much hope of debate or reconciliation: both require we speak to the mind of people who are thinking with their limbic system.

  155. 155.

    Anyway

    OT  Had a great time last night listening to Garbage, Metric and Noel Gallagher at the Mann outside Philly. Such fun being out on a summer friday night. It was really hot here all week but the severe weather held off and there was a nice breeze and turned into a beautiful evening to hang outside. Noel sounded terrific and played a great set ending with some songs from his old band ha ha. I am a big Shirley fan and she didn’t disappoint.

    Every time I go to a concert I think I should do it more often .. this was no exception. Wait, sticker shock, yep that’s why I don’t do it more. =/

  157. 157.

    Geminid

    @Baud: One of the interesting ideas that I’ve encountered in my study of Israeli politics is that the Israeli political elite are sometimes characterized as “WASPs.” That is, “White Azhkenazi Sabra Paratroopers.”

    Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon are just two of many examples.

  161. 161.

    Anyway

     

    @MomSense:

    I’ve been saying for 20 years that it will take the reinsurers to force action on climate change.  SwissRE execs are sitting like 1400’ above sea level saying we don’t have to fucking take on that sponge state risk.

    Waiting for corporations to do the right thing is too little too late. They seem to have given up on the middle class and are content to target the rich and ultra-wealthy … I used to think they wouldn’t want to abandon such a big segment of their market But it’s happening.

    Raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy is a must, and soon. I like the Soros tax branding!

  163. 163.

    Kay

    @Subsole:

    They have a movie they’re promoting – Right wing heroes save sex trafficking victims. They have a new conspiracy theory that theaters or some secret controller of theaters (Biden?!?) are causing audio and video to fail. This is the cream of the crop of the Right pushing this- Libs of Tic Toc, the whole grifter gang.

    Imagine waking up every day and thinking you’re so vitally important that people concoct complex schemes to fuck up the audio and video of your stupid movie. The persecution complex is a function of their ENORMOUS egos.

  165. 165.

    trollhattan

    WTAF?

    Inbox has the daily Costco mailer with the usual mix, but today’s also has these “one only” items:

    Mickey Mantle Autographed 1951 Bowman Rookie card–$249,999,99 delivered.
    Babe Ruth Autographed Official Spalding Baseball–$114,999.99 delivered.
    Roberto Clemente Autographed 1955 Topps Rookie Card–99,999.99 delivered.
    The retail aversion to rounding to the next dollar lives.

  167. 167.

    Soprano2

    @gene108: I think they believe they only have to appeal to MAGA voters, not “normies”, which is weird. You’re right, those should be easy “gimmes”.

  168. 168.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: And in my study of Turkish politics, I ran into a Twitter thread about the Azhkenazis’ possible descent from the Khazars, a Turkish people.

    The Turkish commenters were like, “No wonder they’re such good fighters!”

  169. 169.

    japa21

    @Alison Rose: ​
      It’s just that he comments so rarely that the site wants it to stand out. It lets the rest of us know he actually reads his own blog.

  170. 170.

    trollhattan

    @Anyway: ​
    You’re not wrong. Various tribal casinos in the area snag “classic” groups/performers and some seats go into four figures. Too rich for my blood. I assume some are spiffs given to high-rollers a.k.a. rich suckers.

    The same blood boils when I see the “handling charge” that takes my pair of $55 tickets to $160 at checkout. I could show on the doll where I’ve been handled.

  171. 171.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Kristine: Yep. My baby sister is like that even though we grew up in the same snowy place. Decades of Florida living has ruined her proper sense of temperature (in which 30 F = maybe it’s time to break out the winter coat, maybe not; 85 F = OMG I’m dying take me now lord)

  172. 172.

    Miss Bianca

    @Kay: So, my little theater – which just started showing movies again this year, because of projector issues – has been getting several requests to show this “Sound of Freedom” garbage pile. I was unfortunate enough to have to field one of these calls in person. When asked if we were planning to show it, I bit back a bunch of expletives and merely replied, “Unlikely.”

    “I can guarantee it would pack the house!” (I’ve heard a variant on this comment at least a couple times.)

    Again bit back the expletives and merely repeated, “Still, unlikely.”

    My boss is a Christian but not a RWNJ. When I sent her information on the movie with the caveat that “we could probably make a lot of money on this pig, just fyi,” she merely responded, “Icky.”

    I love my boss. :)

  177. 177.

    NotMax

    @trollhattan

    From judge Beryl A. Howell’s July 13 minute ruling re: Rudy, verbatim:

    Accordingly, defendant Giuliani is DIRECTED, by July 25, 2023, to reimburse plaintiffs $89,172.50 in attorneys’ fees incurred for plaintiffs’ Motion to Compel Discovery.

    That fifty cents no doubt tipped the balance. ;)

  178. 178.

    StringOnAStick

    @MomSense: Of the companies you mentioned, only Patagonia takes back every single garment they make when you decide you are done with it, no matter how heavily used, and they handle recycling the parts.  No other clothing supplier of any kind does this and that’s part of why their stuff is so expensive.  It also is super well made and lasts.  I’ve got cotton jeans from them that are 16 years old and like an old friend.

    The fast fashion industry in particular because it is basically disposable, and clothing in general is a major polluter because of dyes, and most fashion clothing now is just as synthetic as fleece.  We are polyester planet now.  Anything made with Lycra puts money in the Koch family’s pocket because they own that patent.  I did some research in fabrics recently and while rayon gets cred as a natural fiber because it is made from wood, the process is also quite polluting.  It’s getting harder to find clothing made with natural fibers like cotton or wool, and cotton growing is very water and chemically intensive unless you buy The more expensive organic cotton fabric.  The best bet is to buy less, buy higher quality and use it until it dies, no matter what it is made from.

  179. 179.

    Brachiator

    @gene108:

    * The most confounding thing to me about Ron’s presidential campaign is his inability to project masculinity.

    I see your point, but hell, DeSantis barely projects humanity.

  182. 182.

    Roberto el oso

    Each time I see a clip of DeSanctis I marvel at why he chose this particular line of work. I’m very much an introvert but I can fake being gregarious fairly well, or so I’ve been told. If I didn’t know who he was, and saw him standing around at a party trying desperately to look at ease I would probably try and strike up a conversation just to put him out of his palpable misery for a few moments. The discomfort and terror registers in his eyes and then seems to spread to a sort of paralysis. For a long time I thought that there would never be a contender who would overtake Richard Nixon for sheer not-at-ease-in-his-own-skin weirdness, but RD is closing in fast.

  183. 183.

    Mai Naem mobileI

    Did Ron Duhshithead eat the white chocolate Blizzard  they gave him with his fingers? Did he eat his hot dog with grey poupon? Why doesn’t the media report on this? This is the important stuff I want to know about.

  184. 184.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @StringOnAStick: Patagonia is cited as a good example when people are talking about “social enterprises,” ie companies that aim to benefit the public too. Ben and Jerry’s used to be, but they were sold, I think, so I don’t know.

    My publisher is a registered social enterprise in the UK. They donate part of their income to socially beneficial causes, especially those having to do with diversity.

  185. 185.

    trollhattan

    @MattF: ​
    Will remind all that George Bowtie Mr. Scoldy of liberal hippies Effing Will prepped one Ronald Reagan for the 1980 debates while having access to stolen Carter debate prep documents.

  188. 188.

    Geminid

    @Miss Bianca: Are you still reporting for that local news outfit?

    Not that I am searching you, but I think I might have identified the site because of an Adam Silverman article it carried.

  190. 190.

    trollhattan

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: ​
    I’m certain this “Forbes” reported trembled while writing this piece on Chouinard transferring his Pagtagonia ownership to a trust.

    Yvon Chouinard has divested control over Patagonia to a trust and future profits to a nonprofit. Whereas trust-controlled firms are new to the US, a similar corporate governance form has been around for centuries in Scandinavian countries. Their foundation-owned firms have been highly successful, survived for generations, and contributed to a better world.

    Yvon Chouinard, founder and majority owner of Patagonia, dominated the headlines last week for doing something that no other billionaire has: donating almost all his wealth at once. He gave his apparel company and its millions in annual profits to an environmental nonprofit and placed its voting stock into a trust. For Chouinard, it was the only way that Patagonia’s values, including protecting nature, could be preserved.

    While this approach may seem novel in the United States, it has been deployed for decades in Scandinavia. It’s demonstrated that billionaires can give away their companies and continue to generate considerable profits, while also contributing substantially to social and environmental causes.

    Chouinard has not only made a world-changing investment in climate action through his donation of Patagonia, but also set a precedent for other American leaders to follow suit.

    Chouinard is donating all of the voting stock, which is held exclusively by the family, to the newly created Patagonia Purpose Trust. Although this voting stock represents only 2% of the company’s $3 billion value, the Trust will control the company, ensuring that Chouinard’s values are upheld to perpetuity.

    The non-voting stock, which accounts for the remaining 98% in value, will be transferred to the Holdfast Collective. This nonprofit will receive Patagonia’s annual profits, which total about $100 million annually. According to The NonProfit Times, the Holdfast Collective seeks to “fight environmental crises, protect nature and biodiversity, and support thriving communities.”

    Republicans and bankers, but I repeat myself, really hate this hippie crap.

  196. 196.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @StringOnAStick:

    The fast fashion industry in particular because it is basically disposable

    Functional obsolescence has been built in for decades now on many products. 1st washer dryer lasted over 20 years without repair, the 2nd, around 14 with major repairs and the latest, so far 7 years with the washer already requiring a new panel (at about 40% of the purchase price). Many of my appliances have so suffered.

    And the items that have declined in cost? You can buy a 55” TV for under $500…if it goes on the fritz, a repair, if findable, is not worth the expense.

    Unfettered Capitalism. What could go wrong?

  197. 197.

    MomSense

    @StringOnAStick:

    Sorry, but Patagonia has become just as bad as the rest.  The manufacturing of the product, washing the product and the manufacturing process to reuse the returned product are all highly toxic.  They also use the same sweatshops that H&M and other fast fashion brands use.  I was an early consumer of their products from before it was Patagonia.  YC was really close with my friends who were ice climbers and had their own gear/clothing company in North Conway.  Like I said, they started off trying to do something good with plastic waste, but we’ve known for a long time that washing fleece releases micro plastics.  We also have known for a long time how toxic the manufacturing process is.

    I think it’s legitimate to expect more from a company that charges top dollar in part because of their reputation for being environmentally responsible.

  198. 198.

    NutmegAgain

    The kid with the good throw was just trying to knock any curious flies off his head. Honest.

  199. 199.

    brendancalling

    That video of Ron is pretty hilarious. There is no way you can convince me he’s anything but a deeply, malevolently closeted gay man. Don’t @ me.

  201. 201.

    Danielx

    @MomSense:

    It does wear like iron. I’ve got a fleece vest my brother gave me for Christmas more than fifteen years ago and I’m still wearing it. Perfect for fall days.

  202. 202.

    Another Scott

    @StringOnAStick: @Sure Lurkalot: @MomSense:

    As usual, TANSTAAFL.

    InsiderIntelligence.com (from October 2022):

    Is Shein’s resale marketplace greenwashing? The launch is aimed at addressing the “ongoing issues of textile waste” and building a “future of fashion that is more circular,” Shein noted in a press release.

    However, it’s unlikely that message will resonate with critics given that fast fashion is synonymous with inexpensive, relatively disposable clothing that is unlikely to stand up to repeated wearings.
    The launch also comes at a time when Shein is under the microscope for its harsh labor practices. Workers at factories in China that supply clothes to Shein regularly work up to 18 hours a day with just one day off per month, per an undercover investigation from the UK’s Channel 4 and The i newspaper.

    The big takeaway: There are signs that fast fashion’s environmental toll is turning off younger consumers who are increasingly attuned to sustainability issues. For example, Shein only has a 44% approval rating among Gen Z consumers, and an even worse 22% approval rating among all adults, per Morning Consult Brand Intelligence.

    […]

    If something imported is too cheap, that means that someone, somewhere, is being exploited. I understand a person not being able to afford long-lasting clothes – I was there once, too. The shrinking world makes it ever more important to have sensible trade duties to prevent a race to the bottom that is chewing up human beings, destroying resources, burning up the planet with unnecessary transport, and all the rest.

    People who can need to vote with their dollars, along with their ballots.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  207. 207.

    MomSense

    @raven:

    Thats another issue.  It may be that they’ve switched to a wool blend or they are using “superwash” wool. There is a responsible way to render wool washable and a chemical, toxic way to do it.  I’d have to look into it.

  209. 209.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: If he flatters their egos, that’s enough for most of them. They’re used to everyone telling them how great and smart they are.

  210. 210.

    MagdaInBlack

    @NotMax: OT but my package’s journey made me think of you: the package  I am tracking started in Orlando, Fl, landed in Chicago the 13th , yesterday arrived at the Palatine IL USPS distribution center 5 miles from me, then took off to Madison, WI, then to Oak Creek WI, (south of Milwaukee) and allegedly is now on its way back to northern Illinois.

    Not quite a world tour, but still worth a “wtf.”

  211. 211.

    NotMax

    @Kay

    How stupid are they?

    So stupid that after being given a gift of a pair of waterskis they spent the next year looking for a lake with a downhill slope.

  212. 212.

    Subsole

    @Kay:

    Yeah.

    These are people who desperately want to be oppressed because they have never in their lives been within telescope range of being oppressed.

    And they have been such horrible, flaming, vicious, contemptible, fencepost-stupid, incessantly swaggersobbing assholes about it all that I am halfway wishing they’d get some good, hard, hobnail-to-the-jaw oppression.

    If only so the rest of us could have some peace from their goddamned drivel while they spent a few months eating through a tube…

    Which is a horrible way to feel about people.

  213. 213.

    Miss Bianca

    @Geminid: I write for a couple local news outfits. If you saw one of Adam’s articles, that would be the Ark Valley Voice.

    Yeah, I still do some reporting for them.

  214. 214.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    The NY Post has video now. Unbelievable. It’s worse than “the Joos and the chinese in cohoots”. He says “we” (the US) are also developing weapons to ethnically target …who? I don’t know. Maybe the joos and the chinese?

    The uber-rich ninnies are sitting there hanging on his ever word. One of them nods her head in agreement like he’s a preacher.

    “That’s what all those labs in the Ukraine are about”. Ninnies sip some wine and nod.

    90% tax rate. Stat.

  215. 215.

    Geminid

    @Miss Bianca: Well, local journalism is very important these days, and I think your efforts are valuable

    I’m curious: how does your new Democratic Representative impress you?

  217. 217.

    trollhattan

    @MomSense: Googling demonstrates once again “It’s complicated.” Here’s but one of many.

    The WoolUp treatment is a relatively simple dry process that treats product in garment state using an ozone treatment that modifies the surface of the wool fibres. It removes the tips of the scales and smooths the fibres which allows them to slide against each other without interlocking, thereby preventing felting and shrinking.

    While ozone has been known for many years to work in the modification of the surface of wool fibre, Jeanologia’s WoolUp process is an excellent modern adaptation and adoption of existing science.

    The WoolUp process can be used for the treatment of worsted and woollen apparel (100% wool and wool blend). However, the technology is a breakthrough particularly for companies wishing to enter the lambswool knitwear market, in which machine washable claims have previously been difficult to achieve due to the nature of the finishing required and its complexity.

    https://www.woolmark.com/industry/use-wool/processing-innovations/woolup-machine-washable-wool/

    Turns out “washable” wool has been around for half a century.

  219. 219.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    He’s so accustomed to EXPOUNDING, too. He sits back and they all lean in. It’s a monologue.

    A giant fucking bore, like Trump.

  220. 220.

    NotMax

    @MagdaInBlack

    Ain’t tracking fun?

    Had to laugh at the journey of a package this week.

    “Departed carrier facility Kailua-Kona 9:52 a,m. July 13.”
    “Arrived carrier facility Kahului 9:53 a.m. July 13.”
    Kailua-Kona is on the Big island, Kahului on Maui, almost 100 miles across the ocean away.
    .

    Unrelated: UPS dropped off a different package yesterday (left on the lawn of the main house rather than delivered to my cottage on the same property) whose carton looked as if it had supplied nutrition for an entire den of hungry beavers (contents were intact and undamaged, however).

  222. 222.

    BR

    @Kay: ​

    This right here should be 100% disqualifying for even showing one’s face at any Dem events. (Not that his previous nonsense wasn’t disqualifying, but this crosses a red line that Dems can justify with the media in a way that cozying up to Jack Dorsey doesn’t.) RFKJ has given the DNC establishment a clear reason to ignore him. Before this they couldn’t easily do it.

  223. 223.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Roberto el oso:

    For a long time I thought that there would never be a contender who would overtake Richard Nixon for sheer not-at-ease-in-his-own-skin weirdness, but RD is closing in fast.

    But what about Meatball Ron’s meatballness?

    (This is not intended to be a serious question.)

  224. 224.

    Jeffro

    @Andrew Abshier:I see DEESantis has achieved “please clap” status.  Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

    LOL (also, totally true)

    I wonder who the big money boys will turn to if/when they realize DeSantis can’t get it done?  (hell, I don’t even think he’ll be the nominee if trumpov keels over tomorrow). Tim Scott?

    Maybe they “draft” Kemp or Youngkin?  Or they just go all in on retaking the Senate, to really jam up Biden’s judicial nominations in the 2nd term?

  225. 225.

    Kay

    @MomSense:

    I didn’t know this and I’m glad you said it. I bought a light blue fleece at Costco that I really like- it’s flattering and warm without being bulky- but the thought of it going into waterways is a deal breaker.

    I love wool. I’ll just stick with that. It lasts forever.

    The youngsters thrift a lot, it seems. I’m glad. My youngest son’s gf always looks great (which I tell her) and she’ll tell you which article of clothing is thrifted and how much it cost :)

  230. 230.

    mrmoshpotato

    @MagdaInBlack: Years ago, I had a stereo go from Cairo, IL to Chicago, back to Cairo and then back north.  The box was a bit banged up.  Delivery refused.

  232. 232.

    schrodingers_cat

    Some guy on Twitter got ratioed for criticizing Indian-Chinese food.  Rightly so in my opinion. Indian Chinese food is the food of Gods.

    Chinese food with spicy gingery goodness, what’s not to love

  233. 233.

    BR

    @Kay: ​
    The always venal DNC political consultant class, who have been writing thoughtful concern pieces about RFKJ. Now those of them who want to not be branded themselves as toxic will shut up. And there’s zero chance any pressure that Biden will have to debate this racist clown will go anywhere either after this.

  234. 234.

    Jeffro

    @Danielx:George Will is decades past his sell-by date, and it’s showing.

    Oh, totally.  He should have been sent on his merry way when Bush Sr. left office.  That’s three decades of Post op-ed space that would have been freed up and conceivably used to do something other than bore the shit out of everyone (and I mean everyone – even the RWNJs)

  235. 235.

    Jeffro

    @Kay: 90% tax rate. Stat.

    Can we start with a 125% tax rate, to claw back some of what they should have been contributing for the past couple of decades?

    We’ll dial it down to 90% around 2040.   =)

  237. 237.

    narya

    @MomSense: The thing is, I haven’t bought ANY clothes in several years (not entirely true–bought some drastically reduced-in-price cotton clothes last week, for the first time in four years). I’ll keep in mind what you say going forward, but what are we supposed to do with things we already have? There doesn’t appear to be a non-damaging alternative.

    It is a conundrum–I wore only natural fabrics for years, but finally succumbed for athletic gear. I’m currently in a kind of liminal space: I do not need “work clothes,” as I’m not working, and I’ve been trying to get rid of things I don’t like/wear, which is very freeing. But I also can’t afford to replace the clothes I have.

    I hate being in this position of not being able to avoid harm of some kind (thinking now of “The Good Place” and the complication of points calculation in the modern world).

  238. 238.

    MomSense

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Sounds amazing.  My friend Anila grew up in Zanzibar.  She made an Indian/African fusion style of all veg food that is the best I’ve ever tasted.  I miss her so much.

  243. 243.

    Another Scott

    ICYMI, yet another illustration that Dan Davies (AKA dsquareddigest) is a thoughtful dude. Backofmind.substack.com:

    This has been bothering me all week; public sector pay settlements in the UK. Starting with a bit of background……

    Once upon a time, it was decided that many public sector pay settlements would be decided by an independent pay review body. This seemed reasonably sensible at the time; it de-politicised the question and allowed for the possibility of unpopular decisions being made without being subject to too much public pressure.

    Once upon a time, it was decided that anti-inflation policy would be assigned wholly to the independent central bank. This seemed reasonably sensible at the time; there was pretty good economic theory in support of the idea that we’d get better outcomes if things were handed over to a body that could commit to policy over extended periods and wasn’t subject to the electoral cycle.

    Once upon a time, it was decided that the overall level of tax and spending should be subject to a fiscal rule. This seemed sensible to a lot of people at the time. To be honest pissed me off mightily and I have been complaining about it ever since, but the idea was that nobody trusted politicians and it was better to tie their hands and maintain confidence of the markets so that they wouldn’t sneakily run up the national debt.

    You can see that all of these things are, at some level or another, excuses. In the forthcoming book I call them “accountability sinks” – they are ways to avoid the unpleasant aspects of having to make a decision, by creating a system to which undesirable public feedback can be directed and dissipated.

    […]

    It’s sort of an aristocracy of excuses. You can sort of see how people get alienated from politics and inclined to vote for populists. To be honest, a dictatorship by ChatGPT no longer seems like it would be so much worse. The overpowering political theme of my adult life has been a retreat, on the part of those with power, from any idea of making a decision and living with it.

    […]

    We’ve known this in the USA for a long time (e.g. the Greenspan Commission on Social Security in the early 1980s), but thinking about how it has exploded (e.g. nothing can be done about Tuberville’s obstruction ’cause institutional reasons) and become pernicious (e.g. 6 unelected people are trying to become super-legislators and destroy the federal government and social progress, but nothing can be done ’cause institutional reasons) needs to become more front-of-mind for the public. These are human institutions, created by humans who are elected by the public to do a job as our representatives. If nobody is accountable for their decisions, then the system of self-government breaks.

    I recognize that change cannot happen until we have the necessary votes. But pressing to the voters that they need to understand the implications of lack of accountability and lack of response to sensible public concerns is a cancer that we need to fight should be part of the message. Big themes! Idealism! Fighting to protect the gains our parents and grandparents suffered to provide us! Etc.

    “Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way!!1”

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  245. 245.

    MomSense

    @narya:

    I agree. It’s difficult.  I think we have to make changes as we can.  I switched to Blueland and Gogo Refills for my cleaning and personal care products.  There are still some products that need alternatives.
    I think we have to be careful about what we purchase but it’s tough because so many brands have greenwashed their image. It shouldn’t be a full time job to buy a damned sweater.
    I will say that I still wear wool sweaters my grandmother made in the 50s.  I had to darn a couple elbows, but they are otherwise in beautiful condition.  When their time eventually comes I can put them in my compost.

  249. 249.

    Kathleen

    @Another Scott: I belong to an organization in Ohio called Blue Ohio, which was started by David Pepper to raise funds and provide support to Democrats so that a Dem is on the ballot for every single race in Ohio. I pay 10.00 a month. Worth every penny.

  251. 251.

    narya

    @MomSense: One bright spot: I purchased the aforementioned clothes from Toad & Co., and one of the shipping options was a returnable mailer–recycled plastic used to make a zippered bag, which I will be able to return with a label I printed (at the library, for free). I love not having yet another plastic bag to squish into the plastic bag bin at Target, hoping that it actually does get recycled. We have recycling at my building, and I pay to compost, which has had the result of my being able to see, despite my best efforts, just how much single-use plastic is still part of my life. Depressing.

  252. 252.

    Brachiator

    @Ken:

    Interesting article, especially that AAA is pulling back because the re-insurers are raising their prices for Florida. That means every other consumer insurer is facing the same. Also that the re-insurers’ actuaries have looked into their crystal balls and not liked what they see for Florida.

    There were stories about State Farm and Farmers ceasing to write new home insurance policies in California before the stories about Florida. Here in California, they are blaming the new exclusions on wild fires and high expenses to rebuild damaged homes.

    I think that these weasel insurance companies will soon come up with reasons to screw over consumers everywhere.

  254. 254.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Kay: There’s another conspiracy theory floating around the swamp that nefarious forces are somehow causing the movie to be listed as sold out, even though the theaters are virtually empty. They’re so close to getting it….

  255. 255.

    trollhattan

    Long Gisland murder suspect sounds like a real peach.

    Mr Tierney added that “torture porn” and “depictions of women being abused and being killed” were found on Mr Heuermann’s computer. The investigation into the other victims is ongoing.
    Mr Heuermann is the owner of RH Consultants and Associates, a Manhattan architecture firm that describes itself as “New York City’s premier architectural firm”.
    The Associated Press has reported that he has a daughter and a stepson. A neighbour described the 6ft 4in suspect going to work every morning, dressed in a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.
    Mr Tierney said that Mr Heuermann had licences for 92 guns and a “very large safe” in which firearms were kept.
    In a YouTube interview for a real estate-focused channel last year, he said he had been working in the heart of New York City since 1987, describing himself as a “trouble shooter”.[hardy-har] He added that his work helped teach him to “understand people”.
    In a YouTube interview for a real estate-focused channel last year, he said he had been working in the heart of New York City since 1987, describing himself as a “trouble shooter”. He added that his work helped teach him to “understand people”.

    When I’m in charge, the owning of 92 guns will trigger a mandatory mental health evaluation.​
    ​
    ​

  256. 256.

    Geminid

    @Miss Bianca: That’s good to hear.

    Like you, my Republican Congressman was beaten in the 2020 primary. You got Boebert, and I got Good. And then redistricting moved us both to Blue districts.

    So now instead of Bob No-Good, my Virginia 7th CD Representative is Abigail Spanberger. She looks like some Fairy Godmother who learned how to gouge out eyeballs during her CIA training.

    Nice, but a little bit scary. I like that.

  257. 257.

    Kay

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    be listed as sold out, even though the theaters are virtually empty. They’re so close to getting it….

    lol

    The men (Mormons) who approached my son to give him a ticket said it was “pay it forward”. He told them that’s not really what “pay it forward” is but okay. They think he’s not only going but then buying tickets for strangers!

  258. 258.

    MomSense

    @narya:

    Check out blueland.  I really like their products and the pouches the tablets come in are compostable.

  263. 263.

    Elizabelle

    @trollhattan:  The fact that he’s a heavyset white guy somewhere between 6’4″ and 6’6″!!  Come on, how many of those are floating around the Long Island shore? Characteristic you cannot hide.

    I was startled to see a photo of him being led away by law enforcement.  Wait? Are those really short people?  But no.

    One of the victims’ witnesses described him as an “ogre,” and a very tall one, at that.

  264. 264.

    skerry

    @MomSense: There are washing bags available that trap the plastic when a fleece is washed. You can then dispose of the plastic in solid waste. Not the best, but better than releasing it into the water.

    As an example, Patagonia sells a washing bag. There are others available.

  265. 265.

    Quiltingfool

    @MomSense: I have some wool batting (for quilting) I bought, Lord, not sure when.  I have enough for a queen size quilt, but I’m reluctant to use it in a quilt as some folks might be allergic.

    Wool batting is much lighter than cotton batting.  Warmth with less weight.  It’s also good for hand quilting, less needle resistance.  One can also buy batting made of silk, and hand quilters rave about the ease of hand quilting.  Let me tell you, painful hand joints really like easy hand quilting.  I quit doing it because it really hurts my joints.  Shoot, I’ve got to wear compression gloves when I do embroidery or other hand sewing!

    Getting old.  It ain’t for the weak!

  266. 266.

    trollhattan

    Sometimes, the political press don’t need to invent a horse race to stand in for a horse race.

    Rep. Katie Porter narrowly leads the wide open race for California’s Senate seat, a new poll reported Friday. Porter, D-Orange County, was the choice of 19% of likely voters, just ahead of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Los Angeles, at 16% and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, at 13%, a June survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found.

    The other voter preferences were scattered among several candidates, topped by Republican Eric Early at 7%. Six percent were undecided.

    PPIC also found in a June poll that in the race for the White House, 50% of the state’s likely Republican voters support former President Donald Trump. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailed with 24%, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence at 6%. In the general election, President Joe Biden would trounce Trump in California, 57% to 31%. Biden beat Trump in the state 63.5% to 34% in 2020.

    The Senate survey, conducted last month, showed the race remains highly competitive. The three Democrats are vying to succeed veteran Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who plans to retire when her term ends in January 2025. The top two finishers in the March 2024 primary will compete for the seat in November. Among Republican candidates, six are each receiving 10% of the vote. “It seems most likely that two Democrats will make the top two,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC statewide survey director, in a blog post.

    The contest between Porter, Schiff and Lee is expected to remain in a tight. Their voting records are similar and each is regarded as having a strong base of support. The PPIC results were similar to a May Berkeley-IGS poll that found Porter also with a slight lead over Schiff and Lee. The poll analysis noted that “the race remains a wide open affair.”

    Porter’s campaign reported raising $3.2 million in the second quarter of the year and enters the summer with $10.4 million on hand. Lee, who is regarded as a favorite of grassroots progressives, raised about $1 million in the second quarter. Schiff’s campaign outraised them both, hauling in $8.1 million during the spring quarter. He had $29.5 million on hand.

    Schiff was in the news when the PPIC poll was taken. The Republican-controlled House voted June 21 to censure him for his role in investigations of Trump. Schiff called the action a “badge of honor.”
    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/california-elections/article277330488.html#storylink=cpy

  269. 269.

    John S.

    @MomSense:

    I wanted to like Blueland. I tried them for 6 months. But their soap dispensers are made of cheap plastic and break easily, their hand soap smells nice but doesn’t really work as soap, their dishwashing tablets don’t get dishes clean… I could go on and on.

    It’s nice to have a responsibly sourced product, but it’s not a substitute for a product that does what it’s actually supposed to do.

  271. 271.

    Brachiator

    @trollhattan:

    The contest between Porter, Schiff and Lee is expected to remain in a tight. Their voting records are similar and each is regarded as having a strong base of support. The PPIC results were similar to a May Berkeley-IGS poll that found Porter also with a slight lead over Schiff and Lee. The poll analysis noted that “the race remains a wide open affair.”

    I like all three. I might vote for the youngest candidate.

  273. 273.

    MomSense

    @skerry:

    I still think we need to move away from using the plastic in the first place for many reasons.  We do use the bags for the few plastic clothes we still have, but I guarantee you most people buying plastic clothes and fleece are not using those bags.

    @John S.:

    I just use bottles I already had.  I have found the products fine.  They don’t lather like traditional detergents but that doesn’t bother me.

  274. 274.

    Captain C

    @Kay:

    “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” Kennedy hedged.

    There are papers out there that show that I’m a career .400 hitter and led the Mets to 10 World Series titles during my Hall of Fame career.  Unfortunately, they were written by me as a kid.

  275. 275.

    Brachiator

    @trollhattan:

    When I’m in charge, the owning of 92 guns will trigger a mandatory mental health evaluation.​

    The stuff found on his computer is disturbing. A collector might own 92 guns.

  276. 276.

    Captain C

    @gene108:

    Yet he puts out strange campaign ads with clips of oiled up body builders, and bad electronica music. If Casey’s managing his public image, she is a complete and total failure at it.

    Unless her objective is to make Campaign Funds-grade fanservice videos for Tacky O, herself.

  278. 278.

    StringOnAStick

    @skerry: Thanks for the washing bag link.  I can’t tolerate wool on my skin and I spend the winter in synthetic long underwear skiing nearly every day.  I can’t wear wool and I’m not giving up my Capilene, so this is a solution, thanks for providing that.

  279. 279.

    TerryC

    @Subsole: Yeah. That’s how you knew it was bullshit. Actual ranchers don’t enjoy clearing brush. Nobody enjoys clearing brush. Especially people who do it regularly.

    I do, I love clearing brush and do some nearly every day. My own private 17 acres, on which I have built two 18-hole disc golf courses, provides a never ending supply of wood and brush to clear and it is my retirement gym membership. I am an Ace at manually destroying buckthorn and honeysuckle!

  281. 281.

    Paul in KY

    @kalakal: Would have been nice to have one of our ratfuckers there with the mission of doing that & getting it on the TV feed.

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