Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

You cannot shame the shameless.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

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

He really is that stupid.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Birdwatching / Pretty in Pink (Open Thread)

Pretty in Pink (Open Thread)

by | 138 Comments

This post is in: ,

Roseate Spoonbills flying at a beachI found flamingos! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good photo of them though — they were too far away. These spoonbills (and their pretty egret friend) were closer!

There was still a ton of hurricane damage in the Big Bend area. (Frosty, if you see this, Cedar Key Tiki Bar is open! Battered but unbowed!)

Here’s a sleepy old Great Blue at St. Marks NWR:

Great Blue Heron

I also acquired a Creature from the Black Lagoon shot glass from the spring where it was filmed! So, a successful expedition.

ETA: Most cold case victims aren’t preserved by a taxidermist, but Old Joe was:

Stuffed gator

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

138Comments

  7. 7.

    Scout211

    I love your bird pics, BC.  The spoonbills taking flight along with an egret is an awesome action pic!

     

    And in Open Thread news, on Memeorandum today there is a Fox News story that is an outlier with no other news service reporting it:

    House GOP members seek to expel Gaetz amid renewed threat to vacate House Speaker McCarthy

    House GOP members are preparing a motion to expel Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., amid his renewed threat to pursue a motion to vacate House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
    The House Republican members will seek to expel Gaetz if the ethics committee report comes back with findings of guilt, Fox News has learned. One member told Fox News the report is mostly written but does not know what it contains. Yet following threats to vacate McCarthy, the member said of Gaetz, “No one can stand him at this point. A smart guy without morals.”
    It takes a two-thirds vote to expel. And Republicans are treading on thin ice with their majority. The House is down to 433 members. It’s unclear where things stand with federally indicted Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. If you were to have members expelled, retire or die, the majority could be right on the edge for the GOP.

    I am scratching my head because Fox seems to be the only news organization that has this story and the anonymous source who is leaking the story.

    A warning to Gaetz from House Republicans via Fox News?

  8. 8.

    Salty Sam .

    @Salty Sam .:   Many years ago, in their infancy, Alamo Drafthouse used to do “roadshows”, where they would rig up an outdoor theater and show classics in an appropriate setting.  As young parents, we felt obligated to expose our children to the classics, so one wonderful summer evening, we found ourselves on pool floaties with our kids, in an Austin Parks swimming pool, watching “Creature of the Black Lagoon”.  As I recall, there was a guy in a Creature costume skulking around the periphery.

    Good times!

    ETA- Betty, pics of the shot glass or it didn’t happen!

  10. 10.

    🐾BillinGlendaleCA

    Obviously Betty, you need to up your photo rig to what my fellow photographer who shoots birds uses…

    Sony A1, 600mm G-Master lens with a 1.4 telecoverter.

    Should only run about 25k, you’ll get great bird pics!  Such a deal!

  12. 12.

    MattF

    @Scout211: Given the unmanageable House, this is just the cherry on top, with sprinkles. Gaetz’s opponents might as well just go ahead and elect Jeffries Speaker. Also, add Santos, Greene, and Boebert to the list of deeply awful Rs.

  14. 14.

    trollhattan

    God help us all, we now get to deal with AlarmGate. Angry Republicans are angry.

    An investigation has been launched after a congressman in the US House of Representatives triggered a fire alarm as his party was trying to delay a crucial budget vote on Saturday.

    Jamaal Bowman, a New York Democrat, says it was an accident. But his opponents have accused him of trying to disrupt the vote designed to avoid a US federal government shutdown. The alarm prompted an hour-long evacuation. A deal was eventually agreed to avoid the shutdown.

    The alarm went off as Democrats were attempting to delay the vote as they sought more time to read the bill and decide whether to support it. US Congress avoids government shutdown in last-minute deal

    “Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door,” Mr Bowman said in a statement. He added that he was not “in any way, trying to delay any vote”.

    “It was the exact opposite – I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open.”

    But Republicans have accused him of deliberately attempting to sabotage the vote.

    This is underpants gnome-level thinking.

  15. 15.

    Another Scott

    Great shots, Betty. Thanks for them.

    Meanwhile, … Phys.org:

    Drought drains Brazilian Amazon residents reliant on waterways

    Not far from the emblematic site where the black waters of the Rio Negro join the brown currents of the Solimoes, two chief tributaries of the Amazon, what once was a lake has given way to a vast stretch of cracked mud.

    Now, the only water remaining in what had been the Lago de Aleixo is a narrow stream, a symbol of the drought that has gripped Brazil’s Amazonas state and its jungle capital Manaus.

    A man works to direct a canoe carrying a heavy refrigerator through this sluggish trickle, but his efforts are slow-going—the water barely reaches up to his knees.

    His immediate surroundings are sucked dry, even as the greenery of the planet’s largest rainforest is visible all around.

    Nearby, 62-year-old retiree Maria Auxiliadora da Silva must lean against the trunk of a downed tree to avoid sinking into the mud as she walks home carrying a heavy bag.

    […]

    :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  17. 17.

    trollhattan

    @🐾BillinGlendaleCA: Was looking at the A1-G Master stuff as a possible upgrade to my sports kit. After two bodies, the 400/2.8, the 70-200/2.8 I concluded I’d be living under a bridge on account of being tossed to the sidewalk by my roomie. TBH it would also blast so far past my CC limit it would probably be in orbit.

  18. 18.

    MattF

    @trollhattan: Yeah. I was in a highly secure area once and pressed the Big Red Button. I ‘unpressed’ it immediately, and the powers that be gave me a pass— but I’m not surprised to hear that this happened.

  20. 20.

    Brachiator

    @Another Scott:

    Not far from the emblematic site where the black waters of the Rio Negro join the brown currents of the Solimoes, two chief tributaries of the Amazon, what once was a lake has given way to a vast stretch of cracked mud.

    Not only a serious societal and environmental problem, but this retreat of the waters may expose the secret lair of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

    All of the threads come together.

  21. 21.

    wjca

    @Scout211: House GOP members are preparing a motion to expel Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., amid his renewed threat to pursue a motion to vacate House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

    I don’t think I really care why.  Getting rid of him has to be a plus, regardless of the motivation.

  23. 23.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Scout211: ​
    Interesting. McCarthy did dare Gaetz to try to recall him, and I noticed that after McCarthy gave the Crazy Caucus nothing on the debt limit nobody tried to boot him. Maybe what actually happened is that representatives of the not insane but merely evil hyper-partisan assholes caucus explained to the crazies that if they cost the Republicans their speakership with that recall bullshit, they’re next.

  24. 24.

    glc

    Memo to advertisers: this is the clickbait that works on me. .

    5 Things COVID Experts Personally Won’t Do Right Now In This Latest Surge

    They’ve got something for everybody.  Credit where credit is due.

  25. 25.

    MattF

    @glc: I’ve seen a lot of people (e.g., my sister and my next-door neighbor) get COVID  lately. It’s very much out there.

  26. 26.

    mrmoshpotato

    I also acquired a Creature from the Black Lagoon shot glass from the spring where it was filmed!

    Very nice!  The Gill Man would be proud.

  28. 28.

    bbleh

    @Scout211: @MattF: @wjca: @Jackie: contra prevailing opinion, I can’t imagine Dems voting to expel Matty or any of the rest of them.  Why do that, when (1) they’re gumming up the Republicans’ agenda something fierce, (2) they’re making the Squeaker’s life hell, and (3) with them around, the Squeaker can’t get what he wants without Dem votes, which puts him in their debt (and while he’s not to be trusted as far as he could be thrown, there are things they can demand now, plus he knows he’ll need them again)

    As to the threat on Fox, who knows where it came from.  Just as likely to be one disgruntled member venting as the leadership firing a warning shot imo.

  29. 29.

    Jackie

    @Frankensteinbeck: Right after Kevin gave his conclusion speech, Gaetz was heading to the podium, supposedly to start the MTV process. The gavel to adjourn came down too quickly. Thwarted!

  30. 30.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Worthless git Dean Phillips is stepping down from a House leadership position over the rest of the leadership endorsing and supporting OHJB.

    Minnesota, primary his ass.

  31. 31.

    smith

    @bbleh: I can’t imagine R’s taking a public vote to expel the Forehead once TFG reminds them that Matty is his kinda guy. These are the profiles in courage who won’t expel the indicted George Santos or disassociate themselves from the mega-indicted TFG, and they’re going to risk their majority for one irritating pest?

  33. 33.

    Villago Delenda Est

    OK, back on topic, even though “open thread”: Great photos, Betty!  To include the shot glass!

  34. 34.

    bbleh

    @Frankensteinbeck: @Jackie: there has been some speculation that a way to avoid the MTV is simply never to recognize Matty, but that won’t work for long — either he’ll get the floor when nobody’s paying attention or somebody else will get the floor and yield to him.

    As to a MTV though, it’s still not clear to me that Matty et al. would actually want to depose Qevin.  On the one hand, it would show they would at least try, if not succeed.  On the other hand, they only have power with someone weak in the chair, and if someone stronger took over, they might be squelched permanently.  But on the third hand, I can’t imagine anyone getting a majority — which would require either the Crazies or the Dems or both — who wouldn’t be as weak as Qevin.

    Dunno.  Pop more popcorn and see what the writers have come up with now the strike’s over.

  35. 35.

    SiubhanDuinne

    OT? O/T. After literally months of simply ignoring all the provocative emails from my RWNJ climate-denying flat-earth-believing vaccine-skeptical brother, I finally blew my top today.

  36. 36.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @SiubhanDuinne: I feel your pain.  My wingnut sister hasn’t gone full flat Earth, and does get her COVID boosters, but she’s a MAGAt and claims TFG kept all his promises.  Oy vey.

  37. 37.

    bbleh

    @smith: true re the Republicans, plus it would leave them one vote down for a while, and they really need those votes.

    So no Dems, no Reps … sounds like Matty’s just fine.  And that’s fine with me, and I’d wager with Mr. Jeffries as well.

  38. 38.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @smith:

    they’re going to risk their majority for one irritating pest?

    If Gaetz makes it impossible for the Republicans to elect a Speaker, then they don’t in any real sense have a majority.  Gaetz would be ruining the party and making it impossible to do all their fun investigations and other shame votes.  That just might be enough to get him ousted and reduce their razor thin majority another notch.

    EDIT – @Villago Delenda Est:

    I missed Mexico paying for the wall.

  39. 39.

    wjca

    @bbleh:  I can’t imagine Dems voting to expel Matty or any of the rest of them.

    Expelling just Gaetz wouldn’t change any of the things you mention.  In fact, in order to get McCarthy out of trouble it would be necessary to expel several (all?) of the chaos caucus.

    Not going to happen, of course.  But if it did, at that point the Democrats have a majority, and the House starts to function again.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I feel your pain.

    It is genuinely painful. I’m the eldest, Rick is the youngest. The twins were in between and had their own special bond, so Rick and I had our own fusion, which was tight until 8-10 years ago. Then, everything changed. I honestly don’t think it was me, although I’ve looked hard at myself to see if I were doing or believing something unreasonable. I’m baffled, and sad.

  43. 43.

    Josie

    @SiubhanDuinne: ​
     It must be hard to be at odds with your brother. I have to avoid talking politics with the other grandmother, but it would be more difficult with a brother or sister.

  46. 46.

    Geminid

    Glad we are having nice weather in Central Virginia. We need rain though. Much of  the Shenandoah Valley is in drought, and plants are looking peaked over here.

  53. 53.

    eclare

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    That is sad.  I have some older relatives where I have to watch what I say, take deep breaths, etc. but no one as close as a brother or sister.

  55. 55.

    Jackie

    @bbleh: Gaetz does TIFG’s bidding.

    As for “MyKevin” actually getting ousted, I don’t see that happening. He begged on his knees for the job and now he’s stuck with it – until Jan ‘25, when the Dems relieve him from purgatory.😁

  57. 57.

    Betty Cracker

    @SiubhanDuinne: I’m in a similar boat with several family members. They don’t buy into the nuttiest conspiracy theories, but they are Trump and DeSantis supporters. It sucks!

  62. 62.

    Jackie

    @eclare: MTV is congresslize for Motion To Vacate – in this case the speakership.

    I don’t know what the other acronym is.

  63. 63.

    Suzanne

    I got the Covid booster and my flu shot yesterday, and I have absolutely zero energy today. I had wanted to do a long run with Mr. Suzanne, but I can’t even bring myself to take the new coffee grinder out of the box.

  64. 64.

    frosty

    BC – I’m late to the thread but I saw the news about the Cedar Key Tiki Bar. Yay!!!

    I’m late because I took yet another step down the Birding Slippery Slope today – drove a 180-mile round trip for a stakeout of a Swainson’s Hawk; a midwestern bird that shouldn’t be in PA. Craziness!

  65. 65.

    bbleh

    @Villago Delenda Est: and yes, kind of amazing for those of us who have seen those sorts of birds at all, let alone in flight, approximately … never.

    I like the Old Blue Heron.  In fact, I think I’ll open a pub with that name.

    @Suzanne: drink lots of water — good for immune system AND surprisingly often helps boost your energy when you’re feeling slow.  And also naps.  Naps are good.  Very good.

  67. 67.

    zhena gogolia

    @Suzanne: I got it on Thursday, and I’ve been tired ever since, plus a terrible backache started yesterday. It seems to be fading. I THINK it’s because of the vaccine. I hope it isn’t something more lasting.

  70. 70.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Josie:

    Thank you. It kills me. My brain says, Fuck him, just write him off. My gut and my heart can’t do that.

  72. 72.

    Jackie

    @eclare: 😂 I had a hard time with it, too, until I saw it defined in news articles!

    Our household preferred CMT over MTV😉

  78. 78.

    Baud

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    As Nancy Smash would say, just win baby.  His district is like the most red of any Dem house member.

    The breaking point for me is if he changes parties or somehow throws a monkey wrench in our legislative plans.

  79. 79.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @eclare:

    I think it’s tough with any close family member, but if it were an older generation I could probably deal with it better.

  81. 81.

    Jackie

    @Suzanne: I did the same with same results. Slight headache evening of, then maybe a little tiredness. I was braced for the worst, and pleasantly surprised that was it. My flu shot was the extra potent senior one – Covid booster Moderna.

  82. 82.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Suzanne:

    I know. I keep second-guessing myself — maybe I should have spoken out sooner, or more forcibly, or something. My rationale for not responding was always, Why give this crap any oxygen? But maybe that was pointless. It certainly hasn’t stopped him from sharing this craziness, or even slowed it down as far as I can tell.

  83. 83.

    Baud

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Can you just ask him to stop sharing his politics with you? Or is that all he has these days?

    ETA: Don’t blame yourself in any way.  The Earth is round, and you are correct to believe so.

  84. 84.

    Rebel’s Dad

    TIL that pink flamingos are an actual thing, and not just some kitschy lawn ornament.

    I feel stupid, but in my defense all I’ve ever seen IRL were the white ones.

    What beautiful creatures. They might dethrone penguins to become my favorite birds.

  86. 86.

    Suzanne

    @SiubhanDuinne: If it makes you feel, I don’t know, better is not the right word…. at least not culpable…. I don’t think any good response exists. (“Good” being defined in this case as a response that gets the other person to stop being a tool, or at least to put a lid on the tool behavior when together.) “Going high” doesn’t fix it, neither does going on the attack.

  87. 87.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Geminid: Yup, that’s the dude.  “Old Handsome Joe Biden”, as he’s been referred to for years (back to his VP gig at least) at Wonkette.

  88. 88.

    Geminid

    @Baud: Dean Phillips was one of 40 Democrsts to flip seats in 2018, but today it’s probably a D+ seat. I think Mary Peltola holds the reddest Democratic seat now.

    That’s not to say a bruising primary battle might not allow a strong Republican candidate to get in, but as long as Phillips votes right I’m not sure someone will primary him because of his stance on Biden.

  89. 89.

    Suzanne

    @Jackie: I got Pfizer this time for the booster. Didn’t see which flu shot I got. Ehhhhhh.

    ETA: I suppose a day of utter sloth isn’t the worst thing.

  90. 90.

    Baud

    @Geminid:

    Thanks. I thought I heard his excuse was how red it was.  I don’t know why he was be so vocal if he’s in a Blue positive district.

  91. 91.

    Glidwrith

    @Villago Delenda Est: My 80 YO parents stopped listening to me about masking in June and promptly got Covid when they flew. They’ve gone squishy on getting the new booster. They haven’t dared actually say they support SFB, but I know they support every MAGAt policy, such as they are.

  92. 92.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    Both my cousin and I have told Rick we’re happy to get old Smothers Brothers clips, or some amusing magician, or whatever, but we don’t want the MAGAt stuff. Doesn’t seem to work. I’m reluctant to cut off communications altogether. The current situation maddens me, but a full-on estrangement would be devastating. I couldn’t deal with it.

  93. 93.

    Baud

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    It’s sad that he doesn’t respect your wishes.  All I can say is that there seem to be lots of families going through similar things. There should be a support group, frankly.

  94. 94.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Suzanne:

    I agree. I don’t really think there’s a good response. Most of the time I just roll with it, but I kind of went berserk today.

  95. 95.

    schrodingers_cat

    @SiubhanDuinne: Been there, done that. The golden mean I have found is that I push back on outright falsehoods but hold my peace otherwise. Hugs to you.

    I also have taken myself out of family WhatsApp groups. But if someone @me outright lies I don’t shirk from giving it back.

  96. 96.

    Geminid

    @Baud: Now I see that Dean Phillips won his his seat in 2018 by beating the incumbent 55.6 to 44.2% His margin in 2020 was identical, and last year he won 59.6 to 40.4%.

    I think Philips is just a sorehead.

  97. 97.

    glc

    @MattF: Today was my vaccine day, flu+covid. (Arm is mildly sore after 4 hours – that looks to be the total reaction.)

    They (that nebulous “they”) seem to think this is enough for one year of protection, which makes no sense to me.

    The lady giving the shots mentioned (when asked) that she does it in between filling prescriptions, as they don’t actually have anybody in that position. And that they would be out of stock shortly.

  99. 99.

    zhena gogolia

    @Rebel’s Dad: I believe the flying birds are roseate spoonbills. She said she didn’t manage to get the flamingos.

    They’re miraculous just the same!

  100. 100.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I know you have, and I know there are a lot of Juicers in similar situations — some in which there is true estrangement with formerly close and loved family members. It’s not easy, and we all thread the needle as best we can.

    Peace to all.

  102. 102.

    Scout211

    I didn’t know about Rep. Phillips, but Axios has one of their “scoops” that makes it sound like he was “helped” to make the decision to step down from leadership.  He had earlier floated the idea that he would run against Biden in the primary but decided not to run against him.  But he still wants Biden to be primaried.

    Phillips has pointed to Biden’s age as a serious liability for the president and pointed to polling that suggests many Democrats don’t want him to be the party’s nominee in 2024.

    But Phillips has also said he is not “well-positioned” for a run and called for Democrats with a higher national profile to jump into the race against Biden.

    What we’re hearing: Phillips’ stance on Biden’s reelection puts him at odds with many in the Democratic caucus and has been the source of internal criticism.

    After House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told his caucus to stay on message on the government spending fight during a closed-door meeting last week, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) stood up and took aim at Phillips.

    “There is someone in leadership who is not on message about our president,” Kamlager-Dove said to a round of applause, according to a House Democrat who was present at the meeting.

    ETA:  edited for clarity.

  106. 106.

    Another Scott

    @SiubhanDuinne: There was a book by a woman professor a few years ago on a similar topic that sounded interesting.  Unfortunately, I cannot find her or it at the moment.  Basically, as I recall, her approach was to talk about things in your common past that had nothing to do with politics.  Fun vacations, old friends, places you lived, etc.  Reminisce about things that make you both feel good; something that doesn’t tickle your (and his) lizard brains (fight or flight, kill the enemy, etc.).  It made a lot of sense to me.

    Our brains are about a dozen subsystems living together in close quarters.  Our thinking, logical, planning, altruistic brain is dependent on lower subsystems and can be bypassed under stress, under amped-up feeling, etc.  Finding ways to minimize the lizard-brain responses is a way forward in personal communications.

    But man is it hard!!

    :-)

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  107. 107.

    schrodingers_cat

    @SiubhanDuinne: I believe that honesty is the best policy. I will not let lies about Muslims, Dalits, the stalwarts of India’s freedom struggle, Obama, Biden, Harris  go unchallenged.

    How is your coloring in Kerby Rosanes books coming along?

  108. 108.

    eclare

    @glc:

    Agree with you on how (not) long the protection lasts.  I would gladly get the covid booster twice per year if the CDC/FDA would let me.  I live in the south, no one does much outside in the summer if they can help it.

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I love them, but I must say I have been doing more colouring in mandala and geometric designs lately. But the Rosanes designs are fantastic, and I will likely be spending a lot of time with them during the long winter months. Very grateful to you for bringing his work to my notice. And I am constantly inspired by your own pages.

  112. 112.

    JML

    @Geminid: Before Dean-o won the seat the GOP had held it for about 50 years. But until Erik Paulsen took over for the retiring Jim Ramstad in 2008, it had also had moderate, old-school Republicans that were reasonable on a lot of issues and were willing to cross the aisle. (for example, Ramstad worked with Paul Wellstone on mental health parity) Paulsen was a bog-standard modern GOPer, without any of the scandals or ability to say anything too outrageous (in part because he was the world’s most boring human) but was hard to beat because of the history of the district. It was a big deal when Phillips won…but hasn’t been since. The GOP knew that once they lost the seat it was gone, which is why it’s spent all it’s time and money on the second, seventh, and eighth districts (and won 2 of them, winning the eighth by doing a lot of lying to old Labor voters)

    Dean thinks he’s special because he won the seat, but the reality is he won because he had the money to compete from the jump and mostly came off like a suburban white dude. But he thinks he’s far more important than he is, and WANTS to be more important, so he’s very susceptible to the kind of clowns who run Third Way, etc.

  115. 115.

    Jackie

    WOW! Didn’t expect this!

    Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointee to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat will be free to run for a full term in 2024, and there will be no precondition that this is a temporary replacement, Punchbowl News reports.

    Senate Democratic leadership expects to swear in Feinstein’s replacement by the middle of the week.

    The middle of THIS WEEK?  I just read/heard Feinstein’s replacement wouldn’t be until after her burial!

  118. 118.

    Geminid

    @Jackie: I thought they’d wait too. Maybe Chuck Schumer let the Governor know they have some important votes coming up this week.

  119. 119.

    Matt McIrvin

    I feel fortunate that my close family members are all pretty liberal–if anything, in any political disagreements with them they’re more likely to be to my left, or just keeping me on an even keel when I get particularly doomy.

    Go one or two degrees of relation further out, and people start to get hard to talk to.

  120. 120.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Jackie:

    I could so easily be wrong, but I think that the Jewish tradition specifies burial within a fairly short period, like 48 hours? (ETA: Or maybe that’s only in Orthodox observance and is less enforced or observed in Conservative/Reform Judaism? I don’t know where DiFi fell along that continuum.) Perhaps there are exceptions for major public figures like Senator Feinstein. I hope, and expect, that more knowledgeable people will weigh in.

  121. 121.

    karen marie

    @smith:

    This made me laugh.

    “A smart guy without morals.”

     

    Only dumb guys without morals are wanted in this Brave New World Republicans seek to create!

  127. 127.

    Rob

    Betty, bummer you didn’t get good photos of the flamingos. The spoonbill photos are a nice consolation.

  128. 128.

    Geminid

    @Jackie: That I don’t know. I have not seen who is the likely Senator either. But Democrats wouldn’t talk too much about that because the pundits are ready to pick a fight about anything now.

    I rememember how Joe Biden picked Chief of Staff Klain’s replacement over the weekend after Klain said he was moving on. The people over at Slate and The Nation barely had time to get their laptops warmed up.

  131. 131.

    NotMax

    Betty, ever consider creating a mutli-colored flock of wine foil flamingos?

    Been a lo-o-o-ong time since we’ve been graced with wine foil sculpture a la Cracker.

  132. 132.

    Scout211

    @Jackie: No lying in state and also no memorial service in Washington, per local news.  The family announced there will be no Washington memorial service and plans for her local service have yet to be announced.

  133. 133.

    Geminid

    @Baud: I don’t know if the Senate is in session this week. I’ll find out tomorrow in Politico Playbook. I’ll be checking it out anyway, for all the poop on yesterday’s House vote.

    Playbook usually comes up around 6:30 am. They’ll also have the President and Vice President’s schedule for the day.

  134. 134.

    Salty Sam .

    @Betty Cracker:   Late in the thread, but THANKS!  That’s an awesome shot glass- I’d drink whisky out of it!

    ETA- thanks for the spoonbill pics.  Since we left Rockport, I greatly miss seeing them…

  138. 138.

    Ken

    Betty: so glad you made a pass at Wakulla Springs Lodge.  Beautiful piece of old Florida.  And Old Joe is wild to see, and the story that accompanies his display case is so scary.  The secondary roads in FL always hold such interesting stops!  Cheers!

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