Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

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

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

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

This blog will pay for itself.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickel?”

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

You are here: Home / Politics / Democratic Politics / Open Thread: Friday Good News Roundup

Open Thread: Friday Good News Roundup

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The DC Circuit rules that Donald Trump CAN be sued for inciting the Jan. 6 crowd. First hurdle cleared!

Trump hasn’t won this case, by any means, but this ruling says that Trump did not demonstrate that he was entitled to have the case dismissed because of President’s official-act immunity. 

Harry Litman calls this a giant step forward toward holding Trump accountable for Jan 6, and a big win for jack Smith and the American people.  It will be interesting to see if our BJ attorneys agree.  From the decision: (bolding is mine, for those of you who aren’t included to read 4 long paragraphs.)

In arguing that he is entitled to official-act immunity in the cases before us, President Trump does not dispute that he engaged in his alleged actions up to and on January 6 in his capacity as a candidate. But he thinks that does not matter. Rather, in his view, a President’s speech on matters of public concern is invariably an official function, and he was engaged in that function when he spoke at the January 6 rally and in the leadup to that day. We cannot accept that rationale. While Presidents are often exercising official responsibilities when they speak on matters of public concern, that is not always the case. When a sitting President running for re-election speaks in a campaign ad or in accepting his political party’s nomination at the party convention, he typically speaks on matters of public concern. Yet he does so in an unofficial, private capacity as office-seeker, not an official capacity as office-holder. And actions taken in an unofficial capacity cannot qualify for official-act immunity.

While we thus reject President Trump’s argument for official-act immunity at this stage, that result is necessarily tied to the need to assume the truth of the plaintiffs’ factual allegations at this point in the proceedings. President Trump has not had a chance to counter those allegations with facts of his own. When these cases move forward in the district court, he must be afforded the opportunity to develop his own facts on the immunity question if he desires to show that he took the actions alleged in the complaints in his official capacity as President rather than in his unofficial capacity as a candidate. At the appropriate time, he can move for summary judgment on his claim of official-act immunity.

Because our decision is not necessarily even the final word on the issue of presidential immunity, we of course express no view on the ultimate merits of the claims against President Trump. Nor do we have any occasion to address his other defenses, including his claim that his alleged actions fall within the protections of the First Amendment because they did not amount to incitement of imminent lawless action: he did not seek appellate review at this time of the district court’s denial of his First Amendment defense, but he could bring that issue before us in the future. We also do not opine on whether executive or other privileges might shield certain evidence from discovery or use as the litigation proceeds. Nor does our decision on a President’s official-act immunity from damages liability in a civil suit treat with whether or when a President might be immune from criminal prosecution.

Instead, we hold only that, taking the allegations in the plaintiffs’ complaints as true as we must at this point in the proceedings, President Trump has not demonstrated an entitlement to dismissal of the claims against him based on a President’s official-act immunity. In the proceedings ahead in the district court, President Trump will have the opportunity to show that his alleged actions in the runup to and on January 6 were taken in his official capacity as President rather than in his unofficial capacity as presidential candidate.

🌸

In related Trump legal news, one of Trump’s lawyers – Jennifer Little – was ordered to testify in the classified documents case this week – if you guessed attorney client privilege pierced because of the crime fraud exception, you win.  Something.  I’ll spare you her photo, but she looks just like you would expect a female attorney hired by Trump to look. (How did he ever hook up with Sydney Powell as an attorney”  Maybe she’s the exception that proves the rule?)

In any case, this one was smart enough to explain the issue to Trump in unmistakable language:

🌸

Dick Durbin Grows a Pair!

“It’s called precedent,” the Senate Judiciary Committee chair said of violating the same rule that Republicans ignored to move forward with judicial nominees.

(Personally, I would have gone with “It’s called precedent, you fuckers!”, but that’s just me.)

It wasn’t until after Democrats voted out both nominees and the complaints had somewhat subsided that Durbin had a chance to spell out why this was happening: He was following a precedent set by the last two Republican chairs of the committee, who violated the same committee rule to advance nominees and legislation without giving Democrats a chance to weigh in.
In other words, Durbin was giving Republicans a taste of their own medicine.

“The two preceding chairs of this committee violated the letter and spirit of Committee Rule IV,” he said, referring to a committee rule that requires at least one member of the minority to vote with the majority to end debate on a matter before moving to vote on it.

Durbin said one former chair, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), violated this rule with a vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, and Graham was chair when he broke the rule to advance a partisan immigration bill without Democratic input.

“In doing so, Republicans established a new precedent that I followed on one occasion last Congress and will follow again today,” said the Illinois Democrat. “I’ve said time and again there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans and a different set for Democrats.”

I am not a big fan of Huffington Post, but the whole article is delicious, with one Republican after another expressing disbelief that Durbin would do that, even though the Rs did it when they were in the majority. hahaha

🌸

And of course, Santos has been expelled!

Any other good news to celebrate?

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

180Comments

  3. 3.

    dr. bloor

    Sandra Day O’Connor is dead.  I thought I’d die first without having a chance to piss on her grave.

  6. 6.

    kindness

    @Baud: I understood Jackals here are close and all but I did not realize we were Florida Republican Chair/M4L co-founder +1 close.

  7. 7.

    Alison Rose

    I’m surprised the lawyer didn’t tell him: “This would be a big no-no.”

    It’s not good news for anyone but this lady and her friends, but: Thief In Australia Steals Truck With 10,000 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

    Reader, please select your own corny first line for this article:

    1. Talk about a sticky-fingered thief!

    2. It’s a crime you just can’t sugar coat.

    3. I’ve heard of stealing some dough, but this is ridiculous.

    The tale began at 4 a.m. on Wednesday in Carlingford, Australia, near Sydney, when a delivery driver working the night shift stopped his van to made a quick stop at a 7-Eleven.

    Closed circuit footage of the scene shows a woman milling around the gas pumps at the attached service station — or “servo” to Australians — and then climbing into the unattended van and driving away.

    What makes the story more compelling than a typical opportunistic vehicle theft is the van’s contents: 10,000 Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The treats were bound for shops in Newcastle, but instead have now disappeared to parts unknown.

    COMMENTER POLL: Do you typically spell it “doughnuts” or “donuts”? I prefer the latter because it is on my cute words list.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @dr. bloor:  As (fake) Jack Smith likes to say:

    Good morning to everyone who doesn’t have people wishing to piss on their grave.

    or

    Good morning to everyone who didn’t just have their gag order reinstated.

  14. 14.

    Ivan X

    Wow, from the Huffington Post article:

    Cotton got so mad he started talking about himself in the third person. “Mr. Cotton says the chairman needs to rethink his decision,” said Cotton, as his name came up in the roll call. “That’s what Mr. Cotton says.”

    Just, wow. These people are weird. And not in a good way.

  17. 17.

    Frankensteinbeck

    How did he ever hook up with Sydney Powell as an attorney”

    She was fantastically good at telling him what he wanted to hear:  That he actually won and here are a bunch of ways Democrats cheated that we can use to overturn the election.  Really, really, really good.  She could rave like a lunatic with passion and sincerity, depicting conspiracies where Trump is The Biggest Winner Ever and his problems are only because bad people are cheating and oppressing him.

    Trump’s needy, narcissistic ego is always, always his most powerful motivator.  She played to it so well she didn’t need any others.

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    Wow, this is great!

    if you don’t want to watch on twitter:

  24. 24.

    Juice Box

    @HumboldtBlue: Our recently retired mail carrier has five dogs. She made such a fuss over our current dog when he was little that he gets excited whenever he sees a mail truck, because he’s sure it’s his friend. He likes the veterinarian too. We attribute it to having been bottle fed since his mom didn’t make enough milk.

  25. 25.

    bbleh

    Good news?  US unemployment below 4%, consumer inflation down near 3%, “misery index” declining and currently at lowest point since COVID hit.

    It’s soshulism I tells ya

    @kindness: and this story is … I can’t even.  Family values.

  27. 27.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Juice Box: ​ 

    he gets excited whenever he sees a mail truck, because he’s sure it’s his friend.

    Of course the mail truck brings a friend, Mr. Rogers showed us how friendly mail carriers can be!

  28. 28.

    New Deal democrat

    Since this is an open thread, and I was out doing real life things earlier, I wanted to put in my two cents on the expulsion of Santos:

    1. I am glad no Democrats insisted on a criminal conviction. If it is considerably more likely than not that the Member committed flagrant acts of corruption, that ought to be enough, and the investigation and report of the Ethics Committee ought to be enough ‘due process.” And yes, that should also be true of Menendez in the Senate.

    2. Also, it spares me the time-consuming work of digging through Josh Chaffetz’ tome for the half a dozen times when Members resigned without a criminal conviction, because they knew they were going to be expelled anyway if they didn’t.

    3. But most importantly of all, with their majority shrinking to 7 seats (presumably, after a Democrat is appointed to fill the seat), this just highlights like a flashing neon sign how crucial it was that the GOP SCOTUS put their big fat @$$e$ on the scales by mandating that racial gerrymanders in several Southern States had to be used in 2022.

  29. 29.

    Scout211

    In the point-and-laugh good news department, X continues to lose advertisers and some are not planning to return.  And now Walmart!

    Walmart Now Latest Company to Pull Ads From X

    Following the footsteps of major corporations like Disney, IBM and Apple, Walmart is the latest company to no longer advertise on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, Reuters reported.
    “We aren’t advertising on X as we’ve found other platforms to better reach our customers,” a representative of Walmart told Reuters.

    That’s gotta hurt.  LOLOLOL

  32. 32.

    Burnspbesq

    My view after one quick read is that the D.C. Circuit panel got it exactly right—and I hope we can all appreciate the delicious irony of Jones v. Clinton being the precedent that doomed Trump’s argument.

    He’ll ask for rehearing en banc, and when that’s denied he’ll petition for cert, which there is no conceivable reason for the Supremes to grant.

    Discovery in this case is going to be lit. A rational defendant would settle quickly and call it a day. But “Trump” and “rational” are two words that don’t fit comfortably in the same sentence.

  34. 34.

    dmsilev

    @New Deal democrat:

    (presumably, after a Democrat is appointed to fill the seat),

    Nitpick: My understanding is that the seat will stay vacant until a special election, which will be in a couple of months. Other than that, yeah.

  39. 39.

    lowtechcyclist

    @WaterGirl:

    Rep. Stacey Plaskett BRILLIANTLY schools Jim Jordan about the hypocrisy of chairing a weaponization committee, but not being interested in Trump’s open threats to weaponize the government.

    This House Dem Caucus has more talented members than I can keep track of!  Rep. Plaskett is one more I hadn’t previously heard of, who is kicking ass along with the best of them.

    Makes you proud to be a Democrat.

  40. 40.

    Scout211

    @WaterGirl:  Stacey Plaskett is amazing.  Her ability to calmly eviscerate the reasons for the hearing (and Jordan) and list all of Trump’s threats and statements (now in the congressional record!) is impressive.

    I had to look her up, she represents the Virgin Islands.

  44. 44.

    cmorenc

    IF you watched FoxNews, you’d:

    get no clue that Newsom absolutely kicked DeSantis’ ass in the debate hosted by Hannity – just that there were “fiery exchanges”.
    get the impression that Hunter Biden’s offer to testify before open committee was requesting “special treatment” which Comer justifiably refused because Hunter should get same treatment any subject of a committee investigation gets, regardless of partisan background, not special deference.

  46. 46.

    Leto

    @Ivan X: I posted that article downstairs, but I basically love how their entire argument is: HOW DARE YOU DO THE SAME THINGS WE DID! Durbin has it correct: there can’t be separate rules for Dems and Fascists. FAFO, you shitbags.

  48. 48.

    Scout211

    This seems like good news.  Trump continues to care nothing about the rest of the GOP party.  His coattails are non-existent.  But good news for Democrats!

    Democratic Senate candidates across the country are relishing the notion of playing off former President Donald Trump’s renewed calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act if he wins the presidency next year.

    Trump’s recent pledge to “REPLACE IT with MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE” gives these Democrats, many of whom ran on fighting the repeal of the popular health care law in 2018, a chance to retool their winning message from six years ago. Polls show that 60% of adults have a favorable view of the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare.

    In Ohio, Democrats aligned with Sen. Sherrod Brown jumped on Trump’s comments, using them to attack the three top Republicans vying to take on the incumbent next year. Reeves Oyster, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party, pledged Ohio voters “will know that Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan would attack their access to health care and side with insurance companies.”

     

    In Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey responded to Trump by saying, “You can bet that I’ll always fight back against MAGA Republican attempts to take coverage away from Pennsylvania families, including those with pre-existing conditions.”

     

    And in Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, someone who was involved in writing the healthcare law, has long used her role in crafting the bill as a key portion of her stump speech. Andrew Mamo, a Baldwin campaign spokesperson, said the senator has “run on the ACA and won before, and she’ll do it again in November.”

  49. 49.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    @New Deal democrat:

    …with their majority shrinking to 7 seats (presumably, after a Democrat is appointed to fill the seat)…

    I don’t think there’s an appointment to fill the seat; there’ll be a special election within 90 days. With some work and a little luck, the seat can be picked up that way.

  53. 53.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211: Was she on one of the impeachment committees?  Seems like there was someone really good on the committee who was from the Virgin Islands.  Or maybe I’m just remembering wrong.

  62. 62.

    Jackie

    @lowtechcyclist:

    Rep. Plaskett is one more I hadn’t previously heard of, who is kicking ass along with the best of them

    She was one of the Democratic stars during TIFG’s impeachment #1 or #2. She represents the Virgin Islands.

  63. 63.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @WaterGirl: Big publishers won’t take submissions from authors. The author needs an agent to submit the book. From the publisher’s point of view, the agent reduces the amount of weak writing they get. The agent works on commission, so they take only things they think have a prayer of being accepted by the big publisher.

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211: Oh my gosh, Jamie Raskin looks so young in that photo!  It’s not that many years, but damn, he’s been through so much.  But he looks 10 years older.  Just happy that he is still with us.

  68. 68.

    geg6

    My good news is that Rob Reiner is making a sequel to (This Is) Spinal Tap with the original cast.  It’s in my top 5 movies of all time, so you know I’ll be there.

  69. 69.

    karen marie

    @HumboldtBlue:   How long do you let your chicken dry out in the fridge?

    Someone on Mastodon got a new giant airfryer and did a 4-pound chicken, said it was the best roast chicken they ever ate.  Got me thinking I should roast a chicken.

    Someone else in the thread mentioned they roast a lovely chicken in cast iron.  At my request, they provided a simple recipe (Mark Bitten) but it doesn’t say anything about letting the chicken dry out before roasting.

    I’ll try anything once.

    Before I roast a chicken though, my neighbor offered to split a turkey she got from work if I cooked it.  According to the Kitchn, you can cook it from frozen.  That seems like the easiest route given its size and the lack of fridge space both of us suffer from.  Anyone done that?

  70. 70.

    Jackie

    For you Jackals in the DC area:

    A Washington restaurant is toasting now-former Rep. George Santos’s expulsion from Congress by hawking a new cocktail marking the New York Republican’s ouster.

    Sticky Fingers Diner, in the District’s H Street Corridor, says it’s selling “Adios Santos” grapefruit margaritas beginning Friday.

    snip

    One dollar of each $10 “Adios Santos” drink sold will be donated to the activist group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, according to Sticky Fingers, in order to “help turn the grift into a gift.”

    https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4337847-dc-adios-santos-expulsion-vote/

  72. 72.

    Old School

    Stephen Colbert is set to return to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Monday after suffering a ruptured appendix.

    The Late Show was canceled last week after the comedian had to have surgery. It meant that he wasn’t able to talk to guests including Jennifer Garner, Baz Luhrmann, Patrick Stewart, Jon Batiste and Kelsey Grammer, nor air Barbra Streisand taking The Colbert Questionert.

    However, he is planning to be on the show next week and has lined up a guest list of stars.
    On Monday, Sarah Paulson and Jason Isbell will be on the show with the Drive-By Trucker performing with his band the 400 Unit. Tuesday sees Mark Ruffalo and a performance by Daniel Caesar; Wednesday has Nicki Minaj and Sara Bareilles, while he is closing out the week with Rep. Liz Cheney, who is touting a new book with the revelation that Donald Trump was “depressed” and “not eating” after the January 6 insurrection. Sara Bareilles will also perform on Thursday.

  75. 75.

    rikyrah

    @karen marie:

    Someone on Mastodon got a new giant airfryer and did a 4-pound chicken, said it was the best roast chicken they ever ate.  Got me thinking I should roast a chicken.

     

    how large an air fryer?

    hmmmmm

  76. 76.

    Geminid

    @Scout211: Polling has only relative value, but I am still interested in early polls so I can look for trend in later ones.

    Anyway, I checked out an Emerson/WJW-TV (Cleveland) poll of the Ohio Senate race and it showed:

    Sherrod Brown 42%  Moreno 32%

    Brown 41%  LaRose 36%

    Brown 41%  Dolan 38%

    Bernie Moreno is a wealthy auto dealer, Frank LaRose is Ohio Secretary of State, and Matt Dolan is a State Senator and member of the family that owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.

  77. 77.

    HumboldtBlue

    @karen marie: ​ 

    Overnight. I seasoned it with salt and some baking powder to dry the skin out (watched a guy do that last week and figured why not give it a try). I’m gonna make some compound butter with a bunch of herbs and spices, rub that under the skin and on top, shove an orange and half an onion in the cavity and roast for about two hours. Oh, on top of potatoes, onions and carrots.

  78. 78.

    Dan B

    Texas / Scott – Wheels, ordered to remove buoys from the Rio Grande.  I believe it was the (extremely conservative) 5th Circuit.  Word on the street is Texas will ignore the order.

  80. 80.

    Sure Lurkalot

    OT: For anyone in Denver or environs or planning a visit, I highly recommend this special exhibition at the Denver Art Museum:

    Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is the debut museum solo exhibition tour for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (born 1984). One of the most acclaimed artists of his generation, Boafo’s works focus the viewers’ gaze on his subjects’ presence through his portraits representing Black life.

    More than 30 works created between 2016 and 2022 are featured in Amoako Boafo, displaying Boafo’s vibrant use of color and thick gestures shaped by improvisational techniques such as finger-painting. His works actively center Black subjectivity, Black joy, and the Black gaze as the foundation of his inspiration and artistic practice.

    The exhibition’s title was inspired by civil rights activist, sociologist, and Pan-Africanist W.E.B. Du Bois and his study, The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903. Boafo grew up near the burial site of Du Bois in Accra, Ghana, and was affected by his research, especially his coining of the phrase “double consciousness,” meaning the experience of Black people simultaneously having to look at themselves through their own and through white people’s points of view. Boafo’s artworks serve as an invitation to think about and challenge the “othered” perspective concerning Black people and the Black figure.

    Amoako Boafo | Denver Art Museum

    Stunning, inspiring, humbling.

    There’s another special exhibition entitled All Stars: American Artists from the Phillips Collection also well worth seeing. Both exhibitions are not included in general admission but you can see both at an all access price.

  81. 81.

    karen marie

    @Old School: OMG!  WE ALMOST LOST STEPHEN COLBERT!

    Ugh, that would have been hideous not just for his family but for the country and the world.

  82. 82.

    trollhattan

    @geg6: ​
    I truly can’t imagine how they pull it off, but if anybody can it’s this crew.

    Will there be lyrics now to Lick My Love Pump? Just listen to that sustain.

  83. 83.

    JaySinWA

    @karen marie: I just saw a video by Kenji López-Alt talking about buying air-cooled chicken because water cooling makes the skin adsorb water and makes it rubbery. I was wondering if you could use your refrigerator to reduce that, like you can to remove excess moisture from meat.

    So I would be interesting in this as well. My guess would be 2-24 hours

    ETA

    @HumboldtBlue:  Thanks

  85. 85.

    narya

    @karen marie: I’ve been trying to let any protein I cook (meat, fish, poultry, whatever) dry out before I cook it–unless I am marinating it, in which case I dry it as much as possible before marinating. I get a much better sear, and I can control the doneness more easily, too. For the meat I get (hunted, not store-bought), it’s essential to get as much of the blood out of it as possible, but I find it improves all proteins.

  86. 86.

    The Pale Scot

    @Alison Rose:

    Umm.. Didn’t KK use to make their donuts on site? I remember the “Hot Donuts Now” sign at their Penn Station. If it’s no longer so, disappointing, another Crapification of Everything.

  89. 89.

    EarthWindFire

    @Scout211: Not only was Stacey Plaskett on the impeachment committee with Jamie Raskin, she was a constitutional law student of his when he was Professor Raskin at American University. Talent knows talent.

  90. 90.

    karen marie

    @rikyrah:   I’ve seen some giant ones online.  They’re combo toaster oven/airfryer/dishwasher/vacuum thingies.

    Mine is very small.  I could fit a couple of wings in it, at best.  I use it mostly for making baked potatoes, roasting a bit of salmon, or heating a Muffaletta.  Sadly, Costco isn’t selling the giant jars of the necessary olive salad anymore.  I made a fuckton of Muffalettas with Costco rolls and froze them but, sadly, they’ve all been eaten.

  91. 91.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Dan B: ​
     

    Texas / Scott – Wheels, ordered to remove buoys from the Rio Grande. I believe it was the (extremely conservative) 5th Circuit. Word on the street is Texas will ignore the order.

    Send the Marines in to do the job instead, send Texas a bill, and if Texas doesn’t pay it, garnish their share of Federal highway money.

    Or, better, let Texas know that their refusal to abide by Federal court orders would be regarded as a major step towards secession, and accordingly, refusal to comply would result in NO Federal dollars going to Texas or its residents until they do so.

    They can be part of the Union, or not. But there would be serious consequences to making the latter choice, and IMHO it’s best to make that point sooner rather than later.

  92. 92.

    geg6

    @The Pale Scot: ​

    They still make them fresh in the KK stores, but they also sell them in grocery stores, Walmart, etc. Thus not as fresh, but more available to the average Joe.

    ETA: Myself, I’m not a fan of KK, fresh or not.  We have two wonderful family owned donut shops locally.  KK is garbage next to them.

  95. 95.

    Dan B

    @WaterGirl: Try heavily blanching the broccoli and then letting it cool completely.  And you can lightly dust it with flour or cornstarch.  The other option is to use broccolini florets which are less moist to begin with.  For flavir balance a sharper selection of cheeses would balance the blandness of the broccoli.

  96. 96.

    cain

    Quick update with my wife – we’ve been chatting with lawyers. If anyone wants more update – I’m happy to do it but I rather we move it off the forum or something since we’re moving into legalities – I don’t want to expose anything especially since we have people here who are familiar with the area school systems.

    The only thing I will add is that we’ve talked to a previous principal and they can confirm that stupid shit has been going on and they left.

  98. 98.

    Brachiator

    Since this is an open thread, here is Marques Brownlee test driving the Tesla Cybertruck.

    He probably is looking for positives, but he doesn’t seem to be a total shill for the vehicle.

  106. 106.

    WaterGirl

    @Dan B: I simply do not understand why these states are allowed to just flip off a judicial ruling.  Maddening!

    There have to be consequences.

    @lowtechcyclist:

    Send the Marines in to do the job instead, send Texas a bill, and if Texas doesn’t pay it, garnish their share of Federal highway money.

    Or, better, let Texas know that their refusal to abide by Federal court orders would be regarded as a major step towards secession, and accordingly, refusal to comply would result in NO Federal dollars going to Texas or its residents until they do so.

    They can be part of the Union, or not. But there would be serious consequences to making the latter choice, and IMHO it’s best to make that point sooner rather than later

    YES!!!

  108. 108.

    rikyrah

    @karen marie:

      I’ve seen some giant ones online.  They’re combo toaster oven/airfryer/dishwasher/vacuum thingies.

     

    I have my eye on one of those that opens like an oven. I need the space. I want to put baking sheets in it.

  111. 111.

    trollhattan

    @skerry: Hobson’s choice. Get better, soon!

    My covid bout was like a very nasty, Republican flu so I could not tell the difference TBH. The 6-week cough though….

  112. 112.

    Jay

    @The Pale Scot:

    Not a lot of places outside of the US, have Krispy Kreme franchises or stores. Instead, a regional commercial bakery makes them for delivery to stores. Here, as far as I know, none of the grocery stores or convenience stores carry Krispy Kreme donuts, but,

    they are sold by various groups as fundraisers from time to time, often at a table near the grocery store entry.

    Up here, Tim Horton’s dominates the donut market.

  113. 113.

    Mike in Pasadena

    The radical right wingers on the Supremes will not break a sweat finding trumpy’s absolute immunity when the question comes before them. Sorry. After reading Kaplan’s opinion piece in Wash Post yesterday I am a little down.

  114. 114.

    trollhattan

    @Alison Rose: They made a yuge media splash out of arriving in the metroplex (smart marketing, that) and when I finally had some, realized their Big Trick is not cooking them through–keeping the dough in the donut.

    Yuk. (I also loathe “cookie-dough” anything, bake the damn cookie.)

    Must chase off the lawn kids, now.

  116. 116.

    WaterGirl

    @Mike in Pasadena: Reading that piece was your first mistake. :-)

    No one can state with certainty what will happen 7 months in the future, and anyone who tells you they can…well, you should immediately disregard their input.

  117. 117.

    Doc Sardonic

    @The Pale Scot: As far as I know, they still make them onsite and have the Hot Doughnuts sign as well. The Krispy Kreme on US192 in tourist central Kissimmee has people in the lobby giving out a free warm donut sample to every one using successfully using the drug dealer model.

  120. 120.

    smith

    @WaterGirl: That group, CREW, does a lot of great things.

    I saw an interview with the head of their legal department about their TFG disqualification suit in CO, and wow, was he persuasive. I hope the CO Supreme Court thinks so, too.

  121. 121.

    Jay

    @trollhattan:

    Here, the best donuts are from DoNut and Pho. It started out as a Mom and Pop Pho shop, and the grandmother figured out that since there was already a deep fryer in the back, might as well make donuts.

    The best donut they have is a lemon/poppyseed Old Fashioned, no icing.

  122. 122.

    Timill

    @Jay: Surely 3 is more traditional? But that would mean resurrecting himself on the Sabbath, and a good Jewish boy couldn’t do that as it would be work.

    Also: did anyone think to import some German soil?

  123. 123.

    Marcopolo

    @Bruce K in ATH-GR: yes. Under the NY state constitution the R and D party orgs responsible for that Congressional district will select their respective candidates at some point in Dec (think w/in 8-10 days from now?) for a special election to be held in late Feb (has to be w/in 80 days of the vacancy occurring). Then in May there will be a primary for the Nov regular election.

  124. 124.

    Leto

    @trollhattan: so we’re dealing with covid in our household as well; Avalune and the kid both got it. They tested positive on Tuesday, been in isolation since. I’ve taken up residence on the downstairs couch until at least Sunday. I got my booster, and flu, shot about two-three weeks ago, but they didn’t. I’ve essentially been on super nurse status, but they’re starting to feel a bit better so hopefully we’re around the initial bend.

  125. 125.

    Leto

    @Jay: ​ we have an Amish farmer’s market about 5 mins away, and they make potato donuts. I absolutely love’em. Any choice is a good choice, but I always get a Boston Creme filled chocolate glazed donut. Just one, and it always hits the spot.

  126. 126.

    Jay

    @Caroline:

    It’s just a montage of all the Drummer Deaths since Spinal Tap.it covers:

    • The Japan Tour deaths,
    • The County Fair Deaths,
    • Their desperate dive into Synth/Rock stage,
    • Their seedy Nightclub stage,
    • Their “Classic Rock” rise,
    • Their Stadium Phase and return to the top stage,
    • and of course all the Tribute Rock Coverband’s drummers deaths as well.
  128. 128.

    Jay

    @Leto:

    When I go there, I get a Mi Bahn, a Sura nong coffee and a Lemon Poppyseed for dessert.

    When we do get Pho for takeout, their portions are to large for there to be room for dessert, not large enough for two suppers.

    I hope everybody heals well.

    Here in BC, the stats are that right now, 1:28 people have covid.

  130. 130.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Leto: Back when I made donuts ( deep fried in oil as god intended) I had a recipe that used potato in it. They had a bit chewier texture, as I recall, which I really liked

    Eta: oil = lard

  131. 131.

    Martin

    @Leto: Best to yours. Ms Martin should be sprung from her princess palace tomorrow. She appealed for today citing some CDC guidance which I shut down – negative test only. Son is feeling better as well.

    Daughter and I dodged it, which I’m pretty fucking proud of if I don’t mind saying.

    Ms Martin’s choir is having a proper outbreak, which over-rigid policy is preventing the director from shutting down.

  132. 132.

    pacem appellant

    @WaterGirl: It means that I have someone to help me pitch and sell my book (yes, I have a book!) to publishers. It does not guarantee that a publisher will buy the book, but it’s a big step on the path to getting traditionally published.

  138. 138.

    Leto

    @Jay: that sounds super yummy! Thanks!

    @MagdaInBlack: my dad is a die hard Krispy Kreme guy, and I’ll admit right out of the fryer they’re great, but I too like the texture much better.

    @Martin: We’re doing the next test on Sunday, followed by another one 48 hours later. Fingers crossed for double negative; best to you and yours as well.

    For everyone else: another clip of Meatball Ron being absolutely taken out behind the woodshed. Whoever told Puddin’ Boots that this was a good idea… well they probably still have a secure job. But man… (volume icon top right of gif) these absolutely do not get old.

    Child Almost Cries After Getting Bullied

    *911? Yes, I’d like to report a murder…

  141. 141.

    Martin

    @Brachiator: Best thing I can say about it is the headlights aren’t just below the roofline of my Prius. It’ll be nicer to have one of these behind me.

  146. 146.

    cain

    Y’all if you’re not getting the Trader Joe’s pastry sheets  you are missing out – they come from france and they are 100% butter and they are fabulous. We make vegetable puffs from it. So fucking good. They are only available during the holiday season so you need to pick that up for the long term.

  147. 147.

    Dan B

    @WaterGirl: Generally when you’re beating whole eggs it’s almost impossible to overbeat them.  Try some extra whipping.  It does sound like the custard was a bit too wet to hold the air andwhopping.  That would also cause it to deflate.

    Better luck next time.

    Dud it taste okay?

  151. 151.

    Uncle Cosmo

    First I read this…

    @Juice Box: … We attribute it to having been bottle fed since his mom didn’t make enough milk.

    Then immediately afterward I read this & thought it was a reply…

    @WaterGirl: It’s the only thing my sister makes better than I do. I even use her recipe.

    …& I did a doubletake…..8^O

    Helluva juxtaposition!

  152. 152.

    Sure Lurkalot

    Never have and never will grok the love for Krispy Kremes. When KK came to Denver years ago, there were 2 hour lines. The thing practically dissolves in your mouth like cotton candy.

    Same for In’n’Out, though I’m sure many mostly west coasters here beg to differ.

  153. 153.

    Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    They package it up real nice, other than all the plastic.

    The broth is in one container, the noodles in another, the meat another, then all the sprouts, herbs, condiments etc in another.

    So unlike at the sit down, with take out, you can stretch a lunch and a dinner out of one, with out everything going soggy. Just reheat the broth and add. It’s just as good the second day.

    If there was another 1/2 cup of broth and a bit more meat and noodles, I would pace myself and have 2 dinners and dessert.

  154. 154.

    Redshift

    @New Deal democrat:

    1. I am glad no Democrats insisted on a criminal conviction. If it is considerably more likely than not that the Member committed flagrant acts of corruption, that ought to be enough, and the investigation and report of the Ethics Committee ought to be enough ‘due process.” And yes, that should also be true of Menendez in the Senate.

    It’s kind of interesting — Santos is the first member to be expelled without a conviction since the House Ethics Committee was established. So it genuinely was an undecided matter whether a damning Ethics Comittee report was enough. I’m glad most almost all Dems decided it was, but I’m willing to accept that the few who didn’t vote in favor we acting in good faith. (They may have also been acting on purely partisan motivations, but there’s at least a plausible argument they weren’t.)

  156. 156.

    WaterGirl

    @Dan B: It did not taste GOOD and part of the deal with quiche is the texture.  I ended up  eating one piece and throwing the rest out.  It was already flat and unappealing, and I was sure that reheating was only going to make that worse.

  159. 159.

    The Pale Scot

    Best donuts? Judicke’s Bakery in Bayonne Nj. First and last stop when we and a lot of other people visit. Their sprinkled donuts must have been in every house in Bayonne at one time or another. Best Kruschicki you can find. The bakery and its dough recipe will be celebrating its 100 yr anniversary next year.

    Lots of donut pictures

    The NYT review

  163. 163.

    zhena gogolia

    @WaterGirl: We’re a college town too (not as big a college as yours, by any means), but we have no Trader Joe’s (or Starbucks, or any number of other things that I don’t really miss).

  164. 164.

    zhena gogolia

    We have a donut shop that has cars lined up every morning, and I just think they’re gooey, too-sweet yuck. And I have a sweet tooth — but there has to be some subtlety.

    I will say that sometimes at the train station, a cinnamon Dunkin Donut goes down well, though. They aren’t that gooey or sweet, in my experience.

  165. 165.

    Jay

    @HumboldtBlue:

     

    @WaterGirl:

     

    Closest Trader Joes to Champaign is 106 miles away.

    If you have a local bakery with good puff pastry, ask them what they use.

    When I worked in commercial baking, a lot of our revenue came from “take and bake” products. We  would for example, make sheets of real butter puff pastry, about half would be flash frozen, boxed up and shipped out, as far as Alaska. About1/4 would be assembled into products, flash frozen and shipped out. The rest would be assembled, proofed and baked, then shipped to local bakeries and retail stores.

    A lot of small bakeries rely on somebody else making either the base, the assembled product or delivered product.

    So if your local bakery has good puff pastry products, they might be willing to sell you a sheet or two of flash frozen, out of their delivery.

    For a couple of years, I used to make Jamie Oliver’s mincemeat tarts. In a large muffin pan, 3 layers of buttered philo, one layer of puff pastry, Enid’s homemade green tomato mincemeat as filling. Sinful.

  167. 167.

    Ruckus

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    I’ve had far better burgers than In&Out. But I’ve also had far worse. They actually taste OK, the fries are good and the price is acceptable. Only better places I’ve bought takeout burgers in any of the states I’ve lived or traveled in were not chains. Because all of the chains I’ve been in are not overall as good.

    A side note. Many, many decades ago my dad took a Shriners trip to Las Vegas and sat down next to a fella on the bus and the fella introduced himself. Hi I’m ___. Dad returned Hi I’m ___. Turned out this guy had the same first and last name and same middle initial and his son was also named after dad and was also the II instead of Jr. And worked for In & Out in upper management. And he got that job because he had owned a small burger stand in our town that was bought by and turned into an In & Out. Just a little strange.

  171. 171.

    karen marie

    @rikyrah:   I guess I don’t understand the point past a certain size.  Wouldn’t a tabletop convection oven be the same – and better?

    I saw a giant two-bin airfryer on Amazon, and people in reviews were giving it a thumbs down because the bins were joined and too large to be able to fit into a sink to wash.

    I’d think that roasting a whole chicken has got to make a mess in the entire interior – another cleaning nightmare because you’re dealing with non-removable parts.   For me, past a certain size, it’s just silly

    @Jay:  My brother is of the opinion that Cambodians make the best donuts.  He’s found that to be true in multiple states.  I loved living in Fall River, Mass., where there are Portuguese bakeries every block or so, and most of them make delicious donuts.

  174. 174.

    lowtechcyclist

    @JaySinWA: ​
     

    The few KK donuts I’ve had didn’t seem doughy, they were mostly air and sugar. I don’t know what people see in them but they weren’t under cooked, IMHO.

    I loved ’em when I was 17, but you’re right, they’re mostly air and sugar. I lost my taste for them decades ago.

  178. 178.

    Soprano2

    @WaterGirl: I read it. I think he’s too pessimistic, but there was a lot of truth in that piece too. We shouldn’t fool ourselves about how bad it could be.

  179. 179.

    Barry

    @lowtechcyclist: “Send the Marines in to do the job instead, send Texas a bill, and if Texas doesn’t pay it, garnish their share of Federal highway money.”

     

    Do to Abbott what they’d do to us – arrest for contempt, assess fines.

  180. 180.

    WaterGirl

    @Soprano2: I’m not fooling myself about how bad it could be.  I am just unwilling to marinate in something that is designed to discourage.  The way it doesn’t become how bad it could be is to work hard and fight for what we want.

    I believe that part of being able to fight for what we want is not falling for all the crap that is intended to discourage.

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