Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Everybody saw this coming.

Another missed opportunity for Jamie Dimon to just shut the fuck up.

People are weird.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Please don’t feed the bears.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

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

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.

‘Museums aren’t America’s attic for its racist shit.’

Donald Trump, welcome to your everything, everywhere, all at once.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

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

The Supreme Court is corrupt. Democrats must win in November and force court reform.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Monday Morning Open Thread: Christmas

Monday Morning Open Thread: Christmas

by | 132 Comments

This post is in: , ,

Monday Morning Open Thread: Christmas

Foccacia goals:


(Note for the easily startled: At $10,000 and 600 lbs [gift link], this is *not* going to be next year’s terrible pet fad, outside of the ultra-high-end multi-million-dollar gated-community demographic.)

For us Oldies Elders…

Reader Interactions

132Comments

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    That raccoon is looking at that tree and thinking, “Can I eat it?” and having realized it can eat anything, “Where do I start?”

     

    eta: and oh yeah, Blech.

  6. 6.

    LiminalOwl

    @LiminalOwl: My edit disappeared. This is my favorite song of the season. Bob Franke, “Sometimes a Little Light.”  I couldn’t get WP to give me a thumbnail instead of a link.

  8. 8.

    Van Buren

    Memo to self: Do not put dog treats in the dog’s stocking ever again. It leads to excessive early Christmas morning barking and disgruntled house guests.

  9. 9.

    arrieve

    Merry Christmas to all. I am on a cruise ship sailing from Greece to Turkey. I had a lot of agita about this cruise because of the Suez Canal/Red Sea itinerary, but the cruise company didn’t cancel and so here I am. I started the day with blueberry pancakes and bacon (because Christmas) while watching the sun rise over the Mediterranean, and that was pretty splendid. Fingers crossed it remains as peaceful as it is now, and that all of you have an equally splendid time.

  14. 14.

    narya

    Tidings of the season to everyone!

    In reading the earlier thread about the JW not-fun-having, I sometimes think the best thing my (atheist) mother and (at the time, agnostic) father did was have us celebrate Christmas, with a tree and stockings (which my mother knitted for us) and presents. In retrospect I think they were trying to navigate their own beliefs and the general (small-town) culture in which we were embedded, and not make us stand out too much. As I think I’ve mentioned before, when I asked my dad why we celebrated Christmas if we didn’t believe in christ, he responded, “we celebrate Halloween and we don’t believe in ghosts–why give up a perfectly good holiday?”

    I hope your day is even better than you are hoping it will be, and thank you all (especially John and the FP folks) for creating this space.

  17. 17.

    Chief Oshkosh

    Merry Christmas to all! If that’s not how you swing – then Happy Monday Morning! :)

    We had a great meal on Christmas Eve (our tradition), with extended family, including assorted cats and dogs. Everyone got on well!  The only MAGA fan in family, to our great fortune, is a very non-confrontational person and a really good guy otherwise. He just changed jobs last year and loves his new one, including being in the UAW (first time he’s been in a union). He seems genuinely and pleasantly surprised at all the things the union does for its members. Heck, the fact that he could rattle off all of the good things that the union got and gets for its members (and nonmembers) is a huge leap forward (I guess that sounds condescending on my part, but I don’t mean it that way). About the only slightly-off moment was when he declared that Dave Ramsey is a financial genius. Well, each to his own.

    And yes, some of the cats lied down next to the dogs (who were very good boys and girls).

    I hope your holidays were and are as equally filled with peace.

  18. 18.

    dmsilev

    I know about the ‘no pets as holiday presents’ rule, but I guess I never thought it would be necessary to add a ‘no livestock’ clause as well.

  19. 19.

    sab

    @Chief Oshkosh: Our most skittish cat spent her first year semi-feral until we adopted her. She completely trusts only two members of our household, my husband and our pitbull. She is wary of me and the other four cats.

  20. 20.

    Tony Jay

    Mega-Merry Jebusmas to all and sundry. Been up since before 7am after getting back from Food Charity deliveries late and now it’s squint/blur o’clock and I’m having a beer.

    Jay Junior is playing ‘Job Simulator’ on his VR Headset (kids these days – smdh) while Lady Jay takes over in the kitchen shredding and peppering brussel sprouts for frying in butter. Bloody lovely. That’s going to be had with roast beef in soy sauce and pepper, broccoli in cheese sauce, roast carrots and parsnips, chestnut stuffing and a roast onion. Vegetarians are having Vegan Turkey Roast, because Meat is Murder. Then I will curl up in a loose ball and burp regularly to draw attention to my weakened state and general need for more beer.

    FTFNYT – “All I want for Christmas is…  a tiny cow?” Only if you’re the kind of obscenely out-of-touch jazzer who says “On Trend” unironically. So, no. I don’t and I won’t. Go and seasonally f#€k yourselves with a Yule Log you bunch of self -simulating pseudo-McArglegargles and desist in harshing my vibe. 

  21. 21.

    RevRick

    Merry Christmas to all.
    I’m watching my granddaughter tally her haul from not one, but two Christmas stockings, and we haven’t even begun to get to the main event under the tree!
    Meanwhile, I’m at the stage of my life where the last thing I need is more stuff, and what I truly want for Christmas is forgiveness.

  24. 24.

    sab

    I have a Christmas t-shirt “beannachdan na raithe” with a highland cow wearing a santa hat on its head and ornaments on its horns. I think the phrase means blessings of the season in gaelic.

    Do all highland cattle have horns, or just the boys?

    ETA Both have horns

  25. 25.

    mrmoshpotato

    please do not buy anyone a gift cow without asking first

    But if anyone wants to buy me a gift half or quarter cow…go browse the Omaha Steaks site and go hog cow wild!

    More steaks than burgers please!

  26. 26.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @arrieve:

    Ah yes.  Wonderful place.  Too bad you can’t stay overnight in Selcuk.  The ruins of the Basilica of St John are nice.  A former ancient wonder of the world, Temple of Artemis, is also there but you wouldn’t know it was an ancient wonder these days.

    Have fun!

  27. 27.

    There go two miscreants

    @narya: “we celebrate Halloween and we don’t believe in ghosts–why give up a perfectly good holiday?”

    I will remember that one to use with the grandkids!

  32. 32.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    My Ephesus story is surreal.

    We’re working our way up (the tour buses from the cruise ships park at the upper end of town, we walked in from the lower part) the site when I got to the upper amphitheater.

    A tour group, clearly Murkins, started to file in.  I was standing on the “stage” part when a guy with the group comes up and starts talking, first to people around him, then addresses the group now seated.

    It was Mike Fucking Huckabee.  I did a double take.  He’s a lot shorter than he appears on the eletrical teevee device.  He was leading one of his “holy land tours” and started talking about the apostle Paul sitting in these seats, blah, blah, blah.

    I hung around for 5 minutes just to take it all in, then moved on.

    They were flying a drone and got caught.  My wife listened to them lie their way out of the situation (the folks at Ephesus were gonna confiscate the drone b/c there were no drone signs at the entrance).  Good Christians breaking rules and lying, that was my takeaway from the Huckster’s Ephesus tour.

  33. 33.

    sab

    @RevRick: Our grand-daughter’s present is still wandering through the holiday shipping. We are giving her another smaller present, and telling her it took the three wisemen 12 days to find baby Jesus, so late presents are part of the whole holiday experience.

  34. 34.

    There go two miscreants

    (Afraid to edit the previous comment, and, sure enough got stuck with the Text tab – I assume this is still a Firefox-related bug.)

    The miniature livestock thing brings to mind the nasty-tempered miniature elephant in the novel version of Juriassic Park (not in the movie IIRC).

  37. 37.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    Mr DAW and I opened our presents to one another. He got me a T-shirt with the cover of Glass Girl printed on it. I got him scones from Ackroyd’s bakery in Detroit. He’s already eating the dark chocolate/cherry ones.

  38. 38.

    mrmoshpotato

    @There go two miscreants:

    The miniature livestock thing brings to mind the nasty-tempered miniature elephant in the novel version of Juriassic Park (not in the movie IIRC). 

    Definitely no elephants in the movie.

    I don’t remember the elephant in the novel.  But then I haven’t read Jurassic Park in 25+ years.

  39. 39.

    artem1s

    Here’s why miniature livestock are a hot-ticket item this holiday season.

    next up David Brooks whinges about how much he paid for his miniature livestock and feed grain in his latest “inflation is real” article (still hasn’t gotten the memo that, no inflation isn’t real). And why it’s all Joes’ fault that Ohio white men in diners can’t gift their Real Housewives of Geauga County tiny highland cattle this Christmas.

  41. 41.

    narya

    @There go two miscreants: Even as my dad is sliding toward the end of his life, he remains the master of the deadpan comment. When the nurse was enrolling him in hospice, she asked if he was a veteran (“yes”), saw combat (“no”), served during wartime (“yes”), then asked what war? w/o missing a beat: “Civil War.” My mom and I laughed out loud, but it took the nurse a second. (He served during Korea, but was sent to Europe.)

  42. 42.

    Ken

     At $10,000 and 600 lbs [gift link], this is *not* going to be next year’s terrible pet fad, outside of the ultra-high-end multi-million-dollar gated-community demographic.

    I can see the lawsuits with the HOA already. “This is not livestock, it is a pet.”

  43. 43.

    JMG

    @Tony Jay: Sounds like a lovely day. We’re having brussel sprouts, too, but we cook ours in bacon fat. Also mashed potatoes and cornish game hens with a rosemary and chicken stock sauce. Just gave my seven-month old grandson his present from me — a baby sized full on Tottenham Hotspur kit. Just had to get that last one in there. Merry Christmas to you and to all here and those they are with in person or in spirit.

  49. 49.

    Scout211

    Good morning all and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and happy Monday to those who don’t. Peace and good will to all.

    We don’t do presents or celebrate the day in any kind of Christmasy way anymore.  It’s just the two of us and it’s a typical day for us.  We are fine with that.

    I used to go all out when the kids were younger, with activities, decorating, baking, presents, feasts and all out fun.  It’s a wonderful gift to me every year to see that all three of our kids now do the same for their families.  I enjoy the holiday thoroughly by seeing them carry on the Christmas traditions.

    Later today there will be a group text with my sisters with a few throwback pics of us celebrating Christmas when we were young.  That’s our current tradition.

    And to all of you who still enjoy the battering of helmets and feats of football strength, GO FORTY-NINERS!

  52. 52.

    RevRick

    @sab: In most Latin American countries, Three Kings Day (January 6th) is the gift-giving day. I’m all in favor of extending the celebration.

  53. 53.

    lowtechcyclist

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I fully expect my state government of Misery to leave over $50 million on the Federal table because nothing says “pro-life” like inflicting malnutrition on poor children.

    Well, the first letter of John talks about many antichrists coming in the last days, and I guess they’re doing their part.

  55. 55.

    frosty

    @narya: Your dad had the perfect answer. Better than blathering on about Solstice and how the tree starred with pagan celebrations etc etc.

    Merry Christmas to all!

  59. 59.

    Nukular Biskits

    I know this isn’t in the holiday spirit, but WTF thinks giving a cow as a present is a good  idea?

    Growing up, I had one. It was a lot of work.  Been on farms. It was a lot of work, cows are messy, smelly and, while they can be affectionate if raised as a pet from a calf, generally are interested in humans only for their ability to give them food.

    And they hurt when they step on you.

    Nothing against cows, just prefer mine in the freezer.  And the older I get, the less of that I prefer as well.

  63. 63.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @frosty:

    Better than blathering on about Solstice and how the tree starred with pagan celebrations etc etc.

    But those are some of the coolest parts of why the holiday even exists in the first place.

  69. 69.

    Ken

    @RevRick: In most Latin American countries, Three Kings Day (January 6th) is the gift-giving day. I’m all in favor of extending the celebration.

    You say that now, but come January 1 when Amazon delivers eight miniature cows (with milkmaid service contract), plus another 23 birds and five rings, we’ll see.

    I went to a Chicago A’Cappella concert this season where they did that carol. The guy who introduced it said that one theory is that all the gifts are birds — the rings being ring-necked pheasants, the drummers being grouse, the pipers sandpipers, and so on. He did admit that the maids-a-milking didn’t fit….

  71. 71.

    Layer8Problem

    It’s a quiet day here.  My partner’s non-Christmas-celebrating and already had a family when I showed up, and given my determined agnosticism I refused to impose any Christmas hegemony on a happy home.  Celebrating around here’s usually skiing followed by Chinese or Indian food, although today’s a rotten day for skiing in these parts.

    I’ll be making well-wishing phone calls to far-flung relatives of mine and figure out where my charitable end of year money’s going.

  76. 76.

    Citizen Dave

    @Chief Oshkosh: Merry Christmas everyone.  Your Dave Ramsey bit made me LOL.  The things we get exposed to at holiday get togethers.  I think the one I’m attending today is nut-free.

     

    Wife and me made delicious Cippino last night for our big meal.

  77. 77.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Brit in Chicago: ​
     

    This year, I gave quite a few people livestock through Heifer International (https://www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/index.html) and I would encourage others to do the same. For those who have more than they need, it’s a good way to share with those who have less than they need.

    As the saying goes, heifer cow is better than none. ;-)

    Seriously, that’s a good charity to give to. They’re a regular on my list.

  79. 79.

    Another Scott

    HeavenlyPossum
    @[email protected]

    This Christmas, let’s all dedicate ourselves to Jesus’ example of:

    – beating up finance bros

    – shaming bigots and moralizing scolds

    – having at least twelve friends as an adult

    – feeding hungry people

    – demanding the abolition of debts and redistribution of wealth to the poor

    Dec 25, 2023, 06:57

    :-)

    Made me look. The Jefferson Bible:

    4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

    5 To be enrolled with Mary his betrothed, being then with child.

    6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

    7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

    Hmm… Unwed mother. That makes the story even more universal, doesn’t it??

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  80. 80.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Layer8Problem:

    It’s almost, nearly, maybe with extra positive thinking, beach weather in Pascagoula and environs!

    Here in central Florida, no amount of vivid imagination or positive thinking would cause one to confuse today’s weather with beach weather.

    Hallucinogens might do the trick, but I’m far from certain about that!

  83. 83.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Layer8Problem:

    The weather today here on the MS Gulf Coast is very, very wet, muggy and in the mid-60s.  Storm system moved through last night with a lot of wind and dropped some rain (not sure about the amount yet).

    So … maybe water skiing in the ditches?

  86. 86.

    Geminid

    @arrieve: There was a lot of tension in the Aegean Sea not long ago, but Greece and Turkiye seem to have patched up relations. When President Erdogan met with the Greek Prime Minister a couple weeks ago they signed a number of agreements including the “Athens Declaration of Cooperation and Neighborliness.” Instead of sending F-16s to rattle windows in the Dodecanese Islands, the cheerful Erdogan now says the Aegean will be a “sea of peace and cooperation.”

    Are you going to transit the Red Sea? Maersk says they will start sending their container ships through again, now that there is a multinational naval task force in place. I think liquified natural gas tankers are still being routed around Africa though. At least, I hope they are.

  87. 87.

    sab

    @raven: A good time was had by all?

    Same here. Ponyo is up in our bed on a huge nest she built out of our quilts. She is sucking on her quilt to calm herself down.

    She already had her morning leftover cat food from yesterday. She doesn’t know she will be getting liver for dinner when we get back from whatever meal at the kid’s house.

  89. 89.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Nukular Biskits: ​
     

    I see, good sir, you are a connoisseur of dad jokes.

    That one’s actually a steal from Groucho in Monkey Business, but it’s not exactly one of his better lines.

  90. 90.

    raven

    @sab: It was ok but we’re getting ready to have a crowd. They are folks she knows but she’s touchy about people coming in the house so she’ll be separated for now.

  92. 92.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Merry Christmas all!

    Yesterday evening we went to the Taos Pueblo to witness the Procession of the Virgin Mary ceremony.  It was super-cool.  Very cold.  No pictures allowed.  But the Pueblo is really neat and the sunset was spectacular with the mountains just laced with a bit of snow from the night before.  We managed to snag a spot right by the Red River which looked gorgeous in the sunset light.  I can see why the Pueblo found this to be a sacred sight.  It is absolutely stunning.  Pueblo Indians started lighting some of the smaller pyres as the Mass ceremony was happening in the cathedral.  Then the procession began with the Pueblo carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary on about a 400 meter loop, with two gigantic torches leading the way and occasional gunshots fired into the air.  It was really something to see and we were extremely thankful that the Pueblo allowed us to witness it.

  93. 93.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @sab: She is sucking on her quilt to calm herself down.

    I wish I could convince Billie Jean to do the same but noooooo, she has to suck on mine*. So every time I grab the blanket the first thing I need to do is find the soaking wet spot so I can put it down at me feet.

    *We gave her my 2 previous blankets to pacify herself with and it just doesn’t matter, she has to suck on the one I am currently using.

  95. 95.

    arrieve

    @Geminid: Yes, we are doing the Suez Canal next week and then the Red Sea. I was sure the cruise would be canceled and I was more than okay with that, but the sales rep told me that the ship has to get to Asia for the winter cruise season and so was doing the canal/Red Sea no matter what. And so here we are. Hopefully, a ship full of elderly white people doesn’t look like an attractive target to anyone. (Just kidding–the clientele is neither as old nor as white as I had expected.

    ETA: Rumor has it that the ship is only half full, which isn’t surprising. It’s not one of the big ships to start with so the lack of crowds is very nice.

  97. 97.

    sab

    The new next door neighbor little girls got a golden retriever puppy a couple of weeks ago. Then today they were out on their new bikes. The littler one has a purple bike with training wheels, and a my little kitty helmut with pink ears. So cute

    ETA So I am enjoying not having a White Christmas.

  99. 99.

    eclare

    Merry Christmas to all!  Absolutely nothing special planned for the day, which is fine with me.  My dog Lucy is curled up next to me, that is special enough.

  100. 100.

    Another Scott

    Too good to wait for Adam’s daily thread.

    Randahl Fink
    @[email protected]

    Multiple sources claim, the first squadron of F-16’s are now active in Ukraine.

    This has been mentioned both by the usually credible YouTube channel “Reporting from Ukraine”, as well as the Russian channel Rybar, which claims the squadron consists of 12 aircraft + 3 trainer aircraft.

    Of course we need official confirmation to be sure, but to me this sounds very much aligned with how the deliveries have been progressing, and what has been reported in the news.

    This development is…

    … significant because the F-16 is multi-role and gives Ukraine access to an enormous and varied arsenal of missiles, bombs, and advanced equipment compatible with the F-16s.

    What an absolutely awesome Christmas present! 🎁

    Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

    2/2

    Slava Ukraini indeed.

    I’m reminded of a certain General Washington being busy on Christmas day way back when, also too.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  101. 101.

    MagdaInBlack

    @eclare: As I read that I realized my contentment had just kicked in too. Gordita asleep under the tree, coffee and music and all is well.

  102. 102.

    CaseyL

    Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

    Christmas Day is so quiet hereabouts it’s eerie.  Where I live, we front onto a main drag (big parking lot between the houses and the street, so we’re not directly on it), and any other day of the year there is traffic.  Maybe not a lot, but always some.  Not on Christmas Day, though.  Seems anyone who needs to be somewhere is already there.

    It was like that during lockdown, too – but not just the one day.  That was a surreal time.

  103. 103.

    Jager

    Christmas Memory from 1996

    During my “Lost Year” in Florida, I gathered the orphans I worked with at my little house on Rutland Blvd for a Christmas Eve dinner. I cooked a big ham with all the trimmings. Eric, Kevin, George, and our young sports guy Bo, all drank to excess and ate like pigs, Eric even boomed out a few Christmas carols. Around 10, young Bo said, “I’ve got a great idea, let’s go to a strip club.” George, who is always the trouble maker tells young Bo, “If you can find one open, we’ll go.”
    Bo gets on the phone and sure enough, he finds one open in West Palm. We pile into two cars and we’re off.
    The club has a doorman, two bartenders, 3 bored waitresses. and a full staff of dancers. When we came in we doubled the number of customers.
    Eric leads the way and makes sure we are seated at the stage. Bo is excited, he’s never been to a strip club before. The kid is vibrating.
    A young dancer focused on Bo for all six of her songs, he ends up holding her bra and g-string. The kid is over the moon. When her set is finished she kneels in front of Bo and asks if he’d like a private dance. He jumps up and off they go.
    An hour goes by and Bo is still enjoying his private dancer, another few minutes go by, and Bo’s young (gorgeous BTW) dancer walks up to me, punches me on the arm, and says, “I hope you’re not a cheap son of a bitch like your son!” Stomps off to the dressing room in her platform heels.
    Bo had 34 dollars on him, he owed her over 200 hundred for his hour of lap dances! We all chipped in paid Bo’s bill and tossed her another $50 for a tip.

    Bo explained it this way, “I thought she liked me.”

  104. 104.

    Soprano2

    Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. We didn’t get gifts for each other because if he gets me something I have to go with him so it spoils the surprise. We don’t need anything anyway, although “Santa” did bring us a Keurig because I want to be able to make one cup of coffee instead of a whole pot. The dogs and cat got special food treats.

    We had our family Christmas with his family yesterday. It was fun to watch the kiddos get their presents. I watched my SIL and my nieces and nephews play this crazy game with a huge ball of Saran wrap that has all kinds of small presents and candy wrapped up in it. You get whatever comes out while you’re unwrapping it. You take turns trying to unwrap it with oven mitts on while the next person tries to roll doubles with dice. When they do, it’s their turn to go.  You keep going around the circle until the ball is completely unwrapped. It was hilarious to watch them playing it. Sadly, my husband’s brother wasn’t there – he said he didn’t feel good so he didn’t come. He ignored his diabetes for years, so now he’s in poor health – he has to use oxygen most of the time now. He doesn’t like to take his oxygen generator out in public, I think that’s why he didn’t come although his kids also say he’s always been the Christmas Grinch. I think that’s because my SIL always spent too much on those kids at Christmas.

    I’m going back to bed, hubby is still asleep.

  108. 108.

    Miss Bianca

    @RevRick: Me too! I’m a Twelve Days of Christmas fan.

    You’d think this being America that merchants would have figured out a way to promote that idea again, wouldn’t you?

  110. 110.

    Layer8Problem

    I did go to a Christmas service last night, which is out of the ordinary for me.  A group of friends had planned a dinner followed by what was described as a Mozart choral performance and they invited me along.  The performance turned out to be a full Unitarian Christmas Eve service with the Vesperae solennes (K.339, according to the program) performed by orchestra, choir, and soloists, along with carols, poetry, and readings.  Very nice, and the music brought back some long-past Catholic feels.

  113. 113.

    Miss Bianca

    @lowtechcyclist: You know, it’s amazing to me, as a diehard Marx Brothers fan (Harpo would be one of my guests of choice at that hypothetical dinner party posited in last night’s Medium Cool…but I digress…) just *how* terrible most of their jokes really were. But somehow they made them shine where others would have fallen flat on their faces with them. I guess their real genius was in their delivery.

  114. 114.

    dm

    Merry Newtonmas to one and all.

    Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in the night.

    God said, Let Newton be! and all was light!

  115. 115.

    Jager

    @Nukular Biskits: . 22-year-old Bo met a 35-year-old attorney shortly after Christmas, she got him up to speed in short order.

    He has since changed his first name, he is a TV sports guy and does college football play-by-play.

  116. 116.

    Layer8Problem

    @Jager:  Bo explained it this way, “I thought she liked me.”

    Heck, that’s disappointing and I’m sure she came across as very appealing too.  Kinda similar situation to what Riley had in Buffy with the nice forward young woman trying to pick him up in a dive bar:  “I don’t go out with vampires. They never want me for my intellect.”

  119. 119.

    WeimarGerman

    Merry Christmas all!

    TIL Bob Franke is famous.  To me he was always a friend of a pastor who would show up with a guitar and sing at church.  Sadly the pastor passed away a few weeks ago but Bob came to play at his memorial service.  Thanks Jackals for showing me there’s a lot more Bob Franke music out there.

  122. 122.

    Ruckus

    @narya:

    I have to remember this!

    I can answer the same questions with the same answers, it’s just a later timeframe. I really liked the third answer, it had just enough smart ass to show that while he may be old, he’s still got it.

  125. 125.

    sab

    Our across the street MAGA neighbor just went off with her teenager and a carload of presents,  dressed as a Grinch: lime green tights, Santa hat, red shorts and jacket with white fur trim on all the cuffs. Very cheerful looking.

  126. 126.

    wjca

    @sab: telling her it took the three wisemen 12 days to find baby Jesus, so late presents are part of the whole holiday experience.

    And there are traditions where all the gifts are traditionally given on 12th Night.  Perhaps we live in more compressed times.

  129. 129.

    evodevo

    @wjca: Yep…24/7/365, and good luck finding someone to sub in if you have a family emergency or want to take a week off LOL  Dairy farming was the most work intensive of any ag…beef cattle, tobacco raising, corn planting, all nothingburgers…compared to it.

  130. 130.

    Tony Jay

    @JMG:

    Super Merry X-Mas to you all. I’m so overwhelmingly full I can barely wield this here index pinkie.

    No, boy, I can’t do LEGO!

    Narrator – He did LEGO.

  131. 131.

    Another Scott

    @evodevo:

    Speaking of dairy farming, ICYMI, … ProPublica:

    “One of the bedrock principles of worker’s compensation is universal coverage,” the state’s Department of Workforce Development, which oversees the workers’ compensation system, says on its website. “That means that virtually every employee is covered.”

    But the law is different for farms, and many immigrant dairy workers — the backbone of one of the state’s most celebrated yet dangerous industries — don’t get this protection. Wisconsin exempts all kinds of farms with fewer than six employees not related to the owners from the requirement to have workers’ compensation coverage.

    No state or federal agency appears to track how many of Wisconsin’s 5,700 or so dairy farms fall into that category — or how many workers go without coverage. Neither does the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, one of the state’s most powerful lobbying groups.

    But the number of those farms is likely in the thousands since many employ only one or two workers. According to one national study, more than 23,000 agricultural workers in Wisconsin were exempt from workers’ compensation coverage in 2020; that’s a larger number of excluded agricultural workers than in almost every other state in the country.

    The workers’ compensation exemption comes on top of limits on the federal government’s enforcement of occupational health and safety laws on these same small farms, which effectively leaves employers to police themselves.

    It’s not just workers on small farms who go unprotected. Many injured workers on large farms said they are too afraid of retaliation from their employers to pursue claims. The problem is exacerbated by immigration status: Most immigrants who work on Wisconsin dairy farms are in the United States illegally and fear getting fired or deported.

    Too much of this stuff is out of sight / out of mind for most of us. It’s good to see ProPublica pursuing these stories.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

Comments are closed.