Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

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.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

This fight is for everything.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

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

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

White supremacy is terrorism.

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

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road" / Thursday Night Open Thread

Thursday Night Open Thread

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I had an exciting excursion today- I went to a massive Mexican grocery (the El Rancho Market IGA specifically). We’re having fajitas tonight, I needed tortillas, and a bunch of people back east have asked me to look for specific dried peppers, so this seemed like the perfect place.

And it was, and as a bonus, it had a tortilleria. A big portion of the place was nothing but dozens of big 50 lb bags of various flours and a bunch of ladies working on a line as a conveyer belt of tortillas were created. The were making the little corn ones while I was there but I picked up some ones that were made earlier from flour. It was pretty cool and I had left my phone in the car or I would have taken pictures.

Lots of cool things there, but I left with just some limes and tortillas because I didn’t really need much else.

And that is really about it. The cats are doing very well being integrated, with only a couple minor near incidents.

Reader Interactions

64Comments

  1. 1.

    Alison Rose

    There was a place like that close to a friend’s house in the Mission in SF, and the smell from the tortillas being made was divine. To me, that was almost as good as like, cinnamon buns in the oven.

  3. 3.

    Yarrow

    I had left my phone in the car

    Yikes! I wince just seeing that. Do you want to get your phone stolen?

  4. 4.

    piratedan

    if/when you get to the Old Peublo, you should stop by Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe, they make their tortillas onsite daily, so what you get is fresh.  They’re a bit different than other joints because their dishes are Oaxican based, which means that the sauces and combinations are a tad different than other places in the state, which go from Baja to TexMex to Sonoran styles.

  5. 5.

    Yutsano

    Any ethnic grocery store is fun! But when I used to live really close to a Mexican grocery store I was amazed what I could get there. And the cilantro was amazingly fresh. Like I have never had cilantro last over two weeks in my fridge before. I bet those limes are pretty good too.

  6. 6.

    Ailuridae

    There are few things I miss more from the twenty plus years I lived in Chicago than being able to buy fresh (like off the conveyer fresh) corn tortillas 24 hours a day.  They’re so incredibly different and better than even the best you can do at home (masa harina plus water).  Enjoy!

  7. 7.

    SiubhanDuinne

    with only a couple minor near incidents.

    Are you just going to leave that line sitting there?

  11. 11.

    Almost Retired

    @piratedan:  Yeah I do hope John and Joelle can make a side trip to Tucson.  I fell in love with it when my oldest son went there undergrad (along with many other Californians.  They called it UC Tucson).  If California tumbles into the sea, that’ll be the day I retire in Tucson.

  12. 12.

    tam1MI

    Meanwhile, the Michigan Republican party has fully schismed.

    After weeks of infighting, no one knows who’s in charge of the Michigan Republican Party.
    Kristina Karamo, who was elected chairwoman last year, insists she still has the job, even after a sizable group of state party committee members voted to oust her this month. She refuses to leave the post, even as the opposition’s pick to replace her, former Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, issues statements under the state party logo declaring himself the chairman.

    The leadership crisis has resulted in chaos and confusion in what’s expected to be a top battleground state for control of the White House and Senate in 2024.

    May this fight drag on until this time next year….

  14. 14.

    frosty

    @Almost Retired: My best friend from college grew up in Tucson – he took me for my pilgrimage to Rondstadt’s Hardware. I’ve been back a few times, most recently camping in Catalina State Park in 2020. Our next snowbird trip will be heading there instead of DeSantisLand.

  15. 15.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    Apparently there are blue corn tortillas in addition to yellow and white ones. I’ve seen them, but never eaten one.

  16. 16.

    Suzanne

    @frosty: There’s a bar in Tucson called The Buffet. It opens at 5 AM. Apparently some dude got killed with a 2×4 there back in the 70s. It’s kind of an institution.

  19. 19.

    piratedan

    @Suzanne: since I’m an old, I no longer have the skinny on the best bars to visit, but many of the ones that I used to frequent are still around, The Maverick, The Bashful Bandit, Berky’s and Chicago Bar.  There are a couple of music venues with the Fox Theatre and 101 Toole having local and touring bands in to play.

    I prefer to just hole up at the house these days and drink on my patio or in the hot tub and look at the city lights…. The University scene is strong, I just don’t swim in it anymore.

  20. 20.

    lamh36

    I just spent the last 2hrs and 45mins of my life finally watching the last Mission Impossible film.  I even live-tweeted my reactions as I watched (for those who follow me on twitter).

    I have my quibbles about it, but Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning is a solid entry into the MI franchise. I know it’s only Part 1, but I can DEF see how Part 2 can be used to either end the franchise for good (I mean only sooo many time TC can dodge death) or…maybe reboot it with a younger cast? If TC ego/vanity won’t allow it, age is GONNA catch up to him eventually, despite what that cult says…

    Anyway, solid film, I’ll def still give it an B+/A score.

    You can check out my full live-tweet of the film here:

    https://twitter.com/psddluva4evah/status/1750685825627541530

    But only if you’ve seen the film, cause there are spoilers in the thread, although I tried to NOT overtly spoill it.

    Right tho, i’m tired AF…I’m not getting any younger just older cause I just can’t stay up like I used to…lol

  24. 24.

    Nukular Biskits

    Good … evenin (?), y’all?

    Kinda messed up on what time I’m actually on. My body is still there in MS, the Blogfather is somewhere on AZ time and I’m in the middle of the Pacific.

  25. 25.

    Jackie

    I’m shocked! What’s that saying about smoke and fire?

    Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) privately admitted that he was going after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) because the House Ethics Committee was investigating Gaetz for sex trafficking, the Daily Beastreports.

    Let’s see if Johnson squashes it. 😏🤔

  26. 26.

    wjca

    @tam1MI: After weeks of infighting, no one knows who’s in charge of the Michigan Republican Party.

    Normally (sorry!), the simple answer would be: Whoever has control of the group’s finances/bank accounts.  But when the organization has effectively zero net worth, that’s something of a moot point.

  27. 27.

    frosty

    @Suzanne: ​ 5 AM! I guess if the clientele is there, somebody’s got to serve them. I think I’ll give this tourist trap a miss though, TYVM!

  28. 28.

    Glidwrith

    @Yutsano: We’ve got North Pack Produce in Poway-every Persian/Mediterranean spice and mix you can think of. Multiple local bakeries deliver their regional baklava and the other sweets are a serious diabetic threat.

    And did I mention the adjacent restaurant with fresh made bread and schwarma meat pies?

  29. 29.

    Suzanne

    @frosty: Not a tourist trap, it’s been there since the 30s. It is an honest-to-FSM dive. Kind of hilarious.

    On a completely unrelated note, Carl Andre died. He prooobably pushed Ana Mendieta out of a window. Also produced sculpture occasionally.

  30. 30.

    frosty

    @Suzanne: I was being snarky about the tourist trap. Definitely sounded like a dive – which I would have been attracted to in my 20s, except for the 2×4 part LOL.

  31. 31.

    Pete Downunder

    This talk of fresh corn tortillas is making me very jealous. Queensland has no remotely authentic Mexican food. We have “Mexican Restaurants” but the staff all seem to be from South Asia. In 20 years I have met one Mexican family running a restaurant and it did not survive Covid. You can buy packaged corn tortillas but they are horrible. Good Mexican food is the one thing I really miss having left the US.

  32. 32.

    NotMax

    Had planned to put together a big pot of hearty curried eggplant today, the necessaries for which I’d bought on Tuesday.

    That is until an extended (nearly 6 hours!) midday nap intervened. When awoke very late in the afternoon said, “Nah. There’s always tomorrow,.”

  33. 33.

    Brachiator

    RIP Melanie Safka

    May the Lord have a brand new key for you in heaven

    We were so close, there was no room
    We bled inside each others wounds
    We all had caught the same disease
    And we all sang the songs of peace

  34. 34.

    strange visitor (from another planet)

    @lamh36: i felt it was MI’s take on william gibson’s neuromancer.

    …also felt a bit over-long and over-done.

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    @lamh36:

    I have not seen it yet. I have Oppenheimer next in my movie watch rotation. Maybe MI after that, and will look at your Twitter comments.

  38. 38.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @frosty:

    5 AM! I guess if the clientele is there, somebody’s got to serve them.

    Dunno about this bar, but I know someone who worked the early morning shift at a bar in SF that opened at 6 a.m. They had a lot of graveyard shift workers coming in to unwind before going home.

  40. 40.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Pete Downunder: I have a (Korean/Japanese/Hawaiian) friend who taught himself how to make echte corn tortillas.  He had to get order special flour from Mexico.  He did it off YT videos.  Might be an avenue …..

    ETA: with Amazon, it’s amazing what ingredients you can get delivered.  Truly amazing.

  43. 43.

    Martin

    New bill introduced in the CA senate would require all new cars sold in California to have GPS based speed limiters starting in 2027.

    I doubt it’ll pass, but it shows how far the Overton window has shifted that even introducing a bill like that is possible.

  44. 44.

    Captain C

    If you haven’t already, you should go visit Lee Lee’s down on Dobson and Warner in Chandler.  It’s an enormous international grocery store which has items from all over Asia and numerous other places as well (IIRC there’s even some Dutch food due to the Indonesian connection).

  45. 45.

    Mendenhall

    You’ll want to check out El Rancho (or any of the other big Mexican markets in the Valley) on weekends: a lot of the time they’ll be cooking pollo asado and carne asada on the big grills outside! They’re great places to dine as well as to shop.

    Sonoran taquerias in Phoenix are like Dunkin’ Donuts in Boston: you’re never more than 1/4 mile from one. But if you like grilled meat, Taco Boys in Phoenix is outstanding and worth a trip to Roosevelt Row, IMO (there’s also one in Tempe that I haven’t tried, but I’m sure it’s just as good).

  46. 46.

    karen marie

    If you like that, John Cole, I recommend Los Altos Ranch Market. It is really gigantic. They make everything. The cheeses are mindblowing.

  48. 48.

    KrackenJack

    @Martin: California is going to have to fill the $9b highway tax hole somehow. GPS reporting is a likely candidate.

    Having Google enforce traffic laws is just a short hop from there.

  51. 51.

    Martin

    @KrackenJack: I doubt there will be any provision for car data to be sent out. There will just be steeper penalties for bypassing the system. No other monitoring needed.

  53. 53.

    Brachiator

    @David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch:

    Yep.

    As California phases in major policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions — such as the mandates for zero-emission cars and trucks — consumers buy less gasoline and diesel, and consequently pay less taxes.

    I’ve heard that some electric vehicles are heavier than ICE vehicles. This might increase the need for funding to maintain roads.

  54. 54.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    @Brachiator:  with consumption of gas is going down does that mean the price of gas in California is also going down?   under the laws of supply and demand, a decrease in demand should cause a decrease in price.

  55. 55.

    ColoradoGuy

    Tucson is fun. The University of Arizona has the Ansel Adams gallery (a world-class collection), there’s tours of the nearby Kitt Peak Observatory, and if you have a taste for the macabre, the Missile Museum that has the command center with the famous two keys, and the enormous springs that isolate the command center. A lot of spooky-looking mid-Sixties tech.

    Also, Green Chile Tamales are the famous local dish and not to be missed.

  56. 56.

    Brachiator

    @David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch:
    There are various forces, some dubious and artificial, that affect California gasoline prices.
    So, you have this…

    Why is California the only state with high gas prices?

    First, the rising price of oil, but the lack of refining capacity, a special blend that’s only required in California, high taxes, a cap-and-trade program all of that.

    And this….

    Why are gas prices in California going down?

    “Demand from drivers has fallen and we are seeing the impact of winter blend being introduced earlier than previous years. There are also signs of a slowing economy that is affecting overall demand,” said Gokce Soydemir, Foster Farms endowed professor of business economics at California State University, Stanislaus.

    It’s crazy.

  61. 61.

    wjca

    @Brachiator:

    As California phases in major policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions — such as the mandates for zero-emission cars and trucks — consumers buy less gasoline and diesel, and consequently pay less taxes.

    Gas taxes to fund roads made lots of sense when all vehicles were powered by gas (including diesel).  It was a reasonable proxy for a use tax.

    But, as we shift away from petrol, something different will be needed.  Perhaps an annual tax, akin to property taxes on land and buildings, on cars and trucks?  That or raise some other tax and pay for roads out of the General Fund.

  63. 63.

    AnthroBabe

    So CELOSA, Juan! My God, I miss the large Mexican markets with the in house tortilleria! Yes, I am in Arizona, but up where it snows.  ( I do need to check out Tortilla Lady a bit more….)

  64. 64.

    lynn

    When I lived in California I loved going to Chevy’s, where they made fresh flour tortillas in house. They also made their chips from the tortillas. Never been a big fan of corn tortillas, but those flour tortillas…YUMMY

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