Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

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

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

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

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

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

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

The words do not have to be perfect.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

We’re not going back!

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

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

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

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Reader Interactions

59Comments

  4. 4.

    Scout211

    Thanks, WC. Since this is an open thread with nothing serious, I’d like to ask for some book recommendations or author recommendations for my husband. Mr.Scout’s neurologist was happy  that he was still reading and even more pleased that he isn’t watching any screens or spending time watching television.  I guess the brain stimulation from reading is better than watching screens or television.

    We need a few more interesting authors for him to read.  But he has kind of a narrow interest area. He likes mysteries or police procedurals that take place in the wilderness or out in country areas. Some of his favorite authors are J A Jance, C J Box, Craig Johnson, William Kent Krueger. He did not like Hillerman, though.  He also likes Michael Connelly even though those are set in urban areas.

    If anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it.  Thanks!

  11. 11.

    karen marie

    @Scout211:  Has he read Westlake – Donald E. Westlake?

    Now there’s a hole to happily fall into.  Westlake’s got “comic crime capers,” “hard crime” (under the pseudonym Richard Stark), and non-crime – all of it brilliant.

    One of my favorites of his non-crime is Adios, Scheherazade.  It is astonishing.

  12. 12.

    Mousebumples

    @Scout211: I don’t read much in the way of mysteries, but I enjoyed Sharon Kay Penman’s historical fiction mystery series – Justin de Quincy mysteries per her Wiki page.

    Justin is a fictional character and it’s set in the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Penman passed away a few years ago, so the series is likely done with 4 mysteries, but I enjoyed the way she blended fictional mysteries with Historical Events.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    @glc: Yikes!

    Boeing 787 “technical event” said to cause sudden nosedive and 50 injuries

    LATAM Airlines said “technical event” in mid-flight “caused a strong movement.”

    Brings to mind the description of Musk’s rocket thing that went bad.  Sudden disassembly or something like that?

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    @glc: Holy fuck!

    A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm’s production standards has been found dead in the US.

    John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

    In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

    Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett’s passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.

    It said the 62-year-old had died from a “self-inflicted” wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

    That’s not suspicious at all.  //

  28. 28.

    zhena gogolia

    @Scout211: I was going to suggest Anthony Horowitz’s Hawthorne series, but they’re set in London and other cosmopolitan climes.

  29. 29.

    Steeplejack

    @Scout211:

    Nevada Barr has a (long) series about Anna Pigeon, a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service. The background is a different national park or wilderness area in each novel. The first one is Track of the Cat (1993).

  30. 30.

    Yutsano

    @glc: ​ Building the 787 so far away from the expertise that already existed in Washington just to try and bust the employee unions will bite Boeing here sooner rather than later. I’m honestly amazed the Dreamliner hasn’t had a major catastrophic event yet. But this one should hold judgment until the investigation is finished. LATAM has been known to be lax on their maintenance, judging by the number of emergency calls that come out of Latin America.

    EDIT: KITTEH!!!

  33. 33.

    206inKY

    Somebody in the Dem caucus needs to be pulling the alarm bell on this TikTok ban. Trump is going to use his newfound opposition as a sledgehammer with young voters, who will be absolutely furious over this. I love TikTok and have worked with enough young people to realize that a ban would be totally toxic if associated with Biden.

  34. 34.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @HumboldtBlue:

    That’s priceless! He’s very cute, of course, but apart from that I’m a fan of preserving these kinds of traditional customs. Glad this youngster is carrying on.

  35. 35.

    SectionH

    @Scout211:Your husband could try one of Arthur Upfield‘s novels. HIs detective is Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte of the Queensland constabulary, and there are a lot of Outback settings, all over Australia. The first book in the 29(!) book series was published in 1929, so it’s possible they won’t be quite to his taste, but might be worth a try.

  36. 36.

    NotMax

    WaterGirl, if you’re still compiling treadmill fare, I’ll note that most seasons of The Royal have migrated to Freevee on Prime. Engrossing without becoming heavy. The well done inclusion of music contemporary to the period (1960s) is a bonus.

  38. 38.

    sab

    @WaterGirl: I wonder if that is why my dad, age 99 with some dementia, is still pluggimg along.

    He’s a retired doctor so he like popular science magazines. No fiction except for newspapers.

  39. 39.

    TBone

    Funny story about acronyms.  I once worked as a secretary in a family office for a wealthy Main Line family (Crocketts, yes descendants of Davy).  I’d use shorthand ‘f/u’ on the family scheduling calendar to remind myself to “follow up” on various tasks. One day I got a screeching email rebuke for my temerity in telling the 30 y.o. “baby” of the family “eff you” 😆 and her older sister had to explain the common usage and apologized to me profusely.  Older sister had worked but baby girl never had to.

  40. 40.

    Scout211

    Thanks to everyone who made suggestions.  In case others add their recommendations later, I’ll check back this evening.

  41. 41.

    AlaskaReader

    s@Scout211:

    Searunners – Alvin Doig – fiction  Alaska to Oregon focus

    Winter Brothers – Alvin Doig – non-fiction  Pacific NW focus

    Tie That Binds – Kent Haruf  Colorado plains focus

    Brave the Wild River – Melissa L. Sevigny non -fiction Grand Canyon focus

    Empire of Ice and Stone – Buddy Levy – non fiction Arctic maritime focus

  43. 43.

    AlaskaReader

    @Scout211: Those recommendations I provided above are all book award winners, and the stories unfold like mysteries, but they are not formulaic police detective type stories.

  44. 44.

    AlaskaReader

    @NotMax: Yes, typo and then repeated, should have found a link I suppose

    The two books I note are focused on the west coast, on your recommendation I’ll look for his book This House of Sky.

  47. 47.

    CaseyL

    @Scout211:

    But he has kind of a narrow interest area. He likes mysteries or police procedurals that take place in the wilderness or out in country areas.

    Dana Stabenow – writes mysteries set in Alaska, with detective Kate Shugak (native Aleut)

    Sue Henry – also writes mysteries set in Alaska; her best known is “Murder on the Iditarod Trail.”

    Both have written lots of books in their series.

  48. 48.

    BellaPea

    Willow is a precious kitty, she looks very like my sweet P’Nut. We had to let her go on February 8, and I still get teary-eyed when I think of her even though she had a good long life at 19 years old! Bless the kitty-babies, they are the best.

  49. 49.

    WaterGirl

    @BellaPea: I’m sorry if seeing Miss Willow made you sad.  If your sweet girl looked like mine, she was very pretty.

    Miss Willow is very maternal When Tucker was an annoying little puppy who wanted to play with the kitty Mr. Bear, Miss Willow took the side of the baby dog instead of her sibling kitty

    So sweet.

  50. 50.

    Trivia Man

    My cat decided her day cant start until she has some coffee. As i heat thecwater to pour over the grounds, she frantically shouts at me.

    I learned that coffee is bad for cats and dogs but it would probably take a full cup to start harming them. So i dip my finger in the coffee, she licks it off, then has some kibble for breakfast,

  51. 51.

    Ishmael

    @Scout211: I really enjoy the Mike Bowditch series written by Paul Doiron. Mike Bowditch is a Maine Game Warden, always tracking murderers and poachers around the wilderness and mountains of Maine. Really engaging story lines, with relationships with other characters continuing throughout the series. The books are well written, with a deep enough plot line to hold interest, but not so convoluted to be annoying. Great wilderness descriptions, vivid and interesting.

  52. 52.

    Scout211

    @Ishmael: I really enjoy the Mike Bowditch series written by Paul Doiron.

    Yes!  He really likes that series.  I should have included Doiron in his list of favorites   He’s read every one in that series that we could get at the library.  I think there is a new one this June  .

  53. 53.

    evodevo

    @Scout211: ​
    I just finished one by James A McLaughlin called Bearskin – the protagonist’s a caretaker on a forest preserve in VA, on the run from Mexican drug cartels and gets involved in various nefarious doings involving the locals..lots of running around in the woods chasing baddies..

  54. 54.

    Scout211

    Thanks again everyone.  I now will be researching all the recommendations.  This has been very helpful.

  55. 55.

    KRK

    @Scout211:

    Not mysteries, but David Howarth’s books about Norwegian commandos/resistance fighters in WWII are great reads. We Die Alone is my favorite, but The Shetland Bus and The Sledge Patrol are also good.

  57. 57.

    karen marie

    @WaterGirl:   Speaking of a “technical event” – Elaine Chao’s sister’s Tesla killed her.

    Reports that “she thought she was putting it in drive but put it in reverse by mistake” don’t even begin to describe what happened.  There is no knob or button in a Tesla for anything, including park/drive/reverse.  There’s only a fucking touchscreen with dozens of tiny icons, and it sure as fuck isn’t  something you can figure out on the fly or apparently even keep track of, even if you’re a very rich person.

  59. 59.

    cckids

    @Scout211: I’m late to this, but your spouse might like Tana French. She writes mysteries; the main characters are detectives in Ireland. They’re very character-driven and intriguing.

    eta: while not set entirely outdoors, you get a strong sense of place.

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