Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Consistently wrong since 2002

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

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

Second rate reporter says what?

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

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

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

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

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

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Thursday Evening Open Thread

Thursday Evening Open Thread

by | 37 Comments

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Looks like we could use one!

Gift link to Alexandra Petri’s latest.  So good!

Before you get too attached to me,” the woman said, “I must tell you my horrible secret: I can travel through time.”

“Forward?” her husband asked. “Everyone can.”

“No,” she said. “Well, not just forward. I thought it was just forward for a long time. That would make sense. But after 2022, it stopped being just forward.”

“How does it work?” he asked.

“It’s a curse,” she said.

“The Supreme Court,” she said. “The judiciary, generally. One afternoon in June of 2022, I discovered it was actually 1973. At best.”

Reader Interactions

37Comments

  1. 1.

    Dangerman

    It’s the cursed Supreme Court. Dred Scott, now Dobbs. It’ll dog them for perpetuity (see OJ).

    ETA: I hope they check him for CTE. Not an excuse but it would be useful to know.

  4. 4.

    RSA

    As is often said, Alexandra Petri is a treasure. Dystopian science fiction in the Washington Post, wow.

  6. 6.

    smith

    @Dangerman: I hope they check him for CTE

    Since he died of cancer, there wouldn’t be any real reason to do an autopsy, unless, of course, his relatives also want to find out about CTE and are willing to pay for one.

  8. 8.

    Jeffro

    Nothing we didn’t already know, but be sure to tell all your normie friends and relations: trumpov’s allies have a plan to hurt Biden by elevating 3rd-party candidates

    Allies of Donald J. Trump are discussing ways to elevate third-party candidates in battleground states to divert votes away from President Biden, along with other covert tactics to diminish Democratic votes.

    They plan to promote the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “champion for choice” to give voters for whom abortion is a top issue — and who also don’t like Mr. Biden — another option on the ballot, according to one person who is involved in the effort and who, like several others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.

    Trump allies also plan to amplify the progressive environmental records of Mr. Kennedy and the expected Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, in key states — contrasting their policies against the record-high oil production under Mr. Biden that has disappointed some climate activists.

    A third parallel effort in Michigan is meant to diminish Democratic turnout in November by amplifying Muslim voters’ concerns about Mr. Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Trump allies are discussing running ads in Dearborn, Mich., and other parts of the state with large Muslim populations that would thank Mr. Biden for standing with Israel, according to three people familiar with the effort, which is expected to be led by an outside group unaffiliated with the Trump campaign.

    Whatever the mechanism, the Trump team’s view is simple and is backed by public and private polling: The more candidates in the race, the better for Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden’s team agrees. And in a race that could be decided by tens of thousands of votes — as the last two presidential elections have been — even small shifts in the share of votes could change the result.

    Republican donors are pouring funds into Mr. Kennedy’s independent bid for the presidency. He has raised substantially more from donors who previously supported Mr. Trump than he has from those who backed Mr. Biden.

    Kennedy = trump’s only hope of avoiding prison

    (would make a great bumper sticker, eh?)

  10. 10.

    Nukular Biskits

    Since this is an open thread, I have a request for info:  Has anyone here availed themselves of the services of Petworks?

    We have a shih tzu who is in end-stage renal failure and, after a week of sub-cutaneous water,  it’s probably time.

    My significant other mentioned that when she lived in Orlando, there were in-home euthanasia services.  Petworks looks like the only place here on the Gulf Coast that offers that.

    We’d prefer her to pass away here at home, if at all possible, rather than spending her last moments at the vet hospital.

    Thanks in advance for any advice, suggestions.

  14. 14.

    RaflW

    Follow up to the thread earlier today. I get occasional emails from MinnPost, an online only news site started quite a few years ago by former (many laid off) Star Tribune — and other MN — journalists.

    Anyhoo, to the (not very savory) news:

    Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Emmer has been working hard to patch up his differences with former President Donald Trump, who torpedoed Emmer’s chances of becoming House speaker last year after McCarthy was ousted.

    Those overtures to Trump have ratcheted up speculation that Emmer, now in the No. 3 House leadership position as majority whip, may want to try for the top job again if Johnson is ousted, or in House leadership elections held after November’s general election.

    Trump is credited for killing Emmer’s bid for speaker last year by blasting the Minnesota Republican as a “Globalist RINO” — Republican in Name Only — and said his ascension would be a “tragic mistake.”

    Not only has Emmer full-heartedly endorsed Trump, held a fundraiser with him at Mar-a-Lago and became the Trump campaign chairman in Minnesota — promising the former president he’d win the state in November. He is also wooing the most conservative members of the U.S. House by consistently moving to the right.

    A recent example is Emmer’s false accusation on X that President Joe Biden had declared Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day of Visibility.”

  16. 16.

    Jay

    @Nukular Biskits:

    It’s pretty much the same two injections, a major sedative, then the poison.

    The key differences in end of life services is not about the injections, it’s about how they treat the pet, and the parents in the aftermath of the passing.

    I am sorry to hear about your dog’s situation.

    ((((hugs)))).

  18. 18.

    Brachiator

    I heard a news story claiming that one third of taxpayers wait until the final weeks before the deadline to file their tax returns. This might explain the IRS doing more in the last few weeks to talk about their Direct File pilot program, offering free tax preparation. They also expanded the program some.

    It’s still for very simple tax returns, but it might save people time and money.

    As always, the GOP doesn’t like Direct File, and says that it gives the IRS too much information about you. This is bullshit, of course. The IRS has the W2s, Social Security payments and other information that would be part of a simple tax return.

    Also, when the GOP changed some tax rules when Trump sent out stimulus checks, the Republicans instructed the IRS to automatically recalculate tax returns because the IRS had all the information to do so.

    And with a few adjustments, the IRS could actually calculate many people’s taxes and send a summary with a line that said, “if you agree, do nothing and we will process your return within X days.” Or “If you agree, return this card by ….” Otherwise, people could submit adjustments.

  21. 21.

    bbleh

    @Brachiator: is there ANYTHING the GOP doesn’t like except for, I dunno, prisons and endless lists of Thou Shalt Not?  And funneling taxpayer money to themselves of course.

    Yer Average American typically prides him/herself on their “common sense,” but mah gah the continuing viability — even existence — of the GOP gives the lie to that

    @RaflW: taxes.  and saving up for next week.  😃

  22. 22.

    Jackie

    @Nukular Biskits: Call local veterinary clinics and ask if they do home care. A lot of them don’t advertise they do, so calling around might be beneficial. Good luck, having a pet cross the rainbow at home surrounded by family is the best thing, if at all possible.

  23. 23.

    Kayla Rudbek

    I’m done with a new shawl in blue and cream, and I’m trying to decide what the next shawl will be. I have several shawls currently in hibernation/timeout status, and several other shawl kits that I haven’t started yet, and one year-long in pink that’s for my mother-in-law and is waiting for next month’s clue.

    So far I’m leaning towards doing anything other than blue, although to properly decide I need to go through some of the mess in my office/crafting space and separate all the hibernating projects from the ready-to-go kits. Any suggestions from the jackals?

    My non-blue options are one-color solid green, violet, yellow, gray, red, hot pink; a purple and gray two color.  Blue options are solid light blue; two-color in red and blue; two-color in red and blue-gray; two-color in blue and yellow; two-color in blue and sand; sparkling gray with multiple colors including blue.  I suppose that my Destination Alizarin shawl technically involves a blue-green with cream and black, that yarn is contrast to a red.

  27. 27.

    Joy in FL

    @Nukular Biskits: I’m so sorry you have to ask about this. I’ve been able to have my regular vet come to my house for two different dogs, to put them to sleep.

    I echo the comment Jackie made (#22) about checking with local vets.

    I’ll add this information. For the first dog, I felt it was a bit urgent, like suddenly it needed to be done that day. That limited the time that the vet could come to my house. It felt rushed and less easeful for me, although probably my dear Great Dane, Eowyn, did not sense that.

    For the second dog a couple years later, I think I made an appointment a day ahead. That allowed more choice and flexibility in the vet’s schedule, although making that appointment was so hard to do. The vet and the tech and I sat on the floor with Mandy and petted her and told her how good she was, and then she was gone. It was awful and it was also loving.

    So if you can manage to plan ahead a little, that may help.  No matter what, it is so much better if you can do it at home. May it be smooth and kind for you and your dog.

  30. 30.

    Anyway

    @Brachiator: 

    I heard a news story claiming that one third of taxpayers wait until the final weeks before the deadline to file their tax returns

    Heh. Count me among those that wait until the final week — prolly start tomorrow. As a W-2er with little-to-no side hustle my taxes are pretty straightforward. Bring on the Direct File, IRS – don’t think it’s offered everywhere yet.

  32. 32.

    kalakal

    @Brachiator:

    I heard a news story claiming that one third of taxpayers wait until the final weeks before the deadline to file their tax returns

    Anecdata but given the number of calls we get at the library from people wanting either free tax assistance services or 1040s etc in the last weeks of every tax season I can vouch for it being a lot. One weird thing is the number who ask for 1040 EZ, insisting they used it last year, it was phased out in 2018

  33. 33.

    Anyway

    @kalakal:

    Anecdata but given the number of calls we get at the library from people wanting either free tax assistance services or 1040s etc in the last weeks

    Ha, I used to be one of those going to the library on April 12 looking for the forms —

  34. 34.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Anyway: ah, my club. I used to drive frantically to the IRS office in San Jose when there was some form unavailable at the P.O. or library.

  35. 35.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Nukular Biskits: I’m so sorry. A friend of mine recently had to send her dog over the Rainbow Bridge, and used Lap of Love, which she highly recommended.

    IIRC, one of the things that helped is the vet made sure to inject the sedative first, and wait for it to take effect before doing the final injection, which prevented her dog from freaking out. The vet may have also given a small numbing injection first, so that the following injections weren’t felt.

  36. 36.

    SeattleDem

    @Brachiator: The IRS recalculated my taxes after I filed with their efile app and sent me $700+ more than I expected. It has been driving me crazy trying to figure out how their numbers differ from mine.

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