Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

He really is that stupid.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

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

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

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

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

The willow is too close to the house.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Birdwatching / Tuesday Evening (Open Thread)

Tuesday Evening (Open Thread)

by | 166 Comments

This post is in: ,

Cheers from the swamp! To the left of my tasty and refreshing Aperol spritz, through the tatty screen, you might be able to make out a scrum of white birds on a floating patch of vegetation:

Colorful cocktail in front of a swamp-scape.

Or maybe not. It’s a shitty photo! But they are there.

The recent hurricane raised water levels precipitously and dislodged lots of vegetation upriver, so floating flora mats are making their way to our lagoon. They must contain lots of fresh water crustaceans and bugs because the egrets and ibises are squabbling over prime grazing spots.

The large masses of vegetation tend to get caught in the current and pass through our lagoon without piling up. Sometimes when one is approaching, birds will hop onto it and ride downriver, as if catching a bus.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

166Comments

  1. 1.

    VFX Lurker

    Or maybe not. It’s a shitty photo! But they are there.

    I can see the birds. So much beauty in a “shitty photo.” Thank you for posting it.

  4. 4.

    2liberal

    reposted from the dead end of the prior thread (please forgive the duplication) :  Deadpool 3 jumped the shark. Maybe it’s better if you know all the x-men backstory and characters.

  11. 11.

    zhena gogolia

    @TF79: It looks so good! But I have a medical appt tomorrow (and no Aperol in the house), so I’ll have to just look.

  12. 12.

    bbleh

    I LOVE the pic.  It’s idyllic.

    Speaking of hurricanes, Ernesto beating up VI and PR even now, but thankfully still only a TS.  (I realize it makes me a Bad Person, but I admit I’m sorta looking for some system to undergo rapid intensification just before it hits Mag-a-Lardo dead on.)

  13. 13.

    CaseyL

    @Sister Golden Bear: 

    I’d love to! I can’t do a mid-day Meet Up, but evening would work out fine. What part of town will you be at?

    Are you going to be here for business? Two days doesn’t sound vacation-y, unless it’s a stopover on the way to somewhere else.

  15. 15.

    HinTN

    I only just learned of the Aperol spritz while reading Something’s Cooking in Chianti. Sounds delightful. Cheers

  16. 16.

    TBone

    New campaign merch dropping to commemorate the felons’ xitter livestream:

    Red hat featuring Sylvester the Pooty tat – Thufferin’ Thuccotash!

  20. 20.

    Yutsano

    @Sister Golden Bear: I’m busy on the 23rd, but I know I can do dinner on the 22nd. It’s day zero for my event so I’ll just slip away for a few hours

    EDIT: I could get away with a possible lunch or dinner on the 23rd if that’s all that can be arranged

    EDIT 2: I just e-mailed WaterGirl to see if we can do a proper meet-up post.

  21. 21.

    Gvg

    Reminds me of years ago hiking after a hurricane at O’Leno state park where the Santa Fe river disappeares underground for about 10 miles. The trails were semi flooded and no one else was there so the turtles weren’t hiding.  They were riding all the debris down the river until they got to the sinkhole where the water swirled around slowly like a bathtub. The logs with many turtles went round and round like a carasol ride. Not strong enough to be dangerous to them. Looked like at least a 100. We stood and watched for quite awhile.

    The river reappears at a park called River Rise.

  24. 24.

    Pink Tie

    We are somehow *still* getting cleaned up from Beryl. The yard is a total jungle with a few fence panels needing replacement (my decidedly not-handy husband got a hammer to nail the damaged ones back up for now, and was rewarded by ankles full of fire ant bites) but we are waiting to do any fence repairs until the end of hurricane season. I’m still seeing crews picking up big piles of downed branches and cut-up trees.

    In other local news, my kids went back to school yesterday, having had the last 2 weeks of summer snatched away by the state-installed superintendent, Mike Miles. The speculation is that he was specifically installed to accelerate the failure of the district by driving off or firing good educators and pissing off all the families, in service to Gov Greg Abbott’s project of destroying public school systems in Texas and starving the districts of funds. It is shocking. I’m seeing many, many stories of kids going back to school and having no teachers in classrooms because they can’t hire anyone. Noncertified teachers, international teachers with little experience, schedules still not finalized before school starts, teachers being told they have to start cleaning their own classrooms themselves because custodians will only empty trash, teachers being asked to help with grounds maintenance… last year my then-8th grader started telling me a story about “my new French teacher” (with one month left in the year, in her language magnet school??) telling the kids that if they didn’t study, they would end up in community college. We can’t send them to private but at this point, we would try. I’m glad they’re all in HS and almost done.

  26. 26.

    lowtechcyclist

    On Anna Maria island, and just witnessed what appeared to be a manatee orgy! Didn’t have a chance to ask if any of them were named Odie or Hugh. But there were at least four of them, and one was on top of one of the others for a few minutes as they wriggled around.

    This came right after seeing way more dolphins, closer up, in the past 24 hours than I’ve ever seen in any other week down here, and we’ve been coming to this same house for the past 15 years. Just incredible.

  28. 28.

    TBone

    George Washington Law Professor Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor, called on U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to seize Donald Trump’s passport after he suggested that he might flee to Venezuela during his livestream.

    “If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we’ll meet the next time in Venezuela,” the former president told Musk.

  32. 32.

    cain

    @lamh47:

    She deserves justice. This was exactly I was afraid of – not only are trans folx are getting attacked but even women who don’t present as classic feminine, as well.

    This is what happens when you just hate, hate, hate.

  33. 33.

    oldster

    On floating flora-mats:

    We have had a lot of rain recently here in Upstate NY, mostly in the form of sporadic torrential gushes that lead to flash floods.

    Last weekend I was biking around one of the Finger Lakes, and the road showed signs of many floods, not from the lake upwards but from the hillside downwards, where the rain had brought down debris from the hills, overwhelmed the drainage systems, and poured over the pavement leaving debris in its wake.

    And out in the middle of the lake I could see just this sort of mat of leaves, twigs, wood chips, and other floral rubbish. No ibises, though, because this is Upstate, not Florida.

  34. 34.

    Sure Lurkalot

    My SIL featured aperol spritzes as our cocktail du jour for our last visit up to their mountain home outside Boulder. Very refreshing!

    I have recently gone back to drinking cocktails because I’m finding that even one glass of wine does not quite agree with me. I still enjoy it, but it’s turning into a rarity.

    My favorite cocktail concoction is vodka, teaspoon of maple syrup with 2/3 unsweetened cranberry juice, 1/3 grapefruit juice and a splash of whatever flavor Polar seltzer I have (blackberry mango very yum). Squeeze of fresh lime. Summer in a glass!

    I couldn’t live in Madame Cracker’s swamp place–too many years in desert Denver have me adverse to humidity–but I love her posts and pictures. It’s so beautiful.

  35. 35.

    Layer8Problem

    You have the best lagoon pictures.  I wish I had a lagoon.

    Yes, I’m one martini in, why do you ask?

  37. 37.

    Jeffro

    Thanks Betty and best wishes to you – glad you are enjoying the evening!

    btw folks the dam kinda just broke today at lunch at the office…staff and assistants alike gushing about Harris/Walz and everyone fired up about the election now!

    one of my good buddies there loves Harris but thinks Walz is the greatest thing since cheese curds.  =)

  41. 41.

    BellyCat

    @Jeffro: Walz is the greatest thing since cheese curds.

    Just confirming, THAT’S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? //

    ETA: One can never be too careful as my Ohioan side of the family thought green jello with cottage cheese was a… delicious dessert?!?!

  42. 42.

    SatanicPanic

    Has anyone else had the experience of getting more interested in birds as they age?

    Like the last few years I just can’t get enough of birds.

  43. 43.

    eclare

    I love this photo!  And I see the birds in the distance, not on the first clump of vegetation.

  45. 45.

    Glory b

    PA new voter registration,  approximately 21,000 Republican, 5,000 Democrats.

    I’m starting to get concerned about this, nationwide, new registration numbers look similar.

    I remember Rachel Maddow voicing this concern in 2016, Republicans had new registrations that far outstripped Democrats  & almost all of them voted for Trump.

    PLEASE, let’s do something involving voter registration!

    https://x.com/PpollingNumbers/status/1823328741688328434

  47. 47.

    Suzanne

    @SatanicPanic: Oh fuck yes. I have gotten stupid into birds. Mr. Suzanne and I got a Birdfy feeder with a camera and it sends photos to your phone.

    The best thing in Pittsburgh, by far, is the National Aviary. Did you know we have one? It’s awesome.

  48. 48.

    BellyCat

    @Glory b: PA new voter registration,  approximately 21,000 Republican, 5,000 Democrats.

    The preferred bubble that I live in can’t believe this. What’s the timeframe?

  50. 50.

    BellyCat

    @Suzanne: The National Aviary is very cool — and most y’inzers are completely unaware of it!  Two of my son’s favorite stuffies are from there.

  51. 51.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @HumboldtBlue: Love it.  Couldn’t happen to two bigger pieces of Transphobic shit.

    For anyone interested, Diamond Stylez of the Marsha’s Plate Podcast did a great solo episode about the whole bullshit controversy.

    Diamond discusses all this controversy in Olympics sports. From the cisgender boxer Imane Khelif to the history of gender test …and fairness in trans inclusive women sports

  53. 53.

    Ohio Mom

    @BellyCat: Fresh cheese curds are a treat. Packaged cheese curds that have been sitting in the supermarket, eh.

    It’s like the difference between a great hamburger and a McDonald’s burger. How could two such different foodstuffs have the same name?

  55. 55.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Glory b: Something doesn’t track.  According to KamalaHQ:

    Newsmax: Gen Z is energized like never before with young voters flocking to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. More than 230,000 voters have registered to vote in the past 3 weeks, of which 81% were between 18 and 34 years old. You’re seeing a lot of movement to Harris-Walz right now

  56. 56.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @HinTN:

    I only just learned of it reading this thread! Had to google it. It sounds wonderfully refreshing, I must say!

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    There’s a Reddish Egret contending for the prey, and I’m trying to get a photo for y’all but it’s lurking in the shadows. Gorgeous bird. To my untrained eye, it’s the same size and physique as a Little Biue Heron — same slate-gray body. But the head feathers are a vivid purple, and there’s white on the beak. Amazing in the sunlight!

    @oldster: I’ve enjoyed time at the Finger Lakes with Bill’s family — it’s beautiful country, and, unlike Florida, so sweet in the summertime.

  60. 60.

    Old School

    @BellyCat:

    Just confirming, THAT’S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? //

    I guess I’m uncertain whether cheese curds refers to the plain squeaky version or the the deep fried melty version.

    But I suppose it doesn’t matter because both versions are a fabulous treat.

  61. 61.

    Leto

    @Baud: Not enough Biden bucks? He didn’t come out and deliver a unicorn, puppy, and kitty to everyone? He stopped being someone you wanted to have a beer with? Oh… I KNOW WHAT IT WAS!!!

     

    He wore a tan suit.

  62. 62.

    Maxim

    @Glory b: Maybe Democratic voters are overall more likely to be already registered? But it’ll be interesting to see the August numbers.

  63. 63.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @Betty Cracker: did you see the USAToday FL poll that shows Harris within shouting distance of TFG? I don’t know the details or the quality of the poll but I’m still surprised. I’m not expecting Harris to win FL but maybe it will  help in some of the congressional and local races.

  66. 66.

    persistentillusion

    @SatanicPanic: Read “Birding without Borders”.  A young man’s quest to see 5000 different birds in a year.  If you’re even a mildly interested birder, as am I, you’ll enjoy it.

  69. 69.

    currants

    @Jerry: ​
     
    Yes! ALWAYS. I LOVE BC’s posts, and if anyone has a way to still contribute to that fund would you let me know? I missed doing it earlier and it appears to be closed now.

    BC: LOVE LOVE LOVE your photos (and yes the birds are visible, and as commenter #1 said, yes, so much beauty (as always, in your photos). I don’t think I could ever live in FL climate-wise (in the summer I’m doubting the wisdom of staying even in MA), but I cannot express how much I have enjoyed your your snark-laden political posts, and especially your photo posts. (Used to love seeing them on Twitter, but I abandoned that acct.) I saw my first limpkin last spring, up close and personal, and completely by surprise, and you (BC) were the first birder I thought of. I’d heard them the first time probably 25 years earlier, but I’m not in FL very often, and had only heard them in the near dark and out in the woodsy/swampy/alligatory place where my friends lived and I was not ABOUT to go looking for it then. Anyway. This is a long-winded way of saying thank you, Betty.

  70. 70.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    @Jeffro: I had to stop talking about Tim Walz to my husband after he pointed out that it was obvious I had a crush on him, since I did nothing except talk about him LOL. Guilty! He’s not really my physical type but I love everything about him (except for his hotdish recipes).

  71. 71.

    Sister Golden Bear

    On the Trans Folks for Harris Zoom call put on by Advocates for Trans Equality (a national trans lobbying group). It’s also being streamed on YouTube and the Book of Face.

    They mentioned there’s hundreds of trans people and allies attending the Zoom call. Hard to gauge the energy, since chat is turned off — which sadly makes sense, given haters would undoubted disrupt things

    It is inspiring to see the various trans elected officials who are making appearances.

  73. 73.

    Spanky

    Under the radar:

    Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D), a former House majority leader and longtime Maryland politician, sought medical care for a mild stroke Sunday night, his office said in a statement Tuesday.
    “Mr. Hoyer has responded well to treatment and has no lingering symptoms,” his deputy chief of staff and spokesperson, Margaret Mulkerrin, said in a statement. “Mr. Hoyer’s wife and family extend their deepest thanks to his medical team.”
    The 85-year-old congressman expects to return to his normal schedule next week, Mulkerrin said

  74. 74.

    Maxim

    @UncleEbeneezer: Part of this is even more fundamental than transphobia (which is not at all meant to diminish that aspect, only add to it). Higher testosterone levels in women are considered an unfair advantage because anything “masculine” is (in their minds) intrinsically superior to anything “feminine.” So of course it’s unfair for a woman to be more like a man — that automatically makes her better than all the other women. Can’t have that!

    But it also makes any such woman an abnormal horror, because women should only exist as objects of male desire and gratification. 🙄 I doubt any of these bozos are even conscious of the twisted mass of thoughts and feelings that drive them.

  76. 76.

    Elizabelle

    I think Aperol Spritzes and Campari spritzes/drinks are medicinal (ly delicious).  Enjoy!!

  77. 77.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @cain:

    This was exactly I was afraid of – not only are trans folx are getting attacked but even women who don’t present as classic feminine, as well.

    Trans people have been warning since forever that’s what would inevitably happen.

    That said — and not aimed at you — one thing I’d ask cis people: Would you be as supportive of Imane Khelif if it turned out she was trans? Because there’s definitely been an undercurrent in cis discussions about how horrible it is that a cis woman is being mistaken for trans. I.e. the focus being on how hurtful the misgendering is, rather than focusing on the bullying. (Not sure I phrased it well.)

  78. 78.

    Elizabelle

    Saw my first Kamala for President yard sign today.  Yay!  She’s going to win.  With all of our hard work.

  80. 80.

    Mrscoachb

    @Baud:

    Despite the idiots in our government, it is a beautiful place.   Just get away from Disney and Orlando.   We live (best guess) probably 2 hours south of Betty Cracker, in the center of the state.  Birds, animals, lakes everywhere, which is what I  call “real Florida “

  83. 83.

    BeautifulPlumage

    @Sister Golden Bear: ​
     I would also be up for a meetup in the evening. Anyplace in central or south Seattle would be good. Will you have a car or should it be walkable from where you’re staying?

  84. 84.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @CaseyL: I’ll be in Belltown, but I have a car, so I’m flexible. Seattle just the first part of a two week vacation — Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island, the Pacific Range east of Vancouver and then back to Seattle.

    I’ve been to Seattle several times previously, so it’s an admittedly brief stop, mostly focusing on stuff I hadn’t seen before, specifically the Pop Museum and Chihuly Garden.

  87. 87.

    BeautifulPlumage

    That’s a lovely pic, BC, and I love the movable feast image of birds snacking on their rides across the lagoon

  92. 92.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Jay: Already on my phone. I’ll doing two nights in Whistler and then driving to Hope via Lillooet (and then back to WA the next day).

    Assuming the wildfire gods cooperate. If not, I’ve got alternate plans to spend more time in the San Juan Islands.

    OTOH, the forecast for when I’m in Whistler is two rainy days, so bigger worry may be getting soaked

    Not that worried about wildfires in Victoria, Port Refrew, Tofino, and Nanaimo. Because rainforest.

  94. 94.

    Kay

    Sean O’Brien, Teamsters president, spoke at the GOP convention. Now after Trump and @elonmusk
     laughed about firing workers on strike, he tells @rachaelmbade
    : “Firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism.”

    Well, well, well. Look who wants to be on the fun team.

  95. 95.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @Suzanne: It is awesome.  Wayne and I went there when we visited Pittsburgh — Wayne was 6’6″ but managed to fit into the tunnel and pop up in the penguin enclosure so the penguins could see his face. He would not be denied!  Then there were the Raptor and Harry Potter owl shows!

  96. 96.

    pluky

    @oldster: Having spent four wonderful years in Ithaca, I’m trying to wrap my head around what would be ‘exceptionally heavy’ rains for the Finger Lakes. Yikes!

  97. 97.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Kay: as I’ve mentioned several times here before, I am staggered by the number of union officers I encounter who are rabid Trump supporters.  Racism is more important to you than your chosen profession?

  99. 99.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kay: Maybe that dumbass should be voted out for the poor judgment that led him to address the RNC in the first place. Of course they’re scabs and abusive owners. Duh!

  102. 102.

    HumboldtBlue

    Dan Rather has some thoughts he’d like to share.

    If I may, there’s something I need to get off my chest. As democracy remains under siege, it has been frustrating to watch how the press covers politics these days. I am reminded by lessons that came to me during the Nixon years as a CBS News correspondent, which I’ll add here:

    1. Enough with Both-sides-ism When one side lies intentionally and repeatedly, they are no longer entitled to the benefit of the doubt. They should be held to account, right away. Do not simply repeat the narratives they spew.

    2. Prioritize Live Fact-Checking Rigorous and robust fact-checking is the best defense against misinformation, intentional lies, and deflection. If Trump says the sky is green, the story isn’t that the sky is now green; the story is that the sky is still blue and Trump got it wrong.

    3. Ask Lawmakers Hard Questions Ask about the fundamental principles of democracy. Push them to go on the record that Biden won the 2020 election.

    Ask if they support the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This writing is not to offer any claim of knowing it all.

    Your correspondent has made his share of mistakes, but after more than seven decades I believe I have picked up a few useful guideposts. Good journalism is always worth it.

    Our democracy depends on it. ↓ For the rest of my list, please see my the latest post of my independent newsletter – the link is in my Twitter biography.

  104. 104.

    Kay

    @Steve in the ATL:

    There are a lot.

    The number I always heard in Ohio for rank and file manufacturing was 55D/45R, which is substantially better than Ds do with non-union WWC men, so therefore worthwhile. It might be because as you know they’re no longer (or barely) majority white in a lot of urban areas.

    My IBEW son is a middle of the road Dem but he won’t engage with the R’s on politics. He says they take it too seriously and get mad. He’s an easy going person.

  105. 105.

    Kay

    @Betty Cracker:

    He thought they were going to win! I know this is heresy but from that angle he could see it as effective advocacy – mitigate harm. Or maybe he’s just the dumb labor Sean as opposed to the smart labor Shawn.

  106. 106.

    Jay

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    3 wildfires, (all under control right now) on Vancouver Island, one near Sooke, one near Ladysmith, one near Port Alberni.

    47 current wildfires in BC’s Coastal Rainforest, only 14 are under control.

    Rain and Rainforest doesn’t provide any protection or security anymore. there have been 18 wild fires along the Sea to Sky corridor so far this year.

    Here in Vancouver, we have had 6 days of rain in the past three months. Cloud cover over the past 2 days have quelled our heatwave, but no rain.

    Just be careful, things can blow up fast. In many places you mentioned, unless you have a really good 4×4 and an Offroads Map Book for the region, there is only one road.

  108. 108.

    David 🐝KHive🐝 Koch

    @Steve in the ATL: ​
     Depends on the trade. Teachers and nurses are progressive, cops and firefighters are reactionary, and sewer workers have gone underground.

  110. 110.

    Kay

    I wonder if this came from the Vance file that was hacked.
    Nah. That’s Donald Trump’s personal business and journalists are guarding it.

    Anyway. More dirt on JD:

    For a self-proclaimed ‘hillbilly hero’ it seems JD Vance doesn’t much care for the little man, if new revelations about one of the vice-presidential candidate’s former ventures are anything to go by.

    Before collapsing under the weight of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of debt, AppHarvest was touted as the herald of a new, tech-savvy era of farming in Eastern Kentucky. Last year, the firm filed for bankruptcy after years of pursuing aggressive growth, in part by prioritizing migrant workers from Central America despite early pledges of employment opportunities for impoverished local communities.

    By that point, the company had already come under a slew of complaints over unsafe working conditions, such as employees being provided with poor quality gear and insufficient water breaks while toiling in greenhouses where temperatures are alleged to have regularly soared into triple digits. “It was a nightmare that should never have happened,” as one worker told CNN.
    \

  111. 111.

    Matt McIrvin

    I’m getting seriously annoyed with these “young men are moving to the right!” articles where when you look at the actual numbers (even the chart in this very article), the takeaway is clearly “young men are not moving leftward as fast as young women are”, resulting in an increasing gender gap:

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/aug/05/young-men-voters-us-election-trump-harris

    I mean, okay, when you compare these supposedly fash young dudes to my generation they’re still way to our left, but go on.

    (why do people still talk to James Carville anyway?)

  112. 112.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @bbleh: I have this exact thought too. And I didn’t want to be a bad person. It’s a worthy, understandable thought.

  115. 115.

    Gloria DryGarden

    Women of BJ, I posted something, last thread, and invite comment/ suggestions. #371 I think.

  117. 117.

    Jeffro

    @Ohio Mom: It’s like the difference between a great hamburger and a McDonald’s burger. How could two such different foodstuffs have the same name?

    well…some people call what McDonald’s serves a “burger”   ;)

    somewhat related: we got into a sidebar about Culver’s (the fast-food chain that’s popular up there)…I had never heard of it before!  They have a pork loin sandwich, a pot roast sandwich…it’s the most Midwestern thing I’ve ever heard of!

  119. 119.

    japa21

    @Jeffro:  Culver’s is Wisconsin born but has spread throughout the Midwest.  Love them.

    ETA: Far beyond the Midwest.  FL is full of them as is GA.

  120. 120.

    sdhays

    So, the reason the mainstream media isn’t reporting the contents of the Trump documents is they’re just not interesting!

    The decision for newsrooms to not publish the Vance materials — a compilation of publicly available records and statements, including Vance’s past criticisms of Trump — appeared to be more straightforward because they also didn’t reach a high level of public interest.

    “In the end, it didn’t seem fresh or new enough,” Murray said.

    Journalists’ primary loyalty is to their audience and to giving them the information they want and need, said Kelly McBride, NPR’s public editor and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Poynter Institute. And before 2016, the general thinking was that, even with hacked materials, “if there’s something interesting in there, then of course you’re going to report it.”

    But with foreign state actors increasingly getting involved, “it just feels dicier for news organizations to make the decision, because you don’t want to be helping another country undermine our democracy,”McBride said.

    Maybe this is all true – if it’s just documents on Vance from February, it seems plausible that the Trump campaign compiled a document that’s pretty much the equivalent of a Google search. But previous reporting suggested there was more than that. Maybe only Politico has seen more?

    That said, having these people say, “it just feels dicier for news organizations to make the decision, because you don’t want to be helping another country undermine our democracy” makes me want to vomit in my own mouth. It’s pretty hard to trust that if the shoe was on Harris’s foot they would be making the same call.

  122. 122.

    CaseyL

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Belltown is Parking Hell, and the lightrail doesn’t go there.  Would you mind if we did a meetup either downtown or anywhere lightrail goes?  The Roosevelt neighborhood is pretty nice, and has some excellent restaurants.

    (My car is in the shop.  I have access to wheels, but it’s a friend’s car and I’d prefer to not use it if I don’t have to.)

  123. 123.

    Ksmiami

    @Glory b: it was month of July. Remember Biden didn’t end his campaign until the very end. Things will turn around- register voters

  126. 126.

    cain

    @Sister Golden Bear: Sure, I of course do since I have a number of trans friends. I’ve been exposed to people transitioning since the early 2000s.

    Turns out, open source communities have a pretty decent population of neurodiverse, spectrumy, gender fluid folks. :)

  127. 127.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    @Sister Golden Bear: I feel as if all this comes down to, “ain’t I a woman.”

    the story is that Sojourner Truth was at at speech in 1851 when she heard the speaker praise women for being fragile creatures who needed to be helped into carriages etc. and the escaped slave spoke up to say, “ain’t I a woman?”  And to point out that she could work as hard as a man, eat as much as one, bear the lash as well, and further had to watch her children born into slavery.

    there are of course different versions of the speech but the point is the same: a man’s version of women is not the same as actual women.

  128. 128.

    Jeffro

    @japa21: very cool!  The ones nearest to me are in NC(!) so I will just put it on the list of things to look for when traveling

    (whether in NC, WI, or wherever)

    I think I’d be tempted to go with cheese curds and a pork loin sandwich…I love chili but not from fast-food places!

  129. 129.

    lowtechcyclist

    @sdhays:

    The decision for newsrooms to not publish the Vance materials — a compilation of publicly available records and statements, including Vance’s past criticisms of Trump — appeared to be more straightforward because they also didn’t reach a high level of public interest.

    That’s such bullshit on their part. If it just isn’t interesting, they could post it as a PDF online and let others confirm that impression.

  130. 130.

    Jackie

    Music for BettyCracker and other FL jackals ears! Seems like Rick Scott isn’t doing so well!

    According to Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman’s latest report, the Sunshine State leader is doing all he can to win — including pouring his own funds into his campaign.

    Sherman reported via X: Rick Scott has dumped another $725,000 of his own money into his campaign account. Two days ago he put $31,996.67 Aug. 6 he put in $850,000.”

    Washington Post senior political reporter Aaron Blake noted: “A Suffolk U poll today showed Scott with awful numbers: 35% favorable 49% unfavorable That’s compared to Trump, DeSantis and Rubio, who were all above-water.”

    Election lawyer and Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias wrote: “Looks like a nervous Senate Republican who won his last reelection by .1%”

    https://www.rawstory.com/rick-scott-2668958642/

  131. 131.

    Jackie

    @Betty Cracker: Carville was on Ari Melber this evening. He is cautiously optimistic AND impressed with the Harris/Walz ticket. I know the general consensus of how most of “you” feel about him; I don’t always like what he says – because I don’t want to believe him when he’s realistic – but for that very reason I like him. If Carville says he thinks Harris can win in Nov – I believe him – more so than a lot of rose-colored glasses wearers.

  132. 132.

    gwangung

    @CaseyL: Second that call. Parking is the real evil in the Seattle area.

    Since I’m producing a show, I can’t make anything outside the I-District (but could probably host folks pre-show…the venue does have a bar!).

  133. 133.

    Ken

    @Jackie: Rick Scott has dumped another $725,000 of his own money into his campaign account. Two days ago he put $31,996.67 Aug. 6 he put in $850,000.”

    Good lord, at that rate he’ll have to take a break from public service to commit another massive Medicare fraud.

  134. 134.

    CaseyL

    @gwangung: 

    Great that you’ve got a show, rats that you can’t join us.

    What time would work for you if we could come by for a pre-show drink? And what show are you doing?

  137. 137.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @SatanicPanic: yes, I have. I think it’s two things 1) patience to stand still and silently watch gets better with age and 2) Merlin Bird App makes identifying birds a lot easier than when I was a kid and would have had to check out recordings from the public library and memorize them

  138. 138.

    Sandia Blanca

    @Glory b: Down here in Texas, Beto O’Rourke has a group called Powered by People (https://poweredxpeople.org/) that’s working on reaching, registering, and encouraging progressives to get involved in democracy.  I’ve already done a couple of voter registration events with them. There’s a pre-screening process to identify likely Dem voters before we offer to register them. And we’re capturing contact information (with permission) so we can follow up to verify they received their registration card, and then we’ll communicate with them as the election draws near to make sure they have a plan to vote. Republicans here have tried their best to keep people from voting, but we’re doing all we can to help them overcome the obstacles.

  141. 141.

    sdhays

    @lowtechcyclist: Yeah, John Podesta’s recipe for chicken cacciatore (or whatever it was) would like a word regarding the media’s commitment to “newsworthy” publishing of hacked materials. I think the real difference is Fox and other right wing media. They aren’t “mainstream” and don’t have any editorial ethics when it comes to “undermining democracy”, but they’re accepted by the mainstream outlets as “real journalists”, so they “gleefully” published shit, and the mainstream just as “gleefully” republished the shit. There isn’t an equivalent on the left, so they can engage their solemn ethics naval gazers.

    On the other hand, suppose it really is a nothing burger. Why would that be? Did the hackers really fail to undercover anything juicy in an organization literally awash in unethical and likely criminal behavior? Are they holding back for later? Or is this actually not a state hacker at all and someone trying to embarrass the media, like the guy who tricked CBS News on the W National Guard story?

  145. 145.

    sdhays

    @Jackie: It’s quite an accomplishment to be dismally unpopular as a Republican in a state that still favors Trump and DeSantis positively.

  147. 147.

    CaseyL

    @Yutsano: ​

    You are a gentleman, a scholar, and a gem. I may take you up on that!​ (If we wind up meeting downtown, it might make more sense to take the train from Northgate, in which case I might hit you up for a ride to the station, where you can park.)

    …and I do think we need a FP post to go any further. Too many variables. Do we want to have dinner downtown, then pop over to the ID and have a drink with gwangung? Or eat elsewhere and then pop over to the ID? Do we want to see his show?

    Did you offer to ask WaterGirl for a FP post? Or would you rather I did so?

  148. 148.

    CaseyL

    Oh, and excellent news from Wisconsin:

    ‪Taniel‬ ‪@taniel.bsky.social‬
    18m
    RESULT: Wisconsin voters just *rejected* two constitutional amendments that legislative Republicans put on the ballot in a bid to weaken the powers of the governor and executive branch.

    The AP just called both measures for the “NO,” which is ahead 60% to 40% at the moment.

  149. 149.

    frosty

    @SatanicPanic: Oh yes. It started for me when a Roadrunner crossed my path in Big Bend National Park in 2020.  Next, buy Peterson’s guides. Find eBird and make a list. Then go on some Bird Club trips. Next, join the club. Better binoculars. Big lens for the camera. Look for birds on our road trips…

    One slippery slope after another!

  150. 150.

    frosty

    @Phylllis: Same here. Listen eith Merlin to figure out what to look for.

    I’m starting to recognize some calls and songs without Merlin now!

  151. 151.

    Quinerly

    @SatanicPanic:

    I have gotten very “birdie” since moving to New Mexico. Lots of huge ravens and hawks. I have a pair of Scaled Quails that show up in April and hang out until Fall. She’s really cute with her “party hat.” 6 babies this year and they lead them pretty close to my front patio for me to see the babies. At least, that’s my story. Mom in front, babies in a line, and dad bringing up the rear. Babies appear to be gone now but mom and dad still here. They have a little morning routine on my garage every day. I see them from my bathroom. Later they move to one of my latilla fences and hang out.

    Right now I’m mobbed with hummingbirds. 4 feeders up, plus my Russian Sages, salvias, agastashes, butterfly bushes, penstemons, and  roses….and they still dive bomb me in the AM if the feeders are low.

    I bought a NM bird book so trying to learn the species here.

    Lots of finches, orioles, Northern Flickers, Mourning Doves. First Spring that I have had real bluebirds, 2 varieties, I think. Plus, 2 varieties of jaybirds. I have seen a  Greater Roadrunner in my driveway.

    Beep, Beep!!! Have a nice evening.

  152. 152.

    sab

    @Quinerly: When I moved from San Fransisco Bay area to Las Vegas NV I was afraid it would be too hot for birds. ( Silly me.) No way. Those little guys pant in hot weather, but there were, if anything, even more and better birds. Roadrunners. Pheasants in the shrubbery in town. Hummingbirds everywhere. I even had one land on my finger, and another nest just outside my breakfast nook.

  153. 153.

    sab

    We are well into the process of moving ( mostly done) and our most recent cat ( #5) who is very friendly and cheerful and inquisitive, has taken to peeing on husband’s bed at least once a day.

    It was to be our bed, after 5 years of sleeping elsewhere after his back surgery and MRSA infection. But I don’t want want to sleep on  wet bed every night.

    What is going through her tiny noggin that makes her pee on a bed every night? They have lots of litter boxes.

  154. 154.

    sab

    Back on topic. I am 70 now. When I was 12 my Ohio parents moved us kids from a Florida tidal estuary to urban Ohio. I still haven’t gotten over it. Where are the birds? Where is the sky? Where are the stars at night. My Ohio born and raised husband has n

  155. 155.

    sab

    Back on topic. I am 70 now. When I was 12 my Ohio parents moved us kids from a Florida tidal estuary to urban Ohio. I still haven’t gotten over it. Where are the birds? Where is the sky? Where are the stars at night. My Ohio born and raised husband has never seen the Milky Way.

  160. 160.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    @Gloria DryGarden: give in to the inevitable crush LOL 😆 because he is practically perfect.

    I’m excited because I just ordered a cute Childless Cat Lady for Kamala V-neck t-shirt from a store on Etsy. The t-shirts on the official Kamala sute are sold out and I like the design and color of this one better. It will go with the car magnet I ordered from another shop.

  161. 161.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    @sab: Often when cats pee inappropriately, they are anxious and trying to mark a territory area where they feel safe and secure. A little the way stressed cats in animal shelters will often sit in their cat box for the first few data – it smells like them and that is comforting. Cats are creatures of smell, just as much if not more than dogs.

    But I’m sorry! Having your bed peed on is no fun at all. Maybe covering part of it with puppy pee pads can contain her self-soothing behavior.

  165. 165.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Jay:

    Just be careful, things can blow up fast. In many places you mentioned, unless you have a really good 4×4 and an Offroads Map Book for the region, there is only one road.

    Appreciate the warning, but I’m a Californian. I’m well aware of the dangers of wildfires in the mountains with limited roads.

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