Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

T R E 4 5 O N

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

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

Books are my comfort food!

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

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

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Wednesday Night Open Thread

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47Comments

  2. 2.

    Kirk

    There but for the grace of god go I. Please take care of yourself. Pet a dog, tickle a cat, that sort of thing.

  6. 6.

    frosty

    Hope the ice and Vitamin I help you feel better. And I hope that things improve so you can skip the specialist.

  7. 7.

    Joy in FL

    I am so sorry you have to deal with this. I hope the ice and time do the work, and you can avoid the need to see a specialist.

  8. 8.

    SatanicPanic

    Shoulders are the worst. I blew mine out surfing like four years ago and it’s never recovered. I do find that doing curls eases the pain for some reason. And long baths. I don’t trust ice but I gather it’s a popular option.

  10. 10.

    karen marie

    I recommend going to the pool and floating around while gently moving your limbs to help with range of motion.  As I’ve gotten older, I’m aware of what a disaster a fall would be for me.  I vicariously feel your pain.

  11. 11.

    UncleEbeneezer

    I somehow tweaked my right wrist and it’s really painful.  As a tennis instructor, it’s going to make things tough for the next few days.  But the worst part is the heat.  Highs are gonna be around 100 degrees every day, for the next week.  Ugh…

  16. 16.

    Marcopolo

    Well shit.  Been there.  Hope your recovery goes smoothly.  Take it easy physically & take it easy on yourself mentally as well.  Specialists can be awesome if you wind up needing one.  Just finished a couple months of knee PT and that knee is now stronger than my “good” one.

    I recommend binging The Good Place as well 🤗

  17. 17.

    Alex C

    Good Luck…it’s a good day/bad day deal.  Both my left and right rotator cuffs are blown…..and about once or twice a week I almost forget….almost.

  19. 19.

    Lily

    With the advances in protective gear for skateboarders, football, seems like there could be some (lighter) gear developed for elder hips and wrists.  Prob expensive;  but compared to costs of broken hip–surgery, hospital, rehab living, PT, and all the 2ndary things that occur when older ppl mostly immobile have to rehab living  in group living settings…

  21. 21.

    MomSense

    I’m really sorry, John.  I’ve been through hell with my knee and shoulders are similarly difficult.  Please take care of yourself and let us know how we can help.

  23. 23.

    Josie

    @karen marie: I’m almost 81 and am so afraid of falling. I slipped on a throw rug two years ago and it took around six months for my left knee to become normal again. The index finger on my left hand will never be straight again. You better believe I am super careful now where and how I walk.

    John, I hope the ice and ibuprofen do the trick. I really feel for you.

  24. 24.

    karen marie

    @UncleEbeneezer: Arizona passed the 100 days over 100 mark a couple days ago.  It’s, of course, been over 100 every day since, including today.  Tomorrow it’s supposed to hit 114.

    The annoying part is that there will only be about two weeks of pleasant temperatures before it gets cold

    @Josie:   Yes!  Ugh!  I have started making extra sure that when I put down the bath mat it’s completely flat so when I get out of the shower I don’t hook a toe on it.

  25. 25.

    SW

    I always alternate heat and cold. Heat feels good and the ice reduces swelling. 20 minutes each.  Ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and a gummy for pain and my attitude. YMMV

  26. 26.

    Prescott Cactus

    @Lily:

    A couple years back a Japanese company developed and marketed fall protection that was inflatable and activated like an auto airbag. Hips and heads were their initial products.

    If I can find anything more I’ll post it. ETA: Turns out there are few companies, the first article I found was from 2008. Wow.

  32. 32.

    RaflW

    Wow, John, what a bummer. Glad it’s not something broken, at least.

    Since it’s a medicalish thread, today I had a new experience, one I hope to not ever need to repeat. Had nerve testing done on my arms/hands.

    Pt. 1 is getting mild electric shocks while one’s fingers and palm have sensor attached. Weird, uncomfortable, but not painful.

    Then they thought up using electric current delivered via acupuncture type needles to check nerve transmission. Fun! Not.

    The saving grace is the M.D. who did the test interprets and delivers the results on the spot (unlike an MRI, etc). She was also super nice, cheerful, but realistic about the test process discomfort. Not minimizing, which I find patronizing.

    And there’s no detectable damage. What the tingling is, well, tbd. But it’s very mild and hopefully I can just do some PT or something? Ordering doc though it was ulnar nerve something.

  33. 33.

    CaseyL

    What I’ve heard is, you ice an injury for the first 24 hours, to take down the swelling and reduce inflammation.

    Then you switch to heat because that causes blood to accumulate at the injury site and start the healing process.

  37. 37.

    Scout211

    @RaflW: I had that testing done to determine whether the pain, numbness, tingling and loss of movement and strength in my hand was from carpal tunnel or from pressure on the nerves further up my arm.  Mine was definitely carpal tunnel and the neurologist told me it was severe so I had the surgery and am really glad I did.

  39. 39.

    FelonyGovt

    @KatKapCC: Even if she’s only doing it to position herself for a post-Trump Republican Party, I have to admire this.

    John, hope you recover very quickly. Injuries like that suck.

  40. 40.

    Ohio Mom

    @RaflW:

    @Scout211:

    I suspect I will be having that testing next, since the brace the PT told me to wear is only partially effective and my right hand continues to intermittently tingle and burn. Thanks for giving me a look at what is next.

  41. 41.

    Manyakitty

    Take good care. If nothing else, your recent time at the gym probably reduced your misery. Just a little bit of added strength and flexibility makes a difference.

  43. 43.

    Scout211

    Astronauts Guardians from the US Space force will launch their first mission to bring home the stranded astronauts.

    A Space Force officer will command a mission later this month to safely bring home two astronauts who have been unexpectedly stuck aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, marking the first time a Guardian will launch into space for such a high-profile operation.

    Col. Nick Hague, an active-duty Space Force Guardian, will be joined by Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for NASA’s Crew-9 mission. Originally, Hague and Gorbunov were supposed to be joined by two other astronauts for a trip to space, but problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that have left astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams stuck aboard the space station for months longer than anticipated shifted the mission objective, date and staffing.

    Hague and Gorbunov will launch no earlier than Sept. 24, NASA said in a Friday news release, and will return to Earth with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025. The Guardian and the cosmonaut were chosen for their particular experience and skill sets, the agency said.

    . . .

    NASA hopes to bring the unmanned Starliner back to Earth as soon as this upcoming weekend.

    While the Space Force does not create or train astronauts, the Department of Defense has historically provided and loaned many pilots to NASA for involvement with civilian space exploration. Roughly two-thirds of NASA astronauts have prior military experience, according to the Space Force.

    Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on space and defense policy, told Military.com in an interview Monday that Hague’s involvement in the Crew-9 launch, while notable, may lend to more public confusion about the Space Force’s overall mission, which is creating forces to protect and defend America’s satellite fleet and interests in space.

    The missions of NASA and the Space Force have often been confused by the public, Harrison added, just like how the now-canceled Netflix series “Space Force” led to misconceptions about the service branch.

    “The Space Force has Guardians, some of whom may be on loan to NASA to work for NASA as astronauts, but they’re not working for the Space Force as astronauts,” Harrison said. “It kind of doesn’t help, right? Because it, again, conflates what the Space Force does with what NASA does, just like the Netflix TV series conflated the two.”

    So NASA has astronauts and Space Force has Guardians.  Huh.

  44. 44.

    Don K

    Get better soon JC. I know joint pain really sucks.

    Yesterday a Trump canvasser appeared at the front door. I truly enjoyed telling him that my husband and I will vote for Harris as soon as the ballots show up in our mailbox.

  45. 45.

    RaflW

    @Ohio Mom: I wish you well! It wasn’t that bad. Like, it was a picnic compared to dental work. It was really just a few of the needle pokes that stung.

    I just found it strange and not something I’d want to do again, and not painless like an EKG or an MRI.

  46. 46.

    Central Planning

    @RaflW: I had that testing for carpal tunnel. The electric shocks weren’t bad until they jammed (on purpose) the probe into my big thumb muscle in my palm.

    i had carpal tunnel in both hands, and they “relocated”’my ulnar nerve at my elbow.

    Best surgeries I ever had.

  47. 47.

    Chris T.

    @SatanicPanic: See this image to see why strengthening the biceps can help shoulder issues.

    Note that there are a lot of tendons crammed into that rotator-cuff area, and an imbalance can be bad. Visiting a PT for shoulder pain, getting the right exercises, and doing them, is a big deal. In my particular cases they had me doing a weird lift with, of all things, a can of soup (and it was heavy, in relative terms and the weird position they had me doing it in…).

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