Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

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

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Come on, man.

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

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

This chaos was totally avoidable.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

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

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

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

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

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56Comments

  4. 4.

    Trivia Man

    I have a suggestion related to On The Road. So many amazing and intriguing trips, i always wonder about the “how”. Id love a thread tagged with OTR where people share how they do it.  Second homes, family, friends, camping, hotels? Plan day of,  years in advance?  What about special mobility, food, or other accommodations? Costs? How do you save money? Arranged or all self booked? So many questions!

  9. 9.

    piratedan

    was noting that this election is really screwing with my ability to focus and be productive.  Knowing that I am giving money and time, there’s not much more I can do.  I feel like I’m on the stronghold ramparts, halberd in hand, armor chafing and listening to the horns and drums of the marching orcs.

    I have faith in my fellow defenders, I have faith in my leaders…. the ramparts look a tad less solid than in years past.  There is a wizard popping around, offering drinks from a six demon bag, I take a sip, and despite it all, I have a good feeling.  There’s going to be a fight and we’re going to prevail.  Just the time and place feel like it has the duality of both breakneck speed and slow motion.

    So much for interesting times…

  10. 10.

    Chet Murthy

    @Trivia Man: that would be great!  People telling us about the mechanics of how they arrange their travel, so that all of us could learn from it would be excellent!

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    @Chet Murthy: @Trivia Man:

    we could certainly do that, but I don’t think it could be an on the road post because on the road is all about pictures of where you’ve been.  but a weekend post about travel? Sure.

    Would that fit with medium cool at all? Not exactly culture. Hmmm

  16. 16.

    lamh47

    Ok…only really had on my new glasses for a few hours (reading only so far, I’m not driving much right now.  Although getting my new used car on Thursday…woo hoo). One question, are headaches common when you first get glasses? Someone said it might take a few days to get used to them and the headache should go away?

  17. 17.

    Chet Murthy

    @WaterGirl: I think it would be the person who did the OTR post, would be the one describing their workflow and thought process for designing and implementing their trip.

  20. 20.

    Jackie

    O/T GREAT NEWS! Special Election in Pennsylvania gives back the STATE MAJORITY to Dems!!!

    Announced on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show.  WHOOOHOOO!

  22. 22.

    Kayla Rudbek

    I can’t figure out why my bedroom smells like cigarettes. Neither Mr. Rudbek nor I have ever smoked. I don’t know if it’s any of my grandpa’s books, although I don’t ever remember him smoking. He was too tight with his money to waste it on cigarettes, although at least one of his brothers did smoke like a chimney and drink like a fish, so my great-uncle died young in his 80s.  I’m not sure if the renter next door smokes or not, and we wound up closing our windows down a day or two ago to start running the AC again.

  23. 23.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Kayla Rudbek: It’s probably one of your neighbors.  One of my old neighbors used to smoke in their apartment, and it would make the stairwell stink.   Natural airflow of the building and all.

  26. 26.

    RaflW

    @lamh47: I struggle with new glasses. To the point that I often end up not wearing the new ones for weeks or months after they’re prescribed and dispensed. I eventually just have to endure the headaches, eye aches and then yes, they do fine after a few days (longer when I jumped to progressives).

  27. 27.

    Doc Sardonic

     

    @lamh47: Any time I have had a significant change in my eyeglass prescription I have had some headaches. I just cut down the time I wear the new glasses and build up the wear time.

  30. 30.

    prostratedragon

    @lamh47:  I have little twingesxwith new glasses. Perhaps a slight headache or feeling of being off balance. Goes away in a couple of days, until which restricting hours with the new ones will help.

  31. 31.

    Trivia Man

    @WaterGirl: Dealer’s choice! Personally i like the 5 am so the travel jackals can weigh in. Preferably some of the ones who already shared the photos.

    maybe on a day the photo well runs dry

  32. 32.

    frosty

    @Trivia Man: I’ve thought about adding some of the “how” to my OTR stories. I post a lot of our trips on FB and a travel blog and there’s usually a post of Trailer Tales – the things that can go wrong on a long trip camping instead of staying in motels. What happens when your reservation falls through- camping at truck stops or Cracker Barrel. Apps for finding parks and campgrounds. Not a bad idea!

  35. 35.

    Trivia Man

    @frosty: My suggestion- instead of bogging down the story and distracting from the pictures, any authors who add a comment with notes on the How The Magic Happened get brownie points. Needn’t be minute details (but thats ok with me cause i like getting in the weeds!) but even a few process things tossed in.

    Bild of me to ask someone else to do more work – yet here we are.

  38. 38.

    Chet Murthy

    @Kayla Rudbek: my apartment has very few windows; my bedroom has only one small window and so on hot days I have to open it.  One of my neighbors smokes outside in the space between our two apartments; So when she’s smoking it diffuses into my bedroom if the window is open.  Oh well.

  39. 39.

    SomeRandomGuy

    I’d think it was the dog-equivalent in Dark Crystal, before “wookie” but that’s just me, and quadrupeds.

    I don’t mean that I’ve *polled* quadrupeds, I mean, that’s me, and my thoughts on quadrupeds, but I let quadrupeds speak for themselves, and certainly wouldn’t recommend taking my opining on the matter as reason to disregard the clearly stated views of quadrupeds, because, have you ever had a half-dozen or more quadrupeds arguing with you for being a quadrupedophobe, which, to be honest, isn’t entirely fair once more than 24 feet are being stomped at you?

    Um… that’s why I specified half-dozen or more, because it takes a half dozen OR MORE quadrupeds to provide 24 feet BECAUSE THEY COULD BE  MISSING A FOOT YOU ABLEIST SWINE!

    What? No, I was talking to the pig *behind* you, speciesist!

  41. 41.

    Ruckus

    @lamh47:

    I’ve been wearing glasses for over 60 yrs and I don’t get headaches from them. Sounds a bit like you might be like me. I use reading glasses to, well read. As of my last exam I now have short distance glasses for around 4-12/15 ft (computer and TV) and long distance for driving or anything over that 12/15 ft distance. This is the first time I’ve had 2 different prescriptions. In my experience reading and near or far glasses are 2 different animals unless you have progressives or bifocals. Progressives or bifocals don’t work for me is why I have 2 prescriptions for anything other than reading. But I know a lot of people that use them and think highly of them. Glasses are a sort of personal item that are different for each of us. And yes I keep reading glasses in every room.

    Also as a rather long time member of the club I have to say welcome 4 eyes. Somebody had to be the first to say it.

  42. 42.

    SomeRandomGuy

    Look, I’m a morbid son of a bitch, so when I say “good” news, keep in mind it’s mixed.

    What was that site, Free Republic? Freepers? Yeah. That shit, that shit is now part of our national discourse. And the aforementioned excrement came straight from the ass of Vance to be vomited forth by TCFFG onto the debate stage. I’m sorry – I’m in a lot of pain and I feel like I’m channeling The Rude Pundit. Mind you, of people I’m okay channeling, he’s up there, but, not quite for the tender of stomach.

    The good news: there are 7 50-day periods in a year, and elections only happen once in four years, so just think how indescribably fucking lucky we are, to have that second paragraph be true, during *this* set of 50 days, right? Am I afraid someone will be hurt? Oh, fuck yes, I’m fucking *terrified*. But it would be that much more tragic, if it happened, *and* people had time to forget, if people insisted it was just economic anxiety that let them think they could ignore TCFFG’s complicity, and that it’s okay to vote R.

    I hope the Rs embrace of the lowest of slanders paints Ohio bright blue, at least for a night, and I hope it happens just due to the vision of hate – and not hate-induced bloodshed.

    If you feel like we’re all huddled together, in a trench, in the dark, afraid the dawn might never come, at least remember those assholes are also in a trench, and shooting themselves in the foot, and if you don’t know how bad that is during trench warfare… um… I’m about to start channeling The Rude Pundit again, aren’t I?

    Don’t huddle too close to me – but thems as needs to huddle, find your huddling partner, and remember, it’s okay to need a bit of support to get through a tough time. Even if you can’t explain to someone why the time is tough – like, if you couldn’t explain OzarkHillbilly if you tried. And cherish the friends who don’t care WTF an OzarkHillbilly is, because they know *you* are a *friend* and that’s all they need to know.

  43. 43.

    SomeRandomGuy

    Look, I’m a morbid son of a bitch, so when I say “good” news, keep in mind it’s mixed.

    What was that site, Free Republic? Freepers? Yeah. That shit, that shit is now part of our national discourse. And the aforementioned excrement came straight from the ass of Vance to be vomited forth by TCFFG onto the debate stage. I’m sorry – I’m in a lot of pain and I feel like I’m channeling The Rude Pundit. Mind you, of people I’m okay channeling, he’s up there, but, not quite for the tender of stomach.

    The good news: there are 7 50-day periods in a year, and elections only happen once in four years, so just think how indescribably fucking lucky we are, to have that second paragraph be true, during *this* set of 50 days, right? Am I afraid someone will be hurt? Oh, fuck yes, I’m fucking *terrified*. But it would be that much more tragic, if it happened, *and* people had time to forget, if people insisted it was just economic anxiety that let them think they could ignore TCFFG’s complicity, and that it’s okay to vote R.

    I hope the Rs embrace of the lowest of slanders paints Ohio bright blue, at least for a night, and I hope it happens just due to the vision of hate – and not hate-induced bloodshed.

    If you feel like we’re all huddled together, in a trench, in the dark, afraid the dawn might never come, at least remember those assholes are also in a trench, and shooting themselves in the foot, and if you don’t know how bad that is during trench warfare… um… I’m about to start channeling The Rude Pundit again, aren’t I?

    Don’t huddle too close to me – but thems as needs to huddle, find your huddling partner, and remember, it’s okay to need a bit of support to get through a tough time. Even if you can’t explain to someone why the time is tough – like, if you couldn’t explain OzarkHillbilly if you tried. And cherish the friends who don’t care WTF an OzarkHillbilly is, because they know *you* are a *friend* and that’s all they need to know.

  44. 44.

    kalakal

    @lamh47:

    Has your prescription changed much?

    That can cause problems for people at first.

    Another one is new varifocal/multifocal lenses? Sometime getting used to where they change can take time

  45. 45.

    kalakal

    An idea for Medium Cool

    How about one on song lyrics?

    ie where the lyrics have really been meaningful/made an impact/encapsulated feelings, emotions or situation to someone. Could be personal, political or societal.

  47. 47.

    Gloria DryGarden

    I got my first pair of progressive glasses, but they said I had to only use them for a few weeks, or I’d never adjust. The thing is, I need to look down not just to read, but in the garden, and at work w little kids, and the reading correction would not be ok for that.

    im not sure how to proceed

  48. 48.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    Apropos of this topic and Cole’s post last night, we need immigrants. The native population isn’t reproducing at replacement level. The only way we have anything approaching an adequate labor supply is immigration. It’s either bring the people we need in, or suffer a deflationary spiral driven by shrinking population. Maybe some countries are competent enough to manage that spiral in ways that minimize negative effects but I doubt the US is one of them.

    A lot of advanced economies are facing this problem. Most of Western Europe and Japan for example. I can’t really explain why but it just seems like when a country reaches a certain economic development threshold people stop wanting as many kids. Some large population of tall blond Western European people is not going to magically emerge from the void to reverse this trend. It seems like the modern American conservative movement is predicted on the idea that if we just hate on brown people enough the days of white people breeding like rabbits will return but that’s not how it works.

  50. 50.

    Matt McIrvin

    @What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?: Women really don’t want to spend most of their lives pregnant or caring for small children–and it’s physically dangerous too. Men don’t really want to care for them either. For the most part, people do this because they have to–because a large family is your only path to old-age security and many children die in infancy or early childhood. The societies where that’s still the case are very poor.

    At some point, probably within our lifetimes, the whole world is going to run out of countries with high fertility rates and everyone is going to have to deal with declining population. But for now, there are still a bunch of them–and most of them are in Africa. So one way to keep your society from contracting is to accept a lot of African immigrants. But if your society is also racist as hell, you won’t do that.

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    @eclare: I noticed that after I put the photo up, when I checked the post early on while I was in bed.

    I think it’s fair to conclude that perhaps Henry never had ears to begin with!

  54. 54.

    frosty

    @Trivia Man: Yes, a comment on trip planning would work pretty well. And then another on disasters! Have you ever lost a wheel on a trailer on I-95 in South Carolina? That one could be a whole post. With pictures!

  55. 55.

    frosty

    @Matt McIrvin: The End of the World is Just the Beginning discusses demographics for different countries and regions. Most of the world matches your description: not enough young people. China may have the worst problem, partly because of the 1-child rule. North America came off best, largely because of immigration.

    Demonizing immigrants is totally counterproductive in the longer run.

  56. 56.

    No One You Know

    @SomeRandomGuy: I so appreciated reading this.

    I’d huddle,  but it would mean dismantling my pillow fort with the blanket moat, where I already stored all the chocolate.

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