Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Please don’t feed the bears.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickel?”

People are complicated. Love is not.

Days Since JD Vance Insulted Women Across America: Zero

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

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

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

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

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

The US Supreme Court is on the ballot in november.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

“Cheese and Kraken paired together for the appetizer trial.”

We are aware of all internet traditions.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Let’s finish the job.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Soft Launch Open Thread

Soft Launch Open Thread

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Bonjour! I see the morning thread has gone long, so I thought I’d open up a new one for you all now that I have the power to do so.

meme comparing josh stein's normie political message with Mark Robinson's pornographic rantings.

I’ve got a proper intro post coming tomorrow. I’ve got to run off to an important appointment* in the meantime. Totally open thread!

EDIT: With thanks to rikyrah in the comments, here’s MVP Harris’s Wired Autocomplete interview. Worth your time:

 

*I am going to the pub.

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    257Comments

    13. 13.

      rikyrah

      Nathaniel Horadam (@NW_Horadam) posted at 6:54 AM on Fri, Sep 20, 2024:
      Huge news out of DOE this morning.

      The second round of battery grants awards are out. $3B in investments to build out all segments of America’s battery supply chain.

       

      The Biden Accomplishments Guy (@What46HasDone) posted at 7:39 AM on Fri, Sep 20, 2024:
      This is awesome news. Not only does bolster our fight against climate change, but it also serves as industrial policy to counter China. And this particular funding actually came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which some have maligned as “just a glorified roads bill.”
      (https://x.com/What46HasDone/status/1837109224972718290?t=3CwLIOYxM_MplQSlyI81OA&s=03)

      Reply
    18. 18.

      Josie

      @rikyrah: I just watched it and it was great. I was only going to listen to a couple of answers, but I found myself glued to the screen for the entire program. She is just the best at advocating for herself.

      Reply
    22. 22.

      TBone

      @rikyrah: in addition to that great news, DelCo just got an EV charging station (the 3rd one in PA) with federal funds (although it will be owned and run by Tesla, it’s still great news)!

      Reply
    26. 26.

      West of the Rockies

      Welcome to the Front Page, Rose!

      Is Ruemara still a contributor here?  Has anyone seen (I will totally botch the spelling) Mnemonse around lately?  Also, I miss Alison Rose.

      Reply
    28. 28.

      rikyrah

      Justin Gray (@JustinGrayWSB) posted at 6:12 AM on Fri, Sep 20, 2024:
      As the State Election Board prepares to meet this morning to vote on a controversial plan to require precinct level vote counts – @Georgia_AG office sends them a letter essentially saying their plan violates GA law: “these proposed rules are not tethered to any statute” https://t.co/lb5177agtT
      (https://x.com/JustinGrayWSB/status/1837087463623295319?t=vEC9-Glfw7FUVYKfGfF3YA&s=03)

      Reply
    29. 29.

      catclub

      I have a financial adviser, who lives in NC ( I don’t), and works for a big Financial company…. and is named Mark Robinson.
      I suspect he is getting razzed by his out of state co-workers.

      Reply
    38. 38.

      KatKapCC

      I love that she did the Wired video, because it’s a way to get these details about her life and policies out to a new audience. Wired has 11.5 million YT subscribers, and I’d bet there are a lot who probably don’t pay much attention to political news. I also love that she was worried about littering by dropping the paper bits on the floor :D

      Reply
    39. 39.

      Kelly

      Nearly 14 week old Border Collie Daisy has become a bit more of a handful in the last few days. She finds it terribly unjust that the cats roam free while she is confined to her puppy corral in the tile floored kitchen. The major reason she’s confined is she thinks the cats would be fun to play with and they are merely tolerating her. The other reason there are many fun things to drag around scattered about the house. Our house has an open floor plan so she’s only 12 feet away from me looking thru the bars as I type this.  She is very well housebroken. However yesterday’s morning walk in the woods down by the river was cut short as she began to fuss. When we returned to our yard she immediately went to her potty spot to relieve herself. Next goal: teach Daisy it’s OK the pee in the woods.

      Reply
    47. 47.

      Jackie

      It’s getting fun in N Carolina!

      New York Times: “After CNN published its report, Mr. Trump’s first reaction was that he wanted nothing to do with the scandal and didn’t see why he should get involved, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. His impulse was to ignore the controversy and power through. People close to the former president are holding out hope that Mr. Robinson will still decide to quit the race, despite his early defiant statement of his intention to continue his run for governor.”

      “But with Mr. Trump preparing to visit North Carolina for a rally on Saturday, he’s expected to talk about the controversy in passing, either on his Truth Social platform or once he’s in the state. People close to him anticipate that he will deliver a version of a comment he has made about countless supporters or former aides: that he hardly knows the guy.”

      But wait! There’s this!:

      The Democratic National Committee announced it was putting Donald Trump’s comments praising North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) on nine billboards around Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, the New York Times reports.

      😂🤣😂

      Reply
    49. 49.

      Jackie

      Is Scott Perry’s House seat in trouble?!

      A MAGA Republican lawmaker’s key swing state district could hand the presidential election to Vice President Kamala Harris as he fights off an energized Democratic challenger attacking what she dubs extremist views, according to a new report.

      Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) is currently campaigning on hardline MAGA policies in the pivotal state’s key battleground district that is showing signs of moving further to the political left, New York Magazine reported Friday.

      “Both Democratic and Republican operatives believe he’s uniquely vulnerable as the district’s political make-up shifts,” wrote reporter Ben Jacobs. “If Harris wins this swing district, it would be almost mathematically impossible for her to lose the state.”

      https://www.rawstory.com/scott-perry-maga/

      Reply
    50. 50.

      Tony Jay

      Bonjour. Welcome to the front page. Please accept this large advance carton of individually wrapped Thoughts & Prayers. Deploy as needed.

      Reply
    52. 52.

      BR

      I’m getting a ton of stuff from North Carolina Dems this morning (because I’ve donated to NC Dems, but don’t live there) — emails and texts. They’re all over the Mark Robinson situation.

      Reply
    53. 53.

      trollhattan

      Suppose I’m happy for the kiddo to be in that forge of democracy known as North Carolina for this election round. Whee, fun for the whole family! California lacks the drama, even if we have yet another proposition to make rent control possible for jurisdictions to invoke. Can’t piss off the Realtors® too often to suit me.

      ETA planning to be there the first week of November. Wonder what that will be like?

      Reply
    57. 57.

      lowtechcyclist

      @Baud:

      Is it too much to ask that Robinson has the balls to be bitter about Trump and l retaliate, rather than being an obsequious toady like all the others?

      You can ask for anything you want!

      Too much to expect, definitely. Too much to have a shred of a rational hope for, probably that too.

      Reply
    67. 67.

      Geo Wilcox

      @Kelly: Our female Swissie would only pee if her brother peed first. Then she’d try to cover his pee scent with hers. She NEVER pooped anywhere but in her back yard. I think she is a reincarnation of my dad, he’d never poop any where but at our house (in the bathroom of course).

      Reply
    73. 73.

      Jackie

      Kamala Harris launches first ad targeting Robinson:

      Kamala Harris’ campaign on Friday launched a new television ad seeking to tie former President Donald Trump to North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson, a day after a bombshell KFile report detailed a series of inflammatory comments Robinson made more than a decade ago.

      This sure is a boring slow news Friday! 😂

      Beaten to it by KatKapCC

      Reply
    74. 74.

      SatanicPanic

      Kamala Harris is so good at these sorts of interviews. The more people see of her the more they’re going to like her.

      Reply
    76. 76.

      lamh47

      Just saw that WIRED YT with Kamala!

      Now see this is what happens when you have a “young” President. They are a bit more able to reach out and talk with they “youfs”…LOL. I love Joey B, but this is DEF something Obama excelled at and Chump could never be personable enough to do!

      Reply
    78. 78.

      Scout211

      @KatKapCC: I think they could have added a clip of him admitting that he and his wife had an abortion years ago.  But I do think this ad is more about Trump than it is about Robinson so I get why they left it out.

      Reply
    81. 81.

      trollhattan

      @Geo Wilcox:

      Our GSP will mark the ‘hood like a meth-addled tagger on walks but WILL NOT POOP anywhere but the backyard. He’ll hold it for hours. Which presents him with a dilemma when we take him on a trip and he finds himself needing to declare a designated backyard at some point.

      It’s frankly odd, but, dogs.

      Reply
    82. 82.

      p.a.

      I’m beginning to get the impression Republicans have trouble recruiting quality minority candidates!

      After reviewing their roster bottom-to-top, I felt the need to make the above edit…

      Reply
    83. 83.

      Jackie

      HA! Take that, Sean O’Brien!

      “James Hoffa, the former general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, on Thursday night put out a blistering statement criticizing his successor, Sean O’Brien, for the union’s choice not to endorse a presidential candidate this election cycle,” the Daily Beast reports.

      “Hoffa, the son of the legendary labor leader Jimmy Hoffa, called the decision ‘a critical error’ and ‘a failure of leadership’ on O’Brien’s part.”

      Said Hoffa: “There is only one candidate in this race that has supported working families and unions throughout their career, and that is Vice President Kamala Harris.”

      Reply
    84. 84.

      Scout211

      More of these endorsements in red states is always a good thing.

      OPINION: I co-chairedNikki Haley’s Iowa campaign. I am endorsing Kamala Harris by Dawn Roberts 

      I served as an Iowa state co-chair of the Nikki Haley for President campaign. I think both parties let us down by selecting two candidates for president in or near their 80s. I was at a loss.

      Then, when President Joe Biden stepped down and endorsed Kamala Harris as his replacement, I decided to see who she really was. I was impressed with how she handled herself saying that she wanted to “earn everyone’s support.” She showed willingness to listen to a wider range of views to solve problems.

      So I am supporting Kamala Harris for president.

      Reply
    91. 91.

      HumboldtBlue

      Well… you volunteered, so there’s that!

      Elsewhere…

      Tim Walz: Pro-tips of the day:  #1 Clean your air filter  #2 Know that when somebody writes up a manual like Project 2025, they plan on using it

      Reply
    92. 92.

      TBone

      @trollhattan:

      @lowtechcyclist:

      I revised my preview to say Election Day ballots (I think that’s what the Board said?) but still such obvious attempts to throw sand in the gears at every turn are galling, glaringly obvious, and should be squashed mercilessly.

      Reply
    101. 101.

      Steve in the ATL

      @Jackie: Hoffa is right, as we all know,  but there’s more to the story here. Hoffa was longtime teamsters president  and made O’Brien one of his chief lieutenants. O’Brien, possessor of the unfortunate initials “SOB”, allows himself with the TDU, the radical left faction of the IBT, and took Hoffa down.  So, no love lost.

      SOB is gambling that if Kamala wins, nothing changes so unions are set, but if Trump wins, then SOB’s will be the only labor call that trump takes.  That has a distinct Ernst Thälmann to me, but SOB is a savvy politician and thinks it’s worth the risk.

      Reply
    102. 102.

      scav

      @TBone: The Georgia Election Board went on to state that all results must be written in oak gall ink with quills (geese, not chicken) as the founding fathers would have wanted it. Calculators are forbidden, but abacuses allowed only if made of actual ivory, plastics being forbidden as non-period.

      Reply
    104. 104.

      wjca

      @Baud: Only 7 weeks to go before the NYT is blanked with it comes to interviews. 🤞

      Good to know Otani isn’t the only one having a record-breaking season.

      Reply
    107. 107.

      Jackie

      @TBone:

      The Georgia election board announced that all Election Day ballots must be hand counted.

      Let’s hope hope hope Harris wins by a large enough EC vote that Georgia’s votes are irrelevant!

      Reply
    111. 111.

      HumboldtBlue

      DougJ everyone

      Summer Lovin’

      Nubile news woman Nuzzi is the sexiest Olivia since Newton-John, but getting physical with bad boy Bobby wasn’t exactly magic for her career. Is a trip to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Xanadu the one that she really wants?

      by Maureen Dowd

      Reply
    112. 112.

      Matt McIrvin

      I’m pretty sure that if the legislature and governor of Georgia want and dare to, they can simply pass a law right now awarding Trump the state’s electoral votes and declaring the popular vote null and void for that election. As long as it’s before the election, that’s legal, right?

      But I don’t think they dare to. I think they want to keep up appearances.

      Reply
    113. 113.

      Sister Golden Bear

      In other news, cultists on the GA Election Board vote, against the advice of their own legal counsel, to require hand counting all ballots—to ratfuck getting timely election results.

      The Georgia State Election Board approved a rule Friday requiring counties in the critical presidential battleground to hand-count all ballots this year, potentially upending the November election by delaying reporting of results by weeks if not months.

      The change was spearheaded by a pro-Trump majority that has enacted a series of changes to the state’s election rules in recent weeks and approved the hand-count requirement despite a string of public commenters who begged them not to.

      Critics included democracy advocates who accused the board of intentionally injecting chaos and uncertainty into the presidential contest as well as election supervisors and poll workers who said hand counts would take too long, cost money and almost certainly produce counting errors.

      Just another reason we need to ensure by big enough margin that GA doesn’t matter, regardless of who eventually is declared the winner. All gas, no brakes.

      Reply
    116. 116.

      Geminid

      @Baud: I tbink that prickly commenter got banned a couple months ago. ButAlison Rose found discussion of the Gza war in general very upsetting.

      I have a hunch that’s why Roger Moore left. He and I argued some over a couple days not long after the war started, and then he disappeared. A couple other people sided Roger, and I don’t believe I drove him away; at least I hope I didn’t. My guess is he had some things to say that he did not want to say here. This war has been a very emotionally charged and frustrating topic for a lot of people, myself included.

      Reply
    117. 117.

      Anotherlurker.

      @trollhattan: Dumb question especially for the doggie people here.  If you were to bring some of your backyard soil, complete with your pups scent, could this help him/her identify a friendly place for business in the woods or another strange location?

      Reply
    119. 119.

      hitchhiker

      @Jackie:

      Yes. Also the 3 officials who voted to have all the votes in GA counted by hand must be required to do it themselves, with cameras trained on the ballots so that we can all make sure they aren’t cheating.

      Reply
    121. 121.

      hitchhiker

      @HumboldtBlue:

      I still can’t fathom how anybody would want to get “romantic” — even virtually — with a lunatic anti-vaxxer.

      Is 31 the new 12? Was she ensorcereled by his craggy charm or his family name?

      Srsly, wtf.

      Reply
    122. 122.

      cain

      @Steve in the ATL:

      Does he not know Trump ? He might take the labor call but he isn’t consistent about anything. Whatever he promised he will never honor. You will also have to get passed whoever the handler of the week is.

      Reply
    125. 125.

      piratedan

      @hitchhiker: Nuzzi and RFK are saying it was a feelings affair, with no physical component, so she cheated and he cheated in spirit, not in deed.

      considering the “spirit” that drives RFK, I’m not sure that’s any better considering his… positions on many issues.

      Reply
    131. 131.

      sdhays

      @Baud: Honestly, I wish Congress had passed a law mandating The Count be responsible for counting all the ballots in the country in the aftermath of the 2000 debacle instead of incentivizing technologically illiterate secretaries of state to shovel money to companies selling shitty, insecure computerized voting machines that had to be replaced in a few years, as critics pointed out at the time.

      Reply
    135. 135.

      TBone

      @Baud: I played a loud sound of The Count laughing as he counted each morning outside in my driveway for the 2020 Election.  For the neighbors.

      Ah ha ha One!  Ah ha ha Two! (loud thunderclap) Ah ha ha Three!  Ah ha ha! 💀

      Reply
    139. 139.

      wjca

      @TBone: The Georgia election board announced that all Election Day ballots must be hand counted.

      With luck, they were dumb enough to phrase it that way.  In my count in California, we hand count the ballots at each polling place.  Note, we hand count the ballots, not the votes.  We are just checking that the numbers for people voting, for ballots scanned, and for pieces of paper, all line up.

      Counting ballots is entirely feasible, and doesn’t take that long.**  Counting votes would be nightmarish, to put it mildly.  It’s the kind of idea you dream up if you have zero experience with the real world election administration process.  (Or if you want to shut down government, at evety level, for a year.  Because it would take that long for a hand count to be done for every race on the ballot.)

      ** And we actually do two hand counts by different people.  Just because –News Flash!– hand counting is so error prone.

      Reply
    141. 141.

      Jeffro

      @HumboldtBlue: I’d repost it on FB but my normie friends would be like, “do I wanna know?  I don’t even wanna know.”

      (well, one would ask me if Walz was into laying pipe…but other than that… ;)

      Reply
    144. 144.

      Bostondreams

      @HumboldtBlue: I get why the reaction might be a yawn, because it’s Mitt, but the former Republican nominee for president explicitly rejecting the party’s candidate seems pretty significant, even if he isn’t voting for Harris (which, cowardly, but still). At least to me.

      Reply
    153. 153.

      Geminid

      @wjca: My Atlanta friend says the election board mandated a count of total ballots, as you describe. He thinks Kemp and company are just throwing the Trumpers a bone here.

      Reply
    154. 154.

      frosty

      @Mousebumples: ​
       Well, the canvassing hasn’t happened yet, I hope I’m up to it. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I hope I have one more election left in me … which is what I said every 2 years since 2008.

      Reply
    155. 155.

      cmorenc

      @Jackie:

      “But with Mr. Trump preparing to visit North Carolina for a rally on Saturday, he’s expected to talk about the controversy in passing, either on his Truth Social platform or once he’s in the state. People close to him anticipate that he will deliver a version of a comment he has made about countless supporters or former aides: that he hardly knows the guy.”

      Trump: All Steppin’ did was to fetch black…er, coffee for my campaign.

      Reply
    157. 157.

      Scout211

      The a federal Trade Commission  said Friday that it is suing three drug middlemen, accusing them of inflating insulin prices.

      The FTC accused the “Big Three” pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx, CVS Health’s Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts — of “engaging in anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices that have artificially inflated the list price of insulin drugs, impaired patients’ access to lower list price products, and shifted the cost of high insulin list prices to vulnerable patients.” Around 8 million Americans rely on insulin in the U.S., per the FTC.

      PBMs work with insurance companies to negotiate discounted prices from drug companies in exchange for including the drugs in their coverage. In theory, they are supposed to save patients money.

      Also included in the lawsuit are the PBMs’ group purchasing organizations, which include Zinc Health Services, Ascent Health Services and Emisar Pharma Services.

      The “Big Three” oversee around 80% of all prescription drug plans in the U.S., according to the complaint, which alleges that they created a rebate system prioritizing high rebates from drug manufacturers, which led to the inflated insulin prices.

      “This perverse system results in billions of dollars in rebates and fees for the PBMs and their health plan sponsor clients — but does so at the expense of certain vulnerable diabetic patients who must pay significantly more out-of-pocket for their critical medications,” the FTC said in a news release.

      UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health and Cigna did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

      This is a very good step.  Thank you, FTC and President Biden.

      Reply
    160. 160.

      May

      Unlurking to say welcome Rose.  Also to attest to what a good and smart person Josh Stein is.  I knew him in college, and I spoke with him at reunion this spring.  Back then he was extremely active in the anti-apartheid movement and divestment from South Africa (and the shanties attacked by the Dartmouth Review).  He isn’t a showman but he is a good speaker and cares deeply about doing what is right.  Our classmate Gillibrand was there too, and fortunately this time Azar stayed away after he showed up with body guards in his putting babies in cages days.  He was always a jerk.

      Reply
    161. 161.

      BR

      I just sent this to TPM as a comment, curious what you all think:

      Every lede talks about Robinson as a “Black nazi” but that might not be as potent as him wanting to join the Klan. The word nazi is overused and is abstract to most folks.

      In NC the Klan isn’t abstract, and it means something to key demographics: to conservative Black men who might have supported Robinson, the Klan is probably a bridge too far. To moderate Republicans, same. Robinson has now linked himself and Trump to the Klan, whose prominence is rising after Springfield.

      Nothing says “we’re not going back” more than stopping the rise of the Klan.

      Reply
    169. 169.

      Geminid

      @catclub: Turkiye counts ballots by hand. They try to keep each precinct around 450 to 500 voters. Eligible voters fill out ballots by hand and drop them into a clear plastic bin. Two election officials plus representatives from each of the five parties polling highest last time observe the voting and then count the ballots after the polls close. The results for each precinct are posted immediately.

      Then the ballots are bagged, and the bags sealed and taken to the provincial capitals; then they are shipped to the national election headquarters in Ankara, where (I think) they are counted again.

      Turks living overseas vote at Turkish Consulates. Around two million Turkish citizens live in Germany, so Turkiye and Germany cooperated on opening 12 polling places there.

      The overseas vote is held a few days early. I saw a picture last election of couriers sitting in airline seats, each with a sealed bag of ballots next to them.

      All voting in Turkiye is in person, with no early or absentee voting. Participation in the election held in May, 2023 was almost 80%.

      Reply
    172. 172.

      CaseyL

      Welcome, Rose!  You’re off to a terrific start.  Going to the pub is an excellent way to begin as a FPer!  (Even if you don’t drink, because pub grub is often really, really good.)

      That “Campaign ’24” graphic – did you make that?  If not, where did you find it?  I’d love to see it up on billboards all over NC.

      Reply
    176. 176.

      geg6

      @Jeffro:

      Read somewhere today that this all began some time after November 2023 and that she and Lizza broke off their engagement in, I think, January or February 2024.  Methinks Ryan was not so charmed by her “emotions.”

      Reply
    183. 183.

      trollhattan

      @raven: Oh man, sorry to hear that.

      No personal experience, no second-hand experience either. Former boss was once misdiagnosed with MS but that proved incorrect and she instead had an operable brain tumor, discovered after a year on MS symptom meds.

      Best of luck and here’s hoping your docs are Tip-Top Pros.

      Reply
    184. 184.

      Steve LaBonne

      @raven: I’m very sorry. One thing I can tell you is that a friend of ours from our (previous) church has been living with it for years, and while wheelchair bound has visibly improved lately. It seems that treatment protocols have improved a lot. The excellent German classical pianist Alice Sara Ott continues to have a successful career five years after being diagnosed.

      Reply
    186. 186.

      Scout211

      @raven: I got diagnosed with MS yesterday and I’m wondering what experiences folks have had?


      Oh God. I’m so sorry.  What an unexpected challenge.  

      The person I know who has it has the relapsing kind so the symptoms are up and down but with some of the newer medications, the symptoms seem not as severe.  Hopefully you can get a specialist to set a good treatment plan for you to minimize your symptoms.

      Mobility is always an issue but there are so many ways you can be helped with that.

      Reply
    188. 188.

      Yarrow

      @raven:  Sorry to hear that. No personal experience but a friend has it. She’s on medications for it and is doing well. She’s in her late 60’s, works full time, exercises, manages her life, has two rambunctious dogs she walks every day. She was diagnosed quite a few years ago now (at least 8, maybe more) and has been doing pretty well all told. She’s maybe a little less steady on her feet than the average person her age but overall she’s pretty much living a normal life.

      Reply
    190. 190.

      Raven

      Lots of good info! It really isn’t a surprise in the sense that I have been battling mobility problems for five years and no one could tell me anything. I’ll continue to hit the pool every day as long as I can and hope science figures something out!

      Reply
    193. 193.

      Geminid

      @sdhays: Actually, I got that wrong. There are 3 million people of Turkish descent who live in Germany, of whom 1.5 million are citizens eligible to vote in Turkish elections.

      Turks started moving to Germany in the 1960s to work in the auto plants and construction trades, etc. Now their kids and grandkids are moving into the professions. A lot of Turkish expats move back home when they retire.

      A Turk opened the first German donor kebab stand in 1967. The food took off and has long been one of the most popular street foods in that country. On a recent visit to Germany, the German President set up a donor kebab stand at an embassy event and started slicing meat off a big hunk of beef. Turks rolled their eyes and told each other, “Poor guy can’t help being German.”

      Reply
    194. 194.

      TBone

      @geg6: maybe I misread the DelCo Times article this morning (I’m having an off day of illin’).  Maybe it’s DelCo’s third charging station.

      https://www.delcotimes.com/2024/09/20/federally-funded-ev-charging-station-opens-in-aston/

      Nope it says the state’s third (funded by this program is the qualifier):

      This is the state’s third in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program electric vehicle charging station to come online and is part of a five-year program in which Pennsylvania will receive $171.5 million in dedicated formula funding.

      Reply
    195. 195.

      SomeRandomGuy

      @raven: Um. None with MS, but, I later learned that MS is surprisingly like CFS, in that it’s not usually diagnosed as a direct thing – you have the symptoms, the tests show the expected results, they say you have MS.

      Now, that said: if you expect things will get worse for you, start with what you might call “occupational therapy” now. Learn how people with MS handle themselves when things are hard, so you don’t have to learn *while* things are hard.

      “Occupational therapy” is a kind-of blanket term. For example, I don’t need to bend over for my occupation, but, I can’t bend as I used to. Occupational therapy says “don’t bend – walk closer to the table/desk to pick something up”. Now: if you don’t know how things will progress, you can’t practice, but you can still learn the concepts, so they’re more readily available to you when you need them.

      Next: BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF! Ahem. I guess YELLING that isn’t the best way to emphasize a need for gentility. You might be running into challenges where you can’t force your way through. Now, sometimes, you’ll want to try to force your way through, if only to find out if you can. This is where gentle handling is needed.

      This isn’t about coaching, where your HS sports coach told you *of course* it hurts a bit, but next time it’ll hurt a bit less. This is about learning your limits, not exceeding them.

      Here’s the part that sucks: sometimes, you may be the chemo patient – the person who can’t go to the wedding or funeral, because “going through chemo.” This is where gentleness is mandatory. You can’t always make yourself able to do something, no matter how mean you are with yourself. For example: most days, I couldn’t write as much as I did here – writing hurts. No matter how much I scream and yell at myself, sometimes I can’t write.  Again: gotta be gentle, because ranting and raving just makes the pain worse.

      Finally, get used to being helped, and learn to ask for help, when you need it. You’ll likely have times when the worst way to spend energy is doing  some chore that someone else is ready, willing, and able to do instead.

      Remember, you don’t need to be a sainted Pollyanna, always cheerful and oh-so-grateful for help – but also remember to remind the people who help you that you appreciate it, especially if you’re like me and have surly, grumpy days.

      Obviously, this is written from the perspective of someone with a chronic condition that affects me constantly. I don’t know how your symptoms are affecting you right now – I’d love to hear that I gave you a bunch of useless advice that you probably won’t need for years and years.

      Reply
    196. 196.

      scav

      @raven: Ouch.  Lot of variation in progression.  My uncle was lucky (heh) enough to live decades with it before it seriously impacted his  mobility, but still no picnic.  And all the recent advances came just too late for him.  So I wish you all his luck plus medication.

      Reply
    197. 197.

      Yarrow

      @Raven: Well, since you’ve been battling it for five years you were only 70 when you started having symptoms. A baby! lol.

      In case it’s helpful, my friend told me a few years ago that she found that her medications were cheaper on her work health insurance than Medicare. That might not be the case now but it was maybe four years ago. So work the system (GoodRx, Costco, etc.)

      Also, her neurologist retired and she had to find a new one and was having trouble getting her medications filled because she couldn’t get an appointment. She recommends getting a young doctor so the retirement risk isn’t as high.

      Reply
    198. 198.

      trollhattan

      @Raven:

      That’s the spirit—and can imagine the relief, if that’s the word, on having an answer to a five-year mystery. Live fiercely.

      Kiddo just graduated in psych-neurobiology, now doing some grad work in regenerative medicine research, where the advances in brain research and treatment are phenomenal. What it all leads to, who can guess? Everybody of a “certain age” has a stake. [raises hand]

      Reply
    199. 199.

      Scout211

      @Raven: The person I know (a former client) who has it was being sent to PT over and over for a “floppy foot” that she could not control.  When I heard her complain about it I asked her if she’d seen a neurologist.  She said no so I told her to go back to her PCP to ask for a referral to a neurologist to rule out MS.  She did and then her PCP looked at her more seriously, and once he asked the right questions he referred her to the neurologist.

      The symptoms are so subtle and diverse at first, it’s often misdiagnosed.  It’s frustrating, for sure.

      Reply
    201. 201.

      TBone

      @raven: get a second opinion by a specialist diagnostician if possible.

      (I too have a demyelination disorder/.

      Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis

      There is no definite measure or laboratory marker for the diagnosis of MS, yet. Both the clinical features of the disease, and laboratory investigations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses are being used.

      Clinical and imaging findings that may be seen in MS, can also be mimicked by some infectious, neoplastic, genetic, metabolic, vascular and other idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disorders (IIDD).

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6278620/

      My very best hopes for success for you, Raven.  Don’t settle for one opinion if you can help it!

      Reply
    204. 204.

      Chief Oshkosh

      @raven: Hi Raven, I’m sorry to hear of it. One of our long-serving admin assistants has been living with MS for over 20 years. She has good days and bad days, but it’s very rare that it prevents her from putting in a full day at being a complete smart-ass, super-efficient Queen of the Schedule, the Ledger, and All Points Between.

      That’s my only experience with MS.

      Reply
    206. 206.

      eclare

      @raven:

      I am sorry to hear that, but like you said, at least now you have a diagnosis!  You have been fighting something for years.

      Nothing to add to the hive mind.

      Reply
    207. 207.

      Yarrow

      @TBone:
      @Anoniminous: I would agree with this. I have a different friend who was  misdiagnosed in their early 30’s with MS. They didn’t have MS but since the doctor couldn’t figure it out that’s what they came up with.  Eventually it was found not to be the case that they had MS but a combination of several other things, including Epstein-Barr, some endocrine issues, and a bad marriage.

      Chronic conditions can be so frustrating and hard to diagnose accurately. People can always have more than one thing, like post-Lyme, in addition to whatever else they’re dealing with. It’s a challenge.

      Reply
    208. 208.

      Jackie

      @raven: Oh, Raven, I’m so sorry, but maybe this explains a lot of your struggles?

      I have no knowledge to give you, but I hope proper treatment will alleviate your symptoms! And, hoping a cure for MS is found SOONEST!🤞🏻

      Reply
    214. 214.

      Raven

      @TBone:

       

      @Anoniminous:Great advice. The PA I saw yesterday seemed really good but I hear what you’re saying. The funny thing is that I’ve been going to this practice for  7 years and my former neuro said “there is nothing more I can do for you”. I went back fishing for an agent orange diagnoses and it led me to this.

      Reply
    216. 216.

      geg6

      @raven:

      My BIL has MS and was diagnosed about 4 years ago.  I’m not really up on what his treatments are like (I know he gets shots on a schedule).  But I can tell you that, although he has obvious tremors in his hands, he still does everything he’s ever done.  He taught woodshop when he was still teaching and still does a lot of woodworking.  In fact, he built custom cabinets for their kitchen when they had it redone a year or so ago.  He also has a huge garage/shop where he, basically, flips cars and which he’s done ever since I’ve know him.  He buys them at auction, fixes anything mechanical and does body work and paints.  For years, I bought my cars from him.

      Reply
    218. 218.

      HumboldtBlue

      @Raven: ​ 

      Have some love and support from the Lost Coast.

      Elsewhere:

      Kamala Harris: These hypocrites want to start talking about this is in the best interest of women and children. Well, where have you been? Where have you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America?

      Reply
    220. 220.

      TBone

      @Raven: I’ve been used as a pincushion as well.  Yikes is what it looks like.  Deep breaths.  Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) testing is a whole different thing.

      …The diagnostic criteria [for MS] have been modified several times over the years. Basically, they include clinical symptoms, presence of typical lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and laboratory findings. The analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) allows an evaluation of inflammatory processes circumscribed to the CNS and reflects changes in the immunological pattern due to the progression of the pathology, being fundamental in the diagnosis and monitoring of MS.

      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31167509/

      When I got sick years ago, I was in the right place – law office with copious medical dictionaries so I could understand the jargon.  Buy one if you can need to.

      Reply
    223. 223.

      bluefoot

      @raven: I don’t have personal experience with MS, but I do have some knowledge.  I’m sorry for the diagnosis, but I’m glad you’ve been able to find the cause of your mobility issues because now the medical establishment can actually help.  I”m actually surprised at the diagnosis, MS usually develops in your late 20s-30s.  But with COVID and all, unexpected autoimmune disease is a thing.  But perhaps it also means you have a very slow progressing form.

      There are a LOT of medications now for MS (and more in clinical trials), particularly if you have relapsing-remitting MS.  Different neurologists have different philosophies on how to treat, and of course payers (insurance companies) have influence on that too.  Some doctors want to put their patients on the hard core drugs as early as possible, some start with the milder drugs. There isn’t really, as far as I know, a set standard of care for MS. So you might end up shopping around for a neurologist that aligns with what you want/that you can work with.

      Some of the most efficacious medications (Ocrevus, Tyabri) have some risks, but people with MS that I’ve talked to have considered the benefits to more than outweigh the risks.  It can take trying a couple of different medications to figure out what works best for you – both with regards to efficacy and logistics.  (for example, having to go to an infusion center regularly) Unfortunately, this is true for all autoimmune diseases.

      Be prepared for regular MRIs – probably annually.  I don’t recall where you live geographically, but scheduling imaging can be a pain in ass.  Even here in Greater Boston, I’ve had months-long waits for MRI.

      From a lifestyle perspective, keeping up with regular exercise when you can is helpful, basically giving yourself some “reserve” in strength and stamina.  Any sort of “anti-inflammatory” diet will also help with mitigating symptoms.  I don’t have a good link to one, but I’ve been trying minimizing gluten for myself (different disease) and that’s helped.  The patient advocacy groups have some good info on what to expect etc. Start here:  https://www.nationalmssociety.org/

      Reply
    226. 226.

      bluefoot

      @raven: ​
        I should also say: If you ever need someone to translate doctor/medical speak into plain English, I am happy to help.

      Also, there are some blood-based tests in development as monitoring tools (think A1C for MS) in place of MRI or LP (spinal tap for CSF), but they aren’t quite ready for prime time, as far as I know. But it’s been a while since I checked…I will take a look and if there’s anything that comes up I’ll let you know.

      Reply
    228. 228.

      TBone

      @bluefoot: when you’re ill, the terminology can seem so daunting.  Your offer to Raven is a great help jumping that hurdle!  I can’t offer to do so because I can’t be dependable to show up every day.

      Reply
    229. 229.

      TBone

      @raven: do you have someone who can accompany you to doctor visits?  Having a second set of eyes and ears can be an invaluable advantage (especially if they’re good at notes taking).

      Reply
    231. 231.

      CaseyL

      @raven:  No knowledge or experience to add, but did want to add my sympathy and well-wishes to the growing pile 🤗

      Also, you mentioned fishing for an agent orange diagnosis.  If MS is one of the conditions on that list, you might want to pursue, maybe get some disability money.

      Reply
    232. 232.

      bluefoot

      @TBone: ​
        I’m happy to do that for anyone here, actually. I work in biopharma and have had a lot of practice translating into plain English for family, lawyers, software engineers, statisticians, etc.

      Reply
    235. 235.

      What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

      Are you the Rose Judson that does the Books of All Time podcast? If so I’m a listener!

      Reply
    236. 236.

      bluefoot

      @raven: ​
        Both B12 and vitamin D supplements should help. And I want to second TBone about either having someone with you or taking notes when seeing clinicians so you can get another pair of eyes and ears.
      Also SomeRandomGuy’s advice about taking care of yourself is excellent It took me a LONG time to learn those lessons.

      Reply
    238. 238.

      Lyrebird

      @raven: Oof, that is tough, but I hope it means you are about to get some relief!

      A friend of the family got some relief from MS symptoms over several years using one of the approaches on this list that has a little but not yet much research support.  The list has good links and does not appear to be selling anything.

      Best to you!!!

      Reply
    239. 239.

      Kathleen

      @Raven: My hair stylist, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, has a sister who has MS and my stylist said her sister was told by docs to not smoke and drink and to watch her diet so I’m assuming “healthy” lifestyle mitigates the symptoms but I think you already take good care of yourself and swimming will be very helpful for you. My stylist had a similar frustration with getting a correct diagnosis for her Parkinson’s. When she finally found the right specialist she took one look at her and told she had Parkinson’s.

      My local Y has a space for Parkinson’s patients where they hold special exercise classes. If you’re still a Y member you may want to see if they have any special exercise classes for MS

      ETA: Those of us in the Class of 1949 need to stick together! Was your thyroid checked?

      Reply
    241. 241.

      bluefoot

      @raven: ​  I don’t actually know. You could ask. It’s possible for liability reasons a clinician won’t want that. I’ve taken notes on my phone while talking to the doctor, and then reading my notes to them asking if I have that right.​
        I do get a printed “after visit summary” from them, but it’s not very detailed, hence notes.

      Reply
    243. 243.

      Piety, keep me strong

      @Raven: Like you, I am in pain all the time I am awake. There is an analog to gabapentin, called pregabalin(Lyrica), which may be helpful. After they decided to discontinue narcotics in my case because the wind had changed, my Dr prescribed that and duloxetine (an anti-depressant that also has neuropathic pain efficacy). Can’t say I sleep as well as with the poppies, but the beneficial effects to my digestive system are appreciated.

      Hope you suffer less as a result of your Dx.

      Reply
    244. 244.

      Yarrow

      @raven:  This is good to hear. I always recommend taking someone with you to appointments if at all possible. Especially if that person is good with note taking, etc.

      Ask your doctor about recording the appointment. They will likely have been asked this before and will let you know.

      @raven: Vitamin D really helps me sleep. Glad you’re getting on a supplement. B12 should hopefully help with energy. I also use magnesium oil on sore muscles. It’s not really oil – that’s just what it’s called. It relaxes my muscles and if I use it at night it helps me sleep. I put it on, wait a bit, then take a shower because the residue is kind of salty and gritty and I don’t like it on me. It gets absorbed pretty quickly so you don’t have to wait too long to hose yourself off.

      Reply
    245. 245.

      Jackie

      @raven: It’s up to your Drs. Just ask. I recorded my mom’s appts because she didn’t trust I was telling her what her dr told her – she didn’t like what she was hearing lol, so I would make her listen and understand I wasn’t lying to her.

      Reply
    248. 248.

      Manyakitty

      @rikyrah: in Arizona.

       

      @raven: that’s got to give you a measure of relief. Good to know your adversary. All the best. Sending wishes for slow progress, effective therapies, and a cure on the near horizon.

      Reply
    249. 249.

      Gin & Tonic

      @raven: ​
      I don’t have any relevant experience, but wish you all possible success. I know it’s been a long road, but I guess knowing is better than what you’ve had so far.

      Reply
    251. 251.

      Quinerly

      @raven:

      Just reading this. So sorry.

      I have an acquaintance who was diagnosed with MS in her 20’s. She’s in her 60’s now. Manages it well with her meds.

      Reply

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