Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself. We’re allowed to grow past that.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

with the Kraken taking a plea, the Cheese stands alone.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Bark louder, little dog.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

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

Cancel the cowardly WaPo and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. Do not congratulate. This is not business as usual.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

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

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread

Open Thread

by | 125 Comments

This post is in: 

Good evening, everybody.
I hope to be around these parts more often.
And honestly, it’s mainly for me, but I hope that you all get something out of it.
Sometimes you just gotta scream into the void.
But sometimes you need to hear from others that you’re not alone.
So quick update–

I’ve dropped Twitter. You can find me, well here more often, and on Bluesky: soonergrunt.bsky.social

The union local is doing well. Membership isn’t where I’d like, but that will probably always be the case. We’re working now to convince more people that membership is in their best interests.
We’re also negotiating our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the agency. Shitty timing that, but it can’t be helped. We’ll get the best deal we can for our bargaining unit, and we’ll continue to support the unit and the agency’s mission.
I bought a new truck. 2024 Ford Ranger. Probably good that I bought it now because it will be too expensive in a year.
If you’re considering any capital or large purchases, there’s probably one more interest rate drop on the near horizon, but after he gets in office, all bets are off.
Soonerson and Soonerdaughter are both doing well, in job and college respectively. They’re both smarter than I am, which IS a brag, even if it’s not saying much.
Soonerwife works HR for a non-profit here in UT and she’s loving it.
Going up to Park City tomorrow for a drive in the mountains, some hiking, and to get away from social media and turn my phone off.
What are your plans? Anyone else have a long weekend?

Reader Interactions

125Comments

  1. 1.

    sab

    I am mostly retired so all my weekends are long. Yay! Except the daily grind of changing litter boxes.

    I am glad to see you posting here again.

  2. 2.

    Brendan In NC

    Good to see you Sooner!!! Wondered where you’d been on Twitter – I’m reduced to following Dog/Cat/Pet accounts on there, as they’re the least frustrating to deal with :-) . I’m in a new group at work – based out of the UK – so no long weekend for me!!!

  3. 3.

    TxSwede

    You were one of the reasons to stick around that god-forsaken bird site, so maybe your leaving will be the final push I need.

    Great to see you back here, and to hear things are going well.

  4. 4.

    MCat

    Hi Soonergrunt, I am a lurker for many years. I wondered where you went too. I’m glad you’re back. We really need each other in this dark time.

  6. 6.

    Soprano2

    Glad to see you here. I’m off on Monday, I’m planning to take our load of cans to the scrap metal yard. I usually get $60+ for a load. I’m going to Sephora for their semi-annual sale on Sunday – I’ve got a list! Other than that I’m planning to try to sleep some. This week has exhausted me.

  8. 8.

    dww44

    Glad to have you back and thanks for the personal update. I’d forgotten you were in Utah. The election loss has really hit me hard today and your presence will help  with the recovery.

  9. 9.

    bbleh

    Oh cool, glad to see you again.

    Concur economic uncertainty ahead, not necessarily because something WILL happen but because it’s gonna be a high-variance sh!tshow and who knows what nonsense might transpire.

    Otherwise taking care of self and maintaining networks, and advising folks to do likewise.  We don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I expect there will be at least some Big! TV! Violence! directed at us, so best to stay grouped and make sure there are no stragglers.

    Really appreciate BJ, and glad you checked in.

  10. 10.

    Joy in FL

    Great to see you again so soon! I’m now following you on BlueSky. I deactivated my Twitter today.

    I hope you enjoy your weekend journeying.

  11. 11.

    SeattleDem

    Glad to hear from you again. Your example of jumping in where needed in emergencies inspires me.  This feels like an emergency to me, so thanks for bringing some calmness. I’m heading to Mexico City over the weekend to see my grandchildren, who are moving back to Europe next month. I figure a five hour flight and two times zones beats the crap out of 10 hours and 9 time zones, so I’m going while it is still so easy.

  12. 12.

    Lyrebird

    Glad to see another post from you!

    Don’t have Monday off work, don’t have plans, but I will share something that is fun and easy: there are Zumba videos on YouTube, and on the Internet, no one knows whether you are a dog or merely a tired person inventing “Chair Zumba” to get out of a funk.

  13. 13.

    CaseyL

    Yay that you’re back on BJ, and double yay that you’re on BlueSky!

    I do have a long weekend. No big plans, other than brunch at a fancy French restaurant with a friend tomorrow. Since I’ve gotten not a lot of sleep the last few days, maybe I’ll do my best to sleep in over the weekend, though my internal clock seems hardwired to wake me up before 6:00 AM. Sigh.

    No major purchases planned any time soon, but I am thinking hard about applying for Social Security in January (before Fuckface takes office) rather than waiting until I turn 70 (2 more years). Get it while it’s there to be got. I tried to call a Social Security advisor service and never heard back – my guess is they’re swamped right now. Double sigh.

  15. 15.

    laura

    Gee, it’s nice to see you pop up here after fleeting glimpses across the vast expanse of the series of tubes.

  17. 17.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Terrific to see you Soonergrunt.

    I deactivated my own personal Twitter account and one linked to a podcast that I do (and need to get that back on track).

    I’m taking a trip to the rocks and trees northeast of Toronto this weekend as I clear my mind and not think about the Circus Americana that awaits us in January.

  18. 18.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Good to hear from you. I’m headed up to the Sierras for some leaf peeping. Shouldn’t really be spending the money to do so, but it’s definitely needed for my mental health, and because it’s the slow weeks before ski-season before, I was able to get a great deals on two motels that I hope aren’t murder motels. Older properties that were renovated in recent years. But if you don’t hear from me again, you’ll know I misjudged…. Although at this point ending up on Cold Case Files might be a relief.

  19. 19.

    Yutsano

    @CaseyL: ​ I’m waiting on my Moderna booster, but I’ll give you a call later. I’m open to a late brunch Sunday or Monday. And yes I’m making that public in case anyone is available for a last minute meet-up adventure.

    And I’m DatTaxPony on Bluesky. For anyone else who hasn’t found me there yet. Just let me know you’re from the Juice.

  21. 21.

    eemom

    Good to see you again, SG!

    Since however many years it’s been, I’ve had a plot twist that would have been inconceivable to me at the time: a child in the military! My son is a Marine and about to be promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

    eta: also fwiw I was never on fucking twitter

  26. 26.

    Spanky

    Since Cole’s post down below is somewhat moribund, I’ll drop this here. It came across my electronic threshold minutes ago. A fan wrote saying he had lost faith in humanity:

    Dear Mr. Nadeau:

    As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

    Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society — things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

    Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.

    Sincerely,

    E. B. White

  27. 27.

    Jay

    Got the diagnosis today. T2, so,

    In about 4 weeks, T’s getting a bowel resection, Ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, and possibly removal of the abdominal mass, if they can figure out what it is.

    So major surgery, and chemo to follow.

  29. 29.

    RaflW

    Welcome back! I’ve seen a few skeets of yours so far, and having you here will be great as well. I was in Park City in mid September, and it was very relaxing. Enjoy!

    Tomorrow I fly to Denver (hopefully – I see I have a ‘weather waiver’ from the airline but I’d really like to just get there, thanks). Heading to the mountains to snowboard after Sunday services at one of the Denver area UU congregations.

    BF joins me later in the week (I’m retired, he’s at a conference Mo-Thu out of town). We’ll see how I do with chilling out. I have a good friend up near Keystone, I’ll ‘board with and catch up on some movies. Exercise will do me some good, too. I did get a bit of a walk in at one of Minneapolis’s many fine lakes today for some mild (for Nov) late autumn air.

  34. 34.

    Jackie

    @Jay: Oy! Sending positive thoughts and healing vibes to T, and strength for you both. You take care of yourself so you can take care of T! {hugs}

  35. 35.

    randy khan

    If I were the Fed, I would be very cautious about interest rate cuts going forward.  The one bill it’s pretty certain a trifecta will get passed is another tax cut, and the other things Trump has said he will do absolutely would be inflationary in the short run.  I feel like a little bit of Powell’s “I’m here until 2026” bit was intended to tell Republicans they shouldn’t expect the Fed to help them out if they bump inflation back up.

  37. 37.

    NobodySpecial

    Hi again, Sooner, glad you’re back around.

    I’m recovering from bronchitis, so this weekend is sitting around watching stuff and gaming and learning to breathe again, with the most effort I’m putting in is mulching my neighbor’s oak leaves into my front lawn before I put up the mower for the winter.

  40. 40.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    I’ve dropped Twitter. You can find me, well here more often, and on Bluesky:

    More evidence that Musk did what was thought impossible, and got the American consumer to stop using a product they likes.

  41. 41.

    Anthony

    Long weekend for me too, unintentionally I’ve been super-social since Tuesday, which has been helpful. Art gallery openings (artist friends in both cases) on Wed & Thur, beer-drinking with my new Mexican/Brazilian neighbors, glad to find out they’re citizens. Tomorrow is a fundraiser dinner, and Sunday is having friends over for dinner. Five nights in a row is quite a streak for me, but very helpful this week.

  42. 42.

    Kristine

    Park City is pretty. I visited in pre-Covid times—I somehow snagged a free trip offer from a hotel chain.*

    Pretty downtown. Took a ghost tour—those are always good for learning about events that occurred on this side of the veil. Toured the mining museum and attended a Peter Yarrow concert.

    *I had to sit through a timeshare pitch, which didn’t go anywhere.

  43. 43.

    RevRick

    Welcome back. I had a molar pulled today, so I’m doing pain meds and cold compresses. Eating soft foods, chewing on one side of my mouth. Good times.
    Sunday, MrsRev and I will go to church, stop at a nearby brunch place, and then walk to the Allentown Symphony for their performance of Rhapsody in Blue. Monday, she goes to her bookclub, and in the evening we’ll be on a Zoom meeting regarding a capital campaign for our church.

  44. 44.

    hotshoe

    @CaseyL:

    not a social security advisor — but my intuition aligns with yours that you should get enrolled now, before the shitwads decide to simply cancel all new enrollments.

    If you’ve been calculating that you should put it off, because it’s a bigger payment each month if you wait to 70, well who knows whether that hoped-for bigger check will ever arrive.

    It’s painless to apply online.

  45. 45.

    frosty

    @eemom: I had that plot twist almost 15 years ago when my oldest up and joined the National Guard. Artillery – I blame Mythbusters. He’s a sergeant now and teaching artillery instead of just making big booms.

  46. 46.

    Jager

    We’ve survived the Camarillo fires, they burned on the north side of 101, and the Santa Anna wind kept the flames away from our house.

    The owner of my wife’s company lost his home.

    Our neighbor is 94. The old girl got up at 5 a.m. in Stuttgart, flew to Frankfort, from Frankfort to New York, and then on to LAX. We picked her up at 7:40 and brought her home. On Thursday, she buried her husband in Stuttgart. He was 10 days short of his 102nd birthday. Their story is unique and interesting, as are most stories of dual citizenship. She’s in bed sleeping.

  49. 49.

    way2blue

    Gardening.  Time has come to transplant penstemon and shasta daisies which are currently struggling; plant daffodil bulbs and the iris which just came from White Flower Farm.  Rain expected on Monday.  Firewood split last week.  Rain & wood fires go together…

  50. 50.

    sab

    @hotshoe: Doesn’t it take a while to process? As I remember my telephone interview to start it took weeks to schedule, so do not delay until next year. If you start the process now it will not actually begin until next year sometime.

  52. 52.

    MobiusKlein

    Finishing work junk at 9 pm Friday.  Don’t ask.  It’s my fault

    But going to KublaCon tomorrow, seeing some in and out of town gaming/college friends. Will exchange some secret handshakes, strings of binary numbers perhaps.

  53. 53.

    MagdaInBlack

    @sab: I did my application on line 2 months ago. I was told to apply at least 3 months before you wish to start collecting. I just checked the SS website and its just ending the review process.

  55. 55.

    CaseyL

    @MagdaInBlack: ​

    Is your benefit pegged to when you apply, or to when you’re approved?

    It’s a few hundred dollar per month difference if I can apply in January v. now. Lessens the pain of not being able to wait until I’m 70.

  56. 56.

    MagdaInBlack

    @CaseyL: There are charts and explanations at the SS site. If you set up your account. They will provide a statement of earnings and an explanation of pretty much anything. I walked myself thru it but I dont feel qualified or knowledgeable to give much advice

    I waited til the age i could retire and collect full benefits while working, which for me is 66 and 8 months

  57. 57.

    sab

    @MagdaInBlack:

    @Parfigliano:

    My point sort of is we applied in good times and it was a bit slow. 2025 will be bad times so slower. Social Security people are politically adept and often attacked, so I expect they will be unusually resilient to attacks, but they will be attacked (i.e. screwed on their operating budgets and thus on their manpower infrastructure.)

    Just bear that in mind making decisions. Just offering guesses not facts here. The usual timelines may be shortened or delayed, depending on which end (application v receipt of benefits.)

  60. 60.

    sab

    @Jay: That is a lot. My family has had several similar diagnoses over the last decade. There are very good medical hopes and treatments.

    Thank God you are in Canada.

    Wishing and praying (yes I do that) for the best for you.

  65. 65.

    sab

    Thanksgiving is planned and will be the usual weird complicated family deal. Some kids can’t come because of other family committments. Other kids want an excuse out of those committments. Other kids and friends have nowhere else to go. And our cats very much wish we would stop entertaining

    ETA And the dog thinks the more the merrier as long as we let her bark with excitement.

  66. 66.

    Yutsano

    @CaseyL: ​ I’ll try to be on more tomorrow so the word can be spread. It would be nice to have a few folks from the Seattle area about!

  68. 68.

    sab

    Soonergrunt: So you are in Utah. One of the underdiscussed leaders in gorgeously beautiful American states. Just gorgeous. I have driven through it multiple times and am always awestruck. Y’all do keep that quiet.

  69. 69.

    Geminid

    A recent NBC report on the California 27th CD race showed Democrat George Whitesides 983 votes behind incumbent Mike Garcia, with 89,000 left to count. This is the district north of Los Angeles that Katie Hill flipped in 2018.

    In the 47th(?) CD south of LA, state Senator David Min has been declared the winner. Min will succeed Katie Porter who flipped the district 2018. Min teaches law at U.Cal-Irvine, and I read that Rep. Porter will resume teaching law there next year.

    I wonder how Martin the Commenter is doing. He lives in CA47.

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    Soonergrunt

    It’s good that you are here more often. You have a different perspective than many and it’s (almost) always good to hear different perspectives.

    I’m an old and fully retired 3 yrs ago when I was 72. Some days are slow, some days are slower. Which works out nicely. I’m sure there are a few here my age – or even older. I was a swabby in the USN many, many moons ago, during Vietnam. They sent me to the east coast so I never fired or experienced any projectile fired in anger or response…. Lucky me… I did have to carry a loaded .45 pistol on in port watch and while in the shore patrol for about 2 months. The military is a different life experience than really anything else I’ve experienced or even heard of. Oh well, it’s all old history.

    I’ve been on this website for a very long time and it has a hell of a lot going for it.

  71. 71.

    Betty Cracker

    Good to see you back, Sooner, and I’m glad you’re on Bluesky too. Some years ago, I worked for a company that held annual trainings in Park City, and I always looked forward to my time there because it’s so pretty. Have fun!

    @Jay: Your love for T comes through clearly in your comments here, so I know you will be a rock for her. I can tell you from my own experience, that means everything. Strength and courage to you both for the journey ahead.

  73. 73.

    YY_Sima Qian

    WTF? I now have to question what the hell was going on in the Dem establishment in those weeks before & after Biden’s exit from the race, & the political acumen of the Dem grandees.

    Pelosi Laments Biden’s Late Exit and the Lack of an ‘Open Primary’
    “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” the former House speaker said in an interview with The New York Times, suggesting she had anticipated an “open primary.”
    By Reid J. Epstein
    Reporting from Washington
    Nov. 8, 2024
    …
    In an interview on Thursday with The New York Times, Ms. Pelosi said what was widely reported around the time Mr. Biden dropped out: that she believed it was implicitly understood that his exit would be followed by an internal party competition for a new nominee, instead of an anointment of Vice President Kamala Harris.
    “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” Ms. Pelosi said during an interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro, a host of “The Interview,” a Times podcast. She added during the interview, which will be published in full on Saturday, “The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary.”
    Ms. Pelosi went on: “And as I say, Kamala may have, I think she would have done well in that and been stronger going forward. But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen. We live with what happened. And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different.”
    …

    Maybe this is why the Dem grandees did not immediately endorse Harris after Biden bowed out.

    Honestly, not sure why Pelosi is airing this now. I can’t see how it would be constructive. Maybe she is working through her feelings about the election outcome like all of us.

  74. 74.

    Jay

    Again, thank you all.

    @Ramalama:

    Surgeries?

    Three, Ideally one after the other, with two different Specialists.

    6″ of bowel removed, then uterus and fallopian tubes removed.

    Then the abdominal mass, (probably), if they can identify it.

     

    Unfortunately, all invasive.

  75. 75.

    eemom

    Since it’s an open thread, and a propos to the long lost, a question I’ve been meaning to ask: do folks know why Amir Khalid isn’t here anymore?

  81. 81.

    Betty Cracker

    @YY_Sima Qian: I guess recriminations and second-guessing are inevitable after a catastrophe like this. I try to keep mine to myself because, as you say, it’s counterproductive.

    A deranged Trump goon invaded Pelosi’s house and nearly killed her husband, and the beast will probably corruptly use his power to get revenge on Pelosi, so I can understand her being especially raw about it. But still, not helpful.

  82. 82.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @eemom: I was shocked to see it coming across my Twitter feed. I hesitated posting it here, but she is the one tellin’ it all to the FTFNYT, & I am sure it will be all over the place when the USians wake up.

  83. 83.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Betty Cracker: I guess the senior Dems really were just winging it at the time. Not interested casting blames myself, it is pointless now. Some insight into how things really work at the senior Dem leadership level is interesting.

    For all of my criticisms of Dems on foreign/domestic policy , I have never had [recent] cause to question their sense for raw politics.

  84. 84.

    Geminid

    From Reuters:

       Rep. Jared Moskowitz says that he was informed by police of a potential plot on his life and that a suspect was arrested not far from the Democrat’s Florida home with a rifle and a manifesto that included anti-Semitic rhetoric.

  85. 85.

    The Thin Black Duke

    The outrage coming from the black online was already bad concerning white people not having Kamala’s back. It’s gonna get worse. Congratulations, White America.

  86. 86.

    Betty Cracker

    There have been and will continue to be many circular firing squads in the days ahead because people are hurt and angry and lashing out indiscriminately. Participation is voluntary. I’m gonna try very hard to decline all invitations.

  87. 87.

    Anyway

    I was shocked to hear a solid D friend blame Biden for Harris’ loss. I had no idea this was a thing. My friend’s an Indian-American from Manhattan and had all kind of theories (about how Biden undermined Harris) I hadn’t heard in my Jackal bubble. I’m gonna stay in my bubble no interest in any of that shit.

  90. 90.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Geminid: Going to get a lot worse.

    On a slightly related note, during my trip back to the States over the summer, I was a little shaken by the accounts of my Chinese & Chinese American colleagues (& their families) being harassed & abused in our little corner of Upstate NY, during the pandemic. It is essentially a one company town that has long had a notable population of E. & S. Asian (among those from other parts of the world) immigrant white collar professionals working in the corporate offices & the R&D centers, population that has increased markedly in the past couple of decades. I spent a decade living in the region for college & work w/o encountering such racism, even though it was apparent that culturally it was/is much closer to Alabama than NYC. I knew, intellectually, that anti-Chinese/E. Asian racism had gotten bad during the pandemic, but hearing it from colleagues & friends made it more real.

    They tell me the racial animus has subsided, & that is what can I tell during my visit, but I fear it will get worse again in the coming years. Now I don’t particularly look forward to future work trips back to the HQ, & I have to rethink my plans of taking my wife & daughters on a trip to the States next year.

  91. 91.

    Geminid

    @YY_Sima Qian: It looks like Rep. Pelosi wants to get her side of the story out before Joe Biden tells his. There’ll be others, and before too long this could be like that Japanese movie Rashoman.

    Some years after I first saw Rashoman, I read that director Akira Kurosawa conceived of the movie as a parable about post-WWII Japan. Everyone had a different story that shifted blame for the catastrophe onto someone else.

    On a different subject, I’m wondering what your thoughts are on Musk, Trump and China; in particular, how will Musk’s Chinese business interests affect his influence upon Trump’s China policies?

  93. 93.

    eemom

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    The outrage coming from the black online was already bad concerning white people not having Kamala’s back. It’s gonna get worse. Congratulations, White America.

    That is an outrage my white ass is 100% on board with.

  94. 94.

    eemom

    @Betty Cracker:

    Yes, but people who inhabit Pelosi’s quasi-royalty position kind of inherently lose the right to lash out indiscriminately.

    Especially to the fucking NYT.

    Fuck her.

  95. 95.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Geminid: I WAG is that he will push Trump to reach a deal on tariffs, but probably not before Trump 1st impose them & then some time of high tensions & tense negotiations. Whether he succeeds is anyone’s guess. He is not the only one w/ influence w/ Trump, & has had relatively little history together. He has already served his purpose for Trump, & could be kicked aside as Adam suggested.

    The Biden Administration has closed the US-CAN market to Musk’s formidable Chinese competition. The EU is slowing down the Chinese automakers there w/ tariffs. At the same time, the PRC government is continuing to court Tesla (including potentially rolling out FSD, w/ natsec safeguards) to ensure the most advanced & competitive players are active in the market. Very different approaches to industrial policy in the 3 regions. For now, Musk is golden.

    Of course, if the trade war gets out of hand, Tesla (& Apple, not to mention my own employer, among many others) will be quite exposed, since China accounts for > 50% of Tesla’s production capacity (GigaFactory Shanghai) & something like a 3rd of sales. History of the trade & tech war so far suggests that Xi wants to keep Western firms doing advanced products & advanced manufacturing in the PRC to contribute to its economy & technological development, despite hardened Western attitudes to Chinese firms. We’ll see if that remains the case as tensions escalate further.

    Of course, all bets are off if the 2 countries come to physical blows.

  97. 97.

    WereBear

    Good to see you! So glad Soonerwife likes her non-profit. I spend the last 20+ years of my career at one, and I really liked the “lack of corporate.”

    And, for you! — and apparently many others there — I will check out Bluesky. Been away from the whole circus but it’s in town again.

    Didn’t ask for the Bradbury version…

  99. 99.

    Mai Naem mobile ¹

    I’ve saof this already. I’m convinced 2020 was the outlier and 2024 was more the norm. If it was TFG gross incompetence in handling COVID+that people were sitting at home with easy mail-in voting, that allowed Biden to win. I know they’re calling TFG’s win a landslide but once CA finishes counting I don’t think the popular vote win is going to be that big.

  100. 100.

    David_C

    Sooner, good to see you! Since I’m a fed I have a long weekend. It’s yard work time. I also just joined a Discord group for scientists working to enhance communication to the public. Monday is also the day of my church’s Compassion, Peace, and Justice Committee meeting. We can at least be a support group.

  101. 101.

    JAFD

    @Jay: Sending some healing energy in your and T’s direction.

    The College Womens’ Club of Montclair is holding their semi-annual Book & Music sale this weekend, at 26 Park St in Montclair.  Proceeds go to scholarships for young ladies of that community.

    Have volunteered to help out this afternoon and evening, so drop by and say Hello if you’re in neighborhood.  Cheap books, good cause, nice people – what’s not to like.

    Hope everyone has a good weekend.

  102. 102.

    David_C

    @Betty Cracker: Same here, but growing up as a shrimpy nerd on the West Side of Buffalo, I have a natural instinct to defend myself. Hard. I mostly point out the anti-incumbency trend and that the Harris/Walz campaign was as close to flawless as it could be. Unless some posts that Bernie quote, but he’s fair game because he’s not a Democrat.

  104. 104.

    E.

    The last days of Joe’s campaign were so disorienting because the noise from the media was deafening but we heard nothing from the people that I trusted—the Obamas, Pelosi,  Jeffries. I am looking forward to hearing about it now, not to cast blame but to know what happened. I still think Harris was a great candidate.

  108. 108.

    Betty

    There is a The New Republic article circulating detailing the extent of the right-wing media control over the airwaves: tv with Fox and Sinclair, radio with a variety of outlets including iHeart radio ( home of Ted Cruz) and numerous podcasts and other social media. The theory is that millions never heard a full speech from Trump or Harris and were fed non-stop propaganda which mainstream media failed to counter in any meaningful way by trying to provide what they called balance. This election was about that ecosystem more than any individual.

  109. 109.

    Princess

     

    @Quinerly: From your link: “They refuse to acknowledge until very late that anyone could be upset about inflation. And they just kept telling us that his presidency was historic and it was the greatest economy ever. ”

    So did most of us On Here. And by some measures we were right. But ignoring how inflation and housing were affecting people made led us to fall into the trap Bush fell into against Clinton in 92. Maybe people should be able to see past their own pocketbooks to the bigger picture, but they don’t and can’t.

     

  110. 110.

    Chris Johnson

    I think the Harris/Walz campaign was as flawless as possible, since the problem is there’s no effective way to run a campaign against a pretend opponent with unsustainable promises, successfully depicted as a person he is not.

    The problem isn’t with the left, but with that ability to depict things as they are not.

    The catch to that is if you win as a huge liar, you then have to keep up the lie. Some of that can be faked: I mean they could make up pretend rabid immigrants and make fake videos of capturing them as they spout terrible things, and then yeeting them over the border with a big-ass slingshot. AI can do that, you don’t even need actors. And these are the people who already think in terms of crisis actors: DARVO as usual.

    The thing is, if the lie is ‘my plan will work great’ then you’re on the hook for what you actually DO and that’s different. And government is complicated. The people who are lied to, believe their food stamps and obamacare fall out of the sky like rain. That’s been part of the lies: that stuff Dems did, just ‘happens’, and that stuff has to keep happening under whatever name.

    And some plans cannot keep that stuff happening. At some point they try to take the food stamp money and health care money and divert ALL of it to the wealthy patrons, and that’s dangerous. They can try to starve minorities in hopes they, in desperation, will turn violent and act out the lies that have been told: that’s a BIG focus for a lot of trolling, being goaded like Feds goad libertarians to act out and get busted, except it’s being goaded to act like the right wing says you are.

    But they have to take a bite out of their base at some point, if they fully follow that path. There isn’t enough money for ALL the entitled white straight people. There’s simply too many of them, even when they’re no longer a majority in any sense.

  111. 111.

    Another Scott

    @Betty Cracker: +1

    People in politics have opinions.  They often differ!  We should not be surprised by that.  We should not let it distract us from the important challenges ahead.

    Eyes on the prizes, folks.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  112. 112.

    Another Scott

    @Jay: It’s hard.  :-(

    Best of luck to you and her.  Stay strong and take care of yourselves.

    Hang in there.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  113. 113.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Jay: Mrs. Bigfoot just finished a year of surgery, chemo, and radiation.

    Sending all the luck in the world, right down to the quantum level.🙏🏾

  115. 115.

    JML

    Pelosi, for all of her many gifts and strengths, has the same problem infecting most political leaders: always want to be right and more importantly always want to be seen as right. Always want to have influence and impact, and never want to be sidelined. She and Biden were never close friends, just long-time colleagues, so I’m not shocked that she’s MMQBing and dirtying up Biden’s legacy while polishing her own halo. It’s not particularly useful, and in the long run probably won’t actually help Pelosi’s own legacy (history will diminish her after she stepped down from leadership) so this is just political dumbassery from another politician that can’t fade off gracefully.

    Bernie fired off a broadside saying the loss was all the fault of the Democratic Party (which he is not a member of) abandoning the working class. Pelosi blamed Biden for not dropping out earlier. The Chair of Philadelphia Dems blamed Harris for not courting him and his friends with appropriate amounts of deference and worship. I’m sure there will be more joining the circular firing squad, and none of them will be very helpful.

  117. 117.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Quinerly: I am not sure I would take those claims at face value. Then again, these are big claims to be making w/o any substance. I take it as a data point, to be correlated, cross-checked & triangulated w/ others.

    I liked the “ObamaBros” during the Obama Administration, but I don’t think they have been doing anything productive since leaving the administration, certainly not since the start of Biden’s term. Now their podcast often feels more like gossiping “mean girls (or rather, guys)”, drowning out what substance they might have conveyed. The intended message is “I told you so!”, not a good look or deed at this juncture.

    If Biden’s internal polling was indeed showing a bloodbath, that would explain the panic among major donors & some of the Dems running down ballot, their pressure on the Dem establishment, & the panicked actions ultimately taken by the Dem establishment. Of course, as Geminid said elsewhere, this is just another version of Rashomon, among more that is sure to surface. Rather unseemly, though, when no one from Biden or Harris campaigns have leaked from their sides, yet (I don’t think).

  118. 118.

    dww44

    @The Thin Black Duke:  Well, this white lady supported and canvassed and voted for Kamala.
    And my 20 something granddaughter  will be in New Mexico next week with 150 other public education  funding activists brainstorming how to protect that funding.

  119. 119.

    pieceofpeace

    @Jay:   Adding my support to you and T for strength and solutions as you go through these medical procedures.

  120. 120.

    DetroitBeanCounter

    Glad to see you back here. I’ve been following you on other platforms when I can find you.

  121. 121.

    Old School

    @Jay: Here’s hoping all the surgeries go smoothly and are completely successful.

    I’m sending good thoughts to you and T.

  122. 122.

    Jane2

    Good to see you back!

    Long weekend here too and the weather is lovely.

    Next week, I go to the US for probably the last time for four years. Will be interesting to see the mood in Texas now, versus if (and when) the Project 25 acolytes abolish crop insurance.

  125. 125.

    Soonergrunt

     that Democrats were caricatured as overly woke by right-wing media, and that the lies told about trans people hurt us.   But when has all of this trimming that these consultants advise ever worked?  Even if we Democrats decided, for example, that we have to throw trans people under the bus, it wouldn’t fucking matter because the right-wing media tells whatever anti-trans lies they need to put Democrats in a box.  These consultants have had years to figure out how to get us out of that box, and they have completely, utterly failed, despite the billions of dollars spent on them and the advertising they recommend.

    Also, the GOP has shown that they will ALWAYS find a scapegoat. These “consultants” only ever tell us to abandon whomever the GOP attacks. They are the last remaining bastions of those Dick Morris “middle way” consultants, many of whom were only ever country-club Republicans embarrassed by the trash that took over their party. They’re the ones that have always said that instead of addressing the causes of public school systems collapsing like blighted communities with bad property tax bases and no employment, that the answer instead was to instead push for school uniforms.
    The sooner we’re shot of these losers the better.

     

    This was meant to reply to another thread.

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