Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Republicans in disarray!

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

Let there be snark.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

We still have time to mess this up!

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

When I was faster i was always behind.

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

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

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

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

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

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

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

Books are my comfort food!

Republicans don’t trust women.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

Reader Interactions

131Comments

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    Runner girl traveled to Boston and ran indoor meets Friday and today. Got to watch today on the teevee machine, where we saw her set a second consecutive PR in the mile, today finishing forty places above her seeded position.

    Me? organized some stuff.

    I figure the ambition levels average out in my favor.

  4. 4.

    Scout211

    I gotta run because we have been champing at the bit for the SNL special, which starts right NOW on your local NBC affiliate.

    The 50 years of SNL music is on tonight. I recorded it on my DVR from 1/27.  This is a rerun of that.  The big SNL 50 year special is tomorrow, Cole.  I have that set to record on my DVR, too.  I like skipping the commercials.

  5. 5.

    Nukular Biskits

    Good evenin’, y’all.

    Me and Ms. Biskits went to dinner. First time we’ve been able to go out by ourselves in months.  She had fried shrimp and I had crawfish etouffee. Yum!

  6. 6.

    Suzanne

    Weather was absolute crap today. Sleet, snow, rain, ice. All day. Kids and puppy have been climbing the walls.

    So I spent time cleaning the house. The vacuum is malfunctioning again. I swear to the FSM, these things are just total crap.

  9. 9.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Suzanne: Same crap here, with it reversing from rain to snow tomorrow. Bleah.

    I got my first Dyson a LOOOONNNNGGG time ago and they’ve always served me very well– well, ’til the battery needs replaced, but I slapped a replacement battery in one and voila! back in business!

    Dyson vacuums and Rowenta irons… I haven’t ironed a shirt in five years now but I hate to give up my Rowenta.

  10. 10.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Scout211: I saw it… and then I didn’t.

    And of course, no one will ask, “By the way, what are you drinking there, Mr. Secretary?”

  12. 12.

    bbleh

    @Scout211: Maybe it was spozeta be hold-for-later?  Fun post tho.  Something to do while the cold rain comes down.

    @Professor Bigfoot: I’d rather someone asked the Orange Guy what his SecDef was drinking and whether he approves of that during a news conference.

  15. 15.

    coin operated

    Open thread so…

    I was recently diagnosed as diabetic with an A1C of 7.  My doc recently put me on metformin, which tells the liver to quit processing sugar. It has some of the same effects as the GPT-1 drugs you’re seeing advertised all over the place….I’ve dropped 20lbs in the first 6 weeks of this year. Yes, I’ve made some significant diet and exercise changes too, but 20lbs in 6 weeks is still pretty extreme.  Normal for anyone else going thru this therapy?

  17. 17.

    Suzanne

    @Gretchen: I didn’t like that the one we had didn’t have the hose with a brush attachment. Need to get that doggie hair off the furniture and to dust surfaces and corners.

  18. 18.

    bbleh

    @coin operated: I’d say ask your doc.  Obviously depends on the other changes you’ve made too.  Concur it sounds like a lot, but maybe not as potentially alarming if they’re “easy” pounds.  Make sure you’re staying hydrated, and definitely talk to your doc soon if you’re having symptoms of, or that can lead to, dehydration.

  19. 19.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Gretchen: Wow… well, okay, have an older V6 stick that’s used upstairs and a V8 down. I even still have a plug-in-the-wall Ball that still runs and works fine, I just don’t use it anymore.

    I guess I am that lucky SOB…

  20. 20.

    coin operated

    @Suzanne: @Professor Bigfoot:

    I got my first Dyson a LOOOONNNNGGG time ago and they’ve always served me very well– well, ’til the battery needs replaced, but I slapped a replacement battery in one and voila! back in business!

    The key to a Dyson cordless vacuum is to empty it every time. More stuff in the chamber = more effort the vacuum expends cleaning stuff. Have a Dyson 8 cordless that still runs like a champ with only 1 replacement battery in the last 6 years.

  21. 21.

    JaySinWA

    @Professor Bigfoot: Them jr Musk-o-vite DOGE boys got into the BJ server? Is it irresponsible to speculate? It would be irresponsible not to

    ETA I suppose we should call them Jr G-man Musk-o-vites now, seeing as how they are being declared honest to god employees, if only temporarily.

  22. 22.

    Doc Sardonic

    @coin operated: Yeah, amount of weight loss can vary according to the individual, but you will lose weight with Metformin till it hits your plateau. Only add on might be flatulence, and when you are taking Meformin the “Golden Rule” is never trust a fart. Don’t ask me how I know this.

  26. 26.

    narya

    Venison tenderloin, purple baked potatoes, roasted spaghetti squash, caramelized onions, and wine-soaked mushrooms for dinner. Watching US vs Canada in 4 nations hockey competition—started with two fights in 9 seconds.

  28. 28.

    Trollhattan

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Thank you kindly. Being her final season she holds nothing back and is doing splendidly as the reward. The girl really needs the academic/athletic balance and her school has been wonderful in that regard.

  30. 30.

    Trollhattan

    @coin operated:

    Relatable. Got ours last year and I couldn’t believe how often I was emptying the thing. On the plus side we saw our rug patterns the first time in ages. WTF was that old vacuum even doing?

  33. 33.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @coin operated: yes, I have lost 35 pounds in the year since I started taking medication (metformin on and off as A1C varies, Mounjaro as well) and going to a low-carb diet. I have not been as consistently physically active as I should be (and now I am back in the office full time and I need to figure out if I can get access to the gym at work or whether I should try the treadmill at home or the HOA gym, or see if I can bike to work).

    The only disadvantage is that I now have to replace a lot of my pre-COVID pre-diagnosis work wardrobe and I am afraid that if I go off the weekly shots that I will gain the weight back. But I suppose that keeping the weight off for a full year is a good sign that I won’t gain it all back in the next year or so. I’ve been buying a lot of vintage work clothes off eBay (I am a lawyer and I wear suits or dresses with a blazer to work, and I prefer to wear washable clothing so I don’t have to be exposed to dry cleaning chemicals.  I’ve already had cancer and I don’t want a second bout of it.)

  34. 34.

    Eric S.

    @coin operated: I’m on Ozempic. 14 months now. I made minimal changes to my diet and exercise and dropped 15 lbs in the first 4 months. IANAD but I don’t think you’re out of the norm.

  37. 37.

    lamh47

    Good evening BJ.

    Been a long day and I’ve been up since almost the crack of dawn so I could contact as many of my creditors and bill collectors as possible today. Also spruced up my resume and applied for 6 lab jobs (5 local, 1 in Los Angeles).  Ya’ll already know I really fought hard for that Cali license and didn’t even really need it for the fed job. It’s up for renewal this year so if I plan to use it I better get to it anyway.

    If push comes to shove, I’d move back to DFW before I move back to NOLA.  It just so happened that my current apartment lease is up in April, so at the very least I won’t have to worry about breaking a damn lease and needing more money

    Right now though, I’m tired, so I might just get in my bed earlier than usual today and sleep in late tomorrow before going through my budget again with a fine tooth comb.

    One advantage of the private sector vs fed job hunting…private sector dont’ take nearly as long as feds do

  40. 40.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @lamh47: good luck with your job search, and I highly recommend reading Ask a Manager and asking questions on her Friday open thread.  I followed her advice of applying for a stretch job when I was laid off and I got it (it was stretch because IP law gets very specific about technical background, I was not a perfect match but I was honest about it being a stretch).

  49. 49.

    NotMax

    @coin operated

    “The aging process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs off laughing. No one should grow old who isn’t ready to appear ridiculous.”
    – Horace Rumpole
    .

  50. 50.

    coin operated

    @JaySinWA: There are a few advantages. Our grocery bill is less because we’re eating less…truly an advantage with all the staples going up in price. We don’t go anywhere, so gas prices and entertainment don’t bother us. Our RV is paid for and, if needed, staying on BLM land is cheap as dirt.

    Personally, I wouldn’t go back to my 20s, 30s, or 40s if you paid me.

    Slight edits

  51. 51.

    WTFGhost

    @coin operated: I *believe* I once puzzled out Dyson’s “secret” – everything is HEPA filtered – no dust accumulation means you could pretty much engineer airflow, whereas everyone else would have to constantly remove debris (pronounced “deb-ris”, in this context – “debris” doesn’t have the right *oomf*). Turbulence can be an issue, but, without debris, all you need is the pressure differential – it’s plumbing!

    Shark makes a decent off-brand.

    Um. Also, I am weird.

  53. 53.

    coin operated

    @WTFGhost: I appreciate your post. I’m at +3 Woodford’s Double Oaked at the moment, so math is a bit challenging. But weird is always accepted!

  58. 58.

    lamh47

    @Kayla Rudbek: Thx.

    So professional degree is in Medical Laboratory Technology.  The is truly never not been listing for these types of position.  As long as there are disease and illness someone’s gotta run the test requested by the docs to assist in diagnosis.  Like I said during COVID, everyone else was quarantined at home, but me an my fellow MLS were working hard 24/7 to push out our regular work and all those COVID tests.  I mean the test truly don’t run themselves.

    For me, while I have an MLS, I also have a specialty in Microbiology.  So finding a job is a matter of finding a listing especially for Microbiology which is almost like a needle in a haystack.

    The other limit is California.  While my national certification is as a generalist, California license requirements asks for detailed training in every area of the laboratory to get a California generalist license.  I’ve never worked in any section of the lab except Microbiology.  So the only California license I was eligible for is as a Clinical Microbiologist Scientist.  Which mean I can work in clinical labs, but ONLY in Microbiology sections.

    So basically I can find 20 jobs listings, only about 5 or so of them will likely be for Micro ONLY, and of those 5, I am too many years to start at entry level.

    It’s truly a game of chance when it comes to finding Micro work.  So to come up lucky, it’s best to apply every time you see a Micro or Micro adjacent position listing and finesse through it if you can.

  59. 59.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Professor Bigfoot:

    I managed to burn out a couple of Rowenta irons, replaced the last one with a $15 Black&Decker that I’ve had ever since. True that the B&D doesn’t get used much for retirement garb. It seems there’s always one appliance that fails you and for me, it is irons. I’ve owned at least 10.

    I’m on an all-liquid diet post dental procedure and I could eat a house. How people do 3-day cleansing fasts, I’ll never know. I’m nasty as fuck and the regime won’t end until I see the dentist again on Wednesday afternoon, and even then, I graduate to mush. Hope I can find some eggs to buy.

  61. 61.

    WTFGhost

    @Gretchen: Who thinks of doing this, right? But, for stuff that’s battery/mechanical (e.g., vacuums. Also too: vacuuming is important in certain relational database systems), it’s a good… let me come back in.

    If you have a battery powered thingie – vacuum, vibrator, e-bong, I don’t judge – it’s good to take two test runs of their “DRAIN the battery”. So, if you had a vibrator, and you wanted to know how long it could run, you could just timestamp, turn it on, and do some web surfing for a while, and just wait until you’ve completely used up all *useful* battery, and then, timestamp, and check how long the battery ran.

    What, I *told* you this was battery advice… didn’t I?

    *NOW* if the battery stops holding charge SOON: return, you probably have a defective product. Don’t worry about battery versus unit; it could be either or both, just return the entire thing.

    If you have it stop holding charge after a reasonable lifetime, of reasonable usage, under reasonable circumstances, decided if it might be worth getting a new battery for your Dyson.

    Assuming it *was* your Dyson, and *not* your vibrator… for a random example.

    Not everything is “user serviceable” but a good laptop shop can often replace tiny batteries, and charging units, and, if it’s your iPhone, yeah, it’s usually reliable, but if it’s your e-rig, you already *know* they’re going to be making some guesses… you do know that, right?

  63. 63.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @lamh47: got it, you are also in the position of applying even if you aren’t a 100% match. Good luck and I hope your job search is successful and successful very soon.

  66. 66.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @Sure Lurkalot: you should be able to find JustEgg in liquid form if you have a Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh store or Walmart with a big enough grocery section nearby. It doesn’t quite taste exactly like real eggs, but it works okay with shredded cheese (or vegan cheese for me), frozen spinach, and a spice blend.  They also make frozen patties which microwave up well.

  67. 67.

    WTFGhost

    @coin operated: OH! NOW I get it.

    being caught at 7.0 is *great*. It’s just barely damaging.

    Short form: the higher your blood sugar is, over longer times, the more the sugar poisons stuff that just can’t *handle* that much sugar. So, it’s like, if you had a Dread Social Disease, they’d have caught it before your junk itches, much less explodes.

    So: yes, you are in the first stage of diabetes type II (my nomenclature may be out of date), and that symptom is “unusual weight gain”, and maybe “urination driven thirst.”

    So: you stopped the problem, and now those initial symptoms are no longer happening, so it’s normal. Also: you’ve got the honeymoon phase where everything is relatively easy, and even a bit new and interesting. And that is *good* – that’s the right way to think of it. New drugs are *miracles.*

    Anyway: I have no idea if metformin is helping, but it *DOES* help.

    If you have problem with weight gain, then the new weight loss drugs might be a great blessing. If you have problem with sugar control, Jardiance can do great work. Even *tiny* bits of exercise help, if you can exercise. Dietary changes can be easy for some, and sometimes, just *caring* about food again can ignite a new sense of culinary adventure. Um… I’ll stop right here, but, really, DO NOT WORRY, you caught it just when you needed to.

    I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing smoke up your ass, but, it really is an age of wonders for diabetes control.

  70. 70.

    NotMax

    @Betsy

    Mom’s Bronze Age vacuum died last year. She asked me to look around and research for a replacement.

    Her housekeeper recommended a Shark Navigator.

    I bought her a similar style, but better rated and better reviewed, plus less costly, Kenmore. (Sears may be gone but the brand, in some form, continues.)

  72. 72.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Kayla Rudbek: I have about a half dozen…just have to keep DH’s hands off those now precious gems. I’ll scout out the supply during the workweek when the groceries are less crowded.

    There’s a lot more variety on the mushy food list so I’m hopeful my mood will improve.

    Do I have it right that you are a cyclist whose feet get numb with clipless pedals? I love these Power Grip straps:

    https://www.powergrips.com/

    Feet go in kind of like they did when I wore bike shoes.

  73. 73.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @WTFGhost: yeah, I was surprised that my doctor got so aggressive with prescribing me everything she did. I have been pre-diabetic for quite some time and I have a genetic predisposition to diabetes so I wasn’t overly surprised when I was diagnosed. I suppose that she’s happy to finally have good tools to use against it; metformin has been around since the mid-90s but it wasn’t as often prescribed back then for prediabetes and PCOS because of worries about causing liver damage.

  75. 75.

    Suzanne

    Man, the saga with Elmo’s newest baby mana is already fucken spicy, and it’s barely 24 hours old! Apparently he’s is already ignoring her attempts to reach out, but she says that he was asking her to have more kids last week. LOL.

    The gif of Michael Jackson eating popcorn…. evergreen.

  76. 76.

    Scout211

    @NotMax:

    I’ve been super happy with my Kenmore.  I have this Kenmore and it’s the best vacuum I’ve ever owned.  

    I like a vacuum with a bag for added protection from all the crud. I decided against a Dyson because my daughter and SIL had one and it always smelled like their two dogs.  She and my SIL took that thing apart and cleaned every part they could and it still smelled like their dogs. They dumped the crud after every use and it still smelled like their dogs. I’ll  stick with a bagged vac.

  80. 80.

    JaySinWA

    @Sure Lurkalot: I’ve researched some egg replacements for reasons, most are for baking and that’s probably off limits for you for now, but your DH might use them to preserve the egg supply. One area that might help you is for custards where cornstarch or chia can play a role. Also smoothy thickeners, like chia, though not really egg substitutes in that sense. Tofu in various firmness can fill in for or extend eggs as well.

    I expect we will all be looking at egg substitutes soon.

  81. 81.

    WTFGhost

    @NotMax: Yes, what I realized was “I bet Dyson filters *all* air exchange, so you have, essentially tubes of different pressure,” whereas, (my “wager” continued) the others were just HEPA filtering the output – the only part you need need need HEPA filtration, because people will notice the difference.

  82. 82.

    Doc Sardonic

    @Suzanne: How in the hell is Elmo finding all these women to tickle him, let alone reproduce? Then there is the question of the red fuzz…

  85. 85.

    lamh47

    @Kayla Rudbek: That is my plan next.  Right now I’m applying for preference matches first…local Micro only and day shift (which I prefer), next I’ll apply to evening, Micro local…I’m also applying for jobs outside of the Bay in Los Angeles (I have family there), but ONLY if it a perfect match.

    Right now I’m focusing on local.

  88. 88.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @NotMax:

    Mom’s Bronze Age vacuum died last year…

    It’s telling how “Bronze Age” appliances ended up lasting as long as they did.

    Sure, energy hogs, replacement boat anchors but damn, the longevity and how well they did what they were supposed to do.

    Back in Misery, the former Methodist Church (Gothic building built in 1915) had a 1955 A/C window unit that lasted until around 2012.  At our B&B, we had a Frigidaire fridge (Product of American Motors Corp!) built in 1973 (probably the only thing AMC was building well at that late date) that still worked great until 2014 when we finally replaced it.

    I still have a 4.3 cu ft mini fridge that I bought freshman year in college (1979) at Woolco.  Built in Italy of all places.  Still works like a champ.

  89. 89.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @coin operated: it’s strange in a sense, I haven’t been back at this weight since college, and the breast cancer surgery also altered my body. They did a reduction with the surgery. I wouldn’t have done it without that, I still am not overly happy about it, but I understand that less volume = less to monitor, less to dose, less for things to go wrong in.

    The annoyance is that I sold a lot of my older smaller suits to ThredUp before I started my new job as they didn’t fit, and now that I lost the weight I would have fit back into them. So I’m scouring eBay and ThredUp, although I prefer buying from eBay as the sellers will list the suit as one item. ThredUp splits it into separate entries for jacket and skirt/pants and then it’s nearly impossible to find an exact match. The eBay sellers will also frequently put up pictures with a ruler or tape measure so that the buyer can see what the bust and waist measurements laying flat actually are, and also how long the skirt or pants are.  So yes, I am probably going to look like I stepped out of a time machine, but I prefer that look instead of looking like a sloppy Fox News talking head.

    I am even kicking around the idea of knitting myself a suit (I have plenty of pattern ideas) but it will take me forever and I worry about weight gain during the time it will take me to finish.

  90. 90.

    Soprano2

    @Kayla Rudbek: One of the things I like about White House Black Market is almost all of of their clothes are machine washable, even the jackets and dresses. You can get good deals there when they have sales.

  97. 97.

    NotMax

    @NotMax

    Also too, the cabin off in the woods for the staff to unwind and relax after taps for the kiddies had sounded inherited a 1930s Leonard from the original owner of the camp, who had a liife estate on the property.

  98. 98.

    Soprano2

    @WTFGhost: The continuous glucose monitor has been a game changer for my husband’s diabetes. His A1C was 13+ (!) when he started using one. His sugar was almost always 300-400 or higher; he thought the meter was broken, but he wasn’t taking insulin correctly. Since I started managing that for him, his A1C is down to around 7, and since the doctor took him off statins it’s even better because it’s in the normal range much more. I’m positive the high sugar is mostly what caused his vascular dementia. I had no idea about this stuff before, he took care of it.

  99. 99.

    Marc

    @Kayla Rudbek:  I haven’t been back at this weight since college, and the breast cancer surgery also altered my body.

    Been there, done that.  Lost 60 lbs. before my first cancer diagnosis 30 years ago, and have kept 50 of it off through two more (we have a family, uh, genetic issue). Which reminds me, both myself and one of my nieces are currently undergoing second round trials for NCI sponsored vaccines to prevent/attack colorectal cancer.  I guess those trials are now inoperative.

  102. 102.

    Soprano2

    @Kayla Rudbek: You should, some of their clothes are trendy but a lot of them are classics. It’s not the cheapest store, but I’ve gotten a lot of things on sale there.

  104. 104.

    Ohio Mom

    @coin operated: it was over 20 years ago so I don’t remember all the specifics but the first weeks on Metformin, Ohio Dad also lost a lot of weight — and he had lots of gas and loose stools.

    Then things settled down. Eventually the weight crept back up.

    It’s an intersting experiencing, watching a couple of pills a day change your body so much.

  106. 106.

    sab

    @Professor Bigfoot: I bought the last E-go snow blower (the handheld  littler one) at our local Ace Hardware yesterday, and it got its first workout on the snow, right before the rain started. Wjat a great little machine. So my driveway and sidewalks are clear now while all the neoghbors have slush. It’s battery is the same size as the leafblower, so now we have a backup.

    I think it’s the same  one you recommended a gew weeks ago. Thank you.

  108. 108.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Soprano2:

    I have a single-tap kegerator that I bought used from some guy in red, rurl, Misery on the north side of the Missouri River from me probably a dozen years ago (or a few more) now.

    He had one of these big, pole barn garages with a massive Confederate Battle standard inside.  I showed up wearing an animal rescue tshirt from the group we worked with immediately after Katrina in NOLA.

    Turns out he was from NOLA and when I told him how we went down, ad-hoc, and spent a couple of months helping rescue animals, he was my friend for life.  The entire transaction I stood there looking at that massive American Swastika.

    The kegerator is ancient.  I had to replace the beer tap faucet but that was it.  $100 from the guy, $25 for the tap faucet.

    The thing is also ancient (I haven’t figured out when it was manufactured but clearly a looooong time ago, at least the 70s) but still works like a champ.  If it ever dies, I’ll have a really big sad.

  109. 109.

    Ohio Mom

    @NotMax: I bought a Shark that is bag-less. Hate it. You can’t get the dust and gunk out without some escaping. As an asthmatic, don’t appreciate breathing it in, annoying to know I’ll be vacuuming up that same dust again.

    Someone here told me to go outside when emptying. Yeah, in the snow.

    As soon as this breaks —won’t be long, it’s a cheap piece of crap — I’m shelling out for another Miele with a bag. The first one lasted almost 20 years, I wanted to fix it but they don’t make that part anymore.

  110. 110.

    frosty

    Well. Now I see in the Guardian that the Muskovites are going to axe National Park staff. At least I got to see 53 of them before they get sold off / too crowded / ruined.

    Trump is really turning the US into a Shithole Country, isn’t he?

  111. 111.

    Gretchen

    @lamh47: It sounds like you’re off to a good start with so many practical steps in place already. Good news about the CA license and short lease. That’s all I could think of all these people suddenly being without a paycheck – they still have rent, food, car payment. I’m glad you’re feeling strong enough to take action. I’m sending good thoughts your way as a fellow lab tech. Micro was my first love but by the end of my career I’d worked in most hospital lab departments as my needs for different shifts, hours, cities changed. Good luck.

  112. 112.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @coin operated: no problem, no offense taken, I am still here to complain about my experience so that’s good.  As long as I can keep cycling, walking, etc. and keep my vision intact so that I can craft and read, I am doing better than my grandma did after she was diagnosed with diabetes. Although I probably have better medical care than she did, and Mr. Rudbek has a lot better medical knowledge and understanding than my grandpa did (Grandpa tried his best to take care of Grandma but he really should have called in professional help, and his last science classes were in the 1930s.  Big difference in knowledge base).

  113. 113.

    Gretchen

    @lamh47: I didn’t know that about California MLS. I’ve always lived in the Midwest, so MT(ASCP) is what’s needed to work in any department. And since so many hospitals have gone for-profit, there are fewer Med Tech schools here, so fewer people qualified to fill the jobs.

    I went to Med Tech school in the 70’s, when automation was really taking off. The older folks were saying that there would be fewer jobs because the machines would be able to do it all, but people were needed to run the machines. What actually happened was that we became able to test for a whole bunch more stuff.

    My early micro days we had to have all the reactions of the various bacteria types memorized, and the percentage of E. Coli or Shigella or whatever could use that sugar or do that reaction. Glad those days are past.

  114. 114.

    Ruckus

    @JaySinWA:

    Getting old is a hell of a lot better than not getting old. Sure there are bits that aren’t as much fun as being a lot younger, but overall I’d much rather get old than not.

  117. 117.

    Ruckus

    @frosty:

    Trump is really turning the US into a Shithole Country, isn’t he?

    He’s just using his best skills. Either that or he’s only as smart as a loud fart.

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    @cain

    Am I alone in seeing Elon’s odd fashion statement in the Oval Office as reminiscent of nothing less than Moriarty in a baseball cap?

  122. 122.

    cain

    @NotMax: ​
     
    The dude has such a big ego and I guess it’s kind of warranted. I mean who else can just walk into the oval office with no formality and just fuck around bringing his kid?

    Yeah, he’s moriarty but there is no equivalent sherlock holmes there. Just Shitlock Weiner..

  123. 123.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Sure Lurkalot: when I had a dental crisis, I used baby food, and made liver pate, blended up. ( calves liver, cooked w onions, blender afterward.) And mashed cauliflower. Maybe you’re not at the puréed foods part yet. Blended soups? Protein powders? Peanut buttered mixed w liquids to make a sauce?

    i hate being hungry! Just trying to keep carbs at 100 gms  is hard, and I start getting desires for more, creeping up to 125 gms. Liquid diet sounds hard.
    Im rooting for you!

  124. 124.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Ruckus: shithole country.
    here we go..

     

    @NotMax: Moriarty.
    yup. That’s apt.
    Just watched all of Sherlock on the Hulu you nudged me into getting. Such A pleasure

  125. 125.

    Betsy

    @coin operated:  Losing weight really fast, like more than 1 or 2 pounds per week, can give you gallstones, among other problems.

    You really don’t want to bring on a bout of gallbladder disease.  It usually doesn’t end with one episode, and once you start down that road, you will probably need surgery (often at a not-convenient, rather sudden time).

    Better see a doctor about the rapid weight loss and make sure it’s not hurting anything.

    They can check for some potential problems using blood tests and such. 

  126. 126.

    Gloria DryGarden

    OT

    on Valentine’s Day, besides learning from Adam about Chernobyl getting bombed, such a big international oops…

    i got trolled on the blue sky micropoetry feed,  by a very hostile Persian who didn’t like my saying his friend’s poetry reminded me of another poem on the feed that day. It was very dark, verbal attack stuff that I normally curate out of my social media.
    A poetry feed, mostly haiku! So unexpected. It drained all the sparkle and fun right out of it.
    With the help of the person who maintains the jackal feed on bsky, -thank you flying toaster- we concluded, the poet was either all AI, Or a sock puppet account posting poems that were AI Written. I didn’t feel safe.

    The guy blocked me from the poet’s account, there was a little flurry of blocking and mutes, I’m still in the process of reporting him for his hate speech and unmarked adult content on his page.

    just a little personal moment of feeling covered in sticky black darkness, rigid w hostility, a teeny echo from my past. It was jarring, to feel how much a stranger on the internet can influence one’s state of being,

    All on the same day I began reading “the black pill”, about how the internet changed some people’s mental states, and attitudes, and created so much darkness and harm.. th

     

    The story is still developing, I’m only a quarter of the way through. But I like spending time with this author, how she tells the story.

    Who would have thought they’d get trolled on a haiku page? Seemed a benign place. It was a pretty poem I had commented on, btw.

  129. 129.

    David_C

    Great call with Elle yesterday.

    Because of some pushback to HHS HR, the firing emails didn’t go out until yesterday, and the reading of the email triggered a computer file lockout. I’m safe, for now, but we won’t know the aftermath until Tuesday. A former mentee of mine was spared. She was crying all day and now is feeling survivor’s guilt. I guess having a PhD and working with companies to come up with new treatments for influenza was considered important.

    Good luck, @lamh47!

  130. 130.

    dww44

    @Suzanne: I still use a 40 year old Electrolux canister.  Replaced the hose once a number of years ago.  Like all good products the company got sold.  Product is not the same.

Comments are closed.