Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

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

Nothing worth doing is easy.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

People are complicated. Love is not.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Friday Wee Hours

Friday Wee Hours

by | 79 Comments

This post is in: 

I almost never wake up in the night like this, tired, but unable to sleep.  So I’ve got nothing, really, except a desire for a post that isn’t about the current awfulness.

So here’s a pretty picture that GB in the HC sent me.

3 Sidebar Photos – March 2025 1
Image by GB in the HC

And here are a couple of photos of my new sort-of-lasagna creation from earlier today.

In the morning – if anyone is interested – I  can share the recipe I made up – can’t share it now because I haven’t written it down yet. :-)  But it’s so much simpler than lasagna, and I love that it’s portion sized and everything doesn’t ooze all together like regular lasagna does once you cut into it.

Open thread, but maybe just for non political stuff?

Reader Interactions

79Comments

  1. 1.

    Gretchen

    I’m visiting my daughter for 4 more days. Wondering whether I should attempt gluten free gnocchi before I go

  2. 2.

    WaterGirl

    @Gretchen: I love gnocchi!  But it really seems complicated to make, so I haven’t tried it.

    Maybe home-made gnocchi is like owning a boat.  It’s better to know someone with a boat than to own a boat yourself.

  4. 4.

    WaterGirl

    I just updated the sidebar photo for today.  Since it’s quiet at the moment, I will take this opportunity to ask if you guys like having those in the sidebar, or if it’s just meh.

  5. 5.

    la caterina

    I woke up just like you, WaterGirl.  Tired but can’t sleep.

    The sidebar photos are wonderful. Please keep them going!

  10. 10.

    Mai Naem mobile

    The pre-baked lasagna  picture looks like a bunch of small ace wraps which  are wearing out their elasticity.

  11. 11.

    Chetan Murthy

    @WaterGirl: +1 for sidebar photos.  When the post content is too political, I just look at the sidebar photo, and then go back to something else.  The world’s dreary enough, and some pretty pictures help.

  12. 12.

    SpaceUnit

    Okay, this will definitely be non-political, even if it’s driving me crazy.

    On top of all the stupid shit that’s happening in this country apparently now I’ve got to worry about the possibility of my Pittsburgh Steelers cutting a deal with Aaron Rogers.  Why?  Why the hell would they do that?  Aaron Rogers is 41 years old.  He’s also a great big pain in the ass.  The Jets went 5-12 with Rogers last season and couldn’t part ways with him fast enough.  What the fuck is Pittsburgh thinking?  He’s done.

    Look, I know that Tom Brady played well into his forties, and actually managed to play at a fairly high level.  Aaron Rogers isn’t Tom Brady.  Tom Brady was a health nut.  Tom Brady surround himself with nutritional experts, with health and fitness gurus.  Tom Brady had a whole age-defying, looney tunes routine going on.  Tom Brady was giving himself kale smoothie enemas while breathing pure oxygen in his own private barometric pressure chamber.  Somehow I don’t think Aaron Rogers is in on that plan.  Have you seen the guy lately?  He looks like shit.

    I was scrolling around on YouTube the other day and I came across a video clip from some sports show in which they’re talking about Rogers goings to Pittsburgh.  I couldn’t bring myself to watch the video, but the thumbnail showed a mock-up picture of Aaron Rogers wearing a Pittsburgh helmet and jersey.  Swear to God it looked like some homeless guy had fished a Steelers helmet out of a dumpster and decided to put it on while he wandered the streets muttering to himself with a pack of Camels rolled up in the sleeve of his tee-shirt.

    And if Rogers goes to Pittsburgh I can guarantee that the moment things go sideways (week one) Rogers will immediately show up on the Pat McAfee Show to talk shit about the entire Steelers organization.  That’s who he is.  An insufferable and over-the-hill drama queen.  Just no.  Don’t do it, Pittsburgh.  You’re supposed to be better than this.

    Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.  I’ve got enough shit to deal with right now.

     

     

    Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest.

  13. 13.

    Phylllis

    Also a +1 on the sidebar photos. I’m up because it’s yellow plague time (pine pollen) here in these parts. I have a cool mist humidifier & use the saline rinse every night before bedtime, but I still wake up congested in the early hours. And the lasagna looks delish.

  16. 16.

    Divadias

    I enjoy the side bar photos also, as well as the occasional non-polictix post. It serves as the palette cleanser we all need. Thank you, por todo.

  18. 18.

    different-church-lady

    @SpaceUnit:

    Swear to God it looked like some homeless guy had fished a Steelers helmet out of a dumpster and decided to put it on while he wandered the streets muttering to himself with a pack of Camels rolled up in the sleeve of his tee-shirt.

    That is Rogers.

  22. 22.

    Shalimar

    AL usually cheers us up with horrible things happening to Elon, but sure, we love food too.

  23. 23.

    Shalimar

    @SpaceUnit: Rodgers’ numbers were superficially still good last year except for the interceptions.  He will also be a year removed from his injury recovery so there is some expected return to the mean in his performance that would offset the clear age-related decline.  He won’t be what he was that one last year in Green Bay, but it isn’t unrealistic to expect him to have one or two final years that are better than Wilson and Fields were last year.  With Pittsburgh, that could be good enough to get to an embarrassing loss in the conference championship game.

    Is that worth all the drama that comes with having a narcissistic asshole leading your team?  You can always pray he picks the Giants.

  26. 26.

    prostratedragon

    J.S. Bach, 240 years in and just getting warmed up:

    Brandenberg concerto no. 5; Netherlands

    The story, sketched in one of the comments, is that Bach submitted the 6 Bburg concertos as an application for a position which he did not get. Imagine those things crossing someone’s desk and them saying, “Meh … not really what we want right now.”

    P.S.: I think that’s the syndic of drapers of Utrecht looking on in the background.

  27. 27.

    Shalimar

    @Shalimar: To be clear, I wouldn’t want Rodgers personally.  No matter how good he plays, Pittsburgh will still be a huge step below Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore.  They aren’t beating two of those to make the Super Bowl.  Better to trade down to the bottom five picks in the first round (to get the extra year on the rookie contract) and pick whichever remaining quarterback they like best in the draft.  That player will be better than anyone they could sign now and at least it would be rolling the dice on a possible Super Bowl win in the future.

  29. 29.

    prostratedragon

    @NotMax:  That sounds really good, though lately I find myself wondering how dishes made with parmesan would work with pecorino romano.

  30. 30.

    Cathie from Canada

    I have been cooking now for more than 50 years — more and more, I find myself making up my own simple recipes, or pulling ingredients and techniques from two or three recipes into something I think will be good. But I do have to make sure that I have a selection of base ingredients around — soy sauce and dijon mustard for gravies and marinades, alfredo sauces and onions and broccoli for noodle casseroles, chocolate chips and nuts for cookies, and so forth.

    Lately I’ve been experimenting with “chopped” salads too, combining something leafy with something crunchy and a few sharp-flavoured veggies and a smooth dressing and voila, salad!

    Does anyone else also do this?

  31. 31.

    SpaceUnit

    @Shalimar:

    Rogers just isn’t Pittsburgh material.  Historically they’ve shown zero tolerance for drama and have quickly parted ways with players that demand the spotlight and can’t keep their mouths shut.  Le’Veon. Bell.  Antonio Brown.  They were at the top of their game, but the Steelers let them go and let them flounder on their own.  It’s the Pittsburgh way.

    Steelers should start Mason Rudolph or resign Russ Wilson or draft a rookie or sign my aunt Becky.  Anything but Rogers.  They really need a young franchise quarterback they can build a program around.

  32. 32.

    prostratedragon

    @Cathie from Canada:  Mix and match? Sure, often with good results, though there is that batch of mayo where I think I tried too hard. Might toss that and try again. But I watch cooking shows mostly for ideas, and new things to get for the pantry.

  34. 34.

    sab

    @Cathie from Canada: I do. Salads are the only way I can veggies into my husband, and lettuce only doesn’t really suffice nutritionally. And he likes crunch. So our salads have a bit of lettuce, but mostly everything else raw veggies: carrots, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, plus shredded cheese on the side.

  35. 35.

    Ramalama

    @SpaceUnit: I watched a behind the scenes of an NFL team … forget the name of the series, but they were following the Jets, when dum dum Aaron was the aging QB at camp. I could not get past maybe two episodes because the Reverence for that guy was so thick it annoyed me. I go in and out of knowing who’s who and who’s on what team. I didn’t know the nuttiness of Aaron until I stopped watching the show. And…I love those kinds of things. The prep. The stories. And the football. Usually late at night, when I’ve run out of comedy to watch.

    Now that your team is talking about picking him up, it just smacks of everyone running to embrace bitcoin and AI. Bad bad trends. I hope they don’t do it!

  37. 37.

    Geminid

    There’s a lot going on in the Middle East right now, but not much of it is good. It’s probably best to save the bad stuff for later, but here’s a positive Syria story from Levant24:

    Germany Reopens Embassy after 13 years.

    German Foreign Minister Baerbock flew to Damascus for the occasion, and pledged German assistance in rebuilding Syria.

    Also from Levant24:

       The first oil tanker arrived at the Baniyas terminal since the the country’s liberation from the former regime, carrying approximately 100,000 metric tons of crude oil.

    Two weeks ago Baniyas and other northwestern Syrian cities and towns were wracked by a violent insurrection staged by forces loyal to the Assad regime. Almost 1000 combatants and civilians were killed during over 48 hours of Syria’s worst fighting since the regime fell early last  December.

  39. 39.

    Ramalama

    @Cathie from Canada: same. Base ingredients to make flavors-flavours I want to eat. I make a few different versions of taco salad, beans or taco meat if there are leftovers. Jam it in with greens and peppers and red onion and red cabbage if I’ve got it, any other veg like that. Slivers of cheddar cheese. Maybe some crumbs from crunchy tortilla, bottom of the bag. Top it with homemade salsa.

    for no taco salad salads, no green beans, but anything else is fair game. I make my mother in law’s vinaigrette and c’est tout.

    I have probably 10 other meals I mix and match ingredients from for hybrids.

    In sum: yes.

  41. 41.

    Jeffg166

    @Cathie from Canada:

    I think about an idea for a recipe then look it up online to see if anyone else has had similar thoughts. I usually find it’s already been done multiple times. I read the different version and pick and choose what I like from each version.

    Type in roll up lasagna recipe on Google. There are lots of versions to be had.

  42. 42.

    Freemark

    @SpaceUnit: Rodger’s also has the wing nuts rooting for him. I said ‘ I’d rather have Rudolph or even Duck, he should still be available…lol, over toxic Rodger’s’. Some wing nut came in insulting my ‘fat ass’ for daring to not like Rodger’s. I made fun of him for his low quality of insults and it was actually kind of fun. But JFC I don’t want that toxicity near the Steelers. They have enough issues.

  43. 43.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Gretchen: if you do, I’d like to look at the substitutions you make. Capellos has gf gnocchi, also a sweet potato gf gnocchi. They use almond flour, mixed with some white thing. Rice or tapioca flour.

  44. 44.

    narya

    Make stuffed shells if you want the portions (search “stuffed shells” and you see what I mean; I’m on my phone, still abed).

    Lucky Peach (RIP) had a gnocchi instruction that I use to great effect. I make a huge wad if I’m gonna bother at all, boil in batches, then FREEZE them, first spread out on a rack. Thaw as needed, brown in some butter. I think GF might work? Also, I save the potato skins and fill them with stuff. Including gnocchi, at one point

  45. 45.

    Ohio Mom

    I am not a sports person but the football discussion makes me nostalgic for the olden days, when Balloon Juice had frequent posts on football. I scrolled past them, never read a single one. It’s the feeling of continuity that I’m enjoying.

  47. 47.

    stinger

    Thank you, GB in the HC–that is gorgeous and soothing!

    WaterGirl, that not-lasagne looks so good! But the pasta would still have to be pre-cooked, so I’m not seeing how it saves much work. I will now read through the comments and doubtless find out.

  52. 52.

    JML

    As a Vikings fan, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the team announced they were out on Rodgers. I don’t want that malignant narcissist anywhere near my team. There’s no way the desperate fool would actually mentor our young QB, he’d be all about himself (as always) and would wreck the team if he didn’t get to start every game. You know he’d be second-guessing the coaches constantly, trying to get his old pals on the team…eff no.

    Sorry, Pittsburgh. You can have him.

  60. 60.

    Josie

    Late to the party, WaterGirl, but my granddaughter and I love the sidebar photos. She comes downstairs every morning now and requests to see the picture of the day. And I would love to have your recipe.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    @Steve in the ATL: I asked that, too, the first time they posted in the Lurkers thread!

    I did not ask my followup question, which is whether High Country refers to a particular spot, since it has the capital letters.  Or is it just a more general reference.

  64. 64.

    WaterGirl

    @Josie: That is so sweet!  Thank you for sharing that story abut your granddaughter.

    I will write up the recipe and share it in a post, hopefully this weekend.  And hopefully no one will tell me it looks like old, scummy Ace bandages! :-)

  69. 69.

    Shana

    @Cathie from Canada:Sometimes I do, but still prefer recipes at 66 years old. A one-time girlfriend of my father once said that she didn’t cook anymore, she just assembled. I suspect I may get to that point some day.

  72. 72.

    Michael Cain

    @Miki:

    Lasagna roll ups were a staple at our house 30+ years ago when our kids were small.  I always found that I liked them better when I reheated frozen servings.

  75. 75.

    Mark von Wisco

    My Mom has been making something very similar to this recipe for at least 30 years. She calls them lasagna rollups. Portion control is a lot easier compared to regular lasagna.

  76. 76.

    WTFGhost

    If you practice meditation during the day – and you don’t necessarily need to be really *good* at it – it can help you ease your thoughts at night, and, you might also fall asleep.

    That’s most of what I can offer in “awake at night, tired, can’t sleep” that doesn’t involve marijuana products purified to greater than 80% THC, or prescription medications. Mind you: I’m entirely unashamed of suggesting that legal THC consumption, just 5-10mg, can really help with anxiety, if you work with it – if you use your high, to do things that make you feel good, even if they’re just powering through a Netflix binge. I mean, marijuana helps you make associations between things in your mind, so, you might also rage-post or rage-tweet (just try to avoid rage-twitting), but, remember, if you’re anxious, you might want to put your energies in a different direction. Or, maybe you’ll find a bit of rage-tweeting helps more than gaming or video binging or listening to music or whatever.

    That’s all assuming THC is legal and appropriate, and all that, for any given reader. Also: if you have a family history of schizophrenia, you may want to see a doctor before trying marijuana. There’s debate over whether marijuana is self-treatment, or if it might encourage the development of incipient schizophrenia. I wish I could give you an opinion about the science, but I just don’t know enough, and the answer I’d prefer is not sufficiently proven to me. So: family history = please, check with a doc, first, and, please remember, if pot destroys your mood, or screws up your life, *STOP*. That said: 5mg, 10mg of THC is probably as much fun, and less harmful, than two stiff drinks.

    Also too: marijuana can really boost sex with a loving partner, which also might have a soporific effect. (See also: “Married Sex” :-) .)

  77. 77.

    WTFGhost

    You know, there was a food show contest – my wife loves them, I’m loyal to Great British Bakeoff – something like “Easy Bake Kitchen,” and yes, a celebration of the Easy Bake Oven. One of the things they wanted to highlight was “easy substitutions” and they got only one real winner. Ever think “creme anglaise” is difficult? It’s melted vanilla ice cream. (I had to DDG the recipe, and sure enough, it was.)

    The Lasagna Rolls would have been a major hit. I mean, I can just *see* you on a cooking show (though I’ve never seen you, so I imagine you as akin to a water elemental, or perhaps one of the Jann), getting the right mix of sausage and ground beef, the right ricotta, the seasonings, the right amount of egg…

    … it just would have been very silly to watch you put it into an oven that looks *just like* an oversized Easy Bake oven, with no lightbulb powering it. But I still think you’d have won, and been the pride of the Jackaltariat forever more. So… why didn’t you ENTER? :-)

    (Sorry re: water elemental/jann – my brain takes certain things extremely literally, so, “Watergirl” makes me think an Atlantean or a water-based elemental and… did I mention I’m weird? And that I’ve never seen you? I think I might have. Also, If you didn’t know, jann = “genie” though IIRC, many of the “genies” were actually bound Afrits, the highest of the Jann – most lesser jann couldn’t bring unlimited wealth and so forth, like Aladdin’s Genie.)

    (Is anyone else thinking of the Simpson’s scene, “I’m Hugh Jass.” “Actually, mister, this is a prank call, and I’d like to bail out now.” “Why certainly! (pause) what a nice young man!”)

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