India’s Festival of Lights:
Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated among many people and communities in the United States… Many homes that celebrate Diwali have assorted sweets, savories and Diwali herbs. Some communities organize firework displays and states such as Utah have proclaimed Diwali as one of their state festivals…
Diwali is called the Festival of Lights and is celebrated to honor Rama-chandra, the seventh avatar (incarnation of the god Vishnu). It is believed that on this day Rama returned to his people after 14 years of exile during which he fought and won a battle against the demons and the demon king, Ravana. People lit their houses to celebrate his victory over evil (light over darkness).
The goddess of happiness and good fortune, Lakshmi, also figures into the celebration. It is believed that she roams the Earth on this day and enters the house that is pure, clean, and bright. Diwali celebrations may vary in different communities but its significance and spiritual meaning is generally “the awareness of the inner light”.
Lamps, fireworks and bonfires illuminate this holiday, as the word “Deepawali” means “a row or cluster of lights” or “rows of diyas (clay lamps)”. The festival symbolizes the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. The goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth, happiness and prosperity, is also worshipped during Diwali.
Here’s to a new year of light, happiness, prosperity, and the victory of righteousness!
Schlemazel
Seems to come earlier every year, I missed the big Diwali sales this year.
Seriously, I have some former co-workers i send cards to, guess I better get on that today.
Baud
Happy Diwali, SC and other celebrants.
Baud
Word!
greennotGreen
I had a dear Indian friend who moved away and I’ve lost contact with her. But Diwali was her favorite holiday, and I always think of her when it rolls around. Wishing you light and happiness, Parul!
WereBear
Moving into the time of year when people in the Northern Hemisphere go, “Damn, the days are getting shorter. Must party.”
redshirt
@Schlemazel: Heh. It’s become so commercialized.
redshirt
Serious question: Why aren’t India and the USA closer allies? They seem like they’d be natural partners at this point, with a shared set of adversaries, and mutual interests across the board. And yet I read recently India made a large arms purchase from Russia. What’s the deal?
Baud
@redshirt: Is Diwali big enough that we liberals can declare war on it?
Baud
@redshirt: India has historical ties with Russia from the Cold War era as a result of its nonaligned status. The biggest modern problem is Pakistan and the dance the U.S. has to do with both countries.
Hillary Rettig
One of the things I find most amazing and moving in the world is that people from so many cultures have developed a festival of lights to sustain them as the days grow shorter and colder.
redshirt
@Baud: So you’re saying that because we have to play nice with Pakistan we can’t have better ties with India?
That’s a shame if so. Pakistan might be America’s worst ally. Maybe number 2 behind Saudi Arabia.
Schlemazel
@redshirt:
I hate that the Dawali displays are put up at Krishna Janmashtami Puja Muhurat
Just rushing the season for profit.
Baud
@redshirt: Yes, I think so. It’s a quandary because I’m sure the U.S. would like to use India to balance out China.
Schlemazel
@redshirt:
India has been proud to try to steer a course between the US and the USSR back in the day. But yeah, the US has to balance Pakistan’s interests with India’s. That sure sucks but a marginally aligned Pakistan is far better than a rouge one. Sadly we have to play this stupid game.
Schlemazel
@Baud:
My guess is if China becomes more threatening India will draw closer to both Russia and the US as counterbalances to the threat. Currently China seems more interested in owning the Pacific so they are not seen as a problem. Interesting to not, google earth captured images of a Chinese military installation that contains a very large scale model of the China-India boarder. It would be natural for one to wonder what they are doing with that.
Immanentize
@Schlemazel: This exactly. People woof on and on about North Korea and Iran, but Pakistan is the most unstable nuclear armed state in the world. AQ Kahn was from Pakistan….
ThresherK
When I saw the tiny type (on my dirty computer screen) on the side I thought it said Happy Drywall.
I girded myself for another Laurel and Hardy update on Cole’s housing renovations.
Elizabelle
@Schlemazel: It’s rogue, my dear.
Rogue.
As in: Pakistan, some FBI agents, and the Wasilla wonderwoman.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Hallie Jackson breathlessly breaking the breaking news that Melania Trump will be speaking in suburban Philly on Thursday, breaking breathlessly because she’s a beloved figure and compelling speaker
Schlemazel
@Immanentize:
It reminds me so much of stories from the Middle Age monarchs. Yeah, they had ultimate power but they were often hemmed in on all sides by trying to keep the whole mess from flying apart. The US, like the kings of old have the power up until they try to use it & piss off a constituency they need and things go to hell in a hurry.
The morans among us in the US think these things are so simple, “We are the US, just take what you want and tell everyone who disagrees to F off”. That is a recipe for disaster, reality is hard, diplomacy requires constant cooperation and compromise. Small minds cannot understand this.
Corner Stone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
And she is the perfect surrogate to deeply connect with women in suburbs around Philly.
Game.Changed.
Schlemazel
@Elizabelle:
aw crap! Thanks, I knew that but didn’t take the time to review because spell check didn’t alert me.
Josie
@Corner Stone: Yup. I know that I will be so interested in what she has to say.
Corner Stone
Another master stroke of political strategy by one of the two most brilliant campaigners we have seen in our lifetime. Add that with finally donating $10M to your campaign with less than 10 days to go before the election, and the Melania speech in suburban Philly six days before election day….it’s difficult to imagine just the intense focus at work here.
Nom de Plume
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Sure, as long as she’s using Michelle Obama’s words.
debbie
@redshirt:
Does “You’re either with us or against us” ring a bell?
RK
Shouldn’t Clinton be working to swing her voters in Utah over to Mcmullin?
Corner Stone
This “walk and talk” shot with the young lady for NBC in FL is just not working for me. I may get motion sick shortly.
hovercraft
Happy Divali
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I saw that, the media is really intent on telling us that Melania and Ivanka are really great assets out on the campaign trail. I’m sure this trip to the Philly suburbs will entirely turn around the massive deficit he has in the polls there. I’m shaking in my boots.
Immanentize
@Elizabelle: But but. Wasn’t the Khmer Rouge a rogue regime?
hovercraft
@Corner Stone:
And traveling to New Mexico, that will take that state out of the blue column. SAD!
I wonder if Governor Martinez will be on hand to give him a boost? No, SAD!
lollipopguild
@ThresherK: What, no Laurel and Hardy handshake?
dmsilev
So, this morning’s polling dump over at Pollster included one showing Clinton 2 points ahead ….in Alaska. Now admittedly all of the other polls from there show anything from a modest to a substantial Trump lead so almost definitely just an outlier, but still.
greennotGreen
@Schlemazel:
Which reminds me of my favorite Swype approximation a friend once sent me: “Oh, veal!”
(Look at your keyboard to translate.)
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@hovercraft: I loved the way Jackson was all goggle-eyed “Kellyanne Conway has confirmed!” this hot scoop, and Joy Reid was all, “well that’s a waste of time”
a little bed-wetty at hearing Reid, who knows FL, sound so pessimistic about it, and Josh Barro who’s always rather phlegmatic talk about HRC’s Florida operation “crumbling”, then I remember in ’12 the news orgs stopped polling FL because Romeny had it in the bag
redshirt
@debbie: With India? I don’t remember much interaction between the Bush Admin and India. I’m sure I missed/forgotten a bit.
Trentrunner
Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado Pennsylvania Virginia Colorado
Firewall.
I just donated again. (7th time) Didn’t expect to. Fuck these fucking fuckers.
laura
We had the Dia DE Los Muertos party Friday night, and FSM willing, should be packed up/cleaned up by sundown. My big toe hurts from hours of dancing, and my heart hurts a little bit from remembering my Mother -along with our group’s lost spouses, friends, lovers, pets, community oddballs and a metric-fuckton of musicians and artists this year.
Sangria, beer, wine and riot juice flowed, DJ Larry spun the big platters and guts were busted with tamales, rice-n-beans, ceviche, chicken, carnitas, cabrito, dulces and even some moon pies.
We stopped our reveries long enough to mark this time and remember our lost loved ones and commit to our shared good fortune to have such good people to share the joys and burdens with.
That Laksmi returns from the spirit world at the same time of year as all hallows eve and all Saints day and the Dia, must speak to the universality of a sense that this time of year is when the veil between the loving world and the next world is at its most thin -or so I hope.
All the best to the BJ community too!
SiubhanDuinne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
If she has something new to say, I might watch. If it’s the same old “They go high, we go low,” I’ll probably give it a miss.
debbie
@redshirt:
I was referring to India’s stance. You are either with India or, if you show the slightest inclination toward Pakistan, against India. There is no middle ground.
Corner Stone
CO I get as a want, but not a must get. She’s getting PA and VA.
Why Colorado?
laura
@redshirt: how can you forget the George Bush “red mango” speech!?!
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: What’s going on in Florida?
Elizabelle
@Trentrunner: North Carolina too. They’re fired up, ready to go. Got a president, governor and US senator on the ballot this fall. Embarrassment of riches.
North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina.
schrodinger's cat
Happy Diwali, everyone! I am celebrating it by cleaning up my old abode. Still in the midst of moving.
Trentrunner
@SiubhanDuinne: LOL. “And so, moose and squirrel, ask not what country can do for you, ask what you can do for country.”
Elizabelle
@SiubhanDuinne:
Just perfect.
Corner Stone
@laura:
Sounds like quite the feast, but no chupa cabra?
schrodinger's cat
@redshirt: Are you really that naive or do you just pretend to be in the BJ comment section?
Trentrunner
@Elizabelle:
We can lose: North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, AND Nevada…
…and still win.
If we WIN North Carolina, we really win.
SiubhanDuinne
@redshirt:
I remember once when Dubya was either getting ready to visit India or getting ready to welcome an Indian dignitary. He gave a speech, or comments to the press, or something, reading a long string of facts and figures. It sounded like a fifth-grade research paper lifted from the “country profiles” section of the World Almanac. Would love to track down video of that — even for Shrub, it was astonishingly noninsightful.
schrodinger's cat
@debbie: Pakistan is India’s biggest blind spot and Achilles heel but the United States is not entirely without blame, playing footsie with tyrannical despots like Zia and Pakistan’s military junta is not just showing slight inclination.
redshirt
@schrodinger’s cat: I suspect you’ll let me know.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Baud: Tightening polls, Trump up in a couple. I don’t pretend to know the science of polling, but looking at the Huff Po aggregator, HRC does better with bigger sample sizes, which seems a plus to me.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@SiubhanDuinne: “… in short, India is a land of fascinating contrasts”/ Bart Simpson
hovercraft
@Baud: @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Democrats are behind where they were in 2012.
ETA: This was his update yesterday, so it does not include the numbers from Saturday.
ThresherK
@SiubhanDuinne: I think the search term is “India: Land of contrasts”.
One has to have a certain facility with words to do the political equivalent of writing a book report, due first period, in the last 10 minutes of the bus ride to school. I have that facility; Shrub never did.
Baud
@hovercraft: Thanks.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Corner Stone
The polls were always going to tighten. This is R’s coming home and it was inevitable. Trump would have had to sacrifice a virgin white DAR on stage while promising to raise taxes to not get this bump to come in.
schrodinger's cat
@Baud: Thanks Baud!
Baud
@Corner Stone: Agree with that.
hovercraft
@Baud:
Source, SteveSchale.com
Today is the first day of Souls to the Polls in Florida, so it’s expected to be a good day for the good guys.
Baud
@hovercraft: That’s good.
Schlemazel
@Elizabelle:
The Dumpster had a pretty good joke at the Smith dinner the other night. But the fact that he has no clue of a hint of a sense of humor and self-deprecation is well beyond him and his huge, fragile ego he blew the line badly. Imagine this line delivered by someone capable:
“Look how badly the press treats us. When Michelle Obama gives a speech the press swoons, when Melania gives the same speech they are all over her”
Baud
@hovercraft: Florida is weird because I thought the Senate race was tightening.
hovercraft
@Corner Stone:
I think too many people got carried away when they saw the ABC tracking poll showing a 12 point lead, and so now they are panicking because it’s down to 1 point. We are democrats, we wet our beds, this is what we do, and now that we’ve done that, let’s put on our Depends and get out and vote, and GOTV.
SiubhanDuinne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Almost word for word!
Cacti
@hovercraft:
I thought I had read that the GOP usually does better with early voting by mail, but were behind where they were in 2012. Dems do better with early in person voting.
schrodinger's cat
@redshirt: I have no idea why you play the fool, nor do I particularly care.
Baud
@hovercraft:
Some theorize that Dems need a tight race to be motivated. I don’t know. I’m tired of the drama.
laura
@Corner Stone: I wasn’t going to mention it, but since you brought it up -we smoked it out back behind the garage.
Schlemazel
@hovercraft:
Hear hear.
Don’t fret – vote
Don’t kvetch – GOtV
The media wants a horse race lets spoil their Thursday night by winning this early and convincingly.
laura
http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/03/04/bush-trades-nuclear-technology-for-indian-mangoes/
Corner Stone
@Schlemazel: It was actually a good line and he did not do too bad in the delivery. But I agree with the rest of your comment in that the fact he didn’t soften that line by running some self-deprecating jokes first just made him seem like that much more of a fucking asshole. Drag your wife down the dirt path but lack the ability or humility to take one on the chin first or at any point.
What a punk. And all the other things Bobby De Niro said about him.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@hovercraft: eh, the word is Trumps’ own polls show he’s losing and he acts like it, sending Pence to Utah and so on.
Corner Stone
If I am Huma or Weiner I tell the FBI to F off and get their warrant. No way I agree to let them voluntarily read items on that device.
Corner Stone
@laura: Mmmm. A little rosemary, a little Mexican oregano, some lard in a cola brine…Yummo!
WaterGirl
OT, but I was at a Christmas Open House today so I could enter the drawing for one of the 12 (fake) christmas trees.
I was surprised and amused to see that there were 3 new varieties of trees this year, in addition to the usual douglas firs, etc. One was called the Hamilton something-something, another was called the Jefferson something-something, and the third was the Washington something-something.
I predict that next year Hamilton and Jefferson will both be on paint chips, if they aren’t already!
Mai.naem.mobile
@redshirt: 1/ Cold War. The US had a you’re with us or against us mentality and didn’t go for India’s non aligned status idea. 2/ post WWII colonialism India does not make a natural US ally. 3/Pakistan and American ‘favoritism’ of Pakistan 4/India had no real important natural resources important to the US i.e. Oil 5/ India’s support of the Palestinians in the Mid East situation. Nixon should have gone to India first,not China. I think the Pakistan and N.Korean situations may have been better. Maybe even the Afghan situation.
WaterGirl
@Corner Stone:
My name isn’t Huma and I have never sent a dick pic, but I would like to tell the FBI to fuck off.
Brachiator
Boo! A Medea Halloween was number one at the box office this weekend, beating out Inferno. The Halloween game Google doodle is lots of fun. Divali, Halloween, Day of the Dead coming up. Let’s have a little fun.
ETA. Day of the Dead is usually smaller, communal, but Mexico City had a big parade, evidently inspired by the parade which opened the last James Bond movie, Spectre.
scav
Happy Divali to all, especially my former office-mates and fellow geographers who took me to all the parties in years past. I’ve broken out the glitter and lights ever since. May Laxmi be good to us all.
Bill E Pilgrim
Chief ethics lawyer in George W Bush’s White House files a complaint with the Justice Dept about Hatch Act vioilations by Comey.
Mai.naem.mobile
Happy Diwali! I am seriously surprised Indian junk food has not become popular in the US. There is some seriously good Indian junk food that would give Doritos,Lays and Chex Mix a run for their money. Chevdo, Sev Mambra,Tikha Ganthia and the rice Papadums are all better than any Lays potato chips.
CarolDuhart2
I wonder if this just wrecks any case the FBI has against Weiner. I mean, a good defense would just hammer on this case being politically motivated at the very least, and the errors of not getting a warrant and then some is probably enough to get “reasonable doubt”. All so they could somehow find something about Hillary, no matter how remote to hammer her character.
Corner Stone
@Brachiator:
Anytime I can laugh and pray in 90 minutes? That’s money well spent.
schrodinger's cat
@Mai.naem.mobile: Are you Gujarati?
Bill E Pilgrim
So to recap, “Clinton emails” now means “emails not to or from any Clinton”, “nothing remotely warranting prosecution” means “clearly massive criminal actions but I’m being nice and letting her off”, and “your job is only to investigate, not to decide who is prosecuted” means “your job is to investigate, decide who is prosecuted, deliver long stern lectures about why you decided not to prosecute despite finding misbehavior, and then make ominous announcements just before an election that you still might prosecute even though you don’t make those decisions”.
Just catching up on the new language rules.
CarolDuhart2
My mother’s memorial dinner last night went well. Lots of good food, some memories and tears, her picture on the cake. If you didn’t know better, you would think it was her birthday-except for the fact the birthday girl wasn’t there.
I can’t remember specific stories about her-but I know better now her legacy of being an independent woman. I like men, but I never felt that I needed one to survive.
Bill E Pilgrim
@Mai.naem.mobile: Papadum want no banjo playin round here.
ThresherK
@Bill E Pilgrim: GWB had a Chief Ethics Lawyer?
Hey, Guy Lombardo had a drummer. Anything’s possible.
hovercraft
@Cacti:
Yes the GOP has always been far more reliant on vote by mail, that’s why all of their efforts regarding “voter fraud”, have focused on in person voting, even though fraud is more common in VBM than in person.
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
There have been several articles questioning the travel schedule of both him and Pence. Yes they are losing and know it.
The media is still playing for the horserace. Alex Witt a few minutes ago said that Hillary Clinton is in trouble because a poll shows her only 1 point ahead. Last time I checked, the candidate who is behind is the one in trouble. But I guess that leading is not the same as being in position to win. Trump must have Hilary just where he wants her.
Larkspur
@schrodinger’s cat: Well, redshirt might be naive or pretending to be, but I guess I’m for sure naive or maybe just stone cold ignorant, because I appreciated the question AND the answers. I’m not going to pretend to be as smart or informed as you and a lot of other folks here. That’s a big reason I come here: to get edumacated.
Bill E Pilgrim
@CarolDuhart2: I’m actually hoping, note the word hoping, foolishly most likely, that this might somewhat destroy or at least dent the upcoming investigation/prosecution festival also known as first term of HRC’s Presidency. With Republicans joining in not only condemning Comey but actually filing complaints (see my comment above), the sense that all this has gone too far, okay enough with the criminal investigations as a political tool already, might start to take hold somewhat.
ThresherK
@CarolDuhart2: Glad to hear you had people around you in this time.
Bill E Pilgrim
@ThresherK: Exactly. But so, if the guy who looked at all the right-wing insanity of that administration including torture and said “Okie dokie, yeah that’s all fine”, if that person is saying that Comey has gone too far, that might mean more to people.
CarolDuhart2
@ThresherK: Yes, this is the first birthday since she passed away in May, and we all needed to get through this weekend (her birthday was 10/26). Now the holidays are coming. No Thanksgiving Dinner except what each of us can come up with ourselves this year. True, she didn’t cook anymore, but we would at least visit her or give her a call. I already know she would call me every year just to wish me a Merry Christmas.
I already know that Xmas is going to be solitary-just carols and a long weekend for me.
buck2202
FBI agents knew of Clinton-related emails weeks before director was briefed
CarolDuhart2
@Bill E Pilgrim: That’s why I hope Obama just grants a pardon to all of these people on the way out, like Daddy Bush did with the Iran-Contra people. Sure, Congress could fuss, but at least they would have to come up with new stuff. And as for Obama? NFLTG and he wouldn’t need to give any-he’s leaving.
Brachiator
@hovercraft:
Polls are not destiny. You still have to get out the vote.
Bill E Pilgrim
@CarolDuhart2: Paul Krugman is thinking somewhat along the same lines as what I brought up, it seems:
That’s one of a series in a whole thread or Tweetstorm or whatever it’s called. Tweetstorm to me always sounds too much like it’s raining parrots.
Baud
@hovercraft: Good news for John McCain.
Mai.naem.mobile
@schrodinger’s cat: yes but not from India(great grandparents were.)
Hal
@hovercraft: There a tracking poll from abc showing Hillary 1 point ahead. Results from the 25th to the 28th. I only know because a Republican friend on Facebook is thrilled! Next week if that same poll shows her several points ahead, he’ll be as quiet a mouse.
hovercraft
Here are some highlights/lowlights of this weekends village coffee klatches:
Kellyanne Conway Snaps At Jake Tapper: Asking About Racism Is ‘Evidence We’re Going To Win’
NBC’s Pete Williams: Trump’s bogus ‘rigged’ talk pushed Comey to break DOJ rules on elections
Giuliani Ghoulishly Cackles Anticipating Jail Time For Hillary Clinton Over Latest Emails
Van Jones, Chelsea Handler Destroy Rick Lazio’s GOP Lies
Mike Pence lied his way through his entire MTP appearance, and refused to let the hapless Chucky in to stop the deluge of lies.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
No sources on this first tweet, but this could make for an interesting week, especially if there is some last oppo dump to be made on Trump
Jeff
I’m glad I cleaned the house today. If Lakshmi wants to stop by with some good luck I’m all for it and ready.
Corner Stone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: IMO, I think Chaffetz got out over his skis on this. R leaning FBI crats leaked to him they had something else from the Weiner investigation. Didn’t matter what was in there, it was useful.
He let Comey know he was going to blow him up if he didn’t do something about this info. Comey put this weird statement out with no specifics. Chaffetz did his thing, media swallowed hook and line and here we are.
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: IOW, rogue Republican FBI agents are trying to take down Hillary Clinton?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@FlipYrWhig: You might very well, think that. I couldn’t possibly comment. /the real House of Cards
also, too
Elie
@CarolDuhart2:
My deepest condolences to you. I have been there and know both the pain and the sense of feeling her still around you. I miss my Mom every day. My irreplaceable friend, confidant, coach and just Mom. You will always miss her but you go on…
buck2202
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: the first item is top-story on WaPo right now. I tried to post it a while ago but got stuck in moderation
Baud
FWIW
Gelfling 545
@WaterGirl: I like this better than a paint chip.
Eric U.
@FlipYrWhig: yeah, and it might work just as well as it did with Bill Clinton and Robert Hanssen, Ken Starr’s favorite leaky FBI agent. Oh, wait, Hanssen is serving 15 consecutive life sentences for treason? Huh.
Hal
@Corner Stone: I hope this ends up a reply of Chaffetz’s and Cecile Richards of planned parenthood. Chaffetz is an idiot and not very good at scheming.
https://youtu.be/iGlLLzw5_KM
hovercraft
@Baud:
He is the good David this year, the other David has been one of the biggest concern trolls all cycle. I’m with with Plouffe, GOTV. Robbie Mook said yesterday was their biggest fundraising Saturday all cycle, and they have 50K volunteers out this weekend, so even with the pants wetting, people are still out there working. In the end this may turn out to be a good thing even though it doesn’t feel that way now. Complacency is/was our biggest enemy, fear and anger our biggest motivators.
schrodinger's cat
@Larkspur: He/she does that about almost every topic under the sun, asks blindingly obvious and leading questions.
Baud
@hovercraft: Saw on Twitter that they are sending Kaine to Arizona again. So they are still looking to expand the map.
germy
@Baud:
Corner Stone
@schrodinger’s cat: But why did the Hare take so many naps? I don’t understand when the tortoise was always just plodding along. Why, oh why?
Baud
@Corner Stone: Pakistan.
Corner Stone
FBI still hasn’t read any of the emails Comey referred to. At all.
If that reporting is accurate, isn’t this all just fucking nuts?
Corner Stone
@Baud: That still doesn’t answer why there are so few green M&M’s in my mini-bags. Explain that, will ya!
hovercraft
@Baud:
Their internals must show continued strength. The two new state nbc polls show her up 1 in FL and up 6 in NC, but that was through Thursday.
Baud
@Corner Stone: There are some mysteries we are never meant to solve.
Baud
@hovercraft: Right. Clinton was in Florida yesterday, I believe.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Baud: Yup, gave at least one good speech that I saw and had a big rally/concert with… Jennifer Lopez? I am an old… in Miami
Major Major Major Major
@hovercraft: Plouffe was always the talented one.
Schlemazel
@CarolDuhart2:
My condolences, losing a parent is always tough
My mom, whose name was Carol incidentally, died 8 years ago. We had a lovely memorial for her that helped me a lot. But I miss her dearly because she made the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas joyful. We baked dozens of different cookies ad distributed them to family & friends. I try but with the kids spread across the country is is just not the same.
You are smart about partners. Mom was unable to leave her husband because she lacked the self confidence. It stunted her her entire life.
FlipYrWhig
@Corner Stone: I suspect the Weiner agents read them without a warrant, but Comey can’t say that.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@hovercraft: I think Grunwald had a lot of access to Obama people when writing his book on the Stimulus, and he’s not a gossipy type, so I do wonder if something’s up with Axelrod. It’s been clear for a while he’s not over whatever went down with him and the Clintons in ’08
Not that I disagree with Axelrod here, but that’s an odd way for someone whose job was running political campaigns to talk about the economy two weeks before election day.
Schlemazel
nope
WaterGirl
@Gelfling 545: Oh what a sweet camel baby! Definitely better than a paint chip. But I’m still not ruling out the paint color thing!
Baud
@Schlemazel: Axelrod is Obama’s guy. Are you confusing him with Mark Penn?
rikyrah
@CarolDuhart2:
The firsts without them are hard. Sending positive thoughts to you.
MattF
I suppose this is OT, (or, y’know, maybe not…) but I just have to link to it.
WaterGirl
@germy: Okay, that made me laugh! So true. I always say “No good conversation ever started with the words we need to talk“.
Gelfling 545
@Larkspur: Precisely. Same here.
Schlemazel
@Baud:
yeah, sorry.
Gelfling 545
@Bill E Pilgrim: Yeah. Kind of the lowest bar to clear.
Baud
@Schlemazel: Penn has been thankfully quiet for a good while now. Thank gods.
Patricia Kayden
@Corner Stone: That says a lot about Republicans then because Trump is objectively the most unqualified candidate ever to be selected by a major party to run for President in my lifetime. He has zero qualifications and his demeanor and colorful past should have eliminated him from the contest during the primaries.
WaterGirl
@FlipYrWhig: Would it be impolite of me to say that I hope that Comey drowns in the quicksand of poop he dumped on our democracy on Friday?
Patricia Kayden
@hovercraft: It is kind of shocking that a 12 point lead could go all the way down to 1 point. I was shocked when I heard Joy Reid mention that on her show this morning. Oh well.
Feathers
href=”#comment-6082640″>Corner Stone: Diwali M&Ms would be awesome. Have absolutely no idea if that would be culturally/religiously appropriate, but my lapsed Catholic self would buy many of them.
Intrigued by the second video, the differences between the first group, who appear to be from the sub-continent and learned dancing within their community, and last two, who are Anglo and obviously have a great deal of Western dance training is striking. Diaspora is a strange beast.
Schlemazel
@Baud:
I am not a fan of either one from what I have seen. Penn though should settle for a K Street gig & go away
Baud
@Patricia Kayden: Credit where it’s due. Trump does two things well. 1) Speak to white people’s primal racial fears and 2) puts on a good show for TV. IOW, he’s very good at the fascist thing.
hovercraft
@Corner Stone:
Per Michael Isikoff, yesterday night.
ETA: Autoplay at the link.
Peale
It’s not so much the corruption, it’s that the corruption makes no sense. Says Ask a Korean. Plus the clothes and handbags were tasteless.
Patricia Kayden
From your link: @Bill E Pilgrim:
Comey really needs to either resign or be fired for this blatant partisan politicking. Glad to see that Republicans are also speaking out against him.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
This made me laugh
Patricia Kayden
@Baud: And he may combine those two things he does well by starting his own t.v. station where he can rage on endlessly about how Whites have had it so bad since the 60’s while being surrounded by his sycophants (except Christie who will be in jail for Bridgegate by then).
Peale
@hovercraft: yep. I’m getting the feeling that Weiner may have been set up to get access to those devices. Not that he isn’t easy to set up.
ETA: I’m going to assume that the DOJ will be at lunch these next nine days. There isn’t any urgency this week.
hovercraft
@Patricia Kayden:
Most of the attrition was before the “bombshell”, I would say it was the Obamacare premium rate hikes, and the hype about “Clinton Inc.”, but this didn’t help. I think that Friday before this it was already down to 4 points. The change was due to republicans going back to Trump. At the height of her lead, Trump was only polling in the 70’s I think, and by the end of the week it was back up to almost 90, which is where it always is. Bottom line is that we are tribal, and no matter the candidate and how terrible they are we revert back to our tribe in the end. So despite all the talk about republicans shunning him and Trump not being a “real” republican, they are voting for him at the same rate they did for RMoney. He is them, and they are just as terrible as him. This is not a sports team we are rooting for here, this is the leader of our country and they are voting for this scum. Country First, America First, my ass.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Patricia Kayden: Speaking of Christie, I really hope this is true…
Trump offered Christie his VP slot — then rescinded it
Sorry, Hole.
Peale
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Chris Christie: home-wrecker?
FlipYrWhig
@hovercraft: do you think it was news events at all? I’d guess it was that as Hillary opened up a significant lead, Republicans who had been inclined to vote for Johnson started to grudgingly move to Trump as a last ditch effort to stop her.
SWMBO
@Baud: I voted Oct. 24. My husband was sick and just got out to vote today. He missed Hillary at the local civic center today. She was touring all the early voting stations around here and personally thanking her supporters for early voting. She’s still working her ass off and wants everyone else to do so as well.
One of our neighbors has the sisters to our boys. She brought her dogs over for a play date today. When OldDave came back from voting, she told him she was a Trump supporter. She was talking a bit later (after he went to work) and asked how you vote/early vote? I told her how early voting worked and she’s not the brightest crayon in the box. She decided that she just wouldn’t vote after all. Am I a bad person for not encouraging her to vote? When I texted it to my husband he replied “For the Greater Good”.
Let’s GOTV but not the Trump voters, ok?
Baud
@SWMBO: Nope. You didn’t impose any unnecessary ID requirements on her or lie to her. You did nothing wrong.
OldDave
@SWMBO: HRC outside while I was inside Maybe the link will work. From WSJ, so who knows?
gene108
@redshirt:
Legacy of Cold War politics.
The details are more than I know, but the general outline is:
1. India declared as Neutral in the Cold War
2. The USA was like, WTF? Neutral is not an option, either you are a freedom loving capitalist society or you are a communist country.
3. India was like, yo there’s a Third Way, a Third World of options if you will
4. At the same time the USA was talking to Pakistan and was like, “hey, Pakistan, be our buds, we’ll make it worth your while.”
5. Pakistan was like sure bro, your totes cool with us, unlike those stupid Indians
6. And then in 1971, India signed a mutual defense agreement with the USSR (I believe Pakistan settled on a similar deal with the USA, but not 100% positive) and that sort of froze relations until the end of the Cold War and the Clinton Administration started making efforts to better relations.
hovercraft
@FlipYrWhig:
Chuck Todd has been pointing out that since the start of the debates, the independent candidates have been losing support, and this is in keeping with every other election. So yes that is part of the closing that was to be expected, but the news also has a impact on people who were soft for Hillary and have been reminded about the evils of democratic “rule.” It also can push people who were not that enthusistic for him into “likely voter” from just “registered.”
@SWMBO:
You performed a public good. Just as canvassers only go to people they think will vote for their side, you are only encouraging people on humanity’s side to vote.
It’s not our job to GOTV for him, just for her. You could also remind them that Trump told them all to make sure that they get out to vote on November 28th.
100% totally true.
tobie
I’m thinking there must be a helluva lot of volunteers for HRC this weekend, because when I used the campaign website for phone banking, the only places that came up to call were 2nd tier battleground states (i.e., Iowa, Ohio Virginia, Wisconsin). Notable absences from the list: Florida, North Carolina, Nevada. Maybe they’re reserving those for folks on the ground?
gene108
@Schlemazel:
India and China went to war in the early 1960’s.
There’s a serious territorial dispute on India’s Northeastern border with China. China wants to takeover the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Though I am not sure what is behind China’s claims, but India does not want to cede any territory.
redshirt
@gene108:Thanks for you answers. Sorry I asked any questions. So naive of me.
Patricia Kayden
@SWMBO:
Sounds like a plan to me.
Lizzy L
I dropped by Sam Wang’s place to read his latest Calm-the-fuck-down-people post, and to look at the numbers. Neither he nor Nate Silver have changed anything significant. Clinton is still winning. At PEC, Florida is still blue, though Iowa is now grey — too close to call. The way things look now, Clinton could lose FL and she would still win.
GOTV, no matter what. I’ll be phone banking later today.
Peale
@gene108: like all of China’s expansion claims, it seems to be based on the idea that treaties signed when china was weak and by previous governments are open to renegotiation. China as it existed at its greatest territorial extent. It most certainly will not recognize the treaty between Tibet and the UK that brought that province into India since it does not recognize Tibetan independence from 1911ish – 1950.
Patricia Kayden
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: That’s fascinating. I hope someone writes a tell all book about this election when it’s all over and President Hillary Clinton has been inaugurated. It has been the strangest, most exasperating election of my lifetime. While I cannot stand Halperin, the Game Change movie is fantastic.
schrodinger's cat
@redshirt: You have criticized me on more than one occasion for talking about India, and now you act all innocent and naive. Suit yourself.
CarolDuhart2
I love this!
Trentrunner
Depressing but true thought: Unless Clinton wins in a landslide and Dems win the Senate AND the House, we will always wonder precisely how much damage Comey’s Surprise did. Not “might do.” “Did.” The damage is done.
And since the Senate was a nailbiter before Comey…
redshirt
@schrodinger’s cat: What are you talking about? You’re upset I asked a question about India in a thread about an Indian holiday? Jeez.
germy
The Final Days
Hal
@Trentrunner: What you’re proposing is a fantasy. Dems were not going to win the Senate and the house, and Clinton’s chances of a landslide were always slim. Also, it’s only Sunday, and we have no solid idea that Comey has done anything to change the outcome of this election. Hell, he might have helped turnout on the Democratic side for all we know. People just need to keep their eyes on the prize and go from there.
Baud
@Trentrunner: We’ll find out just how strong the non-deplorable coalition really is.
redshirt
So, given BJ tradition, now that there’s been 6 hours since the last new thread, I expect at least 3 new ones within the next hour.
Uncle Cosmo
@Hillary Rettig: Then you are remarkably easily “amazed & moved,” since the concept is as close to a no-brainer as human brains prior to the invention of artificial lighting can get.
It’s far more interesting that the concept is ensconced in a country close enough to the equator that the variation in length of day is hardly noticeable. (E.g., in Mumbai the longest day of the year is 13 hrs 16 min, while the shortest is 10 hrs 59 min, a variation of 2 hr 17 minutes or less than 10%. And there’s lots of India farther south than Mumbai.)
CarolDuhart2
Trump is in the bargaining stage. His, and his family’s brand is toast with rising demographics. I expect Ivanka Trump clothing to be found, tags ripped off, in Salvation Army and thrift stores within 6 months. Rooms in his hotels have dropped from $600 a night to about $300, and the remaining ones are being renamed “Scion”. He’s going to take a bath in convention-business meeting rentals, the bread and butter of a hotel chain. If this was simply a conventional political convention, in 6 months when passions cooled off, things would go back to a sort of normal.
But Trump has been exposed as a deplorable on all levels. Racist, sexist, borderline child molester, deadbeat. He’s not going to recover from this. No amount of PR is ever going to get his celebrity cachet back-which is what sold people on his hotels.
WaterGirl
Has anybody else been having trouble with BJ loading really slowly at times? Even this afternoon on a REALLY slow BJ day, I have had this happen a few times.
germy
@WaterGirl: yes, I have experienced this.
LeftMass
Trump’s brand is clearly damaged with people who are voting against him. FSM willing, many of his fervent supporters will be dismayed on Nov 9 and begin to reposition him in their mind as a loser who let them down.
There goes another chunk of potential customers…
WaterGirl
@CarolDuhart2: I hope you’re right. I think there’s a good chance that when all the uproar dies down, a lot of people will stop caring and Trump’s brand will rebound. Perhaps I’m more cynical than you.
P.S. Glad your mom’s celebration went well. My mom died on Halloween over 30 years ago, but when I read your earlier comment I was transported back to the first Christmas in my mom’s living room, without my mom. It’s funny how emptiness can have such a big presence. Those first holidays are hard. When my dad died, it was just the three of us sisters left. “Oh, we’ll still get together at Christmas just like always”, said my two sisters with husbands and children. Yeah, right. Not once in the 20 years since we lost my dad have we all been together at christmas. I wish you peaceful holidays.
NR
Looks like you guys were wrong about it only being 3 emails.
Trump is also catching up in the polls. Supposedly, there are still more stories waiting to drop on Trump. All I can say is, they’d better be good.
WaterGirl
@germy: It’s not just me! So that’s good. But that means we have a website issue, which is bad.
Peale
@CarolDuhart2: yep. If there were Romney hotels, I don’t think it would have been a problem in 2009 for him to recover. But no one who organizes events is going to risk pissing off a good number of attendees.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
hovercraft
How Hillary Clinton Met Satan
By SUSAN FALUDI NY Times
Longish read, but it shows the demonization of Hillary by both sides.
Chyron HR
@NR:
Remember to liveblog your breakdown when Clinton wins. You owe us that much.
Schlemazel
@gene108:
I was aware they were shooting at each other, I don’t remember why.
China has decided to appear peaceful and not use their military to get what the can without it. It seems to be working. If this keeps up there could easily be a time that things break down into a shooting war. There is no way that ends well for anybody.
NR
@Chyron HR:
That’s really unfortunate. And, uh, maybe see a therapist about that paste thing.
Uncle Cosmo
@NR: FOADIAF, shitstain.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Harry Reid is FLAMING Comey. Shitstorm for traitor Comey is coming.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@NR: Oh, shut the fuck up, weathervane troll
Schlemazel
@Chyron HR:
That would be fun but you know he will disappear on the 8th. These whiny losers always run away. There job is to cause friction on the Dem side & to dishearten Dem voters. We won’t hear from him until the first Congressional investigation into some trumped up bullshit . . . so February.
hovercraft
How Hillary Clinton Met Satan
By SUSAN FALUDI NY Times
Longish read, but it shows the demonization of Hillary by both sides.
Johnnybuck
71% won’t change their votes, 6% more likely to vote for Clinton.
JMG
It’s closer than it was last Sunday, but Clinton is still ahead, and ahead in what counts, real votes cast by real voters. There are over 20 million of them now, and every poll I’ve seen with one exception (Upshot poll of Florida) shows them as having voted for Clinton by a significant margin.
It’d be wonderful if it was a Clinton landslide, but that’s not the country we live in. Since the alternative is a lunatic with nuclear weapons who at a minimum will wreck my retirement portfolio, I will take a Clinton win however it comes with gratitude.
Iowa Old Lady
BJ is slow and so are some other sites.
cain
Happy Diwali – just an aside, I have a fairly “old” name – Sriram which is named after the protagonist in the Ramayana. I suppose someone should lay out some lights at a bar, cuz I sure can use a drink. :)
Shell
Wow, people must be out celebrating Divali. No new thread since this morning?
redshirt
@Shell: Elect Baud to the Front Page and we will have new Open Threads every two hours.
WaterGirl
@Johnnybuck: That’s not how I read the answers at the link you provided.
NotMax
@JMG
Do not disagree that the early voting trends generally are favorable for HRC, but there is not a single poll showing actual votes. There are polls reflecting which groups, in aggregate, have voted (but not for whom they voted).
Just felt it is a distinction which should be noted.
Trentrunner
@NotMax: True. But not expecting droves of Dems to crossover for Trump. Are you?
Lizzy L
Oops. Reboot. Not going to make calls for Hillary during the World Series game.Go Cubs!
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
Harry Reid’s letter: shorter: where is the information about Trump’s traitorous Putin love?
If the media ignores this letter, then we know that all of us Dems are the firewall between democracy and the allied forces of evil. GOTV, GO HILLARY, GO DEMS, #EXPECTUS.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: How do you read them?
NotMax
@Trentrunner
Not what I said or implied. Was only responding to the original comment which was, IMHO, imprecise and open to misinterpretation as to what such polls represent.
workworkwork
@Corner Stone: Coat tails?
We need more Dems in power out here.
workworkwork
@SiubhanDuinne: When my students try to pull that on me, I refer to it as an “Albania, Land of Contrasts” paper.
Kathleen
@CarolDuhart2: My condolences, Carol. Sending thoughts for peace and healing.
CarolDuhart2
@WaterGirl: I don’t think so. A lot of his real customer base cares about appearances-and the only thing Trump has going for him is his reputation. There are now plenty of hotels that do luxury without the appearance of supporting bigotry and antisemitism to choose from these days. Also plenty of brands that are at least non-toxic to choose from.
The only way I would ever buy an Ivanka Trump would be if I found it say, at the Salvation Army or a yard sale-and even then, I probably would look askance at the seller unless she said it was very old.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Harry Reid’s letter is starting to get some traction…. Reid says he knows Comey has “explosive information” about the connection between Trump and Putin….
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: @Johnnybuck: Let’s just say that I did not get the correct answer when I added 48 + 23. oops! apologies
SiubhanDuinne
@workworkwork:
You are considerably savvier than Bush’s audience. I remember watching it and laughing my ass off. It was just a fact sheet recitation. Astonishingly inept for an eve-of-visit talk, and in any case it was all stuff that you would expect to hear maybe from a minor bureaucratic functionary, not from the FPOTFUS.
Kathleen
Per latest email from Ohio Democratic Party, Ohio is tied. Also, early voting in Ohio is up 20% from 2012.