"To all the young kids out there: You are smarter than you think. You hold more strength than you may ever know. You are powerful." – @HRC Visibility Award Recipient Olympian Adam Rippon (@AdaRipp) at the #HRCLADinner pic.twitter.com/kb4HubHSOx
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) March 11, 2018
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What’s on the agenda, as we gear up for a fresh week?
Kobekid
Good way to start the day
NotMax
For serious techies only – Your Smart Home Is Spying On You. Here’s How To Spy Back.
NobodySpecial
Good morning!
It’s interesting. I’ve been in a funk for months now, very uncreative and feeling drained by personal issues around me. I think I’m finally starting to get to a period where I’ll be more active. A role playing podcast I’ve worked with before asked if they could print a two page microstory I’d written, and I think that broke the ice. So it’s time to drag out a notebook and plot a campaign or two for the future.
rikyrah
Good Morning,Everyone ???
oatler.
Kind of cribbing Elastigirl’s speech to her daughter in “The Incredibles”.
OzarkHillbilly
@NotMax: My home, like it’s owner, is as dumb as a box of rocks.
satby
@rikyrah: Good morning ?!
@NobodySpecial: that’s good! Winter puts a lot of people into funks and it can get contagious. Hope this is the start of more good things.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@rikyrah: @satby: Good morning! And of course to everyone else also too.
satby
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: Good morning! Sneaking a peek before work? Have a great day!
Mustang Bobby
Good morning, all. “All Together Now” closed with a sold-out house and a standing ovation for the cast yesterday afternoon at the Willow Theatre in Boca Raton. (And the royalty check cleared.) Great cast, great director, wonderful set design, and next year the company will do my play “Can’t Live Without You ” (pending theatre approval). So it’s not goodbye, it’s intermission.
satby
@NotMax: so you couldn’t mow yesterday but it could be worse. We’re getting snow again. This winter just keeps dragging on. It wouldn’t be so bad if the temps were closer to normal for this time of year but it’s been colder than average.
satby
@Mustang Bobby: Congratulations!
Schlemazel
@Mustang Bobby:
Good for you!
OzarkHillbilly
@Mustang Bobby: Congrats.
debbie
Original or not, what a great thing to say to other young people.
debbie
@Mustang Bobby:
Nice, esp. that check!
aimai
@Mustang Bobby: Wow! That is amazing!
OzarkHillbilly
via commenter @teve tory: over at OTB:
satby
@OzarkHillbilly: link no worky
WereBear
@NobodySpecial: Exciting news.
NobodySpecial
@Mustang Bobby: Congrats!
satby
So a nice thing about DST is that my dogs are still snoring and I am able to finish a cup of coffee before they figure out it’s morning ?
OzarkHillbilly
@satby: I tried to link to his specific comment, was unsure if it would work. Guess not. This will take you to the whole comment thread.
Emma
@Mustang Bobby: Bravo!
Betty Cracker
@NobodySpecial & @Mustang Bobby: Bravo to both of you!
@OzarkHillbilly: I was going to front-page that last night after I read it on Twitter, but someone had just put a post up, and I got distracted. It lays the problem out so clearly!
rikyrah
@OzarkHillbilly:
Bravo ????
Kay
Betsy DeVos is in charge of selling Donald Trump’s school shooting prevention plan. So arming teachers will now immediately get less popular.
The one and only reason anyone knows about her – her single qualification- is that she inherited wealth and then married more of it. Take away her massive wealth and she’s just any random far Right voter from Michigan.
bystander
@Mustang Bobby: Congrats!
@OzarkHillbilly: Thanks for that article. Nice summary of where we are now.
OzarkHillbilly
@Betty Cracker: It deserves being front paged today, otherwise it will just get buried in an AM open thread.
rikyrah
@OzarkHillbilly:
Link to original Twitter thread
https://twitter.com/drvox/status/972915124032888832?s=19
Betty Cracker
@Kay: OMG, did you see her disastrous “60 Minutes” interview? I was actually embarrassed for her.
James E Powell
@Betty Cracker:
Is there a summary somewhere? I can’t watch her without a violent reaction.
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
Kay
A real question. Those trip her up.
“Well, Savannah, as you know, we’re liars and that reality tv show meeting/campaign commercial we produced and you aired was not intended to be factual or informative”
If any of you are looking for some quick grifter cash may I suggest getting into the “federal grants for hardening schools” business? Talk a lot about “perimeter fencing” and make sure to never mention guns.
Citizen Scientist
Good morning everyone. I hope this Monday finds you all well. Currently trying to remain upright during a layover for an extremely early flight to San Diego with little sleep for the past few days.
How about that DeVos interview, eh?
Baud
@Mustang Bobby: Remember us little people when your home in your penthouse in the sky.
OzarkHillbilly
I despair for our species:
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@NobodySpecial: @Mustang Bobby: The range of creativity on BJ continually amazes me. Are we unusually blessed with creative people? Or is this what you’d find in a bunch of verbal liberals anywhere?
@OzarkHillbilly: Someone here posted a link to that tweet storm yesterday. It’s startling because it’s truthful.
Baud
@OzarkHillbilly: White liberals can’t stand up to their white conservative friends, family, and business associates. It’s a hard thing to do.
Patricia Kayden
@Mustang Bobby: Congrats!!
Thoughtful David
@Kay:
FTFY.
Kay
@Betty Cracker:
I’m not embarrassed for her because why did she take this job? How has she been so coddled for 70 years that no one ever told her she sucks at this? Also- she’s at the Department of Education. Why doesn’t she spend at a least a couple of weekends learning something about public education? She’s getting less informed, not better informed. Leslie Stahl did a good job but that question on Michigan was guaranteed to come. How can she not know how to answer that?
It’s privilege. Other people have to prepare and gain experience but not her- she’s special. You know what “experience” is? Work. That’s all it is. She skipped the work part of the qualifications and it shows.
Cheryl Rofer
Good thread here on the DeVos interview, with resources.
Betty Cracker
@James E Powell: Here’s a link with written content, but be sure you’re ready to disable the autoplay!
Baud
@Kay:
I have no employees and would like to “work” from home. I might take your advice on this.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Mustang Bobby:
Congratulations!
Betty Cracker
@Kay: All true! It’s not like she’s new either — she’s been on the job for a while now. Maybe read a white paper or something.
WereBear
@Mustang Bobby: Dang awesome!
Dog Mom
Perimeter fencing – and unfortunately all I envision is students trapped inside . . .
Betty Cracker
@Baud: Ever since the election, I’ve been experimenting with actively confronting the wingnuts in my life instead of invoking the “no politics” rule or strategically leaving the room. I’m not sure it has done any good. Maybe! But the jury is out.
Lapassionara
@Mustang Bobby: congratulations!
Kay
@Baud:
It makes me cry because in some states schools really are underfunded- not in all states, but in about 25 states. Those are the states where they’ll get federal money and spend it on security grifters. Donald Trump and his low quality team really believe schools are like airports. That was the easiest and laziest comparison so they all jumped on it. But schools aren’t at all like airports. None of these people know the first thing about public schools, and, worse, they don’t value public schools- they don’t even think public schools should exist let alone be “safe”.
Baud
@Betty Cracker:
You are wonderful, Betty. But I’m afraid you are a rare bird, even in the Age of Trump.
Kay
@Dog Mom:
The NRA has an actual plan. 2013. Republicans in Congress gave them a prime seat at the table. The plan involves getting rid of all the trees because you need sight lines. These people are insane. They will do ANYTHING to protect guns. Turn schools into prisons? Sure!
Baud
@Kay:
Maybe “No TSA in Our Schools” should be a rallying cry. People hate the TSA.
OzarkHillbilly
Head? Meet Desk.
Including Melania, Ivanka, and Mike Pence’s wife who’s name I don’t even know.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: Hasn’t been a problem for me or most of my friends.
Baud
@OzarkHillbilly:
You’re just an asshole.
(But at least you’re our asshole.)
ETA: In all seriousness, I think it’s a bigger problem for people less involved in politics, and for the type of libs who like David Brooks.
clay
@OzarkHillbilly: It’s Mother.
JMG
Good morning. Power came back on Saturday night after going out in Wednesday night’s storm. This gives us just enough time to get ready for tomorrow’s 18-24 inches of snow. At least Daylight Saving Time gives us more opportunity to look at the frozen hellscape.
Baud
@clay: Heh. I hope that’s how they tweeted it.
rikyrah
@Baud:
Uh huh
Uh huh ??
They’d rather blame anything else, other than their Dolt45 loving family members ??
Baud
@rikyrah: I agree.
ETA: You edited your comment.
rikyrah
@Mustang Bobby:
Yeah ?????
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: Also, if that is true it is a trait shared by both sides. My son gave me a “Make Racism Wrong Again” hat about 2 months after the election. I thought most people never even noticed because nobody out here ever said anything. 2 wkends ago I met some friends at a microbrewery for some live music and good beer. In the space of an hour about a dozen people complimented me on it. If they were reading it, so is everyone else.
Betty Cracker
@Baud: An aunt and uncle who were infrequent voters before Trump are a particular project. I try to re-invigorate their political apathy by pointing out all the ways they’ve been conned. My goal is that they become so disillusioned that they never vote again. That’s the best outcome in their case — two fewer votes for wingnuts in FL. They’ll never vote for a sane person.
Baud
@OzarkHillbilly: If Missouri ever turns blue, we’ll have you to thank.
ETA: see my comment here
https://balloon-juice.com/2018/03/12/monday-morning-open-thread-never-forget-you-can-be-someones-champion/#comment-6792439
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud:
DING DING DING!!! We have a winner.
Mustang Bobby
@Baud: Our district won’t be applying for any of those grants, Thank Dog.
satby
@Baud: I do it all the time. Which is probably why I have many less friends than I used to. But I wouldn’t change that even if I had known in advance what it was going to cost me.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: Well, Misery used to be purple. Maybe I’m to blame for it turning red.
satby
@OzarkHillbilly: so I should be good wearing my bright orange “March for Our Lives” shirt at the Farmer’s Market where hippies and open carry nuts mingle?
Because my inner asshole really wants to, even though it’ll cost me business ?
Gin & Tonic
Putin’s investment in the NRA is clearly paying off.
Baud
Some good news.
OzarkHillbilly
@satby: Yep. It might very well cost you business tho. If my garden performs like I want it to this summer and the farmers market is worth my time, I’ll be selling out of the back of my truck. While I expect that given a choice a fair # will choose somebody not so politically to the left of them, I also wonder how many far RWNJs patronize farmers markets. I suspect that far RWNJs would just as soon go to WalMart and that of those RWers who come to farmer’s markets their politics are a lot more muddled. I know several gun nuts who are also hard core environmentalists. (they are mostly libertarian)
Denali
Erik Prince is Betsy DeVos’ brother. That is all
japa21
Penzey’s time. Normally I just copy and paste a couple sentences. This is too good to do that.
He also talked about attempts on the right to boycott his company.
I know a lot of people here have ordered from Penzey’s for years. I also know they have new customers from BJ because of their stand.
Elizabelle
@satby: Hmmm. Maybe a bit “in your face.” Can you wear an orange ribbon instead? And even put out a contributions jar to Moms Demand Action.
I’m not sure the humpiest of the gunhumpers are out at farmer’s markets, so maybe you’re seeing the more reasonable set.
Is there that much open carry at farmer’s markets? What, in case someone from Michigan gets out of hand? Are there vegetable and flower rustlers in your environs?
Sloane Ranger
In my local library taking a break from shelving books (I’m a volunteer here). Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon when they are coming to fix my central heating which has been out for a week. Please dog!
WaterGirl
That video made me cry.
OzarkHillbilly
@Elizabelle: The whole idea of speech is to be heard. What’s the point in muting one’s self? I understand if one is uncomfortable of being so up front but for me the idea is to say “This is unacceptable”. Sometimes it pushes my boundaries too.
And on the subject of free speech: Everything we think about the political correctness debate is wrong
Support for free speech is rising, and is higher among liberals and college graduates.
condorcet runner-up
@Kay: Of course, one of the many flaws in their approach is the premise that they woukd know anything about running an airport in the first place.
Fair Economist
@OzarkHillbilly:
What was the role of bots in this, especially Russian ones?
Elizabelle
@OzarkHillbilly: True, there is that. And if you don’t speak out, you don’t find your fellow brave souls and kindred spirits.
When these massacres happen, I ask myself “why not our local high school? Why not our community?” And it’s no reason, no reason at all.
Satby’s got more range of action than most in retail do, that is for sure. Try wearing that orange shirt to a big box store, or a small retailer, as an employee ….
Fair Economist
@OzarkHillbilly: The whole “liberals are repressing free speech” business is nonsense. As the saying goes “it’s good to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out”. Rightist nonsense has become so nonsensical and evil it’s just a waste of time to listen at this point. There’s only so much time in the day, and we need to learn about important things like corruption in politics and media message distortion.
OzarkHillbilly
@Fair Economist: Don’t know, that would take a more detailed study I think.
satby
@Elizabelle:
I know, weird, right? One of the vendors wears her handgun prominently in a holster on her hip, and she is a nut; other open carry assholes wander in occasionally. I normally leave any establishment where I see one of them (my father, the homicide cop, wasn’t even comfortable when his fellow cops had drawn weapons, and they weren’t as nuts back then). But I can’t leave the Market unless I close for the day.
OzarkHillbilly
@Elizabelle:
Yeah, I know. As a union carpenter I had a lot more latitude than most people but even then there were limits.
satby
@OzarkHillbilly: @Fair Economist: the article mentions that the study authors calculated both without the bots that could be identified and with and found not that much difference:
SiubhanDuinne
@Mustang Bobby:
Oh, MB, that’s wonderful! All kinds of congratulations!
OzarkHillbilly
@satby: Thanx, I had moved on before I got to that point. I was getting too depressed.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@satby: I grew up in Detroit. If I see someone other than a cop carrying a gun, I leave as fast as I can.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Fair Economist: Not as much as you would hope over the timespan of the study. Here’s the Atlantic’s piece on it. It didn’t look at the seeding of the fake stories, but the retweeting of them. However:
WaterGirl
@Mustang Bobby: That is so great, Mustang Bobby!
J R in WV
@Mustang Bobby:
Wow, it’s so good to hear about your success continuing in your favorite activity!!
Congratulations!
Which was better, the standing O or the royalty check?
Gelfling 545
@Betty Cracker: I’ve been quite ruthless about confronting since the election. Not too hard to do as I don’t know that many who are that ignorant. Still ,THEY are now the ones crying “ no politice, please!” I’m taking it, perhaps erroneously, as a sign that they know they’ve been had & don’t want to admit it.
Camassia
Another wing nut fantasizing about civil war and murder: https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/trump-supporter-fantasizes-conservative-gun-owners-slaughtering-soldiers-liberals-new-civil-war/?comments=disqus
James E. Powell
@Betty Cracker:
Thank you. What burns is that no matter how clueless or evil she is, she and her kind will remain in power for the foreseeable future.
No One You Know
@NobodySpecial: I’m familiar with the feeling. Spring is coming! I hope it’s in more ways than one.
I’ve been hiding in a single project and coming out like the legendary woodchuck of spring. I’m hoping to throw off my second cold in three weeks and get back to work tomorrow.
TristKingsley
Thank you, everyone! ?