It was a "third-rate burglary attempt. … Certain elements may try to stretch this beyond what it is.?
— White House spokesman Ronald Ziegler, June 19, 1972. https://t.co/3GQobUfOcU— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 30, 2018
Seriously? Putin has a $1bn estate on the Black Sea – and that’s just one of them. Anyways, the Federal Protection Service won’t let him anywhere near an elevator, let alone share a residence with absolutely anyone. Are these people really so dumb? https://t.co/SLchkE1tnu
— Alexey Kovalev (@Alexey__Kovalev) November 29, 2018
I figured it was intended to be more like The Apartment, only for murders instead of extramarital assignations. Which is a whole different can of worms, but hey — foreigners! Watcha gonna do?
The Trump Organization planned to give a $50 million penthouse at Trump Tower Moscow to Vladimir Putin as the company negotiated the real estate development, four people tell BuzzFeed, one of them the originator of the plan. https://t.co/PHQct41zdm
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 29, 2018
… BuzzFeed News first reported in May on the secret dealings of Cohen and his business associate Felix Sater with political and business figures in Moscow.
The two men worked furiously behind the scenes into the summer of 2016 to get the Moscow deal finished — despite public claims that the development was canned in January, before Trump won the Republican nomination. Sater told BuzzFeed News today that he and Cohen thought giving the Trump Tower’s most luxurious apartment, a $50 million penthouse, to Putin would entice other wealthy buyers to purchase their own. “In Russia, the oligarchs would bend over backwards to live in the same building as Vladimir Putin,” Sater told BuzzFeed News. “My idea was to give a $50 million penthouse to Putin and charge $250 million more for the rest of the units. All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin.” A second source confirmed the plan.
Sater, a brash real estate promoter who pleaded guilty to racketeering in 1998 and became a longtime asset to US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, had worked with the Trump Organization on deals in the past and said he came up with the idea. Cohen, Sater recalled, said, “Great idea.”…
Another sidebar: Trump and his minions knew Sater had ratted out prior partners to the FBI, but they trusted him into their deals anyway. Did Donny Dollhands actually believe he was smart enough not to get caught the same way, or was he just that desperate for anyone who might help him make some ready cash?
Let me ask White House Senior Advisor @IvankaTrump about Trump Tower Moscow.
Oh wait, she blocked me, a Member of Congress, because my questions bother her.
Let me correct that. She blocked me, a Member of Congress who will be in the majority, because my questions bother her. https://t.co/9xFiHzPhsX
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) November 30, 2018
NEW: The House Intelligence Committee will investigate the Trump Organization’s plan to give Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow.
Follow-up to stellar reporting today by @JasonLeopold and @a_cormier_.https://t.co/caAZixkSx7
— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) November 30, 2018
… “As a member of the committee, I would strongly urge us to bring in everybody associated with this deal and figure out what was offered, who it was offered to, and who knew about it,” Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic member of the committee, told BuzzFeed News on Thursday.
Castro also said he believed the plan could have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. “If this was an attempt to speed up the project or secure the project and make sure it got done, it could amount to bribery for an official of a foreign government and anyone who was part of that could be in violation of this federal statute,” he said.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell, another Democrat on the committee, said he wants it to investigate the plan as well. “Now we’re in a position where we can look at third-party communication records, third-party travel logs, third-party bank records, to see what was really going on in the background, and to further probe what the candidate’s knowledge was of the prospective deal and Moscow and the offer by the Russians to help him,” he said.
“We’re way beyond bribery,” he added. “If a candidate for president is offering a foreign adversary a $50 million gift while that adversary through his own backchannels is offering support of the campaign, that’s betrayal at the highest level; that’s conspiracy.
“Bribery would be the least of Donald Trump’s worries.”
Reminder: Oligarchs, the Russian mafia, the Russian government, and the Russian intelligence services are all the same guys. You can’t shake just one hand of that octopus. https://t.co/e4WeXpvuLz
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 29, 2018
I agree with Alexey here. If this was truly offered to VVP, it exposes the amateurish ways of the Trump Organization team. But if true, it also exposes their illegal ways. This is called a bribe, a kickback, a payoff. Its illegal both in Russia and the US. And it's disgusting. https://t.co/uqaNT6xH5j
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) November 30, 2018
Would having Vladimir Putin in your building really be a selling point? He, uh, kills people.
— Lindsay Beyerstein (@beyerstein) November 30, 2018
What if you and your neighbors want to redo the carpet in the lobby and Vladimir doesn't? I don't even want to think about the stress inherent in that.
— Lindsay Beyerstein (@beyerstein) November 30, 2018
He owns plenty of houses, but he never owned a president before. Better than penthouse, da? pic.twitter.com/FgYHO6sgEq
— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 29, 2018
TenguPhule
So you’re saying he’s building superintendent material then?
Hildebrand
Going after Ivanka – that may get the Orange Fool’s attention.
clay
I have to assume that Putin wouldn’t shit where he eats.
But, yeah, it seems a complete misread of the Russian environment to try to bribe Putin this way… and merely to sell condos! That seems penny ante.
hells littlest angel
In the last photo, it looks like Putin has just zapped Trump’s shock collar.
trollhattan
So weird, wanting to hi-five Bloody Bill Kristol for a zinger but credit where it’s due, and all that.
hells littlest angel
@clay: Yeah, but the condo came with a lifetime supply of Trump’s Success For men cologne.
Roger Moore
He never owned the US president before, but he clearly owned the president of Ukraine.
trollhattan
@hells littlest angel:
True. What’s Russian for “That never gets old.”
Timurid
…and yet another eerily quiet Friday.
It may be time to retire the “Friday News Dump” trope. This is about the eight or ninth time in a row that after a busy early week everyone started shouting “this Friday is gonna be LIT.” And then got drowned out by the crickets.
TenguPhule
The new Starbucks juniper latte tastes like one too many gin and tonics
Juniper latte. We are constantly reminded that we are trapped in the worst possible timeline.
TenguPhule
@Timurid:
Uh, have you been paying attention at all?
Its been a News Dump Friday of Trumpian proportions.
rikyrah
Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman1) Tweeted:
Democrats swept the governor, AG, and SecState in Michigan, so Republicans in the state legislature are moving to take away those offices’ power before the Democrats take office:
https://t.co/Jef8vqsK7c https://twitter.com/paulwaldman1/status/1068499256552632320?s=17
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Conspiring to bribe Putin with $50,000.000 dollars is a felony violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Timurid
@TenguPhule:
We’ve had, uh… the earthquake? And lots of speculation and theorycrafting on yesterday’s news and its implications…
Miss Bianca
@rikyrah: This is their fucking go-to move every time. It’s like they don’t even try to hide the fact that they’re sociopathic fascists any more. I remember when Michigan Republicans were a bit more circumspect and at least pretended to give a shit about governing in good faith.
TenguPhule
@Timurid:
1. Pentagon announcing that the 6,000 troops deployed at the border are remaining.
2. US judge rules against Trump administration in suit over policing grants to ‘sanctuary cities’
3. Dallas police officer who shot man in his own apartment indicted
4. North Carolina elections board delays certification of congressional election again
5. Trump administration approves seismic tests that could harm thousands of Atlantic dolphins and whales
Yarrow
@hells littlest angel: Hasn’t he?
TenguPhule
@Miss Bianca:
What do you mean, like?
Tony Jay
That photograph is frigging awful.
“Remind me, Donald. How tall are you?”
Trump sighs and hunches down.
“Not too tall, Boss”
“That’s what I thought”
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Drumpf says his Moscow deal was well known which contradicts his son’s testimony to Congress and means daddy just helped secure perjury charges against Junior.
Bozos.
Shana
@TenguPhule: A little clarification on #3: indicted for murder, not manslaughter.
debbie
Am I the only one who’s concerned about all the Dem telegraphing what they’re going to do in the next session? Isn’t this providing time for the GOP to strategize against them?
TenguPhule
@debbie:
They’re gonna do that anyway. At least this way the base knows what’s coming and we get some press attention about it.
bobbo
Trump has the vocabulary of a fourth grader. How do you “lightly” look at a building? He also used “lightly” to describe how he was pro-Iraq War on Howard Stern’s show.
tobie
Regarding the real estate deal in Moscow, I thought the quid pro quo was something like the following:
Vlad: Donnie, Donnie, I will let you build your Trump Tower and help you defeat the Hildebeast and become President, if you promise to repeal the Magnitsky Act, turn a blind eye to me re-annexing Ukraine, taking Syria, etc.
Donnie: Sure thing, boss. Can I have another Diet Coke?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
So, this is how the Republican Party Chair of my county replies to the criticism Trump has been getting re: GM closing Lordstown:
Bolded parts are my comments. The best bit is calling the plant closure the “Lordstown issue”. He’s minimizing the fact that thousands are losing their jobs which will have knock on effects on the wider community. Apparently, Trump can do no wrong and can’t be criticized. That’s the most authoritarian, un-American thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
JPL
@bobbo: He uses lightly strangely. just sayin
dmsilev
Yes, yes they are.
dmsilev
@TenguPhule: He’d be a natural for HOA code enforcer.
JPL
@tobie: That could be why trump’s shoulders are slumped. The boss explained to him what happened when you didn’t follow through on your promises.
rikyrah
WATB??
Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) Tweeted:
Moulton calls out Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet defending Pelosi as ‘offensive’
https://t.co/u77E4MAasW Go. Away. https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1068612315933802501?s=17
Miss Bianca
@dmsilev: Or chairman of the Neighborhood Watch.
Raoul
Someone said today to the effect of: The only way that appt would be worth $50M is if there was $48M in cash sitting on the dining room table.
tobie
@JPL: yup. Poor return on investment for Putin, but also, alas, for us. We’re stuck with the turd for 2 more years.
Elizabelle
LOL. Paul Krugman goes there today. K-Thug.
FTF NY Times: When MAGA Fantasy Meets Rust Belt Reality
Trump can’t run America by yelling at people. Who knew?
Krugman embedded this link to a Vox article. If it’s good enough for K-Thug ….
Vox: Why incompetent people often think they’re actually the best
There’s a psychological phenomenon behind it: the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Yarrow
@JPL: Trump looks like he’s on a different reality show: “Fear Factor” and Vlad’s the host.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@rikyrah:
This is his brilliant, unassailable logic:
trollhattan
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
It’s not really a cash bribe. A comp $50MM apartment to a developer playah like Trump is a professional sample, like if Pfizer backed a semi to your warehouse dock and unloaded 50MM Zoloft. They’re just building the brand!
geg6
@trollhattan:
I know, right? It feels even more weird than my sudden affection for Jen Rubin.
rikyrah
@debbie:
Not really. The GOP was always going to obstruct.
hells littlest angel
@JPL: Yeah, but powerfully. Also, moronically.
Yarrow
@debbie: Agree with the others. The GOP is always going to obstruct. The stronger move is to go on offense, which is what the Dems are doing. I’m so glad to see it.
Viva BrisVegas
It’s almost like Trump had a backdoor into the NY FBI office and knew he had nothing to worry about there.
I wonder if that backdoor was called Rudy.
dmsilev
@rikyrah: Obviously nobody has explained to Rep. Moulton the first law of holes: When you’re in one, STOP DIGGING.
ruemara
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Yep. using the women as a shield for his ambitions.
@Viva BrisVegas: Somehow, I’m not sure if it’s just Rudy. Why were they so pro-Trump in 2015-16?
Ladyraxterinok
@Miss Bianca: Tried yr or so ago in NC. Being attempted now in WI.
GOP so proudly blatant in their hatred of democracy!!
debbie
@Yarrow:
Good point.
Cheryl Rofer
@debbie: There is no possibility for the Democratic House to get the kind of legislation we want passed by the Senate and signed off on by the President. The strategy has to be to get as much attention as possible for Democratic legislation, pass it in the House, and use that and the fact that Republicans vote against it in the 2020 campaign. That, and blocking all the evil the Senate wants to do.
So it’s a matter of getting as much publicity as possible. And if the Republicans want to do evil things in return, write them down, videotape them, and use it for campaign ads.
Yarrow
@dmsilev: Yes, but when you’re in three, bring a lot of shovels.
TenguPhule
@Cheryl Rofer:
Wait, you can’t say that and destroy Elizabelle’s hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow. //
Aleta
@Miss Bianca: C’mon now facism is whan a company takes twitter away from a RWer, not a government that takes children away from parents.
Amir Khalid
@debbie:
What rikyrah said. Besides, the Democrats have always been upfront about their governing priorities. They are, after all, the party that wants to govern.
debbie
@Cheryl Rofer:
Yeah, I know, I believe in getting the first jump on things, but the sliming of the legislation by McConnell et al. turns my stomach.
Ladyraxterinok
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Common motto in charismatic circles–‘Touch not God’s annointed.’ And since white Evangelicals (80+% for T in 16) believe God has chosen T, ie, that T is divinely annointed…..wellll, the conclusion is obvious.
Steeplejack
@TenguPhule:
No, condo board president.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@ruemara:
It really makes no sense. So what if Sanchez is a woman? So is AOC! It’s not as if she used misogynistic language or something. Moulton is just throwing shit against the wall hoping it will stick. It’s like he’s out of touch and desperately trying to appeal to certain groups, and failing miserably.
satby
So, I’m thinking eggnog and keflies aren’t on the keto diet.,
But I’m too tired to cook.
Corner Stone
@dmsilev:
Strangely, I have yet to meet one who was interested in money. They are hard core martinets.
Josie
@satby:
I don’t know what keflies are, but eggnog is probably not that sinful, in keto terms. Depends on how much sugar is involved. I say, go for it. ; – )
Corner Stone
@clay:
Boris Nemtsov is holding on line 1 for you. Or he would be except he dead.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@TenguPhule: Speaking of juniper, I can tell you that apple cider vinegar is a poor hack for lime juice in a Last Word. I poured heavy so I expect I’ll get very drunk regardless. It’s been a bitch of a week.
ruemara
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I think when you’re not used to being called on your shit, you tend think you aren’t slinging shit. That would be a bad mistake.
MomSense
@satby:
Word. I just had two molasses cookies and I think that’s all I can manage tonight.
Kent
The $50 million condo bribe for Putin is actually classic Trump. He is WAY to venal and much too much of a petty cheap-ass to actually cough up $50 million of his own [hard earned…heh] money for a bribe. Much better to comp Putin a $50 million penthouse in a building that is being built with other people’s money.
That’s how Trump always runs.
I doubt they ever expected Putin to actually move into the building. It’s more like the gift bags they get at the Oscars. You just pass it on to someone else
But of COURSE it was a bribe. Or payment for services rendered. Which is actually the same thing as a bribe if the services were clandestine and illegal.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Ladyraxterinok:
It’s just so bizarre to me. I know it’s a fallacy to go “it can’t happen here” and American exceptionalism is generally bullshit, but I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. That Munroe guy lives in the same area I do and will probably be affected when the plant closes. Trump made promises to the people of this area, bullshit they may be, but he still made them and should be held accountable for failing to keep them.
TenguPhule
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho:
Take care. Sounds awful.
Yarrow
@MomSense: I ate a chocolate bar. Been a helluva week.
TenguPhule
@MomSense:
How does this work? You have molasses cookies that remain uneaten?
MomSense
@Tony Jay:
Did you happen to see the photos of trump with 6’3” Gavin Newsom? Weird. Maybe units of measurement are different in California.
MomSense
@TenguPhule:
Ha! Kid ate all but two of the batch.
TenguPhule
@Josie: Drinking eggnog without eating something to soak it up is asking for trouble later.
MomSense
@Yarrow:
I had to empty a big house in a hurry and tomorrow I have to face a bunch of stuff I don’t know what to do with.
satby
@Josie: They’re a Hungarian or Polish crescent cookie that are a thing in South Bend. Sinfully good, and all over around here right now. Recipe linked is gluten free, but mine aren’t.
@MomSense: that sounds good too.
geg6
@MomSense:
LOLOLOLOLOL!
Josie
@TenguPhule:
Well, of course, one would assume that cookies are involved.
Yarrow
@MomSense: Garage sale? Ebay? Give away to family? It’s tough to empty a house, let alone in a hurry. You’ve earned whatever you want to eat or drink.
I had a crazy week and today also included helping a friend who is going through what’s turning out to be a not so nice divorce. Emotionally draining. I am incredibly tired.
satby
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: that’s why I stick to wine. No need for mixers.
Hugs BellaQ
Roger Moore
@debbie:
Nothing the Republicans can do can reasonably slow this stuff down in the House, and it has no realistic chance of passing the Senate anyway. This is about trying to get the media to report on the Democratic platform.
Schlemazel
@trollhattan:
Bloody Bill has shown up in my Twitter feed a lot recently. I make a point of replying tweaking him about all the bad GOP shit he has been ok with in the past. Same for Joe Welch. They can’t be allowed to bury their role in making Dump possible
Kraux Pas
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: And the part about them being conservadems, is Sanchez the only liberal to provide cover for that claim?
Once…twice…three times a token.
satby
@Schlemazel: how are you doing?
TS (the original)
@rikyrah: He about to become a republican? Sure looks like it – giving them all the talking points they want.
Kraux Pas
@Roger Moore:
There, fixt
@TS (the original):
Also fixt
Viva BrisVegas
@ruemara:
Rudy was only the go-between. He probably replaced whoever replaced Roy Cohn in that role.
A large chunk of the NY FBI office was solidly behind Trump well before he ran for President. Which might go some way to explaining the baffling lack of serious prosecutions against Trump over the past 40 years.
Even for a supposed NY billionaire, Trump has led a remarkably charmed legal life.
Miss Bianca
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: Uh…that sounds like a story.
TS (the original)
@Elizabelle: Krugman – the only person worth reading in the NYT. Thanks for the precis – I don’t give them clicks
Steve in the ATL
@satby: I’m enjoying a very fancy wine right now. Made by *checks label* delta airlines!
Yarrow
@Steve in the ATL: Mmmm…bitter and acidy. My favorite.
satby
@Steve in the ATL: so right now you’re Steve in the AIR?
satby
@Yarrow: ?
debit
@satby: How is your new rescue kitty?
Yarrow
@satby: Motherfuckin’ Steve on a motherfuckin’ plane!
Steve in the ATL
@satby: yup! Safely out of Florida again. One of these days the odds are going to catch up with me!
MomSense
@Yarrow:
One of my good friends recently filed for divorce. She’s coming over on Sunday. I’ve been so busy with this house stuff I haven’t been able to be there for her.
Steve in the ATL
@MomSense: what do you need to be there for her other than wine and a voodoo doll?
@Yarrow: goddamn right!
Yarrow
@MomSense: I can’t even go into the craziness of this divorce situation. My friend isn’t the one who wanted it and it’s been hard. There was kind of no option in the end but it’s not easy.
raven
Lil Bit now has hypothyroidism!
Yarrow
@raven: Oh, no! Poor Lil Bit. Do dogs take thyroid replacement hormones like people do? It might help her energy.
MomSense
Anyone here have experience with sourdough starter? I’ve always wanted to try it. Also, too I forgot to buy yeast at the market.
TenguPhule
@Steve in the ATL:
We can assume the grapes were tread on by only the whitest of INCELS. //
Steve in the ATL
@raven: I’ve had it with these mothafuckin’ health problems on this mothafuckin’ dog!
Schlemazel
@satby:
I had another HI-larious Dr encounter Tues. But I may finally be on a med that is working. Seems I am getting better but we’ll see
Long story that is so shlemazel
Saw Dr at 8 Tues. She called pharmacy with new RX. (First she wanted to give Cipro which we had just discussed I am allergic) Stopped at pharmacy to pick up. Had to wait 15 minutes for them and they tell me the drug is so new it is not on the market! Call office they say they will consult with Dr and call in something else. 3pm not heard so I call office tell them the whole story about the drug etc . Nurse says “RX called in already you want me to call and tell them you are waiting?” I said yes just because. 20 minutes later I get a call from nurse telling me the drug ordered is not for sale yet!!!! I go through the whole story again. She says she has to talk to the Dr! 20 minutes later the pharmacy calls I have a new RX.
I have never seen such a series of f’ed up medical things since I left Florida
TenguPhule
@MomSense:
Yes. It takes practice and a warm spot.
If it smells rotten, it is. Throw it out and start over.
Kraux Pas
@MomSense: I can ask my dad. That is if by sourdough starter you mean you’ve been collecting residue flour from your last several other breads.
ETA:
@TenguPhule:
Tehehehe
MomSense
@Steve in the ATL:
Ha! I actually got lucky and found 12 cans of her favorite beer. Substance by Bissell Brothers. I feel a little responsible since I married them.
satby
@debit: well, she was chipped but the new owner never registered it. And though the humane society let the owner know I had the cat, the person never called me. She was contacted twice. She had adopted the cat in September and grown tired of it and threw it out of the house before Thanksgiving.
The Humane Society is insisting I return her to them. I feel badly for the poor little thing, she’s very sweet and well behaved. Extremely affectionate. I hope they get a better adoptive home for her next time. I will leave my info so that if it looks like she’s stuck back at the shelter we can maybe pull her to ours. We verify new pet parents better.
raven
@Yarrow: Yea, I have pills for her and gave her the dose earlier.
MomSense
@Kraux Pas:
I need to start the starter.
TenguPhule
@MomSense:
You’ll want wild yeast for sourdough.
Yarrow
@Schlemazel: That sounds awful. I’m so sorry. At least you have a prescription now.
satby
@raven: oh, poor Lil Bit! She’s a fighter though! Give her a scritch from me.
Schlemazel
@Yarrow:
I make a lemonade drink in the summer but use balsamic vinegar instead of lemon. It is very good
TenguPhule
@MomSense:
Bigamy with hops and lager?
Ooh la la.
raven
@Steve in the ATL: But she’s so sweet! Seven eye meds twice a day for over 10- years increased to thrice this year. Autoimmune meds 3 times a week, tie-back surgery this summer, acl a couple of years ago and hand feeding her in a Bailey Chair. . . priceless!
Yarrow
@raven: I don’t know what the vet told you but for people you’re supposed to take the pill and then wait an hour until you eat.
TenguPhule
@MomSense: Flour, Water, Warm spot. And then pray to the FSM that you get a good batch.
Schlemazel
@raven:
Aw, poor doggy. Hope they can treat it
Steve in the ATL
@Schlemazel: that is ridiculous. Maybe you should have gone to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville—we had a great and productive week there!
Yarrow
@Schlemazel: Those vinegar drinks are very trendy. I tried a few and didn’t like any of them. Maybe I could take the balsamic one since it’s a sweeter vinegar.
raven
@satby: Actually, like my stroke, it’s probably good to know there is a reason for her being punky. I don’t know how long she’s going to make it but, goddam, she’s a doll.
satby
@Schlemazel: that’s ridiculous, but at least you’re on something that seems to be helping now. And Mayo next Tuesday, right?
Yarrow
@raven: If they gave an award for the most easygoing and tolerant dog, she’d definitely be a contender.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@raven: Man, she can’t catch a break. :-(
@Miss Bianca: It kinda is. Ping me at email and I can tell you. :-)
TenguPhule
@Steve in the ATL:
I think you mean outrageous. Ridiculous would be for something funny.
dmsilev
@MomSense:
Sure. It’s pretty straightforward, but it’s not fast. Takes several days when starting from scratch, so if you’re planning on baking bread this weekend best go buy some yeast, but other than that not hard. When you’re first growing it, you need to keep it in a warm place and feed probably twice a day (opinions differ, anywhere from one to three daily feedings will work). Once it’s mature, you can keep it in the fridge and feed once every couple of weeks or so, and then take out of the fridge and warm up/feed daily for a day or two prior to baking. Sourdough starters aren’t nearly as active as commercial yeasts, so expect longer rise times. Sometimes much longer; overnight at room temperature is not unusual for a first rise.
debit
@satby: Jesus fucking christ. I’m so glad you listened to your gut and grabbed that sweet little girl. And really, you don’t have an obligation to do anything. You didn’t abandon the cat, and if you think your group is better fit, I say let them place her.
satby
@raven: she is!
Like my Rosie: brittle epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, and now that she’s almost 14 old age stuff too. But she’s so damn happy to be alive! As long as they’re willing to hang on with some good quality of life we need to help them live it.
raven
Here she in in her chair.
Schlemazel
@MomSense: yes, until the last move I had a mother that was going on 20 years old.
I started mine with dry yeast because I didn’t have faith in just letting it sit out and capture what floated by.
I kept it in the fridge until I planned on making bread. I would take half out, restock the mother and let them all sit out over night.
I recently read that you can dry out the mother and store it in ziplocks. I am thinking of trying that
Roger Moore
@MomSense:
I’m a sourdough baker. When I told my sister that, she said it isn’t a recipe, it’s a lifestyle, and I’m inclined to agree. Baking with sourdough is a much slower, more deliberate process than using packaged yeast. I hate to put it this way, but it’s probably not for the kind of person who wants to try something different because she forgot to buy yeast at the store. Just as an example, it took me more than a week to get my starter going from scratch, and I generally have to start on Friday night if I want to bake Sunday morning.
raven
@satby: Yep, she loves her cookies!
Steve in the ATL
@raven: oh, we would absolutely do that for any of our dogs too, without hesitation.
Mayo had its canine companions out this week. I feel sorry for patients who got a visit from the non-golden retrievers, but I’m funny that way. Those dogs are a huge hit.
Schlemazel
@satby:
supposedly ;)
Schlemazel
@Yarrow:
You might try more sugar. I like apple cider vinegar too but not like balsamic
Dev Null
@MomSense: The Spousal Unit bought live starter from …
[consults notes]
… Iowa.
Very sour-doughy, yum yum.
Happy to pass along experiences on request.
raven
@Steve in the ATL: When I broke my back and was in Grady my ex brought Ralphy to the parking deck across the street and the orderlies pushed be over to the window so I could see him. This was us the summer before the accident, note the duck!
Yarrow
@raven: She’s adorable. She kind of looks like she’s going to slip out the bottom. Bodhi looks like, “What in the world, Lil Bit?” LOL.
@Schlemazel: This was at a trendy restaurant and it was at least three years ago so maybe they’re past being trendy. I don’t go to places like that anymore. I just got what they were serving. I didn’t add sugar because I don’t like sweet drinks.
Dev Null
@TenguPhule: You peeps are all Debbie Downers.
Clap harder!
satby
@debit: well, we all have to try to work together, though I got into it a bit with the director of the Humane Society when she called. She knows I’m in a different rescue group and acted like I was trying to hijack her cat, but it’s the county, and I live in a different jurisdiction. Still, if one of ours ended up lost and picked up by their animal control, we’d want them to contact us and let us take the animal back in too. So I will give it back, and tell them if they don’t place her soon we can arrange a shelter transfer. The former adopter will not be allowed to have her back and is now blacklisted by three organizations.
raven
@Yarrow: I know, it’s a chore the get her in there just right. Her little arms shake when we put her in but it’s because she’s so excited to eat! Bohdi hangs out to see if anything gets dropped and, because we soak her food, he gets to lick the bowl.
Schlemazel
@Yarrow:
like lemonade you need some sugar
satby
@raven: that’s a nicer chair than the one I’m sitting in now! Bohdi looks jealous.
Yarrow
@raven: Awww…that is so sweet. You should take a video of the process. She’s such a doll and Bodhi is a good dog brother.
raven
@Yarrow: Which process, the 7 eye meds! I’m just finishing up and then her autoimmune pill!
Yarrow
@Schlemazel: You’re probably right. I was not inspired to try another one so if I ever go back to a trendy place serving them I might do it then.
Ken
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Excellent contender for the 2019 Mansplaining awards. They always release the best ones late in the year so the judges remember them.
Yarrow
@raven: LOL. I was thinking of the chair and her getting in it and Bodhi hoping for scraps.
raven
@Yarrow: I’s joshin!
Yarrow
@raven: You take such good care of her!
Schlemazel
@Yarrow:
eh, it may just be they are not your thing & thats OK too.
I have raspberry balsamic and chocolate balsamic & those are fun variations to me
Ken
@clay:
But a step up from selling mail-order steaks.
satby
@Steve in the ATL: I think I’m going to crack open the twist top of my very snooty red wine now ?
Try not to be envious.
Tony Jay
@MomSense:
I did not, but I’m going to take a wild stab in the dark and guess that The Pustule has managed to shrink somewhat since his awesome, totally legit physical with Dr Feelgood the Serene Marine?
Yarrow
@Schlemazel: I like both of those but not in drinks!
debit
@satby:
Good to hear! I harrumph a lot at one of our local rescues that say the chip is going to be registered to them, forever, but I see now that’s its probably for the best. I will keep my fingers crossed that kitty gets adopted soon and has better luck with her new owner.
raven
@Yarrow: You know Raven got cancer right when we got Bohdi 15 years ago and he required a good bit of care while he fought that fight so I guess it sort of eased me right into taking care of this punkin.
Yarrow
@raven: Yeah, I remember you saying that. You’ve got plenty of experience. As your doctor said, if you’d take as good care of yourself as you do of your pups you’d be in good shape!
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@Steve in the ATL and @satby: Hah! I have only awful wine which will go into a sauce for a filet for Mr. Q because 1) he won’t know the difference and 2) I won’t eat it!
I’m enjoying my hacked cocktail mostly because it’s doing its job. I will get limes for the next one.
Miss Bianca
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: Heh. Will do!
raven
@Yarrow: I’ll give it my best shot!
Gin & Tonic
@raven: Our cat has been on thyroid meds for a couple of years now (she’s 16.) Seems to work fine.
Barbara
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: I bought chocolates in Estonia and one of the native flavors is an indigenous pine. Honestly, I had a hard time finishing even one. It was way too aromatic.
MagdaInBlack
@satby:
Panettone and coffee here.
Don’t know if it’s keto, but it’s tasty and I’m lazy .
Yarrow
@Barbara: I was at a place that was sampling chocolates. One was dark chocolate with raspberry and rosemary. I love chocolate but that was just not good. The person sampling them indicated a lot of people had that reaction.
satby
@debit: I hope they do better next time. She’s been snuggling right in to sleep with me every night since my bedroom is the last isolation room I have, and I just hope she gets someone as loving as she is. And that can’t be me, because my three current cats are already crowded in their own safe space away from Hershey. Who is a very, very good dog except to cats.
raven
@Gin & Tonic: What improved?
zhena gogolia
@raven:
We love Lil Bit!
Barbara
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: Also, I hope the weekend is better and your hangover isn’t too bad.
zhena gogolia
@raven:
I’m assuming his cat is hyperthyroid, since that’s what cats commonly get. I’ve had three cats with it, and the medication calms them down and makes them not so ravenous, plus they gain weight. With hypothyroid I’m not sure — probably the opposite!
Gin & Tonic
@raven: She’s hyper, not hypo, so it stabilized her weight. Somehow it didn’t work with her twin sister, who just couldn’t keep the weight on and died a couple of years ago.
Yarrow
@raven: Don’t know if it’s the same for dogs, but for people usually their energy improves, they may drop a few pounds, if they were having hair loss that can lessen or stop, nails can get stronger, aches and pains can lessen, sleep can improve, brain fog lifts, cholesterol can drop. Those kinds of things.
Steve in the ATL
@raven: love the hair!
P@satby: as a matter of fact, there are many good twist off cap wines these days.
Shit—meant to post that under a fake name!
@Yarrow: raspberry is, objectively, the best berry and pairs well with chocolate. Rosemary, though? That violates one of the fundamental rules of flavors—never mix chocolate with an herb mentioned in a Simon and Garfunkel song.
Steve in the ATL
@Yarrow: damn—I could use just about all of those things!
Schlemazel
@Barbara:
There is a craft distillery in Duluth MN. While their brown booze ages they sell 3 different gins, juniper, cedar and spruce. The juniper is drinkable but I wouldn’t do so if I had other options. The other two were as bad as you can imagine
Yarrow
@Steve in the ATL: Go get your thyroid checked!
@Steve in the ATL: It was disgusting and I love chocolates and even interesting flavor pairings with chocolate. The poor woman handling out samples looked like she’d heard the same complaints over and over again. It was some fancy chocolate brand trying to be different, I guess.
A Ghost To Most
If there were any doubt that Shit Hitler and his minions weren’t the most incompetent traitors ever, including Felix Sater in the conspiracy seals the deal.
Schlemazel
@MomSense:
I dug up my sourdough starter recipe. 2 cups water, 2 cups flour, a teaspoon of sugar, a packet of yeast. mix the flour sugar and yeast then add the water & stir till mixed. Lightly cover with plastic wrap & leave in a place it will be in the mid-70 degrees. It should bubble up and you can leave it out for a couple days, maybe a week. It should smell like sourdough, if it goes bad it will smell bad.
I keep it in a covered jar in the fridge. It will not really age in the fridge so I take 2 cups out when I want to make bread and put a cup of flour & a cup of water in the jar and leave it out over night to keep the starte maturing.
Gravenstone
@Schlemazel: Wonder if your doc is getting a little financial incentive to push this new (unavailable) wonder drug? Sorry about the mess and confusion, but great news that what you wound up getting seems to be helping you.
Elizabelle
@Barbara:
That is way too diplomatic.
A Ghost To Most
Whoever had “process crime” as the next big GOP catchphrase in the pool, please collect your prize in the lobby.
C&L
Yarrow
@A Ghost To Most: That is too funny. They actually use the word “crime” in the phrase they are using to downplay the actual crime. “It’s not a serious crime; it’s a process crime” It’s still a crime! They’re admitting these people committed crimes, and somehow that’s supposed to be good. The bar is so low they need to dig a deeper ditch for it.
Schlemazel
@Gravenstone:
No, I think they are running out of things to try as I come up with new bacteria. They are not experts on drugs & I assume they have a program that they type in the bacteria and it tells them “try one of these”. I have actually seen that at my urologists. I’d like to think they know drugs better but given the millions of them it may be too much to ask
SFAW
@satby:
So they’re kinda like pierogies, only different?
satby
@SFAW: God no, pierogi are more of a dinner dumpling, kieflies are pure dessert. The only pierogi I have had were usually potato or cheese and fried in butter after being boiled first.
Kieflies are closer to a Viennese crescent cookie.
joel hanes
@Gravenstone:
Wonder if your doc is getting a little financial incentive
Have you ever seed pharma sales babes ?
I was once in the waiting room of a large joint practice when three of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, turned out in perfectly-tailored womens’ business clothing that, um, accentuated various things just past the point of subtlety, came rolling in with takeout gourmet Chinese lunch for 25 and their drug sample cases, and rolled into the big staff lounge to do their pitch.
The influence might not be anything so crude as money, is what I’m saying.
sigyn
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: “…and it’s also offensive because she’s a woman,”
Wut? How…? Who? Which woman is he offended on behalf of here?
Ruckus
@clay:
Well duh.
You want penny ante, shitgibbon is your stooge.