Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

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

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

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

We will not go back.

When we show up, we win.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

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

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

I really should read my own blog.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

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

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

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Reader Interactions

171Comments

  2. 2.

    Bubblegum Tate

    From blogsforvictory.com today:

    “Its really a matter of winning with Cain/Palin/Santorum/Palenty/Etc or losing with a McCain retread.”

    I find the list of “winners” pretty goddamn funny.

  3. 3.

    PurpleGirl

    Reposting from the previous thread:

    Question for BJers. I may be hired for a self-publishing project—-to convert a novel (I typed originally) to a form that can be displayed on an e-reader. (I’ve been doing some research into file types used by various e-readers.)

    I have the text as a .PDF now, but it’s static.

    Is it important to readers that the text be able to flow?

  5. 5.

    Evolved Deep Southerner

    OK, the the J. Davis Trio. How in the hell did I miss this? I heard this for the first time today from a friend’s mix CD and thought I had discovered the Definitive Unofficial Summer Jam of 2011, but then I realized it’s too old to be that. It can be mine, though, and it’s on its way.

  6. 6.

    MikeJ

    @PurpleGirl: I only buy stuff in epub format. It’s just nicer and more text like than pdfs, but opinions vary.

    Epub is really just a wrapper around html files with some css. Dead easy to do, no special editor needed(though they are available).

  8. 8.

    jl

    Thanks for pet pic.

    I can’t sit down that way like Lily right now. I ate way to much.

    Burp.

  10. 10.

    Violet

    Sabra hummus is delicious, but Sabra isn’t Costco’s brand. Maybe Costco gets Sabra to make theirs?

  11. 11.

    JCT

    Sweet puppeh!

    My little beagle sits like that as well. First dog I have ever had that does that frog leg pose.

  13. 13.

    RossInDetroit

    Hey, the bad weather missed us. They got pasted to the north and south but we just got deep overcast and a little rain.
    Might even be a decent evening for dog walkies since it’s cooled off about 15 degrees.

    Reviving the debate from an earlier thread, I think Palin will not be able to resist running something for 2012, but it won’t be an actual political campaign. More like an advertising campaign for her personal brand. That’s how I see it, anyway. She can’t let all of that sexy media attention go to the real candidates.

  16. 16.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @PurpleGirl: Speaking of PDF, anyone have a good recommendation. I need to get a PDF file creator for work and have no idea how to choose one, except know that Adobe/Acrobat is too expensive.

  19. 19.

    gogol's wife

    Thanks for the Lily pic! I got depressed from watching the 9-hour Russian version of Dr. Zhivago, so this was sorely needed. I have to get my husband over to the computer. He loves Lily.

  21. 21.

    Mark S.

    George Will: Sarah Palin Should Not Be Trusted With Nuclear Weapons. And why do all the idiots on the panel think Pawlenty’s the guy to beat? That guy’s currently behind Ron Paul and Herbert Cain.

  22. 22.

    PurpleGirl

    @TaMara (BHF): I looked at a couple of file converters but couldn’t decide on which one to buy (just can’t afford new software), so I can’t say anything about the non-Adobe programs. The free trials all print the software name on the bottom of the page.

    I when I need to convert a word processing file right now I take a short term subscription to Adobe’s on-line converter site. I can wait until I have a bunch of files to convert and expense that to the client but it’s trickier to charge the client for software.

  23. 23.

    jacy

    Jeez, you’re making me feel old, Cole. I guess the timeline should be divided into pre-Lily and post-Lily. And Sabra hummus is the best: try both the pinon nut and the artichoke/spinach.

    Speaking of stray pet anniversaries, it’s been four months since Pete, better known as “Get off my fucking desk” knocked on the door and acted like he was supposed to be here all along.

  25. 25.

    JGabriel

    @PurpleGirl:

    Is it important to readers that the text be able to flow?

    Yes, extremely. Reformat it to epub. If the client wants to sell it on Amazon, you’ll need to do an azw version too.

    .

  26. 26.

    UncertaintyVicePrincipal

    @hilts: Tell Sullivan that it’s not Sarah’s own candidacy that she’s announcing but her daughter’s, who will be secretly actually the one running for President.

    That should keep him occupied for months.

  28. 28.

    bookcat

    @jacy: We have a cat Vega better known as “Get your ass outta my face.” Funny how we love them.

  29. 29.

    Mike E

    I love their artichoke and spinach hummus especially–eaten with toasted whole grain flat bread, it is the bomb.

  30. 30.

    Evolved Deep Southerner

    @hilts: I was thinking that Mediaite was a liberal-ish type of thing, but that’s either way false or their troll to actual legitimate commentor ratio is about four to one based on that post. Yeesh. Those comments were right up there with an average Yahoo news thread.

  31. 31.

    jacy

    @bookcat:

    Spike is now known as “the good cat” because Pete is just so damn friendly that he must be touching you at all times, no matter if if you’re in the shower, taking care of “personal business” or, well, you can imagine the permutations….

  36. 36.

    ms badger

    @JCT: We call that “chicken leg”. Two of the pack of three do it, and it never fails to crack me up. Senior dog, is course, too dignified to chicken leg (plus he’s too old, don’t tell him it’s not about dignity, please).

  37. 37.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @jacy: I swear, this all must be a tuxedo trait. I have four and my tuxedo is the most demanding, space invasive cat I’ve ever had. My favorite is teeth brushing time, he must be petted, and heaven forbid I don’t brush for the full 2 minutes. Then there is biting.

  39. 39.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @TaMara (BHF):

    I swear, this all must be a tuxedo trait. I have four and my tuxedo is the most demanding, space invasive cat I’ve ever had. My favorite is teeth brushing time, he must be petted, and heaven forbid I don’t brush for the full 2 minutes. Then there is biting.

    Batman is dark and brooding, prefers his solitude. That’s why we got him a kitten.

  40. 40.

    Yutsano

    @Just Some Fuckhead: Bawww kitteh! Who knew you were such a big ol’ softie for a fuckhead?

    @TaMara (BHF): I’m resizing a recipe for you here, hopefully it’ll get done either tonight or tomorrow, but it’s a bit different take on Italian food and a great way to use up leftovers. I’m kinda good in that milieu I must say. :) Anyway just a teaser, I may do it now while I’m waiting on Thai food.

  41. 41.

    stuckinred

    @ms badger: Both our critters do it. The Bohdi loves to get down from the couch by putting his front paws down and then stretching and dragging his real wheels slowly off the cushion.

  42. 42.

    gbear

    @Bubblegum Tate: It’s even better when you notice that he couldn’t even bother to get the spelling right for one of his ‘winning’ candidates.

  43. 43.

    jacy

    @TaMara (BHF):

    Yeah, and Pete can unfold himself extra-dimensionally, so that he takes up the space of several “regular” cats. He weighs 6 pounds and Spike weighs 16, but you would never know it.

  44. 44.

    ms badger

    @JCT: We call that “chicken leg”. Two of the pack of three do it, and it never fails to crack me up. Senior dog, is course, too dignified to chicken leg (plus he’s too old, don’t tell him it’s not dignity, please).

  45. 45.

    KyCole

    Your pup looks so much like my Willie except she has one more eye. I also have a second very annoying dog, although I love that bitch!

  46. 46.

    Anya

    @The Dangerman: Speaking of the Joplin memorial, was it always a tradition that the President goes to every community that’s affected by a tragic event like this? I must admit I paid little attention to W’s reign, but I swear, President Obama seems to be at a memorial every few months.

  47. 47.

    Yutsano

    @Anya: I seem to recall more Dubya building a time around him and making him the focus of the center of attention, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention all that much. But Obama seems much more content to go to people on their level and talk with them that way. That has a huge impact.

  49. 49.

    Rihilism

    Sabra with pine nuts is fantastic but the falafel joint down the street from me makes a home-made hummus that’s to die for…

  51. 51.

    Loneoak

    Sabra is an Israeli brand, btw. Israelis call themselves sabra, which is the prickly pear cactus fruit–sweet and soft on the inside, spikey on the outside.

    Having lived in the Middle East for a bit, I will say that whatever biased political affinity I have for Jews over Arabs is based entirely on the clear superiority of their falafel and hummus.

  52. 52.

    stuckinred

    @Yutsano: We attended a big Italian wedding here in Athens this weekend and the food and music was great. Two NYC families celebrating here in the Classic City!

  54. 54.

    Anya

    @Yutsano: I was at the Airport and the CNN commentator kept saying that Joplin voted for Mccain 3to1 or something, like that matters. I kept thinking, so is McCain the President of Joplin?
    President Obama connects with people, he really seems genuine. I don’t know what the talking heads talk about when they say, he’s aloof.

    @stuckinred: Who could forget that. GWB exposed himself when he complained about Kanye West, instead of showing genuine regret that his government failed the people of New Orleans.

  55. 55.

    RossInDetroit

    @ms badger:
    Our 8 lb Poodle/Maltese Geezer lies down like that all the time. I just assumed the Gabbeh felt good against his junk.

  57. 57.

    ms badger

    @stuckinred: Spoc, the middle dog does the “down dog off the furniture” only when he’s bored and wants Excitement or a tennis ball. He lies like a broken eel only when he’s sleepy.

  58. 58.

    Rihilism

    @stuckinred: I’m reminded of that South Park episode in which Cartman tries to fake his way into the Special Olympics. “Der”…

  59. 59.

    gbear

    @stuckinred: I’d say she was stupid if she wasn’t wearing a helmet at a motorcycle-riding event, but I’m kind of a geek that way.

  60. 60.

    CT Voter

    Two chronological years. But already a lifetime of memories.

    Happy Anniversary, Lily and John!

  61. 61.

    RossInDetroit

    @Anya:

    I don’t know what the talking heads talk about when they say, he’s aloof.

    I actually think he is aloof. Restrained and calm as well. These are positive traits in the Leader of the Free World(tm) but I can see how it comes off as cold and distant to some people.

  64. 64.

    hildebrand

    Packing for a four week teaching stint in Florence, Italy. The to-do list is shrinking admirably as we prepare for a Wednesday departure.

  65. 65.

    honus

    Sabra is good, but I won’t buy it because they send money to the Golani Brigade, which is notorious for abusing peopel in the occupied territories.

    Besides, Hommos is about the easiest thing in the world to make. Puree chick peas, garlic, tahini, olive oil and a little lemon.

  69. 69.

    Jeffro

    I think I finally get the Romney-leftover-pizza-sent-to-Obama-HQ thingy…

    message to Obama: “I came to your town and Ate. Your. Lunch.” Get it?

    I’m sure Romney thinks it’s pretty daring. He is going to be one heckuva lot of fun to watch in the debates!

  70. 70.

    gbear

    @stuckinred: I was just realizing that her helmet won’t do much good if she lands on her face. I think she picked that one so as not to deny her visage to the cameras.

    Aside from the protective issues, I guess I don’t see that helmet as stupider than any other helmet she could have chosen. It’s kind of a boutique helmet but I see people wearing them a lot around here.

  71. 71.

    Maude

    @PurpleGirl:
    Put your book into .rtf to get started on epub.
    Download Sigil, it’s free and you can use that that to edit and see how the book will look. It can be a nasty suprise to see the formating be off in the upload.
    From what I have read, pdf isn’t used for documents that need to be converted to epub for various readers.
    Microsoft Reader has a lit conversion that can be used to convert to an epub file.
    It is a bit complicated to get a book uploaded on an epub site, but not too hard.
    Edit, also you can download Calibre, free and try that. Don’t pay for epub type software.

  74. 74.

    CT Voter

    @RossInDetroit: I don’t see Obama as aloof, but the talking heads do, because he once refused to do the whole picture thing at a reception in D.C. The talking heads got their fee fees hurt. Hence: Obama-ALOOF. TOO CEREBRAL TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMON MAN.

    I don’t think I’d want to ever live in that swampy Village. Junior high for the grown-ups.

  75. 75.

    RossInDetroit

    @CT Voter:

    To me, an aloof guy, aloof isn’t a bad thing. Cerebral should be a requirement for the job. Patient, thougtful and restrained as well. Pretty much everything GWB wasn’t.
    I can see why it rubs the villagers the wrong way when he doesn’t buddy up to them and massage their egos. And they seem to be taking that out on him. He may not have a tire swing set up for visiting reporters but I think he does understand ordinary citizens.

  77. 77.

    Citizen_X

    @someone: Awesome video! –And yes, awesomely stupid comments. Sigh. Especially the guy who proclaims “THE ORIGIN OF EARTH IS NOT A SCIENTIFIC FIELD!”–Jesus caps in the original. Idiot. The nebular hypothesis was developed in the mid-eighteenth century, and is now applied throughout the universe. The age of the earth was established at 4.55 billion years–within <1% of its presently accepted value–back in 1956. So, ah, pretty well-tested scientific ideas we're talking about here.

    Anyway. Isn't that Explosions In the Sky on the the soundtrack? Great band.

  78. 78.

    RossInDetroit

    @Anya:
    A leader can and often should keep himself apart from what’s going on. The guy setting the pace needs a different perspective.
    Aloof: reserved or reticent; indifferent; disinterested
    calm: free from excitement or passion; tranquil

    Yes, there are some negative connotations to aloofness but I think it’s preferable to an excess of passion and liberty in someone in a powerful position.

  79. 79.

    PurpleGirl

    @Maude: Thanks. The novel has already been published — a small print of some 200 copies. That’s why I have the PDF file. Now the author wants to put it out for e-readers and I’m researching how to do that.

    I want to thank everyone who has responded so far to my question. I’m going to copy all the responses and develop my next action step from there.

  81. 81.

    Maude

    @TaMara (BHF):
    Try tucows and see if there is a PDF file converter that you like. They may have a freeware version and it is a dependable site. If not, post tomorrow or whenever in comments and I’ll see if I can find one. I’ll need to know what you are converting, like, PDF to Word or whatever.

  83. 83.

    piratedan

    When he came to Tucson, we were happy that he came to share our pain and our outrage and to continue to support us to hold together as a community.

  84. 84.

    hilts

    @Evolved Deep Southerner:
    @UncertaintyVicePrincipal:

    There are some reasonable comments at Mediaite, but they are far outnumbered by the dumb ones.

    I was surprised by Sully’s increasingly hysterical fear of a Palin candidacy. I don’t believe for a second that Palin is getting in this race, but even if she did run there are enough sane Republicans left that she’d never win the nomination.

  85. 85.

    Citizen_X

    Going to a midnight showing of this massively-acclaimed film tonight.

    I’ve watched that trailer about four times already. Kinda psyched.

  88. 88.

    RossInDetroit

    @hilts:

    there are enough sane Republicans left that she’d never win the nomination

    I agree with your conclusion but not the reasoning.

  92. 92.

    jnfr

    @PurpleGirl:

    I’ve done a small bit of e-publishing and the answer I’d give would be too long for this space, but if you want to email me ([email protected]) please do, with something Balloon Juicy in the subject so I recognize you and I’d be happy to share what knowledge I have.

  98. 98.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    .
    .

    The president is like a horse that refuses take commands from its owner and stubbornly refuses to carry him. The balloonbagger owner does not go out and get a new horse, but picks up the horse and carries it around in the belief that, eventually, the horse will change its mind. Years later, both the horse and the owner are thinking, “I’m a genius!”

    .
    .

  99. 99.

    lamh34

    This is just sad, when a random person has to release a statement about a tweet:

    A statement on a tweet

    the chick embroiled in this Rep Weiner mess issued a statement about the tweet asking people to I guess respect her privacy??

    Conserv sure do like going after regular citizens don’t they?

  100. 100.

    RossInDetroit

    @lamh34:

    Looking through that photo set it’s discouraging how good she looks in a black tee and leather. Almost scary. But then, you can’t hear her in a picture.

  102. 102.

    PaulW

    @PurpleGirl:

    Question for BJers. I may be hired for a self-publishing project—-to convert a novel (I typed originally) to a form that can be displayed on an e-reader. (I’ve been doing some research into file types used by various e-readers.)
    I have the text as a .PDF now, but it’s static.
    Is it important to readers that the text be able to flow?

    Yes, it is very important to have the text flow properly. If there are poorly placed indents, or if the paragraphs have the wrong spacing, you’re going to get very unhappy readers and few purchases/downloads.

    When I used PubIt to directly publish an eshort, I did it directly from a .doc formatted story that I had created using auto-indent first-line-only and 1.5 line spacing with no extra spaces between paragraphs. I think the formatting came out clean. (use default Times New Roman font at size 10-12 too)

    I do not know if you can convert clean from PDF into the EPUB format. The best thing I can recommend is find out what you are uploading your story to, and what formatting it requires. And then look for a Preview option that will let you view the EPUB document to ensure alignment and paragraph spacing are proper.

  105. 105.

    lamh34

    @RossInDetroit: that’s what she’s banking on RossInD…

    It’s the “pretty girl” curse and gift. A gift because it makes otherwise smart guys become complete cavemen when faced with a pretty face, nice T&A. A curse because for every “pretty woman” that men want to bone, there is one man who knows her well who can’t stand to look at her anymore (see Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, Pam Anderson…etc)

  106. 106.

    Barb (formerly Gex)

    @lamh34: I know that when I use Twitter to send my 140 characters out into the Internet where literally anyone can read it, I expect maximum privacy.

  107. 107.

    Southern Beale

    Hello good people. We saw “Tree Of Life” this afternoon. I think psychotropic drugs, or at the very least a strong joint, would have helped.

  108. 108.

    Tim, Interrupted

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    We got Batman a kitten. After about a week of intense combat training, Batman and Robin bonded.

    My God, Fuckhead, that is some serious cuteness. Congrats on the new acquisition.

  109. 109.

    lamh34

    @Barb (formerly Gex): I have a twitter account, fb, I post at blogs everyplace and still I am always cognizant (if that’s the right word) of the fact that anonymity on the internet can only go so far.

    Still, even with that, an ill-timed or possibly erroneously sent tweet should not give people the right to disrupt a person’s life.

  110. 110.

    Anya

    @lamh34: Gawker is also guilty in participating in the defaming and harassment of a 21 year old student. They acted as though Breitbart had credibility. I sometimes refer to famous people I like, in tweets or FB, as “my boyfriend”, just imagine, that could have been me.

  111. 111.

    UncertaintyVicePrincipal

    @hilts: Hysterical is a very good word for Sullivan. Deluded conservative is another. Check it out starting at 4:10. Or anywhere. I never realized that he’s really a typical right wing doctrinaire conservative about economics before I saw this exchange with Naomi Klein. What a fool he sounds like here.

  112. 112.

    jimbob

    Question: Is it right for me to want to go cap a few of my annoying working-class neighbors because of the their loud and boorish behaviors, or should I save said caps for the frat boys who live across the street from them and are obnoxiously driving a fucking John Deere lawn tractor around in the middle of fucking Omaha? I’m suffering a class-conscious style dilemma here: I hate both classes but don’t have enough caps to go around.

    This is an open thread, right?

    ETA: Where the hell did I set my glass down?

  113. 113.

    Anya

    @Barb (formerly Gex): I think you’re missing the point. She did not disclose anything personal. She just got caught in wingut vendetta against Rep. Anthony Weiner. She was just unlucky enough to be a young female who interacted with him.

  114. 114.

    RossInDetroit

    Dogs and ducks. Here’s a pic I’ve linked to here before. It’s our puppy Geezer staring at Charlie and Daphne the orphan wood ducks temporarily occupying his bath tub.

  115. 115.

    MonkeyBoy

    Sabra claims that their hummus is made from “fresh chickpeas”. From their FAQ:

    Fresh chickpeas (not pasteurized or from a can)

    I really doubt that they are using “fresh chickpeas” but instead start from dried chickpeas.

    Isn’t there some law about truth in product description?

  116. 116.

    jl

    Sabra is too much like eating sesame butter (as are many prepared hummus I’ve tried). Athenos Greek Style is better, if you like a lean mean garbanzo-y hummus.

  120. 120.

    RossInDetroit

    @Svensker:

    Thanks. Imagine how long we waited for 2 ducklings and a puppy to all be still long enough for a photo.

  121. 121.

    General Stuck

    @PurpleGirl:

    Hey, that’s good news Purplegirl, getting a work gig, though I have no advice to offer on your tech question, I remember not long ago you were in some dire straights as to keeping your apt. Hope things are looking up!!

  122. 122.

    CT Voter

    @RossInDetroit: Yes, I’m linking on a comment unconnected to the previous back and forth. It’s late. The drumbeat from the Villagers about how Obama doesn’t really like rope-lines or schmoozing is, for me, blatant evidence that the Villlagers don’t fundamentally seem to get the innertubes of the internet or The Google.

    “We love you Obama” from Joplin, MO? The aloof professorial president gets that kind of shout-out from Joplin, MO?

    Seems there’s a bit of a disconnect.

    As for Sully–his fear that Palin might beat Obama suggests that he thinks American voters truly are morons. And if we are, how the heck did Obama get elected? Sully must think Obama was a fluke. And if he was, then it’s possible for another fluke to happen. He must think Obama is a fluke.

    And hopefully, that says more about Sully than it does American voters.

  123. 123.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: QUACK!!

    Hi hon. Really really nummy and interesting Thai curry for dinner tonight, now exploring new dimensions of laziness. How you?

  125. 125.

    TooManyJens

    @CT Voter: I don’t agree that you have to believe Obama was a fluke to think that the American electorate in 2012 might be idiot enough to elect Palin. (Which I don’t believe, btw, but I still don’t want her to get the nomination.) You just have to believe that Obama’s election drove a significant portion of the electorate completely, totally, batshit insane, and that they will be highly motivated to vote. This is, shall we say, not the least supported hypothesis Sully has ever advanced.

    I don’t think that portion of the electorate is large enough to make up for the sane people Palin would lose, but I can see how one might feel otherwise — especially knowing that the corporate media will do everything possible to make the GOP nominee look credible, whoever they are.

  126. 126.

    General Stuck

    I’m looking for a good sugar substitute to get away from the man made ones like equal, that isn’t going to bankrupt me, and is healthier some than regular sugar. Researching it some, I cam across something called “sucranat” that I hadn’t heard of, that seems fairly cheap and natural. Anyone used it?

  128. 128.

    Citizen_X

    @Southern Beale: I badly want to see that movie, too. And–check my comment above–I could happily geek out on it without any added substances.

    Although people might suggest I have a nice cup of STFU while doing said geeking out.

  129. 129.

    soyaki

    The Sabra hummus is generally delicious–but check the fat content versus other hummus. Then you’ll see why it’s delicious.

  130. 130.

    RossInDetroit

    @CT Voter:

    I really don’t know what Sully’s problem with La Palin is. It doesn’t add up. It’s like something in his DNA is repelled by her. Irrational.
    Kind of irrelevant in my opinion, since I doubt she has any intention of making a serious attempt at the nom.

  131. 131.

    Violet

    @General Stuck:
    Haven’t tried that, but have you tried agave syrup? I don’t know if you’re looking for something resembling sugar (crystal form) or just something sweet. Agave is low on the glycemic index and natural.

    @lamh34:

    It’s the “pretty girl” curse and gift. A gift because it makes otherwise smart guys become complete cavemen when faced with a pretty face, nice T&A. A curse because for every “pretty woman” that men want to bone, there is one man who knows her well who can’t stand to look at her anymore (see Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, Pam Anderson…etc)

    Yep. She’s still good looking enough, mostly, to rev a lot of men’s engines. She’s got some years on her, though.

    The other thing is that she’s a mean girl, and women know mean girls when they see them. She may get the men thinking with their little heads, but she’s going to need women’s votes to win. I’m not sure she can get those. If she decides to run, of course.

  133. 133.

    The Dangerman

    @General Stuck:

    I’m looking for a good sugar substitute to get away from the man made ones like equal, that isn’t going to bankrupt me…

    I like Stevia; not too expensive. I have heard people grow their own (mentally adding to the list to try someday).

  134. 134.

    Martin

    @RossInDetroit: My grandfather’s neighbor had a dog and 3 ducks. They were all buds. The dog would corral the ducks and keep them in the yard and out of the street and the ducks would chase the dog around. They were together for years.

  135. 135.

    Ash Can

    I am just loving the furry and feathered cuteness on this thread. And Lily looks like she’s ready for a mint julep.

  136. 136.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Red curry with little bits of squash and some background of peanut butter in there too. Insanely delicious.

    Her Eminence was just surveying her kingdom, now it’s time for nap #3227. Such a busy schedule on the poor dear.

    @Violet: Second on the agave syrup. Similar flavor profile to honey but doesn’t crystallize along with all the health bennies you bring up as well. Excellent for prediabetics.

  137. 137.

    Violet

    @The Dangerman:
    I think Stevia has an aftertaste. It’s not that hard to grow, but I don’t know how to use it. The leaves have sweetness, but they also have that bitter aftertaste.

    @asiangrrlMN:
    But a whole bunch of people do, specifically men who may let the little head decide who they’re voting for.

  138. 138.

    RossInDetroit

    @Martin:
    Our ducklings were wild orphans that my wife rescued from a cat. She does this every few years and has brought home baby bunnies, squirrels, a snake and other birds.
    We kept them for a couple of weeks to make sure they were putting on weight, then turned them over with a hefty check to a nature center with a bird rescue. They were to be raised and returned to the wild. We miss all of our orphans, especially Skeezix the baby black squirrel. Cuteness to melt the hardest heart.
    We just can’t keep wild animals where we live or I totally would.

  139. 139.

    General Stuck

    @Violet:

    Agave syrup I hadn’t heard of, which is strange living in the desert where Agave plants are everywhere. Thanks Violet, will check it out.

    @The Dangerman:

    I had heard of Stevia, but hadn’t looked it up until just googling it. If it doesn’t break my meager budget, I like all the health bennies it seems to have. Being pre diabetic. Gracias sir!

  140. 140.

    CT Voter

    @TooManyJens: I tend to forget (repress?) the fact that Obama’s election has galvanized a segment of us in a very ugly way. I also don’t think that there are enough of that segment to install Palin.

    The media, however, will flog the “will she, won’t she” for all it’s worth. I just tend to think that she looks much better from a distance, and she’ll want to maintain that distance. She’s The Grifter. I have to believe, just to maintain my belief in the sanity of voters, that she simply won’t last.

    Of course, that’s what people also thought about Obama. So I understand the concern. But Obama and Palin aren’t even in the same zip code. Just because he ran a different campaign doesn’t mean that any person running a different campaign can also win.

    Maybe I’m whistling past the graveyard at this point.

  141. 141.

    Violet

    @General Stuck:
    I’ve read that it’s best to buy the certified organic agave syrup because some unscrupulous people were putting sugar syrup in bottles, and sticking an agave label on the front. I don’t know if that’s true, but thought I’d mention it.

  143. 143.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @RossInDetroit: Of course she looks good. She’s a beauty contest winner. Also, too, Ensign looks good, Edwards looks good, Huntsman looks good, Romney (sorta) looks good. Reagan looked good. Kennedy looked good.

    Obmama looks goofy. Nixon looked like Nixon. Johnson, well no beauty contest winner there.

    Sometimes the Goodlooking win. Sometimes not. I don’t have much more of a point than this.

  144. 144.

    2liberal

    I would like to thank Cleek (is that the right username?) for ridding me of Uncle Clarence Thomas’ remarks by providing a script for hiding this person’s remarks. It doesn’t work on a certain new front pager unfortunately except in the comments.

  145. 145.

    The Dangerman

    @Violet:

    I think Stevia has an aftertaste.

    Eating Stevia straight is a bit of an acquired taste, true; when I mix it in something (tea, etc.), I don’t notice it that taste beyond the sweetness. Then again, I’ve been known to try some crazy stuff that others may not like (I’ve been soaking and drinking chia seeds lately; no, not the Chia Pet chia seeds, the other chia seeds … and they are supposed to be insanely healthy). Next up, catnip tea.

  146. 146.

    General Stuck

    @Violet:

    I was just reading some on it, and it seems most versions are actually highly refined, with very high fructose levels, higher than HFCS. There may be some less refined versions, I will check.

  147. 147.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @jimbob:

    Question: Is it right for me to want to go cap a few of my annoying working-class neighbors because of the their loud and boorish behaviors, or should I save said caps for the frat boys who live across the street…?

    Cap the frat boys. That should send a message to the neighborhood.

    No frat boys in my neighborhood. I have on one occasion asked the young gentlemen next door playing xBox on the back porch to shout “Fuck you!!” a little more delicately since we’re trying to enjoy our Dom Perignon and Chateaubriand on the patio and it disrupts our intimate tete-a-tetes.

  148. 148.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @CT Voter:

    Obama doesn’t really like rope-lines or schmoozing …

    Jeez, has no one seen the Youtubes from Moneygall and Dublin? Or doesn’t that count, because the Irish just lurvve their own?

  150. 150.

    RossInDetroit

    Good questions. It’s a bipolar power supply with both negative and positive rails of the same voltage and current capacity. The star ground is the zero in between them. The star ground point does connect to the chassis but this is not required for the circuit to work. The chassis connection ensures that the fuse will blow if there’s a power supply short to the chassis.
    The various ‘ground’ nodes in the audio and power supply circuits are all taken to the star point separately. This is so that their ground currents will not mix in the same wires. If, for instance, the power supply ground current shared a wire with the feedback circuit ground then the capacitor charging current would cause a small signal in the wire tha twould get fed into the feedback circuit, to the input of the chip and would be heard as noise. Think of all wires as having a small amount of inductance and resistance, and a small noise voltage caused by the current running through them. Sometimes those noises can become significant and should be separated. the datasheet for the chip mentions this specifically and calls for separate ground wires.

  151. 151.

    MikeJ

    @jl:

    Athenos Greek Style is better, if you like a lean mean garbanzo-y hummus.

    I’m with you on this. Usually when I want hummus I recognize that I have canned garbonzos and a food processor and make better tasting dip for $.89. But every now and then I’m lazy and the athenos is there.

  152. 152.

    The Dangerman

    @General Stuck:

    Being pre diabetic. Gracias sir!

    Hope ya like it; being the son of a Type II, I try to keep things in balance (I used to be a regular sugar abuser; not so much any longer). I was just reading the other day about reversing pre-diabetes; I think it was in a Jillian Michaels book on Metabolism (I didn’t buy; I read in B&N and then come home and google for more information … yes, I’m a cheap bastard).

  156. 156.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @CT Voter: Obama ran a campaign based as a community organizer. There is No.Fucking.Way Palin or any other Republican can run the same kind of campaign. I knocked doors for both Kerry and Obama, and believe me, the level of organization was light-years apart.

  158. 158.

    MikeJ

    @Yutsano: Hey, ask your dawg why this Lon Chaney movie has a Sgt with four up and no down. It’s set in WWI and he’s supposed to be able to recite all that nonsense about the Tun Tavern, he oughta know WWI history too and know if it’s just the costumers being stupid.

  159. 159.

    RossInDetroit

    @Yutsano:

    I thought I was missing a conversation somewhere. :-p

    You are and you aren’t. For the last year I’ve been talking magazine readers through building an audio amplifier that I designed. Nobody’s died yet but consensus of opinion is that 92 solder joints require a circuit board larger than a business card.

    At any rate I think that as soon as the going gets tough, Palin will get going – back to Fox where it’s not so tough. She’ll be out of the race but in the public eye where she wants to be. I’m really not worried about her.

  160. 160.

    Martin

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: Obama ran what is probably the most competently managed campaign in at least the last half century. Not only was it exceptional in execution, but it tapped into the grassroots like nothing before it.

    Even if Palin could tap into the grassroots (unlikely since her base are greedy motherfuckers) there’s no fucking way she matches Obama on execution. Good execution requires believing firmly in the goal, and those that are loyal to Palin are idiots, and those that are competent don’t believe in her.

  161. 161.

    Yutsano

    @MikeJ: My guess just from my Google-fu is costumer fuck-up. As far as I can tell no enlisted rank goes more than three high before going down. I can ask for clarification though next time I talk to him.

    And the Tun Tavern is the very first piece of history drilled into their brains at Basic. They learn it so heavily it becomes genetically ingrained.

  162. 162.

    RossInDetroit

    @Martin:

    Good execution requires believing firmly in the goal

    Plus hard work and follow-through, neither of which she has ever exhibited. All she’s ever really had going for her is astroturf operations, and and those will ultimately follow a more likely candidate.
    She’ll hang in long enough to provide some employment for her friends and family, and when the cost/benefit of the exposure levels off there will be a reason to graciously back out just like she did from the Governorship of Alaska.

  164. 164.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @Martin: Agreed. Looking at your link, I think it was a Mother Jones article that described how the campaign used its earliest volunteers to build networks instead of doing direct contact, which had a lot of veteran campaigners very nervous. Wish I could find the link.

  165. 165.

    Martin

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: Yes, but some of that was out of necessity. Remember, Hillary Clinton owned the machine – she owned the DLC and she owned most of the experienced campaigners. That’s why Obama’s victory in Iowa was such a shock to the villagers – he won playing an outside game, and that wasn’t supposed to be possible.

    So, Obama couldn’t really rely on the old Democratic guard. They really only came around to him after Super Tuesday when Clinton’s campaign started to self-destruct.

  167. 167.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Now she’s perched on my nightstand acting regal and pretending not to be sleepy. I may or may not disturb her when I move for a bowl of cereal. More than likely no but I assume nothing.

  168. 168.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: BTW season 7 of The Next Food Network Star has the casting videos on YouTube and honestly I’m pulling for the two Asian women so far. Choosing between the two would be tough, but I’d go for the Filipina, although the Chinese girl has a neat background story.

  169. 169.

    BethanyAnne

    @General Stuck: I don’t know if this is dead-threaded, but in case you come back, Stuck, you might try Truvia. It’s a blend of Stevia A and sugar alcohol – it’s about the only one I trust. There’s a flavor, but no aftertaste, which you can get with other stevia mixes. If they don’t take stevia B out of the mix, that gives the bad taste.

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