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Happy Midsummer, everybody! Aalesund, Norway, where the folks responsible* for this excellent bonfire live, is not far from the Spousal Unit’s ancestral acres in Nordfjordeid. Traditionally, the celebration of the summer solstice is a fertility festival (aren’t they all?), with a secondary, spring-cleaning aspect involving burning the detritus and leftover grievances of the past year and looking forward to a ripe summer of abundance. We can but hope.
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* By certain Viking-influenced measures of ‘responsible’; notice the safety harnesses on the builders, and the fact that it’s on a tiny islet by itself instead of the beach proper.
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Pious Christians and musical classicists might prefer the Modest Mussorgsky version:
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[…] blessed. Whether you are or not, Anne Laurie over at Balloon Juice has a post up showing perhaps the most impressive Midsummer bonfire of all time, in Norway where they have had lots of […]
Linda Featheringill
Midsummer night! Cool!
jl
Thanks for the midsummer notice.
I’ve done a few of those up in that part of the world. Totally the same except where I was, the whole bonfire consisted of just two or three of the pallets they used for that tower.
But since midsummer is so close to Fourth of July, I would snag a few fireworks to supplement.
And there was plenty of beer.
So, all in all, just the same!
Mike Kay (Team America)
Here’s a question for people who consider themselves true progressives and profess faithfulness to the rule of law.
when back-ally abortions return in the next republican administration will you inform on women committing illegal abortions in honor of the rule of law or will you keep the information to yourself?
Linda Featheringill
Mike Kay:
Progressives profess faithfulness to the rule of law? I’m just finding out about this now? Why didn’t somebody tell me?
Linda Featheringill
My birthday in half an hour, more or less.
It has been an interesting year. Not easy at all. Lost my house. Lost my job.
But I’m doing all right. I love and I am loved. And I’m happy [most of the time].
Hope I can be as resilient through this next year.
Happy Summer.
jl
@5 Linda Featheringill – June 20, 2011
Sorry to hear your last year was not so great. Hope the next one is much better. Happy birthday.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
@mike kay
so what you are saying is, equality and social justice is some times at odds with maintaining order? or maybe that freedom is some times at odds with order? and if you really want to get weird in a mid summer night’s dream sort of way, freedom and social justice/equality have been known to conflict.
dude, its like intro to poli sci up in this piece.
Linda Featheringill
jl #5
Thank you.
Villago Delenda Est
Linda Featheringill
Villago #9
Meticulously legal.
Probably most of Heydrich’s activities weren’t illegal at all. Of course, he also occasionally when after upstanding citizens and party members for political reasons. I’m not sure how legal some of his wet work was.
ETA:
Aside from being the police, Heydrich was known as “the most dangerous man in Germany.” Who was going to apprehend him?
jl
As usual, I have no clue what Kay talking about.
Anything that could be characterized as a back alley abortion is illegal now, because they would be unregulated and very dangerous to life of the woman. The whole point of reproductive rights is to make back alley abortions unnecessary, since they will occur anyway.
What would people do if they knew about a back alley abortion, today?
If Kay responds, please some one try to explain it too me. I never understand Kay’s comments.
It’s a DougJ spoof, right?
One response is that I would tell Kay about it, and then whatever he/she does, I would emit a barrage of opaque riddles based on inscrutable presuppositions generally implying that whatever it was, it was wrong and stupid, and Kay is a reactionary mole under deep progressive cover.
But that would be the wrong thing to do, on several levels.
piratedan
The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!
Fenster
@Linda Feathergill: Happy birthday and best wishes for a better year.
Watching the McCain offspring on the O’Donnell show on MSNBC. Even though her insight bears the unbearable slightness of being, I can actually sit through it.
Sorry…I’m biased. I consider her kinda cute and worthy of a wholesome media crush that will not lead to stalker status. And that’s it.
Villago Delenda Est
Screw Gondor. What have they done for us recently, hmmm?
Mike Kay (Team America)
@Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal : Sadly it wasn’t a required course, as most commentators fail to display basic poli-sci chops.
Matt Mangels
I’ve loved this version ever since I was a young kid
BethanyAnne
I have a question. One of my cow-orkers is a gold bug. I haven’t ever really paid attention to the arguments about this. But given that he’s also a loyal Fox viewer, I’m inclined to say that it’s nonsense. Does anyone know of a site that lays out the issues well? I’m gonna hit up Wikipedia, but my initial Googling turned up lots of heat, but not much light.
Thanks,
Bethany
Mike Kay (Team America)
@jl: As usual, you’ve been drinking again. Fat, drunk, and stoopid is no way to go through life, son.
as for reactionary moles under deep progressive cover, you must be shocked to find out that hamsher is a paid republican consultant.
jane-hamsher-republican-consultant
piratedan
@13 reneging on treaty agreements already eh? Just remember, after Gondor falls you’re next lil’ mister.
burnspbesq
Happy Birthday, Linda.
I’m definitely feeling old today. I noticed that there is a Yastrzemski on the Vanderbilt baseball team that is playing in the College World Series. It’s Yaz’ grandson.
burnspbesq
@ BethanyAnn:
Freud might have something to say about that typo.
Ghanima Atreides
that is just cool to the chromosomes.
is that a triple pun or a quad?
Modest Mouse
Eric S.
Random Ozzie photo. I had friend in need of a place to crash for the past 5 or 6 weeks. This moved Ozzie out of HIS room. He’s moved back in.
burnspbesq
@ Mike Kay:
when back-ally abortions return in the next republican administration will you inform on women committing illegal abortions in honor of the rule of law or will you keep the information to yourself?
False dichotomy much? Or have you forgotten that there is a long and honorable tradition of civil disobedience in this country?
How about “I will contribute time and money to whatever underground railroad springs up to move women in need of abortions back and forth to Canada, and if I get caught, my trial will be a civics lesson for the fucking ages?”
You like that one?
MaryRC
Nice bonfire. I hope there isn’t a policeman in there.
asiangrrlMN
@Linda F. Happy birthday. May the upcoming year bring you love, joy, and fulfillment.
Happy solstice, everybody.
I need your help, peeps. Read my blog post and vote the best way for me to raise mad monies to help re-elect Obama. I promise, I have some interesting ideas.
Mike Kay (Team America)
@burnspbesq: I love it. I don’t believe in the rule of law. I would never turn in a slave. I would never turn in a 18 year kid running to canada to evade the draft. I would never turn in a woman or doctor involved in an illegal abortion. I’m glad obama stopped enforcing DOMA. I feel pity for the arm chair liberals who scream about honoring the rule of law. I feel pity for the arm chair radical who says he doesn’t care who picks the justices for SCOTUS, which is funny considering how often they talk about the rule of law. In truth most online “true progressives” are white males who take their privileges for granted because unlike others they never had to fight and die for rights that wingers are constantly trying to roll back.
General Stuck
What’s that giant weiner doing in the middle of that lake?
FlipYrWhig
Um, burns, I think that was the point. Mike Kay is observing that the phrase “rule of law” is hollow, and he’s saying so in reference to the people (on the would-be left in particular) who like to trot out that phrase in order to cudgel Obama about something. Yes, there are higher values than the “rule of law.”
asiangrrlMN
@General Stuck, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! ::runs to escape the weiner talk::
Villago Delenda Est
26. Mike Kay:
Sometimes the law is an ass. See the Fugitive Slave Act. See Newt Gingrich throwing a conniption about Bill Clinton’s infidelity in between boff sessions with one of his aides.
MattR
When it comes to the “rule of law”, I have a much higher standard for the government (and government officials) upholding the law than for individual citizens deciding whether or not to obey it.
ira-NY
If there was a dog in the photo, I would be very concerned!
Hamsher will stop at nothing.
Mike Kay (Team America)
@asiangrrlMN: I voted for #2. Bring someone along with a video camera to record it.
PeakVT
@BethanyAnne: Money is a commodity that we use to abstract and exchange our labor. Almost nobody makes a complete, tradable product in their own home anymore, so we can’t barter like that idiot Republican from Nevada, the one who us told take chickens to our doctor, wants us to. So we need money. Goldbugs want us to use as money a commodity that is rare and can’t be simply created out of thin air. That’s because they don’t trust the government. It’s eeeevil, remember? But in a country that is well governed, like the US (compared to most countries, at least), using a commodity that is cheap to produce makes more sense. That’s because the government can, does, and very likely will continue to control the amount of money in circulation, so its value is unlikely to change abruptly. Goldbugs all believe that we’re on the verge of becoming the next Zimbabwe, and having gold in will allow them to escape what would be a sort of secular end of the world. But just it’s not that case we’re about to become the next Zimbabwe, so that’s why they should be viewed as just a bunch of cranks. At best, holding gold and other precious metals can be one type of hedge in a higher inflation environment. But it shouldn’t be a major part of anyone’s portfolio in the US right now, unless someone wants to get in on the speculation game.
Mnemosyne
@ MaryRC:
If you look closely, you can see Lord Summerisle leading the singing.
Morbo
Oh good, my annual excuse to post this.
Martin
With Democrats like these…
So Boehner admits that the administration has done what they are required, and since Congress hasn’t brought the issue to a vote in spite of being notified, I’m not sure what people expect Obama to do here. And the founders would seem to not consider conflicts like the current one to be part of the war authorization required by Congress, as they were perfectly okay with a naval war with France without Congressional approval. And that was waged by such traitors to the Constitution as Adams, Jefferson, Washington, and Hamilton.
Yutsano
Methinks they’re about to give Aggies very very bad ideas. Or very very good ones. The jury may be out on that.
@ wifey: hi hon. Quick store run then I’ll be back.
Luthe
Night on Bald Mountain is about Walpurgis Night, not Midsummer.
/over-educated
Uncle Clarence Thomas
.
.
@39 Luthe
I think you must mean Night on Shaved Mountain. I rented that once. Ginni’s never been the same since.
.
.
Anne Laurie
Luthe: According to the Wikipedia article (and some other sources I’ve read) Russian witches did their big annual festival at the summer solstice, not May 1. If you’re going to be dancing around nekkid in Russia, you’d definitely want to wait until the middle of June, yes?
Martin
Well, they’re perkier in May, actually. Who doesn’t like perky witches? I mean, come on…
Anne Laurie
Happy birthday, Linda F! Resilience is a much underrated blessing, isn’t it? Many happy returns, during which your prosperity improves, your spirit remains strong and your resilience less tested!
burnspbesq
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is on a roll in insider trading cases. Another conviction.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/expert-network-consultant-is-convicted/?src=dlbksb
burnspbesq
@ Uncle Clarence Thomas.
You’re still a troll manqué, but that’s funny.
Anne Laurie
Mike Kay (This Week’s Jihad): You know, I can’t remember a single one of your myriad comments that didn’t involve gleeful proclaimations that somebody had been ‘exposed’, beaten, pwned, shown up, or otherwise punished.
You’re not the most pustulent of the BJ trolls, but since the departure of Mike Nifong’s stalker, you’re the most depressingly one-note.
Viva BrisVegas
Hey, how about a shout out to the half of the world where it’s Midwinters Day!
Best thing about it, the days start to get longer. The worst thing about it, I have to freeze my arse off for another two months.
ruemara
Happy Birthday Linda F! And may your upcoming year be one of blessedness.
Anne Laurie
Martin: One word for you, dude: shrinkage.
stuckinred
Anne Laurie
My people are from Stavanger.
harlana
Happy birthday, Linda and best wishes for improvement in your personal situation this year.
Linda Featheringill
Good morning world.
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes.
My furry alarm clocks got me up right on time [grumble, grumble]. I guess I’ll start the day.
I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon on the net and found out that if the govt shuts down because of a not-raised debt limit, Social Security and Medicare and VA benefits would continue. Also both dems and reps in the House are talking about not reducing the part of Medicaid that helps us Old Ones.
So it looks like I am not at risk there.
For the rest of the country though, Medicaid is a lifeline for many of the most vulnerable and least able to fight of the population. They need us to fight for them.
Kirbster
Happy Birthday, Linda! i hope the next year is a better one for you.
If the Teahouse of Terror insists on driving the country into default, I think the first debts to be flipped off should be the salaries and benefits of the assclowns who who vote to default. Yes, it’s just a tiny drop in the bucket, but it would be a highly symbolic one.
JPL
Happy Birthday Linda.
Cliff in NH
Went out for a pre-sunrise ride with Molly, and ended up on top of the Cliff for the sunrise, Happy Doggie morning to ya’ll:
http://mollymaesden.blogspot.com/2011/06/sunrise-ride.html
edit: Molly& Cliff say Happy B-day Linda!
Riggsveda
Cool, Anne.
Cheryl from Maryland
@35 Peak Vt — That’s why Ron Paul is so loony re: gold. Since the government mints the gold, a $10 gold piece is still $10, no matter what the melt value. So your gold money doesn’t increase in value any differently than paper money. I don’t see private mints happening. Nor would I trust them — they would probably try to make money by making light weight coins.
Paul also believes our economy will be assisted because gold coins increase in value based on the antiques market. Yeah, a gold double eagle from the 1920’s designed by Saint Gaudens is worth about $200.00 to a collector. But you have to keep it stuffed in your mattress for decades and then find someone to buy it to realize the increase in value, which ain’t happening in Thunderdome circumstances. Plus, if we all rush out to sell our gold coins to fund our retirement at the same time, the scarcity value disappears, so thus ends the antiques market.
stuckinred
Cliff in NH
Nice, I saw an article that says they are trying to rebuild the Old Man of the Mountain?
Happy b-day Linda-Lu!
bjacques
For those down south:
Winter is icumen in
Lhude sing goddam!
Raineth drop
and staineth slop
And how the wind doth ram
– Ezra Pound (before he became a fascist)
Josie
Linda: Happy Birthday. I understand in a very personal way how difficult this past year must have been for you. I agree about the loving part being the good stuff. Here’s hoping for a much better year for you and your family.
BethanyAnne
Thanks for the responses. Happy Birfday, Linda!
bjacques
@Cheryl58:
I collected coins when I was a teenager, 30 years ago. Unless they’re brillian uncirculated (and the coin collecting market has gotten very picky since), they’re not worth much more than the weight of the gold or silver in them. There’s loads to be made just by charging a $100 or so premium on a one-ounce gold coin.
But basically, it’s just parking money. A bad bet in good times and a worse bet in bad.
And Happy Birthday from me too, Linda. Hang in there.
Bruce S
Why haven’t any of the banksters spent a single night in jail?
http://titanicsailsatdawn.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-has-no-one-gone-to-jail-for-fraud.html
Joel
Watched the Daily Show last night and came away very unimpressed with Sam Bee’s “wash the stench of human misery” (or something to that extent) piece last night.
Karen in GA
Alesund! I’m spending a few nights there in a couple of weeks, part of my motorycle tour of the fjords. I did not need to see this while I’m still at work; I’m not going to get a damned thing done for the next two weeks.
Victoria Love
I remember my mom telling me that her dad swam across the Mörrumsån (a river in Blekinge, Sweden, where he lived) at midnight at Midsommar. Of course, it would have been still light enough to see at that time of the year. I have always kept an image of that in my mind.
Frank W.
Okay, I can appreciate the visual intrigue of that bonfire, but it strikes me as a little odd… I am assuming that those in attendance might self-identify as “green”. I wonder what impact all of that smoke had on the atmosphere and all of that burning wood, nails, etc., had on the lakebed where it fell.
Do we have any environmental/life scientists out there today? Would such debris help or harm the environment?
Frank W.
Okay, I can appreciate the visual intrigue of that bonfire, but it strikes me as a little odd… I am assuming that those in attendance might self-identify as “green”. I wonder what impact all of that smoke had on the atmosphere and all of that burning wood, nails, etc., had on the lakebed where it fell.
Do we have any environmental/life scientists out there today? Would such debris help or harm the environment?
Mjaum
@69 That’s not a lake. That’s the Atlantic Ocean. As for the smoke, I would point out that in the background there is still snow, in the middle of June. We Norwegians wouldn’t mind just a little global warming.
(Well, we would, and we do, but it sounded plausible, no?)
Askild W.K.
The midsummer fire in Aalesund/Norway is very impressive. Makes me want to travel to that area. From Norwegian friends, I get the understanding that the process of building the thing, year after year, is a big part of the social life for the youngsters.