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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

Giving up is unforgivable.

That meeting sounds like a shotgun wedding between a shitshow and a clusterfuck.

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

All hail the time of the bunny!

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

“They all knew.”

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

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

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Is trump is trying to break black America over his knee? signs point to ‘yes’.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Dear legacy media: you are not here to influence outcomes and policies you find desirable.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

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

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Tom Levenson – So Very Small – Zooms & Video

by WaterGirl|  April 9, 20264:00 pm| 31 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Balloon Juice Zooms, Tom Levenson's So Very Small Book Club

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book 'So Very Small'?

So last night was the first of two zooms with Tom Levenson about his book So Very Small.

This post is one part big thanks to Tom for his generosity in doing this for us, one part asking for input about last night’s zoom, one part sharing of video from the zoom, one part invitation to join us next week even if you aren’t already signed up, and one part talking about the format for next week.  We want your input!

The second and final zoom for this book is this coming Wednesday.  (8 pm Eastern on April 15)

(oh, and do your taxes if you haven’t already! :-) we’d hate to have you skip the second zoom because you put them off too long!)

I thought the zoom last night was great, and Tom had fun.   But we’d love to hear from the folks who attended, because what you think is more important than what we think. :-)

(virtual pause for feedback in the comments)

Now that folks last night had a chance to ask their questions or remark on their observations as they read the book, we thought we’d shake things up for the second zoom – and make it more of a discussion or a conversation.

  • Questions you would like to have discussed?
  • Ideas or concepts related to the book that you’d like to talk about as a group?
  • A thought you had – provoked by your reading or by the topic in general – that you’d like to open up for discussion?

(virtual pause for ideas in the comments for the conversation next week)

If you want to join the conversation next week and haven’t RSVP’d yet, please send email to WaterGirl.

(virtual pause while you RSVP)

And finally, video from our zoom last night!

 

Tom Levenson – So Very Small – Zooms & VideoPost + Comments (31)

Butter Lamb 2026

by Betty Cracker|  April 4, 202612:56 pm| 80 Comments

This post is in: Butter Lamb, Open Threads

Here’s this year’s edition:

Lamb made out of butter with peppercorn eyes on a counter.

Here’s what it looked like before I began applying the pelt curlicues:

Vaguely lamb-shaped butter sticks.

Butter lamb tutorial and back story here.

Overall, I’m pleased with the 2026 edition. We have hotter weather this year than last, so it took longer to put together because I had to periodically refrigerate the lamb in progress so the ears wouldn’t melt off and the pelt (made by extruding butter through a garlic press) would stick to the chassis.

We’ll be having Easter dinner with the in-laws as usual. Bill is currently undergoing extensive dental work, poor guy, so he has to stick with soft food right now. He also hates dealing with holidays.

He said something to his peeps the other day about skipping Easter this year, attempting to use his teeth as an excuse. They told him that’s fine if he didn’t want to show up but that I was still expected since I’m bringing the butter lamb. We’re both going.

Open thread!

Butter Lamb 2026Post + Comments (80)

Zoom Wednesday (tomorrow night) at 7:30 pm ET with National Ground Game founder and director

by WaterGirl|  March 17, 20268:23 pm| 6 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice Zooms, Open Threads, Political Action, Politics

In case you missed the post on Sunday, we have started our fundraising for the youth vote.

Details are in the post, linked below.  This is a reminder that we are having a zoom with Zee – the founder and director of the group on Wednesday.  aka Tomorrow!  I hope you will all consider joining the zoom.  She has amazing energy –  I guarantee that you will come away inspired and hopeful.

RSVP by sending me email – WaterGirl at balloon-juice.com

 

The Youth Vote – Fundraising Starts Today!

Zoom Wednesday (tomorrow night) at 7:30 pm ET with National Ground Game founder and directorPost + Comments (6)

Monday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  March 9, 20267:25 am| 155 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Readership Capture, Republicans in Disarray!

Today, Michelle and I are proud to announce that we will be hosting the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center on June 18th in Chicago, and welcoming the public on June 19th.
We can’t wait for you to visit. Go to obama.org to learn more.

[image or embed]

— Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) March 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM

These are the people serving in President Donald Trump's second Cabinet. The AP is tracking Trump's nominations, the Senate confirmation process and Cabinet members' tenure.

[image or embed]

— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Women around the globe on Sunday marked International Women’s Day taking part in marches and demonstrations that underscored efforts to combat discrimination and accelerate the drive for gender parity.
See the photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

[image or embed]

— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM

"Country" Joe McDonald, a hippie rock star of the 1960s whose "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" was a four-lettered rebuke to the Vietnam War that became an anthem for protesters and a highlight of the Woodstock music festival, died Sunday at 84.

[image or embed]

— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM

Heavily Hispanic areas have swung back toward Democrats in key off-year races as polls show the public souring on President Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration, among other issues.

[image or embed]

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) March 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM

BREAKING: Oil prices soared past $114 per barrel for the first time since 2022 on Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East.

[image or embed]

— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM

cool, half of DHS keeps going unpaid and the DOD doesn’t get the extra war money they want, sounds great

[image or embed]

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 8, 2026 at 4:07 PM

Life imitates art today.
@newyorker.com

[image or embed]

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 4:27 PM

Monday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (155)

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?

by WaterGirl|  March 1, 20262:30 pm| 27 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Balloon Juice Zooms, Book Clubs, Open Threads, Tom Levenson's So Very Small Book Club

Re-upping this announcement from Wednesday.

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book 'So Very Small'?

Hey everybody,

Anybody interested in having a Zoom book club to talk about Tom’s book, So Very Small?

Tom is super flexible, so we can talk about arguments in book and the relevance of the book today and /or we can use the book as a jumping off point for discussion.

It’s looking like we will start in 3-4 weeks, zooming the first two weeks of April, to give you guys time to read the book if you’re interested.

If you’re interested in reading / discussing this book, let us know in the comments!

⭐️  ⭐️  ⭐️

SAVE THE DATES

Wednesdays
April 8 and April 15
8 pm Eastern time

Zooms will start on time and will last 90 minutes.

⭐️  ⭐️  ⭐️

MORE DETAILS

We will raffle off a signed copy of one of Tom’s books – only participants in the zooms will be eligible for that.

If you want to participate but aren’t in a position right now to buy the book, let us know in the comments or send me email.  I’m sure we’ll be able to pair you up with someone to supply a book.

TO RSVP and get the Zoom link

Send email to WaterGirl and reference Tom or the book in the subject of your message!  And don’t forget to include your nym. :-)

I will send out the Zoom links the week of the first zoom, and the same link will work for both.  So not to worry if you have RSVP’d but you didn’t hear back from me.

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?Post + Comments (27)

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?

by WaterGirl|  February 25, 20268:00 pm| 46 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Balloon Juice Zooms, Book Clubs, Tom Levenson's So Very Small Book Club

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book 'So Very Small'?

Hey everybody,

Anybody interested in having a Zoom book club to talk about Tom’s book, So Very Small?

Tom is super flexible, so we can talk about arguments in book and the relevance of the book today and /or we can use the book as a jumping off point for discussion.

It’s looking like we will start in 3-4 weeks, zooming the first two weeks of April, to give you guys time to read the book if you’re interested.

If you’re interested in reading / discussing this book, let us know in the comments!

⭐️  ⭐️  ⭐️

SAVE THE DATES

Wednesdays
April 1 and April 8
April 8 and April 15
8 pm Eastern time

Zooms will start on time and will last 90 minutes.

⭐️  ⭐️  ⭐️

MORE DETAILS

We will raffle off a signed copy of one of Tom’s books – only participants in the zooms will be eligible for that.

If you want to participate but aren’t in a position right now to buy the book, let us know in the comments or send me email.  I’m sure we’ll be able to pair you up with someone to supply a book.

TO RSVP and get the Zoom link

Send email to WaterGirl with your nym & reference Tom or the book in the subject of your message

Interested in a Zoom Book Club to Discuss Tom Levenson’s Book ‘So Very Small’?Post + Comments (46)

Pop Quiz: The Month in Review – One Good, One Bad

by WaterGirl|  February 22, 20263:36 pm| 94 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice

So many good things happening; so many bad things happening.  (It was the best of times, it was the worst of times?)

I am someone who sometimes focuses on the bad things without taking note of the good things.  For instance, if you told me 10 good traits that you think I have, and one bad trait, it’s the bad trait that I will remember the longest.  (Surely there are a handful of people here whose brains are screeching, you don’t have 10 good traits!)  But that’s not the point of the conversation.

I think sometimes we humans can sometimes focus more on the bad things that are happening around us and maybe don’t take time to drink in the good things.  I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind a reminder about some of the good~

So I want to challenge everyone who comments to name 1 good thing and 1 bad thing that’s been happening over the last month or so.  Can be personal or political; either is fine.

Pop Quiz: The Month in Review – One Good, One BadPost + Comments (94)

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