Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

No one could have predicted…

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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

T R E 4 5 O N

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Come on, man.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

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Bleg

Need To Check in with the Hive Mind’s Expertise

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Just a quick post to try to tap your expertise. I was given an award at work, which gets me my choice of stuff from the awards central site. The only thing on their I might even remotely be interested in is one of the bicycles. This is they one that requires the most points, though it is still under my overall total points to “spend.” I don’t know anything about modern bikes. The last bike I had was a very heavy 10 or 12 speed when I was in high school. Anyone know if this Kent Shogun T1000 is decent? The other option at the top of the points range is this Kent Hawkeye mountain bike.

Any info on these would be greatly appreciated. These would pretty much be the only things I would use. I don’t need more luggage, I don’t camp so don’t need any of that stuff, don’t need any more HD TVs, don’t play video games so I don’t need an XBox, the gift cards are all for places I don’t shop or eat at, etc.

Thanks!

I’ll check back later.

Open thread!

Need To Check in with the Hive Mind’s ExpertisePost + Comments (90)

Friends In Weird Places – Bleg

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Afternoon or evenin’, Jackals. ‘Tis I, your erstwhile, post starting and not finishing, friendly neighborhood sometimeish front pager. It’s a busy life in chez Rue and I have a lot to catch y’all up on. It’s been a lot. However, tonight’s post is not about me, it’s about Friend of the Blog and Jackal, Larime. In case you don’t know, Larime & Sylv have been going through a tough time from late last year to now. The great news is two-fold. Sylv is out the hospital after her surgery and recuperating back at home. And, Larime wrote this kick-ass comic book – Sex on Wheels. But, enough from me, let’s let Larime speak in his own words. Donations are truly needed and if you have art needs, please, order a commission. Buy a book. Below are the amazing cast portraits Larime did for my podcast audiodrama, Fast Track To 40. Help an artist out, eh?

Some of you may remember me from pet portraits I did for John over the years – I’m disabled and draw with my mouth. Sylv, my spouse of 25 years, is also disabled. We’ve had our rough patches and successes over the years, but this year has started out as the hardest, yet.

On January 12th Sylv went into the ER with what we thought was pneumonia from COVID. We’d both been sick right after Christmas, I got better, they did not. Scans showed over a liter of fluid in one lung, and about a third of that in the other. They were admitted, and a couple days later had the worse lung drained. There were enzymes in their blood tests that gave the doctors concerns about heart issues, and after a series of tests, they decided to do a cath (run a tiny camera up into the heart via the thigh).
Sylv has bad genes on both sides of the family, and the doctors said their heart was the weakest and worst they’d ever seen in someone their age. A bypass was ruled out because the veins and arteries were all too small and fragile for harvesting, so they decided to do 5 stents between two arteries. When working on the second artery, Sylv coded. Twice. CPR was successful both times, and the procedure finished.
After a week in the cardiac ICU, then another in a rehab wing, they finally discharged Sylv a month after they first went in. They got a nifty DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in the right thigh as a parting gift, and now we have about $1k in monthly prescriptions between crazy-expensive blood thinners, blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, and a number of other things they’ll be on for life to keep from having any future heart attacks. They are uninsured (not by choice, it’s a looooong story) and I haven’t even looked at the hospital bills yet. We’re low-income disabled people. You can’t get blood from a stone.
During all of this, I was completely on my own for a month except for two visits a day from a friend I’m paying as my aid for an hour each visit. I had to eat delivery, order groceries delivery, go out to get drinks after my initial drinks were gone, and could only use the restroom twice a day. I survived it, it was nothing compared to what Sylv was dealing with.
Now we’re just trying to recover and rebuild. Sylv isn’t able to help me load up and unload all my gear I need to go draw caricatures on the Strip, my normal gig I support us with. We burned through everything we had getting to this point, and without regular work, we’re in a bad spot. Anything and everything is appreciated.
If you’d like art, you can check out my online shop here: https://store.sendowl.com/s/5fa9ad67-17ae-4eaf-a85f-985227fb3f2a
If you just want to help, my PayPal and Zelle are xlarimex (at) gmail (dot) com. My Cash App is $LarimeTaylor. I don’t have Venmo, and Go Fund Me takes several days to clear, and I have rent and bills due in three days and it might not clear fast enough.
Thank you all, and we’re so sorry we have to ask, but your help is hugely appreciated.
And there you have it. If you can do a little mitzvah, much appreciated. We’re a weird bunch but a good bunch. Open thread.
Friends In Weird Places - Bleg
HLM, BLF, Richard
Friends In Weird Places - Bleg 1
Clarity, Janet, Pennny
Friends In Weird Places - Bleg 2
Aaron, Jason, Dan

Friends In Weird Places – BlegPost + Comments (15)

Readers, Commenters, Lurkers In DC: Norm Ornstein’s Dog Has Escaped In the Dupont Circle/Kalorama Area, Please Keep Eyes Out!!!!!

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Some of you know that Norm Ornstein is a senior mentor and friend. He just tweeted out that his dog Henry escaped at 18th and Church in the Dupont Circle in Kalorama area of DC. SO KEEP EYES OUT FOR HIM!!!!!

Update!!!

If you see this good boy, you know what to do!!!!

Thanks in advance.

Open thread!

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Pet Rescue Bleg in Texas! Shaun & Tado Need Our Help!!!!

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Last night one of our long time lurkers using the nym TexasBoyShaun made a request for our help for his dog Tado.

Hi everyone. Long-time lurker but I rarely post. I have a special request because I’m in a bad spot right now and desperately need help.

My name is Shaun and I currently live near Houston. I was recently diagnosed with autism and bipolar II disorder. I’m also going through severe anxiety and depression related in part to PTSD and adverse childhood experiences. I haven’t been able to work since the beginning of November. I’m now facing a 30-day eviction. I’ve had to accept a close friend’s offer to live with them in New Jersey until I am on my feet again.

I have a miniature American Eskimo named Tado (short for Potado) that’s about 13 years old. He’s in good health except for an inoperable hernia in his lower intestine (I keep him on a higher-fiber diet and that keeps things under control.) He’s very well-behaved and really energetic. He’s an excellent family dog and loves kids- before I got sick I babysat my young nieces and he was so gentle with them. He weighs 19 pounds. My heart is broken because I can’t take him with me (I also have a 16yo dachshund who’s getting certified as my psychiatric support animal.) My mental health has deteriorated to the point where Tado’s energy actually makes my anxiety even worse. Right now I live in a small apartment and Tado really needs a yard to play in.

I have talked to my family and friends here, and no one is able to take him in. I’m so worried about him. Could you please possibly help me find a good place for him?

Thanks so much for listening. Those of you who are animal lovers know how much I don’t want to rehome him.

So if you are in the Houston area or in Texas or even close to Texas and you can help out, please leave a note in the comments or shoot me an email and I’ll connect you with Shaun.

Tado also earned an A+ in deportment!!!!

Look at that face!!!

You definitely want to help out that face!!!!!

Schnoozle time!

Anything any of you might be able to do to help, please let us know in the comments so we can get Tado’s situation resolved and reduce some of Shaun’s stress as soon as possible.

THANKS!!!!

Open thread!

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New Orleans Based Readers & Commenters: BOLO Regarding a Missing Autistic Man In New Orleans!!!!!!

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I was killing time and reading Norm Ornstein’s twitter feed when I came across this tweet he’d retweeted:

New Orleans Based Readers & Commenters: BOLO!!!!!! 1

New Orleans Based Readers & Commenters: BOLO!!!!!!

Reporting from WDSU in New Orleans:

NEW ORLEANS —

The New Orleans Police Department needs the public’s help in locating a man reported missing from the French Quarter.

The report says 34-year-old Jessie Lewis was last seen around noon Friday in the 1000 block of Decatur Street.

He was last seen wearing the pictured clothing.

Anyone with information on Lewis’ whereabouts can contact the NOPD at 504-658-6080.

Any of you who live in New Orleans, who have friends and/or family in New Orleans, please amplify this on your social media feeds if you can!

Thanks!

Open thread!

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‘ghost cat’ and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help

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ghost cat wrote to us with a problem, hoping we could offer advice on how to re-home her 4 bonded cats that she desperately does not want to give up.  With your help, we hope to be able to do one better than that, because rehoming the cats would solve one problem but would most likely create another emergency, which you will understand if you continue reading.

ghost cat did not write asking for money, but if we can come up with $2,500 together, that will get ghost cat on her feet and allow her to keep her family together.

If you want to help, you can use any of the site donation options – look for the *red balloon in the sidebar – and john will send ghost cat a cashiers check.

'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 5  'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 3
PHOTOS OF LYRA AND PAN

From ghost cat:

I’m in a very difficult position in my life at the moment and need advice about possibly rehoming my four cats. They are my prescribed emotional support animals, and they also play a major role in my therapy for major depressive disorder and complex PTSD from long-term child abuse.

I need to find a new place to live for the reasons listed below, and my current financial situation is very poor, and I’m worried that I can’t give my cats the care they need. As much as I don’t want to, I may need to give up my cats.

I’m asking for advice because it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to find a new home locally that would take my whole family of four bonded cats.

After not being able to pay my rent in full for a few months, I got a notice to vacate my apartment, effective November 30, and then I got a summons to a trial. (The eviction moratoriums don’t protect people who have a month-to-month lease.) This was a huge blow at one of the worst possible times.

Fortunately I was able to get an attorney from NM Legal Aid for the trial, and the case was dismissed.

I still need to move, but I do not owe back rent. I’m facing the usual costs of moving—two month’s rent, damage deposit, transfer of utilities and Internet, etc.—and of course, in the category of when it rains it pours, I also need to replace my laptop, which has a bulging battery that has cracked my trackpad.

One property management company has accepted my application, and they’re OK with the cats (with increased rent and damage deposit).

I’m beyond stressed about finances. Regardless of how much I depend on my cats for my emotional well-being, I can’t see when that will improve. Right now, if one of them needed veterinary care beyond required vaccinations, I couldn’t afford it.

Thank you for any advice you guys could give me at this time.


PHOTOS OF OLIVER

'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 2 'ghost cat' and Her Kitties Could Use Our Help 6
PHOTOS OF NOZOMI

More about ghost cat and the kitties:

I adopted two cats, Oliver and Nozomi, each around 9 months to a year old, from our municipal shelter in September 2019. A few months later I started fostering two 8-week-old bonded kittens who needed some help with human socialization, also part of my therapy.

In New Mexico, community spread of COVID was confirmed and the animal shelters shut down around the time I needed to decide whether to formally adopt these kittens. I work from home as a freelance medical editor and copy editor and was doing OK financially.

By that time, all four cats were fully bonded and acting like true siblings, so I adopted the two kittens. They are Lyra and Pantalaimon. My experiment in building a harmonious cat family succeeded beyond my expectations.

All four usually sleep together in a cuddle puddle on the bed or next to me on the sofa loveseat where I usually sit to work. They all groom each other, and they groom me, which I find quite flattering. I love them all and will have a very difficult time coping if I have to give them up, but I feel obligated to put their needs ahead of mine at the moment.

I never imagined the pandemic was going to be this awful and drag on for so long, and I really underestimated how much it would affect my mental health, which has fallen off a cliff, along with my ability to make a living.

Thankfully, freelance work is picking back up, and ghost cat will be able to afford rent and care for the kitties, if she can just get over this bump in the road.

If you want to help, you can use any of the site donation options – look for the red balloon in the sidebar.   john will send ghost cat a cashiers check.

*I see a red balloon, but Gin & Tonic sees a black balloon.  Gotta love a million device/browser combinations.

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Claire updates

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As the week wraps up, I want to give you all an update on my niece, Claire.
She is wrapping up her round of chemo shortly.  The technical term that can be used around 9 year olds is that chemo is a butt kicker. She is Philadelphia at the moment and adjusting to the changes and trying to work with whatever her new normal is.
Megan, Claire’s mom, knew that my wife has been coordinating fundraising through a couple of different channels.  My wife mentioned to her sister that Dave’s blog community held a stand-alone event for Claire. She e-mailed the back-end recipient link to Megan so that the fund transfer could proceed.   I think Megan expected to see enough money for gas and tolls or perhaps a month’s worth of rent.  She was shocked at what you Jackals have done for her daughter and her family.  You all have raised a year’s worth of rent plus gas and tolls plus plentiful hospital coffee plus several series of books that Claire wants to read plus who knows what else.
Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

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