• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

When I was faster i was always behind.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

“A king is only a king if we bow down.” – Rev. William Barber

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

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

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Not all heroes wear capes.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

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

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

Mobile Menu

  • 4 Directions VA 2025 Raffle
  • 2025 Activism
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
Open Thread:  Hey Lurkers!  (Holiday Post)

Open Threads

You are here: Home / Archives for Open Threads

Ipse Dixit, Year 3

by John Cole|  November 21, 200312:52 pm| 1 Comment

This post is in: Excellent Links

Dodd Harris, who is a daily read for me, is celebrating his third anniversary with a round-up of posts from the previous year. Go check it out.

Ipse Dixit, Year 3Post + Comments (1)

Look at All the Pretty Pictures

by John Cole|  November 20, 20033:53 pm| 7 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I really don’t have any comments- I just thought this was a really cool picture:

butterfly.jpg
Hundreds of Monarch butterflies crowd a pine tree at the Piedra Herrada Sanctuary in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Mexican police have been called in to protect the sanctuaries for the butterflies(AFP/File/Mario Vazquez)

Look at All the Pretty PicturesPost + Comments (7)

Top Albums

by John Cole|  November 19, 200312:27 am| 16 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

There has been some rumbling about the top ten albums of all time, so I felt it was necessary to list my FAVORITES (and there are more than ten) of all time. I am not going to pretend to know enough about music to claim these are the best, but these all pass my ‘Stranded on a Desert Island’ test:

Little Feat- Waiting For Columbus
Grateful Dead- Reckoning
Dave Brubeck Quartet- Time Out
R. L. Burnside- Ass Pocket of Whiskey
The Beatles- Abbey Road
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention- Fillmore East June 1971
Yes- Roundabout
Jerry Garcia BandJerry Garcia Band Live
JGB – Welcome To Our World
Talking Heads- Stop Making Sense
Peter Gabriel- Passion Sources
NWA- Straight Outta Compton
Willie Nelson- Willie Nelson’s Greatest Hits and Some That Will Be
Alice In Chains- Dirt
Jane’s Addiction- Ritual de lo Habitual
Run DMC- Raising Hell
The Allman Brothers- Live at the Ludlow Garage 1970
Parliament- Mothership Connection
Dire Straits- Love Over Gold
Smashing Pumpkins- Siamese Dream
James Brown- Sex Machine
The JB’s- Funky Good Time, the Anthology
Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerels- Highball with the Devil
Stevie Wonder- Original Musiquarium 1
The Beastie Boys- Ill Communication

These are in no particular order- I love them all. Also, I will add more when I think of them. This was also much harder than I thought it would be- how do you choose one album by a band over another (like with Dire Straits- both Love Over Gold and Brothers in Arms are genius- hell, so is Making Movies). I still don’t have a Who album up there, even though I have a dozen in my collection- I just can’t make thecall which album is best.

At any rate, go make your list and I will link to it.

*** LINKS ***

Norbizness has his list up.

Top AlbumsPost + Comments (16)

I Just Don’t Get It

by John Cole|  November 17, 20031:54 pm| 13 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I guess since I was sick most of last week, and then had a full weekend of sports and other things going on, I did not spend enough time reading the blogosphere, and in particular, I did not spend enough time reading the reactions to Mark Byron’s political murder scenario. I have to admit- the responses appear to me to range from the hopelessly overwrought to the seriously deranged. Some quick notes:

1.) This is for the trolls- I am not in favor of the assassination of any Democrats.

2.) Although the author himself calls this a ‘fantasy,’ I think that term has jaded many of the responses. This is, as the author notes, clearly not a fantasy of his, in that it is clearly not something he wants to happen (Me in bed with Hedi Klum, Halle Berry, and Liz Hurley- that is a fantasy). This is a hypothetical scenario, and not really a fantasy.

3.) I do not understand the outrage- he clearly did not advocate this- he simply stated a scenario, and then listed, from his perspective, how this would be a thoroughly objectionable occurrence.

4.) The most absurd response to this whole affair came from (not surprisingly), Tom Spencer, who first condemned the post and then posted an hour by hour update calling the Instapundit a hypocrite for not immediately condemning the post. Most amusing is that Spencer’s blog is titled “Thinking It Through.” Note to jerk-offs, if you want my reaction on something, let me know about it- don’t play the absurd game Tom did and state that just because someone on your blogroll writes something, you must immediately have a response. BTW- This is the same Tom Spencer who can’t even get basic facts straight.

For the record, Mark Byron is not on my blogroll, also for the record, aren’t the attempts by the lunatic fringe to attack the Instapundit about anything rather transparent and amusing. I mean, horror of horrors- Hesiod is delinking Glenn. I am sure he is traumatized.

5.) If there was one shred of evidence that Byron was actually advocating, planning, or in favor of this scenario coming to fruition, I would call him all sorts of names myself. However, there is no such thing, so I am not sure why everyone has their knickers in a twist.

6.) Several people have stated that the real problem is that he listed the names of the Senators from Republican governed states. This is an idiotic condemnation- in order for the scenario to work, of course the senators would have to be from states with Republican governors.

I have read the Byron piece ten times now, and other than the idea that something this horrifying could happen- really, I think everyone would agree that this sort of mass assassination would be horrible, I simply see no reason to condemn Byron for writing this- again, there is nothing in ANYTHING he has written about this to assume he would advocate such a horrible scenario.

People need to grow up.

I Just Don’t Get ItPost + Comments (13)

I Am Back

by John Cole|  November 12, 200312:32 pm| 14 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I am back, and I feel like I am up to about 85%. I still have a nasty cough, but it looks like I am going to survive. At any rate, the first question I have to ask everyone is “WHO THE HELL CARES WHAT TOM TOMORROW THINKS?” The Instapundit, LT. Smash, and Roger Simon have wasted entirely too much time on this jackass and the absurd little comic that upset so many people (BTW- I am a vet- can I write about whatever I want, Mr. Tomorrow?)

Two quick points about the petty cartoon:

1.) Go to a bar, restaurant, or any other crowded place that has a lot of adults. Walk around asking people if they have ever heard of Tom Tomorrow, and if they have, who he is. A quick note to Democrats, NEA members, and anti-school choice crowd- you might want to wear flip flops or sandals so your counting is not hindered in any way when you get to ten.

2.) This ‘chickenhawk’ blogger argument is just another example of loony left identity politics. I guess, according to this sort of thinking, no one should discuss telecommunications legislation unless they are in the field of telecommunications. No one should discuss abortion unless they are about to have an abortion or be aborted. No one should discuss rape unless they are a rapist or victim. Note to Tom Tomorrow- arguments stand or fall on their merits, not on who made them.

*** Update ***

Oliver Willis farts in public states:

Much like our president, vice-president and several other members of this administration, the warbloggers encourage using our military as some kind of toy to be trifled with, invading on whim when if they or their children were forced to serve they would likely be humming a whole ‘nother tune.

$5 dollars to the person who can figure out what the hell that means.

I Am BackPost + Comments (14)

I May Live

by John Cole|  November 11, 20037:16 am| 5 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I woke up this morning and feel like I have finally turned the corner on this. I may need rehab for my new found robitussin addiction, though.

I May LivePost + Comments (5)

Sick

by John Cole|  November 8, 200312:45 pm| 15 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I am sick with the double whammy- strep throat and bronchitis, which means my tickets to the Steelers on the 50 yard line tomorrow are useless. I want to cry. I don’t know when I will post next.

SickPost + Comments (15)

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 5118
  • Page 5119
  • Page 5120
  • Page 5121
  • Page 5122
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 5295
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - Viva BrisVegas - Out and about Brisbane 1
Image by Viva BrisVegas (11/12/25)

We did it!

Recent Comments

  • currawong on Epstein, Epstein, Epstein (Nov 12, 2025 @ 6:21pm)
  • currawong on More Respite (of a sort) (Nov 12, 2025 @ 6:19pm)
  • cain on Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Whither Media? (Nov 12, 2025 @ 6:17pm)
  • currawong on Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Whither Media? (Nov 12, 2025 @ 6:16pm)
  • different-church-lady on Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Whither Media? (Nov 12, 2025 @ 6:16pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
On Artificial Intelligence (7-part series)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix
Rose Judson (podcast)

We did it!

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc