The countdown.

Boy, the Hack Thirty is really presenting some heavy betting possibilities. If you’d have asked me to rank the lazybones of the punditocracy at the start of this project, I’d have had Jonah Goldberg and William Kristol at one-two, or certainly in the top five. But Kristol is on the board at No. 17 and Goldberg at 7, which makes me wonder who, possibly, could top them.

I figure they’re saving Tom Friedman for late in the rollout, but who else? James Lileks long ago slid into irrelevancy and graphomania; have you read his 40,000-word debrief on his fourth Disney vacation, or are you still plowing through his day-for-day, wave-for-wave, blow-by-blow of his National Review cruise? Mitch Albom doesn’t write about politics. Ann Coulter has been reduced to clowning for the gays — those boys loving a good tranny as they do — and only appearing in front of the Barbara Walters ™ SuperSoft camera lens. Kathleen Parker? Maybe, but there’s no way, as awful as she is, that she could punch her weight with Goldberg. This bears watching. Good call on Laura Ingraham, though — the poor gay man’s Coulter.

Truth be told, I think the problem is column-writing itself. Talk about a gig whose time has come passed. I’m glad I had my time in the game, but all I miss is the regular — not generous — paycheck. The best columnists, then and now, have to walk a very narrow line between reporter/observer and opinion monger, and that is hard enough to do in a normal city, virtually impossible in Washington, where everyone with skin in the game (which would be everyone, period) is whispering in your ear and buying you drinks and inviting you to their dinner parties and winking as they slap you on the shoulder. It’s all just a crazy game, isn’t it? Sooner or later even the sharpest minds and pens go dull. Usually sooner.

What do they say about opinions? And right now, the best ones are showing ’em for free on the internet. That’s not a business model, that’s a hobby.

No. 6 just went up. Marc Thiessen. Can’t quibble with that one. Keep it up, guys.

The holiday weekend is in progress, and this will be the last regular blog entry of the week, although with a house full of wired company, I expect we’ll do some mini-blogging here and there, so by all means, stop back. Also, tomorrow is my natal anniversary, and if there’s anything a girl deserves on her birthday, it’s a day off (and some cake). Thanks in advance for all your good wishes, and no, that’s not a nudge to leave any. I just know what good folks y’all are.

A li’l bloggage? Maybe:

Another great feature from Detroitblog: The people who live — legally — at the Packard Plant. A touch of country in the city:

Besides Hill’s dog, a shaggy rottweiler named Baby, they’ve got a couple of pet raccoons, and they feed lettuce and carrots to a family of rabbits who moved in during the winter. The pheasants that flock around here have provided food in the past. “We do a lot of hunting here,” says Lott, 47. “You ever ate city pheasant yet? Oh, it’s good eatin’. They’re homegrown.”

Rats run wild, kept in check only by the several cats Hill keeps or the sharpshooting skills of Lott and fellow tenant Greg Erving, 65. “We shoot rats in here all night,” Lott says. They use high-powered pellet guns. “It’s a real war going on. You can hear them fighting amongst themselves. Biggest rats in the city. They’ll come over and rob your food in a heartbeat. They’re bold.”

Thanks to Jezebel (I think) for teaching me about Dickflash. If only I could unlearn it now.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and many happy leftovers.

Posted at 9:52 am in Current events, Media |
 

81 responses to “The countdown.”

  1. Scout said on November 24, 2010 at 10:32 am

    Oh happy day to you, Nancy! You give us all a gift every time you post. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and all the regulars at this here corner bar a very Happy Thanksgiving.

    PS – a belated Happy Birthday to moe as well. Sorry I missed it!

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  2. MarkH said on November 24, 2010 at 10:36 am

    Jeff Borden: Did you secretly write any of the Hack Thirty screeds? Particularly Kristol, Will and Goldberg? The prose looks awfully familiar.

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  3. brian stouder said on November 24, 2010 at 10:40 am

    1. Happy birthday, Nancy.

    2. I took the “unlearn” reference to Dick Flash to heart, and didn’t click that link. (Otherwise, my guess would be that it is about a comic book super hero)

    3. The aggressive rats at the Packard plant reminded me of Willard. Come to think of it, if the Coen brothers remade Willard, set in Detroit at the Packard plant, I’d buy a ticket to that.

    4. I had the young folks talked into going downtown tonight, to see the grand lighting of the big Santa Claus on the bank building, plus the big wreath on the other bank building (etc), pluse fireworks at the baseball stadium…but tonight’s weather forecast calls for rain turning to snow, wind, and possibly even thunder(!). I think that – despite my best Clark Griswold intentions – the plan will be cancelled, which is mildly ironic, given how Rudolf got his job . But whadday gonna do, eh?

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  4. MichaelG said on November 24, 2010 at 10:43 am

    A Happy Birthday to you, Nance!

    And a Great Thanksgiving to all!

    It’s friggin cold here. Low thirties last night and into the twenties tonight. Supposed to have record lows. Double Brrr.

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  5. Judybusy said on November 24, 2010 at 10:55 am

    Happy Birthday, Nancy! I caught the headline on the Dick Fashers, too–didn’t take time to read the artcle. Eeeeew.

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  6. John said on November 24, 2010 at 11:04 am

    Happy Birthday!

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  7. coozledad said on November 24, 2010 at 11:07 am

    Broder’s bound to get in the top five somewhere, if only for his droopy-drawered saber rattling. Richard Cohen’s lack of self awareness, coupled with his “I know what’s funny! My fifth grade teacher said I was funny! I’m a man, not a senescent furry!” riff on Stephen Colbert puts him in stiff competition. And speaking of stiff competition, several of Pareene’s 30 have a similar outlook to the guys on dickflash- at the very least in terms of wagging, unsolicitedly, their phlebitic knobs in people’s faces. And that goes for the females there, too- just because you haven’t got a penis doesn’t mean you’re not a dick.

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  8. Connie said on November 24, 2010 at 11:14 am

    Perfect timing cooz, there’s Broder at number 4.

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  9. MarkH said on November 24, 2010 at 11:24 am

    Despite the carving by coozledad, I don’t agree with the placement of Broder. Like Nancy says, above Kristol and Goldberg? Hmm. Not that he shouldn’t be on the list, but if he’s top ten, David Brooks ought to be (a lot) higher than 30. I’d bet Friedman is one or two.

    Happy Birthday, Nance! And Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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  10. beb said on November 24, 2010 at 11:41 am

    Where’s Maureen Dowd on the Hack 30? She should be there.

    The Hack 30 thing reminds me of Mediawhoreonline, a great, though sadly defunct site.

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  11. 4dbirds said on November 24, 2010 at 11:48 am

    Happy birthday Nance!

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  12. Sue said on November 24, 2010 at 11:53 am

    Happy birthday, Nancy and happy Thanksgiving everyone. I’m already tired from cooking and I haven’t even started yet.
    While I was looking at the Hack30 stuff, I saw this review – I’ve been waiting for this ever since I heard it was coming out. I really want to see this movie. I might even go to the theater instead of waiting for it to come to on-demand:
    http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/our_picks/index.html?story=/ent/movies/andrew_ohehir/2010/11/23/kings_speech

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  13. beb said on November 24, 2010 at 11:57 am

    http://idle.slashdot.org/story/10/11/24/1333256/Students-Banned-From-Bringing-Pencils-To-School

    Saw this on Slashdot, a techie news site. The letter about the ban was apparently not approved but the idea of the ban was based on the possibility that pencils could be used as weapons.

    The madness! It burns!

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  14. Sue said on November 24, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Friedman’s in at #3.

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  15. alex said on November 24, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    Can’t believe Charles Krauthammer hasn’t made the list yet. Think he might be number one?

    Happy birthday, Nance!

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  16. Colleen said on November 24, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Happiest of Birthdays to you, Nance!

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  17. Bob (not Greene) said on November 24, 2010 at 12:24 pm

    Happy birthday, Nance, and have a great Thanksgiving.

    Krauthammer has to be in the top 2; he’s awful on so many levels. Glad to see Tom Friedman and MoDo ranked in the top 10. I stopped reading them in about 2003, when Tom got all “let’s attack Iraq” and MoDo lapsed into a permanent Carrie Bradshaw for the Washington set.

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  18. Kim said on November 24, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    Many happy returns, Nancy!

    Happy Thanksgiving, all – hoping there are many blessings to be counted for each one of you.

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  19. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 24, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Happy Thanksbirthturkgivingday, Nancy! Time to decamp into the wilderness of Fishers, Indiana to forage for dinner. Hope I don’t get a patdown on the Ohio-Indiana border.

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  20. Jenine said on November 24, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Happy birthday and may there be both cake *and* pie.

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  21. Connie said on November 24, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    The wilderness of Fishers? And here I thought it was the fastest growing suburban community in the state.

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  22. Julie Robinson said on November 24, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Sue, I’m with you on the being tired. Too much to do, much of it prodding the son to clean out and fumigate his room for grandma.

    Here’s an idea as an alternative to shopping madness on Friday, from NPR: a national day of listening: http://nationaldayoflistening.org/

    Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Birthday to Nancy.

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  23. MaryRC said on November 24, 2010 at 1:08 pm

    Happy Birthday, Nancy!

    Sue, I so want to see that movie too. It’s a touching story and George VI was a brave man. This is why his wife was so cold to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor — she never forgave them for forcing her husband into a public role.

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  24. Linda said on November 24, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Bob (not Greene):
    MoDo can’t be the Carrie Bradshaw of Washington, because Carrie has a sex life, and MoDo’s lack of one is always the thing swimming like a shark beneath of surface of everything she writes about the relationship between the sexes.

    I think that the reason the list doesn’t have Malkin or Coulter in it is that they wear their hard right creds like a shirttail. They don’t pretend to be “contrarian” or “pre 9/11 Democrats” or “moderates.” The fake moderates are most annoying hacks.

    And happy birthday to you, Nancy.

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  25. alex said on November 24, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Here’s betting it’s Krauthammer ‘cuz Mark Halpern just went up as number two.

    Surprised Laura Ingraham made the cut, though. I thought she was as poorly regarded as Malkin and Coulter.

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  26. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    It’s somewhat trite but that break is eight seconds of pure George greatness, and that other boy can really play bass guitar. You know what birthdays mean, don’t you? Means you’re catching up with those of us that are older than you. Believe me, with age does not come wisdom. Actually, I think Raymond Douglas Davies wrote the perfect song for every occasion.

    Pablo Picasso said it takes a long time to become young, and nobody ever called him an asshole. Jonathan Swift said that no wise man ever wished to be younger. Is it possible he didn’t consider “youthful indiscretions” serious enough to revisit and make right? Congressman Issa should consider this carefully. It wasn’t just the grand theft auto his brother took the rap for, it was the arson for hire.

    And you know what Bette Davis said: Getting old ain’t for sissies.

    Krauthammer is repugnant, and Peter Sellers played him in a movie one time. Tom Friedman is inexcusable, but mostly in his tendency to aspire to being be David Brooks, his apparent lord and master whose reptilian body he carries around with him, so the rankings are skewed.

    If I know what a hack is, that would be David Broder, quintessentially,, like an old sportswriter pushing out “dissa and data” bullshit and apparently commenting on things that happened decades ago.

    Happy birthday keedo. You’re only young once, but there is nothing in the laws of biology and physics that prevent you from being immature whenever it pleases you. And, another great birthday song —the Willburys with guest guitar players.

    This one’s in the public domain: Happy Birthday! Mildred and Patty, the Hill sisters, would probably love it.

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  27. Bob (not Greene) said on November 24, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    Linda, I guess I should have qualified that. I wasn’t actually thinking about the “sex” part. It’s just that it’s her voice I hear in my head anytime I read anything by MoDo. Gah.

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  28. cosmo panzini said on November 24, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    Sometimes it seems that things on this site just plod along without much that’s terribly interesting, then, all at once, Dickflash!!! The interweb is truly awesome.

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  29. coozledad said on November 24, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    Wish I’d seen this one:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnvMKMKl2B0&feature=related
    Happy Birthday! Is it drinks time yet?

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  30. alex said on November 24, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    And Richard Cohen gets the top honors. I’d put him behind quite a few of the others, frankly.

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  31. moe99 said on November 24, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Happy birthday November baby! Us Sagittarians must stick together!

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  32. Deborah said on November 24, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    Happy Birthday Nancy, and Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We’re staying home this year, Little Bird is going to cook up a storm. All I’m making is mashed sweet potatoes and I was going to make a pumpkin pie but my husband wanted us to buy one instead so we did. What do you think he’s trying to tell me? Either he doesn’t want me to add something to my “to do” list or he doesn’t like my cooking. Also he kaboshed Cool Whip which I love, whipped cream instead. Isn’t Cool Whip better for your heart than real cream?

    I’ll probably be checking in from time to time over the weekend. I’m still hobbling, although I’m sans boot now. The ankle still hurts, but not nearly as bad as pre-boot.

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  33. Jolene said on November 24, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    And Richard Cohen gets the top honors. I’d put him behind quite a few of the others, frankly.

    Agree, alex. Nobody’s perfect, but I would rearrange that list considerably. Cohen actually had a great column yesterday, and some of the others lower down on the list are either complete nitwits (S.E. Cupp) or borderline evil (Marc Thiessen).

    Oh, and happy birthday, Nance. nn.com is high on the list of things I’m thankful for.

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  34. 4dbirds said on November 24, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    Deborah we’re an interwhipped family. Some of us go for the real thing and others love the Cool Whip. Come to think of it, we’re an interstuffing family also. I make both traditional and cornbread stuffing.

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  35. Jolene said on November 24, 2010 at 3:51 pm

    For something to do while resting from your pre-Thanksgiving labors (or while peeling apples for your pie), you might want to check out a show on PBS re the president’s photographer. Hank Stuever gave it a good review.

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  36. Little Bird said on November 24, 2010 at 4:30 pm

    Deborah prefers the cornbread, I don’t care either way, but I couldn’t find cornbread cubes this year. One of these years I’ll make cornbread a week ahead. If I remember.

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  37. MarkH said on November 24, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Quite frankly, Cohen’s absence as the list progressed made me think he was going to be left off. I know Nancy abandoned Cohen a while back, but I never really thought of him in the hack category. Someone at Slate must have a hard-on for both him and Halperin. I’d put both lower, along with some other list rearrangements.

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  38. Dexter said on November 24, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    Top hack is Krauthammer; I have a long list of others I have hated but they get a break because they are dead.

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  39. nancy said on November 24, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    I mourn Richard Cohen’s presence on the list at all, let alone at the top. I once thought he was very good, and he was. You ask me, it was blogging that more or less unhinged him. He really seemed to take the explosion of the blogosphere, along with its implicit message that lots of people thought they could do his job better, personally.

    It didn’t help that bloggers beat up on him regularly, and I think sometimes they were deliberately misconstruing what he said. However, he presented such a big, fat target, it was awfully hard for them not to. He is probably one of those WashPost writers who should have retired all the way, instead of doing the demi-retired once-a-week column, but it’s hard to give up a platform like that. Ultimately, I think the Salon piece got it right:

    At a certain point, in that exceptionally privileged and cushy position, his brain disintegrated.

    Too bad. He was one of my favorites, once. And I thought his Palin column Tuesday was pretty dead-on.

    Krauthammer belongs at No. 1. I don’t know why he isn’t on the list at all.

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  40. Bob (not Greene) said on November 24, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    I think Kraut may be off the list because he never pretends to be anything other than what he is — a fascist apologist, warmonger and all around arrogant asshole. All the time whiling away his days inside his closet, and loathing himself. Maybe they’ll devote a entire class of hackery to him.

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  41. Jolene said on November 24, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    I think it’s Krauthammer whose brain has deteriorated. I read his columns years ago in Time and thought of as a thoughtful conservative and very good writer. Now, he often seems to be singing along w/ Hannity in the “If Obama is doing it, it must be bad” chorus.

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  42. Dexter said on November 24, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    A tip for the lady who likes a real man, one who doesn’t just gorge himself and pass out, useless for later bedroom activities…arousal from “you’ll never imagine where”…
    http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/11/23/pumpkin-pie-arouses-guys-more-than-your-favorite-perfume/

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  43. Catherine said on November 24, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    Happy birthdays! Giving thanks for an occasional stool at this bar.

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  44. Dexter said on November 24, 2010 at 6:02 pm

    Catherine, lucky you, the best place to be on this, the biggest volume drinking night of the year. Great day to be a cabbie.

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  45. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    I always figured a hack was soembody that just mailed it in. A recycler. Recycling talking points probably qualifies. Richard Cohen, not a champeenship hack. Krauthammer? Not even close. He’s like Mikey, except he hates everything upwardly mobile that doesn’t fall off a Segway.

    After all, what is it the makes a hack? Well, if these people couldn’t dredge up Cal Thomas to make it all racially hate-filled and pro-Dimona, they are just diddling themselves. David Broder is the hack. He has not had an independent or interesting idea since back when Jack Anderson was chomping on politicians. He’s been writing the sameo shit since Ike was in office. Now, that’s a hack.

    A hack is some jackass that regurgitates the same ol’ sgit time after time. Many of the people on this list put new gloss on blackophobia. And they want wealth redristibuted upwards. They aren’t hacks, they’re opportunists. Storm troopers more likely. Look at it this way. They want to be in charge of keeping government hands off your Medicare, and they mean to make obscene profit doing it.

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  46. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Dexter: You’re a cabbie? Seriously? I know this will sound stupid, but, do you get propostioned? I could not care less, and. in fact, hope you do, Just thought I should ask, being a manly man.
    .

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  47. coozledad said on November 24, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Boehner shifts from dry-humping anyone who waves money in his face to actual penetration. Poor SOB only gets laid by someone with a remunerative stake in it. Filthy old bastard, boning a lobbyist.
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/23/143551/011

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  48. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Sorry Nancy,

    Richard Cohen was one of the backbiters, straight off. He has promoted the GOP initiative by undermining the President, re[eatedly. What Obama should do? That’s Richard Cohen’s mantra. Apparently, he wants him to turn into R. Raygun. Guys kinda like Nick Kristoff. Right causes, no scrutiny.

    Years ago, there was a Boston columnist called Mike Barnicle. He went off bigtime on another columnist that confabulated sources. Seems as if Mike did the exact same thing. He works for Fox Newa now, where the truth makes no difference whatever. There ar hacks, and then there are asholes that just flatout lie because it”s corporate policy.

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  49. Kirk said on November 24, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    Something else to be thankful for: Tom DeLay found guilty.

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  50. coozledad said on November 24, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    Kirk: Delay’s attorney, Dick Deguerin, says he’s going to miss Delay, because “There’s something about the sheer proximity of the man that saves me money on hair oil.”
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20101124/pl_yblog_theticket/tom-delay-convicted-of-money-laundering-charges

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  51. Kirk said on November 24, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    Excellent. He looks like a greasy mole. He needs to spend some time in a place where he can become some guy’s wife.

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  52. Deborah said on November 24, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    This is huge. Tom Delay found guilty by a jury of his peers in TEXAS! Can you believe it. Somebody pinch me. Tell me it’s true. Really, really, really, true.

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  53. Kirk said on November 24, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    I’m sure they weren’t his “peers,” but . . .

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, once one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, was convicted yesterday on charges that he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.
    Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts against DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He could face up to life in prison on the money-laundering count.

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  54. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 24, 2010 at 8:45 pm

    Meanwhile (he said from the heart of Hoosierdom), this popped up about Bob Ney, and I have a Dharamsala contact that confirms this is all for real — it’s a “The Razor’s Edge” story with DC bribery displacing ambulance driving in World War I:

    http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/bob-ney-s-meditation-diet-20101119

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  55. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 9:01 pm

    Tom Delay’s peers politely declined but they had knives out for Charley Rangel. Not making excuses, but that illegal fundraising bullshit? Look at the Mitch McConnell Center at Louisville. I’m fucking absolutely sure this had to do with,,, never having to do with CStreet. Those rent subsidies will croak you politically. Every asshole that ever lived at CStreet did exactly what Rangel is supposed to have done. The foundation at CCNY? Small potatoes compared with the McConnell Center at Louisville.

    There are two obvious differences between Repubs and Democrats. Republicans steal way bigger, and they get away with it.

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  56. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    Tom Delay on how he escaped VietNam:

    “So many minority youths had volunteered…that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself.”

    The asshole actually said that. Those freaking black guys kept me from being a war hero. Even W was not this brazen.

    Charlie Rangel got a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

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  57. Dexter said on November 24, 2010 at 10:15 pm

    prospero, no, not a cabbie, I don’t push a hack, but…I agree with you, you can spot a hack, and even though years ago I loved reading David Broder, he morphed into a real hack. True. And I just meant that cab rides are the order of the day, it being one of the most-enforced better-be-sober-driving nights of the year. It’s true, this night is the #1 drinking night of the year, even beating out St. Paddy’s.

    Now, speaking of cabbies, usually portrayed in the old movies as working guys who lived in Brooklyn, my fave driver has to be Travis Bickle, followed by Ernie of Bedford Falls, “It’s a Wonderful Life” .

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  58. coozledad said on November 24, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    Prospero: Charlie Rangel’s men know where his heart was. He led them out of an encirclement in the Korean war. Natural soldier’s intuition.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kunu-ri#Actions_at_Kunu-ri

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  59. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    Sorry Dex. Greatest movie cabbie ever was David Johansen as Ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooged, a very good movie. Or. maybe it was Cabbie, played by the immortal Ernest Borgnine, in Escape From New York.

    Must say, next person that brings up that ZuZus petals movie to me, well, like Earl, they have to die. That is really one atrocious movie. Come to think of it, James Stewart was pretty bad in general and tended to emote all over himself.Not so bad when Hitchcock reined him in.

    Anyway, Chicks are cooler, and they actually play instruments.

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  60. prospero said on November 24, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    Police action, Coozledad. I did not serve anywhere US freedom was threatened, except Grant Park. But Chickenhawks broil my ass, and they are Republicans. These United States, as we like to call them, will never again sink to disgraceful shit to rival the Swiftboat horseshit. Well, yeah, I’m sure we will. But that was Nixon back from the grave.

    People bought, simultaneously, that Kerry didn’t act heroicaly when Tricky sent his boat up the MeKong into Cambodia and Shrub wasn’t dodging the draft defending the OClub in Waco or whatever. People are dumber than grunt.

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  61. moe99 said on November 25, 2010 at 12:30 am

    Actually, I was delighted to see Cohen at the top of the hack list. I’ve been fuming about him for years. And his affair with the wife of Peter Jennings, for which he was ratted out by none other than Ben Bradlee, put him on my list. This, together with Delay’s convictions have made my Thanksgiving memorable.

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  62. prospero said on November 25, 2010 at 12:32 am

    And the current crop of Deanie Baby assholes bacbkiting the President? Part of the problem, not the solution. Self-righteous as shit, though. Gotta hand it to them. Paul Wellstone was Bobby Kennedy? I don’t think so. Nobody ever was.

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  63. Dexter said on November 25, 2010 at 1:05 am

    I had forgotten that Earl was played by Dennis Franz, and yes he had to die.
    And another irritating cabbie was Donal Logue , now of “Terriers” (FX, Wednesdays) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzQBvhLzxlI&NR=1

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  64. coozledad said on November 25, 2010 at 1:33 am

    Prospero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdMp7C8T-ts

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  65. Mindy said on November 25, 2010 at 8:19 am

    Whose cake this is, I think I know
    With scads of candles giving glow
    A conflagration rising higher
    It must be yours based on the fire
    — Robert Frosting

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  66. prospero said on November 25, 2010 at 9:09 am

    That is one excellent video Cooz. I never realized before that Wish You Were Here and Slim Slow Slider are nearly the same song.

    That is pretty clever Mindy. I like

    Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
    Jack be going to the ER with burns on his ass.

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  67. coozledad said on November 25, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    They’re the only band I ever wrote a besotted fanboy letter. Melora played with both Nirvana and The Pixies as well as suffering through an ill-fated tour with Marylin Manson.
    Rasputina will be at the Magic Stick Sunday Feb. 20th.

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  68. Deborah said on November 25, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    Burp. We just had turkey that Little Bird brined, delicious gravy made with apple brandy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans with walnuts, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Good eats and straining belts. Oh my.

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  69. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 25, 2010 at 7:51 pm

    Turkey breast cutlets with sage, pepper, and apricot glaze, plus everything else.

    Except we realized at the end we never opened the can of jellied cranberry sauce (made a cranberry relish with Granny Smiths & mandarin oranges amongst the cranberries). The good thing is it will keep ’til next year.

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  70. Dexter said on November 25, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    one more taxi ride…buckle your funny one for this one.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCKxro6s7e8

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  71. Connie said on November 26, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    My aren’t we a quiet bunch. Still recovering from your turkey OD? Anyone willing to admit to shopping today? I made a mid day visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods and Trader Joe’s at my visiting daughter’s request. Counting lunch at PEI WEI spent just under $100. Tomorrow is Ikea with visiting friends.

    I have been wondering how to pronounce that restaurant’s name.

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  72. Connie said on November 26, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    Wow. Exactly 24 hours between comments, to the minute.

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  73. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on November 26, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    I did put gas in the car. Does that count as a shopping admission?

    Two major turkey & stuffing meals in two days; I’m in the mood for tea and celery tomorrow.

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  74. Kaye said on November 26, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    Connie – We call that restaurant Pay Way.

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  75. Dexter said on November 27, 2010 at 12:10 am

    One purchase. A losing MegaMillions ticket. Some trouble occurred at the Angola, Indiana Walmart, involving a mix-up with wrist bands. No fatalities, just some scratched arms I gathered from the report.
    My daughter had good luck with purchasing gifts online, but she had to wait three minutes just to get items into her online cart.
    I made cabbage and ham soup. I ruined it with too much hot sauce and pepper. The loaf of homemade bread saved the day.
    Oh, I almost hit five numbers in the MegaMillions, just missing 4 of the numbers by one number. “Missed it by THAT much!”
    http://politickles.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/max1.jpg

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  76. moe99 said on November 27, 2010 at 1:06 am

    I stayed home and made turkey soup from the carcass and a crockpot. It goes into Max’s dog food to soften it because of his laryngeal surgery–he has to have soft food. He’s loving it! Oh, and I also washed windows. How’s that for excitement?

    PS: Tim G has company–FOX News plagiarizes the Onion.

    http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/foxnationcom-reposts-anti-obama-article-from-the-onion-doesnt-mention-its-a-joke.php?ref=fpi

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  77. Linda said on November 27, 2010 at 8:15 am

    Yeah, I bought like crazy yesterday–some Christmas shopping, an extra set of eyeglasses (in case another library patron gets in the mood to steal mine), and made a pot of frame soup. Unlike Moe’s lucky dog, all mine goes to humans. The cats got part of the meat and liver, and that’s all they get.

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  78. alex said on November 27, 2010 at 9:11 am

    No Black Friday here, unless you count a trip to Menard’s for a garland and a strand of white lights so that my front yard doesn’t make me look like Scrooge. (Although I wouldn’t mind having a big neon window sign that says “Kepler’s Third Law is the reason for the season.”)

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  79. Julie Robinson said on November 27, 2010 at 10:36 am

    The DH did indeed go buy a new glowing box but I have stayed out of retail anything. Did I mention the new glowing box does not fit in the old glowing box’s furniture? Right now it is on a small table in front of the old one making me crazy.

    My mom and sister are visiting and we have been cooking, cooking, cooking, as well as watching our daughter’s pictures and videos from Europe. It’s been pretty low-key and that suits me just fine. Sis couldn’t stand going three days in a row without shopping so she is doing that now and I am staying home doing laundry. When they get back I’m going to make her some holiday jewelry.

    Back in our old Fort Wayne Newspapers days we never had a relaxed Thanksgiving or got the next day off. It’s pretty great getting to be so mellow for a few days.

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  80. prospero said on November 28, 2010 at 12:36 am

    College football iw hilarious. Amybof that thoght
    boise wan;t a crock of shit was a moron, I guess georgia is qusstionnable next year becayse rthet plat Boise, Dawgs will kick thei. Last time it was 48-13.

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  81. prospero said on November 28, 2010 at 1:10 am

    College football I.M sh9we

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