One day at a time.

Maybe some of you with nothing better to do are wondering whether I embarked on the Whole30, and if so, how it’s going. I did, and OK so far. I probably wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t have two friends who are doing it as well. We got together for dinner on New Year’s Eve, the night before the launch. The first course would be entirely Whole30 “compliant,” as they say:

shrimp

That’s barbecued prawns with portobello mushroom caps. Mmmm.

And the main course was certainly compliant:

tenderloin

Mmm, beef tenderloin.

But you don’t go on a 30-day sugar/grain/legume/dairy/booze purge without one last fling. Which was dessert:

dessert

For the last few days, we now text one another pictures of our meals. To be supportive, you know.

Breakfast:

breakfast

Lunch:

lunch

And dinner:

dinner

I have but this to say: I miss bread. I don’t miss booze. I don’t miss sugar (too much — the fruit helps). But man, that lunch would have been better as a sandwich.

One day at a time. And if I give it up, no biggie. It’s all about learning.

Is there anything as boring as another person’s chow? No. But that was a lovely, delicious chocolate-Chambord mousse. February isn’t so far away.

So, the tree is now at the curb, the ornaments are back in their boxes, Kate is back at school and I’m back at work. Threw some stuff out, sent a million emails, did a bit of spadework for the next eight weeks of assignments. Ate that grim lunch at my desk and tried to explain the Oregon situation to Kate on the drive to Ann Arbor. Honestly, I think the Onion nailed it:

What are the protesters’ demands?

$5 million in cash and safe passage to 1874.

Deconstructing the semiotics of Bill Cosby’s grandpa sweater.

I also slept terribly last night, so I think I’m going to turn in early. Have a great Tuesday, all.

Posted at 9:06 pm in Same ol' same ol' |
 

72 responses to “One day at a time.”

  1. beb said on January 4, 2016 at 10:17 pm

    You’re certainly tricking all of us by posting at all sorts of odd times of the day.

    Good luck explaining the Oregon situation to a rational person.

    I’m eating a Wendy’s Frostie at the moment. Dieting is not in my constitution.

    234 chars

  2. basset said on January 4, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    Looks pretty tasty, pasta with dinner tonight disqualifies me though. No alcohol since Saturday evening, so there’s that. The tenderloin reminds me of a (large) deer backstrap, the cut is shaped pretty much the same but the backstrap is from the top of the spine and tenderloin’s from the bottom.

    Deer season ended yesterday. I shot and missed just before dark for a total of two shots the entire season, one in the first hour and one in the last. Killed three deer this year, two in muzzleloader season and one in rifle, and gave the meat from 2 1/2 of em away.

    569 chars

  3. brian stouder said on January 4, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    All those food-porno photos were purring “come hither” to me, except the last one.

    If I was full of vinegar, I’d try and pull Nancy’s chain about the utter failure of Michigan’s state government (and in particular their governor) in Flint.

    Rachel Maddow did her fly-over assessment from 30,000 feet (the Emergency Manager law always riles her up) this evening, and true enough – I’m always hopelessly smitten by whatever she has to say…except when NN.c disagrees(!)

    But, Good Heavens!, Michigan’s doofus Governor Snyder makes Indiana’s embarrassingly empty-headed Governor Pence look positively Lincolnian, by comparison

    631 chars

  4. Dexter said on January 4, 2016 at 10:55 pm

    A friend happens to have the same doctor as I have at the VA. During a recent checkup, he asked for some medication to steady his shaky balance. Doc said “…and how old are you? 70? I can offer you two options: one cane or two canes.” The patient laughed until Doc’s icy glare indicated total seriousness.
    Pride, pride, pride! He declined the canes and left the clinic.
    That clinic is full of people with all sorts of walking aids. Some guys would rather fall, I guess.

    482 chars

  5. Deborah said on January 4, 2016 at 11:29 pm

    I’m surprised to see that you’re allowed to eat potatoes on your diet. Little Bird and I are on the 17 day diet again (consists of three 17 day phases. We can’t eat potatoes until the second phase. We were going to start the diet on Sunday, but the upstairs neighbors brought down a birthday gift for Little Bird, her birthday was Saturday so she didn’t want to start the diet until after that. So the upstairs neighbors brought a savory cheesecake which had Gorgonzola in it, which Little Bird is allergic to. I cut some pieces of it for the neighbors and myself and then felt obligated to eat every bite of my piece since Liitle Bird couldn’t eat any of it. It was super rich, horribly rich actually. I got sick later in the day. I’m not used to eating food quite that rich. In fact my stomach is still not completely settled. I also have had a splitting headache since then so maybe it’s a bug of some sort. Today I only had a half bowl of tomato soup, which was probably too acidy to eat after having had gastric distress. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be back to normal.

    1069 chars

  6. Crazycatlady said on January 5, 2016 at 12:49 am

    BEB! Behave yourself…

    23 chars

  7. alex said on January 5, 2016 at 6:22 am

    Cosby’s costuming may be contrived, but I don’t doubt that the stress of facing the music has probably already taken the last ten years off his life.

    As for Oregon, how does one explain why the Cliven Bundy standoff was such a resonant hit with right-wingers while this one’s such a washout? Or is Fox just throwing its trash under the bus in order to be seen as a serious news outlet in an election year?

    409 chars

  8. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 5, 2016 at 7:27 am

    No legumes? My. My my my.

    25 chars

  9. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 5, 2016 at 7:39 am

    I’ve had half a dozen conversations with self-proclaimed Trump supporters in the last couple of weeks, in Ohio & Georgia, and they all have two things in common. They’ve all said, with specific emphasis, that there’s much he’s said that they do *not* agree with; they have also all said some version of “what we need is someone who would go to Washington and shake things up there.”

    Some of them want federal intrusion into education shaken up, some want federal interference with health care shaken up, some want federal spending shaken up, some want immigration policy in general shaken up, some want foreign policy shaken up. But they all think at the highest levels, the political and governmental system needs a good shake, and that Trump is the one — perhaps the only one, they say — to do it.

    They don’t want a wall, actually; they don’t want bombers launched an hour after inauguration; they don’t want taxes cut for the rich or more benefits cut (although many of these I’ve talked to mentioned Social Security needed to be increased, make of that what you will). But they want to see things “shaken up.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/why-trump-may-be-winning-the-war-on-political-correctness/2016/01/04/098cf832-afda-11e5-b711-1998289ffcea_story.html

    1285 chars

  10. Suzanne said on January 5, 2016 at 7:51 am

    Interesting, Jeff! I get what the Trump supporters are thinking, but what I don’t get is how they can’t seem to see how terribly wrong that could go. “Shaking things up” can turn cream into a lovely bit of soft butter but it can also mean an earthquake. We “shook things up” in Iraq and that went well.

    303 chars

  11. ROGirl said on January 5, 2016 at 7:59 am

    Maybe Cosby was just reflecting on finally being caught. Pretty powerful after getting away with his behavior and lies after all these years. But I’m sure his demeanor will be much improved as his case progresses.

    213 chars

  12. beb said on January 5, 2016 at 8:40 am

    I can understand the desire to “shake things up” but I never understood why people think that conservatives are the people who should do the shaking. The status quo is largely a conservative construct. They’re the ones pushing tax cuts for the rich, they’re the ones opposed to unions (the one organization that can fight for better wages and benefits). They’re the ones who allowed lead to get into Flint, Mi water. If you want to shake things up, vote for a liberal.

    468 chars

  13. Dorothy said on January 5, 2016 at 9:28 am

    Dexter suggest to your friend that he try a four-legged cane. You take your hand off of it and it stays put, unlike traditional ‘bishop hook’ canes. I brought mine in to the office today to lend to a professor who is having a double knee replacement. This is the third time I’ve lent it to co-workers or one of their family members here at work. I got mine 2.5 years ago when I got my knee replacement. They’re handy little buggers.

    What do the readers here have to say about Making a Murderer? Jolene and I are Facebook friends so I know how she feels. The rest of you…? I have a nephew who is playing devil’s advocate and he posts links to stories about the prosecutor’s side of the story, wherein they insist important evidence was left out of the documentary on Netflix. Details like Steven Avery called the Auto Dealer publication several times and specifically asked for Theresa Halbach to come out to photograph a vehicle at his lot. He’s supposed to have molested the very same nephew that was convicted like he was, and he bought chains like the ones the prosecution described in his trial. I still maintain they did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Too many questions hover over my head about the whole thing.

    Might we know the recipe for those delish looking potatoes?

    1313 chars

  14. Dorothy said on January 5, 2016 at 9:29 am

    forgot to share this link for Dexter’s friend: http://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Quad-Cane-Vive-Lightweight/dp/B00XAXBQQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452004142&sr=8-1&keywords=four+legged+canes

    201 chars

  15. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 5, 2016 at 9:40 am

    I think Suzanne’s comparison to the Iraq venture is all too apt.

    64 chars

  16. Connie said on January 5, 2016 at 10:05 am

    Dorothy, from yesterday’s discussion here at work everyone but me was watching Making a Murderer over the holidays.

    116 chars

  17. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 5, 2016 at 10:08 am

    Okay, I fished around on the site as much as I can spare: someone help me — why no beans? What’s the problem there? The rest I understand, somewhat, but the legume thing puzzles me.

    182 chars

  18. nancy said on January 5, 2016 at 10:16 am

    I honestly don’t know why the legume problem; I’d have to read the book (which I refuse to buy, but plan to get from the library). I know, generally speaking, the idea is to cut out *all* the foods that *most* people have at least *some* sensitivity to, then add them back selectively. I lurve beans and to my knowledge have zero problems with them, but as I’ve already said twice today: It’s only 25 more days.

    My problem is sugar. If I could come out of this eating 80 percent less sugar and 50 percent less bread, I’ll be happy. Then it’ll be bean-a-palooza around here.

    577 chars

  19. nancy said on January 5, 2016 at 10:19 am

    Oh, and those potatoes? Fingerlings, cut into half-inch chunks, but you could use any kind. Don’t bother peeling them. Start them on the stovetop with olive oil and some garlic in big chunks or left whole (it’ll blacken and grow bitter by the end of cooking, so you want to be able to spot it and fish it out), in a black iron skillet. I added fresh rosemary, too. After about five minutes at sauté temperature, put them in the oven for about 20-30 more at 400 degrees. Check a couple of times to shake the pan and mix everything up. Salt, pepper and serve.

    558 chars

  20. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 10:24 am

    Not any kind of potato. Russets will break up too much. Better to use red potatoes, Yukon Golds, or some other waxy variety.

    124 chars

  21. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 10:26 am

    I’m surprised too that you can have potato, but not bread. Aren’t they pretty much the same, chemically speaking?

    113 chars

  22. Julie Robinson said on January 5, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Potatoes surprise me too since I know they’re high on the glycemic index. Legumes aren’t allowed on paleo either, and though my son explained why I didn’t retain the info. I wouldn’t do this diet or paleo because of the strong history of gout in my family. However, Nance says it’s only for 30 days, so if there are a few nutritional gaps there won’t be lasting harm.

    Our house may be the only one not watching any of the murder shows. Just not to our taste.

    A couple of family members have the four-legged canes and also like them because they don’t slide out from under you when you tilt them at an angle. The not falling over part is a bonus.

    651 chars

  23. nancy said on January 5, 2016 at 10:53 am

    I don’t understand the potatoes thing, either, except that they are a regular old vegetable you dig up, and bread is processed, etc. That’s the general rule.

    157 chars

  24. Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 5, 2016 at 11:01 am

    Deborah (or anyone else living near Streeterville),had you seen this?

    160 chars

  25. nancy said on January 5, 2016 at 11:05 am

    The legume problem, explained.

    145 chars

  26. Mark P said on January 5, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Don’t expect logic from Trump supporters. They are the kind of people who put bumper stickers on their cars that say something about “the best government is the smallest government” while they park in handicap spaces in the parking lot of a huge government office building. I’ve actually seen that. They want the government to stay out of their health care and leave their Medicare alone. Cut taxes and increase Social Security. Keep things like they were in 1950, if not 1850. I think the tree of political insanity has been watered with the spewings of conservative talk show hosts. Fox is the fertilizer.

    607 chars

  27. Julie Robinson said on January 5, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Best take I’ve seen on Oregon: http://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon

    78 chars

  28. Hattie said on January 5, 2016 at 11:39 am

    These people think that everyone secretly agrees with them and will rush to their side with snacks, drinks and words of encouragement. And money, even. They are so funny. I’ll bet that area will get way more visitors, so it’s good publicity.

    241 chars

  29. alex said on January 5, 2016 at 11:41 am

    The legume problem = “life kills you.” Especially the stress of being consumed with food issues.

    For lunch I’m gonna go have me some killer Stroganoff.

    155 chars

  30. MichaelG said on January 5, 2016 at 11:53 am

    I have absolutely no pity, compassion or any feelings of sympathy or good will toward Bill Cosby. He traded for years on a false image of goodness and honesty and all the while he was, in fact, a horrible predator. And don’t give me any of that reasonable doubt or ”let the man present his story” crap or “maybe the women have some hidden agenda” bullshit. Over fifty women have come forward. That means there are many, many more. It’s just too much weight. There’s no other way to see Cosby than guilty as hell of many things. And I had to laugh at that sweater gambit the first time I saw it the other day.

    629 chars

  31. Suzanne said on January 5, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    “These people think that everyone secretly agrees with them and will rush to their side with snacks, drinks and words of encouragement. And money, even.”
    Hmmm. I think there was a book by Hugo a number of years back that featured some young men hanging out at the ABC café in Paris with those same thoughts,assuming the same things, and attempting to start a revolution. It didn’t go well for them. Great stage show though! “Can you hear the people sing?”

    457 chars

  32. ROGirl said on January 5, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    I can see the Huffington Post headline now: Killer Legumes!!! Are you going to risk your life for some navy bean soup?

    118 chars

  33. Scout said on January 5, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    MichaelG – I totally agree with you. A friend of mine was personally approached by Cosby and thanks to some kind of spidey sense, she didn’t take the bait to allow him to “mentor” her. I think the grandpa sweater gambit is pathetic and I doubt many are buying into it. The fragile cane, the stumbling, the sweater… don’t forget, he’s an actor.

    345 chars

  34. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    I haven’t been reading a lot about the Oregon situation, but some people are bringing them drinks and snacks. Saw a clip last night in which a woman was carrying in a bag of oranges. Also, though, heard a report saying that many locals resented what they are doing, fearing that violence in their neighborhood might be the result.

    337 chars

  35. Charlotte said on January 5, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    We had a herd of elk come through the yard this morning — you’ll want to mute the video, which is me, not awake yet, trying to figure out how to take an Instagram video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAKV8WZBUG8/?taken-by=cmf406

    It was pretty cool — they were running because the rancher who runs cattle just the other side of the little hill had someone come up to haze them on horseback … but we woke up, drank coffee in bed and watched elk for about half an hour.

    471 chars

  36. Jakash said on January 5, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    Julie R. mentioned in the last comment of the previous thread that the Sunday Chicago Tribune sets you back $5 in the hinterlands. That’s $3.99 in the city, but c’mon, there’re “Almost $500 in coupons inside!”, Julie. ; )

    We’re subscribers and I don’t disdain the paper as much as some of the other commenters here seem to, but it’s certainly a mixed bag. They just raised the DAILY price to $1.99, prompting the Sun-Times to trot out above the masthead ads screaming “Still only $1” or something like that. Next will probably be a photo of a waif in a newsboy cap pleading “Please, please, please, buy this freaking paper!” Of course, a number of pages of the S-T are provided by USA Today, in yet another desperate move to keep printing a paper while slashing the payroll.

    The Tribune likes to point out that the paper actually has more content than it did 5 years ago, to their credit. To their discredit, a lot of it is an expanded opinion section. They evidently figured out “Hey, a lot of folks on the internet are just reading people bloviating about the issues of the day. We can print a bunch of THAT pretty cheaply!” What they didn’t figure out is, why would anybody not already inclined to do so pay to buy a Tribune to get the same kind of bullshitting that permeates the web for free? A lack of folks offering Grade A, B or F opinions is not the problem with the current media market, by a long shot. What a newspaper is really needed for in this landscape more than ever — old-fashioned, down and dirty reporting — well, that costs too much, I guess. But y’all certainly are aware of that.

    Julie mentioned a one-page Book Section. They moved that section to Saturday quite a while ago, then decided to largely move it out of the paper altogether in 2012 to a new, separate, 24-page publication, “Printers Row Journal”. Launched with hoopla and optimism, I think they tried to charge $99 at first, though there were a lot of discounted deals. Well, it didn’t go so well, as reportedly less than 4,000 folks were on board for the print version. So, last month, they announced that they were ending the print edition and now one can subscribe to an online-only version for $29. Regardless, what’s left of the primary book coverage in the paper is on Saturday.

    As for “the pulp being used is of such low quality that the paper is literally gray” — well, I guess I haven’t noticed that, being the frog in the pot of boiling water… Probably has to do with a combination of being cheaper and more environmentally friendly, I suppose. I do think it’s amazing when one watches an old movie and sees how huge the broadsheets used to be, though, compared to today. The breadth must down by at least a third, I’d estimate, though I believe that the Columbus Dispatch may have set the standard when it comes to “shrinkage”. ; )

    2868 chars

  37. Deborah said on January 5, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    Very cool, Charlotte. The biggest herd that I have seen has only been about 20.

    More snow in Santa Fe. I hope it keeps coming, not that I’m crazy about snow but it’s so good for the water supply.

    198 chars

  38. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    Very cool, indeed, Charlotte. Quite a view you have.

    Very emotional speech by the president on guns just now. There are better places to read about what he said than this Gawker item, but am posting this link so you can see the jaw-droppingly cold-hearted comment by the Fox News anchor at the end of the speech. How do such people live with themselves?

    558 chars

  39. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Link to full Obama speech. He begins speaking at about 43:00.

    He’s holding a one-hour town hall meeting on gun violence to be broadcast on CNN at 8:00 PM EDT on Thursday. It’s nearby. Just tried to call the WH to find out about possibly attending, but couldn’t get through. I imagine the ears of the phone operators are burning with the reactions to his speech from the gun nuts. (Does not include basset.)

    542 chars

  40. Sue said on January 5, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    “Pride, pride, pride! He declined the canes and left the clinic”
    Dexter, my MIL literally uses the furniture to get from one end of a room to the other. She’s past the cane stage and should probably be using a walker by now. She’s one fall away from something really nasty but she will not use support.
    I can’t speak to the Netflix murderer thing because I can’t bring myself to watch it, it was awful enough reading about it and hearing about it when it was going on. It’s certainly possible police helped things along but I can’t believe the police somehow managed to pull off something so convoluted. Smoke/fire.

    622 chars

  41. Kirk said on January 5, 2016 at 2:08 pm

    ROGirl@32: I have a pot of it simmering right now, with a big ham shank in it.

    78 chars

  42. brian stouder said on January 5, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    I’m with Sue – haven’t watched/probably won’t ever.

    Generally speaking, I’m predisposed to have faith in a jury, as that is not a fun job

    140 chars

  43. Jerri said on January 5, 2016 at 2:20 pm

    Dexter and Sue, several sessions with a physical therapist would help your friend and MIL greatly. My mother’s primary care physician was concerned about her gait and knew she had had several bad falls. She sent her to a physical therapist who told her that the problem wasn’t balance but a lack of strength. She had 4 sessions and, at 86, still does her exercises every morning. It’s made a huge difference and I’m grateful.

    I lurk 99.9% of the time but would be lost without this site. Thank you Nancy and all of NN.com. And thank you, Mr. President.

    556 chars

  44. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    Brian: There are plenty of people who have been wrongly convicted by juries. In this case, in fact, I think the jury might have been particularly likely to find for the prosecution in spite of fairly clear grounds for reasonable doubt.

    Consider the role of jurors in an open trial in a small town where the defendant is accused of a heinous crime. The family of the accused were clearly downscale, wrong-side-of-the-tracks people who few would find sympathetic figures, and the defense lawyers could only point to vague possibilities as to who, other than the defendant, might have committed the crime.

    It would have been difficult under such circumstances to reach a not guilty verdict.

    695 chars

  45. nancy said on January 5, 2016 at 2:33 pm

    Speaking of old people, physical therapy and exercise, this story brought this tough old broad near tears when I read it the first time, and still does. It’s just wonderful.

    302 chars

  46. Judybusy said on January 5, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    I’m also not watching the murder stuff. I only heard what it was about on NPR this mroning. But, speaking of movies, has anyone seen Bridge of Spies? Sure, there’s Tom Hanks, but the spy Abel is played by the marvelous Mark Rylance, who played Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall. We really liked the movie, stopped at the wine bar across the street after. We ran into friends and stayed for another hour and another glass of wine.

    That Fox news anchor is really cold-hearted.

    Charlotte, I also enjoyed seeing the elk. The only wildlife I see in my backyard are skwirrils and those d–n rabbits. Well, the bird-watching can be pretty cool.

    638 chars

  47. Sue said on January 5, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    “She had 4 sessions and, at 86, still does her exercises every morning.”
    Sigh. Sigh sigh sigh. One of the reasons she’s in such bad shape is because she refused to do the physical therapy stuff after a knee replacement years ago. Fell down, yanked a bunch of stuff loose, refused to get back on the horse so to speak and here we are. How about nice low impact swimming? Nope. Losing weight? She tries, she really tries, but how can she lose weight when she can’t exercise? It’s all just so hard…
    The family just lets her do her thing because she refuses to consider any options. I’m sure there is a depression component here, but of course she won’t consider medication, that’s for crazy people. She has inspired me in this, although I can’t tell her that because how am I supposed to tell her I’m working on core strength because I don’t want to end up like her?

    877 chars

  48. basset said on January 5, 2016 at 3:02 pm

    I’m not gonna respond to whatever it was he said, it’s an unsolvable problem. Even if all gun sales were shut down forever right this minute there’d still be millions of them out there and uncontrolled.

    203 chars

  49. Sherri said on January 5, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Legumes and grains do contain lectins. Lectins can be harmful. Raw or undercooked kidney beans contain enough lectins to cause poisoning. However, cooking degrades lectins significantly. (http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/raw-kidney-beans).

    Potatoes also contain lectins, though; many diets that exclude legumes because of lectins also exclude potatoes. (Actually, most food contain lectins. They’re ubiquitous.)

    Interesting factoid: Blood typing is done using different lectins. Someone took this info and developed the “Eat For Your Type” diet that a friend of my used to swear by, when she wasn’t eliminating carbs, or combining the two.

    Like most of these diets, there’s just a hint of something real deep within, which has then been distorted and confused beyond all recognition into dogma.

    818 chars

  50. Sherri said on January 5, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    Basset, just because a problem can’t be solved completely is no reason not to start chipping away at it.

    104 chars

  51. Sue said on January 5, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    Can’t remember, did I share this here? It’s probably cruel of me.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdv4FUHqP8

    111 chars

  52. basset said on January 5, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    Sherri, true enough, you can always throw another starfish back into the surf… but I just don’t see how more rules and proclamations are going to make any real difference here.

    178 chars

  53. Sherri said on January 5, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    The man who really might win the Republican nomination (I don’t believe that Trump will): http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/01/ted-cruz-knows-what-his-followers-want

    174 chars

  54. Julie Robinson said on January 5, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    Jackash, my hubby did indeed tell me he hoped I could get $5 out of the coupons. We’ll see. I don’t buy many processed foods anymore.

    What a relief that I’m not the only person not watching the murder program. Sometimes I feel like a wimp.

    244 chars

  55. brian stouder said on January 5, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    Julie, I get more than enough violence and mayhem on the regular news, without seeking out more.

    Fox News is having a bit of a hissy-fit; damned if they go berserk and proclaim the dissolution of the Union, and on the other hand, damned if it ain’t small beer, in any case

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/05/obamas-small-ball-on-guns-could-be-big-deal.html?intcmp=hpbt1

    the lead:

    Is it possible that President Obama’s executive actions on gun control can be both inconsequential and of lasting significance? You bet.

    What?

    I bet the Indianapolis Colts will win, but really – I bet they’ll lose…?

    632 chars

  56. Scout said on January 5, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Just because we can’t stop every crazy from getting a gun doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have checks and balances in place to prevent some from following through. You’ll never know if someone you love is alive today because of what happened today. I’ll take positive change in whatever tiny increments we get it. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I would never be able to marry my partner unless I went to some other state or had a civil union.

    444 chars

  57. Charlotte said on January 5, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    I’m with you Scout — some increase in regulation is better than none. (Although unlike you, me and Himself might get hitched if we could do a civil union — neither of us wants marriage, but it would be nice to have a legal status better than “acquaintance”).

    260 chars

  58. Deborah said on January 5, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    I didn’t know that you couldn’t get a civil union if you wanted one. Seems like that should be an option.

    I finally went to the Whole30 site. I don’t get what it’s supposed to do for you. They keep saying it will change your life but they don’t say how. At least I can’t find it on the site? I get that you’ll lose some weight, how could you not? But they say it’s beyond that. If you are trying to eliminate possible food allergies shouldn’t you do that systematically, one at a time? I suppose it can’t hurt, and it’s only 30 days, so why not try it?

    555 chars

  59. Deborah said on January 5, 2016 at 5:39 pm

    I’m going to be so sorry when Obama is no longer president. Watching him get choked up about the Sandyhook shootings was so moving. It will be so interesting to see what he does with his life after he’s no longer pres.

    218 chars

  60. Kirk said on January 5, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    It’s so disgusting seeing the reactionary Republican whores for the gun industry, who apparently don’t give a rat’s ass about the increasing rash of mass murders by firearm unless it’s one of their kids (maybe).

    211 chars

  61. Dexter said on January 5, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    Thanks for the feedback and suggestions for my balance-challenged friend. Last summer I rode a bicycle a mile to get my van at the repair center. I had to grab the resting bench, a chair, and the service counter to pay and get out of there because I didn’t bring my folding cane for support; I am totally cane or walker dependent at age 66. When the VA sent me to the physical therapy counselor for my assessment at Toledo, they offered a cane, and I asked for a four-feet cane like Dorothy linked. (thanks) The therapist shook her head vigorously…apparently old guys were getting all tangled up in the 4-foot canes and tripping themselves up. The VA refused to give or get me one, but gladly handed me a regular cane.

    Kirk, “Sterling” was subbing for Scott Sloan this morning (WLW-AM-700)and he had a lady guest on with him; she was talking about the gun-show loopholes and saying how ridiculous it is to ban these sales and also person-to-person transfers as less than .001 of shootings are related to these sales. That goddam station has every single right-wing knee-jerk opinion and side covered, ya know it?

    1124 chars

  62. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    On Hardball tonight (MSNBC, 7 PM), a long interview with Hillary Clinton. On Frontline (PBS, 9 PM), a report on Bibi Netanyahu and the difficult relationship between him and President Obama.

    190 chars

  63. Sue said on January 5, 2016 at 7:03 pm

    Re the Oregon situation, and the earlier Bundy one, maybe I missed it, but have any reporters asked the ‘representatives’ what happens when they wrest control of land from the evil government? Since the land belongs to ‘all of us’, how do these high-minded patriots propose to portion out use? What’s the difference between land being owned in trust by the government and land being owned by ‘the people’ whose main representatives happen to have a serious personal interest in a particular use? Seems like we’ll be in a ‘some are more equal than others’ situation within weeks with this bunch, and who do you think will take priority?

    638 chars

  64. Sherri said on January 5, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    Sue, since now Ammon Bundy’s story is that he’s following directions from God, presumably God will tell him how to divvy it up.

    http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/man-behind-armed-oregon-band-says-hes-on-mission-from-god/

    230 chars

  65. LAMary said on January 5, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    There’s a recipe for red lentil soup with lemon in the NYT recipe collection. It’s really good and much lighter than you expect lentils to be. I need to make it again. I’m craving it.

    184 chars

  66. Suzanne said on January 5, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    Re: Ammon Bundy getting orders from God. I’ve probably referenced it before, but I highly highly recommend Karen Armstrong’s book The Battle for God. It explains so much about zealots like Bundy and how they all, from zealot Mormons, to zealot Muslims, to zealot Jews, to zealot Christians, all firmly believe that once they start the ball rolling, God, in whatever form they visualize him, wil aid their cause and the victory will be theirs. It’s a well documented, well researched book.

    488 chars

  67. Diane said on January 5, 2016 at 9:26 pm

    LAMary @65. I made that soup this weekend too (and had the last of it for lunch today). You are right, it is very good.

    120 chars

  68. Dave said on January 5, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    Must be like God telling all these clowns to run for president.

    63 chars

  69. Jolene said on January 5, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    Apparently a juror from the Stephen Avery murder case has admitted to voting for conviction out of fear for his or her personal safety. Doesn’t mean he isn’t guilty, but it does mean the jurors may have been influenced by motives other than truth-seeking.

    465 chars

  70. alex said on January 5, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    Amen to the incrementalists as regards gun control.

    You can’t raise — or change — consciousness if you’re not willing to do a damned thing at all.

    Funny to watch Fox falling all over itself to portray Obama once again as both simultaneously an impotent wimp and a jackbooted despot, whichever caricature happens to please whichever right-wing constituency.

    What Scout said. Just a few short years ago I thought gay acceptance was an even bigger pipe dream than NRA repudiation. And I’m amazed the former ever managed to come about first.

    After the din dies down Obama will be remembered as a president who had more heart than most and the balls to match.

    671 chars

  71. Dexter said on January 5, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    alex…amen brutha! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-fIn2QZgg

    64 chars

  72. Dexter said on January 6, 2016 at 12:05 am

    North Korea has tested an H Bomb. WTFF?

    40 chars