Wednesday — or maybe it’s Thursday — will be the 20-damn-year anniversary of this stupid blog. Why am I still here? What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve been doing this so long that I was ahead of the curve to even start a blog, plowed through when they collapsed, and now anticipate another swell, now that the psychopaths are being kicked off the social-media platforms.
J.C. got me into this. His blog is still alive, but it has gone into hibernation for months at a time, hell, maybe years. He recently resurrected it, but the last entry was a month ago, so: I guess I win.
I mention J.C. because in my estate folder, there’s an envelope with his name on it. It contains the passwords to all my social media accounts, and bequeaths the millions and millions of words here to him. If he survives me, I ask that he kill my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever other social-media foolishness I get myself into, and in return, he can do whatever he wants with this thing. Publish it as the world’s longest book, download it to a hard drive and fire it into the sun, whatever he thinks best.
But who knows when that will happen? For now, we celebrate! Open the champagne! Put on some peppy tunes! And let’s hope we’re still here in 2021. Alan will be around shortly with the canapés.
But I guess most of you would rather discuss the other momentous event happening Wednesday. I gotta say, every photo I see of Trump looking defeated and pouty is like sweet sweet her-oyne going right up the main line. I expect at least one network I can get via Hulu will cover it live, and if not, there’s always the internet. But I want to see this on a wiiiide screen. It’s not porn; porn would be any Trump or cabinet member taking a perp walk in handcuffs. But it’ll do.
Speaking of deep satisfaction, check this out: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran an editorial calling for Sen. Ron Johnson to resign. He bitched and demanded a response, which they allowed him to submit. But! The editors footnoted it. It’s hilarious.
Oh, and this: The just-released 1776 report? Has a major cut-and-paste section.
Read it between swearings-in. Our long national nightmare is…not over, but not quite as awful as it was maybe yesterday.
LAMary said on January 19, 2021 at 9:11 pm
https://queenseagle.com/all/queens-man-impeached-again
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Icarus said on January 19, 2021 at 9:50 pm
Deborah from the last thread…word on the street is he plans to do the pardons at the last possible minute to steal the show from Biden.
It would be pure schadenfreude if he goofed some bit of paperwork because of laziness or rush to get out of there and the pardons were invalid.
I have a timr going counting down until the inauguration
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20210120T09&p0=900&msg=Inauguration+2021&font=sanserif
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Colleen said on January 19, 2021 at 9:50 pm
I found this blog when I was working at WOSU in Columbus. That’s been about 20 years ago, so maybe I’ve been around almost since the beginning. I still get a little thrill when I see a new entry. You are often able to articulate my thoughts in a much more cogent manner than I can.
Someone on my FB feed said today feels like Christmas eve when you’re a kid. I can’t wait till Biden lifts his hand off that Bible and is officially in charge. I know that won’t magically fix things, but at least we will be headed in the right direction.
I plan to watch while I am working…I just hope there are no crazies doing crazy stuff….I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit apprehensive about the whole thing….
Happy Inauguration Day everyone!
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Margaret said on January 19, 2021 at 10:22 pm
Happy Blogversary! I’ve only been in it for 17 years or so. It’s certainly been a lifeline during this pandemic. I’m sure I’ll come back and read about these crazy times when they’re in the rear view mirror. Hopefully that’s soon!
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alex said on January 19, 2021 at 10:32 pm
Nancy turned me on to the blog in the early days after I had written to her about one of her columns, as the story bore an eerie resemblance to one I’d heard firsthand.
In her column, Nancy interviewed an Amish family who shared a story about an incident that had taken place in the early 1980s. On their rural Allen County doorstep, a battered black female showed up in the middle of the night. She told them that she’d been thrown out of a car by an abusive boyfriend. She had a torn dress and was missing a shoe. Having no phone, they couldn’t call the authorities. Instead, they sent her back to town the next day when a hired driver with a van came to take Amish workers to job sites.
The story was remarkable in its similarity to one that had been shared with me in the early 1980s by a black drag queen of my acquaintance. After the bars closed, she and some others went out for a bite to an all-night Azar’s Big Boy on East Coliseum. As she went to her car alone in the parking lot, two ruffians grabbed her and forced her into the cab of a pickup truck and she rode in the middle between the two of them. They drove out into the country. They pulled down a dirt road and parked. They told her it was time to fuck. They got her out of the truck and felt her up. Then they started beating the living shit out of her.
She managed to break free of them and just ran through farm fields until she came upon a darkened house, where she beat on the door and screamed for help.
It was a blood-curdling story at the time. Whatever she told the Amish people wasn’t even the half of it. But she was a passable drag queen, that’s for sure.
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LAMary said on January 19, 2021 at 11:19 pm
I wish I could get past the dread of something awful happening tomorrow so I could be happier about this. I don’t trust the trumpazoids.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 19, 2021 at 11:47 pm
As I sit here morbidly waiting to hear the pardon list, on Twitter a Detroit connection arises:
@jdawsey1 reports:
Trump is also expected to grant clemency to Kwame Kilpatrick, per a White House official, the former Detroit mayor.
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Dexter Friend said on January 20, 2021 at 12:36 am
Moments ago, after a sudden crash of Covid19 related issues, Carla Lee passed away, at age 70, in Mount Carmel Hospital, Grove City, Ohio. I was there via video connection. She made it to inauguration day; she voted for Joe. Well, I posted here first to thank you all for the thoughts and prayers and encouragement. It’s a stunning thing and not at all like losing a parent. Again, thank you.
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susan said on January 20, 2021 at 1:04 am
Oh Dexter, I am so sorry. So heartbroken.
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beb said on January 20, 2021 at 2:03 am
Dexer, I am so sorry for your loss.
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jerry said on January 20, 2021 at 3:12 am
Dexter, my sympathy at a difficult time. And so hard not to be physically present.
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diane said on January 20, 2021 at 3:48 am
I am so very sorry Dexter.
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 4:25 am
So, so sorry Dexter. Please let us know how we can help. I hope you can find peace after all you and your family have been through.
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ROGirl said on January 20, 2021 at 5:07 am
My condolences, Dexter.
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Connie said on January 20, 2021 at 5:08 am
The Kwame pardon news is sure to be the headline in Detroit today,
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Colleen said on January 20, 2021 at 5:41 am
Oh Dexter. I am so very sorry. You are in my thoughts.
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David C said on January 20, 2021 at 5:49 am
So sorry Dexter.
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Dorothy said on January 20, 2021 at 7:13 am
Oh Dexter, my heart is so sad for you and your family! I wish I could do something for you. I was near Carla Lee on Sunday when I was in Grove City. I’ll be thinking of you today and I hope you can feel all the love we send here from your on-line friends.
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ROGirl said on January 20, 2021 at 7:13 am
Kwame’s sentence was commmuted, he wasn’t actually pardoned. Still a big f u to Detroit.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 20, 2021 at 7:16 am
Dexter, I am so sorry. For that it happened, and the circumstances. Thinking of you this morning.
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Suzanne said on January 20, 2021 at 7:23 am
My very deepest condolences, Dexter. You & your family have been through so much & I mourn that you were unable to be with her. My heart goes out to you. Praying for strength & comfort for you as you face the days ahead.
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Alan Stamm said on January 20, 2021 at 8:12 am
Nineteen well-honed footnotes are hilarious indeed, yes!
“This is a page right out of the Trump playbook — blame the ‘mainstream media’ when you don’t have an answer.”
Way to sharpen and thrust the skewers, Journal-Sentinel.
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Marie said on January 20, 2021 at 8:22 am
I’m a longtime reader but never post. I have been brought to tears this morning by Dexter’s news, as I have followed you all and Carla Lee’s journey with her knee to the present. I am so sorry for your loss, Dexter, and so sorry for what you, your family and Carla Lee have gone through. Sincerest and deepest sympathies. Covid is truly a horrible disease.
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David C said on January 20, 2021 at 8:51 am
For the J-S to climb down from the Republican tire swing is all the evidence anyone should need to show what a danger to us all RoJo is.
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Minnie Fleming said on January 20, 2021 at 8:57 am
Oh, no, Dexter. I am so sorry. What terrible times these are to be separated from loved ones. Sending deepest sympathies and wishes for strength to you and your family.
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Connie said on January 20, 2021 at 9:02 am
ROGirl is correct about Kwame.
Dexter, I am so sad for you.
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 9:05 am
That list of pardons is full of a bunch of swindlers, cheaters and frauds just like the pardoner who is going to be looking for payback down the road. It takes one to know one.
Down to a few hours now until we can breathe easier.
I have to walk a few blocks to the ophthalmologist this morning, with a windchill of 5. Ugh.
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Julie Robinson said on January 20, 2021 at 9:49 am
Dexter, what a blow. You must be reeling right now. My deepest sympathy goes to you.
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David C said on January 20, 2021 at 9:58 am
Where was Barron this morning. Did they leave him behind for the Bidens to raise?
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Indiana Jack said on January 20, 2021 at 10:10 am
So sorry, Dexter. You’ll be in my thoughts.
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 10:26 am
Baron must be so embarrassed of his father and mother both. His half siblings are embarrassing too.
I’m waiting at the ophthalmologist’s office, it was a very icy walk over here, I had to do my constipated penguin pacing.
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Dave said on January 20, 2021 at 10:40 am
Dexter, I never know what to say, we’ve followed along with your wife’s illness and we were all pulling for her. It’s the toughest of times and we can only offer sympathies. So sorry.
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Peter said on January 20, 2021 at 11:03 am
Dexter, I am so sorry to hear about Carla Lee. I hope you can take some small comfort knowing that there are a lot of people on this site who are truly sad for you and sorry for your loss.
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 11:34 am
Very sorry, Dexter. It’s been a long, tough haul for you your family. You’ve been in my thoughts.
I came into my office this morning and after firing up the work laptop I turned on my notebook to watch the inauguration. After a few minutes I saw Kamala Harris and her husband escorted to the podium by the Capitol policeman who led the insurrectionists away from where the senators and VP were. I was crying. Then I read your news, Dexter. More tears. Two reasons to wish for peace and grace and understanding.
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basset said on January 20, 2021 at 11:46 am
So sorry to hear that, Dexter.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 11:54 am
So sorry Dexter.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 11:56 am
President Biden. Never thought I’d say those words with such happiness and hope!
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 12:09 pm
I tried watching on my phone here at the ophthalmologist office, didn’t think I’d be here this long.
President Biden. Whoopee!
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Connie said on January 20, 2021 at 12:21 pm
I had forgotten Dan Quayle!
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 12:23 pm
I loved Lady Gaga’s anthem!
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Suzanne said on January 20, 2021 at 12:33 pm
Lady Gaga was amazing. I was struck by how thrilled she seemed to be doing this. I somehow wouldn’t have expected that.
VP My Pants just kinda looked pissed the whole time. Trump could not have sat still that long. Garth Brooks was good but seriously, jeans? Put on some damn decent pants, Garth.
The poet is sooooo young. Good for her!!
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LinGin said on January 20, 2021 at 12:36 pm
My condolences to you and your family, Dexter. May Carla Lee’s memory be a blessing.
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deni menken said on January 20, 2021 at 12:43 pm
Dexter, we have all been so worried for you and your family this long awful year. So many of your secret friends out here in the ether are just sick over your loss. You all fought so hard. I am so very sorry.
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 12:49 pm
Dan Quayle is very forgettable. I only think of him when have to write my cat’s name at the vet’s office. The shelter had named him Potatoe.
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Heather said on January 20, 2021 at 12:56 pm
I’m so sorry, Dexter.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 1:02 pm
The young poet knocked it out of the park, total package, her poem, her presentation, her look.
Biden’s speech was good.
I don’t know how Cruz and Kevin McCarthy could show themselves in public at the inauguration after 1/6.
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Scout said on January 20, 2021 at 1:08 pm
I just wanted to be comment #46
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Bitter Scribe said on January 20, 2021 at 1:11 pm
Kudos to the Journal-Sentinel. Those footnotes were brilliant as well as hilarious. Being objective does not mean you have to let someone, even a U.S. Senator who should know better, spew lies without being challenged.
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susan said on January 20, 2021 at 1:14 pm
As one of my brothers just said, “It suddenly got pleasantly chilly! We’re -45°!”
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Background on the inaugural poem: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/books/amanda-gorman-inauguration-hill-we-climb.html
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Jerrie in MidMD said on January 20, 2021 at 1:50 pm
Dexter, I was so hopeful for Carla Lee after your last post about better numbers. So much light has gone out of this day now. My deepest condolences.
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Mouse said on January 20, 2021 at 1:50 pm
So sorry to hear that Dexter. Her pain is over.
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Bitter Scribe said on January 20, 2021 at 1:51 pm
My fondest hope is that Biden will have learned from his experience under Obama and will not spend much if any time or effort trying to “reach out” to Republicans. They can be counted on only to obstruct.
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 1:54 pm
WOW! I just watched the video of the poetry being read. I loved her hand movements and the joy on her face was inspiring. She will go far, I’m sure.
I’m sorry I missed watching the ceremony from beginning to end, I had no idea I would be in the Dr’s office for so long today. I have a lot of procedures to follow between now and Tuesday for my surgery, and I have to get tested for Covid again on Sunday for it, that will be test number 5 for me. The actual surgery is supposed to only take 15 minutes but I have to be there 2 hours in advance.
They prescribed eye drops, gave me a coupon for one of them which said it should cost no more than $60. But when I went to Walgreens to get it filled they said they couldn’t honor the coupon because I’m on Medicare and already get a discount, but then my Part D Medicare plan won’t cover it and it would cost $244 instead. So I can’t use the coupon because I’m on Medicare and my Medicare prescription insurance won’t cover it. Makes no sense, and no matter how much I argued with the poor pharmacist she wouldn’t budge. Infuriating.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 20, 2021 at 2:45 pm
Hat tip to Scout for #46. Fascinated to hear just now on NBC that the Secret Service limo detail had plates made in advance for the Beast, the main presidential limo, for both the 46 that’s on it now, and a 47 just in case — if Pence ended up holding the fort for a couple of days.
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Annie said on January 20, 2021 at 2:52 pm
Dexter, so sorry to hear your news.
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Bob (not Greene) said on January 20, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Dexter,
Terrible news about Carla Lee. I’m so sorry and offer my sincerest sympathies. My best to you and your family.
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 3:04 pm
I was thinking that the VP and Mrs. Biden had ill fitting coats. That they should have sized up. Then I realized: Kevlar.
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susan said on January 20, 2021 at 3:37 pm
Deborah, I had that same problem with my second cataract surgery: one of the four drops cost almost $300. No coupon would work, no matter where I took it. So I called my surgeon’s office and told them that this was absurd. I said that my other surgery (by another clinic/surgeon) the total cost of the four types of drops wasn’t even half of that one she prescribed. Her assistant was surprised the coupon they gave me, because they knew how expensive it was, wasn’t accepted anywhere. He said he’d call me back. He did call me back a bit later and said that they would have that bottle of drops for me when I got to the clinic, no charge.
So you might try that, explain the situation, see if they could supply it, gratis.
Best health care in the world!11!!!1
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Deborah said on January 20, 2021 at 3:39 pm
This is probably all over the Internet already, I found it very moving. After Oprah tweeted how proud she was of Amanda Gorman, Amanda’s response was this:
“Thank you! I would be nowhere without the women whose footsteps I dance in. While reciting my poem, I wore a ring with a caged bird—a gift from @Oprah for the occasion , to symbolize Maya Angelou, a previous inaugural poet. Here’s to the women who have climbed my hills before.”
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 4:00 pm
On the flip side of Deborah’s comment about the amazing poet, I just watched the video of trump’s departure from JB Andrews. The music played while he climbed the steps up to the plane: YMCA. I think he knows two songs: Macho Man and YMCA. Maybe Happy Birthday, but only happy birthday to himself.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 4:22 pm
As I listened to Amanda Gorman, I couldn’t help but think, this is what the Republicans would deny us. By embracing white supremacy, they want to keep the Amanda Gormans from reaching their potential. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t, and our problems are large. We need the talents of everyone.
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Jakash said on January 20, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Very sorry to hear that, Dexter. Condolences to you and your family.
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Andrea said on January 20, 2021 at 4:45 pm
Dexter, so very sorry to hear of the passing of your beloved wife Carla Lee. May you find comfort in a lifetime of memories with her, and soon I hope that you can be embraced by the circle of all who loved her.
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Andrea said on January 20, 2021 at 4:47 pm
Amanda Gorman is fantastically talented — her performance of her poem unleashed the tears for me. Cannot wait to follow her career. What a gift she gave to us all today.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 4:57 pm
A woman presiding over the House and a woman presiding over the Senate. Progress!
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Jeff Borden said on January 20, 2021 at 5:44 pm
If you are wondering about the hideous dress Melania slipped into between D.C. and Florida, it’s a Chanel with a price tag of $3,700. Johanna thinks it looks like mid-70s wallpaper. So, how long before she ditches him?
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David C said on January 20, 2021 at 6:11 pm
From the way Mel skedaddled into the car I’d say about five hours ago.
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Jakash said on January 20, 2021 at 6:29 pm
I’m pleased that the inauguration proceeded essentially without a hitch (if you give a pass to Sotomayor for mispronouncing the Vice President’s name…) An uplifting occasion all around, and quite a relief.
As for the previous occupant, perhaps my greatest fear from Jan. 2017 forward, considering some of his rhetoric and his temperament, was the possibility of a nuclear incident. Uh, a pretty low bar to creep over, yes, but glad that didn’t happen.
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Scout said on January 20, 2021 at 6:30 pm
I have just returned to the computer and read all the comments from the beginning and saw the terrible news about Carla Lee. Dexter, you and your family have my sincere condolences. I am so very sorry for your loss and hope that your memories will be a blessing. Sending you virtual hugs.
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Dorothy said on January 20, 2021 at 8:04 pm
I don’t care if Melania’s mumu was $3700 and a Chanel. It was stupidly ugly.
Expensive eye drops – don’t get me started. I have glaucoma and I’ve been on three different brands for a few years now. At first it was Lumigan. Then the results were not what she wanted after a few years, so she added Rhopressa. Each one for a 90 day supply was close to $600. The doc gave me coupons, too, but the usage of them was like trying to penetrate security at the White House – I never had any luck getting the pharmacy to accept them with or without my insurance. Sometimes the doc would give me samples but never more than two of each brand. About 6 months ago she had me switch to Rocklatan. I no longer used the other two, but that was no comfort. Rocklatan is expensive, too. I always imagine the mansions the pharmaceutical executives live in, funded by me and other people who have to pay these exorbitant prices. I also think about the wonderful vacations we could go on if I didn’t have to pay so much out of pocket for these damn eye drops.
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Julie Robinson said on January 20, 2021 at 8:16 pm
Mumu is right, and I was just coming here to say it. Fugly.
I’ve been on some pricey eye drops over the years for my dry eye and not a single one made a difference. I still use two different OTC drops as well as a night ointment that lasts about 10 days and is $15 per tube. That’s not nearly as bad as the cancer med a friend has to take; $5000 per dose. So please, Mr. Biden?
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 8:46 pm
Melania is going to full Golden Girl, hanging around the house in mumus and scuffs, playing bingo at the senior center, sipping her metamucil.
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Sherri said on January 20, 2021 at 8:47 pm
If you wanted a sense of what being in an abusive relationship was like, well, the last 4 years have shown you. Never knowing when the abuser was going to blow up, never being able to relax because of the uncertainty, and you can’t do anything to change it.
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David C said on January 20, 2021 at 9:15 pm
Maybe it’s a different type of glaucoma than I have Dorothy but I got laser treatment for mine and I was able to get off drops. The laser treatment wasn’t cheap either, it was about $2500 or $3500 per eye. But the drops were getting crazy expensive even five years ago when I had it done. It was especially bad because I’m so useless at putting drops in my eyes that a third of that expensive stuff went down my cheeks.
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Suzanne said on January 20, 2021 at 9:19 pm
Does anyone have a link to a photo of Melania’s ugly dress? I am curious.
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Dexter Friend said on January 20, 2021 at 9:27 pm
Thank you all for the condolences. Things were made so much easier today because we have a funeral director in the immediate family. Things are moving along, now I know when I sit to watch the news it will hit me hard, again. The daughters are OK as can be. A thousand friends and relatives are missing Carla Lee. Lori flies back to Nevada at sun-up.
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 10:26 pm
https://popculture.com/trending/news/inauguration-2021-melania-trumps-florida-dress-lights-up-social-media/
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 20, 2021 at 10:47 pm
As this sad & glorious day all at once comes to an end, as we mourn with Dexter & celebrate with Joe & Jill and the nation, I noticed this going by on Twitter, out of Detroit. My wife & I got married in 1985, and some senator from Delaware was the second or third choice for a political event speaker in the Motor City that year.
Make sure you get to the last line.
https://twitter.com/MichiganHist/status/1324541504807931904
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LAMary said on January 20, 2021 at 11:09 pm
https://www.someecards.com/news/politics/melania-trumo-mumu-air-force-one/
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Mark P said on January 20, 2021 at 11:42 pm
Dexter, so sorry.
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Mark P said on January 20, 2021 at 11:47 pm
I think there are two possibilities with Melania’s mumu. One is that she is entirely without any sense of style. The other is that she is done with her dumbass other and is saying a big FU with her clothes.
No, wait. There’s a third possibility: both of the above.
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Sherri said on January 21, 2021 at 12:52 am
Republicans are trying to pull the same thing they did four and a half years ago when Hillary called some of Trump’s supporters deplorables, by claiming that President Biden’s speech called them all a bunch of white supremacists. I don’t think it’s going to work as well after all we’ve seen the last four years.
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beb said on January 21, 2021 at 2:25 am
re Melania. I’ve seen better sacks on potatos.
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Deborah said on January 21, 2021 at 5:05 am
Did anyone else watch the inauguration show last night? I thought it was pretty good, skipping around all over the country. It looked like some of it was pre-taped but it seemed like a tight production to me. The diversity was dazzling.
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basset said on January 21, 2021 at 6:26 am
Suzy Quatro is 70? How can that be?
https://apple.news/AdcCYX_YkSUKYnUvDgnJmFA
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Dorothy said on January 21, 2021 at 7:36 am
David I did have a laser treatment in one eye several years ago. It didn’t do anything for my eye. I can’t remember the name of the procedure – I had numbing drops in the eye, then sat while multiple PINGS were directed at my eye for a minute or two. I went home shortly after and follow up appointment revealed the laser didn’t really work. The pressures in my eye did not improve so I still need to use the drops.
I’ve gotten better doing them myself (previously hubby did them). I hold the bottle closer to my eye and use the other hand to hold the eye open. It helps. I get so mad if a drop goes down my cheek. All I see is dollar signs when that happens.
My mother was diagnosed with glaucoma at 71. I was 56.
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Kim said on January 21, 2021 at 7:41 am
Dexter – this spot Nancy created 20 years ago has allowed so many of us to grieve the losses of our members and members’ beloveds, like your (our) Carla Lee. I hope this helps to lift you and yours.
Nancy, the daily back-and-forth bouncing off your keen and witty insight is a gift. Thank you for powering on; writers know the struggle and how easy it would be to say, “Nah, I give.” May we all be here for 20 more.
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Snarkworth said on January 21, 2021 at 8:21 am
I’m so very sorry, Dexter.
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Deborah said on January 21, 2021 at 8:46 am
Yes congratulations Nancy on 20 years with nn.c, quite an accomplishment. I should try to figure out when I found it, I know it was after 2003 because I was in Chicago and we moved here in March of that year. I read it for a long time before I dared to comment. It has been a mainstay for me every day since whenever that was. I love it when I get to meet you guys in person too. I hope to meet more of you eventually.
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Suzanne said on January 21, 2021 at 9:07 am
No memory of when I found this blog. I think the why was I was looking for info on Tim Goeglein. I am glad you all are here and I mourn with those who mourn, laugh with those who laugh, and celebrate with those who celebrate. It’s a great virtual community and I am thankful for it.
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Heather said on January 21, 2021 at 10:33 am
Biden was not my first choice (and I thought he seemed pretty tired while speaking at the Inaugural festivities in the evening), but he’s a good, empathetic man, and his Cabinet postings and other choices have been individuals of such diverse backgrounds, I’m heartened. Their perspectives will truly make a difference.
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David C said on January 21, 2021 at 10:38 am
Dorothy, that sounds like the same procedure I had. This reminds me I have to make an appointment with my ophthalmologist. I have to have the hole they drilled with the laser checked to see if it’s still open. My appointment was cancelled because of Covid. I’m probably a year late.
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Jenine said on January 21, 2021 at 10:55 am
@Heather: agreed, Joe was not my first choice either. But he believes in respect and dignity for every human and he knows how to mourn. I am hugely grateful for that in addition to his practical experience.
I am excited by how quickly the administration has been moving already. Onward.
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basset said on January 21, 2021 at 10:59 am
And I second what Kim said above.
I got here, iirc, through the Bob Greene direction… one of the old comment threads the other day had one from me in 2004 under my real first name, may have been my oldest post.
Getting my first Covid shot on Saturday, and Mrs. B will have her second next week.
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Suzanne said on January 21, 2021 at 11:36 am
I wasn’t wild about Biden, either, mostly because of his age, but what a blessing to have someone at this point in time, who knows the ropes, knows from experience what the President does from day one, and doesn’t have to waste time trying to figure out the simple, everyday things (How do meals work around here? Who takes out the dogs for their morning poo?) which leaves him time to focus on the myriad of critical things that need done.
As for VP My Pants, he apparently returned to Indiana yesterday and made this statement:
“Let me also take a moment to thank President Trump and Melania for all they’ve done to make America great. I will always be grateful for the opportunity that they gave us to serve and the way they allowed us to make a difference in the life of this nation.”
He is as dense as I thought. My God, Mike, Trump sent his goons in to kill you so he could be declared the winner of the election! And you are grateful??? How does he not get what happened? He also announced he is moving back to Indiana. I now feel quite ill.
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Mark P said on January 21, 2021 at 12:15 pm
There reports that Biden’s team expected to have to rework Trump’s vaccine distribution plan, but were surprised to find they did not because he had no vaccine distribution plan
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Julie Robinson said on January 21, 2021 at 1:11 pm
Biden wasn’t my first choice either, or second or third, but now I’m thinking he may be just what the country needs. His deep acquaintance with loss has given him true empathy and the ability to reach out to others who are hurting. Having a memorial service for the pandemic victims the night before, attending church that morning, visiting Arlington; he gets our pain, gets that it needs to be acknowledged, gets that it needs to be talked about for healing to happen.
I’m thinking Pence doesn’t have a lot of friends in DC and not many other options than to come back to Indiana.
bassett, good for you and mrs. b. Still waiting for sign ups to open here for our age group. I know there are scofflaws here, but also a huge number of people making appointments, so our wait will be a bit longer. I just heard a report that you are fully immune seven days after your shot, which means my mom will be good by the second week of February. Keeping her spirits up is almost a full time job these days.
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Jakash said on January 21, 2021 at 2:02 pm
“You know the scene in movies where the protagonists encounter a long unused computer/spaceship/whatever and slowly turn on the switches one by one and it lights up and softly hums and starts running again?
That.”
https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_/status/1352084474519928833
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ROGirl said on January 21, 2021 at 5:51 pm
I’ve seen FBI billboards on the interstate this week asking people for tips on the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol.
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alex said on January 21, 2021 at 6:10 pm
Wow. The first day in years that I didn’t spend doom scrolling.
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Deborah said on January 21, 2021 at 7:05 pm
I agree Alex, today was day one of turning over a new leaf, no doom scrolling. I’m allowing myself to be online for a bit in the morning while I make and have breakfast (which I’ve started doing again after skipping breakfast for awhile) and then not again until after dinner for a bit. But I have to admit I went through withdrawal a few hours ago, I really wanted to know what happened today. But I restrained myself. I spent the day doing errands, walking, getting caught up on New Yorker articles and finally getting back to the book that I haven’t cracked for weeks because I’ve been so obsessed with the minute to minute crap that’s been happening. Today was a rare gloriously sunny late January day in Chicago, a little colder than I thought once I got outside because of the wind. I feel like I’m getting my mojo back and it feels good. Knowing I’m going to hopefully get my vision squared away soon helps too.
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MarkH said on January 21, 2021 at 7:56 pm
Just heard in NPR that one of Trumps last minute pardons was…Kwame Kilpatrick(??). Had 30 years left in federal lockup. Nancy, other Detroiters, your thoughts…
I rediscovered my old friend Nancy through the Bob Greene thing 16 years ago. Congrats on20, Nance.
Dexter, condolences, peace and Grace to you on your loss.
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LAMary said on January 21, 2021 at 8:57 pm
Got an appointment for my vaccination. This is not a small feat. The system crashed right after I finished signing up.
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Deborah said on January 21, 2021 at 9:34 pm
Bad news, one of my husband’s 101 year old mother’s caregivers at her retirement home tested positive for Covid today. His mother had her first vaccine shot a few days or so ago, so now we wait to find out what this means.
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Dexter Friend said on January 22, 2021 at 1:58 am
Lori is back in Nevada, necessary business is progressing, thank the stars we both have life insurance, planned just to cover expenses and cover debts in our name. We both believe in cremation, and as one could expect, Franklin County is backed up a week to delegate permission for cremation and even to issue death certificates, frustrating our funeral director, who is my son-in-law’s sister’s husband.
Yes, this is a Covid19 death. Yesterday (Wednesday) was the record: 4131 USA deaths from it, one every 21 seconds, and Carla Lee was one of the first ones, passing just after midnight.
I would like to share this information with you:
https://www.schoedinger.com/obituaries/Carol-Friend/?fbclid=IwAR0XdwAOgZnBc5xero-iuB5FV0jUz37Fl2_u44REW1Ooas9nER59NEWxROE
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alex said on January 22, 2021 at 6:43 am
One sign of the return to normal is seeing the Bernie Sanders mittens meme and the endless creativity it has inspired.
It helps take the edge off of the usual red state antics in the Indiana statehouse, like the bill to eliminate licensing of firearms currently under consideration. As it is, Indiana doesn’t require a license to purchase a gun, only to carry one. Of course, this is the state that made it legal to purchase fireworks but not use them. The goobers seem to love legislation that gives them a wink. Prosecutors and law enforcement not so much.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 22, 2021 at 7:03 am
Dexter, thank you for sharing the obituary. A wonderfully done slice of Carla Lee’s life. We know it’s not all there on the page, but you get a sense of how there’s more as you get so much into a tribute like that. A tip of the hat to all of you who worked on it.
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Deborah said on January 22, 2021 at 9:33 am
Dexter, it must give you some peace to see all of the wonderful comments people have made about Carla Lee. I didn’t see any notice about memorial gifts, maybe I overlooked it? I would be interested in contributing to a charity if there is anything like that.
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Deborah said on January 22, 2021 at 9:38 am
Alex, I don’t know what’s going on in Indiana’s state legislature but it’s commonly known that many of the gang members in Chicago go across the state border to Indiana to acquire their guns where it’s very easy for them to do so.
14 here in Chicago with a wind chill of 0, high of 19 expected. It is winter indeed.
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basset said on January 22, 2021 at 11:24 am
In the eye doctor’s waiting room right now… going by the signed photos on the wall, this practice has treated Vince Gill, Tammy Wynette, Amy Grant, and a whole bunch more. Testimonials like that are all over the place in Nashville, even see em in the post office.
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Suzanne said on January 22, 2021 at 11:43 am
Comedy gold.
https://twitter.com/rexchapman/status/1352641061911470082?s=21
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LAMary said on January 22, 2021 at 11:45 am
Those celebrity photos are all over the place in LA. Frequently 30 year old pictures in some tire shop or pizza place. The one guy I see all over northeast LA is Ed Asner. I’d say the photo is vintage late sixties. It’s good to know Ed likes the pizza at Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock. It is good. Old school, not trendy. Jonathan Gold, the beloved, late food writer for the LA Times, included it on his list of best pizza places among lots of expensive trendoid spots. I emailed and thanked him for that and he told me I was a woman of discerning taste. We also bonded over El Atacor potato tacos which he called a cross between a taco and a knish.
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Scout said on January 22, 2021 at 12:14 pm
Dexter, thank you for sharing Carla Lee’s obituary with us. I hope you and your family are doing as well as possible and that you can feel the emotional support coming through the ether.
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Sherri said on January 22, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Henry Aaron has died. A great baseball player and a great man.
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Jakash said on January 22, 2021 at 2:07 pm
“Minnesota nice” defined in 23 seconds.
Sen. Klobuchar “welcomes” “Mayor Pete” during his confirmation hearing. LOL.
https://twitter.com/stevemorris__/status/1352283707441356805
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Suzanne said on January 22, 2021 at 3:40 pm
I work with a guy who homeschools his kids and by homeschool, I mean indoctrinated his kids. Indiana has virtually no laws about homeschooling; parents don’t, apparently, prove their kids are learning anything or what they are learning. This movement is, I think, much larger than people suspect.
https://www.autostraddle.com/i-was-trained-for-the-culture-wars-in-home-school-awaiting-someone-like-mike-pence-as-a-messiah-367057/
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basset said on January 22, 2021 at 4:38 pm
And on some different Indiana laws… does beer sold in groceries and convenience stores still have to be warm? haven’t been up there for awhile.
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susan said on January 22, 2021 at 4:45 pm
Indianastan
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Mark P said on January 22, 2021 at 5:52 pm
Speaking of brainwashing, I was standing in line at the Walmart pharmacy when a large, older man came up behind me. He was wearing a Trump face mask. A girl around 12 said she liked his mask. He said something noncommittal, and she said, “It’s not over.” The guy said Trump will be back, and she repeated that it’s not over.
I thought about saying that, yes, it’s over, but she was just a kid. A brainwashed kid, but still a kid.
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Deborah said on January 22, 2021 at 7:46 pm
My husband’s younger daughter homeschooled her daughter, they lived in southern CA (Orange County). The state required testing that determined that my husband’s granddaughter wasn’t being educated properly and she ended up thankfully going to public school where she has been catching up and is doing fine now. So some states keep track of home schooled kids to make sure their education is appropriate.
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Ann said on January 22, 2021 at 9:38 pm
Time flies when you’re having fun. I go as far back as Bob Greene, so 18 years or so. I notice that he’s been carefully curating his Wikipedia page so that it’s almost as icky as he is.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 23, 2021 at 9:25 am
Since this is a pretty media-minded space, I wanted to link here to a wonderful thread about Larry King that shows a side of him that’s not a surprise, but in detail is kind of, well, as Keith says, makes him more of a mensch than I knew:
https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1352965174030958594
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Deborah said on January 23, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Larry King was a local celebrity in Miami when I was a kid, had a radio show and was often in the papers, I saw him once in person and he looked old then. My Dad was a huge Dolphins fan and King was sometimes a commentator during games, my Dad hated him, he always seemed about to throw something at the screen when King came on, he thought King didn’t know what he was talking about. I was surprised later in my life that he had an interview TV show.
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Deborah said on January 23, 2021 at 12:47 pm
I had my Covid test this morning, in and out in less than 5 minutes, no line. At first they told me to go Sunday for it but they said I could also go today if I wanted to, it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, so I decided to go today. This is the 4th day in a row of sunshine in Chicago in January, rare.
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Sherri said on January 23, 2021 at 1:18 pm
I’m struck, as I read the big NYTimes story about the potential plan to fire the acting AG and use DOJ to pressure Georgia to overturn its election, how nowhere in the long piece does it make any mention of a prior administration’s meddling in DOJ over fictitious voter fraud. Trump tends to overshadow everything, I guess, but I haven’t forgotten that the last Bush administration fired a bunch of US Attorneys because they weren’t pursuing nonexistent voting fraud.
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Deborah said on January 23, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Holy cow, Larry King was married 8 times! I think that beats Elizabeth Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor both. Does anyone even know who Zsa Zsa Gabor was anymore?
By the way, I’m totally breaking my new no internet after breakfast until after dinner rule.
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LAMary said on January 23, 2021 at 2:50 pm
I had a boss who looked like Larry King. About the same age too. He sort of sounded like Larry King and was married three times. It’s possible he caught up on the marriages after I left that company. He was messing around with a young woman he hired who dressed in spandex and always wore stilettos. She would follow him around the office, clattering along in her heels. We didn’t know what her job was, or maybe I should say what her position was.
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Sherri said on January 23, 2021 at 3:28 pm
Henry Aaron is going to be turned into a myth, a “good” Black man who rose above, but Henry Aaron was angry about what he endured.
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/ny-hank-aaron-history-20210123-vi4n6xwma5hd3ndzg4tneyhlqu-story.html
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alex said on January 23, 2021 at 7:43 pm
Zsa Zsa was a Melania but bustier and curvier and somewhat more personable.
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LAMary said on January 23, 2021 at 8:29 pm
Zsa Zsa had some charm. Eva Gabor was the clever sister. Melania exudes post soviet desperation.
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Dorothy said on January 23, 2021 at 8:33 pm
I am pretty sure I’ve shared this with you all before, so forgive me for bringing it up again. Since both men are in the news this week, I thought I’d revisit it.
When The Greatest Generation Speaks was published, Tom Brokaw was on Larry King to publicize the book. My dad was mentioned in the book. And Tom seemed to really enjoy mentioning my dad on several different shows. He’s the medic from Pennsylvania Tom is referring to in this transcript.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0003/06/lkl.00.html
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beb said on January 23, 2021 at 10:26 pm
Here’s a great twitter thread for those of us who need some warm-fuzzies after a day of doomscrolling
https://twitter.com/JoaquimCampa/status/1350843546471952387
This thread is of nature interrupting nature photographers.
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Dexter Friend said on January 24, 2021 at 2:20 am
Trump’s attempted coercion of Georgia pols to steal the votes there, plus his attempt to fire the latest AG were the news of Saturday. What will be Sunday’s breaking news?
Cuomo certainly cares about the New Yorkers who were shut out of vaccines due to federal mismanagement of distribution, but his “we should be taken care of first because this state is so large and has such a great population…” sort of did not come off so well.
Sorry if somehow the tribute-memorial-in lieu of flowers part of Carla Lee’s obituary maybe didn’t show up on phones or other devices. Her real name is Carol Sue Friend; Carla Lee was her nickname.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
PO Box 105
Glenolden, PA 19036
https://www.cmtausa.org/ways-to-give/donate/
Or
American Diabetes Association
P.O. Box 7023
Merrifield, VA 22116-7023
(Make all checks payable to: American Diabetes Association)
https://diabetes.org
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Deborah said on January 24, 2021 at 9:05 am
Dexter, thanks for those addresses, and is there a story behind the nickname Carla Lee? Knowing you from your enjoyable comments here, I expect that there is.
Dorothy, it was impossible to get through that transcript without tearing up. That was an interesting story about your dad, if you had told it here before I somehow missed it. Thanks for the link.
Now I’m getting nervous that my cataract surgery will be canceled and rescheduled because it’s supposed to snow 6-9″ between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, it will impact morning commutes and my ophthalmologist lives in a far suburb. I mean I guess it’s no big deal if it’s put off, I’m just psyched for getting it over with and having better vision.
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alex said on January 24, 2021 at 9:59 am
Neil Steinberg is a must-read today, especially for everyone who found their way here via the Bob Greene imbroglio, but for some of the best laughing out loud any of us will have done in a long time:
http://www.everygoddamnday.com/2021/01/in-defense-of-john-kass.html?fbclid=IwAR1oFBSo_sM57GeW_2q1UgIZbMQbmWk9qkfZYRY8DcL11dElwy-QIsUQEII
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basset said on January 24, 2021 at 11:47 am
“Sphincterific,” gotta love that. And the rest of it, too.
Got covid shot number one yesterday.
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Deborah said on January 24, 2021 at 12:33 pm
That Steinberg piece was hysterical, can’t remember when I laughed out loud that much while reading. As Nancy said about Kass once, “the K is silent”. I admit I’ve actually read a book by Greene, a couple actually, and back then enjoyed them. I’m almost tempted to reread one and see what I’d think today. As a designer, I’m often astounded by what some people think is well designed, it takes some experience and exposure to figure out what’s good and why. Column writing has been a subject I’ve learned about by reading nn.c. Not that I could do it myself but I understand more of what constitutes a hit or a miss.
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Deborah said on January 24, 2021 at 2:38 pm
Why do they keep having people like Rand Paul on the Sunday shows when they keep repeating the big lie? I don’t watch the Sunday shows but I’m seeing clips on Twitter.
Once again I’m not following my new rule about staying off the Internet after breakfast until after dinner. It just makes me stress out. Gotta stop doing this.
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Jakash said on January 24, 2021 at 4:07 pm
Really enjoyed that thread of wonderful photos @ 132, Beb. Thanks!
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