Well, I think there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Woke up feeling much improved, enough so that I made my Bed of Suffering, i.e., the guest room/office, emptied the wastebasket full of sodden tissue and might even go for a walk later.
I got out to meet a new colleague last night. That helped, although it was touch and go just getting vertical yesterday.
That said, here’s a new thread for comments on…everything, I guess. One little head cold, and I feel like I’m already miles behind. Kind of like Congress.
Carry on.
Icarus said on February 16, 2017 at 9:39 am
Nancy, I don’t know if anyone else is experiencing it but the Commenters Today tab is spilling over, blocking the right-most side of the comments.
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nancy said on February 16, 2017 at 9:41 am
Thanks. Not seeing it here, but I’ll mention it to J.C.
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Deborah said on February 16, 2017 at 9:51 am
KathyT from the end of the last thread, sounds like you are having a bumpy ride, may you have peace while you continue your journey.
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Dorothy said on February 16, 2017 at 9:52 am
I don’t see any spillover – just wanted to mention it.
MichaelG I saw your comments yesterday about your cancer. I’m ever so sorry to hear this. I’ve been thinking about you and hoping you will not be feeling too poorly too soon. It seems like every day I hear about someone else I know or know ‘of’ fighting this f’er of a disease. Yesterday it was the wife of my husband’s co-worker. She was in the process of burying her father last month in Michigan and was bleeding a great deal. She’d been ignoring symptoms for something like 7 months. She has uterine and ovarian cancer, stage 2. She’s in her late 40’s. On Valentine’s day a former co-worker shared that her 42 year old daughter has breast cancer. In my house we’re holding our breath until we hear later today if Mike’s hospitalization last week will reveal that his colon cancer is back. Cancer sucks. Cancer sucks. Cancer SUCKS. What more can we say? Please know, Michael, that you are admired in this little online community.
I’ll try to keep up reading here next week, but we are off to warmer climes on Saturday. We are staying at four different places over 9 days! Starting at my brother Joe’s place, then on to St. Augustine, then up to Savannah for a Modern Quilt Show and finally getting to Athens GA to see my niece’s bookshops. I know I mentioned previously that she opened a second shop in November. But I don’t think I’ve mentioned that Avid is one of five bookstores on Publisher’s Weekly’s short list of nominees for Bookstore of the year. How about that?! And yesterday they announced that David Sedaris is coming in June. I’ve seen him once – I wish I could see him again. The man is very entertaining. I’m guessing he’d have lots of devilish and spot-on things to say about this so-called administration.
OH YAY! I managed to get politics into my comments today! I’m so proud of myself… !
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Deborah said on February 16, 2017 at 9:55 am
I am having an issue with nn.c on my iPhone, but it’s fine on my iPad, I’ll check my laptop latter. On my iPhone I can only get the reader view, I can still see everything, it’s just not as pretty as the regular view.
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Heather said on February 16, 2017 at 10:15 am
I was having that issue yesterday; today it seems to have cleared up for me.
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Heather said on February 16, 2017 at 10:17 am
Oh and MichaelG, I am also very sorry to hear that your cancer is kicking up again. I am impressed by how you have lived fully these past several months and the way you are facing your experience with grace. I’ve lost a couple close family members to this disease, including my mom, so I know how cruel it can be. Sending you my best.
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jcburns said on February 16, 2017 at 10:54 am
If you make your browser window nice and narrow, the sidebar/right rail/thing with the ‘Commenting today’ tab will disappear, problem solved. (It doesn’t show up on iPhone or iPads.) Deborah, have NO idea what your iPhone’s problem is, unless it’s “stuck” on reader view.
There’s a (known) problem when a given post gets up into the hundreds of comments…the ‘Commenting today’ thingie just gets too darn long.
I thought about redesigning nancy’s site (it’s certainly time), but I’m not sure I can take the um…helpful critiques.
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jcburns said on February 16, 2017 at 10:54 am
And repeated from yesterday, fyi:
We’re in the Georgia 5th. Our congressman: John Lewis. We have been, however, encouraging our brethern and sistern up in the gerrymandered-therefore-quite-white 6th to get out and get a democrat elected there. Ossoff is the name I hear as “the best chance.” Don’t know much (any) about him. I also hear Tom Price’s wife is running, and she’s at least as insane as he is.
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Deborah said on February 16, 2017 at 11:24 am
I’m leaving for Abiquiu in a bit, a much needed respite from the news. But before I go, I will say that Nancy’s link about how Congress has stalled is a good thing in my mind, the longer Little Bird can keep her healthcare the better. I really think the Republicans have no intention of replacing it with anything and eventually they will have their way, so if we can prolong that eventuality, I’m all for stalling.
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brian stouder said on February 16, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Today’s Trump/Fox bonbon:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/16/trump-to-leakers-will-be-caught.html
The flood of anonymous sources bolstering a wide array of news accounts has given rise to rumors of a so-called “deep state coup,” in which members of the intelligence community are potentially working to undermine the new president and his advisers.
“It certainly seems like it, and remember the intelligence community has a long history of doing this,” Fox News contributor Erick Erickson said on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, linking the suspected sabotage to Trump’s desire to roll back the Iran nuclear deal.
What a bunch of idiots.
The president his-own-self referred to “fake news” yesterday, when talking about the fired Flynn; which is equal-parts incoherent and ridiculous (he fires people based on news he knows is fake?)
As far as that goes, was Deep Throat part of a “deep state coup”? Did the American people have no right to know what was going on?
Is the president above the law? Is the president immune to criticism, and contrary opinion? Should the president be empowered to edit the news, so as to make it non-fake (by his lights)?
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FDChief said on February 16, 2017 at 12:23 pm
The intel pros know perfectly well that if they take the info of Trumpkin malfeasance to the “proper authority” Congress and the DoJ will bury it. Going directly to the press is the only way this ever reaches the public.
The real question, to me, is to what extent the Kremlin is going to manipulate the Trumpkins (all the way up to the Tangerine Toddler). Are they willing to settle for little marginal advantages that might not get the Trumpkins in trouble? Or do they count on the GOP’s tribalism to protect the brand and go maximal, accepting that every time one tool gets burned like Flynn? Whichever, it’s gonna make an exciting four years…
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Dave said on February 16, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Every day, I turn into an old man muttering at my TV when I watch the news or exclaim at the newspaper while reading it. Joe, you can’t possibly desire this kind of behavior you want from any president, can you?
Off topic, I don’t know how many know who this is but Stuart McLean has passed away, host of the Canadian radio show, “The Vinyl Cafe”. I used to enjoy listening to him on Sundays on WBOI in Fort Wayne but kind of lost touch with him after we moved away.
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Joe K said on February 16, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Nancy,
Any thoughts on Mark Illitch passing? Seems like he liked the big D.
Pilot Joe
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nancy said on February 16, 2017 at 12:42 pm
Don’t really have a strong opinion on him, but I do on his pizza, which is, hands down, the worst in the world.
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Peter said on February 16, 2017 at 1:06 pm
Joe, several local sports guys in Chicago commented on Mark – they appreciated his candor and thought that he was one of the better sports team owners.
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Joe K said on February 16, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Did you know Mr ilitch paid Rosa Parks rent for 11yrs?
Pretty cool,
Pilot Joe
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nancy said on February 16, 2017 at 1:35 pm
No he didn’t.
He paid some of it, but not all, and not for 11 years.
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Suzanne said on February 16, 2017 at 1:36 pm
I’ve listened to The Vinyl Café since WBOI Ft Wayne took Prarie Home Companion off on Sundays. It was OK but it was on and I was too lazy to change the station. I had heard that McClean was not going to do the show any longer, but I did not realize he had passed away.
Well, RIP.
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Scout said on February 16, 2017 at 1:52 pm
One of the benefits of being an old fart is the free movies we see courtesy of AARP. Last night we saw a pre-screen of Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. It airs on PBS on Tuesday 2/21. It was powerful and inspiring.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/maya-angelou-film/7533/
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 1:58 pm
Maybe he paid some of Rosa Parks rent, And maybe he was one of the better sports team owners (a pretty low bar), but that never stopped him from getting taxpayer money to build stadiums and arenas to enhance to value of his franchises and increase his bottom line.
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/category/nhl/detroit-red-wings/
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 1:59 pm
Are liberals overreacting to trump: https://medium.com/@justaride/why-liberals-are-wrong-about-trump-c865b12c72a7#.5ftsutjm3
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MichaelG said on February 16, 2017 at 2:00 pm
My best wishes, KathyT. The whole point is to try to retain the best quality of life possible. Keep your head up. I’m with you.
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Suzanne said on February 16, 2017 at 2:06 pm
Sherri @ 21…Well, yes!
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MarkH said on February 16, 2017 at 2:07 pm
Is anyone watching/listening to this fuckshow of a ‘press conference’ our president is conducting at this moment? Truly horrifying. We have a non-thinking crybaby steering this ship.
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nancy said on February 16, 2017 at 2:10 pm
I had to turn it off. I kept waiting for someone to get the hook. It’s just going on and on and on.
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Scout said on February 16, 2017 at 2:23 pm
He sure does love to hear himself talk. Especially about his yuuuuuuuuge electoral college win.
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brian stouder said on February 16, 2017 at 2:24 pm
I watched about 10 minutes of it at lunch time – and I don’t think I’m hyper-partisan – but Good God!!
I almost had the impression he was actively baiting former President Obama to answer him back – so as to put smiles on the Obama-hating part of his base.
I hope (and bet) Barack doesn’t take the bait – beyond maybe a good-natured chuckle, if someone gets a camera on him
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 2:25 pm
There are only two reasons I turn my TV on: to watch a show I’ve recorded on my TiVo or to see a live sporting event. I saw enough of televised trump in the debates to last several lifetimes.
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Jolene said on February 16, 2017 at 2:30 pm
Somebody else in this group recently announced a cancer diagnosis. Hattie? Heather? Harriet I seem to remember a name with an H. Who was it?
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 2:40 pm
As I expected after watching oral arguments, the WA Supreme Court wouldn’t allow discrimination, ruling against Baronelle Stutzmann, the florist who refused to provide flowers for a same sex wedding. The Alliance Defending (Some People’s) Freedom will try to get the US Supreme Court to overturn.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/richland-florist-discriminated-against-gay-couple-for-refusing-service-states-highest-court-rules/
If trump is having a campaign rally this weekend, then shouldn’t we wait until the campaign is over before filling the empty SCOTUS seat?
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 2:46 pm
Miss Manners delineates the alternate virtues on display today: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/02/alternative-virtues-for-the-trump-era/516498/
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brian stouder said on February 16, 2017 at 2:47 pm
Pamela sent me this (superb!) re-cap of the press conference (the last thing is the best)
On how things are going
“This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine.”
On leaks, news
“The leaks are real, the news is fake.”
On false claims about his Electoral College win’s spot in history
“I was given that information, I don’t know.”
On his own speech
“I’m not ranting and raving, I’m just telling you you’re dishonest people.”
On Obamacare
“Obamacare, they fill up our alleys with people you wonder how they got there.”
On reports about Russia contacts
“You can talk all you want about Russia — which was all a fabricated fake news … It is all fake news. It is all fake news.”
On Flynn
“I don’t think he did anything wrong. If anything, he did something right.”
On why Flynn was fired
“The thing is he didn’t tell our Vice President properly and then he said he didn’t remember… that just wasn’t acceptable to me.”
On an alternative career
“I’d be a pretty good reporter.”
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susan said on February 16, 2017 at 2:52 pm
This is good: “What It’s Felt Like Since The Election “
Yep, it’s like that everywhere I go or have been.
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Heather said on February 16, 2017 at 3:07 pm
Jolene, I think it was Hattie.
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Scout said on February 16, 2017 at 3:14 pm
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2017/02/16/trump-press-conference-recap/
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Of course, The Onion: http://www.theonion.com/article/mar-lago-member-complains-about-loud-obnoxious-cab-55311
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FDChief said on February 16, 2017 at 3:58 pm
My favorite bit from the presser was Trump’s apparent conviction that all the black people in this country know each other.
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coozledad said on February 16, 2017 at 4:15 pm
You all just yell and scream because you know that he is going to cut welfare and he is too smart with common sense and he makes you mad too.
-Pilot Jimly Joe.
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coozledad said on February 16, 2017 at 4:17 pm
Fucked up. There should only be one “o” in that final “Too.”
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Scout said on February 16, 2017 at 4:19 pm
FDChief: They don’t?
cooz: LOL
And this: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/about-the-press-conference
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 4:32 pm
I wonder if my Indian friends can get me a meeting with Gandhi and my Chinese friends a meeting with Confucius. I hear they’ve done an amazing job and are being recognized more and more.
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 4:35 pm
They think if they’re nice to corporations, corporations will be nice to them.
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeings-south-carolina-workers-resoundingly-defeat-union/
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Jolene said on February 16, 2017 at 4:54 pm
I can barely imagine what people around the world will think when they hear that press conference. I don’t know if it’s possible for the human jaw to drop by the amount that the circumstances demand.
Hattie, if you are out there, tell us how you are.
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 5:09 pm
The travel ban may have been stopped, but its clear the ICE and CBP feel free to run loose now. Deporting victims of domestic abuse, detaining Dreamers, hassling anybody entering the US, even citizens, who looks like they might be Muslims, not just from the 7 countries, and revoking Global Entry cards for Muslims. Sure, Global Entry is a privilege not a right, but you can’t deny a privilege to one class based on a religious test or race. UnConstitutional.
It’s been clear for some time that CBP in particular has an exaggerated sense of their importance in keeping us from danger. It’s all too easy to convince yourself that you’re the thin line protecting the sheep, and that excess in doing what you perceive to be that most important task is forgivable.
https://mic.com/articles/168606/us-customs-is-revoking-muslim-american-travelers-global-entry-cards-lawyers-say#.MEH9EjjJ2
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on February 16, 2017 at 5:13 pm
JCB, one of my regular prayers is “Lord, save me from helpful people. Amen.”
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Peter said on February 16, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Momma Pence has got to be picking out new drapes and china while watching that disaster of a news conference.
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David C. said on February 16, 2017 at 5:46 pm
It’s just a matter of time before tRump starts collecting his urine in jars and wearing kleenex boxes as shoes in the manner of Howard Hughes in his later years. At least Howard Hughes accomplished something before he cracked up, though.
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alex said on February 16, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Momma Pence has got to be picking out new drapes and china while watching that disaster of a news conference.
Heaven help us. If she decorates like she dresses, the White House is gonna its own trillion-dollar stimulus package when the Dems take it back in 2020.
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David C. said on February 16, 2017 at 6:05 pm
I’m colorblind, so I don’t know, but does orange bronzer go with gold (at least I think they are gold) curtains? Jesus H. Christ is there nobody who dares to tell SCROTUS he looks even more insane standing in front of them.
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 6:49 pm
Don’t try this at the White House: http://wonkette.com/612963/defend-yourself-against-donald-trump-handshakes-with-this-one-weird-jiu-jitsu-trick-your-open-thread
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Jill said on February 16, 2017 at 9:54 pm
MichaelG, I add my warm wishes for you to those already here. I have loved watching your travels and you grabbing all you can from life and hope you’re able to continue doing that comfortably for a while. I have a neighbor who was given a several week prognosis when he was diagnosed with a rare cancer in December, 2015. He decided to go through his bucket list and now, more than 14 months later, he’s had some struggles but also ran through his whole first bucket list. He reminds me of you. You guys are inspirational.
Dorothy, last year I got to attend a David Sedaris show in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’ve always enjoyed his books and interviews and his live show didn’t disappoint. His perspective on the current mess would be great to hear.
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basset said on February 16, 2017 at 10:15 pm
A few, or maybe more than a few, days back someone mentioned making pickled beef tongue. Would whoever that was care to share the recipe? Mine’s pretty generic, looking for something new and interesting. thanks
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Sherri said on February 16, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Man radicalized by Fox News is not a terrorist.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/feb/16/jury-deadlocked-charges-against-robert-doggar/413111/
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Jolene said on February 17, 2017 at 3:39 am
The NYT has a newsletter about TV called Watching, much like the cooking newsletter that some of us subscribe to. Its latest issue provides a list of Oscar-nominated movies that are available for streaming (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) or through OnDemand.
Of course, movies released late last year are still in theaters, but, if you want to catch up a bit before the Oscar ceremony, you could start here. Includes the short films, several of which are on YouTube.
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Jolene said on February 17, 2017 at 3:41 am
Wow! I reall screwed that up. Here’s the link I meant to include: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/watching/oscars-nominated-movies-where-to-stream.html
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brian stouder said on February 17, 2017 at 9:24 am
Jolene, I was quite taken by your first link, about the way ICE guys waited outside of a church’s warming-center at 6:30 in the morning, and then pounced on the men leaving it.
By way of saying – no harm/no foul!
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Jolene said on February 17, 2017 at 9:41 am
Yes, I thought that story was interesting too. I hadn’t given much thought to how they go about finding people to scoop up. Seems mean that they go to a place where people are seeking help.
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Heather said on February 17, 2017 at 10:41 am
How about this one–ICE detains woman at court seeking protection against a domestic abuser, who most likely TIPPED THEM OFF. Ugh ugh ugh. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/16/this-is-really-unprecedented-ice-detains-woman-seeking-domestic-abuse-protection-at-texas-courthouse/?utm_term=.691548266fe5
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nancy said on February 17, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Joe, here’s your 360-degree view of Mike Ilitch. To wit:
This is not to piss on Ilitch’s generosity—he helped pay part of Rosa Parks’ rent late in her life—but rather to point out what many won’t, or at least haven’t. Ilitch was simply a tremendously wealthy pizza mogul with a bad wig who exploited the city council, capitalized on a depressed real estate market, and spent money on his sports teams commensurate with metro Detroit being a well-off area hungry for championships. He wasn’t a savior. Sure, if we’re going by the extremely low bar for scumbag billionaire sports owners, Ilitch looks like Mother Teresa compared to Dan Snyder. Yes, he had a measurable impact on the city—creating short-term construction jobs, part-time concessions gigs, and hourly-wage jobs at the Motor City Casino (which is in his wife’s name, per MLB’s collective bargaining agreement)—but it’s patently ridiculous to paint him as Bruce Wayne (if Wayne Enterprises sold stale breadsticks).
Ilitch’s legend could never have been told without the deep roster of water-carrying lackeys at Detroit’s papers who took it easy on the Ilitch’s interests and functioned, on good days, as a glorified PR firm. The beat writers for the Lions have always been the best in town, never afraid to throw rocks or hold the Ford family to account while the Wings and Tigers beat writers operate like state-sponsored media. The same goes for business and real estate writers who painted him as a visionary tycoon rebuilding the city from the ashes, when he just created a lot of barely-living-wage jobs and sold a ton of mediocre pizza. The truth is, Mike Ilitch was a rich old man who owned a bunch of stuff and never saw a tax break he didn’t like.
I’d add only one comment: The pizza isn’t mediocre. It’s terrible.
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Peter said on February 17, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Well, Nancy, apropos of our new world order – on my way into work today CBS News was reporting on Illitch paying full freight for Rosa Parks, along with a sound bite from a grateful Detroiter.
Sometimes you wonder why you even bother…
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Repeat after me: taxpayer funded stadiums and arenas are the worst kind of corporate welfare. If you ever get the opportunity to vote on it (and generally, you won’t), vote against it. If you don’t, vote out the idiots who did.
The benefits go overwhelmingly straight to the owner of the franchise, particularly in ncreased value of the asset. The owner is under no obligation to invest in improving the quality of the team, and is often less motivated if the new facility provides a steady cash stream regardless. Long before the taxpayer-financed bonds are paid off, the owner is going to want a fancy new stadium, and complain that the current one is no longer adequate to allow him to compete. The Atlanta Braves are about to begin play in their third stadium in 20 years. The Arizona Coyotes are shopping around for a new arena, their current arena having been deemed inadequate in providing them with sufficient revenue despite a hefty taxpayer bill in building in 2003 and a subsidy from the city of Glendale in addition. (Glendale taxpayers will be paying off the arena until 2033.)
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ROGirl said on February 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm
It’s not as bad as Domino’s — the pizza, that is.
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Jolene said on February 17, 2017 at 2:35 pm
“Well, Nancy, apropos of our new world order – on my way into work today CBS News was reporting on Illitch paying full freight for Rosa Parks, along with a sound bite from a grateful Detroiter.”
I heard Greta Van Susteren tell this story last night on MSNBC as well.
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David C. said on February 17, 2017 at 3:31 pm
I don’t think I ever had Little Ceasar’s pizza. It sounds like I didn’t miss anything. I have had Domino’s. I’ve heard it described as V8 juice on white bread. I thought that was generous.
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Hattie said on February 17, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Yes, I have lung cancer. Haven’t smoked since I was 29 and am now 77. Waiting to find out about treatment.
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Our corporate overlords are kind, benevolent benefactors. That’s why unions are anathema. Our corporate overlords will always take care of us. That’s why we must cut taxes on rich people. Our corporate overlords know what is best for us. We must cut the corporate tax rate. Our corporate overlords will then toss more crumbs our way.
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/why-so-few-american-economists-are-studying-inequality/499253/
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Judybusy said on February 17, 2017 at 4:24 pm
Hattie, please keep us in the loop about how you are doing!
I have begun listening to the podcast Make Me Smart, featuring Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood of NPR’s Marketplace. They are generally pro-trade agreement (including the now-dead TPP) but I always learn from them. The episode from January 31 speaks to what Sherri mentions: part of the discussion is that corporations may become part of the checks and balances on executive power, which has been increasing since Nixon. The latest iteration of this, is of course, companies decrying the travel ban because it hurts their bottom line. No, I really don’t want these guys as the watchdogs of our democracy.
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Hattie, Kathy, MichaelG, my thoughts are with all of you.
Jolene, there’s a very good novel I read several years ago titled Jennifer Government, by Max Berry, about a dystopian future where the government has little power and corporations dominate. Maybe it’s time to reread it.
Also, Mark Zuckerberg thinks he can save the world with Facebook: http://www.recode.net/2017/2/16/14637928/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-manifesto-kara-swisher
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Jolene said on February 17, 2017 at 6:07 pm
Hattie, thanks for checking in. As others have said, keep us posted about your treatment plans and how you are feeling.
Sherri, I think you meant to direct your comment to JudyBusy.
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David C. said on February 17, 2017 at 6:14 pm
Everyone’s probably seen this by now. Some trigger happy lout is going to kill someone and Ryan and McConnell will still keep their thumbs up their asses.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/46899_Trump_Horror_Day_28-_Labels_the_Press_The_Enemy_of_the_American_People
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 6:20 pm
Sorry, Jolene, you’re right. All you J’s look alike!
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 6:24 pm
A much needed course. Maybe the College Republican President on campus signed up; we can only hope.
https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/17/science-fights-alternative-facts/
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm
So. Much. This.
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/i-dont-want-to-hear-another-fucking-word-about-john-mcc-1792493680
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basset said on February 17, 2017 at 10:12 pm
Spent today at the annual gathering of the National Wild Turkey Federation, where some 65-thousand hunters and family members are expected to pass through. Saw lots of camo on lots of people, including me, but no Trump stickers on cars and trucks in the parking lot. Not one. Did see a single sticker on a laptop inside.
Also bought an owl call, you blow into it something like a duck call. Gotta go practice.
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 11:27 pm
Both Seattle and Washington raised minimum wages, and restaurants weren’t very happy about it. Some decided to stick a surcharge on: https://civicskunk.works/what-to-do-when-a-restaurant-puts-a-minimum-wage-service-charge-on-your-bill-2183699e4186#.pgvyq7b4v
That reminds me of when I bought a car many years ago, and there was a charge on there for regional advertising. I asked the dealer why I should pay for his advertising any more than I paid for his electric bill. (Car dealers don’t like me.)
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Sherri said on February 17, 2017 at 11:37 pm
“Neutrality” is another word for chickenshit.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/business/media/trump-era-media-censorship.html
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Jerry said on February 18, 2017 at 2:40 am
Sherri @70 if all we J’s look alike I’m not sure whether Jolene and Judybusy should be more worried or if I should!
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Sherri said on February 18, 2017 at 12:58 pm
Oh Jerry, I just remember you’re the one with the cute accent!
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David C. said on February 18, 2017 at 1:18 pm
It’s in the mid-50s here in NE Wisconsin. I went for a bike ride this morning, which was nice, but we’re going to get into the 50 until late this week and I see signs that our fruit trees are coming out of dormancy. I hope it gets back to more seasonable temperatures soon.
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basset said on February 18, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Biased media being unfair to their betters is nothing new:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C11EVg7XAAAntdz.jpg
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Sherri said on February 18, 2017 at 2:49 pm
My favorite Mencken quote, which I learned in the very first programming class I ever took: There is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.
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coozledad said on February 18, 2017 at 8:13 pm
Isn’t it about time for Jeff Gill to step up for Paul Ryan again?
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Deborah said on February 18, 2017 at 8:19 pm
We’re back from Abiquiu. I thankfully missed the Trump presser, haven’t heard word one about his stupid rally in Florida either. I was able to check in on the Internet from time to time the last couple of days, being the junkie that I am. I think I need to give it a week without the internet to cure me. It’s just that things are happening so thick and fast, I’m afraid I’ll miss something earth shattering.
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coozledad said on February 18, 2017 at 8:25 pm
Deborah: It goes like this: Donald Trump steps on dick, Republicans suck it. Repeat.
These people aren’t fit to lick lint off of disused Christmas sweaters.
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coozledad said on February 18, 2017 at 8:41 pm
And here’s another thing for anti-immigration fucks to beat off about.
https://twitter.com/FernandoPeinado/status/833102703555407876
My wife works in tech. There are a few rednecks in tech, but there are many more Chinese, Indians, and Indochinese who start at a baseline of linguistic and math skills that the most highly educated of white American shit will never achieve in their fucking dreams.
Don’t even ask her about the poor Kentuckian bastard who married an Asian woman.
We don’t even need Trump’s border patrol to separate families. The Fox whores do it every fucking day.
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Deborah said on February 18, 2017 at 8:50 pm
Here’s something interesting my husband told me this evening, his colleague the assistant dean of the school of architecture where my husband teaches said that it is common knowledge in Slovenia where he’s from, that Melania was a high priced hooker. Who knows if it’s true, but I though it was interesting that it is a widely held belief there.
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coozledad said on February 18, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Who else would fuck that athletic sock choked with Hormel beef chili. Remember: Soviet bloc whores have a lower gag reflex than the South Carolina legislature.
She wants to go back to eating pussy on film. It’s remunerative, and you don’t have to bear those grisly sheep scab vectors. They’re as filthy as they are expensive.
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beb said on February 19, 2017 at 12:32 am
Jolene @62: You watch Greta Van Sustere? That’s something I’ve choosen never to do. Just as I will never watch any show Megen Kelly is on!
Coozledad @86: You’re starting to sound as racist as the people you’re denouncing…
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 1:02 am
Fascinating article about animals and self-awareness and whether we can even determine it: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/02/what-do-animals-see-in-the-mirror/516348/
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coozledad said on February 19, 2017 at 1:22 am
That’s a non-sequiter, Beb. Care to back it up with some English? or are you just going to let that lie there like a streak of rancid mayonnaise. I’m just up for a piss and saw your tu quoque horseshit.
Somehow I know you’ll find a way to carry Jeff Gill’s water. He’s a Ryan fanboi. You ought to have the decency to let him explain it instead of running defense.
And you’re a super old white git to be mouthing off about racism. There is nothing more racist-revanchist than an old Bernie bastard on a whitebread site puking up amens for an Ohio Republican. There are people on this site who think I owe them some kind of cover for being simpletons because “we’re a community blah blah.”
“The Lottery” takes place in a community, jackass. And you pull that “racism” word out of your mouth, until some people of color resume posting at this site. As far as I know from here, Rick Snyder is just a “lovable nerd” and not a typical Reichswehr factotum.
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 1:55 am
The history of shitgibbon: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/02/13/the_origin_of_the_trump_insult_shitgibbon_revealed.html
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coozledad said on February 19, 2017 at 7:57 am
Actual racism, from Republican scum:
https://triad-city-beat.com/2017/02/local-conservative-activists-prepare-violent-confrontation-islam/
Enabling Trump is enabling murderers.
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susan said on February 19, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Almost half this fucking country.
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Jolene said on February 19, 2017 at 12:57 pm
“Jolene @62: You watch Greta Van Sustere? That’s something I’ve choosen never to do.
Eh, it was on while I was doing something else. I don’t make a habit of it.
Cooz, that story is sickening. Those people are out of their minds. Am still amazed every day by what Trump’s campaign and victory have revealed about who lives in this country and what passes for thought in many quarters.
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Deborah said on February 19, 2017 at 1:05 pm
I have from time to time watched the tail end of Greta when I turn on the TV to watch what comes on after her on MSNBC, Matthews and Hayes, then Madow. I never watched her on Fox. I never watch anything on Fox, except occasionally when someone links to something online that was on it. Even then I steer clear because I don’t want to give them the clicks.
Honestly, since the election I watch Matthews, Hayes and Maddow more than I ever did before. This admin is a train wreck, that I can’t seem to turn away from. Hoping it will implode, wishful thinking no doubt. I usually can’t watch Matthews because he talks over his guests all the time, but now I can even overlook that.
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 1:20 pm
I’ve said a number of negative things about Judicial Watch and their decades-long witch hunt of the Clintons. Surprisingly, they really are turning their focus towards Trump and his scandals now. While Jason Chaffetz wants the FBI to bring charges against Hillary’s IT guy, Judicial Watch seems far more interested in documents about fkynn.
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beb said on February 19, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Saw this on Buzzfeed. It’s not Tom and Lorenzo. There’s no snark, just 15 woman who look very fashionable. It’s a fashion show inspired by Muslim sensibilities.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/aishagani/badass-street-style?utm_term=.ioz06XY7K#.kum3YKzed
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 2:06 pm
You know, I wasn’t always a liberal. I was raised in a very conservative home and while I didn’t buy all of it, I was still at the least right of center when I entered college. One day, I even uttered a racial slur in the presence of a (white) friend. My friend was shocked, and called me on it. My immediate reaction was an
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beb said on February 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm
Usually, when I’m up at 1:22am to take a piss I don’t bother turning on the computer.
Secondly, I thought my comment was clearly written in plain vanilla English. I’m sorry if that challenges you.
Thirdly, I didn’t say you were a racist, only that your comments were beginning to sound racist. Specifically your comment about Soviet-bloc whores (Soviet bloc whores have a lower gag reflex than the South Carolina legislature.) seems like denigration based on place of origin.
Fourth, what does Jeff (the Mild Manner One) have to do with any of this? I didn’t mention him in my comments nor am I in the habit of defending him. This is a complete non-sequitur. I have nothing but contempt for Paul Ryan so this is a needless insult. That you feel compelled to leap to this kind of assumption makes you sound very Trumpian. Have you looked in a mirror lately for the presence of orange hair?
Fifthly, what’s with the reference to Rick Snyder? Did I mention anywhere in my comment to you or are you just spewing forth any kind of insult you can think up? I ask this because that also seems like something Donald Trump does. Have you begun channeling Donald Trump?
/sarcasm
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Jakash said on February 19, 2017 at 2:17 pm
Coozledad,
I realize that you’re surrounded by a lot of folks in your section of the Confederacy that I never encounter except in the form of an egg and/or MAGA icon offering unintelligible, grammar-averse remarks on some website. And it seems that you’re itching for a fight, which is certainly understandable.
However, there are worse things in the world than “an Ohio Republican,” especially one that voted for Hillary. “There is nothing more racist-revanchanist…?” I’m pretty sure you could think of dozens without breaking a sweat, as you indicated with your next link. I’ve puked up my share of amens for some of Jeff’s comments, as there is obviously a lot more to him than being the mindless Republican boot-licker you like to paint him as. But I’ve also disagreed with him often, as well, which I would probably do in this case, depending on what kind of defense of Paul Ryan he’d offer these days. He gets plenty of argument here, when warranted. But, IMHO, he’s not even on the list when it comes to appropriate targets for the type of invective you spew at him.
Make fun of the “whitebread community” here all you want. But this ain’t the Democratic National Committee; it’s one person’s intelligent blog that’s attracted a thoughtful crowd trying to sort out and comment on what’s going on. We may not be as diverse as you’d prefer, but we’re largely on your side. Perhaps choosing to attack us all is fun. Whatever. Jeff and Pilot Joe represent a small portion of the commentary here, and take plenty of flak from folks when appropriate. But how you can read the daily dispatches and conclude that the rest of us are blind to racism or the threat posed by the Republican onslaught is unclear, to say the least.
Gotta say, though, commenters who can casually mention “tu quoque horseshit” in a reply are to be appreciated…
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 2:23 pm
My immediate reaction was anger, because I was embarrassed and ashamed. I knew what I said was wrong, and I wanted to lash out, blame someone else, justify myself. But I didn’t. I apologized and learned. The first lesson I learned was not to say something like that out loud. The deeper lesson I learned on more reflection was to change my way of thinking and acting.
I read all these articles from all the conservatives about how they were bullied and marginalized in college because they were conservative, and from the trump supporters about how all the liberals are so mean to them, and I think, they got stuck in that initial angry reaction. Someone told them they were wrong about something; it’s normal to feel anger about that. But a mature followon is to ask yourself, is there any truth to what the other person is saying? If there is, you incorporate that truth. If there isn’t, you move on. You don’t stay stuck in the anger, because the anger is about you feeling a disconnect between your actions and your values. If you correct that or see that there isn’t, the anger goes away.
Of course some little baby college conservatives just can’t cope with not being the smartest and cleverest in the room anymore, and decide the problem isn’t that, it’s that they’re being picked on because they’re conservative instead. All of us reach a point where we’re not the smartest in,the room anymore, and it can be a rude awakening when your identity is wrapped up in it. Again, you can either accept it, or stay stuck in anger.
(I was stuck in anger for a long time, so I recognize both the pain and allure, though the source of my anger was different.)
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Jakash said on February 19, 2017 at 2:34 pm
Here’s an article, from the Sports section of the NYT, of all places, that Basset and Charlotte, at least, might find it interesting, for different reasons… Anyway, count me among the folks mentioned who would look at a room of “trophies” and think the bear was a bigger deal than a sheep. I’ve seen bighorn sheep in Montana and was delighted when I did. Personally, spending a fortune to be able to shoot one didn’t occur to me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/sports/bighorn-sheep-hunting.html?
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susan said on February 19, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Regarding bighorn sheep, around here, if you’re not careful–or even if you are careful–you can hit them with your vehicle. That’s not good for either party.
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Deborah said on February 19, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Susan, where do you live?
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Deborah said on February 19, 2017 at 4:21 pm
I know of at least one person of color who has read this blog, she’s not commented that I know of but we’ve discussed it offline (meaning in person).
I’m a recovering racist. I think we all are to some extent, I even remember Coozledad saying that about himself a while back. We are racist in ways we don’t even realize, it can be deeply ingrained, even when you think you’ve got it licked you probably don’t. I always cringe when white people say they’re absolutely not racist, they probably need self problem recognition more than anything.
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Deborah said on February 19, 2017 at 4:30 pm
I meant to put these comments all in one but I keep having to get up and tend to the fire. It’s not that cold, mid 40s but there’s a chill in the air for some reason. I’ve even got the oven cranked up because I’m baking bread. Howza does it smell good in here. We’ve been using the dried lavender that we had hanging off of one of the beams since our harvest in the summer, for fire kindling. That and the bread (walnut, rosemary), mmmmm.
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Josh Marshall notices an interesting link between then and now in the latest trump-Russia story: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-big-shoe-just-dropped
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 6:13 pm
I’m shocked, shocked to discover that Uber is a shit company for engineers, too: https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-at-uber
But, yes, tech world, keep telling yourself the diversity problem is all about the pipeline.
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Judybusy said on February 19, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Deborah, the atmosphere of your home sounds wonderful.
I agree that for white people, unlearning racism is likely a life-long job. One tool that is helpful is the implicit bias test that you can take online. There are many different tests for various groups. I took the one on race a couple months ago. I wasn’t surprised to learn I’m moderately biased–but I’ve been aware of it for a really long time and work at catching it.
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Sherri said on February 19, 2017 at 7:23 pm
It was not possible to grow up in the time and place and environment I grew up in and not be racist. That’s a given, the starting point. But where do I go from there? I can stay in that racism, all the while claiming I’m not a racist because I treat everybody as an individual and I’d never use a racial slur towards a racial minority. I can get defensive, mutter about political correctness, accuse minorities of being perpetual victims. I can be offended because other people call me racist. This is the path too many of my relatives have stayed on.
Or I can recognize my racism, the harm it does to others and to me, and actively work to counter it. It’s not a straight path of steady improvement, there are embarassments and stumbles along the way, but as they say in 12 step groups, progress not perfection. I try to keep learning.
I think the experience of being a woman in a male dominated field has helped me be able to better appreciate the experience of being a POC and to listen and believe their experience, not discount it. I’ll never truly know what it’s like not to be white, but I can at least respect the stories of those who aren’t.
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