Just got off the phone with Tammy and Brian, and it looks like we are all spending the week of Thanksgiving at the condo in Ft. Lauderdale.
This coming out of the shell shit has perks. Y’all will be freezing while I am on a beach.
Yeah. That’s how I roll.
Tams
OMGsh! It’s Balloon Juice official. This is going to be the best trip EVER!!! I cannot wait!
Violet
I’ll probably have the air conditioning on, as usual.
Cain
is ABL coming?
amk
freeloader.
Violet
@Tams: Your excitement made me smile. Hope you have a great time.
Anya
Oh. I am so happy for you. What about the children?
SIA
Wow you have emerged, big time. A real vacation. With PEOPLE.
eemom
Another 153 Open Threads tonight or it didn’t happen.
Spaghetti Lee
If Obama loses, there won’t BE a Fort Lauderdale!
Angela
Yeah. Sounds like fun.
Mike in NC
Freakin’ cold here the past couple days. We go to Tampa at the end of the month and looking forward to it.
Todd
You are allowed to forget long pants there. Which means you’ll show up with 2 pairs of overalls, one canvas coverall and a pair of jeans.
With long underwear.
Tractarian
The US Anti-Doping Agency released its evidence against Lance Armstrong today. The affidavits from ex-teammates are damning. Among the revelations, is that Lance threatened and intimidated Tyler Hamilton after learning that Hamilton had been contacted by federal agents:
Crazy stuff.
jurassicpork
This will be the scariest Halloween ever. Details here.
freelancer
@Spaghetti Lee:
Win.
Valdivia
sounds like loads of fun John. Something about the beach in November…
Culture of Truth
Jole Cole’s memoir:
The Perks Of Not Being A Wallflower
jharp
I could not envy you less.
Fuck Florida. And I don’t give a shit about the beach either.
Brian S
Have a meal and some beer at Brother Tucker’s just up the road in Pompano Beach. Their soup is killer.
PurpleGirl
Have fun in Ft. Lauderdale, JC. The snowbirds from Canada should be starting their winter migration by that point. You’ll see signs around places in English and French. There’s a touristy boardwalk area with food stands and restaurants that’s really neat — not upscale but good food, good place for an evening out. And again, with French signage. (I forget the name of boardwalk but my friends took me there on one of my trips to South Florida.)
I’m envious. I liked South Florida when my friends lived in Boca Raton and I took trains to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale for day trips. (Also went to Ft. Lauderdale for a couple of science fiction conventions.)
Redshift
Hah! Thanks to global warming, it’ll probably be in the 70s here.
Anne Laurie
You bringing Lily, Rosie, and the Morkies along, too?
Don’t envy you Florida — I had to be in Miami once in November, and “85 degrees, 85% humidity” is not my favorite weather — but I’m glad you’re going to be spending time with your friends!
Culture of Truth
Don’t touch the manatees
Higgs Boson's Mate
Good to see you getting out and about, Mr. Cole. Enjoy!
Culture of Truth
Beware the buccaneers. That place can be a little rough.
lacp
I’m hoping to be in Sarasota for Christmas (will know in a week or so). Have fun down there….you may not want to come back.
SectionH
Go John! Have a wonderful time! Just be careful. I’m superstitious about some things, and I srsly try to avoid weather bragging, because it will always come back to bite me sometime. YMMV of course.
KG
I live in Southern California, if by “freezing” you mean “enjoying another day of blue skies and a temperature in the mid-60s to low=70s”, then yeah, I’ll be “freezing”
PaulW
Yeah, well the joke’s on you. Traffic in Broward County is gonna suck with snowbirds driving everywhere at 8 MPH.
NotMax
So Mitt last week gave a decent audition for the part of Harold Hill in The Music Man: antic, overbearing and fast-talking whatever untruths and half-truths he deemed would advance his agenda with his audience.
At this point, I’m fully expecting Ryan to do a turn as J. Pierrepont Finch in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying tomorrow.
PaulW
@Culture of Truth:
That’s Tampa. Ft. Lauderdale is home to non-existent pro hockey at the moment…
Mike Goetz
NBC/Marist polls coming tomorrow will show:
Virginia: 48/47 Romney over Obama
Florida: 48/47 Obama over Romney
Ohio: 51/45 Obama over Romney
Likely voters, taken Oct. 7-9
Not bad.
PaulW
@Spaghetti Lee:
Possibly true. Romney and the GOP will most likely outsource all of Florida to South America.
Damn you, Bugs Bunny, for their inspiration…
dance around in your bones
Watch out for those palmetto bugs. Other than that, have fun. Nice to see you come out of your shell!
Not that there’s anything wrong with The Shell.
some guy
those of usl iving here in thee Sunshine State won’t be freezing our asses off.
PaulW
@Mike Goetz:
…why the hell is con artist Romney still getting 45-47 percent of likely voters? Haven’t y’all learned yet that Mitt will say ANYTHING in such pandering, deceitful ways that would insult the intelligence of everyone actually paying attention?!
ShadeTail
Depends on your point of reference for “freezing”. For example, in Southern California where I am, the rocks won’t be melting. So it’s definitely below the freezing point of lava.
BTW, watch out for dipshits who decide to “stand their ground”.
SectionH
@KG:
I refrained from pointing that out, because I really really do not like to tempt the weather ghods. But I did more or less think the same thing,
ruemara
I’ll be in NorCal, in the non-freezing section. shut up.
jwb
@PaulW: If Romney keeps his base enthused, his floor is in the 45-47% range. That floor only collapses if the turnout of his voters is depressed. That’s one reason that freaking out is about the worst thing our side can do, since it ramps up the enthusiasm of the other side, who still basically don’t like their guy and are starting to turn on him again as he attempts to occupy the middle ground and sounds like he doesn’t know what the fuck he believes on abortion, etc. No matter what happens at the debate tomorrow night, I just hope our side remembers to hammer the right guy when it’s done.
some guy
can anyone explain to me what the deal is with eeMoron’s passsive-aggressive schtick?
Hill Dweller
@Mike Goetz:Virginia:
With the exception of the Virginia poll, they don’t look all that different than the pre-debate polls.
Those numbers are a snapshot of what is hopefully Obama’s worst week of the campaign. If he has a solid debate, and repeatedly hammers Willard’s lying from now until the election, I think he can gain a bit more breathing room in VA and FL.
Mike Goetz
@Hill Dweller:
My thought exactly. For a nadir, these numbers are not scrotem-tightening.
Romney getting jerked around on abortion today probably ends the “Moderate Mitt” ruse too.
burnspbesq
Sandy Levinson can stick his theories about the anti-democratic Electoral College where the sun don’t shine. The Electoral College is going to save the country next month.
seaboogie
@some guy: Off her meds?
Mike Goetz
@Hill Dweller:
And oh by the way, NBC’s headline for the write-up of these polls?
“Romney closes gap in key swing states”. Christ.
amk
@jwb:
Ha. Wishful thinking.
KG
@SectionH: it’s been a few years, but we have had a couple of rainy mornings, those were always the best for football
KG
oh, in case no one has noticed it, the google images search for “completely wrong” is rather priceless… saw it on Sully a little bit ago
amk
@Mike Goetz: The money quote
Hill Dweller
@Mike Goetz: I’m hoping Willard shamelessly using a dead SEAL to help his campaign will get more national attention. Maddow had a clip of him saying the SEAL running back to help the ambassador was analogous to him coming to rescue of the country. He really is a piece of shit.
It appears the House wingnuts exposed classified CIA operations in Libya while trying to attack Obama. That should get more attention.
James E. Powell
On Rachel Maddow tonight, she played video of Romney talking about his meeting with Glen Doherty , the Navy SEAL who lost his life in the attack on the consulate in Lybia. Then she played an audio of Mr Doherty’s friend, who was there, that makes it pretty plain that Romney’s story is completely made-up bullshit. And then Mr Doherty’s mother condemned Romney and his use of her late son in very strong terms.
Can you imagine if a Democrat did anything like that? It would be the only story for 72 hours.
Hill Dweller
@Mike Goetz: I think they had Obama up 2 in FL before the debate. Virginia is the only place Willard closed the gap, but NBC sucks, so it isn’t surprising.
Again, I’m hoping this is Obama’s low point.
amk
ChiTri – It’s 55% to 36% shellacking in IL.
Hill Dweller
@James E. Powell: The wingnuts attacked Obama for talking about the OBL mission too much. If he had told this bullshit story, they’d try to impeach him for it.
Mike Goetz
@Hill Dweller:
I can’t see things getting worse. The backlash to the debate hysteria is starting, and a lot of Dems seem to be somewhat contritely regaining their balance. I think we are ready to put this foolishness behind us.
Mike Goetz
And FWIW, Detroit News has Obama up 49-42 in Michigan.
Tomorrow might be an up day for us (pending Quinnipiac).
The prophet Nostradumbass
Oakland Athletics, FUCK YES!
The Dangerman
@Tractarian:
Did you happen to catch the ESPN documentary on Ben Johnson? No doubt he was using (he admitted it), but it looks like his post-race drink at the 88 games may have been spiked from someone affiliated with the Carl Lewis camp. Lewis was probably also using, probably from before 84, but was smart enough not to get caught.
I love sports, but there is so much cheating … I saw things at a P-12 school that would shock you (it wasn’t USC, which shouldn’t shock anyone). It’s really rather sad all around.
Hill Dweller
@Mike Goetz: The Detroit News also has an article on Willard’s camp saying they don’t need Michigan to win the election. I think they’ve already given up on PA and MI.
I can’t see this renewed push in Ohio working out for Willard.
TexasMango
@Hill Dweller: Tim Kaine is still beating the Macaca guy. My money is still on Obama winning VA.
jharp
@The prophet Nostradumbass:
Can’t agree with you but an American Leaguer all the way. Cleveland Indians and all.
Yankees game pissed me off too.
Did dig on the Reds losing to be one away from being swept at home though.
TexasMango
@Hill Dweller: If he were smart he’d pull out of OH and put those resources in VA, NC and FL. His problem with OH is that people are already voting and Obama’s lead was too big for him to seriously cut into. If they stay in OH that means that they have figured that they can’t win without it, which is good for our side.
The Dangerman
@TexasMango:
I assume the polling is a binary (BO or MR)…
…but isn’t Goode on the ticket in VA? A little ratfucking payback for Nader would be sweet.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@jharp: There isn’t a team in professional sports in North America I loathe more than the Yankees, so that game ticked me off too.
TexasMango
@The Dangerman: Last poll I saw that included Goode, he took from MR. That was a while ago so I’m not sure now.
Maybe someone from VA could tell us what’s going on.
gwangung
@The prophet Nostradumbass: Um, sorry, but I’m (tepidly) rooting for the Yankees this year because of Ichiro.
Please don’t stone me.
Yutsano
@gwangung: You may just be dead to me…
andrewtna
You should really go to Greek Islands while you’re around. Skip dessert and go to Kilwins.
YellowJournalism
@gwangung: Knowing that Ichiro is on that team is like hearing the nice boy you broke up with left you for a stuck-up mean girl.
Yutsano
@YellowJournalism: What else can one expect from a Husky after all? :)
TheMightyTrowel
@gwangung: I have a big shiny pile of rocks here! Who’s up for some stoning?? Yankees SUCK! [/ red sox fan]
YellowJournalism
@Yutsano: Oh, shit. Disowned!
gwangung
@Yutsano:
Aw, come on, don’t insult me. You know I’m a stuck up Snodfart alum….
@TheMightyTrowel:
eep! Whoop! Waughhh—that was a close–THUNK!
Yutsano
@gwangung: You do have that redeeming quality this is true. At least until I get my CPA cert from Cal (if all goes well this year) then there might be issues. :)
@YellowJournalism: I’m from a blended family. Thanksgiving will be entertaining as my aunt the UW trained doctor will be there. At least Apple Cup is in Pullman this year.
PS: How was your Turkey Day?
max
@TexasMango: Maybe someone from VA could tell us what’s going on.
Hard to say. Here, Obama had the jump (if you count yard signs) prior to early September, and then it looks like Romney pushed out his yard signs and had the advantage (locally) in an area where McCain won fairly big. Thing is, the signage and stickers are not what they were four year ago.
My sense is that VA is very much a state with a lot of undecideds – older people who want that Social Security and Medicare and who want to keep their jobs, so Moderate Mitt, Douchebag-at-large was fairly appealing, particularly when they’re queuing up the advertising B-52’s. That said, I don’t see any reason for it to stick.
Near as I can tell, the sequence went: Mitt lies a lot, Obama sounds tired, so the R’s are happy to that Mitt showed that (you know), and the upper-crust D’s decided to take up writing angst poetry, so the rank and file D’s were somewhat disheartened, and then the polls piled on, and in places where there isn’t much advertising, Mitt got a bounce. In the swing states, not so much, but enough to move the needle a little, particularly in graycoat land.
All that goes away tomorrow, because we’ll have a new narrative to replace ‘slit my wrists’/’gloat idiotically’, regardless of who gets declared the victor.
I think the upshot here, is that in VA, Mitt’s actual economic uh, ‘program’ such as it is, is even less popular than blackitude. If something Obama did himself hurt him in the debate, it was with all the deficit-reduction Social Security crap.
It would be good to pin Ryan on his voucher system.
max
[‘Things go up, and then they go down again, but whatever happens, Mitt Romney is still a jackass douchebag.’]
gwangung
@Yutsano: Aw man, a Cal weenie?? I expected better of you, man…
Mnemosyne
@ruemara:
Which part is that? We’ve been doing work with some folks in San Francisco and they told us back in June that they had had to break out their winter coats for their morning commutes.
Of course, that’s the claim made by the most famous quote Mark Twain never said.
A
I used to have a friend named Tammy.
Mustang Bobby
John, Thanksgiving here in South Florida is nice; the weather should be settled into the dry season, which means 70’s and 80’s with a touch of humidity and a breeze to keep it at bay.
Arclite
Y’know what else has its perks? Livin’ on da island. So, enjoy dude! What we get to year ’round. (even though we pay through the nose for it)
A
@Tams:
I used to have a friend named Tammy.
Randy P
@some guy: Very clever of you to be all passive-aggressive with posting that.
Here’s a website just for you.
raven
I’ll be on the Emerald Coast catching big fucking fish!
Ronzoni Rigatoni
Ha! Screw those polls. Ol’ Mom and I just voted straight Dem here in sunny FL. Absentee ballots are great. Wish I had more of ’em.
PreservedKillick
That’s probably Hollywood Beach you are referring to – and it is a lot of fun in a laid back kind of way.
YellowJournalism
@Yutsano: Sorry, had to head to bed last night. My Canadian turkey day was quiet. Hubby and I made dinner together for our boys, and we spent the evening relaxing as a family.
Denali
Florida sounds like a plan for turkey day! Enjoy the beach. I like Delray Beach – just north of Fort Lauderdale and less crowded.