Here’s Patsy Marie looking particularly beatific (and also fat):
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see Dog.
Also, someone (and by that, I mean someone who is not ME) needs to replace that board in the potting shed.
Please feel free to discuss whatever since this is an open thread. But I have an observation and a question: Every time the topic of the 2016 presidential race comes up, particularly in connection with She Who Must Not Be Named, at least one or two commenters deplore the fact that we’re not focusing on the midterm elections instead.
It’s a good point; we’ve all seen the consequences of allowing a pack of ravening teaturds to take over the House. But is it really surprising that a forum that includes people from all over the country and observers of US politics from around the world wouldn’t cover* local races all that closely, unless it’s a high-profile campaign with national implications or a local manifestation of a movement with nationwide impact, like Moral Mondays?
I’ve kinda assumed that politically aware folks like the commentariat here are plugged into their local races. I’ve also assumed you don’t particularly give a shit which appalling yay-hoo Python Swamp, FL sends to Congress, but maybe you do? What are your suggestions for improving midterm coverage here at Balloon Juice?
*And by “cover,” I mean discuss in a bloggy fashion. I don’t pretend to be a reporter.
schrodinger's cat
Your dog looks like a seal.
henqiguai
Guess I’m just not politically tied in enough; I saw the headline and thought “you’re in school”?
Betty Cracker
@schrodinger’s cat: Seals are just dog mermaids, you know.
Pogonip
Poor Patsy. She can’t use the excuse of being floofy. I feel for you, Patsy! I can’t use it either. (My son could, if he ever got fat; he’s hairier than Sean Connery or Robin Williams. And he comes from two lines of bald-bodied men, oddly enough.)
Morzer
Maybe we could have some guest posts by people who have worked in GOTV and similar topics relevant to mid-term elections (and, indeed all elections)?
It might be a nice idea to have a separate space on the blogroll for local/state blogs. They often have good coverage of local elections and issues.
MattR
@schrodinger’s cat: That was definitely the first thing that popped into my head upon viewing the picture.
geg6
SHE IS NOT FAT! That’s a bad camera angle, is all.
Myself, the only election I give a shit about right now is the PA governor race and only because I detest Tom Corbett almost as much as I did W. He must go and I am doing everything in my power to make that happen. Go Tom Wolf!
srv
I would like pointers to an Act Blue or something that is focused on retaining or winning Senate seats.
Frankensteinbeck
I find Sovereign Citizen craziness interesting, so I read this legal document from a Canadian judge summarizing that kind of weird litigation and how judges should deal with it. It’s very, very long, but I learned some neat new things from it. The funniest is that the loons think American pseudo-legalities now apply to Canada, because of NAFTA. Other curiosities new to me included adding punctuation to names to alter what kind of legal person they described, declaring anyone who speaks or writes their name owes them a million dollars in copyright violations, and an obsession with motor vehicle regulations. Apparently Sovereign Citizens (and their affiliated nutcases) are almost as interested in being immune to traffic and vehicle registration laws as they are avoiding taxes.
Whoever posted that link first, thank you! I also thought it was neat that the judge viewed the overall phenomena as con men fleecing the gullible with fake legal advice.
Pogonip
Well, since the topic is open: from whence come stupid management fads? Where I work, we’re currently suffering through the Attack of the Green Belts, some of whom are actually good employees in their own areas. But they’re not in their own areas; to get these stupid belts, they have to charge through areas they know nothing about like a water buffalo with explosive diarrhea, leaving behind an unholy mess. My question is: how could a manager with higher than a double-digit IQ believe this would be a good idea?
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
I’m at the 4th Street Fantasy convention, which is primarily for writers, and it’s a good place to meet people, get names, and hopefully to advance a career. All that in addition to learning things that will hopefully make your writing better.
Unfortunately I am, even by my standards, feeling not up to the task of introducing myself to people and trying to do all of the things that a convention is good for. I have a feeling this weekend is going to turn into a frustrating waste of time and I’m not sure how to change that.
One thing I was struck by today is that I didn’t remain in communication with anyone that I met last year over the ensuing twelve months. I didn’t exchange a single email with them or comment on their blogs or anything. I’m not sure that I can say that I actually got to know any of them. My irrational fear of imposing on others is, I think, really getting out of control.
? Martin
My sense is that most of the local blogs, even in relatively large states like CA get little traffic relative to this place. Why not invite some of the bigger blog hosts to come over and do a weekly (or thereabouts) recap of their state, much as Elon James White does for his site. I’d be interested in the highlights of what’s going on in Florida, Texas, etc. but I’m not going to take the time to push through their firehose of traffic, but I’ll certainly click over for certain stories of interest.
In local news, the CA budget was approved. Some funding has been restored, but not enough. The long-term stability of the state is improving. McCarthy getting majority leader means that CA HSR is going to suffer, because he’s vowed to kill all federal funding for the project. That probably means that Brown will put the next part of the project right in his district and make sure nobody in his district wins a bid on it.
Pogonip
@Frankensteinbeck: Anyone who uses the word “go,” kindly send $100 per. Thank you, Po. Go. Nip.
schrodinger's cat
@MattR: Mind Meld!
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
Here in Cheeseland, the Governor’s race is the biggest thing. Thankfully, Walker seems to be having some problems (May they multiply),
Mnemosyne
Actually, I think the complaints about the lack of focus on the midterm elections are directed less at the commenters here than at the national media, who seem to think we should skip right over them and get straight to the part where Obama is replaced with someone less … you know.
They seriously cannot get over the fact that That One was elected — twice! — by margins much larger than their dearly beloved W was. And that he’s more popular than W. And he’s gotten shit done. So they’d rather try and forget him ASAP by fast-forwarding to the election that means he’ll have to leave office.
schrodinger's cat
@geg6:Are you still feeding the ginger kittens?
Phylllis
@Frankensteinbeck: We had a fellow like that around here. He would come to city council meetings and make no sense whatsoever. A couple of times after I’d quoted him in my articles (I do local correspondent work-used to call them stringers) he sent me a bill via the newspaper for copyright use of his name. He quit when I sent him back an envelope full of play money.
Pogonip
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): start with the weather. Everyone’s interested in weather. Then, God willing, you can get the other person talking about himself, and that’s a topic that can keep most people going all evening. Good luck!
schrodinger's cat
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): When you said Cheeseland I first thought of ICHC and wondered why would anyone want to do away with Happy Cat?
the Conster
I’m in Massachusetts where the entire delegation to Congress is Democratic, and likely to stay that way. I have a Kennedy as a Representative for gawd sake – a real one, who is keeping his head down and hopefully learning the family business. All I have to wank about is presidential politics.
ETA: I’ve decided that I like Sheldon Whitehouse for President. He’s smart, progressive, and I want the media to have to say “the Whitehouse White House” every day for 8 years, because awesome.
Belafon
If I had enough money that I could throw it at a project it would involve bringing every person who was willing to Texas in order to get every black and Latino in the state registered and with valid ID so they could vote. There are so many problems that would fix, and not just at the state level either.
Mnemosyne
Also, the local California elections are boring: Brown is going to win, my Democratic rep is going to win, and we don’t have a Senate candidate (IIRC).
Corner Stone
Well, I am happy to give reportage for both TX-14 and TX-22.
Shit’s all fucked up and bullshit.
Pogonip
@Mnemosyne: Less tall? Less articulate? (Bring back W!). Less left-handed?
schrodinger's cat
I have no idea what’s going on with the local races here in Massachusetts. I will check and report back.
Arm The Homeless
Bumblefuck, Floriduh already gave us Ted Yoho. I would caution everyone in the US to watch out for our legislative emissions.
Belafon
@Pogonip: Less able to make a three-pointer.
Iowa Old Lady
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): I hear you. A lot of us have this problem because many writers are introverts.
In what city is this con?
Morzer
@schrodinger’s cat:
Blue Mass Group is a pretty good blog for the local races.
http://bluemassgroup.com/
schrodinger's cat
@Corner Stone: BTW, I have decided not to go to Dallas this August.
Tommy
I just saw my local paper, the St. Louis Post Dispatch shit-canned George Will over the terrible rape column he recently wrote. I think the only paper in the nation to do so. GOOD FOR THEM! Now I never read the paper. You know Internet. But I think the next time they call asking me to subscribe for six months I will and note to them that the ONLY reason I am is cause they fired that scum bag.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@schrodinger’s cat: Good choice.
Morzer
Also, for Nevada stuff:
http://www.ralstonreports.com/
Amir Khalid
@Pogonip:
Business management is still in a very primitive stage as a science. I guess it’s more or less where medical science was when it believed in the “humours”, or physics when it held that heat was a substance called “phlogiston”. And the fact that corporate hierarchies have a feudalistic look to them rather reinforces this belief of mine.
Gin & Tonic
@the Conster: I’ve met Sheldon a couple of times and have found him less impressive in person than he seems on teevee.
WaterGirl
@MattR: :Me, too! Except mine was “saintly seal”.
Frankensteinbeck
@Mnemosyne:
And we end up discussing 2016 constantly, because their idiotic coverage keeps us riled up? Your explanation is compelling.
@Belafon:
You are a wit, sir.
MattR
@Frankensteinbeck: I read through that a couple days ago. It is a fantastic compilation/examination of the sovereign citizen movement. I was just as amused to see them trying to cite US law as binding in a Canadian court.
Jay C
@? Martin: @Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
Interesting chart I found on another blog (SEE LINK HERE) about job growth rate* in various states since 2010: Wisconsin and (no surprise) Kansas have been fairly anemic, but the big one with the Pacific coastline seems to have been doing quite well. Despite the CW from most Republicans that Jerry Brown’s evil socialist tax-hell was going to drive jobs out of CA by the shit-ton….
* The “non-farm” selector may mask some job anemia after all: I can’t imagine that the continuing drought presently afflicting California hasn’t (negatively) affected agricultural employment
the Conster
@Gin & Tonic:
Better that than the other way around. He has a nice face.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@Iowa Old Lady: Minneapolis. And I go beyond introvert to actual autism.
Red Apple Smokes
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): I can seriously empathize with that feeling. Actually, one of the ways that I’m addressing my chronic social anxiety is by commenting here. I hope that you’re able to find a groove.
Downpuppy
I’d be happy with a Don’t Mention 2016 Before Christmas rule, or maybe guideline. The midterms are more of a Kos thing, though.
In Massachusetts this year, the closest thing to a race is for Governor, and so far it’s kind of farcical. Baker is mixed up with Christie in some kind of graft, so the Democrats are focusing on ways to look stupid.
Picnic tomorrow in Powderhouse Park should get a nice turnout from Somerville & the 8th.
Downpuppy
@Tommy: Or just say “Michael Gerson was the best you could find? No wonder you’re going under.”
Betty Cracker
@Phylllis:
Inspired response! Kudos!
schrodinger's cat
@Downpuppy: Micheal Gerson is the poor man’s Bobo, he’s even started looking like Bobo these days.
Jay C
@Gin & Tonic:
Better that than the other way round, I guess: How many people are going to actually meet (or even see) a national political figure IRL – vs. seeing them on television? You’d like them, of course, to be equally impressive either way, but……
Oh, and Betty: great pic of the pooch: she looks like she’s waiting to get an ear-skritch from St. Francis himself….
schrodinger's cat
@Betty Cracker: Does Patsy Marie like to swim?
Litlebritdifrnt
A new PPP poll came out on NC yesterday and showed that McCrory and his gang are as popular as herpes. Hagan has the edge over Tillis, and as there is going to be an ultra conservative write in candidate up against Tillis it may help Kay in the long run. Although it seems to me if you think that Tillis isn’t conservative enough then things have really gone to hell in a handbasket and the loonies really have taken over the asylum.
WaterGirl
Betty, I’m really glad you’re raising this issue of the midterms. Rather than wishing people would talk about the midterms, WE should talk about the midterms.
Senate, house, governor. Maybe we would all be inspired to take action beyond just talking about the midterms, and people could write about that, too. I know when Kay and others talk about what they are actually doing, it’s very inspirational!
Tommy
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): It can be hard. I recall being a senior in high school. I was told in a public speaking class to give a talk about something that shaped my life.
I said being a military brat. Well my dad was actually civil service for the DoD, so we didn’t live on base and I went to public schools with non-military students. We always lived in smaller towns, so when I would get to a new school everybody knew everybody. They had grown up together. I was the outsider.*
The first couple moves were hard. I was shy. A little awkward. And just when I seemed to start to make friends we’d move. It was really hard.
I said in the speech I eventually learned to just walk up to total strangers and say “Hi my name is Tommy.” I’ve might even a few times thrown in “would you be my friend?” Now I am an adult. Not awkward. I find that ability still works wonders for me.
*In our last move, mid-term and 7th grade, the two homeroom teachers, in front of me, flipped a coin to see which class I’d join. I kid you not :). Nothing like making a kid feel welcome.
Betty Cracker
@schrodinger’s cat: Not really. Boxers are generally poor swimmers. She’ll trot along in the surf, but if she actually has to swim somewhere (from boat to shore, for example), she does it very awkwardly, flails around like she’s trying to go straight up. It’s embarrassing for all of us.
currants
@henqiguai: Hah–me too!
Suffern ACE
@Pogonip: The thing about six sigma is that it seems like it is sooooo old now, but it is going around again like the plague.
What is supposed to be new and hip is unlocking innovation and disruption-we’re all supposed to be the new Uber and airbnb, even if we work for companies that are established. We need to fear being destroyed, disintermediated, and destitute if we don’t behave like a VC start up.
Next year, we’ll be reingineering again, the following year, we’ll all be saying that we work for eBusinesses.
Tommy
@Downpuppy: Well I didn’t know this, but he is from St. Louis. In their statement they focused on this being a main reason they selected him. I personally find the paper lacking. I am a huge Cardinals fan and I don’t even visit their site for their coverage. Places like Sports Nation has better coverage.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Jay C: There is this as well.
LanceThruster
“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
WaterGirl
Betty, Patsy Marie is beautiful, and she obviously loves you very much. Either that, or the adoring look is because you are holding some wonderful food item that isn’t visible in the photo.
schrodinger's cat
@Betty Cracker: I had a friend who had a little sail boat, when we
used to go sailing he would bring along his lab who loved water. No matter how many times the boat tipped over she didn’t mind it a bit.
currants
@Betty Cracker: :-) like my daughter’s completely sweet ridgeless runt of a Rhodesian Ridgeback … when it comes to water, she’d prefer not. Not rain (she’ll hold, it thank you), not mud puddles (she steps around, or stops in disdain), and ocean or lake? SWIM? Surely you jest. It’s kind of hilarious, actually, not embarrassing at all.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
@Suffern ACE: We need less Taylor and more Deming.
Corner Stone
@schrodinger’s cat:
That’s disappointing! Heck I was going to drive the 4.5 hours to come meet you and have the tea we talked about that one time arglebarglebargle.
Actually, I’m probably going to be having tea with Southern Beale in Nashville at some point in August. So, consider yourself invited!
Corner Stone
@Suffern ACE:
Nothing beautiful ever dies.
Oh wait. That’s supposed to be Nothing Griftable ever dies.
Sorry.
Tommy
@Corner Stone: Are you in Nashville? I wouldn’t say I am the town often, but more then a few times a year (long story).
WereBear
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Yeah, networking sucks, but we haven’t come up with a better alternative.
a) If you can’t make small talk, maybe you can BE the small talk? Wear something noticeable (I know, Fantasy Convention) but be all about your work and stick in people’s minds that way. If you don’t want them interested in YOU, you can still get them interested in your writing.
b) Find a panel you feel passionately about and be passionate about it. I was once in the audience for a Cordwainer Bird panel, and loved his work so much and discussed it with such verve one of the panelists pressed a first edition on me and I was surrounded by fans afterward.
c) If you don’t want to be you, be someone else… make it an acting job.
Corner Stone
@Tommy:
*coughs*
schrodinger's cat
@Corner Stone: I thought we were going to have coffee. The tea served in most commercial establishments in the US is a tepid wishy washy abomination.
currants
@Frankensteinbeck:
You’d be amazed (or maybe you wouldn’t) how many criminals–real ones–get caught because they either don’t bother with or don’t think that basic laws (like vehicle registration/inspection, or –you know, red lights) apply to them.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
I’m not sure if you ever mentioned how it went with the 3D clip-ons. Mine have s]erved me very well, how about yours?
Corner Stone
@Tommy: No, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Nashville. Won’t be again til mid-August, and no, I do not have much damn choice about it.
There’s a choice, I guess, but it’s a Hard Choice.
Oh God, what have I done?!
Suffern ACE
I happen to live in the senate district of one of the New York State senators that wouldn’t vote for Democrats to take control of the Senate. He’s one of those “Democrats can’t be trusted to keep your taxes down” democrats. The local party refuses to endorse him and is planning on running someone against him in the primary. I hope to be able to vote againt him this fall.
Tommy
@Corner Stone: LOL. Lets just say I grew into my body. Or not really at 5’4. But fit and trim.
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
How do you know that the manager has more than a double digit IQ? Or one that even approaches triple digits.
I’ve met a few that I’d say may have had abilities in one or two things at some point in time. But that point had long since passed when they were promoted to manager. I think most of them were like chimps, fling their shit at the wall and see what sticks.
Corner Stone
@schrodinger’s cat: I don’t drink coffee but I’d be happy to purchase you and Mr. Cat a tall one sometime.
I could only go by my superhero name though, so it might get awkward at points.
Red Apple Smokes
@WaterGirl: It’s extra difficult to get people motivated for midterms in uncompetitive districts. I’ve been really pressed for time, but I did help with the signature drive to get Raymond Mullins on the primary ballot in the Michigan 12th. Long-shot doesn’t even begin to describe his chances, but I didn’t (and still don’t) think Debbie Dingell should just be handed the seat.
Suffern ACE
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Ah. Six sigma is the best of both Taylor and Deming. What it isn’t is a very elegant way to go about your day. It’s just not very heroic either. Unlike being a distruptive innovator. That sounds like it should come with 3-D printed lasers.
currants
@WereBear: Or, you could do as a career adviser at one of my alma maters’ suggested: make a spread sheet with all your contacts and stay in touch regularly.
Yeah, I didn’t do that either. Since that was the best advice she had jobwise I figured I could probably do better on my own.
Corner Stone
@Tommy:
My 9 year old is about 6 weeks away from growing into your body. Well, not actually your body but he’s already a smoosh under 5ft and over 75lb.
Morzer
A New Hampshire poll from June 14-18 of this year:
https://www.suffolk.edu/documents/SUPRC/6_19_2014_marginals.pdf
If you check out page 5, Mitt Romney leads undecided by 24% to 22% as the Republican choice for president. Third place goes to Chris Christie with a mighty 9%.
WereBear
@Tommy: I arrived in NYC at the beginning of the eighties, from a small town in Florida. Shy.
GOT OVER IT.
There is some evidence, as in your own experience, that shyness is simply the lack of social skills which can, indeed, be learned. It can also be like getting over a phobia, which can often be gotten over.
But unless you want to go Full Metal Pynchon, a certain amount of social things have got to get done.
Corner Stone
@Suffern ACE:
Pew Pew!
Tommy
@Corner Stone: My parents are a member of this high-end timeshare thing. Even bought a few properties. They have more points then they can use and they are traveling like 2 weeks a month. I am not remotely putting down Nashville, it is just about their favorite place and I don’t know why cause they have locations in some pretty amazing places. They might be there 5-7 days a month.
I will often say in an ajoining room for a day or so in Nashville a few times a year and then head to their unit right outside of the Smokey Mountains and hike. And well play golf, cause that property is its own entire town and two amazing courses.
Eric U.
if any of the FP’ers or guest bloggers here covered their local races, I would be interested. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to get a sense of most congressional races because nothing happens. Unless someone was working on a campaign, that is.
schrodinger's cat
@Corner Stone:If you ever go to India never ever order the Special Tea. It is brewed in milk and it is extra sweet.
ETA: What is your Superhero name?
Tommy
@Corner Stone: I grew almost three inches my senior year in high school. If I had a dollar for every time my mother told me good things come in small packages I wouldn’t have to work :). My akward comment made before, and I can joke about it now, but I hit puberty a little late. It wasn’t until really college that the “baby fat” went away. And well I started to look like an adult and not a kid. Good things started to happen afterwards ….
WereBear
With the Big Trench in front of our house, I have a girlfriend picking me up so we can get some groceries and throw them over the trench. If I forget anything, we are a hop and skip from a great ice cream bar with burgers and fries, so no one will starve this weekend at Casa WereBear.
schrodinger's cat
@WereBear: Are they doing a WW I reenactment in front of your house?
Morzer
@WereBear:
It’s the hop and skip after the ice cream bar with burgers and fries that’s the difficult one. Mind you, I might pay good money to watch a hopping, skipping bear.
Tommy
@WereBear: My point, which I could have made in less words, is often just saying hi and introducing yourself can do wonders.
JCT
@schrodinger’s cat: My two beagles are deathly afraid of water. Years of beach vacations down south – neither would put their toes in the water no matter what. Pretty odd.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@schrodinger’s cat: Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on June 28, 1914, so the timing is rather appropriate.
PhoenixRising
@currants:
My friend who works in the field (criminal defense for indigent persons) puts it another way: Once you’ve knocked off a gas station by brandishing a firearm, you’re hardly going to flinch at littering.
Most of her clients are picked up in the commission of a high-profile misdemeanor, then remanded for their felony warrants for far more serious lawbreaking…that would never have been prosecuted but for the spitting on the sidewalk and hitting a cop’s shoes (true story).
Tommy
@WereBear: Oh I should note I went to college in a far off place from my home. After college I moved to a town without a job, the only time I’d lived in town that was an actual city and not some small place. Where yet again I didn’t know a single person. The skills I had learned as a military brat, moving a lot, well they helped me so much I don’t have words for it.
Iowa Old Lady
Midterms in Iowa
Governor will stay R. The D candidate is way behind Brandstad.
Senate: Braley will beat Ernst, the castrating woman.
House: My district (northeast Iowa) is Braley’s and is pretty Democratic, so I think that seat will stay D. We have only 4 House seats. Of the other 3, the northwest one is Steve King’s. That’s not changing. The southeast one is Iowa City and that will stay D. The interesting race is the southwest one. The R member is retiring and the last I looked that race was marked tossup.
ETA: I’m a little concerned about the Iowa legislature which is divided right now. That could go all R, an appalling idea.
Bmaccnm
@Morzer: Run, Mitt!! Run!!
mdblanche
The first of a series of articles on the political climate in Wisconsin that might be relevant.
@Morzer: I thought we weren’t supposed to be discussing 2016, but let me just say Ha!
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@mdblanche: Yeah, that whole series was really well done.
? Martin
@Jay C: Yeah, agricultural areas are suffering. Imperial County unemployment rate is 21%, and that’s a big improvement from the 30% they were at a year or two ago.
CA has seen the best growth in part because it was so badly off to begin with, so don’t read too much into anyone’s policies there. Tech and white collar are doing well. Manufacturing is flat at best, but that varies by industry. We’re getting some higher tech manufacturing going again. Tesla and SpaceX are examples, as is alternative energy such as Bloom.
It’s also worth noting that much of the demand for these growing industries is a direct result of the state regulation. We have cap and trade here, so Bloom can use that market to make their products profitable in-state. Tesla also benefits from local regulations. And the state is using the cap and trade revenue (about $1B per year) to invest in high-density low-cost housing, mass transit, and converting gasoline to clean energy vehicles at the state level. There’s massive build-out of solar here, and construction is at least somewhat back on track, but state-level capital programs are still mostly stalled. Not many new bridges being built.
Morzer
@mdblanche:
I filed it under 2014 (polls, local). So it really has nothing to do with 2016 at all. Honest.
PhoenixRising
Midterm coverage: Those who are going GOTV check in after Labor Day on a thread dedicated to that purpose. We can report on the most amusing forms of local incompetence.
As my state party chose the oldest, dullest, most Anglo son of a guv option for our most competitive race, I can promise to keep you all in stitches at the expense of New Mexico’s poorest children, old folks and homeless veterans.
Or, really, give you the limited upside of what’s sure to be a horrible shit-flinging nightmare of a campaign…because we’re #49 in everything that MA is #1 in whether you laugh at us or not.
Corner Stone
@schrodinger’s cat:
It’s Big Baby Fatback, but don’t tell anyone.
I go from trouble spot to trouble spot feeding kids BLT’s.
Tommy
@Iowa Old Lady: Unless something totally off the wall happens it will be a Democratic sweep in my district in Southern Illinois. The district is pretty “blue dog” but a Republican has not won a House seat in this district for 80+ years. They are not going to win this year.
Senate. No chance outside of a scandal will change things.
Governor. Again no chance a Republican wins outside a scandal.
Suffern ACE
I’m going to complain about contractors who make me wait for them at home, send someone to take measurements for 5 minutes, who then leave without talking to me and then provide me estimates that involve me fixing the problem that caused me to call them in the first place.
I have a broken bedroom door. It needs a new hinge. The current hinge is welded to the metal door frame. The metal door frame is 40+ years old. I cannot find a replacement hinge. I am not capable of removing the current hinge and I don’t want to learn how to weld. I needed to know if the contractor could replace the door, or if I need to install an entirely new frame. The contractor lacky took measurements. I tried to ask him about my options, but he had to go.
I have an estimate that includes me finding a replacement hinge. Talking with the contractor, he has no idea where I would find it. Or what I would ask for. I just need to find a hinge. If I knew anything about hinges, I wouldn’t need to call a contractor.
Plus, I am not paying $50 for the contractor to bring a door into my apartment and another $50 to take the old door away. I can buy a door and pick it up myself, but the contractor still can’t tell me what door to buy. Which is why I called them, too.
So here is a basic question. Are there people who I can hire to perform the task of consulting on home repair projects? It seems that contractors might not be the right people to ask. Is it possible I’m doing something similar to asking an lawyer for advice on accounting.
PhoenixRising
@Corner Stone: Ahem, pretty sure my neighborhood would be considered a trouble spot–though I can’t be considered a kid, really.
Betty Cracker
@Amir Khalid: Sadly, I have not had the opportunity to try them yet. However, my daughter has, and she not only loves them, she spread the word among her bespectacled friends, who fashioned their own. You started an eyewear trend among the FL high school set, so you’ve got that going for you! ;-)
SatanicPanic
@? Martin: Should be noted that Imperial gets its water from the Colorado River
Corner Stone
@PhoenixRising: Dammit! Who told you…oh, right.
son ova…
Iowa Old Lady
@Suffern ACE: What I do in situations like this is ask around at the gym. The old ladies there know everything. I send Mr IOL to ask at work too.
Pogonip
@WaterGirl: I bet on the food.
WaterGirl
@Pogonip: You would be against love? Shame on you!
Pogonip
@Ruckus: Oh, our managers don’t have double-digit IQs. You could sell them a bridge as long as you threw in a Business Case Analysis. But somebody, somewhere, gets these stupid management fads started. How?
Pogonip
@Betty Cracker: Where’d you find a boxer with a normal face? I’d like to see more of those.
joel hanes
@Suffern ACE:
Next year, we’ll be reingineering again
The one that never comes back, Crosby Quality, never comes back because it correctly places responsibility for poor quality directly on management’s eternal short-sighted desire to skimp on development. It goes:
mdblanche
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): I just wonder what it means going forward in terms of trying to expand support for Democrats and progressive priorities. Are Republican leaners just too dug in to reach? Can a populist economic message break through or will it just get tuned out due to the source? Are there any votes for the Republicans to be had by moderating or are Democratic leaners also locked in? And most relevant for this November, do the new revelations about Walker really hurt him if his own base is so loyal?
geg6
@schrodinger’s cat:
Late to answer, so if you don’t see this, I’ll try to catch you in another thread.
Anyway, short answer is yes. Along with a calico and what looks like a smoky gray tuxedo. So now we have four. But no rodents in the greenhouse!
Pogonip
@joel hanes: You know, I got to thinking that maybe the fads serve to fill time management used to spend on improving the product, maintaining good customer relations, building a good name in the community.
Morzer
@mdblanche:
I would guess that Republicans (leaners and all) are so heavily invested in Walker being a “good” governor as part of their own identities that it would take an absolute earthquake to shake any of them loose. That said, I doubt the constant drip of negative news about Walker is inspiring the uncommitted to rally to his side, so perhaps Mary Burke can make inroads among them.
WereBear
@schrodinger’s cat: just about. Road work.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Morzer: That is largely my take on it.
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
Did you read the second part of my comment?
Shit flinging bastards. Doing their best to impress the MBA they “work” for. Who could give a damn about anything but their paycheck and bonus.
OK in real terms they have to do something to justify their time cards. And as they don’t actually know anything productive this is the best they can come up with. What more can you expect from someone with the IQ of a chimp?
GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)
Minnesota’s congressional split will remain the same. Specifically in my district (CD-1) Walz will retain his seat. Franken will hold his seat. All our constitutional offices will remain Democratic. Dayton will hold his position in the Governor’s seat.
The state houses will remain blue
Cervantes
Thanks for this post, Betty Cracker.
I found useful comments; presumably others did, too.
Cervantes
@Iowa Old Lady:
What makes you certain?
Cervantes
@Red Apple Smokes: Something particular against Ms. Dingell or just against “dynasties”?
Cervantes
@Red Apple Smokes: Something particular against Ms. Dingell or just against “dynasties”?
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
After a half a moments reflection this rates a story.
Got a new ship’s captain on the tin can I served on. He wanted a piece of equipment in his cabin moved because he was left handed. This required rewiring. I show up, knock on the door, get invited in. Nice enough guy asks me how I got here so fast. Told him that my orders were that I had to get my motherfucking ass up to his cabin before yesterday for a vitally important issue. He shook his head and sort of half laughed. “Those assholes, I told them if and when the responsible person has time I’d like this moved. That was ten minutes ago. Stupid ass suckers.” Now on this ship, at this time there were only 3 steps between the capt and myself. This game of telephone had progressed about 100 steps in making those 3 steps. And the capt was absolutely correct in his assessment, they were ass suckers. He and I snickered from then on every time we saw each other. Good times.
There are stupid managers everywhere. I have no idea why they get pushed up the ladder, maybe it’s to get them out of the way of the actual work.
Red Apple Smokes
@Cervantes: More of an issue of thinking that she should at least have to actually campaign for the seat. The winner of the Democratic primary is basically a lock in this district.
the Conster
@Downpuppy:
The governor’s race is a complete total 7 way tossup with no real policy changes at stake, so it’s going to be name recognition which means Coakley v. Baker. Baker will probably win because he’s a nice looking rich white guy in the Scott Brown Bill Weld mold, and he’s a Republican only because of money. Coakley is a terrible campaigner, but maybe she’s learned something. She’s the only one of the crowd who has run statewide and won. She’s polling ahead the last time I paid attention.
MomSense
@Mnemosyne:
That is my take on it as well–more sort of a general frustration with the endless speculation on 2016 when there is so much at stake in the midterms.
I think we could use a local vocal open thread from time to time to offer what we are doing in terms of persuasion calls/doors and what the issues are in our areas.
I’m pretty much a grunt in my area and phone bank or canvass as much as I can.
The Republican candidate for Maine’s 2nd CD race (to replace Michaud) is a real piece of work. It is a tough place to GOTV since it is sooooo rural and not possible to canvass much of the turf.
Pogonip
@Ruckus: I remember reading somewhere that the dumbest college students are routed into education and MBA fields. Don’t know about the teachers as I don’t deal with them any more, but the MBAs where I work are just incredibly stupid. They can’t reason. When you listen to them it’s like listening to a robot programmed to spout Dilbert jargon, and the Q-and-A periods are hilarious because they cannot reason out an answer to the simplest question. They just spout a combination of buzzwords and look puzzled and annoyed when the questioner keeps repeating “Yes, but what I wanted to know was…”
Glocksman
I care, but living in Teahadistan’s (Indiana) 8th district insures that my opinion means little.
In other words, absent being caught in bed with a live boy or dead girl, Larry Buschon will be reelected no matter what I think.
Though I tell anyone who listens that while he is an excellent surgeon (he put my artificial heart valve in), he’s a lousy congressman.
xane
For geek-social-justice-villager-for-the-kids-types: http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2014/06/arent-you-a-little-short-to-be-a-stormtrooper-the-passing-of-the-armor-to-a-bullied-little-girl/
WereBear
@Pogonip: This explains so freakin’ much!
Kay
I don’t think it makes a bit of difference as far as enthusiasm or turn out if you’re discussing 2016 or 2014, so if that’s the goal I don’t think anyone has to make a choice. I think discussing politics probably increases engagement no matter if it’s focused on 2014 or 2016. Republicans talk constantly about their 2016 candidates, too.
For “sporadic” voters they’re not focused on either year, which is why they’re sporadic voters. There may even be some benefit to talking about the 2016 presidential if the goal is to get people who only vote in presidential years to vote in the midterm. Talking about presidential elections get them interested, because that’s the only time they vote.
If that’s the goal.
If it’s just an issue where you don’t want to talk about presidential candidates, that’s certainly valid, but I don’t think it will have any effect on enthusiasm or turnout of disengaged or less reliable voters
We have more of those on the Dem side, and that’s the midterm turnout problem. Our voters are less reliable as far as voting at all. I don’t think it’s because we don’t talk about congressional races enough.
This “2016 ruins 2014″ to me is like ‘the complacency theory”, and I have yet to see that too, where someone sees a good poll and says “well, that’s won. I’m not voting now” :)
If they’re reading polls they’re voting.
WaterGirl
@Kay:
Oh my gosh, I find myself disagreeing with Kay. Not sure that has ever happened before. Hmm.
Kay
@WaterGirl:
I think there’s only so much one can say about the Senator from Louisiana :)
Republicans are all out there endlessly discussing their 2016 candidates. I think they know no one but their base really cares if they “capture” the Senate.
People who read about California 15 or whatever are the base. They’re coming out regardless.
I wish we did a better job tying statewide races (governors, senators) to House races. If they come out for the governor they’ll vote the whole thing. We need what Ohio calls “coordinated campaigns” where the statewide office (Senator, governor) that is most interesting to them can be the focus to drive up turnout for the House.
WaterGirl
@Kay: I get energized when I hear about people on the ground who are working their butt off for someone. All these conversations about Hillary and 2016 just suck the life out of me.
There’s so much riding on 2014 and some days it seems like all we have are the endless conversations about 2016. We need to pay attention to governors, too – I am in Illinois and it’s not looking good with all the big money that is funding the republican. So discouraging.
Kay
@WaterGirl:
Well, the saving grace may be Republicans don’t much like Republicans either. It isn’t going to be 2010. I don’t get any sense of energy from them at all, other than really bloody primaries.
They were all out today insisting they are UNITED, which sounded like complete whistling-in-the-dark bullshit to me.
Kay
@WaterGirl:
I don’t have a House race (to speak of) or a Senate race so it will be all governor here. if we do anything interesting I’ll post about it.
Pogonip
@WereBear: All this time we thought the answer to life, the universe, and everything was “42.”. Turns out it’s really “The stupid have inherited the earth.”
I wish I could remember where I read about the MBAs and the education majors. A lot of college types seem to read this blog, so maybe one of them will chime in and tell us whether the claim is accurate.
WaterGirl
@Kay: That would be great. Maybe I just need some inspiration!
Kay
@WaterGirl:
I don’t have that much sympathy for Quinn. Why would he pick Paul Vallas and alienate and enrage every public school teacher in the state? WTF? It was that important to have Vallas on the ticket?
Come on. This was just dumb:
I don’t get it. Is he trying to be as obnoxious as Rahm Emanuel? Why throw this big division in the Democratic Party right in their faces? The public school people loathe Vallas. They think he’s a privatizer.
Cervantes
@Kay: Talking about things isn’t the issue so much as doing something is. In that light, what do you make of the DCCC’s current attempt to organize its supporters? For the many informed people who congregate here, what better opportunities are there to actually make a difference this November? (Not a rhetorical question.)
El Caganer
The state level is where the Republicans really hold power, so it’s not a bad idea to see what’s going on there once in a while. I check this site once or twice a week; it’s far from comprehensive, but it’s the only round-up I’ve found: http://www.progressivestates.org/
El Caganer
@Kay: Vallas? Good Christ, he’s still around? We had a dose of him in Philadelphia a while back.
WaterGirl
@Kay: You don’t have to have sympathy for Quinn – I loathe him for what he did to our pensions. Have sympathy for everyone who will be negatively impacted by a republican governor in Illinois. Quinn is better than any republican governor.
There were people here a couple of weeks ago (or maybe it was at Booman Tribune) who were sure Quinn would win. I wonder what they’re thinking now.
Kay
@Cervantes:
I don’t know about that. We did get contacted by the DNC/Ohio Dem party organizer/leader for the voter protection effort so that’s up and running here. There are only about 8k Dem voters in the whole county so I was sort of impressed by the breadth of coverage. If they’re bothering with us they must be in all 88 counties.
That’s a thing unto itself in Ohio, voter protection, we have a whole framework since 2006 so it almost runs itself, but that’s national party funded and it’s here.
I got invited to two county Dem events (two other counties, not this one) this past weekend. I couldn’t go to either because many of my family have June birthdays (including me) but they did have the events.
Kay
@WaterGirl:
Right, but that’s what I mean. They’re enraged about their pensions so I think I’ll choose Public School Enemy Number One as my running mate. Oh, and newspapers will point out Public School Enemy Number One is virtually identical to my GOP opponent on education, which is like Issue Number Two for voters at the state level, after the economy.
It’s mystifying.
When I read it I thought “someone is blackmailing that governor. He’s under duress”:)
I don’t think they get it. Well, it seems like he’s starting to get it since he’s “muzzled” Mr. Vallas, but why pick him in the first place?
I would vote for Quinn over Rauner, but isn’t he making it needlessly difficult to do so?
Cervantes
@Kay: Happy Birthday!
(And have a good week-end.)
WaterGirl
@Kay: I completely agree with everything you said, and when I got the phone survey last night I said they should put me down as voting for Quinn, but please tell someone how incredibly angry I am at what he did with our pensions and that I will be holding my nose as I vote for him.
But he still beats the hell out of the republican. Any republican, but especially this one.
On the pension issue, I can only think how worse it would be if we had a republican at the top. I don’t want a governor ultrasound. Thanks but no thanks. (not meaning to take it out on you, but my frustration is surely coming through)
Edit: my birthday was on the 13th. When is yours?
Kay
@El Caganer:
I know! And yet no one says “hey, I thought you fixed Philadelphia schools? Why are there 1000 parents protesting because their public schools are collapsing?”
It’s impossible to discredit these people. The Chicago reformer came from Cleveland. No one in Chicago thought to look at how she left Cleveland schools? The big success in urban districts is Cincinatti, not Cleveland. They did the exact opposite of Cleveland there. Yet Chicago says “let’s be like Cleveland!”
I don’t know, we need a national registry list or something. They just relocate. :)
the Conster
@Kay:
We have to talk about 2016, because 2014 can be a force multiplier. We need to all be engaged now, for the long haul ahead.
Kay
@WaterGirl:
It’s the 19th but I have a sister who is the 13th. One of my sons is Flag Day and when he was little we made a big deal about that: “your birthday is Flag Day!” – I don’t know why we did that. When he went to school he found out that no one pays any attention to Flag Day so no one cares that his birthday is Flag Day. We misled him! :)
WaterGirl
@Kay: My sister’s birthday is on the 14th, so we line up with our parent’s anniversary. Our other sister’s birthday is in October, and that lines up with New Year’s, so we like to joke that our parents used to have sex twice a year, whether they needed to or not. TMI?
Kay
@WaterGirl:
Hah! I don’t count back. Ever. On anyone.
We were trying to make him feel special because he’s the youngest and he’s surrounded by all these people taking his birthday focus but what we ended up with was him coming home from school and saying “Flag Day isn’t a real day“, all disillusioned and vaguely accusatory.
Ben
@Kay:
No one else wanted to run alongside Quinn…hence the Vallas pick.
(Actually the Chicago City treasurer wanted to run with him, but he didn’t pick her for some reason. Considering she’s a black woman she would have brought some diversity to the ticket, and isn’t as tied to school “reform” as Vallas is…)
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
MBA
Must Be Asshole.
I’m sure that somewhere, some non asshole has an MBA degree. But it wouldn’t be any that I’ve personally met. Sure this may not be a reliable sampling, but 100% is still significant in my book. I imagine that after you have the nearly useless BA degree, maybe a law degree and can’t get a job that doesn’t involve food prep and/or very short term customer service, getting an MBA sounds like a good plan.
Mnemosyne
@Kay:
What’s funny is that I was always jealous of a friend of mine in grade school because she was born on the 14th, so she at least got to have a minor holiday. I only got the once-in-a-while Father’s Day holiday.
Ruckus
@WaterGirl:
I don’t think this is unusual at all. Have your friends count back 9 months from their birth. Not uncommon that this lands within a very few days on a birthday, an anniversary of some sort, or a Friday/Saturday. Works that way in my family. Doesn’t have to be one of the above special days for the parents, it can be one of the kids birthdays for example.