.
Speaking of strange vehicles dropping into unlikely places, all you DSW haterz have a new champion, per the Washington Post:
The man who landed a gyrocopter on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol has picked an opponent to target in his bid for a seat in Congress.
It’s Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee who also represents a district in Florida stretching roughly from Weston to Miami.
Douglas Hughes, 62, of Ruskin, Fla., in a court filing Wednesday declared that he planned “strong ground game for his campaign” and would “not engage in aerial civil disobedience.”…
Hughes said in an interview Wednesday he was “very deliberately targeting” Wasserman Schultz’s district because Wasserman Schultz was the “poster child of establishment politics on the Democratic side” and had “done a horrible job as chair” of the party. He said she seemed to favor particular candidates and that it was problematic that she had scheduled fewer presidential primary debates than the Republicans, including some on Saturdays.
“I want to get the money out of politics and return the power to the voters, rather than the connected voters and the wealthy,” Hughes said. “That’s what I flew for, and that’s what I’m running for.”
Spokesmen for Wasserman Schultz did not immediately return email messages seeking comment…
***********
The Spousal Unit and I have appropriated the custom of going out for Chinese food, and maybe a movie, on Christmas Day. We also take care to arrange our calendars so that we don’t have to leave the house on Christmas Eve, because there’s too many desperate crazy people running around out there.
What’s on the agenda in your neighborhood(s)?
BillinGlendaleCA
Morning Joe’s rehashing old interviews with Republicans from the archives, CLICK.
SFAW
Too bad that someone already branded as slightly nuts is the one running against DWS. Much better if someone “credible” — whatever that really means — were her opponent. Although I imagine that would be futile. Probably better to have an actual RINO running against her (although I have no idea how much of a lock her district is).
I thought Chinese food was for New Year’s Eve? Although, I guess I can see the sense of Christmas, especially if you’re not goyim.
In any event: Anne Laurie: I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, no matter how much or little you celebrate it. (“Celebrate,” as differentiated from “observe.”)
SFAW
@BillinGlendaleCA:
That’s not the LEAST surprising thing I’ve ever read, but it’s not far from it.
Schlemazel
I want to wish everyone here a much much better 2016 along with a merry Christmas, in case we don’t cross paths here the next couple of weeks.
Sadly, I know a little bit about the flying postman, he may not be a guy you want to hitch your star to. His cause is a good one but he may not be the stable platform you want to launch from. I have noticed that his special delivery didn’t exactly set the movement on fire, money is worse & it appears nobody cares.
RSR
24 hours of Christmas music. It’s the 23 annual Night Before with DJ Robert Drake live for 24 hours (already started) midnight to midnight on Christmas Eve. Lots of weird, unusual, obscure and ‘lost’ Christmas songs, as well as some classics.
Stream it live: xpn.org or find out more here: http://www.xpn.org/xpn-programs/night-before
RSR
Dang, already got a comment stuck in moderation. :(
Anyone checking that this morning?
JPL
@RSR: Tis the Season
I am taking care of a large dog that does not like stormy weather. It’s going to be a long day.
Schlemazel
@RSR:
Don’t say penis or casino and always remember you cant have a naked link, it has to be entered using the link button (thats the one that gets me because I forget)
I have not tried in a long time, does socialism still trigger moderation?
SFAW
@Schlemazel:
I think bocialism is OK, has been for a number of months. Of course, I been rong befour.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
Somebody finally decides to run against GOP-coddling DWS, and it’s this mook. Great.
PurpleGirl
Doug Hughes occasionally comments here at BJ. He is a regular commenter at The Mahablog. I wish him luck in his endeavors.
I’m running errands this morning and I have a group therapy session this afternoon. Then I’ll return home and just chill out. Not sure if I’m doing anything special tomorrow. I’ve done the movie and Chinese food on Christmas Day a few times. (It is something of a Jewish thing to do in NYC.) This year I think I’m also staying home Christmas Day. Maybe I’ll get some steak for dinner.
Yesterday we had a lot of rain, even some subways flooded. The next few days are predicted to have scattered showers and high temperatures (for December).
RSR
@Schlemazel:
>>always remember you cant have a naked link,
Ok, I did not know that. So easy to just hit ^V and paste it. Thanks for the hint.
Anne Laurie
@Schlemazel: Happy year-end celebrations to you, too!
@RSR: Caught your comment on the way to bed. No nekkid linkses on the new platform, was your problem.
RSR
Also, here’s a video of my sons’ choir performing an Ave Marie last weekend.
Savio Boy Choir – Ave Marie (Vavilov)
RSR
@Anne Laurie: Thanks!
Satby
Today is my mother’s 85th birthday. We always used to celebrate our family’s Christmas on the eve so we could do her birthday too. My youngest sister is already on her way to spend the next few days with mom, and the girls and I will be making the Christmas cookies I was too tired to do after working yesterday. So Happy Birthday to Joan, and Happy Christmas to all the rest of you.
JPL
@RSR: I was blocked by the facebook gurus. pout
NotMax
“Now let us tell you about the rest of the religion…”
One of the downsides here is the lack of good, affordable Chinese food places.
More than acceptable pizza, better than acceptable bagels, but a gaping void in the Chinese food department.
At least one can get decent Italian food here now, something which wasn’t remotely possible when I moved here 30+ years ago.
OzarkHillbilly
Baking today- cookies, dog biscuits and maybe some breads if I have the energy. Wish it was poteca. I’ll make one for Valentines instead. We’ll see how the leg holds up.
Satby
@OzarkHillbilly: Take it easy today and by Valentine’s day when you can make the poteca it will taste that much better because you’ll be better too. Or so I would hope.
BillinGlendaleCA
I debating on whether to go to sleep since I have to be up in less than 4 hours to cart madame to Mr. Macy’s funhouse and lobotomy clinic.
JPL
@Satby: Happy Birthday to your mom!
I have twelve people coming over for dinner. The one errand I have left is to buy some fresh fish. I’m just going to have to brave the storms. The storms aren’t to bad now, but it appears they will continue for most of the day. One year, I lost power and that was interesting. I had a guest in the bathroom with light.
NotMax
Dang it. Totally spaced out getting a cheap bottle of red wine for the leg o’ lamb recipe.
Off to the market on Xmas Eve, looks like (not willing to sacrifice a bottle of the good stuff to the cause.) Luckily, the chain supermarket within walking distance has a very good liquor department, as opposed to their frankly paltry and dreadful selection of other groceries. Wouldn’t wish anything from their deli or bakery sections on my worst enemy, if enemies indeed I had.
NotMax
@OzarkHillbilly
Don’t overdo. It’s not a contest.
Just sayin’.
Keith G
I just finished listening to Bernie Sanders defend Hillary Clinton from Donald Trump’s misogynistic restroom-based attack. Bernie Sanders was a magnificent in this. I think it’s one of the best pieces of political presentation that I’ve heard this year (full disclosure, I’m not planning on voting for Bernie during the Texas primary).
The clip came from the Rachel Maddow Show. I’m on mobile and don’t have the capability to easily link to to it. Hopefully someone will and maybe this can be front-paged under the heading of peace on earth and goodwill toward women
OzarkHillbilly
@Satby: @NotMax: I am sick to death of ‘taking it easy’ but I don’t have much choice in the matter. That said, what choice I do have I am exercising it. We’ll see how far it gets me.
David Koch
Fascinating stories on today’s NY Times.
► Cleveland prosecutor trying to sweep the police murder of Tamir Rice under the carpet.
► Obama gets Bloomberg and NBA to run commercials against guns, in preparation to end the gun-show loophole by executive order.
► Clinton’s throws Trump an anvil.
Iowa Old Lady
We’ll see Star Wars tomorrow morning, then drive to our son’s in Chicagoland for a couple of days, then come home and pack and fly to Florida for NY. My biggest problem is finding books to load onto my kindle for the trips.
Satby
@OzarkHillbilly: I would be a pretty poor patient myself, used to doing everything by and for myself for the last 25 years. So I understand, but knowing that a setback will just prolong the torture I hope you do as much as you can easily and just let go of the rest till you’re healed up. The only thing worse than 8 weeks down is more weeks immobilized after that.
Baud
@Schlemazel:
Merry Christmas, Schlemazel.
Satby
@Iowa Old Lady: Safe travels! We’re also heading into the south suburbs of Chicago to visit my sister for Christmas. And my son’s in-laws will be another stop.
Betty Cracker
Don’t you have to live in the district you run to represent? Hughes lives in West Central FL. DWS represents a district on the southeastern coast.
@PurpleGirl: He comments here? I’ll be darned.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
Given that the Juicitariat is such a motley crew, I for one am not terribly surprised that Doug Hughes is one of us.
Satby
@Schlemazel: Merry Christmas to you and yours, Schlemazel!
Satby
@Amir Khalid: we are legions.
Ultraviolet Thunder
It’s 7:40 am so I’m headed to the mall to get a really good parking space.
Then I’ll sit there for several hours, and every minute or so I’ll put my car in reverse for 30 seconds so the backup lights come on.
People expect shopping to be exasperating so I’m just doing my part.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Ultraviolet Thunder: Oh, you’re that guy.
OzarkHillbilly
@Satby: The worst for me was when I got blood clots in my lungs(“They look like apple trees” said the doc). 6 days in “intermediate ICU” (didn’t know there was such a thing) and confined to bed for the first 5 (not even to sh!t, but I’ve never been able to use a bed pan, so I just didn’t shit for 5 days)(supposedly not even to pee but I ignored that and still peed like a man) When they finally said I could get out of bed, I walked all over that hospital. Got in trouble because they couldn’t find me a couple times.
Baud
@Amir Khalid: I hope Doug Hughes is a Baud! 2016! supporter. My campaign could use some more zanny stunts to get past the media’s Trump bubble.
Betty Cracker
@Amir Khalid: I suppose you’re right. I give Hughes credit for generally being mad at the right people, though DWS would be lower on my personal list of political priorities than every single Republican in Florida.
Baud
@Betty Cracker:
I don’t understand that part of the post. Was he planning on moving to whatever district he decided to run in?
OzarkHillbilly
@Ultraviolet Thunder: My hero….
boatboy_srq
Christmas Eve dinner prep here, then off to the 10:30 pm service (new church, nice community… cross your fingers).
@[email protected]: I too thought Chinese food and a movie was traditional for NYE. Silly me.
@SFAW: Wasn’t Ivan Rongbefour part of the Trade Federation?
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
“Baking today” — I hope while sitting down.
debbie
Anne, I wish the guy had thought to tape this on a color TV, but here’s “Christmastime for the Jews” for you. Happy holidays!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOhKQyRAo6k
debbie
@Iowa Old Lady:
Jane Smiley’s trilogy is more than 1,200 pages in total. Ought to keep you busy if you like her writing.
Frankensteinbeck
If it’s a primary challenge, sure, go right ahead. If he can unseat her, he should be able to organize enough to be as good as her in the general. If he’s challenging as a third party candidate, he’s basically supporting the Republicans, and screw him. I think it’s the primary one. The article didn’t say.
Betty Cracker
@Baud: I read the article in the local paper, and it doesn’t address that issue either, so I don’t know. But Hughes’ current district and DWS’s are like night and day, separated not only geographically but miles apart culturally too.
OzarkHillbilly
Missouri residents soon will not be able to use their state drivers licenses as identification to get into most federal facilities,, such as military bases, making the state at least the fourth to lose a federal exemption from complying with national proof-of-identity requirements.
Why?
At one point, about half the state legislatures had passed measures opposing the implementation of the Real ID Act. Some raised concerns over privacy and a backdoor attempt to create a national ID card. Some of those states, including Missouri and Minnesota, still have laws prohibiting them from complying.
Gonna be a real clusterfvck at Fort Leonard Wood and I can’t imagine what the Federal Courts building is gonna be like.
Amir Khalid
@Frankensteinbeck:
If he’s really one of us, and he’s challenging DWS in the primary, he ought to do a guest front-page post here on Balloon Juice.
boatboy_srq
@OzarkHillbilly: Not that I’m a particular fan of Real ID, but doesn’t this throw a wrench in the works of the “photo-identification-required-for-voting” machinery? Or, because that’s a
if-we-can’t-get-slavery-back-at-least-we’ll-have-thisNew Federalism chewtoy, does it matter that the Feds don’t recognize it?OzarkHillbilly
@debbie: I have a stool. Had the wife bring it in from the shop the first day so I could eat in the kitchen. It has been a leg saver.
NotMax
@debbie
Okay, that prompted dragging out Reuben.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone :)
SFAW
@boatboy_srq:
Either that, or one of the support people for Car Talk.
OzarkHillbilly
@boatboy_srq: I’m agnostic on it myself but there do need to be some kind of acceptable standards that apply equally to all states. That said, this is just really stupid. They just blew a huge hole in the states economy for no good reason. As to the “photo-identification-required-for-voting” machinery, it’s not a big deal, concealed carry permits are OK.
ThresherK
@NotMax: From downstairs you mentioned Aladdin doesn’t have a villain song. Very good point; those tropes exist for a reason.
As he’s a singer-songwriter, not just a writer, Aladdin left me with the feeling that Elton John didn’t quite know how to write for the trained voice rather than his own limits. However, I found Billy Elliott much better. Maybe Sir Elton relearned something about the craft.
SFAW
@Betty Cracker:
That raises an interesting philosophical (or perhaps strategic) question: Would it be better to defeat one Republican in Florida than it would be to defeat the incompetent head of the DNC – the person who is perhaps the biggest impediment (outside of the Kenyan Muslim Bocialist Fascist Usurper) to the Democrat Party making any headway toward regaining the House and Senate?
I know on which side of that line I fall, but I don’t live in Florida.
debbie
@NotMax:
That’s a new one for me! How about “The Night Hanukkah Harry Saved Christmas”?
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/hanukkah-harry/n9852
“On, Moishe; on, Herschel; on, Schlomo…”
boatboy_srq
@OzarkHillbilly: Real ID makes relocating across state lines a PITA. This especially if you’re trading a Real-ID-compliant DL for a non-Real-ID-compliant one: you have to jump through all the identification hoops again because the new state doesn’t give a rat’s a## that the old one checked you out already. I’ve gotten into the habit of carrying my passport when I do business with the public sector just because it avoids all the messy ID questions.
Goblue72
Awake at an ungodly early hour and getting ready to go to airport. Travel on Xmas Eve is always a joy. I may seek out people at the airport carrying totebags and wish them Merry Christmas.
boatboy_srq
@SFAW: Interesting question, especially given the indifference to individual DINO candidates (hello, Jim Webb): if catastrophically-counterproductive Dems are defeated unmourned, then the source of donkey strategery clvsterfvcks should be a worthwhile target. DWS is the exception that proves the rule of “any Dem is better than an unhinged Teahadi”: without DWS’ misleadership how many more Dems would be in national office?
OzarkHillbilly
National Geographic’s best travel photos of 2015 – in pictures
I wanna go.
Riley's Enabler
@Satby: Happy Birthday to your mom. Hope the girls enjoy the baking and pageantry of the season. The soaps were a huge hit here, thank you so much!
Spent yesterday baking cookies, today I’ll make Adam’s Tiramisu and a cheesecake for the Areligious Holiday Feast tomorrow. Kiddo will be with his dad, so a bit sad that I won’t see the “morning present frenzy”, but I don’t have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn. Silver linings! Wishing the commentariat a wheelbarrow full of Seasonal Greetings.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Iowa Old Lady: Speaking of Jane Smiley, Horse Heaven is both lengthy and delightful, if you like her stuff. And Larry McMurty’s Texasville series is (unsurprisingly) full of interesting characters and their stories. Though if you like him, no doubt that’s already been read…
Elizabelle
Merry Christmas Eve morning, all.
Betty Cracker
@Keith G: It would be swell if someone could link to it. Thanks to MSNBC’s unbelievably shitty site, I can’t find it.
OzarkHillbilly
@boatboy_srq: My son went to get his new Louisiana drivers license last year. They.would.not.accept.his.US.passport.as.proof.of.citizenship.
boatboy_srq
@OzarkHillbilly: Dafuq. Exactly what would they accept? I hope he got that on video: there’s a lawsuit there just begging.
VA DMV got handed passport, birth cert, FL DL, SocSec card and Dominion Power bill (last for proof of residency). Voting booths get passport and voter reg card. So far that’s shut them up.
OzarkHillbilly
@boatboy_srq:
His birth certificate. You know, the one that if you know location and date of birth and mother’s maiden name you can get anybodies?
Betty Cracker
@SFAW: Here’s why I don’t think it’s strategic to try to unseat DWS: She is a shitty DNC chair, but that gig is almost up for her — does anyone think she’ll continue it under the next president, whomever that is? It’s unusual for a DNC chair to retain the job for more than four years, which is how long she’s held the job.
She’s not the greatest congresscritter either, but she’s generally been a reliable Democrat. So to me it would make more sense to let her run out her course as crappy DNC chair (she almost certainly won’t be fired before the election, no matter how much she sucks), let her skate to reelection (which she’ll likely do anyway) and try to take out a Republican instead.
That said, I’m totally in favor of progressives primarying crappy Democrats — even if they don’t win, it tends to keep crappy Democrats more honest. But the question was about priorities, so there’s my rationale.
Kay
I watched the last Dem debate with my eldest son – he lives in Chicago but was visiting (and dropping his dog off for me to watch while he’s traveling for Christmas).
He’s an (actual) Clinton supporter- pro-Clinton- and I have to say it really does give a different perspective sitting with someone who really believes she’ll do a great job. His take is also interesting because he’s the “wrong” demographic for her- in his twenties, works in the tech industry- I don’t know if the stereotype with tech industry types is is true but I think he’s supposed to be a ‘brogressive’.
He makes a good case for her and I felt as if I had a more open mind sitting with someone who approaches her candidacy as a good thing- not the establishment pick or the obvious pick- but Clinton as person who would make a good president besides all the history and baggage she carries- apart from all that.
boatboy_srq
@OzarkHillbilly: Wouldn’t that deny any naturalized citizen? Oh, right: that keeps those vicious job-stealing terrrrrist immygrunts from getting false papers.
Ultraviolet Thunder
@OzarkHillbilly:
That’s astounding. I have my passport and birth certificate on the desk in front of me here. But I travel constantly across borders. Passport has always been the gold standard for identification and I can’t imagine why a state wouldn’t accept a document issued by the Department of State.
My Birth Cert. is in terrible shape from being handled, and I need a replacement. Passports are nearly indestructible.
SFAW
@Betty Cracker:
OK, that makes sense – although I am less sanguine about DWS being gone as DNC chair when her term expires. Or are there actual (as opposed to practical) term limits for that job? (Serious question.)
@boatboy_srq:
Agreed. However, Betty’s response makes sense (wow, is there an echo in my head?) — assuming that there’s a just FSM who will smite DWS from that role when the time comes.
geg6
@debbie:
I am 2/3s of the way through and am just loving it. Hopefully, getting volume 3 for Christmas. Currently reading “Eighty Days” by Matthew Goodman. It’s about the race between Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Ridland’s to go around the world. Always been a big Nellie Bly fan. She grew up just up the road from me in Apollo, PA and got her start as a reporter in Pittsburgh, so she’s my homegirl. The book is very entertaining.
OzarkHillbilly
@boatboy_srq: My wife is from Spain with the very Hispanic and requisite all but unpronounceable name. Living out here I am very paranoid about her voting rights and always go with her to the polls. So far, no complaints, but I think that has more to do with the remoteness and very sparse population. No real reason to place a poll watcher out here.
Jack
Chinese food last night, Chinese leftovers today!
srv
Obama tries to trump Trump:
Ho-ho-ho, indeed.
OzarkHillbilly
@Ultraviolet Thunder: To say that I was surprised is the understatement of the year, but I finally figured what the hell, it’s GOP land, of course they wouldn’t accept the one for sure document that says you are who and what you say you are. I was also not real happy to mail his birth certificate to him. STL city hall is a pain in the ass on the best of days and if he loses it I know who will be wasting my day within those marbled halls of bureaucracy. Again.
BruceFromOhio
None of the powered machines (pressure washer, lawn mower, motorcycle) have been winterized because I’m still using them.
Once it dries out a bit more, I have to cut the grass in the back yard because it is growing.
WereBear
@Kay: I am really pleased to hear it; I think the latest generation of adults are generally fantastic.
PurpleGirl
Betty: Doug doesn’t comment here very often. I’m not sure if he even uses his real name here. But he’s referred to BJ a time or two at the Mahablog. I read Maha several times a week.
gogol's wife
Okay, I’m going to try to link to Colbert doing a parody of Hamilton called Button, and I’m going to try to use the link button, which I don’t understand.
ETA: and it didn’t work.
Shell
Baking. Lots of baking. So I won’t be leaving the house either.
gogol's wife
So you have to type in a description? Trying again.
Colbert parody
gogol's wife
And it’s not Festivus any more, but my grievance is students who time it so that you get requests for grad school recommendations on Christmas Eve.
Origuy
By the Constitution, a congressperson has to live in the state they’re representing. They don’t have to live in the district. States have tried to make that a requirement, but courts have struck down those laws.
Brachiator
I just look at this as part of the energy of the Christmas season. And everything usually turns out all right.
I have a rare day off today, and was thinking about all the stuff I could get done today, then thankfully thought better and will enjoy a lazy day. Later on I may go see “The Force Awakens” again to help decide whether it’s a good movie or a really good movie.
Merry Christmas and Happy whatever you choose to celebrate or ignore
Iowa Old Lady
Gogol’s wife, where do you type it in? I’ve had trouble getting links to work too. Also apparently you have to close the link, which I also screwed up recently. How?
Kay
@WereBear:
It’s funny what “fresh eyes” contributes. When they came back after the commercial break and Clinton wasn’t at her podium he was genuinely concerned- first he was worried she got sick or something and then he was worried what media would do with the late entrance- acting exactly like a supporter, in other words :)
I just haven’t been around enough of them or something. I’m going to a Ted Strickland fundraiser after the New Year so maybe I’ll run into some there.
gogol's wife
@Iowa Old Lady:
When you hit the link button, a window opens up where you can paste the link. Then you close it, but you have to type in another line describing the link before you post. Then when you post it magically puts the link into the phrase you typed afterwards. So in my comment above, you can click on “Colbert parody” and it will take you to the link.
gogol's wife
@Iowa Old Lady:
I’m going to do another one and then describe it to you. Now I’m clicking “link”:
mirandafreestyle
Then I hit “OK,” then got back to my comment and typed “miranda freestyle.” If it works the way I think it should, that phrase should take you to the link.
No, I’m doing something wrong because this whole text is in a different color. I’m going back to my IBM Selectric.
Iowa Old Lady
@gogol’s wife: Thank you!
gogol's wife
Trying again.
Miranda freestyle
Then I hit the link button again
ETA: That’s it, after you paste the link and type a phrase describing it, you have to hit “link” again to close it if you want to type some more without having it turn blue.
gogol's wife
While I’m at it, from Broadway present to Broadway past, this fantastic selection from Alfred Drake:
Alfred Drake at his best
Debbie
You can also post as usual without the url, click on the edit option, and then paste the url into the editing box.
Brachiator
@gogol’s wife:
@Iowa Old Lady:
Also, if you have already typed Miranda Freestyle, you can highlight the phrase, and then copy and paste the link over it.
At least this has worked for me using Chrome browser or a Chromebook.
catclub
@OzarkHillbilly: I can imagine LA lawmakers being stupid enough to write the law
that way – that the only proof is birth certificate. But given the law in MS for voting, and also Alabama – which was in the news recently. I am still surprised, since those always included passport as valid ID.
I suspect it was the local office that does not see many passports. lawsuit/ complaint to state level is in order – IF the actual law says passport is acceptable.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Iowa Old Lady:
The easiest way is to type your comment first, then highlight the text that you want to be the hyperlink. Then click the link button and paste in the actual URL (which presumably you saved to the clipboard). When you click OK for that, FYWP handles all the details of closing the link, etc. This method mostly prevents problems such as in #93 above.
The problem I see most often is that people don’t get a “complete” URL. They either don’t supply the http prefix or they get a double one because they don’t paste over the one that FYWP supplies and it gets included/duplicated. You can check and correct manually after you have used the link button.
Iowa Old Lady
@catclub: Isn’t there some sort of national law about what you have to present to get a license that is valid proof of citizenship? I’m not sure. A friend of mine living in NY state was also not allowed to use her passport as proof of identity to get her license, and she has not one but two passports, one of them as a government employee who sometimes travels on some sort of confidential business.
WereBear
@Iowa Old Lady: I am so glad I changed my name with marriage prior to the whole farcical state it is in now.
Ironically, the Republicans are urging ladies to keep their maiden name!
Iowa Old Lady
@Steeplejack (phone): That’s useful. Thanks to everyone trying to cure my ignorance.
gogol's wife
@Steeplejack (phone):
Okay, I’m going to try.
All you people who think that Gordon MacRae and Howard Keel are the ne plus ultra of Broadway baritone singing, put this magnificent singer in your pipe and smoke him.
ETA: Cool! Now I know how to do it. Thanks!
gogol's wife
By the way, I asked about The Miracle of the Bells last night (bizarre cast of Fred MacMurray, Alida Valli, Frank Sinatra, and Lee J. Cobb). It turned out to be an interesting little sleeper. Frank (as a Polish priest!) didn’t know how to act yet, which makes his scenes with old pro MacMurray amusing. But it held my interest and wasn’t the usual Hollywood fare.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Iowa Old Lady:
Also, A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara.
The Other Chuck
@WereBear: I dunno, that’s gonna make it harder to prove they have their husbands’ permission, that being the obvious next step for Republicans.
Steeplejack (phone)
@gogol’s wife:
Perfect!
WereBear
@The Other Chuck: There’s also “don’t marry Republicans” but I know that’s one of my own prejudices I don’t bother reforming too much :)
Pogonip
Schedule: today: drive around looking at Xmas lights
Tomorrow: go out to eat, more Xmas lights
Saturday: oil change
Sunday: I’m sure I’ll end up having to do something
Monday: foot doctor + Star Wars
Tuesday: parole ends, back to cubicle hell
Today’s results in the Great Greeting Brouhaha:
CVS: Merry Christmas
Wendy’s: [son is addicted to their grilled chicken sandwiches]: Merry Christmas
Taco Bell: Have a nice day
Kroger: Happy holidays
Pogonip: Christians, Merry Christmas; Jews, may your egg rolls be crispy and your rice properly cooked; everyone else, see you later and have a great day!
Pogonip
Oh, and to Word Press: Fvck you
Dave
So I got a push poll in the mail from my congressman, Keith Rothfus (the beady-eyed little fuck). Should I answer it honestly, or just throw it away? Put another way, will anyone in his staff actually care about a result that doesn’t match what he so obviously wants?
boatboy_srq
@The Other Chuck: Imagine the trouble they’ll get into with the women who they will insist get their wives’ permission…
boatboy_srq
@Dave: Freeping polls is a time-honored practice. There’s some dingbat congresscritter from Nebraska who keeps spamming me with the things, and I do my best to skew his results.
catclub
@Iowa Old Lady: I would strongly suspect that the US only issues passports to citizens. But what do I know. If say, you have a green card that means you are recognized for work, but also recognized as not being a citizen.
catclub
@Iowa Old Lady: I went to the LA DMV website.
here is the relevant info on primary documents:
link
The local office is wrong. Surprising.
boatboy_srq
@catclub: Wingnuts spent too much time analyzing the Bourne trilogy and Replacement Killers and have convinced themselves that passports are easily forged/duplicated/reissued. Plus they’re issued by a federal agency which automatically makes them suspect. (Funny, though, they never complain when they get their Medicare or SocSec…).
Betty Cracker
@SFAW: I don’t have any idea. But I can’t recall anyone staying on more than four years, and most of them don’t stay on that long. If she were wildly successful, maybe people would beg her to stay in the role longer, but that ain’t gonna happen. If HRC wins, maybe she’ll give DWS a job in the administration (nothing too important, I fervently hope).
Zinsky
The “no movement on Christmas Eve” rule is a good one, Anne! People are crazier than a shithouse rat when they are late in getting Christmas presents.
Barbara O'Brien
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): Doug has been a regular commenter on my blog for the past few years. He is intelligent and articulate. I think he’d make an excellent candidate. Don’t write him off so easily.
Anonymous At Work
Well, with this news, it includes registering as a Democrat in that district and sending the man some money.