Here’s a beautiful photo of some clam-digging ibises from faithful reader cope:
Ibises aren’t strictly shore birds. I see them sweep the neighborhood frequently, moving from yard to yard in small groups while digging for bugs. They’re such a part of the daily landscape that I scarcely notice them anymore, but I’m going to pay more attention in the future.
Saw news alerts about that despicable Milo creature getting the boot from CPAC (the annual conservative circle-jerk that takes place soon). Just a couple of weeks ago, wingnuts were bewailing the abridging of his “First Amendment rights” after an appearance in Berkeley was met by protests and then black bloc rioting.
Now that video has emerged of the creep defending pederasty in no uncertain terms, the wingnuts have dumped him. Wonder if he’ll lose his book deal and perch at Breitbart? Maybe. He sure sounds worried in this Facebook post.
It’s comforting to know there are still lines someone who defames liberals for profit cannot cross. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc., are all well and good, but modern conservatives WILL draw the line at child molestation. Good to know.
Baud
Not sure he would have been disinvited if he were strait. But a good result nonetheless.
Aleta
Kryptik
My creeping thought on this though is how much of it was drawing the line at child molestation, or simply being embarrassed that his easily found interviews on the matter couldn’t be shoved down the memory hole. Seems like a ridiculous amount would have been just fine with it if it didn’t gain extra media purchase because of his more prominent role.
dmsilev
I was visiting the LA County Arboretum yesterday (yesterday was not rainy…), and was bemused to see signs reading “For your safety, do not feed or approach peacocks, geese, ducks, turtles, squirrels, bobcats or coyotes.”
That escalated quickly…
SFAW
Feature not bug at/for Breitbart?
I mean, we KNOW defending/being fascists is A-OK there, no reason for other despicable practices not to find a home there. Unless you’re trying to tell me that even THEY have standards.
Ryan
Well, they will in public anyway.
Corner Stone
Ummm, our current POTUS is on record as bragging about walking into changing areas of underage minor girls while they were in various states of undress.
So…this just a gay violation thing?
Mustang Bobby
I just came in from my living room where I was watching a flock of ibises (ibi?) doing their de-bugging of my lawn. I would take them over the f*cking peacocks any day.
I saw Milo on Bill Maher. To quote Chris from The Ritz (1976): “Screw you, honey. Boy, if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a queen without a sense of humor. You can die with your secret… miserable piss-elegant fairy.”
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: Everyone knows about geese, but peacocks are nasty fucking pieces of work.
Corner Stone
Ah, Gen HR McMaster as NSA.
jeffreyw
It’s not that they are against it, but talking openly about it, on video, just isn’t done. That is why he has been dis-invited.
Another Scott
Meh. TheHill says the video was out in January 2016. It looks like he got disinvited because there was too much noise about it, not because of what he actually said.
Donnie and
DeathBannon will be there to make up for his absence:An all-star cast!
Cheers,
Scott.
dmsilev
At least Dennis Hastert was molesting post-pubescent minors.
WereBear
Not that I don’t appreciate them drawing the line at child molestation, but that’s a low bar, let’s be honest. It’s below cannibalism and murder for profit.
And they didn’t ditch Limbaugh for it… because there wasn’t enough proof.
Can’t we get a better class of wingnut?
debbie
You’re just too wry for us, Milo.
Roger Moore
@Aleta:
Break out the Geiger counters. It’s probably nothing, but worth being cautious just to be sure.
SFAW
@dmsilev:
But not more than 100 or 200 times, at least.
There’s probably some joke to be made about Vile-o Yiannopoulos and the “Hastert Rule,” but I can’t see it at the moment.
Aleta
@Aleta: Sorry, I see this was discussed in prev thread. I need to calm down.
Chip Daniels
I think its a dead girl/ live boy thing.
Olivia
My goofy eyesight saw ‘damn clinging ibises’ instead of ‘clam-digging ibises’ and for a millisecond I thought the photo was posted sideways.
SiubhanDuinne
@Aleta:
Just heard that on NPR. In normal times a news item like that would merit a shrug and a “huh.” In today’s international political climate, with a DSW’s worth of shoes beginning to drop on all the many intricate Russia-Ukraine-Trumpist connections, and the recent spate of jokes about food tasters and poisoned umbrella ferrules — well, a person can’t help wondering.
SFAW
@Roger Moore:
He probably had a heart attack because he was told by Vlad to “take a meeting” with Shitgibbon at Shitgibbon Tower, and Churkin actually had some taste and class.
dmsilev
@Corner Stone: The ones I saw were mostly just minding their own business. I understand that folks who actually live in Arcadia regard them as annoyances.
Roger Moore
@Corner Stone:
You should expect any bird that lives primarily on the ground to be capable of taking care of itself. If it nests on the ground, it’s capable of defending its nest. Those things tend to make them unfriendly when they feel threatened.
SiubhanDuinne
@Aleta:
Oh, missed that. Will go back and see what was said.
Betty Cracker
@debbie: He must be counting on people not listening to the audio.
? Martin
No they won’t. None of this was new so it’s been tolerated all along. And the ‘gays will molest children’ is still part of mainstream conservative thinking.
It was ‘tolerated’ so long as it could be used as a cudgel to suggest that Democrats in power were trying to shut down free speech. Now that Republicans are out of power, they can’t get the response they really desire, so suddenly the content matters. They’ll bring it back when it’s convenient for them.
Chip Daniels
@debbie:
We’ve all heard this shit before.
Its what high school bullies say, what abusive husbands say…”Its just a joke!”
No it wasn’t.
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
Peacocks are annoying as hell. They’re kind of like enormous feral chickens. They can be aggressive, they shit everywhere, and the males have a very loud call that sounds like a cross between a goose honking, a cat meowing, and a small child calling for help. If the males weren’t so pretty, people would eradicate them as pests.
? Martin
Churkin was the permanent ambassador. He also was responsible for helping bring Trump to the USSR in the 80s. He and Trump have known each other for decades.
Aleta
@Roger Moore: Increased stress of the last month on certain officials would be an understandable reason. (And I guess some in the current admin are at increased risk too.)
debbie
@Chip Daniels:
If you read his post in its entirety, the rationalization and pretzel logic is astounding. As is the lack of sincerity.
One day, Trump will get his, and it will be just like Milo’s.
JGabriel
Betty Cracker @ Top:
Unless Trump does it. Then it’ll become acceptable among conservatives, like rape and non-consensual ‘pu55y-grabbing’ (aka sexual assault).
Edited to Add: Note how we can’t even quote the President-Electoral without getting flagged for moderation – I had to edit and re-post this comment to obscure the word ‘pu55y’ with alternate characters.
Miss Bianca
@debbie: Oh, so he’s playing the “you American rubes just don’t understand my sophisticated British sense of humour!” card. What a wag you are, Milo!
cain
I’m feeling morose, my kitty is not doing well, she has kidney failure and is extremely dihydrated. She’s going to the hospital to be looked after for a couple of days. But I know she won’t last for very long. She’s been my companion through shit I went through last year with losing my marriage and my job. I wish I took better care of her while going through my own problems. I suck. I’ve never had to lose a pet or make an end of life decision for another life.
Aleta
@SiubhanDuinne: A plea not to jump straightaway to the temptation of implying more than is rationally supported.
hovercraft
@Betty Cracker, @Baud:
Nah, the problem is he was caught being too public on the subject. Molestation as long as it’s not publicized is no big deal as long as you are for tax cuts and deregulation of business, and if you throw in more fossil fuels you are golden.
Peter Theil is a member in good standing, and he is a gay vampire, can you imagine the deep dive into his peccadilloes if he was a lib? Huckabee and others defended the Duggars, nough said.
Emerald
So it seems Mrs. Turtle has cancelled the federal funds California needs to build our high speed train, effectively, she thinks, killing the project.
California will find the funding elsewhere. We are California. We will build our train. Watch.
different-church-lady
@Another Scott:
The Aristocrats!
debbie
@Miss Bianca:
“This is my contrite face! Just like my smug face!”
They just played part of his rant on NPR. There was no gallows humor. It sounded more like a promo for NAMBLA.
WereBear
@JGabriel: I am eager to find out what despicable thing will make conservatives turn on Trump, since they have shrugged off corruption, sexual assault, serial divorces, rampant nepotism, and water sports kink.
If Evangelicals happily put up with all that, it’s hard to believe what they won’t excuse. Many many of their religious leaders had to be embroiled in multiple sex scandals, including among the underage, before they finally went down.
When it comes to their own, they have infinite forgiveness.
Ajabu
Because it’s an open thread I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge another dear friend (and superb musician) who was taken away from us last week with pancreatic cancer.
DOUG LUNN, a great bass player, composer, pianist, husband & father. – Emphasis on all of those. Doug had an extraordinary career and was recognized both here and internationally as one of the best. (Google him)
I had the privilege of jump starting his illustrious career when I hired him – at age 19 – on my band Jump Street back in the 1970’s. And although I was several years his senior, I learned a hell of a lot from him. As I wrote songs he, and the rest of my fabulous rhythm section, would improve whatever I wrote and make it better as they played it.
And he had a wit that the BJ community would appreciate. He once pointed out to me that most of the old blues musicians had three names (like Blind Lemon Jefferson) and determined that the formula was: An affliction – A Fruit – A Dead President. So. of course, for his most recent CD he wrote a blues titled Dyslexic Mango Nixon.
He was 63. I’ll miss him forever. FUCK CANCER!!!!
Peale
@Emerald: How close is it to being completed? I know it takes a long time to build things in the USA, but its been 8 years under construction. If its still barely started, this may indeed kill it.
Another Scott
@cain: Too often there’s nothing you can do but try to make them comfortable.
Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember the good times.
Hang in there.
Cheers,
Scott.
Aleta
@cain: The fluids they get when hospitalized for that can really revive them, though it can’t be predicted. I’ve known several cats who did really well for a few years after that, even though they went in there in quite bad shape.
trollhattan
@Corner Stone:
Not to mention the whole messy rape-of-a-13YO bidnez.
Little Milos should have stipulated a double-wetsuit. SAD!
Betty Cracker
@? Martin: The Republicans are out of power? ?
jonas
@Emerald:
As cool as HSR would be, given what they’re saying this thing will cost, I don’t see it happening. What are the estimates up to now? $65 billion or something like that? And most of it won’t even be real HSR.
Roger Moore
@WereBear:
Poll numbers low enough to threaten their reelection.
Peale
@Peale: Ugh. I thought it was further along. Basically noting built, but they were to start the first 119 miles in the Central Valley this year. It wasn’t going to be operational until 2029.
Aleta
@WereBear: Seems it might have to be an offense that affects someone in their own trusted circle. Or a threat to the same. (Obviously, not even a woman reporter for one of their trusted spin donkeys (media) is sufficient.)
Chip Daniels
@Roger Moore:
A single act of decency to a powerless person?
Haydnseek
@Peale: Expert opinions differ here in the state on whether or not the train is a sensible use of funds, but I can’t help thinking that should federal funds supporting Medicaid expansion here go away, something that we should immediately start planning for, it might be a better idea to use the money spent on the train to fund something resembling medicaid as it exists now, as near as we are able. We won’t have the money to do both, that much is certain.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Corner Stone:
Yep. Live boy or dead girl thing.
But I’m thrilled that the execrable Milo git flushed. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end for his career.
Miss Bianca
@cain: condolences to you and do NOT beat yourself up! Is your kitty getting up in years? Renal failure can happen in elderly cats and dogs – I should know, having lost one of each to that cause – and in my cases, both seemed like they were fine one day and then all of a sudden they SO were not. I beat myself up about it, too – but if they can rehydrate her and the damage is not too extensive, she may pull thru’.
WereBear
@cain: Doesn’t matter if it’s the first time, or the twentieth. It always sucks. Just do your best for her.
That’s all they ask.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Thank you and cope for the terrific nature photos! Even knowing the danger that feral pigs can pose I still find the wee pigletts adorable. The birds are calming sights.
trollhattan
@Emerald:
Republicans hate passenger rail. Republicans hate California.
I suppose our consolation prize will be subsidizing a couple Orange County tollways, the Libertarian answer to every traffic issue.
different-church-lady
@cain: So soooo much like when mine passed away a couple of years ago — kidneys, difficult time in life, regret for not having given more attention, and the first experience with being responsible for the decision. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
Don’t kick yourself. Just make her comfortable and make sure she knows you love her. The last hour I spent with my guy purring on my chest was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life.
See if you can get the vet to make a home visit — so much better for both of you.
Miss Bianca
@Ajabu: So sorry to hear it. A good bass player is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
HeleninEire
This morning I saw Curtis Sliwa in Penn Station buying a cup of coffee. He has grey hair and has to be pushing 60. He was wearing the red cap and jacket of the Guardian Angels. Still. It was just. so. sad.
Emerald
@Peale:
It may stop it for awhile while we secure alternative funding. It something thatI really don’t think Jerry Brown and our Legislature is going to take lying down.
She’s “delayed” $647 million at the request of the entire California Republican Congressional delegation, who don’t like the idea of high speed rail. We’ve already spent $150 million, and it’s a nearly two billion dollar project. This is just for the San Francisco portion, apparently. (Got this from a GOS diary and followed the linky.)
We are the sixth largest economy in the world. We will find $647 million. We are going to build our train.
JGabriel
WereBear:
It will either be for something ‘liberal’ like deciding some immigrants or health care subsidies are okay, or for getting himself impeached and convicted – at which point all of the self-described conservatives who ‘elected’ him will say Trump was always a liberal and deny they ever voted for him at all.
Probably. I’m just guessing here.
Aleta
@Ajabu: I’m very sorry for your loss. I know what you mean. Fuck cancer to the power of 10.
Doug R
A nickel a gallon increase in the gas tax should get you close to fully funded.
OGLiberal
@Corner Stone: Adam probably has much more to say on McMaster but while I’m sure he’s conservative and a Republican I’ve always liked him. Very smart and certainly not a nut like Flynn. Liked his book about Vietnam. Like Mattis, he’ll probably be a relative source of reason amongst the lunatics and don’t think he’ll put up with any Bannon/Miller BS. All of which means he’ll probably last 6-months before he runs screaming for the exits. Just happy we dodged the Bolton bullet.
trollhattan
@Emerald:
That’s asshole McCarthy keeps screwing his own district, which would have directly benefited from HSR. His Trump-lovin’ farmers are going to love having their workers all deported, also too.
Iowa Old Lady
@cain: I’m so sorry. I know the feeling though. We’ve had two elderly dogs put to sleep. In both cases, it was a kindness and I wish someone could do the same for me some day. But I still felt like I’d failed them somehow.
Kelly
@cain: It’s very hard. I’ve only done it once, for a Australian Shepherd I’d had for over 14 years. She was with us when my first wife died of cancer and she really filled a gap in my heart. I miss them both still.
Calming Influence
The Conservative First Amendment: “Free Speech means that any Conservative can open his dumb fucking yap any where he wants at any time he wants, and shout any stupid fucking thing that pops into his pea-sized brain. Any Libtard who even dares to whisper that they would prefer not to hear the perpetual-victim whining from the most vile right wing piece of shit is un-american, a big fat poopy-headed bully, and is breaking our sacred constitution that Saint Ronald carved on stone tablets 2,000 years ago. Amen.”
SFAW
@Calming Influence:
As a wise man once said: “Now who can argue with that?”
Brachiator
@trollhattan:
The high speed rail project is a monumental waste of time. The money could be better spent on water projects and local and regional mass transit programs.
BTW, in California, at least, two programs that have been shown to be abject failures are car-pool lanes and tollways, despite the strenuous insistence of their advocates. I also tire of the absolute stupidity of libertarian types (and some others) who bellow crap about how “the people who use the roads should pay for them,” with calls for auto taxes based on miles driven.
Ruviana
@cain: Depending on how she recovers at the hospital you may be able to do rehydration therapy at home and get a fair number of further years with your companion. It’s become fairly common and isn’t hard. Take her time at the hospital as a respite for you (I’ve done this when I had a sick pet or a sick human in the hospital–not having to be endlessly responsible allowed me to get some breathing room for when they came back) and hopefully you’ll be able to work with the vet to have her around for a while.
Shell
do not feed or approach peacocks, ……., bobcats or coyotes.”
Kinda like those disclaimers in drug ads that go, “Do not take Cyelox if you are allergic to Cyelox..”
WestTexan70
@Chip Daniels: That’s it. That’s the list …
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Corner Stone:
A friend of mine (fraternity brother) is a serving O-6 and worked with McMaster – says he’s awesome.
Aleta
@Calming Influence: 2nd Amendment: All decisions should be reduced to Us vs Them. Follow up as needed with Me vs You.
Roger Moore
@Calming Influence:
Shorter: rights apply to us, not to you.
schrodingers_cat
@OGLiberal: We heard how wonderful Mattis and Kelly were too. Still the Muslim Ban went into effect with those two behind T like potted plants. I will believe how wonderful he is when I see him in action.
Peale
@trollhattan: You act as if those farmers actually want jobs and workers. They don’t. They want workers, but they don’t want to have to pay to educate the children of those workers. They definitely don’t want those workers to someday own farms themselves. They don’t want jobs from constructing a a high speed rail. No republican voters want those jobs. Jobs is just something they screamed about for 8 years. But they really don’t want jobs. They just want to shout about jobs and chinese things and do whatever they can to get rid of jobs that other people have.
OGLiberal
@HeleninEire: When I was commuting in from Jersey more frequently I used to see him all the time. Always with the red beret and windbreaker. He once took the same train as me on the Coast Line…got off before him so not sure where he was going on the shore. I think he records his radio show near NYPS and it ends around the beginning of commute time.
Peale
@Shell: Especially since you want the bobcats to be hungry enough to eat the peacocks.
trollhattan
@Peale:
The latest Bright Idea I read is bringing back the Bracero program. Good old days are calling.
OGLiberal
@schrodingers_cat: Not to defend them too much but I think both were pretty much out of the loop on it initially – it was mostly Bannon/Miller with a side of Flynn. But appropriate to be skeptical…I like McMaster from what I know about him but just taking the job may say something about his judgement. When I saw his name on the shortlist earlier today I thought he’d turn it down if offered.
Miss Bianca
@HeleninEire: My God – the Guardian Angels are still a thing?!
Aleta
@Peale:
In my area:
1. Drive 20 min to the mall whenever you need a couple of boards or some paint or adhesive.
2. See the family-owned hardware store that’s five minutes away and employed four people, close.
3. “Shout about jobs and chinese things” and the price of gas.
4. Vote for the millionaire who lies about being local.
schrodingers_cat
@OGLiberal: Was that an acceptable defense at the Nuremberg trials?
Thru the Looking Glass...
@Emerald: It’s my understanding that $647MM was meant to upgrade the commuter trains between SF & SJ mostly… they’re currently diesel and outdated… it is implicit (I believe) that by electrifying the trains on that stretch, it would ease the way for the HSR coming up from the south, but that money was not explicitly for that…
zhena gogolia
@cain:
You don’t suck. You can’t keep another creature alive just because you love them. We all feel guilty when our animal companions get sick — we just feel helpless, as if we should have somehow been able to stop it. We seldom can. I hope you have some more good times with her.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Miss Bianca: I had the same question, but all Helen said is that Sliwa is still wearing that outfit around NYC. It doesn’t necessarily imply that anybody else is.
If I were to guess, I’d say it’s been at least 20 years since I’ve seen a Guardian Angel. Not that I’m all that frequent a visitor to NY most years, but there was a period a few years ago where I was a fairly regular rider of the #1 from Manhattan into the Bronx, a route I would think would include some Guardian Angel sightings if any were to be sighted.
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat:
Yep.
Shana
@cain: The thing about pets is that they don’t tell you they aren’t doing well until it gets serious. We’ve been through this with a number of pets over the years. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
Emerald
@Thru the Looking Glass…:
Ah, you may be right, but it’s being interpreted as stopping the project. And frankly, the project has a very long way to go.
Still, California has $647 million. We can raise more in bonds.
Remember that Reagan stopped Boston’s Big Dig for a long time, but Boston did it anyway. California is going to build our train.
RedDirtGirl
@cain: So sorry to hear about the cat. Try to be nice to yourself.
RedDirtGirl
@HeleninEire: How long are you in NYC? Would be great to see you and hear about life abroad!
RedDirtGirl
@Miss Bianca: I actually just saw a flyer for them in the subway.
MuckJagger
@dmsilev: >>I was visiting the LA County Arboretum yesterday (yesterday was not rainy…), and was bemused to see signs reading “For your safety, do not feed or approach peacocks, geese, ducks, turtles, squirrels, bobcats or coyotes.”<<
…and especially rabbits.
HeleninEire
@Miss Bianca: No; they’re not. That was what was so sad. He is like to 50 year old high school quarterback trying to re-live his glory days.
ingressus sum
On Ibises… I never knew that they were clam diggers; never questioned what they were up to on the beach. I thought sand crabs and the like would have been high on the list (since crawdads are favored in freshwater). Thanks!
Debbie
Sadly, I’m not sure you can say conservatives draw the line at child molestation. I am thinking of the Duggar family, Bill Gothard’s scandals with underage girls, Sovereign Grace Ministry’s systemoc child abuse cover up, the Catholic church’s scandals, and Doug Wilson’s favorable treatment of a pedophile specifically.