This mockingbird rested briefly on my wrecked banana trees earlier:
She looks weary but determined, which is why I assume she’s a “she.”
Horrible news out of Mexico City. I hope, unlike last time, Twitler is able to scare up a satellite phone to communicate with Mexico’s president before several days elapse. Or not. Mexico’s president has enough on his plate without adding an unnatural disaster.
Anyhoo, open thread.
Baud
Are we great again yet?
ArchTeryx
@Baud: Too many black and brown people still alive and undeported. We’ll be great again when they’re all gone, along with all the weaklings and poor people.
Then, and only then, will our Thousand Year Reich will start.
Yutsano
I have friends in México but not in the city, but I haven’t heard from them since the earthquake hit. They’re in Monterrey so they should be fine but a ping would be nice. It’s also possible communications are a total mishegas because of it. Will keep y’all updated.
khead
Mockingbird?
Sorry, had to be done.
A Ghost to Not
I miss mockingbirds, but I really miss cardinals.
Thanks for the pic.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
can you imagine being this parodically white
Elizabelle
I approve of that mockingbird. Beautiful little winged creature.
Only the best to Mexico City and its surroundings.
schrodingers_cat
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): FWIW I have put raw eggs in my hair, they make a very good conditioner, very rich.
guachi
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
The author of the article was, of course, black.
ArchTeryx
And amidst all the horror, I do love that mocker picture. Mockingbirds don’t take crap from anyone – I’ve seen video of them turning grizzly bears away from their nest. Their relatives, the Brown Thrasher and the Grey Catbird, are similarly pugnacious around their nests.
A while ago, I made the mistake of sticking my head into a peeping bush while out with a friend, and 4 Grey Catbird fledges exploded out of it, along with the parents. I had to collect the fledges before they ran out onto a nearby busy road, all while the parents are going absolutely apeshit and actually scratching my scalp, so hard did they dive on me.
My fiancee has since told me ‘the next time you stick your head in a bush, you better be dating it!’
khead
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
REAL WHITE FOLKS woulda used some Hidden Valley Ranch.
Baud
Why don’t the arrow buttons work on my Android phone?
I blame Nancy Pelosi.
Betty Cracker
@Baud: They work fine on my iPhone. Just saying!
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Big blog has sold out to Apple.
@Betty Cracker: I knew it.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Baud: And not the Cubs?
Baud
@Betty Cracker: I just upgraded my ipad to ios 11. Not overwhelmed. I have a work iphone that also didn’t overwhelm me. I’ll probably stick with Android because of price.
NotMax
Open prissy pedant.
Not trees, banana plants are giant evergreen perennial flowering herbs.
Close prissy pedant.
And the fruit itself is naturally very slightly radioactive.
Another Scott
@ArchTeryx:
Are congratulations in order? :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
HumboldtBlue
7.1 aint no fucking joke.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat: This blog doesn’t work well enough to be associated with Apple. #ItJustDoesn’tWork
ArchTeryx
@Another Scott: Awww. I proposed all the way back in July 2016 and was accepted then. I’ve known the lady for 10+ years – we haven’t gotten married only because of an utter lack of money and jobs in different cities. Once we get into the same city marriage will follow almost immediately.
My family for the most part is flat-out poor, save for certain Republicans which would rather eat their own tailfeathers then give anything to us. Her family is just as poor save for one rich aunt, who also wouldn’t lift a finger to help her move away from a sociopathic landlady.
No money, different parts of the country, marriage is kinda difficult, but I digress.
West of the Cascades
WTF is wrong with the New York Times? Not a single story on the front page of their website about the Cassidy-Graham Take Away Health Care from 25 Million Bill. I see they have a decent editorial, but it’s a more consequential news story than “Harvey and Irma Wiped Out Our Kitchens. Still We Cook” or “Making Mother! the Year’s Most Divisive Film.”
Another Scott
@ArchTeryx: Thanks.
I know you’ve been through many trials and tribulations, and that things have finally been looking up a little.
Here’s hoping that you both can get together soon.
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
@ArchTeryx: Congrats belatedly.
Ohio Mom
@Baud: The up/down buttons haven’t worked on my IPhone in ages. Not a big enough deal for me to complain. Instead
I remain grateful that I’ve never heard those loud auto play ads other people complain about.
Baud
@West of the Cascades:
1. They are garbage.
2. See #1.
Felonius Monk
Jeez, Betty, give the President and people of Mexico a break. The last thing they need is a phone call from Trump.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Baud: If we’re not going to have threaded comments, the least we can do is have the pie filter function like Disqus blocking.
ArchTeryx
@Another Scott: @Baud: Thank you both. :-) It’s been very rough for both of us, but we’ve had each other through it all.
Baud
@Ohio Mom: I also did not hear the ads. Not sure why.
SiubhanDuinne
I have a great affection for mockingbirds.
@ArchTeryx:
Huge congratulations! I’m happy for both of you.
Baud
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): I don’t use the pie filter. How is disqus different than what we have.
West of the Cascades
@Baud: Sigh – I don’t know why I keep hoping for something better.
SiubhanDuinne
@Felonius Monk:
I believe he did send a tweet of support.
Well, actually, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t him. The way it read was much more like a staffer flunky assigned to handle the POTUS Twitter account rather than anything genuine from the Twitler his own self.
debbie
Was she singing?
ArchTeryx
I do wish that I wasn’t so pessimistic about Graham-Cassidy. I was just as pessimistic on skinny repeal, about Obamacare’s chances after Trump was elected, about whether or not I’d be cast out to die. So far I’ve been proven wrong on every count, and the fact that I am WILLING TO ADMIT that I’ve been proven wrong makes me better then pundits that get paid 1000x what I make. So there is that at least.
SiubhanDuinne
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
White people, mayonnaise? How could they tell?
Felonius Monk
@Baud: They work on my Android phone.
Baud
@ArchTeryx: Hard to know? Who could have predicted what McCain did last time?
debbie
@Baud:
As a loyal Apple, I think you might not want to be too noisy about that. You may need every vote you can get.
Baud
@Felonius Monk: Weird. I’ll have to play around to see what’s going on.
Lapassionara
@SiubhanDuinne: there is no chance of Trump doing anything genuine.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Baud: Once a user is blocked, their text is replaced with “this user is blocked,” with no way to see/respond to the blockee’s comments. (And it only effects the blockee’s comments). I figure the lack of threading will make tools much easier to ignore.
Baud
@debbie: I have one of every tech. I’ve got my bases covered.
Betty Cracker
@SiubhanDuinne: Saw that and made the same assumption: It was a staffer who dreaded having to cover another “dog ate my homework” excuse like last time. ?
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Was kidding Mahatma Baud.
debbie
@Ohio Mom:
They work sporadically on my iPad mini.
Felonius Monk
@SiubhanDuinne:
You are probably correct. If it had been from the Twitler-in-Chief, it would also have demanded that Mexico pay for the Wall.
Baud
My buttons are working again. I wish I knew what I did.
Mary G
@SiubhanDuinne: If that perfectly appropriate tweet didn’t come from Kelly’s assistant, I’ll eat my hat.
Tomorrow I am going to try this Indivisible tool that hooks up blue staters with progressives in red states to ask them to talk to their senators against Graham-Cassidy and connects them directly with the senators office.
ArchTeryx
@Baud: I certainly didn’t. However the “Republicans always fall in line” trope is evergreen, and it’s been hauled out on all quarters after Graham-Cassidy came out. Will it be right this time? I just don’t know.
Betty Cracker
@debbie: Not while hanging out in my bananas, but we have some genius mockingbirds around here.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat: Feeling un-Mahatma-like recently.
debbie
@Baud:
Excellent.
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Disqus is garbage.
NotMax
@Felonius Monk
The ‘Obama has a magic weather machine’ nutjobs are now in positions of authority.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne:
They started using that at LGM, where I only lurk. Not a fan.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
Enjoy my edit of Steven Moore.
Mel
@ArchTeryx: The very fact that you have been supportive of each other and loved each other through the awful stuff says it all.
Belated congratulations on your engagement, and I am hoping with all my heart that you can be in the same locale asap.
Betty Cracker
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): One reason I’ve grown fond of Twitter is that I can block irritating shitheads. Here, I feel an obligation to eschew the pie filter since I function as a seldom-used, half-assed moderator. But y’all are generally more entertaining than Twitter, IMO.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
NotMax
@Baud
It’s far from easy to be Mahatma-like. Certainly not as easy as taking Gandhi from a baby.
(ouch)
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
Why does the GOP keep trying to repeal the ACA when a majority support it? How can they justify that with a straight face? If Graham-Cassidy does somehow pass, and people die as a result, will GOP Congressmen who voted for it pay with their lives?
I’m feeling a little helpless, so I’m metaphorically feeling stabby.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@SiubhanDuinne: LGM switched to Disqus when its servers were close to collapsing. I would say that the in-built block function means it at least breaks even – moderation was fairly uneven in dealing with not overtly-hateful trolls, and the pie filter became a lot less effective with the presence of persistent trolls.
(On a related note, I’ve noticed that BJ sometimes randomly deletes comments on old posts).
Major Major Major Major
@Betty Cracker: It also doesn’t work if you’re signed in as an author. Feature or bug? Why yes!
ETA disqus is garbage
Baud
@NotMax: Your puns make ahinsa hard.
debbie
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
Is it that final paragraph? I’d hate to think someone with a brain actually said that out loud.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Betty Cracker: I’ve blocked only about four to five regulars on both BJ and LGM, using it as a measure of last resort.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
You could say “careers” or “seats” or “political futures”. Just a thought.
Betty Cracker
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: They wants those tax cuts, precious!
ArchTeryx
@Mel: We’re working on it. It’s not easy – she’d have to leave a six-year plus job behind to come here. But this is the one place I’m putting my foot down, because I work for New York State – a lifetime gig with lifetime benefits – and there’s literally NOTHING for me in Wilmington, Delaware. She’ll have a far easier time getting a job here then I ever would getting a job there – two attempts in the past yielded absolutely nothing.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
That’s not enough when they deliberately and callously vote to kill people, which is what this is. This is mass murder.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Nah. That would require supporting Democrats. What could be worse?
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Even the original Mahatma had his off days.
Major Major Major Major
@SiubhanDuinne: Why do people like Disqus? It’s such garbage.
schrodingers_cat
@Major Major Major Major: It always takes forever to load.
Iowa Old Lady
@Betty Cracker: You’re very entertaining on twitter, Betty. Here too, of course.
Ajabu
Maria is bearing down on Puerto Rico and. wait for it… the USVI. St. Croix was the only US Virgin Island to make it through Irma relatively unscathed — and picked up all the slack for the rest of the sister islands — but if it gets hit this time it will go from a decade of recovery to the rest of my lifetime (if not my grandchildren.).
My Beautiful Leeward Isles. GODDAMN!
Here’s a reminder of what we were only a couple of weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54aPmBnAj00
jeffreyw
Hurricane Maria now has sustained winds of 175MPH.
Baud
@Ajabu: Fingers crossed, man.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I am: got my triple boot(mac, windows insider, linux) test machine working and it’s been 7 years since I was on the bottle. Today would have also been my dad an aunt’s 98th.
MomSense
It’s been a busy day for me. Just wanted to share today’s fax to Collins. Today I focused on process and pre-existing conditions. I try to avoid lingo and just make one or two points each day.
ETA to send a free fax to your Rep, Senators, and Governor text “resist” to 504-09
They have a new feature which is to text “invite” to the same number to ask friends to help.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Major Major Major Major:
I’ve used disqus before and it indeed does suck donkey balls. No quote tool and if you quote from an article or another commenter using “” with a link, your comment gets marked as spam. It’s infuriating. Which is why I avoid it now
Major Major Major Major
@schrodingers_cat: It’s also a complete nightmare with regards to search and retrieval, archiving, etc.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Sure, you’re great, but is America, was the question, I think. Congrats and such!
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Big day!
LurkerNoLonger
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Republicans are terrible, soulless monsters. I can’t describe how much i hate these people. It’s not healthy.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I take it you mean no built-in tags? I haven’t noticed the quotation issue, as LGM tradition uses (blockquote) for quotations and no quotation marks around links.
Showing all comments in a thread is also erratic.
ArchTeryx
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Man, they take the whole Lucy and the Football thing real seriously, don’t they?
If I were Patty Murray, I’d tell the entire caucus to take a flying fuck off a tall bridge if Graham-Cassidy fails and they come back hat in hand for more “bipartisan” fixes.
Then, I have had a hate-on for Patty Murray since her unemployment ‘compromise’ with Paul Ryan stripped me of my benefits and forced me to leave Michigan for good. I’d vote for her primary challenger if I could. She’s pathetically easy to roll, as has been proven by Republicans again and again.
MomSense
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
Well done, LCdMCfkaED
These fuckers don’t understand basic concepts about insurance and they are trying to legislate it. Grrrr.
debbie
@Ajabu:
Good luck. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.
Has Betty checked in today?
Doug R
So page bottom arrow, up arrow to lowest comment with a reply link, then follow the links back up to the top comment.
Because I don’t care what a child actor looks like, triplets DNA is their own damn business and any website with “secrets” is trying to sell me something. Surprised there’s no ad for trump u
Tazj
@ArchTeryx:
Yes, I found that out the hard way while just out for a nice walk around my neighborhood. One dive bombed me a few times when I was just minding my own business. A neighbor had placed a bird house on a hook right near the sidewalk. A man walking to his car laughing said “Did that bird just try to attack you?” I’m sure I looked hilarious trying to duck.
MomSense
@debbie:
I haven’t seen her and I’m very worried. KeithG checked in this morning but the thread was dead by the time I saw his comment. He’s in Houston, so Inwas happy to see him. Haven’t seen KeithP though and I think his house flooded last year just with heavy rain. I hope he is ok.
LurkerNoLonger
@MomSense: Very well put.
mai naem mobile
Has Betty from Dominica checked in yet?
debbie
@MomSense:
Thanks. This is all so horrible. Is there any indication you’ll feel any effects from José?
ArchTeryx
@Tazj: You were too close to its nest and they give absolutely no quarter. I’ve personally watched them harass a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk practically to tears, among other large and threatening animals. They are the only non-predatory bird I’ve ever seen take on an entire feeder full of squirrels and win.
Baud
@MomSense: You are a wonder.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
This is straight disqus. Disqus doesn’t have a quotation tool on its website or it’s plug-in comment sections for newspaper sites. It sucks.
MomSense
@debbie:
Just wind and waves so no kayaking for me! I’m just hoping the fishing/lobster boats aren’t damaged.
chopper
i love trump’s excuse for not calling mexico’s president. like the goddamn president of mexico doesn’t have a working phone. trump probably thinks nieto’s plane has a dirt floor.
Baud
And the buttons stopped working again.
MomSense
@Baud:
☺️
debbie
@MomSense:
Fingers crossed it stays that way.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: works on my machine. Ship it!
chris
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: Well done! How did you do that without profanity?
HumboldtBlue
Short video from Mexico City
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: I tried that with my boss once, she was unimpressed since it failed to work on the client’s machine.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@chris:
It was a struggle. Usually, my Wikipedia defacement is more crude. I played this one close.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: see it’s funny because I wrote this version of the buttons.
TenguPhule
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
Because it means they have hundreds of billions in now free funds to cut taxes permanently on the rich without needing 60 votes.
Otherwise, its 10 year sunset provisions.
Gin & Tonic
My son’s GF has heard from her family in Mexico City and everyone is OK, along with their houses. It was difficult to get through.
Reports are that some of the poorer areas have fared badly.
chopper
@jeffreyw:
son of a fucking bitch.
rikyrah
Andy SlavittVerified account @ASlavitt
Lindsay Graham just said we must end any bipartisan talks & repeal the ACA in order to stop the march to socialism.
11:46 AM – 19 Sep 2017
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: But you see, now Baud is unimpressed.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
I shut down Chrome on my phone and restarted and the buttons work again.
TenguPhule
@West of the Cascades:
Penetration at all levels.
SiubhanDuinne
@jeffreyw:
Whoa!!
rikyrah
In moderation, please help
Kristine
@Ohio Mom: FWIW, anything near the edges of my iPhone 5 display–buttons, links–responds intermittently at best.
MomSense
@LurkerNoLonger:
Thanks. Tomorrow’s fax will be about Essential Health Care Benefits. They are pretty fucking necessary and Graham Cassidy doesn’t guarantee them.
On the local news tonight she told a reporter she was leaning no. It’s still too close so we keep fighting. ?
SiubhanDuinne
@HumboldtBlue:
Holy fuck
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
Tell me you didn’t.
chopper
@jeffreyw:
apparently a dropsonde dropped by a hurricane hunters aircraft measured winds of 168 knots in the storm. that’s 195mph. hopefully that’s a glitch of some sort.
rikyrah
Benjy SarlinVerified account @BenjySarlin
Sen. Patty Murray statement on death of bipartisan Obamacare talks puts blame squarely on repeal push
https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/status/910261942148911104
TenguPhule
Death Toll in Mexico Earthquake just hit triple digits.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I don’t know if this is true. First of all…
Graham-Cassidy touches spending and revenues so a second tax bill couldn’t happen under this set of reconciliation instructions. If they want to have another go, they’d have to pass a budget. Which they could theoretically do, but it’s not a snap of the fingers. Next, you cannot pass a reconciliation bill that, considered in a vacuum, “produce[s] a net increase in mandatory spending.” So budget-busting tax cuts that weren’t linked within the same set of reconciliation instructions to healthcare spending cuts don’t actually get to use the savings from the healthcare cuts.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: @Baud: See? It was Baud’s problem, not mine.
TenguPhule
@chopper:
I’m afraid that’s probably a feature, not a bug.
chris
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I was impressed by the triple boot and said so, too late as usual, this morning. Very cool.
More importantly, congratulations on your seven years. Will there be cake?
trollhattan
This might have received notice on a slower news day but Westlands Water District–the state’s largest with a management group stocked with Bushies–has torpedoed the Delta tunnels water project. “Water’s just too ding-dang expensive”* they plead. They also say they’re not responsible for killing it immediately after killing it.
For California this is a Big Biden Deal.
*Their “plan” was to have federal water contractors north of the Delta pay a portion without actually benefiting from it, to (further) subsidize their already subsidized water.
Patricia Kayden
@ArchTeryx: And Trump is remedying the problem of too many Black & Brown people.
But her emails, indeed.
rikyrah
Topher SpiroVerified account @TopherSpiro
What’s going on here is clear: Republicans are sabotaging the bipartisan deal to push Graham-Cassidy. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/19/obamacare-stabilization-bill-status-242875 …
jl
I wonder whether Lamar Alexander will eat shit in front of the whole country by voting yes on the Graham-Cassidy BS, after his bipartisan effort was flushed down the toilet because it was making too much progress too quickly on a sane health care bill?
SiubhanDuinne
@Major Major Major Major:
Yes, exactly. That’s why I commented “Disqus is garbage.” :-)
(Think I first came across it on Media Matters, and its very presence has gone far toward keeping me from being a regular at MM.)
rikyrah
Jeremy DiamondVerified account @JDiamond1
NEW: RNC spent $230,000+ to cover @realDonaldTrump’s legal fees tied to Russia probe. $131,250 to Sekulow. $100K to Dowd, per RNC official
2:27 PM – 19 Sep 2017 from Atlanta, GA
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
So then why are the Republican tax cut plans using that money in their own calculations?
/Not arguing with you here, this is what’s bugging me.
Major Major Major Major
@SiubhanDuinne: I know, I was replying to your comment that said disqus is garbage after I had independently and later commented the exact same thing.
@TenguPhule: That was when they were supposed to have healthcare done by April so they could move on to tax cuts. Unless they have a tax cut bill lined up and ready to pass by October 1, they’re going to need a new set of reconciliation instructions. ETA usual caveats such as “nobody except the parliamentarian knows how the fuck this works and even she’s not so sure”
Elizabelle
@MomSense: Terrific letter. Well done.
gbbalto
@ArchTeryx: Congratulations and best wishes! Hope you get there soon.
Laura
@ArchTeryx: this is the Most Wonderful news!
The joys of marriage are deep and simple.
A wedding is another thing altogether.
Me and the spouse still can’t believe how happy we were to be married even when we didn’t have two dimes to rub between us.
I wish everyone who desires to be in a relationship or marriage meets a compatible partner who comes with interesting life experiences, emotionally available, and willing to help pull a wagon through this too short, often difficult life.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@rikyrah: don’t forget Fredo!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@chris:
I saw your comment in the long dead thread after I woke up. The problem wasn’t getting Windows and Linux to work, it was the Mac. After trying to get my 4 year old AMD video card to work(ended up booting to a yellow screen), I purchased a new Nvidia card and it booted right up. I had to reinstall Windows and Linux Mint since they were set up for BIOS and not UEFI.
Cheesecake with strawberries on top.
khead
@rikyrah:
Sorry, but needs a lot more “NO” than I am seeing that statement.
joel hanes
@NotMax:
And the fruit itself is naturally very slightly radioactive.
As are your bones. Everyone’s bones.
SiubhanDuinne
@Major Major Major Major:
LOL, missed that, sorry. GMTA, and Baud also too.
Patricia Kayden
@TenguPhule: Just awful. This month has been horrible for natural disasters.
Alain the site fixer
@SiubhanDuinne: disqus stores comments on their, not John’s server. That’s a non-starter.
As for buttons working I’m using iPhone 6splus and has no problems in IOS 10 and not now
In 11. They work on iPad and laptop and desktop both of which run Win 10 of different flavours.
Alain the site fixer
@Alain the site fixer: my typing, on the other hand…
Major Major Major Major
@khead: Murray is a Democrat, she’s not going to vote yes on Graham-Cassidy.
@joel hanes: I feel like everybody should give the XKCD radiation dose chart a once-over every year or so so the idea is fresh in their heads as they read the news. (Especially always liked the bit about how cell phones don’t emit radiation, unless they’re bananaphones)
Corner Stone
@khead:
Sounds like a fuckton of Patty Murray giving it up again.
Alain the site fixer
@Baud: FYI it’s you! Majorx4 made them so I’m sure he’s to blame..,
Corner Stone
@ArchTeryx:
She fucked over a lot of people with that roll over and beg “compromise”.
TenguPhule
@Patricia Kayden: And Trump has offered zero assistance or aid to them so far.
Of course that would require a functional State Dept.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
So I decided to call McCain’s office regarding ACA
What the hell: though I’m not an AZ resident, I have a relative who is.
Phoenix – (602) 952-2410
Tucson – (520) 670-6334
WashingtonDC (202) 224-2235 – press #1
The DC has voice mail, at first the automated message suggests using email, but if you hang on it will connect you to voicemail.
I asked him not to vote for bill that has no bipartisan support, nor a bill that only has 50 votes, nor a bill that tampers with pre-existing conditions, nor a bill that tampers with medicaid.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Major Major Major Major:
LOL. I remember those days.
Major Major Major Major
@Alain the site fixer: try to keep up, he turned it off and then on again and they work now.
rikyrah
CSPANVerified account @cspan
Sen. @LindseyGrahamSC on #GrahamCassidy: “Paul Ryan told me to my face: if you pass it, we pass it.”
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: It truly is the miracle cure. I wonder if it works with people.
joel hanes
@Major Major Major Major:
everybody should give the XKCD radiation dose chart a once-over every year or so so
xkcd is incomparably brilliant, but I wish he’d included data for
– spending a year at altititude 5000 feet. (Denver)
– spending a year close to granite bedrock (Maine, Vermont, upstate NY, the Sierra Nevada, anywhere on the Canadian Shield)
TenguPhule
For the first time, Trump’s approval rating has increased for three weeks in a row
And who are these fucking idiots?
I need a freaking drink.
Tenar Arha
@Ajabu: Hope you’re safe. I was thinking of you this morning, along with Betty from Dominica.
Re: Betty from Dominica, anyone heard from her yet?
Baud
@TenguPhule: He was not fully embarrassing during Irma.
TenguPhule
@rikyrah:
Hate these fuckers SO MUCH.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
McCain Kasich adviser:
I heard Jennifer Rubin trashing the bill last night. Trump has scrambled every egg except the elected Humpy Dumptys,
as Cheryl posted in the last thread
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@Alain the site fixer: For the record, I never said we should move to Disqus, just that its “total blockage” feature seems like a good option in lieu of/in conjunction with the standard pie filter, especially on a site that doesn’t use threaded comments.
Also: Why do some of the comments on archived posts randomly disappear?
Baud
@rikyrah: They said that last time also.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
He wasn’t?
“Biggest hurricane ever” and his other shitstorm of tweets, the Nazi support and other chickenshit he dumped when the storms hit?
Major Major Major Major
@joel hanes: huh, I coulda sworn Denver was in there.
@TenguPhule: well, remember, everybody’s real complaint was his embarrassing tweets, not his actual policies.
rikyrah
@ArchTeryx:
Positive thoughts for you two :)
rikyrah
Alec MacGillisVerified account @AlecMacGillis 7h7 hours ago
Cassidy says it’s “not fair” so much $$ goes to states that expanded Medicaid. If only there was something other states could do about that.
dr. luba
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): What is it with most white people and NO WASHCLOTHS in the shower? I mean, really.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Major Major Major Major:
Implementation problem. The code is great!
Major Major Major Major
CNN says Mueller’s investigation into Manafort looks as far back as 11 years ago
Alain the site fixer
@Major Major Major Major: hey man, I sometimes choose to experience these threads in real time. Waiting to the end to make comments is too cloistered for me!
MomSense
@rikyrah:
Not fair???! WTeverlovingF! The non expansion states had the same opportunity to provide their residents health care by taking the federal Medicaid funds. Is he stupid or lying?
Baud
@TenguPhule: It’s a relative measure. And Charlottesville was before Irma.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
If this pulls some of the Bushies into this quagmire, I don’t know if I’ll laugh or cry.
germy
@Major Major Major Major: Tonight I saw a clip on CBS news of Manafort in 1989, testifying in front of a committee, admitting that he was influence peddling.
Alain the site fixer
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD): that’s a new one on me. Please send email via form and provide as much detail as possible
Baud
@MomSense: It’s not fair that good is treated better than evil.
rikyrah
Matt FullerVerified account @MEPFuller
Telling moment from Graham:
Notes CA & NY are “big blue states”
“I’m not out to hurt them—but Im trying to, you know, create parity here”
1:42 PM – 19 Sep 2017
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Hypocrite Kasich has grown silent suddenly. His real chance to stand up and there’s only crickets.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
I blame the Timey-Wimey Ball that has engulfed our nation since January. All Trump disasters are starting to run together.
Major Major Major Major
@Steeplejack (phone): it’s not my fault his browser wasn’t working right and needed to be restarted.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@MomSense:
I’m going with the former, but I could be wrong.
Baud
@debbie: Ha! Good catch. Where’s the moderate now?
TenguPhule
@MomSense:
Yes.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
Which can only be solved by destroying good and letting evil rule.
Baud
@TenguPhule: It is a bit of a daisy chain of shit.
chris
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Yay! Wish I could be there, I love birthdays. And cake. Hang in there.
(Now googling to see how triple boot actually works.)
jl
@MomSense: Fantastic letter. I’m going to rewrite parts of it for repeat contacts. I already faxed a batch of concerned letters to GOPers who might do the right thing, if we are very lucky. Hope you don’t mind, Thanks in advance.
TenguPhule
@rikyrah:
Achieving parity with South Carolina would involve three quarters of the other states regressing into third world status.
jl
@rikyrah: What a jackass Graham is. They claim Medicaid expansion is a bad deal, But it is a good deal, so then they complain that the (mostly) blue state who got the Medicaid money are getting an unfairly good deal, compared to the toxic dopey red states who didn’t expand.
Here’s a wild and crazy idea, we could get parity by more of the big red states expanding Medicaid, instead of killing off so many of their poor residents. Well… excuuuuse me!
It’s cynicism and bad faith all the way down.
It’s Yertles all the way down.
Corner Stone
@rikyrah: The relatively few R reps in a handful of blue states are going to scream holy hell if this actually makes it to the House. Death on a stick.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: what you call ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are both fabrications, tools that the carceral state uses to keep us all addicted to pharmaceuticals and hide the benefits of 420. GMO Monsanto!
Stein/Johnson 2020!
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
Well played.
Alain the site fixer
@Major Major Major Major: they look back as far as they have tidbits of evidence. Some time I’ll share some of my experiences growing up in DC. You hear and see lots of questionable things in some circles, so I expect he’s been on the radar of FBI counter-espionage folks since college. Off and on, I’m sure, like many other people who’ve been stupid enough to voice their questionable ethics and values amongst folks who truly take heed of their charge to protect and defend. Or for selfish powerful-would-be’s, guard the path to achieving their “legacy”.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@debbie: @Baud: FWIW
Also signing: Govs of CO, LA, MT, VA, MA, PA and VT. If you live in one of those states and want to thank them, or troll your R by asking if they agree with your (R) governor
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
A pale white horse, rear end pointed at all of us.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Kasich was all over the TV before.
TenguPhule
@jl:
But that would mean more poor people get to live free from medical bankruptcy.
And we can’t have that.
debbie
@Baud:
Cowering in his private chapel, no doubt.
His lieutenant governor, Mary Taylor, is running for governor, and she has already announced she’ll stop Medicare expansion.
Cheryl Rofer
I feel a little guilty during these phone-a-thons to keep the Republican Congress from killing us all, because my two senators are Democrats and have firmly opposed the Republican cruelty. So today I called both Senators’ offices to thank them. I also retweet (selectively) their tweets on the subject.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Corner Stone: Two NY state Rs, King and I think Reed, have said they can’t vote for it. I think as a general rule (?) House members feel more vulnerable to constituent pressure. I wonder what dithering Charlie Dent will do on the way out.
ETA: Could make life difficult for people in a purple state trending blue like VA or CO
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Inadequate. He needs to be very vocal right now if he wants to maintain his credibility.
jl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Hope that does some good. Sadly, the horses asses Heller and Portman told their governors to go to hell the last time. but, OK, I’ll look at that tweet and add those governors to my list.
TenguPhule
@Cheryl Rofer:
I fondly remember the days when this wasn’t actually necessary and vital to the well being of millions of Americans.
Humdog
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
How is this not a bribe? WTF!
ETA, this is to Jim, right above. Sorry.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I just tweeted @JohnKasich to oppose ACA repeal.
every bit, helps.
Baud
@debbie: At least they are honest about it. It’s why I can’t get too upset when the GOP cuts taxes on the rich. They don’t hide that agenda.
Baud
@TenguPhule: No you don’t. Dems were just as bad. They sold us out.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
I don’t care if they told us they were scorpions, they still need to drown.
Baud
@TenguPhule: You and I aren’t the problem.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: good point. I will send Heller social media telling him to stand with Sandoval against repeal.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@jl: true, but at least in Heller’s case, don’t they say he’s scared shitless of Sandoval? Portman was just reelected and feels like a lifer to me.
As with McCain, to the extent we can hope for anything from kasich is that a combination of ego, hatred (of trump– and maybe Ryan, just a hunch) and 2020 ambition may get him on TeeVee again next week. Not placing any bets, but I still think Katich wants to primary trump
ETA: also, people are saying, you know “they” that the Indie AK gov’s endorsement matters a lot to Murkowski, who ran as an indie last time, and who needed support from loose Dem leaners, especially the Native community, to do that. Then again, other Dems are hearing her say her vote’s up for grabs if McC gives her enough money for AK.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
Baud 2020!: I’m not the Problem*!!
*Probably
MomSense
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Congratulations on your milestone today.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I could be his running mate, I’m probably not a robot!
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Whatever happened to roboBaud?
MomSense
@jl:
I’m posting one every day to give people ideas so feel free to use whatever you like. Tomorrow will be about the loss of essential health benefits. Yesterday was about Medicaid cuts.
TenguPhule
For the love of all that’s unholy, Alain, please do something about the auto-play ads.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
I thought we confirmed you are most definitely a sea monster.
Another Scott
@Major Major Major Major: (Putting on Kevlar suit and helmet…)
If you don’t have time to camp out on a thread with hundreds of comments during the day, Disqus works pretty well. (As you know) you get a little indicator for responses to your comments and even a submenu where you can see just those comments. It’s really handy if you comment on multiple sites, also too, of course.
This place is great, but it really works best for real-time comments and continuous reading. If you want to comment on something 2-3 hours after the thread starts, there’s no way to know if someone already said what you’re thinking about saying (probably multiple times) without reading the whole thing. Threading can give you a very quick way to scan the threads and subthreads.
With all that said, Disqus does have issues. Their choice for white space to text ratios and spacing seems broken to me. Their widgets for “sharing” are annoying (they get activated simply by accidentally getting the mouse pointer near them, they take too long to load, etc.). The “comment counter” seems to update inconsistently. And it does take too long to load more comments.
Note, I’m not advocating any changes here. (At least, not in this comment. ;-)
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.
(“Hey, you asked!”)
Baud
@Another Scott:
you don’t deserve BJ.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@rikyrah: what an asshole. Cassidy represents Louisiana which saw 433,412¹ residents covered by the medicare expansion in the past 12 months
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: well those online quizzes aren’t definitive.
@Baud: I got busy.
@Another Scott: thanks.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@chris: It’s not a birthday, just an anniversary. If you have any questions about triple boot, ask away.
NotMax
@Alain the site fixer
Had a stray idea which wanted to toss out to you and M⁴ for the site.
A calendar type listing or page to which those who care to could submit their birth date (sans year, of course), for reference by the rest of us. Might even be a way to tie it in to the front page to flash a b’day greeting on the appropriate date on the sidebar?
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Why?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@MomSense: Thanks.
jl
@MomSense: Thanks, I’ll search for your comments, then.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: Why, what?
NotMax
@Major Major Major Major
The IT Crowd lives!
rikyrah
Alt-SeanSpicer’sMic @Alt_Spicerlies
Re-read the timeline Manafort’s phone WAS wiretapped during this meeting and now puts @JeffSession in BIGLY trouble. And now we groot dance
rikyrah
Alex RuoffVerified account @Alexruoff
Dems were willing to give on copper plans and waiver authority for bipartisan ACA fixes, Schumer spox says.
chris
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Ah, different strokes or perhaps we got to the same place by different routes. Whatever works! Here we call them birthdays and the cake happens on the last Wednesday of the month.
Think I’ll keep my dual boot system the way it is. I could add Mac apparently but I can’t think of a reason, thanks anyway. As it is I only boot Windows now and then to update it, poke around a bit and say, Gah!
FlyingToaster
@mai naem mobile: It would be a miracle if she checks in before next Monday.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@chris: There’s a star stacking program that’s only for the mac so hence the mac. I’m use Windows as my primary machine, the Insider test lets me look at the latest and buggiest, and Linux is just for fun. Of the three, the latest Windows built loads the fastest.
Another Scott
@Baud: Do any of us? Except maybe Lily?
:-)
Cheers,
Scott.
But her emails!!
@rikyrah:
“I’m not out to hurt them—but Im trying to, you know, create parity here”
Sound goods. When is South Carolina going to cut New York and California checks? Graham knows that they’re net federal contributors, while his state is a net federal recipient, right?
Alain the site fixer
@NotMax: great idea, we’ll see what we can do! I’d also like to see some anonymized map or something….
Yutsano
Update from my friends in Monterrey:
They’re okay.
And better yet…
THEY’RE HAVING A BABY!!!
jl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: As for Heller, my recollection is that Sandoval ‘begged’ (word I remember in the news) Heller to oppose the BCRA and related repeal/replace BS, but Heller voted for it anyway. I’ve also read that Heller periodically has ass-kissing appearances before various reactionary Vegas multi mill- and billionaires to reassure himself that they are well pleased, and that their money will keep flowing his way.
So, very little to hope for with Heller in terms of conscientious hard work and principle. I’ve faxed the guy, and will do so again, in case a miracle happens.
chris
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Astrophotography, now I understand. Was wondering if you were one of those haxxors undermining democracy.//
Wishing you dark skies.
trollhattan
@Yutsano:
In that order? Good to hear, regardless.
SgrAstar
@trollhattan: Westlands=a bunch of crooks. I understand that almonds bring in $10m an acre. Yep…and guess who is subsidizing that water infrastructure? GRRR.
Ajabu
@Tenar Arha:
I’m OK. I’m currently in Atlanta. But, most of the people I care about are in the Caribbean – the USVI – particularly St. Croix.
Keep your fingers crossed.
jl
@trollhattan: In the past, these mega rich welfare loafers running the Westlands haven’t paid their assessments for the very cheap water they get now. I wonder if they have ever been current on them. Not the last I read about it. I’m not surprised that they would veto any project, as long as they think they can lift some water off some poor dupe for cheaper and any sketchy means necessary.
jl
@SgrAstar: ” almonds bring in $10m an acre ”
Woah… you sure? I think about $3K capital costs, including land, and $2K annual growing costs per acre, gross crop revenue $3K to $5K an acre in an average year. So you clear $1K to $3K per acre per year. Capital costs would not include farm machinery.and general farm overhead.
Almonds, tomatoes and grain can be biggest acreage depending on particular year. I don’t think almonds more than 15 percent a acreage overall. Westlands grows about anything you want to grow in California.
Another Scott
@jl: Lots of people use “M” for thousands. I guess it’s the Roman numeral legacy. Maybe SA is using that here?
Cheers,
Scott.
jl
@Another Scott: I didn’t know that. I thought K was the way to go. But even $10,000 per acre gross would be amazing. Twice what would be considered a very good yield sold at a high price. My family put in crops like peaches and almonds for years, back when family farms did it. So I know the typical range of numbers. Numbers I gave were from around five, six years ago.
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Why 3 operating systems?