People are living longer than ever before, global poverty has plummeted, war is on the decline.
Remember, not everything is horrible: https://t.co/ffDLlMhzGd
— Vox (@voxdotcom) November 22, 2017
Khizr Khan has a book out now, which reminded me I’ve been meaning to front-page this Buzzfeed article, “Khizr Khan Hasn’t Given Up On Us Yet“:
… Khan’s new book, An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice, is part autobiography, part civics lesson (the end pages are photocopies of Article VI, Amendment XIII and Amendment XIV of the Constitution, with Khan’s scribbling, underlining, and highlighting), and part patriotic message about the goodness of all Americans. It’s also a deep dive into how a poor Muslim Pakistani boy made it to the US and became a symbol of the resistance against a sexist, race-baiting president who tried to ban immigrants from a number of Muslim-majority countries. But in the book, Trump hardly garners a mention until the very end.
You might think that Khan would feel deeply disappointed in — or even hopeless about — his adopted nation after watching just under half of the US electorate ignore his clear warning about exactly who Trump-as-president would be, and elect him anyway. But when we spoke, he always drove his answers back to the point of both his book and his public persona: America is worth fighting for.
“I am positive this division will go away,” Khan said. “That’s why I don’t talk much about Trump, because this is a momentary difficulty our country is having. Within the DNA of this nation is unity, solidarity. I am a testament to that sentiment of the nation.”
Even if that optimism sometimes seems unearned, even if his hopefulness sometimes feels like the exact thing a first-generation immigrant might say to their ungrateful, Americanized child — I suffered worse than you ever will — and even if it sometimes feels like Khan is too generous to a country that is mired in its divisions, it’s still so easy to listen to his stories of patriotism and unity, and really, truly, believe that his is a world we could all one day live in too…
His American boss in Dubai helps Khan get a job in Houston so he can save up money to go to Harvard. Countless people make sure his wife and children are taken care of back in Pakistan as he toiled on the other side of the planet. Strangers — white, brown, Sikh, Muslim — give Khan a place to stay, a plate of food, a ride, whatever he needs to keep going. When Ghazala and the children come to the US permanently, a stranger from down the hall brings them bags of groceries.The kindnesses Khan describes in the book seem to be, according to him, deeply American. Only here could such a family thrive. “Division is not [in] the American DNA, it’s not a part of the American fabric,” he said….
Khan and his family live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the tiki-torch bearing neo-Nazi protests happened in August. When I asked him about those demonstrations, he told me, “I was standing outside my car on the road, watching the parade go by with torches and Nazi flags. [I] never thought that Nazi flags will be carried on the streets of the United States, right before my eyes. I heard all the ugly chants with my own ears.”
But, as in almost any case in which I tried to get Khan to talk about the brutality of American life, he was more interested in the positive aftermath, making an explicit choice to see the best in people. (Obama has often done something very similar; after Trump won, he reminded the country, “Everybody is sad when their side loses an election, but the day after we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team.”)
“The world only knows Friday and Saturday,” Khan said. “But what happened on Wednesday, that is the true America, that is the message of America throughout the nation. On Wednesday, there was a march of the citizens of Charlottesville. They took the same route where these Neo-nazis had marched.” Khan said that now, plenty of homes in Charlottesville bear a banner that says, “No matter where you are from, you’re our neighbor.”…
satby
I’m not really a believer but God (Allah) love the man.
OzarkHillbilly
Amir Khalid
Khizr Khan is a better person and a better American than Donald Trump can even imagine becoming.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
I’ll believe that if Auburn beats Alabama.
Patricia Kayden
I love President Obama to pieces but STRONGLY disagree with his claim that “we’re actually all on one team”. That is absolutely not true.
NotMax
Open thread?
Unusual find on Amazon Prime. A Ukrainian TV series, The Dog (original Russian language title, Pes). Police/crime show with solid enough storylines to keep one’s interest intact, albeit heavy on the fisticuffs.
Baud
@Amir Khalid:
As are you, Amir.
Steeplejack (phone)
TCM is showing The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, 1952) at 12:45 p.m. EST today. I thought people might be interested after the discussion of the movie here a few weeks ago.
OzarkHillbilly
@Amir Khalid: @Baud: An echidna is a better human being than trump.
CarolDuhart2
Obama takes the unifying route. And as a former President he needs to be inclusive. Let the rock and bomb-throwing to other folks who don’t have to make or be a good example for the young people.
What has been most encouraging to me this year (who contemplated whether her meagre retirement coud cover Costa Rica) is the intensity and professionalism of the pushback against him. The #Resistance has been non-violent and intelligent in its approach.
Baud
@OzarkHillbilly:
Exactly. Baud!/Echidna! 2020!
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: That is a winning ticket, but shhhhhhh… we don’t want to hurt Poco’s feelings.
NotMax
@Steeplejack
Weirdness ensued when went to look at the TCM schedule page the other day. Part of each listing showed up in Japanese, the rest in English.
satby
@Baud: my thoughts too.
satby
@CarolDuhart2: could cover a vacation to Costa Rica or cover expatriating? Because I certainly have considered becoming an expatriate, but I can’t afford Ireland so Costa Rica was on the list.
BC in Illinois
Khizr Khan will be at the St Louis County Library next Wednesday, Nov 29. Hear him interviewed (St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan) and get an already-autographed copy of the book.
I’ll be there.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
ThresherK
We had a mole in our new apartment last night.
It pretty much ran across the mighty hunter Dexter’s foot. Twice.
My cat, Jazz, actually followed it around some boxes, and helped roost it out. But no National Geographic-style slo-mo on the Serengeti hunting and mauling scene. She never even tried to bat it with her paw.
Enough wandering from the scared little thing and I was able to don some gardening gloves and scoop it up. I hope 50 feet from the front door is enough for it to find a home somewhere else.
OzarkHillbilly
@BC in Illinois: 7 PM is too late for me.
Amir Khalid
@ThresherK:
Bianca gave me a dead mouse today. She loves me so much.
ThresherK
@Amir Khalid: I subscribe to the “they’re teaching us to hunt” theory. Maybe if you learned hunting from her previous lessons she’d stop.
Cermet
@ThresherK: Yes, living in the country does have its “charms”. Like the time I had to catch and remove an 8′ black snake. Discovered it late at night when I almost stepped on the poor thing with it coiled up on the floor; I must have jumped three feet in the air and my scream of surprise must have even been ‘heard’ by the snake via ground vibrations since snakes have no ears. Though ticks are the real threat in our region since they carry both Lyme and Rocky-Mountain Spotted fever (had both via ticks – gerrrr (the former treated via antibiotic, the later by natural and very painful method of waiting it out since I didn’t realize what it was and just endured it – NOT recommended method.)
ThresherK
@Cermet: I’m not in the country! I’m in a first-floor apartment not far from a little stream, but two miles from a retail megastrip which is certainly absolutely mobbed right now.
(Although I am a short distance over from where they discovered Lyme Disease, so there is that. Ticks make me squirm like very few invertebrates do, and I’ve never had one in me.)
Yoda Dog
Happy birthday, geg6!
satby
@Cermet: 8 foot black snake?! Or did you mean (and I hope you did) 8 inch? I’m not afraid of snakes but 8 foot anything would give me pause. Hell, it would give me full reverse.
OzarkHillbilly
@ThresherK: @Cermet: Miss Kitty Stormborn, First of Her Name, Queen of the Hills and Hollers, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains, Killer of Serpents, killed a copperhead in our bedroom. Scared the ever loving shit out of my wife. Life in the country.
ThresherK
@OzarkHillbilly: A copperhead!
Our place is still chockablock with boxes and bags. During a break in the, um, festivities, I had found the garden gloves and formed a plan, but that plan wasn’t “turn everything over until we find it”. So we were all sitting down, Dexter on a towl, on a table, just cooling his heels, looking at both of us with nonchalance and aplomb.
And I started to scold him.
At that point he yawned the biggest fucking yawn I’ve ever seen on a cat. Wife and I both went into hysteric giggling.
Steeplejack
@NotMax:
That is strange.
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly: Damn, your kitteh is a regular Rikki Tikki Tavi. Copperheads are tough bastids!
OzarkHillbilly
@ThresherK: Miss Kitty is prone to leaving wounded leg waving camel crickets and waterbugs about the house. Walking barefoot in our house is generally not recommended.
Citizen_X
@OzarkHillbilly: Wow! Feed that cat the good shit.
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly:
Now Camel Crickets. They are fearsome looking beasts which I always mistake for spiders. Copperheads, camel crickets…
Please proceed with the OzarkHillbilly Black Friday Nature Horror Show….
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
There are a reassuring number of similar signs in my neighborhood. Even better, none have been vandalized.
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: She is a very good mouser but to my wife (who is utterly adored by Miss Kitty) she has always been, “That damn cat…” because of certain behaviors she exhibits, but after that incident she became “Miss Kitty Stormborn, First of Her Name, Queen of the Hills and Hollers, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains, Killer of Serpents,” That lasted about a month. Back to “that damn cat” again.
Hunter
@OzarkHillbilly: I’ve noticed lately a lot of businesses in Chicago are displaying signs in their windows that say “Everyone is welcome here.”
And the city had an ad campaign running — “One Chicago” — with ads in bus stop shelters that read things like “100% Somalian, 100% Chicagoan.”
debbie
@Immanentize:
God, I have those too. Mostly in the basement. I almost killed myself a couple weeks ago, speedily backing down the stairs when I spied one on the second floor stairs, inches from my bedroom. It takes about a third of a can of wasp spray to kill the bastards. If you ever figure out how to get rid of them, please share.
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: I was once “attacked” by a thousands strong horde of camel crickets while in a low entrance crawl to a cave. A thousand creepy crawlies all over my back made for a good dose of the willies and a real quick exit. Gave everybody who was with me a good laugh at my expense.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly: Poco does have delicate fee fees. He has been doing a lot of campaigning for the ticket in NC and in Soulard. He’s even taking his campaign on the road to NM in February. Baud just can’t dump him from the ticket now. He would be devasted.
Quinerly
@BC in Illinois: thanks for posting this. I’m going to try to make it.
Quinerly
@satby: @Baud: @rikyrah: Good morning from Poco and his kitty advisers!
Schlemazel
@Amir Khalid:
That’s a given. Mr, Khan is a better man than I could hope to be!
HeleninEire
Morning peeps. LOL this thread is 2 1/2 hours old and only has 41 comments. Looks like everyone is still in their food coma.
Sleeping in is the BOMB.
geg6
@Yoda Dog:
And a very happy birthday to you, Yoda Dog!
Baud
@Quinerly: I heard there were incriminating photos of Poco at the state fair sniffing other dogs butts. Can’t afford the scandal. My hands are full with my own skeletons.
Baud
@Yoda Dog:
@geg6:
?????
HeleninEire
@satby: There are parts of Ireland you can afford. Just not the cities. New survey just came out about house prices. In county Lietrum (2 hrs northwest of Dublin) the average rent for a 1 bedroom is €535, about $634.
Schlemazel
@OzarkHillbilly:
Edward Wellington Mouseripper was not big on killing but could hear a centipede across the room. From sound asleep on the sofa to dead bug was about 2 seconds! I have mentioned that the cats get supervised outdoor time and once Ripper managed to take a gopher by surprise & giving it quite a chase. Mrs opened the door to see what I was going on about & the gopher saw its chance – ran right into the house with cat close on his heels. We finally corralled Ripper & cornered the gopher. We created a path using pillows & furniture that got the gopher out the front door.
A copperhead though is medal territory! I need to google camel crickets we have no such thing here on the tundra
debit
@geg6: Happy Birthday!!
@Yoda Dog: And to you!!
BellyCat
Our kittehs love us a bit too much — middle of the night gifts are all too commonplace since we live next to a wooded park. As a result, we play a little game based on the all too predictable “mewl and thunk”, trying to guess the gift.
One night, my wife screams, “It’s a BABY SQUIRREL!”. I roll over, mumbling, “It’s just a chipmunk..”. She insists, poking me awake as the poor thing scurries around the bedroom frantically. It was, indeed, a baby squirrel I’m wondering how they got it since I can’t recall ever seeing a young’en. (Do they stay hidden away until full-grown?!?!)
Nothing like donning gloves and chasing a chattering baby squirrel around the house with a box in one’s birthday suit at o-dark-thirty!
Schlemazel
@Schlemazel:
Aw heck, thats just a cricket! I was expecting some demon from hell or something.
This is a house centipede, now thats a creepy crawly (and they have a painful bite BTW)
OzarkHillbilly
@Schlemazel: Camel crickets are very fond of caves so I always call them cave crickets, but camel or camel backed crickets seems to be the more common name for them.
Tokyokie
The first cat I lived with, Mr. Mono, a Siamese who was part of the family before I was, used to routinely kill water moccasins on the creek bed where my older brothers would play. We had a large field behind the house that he’d bound through and prowl at night, so that I was often awakened by my mother shrieking when she opened the back door: “Oh Bill! Look what he’s brought this time!” Mr. Mono seemed somewhat put out that my mom didn’t appreciate the dead rodents, birds, and rabbits he’d give her most mornings.
Amir Khalid
@Tokyokie:
The trick is to dispose of the gift when the cat is not looking. That way Kitty will think you ate it gratefully.
JMG
Leftover apple pie and coffee is a decadent but perfect breakfast, It also removes the desire and ability to go outside on Black Friday.
HeleninEire
I am in a restaurant that has €30 GLASSES of wine. I didn’t order that. They also have venison tartar. I didn’t order that either.
Kathleen
@Quinerly: Poco hasn’t engaged in any unwanted inappropriate butt sniffing has he? That would be deal breaker for the ticket.
Betty Cracker
Mr. Khan is the best of us.
We got through our oven-less Thanksgiving well enough. The timing was all off since our kiddo had to manage the turkey and rolls (and the child can barely manage to cook a Pop-Tart), but it all worked out.
Today, we’re hoping to find and photograph the elusive Florida Scrub-Jay, but it’s rainy all over the state.
Hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving!
BellyCat
@Amir Khalid: Wait, you don’t eat it?!?!
Quinerly
@Kathleen:
He gives good goose. We may have a problem. ??
Kathleen
@geg6: Happy Birthday geg6!
And good morning all. Managed to get to the Y by 5am and get my workout in. On to cleaning so I can see new Denzel pic tomorrow.
BellyCat
@HeleninEire: In college, my wife spent a year in French-speaking Switzerland. Early on, her French was still pretty rudimentary and she has a funny and embarrassing story about ordering a “tartar” dish, thinking it had “tarter” sauce on it. Then, horrified and confused, sending the raw dish back to the kitchen to have it “cooked a little more”, much to the amusement of her new friends and the horror of the wait-staff.
Kathleen
@Quinerly: Oh
Nooooooose! Maybe he qualifies for doggie dispensation like Catholic Church used to give. Would he consider converting? Or maybe Baud can run as stealth Rethug or Libertarian. Butt sniffing and Goosing would be well received by the base.
Baud
@Betty Cracker: Glad to hear it, BC.
Kathleen
@Yoda Dog: Happy Birthday to you also!
Amir Khalid
@BellyCat:
Shhh! Don’t tell Bianca!
Baud
@Kathleen:
We should start a GoFundMe to raise money for an indulgence.
Quinerly
@Baud: obviously a lie or a doctored photo. Poco has never been to a state fair….and he is doggie aggressive. If he gets close enough to sniff, we have a problem. I suspect his full frontal gooses will be his downfall. Powerful and exuberant snout on that one…..plus, I suspect he has a depth perception problem.
Yoda Dog
I’m just sitting here with my two beautiful, tiny kids watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
It doesn’t suck at all.
MJS
Trump is playing golf today with Tiger Woods. Yet another reason to root against that miserable prick (Woods, that is).
Mary G
Happy Birthday geg6 and YodaDog!
Kathleen
@Baud: Good idea. And we could ransom a few pagan babies while we’re at it.
Amir Khalid
@MJS:
I still remember that story with his wife swinging a golf club at the SUV when she found out what he was doing …
debit
I don’t know what kind of kitten magic Dani possesses, but I looked to my left a few minutes ago and saw this. And I was worried my boys would be mean to her.
Quinerly
@Kathleen: I know a place we can pick up a few pagan babies. It’s amazing what you can find on line on Black Friday when looking for a smart TV for an Air BnB rental.?
donnah
I hosted twelve for dinner and for the first time ever, my 82 year old mom was not here because she flew to Las Vegas to have Thanksgiving with my younger brother and his wife. His wife assured my mom that she would cook a traditional dinner, even though it was just for the three of them.
My dinner was great and everyone ate until we thought we would burst. Mom texted me that she missed my green beans, because my brother and his wife don’t like them and didn’t have any. And my SIL bought the pie rather than making one, and she said the whole day was too stressful and that she would never do it again. Amateur!
I’ve hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 20 years, with at least a dozen guests and as many as eighteen. It’s a little stressy, but it’s for family and we all just want to get together and have some good food and conversation. I missed having my mom here, but I know she wanted to share time with my brother. And I know she would rather have been here with us.
BellyCat
@Yoda Dog: That’s a wonderful thing. BellyKitteh is 21 months old and he loves that show.
It’s a great follow-up to the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood show that us old farts grew up with.
The Ruff Ruffman show, from PBS is pretty fun, too.
How old are your critters?
Schlemazel
@MJS:
So, will Tiger intentionally throw the round or ignore Dump’s cheating and lose by a stroke?
Stroke?! I do wish he would finish the round down by stroke
Quinerly
@Kathleen: Rand Paul sniffed Ayn Rand’s butt once while Paul Ryan watched. I would be irresponsible not to speculate, but I digress……
OzarkHillbilly
@BellyCat: I do.
OzarkHillbilly
@Yoda Dog:
Don’t worry, it will wear off.
BellyCat
@OzarkHillbilly: Ya’ gotta be quick, right?
Often we just find The Gizzard left behind if we’re too slow. ;-)
Amir Khalid
@Schlemazel:
Depends. Did Trump pay him for the game in advance?
bemused senior
@Yoda Dog: my twin 2year old grand twins love Daniel Tiger!
Yoda Dog
“BellyKitteh”… XD that is too funny.
Yoda Pups are are 1 (boy) and 2.5 years old (girl). We just got into Splash and Bubbles which they like alot. I haven’t seen Ruff Ruffman before, we’ll have to check that out.
OzarkHillbilly
@debit: Awwwwwwwwww….
WereBear
Our cats have learned not to eat the Asian ladybugs which give off a strong formic acid scent, but all flies are tasty treats.
Manyakitty
@Yoda Dog: Happy birthday to you
Manyakitty
@geg6: Happy birthday to you!
Manyakitty
@MJS: gross.
Manyakitty
@Amir Khalid: Now would be a good time for a reenactment.
Chip Daniels
Hope and peaceful cooperation is the most devastating weapon against Trumpism.
Manyakitty
@debit: My heart is not big enough
BellyCat
@Yoda Dog:
1 is a great age and I look forward to 2.5. The learning curve for him (and us!) is starting to take off!
Will have to check out Splash and Bubbles. We have also recently been enjoying Odd Bods on Netflix. It’s pretty neat because there is really no serious violence and they don’t speak but they communicate via gestures and sounds.
MomSense
Well the kids have all left. I had some coffee and pecan pie for breakfast. Making some soup and catching up on the news. The poor dog is going from window to window looking for the kids.
Flynn flipped? Have the B-J lawyers weighed in? I so want some good news. Can you imagine if President Obama had shown up to honor the Coasties for Thanksgiving with turkey sandwiches and chips?
Kathleen
@Quinerly: I’ll bet Amazon Prime can deliver them in 2 days. Dontcha just love Trump’s America?
Kathleen
@Quinerly: I am biting my keyboard because I’m so tempted to post inappropriate reply. This is a family blog after all and I wouldn’t want Baud/??? ticket to have to answer for lewd commenters on their campaign blog. This is the Official 2020 Baud/??? Campaign Blog, right?
Immanentize
@debit: That is encouraging. Here on Desolation Row, the Immp.and I have discussed getting another kitten — because even the thought of losing Toasty right now sends us into a big ol depression. But we read that it is hard to introduce a new cat into a one-cat family.
Brachiator
I meant to sleep in late, but it’s 7ish here in California. I guess I’ll have to find something productive to do.
I may see the new Pixar movie Coco later today. I’m hearing that it is a delight.
Hope that everyone has a good post Thanksgiving.
ETA. Also still hoping that Trump resigns over the weekend and sneaks off on one of the Russian yachts parked near his Florida home.
Steeplejack
@BellyCat:
My niece (just turned 3) and nephew (1.5) like Bubble Guppies and Masha and the Bear. I have watched many episodes of each—repeatedly.
BellyCat
@Immanentize: We’ve successfully done it. Keep the new baby kitteh in a separate room, behind a closed door, for at least two days so the scent becomes familiar. Then simply open the door and carefully watch what happens.
Our older male eventually took on a tolerant and protective parent role and they became inseparable.
schrodingers_cat
I share Khizr Khan’s faith in this country. His experiences are not unique. I have met so many good people here, Americans and those from other countries too, who I did not know at all, who have been friendly, warm and welcoming. T is not America. This too shall pass.
BellyCat
@Steeplejack: Ooooh, good tips!
As rookie parents with (much to our chagrin) a spawn that cries “iPah!, iPah!” as soon as he wakes up, we are in need of some good material.
debit
@Immanentize: I am by no means a cat expert, but perhaps that she’s a kitten is the key to the ease of her integration in our household. I did the traditional introduction procedure: secretly brought her in her so when they did do the first meet and greet it was like “hey, a kitten has been here the whole time?!” Because she was so small, I kept her at first) in a large canvas and screen dog kennel with food, water, bed and litter box. When I started letting the other cats in, she was safely enclosed so they could see and smell her (and she them) without any chance of contact or conflict. Then it was just carefully supervised one on one meetings, usually after playtime and during meals so everyone had delicious food and good things were happening in each other’s company. Now she rules the house and the boys utterly dote on her.
Your kitty might like having a kitten of its own!
BellyCat
@schrodingers_cat: This is true for urban America.
For rural ‘Murica, I remain unconvinced.
Sometimes have wondered if the best thing a new D president could do is start a rural/urban exchange program for adults/families. Spend a weekend in each other’s domain so as to break down the artificial and erroneously perceived barriers, motivated by tax credits for participants.
frosty
@schrodingers_cat: Thanks. I find your story of citizenship and your perspective very comforting. We will #Resist.
geg6
Thanks for all the birthday wishes all! Nice weather here today, sunny and expected to hit the mid-50s. Lazing around the house with Koda and Lovey while my John is at our cabin in Titusville repairing a small leak in the roof in last task of winterizing it. He says he’s taking me out to dinner tonight, but no idea where. So that will be my surprise from him. Hoping Mr. Mueller might have a gift for me but the Flynn news has already made my day happy.
No Black Friday lunatics among the jackals? Glad to see that.
schrodingers_cat
@BellyCat: I have lived and traveled a lot through the small towns in the northeast and I beg to differ. Can’t speak of other parts of the country.
MomSense
@geg6:
Happy, happy birthday! I think you know what we all want you to wish for when you blow out the candles!
Steeplejack
@BellyCat:
Bubble Guppies is on cable, although I think there also are episodes on YouTube. I don’t know where Masha and the Bear resides; it’s perpetually in the “recently viewed” zone on Bro’ Man’s TV. Here’s a sample episode from YouTube.
BC in Illinois
@Yoda Dog:
Notes from the g’kids:
Their Dad: “How would you boys like to help clean up before your Mom gets home?”
The 4-yr-old: “We can watch PBS Kids?”
Dad: “. . . OK, yes, you can help by watching PBS Kids.”
You take the help you can get, when you can get it.
Quinerly
@geg6:
Happy birthday! Have a great day!
BellyCat
@schrodingers_cat: There ya’ go. The rural NE (and the NW coast) are the most open-minded.
Spend some time in the stix, south of the Mason Dixon line if you really want to test your theory.
Genuinely, looking forward to being proven off the mark, but my experiences suggest otherwise — and I’m not even a minority. Fear of “otherness” is a defining trait for a large swath of ‘Murica it seems.
schrodingers_cat
@BellyCat:I have no theory. I was just relating my lived experience.
Quinerly
@Kathleen: If you bite through that keyboard, Kindle has a a nice little replacement tablet for under a 100 bucks. As for sniffing around around, I’m only speculating….it’s not like Baud sniffed Ayan Rand.??
Sab
@Immanentize: I tried your pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving. It turned out wonderfully. Thanks.
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
Morning Poco and his tribe??
Miss Bianca
@debit: d’awww!
Kathleen
@schrodingers_cat: Thank you!!!!!
Kathleen
@Quinerly: If Amazon Prime bundles tablet with Pagan Babies I’m in.
glory b
@satby: I have a coworker who was a teacher and legal clerk for a government agency who retired to Costa Rica. I don’t know the details but I know she wasn’t rolling in cash.
I’ve seen a couple websites touting Costa Rica as a good place for Americans to retire. Also saw an episode of House Hunters International (I’m a fan of real estate pron) with a couple retiring there.
Quinerly
@rikyrah: Poco and I are heading out the door to the Native American sale at Cahokia Mounds. It has become a yearly a tradition. He patiently waits in his Escape while I see some old friends and shop. He knows afterwards, he gets an hour p!us hike in the park. There will be sniffing! Have a great day.
Travels with Charley
Good morning all! My two daughters are on their way over for a day of games, tv & a traditional thanksgiving dinner, one day late. Should be a great time! Just wanted to thank everyone on balloon juice and hope that your holidays are joyous. This community has been a light in a dark time ?
rikyrah
@Yoda Dog:
Happy Birthday ???????
Quinerly
@Kathleen: now, there’s a thought.?
schrodingers_cat
@frosty: @Kathleen: You are welcome.
glory b
@OzarkHillbilly: I see LOTS of them around me. I walk the dog in the next neighborhood over (Point Breeze/Squirrel Hill for my fellow Pittsburgh/Western PA jackals) and I walk by at least 25 to 30 of them and other variations, still see Clinton/Kaine signs too.
rikyrah
@Betty Cracker:
Glad that it worked out ?
rikyrah
@geg6:
Happy Birthday ??????
Zinsky
Just one fingernail clipping from this brave and gentle man has more pure patriotism in it than Donald J. Trump has in his entire lazy, fatass body.
Just One More Canuck
@Amir Khalid: Baghdad Sarah will tell us that Tangerine Palpatine made 18 holes-in-one
BellyCat
@Steeplejack: Cut the cord on cable in exchange for high-speed inter webs (and have few regrets), but am YouTube conversant. Will check out!
BellyCat
@glory b: Fellow Y’inzer here (Regent Square) and am intrigued if there are enough interested parties for a meet-up sometime?
(Lots of “all welcome” signs in my hood, as well)
ETA: I believe something like 88% voted for Clinton in my precinct — so, it’s a nice respite from the other [un]reality)
ruemara
Happy post-thanksgiving to all Juicers, lurking as well as nymed reprobates. Happy Birthday to geg6 & Yodadog. I’m in a partial food coma but I have to grocery shop & do some voiceover recordings & write. So I’m napping instead while the cats play around me.
thewesson
@ThresherK: As a matter of basic tradecraft, you should follow the mole after you let it go and find out who it’s reporting to.
Bess
@satby:
Consider Ecuador as well.
I’ve spent time in both Costa Rica and Ecuador and both are on my list of places to go were finances to take a tumble. Both places have excellent “always spring” climates in the higher valleys. Both have excellent food in the markets due to the short distance to the ocean with its seafood and tropical fruit and great growing climates for other crops at higher elevation.
Ecuador has more city/town options. I think living for awhile in the colonial parts of Quito or Cuenca could be very enjoyable. Plazas where people gather in the afternoon to talk with friends or play music. Delightful. Cultural events that are either free or cost a couple of dollars at most.
Then there are numerous towns. One of my favorites is Alusi which is the terminal for the Devil’s Nose Train. The train brings in enough tourists to support the sorts of restaurants one doesn’t find in most small towns. Yet away from the few blocks where tourists move between bus and train the town is very typical Ecuadorian.
Both countries have very good public transportation and friendly people. Plenty of expats if you want to seek out a group of friends that more closely share your background.
Tehanu
I’m allergic to cats (though I love them) and the landlord won’t let us get a dog. Otherwise I would have both to defend myself against the goddam Chinese water bugs that infest our bottom-story duplex whenever the weather gets warm. Since it was over 90 degrees all week here in L.A. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when I was trying to watch TV Wednesday night and suddenly noticed one crawling from the armrest of my chair onto, you know, me. Screamed and leaped up, which is quite a trick when the recliner is in the back position. Hubby Dearest squashed it, mercifully, but I’m still shaking out every throw and pillow in the living room every time I go in there. Big city life and fucking global warming — it’s enough to make me wish for an ice age.