Here’s handsome Mr. Badger snuggled up in a pile of Mexican blankets:
No reason he should be chilly — it’s 69 degrees F right now, but apparently he’s a Miami terrier rather than the Boston variety. He really is a wimp about the cold — shivers like mad if it drops below 70 F.
Because I’m an idiot, I bought a car today. I gave my vintage Caddy to the spawn because the terrible dirt road we have to traverse now that we live in the howling wilderness would have eventually killed poor old Cruella DeVille, and I bought a little Jeep.
First new car I’ve ever purchased! (I don’t count the pickups the mister and I have acquired over the years since, although they were technically partially mine, I wasn’t the primary driver.)
Please don’t tell me terrible things about Jeeps in comments. The “Car & Driver” review of my model said it was rugged off road but “slow as a three-legged turtle.” Whatever, man.
Open thread!
Humdog
Congrats! What are you gonna name it?
Corner Stone
Why they gotta be Messican blankets?
SFBayAreaGal
Woohoo. Does it have the new car smell?
Corner Stone
There are a few models of Cadillac that can be counted on to put it up and throw it down. I doubt your ancient Caddy was one of those…but with B Crack you never know.
jeffreyw
@Humdog:
She should definitely work in a T-Rex lyric.
Corner Stone
I’m thinking stuffed baked potato with jalapeno sausage on the side for dinner but I may just go with a sammich. Life is hard.
Yarrow
Badger is so cute! Congrats on the new wheels. Needs a name.
Yarrow
@Corner Stone: Because we don’t have a wall. Duh. Mexican blankets are taking our American blankets’ jobs.
Mary G
Badger is ridiculously cute.
For shits and giggles, the transcript of Comey’s latest testimony is out; he gives Trey Gowdy a few jabs. He has never hugged and kissed Robert Mueller.
Gin & Tonic
@Yarrow: In nearly 50 years of driving I’ve never named a car.
MagdaInBlack
I had a 2015 Wrangler Sport, base model bright RED whom I named Rosa. Unfortunately, my commute caused Rosa to drink too much. (Mileage sucked)
She got me thru 2 Chicago winters, so theres that.
Enjoy ✨
Corner Stone
@Yarrow: If that were even remotely true I would be having tacos from a food truck on the corner tonight instead of debating going to a BBQ place.
Betty Cracker
@Humdog: I plan to let my sister name it. She has a knack for such things. Drunken Aunties Cookie Night is one week from today, so she’ll have the opportunity to meet the new Jeep and divine its true name.
Yarrow
@Gin & Tonic: But you’re not Betty Cracker and her vehicle needs a name.
germy
The Jeep was named after the old Popeye character.
Eugene the Jeep. So maybe “Eugene” would be a good choice.
Catherine D.
My 15 year old car is Henrietta the Honda. She just broke 50,000 miles, and I plan to keep her until the wheels fall off.
Corner Stone
@Catherine D.: Fall off or dry rot off?
joel hanes
I’m not gonna say anything bad, but I’d like to keep reading B. Cracker on the front page for the indefinite future.
Please know that 4WDs and Jeeps in particular cannot be made to corner like cars,
should never attempt a high-speed turn,
and must slow way down on windy roads with tight turns,
or they roll over.
You’d be surprised how easy it is to do.
Rollovers are no fun.
Be well.
PaulWartenberg
Get the other socialists in your county to PAVE THE DAMN ROADS.
J R in WV
My cousin in AZ has an old Jeep — a Wagoneer that she recently had a new front end put in, since they wouldn’t let her drive it away from the High Desert shop after it was towed in. Afraid a front wheel would fly loose, causing an uncontrollable crash.
She’s had that old blue Jeep for so many years now, sells real estate driving it around the desert ranches. leading potential customers around twisty country roads to what might be their gem of a rural high desert home place.
So if you keep after the maintenance, you can count on lots of miles from your Jeep. No salt to destroy the underneath parts, no mountains to tear up the sides. Good to go!
Not really, but I tried.
PaulWartenberg
@Catherine D.:
15 years but only 50,000 miles?
You don’t do a lot of long distance driving do you?
<—2009 vehicle just broke 100,000 mile mark a few months ago
PaulWartenberg
@Gin & Tonic:
(gasp)
My PT Cruiser was Jennifer Blue.
donnah
Badger is sooo cute!
We bought a new van in April. I’d been driving a Kia Forte for eight years and was concerned that the stuff I haul around was getting to be too much for a small car. We settled on a Chrysler Pacifica, not the high end version, but it’s really nice, holds all my bags and bowes, gets decent mileage, and is such a comfortable ride.
It’s taken me a while to get used to driving a van again, but I’m fine with it. I’m glad we got it and I hope it lasts.
And have fun with the new Jeep!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Did not know the Army-Navy game was here in Philly, meaning what’s his name was too. Till I drove past the stadium and saw the sign.
Betty Cracker
@joel hanes: I’ve been driving like an old lady since I was 15, so no worries.
Yarrow
@Betty Cracker: You mean turning left from the far right lane across three lanes of traffic without using a turn indicator? That’s how the old ladies roll in Florida, at least in my experience.
zhena gogolia
@PaulWartenberg:
My 1999 Honda Civic has 39,000 miles on it.
Catherine D.
@PaulWartenberg: I take the bus to work and don’t do many road trips ? I just need my left knee to hang on to work the clutch. I hate driving automatics.
Another Scott
Given that we have so many hopes and expectations that Bobbie Mueller will help turn our national government around, and he seems to be doing well so far, maybe “Bobbie” would be worth considering.
Has the benefit of being gender-neutral, also too!
Cheers,
Scott.
Betty Cracker
@Yarrow: Good point. I just meant I drive cautiously. I am the opposite of a speed demon.
?BillinGlendaleCA
He must be related to Nikki, my Cocker Spaniel.
Major Major Major Major
It is thirty-one degrees. God bless Uniqlo leggings! I’m off to my company holiday party… I wonder what it’s gonna be like.
Yarrow
@Betty Cracker: Good to be safe.
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: Any bets who the first person to bring up serial killers will be?
Mnemosyne
@joel hanes:
I’m pretty sure that Betty’s swamp has very few windy roads or tight turns. The biggest danger is probably wildlife jumping out into the road.
FlyingToaster
@PaulWartenberg: Lotsta people don’t do long distance driving. My 11.5 year old Sienna is creeping up on 60K. Slowly. Since the majority of my trips are 3 miles to school 3 miles home, 5 miles to music school 5 miles home. 4 groceries and 3 pharmacies within a mile of home.
Summers suck because it’s 9 miles each way to the Museum of Science. With the added risk of a Storrowing at the Mem Drive underpass.
Back when WarriorGirl was WarriorBabyGirl, it was .7 miles to Preschool.
Catherine D.
@Corner Stone: Rust more likely than dry rot, but her undercarriage is hanging in there. Or so I will know soon, since she’s due for state inspection.
Schlemazel
@Corner Stone:
Taking jobs from real Murikan blankets
Craaaaaap, @Yarrow: , got there first
Yarrow
Oooh…looks like George Papadppoulos’s wife/Russian handler has deleted her Twitter account. Interesting. Wonder if she’s bolting to Russia.
Also, Fox News Twitter account hasn’t tweeted since November 8, one month today. That’s not about Tucker Carlson.
raven
If the MLS Championship game is anywhere near as good as 7 year old Malea was singing the national anthem it’ll be a barn burner!
Yarrow
@Schlemazel: Gotta be quick!
Schlemazel
@PaulWartenberg:
Forget it Jake, it is floridatown
They will demand the roads be paved but that it not cost them a penny, take the money from all the wasteful government spending on schools and public safety
Schlemazel
@zhena gogolia:
I take it you don’t live in ‘real’ America but in a godless urban area
TS (the original)
@Mary G:
The last hurrah – before Mueller tells the real story of the 2016 Presidential Election.
SenyorDave
I realized today that I’ve become a worse person since Trump was elected. Angrier, possible even a little less sympathetic to people since I saw 48% of my fellow Americans vote for this living sack of crap. My wife told me I seem like I’m pissed a lot of the time. Its been a tough year, my wife was diagnosed with lymphoma, my mom went downhill very quickly, recovered enough so she was going to a nice assisted living facility, and literally the day before she was going to move she went to the hospital and found out she had cancer that had spread to her bones and died nine days later.
I think I need some cold turkey from politics. It consumes me, and I need to just let things play out (I do think if Trump is not somehow removed from office this will be something the country never recovers from). Ny New Year’s resolution is to stop worrying so much about this stuff and relax a bit. Two things I resolve to do is start doing more volunteer work and take a couple long trips since I’m recently retired (the joke in our house is that the only major thing that happened that was good was me being riffed at work. I had planned to give notice in October, but they got rid of me in February, so I got over 6 months severance – 10 months less work for 3 months less pay).
Last night my wife and I attended a performance of the Nutcracker put on by a local ballet troupe. It was a very good show, they had a few guest professionals who were amazing, and the students were excellent. The theater was in the DC metro area, and there were about a dozen children who were patients at NIH who were there with their families. Seeing sick children is very moving, but there was one child who was heartbreaking. She had multiple facial tumors that were disfiguring. Its a bad sign when after my initial thoughts of sympathy I started to think how could a just God do this to a child and yet Trump has skated through life despite being an unrepentant evil bastard.
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: gonna aim for not me!
Schlemazel
@Yarrow:
given my typing ability i bet I started my comment before you did yours but that is not your fault
Patricia Kayden
Enjoy your first new car, Betty. I’ve only had one new car so far. It barely lasted a few months after I’d finished paying for it so I hope you get your money’s worth on your jeep.
Gelfling 545
@Gin & Tonic: I have called a few of them by rude names when they were not working as expected. Does that count?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mnemosyne:
I’ve had that problem with the suicidal rabbits of Lockwood Valley.
Frankensteinbeck
@SenyorDave:
We got the House, which was the one truly significant thing likely to happen and up in the air. Take a break. The ebb and flow of Trump being a shit is not something you need to keep track of.
Corner Stone
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I stop when a duck is trying to cross a road from pond to pond but I no longer give a shit about the fucking squirrels that challenge me daily. Those fuckers get what they get.
realbtl
I don’t put a lot of miles on anymore. In 1969 I put 100k on a new VW in 2.5 years. Now it’s 5k on the CRV winter car and about the same on the Mustang convertible summer car. It’s nice not to have to have car worries. Been there, got the skinned knuckles.
MartyinNB
For some convoluted reason that I can’t remember, the Jeep my dad drove when we were growing up was named Otto after the bulldog in the Beetle Bailey comic strip.
Mary G
@TS (the original): I had heard people say how stupid these Republican congressscritters are, but until I started reading this transcript I did not know how low they go:
This goes on for a while and then the chairman points out that they started late and have a hard end point of 4:15 p.m., so maybe get a move on? No, they argue more about why the end point, and Gohmert opens his yap just to hear himself talk, and it isn’t until page 11 that they actually ask Comey a question.
The Moar You Know
Whatever about the issues with Jeeps. I know they have their problems. Don’t care. I rented one for a week and that thing is one of the most fun vehicles I’ve ever driven. Enjoy it.
joel hanes
@Mnemosyne:
Betty’s swamp
River roads are famously surprising.
I’ve taken my Chevy or whatever down to the levee a number of times.
Every year, those good ole boys manage an amazing number of rollovers.
But mostly it’s knee jerk. Before the Army let me drive an actual Jeep, they demanded that I undergo a unit of training on the special rollover hazard presented by high-clearance 4WD vehicles. And we had to paint arrows on the speedometer at 15mph, the greatest safe speed for an urban 90-degree corner.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Corner Stone: Madame didn’t believe me about the suicidal rabbits of Lockwood Valley until she went up there with me for a Milky Way shoot(she’d never seen it). I try to avoid them and have managed to do so, until my last trip up there.
tobie
@Yarrow: Has it been determined yet whether Simona Mangiante is Italian or Russian?
Raven
On my Jeep, xmas day 1968.
A Ghost To Most
You didn’t say what model Jeep.
My 2006 4Runner has about 80K miles. It is called the W.T. Sherman (tank), because it has 500 lb of 3/16 steel armor underneath and in the bumper, and now gets about 5 mpg less than it used to get. They aren’t called the Rocky Mountains for nothing.
rikyrah
Badger is so cute ?
Raven
@A Ghost To Most: Mine had some armor too.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@joel hanes:
Yeah, but the levee was dry.
rikyrah
Ok, got a flash sale on a Cuisinart Griddler. Anyone have any experience with the 5 in 1?
lurker dean
@SenyorDave: hope you find some peace. i’ve been too angry myself, particularly at trump-loving relatives who are blind to the havoc he is wreaking. i’m feeling more at peace seeing a possible end in sight, even if it takes a few months to play out.
congrats on the new car betty!
A Ghost To Most
@Raven: More like armaments. You do not look like you’re a happy camper in that photo.
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
My 1984 Toyota pick up is called Toyzilla.
trollhattan
@Corner Stone:
Buddy acquired a ’67 DeVille convertible from a client who owed him and had a car lot. “I’ll take that!”
Towed it to town and over a couple years had it fixed up–paint, cleaned up interior, electrics back in shape. Then began work on the engine to discover it had a cracked block. So he did what anyone would do in his shoes, find a salvage Corvette drivetrain (some accountant or dentist wrapped his new toy around a tree or somesuch) and drop that sucker into the Caddy.
Well now, there’s a white on cherry red DeVille cruising town with a gazillion HP engine making decidedly non-Caddy noises, only it’s still on OEM-spec bias-ply tires the size of glazed donuts. Had to cut out a coil or two off the front springs to compensate for the hundreds of pounds shed from the GM big-block V8. This isn’t the car, but it’s a twin.
Raven
@A Ghost To Most: That’s funny, the guy who took it sent it to me after he went home and wrote exactly that on the back!
rekoob
Alliteration is always fun for cars. Over the years, my family has had a Tan Tiger, a Blue Bolt, a Crimson Carrom, and my current car, a black Honda S2000, is the Black Bean.
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
MazeDancer
@Catherine D.:
Right there with you. My 2001 Subaru Forester has 65K on it. Perfect vehicle. Never want to let it go.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
Modified? Those years of Toy trucks are super popular here for off roading.
geg6
@PaulWartenberg:
My 2008 VW Jetta only has 81k. I bought it five years ago when it had 68k.
My office is five miles, round trip, from my house. As are Target, Aldi, Giant Eagle and Walmart. I never have to leave my suburb if I don’t want to.
trollhattan
@realbtl:
Got a job I can bicycle/light-rail to and my mileage plunged to a scant few thousand/year. So when I replaced my 16YO ride I got something fun. We had a family thingie already, so why not?
Lemme add cars changed a little between ’99 and now.
A Ghost To Most
@MazeDancer: I come across Subies way the hell up in the mountains, in the damndest places. People take them everywhere.
Luthe
Well, despite the hype and the closings of many Metro stations, my corner of Paris is still standing. As the hotel is a straight shot about two blocks from the Arc de Triomphe, there was the potential for trouble, but nothing happened. Of course, I would have missed it anyway since I was in Fontainebleau all afternoon, but it was nice not to have to deal with riot police on the long, long walk back from the nearest open Metro. I think the rain today put a damper (ha!) on things.
Fontainebleau was full of Chinese tourists, all of whom seemed to be trying to out-Western each other. It was also full of gilt and ridiculous decor.
I had dinner at a restaurant across the road from the château since I didn’t know if anything in Paris would be open. I had boar in juniper berry sauce with potatoes. Boar is much more flavorful than pork and has a texture closer to beef, but doesn’t have a gamey taste like rabbit. I would definitely have it again.
James E Powell
@Gin & Tonic:
Me neither. Also, I never named any of the 24 or 25 guitars I’ve owned.
trollhattan
@geg6:
My bro wrung a quarter-million miles out of his Jetta commuting between southern NH and The Hub. Color me impressed.
He’s recently joined the Subi cult, for whatever that’s worth. Forced him to ditch his flip phone because he just had to sync the phone to the new car, donchano.
NotMax
@zhena gogolia
24-year-old car which is just sneaking up on 53,000 miles here.
Raven
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL Atlanta!!!
trollhattan
@A Ghost To Most:
We looked at Outbacks before getting our Volvo–price was about the same. My beef was Subuaru has gotten away from turbocharging, which is no big deal in town but in the mountains those little boxers run out of breath pretty easily. I looked for a six to drive but they were rare as hens’ teeth at the time.
Quiltingfool
That darling Badger needs a quilt! Dogs love quilts. So do cats. My cat, Baby, must always be wallowing on a quilt…she particularly enjoys doing so while I am working on a quilt!
BruceFromOhio
Slow and steady wins the race.
Corner Stone
@trollhattan: I’ve never owned a Caddy but did rent a CTS for a road trip. I got speeding tickets in every state I went through, but that was actually fine by me as they never decided to haul my ass in as I had a couple ladies of a certain age with me as passengers.
“Why were you going so fast?” “We needed to find a bathroom stop that was acceptable.” “Oh. Here’s your ticket.” “Thanks!”
Raven
We like our KIA Niro!
opiejeanne
@Catherine D.: our 15 year old pickup has less than 30,000 miles and intend to do the same.
It was my dad’s and he didn’t put a lot of miles on it in the 10 years he owned it because he was 84 when he bought it. We bought it from the estate a couple of years ago. Took us 3 years to convince my sister to sell it to us. We drive it to the garden centers and nurseries and not much else.
BruceFromOhio
@NotMax: Only on Sundays?
A Ghost To Most
@Gin & Tonic: My first car, a 1975 Civic, was called the Brown Clown. My buddies 240Z, the fastest car I ever drove (165+), was called the Green Latrine. Maybe a military thing?
zhena gogolia
@Schlemazel:
Well, you’re sort of right, but it’s mostly because my husband does a lot of the driving. We work at the same place and go to work together.
germy
Christ, they’re all so dishonest. Even the wives:
https://splinternews.com/what-the-hell-is-going-on-with-simona-mangiante-papadop-1830960904
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
Last year of the solid front axel. 2.4l diesel, added a turbo and intercooler. Marlin Crawler, so 20 gears forward, four gears backwards.
4 in lifts, (6 leafspring packs), 5.29 gearing with command lockers, 34inch tires, ARB front bumper with a 9,000lb Warn winch, custom rear bumper with 8,000 lb Warn winch, crew cab and bed from a Chilean junkyard, 35 gallon spare fuel tank inplace of the spare tire holder. Swing out spare tire/tool/gas can holder, and of course, lights.
Old Dan and Little Ann
I had a neon green Geo Metro with “racing stripes” for 6 years in the 90’s I named The Grouch. It was pretty badass.
A Ghost To Most
@trollhattan: Foresters are insanely popular here. If I had to replace our 2010 RAV4, that’s probably what we would get. Our RAV has the same V-6 as the 4Runner. Best snow car I’ve ever owned.
trollhattan
@Luthe:
Goddamn you’re having a MUCH better night than I am. Although I bet you didn’t make a leaf pile the size of a compact pickup today, didja?
Interesting times. More interesting still if it turns out Vlad has his fingers in the…crepe.
jl
Lady Cracker and Badger push the envelope, explore new frontiers, of ‘handsome’. I’m game. I’ll try to work with it..
Thanks for cute Badgerpic.
trollhattan
@Old Dan and Little Ann:
After the Mirthmobile I’m just not sure any other car nickname is worthy.
NotMax
@BruceFromOhio
Currently drive a whopping total of 50 or 60 miles per month.
trollhattan
@Corner Stone:
CTS is a damn fine sports sedan. Caddy is such an odd duck now I don’t think they’ll ever convince anybody of that.
BruceFromOhio
@FlyingToaster: @zhena gogolia: I had one of those – black 4Dr 5spd.
It was a blast to drive. Traded mine in 2011 for a Fit, had 120k, was sorry to see it go.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
Very nice. I make do with IFS. Slee OffRoad is literally the other side of the hill from me, so they set up my suspension (OME) with a 3 inch lift, and much heavier springs due to the armor. I run 32″ Inch Toyo Open Country MTs (so I can carry my spare below). The offroad trailer I’m currently building runs the same wheels/tires.
CaseyL
Congrats on the new car, BettyC! May you drive it in good health for many years. A couple of friends of mine have Jeeps, and love them.
I almost bought a Subaru some years ago. It turned out to need way too much work. One strange impression I got, when I closed the door, is that it sounded/felt flimsy. Didn’t have the same nice solid thwack of my old Honda wagon – which I decided to keep and am very glad I did. FSM willing, that Honda will last me another 10 years.
dmsilev
Quiet evening at home. I might go out in a bit and see if I can watch/photograph the rocket launch tonight (8 PST, from Vandenberg AFB).
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Yarrow:
@Major Major Major Major:
Speaking of grisly topics, I was looking at Stack Exchange thread about getting off the moon using all the space junk we’ve left there, which led to me looking up what the current condition of the Lunar Roving Vehicles would be like, etc, when someone posted a link to all of the dead bodies that have been left on Mt. Everest over the years, that later climbers just walk on past, to explain what would happen to a stranded person left on the Moon. Pretty disturbing stuff. They found George Mallory’s body back in 1999 and it was almost perfectly preserved, mummified butt cheeks exposed to the sky and all (eww!). Hardly a dignified end. Some say he was the first to reach the summit of Everest, but there isn’t much evidence for that.
Daniel'sBob
@Gelfling 545: Had a few that probably thought their name was Piece or S**t.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
We’re more overlanding than rock crawling.
Where do you do your wheeling?
rikyrah
MEDIA ALERT:
They’re going to have a birthday celebration for Quincy Jones on BET tomorrow. Looks like a fabulous concert.
rikyrah
The Impeachment Song…
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
https://youtu.be/6AiT60k2E94
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
I’ve only ever run BFG’s since a “boys trip” to the Indian River. I was the only guy running BFG’s at the time and the only guy who didn’t get a sidewall flat. Had to run out with 10 tires loaded in the back and the guys crammed in with their credit cards.
When I lived on the Coast it was “fat” Mud TA’s for the flotation and of course, mud.
Up here, it’s skinny AT’s for the ice, snow and traction.
The winches are for pulling other people out, never had to use them on myself, other than clearing deadfall off the road.
With Global Warming we are starting to get significant ice buildup, rather than dry snow, so this winter I’m running Finnish studded Nokionanns.
Raven
Seven year old Malea sings the natty.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@trollhattan: I went from a 1986 Jetta to a 2010 Prius, real culture shock.
opiejeanne
@MartyinNB: one of my hillbilly relatives named their boy Otto. When asked why, his grandpa took credit, telling the parents to name him auto as that was what brung the doctor.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: Yeah, those are the rabbits at the 2 minute mark.
Old Dan and Little Ann
@trollhattan: Tell that to The Mystery Machine. Scooby dooby-doo.
rikyrah
What Trump’s Attorney General Pick William Barr Means For Black America, In His Own Words
William Barr’s deeply troubling legal opinions about the benefits of locking up Black people have been well-documented. Expect more of the same from Trump’s pick if he’s confirmed as the next attorney general.
Bruce C.T. Wright
Written By Bruce C.T. Wright
Posted December 7, 2018
”
TS (the original)
@Mary G: And I got a little further into the actual questions and decided I didn’t want to relive Comey talking about himself and the Hillary attacks, so I gave it away. This was the most interesting comment I read
I’ll wait for Mueller. He is honest and succinct.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
Here, it’s rock. You need lots of siping and edges. Mud doesn’t really come into play that much. Toyo MTs work well on rock (so far).
My last set were BFG AT KO. Great tire, but I tore them up on the rocks (chunking).
Raven
2-0 Atlanta!!!!!
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA: That has to be one of the worst movies made for children ever. Don’t get me wrong, they did a decent adaptation of the book, the voice cast and acting was great, the animation was solid. But really not appropriate for children.
A Ghost To Most
@Raven: I must admit, I don’t know what sport you are referencing. Soccer, perhaps?
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: The book is also pretty dark for something that’s ostensibly a kid’s story.
Adam L Silverman
@rikyrah: He’s basically a better educated, more erudite, urbanite version of Sessions. On race and on immigration. The much ballyhooed criminal justice reform package that Jared is pushing will be just as dead under Barr as it was under Sessions.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Adam L Silverman:
Don Bluth, while very talented, tended to make weird movies for kids, Watership Down and American Tail not so much weird but dealing with mature themes. Now Rock-a-Doodle was a different story. Remember “I’m all furry!”?
Stuart Frasier
@dmsilev:
There should be a good view of the launch for much of socal as the trajectory is somewhat southeast (most launches from VAFB travel southwest). There won’t be any backlighting from the sun this time, though. I was hoping to go watch it from Lompoc, as there won’t be many more Delta IV Heavy launches on the west coast. It wasn’t to be, though.
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: It is indeed.
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
I live 17.2 km outside of “town” on a Forest Service Road. I don’t actually go “wheeling” anymore, but I do maintain fences, get a winters worth of firewood and go fishing.
Some of the lakes and rivers I fish are on ancient logging, mining and hydro service road beds. One of the rivers I love to fish is an utter zoo where the road is paved. Once you go up the Forest Service Roads, there’s nobody, and to drop down into the canyon pools, you swing off the FSR onto either old skidder trails, or the remains of a logging railroad rail bed burned out in the 1926/7 forest fires.
3 winters ago, heading to town with the road unplowed, I learned that while the truck can plow through a 5 foot snowdrift, it can’t do 7 feet. Nothing 4 hours with a shovel won’t solve.
Adam L Silverman
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
We’ve never met in person. I’m guessing that laser hair removal has made it to Ohio. You might consider looking into it. Or is this a reference to your Deviant Art browsing? (You do realize that this is never going away?)
rikyrah
It was really interesting watching AM JOY today. Had those two former prosecutors who were like, ‘ well, I thought it was a bit far fetched, this Russia stuff.’
I thought that was interesting, because, where I was sitting, even back in 2016, it was the ONLY thing that made everything else fall into place and make sense.
What’s what saying?
When you eliminate everything else, the impossible, now matte how improbable, is probably the truth?
I always went with – what makes everything fall into place. …whatever that is…that’s what’s going on here….
So, them working with the Russians made absolute sense to me. I never gave those muthaphuckas an ounce of benefit of the doubt. I had no delusions that they were treasonous.
I think it was hard for ‘sensible’ people to come around to – that the entire cabal around Dolt45 are nothing but phucking TRAITORS TO THIS COUNTRY.
Raven
@A Ghost To Most: Yea, I said MLS somewhere. It’s the final and the Benz is packed with 70,000+ at $275 for the cheapest seat. It will be something if the first local championship there is this commie sport after the Dawgs and the Falcons losing heartbreakers on the same field!
HinTN
@Raven: Dogface
dmsilev
@Stuart Frasier: Yeah, it’s a little too late in the evening for the best lighting. So inconsiderate of NRO to time the launch of their umpteen hundred million dollar recon-of-some-sort-if-we-told-you-we’d-have-to-kill-you satellite in that manner. Couldn’t they have pushed it an hour or so earlier?
Raven
@HinTN: Arf!
Mr Stagger Lee
Two years in a row for Oklahoma QB’s Kyler Murray wins the Heisman. Also looks like West Virginia QB Will Greer will skip the bowl game to concentrate on the pros, a new development in the college game.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Adam L Silverman:
Oh, that can change.
I think I’m going to catch a flight down to Florida and Stand My Ground. See you soon Adam ; )
// I’m only joking so don’t think I’m really threatening you. I couldn’t resist the Stand My Ground joke.
ETA: You’re the only one who makes that silly joke anyway, so go ahead.
Raven
@Mr Stagger Lee: Grier.
Corner Stone
@rikyrah: I barely watched because it was guest hosted. Who there didn’t understand what had happened?
J R in WV
@zhena gogolia:
I have a 1990 model roadster that was my dad’s. It has under 30K on it right now. I don’t drive it much, as I want it to last the rest of my life. My dad had great taste in cars.
rikyrah
I want a movie out of this..LOL
Two longtime nuns at St. James Catholic School in Torrance allegedly embezzled as much as $500,000 in tuition, fees and donations, perhaps spending some of the money on trips and gambling at casinos while telling parents the school was operating on a shoestring budget, officials and parents told the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Bank records show Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper and Sister Lana Lang were embezzling from the school for at least 10 years, the Press-Telegram reports.
https://twitter.com/kashanacauley/status/1071550693092118528
Raven
@Mr Stagger Lee: Too bad we won’t get to kick the Sooner’s asses again this year. Gotta settle for Bevo.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
We tend to stay out of the mountains in the winter due to traffic. The snow this year is epic so far, so more skiers.
We go up as the snow goes up and the passes open. Our favorite place is the San Juans in SW CO. The roads and the scenery are just breathtaking, if also butt-tightening.
Mr Stagger Lee
@Raven: Soccer to replace football in the South? General Lee is weeping. Save us Nick Saban! ;-)
Adam L Silverman
@rikyrah:
That’s because you were reading Balloon Juice expert coverage as it was unfolding in real time. All part of the bespoke blogging experience we try to provide here.
Corner Stone
@Stuart Frasier:
“I’ll die before I go back.”
/Dom
Raven
@Mr Stagger Lee: It’s really popular here in Athens. There are tons of families over there for this game.
Adam L Silverman
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: You also make the assumption I’m in Florida.
Mr Stagger Lee
@Raven: I might have been thinking of the actor who played grandpa Walton, he spelled that way. Mea Culpa
Raven
@Adam L Silverman: I had a great time in 10,000 Islands.
A Ghost To Most
@J R in WV: Very nice. A wonderful car.
Ohio Mom
I am in awe of all of you —!@Catherine D.: @zhena gogolia: @FlyingToaster: — who have lifestyles that involve so little driving. I am jealous.
I hate driving but Ohio Son has places he must be and so I must get behind the wheel. Still, you have given me something to aspire to.
Stuart Frasier
@dmsilev:
I know, so inconsiderate! It’s an interesting launch, though. The speculation is that it is a Keyhole satellite, but it is going into strange orbit (they are usually sun-synchronous). The inclination means that it will spend more time over lower latitudes. The theory is that it will be able to image sites at different times of day and allow the shadows to tease out extra information about the targets.
Raven
@Mr Stagger Lee: Bearclaw. “You sure you can skin Grizz pilgrim”?
Adam L Silverman
@Raven: I’ve not been there in a long, long time. Glad you had a nice trip.
Raven
@Ohio Mom: Oh me o mi o, look at Miss Ohio. . . she wants to do right but not right now. . .
Mr Stagger Lee
@Raven: I am on a roll Will GEER. Mea Culpa 2.0
(Hal Greer ?) :-P
Raven
@Adam L Silverman: Stunning, my buddy caught andt overslot red and snook, I hooked a snook and lost it and we filled the well with trout and sheephead,
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Adam L Silverman:
Aren’t you in Florida? I seem to remember you mentioning you lived there.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@rikyrah: I think that saying is from Sherlock Holmes.
Betty Cracker
@rikyrah: Had breakfast in a little diner this morning. They had Fox News on — the Saturday version of 3 Stupid Sofa Squatters, mercifully muted, but with closed captioning. It was like bizarro opposite world. They were talking about NO COLLUSION, sentencing docs have no smoking gun, a win for Trump, Obama did the same thing, etc. It’s a cult.
HinTN
@Raven: Yeah you right
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: Since you’ve said you’re in Floriduh, I’d think that’s a valid assumption Adam; if that’s really your name.
Adam L Silverman
@Raven: Excellent. Despite the ones that slipped their hooks, sounds like a great time.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Betty Cracker:
Must be the b-team, that’s the old talking points. Now the talking points are: there was collusion, but that’s not illegal.
Betty Cracker
@Raven: By a very weird coincidence, the mister is watching that movie right now, and I just heard that line!
Another Scott
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I suspect the tense is important.
;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
HinTN
@rikyrah: That would be Mr Occam’s Razor.
Adam L Silverman
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: @?BillinGlendaleCA: I mentioned I grew up in Florida and that I maintain a permanent mailing address and my voter registration there regardless of where my work takes me.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Forty years later (good christ, typing that made me feel old) I still remember the last lines of that movie. General Woundwort’s last bellow and the narrator’s lines following it (no spoilers!). I don’t remember much else, though I did read the book a few years later.
Steve in the ATL
@Major Major Major Major:
If you weren’t out before, you are sure are now!
sukabi
@rikyrah: that vow of poverty isn’t going to pay for their retirement. ?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Betty Cracker: No collusion, only synergy.
ETA: I kinda wish more Dems and TeeVee types would push back against “No collusion”. “I love it!” was collusion. God dammit.
Corner Stone
The sooner I never hear anything ever again from Emily Jane Fox of Vanity Fair, the fucking better.
zhena gogolia
@Betty Cracker:
Colbert was hilarious on this — “What do they think is behind all those black bars? Nipples?”
Raven
@Betty Cracker: I vant to be Jung again!
“Watch yer topknot”. “Watch yourn”!
If he is watching the DVD take a look at the commentary by Redford, Pollack and Millius. It’s fascinating.
Raven
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: 45 years ago I remember EVERY line in Jeremiah Johnson!
Mike in NC
Had a buddy in college in the late 70s who owned a jeep. Might have been a Korean War vintage job with a rusty floor and water sloshing around your feet.
J R in WV
The first car I bought was a 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser, back when they were square steel cinderblocks with wheels.
Three different guys hit me and totaled their vehicles, I drove home after every collision.
I finally sold it when we bought the farm we live on now — I needed a PU truck to transport material home to rebuild the old house. Got a ’71 Chevy C10, green. Needed a clutch, which happened. Those old Land Cruisers were strong, with a capital S.
J R in WV
Good night all!
Raven
Champs!!!!
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker:
I am sure the algo for Google News is different for everyone. But if you scan Google News every day it’s like a night and day peek-a-boo into crazy fucking town. There will be 4 reasonable headline ledes and then Fox News in there that is just batshit crazy.
Betty Cracker
@Raven: It’s on Netflix.
大 芒果
“|”It then follows that, if the universe is made up of those phenomena that are uncertain, and those that can measure them, humans would fall neatly into the latter category. If quantum mechanics turns out to be correct this could be interpreted to mean our purpose in the universe is simply to behold the beauty around us, so it can become reality.|
https://thenextweb.com/science/2018/12/06/how-the-human-eye-could-destroy-quantum-mechanics/
dang!
Another Scott
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yeah, it’s been plain as day for a long, long time.
Business Insdier (from July 13):
There is no mystery what Mueller’s going to find…
Cheers,
Scott.
Raven
@Betty Cracker: This is just for future reference, the copies of the movie are roundly awful. I’ve watched it streaming, regular dvd and cable. The Blu-Ray fixes that and the picture is great. It’s pricey but if you ever want to give it as a special gift it really matters.
You could also read this
http://nixpixdvdmoviereviewsandmore.blogspot.com/2016/08/jeremiah-johnson-blu-ray-sanford.html
cain
I just send Cole a picture of a beautiful dog. Remember to send your pics for the balloon juice calendar. I sent all my expired cats and the dog I share with my ex. I told her I was going to get some cats and she was like “no..”, take Trixie (yes yes, I know it’s a strippers name).. Iwas like sure, I can.. but I’m getting cats too. I’m hoping to foist it on her and her boyfriend while I go traveling from time to time..bwhaha.
Corner Stone
@cain: My ex-MIL tried something like that on me one time. Giving my son a cat she knew I wanted nothing to do with. Three guesses as to who has that cat now and *hint* none of the answers are me.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Another Scott: Adam does sound a bit tense. //
Jay
@A Ghost To Most:
Still have some San Juan “worms” from back in the day. Don’t cross the border anymore.
Here, it’s greasy mud for the most part, or talus, or moraine gravel. So tires are about getting weight down to where the ground is solid, except for moose meadows, where you really, really need the flotation.
When I lived on the coast, in the winter, with the wet snow, you really needed the paddles and floatation of a Fat Mud Tire to get anywhere,
And for me, it’s always been BFG’s because of the three ply sidewall.
On the Coast, the roads through the Coast Mountain were blasted through schist, gniess, basalt or granite, so you might as well be driving on knapped flint. While it hacks up the lugs, it’s no biggie, unless it get’s a sidewall. There’s no fixing a sidewall.
Tire selection needs to fit local conditions.
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Been a long week.
Jay
@J R in WV:
Really, really wanted a Landcruiser Wagon. Couldn’t find one in repairable state, and the “good ones”, like a loaded one out of Texas, they wanted $70k for.
Looked at a fixable short wheelbase BJ out of Kelowna a few years ago, and realized it would be impossible to drive with snow boots on.
Redshift
@Betty Cracker: Yeah, restaurant where I was picking up takeout in Friday had Fox on, and they were continuing the bizarre “the things Manafort was charged with don’t involve Trump, therefore Trump is innocent!”
Leaving aside that Cohen was charged with crimes that did involve Trump, it seems clear their plan is:
1. A sitting president (probably) can’t be indicted
2. If Trump isn’t convicted he’s innocent
3. PROFIT!
Chagall Charles Calthrop
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I think he’s in the keys? Which sort of is Florida legally, but not in terms of Floridah
Adam L Silverman
@Chagall Charles Calthrop: I’ve never been to the Florida Keys. The closest I’ve ever gotten was when I lived in Miami for two years when doing my MA in religion.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Adam L Silverman: ok, got it thks
Ruckus
@Betty Cracker:
Yes.
Yes it is. You can tell by the fact that there are no real facts, just bullshit and repetition. And the use of words that have no real meaning in the context used.
Sonoran
@rekoob: What color is Betty’s ride? My friend had a Kia cargo car she named BB for Black Box. Traded for a black Jeep. I suggested BaaBaa as a name… BaaBaa, Black Jeep. She declined.
A Ghost To Most
@Jay:
Absolutely, but not just tires. A Ford Raptor may be a helluva desert truck, but it’s too wide for the roads I prefer. A Wrangler is great off-road, but punishment on a long road trip. Every truck build is different, for the intended use.