Patriots vs. Ravens, then Seahawks vs. Panthers?
I assume some of you must be watching, even if the Blogmaster is off having a sulk that his team didn’t make the cut…
Anne Laurie has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2009.
This post is in: Open Threads, Sports
Patriots vs. Ravens, then Seahawks vs. Panthers?
I assume some of you must be watching, even if the Blogmaster is off having a sulk that his team didn’t make the cut…
This post is in: Open Threads, Popular Culture
Oh wow, I find this take on why a Black Annie is important, relevant & fits w/the narrative to be super interesting! pic.twitter.com/Ir0iMJBmvx
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) January 9, 2015
Via Jamelle Bouie’s twitter feed. I know that the Irish were still considered violent, ignorant sub-humans well into the twentieth century, but I don’t know enough about Harold Grey’s mileu to be sure…
Saturday Afternoon Open Thread: Interesting, If True…Post + Comments (108)
This post is in: Open Threads, Sports, #notintendedtobeafactualstatement
I’m given to understand there is some kind of very serious footballery going on this weekend, so perhaps this is timely. From NYMag, “Dartmouth Charges 64 Students With Cheating in Ethics Class“:
Dozens of Dartmouth students were charged with violating the school’s honor code after they were caught cheating in an ethics class, reports the AP. The class, a sports ethics course targeted at student athletes struggling with academics, apparently did not leave a lasting impression on the 64 students the university has punished for cheating…
From David Roth at Vice Sports, “What the Mueller Report Doesn’t Have to Tell Us“:
… On Thursday, the NFL gave us a 96-page report detailing the NFL’s epically drowsy serial mishandling of Ray Rice’s domestic abuse case and the resulting fallout, and assuring those that needed assuring that everything happened exactly as the NFL said it did. It then gave us some forceful circularities from commissioner Roger Goodell to the effect that lessons had been learned…
If there are no real surprises in the report beyond the technicolor splendor with which it portrays the NFL’s determined refusal to give a shit, there is also a broader unsurprise here, and an increasingly unmistakable element of uneasy comedy. For all the real reasons for outrage that have been studded through this unusually nauseous NFL season, it’s increasingly difficult not to see the NFL as a lumbering and hugely expensive workplace comedy. It’s not just that the NFL continues to be categorically incapable of getting basic things right, but the outlandish and grandiose way in which it gets them wrong. After a season spent filling one diaper after another and holding stern press conferences to the effect that the latest round of self-beshittery stands in opposition to all the league’s values, is nothing less than unacceptable, and fundamentally isn’t us, the NFL has settled, ridiculously and predictably, on the one thing it already knows doesn’t work–doing just what it was doing…
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Apart from the watching of football, what’s on the agenda for the weekend?
Saturday Morning Open Thread: As Above… ?Post + Comments (46)
This post is in: Election 2016, Open Threads, Assholes, Romney of the Uncanny Valley
I can remember when Romney stood out from the 2012 field bc the REAL GOP talent was waiting for 2016.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 9, 2015
I’m stocking up on blood pressure medication. Annie Linksey & Lisa Lerer at Bloomberg Politics, “Romney Opens the Door to Another Run at the White House“:
Mitt Romney told donors in New York on Friday that he may run for president in 2016, a development that could upend the Republican field.
Toward the end of a meeting with about 30 donors at a midtown Manhattan office, he said: You all can leave from here and tell your friends I’m considering a run, according to a person who was there. When asked if he would like to be president, Romney smiled and said that he’s run twice and so of course he wants the job. The person declined to be named because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly…
Previously, Romney has told former aides that he didn’t believe Bush could win. In a hypothetical Bush-Clinton match-up, Romney told confidants that it would come down to a referendum on the dynasties previous administrations, and that voters would opt for Clinton nostalgia over Bush because it was a better economic period, two former advisers to Romney said. At least a few former aides were caught off-guard by Romney’s remarks, as they had no indication this kind of an announcement was coming…
Apparently, Mitt Romney's remaining ambition is to replace Harold Stassen's photo in the political dictionary next to "Perennial Candidate."
— Billmon (@billmon1) January 9, 2015
Team Romney is probably rebooting ORCA at this very moment
— James Pethokoukis (@JimPethokoukis) January 9, 2015
In Taken 3, Liam Neeson rescues his daughter from having to endure another Mitt Romney presidential campaign.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) January 9, 2015
Actually, the one time I met Mitt Romney in person, I was impressed by his impeccable tailoring. So perhaps he just doesn’t want the Plutocrat’s Party to be represented by this:
Awww hell no pic.twitter.com/0fNxZpjAfT
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 8, 2015
Late Night Horrorshow Open Thread: Return of the RomneybotPost + Comments (88)
From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
Yesterday would have been The King’s 80th birthday. I like Elvis, but I’m young enough that I missed out on the frenzy of all things Elvis. Though, I’ve managed my own six degrees of separation…
My friend has an adorable, sweet story of how he hit on her (she was very much engaged at the time) when she worked on a film with him. She remembers him as a complete gentleman and had a lovely conversation between takes.
I met his step-brother years ago and he also had only wonderful things to say about him, especially when he was just a young boy and Elvis was already an American icon. Family was important.
So how does this get us to the recipe exchange tonight? All over the news last night was the story of how one of his favorite sandwiches was created right here in Denver. It had bacon, so I had to try it.
I’m not well versed in Elvis’ favorite foods. Fried banana sandwiches (recipe here) were about it, but I searched around, turns out there is a whole cookbook of his favorite foods, recipes and links here. Seems to be a lot of bacon involved.
How about you, what unusual things do you like to make into a sandwich? My brothers like peanut butter and dill pickles. I love lettuce, tomato and mayo on whole wheat. What else is on the weekend menu?
Tonight’s featured recipe is my take on Elvis’ favorite Mile High sandwich and you can find the whole story and video here.
Friday Recipe Exchange: Happy 80th, ElvisPost + Comments (119)
Fool’s Gold Sandwich
1 foot-long loaf Italian, French or Sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy, because that’s what I liked)
16 ounces grape or blueberry preserves (I used an all fruit style, no added sugar)
1 pound bacon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the bread in half, length-wise, coat with butter. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes
While the bread is in the oven, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Hollow out one of the bread halves, fill with an entire jar of peanut butter and an entire jar of preserves. Top with bacon and top with the other half of the loaf. Slice to serve. I have no idea how many this would serve, I made enough for 2 servings instead of the entire recipe.
That’s it for this week. For the pet lovers, here’s some new Bixby, and here and his favorite new treat here. Next week…I think something chocolate – TaMara
This post is in: Election 2016, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Assholes
In case you wonder how NJ is feeling about their Gov these days pic.twitter.com/ZRCWQI7Iwi
— Chris Fralic (@chrisfralic) January 9, 2015
Fellow GOP wannabe-candidate Mike Huckabee has a book to sell. Early reviews, from Olivia Nuzzi at the Daily Beast:
… If the contents of Huckabee’s latest book – due out January 20th – are any indication, the overarching message of that campaign will be that the government is, um, having its way with the American public in a method that Huckabee, a Christian conservative, finds rather repulsive.
“Bend Over and Take it Like a Prisoner!” is the title of the 10th chapter of Huckabee’s 12th book, God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy – which, as a whole, is an achievement in the genre of poorly written pandering.
The chapter, ostensibly about the TSA and IRS, is a soaring crescendo of latent homosexuality homoeroticism cloaked in almost libertarian – but not libertine! – conservatism…
Julie Bykowicz, at Bloomberg Politics:
… God, Guns, Grits and Gravy doesn’t get into many policy specifics; some of what Huckabee proposes he dubs “Redneck Remedies.” Like his head-shaking at Miley, his political views are hardly surprising: Obama is bad. Same-sex marriage is a sin. Guns save lives. Government is intended to be as local as possible. The IRS is a criminal enterprise. Climate change is probably hot air. The “Get Off My Lawn” chapter wraps up with Huckabee boldly asserting that “part of the solution is better citizens obeying the laws we already have so we don’t have to pass new laws to further explain and expand the old ones.” Good luck with that…
In a bit of wishful thinking, Huckabee writes about how unfortunate it is that Republicans waste money attacking one another in primary fights. “The goal of conservatives should be to build up America—not blow up the Republican Party.” He argues that the Club for Growth is a “suicide bomber” and says the group ruined his chances in 2008.
Though its unlikely that anyone at the Club has yet read God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, the group has already vowed to attack the author again if he runs.
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Apart from rooting for injuries, what’s on the agenda for the start of the weekend?
Friday Evening Open Thread: Gravitas & DignityPost + Comments (107)
This post is in: Dog Blogging, Don't Mourn, Organize, Excellent Links, Open Threads, Post-racial America
"i need another toy this one exploded by accident"
RT @Olivianuzzi: @darth pic.twitter.com/9kI7Uzzxmt
— darth™ (@darth) January 8, 2015
Palate cleanser after another nasty week.
On an entirely different topic, from the NYTimes, “Scorch Marks and Questions Linger After N.A.A.C.P. Bombing in Colorado“:
COLORADO SPRINGS — A shadow of char is the only remnant of an improvised bomb that exploded Tuesday outside the local offices of the N.A.A.C.P. here at the feet of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, jolting the volunteers more accustomed to running membership drives and planning prayer breakfasts.
On Thursday, F.B.I. investigators continued trying to unravel the identity and motivation of whoever had set off the makeshift bomb Tuesday morning, a crime that authorities are investigating as a possible bias attack or case of domestic terrorism. The N.A.A.C.P.’s all-volunteer staff here decided to reopen the office, still baffled by an assault that they said seemed to come out of nowhere…
“It’s just astounding to see that somebody would go through all that trouble to hurt somebody who gives turkeys at Thanksgiving,” said Carol Chippey-Rhanes, a volunteer.
The building is tucked into a residential neighborhood on the south side of town, two blocks away from a school that offered its space as a meeting place after the explosion. The chapter has been in the same building for about 30 years, its presence announced by a simple light-blue sign above the front door…
Since the bombing, two volunteers said their thoughts turned to a tense encounter shortly before Christmas, when an angry man had walked into their offices and delivered a disjointed tirade about how the N.A.A.C.P. was not supporting his personal protest against local law enforcement. Volunteers listened to him, and then asked him to leave. They said they reported the interaction to the authorities after the bombing, but had no idea whether there was any connection. Ms. Sanders declined to comment on the incident.
By Thursday morning, volunteers were back at their desks in the small office, making coffee and answering nonstop phone calls: Thank you, we are all doing O.K. A supporter dropped off trays of vegetables and pastries, as well as three bottles of sparkling juice. The president of the group’s Wyoming chapter drove down to offer support and help answer phones. Mr. Allen, the Colorado Springs chapter president, was busy talking to concerned neighbors and coordinating events for Black History Month with two soldiers from a nearby Army base.
The local chapter has been active here in Colorado Springs — which is also home to the N.A.A.C.P.’s state conference — since about 1920. The chapter has spent the past couple of years trying to re-energize itself, Mr. Allen said, increasing its membership from 269 to more than 500 and reaching out to the area’s large Spanish-speaking population.
“We are law-abiding citizens,” Mr. Allen said. “We are not a radical, out-of-control group. We just want everybody to be treated equally.”…
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Apart from doing our best to clean up the broken world, what’s on the agenda for the day?