Saturday Open Thread - 11/23/24: Odds and Ends

Good morning, good people!

Seems a few of you are getting rain in your neck of the woods. I hope it is needed. Here is East Texas, we have a hot weekend, then a cold front for next week. A chilly thanksgiving.

A/C and heat pump both get workouts.

Meanwhile, we have a courthouse security office who acts as bailiff for county court dockets. It is his job to take people's call phones away from them if they go off during court.

Last week, during a long afternoon probate docket, the Judge's phone rang at least 4 times during hearings. He complained from the bench that he turned the sound all the way down.

After court, I had a talk with the officer. I said he should nab a 12 yr old kid. (raised eyebrows.) Take the kid to talk to the Judge. (mouth opened) Have the kid take the Judge's cell phone and show the damn Judge how to set the ring tone on mute. (laughter..."Great idea!") The people waiting to have their case heard would appreciate it. (No kidding!")

Well, this week, I suggested he have "that talk" with the Judge about posters on the entrance doors of the courthouse announcing holiday closures. See, the Thanksgiving poster features a little Pilgrim-dressed baby turkey under a banner saying "Happy Thanksgiving!" Well, somebody clue the judge in that only a crazy baby turkey would enjoy that day. Kids coming in the building might be traumatized. The officer wholeheartedly agreed.

As we move toward a country of more abridgment of our rights, this sense that the border wall is a back door introduction to freedom ending CBDS, would any of us try this to escape?

Ok, ok, my parents were Steve McQueen freaks, passed it right down to me.

Well, the ICC arrest warrants for Bibi and Gallant absolutely marked the US as complicit. Will Biden, Blinken, et. al, ever be put in the docks?

This week, I conducted a mock trial, theft of a white rabbit, neighbor accusing a neighbor of stealing one of her rabbits, for a small group of little kids at a private school in the woods.

My secretary's son was judge, her daughter the defendant. A boy about 10 was the sheriff. Secretary was the crime victim, and also doubled as the witness called for the defense. Dear One was the prosecutor, I was the defense attorney. Fun. Finding a picture of a white rabbit, a sheriff's badge, and judge's wig, and making it a 10 minute show, language directed for 8 yr olds.

I got my "Not Guilty" verdict, but Dear One was a powerful figure. His case was shit. I wrote the script, so, there, Mister! I mean, white rabbits are impossible to tell apart, and rabbits get loose, and a sales person holding up a receipt for the sale of a white rabbit by the defendant is a tough case to beat.

I count approximately 13 home improvement projects in to do my head, 2 got done today. 9 trees, some dead, most way too close to the house, got chopped down and pilled up on the burn pile. I will miss them, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The crepe myrtles growing here and there, thanks to bird poop, keep it all carbon capture even Steven

The following sounds...well, not that good to me, but the lyrics rock it:

Well, this is an open thread, open to whatever topics any of you folks want us to see, cuss, and discuss. Limitless free thinking, the place to say what is on your minds, friends.

Week after week, you amaze me, and make all your friends her so proud!

Let 'er rip!

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War, more war, and then lying politicians, tanking economy, and so on, and so on, and fixate on it, or escape it with walks in the woods, reading a good book, growing a plant, hugging a child, snuggling up to your lover, snuggling up to your pet...It's Saturday!
Your turn!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

Trade day was thin, and I didn't buy a thing. The stroll around the grounds was pleasant, as were the visits with friends. Made a quick run to the grocery and bought a turkey for T-day...$1/pound.

It is a lovely sunny day. It was about 40F this AM, but headed to about 60F. We've still got color on the trees, but the leaves are dropping fast.

I hope TPTB in the West got Putin's message and stop hitting inside Russia. No missile strikes in Russia last night anyway. Sure seems the plan is to create as much chaos as possible before the Don takes the reins.

The Blob managed to get rid of Gaetz, and now have their sights on Tulsi and RFK. We'll see what happens.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and thanks for the OT!

Rabbit story...
This guy comes home from work one day to find his dog with the neighbor’s pet rabbit in his mouth. The rabbit is very dead and the guy panics.
He thinks the neighbors are going to hate him forever, so he takes the dirty, chewed-up rabbit into the house, gives it a bath, blow-dries its fur, and puts the rabbit back into the cage at the neighbor’s house, hoping that they will think the rabbit died of natural causes.
A few days later, the neighbor is outside and asks the guy, “Did you hear that our rabbit died?”
The guy stumbles around and says, “Um.. no.. um.. what happened?”
The neighbor replies, “We just found him dead in his cage one day, but the weird thing is that the day after we buried him we went outside and someone had dug him up, gave the dead rabbit a bath and put him back into the cage. There must be some real sick people out there!”

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout We had to go to the auto parts store for new spark plugs for the SUV, Walmart's for some staples, then home town grocery store for some specialty items from their bakery/deli. A large Folger's 100% Columbian coffee was $16.47 at Walmart. At my local grocer, it is $18.98. The savings just on coffee paid for the fuel cost to drive to WalMart 3 times over. It is a 30 mile round trip.
I am settling in on the situation where we are, in fact, in WWIII. Not so bad, so far. If it does become more heated, I anticipate rationing to happen.
Gas might become both expensive and limited to what a coupon allowance says.
Oh well, it is what it is, we have no say, we have no sway.
Make some music, enjoy the beautiful fall colors, hunker down for winter, and cook up a nice T'Day dinner, dear friend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Enough of the news and fear of what “the wise ones”, ha!, will decide to do next. Heading to the Farmers market this morning so see what goodies can be found. Monday, my sister from Ann Arbor and I are heading on a road trip to Zion National Park where she will rent a bike and we will explore the Zion canyon. It is closed to cars except for the few staying at the lodge so the road is for bikes, hikers and shuttle buses. Should be a blast. Did this last year and looking forward to the beauty of the canyon instead of the news.

Glad your mock trial went well. Always fun the see youngsters in action!

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

earthling1's picture

@jakkalbessie
on a bike.
E2 and I rode the shuttle up to the top of the canyon with our bikes on the front. Then did some hiking up there and rode (coasted mostly) the bikes back down.
We stopped numerous times and pushed our bikes to the river and picnicked and explored.
Fun day!
If you have time, Bryce Canyon is even more awesome.

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7 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@jakkalbessie @jakkalbessie Zion is a wonder, as is Bryce. It has been several decades since I visited. If I ever retire, or get the chance for an extended vacation, it is at or near the top of my list of places to visit.
Maybe this is off-season and you won't have large crowds? It is always more peaceful when kids and college kids are in school.
Well, the time to go is when you can walk, lift, bend, ride a bike, swim, and when a little climbing is not intimidating. It is a testament to your health and fitness, as well as your adventuring spirit, chica!
Go for it, send us some photos!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

.

He mostly hid in his basement because of the ‘Rona', but I don’t remember if she was very active during the campaign. Bueller?

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There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

@snoopydawg but then, I have ignored her and Biden for over 5 years.
I read The Gateway Pundit to get the perspectives of the extremist right wingers. Once past their near KKK ideology and near deny women suffrage, getting into the weeds of MAGA shows they are feeling as betrayed by Trump as we were by Obama. Their reaction to his cabinet picks is much the same as ours was when Obama packed his cabinet with CIA, Big Pharma, and Wall Streeters.
They have a knife in their backs now.
Nobody anywhere is satisfied with our government other than the 1%. We continue to be fooled, herded like docile sheep.
Have a great weekend with Sam! She is my favorite client, chica!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

.

From IM Doc:

It had to happen sooner or later – the level of freak out in these patients has just been something to behold. It appeared to be getting better.

Then today happened –

XX year old woman was found dead in her deceased mother’s home in New York City. GSW to the throat.

Suicide letter written – She could not live in a country controlled by Trump. And not only that – she did it in NYC because she did not want to exit the Earth in a Red State – and did not want to give a Red State the privilege of being her site of exit.

The coroner employee I talked to had a very heavy accent – but he said this was either #15 or #18 – I could not quite make it out.

Think Biden, Kamala or democrats give a damn about pushing people to do this?

Shitlibs have fled the Twit because Elon allows more free speech and have gone to BlueSky which the doc describes as a cult gathering because anyone who goes against the 'Follow the Science' and other woke narratives get dawg piled and they flee for their lives. Might be the same atmosphere as DK echo chambers. Anyone they’re saying that Kamala lost because of the economy are charged with misogyny and racism. Stick to the script or else!

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There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

snoopydawg's picture

@snoopydawg

that it’s okay to cut off your family members if they voted for Trump.

Bill is spot on here, but here’s Joy Reid telling her viewers that they don’t have to spend time with their family members who voted for Trump.

This is why people are dealing with depression and anxiety and even killing themselves.

Thank gawd MSDNC is going to fire a lot of talking heads. Rachel is taking a MASSIVE pay cut to stay on air. $5 million out of her $30 million a year salary.
BTW, MSDNC is being sold too. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch!

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10 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

snoopydawg's picture

@snoopydawg

This is scary. It is leading to severe mental issues in the 20% or so who are still watching this stuff. It is a public menace. And yet nothing is being done to stop them from spewing this kind of stuff online. I am personally and professionally very concerned about this – I am seeing the results in the mental health of my patients. This cannot be good for the bottom line of these companies either. I also find it amazing that these people like Joy Reid are acting out like this – the paranoia of having family turn them in etc – when they were on air nightly spewing hate against the unvaxxed and applauding when the UNVAXXED WERE ACTUALLY BEING TURNED IN AND HAVING THEIR LIVES AND BUSINESSES DESTROYED. As is so often been the case in my life, bullies do not handle things well when the tables are turned.

This is not a formula for a successful media company. I will begin to take MSNBC’s humanity toward their fellow man AND their viewers seriously when people like Joy Reid are fired. But until then – they are going to crater in value. There is no other way.

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10 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

QMS's picture

@snoopydawg
Musk is considering buying MSNBC.
Doing another twit-X maneuver?

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earthling1's picture

@QMS
Will he call it XMSNBC?

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@snoopydawg A shrink/professor saying it is good to isolate from family should not be a dr., should not be on any faculty. That is just dreadful. Uniparty. Uniparty. They are the same, Biden and Trump. Both narcissists.
As for the suicides, in a just society, all media, all politicians, would be held as complicit in murder. We can avoid MSM, we can ignore politicians, we can pursue life, liberty, and happiness if we do so.
What a country, chica.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Dawn's Meta's picture

Pork chop, onion, sweet potato and cider one pan dinner. The only thing I did extra was to brown the chops first with brushed on olive oil. I cooked it all in a large pan on gas burner set very low.

Boy was it good. Mon Mari loved it.

This inspired a whole small chicken butterflied over onions lemon slices and chopped potatoes. I put it all in a metal cake pan protected with foil and set on the Webber between banked coals. Used chicken broth for liquid, Thyme for flavor. Again so so good.

You've got me onto one pan meals. Yum!

The state of the world is fubar. We can only hope some sanity will strike a few who can make the war of nerves and the killing stop.

We had below freezing this week and the first flurries. Our pellet stove/boiler is keeping us warm.

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A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

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@Dawn's Meta The benefit is time and toil, not having 2 or 3 separate dishes cooking at once. If I use really thick pork chops, I sear them in butter. I use a brand of butter that is antibiotic and hormone free.
The chicken dish sounds wonderful!
My (sort of ) one pan chicken dish was chicken strips sauteed in butter, with onion and bell pepper (red, yellow, and green) added, simmered in white wine, a bay leaf or 2, served over rice. Ok, one pan, one pot, both done at close to the same time.
We will have 2 dinners out of this meal: a roast beef, seared in butter, slightly coated with flour the usual salt/pepper/garlic powder, seared, sear onions and carrots, put in a crock pot or roaster, scrape out the bottom of the sauce pan for the "roux",add small yellow potatoes, sweet peas (a/k/a English peas), add red wine to level of contents in the pot. Go take a walk, watch a movie, read a book, eat well for a couple of meals. Crock pot or roast in the over. Your choice.
I know it is ful to make this veggie dish, this entre', etc...but sometimes, the foods you cook separately, then eat together, just might work if cooked together from the get go!
I hope all things are well and good in your part of France, chica.
I haven't been there in a few years. Once outside of Paris, I could actually make friends with locals! Parisians are..."snooty"?
Have a great weekend and your version of Thanksgiving, if you so desire, chica!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

earthling1's picture

I don't know anyone that doesn't know what airplane mode is. Your judge must not fly.
That is a really obscure tune of the Beach Boys I've never heard before. Thanks for that little gem.
A Beatles documentary I watched the other night noted they were heavily influenced by the Beach Boys and in turn the Beach Boys competed with them.
I got a dozen crape myrtles from the Arbor Society (for a small donation) and planted them last spring into 10 gallon containers and 6 are flourishing nicely. Six have not shown any life, but I will give them another spring.
Growing trees is hard. Out of the 70 pines and firs I've planted over the last 3 years, about a quarter have failed.
Cherry trees are doing great, reaching over 12' this year. Peach and apricot are struggling but hanging in there.
Thanks for the OT.

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9 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@earthling1 Several of my crepe myrtles were Arbor Foundation supplied. Every tree I ever got from them lived and thrived.
Birds have helped drop seeds all over the place, and I am lucky they dropped in good spots where they have room and can be easily viewed.
My attempt at peach tree growing was a mess. One year, the first and only yield, fed the neighborhood. For the next 5 years, some time in full bloom, high winds would send those blooms flying. In year 5, I got exactly one peach. I gave up and cut it down. Exactly the same story with my satsuma I bought from a master gardener sale.
With gardening, it's always something!
I did remember hearing the Beach Boy song, probably some late night FM station I listened to back in the day. Somehow, I recall an interview with the Beatles where they did mention the Beach Boys influence. It must have worked both ways.
The judge actually did set his phone to airplane mode, after he had pissed off everybody in the room.
Enjoy your weekend. Btw, what variety of pine tree did you plant?

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

earthling1's picture

@on the cusp
Blue Spruce, Sugar, and one unknown.
The firs are Grand Noble and Douglas
The last three summers have seen unusually scorching temperatures lasting many more days.
It was tough keeping them all hydrated, even with mounds of mulch.

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6 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

farmers' market with more than we went for, as usual. Supervolcano Alert in Europe: Phlegraean Fields Activity Sparks Scientists’ Attention https://sputnikglobe.com/20241123/supervolcano-alert-in-europe-phlegraea... Seems this suckere is rumbling and acting up.

Next week, of course will be hectic here, exacerbated by an infusion eating up a chunk of Tuesday, so a momentary respite is welcome.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris Holy crap! Supervolcano? Worrisome! We take 1 step forward, go 2 steps back, don't we?
We are doing some shopping, trying to get ready to go to Luckenbach for a concert and 3 days at a nearby ranch. Thanksgiving with the roaming deer, gobbling wild turkeys, gorgeous views of the Texas Hill Country.
My SUV needs a spark plug change. We noticed the engine running weird at 45,010 miles. Well, the manual says they need to be changed every 45,000 miles. Pretty damn accurate I'd say. RTFM (read the fucking manual) is Dear One's mantra, until he forgets, of course. Lol!
I hope the infusion goes well, and that Thanksgiving isn't too hectic and crazy.
Thank good care, dear friend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

the military summary channel. Has anybody else found one, or is the host AWOL?

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@enhydra lutris

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris I would like to check that out, pal.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

@on the cusp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUpn6xya1E

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

snoopydawg's picture

People there have to know the death counts in every city in Ukraine. Or they can just drive by a cemetery and see how many graves are there. And our government is insisting that they lower the age limit to 18.

I read the other day that Ukraine is now sending doctors and other medical staff to the front as well as the people who repair the equipment. And then what? Zelensky should be hung by his thumbs until he confesses why he sold the country out after running on making peace with Russia.

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6 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

@snoopydawg to save their country. Man, oh man, the US, Biden in the lead, Nuland infiltrating, caused this.
Those 2 men deserve medals.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981