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Wednesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:25:00 AM EST
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I've got jail visits in the mountains today. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Wednesday Open Thread | 182 comments (182 topical)

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    I'm feeling a little (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:18:29 AM EST
    Over catholiced

    But I trying to go with it.

    I feel the same way... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:16:14 AM EST
    I'm not Catholic, and while I recognize that his visit here is apparently a big deal, I don't know that it warrants the kind of media coverage it's getting.

    Although, it has kept the Trump coverage to a minimum, so there's that.

    Can't wait for Trump to say something offensive about the Pope in order to grab some free airtime.  You know something like that is coming, right?

    Parent

    I just hope he (5.00 / 1) (#111)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:29:20 PM EST
    can get the Congress to move on Climate Change.

    I doubt it though.

    Politicians always genuflect to religious leaders. It makes them look as if they care about something.

    Then they go back to what they were doing.

    Parent

    Up here in PA (none / 0) (#36)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:39:08 AM EST
    it's all Pope all the time.

    Parent
    I have a client who lives in "the zone," (none / 0) (#37)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:45:19 AM EST
    in Philly, and she and her husband are just heading out of town - she told me that if you live in the zone, you can drive out, but you can't drive back in - you'd have to park and walk to your destination, as well as subject yourself to security searches every time you wanted in.

    My firm also has an office in center city Philadelphia, and they are closed on Friday - the DC office is closed today, and has liberal leave in place for tomorrow, with the expectation it may not be much better.

    Aside from the logistical elements, I can't even begin to imagine how much all of this is costing - not just the hard costs of extra security, but the lost business.

    Parent

    When John Paul II came to denver (none / 0) (#88)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:25:13 PM EST
    he said mass in a park near my apartment...I did not leave home all weekend...

    Parent
    Also in New Jersey (none / 0) (#55)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:46:42 PM EST
    Commute to Trenton should be interesting on Friday, not to mention tomorrow with the extra traffic to NYC.

    We get it from both ends.

    Parent

    That's what... (none / 0) (#67)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:20:35 PM EST
    the altar boy said.

    Parent
    I probably shouldn't have laughed at that (none / 0) (#78)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:45:26 PM EST
    OTOH, I did sort of tee it up for you ...

    Parent
    That's what... (none / 0) (#83)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:17:06 PM EST
    US Military Command said to Afghan pedophile rapist allies.

    Parent
    Yes and no (none / 0) (#144)
    by BarnBabe on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 02:18:26 AM EST
    I live in the country area outside of Scranton, in Republican Wayne County. Scranton is very Catholic and very Democratic. I am Catholic as most of my friends here are and all of my friends and family don't go to Church, are Pro Choice, have open views on Homosexuality, and believe heavily on Climate Control. Although we might not be practicing Catholics, we have no desire to be any other religion either. We are all probably better people than most holier than thous in this world. We got the basic rules of what a good person was when we were kids. Many of us came from liberal families. In fact, I never even knew my Father was not Catholic. I think he was some type of Welsh Christian. The reason I did not know was that he was an usher at Mass when we were kids. He use to go out fishing with the Priests on Saturdays on my neighbors yacht. You could hear them coming down the waterway singing their hearts out. A few beers and shots would do that. And if my Mom was ill, he would make sure my brother and I got to Church. My parents had Jewish friends in their mist and that meant nothing to us kids. People were people. It was South Florida where being Jewish meant that you were not allowed in some country clubs or condos. And this was in the 60's. The thing is, when you get those strong personal values when you are a child, you don't need to be reminded of them every Sunday. When asked if I was Catholic over the last many years, I would reply yes but that I am not really proud of the abuse of little boys and very unhappy about the cover up. We are proud of this Pope so far. Doesn't mean we will do an about face but it does mean we have watched his arrival and are keeping up with the Pope news. Not an obsession, but an interest.

    My boyfriend came over yesterday and he said that on his way to the doctors, there were traffic delay signs due to Pope's visit on RTE I 81. We are just over 2 hrs to Philly. They were selling plates and cups on HSN this past weekend. So my guy with a good sense of humor wanted to know if I had ordered the Pope's Bobble Head Doll. I had to laugh at that one.

    Parent

    welcome (5.00 / 4) (#14)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:28:29 AM EST
    To my adolescence.

    Parent
    Have to disagree (none / 0) (#22)
    by jbindc on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:08:34 AM EST
    Nice actually hearing about someone who is a positive force in the world.

    That, and it's a nice change from hearing about religion being so bad by people who think they're smarter than everyone else.

    Parent

    Ahh yes (5.00 / 3) (#26)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:27:14 AM EST
    Those oppressive athiests always trying to influence federal policy tell other people how to live their lives.

    All 13% of them, completely unrepresented in government.

    I'm sure it's very annoying.  Like being told you have no moral code and that you are going to burn in hell.

    Parent

    Had a conversation with a (5.00 / 3) (#30)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:57:30 AM EST
    Catholic co-worker this morning, who asked if it was possible for people who aren't raised with religious education or exposure to have a moral code.

    I looked at her and said, "so, do you think, then, that religion has a monopoly on principle, and that atheists can't be good people?"

    That one kind of stumped her.  And having to ask it irritated me.

    We have not raised our children with much in the way of religion - although they were both baptized, confirmed and married in the Episcopal Church, we aren't church-goers.  But I think my children know right from wrong, they have compassion and good hearts, excellent work ethic, are good parents themselves, they have principles that guide them.  They learned those things from us, from their teachers, from their life experiences - things we are all a product of.  

    So to wonder how someone who doesn't believe, or who isn't part of a religious community, can be as good a person as someone who does, is maybe one of my beefs with organized religion.

    Parent

    Yea (5.00 / 3) (#35)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:16:34 AM EST
    I mean, I get that there are plenty of loud annoying athiests who think religious people are stupid.  Shoot, I had a sister who converted to Islam out of that community - talk about exploding heads.  There are also lots of racist black people.

    But complaining about the athiests misses, IMO, the inherent power balance in this country, and the fact that it is still has a major impact on policy.

    And yea, I've heard them all.

    Parent

    Being a member (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:49:38 AM EST
    of a couple of different atheist organizations, I found atheists, generally, have better ethics than believers. I've been recognized at my work for my ethical behavior vis-a-vis a particular software vendor.

    Parent
    Atheist have no book to (none / 0) (#47)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:23:24 PM EST
    To thumb through seeking justifiable loopholes :) And no after life either, just their conscience and a firm knowledge that if they screw this life up they are an abject failure :)

    Parent
    IMO... (none / 0) (#56)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:47:24 PM EST
    ...forgiveness gives bad behavior an out.  It's why the worse of the worse usually find jesus right before they are executed, so they can be forgiven and admitted into a place that doesn't have room for me.

    Human beings know what is right or wrong for the most part, especially when it comes to violence and theft.

    Parent

    Always amazes me (none / 0) (#79)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:48:56 PM EST
    ... that some religious people think they have a monopoly on morals and ethics.  Particularly given the history of organized religion and the hypocrisy of so many who profess to follow their choice of religion.

    Parent
    Self proclaimed (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by MKS on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:33:51 PM EST
    atheists are among the most honest and moral people that I have met.  To go through the process of deciding that one is an atheist and to then call oneself an atheist openly--especially in this country--requires a rigorous honesty.

     

    Parent

    Or a serious (5.00 / 1) (#116)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:35:35 PM EST
    Don't give a sh!t attitude.   Experience speaking here.

    Parent
    Well..... (5.00 / 1) (#147)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:44:25 AM EST
    as a former sailor, biker etc. my morals have been called in question more than once, but my ethics are above reproach.

    Parent
    It seems there are 3 ways (none / 0) (#80)
    by Natal on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:56:38 PM EST
    to get knowledge:
    1. Historical records, religion, enlightened sages, family and cultural traditions.
    2. Personal experience
    3. Scientific research

    All are valuable.

    Parent
    Speaking for myself only, ... (none / 0) (#93)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:46:38 PM EST
    ... my own Roman Catholic faith aside, I do believe that a person can live his or her life with the utmost of moral authority and integrity, without being at all religious.

    Conversely, I know a lot of people who are overtly religious to a fault. They sure have all the trappings and buzzwords down, and they'll often go to great lengths to ensure that you know that. Yet not surprisingly, their own peculiar concepts of morality and integrity often prove to be vastly different from my own.

    "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do," Susan B. Anthony once observed, "because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." We would all do well to heed Ms. Anthony's admonition, and be similarly wary of heeding the siren call of such religious hucksters -- or, as Al Franken once irreverently called it, back in the days when he wasn't nearly so serious and senatorial, "The Gospel of Supply-Side Jesus."

    Jesus Christ himself urges us to eschew any ostentatious displays or claims of personal piety (Matthew 6:1-18), which he correctly surmises has much more to do with wanting to impress one's fellow man, than with any real desire to actually seek the Lord's true favor.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I have been (none / 0) (#118)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:50:29 PM EST
    reading, "Zealot" - which talks about the "historical Jesus".

    He makes a distinction, as I read it, between the teachings and life of the man, and the religion founded by Paul.

    I have been inspired by the former, and not particularly drawn to the latter.

    It is apparent that almost every religion can be and has been used to justify total annihilation of people they consider to be non-believers. Including "everything that breathes".

    So, no. I do not look to religion to instruct me in morality. I look to people whose lives are inspirational - learn from that - and identify with them as best I can.

    Parent

    Zealot is a great book (none / 0) (#166)
    by MKS on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:59:41 PM EST
    The author summarizes really well much of the current scholarship about the Historical Jesus.

    I liked Crossan very much, but he could go on....

    Parent

    I Read It As... (none / 0) (#52)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:43:21 PM EST
    ... a christian voice that isn't Kim Davis Inc.  IOW not a hate filled, blaming some group, for their perceived problems.   Not a GD evangelic.


    Parent
    I wouldn't call myself an atheist (none / 0) (#62)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:05:41 PM EST
    more like a gnostic a-theist, but "religious" literalists, authoritarians, and revenge-minded punishment freaks have done their damndest to utterly discredit and destroy religion all on their own without much help from atheists.

    Parent
    I Don't Really Know... (none / 0) (#85)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:34:19 PM EST
    ...what I am, but I know I am not.

    And I think that is what JB was alluding to, it's nice to have someone give her religion a good name for a change.  And I don't think she is alone.

    When I was growing up, everyone went to church, but no one talked about god outside of church.   Everyone was a christian, I thought, and they taught me all the good stuff in Sunday school, love and respect.

    I never knew how much god hated people until I moved to the south.  Really.  

    I am not even religious, I think of people like my grandmas who were deeply religious, but never talked about, and how hurt they would be by the evangelical infiltration into what for most people, I believe, is a pretty benign and personal matter.  And I think a lot of people are getting sick of people associating their religion with the haters, aka Kim Davis Inc.

    Parent

    Actually thinking of (none / 0) (#165)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:55:45 PM EST
    People like Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, some bloggers, and even several commented here.

    All individuals who are not only NOT smarter than the rest of us, but are also strident and sometimes plain offensive too, especially when talking about other people's religious beliefs.

    Since I never said some atheists can't be good moral people (just like some religious people are), you built a really nice strawman there. Bravo.  But if we're being honest, let's include those atheists who are just loud a$$holes who like to yell a lot - and try to make fun of those with other beliefs.

    I stand by my statement - it's nice too see lots of coverage about someone who is a positive force in the world, and happens to be the leader of a billion people.  So much better than Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and yes, anyone on MSNBC, FOX, etc.

    Parent

    I knew who you were thinking of (none / 0) (#168)
    by CST on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 01:03:50 PM EST
    And I never said that was your opinion of athiests.  But you seem to have missed my point (hint, it's clearer in my later comment).

    It's about power.  And complaining about those with no power and how you find some of them offensive is incredibly tone deaf.

    But yea, this pope seems great.

    Parent

    I agree that it's nice to hear (5.00 / 2) (#28)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:44:00 AM EST
    the positive messages that should have meaning for all people, regardless of their religion or lack thereof: that we're all on this planet together and we need to take better care of each other, and of our planet.

    As for hearing about religion being so bad, we know where most of that comes from, but I think most of us understand that it isn't - necessarily - the religion that's bad, it's the people who purport to interpret and represent it.  And those who insist that the rest of us live by what their religion dictates.

    But the reality is that there are people who will see the Pope as trying to "tell us what to do," and between the Spanish-language mass and the speeches to the Congress and the UN, I think there's going to be a mini-tidal wave of anger and resentment coming from the usual quarters.

    I guess my problem is that I pretty much hate the media.

    Parent

    Yes... (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:55:28 AM EST
    some of us don't need promises of paradise after the grave to behave ourselves, we're good for goodness' sake.

    Parent
    As I read it, (none / 0) (#119)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:54:47 PM EST
    J.C. was talking about the potential of paradise here on Earth.

    The after the grave stuff was a twist given to his teachings later on.

    (imo)

    Parent

    Jesus did not speak with such limitation (none / 0) (#131)
    by christinep on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:52:28 PM EST
    You may want to re-look ... particularly, when Jesus refers to his Father in Heaven, etc. and when he himself introduced to his disciples discussion of his resurrection to come.

    While I'm certainly not a Biblical historian, I do think that there is significant statements about life beyond earth as well...words attributed to Jesus himself.

    Parent

    Right... (none / 0) (#148)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:45:23 AM EST
    ...isn't hell a creation of the medieval days, namely Dante's Inferno, which translates to Dante's Hell.

    Parent
    Jesus, (none / 0) (#157)
    by lentinel on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:42:29 AM EST
    according to the scholar who wrote "Zealot", Reza Aslan, referred to himself as "Son of Man" not the "Son of God" - which was a designation that was given to him by others years after his crucifixion.

    Another interesting tidbit, to me, is that the trip laid upon the Jewish people, that they are the ones who killed the Lord, is bogus, unwarranted, unjust, and historically impossible.

    He details how it was the Romans - and Pontius Pilate in particular, who routinely sent people to the cross. Pilate was a merciless hanging judge.

    There is no basis, according to Aslan, to the notion that Pilate would ask the Jews whom they would like to spare.

    Pilate spared nobody.

    A very interesting read - which makes sense to me.
    It's well documented - and he is very careful to list his sources - chapter and verse - from contemporary historians as well as Biblical ones.

    Parent

    One line of thought (5.00 / 1) (#167)
    by MKS on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 01:03:38 PM EST
    is that the Gospel Writers were reacting to the defeat of the Jewish rebels in 66 C.E.   Trying to make nice with Rome because the opposite was not good for your health.

    Parent
    When asking Peter ... (none / 0) (#160)
    by christinep on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 11:47:12 AM EST
    "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered "You are the Christ." Further, from Jesus (per Biblical translation) is his reply to Peter that (paraphrase) that knowledge is given to him by the Father (God) and not learned from Man (at the time.)  The point: While there are many scholars--acclaimed and/or professed--of the Bible, it does appear that the historical narrative, from early on, displays Jesus' awareness that he was both Son of Man and Son of God.

    If you want to read further, you might want to start with the Old Testament and the concepts/realities surrounding the gospel narratives that constitute the Bible accepted by the vast majority of scholars.  In that regard, consider the chronological timetable in years--e.g., when Mark's narrative, Luke's gospel, Matthew's telling, and then John's narrative were written as well as their relationship with Jesus and early apostles, disciples.  Yes, St. Paul, as a gifted speaker & leader, interpreted and expanded years later ... and throughout history, in explanation and study, new slants and focus drive the narrative.  In later years, there are revisionists who dispute this that and the other.

    What I am trying to say is that anyone can pick a later writer or interpreter or essayist or author and concur or not.  Remember, tho, that the Bible is given to a variety of interpretations over the centuries.  The gist, however, can be found in the historically early and contemporaneous (fairly contemporaneous) Four Gospels to which I alluded.  In each of those Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles following, the fact that Jesus spoke as the Son of God is difficult to dispute.  Difficult to dispute even in the midst of parables therein and the reality of the then Jewish law concerning what would befall anyone calling himself God (that is, the legal ramifications had a role in the use of language during Jesus' lifetime.)

    For some reason, I think that you might be interested in reading the Bible's New Testament as well as the historical allusions throughout the narratives.  Even taken as an early written epic, the structure and the telling are remarkable from a literary point of view.  Plus: The teachings of Jesus, of course, transcend a hidebound society then (and now) by extolling a universal goodness ... and, that comes through in the aspect of Jesus as Man (as well as the spiritual belief in Jesus as part of God in the divine Trinity.)

    Parent

    FWIW, the Power Craven Pontius Pilate... (none / 0) (#169)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 03:39:04 PM EST
    ...was going to let Jesus live, at least according to a documentary I saw, but the people demanded he die, so Pontius Pilate obliged the masses.  Obviously I don't know or care.

    Also, he makes an appearance in popular Rolling Stones Song, Sympathy for the Devil:

    Please allow me to introduce myself
    I'm a man of wealth and taste
    I've been around for a long, long year
    Stole many a man's soul and faith
    And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
    Had his moment of doubt and pain
    Made damn sure that Pilate
    Washed his hands and sealed his fate

    Pleased to meet you
    Hope you guess my name
    But what's puzzling you
    Is the nature of my game


    Parent
    This made me lol (none / 0) (#170)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 03:56:32 PM EST
    Please no offense, I do the same thing.  But I lol when "documentary" and Rolling Stones get dropped into a religious discussion.

    But for folks like us, well, you take your information where you find it.

    I have one!

    And again, please, no offense intended by this.

    When the Pope was announced this morning to the joint session he was announced as "The Pope if the Holy See"

    Something I have always wondered about.  

    We have all heard this-

    When the Jews return to Zion
    And a comet rips the sky
    And the Holy Roman Empire rises,
    Then You and I must die.
    From the eternal sea he rises,
    Creating armies on either shore,
    Turning man against his brother
    `Til man exists no more.

    My question was why is such pains taken to explain the "sea" in the poem is the world of politics and not the more, at least to me, obvious "Holy See"

    So I started googling and I learned that the thing, supposedly from the book of revelations, is really not.  Apparently it was written by a screen writer.

    Just a cautionary tale abut mixing popular fiction and ancient myth.

    Parent

    None Taken (5.00 / 1) (#171)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 05:32:39 PM EST
    I only included the stones thing cause I really like the lyrics, more than the actual song and it's not often I get to drop a Pontius Pilate song lyric.

    But should the name surface again, expect the same drop, ditto for Anastasia.

    I am curious, if you lol when "documentary" and Rolling Stones get dropped into a religious discussion, exactly how often does that happen, and who in the hell are you hanging out with.

    Parent

    My contribution to the clash of art and religion: (none / 0) (#177)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 07:08:36 PM EST
    The Pope Smokes Dope - David Peel but without his old band, the Lower East Side


    Parent
    That (none / 0) (#179)
    by lentinel on Fri Sep 25, 2015 at 05:37:15 AM EST
    has been the conventional wisdom for eons.

    But it seems as if it is a fabricated story to take the onus off of the Romans - to make them look good and the Jews look terrible.

    I suggest you read "Zealot". There is ample documentation therein suggesting what was a politically correct alteration of facts to suit those in power.

    He details that Pilate never let anyone live - and that at that time, Jesus was considered to be just another trouble-maker among many. Pilate would hardly have taken the time to ask a crowd their preferences.

    Parent

    First... (none / 0) (#182)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Sep 25, 2015 at 01:59:24 PM EST
    ...I would actually have to believe biblical jesus was real person.  I was just regurgitating something I saw.

    Parent
    I Agree 100%... (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:39:12 PM EST
    ...and I am in no way religious, it is nice to hear a christian leader not talking about how gay people are destroying the world or that muslims are the GD devils.

    Beyond the religious aspect, anyone who many admire/respect speaking about making the world a better place without bombs and prisons gets a thumbs up from me.

    Parent

    That'll be .. (none / 0) (#54)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:43:45 PM EST
    ... 10 Hail Marys and 3 Our Fathers.

    Parent
    Feeling a little sad (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:56:27 AM EST
    about Yogi having departed this world... although if anyone's spirit will continue to live on, it's his.

    The NYTimes - in its lead about Yogi,  says:

    One of baseball's greatest characters and a mainstay on 10 Yankees championship teams, Berra may have been best known for his bumbling yet wise way with words.

    I wouldn't call any of his phrases, "Nobody goes there. It's too crowded", or "It ain't over 'til it's over", or "When you come to a fork in the road, take it"...or what fishcamp posted below about what he said about where he wanted to be buried, "I don't know. Surprise me"...

    Nothing he said could I possibly describe as "bumbling".
    To me his formulations are highly intelligent - expressing something that cannot be expressed in any other way.

    I find his expressions to be poetic - and I find myself using them frequently because there is no other way to say those things.

    Sigh.

    I am sad as well (none / 0) (#20)
    by ragebot on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:04:37 AM EST
    Yogi was a true gem.

    I suspect some of those bashing him based their claims of his lack of smarts more on his delivery than what he was saying.

    Classic mistake of putting form over function.

    Parent

    Mets Magic Number 6... (5.00 / 3) (#19)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:03:04 AM EST
    Thank you Baltimore.

    Let's wrap up this division title for Yogi, who last stepped up to the plate as a NY Met in 1965 as a curtain call cameo while serving as coach under the fellow potent quotable Casey Stengel.  Coached first base for the 1969 Championship team.  Replaced Gil Hodges as manager when Gil passed during spring training 1972.  While the 1973 Mets struggled and found themselves in last place at midseason, Yogi famously said "It ain't over till it's over" and proceeded to lead the team from the cellar all the way to the World Series, defeating the Big Red Machine in the NLCS before falling just short of a title, losing to Oakland in 7.   Then in 1986, he witnessed the Mets miraculous victory over the Astros in the NLCS while serving as bench coach for Houston.

    "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be."

    - Yogi Berra, RIP

    Cubs magic number is 3! (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by caseyOR on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:26:07 PM EST
    Can you believe it, 3? This all seems too good to be true. And yesterday Jake Arrieta became the first pitcher this year to win 20 games. Kris Bryant broke the Cubs record for most home runs by a rookie, a record that was set in the early '60s, with homer #26 in yesterday's game.

    Wrigleyville is a fantasy-come-true-land this season.

    Hang in there, Cubbies.

    Parent

    Very happy for you and ruffian... (none / 0) (#49)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:31:21 PM EST
    unless/until we face off in the NLCS, then the hell with yas;)

    Parent
    If a Cubs-Mets game happens (none / 0) (#50)
    by caseyOR on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:34:40 PM EST
    I urge you, nay beg you, to watch the game at the ballpark. Not on TV, but at the ballpark.

    Please, dog, do that for me.

    Parent

    LOL... (none / 0) (#63)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:06:27 PM EST
    I'm in a real pickle if free playoff tickets find their way to me Case...going is bad juju, surely selling the tickets is worse juju, I guess I'd have to re-gift them to somebody who isn't walking talking k.o.d.

    Parent
    I'll happily stand in the front of the kdog line (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by CoralGables on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:15:25 PM EST
    for free WS tickets.

    Parent
    Yes - for me too!!!! (none / 0) (#89)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:27:44 PM EST
    We need our avatar there!

    Parent
    At this point, the Orioles, while (none / 0) (#25)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:26:51 AM EST
    not technically out of contention but with their destiny not entirely in their own control, may have to settle for playing the role of spoiler.

    We have two more games with the Nats, so maybe you can be a short-term O's fan for two more days!

    Parent

    Indeed I will.... (none / 0) (#29)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:50:08 AM EST
    oddly enough, my three cousins from NJ are hardcore Orioles fans.  I woke up to a message from one of them simply stating "You're welcome".

    I think it's because of beautiful Camden Yards and Cal Ripken Jr's consecutive games streak, which both occurred as they came of baseball age.  Their old man bleeds orange and blue as I and the rest of the extended clan do, they went their own way.

    Parent

    It's nice to know you are all Gator fans (none / 0) (#32)
    by CoralGables on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:11:36 AM EST
    Their old man bleeds orange and blue as I and the rest of the extended clan do

    :)

    Parent

    Heaven forbid... (none / 0) (#43)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:57:27 AM EST
    Seminoles baby, I lived in tally for awhile.  F*ck Rubio;)

    Parent
    My friend Joe Breeze (5.00 / 6) (#44)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:58:38 AM EST
    ...is a world renowned bicycle designer.  He got his start in 1977 when I asked him if he could build me a bike for this new "sport" we had come up with, racing fat-tire bikes off-road down a steep hill.  The first of the ten bikes that he designed and built for this purpose is now in the collection of the Smithsonian.  The second, which belongs to me, is in the collection of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  These bikes represent the first of what became a worldwide wave of mountain biking, and represent the beginning of the most important cycling development of the 20th Century.  Only 20 years after a few of us gathered for the first competition on these bikes, it became an Olympic sport.

    Joe and I just spent a week together at the Interbike international bicycle trade show in Las Vegas.  While we were there he let it slip that his company was going to present Pope Francis with a special bike.

    Today the announcement was made public    .  Pope Francis has a custom commemorative bike from Breezer Bikes, and in honor of the presentation another 100 bicycles have been given to the city of Philadelphia for use in a public bicycle program.

    Joe was instrumental in helping me compile the definitive account of the birth of the new cycling sport, which we now call "mountain biking," and wrote the foreword.

    I love this story - thanks for sharing! (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:17:50 PM EST
    I also love the donation of the bikes for the bike program.

    These kinds of bike-sharing programs seem to be gaining ground around the country - good for the environment, and assuming one wears a helmet and rides carefully, good for one's health.

    I expect Pope Francis will love this, too!

    Parent

    How did we miss this? (5.00 / 1) (#86)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:50:50 PM EST
    Saudi Arabia has been chosen to head a UN Human Rights panel.

    Yes, you read that correctly.

    Not only has Saudi Arabia executed more than 100 people already this year mostly by beheading (a rate of 1 execution every two days), and not only is it serially flogging dissidents, but it is reaching new levels of tyrannical depravity as it is about to behead and then crucify the 21-year-old son of a prominent regime critic, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was convicted at the age of 17 of engaging in demonstrations against the government.

    Most of the world may be horrified at the selection of Saudi Arabia to head a key U.N. human rights panel, but the U.S. State Department most certainly is not. Quite the contrary: they seem quite pleased about the news.

    An exchange follows with a representative from the State Department, in which the SD guy seems, well, a tad uncomfortable.

    As he should be.  As we all should be.

    Can't speak for anyone else, but this makes zero sense to me.

    The Saudis (none / 0) (#122)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:09:02 PM EST
    appear to have been given a pass re: 9/11 imo.

    Now they're honorary Human Rightniks.

    Could oil $$$$$$$ have anything to do with it?

    Parent

    Volkswagen (5.00 / 3) (#117)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:47:26 PM EST
    I can't even wrap my head around the crisis they are facing.  They installed software that could detect when emissions testing was happening and made the diesel engines run cleaner.

    This was discovered because California would not OK the car until Volkswagen could explain why cars were testing 30-40 times cleaner on the emission machine than in the field.

    The CEO, Martin Winterkorn, stepped down today.

    Winterkorn, 68, was Volkswagen (VLKAY) CEO for eight years. The German company, which also owns the Audi and Porsche brands, had just achieved his long-standing goal of overtaking Toyota (TM) to become the biggest automaker three years ahead of target.

    But his position had looked increasingly precarious since the scandal broke Friday, when U.S. regulators said the company had deliberately programmed some 500,000 diesel-powered vehicles to emit lower levels of harmful gases in official tests than on the roads.

    The crisis escalated Tuesday when Volkswagen revealed it had found significant emissions discrepancies in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.

    Winterkorn, an engineer and former head of Audi, said he was stunned by the scale of the misconduct, and was accepting responsibility to clear the way for a "fresh start" for the company.

    LINK

    The idea that the CEO did not know about this to me is absolutely absurd.

    Stock September 17th - $167
    Close yesterday -$111

    It such a blast that BMW has dropped 10%, even General motors was down around 10%.

    This is insane, a manufacturer developing software to purposely avoid emissions regulations.  I can't see how they survive, the have already set aside billions to replace motors, and the number of cars that are sitting on lots that can't be sold because they don't meet emissions requires in most countries.

    They have already said when they replace engines they will less powerful in order to meet regulations.  I would be so pissed if I owned one, polluting 30-40 times more than advertised, and the solution is replacing the engine with a less powerful one.

    As Dog is my witness (5.00 / 4) (#132)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 07:06:25 PM EST
    The next time I hear an idiot talking head marveling that Joe Bidens poll numbers are soooo high and " he's not even in the race !!!!!"

    I will do violence against my tv.

    His numbers are high BECAUSE HES NOT IN THE RACE YU STUPID OVERPAID MORON

    It's DeJaVu all over again -- (2.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Uncle Chip on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:03:30 AM EST
    Investigators Find Emails Hillary Clinton Said Were Erased

    F.B.I. investigators have recovered work-related and personal emails that Hillary Rodham Clinton said had been deleted from the server that housed the personal account she used exclusively when she was secretary of state ....

    Mrs. Clinton and her lawyer have said that the server's contents were deleted last year after her aides determined which emails were personal and which were work-related and should be provided to the State Department.

    In March, a House committee asked Mrs. Clinton to give the server to a third party to determine whether she had turned over all of the work-related emails.

    Mrs. Clinton's lawyer, David E. Kendall, said in response to the request that there was no reason to hand over the server because there was nothing on it.

    It was not clear whether the entire trove of roughly 60,000 emails had been found on the server, but one official said it had not been very hard for the F.B.I. to recover the messages.
    So what? (5.00 / 4) (#33)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:11:36 AM EST
    She had the right to delete whatever, in her judgment, she thought appropriate - we've all seen the State Department's policies on this.  

    But I guess all the panty-sniffers and peeping Toms are breathless with the anticipation of finally finding something really juicy, and everyone and their uncle wants the opportunity to paw through her e-mails and substitute their own judgment for hers.  

    Yeah, that seems like a great use of time and media attention.

    ::rolling eyes::

    Parent

    Dead (5.00 / 4) (#34)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:15:46 AM EST
    equine alert! Grab your beating sticks!

    Parent
    Don't you dare touch that dead horse! (none / 0) (#72)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:30:30 PM EST
    It's Uncle Chip's. Finders, keepers.

    Parent
    Actually (none / 0) (#113)
    by Uncle Chip on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:32:22 PM EST
    It's Ed Klein's dead horse --

    `Call off your f- -king dogs!' Hillary rages at Obama

    An enraged Hillary Rodham Clinton blew up at President Obama, demanding he "call off your f-king dogs" looking into her emails during a tense Oval Office meeting, according to a new book.

    His book due out next week.

    But thanks anyway

    Parent

    LOL! Are you effin serious? (5.00 / 1) (#123)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:41:24 PM EST
    You're really too much, you know that? Ed Klein is nothing but a hack right-wing gossipmonger who, for some obscure reason, was totally enamored with Jackie Kennedy, but that's completely beside the point.

    Right now, Klein's also presently claiming on Newsmax that President Obama has approached former Massachusetts Gov. Duval Patrick about running as Joe Biden's running mate. The guy has no absolutely credibility in reputable journalistic circles, which is hardly surprising given that he's long been a favorite of right-wing radio squawkaholics.

    The title of Klein's forthcoming public dump is "Unlikeable: The Problem with Hillary," and it's being promoted heavily by Newsmax as a sequel to his book "The Truth About Hillary."

    I'm sure a dedicated wingbat such as yourself has also read that one, right? In it, the author claimed among other things, that Chelsea Clinton was conceived through an act of forcible marital rape in the Bahamas, and that Hillary Clinton was likely a closeted lesbian.

    I think that pretty much sums up in a nutshell where Ed Klein's coming from. Therefore, it's really not at all surprising that a dedicated know-nothing like you would gravitate to it, as does a fly to a decaying corpse.

    Please call us when you finally sober up.

    Parent

    It's great to see these guys (5.00 / 1) (#128)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:29:40 PM EST
    Fresh from a circle jerk at newsmax or where ever come to places like this blog with pearls of wisdom like quoting Ed Freakin Klein, which no doubt gets oooos and ahhhhhs at his other hangouts, drop like turds in a punch bowl when exposed to people who have actual brains.
    It always gives you a peek into their world.
    Here's another peek.

    THE NUCLEAR OPTION: POPE FRANCIS THREATENS LEGACY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II, RONALD REAGAN

    It's helps to see what they say to each other if you want to understand how they can post a comment like the one above and, one assumes, expect to be taken seriously.
    Let's be clear.
    I am not on the Pope love bus.  I like him.  He is clearly light years better than what we have had in the past which is IMO a pretty low bar.  But the stuff about today about threatened religious freedom in this country, canonizing a saint.  Really?

    Anyway suffice to say I am among those who would welcome some sanity and grounded criticism amid today's hysteria.
    That said.
    Read that post I linked to.  Even better read the comments.

    The enemy of my enemy is in this case at least, my friend.

    Parent

    Thanx for the 5 ga6th (none / 0) (#133)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 07:09:59 PM EST
    Where you been?

    Do me a favor clue these folks in to how long I have been saying Jeb would not be the nominee, ever, and Donald was serious.

    There seems to be a problem with either memory or reading comprehension with some.


    Parent

    You have (5.00 / 3) (#145)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 06:02:35 AM EST
    been saying for quite a while that Trump will be the GOP nominee.

    I have been in Key Largo for three or four days. I thought about Fishcamp and Keys Dan while I was down there. LOL.

    So while I was on vacation Scott Walker quit. Maybe I should test the waters and go on vacation again and see who else will quit. LOL.

    Parent

    Hope you enjoyed (none / 0) (#146)
    by CoralGables on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:04:04 AM EST
    the tropics that we call home.

    Lucky for you the temps weren't in the mid 90's all week. We've had a break. It's Autumn and now only the high 80's. Hope you enjoyed your stay, and in keeping with this thread's music them, returned home humming a little one hit wonder by Bertie Higgins

    Parent

    Oh, my (none / 0) (#162)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:22:39 PM EST
    it was hot. For us anyway. It felt like July here in Atlanta. Not too bad at the ocean but walking around Key West we were drenched in sweat. Even the restaurant we ate lunch at had no A/C.

    But we did have a really nice time and thank you for asking.

    Parent

    Welcome back (none / 0) (#150)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 09:15:03 AM EST
    and thanks for the support.

    However to be very clear, which seems necessary, being "serious" and being the nominee are not precisely the same thing.

    I am not willing to say he will be the nominee.  Yet.  But he is serious a a heart attack.  He is having and will continue to have very serious and long lasting effects on the political world..  To be more clear (again) he will never be president.  Never.

    Neither will Jeb!  

    At this moment I would bet my next paycheck Donald has more of a chance of being the nominee than Jeb!.

    Neither will be president.


    Parent

    Nominee (5.00 / 1) (#151)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 09:24:56 AM EST
    I am beginning to believe it might be equally possible we will go all the way to the convention without a nominee.  Which would be a gift from the election gods for people like me.

    A brokered convention..  Freakin WOW.

    they would no doubt use every dirty back room trick in and out if the book. to shut Donald out and then fasten yer seatbelts.


    Parent

    At (5.00 / 1) (#155)
    by FlJoe on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:17:15 AM EST
    this time a brokered convention does seem like a distinct possibility, probably the only Chance Jeb has. I just don't see Trump growing his support much past the 25-30% he has now and the other two leaders Carly and Carson do not seems to be real threats in the long run.

    Sooner or later the politicians  and more importantly the big money boys will have to coalesce around a real "politician". My gut feeling keeps telling me Rubio could make a decent run at it.

    We should remember that the four months remaining
    until the first contests is a virtual political eternity and we are only now moving from the silly season into the real nitty-gritty of the campaign wars.

    Parent

    Don't disagree with any of that (none / 0) (#156)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:38:38 AM EST
    But for the 'establishment" types who think they will just be able to shut Donald out with the usual crappola I have three words.

    Winter is coming.

    You think ice zombies are scary?  Wait till you get a load of Trump zombies.

    Parent

    The (none / 0) (#158)
    by FlJoe on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 11:08:36 AM EST
    "establishment" has been dismayed that they have lost all leverage with a big percentage of the voting base. The media enablers have been constantly flummoxed by Trumps almost supernatural ability to manipulate them.

    Right now the anti-Trumpers got to be hoping that the big money boys will come through and spend him out of the top spot with the media cheering them on.

    It's going to be fun to watch that's for sure.

    Parent

    The (none / 0) (#159)
    by FlJoe on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 11:08:36 AM EST
    "establishment" has been dismayed that they have lost all leverage with a big percentage of the voting base. The media enablers have been constantly flummoxed by Trumps almost supernatural ability to manipulate them.

    Right now the anti-Trumpers got to be hoping that the big money boys will come through and spend him out of the top spot with the media cheering them on.

    It's going to be fun to watch that's for sure.

    Parent

    I frankly (none / 0) (#163)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:34:03 PM EST
    can't imagine who will be the nominee. I don't know if it will be Trump or not either.

    I suppose Jeb could end up being the nominee simply by outlasting everybody else and Trump goes down somewhere along the line but as of this point it looks like Jeb is a sure general election loser and I'm not sure he can turn that around.

    Trump has developed minions. I have never seen anything like it before. Now his minions are set on taking Carly down. The talk radio crowd seems to think that Carly was instructed by the GOP establishment to take Trump down in the last debate. Well, now the minions are after her talking about how she donated to Hillary and what she has said about Hillary in the past and how she's not a "real conservative". I'm guessing this is going to work since the minions went to work on Jeb and did some pretty good damage.

    Parent

    I am envious (none / 0) (#172)
    by sj on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 05:45:33 PM EST
    of the minions. I would really like some of my own.

    Parent
    Here ya' go (5.00 / 1) (#178)
    by Zorba on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:12:19 PM EST
    Minions.
    ;-)

    Parent
    Careful (none / 0) (#173)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 05:47:09 PM EST
    They tend to get ambitious and want their own movie.

    Parent
    I would (none / 0) (#175)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 05:55:39 PM EST
    love to have some of my own too :)

    Parent
    It's fascinating (5.00 / 3) (#41)
    by mm on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:55:52 AM EST
    how the NY Times writes the headline, as though to imply that Secretary Clinton lied about deleting the emails.

    When in fact they were deleted.  The story indicates that the FBI recovered the deleted emails.

    Now that they can no longer attack her for "wiping" the server, and any geek expert can recover what was deleted, this hack at the NY Times wants people to believe that Secretary Clinton lied about deleting them.

    Read the opening paragraph and tell me this reporter isn't deliberately trying to mislead.

    WASHINGTON -- F.B.I. investigators have recovered work-related and personal emails that Hillary Rodham Clinton said had been deleted from the server that housed the personal account she used exclusively when she was secretary of state, according to two government officials.


    Parent
    The (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:47:59 PM EST
    Clinton rules rule at the NYT

    Parent
    Challenged by the Washington Post story (none / 0) (#58)
    by bison on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:52:27 PM EST
    What I read in the WP article was that State Department did not request her emails until Oct 2014.  There was no prior request for all her emails.
     "In the process of responding to congressional document requests pertaining to Benghazi, State Department officials recognized that it had access to relatively few email records from former Secretary Clinton," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement e-mailed to The Washington Post. "State Department officials contacted her representatives during the summer of 2014 to learn more about her email use and the status of emails in that account."
    Kirby added that the agency then recognized "that we similarly did not have extensive email records from prior Secretaries of State and therefore included them when we requested their records in October 2014."
    The State Department did not request all her work emails in the Summer of 2014, they wanted to learn more. Meanwhile, Cheryl Mills  and others getting the emails for the House Select Committee on Benghazi.  Then, the State Dept.  requested her work emails from Clinton as well as other Sect. of State in Oct. 2014.  Where is the discrepancy?


    Parent
    I just don't understand (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by mm on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:09:34 PM EST
    on what pretext is the FBI working so hard to restore deleted personal emails from the former Secretary of State?  This is becoming extremely offensive.

       

    Parent

    Extremely offensive... (none / 0) (#70)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:23:17 PM EST
    describes much of our law enforcement apparatus.

    Parent
    And who wants to wager (none / 0) (#74)
    by mm on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:35:39 PM EST
    how long it will take for some of these personal emails to make it to the front page of the NY Times, just in time for the general election?

    Parent
    I don't think... (5.00 / 1) (#76)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:41:09 PM EST
    that will hurt Bernie...err, President-Elect Sanders;)

    Parent
    ok (none / 0) (#87)
    by mm on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:55:51 PM EST
    Touché....

    Parent
    By DeJa Vu... (5.00 / 1) (#71)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:25:44 PM EST
    ...if you mean Uncle Chip kicking a dead horse, yes, we have all see that show about 1001 times.


    Parent
    Well, in all (none / 0) (#73)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:35:07 PM EST
    "fairness" to Uncle Chip, he's certainly not the only one.
    And I'm sure that you know about whom I am referencing.  ;-)

    Parent
    But Chip... (none / 0) (#149)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:49:16 AM EST
    ...is the only one here to ever kick a dead horse so many times that it simply disintegrated.

    Parent
    Wow! (none / 0) (#53)
    by bison on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:43:43 PM EST
    Hillary had a great day yesterday and a good week. Someone is leaking these tidbits, to keep Hillary's momentum stagnant. Hillary's emails have been found on her server. Where else would they be?

    After her representatives determined which emails were government-related and which were private, a setting on the account was changed to retain only emails sent in the previous 60 days, her lawyer, David Kendall, said.  A thumb drive containing copies of her worked related emails was made. She gave thumb drives containing her work emails to Kendall. He said the setting was altered after she gave the records to the government. Once the sitting was alter, it effected work related and personal emails.

    Parent

    And? (none / 0) (#59)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:52:29 PM EST
    I thought the wingnuts wanted to receive the emails.

    Parent
    And? (none / 0) (#60)
    by Yman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:52:36 PM EST
    I thought the wingnuts wanted to receive the emails.

    Parent
    Who in (none / 0) (#120)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:57:38 PM EST
    the world gives a sh-t?

    Parent
    Why, Uncle Chip, that's who! (none / 0) (#124)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:50:39 PM EST
    'Cause a horse is a horse, of course, of course, and the Chipmeister just loves himself some lesbian-obsessed Ed Klein, who's a right-wing jackass in horse harness.

    Parent
    "It ain't over, 'til it's over." (none / 0) (#1)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:42:58 AM EST
    And now it is. Rest in peace, Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (1925-2015), baseball all-star and Yankee legend, one of American sports' most colorful yet humble characters, and truly one of a kind.

    Yogi and Carmen Berra (5.00 / 5) (#5)
    by fishcamp on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:36:05 AM EST
    were long time friends, as were Phil and Cora Rizzuto.  As I mentioned before I had dated one of Phil and Cora's daughters for many years, until she passed away six years ago.  The Berra's and Rizzuto"s used to visit in Aspen and then down here many times.  Going out with them was a very funny series of signing baseballs.  They both carried balls with them to sign for fans.  When asked where he wanted to be buried Yogi said: "I don"t know, why don't you surprise me"

    Parent
    I was surprised to read in (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by oculus on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:29:56 AM EST
    the NYT obit that Yogi was part of the Normandy landing.

    Parent
    "...why don't you surprise me" (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:56:52 AM EST
    is the best Yogi line yet.

    Parent
    Another great line, as quoted on NPR (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:36:14 PM EST
    replaying Frank Ford's 80th birthday tribute to Yogi from ten years ago: Yogi is at the new Yankee Stadium opening ceremony, standing with Whitey Ford, as the faces of some of the great but deceased Yankees of the past are projected on the scoreboard screen. His comment, "I hope I don't live to see my face up there."

    Parent
    Another Yogi surprise: (5.00 / 2) (#135)
    by Mr Natural on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 07:39:00 PM EST
    Yogi Berra: businessman and gay-rights advocate was more than a loveable dope

    Parent
    The best catcher ever (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:40:19 AM EST
    who often played left field during double headers.

    Parent
    And now for something completely different. (none / 0) (#2)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:42:34 AM EST
    What is the British people's favorite feel-good song of all time? According to a recent survey commissioned by British electronics manufacturer Alba, it's Queen's 1978 hit "Don't Stop Me Now."

    To be perfectly honest, that really surprises me. Not because it's not an infectious tune, because it's actually pretty damned good. But it's also a song that only true Queen aficionados would likely remember, 37 years after the fact. I didn't realize there were still so many Queen fans in Britain.

    Personally, the song that's most likely to put a smile on my face is The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," from their 1968 album The Beatles, aka "The White Album." I loved it from the very first time I heard it as a kid.

    Now, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" may well deserve its No. 48 ranking in Blender magazine's "50 Worst Songs of All Time," and yeah, I admit that it's hardly The Beatles' best effort, particularly on the classic White Album.

    But frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. That little throwaway ditty makes me happy and lifts my spirits whenever I hear it.

    Aloha.

    Good Morning, Starshine (5.00 / 1) (#125)
    by sj on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:59:21 PM EST
    by Oliver.  That's my happy song.

    Parent
    That's a good one, too. (5.00 / 2) (#129)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:31:19 PM EST
    My older sister's happy song is Melanie Safka's "Brand New Key."

    Parent
    British feel good (none / 0) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:50:41 AM EST
    Sounds like an oxymoron.

    I dare you not to tap your foot.   Or to get it out of your head for the rest of the day

    Parent

    For me (none / 0) (#15)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:29:53 AM EST
    It's a German pop song "Isch Liebe Disch" by the group Tic Tac Toe.  It's everything a cheesy pop song should be, plus it makes me nostalgic.

    Parent
    I'd say... (none / 0) (#21)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:07:11 AM EST
    The Wailers, "Three Little Birds".  

    Say baby don't worry....

    Parent

    Montego Bay by Bobby Bloom.. (none / 0) (#46)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:18:09 PM EST


    Parent
    throw in 99 Red Balloons (none / 0) (#64)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:08:34 PM EST
    and Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley..

    Parent
    I concur with the Brits (none / 0) (#90)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:32:27 PM EST
    and definitely take it over "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". That and "Rocky Racoon" are on my worst songs list for sure.  

    but they are infections...now I have dueling ear worms.

    Parent

    But my real song if you ask me off the (none / 0) (#91)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:33:50 PM EST
    top of my head...The Spinners "Could It Be I'm falling In Love".

    Bliss!!!

    Parent

    On Family Guy... (none / 0) (#102)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:08:37 PM EST
    ...they did a whole showed based on the annoying song, Surfin Bird.  And like the dummy I am I just clicked the link:
    A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
    A-well-a, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

    Family Guy link.

    Parent

    My dear ruffian, ... (none / 0) (#107)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:25:36 PM EST
    ... I'll see your "Rocky Raccoon," and raise you -- some serious schmaltz.

    Now, THAT'S a song which makes me want hunt down whoever wrote it, and then lynch his inner child.

    :-D

    Parent

    Ha! Glad I stopped it while the ad was still on. (none / 0) (#138)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:18:56 PM EST
    But I can go you one better.

    Parent
    LOL! Oh, yeah? (none / 0) (#140)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:25:29 PM EST
    Well, I'll see your Mary MacGregor, and raise you Paul Anka.

    (And you just KNOW what's coming when you click on that link -- don't you? Suffice to say that if there was ever a musical argument to be made in support of Planned Parenthood's services, that song surely proves their case.)

    ;-P

    Parent

    Ha - yeah, I knew that was going to be it (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:02:46 AM EST
    NOT CLICKING!

    Parent
    Back when I used to fish every day, (none / 0) (#176)
    by fishcamp on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 06:21:05 PM EST
    and Cindy Rizzuto didn't go, just as we were leaving I would ask "How much is that doggy in the window"?  One time she beat me with a wooden kitchen spoon, when we got back home.

    Parent
    Well, no wonder she beat you w/ a spoon! (5.00 / 1) (#183)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 25, 2015 at 05:45:58 PM EST
    And since you've obviously dated yourself, you get a special surprise!

    (Hint: Who knew that the original "Hawaii Five-O" theme song had lyrics?)

    ;-D

    Parent

    Site violator. (none / 0) (#4)
    by oculus on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:52:43 AM EST


    Really incompetent one (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:35:54 AM EST
    Tho I'm tempted to google just to tide out what kind of moron names a political website "gore results"

    One born after 2000 I'm thinkin.

    Parent

    Read it again (none / 0) (#10)
    by jbindc on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:44:01 AM EST
    It's "go resultss".

    But bad spelling.

    Parent

    I disagree. I think it's a misspelling (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:22:43 AM EST
    of Gore Sulks.

    Parent
    Pharma bro (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:30:00 AM EST
    the best argument in the history of the world for judging a book by its cover

    His timing is impecable (none / 0) (#16)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:31:10 AM EST
    By the time this is over we may all be thanking him.

    Parent
    What I can't figure out (none / 0) (#18)
    by ragebot on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:00:40 AM EST
    is why a drug that was released in 1953 with a patent that has long since expired is only made by one company in the US (true it is also made in India and other places the FDA has not approved).

    I have no idea what the demand for this drug is but given the PR associated with the price increase I have to wonder why some other country has not started to make it given the recent huge price point jump.

    Somehow I think there is more to this story than I am hearing.

    Parent

    My understanding is that because the (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:08:56 AM EST
    Pharms paper pushers have become so profit driven this is a common problem. Many of the old standby drugs and vaccines have only one lab making them, sometimes reluctantly making them.

    Parent
    With Several My Meds... (5.00 / 1) (#68)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:21:18 PM EST
    ...my GF takes are always in short supply in the generic version, but the brand name is always available.

    A couple years ago I reading about all the crazy stuff Big Pharma does to limit out-of-patent medications, like paying off the generic manufacturer not to produce it.  Or the how they add some active ingredient, call it a new name, find a new purpose, reapplying the for the patent.

    The one in question is still under patent in thought they said, the kid said on the TV they had 6 more months before, and I want to say he said the 60 year patent ran out.

    Keep in mind this is the kid pictured above, and about 90% of the words coming out of his mouth were ridiculous.

    Not that it would surprise anyone, but his former job was hedge fund manager.  He is a showpiece of American Capitalism overtaken by greed.

    Parent

    It's hard to see or hear anything... (none / 0) (#23)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 10:08:53 AM EST
    beyond Pharma Bro's stratospheric douchebaggery.

    Parent
    In political news today (none / 0) (#38)
    by CoralGables on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:47:44 AM EST
    On the Republican side:
    Trump is again boycotting Fox News
    FoxNews has been treating me very unfairly & I have therefore decided that I won't be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future

    On the Dem side:
    Biden moves into 2nd place behind Hillary in the betting markets for the Dem nomination, knocking Sanders down to 3rd.

    That might mean a little more (5.00 / 2) (#61)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 12:52:44 PM EST
    If Biden was an actual, declared candidate.  He's not.  At least, not yet.

    Parent
    Trump seems (none / 0) (#66)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:16:23 PM EST
    unfit on so many levels.  But, his insecurity comes out with any criticism.  And, goes away with saying something nice about him. Trump was on the right track in finding "sleepy eyes Chuck Todd," a loser, but not, after treating him "nice,"  he has changed his opinion. Todd is no longer a "loser." so long as he treats him nice.  

    Parent
    Trump's winger base (none / 0) (#69)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:21:58 PM EST
    have been getting emotionally prepared for him by a couple of decades of wild-eyed, wild-swinging talk radio hosts..

    They crave an alpha male to groom and to bark orders at them..

    We're dealing with primal, barnyard pecking order instincts here..The call of the wild..

    Parent

    That is the Funniest... (none / 0) (#77)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 01:42:27 PM EST
    ...thing I have read this week.

    I can picture --- brushing Trump's hair piece while Trump is calling him a stupid wanna be social liberal loser, while spitting at him, and even though there is a tear running down his cheek, he is still sexually aroused.

    Parent

    Trump was not (none / 0) (#82)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:15:26 PM EST
    Trumpish last night on the Colbert Show.  He is not taking my good advice that he not change a thing he is doing, and whatever he does, do not try to look presidential--like explaining his Potemkin policies or using numbers.  None of this is welcomed by his base. If I have said it once, I have said it a million times, Trump, please stay on track. Don't forget, Donald, you are a casino operator whose expertise is separating suckers from their money.

    On Colbert's Show, Trump was cautious,even tentative, seeming uneasy with the possibility of a hostile audience. And, worst of all, he did not borrow from Henny Youngman or Don Rickles.

    Rather, Trump was suckered by Colbert, who donned his old bloviating character, and proceeded to set Trump up with exuberant compliments. Not a criticism in sight.

     Only, to be caught with the Colbert "meatball" question, for Trump to "hit out of the park."  And, answer for the last time, "was Obama born in the USA?"   Trump: "I don't talk about it any more."  OK

    Parent

    I got a chance to see the Colbert/Trump (5.00 / 2) (#153)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:06:42 AM EST
    last night...have do disagree that Colbert was not putting the Donald on the spot before the birther question. Colbert pressed him on the question I have been waiting for someone, anyone, to ask Trump: back when Trump was a donor, not a candidate, what did he expect to get in return for his donations?  Who did he 'buy'? To me that exchange was the best of the interview.  

    Parent
    I agree that's the best question. (5.00 / 1) (#154)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 10:09:52 AM EST
    I think it may the the "trump" card.

    Pun entirely intended.

    Parent

    Did you see Colbert with Cruz? (none / 0) (#92)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:36:08 PM EST
    They are not going to have a candidate left if they keep going on his show :-) They are not used to interviewers who actually listen and respond in real time.

    Parent
    Bastard Executioner? (none / 0) (#96)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:56:40 PM EST


    Parent
    Don't insult my Stephen! (none / 0) (#101)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:07:12 PM EST
    Just kidding...

    I have all episodes recorded, have not had time to watch yet. Maybe a weekend binge! this is my 'off Friday'.

    Parent

    Just getting cozy (none / 0) (#97)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:57:21 PM EST
    For last nights episode

    Parent
    Trump (none / 0) (#121)
    by lentinel on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 05:05:04 PM EST
    might be unfit, as you say.

    But why is he more unfit than Cruz - or Rubio - or Florina... or any of the rest of them?

    My take is that he is less dangerous than many of them.

    I think the ridicule should be spread a little more evenly.

    Parent

    My comment about (none / 0) (#161)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:00:31 PM EST
    Trump being "unfit," was not intended as  exclusionary among the Republican line-up, but as a response to the information provided by Coral Gables that Trump was again boycotting FOX news because he was, again, in his mind, being treated unfairly by them. But, you are correct that the competition for most dangerous is a keen one. Made all the more difficult since the differences are imperceptible.    

    Parent
    In fact... (none / 0) (#180)
    by lentinel on Fri Sep 25, 2015 at 05:45:22 AM EST
    it seems to me that Trump is in favor of negotiation.

    That makes him closer to Obama than, say, Florina - who simply announces that she wouldn't even talk to Putin.

    Just that makes me feel a little more relaxed with Trumpy than Grumpy - and the rest of that lot.

    I applaud Obama for scheduling meetings with Putin, and Xi Jinping.

    People who are interested in negotiation - or even pride themselves on their ability to negotiate - are less dangerous than those who simply call names, "axis of evil", and the like.

    Parent

    So, this is kind of interesting... (none / 0) (#81)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:13:10 PM EST
    We live on about 5 acres of land, some of which is cleared, and some of which is heavily wooded.

    My son-in-law hunts deer back in the woods.  the end of the woods line is pretty much the property line - one of them - and SIL has set up his tree stand down in that area.

    He also set up a motion-activated camera that's equipped with night vision, so he could get a sense of when the deer were coming through and how many there were.  He can upload to his computer.

    So, he's uploading the other night and comes across a picture that was taken at night.  In the foreground are three deer clustered together, all looking out into the field.

    And what they appear to be looking at is a rather good-sized black bear.

    Yeah.  A bear.  One bear, but still: a bear.

    Now, I knew we had the deer, and we have foxes, raccoons, turkeys, possum, and the usual smaller critters, but bear?  This is a new one - I don't think they're normally in this area, but from time to time, there have been reports of sightings.

    Anyway, guess we'll keep an eye out, make sure the garbage cans are secured and hope he doesn't decide to come up to the house...

    in my very limited experience (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 02:21:36 PM EST
    If you want to find deer, all you have to do is drive in an area with deer and they will chase your car and maybe even jump out directly in front of it.  If you're walking, of course they run away.  I swear deer have some kind of vehicle-manslaughter death wish.

    Bears at least tend to avoid humans.

    Parent

    Advice from experience (5.00 / 1) (#103)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:12:35 PM EST
    If you see a group cross in front of you don't assume they have all crossed
    Instead assume there is always one more bringing up the rear who will be coming balks out to make it across before you.

    That's the one I hit.  The cop said that is often the one that gets hit.  That last dashing straggler

    Parent

    The first one I hit (none / 0) (#109)
    by CST on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:27:20 PM EST
    Was a fender bender in the dark coming home from my night shift.

    The second one I hit destroyed the front end of my car in the dark coming home from my night shift.

    I never saw either of them coming or any of their friends.

    I was more thinking of the ones I didn't hit who would just run alongside my car while I was driving and occasionally decide to jump out in front of it.

    This is on an island where they had almost no natural predators.   In the fall, during my 3 mile drive home, I'd routinely spot 3-6 deer per trip.

    Parent

    There is a serious over population problem here (none / 0) (#114)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:32:58 PM EST
    You never spend a hour in a car without seeing one or more.   I've had many close calls and two impacts.

    Parent
    Yes, we have all (none / 0) (#100)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:06:20 PM EST
    hit a deer in our cars, up here in "the boonies" of Western Maryland.  Especially in the Fall.  They're everywhere.  It's mating season, and they're "looking for love in all the wrong places," so to speak.
    Bears will avoid us, but when they're hungry, especially in the very early spring/late winter, after they emerge from hibernation, when their "normal" food is scarce.  So they get bolder about approaching houses.  This certainly does not mean that they will attack you, but they may wreak havoc on your garbage cans, or even your recycling bins.  Or your bird feeders (see my response to Anne).

    Parent
    Deer really are everywhere there (none / 0) (#126)
    by sj on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:14:52 PM EST
    When I was living in Baltimore there were 3 exits/access off I-83  that were a deer trap at dusk or during early evening. Unfortunately I needed to use one of them if I wanted to get home at a reasonable hour.

    Parent
    The one I hit recently (none / 0) (#134)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 07:38:50 PM EST
    Was literally down town.  Granted that doesn't mean what downtown means other places but it's not deserted.

    The first one I hit is a better story.  Excuse me if I have shared it before here it's one if my favorites.

    The deer population has exploded here, as it has other places, in recent decades.   Probably lots of reasons for that.  But when I was a kid they were actually pretty rare.  You almost never saw them from cars like now.  And more importantly guys would hunt for years and never even see one let alone kill one.  Killing one was actually prett rare.  

    As a kid hunting was a rite of passage for boys.  Still is.  A rite of passage I passed on.  Expressing myself and what I do and do not want has never, even as a child, been a problem for me.  I would not go hunting.  It was never much of an issue.  By the time I was old enough o go hunting they pretty much knew if I didn't want to go I was not going.   Move on.

    But one night in the mid 70s when my mom was still alive and I was visiting her for some reason or no reason staying in her house and driving her car I was coming home from an all nighter.  It was, like 5am.   I was very high.  Probably driving about 49 mph when a deer comes bounding out in front of me.  The deer realized its mistake, tried to stop by slamming on the brakes and lowering its head.  Lowering it to the perfect level to catch the right corner of the front bumper.  Bam killed it instantly not a scratch on the car.

    I'm standing on the side if the road by the dead deer looking probably pretty lost when my cousin drives by on his way to work.   Stops, takes in the situation, tosses the deer in the back of his truck, takes it back to his house, like a mile away, takes it apart and gives my mom half.

    So the good part of this story is that even tho I refused to hunt I was the only person in my family to actually kill a deer for several years.  My mom always loved bringing that up.

    Parent

    LOL (none / 0) (#141)
    by sj on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 11:06:51 PM EST
    Your story reminded me of this, which I first heard years ago.

    Parent
    We've had black bears (5.00 / 1) (#95)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:56:18 PM EST
    up here for some years now.
    Yes, secure your garbage cans.  Also, if you have bird feeders and/or hummingbird feeders, hang them well away from your house.  Obviously, bears like the sugar mixture in the hummingbird feeders.  But they'll also go after the seeds in the regular bird feeders.  You may, in fact, lose your bird feeder entirely, as happened to a neighbor of mine a couple of years ago.
    They love the fruit on our fruit trees, too.  As do the deer.  We have taken to spraying our apples with a mixture of hot sauce and water.  Seems to discourage the deer and the bears.  Mammals really don't like capsaicin.  Just be sure to wash the apples off before you eat them.    ;-)
    Pretty much, if you leave bears alone, they'll leave you alone, but never, ever get between a mother bear and her cub.
    BTW, I almost ran over a coyote up here a few weeks ago.

    Parent
    Some one said (none / 0) (#99)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:04:16 PM EST
    All the fruit trees in my yard were a magnet.  Plus my proximity to the woods.

     

    Parent

    Try the hot sauce approach, Howdy (none / 0) (#104)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:13:54 PM EST
    Get a spray bottle, purchase the hottest sauce you can find (we use Ghost Pepper sauce- what can I say?- but habanero sauce when we can't find the ghost pepper sauce).  Put a small amount (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup, depending upon how hot the sauce is) in the bottle and fill it with water.  Shake it up and spray your fruit with it.  Re-spray after every rain.
    Just be sure to wash the fruit before you eat it.

    Parent
    I've never minded sharing it with the wildlife (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:26:50 PM EST
    And there is a LOT it would take gallons of pepper sauce.  I have two apple trees a plum a pear a peach and a pretty massive grape arbor.

    But I might to do it.  I would be happy to share with a bear but with my dogs there could easily be injuries and that would be terrible no matter who got injured.

    Parent

    We have (none / 0) (#130)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:47:54 PM EST
    Three apple trees, two peach trees, and four cherry trees.  And a whole lot of grape vines.
    (But we also have an electric fence around the grapes, and one of the apple trees, because of the way they are situated near our vegetable garden.  The electric fence does a great job of keeping the deer away, and the bears don't seem to like it, either.)
    It doesn't take gallons of hot sauce.  You only use a little bit, less than 1/4 cup, in each bottle- fill the rest with water, shake it up, and you're good to go.  You only have to re-apply it if it rains.
    But for pity's sake, rinse the fruit well before you eat it!   ;-)

    Parent
    Needless to say, (5.00 / 2) (#181)
    by fishcamp on Fri Sep 25, 2015 at 07:20:51 AM EST
    i have hundreds of bear stories, but I'll narrow it down to one.  While living in Aspen I had left my front door ajar, for my old cat, while helping a friend paint some window trim.  She invited me to stay for dinner so I got home after dark and there was a bear in my house.  We were both scared and I stepped aside as she galloped out the door, pooping on the run.  She had opened the freezer side of the fridge, thankfully, and swiped all the food and shelves onto the floor.  She chewed on some frozen food, but found a pound of butter and a bottle of vodka.  She ate the butter and the vodka was sitting upright, on the floor, with the cap off.  This is a true story, and my house smelled very bad.

    Parent
    Black bears are actually pretty shy creatures. (none / 0) (#143)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:33:30 AM EST
    They're easily spooked when surprised, and your dogs are likely to keep a bear away from your house, if one is lurking around. Here's a video of a bear getting run off by a house cat, and another of a bear being treed by a cat.

    Parent
    Bears (none / 0) (#94)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 03:54:48 PM EST
    Are showing up around here too.  Some on wildlife cams as you said and sometimes in person.

    There as a video on my sisters FB page a while back of one in someone's back yard.  For weeks I checked before lettingt the dogs out.

    Parent

    They Hate Dogs... (none / 0) (#106)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:21:59 PM EST
    ...it's how low level hunters, hunt bears, they lets dogs run them up into a tree, then the hunters shoot them out.

    In Florida, they come right into your home.

    Parent

    The thing is (none / 0) (#112)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:30:14 PM EST
    My dogs don't live on the yard.  If the did it would not be a problem.  The live and sleep inside.  I just let them out.  And when I do it's usually like that three stooges bit where they all try to go through the door at once.  
    I let them out several times at night and some times  before light in the morning.

    Parent
    That is Funny... (none / 0) (#98)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:02:48 PM EST
    ...when I went up to Wisconsin I took my drone because of the space, my parent have over 200 acres.  Anyways me and by brother were goofing around and he noticed that there were missing rows of corn, from the air it's really apparent.

    So he decided that he wanted to see how much of he corn was missing, he estimated that in the 10 acre field that a acre was missing and he believed it was from the guy who spread, not fertilized, something else I had never heard of.  But a guy comes out when the corn is knee deep, and he believed he ran over entire rows.

    So one day we flew and recorded over all the corn crops, 6 of them all over the area.  The last field, keep in mind he was wearing goggles to see what the camera sees on my quad, he saw something that freaked him out.  I was like WTF could freak someone out in a cornfield, as I found the whole thing pretty boring.

    After he drove the quad back, we walked to what he saw.  It was a huge area of trampled corn, in all about the size of a small house, and nothing but bear paw prints in the soft soil.  Apparently they go out and make a nest.  I am freaking out, we went to Yellowstone last year and here we are with nothing and in some quasi bear playground.

    He also has the video recorders and never caught a bear.  I can't remember what kind of bear he thought it was, but the ones that don't attack people, or so he told me.

    Growing up, there was no such thing as bears in central Wisconsin, Turkeys either, now the Turkeys are everywhere, almost hit one last time, and apparently at least one bear.  The bad news, he is nearly a full time hunter and that bear ain't gonna last one season between him and his friends.

    And for the record, my fairly stock drone goes about 2/3rds of a mile before the video drops, that is a 1 1/3 mile circle, that blew my mind as I am scared to take it very far, nor can I in Houston.  That is 3500 feet in any direction, which I think is pretty cool.

    It's really neat how technology is allowing a glimpse into what is going on, literally, in their own back yards/fields.

    Parent

    A friend of my niece in Glendora, CA ... (none / 0) (#136)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 08:14:21 PM EST
    ... is a local wildlife advocate, and he's long set up motion-activated cameras on various trails in and around the San Gabriel Mountains' Big Dalton Canyon, a mere 30-min. hike from the edge of town. He has compiled quite an assortment of wildlife footage over the last couple of years of grey foxes, ringtails, mule deer, bobcats, black bears and mountain lions. (Here's one of his most recent posts on YouTube.)

    His work and dedication does make one truly appreciate what an urban wilderness treasure the San Gabriel Mountains really are in Los Angeles County, President Obama formally proclaimed them a national monument in October 2014 and needless to say, my niece's friend is very happy.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yep. It's not the Wisconsin that we knew (none / 0) (#137)
    by Towanda on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:11:22 PM EST
    in many ways, and not just the creatures in the state Capitol.

    The incredible buildup of second homes "up north" in the boom years, pre-recession, is blamed for driving out a lot of wildlife there.  They then follow their water sources aka rivers south.

    So, in recent years in Milwaukee -- yes, Scott, I'm talking not just the burbs but in the city, in densely populated neighborhoods -- there have been bears.  Caught, taken back up north.

    And coyotes, killing pets.

    And wild turkeys, yes -- terrorizing pedestrians, more than any of the other critters.

    And this summer . . . a lion.  (That's what it looks like on video.  But probably a bobcat.)

    These are verifiable, caught and/or video'd.

    Then there also is the less verifiable return of Bigfoot, the abominable snowman also recently sighted to the west of the city.  Not surprisingly, near a popular tavern. . . .

    Parent

    There have been several (none / 0) (#139)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 09:30:25 PM EST
    Big cat sightings around here.  Last summer I heard one while out in my yard at night.

    Creeeeepy sound.   Like no other.

    Parent

    I wouldn't be so sure about that. (none / 0) (#142)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:19:21 AM EST
    Towanda: "And this summer ... a lion. (That's what it looks like on video. But probably a bobcat.)"

    First of all, bobcats have stubby "bobbed" tails, and that big cat in the video clearly has a thick, full-length appendage. That's a mountain lion.

    Since 2002, four mountain lions have been killed in Illinois. The last one was found and killed by police in the north Chicago district of Roscoe Village in April 2008. Another was seen on numerous occasions in Winnetka in September 2012, but eluded capture.

    Increased sightings of big cats in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas have led researchers to believe that the mountain lion population in the Dakotas is at capacity, and younger individuals are moving south and east to recolonize the territory. So if they've been seen in Chicago, it's highly likely that there could be one in suburban Milwaukee as well.

    Lord knows, there are a awful lot of deer in the region, which is the mountain lion's favorite prey, so there's certainly no shortage of available food for big cats.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I'm not surprised. (none / 0) (#127)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 06:18:09 PM EST
    Black bears are found in many suburban areas of the eastern seaboard. Further, they've enjoyed a population boom of late in the western part of your state, so it's not surprising that some of the younger ones would venture eastward and seek out new territories.

    When I was growing up in SoCal, we'd see black bears all the time in Arroyo Seco, Monrovia Canyon and other places in the San Gabriel foothills. It wasn't until many years later that I learned that black bears are actually not native to that part of California.

    Rather, during the early part of the 20th century, there was a serious problem with bears marauding through popular Yosemite Valley campsites in the High Sierra. And so in 1933, federal officials in 1933 though it would be a good idea to start relocating problem animals hundreds of miles to the south in L.A. County's back country. Every black bear living in the San Gabriel Mountains today is a direct descendant of those Yosemite troublemakers.

    These are the suggestions that the L.A. County Fish & Game Commission and Recreation offer to homeowners in the San Gabriel foothill communities where black bears are known to visit and forage:

    • Bears and other animals are attracted to anything edible or smelly.
    • Store garbage in bear-proof containers, or store garbage in your garage until pick-up.
    • Keep food indoors or in airtight and odor-free containers.
    • Put away any leftovers from outdoor family gatherings, and clean BBQ grills.
    • Keep pet food inside, and bird feeders away.
    • Pick up fallen tree fruit as soon as possible, or protect fruit trees with electric fencing.
    • Remove cosmetic fragrances and other attractants, including bird feeders and compost piles.

    Best of luck with your new neighbor.

    Parent
    George Zimmerman testifies in court (none / 0) (#110)
    by McBain on Wed Sep 23, 2015 at 04:28:30 PM EST
    http://tinyurl.com/p3fxhuf

    After hearing the testimony,Judge Nelson ruled the case against Matthew Apperson will head to court. There might be a stand your ground hearing according to Apperson's lawyer.  

    I will never, ever (none / 0) (#174)
    by sj on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 05:51:09 PM EST
    click on your tinyurl links.

    That might make you happy.

    Parent

    ISIS Twitterkind blown into little tweetlets (none / 0) (#164)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 12:35:42 PM EST
    by a U.S. extraterritorial (I hope) drone strike.

    I have the usual mixed feelings about this.  (That's code language for whatever you want it to mean.)

    Wednesday Open Thread | 182 comments (182 topical)

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