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Thursday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 08:23:10 PM EST
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Roseanne Barr is running for President. She plans to run on the Green Party ticket and has filed the necessary papers. The Green Party elects its candidate in July. I'd vote for her before I'd vote for a Republican.

We're getting a big blizzard starting tonight that will last until Saturday. The local news has been reporting on it non-stop for two days. The grocery store was unbelievably crowded today at 3pm and the shelves were getting empty -- the checker said it was like 2012 and the end of the world had arrived. What did people do before the news developed technology to announce storms days in advance?

And the rich get richer. Look who's going to make billions from the Facebook IPO.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Thursday Night Open Thread | 55 comments (55 topical)

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    addams family asked (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by loveed on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 07:58:09 AM EST
    loved, I wonder what you would say in, as you call it, "a frank discussion about race"
    three good books:]
     There are a few things I want you to know about me. I do not like to be called African American. I prefer American. I was raised as an American. Born in 1953, way before this term was used.
     I grew up in a black and white world. You were either black (negro) or white.(caucasian). My exposure to white American came from TV.
     Everyone was black in my world. All of my teachers was black, neighborhood store owner black, milkman black, iceman black ect.
     My mom moved from Covington, Kentucky when she was pregnant with me. Being the youngest of five, my views on race are different than my older sibling. My sister is 18yrs. older. She remained in Kentucky, with her husband. who later joined the air force.
     I have to tell you a funny story about my sister. My brother in law was station in Texas. My sister went to the laundromat, to wash clothes. The laundromat was label colored and white. So she put the colored clothes on the colored side, and the white clothes on the white side. Someone called my brother in law, and he had to explain what the signs really meant.
       We were labeled as negroes, but James Brown made us black and proud.
     My grandfather was Canadian. My 4 uncle all married white women. I loved all my aunts, especially my aunt Carol. I was probably about 16yrs.old before I realized why she never came to visit.
     No white person has ever called me a nig***r. We did not have the deep southern ties that many blacks had. I have never been to Mississippi,or Alabama. My youngest daughter moved to Atlanta,Georgia. It gave my first exposure to the south.
     This post is getting a little long. Will continue the story throughout the month.

    Looking forward to hearing more of your stories (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by ruffian on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:42:06 AM EST
    and I wish my family had stuck together like it seems yours has. Your house sounds perfect to me.

    That story about your sister is funny and sad too - how ridiculous people are to even think to separate washing machines. I hope that there has been more than cosmetic progress since then.  

    Parent

    I hope you didn't jinx it. (none / 0) (#1)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 09:08:02 PM EST
    'cause I am sooooooooooooooooooo hoping for a snow day tomorrow.  

    76 for a high here today, (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 09:21:13 PM EST
    78 tomorrow...

    I can see snow from here on the higher mountains...

    Parent

    Are you in Colombia? n/t (none / 0) (#4)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 09:36:20 PM EST


    Parent
    Well, yesterday I had the pleasure (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by observed on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:52:17 PM EST
    of experiencing -50C wind chill (-40 actual temperature). Next Tuesday the predicted low is -45. Astana has been colder than much of Siberia in recent weeks. It is also colder than Ulan Bator, which is the official #1 coldest capital in the world.
    No new snow to report though.

    Parent
    more "separated at birth" fun (none / 0) (#3)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 09:22:04 PM EST
    Tabatha Coffey & this little beauty

    So Roseanne wants to become a punchline (none / 0) (#5)
    by andgarden on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 10:29:51 PM EST
    herself?

    That's too bad.

    Seems like Roseanne (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by dk on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:14:59 PM EST
    has shown many times over the years that she's not scared of being considered a punchline if she believes strongly enough in something...unlike some (including "some" commenters here) who are fine with just going along in life as conformists.

    Parent
    i welcome her campaign (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:21:58 PM EST
    as she says (& she is absolutely right), she has stood up for working people (including a whole hell of a lot of working women) for many years now

    i don't think any other candidate will be talking about working people's issues with any degree of reality -  i hope she gets the Green Party nomination

    Roseanne can run an educational campaign - why not? - at worst, she'll get a few laughs, in the glorious tradition of Pat Paulsen

    Roseanne for President? oh my stars & garters, yes!

    Parent

    I'm for anyone getting out there and (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by ruffian on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:29:06 AM EST
    speaking the unvarnished truth.

    If Trump had had anything to say, he would not have been a punch line.

    Parent

    Hear Hear... (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:34:46 AM EST
    Roseanne is definitely in the running for my vote, but I'll have to weigh her platform against the other also-rans before making a final decision.

    Parent
    a little like (none / 0) (#11)
    by CoralGables on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:19:50 PM EST
    Trump in being a punchline

    Parent
    Roseanne (5.00 / 3) (#13)
    by dk on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:23:24 PM EST
    IMO has always come across as believing in something more than making herself rich and famous.  Can't say the same for Trump.

    Parent
    I'm curious (none / 0) (#32)
    by CoralGables on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 10:46:49 AM EST
    how many that uprated you were ones that bashed Gingrich for multiple divorces. (I don't know if any just curious). If so I would expect nothing less than an increase in Barr bashing as she exceeds Gingrich in that category.

    Parent
    That's a false assumption (5.00 / 3) (#40)
    by sj on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 01:41:45 PM EST
    I don't recall that anyone criticized Gingrich for multiple divorces.  He DID however receive a lot of criticism for his behavior prior to and during the divorce process.  When Roseanne Barr is shown to have sought divorce settlement terms while her spouse is in the hospital recovering from surgery you can get back to me.

    Parent
    Your memory (1.00 / 1) (#41)
    by CoralGables on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 03:23:11 PM EST
    is short

    Parent
    Well, someone's is (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by sj on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 06:49:10 PM EST


    Parent
    good for her (none / 0) (#6)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 10:39:16 PM EST


    Parent
    She can run if she wants (none / 0) (#7)
    by andgarden on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 10:44:25 PM EST
    but I'm going to laugh at her unapologetically for doing it in this way.

    Third party candidates don't win the Presidency and almost never have an impact.

    If she's lucky she'll be basically ignored in her run--like Pat Buchanan.

    Parent

    She can be surprising (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by Towanda on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:19:39 PM EST
    in her tendency to speak truth to power.

    And the current slate could use some truths.

    Parent

    do you think she expects to win? (none / 0) (#8)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 10:45:32 PM EST
    i don't

    Parent
    So many reasons not to vote for (none / 0) (#14)
    by loveed on Thu Feb 02, 2012 at 11:46:31 PM EST
    Romney. Donald Trump, need I say more.
     The repub. voters are so far ahead of the leadership. They don't like Romney for so many reasons.The repub. voters has had plenty of time to get to know him. 40% of the voters in Florida, that voted for Romney wanted to vote for someone else. Another 30% voted for Newt. The repub. voters know he cannot win.
     The leadership wanted to retain the power they now have. And now their worried. link

    The weather here is nice (none / 0) (#16)
    by sj on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 01:14:15 AM EST
    Beautiful couple of days and although the temperature is dropping it won't be nearly as cold as it was a couple of weeks ago.

    But this:

    "What did people do before the news developed technology to announce storms days in advance?"

    reminded me: when I was in the third grade, our teacher read some of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books aloud to our class.  I remember specifically "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Long Winter".  I don't recall how often she read, but she would read a chapter.  We could put our heads down on our desk and listen.  And afterward we would talk about the chapter.  I don't recall that a single classmate fell asleep during those readings.

    thank you, loveed (none / 0) (#18)
    by The Addams Family on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 02:40:35 AM EST
    i look forward to reading more about you

    i live in Oakland now but was born in Ohio's 11th congressional district, the one recently represented by Stephanie Tubbs Jones & by Louis Stokes before her - in 1972 my cousin challenged Bill Stanton for that seat (& got crushed)

    born at St. Ann's & lived till the age of two at 1232 East 112th Street, off Superior - you are in Cleveland now, right? i remember you mentioned Burke Lakefront Airport in one of your comments

    I live 5 mins. from there (none / 0) (#25)
    by loveed on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 08:28:23 AM EST
     Grew up on 84th Quincy. Moved to East, Cleveland when we had an explosion of grandchildren. If you know the area the houses are huge and cheap.
     We thought about having a house built. I thought we were to old to acquire such a large house note ( I was planning on retiring at 55). My husband hated the house. All I could see was grandchildren playing on the large double wide staircase. We have six bedrooms. Three floors. And the best thing is, it totally sound proof. You can't hear anything from one floor to the other.
     One Christmas we had 62 people, 22 was children. All on the second floor. My girlfriend was amazed she had no idea they were even in the house.
     When the economy went south, my husband was laid off for 2yrs. We survived because the house was so cheap.
     If you still have family hear, I probably know them.
     How old are you?      

    Parent
    just turned 63 (none / 0) (#35)
    by The Addams Family on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 12:16:05 PM EST
    but no one in my family still lives in the neighborhood - most moved farther east (CLeveland Heights, Wickliffe, Chardon), & my parents relocated our family to the West Side, where some of my siblings still live (Lakewood, Rocky River, Fairview Park)

    as a young adult, i moved right back over to the other side of the river as soon as i could - Cleveland Heights & East Cleveland - yes, i know the houses in East Cleveland - happy to hear that you have such a lovely one & that you are still in it after your husband's layoff

    i know you are a nurse - do you work at one particular hospital? private duty? i worked as a nurse's aide right out of high school

    Parent

    I work with kidney patient (none / 0) (#43)
    by loveed on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 04:45:59 PM EST
     I have been working with dialysis patients since 73. Now I cover 9 different centers. I truly love my clients.
     If you have your health, you have everything.
     We lived in Richmond hts. until the grandchildren explosion.

    Parent
    what a happy explosion! (none / 0) (#44)
    by The Addams Family on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 05:15:37 PM EST
    i'm sure they love their grandparents' big house & i bet your clients love you back

    Parent
    Loveed, thanks for contributing your thoughts (none / 0) (#19)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 02:50:47 AM EST
    but I need for you to repost your comment without using the N word. You can use asterisks, but I don't want it appearing elsewhere in connection with this site. I understand the context in which you used it, but it's been a long-standing policy and it can lead to TalkLeft being banned by censor software at law firms and businesses. Thank you.

    When you repost your comment, I will delete this one. If you don't, I'll delete it but copy if first so I can email it to you and it won't be lost.

    Jeralyn I am so sorry (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by loveed on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 08:08:21 AM EST
    Done.
     I am so proud of myself, with a little help from my friends ,I figured out how to copy without rewriting the whole thing. This is a big deal for me.

    Parent
    8.3% (none / 0) (#20)
    by Capt Howdy on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 07:37:36 AM EST
    WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy produced another solid month of hiring in January, a promising start for 2012.

    Employers added a net 243,,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.3%, far better than what forecasters had expected.

    Why Romney's Mormonism (none / 0) (#23)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 08:17:11 AM EST
    May help him wrap up the nomination soon.

    Link

    Last week, someone (none / 0) (#34)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 11:56:41 AM EST
    who is normally intelligent started telling me about why fundamentalist Christians (and apparently some Catholics) object to Mormonism. The theory sounded absurd, so I spent a few days last weekend reading about Mormonism and what they believe and the fundamentalist objections. I concluded the attacks are absurd. They reminded me of the objections to JFK because he was Catholic. I also don't see what one's views of the birth of Christ or the Holy Trinity have to do with one's ability to be President. As a country, we're supposed to stand for religious freedom and accept that everyone who worships a higher being does so in his or her own way. We have a long way to go.

    Parent
    Completely agree (none / 0) (#37)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 12:27:32 PM EST


    Parent
    I don't really care that much (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by CST on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 12:32:03 PM EST
    about the Mormon angle, but I'm still waiting for the day when it's acceptable to be a national politician who doesn't worship any god.

    Not there yet.

    Parent

    Speaking of Snow... (none / 0) (#28)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:41:14 AM EST
    ...check out this photo of Kabul after Mondays snow.
    PIC

    Wow...I have a friend deploying over there (none / 0) (#30)
    by ruffian on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:51:46 AM EST
    next week. Not sure he was prepared for that!

    Parent
    Looks like a plains storm (none / 0) (#31)
    by ruffian on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 09:57:23 AM EST
    Those are the ones that really got us bad in Castle Rock when I lived there. The last bad one I was in was in March of '04 (I think), when we got about 3.5 feet. Had to shovel about 4 times, and then the snowplow came and made a pile at the end of the driveway. Good times!

    Hunker down and enjoy....

    '03 most likely. (none / 0) (#47)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 11:29:01 PM EST
    Biggest Denver storms

    48 inches up in Blackhawk from this storm.

    Have you been in Florida so long you've forgotten that we call storms that back up against the Front Range from the East upslopes?  :)

    Parent

    So I got this new faucet in my kitchen (none / 0) (#33)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 11:21:52 AM EST
    Cuz the old one broke.  It has a strange shutoff though and I didn't quite get is shut off last week and yeah, I overflowed the kitchen sink.  Unfortunately some water crossed the threshold from the tile kitchen to my wood floor in the great room :(  My flooring near the threshold lifted on the edges, since I have dried it out thoroughly it is only slight but it breaks my heart.  I want to a really good trompe l'oeil of spilled milk on the area about six by eight inches, and that would somehow make ME happy....but if we are leasing the house next year, would YOU think it was cute, endearing, artful, or hideous?

    Well, if I was leasing it (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by sj on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 12:22:26 AM EST
    I would think it was cute, endearing AND artful.  My very favorite random artwork in my house is Denver is baseboard in a bedroom where we removed an extraneous door.  There was no way to match the vintage baseboard.  After a few months my brother and I were pondering it and I mentioned that I'd like something kind of fanciful.  But I didn't have anything in particular in mind.  

    The next time he came to visit he brought all sorts of mouldings and shapes and he fashioned a little castle with dental moulding to make the ramparts.  I totally love it.

    Parent

    It sounds gorgeous (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 09:35:15 AM EST
    I love stuff like that, details that give a place to live in life, make it one of a kind.

    Parent
    oy (none / 0) (#36)
    by The Addams Family on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 12:22:38 PM EST
    love the idea of the spilt-milk trompe l'oeil, which might go over in the land of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco Values - in Alabama? you know better than i

    Parent
    Hmmm, Alabama as a whole (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 12:35:14 PM EST
    doesn't seem to care much for random acts of artwork.

    Parent
    Uncle Sam (none / 0) (#42)
    by Edger on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 03:33:43 PM EST
    wants you...

    The crazy get crazier (none / 0) (#46)
    by Edger on Fri Feb 03, 2012 at 06:56:49 PM EST
    WAPO, Feb 02
    [Defense Secretary Leon] Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June - before Iran enters what Israelis described as a "zone of immunity" to commence building a nuclear bomb.

    Aerosmith, Get A Grip

    I think Israel will too (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 09:41:54 AM EST


    Parent
    Me too (none / 0) (#51)
    by Edger on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 10:06:08 AM EST
    WW III ?

    Parent
    I don't think so (none / 0) (#52)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 01:05:01 PM EST
    But I think they may use the bunker buster low level nuke bombs to destroy the facilities.  I can tell that the Obama administration is looking for any other way to resolve the nuclear ambitions, but nothing looks promising.

    I don't think that Israel could pull off a decent bunker attack without us though, not without the special bombs.  If they show up with them, they came from us.  I don't think this has the capability of starting WWIII though, if it had that capability WE would be at war so to speak with Israel on this. Nobody would show up to support Iran in this though, and only the facilities will be hit.

    There has to be also some other mission on the ground too, to damage the existing Iranian regime so that they simply don't rebuild and we are back here again in 12 mos.  We will demand something like that as well I think or we won't help.  Mossad will probably run it, they have been busy on the ground there anyhow.  They showed up to infiltrate saying they were us and did get caught, but according to reports when we were upset about it they didn't care.

    They could try to damage the regime first though, attempt to divert the nuclear work that way.  Someone's been very busy killing their scientists.

    Parent

    I am not so sure no one will (5.00 / 1) (#53)
    by caseyOR on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 01:10:52 PM EST
    show up to support Iran. I think Russia, and probably China, will be very upset if Iran is bombed. China needs Iranian oil; Russian oil companies are operating in Iran.

    Also, I do believe Russia views Iran as part of its sphere of influence.

    Granted, I do not know in what form Russia and China would express their displeasure, but I am convinced they would express it forcefully.

    Parent

    But if Iranian oil goes off line (none / 0) (#54)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 06:31:39 PM EST
    for a time, that means Russia makes more on its oil industry which it is desperate for right now.  They have already signaled they don't care.  Russia isn't as concerned about allies these days as they once were.  In fact they are hardly at all.

    China might be the only to express concern, and that would only be "concern".  Nobody is going to war defending the Iranian regime, nobody.

    Parent

    Did Russia or China do anything (none / 0) (#55)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 06:39:50 PM EST
    about our invasions of Iraq or Afghanistan?  No

    Parent
    These are different times, MT. (none / 0) (#56)
    by caseyOR on Sat Feb 04, 2012 at 08:50:58 PM EST
    In the immediate aftermath of Sept.11, I don't remember any country objecting to us going into Afghanistan. In fact, Russia stood with us at that point.

    Iraq was a different matter, but you know, nobody liked Saddam, not even Putin.

    Now, after Libya turned out to be much more of a military commitment than everyone was led to believe, Russia and China are much less inclined to go along with anything we might want to do.

    Just today Russia and China blocked our move at the U.N. to send troops into Syria. It was quite a scene what with the united States forcing the vote, then Susan Rice publicly chastising Russia and China for their vetoes.

    If they object to intervention in Syria, where Assad is so clearly murdering his own people in a show of force that IMO makes Ghaddafi look like a piker, there is no way in hell they will remain silent about an act of war against Iran.

    Parent

    Not true (none / 0) (#57)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Feb 05, 2012 at 07:01:34 AM EST
    Many many countries objected strenuously to us going into Iraq.  France despised us for it and wasn't quiet about it either, and China was standing with them.

    I mean no disrespect, but I think you fail to understand how allied we are with both Russia and China right now.  We stage for Afghanistan in Russia now that our relationship with Pakistan is what it is now.  We purchase supplies for our Afghan troops from China because they are so close to the country.

    The truth is that the whole world has nightmares about what can happen to the nukes in Pakistan, and that is why the Obama administration did not turn its back on Afghanistan after it did acquire real intel on that subject.  As things stand right now, some of your troops may leave Afghanistan too and "that war" wind down some, but the CIA fighting and killing extremists in that area will continue on until something changes and the nukes live in a more "stable" environment.  Until that happens we are never technically "leaving" that CIA/special forces operation.

    So if something has to be done about Iran, China and Russia understand why. And they have more to lose than we do if Iran succeeds.

    Parent

    Thursday Night Open Thread | 55 comments (55 topical)

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