"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
by liberal japonicus GftNC pointed out that there isn't a true open thread. Reading her comment, I just got an image of an open manhole, which, according to OSHA, requires that "a railing, temporary cover, or other barrier" be erected around the manhole immediately after the manhole is safely removed. This is to prevent accidental … Read more
by liberal japonicus As tempting as it is to dwell on whatever outrage the Orange Turd has committed, I thought this Grauniad article, about the Korean 4b movement, might be interesting to discuss. The 4B name stems from four Korean words beginning with “bi” (meaning “no”): bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating), … Read more
by liberal japonicus The title is a nod to a quote often attributed to Dorothy Parker. I thought it was apropos, and this is your place for those observations. As Ezra Klein observed (via Scott Lemieux at LGM), these are loyalty tests, so absurdity is the point. This Campos post at LGM has pics of … Read more
by liberal japonicus I've not been able to look at analyses of what went wrong. I read a paragraph or two, or at most a half page, and just have to go to something else. Same for videos and podcasts, a sense of nausea and disgust after a few minutes. It seems like there is … Read more
by liberal japonicus Living in Japan, I was awake for all of this as I had classes and meetings, such that I had to stop looking at anything around noon. I came home, commiserated with my wife (it was a very quiet evening) and went to bed early. How did I sleep? As Tommy Lasorda … Read more
by wj JanieM gave us a great upbeat musical post. But we have this election tomorrow, and I expect that everybody is going to feel compelled to talk about it. Wednesday, if not before. So, to keep from polluting her thread, here’s an Open Thread for you. Just to kick it off, here’s a chance … Read more
by JanieM Farmstand in October – better version here. I was trying to write a post about nanny tech – a phrase I thought I had invented until I googled it. But it’s hard to have orderly thoughts about anything this close to the election, so instead of that post, I’ve made a YouTube playlist … Read more