April 4, 2009

An article in the New York Times: "Commoner Captures Princess, Blog Version."

Look out! Jan Hoffman writes a very cool article about me and Meade.
Until now, Meade liked his online anonymity just fine. But at his fiancĂ©e’s urging, he agreed to be unmasked here. He is....
The Times has the scoop.

144 comments:

blake said...

Well, aren't we up late. Early. Maybe both.

Freeman and Knox both got mentions, too! How cool is that?!

And I will resist the urge to start calling Meade "Larry".

At least in public.

Meade said...

blake:LOL!

*Please be gentle with me*

AllenS said...

That was a pretty cool article.

blake said...

Meade,

I shall deny the inherent snark which is every blog commenter's birthright.

Aw, who am I kidding? I'm beside myself with joy for you two. Nary a snark to be found.

Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

An Edjamikated Redneck said...

Meade is moving to Madison?

Damn! There goes the neighborhood.

Mine; not Madison's.

By the way, if your looking for a home for an AA Model truck, you know us Rednecks and our old trucks!

An Edjamikated Redneck said...

I do believe that is the first article I've ever read in the NYT that didn't leave me screaming at my monitor.

And Meade, trust me on this, there is incredible value in being self educated. You don't have the letters after your name that basically say 'somebody else tried to teach me something'; instead you have the satisfaction of knowing you have taught your self what you wanted to know and what was valuable to you.

The Elder said...

Damn! He DOES look just like Cary Grant!

Sheesh.

Meade said...

"...he DOES look just like Cary Grant!"

No, but shhh, I think she may like me. Please don't blow my cover.

Instugator said...

Great article! Meade, Ann congratulations again. So Meade, when will you start a horticulture blog? - I know nothing of gardening and could use some help starting one

DaveW said...

Wow. A nicely written article in the NYTimes. Just like An Edjamikated Redneck said above I think that may be the first time in recent memory I read the NYTimes without rolling my eyes or giving up after paragraph or 2.

Michael Haz said...

Very cool article!

I note that the differences in your ages (Althouse 58, Meade 55) classifies Althouse as a Cougar. that sounds sexier than Badger (with all due respect to the U of W).

Beta Conservative said...

What an interesting and well written article. I think it may start a trend. Watch out Amanda.

Am I the only one who regularly hangs out here who never saw any of this coming? I am apparently as clueless as my daughters suggest.

Well, it's a great story, warming even the divorced cynic's heart. Best wishes to two wonderful people I'll never really know.

Freeman Hunt said...

Yay! Great article. Great couple.

Meade said...

Great fellow commenters!

traditionalguy said...

Super cool Ann and Meade. Thanks for being the real deal.

Freder Frederson said...

My God, you are the blogosphere's ultimate narcissist, aren't you?

The most fitting match though, would have been if Simon would have dumped his (I'm sure) long suffering wife for you.

Palladian said...

Freder's just jealous because he never has a date that doesn't end with a cash transaction.

Anonymous said...

Is there any way to actually see the #@&#$*( article without the E-holes at the NYTimes knowing my *@#()%#* annual income??????

KCFleming said...

Yowza; way cool, and very Bronte-Austen romantic.

Too bad the article didn't include Freder's usual droppings to add just the right versimilitude.

Naaah.

Palladian said...

It's funny that the picture of Althouse has an "enlarge this image" link above it, but the picture of Meade doesn't. What can this mean? Does Meade have large pores or something?

Meade said...

Palladian: Thank you but you are far too interested in my pores. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)

Palladian said...

"Too bad the article didn't include Freder's usual droppings to add just the right versimilitude."

Even the New York Times has its standards.

Maybe one day they'll write a piece about Freder's invention of Gitmoplay, an erotic fantasy that involves leather BDUs, a Koran, an orange latex jumpsuit and Freder begging to be called an "unlawful combatant". Ending with a cash transaction, of course.

Anonymous said...

I hope you invite Clint Eastwood to the wedding.

Henry said...

Lovely stuff.

AllenS said...

The final scene in Gitmoplay would be me strapping Freder to the waterboard.

Bissage said...

I’m going to sound a discordant note, here.

Good manners advise me to say little more than that I was disappointed the NYT piece didn’t tell the story of two equals finding each other in a way so modern and unlikely that it gives hope to all the other lonely hearts out there.

Meade is an easier going guy than me, which is why I’m sure he wasn’t offended by his being portrayed as a notch or two better than a social-climbing stalker like Helg Sgarbi.

I have got no right to be offended for his sake, but I am.

I might also add that I would be deeply offended if Mrs. Bissage were portrayed as being lucky to snare me.

We are equals in every way that matters.

Anonymous said...

Though I must say that unmasking supers is--disconcerting--to me.

Peter V. Bella said...

This is huge Althouse, just effing huge. Two, count them two, pages in the NT Times al about you and your betrothed. Even so called society snobs do not get two whole NYT pages. You are now officially B I G.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again congrats and best wishes.

Freder Frederson said...

Maybe one day they'll write a piece about Freder's invention of Gitmoplay, an erotic fantasy that involves leather BDUs, a Koran, an orange latex jumpsuit and Freder begging to be called an "unlawful combatant". Ending with a cash transaction, of course.

Yeah, you, Fen, AllenS, Cedarford, and even Ann still don't get it. You still think torture and gross human rights abuses by our government are amusing and something to be made light of.

And then poor Ann wonders why liberals don't like her! Just because she coddles and sucks up to inhuman and sadistic jerks like you.

Molly said...

I can't decide what's better, the prospect of a happy marriage or Andrew Sullivan's reaction when he sees this article over his toast.

Peter V. Bella said...

"Just an old fashioned love song, comin down in three part harmony..."

David said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pat Patterson said...

The actual story is very nice, congratulations. The written version is very good, so good that I wasn't madly fact checking the article after the 2nd paragraph.

KCFleming said...

Now I'm a bit wierded out, though.
The NY Times?

Does this mean they actually read blogs like this one, or is this a duct-tape-prom dress type of article?

I thought there were maybe 50 readers, many posting repeatedly, and since some have several identities, mebbe not even 50.

And yeah, I am aware sitemeter says 19 million, but that's like internet money, ain't it?

Anyways, if there'n folks reading here beyond the few dozen I been readin', well, now I'll have to dress proper and shave more often and write better.

Much better.

David said...

NYT: "But let’s be clear: blogger, sovereign; commenters, courtiers."

Oh my God, is this true? I feel so .... used .... so ashamed and dirty.

David said...

Beta Conservative said...

"Am I the only one who regularly hangs out here who never saw any of this coming?"

Don't feel bad. Meade and Althouse don't seem to have seen it coming either.

nina said...

The article is playful, as is the love story, as are its characters. And that's a good thing. After you've raised the kids and paid your bills and done your bit in the world, you can retreat to your couch and flip on the next tedious reality show, or you can find a partner to love and cherish, and proceed to the next adventure. It's cool that both Meade and Ann chose the latter.

Paddy O said...

With all that is going on in this world, with all the strained and juvenile interactions that seem to define the blog world, it is so plain great to see good, old fashioned, bliss being celebrated.

Fun stuff!

And it's fitting that this old-fashioned tale of romance sought and fulfilled gets its story told in the old-fashioned newspaper.

Congrats to you both!

Frodo Potter said...

Congratulations again. I’m going to sound like a romantic sap (which, come to think of it, I am), but this really is a Robert Browning-Elizabeth Barrett, or perhaps a Jane Austen, type of romance. It also has echoes of Humphrey and Maude in “The Sea Wolf,” though you met in person under much more pleasant circumstances.

Another note, let me second Instugator about the horticulture blog. Outstanding idea. You might also blog about landscaping architecture.

Molly, re: Andrew Sullivan, LOL!

Anonymous said...

David:
They were quoting Kermit-the-frog love songs to each other here.

Now reading the archives takes a whole new twist.

Paddy O said...

As I think of the article it reminds me a bit of C.S. Lewis' late in life romance with one of his admirers, Joy Gresham. He was the king, she was struck by his talent. He was struck by her whole life and presence that helped him find a renewed joy and delight in this present life.

No doubt, this story of Meade and Althouse is going to avoid the complications of that Lewis tale--and proceed in ever increasing peace and bliss.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Hey Althouse. I actually read the linked story. It was a nice way to begin my day. I applaud the NYT for a nice sweet story. Good luck again to you and Larry. Heh.

Two wonderful happy people who found each other and will now be even happier for years! Best to you both!

Richard Dolan said...

Ann: "The Times has the scoop."

LOL. The vortex is at it again. The Times is a bit late to the party to be claiming any 'scoop.' What the NYT has is the picture (of Meade). And perhaps the wedding will get 'match of the week' treatment come August.

Have you noticed that this article is the nicest thing the NYT has had to say in a while about a not-really-conservative person in the news who still dissents (occasionally) from the NYT's line? Congrats to A snd M for winning the heart of the Grey Lady.

Randy said...

I agree with Nina. And it was a very nice article. Congratulations!

David said...

Hmmmm. A gardener, eh? Shall we start calling you Lady Chatterly? (Hey, it worked for her. Sort of.)

ricpic said...

It's the classic older woman younger man scenario. ;^)

Peter V. Bella said...

Freder,
Dude, chill out. Everyone does not go through life being a miserable shit over things they cannot control; like you do. You really should get a life outside of uber liberal politics and hate based internet conspiracy sights.

Now, two Arabs walk into Gitmo...

Peter V. Bella said...

My God, you are the blogosphere's ultimate narcissist, aren't you?

You are the blogosphere’s ultimate pissant. I guess in the world you inhabit in your head, people are not supposed to be happy or celebrate joy. People are not supposed to have a joyous occasion publicized. All joy and happiness should be kept behind closed doors in severe privacy. I know a group that thinks like that and even you can join them. The Taliban.

Richard said...

This is the happiest the NYT has ever made me.

save_the_rustbelt said...

We need to start casting the movie parts.

I nominate Trooper York to lead this effort, as soon as he is done with his tax returns.

Christy said...

Charming article! Inquiring minds want to know, Mead, what's on that iPod in your pocket? That picture of you is perfect. Laptop under your arm, earphones around your neck - you are all of us.

Wince said...

“Does she know the guy?” sniggered Mickey Kaus, the Slate blogger, in a bloggingheads.tv interview.

In a phone interview, Ms. Althouse shot back, “If a male blogger found women to consort with by going into his comments, I think he’d be congratulated.”


I wouldn't be so hard on Mickey Kaus.

I sensed he was taken aback by the news. Not that he had a serious thing for Althouse, but maybe that he'd miss the company of another older, single blogger of the opposite sex out there. And that it highlighted his own situation.

Just a guess.

Notice how he goes on to confuse Althouse for McCardle at the end of this Bloggingheads clip, well after the Althouse discussion with Bob Wright is over.

JSF said...

Meade and Ann,

Best wishes to you both (again)! I thought the NYT puts the wedding announcements in the Sunday paper.

I did a post on my Blog to wish you both well.

I suggested the NYT fires Maureen Dowd and hire Althouse because she does not put up with BS from anybody.

Best wishes again!

I'm Full of Soup said...

Movie?

Rustbelt has a good idea so He gets to be your agent Althouse.

former law student said...

While in my youth I drove as far as Bloomington to spend time with a woman, I admit I never considered Purdue's possibilities as a makeout spot.

I hope Meade can get a comparably satisfying job up north -- is there an Oscar Meyer estate near Mad City?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I just want to remind you people that the Times still the enemy.

IMHO this is just a one day dispensation kind of thing.

It's going to take a lot more to buy me off ;)

btw - Meade, thanks for opening up to us.

former law student said...

“Does she know the guy?” sniggered Mickey Kaus, the Slate blogger, in a bloggingheads.tv interview.

I wouldn't be so hard on Mickey Kaus.

I sensed he was taken aback by the news.


It seemed to me Kaus was asking "Has she met the guy?" or was it strictly on online courtship.

srfwotb said...

FTA: Emboldened, Mr. Meade wrote privately to Ms. Althouse. After he offered his Social Security number, in case she wanted to run a criminal check, they made a date.

hahahaha. I'm forwarding the whole article to (redacted). He's at his best textually.

Methadras said...

I'm happy for you both, but I'm still scratching me head at it all. But then again, the Lord/Love works in mysterious ways, so who am I to question it. Welcome once again to the club. :D

Chris said...

You've got to know that ol' Sully is jealous. No NYT write-up for his romance....

Joan said...

On the whole, I agree with those who found it a charming article, uncharacteristic of the NYT. I did stumble over the sovereign/commoner bit, and this line in particular: As a blogger, Ms. Althouse gives the illusion that readers are privy to her personal life.

That's the giveaway, we can all relax, the NYT doesn't read Althouse. If anyone there did, they would know that our newly engaged hostess has never even made a pretense of offering such an illusion. The next line mentions how circumspect she is, but the suggestion that she ever gave us anything more than glimpses into her private life is absurd.

ITA with Nina on choosing joy over complacency. This story makes me happy, even when it's the NYT with the write-up.

lohwoman said...

I loved that "except for her closest readers" bit. Also the fact that Althouse's picture is enlargeable so we can feast our eyes on her ring. Life is a banquet!

lohwoman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Drill SGT said...

AllenS said...
The final scene in Gitmoplay would be me strapping Freder to the waterboard.


I'm more retro. My fantasy scene would be duck taped up, blindfolded, and tossed from a Huey, (unbeknownest to him), with a bungie cord around his taped ankles.

Grats Althouse on the NYT not hosing your engagement article.

Bob From Ohio said...

Nice article. Congratulations on your engagement.

We should congratulate Freder too. I hear he's the new science editor of the Times. They were impressed with his knowledge of the theory of conservation of energy.

srfwotb said...

It's funny, I've never acknowledged the whole commenter/commoner thing probably because I started off on very active mailing lists hosted by saintly unix monks in the 90s where everyone was equal. Then out of that, around 1998-9, the blogs formed like spin-offs.

Private groups would try to secede a la Journolist -always destroying themselves in the process out of sheer boredom with each other as they insularly cut themselves off from the main body.

But I think without that angle, this never would have been dramatic enough to make the NY Times. ;-) And there was a kind of princess-locked-in-a-tower, Rapunzel-ish feel about it all even before.

Andrew Sullivan is quite the catalyst in any number of ways, isn't he?

former law student said...

I did stumble over the sovereign/commoner bit, and this line in particular: As a blogger, Ms. Althouse gives the illusion that readers are privy to her personal life.

That's the giveaway, we can all relax, the NYT doesn't read Althouse.


Maybe not regularly, but I suspect they picked up the commenter/commoner byplay from the comments. (I think Peter Hoh was responsible, along with one or two others.)

Brian Doyle said...

The way the quotes are presented, anyway, it looks like you are accusing Mickey of sexism because he asked if you "knew the guy." Funny, if true.

I also liked that derision gets top billing in "She attracts derision and applause from 500,000 monthly visitors."

But congrats to the happy couple.

I'm Full of Soup said...

So Althouse is the "unique visitors of 500,000" a fairly accurate number or does it exclude commoners like me?

BJM said...

Ha! Sully's probably sobbing into his Weetabix.

wOOt! Althouse snagged a hunky, articulate garden designer for good conversation, great sex and fresh veggies, what more could a girl wish?

Methadras said...

Chris said...

You've got to know that ol' Sully is jealous. No NYT write-up for his romance....


Wait just one second. Little Miss Sullivan's romance with Mr. Barely is well documented.

Chip Ahoy said...

Score!

This story warms the cockles of my heart.

* looks up cockles *

Congratulations up and down and all around. * dances, throws confetti * I wish all the happiness of ever together, you two.

* frenetically vacuums *

Methadras said...

BJM said...

what more could a girl wish?


A strong arm? [shrug]

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

WOW, that's the sappiest, sweetest, cutest thing I have ever read on TNYT. Congrats again to both of of you!

I do need to rinse my eyes and that void where my heart used to be at some point now. Too much sugary stuff LOL

Joan said...

FLS: you're right! I'd forgotten that line of comments. But you know, that's us, and it's one thing if we refer to ourselves that way. It's true that many of us have tremendous respect for Althouse, but there's a difference between that and regarding her as sovereign. She's the hostess of an online salon:

A salon is a gathering of stimulating people of quality under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and readings, often consciously following Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to please or to educate" ("aut delectare aut prodesse est").

Obviously there is a range of interests and abilities here in the commentariat, but as individuals we are treated as equals here. (Some people make fools of themselves but that's their choice.)

William said...

Somewhere in Hollywood, someone is passing this story along to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks with the suggestion that they option a script. This is a very sweet, romantic story, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Chip Ahoy said...

Joan! I just now noticed you're using the Schleich crusaider to Jeanne d'Arc Photoshop. *glees * All this time I thought that was overlooked.

save_the_rustbelt said...

Professor Althouse:

Having been appointed your agent, I think it is important you do two things this week.

1) write a 3 - 4 page script synopsis and fire it off to the copyright office

2) trademark the blog name and all related names.

This has Movie of the Week written all over it, with multiple rerun option on the Lifetime Channel.

save_the_rustbelt said...

Some initial ideas on casting:

Anne:

Renee Russo
Laura Linney
Meg Ryan

Meade:

Gabriel Byrne
George Clooney
Pierce Brosnan

Casting the commenters will be more difficult.

For myself, since I share a name with Tom Cruise and since we both married hotties from Toledo, I think that is a natural.

Your thoughts?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Rustbelt:

Don't budget too much for the movie's costumes. The commenters wear pajamas only huh?

Peter V. Bella said...

I'm more retro. My fantasy scene would be duck taped up, blindfolded, and tossed from a Huey, (unbeknownest to him), with a bungie cord around his taped ankles.

How many times?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Casting the commenters will be more difficult.

I'll be happy with Tubs from Miamy Vice 1984 the TV series.

former law student said...

As I've said before, Meade looks like Woody Harrelson's older brother. A little makeup, and voila!

blake said...

NYT: "But let’s be clear: blogger, sovereign; commenters, courtiers."

Oh my God, is this true? I feel so .... used .... so ashamed and dirty.


But...in a good way, right?

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joan said...

Overlooked? Not at all, Chip! You're even credited on my profile page.

I *glee* every time I see it. Thanks again.

As far as making a movie goes, I think it needs to be an epistolary novel, first. It's already written, it just needs to be pulled out of the comments and then supplemented with selections from the Althouse-Meade emails. I think it has potential. What do you say, Althouse?

Fen said...

Freder: Yeah, you, Fen, AllenS, Cedarford, and even Ann still don't get it. You still think torture and gross human rights abuses by our government are amusing and something to be made light of.

No Freder, I just think waterboarding should be used to save the likes of NYC from a WMD attack.

And my experience has been that lefties like yourself don't really believe in the things they lecture us about. For now, you'll behave all self-righteous about waterboarding because it makes you feel good about your "superior ethics" and has no consequence - it costs you nothing. But when its your life, your family, your city at risk, you'll be begging people like me to stain our souls with blood to save you. With a wink/nod that you'll pardon us after...

But you've got me thinking - would I waterboard the likes Saddam to save Sodom? Hmmmm. Perhaps its not worth it afterall.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Meade looks like Woody Harrelson's older brother...

Wrong!

Meade looks more like Buck Henry from SNL.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Lem, the late Raul Julia would have been perfect to play your role. We will have to find someone else now.

As for me, I really have no clue...

I'm Full of Soup said...

That was such a fair story in the NYT that I almost bought a real copy. But when I got there, I realized I could not give my hard-earned money to them.

I relish the day Obama has to go and fire Bill Keller and little Punch to save journalism!

save_the_rustbelt said...

AJ:

I progress to a flannel shirt by noon.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Rustbelt:

You gotta put Trooper in charge of movie PR! [I am confident the monks will be booting him out of the monastery real soon]

Anonymous said...

Isn't it weird that some people believe that Althouse's blog is some kind of public utility instead of, you know, her blog?

Anonymous said...

I would like to played by Rey Mysterio

I'm Full of Soup said...

Doyle could be played by Chuck Shumer.

Freder by Katrina Van Den Heuvel. She has the hate down.

Trooper they would need to find a be a younger Dabney Coleman type.

We were think Rod Blagovich for you Seven- cause he needs a job and is from Chicago.

Anonymous said...

Blago is fine. We have the same hair.

Mark Daniels said...

Has anybody contacted the two of you for the movie rights yet?

Anonymous said...

I just told my wife about this.

Her response: "So your fantasy isn't so far from true, is it, sweetie?"

Laura said...

Congratulations! Irony alert? You and Jessica Valenti can share wedding tips?

Anonymous said...

Jessica Valenti should be the maid of honor...standing up there, nipples erect, very low cut dress.

Peter V. Bella said...

Blago is fine. We have the same hair.

Seeing as there is no Friends of Blago Legal Defense Fund, that is very generous of you. He could use the dough. The problem is shutting him up.

Peter V. Bella said...

Fen,
Please, you are talking to a hypocrite. The liberal weenies do not like torture when they are not in charge. Since they have power, I am sure some form of torture will be allowed and justified- the common good and all of that. They will just rename it some touchy feely thing. A name that will make them and their ilk feel good about it.

I mean, they rename terrorist organizations and call them NGOs. They renamed the war on terror and terrorist acts are now man made disasters.



World wide, liberal or socialists have been the worst human rights violators in history, al for the common good. They just never admit it.

Unknown said...

"He is Laurence Meade . . . a garden designer and caretaker for a Cincinnati estate."


Never mind Althouse, Meade. Start thinking greenhouse. In Madison, we measure the gardening season in minutes, occasionally hours.

And the weather report calls for 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow.

--G.

somefeller said...

Nice article. Once again, the New York Times shows why it is the greatest newspaper in the land.

Regarding horticulture, always remember Dorothy Parker's wise words on the topic.

blake said...

Blago is fine. We have the same hair.

Wait. Literally?

Alternate days?

Anonymous said...

Why do you think I wear this mask? It sucks in July, let me just tell you.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Plus if Blago gets the job Seven, Obama can add him to his jobs saved or created tally.

Talk about win-win!

Go Villanova!

Nagarajan Sivakumar said...

Prof.Althouse and Meade,
Congrats ! This is so... awwwww inducing. and i am not an awww.. inducible person at all.

One thing that i dont understand is this - atleast according to the article, Ann had a harsh review of the Wrestler but i know for a fact that she was going gaga for Slum Dog Millionaire. Was the Wrestler not even comparable to SDM ?

C'mon Professor, dont you think Mickey Rourke gave the performance of his lifetime ? And so did Marisa Tomei - even the girl who played his estranged daughter was good. I thought it was a great movie !

Congratulations to Knox as well :-)
Wow, who knows, one day we could also get our names printed on the NYT - we just need to keep visiting this blog ... and commenting on it too:-)

Mortimer Brezny said...

As in the New York Times, just as in Althouselandia, Mortimer Brezny has yet again not been frontpaged.

Brian Doyle said...

Doyle could be played by Chuck Shumer.

On a scale from 1-10, I'd rate my surprise at learning that AJ Lynch imagines people he doesn't like as looking like Chuck Schumer at about a 3.

Anonymous said...

Mort -- You were totally front paged by Althouse, just recently. I sensed racism.

Anonymous said...

Doyle -- How about Susan Sarandon for you?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Doyle :

I was going with a fellow Mets fan. Why would you say I don't like you buddy?

Revenant said...

So that's the mysterious Meade!

I know so many people who met their husbands/wives/etc online that it doesn't seem weird to me at all. It is strange to see a newspaper treat it as if it was. Then again, the people I know spend a good portion of their lives online. Most people don't.

Unknown said...

Cool article. Live long and prosper!

Mortimer Brezny said...

7Masculinities,

Yes. I was. But that frontpaging by our quite generous Ann failed to land me on the pages of the New York Times. I am seething.

Michael Haz said...

I see George Clooney and Julia Roberts cast in the leading roles.

I will be played by Sean Connery, thank you.

*Schotch!*

The script needs a wacky character, like having the role of Trooper York played by Dom DeLuise.

David Hyde-Pierce would be a good choice to play the Titus role.

rhhardin said...

It's a nice story for us, because we know the story.

The NYT likes it for its own reasons - Althouse the feminist finds love. That's for the NYT audience in the upper west side, a do-it-all story.

It seems to me more like art student marries groundskeeper, which is the way it makes sense.

Althouse follows her interests.

And the groundskeeper has already done his stuff in the comments, if you'd have taken the time to notice.

Taking an interest in making, among other things, the blog a nice place to come to.

That's not a NYT story, though; the feminist professional isn't supposed to get that way by following women's interests. There would be a danger of backsliding.

Mortimer Brezny said...

Ann is a feminist? No way. Jessica Valenti is a feminist. Ann Althouse has a man.

kalmia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kalmia said...

> After about six months

of living together, I meant to say...

Kev said...

I note that the differences in your ages (Althouse 58, Meade 55) classifies Althouse as a Cougar.

That's fitting, since a band called Cougar included samples of an Althouse lecture on one track of their CD; it was the subject few posts here. (I bought the CD recently, and the whole thing is pretty cool, even the tracks without their "lead vocalist." Heh.)

BTW, that was a great NYT article (did I really just write that?). Congrats again to Althouse and Meade! It really is a cool story; I did a congratulatory blog post about it as well.

And if someone really does make a movie about this, I want to play on the soundtrack...

vnjagvet said...

I was afraid to hit the link to the NYT article this morning, but when I saw Hot Air's link began with AWWWWW, figured it was SFW.

It was the nicest thing I have read in the Times about people I like. I am really glad I read it.

Meade, I have been a "child husband" for over 40 years now. Marrying an older woman was the best thing I ever did. In our case, the difference is about six weeks, but symbolically, it's a lot because going back four generations, no male on either side of my family ever married an older woman. I am glad we broke the mold.

Congratulations to both of you.

BTW, did Ann use that SSN to conduct an investigation?

Unknown said...

Kudos to the NYT! Something about a blind squirrel and a nut comes to mind.

integrity said...

That is one of the cutest, funniest articles I have read. And Meade is a sexy gent as well.

Now I want to know fraulein Althouse(yes, Bush voters are now the new nazis) what right-wing rag would produce such a lovely piece. And nary an accusation of being a right-winger.

Many congratulations and wishes of joy and happiness to you both.

I predict a movie deal.

Peter Hoh said...

I am so late to this party. I had a hot date with a bathroom faucet, and then the wifi wasn't working for a while. I think it's a delightful article.

Joan objected to this line: As a blogger, Ms. Althouse gives the illusion that readers are privy to her personal life.

I think that this is spot on. Althouse has done a fine job of crafting this illusion. Those of us who are regular readers know it's an illusion, but we go along with it.

Kirk Parker said...

Peter,

"How many times?"

Until he figures it out? :-)

Anonymous said...

Well, I wish you two crazy, unhinged, mildly warped, love birds all the best. :)

...and I mean guys.

With much Love and mushy stuff,

-PaleoPat
Owner and Head idiot over at
politicalbyline.com

P.S. Now she'd only answer my e-mails!

Peter Hoh said...

Garden dudes everywhere are hitching up their jeans with pride.

Meade, some useful garden links for you.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I forgot something...

Meade the first order of business!

Get this woman OFF of Blogger, and buy her some dedicated HOSTING and put her on WORDPRESS! PLEASE for the Love of GOD get her off of Blogger!

I will help set it all up, and I will not change a lousy DIME! Won't take but about a good hour. I can even do it from my home. I recommend site5.com or The Planet hosting. Works quite well! :)

vnjagvet said...

Paleo, don't you think that Blogger is part of the Althouse charm?

Unknown said...

I sure as hell don't, no. It's like saying a blown head gasket is part of a old car's charm.

Unknown said...

Now it could be that the relative minimalism of Blogger's style is part of this blog's charm. If so, fine---reproduce the style. Just put some real software behind it for goodness' sakes!

amba said...

Yowza; way cool, and very Bronte-Austen romantic.

I don't know; with Meade going all humble gardener, it's getting quite Lady Chatterley.

Not that that's bad . . . especially for the lady.

amba said...

Three years' age advantage does not a cougar make. I think if you're playing in the same decade, and certainly in the same half decade, you're contemporaries.

amba said...

And I will resist the urge to start calling Meade "Larry".

Curly or Moe would be OK, though.

amba said...

Hey, now you don't have to have a wedding! You've already been in the Styles section!

amba said...

Commenter/commoner was just a pun! Ann is more hostess than sovereign, and she has never treated commenters with condescension (only with scorn when they earn it).

Despite all that (and in no contradiction to it) having the blogger reach out and pluck someone from the comments (or be plucked) did have that fairytale quality.

amba said...

I know so many people who met their husbands/wives/etc online that it doesn't seem weird to me at all. It is strange to see a newspaper treat it as if it was.

It is even stranger to see a newspaper online being so dorky with links. As Ann points out in her later post, they missed many opportunities to link, yet they'll put a link at something like ... like "United Nations".

Unknown said...

They probably have an automated system in place that generates links for certain key words or phrases.

Brian Hancock said...

Congrats to both of you!

srfwotb said...

Yeah, you need at least a decade to be a proper cougar...usually refers to very aggressive 35-50ish with an under-25ish.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cougar

Tibore said...

A commenter gets a nod in an MSM article? Wow... we hoi polloi are moving up in the world, none faster than Meade hisself. :D

Let's also remember to celebrate this for what it is: A rare example of an online meeting not ending with a restraining order. ;)

Heh... seriously, it's good to see this theme revisited. Sure we can't talk the happy couple into a Bloggerheads-type wedding? :D

OSweet said...

So in a 50-word bio they included "she admires Rush Limbaugh"?

Geez.

And for the record, Mickey Kaus didn't "snigger" - for being unaware of the situation, he registered his surprise in a very calm fashion, especially in light of how Bob Wright was hamming it up.

Otherwise, good article and wonderful story.