Althouse: At the Swan Lake Café...

December 12, 2024

At the Swan Lake Café...

... you can talk about whatever you want.

No sunrise picture today. The "feels like" temperature was well below zero. The swan picture is from the 7th. Anyway... please support the Althouse blog by doing your Amazon shopping going in through the Althouse Amazon link.

27 comments:

ALP said...: So, my progressive sibling (chair of sociology at a big public university) and I are set to inherit a taxable asset in 2025 due to my parents passing. The progressive playbook certainly includes "tax the rich" to acquire the funds for all the social justice stuff that needs to be done. Yet, here she is, whining and bitching that 'this is pushing me to the highest tax bracket' - whine, whine, whine about paying taxes.

I find this so - odd. I mean, you'd think she'd be HAPPY to fund programs for whatever her thing is via Federal and CA state taxes - right?

Really looking forward to closing the estate in early 2025 so I can put her bitching and whining in my rear-view mirror.; 12/12/24, 5:56 PM
Big Mike said...: There’s a report out that Mark Zuckerberg has — that’s “has” as in past tense, already done it — donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Reminds me a bit of buying indulgences back before the Protestant Reformation.

IMAO Trump should tell Zuckerberg that if he wants bygones to be bygones he needs another zero. Or two.; 12/12/24, 6:13 PM
Clyde said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/12/24, 6:14 PM
Clyde said...: Clyde's Top 15 Favorite "New" Songs of 2024 - Part 2 of 5 - Honorable Mentions

Richard Thompson Band - "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" - Two Letter Words (Live 1994) - 1996

Some songs are gifts of the algorithm. This one came up on the My Soundtrack playlist early in the year and I listened to it a couple of times, and eventually it disappeared. I realized that I wanted to hear it again and had to go looking for it. It took me a while but eventually I figured out what it was, and I found it again.

Richard Thompson was a founding member of the English folk-rock group Fairport Convention in 1967, as well as its guitarist and a songwriter. He left the group in 1971 to record with his then-wife, Linda Thompson. After their divorce, he went solo. He originally recorded this song on a studio album in 1991, but I prefer this live version, perhaps because it was the first version I heard. It's pretty simple, just a singer with an acoustic guitar, but it's great storytelling.

Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; 12/12/24, 6:18 PM
gadfly said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/12/24, 6:18 PM
gadfly said...: Inheritances are not taxable in CA nor by the Feds.; 12/12/24, 6:24 PM
Clyde said...: I mentioned yesterday that Amazon Unlimited music allows you to listen to public community playlists. If you have Amazon Unlimited music and are interested in seeing my playlists, my user name is Clyde S. If you do a search for ABC Mix - Americana, Bluegrass Country, you can find one of my playlists, click on it and find my user name. If you click on that, you can see all of my playlists. I made playlists of all of my Best New Songs for 2021, 2022, 2023 and also the one I'm currently counting down, 2024. If you want to steal a march on everyone else and see the whole list, it's there for you to find.; 12/12/24, 6:28 PM
Mason G said...: "I find this so - odd. I mean, you'd think she'd be HAPPY to fund programs for whatever her thing is via Federal and CA state taxes - right?"

Progressives are definitely in favor of taxing the rich. They are also all convinced that they, themselves, are not rich.

From The Progressive Dictionary...

rich /rĭch/
adjective
1. Not me.
2. Those other than me with comparable wealth.
3. Republicans.; 12/12/24, 6:36 PM
Big Mike said...: @Althouse, nice to see pictures that do not projects doom and gloom.; 12/12/24, 6:45 PM
Lucien said...: Biden pardoned 39 people today (reportedly). I wonder if any of them were pardoned for any crimes against the US they committed since January 1, 2014, or just for crimes they were convicted of and sentenced for?; 12/12/24, 6:52 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: The estate tax is an inheritance tax by another name.; 12/12/24, 6:56 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Trump’s Inauguration Won’t Have Xi Jinping Among the Guests ~ WSJ

Xi won't make the pilgrimage to Washington to pay tribute to Trump. Xi expects others to pay tribute to him in Beijing as emperor of the Middle Kingdom.

Still, not a bad move by Trump as Xi not accepting the invitation makes him look like the bad guy who won't engage and therefore puts him at a bit of an optical disadvantage in the Greater West.; 12/12/24, 7:00 PM
Narayanan said...: Xi should propose Belt and Road from China to Alaska via Russia to the North Continent!!!; 12/12/24, 7:51 PM
Participant Observer said...: I attended my granddaughter's middle school "Winter Concert" this evening. Well done with one obvious exception: Not one traditional Christmas song was performed. Very disheartening.; 12/12/24, 8:16 PM
Gospace said...: A link from RealClearScience led to a Vox article How to Actually Treat Your Cold And it continues the propaganda. Quote: Covid and the flu can be prevented with vaccines, and there are RSV immunizations for babies and adults 65 and up. Early on in the covidiocy it was obvious covid vaccines did diddly squat to prevent you from getting covid. And it appears not only do the newest mRNA based RSV vaccines not keep babies and the elderly from getting RSVs, but the cases they get are worse. And the flu vaccine? Well, the traditional ones will keep you from getting that particular strain of flu- from the many thousands that are possible. And the newest studies are showing that children who receive their flu shot are more likely to come up with some other URI in the week following a flu shot. Almost like it temporarily depresses the innate immune system.

It's becoming clear that the whole vaccine mania needs a thorough cost/benefit analysis of whether they're worthwhile. With the following questions:
1. Does the vaccine actually work? (if it's mRNA based- the answer is going to be no. Forever.)
2. If it works- is it preventing a dangerous disease of a nuisance? And does that vary by age group? Seriously, for RSV- it's a nuisance for most of us. Those of us who have had colds- all of us for the most part, have probably had one or more varieties of RSV. Just like we've had one or more varieties of coronavirus. The dreaded covid was far from first on the scene.
3. Are we giving the vaccine to right people. As in- why is Hep B on the list for infants? From the CDC: Hepatitis B
Spread through blood-to-blood contact, meaning it can be transmitted by:
Unprotected sex with an infected person
Sharing needles or other injection-drug equipment
Exposure to needlesticks or sharps on the job Which of those describes an infant? Last way to get it: From mother to baby during birth Well, if the mother had it and gave it to the baby, the vaccine isn't going to a d--n bit of good.
And with HEP B is - why are we giving HPV vaccines to infants? Both of those seem like they should be targeted vaccinations at higher risk groups.

I'm sure the crowd here could think of other questions that should be asked. Remember, anecdotes aren't data, until you have many of them. This is my 3rd year in a row of not getting a flu shot, highly a not recommended thing to do for a 69 year old. And my 3rd year so far clear of URIs of any type. Excluding the two cases of covid I caught from vaccinated people in year 1 of the covidiocy.; 12/12/24, 8:18 PM
Eva Marie said...: OK, I’ve figured out the reason for the drones in NJ - preparation for the inauguration. Either we’re testing our defenses or we’re testing their effectiveness against an attack, or both. Is that a possibility?; 12/12/24, 8:18 PM
Eva Marie said...: I found it. Thx; 12/12/24, 8:38 PM
Gospace said...: At this point- yes. Well within the realm of possibilities.; 12/12/24, 8:48 PM
Gospace said...: OTOH- I think this explanation is far less probable: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb4de051203ac5df41d7d334df17f7a5abdbd41a37ecc5e96bcb1df6d07c6f80.jpg; 12/12/24, 9:11 PM
Eva Marie said...: That’s interesting as well.; 12/12/24, 9:22 PM
Quaestor said...: Crystal Mangum of the Duke Lacrosse fiasco confesses to pejrury (well after the expiration of possible charges).

88 Duke professors and faculty members ganged up on those young men and did everything in their power to destroy them. Ms. Mangum has the decency and courage to ask for forgiveness. However, none of the Gang of Eighty-eight will ever seek forgiveness.; 12/12/24, 9:26 PM
Maynard said...: gadfly, inheritances are federally taxable after a certain amount.; 12/12/24, 9:34 PM
Maynard said...: Have we all concluded that Dixcus is really Chuck playing one of his games?; 12/12/24, 9:36 PM
Caroline said...: Time to print off some song sheets for your first annual caroling event. We grands need to take up that slack.; 12/12/24, 9:46 PM
Original Mike said...: Another hoax. Depressing.; 12/12/24, 10:11 PM
Jim at said...: Have we all concluded that Dixcus is really Chuck playing one of his games?

I'm leaning towards Fen.; 12/12/24, 10:11 PM
Original Mike said...: IDK. He doesn't seem like Chuck to me. Other than his desire to disrupt this blog, I don't see a resemblance.; 12/12/24, 10:15 PM