Althouse: At the Tablescape Café...

March 23, 2025

At the Tablescape Café...

... you can talk all night.

And you can support the Althouse blog by doing your Amazon shopping going in through the Althouse Amazon link.

65 comments:

R C Belaire said...: Mid-left side: "Musk = Trump = ??" Is that a WI court flyer?; 3/23/25, 6:45 PM
mccullough said...: When to plant in the Upper Midwest defies planning; 3/23/25, 6:50 PM
Derve Swanson said...: Lol. Did you guys purposely pose those pamphlets to make Brad look like a lady? heh. Who knows what we are inside, afterall...; 3/23/25, 6:52 PM
tcrosse said...: I see the radishes and beets are Elon-gated. At least there are no muskmelons.; 3/23/25, 7:01 PM
Eva Marie said...: Now you’re just knolling us!; 3/23/25, 7:06 PM
Aggie said...: Botannical Interests has got some really great seeds ! Family-run and I always have good luck with them. I especially like the collections of wildflowers and the ones that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, etc.; 3/23/25, 7:11 PM
Narr said...: It has been blustery but warm, and the cherry trees are in bloom along Cherry by the Botanic Garden. There were a lot of people trying to get good photos--about 3/4 were Asian I think--but it was probably too windy. Lots of hat-grabbing and skirt-clasping required.; 3/23/25, 7:18 PM
Drago said...: Our New Soviet Democraticals continue with their corrupted, money-laundered, bus-em-in!, astroturfing.

And they apparently believe they can create a winning combo with Sanders/AOC that mimics Biden/Harris!

At the totally "organic" (wink wink) Denver "rally" with geo-fencing analysis:

AOC and Bernie Sanders rally against 'oligarchy' EXPOSED by cell phone data

- 84% of the people have gone to 9 or more rallies (Kamal Harris Rallies or Antifa, BLM, pro-Hamas or pro-Palestinian)
- 31% of them had attended OVER 20 RALLIES

Just like the townhalls with the democratical paid mobs, and the Tesla protests with the democratical paid mobs, and the protests outside of the federal bldgs with the democraticals paid mobs, astroturf for as far as the eye can see.; 3/23/25, 7:23 PM
mezzrow said...: Plant a radish, get a radish
That's why I love vegetables,
they know what they're about.; 3/23/25, 7:26 PM
FullMoon said...: Tip: When checking hood clearance between hood and new master cylinder on vintage Corvette, a slice of banana will suffice if the kids used all the clay.; 3/23/25, 7:32 PM
Lem Vibe Banditory said...: Why invite controversy?

Headline: Trump Border Czar Tom Homan...: ‘I Don’t Care What That Judge Thinks’

It's not helpful.; 3/23/25, 7:33 PM
Dave Begley said...: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/03/22/david-defeats-goliath-again/

My take on beating Big Wind in federal court.; 3/23/25, 7:33 PM
William50 said...: Wisconsin women's hockey team win the national championship beating Ohio State 4-3 in overtime!; 3/23/25, 7:36 PM
Kakistocracy said...: More cut and paste plagiarism from Drago...

Tony Seruga would probably appreciate the credit/link
I'll just leave this here...

/- 84% of the people have gone to 9 or more rallies (Kamal Harris Rallies or Antifa, BLM, pro-Hamas or pro-Palestinian)
- 31% of them had attended OVER 20 RALLIES/
https://x.com/TonySeruga/status/1903677337406992400; 3/23/25, 7:37 PM
Mason G said...: "Why invite controversy?"

He's not inviting anything. Controversy is a given.; 3/23/25, 7:39 PM
Peachy said...: BREAKING: Absolutely enormous protests are currently taking to the streets of Turkey, to protest President Erdogan.

Hundred of thousands of Turks no longer want to be ruled by an Islamist dictator. Of course, the media hasn’t covered any of this."; 3/23/25, 7:58 PM
Jaq said...: "More cut and paste plagiarism from Drago..."

I'm sorry, does this somehow undermine the validity of the statistics in your mind?; 3/23/25, 8:00 PM
Jaq said...: A regime change operation is certainly underway in Turkey. Erdogan has stepped on too may powerful toes.; 3/23/25, 8:01 PM
Original Mike said...: Congratulations to the UW women's hockey team. 8th NCAA championship.; 3/23/25, 8:18 PM
Original Mike said...: Coach Mark Johnson has built a dynasty.; 3/23/25, 8:20 PM
Original Mike said...: Kirsten Simms tied the game with a penalty shot with only 19 seconds remaining in the 3rd period AND she scored the game-winning goal in overtime.; 3/23/25, 8:24 PM
Big Mike said...: A preliminary report has been released regarding the Delta plane that lost a wing and flipped upside down up in Toronto a few weeks ago. The captain had handed over control to the first officer, which is a common practice to build up the experience of the first officer. However ...

The plane did not flair -- that's where the nose of the plane is tilted up at the last second to kill lift and forward speed -- and the plane was not dead level. The right wing was lower than the left. Consequently the right landing gear took the entire force of what was a much harder than the load that the gear was designed to take, and it was hard enough to break part of the landing gear assembly, causing the right landing gear to retract. The right wing was already low, so it dug into the ground, causing the aircraft to pivot and the wing to break off.

The broken wing caused fuel to gush out and catch fire, but momentum and the still turning jet engines were carrying the aircraft further down the runway and away from that fire. Meanwhile the left wing was still producing lift and it flipped the plane over before itself breaking off.

There were minor injuries, mostly caused by people injuring themselves when they released their seat belts and hit their heads on what used to be the ceiling. They say that any landing you can walk away from is a good one, however this one might be the counterexample.; 3/23/25, 8:31 PM
Kakistocracy said...: "I'm sorry, does this somehow undermine the validity of the statistics in your mind?"

Dinesh D'Souza's 2000 Mules comes to mind ...¯\_(ツ)_/¯; 3/23/25, 8:36 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: “Kakistocracy said...
More cut and paste plagiarism from Drago...”

Yikes! Kaka should have been here back in Inga’s day….; 3/23/25, 9:23 PM
Drago said...: Jaq: I'm sorry, does this somehow undermine the validity of the statistics in your mind?"

I routinely link to Seruga and his X timeline.

LLR-democratical Rich has been pitching a fit over the last several days for 2 primary reasons:
- It was announced X was not just back to its original purchase price valuation of $44B, but that X was also debt free.

Abacus Boy Rich, the Harry Sisson of Althouse blog, has spent the last 2+ years declaring X dead and dying and failing and asserting bankruptcy for X was inevitable and unavoidable.

This has sent Li'l Richie so far over the edge he might end up in LLR-democratical Chuck land!

- Althouse readers will recall how Abacus Boy Rich declared kamala a sure-fire, can't miss, inevitable (Li'l Richie does alot of that "inevitable" stuff!) "Brilliant" and "powerful" winner against Trump due in large part to the astroturfed "crowds" bussed in by Richie's masters which he used as "proof" of coming victory!

Rich was clearly hoping to use the latest New Soviet Democratical astroturfed efforts to rekindle his very sad gaslighting...and now he can't!

LOL

It is fun to watch in real time, isnt it?; 3/23/25, 9:33 PM
john mosby said...: Wolf Hall is back, after 10 years between seasons.

Overall, continues the high quality of the first season. Best British actors. Shot on location, whenever possible in the actual places where the events happened (some of the palaces no longer exist). Great use of period light- candles, fireplaces, sunlight thru windows- without turning your screen into a muddy mess.

There aren’t as many long silences as in the first season, and there is a bit more use of background music. But there still is a lot of slow deliberate dialog.

My biggest complaint: the show has succumbed to the BBC mandate to have a diverse cast, even in period productions where everyone would have been white. Nearly every scene has minorities. And not just as novelty servants - no, there is a black guy on Henry VIII’s Privy Council, and black ladies in waiting for Jane Seymour. Yes, there were blacks in 16th century London, including a court trumpeter. But not enough that you’d have one in every camera shot. Really challenges my willing suspension of disbelief. And it’s got to be embarrassing on some level for the minority actors. I mean, I wouldn’t take a part as an Inca warrior or a Tang Dynasty mandarin. And it undercuts legitimate woke arguments: how did England become a racist colonialist imperial power if it had a black guy on the Privy Council in 1536?

Heavy sigh…

JSM; 3/23/25, 9:42 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: PETER DOOCY: It doesn’t sound like this judge who the DOJ is arguing with today about the deportation flights. He wants to know why the proclamation was “signed in the dark,” his words, and why people were “rushed onto planes.”

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Because we want to get criminals out of our country, number one.

And I don’t know when it was signed because I didn’t sign it. Other people handled it.
This fella either caught Kennedys Brain worm and its eating away, or he lies so much he don't even realize it.. White House verifies immediately that yes he signed it, its a freakin EO who else would sign it. Then next day WH said oh he was talking about not signing the 1798 version.. And the lame Media don't even call it out. .No shit sherlock This fellas cognitive impairments are starting challenging his lying record.. And guess who believes this I didn't sign 1798 version? Right the trumpeters as one of trumps faithful calls them. cmon man....; 3/23/25, 10:17 PM
Original Mike said...: "Everyone laughed at [Musk], mocked him, and attacked him for this acquisition. Look how it’s turned out so far."

"Now he wants to apply this formula to the federal government, and you fucking idiots want to murder him?"; 3/23/25, 10:59 PM
heyboom said...: @Big Mike She would have been flying the entire leg. Standard practice is to alternate PIC each flight. Also standard to add a gust factor to the landing speed. She allowed the plane to get too slow and wasn't able to counteract the gusts and essentially dropped out of the sky. The captain waited too long to intervene.; 3/24/25, 12:22 AM
Original Mike said...: This deserves to be quoted in its entirety:

"Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion when it was worth half that

He cut 80% of the workforce that was not doing anything useful, unwavering against angry cries.

He used the data to create xAI, which is now valued at $75 billion.

X is now sustainably profitable for the first time, raising money recently at a $44 billion valuation — but this time it’s actually worth that, and has a 25% stake in xAI.

Through his acquisition, he unseated the President of the United States of America.

He changed the lives of X creators by introducing revenue share.

Everyone laughed at him, mocked him, and attacked him for this acquisition. Look how it’s turned out so far.

Now he wants to apply this formula to the federal government, and you fucking idiots want to murder him?

You want to kill America’s leading clean energy and technology company?

You prefer the status quo of multi trillion dollar deficits? You prefer spending more on INTEREST on the national debt than we do on national defense?

You realize that the federal government ran fine in the past without multi trillion dollar deficits right? We used to actually have a budget surplus.

How did something Democrats used to support under Obama and Clinton turn into something that makes Democrats want to start a terror campaign?

Jesus Christ, how fucking stupid are we as a country?

This is why we can’t have nice things.

God bless the DOGE team for trying to do what’s right for our children and grandchildren in the face of so much hatred."

Remember how we were lectured that Twitter was going under because nobody would work for him?

My cousin worked for Twitter. I love my cousin, but I'm sure she was not needed to move Twitter forward as a prospering concern. Companies gotta do what they gotta do to provide for their customers. SO DOES OUR GOVERNMENT.; 3/24/25, 1:56 AM
Original Mike said...: More on the UW women's hockey team (from the NYT, which I buddy copied for me):

"At the other end, the championship was the culmination of a dominant season by the Badgers; with the best offense in the country (more than five goals per game), the best defense (just over one goal against per game) and the top special teams. The Badgers also had the national coach of the year (Mark Johnson), goalie of the year (McNaughton), Patty Kazmaier Award winner (Casey O’Brien) and all three finalists (Edwards and Harvey).

All eight of Wisconsin’s national championships have been won under Johnson, the winningest coach in Division I women’s hockey history."

The Lady Badgers were 38-1-2 this year. Their one loss was to Ohio State, the team they beat in OT for the championship.

Icing on the cake; the Badgers beat the Minnesota Gophers, 6 to 2, in the national semifinal game. It was the tenth time in a row they beat the gophers in the gophers' home rink. Ouch.; 3/24/25, 3:57 AM
Original Mike said...: With 19 seconds left in the game and Wisconsin awarded a penalty shot, "Mark Johnson looked down the bench and said, “Who wants it?”"

Kirsten Simms is the Jimmy Chitwood of women's hockey.; 3/24/25, 4:04 AM
gadfly said...: Nice pic Don! The artist cleverly hid your big gut, ugly jowls, and wild hair. Best of all, the overly done orange make-up was omitted.

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1903967107714281806/photo/1; 3/24/25, 5:51 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Drago the plagiarist mews: "I routinely link to Seruga and his X timeline."

Well that explains a lot...

Please show us where you "linked" "Seruga and his X timeline".; 3/24/25, 6:01 AM
Rocco said...: John Mosby said…
“My biggest complaint: the show has succumbed to the BBC mandate to have a diverse cast, even in period productions where everyone would have been white. Nearly every scene has minorities. And not just as novelty servants - no, there is a black guy on Henry VIII’s Privy Council, and black ladies in waiting for Jane Seymour.”

And their fetish of trying to turn Queen Charlotte into a black woman.; 3/24/25, 6:10 AM
Jake said...: I thought you were unloading your haul of cannabis from Michigan.; 3/24/25, 7:54 AM
Jaq said...: Drago, why do you bother with somebody who is arguing in bad faith only to take the focus on what you are actually saying and drag you on to some side issue that he would rather talk about?

He plainly misses the kakistocracy we all suffered through over the last four years, let him grieve for it.; 3/24/25, 7:54 AM
Jaq said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/24/25, 7:59 AM
Jaq said...: "Dinesh D'Souza's 2000 Mules comes to mind."

I happen to know a little bit about the handset to base station signaling, which is non encrypted and sent over the air, and which allows a person with the right equipment to track cell phone movements, if not the identity of the users. I also have a decent working knowledge of statistics as used in real life regarding cellular networks, so you tell me how 2000 Mules is somehow invalid. If you can make a convincing case, I promise I will be able to understand it.; 3/24/25, 8:01 AM
Jaq said...: I guess I should have added that given my professional knowledge of cellular network signaling, I found D'Souza's argument and his supporting data very convincing.

BTW, why does my Mac keep substituting "signally" for "signalling"? Is it a word? I know it doesn't seem to like the British spelling of "signaling" but that's how it's spelled in all of the ITU specs, so it's a habit that's hard to break.; 3/24/25, 8:06 AM
planetgeo said...: Some people just gotta have their morning kaka to start the day. Regular grind.; 3/24/25, 8:08 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: The same technique used to identify the J6ers? Inaccurate?
Try harder Kaka.; 3/24/25, 8:16 AM
Rusty said...: FullMoon said...
"Tip: When checking hood clearance between hood and new master cylinder on vintage Corvette, a slice of banana will suffice if the kids used all the clay."
Well? Did it fit? What year? Are you converting over from single chamber reservoir to a two chamber?; 3/24/25, 9:00 AM
Jaq said...: That actress was actually a pretty good Snow White. It's a shame about her running off her mouth, and how they took a demolition hammer to the original story, which was about female psychology, and since it was unflattering to a particular woman, and so to other women like her, and by extension to all women, since you can never say anything bad about any woman, the premise of the story had to go and it was left a lifeless vessel into which the writers poured their politics.; 3/24/25, 9:12 AM
Rocco said...: Rusty said...
"Well? Did it fit? What year? Are you converting over from single chamber reservoir to a two chamber?"

I was a passenger in a 1963 Chevy II when its single cylinder failed leaving us without brakes. Fortunately, we were out in the country just short of getting on the highway. My brother coasted up to a gas station and yanked on the parking brake and perfectly slid into a parking spot.

The station also served as the local auto parts store, so we bought a new cylinder, brake fluid, and a couple of the rubber brake lines that go from the metal part of the lines into the brake assembly on the wheel. They were looking kind of ratty.

Our brother-in-law showed up from his farm on a tractor and towed the car back to his barn where my brother and I replaced the parts, bled the brakes, and were back on the road in a couple of hours.; 3/24/25, 9:34 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Director of ‘2000 Mules’ Acknowledges the Conspiratorial Film Was Flawed ~ NYT

“The director, Dinesh D’Souza, who is facing a lawsuit over the documentary, admitted that an analysis used to make claims about election fraud that were later debunked had been faulty.“

A Belated Apology for ‘2000 Mules’ ~ WSJ

“The movie “2000 Mules” was supposed to be the definitive proof that Democrats stole the 2020 election from President Trump. Last week it was quietly retracted. Salem Media Group, which co-produced this Trumpian fantasy mockumentary, ceased distribution of the film and issued an apology to Mark Andrews, one of the Georgia voters depicted as an illegal ballot “mule.”; 3/24/25, 9:56 AM
FullMoon said...: @Rusty;
"54. Admitting it is a kit car. 327, 2x4s Richmond 5 speed , disc drum. Camaro clip, 2x 4 rectangular rear section.
Hood did not dent the banana.
Spring is here.; 3/24/25, 9:58 AM
Tina Trent said...: Okra. Get a northern variety, though you may be too far north. They need heat. Lovely yellow flowers. Takes up little space. Pick it every day, wearing gloves to avoid okra rash. Roast it in the oven if you dislike the stickiness. Better than roasted asparagus.

The federal government has an historical seed bank that will send you free heirloom seeds to expand and preserve crop diversity. They have many hundreds of astonishing varietys, many with equally astonishing names. I can't remember the link but someone else perhaps can find it.; 3/24/25, 10:08 AM
Rocco said...: @FullMoon, what color? IIRC, the first few model years only had 3 or 4 colors from the factory, and just the red interior.; 3/24/25, 10:10 AM
FullMoon said...: Not a purist, so,
Ferrari Red, tan leather, 17" American five spokes.
Originals were white, blue, red, black?; 3/24/25, 10:20 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "was supposed to be the definitive proof that Democrats stole the 2020 election"

Really? Could you link to something that says that?; 3/24/25, 10:23 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I asked Grok my question. Just quoting the conclusion: "The claim that "2000 Mules" was "supposed to be the definitive proof" likely stems from how it was received and promoted by Trump supporters and some conservative media, rather than a direct, universal assertion by its creators. It was presented as compelling evidence—perhaps even the strongest case at the time for its audience—but "definitive proof" suggests a level of certainty that the film’s speculative nature (e.g., unverified geolocation data, lack of concrete fraud documentation) didn’t fully support. Critics may have retroactively framed it this way to emphasize its failure. So, while it was hyped as a game-changer, your instinct is correct: it wasn’t universally or explicitly pitched as "definitive proof" by all involved, but rather as a persuasive argument that didn’t hold up under scrutiny."; 3/24/25, 10:25 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Please maintain the proof/evidence distinction. It's very important!; 3/24/25, 10:26 AM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/24/25, 10:49 AM
FullMoon said...: Rocco, Rusty,Mine looks like this, without the top, and with a ‘57 hood. The ‘57 hood just looks better to me. Had to modify it slightly.; 3/24/25, 10:51 AM
Jaq said...: Why don't you link to an actual "debunking" that includes the technical details that would allow a knowledgeable person, and in this case, I think I can call myself an expert, to determine this for themselves?

Instead you point to second hand sources that relay opinions, and you can't refute an argument that relies on statistical analysis by pointing out a single mistake, if that mistake even happened. There are issues with IMSI (actual personal identifier" and TMSI, which is a temporary identifier intended to protect privacy, but without a link to any of the actual evidence that was used to "debunk" 2000 mules, and the specific technical arguments employed in this "debunking," all we have is people's word for it, and people often choose to settle lawsuits and retract claims for reasons having nothing to do with whether they are substantially true or not.

For now, I would say that given the equipment that D'Souza employed, I could have done the analysis that he did, and it would have been valid. Whether he made any mistakes? Well, I will have to see the actual "debunking" to judge that.

So where is it?; 3/24/25, 11:14 AM
Jaq said...: By valid, I mean that it would be statistically valid and provide an overall view of what happened. But I would never have made any claim regarding perfection.

But if the odds are that a given constellation of facts demonstrates an extremely high probability that an activity took place and was widespread, but is not 100% proven in that we didn't have precise documentary evidence of each incident, well I would judge that it was proven.

In my professional career, we almost always used statistical evidence to correctly identify situations that needed to be addressed, as the sheer volume of information made case by case analysis impossible. But since most people don't really grok statistical analysis at a sophisticated level, it's easy to create a layer of rhetorical chaff and mislead them.; 3/24/25, 11:22 AM
Kakistocracy said...: “Really? Could you link to something that says that?”

Hard to believe anyone would consider defending 2000 Mules.
I suppose this is where ‘read the room’ is useful…..

A Belated Apology for ‘2000 Mules’ ~ WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/2000-mules-salem-media-lawsuit-mark-andrews-dinesh-dsouza-2020-election-true-the-vote-1565ace0

The quote you’re referencing is a pull quote from the above article from the WSJ.; 3/24/25, 11:46 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Evidence Gaps in ‘2000 Mules’
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/06/evidence-gaps-in-2000-mules/; 3/24/25, 11:52 AM
Jaq said...: "Some experts in geotracking data analysis told us the technology is only precise enough to place a cell phone user in the vicinity of a drop box, not necessarily at it, and there may be many good reasons why people might have been “pinged” in the area of multiple drop boxes."

Really? So the cell phones don't track the user to within a foot? Is that the claim that discredits it?

Have any other plausible explanations been offered as to why so many people keep appearing in close proximity to the drop boxes?

What these "evidence gaps" sound like are the arguments of creationists claiming that there is no "proof" of evolution, since the data is statistical, speculative, and not 100% complete, meaning we don't have the exact fossils of links between species.

The other thing that these "evidence gap" arguments remind me of are the arguments made about COVID and the lab link theory. You made one of these arguments, IFRC, that since we don't have the exact sequence of the original COVID virus, there is no "proof" of the lab leak theory, when in fact the logical and statistical evidence is overwhelming. Species jumps happen maybe once a century, the nearest place that the source coronavirus in bats has been found was hundreds of miles from Wuhan, and yet still people like yourself make this "absolute proof" argument, when the odds are incalculably high that COVID didn't come from a natural species, well, the theory was that it jumped two species in very short order, when we know that they were experimenting with bat coronaviruses in a lab right there.

It's plain that the most plausible explanation is the use of mules to drop ballots, and indeed no other plausible explanation has been proffered, it has just been suggested that such explanations must exist. We are back to creationism in our arguments here.

When added to all of the other evidence of massive fraud in Georgia, that "signature verification" was redefined to mean not verifying that the ballot signature matches their application, but "verifying" that there was a squiggle in the box for signatures, the dogged determination to have these untested and insecure drop boxes in place, etc, it all adds up to a pretty strong circumstantial case that the Georgia election was likely stolen.; 3/24/25, 12:15 PM
Mason G said...: "it all adds up to a pretty strong circumstantial case that the Georgia election was likely stolen."

Even if you find some one who says "You caught us. Yep, we did it. And here's how." some people will never admit that FJB didn't get 81 million votes.; 3/24/25, 1:07 PM
Rocco said...: Very nice, FullMoon.; 3/24/25, 1:39 PM
Dr Weevil said...: Mason G (1:07pm):
I was pleasantly surprised that after Trump won in November, none of the Democrats tried admitting that they stole the 2020 election, providing compelling evidence, letting a few small fish face felony charges, and then saying that that made Trump ineligible to be elected in 2024, since he'd already been elected twice. It probably wouldn't have worked - the fact that he hadn't served his second term or even been declared the winner would be strong counterarguments - but could really have messed up the transition. Then again, if Trump had been declared ineligible, I'm pretty sure they would have just gotten Vance instead.; 3/24/25, 1:39 PM
donald said...: I posted right here on the Sunday before the Senate Runoff in Georgia some craziness that I walked into and the physical threats and attempted attack on me. Five years down the road, there is no doubt voter fraud was happening at the North Fulton Annex. Democrat goons.; 3/24/25, 3:12 PM
Rusty said...: Full Moon. Beautiful ride. I'm jealous. To me that was the best vette body style. A 327 on that chasis. I bet that thing screams.; 3/24/25, 8:41 PM