Althouse: A late afternoon coffee break.

September 23, 2008

A late afternoon coffee break.

For you! Not me. I have a class. This is just a coffeehouse for you to talk about what you like.

ADDED: There now, I'm done. Thanks for carrying on without me. And congratulations, Ernie.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...: I just passed my US citizenship interview and test yesterday. It was surprisingly easy, really.

I can't vote on this election, but I still have an opinion...; 9/23/08, 3:30 PM
Simon said...: Ernie, congratulations!

I need some coffee. I've been dividing time between trying to figure out the bailout and recording a modest tribute to Rick Wright. And, you know, doing actual work.; 9/23/08, 3:33 PM
DaLawGiver said...: I think from now on we should refer to Mr Wonderful Bissage as just plain Mr Wonderful.

Oh Mr Wonderful, will you give us another afternoon cheer?

Mr Wonderful, what do you think about the current economic situation?

Mr Wonderful, does Mrs Wonderful know that Ann thinks you are wonderful?

Just kidding, I like your style. I read my granddaughter your comments and she laughs too. But she's only 3 months old.; 9/23/08, 3:37 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/23/08, 3:38 PM
DaLawGiver said...: Gratz Ernie!

Give him a cheer Mr Wonderful!; 9/23/08, 3:39 PM
Masterasia said...: Just a small question! =)

I was wondering why it seems that the link to the Lisa Nova skit about Gov. Palin and Sen. Obama is already dead.

Is that video still accessible there stateside?; 9/23/08, 3:40 PM
vbspurs said...: Hugs and kisses of congrats, Ernie!

And no coffeebreak is complete without some cake. Eat up, people. ;); 9/23/08, 3:42 PM
walter neff said...: You know there was a baby at the rally that told Michelle Obama that Bissage is Wonderful; 9/23/08, 3:44 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Yes Ernie congrats, sorry I heard they increased the exam fees on you.

The lady who cuts my hair is from Vietnam and she was taking her test hoping to vote for the 1st time in November. I told her being a citizen here was a great thing for her and her 2 daughters.; 9/23/08, 3:45 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Congrats Ernie. Welcome.

I'm getting ready to plant some fall veggies for spring growth in my raised planter beds. Shallots and Elephant Garlic and some of those blue potatoes. I've decided to only plant things that aren't commonly carried in the local grocery story.; 9/23/08, 3:49 PM
walter neff said...: It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
As she sits at the laptop she asks herself, "Do I look all right?"
And she says, "Bissage will be wonderful tonight."; 9/23/08, 3:52 PM
Ron said...: Will Althouse elope with Bissage? Will there be cake? There had better be coffee at least! Vic, I tip my Intelligentsia cup to you!; 9/23/08, 3:55 PM
walter neff said...: She will just have to live her life in service to Bissage's awesome allusiveness.; 9/23/08, 3:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Thank you guys!!!

AJ, yes, they did, but I have been lucky on this. They changed the fees and procedures in Cuba the day I left. They increased the fees for Permanent Residence the week after I filed for it. The officer who interviewed me yesterday said the new fees start today. So, there is something to it, I have been spared the higher fees and more bureaucracy although what I went through was enough of both.; 9/23/08, 3:57 PM
Simon said...: Lucky old Biss!; 9/23/08, 3:57 PM
Ron said...: Let's come up with an Obama/McCain drinking game for the debate tomorrow night!

I'll start: For every mention of FDR, suck on a lime, drink a shot of tequila!; 9/23/08, 3:59 PM
DaLawGiver said...: Mr Wonderful.; 9/23/08, 4:03 PM
Justin said...: If you want to see what a hurricane can do, check this out.

Picture #11 left me speechless.; 9/23/08, 4:03 PM
Unknown said...: Yeah, picture 11 is amazing, isn't it. Turns out the owners lost their home in a previous hurricane and did quite a bit of extra engineering work on this new one to protect it. As you can see, it worked---although it may still get totalled because of flood damage.; 9/23/08, 4:10 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Let's come up with an Obama/McCain drinking game for the debate tomorrow night!

The debate is on Friday. Here's my idea for a drinking game. Every time McCain's face appears on the screen, throw your drink at it!

(I stole that joke from someone else.); 9/23/08, 4:12 PM
The Bearded Professor said...: IMHO, you've had better pictures in the sidebar. The blue blouse makes your hair look green.; 9/23/08, 4:15 PM
vbspurs said...: Trying to find a transcript of Ahmadinejad's UN speech of an hour ago. No luck.

But I did find a transcript of his "chat" with NPR earlier today.

My favourite part is when NPR assumed the role of defending the US and Western cultural superiority in Dinner Jacket's mind. LOL.

Ahmadinejad: Why do you assume that your system is better than everybody else's?

NPR: I assume nothing, Mr. President, I ask questions. And my final question is this: Many visitors to Iran have remarked on an interesting trend.

Many Iranians listen to Western music, watch Western television, read Western books if they can get them, and appear to have disassociated themselves with politics. That raises a question of whether you have lost touch with many of your people.

Ahmadinejad: In fact, I'm one of the few people, one of the people who is, at all times, among the Iranian people.

I have links with everyone in Iran. The Iranian nation is a free one. And they elect freely. It's always been the case. There are no restrictions for them. Why do you think that that's a new trend? It's the same mistake that the American government makes.

NPR: You say there are no —

Ahmadinejad: Just wait for three months, and on the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, you will see how people react on the scenes.

NPR: Haven't the police confiscated satellite dishes?

Ahmadinejad: But that's a different discussion, no! It's a law. We are not addressing the law. The law was passed as a bill when it happened. There are other issues there. Sure, there are some problems, but it has nothing to do with the discussion.

Again, wait for another nine months, and you'll see the vast turnover of the people in the presidential elections. Please remember that close to 98 percent of the people support the Islamic Revolution. I am in touch with people on the streets.

NPR: Do you read Western —

Ahmadinejad: There's a lot of freedom in Iran. The example is our interview with you. Can you ask your own president these questions? Can you really so freely meet with him so easily? Never.

NPR: Do you —

Ahmadinejad: You cannot freely ask questions.

NPR: Do you watch any —

Ahmadinejad: But everybody asks questions from me freely.

NPR: Do you watch any Western television programs, Mr. President?

Ahmadinejad: Yeah, like everyone else!

NPR: What programs?

Ahmadinejad: People, after all, like movies and shows...

NPR: What's something you've seen recently?

Ahmadinejad: Of course, very little, I mostly watch Iranian TV and listen to international news.

NPR: Any Western music that you listen to or books that you read?

Ahmadinejad: Sure, me too, like everyone else, but this isn't what matters. That's not how nations matter. People in Iran see everything, read everything, they don't restrict themselves to one outlet.

NPR: The Beatles? Led Zeppelin?

Ahmadinejad: And it doesn't basically put restrictions on itself. They use whatever they have! But that's the Iranian nation. And they know how to defend their own rights, too. They won't put up with force or with domination. Whoever, by whoever, please remember that.; 9/23/08, 4:16 PM
Justin said...: I have a friend who just built a house somewhere in that area. Construction was completed in April. It was designed to very high hurricane-resistant standards. It's gone now. They think another house came off its foundations and hit it. Engineering can't stop that.

But the house isn't really what gets me about the photo. It's the rest of it. That was a neighborhood. You can see the slabs from other homes around it. They're all gone now. And notice how little debris you see. It's probably all in Baytown now. Or swept out to sea. So sad.; 9/23/08, 4:16 PM
chuck b. said...: Yeah, because after work on a Friday, I am SO parked in front of the television watching a political debate! That's super-awesome fun!; 9/23/08, 4:16 PM
zeek said...: I was just watching Michael Moore's Slacker Uprising but the stream keeps getting interrupted on the Amazon service. Must be a lot of people trying to watch it.

The download links aren't working yet either.
download page; 9/23/08, 4:18 PM
vbspurs said...: (I stole that joke from someone else.)

Dude, I have a better idea! How about every time Obama utters an "uh", we down some Jose Cuervo.

Guaranteed totally hammered in 5 minutes!; 9/23/08, 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...: vbspurs said...
(I stole that joke from someone else.)

Dude, I have a better idea! How about every time Obama utters an "uh", we down some Jose Cuervo.

Guaranteed totally hammered in 5 minutes!

4:19 PM

It hasn't started and I'm drunk already!; 9/23/08, 4:21 PM
Justin said...: My dad looks like Ahmadinejad. It's a little creepy.; 9/23/08, 4:23 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Justin:

How about the steep road in picture #7?

It looks like it was built by a roller coaster designer!; 9/23/08, 4:34 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: That little ahole was at the UN again? Don't we have any snipers here in the USA?; 9/23/08, 4:36 PM
Bissage said...: Okay, okay, okay you guys.

You all go on and have your fun.

But I’m no Mr. Wonderful.

I’m more like Mr. Horrible.

You can tease all you want but I don’t mind.

The thing that bothers me is someone keeps moving my chair.

( If you watch the video closely, you can see this. )

Now I have to go.

Mrs. Bissage says I have to cut the grass.

See ya!; 9/23/08, 4:37 PM
Roger J. said...: Ernesto: felicidades, senor.; 9/23/08, 4:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Thank you, Professor Althouse!; 9/23/08, 4:40 PM
rhhardin said...: Coffee: trying out a new Dell Mini at the Starbucks in the local Kroger, to see if you can in fact reach (in this instance) the internet and ssh to work successfully from there.

It fits on a bicycle, and perhaps on dodgy days could be used to see if a thunderstorm line is about to break before heading home, I was thinking. Anyway it appears to work.

The Starbucks can be seen in the background of this syntactically very complicated charity boast sign.

Bushel and light not visible.; 9/23/08, 4:40 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Dude, I have a better idea! How about every time Obama utters an "uh", we down some Jose Cuervo.

Deal. But I'll up the ante. We also have to do shots when we hear McCain's version of the Obama "uh": My friends.

We will be passed out by the second question.; 9/23/08, 4:40 PM
Anonymous said...: Gracias, roger!; 9/23/08, 4:44 PM
bearbee said...: Saul Alinsky 1972 Playboy interview 12 parts. Interesting read. Don't know much of community organizing O involved himself with, but I doubt it was the gritty, gutsy stuff Alinsky tackled.; 9/23/08, 4:51 PM
Revenant said...: I already have a debate drinking game. It consists of skipping the debates and playing Eve Online while sipping a martini. Every time a Chinese cash farmer spams the global help channel, I take a drink.; 9/23/08, 4:56 PM
rhhardin said...: Hirricane Ike in Central Ohio.

Apparently enough trees gotten lazy in the decades since the last wind in leaf season to take out power for 2 million for a week, with slowly declining numbers over that period.

No water though. It was a dry wind, with sun; gust to 75.; 9/23/08, 4:58 PM
It's.....Mrs. Hornblower ! said...: One brother is remote, distant, detached; while the other brother is seeking affection, connection and close relationships.

This one brother, who all-of-the-sudden, is now interested in 'family'......but where was he all those years back when 'family' was readily available to him ?

It's not something you can turn on and off like a faucet. People don't do things on YOUR timetable, and if you had awkward relationships with the male members of your family, to begin with.....and YOU'RE the one who burned bridges.....then the burden is on YOU to make the effort, on a much more consistent basis.

It might not be fair, but you'll have to give 90% while they only give 10%.

Someone needs to tell this Brother that relationships are always lopsided, and especially when you've had problems, recurrently, in these sorts of relationships, from the get-go.

Mom can't fix it, and having a good relationship with Mom doesn't count for much, when it's the relationships with (difficult) men, that you need to master.

If you can appeal, and wow, and impress the difficult men in your own family.....you might be able to socialize, impress, wow, and appeal to the difficult men that you'll face sitting across the desk at a job interview.; 9/23/08, 5:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Zachary Paul Sire said...
Oh no!

5:00 PM

He didn't noticed that when he stepped into the public light the closet had already burnt around him. Did he?; 9/23/08, 5:10 PM
DaLawGiver said...: Mr Wonderful tonight.; 9/23/08, 5:13 PM
Mrs. Lillian Forkliss said...: Let's go back to this picture here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/althouse/2707719718/sizes/l/

The older guy is, obviously, a jerk. But, there are many of his kind, and you might need them to get you somewhere in life.

It's up to the younger guy to make an impression on the older guy...who we already know is a jerk.

Jerks at work, in life, in your own family. But if you want something from them, a job, contact, introductions, connections, networking....it's up to the younger guy to, somehow, get the older jerk to look up from his stupid gadget.

Tell a joke. Sing a song. Brag about sports (fake it). Mime. Make him laugh----that might do it.

Mom, for all her glory, never taught these kids how to make social connections and become popular.......with people that you don't care for, but might need nevertheless .; 9/23/08, 5:16 PM
Revenant said...: The Volokh Conspiracy has a good point-by-point refutation of FactCheck.org's inaccurate article on Obama's gun positions.

FactCheck normally gets it right, but they screwed up big-time on this one.; 9/23/08, 7:14 PM
Bissage said...: Lawgiver, this one’s made extra-special for the cutest little three month old granddaughter EVAR!!1!!1; 9/24/08, 6:56 AM
Bissage said...: THIS sounds like a job for . . .
Nonsense Rhyme Cheerleader Man!!!
(a copyrighted feature of this broadcast):

Lumpkin, pumpkin, kitty’s had enough,
Puppy dog, guppy log, pillows full of fluff.

Gooooooooooooo TEAM!; 9/24/08, 6:57 AM