Althouse: Early evening in the Last Bubble Café.

October 8, 2008

Early evening in the Last Bubble Café.

It's all so transitory here.

71 comments:

Ron said...: sic transitory gloria Althouse!; 10/8/08, 6:57 PM
rhhardin said...: There was rain all day in Ohio.

Balls always exist however.; 10/8/08, 6:59 PM
Simon said...: Beautiful photograph.; 10/8/08, 7:02 PM
Simon said...: Ron, surely just transit? The substitution of the proper noun Althouse for the common noun mundi shouldn't alter the verb.; 10/8/08, 7:04 PM
Ron said...: Simon I was going for the Althousian play on words as well! Transit, it indeed should be!; 10/8/08, 7:26 PM
blake said...: Yes! Let's have Latin debates!; 10/8/08, 7:29 PM
vbspurs said...: I never thought I'd say this, but thank God for Bill O'Reilly's show.

I just saw Ralph Nader ask O'Reilly, "Hey Bill, what's your favourite cat?".

"What?"

"A little humour, Bill."

"Hey Ralph! (heavier Long Island accent) Did you head to Happy Hour before coming here or what! Come on."

Now Dennier Miller is on. He's calling Tom Brokaw a "format pimp". LOL.

"Bureaucrats in the Caribbean", about the AIG $440,000 spa fling. LOL.

This is great. God, it's good to laugh after yesterday.

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/8/08, 7:41 PM
vbspurs said...: Oh, and BTW, what's the deal with Nader's left eye? Is that a Sandy Duncan eyeball whosey-wotsit deal going on?

I'm always the last to know. I had to be told Colin Powell was black (true story).; 10/8/08, 7:42 PM
LCB said...: One Ring To Rule Them All...; 10/8/08, 7:52 PM
David said...: "Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig."
--Marcus Aurelius; 10/8/08, 7:56 PM
vbspurs said...: OT:

Does anyone want to chat about the forthcoming interviews tonight, or is the commentariat pooped out?; 10/8/08, 7:59 PM
Henry said...: Okay, kids, who threw the condom in the well?; 10/8/08, 8:12 PM
vbspurs said...: Eww. Henry is right. A spent Trojan in a puddle of sploodge.

BTW, since Althousians aren't in the mood right now, I am live-blogging the two Fox News interviews with Palin over at Sundries.

Palin on Hannity And Greta

Come over, anytime!

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/8/08, 8:15 PM
Simon said...: Victoria, I don't think I get those stations, so I'll rely on you to tell me what I'm missing.

blake said...
"Yes! Let's have Latin debates!"

I think that Althouse put the kibosh on that, although I can't determine the location of her tongue relative to her cheek while writing that comment.; 10/8/08, 8:16 PM
Simon said...: Larry said...
"One Ring To Rule Them All..."

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul an Althouse?; 10/8/08, 8:19 PM
veni vidi vici said...: what interviews? Greta van Sh*tstorm displaying the latest post-face-tightened fellatio techniques, or Katie Couric showing off her bizarrely crooked mouth and wicked underbite? Perhaps some of those network toolbags' practiced baritone booming, or Larry King's burbling shifting-in-the-seat constipation? Or maybe the faux-pugilism of the Hannity and Colmes "Odd Couple" program (which one's Felix?)?

I used to enjoy watching Bob Dole being interviewed as a guest of David Brinkley's in the early 90's, although Cokie Roberts and that awfully-toupee'd Sam Donaldson were pretty difficult to bear. I carry no truck with Tim Russert, though; he always let way too many evasive answers go by unchallenged (but don't they all).

Who's it gonna be tonight? Where can we tune to see the same 4 candidates deliver their same programmatic talking points? Where may I go to find out the latest insubstantial gibberish about how McCain looked "stiff" or Obama said "uh, uhh, ummm..." too many times?

I'd rather spend the evening watching my cat's toenails grow, frankly.; 10/8/08, 8:21 PM
vbspurs said...: That's exactly what happened, V3.

Except towards the end when Hannity asked her about her evolving running mate relationship with McCain.

She came out with something like,

"Doggone right! You should see the hell he put me through!"

Wow. That woke me up. Plus she has a bit of a potty mouth. She has used hell in the Gibson interview, twice, then in the Carson rally with the Albright quote, and now with Hannity.

As I said earlier, she and Biden are very similar. His jokey swearing spilt over to Obama, who flung a couple of damns and hells himself, after choosing Biden.

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/8/08, 8:41 PM
blake said...: hell = potty mouth ?

Simon -- I'm not at all surprised by Althouse voting for Obama. I'd criticize it for being superficial but then, it's a sort of hubris to suggest that depth would matter here. We've nominated two guys with no executive experience, and who both seem to have pissed off a large portion of their respective parties.

It's a little disheartening to see that she's voting because she thinks Obama will do better, when he's quite clearly in the camp of people who actively worked to cause the crisis in the first place.

But there's no guarantee McCain wouldn't be worse--and working across the aisle, as she says, is really not particularly commendable. You have to wonder, for example, whether people voting for McCain to keep the entire government from going to the Dems would actually have succeeded if McCain does win.

I mean, really, it's only the hope that Palin whispering in his ear will bring him around.

And what I fear is that, either candidate, having achieved the highest office in the word, will do whatever he damn well pleases.; 10/8/08, 8:56 PM
vbspurs said...: Hannity reveals Palin's pedigree. She is the 9th cousin of FDR, and has a similar lineage to Princess Diana.

That means I'm related to Palin! But I bet to Obama too. ;)

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/8/08, 9:00 PM
Simon said...: blake said...
"I'm not at all surprised by Althouse voting for Obama."

I do not read her to have said that she is. I had thought she had indicated that serious readers know that she is very likely to, and earlier today made that even more explicit, but I don't read her to have made up her mind. I do not yet know what it would take to dissuade her - what she needs to hear to push her from Obama (for example, the point about prosecution of Bush administration officials has presumably gone out of the window) or pull her towards McCain - but I hope we find out and I hope that we have the opportunity to try to make that case to her.

In the vernacular: It ain't over yet. I share your view that the posture as things stand is "disheartening," though.; 10/8/08, 9:06 PM
Ron said...: Vic, as long as you don't pass down the hemophilia, we're good!

Simon, Althouse and I often share kibosh. In Wisconsin with a sausage of the lawprofs choice, of course!

With you, Vic, and Meade if he's about, we can go Althousenaise and have blackened kibosh!; 10/8/08, 9:08 PM
blake said...: Well, before she said she was likely to vote for Obama, and now she's saying it's almost inevitable.

What's more, her decision seems to be based on an impressionistic collection of moments. She's voting for Obama because he seems like the better man for the job.

So it's not based on--and in fact must necessarily reject--his anti-American background, the fact that he hasn't really gotten anything done to date other than write two biographies, and the fact that if you were to pick a person out of the four who is most responsible for the current crisis, you'd pick ACORN lawyer, donor and beneficiary Obama (and next you'd pick Credit Card pimp Biden).

I mean, if you didn't know all this stuff, that's one thing. If you didn't know his close relationship with ACORN and the fact that ACORN is subverting the democratic process and destroying the economy, sure, he seems mild enough.

But she does know this. And she's voting for him anyway because, in essence, she thinks he'll be more effective.

In other words, there is no plausible data point that's going to change that impression.

And, frankly, no one can say whether Obama's Presidency would be ultimately good or bad. The limits of data and logic are not just that people use bad logic (they do, especially here), but that we never have all the data.; 10/8/08, 9:22 PM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Hey, familia, what a long nap I had after work. What's going on?; 10/8/08, 9:23 PM
Simon said...: Ron, count me as appropriately jealous. ;)

Blake, I'm an optimist. A foolish optimist, perhaps, but an optimist none the less. I have faith in her. :); 10/8/08, 9:26 PM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: vbspurs said...
Hannity reveals Palin's pedigree. She is the 9th cousin of FDR, and has a similar lineage to Princess Diana.

That means I'm related to Palin! But I bet to Obama too. ;)

Cheers,
Victoria

9:00 PM

Lady Spencer?; 10/8/08, 9:32 PM
chickelit said...: OT, but there's a huge widfire burning here near Oceanside. The fire apparently started on Camp Pendleton, and the USMC has been battling it all evening. It doesn't appear to be threatening any homes or lives right now, but it is generating a huge amount of smoke for those downwind. I got a good view from atop a local hill. There appear actually appear be multiple fires.; 10/8/08, 10:08 PM
blake said...: Althouse fun fact: Althouse comes up first on a search for "British Teeth".

Curiously, there's an anonymous guy named "Alex" pimping the glories of British dental care.; 10/8/08, 10:30 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/8/08, 10:53 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I thought today was Tuesday.; 10/8/08, 11:23 PM
Anonymous said...: Just saw Palin's interview tonight with Greta. It was awful. She didn't answer about half of Greta's question (she responded with Obama's tax plan with the question "what reforms will you/McCain initiate?"). Greta didn't follow-up to any of her non-answers.

I was a big Palin supporter originally, but she's blowing it even with this softball interview.; 10/8/08, 11:25 PM
Jen Bradford said...: Just watched Michelle Obama on Larry King. One reason I know she did spectacularly well is because I find him so annoying I usually can't make it through more than a few minutes. She refused several invitations to agree with King that McCain & co. are a bunch of scoundrels. She kept on track, was soothing and steady. But at the end she referred to Obama's campaign workers as "the troops". Clunk.; 10/8/08, 11:55 PM
vbspurs said...: William (and I know you're lower case William, not the other chap), I have read sour reports from you about Palin in the past. I may be wrong, but I doubt you were ever going to vote for McCain/Palin.

BTW, all politicians tailor their responses as they wish, often not answering the questions directly.

I am amused how people love to move the goalposts for Palin.; 10/9/08, 1:30 AM
vbspurs said...: BTW, CBS reporter Dean Reynolds has written a surprising mini-exposé on both campaigns.

Amongst other gossipy facts, we learn that Obama's plane is "stinky".

Yikes.

He ends his post very crankily with:

Maybe none of this means much. Maybe a front-running campaign like Obama's that is focused solely on victory doesn't have the time to do the mundane things like print up schedules or attend to the needs of reporters.

But in politics, everything that goes around comes around.

The natives are restless?? What is THAT all about?

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/9/08, 1:34 AM
vbspurs said...: BTW, Mr. Ahoy, you might be getting your October Surprise after all. Obama = Socialist Party member?

It seems too casual a link. We'll see how it turns out.; 10/9/08, 1:46 AM
vbspurs said...: Oh actually, we might have two October surprises...wow, ACORN investigated in 10 States for election fraud, and RICO charges might be leveled??

Our source in federal courts said, “Any crime that involves more than two people and is carried out across state lines qualifies as a corrupt organization. The fact that those “Goodwill” donations were made in Texas and received at Obama headquarters in Chicago or Washington means it qualifies for RICO.”

This is the breaking news over at a Hillary Clinton blog, so treat with caution.

To those like me who didn't know, RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, a federal law. The same federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, as in the Rezko case is leading the FBI team investigation. I wonder if Tony sang about this, somehow?

Anyway, night guys!

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/9/08, 2:03 AM
blake said...: Amongst other gossipy facts, we learn that Obama's plane is "stinky".

His airplane.

His spiritual plane is sublimely odorous.; 10/9/08, 2:43 AM
vbspurs said...: It's beginning to add up, guys...

Why McCain was shaking, as if holding back his rage at Obama, why he called him "THAT ONE" as if he were pointing to a soiled piece of refuse, and why, possibly an insider in the know just traded $140,000 worth of Obama Intrade stock a few hours ago, and put the same amount on McCain.

If this is true, this has the potential to be one of the biggest stories ever.

Even Sky News had a "fraud" story, earlier today.; 10/9/08, 4:28 AM
rhhardin said...: Dorothy Rabinowitz shows a larger vision than Althouse on the difference between McCain and Obama.; 10/9/08, 6:06 AM
Anonymous said...: That photo looks three dimensional.; 10/9/08, 6:39 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Yeah, sure, william, you were a Palin supporter, and I am the Pope.

Good morning to all.; 10/9/08, 6:54 AM
bearbee said...: See, I told ya' that the $700 billion was only a downpayment

Pelosi says $150B economic stimulus plan needed

Get those hands up and against the wall and spread those legs!; 10/9/08, 7:05 AM
PogoПОССУМ said...: Да Yes, I was also the big Атлетик сторонником athletic supporter of Amazon moose killer ice woman Palin of the Alaska. From my backyard, her house I could see .

But agreed, she is the провал failure in the interviews of TV. It say so right here in my Axelturf book.

No matter. The Obama ACORN peoples soon will have the register of thousands of voters without trouble of being alive.

And then the Obama, famous member of Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, will be the Виктор victor.; 10/9/08, 7:12 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Дорогой товарич ПОССУМ!; 10/9/08, 7:24 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Have you ever wondered what Bill Ayers and silverware expert Bernadine Dohrn named his children?

No, not William, Jane, or Larry.

* Zayd Osceola Ayers Dohrn named in honor of Zayd Shakur, a Black Panther killed in a 1973 NJ police shootout, and Osceola, a Seminole chief who sheltered runaway slaves. (b. 1980)

* Malik Cochise, named after Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) and the Apache chief who fought settlers. (b. 1982)

(Also, Chesa Boudin, whom he raised.)

Now...imagine the conversation between Obama and Ayers when they first meet and are making small talk....

"So, Bill, do you and your wife have children?"
"Why, yes, we do. They're Zayd Osceola, Malik Cochise, and Chesa Boudin."
"Well, gosh, Bill. Those are interesting names to give children. Are you Muslim?"
"No. We named our eldest after Zayd, the Black Panther who was assassinated by the pigs in Jersey a few years ago."
"Oh, that's nice. So you have two boys and a girl?"
"Actually, we're raising Chesa for her mother."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear it. Is she ill?"
"No. She's one of our oldest and dearest friends. Poor thing's in prison. She was the getaway driver in an armored car robbery. Some pigs got killed. Like us, she's a communist revolutionary. I just wish I'd been able to live in Russia the way she did in 1965. Lucky for her she left Chesa at the babysitters before she did the job."
"Oh, that's nice. Let's you and me work together for four years distributing $100 million to help school children."
"Ok."

Anyway, Zayd is all grown up now. He's a playwright. He wrote 'Haymarket.' That was about a terrorist bombing in Chicago. He's also the author of 'Magic Forest Farm" about life on a collective farm. He recently staged a production of his new work 'Sick.'

--

Also, here is Ayers talking to reporter in a Toronto Starbucks in 2003 and referring to the irony of his presence there: "Yes, the Evil Empire," Ayers quips. "As I once said to our kids: Get me into the socialist economy and we'll go there. But for now, you could buy Starbucks or you could get Dunkin' Donuts coffee, and that also comes from some exploited motherf----r somewhere.....

"Do we seem violent?" says Ayers, 58, smiling beatifically as he puts his arm around Dohrn, 61.

"No, we seem pretty nice."

Here's a gushy profile of the fork-loving Bernadine in the NYT in 1993...She's a "pearls-and-pin-stripe-suited legal advocate for children and families in 1993..."; 10/9/08, 8:05 AM
bearbee said...: Pelosi Link

Sorry.

How are you able to type the Cyrillic alphabet?; 10/9/08, 8:08 AM
Beth said...: Why McCain was shaking, as if holding back his rage at Obama, why he called him "THAT ONE" as if he were pointing to a soiled piece of refuse

Sorry, VB. Occam's Razor points to McCain's demeanor showing him to be a cranky old prick, on the edge of a tantrum. Let's hope that temperament never gets behind the desk in the Oval Office.; 10/9/08, 8:10 AM
Beth said...: original george,

you should keep that material in a file somewhere, in case Ayers ever runs for president. He's not actually on this ticket.; 10/9/08, 8:12 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: bearbee said...
[...]
How are you able to type the Cyrillic alphabet?

8:08 AM

I use Word's Insert-Symbol function, and then paste it here. It's easier. I am not sure of the ASCII codes for Cyrillic.; 10/9/08, 8:12 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Beth, I prefer a cranky old man to a seemingly cool headed one as president. At least the former's reactions seem real. He wouldn't be the first President with a bad temper. Andrew Jackson's fits are well recorded. Lincoln had his rages, and Teddy Roosevelt and even FDR. This whole idea that he could fly into a rage and push the red button without thinking is poppycock. We all know it takes a lot of people to bring the infamous briefcase to the Oval Office. This is not to mention the fact that there will be a whole group of advisers, cabinet members, legislators, etc, preventing him from doing it.

Let's be a bit realistic here for a change. Thanks.; 10/9/08, 8:18 AM
Beth said...: I'm not afraid of him flying off the handle and pressing a red button. That's just a sad reach, my friend.

I don't want an erratic, rude, entitled brat in office. His demeanor in the debate wasn't some noble expression of outrage, as VB stretches to cast it, it was a pathetic and downright funny whine of frustration. He's flailing.

That's not leadership. It's the expression of a man shocked and offended that once again, his personal ambition might be thwarted. And though there's something funny about it as he gets increasingly upset, it's also ugly. I don't vote for ugly, and brattish.; 10/9/08, 8:25 AM
PogoПОССУМ said...: "He's not actually on this ticket."

Правильный Correct!
Merely he has but trained the man who with by most excellent school of Chicago Democratic Socialists of America!

Чикаго Chicago, land of dead people with the vote, and excellent bomber revolutionaries become professors and Party selectors. I love the windy town!; 10/9/08, 8:32 AM
bearbee said...: Без перевода.

Hope that's correct. I went to a Russian dictionary for it.; 10/9/08, 8:32 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Beth said...
[...]I don't vote for ugly, and brattish.

8:25 AM

So, why are you voting for The Messiah (PBUH) then?

Talk about entitlement, Obama (PBUH) has come to believe that he
is beyond criticism, scrutiny and questioning. This is due in no small part to the blind adoration of most of his followers, but it is also an inherent trait of his personality. It is indeed brattish. If one dares criticize him, his policies or past associations, one is a racist bigoted idiot, and we should have our free speech taken away. And don't tell me that his whole "pre-emptive" use of the race card is not ugly and bratish either.

And, yes, we should also look at Michelle Obama's character. She's notoriously well known for her rage, and she will be very close to him. One can see her influence on him. Doesn't that worry you?

And what about the rage of his entitled spoiled bored-with-their-lives "i-have-it-too-easy" bulk of his supporters? There is unjustified rage to fill an ocean there. Doesn't that scare you either?; 10/9/08, 8:34 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Beth--

The men were co-CEOs for four years of a multi-million group. You kinda sorta have to work closely with someone to distribute $100 million.

If you learned that your neighbor was best buddies with a terrorist cop killer and who himself had bombed the Capitol, would you want to work with that person or live next door to him?

Either Obama is a craven opportunist, or he secretly shares some of Ayers' twisted ideology or both.

As for McCain's demeanor, I think it was Tolstoy who wrote "nothing is so deceiving as a beautiful surface." There are always 76 trombones in the big parade.; 10/9/08, 8:36 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: bearbee said...
Без перевода.

Hope that's correct. I went to a Russian dictionary for it.

8:32 AM

Lost in translation?; 10/9/08, 8:37 AM
bearbee said...: Suppose to be 'thank you.'; 10/9/08, 8:43 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: I think the "cool" Obama meme is a fantasy. When challenged in the debates, he often appears angry to me. I think he is just accustomed to getting a free pass by his worshippers. After all, he is protected by a media that that calls anyone opposing him ‘mean’ and ‘dismissive‘. It’s almost like they play the role of Barry’s overly protective mother. I get tired of the “No one shall challenge the chosen one” shtick.; 10/9/08, 8:48 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: bearbee said...
Suppose to be 'thank you.'

8:43 AM

Спасибо or "spasibo"

:); 10/9/08, 8:51 AM
PogoПОССУМ said...: As my братья brothers in Cuba say, Cuidado, fair warning to Kohlrabi Man of the Bush!

Obama Truth Squad soon visit in the night for the sayings against the Party.

Missouri Truth Squad of the Obama is so full of the patriotic lawyers and the sherriff полиция to use of police to quiet those who lie about Obama.

And the lawyers here no speak against it, for Chicago, land of 1000 lawyers is all for the Obama, so it must be truth and right and патриотический patriotic to crush the liar speech.; 10/9/08, 8:55 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: And, Beth, in light of previous comments made by you, I am not saying you cannot have your opinion, or post it here. Please understand that I am not like that. I just have my own opinions that do not coincide with yours, and I think we should all have our own. No one is attacking you, or intimidating you. We are all discussing the issues that were brought up. I hope you see that.; 10/9/08, 8:56 AM
Christy said...: While initially excited about the New Party association, I shortly remembered that the Obama voter is already voting himself bread and circuses. A formal label of socialist will make little difference.

By the way, China is the 21st century. We should all be learning Mandarin. Didn't you watch Firefly?; 10/9/08, 9:01 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: LOL, thank you for the sage advice PogoПОССУМ. I will be going underground soon after the election in order to avoid internment in one of Barry's reeducation camps. These will be opened as soon as he establishes the fairness doctrine for blogs (look out Althouse).; 10/9/08, 9:01 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Дорогой товарич ПОССУМ,да, I know full well I may already be on their list (although, knowing some of them , I doubt they have had the motivation to even write one up). I will not go down without a fight! Hehehe...; 10/9/08, 9:02 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Christy said...
While initially excited about the New Party association, I shortly remembered that the Obama voter is already voting himself bread and circuses. A formal label of socialist will make little difference.

By the way, China is the 21st century. We should all be learning Mandarin. Didn't you watch Firefly?

9:01 AM

I was thinking the same. It will not make a difference, maybe because it is not the crazy A.N.S.W.E.R. group. And most of his supporters crave some sort of socialism anyway. They will point to the "Democratic" label, and then point to Europe where there are socialist parties in power. But g-d forbid that anyone has any past or present association to a libertarian party of any sort.; 10/9/08, 9:07 AM
MadisonMan said...: I am not saying you cannot have your opinion, or post it here.

How generous of you. *(eyeroll)*; 10/9/08, 9:35 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: MadisonMan said...
I am not saying you cannot have your opinion, or post it here.

How generous of you. *(eyeroll)*

9:35 AM

I was referring to one of her previous posts. Please look it up. Thanks.; 10/9/08, 9:50 AM
Trooper York said...: Ouch Beth is calling McCain the Jeremy Schockey of politics. That's a low blow.; 10/9/08, 10:11 AM
Beth said...: madisonman -- heh heh.

I guess he has something in mind, but I can't recall it.; 10/9/08, 12:28 PM
Beth said...: original george - people all over Chicago involved in public life worked with Ayers. Why wouldn't Obama? I've worked on boards and committees with people who don't think like me, even some people I vehemently dislike. The whole guilt by association thing you all keep flogging is over the top. And it doesn't seem to be having much effect on people who aren't rabidly partisan. Ayers isn't an Obama adviser. He's not his spiritual father, not his secret puppet master.; 10/9/08, 12:40 PM
Beth said...: Good call, Trooper. And if we can assume he'll be out injured as often, I sure don't want to see his backup on the field.; 10/9/08, 12:40 PM
Revenant said...: people all over Chicago involved in public life worked with Ayers. Why wouldn't Obama?

People all over Louisiana worked with David Duke. Would you?; 10/9/08, 3:22 PM