Ann Althouse embraced, even relished, her singlehood. So it was all the more stunning when, earlier this year, the blogger and provocateur announced that she'd gotten engaged to one of her commenters. She told the remarkable story to the New York Times as well as here on BhTV. This week, on a verdant Colorado mountain, she and commenter Meade exchanged rings and permalinked. Congrats from your friends at Bloggingheads, Ann!"Permalinked." LOL. And thanks to BhTV and to all the commenters here who have congratulated me (and Meade).
ADDED: The link at "relished" goes to a BhTV that I did with Bella DePaulo a year ago. Here's the corresponding post on my blog. There's some fascinating participation from Meade in the comments. First he quotes something I say in the diavlog: "...I've often thought I should just charitably marry someone... I'd just marry them to be nice...." He says, at 4:57 PM, the day the post went up:
Gee, I'm single now, happily single, and thought I'd just remain that way.I don't respond. The next morning, at 7:54 AM, he continues:
But considering all the benefits, I guess I'd really be a fool not to take a close look if Althouse were to, just out of niceness, propose to pity-marry me.
What could I offer in return? Let's see - I could prune those redbuds, take out the garbage, trap squirrels.
I could fetch her newspaper, scrape snow and ice off her car, shovel the front walk. Draw her bath. Pick her up at the airport. Rinse and dry her wine glasses. Form a circle-of -safety to protect her from Hillary Clinton-type madwomen who randomly come up to innocent people on urban sidewalks and punch them in the back. I make excellent salads, grill superb steaks and vegetables. Play a piano sonata. Pick up dry cleaning. Wait patiently while she shops for shoes.The next post is from me, but later in the afternoon, and it's totally unresponsive to his comments:
I have very valuable benefits that I'm not using because I'm unmarried. Maybe I should go for a cash transaction.Meade speaks one more time:
Forget the services. I have cash — very very valuable cash.Even with the direct question, there is no response from me. In fact, the whole thread dies right there. Actually, there is one more comment — it's a mean swipe at Bella. Now, imagine if instead of that mean swipe at Bella, somebody had written: You know the weird thing is that in 1 year she actually will marry him. It would have been a hilarious comment!
So what are the benefits and just how much valuable cash do you suppose they're worth?
Posts
48 comments:
Provocateur? Well, I guess being cited once by the dreaded Limbaugh puts you beyond the pale.
"Permalinked." LOL. And thanks to BhTV and to all the commenters here who have congratulated me (and Meade).
times 2.
Well, congratulations again. Hope you had fun in Colorado.
You certainly made an odd beginning. Collect all the comments and sell it.
No, the back and forth as you describe it is already perfect.
The added wedding prediction would have been flat, canned, and lame compared to the amusing Althouse and Meade (especially Meade) musings.
Congrats meade on getting State of Wisconsin benefits. They are very generous. Maybe marrying Althouse is the solution to our uninsured problem. Meade do you have any problems with polegamy?
Maybe this was discussed here before and I missed it, but just out of curiosity, who proposed to whom?
They prune redbuds in Ohio? We let them run free here. Their natural shape against the other bare trees is just beautiful in March.
From that post:
David said...
Is this the most boring set of comments on this blog in recent memory?
Think it is . . . .
Haha
It does not get any better than the romantic meet-up followed by complete success for both of you.
L.E.: Funny thing is, I didn't then and still don't now need or want her UW health insurance. I've had excellent health insurance that I purchased in the private market over 20 years ago.
I was just trying to get a date with Althouse. That was really all I wanted.
Meade, you may tweet the bride! ;)
scrape snow and ice off her car, shovel the front walk
This offer alone should be enough for any woman in Wisconsin to take notice.
"'You know the weird thing is that in 1 year she actually will marry him.' It would have been a hilarious comment!"
Tattoos and shorts, I'm telling you.
I think it's time [for the world] to start referring to the Altmeade, or the Meadehouse.
Meade, you should now save about six grand switching over. I am sure the Meadehouse can find a good use for that extra cash.
But anywho, With my coffee cup raised, I wish you and AA the best of health. And I am not just saying that as a State of Wisconsin taxpayer. :)
Also, you and AA seem like a good match. So, again congrats on getting that first date.
L.E.: Sincere thanks.
You and I are fortunate to live in the great state of Wisconsin. We're even more fortunate to live in this great country.
Meadehouse (ha ha) will continue to contribute to charities that make it possible for those without resources to receive necessary medical care.
If you can, I hope you will too.
Well, I want to make the prediction that one year from now Meade will be welching on some of those promises, most certainly the "Wait patiently while she shops for shoes."
Of course, Ann will do some welching herself.
The beauty of that is: if this love is worth living, and I do believe it is, then you two will make the effort to start it all over again, reliving this wonderful year over and over until the Internets rust away.
Thanks Meade.
Let me say that if there is some uniquely American more market based solution to bringing affordable health care to everyone then I would be all for that. After all, I am a small retail business owner and, day in and day out, a capitalist.
About once a month I sit down with someone who wants to start a business similar to mine. Being self employed continues to be attractive to people. Always, one of the biggest stumbling blocks for these people is getting health insurance. (No one ever brings up taxes.) This is especially true if they have someone in their family that has a pre existing health problem. I believe today this issue is the biggest drag on entrepreneurship in this country. Also, as I mentioned in a previous comment, instead of focusing all of my attention on my core business, year in and year out one of the biggest issues I deal with is finding a way to pay for rapidly increasing health insurance costs.
I seriously don't understand why health care should be tied to ones employment. After all, everyone gets sick.
What has been frustrating is that those who oppose Obama have no alternative plan to correct this problem with the economy. Until the Republicans put forward a counter plan instead of encouraging their base to shout down those who are offering a plan, then I am going to support the Democrats.
Meade - you realize that LE Lee coined the phrase "Althouse Hillbillies" and is very insulting person.
Yes Alex,
I am a very insulting person to Althouse Hillbillies like you. This is true even though you are the paragon of civility. Joking.
Now Alex, please get back up on the porch with the hounds.
"provocateur"
"instead of focusing all of my attention on my core business...
I spend most of my time being a dick on Althouse's blog."
Ann, the Jethros are chomping at the bit. I think it is time for another Palin post.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chomp_at_the_bit
“Trap squirrels” — what a great line.
Wishing you two the very best.
NKVD, you seem to be foaming at the mouth. You need to go to the hospital and make sure you do not have rabies. I just hope the moonshine operation you work for offers good health insurance.
"I just hope the moonshine operation you work for offers good health insurance."
Ha! Last week I met a well placed military gov contractor from Northern Virginia. He was on the left coast for a wedding, which is where I met him. He loved being away from home (and work) because he could openly discuss his rather elaborate (but non-profit) distilling operations.
He was deep into moonshine and conservatism, but he was also interesting, reasonable, and untied to fixed thinking that seeks comfort and confirmation by any means necessary, i.e. by half truths and manipulated reality via the professional-conservative class: he wasn't like the unjustifiably self-impressed right wing dolts who flock to Althouse.
In other words, don't stereotype all moonshine operators.
P.S.
Meade,
I don't think anyone was accusing you of being a kept man. At least not until your first response seemed so defensive in this regard. I'll assume that you were simply taking the opportunity to brag about the wonderful private insurance industry that all wise conservatives are hell-bent on further enshrining and protecting from profit encroachment, because that's the American way. And, BHO is a racist who hates America [so said Rush] and White People [so said Glenn]. Amen.
Meade,
I don't think you are a ''kept man.''
But if you are
DOUBLE CONGRATS!!!
And, he wants to w/hold health care from Sarah's kid because the kid is subjectively determined to be unproductive [so said Sarah]. Amen. Amen.
If you are leaving a job where you have insurance to be self-employed, and you cannot qualify for a new individual policy due to preexisting conditions, you can buy a "conversion policy" that takes your work coverage and converts it into an individual policy. The premiums go up a bit each year for four years then level out.
I know this because I have done it. Problem solved.
What has been frustrating is that those who oppose Obama have no alternative plan to correct this problem with the economy. Until the Republicans put forward a counter plan instead of encouraging their base to shout down those who are offering a plan, then I am going to support the Democrats.
This statement, of course, is simply untrue.
Various Republicans have put forth various plan and in various modes. Are they good? Are they better than any of the versions of the health care plan that haven't been completed yet, but Pelosi/Reid, etc wanted a vote on prior to the beginning of the Augsut recess?
IF President Obama, his administration and the Democratic leadership of the house had not been in such a hurry to ram "something" (that even they can't explain) through the system, we potentially could have had ....
an ....
ACTUAL ....
public ....
discussion
on health care.
1) All the versions - Democratic and Republican - would have been ACTUALLY WRITTEN before the discussion took place. People could have throughly read them before commenting.
2) Comparisons could have taken place.
3) Negotiation could have occurred to reconcile some of the best ideas.
4) The public could have been part of the process.
People aren't stupid. If someone would have approached them with a concrete plan AND a reality based assessment of the actual costs of the plan, they may have been willing to accept somewhat higher taxes to improve the system.
But, those involved in the process chose not to given them that opportunity - and are, inexplicably, surprised by the angry backlash.
They have displayed such disregard for the people of this country and they STILL can't believe it's because they may have underestimated the people themselves. Instead they have choosen to say that people who dare to disagree with them must either be brainwashed or paid politcal hacks.
Sidenote: I work for a college that has made the committment to switch from quarters to semesters. The decision to do so took almost a year. The planning process for actually making the switch has started two years before the switch will be implemented. Virtually every member of the college employed community - faculty and staff - is on a subcommittee to plan and implement the switch. All applicable unions have already promised their support. A plan is already in place for when students will be included in the planning process.
The current White House and Congress have attempted to remake a major portion of the entire US economy in 1/6 the time that a small college in Ohio thinks reasonable to prepare the students, faculty, staff, and community to switch in the calendar.
I THANK GOD for the Blue Dog Democrats who had the guts to delay this process so that the people of this country could get some say in the final result. When they are inevitably targeted for defeat by their own party, I expect that a lot of Republicans are going to remember their service and vote for them in the election.
I have no illusions that any other members of Congress are going to fare as well in the 2010 elections. Sadly, it may be simply a pendulum swing back from the 2008 election.
Why sadly? Because BOTH parties have let the people of this country down. Neither should profit from this mess.
Superb post, Ohio Anne.
Frequent visitor, and much too infrequent commenter, just stopping by to offer congrats, and to wish you both the best.
You know the weird thing is that in 1 year they will have twins.
If, a year from now, they actually have twins, then Richard wins the thread, and deserves his own tag.
It this the prediction game?
You know the weird thing is that in 1 year she and Meade will be dispatching posts and commentary, respectively, from their anniversary trip to England as they consider relocation to avoid the FSA (Fascist States of America) and they'll run into Beck doing the same thing, though Beck will be shopping in the so-called nicer parts of town--professional-conservatism pays well.
It or is, whatever.
"... and they'll run into Beck doing the same thing, though Beck will be shopping in the so-called nicer parts of town--professional-conservatism pays well."
Or he'll be in Reno with the Vitamin D, getting crazy with the Cheez-Whiz.
"What has been frustrating is that those who oppose Obama have no alternative plan to correct this problem with the economy."
No "plan" is needed.
I don't have a plan for fixing the poor choice in house paint that my neighbor made, but I would understand if he objected to me pushing arson as the solution. I could even understand why a "mob" might form to stop me if I was hell bent on getting my way.
The idea that the government fixes things when life throws it's normal challenges at us is infantile. Liberals need to grow up.
Socialism has never succeeded and it has never even survived anywhere for more than 3 generations about 60 - 70 years. It always collapses, but usually not until doing tremendous harm to the people and their culture.
Our government has become a hypochondriac mother-in-law with an obsessive compulsive disorder. It just needs to chill. Leave us alone and chill.
AA writes:
Now, imagine if instead of that mean swipe at Bella, somebody had written: You know the weird thing is that in 1 year she actually will marry him. It would have been a hilarious comment!
I think every thread should now end with a one year prediction. This thread now ends with:
You know the weird thing is that in one year they will be expecting their first child.
I admire the tactful and sensitive way Althouse reminds Meade of all his rash promises. First year law students should take note. This is the way to present inadmissible evidence. Promises made in contemplation of sex simply do not have the same specific gravity as wedding vows and are not enforceable....If I were Meade, I would post a comment about how the true ideal of their union is their mutual willingness to subvert the traditions of patriarchal marriage. A sensitive male like Meade should offer to let his mate do some of the more "manly" chores. Early morning snow shoveling, especially in a beastly climate like Wisconsin, is not only character building but also slimming. It is not his promises to her but their mutual promises to the ideal of their marriage that really counts here......I had a similar challenge in my first marriage. My wife had a gender based prejudice against shingling the roof, and it took all my powers of persuasion to get her up the ladder. It was a fine stroke against the limiting conventions of marriage that so demean women. Sadly my wife was so saddled with sexist baggage that she was unable to pass through the needle's eye to the better world that lay before her. She always blamed the miscarriage on me and not her own clumsiness. Life is a learning experience, but mostly we learn the wrong lessons.
A lesser man would have given up.
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