Althouse: At the Rectilinear Café...

April 20, 2010

At the Rectilinear Café...

... surely you've got something planned.

53 comments:

rhhardin said...: Daily wholesome exercise scything another couple swaths up and down the lawn.; 4/20/10, 8:04 PM
David said...: AP reports that Obama is "talking to" potential Supreme Court candidates. Doing personal one on one (?) interviews.

Is this a new development? When did Presidents start interviewing Supreme Court wannabes like associates in a law firm? (I'm not saying Obama started it. I just don't know?)

This makes me uneasy. Should it?; 4/20/10, 8:04 PM
David said...: I plan to watch grass grow.; 4/20/10, 8:05 PM
Meade said...: "Daily wholesome exercise scything another couple swaths up and down the lawn."

It's already my Screen Saver.

wv: homsy; 4/20/10, 8:10 PM
Irene said...: Behold the power of Poodles.; 4/20/10, 8:12 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Recti...linear Cafe sounds like a place Titus would like.; 4/20/10, 8:26 PM
JAL said...: rh -- I was brought up not to like dobermans.

I love your dog. And your prevoious ones.

They are awesome. And beautiful.; 4/20/10, 8:27 PM
ricpic said...: Rake the earth, scatter some seed, let nature take it from there: that's my plan.; 4/20/10, 8:35 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Heh heh heh, you said recti.; 4/20/10, 8:35 PM
Hagar said...: The current pile-on to Goldman Sachs feels orchestrated to me, but I do not quite understand who is attacking whom and why. How does the League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen dedicated to the survival of Goldman Sachs fit into this?
What is the object(s) of the game here?; 4/20/10, 8:39 PM
ricpic said...: It's all misdirection. Dodd's bill puts Goldman and all the other Wall Street too bigs to fail on a permanent gravy train courtesy you, the dumbshmuck taxpayer.; 4/20/10, 8:46 PM
chickelit said...: Thy work appears undone Meade. That glyphosated grass will surely be turned another day?; 4/20/10, 8:52 PM
Unknown said...: The Blonde is planning to attack the dandelions in the front yard, but can't track down the book with the magic recipe. She has to use something that won't knock the pups for a loop, so she's tearing the house apart looking for the book (actually, she has me tearing the house apart looking for the book. I'm sure Meade's BTDT).

Hagar said...

The current pile-on to Goldman Sachs feels orchestrated to me, but I do not quite understand who is attacking whom and why. How does the League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen dedicated to the survival of Goldman Sachs fit into this?
What is the object(s) of the game here?

While you never let a good crisis go to waste, if you haven't got one, that's what the Reichstag is for. The takeover of the financial sector needs a good fire.

Plus what ric said.; 4/20/10, 8:52 PM
Unknown said...: OT: Irene, talked to the vet and he gave us the amount of Benadryl to use.

Thanks for bringing it up.; 4/20/10, 8:54 PM
RLB_IV said...: The talent of an excellent garden designer is worth his weight in gold and hard to find in California. When we found a gardner who was familiar with the Encyclia citrina orchid he was hired. Their lemon scent is almost erotic according to the woman who now runs this place. Heh.; 4/20/10, 9:01 PM
Scott said...: It's so... Mondrian!; 4/20/10, 9:08 PM
Irene said...: @edutcher: Thanks for the update. The allergy situation here worsened for our eldest boy. He is scratching endlessly. We are trying a soothing spray in addition to the Benadryl.

If that doesn't work, it will be a shot of cortisone and a soothing oatmeal bath.

Just watching him itch makes my heart sad.; 4/20/10, 9:27 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Al Fresco Rectilinear Café decorated.; 4/20/10, 9:39 PM
Unknown said...: Having had a couple of legendary bouts with poison ivy, I can sympathize, Irene.

Do they still use Calamine and that stuff?; 4/20/10, 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...: The current pile-on to Goldman Sachs feels orchestrated to me, but I do not quite understand who is attacking whom and why.

The Goldman suit gives a pretty clear picture of why we don't want the federal government to take things over or run anything but the essentials - they're incompetent at best.

They're always solving yesterday's problem.

For example: While Madoff was swindling between $12 - $20 billion from his investors, a whistle-blower was telling the SEC about Madoff in detail for about 6 or 7 years, and the SEC did absolute nothing. The investors will never recover the money.

But now, even if Goldman made a material misstatement about a single particular security, all three parties (the long, the short, and the market-maker Goldman) have enough money to make the losing party whole a thousand time over, but the SEC is on it like a SWAT team out of hell.

Pathetic.; 4/20/10, 9:59 PM
Meade said...: Chicklit, you don't miss much. But now look - how am I gonna get any a my work done now that Chip has gee gawed up the place with all those pink and tuxedoed birds, mammoth snails, mooning gnomes, goose-stepping canada gooses, and... what the... oh no... BIG FOOT!!!

Or is it Sasquatch? Mr. Sasquatch to me. Sir.; 4/20/10, 10:02 PM
Wince said...: Looks like Meade turned that soil with a spade.

I bought a Honda FG 110 mini tiller a few years ago. I'm a big fan of the dethatcher attachment, which has made a huge difference in thickening my troubled lawn, without an investment of much time.

Aside, I sent Mickey Kaus $25 over the weekend and now I see he's paid for an ad on Althouse.; 4/20/10, 10:05 PM
Meade said...: Oh, and Irene, aren't poodles known for finding fabulous fungi?

I'd pay big money to rent a Wisconsin morel-hunting poodle for a day.

Big BIG money.; 4/20/10, 10:08 PM
LonewackoDotCom said...: Amnesty stands a fair chance of passing because the opposition is even more incompetent than it's been in the past. That potential opposition has been compromised by libertarian/tea party leaders. They've managed to keep the teapartiers from ignoring the issue until now, despite how vital and fundamental it is. None of that should be a surprise: those leaders are on the other side. Yet, the partiers keep following them.

One thing I fear is that the loudest opposition to amnesty might come from the partiers, and in that case the ink on the bill is almost dry. They'll oppose amnesty in the same way that they opposed HCR: tantrums, dress-up games, loopy signs, radio stunts, and on and on. And, we know how that worked out.

P.S. Whenever I criticize the partiers I get smeared, so I'll point out that I've been covering this wider issue in thousands of posts since 2002; see the very long list of illegal immigration supporting groups that I cover, and compare that coverage to that offered by r/w bloggers and others who only pretend to oppose the Obama admin.; 4/20/10, 10:10 PM
Peter Hoh said...: I forget where I read it, but I know that some garden designers recommend straight lines and rectangles for small spaces.

It's great if you can pull it off.

As for me, I like meandering lines. And I don't think I could pull off the geometric look.; 4/20/10, 10:28 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Hi Meade..

Watch out for the Out-Of-Control Van

Just saying ;); 4/20/10, 10:35 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: A Long Island woman gardening in her front yard was mowed down Tuesday morning by an out-of-control van that veered off the road and slammed into her house.

The incident happened about 9:40 a.m. at 121 Cathedral Avenue.; 4/20/10, 10:38 PM
Palladian said...: Schopenhauer's poodle was named Butz.; 4/20/10, 10:46 PM
Irene said...: @edutcher: the spray is "Genesis Topical Spray; Approved by the FDA." No sign of Calamine in it.

BTW, the poor bambolino is sleeping and dreaming now.

@Meade: The Lagotto Romangnolo is used in Italy to hunt for truffles. (Sorry about the WalMart ad. It's the store of the people.) The breed derives from the Poodle, a natural water-retrieving dog. I am fascinated by the Lagotto!

I've never tried to use the Poodles for hunting morels or mushrooms. Our boys are somewhat pampered. They like aged cheddar cheese and baby carrots.

Funny, I lived in Italy for a while and never once encountered a Lagotto. There were many Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, and German Shepherds there, however. The Italian name for Poodle is "Barbone Francese," or "Bearded Frenchie." It's a bit derogatory, after all. Italians don't like Germans either, and so they call German Shepherds "Alscatian Shepherds." Linguistic twists of this sort are so interesting.

Chip, I am glad you left the little terra cotta angel in its place on the stoop. It brings blessings on the Meadehouse.; 4/20/10, 10:48 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Why is Rahm Emanuel sleeping in Irene's couch ;); 4/20/10, 10:56 PM
Irene said...: @Lem: Haha! So maybe he's hanging out here and not planning to run for Mayor.; 4/20/10, 11:04 PM
Palladian said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/20/10, 11:06 PM
Palladian said...: "Calamine" lotion is just zinc oxide with a tiny bit of iron (iii) oxide added to make it pink. I believe calamine is the name of the main zinc ore. If I recall correctly "calamine" lotion doesn't really do anything at all. Stick to the Benadryl.; 4/20/10, 11:10 PM
reader_iam said...: Rake the earth, scatter some seed, let nature take it from there: that's my plan.

No watering, other than the rain from the sky? Also, no fertilizer, no herbicide, no insecticide? Etc.

Confirm or clarify, please.; 4/20/10, 11:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Is it just my imagination or has the walkway to the door been relatively recently poured as well?; 4/20/10, 11:43 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Is it just my imagination or has the walkway to the door been relatively recently poured as well?

If you can find the google street (from BM times) Althouse was lucky the property was not declared an old growth forest ;); 4/20/10, 11:57 PM
reader_iam said...: No one size fits all. And no one thing addresses all. Benadryl has its place. So does calamine lotion. So do various strengths and media of what's commonly categorized as hydrocortisone. And so does a bath in tea, or targeted applications of tea. It depends.

Everyone once in a while, I miss using Noxzema. It cooled like heaven but also not just encouraged but accelerated peeling like hell. Sometimes that was preferable, because, basically, it just got all of it over with.; 4/20/10, 11:58 PM
MamaM said...: Hope and Change take many different forms.

Thorns, thistles, and sweat of the brow have been constants ever since the First Gardner and the Master Gardner had their famous Falling Out.

As a result, ground reclaimed for the production of sustenance or the maintenance of beauty is often considered cause for celebration.; 4/21/10, 1:19 AM
Revenant said...: Is this a new development? When did Presidents start interviewing Supreme Court wannabes like associates in a law firm?

It became commonplace after the Bork fiasco made it clear that the days of Senate deference on Supreme Court nominations were over. Since then, a lot more effort has gone into finding exactly the right candidate -- not for the job, but for the nomination fight.; 4/21/10, 1:50 AM
MamaM said...: "He's pretty damn good at it" was our adult son's pronouncement of laughing admiration after viewing the scythe work involved with Rhhardin's daily wholesome exercise. His grandpa had a scythe, and he learned through him how much skill and effort its use requires.; 4/21/10, 2:21 AM
Jennifer said...: And this is why Centralized Healthcare really fricking sucks. To achieve the completely out of the ordinary, extreme privilege of a routine eye exam, I've so far had to call the central eye clinic to get a referral, call the administration office to find a doctor, then with only a bike as transportation I have to somehow make my way 10 km over to the administration office with a 4 year old in tow to make an appointment (which can only be done in person), fill out a bunch of different paperwork, THEN finally actually go to the eye doctor at some distant, undetermined as of yet time so the doctor can blow some air in my eye and have me read some letters JUST SO I CAN ORDER A REFILL OF CONTACTS. People really have no idea just what it is they're in for.; 4/21/10, 2:48 AM
Michael Haz said...: Meade, I've decided to not mow my back yard this year. It's completely fenced in, so the neighbors shouldn't experience any collateral damage.

What's the down side, apart from needing a thresher if I ever change my mind?; 4/21/10, 6:23 AM
Michael Haz said...: rhardin, Dang! Where'd you get that scythe? Name and model, if you'd be so kind.

The exercise would be great, plus, at my age, my New Year's Eve costume would look exceptionally authentic.; 4/21/10, 6:29 AM
MadisonMan said...: Wouldn't it be nice to have some rain?; 4/21/10, 7:42 AM
Hagar said...: Orchestrated media campaigns generally are about mis-direction, but in this case the Democrats seem to be attacking themselves, and the gains expected must surely be deemed worth the self-inflicted wounds?

Goldman Sachs is not just a financial powerhouse, but a Democratic financial powerhouse going back to Lewis Strauss and the Roosevelt administration, and probably well before that. The League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen Dedicated to the Preservation of Goldman Sachs, LLC are generally people either actually now serving in this administration, having served in previous Democratic administrations, or called on as economic advisers, to sit on "Blue Ribbon" presidential advisory panels in urgent national crises, etc.

So, what gives? Populist Democrats revolting against "Limousine Liberals?" Congressional Democrats against the Administration? Just did not think about where they were going before they started this?; 4/21/10, 8:40 AM
Hagar said...: And, if I understand it correctly, the proposed bill actually allows more of what Goldman Sachs is being blamed for.; 4/21/10, 10:14 AM
rhhardin said...: @Michael Hasenstab

scythesupply.com.

I'd recommend a straight snath, 26" grass blade, small anvil or jig and hammer, medium stone and holder, which I think you can select in their "outfit."

Then you start buying other blades until you have them all in a few years.

It's not easy on the lawn, in case you're a lush lawn lover. It's cut practically down to the dirt (except you it's bent over so has a little more length).

You can also use it just for lawn patrol, which is a lot less effort.

There are some tricks to learn.; 4/21/10, 10:48 AM
JAL said...: I was wondering if that is Meade's head behind the blossoms.; 4/21/10, 1:14 PM
chickelit said...: You can also use it just for lawn patrol, which is a lot less effort.

You mean as an edger up against things like fences and walls? I'd love to give up my noisy weed whacker.; 4/21/10, 1:16 PM
rhhardin said...: You mean as an edger up against things like fences and walls? I'd love to give up my noisy weed whacker.

It can cut right up to a straight wall or fence very easily.

It can't reach into corners.

Cutting around a post is limited by your aim. Get some lawn scissors for the final blades.

Cutting the lawn itself is slowed appreciably by trees, in that there's no particularly good order to avoid cutting the same piece of ground several times in different arcs as you work past the tree.

I meant by lawn patrol though picking off weeds, or levelling out clumps fast growing grass that otherwise would force you to cut the entire lawn to even it out.

It's far superior to weed wackers for clearing open brush (though you might want a bush blade rather than the lighter and thinner grass blade).

Very quiet.; 4/21/10, 1:40 PM
Michael Haz said...: @rhardin - Thanks very much.; 4/21/10, 2:32 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "I was wondering if that is Meade's head behind the blossoms."

Yes, of course!; 4/21/10, 2:54 PM
Meade said...: I concur with everything RH said about the scythe. I've been using the very same tool for over twenty years (mostly the shorter stouter brush blade for saplings and woody weeds.) One of the 5 best tools I've ever owned.

Michael H: If your backyard is an acre or more, I'd recommend sketching in an appealing curvilinear path using your dirt bike. Then, mow the path every 3 -7 days with one of these. Use the RH approved signature scythe with the brush blade to selectively keep the woodies from taking over your meadow. Sow prairie wildflower seeds in the fall. Pop a brewski, relax, and give thanks to Nature's God.; 4/21/10, 6:36 PM

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