Althouse: In the Kagan-free zone...

May 10, 2010

In the Kagan-free zone...

... change the subject. You can talk about anything except Elena Kagan.

66 comments:

Meade said...: Okay, let's talk about going to bed.

Without even once mentioning the name Elena Kagan.

Say goodnight, Gracie.; 5/10/10, 11:04 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Meade, what kind of trees are those? You can follow up in the morning on this one.; 5/10/10, 11:05 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey, anyone want to come over and party? I got a keg in the cooler.; 5/10/10, 11:08 PM
Irene said...: Wood. The photo is an invitation to think about Diane Wood?; 5/10/10, 11:18 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Good night, Gray He.; 5/10/10, 11:32 PM
LonewackoDotCom said...: * The tea parties do something slightly smart, in parts.

* I don't know anything about Kagan, but I do perfectly well what happened with SoniaS. Rather than doing the smart thing and focusing on her involvement with two far-left groups that support illegal activity (the PRLDEF and the National Council of La Raza), practically the entire GOP/conservative/blogger response was that of an even more befuddled Hannity. And, of course, you had GOP hacks like Orin Kerr who "put up a good fight" against her nomination, if you know what I mean.

P.S. Whenever I post about the partiers here I get smeared; bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me.; 5/10/10, 11:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Please let it be me, Wacko!; 5/10/10, 11:36 PM
Peter Hoh said...: Oh, what a tangled web we weave, in the attempt to get sunlight for our leaves.; 5/10/10, 11:42 PM
Scott M said...: Hardees fast food relies primarily on the men 18-35 demo and their advertising is targeted as such.

There is a new radio ad about their breakfast choices. The kid asks the father where sausages and biscuits come from. The dad goes into a spiel about Kings and fairies. The mother interrupts him and says, "your father is an idiot. They come from Hardees".

Nothing burns me up more than fathers and husbands made out to be the oafs, clods, and general assholes in modern American media advertising (not sure if our EU brethren suffer the same problem).

I've only written a couple of letters to companies to complain (thus delineating between youth and middle-age, I suppose), but they've both been about this subject. Combined with the near-decade of experience I've personally got in radio ads, I know exactly why the man is the butt of the ads and I also know how flawed the logic is behind it.

The problem I have with this Hardees ad is THAT THEY TARGET THE DEMO THEY ARE ABUSING...SPECIFICALLY. Most of the time, companies make fun of fathers and husbands because their ad wings or contractors are run by older people that still think women make all the purchasing decisions in the home. I know for a fact that the ad department at Hardees is mostly run by younger types who, I know from personal experience, don't have a brain between them at the best of times.; 5/10/10, 11:54 PM
Scott M said...: Was the above far enough afield for you, Ann?; 5/10/10, 11:56 PM
Scott M said...: The new by the Arizona governor strikes me as a pretty ballsy (plumbing optional) attack right at the Administration and is plainly worded as such.

I don't remember seeing the like in recent memory outside of an election campaign or between two executives like this.; 5/10/10, 11:58 PM
JAL said...: My oldest son didn't call me on Mother's Day ... but called this evening.

We got talking about our old house (which is no longer there) and neighborhood. He hasn't been back here in ..... mmmm.... a long time.

So we both ended up on google earth and wandered around his neighborhood in California and our old neighborhood in NC, and our new one ... and had a good time. (Our former neighbor is caught by google driving home!)

Ain't the internets grand?

And nary a political word passed between us. About she-who-can-not-be-named or anyone else.; 5/11/10, 12:06 AM
BJM said...: @Scott M

Pisses me off too.

@Lone

"bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me."

I don't think that means what you think it means.

You obviously have no clue about the discovery can of worms a competent opposing counsel can open for the plaintiff in a defamation or libel suit.; 5/11/10, 12:17 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: A judge, a rabbi, a horse, and comic sans walked together into a dim sum restaurant. They were seated and were met at their table by a waitress who looked like and talked exactly like Elena Kagan but wasn't, who then promptly snapped, "You ass holes were supposed to go into a bar. You just ruined a perfectly good joke."; 5/11/10, 1:10 AM
Revenant said...: Whenever I post about the partiers here I get smeared; bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me.

If I had a dollar for every time you've threatened to sue someone and not followed up on it, I'd have *almost* enough money to pay someone to care that you think you've been smeared.; 5/11/10, 1:47 AM
As my whimsy leads me.. said...: ScottM, those commercials make me nuts, too. Another bunch that bug me are the Broadview security ads. Always women in distress who run UPSTAIRS instead of out the door behind them, or out of the kitchen, where there are knives and other possible weapons, into a bedroom to answer the phone. So women are portrayed as too dumb to do anything but scream and run--usually to a more vulnerable location. In the one with "AJ," supposedly this guy she doesn't know has spent the evening at a party at her house, then comes back to break in. It's night, but from the lighted kitchen, she can see his menacing face through the door. Impossible.

I'm not sure if they are specifically targeting white women, or white men who are away from home a lot. There are never any homeowners or home invaders who are not white. It looks like there would be a market among people of other ethnic groups. Other products are aggressive in portraying multi-ethnic groups of friends, why not home security? Or are only white women too silly not to have a big dog, or be able to shoot or throw something at the menacing bad guy?

Last November, a friend and I were mugged in the parking lot of a bookstore. The guy got my friend's purse, after telling her he had a knife. After she let him have her purse and ran back to the store to get help, and while I was yelling at the guy to leave her alone, he said he wanted my purse, too. I wouldn't let him have it, and held on while he tried to take it from me. He didn't get it, and ran away when he figured the police were on their way. Lots of people told me I should have let him have it. I'm not really very brave, but I hadn't heard him mention the knife, and he didn't try to use one on me. I hate that we are taught to be so passive, instead of sizing up the situation and trying to make the best decision, or having some training in how to handle a surprise attack rather than just give in every time. We are literally taught to be wimps, and that spills over to politics and other areas of life.

Toy; 5/11/10, 4:57 AM
Unknown said...: Whimsy, the counter to those ads would be one by Colt. But you're right, they're all about women as victims.

Where's NOW on this?

Irene said...

Wood. The photo is an invitation to think about Diane Wood?

Well, I think Meade was talking about wood, anyway.; 5/11/10, 5:45 AM
Michael Haz said...: The late Buck Owens and his wonderful backup singer, Don Rich.

Both singing and wearing Nudie Cohen suits.; 5/11/10, 5:47 AM
jayne_cobb said...: Specter is currently polling behind Sestak in PA.

Clearly the left is in the middle of a Stalinist Purge of moderates from its ranks.; 5/11/10, 6:00 AM
jayne_cobb said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/11/10, 6:04 AM
jayne_cobb said...: Whenever I post about the partiers here I get smeared; bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me."

You've finally piqued my interest.

May I inquire as to the person?; 5/11/10, 6:06 AM
AllenS said...: Off topic:

I think I'll run outside and see if my car is running.; 5/11/10, 6:20 AM
AllenS said...: Nope. You know, one can never be too sure about those simple things in life.; 5/11/10, 6:25 AM
KCFleming said...: Ally ally Kagan freeeeeeee.; 5/11/10, 6:32 AM
AllenS said...: What?

WV: jazoids

Cool musicians from outter space.; 5/11/10, 6:39 AM
Shanna said...: The kid asks the father where sausages and biscuits come from. The dad goes into a spiel about Kings and fairies. The mother interrupts him and says, "your father is an idiot. They come from Hardees".

Was the dad supposed to be talking about burger king? Because if so, that part is pretty clever as a hardees beats burger king slam.; 5/11/10, 8:06 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Nothing burns me up more than fathers and husbands made out to be the oafs, clods, and general assholes in modern American media advertising

Testify.; 5/11/10, 8:09 AM
Anonymous said...: Can we cryptically reference a recent court nominee as "an anal geek"?; 5/11/10, 8:09 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Another bunch that bug me are the Broadview security ads. Always women in distress who run UPSTAIRS instead of out the door behind them...

I always imagined a great counter ad for say, Smith and Wesson where the guy kicks in the door and the babe whips out .38 and turns the guy into a bloody heap.

Now that would be cool.; 5/11/10, 8:14 AM
Anonymous said...: I had fogotten all of the fun of an automated anagram generator. If you put in the title "Justice" before a certain not-to-be-mentioned person's name, you come up with

"Sneaking ejaculate", which, is she were open about it, would dispell all of the rumors.; 5/11/10, 8:15 AM
Fred4Pres said...: How about that New John McCain ad? Weeeeee.

They had to cut the part where McCain runs down an illegal alien crossing the border and sucks the blood from his body.; 5/11/10, 8:33 AM
Fred4Pres said...: When McCain switches to fast zombie mode, it is really quite frightening.; 5/11/10, 8:33 AM
MadisonMan said...: Nothing burns me up more than fathers and husbands made out to be the oafs, clods, and general assholes in modern American media advertising

I agree. But we are the easiest targets because we're too busy making an honest living to care what others think. At least I am.

I am sorry that all those advertisers have such low opinions of their own fathers though. I suspect that will change when the fathers are no longer around.; 5/11/10, 8:49 AM
AllenS said...: Because of the BS PC crap. Men, fathers, and husbands are the only demographic you can make fun of. Can you imagine a commercial making fun of women and their cars?; 5/11/10, 8:53 AM
MadisonMan said...: Allen, your posts at 6:20 / 6:25 made me laugh.; 5/11/10, 8:54 AM
former law student said...: We are literally taught to be wimps,

Take advantage of your local NRA's Refuse to Be a Victim training. There's also self-defense classes designed for women -- a former co-worker took one. A different co-worker was a martial artist -- she had risen so high up the Kung Fu ladder she had switched to Wu Shu.

Which makes me think: The NRA magazines carry the Armed Citizen column, composed of confirmed stories of people using guns to stop robberies and the like (not shootouts, necessarily).

Where are the stories of people using their martial arts training to fend off attackers? Thousands of little kids take martial arts courses every year. I wonder what good it does.; 5/11/10, 8:56 AM
AllenS said...: Mad Man--

When I woke up this morning, within the first minute, I thought about the incident we can't talk about on this post, and had a laugh myself.; 5/11/10, 9:03 AM
AllenS said...: Very good points, fls. Why, just yesterday, we learned of a security guard, without a gun, choking a petty thief to death. Don't need no gun.; 5/11/10, 9:05 AM
X said...: chris kelly, aka lonewacko, aka 24giveshead.com, cannot stand ridicule. I'm warning you, if you folks keep it up, he'll go away.; 5/11/10, 9:09 AM
former law student said...: I did think it was black letter law that you could not use deadly force to defend property, but I admit it's been a while since I passed the bar exam.; 5/11/10, 9:11 AM
Meade said...: Fred4Pres said...
"Meade, what kind of trees are those? You can follow up in the morning on this one."

Apple. As in, a judge, a rabbi, a horse, and comic sans walked together into a dim sum restaurant desperately seeking an order of apple dumplings. The waiter said, "Sorry, we're all out of apple dumplings but we do have some cornflake surreal."; 5/11/10, 9:19 AM
Triangle Man said...: That camera has some serious color aberrations at the edges. Is it the Sony?; 5/11/10, 9:20 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Thousands of little kids take martial arts courses every year. I wonder what good it does.

Did wonders for me.; 5/11/10, 9:21 AM
Meade said...: I think Nikon D-50 with the fisheye lens, TM.

Respect the fisheye authoritay!; 5/11/10, 9:24 AM
Fen said...: LoneWacko: P.S. Whenever I post about the partiers here I get smeared; bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me.

That would be me and I'm not lying.

You Are a Soros-funded troll out to smear the TEA Party under the guise of "helping" them learn how "misguided and stupid they are". Its pathetic how transparent you are. You spend your time bashing them instead of supporting them where you share common ground.

And thats because you have no common ground. You are a concern troll.

I'm going to sue

*snicker*

Ann should "sue" you for using her blog to pimp yours. You owe her money.; 5/11/10, 9:29 AM
From Inwood said...: When I told a friend some time back that I was a recovered NYT reader based on its “errors & omissions”, he, exasperatedly, finally asked where I was “going to find out about ‘The Arts’”. I said that I thought that I’d do OK since the NYT seemed to feel that anything was “Art” so long as it was conventional PC & laughed at what he himself would call conventional morality. Oh, & BTW, portrayed Bush 43 as both a boob & a Machiavellian Hitler figure.

From a theater review in the NYT today, as noted by Commentary's Contentions:
Vibrators, leather bars and good old-fashioned sodomy have never looked more wholesome than they do in “The Kid,” the easygoing, sentimental new musical about a gay couple trying to adopt a baby. The homosexual partners at the center of this surprisingly unsurprising production…feel like truly ordinary people, folks you’ve met many times before in depictions of American spouses in pursuit of parenthood….So what if Dan (Christopher Sieber) and Terry (Lucas Steele) shared their first passionate clinch (on their first meeting) in a men’s room stall and now leave sex toys lying around the house?….In its book (by Michael Zam), songs (by Jack Lechner and Andy Monroe) and even its direction, the primary objective of “The Kid” is to make the potentially confrontational seem all-embracing and prosaic. From the moment the show begins, with Mr. Sieber walking across and straight off the stage (returning with a cup of coffee), its rhythms are disarmingly those of life as usual.
Except for the sex toys lying around the house.; 5/11/10, 9:30 AM
Fen said...: Another bunch that bug me are the Broadview security ads. Always women in distress who run UPSTAIRS instead of out the door behind them

Or answers the ringing telephone.

"Oh, there's a rapist chasing me and my daughter through the house, but I must stop to take this call..."; 5/11/10, 9:39 AM
former law student said...: Did wonders for me.

Fine, but have you ever stopped some thug attacker?

You can achieve a sense of inner tranquility and quiet mastery from putting holes in targets. But that's not the point of the Armed Citizen column.; 5/11/10, 9:49 AM
Joe said...: P.S. Whenever I post about the partiers here I get smeared; bear in mind that I'm going to sue at least one person who's repeatedly lied about me.

You get laughed at not smeared....your name says it all, you're a "Wacko" who’s "Alone" because no one will follow you. Which would get the ordinary person to thinking, "Mayhap I'm doing something wrong."

But being a CLUELESS Person, and therefore lacking a self-monitoring function you just continue on your course, complaining that no one is capable of fathoming your "brilliance."

I understand that a number of mental facilities are full of such distorted egos as yours.

BTW, you have to show:
1) It's a lie; and
2) That you've been harmed by it.

Good luck with 1) or 2).; 5/11/10, 9:51 AM
Triangle Man said...: Respect the fisheye authoritay!

Ah! Wide lens, wide aperture (I presume), digital camera. I see.; 5/11/10, 9:58 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Fine, but have you ever stopped some thug attacker?

Yes. Just outside the IUN parking lot in Gary IN, 1989. Was accosted by two youts who asked me for money which I promptly refused and tried to leave his attempt to block my path left him on the ground with a broken nose and I'm guessing crushed or possibly severely bruised testicles.

Probably lucky for them I wasn't carrying that day since a broken nose and damaged testes was the least I would have inflicted. I have no use for criminals, petty or otherwise.; 5/11/10, 10:23 AM
former law student said...: Thanks, HD -- that's exactly what I wanted to know.; 5/11/10, 10:29 AM
KCFleming said...: My son beat back a bully who used to choke him every day. The bullying stopped with a punch to the neck.

Most of the martial arts success comes via dissuading miscreants from messing with you in the first place. You shift to their "not worth it" or "higher risk" category because of the training.

You used to be read as "victim", then you're not, or not so much.; 5/11/10, 10:34 AM
Scott M said...: Fine, but have you ever stopped some thug attacker?

Yep. And I didn't even have to draw.

I was coming out of last year's small venue Alice In Chains show (awesomeness embodied) and walking down Delmar to get to my car, roughly 11:30pm or so. Delmar is our "loop" full of cafes, art studios, etc. Usually it's fairly crowded with good weather, but everyone knows that north of Delmar is "bad" while south of Delmar is "good", ie, the student/faculty housing for Washington University. North, on the other hand, is full of section 8 housing and not very friendly. It's become even less so since the light rail came through. I was never on board with the causality idea that crime follows light rail, but then again, I was never almost mugged in Delmar until after they put it in...lol

In any case, I was threading my way through a crowd outside a cafe and a young black dude wearing headphones did a very odd thing. As I was walking by, I noticed he was bouncing to whatever music he was listening to. No biggie. When I got within arm's reach, though, he bounded out with arms wide and then bounced right back...sort of something you'd remember from Breakin' 2. Again, no biggie, if odd.

I rounded the corner, away from crowded Delmar and down the darkly lit streets north of Delmar packed with cars. After 30 feet or so, (don't remember if I glanced or heard) someone following. Again, no biggie, a lot of people park in that block. After a couple of steps, though, it became obvious what was about to happen. It was the same earphone guy and he was walking a bit too fast. I veered off the side walk into wider paved area of street to see if he was following me and veered with me. I simply turned, put my left hand out and reached back around behind my back for the concealed holster. I plainly remember him continuing his speed up toward me when I raised my left hand, but as soon as my right went around behind my back, it was like he was hit from the side by a lightning bolt. He threw himself down, rolled and took off running.

Thank God my state has CC. And thank God this kid was smart enough to know that. The next-to-last thing I want to do is pull and discharge my weapon. The last thing I want is to become a victim.; 5/11/10, 10:39 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Lets just say that despite a black belt in Kempo, real life use isn't a Steven Segal movie. One on one, most accomplished martial artists can handle themselves, two on one is doable but when you're up against multiple opponents it can quickly becomes a furball in which I don't care how skilled you are, you're probably getting the bad end of the deal.

That's because unlike the movies, opponents don't usually wait their turn for an ass kicking and just pile on and once you're on the ground its game over. My incident worked mainly because I didn't hesitate once I was touched and never gave them an opportunity (the second guy just fled) plus I don't think they even expected me to resist. But if you're up against several thugs even Bruce Lee would be going for his nunchuks.; 5/11/10, 11:09 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Also, 9/10ths of self defense is simply being aware of your surroundings and don't be a victim to begin with. There are always exceptions but for the most part, stay away from obvious trouble and it stays away from you. There are plenty of easy self defense techniques, especially for women that don't require a mastery of martial arts but it does require a will to do them. I had an old girlfriend who asked me what to do if grabbed from behind from an attacker. Easy, reach back with one or both hands an rip his ear off (they come off real easy) or jam your thumb or finger in his eye. Her response was that she didnt' think she could do that.

There is a difference between say, a bar brawl and being assaulted on the street. The former is usually just a brawl but the latter is a life or death situation and I tend to err on the side of self preservation.; 5/11/10, 11:16 AM
As my whimsy leads me.. said...: I'm thinking of taking a krav maga class. Has anyone here had any experience with it?

Toy; 5/11/10, 11:21 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I have not ever taken a krav maga class but I have talked to a few people who have and they do like it and enjoy it. I know there is a substantial more emphasis on physical fitness than in a traditional martial arts class (at least from when I attended them back in my yout) and they also focus more on 'real life' self defense encounters. Overall I have heard positive things about them so the key will be finding a course (and instructor) that you are comfortable with.; 5/11/10, 11:31 AM
bagoh20 said...: When I get into it with violent criminals, I simply explain the socioeconomic motivations behind their actions and they usually thank me and we go our separate ways as better people.; 5/11/10, 11:46 AM
Anonymous said...: "Fine, but have you ever stopped some thug attacker?"

Against myself? No. I don't profile well for an attacker. Against others? Couple of times.

A fellow contractor and I were driving around during lunch and I spotted a guy with a headlock on a girl and punching the shit out her face.

I pulled the car up, opened the door and started towards him. Didn't have to even engage. Just the sight of an enraged man made him turn loose and run.

I stayed between them until she made it inside a store.

Usually you don't have to fight, you just have to be willing to.

I've studied many. My recommendation to a starter is Kenpo.; 5/11/10, 11:57 AM
Joe said...: I simply explain the socioeconomic motivations behind their actions and they usually thank me and we go our separate ways as better people.

Now don’t lie….if that’s all you did, you simply exploited your greater knowledge base to perpetuate the EXISTING unequal allocation of resources and simply allowed the “Other” to remain within his/her exploited position!

INSTEAD, surely after explaining the inherent injustice and structural violence in the current megatechnic monopoly finance Capitalist/Imperialist you gave the Dispossessed Other the keys to your car and house, plus the contents of your 401(k), and allowed him/her (which are merely oppressive hetero-normal stereotypes imposed by our Phallocracy) to pummel you repeatedly. It’s the only Just Thing a REAL Progressive would do……; 5/11/10, 12:04 PM
Big Mike said...: Nice to find an oasis from people opining about Kagan.

Oops.

[Ducks head in shame for mentioning the forbidden word.]; 5/11/10, 12:15 PM
Big Mike said...: @whimsy, I'd push for Aikido, if you can find a good dojo, particularly if you are petite. It's a defensive (actually counter-attacking) martial art.

Things I like about Aikido:

(1) Size really doesn't matter -- I've had very petite women throw me all over the mat (and I weighed 275 at the time). Not because they had bulked up but because they could "float" with my attack until the moment came to take away my balance (or, in the case of kote gaish I could decide whether to jump over my arm and fall on my back or break my own wrist).

(2) You learn how to deal with multiple simultaneous attackers -- not Chuck Norris style where you beat the crap out of one attacker while his buddies stand around the wall and watch you, but real attacks from two or three attackers coming from different directions.

(3) You learn how to deal with knife attacks. One Aikido technique leaves the attacker with the choice of dislocating his own shoulder, stabbing himself in the ribs or dropping the knife. That one's nice to know if you ever need it. (You also learn how to deal with sword attacks, and there's a cool move where your attacker is forced to slice upwards through his groin with his own sword in his own hands, but you are, face it, unlikely to ever be attacked by someone with a sword.)

(4) Defense against guns is not part of the traditional instruction, but our sensei did do some work with us on gun defense. The Aikido principles of "get off the line" and "position yourself behind the elbow" are good starting points for not getting hit by bullets.

And finally (5) my sensi used to assure us that he (a yondan, or 4th degree black belt) and other high degree black belt (including a rokudan, or 6th degree black belt) would be willing to testify in court that Aikido is a purely defensive martial art, so if your attacker was crippled or killed it could only be because he was out to cripple or kill you.

I want to build on something Hoosier said just above. In our dojo we did an exercise where a student would stand blindfolded in the middle of the mat while the class circled around as silently as possible. The sensei would nod at one of us and we'd move, again as silently as possible, towards the blindfolded student while the others continued to circle, their noise masking the sound of the "attack." The idea was for the student to sense the "attack" and pivot in the direction of the "attacker" before the the latter could get within arm reach. We Westerners are trained not to believe in the "sixth" sense, but most of us in the class could actually learn how to sense the attack. But how? Ears can't help -- background noise masking a person moving as silently as possible -- and eyes can't help. But you really can learn to sense danger. And that's half of defeating an attacker.; 5/11/10, 12:58 PM
As my whimsy leads me.. said...: Thanks, guys!

Toy; 5/11/10, 1:21 PM
AllenS said...: I have some good advice for women... pepper spray. Don't let a dirty lookin creep even get close to you, and don't put your hands on the dirty fucker. Spray him. In the eyes. If he's choking to death, then, and only then get close enough to kick him in the nuts.; 5/11/10, 1:23 PM
Shanna said...: When I get into it with violent criminals, I simply explain the socioeconomic motivations behind their actions and they usually thank me and we go our separate ways as better people.

Heh.

I have never been attacked, but I have had two experiences where I was pretty worried. One time, the guy trying to break in was scared away by my rather large dog, the other a van following me around (not sure how serious he was) gave up after I kept running to different sides of the street. I have a gun, but thankfully have never had occasion to use it. And yes, those commercials for security systems are ridiculous (but somehow effective!).; 5/11/10, 2:04 PM