Althouse: At the Autumn Forest Café...

October 27, 2010

At the Autumn Forest Café...

... you can lean in any direction you want.

37 comments:

Meade said...: Even forward?; 10/27/10, 9:00 PM
Anonymous said...: I suggest the GOP walk backwards. The Democrats will win the House (224+) and the Senate (54+).

If you want to explore options for after Nov. 2012 (Nov. 2010 is already over) then I would be happy to arrange a political therapy session. I charge a lot, as my candidates (always Democrats) win. You will see that Reid will win. You will Boxer will win. You will see Alexi win. You will see Murray win. You will see Feingold win.

My candidates always win. Always. I have 100% record.; 10/27/10, 9:03 PM
traditionalguy said...: I lean to playing mountain golf again among the few leaves that are left. It is going to be 68f and sunny this weekend. Did that windy day strip your trees of the leaves left in Wisconsin?; 10/27/10, 9:04 PM
Meade said...: pmsnbc; 10/27/10, 9:06 PM
Irene said...: "Declaration of Forward"?!!?

Eewie.; 10/27/10, 9:10 PM
traditionalguy said...: Meade: Your life of bicycling has gone to your head. Leaning forward is not all there is in life. Walking around is also an option...chasing a small white ball.; 10/27/10, 9:12 PM
Meade said...: America's Politico: Here's one of your Democrats you might want to put a little of your magic therapy on pro bono:

Karl Kissner, the restaurant’s owner, may represent a more vocal and influential attitude in Defiance. He calls himself a Democrat but says he did not vote for Mr. Obama, and his opposition to the administration has deepened.

The health care bill, Mr. Kissner said, caused a breach with the public. The president’s stimulus plan, he said, “created a false bottom” to the recession, making it hard to plan and invest.

Mr. Kissner said he was “up in the air” about his vote for governor. But for the Senate this year, he will definitely vote for Rob Portman, the Republican.; 10/27/10, 9:14 PM
Unknown said...: The Blonde was told today she broke her foot because her bone density was low due to a parathyroid operation she had several years ago. At the time of the surgery, she was warned something like that might happen.

Damn, I would like the woman to catch a break sometime this year.

Irene said...

"Declaration of Forward"?!!?

Notice how, when the Lefties talk about forward (including "fighting smarter" in the boilerplate), it usually is contingent on pitting Americans against each other?; 10/27/10, 9:19 PM
1775OGG said...: @America's Politico: Life is good. But you and your politics suck!

Have a good day!

Cheers.; 10/27/10, 9:19 PM
Irene said...: Speaking of politics and magic: there's another bewitching political ad. Haha!

I apologize if someone else already linked to this in the stomping thread.

(PS edutcher: best--as always--to the Blonde from me and Mr. Irene.); 10/27/10, 9:23 PM
Meade said...: tradguy: Lean on me,
when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For
it won't be long
'til I too am gonna need
Somebody to caddy for me; 10/27/10, 9:24 PM
Meade said...: edutcher: Ditto Irene's best wishes.; 10/27/10, 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Prof. Meade, I expect that Karl K. is playing. The OH Senate Race is for GOP. (We have to give at least one to them.) The question is what will GOP do in CA, WA, IL, NV, and WI. These all are victories for the Democrats.

I am telling you, the election day is already over (as I am use a high-end simulation after each evening polling).

The race is over. The game is a foot. GOP can hire me for political therapy for options to prepare for 2016.

Nov. 2010: You cannot win. Why not just vote for us? Be a winner.

Nov. 2012: Don't make me laugh. We will bury Palin/Romney/Huckabee/Daniels/Jindal, etc. No one can touch the Obama-Biden ticket. No one.

Nov. 2016. Here is your only change. But, you will need to sign up. Hurry. Slots are going away...; 10/27/10, 9:31 PM
traditionalguy said...: Meade...You are a good man. Can we clone you? And It is on tonight in the 2012 Games; Karl Rove is dissing Palin big time for her appearing in a Discovery Channel series on wild Alaska. Rove says confidently that a woman with a family has no presence necessary to meet American's high standards for a President. What a slimy toad creep Rove is. But neither Rove, nor Bush Jr has ever gone up against a Reagan Conservative like Palin who also connects with the voters like Reagan did through TV. He is in for a big fail. Come to think of it so did the elder Bush who also ran against a stupid, uneducated actor named Reagan, that Bush hated, but had to surrender to in 1980. Stay tuned.; 10/27/10, 9:54 PM
Martin L. Shoemaker said...: ... you can lean in any direction you want.

Not this week! This week, the trees were all leaning east-northeast, by what seemed like nearly 30 degrees! Honestly, if I had seen a big hay bale rolling across from Wisconsin, it wouldn't have surprised me.

I'm signed up for NOAA weather alert text messages for my zip code. We've had 24 of them in the past two days, all high wind warnings and tornado warnings (except for the lovely warning I just got about icy precipitation).; 10/27/10, 9:57 PM
Unknown said...: Irene said...

Speaking of politics and magic: there's another bewitching political ad. Haha!

That is a good one. Cute and pertinent.

PS Thanks to the Irenes and Meade.; 10/27/10, 10:00 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Video seen on TokyoMango, hosted on YouTube.

TV crew pranks three little kids into believing their home will be invaded by a zombie. Lisa Katayama (owner of TokyoMango) loves the way Japanese people are willing to play pranks on little kids that empower them to be stronger and more imaginative. She notes the zombie writes them a letter to inform them he's coming over and he takes off his shoes before entering their home. Her favorite part, and mine too, is the boy who chides the reporter for saying discouraging things and not helping them. Their weapons? tobacco sauce, plastic wrap, toy dinosaur.; 10/27/10, 10:49 PM
jungatheart said...: Too cute, Chip.

I saw clips of a Japanese game show once, the whole point of which was to sneak into people's bedrooms while they slept and wake them up by scaring the wits out of them by yelling, etc.; 10/27/10, 11:36 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Has been exactly one month since my Dad died. I was with him nearly every minute in his last three days. The doctor said he had two months, but I knew it would be days, and it was.

Have you ever watched someone die? It doesn't go how you might think.

If you may find yourself keeping company with a dying person, you should read up on how it goes. Hospice booklets are the most informative.

There are some things they don't tell you though. Did you know that on a very thin person, you might see chest movement (heartbeats, I assume) after that last breath? It's all very odd. Someone has to call it, but you don't really know the exact moment when it's over.

Sometimes in the days after when people describe the person who died, you'll wonder who the hell they're talking about because they're not describing the person you knew.

It's also amazing how death ramps up the contrast between people. The presence of death either focuses people or makes them fall apart. Some people it just stuns with disbelief. My Dad was a focus person. Some around him were the same. Some weren't.

Alright, I'm done.; 10/27/10, 11:48 PM
Martin L. Shoemaker said...: Freeman,

I'm so sorry to hear that. Hard as they were, I hope those three days gave you a good chance to say goodbye.; 10/27/10, 11:56 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Thanks. Yes, we had plenty of time. I saw it coming long long before. There was nothing left unexpressed between us.

Wow, I made this thread a real downer.

Okay.

Chocolate chip cookies. Puppies. What else do people like and find heart-warming? Eddie Murphy Raw. Who doesn't like that? He's funny.; 10/28/10, 12:01 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Today's "God Bless America" video.; 10/28/10, 12:07 AM
Martin L. Shoemaker said...: Eddie Murphy... Now that's sad. To watch a truly funny man get neutered and Disneyfied...

I once saw the "after effects" after one of our horses was gelded, all strewn out across the grass. I had sympathy pangs for days.

Last month, I accidentally caught a bit of "Haunted Mansion". Those sympathy pangs came back.; 10/28/10, 12:16 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Freeman, I posted that silly video link before reading the thread.

Sorry about your loss. My wife's dad died 4 months ago. My wife stayed with him every other night for 2 months, from when he entered hospice until he died. I was there a few times each week, and then daily for the last week or two.

I guess he was what you'd call a focus guy, too. While he still had some energy, my wife was able to help him write some things he wanted written down. I was able to coax a few stories from him, too.

We had a little family memorial service last week on his birthday. There are constant reminders of things he would have enjoyed doing, events he would have attended, etc.

We carry on, of course, but we miss him.

You and yours will be in my thoughts and prayers.; 10/28/10, 1:05 AM
MamaM said...: @ peter hoh...I was hoping for something like fireworks with flying seeds and splatter. I was not expecting containment in a car bowl

@ freemanhunt...real is different than downer.; 10/28/10, 1:37 AM
Clyde said...: Does anyone else besides me see San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum on the mound and have his long, straight hair remind you of a beagle's long floppy ears? For me, that was reinforced during the first couple of innings of last night's game by his hangdog look when he fell behind early in the game.

And Vlady Guerrero showed why he's an AL DH and not an NL outfielder these days. He was positively brutal in right field last night.

And Freeman, I'm sorry for your and your family's untimely loss. "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Sometimes the leaves fall early, though.; 10/28/10, 4:24 AM
Unknown said...: Freeman, my sympathies, as well. He's in a better place now.

The Blonde's mom lived with us for three years before she died very quietly of Alzheimer's and, yes, it happens just the way you point out.; 10/28/10, 5:45 AM
traditionalguy said...: Freeman...You were the reason he lived and your children will be the same for you. Stay close to safe friends in the weeks ahead, and lean on them. I have seen the strong ones staying strong for the weak ones and forget that they need to mourn the loss just as much. We love you.; 10/28/10, 7:42 AM
Deborah M. said...: Freeman - my brothers and I sat with my mother as she died. It is not what you expect. It took several hours for her to stop breathing. She was hooked up to a heart monitor and after she took her last breath, her heart beat furiously, a last grasp at life, perhaps? After several heartbreaking years of extreme anxiety, frustrating confusion, and depression due to Alzheimer's Disease, it was comforting to see her still and peaceful. This is why I have no sense of humor about Alzheimer's. Too many family members have succumbed.

My sympathies to you and your family for your loss. I believe the soul survives physical death. Your father will always be with you.

Take care.
Deborah; 10/28/10, 7:51 AM
kjbe said...: Freeman, sorry for your loss. My only experience was sitting with my husband's aunt, as she died. I was not sure what to expect, but had the same experience as you.

As CS Lewis, said, “You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” I, too, believe the soul survives.

Best, to you and yours.; 10/28/10, 9:01 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: Unlike Ann Althouse, the Lousiville Kentucky Courier Journal does not make excuses for political thuggery when people have political disagreements.

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/27/v-print/1496771/thuggish-behavior-stains-kentucky.html

Thuggish behavior stains Kentucky

The ugliness outside a U.S. Senate debate in Lexington Monday night was not a mere act of incivility. It was a violent assault.

It was the kind of thuggish intimidation you expect against a political protestor in Tehran today or a civil-rights marcher in Birmingham in 1963. It has no place in an American election today or ever.

Rand Paul supporters knocked down an anti-Paul activist who was trying to get her picture taken with Paul as he and Attorney General Jack Conway arrived at KET for their last debate.

A man identified as a Paul campaign volunteer from Bourbon County used his foot to push the woman's head into the concrete. Video of the assault is being watched around the world.

The Paul campaign condemned the attack, disassociated itself from the volunteer who stomped the woman's head and called on activists "on both sides" to avoid "physical altercations of any kind."

The problem with the Paul statement is that only one side, his side, resorted to violence.

We keep hearing this is the year of the angry voter. But what motivates people to physically assault a woman who's carrying a political sign they don't like?

Certainly not respect for the Constitution, which enshrines the right of all citizens to express their opinions without fear. Not a belief in the rule of law. Not common decency.

Some members of Paul's Tea Party issue paranoid warnings that President Barack Obama and Democrats are totalitarians out to impose Marxist control over our country.

But look which side produced the goon squad.; 10/28/10, 11:22 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: Unlike Ann Althouse, the Lousiville Kentucky Courier Journal does not make excuses for political thuggery when people have political disagreements.

Thuggish behavior stains Kentucky

The ugliness outside a U.S. Senate debate in Lexington Monday night was not a mere act of incivility. It was a violent assault.

It was the kind of thuggish intimidation you expect against a political protestor in Tehran today or a civil-rights marcher in Birmingham in 1963. It has no place in an American election today or ever.

Rand Paul supporters knocked down an anti-Paul activist who was trying to get her picture taken with Paul as he and Attorney General Jack Conway arrived at KET for their last debate.

A man identified as a Paul campaign volunteer from Bourbon County used his foot to push the woman's head into the concrete. Video of the assault is being watched around the world.

The Paul campaign condemned the attack, disassociated itself from the volunteer who stomped the woman's head and called on activists "on both sides" to avoid "physical altercations of any kind."

The problem with the Paul statement is that only one side, his side, resorted to violence.

We keep hearing this is the year of the angry voter. But what motivates people to physically assault a woman who's carrying a political sign they don't like?

Certainly not respect for the Constitution, which enshrines the right of all citizens to express their opinions without fear. Not a belief in the rule of law. Not common decency.

Some members of Paul's Tea Party issue paranoid warnings that President Barack Obama and Democrats are totalitarians out to impose Marxist control over our country.

But look which side produced the goon squad.; 10/28/10, 11:23 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: Link:

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/27/v-print/1496771/thuggish-behavior-stains-kentucky.html; 10/28/10, 11:23 AM
jungatheart said...: Freeman, it sounds like you and your dad were very lucky to have each other.; 10/28/10, 12:17 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Alpha, most of the rest of us have watched the actual video by now, so that dishonest spin won't fly.

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts re: my Dad.; 10/28/10, 12:44 PM
1775OGG said...: Alpha: Get a life. Moveon's Lauren Valle puts on a blond wig, charges up to Rand Paul's vehicle, tries to shove something through the window, gets rebuffed, charges around the back of the vehicle, ala Squeaky Fromm, calling out something unintelligible and gets swarmed on and finally Tim Profitt uses his foot to help hold her down. Profitt acted poorly and his actions should be reviewed by the police to see if he should be charged.

However, Ms Valle's Squeaky Fromm interpretation was wrong. Moveon's "RepublicCorp" effort is idiotic as is it's ridiculous video.

Actually, Valle seems to be a good likeness to Ms S. Fromm, so maybe she's the Moveon replacement in training for that position? Good be!

Cheers, everyone else but Alpha, who needs to get a life and know some facts.; 10/28/10, 12:49 PM
1775OGG said...: Freeman: Yes, you did well helping your Dad during that difficult time. I'm in waiting now myself, and hoping to stretch that out for 15-years or so, to take a walk with my oldest son and his grandparents. I believe our relatives and friends are waiting for us to come and rejoice.

Cheers.; 10/28/10, 12:55 PM