Althouse: In the Groggy Autumn Afternoon Café...

October 11, 2010

In the Groggy Autumn Afternoon Café...

... the goldenrod is way past gold.

42 comments:

ndspinelli said...: Thank God..can I stop taking Zyrtec? The Golden Rod was awful in NM last week.; 10/11/10, 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...: If you are in a law firm office, and you are introduced to a female who is wearing a suit, carrying a legal pad, and apparently working on your legal case, please,

Do NOT ask her if she is a paralegal.

Oy. I'm not one of those types of women, but that can really grate, you know?; 10/11/10, 3:49 PM
Irene said...: Haha, lyssa.

And don't ask her to carry your "litigation briefcase" to client meetings. (Especially if you are a transactional lawyer.)

Get a wheely bag.; 10/11/10, 3:52 PM
traditionalguy said...: Lyssa...LOL. Us old guys figure that the paralegals and the receptionist are hired for their superior beauty. Maybe you can wear a black robe. No, no, just be glad that you are respected enough to be given important work. The clients will then do your bragging for you.; 10/11/10, 3:58 PM
Meade said...: ndspinelli: Sure it wasn't Ragweed? Goldenrod often gets wrongly maligned for causing allergic reactions.; 10/11/10, 4:01 PM
Jason said...: Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
--Robert Frost; 10/11/10, 4:02 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @Lyssa Years ago, the lady lawyers manifested their status by wearing hats.; 10/11/10, 4:03 PM
Unknown said...: The Blonde always knows if I'm a little steamed at her because that's the only time I ever call her, "Goldenrod", but, even so, she's always golden.; 10/11/10, 4:04 PM
MadisonMan said...: Do NOT ask her if she is a paralegal.

What would happen if you replied Why do you ask?; 10/11/10, 4:05 PM
chickelit said...: Fetch me some grog...
...it's drink like a pirate day.; 10/11/10, 4:05 PM
Unknown said...: PS Anybody know anything that will help cure mouth sores? The upper The Blonde had put in is rubbing her gum (she goes to the dentist tomorrow) and she's looking for something which will help do something other than numb the area - which really doesn't help.; 10/11/10, 4:07 PM
kristinintexas said...: edutcher, I've heard something about rubbing on Maalox...? Never tried it though.; 10/11/10, 4:10 PM
Meade said...: El Pollo: If you are in your law firm office, do NOT ask a female wearing a suit, carrying a legal pad, and wearing hats to "fetch you some grog." Even if you ARE wearing your snazziest hook and eye patch.; 10/11/10, 4:10 PM
chickelit said...: Even if you ARE wearing your snazziest hook and eye patch.

It's the pegleg they fawn over.; 10/11/10, 4:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Years ago, the lady lawyers manifested their status by wearing hats.

El Pollo: If you are in your law firm office, do NOT ask a female wearing a suit, carrying a legal pad, and wearing hats to "fetch you some grog."

Maybe I should get me a pirate hat? That at least shows some kind of status (although it might not be the kind I'm going for).

Do NOT ask her if she is a paralegal.

What would happen if you replied Why do you ask?

I'd be extremely proud of myself for being more quick-witted than I've ever been when put on the spot like that!; 10/11/10, 4:17 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Oh, that was a pegleg? I thought it was...oh well, never mind.; 10/11/10, 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...: edutcher, I've found swishing peroxide helps a lot- most of mine heal up overnight after that (be they irritation or just plain canker sores). Plus, it's supposed to whiten your teeth, though I've not noticed that so much.

It foams up and tastes pretty gross, so I recommend doing it just before brushing teeth.; 10/11/10, 4:19 PM
Meade said...: "Maybe I should get me a pirate hat?"

lyssa: Stay on her goodside... she might be willing to loan you her full outfit.; 10/11/10, 4:24 PM
Anonymous said...: "...but that can really grate, you know?"

Yeah, but don't you just love people of high position and standing that don't have the need (neediness) to be known or recognized as such, and aren't offended when assumed lower?

I remember way back when I was a kid, my church congregation was in a very wealthy neighborhood outside of NYC in Short Hills, New Jersey.

Among our congregants were CEOs, EVPs, senior counsels, and board chairmen. To raise money for our annual church budget we'd do the inventory at a home depot type store. (This was before bar codes.)

I remember seeing the Chairman and CEO of Nabisco in his flannel shirt counting nails, and the store employee ordering him to count the hinges next.

The store employee had no idea that he was ordering around the CEO of Nabisco or the General Counsel of AT&T or the Controller of Dunn and Bradstreet, who were quietly and helpfully there to count inventory and help support the congregation.

Their example of graciousness has stuck with me.; 10/11/10, 4:26 PM
MadisonMan said...: I find that asking Why do you ask? is a great way to collect your thoughts and put the other person on defense. Win win!

Are you pregnant? Why do you ask?

Is that your car parked illegally out front? Why do you ask?

Would you like paper or plastic?

Why do you ask? Well, maybe not so good in that case.; 10/11/10, 4:27 PM
Meade said...: Do you swear to tell the truth? The whole truth? And nothing but the truth?

Why do you ask?; 10/11/10, 4:30 PM
garage mahal said...: PS Anybody know anything that will help cure mouth sores?

goldenrod!; 10/11/10, 4:35 PM
traditionalguy said...: Edutcher...Lyssa, the lovely not-a-paralegal, reccomended peroxide. Another form of that for topical oral application is called Gly-Oxide, and it works well against gum infections.; 10/11/10, 4:35 PM
Unknown said...: Lyssa and tg, peroxide's The Blonde's choice. Didn't know about Gly-Oxide, tg, but I'll check it out.

KristininTX, Maalox is mine, especially if you have extra acidity in your mouth (I used to have a lot of problems with little ulcers when I was younger) or generally.

Thanks, guys.

Meade said...

"Maybe I should get me a pirate hat?"

lyssa: Stay on her goodside... she might be willing to loan you her full outfit.

In the immortal words of Anne Bonney, "Don't touch my chest and keep your hands off my booty".; 10/11/10, 4:53 PM
chickelit said...: Keeping with the professorial pirate theme: link; 10/11/10, 4:57 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Pirates, paralegals and lady lawyers. Bleh.

Joan Sutherland has died. The world is in mourning, or at least the better part, no doubt including Qualye's Short Hills congregation, is.; 10/11/10, 5:07 PM
Palladian said...: "Do you, John Doe, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Why do you ask?"; 10/11/10, 5:09 PM
Irene said...: Richard Dolan, how sad!

I learned to love opera by listening to her (and Leontyne Price).; 10/11/10, 5:23 PM
Trooper York said...: This guy I grew up with has been upstate for quite a few years.

Once a week he has a visit from a very attractive young woman wearing a suit and carrying a legal pad and apparantly working on his legal case.

She is not a lawyer. She is not a para-legal.

Just sayn'; 10/11/10, 5:24 PM
rhhardin said...: Looking for something to spray; 10/11/10, 5:28 PM
The Dude said...: What a shame about Joan Sutherland - what a remarkable talent, what a great voice. Give me chills listening to her. She had a great and long career, so at least there is that, and lots of recordings of her wonderful bel canto. Rest in peace, Ms. Sutherland, you gave us all a great gift.; 10/11/10, 5:32 PM
Trooper York said...: Oil of cloves edutcher.

Works every time.; 10/11/10, 5:34 PM
Irene said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/11/10, 5:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Yeah, but don't you just love people of high position and standing that don't have the need (neediness) to be known or recognized as such, and aren't offended when assumed lower?

Yes, Quayle, it would be wonderful if I were there now, and I plan to be some day. But I'm still working at it. I worked hard to get to where I am, and I present myself in a professional manner. My (male) partner has never been mistaken for a paralegal.

The people you described were at the tops of their careers. I've worked hard, but I'm still a long way from the top. Part of getting there requires getting the appropriate recognition in a professional context. I'm sure that these men who humbled themselves for church charities still expected and received recognition of their status at their own companies.; 10/11/10, 5:35 PM
Irene said...: Sutherland's mad scene in Lucia.; 10/11/10, 5:36 PM
Trooper York said...: Hey if the Professor likes to wear a pirate hat than we need a tag for Althouse is like Bush!; 10/11/10, 5:41 PM
rhhardin said...: Ragweed and goldenrod bloom at the same time. Everybody notices the goldenrod.; 10/11/10, 5:42 PM
Deb said...: Orajel is good for mouth sores.; 10/11/10, 5:43 PM
Peter Hoh said...: JAC's comments about Andrew Sullivan got turned into a roast/toast post on the Daily Dish.; 10/11/10, 5:47 PM
Unknown said...: garage mahal said...

PS Anybody know anything that will help cure mouth sores?

goldenrod!

Didn't see your post earlier. I can imagine the reaction when I told her.

Deb said...

Orajel is good for mouth sores.

Apparently it only numbs and doesn't help the healing. She got something generic, but identical in content. That's why I asked the Assembled Althouse Multitude.

But thanks anyway.

Trooper York said...

Oil of cloves edutcher.

Thank you, sir. I'll pass it along. Her family is into home remedies so this might be something with which she has some experience.; 10/11/10, 6:16 PM
Robineus said...: I used to get canker sores until I started taking L-Lysine every morning with my vitamins. No more.; 10/12/10, 7:45 AM
ndspinelli said...: To Meade and others, thanks for the tutorial on ragweed v goldenrod. I thought they were one in the same. The things we learn on this blog!; 10/12/10, 8:36 AM