Althouse: "She remembered sunbathing topless on her balcony in the 1980s. 'It’s inconceivable now,' she said."

August 15, 2011

"She remembered sunbathing topless on her balcony in the 1980s. 'It’s inconceivable now,' she said."

"'Now my next-door neighbor doesn’t even greet me in the hallway, he can’t look at me, and it’s been 28 years'... Then she laughed bitterly. 'He doesn’t work; I work. I work all shifts. I pay taxes. I work for them!"

Them.

64 comments:

TWM said...: "Them who shall not be named."; 8/15/11, 9:11 PM
AlphaLiberal said...: No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo? I think it's intentional. To say otherwise calls her intelligence into question.; 8/15/11, 9:11 PM
Michael Haz said...: Sorta like trying to live in Madison as an out-of-the closet conservative. Not an easy thing.; 8/15/11, 9:12 PM
Paddy O said...: European guilt for centuries of exploitative colonialism seems to have been addressed by letting their own countries be colonized. Eye for an eye, cultural imposition for cultural imposition.

Now, it seems there's a building of much of the same reaction against persistent seemingly exploitative colonization.

Maybe Europe is beginning to feel like it has paid its penance for its sins.; 8/15/11, 9:12 PM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/15/11, 9:13 PM
Sal said...: That's funny. Alfalfa Liberal finally finds something he's interested in.; 8/15/11, 9:14 PM
Irene said...: Oh gosh, I though this would be a post about, " Nothing to Heidi behind: Supermodel Ms Klum dares to bare and goes topless on family holiday in Sardinia ." (NSFW); 8/15/11, 9:16 PM
Paddy O said...: AL, of course it's intentional. How else does one eat a corn dog?

Do you use a knife and fork?

As far as I can tell, this is the story: "Michelle Bachmann eats a corn dog in the same fashion that everyone else does! Some bloggers snicker!"

You want Ann to comment on this story?; 8/15/11, 9:17 PM
chickelit said...: @AlphaLiberal: That's funny, I figure you for the kind who gets more excited about a corndog in Marcus Bachmann's mouth.; 8/15/11, 9:19 PM
Wince said...: "Them"

Us and them

Us and them
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me, and you
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
and the General sat, and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side

Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up and Down
And in the end it's only round and round and round
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried
Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside

Down and Out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
With, without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died; 8/15/11, 9:21 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Embrace diversity.; 8/15/11, 9:24 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: From the NYT article: Mr. Wilders’ Freedom Party, which combines racist language with calls for more social spending, won 15.5 percent of the vote in June 2010.

After calling Geert Wilders a racist, the NYT proceeds:

He declined repeated interview requests.

No shit!

I guess you don't read Sailer, Althouse, because you haven't commented on this bit of PC nonsense... a British reporter refuses to accept the "stereotypical" response of an observer of the riots. He keeps insisting that the rioters he saw were all blacks.

Response not allowed, according to the reporter.; 8/15/11, 9:25 PM
chickelit said...: The titular topic of Althouse's post is intriguing. The Dutch and Germans have always been less uptight about topless sunbathing. The Scandinavians too. I'm not sure if the "Catholic" countries were as well.

Certaining there was less public inhibition about nudity in those countries long before the Pill revolutionized heterosexuality.; 8/15/11, 9:26 PM
traditionalguy said...: Alpha thinks Michelle is being submissive to a corn dog.

Thanks for sharing Alpha.; 8/15/11, 9:26 PM
ricpic said...: The Dutch have problems with their identity. The Dutch are racist. The Dutch are intolerant. The Dutch feel irrationally threatened. And the muzzies? Why they're sweetness and light and nothing but. Thus the multiculti horror through the ruling class NY Times lens.; 8/15/11, 9:27 PM
edutcher said...: They thought they could import an underclass of peons to do their menial work and figured they would know their place and stay in it.

Somehow, Libertarians notwithstanding, the moral climate of sunbathing topless on the balcony had no problem with it.

AlphaLiberal said...

No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo? I think it's intentional. To say otherwise calls her intelligence into question.

Somebody tell him that was so Saturday.

PS I do believe I detect a theme this evening.; 8/15/11, 9:31 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo? I think it's intentional. To say otherwise calls her intelligence into question."

Check old posts. It's been covered.; 8/15/11, 9:33 PM
Sal said...: I'm really glad the US gets the bulk of its immigrants from Latin America instead of Turkey and North Africa.; 8/15/11, 9:34 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Please read the linked article. It's a serious subject. Kind of annoying that AL hijacked this thread, especially to call attention to a story we've already done.; 8/15/11, 9:34 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: There goes the neighborhood.; 8/15/11, 9:38 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: In some bizarre, fucked up way, the NYT is trying to blame Geert Wilders for the murders committed by Andreas Brevik in Norway.

How they rationalize this out is anybody's guess.

And, the NYT works itself up over the possible harm to Muslims.

Brevik didn't kill any Muslims. He killed fellow Norwegians.; 8/15/11, 9:41 PM
Alex said...: Ann Althouse - you should know by now it's a deliberate tactic by Alinsky operatives to disrupt every single thread here.; 8/15/11, 9:43 PM
Alex said...: ST - liberalism is a mental disorder. They're jsut batshit fucking insane. Don't try to understand them.; 8/15/11, 9:43 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: Them? It is who we work for too. All of them who do not work because the government dole pays better. All of those who go to school for free on the government dole and grants and all kinds of other nonsense.

All the Alpha Liberals in the world who use their so called education to debate the proper way to eat a crusted wiener. Not that there's anything wrong with that.; 8/15/11, 9:44 PM
William said...: I admire the deft way that the reporter equates the madman Norwegian murderer with Wilders' movement. Expect more of this in the future. Why is it that there is always an effort to divorce Muslim mass murderers from their religion and to portray madmen like Loughner and that Norwegian as the final flowering of conservative and/or Christian values......Just as a matter of realpolitick it is more incumbent on immigrants to adapt the customs of the host country than for the hosts to display tolerance of the immigrants. The European immigrants to this country were roundly mocked for their funny ways and strange accents. Up until recent times the children of immigrants made a real effort to be just like everyone else, i.e. to assimilate. And good thing too. It can be argued that American mass culture is dreck, but you should see the crap that permeated the culture and values of 19th century Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants. Good riddance. I agree that Dutch culture what with all those wooden shoes and aggressive dykes is not much fun. However, the immigrants should accept that, by definition, it is a better place than the one they left. Why else would they leave? It is their duty to adjust to the Dutch, not vice versa.; 8/15/11, 9:50 PM
traditionalguy said...: The Dutch are the most like Americans that you will find in Europe.

They are fair and have always politely accepted people for what they are.

The accepted the Pilgrims from England who were religious fanatics, until the Pilgrims decided to leave because the Dutch were so nice and attractive that their kids wanted to become Dutch.

So the young Pilgrims went out into the middle of nowhere and nearly starved to death to keep their Faith in God.

If The Dutch are having trouble with the Muslims, it is because of the Muslim Jihad trick intent on conquest of the infidels all over the earth.

Guilt is a false issue where the Dutch are concerned.; 8/15/11, 9:53 PM
chickelit said...: For years and years native Dutch birthrates stagnated (as they did everywhere in Europe). This created a vacuum for people which the Muslims gladly filled a generation or two later.

Generous welfare benefits and allowances couldn't induce the traditional Dutch to sufficiently repopulate, but there were other groups which responded to such incentives.

Nowadays, one angle the nation is trying is to lavish generous childcare and parental leaves to couples in the higher paid traditional professions and careers. People in more menial jobs are just not eligible because these benefits are bestowed by still extant evil corporations.; 8/15/11, 9:55 PM
KCFleming said...: In which the slumbering lumbering Western giant awakens in great uneasiness, astonished to discover itself bound by the many ropes of multiculturalism, enslaved by it's new master.; 8/15/11, 9:57 PM
KCFleming said...: In which he is renamed 'Al-fluffer Liberal'.; 8/15/11, 10:02 PM
KCFleming said...: NTTAWWT.; 8/15/11, 10:03 PM
Quaestor said...: Today in the Kingdom of the Netherlands you either work for them! or for Them!

I for one welcome our new insect overlords.

wv: pinimpin - when pinheads try to run a stable of ho's.; 8/15/11, 10:12 PM
Quaestor said...: link fixed:

them!; 8/15/11, 10:15 PM
Tim said...: "Willem Stuyter, nursing a beer, broke in. “It’s already too late,” he said. “In 10 years this will be a Muslim state.”

Indeed. Multiculturalism without assimilation, or Dutch identity.

Pick one.; 8/15/11, 10:25 PM
Revenant said...: Mr. Wilders’ Freedom Party, which combines racist language with calls for more social spending

So they're the Dutch equivalent of the Democratic Party, then?; 8/15/11, 10:27 PM
Phil 314 said...: Those who hate Muslims will kill us and

those Muslims who hate us will kill us.

Who are the people in the middle supposed to kill?; 8/15/11, 10:27 PM
Revenant said...: No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo?

I would say she needs to work on suppressing her gag reflex.; 8/15/11, 10:28 PM
Titus said...: FYI, Amsterdam, the city of gay vacations, is no longer.

After The Washington Blade editor got this shit beat out of him by Muzzies, natch, gays have stayed away.

And yes, it is a fascinating article.

Amsterdam gays are leaving the city in droves. The once "openly gay" city is now a Muzzie haven.

I went there two years ago and was shocked. I was there 10 years ago and the city looked totally different. You can't swing a cat without hitting some bearded thing wearing a dress-and I am not talking about the sisters of perpetual indulgence. I am talking gay hating Muzzies that want to chop my head off.

No thanks.

Also, as a FYI it all about Rio as far as the gay international traveler. And, Berlin.

At least in India they stay in their slums and don't mix the rest of the population.

One of those guys that were murdered and were considered "right wing" was also very very gay. God Rest Her Soul.; 8/15/11, 10:35 PM
Titus said...: What are these European Countries immigration policies like?

As an American it is next to impossible to immigrant to these countries unless your company has an office there and you have a job that is considered in high demand and your company does all the visa paperwork.

So what is the policy for Muzzies? Your country of origin sucks so come on in?; 8/15/11, 10:42 PM
Cedarford said...: Why is it that there is always an effort to divorce Muslim mass murderers from their religion and to portray madmen like Loughner and that Norwegian as the final flowering of conservative and/or Christian values...
=======================
All too quickly we dismiss acts of war or political violence as "acts of madman" done without rhyme or reason. Our brainless therapeautic culture. Makes it easier for the Yahoos on the left or right not have to think. State "Madman!!! Thats all you need to know!!" and you are off the hook in examining motive, or having to admit that what was done does have an intelligence and logic to it if you see the actions do advance the perps goals.

Loughner was an exception - evidently a true madman. He was neither conservative nor Christian though (atheist child of an atheist ethnic jewish mom).
But KSM, bin Laden, Major Nidal Hasan, Saddam, Mao, Breivik - "madmen???". Hardly. You may see some "illness" in them, legitimately, but what they did for the most part was cold, logical stuff to advance their beliefs through violence.; 8/15/11, 10:53 PM
Eric said...: Please read the linked article. It's a serious subject. Kind of annoying that AL hijacked this thread, especially to call attention to a story we've already done.

It's not his fault he's a slow reader.; 8/15/11, 10:59 PM
David said...: Since my wife's father was Dutch as is her still living stepmom, we have lots of Dutch relatives and they are anything but racist or right wing. Several are gay. Some are of mixed race (Dutch and Indonesian). They are well educated, multi lingual and thoroughly "European." Most have travelled widely. They are nevertheless concerned about the impact of non-assimalative immigration on the culture of their small nation.

The Times article is ridiculous. It makes all sort of unsupported assertions about the sources and "racist" nature of the concerns. There is such a thing as persecution by the minority, and that is a matter for serious examination, not some PC article.; 8/15/11, 11:04 PM
Cedarford said...: chickenlittle said...
For years and years native Dutch birthrates stagnated (as they did everywhere in Europe). This created a vacuum for people which the Muslims gladly filled a generation or two later.

======================
The blame cannot be on the people that had smaller families and stabilized population to the resources and jobs - all without war or famine correcting overpopulation.
It is not true that if you don't have willingness to breed 12 children you give up your culture and control of your nation to fast breeding Muslims or Africans - automatically.

Many nation with low birthrates like Japan, China, Chile - just refuse to let blacks and Islamoids in to wreck their way of life.

It is amusing that so many of the advocates of MultiKulti - Swedes, French Jewish Intellectuals, progressive gays - now see themselves or their children hunted down in their native lands by the "blessings of diversity".

The NY Times Sulzbergers may have a change of heart about Open Borders and diversity when Jews in Manhattan are chased down like they are in Marseilles, Rotterdam, Malmo, Gothenburg - on sight.

Hoist on their own anti-West MultiKulti petard.; 8/15/11, 11:06 PM
Tim said...: More to the point, Western Liberals have a critical failing for seeing, and calling things for what they are.

We screen everyone at airports because 87 year old Methodist grandma's from Peoria are easily confused for Muslim males between the ages of 18-40 we don't screen alone for fear of "profiling";

We have failing public schools in the inner cities because the teacher unions aren't paid enough to correct the fatally fractured "families" destroyed by LBJ's 'Great Society" welfare programs they promoted;

We have failing government finances because our high taxes aren't high enough to sustain the debt incurred by short-sighted, dependency-building, vote buying middle-class entitlement programs and unfunded public employee pensions they promote;

We have a failing president because white liberals and swing voters mistook a law-school degree and an uncommon ability to imbue trite platitudes with deep meaning as experience and qualifications for the highest office they gave him.

Yet, despite these consistent, chronic failings, they persist in believing only they have the answers.; 8/15/11, 11:12 PM
chickelit said...: Cedarford wrote It is not true that if you don't have willingness to breed 12 children you give up your culture and control of your nation to fast breeding Muslims or Africans - automatically.

Even 2 per woman (on average) would have sufficed.; 8/15/11, 11:16 PM
chickelit said...: Titus wrote: FYI, Amsterdam, the city of gay vacations, is no longer.

Just like Madison needs fewer liberals, Amsterdam could use a break from sex tourism and "gay-cations."; 8/15/11, 11:19 PM
Anonymous said...: I don't object to the use of "them" in this instance. Immigrants there are largely on the dole.

David,
The article reflects The Narrative: all right of center ideas are racist and stupid. Unwittingly, though, the NYT is hammering home again the failure of liberalism.

I wonder what The Narrative was when Van Gogh was slaughtered in the street?; 8/15/11, 11:33 PM
Joanna said...: There is such a thing as persecution by the minority

This.; 8/16/11, 12:38 AM
Methadras said...: Ms. Kuhlman said. “They’re taking over the neighborhood and they’re very strong. I don’t love Wilders. He’s a pig, but he says what many people think.”

Cleverly, that's what muslims hate? Coincidence?; 8/16/11, 12:49 AM
Methadras said...: AlphaLiberal said...

No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo? I think it's intentional. To say otherwise calls her intelligence into question.

Your intelligence is constantly called into question and if you have issues with a snapshot of time that shows a woman putting a corndog in her mouth, then you've got bigger than you are admitting, fuck nut.; 8/16/11, 12:50 AM
Gary Rosen said...: C-fudd once again proven full of shit; 8/16/11, 1:09 AM
Titus said...: Don't worry Chick the Gays are definitely going to stay away from you and where ever you go.

You are likely very old and unattractive so no vaca for Chick.

All is well. You can go about your travels with no worries.

Now if someone will just suck you off to shut you up. You would be much happier, the world would be much happier and you could find inner peace.

Your knowledge about what everyone said and posted on every blog is boring, tiresome and consumed way too much time. Dragging it up and categorizing it, highlighting it, linking to it, etc. etc. means you haven't had a good blow job in a very very long time.

Focus that energy on getting off and you will be a much contented person. And if you can't blow a load any more because you are a gizzard than just stop, think, what am I doing? I am likely old, certainly obese, and this is all I have. Remembering everything that everyone ever posted on any blog. Now get out and do something with your life. And if you can't be a slut at least pay for it.; 8/16/11, 1:26 AM
chickelit said...: Titus said...
Don't worry Chick the Gays are definitely going to stay away from you and where ever you go.

You are likely very old and unattractive so no vaca for Chick.

All is well. You can go about your travels with no worries.

Now if someone will just suck you off to shut you up. You would be much happier, the world would be much happier and you could find inner peace.

Your knowledge about what everyone said and posted on every blog is boring, tiresome and consumed way too much time. Dragging it up and categorizing it, highlighting it, linking to it, etc. etc. means you haven't had a good blow job in a very very long time.

Focus that energy on getting off and you will be a much contented person. And if you can't blow a load any more because you are a gizzard than just stop, think, what am I doing? I am likely old, certainly obese, and this is all I have. Remembering everything that everyone ever posted on any blog. Now get out and do something with your life. And if you can't be a slut at least pay for it.

8/16/11 1:26 AM

I'm touched, Titus.; 8/16/11, 1:35 AM
Writ Small said...: The Netherlands is an interesting case w/respect to integrating Islam. I worked there a few months on a project 10 years ago. The country as a population a bit over 16 mil (tiny, with 1.2 mil Muslim), and much of their history has involved accomodation of other cultures. Almost every Dutch person I know speaks at least three languages. Several speak five. The red light district and "coffee shops" in Amsterdam are way to accomodate foreigners and a real sign of a live-and-let-live attitude.

What happens when a very, very tolerant society has a large migration of not-so-tolerant, non-integrating people? Answer: multiculturalism becomes a bad word.; 8/16/11, 6:55 AM
Shanna said...: No commentary on the Michelle Bachmann corn dog photo? I think it's intentional. To say otherwise calls her intelligence into question.

Sheesh, is every woman in politics supposed to cut banana's, hot dogs, popsicles etc out of their diet because some people can't resist acting like 12 year old boys? Grow up!; 8/16/11, 7:20 AM
Shanna said...: I admire the deft way that the reporter equates the madman Norwegian murderer with Wilders' movement

I was also kind of interested in the way they threw in some animal rights guy who was killed in some fashion (which is never really explained) with Theo Van Gogh.; 8/16/11, 7:25 AM
Matthew Noto said...: I thought there were supposed to be two, or three, or four wars on. Why haven't we killed all these people yet?

wv: Lahore: a Spanish prostitute living in Pakistan.; 8/16/11, 7:32 AM
Clyde said...: They're definitely "in Dutch" over there.

I read the article before seeing it here. My reaction is the same as it has been for a long time: The people of Europe forgot their history after World War II, when they invited large numbers of Muslims to immigrate to their countries. The forgot the wars they fought for centuries to keep from being overrun by Islam. Now they are paying the price, as the Muslims are winning by immigration and procreation what they couldn't win by military means.; 8/16/11, 7:37 AM
X said...: of course if you read Mark Steyn you've known this for about a decade, but thanks for the "news" NY TIMES.; 8/16/11, 7:37 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Ann: "Them."

You don't think Islam thinks of us as 'them'?!

Them are the them-ist them-ers ever.; 8/16/11, 8:10 AM
Brian Brown said...: It is not true that if you don't have willingness to breed 12 children you give up your culture

Yes, becasue of course everyone is calling for people to have 12 children.

By the way, what do you think the Dutch & Japanese future looks like given that so few of their people will be there to be a part of it?; 8/16/11, 8:11 AM
Amartel said...: "Them." The Netherlands, and Europe in general, is a very polarized place culturally, immigrants v. natives. The article starts to try to assign blame to the natives but it's rather obvious that the person quoted is talking about her neighbors specifically, not "them" Muslims (them thar Mooslims) and that her point illustrates a more general point about the who is making an effort and who is not.; 8/16/11, 10:07 AM
pst314 said...: "I was also kind of interested in the way they threw in some animal rights guy who was killed in some fashion (which is never really explained) with Theo Van Gogh."

'Cause they didn't want to say that the killer was a Green Party member. ;-)

And especially they didn't want to say that his murder was the result of a intensive, concerted effort by the European Left to demonize him as some sort of Nazi. After all, if we knew the facts we might start drawing conclusions about the true nature of the Left.; 8/16/11, 11:34 AM
pst314 said...: "The Netherlands, and Europe in general, is a very polarized place culturally, immigrants v. natives."

It's not immigrants vs. natives. Non-Muslim immigrants do very well in the Netherlands. The problem is with Muslims.; 8/16/11, 11:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Here's another example of The Narrative. Leftists beat the crap out of the Hope poster guy, and the Guardian refers to it as a spat. If that were the Tea Party...but you know the rest.; 8/16/11, 1:05 PM