Althouse: At the Althouse Café...

July 11, 2012

At the Althouse Café...

... you can talk all night.

No photographs today. Sorry. Here's a portal to Amazon, in case you want to buy something and simultaneously show appreciation for this blog.

Please use the comments section to talk about whatever you like.

79 comments:

Original Mike said...: "... you can talk all night."

I spent the day digging out stumps. I believe I'll sleep all night.; 7/11/12, 10:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Lem is a dope!; 7/11/12, 10:33 PM
coketown said...: Project Butter should have happened years ago. Android is the only mobile OS that makes even the most robust phones feel old and underpowered. The jerks. I might plunk down for a Nexus 7 but there's no way in hell I'm spending another two years with an awful mobile telephone. >:(; 7/11/12, 10:36 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The offer still stands.. if you take down your insult.. I will take down the one I called you.

My Tribe like prediction is that you wont.; 7/11/12, 10:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Hell no I won't take down my comment calling Limbaugh Jabba the Hut! It stands! Ribbet.; 7/11/12, 10:41 PM
Patrick said...: Well, that didn't take long.

'Night.; 7/11/12, 10:42 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Ergo my brilliant prediction.; 7/11/12, 10:43 PM
Sydney said...: I want to buy a standby generator for my office in case the power goes out here for days like it did down south last week. Where is a good place to buy one, besides Home Depot? The clerk there wasn't very helpful and I need a vendor who can look my office over and tell me how much wattage or voltage or whatever the measure is I need to keep my business going in a power outage. Do electrical contractors sell those, the way HVAC companies sell air conditioners?; 7/11/12, 10:45 PM
Beta Rube said...: Remember when Sarah Palin's book was published and the AP had 11 fact checkers go over every word? I do, because Ann had a blogging heads segment with Michelle Goldberg, and Ann asked us to suggest questions. I submitted something along the lines of "to the nearest 11, how many fact checkers did the AP use on Obama's book"?

Ann asked the question, and Michelle reflexively answered that whereas Palin was known to be fast and loose with the truth, Obama was pure as the driven snow.

I was just thinking about that segment today vis a vis the Maranis book that pokes so many holes in Obama's book.

And yet, there will still be no real vetting, no genuine challenge by an adoring press to their candidate of choice.

Too bad. It could have been interesting.; 7/11/12, 10:46 PM
Sydney said...: I see I could buy a generator through that Amazon link. Still need a professional's advice before purchasing, though. Would that be something an independent electrician could do?; 7/11/12, 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...: Lem, you are no Jedi Master, wouldn't take much prescience to figure out that I wouldn't take back my insult to Limbaugh, lol.; 7/11/12, 10:49 PM
Cedarford said...: Couple of days ago, the NY Times ran an article on the discovery that the material of the "black smokers" on the ocean floor is abundant, extensive...sulphides containing rich amounts of copper, gold, silver, molybedium etc. Worth trillions apparantly. And that after the discovery there is now a real rush on with China, Japan, Korea, the other Asian nations, the Dutch, Brits, Americans and Canadians to lock up seabed lease rights.
The technology to get those trillions in minerals coming up is apparantly almost ready.

And then the article dwelt on the near-hysterical horror of environmentalists about this - mainly the fate of tubeworms andlittle shrimp that for all we know have the Cure For Cancer, how "pristine places untouched by man are about to be raped and destroyed "for profit".; 7/11/12, 10:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Ha! I'd rather be called a frog. Jabba dabba do, and Limbaugh too!; 7/11/12, 10:50 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Like I said.. we make choices.; 7/11/12, 10:53 PM
Synova said...: Heh.

While they're down there collecting the molybedium they can scoop up the tube worms and find out if they cure cancer.

Or would that make too much sense.; 7/11/12, 10:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Yep, it was worth being called a frog by you Lemmy. I loved calling him Jabba the Hut, so fitting! Cigar and all.; 7/11/12, 10:56 PM
T J Sawyer said...: Ordered a Tonneau cover off your regular Amazon link earlier in the day. Do you get to see what items are purchased or just get a big pot of money at the end of the month?

How about a contest for least likely purchase linked off a lawprof's blog? Maybe we could get the Taxprof to serve as judge?; 7/11/12, 11:06 PM
Chip S. said...: What would Laurence Tribe want us to buy?; 7/11/12, 11:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Health insurance?; 7/11/12, 11:10 PM
Palladian said...: You should definitely buy stuff through the Althouse Amazon portal.

And, after you've done that, consider buying something from your old friend Palladian, who is facing a temporary, but dire, financial meltdown.; 7/11/12, 11:13 PM
Anonymous said...: Financial meltdowns are tiresome.; 7/11/12, 11:14 PM
Chip S. said...: Allie, you should buy one of Palladian's prints for Lem.; 7/11/12, 11:16 PM
wyo sis said...: sydney
Your local power company could tell you how much power you need and how to set it up. They probably wouldn't charge you for the advice.; 7/11/12, 11:16 PM
Anonymous said...: I will, but only if it depicts a Jabba like creature.; 7/11/12, 11:18 PM
chickelit said...: @Palladian: Very nice recent stuff! This one is tempting--I like that color blue.; 7/11/12, 11:43 PM
Carnifex said...: Ya know how you're out shopping, and it's a nice day, and you're enjoying yourself? And then this couple comes along, having an argument, really loud, in the line beside you? And you don't want to eavesdrop, but you have no choice? And the worst part is that you didn't hear the start of the argument at all, just the namecalling it had fallen to?

Now cut it out! I'm hot, got bedsores from the poor treatment I was getting at the hospital, and now apparently all I can poop is pure concentrated black evil! I'm not in a good mood, and so help me God, I WILL turn these devil dollops of corruption on you if you don't start to act your ages. Neener neener neener, and I know I am but what are you should have been left behind after grade school, and if the nun's had taught you, it would have been!

Now that my stomach is hurtting again, I'm gonna take another pain pill, and go to bed.

Ciao Signore Oops, Arivederci Signor Lem; 7/11/12, 11:49 PM
chickelit said...: I usually like to buy direct from the artist or maker.

But since I don't trust Detroit these days I could see maybe buying a car or a truck through Althouse's link.

Do honest car salespeople even exist anymore?; 7/11/12, 11:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Sorry to disturb you on your sickbed Carnifex, bedsores already?! If I was your nurse, you wouldn't have one bedsore, I could guarantee that!; 7/11/12, 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Carnifex, my gut isn't doing so well either, it's giving me a bit of grief tonight too.; 7/12/12, 12:00 AM
Carnifex said...: Here's the down low on generators. those ones they sell in wal=mart, etc. work. To a point. But they give off ungodly amounts of spikes, which will ruin delicate electronics quicker than skittles. You have to start them monthly to be sure they do start. winterize em. store em all that.

Nicr are the ones that start with a starterm but basically the same deal.

you can now get diesal or gas generators that start when your power goes off. It's not cheao, but the spikes aren't as bad either. your electrician can tell you the size generator your gonna need for what you want to run.

or you can go whole eotwawki, buy a small 4 cylider engine from a car and build your own. they'll run for ever, are smooth, and powerful. just large.

apologies for speelin an all. but I am hurtin' just wanted to get this out; 7/12/12, 12:02 AM
Carnifex said...: I know that Miss Allie, but the AC was so bad i lay in sweat for 5 days. got 1 bath. was promised more but only got one

Night Ma'am; 7/12/12, 12:05 AM
chickelit said...: leslyn linked...
10 Most Depressing States in the U.S.

Arkansas tops the list? Isn't Freeman Hunt from Arkansas? Isn't Freeman Hunt about the most non-depressed woman who continuously posts around here? (not to mention level-headed?)

Indiana is supposed to be the next most depressed state according to leslyn's link.

Isn't Meade a Hoosier? I've met Meade. He didn't seem depressed at all.

WTF is up with the factuality of your poll, leslyn?; 7/12/12, 12:15 AM
Palladian said...: @Palladian: Very nice recent stuff! This one is tempting--I like that color blue.

Thanks chickelit! That's Iron (II,III) hexacyanoferrate (II,III) ... in other words "Prussian blue".

(Am I right about the oxidation numbers?); 7/12/12, 12:16 AM
David said...: I'm not going through any portals--not on this blog anyway.; 7/12/12, 12:24 AM
Chip S. said...: chickelit, those results probably demonstrate that misery loves company. The Dems in solid Repub states are more unhappy than their blue-state counterparts b/c they're surrounded by happy conservatives. This drives the state-by-state variation b/c Dems account for nearly all the depressed people everywhere.

The same principle applies at Althouse. garage mahal is probably a relaxed dispenser of bons mots when he comments at Isthmus.; 7/12/12, 12:28 AM
chickelit said...: (Am I right about the oxidation numbers?)

You're only right if the color looks right and I think it does.

I was reminded just the other day that "fractional" oxidation states exist: link. This seems somehow shocking to the modern mind, so used to sharp integral definitions.

Nature eludes and defies description!; 7/12/12, 12:29 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: My new friends grasped the banality of this instantly and ran with it and I was delighted.

A sharp eyed clerk noticed my license was nearly expired so I went online to take care of it. Simple enough. The site is surprisingly straightforward. My license did not process I was instructed to come in.

Did I mention this? Stop me if I did.

The site said it could be 1 of 10 reasons and listed them under two categories but my case did not fit any of those. I was instructed to come in. Made an appointment. Nice touch, that. Made it a lot faster, easier and painless. But once there I had to retake the eye exam and have a new photo. New licenses all around. The state is scooping up all the 10 year licenses and replacing with 5 year but they did not say any of that on their site built specifically to impart that type of information. License holders are not told they will be photographed, important information that would be useful, precisely because they know a small percentage will play put on our makeup and costumes day with the DMV.

The people we hire to make sure all those nuts out there are licensed keep information from us because they know we'll subvert it. That's what my new friends latched onto.; 7/12/12, 12:57 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: Instapundit had a lengthy discussion about generators a few days ago during the derecho (which means 'right' in Spanish and incidentally doesn't sound nearly as threatening as izquierda but whatever) that, er, generated a lot of feedback. One from an electrician with an idea for one that could be charged from the car or charge the car, and go back and forth with batteries and all sorts of variable situations. His letter was too brilliant for me to comprehend for I am but a cave man and these modern ways are foreign to me, strange, and frightening.; 7/12/12, 1:12 AM
RazorSharpSundries said...: No photos! I hope this does not tell of dissension in the house of Alt.; 7/12/12, 2:03 AM
David R. Graham said...: For "generators," think and buy a Honda inverter. Total the watts of the appliances you want to run and tell the nearest Honda dealer that's what you need to support with an inverter. Or, purchase appropriate hard-site unit that is an inverter. You do NOT want a generator ("dirty" power, can harm your electronics), you want an inverter, and top-end.

Purchase unit. Build or have built a frame and roof structure to protect it from rain while in service, unless it is already weather-proofed.

Hire bonded, etc. electrician to install the system (transfer switch on fuse box, outside hook-up, etc.).

Total installation (to run your entire house) will cost $3K-$7K depending on your area of residence.; 7/12/12, 2:10 AM
edutcher said...: If the best Oop can do is call Rush Jabba the Hut (which isn't even applicable anymore), he/she/it ought to sign off and hand off the sockpuppet to somebody else.

PS If the Althouse amazon portal were removed and Althouse went down, trolls like leslyn would whine the loudest because most other places wouldn't put up with him/her/it.; 7/12/12, 5:59 AM
Curious George said...: David R. Graham said...
...Hire bonded, etc. electrician to install the system (transfer switch on fuse box, outside hook-up, etc.)..."

This. While you can simply plug it in and power applicable branch circuits, this is dangerous to utility workers (and may be illegal) who think they are working on a grid that has no power. Remember, your business is tied back to the utility.; 7/12/12, 6:21 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: And then the article dwelt on the near-hysterical horror of environmentalists about this - mainly the fate of tubeworms andlittle shrimp that for all we know have the Cure For Cancer,

When I was a kid, this is what they were always telling us about the rainforest. "It is full of undiscovered plants and animals. Think of all the diseases these plants and animals might be able to cure!" As a very young person, this had me imagining that if you ate something in the rainforest, nearly anything might happen.; 7/12/12, 6:43 AM
lemondog said...: Have not been following closely the Romney tax return 'issue' and may be I am missing some subtler points, but why all this yammering about Romney releasing his tax returns when I find them online?; 7/12/12, 6:48 AM
Jaq said...: Jabba the Hut?

Ha! I get it, it's a fat joke. Limbaugh's fat... OMG, I can't hold back the tears of laughter!

Next, you are supposed to call him secretly gay, I think. That would really hurt him with us troglodytes!

Oh yeah, and a drug addled somethin' or other.. probably three F words in a row.; 7/12/12, 6:56 AM
Rusty said...: Cedarford said...
Couple of days ago, the NY Times ran an article on the discovery that the material of the "black smokers" on the ocean floor is abundant, extensive...sulphides containing rich amounts of copper, gold, silver, molybedium etc. Worth trillions apparantly. And that after the discovery there is now a real rush on with China, Japan, Korea, the other Asian nations, the Dutch, Brits, Americans and Canadians to lock up seabed lease rights.
The technology to get those trillions in minerals coming up is apparantly almost ready.

And then the article dwelt on the near-hysterical horror of environmentalists about this - mainly the fate of tubeworms andlittle shrimp that for all we know have the Cure For Cancer, how "pristine places untouched by man are about to be raped and destroyed "for profit"

Ponder the immense complexity not to mention expense of mining anything a couple of miles under the ocean surface. It will a few years before this is profitable

Sydney.
Figure the total wattage of all the equipment you use-including heat and air conditioning. You can use Ohms law to figure current(amps) and size the generator accordingly. Add 15% for a buffer.

Try Tractor Supply for a source.

Try Sears and/or a good hardware store (not Home Depot--too limited. Not Amazon. You need to be able to talk the specs over with someone knowledgeable--like my brother.

With all due respect those are the last two places to go for advice.
Farm and Fleet would be a better choice.

In any event Do contact an electrical contractor if you have any doubts at all about doing this yourself. Nothing screws up a a good day like a self electrocution.; 7/12/12, 7:05 AM
Rusty said...: leslyn linked...
10 Most Depressing States in the U.S.

I bet numbers 51 through 57 are on that list.; 7/12/12, 7:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Tim in Vermont, to understand the reference to Limbaugh as Jabba the Hut, you have to watch the video at the Laurence Tribe thread.

Why are some here so protective of this radio talk show host? I find it odd. When someone bashes Keith Olberman, I don't get irate and call the commenter a reciprocal name. Very strange.; 7/12/12, 7:14 AM
Anonymous said...: 'Blogger Rusty said...

Cedarford said...
Couple of days ago, the NY Times ran an article on the discovery that the material of the "black smokers" on the ocean floor is abundant, extensive...sulphides containing rich amounts of copper, gold, silver, molybedium..'

Old news..google 'Glomar Explorer', 'manganese nodules', this is from the 70's.

It was a cover for a CIA operation then (Soviet sub recovery) and it was known to be financially unfeasible. Still is unfeasible.

I do wonder why this meme has resurfaced now?; 7/12/12, 7:15 AM
Anonymous said...: Sounds like it's time for Leslyn to make a Humble Pilgrimage to Arkansas. A lot fewer (shudder) tourists there than in Florence, plus she could ask Freeman Hunt for hospitality. Humbly.; 7/12/12, 7:15 AM
Rusty said...: I was reading on one of the science-y websites that the oscillation(precession) of the earths rotation and in its orbit around the sun have more to do with global warming than anything people are doing.
And that the earth was a lot warmer 2000 years ago that it is today. They got that data from tree ring study.
Oh. my!; 7/12/12, 7:16 AM
Anonymous said...: And Edutcher is still seeing sockpuppets.; 7/12/12, 7:18 AM
Hagar said...: And it was still warmer 5000 years ago and warmer still 11000 years ago.; 7/12/12, 7:23 AM
Molly said...: Here's an interesting story: A guy is sitting in a Hooters in suburban VA, and two people come and say, "Hey we're on our way to a wedding and our car broke down; can you help us out?" THe guy says, "Sure, here are the keys to my car. Take it and bring the keys back and give them to the cashier here and I'll pick it up tomorrow." A few minutes later, the couple comes back, "We'd like to fill up your gas tank, and we can't figure out how it opens." THe guy helpfully demonstrates.

Two weeks later, the car (a $60K BMW) and the laptop and jewelry in the backseat are still missing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/burke-man-gives-away-his-bmw-at-hooters/2012/07/10/gJQAgvX2ZW_blog.html; 7/12/12, 7:29 AM
Shanna said...: 10 Most Depressing States in the U.S.

Wow, that is a piss poor article. They didn't use any consistent measure for what made a state 'tops' and they kept mentioning non mental health issues. There is no way Alaska and other Vitamin D deprived states are not at the top of that list if you use a true measurement.

We do have a lot of Vets in the south, so our PTSD stats might be higher.; 7/12/12, 7:37 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Arkansas one of the most depressing states? I believe it. It would be a mistake to think that my comments about Northwest Arkansas apply to the state entire. The northwest corner isn't a slightly different version of the same, it's like another country.

People are generally friendly everywhere in Arkansas though, so it's got that going for it.; 7/12/12, 7:38 AM
Roger J. said...: having spent a fair amount of time in Arkansas fishing the little red, the buffalo and the white river, visiting crytal bridges, and touring the small towns, I find arkansas to be a great destination. Plus Freeman Hunt lives there--whats not to like; 7/12/12, 7:47 AM
Rusty said...: Freeman Hunt said...
Arkansas one of the most depressing states? I believe it. It would be a mistake to think that my comments about Northwest Arkansas apply to the state entire. The northwest corner isn't a slightly different version of the same, it's like another country.

People are generally friendly everywhere in Arkansas though, so it's got that going for it.

That's good because my ancestors founded the damn state.
I'm a direct decendant of both the Bradleys and the Stephens.; 7/12/12, 7:48 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Allie, you clutter up threads with your rather silly, interminable back-and-forths with other commenters. I realize you've been commenting in this salon a long time and feel very comfortable here, but you really need to dial it back as a courtesy to other readers. This is not your personal IM channel. Thanks.; 7/12/12, 7:51 AM
Roger J. said...: my lady and I have been throughout Arkansas, mostly travelling back roads. we love stopping in local cafes, and one of my pleasures is getting a haircut at a local barbershop--I recommend Shawn's barber shop in Yellville--thats where you find out whats going on.; 7/12/12, 7:52 AM
Anonymous said...: Erika, respectfully, who died and made you blog mistress? I'm sure that if the back and forth is excessive, Meade will step in and begin deleting, as is stated in the blog rules section above every comment box.

Quit being a controlling busy body Erika.; 7/12/12, 7:58 AM
Roger J. said...: since my friend allie and I got busted for clutter a while back, I gotta tell you: I enjoy her comments--if you dont like them scroll down.; 7/12/12, 8:02 AM
Anonymous said...: RogerJ, I suspect even Meade and Althouse get a good chuckle themselves now and again.; 7/12/12, 8:04 AM
Roger J. said...: Will leave this for our hostess to determine, but I do enjoy the back and forth--sometimes politics and social issues tend to very cloying.

The professors blog is a great read, and I enjoy the back and forth, even if it isnt about obamacare, global warming and a host of other issues.; 7/12/12, 8:08 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: There are areas of Arkansas that suffer from crushing poverty, poor education, and almost no opportunity. In a few areas, one also finds rampant crime.

As for the red state blue state divide, guess which party controls the nice parts of Arkansas and which party controls the depressing parts...; 7/12/12, 8:17 AM
Chip S. said...: AllieOop said...
Erika, respectfully, who died and made you blog mistress?

Nothing signals that someone's about to show no respect whatsoever than starting a comment with "respectfully". Except for "with all due respect," of course.

I'm not willing to die for the cause, but if there's ever a poll on this Erika gets my vote for thread cop.; 7/12/12, 8:40 AM
Anonymous said...: Well yes Chip, I plead guilty to intentionally misusing the phrase.; 7/12/12, 8:44 AM
Rusty said...: What's wrong with my brother?

I was referring to Sears and Home Depot. No offense to your brother.
Does your brother work for Sears?

I assumed(my bad) that Sydney lived somewhere that would be served by Farm and Fleet or Tractor Supply.; 7/12/12, 9:46 AM
Shanna said...: As for the red state blue state divide, guess which party controls the nice parts of Arkansas and which party controls the depressing parts...

Indeed. We are not a 'red' state, we're purple. Tons of dems locally (including the Governor) and voting republican nationally.; 7/12/12, 9:47 AM
Shanna said...: I noticed they don't live there.

At least two of us do, and some live close. Freemans right though, the delta is very depressed. Probably in both senses of the word.

The article is still crap, though.; 7/12/12, 9:48 AM
Rusty said...: Palladian said...
You should definitely buy stuff through the Althouse Amazon portal.

And, after you've done that, consider buying something from your old friend Palladian, who is facing a temporary, but dire, financial meltdown.

I would , but my own resident artist-my daughter- is melting down my finances even as we speak.; 7/12/12, 9:49 AM
Rusty said...: LarsPorsena said...
'Blogger Rusty said...

Cedarford said...
Couple of days ago, the NY Times ran an article on the discovery that the material of the "black smokers" on the ocean floor is abundant, extensive...sulphides containing rich amounts of copper, gold, silver, molybedium..'

Old news..google 'Glomar Explorer', 'manganese nodules', this is from the 70's.

It was a cover for a CIA operation then (Soviet sub recovery) and it was known to be financially unfeasible. Still is unfeasible.

I do wonder why this meme has resurfaced now?

Gold at 1600.00 dollars an ounce is a big incentive.; 7/12/12, 9:53 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Poor Carnifex! Thanks for telling your story here, and I'm glad this is a place where we can keep you company and perhaps take some of the edge off the pain.; 7/12/12, 10:19 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "molybedium"

Come on, everybody, say it with me: molybdenum.

There is no "bed" and no "ium."; 7/12/12, 10:20 AM
Sydney said...: Thank you for all the generator advice, everyone. You have given me a good base from which to work.; 7/12/12, 10:27 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: The article is still crap, though.

Agreed.; 7/12/12, 11:03 AM
Rusty said...: leslyn said...
Rusty said,

"Does your brother work for Sears?"

No, he's a truck driver. And a volunteer fire department chief. And he has his boating Master Captain's license. And he built his own house off the grid.

Can you tell I'm proud of him?

Yes I can, and you should be. He sounds like a person to be admired.; 7/12/12, 12:17 PM
Rusty said...: Ann Althouse said...
"molybedium"

Come on, everybody, say it with me: molybdenum.

There is no "bed" and no "ium."

Say after me; mol-lib-den-um

An alloying additive in steel to make it tougher and at the same time easier to work hot.; 7/12/12, 12:20 PM
Jim S. said...: Come on, everybody, say it with me: molybdenum.

I asked some British friends why the Brits mispronounce "aluminum". You know how they say it: a-lu-MIN-i-um. I don't mind the misplaced accent but what's with the extra "i"? They said, "We were going to ask you why all Yanks leave the "i" out." So we looked it up in a dictionary. It said, "Aluminium (American: Aluminum)".

Exciting story, innit?; 7/12/12, 1:07 PM

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