Althouse: At the Cloud Café...

July 28, 2012

At the Cloud Café...

... you can float along all day.

48 comments:

Farmer said...: I'm about to cut the grass for the first time in two months. Thanks for the break, global warming!; 7/28/12, 10:21 AM
edutcher said...: Nice pic (today?), ethereal, but concrete.

The rain has yet to green up the grass, but I've only seen a couple of little bits of standing water. That's how dry we are.

The Farmer said...

Thanks for the break, global warming!

But global warming is relentless; it has no heart, no soul, no compassion.

How could global warming give anyone a break?

Must be the normal pattern of cold fronts precipitating rain.; 7/28/12, 10:25 AM
Saint Croix said...: I got the second page shaft this morning. It's my typical awesome brilliance, edited for clarity, humble and hilarious, exactly what I want to say, yes, yes, it's ready now, post!

And it's on the second page. Son of a bitch!

Anyway, on yesterday's abortion thread, my very last post refutes an argument Althouse has made in the past.

And the question is...

Are pro-lifers insincere because we don't want to punish mothers who abort?; 7/28/12, 10:27 AM
Big Mike said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/28/12, 10:32 AM
Big Mike said...: Just watched the preliminaries of the 400 IM. Phelps barely qualified for the final. Hope he simply misjudged the pace and has it in him for a big swim tonight.

I feel for Laszlo Cseh. I'll bet he thought all he had to do in his heat was keep pace with Phelps to get a center-pool qualifying spot -- and as a result he'll be a spectator tonight. He had a bronze in the 400 IM in Athens and a silver in Beijing, so he was expected to contend for a spot on the podium; 7/28/12, 10:33 AM
Anonymous said...: Folks, please come to the Oval Room to-nite at the happy-hour. We will have two guests from Chicago HQ. It is going to be super-fun with super-K streeters, DNC, CAP, Move-on, etc. To-nite focus is on how bad Romney made US look like in UK. We also will talk about the need to urgent fund raising for POTUS birth-day. We have to have $10 for every GOP/Romney's $1. We need a national office network so that we can get the 270 electoral as quickly as humanly possible. I will buy the drinks to first three people. Come and support the best and greatest POTUS. We will be in WH till Jan. 2017.; 7/28/12, 10:42 AM
Saint Croix said...: Quick, before it's on the third page!

I want to comment on that damn masturbating drummer. But I can't. That's second page stuff. That's yesterday's news. You snooze, you lose.

No, wait. It was two days ago! It's the day before yesterday news. It's the bottom of the hamster cage. Forward! Progress! The motto of Wisconsin.

That damn right-winger Saint Croix wants to take us backwards to the second page. No! Never!

Yes, yes, Althouse reaches into the mists of last month and finds the poor damn Floridian accused of masturbating while driving. But it was new to us! As long as it's first page, it's all shiny and new.

But second page, second page is death. And third page, forget about it. Second page is death and third page is decay into nothingness.

But I'm pretty confident that this is first page material. Anything we say today--no matter how stupid or idiotic--is first page. And no matter how awesome yesterday's post might be, you are still stuck on that damn second page.

Who designed this newspaper anyway? Am I above the fold?; 7/28/12, 10:44 AM
Ann Althouse said...: You can talk about anything you want in a café post, including the drumstick-or-penis quandary.; 7/28/12, 10:51 AM
pm317 said...: Any Fleetwood Mac fans here?

I must have listened to this, Gold Dust Woman, about 100 times by now since last evening when I first heard it on our BIG DC 100.3 station. There are traces of what sounds like Sitar and Indian Classical raga Darbari, a seamless mix of Hindustani classical with Rock (down to her 'hey', perfect pitch at 3:36). Wow, just wow!!; 7/28/12, 11:38 AM
tiger said...: I know exactly where this photo was taken.; 7/28/12, 12:28 PM
traditionalguy said...: The Chick-Fil-A family may have come out on top again after the planned blitzkreig against traditional Christian beliefs on marriage made them the gay flash mob's picked target.

Within 2 days they saw Huckabee announce an August 1 Eat a #1 chicken sandwich platter day; and even Billy Graham came out and announced he was proud of them and would come to eat one for Truett Cathy's faithful clan.

The Southern Baptists will still rally around a righteous man when Christian hating war drums start beating.

The Gay Marriage Gestapo seems to only have harmed themselves by jumping on Chick-Fil-A.

Many accomodating Christians who did not much care what gay lovers do or callit anymore are now pulling back to an honor God position on the definition of marriage.; 7/28/12, 12:33 PM
Farmer said...: The drummer was keeping his sticks up front for easy access; they go on the dash when he wants to park in a handicapped spot.

Fleetwood Mac would be the worst thing ever if it weren't for the Eagles.; 7/28/12, 12:34 PM
Farmer said...: That's not really fair; Pink Floyd were just as terrible as the Eagles, and way more pretentious.; 7/28/12, 12:35 PM
Rusty said...: Ann Althouse said...
You can talk about anything you want in a café post, including the drumstick-or-penis quandary.

Not that.

I picked up my girls(yay) from O'hare last night at 11:00 pm. The youngest was spending the summer in california with the oldest. didn't get home till 12:30. We're leaving now to go see the Batman movie. There is no CC in Illinois so we're living on the edge.
Good to have them home for awhile.; 7/28/12, 1:16 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I am busy reading right now.

My neighbor's dog has become ill and it is a very sad thing. It is clear the dog must be euthanized so I bought a book on Amazon and decided to check it out first but now

I cannot put it down.

Did you see that one coming?; 7/28/12, 1:19 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I am looking at my copy of Il Était Une Fois and I'm thinking all over again how impressed and disappointed I am at the same time.

I showed the book to a few women and they love it. They love the art and they are impressed with the pop-up mechanisms. So far they have not recognized the references although the references are common. They are derived, none of the references are original; Thumbelina, Blue Beard, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Pinocchio and Madam Butterfly, in French they go,

Alice Aux Pays Des Merveilles
Barbe Bleue
La Belle Au Bois Dormat
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge
Poucette

But there is no text at all on the pages. The words are in the back, in French. The whole laudatory section is ridiculous and bears almost no connection with the material. As if they were reviewing something they wished to be reading.

All of the pop-up mechanisms are derived as well. There is nothing at all remotely innovative or even imaginative. One is a direct copy of what Sabuda did with Alice standing under an arc of playing cards sprayed across the pages like a rainbow or St. Louis Arc, or half a Mcdonalds arches, okay, the whole deck, like brrrrrraaaaap all the way across chaotically and then all the messed up cards fold back precisely when the book is closed, an arch of cards like that except much less involved and with the art on each card executed in a sort of French style. Each pop-up is large and a little bit clumsy, actually, loose, and imprecise, unreliable in their operation, but the women were impressed with them all.

So. The story line or the story content, there is no story, just references to other stories, is unoriginal to say the least, and the pop-up mechanisms are all unoriginal to say even less than that. Which leaves only the art, and that is unique and quite good.

* story content ghastly unoriginal
* mechanisms ghastly unoriginal
* art original and interesting

Win.

And that told me to maybe concentrate more on the art sometimes and less on mechanisms.

But that is not the one little idea that is floating, fluttering like a tenuous little leaf.

Now I have an idea where a folded dent is scored into a paper step and accepts a short arm that is attached to a disk so that when the card is opened the paper band with the step flattens out along with the card and when the card is half opened the paper step is like proper step except with a dent in it that is halfway folded and when the card if fully closed the step is folded too and the dent in the step is folded flatly, and this opening and closing the card, the step also opens and closes and the dent in the step does too which rotates the arm a full 45 degrees, from fully closed to fully opened, which when attached to a disc appears to rotate by that much.

But the disc is a doughnut disc. And there is a dent on the other side of the step too, so two arms going in different directions and two doughnut discs.

A snake pattern is drawn on the doughnut discs. Two patterns actually. A banded pattern of stripes and another overlain crosshatch pattern of scales. On both discs.

The discs rotate in opposite directions.

For a total of ninety degree movement.

And they look exactly like a snake moving.

Especially when it mostly hidden under leaves of the same color.

The leaves are actually a lacy short-legged table.

Two of those short tables stacked on top of the snake discs make a convincing forest floor.

My new idea is two step stairs, so four discs, to look like a snake coiled on a branch. All four discs move 45 degrees at once, for a grand total of 180 degrees of movement if you were to add them all up, which is outstanding for a pop-up card.; 7/28/12, 1:30 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: The thing about a regular pop-up card is the central fold of the card is the powerhouse of all mechanisms. Everything is attached to that somehow. So as a result most pop-up paper mechanisms are placed directly on top of the central fold.

And that gets boring.

Other mechanisms can displace the power of the central fold to another area of the card.

A band is such a sub-mechanism. A band of card stock placed across the central fold will double the power of the central fold and displace the new energy powerhouse creases away from the center and more toward the edges. So the new mechanism must be smaller to fit within the card when the card is fully closed.

You see this.

When folded, the paper band folds too but in the opposite direction of the card and tucked inside it.

The band is attached to both sides. so a card with in a card in opposite directions, the inside card much smaller.

So a peak fold is created too along with the two new valley folds. That peak does not interest us beyond it providing two new surfaces to attach new mechanisms.

Mechanisms designed and constructed to delight a child or possibly to amuse an adult. Say, things that pop up. Like animals. Animals behind bushes, that always works. Anthropomorphized animals performing improbable acts. Wearing human items of clothing, inappropriately, and demonstrating human concerns inappropriately, that sort of thing.

That's what would be placed on the surfaces located at power creases of the two new central folds that come with increased height restrictions.

The band can cross at an angle, it can be irregular shape, but the new creases, valleys and peak, must all be perpendicular with the original central fold.

Or somebody pays. Everything goes wonky and off kilter and this kitten here gets it.

But that wonkyness can also be used to throw something right off the page at unexpected unpredictable and wild angles, like a bird taking off, but that kind of nonsense if for pros.; 7/28/12, 1:46 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Parallel with the central fold, of course, anything else doesn't work, that was fake out to see if you followed.; 7/28/12, 2:02 PM
Saint Croix said...: The drummer was keeping his sticks up front for easy access; they go on the dash when he wants to park in a handicapped spot.

Short list of drummers who might injure themselves sexually:

Keith Moon

Fleetwood Mac would be the worst thing ever if it weren't for the Eagles.

Mick Fleetwood, on the other hand, is a pretty mellow drummer. Although he married a woman, divorced her, married her again, and divorced her again. So maybe he injured himself sexually? If sex is now a metaphor. And he had an affair with Stevie Nicks, which is not so good if you want to keep the band together. Some of these old fat hippies are hell on wheels, apparently.

Stevie Nicks, by the way, looks pretty good for a long-haired blonde hippie of 64 years. That's a lot of full moons, as the hippies might say. She's had 770 full moons, if my math is right.

Speaking of Moons, here is Keith playing by himself.; 7/28/12, 2:12 PM
Saint Croix said...: This article makes me think that Republicans should make our support for Israel loud and clear. For instance, by wearing a T-shirt like this one when you go on Jon Stewart's show, or Leno, or Letterman, or Colbert.

There's a lot of moral cowardice on the left. Making our support for Israel loud and vocal distinguishes us from liberals, who are masters of appeasement.

Sarah Palin had an Israeli flag in her office. I love it! But nobody sees her office. She should take it a step further and wear the T-shirt in public.

You liberals want to marginalize Israel? The right should respond with vocal support.; 7/28/12, 2:51 PM
wyo sis said...: How do we know when we come across a true possibility if it's nothing we've ever heard before? Can it always be proven? If it can't be proven is it true? What if the means of proving it haven't been discovered yet. Like the Earth revolving around the sun instead of the other way around. A hundred and fifty years ago no one would have believed you could send messages through the air with wires or without. So how did we get here where it's commonplace? Someone had to believe it could happen or they wouldn't have tried it. Is everything based on logic or is there something beyond logic that we can believe? If I'm not smart enough to understand how messages get transmitted through the air it doesn't stop them from transmitting. Are there people out there somewhere who are as much smarter than we are as we are smarter than apes? Some people on TED think so.; 7/28/12, 4:02 PM
jungatheart said...: Chip Ahoy said...

* story content ghastly unoriginal
* mechanisms ghastly unoriginal
* art original and interesting

Win.

*~ *~ *~
Since you didn't ask, now that you've made such strides on the mechanics of pop-ups, I agree you should step up on the artwork side. I like watercolor, an it seems relatively straightforward, and, I'm under the impression it's very 'in' right now. Behold in hidden action:

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient
&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4RNQN
_enUS468US468&q=
snake+watercolor&biw=
762&bih=314&sei=rlcU
UIq_OJSx0AHi2oHQCQ&tbm=isch; 7/28/12, 4:24 PM
jungatheart said...: https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4RNQN_enUS468US468&q=water+color&biw=762&bih=314&sei=d
08UUMuHI4Lm0QGl24GICQ&tbm=isch#hl=
en&safe=off&rlz=1T4RNQN_enUS468US468&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=water+color+
snakes&oq=water+color+snakes&gs_l=img.3...207944.210704.0
.210956.7.7.0.0.0.0.
311.957.2j4j0j1.7.0...0.0...1c.cKxknvqUxyg&fp=1&
biw=762&bih=314&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&
cad=b&sei=oFkUUJrhBIX20gGxlYGgCQ; 7/28/12, 4:33 PM
Penny said...: I rather like your art, Chip, but I can also understand your well made point.

Deborah, I think Chip uses colored pencils, but I agree with you, that watercolor would be a great medium for him.

They do have watercolor pencils though, so he could use those. Not much of a learning curve there. Now if he wanted a more authentic watercolor look, he could use a watercolor brush pen, which works like this.; 7/28/12, 5:14 PM
jungatheart said...: Cool, Penny.

I have a book, _40 Watercolorists and How They Work_. They give their techniques for laying down paint and other tricks.; 7/28/12, 5:48 PM
Penny said...: That made me laugh at myself, deborah. I probably have 40 books on watercolor, NONE of which has assisted me in becoming a better watercolorist.; 7/28/12, 6:01 PM
Penny said...: No disrespect to the authors intended.

I just need to pick up a damn brush and give it a whirl...

Over and over and over again, until I become an experienced whirler!; 7/28/12, 6:06 PM
jungatheart said...: Well, at least you've begun! All I ever do is daydream and BS :); 7/28/12, 6:06 PM
Penny said...: Dizzy with boredom at the thought of that!; 7/28/12, 6:07 PM
jungatheart said...: Hey, I read a line that the most important stroke is the first one...talk about pressure!; 7/28/12, 6:08 PM
Penny said...: I have an idea, deborah. Maybe we could present ourselves as "Art Improvement Specialists"?

If Chip Ahoy wouldn't mind, we could use our advice to him right here in this blog post as example of our experience.

We could link him hard!; 7/28/12, 6:20 PM
Penny said...: Not sure why I said it that way...with that "hard"?

Just felt, well...Chipish!; 7/28/12, 6:22 PM
jungatheart said...: Penny said...
I have an idea, deborah. Maybe we could present ourselves as "Art Improvement Specialists"?

If Chip Ahoy wouldn't mind, we could use our advice to him right here in this blog post as example of our experience.

We could link him hard!

*~ *~ *~
At this juncture, one imagines Chip aghast at two such interlopers inserting themselves into his thang. I suspect he's been to art school, and will decline offering any examples of my first attempts at watercolor :); 7/28/12, 6:33 PM
Penny said...: But I wasn't talking about YOUR art, deborah.

Oops, did that sound harsh?

I mean, really? Are either one of us ever going to be artists?

I was thinking maybe we could help Chip out by spreading his snake art over a wider audience.; 7/28/12, 6:47 PM
Penny said...: And if he didn't like that?

Well maybe he could go all "Don't tread on me!" at the both of us.; 7/28/12, 6:49 PM
jungatheart said...: OIC. You mean expose him to a wider audience.; 7/28/12, 6:50 PM
Penny said...: Which I don't think he would EVER do. That's just too Meade.

Ha ha I think Chip would figure out a way to have our fingernails fall off so that he could paint all twenty as cut and paste jewels for his blinged out hummingbird feeders.; 7/28/12, 6:57 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Hudson River School exhibition at Crystal Bridges right now is tops. Exciting to see Cole's The Course of Empire in person.; 7/28/12, 6:59 PM
jungatheart said...: Thank you for the interesting convo, Penny. I guess my final advice to Chip would be to work toward publishing a children's book on simple pop-up projects, including various finishing treatments.; 7/28/12, 7:09 PM
jungatheart said...: Cool, Freeman. I need to do stuff like that.; 7/28/12, 7:26 PM
Penny said...: Lucky you, Freeman.

Wasn't familiar with Cole's work, so I checked out this series.

Just lovely!

Course then I read THIS...

"A direct source of literary inspiration for The Course of Empire paintings is Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812–18). Cole quoted this verse, from Canto IV, in his newspaper advertisements for the series:[2]

There is the moral of all human tales;

'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past.
First freedom and then Glory - when that fails,
Wealth, vice, corruption - barbarism at last.
And History, with all her volumes vast,
Hath but one page..."; 7/28/12, 7:29 PM
Penny said...: Night, deborah. I enjoyed the convo too!; 7/28/12, 7:32 PM
Penny said...: Anyway, back to that exhibit, Freeman.

I know that many Althousians get annoyed at art that needs explanation of any sort from the artist.

Not one of those people, and my position is reaffirmed.

Some of us need both pictures AND words for optimum artistic impact.

I can safely say, my mood has been darkened by your light, Mr. Cole.; 7/28/12, 7:51 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I'm sure that the people around me were laughing at me talking excitedly to my three and five year olds, "See, this is man in his savage state, totally uncivilized. See how he's dressed? Doesn't he look like the cave men we read about? And here, he has done something with himself. He is somewhat civilized now. What are those? Yes, he's keeping animals, and look, he's built something. And here, the apex of civilization! ..." Etc.; 7/28/12, 10:30 PM
Penny said...: I know there are still many free men, and, our girl, Freeman Hunt!; 7/28/12, 11:16 PM
Penny said...: Is her hat askew tonight?

Or merely perpendicular?; 7/28/12, 11:18 PM
Penny said...: Oh well. Who cares really?

Long as her kids aren't pointing and giggling.; 7/28/12, 11:19 PM
Penny said...: ...or wanting to go to public school.

Wowzer! That'd set off alarms!; 7/28/12, 11:24 PM