Althouse: At the Blue Sky Café...

September 8, 2012

At the Blue Sky Café...

... enjoy yourself.

103 comments:

Palladian said...: Blue skies, but grey clouds...; 9/8/12, 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...: OK, this evening at the Off-The-Record bar across the WH was a blast. We had so many people that it was over capacity.

Nate from NYT was just brilliant. He shared so much statistics that people were dozing off. His gist was that: The election is over. Obama wins by 10%. David A. from HQ called to say how much he loved the K-street and every-one else. Woodward signed copies o this book. (Yours truly got a free copy due to being the organizer.)

The chappie from HuffPost was funny. The guy from DailyBeast was just amazing. The crowd from MSNBC and CNN just gave leaflets on how Obama talking points are their talking points.

The election is over. 60 days left. For what? We already know that GOP is going to be destroyed.

The day after: The House, WH, and Senate all go to the Democrats.; 9/8/12, 8:49 PM
Sorun said...: That looks like the prairie restoration along the Ice Age Trail north of Verona.; 9/8/12, 8:52 PM
KCFleming said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/8/12, 9:00 PM
KCFleming said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/8/12, 9:02 PM
KCFleming said...: Hey there, Mr. Blue Sky.; 9/8/12, 9:04 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/8/12, 9:04 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Lynch, I had Domino's delivered tonight.; 9/8/12, 9:26 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: What about the piano?; 9/8/12, 9:34 PM
Hagar said...: The "dot-com bubble" burst in the spring of 2000 and the Dow went down to about 8,500, I think. The Dow then steadily grew again along with the economy on which it floated.
Then the housing bubble burst in 2008 and the Dow went down to about 7,000, I think, so that was worse then what Bubba left Bush with.
The Dow has since recovered, but the economy has not and has remained largely flat, or even slightly downward if inflation is counted in. I think the Dow recovery is mostly artificial and due to large amounts of money being created and dumped into "Wall Street" from the top, rather than rising up from the economy below.
I think this is kind of a smoke and mirrors operation in the hope of keeping things going and the government afloat until the economy somehow recovers.
I do not really know what I am talking about, but I do not think the geniuses in charge much more than I do.; 9/8/12, 9:34 PM
ALH said...: Despite Wisconsin showing it is one the best NCAA football (FCS division) teams by dominating the University of (Northern) Iowa (by 5 points) last week, the Badgers lost a tough one today against a powerful (unranked) Oregon (State) team.

Oh, well. We are still one of the top bowl eligible teams in the Big Ten (Twelve).; 9/8/12, 9:36 PM
Hagar said...: ".... charge know ..."; 9/8/12, 9:36 PM
ALH said...: Hagar- I am afraid you are completely right and the "experts" don't understand the big picture. You can only prop up things up for so long with all of the new $$$ that has been printed in the last few years [i thnk I read that the monetary supply has been tripled in the past three years ?].

At some point we will have to pay the piper.
And I suspect that will mean less jobs and $7 loaves of bread.; 9/8/12, 9:43 PM
edutcher said...: Dare we say Little Althouse On The Prairie?

(or is it Meadhouse?)

PS Funny how Zero's bounce is supposed to be exactly the same as the Romster's.

If he's doing so well, why pull out of NC?

And why keep running ads in IL?

(we all know he's cut all the state and Congressional candidate adrift); 9/8/12, 9:44 PM
MadisonMan said...: I had Domino's delivered tonight.

I had pizza delivered from Glass Nickel tonight.

Cold pizza for breakfast tomorrow!; 9/8/12, 9:49 PM
Craig said...: Looks like Andrew Wyeth.; 9/8/12, 10:00 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I had the piano delivered too.; 9/8/12, 10:00 PM
Humperdink said...: Mort Zuckerman's WSJ column: "Fewer Americans are at work today than in April 2000, even though the population since then has grown by 31 million."

An amazing statistic.; 9/8/12, 10:02 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: And luckily when I played a few keys and asked the boy, "Okay, does this piano sound the same as your teacher's?" he said, "Yes!" (This is good because that was the whole point.); 9/8/12, 10:04 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm tempted to buy Woodward's book about this White House handling of the debt crisis... but I rather wait for Althouse to buy hers and give us the juicy stuff... so I don't have to.; 9/8/12, 10:09 PM
edutcher said...: I think a great many of us agree with Hagar - and rick.

Our betters are playing a game where they think they are in control, but anyone with a grasp of history knows those unintended consequences are just waiting to lay them - and us - by the heels.; 9/8/12, 10:12 PM
jungatheart said...: "Looks like Andrew Wyeth."

That's what I thought. Then I thought it also looks like the opening to the Little House on the Praire program.; 9/8/12, 10:12 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Congratulations Freeman.; 9/8/12, 10:13 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I did not watch the local university football game, but I can tell what happened because my Facebook feed looks like this (in reverse order):

"Ouch!"
"OMG!"
"Yikes."
":("
"I am less excited about this season."
"Shocked"
"WOW!!! :/"
"I just threw up a little."
"Thanks a lot John L."
So and so likes "Fire John L."
"So long John L."

I assume John L. is the coach.; 9/8/12, 10:17 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Thanks, Lem.; 9/8/12, 10:17 PM
Humperdink said...: Went to the first PSU home game with my son last week. Everything was normal up until the time the announcer asked for a moment of silence for the victims. A few seconds into the moment of silence, a middle aged guy in our section shouted "stop it, just stop it".; 9/8/12, 10:41 PM
JAL said...: We actually have a Blue Sky Cafe in my neck of the woods.

Meadehouse would like it.; 9/8/12, 10:42 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Please photoshop that imeeeejetlee.

My poor little laptop is being such a poppyhead. It won't download the picture yet. It went I think 1/2 way, and as I looked and waited while it doesn't load, and I'only have the top portion where the wheat starts, I''m thinking, man, this photo is eminently Photoshoppable, and eminently is a word I get wrong every time but that's irrelevant because I continue thinking it needs that woman crawling.

And then you said that.

And I'm a little bit busy right now. So you do it.

I did that woman crawl already once -- across a potato. Nobody's mentioned it so I think people might zoom past without noticing. I put a pause in there before she appears. Then you go, aha, that potato sure does look like an oddly barren and strangely food-related landscape.; 9/8/12, 10:47 PM
JAL said...: Hey -- need some input.

We (insurance co.) are replacing carpet in basement due to water leak.

Only a mid grade (lower mid grade?) replacement possble so I have been diligently learning about carpet. Made up my mind and then made the mistake (not) of reading reviews online.

Yikes!! Did our carpet industry outsource? Terrible reviews for the polyester carpets and for the lack of customer support. People replaced old carpets and then ended up wishing they had their 10 year old carpets back as they looked and wore better!

Anyone suggestions what to get? I am looking now at a Dupont Nylon.; 9/8/12, 10:49 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Oh! There it is. Hahahaha. Sorry. Not barren.

No, this needs helicoptercat. But then I think everything needs helicoptercat.; 9/8/12, 10:56 PM
JAL said...: @ rick Mort Zuckerman's WSJ column: "Fewer Americans are at work today than in April 2000, even though the population since then has grown by 31 million."

An amazing statistic.

Stunning.

I have an Obama Cult member friend who recently posted on her facebook all the reason she thought Obama was wonderful and she was going to vote for him (11!!!1!)

One reason was the unemployemnt rate was down to 8.3%!!!!11!!1!1

Shall I send her the wsj link?

There are some other things she mentiones (I should go find it.) that I would like to counter. Did you know Obama has been married to Michelle for .... years? That was on her list.

?; 9/8/12, 10:57 PM
Humperdink said...: Reading Mark Steyn's latest column on Sandra Fluke's Dem convention speech. As usual, a humorous read. Used the term "grande horizontale".

Every time I read Steyn, it requires a trip to the on line dictionary.; 9/8/12, 11:12 PM
Tim said...: Freeman Hunt said...

"I did not watch the local university football game, but I can tell what happened because my Facebook feed looks like this (in reverse order):

"Ouch!"
"OMG!"
"Yikes."
":("
"I am less excited about this season."
"Shocked"
"WOW!!! :/"
"I just threw up a little."
"Thanks a lot John L."
So and so likes "Fire John L."
"So long John L."

I assume John L. is the coach."

I, myself, am giddy with excitement for tomorrow's 'Niners' showdown with the Pack in Lambeau tomorrow. I almost feel like I'm eight years old on Christmas eve!

Anyway. I anticipate my 'Niners will stun the Packers (and many NFL prognosticators) with a dominating performance - but will not be terribly surprised if they lose.

It should be a great game; the winner should be on their way to a great season; the loser, on the other hand, is hardly done. This very well could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.

NB: The oft-proclaimed demise of the running game in the NFL is greatly exaggerated and extremely premature; advantage, 'Niners.; 9/8/12, 11:15 PM
Tim said...: rick said...

"Reading Mark Steyn's latest column on Sandra Fluke's Dem convention speech. As usual, a humorous read. Used the term "grande horizontale"."

Fluke and the Democrats are shameless.

I half expect Fluke to put out a sex-tape/porn film, as did the "Octo-mom."

Who the fuck talks about their sex life before the nation not once, but several times?

Pathetic.; 9/8/12, 11:19 PM
Humperdink said...: My Steelers vs the Broncos Sunday night. With the Broncos now having Peyton Manning, I don't like our chances.; 9/8/12, 11:25 PM
kentuckyliz said...: I bet guys are going to brag about nailing Fluke. (Whether they did or not.).

She made herself a laughingstock, a gossip stock, a playahstock.

At least Monica earned her presidential kneepads. That seems like an achievement compared to Fluke.; 9/8/12, 11:37 PM
Tim said...: rick said...

"My Steelers vs the Broncos Sunday night. With the Broncos now having Peyton Manning, I don't like our chances.

The Steelers can still win; were this game in Pittsburgh instead of Denver, I think they would.

But they are getting old. They didn't look so good last year in the 'Stick.; 9/8/12, 11:41 PM
kentuckyliz said...: Fluke and Octomom: not easily likened to one another, in the sense that their chosen gyno drugs were for diametrically opposed purposes. Max fertility vs. barren.

They are alike in the sense that they expect the rest of us to pay for their supplies and/or consequences.; 9/8/12, 11:41 PM
kentuckyliz said...: Chill in the air tonight. Makes me sad for the impending end of my sculling season...now that I'm sculling again.

My second day with a sore throat.

Mike Rowe for Labor Secretary!; 9/8/12, 11:43 PM
KCFleming said...: If I gotta pay for Fluke's contraceptives, I get to choose the kind.

I want her to have a fat dad in a muscle t-shirt refuse to allow boyfriends in. I know some available homeless guys who'll do it for peanuts. Literally.; 9/8/12, 11:43 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Flucks tone was off-putting.; 9/8/12, 11:46 PM
Steven said...: I've spent much of the day with the Moody Blues running through my head. I blame Meadehouse.

Now it's ELO, thanks to Pogo.

I hear Paul Ryan thinks "Stairway to Heaven" is the best rock song ever. I think that could be the selection of somebody pandering, badly, but given what we've heard before of his tastes, I suspect that's the selection of somebody who is going to pick his favorite song, even though he knows a lot of people will think it's a bad cliche. Or -- this just occurs to me -- maybe he's young enough (though he's about a half-decade older than I) to not realize that all of the cool kids hate "Stairway" either because its trite or because dorks like Paul Ryan and me like "Stairway."

For what it's worth, I like "Stairway" and Paul Ryan. Though I prefer "Kashmir" and "All of My Love." Though I think ELO's "Turn to Stone" beats them all.

I have a feeling Paul Ryan hates "Turn to Stone."

Oh, in case Titus stops by, he asked on an earlier thread about my haircut and my facial hair. This picture was taken about ten years ago -- I assure you my haircut is much worse now.

Tim: I'm a Packers' fan, and I'm as pessimistic about them as you are optimistic about the 49ers.; 9/8/12, 11:54 PM
Synova said...: Mike Rowe is awesome. (From his letter to Romney.)

"We have embraced a ridiculously narrow view of education. Any kind of training or study that does not come with a four-year degree is now deemed “alternative.” Many viable careers once aspired to are now seen as “vocational consolation prizes,” and many of the jobs this current administration has tried to “create” over the last four years are the same jobs that parents and teachers actively discourage kids from pursuing."; 9/8/12, 11:56 PM
Tim said...: "They are alike in the sense that they expect the rest of us to pay for their supplies and/or consequences."

Yes, but also their shamelessness.

Which is the critical aspect.

Lack of shame.

Can you imagine?

The sense of entitlement?

Ugh.

I'm not sure where the tipping point is, but I'm afraid we're much closer to it than we recognize, or have even passed it.; 9/8/12, 11:56 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Wow.. Gordon has come all the way from almost last to fifth place with 50 to go.; 9/9/12, 12:02 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I like Jeff Gordon.; 9/9/12, 12:03 AM
Tim said...: Synova said...

"Mike Rowe is awesome. (From his letter to Romney.)"

Yes.

This is why I do much of my own work/labor around the house, if I can.

This weekend's task is (around the 'Niner game, of course) is putting an automatic drip irrigation system in and planing a new bed.

I can afford to pay someone else to do it, but why, when I still can?

I'm over 50; I live in a neighborhood in which most everyone else pays for their gardener, house-keeper, window cleaner, Christmas-lights hangers, etc. (overwhelmingly Democrat precinct, too!), and there I am, doing it myself.

I think they think I'm "poor," even though they really know better.; 9/9/12, 12:03 AM
Synova said...: Thing is, if Romney comes out and says that we shouldn't only talk about college education, that we need to encourage young people to take up trades and go through vocational training (as he did say once, I believe) the Democrats/Liberals have a class-warfare melt-down.; 9/9/12, 12:07 AM
Tim said...: "I hear Paul Ryan thinks "Stairway to Heaven" is the best rock song ever. I think that could be the selection of somebody pandering, badly, but given what we've heard before of his tastes, I suspect that's the selection of somebody who is going to pick his favorite song, even though he knows a lot of people will think it's a bad cliche. Or -- this just occurs to me -- maybe he's young enough (though he's about a half-decade older than I) to not realize that all of the cool kids hate "Stairway" either because its trite or because dorks like Paul Ryan and me like "Stairway."

For what it's worth, I like "Stairway" and Paul Ryan. Though I prefer "Kashmir" and "All of My Love." Though I think ELO's "Turn to Stone" beats them all.

I have a feeling Paul Ryan hates "Turn to Stone."

Oh, in case Titus stops by, he asked on an earlier thread about my haircut and my facial hair. This picture was taken about ten years ago -- I assure you my haircut is much worse now.

Tim: I'm a Packers' fan, and I'm as pessimistic about them as you are optimistic about the 49ers."

Favorite Rock song?

Dear God, but there are too many. Depends upon my mood. Put a gun to my head, and I can maybe pick an album: Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," although "Animals" is highly underrated.

Beatles, 'Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Morrison, Springsteen, Genesis, AC-DC, Van Halen, Elton John, Supertramp, damn, I can't stop.

I can't choose when it comes to rock.

So I have something in common with Sandra Fluke.

As for the game tomorrow, the 'Niners biggest weakness is the defensive secondary - if the Smiths can't put pressure on Rogers, he'll carve them up and the Pack will win.

But if Niners can pressure Rogers, or (more likely) keep the Packer O on the bench with a ball/clock control running game, they'll win.; 9/9/12, 12:14 AM
Synova said...: Oh no!

http://www.mikeroweworks.com/scrap-yard/eagle-scout-letter/

I'm not going to linkify that for anyone but, omg, the man is brilliant.; 9/9/12, 12:15 AM
ampersand said...: This author has been removed by the comment.; 9/9/12, 12:16 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: Oilier, in a previous thread O Ritmo said if we don't give Baggie a huge tax break, then he's just going to take his marbles home and not play. Then a link to something.

And I held off down there because you were arguing inanely oops I meant to say discussing that heavy subject, and even though I was given my perfectly legitimate segue, and that's what you call maturity.

The thing that made me want to burst out is I just now bought a whole bunch of different marbles. Which brought me into the world or marbles and now I'm an expert. We marble experts call ourselves Marbleheads.

Kidding. I thought they were cheap crap glass balls, but not so, they're a specialized things, they have names, and manufacturers, and different classifications. They are discussed very specifically.

Like seaglass for example. Broken bottles, come in ball form too. I didn't know that. Apparently certain bottles leave particular swirl patterns that with the sandblasted texture and opalescence make them unique objects unto the world. Which, when together like that in a group, hold marble-beholders in awe. Unique except exactly the same except totally different. Randomly awesome. See eBay [seaglass marbles]

I bought three different kind of those, some really pretty blue and purple, about 30 of those altogether, I think.

Camouflage marbles. They're actually kind of stupid but I like them and I think the birds will appreciate them too.

Then outrageously contrast that with an aggressively PINK flower at the tip of a feed tube sticking out.

Like, oh look, he troubled to disguise these shining glistening uniformly round obviously machine produced glass orbs, wasn't that nice, where do I sip? oh yeah probably right here at this gigantic outrageously pink flower.

Some marbles looks like broken ice.

Different sizes.

A few honkers, over an inch, with swirly designs.

I am amazed how much those big marbles go for. It's quite incredible. The kid stuff I always thought was just crap is apparently highly prized. Over a hundred dollars is not unusual, some multiple hundreds. It's possible to find toy marbles in bags that are not very interesting, but specific marbles are a whole different thing.

I also bought a bag of 250 clear glass marbles to augment the pile I already own, in a jar somewhere I'll have to find. I love those things. They came with a bunch of tall gladiolas or something.

Now I have already at the beginning a fairly good variety of marbles to glam up a few jars for hummingbird feeders and this stuff is only just starting to come in.

So far I have 8 feeder tubes with stoppers, but three of those have two tubes each, so 11 tubes with flowers, and 8 stoppers, and 6 bottles and none of the stoppers match any of the holes of the bottles but I'm not concerned about that because stoppers are interchangeable and there are more stoppers and more feed tubes and bottles still to come in before actually getting started.

I still haven't decided how to glue the marbles. I have a hotglue gun and all different kind of glue and I might solder wire as well. I could avoid all glue and twist wire. Make them so the bottles come out, like jackets, all by twisting the wires.

I also have coming green seaglass shards that might make good pedals, and regular glass pedals as well, but they're tiny so I'm not so sure about those. Also copper leaves, and I realized I need a lot more copper wire in different gauges.; 9/9/12, 12:16 AM
Tim said...: Synova said...

"Thing is, if Romney comes out and says that we shouldn't only talk about college education, that we need to encourage young people to take up trades and go through vocational training (as he did say once, I believe) the Democrats/Liberals have a class-warfare melt-down."

Hmmm. He may not be the one to say it - Rowe, maybe, at an event with Romney? - but it needs to be said, and it needs to be said in front of a predominately immune group of people, i.e., working class whites.; 9/9/12, 12:17 AM
Synova said...: I have a limited play list. Stairway to Heaven is on it. Also, Lynyrd Skynyrd (you know which song), Dream On, that Cherry Tree song, Black Magic Woman, Kryptonite, The sound tracks to Titan AE and O Brother Where Art Thou, and Feel Good Inc.

I might not have even missed anything... oh, Peaseall Sisters "Where no one stands alone." That one was hard to find.

It's... varied. And short. But varied.; 9/9/12, 12:22 AM
Synova said...: Oh, and House of the Rising Sun, later Burdon version.; 9/9/12, 12:25 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: Synova, I sent you something a few days ago

or maybe yesterday or maybe a minute ago. I'm in a bit of a time warp it seems but don't worry, I'll work out why the plates are in the sink and the lights are all on, it's Saturday, innt?; 9/9/12, 12:29 AM
Synova said...: I found it Chip, thank you. :); 9/9/12, 12:30 AM
Synova said...: Oh, and I tried to find a link to the Marble Museum in York Nebraska, because the girls and I stopped there on our trip to Minnesota this summer and it's really cool.

I found a whole bunch of links to York attractions or magazine articles promoting it as a place to stop, but not a web address.; 9/9/12, 12:34 AM
Synova said...: "This author has been removed by the comment."

Heh.

Probably a test how we don't actually read what has the right words in the wrong order.

Funny.

And my bed time. Sleep well folks.; 9/9/12, 12:44 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: Here's an idea that I think is a good one, but I don't want to do it myself because I just don't feel like it.

I notice while looking for "stained glass leaves" that there are available hundreds of inexpensive Tiffany-style lamps. About $10.00. That's putting it generously, they're all cheap pieces of shit that mark the owner as tasteless, well, there you go, those would be perfect little umbrellas for a glass hummingbird jar. In bird terms a roof like that is really fancy. There is one now for $16.00 that looks unusual like a squarish art deco flower, a nice lamp, actually, but I would trash the lamp and keep the shade for a hummingbird blown glass bottle feeder POW! inside a stained glass flower lampshade as if it were being organic while providing useful shade at the same time.

Hahahaha this is hilarious. The auction is over in three days. See what I mean though? Others are even better. Once the search is displayed you can resort by "lowest cost" so all the cheapest shit shows at the top of the list.

Oddly, so many lampshades already have hummingbird on them. Hummingbirds at a flower is a really big theme in the stained glass world. They're all over the place. You cannot search "stained glass flower" without getting mostly stained glass hummingbirds with them. Hummingbirds and butterflies. Apples and Angels. Those are the stained glass themes.; 9/9/12, 12:51 AM
Steven said...: Tim: The 49ers' weakness is their defensive secondary? Well, that's what the modern Packers are *known* for.

I like Pink Floyd mostly the middle-to-late, known Floyd, that I assume the purists detest, but there's a riff from one of their early albums that I remember being quite fond of. I think Ummagumma, but a quick youtube search doesn't bear it out. Might have been Animals. I've met those who have contempt for post-Meddle Floyd as "late Pink Floyd" and don't share their taste (FWIW, in my book, Meddle is the end of early Floyd, which is mostly inferior to what follows, and Dark Side is the beginning of middle Floyd).

Oh! I found it! Atom Heart Mother, about 1:25 in (also subsequently). Actually, I'm enjoying much of this track, so far.; 9/9/12, 1:34 AM
Steven said...: Okay, this choral bit (still Atom Heart Mother) is getting a bit tedious.; 9/9/12, 1:38 AM
edutcher said...: kentuckyliz said...

Chill in the air tonight. Makes me sad for the impending end of my sculling season...now that I'm sculling again.

Glad you're well enough to get outside.

My second day with a sore throat.

As I said...

Mike Rowe for Labor Secretary!

Good one!; 9/9/12, 4:53 AM
rehajm said...: Hmmm. He may not be the one to say it - Rowe, maybe, at an event with Romney? - but it needs to be said, and it needs to be said in front of a predominately immune group of people, i.e., working class whites.

Get Rowe and Jay Leno on the same stage. If you can weld, you can find work in just about any community in the country, and earn a good living. If you're willing to work odd or long hours, and/or accept some danger, you can make a great living.

If you can weld, accept some danger and scuba dive, all at once, you can put your household earnings solidly into the top one percent.; 9/9/12, 4:55 AM
Humperdink said...: Tim "The Steelers can still win; were this game in Pittsburgh instead of Denver, I think they would.

But they are getting old. They didn't look so good last year in the 'Stick."

Steelers are definitely getting old. Heck we are starting Larry Foote at inside LB. Larry Foote????

Playing in Denver's altitude is forcing Steeler safety Ryan Clark to sit it out. He played at that altitude with the sickle cell trait in 2007. It cost him spleen, gallbladder, 35 pounds and nearly his life.; 9/9/12, 6:25 AM
Toad Trend said...: Because I've been on a 'Squeeze play' this weekend, I think this song fits this particular blog entry with the obvious hat-tip to the hostess:

She goes for her medical
She's passed, it's a miracle
She's up over the moon
She whistles nonsense tunes
She wants drinks for everyone
She's found a chord that she can strum
Emotions leaking out
Her paint's all over town
What's that she's playing?
(annie get your gun)
What's that she's taking?
(the song has to be sung)
She's gone electric
(annie wipe them out)
That's unexpected
(strum that thing and shout)
Don't pull that trigger
(annie get your gun)
Don't shoot that singer
(you're shooting number one)

He's not into miracles
Sees life all too cynical
The cat has got his tongue
Now she bangs on his drum
He says pull the other one
Bells ring, look what you have done
Emotions leaking out
Her paint's all over town

(Squeeze - Annie Get Your Gun); 9/9/12, 6:28 AM
Humperdink said...: Gordon's in, Busch is out. If you look "win win" up in the dictionary, this is it.; 9/9/12, 6:43 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Jay Leno is an Obama worshipping jerk. He'd never do that.; 9/9/12, 6:45 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Mike Rowe for Labor Secretary!
I like that idea.; 9/9/12, 6:46 AM
kentuckyliz said...: I just have to post something because there's 69 comments and that makes me very uncomfortable.; 9/9/12, 6:54 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Search "middle skills" and your state's name--about any state you'd care to look up will have data showing that the unfilled jobs (good-paying ones) are in the middle skills area. High skilled and low skilled occupations are about balanced with workers and need.

We need to promote STEM and middle skills.

I live in an area of middle skill geniuses who know how things work. Their mechanical and technical know-how is terrific.

Some will relocate for opportunity and others will sit on the porch waiting for it to show up here.

Many Bachelors degrees in humanities and social sciences graduates just replace lower skilled people in occupations that don't require a Bachelors degree, in services and retail.

If the higher ed bubble is going to pop, I think it will be in the direction of focusing aid to actual workforce and economic needs.

The ivory tower folks who are utterly disinterested in the career prospects of their graduating students have much to fear when the feces hits the Big Ass Fans.

(Lexington is also home to Hugh Jass Burgers.); 9/9/12, 7:21 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Middle Skill Jobs in the American South's Economy

Kentucky

I have the statewide and area development district (regional) breakdowns (occupational outlooks and wages) for Kentucky, and was looking at Iowa's this weekend.; 9/9/12, 7:36 AM
Curious George said...: Finally finished refinishing my turn of the century W.C. Toles & Company No. 20 vise that I picked up off craigslist. This beauty went into production in the late 1890's. Quick release mechanism. Awesome piece of hardware. It outlived it's first owner and will outlive me. Sandblast the paint and rust off, prime, paint. Like new!

I was lucky to find a second one last week on ebay which will get the same redo. Both will be used on my bench I'm building for my woodshop at my lake home.

Buckeyes win, Bucky loses. Hope to end this weekend with a Bears win, Packers loss.; 9/9/12, 7:39 AM
Almost Ali said...: Lyme Disease masquerading as a beautiful picture.

Then at dusk, how 'bout a good dose of West Nile.

And by midnight... you're finished.; 9/9/12, 7:45 AM
Hagar said...: If you do not know what you want to study, serve a hitch in the military or get a manual job to support yourself until you figure out what you wan to do.; 9/9/12, 7:46 AM
Sydney said...: I've been reading about Nazi health insurance. Why would I do that? The New England Journal of Medicine has been running retrospective articles on various aspects of medicine over the past 200 years. Their article on olympic medicine referenced an old journal article about Nazi health insurance. It seems academic medicine in the 1930's was all a gaga over the central planning genius of the Nazis. The great thing about these retrospective articles is that they provide links to pdf's of the old original articles. So I linked and found myself in 1933 Germany through the eyes of 1933 American medical experts.

Scary stuff. I've read plenty of psychological explanations of how physicians devoted to healing could be turned into willing executioners of the state, but they never included the central role of national health insurance, which I suspect may have played a pivotal role. In 1933 the Nazis consolidated all independent professional physician organizations into one national one controlled by the state - for the supposed purpose of controlling their contracts with insurance companies. (I believe they also nationalized the insurance companies, though) Membership was compulsory. If you wanted to make a living practicing medicine in Germany, you had to belong to this organization. The leaders of the organization, from the top to the local branches were appointed by the state. That's how they got so many people to put aside their morality. They made it impossible to survive economically unless you did.

That's why the doctors in Nazi Doctors were able to tell themselves as they made selections on the train platforms that this was just the way things were and there was nothing they could do about it. Why they went along.

I know it is bad form to compare political parties to Nazis, but we have started down that road of nationalizing the healthcare profession,too. Not just nationalizing health insurance, but nationalizing the healthcare profession. One of the central goals of Obamacare was to centralize providers into these accountable care organizations (hospital/physician cooperatives) so that the state could exercise more control over them. I worry about where those will lead. We may not have to worry about a eugenics agenda, but surely we should worry about a utilitarian one.; 9/9/12, 7:48 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Boiling Point? The Skills Gap in US Manufacturing (NAM)

Many of our technical program graduating students are interviewed by top high-tech manufacturers...the companies often come to our campus to interview our students. Our campus is hours away from their location.

Some of our alumni work on a global level.

Makes me feel like a proud mama.; 9/9/12, 7:48 AM
Humperdink said...: I recall how once Lewinsky was exposed, her dad rallied to the defense of Clinton. I just recoiled. I couldn't believe it.

Haven't seen anything of Fluke's parents. Must be so proud. Daughter reached the pinnacle.; 9/9/12, 8:02 AM
pm317 said...: Ann, have you read this?

Reid began to lay out the two-step $2.7 -trillion debt limit extension, then stopped. He was not a details guy. “Well, let David just tell you what it is,” he said.

It was highly unusual for someone to pass the ball so completely to a staffer. The 44-year-old Krone outlined the plan, including a secret Republican pledge to count $1 trillion in savings from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan toward deficit reduction. That was surprising. Earlier, Boehner had not been willing to accept this accounting gimmick.

“I don’t trust these guys,” the president said dismissively.

Krone either would not or could not conceal his anger.

“Wait a second,” Obama said, interrupting someone else who was about to speak. “I can tell David has something else to say.”

“Mr. President, I am sorry — with all due respect — that we are in this situation that we’re in, but we got handed this football on Friday night. And I didn’t create this situation. The first thing that baffles me is, from my private-sector experience, the first rule that I’ve always been taught is to have a Plan B. And it is really disheartening that you, that this White House did not have a Plan B.”

Several jaws dropped as the Hill staffer blasted the president to his face.

Why does Obama think he deserves a second term?; 9/9/12, 8:16 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I recall how once Lewinsky was exposed, her dad rallied to the defense of Clinton. I just recoiled. I couldn't believe it.

I was stunned myself..; 9/9/12, 8:25 AM
Deb said...: About 4 year college educations. I was at a meeting recently where the head librarian of a small vocational school in south Georgia spoke. Their jobs placement for graduates of their many programs was in the 90s. 92% or something like that. On the other hand, I had a sales call from a guy with a law degree.; 9/9/12, 8:41 AM
pm317 said...: The country is going to hell in a handbasket, and you guys are still talking about Lewinsky and Clinton. Shame on you. At least he gave you the biggest surplus and a job.; 9/9/12, 8:43 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Monica's dad sided with Clinton? I had forgotten about that.

I read the article about the default brinkmanship.

Obama wanted to go ahead and default to stick it to the Republicans.

Tim Geitner had to make a moral appeal to Obama about the unfixability of the world spiralling out of control and how people would suffer.

Obama was intensely dedicated to not looking bad in an election year, and was willing to plunge the entire world into depression over it.

So the cuts were deferred until 2013. The WARN notices for the defense related sequestrations go out...Nov. 1.; 9/9/12, 8:49 AM
Hagar said...: The Clintons did not "give" us anything. They just rode a lucky streak like everyone else and did not have to stick around to face the consequences when the streak broke.; 9/9/12, 8:51 AM
pm317 said...: The WARN notices for the defense related sequestrations go out...Nov. 1.

No, they may not. I read somewhere that Obama WH has given waivers to contractors to NOT send that layoff notices.; 9/9/12, 8:52 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Wooward.. in Wapo

The president said, “The Republicans are forcing the risk of a default on us. I can’t stop them from doing that. We can have the fight now, or we can have the fight later on, but the fight is coming to us.”

So, no, Obama said, he was not going to cave. Period. He said good night, got up and left. He was very agitated.

Geithner thought there was one other consideration. He did not mention it to anyone, not even the president, but he had thought about it a great deal. It was not just that Obama faced an economic choice or a political choice. He faced a moral choice.

The president should not put himself in the position of saying unequivocally that he would veto, Geithner concluded, for one simple reason: No one could be sure how to put the American or the global economy back together again. The impact would be calamitous.

“And the people who would bear the pain of that would be the people less prepared,” Geithner told others, “less able to absorb that cost. It would be something you could not cure. It is not something you can come back and say, a week later, ‘Oh, we fixed it.’ It would be indelible, incurable. It would last for generations.”

Obama never had to confront the veto question. A few days later, House Republicans dropped their insistence on the two-step plan. The final plan accepted a debt limit increase that would take the country through the 2012 presidential contest. It also postponed $2.4 trillion in spending cuts until early 2013.

The long-term deficit crisis had not been solved, but merely put off, leaving the United States at the edge of the fiscal cliff, where it remains today.

Was Obama really prepared to do that for the sake of some political angle he wanted to cover?; 9/9/12, 8:53 AM
pm317 said...: "they just rode a lucky streak"

Yeah, right, that is what keeps your hatred alive and well.; 9/9/12, 8:54 AM
Sorun said...: I changed my hummingbird food from a commercial mixture to plain sugar and water per someone's post a couple days ago. Now I have hummers out the wazoo. Yep, it doesn't have to be red.; 9/9/12, 8:57 AM
wyo sis said...: All this talk about what the president give us or takes from us. Like he's our big daddy. As the government figurehead he represents our big government daddy.

We need to get over the idea that we get everytinng through or by government. The first thing we have to do is convince government. I don't think that will happen.; 9/9/12, 8:58 AM
pm317 said...: All this talk about what the president give us or takes from us. Like he's our big daddy.

Nobody here is naive enough to talk about president giving or taking. Govt policies either help or hinder economic growth. You can't cite Obama's failures in one breath and deny Clinton's successes in another.; 9/9/12, 9:03 AM
Hagar said...: and quite a streak it was.
Clinton left office in January of 2009, and some intrepid journalist counted up that by the end of July he had given 72 speeches at an estimated average fee of $300,000 a pop.
That is 2 to 3 speeches a week, so he would hardly had time to think of anything much new to say and get it written up.

You would have to speak very convincingly to explain why I should not assume this to be deferred payments for services rendered while in office.; 9/9/12, 9:29 AM
Tim said...: "I've met those who have contempt for post-Meddle Floyd as "late Pink Floyd" and don't share their taste (FWIW, in my book, Meddle is the end of early Floyd, which is mostly inferior to what follows, and Dark Side is the beginning of middle Floyd)."

I guess I'm a post-Meddle Floyd guy as well, although I do like Meddle. Their portfolio before then is quite esoteric, but one can see how a more polished, fuller sound could/would follow.

Seems the Packers and 'Niners have a similar flaw - rely on the big play in the secondary - and get burned.

It killed us in the playoffs. The two late Saints TDs happened because guys were going for picks instead of just batting down the passes; in the NFC Championship Game, our safety, Goldson, took out our best corner, Terrel Brown, going for a pick. Brown's substitute, Brock, gave up a critical 4th Qtr TD to Manningham.

The rest is history, as they say.

Go 'Niners!!; 9/9/12, 9:35 AM
Tim said...: "Govt policies either help or hinder economic growth. You can't cite Obama's failures in one breath and deny Clinton's successes in another."

Yes, surely your nuance recognizes that failures, and the reasons for them, are often more obvious than for successes; equally critical is the difference lag time in effect from good policies and bad policies.

Does Clinton get credit? Sure, but not all of it.; 9/9/12, 9:41 AM
pm317 said...: Does Clinton get credit? Sure, but not all of it.

Look as a Hillary Democrat, I have crossed party lines to vote for your guy. I own up to 100% of Obama's failure. The thing that perplexes me is that you guys are not smart enough to figure out what it does to give Clinton the credit that is due. To make it worse, you guys talk about Lewinsky with your mouths frothing. Let me tell you guys a secret. Embrace Clinton's successes. Tell Obama he is no Clinton. Draw the contrast. That would negate any good effects Clinton has on Obama's campaign. That would also please people like me (heh) to go and vote for your guy.; 9/9/12, 10:17 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Clinton was one of the most successful Republican Presidents in history.

LOL

DOMA, DADT, NAFTA, deregulation, welfare reform

Obama doesn't like many of his policies; 9/9/12, 10:19 AM
kentuckyliz said...: WE BUILT THIS CITY
WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK AND ROLL

knee deep in the hoopla

I would like to thank and bitch-slap whoever it was that planted that earworm

It's been haunting me all weekend; 9/9/12, 10:20 AM
kentuckyliz said...: Hey...Newt is even saying so.

Clinton's speech inherently condemned Obama for not going centrist after the 2010 elections and working across the aisle.

Clinton had a learning curve.
Obama doesn't.

OK ready for the dog whistle accusations now. (If you hear the dog whistle, that means you're a dog.)

Remember, WE ARE ALL RACISTS.

Just getting that out there once again, to help with the habituation process. LOL; 9/9/12, 10:25 AM
Sydney said...: Here's why I think we are headed toward nationalized medicine. (Note- medicine, not insurance.) Our current system of small independent practices and hospitals is already in the process of turning into regional cost centers (called Accountable Care Organizations) thanks to Obamacare. Future payment schemes will constitute bundled payment to a hospital system which will then distribute it to their employees (physicians). The hospital and its physician employees will be under pressure to reduce services.

Here's the next step. The experts that were behind Obamacare, are now recommending that physicians be given protection from malpractice lawsuits as long as they follow government approved guidelines when providing care. This sounds great, but it means that doctors will not want to deviate from the guidelines no matter what, for fear of being sued or reprimanded by their hospital employer.

Here is the kind of scenario I imagine. A 36 year old pregnant woman and her obstetrician.

Obstetrician: You are 36. According to the guidelines, we must do an amniocentesis to check for genetic defects.

Woman: But I don't want an amniocentesis. I'm concerned about the risk of the procedure. It could terminate my pregnancy inadvertently, and I wouldn't abort my child even if there were a genetic defect.

Obstetrician: Amniocentesis at your age is the standard of care. If I don't perform one, then 1)You could sue me if something goes wrong during your pregnancy or delivery and I would not have a leg to stand on 2) My hospital employer will penalize me financially if not just out and out fire me for not following guidelines.

Woman: I won't do it.

Obstetrician: Then find another doctor, and good luck with that. We're all working under the same conditions. Maybe you can find an Amish midwife.; 9/9/12, 10:26 AM
Hagar said...: If you control the money, you control the care.; 9/9/12, 10:48 AM
Tim said...: "That would negate any good effects Clinton has on Obama's campaign. That would also please people like me (heh) to go and vote for your guy."

Ok, fine, but you really should vote on the merits of the candidates, not whether Team Red throws a bone to Team Blue about one of their past team captains.

After all, we are all still Americans, aren't we? Isn't that what this is really about?

Anyway, my point simply was, it isn't so simple. Good and bad things happen on every president's watch; like an NFL QB, they get both too much credit and too much blame.

But the blame is easier to see, for (what should be) obvious reasons.; 9/9/12, 11:05 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Sydney, interesting.; 9/9/12, 11:26 AM
Synova said...: Chip.

I'd be a little careful about "food grade" for anything that the sugar water is going to be in contact with.

I have no idea what's in the Tiffany lamps or how the pieces of glass are fused together, since they're made in quantity in third-world factories.

A Tiffany lamp made "properly" is copper foiled around each piece of glass, soldered with lead based solder, and then colored black with nasty chemicals.

If they're just for the decorative part of the feeder then I'm sure it's just fine.; 9/9/12, 12:46 PM
Tim said...: "Oh! I found it! Atom Heart Mother, about 1:25 in (also subsequently). Actually, I'm enjoying much of this track, so far."

Listening now - thanks! - but a bit operatic/esoteric for my tastes. I can see how they evolved from here; but I can also hear why their later works were so much more popular.; 9/9/12, 1:23 PM