Althouse: At the Dog Fight Café...

February 1, 2013

At the Dog Fight Café...

... get scrappy.

64 comments:

garage mahal said...: I'm going to rub elbows with Oliver Stone Saturday evening at a dinner. How cool is that?; 2/1/13, 1:05 PM
mccullough said...: Isn't this what got Michael Vick in trouble?; 2/1/13, 1:05 PM
Revenant said...: I am one of the few people in America, probably, who thinks of Stone mainly as "the genius behind 'Conan the Barbarian'".; 2/1/13, 1:17 PM
Scott said...: A Twitter friend posed the following question:

"Q: If you could bring 3 people back to life (from the dead) and could hold a fabulous party for them, who would they be?"

My three would be Barry Goldwater, Frederick Douglass, and Geronimo.; 2/1/13, 1:22 PM
bleh said...: Did you hear? There was a suicide bomb attack at the US Embassy in Turkey. No word yet on if it was a spontaneous eruption of violence caused by a hateful YouTube video.; 2/1/13, 1:25 PM
Beta Rube said...: Too bad Hillary left today. She could visit Turkey with one of those ever useful "reset" buttons.; 2/1/13, 1:34 PM
Nichevo said...: That's funny, I was just wondering which one would blow the other up, stone or garage.; 2/1/13, 1:34 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Three people?

That's hard. I started to put down three, then realized that I'd like to talk to them individually but not necessarily together. Hmmm...; 2/1/13, 1:37 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Scott, good party question.

Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and Louis Armstrong.

That's an American list. They're all good conversationalists, and they could understand each other, and I them. If we all had babel fish, I might go with Muhammad, Jesus, and, uh, Milton Friedman.; 2/1/13, 1:37 PM
Beta Rube said...: Ask Oliver if he's going to reduce his cash and other holdings to subsistence levels since he is an adherent of the "each according to his needs" stuff.

Or does he just mean the rest of us?; 2/1/13, 1:38 PM
bagoh20 said...: "My three would be"

Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Elizabeth Montgomery; 2/1/13, 1:39 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Q: If you could bring 3 people back to life (from the dead) and could hold a fabulous party for them, who would they be?""

Don't you have to think about whether these people are going to get along with each other? Also: Are they the sort of people who will react well to getting resurrected for the purpose of attending some guy's party? Better pick someone who really loves to party and lives for the day. Otherwise you could have a really awful time with a confused and horribly grouchy person who cannot deal with the situation. I'd be terrified of any of these people being angry at me or grief-stricken. After the party's over do they get re-consigned to the grave? Do they realize that during the party?

See, this is why I don't throw parties. Too many unknowns. Too much potential for unpleasantness. And you're responsible for it all.; 2/1/13, 1:41 PM
Beta Rube said...: I would love to be driving along with a great and long dead composer in a posh vehicle with a great sound system while one of their masterworks was playing.

Mozart and Symphony 41, etc.

Yes, I have thought about this.; 2/1/13, 1:41 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Professor, don't be silly. You throw several parties every day!; 2/1/13, 1:42 PM
Baron Zemo said...: John Wayne, Teddy Roosevelt and Lucky Luciano.; 2/1/13, 1:44 PM
X said...: Marx, Hitler, and Stalin

After the party's over do they get re-consigned to the grave? Do they realize that during the party?

yes and yes.; 2/1/13, 1:48 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: If I'm having a party of the dead, C.S. Lewis is essential. So I'm trying to think of who complements him well. Tempted to go with friends of his under the assumption that a good group dynamic would already be in place. You don't want to bring three brilliant strangers together so that they spend the whole evening on introductory niceities.

I think you have to exclude the issue of their thoughts of coming back to this life entirely to make the exercise possible. Otherwise, I wouldn't bring back anybody.; 2/1/13, 1:49 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I'm only looking at relatively recently dead people. There's more information about their personalities.; 2/1/13, 1:51 PM
traditionalguy said...: Three people from the dead for a party? Solomon, Lincoln, and Marilyn Monroe.

Tell them to live in the moment.

The Professor @1:41 finally over thinks one.; 2/1/13, 1:51 PM
edutcher said...: Elizabeth Montgomery???????

Another Feminist Who Turned Out To Be Daddy's Little Girl, or do you just hope her fixation with older men will rub off?

I'd probably go with Saki, Rudyard Kipling, and Lord Byron.

(I'm weird...)

garage mahal said...

I'm going to rub elbows with Oliver Stone Saturday evening at a dinner. How cool is that?

No offense, but I'd rather have an abscessed tooth pulled without anesthetic.

Revenant said...

I am one of the few people in America, probably, who thinks of Stone mainly as "the genius behind 'Conan the Barbarian'".

That's John Milius, I believe.

DNYC said...

Did you hear? There was a suicide bomb attack at the US Embassy in Turkey. No word yet on if it was a spontaneous eruption of violence caused by a hateful YouTube video.

Hmmm, third time in 4 months Zero and company have been caught with their pants down - didn't AQ tell us they were coming?

Where's our little buddy shilol to tell us how incompetent Dubya, Darth, Rummy, and Condi were?; 2/1/13, 1:52 PM
edutcher said...: PS Thank you, Madame. As I said at the time, I see this daily.; 2/1/13, 1:53 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I'd be looking for not only brilliance but good interpersonal skills and the ability to be tremendously insightful off the cuff. You've only got one night.; 2/1/13, 1:54 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Yeah, Freeman Hunt. Otherwise you'll have people chiming in with "the last three fetuses aborted in the third trimester" and "three cows from the slaughterhouse". I don't think the cows would make for good conversation, but I could be wrong.; 2/1/13, 1:54 PM
Scott said...: I'm not too much of a party thrower, but the ones I've thrown and been at that have a heterogeneous guest list have been very interesting.

It's less dangerous that one would expect, since everyone has something in common with the party thrower. You actually see different aspects of the host's personality based on who they invite -- internal conflicts and all. Interesting host, interesting guests.

For my answer, Barry Goldwater, Frederick Douglass, and Geronimo were all leaders in their spheres; and principled rebels. And they fought for natural law rights. They would all be interested in each other (except maybe Geronimo, but then again who knows?); 2/1/13, 1:55 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Cormac McCarthy's not dead. Can he go for coffee with me? I have a question for him.; 2/1/13, 1:56 PM
Scott said...: I think Goldwater and Geronimo are probably fast friends in Heaven.; 2/1/13, 1:57 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Okay, I got my second one: Pascal. Not recently dead, but a perfect fit, I think. And I have plenty to ask him about.

Scott, I think your guests would get along well too.; 2/1/13, 2:04 PM
edutcher said...: Geronimo was a "principled rebel"?

Good luck on that one.

And I've always thought Goldwater sold out toward the end of his life.; 2/1/13, 2:09 PM
Nichevo said...: Lord Nelson for one.; 2/1/13, 2:13 PM
bagoh20 said...: "Elizabeth Montgomery???????

Another Feminist Who Turned Out To Be Daddy's Little Girl, or do you just hope her fixation with older men will rub off?"

I've been waiting to ask her to marry me since I was a kid. Just wondering what she would have said. And hey, I'm a younger man to her, but she could fix all that with her powers. The twin cousin was a cool bonus that I was hoping to work in somehow.

The other two, Cleopatra and Helen are much more valuable guests than anyone recent, since nobody knows what they looked like, sounded like or thought. Almost everything you learn from them would be new and they knew some of the greatest names in history intimately at crucial points in time...and the word on the street is that they were hot.; 2/1/13, 2:19 PM
bagoh20 said...: Somebody else I'd like to have dinner with is my Dad.; 2/1/13, 2:20 PM
Lydia said...: Virginia Woolf, Golda Meir, and Jackie Kennedy.

They'd talk all night about ...

But they all chain-smoked, so there's that.; 2/1/13, 2:33 PM
edutcher said...: You might want Theodosia instead of Samantha, bag, I hear she was a fun date.

As to Dad, I can dig it.

FWIW, looks like Zero and the Ice Queen blinked on the HHS mandate.

I'm guessing the news the "cheap" ObamaTax plan would cost 20Gs had something to do with it.; 2/1/13, 2:35 PM
Sorun said...: They'll want go outside, look at photos and TV, hear about what happened in the world. They're not going to sit still and answer questions about their work.

I like Bag's list best, except for EM. Three ultra-alpha females would be the most exciting (dramatic).; 2/1/13, 2:46 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Sorun, I'm assuming they're already privy to our advancements and conditions.; 2/1/13, 2:48 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Someone tell me about Boulder.; 2/1/13, 2:49 PM
Revenant said...: That's John Milius, I believe.

Well, Stone wrote the original screenplay. Milius did heavy rewrites on it.; 2/1/13, 2:51 PM
Unknown said...: Great work Chip!; 2/1/13, 2:54 PM
edutcher said...: Something I did not know.; 2/1/13, 3:01 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: (Before someone assumes the wrong thing, I'm not into Lewis's children's books.); 2/1/13, 3:05 PM
ricpic said...: Oscar Wilde, Samuel Johnson and Montaigne (assuming the language barrier could be bridged for this one get-together). Three very different temperaments but each, in his own way, humane. There would be witty things said, gruff exchanges between Wilde and Johnson which Montaigne would happily referee because "It is good to rub and polish our brain against others."; 2/1/13, 3:10 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Professor, don't be silly. You throw several parties every day!"

But if all of us were in the same room... I wouldn't want to be responsible for the awkwardness, the violence, the despair, the.... unknowns.

If you want to be with these famous dead heroes and genius in the abstract, you need only read/listen to/look at their work. Mozart is there in the car with you in the best possible way. You don't really want him in the car. He would kvetch something awful. Pull over, he's gotta pee. He's appalled by your driving...; 2/1/13, 3:31 PM
Patrick said...: I'm going to rub elbows with Oliver Stone Saturday evening at a dinner. How cool is that?

How does one swing that? I doubt I'd like him (though who knows?), but I'm pretty sure he'd be interesting.; 2/1/13, 3:31 PM
Patrick said...: "My three would be"

If Samuel Johnson were there, I'd ignore everyone else. Unless maybe if Jesus showed up or something. And Audrey Hepburn.; 2/1/13, 3:43 PM
President-Mom-Jeans said...: Manboobs Mahal said:

"I'm going to rub elbows with Oliver Stone Saturday evening at a dinner. How cool is that?"

Ask him how long before his butt buddy Chavez really gets to smell the sulpher. Or my condolences that this has already occurred.; 2/1/13, 3:53 PM
Sorun said...: "You don't really want him in the car. He would kvetch something awful."

Of course he would. He's never done anything close to 60 mph before, and a woman is driving!; 2/1/13, 4:00 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: "Unless maybe if Jesus showed up or something. "

Not eligible. He's alive.; 2/1/13, 4:16 PM
Palladian said...: Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci & William Shakespeare.; 2/1/13, 4:26 PM
Ann Althouse said...: People, don't invite zombies into the house.; 2/1/13, 4:31 PM
garage mahal said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/1/13, 4:33 PM
garage mahal said...: How does one swing that? I doubt I'd like him (though who knows?), but I'm pretty sure he'd be interesting.

Got free tickets as a gift. The Progressive is hosting it. Stone is speaking at the Barrymore after the dinner.

Oh, I'll be sure to ask the question from our 12 yr old child about Chavez. I'm sure Stone will be mightily impressed. Such depth!; 2/1/13, 4:35 PM
Baron Zemo said...: Ask him why he was afraid to show that it was just the Mafia that killed JFK because the Kennedy's reneged on the deal that the old man made with the Dons.

LBJ and CIA and Cubans had nothing to with it.

It was a straight out hit ordered by Carlos and Santo.; 2/1/13, 4:50 PM
Baron Zemo said...: Ask him why he was afraid to show that it was just the Mafia that killed JFK because the Kennedy's reneged on the deal that the old man made with the Dons.

LBJ and CIA and Cubans had nothing to with it.

It was a straight out hit ordered by Carlos and Santo.; 2/1/13, 4:54 PM
SteveR said...: I would invite my parents since I have much to ask them. I suppose I could satisfy some intellectual curiosity with a Lincoln or Einstein but I'd like to tell my parents that I love them. If you feel that way and still can, do it.; 2/1/13, 5:05 PM
garage mahal said...: @Baron
I think I'll be sitting at the same table with Stone. If I do get a direct question to him I need it to be concise, snappy, and to the point.; 2/1/13, 5:08 PM
Patrick said...: "Unless maybe if Jesus showed up or something. "

Not eligible. He's alive.

Good point, Freeman. So, I get another choice.

I'd choose my grandfather. Either of them really (they both died before I arrived), but today I was thinking maternal. The reason is, I spoke with my cousin for the first time in over 25 years today. We've never really been estranged, but our parents were, and my cousin never lived locally, but we were close for a time in high school. His father died last year, and I sent him a note. He called today, and it was the nicest feeling. Our parents weren't able to overcome their problems (whatever they were) before his dad died) but I'm happy that whatever they were won't spill into my generation. We spoke a bit about our grandfather (neither of us met him) and will likely see each other this spring.

I'm happy about this. Have a good weekend everyone.; 2/1/13, 5:11 PM
Patrick said...: I think I'll be sitting at the same table with Stone. If I do get a direct question to him I need it to be concise, snappy, and to the point.

Wow, there's some pressure there not screw it up with your one chance. Choose carefully!; 2/1/13, 5:12 PM
garage mahal said...: @Patrick
He's in town to talk about his series Untold History of the United States. We'll see how it goes.; 2/1/13, 5:25 PM
Baron Zemo said...: Ask him if he is ever going to do another football movie and will it be about the Packers?

He can have Chris Colfer play Aaron Rodgers.

Perfect!; 2/1/13, 5:57 PM
Unknown said...: Whatever he puts on his series will likely be, as his "historical" movies are, untold up to that point, because he just made it up.; 2/1/13, 7:25 PM
ken in tx said...: Hunt! How about C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Heinlein?; 2/1/13, 8:45 PM
kentuckyliz said...: If I name a living person, does that mean they die after the party?

Please?; 2/1/13, 9:50 PM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Mark Twain, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Laurie Colwyn.; 2/1/13, 10:37 PM
AlanKH said...: Q: If you could bring 3 people back to life (from the dead) and could hold a fabulous party for them, who would they be?

I'd pick three cultural icons of my formative years: Johnny Carson, James Doohan, Lois Maxwell.

Or for a more philosophical evening: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Colson.

Or the gee-I-wonder-how-I'd-do-as-a-group-therapist scenario: Rodney King, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse.; 2/2/13, 1:31 PM