Althouse: At the Tree Shade Café...

May 20, 2013

At the Tree Shade Café...

Untitled

... come in here and talk.

106 comments:

Nonapod said...: I found this quote about Julian Assange interesting as I think it explains mindsets of certain people with a lot of power.

I don't know about worse, but he begins to assume the same kind of characteristics. His organization becomes increasingly secretive and paranoid. Instead of speaking truth to power, he begins to speak lies to power. He begins to take his supporters and force them to embrace conspiratorial lies about the whole Swedish episode.

So suddenly, he becomes a character who is not a crusader for truth. Rather, he's somebody who believes that because he's good, he's permitted to do bad.; 5/20/13, 9:54 AM
AllenS said...: From last night's Chinese fortune cookie:

Common sense is instinct.

Enough of it is genius.

Lucky Numbers 55, 30, 41, 56, 10, 9

Good luck!; 5/20/13, 9:55 AM
edutcher said...: Thank you for that pic, Madame.

55 years ago, stretched out on the little hill in front of my Aunt Claribel's house, looking up through the trees at the sky, just enjoying a summer day.

Good times, good times.; 5/20/13, 10:01 AM
lemondog said...: What is that hovering waaaaaay up there.....is it a ....drone?
Council debates banning drones from Evanston's skies

O brother......instead of concerning ourselves with economic realities, we now have to debate drones.; 5/20/13, 10:01 AM
edutcher said...: Oh, cool.

Now there's a report DOJ was spying on Fox reporter James Rosen - not only seizing phone records, but emails, and shadowing him.

I know, he's Fox, but some of the other journolists that may have had impure thoughts must be getting nervous.; 5/20/13, 10:04 AM
gerry said...: Professor Althouse, you know you can't really be chic until your phone is tapped. Is it tapped yet?; 5/20/13, 10:05 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Nobody giving Althouse grief over the continuous umbrella imagery?

I have to do everything myself.; 5/20/13, 10:40 AM
Anonymous said...: Nobody giving Althouse grief over the continuous umbrella imagery?

I figure if it wasn't the umbrellas it'd probably be Dylan. I'm counting my blessings.; 5/20/13, 11:05 AM
sakredkow said...: Great. Now I'm hearing Dylan covering Rihanna's umbrella song in my head.; 5/20/13, 11:18 AM
MadisonMan said...: Nice to see the leaves come out!; 5/20/13, 11:27 AM
ad hoc said...: Nonapod said - "So suddenly, he becomes a character who is not a crusader for truth. Rather, he's somebody who believes that because he's good, he's permitted to do bad.

There may not even be a conscious understanding that his actions are bad because he is good and his intentions are good.

And good intentions pave a well-known road to a well-known destination, but that's been covered in an earlier post.; 5/20/13, 11:30 AM
traditionalguy said...: That's a great tree. But we saw some monster oaks in the mountains this weekend.; 5/20/13, 11:39 AM
Christy said...: Anyone remember the Tom Baker era episode with the handsome Prince who was really an automaton controlled by "advisors" back in the palace? It springs to mind more frequently these days.; 5/20/13, 12:02 PM
Bob Ellison said...: ad hoc said, "There may not even be a conscious understanding that his actions are bad because he is good and his intentions are good."

That is a keen observation. I've heard people say things like "it's not about what the facts are; it's about how I feel about them".; 5/20/13, 12:13 PM
wildswan said...: What the King said which led to Thomas a Beckett's murder: "Will no rid me of this meddling priest?" And when several someones did rid the King of Thomas a Beckett by murdering him in Canterbury Cathedral the King repudiated them, said they should have known better than to listen to things said in anger, out them on trial, exiled them all.
The White House today is saying no one here did anything. Soon Lois Lerner will out of her job, disgraced, wandering among courtrooms like OJ Simpson even if she doesn't go to jail. And why her? Why not? She should have known better then to listen to someone shouting, "Will no one rid me of this meddling Tea Party?" She should have said: "That's wrong." Or at least:"It won't be me that does it, I'm not going to join the pile under the Obama bus."; 5/20/13, 12:14 PM
wildswan said...: "Will no one rid me of this meddling priest"; 5/20/13, 12:16 PM
rhhardin said...: Shorts and leg hairs (nature's force multipliers) protect you from ticks.

You can feel them as they try to migrate.; 5/20/13, 12:25 PM
Big Mike said...: In "Saving Private Ryan" describes a girl as having fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

I've always wondered what the ugly tree looks like. Now I know.; 5/20/13, 12:28 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: That's a bitchin' shot of a cool old tree. Nice work, Meade.

I'll be back to see what Chip does with it. Maybe a squirrel?; 5/20/13, 12:32 PM
Methadras said...: The utter tone deafness on the leftist screed machine comment section of WaPo on a Hillary staffer exodus to why she would make a good president is astounding:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/four-key-hillary-clinton-staffers-from-2008-unlikely-to-sign-on-for-2016-bid/2013/05/19/c9e43908-be4a-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html; 5/20/13, 12:36 PM
m stone said...: I thoroughly enjoyed Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby film maybe especially after the professor's Fitzgerald sentence project.

Nice to cut through some of the book's prose and be visually engaged.
A really slick production that captured the era well. The producers took a few liberties with the story line, but forgivable to me.; 5/20/13, 12:38 PM
rhhardin said...: Trick to killing ticks.

Transport them to a concrete surface, then scrape them with shoe.

They're impervious to every other method.; 5/20/13, 12:41 PM
Roger J. said...: rhhardin--had to collect ticks for a public health project in eastern WA--dropping in them in a small bottle of alcohol works well--they walk around for a bit, but they are dead in a matter of minutes.; 5/20/13, 12:45 PM
rhhardin said...: Plants rise in the direction of the sun and then collapse in the direction of the ground.

Bataille; 5/20/13, 12:53 PM
caplight45 said...: The Lord's Prayer *

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

(Taken from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 1662).

*This prayer has been approved by the United States Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, for use in organizations which qualify for 501(c)(4) status and may not be altered without approval of the IRS Office of Liturgy. Failure to comply may result in civil or criminal penalties and/or political harassment.; 5/20/13, 12:58 PM
Patrick said...: "Will no one rid me of this meddling priest"

At least Henry II eventually wore a hairshirt.; 5/20/13, 1:00 PM
Anonymous said...: The IRS deliberately exposed it's targeting of tea party groups in order to scare off donors to conservative groups. Now they are afraid to give lest they get audited, so the next elections will be run at even greater advantage for the Dems.

"That's a nice life you have there, be a shame if something was to happen to it."

Thanks to all of you who voted for Obama. Hope you're proud of yourselves. Go hang your heads in shame.; 5/20/13, 1:01 PM
rhhardin said...: All the Wheeling WV coal mines are working afternoon shift today, which is unusual.

WWVA announces the daily schedule at 2pm in Limbaugh.; 5/20/13, 1:01 PM
rhhardin said...: You can avoid fear of the IRS by taking the standard deduction.; 5/20/13, 1:02 PM
rhhardin said...: There have been only two ticks on the dog this year. There were more than that on me, a byproduct of longer grass lawn scything I'd guess.

I've replaced short infrequent cuts (which require getting rid of the clipping piles) with regular longer cuts (which don't), which also seem to look better and get you outside for work breaks at pleasant intervals.; 5/20/13, 1:06 PM
Anonymous said...: Lem said...
"Nobody giving Althouse grief over the continuous umbrella imagery?"

Nope, because the umbrella stuff started as white noise designed to wash out the real scandals. Sooner it goes away and we get attention on the danger we face, the better.

Besides, I like a lot of Ann's explorations of words and symbols.; 5/20/13, 1:07 PM
Methadras said...: Anyone who says that the left isn't aligned with islam is a fool.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168146#.UZo6yj7DVoZ; 5/20/13, 1:09 PM
caplight45 said...: When Andrea Mitchell on her MSNBC show today refers to James Rosen as, "Our colleague over at the State Department who reports for Fox News," it's SJGR for the White House.; 5/20/13, 1:10 PM
edutcher said...: Well, now it isn't an adjunct scandal.

It's full-blown (yeah...).

James rosen wasn't the only one. William LaJeunesse and Fox producer also targeted by DOJ, according to an enraged Megyn Kelly (and she's a real lawyer).

These abuses of the First Amendment wouldn’t be happening if we had a constitutional law professor as president. I can think of someone who could step into the breach.

Just imagine Bloggingheads with the likes of Dingy Harry, Pelosi Galore, Chuckie Schumer, and Al Franken.; 5/20/13, 1:15 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Andrea Mitchell is queen of the pro-democrat media hacks.; 5/20/13, 1:15 PM
caplight45 said...: AprilApple said...
"Andrea Mitchell is queen of the pro-democrat media hacks."

That's the point. She is testifying against personal interest.; 5/20/13, 1:24 PM
Sorun said...: "These abuses of the First Amendment wouldn’t be happening if we had a constitutional law professor as president."

I would've guessed a former CIA director would be the least likely to respect free speech rights, but it turns out it's the constitutional law professor.; 5/20/13, 1:30 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: A corrupt IRS might be simpler to deal with... look at bright side.; 5/20/13, 1:35 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: "You can avoid fear of the IRS by taking the standard deduction."

I've never been audited. I'm sure it is very inconvenient.

However, I am curious. Why are people afraid to be audited? Is it just that inconvenient? (I could see that. What a pain.) Or do people not keep their records? Or are people afraid the IRS will take extra money? Or are people commonly dodging taxes and afraid they'll get caught?

Someone with knowledge explain this to me.; 5/20/13, 1:36 PM
caplight45 said...: rhhardin said...
"Trick to killing ticks.

Transport them to a concrete surface, then scrape them with shoe.

They're impervious to every other method."

Growing up in the well forested Mid-Atlantic as kids ticks were an almost daily occurrence in the summer time. We used to like to burn them with a wooden match. They kind of sizzled and then curled up.

A few months ago Neal Cavuto did an interview with Daryl Hall part of which dealt with Hall's having contracted several tick borne pathogens including Lyme Disease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wwY26RIWSpU#!

If I knew how to make a hot link I would. Sorry.; 5/20/13, 1:37 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: When I picture being audited, I picture an IRS agent showing up, telling me I'll be audited, and me rolling my eyes and handing the guy a box of records. I take it that's not how it works.; 5/20/13, 1:37 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: We used to seal ticks in a jar. I don't remember why.; 5/20/13, 1:38 PM
Cody Jarrett said...: A more fun way to kill ticks is to gather up a few and put them in the body of one's dump truck. The steel gets pretty hot in the sun. They cook to death over about a minute, it's a satisfying end.

Yes, probable evil, but we're talking about some of the most foul creatures on the planet, only behind extreme lefties and muzzies.; 5/20/13, 1:39 PM
Cody Jarrett said...: I wonder what caplight thinks of his statement to the effect that "garage never lies" now that garage outed himself as a sort of parody account?

And I knew a guy who got audited. He showed up with two paper grocery bags of mixed receipts and such. Handed them over, said have a nice day.

The agents conferenced, handed him back his bags and said sorry to make you come in, have a nice day.

Then again, they hadn't invented the Tea Party yet so who knows.; 5/20/13, 1:41 PM
Chip S. said...: Is it a turbulent, troublesome, or meddling priest, or perhaps something else entirely?

Wiki says...

Upon hearing reports of Becket's actions, Henry is said to have uttered words that were interpreted by his men as wishing Becket killed. The king's exact words are in doubt and several versions have been reported. The most commonly quoted, as handed down by oral tradition, is "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?", but according to historian Simon Schama this is incorrect: he accepts the account of the contemporary biographer Edward Grim, writing in Latin, who gives us "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?" Many variations have found their way into popular culture.

IMO the Grim version's the most Obamalike.; 5/20/13, 1:42 PM
edutcher said...: So far, we've got 5 Cabinet departments involved in major scandals.

Benghazi - State, Defense

IRS - Justice, Treasury

Sibelius shakedown - HHS

Get ready to make it an even half dozen, Head of True The Vote harassed by, among others, OSHA.

So that's Labor.

Hilda, what did you know and when did you know it?; 5/20/13, 1:44 PM
Patrick said...: However, I am curious. Why are people afraid to be audited?

In addition to the reasons you cite, tax law is extremely complicated, and often boils down, at least initially to the interpretation of whichever IRS employee happens to audit your return. This requires you not only to prove with the proper paperwork that your deductions are supportable, but also to prove that your interpretation of the tax law is correct, not the IRS employee's.

Ask yourself, how many bureaucrats are willing to change their minds because of something a taxpayer says?; 5/20/13, 1:44 PM
caplight45 said...: Freeman, I have never been audited and I do have someone do my taxes as ministers have somewhat complicated deductions and income categories and my wife keeps very good books to boot. So I don't worry about it. t
Twice I was asked to provide more info on our charitable deductions which only required sending them photo copies that were already processed and stored.

The anxiety comes from knowing that some deductions are open to interpretation and you could be audited by an agent who has his own take on it. Also, the increasing practice of the gov't to treat honest mistakes as potential criminal activity.; 5/20/13, 1:45 PM
Nonapod said...: If I knew how to make a hot link I would. Sorry.

Using an "a" (anchor) like so:
<a href="
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wwY26RIWSpU#!">some text<>

Should end up like this
some text; 5/20/13, 1:46 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The idea of a total stranger looking and questioning a citizens personal records should give people pause.

Because if we allow ourselves to be comfortable with that, then they will just move in closer to question and scrutinize closer.; 5/20/13, 1:47 PM
caplight45 said...: CEO-MMP: Re: G.Mahal

What did I miss?; 5/20/13, 1:49 PM
caplight45 said...: CEO-MMP We saved the mass burnings for caterpillars. An old model, a little gas, and a small jar of the little critters.

That's not evil that called being a kid.; 5/20/13, 1:52 PM
Nonapod said...: I've heard of banana republic juntas that seemed less corrupt than Eric Holders Department of Justice.; 5/20/13, 1:57 PM
Clyde said...: I see a Tree of Liberty that needs to be refreshed.; 5/20/13, 1:59 PM
Chip S. said...: The administration has risen above party.

It's got Banana Republicans as well as Democrats at all levels.; 5/20/13, 2:01 PM
Clyde said...: Scandals are blowing up like a fire at a fireworks factory.

Somebody is going to get burned.; 5/20/13, 2:02 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If today they want 'prayer contents'... tomorrow could be anything.; 5/20/13, 2:03 PM
Clyde said...: Speaking of ticks...

Brad Paisley - Ticks (Live); 5/20/13, 2:09 PM
Anonymous said...: Lem said...
"If today they want 'prayer contents'... tomorrow could be anything."

If today they want prayer contents, there is no tomorrow.; 5/20/13, 2:23 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Health insurance rules. I just got the bills for my son's Kawasaki Disease treatment. I heart BCBS.; 5/20/13, 2:24 PM
Matt Sablan said...: So, apparently, some folks spied on a reporter. Those folks were from the government. The First Amendment: How does it work?; 5/20/13, 2:27 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: The press should be horribly ashamed, groveling in the dust before the people. These scandals only reached this critical mass because the press spent the last several years acting like school girls at a boy band concert when it came to Obama. If we'd had a press, these bureaucrats would never have dared to overstep so egregiously. What a bunch of pathetic party men so many reportes were.

Repent and report!; 5/20/13, 2:33 PM
yashu said...: So, apparently, some folks spied on a reporter.

Make that three reporters.

And they were named by the DOJ as "criminal co-conspirators"-- which means they had no idea-- did not have to be informed-- they were the target of a probe, hence had no recourse to plead their case in court.

Mind-boggling.; 5/20/13, 2:38 PM
yashu said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/20/13, 2:39 PM
Sharc said...: I've been expecting the professor to give us her thoughts on the use of "chilling" throughout coverage of the AP and Fox investigation scandals. ConLaw and particularly First Amendment cases focus on the chilling effect -- i.e., dissuasion by invoking fear of prosecution -- of coercive government action. But many commenters, apparently aware of the talking points but not the legal context, keep saying that such government heavy-handedness is "really chilling," as in just scary. Both are true, I guess, but it gives away the stage directions when used improperly.; 5/20/13, 2:40 PM
Aridog said...: caplight45 said...

Also, the increasing practice of the gov't to treat honest mistakes as potential criminal activity.

It's increasing? In my experience it has always been a tactic Revenue Officers use, usually low key but obvious. You have a choice, admit inadvertent error (civil issue) or be subject to potential intentional deception (criminal error). It can dissuade you from debating a position the Officer has taken unless you have rock solid evidence of your position. Fortunately every Revenue Officer I dealt with over the years was honest and ethical.

I think @edutcher can confirm my interpretation, or correct me if I am misinterpreting.; 5/20/13, 2:45 PM
Kirby Olson said...: There's a funny piece in The New Yorker of all places about Obama and his denial of any role in the Federal Government:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/05/obama-denies-role-in-government.html; 5/20/13, 2:54 PM
Almost Ali said...: All questions (and answers) concerning the IRS are by nature naive. In the extreme.; 5/20/13, 3:00 PM
Birches said...: Yeah, I want to hear about Garage. Do tell.; 5/20/13, 3:07 PM
Michael K said...: "However, I am curious. Why are people afraid to be audited? Is it just that inconvenient?"

Many years ago, I was audited after taking a deduction for a land slippage that almost took my house over a 200 foot cliff. I got a letter from the IRS telling me I owed $100,000. I turned it over to my accountant and a year later got a letter telling me I owed zero. I was going to frame them side by side.

The same thing happened a year ago with a letter saying I owed $60,000. I got one a few months later also saying I owed zero. I never meet with the IRS agent. Too emotional.

What is really odd about this story and the Van der Sloot story, is that the IRS insisted on talking to them personally. I guess that was to intimidate them and really look scary. Sort of like the NKVD.; 5/20/13, 3:08 PM
Bob Ellison said...: This guy Andrew Napolitano on Fox is impressive. His voice and look imply that he's not that sharp, but he's a concise speaker and a good explainer of legal matters to us layfolks.; 5/20/13, 3:10 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Why are people afraid to be audited? Is it just that inconvenient? (I could see that. What a pain.) Or do people not keep their records? Or are people afraid the IRS will take extra money? Or are people commonly dodging taxes and afraid they'll get caught?

Speaking as a person who owns and operates a business and who was called in for an audit....

1. It is expensive. If you have to hire your CPA to attend or even worse your attorney.

2. It takes time away from your work. Gathering all the possible materials and supporting documentation that you need.

3. Even the most scrupulous record keeper and honest tax payer can make an inadvertent mistake. Did you use the wrong schedule for depreciation for that particular piece of equipment?

4. Once the IRS has you stuck like a bug on a pin, they can go into anything and everything you have done. Spend too much on travel? Were those business trips really necessary???? Did you really need all those items for your office? Did you use some of that toilet paper in your own home? Hmmmmm??? Did you ever use your internet connection to play a game, send a non business email? Deduction DENIED!!!!!! The minutia that they will get into is endless and no one can possibly keep all the supporting documentation.

5. Extra money. Hell yeah....that is a concern. As a business, you try to maximize your deductions against income to pay a lesser amount of taxes. You know....try to keep some of your own money. You aren't cheating. Any smart business person knows how much they should and can deduct. You are stupid if you are trying to cheat the IRS. However, the IRS will find a way to deny you any legal deductions and THEN you are subject to not only having to cough up thousands of dollars, you are also subject arbitrary penalties.

6. Once they have you in the audit, you are now at the mercy of some psychopathic sadistic petty bureaucrat who may be mad with power. Maybe it is a womyn who has a grudge against men in general? A man who couldn't get laid last year and is still pissed off at women. You are the target of someone else's power mad ambitions. Bwahahahahaha!!!!!

You can't fight back. You have NO RECOURSE. All you want to do is to get back to your work, your life and normalcy. Fat chance.

Our audit actually went quite well and we didn't need to pay anything else. Too long of a story to go into but..... I overwhelmed them with data, papers, facts and was prepared.; 5/20/13, 3:19 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Oh man, this tree reminds me of a horror of nature I witnessed from the main window of my last apartment. Except the tree is an old pine tree and a new baby bird is on one of the branches.

Things like this make you want to go out there and help it. I was watching it from the fourth floor.

A black bird alights on the branch, not to help the baby bird but rather to harass it. peck peck peck trying to kill it. The assault was vicious pecking at it to the next branch, then the next, the next branch, and so on down to the dirt where the adult bird killed the infant.

With all the hazards in the world for birds, right there, squirrels, cats, and I even saw a fox reconnoitering in the mornings, it seems against nature to go through that gauntlet and the worst enemy turns out to be one of its own kind. Why did it do that? It reminded me of people.

Beware, those trees are called shady for good reason.; 5/20/13, 3:25 PM
gerry said...: Blackbirds prey on baby birds.

Its a living.; 5/20/13, 3:27 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Help! A catbird face is haunting me, haunting me, I'm seein' it all over the place.; 5/20/13, 3:37 PM
edutcher said...: Bob Ellison said...

This guy Andrew Napolitano on Fox is impressive. His voice and look imply that he's not that sharp, but he's a concise speaker and a good explainer of legal matters to us layfolks.

That Napolitano came up the hard way (he's from Joisey, after all) and, yes, he knows his stuff.

Aridog said...

Also, the increasing practice of the gov't to treat honest mistakes as potential criminal activity.

It's increasing? In my experience it has always been a tactic Revenue Officers use, usually low key but obvious. You have a choice, admit inadvertent error (civil issue) or be subject to potential intentional deception (criminal error). It can dissuade you from debating a position the Officer has taken unless you have rock solid evidence of your position. Fortunately every Revenue Officer I dealt with over the years was honest and ethical.

I think @edutcher can confirm my interpretation, or correct me if I am misinterpreting.

IRS abuses have been going on for a long time. In the late 60s, there was a bill to address some of them, but it's become too much of a political tool since then as far as audits are concerned.

Technically, your best bet is, if there's a problem, to ask to see a Problem Resolution Officer. They want money (usually) more than they want you. If you haven't got the wherewithal, they'll be willing to do a settlement (those tax outfits you see on TV).

If, however, they think you're trying to pull a fast one, you're in real trouble. Tax Court is not like other courts and it once was you were guilty until proven innocent. Whether that's still true, I don't know, but you do not have the same rights in Tax Court as elsewhere.

Unless you have real clout and access to the media, you do not want to get in tax trouble.

I don't know if that jibes with Ari's view or not, but my contact when I worked for the Feds was that, like the Army, no matter how bad it sounds, tell the truth the first time. We had an auditor in our unit for a time. Nice lady, but straight arrow (in the good sense) who knew the rules.; 5/20/13, 3:41 PM
edutcher said...: Chip Ahoy said...

Help! A catbird face is haunting me, haunting me, I'm seein' it all over the place

I feel a GIF coming on :); 5/20/13, 3:43 PM
Beta Rube said...: Thank you nonapod. That was my first hyperlink. I'm a little weepy now.; 5/20/13, 3:47 PM
edutcher said...: Too cute for words, Chuckie Schumer refers to RINOs supporting AmnestyCare as "our Republicans".

Not unlike Heydrich referring to the people in Prague as "my Czechs".; 5/20/13, 3:54 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Repent and report!

Washington Post priorities.

White House knew of IRS targeting in late April, official says

352 words story.

----
Four key Hillary Clinton staffers from 2008 unlikely to sign on for 2016 bid

3,117 words story.

A small sample of what we are dealing with.; 5/20/13, 4:00 PM
Unknown said...: Beta Rube
I felt the same way my first time. It made me feel like one of the cool kids.; 5/20/13, 4:11 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Journalism is dead.

Please don't hold out hope the pro-democrat hack media will become self-aware and change its stripes.
Won't happen.

Like sociopaths, the pro-democrat hack media are manipulative, conning, and have a grandiose sense of self. The pro-democrat hacks in the media lack remorse or guilt... They have shallow emotions, are callous, and lack empathy. They are unreliable and parasitic.

The pro-democrat media are guided by a corrupt self-righteous reward system.
They are blinded by their own propaganda and bathe gloriously their own Kool-Aid... and they like it.; 5/20/13, 4:21 PM
KCFleming said...: Looks like Meade has been watching Terrence Malick movies.; 5/20/13, 4:21 PM
Bob Ellison said...: RE: catbirds haunting, the IRS attacking, and all that-- it seems to me that the correct response is to punch back twice as hard. That takes money and time, but it might be worth it. This is the moment in which the populace will not abide politically-based attacks from the government. If I'm attacked, I'm going to invest in destroying the attack.

I don't expect an attack, though, because I'm just some guy. Much worse to be someone important who might actually threaten political power. Even worse to be an honest broker who has black marks in his/her past.; 5/20/13, 4:21 PM
rhhardin said...: Startlings and Grackles go from birdhouse to birdhouse in quick order looking for protein in the spring. The first brood of house sparrows goes to feed other birds.

After bug protein is plentiful that predation dies down.

Grackles, inexplicitly, also decapitate adult house sparrows for no reason. You find the bodies but no heads around.; 5/20/13, 4:28 PM
Aridog said...: Chip Ahoy said ...

Beware, those trees are called shady for good reason.

Did you intentionally use the
banded krait of Vietnam War urban legend...aka one of a few called "2-step-charlie" in some circles?; 5/20/13, 4:29 PM
Aridog said...: edutcher said ...

I don't know if that jibes with Ari's view or not, ...

Yes, it does, pretty much.; 5/20/13, 4:39 PM
caplight45 said...: Let's keep our eye on the ball folks. There are maybe 75 children trapped in a school after a tornado this afternoon. Neighborhoods leveled. people missing etc.; 5/20/13, 4:45 PM
Ralph L said...: I see a Tree of Liberty that needs to be refreshed.
I believe Jefferson used "manured". Unfortunately, the BS from the Obama Administration won't work.; 5/20/13, 4:50 PM
David said...: That tree has grown too large. It's shadow is too big. It's taking sunlight and water from the other trees. Prune it. Prune it hard. In fact maybe cut it down and make it into plywood. Then the other little trees will have justice. Then they might grow. If they dare.; 5/20/13, 5:02 PM
David said...: Freeman, it depends on what kind of "audit" you get.

Some audits are done purely by correspondence, asking you to document an item of a few items. Some--the so called Field Audit--require going over every item in your return. If nothing else, this is seriously time consuming and anxiety producing. Then there are the "compliance" audits, supposedly random audits which the IRS supposedly uses for statistical purposes, which require documentation of every assertion you make.

Married? Show us the marriage certificate?

Children? Let's see the birth certificates?

Proof of age.

If (for example) you claim travel business expense, every receipt of all travel.

Information documenting all of your spending and all of your bank accounts, to see if your spending and cash flow match your claimed income.

Etc, etc, etc.

It can be highly intrusive.

It's also ineffective. Except for people w hose income comes from sources subject to reporting and withholding, there is massive tax cheating. A huge cash economy exists, that never gets on the books. It's hard to quantify, but it's possible that the revenue loss from this is equal to the so called cheating and shelters that higher income taxpayers engage in.; 5/20/13, 5:16 PM
PoNyman said...: Looks like one of the Volokh boys and commenters got caught in the Scalia Vortex.; 5/20/13, 5:30 PM
Rusty said...: CEO-MMP said...
I wonder what caplight thinks of his statement to the effect that "garage never lies" now that garage outed himself as a sort of parody account?

Garage had openly said that a lie in service of his political philosophy is perfectly acceptable.
He would rather lie than tell the truth.; 5/20/13, 5:30 PM
yashu said...: Ray Manzarek, RIP.; 5/20/13, 5:35 PM
rhhardin said...: Speaking of yahoo f'ing up everything it touches, take a look at flickr now.; 5/20/13, 5:37 PM
Baron Zemo said...: Garage doesn't lie. He just lives in a fantasy world.

You know a world where the Packers are going to win the Super Bowl.

Poor guy. Give him a break.; 5/20/13, 5:41 PM
Meade said...: Chip scared me .5 to death.; 5/20/13, 5:45 PM
Matt said...: Great photo!; 5/20/13, 5:47 PM
rhhardin said...: There are huge positive reviews for flickr's new look in the news, apparently all written by flickr.

The feedback section of flickr is full of bile, by contrast.

I wonder if they'll ever meet.; 5/20/13, 6:16 PM
Lydia said...: "You can avoid fear of the IRS by taking the standard deduction."

In other words, keep your heads down, proles, and all will be well.; 5/20/13, 6:45 PM
rhhardin said...: Dog food transport video by bike, return trip from the store.; 5/20/13, 7:01 PM
rhhardin said...: Make the window small and the video runs better. Not everybody has a gigabyte line.; 5/20/13, 7:03 PM
Palladian said...: Dear God, rhhardin, you're right.

I just got an email from flickr that says "Smile!"...

Smile! We fucked up the website real good!; 5/20/13, 7:32 PM
rhhardin said...: For the moment you can get back to something similar to the old view by appending ?details=1, as in

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhhardin/?details=1; 5/20/13, 8:09 PM
Palladian said...: Thanks rhhardin.

I like how it says you have 0 photos at the top right.

Great programming, nearly as good as the new design aesthetic.; 5/20/13, 8:12 PM
Almost Ali said...: It looks like Flickr simply copied/incorporated Blogspot's "Mosaic" option/feature. But by force. Like something the IRS would do, you know, without Barry's knowledge.

Btw, I liked the answers to Freeman's question - but my point, if any, is to inoculate yourself against an audit in the first place, you know, like Barry did with the presidency. Sort of like an invisibility shield.; 5/20/13, 9:48 PM

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