Althouse: At the Twisted Café...

July 21, 2016

At the Twisted Café...

... you can talk about anything.

27 comments:

mccullough said...: Really bummed that Clayton Kershaw is injured. He is an amazing pitcher to watch.; 7/21/16, 11:36 AM
Deb said...: I've wanted a new camera for sometime and the photos taken with this Panasonic make the think this is the one I should get.; 7/21/16, 11:41 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: The original compact fluorescent bulb; 7/21/16, 11:54 AM
traditionalguy said...: Scott Walker did well speaking at the RNC as a team player. I always liked him for being a fearless nerd. Fearlessness is the key. That Badger has guts.; 7/21/16, 12:04 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: It's hard to resist talking about politics, 'tis the political season. But resist, I will.

Was in Austin Texas last week for work. Great place. Hot. Drank some Lone Star Beer, which even the locals there spurned, Oh Well, I figger I don't get to Texas very much, so when i go, I only drink "Lone Star." Mmmmmm.

The people in Austin are simply friendlier than the folks on the West Coast. People make eye contact, want to chat you up, and put out a nice vibe. I like the place.; 7/21/16, 12:56 PM
Unknown said...: looks like cherry wrapped in bacon.; 7/21/16, 1:02 PM
jacksonjay said...: The locals in Austin think they're too good for Lone Star Beer! High falutin, "craft beer", egghead, techie types! Real Texans still like LSB brewed now by PBR! I like PBR, too!

Irises bloomin (or twistin) in late July? Ours bloom in February/March!; 7/21/16, 1:16 PM
Sebastian said...: Haley-Haslem in '20?; 7/21/16, 1:52 PM
n said...: Can I get an ID on that spectacular plant? The photo is a wonder. I assume the gossamer threads are from a spider. A floral version of Titian's The Three Ages of Man? We all end, twisted.; 7/21/16, 2:23 PM
Leigh said...: Well, our Dilbert friend Scott Adams has his theory about men who wear V-neck sweaters. (Apologies if you already caught and posted this; I missed it).

http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146361457021/the-humiliation-of-the-american-male-in-2016; 7/21/16, 2:33 PM
Rick.T. said...: Looks like Belamcanda chinensis (Blackberry Lily) to me. Now Iris domestica - I hate when they do that. Not sure any other spent flower blossom looks like that.; 7/21/16, 2:38 PM
Bobby said...: mccullough,

"Really bummed that Clayton Kershaw is injured. He is an amazing pitcher to watch."

Yeah. Holding my breath and crossing my fingers in the hopes that he won't need surgery and can get back into the rotation in August. The team has been remarkably resilient in winning games while he's been gone, mostly because the bats suddenly woke up- and, indeed, the team has managed to stay competitive with the Wild Card (if not the Giants) despite having Grandal, Kendrick, Pederson, Ethier, Puig, Thompson, Van Slyke, Ryu, McCarthy, Wood, and Anderson all go on the DL at some point this season. But without Kershaw- even if the Dodgers somehow could make the postseason- no way we're looking at them going deep in the playoffs.; 7/21/16, 3:04 PM
shiloh said...: Breaking ... Ailes resigning!

Same day Trump giving his acceptance speech.

and so it goes ...; 7/21/16, 3:21 PM
traditionalguy said...: Ailes either got his 40 million or not. If not, then the Ailes crew will be moving into a new Trump sponsored Network and never miss a beat. But the talentless Megyn Kelly is out unless she starts a topless Network where her talent will stick out.; 7/21/16, 3:34 PM
shiloh said...: "Ailes crew will be moving into a new Trump sponsored Network and never miss a beat."

Ailes is a dinosaur and will quietly disappear only to resurface for sexual harassment lawsuits which aren't settled out of court.

He's come full circle as his former boss Nixon resigned in disgrace just like Ailes.

Birds of a feather ...

>

Six degrees of separation ~ Ailes, from Warren, Ohio ~ producer of The Mike Douglas Show Cleveland, Ohio 1965. My mom was in the studio audience. Must have been a neighbor who dragged her up the road.; 7/21/16, 3:50 PM
Bobby said...: mccullough,

Did you see the report that Manfred is looking into MLB limiting the use of relief pitchers? He's saying it's because "they're so good" at getting hitters out "at the back end that they actually rob action out of the end of the game, the last few innings of the game."

Seriously, I thought that was what pitchers were supposed to do- get hitters out. How is this not a direct shot at the way your Royals have built themselves up?; 7/21/16, 4:49 PM
Jon Ericson said...: What about this 40-40 split between the two candidates with 20 percent undecided.
I, myself refuse to answer ANY poll due to consideration of the IRS, DNC, OSHA, DNR, TSA etc.
Many people, I suppose, out of vanity, DO talk to these polling people.
But when it comes down to "which candidate do you support?"
I Suspect that "if I say "The Donald" I might get put on the DNC, IRS, OSHA, DNR, TSA etc. shit list.
Therefore I put forth the proposition that when they get to the polls they will punch that chad for The Donald.
Reasonable? or not.; 7/21/16, 4:51 PM
mccullough said...: Bobby,

If more guys could hit like Miguel Cabrera, these proposals wouldn't be needed. Not enough guys can hit really good pitching with any consistency. I admire Manfred's being honest that the relief pitcher consideration is as much, if not more, about the fact that there aren't enough elite hitters in MLB than that it slows down the game too much. I'm sort of in favor of requiring a three batter minimum rule (except of an injury) to speed up the game. I don't mind seeing a different guy come out and pitch the 7th, the 8th, and the 9th innings, but see far too many guys brought it to get the second out in the 7th and then get taken out.; 7/21/16, 4:55 PM
Bobby said...: mccullough,

Yeah, but this is like banning the shift (which MLB is apparently also considering) because hitters don't want to go the other way for a base hit. The old timers saw the shift far less frequently because clubs simply did not have the data available telling them when, how and against whom to employ it (hence, it was only used against the likes of Ted Williams and a handful of other guys- now it's practically used on at least one hitter per inning). Why can't hitters just learn to go the other way and tap it in for a cheap single?

If they want to speed up the end of the game, why not just not let the relief pitcher throw any warm up pitches on the mound (i.e., he has to have gotten warmed up in the bullpen)? Or only let the manager / pitching coach come out with a pitching change? (They've already limited it to one visit before a change, anyway). Or bring down the mound an inch or two, and make all pitchers deal with it evenly. There's lots of things you can do without handicapping the bullpen.

I get what you're saying that pitchers have gotten better relative to hitters- research has indicated that you have almost twice as many pitchers throwing over 100 MPH in the last ten years than you had in all previous years, combined- but I don't like making this all about the relief pitchers (who already get the shaft in terms of public acclamation and contracts).; 7/21/16, 5:06 PM
mccullough said...: It's not just the relievers that hitters are having trouble with. Pitching instruction is just better than hitting instruction, it seems.

But when you see guys like Donaldson and Murphy make swing changes and start consistently raking, you know that a lot of this goes to subpar hitting instruction. The athletic ability is there. Take a guy like Jason Heyward. Tremendous athlete but a flawed swing.; 7/21/16, 5:29 PM
Jon Ericson said...: OK then:
twisted; 7/21/16, 6:47 PM
rcommal said...: The truth is, for me: There's no point in talking about anything.

Regards,

L

+

reader_iam; 7/22/16, 1:06 AM
Rusty said...: The post convention meme for the left seems to be that Trump and Putin will be friends.
Apparently lefty pundits get together and agree on what agenda they're going to push.; 7/22/16, 7:04 AM
Paco Wové said...: What are those flowers, anyway? We've got the same thing taking over our flowerbeds.; 7/22/16, 7:59 AM
Rick.T. said...: Paco Wové said...

What are those flowers, anyway? We've got the same thing taking over our flowerbeds.
----------------------
See my response above. Blackberry lily unless I am corrected otherwise by the blogger.; 7/22/16, 8:47 AM
Fernandinande said...: mirror.co.uk article on a(n?) hysterical girl(international news!) -->

Dog exorcisms offered at luxury pet spa to drive demons out of your pooch

"Among high-end gourmet meals, luxury baths and overnight stays, the pet spa D+ Kirishima plans to help settle pooches who may be struggling with possessions.

The Japanese spa, in Kagoshima Prefecture, lists a Shinto priest among its attendants ready to help pets beset by evil spirits."; 7/22/16, 9:20 AM
Paco Wové said...: "Looks like Belamcanda chinensis"

Yes indeed, that's them all right. Thanks.; 7/22/16, 11:46 AM