January 19, 2017

Now that we're talking about magazines, and it's the last full day of Obama the President...

... let's look back to Inauguration Week 2009. Here are the shrines to Obama I observed in the (now defunct) Borders Bookstore:

Bookstore shrine to Obama

Bookstore shrine to Obama

Bookstore shrine to Obama

That title "What Obama Means" provoked me at the time: "Spare me. Whatever is in that book can — I will bet you — be skimmed and understood in less than one minute."

That reconfirmed my practice of reading on line to get my political news and analysis. In our era of fake news, these are fake books* and fake magazines. You don't want to get sucked into the passive experience that awaits you inside these rectangular objects. You've got to keep it digital so you can cut and paste and blog as you read. Save yourself.

I won't go to a bookstore this week, but if I did, I wonder how the front tables and racks would look. I'm sure there are no comparable shrines to Donald Trump. Maybe there are, once again, shrines to Obama: What Did Obama Mean?
______________________________

* My use (coinage?) of this term is interfered with by the common reference to Facebook as Fakebook and by those wonderful music books that help musicians play 100s of songs.

74 comments:

gspencer said...

"In our era of fake news, these are fake books and fake magazines."

Written about a man who is as fake as an American as is imaginable.

Once written, twice... said...

The character difference between Barak Obama and Donald Trump is so vast and stark!

I predict that President Trump will be constantly frustrated that he can't achieve the respect and goodwill that President Obama earned.

Big Mike said...

I was just in the Barnes & Noble in Tysons Corner (a yuuge mall perched on the western edge of the Washington Beltway). No "shrine" to Trump. I did see a few copies of The Art of the Deal on one table but that was it.

Times change.

Unknown said...

Trumpland contributes about 30% to the economy.

NotMyPresident Country contributes 70%.

Trumpland receives higher proportion of a Federal dollar than the liberal Coastal states which also means that the real economic output of Trumpland is lower than 30%.

Trumpland is not the cultural engine, money engine or technology engine of the US.

In fact, Trumpland is a "taker" because it cannot stand on its own two feet. And, that is why it elected Orange Don because it isn't capable of looking after itself. Let's not even go down the pork-barrel subsidies.

The hated elitist liberals can stand on their own feet. We can survive and thrive whoever is President. Trumpland needs a father figure to look after them. Babies. Sad!

Robert Cook said...

"...sound and fury, signifying nothing."

madAsHell said...

Mother Jones is in print as well??

buwaya said...

So many magazines that are no longer relevant. I don't miss them.
And Borders. I miss that almost as much as I miss Stacys.
We took our kids to the one in Stonestown every week. We were there at midnight a couple of times upon the release of the latest "Harry Potter".
Quite a lot of useless books, but "Dreams" is still worth reading. Very instructive.

tcrosse said...

NotMyPresident Country contributes 70%.
You'd think they'd be able to elect a House and Senate, and a few more state legislatures.

Unknown said...

2009 Obama inaugural crowd: 1.8 MILLION

2017: Orange Don's inaugural crowd estimate: 900,000 THOUSAND

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Trump-Inauguration-Crowd-Estimates-410559995.html


Orange Don has lowest poll numbers and inaugural crowd for incoming President.

Ratings, ratings, ratings.

SeanF said...

Once written, twice...: I predict that President Trump will be constantly frustrated that he can't achieve the respect and goodwill that President Obama earned.

I think you're correct that Trump won't receive the respectful treatment and goodwill that Obama received.

I have my doubts about your prediction of his reaction, as well as your assertion as to the reason.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

You don't want to get sucked into the passive experience that awaits you inside these rectangular objects. You've got to keep it digital so you can cut and paste and blog as you read. Save yourself.

This is an interesting take on the future of reading, books and information dissemination and I agree with Althouse.

I'm a fan of electronic books and obviously online reading of news etc. I like the electronic books in that you can make notes, comments, bookmarks that don't mar the book itself. That you can make copies of passages and especially that if you are reading and come across a word, concept historical reference....you can instantly look it up and research more information. Leading you down all sorts of fascinating rabbit holes.

However....to me, there is a certain charm and comfort in real, tactile books. A historical connection to the past. I buy and search out in thrift stores, antique stores, those books that are classics, those that seem unusual, important, quirky or are ones that I want to read multiple times. Those don't require batteries or electricity to read :-)

I enjoy picking up a book and remembering where and when I bought or found it.

Either way...just read. I've know people in my life who claim to have never read a book (electronic or tactile) for leisure or for learning and get all of their information from the tee-vee. I am astounded. How can that be!

mockturtle said...

How Obama Won by Chuck Todd. Obama won because most American people thought we should have a 'person of color' in the White House and he, as a candidate, was personable and seemed to stand for American values. I wrote in Ron Paul both times.

Michael K said...

The character difference between Barak Obama and Donald Trump is so vast and stark!

For once we agree. Obama is an empty suit with no experience except as a "community organizer" who never accomplished anything.

I even pointed it out in February 2008.

Several months before Obama announced his U.S. Senate bid, Jones called his old friend Cliff Kelley, a former Chicago alderman who now hosts the city’s most popular black call-in radio ­program.

I called Kelley last week and he recollected the private conversation as follows:

“He said, ‘Cliff, I’m gonna make me a U.S. Senator.'”

“Oh, you are? Who might that be?”

“Barack Obama.”

Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills.


No record and none will survive his leaving the office.

Trump, for all his crudities and he has many, has accomplished a lot in his life,


mockturtle said...

DBQ observes: However....to me, there is a certain charm and comfort in real, tactile books. A historical connection to the past. I buy and search out in thrift stores, antique stores, those books that are classics, those that seem unusual, important, quirky or are ones that I want to read multiple times. Those don't require batteries or electricity to read :-)

Now that I have a winter home where I have room for a few books and can get goods delivered to my door, I ordered a stack of 'real' books. While I love my kindle, the more personal experience of holding a paper version is luxury. Besides, I was a paper chemist at one time and would hate to see paper become obsolete!

Fernandinande said...

Is Politically Correct or Jingoistic Reporting Fake News?

Why yes, yes it is.

Meade said...

No dog likes Obama. His scent gives him away. Dog eater.

Fabi said...

Trumpland contributes about 30% to the economy.

NotMyPresident Country contributes 70%.


I still haven't seen a citation for that obviously fake statistic. You should be ashamed of publishing such bullshit.

Larry J said...

In addition to what Ann said, I seriously doubt we'll be seeing any of the brainwashing of little schoolkids like the infamous Barack Hussein Obama MMM MMM MMM video from 2009.

Michael K said...

Once... and Inga don't need statistics. Don't you know that ?

The earth is warmer than ever and the NY Times has NO NUMBERS in its article stating that fake fact,

Numbers are for Republicans. And men, of course.

Once written, twice... said...

Meade, you are such a racist loser. Ann, must be so proud to be married to you.

tcrosse said...

Orange Don has lowest poll numbers and inaugural crowd for incoming President.

Does that mean he won't be able to appoint a cabinet, appoint federal officials, or appoint justices to the Supreme Court until his Nielsons improve ?

Nonapod said...

Yeah, those weird little shrines to Obama are a little disturbing. But I'm generally repelled by things that indicate fanatical adulation, hero worship, and displays of devotion toward other human beings. There's certainly lots of historical figures and a few living people who I think very highly of, whose talents and accomplishments I'm impressed and inspired by. But I've never had a desire to deify them or to never question anything they've ever said or done. I don't understand those feelings. I guess I must be missing whatever gene predicates that sort of behavior.

Instead I'm a cynical jerk who expects that presidents (or people in general) are very fallible. I expect them to let me down. And yet I'm an optimist.

Freder Frederson said...

The earth is warmer than ever and the NY Times has NO NUMBERS in its article stating that fake fact,

What the hell are you talking about? There are several graphics in the article that show the numbers and several links to the sources.

You are lying.

Sebastian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sebastian said...

"Written about a man who is as fake as an American as is imaginable."

Fake down to his blackness. Even his race was phony.

His leisure was phony: a point guard who wouldn't shoot.

His intellectual credentials were fake: neither he nor the academic institutions protecting him would ever release his record.

But the obvious fakery does not refute the Althouse point: that he was once treated as the black messiah, the magic negro of the left. That this man could be treated in that way, with shrines and adulation, is further proof that the left really has won the culture wars

gspencer said...

"Does that mean he won't be able to appoint a cabinet, appoint federal officials, or appoint justices to the Supreme Court until his Nielsons improve ?"

Well, you know what they call the guy who finishes last in medical school?

A. "Doctor"

Freder Frederson said...

I still haven't seen a citation for that obviously fake statistic. You should be ashamed of publishing such bullshit.

Hell, even Newsmax picked this up.

Bad Lieutenant said...

respect and goodwill that President Obama earned.
1/19/17, 8:15 AM


Earned? Like his Nobel Prize?

I think that, for President O'Macbeth, nothing will become his presidency like the leaving of it.

madAsHell said...

Eight years as precedent, and he still has an empty CV.

Yes, that's not a typo.

David said...

Bitter Clingers come in many shapes and sizes.

Fabi said...

That's a reference not a citation, Freder. Try again.

Dude1394 said...

"(now defunct) Borders Bookstore" Fitting.

Freder Frederson said...

That's a reference not a citation, Freder. Try again.

Sheesh, here you go.

You could have found this yourself rather than calling it an "obviously fake statistic".

traditionalguy said...

The losers tomorrow are the Vast Petro Dollar financed neo Jew Exterminator Nazis in Iran, Palestine and inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave until noon tomorrow.

Anti Semitism and Anti Trumpism are the exact same people.

Fabi said...

You're link didn't claim 70% did it Freder? Obviously fake.

Michael K said...

There are several graphics in the article that show the numbers and several links to the sources.

You are lying.


OK. Show me the numbers.

The Berkeley site uses 1950 as a base. Everyone knows the Little Ice Age ended about 1850 and the earth has warmed since then but the warming effect was pretty much over by 1970.

Personally, I think we are entering a cooling cycle but that will still be speculation for a few more years.

You are another hysterical lefty with your religion being challenged

Freder Frederson said...

You're link didn't claim 70% did it Freder?

I never made the 70% claim. That is incorrect. It is 64%. Unknown was indeed exaggerating and rounding up. That was very careless and deceptive.

Michael K said...

That's a reference not a citation, Freder. Try again.

Sheesh, here you go.

You could have found this yourself rather than calling it an "obviously fake statistic".



I see the DNC talking points are out already.

Fabi said...

An hysterical lefty who sucks at percentages and reading comprehension, Michael K.

mccullough said...

Obama's third book about himself should sell like hot cakes. I hope he titles it Drones from My Father

Fabi said...

Thanks for finally admitting the truth, Freder.

Meade said...

"Meade, you are such a racist loser."

You could not be more wrong. I'm not even a breedist loser. I love all breeds. And they love me back. That's partly because I don't eat them. Dogs know.

But you know, after today, Obama will be free to hate/eat all the dogs he wants to hate/eat. He'll finally be free to get rid of Bo and the other dog. Sham pets. Surely someone will be willing to rescue them. Probably not the woman who Obama let his dog bite in the face. But someone will. Hopefully someone who won't mistr-eat them.

Michael K said...

Whatever you do, Freder, don't read this article.

It might create cerebral overheating.

Freder Frederson said...

the earth has warmed since then [the end of the Little Ice Age] but the warming effect was pretty much over by 1970.

This statement is directly contradicted by the graphics in the article and the data.

I am so glad you think (with zero evidence) that we are entering a cooling period. Did the monkeys flying out of your ass tell you that?

campy said...

It might create cerebral overheating.

In a vacuum? Not likely.

Jupiter said...

Once written, twice... said...
"Meade, you are such a racist loser. Ann, must be so proud to be married to you."

In Leftese, someone who mentions a fact the Leftist prefers were not true is called a "racist".

Not about the meaning of "loser". Someone who didn't vote for Hillary?

Sydney said...

I remember seeing a children's book about him after the 2008 election, prominently displayed at Target. I think it was this one. I thought I had been transported to Maoist China. Such cultish worship. Bleah. Being rid of that is itself enough reason to celebrate Trump.

Freder Frederson said...

someone who mentions a fact the Leftist prefers were not true is called a "racist".

And what fact would that be? Meade's claim is that Obama hates/eats dogs, that his current pets are sham pets, and now that he is out of the office will probably kill and eat his pets.

Meade bases this characterization on the fact that when Obama was a young child (between 6 and 10 years old), he lived in Indonesia and ate an undetermined amount of dog meat.

I bet Meade makes mud pies and makes Ann eats them because I heard when he was in first grade he made little Sally Smith down the street do that.

Michael K said...

"Did the monkeys flying out of your ass tell you that?"

No, A Russian astrophysicist is one of them.

“Since 1990, the Sun has been in the declining phase of the quasi-bicentennial variation in total solar irradiance (TSI). The decrease in the portion of TSI absorbed by the Earth since 1990 has remained uncompensated by the Earth’s long-wave radiation into space at the previous high level because of the thermal inertia of the world’s oceans. As a result, the Earth has, and will continue to have, a negative average annual energy balance and a long-term adverse thermal condition.
“The quasi-centennial epoch of the new Little Ice Age has started at the end 2015 after the maximum phase of solar cycle 24. The start of a solar grand minimum is anticipated in solar cycle 27 ± 1 in 2043 ± 11 and the beginning of phase of deep cooling in the new Little Ice Age in 2060 ± 11.


You're welcome.

Notice the numbers ?

Fred Drinkwater said...

70 vs 30 ?
Do those pushing this factoid really want voting to depend on economic factors? Really? Like, say, property ownership?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Do those pushing this factoid really want voting to depend on economic factors? Really? Like, say, property ownership?

Hey!! That's a great idea. Only property owners should be able to vote, especially on bond issues and taxes that are to be levied on their properties to PAY for those bonds. *** People with actual skin in the game should be only ones to vote.

Hey....maybe we could make it so that only REAL CITIZENS should be allowed to vote in other elections for city, county, state and federal elections. What a crazy idea...right?

*** Actually, this is a real rule in California for assessments in water districts and other special districts. For instance if the water/sewer district wants to put an assessment onto your property in order to build a new plant or other expansion.....not to raise rates for users but to assess your property, the vote goes to the property owners. AND the votes are actually rated by the value of your property. Rate increases go to all the users of the system and not just property owners. Everyone who is a user gets an equal vote.

If one property is worth 1 million dollars and the other property is worth 10,000 the amount of assessment on the million dollar property is obviously going to be much more. Therefore the million dollar property owner's negative vote will count relative to the value of the property. This is to prevent an unfair loading of costs onto one or two people by those who will not be as adversely affected. The million dollar guy can still be outvoted, but it takes many more people.

It is a fair system.....Amazing that California let THAT one slip through the cracks.

Meade said...

"I bet Meade makes mud pies and makes Ann eats them because I heard when he was in first grade he made little Sally Smith down the street do that."

Her name wasn't Sally. It was Betsy. And she was a fourth-grader.

chuck said...

> I won't go to a bookstore this week

Around here the only bookstores that remain are specialized: children's books, religious books, and textbooks. The popular bookstores of yore are gone, the lone survivor closed last summer and even there the books had become a minor item pushed off to one side. Supermarkets now have small book sections, but only for the popular books of the day.

Once written, twice... said...

You are gross Meade.

Meade said...

That's what Betsy said.

Once written, twice... said...

And she was speaking about your soul. But that is what attracted Ann to you.

Meade said...

Well now that just hurts my feelings, Mr. Twice Shy.

Once written, twice... said...

Well, it only hurts because you and Ann know it is true.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Blogger Once written, twice... said...
And she was speaking about your soul. But that is what attracted Ann to you.

1/19/17, 11:28 AM


You don't sound like you're happy to be here.

CWJ said...

Regarding that whole 64/36% hoo ha, are we measuring gdp output by the location of the company headquarters, or the location of the actual activity producing the gdp. Specifically thinking about all the "American" companies whose products are "made in China" and elsewhere. Similarly, does Allen County get credit for Fort Wayne's GE factory, or does that roll up into some consolidated GE total in the Headquaters county?

Fred Drinkwater said...

Cwj:
And bear in mind that GDP includes all sorts of things of debatable value, much of which seems to occur in places lawyers like to work.

YoungHegelian said...

Here are the shrines to Obama I observed in the (now defunct) Borders Bookstore:

Until the campaign & election of Barack Obama, I never realized the depth of white guilt among white liberals. I knew it was there; I knew it played a big part. But, I didn't think it was so foundational to their world view.

I think in their hearts they thought that Obama could somehow cleanse them of their racial sins & of their ancestors.

If only the wrongs of history could be repaired so cheaply!

Rusty said...

Unknown said...
Trumpland contributes about 30% to the economy.

NotMyPresident Country contributes 70%.

Trumpland receives higher proportion of a Federal dollar than the liberal Coastal states which also means that the real economic output of Trumpland is lower than 30%.

Trumpland is not the cultural engine, money engine or technology engine of the US.

In fact, Trumpland is a "taker" because it cannot stand on its own two feet. And, that is why it elected Orange Don because it isn't capable of looking after itself. Let's not even go down the pork-barrel subsidies.

The hated elitist liberals can stand on their own feet. We can survive and thrive whoever is President. Trumpland needs a father figure to look after them. Babies. Sad!


You might want to rethink that position.
The other 30% can feed themselves.
You can't

Freder Frederson said...

The other 30% can feed themselves.

Talk about false facts. Farm and ranch families make up about 2% of the U.S. population.

CWJ said...

Freder,

Since you're back, can you shed any light on my 11:59am question?

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

That last can't be correct. CA's Central Valley alone, while it's population-wise a small part of the state, is bigger than that.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

ETA: Are you including orcharders and food animal producers among your farmers? Because I am. "Food" being not synonymous with "corn."

Freder Frederson said...

Are you including orcharders and food animal producers among your farmers? Because I am. "Food" being not synonymous with "corn."

The link is to an American Farm Bureau site. I would think they know what they are talking about (and it includes ranchers).

Freder Frederson said...

Since you're back, can you shed any light on my 11:59am question?

I just found the Brookings Institute report where the stat came from. I didn't read it. The link is there, read it yourself.

Bilwick said...

To really increase the Creep Factor, these shrines should have been accompanied by piped-in paeans to Dear Leader from the Obama Children Chorus.

Chris said...

Brookings Institution

CWJ said...

Freder, I did read it. That's how I knew the measure was GDP. The cite skimmed over the 64/36 split fairly quickly, and then spent the rest on policy matters. I didn't notice any specific information on how they allocated GDP by county. Since the argument and supposed problem is geographic, the geographic allocation question I raised should be central to whether the 64/36 distinction is meaningful.

I know unknown is the one who keeps citing this distinction, but by extension your posts strongly suggest that you believe it meaningful as well. Demanding that others do the work to prove you right or wrong is pretty presumptuous.

toxdoc said...

The little Accuweather widget on the NYTimes link for the 2016 3Rd Straight Warmest Article is fun to play with. The NOAA and Goddard guys can estimate temperatures around the world down to fractions of a degree. Yet you can look at cities less than 50 miles apart and minimal elevation changes or geographic features and see huge differences using their calculations. Greeley Colorado, a major oil and gas producing area about an hour from Denver saw 2.9 degrees below normal while Denver and Boulder were above by 1.7 and 1.8, respectively. Louisville KY saw and increase of 2.5 while Ft Knox, about 40 miles due south was increased by 4.7 degrees; my favorite so far is Little Rock at 2.6 degree increase while N. Little Rock right across the river was up by 1.7. There is no denying temperatures can move up or down, its a given they are moving up but, this world-wide stuff by 1 and 2 sig fig is really silly. T

Rusty said...

Freder Frederson said...
The other 30% can feed themselves.

"Talk about false facts. Farm and ranch families make up about 2% of the U.S. population."


What? The rest of us can't grow our own produce and livestock?
Try growing corn on Michigan Avenue.