February 16, 2017

At the Bookshelf Café...

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... let's play board games!

No, you can talk about anything, but do consider using this link — the link that is always in the banner — when you shop Amazon.

74 comments:

Big Mike said...

Meanwhile it's gotten so bad that Democrats are opening 1 NT with weak, unbalanced hands.

(You won't get it unless you play bridge.)

rehajm said...

Holy crap!- Trump The Game goes for $140 on Amazon!

JohnAnnArbor said...

Did you already have the game from way back when?

tim in vermont said...

Kind of funny that Trump has a positive approval in surveys where the respondents don't talk to an actual person.

Who wants to incur the wrath of some stranger on the telephone? Better to lie.

David said...

Hey, she has books! Too bad she already has someone to take home with her.

Chuck said...

The Trump press conference is on live now. And I have figured it out; Trump's speechwriter. It's Martin Scorsese.

It's another stream-of-consciousness rant from Trump. Psychotic. Unhinged.

I'm beginning to like these things more, in the way that a college psychology student watches his favorite lab rat negotiate a maze after being administered LSD.

Ann Althouse said...

"Holy crap!- Trump The Game goes for $140 on Amazon!"

LOL. Try eBay to see the real value. More like $10. But I liked this at your Amazon link:

"Can some people tell me what the game actually plays like what games it may be similar to? Y'know... some actual details on it...sans terrible humor?

"Answer: That's a great question. People ask me all the time. They ask me, how did I make such a great game. Truthfully, OK? Honestly, its the best game. People tell me it plays great, okay? It's the best playing game out there if you want me to be honest.

DanTheMan said...

Ann - I just started watching one of the Great Courses on Amazon, "The French Revolution". The lecturer is Dr. Desan from UW-Madison.
She's terrific, and it's a fascinating story.
So, if you bump into her around town, tell her I love her series. :)

rehajm said...

They ask me, how did I make such a great game. Truthfully, OK? Honestly, its the best game. People tell me it plays great, okay? It's the best playing game out there if you want me to be honest.

Heh! Don't play a loser game like Monopoly! That Rich Uncle Pennybags...such low energy! Sad!

tim in vermont said...

Chuck's Republican Party is dead. He is just a twitching muscle. Get used to it. If you succeed in destroying Trump, do you think his supporters will return to your party like lost sheep?

And having been diagnosed by you as dangerously unhinged myself, I will consider the source when you diagnose others.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Had Trump not won, would Althouse have dusted off that thing from a remote recondite storage space in her house and put it on a fuckable bookshelf display? Not a chance.

Michael K said...

"I just started watching one of the Great Courses on Amazon, "The French Revolution". "

Hey. I have read a lot about the French Revolution and have even seen the arrest warrant that has Robespierre's blood on it. He was shot by the other men on the Paris Commune while he was writing out the warrant for their arrests.

He was shot in the jaw and Guillotined the next day.

It was in the Musee Carnavalet but is no longer on display.

I'll look for that course.

rehajm said...

fuckable bookshelf display?

Chuck said...

tim in vermont said...
Chuck's Republican Party is dead.


Not by a long shot. We own most of the state governments. We have a slender majority of 2 votes in the Senate, which is managed by Mitch McConnell. If they like a nominee for a Trump candidate, like NeverTrumper Betsy DeVos, they can make confirmation happen. And if they don't, like Andy Puzder, they have a veto over this president, who has almost no caucus of personal support in the Senate.

Michael K said...

""The French Revolution". The lecturer is Dr. Desan from UW-Madison.
She's terrific, and it's a fascinating story."

Did you get the audio or the video and DVD or CD ?

The DVD is $520.

DanTheMan said...

>>I'll look for that course.

It's one of the additional channels on Amazon. There are also two music courses (Piano works, and Music and History) by Greenberg that are just fantastic.

Chuck said...

lol!

Within about five minutes of Trump's having spouted off some utterly wrong numbers about the size of his electoral victory, an NBC reporter corrects him and asks why the American people should believe him when he supplies false information in that fashion. Trump simply says that he was given that information and asks the reporter, "Well it was still a very significant win, wasn't it?"

DanTheMan said...

>>The DVD is $520.

Holy smokes! You can add the entire Great Courses catalog to your Prime membership for about $10/month.

DanTheMan said...

>>NBC reporter corrects him and asks why the American people should believe him

Why should be believe an NBC reporter? They've been lying to us since Huntley-Brinkley...

Churchy LaFemme: said...

As far as I can tell, my only overlap with either your books or dvds is "Roget's"

Chuck said...

Dan, we just saw Trump make a claim that his electoral victory was "the biggest since Reagan."

That was a lie. A lie that took a reporter with a smartphone about five minutes to comprehensively debunk.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

The current state of play reminds me of the primaries and general election. Lot's of hysterics, prognostication, leaks, the irritable bowels of lifelong Republicans, obituaries written and discarded...remind me, how did that end?

Michael K said...

The French Revolution DVD is still $520 at Amazon but the audio is $50.

Live streaming on Amazon video is cheaper.

I think I'll download the audio for $45 and listen on my commute.

Very good History of George Soros in this City Journal, including some info on his motivation which has always puzzled me.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"Dan, we just saw Trump make a claim that his electoral victory was "the biggest since Reagan."

Given the headwinds, it was a much greater victory than Reagan's. Hence the Freakout.

FullMoon said...

Watching Trump.Very smooth, disses Hillary, Podesta, Cnn, MSM, all while answering questions, in a civil way. Will be interesting to see the spin.

Chuck said...

The Cracker Emcee said...
"Dan, we just saw Trump make a claim that his electoral victory was "the biggest since Reagan."

Given the headwinds, it was a much greater victory than Reagan's. Hence the Freakout.

Bullshit. Trump was talking numbers, and electoral vote counts. He specifically claimed where his electoral vote count stood in comparison to others. And he was as wrong as he could be.


Mike Sylwester said...

While driving to work this morning, I heard on the radio that the Monopoly board game might replace its thimble with a "rubber ducky".

rhhardin said...

Trump is killing the reporters. Talk about narrative displacement.

Trump's the nice guy, the reporters the forces of trivialization and evil.

Their problem is they can't talk over Trump without losing on the face of it.

Provoke resentment and crush it.

tim in vermont said...

Dream on Chuck. You are claiming the allegiance of a lot of people you mean to betray.

FullMoon said...

Chuck said...

The Cracker Emcee said...
"Dan, we just saw Trump make a claim that his electoral victory was "the biggest since Reagan."

Given the headwinds, it was a much greater victory than Reagan's. Hence the Freakout.

Bullshit. Trump was talking numbers, and electoral vote counts. He specifically claimed where his electoral vote count stood in comparison to others. And he was as wrong as he could be.


Hahaha! Hillary gave a reset to Russia,20% of uranium. Hillary got questions ahead of time. Podesta talked terrible about Hillary.c. Press less trusted than Congress.
Trump is killin' em.
Any comment, Chuck?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

See Althouse John Waters archive.

tim in vermont said...

If you are going for lovable loser, Chuck, you better work on the lovable part.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Trump is killing it regarding Russia. That's the most maturely realistic talk about our differences with Russia that I've heard in 20 years. When I think of the offensively condescending "reset" button...no wonder Putin made Obama his bitch.

Chuck said...

Full Moon; Seeing this debacle, I think of Trump in the same personal terms as a Chavez, or a Castro, or a Putin, or an Arafat. A weird, otherworld autocrat, lacking in almost all personal restraint.

Now a question for you. Have you looked up the data on Trump's unsolicited claim that his was the largest electoral college win since Reagan? The answer isn't close. The only closer election in all the time was the historically close 2000 Bush v Gore election.

Trump blamed it on information that was given to him. I don't buy it. I think Trump obsesses over these things, and that he gets bizarre notions in his head that go unchecked. Which is positively scary.

rhhardin said...

Very entertaining news conference, seeing idiot question followed by reporter instandly squished.

Just what you always wanted somebody to do.

So rare.

I remember a on-the-street newsbabe reporting on a gas leak smell outside a school being hit by a car, but that was long long ago.

rehajm said...

All these reporters looking to get the best of Trump, trying for their Dan Rather moment.

Somewhere Dan Rather pooping in his spacesuit.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"Which is positively scary."

Maybe you could smash a Starbuck's window, burn a car, beat up an ideological opponent, work through some of that angst.

rhhardin said...

Reporters don't really understand how hated they are.

It ain't all soap opera babes out there.

FullMoon said...

Chuck said...

Full Moon; Seeing this debacle, I think of Trump in the same personal terms as a Chavez, or a Castro, or a Putin, or an Arafat. A weird, otherworld autocrat, lacking in almost all personal restraint.

Now a question for you. Have you looked up the data on Trump's unsolicited claim that his was the largest electoral college win since Reagan? The answer isn't close. The only closer election in all the time was the historically close 2000 Bush v Gore election.

Nope. I believe you. Is it important, in the entire scheme of things? Nope. What else you got? Is Russia a "ruse"? Was Hillary closer to Russia? Is media dishonest? Is Trump anti-semite and racist? Ha he been exposed as an imbecile, or did he own this press conference?

Chuck said...

The Cracker Emcee said...
"Which is positively scary."

Maybe you could smash a Starbuck's window, burn a car, beat up an ideological opponent, work through some of that angst.

Don't blame any of that shit on me. Or Republicans. Do you really think that anyone who finds Trump to be a bit scary is to be equated with far left rioters? Grow up.

You don't think that a supermajority of the U.S. Senate finds Trump (at least) to be a bit scary?

FullMoon said...

Chuck, is he winning over inner city residents?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...


"You don't think that a supermajority of the U.S. Senate finds Trump (at least) to be a bit scary?"

Democrats, Lifelong Republicans, and other kleptocrats? Sure. I hope so anyway.

Chuck said...

Full Moon; the part about his historically large electoral college victory was on him. Unsolicited. And he ran it out all on his own. And he said it in the totally committed, matter-of-fact way he says everything else.

Somebody yesterday suggested that Trump was not a good natural liar. And I have to agree with that. And maybe I should take it back, my earlier accusation in this thread that Trump was lying about the election results. He probably wasn't lying; he was bullshitting. He is a bullshitter without peer. The biggest bullshitter in American history.

Big Mike said...

"Chuck, there's scary and then there's scary. What's really scary to a lot of politicians is that Trump really will fix a lot of things that got broken since Inauguration Day of 2009. I can picture a great many Democrats terrified of that. Why you think 25 Republican members of the House and 13 Republican Senators would be equally frightened is past my understanding.

Michael K said...

You don't think that a supermajority of the U.S. Senate finds Trump (at least) to be a bit scary?

No, next question.

I'm still trying to get my iPod to load audio books. They keep winding up in "The Cloud" which requires a WiFi connection.

Good suggestion, though. I'll keep working on it.

Nonapod said...

Speaking of board games, one of my favorites as a kid was a game called Fortress America. Here's the description from Board Game Geek:

Fortress America, originally part of Milton Bradley's Gamemaster series, depicts an alternate near-future in which all of the world attacks and invades the continental United States. From the west arrives hordes of Asian foes; from the south arrives a union of South American countries through Mexico, and from the east lands come legions of Soviets who have taken over all of Europe. America besieged has to rely on the remaining ground and air forces left in the country along with partisan uprisings to defend mom's apple pie.

Keep in mind, this came out during the mid 1980s towards the end of the Cold War when movies like Red Dawn and Road Warrior were hot.

rehajm said...

Trump celebrates Festivus in February: You people disappoint me!

Francisco D said...

It's sad to see a man melt down and start to lose his sanity on a blog-site.

When he calls Trump "psychotic", one word comes to mind: Projection.

FullMoon said...

Chuck,
Does Trump look better or worse to low information voters after press conference?

Humperdink said...

Best news conference ever. CNN and NBC standby shouting "we are relevant".

The side bar comments towards Sen Charles Scummer (R-Moron) were particularly humorous (except to Chuck, of course).

Chuck said...

MSNBC reporter Kasie Hunt is reporting that she watched the Trump presser with a group of Congressmen including Republicans. One Republican muttered "Unbelievable," while watching it.

Over on Fox, Bret Baier (I love Bret Baier) is observing that for Trump supporters, they will regard the presser as fresh and stimulating. And that for Trump opponents, he borrowed two of my own words in this thread, calling their likely views of it as "unhinged and scary."

Humperdink said...

Sorry, wrong party for Sen Scummer (D-Moron).

rhhardin said...

Chuck Todd tweets that criticizing the media is unAmerican, reports Rush.

Chuck said...

FullMoon said...
Chuck,
Does Trump look better or worse to low information voters after press conference?

I don't know. I first of all don't think that low information voters have private offices with TV's and computer monitors online, in order to watch it and blog about it.

I do know that there are enough people out there to make it profitable to sell crap like gold coins, freeze-dried survivalist food, and to pay Rush Limbaugh millions. So it is a considerable group.

FullMoon said...


Blogger Chuck said...

FullMoon said...
Chuck,
Does Trump look better or worse to low information voters after press conference?

I don't know. I first of all don't think that low information voters have private offices with TV's and computer monitors online, in order to watch it and blog about it.

That is not an answer, it is an evasion.

Chuck said...

FullMoon said...
Chuck, is he winning over inner city residents?


No.

How's that, for a direct answer?

Michael K said...

Leave chuck alone,. He's still at denial.

I'd rather talk about the French Revolution, which we might have if this keeps up.

Nonapod said...

I do wonder if the media is capable of reflection. Do they ever wonder why Trump is able to bully them so successfully? They are obviously aware that public trust in them is at an all time low. I wonder if they're capable of actually contemplating the possibility that all this may actually be at least partially their fault. And then, if they acknowledge these things, are they capable of correcting course. Collectively are they capable of actually making an effort at true objectivity?

David said...

I took a look at some of the syllabi for Dr. Desan's courses. Wow. Serious stuff. There is hope for the humanities in Madison.

FullMoon said...

Chuck said...

FullMoon said...
Chuck, is he winning over inner city residents?


No.

How's that, for a direct answer?


Haha!
The lies are coming easier for you now, now, aren't they? Hurts, don't it?

Sebastian said...

"Collectively are they capable of actually making an effort at true objectivity?" If by an effort at true objectivity you mean propagating intersubjectively valid truth claims, then yes, of course: the collectivity validates the narrative, which makes it truly objectively true. If you mean that there's a world out there that can be rendered, mirror-like, by some impartial truth-seekers, then I'm afraid we're gonna have to ship you off to philosophical reeducation camp.

Ann Althouse said...

I've had that game since 2004 or 2005. It was given to me anonymously — in used form — by someone — a law student, I believe — who was reading my blogging about "The Apprentice" and wrote some note suggesting humorously that I was maybe a big Trump fan so I'd like the game.

Ann Althouse said...

"Had Trump not won, would Althouse have dusted off that thing from a remote recondite storage space in her house and put it on a fuckable bookshelf display? Not a chance."

That was in my office ever since it was left at my office door one day. I retired in January and cleared all my stuff out of the office. This is a section of my bookshelves where I put mostly the few things I decided to bring home. I think it's funny to have the game. If Trump does something bad enough, I'll just burn the game, okay?

Ann Althouse said...

"The Trump press conference is on live now...."

Thanks for the heads up. Meade and I watched and had a great time. That press conference was a great press conference let me tell you.

Nonapod said...

@Sebastian Personally I'm not enthusiastic about the Consensus Theory or Social Constructivist theories of truth.

Anonymous said...

I rarely listen to this stuff but I caught a bit of it today. If you ask me Trump sounds like any other politician giving a press conference, ever.

So the idea that people are mortified by Trump because they're shocked by all the bullshit...is an even bigger load of bullshit.

tim in vermont said...

If they called out Democrats as vigorously, we might have a decent person as president. As it is, Trump was least objectionable.

DanTheMan said...

>>I'd rather talk about the French Revolution, which we might have if this keeps up.

Dr. Desan identifies three drivers of the revolution:
1) Massive French debt
2) Globalization of trade, which made French manufacturers uncompetitive
3) Private Law, or privilege; aristocrats were judged differently under the law then the common folk

Luckily, none of this applies to us....



rehajm said...

Got it Lem. Ha!

Fernandinande said...

Wisconsin students demand free tuition for black students
...The group said consideration of ACT and SAT scores in applications restricts opportunities for the poor and thus upholds "white supremacy."

DanTheMan said...

>>Wisconsin students demand free tuition for black students

And when 95% of former white kids self-identify as black... then what??

Grant said...

An interesting DVD collection. I've wondered whether Alexander Nevsky is worth watching. Prokofiev's score is great, at any rate.

So this is what it feels like when everyone else has moved on to another post and you're left sitting alone in the cafe, pondering Eisenstein.

Guildofcannonballs said...

"It's sad to see a man melt down and start to lose his sanity on a blog-site."

I thought that too until I saw I was only seeing me.

Then I reverted to my fight response. Not all better, not by a long shot, but I know me, my enemy, as I know, well.. me.

So I got that, by God I got that.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Define low information voter with Reagan in mind:

"It's not that our liberal friends are ignorant, but that so much of what they know just isn't so."

Orwell was worried about lack of knowledge spread via book banning, Huxley was worried people would be too wee weed up to read anything even if everything were available for essentially sfree to all.

Finally, as regards rational ignorance, heuristics, and gut feeling, it doesn't take no damn weatherman to know if the wind is blowing.