Althouse: At the Fritillaria Café...

April 24, 2017

At the Fritillaria Café...

... come up with your own topics.

(And remember The Althouse Amazon Portal.)

59 comments:

Original Mike said...: Time for me to head out to the garden and power up the two-stroke tiller.; 4/24/17, 11:06 AM
Michael K said...: I'm waiting for the door and window installers to arrive. Meanwhile the dog is asleep under the bed on the comforter that my wife laundered last week.; 4/24/17, 11:31 AM
M Jordan said...: The weather in the upper midwest is SPECTACULAR.; 4/24/17, 11:36 AM
Unknown said...: "By this, the boy that by her side lay kill'd
Was melted like a vapour from her sight,
And in his blood that on the ground lay spill'd,
A purple flower sprung up, chequer'd with white,
Resembling well his pale cheeks and the blood
Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood.

She bows her head, the new-sprung flower to smell,
Comparing it to her Adonis' breath,
And says, within her bosom it shall dwell,
Since he himself is reft from her by death:
She crops the stalk, and in the breach appears
Green dropping sap, which she compares to tears.

'Poor flower,' quoth she, 'this was thy fathers guise--
Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire--
For every little grief to wet his eyes:
To grow unto himself was his desire,
And so 'tis thine; but know, it is as good
To wither in my breast as in his blood."

Venus & Adonis, William Shake-Speare, aka Ed de Vere.; 4/24/17, 11:37 AM
Chuck said...: Is anybody watching this Obama thing? (I think CNN and MSNBC are covering it live, and Fox is just sort of monitoring it with regular programming ongoing.)

Words sort of fail me, in trying to describe what a feckless production disaster this is. It is as if Resident Director Barack Obama was meeting with all of the kids in his dorm hall.

I think that they are passing the talking pillow, as they share their feelings.; 4/24/17, 11:45 AM
TestTube said...: OK, Ann, you like pictures. And I have been thinking about the posting you made about Palin, Nugent, Rock, and their ladies in the Whitehouse.

I noted at the time that it was interesting that there was a picture with Palin, Nugent, and Rock posing in a disrespectful manner with Hillary Clinton's portrait, but no corresponding picture with an Obama portrait. It seemed (and still seems) very media savvy, as Hillary is disliked, but the Obamas are well-loved, especially among demographic sectors Trump would like to win over.

Another more neutral photo of Palin, Rock, and Nugent, along with two unnamed ladies posing with Trump at his desk was also a target of ire, and also pretty media savvy. There were a lot of unkind comments towards this rather innocuous photo. The comments made nasty references to "white trash" and snotty comparisons to the "Beverly Hillbillies".

Rock and Nugent may adopt the redneck persona, but they definitely ARE celebrities. And there is a lot of nasty baggage associated with celebrities in general. So why were the nasty comments about "White Trash" and not "Cheap Celebrities"?

Trump seems to be outing his critics as classist snobs. A large part of us identify and/or emphasize with the things these critics label as white trash -- blue collar, country, traditional, and so on -- instead of celebrity characteristics.

I suspect that a large segment of the population was not deriding the clothing of the background, but thinking how cool it would be to be there with them -- especially given the two attractive, unnamed women (Why did the media not identify those two women? How sexist!) that accompanied them.

Yes, I know that this comes a bit late, but Ann puts up some great postings that generate longterm musing.; 4/24/17, 11:48 AM
Fernandinande said...: Dog rental

My first thought was that someone who'd pay $2,400 for pet-store puppy almost deserves to owe another $5,800.; 4/24/17, 11:50 AM
traditionalguy said...: Great set of Lillies, but not phallic like proper Fleur de Lis in honor of a Free France.; 4/24/17, 12:02 PM
Chuck said...: TestTube said...
OK, Ann, you like pictures. And I have been thinking about the posting you made about Palin, Nugent, Rock, and their ladies in the Whitehouse.

I noted at the time that it was interesting that there was a picture with Palin, Nugent, and Rock posing in a disrespectful manner with Hillary Clinton's portrait, but no corresponding picture with an Obama portrait. It seemed (and still seems) very media savvy, as Hillary is disliked, but the Obamas are well-loved, especially among demographic sectors Trump would like to win over.

I remarked at the time; there is an East Wing gallery, on the ground floor, where the portraits of most of the post-WWII first ladies are arrayed. But, it is my understanding, that the Hillary Clinton FLOTUS portrait had been put in the Cross Hall during the Bush Administration, and then remained during the next Administration, and is still in the same place. I think that the Clinton portrait is in a location that tours and Oval Office visitors pass.

I don't know where in the White House you would find an Obama picture. Obama's official portrait hasn't been done yet, right? It is a longstanding tradition that the successor president is part of an official White House unveiling/presentation, during the successive term of office.

Shorter answer; the Motor City Madman couldn't do his "subhuman mongrel" or his "chimpanzee" faces in front of an Obama portrait, because I don't think that there is one yet.

https://newsone.com/2847475/ted-nugent-obama-2/; 4/24/17, 12:03 PM
traditionalguy said...: Watch out for those old two stroke tillers. They do fine on loose soil, but will beat the operator to death on red clay and concrete; 4/24/17, 12:05 PM
Original Mike said...: "Is anybody watching this Obama thing?"

He's back in the country! Quick, slap him with a subpoena!; 4/24/17, 12:08 PM
Original Mike said...: I'm digging up clay, Trad Guy. Yeah, hard on the forearms.

I need to lower the topography about six inches in the space out from the house, to establish proper drainage. I had planted a bed here years ago, so I'm taking out the plants, taking out the good soil and setting it aside, now I'm down to the clay (which seems to underlie the whole damn property). Take all that out and then put the good stuff back.; 4/24/17, 12:12 PM
Tank said...: World Book Day. I'm reading Lawrence Block, a great author. Great. I mean, Great.; 4/24/17, 12:16 PM
Chuck said...: Original Mike;

I hope Althouse (Obama-voter Ann Althouse) does a post on that thing. It was hilariously bad. If she watches it, and blogs it, it will spare countless innocents from being bored into insensibility. If she does watch it, and doesn't turn it off after ten minutes, we will all owe her for blogging above and beyond the call of regular duties.

I read Obama's expression as, "OMG what am I doing here? Valerie is going to have hell to pay, for roping me into this..."

The disastrousness of this won't last. There is so much happening this week, and there was so little newsworthiness with Obama, that it won't even be news in a couple of hours. I'd understand, if she blew it off.; 4/24/17, 12:18 PM
Fernandinande said...: R.L Burnside / The Criminal Inside Of Me
...
Said I got an ass pocket of whiskey and a front pocket of gin
If you don’t open this door I’ll kick the mother fucker in

That’s when the lion jumped up, you know
Said listen to that little square out there talkin’ shit

It couldn’t mean a thing
Can’t bullshit the public, know damn well I’m the king; 4/24/17, 12:18 PM
Michael K said...: Glad to see chuck is on the job with the White House protocol.

Hillary was big on that too. Like when the Secret Service guy said "Good morning, Maam."

She quickly and sweetly replied "Fuck You !"; 4/24/17, 12:21 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "I noted at the time that it was interesting that there was a picture with Palin, Nugent, and Rock posing in a disrespectful manner with Hillary Clinton's portrait"

I'm quibbling a bit, but the only reason that picture was "disrespectful" was because we know Palin, Nugent and Rock did not support Hillary and are happy she is not in the WH. They were not giving Hill the finger (as AIDS activists did with Reagan's WH picture) nor were they holding up a sign saying "Haha! Fatass loser!!"

They didn't have to do any of those things to make their point and drive the left nuts. Just standing there and smiling the way they would for any other picture was quite enough.

Leftists have no such restraint.; 4/24/17, 12:28 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: chuck wrote: "It is as if Resident Director Barack Obama was meeting with all of the kids in his dorm hall.

I think that they are passing the talking pillow, as they share their feelings."

OK, I give credit where credit is due, and that was pretty good.

I caught a bit of it and I expected them to end the thing with a group hug and the reporters wailing, "WE MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!"; 4/24/17, 12:32 PM
Ficta said...: @Tank Any recommendations for where to start with Lawrence Block? I picked up a couple during an Amazon Kindle sale, but I haven't read them yet....; 4/24/17, 12:42 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: I noted at the time that it was interesting that there was a picture with Palin, Nugent, and Rock posing in a disrespectful manner with Hillary Clinton's portrait - TestTube

Well, these uppity righties have no business in the White House. Of course it is disrespectful. They are deplorable and shouldn't even have the right to vote.

Chapter six zillion in "How you got Trump."; 4/24/17, 1:06 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: Venus & Adonis, William Shake-Speare, aka Ed de Vere.

Oh please!; 4/24/17, 1:07 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: I had lunch in Georgetown last week. We strolled up Wisconsin Ave, found a really, nice lunch spot, grill, near Dumbarton Street.

Have you seen those beautiful brick townhouses there? Simply stunning. You can envision various Senators, Ambassadors, just sipping martinis and smoking cigars and discussing world events. Great place to visit.

p.s. Also, strolled through the Arlington National Cemetery, across from the Key Bridge - a somber, powerful, but peaceful place.; 4/24/17, 1:13 PM
TestTube said...: Chuck makes a good point on the presidential portrait. Perhaps Trump is just lucky here, but he tends to get lucky this way a lot.

exiledonmainstreet also makes a good point. I looked again, and without knowing context (but we do know context), this would not seem like a disrespectful picture. And yes, degree matters here -- something blatantly disrespectful is different than something subtly disrespectful.; 4/24/17, 1:25 PM
TestTube said...: OK, commenting on not one but TWO old posts.

Ann challenged us some time back to name a male main character that is unlikeable.

Benjamin from "The Graduate" is unlikeable. I think we are supposed to like him, but I don't.

For one thing, how can anyone likeable be moody while driving an Alfa Romeo Graduate?; 4/24/17, 1:27 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Have you seen those beautiful brick townhouses there? Simply stunning. You can envision various Senators, Ambassadors, just sipping martinis and smoking cigars and discussing world events."

Gtown is lovely indeed. However, I envision the Senators and Ambassadors sipping martinis while discussing various ways to further screw over the American people while enriching themselves.

Of course, they don't put it quite so crassly...; 4/24/17, 1:27 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: "Great place to visit."

Terrible place to live.; 4/24/17, 1:42 PM
Michael K said...: The New York Times has decided not to use the term "Female Genital Mutilation" or the abbreviation "FGM" as it is "culturally Loaded as a term.

A commenter has other suggestions for euphemisms.

Soon they'll be renaming the other barbaric practices common to this fine religion (Islam). Beheading, will become "neck cutting" "cranial relocation" Stoning's will be called geology/mineral redistribution, and throwing homos from high buildings will be called gravity verification.

The comment was, of course, at the Daily Caller, not the NYT.

I like that: "Gravity Verification." It has a nice ring to it.; 4/24/17, 1:58 PM
J. Farmer said...: Yeah, I have a topic: does anyone here think we'll ever get beyond the stupid, meaningless 100-day metric? I get the reference to FDR, but the country and the world are so fundamentally different from when FDR took office in 1933 that trying to hold modern presidents to that same level of productivity is ridiculous. Plus, it just assumes that the President "getting things done" is a good thing.

"We have to do something!"

"Hey, this is something."

"Let's do it!"; 4/24/17, 2:24 PM
Fernandinande said...: If you're thinking "bosoms!" when you see this Drudge picture, they're actually knees.; 4/24/17, 2:25 PM
Michael K said...: when FDR took office in 1933 that trying to hold modern presidents to that same level of productivity is ridiculous. Plus, it just assumes that the President "getting things done" is a good thing.

Especially since Harding and Coolidge probably stopped the 1920 depression by doing nothing but cutting spending.; 4/24/17, 2:28 PM
n.n said...: "Female Genital Mutilation" is a Choice promoted by the Church that falls under transgender conversion therapy, where functional corruption forces a stable state. They want the taxable commodity and a sexually pliant object, too.

As for throwing bodies off buildings, they were deemed not viable. It's a common practice in liberal cultures, and some conservative ones, too. Principles matter.

And stoning, beheading, it is a well-respected humanitarian rite during baby hunts.

The double-edged scalpel that separates civilized and progressive societies.; 4/24/17, 2:28 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: After Georgetown, I took the train to NYC to spend a few days there. Had drinks with a dear friend of 25 years, attractive woman, mid-to late 40s, works for a major, major newspaper, but not the NYTimes.

She was still shell-shocked by Trump's win.

I told her she needed to get over it, and find a guy.

She glowered at me.

I smiled at her.

She told me that her sister voted for Trump, causing a major cold zone in their relationship.

I sipped a Moscow Mule, told her to call her sister. "Look, abortion and gay marriage are LEGAL and will remain LEGAL in New York, even if Trump stocks the Supreme Court!' You guys WON those battles. Why aren't you happy?"

She sipped her Appletini thingy, girl drink, "But Trump could change all that! He's reckless!"

The annals of the Upper West Side. Beautiful single, unmarried, professional woman, owns an expensive apartment in Mahattan, gainfully employed at prestigious place trapped by the invisible Trump tentacles, shackling her mind and other, ahem, unnamed body parts.

Oh well, life can be hard, particularly if you lose focus and purpose.; 4/24/17, 2:35 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Yeah, I have a topic: does anyone here think we'll ever get beyond the stupid, meaningless 100-day metric?"

I doubt it. The media love stupid, meaningless metrics.

Unless of course, a liberal president gets in and is blocked by a GOP Congress from doing much of anything in the first 100 days. Then it will become a stupid, meaningless metric in the eyes of the media.

However, that's a far-fetched scenario - not the liberal president part, the idea that a GOP Congress would keep a liberal president from doing anything.; 4/24/17, 2:45 PM
Ken B said...: BayAreaGuy:
"attractive woman ...The annals of the Upper West Side. "

Hooooo-eeee, talk about Laslo bait.; 4/24/17, 2:45 PM
Fernandinande said...: Euphemism: "Lady parts enhancement"

++

Q. You [P. Singer] have been quoted as saying: “Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Sometimes it is not wrong at all.” Is that quote accurate?

A. It is accurate, but can be misleading if read without an understanding of what I mean by the term “person” (which is discussed in Practical Ethics, from which that quotation is taken). I use the term “person” to refer to a being who is capable of anticipating the future, of having wants and desires for the future.* As I have said in answer to the previous question, I think that it is generally a greater wrong to kill such a being than it is to kill a being that has no sense of existing over time. Newborn human babies have no sense of their own existence over time. So killing a newborn baby is never equivalent to killing a person, that is, a being who wants to go on living. That doesn’t mean that it is not almost always a terrible thing to do. It is, but that is because most infants are loved and cherished by their parents, and to kill an infant is usually to do a great wrong to its parents.

++

* Our dogs are persons because they anticipate dinner time.; 4/24/17, 2:49 PM
Michael K said...: The annals of the Upper West Side. Beautiful single, unmarried, professional woman, owns an expensive apartment in Mahattan,

My middle daughter the artist, was in NYC all week with her boss the famous artist who sells millions of dollars of painting. They were doing gallery openings and some pretty fancy parties.

She had dinner in one woman collector's penthouse that looked over the park. She said the woman must have $100 million in art on her walls. At dinner, the hostess spent the evening talking about "race in America,"

She referred to blacks as "Negroes" and my daughter was almost freaked out hearing it. I told her not to worry. "Those people live in bubbles." I doubt the woman has ever met one that wasn't a servant, But she's an expert on race.

My daughter got another e-mail from Apple and is going up there again Friday. This may be it. She may have to decide between the art world and Apple.

I sent her a link to an article on the migration of the middle class in America.

I doubt she would leave California. She surfs on Monday mornings.; 4/24/17, 2:55 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Well, here's some good news:

"Three Islamic State jihadis have reportedly been killed by rampaging wild boars near Iraqi farmland.
The three Islamic State militants were cut down by the feral boar known to inhabit Kirkuk in the the al-Rashad region, a local news site claims.

They attacked the militants and left three killed, Iraqi News reports."; 4/24/17, 2:56 PM
Fernandinande said...: Detroit — "A Detroit emergency room physician charged with mutilating the genitalia of two 7-year-olds from Minnesota denied cutting the girls, saying she merely performed a religious procedure that involved removing and then burying skin in the ground."; 4/24/17, 2:58 PM
J. Farmer said...: @exiledonmainstreet:

However, that's a far-fetched scenario - not the liberal president part, the idea that a GOP Congress would keep a liberal president from doing anything.

Remember how many times Obama's failures to get things done were blamed on "unparalleled GOP obstructionism" or something like. Now that their guy is not in office, they're back to loving obstructionism. Geez, looking at politics at the federal level, you'd think it was all a big game being played by elites for their own interests. What most amazes me about American politics is that anyone can look at either of our two main parties and see much of anything worth admiring.; 4/24/17, 3:01 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: " Our dogs are persons because they anticipate dinner time."

I believe Singer has defended bestiality.; 4/24/17, 3:02 PM
buwaya said...: "She referred to blacks as "Negroes" and my daughter was almost freaked out hearing it. "

I suggest broadening travel and speaking to the locals in Asia, Europe and Latin America.; 4/24/17, 3:04 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "What most amazes me about American politics is that anyone can look at either of our two main parties and see much of anything worth admiring."

Exactly. A pox on both their houses.

That's why I'm always amused when I am accused of being some sort of cheerleader for the GOP. What Achilles writes about the "Uni-Party" is true.; 4/24/17, 3:04 PM
buwaya said...: "Our dogs are persons because they anticipate dinner time."

So do cats. They have plans.; 4/24/17, 3:06 PM
Fernandinande said...: exiledonmainstreet said...
I believe Singer has defended bestiality.

They're too cute to be beasts, but not cute enough to have sex with.; 4/24/17, 3:06 PM
buwaya said...: "I use the term “person” to refer to a being who is capable of anticipating the future, of having wants and desires for the future."

I sense Singer was just hunting for something to hang a distinction on, not that there was any substance or reasoning behind this having wants and desires business. A man trying to be clever for the sake of being clever, without much integrity.; 4/24/17, 3:09 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: They're too cute to be beasts, but not cute enough to have sex with.

4/24/17, 3:06 PM

I'm not gonna have sex with anything that drinks out of the toilet.; 4/24/17, 3:09 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: @exiled,

"That's why I'm always amused when I am accused of being some sort of cheerleader for the GOP. What Achilles writes about the "Uni-Party" is true."

Churchill once described capitalism as the 'worst economic system, except for everything else"

If I may paraphrase: "The GOP is the worst, most clueless, ridiculous party in America -- except for everything else."

But, substantively, pointing out that the elites of both parties are the problem, was a truly brilliant political insight this campaign. Lotta liberal elites in SF, LA, DC and NY.; 4/24/17, 3:26 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Bay Area Guy:

If I may paraphrase: "The GOP is the worst, most clueless, ridiculous party in America -- except for everything else."

Well...yes and no. There's perhaps a dime's worth of difference between the two major political parties. Perhaps you could make a case for Supreme Court appointments, but Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter were all appointed by GOP presidents and all proved very disappointing to the so called base.

Also, there are some on the progressive left who recognizing open borders immigration as a cheap labor racket and want to put the breaks on in the interest of the American worker. Good idea! I like it. I'd gladly vote for that person over some GOP pole desperate to pass an amnesty.

But, substantively, pointing out that the elites of both parties are the problem, was a truly brilliant political insight this campaign.

Agree. And what's most hilarious about Trump for both his opponents and his supporters, is that he is probably the most liberal Republican to become president since Eisenhower. He is much closer to what used to be called Rockefeller Republicans than the post-Reagan GOP.; 4/24/17, 3:50 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Ann challenged us some time back to name a male main character that is unlikeable."

Actually, the challenges isn't just to find one who is unlikeable. It's to find one who is criticized for being unlikeable. You don't hear people say they have a problem with the movie "The Graduate" because the main character is unlikeable. In fact, people will probably say that they "like" the character in the sense that he was interesting to watch and figure out and you got involved and rooted for him. Some people might concede that he was a bad person and wondered why they cheered him on, but they wouldn't stand back and sniff that he was "unlikeable."; 4/24/17, 4:29 PM
Michael K said...: He is much closer to what used to be called Rockefeller Republicans than the post-Reagan GOP.

I've read a biography of Rockefeller. Talk about clueless !

He was an asshole and had no idea about policy.

Trump has ideas and the time has come for them to be tried.

I thought Bush might be correct to try to see if Arabs could be ruled without tyrants. I just thought his intelligence services were better than they were.; 4/24/17, 4:38 PM
TestTube said...: Well, *I* don't like "The Graduate" for just that reason.

I guess I did like it when I first saw it, but now, no.

Of course, I am not a famous movie critic. But I am a comment thread commenter, and that is a start ;-)

And the characters played by Fonda and Hopper in "Easy Rider" were unlikeable as well. What was it P. J. O'Rourke said about lots of folks thinking "Easy Rider" had a happy ending?

And Billy Jack -- THAT was an unlikeable character.

And Raymond in "Everyone Loves Raymond" -- I was barely able to watch like ten minutes of one episode with that whiny unlikeable guy.

I really hate it when some unlikeable main character has a good-looking, likeable girlfriend or wife. That makes the show even more unlikeable.; 4/24/17, 4:56 PM
TestTube said...: OH! Did anyone like Jack on Titanic? I disliked him. Then again, I didn't the female character likeable either.; 4/24/17, 4:59 PM
J. Farmer said...: Actually, the challenges isn't just to find one who is unlikeable. It's to find one who is criticized for being unlikeable.

I stand by my original answer: Rupert Pupkin from Scorsese's The King of Comedy.; 4/24/17, 5:14 PM
Fernandinande said...: exiledonmainstreet said...
I'm not gonna have sex with anything that drinks out of the toilet.

A dog won't have sex with anything that pees in the toilet.; 4/24/17, 5:50 PM
Gahrie said...: And what's most hilarious about Trump for both his opponents and his supporters, is that he is probably the most liberal Republican to become president since Eisenhower.

Let's be honest...Trump is really a Democrat, but the Democrats pissed him off by ridiculing him, and he knew he could beat them, so he entered the Republican primaries.The Republican establishment were clueless and put up a joke with no chance of winning the nomination, yet alone the national election. The anti-Establishment Republicans couldn't agree on a single alternative quick enough, and the "screw them all" and "Let's watch Washington burn" types all supported Trump.

Besides I would say that Nixon was more liberal than Eisenhower. If you think about it, there is no way JFK could win the Democratic nomination today, and if you ignore Nixon's days in Congress, he would more likely be a Democrat today.; 4/24/17, 6:03 PM
David Baker said...: "OH! Did anyone like Jack on Titanic? I disliked him. Then again, I didn't the female character likeable either."

Could never understand why they cast Kate Winslet. I assumed that after they built such an elaborate "ship (set)," they were out of money.; 4/24/17, 6:41 PM
MayBee said...: https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2017/04/24/mountain-lion-dna-found-inside-pescadero-home/

The Mountain Lion did go in the house!; 4/24/17, 6:54 PM
David Baker said...: Well, it's 8 o'clock, and I'm here with the O'Reilly support group. We've decided to turn the TV completely off until 9pm. It's very difficult. Please pray for us.; 4/24/17, 7:09 PM
Michael K said...: "Did anyone like Jack on Titanic? I disliked him. Then again, I didn't the female character likeable either."

I didn't mind "Jack." I was just sorry to see that Leonardo was still alive.; 4/24/17, 7:36 PM