December 8, 2017

At the Sunset Café...

IMG_3687

... you can talk about whatever you like.

The photo — by Meade — was taken this evening on the Military Ridge Trail.

And notice that my Amazon link is back in the sidebar. Thanks to everyone who remembers to use it when you're doing some shopping!

53 comments:

Virgil Hilts said...

I'm in Arizona so we're talking about Trent Frank.
The surrogacy ploy was almost brilliant. In old days, a "traditional" surrogate became pregnant with her own egg & father’s sperm (couple different ways to do that!), but that's no longer common; parents want child to have both gene sets, so they use a "gestational carrier."
If TF is asking about latter more common type, it's not so bad; if assistant acts shocked, there is not much of a harassment case.
But TF may have been deliberately ambiguous to see if he could get one of the assistants to at least nibble at the bait. After bait is bit, and assistant has her heart set on a cool $5M, TF can start getting into the nitty gritty details about how conception's achieved. Like a seduction done in slow moving steps, but making sure the target is already counting the $5M as hers before the steps get more delicate. Just one man's opinion.

ceowens said...

My father joined the Marines on this day in 1941.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Mine tried to. He wasn’t yet 18 so they told him to come back in six months which he did. A year or so later, piloting a dive bomber in the South Pacific. He never commented on the extreme transition the war effected in his life so I don’t know if he found it remarkable.

readering said...

Methinks Alex Kozinski will be retiring soon.

Humperdink said...

My father joined the army in 1941. While preparing to go overseas, the army told him didn't weigh enough. As I recall, he told me he weighed in at 105 +/-. Some general wandered by and told them he was going to be his Jeep driver. That got him overseas. He did drive a Jeep for awhile, then did others things which he never talked about.

wwww said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tim in vermont said...

The top U.S. intelligence official has ordered tighter restrictions on how the names of Americans kept secret in intelligence reports can be revealed during presidential transitions, according to documents seen by Reuters. (Snip) Coats wrote that the new policy will reinforce existing procedures that “make clear that IC (intelligence community) elements may not engage in political activity, including dissemination of U.S. person identities to the White House, for the purpose of affecting the political process of the United States.” “In addition, this policy will require heightened levels of approval for requests made during a Presidential transition - Reuters

My goodness! Whyever would they need a new rule like that?

Hagar said...

On the Franks story, I have seen both 5 million and 5 thousand. $5M could be interpreted either way by a journo in a hurry. Which is it?

Quayle said...

“We want the strongest borders you’ve ever seen. We’re going to have such borders! We’re gonna have borders on top of borders.”

New Yorker Trump, on a roll tonight.

Rosa Marie Yoder said...

In 1941, my father was 10 years old. His contribution to WWII was to collect the silk from milkweed. It was used to make life preservers.

Hagar said...

On the Officer Slager story (convicted of murder on Federal chargers and sentenced to 20 years), I saw a rerun of the video on some news channel (CBS or Fox most likely) last week, and part of it clearly showed the line of the taser in the air between the cop and fugitive, so it looked like at least one stinger was lodged in the cop.
In all the reporting on the trial(s), I do not remember that this story of the fugitive shooting the cop with his own taser was ever brought up.
Why was that?
I would think that would be quite good evidence in Officer Slager's favor, and the freeze frames that Sundance at Conservative Tree House showed of the video earlier looked quite convincing. Were they faked?

narciso said...


Like how are they still in business:

http://thefederalist.com/2017/12/08/18-questions-cnn-needs-to-answer-after-getting-busted-for-fake-news/#.WisXNL9HxUQ.twitter
There are more plants here than the outdoor section of home depot:

https://bigleaguepolitics.com/exclusive-former-jeb-bush-staffer-planted-anti-roy-moore-coverage-washington-post/

Hagar said...

I do not understand some of these headlines about Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Israel has existed de jure for almost 70 years now, and if its government says Jerusalem is its capital, Jerusalem it is regardless of what Mr. Trump or anyone else says.

I do not know if every nation declares which city, if any, is its capital. Are not most just being taken for granted because that's the way it always was?
Then in Russia, the Russians do declare Moscow to be their capital, but the Romanovs ran - and Putin now runs - the government out of St. Petersburg.

Why cannot the Palestinian government also declare Jerusalem to be their capital as well?

narciso said...

Because all the ambassadurs except the czech, are in tel aviv i would think it epuld just a matter of shuttling personnel but I could be wrong.

Mike Sylwester said...

If the leaves did not fall off the trees during autumn, the the heavy snow would break many of the tree's branches during the winter.

That's why God made trees so that they drop all their leaves during the autumn.

Quayle said...

Well OK then: Trump gives God a big shout out.

Lots of cheering.

So, a big night for God in Pensacola, I guess.
Sort of.
In a certain light.
One could claim.
Maybe.

Mike Sylwester said...

The first FISA request to wiretap Trump's campaign staff was rejected by a judge in July 2016.

Then another FISA request was approved in about September 2016. Apparently the judge who approved this second request was Rudolph Contreras. Later he presided over Flynn's plea-bargain but a few days later felt compelled to recuse himself from the sentencing.

I wonder if the judge who rejected the first FISA request was a different judge.

When Comey and Strzok were trying to get their FISA warrant, they perhaps resorted to some judge-shopping.

narciso said...

Yes we are given to understand that, otherwise why recuse, the treehouse fleshes out the story mote thoroughly.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

My city in south Texas last had a snowfall in 2004. It began falling shortly after midnight last night. I stayed up watching it, enchanted, until 2:30 this morning; got my kids out of bed a couple times each in order to see it as I didn't expect it to accumulate. My oldest woke me at shortly before 6, completely stunned to see a good three inches' accumulation. It kept coming down for a couple more hours and we had 4 inches before it stopped. The neighborhood kids, who had been told not to expect play-in-able snow, were delirious with joy this morning. We had a 7 am block party with them all running around shrieking throwing snowballs and building snowmen. Snow was gone by early afternoon but it was a magical morning.

Hagar said...

Because all the ambassadurs except the czech, are in tel aviv i would think it epuld just a matter of shuttling personnel but I could be wrong.

I think Abbas(?) in a previous discussion of this office said that no, the US embassy offices most likely would stay in Tel Aviv along with everyone else, and the State Dept. would just rent a house in Jerusalem and put a brass plaque on the door identifying the place as the Embassy.

traditionalguy said...

Our Revolution did not end on November the 8th, says the NYC boy. And he just gave a humdinger of a speech to his base. It lasted over an hour plus a half hours cheering. A truly amazing performance.

brylun said...

My father joined the Navy and was on a sub in the Pacific. My grandfather was in the Navy in WW I in the Atlantic. I was in the Army in Vietnam. To all Vets, thank you for your service!

Ray - SoCal said...

Interesting, op ed writer who wrote Thomas should resign, may not exist.

Wow - talk about fake news.

I googled him and was surprised when I found nothing...


http://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/454460/washington-post-runs-column-obscure-conservative-who-says-justice-thomas-should

Molly said...

I am a Washington Post subscriber (print) and I often go to their website. Occasionally I like to read comments to articles to get some idea of how the anti-Trump movement is processing news. Overall it is very discouraging because so much of it is "your mother wears combat boots" kind of commentary, seeking plaudits or up-votes from those who already agree with the commenter, but with no effort whatsoever to try to convince people who don't already agree with the commenter.

So I went this evening (Friday Dec 8) to see if any commenters understood the seriousness of the claims (supported by evidence, so far) that the Obama administration used the power of the executive branch to influence the 2016 election. I can't find any articles about this.

I can't find any links on the top page. I search for "department of justice" and I get a Hugh Hewitt column from Dec 4 that is vaguely relevant, and links to a story about the Wisconsin "department of justice" (though it's not the article that I as an Althouse reader expected). I searched for "Ohr" the name of the DoJ official who was demoted for his actions in this matter and got nothing.

I actually do not believe that the WaPo has not covered this story. I expect it's a combination of my search terms and the WaPos search engine. But I'd welcome hearing about other's experiences, or links to the articles and comments I'm looking for, or explanations for what is going on here.

Humperdink said...

Thomas resign? Three chances of that - slim, none, and fat.

He's already went through a lynching, the hi-tech variety. Calls for him to resign will generate a loud belly laugh from the good justice. Make that great justice.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Humperdink said...

As I recall, he told me he weighed in at 105 +/-. Some general wandered by and told them he was going to be his Jeep driver.

My uncle was eligible for the draft in '44. He got 4F'd two or three times for being underweight. They finally took him right about the time Korea started. He wound up as a cook at hotel in Chicago that the Army had taken over as an officers billet.

Dad tried to join the Navy in '41, before the war. He was only 17 at the time and could have joined with parental permission, but my Grandfather (who was an Army vet from WWI) wouldn't sign the papers. He finally enlisted on his 18th birthday in June, 1942. He never seemed to have much problem with talking about his war experiences, but then I think the Navy had a somewhat 'cleaner' war than the other services.

pacwest said...

Pants, those are the moments that live forever in our minds. It brought back pleasant memories of my children's youth. Thanks.

Unknown said...

A few days ago the Heimlich Guy showed up at the bar. He visits for a day or three, then disappears for a few weeks; repeat cycle. I don't believe he is one of the drunks who go sober for a bit, then fall off the wagon (repeat cycle): I don't think I've even seen him drunk. Two drinks or so, leaves.

Good clothes, but not expensive, nice haircut, but -- again -- not expensive: he probably works for the University in one of the offices in the area. He shows up at a time that is generally considered 'after work': he is not drinking on a lunch break. Unless he works a later shift; that's possible. Still: only two drinks.

His name is not Heimlich, nor does he probably know that the regulars call him Heimlich Guy. At the bar a lot of people are known by nicknames that they are not aware of. As you might imagine, not a lot of those nicknames are flattering: sorry, Fat Gay Sam. Who is fat, and gay, but still not a great nickname.

Anyway: the Heimlich Guy. Several months ago he was in the bar, drinking one of his two drinks, when a college girl started to choke on a Buffalo Wing. The college kids she was with panicked: they had no idea what to do. The Heimlich Guy did: he walked over, got behind her, and gave her the Heimlich Maneuver. The real Heimlich Maneuver, not some innuendo for something that 'Heimlich Maneuver' might be innuendo for, like when a man is behind a college girl, arms wrapped below her breasts.

She expelled the chicken: crisis averted. A life saved; a story to be told. And a minor legend created: Heimlich Guy. Who, as I said, probably has no idea that he is known as Heimlich Guy.

So: a few days ago the Heimlich Guy showed up at the bar. He had his two drinks. No one was choking. And he left.

- james james

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Hey jj, good stuff lately. I've always respected your work (your prose poetry regarding babies who won't be born has moved me to tears more than once) and when I mentioned some weeks back that I often skipped over your comments, I should have added that that was just the ones that were a bit too anatomically raw for me. Similarly, I love South Park for the commentary but I have to skip over the parts of or whole episodes that involve too much discussion of semen, etc; simple aesthetics for me but doesn't diminish my overall respect for the quality of the work. Just wanted to mention it.

tim in vermont said...

The Reuters article about the new policy:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top U.S. intelligence official has ordered tighter restrictions on how the names of Americans kept secret in intelligence reports can be revealed during presidential transitions, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The move follows unsubstantiated charges by President Donald Trump and his allies that his predecessor’s administration spied on Trump and improperly “unmasked” the identities of his associates during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition.


Of course, you have this story:

BAIER: You are also looking, and have talked to the former Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power. We reported that she requested or her officer requested 260 plus efforts to unmask, in other words, get who was talking about picked up in surveillance. How did she answer that question? Why so many?

GOWDY: Well, I’ll tell you broadly, Bret, I think if she was on your show, she would say those attempt to unmask may have been attributed to her. But they greatly exceed, by an exponential factor, the number of requests that she actually made.


I wonder how hard it is to maintain your ignorance when you work at a news agency like Reuters.

narciso said...

Well it was a good outfit when Ian Fleming and Frederick forsyth (until recently we didn't know he was mi 6, although the level of insider information should have been a clue) although by the time they called bin laden, well know Saudi dissident!

Michael K said...

When Comey and Strzok were trying to get their FISA warrant, they perhaps resorted to some judge-shopping.

I think the assumption is that they used the Fusion GPS "dossier" to get the second FISA warrant.

The judge is bailing out on them.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

How the FBI Criminalized Trump’s Transition


But please, get down on your hands and knees and worship the FBI. Thou shall not say anything negative about the perfect swamp creatures that infest the FBI's corrupt hot mess.

narciso said...

They are still pushing this ouvno:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/08/fbi-warned-trump-aide-hope-hicks-emails-russians-report

tim in vermont said...

You know. If the DNC hack was an inside job, a leak. And the files were copied to a thumb drive and spirited out of the building via "sneaker net," which all of the evidence points to at this time, the Democrats would have a very good idea who exactly did it based on card key data, and cameras. Who was in the building at the time, etc.

God knows, based on Brazille's book, that enough staffers at the DNC had a motive. It makes Assange's statements about Seth Rich seem almost plausible.

narciso said...

That does seem a little like the scenario in enemy of the state, with Jason lees character. The attribution that crowdstrike fireeye privifed was highly dubious. There was no track of the IP address of the supposed intruder, it was only Russian characters in the code, and allegedly metadata that indicated it had been manufactured in the east bloc.

Big Mike said...

My father had worked his way through the University of Illinois College of Engineering (still possible as late as the 1960s, when I did so myself) and was due to graduate in June 1942 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed a few things. On December 8th the Provost of the University held a conclave in the gymnasium and advised the students to attend their classes and graduate on schedule. Thanks to mandatory ROTC training the graduating seniors received their diplomas (in May because graduation was moved up) and were commissioned as 2nd lieutenants for an Army that needed officers desperately. My father had been hitchhiking from Champaign to my home town during his four years of classes to see the woman who became his wife during the whirlwind three days between when he received his diploma and "butter bar" and when he boarded the train to head out to Ft. Ord, California. I was born about 9 or 10 months after he got back from the war.

He was in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. He also received a Silver Star despite being in the Corps of Engineers (technically a non-combat branch), but he refused to ever tell me what he did to earn it.

Gahrie said...

I do not understand some of these headlines about Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Congress has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capitol every year for years, and also pass a bill asking the president to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Up to now, every president has refused to authorize the move. The move implies that the US recognizes and endorses the position that Jerusalem belongs to Israel. Thus it is one more justification for Arab violence against Israel.

narciso said...

Some interesting details here:


https://mobile.twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/939259309187149825?p=v

walter said...

" He also received a Silver Star despite being in the Corps of Engineers (technically a non-combat branch), but he refused to ever tell me what he did to earn it."
Kinda the antithesis of stolen valor.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

We had the most amazing sunrise this AM. I took photos. I need to find a way to post them.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The Democrat party is a corrupt banana republic sewer. All of it.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I was listing to a consumer show on the radio today. Not much of it, just one segment.
Anyway, a caller got all butt-hurt because the host of the show said "He is probably a democrat." (that is insulting) - the guy called back inot the show and said he was never going to tune in again.
So the host said he was going to stop talking politics. (the show isn't normally political) but he sounded off to the butt-hurt listener by explaining that he used to be a democrat. He voted for Bill Clinton and Obama - twice. He said that Obama's "Cash for clunkers" almost put him out of business. He said that ObamaCare felt like Obama had "bent him over."


Drago said...

brylun: "My father joined the Navy and was on a sub in the Pacific. My grandfather was in the Navy in WW I in the Atlantic. I was in the Army in Vietnam. To all Vets, thank you for your service"

My father joined the Navy in 1946 and retired in '76. 30 years a Submariner and completed Nuke school the year after Jimmy Carter finished his training is Idaho. Carter had quite the bad rep even then.

I went the aviation route. It only took him about a week to get over that decision of mine!

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

DickinBimbos. Interesting that that guy was butthurt because he was described as a Democrat. What an insult! I remember when the word liberal got a bad name- so they reverted back to "proggressives." A turd by any other name still stinks.

Yancey Ward said...

Ray wrote:

"Interesting, op ed writer who wrote Thomas should resign, may not exist."

http://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/454460/washington-post-runs-column-obscure-conservative-who-says-justice-thomas-should

His name is Chuck, and he does exist.

Yancey Ward said...

I see CNN shat all over itself with the Don Jr. and Wikileaks story by "accidentally" reading September 4th when it was really September 14th. Yeah, sure it was an accident as long a imbecility is truly accidental.

Yancey Ward said...

On the Trent Franks story, I don't believe the $5 million dollar part, which makes me think the rest of the complaint was probably bullshit, too. However, it is possible that the $5 million part was a journalist's "error" in reporting.

wendybar said...

Looky looky....YOU are famous Ann Althouse!!!! http://www.azquotes.com/quote/665863

Humperdink said...

My father spent the last few years of his life in a veteran's home in Port Charlotte, FL. It was the nicest nursing home I have ever been in. The staff treated the veterans as though they were royalty. The place was spotless. The walls were lined were with large photos of military action. I can't say enough good things about the facility and it's staff.

Hagar said...

Good heavens, Big Mike! You are a UI graduate? I am impressed already.
I have it on good authority that UI graduates' shit don't stink!

And Gahrie: It just does not matter a hoot. If Israel says Jerusalem is its capital, it is so regardless of what anyone else does or does not say.
And the same goes for the Palestinian Authority.

Big Mike said...

@Hagar, it depends on what I ate the previous 24 hours.

Big Mike said...

@Hagar, my father and I both went. He loved the UI and from birth it was known which college I would attend. I’m wearing an orange & blue “Chief” sweatshirt as I type this.