Althouse: At the Tree Shadow Café...

March 14, 2018

At the Tree Shadow Café...

... you can talk all night.

(And think about using the Althouse Portal to Amazon.)

33 comments:

William said...: In the current Smithsonian Magazine, there an article about a German forester. He's called a tree whisperer. He believes that trees can communicate with each other and that they feel pain. He thinks trees should be allowed to die a dignified and natural death. He expressed a strong affection for his local beech forest. He would, wouldn't he. I myself am color blind when it comes to loving trees.......I got the Smithsonian Magazine on a special promo offer so I don't feel too foolish.; 3/14/18, 9:20 PM
traditionalguy said...: We enjoyed a great performance by The Men Of Ohio glee club tonight. Apparently they do a 7 day Spring Tour from the University of Ohio and this year's started in Ashville, and went to Charleston, and then to Daytona Beach, and now is in Atlanta for 2 days, and then will go on to Lexington and Cinncinati, and finally back to Athens, Ohio.

We could not have been more impressed by 70 young college men singing classical music, barbershop quartet, and colleged themed songs. Amazing energy and talent. It was as good as Robert Shaw's Chorale that performed at the ASO in the 1980's when Shaw was conductor.

Life is good.; 3/14/18, 9:30 PM
Rob said...: According to the New York Times, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe may be fired before his retirement takes place, for having lied during an internal review of his activities. But making false statements to the Government is a felony, 18 U.S.C. 1001. That's the provision that Special Counsel Mueller has used to obtain guilty pleas from several individuals. It's what sent Martha Stewart to jail. Shouldn't FBI officials be held to at least as high a standard as is applied to ordinary citizens? If McCabe lied during the internal review, he should be prosecuted. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.; 3/14/18, 9:33 PM
sane_voter said...: Fire McCabe, Stzrok, and Page, and then prosecute their felonious asses.; 3/14/18, 10:26 PM
Narayanan said...: Does Jeff Beau got balls for it ...
Taking bets!!; 3/14/18, 10:41 PM
gpm said...: I've been getting the Smithsonian magazine for quite some time. Always half dozen or so major articles about all sorts of different things, U.S. history stuff, ancient history stuff, geology stuff, animal stuff, other science stuff in various categories, popular culture stuff, etc. Usually at least a couple articles of some interest. Recently they seem to have started doing more "themed" issues (e.g., an issue focusing on influenza). Even though I was somewhat interested in some of the influenza articles, I think the focused approach is a big mistake, as compared with the wide net the magazine used to cast.

--gpm; 3/14/18, 10:54 PM
bolivar di griz said...: They should stick with their old formula:

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/2018/03/gina-haspel-tom-cottons-take.php; 3/14/18, 11:01 PM
techsan said...: Lately, politics is the art of getting away with it...for a given value of "it".; 3/14/18, 11:04 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: Gateway Pundit offers an interesting explanation of the Las Vegas massacre.

-----

October 1 -- Vegas Massacre

October 25-29 -- Just days after Vegas Massacre, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner makes secret unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia- as per “Politico.”

Purpose? As announced by Politico -- “President Trump is asking for Saudi Arabia’s help in “combating terror financing.” ....

November 5 -- Only days later, the roundup begins by the King of Saudi Arabia and his security forces- they arrest, detain, interrogate and TORTURE over 300 billionaire Saudi Princes. These are the most wealthy and powerful men in Saudi Arabia. Why? Why does this happen only days after a last-minute, secret visit by Trump’s son-in-law with an urgent diplomatic message from President Trump? ...

One specific Saudi prince who was arrested and tortured was Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who just happens to be the owner of Four Seasons hotel -- on the top floors of Mandalay Bay. ...

That specific Prince was then transferred to highest security prison in Saudi Arabia to be tortured. ...

All happening within days after Vegas Massacre, which happened to occur literally on his property (just floors below his hotel).

Meanwhile President Trump -- who loves chaos, crisis and controversy -- is strangely silent. Not one word about the Vegas Massacre in 6 months.

-----

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/03/wayne-allyn-root-vegas-massacre-expose-really-happened/; 3/14/18, 11:08 PM
Gahrie said...: @Althouse:

How do you feel about the fact that a law prof has lost her teaching assignment because she said:

All cultures are not equal. Or at least they are not equal in preparing people to be productive in an advanced economy. The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st-century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits, prevalent among some working-class whites; the anti-"acting white" rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants. These cultural orientations are not only incompatible with what an advanced free-market economy and a viable democracy require, they are also destructive of a sense of solidarity and reciprocity among Americans. If the bourgeois cultural script — which the upper-middle class still largely observes but now hesitates to preach — cannot be widely reinstated, things are likely to get worse for us all.

http://reason.com/blog/2018/03/14/controversial-law-professors-comments-on; 3/14/18, 11:13 PM
Big Mike said...: @Althouse, you really need to do something about your “Hillary goes away” tag, because it doesn’t look like she’s going to go away anytime soon.; 3/14/18, 11:21 PM
Drago said...: sane_voter: "Fire McCabe, Stzrok, and Page, and then prosecute their felonious asses."

As long as they come clean and admit to the wrongdoing and who else participated and how I would be happy to somewhat lenient.

The first to confess get the good deal.

Everyone else goes down for the max. That's usually how it goes.; 3/14/18, 11:29 PM
Jon Ericson said...: You might want to jot down these names and organizations. You might like to save this org chart too.; 3/14/18, 11:39 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Just so you can keep score.; 3/14/18, 11:42 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Michael Doran, in The National Review writes probably the best summary of the Steele Dossier saga. It is a long piece, so if you sit down to read it, make sure you give yourself at least 20 minutes. Near the end, he finishes with this talking about the media and the Democrats, especially Clinton:

"Choose your poison: You duped people and thereby abetted a gross abuse of power; or you were yourself badly duped. That is the dilemma that the lofty-minded now face. The choice is excruciating. It requires abandoning satisfying self-images and embracing painful self-truths — while also handing a well-deserved victory to a hated political enemy. As a consequence, the Steele dossier has proved to be as consequential as it is asinine."; 3/15/18, 12:38 AM
Jon Ericson said...: Damn.; 3/15/18, 12:56 AM
Jaq said...: So there is a 2% tariff on European cars coming into the US, but a 10% tariff on American cars going into Europe. But here comes Trump screwing up free trade!; 3/15/18, 2:25 AM
Warren Fahy said...: Life framed, given meaning - imagine for a second how many bazillions of scenes like this are now unseen, unframed and meaningless in the universe without a Meadhouse to frame it... Wow is that frame valuable. (Cosmic.); 3/15/18, 2:47 AM
Original Mike said...: ”So there is a 2% tariff on European cars coming into the US, but a 10% tariff on American cars going into Europe. But here comes Trump screwing up free trade!”

Yeah, I am not well versed on this topic, but I made note of one administration official making the point that the countries crying foul on the steel and aluminum tariffs charge tariffs themselves.; 3/15/18, 3:43 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: It's a dog eat dog world the Trump world:

Jeff Sessions 'is weighing whether to fire former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe just days before he retires and his pension kicks in

Trump is 'formatting a plan to FIRE Attorney General Jeff Sessions'; 3/15/18, 5:41 AM
MadisonMan said...: Beloved Commenter: Why should anyone believe an unsourced claim in the Media?; 3/15/18, 6:20 AM
Jaq said...: The story is written to distract from the fact that one of Obama and Hillary’s guys, Andy McCabe, of “Andy’s office” fame, where Hillary’s fixers at the FBI would meet is in trouble for lying to investigators and illegally leaking specifically to harm Trump. They protect their own, there.; 3/15/18, 6:37 AM
Jaq said...: BTW, let’s not forget that Mueller and Comey were both protoges of Eric Holder, despite claims that they are “Republicans.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2017/live-updates/trump-white-house/trump-comey-and-russia-how-key-washington-players-are-reacting/brothers-in-arms-the-long-friendship-between-mueller-and-comey/

Not to mention that Mueller should have recused himself.; 3/15/18, 6:42 AM
Humperdink said...: William said: "In the current Smithsonian Magazine, there an article about a German forester. He's called a tree whisperer. He believes that trees can communicate with each other and that they feel pain. He thinks trees should be allowed to die a dignified and natural death. He expressed a strong affection for his local beech forest......"

Beech forest? With the help of a professional forester, I have been managing my 38 acres of my forest (wood lot) for the past 23 years. I have eastern hemlock, red oak, black cherry and beech. Over the past ten years or so, a disease called beech blight has been moving across PA. It has consumed nearly all of my beech trees. It is not a dignified death.; 3/15/18, 6:58 AM
Jaq said...: President Trump´s motorcade tucked into the Francisco Street entrance of the Wilshire Grand skyscraper. There was no grand entry, or at least I missed it, standing behind Secret Service agents awaiting his arrival. Still, the hotel inside — the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown — had all the charming excesses that our 45th president might desire.

Remember when Obama used to stay at Holiday Inn Expresses. Ah, for the good old days!; 3/15/18, 7:04 AM
Hagar said...: There has been very little comment in the media about Xi Jinping removing the term limits for his tenure in the Chinese constitution, though this is quite a remarkable development and perhaps rather disquieting.
It is only 42 years since Mao died and one would think another god-like leader for life would be the last thing in the world the Chinese would want.; 3/15/18, 7:22 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: MadisonMan said...
Why should anyone believe an unsourced claim in the Media?

When it comes to firings and/or departures they are batting a thousand at the moment. Admittedly it's an easy gig, just say everyone is leaving or being fired and you would be above .500.; 3/15/18, 7:36 AM
Chuck said...: Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
MadisonMan said...
Why should anyone believe an unsourced claim in the Media?

When it comes to firings and/or departures they are batting a thousand at the moment. Admittedly it's an easy gig, just say everyone is leaving or being fired and you would be above .500.

Well, there is the notable case of Tillerson. When, in November and December there was much talk about Tillerson being asked to go, and Pompeo replacing him. A pretty particularized rumor. It didn't happen over the holidays, as rumored. Instead it happened ten weeks later than predicted. Again, with Pompeo replacing Tillerson as predicted. And immediately therafter, with Trump himself confirming that he and Tillerson had been "talking about it" for a long time. (Like, maybe ten or twelve weeks?)

And of course there were the Althouse commenters who took glee in each day that Tillerson remained, as some sort of proof that the news reports from late 2017 were all wrong.

What about that now?; 3/15/18, 7:49 AM
Hagar said...: Also Xi Jinping does not appear very god-like; more like the chairman of the board that he is.; 3/15/18, 7:57 AM
Rusty said...: Hagar said...
"Also Xi Jinping does not appear very god-like; more like the chairman of the board that he is."
He's aspiring to god-hood.; 3/15/18, 8:06 AM
Hagar said...: Doubtful, plus why did the board go along with this?
It does not seem to make any sense at all.; 3/15/18, 9:04 AM
Yancey Ward said...: "Remember when Obama used to stay at Holiday Inn Expresses. Ah, for the good old days!"

Well, Obama did explain that he didn't stay there because he was already smarter than any of their customers.; 3/15/18, 9:35 AM
Original Mike said...: Blogger Humperdink said...“Beech forest? With the help of a professional forester, I have been managing my 38 acres of my forest (wood lot) for the past 23 years. I have eastern hemlock, red oak, black cherry and beech. Over the past ten years or so, a disease called beech blight has been moving across PA. It has consumed nearly all of my beech trees. It is not a dignified death.”

I am particularly fond of beech. We don’t have them in Madison (except for a few planted specimens I am aware of). When I travel to eastern Wisconsin or the eastern UP, one of the treats is I get to see beech forests. I was heartbroken when I learned of this disease a few years ago.; 3/15/18, 2:18 PM