Althouse: At the Thursday Night Café...

December 13, 2018

At the Thursday Night Café...

... on the lucky 13th night of December, let's talk about stuff.

43 comments:

FullMoon said...: Venezuela’s economy has shrunk by half since 2014—a feat few others have achieved in peacetime. Hyperinflation began in October 2017: over the 12 months to November, prices have risen by 1,299,744%, says the finance committee of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. (The government no longer publishes figures.)

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/12/13/venezuelans-turn-renting-caskets-burying-dead-plastic-bags/; 12/13/18, 9:23 PM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: I'm confused. It's the 13th but not a Friday. So who cares it's the 13th?

Is it true the fear if Friday the 13th is based on the day the knight Templars were arrested or is that an incorrect memory of mine?; 12/13/18, 9:25 PM
FullMoon said...: FOX 10 Phoenix
Streamed live 11 hours ago
The panel on "Outnumbered" discussed a top North Carolina congressman's claim that whistleblowers came forward to him about potential illicit activity at the Clinton Foundation.

Melissa Francis said Rep. Mark Meadows, a Republican who represents the Smokies, told Fox News that three people have offered him "hundreds of pages of evidence of illegal activity."

Francis said Meadows -- the chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus -- plans to hold a hearing next week in the oversight subcommittee he chairs to look into the allegations.

She said that "evidence has been there forever" leading to the conclusion that the Clinton Foundation is indeed rife with corrupt dealings.

Francis said the government of Abu Dhabi -- capital of the United Arab Emirates -- paid former President Clinton $1 million to give a pair of speeches while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.

Shortly thereafter, Etihad, a top Emirati airline, received special approval to fly non-stop to the United States and receive customs-related perks only offered to regional flights from Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean, Francis said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0_pd2HYs_A; 12/13/18, 9:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: Christmas shopping is done. Grand kids all have what their mom said they wanted.The wife and I don’t give big gifts to each other. We already have everything. So she gives me a new bottle of Patrick cologne and I give her a new bottle of Jimmy Choo Fever perfume. And we smell good for another year.; 12/13/18, 9:30 PM
narciso said...: In Latin culture it's on Tuesday, apparently that is the urban legend.; 12/13/18, 9:31 PM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: FullMoon said...
Venezuela’s economy has shrunk by half since 2014

But Chavez' daughter is one of the richest women in the world.

Who says socialism doesn't work?; 12/13/18, 9:34 PM
gadfly said...: Blogger FullMoon said...
Venezuela’s economy has shrunk by half since 2014

We can take solace that the Chinese have begun buying our soybeans. Since the Trump Tariff War, our largest customer was Venezuela which lost its 2019 bean crop, wiping out their soy oil exports. Hopefully, our Venezuela contracts are in dollars.; 12/13/18, 9:34 PM
narciso said...: You seriously are an idiot, toilet paper ran out in Venezuela years ago, now dogs and cats are scarce, it floats on an ocean of oil but Chavez fired all the people with expertise, so its between brownouts; 12/13/18, 9:40 PM
Hazy Dave said...: I'm off to Amazon for some shopping...; 12/13/18, 9:43 PM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/13/18, 9:44 PM
Saint Croix said...: Watched Punch-Drunk Love again today. I love that movie. I discovered the abstract art in the film was done by a New York multimedia guy, Jeremy Blake. Very talented guy, and sad story. He killed himself after his girlfriend killed herself. Maybe drugs, or just plain old mental illness. Vanity Fair did a write-up about the events leading up to the suicides.

Blake's most famous art (I think) is 5-minute short film (usually shown on continuous loop) called Winchester Redux. The DVD sells for $5,000. Right now you can watch it for free on-line. Very spooky and cool, it's like a hallucination, or a beautiful nightmare.; 12/13/18, 9:46 PM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/13/18, 9:46 PM
FullMoon said...: The Trump administration’s often overlooked list of achievements has surpassed those of former President Ronald Reagan at this time and more than doubled since the last tally of accomplishments after his first year in office, giving President Trump a solid platform to run for re-election on.; 12/13/18, 9:53 PM
Big Mike said...: I proposed to my wife on the 13th of the month — but it was one of the other eleven months.; 12/13/18, 10:09 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: I'm confused. It's the 13th but not a Friday. So who cares it's the 13th?

Churchy La Femme; 12/13/18, 10:10 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: I'm sorry to the Althouse blog I didn't remember to incorporate O. Welles (WI native) as C. Foster Kane's line "I'm everything you hate" into the recent (but dare I say not most) hate discussion.

Of course you people have given me and in return ought expect better.

Will fix.

Also a hemp/root beer comparison.; 12/13/18, 10:12 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: By allowing root beer aren't we enslaving our children to the forever bondage of alcoholism the likes of which Carrie Nation couldn't comprehend?; 12/13/18, 10:16 PM
William said...: i saw the movie Collette. It was pretty good. Keira Knightly, witty dialogue, and a few nude scenes. In the movie, Collette takes up with a cross dressing lesbian. This affair, according to the movie, gives her the strength to free herself from a controlling and exploitive husband...... I don't know that much about Collette's life, but a bit of wiki research shows that the lesbian affair was not so idyllic as depicted on the screen. The cross dresser went on to commit suicide after Collette grew tired of her. Collette, after her divorce, took a number of younger mostly male lovers, but then settled down with an age appropriate husband to spend her elder years with. She had a successful life and was apparently quite as adept at using people as her first husband. Maybe that was the life lesson she learned from her first husband. In the movie and apparently in life, he was quite cynical and manipulative but very good at it.......There's a kind post facto political correctness to these period pieces. I've never read any of Collette's books, but I think she was more of a stylish decadent than an early feminist. In any event, I don't think that taking up with a cross dressing lesbian, as the movie advocates, necessarily leads to liberation and artistic fulfillment.; 12/13/18, 10:29 PM
iowan2 said...: 'm confused. It's the 13th but not a Friday. So who cares it's the 13th?

My wife and I both care. It's our birthday!; 12/13/18, 10:38 PM
Matt Sablan said...: Wow. Isn't it amazing the number of devices vital to investigation into corrupt government officials break or get accidentally erased? The IRS, the FBI, Clinton's State and campaign officials.

Just. Surprising.; 12/13/18, 11:11 PM
narciso said...: Not to mention the computer of the late CEO of uranium ones transport company.

Kiera Knightley is incredibly bland I haven't seen the duchess but the character is so dynamic I cant imagine she is a good fit.; 12/13/18, 11:33 PM
heyboom said...: @iowan2

Happy Birthday! Both of you on the same day?; 12/13/18, 11:43 PM
eddie willers said...: But Chavez' daughter is one of the richest women in the world.

"Oh well....0 and 2"; 12/13/18, 11:43 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: Today is my youngest grandson’s second birthday. He’s a sweet little Madison future liberal. Maybe one day he’ll be the Governor.; 12/14/18, 12:28 AM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: Well yesterday, the 13th.; 12/14/18, 12:29 AM
stevew said...: I was born on the 13th , of a different month, have liked that number for ever.; 12/14/18, 4:53 AM
Jaq said...: Maybe that was the life lesson she learned from her first husband.

Or maybe everything we know about the first husband comes from her...; 12/14/18, 5:10 AM
Jaq said...: Hey look, one of the. ways that the Dem takeover of the House happened was “Card Check” for voters. Say goodby to the secret ballot:

Ballot harvesting: In Orange County, an estimated 250,000 harvested ballots were reportedly dropped off on Election Day alone. County Republican Chairman Fred Whitaker claimed the 2016 law “directly caused the switch from being ahead on election night to losing two weeks later.”

Democrat campaign worker knocks on your door:
"Don’t bother voting sir or ma’am, just sign this and we will make sure you don’t make any mistakes with the ballot. Nice house you have here..."; 12/14/18, 5:25 AM
Jaq said...: What a future.; 12/14/18, 5:26 AM
Jaq said...: I don’t plan to try to influence my grandkids to be power hungry little dweebs whose main concerns in life has to do with gaining control over others by any means necessary then telling them how to live.; 12/14/18, 5:28 AM
rehajm said...: Listening to the conversation this morning about the probability of an infrastructure deal. The record revenues of the first two months of the fiscal year are overshadowed by the record deficits. With Paul Ryan on the way out there’s hardly anyone left to speak for fiscal responsibility. Sure the left whinges about the small stuff while demanding catastrophic new spending. That’s about all that’s left...; 12/14/18, 5:34 AM
rehajm said...: Cochrane quips this week Venezuela would be solved by 10 ideas from Hoover and Cato.; 12/14/18, 5:38 AM
Ralph L said...: They need a Pinochet, unfortunately.; 12/14/18, 5:44 AM
Jaq said...: With Paul Ryan on the way out there’s hardly anyone left to speak for fiscal responsibility.

How is letting millions of illegals into the US to undercut wages and overstress our emergency rooms “fiscal responsiblity” for anybody but employers of illegals and Democrat ballot harvesters?; 12/14/18, 5:56 AM
rehajm said...: Paul Ryan on immigration.; 12/14/18, 6:13 AM
Humperdink said...: Paul Ryan joins a long list of R's who entered the political arena with great promise and potential, only to depart as a dud (or worse). What an embarrassment.

Think hard here .... has Speaker Ryan accomplished anything of note during his tenure?; 12/14/18, 6:24 AM
Hagar said...: The dastardly Russian spy Maria Butina confesses to having infiltrated ... the NRA?

Have we now reached peak silliness, or do we have further yet to go?; 12/14/18, 6:39 AM
Hagar said...: If I understand it correctly, the immigration laws bars immigrants from becoming "a burden on the American taxpayer," that is legal immigrants, but the law does not apply to illegal aliens, so the Democrats are free to enroll these into any and all "free" benefits they have provided for the American people.

And they do not necessarily bother with enrollment before doling out the freebies to undocumented Democrats!; 12/14/18, 6:47 AM
rehajm said...: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.; 12/14/18, 8:09 AM
tcrosse said...: Friday the 13th fell on a Thursday this month.; 12/14/18, 8:13 AM
Marc in Eugene said...: I haven't looked at Harper's in, probably, thirty years, but there is an article in this month's issue by the French novelist Michel Houellebecq that is an amusing read; he... well, I'll leave link here: [https://harpers.org/archive/2019/01/donald-trump-is-a-good-president/]. Houellebecq finds a lot to criticize but so far as I can tell he is quite serious about praising Mr Trump. He also thinks Mr Obama was a good president, so one must take his political opinions cum grano salis.; 12/14/18, 8:26 AM
iowan2 said...: heyboom said...
@iowan2

Happy Birthday! Both of you on the same day?

Yes, it's crazy. Same day, same year, same hospital
We get lots of call backs from insurance and financial instutions that are sure someone has messed up our applications. It's been fun.; 12/14/18, 9:02 AM
Saint Croix said...: Kiera Knightley is incredibly bland

I wager you have not seen Pride and Prejudice.; 12/14/18, 12:23 PM