December 31, 2018

Hey, happy New Year, everybody!

Thanks for hanging out — or just stopping by— here, tonight and any other night.

A toast to 2019! What a fantastic year.

And a toast to you, fantastic readers, fantastic commenters!

I hope to spend many fine 2019 moments with you, but for now, it’s the last sweet drops of 2018. Goodbye to a beautiful year. Enjoy every last lovely second.

82 comments:

Bob Boyd said...

Happy New Year Ann and Meade!

Thanks for enriching my life.

The Gipper Lives said...

Happiness, blessings and victory this New Year!

narciso said...

Happy new year all.

rcocean said...

Happy New Years to all, and to all a goodnight!

Meade said...

I call it The Paradox of Time: 2018: “But I’m not dead yet!” 2019: “Soon will be.”

Rob said...

Happy New Year to you, Ann, and thanks for creating the most interesting and intelligent blog on the Internet.

Mike Sylwester said...

I intend to begin the new year by ordering a bunch of books on Amazon, through your portal.

wildswan said...

My New Year's Resolves: I will plant more flowers. I will remain a Catholic. I will always grind my coffee.

Happy New Year to Ann and Meade and all the commentariat.

Lyle said...

Woo!

roesch/voltaire said...

Happy New Year to you and be sure to just ignore all the lies and exaggerations that Trump will spin next year and keep posting what interests you.

Jupiter said...

I'm going to publish this damned book in 2019.

Kathryn51 said...

Happy New Year Althouse and Meade.

For many years, I checked into several (6-7) blogs/web sites every single morning and frequently during the day. Drudge, Instapundit, Hot Air, etc

The last six months - Althouse is my only "must-read" every day for me. Thank you for your commitment to write interesting (to you) and intelligent posts and allowing commenters the uncensored(except for the worst) freedom to post their thoughts and insight.

Big Mike said...

Goodbye to a beautiful year.

Strange sense of beauty. Happy New Year.

David Begley said...

Ann has such a wonderful attitude.

Michael K said...

Happy New Year and some might be interested in the immigration debate. although it does slide off topic. Typical Chicagoboyz thread,.

traditionalguy said...

Another great blogging year. I have enjoyed your writing more than ever. Thanks for sharing your brilliant mind with us every day.That is quite a gift.

Marcus said...

Happy and healthy and safe New Year to all.

THEOLDMAN

todd galle said...

A Good New Year to all here, and I hope a merry one as well. I lurk and rarely comment, but I do appreciate the wide knowledge base that the regulars present here, across the academic realm. I can get, process, and weigh more viewpoints here than in my local newspaper(pennlive.com), which can't bother to cover the car crash on 7th St. this morning which was on the local AM TV news. As a semi-professional historian, I'll probably figure it out in a couple of years.

Darrell said...

A toast to 2019! What a fantastic year.

Fake news! It hasn't happened yet.
I wish for SMOD and it never comes.

cf said...

It HAS been an splendid year! And you have been my dailyfeatures/oped for a few years now, so glad for you, Althouse, Meade and commenters (how great to see theDoctor himself here, Michael K, I miss you when you are gone)

Victory, victory! EXcellent Victory! to you all in 2019

Humperdink said...

Happy New Year Ann and Meade. My favorite blog, none other are close. Like Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes (just watched the movie the other night).

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

we're wishing you all a blessed and prosperous New Year--

commenters, OMGH Ann and her 'One Bad Habit', Meade (das right! you baaad!!)

Like hockey, we come for the brilliant play, but relish the fights

As my whimsy leads me.. said...

Happy New Year, Althouse & Meade. I hope 2019 is kind to both of you. Thank you for your many dedicated and thoughtful years of blogging.
And all of you commenters and quiet readers, may you all have a happy, prosperous year.
Best wishes!

Toy

Earnest Prole said...

For those who tolerate the ironic use of cliches: I thought they didn't make years like they used to, but 2018 was one for the ages.

Ken B said...

Wars are down, poverty around the globe is down, jobs at home are up. Lots to dislike about 2018, but have a little perspective. The world is improving. It has been improving, slowly, for a long time.

Barry Dauphin said...

Happy new year! Thanks for the blog.

Temujin said...

Happy New Year to all reading and playing here. Your company has been invigorating this year. Ann and Meade- thank you for inviting us into your house. Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year.

From one William E. Vaughan, a former (deceased) columnist for the Kansas City Star: "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."

May it leave without another sound.

Rusty said...

Happy New Year, all!!!

JPS said...

Happy New Year, with thanks and appreciation and best wishes to all, and especially to Prof. Althouse and Meade.

Jupiter, about that damned book, have you seen the advice the late Elmore Leonard gave to an aspiring writer? (Get up at five. Don't worry about coffee or breakfast. Write for two hours. Do this every day. At the end of a year you will have a book.) I can't do this myself - to me it's not far removed from Steve Martin's advice on how to become a millionaire - but I have no doubt that if I could, it would work like all hell.

Michael K, hadn't seen you comment here in awhile; glad you have tonight.

WK said...

Happy new year to all. Appreciate all your thoughts and comments through the year. Thank you Ann for producing and guiding such great commentary.

FWBuff said...

Happy New Year, everyone! I’m resolving to read more books and spend less time on-line (except that Althouse’s blog is exempted from the second part). Thanks, Althouse, for keeping things in perspective while always making them interesting.

Darrell said...

Keep in mind that the world is set to end in 2022, according to that TV preacher/scholar that used to work the blackboards in the 1980s in his late-night UHF broadcasts. Key elements of his theory, from my memory--

1) When Jesus died on the Cross, the Doomsday Clock stopped with 77 years left to go.
2) The DC would start at the end of the Apocalypse.
3) WWII was the Apocalypse.
4) 1945 + 77 = 2022

BUMBLE BEE said...

Happy New Year all, and thanks for the memories! The best information consistently.

traditionalguy said...

New Year’s Eve is becoming a Texas A&M show. Four years ago Johnny Manzell put on a show beating Duke in the Peach Bowl , and tonight the Aggies are destroying NC State in the Gator Bowl. I am glad they left the Big 12 for the SEC, as are Texas. ButI fear that will soon be beating up on Alabama and Georgia.

Darrell said...

Ann Althouse is a Superhero, without a cape.
That I know of. . .

Quayle said...

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Browndog said...

Great to see Michael K again.

Just had a wonderful snowstorm; perfect ending of the year.

May the next year bring happiness, health, and prosperity to all.

gilbar said...

so long 2018! and thanx for all the fish!

stevew said...

Happy New Year to you and Meade. May 2019 he good and prosperous.

Jimmy said...

Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to Ann and Meade. Thank you both for making such a wonderful salon. A very comfy spot on the interwebs that is always interesting, often times funny, and always much better than any other site I know. I hope 2019 is a great year for everyone. Perhaps we will see more of the Professors drawings? Certainly more Rats, please.

RK said...

Not to be a turd in the punchbowl, but my 2019 resolution is the read less about racial and gender politics, which means reading less Althouse. It's just mind poison. And I've been reading this blog since the early 80s.

2018 was a great year for me. Sorry to see it go.

Francisco D said...

Happy New Year all!

Next year will be interesting. I was getting bored with 2018 as of late.

Many thanks to Althouse and Meade for all they do.

Henry said...

Happy New Year All. Thank you Althouse for always bringing illumination.

iowan2 said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! To our most inspired host. The best to you for the new year.

Get ready all, the ball drops in NYC in 6 minutes

Big Mike said...

Happy New Year (East Coast)

Clyde said...

3... 2... 1... Happy New Year 2019!

Clyde said...

Everybody sing along with Frank!

Last meal of 2018, just before midnight: Beef enchiladas. Toasted the new year with a little Crown Royal. And probably off to bed in about five minutes.

Clyde said...

And to all of the fine commentariat here at Althouse, happy new year! Even those I vehemently disagree with.

mockturtle said...

Happy New Year, Ann, Meade and all the blogfolk! It's only 10:00 here in AZ but I'm going to bed and read despite the loud fireworks that have been going off since 6PM! God bless you all!

mockturtle said...

Michael K, nice to have you back!

Georgia Lawyer said...

Happy New Year from Georgia!
Thanks to Ann for the best blog on the innertubes.
Diversity of thought and opinion is a good thing - may it continue and thrive in 2019.

Curious George said...

Happy New Year all. I'm going to keep my streak alive and enjoy the last 43 minutes of 2018 sleeping.

bwebster said...

Happy New Year, Ann. I've been reading you for many years and, God willing, will be reading you for many more.

Mike Sylwester said...

Michael K at 8:25 PM
Happy New Year and some might be interested in the immigration debate. although it does slide off topic. Typical Chicagoboyz thread.

Michael K, thanks for the link to Chicago Boyz.

We miss you at this blog here.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Hey, you know, Happy New Year everyone.

Bay Area Guy said...

Happy New Year! Was at the Fairnount Hotel in SF earlier for dinner - still a lovely, classy place. Picturesque setting on Nob Hill. Lotta Christmas & New Year's spirit there - North Beach too.

Here's to healthy and prosperous 2019 for Meadehouse and the Commentariat!

California Snow said...

Happy new year to you Althouse from warm(er) AZ.

MountainMan said...

My wife completed her last day of work today and has now joined me in retirement. This makes me very happy and is a great way to end the year. And I have finished this year 40 pounds lighter than when the year started thanks to an improved diet and many, many miles of bike riding. About 10 more pounds to go. Looking forward to a great 2019. More travel, more fun, and I hope more time with grandkids and the rest of our family.

Thanks to Althouse and Meade for this blog and a Happy New Year to all you commenters and your families.

Mike Sylwester said...

British Spies Infiltrated Bernie Sanders' Campaign?

The article begins:
-------------------

The Integrity Initiative, a British pseudo-NGO tasked with running anti-Russian propaganda operation, was recently exposed. Further digging into it revealed a much wider operation. It seems to involve a mole British spies inserted into the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Three weeks ago internal budget proposals and member lists of the Integrity Initiative were posted anonymously on some website. ...

The British government confirmed that it paid £2.2 million to the Initiative but it refused to disclose "the nature and purpose" of the funding citing "national security". It also confirmed that three of the employees of the Initiative are members of UK Forces.

Labour members of the parliament have asked why the British government would pay for such Tweets. In its answer the government tried to claim that it had nothing to do with the tweets. But the propaganda use of the Initiative's Twitter account was explicitly part of its budget proposal ....

That the British government secretly funds a 'non-government organization' to propagandize against its opposition is a serious matter. ...

eddie willers said...

Because I read Althouse, the Trump victory was no surprise.

Happy New Year!

narciso said...

It's odd because the minister in charge, Alan Duncan is not only anti Brexit, but anti Israel, perhaps not virulently enough like Corbyn or Sanders

Furthermore there was that link in don surbar that tries to involve

narciso said...

The mysterious guccifer (the Romanian) with Concord catering.

Darrell said...

HNY!

tim in vermont said...

Happy new year to all, and to all a good night.

Trumpit said...

I'd like a tall wall built, too, surrounded by concertina wire, all around the White House boundary, with shoot to kill orders for anyone trying to escape. His phones need to be tapped. He has the nuclear codes that can kill us all. He's a nutcase, and a one man demolition squad. If any one tries to restrain him, he fires them. He's a clear and present danger to the Republic. By the grace of God, we've survived two years of constant chaos, but we shouldn't push our luck. Be of good cheer on New Year's eve, but, he's got to go in 2019!

chillblaine said...

My Paddle-out For Bre Payton

I didn't know her, but look, she made staff writer at 23. This was a young woman with a plan. Well, G-d also has plans.

tim in vermont said...

Ok, this might be the martinis talking, but miniskirts and high heels in a snowstorm are pretty hot.

chickelit said...

Happy New Year to Althouse & Meade.
Still an hour and a half out here.

Mike Sylwester said...

In relation to the RussiaGate hoax, a new name to keep in mind is Christopher Nigel Donnelly.

[quote; emphasis added]

Christopher Nigel Donnelly (CND) is the co-director of The Institute for Statecraft and founder of its offshoot Integrity Initiative. The Initiative claims to "Defend Democracy Against Disinformation".

The Integrity Initiative does this by planting disinformation about alleged Russian influence through journalists 'clusters' throughout Europe and the United States.

Both, the Institute as well as the Initiative, claim to be independent Non-Government Organizations. Both are financed by the British government, NATO and other state donors.

Among the documents lifted by some anonymous person from the servers of the Institute we find several papers about Donnelly as well as some memos written by him. They show a russophobe mind with a lack of realistic strategic thought. ....

From his curriculum vitae, we learn that Donnelly is a long-time soldier in the British Army Intelligence Corps where he established and led the Soviet Studies Research Centre at RMA Sandhurst. He later was involved in creating the US Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Ft. Leavenworth. He worked at the British Ministry of Defence and as an advisor to several Secretaries General of NATO. He is a director of the Institute for Statecraft since 2010. Donnelly also advises the Foreign Minister of Lithuania. He is a "Security and Justice Senior Mentor" of the UK’s Stabilisation Unit which is tasked with destabilizing various countries. He serves as a Honorary Colonel of the Specialist Group Military Intelligence (SGMI).

During his time as military intelligence analyst in the 1980s Donnelly wrote several books and papers about the Soviet Union and its military.

Donnelly seems to be obsessed with the 'Russian threat' and is determined to fight it by all means. ...

The whole collusion claim is a creation by 'former' British intelligence operatives who likely acted on request of U.S. intelligence leaders Clapper and Brennan. How deep was the Russia specialist Chris Donnelly and his Institute for Statecraft involved in this endeavor?

After reading through all the released Initiative papers and lists one gets the impression of a secret military intelligence operation, disguised as a public NGO. Financed by millions of government money the Institute for Statecraft and the Integrity Initiative work under a charity label to create and disseminate disinformation to the global public and back into the government and military itself.

The paranoia about Russia, which objectively does way less harm than the 'western' "rules based system" constantly creates, is illogical and not based on factual analysis. It creates Russia as an "enemy" when it is none. It hypes a "threat" out of hot air. The only people who profit from this are the propagandists themselves and the companies and people who back them.

The Initiatives motto "Defend Democracy Against Disinformation" is a truly Orwellian construct. By disseminating propaganda and using it to influence the public, parliament, the military and governments, the Institute actively undermines the democratic process that depends on the free availability of truthful information. ...

[end quote]

chillblaine said...

Hello, I have been wanting to do a thematic review of the movie, "Alien," for many years, because director Ridley Scott lays it out in the opening sequence. I always wondered about the meaning of this sequence, where Mother's boot sequence is reflected off the visor of the empty crash helmet.

"Alien," 1979

Christy said...

Happy New Year to our Host and all her Commentariat.

prakash gohel said...

happy new year guys.
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BudBrown said...

Happy New Year

tim maguire said...

And a toast to you, fantastic readers, fantastic commenters!

What about the rest of us?

Happy New Year, everyone!

Thank you, professor, for another year of great analysis and insight. When blogging started almost 20 years ago, I read so many blogs it was hard to remember them all. Today I read 2—Althouse and Instapundit. Instapundit for the links to interesting stories, and Althouse for the interesting and relatively non-partisan analysis. Especially the close readings of language and word choice in public announcements. I don’t know of any other blog that does this.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Happy New Year to Althouse and Meade and all the commenters and lurkers. Hope you all have a year of good health and good luck.

America’s Politico said...

Happy new year to you Prof.

I hope all are ready for POTUS Warren and VPOTUS Klobuchar.

It is beginning to look like Christmas - I mean, the day after the election already.

Cheers!

Breezy said...

Happy New Year to all!

rhhardin said...

The morse code convention seems to be HNY.

Some old guy is still innovating. There aren't any kids in morse.

Humperdink said...

"Happy new year to you Prof.

I hope all are ready for POTUS Warren and VPOTUS Klobuchar.
"

The election is next year (2020). OTOH, I suspect you have already cast your ballot somewhere.

Meade said...

“Michael K, thanks for the link to Chicago Boyz.
We miss you at this blog here. “

Truth-O-Meader rates this comment: TRUE!

To all the expressions of thanks to Meadhouse: from both of us, you are truly very welcome. And backatcha for all the smart insightful provocative reflective humorous zingers and comments. If only I had a nickel for every lol, heh, and hmm uttered after reading all of your comments out loud to each other here, I’d buy all you all a beer or a coke (and then teach you all to sing in better harmony or something.)

Have a great 2019 everyone!

alanc709 said...

Could someone please let the guys in white coats know where Trumpit is? He gives deranged people a bad reputation.