February 11, 2019

At the Purple Rat Café...



... I only want to see you laughing.

155 comments:

D. said...

Bestest rat evah

Greg Hlatky said...

Our Borzoi girl, Miss Delilah, competed at Westminster today and made the cut, but a black-and-gold sable in a sea of white dogs looks odd.

Darrell said...

Date of drawing?

YoungHegelian said...

I lost my second tire this winter to those fucking DC potholes!

I was driving down to a client on Capitol Hill when I hit the pot hole on 16th St & North Portal. I made it down & turned into the gate to the now abandoned Walter Reed Army Hospital complex, and waited for an hour & 15 minutes for a wrecker to show. It took me 8 calls to find a wrecker that was 1) available & had a flat bed for an AWD Lexus.

I would have changed the tire my self except it was 34 degrees, continuously raining, & I was going to one of my few clients who requests I dress up when I come on-site, so I would have had to change the tire in a fucking suit & tie!

It'll take the repair shop until tomorrow to get the tire in, so not only was today shot to hell, a bit of Tuesday will be, too.

DC! TAKE CARE OF YOUR ROADS, ASSHOLES!

Birkel said...

Althouse,
If I hadn't sworn off buying stuff I don't truly need, I would be using the Althouse Amazon Portal.

When I need things that I truly must have, I am shopping your Portal.

America’s Politico said...

It is beginning to look like Christmas. DJT is finished. GOP is toast.

Say hello to Liz Warren as your next POTUS.
Say hello to your next VPOTUS - Harris, Klobuchar, Booker, Gina (RI gov) or Jay (WA gov).

Trump/Pence will be totally wiped out in the Electoral College. They will lose MI, PA, and FL so badly that states will be Royal Blue for ever and ever.

Cheers!

Big Mike said...

@YoungHegelian, the DC Assholes hate you, hate your car, and want you to GO AWAY and DIE!!!

(Why do you think I left?)

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

Les Rats qui Rient

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZbFq9JxsCY

C'est drole!

Jim S. said...

This may be late in the game, but one thing that bothered me about the Green New Deal providing income for those unwilling to work is how contrary to Marxist principles it is. Marx defined human beings as homo faber, man the creator. We are driven to work, we can't just sit around doing nothing, it's what defines us. His objection was that we were being forced to work for others, and thus to sell our work rather than creating what we want for ourselves. It's weird: wanting to supply income to everyone is pretty Marxist, but divorcing it from work is anti-Marxist. I mean, pick a path for God's sake.

Grant said...

But to be fair, Young Hegelian, that’s right on the DC-Maryland line. Might there be some pothole-jurisdictional black hole into which you were unintentionally sucked?

Unknown said...

https://babylonbee.com/news/confronted-with-details-of-green-new-deal-ocasio-cortez-claims-not-to-speak-english

Hagar said...

"All they had to do was not to act crazy, but they could not even do that!"

YoungHegelian said...

@Big Mike,

the DC Assholes hate you, hate your car, and want you to GO AWAY and DIE!!!

At some level, I think you're right. It's just that if people like me go away, so does a sizable fraction of the economy. DC cannot exist at its present income level without the suburbs & the inflow of money (& yes, traffic) they they create.

YoungHegelian said...

@Grant,

Might there be some pothole-jurisdictional black hole into which you were unintentionally sucked?

I considered that. I called the non-emergency lines for both the Monkey County & DC cops to tell them as it was a traffic hazard. I'll let them sort out jurisdiction.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Oh, good, a cafe. I have a question for the Althouse commentariat:

Back in October I ordered some custom furniture from a local small business run out of a home. The wife does the bookkeeping and the husband builds the furniture. They are both around 30. In addition, the wife is very well known in the community and teaches at the local Christian school. They are very active in the local Baptist church and everyone knows them. Theoretically, reliable people. Thus I was comfortable prepaying around $3000. She said that my delivery date would be the second week of December. Then she came back a few hours later and emailed me that it would be the third week of January, her mistake. I said that was fine and went about my business.

I hadn't heard from them at all around January 20, and I assumed there would be some scheduling and measuring involved, as part of the furniture is built-in, so I sent her a "Hi! Are we still on the schedule for the week of the 21st?" email. She replied saying she was so sorry that they are behind schedule but they'd had a death in the family. (Social media creeping has confirmed this to be true ~ her brother had a long illness and passed away.) I responded and gave my condolences and waited to hear back for a revised date when they think they would be able to deliver and install my furniture. Which I'd paid for, in full, three months prior.

I have not heard anything and it's now been three weeks since that conversation. My husband wants me to either A. initiate a chargeback on our credit card or B. email her again to demand a delivery date. I am kind of leaning toward 'let's see how long this goes before she bestirs herself to communicate with me.' I see this as sort of a test of modern business etiquette ~ if it were me in her shoes I would have emailed the minute I had an inkling that the date would be off, explain the situation and give a revised date that I would stick to come hell or high water. From what I can see on social media the mourning is continuing apace and the furniture building seems to be on hiatus and she seems untroubled by the fact that she's had my $3000 now for four months with no communication as to when I can expect to receive my furniture. I can always get my money back, I have the credit card receipts, so I'm kind of curious as to how long it will be before I hear anything. These people's business depends on reputation and theirs is very good, so I'm wondering what kind of management standards are acceptable to them that are not acceptable to me as an old fuddy duddy.

So, should I get my money back now, or wait to see how long before they surface with either my product, my money, or an explanation?

Big Mike said...

@YoungHegelian, I moved into the DC metropolitan region in 1969 (unwillingly, because I was a draftee assigned to an agency in the Pentagon). I left 22 months ago. Their attitude towards the suburbs has always been one of contempt, bordering on hatred.

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, Birkel. That’s plenty. I appreciate it.

stevew said...

My Northeastern University Huskies (I'm an alum) compete for the Benpot championship tonight versus perennial finalist Boston College. We're up 1 - 0 halfway through the second. Go Huskies!

Original Mike said...

"DC! TAKE CARE OF YOUR ROADS, ASSHOLES!"

They want you to take the train.

Ann Althouse said...

We’re watching the Trump El Paso rally.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

P.S. I am soliciting comment here and not my Facebook because this is a small neighborhood and furniture lady and I are not Facebook friends but do have about twenty in common. Lol. I know I would get a bunch of "she's so devastated by her brother's death that she can't be expected to work you monster!" comments.

J. Farmer said...

This little guy looks like he's been enjoying some time in Rat Park.

stevew said...

@I Have Misplaced My Pants: get your money back, stat.

Ann Althouse said...

“Our Borzoi girl, Miss Delilah, competed at Westminster today and made the cut,“

Cool!

traditionalguy said...

Is that a TCU Rat... but isn't it supposed to be a purple Horned Frog?

Big Mike said...

@Misplaced Pants, that's a tough one. I went through something similar and, really, there is no good solution. I did, eventually, get the thing I ordered but it was not satisfactory and it cost me additional money to make it right. The best spin I could put on my own situation was that the person performing the service had gotten backed up and worked too quickly and without his usual careful quality in order to get the backlog cleared.

Don't know if this experience helps you.

YoungHegelian said...

@Orig. Mike,

They want you to take the train.

I know they do. But, traveling outside of rush hour, irregular hours, hauling computer equipment & being on a billable hour basis makes that a complete non-starter.

Also, the metro isn't what it was even three years ago. that's why they brought in a new management team & are now making "forced" repairs. Metro finally wised up that if it didn't change, MD & VA were going to cut its funding.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

@Pants

dont get antz in yer pantz just yet.
keep it cool. Just get assurance you wont be ripped off.

Big Mike said...

They want you to take the train.

And they're putting signs on all the entrances that "Arbeit Macht Frei."

Jimmy said...

From Ace, a short video of Trump as God Emperor.http://www.ace.mu.nua
"The Carnevale di Viareggio draws hundreds of thousands of people to the Tuscan city each year, and is renowned for its papier-mache sculptures.
Dubbed "The Master Drone" the float was created by Fabrizio Galli and depicts Trump as a God Emperor from the Warhammer 40,000 series.

In the series, the Emperor of Mankind is the greatest embodiment of universal order.


According to the carnival's organisers, the parallelism between Trump and the character in the series has "never been more fitting".

"Donald wants to go back to the moon, travel to Mars and create the first space army," a statement on the event's website said.

"The time of intellectuals, philosophers and of old and worn culture is over."

In other news, it snowed down to 6200feet on Maui, first time ever at that low altitude.

stevew said...

Damn autocorrect, Beanpot! What in the world is a Benpot?

Ann Althouse said...

Meade notes that Trump’s playing Sympathy for the Devil is a cue that Trump knows “who killed the Kennedys.” T has access to the inside info, but he can’t directly tell us.

The song is playing just as Trump is about to take the stage.

Ann Althouse said...

Nessun Dorma....

Daniel Jackson said...

I never saw a Purple Rat,
I never hope to see one
But, I can tell you, at any rat(e),
I'd rather see than be one.

with apologies to Gelett Burgess

stevew said...

The guy is a communications genius.

Chuck said...

Althouse I thought it was a cue that Trump rode a tank and held a general's rank, when the Blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank.

And besides, we know who killed the Kennedys. After all, it was you and me.

YoungHegelian said...

@AA,

Meade notes that Trump’s playing Sympathy for the Devil is a cue that Trump knows “who killed the Kennedys.” T has access to the inside info, but he can’t directly tell us.

Nessun Dorma.


An Italian guy! It was a mob hit after all!!!

(I keed, I keed....).

Molly said...

(babylon bee is a satirical site -- but very funny and as with most satire the closer to reality, the funnier).

but here's what I really wanted to say: Has anyone noticed the large number of articles along the lines of "blackface is SOOOO offensive -- Here, let me show you some examples!" I feel like I've seen more blackface in the last two weeks than in the previous 20 years, and it's all presented by "woke fokes". (Huffington post a recent example, but WaPo and ... don't make me google to prove my point). I think there is a greek phrase relating to writing that is related to this, but I can't remember the Greek phrase: (" I would never argue that Althouse commenters are really really stupid,...." )

And is there a double standard in these kinds of discussions? It's apparently ok to say "What is offensive about Rep Omar's comment 'It's all about the Benjamins' is that it implies that Jews are more fascinated by making money than the rest of us, and besides 'Benjamin' is the first name of the Israeli prime minister who has a hook nose and is in other ways such a Jew." But you can't say, "What is offensive about Trump saying he will limit immigration from Arab countries is that it implies that Arab immigrants are terrorists, and otherwise anti-Christian and anti-American people who would erode the basic foundations of American culture such as individual liberty and equality of the sexes and races.."

Chuck said...

Wow he is looking puffy these days. What was his weight from last Friday? They didn't say, did they?

FullMoon said...


Blogger I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Oh, good, a cafe. I have a question for the Althouse commentariat:


Ask nicely for your money back. Order furniture from them later, if you really want tit.
BTW, dealing with owner/operators who have too much work to choose from,, sometimes the person who leaves two or three messages gets moved to the top of the list.

pacwest said...

@pants

Get your money back asap. I have no idea how a business like that got a good reputation. You are getting screwed.

Ralph L said...

Greg Hlatky brings to mind one of the more famous Saki stories, Cousin Teresa:

...announced Lucas; "it will be the thing in the next music-hall revue. All London will go mad over it. It's just a couplet; of course there will be other words, but they won't matter. Listen:
Cousin Teresa takes out Caesar,
Fido, Jock, and the big Borzoi.

A lifting, catchy sort of refrain, you see, and big-drum business on the two syllables of bor-zoi. It's immense."

We watched some of the obstacle runs at Westminster this weekend. Good times.

Drago said...

Hard to believe LLR Chuck is still here.

I would have expected him to hand over the reins to one of his many, many, many, many far left allies.

FullMoon said...

Meade notes that Trump’s playing Sympathy for the Devil is a cue that Trump knows “who killed the Kennedys.” T has access to the inside info, but he can’t directly tell us.

The song is playing just as Trump is about to take the stage.

Talk about tone deaf!
Either great timing, or terrible.
I report, you decide.

Drago said...

For those who might have missed, get this, and hold on to your hat.

LLR Chuck is hinting that unless we begin to treat him better, you know, like not call out Chuck for his many many many lefty lies, he might, just might mind you, decide to not vote for Trump in 2020!

You know, like he did in 2016......(wink wink)....

LOL

mccullough said...

Pants,

Get your money back. People who demand full payment up front need to do the work when promised.

Their reputation may have been good. But they are sitting on your money.

They took your money then changed the date once already. That’s false pretenses. Now they are blowing you off.

If they can’t do the work because they are grieving they should have returned the money.

Any person who mentions their religion as some kind of badge of honor in commercial transactions is a con man.



Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Pants -
It sounds like you are reasonable with all the delays, but her lack of response to you is NOT reasonable. It's been a while - how much longer? Perhaps pick a date - a red line.
&/or, E-mail her and gently let her know that if she does not respond, you'll have no choice but to request a charge back.

Molly said...

@pants. Give them another couple weeks: you know who they are; you know they are respectable members of the community; you know they've had some hardship. The threat that you will undercut their reputation in the community and in the business world is a strong incentive for them to abide by their agreement.

rhhardin said...

I watched until he started introducing people.

FullMoon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ken B said...

You do not want to see Chuck laughing.

Ralph L said...

Squeaky wheel, Pants. Time for an ultimatum at least.
Any way you can find out if they're filling other orders?

Ethan Allen took several months too long to send my brother a coffee table.

mockturtle said...

A playful looking rat. Would make a great pet.

Big Mike said...

As Althouse notes, Nessun Dorma.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

@Pants
keep your pants on! dont go in this loaded for bear-- this isnt a nameless faceless big box corporate dragon you have to slay. You have too much in common and it may result in soured relationships. Engage with benevolence-
btw custom furniture world is months lead-time
yes, this is the minority opinion.

Hagar said...

Of course, Democrats are not the only ones.
Someone is taking signatures on a petition for impeaching our new governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, for taking the (only about a dozen or so anyway, I think) NM National Guard troops back from the border and already has more than 1,900 signatures.

This is not going anywhere - elections do have consequences, which apparently some folks still needs to learn - but I think 2020 is going to be a good year for Republicans in New Mexico.

Ralph L said...

T has access to the inside info, but he can’t directly tell us.
Wasn't that one of the things Clinton told someone he wanted to find out in 1993, along with Area 51?

mockturtle said...

So, should I get my money back now, or wait to see how long before they surface with either my product, my money, or an explanation?

Get your money back, Pants. If they were sincere in customer service, they would have contacted YOU about delays.

buwaya said...

"Nessun Dorma...."

This means something, certainly.
It may have an insiders significance, besides being pretty, and the "vincero!"
The context of Turandot may hold the meaning.
It is about the keeping and revealing of a secret, and it is set in China.

It would suit the story of Trump, I think.

FullMoon said...

Oh no!

Aggravators in the audience!

Drago said...

Would it be too cruel to mention that I was hoping Trump would mention LLR Chuck's favorite Stolen Valor lying hack dem Dick "Da Nang" Blumenthal when the topic of meeting KJU in Vietnam arose?

LOL

One can scarcely imagine the rage that boils over in LLR Chuck when Da Nang Dick's lies about his Stolen Valor are further exposed which, in one sense, is entirely understandable.

After all, no one, and I mean NO ONE, has defended Blumenthal and his Stolen Valor lies more vigorously or more passionately than LLR Chuck. And when I write "passionately", I'm not kidding. LLR Chuck's #StrongDemDefense is sometimes, at least it seems, so over the top its almost erotic.

Not that there's anything wrong with that Chuck. The LLR heart wants the dems that the LLR heart wants. No reason to be ashamed.

You have far better reasons to be ashamed than that.

mockturtle said...

“Our Borzoi girl, Miss Delilah, competed at Westminster today and made the cut,“

I've been watching! Congratulations!

Darrell said...

Chuck tried some shit at the rally and the people beat him into pudding.

exhelodrvr1 said...

"We've got Chucks inside the wire!"

Big Mike said...

@mockturtle, they really do make good pets. My son had a couple. Both almost immediately recognized that my wife was THE BOSS. We blocked off a portion of the family room with a box for them to play. "Skipper" could hop onto the top of the box and could easily have hopped down into the kitchen, but my wife told him "no" and that was that. Even when she wasn't in the kitchen he stayed out.

Once they decide that you're an honorary rat they can be very affectionate.

But they die after only about three years, and they need opportunities to exercise and to keep their incisors whittled down. Furniture will do if you don't provide them the right kind of food and wooden toys.

Jimmy said...

"is there any where thats more fun to be than a Trump rally" LOL, He loves doing this. And poking the left.

Ralph L said...

Nessun Dorma is a funny choice, since more than anyone in the history of the world, Trump has done the exact opposite of trying to keep his name secret, which is what the tenor in Turandot does at the cost of Liu's torture and suicide.

Big Mike said...

@Misplaced Pants, the couple is under a great deal of stress, and possibly financial stress as well. Whatever you decide to do, be firm but be very, very nice about it.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Rajkumar - are you the same politico who insisted Hillary would win biggly?

traditionalguy said...

The Commander in Chief seems to be wearing an extra layer of bullet proof under armor tonight. He is close to the Cartels positions in Ciudad Juarez that Holder sneakily armed with 50 cal sniper rifles.

He’s doing it again. A perfect 10 speech.

Mr. Majestyk said...

I hit a D.C. pothole a week ago. Thankfully, I only damaged the valve stem, which Costco fixed for just $10 (whew!) To my everlasting shame, I have never been able to change a tire. I know. I'm not a real man.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

“None shall sleep, even you, oh Princess,(HRC) in your cold room”,(Lock Her Up)

Deep State panic ! yeah, baby!

Wince said...

Pants, just be aware that these are likely to be viewed as custom-made goods that may give the seller enhanced remedies.

Your generous forebearance to date unfortunately might be viewed as “additional terms” to the original agreement that inure to the seller’s advantage.

I’d be careful about yanking my money back, especially placing a new order with another seller, without first ascertaining the production status of your original order.

Big Mike said...

@Ingachuck'stoothless, no the panic is because the latest Rasmussen poll shows Trump with a 50% approval rating compared to a 47% disapproval rating. To phrase it in mathematical terms, there is finite, nonzero, probability that this poll may have contributed to Pelosi, et. al., forcing Oman to apologize for her antisemitism and to the disappearance down the memory hole of the Green New Deal.

Greg Hlatky said...

I've been watching! Congratulations!

Thank you, but that wasn't her. I was talking about the Breed competition and just realized reading your comment that the Best of Breed dog also got a cut in the Hound Group. Apologies!

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

@Big Mike
ok fair enough-- we'll take it!

ps You cut off our ARM.

Ken B said...

Pants
Ignore all the advice above.
This is worth big bucks if you play it right.
Tell CNN she wears a MAGA hat and used an ethnic slur. Set up a GoFundMe. Wait.

JackWayne said...

Looks like Trump is caving again: lowers demand to $2B.

Bay Area Guy said...

You don't hear many Dems touting Venezuela anymore. They go radio silent.

When Chavez died in 2013, Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) released a statement, “Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President.”

That's how the Left operates. They implement really crappy policies that take years to gradually wreck an institution, organization, or country.

Then, once the wrecking gets acute, they casually walk away and deny any responsibility.

David Begley said...

Pants:

Ask to see the partially completed product. If they won’t let you see it, get your money back.

Trump in great form tonight. He’s getting better in the job.

Big Mike said...

@ingachuck’stoothless, ARM hasn’t been around for a while. I don’t care for his politics, but I hope he’s okay.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Thanks for helping me make up my mind, guys :)

David Begley said...

Come and take it!

traditionalguy said...

Amazing performance.He loves his people and they love him back.

chickelit said...

That's some improved rat anatomy -- great proportions! A step further could be to fatten up the rat thighs a bit but not the arms -- they're pretty good. Maybe you want the haunches skinny -- Disney did. But the haunches are where a rat's physical power is. Image a squirrel's legs. But don't give him nazi pants -- the thighs in a real rat blend right into the hips.

Sprezzatura said...

YH,

Get a Tesla.

The car knows when you get a flat and then it tells you to pull over an Uber will pick you up, and the car will be repaired and left at your designated house.

At least the fanciest ones do that. I don't know about that new one that's meant for the masses. Or, all the others in the middle.

OTOH, Teslas are for nerds (if yur a guy). I hate mine. And, almost exclusively, others use it.

IMHO.

etbass said...

Pants, my suggestion would be to contact the company, acknowledge again your condolences and then ask them if it would be doing them a favor to just cancel your order and take the pressure off. If they say no and insist on proceeding then you would be in a position to insist on a near term firm date, explaining that you unfortunately can’t live with any more delay. If they can’t give you an acceptable near term date, then they should have no basis in refusing a refund and cancellation of your order.

narciso said...

And almost the entire cast of the rainmaker with the exception of John voigt (Glover, daamon devito et al)

Howard said...

Congrats, you people got $1.3B for the great wall of vagina.

YoungHegelian said...

@Mr Majestyk,

I have never been able to change a tire. I know. I'm not a real man.

Once, I had a flat & I pulled over, hopped out of the car, got the tools & tire out of the trunk, and proceeded to change the tire.

After I was done, I got back in the car, turned on the engine to drive away, & my wife said to me "I can't believe you're not yelling & cursing!".

It's really not that tough once you get the hang of your tool kit & you accept that the fact that your hands & lower arms are going to get unbelievably filthy. It's amazing how dirty tires are.

chickelit said...

BTW, is that rat farting? What are those puff coming out in back? At first I thought that were screen smudges but they they're real.

Artsy fartsy

wwww said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

"Get a Tesla.

The car knows when you get a flat and then it tells you to pull over an Uber will pick you up, and the car will be repaired and left at your designated house."


Presumably, there's not a months-long wait for tires, as there are for other Tesla parts.

narciso said...

Theres an interesting offering in the delillo /pynchon vein its called big bang by David bowman who passed away in 2012 and Jonathan Latham, it does a Billy Joel type name dropping from 1950-1963, including everyone from Howard hunt to Jimmy hendrix

Sprezzatura said...

"Presumably, there's not a months-long wait for tires, as there are for other Tesla parts."

Not somewhere around a year ago, when it happened to me.

FTR, Teslas are for nerds. I hate them.

YoungHegelian said...

@Original Mike,

Presumably, there's not a months-long wait for tires, as there are for other Tesla parts.

For the price of a Tesla, when they hear that you've undergone the awful stress of a flat tire, they should send over some comely East Asian ---ahem!--- "companionship" to sooth your fevered brow.

David Begley said...

It would be hard to pick out the best rat of this pack.

walter said...

"We stand against walls!"
Wallflower

Original Mike said...

@YH - Everybody would be getting a flat tire.

Sprezzatura said...

OTOH, I have a situation re a car not for nerds that ties in w/ Pants.

I spent some dough on some seat covers for a particular car because my dog gets them dirty. If it's dry, the dog goes to one place and sits. If it's wet/muddy, the dog walks all over all the seats, and after wiping paws on all of our seats, sits in what she decides is her spot.

Anywho, my solution was seat covers for a bit short of six grand. That was in October. Fully paid.

Anyanywho, for some crazy reason I think it's funny when every three, or so, weeks the shop calls me again to say that for days they've been dreading the embarrassment of having to call because.......is the reason for another delay.

Bottom line, if three grand matters to you I guess you need to be fussy. But, I don't think I would be in that situation. IOW, if three grand mattered to me, it wouldn't be in jeopardy. Ever.

Ty said...

My father was a purchasing manager with John Deere for decades. If he ever had any trouble with a supplier, he would get on a plane and just show up. If the place is local, even better. Additionally, you could offer your condolences in person.

narciso said...

Dr. Spock to William Burroughs and Normam Mailer, There are some parts that I wonder where he conjured it from,

FIDO said...

I am laughing!


Trump has a 52% approval rating, despite EVERYTHING that Inga, Chuck and the MSM have thrown at him RELENTLESSLY.

Meanwhile (chuckle snort)

Theresa May has a 28% approval rating.

Marcon is UP...to 27%.

Trudeau is in the thirties.

Merkel has ONE poll at 60%...but her party is at 29% so is it a good poll? Who knows! Germans are weird. They have BDSM fetishes too.

So who is the worst leader in the Free World?

(Snicker) It ain't Trump!


BWAHAHAHAHA!

Skeptical Voter said...

I think Trump ought to play John Fogerty's "Centerfield" as intro music.

First of all, Fogerty did it all himself--he really did build that song. Laid down every instrumental track, did the vocals, mixed it all--by his own self. Part of the reason for that was sticking it to the man---the company and the record producer his group had had a contract with. Sorta like sticking it to the establishment.

Second, it's got a great line "Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play--today".

Trump is ready.

FIDO said...

"The song is playing just as Trump is about to take the stage."

Trump, like the Devil, gets all the best lines.

Mark said...

Pants --

I've seen these kinds of things happen with small businesses before. The people are acting in good faith, but money isn't coming in as much as they need it to and they end up underwater. So when they take the money up front, with every good intention of following through, the money is already spent by them on bills as soon as it comes in. Then they don't have the capital for supplies, etc., and perhaps they have taken other work that provides a paycheck, so they don't have the time to do your job.

Likely you will not be able to get a refund because they do not have the money to give to you. They also likely had no intention of scamming you, but don't have the money and are embarrassed and so they are avoiding you.

They are probably good people, but in over their head. You could demand your money back or even sue, but they might go into panic/defense mode. If you don't need the money yourself, probably a frank talk with them is a better route. Tell them you understand they have some problems and sympathize with them, but remind them that they did take your money and it wasn't a gift. So they need to redouble their efforts or start paying back, even if it is in installments.

Sprezzatura said...

FIDO,

That's the game.

They don't care about now. Now is when they want the high. Let it ride. It's helpful.

They time the ebb and flow. Ya gotta go up to crash down. Nov 2020.

Don't be a naive sucker.

Mark said...

If not enough money is coming in to get ahead of things, husband the woodworker is also probably feeling a bit depressed and inadequate. Which can lead to other things which in turn lead to a loss of motivation and slow down in performance.

narciso said...

Who knows what she's doing:


https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1085611/brexit-news-theresa-may-irish-backstop-plan-eu-donald-tusk-pmqs-jeremy-corbyn-spt

bagoh20 said...

@Pants,

They spent your money. They didn't even start your furniture. They have heartbreaking excuses. The problem is of course that they don't have the resources to make you whole either way. They can eventually if they want to, but your are likely in competition with other customers similarly screwed. Tell them you want put first: via refund or furniture, sound serous and to the point, but expect less than satisfaction. Learn from it.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Last time I had to change a tire, I had gotten the flu shot and the shingles shot both the previous day, so I was tired and mopey and both arms hurt.

Then I let the jack down, and the spare was flat..

Churchy LaFemme: said...

I've decided that the only thing that makes sense is that May is now a secret "no deal" Brexiter. She can't say that, so she is running out the clock with goofy schemes that go nowhere.

I mean, she couldn't be *that* incompetent, right?

narciso said...

No she has always been a remainer, boris Johnson was in the final lap then gove stabbed him in the back, all other leadership candidates like leadsom were dispatched with Patel doing the deed.

Ex-Prosecutor said...

Misplaced pants - your time to contest the charge may have expired. I’d sue - deadbeats always have explanations and understand the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit

FullMoon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FIDO said...

Sitter,

I keep being told by my haughty betters that Trump is a joke and an anomaly. That other nations have 'real leadership'.

Ha...ha ha...ha...HA! I guess they are talking about Edrogan and Putin, cause I am not seeing it in any of the PIIGS or the other states.

narciso said...

can this get stranger
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/11/as-el-chapo-deliberations-drag-on-the-unthinkable-is-asked-can-he-get-off

Sebastian said...

Progs doing their prog thing:

"What a difference a year made for Joseph Alcoff.

On Monday, the 37-year-old has a court date in connection with charges he’s facing in Philadelphia that include aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation for allegedly being part of an Antifa mob in November that attacked two Marines, Alejandro Godinez and Luis Torres, both Hispanic. Alcoff and two others charged in the attack have pleaded not guilty.

But while Democratic officials are distancing themselves from Alcoff now, until recently he was a well-connected, aspiring political player in Washington who may have even had a hand in key policy proposals.

His endorsement apparently mattered when several congressional Democrats in February 2018 issued press releases with his quote backing their bill on regulating payday lenders.

As the payday campaign manager for the liberal group Americans for Financial Reform, Alcoff participated in congressional Democratic press conferences, was a guest on a House Democratic podcast and met with senior officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from 2016 through 2018."

wildswan said...

I think the guy has taken on too much because the economy is booming and people want these expensive handmade things. He isn't used to allocating time and he has no idea how to handle falling behind. Other craftsmen I know are all behind because suddenly they are busy. You can cancel but the trouble is he may have bought the wood already. But maybe you could look at it and offer to buy it and take it to someone else.

narciso said...

Guess who else is part of Afr, cortezs dissembling advisors Robert hockett?

Big Mike said...

@Ex-Prosecutor, a lawsuit is one thing that Misplaced Pants absolutely cannot do unless she plans to sell her home and move away from the community. It’s a mom & pop business that relies on reputation. The best she can hope for is to destroy that reputation and lose her deposit as well as her lawyer’s fees and her own good name in the community.

Sprezzatura said...

"Sitter,

I keep being told by my haughty betters that Trump is a joke and an anomaly."

Right, and they're playin' the long game. As in when votes are counted, as in 2018. And, 2020.

They want DJT to shoot his load now.

FIDO said...

I have better things to do than worry about conspiracies I can neither verify the existence of, or, if they exist, do much of anything about.

I live as I wish to live and pushback against those who would oppress me any way I can. If not Trump, something else.


According to the Left, we should even be having this conversation at all.

narciso said...

It seems like your stuck between a rock and a hard place, 3,000 is not a small sum, but you don't want to look heartless.

Sprezzatura said...

"Science is on my side, @realDonaldTrump. Looking forward to debating you about climate change (and many other issues). And I wonder how your hair would fare in a blizzard?"

Maybe the Ds need a gal/guy who throws binders.

Sprezzatura said...

https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1094744351803170816

Ralph L said...

Then I let the jack down, and the spare was flat..
I had a flat in my step-monster's pickup on I-95. She had an old car jack in the bed (the real one was under the hood) which was too short and weak to lift the truck off the ground. I put a stack of books under the jack and dug out the highway shoulder under the tire. Lots of fun next to 3 lanes of speeding cars and semi's.

narciso said...

Which means nothing:

https://wattsupwiththat.com/

chickelit said...

@Althouse: Parting rat anatomy thoughts: (1) Rats lack thumbs so it looks like they have 4 digits in front. They do have useless 5th digits on each forelimb; (2) You’ve got the correct ear shape in 2D, but real rat ears look like orecchiette pasta.

Sprezzatura said...

Still w/ the jabber about changing to a spare tire? Sheeeeeesh!

Here's a rule of thumb: if yur F-ing car has a spare = it sux bigly.

Yes, I have some of them.

But the cars I love have run flats. I.e., not nerd cars rock.

IMHO.

narciso said...

Maybe that's why she lost 12 counties between 2012 and 2018.

Sprezzatura said...

BTW, I can tell ya that they make low profile run-flat snow tires for sick cars.

Snatch.

Freeman Hunt said...

Pants, I would cut them a big break as a brother's death is a big deal. (My closest friend's brother died last year. It was horrible.) I would send a nice message asking for a refund if they don't have time to build it now and requesting that they let you know when they're back to building as you might be interested in placing the order at that time

YoungHegelian said...

@Sitter,

But the cars I love have run flats

No, just, no. I had run flats & was thrilled to swap them out because the ride was so awful.

Run-flats produce back-breakingly hard rides. Run-flats are so unpopular my Lexus dealership has told me that, even though run-flats come standard on many models, many customers demand that the dealership swap them out for standard tires before they take possession.

Sprezzatura said...

"I would send a nice message asking for a refund if they don't have time to build it now and requesting that they let you know when they're back to building as you might be interested in placing the order at that time"

I think this may be the shittiest thing you could do to them.

1) They seem like the don't have any margins. (Although I really have no F-ing way to know that one way or the other) If they're making custom furniture for three grand, they can't be making money. That's barely double or triple the crap from Ikea.

2) The money is gone. I.e., they don't have it, so asking for it back is 'problematic' (to use an SJW term, but in a different context).

3) Yur not broke (so don't be too focused on the dough), reach out to them, w/ true compassion. Don't jabber about the product. Talk about life, difficulty, challenge, stress, etc. But eventually say you know they've got a lot going on and you know that in the past they've given to the community, so now you want to pay it back and join them re finding an mutual joy: you from a new piece of furniture and them from knowing you love their work (or get high on pot).

4) The more you talk to them, the more good info you'll get re the situation, the more you'll be assured that your next move is the right move.

5) Maybe the right move is such that yur three grand doesn't end up buying some uber cool custom furniture that you originally expected. That may have been an overpromise, regardless of family members ending up six feet under.

IMHO.

Sprezzatura said...

YH,

I love em'.

Of course I have them on cars that are extremely stiffly sprung, even on the so-called easy going settings.


IMHO.


Yancey Ward said...

"I've decided that the only thing that makes sense is that May is now a secret "no deal" Brexiter. She can't say that, so she is running out the clock with goofy schemes that go nowhere."

No, she is a Remainer. Her only goal is to find a way to get a 2nd referendum, and for that to happen, she has to make the process look like a disaster that only "2nd Referendum can fix". I expect sometime before the end of this month, the EU will make it explicit that Article 50 notice can be revoked by the British government, and that they can delay the exit until a second vote is held. When that second vote is held, I promise you this- they will cheat if they have to in order to overturn the 1st vote.

Sprezzatura said...

BTW,

What Lexus has run flats?

I guess they have/had? that LFA.

Do they make a killer car?

Yancey Ward said...

I have changed, on the road, 3 flat tires in my entire life- all three were memorable conditions. The first one, when I was 19 years old, took place on an afternoon in which the temperature was 104 degrees. The second one I replace a year later on the same car in a rainstorm in which I was literally sitting a small stream of water that was getting higher by the minute. The last one was 13 years ago on I-84 in CT, at night when the temperature was about 5 degrees- even worse, it was the first time I had changed a tire on a pickup, and the pickup's spare is fullsized and suspended on a cable underneath the truck bed. The flash light went dead about half-way through the lowering of the spare, and I changed the tire in the damned dark and nearly got frostbitten fingers.

Sprezzatura said...

"...it was the first time I had changed a tire on a pickup, and the pickup's spare is fullsized and suspended on a cable underneath the truck bed. The flash light went dead about half-way through the lowering of the spare, and I changed the tire in the damned dark and nearly got frostbitten fingers."

Trucks are cash cows, and they've been protected from needing to innovate as passenger cars have been forced to do, because of a 25%? tariff (long before DJT).

Anywho, that cable thing isn't a big deal. Just stick the rod in the hole that is beside the license plate and turn. EZPZ.

IMHO.

P.S. Be glad ya don't have an F450 w/ dual rear wheels. Sometimes air inflator things don't fit, never mind wheel changing hassle.

OTOH, they come w/ a nice bottle jack that can be used for other stuff unrelated to the truck. Just sayin'.

P.P.S.
Did ya know that the Subaru Brats had those seats in the so-called truck bed so that they could avoid the tariff?

P.P.P.S.
Being for capitalism and free markets al a carte is very popular. Pick and choose.

Ralph L said...

Just stick the rod in the hole that is beside the license plate
My dad's Trailblazer requires a very long rod, so you really have to bend over to stick it in.

Darrell said...

My dad's Trailblazer requires a very long rod, so you really have to bend over to stick it in.

TMI

Darrell said...

Iran says it has the formula for the nuclear bomb.

Yeah, E = MC**2

Darrell said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-EbLAR0rs


Trump's terrible swift Twitter sword! His Truth is marching on. . .

Humperdink said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meade said...

For Misplaced Pants, I’d go with Full Moon’s moral advice at 11:03 and Freeman Hunt’s practical advice at 11:54. Consider the $3,000. spent, sunk, unrecoverable. That money bought your project a place in line on the artist/craftsman’s bench. Be patient, humane and resolute and, in time, your project will turn out to your satisfaction. Tell Mr. Pants not to worry, you will take care of the whole thing. And then don’t trouble him with a single detail. WIN!

Temujin said...

Phyllis Dillerat. Close cousin?

narciso said...

I thought that scientist they smuggled into the UK had the formula.

Fritz said...

The formula for an atomic bomb is pretty simple. Put enough U-235 or Pu-239 close enough together, and it spontaneously starts to fission in a chain reaction. It's even happened naturally back when U-235 was a much larger fraction of natural uranium than it is now.

The trick to making a bomb is engineering it to get close together enough fast enough and long enough that the resulting heat doesn't disperse it quickly, and stop the reaction, a dud.

MadisonMan said...

Pants, I would ask to see what kind of progress has been made on the piece. If they can't show you anything, that's when you ask for a complete refund.

tim in vermont said...

Which I'd paid for, in full, three months prior.

My experience in paying in full in advance is that it’s never a good idea. Half to cover any materials is the way to go. They have zero interest in finishing your project in any kind of timely manner. I have a soft heart too, and am owed work by people that I had to pay other people to finish.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Pants, I second Meade's summary and advice. Having built custom cabinets and trim for people over the years, I know there are any number of things that can delay a project. However, as a customer you deserve clear communication. This is where they are compounding the missed deadline. Perhaps you can get a meeting in a neutral place where the subject to discuss will be "a reasonable date for completion." Make clear that you understand that their schedule was disrupted and you would like to help them by finding a date that suits both of you. If they continue to spurn your attempts at engaging in conversation, all other options are open, as they say.

tim in vermont said...

I actually had a guy give me a hard luck story to get some more of the money early, then he told me that the check was filled out wrong and I needed to write him a new one, which I did. He then cashed both checks and never finished the work. After that experience, I would never pay in full in advance again. Anybody who asks for that is desperate for cash and once they get it, they go hunting for cash elsewhere. Since there is no cash in it for them to finish the job...

Jim at said...

Our Borzoi girl, Miss Delilah, competed at Westminster today and made the cut, but a black-and-gold sable in a sea of white dogs looks odd.

Congrats. Love Westminster.

Nichevo said...

3) Yur not broke (so don't be too focused on the dough)


"Yur" a richie, as you tell it. Why don't you give Pants the $3k? Go on, big shot. If IHMMP comes on here and says some mysterious benefactor made her whole-Meadehouse will meadiate the transaction I'm sure-people here might take you more seriously. And I'm sure that if she ever gets the refund or the furniture, you'll get your money back.

I dunno.