Althouse: At the Memory and Meaning Café...

August 11, 2019

At the Memory and Meaning Café...

... you can patch a conversation together.

150 comments:

gilbar said...: just read a smear piece on President Trump in the Houston Chronicle
among the objective, non-biased phrases were:
President Donald Trump used his Twitter account Saturday to spread
an evidence-free conspiracy theory...
...the claim is completely unsubstantiated...

A Clinton spokesman responded on Twitter:
Ridiculous, and of course not true - and Donald Trump knows it. Has he triggered the 25th Amendment yet?

and My Personal Favorite:
He has claimed without evidence that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower in New York

Chuck, can you remind us yet; how it wasn't O'Bama that witetapped the Trump tower,
it was Just people working for him, and it was wiretapped, it was done digitally ?; 8/11/19, 5:24 PM
madAsHell said...: My daughter looks at those neighborhood book sharing libraries, and says "bedbug transmission vector".; 8/11/19, 5:30 PM
wild chicken said...: Zen. Now there's some obscure bullshit.; 8/11/19, 5:36 PM
wild chicken said...: Quilting I get.; 8/11/19, 5:37 PM
buwaya said...: I like these little book-share boxes.
I have gotten rid of a lot of books in them!

They are capacity-limited though.

This one is handsome and stylish.; 8/11/19, 5:39 PM
Jaq said...: It looks sort of like a dovecote.; 8/11/19, 5:43 PM
narciso said...: carrying over from the other thread:

https://freebeacon.com/uncategorized/nbc-executive-takes-over-left-wing-site-founded-by-david-brock/; 8/11/19, 5:44 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Don't you just want to put "Art of the Deal" in that box, and monitor it with a video camera?; 8/11/19, 5:47 PM
Yancey Ward said...: It would be comedy gold!; 8/11/19, 5:48 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Well, I suppose NBC wasn't left enough for the executive.; 8/11/19, 5:48 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: buwaya said: "I like these little book-share boxes.
I have gotten rid of a lot of books in them!"

Sheesh. When I saw the picture, I thought that birds in Madison could read.; 8/11/19, 5:52 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: You'd need a bigger box for the Being and Nothingness Cafe.; 8/11/19, 5:53 PM
tcrosse said...: It looks like the set for the Sleeping Beauty ballet.; 8/11/19, 5:58 PM
Big Mike said...: Not "Zen and the Art of Quilting." "Harry Potter and the Art of Quilting"!; 8/11/19, 6:05 PM
Jaq said...: Zen and the art of bullshitting book buyers.; 8/11/19, 6:06 PM
Big Mike said...: @Yancey Ward (5:47) I love the way you think!; 8/11/19, 6:06 PM
bagoh20 said...: "Joe Biden has apologized for his recent seemingly racist comment, where he said that poor kids are sometimes as smart as white kids.

“Everyone who knows me knows I’m not a racist,” said Biden. “I even have a black friend, Barry. Smart, articulate guy.”
***
Aides were then seen signaling him to stop talking, but Biden pushed on.

“Rest assured,” Biden said. “I like all races, even the bad ones.”

And the Bee’s conclusion couldn’t be truer:

Media immediately jumped all over Biden’s comments, responding to his horrifying gaffe by calling on President Trump to resign."

~Babylon Bee; 8/11/19, 6:10 PM
Meade said...: “This one is handsome and stylish.”

I agree. It echoes the architecture of the site: Grace Episcopal Church, across from the Wisconsin Capitol.; 8/11/19, 6:10 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Big Mike,

Thanks! The downside, though, is that, no doubt, I am being red-flagged.; 8/11/19, 6:12 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: You're all gonna watch "Prescription Thugs" on Amazon Prime right now.

Don't give me no lip neither, just get it done.; 8/11/19, 6:17 PM
Lucien said...: Slate has a piece about a couple who died in an apparent murder/suicide supposedly because they were worried about medical expenses.

Since they were 73 and 76 it stands to reason that both were on Medicare. Democrats want to put everyone in that circumstance, and make it illegal to buy private health insurance to boot.

I don’t think that’s the conclusion Slate really wants its readers to come to, though.; 8/11/19, 6:18 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I started watching "The Boys" on Amazon Prime last night. It, at least, has a promising beginning.; 8/11/19, 6:22 PM
Matt Sablan said...: I remember Biden's comments about Dunkin Donuts in Delaware. Not A Racist, just very, very stupid.; 8/11/19, 6:22 PM
America’s Politico said...: Hello Everyone at the Professor's blog:

Just returned from Iowa! My prediction for the nominee of the democratic party:

POTUS: Warren
VPOTUS: One of three governors: CO, MT, or WA.

Trump and Pence will be destroyed.

Cheers!; 8/11/19, 6:22 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Big Mike channels... Allen Funt. A small speaker hidden inside.. a few choice Trump quotes whispered? YOU GUYS!; 8/11/19, 6:23 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: The label "Conspiracy Theory" is highly negative. Nobody wants to be tagged as a "Conspiracy Theorist". You will lose any debate if you are stigmatized as a "Conspiracy Theorist".

I don't make the rules, I'm just describing them.

Now, here's the dilemma: Many political crimes, even murders, are in fact, conspiracies:

1. The Lincoln murder was a CONSPIRACY by Booth and 5 or 6 other confederates who, that night, also stabbed Seward, but got cold feet in an attempt to kill Johnson.

2. The Watergate burglary was a CONSPIRACY. Hunt and Liddy hired 5 Cubans to burglarize the DNC headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. Many folks believe there were larger CONSPIRACIES by Nixon officials to cover up this burglary.

So, those are 2 Bona Fide, political conspiracies. So, am I a "Conspiracy Theorist" on these two massive crimes?

And, if by logical deduction, one must concede that these two events were CONSPIRACiES, doesn't that make it legitimate to question whether other high profile political crimes are also conspiracies, without being tagged as a conspiracy theorist?

(Please Note: I am punting on JFK. I think Oswald did it, but I don't know if he did it alone or had help.); 8/11/19, 6:29 PM
narciso said...: Yes but John dean hired hunt and liddy, re Oswald there is evidence Turned up by Bob baer, that Oswald may have some ties to exiles, but that doesn't end the tale in the Russian nesting doll style; 8/11/19, 6:32 PM
Big Mike said...: @BUMBLE BEE, credit goes to Yancey, but thanks.; 8/11/19, 6:36 PM
narciso said...: Something to consider:
https://mobile.twitter.com/GordonGChang/status/1160565486482067456

I was starting volpi season of ash, which follows three families from the 20-90s American Russian and Hungarian folk. The depression to the prologue to 9/11; 8/11/19, 6:41 PM
madAsHell said...: We have the Babylon Bee. We no longer need America's Politico!; 8/11/19, 6:44 PM
bleh said...: I’ve heard that theory. That the DNC supposedly had info that John Dean’s wife was a whore. Could that be true? If it were, I would’ve thought Liddy had some documentation to back it up.; 8/11/19, 6:50 PM
Titus said...: Obama is on the vineyard an pence is in Nantucket. Welcome to mass.; 8/11/19, 6:52 PM
wild chicken said...: "Since they were 73 and 76 it stands to reason that both were on Medicare."

I tried to explain this to the kids on Reddit but they were so hell-bent on declaring our health system "broken" and "dysfunctional" sans evidence that they couldn't comprehend the Medicare part.

I mean who cares abote Old People insurance. That they want for everyone.; 8/11/19, 7:01 PM
buwaya said...: Everything to do with public affairs is a conspiracy.
And this is so even under normal conditions, and for mostly normal reasons.

Information cost, the trouble the public would need to go to understand complex issues;
Public choice economics, the differential power of concentrated vs diffuse interests;
The concentration and expansion and complication of bureaucratic power in government, cutting out the executive, of whatever sort, which is a standard historical process;
The concentration of power in a self-aware class, or caste. Milovan Djilas, "The New Class", complained of this developing after an ostensibly proletarian revolution. So did Mao actually. But this happens everywhere.

The result is you get policies, decisions, arrangements made without public knowledge, or often enough without the knowledge of the official leadership of the state. And you get corruption, all of the above happening outside of legal process, and you get impunity, the result of all of the above.

The result is that we rarely know why x happened, in sufficient detail, even historically. And we have very little idea what is going on in real time.

In a state of conflict, more so. Interests diverge radically. All the above become weapons, secrecy becomes deliberate, and the insiders concentrate against the outsiders - that is, usually, the people in general.; 8/11/19, 7:02 PM
narciso said...: They settled out of court, mo had contacts with one person which led to a certain Washington fixer who had ties to a gangster type.; 8/11/19, 7:04 PM
narciso said...: Here another twist in that light, Fidel may have been an asset for 8 years from 1948-56, that may explain the lenient treatment he received from various agencies even after the moncada attack.; 8/11/19, 7:08 PM
Seeing Red said...: I started watching "The Boys" on Amazon Prime last night. It, at least, has a promising beginning.

So did I. After the 3rd episode, I was bored.; 8/11/19, 7:13 PM
narciso said...: More like revolting (they have to turn everything that is uplifting into vileness, I guess one might call it deconstruction); 8/11/19, 7:14 PM
Chuck said...: My offering to this café is my own thinking on the glories of a summertime Tanqueray and Tonic.

By the time you get to my age, a man ought to know what "his" drink is. Mine is the Tanqueray and Tonic.

The gin and tonic is a simple drink. But like all simple things, it can become extraordinary with the proper execution. Here's how to do it, in my humble opinion.

The glass. For a gin and tonic, I like a good solid rock glass. It should not be a shorty, as you would with scotch or a martini on ice. And I do not care for the tall Collins glasses that so many preferred back in the 1950's and 60's. Something in between is best. And for me, I can't think of anything better than my Waterford Lismore 12 oz. double old fashioned glasses. Right weight, right depth, right opening with a beautiful cut glass rim. Waterford is a lovely product of Ireland; my quiet little pleasure is holding a Waterford glass serving an historic English drink like a gin and tonic. I have nothing against the Irish for the most part. I wish them well for the most part. But I did have a close friend, a Tory member of Parliament, who was murdered by the IRA in cold blood. I don't mind thinking about Ireland as British property.

The ice. Let's not get too over the top about couture ice. Cubes, for sure. Not crushed. Quality cracked ice is what you want. Enough said. I'm thirsty.

How to start. It's summer here in Michigan, and part of my back garden is choked with fresh mint. I take precisely one sprig of the freshest mint and drop it in the bottom of the glass. And then drop ice cubes on top of it to muddle it just a bit. This is an optional step. But fresh mint from the garden is a summer thing, and this is a summer drink. It just goes. So easy, and fun, and seasonal. If it was March and I was in New Orleans, I'd substitute a dash of Peychaud's Bitters for the mint. Or if I was playing golf in Naples in the winter, it could be a dash of Regan's Orange Bitters.

The gin. Tanqueray. Full stop.

Now; I like other gins. Bombay Sapphire in a Martini. Hendricks is fabulous. There are boutique gins. They are all wonderful, and I invite you to endorse your own favorites. But for a gin and tonic, there is only one. And arguably, Tanqueray is an inferior gin for other drinks like a Martini. I think I'd agree with all of that. But with tonic water, there is nothing like Tanqueray, and that is why I began this comment talking about a "Tanqueray and Tonic." That is the drink. It is Tanqueray -- and only Tanqueray -- and tonic.

The tonic. Fever Tree. I cannot stress this enough. Garbage tonic makes this an ordinary drink. If you've never had great tonic, you just do not know the real pleasure of this drink. Canada Dry and Schweppes are like dishwater, compared to great tonics (of which there are many). I have concluded, after much testing, that Fever Tree is the best. You might find Q Tonic in little 7.5 oz. cans in your store. That's okay. Q is okay. And that size (7.5 oz.) is perfect for making two drinks. Well done, Q. Fever Tree is commonly sold in 200 ml bottles (6.8 oz.) which are too much for one drink and not enough for two drinks. But Fever Tree, with natural Quinine, is the best. The best. Buy Fever Tree, and just keep popping them open as you need.

The lime. Fresh. That's not hard. Fresh lime from you local store.

After you drop a sprig of mint in the glass, and drop the cracked ice on the mint, squeeze a couple of drops of lime juice on the ice. Not much; just a few drops. Then toss a see-through sliver of lime into the glass on the ice. Then pour 2 oz. of Tanqueray over the ice, and pour 4 oz. of Fever Tree over that. You're done. Enjoy it, for the few minutes before you'll want another. Like summer itself.

{#50}; 8/11/19, 7:15 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: @narciso,

Yes, yes, yes, but if we start talking about Dean & Mo & Silent Coup, we go sprawling off into interesting, but irrelevant matters (as to Epstein).

Based on Lincoln and Watergate - two big conspiracies - I posit that conspiracies are not beyond the pale for big DC/NYC scandals.; 8/11/19, 7:19 PM
gilbar said...: Chuck, glad to see (at least) that you put Lime in your Gin and Tonics; i've met sick Mother Fuckers that DON'T put in Lime...
Opinions on Rose's Lime Juice?
The 24 year that took me across the Border to Wisconsin, on by 18th birthday (back in 1980) told me that She felt the trick was: fresh Limes, AND Rose's Lime Juice.
I'd have to agree, since i've never have one any other way; 8/11/19, 7:24 PM
narciso said...: Conspiracy is perhaps the wrong word, power networks operating to achieve certain policy goals, the committee to reelect was like intertel with a narrower clientele (they were drawn from puzzle palace, company bureau operatives); 8/11/19, 7:25 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Yay, Chuck! He's hit 50 straight comments without mentioning "Trump" or "Althouse". So, now he gets to drink Gin on my dime. Well done!

On another note, no videos of Epstein hanging himself. .

What a surprise!; 8/11/19, 7:25 PM
narciso said...: Now the Lincoln conspiracy was a espionage and direct action network behind union lines a little skorzenys unit in the ardennes, all their acts were criminal but to accomplish a military objection, what we would call a decapitation strikem; 8/11/19, 7:27 PM
narciso said...: Similarly espionage and development efforts lead here:

https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/aug/11/us-hypersonic-weapons-gap-seen-years-ago/?fbclid=IwAR1UEqErQq8poEkGqWjcB0vQ5USCIUpW55juZUr14QmDroUEYxs7ATN8xfw; 8/11/19, 7:29 PM
Karen of Texas said...: I don't drink much at all, and I've never had any gin let alone and tonic, Chuck, but I have admit, you made me want to give one a try. Well done.

And well done on the 50.; 8/11/19, 7:31 PM
buwaya said...: Narciso,
The other explanations for leniency after Moncada -
- One is that it seems the Cuban state showed an often astonishing official leniency towards political violence. It was an era when univerdity-student political thugs were regularly shooting each other. This leniency may have been a sort of counterbalance to extensive unofficial-official violence, which was meted out to about half the participants in the Moncada affair. There was a tension between organs of the state in this.
- Racism. The Cuban military was almost all black-mulato, as was Batista. The revolutionaries were almost all white. The Cuban legal system and most of the bureaucracy was also white.
- Caste. Castro and just a few of the conspirators were university boys, like their judges. There is a great respect often shown for such, a sort of benefit of clergy. You see something like this elsewhere, as in the leniency shown numerous Filipino coup leaders, 1986-1990s. Professional soldiers did not like seeing their own kind suffering grave consequences, even if their excesses killed some other soldiers.; 8/11/19, 7:33 PM
narciso said...: The allies ran multiple networks into Germany, Pope Pius directed one the Mueller ring with remnants of the old catholic party and military, mark riebling is the authority (that may explain otherwise unthinkable behavior); 8/11/19, 7:34 PM
buwaya said...: I congratulate Chuck.; 8/11/19, 7:34 PM
narciso said...: Yes there is definitely some of that, this pattern also manifests in Venezuela in reverse some 40 years later, the military is largely mestizo the upper class very pale. Caldera who had been very dynamic in the late 60s, came back much diminished in the 90s.; 8/11/19, 7:37 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: I hate Castro. Wrecked a beautiful country, and almost engineered a nuclear war with the Soviets. Terrible man.; 8/11/19, 7:38 PM
narciso said...: Imagine how I've felt, somewhat akin to ho chi Minh and bin laden, he fooled alot of govt bodies into believing they had common interests (eg toppling trujillo); 8/11/19, 7:40 PM
narciso said...: Yes honasan even triana a generation later, the way you end a revolt is you cauterize it.; 8/11/19, 7:44 PM
narciso said...: The boys is a deconstruction like watchmen, from what I've heard, but much more perverse laszlo might like it.; 8/11/19, 7:46 PM
narciso said...: So all cameras were down or was it just that wing, same for the guards who had ultimate authority.; 8/11/19, 7:50 PM
wild chicken said...: Prescription Thugs seems kinda old. Like 10 years.; 8/11/19, 7:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Put a little cross on that church and fill it with Bibles. Madison needs it.; 8/11/19, 7:52 PM
wild chicken said...: Huh, 2015. Were we really that much in the dark about painkillers four years ago?; 8/11/19, 7:54 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;
it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." --Genesis 4:7; 8/11/19, 7:56 PM
cf said...: these are so charming, and I love that they are popping up in JustRight distribution all around the spaces I venture. This one is particularly lovely, how is that light coming in from the top?
Whacked by a thought just now, seeing @realDonaldTrump's real-time tweet on Donny Deutsch, hahhhhh.
( I know nothing about this fellow Donny Deutsch but he is hereby History !!)
And some Aha happened, I saw it differently (and just tweeted my cock-eyed "prediction")
What if the tweets of our duly elected 21st c president @realdonaldtrump end up being the vigorous poetic, raunchy history of our times? the iliad of our moment. 2000 years from now what if this is the record, the real-time poetry of history? hahah
(& donny deutsch, you're in!); 8/11/19, 7:58 PM
Drago said...: Slip: "Put a little cross on that church and fill it with Bibles. Madison needs it."

Liberal church in Madison?

They are 10 years behind the liberal churches in England and Europe,

That means in 10 years there will be carnival rides in the sanctuary and in 20 years it will be a mosque.; 8/11/19, 8:01 PM
wild chicken said...: Testimony from a PhD in Homeopathy...ok I'm pulling the plug on this.; 8/11/19, 8:01 PM
whitney said...: Masterclass in virtue signaling. Those little libraries or a dumping ground for books nobody wants and nobody's going to pick one up after they've been sitting outside getting moldy and musty for untold amounts of time. Try putting one in a neighborhood where every infant doesn't have access to a device and see how long it lasts; 8/11/19, 8:02 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Chuck: Well done sir!

I have never considered the idea of putting a gently muddled mint leaf in a T&T (and I agree with you about the first T), but I will try it. If it is Good, I will start to (carefully) grow mint in my garden (I am told it likes to take over, and I hate competition).

[Separately, speaking of mint, a proper Mint Julep, with pulverized (not cracked) ice, fresh mint leaves, finely powdered sugar, and good Bourbon is a remarkable aphrodisiac for females. Males must use with caution, for obvious reasons.]

I knew that the Canada Dry was the weak point of the drink (Canada, what do you expect?) but thanks for the tip. I will seek the Tree and advise of my opinion by and by.

Have you tried the Rangpur version of Vitamin T? I believe it has merit.; 8/11/19, 8:03 PM
Grant said...: Re: tonic: Jack Rudy tonic syrup and soda bests any premixed tonic I’ve ever had.; 8/11/19, 8:07 PM
Drago said...: Can anyone tell me if the Clintons have been completely exonerated in the matter of Epsteins death?; 8/11/19, 8:08 PM
reader said...: Pre-kindle days I used to take my books to the closest assisted living/nursing home. As a child/teen, before I was able to drive, I hated it when I didn’t have something new to read. Many of our elderly suffer from that problem.; 8/11/19, 8:11 PM
Francisco D said...: Monday should be an interesting news day.

Epstein's death on Friday night/Saturday morning conveniently missed the normal news cycle.

I predict that MSNBC and CNN will be highlighting Epstein's past relationship with Trump and never once mention that Trump threw him out and barred him from Mara Lago almost 10 years ago.; 8/11/19, 8:19 PM
narciso said...: Probably, they will ignore the deposition almost entirely:

https://mobile.twitter.com/iheartmindy/status/1160340192256909312?s=21&fbclid=IwAR2KlRH5RXjrGg4czkM73Y6zjzksK81wt0nLRfY7X7q-p-Hw0Yu23kKRHEA; 8/11/19, 8:20 PM
Jay Vogt said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/11/19, 8:22 PM
Jay Vogt said...: A very nice #50 Chuck. Thanks!

It's a timely note for me too. We've mostly been having Palomas here in the summer, but as there were no grapefruits around and I was too lazy to go get any, we ended the afternoon with G&Ts. While I defer to YOUR wisdom on YOUR drink, I'll contend that as with food in France or Blue Cheese Dressing, even "not so good" is pretty damn fine. Ours were made with Bombay Sapphire (all we had) and Canada Dry (Same). we did have fresh limes and I like to put a good squeeze of and eighth of lime in the bottom of the glass. Anyway we enjoyed our more pedestrian version just fine.

Of course the real secret is to have three of them before dinner.; 8/11/19, 8:23 PM
Flat Tire said...: Congratulations Chuck. I've never heard of Fever Tree but will look for it here in northern Ca. I like your mint idea. This summer I've been going back and forth between regular limes and the small, more floral limes they have at the Mexican groceries.; 8/11/19, 8:29 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "One Little Pill" Naltrexone could end millions of problems overnight. But greed, greedy greed.

Naltrexone, sold under the brand names ReVia and Vivitrol among others, is a medication primarily used to manage alcohol or opioid dependence.[1] An opioid-dependent person should not receive naltrexone before detoxification.[1] It is taken by mouth or by injection into a muscle.[1] Effects begin within 30 minutes.[1] A decreased desire for opioids, though, may take a few weeks.[1]

Side effects may include trouble sleeping, anxiety, nausea, and headaches.[1] In those still on opioids, opioid withdrawal may occur.[1] Use is not recommended in people with liver failure.[1] It is unclear if use is safe during pregnancy.[1][2] Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist and works by blocking the effects of opioids, both those from inside and outside the body.[1]

Naltrexone was first made in 1965 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1984.[1][3] As of 2019, the wholesale cost of tablets is about US$0.78 per day in the United States.[4] The extended-release injections cost about $1,267 per month ($41.20 per day).[4] Naltrexone, as bupropion/naltrexone, is also used to treat obesity.[5] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naltrexone; 8/11/19, 8:31 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: If you really dig into Steve Bannon and listen to his talks/debates/interviews, you get a real sense that he has his finger on the pulse of broad parts of this country and Europe. He knows the military from his time in the Navy; he knows big finance from his time at Goldman Sachs; he even knows Hollywood from his Seinfeld deal.

The guy is one of the most interesting I've ever come across.; 8/11/19, 8:39 PM
narciso said...: He has a multudimensional perspective on events:

https://mobile.twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/1160689524235808768; 8/11/19, 8:44 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: You gotta read this surprising good article on Kamala Harris' rise to fame, propelled by the rich SF socialites of Pacific Heights.

Trust me, you don't want these leeches controlling the Executive Branch.; 8/11/19, 8:49 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: What happens to Jeffrey Epstein’s money and homes now? Can feds seize everything?

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article233748362.html; 8/11/19, 8:50 PM
Merny11 said...: Chuck I hate gin but am suddenly craving some!
My fave is Tito’s vodka with club and both lemons and limes floating after squeezing them into the glass. Must be glass, my lord no plastic. Lots of ice and a tub, not a tall glass.; 8/11/19, 8:56 PM
Ken B said...: There cannot be a conspiracy theory without a theory. I see talking heads call anyone with doubts or questions — no theories — conspiracy theorists.
We don’t know much yet. Conclusion jumping should be avoided.; 8/11/19, 8:59 PM
William said...: I made it through The Boys on Amazon. By the end, I didn't like it, but there were more plot hooks than plot holes and I kept going. Some of the gore was well done, and there was an excellent eye gouging scene. It was remarkably cynical about many aspects of American life. I don't mind them blowing the lid off of the superhero/industrial complex and evangelical Christians, but it's a wonder how they can be so cynical about so many aspects of American life and yet be so accepting of all the liberal shibboleths. It's satirical and edgy without ever once running the sharp edge against any liberal piety....Also, I noted a disturbing trend in this and many othe recent productions. There's more male than female nudity.; 8/11/19, 9:06 PM
narciso said...: Look at that comfortably smug link, you could have three teams, mi 6, company, dgse, one takes out the cameras some kind of electronic interence, one to notify the guards, a third to do the deed, were focusing on motives and opportunity over means for now.; 8/11/19, 9:09 PM
narciso said...: Well the deep state must be incorrigably evil, how evil the heroes let one of the hijacked planes crash into the Brooklyn bridge out of negligence. The boys are the wet works op that goes after the so called heroes,; 8/11/19, 9:13 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: now did some prankster post an edit to Ghislaine's bio on Wikipedia
saying she died August 18, 2019 ?

Isnt she Jeff's partner in crime? Do we care where she is?

Doesnt she know about the same amount of dirt that Jeffery did?
Would that make her about as likely to 'commit suicide'?

she's not going to "fall off a boat" like daddy, is she?; 8/11/19, 9:14 PM
Tank said...: Congrats on #50 Chuck.

On the other hand, I don't like gin. Bourbon man myself. But I've got a couple of friends who swear by T & T and I'm going to see if they know of Fever Tree.; 8/11/19, 9:15 PM
narciso said...: Well if it happens dont be surprised,; 8/11/19, 9:16 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: A knock comes on the door
Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head; 8/11/19, 9:17 PM
William said...: None dare call it treason. The Boston Tea Party was a successful conspiracy. None of the perps were ever named. The Governor tried to implicate John Hancock and Samuel Adams but there was no proof.... The Tea Party is never referred to as a conspiracy, but it was, and a fabulously successful one too. If the British had won out, it would have been remembered the way the Gunpowder Plot now is.; 8/11/19, 9:17 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: @William
This piece?

72 killed resisting gun confiscation by National Guard in Boston!

http://www.ilgunrights.com/72-killed-resisting-gun-confiscation-by-national-guard-in-boston/; 8/11/19, 9:24 PM
Chuck said...: Bay Area Guy said...
Yay, Chuck! He's hit 50 straight comments without mentioning "Trump" or "Althouse". So, now he gets to drink Gin on my dime. Well done!

As I said I would, I want to add a special note of gratitude and congratulations to Bay Area Guy. It was his generosity and honor that made me determined to get this task done, and rightly.; 8/11/19, 9:29 PM
walter said...: Bay Area Guy said...Yay, Chuck! He's hit 50 straight comments without mentioning "Trump" or "Althouse". So, now he gets to drink Gin on my dime. Well done!
--
Bullshit. Your affirmative action donation was sucked dry long ago.; 8/11/19, 9:35 PM
Chuck said...: Merny11 said...
Chuck I hate gin but am suddenly craving some!
My fave is Tito’s vodka with club and both lemons and limes floating after squeezing them into the glass. Must be glass, my lord no plastic. Lots of ice and a tub, not a tall glass

Yay, Tito's! And lemon!!; 8/11/19, 9:36 PM
narciso said...: You forgot the other half of that stanza 'if treason doth orosper'; 8/11/19, 9:38 PM
Michael K said...: she's not going to "fall off a boat" like daddy, is she?

I would not sell her life insurance; 8/11/19, 9:39 PM
Charlie Eklund said...: That was a great comment for #50, Chuck. Bravo.; 8/11/19, 9:40 PM
buwaya said...: Sadly, I can no longer drink.
I am down to one beer or glass of wine a week, more or less.; 8/11/19, 9:47 PM
narciso said...: Who would be the beneficiary,; 8/11/19, 9:51 PM
Narr said...: Now's your chance, little books! Fly away!

Off to my crispy cold 1% milk and lemon pound cake. Yummers.

Narr
Before I retired, I'd have a spoonful or two of FUQKITALL(tm) before I retired; 8/11/19, 9:52 PM
wildswan said...: I used to drink gin and tonic all the time and just stopped for some reason. Now I know why - the gin wasn't Tanqueray and the tonic wasn't Fevertree, the ice wasn't cracked, there was no mint under or over. My palate couldn't take the abuse. There was something special about the glasses but I kind of think they said "Chivas Regal" or maybe "Merry Christmas." Yes, this was college days.; 8/11/19, 9:54 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Hypothesis - so, if something unfortunate happens to Ghisilane Maxwell in the next, say, 3 months, would that suggest some form of guiding hand in this scandal?

I can readily accept that LHO was an embittered little Commie who shot JFK - but Ruby shooting LHO is so blatantly a mob-ordered hit to "silence" a testifying witness, that it defies all logic to deny this.

My 2 cents.

Ps lighten up Walter!; 8/11/19, 9:55 PM
rehajm said...: I won’t call a foul on Tanqueray and tonic but I get a peppermint or menthol quality I sometimes find unappealing. Bombay sapphire does the trick.

Hendricks is right out.

The tonic only needs not to overwhelm the gin. Canada Dry works fine.; 8/11/19, 9:55 PM
David Begley said...: Well played Chuck..

Interesting topic. I prefer wine. Cab or carmenere. Cava. .; 8/11/19, 9:56 PM
rehajm said...: We caught 23 cutthroat this morning taking turns on one tenkara- a new record! They can’t resist a simulated spruce moth... like crack...; 8/11/19, 9:57 PM
wildswan said...: wild chicken said...
"Since they were 73 and 76 it stands to reason that both were on Medicare."

On Medicare your total bill for a year cannot exceed $6000. Since Medicare is always refusing payments for procedures and lab tests, usually only covering about one ninth of a bill, you can end up owing $6000 very easily. And the two of them could have owed $12,000 each year they lived. Medicare is not what people think it is but you can't make people listen.; 8/11/19, 10:00 PM
narciso said...: Well yes Jack rubenstein was running numbers since 1947, for the outfit, and did other things however it's just as easy they appealed to his patriotism.; 8/11/19, 10:01 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: @BayAreaGuy

where is she?
Isnt she basically Jeffery Espstein Lite?
Why arent we hearing about her?
Why isnt she as much in the news as JE? And as much hot water?
OK, so we screwed up (???????) with #1, but you have #2 unprotected
also?

what is the tensile strength of credulity?; 8/11/19, 10:04 PM
wildswan said...: Medicare is very good about paying for drugs. You only pay 10% of cost and Medicare pays the rest and doesn't refuse to pay. But some drugs are $500 for 30 day supply. So that's $50 dollars a month for one drug. Some people are on 5 different ones. Plus paying off their $6,000 dollar deductible. Again, people just don't understand what Medicare is and what it is not.; 8/11/19, 10:08 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: I hate the twee little book sharing thingees. Give your books to a thrift store like a normal person. These things remind me of the assholes on the trails who put their dog poop in a plastic bag and then leave the bag on the trail.; 8/11/19, 10:12 PM
narciso said...: Unlike Epstein, shes learned the art of not being seen, I did notice there was a high profile suicide Louis turra, of the philly mob in 1997.; 8/11/19, 10:13 PM
walter said...: "Again, people just don't understand what Medicare is and what it is not. "
Or how providers will respond if vastly expanded.; 8/11/19, 10:14 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: she's high society/ high profile-- just cancelled her Caribbean charity thing after his arrest.
Attended Chelsea's wedding etc.; 8/11/19, 10:17 PM
iowan2 said...: T&T is great summer time drink to have in your drinking line up. I was introduced to Gin by my mother! She acquired the love Gin while stationed in Europe during WWII. As an officer, she had a liquor allowance. One bottle of whisky, and One bottle of Gin. Being a child of the Depression, and also having her father run off from the family, she was had an especially hard financial upbringing. With all of that, she had a keen sense of value. Quickly learned that she could trade her ration of Whisky for Gin, at a two or three to one ratio. Did I say she was really smart?; 8/11/19, 10:28 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: " Maxwell is known for her high profile social and political connections..."

British SocialiteGhislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s Longtime Partner

cant be "high profile" and "socialite" by hiding in the woodwork, like she must be doing now; 8/11/19, 10:29 PM
narciso said...: There are all hiding out in valentines ski chalet in the Akps, ala kingsman. Maxwell sr. Was supposedly connected to the transfer and sale of promis software, that was in the 90s; 8/11/19, 10:38 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: Unlike Epstein, shes learned the art of not being seen; 8/11/19, 10:40 PM
WK said...: Chuck. Congrats and nice post on gin and tonics. Enjoyed one ☝️ tonight with my wife but we prefer Tanquery Rangpur in the summer. Extra touch of lime.

On a separate note - did 2 guided tours of the Freedom Trail in Boston last week. Neither guide seemed to appreciate my suggestions that there might be a market for a tour from the British Redcoat perspective.; 8/11/19, 10:41 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Radical Feminist Raves: "We Need To Kill All Men"

If McDermott wants to live in a world with no men, she should try moving to this remote polish town of Miejsce Odrzanskie, where, by some fluke of fate, there hasn't been a man born in nearly a decade, according to the New York Times.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-10/radical-feminist-raves-we-need-kill-all-men; 8/11/19, 11:12 PM
narciso said...: Umkay then:

https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/arts-entertainment/emily-ratajkowski-opened-up-about-what-it-means-to-be-sexy-in-a-misogynistic-society; 8/11/19, 11:15 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: enuf with the Dead Pedophile Society-- for laffs--enjoy!!

Bernie, you fossil fool! No electric buses!!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1159627901752545280; 8/11/19, 11:24 PM
narciso said...: Yes the python reference was intendedm; 8/11/19, 11:25 PM
effinayright said...: May I suggest a small enhancement to a Bloody Mary?

Make your usual drink, and then add a drop or two of Liquid Smoke, a flavor enhancer that winds up (at least in our house) in soups and sauces that need a little something different.

Yum.; 8/11/19, 11:45 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I like gin, but in Martinis' not Gin and Tonics so much. On the T&T, if I were to make one, the glass and the ice cubes would be chilled sub zero first. I guess I will have to try one with Chuck's suggestion of Fever Tree Tonic. I have seen it at the liquor store, will give it a try.; 8/11/19, 11:49 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "There was something special about the glasses but I kind of think they said "Chivas Regal" or maybe "Merry Christmas." Yes, this was college days."

Ha.

Palladian was really into his glasses. I don't think he'd put his John Blue or (for that matter) Ardbeg in yur Waterfaux.

Just sayin'; 8/11/19, 11:57 PM
Sprezzatura said...: BTW, is there a shorter version of the fuss re the thread re Althouse jabbering about toxic masculinity?

I went through a hundred or so, starting from the end.

Seems like someone must have suggested that women in particular (as singled out from all folks (or Mexican heritage folks (or whatev, other than what Althouse's fussing was re, i.e. being a gal))) shouldn't need to be ready to shoot men when they buy bread.

Since toxic masculinity requires that gals must always be ready to shoot men (according to Althouse), perhaps we should work to un-toxic the dudes, rather than train the gals to shoot the dudes (who, FTR, can have their own guns).

Just spit ballin' re solutions re Althouse's concern re the oppression of gals re toxic masculinity.; 8/12/19, 12:10 AM
gadfly said...: Trump ... said that his allegations [of wiretapping by Obama] were made "just on a little bit of a hunch and a little bit of wisdom maybe", and that he thought his allegations were "pretty insignificant" when he made them.; 8/12/19, 12:15 AM
walter said...: Shitter sportin' the redundant parentheses.
Meaning +!
Bread n' faux circuses.
Anywho..; 8/12/19, 12:19 AM
walter said...: Wow, gadfly.
Pretty good guess, right?
"....!"; 8/12/19, 12:22 AM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: besides, "Ghislaine" sounds like another slang term for 'vagina',
... but we'll leave that kind of stuff up to Laslo; 8/12/19, 1:03 AM
Crazy World said...: LOL 622; 8/12/19, 2:34 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/12/19, 2:51 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: chuck
The gin. Tanqueray. Full stop.
...
Splurge on a bottle of Monkey 47.

How he arrived at his final process/formulation by compressing a huge quality of iterations is interesting. Gorgeous stills and environment, worth a google image.; 8/12/19, 2:55 AM
Crazy World said...: Cheers Chuck, yummy.
Bay Area Guy, well done sir.; 8/12/19, 2:57 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Yay, Tito's! And lemon!!

For vodka, find a bottle of Black Cow. English, and according to an old Mongolian tradition, from milk. As Monkey 47 might be the finest gin, Black Cow might be the finest vodka.

Why compromise. Life is short.; 8/12/19, 3:16 AM
Jaq said...: Tanqueray Ten, I hope.; 8/12/19, 5:59 AM
David Begley said...: Joe Scarabough just said Barr allowed JE to commit suicide.; 8/12/19, 6:10 AM
Jaq said...: I’m not sure I agree with every point in that post, Chuck, see above. And Double Dutch tonic is the best, IMHO, but that was a remarkable post.

The Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon available through the Amazon portal makes a great summer drink with Hendricks.; 8/12/19, 6:14 AM
David Begley said...: Morning Joe, “Barr and Trump have a lot to answer for!”; 8/12/19, 6:15 AM
Jaq said...: Cucumber is better in a gin and tonic than lime, IMHO. Crush up a couple of slices, I mean if you want to really put summertime into your drink.

Joe is. trying to whip up another assassination attempt. that’s what MSNBC does, right? Whips people into a righteous anger where they will take up arms and shoot Republicans.; 8/12/19, 6:18 AM
Jaq said...: I see the FBI is on the Epstein investigation. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

This is probably why Strzok is so desperate to get his old job protecting the Clintons on the inside back.; 8/12/19, 6:25 AM
Rosa Marie Yoder said...: Many thanks to Chuck! My next gin & tonic will be modeled after yours.; 8/12/19, 6:36 AM
Danno said...: Blogger David Begley said...Morning Joe, “Barr and Trump have a lot to answer for!”

Friends (at least fellow Althouse commenters) don't let friends watch Morning Joe. It is a waste of time and results in death of many brain cells.; 8/12/19, 6:59 AM
Danno said...: PB&J said..."I went through a hundred or so, starting from the end."

No doubt we can thank Chuck for the count to get you half-way to your hundred.

Carry on.; 8/12/19, 7:03 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “What happens to Jeffrey Epstein’s money and homes now? Can feds seize everything?”

There are two types of forfeiture: criminal and civil. Criminal forfeiture is in personam (against the person). Civil forfeiture is in rem (against the thing). This was filed as part of the criminal complaint, so is criminal forfeiture. The person here effectively ceased to exist two days ago, so I expect that cause of action to have disappeared at the same time.

It did work for one of its purposes, which was to keep Epstein from using it to collateralize bail - the judge noted that the United States had already, at the time of the bail hearing, demanded forfeiture of the property Epstein was trying to use as collateral. It doesn’t work very well as collateral for bail, if the government is going to get the property, regardless. Might as well flee the country, if the collateral is forfeit anyway.

The government though should be free to file for in rem Civil Forfeiture. The “res” (plural of “rem”) are still available for suit, even if Epstein no longer is. The government merely has to show that the res were used in the crimes by a preponderance of the evidence, which for most of the physical (real) properties, shouldn’t be very difficult. The mansion in NYC should be trivial, since it contained a large trove of kiddie porn. The Lolita Express, his 727, would probably have been fairly easy to prove to have been used in his crimes - except he sold it several weeks before his arrest. His other jet may be more difficult to prove to have been such an instrumentality.; 8/12/19, 7:25 AM
virgil xenophon said...: Chuck/

My fave G&Ts aren't made with Tanqueray because, strangely I find it too smooth. (but perfect for a martini for the same reason) Rather, I prefer a gin w. more "bite" like Beefeaters for G&Ts. Note: Ever notice after a long session of G&Ts one's mouth starts to feel parched? Try switching to RUM & tonic to re-freshen it. (I recommend Appleton White, a Jamaican rum.); 8/12/19, 7:48 AM
daskol said...: Americans always use ice.; 8/12/19, 7:50 AM
Chuck said...: AAT said...
Tanqueray Ten, I hope.

Tanqueray Ten is the Tanqueray for Martinis. Yummy. I prefer regular Tanqueray for G&T.

AAT said...
Cucumber is better in a gin and tonic than lime, IMHO. Crush up a couple of slices, I mean if you want to really put summertime into your drink.
...
... And Double Dutch tonic is the best, IMHO, but that was a remarkable post.

The Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon available through the Amazon portal makes a great summer drink with Hendricks.

I love the cucumber idea. Although I have a hard time imagining a gin and tonic without a lime. Double Dutch is new to me and I will try it. Your idea of a Hendricks G&T sounds great!; 8/12/19, 8:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Yancey Ward: Don't you just want to put "Art of the Deal" in that box, and monitor it with a video camera?

My husband and I often joke about what we should insinuate into those twee little boxes in our piously blue neighborhood. (The Bell Curve? The Camp of the Saints?)

I agree that the box in the photo is a very nice box.; 8/12/19, 8:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Chuck: Your post @7:15 PM makes those libations sound so delicious and refreshing and civilized that I'm tempted to try one - even though, aside from the rare cognac on an unusually bitter winter's evening, I never drink any kind of hard liquor, and particularly loathe gin.; 8/12/19, 8:50 AM
buwaya said...: "The Bell Curve? The Camp of the Saints?"

These would go in a flash. The hidden hunger for the transgressive is a thing.
They are too cowardly to be public about it.; 8/12/19, 12:23 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Scored me some Fever Tree. Now for a science experiment.; 8/12/19, 3:38 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: buwaya @12:23 PM: Likewise The Selfish Gene. I'm saving my copy for my grandson in a year or so.

I may be able to ruin him for life. (He already has my copy of Powers of Ten.); 8/12/19, 3:41 PM