November 30, 2019

At the Juniper Café...

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... keep the conversation going.

And don't forget to use the Althouse Portal to Amazon when you're buying your various things.

66 comments:

Howard said...

Kwel, looks like an optical illusion

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Upon the hill?

Big Mike said...

From Clarence Thomas:

ABC reports Thomas saying, “I felt as though in my life I had been looking at the wrong people as the people who would be problematic toward me. We were told that, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be the bigot in the pickup truck; it’s gonna be the Klansmen; it’s gonna be the rural sheriff… But it turned out that through all of that, ultimately the biggest impediment was the modern day liberal. They were the ones who would discount all those things because they have one issue or because they have the power to caricature you.”

He’s not just talking about Sleepy Joe Biden and the high tech lynching. He’s talking about you, Althouse.

America’s Politico said...

All:

Are you ready for POTUS Warren?

It’s Saturday night party. Like MNF, DC and USA ready for her. No one can stop her. No. One.

Cheers
Raj

Gahrie said...

If there was any justice in the world, Clarence Thomas would have had movies made about his life years ago, and would be a hero in the Black community. A true rags to riches story, and a testament to hard work and persistence.

mockturtle said...

Clarence Thomas' message is being repeated by more and more black people. Trust me, it's the white libs who will be last to get the message.

chickelit said...

Althouse, ginning up the arboreality.

mockturtle said...

Well done, chickelit! ;-)

Rory said...

Are there better words than, "I think there's some pie left"?

Tank said...

Biden the Biter.

rcocean said...

I've been fascinated by the Governor Martin O"Malley breakdown. Seems the Guy saw Trump's DHS official Cuccinelli in DC Bar and started cursing him, calling him Italian slurs, screaming at him, and following him around the bar demanding he fight.

If it had been R screaming at D. Or if Cuccinelli had been Jewish, we'd all be talking about it. Instead its headlined as "O'Malley CONTRONTS Trump Official over Immigration"

rcocean said...

Sorta like Bork, Thomas, and Kavanuagh. The Left-wing justices NEVER Get smeared. The Right ones always do. Unless they're Right-wing fakes like Souter or ROberts.

stevew said...

Warren pretends to be an earnest technocrat, focused exclusively on improving the lives of all Americans with this plan and that. Would that it were true. Instead I would point out that her life, personal and professional, is a lie. She falsified her genealogy to get a fancy college teaching gig. She lies about being fired as a teacher. Her big academic accomplishment is widely discredited. The only conclusion for me is that her campaign for president, and reasons for seeking that office, are a fabrication. Given the latest poll results it would appear I am not the only one thinking this way about her.

In other news, tomorrow is the last day of the long weekend except that there is quite a hulabaloo about a coming storm! Snow, rain, sleet, icy roads, cancelled flights, Oh My! I've got a new employee ready to start on Monday, he and I may not get to the office and might not complete the obligatory I9 Form! And then I'm scheduled to be in NJ on Tuesday - will I make it? Can't go out early (Monday night) as the storm will be in full swing. What to do? Meanwhile, my buddy who is retired in FL sends me screen shots of his weather app (70 degrees and sunny) with the caption "Looks like you might be getting some snow?". Lolgf!

I love this time of year.

J. Farmer said...

If there was any justice in the world, Clarence Thomas would have had movies made about his life years ago, and would be a hero in the Black community. A true rags to riches story, and a testament to hard work and persistence.

And high IQ. Without that, all the hard work and persistence in the world won't get you into a top-tier law school.

Michael K said...

Off to Tucson at 8 AM. Weather there is not much better than Chicago. As long as there are no flight delays. Home by noon.

Michael K said...

And high IQ. Without that, all the hard work and persistence in the world won't get you into a top-tier law school.

The right tail of the black bell curve is smaller but still there.

J. Farmer said...

@Michael K:

The right tail of the black bell curve is smaller but still there.

Undoubtedly. But here's the rub. People can't really take credit for their high IQs. What I always found fascinating about the whole Charles Murray Bell Curve thesis. You could just as easily use it to justify a redistributive state.

J. Farmer said...

It's one of life's many mindfucks: a huge degree of success is determined by luck and chance, but in order to be successful you have to pretend like it isn't.

narciso said...


Murray wasnt arguing for high iqs just their legitimacy


https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/lindsay-kornick/2019/11/29/all-mankind-invents-ted-kennedy-affair-mary-jo-kopechne

J. Farmer said...

Murray wasnt arguing for high iqs just their legitimacy

As is so often the case with you narciso, I have no idea what this sentence is supposed to mean.

stephen cooper said...

while the left-wing justices have the advantage that stupid people in the media do not viciously lie about them, they suffer from the fact that nobody respects them.

Trust me, in any top-tier law school, there is not a single intelligent professor who is saying that we are lucky to have losers like Mrs. Ginsburg and poor old Breyer and La Raza alumna Sotomayor writing the decisions that we, top-tier law professors, would have done a better job writing.

The right wing justices - the geniuses Alito and Thomas, and the good students Gorsuch and Kavanaugh (God only knows what double agent hell poor Roberts is going through - no, nobody thinks he is honest) are lucky .... when they are criticized it is always by crazy people. When they are praised, sometimes it is by people who are not crazy. Which is a much better deal than the liberal justices, who never know if their praises are form crazy people or not, have gotten in this world.

narciso said...

I think its self explanatory like he did a decade before in losing ground, he relatedafact actually a trend driven by govt policy and a decade later, he related the fraying of america of economic as we ll as cultural factors,

mockturtle said...

And high IQ. Without that, all the hard work and persistence in the world won't get you into a top-tier law school.

And without hard work and persistence, an IQ isn't likely to, either.

narciso said...

I think ive remarked on this piece of classical chronicle



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-royals-elizabethi-idUSKBN1Y30XD?fbclid=IwAR25-pKrgG1xzfn9YKLw0zZbTSmNpuFCko6ocOsXYUjTkmk4XFI6i5HcZqE

J. Farmer said...

I think its self explanatory like he did a decade before in losing ground, he relatedafact actually a trend driven by govt policy and a decade later, he related the fraying of america of economic as we ll as cultural factors,

It is certainly true that Murray himself is not a redistributionist. As far as I know, he still refers to himself as a libertarian. It's one of the major areas I depart from Murray. But my point was that there was nothing about the Bell Curve thesis that would lead one ipso facto to prefer libertarian solutions, which is what a lot of its critics argue.

mockturtle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mockturtle said...

Murray, like Darwin, has achieved an almost god-like status among some.

J. Farmer said...

And without hard work and persistence, an IQ isn't likely to, either.

Certainly true. IQ is not everything. But it's very important. Similarly, I believe athleticism is largely genetic in nature, but you still have to practice and work your ass off to be a professional athlete. But between automation and outsourcing, the value of labor has been so severely weakened that if you are one of the people unfortunate enough to be born with a low, your prospects for success in America will be severely limited.

narciso said...

They didnt have the imagination to see it any other way, just like the 'end of history' was misinterpreted out of the dialectical framework from which it came meaning pre 1917 europe and the rest of the world

J. Farmer said...

Murray, like Darwin, has achieved an almost god-like status among some.

Influential people will always have fanboys. Best to ignore them and just focus on the work. But within the cross section of social science and political science, Murray's influence has been quite massive. Steve Sailer is another, though his name is far less known than Murray's. Interestingly, back in the late 1990s, John O'Sullivan wrote an article for the National Review in which he taxonomized various conservatives. He lumped Murray and Sailer into a group he called "evolutionary conservatives": "This is an almost wholly intellectual group (e.g., Steve Sailer, John McGinnis, Charles Murray)— not a politician brave enough to stand with them — who have realized two things: first, that lessons of the new science of evolutionary psychology are largely conservative ones about an adamantine human nature, the natural basis of sex roles, and so on; second, that the knowledge gained from the Human Genome Project and the rise of genetic engineering will throw up some fascinating and contentious political issues in the increasingly near future."

I think that is a pretty spot on description.

narciso said...

One might infer that murray suggest that environmental factors cannot appreciably change this aspects but he didnt say that.

J. Farmer said...

They didnt have the imagination to see it any other way, just like the 'end of history' was misinterpreted out of the dialectical framework from which it came meaning pre 1917 europe and the rest of the world

Completely agree. The Bell Curve, like The End of History and the Last Man, is one of those books whose number of adamant critiques far outnumbers its actual readers.

Dave Begley said...

What is wrong with you people? Badgers!!!

J. Farmer said...

One might infer that murray suggest that environmental factors cannot appreciably change this aspects but he didnt say that.

He was smart enough to hedge his bets, though it didn't do him much good. Although, I basically believed Murray and Hernstein when they claimed agnosticism on the question, given the state of the literature at the time. I think it's a pretty safe bet to go with the old 50/50 rule and claim that pretty much any complex behavior is about half genetic in origin and about half environment in origin.

But then the obvious question becomes, what do we mean by "environment." My prediction is that the "environment" that is likely to matter is pre-natal to about three or four years of age. I think Freud was onto something when he posited that early childhood experiences were a major factor in future behavior, I just think he got all the details wrong.

iowan2 said...

your prospects for success in America will be severely limited.

Funny, I can't think of a better country than America, to maximize the prospects of the stupid.

J. Farmer said...

Funny, I can't think of a better country than America, to maximize the prospects of the stupid.

That certainly may have been true in the past, when the shockwaves of the second industrial revolution were still reverberating through the country, and even someone with minimal cognitive skills could get a job that would afford a middle-class lifestyle. Such is not the case in a world where the work of stupid people can be replaced by robots or sent overseas where an equally stupid person will do it for a tenth of the price.

Beasts of England said...

’Such is not the case in a world where the work of stupid people can be replaced by robots or sent overseas...’

I’m not sure how you characterize ‘stupid’, but if you mean less than the mean, I know quite a few people in that category who are making six figure incomes in the trades. Locally provided skilled labor, e.g., plumbing, electrical, can never be outsourced. Even the guys who cut my grass here and back in town are making solid money.

mockturtle said...

Dave Begley badgers us about the Badgers. :-D Matter of fact, I posted "Go Badgers" off-topic in an earlier thread. Wouldn't have done any good at this hour. Good game, they played well for the most part. So did my Huskies yesterday but, unlike Wisconsin, aren't going anywhere important.

Jon Ericson said...

How 'bout them badgers?

mockturtle said...

I doubt that robots will replace professional baseball or football players. Not sure about Hollywood actors/actresses.

If there's such a thing as a robot that could come into my house and fix the plumbing it would surprise me. I know by their exorbitant fees that plumbers aren't hurting. Fortunately, I've learned to do a lot of things myself by watching Youtube videos.

mockturtle said...

Jon Erickson has suddenly developed a Napoleon complex.

Bay Area Guy said...

Two best high school football teams in America squaring off in SoCal tonight: Mater Dei v St. John Bosco. Both can beat any team in Texas or Florida.

FullMoon said...

That certainly may have been true in the past, when the shockwaves of the second industrial revolution were still reverberating through the country, and even someone with minimal cognitive skills could get a job that would afford a middle-class lifestyle. Such is not the case in a world where the work of stupid people can be replaced by robots or sent overseas where an equally stupid person will do it for a tenth of the price.

Flipping through the channels, stopped on an interview of young person complaining about lack of affordable housing. In France. Heck I thought it was just a California problem.

The average person used to be able to get a factory job, advance as they got better at it, get raises. Have security, buy a house, raise a family.

Automation, also know as robots have displaced hundreds of thousands. Probably millions. Any commenters here have local factories employing hundreds of people?

An area WalMart bowed to local pressure, raised minimum wage to fifteen. Patted themselves on back, applause from local politicians.

Last time I went, had 14 or 15 self checkout, up from two when raise went into effect.
One human checker, because you need I.D. to buy smokes or booze. And for tech challenged customers.





FullMoon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jon Ericson said...

Mock,
That's actually Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine in Rzhevskiy protiv Napoleona (2012)
RZHEVSKIY PROTIV NAPOLEONA

Bay Area Guy said...

A joint press conference, in an alternative universe, held by Speaker Pelosi & Senate Minority Leader Schumer.

"Look, we don't like President Trump. We think he's a loud-mouth, exaggerator. And we were upset when he upset our preferred candidate, Ms. Clinton in 2016.

Nonetheless, we do love our country and accept the fact that he is our President. He has duties to our citizens and the country as a whole. If we don't think he is properly discharging those duties, the best course of action would be to vote him out of office in a fair election. That's how democracies do it. That's what the 2020 election is all about.

So, after careful consideration, we have decided to suspend all impeachment hearings and votes during the campaign. If we do our job, and vote him out of office, we won't even need an impeachment vote.

We know this may upset some of our Leftwing base. But that is the cost of a vibrant democracy. We settle most of our political disagreements at the ballot box.

Thank you, and good night."

n.n said...

in an alternative universe

That was our universe. Welcome to the Twilight Fringe, where laws are pulled from the penumbra; morality is ethical, selective and opportunistic; reality is defined by sociopolitical constructs; hunts are diversions, and trials are cover-ups. A universe that is monotonically divergent in a recurring "big bang".

mockturtle said...

Mock,
That's actually Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine in Rzhevskiy protiv Napoleona (2012)
RZHEVSKIY PROTIV NAPOLEONA


Well, pardonnez-moi! ;-)

mockturtle said...

Automation, also know as robots have displaced hundreds of thousands. Probably millions. Any commenters here have local factories employing hundreds of people?

My nephew started out as a FedEx driver and now owns a franchise with a huge fleet of delivery vans and trucks. The secret often lies in figuring out what mousetrap to invest in and why. IMO, there will always be a niche for skilled workers, too. Around here we have a large number of bricklayers who do well because virtually everyone has patios and brick walls. We also have small businesses that paint and repair gates, as most everyone has a large metal gate at their entrance. These businesses would not be successful in, say, the PNW where brick walls are rare and most homes don't have gates. So, know your location and your market. Working in a factory is unsatisfying, anyway. Let robots do it.

Jon Ericson said...

Ce n'est qu'une bagatelle. 🥖

Crazy World said...

Bitin Biden

eddie willers said...

Mater Dei v St. John Bosco. Both can beat any team in Texas or Florida.

They'd better have the Ark Of The Covenant with them.

I think the Badgers can take Ohio State, but the final two will be Clemson and LSU.

Which, as a Dogs fan hurts to say, but this is third best Georgia team of the last three years. Next year should be glorious, though.

Yancey Ward said...

I predict Ohio State blows Wisconsin out- 52-20.

If LSU beats Georgia, and Ohio State beats Wisconsin, then it is likely that LSU and Clemson meet in the semifinals, not the finals, though it is possible a convincing win against Georgia might move LSU into the #1 slot.

n.n said...

Bitin Biden

A politically correct, yet politically incongruent mascot. Here's to progress.

Fernandinande said...

It is certainly true that Murray himself is not a redistributionist.

I was surprised to see -
"Murray suggests eliminating all welfare transfer programs at the federal, state, and local levels and substituting an annual $10,000 cash grant to everyone age twenty-one or older."

Clyde said...

I don’t want any more Lectering from Biden about how we should live our lives. And Joe, when she said “Eat me!” she didn’t mean her finger!

Clyde said...

I’m betting a Biden administration would open the floodgates for immigration from Papua New Guinea.

Mr. Forward said...

I ce what you did dar!
Ju nip her?
Bi den.

rhhardin said...

Last time I went, had 14 or 15 self checkout, up from two when raise went into effect.

The reason to use self-checkout is to avoid getting school-age winter sicknesses from cashiers.

rhhardin said...

Derbyshire reports that, in response to Iceland's Penis Museum, London has just opened a Vagina Museum.

Rusty said...

Beasts of England said...
"’Such is not the case in a world where the work of stupid people can be replaced by robots or sent overseas...’

I’m not sure how you characterize ‘stupid’, but if you mean less than the mean, I know quite a few people in that category who are making six figure incomes in the trades. Locally provided skilled labor, e.g., plumbing, electrical, can never be outsourced. Even the guys who cut my grass here and back in town are making solid money."

J.is under the impression that those of us that work with our hands are somehow less intellectually endowed.

Rick.T. said...

Jennifer Juniper, lives upon the hill
Jennifer Juniper, sitting very still
Is she sleeping? I don't think so
Is she breathing? Yes, very low
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?

Jennifer Juniper, rides a dappled mare
Jennifer Juniper, lilacs in her hair
Is she dreaming? Yes, I think so
Is she pretty? Yes, ever so
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kCtcXDCxh7w

iowan2 said...

These businesses would not be successful in, say, the PNW where brick walls are rare and most homes don't have gates. So, know your location and your market

There used to be a guy on the late night radio, Bruce Williamson? maybe? He gave money/life advice. One night he related about a vacation he had taken to a resort island, decades previous. He noticed a crew digging something up, and asked what was going on. Waste sewage work. Plugged septic tank. Williamson asked about Just pumping it out. Nope that wasn't available on the Island. So Williamson started one. Luck is mostly about hard work and seeing opportunities. Sucking out septic tanks is not genius level smarts, just doing workaday stuff.

Hagar said...

And I have known some people in that category who made six figure salaries in high level government service - federal, state, and local.

meep said...

I like that you're doing a Moby-Dick project.

Wasn't sure if you were aware of these twitter accounts:

https://twitter.com/MobyDickatSea [does short lines from the book, so often not even the complete sentence]

https://twitter.com/WhereIsMobyDick [replies to the first, and tells you where the line came from: chapter and paragraph]

I love the book, and I think the "nonfiction" parts are even more important than the little plot there is.

tcrosse said...

I was supposed to have read Moby Dick years ago, but in my callow youth would not have appreciated it. Now in my dotage I read a chapter a day and revel in the language. This is a work to be savored.