Althouse: At the Snowface Café...

February 21, 2021

At the Snowface Café...

... go ahead and talk all night.

74 comments:

Mark said...: Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?

What's his name?; 2/21/21, 7:26 PM
Narayanan said...: Nice accessories.; 2/21/21, 7:27 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Where is Frosty's mask?; 2/21/21, 7:28 PM
Narayanan said...: Blogger Mark said...
Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?
.....
Has anyone considered asking from billboards display??; 2/21/21, 7:30 PM
Narayanan said...: Blogger Mark said...
Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?
.....
Has anyone considered asking from billboards display??; 2/21/21, 7:31 PM
Breezy said...: Smoking weed? ;); 2/21/21, 7:33 PM
Owen said...: Best eyes I've ever seen on a snow person. I don't want to say "snow man" because the gender assigned at creation is not free of ambiguity, especially with those eyes.; 2/21/21, 7:35 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Notice the South Park smile.; 2/21/21, 7:39 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Time for another lateral thinking puzzle I remember from a book I used to own:

A man is pushing his car, he stops when he reaches a hotel at which point he suddenly realizes he is bankrupt. What happened?; 2/21/21, 7:41 PM
Mark said...: A year ago, our condo property lost two old growth trees to Sudden Oak Death. Over the summer and early fall, another one nearby had its leaves suddenly dry up and turn brown. The leaves never fell during the late fall and winter and still there now, with the limbs very clearly dried up and completely dead.

I was walking around today in the sunlight and noticed FIVE other large oaks one building over still have large clusters of leaves on them, all dried up and brown. An indication of tree demise. A healthy tree will drop its leaves.

It's very sad.

And will be costly to remove.; 2/21/21, 7:42 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: Yancy, that's Monopoly.

THEOLDMAN

My FWB complained that she was groped in Jail. I guess she doesn't appreciate my in-depth way of playing Monopoly; 2/21/21, 7:47 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Yancey-

Got it, but I won't ruin it for everyone else.; 2/21/21, 7:48 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: Owen said...
Best eyes I've ever seen on a snow person. I don't want to say "snow man" because the gender assigned at creation is not free of ambiguity, especially with those eyes

You know that the difference is between snowmen and snowwomen? Snow balls!

THEOLDMAN; 2/21/21, 7:48 PM
narciso said...: Carrying over

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/20/969774063/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-conservative-african-cardinal; 2/21/21, 7:49 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: The worm turns!

Canada To Follow Australia’s Lead In Charging Facebook For Links

According to Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, he was recently in talks with representatives from Finland, France and Germany to discuss what to do about Facebook. He further indicated that the total number of nations considering joining such an alliance could quickly reach 15.

You'd hope Big Tech would have maybe guessed that this might happen before their Jan 6 shenanigans.; 2/21/21, 7:51 PM
JZ said...: Wish I could get a closer look at the hat construction.; 2/21/21, 7:51 PM
rcocean said...: Listening to some LBJ Presidential tapes. One with Wallace in '64 about marches in Alabama, another with J. Edgar Hoover right after the JFK Assassination, and the last with Humphry about who "The Hump" should pick as VP in 1968.

Good stuff. fascinating. You can see how LBJ was so persuasive in working with people behind the scenes. The Hoover one is the best, as we listen to Hoover tell FBI what they know about the Assination and Oswald a couple days after Nov 22nd.; 2/21/21, 7:59 PM
rcocean said...: On youtube. Another good one was a debate between Wallace and Bill Buckley in 1968. I'm sorry to say that wallace more or less cleans buckley's clock. Starting on the Baldwin v. Buckley matchup tommorrow.; 2/21/21, 8:01 PM
Whiskeybum said...: Good Grammar rule for Feb. 21:

Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration.; 2/21/21, 8:08 PM
narciso said...: Indeed

https://youtu.be/c0xnUtqt_7Q; 2/21/21, 8:15 PM
Clark said...: @Mark 9x: I thought oaks dropped their leaves in late winter or early spring just before growing a new set.

We went and looked at a litter of ten lab puppies today. That is one heroic mom. All ten puppies are healthy and strong. I sense a black lab in my future.; 2/21/21, 8:16 PM
farmgirl said...: narcisco: that’s pretty sad to me. I’ve experienced two Tanzanian priests and currently one from India- who seems unimpressed w/our gov’tal hierarchy at this time. Corruption in the blood, iykwim. It’s an elitist thing- along w/a money thing. All seem very conservative to me, thanks be...; 2/21/21, 8:31 PM
narciso said...: Well in places in south asia and africa there are real consequences to declaring your faith, thats not the way it is here yet.; 2/21/21, 8:40 PM
walter said...: Snowzir's in a sticky situation; 2/21/21, 8:45 PM
donald said...: Gene Taylor from The Blasters passed away in Texas today. He had a good run!; 2/21/21, 8:51 PM
narciso said...: https://amgreatness.com/2021/02/21/questions-the-gop-should-ask-merrick-garland/; 2/21/21, 8:58 PM
Anonymous said...: History advances in slow motion. Day to day, we can not see it. In retrospect, others see it. The fall of Rome? Oh, I can see that. The Goths were allowed to park their butts within the Empire, 376? Anno Domini. 35 years go by. Visigoths sack Rome. The dying carcass finally gives up the Ghost.

Here is my lament. DBQ and MockTurtle. Girls. They see it. They sound the alarm. Males talk about viruses, and transmission rates, and how many masks they should wear.

Men...God brought us into this world to be the Thunder in this world that Satan rules.
To revel at the overwhelming power of Hurricanes, Tornados, Earthquakes, and Fire.

We were born to run to the sound of the guns. Can you hear them. The girls hear them.

We're here for a short time.

There is nothing new under the sun.; 2/21/21, 9:04 PM
stevew said...: Little Havana was alive today. Mrs. stevew's mom's 89th birthday. Kicking' around Miami and then a late lunch at El Pub. Mojitos were especially tasty, but so was the roasted pork. Capped off the day with a small cake, a glass of red wine, a song, and the finale of "All Creatures Great and Small". MIL has once, if not 100 times, said she can't comprehend being 89. Talking Heads, "How did I get here?" Comes to mind. So glad to be here, will miss her when she's gone.

That snowman is totally South Park.; 2/21/21, 9:05 PM
Flat Tire said...: Two months ago a woman I'd been good friends with from kindergarten thru college emailed me to set up a Facetime chat. I've seen her every 5 years at our high school reunion and realized long ago we no longer had much in common. She had gone New Age years ago and farther off to the left since. She was "dazzled" by Cuomo's handling of the virus, thought he should be president, etc. The conversation ended when I said I thought what she'd heard was BS. I'm wondering what she's thinking now. Has any of this been reported by whatever new source she follows? Definitely not curious enough to have another chat though.; 2/21/21, 9:13 PM
Hari said...: Cntrl F at https://www.memeorandum.com/

Trump = 15
Biden = 7; 2/21/21, 9:22 PM
Joe Smith said...: Looks like a Tim Burton snowman...thanks for the nightmares : )

And why not snow-women? Wouldn't it be easy to press on some snow boobs?; 2/21/21, 9:25 PM
The Godfather said...: @stevew: What did you think about the new version of All Creatures Great and Small, compared to the 1978 etc. series? compared to the books? I recorded the finale and will watch it tomorrow, so I can skip through the PBS fund-raising BS.; 2/21/21, 9:35 PM
narciso said...: El pub is good, el palacio de los jugos isgreat for big portions but its moretakeout.; 2/21/21, 9:39 PM
Lawrence Person said...: Michael Malice on the Biden chaos.; 2/21/21, 9:53 PM
narciso said...: Is his conclusion wrong?; 2/21/21, 9:59 PM
narciso said...: Oh

https://mobile.twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1363695860102672385; 2/21/21, 10:01 PM
Anonymous said...: Flat tire.- "Definitely not curious enough to have another chat though."

Don't throw away good pussy. Women talk, and say what they say. She wanted to be poked. THAT'S WHY SHE FACETIMED YOU.

It's pretty simple really. Women wanted to be poked. Men to want poke.

You got to get your head out of this 'Women's Equality' thing.

BTW...in Kindergarten, Patty Ann Applegate kissed me. First kiss. Oh, how pretty she was, and sweet. A sweet girl. Just...how can a man describe his first kiss?

Everybody reads Althouse, so Patty Ann...you're probably a retired lawyer now...so check in.

Ann. Please excuse my coarse language.; 2/21/21, 10:12 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Does anybody know how/why/whither buwaya went to? I miss his stuff.; 2/21/21, 10:35 PM
FullMoon said...: Buwaya moved to Spain? Was commenting from there for awhile.; 2/21/21, 10:44 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: Flat tire.- "Definitely not curious enough to have another chat though."

If you're attached or otherwise not interested, understood, but Hercules is correct. If any woman from my past (that I'm not currently sleeping with) contacts me for no specific reason, I know that slot machine is paying off on the next quarter or two.; 2/21/21, 10:49 PM
Mark said...: So there is an indictment against certain members of some group called Oath Keepers. Really crazy far right-wingers we are told. Here is some of what is alleged in the indictment:

On Jan. 3, defendant Jessica Watkins, a transgender female who served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, wrote to another defendant, Bennie Parker: "We are not bringing firearms. QRF will be our law enforcement members of Oathkeepers." Parker responded: "Good to know."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/what-were-the-capitol-rioters-thinking; 2/21/21, 10:57 PM
Ken B said...: Z; 2/21/21, 11:00 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "If any woman from my past (that I'm not currently sleeping with) contacts me for no specific reason, I know that slot machine is paying off on the next quarter or two."

"Oh, hi, glad you returned my message. I just wanted to let you know that you have 8 year old twins, and I am suing for child support."; 2/21/21, 11:05 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "Oh, hi, glad you returned my message. I just wanted to let you know that I have had syphilis ever since we spent that month in Rome together 15 years ago."; 2/21/21, 11:08 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "Oh, hi, glad you returned my message. I just wanted to let you know that my Army Ranger husband found out about the affair we had 2 years ago. He disappeared with his sniper rifle, and I haven't seen him in two days. Just thought I should let you know."; 2/21/21, 11:11 PM
Yancey Ward said...: And Marcus answered the riddle pretty quickly.; 2/21/21, 11:13 PM
Flat Tire said...: Hercules and Rt41Rebel. Geez you guys. We are both definitely heterosexual women. At 70 we didn't even talk about sex.; 2/21/21, 11:19 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Flat Tire,

😂; 2/21/21, 11:22 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: What's bad is realizing 30 years later that that girl you really wanted to get with, and who shot you down, and whom you moved out of that mental column was sending you signals later that you were completely oblivious to.

And by you, I mean me.; 2/21/21, 11:22 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: @Yancey

Those were good, I laughed. But my criteria was "for no specific reason." I was thinking more along the lines of "Why is your daughter calling me from a police station?!" when I inserted it though.; 2/21/21, 11:45 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: @Flat tire

I am reminded of an old saw about the spelling of 'assume.' Ooof.; 2/21/21, 11:54 PM
Ken B said...: Not much roiling hate tonight.

ALSO no Michael K or Pants. Must be a coincidence. Must be.; 2/22/21, 12:01 AM
Ken B said...: Anyone seen Pants this month? Maybe she is bravely volunteering for more medical trials.; 2/22/21, 12:02 AM
Ken B said...: Trump should announce he is retiring and moving to Elba.

CNN would melt down and then go bankrupt.

Eventually he could unretire. It’s happened before.; 2/22/21, 12:06 AM
readering said...: St Helena.; 2/22/21, 12:43 AM
Anonymous said...: Churchy laFemme What's bad is realizing 30 years later that that girl you really wanted to get with, and who shot you down, and whom you moved out of that mental column was sending you signals later that you were completely oblivious to.
And by you, I mean me.

Churchy...been there. Sometimes, when I reminisce, I am amazed at my own obtuseness.

Flat tire- Oh man, You're a girl? That changes the whole story. Ummm. I don't know...ummm... Advice would obviously be very different.

I got to tell you though, I am sitting here laughing at myself for giving the game away.

It's the Althouse Blog though. Truth is gonna come out.; 2/22/21, 12:47 AM
JOB said...: Snowman

FOR ANASTASIA
…the nothing that is.

The head’s the first to go, defaced
In image, mind…. The sloping sphere
Of snow will melt away and, traced
Like shade, remark when now and here
Will shift like future winds that turn
Against themselves. The fastening
Of household objects will suborn
A child’s emotions, meant to sting
Like death. Unmittened hands will grip
The snow like icicles against
The spine – a patient morphine drip.
The future tense, its coming sensed,
Deployed in perfect case and form:
So death will come – the sun will warm.

Rotund pectoral planetoid of snow,
This middle section sculpted by hands
That lend you their formal warmth, do you know
At present what of time your image lends
To winter’s metaphysics? Only now
Exists for you, the beating heart you have,
Or seem to have, can only live and grow
More frigid. Tell us what it’s like to cleave
These moments undefined, escaping, lost
Yet not, the snow that falls the same that fell
Or waits to fall. So winter goes…. You trust
Each falling flake of snow is there to tell
That what you find is all you see here: scraps
And fragments buttoned down with beer caps.

At bottom, earth and other elements have mixed
To bring this work of art to light of day, the end
Of every poet’s work: to show the past, perplexed,
Untested, strange as snow that falls before the blind:
And so you stood, as fixed as history or news
That lasts a day, but either way, a monument
To words, a selfish cenotaph to time. The clues
You left behind were numerous and adamant
With meaning; numinous and adequate to speak
For tiny hands from whom you took your purposed shape –
To signal life on earth, to breathe, behind the break
Of mind and body, sentience. With no escape
From knowing, man leaves his prints everywhere to know,
Like a snowman who stands in snow despite the snow.; 2/22/21, 1:00 AM
Gospace said...: The dreaded covid.
Three questions.
1. Have you had it? (no for me)
2. Have you had the vaccine shot? (no for me)
3. If 2 is no, are you planning on getting it? (no for me)

I'm a believer in science, more specifically, numbers. Numbers, statistics, they rule the world whether you like it or not. We know all the way back from the Diamond Princess that the dreaded covid is not as deadly as advertised (for younger healthy people), not nearly as contagious as advertised, and that a significant portion of the populace is immune already. Doesn't require, normally, getting an absolutely specific virus to have immunity, but one close enough will do it. This has been known since Pasteur realized that milk maidens who got cowpox didn't get the more deadly and disfiguring smallpox. Rural folk knew it, but not the cosmopolitans and elites in the cities...

So, I've been closely exposed a minimum of twice, and maybe 3 times, to the deadly covid. Two sons diagnosed with it, and we're pretty sure it's what my wife had in February with the crud that wouldn't go away, complete with loss of smell and taste. So, even though it's nota as contagious as advertised, even mildly contagious with close exposure twice I should have contracted it. So odds are- I can't get it. At age 65, I'm willing to take my chances.

Aside from my 2 kids. I've known 3 other people to get it. All recovered completely- they were healthy and not over age 75. Now I've known several people who've been vaccinated against the dreaded covid. So far, half of them have had worse reactions after the 2nd shot than the symptoms the people who've had it suffered. And, depending on who's explaining it, the mRNA vaccine doesn't actually keep you from getting it, it simply lessens the symptoms so you don't die from it. Which you're not likely to do anyway if you're otherwise healthy...

Coincidences happen. They do. One of the 2 at work who had a bad reaction took a day off, returned to work still not feeling good. Told me that last Monday midnight when he relieved me. Silly me, I didn't ask what his symptoms were. Next morning he told our supervisor he had pains running up his left arm.... and described all the other classic symptoms for a heart attack. Had stents installed later that day. One of the actions of the dreaded covid itself is it causes blood problems...

SO I mentioned this to one of my sons- who hasn't had it yet. And also isn't getting the vaccine. Turns out one his female friends lost her husband 4 hours after getting the 2nd shot- from a full blown heart attack. Apparently one symptom I wasn't aware of- he was foaming at the mouth. Like I said, coincidences happen. Both were in their mid 50s., young but not unheard of for a heart attack. My coworker is, quite frankly, not a real healthy person. My son's friend's husband- was an otherwise healthy person. You give a vaccine to millions of people, some are going to keel over from something soon afterwards, that they were going to keel over with whether or not they were vaccinated. Law of large numbers- things happen. Question is- how many times has it been happening? I know twice now, personally. Could be cluster effect.

You are responsible for your own health, not your doctor, not your insurance, not your workplace, and most especially, not the government. Doctors and health professionals will help and aid you, and insurance will (mostly) cover the costs, but ultimately, you're responsible for knowing when you need to go to those professionals for aid and assistance. They're not hunting you down.; 2/22/21, 1:08 AM
Gospace said...: Lesson learned from what I just posted- learn the symptoms of a heart attack. Thoroughly know what they are and review them every now and again. And remember- it can happen to you. If you have the symptoms- get checked out- don't wait. My coworker? 10 years younger than me, had no clue what heart attack symptoms are. If he had volunteered his symptoms to me last Monday night- I'd have had the EMTs down here. His treatment was delayed 8 hours. That often, not sometimes, but often, is the difference between life and death when it comes to heart attacks.; 2/22/21, 1:09 AM
gadfly said...: Blogger Mark said...
Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?

What's his name?

Meet the convicted leader of the Trump Money Laundromat - Donald John Trump, who brags: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"

NY racketeers talk and act that way. Trump built concrete skyscrapers in NY, including Trump Tower, working closely with the concrete supplier run by mafia dons, Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno and Paul Castellano. Then the Philly mob did deals with him through his Atlantic City Casino business moving money illegally. Trump's first big name lawyer, Roy Cohn, was up to his eyeballs coordinating all these illegalities.; 2/22/21, 2:20 AM
Anonymous said...: We have a life. It cannot be extended. Life and Death. Death informs this short time we have.

Death cannot inform the young. They live forever. Like us, when we were young.

Death is a reminder to the old to do the things that matter.

Do not cling, bitterly to this short life.

Get right with God. Let your children know you love them. Tell your friends how much you dig them. Make amends.

It's an amazing adventure, isn't it. Skinny dipping. Jumping off mountains. Sunsets, Sunrises. Sunsets, Sunrises. Sunsets, Sunrises. Sunsets.

Sunsets.

This life, filled with pleasure and pain is eternal, in this world that Satan rules.

It is Glorious. Made by God, ruled by Satan. Go figure.

And then the time comes to let it go. It's the hardest thing you will ever do. Let go.

New Chapter comin' up.; 2/22/21, 2:43 AM
Owen said...: JOB @ 1:00: “...for Anastasia the nothing that is...”

That’s a very fine poem. Yours?; 2/22/21, 2:54 AM
Lewis Wetzel said...: #nevertrumper David French applauded Twitter's banning of Trump, and Amazon's defenestration of Parler, now is shocked -- shocked ! That Amazon has booted his friend's critique of transgenderism: https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1363682978640130050/photo/2; 2/22/21, 4:34 AM
stevew said...: @The Godfather: I don't recall the original series well enough to compare the two. The story is really good and I don't think I they messed with it at all. MIL loves it. The quality of the acting and production is good. Nice plan of recording, the fundraising is annoykng.; 2/22/21, 6:23 AM
Rick.T. said...: A healthy tree will drop its leaves.
——————-
Some deciduous trees such as many oaks and beech trees will retain their leaves until near spring. It’s called marcescence. Nobody knows why this happens. Looking out my bedroom window at examples of both.; 2/22/21, 6:35 AM
jaydub said...: "Does anybody know how/why/whither buwaya went to? I miss his stuff."

He moved to the Basque country in NW Spain, or at least that's the last place I remember him talking about. As I recall he has relatives there. Could have been Bilbao or San Sebastian, but I believe he talked about more inland toward Pamplona.; 2/22/21, 6:35 AM
Fernandinande said...: Snowy McSnowface. Someone had to do it.; 2/22/21, 6:49 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Haven't been able to click through to Twitchy on my android device for several weeks now. I get a Google error message that says the link does not exist and than adds "That's all we know".

Decided to see if it worked on my wife's IPad.

Worked like a charm.

Strange.; 2/22/21, 7:46 AM
Jersey Fled said...: I know Ann likes words and grew up in Delaware so I thought I would throw this in.

My father used to call any person in authority in a big organization a "big mahoff". I got curious and decided to see if I could find out where this term came from.

Turns out it is a Philly term. Hardly known outside of the Philadelphia area. Synonymous with "big shot".

One description I found speculated that it derive from the term Big Mahout.

A big mahout was name given to the driver of a war elephant. The “big mahout” sits atop the elephant and is assisted with a 2-3 soldier ground crew.

Now there were not a whole lot of elephant drivers in Philadelphia in the early 1900's, so I am doubtful. But there were a lot of Italian Americans. And being familiar with how Italian slang terms develop, I can easily see how "big mahout" can become "big mahoff".; 2/22/21, 8:07 AM
JOB said...: Owen - Yes! Glad you like it!

JOB; 2/22/21, 9:25 AM
Chuck said...: A heads up to you, Althouse, that this morning (2/22) there is big news from SCOTUS in Trump taxes and also the 2020 election cases. The Trump tax returns story will be everywhere. But check out Prof. Rick Hasen's Twitter feed on the "independent state legislature doctrine."

https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/1363864534994149377

Much interest on the substantive merits, as well as the rarely-seen politics of deep Court divisions on cert.; 2/22/21, 10:02 AM
Owen said...: JOB @ 9:25: again, very fine. The formal structure is all there but unobtrusive; the complexity of thought is given the room it needs, the theme is developed in major and minor keys,...just admirable. Did you just knock that off in response to AA’s picture? If so I bow down. If you had it already done then I still bow down. Thanks for sharing.; 2/22/21, 12:46 PM
Mark said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/22/21, 4:49 PM
JOB said...: Owen,

I wish I could say my inspiration was that spontaneous - I actually wrote it for my daughter, her first snowman - about a foot tall - when she was a wee thing. She’s just getting of age when I can give it to her...

Again, thanks for the kind words!

Best,

JOB; 2/25/21, 5:20 PM