Althouse: At the Wednesday Night Café...

August 30, 2023

At the Wednesday Night Café...

... you can write about whatever you want.

48 comments:

I Shouldn’t Have Left the White House said...: The problem for Democrats is that Biden is ancient ( 86 by the end of a second term is ridiculous) and Harris, his presumed successor, is the worst retail politician in America. She's a walking disaster area. Her word salad answers to basic questions are the stuff of legend. A candidate like Biden with Harris warming up in the bullpen is a really bad combination for Democrats.

In fact, in a sane world, a Biden/Harris ticket would get routed in 2024. But this is America, and sanity and the current incarnation of the GOP don't have much in common. GOP voters seem determined to nominate the one guy who will actually lose to that awful Democratic ticket.

As an aside...Mitch McConnell & Dianne Feinstein you’ve both devoted your careers at incredibly great service to the country. It’s time to move on now. Have you groomed a few young people to step up and maybe be your replacement down the road?

If not, it would be a disappointment, as this is a primary responsibility of “leaders”. Younger people need opportunities too. Be a mentor, and gracefully exit while passing the baton to the next generation.; 8/30/23, 7:33 PM
Political Junkie said...: Is your favorite college football team playing Saturday?
I am a homer for TCU. I wonder if Deion and the Buffs might pull the upset in Fort Worth. TCU lost so much talent. I believe 7 players from last year's TCU team made an NFL team 53 man roster. And the one that got cut was second in the Heisman voting.; 8/30/23, 7:41 PM
rehajm said...: Some math for the insurance issue- I live in a flood/hurricane zone and pay about 25pb/yr but there’s a 5 percent deductible if I have to rebuild. They pay for me to stay in a ‘comp’ during the rebuild. I also pay the national premium which is about $700…

My internet is out but apparently my lights and hvac are still on. Feels like a win…; 8/30/23, 7:42 PM
Narr said...: Idalia has thrown some breezes our way, and it has been almost autumnal the last few days. We will be dragged back into humid subtropicality by early next week, though.

To me it looks like the Buddha's list of proscribed games misses Go, poker, and Kneesy-Earsy-Nosey, so I'm clean.

A few more views of my profile and it'll hit 4K. I'm not sure, but I think it took only about half the time to reach that number as it did to get to 2K. Seems like an acceleration, but it could be argued that it's only a reflection of Althouse Blog's growth in the same period. (I know that some number of those are me, checking.)

At any rate, this is still a largely agreeable place, the closest thing I can get to the best of my campus conversations and contestations.; 8/30/23, 7:48 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne aka Doug Emhoff's Pimp Hand said...: Apologies if this has already been posted. Oliver Anthony was on Joe Rogan's podcast today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH75fQ3SVO8; 8/30/23, 7:49 PM
wildswan said...: The prolife trial I have been following in DC has ended and the jury found everybody guilty on all charges on Teusday August 29. The five defendants were then whisked from the courtroom to DC jail because the Judge said they were violent. She is Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly who was the first chief judge of the FISA court (2001-2007). She thus presided over the foundational work which led to the now well-known abuses of that Court. She was the access point for warrantless searches of social media on the application of the FBI. But she didn't like it when American citizens gained warrantless access to a late-term abortion clinic. She showed her dislike by rushing them off to jail which was unexpected. This unexpected jailing was particularly problematic for a member of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, a young man named Herb who had transitioned. I doubt if she cared.
The background for this trial is that Dr. Santangelo, the abortionist at Washington Surgi-Center was videoed in 2013 stating that he would not work to assist babies who survived the abortion. Survival is a very real possibility in late-term abortions and those babies are viable and protected by law. So ever since 2013 different individuals and groups have been trying to have Dr. Santangelo and his operation investigated. For example, Senator Ted Cruz was going to lead an investigation in 2020 but that was stopped when the Republicans lost control of the Senate. Prolifers sent different kinds of information and various requests for an investigation to the police and the Mayor.
But nothing happened. Prolifers were just ignored, abortion up to birth and infanticide if necessary after being the real position of hard-core Dems like those running DC.
One of the prolifers aware of the video and of the futile efforts to have Santangelo investigated was Lauren Handy. She founded a group called Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising because she was convinced that the left which is compassionate and concerned about the vulnerable and the marginalized would be concerned about the unborn. Who is more marginalized than the human being you can kill on a whim? She with other Progressives including the young man named Herb decided to go inside Santangelo's clinic, partly to counsel women, partly to try to persuade clinic workers that what they were doing was wrong. Herb joined the group but didn't carry his action to the point of getting arrested since he was a pretty vulnerable human being himself. Anyhow he thought he wouldn't be arrested since he left the action early. But the police tracked him down, the jury found him guilty and the Judge threw him into prison with the rest.
And the next day, that is today, Wednesday August 30, DC announced that it is investigating Santangelo.; 8/30/23, 7:50 PM
Mutaman said...: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/29/2190402/-How-Vivek-Ramaswamy-made-his-fortune-is-as-corrupt-at-you-would-expect; 8/30/23, 9:11 PM
walter said...: Blogger Rich said...
GOP voters seem determined to nominate the one guy who will actually lose to that awful Democratic ticket.
--
Pence or bust!!
(He's a fighter); 8/30/23, 9:15 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Tucker on a podcast via my X: Tucker Carlson suggests Donald Trump may be assassinated after the impeachments, indictments and slander campaigns all failed in hurting his popularity.

“We're speeding toward assassination, obviously, and no one will say that…”

“They fabricated a lot about what happened on January 6th in order to impeach him again. It didn't work. He came back, then they indicted him. It didn't work. He became more popular. Then they indicted him three more times, and every single time his popularity rose.”

I’m thinking 💭 ‘Nothing happened after Will Smith slapped the shit out of Chris Rock. And, there was no question as to what happened that night’.

Epsteined?; 8/30/23, 9:16 PM
West TX Intermediate Crude said...: Roland Gutierrez is a Democrat who is running against Ted Cruz for US Senate.
He cites Cruz's approving retweet of the tribal LEOs who shoved the Running Man climate protestors off the road they were blocking as evidence that "Cruz Appears to Endorse Plowing Into Climate Protesters With Cars..." in a fundraising email that I somehow received.

Gutierrez further quotes Cruz as saying, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”

Better: "FAFO!"

Heart of stone, etc...; 8/30/23, 9:17 PM
Dave Begley said...: 92,003 fans at Husker volleyball match tonight. World record. Corn got mad because the Badgers broke their previous attendance record. Will the Badgers now schedule a game at Camp Randall now?; 8/30/23, 9:40 PM
walter said...: "Rich" shows no concern over Joementia's pederast tendencies, nicknames and diary entries.; 8/30/23, 10:04 PM
Barney Owasco said...: Rich said: A candidate like Biden with Harris warming up in the bullpen is a really bad combination for Democrats.

Well, even worse would be Joe having a stroke later this year and checking out, so that Kamala would have to be sworn in and serve as President for a significant period before the election.

I was not old enough to vote in 1974, but I remember the mid-term bloodbath for the GOP in the aftermath of the Nixon resignation. I think the effect of even a taste of Kamala in the driver's seat would be a crushing blow-out like the one that year.

I'd love to see it.; 8/30/23, 10:16 PM
planetgeo said...: I saw my first super blue moon tonight. It looked huge, almost unreal, as it rose on the east horizon just after sunset. You could make out features with the naked eye and felt as though you could reach out and touch it. Beautiful.; 8/30/23, 10:29 PM
Iman said...: The real problem for those of us who love our country is that the left hate America and those in power for the last 32 months are alienating our friends and allies and emboldening our enemies.

Much of the rest of the world are turning against America and these leftwing idiots are leading the charge. Just wait and see what happens when the dollar loses its position. That’s when things will get very interesting and not in a good way. Sentient Americans will know exactly who is responsible.; 8/30/23, 10:42 PM
walter said...: "Mitch McConnell & Dianne Feinstein you’ve both devoted your careers at incredibly great service to the country."
Both with hat tips to the Chi Coms.; 8/30/23, 11:01 PM
gadfly said...: Peter Navarro takedown by a lady protester.

"Bro, you're already facing charges. I have been here all along. Situational awareness."; 8/31/23, 1:17 AM
gadfly said...: Gosh walter, Moscow Mitch is our Senate Minority Leader and he at least knows how to shut up at times. His crime apparently is that he married a Chinese woman - who was so bad that Trump appointed her as his Secretary of Transportation.

So Donald tipped his MAGA cap to the Chi-Coms as well.; 8/31/23, 1:32 AM
Mutaman said...: Dave Begley said...

"92,003 fans at Husker volleyball match tonight. World record. Corn got mad because the Badgers broke their previous attendance record. Will the Badgers now schedule a game at Camp Randall now?"

Glad you've got something to hold your interest Dave. Must not be much going on out there in the hinterlands. But this is what happens when your state football team isn't competitive.; 8/31/23, 2:06 AM
Mutaman said...: Iman
"Much of the rest of the world are turning against America"

Got a link supporting this ?; 8/31/23, 2:07 AM
Mutaman said...: Iman said...
"Much of the rest of the world are turning against America"

Fake News!

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/06/22/international-public-opinion-of-the-u-s-remains-positive/; 8/31/23, 2:10 AM
gadfly said...: Dave Begley said...
92,003 fans at Husker volleyball match tonight. World record. Corn got mad because the Badgers broke their previous attendance record. Will the Badgers now schedule a game at Camp Randall now?

Dave: The Badgers set the previous NCAA record by moving the Florida State volleyball matchup to the "Herb Garden" (Kohl Center), where basketball and ice hockey are usually played, in order to get more seats. Normally the volleyball team plays at the old basketball arena attached to Camp Randall Stadium. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to watch v-ball played on the 50-yard line inside the stadium unless the Badger band performed between sets. Camp Randall, BTW, won't seat 92,000. The most butts in seats were 83,000 and change.; 8/31/23, 2:29 AM
wendybar said...: THIS is what Nazism looks like...

"O’Keefe Media Group on Wednesday released 20 minutes of police bodycam footage showing New Jersey school board officials calling the police on citizens they don’t recognize who look “Trumpish.”

“The police colluded with school officials to scan license plates of school board meeting attendees who looked different,” James O’Keefe said."

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/breaking-okeefe-media-group-police-bodycam-footage-shows/; 8/31/23, 4:00 AM
tim in vermont said...: It's not just the United States:

The Royal Canadian Air Force faces a “personnel crisis” with fewer volunteers joining and more veterans leaving the service, says a federal report. It follows a 35 percent decline in military recruitment across the board last year: “The RCAF is experiencing a personnel crisis.”

Nobody wants to fight for the mafia unless they are cut in on the loot. We could probably improve recruiting if the ordinary soldiers got a cut, for instance, of the oil we are stealing from Syria, or if those soldiers we have in Niger got a cut of the uranium profits.; 8/31/23, 4:48 AM
tim in vermont said...: "Much of the rest of the world are turning against America..."

This is true. What the Democrats have done is let the curtain slip, like at the end of the Wizard of Oz, and shown the world, not least American citizens, what a sick joke all of the propaganda has been. Countries want to join BRICS now, Even France wants to join BRICS, but BRICS won't have them, since one rule of belonging to BRICS is that the only sanctions that are to be respected are those approved by the UN Security Council. People want out from under our thumb. What is "Belt and Road"? It's China trying to create a free trade network that is outside the control of the US Navy. The world wants in. BRICS represents, already, half the population of the planet, people, energy, minerals, and agriculture. The US and Europe? Fancy financial instruments. We will see which holds up longer.

We keep being reassured that there is no alternative to the US dollar, but there was no alternative to the British Pound, until, one day, demand for it created one. Iran just ordered up an airport from China, and they will pay in oil. No US dollars to change hands. Thank this monstrous marriage between the Democrats and the neocons.

The United States, imperfect, to say the least, but with noble aspirations, in its propaganda, anyway, is dead and buried. The last reasonably fair election happened in 2016, and what did the cabal running our country conclude? "We can never let that happen again!"; 8/31/23, 5:05 AM
Humperdink said...: Mrs. Dink and I remain convinced rank and file lefties are flat-out deceived. The scales remain firmly ensconced over their eyes. One need to look no further than ...

"Mitch McConnell & Dianne Feinstein you’ve both devoted your careers at incredibly great service to the country." (Scholar Rich).

Thirty-Three (33) trillion dollars in debt, US standard of living sinking like a rock, school test scores in the the tank, homeless at record levels, unknown levels of illegal immigrants, crime in lefty cites remains unabated and yet the two aforementioned public servants who presided over this mess are lauded by Mr. R.; 8/31/23, 5:12 AM
Breezy said...: “GOP voters seem determined to nominate the one guy who will actually lose to that awful Democratic ticket.”

If that’s the case, why all the indictments? Why not free Trump to run and get beaten again?

Everyone seems to think 2024 Trump v Biden would amount to slow motion replay. It’s not. Biden has a presidential record now, so the mask is off on his policies. The economy is busted. The border is open. Hundreds of billions of our tax dollars are being spent on the climate scam. He physically and cognitively can’t perform his job - it’s no surprise that 77% of those polled think he shouldn’t be re-elected for age-related cognitive decline reasons. Also, his family corruption, which he leads, is finally coming to light. He’s walking toast.; 8/31/23, 5:18 AM
Big Mike said...: Cruz Appears to Endorse Plowing Into Climate Protesters With Cars...

As do most normal people. Some Wasi’chu know better than to defy tribal law enforcement on reservation lands; others need to stare down the barrel of a gun as a needed supplement to their education.

Some scientists say that the earth is going to burn up. And if you watch the History Channel, some scientists say that ancient aliens built the pyramids.; 8/31/23, 5:52 AM
tim in vermont said...: Felt good this morning to read that Americans are coming to realize that taking sides in a border dispute on the other side of the world, especially the side of people who paint German crosses on the tanks we provide, is a rotten idea.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/aux-etats-unis-premiers-doutes-sur-l-aide-a-l-ukraine-20230828

One of our NATO "allies" has made celebrating the defeat of Germany in WWII a crime, BTW.; 8/31/23, 5:55 AM
Big Mike said...: @rehajm, so you were hit by Idahlia? Glad things are still working for you. Hope the damage was slight and recovery is easy.; 8/31/23, 5:57 AM
I Shouldn’t Have Left the White House said...: 'We may be better served to elect our psychopaths a little younger'. ~ I'm Vivek Ramaswamy and I approve this message.; 8/31/23, 6:02 AM
Leland said...: North Atlantic looks bad for mariners today. Check out nhc.noaa.gov Don’t go out on a boat with George Clooney.; 8/31/23, 6:53 AM
Crimso said...: "Epsteined?"

In terms of downstream effects, more like "Archduked."; 8/31/23, 7:04 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Actually I wouldn’t mind seeing Kamala serve out the last year of Biden’s term. The Democrats would be stuck with her for 2024, and no sentient being would vote for her for President.; 8/31/23, 7:17 AM
donald said...: McConnell and Feinstein should have been in prison the last 20 years or so. Their corruption has be obvious and to deny that is moronic. What horrible judgement you have.; 8/31/23, 7:18 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Elon Musk celebrates the new logo of the NYT, er, NWT.; 8/31/23, 7:22 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Remember when Inga et al were railing about Sweden’s mostly voluntary response to Covid during the early days of the pandemic?

Well it turns out they were wrong as usual.

Good analysis and retrospective from the Cato Institute

“Remarkably, total excess deaths were smaller in Sweden than in any other European country during the three pandemic years (2020–2022), and the rate was less than half of America’s.”

https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/sweden-during-pandemic; 8/31/23, 7:34 AM
donald said...: I’m totally pro driving cars (And SUV’s and Mack Trucks etc… into global warming liars and their moronic followers. More! Faster!; 8/31/23, 7:51 AM
gilbar said...: and no sentient being would vote for her for President.

as they say..
Problem Is: to win, you need a majority of votes; Not just legal ones or even those cast by sentient beings; 8/31/23, 8:26 AM
Iman said...: “Remember when Inga et al were railing about Sweden’s mostly voluntary response to Covid during the early days of the pandemic?

Well it turns out they were wrong as usual.”

Unexpectedly… /sarc; 8/31/23, 8:27 AM
Iman said...: Deflation has arrived. The media is reluctant to report it, as it reflects badly on the B-B-Biden administration.; 8/31/23, 8:35 AM
Rusty said...: Did Gadfly just go full racist on us? Does he want to fight the Chinese now as well?; 8/31/23, 8:41 AM
gilbar said...: GOP voters seem determined to nominate the one guy who will actually lose to that awful Democratic ticket.

i'll bite! Please list (and describe how) All (some of?) the people that wouldn't lose?
Desantis?
Christy?
Pence?
Hutchenson?
Vivek?
that old guy that collects pop cans for wine money?
Please explain to us how you got to the point that you think Trump would be 'the one guy' lose?; 8/31/23, 8:42 AM
MadTownGuy said...: I follow Trains online because we've taken a few train trips and hope to take a few more. Last March, we had an unexpected three-day layover in Chicago due to what Amtrak called a server problem. The day we were at Union Station preparing to start home, I looked to see what was actually going on. I found this: PTC issues cause Amtrak cancellations and delays
By Bob Johnston | March 24, 2023

Server problems causing delays on many, but not all, routes

The issue appeared to be due to a revised approach by the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) to tighten up adherence to positive train control initialization issues:

"Amtrak trains on some routes are experiencing cancellations or delays today (Friday, March 24) as a result of a nationwide server issue that is keeping the positive train control initialization process from taking place.

Federal safety regulations require a separate PTC initialization to take place before engineers and conductors leave a terminal. This includes departures from intermediate crew-change stops. Communications failures periodically occur on specific routes, but not to the extent that appears to be happening now.

Trains can be individually cleared to operate at slower speeds without PTC initialization, but this procedure must be authorized by the dispatcher of an individual route."

More at the link, and a follow up comment to come.; 8/31/23, 9:02 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Follow up to previous comment. I saw this yesterday on Trains:

Customs agency suspends BNSF and Union Pacific from anti-terrorism partnership

"The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has suspended BNSF Railway and Union Pacific from its Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program.

The railroads’ certification was suspended for 90 days effective Aug. 22, BNSF and UP said in customer advisories.

“We continue to work with our partners to ensure safety procedures are followed and that our certification is reinstated. Union Pacific’s security processes and measures remain fully in place to ensure the security of your shipments. We do not anticipate any delays from an Operations perspective due to the temporary suspension. Our long-standing safety and security procedures with the CBP remain intact,” UP told customers. “Union Pacific plans to appeal the decision to temporarily suspend our CTPAT certification. As we wait for our certification to be reinstated, we continue to follow our approved security procedures for inspection at the borders and ports.”

Likewise, BNSF said the temporary suspension would not affect “BNSF customs bond status, required customs documentation, or clearance processes. BNSF will continue to follow our approved security procedures for inspection at borders and ports and we do not anticipate any delays in our operations.”

Customs and Border Protection did not respond to an email seeking comment on the suspension of the railroads’ certification.

The program has more than 1,400 certified partners, according to the agency’s website.

“When an entity joins CTPAT, an agreement is made to work with CBP to protect the supply chain, identify security gaps, and implement specific security measures and best practices. Applicants must address a broad range of security topics and present security profiles that list action plans to align security throughout the supply chain. CTPAT members are considered to be of low risk, and are therefore less likely to be examined at a U.S. port of entry,” according to the Customs and Border Protection website.

“CTPAT Partners enjoy a variety of benefits, including taking an active role in working closer with the U.S. Government in its war against terrorism,” the agency says."; 8/31/23, 9:06 AM
MadTownGuy said...: They Want You To Stop Eating Meat And Dairy, But The Gavin Newsoms Of the World Will Always Be Able To Eat At The French Laundry (Lawrence Person's Battleswarm Blog):

"When radical leftwing city officials push insane, impossible policies, are they merely engaging in virtue signaling, hope to profit off graft for the issue, or want to inflict as much pain on ordinary Americans as possible?

That’s the question to ask about Houston and Austin signing on to an agenda to eliminate meat and dairy consumption by 2030.

Two Texas cities are participating in an emissions-cutting program that seeks to end meat and dairy consumption.

According to the organization, “C40 is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis.”

Although largely funded by Democrat billionaire Michael Bloomberg, C40 has other donors including FedEx, Google, and the Clinton Foundation.

Both Austin and Houston are listed as participating cities, with “membership operat[ing] on performance-based requirements, not on fees.”

Houston is a “Megacity,” according to the C40 membership ranking. Megacities are “Cities that show exceptional climate leadership at the global level, and have an urban population that currently/is expected to exceed 3 million or more people by 2030.”

Austin is in the “Innovator” membership category, which includes “cities that show exceptional climate leadership at the global level, but do not meet the population/size criteria of a Megacity.”

Altogether, the participating cities make up a quarter of the global economy.

According to C40 Cities Executive Director Mark Watts, “As always, C40 has adopted a science-based approach and that science is clear: average consumption-based emissions in C40 cities must halve within the next 10 years. In our wealthiest and highest consuming cities that means a reduction of two-thirds or more by 2030.”

Watts stated this in a report from C40 Cities in 2019 entitled, “The Future Of Urban Consumption In A 1.5°C World.” The report lays out “ambitious targets” for cities to meet regarding the urban consumption of building materials, food, clothing and textiles, private transportation, electronics, and household appliances, as well as private aviation travel."

More at the link. They want us to be like Sri Lanka. Never go full Sri Lanka.; 8/31/23, 9:17 AM
I Shouldn’t Have Left the White House said...: The whole Oliver Anthony thing to me illustrates just how weird upper middle-class white people have gotten about Appalachia. There's a fiction writer in Ohio that sold enough people to get elected to the Senate...a venture capitalist-novelist-MAGA guy...; 8/31/23, 9:33 AM
tim in vermont said...: Gee, what could have happened to the industrial Midwest that made them susceptible to MAGA?; 8/31/23, 10:14 AM