Althouse: At the Mossy Rock Café...

October 25, 2023

At the Mossy Rock Café...

... you can write about whatever you want.

42 comments:

Kai Akker said...: Criterion Channel viewers..... you know who you are.... The Big Heat may be unavailable after October 31, IIRC. 1953 classic suspense with some film noir characteristics, but plenty of daytime shooting and beautifully done. The script is well-crafted and every scene tells. Character placement, actors' movements, some discreet camera dollies.... just a tight, taut, well-directed movie, as good as late Hollywood got. Fritz Lang was that director; Charles Lang (no relation) the cinematographer. Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and an unforgettable Lee Marvin. Has all the looks of the early 1950s, right down to the birch tree clumps set off-center in the lawn. Goes back and forth between the corrupt luxury of the wealthy and the modest domestic world of a cop. A must-see and stands up to repeated viewings.; 10/25/23, 5:37 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: Going to war is an economic booster and by default that mean an election booster.

Via Scott Adams.

I'm not going to say Biden is a Hamas puppet, but doesn't the rescue seem fortuitous?

I mean, is not like putting Trump in jail is working. Vallot stuffing w/o a lockdown is just too risky. Especially after some people might know what to look for.

Go for broke, spare no expense. War it is... try to keep "colateral damage" to a minimum.; 10/25/23, 6:00 PM
Saint Croix said...: the beans and nuts are gone

oh no!

just us mossy rocks

and the Iron Horse; 10/25/23, 6:19 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Not rolling.; 10/25/23, 6:24 PM
Ralph L said...: Althouse favorite Bob Dylan made Final Jeopardy last night, and only one contestant knew it. I guessed him thanks to this blog, though I didn't know he'd one an Oscar.; 10/25/23, 6:38 PM
rcocean said...: Hear, my story
I was once a rolling stone.
Sads.; 10/25/23, 6:41 PM
rcocean said...: We're sisters under the mink.; 10/25/23, 6:46 PM
mccullough said...: A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!; 10/25/23, 6:48 PM
Whiskeybum said...: You can’t fool us… we all just know that’s that racist Chamberlin rock is mossy disguise!; 10/25/23, 7:05 PM
Narr said...: I saw the Jeopardy final too, and thought it was a gimme. The Oscar was for the song Things Have Changed in the movie Wonder Boys (which I saw but can't recall very clearly--and didn't know until I looked it up).; 10/25/23, 7:27 PM
Saint Croix said...: Ditto Kai, I love that movie

Ford makes Dirty Harry look like a little wuss; 10/25/23, 7:31 PM
Saint Croix said...: arguably the best cop movie ever made; 10/25/23, 7:32 PM
rhhardin said...: A tense moment in action fiction

"Go!" Garcia hissed.; 10/25/23, 8:10 PM
William said...: I can't figure out the game plan of Hamas. They went to considerable time and trouble to stage their terror raid. What did they think was going to happen after the raid? Their own view is that the Israelis are ruthless murderers. Did they think that there would be no "disproportionate" reprisals after the raid. How does all the devastation in Gaza equate with a Hamas victory. Do they think that all the Muslim states will rise up against Israel and restore the Palestinians to their land?
Can they be that stupid?...Beyond Hamas is it possible for anyone in Gaza or, for that matter, the Islamic world to voice the opinion that the tactics of Hamas are foolhardy and cruel....There's been some criticism of ISIS by Muslims. Can't they make the connection between Isis and Hamas?.... I wonder if our withdrawal, i.e. defeat, in Afghanistan was part of their decision making process.; 10/25/23, 8:29 PM
Gospace said...: A few quote.

Andrew L. Seidel
·
Oct 24
Reminder that Mike Johnson is a virulent Christian Nationalist who pushed all kinds of hateful anti-LGBTQ bigotry while at Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian Nationalist legal outfit that wants to drag this country back to the 5th century.

In his own words, Andrew is an Attorney. Fighting Christian Nationalism. God knows, we have way too much Christian nationalism in the USA.

Matthew Sheffield
Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, just became the Speaker of the House. He’ll be the most inexperienced speaker in American history. But he’ll also be the most far-right one in a long time as well.

He's an extremist in a tweed suit. Here's how...

Wow! Not only far right, but inexperienced! Gotta wonder if Matthew, a self described Republican media consultant, has ever described any far left DemoncRAT as far left. Probably not. Probably not. Also from Matthew- To be as "far left" as the so-called Freedom Caucus is to the right, you would have to be a communist who spoke frequently of violent revolution. No Democrats do that. Except, of course, for the ones that do. Seems several are supporting Hamas- you know- Hamas, those non-violent freedom fighters unjustly blamed for a recent slaughter of Israeli civilians.

Then there's guilt by association. Kyle Cheney
NEW: Speaker Mike Johnson played a more prominent role than previously understood in Donald Trump’s bid to remain in power — they traded phone calls + discussed legal strategy repeatedly in weeks leading up to Jan. 6. Politico reporter- so obviously an unbiased journalist. Painting the new speaker a - Gasp! - an ELECTION DENIER! Who thinks the election may have been stolen and tried to use the legal system to prove it. If you understand numbers- you know the election was stolen. First time is US history where an incumbent POTUS (and as near as I can determine, and incumbent governor- also chief executives) received more vote for reelection then election- and lost. Combine that with all the other numerical oddities, the destruction of evidence in AZ and other places, the counting in the dark, the violation of election laws in states where Biden "won", and, well, the election was stolen.

Yep, the talking points are out. The new speaker is a dangerous fascist right wing MAGA type endangering all rightful thinkers. Earlier in the say there were several more examples of this at the top of threadreaderapp. Should have prepared a post then...; 10/25/23, 8:36 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: YouTube: Why Rich People Love Pretending to Be Poor

Quote from the video: "Perhaps people are so fed up with the rat race that winning it is no longer aspirational, instead ducking out of it altogether is the pinacle of success."

For reasons that elude me right now, this video reminded me of that sentence from The Great Gatsby blog project Althouse did some years ago. Something about hay roofs.; 10/25/23, 8:58 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Where does Hamas draw its terrorists from? Mainly Gaza and the West Bank. If Gazans wanted Hamas gone, they'd stop joining up and Hamas would wither away. Instead, Gazans love Hamas. There are no "civilians" in Gaza. Just Hamas terrorists and Hamas terrorist supporters.; 10/25/23, 9:22 PM
gilbar said...: William said...
can't figure out the game plan of Hamas. They went to considerable time and trouble to stage their terror raid. What did they think was going to happen after the raid?
..Did they think that there would be no "disproportionate" reprisals after the raid.
How does all the devastation in Gaza equate with a Hamas victory.

I assume that they were HOPING for "disproportionate" reprisals.
What is on the news? Pictures of israeli strikes on "civilians";
no pix of israeli's beheaded and raped.. 'cause that's just NOT APPROPRIATE for tv news.
So the world se crying for the poor gazans, that Never did Anything wrong (not to Humans, anyway)
Just ask people like rcocean.. EVERYTHING that happens is (according to them) israel's fault.
And the poor gazans are being blown up, by the Hundreds of MILLIONS, as Evil israel deliberately targets peaceful hamas hospitals with hamas missiles.
Over in places like london and NYC, palestinian supporters are tearing down missing posters..
That's right, they won't Even allow missing posters to be posted; because, according to them, there aren't any humans missing.. Just israeli dogs.\

Don't believe Me? ask the expert, ask rcocean; 10/25/23, 10:07 PM
Eva Marie said...: Kai Akker said...
“Criterion Channel viewers..... you know who you are.... The Big Heat may be unavailable after October 31”
I subscribed to the Criterion Channel because of this blog. I’ve been very happy with that decision. I just watched the Big Heat. Thanks for the recommendation. Gloria Grahame (Ado Annie) was fantastic. Enjoyable movie.; 10/25/23, 10:11 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: In a hush Dune tone: I like the new Speaker; 10/25/23, 10:33 PM
Saint Croix said...: The Big Heat may be unavailable after October 31, IIRC.

I'm a big fan of buying physical versions of books and movies

actual books, and DVDs

my copy's not going anywhere, it's on the shelf

(unless my damn puppy eats it); 10/25/23, 10:40 PM
Jim at said...: I learned a lot today from 'Hey Skipper' regarding the jumpseat pilot who - for whatever reason - decided do the unthinkable.

You never know when an expert will chime in on a thread.; 10/26/23, 3:54 AM
The Vault Dweller said...: I've heard many times that moss only grows on the Northside of trees and rocks, but whenever I've been out in nature and tested this rule, I've found it is usually not correct.; 10/26/23, 4:12 AM
gadfly said...: As Gomer Pyle exclaims: "SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

As it turns out, Clarence Thomas ignored the law and may have substantially underreported his income taxes.

According to information [Senate Finance] committee staff obtained through documents provided by Anthony Welters, who loaned Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas $267,230, Thomas made interest payments, but never repaid a substantial portion of the loan. As the New York Times first reported in August 2023, Thomas used the loan to purchase a luxury Prevost Marathon motor coach.

“Today the committee has the answer to one of the pressing questions raised by reporting about his arrangement with Justice Thomas - was the loan ever repaid? Now we know that Justice Thomas had up to $267,230 in debt forgiven and never reported it on his ethics forms,” Wyden said. “Regular Americans don’t get wealthy friends to forgive huge amounts of debt so they can buy a second home. Justice Thomas should inform the committee exactly how much debt was forgiven and whether he properly reported the loan forgiveness on his tax returns and paid all taxes owed. I have also directed the committee to share our findings with the Judiciary Committee to evaluate the ethics (sic) implications of this disclosure.”; 10/26/23, 4:39 AM
Humperdink said...: What have we become???? Jewish students at Cooper Union forced to barricade themselves in the library as Hamas protesters pound on the doors.

"Kristallnacht, literally, "Night of Crystal," is often referred to as the "Night of Broken Glass." The name refers to the wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms which took place on November 9 and 10, 1938."; 10/26/23, 4:43 AM
gadfly said...: Gospace said...
A few quote[s].

You missed one, Gospace.

Randy Newman

Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
To live

They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet

Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here; 10/26/23, 4:56 AM
Big Mike said...: Althouse favorite Bob Dylan made Final Jeopardy last night, and only one contestant knew it. I guessed him thanks to this blog, though I didn't know he'd one an Oscar.

@Ralph, he didn’t “one” an Oscar. He garnered it.; 10/26/23, 5:02 AM
Humperdink said...: Out of the chaos in the house emerges Rep. Mike Johnson. What a huge plus! A hearty thank you to Mr. Chaos himself, Matt Gaetz.; 10/26/23, 5:18 AM
Rich said...: My Lab and I saw a few grouse on the south side of a mossy stump the other day....; 10/26/23, 6:03 AM
wendybar said...: "Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell simply rolling over for the Biden proposal to send another $106 billion dollars to our current “forever wars” and “other projects.” Broken down, the $106 billion would mean $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel, and $30.1 billion for other projects like “border security,” whatever that might mean to an administration with a wide-open southern border.

There was no push back, no negotiation – fiscal conservatism be damned – Sen. McConnell just said yes to $106 billion, over $75 billion of which is for other countries – keep in mind, there was discussion when in 2018, Trump only requested $18 billion over 10 years to complete our southern border wall.

Over the past 2 decades that I’ve spent in politics, the difference between the parties became evident – Democrats would move the ball when they had it – Republicans wouldn’t.

Because Democrats fight for their bases interests – no matter how crazy they may be, and Republicans write strongly worded letters."

https://amgreatness.com/2023/10/26/the-current-republican-party-no-longer-represents-me/; 10/26/23, 7:07 AM
Humperdink said...: New York Magazine feature writer Eric Levitz, “I asserted that this report indicated that babies were beheaded. This was an overstatement. I should have said that the report established that babies were found headless, a fact that lends plausibility to claims of beheading, but which does not prove them.” (Power Line)

Shorter Levitz: Just because a Jewish baby was found with no head doesn't mean he was beheaded.; 10/26/23, 7:17 AM
West TX Intermediate Crude said...: Who knew that Matt Gaetz and his merry band of chaosmongers were devotees of Cloward-Piven?
They destroyed the status quo, without firing a shot, and without a plan for what comes next, and something better arose from the wreckage.
A template for the rest of us?; 10/26/23, 8:11 AM
lonejustice said...: Mythical Egypt -- Artificial Intelligence dream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnrINpTxfwo&t=33s; 10/26/23, 8:46 AM
Kai Akker said...: Glad you enjoyed the movie, Eva. And nice quote, rcocean. Saint Croix, what good taste you have!; 10/26/23, 8:54 AM
Gospace said...: wake long enough to read about the Maine mass shooting, another failure of existing gun control laws with another known wolf, I woke up expecting to see a lot more commentary about the event.

Most of what I see is still from last night with initial impressions.

Seems, as usual, his social media was scrubbed immediately. Almost as if there was something to hide. Seems to me that spreading the suppressed information far and wide would give the masses greater understanding in what motivates them, giving people a greater knowledge base on which to know when they should follow the advice- "If you see something, say something!".

Of course, the powers that be will ignore anything they're told.; 10/26/23, 9:12 AM
Jersey Fled said...: “Regular Americans don’t get wealthy friends to forgive huge amounts of debt so they can buy a second home.“

Sorry. I thought you were referring to Barack Obama there.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2013/11/19/18594461/obama-his-real-estate-deal-with-the-shady-rezko-08-hopeful-in-iowa-again; 10/26/23, 9:15 AM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: "Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) received an “F” grade from Republicans for Ukraine, a group backed by arch neoconservative Bill Kristol."

In other words, Billy has the sads that Mike Johnson will actually carry out conservative policies instead of Billy's neocon warmongering and big spending wishes.

Billy, don't go away mad, just go away.; 10/26/23, 9:18 AM
Aggie said...: The Big Heat is available, and will be for the foreseeable: https://archive.org/details/the-big-heat-1953

..."The Big Heat is a 1953 American Film Noir directed by Fritz Lang and starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin and Jocelyn Brando (the elder sister of Marlon Brando).The film was written by former crime reporter Sydney Boehm, based on a serial by William P. McGivern that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and was published as a novel in 1953.

The film was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011."; 10/26/23, 9:25 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Too much! WAAAAAY too much!

https://www.theblaze.com/news/50yrold-male-swimming-teen-girls

13 and older group.; 10/26/23, 11:50 AM
Kai Akker said...: ---The Big Heat is available, and will be for the foreseeable: https://archive.org/details/the-big-heat-1953

Yes, thanks, Aggie. However, the movie leaves the Criterion Channel at the end of this month. Whatever their rotation method is, I don't yet grok. But Big Heat, Anatomy of a Murder, One-Way Passage and a dozen or so others all lose CC availability this month.; 10/26/23, 12:32 PM
Saint Croix said...: Saint Croix, what good taste you have!

thanks Kai

I would add, what makes Ford's performance stronger -- way stronger -- is not his acting chops, but that his character's fight is motivated. It's the bottled-up emotions that make that movie so amazing.

Eastwood is obviously a better actor -- just try to imagine Ford in Million Dollar Baby. I don't think he could pull that off.

I'm an Eastwood fan. But the story in The Big Heat is so tight, with a monstrous bad guy and Ford on a righteous quest. I feel like the Dirty Harry movies are pale imitations of Fritz Lang's American masterpiece.; 10/26/23, 1:56 PM
Saint Croix said...: Gloria Grahame is a real hottie, by the way

and for those of you who like bad girls

in real life she married Nicholas Ray

and then she married his son

yikes!; 10/26/23, 2:15 PM