Althouse: At the Good Things Café...

May 29, 2015

At the Good Things Café...

... you don't have to believe.

54 comments:

chickelit said...: I admit that your earlier quiz stumped me.; 5/29/15, 1:00 PM
chickelit said...: Stump speech; 5/29/15, 1:03 PM
Humperdink said...: Speaking of stumps, the Hastert indictment is and will be interesting.

"In 2010, confronted about the “prior misconduct,” the former speaker agreed to pay $3.5 million to the person “to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct against Individual A,” prosecutors alleged."

Individual A may have a tax problem.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/05/hasterts_indictment_suggests_he_was_victim_of_blackmail_scheme.html; 5/29/15, 1:07 PM
Hagar said...: The blackmail matter remains, but Congress needs to repeal the law passages regarding "structured withdrawals" (which was intended to fight drug trafficking; not this kind of thing), civil forfeiture (? anyway, the laws that enable cops to confiscate any cash they find without any other justification), and "lying to the FBI," as a separate count from material obstruction of justice.; 5/29/15, 1:14 PM
rhhardin said...: A dog believes his master is at the door. But can he also believe his master will come the day after to-morrow?--And what can he not do here? -- How do I do it? -- How am I supposed to answer this? -- Wittgenstein

Dog neither believing nor no believing.; 5/29/15, 1:19 PM
garage mahal said...: Joint Finance is taking a blow torch to the UW, tenure, local control, and science. And the day is still young.; 5/29/15, 1:20 PM
Anonymous said...: It looks like a manhole cover about to gush forth; 5/29/15, 1:21 PM
Hagar said...: These laws are just invitations for prosecutorial misconduct.

In this case, charging Hastert with this crap rather than for participating in/enabling a blackmail scheme, strongly suggest that public sympathy might be on Hastert's side if the details were known, and that the case has more to do with political corruption in Illinois rather than any search for "justice."; 5/29/15, 1:39 PM
chickelit said...: garage mahal relates: Joint Finance is taking a blow torch to the UW, tenure, local control, and science. And the day is still young.

Diversity departments unscathed?; 5/29/15, 1:39 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Every tree is a potential stump.; 5/29/15, 1:40 PM
tim in vermont said...: What they should be doing is taking a pry bar to taxpayers wallets!; 5/29/15, 1:41 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: Gotta hand it to that Giving Tree, she stayed optimistic right up to the end--and after.; 5/29/15, 1:43 PM
garage mahal said...: What they should be doing is taking a pry bar to taxpayers wallets!

That's old hat. Do follow along!; 5/29/15, 1:52 PM
Hagar said...: The interchange between Chris Cuomo and Pamela Geller bothers me.

I think this coy pretence about "the n-word" is ridiculous. It is 60-odd years ago since someone observed that no one who still spells Negro with 2 n's will ever be president. It is offensive, but calling someone "nigger" says more about the caller than the callee - and that goes for rap artists too.

The Muhammed cartoons, however, do have to do with "free speech" - not just for us infidels, but also for Muslims. It is part of the "command right and forbid wrong" that is used to stifle any questioning of the authority of the Koran verses as interpreted by the jihadists and has everything to do with maintaining the oppression and mistreatment of women and children that is so prevalent where they have managed to seize power.; 5/29/15, 1:59 PM
gerry said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/29/15, 1:59 PM
machine said...: a high school wrestling coach position certainly does pay well...; 5/29/15, 2:01 PM
garage mahal said...: And, let's face it, local control is bullshit. Everything works better - and with greater efficiency - in a centrally-directed and planned system

Republicans. The party of Central Planners. Who would know better what's best for local communities than bureaucrats in Madison?; 5/29/15, 2:03 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I thought Joint Finance involved selling some to your friends to pay for your habit.; 5/29/15, 2:04 PM
gerry said...: Joint Finance is taking a blow torch to the UW, tenure, local control, and science.

And SCIENCE?

And, let's face it, local control is bullshit. Everything works better - and with greater efficiency - in a centrally-directed and planned system. Just like Obamacare, right?.; 5/29/15, 2:05 PM
garage mahal said...: Beauty of the fired DNR scientists? It doesn't save the state one cent. But it WILL piss liberals off!; 5/29/15, 2:08 PM
gerry said...: The party of Central Planners. Who would know better what's best for local communities than bureaucrats in Madison?

Why the snark? I thought you'd be thrilled with more central control and less local liberty because it is what you espouse all the time.; 5/29/15, 2:10 PM
chickelit said...: Anybody in Madison or thereabouts got a clue what garage is trying misrepresent?; 5/29/15, 2:12 PM
gerry said...: Beauty of the fired DNR scientists?

They study and espouse policies based upon climate change (or whatever else they're calling it this week).

By the way, such policies result in greater central direction of all sorts of things, and you are now opposed to central control and in favor greater local liberties, right?; 5/29/15, 2:16 PM
chickelit said...: At least machine sticks to the national script--Garage is forever going local. As I mention before, with garage's comment history (documented in the annals of Althouse), he should be poised to pick up some easy Soros money.; 5/29/15, 2:19 PM
gerry said...: Garage is hemorrhaging over this.; 5/29/15, 2:20 PM
Hagar said...: Brainfart. ....2 g's....; 5/29/15, 2:22 PM
chickelit said...: Back in day (1970's and earlier) DNR stood for "damn near Russia." I'm not sure what about the DNR so riled conservatives back then, but you sure can't blame Walker for the animus.

As for the layed off scientists: Republicans can sponsor more H-1B visas to fill the intellectual gap and Dems can keep the borders open for any field work necessary.; 5/29/15, 2:30 PM
tim in vermont said...: Republicans can sponsor more H-1B visas to fill the intellectual gap

Wouldn't it be cool if the Republicans looked out for their voters instead of joining the Democrats to keep the billionaires happy?; 5/29/15, 2:39 PM
MadisonMan said...: Interesting story in the paper today on Walleye (the fish) and the DNR. (Link).; 5/29/15, 2:49 PM
chickelit said...: @Madison: Given that the numbers are down selectively only in certain lakes, I'd say over harvesting is the most likely cause.; 5/29/15, 2:55 PM
garage mahal said...: “It makes no sense at all that we gut all the planning and research that goes into protecting and stewarding these resources,” she said. “We have to ask: Why are they doing this?”

What could it be? WHAT COULD IT BE?????; 5/29/15, 3:01 PM
chickelit said...: garage mahal said...

What could it be? WHAT COULD IT BE?????

The most obvious "Occam's Razor" conclusion is that evil Republicans want the fish populations to decline and thereby wreck tourism. That's the answer I get when I put on your shoes.; 5/29/15, 3:17 PM
MayBee said...: The blackmail matter remains, but Congress needs to repeal the law passages regarding "structured withdrawals" (which was intended to fight drug trafficking; not this kind of thing), civil forfeiture (? anyway, the laws that enable cops to confiscate any cash they find without any other justification), and "lying to the FBI," as a separate count from material obstruction of justice.

Amen.

I mean, it's your money and the fact that you can't withdraw it and use it in any legal way you want to is ridiculous. Surely if they can come up with a way to trace cell phone call patterns, they can think of a better way to find money laundering.

The "lie" is the same thing that got Martha Stewart and Scooter Libby. It's the prosecutor's answer to "your tail light is broken"; 5/29/15, 3:23 PM
JCC said...: Has this sign been run over?; 5/29/15, 3:24 PM
MayBee said...: And Carol Costello on CNN is an idiot. This morning she prefaced an interview with Bill Nye, who was arguing the floods in Texas are obviously because of climate change, by reminding the viewers that "97% of scientists" say man made global warming is real.; 5/29/15, 3:25 PM
chickelit said...: MayBee

And Carol Costello on CNN is an idiot. This morning she prefaced an interview with Bill Nye, who was arguing the floods in Texas are obviously because of climate change, by reminding the viewers that "97% of scientists" say man made global warming is real.

Have they gone so far yet as to smugly point out Texas' role in extracting & processing hydrocarbons and thereby make it Divine (Gaia) retribution? I know that some of Althouse's nastier commenters are all wound up on Texas-bashing. That mean streak may run up the media food chain.; 5/29/15, 3:32 PM
David said...: Something Dennis Hastert should have said: "You can't make it pubic because I just did."

Too late now.

Imagine carrying that around with you for all those years.; 5/29/15, 3:44 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/29/15, 3:45 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: I thought I had a 'decent' tweet today...

"#AskHillary... What did #FIFA and #Hastert get wrong?"

Not one fav nor rt.

Bodes well for Hillary that in peoples heads she doesn't get lumped in with Madoff and other unsavory characters.; 5/29/15, 3:47 PM
chickelit said...: I think what machine and garage are asking here is "Who has been photographed with Dennis Hasert?"; 5/29/15, 3:59 PM
Unknown said...: "...moratorium on land purchases through the state's stewardship program until its debt drops to $1 for every $8 spent since the program's inception in 1989." This is a bad thing? Please talk to Visa on my behalf.; 5/29/15, 4:01 PM
chickelit said...: I don't think that folks realize that people like garage and machine are in this for keeps--life or death keeps. Witness garage's comment about the young banker on the suicide post. Winning is all that matters to them.; 5/29/15, 4:02 PM
Unknown said...: A union in LA is spoofing the Onion; they say they wan the "right" to negotiate for less than the minimum wage. I am speechless.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-los-angeles-minimum-wage-unions-20150526-story.html; 5/29/15, 4:03 PM
garage mahal said...: I think what machine and garage are asking here is "Who has been photographed with Dennis Hasert?"

I don't give a shit. If I were UW Faculty, however, I would be wondering who I was photographed with, who I socialize with, what I post on social media, what political causes I am involved with, what I say in the classroom, etc. Context.; 5/29/15, 4:04 PM
chickelit said...: Nice use of the subjunctive, garage! It's a pet peeve of mine.; 5/29/15, 4:13 PM
Humperdink said...: I am thinking Hastert did nothing illegal many moons ago. Even if he did, I suspect the statute of limitations has expired. I may be wrong on both counts.

However, if I am right, he was willing to pay a hefty mountain of cash ($3.5mil) to preserve his reputation. (Mere pocket change for FIFA and Clinton Crime Syndicate, I know.); 5/29/15, 4:34 PM
Gahrie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/29/15, 6:44 PM
Gahrie said...: A union in LA is spoofing the Onion; they say they wan the "right" to negotiate for less than the minimum wage. I am speechless.

It is actually a strategy to increase union membership:

Union Organizer: So, you don't want to pay minimum wage? Let us organize your workers and you won't have to!

Business Owner: So let me get this straight...you'll make it possible for me to save millions on my payroll and give me a competitive advantage over my competitors, and all I have to do is give you permission to con my employees into agreeing to work for less, and give you a portion of their paycheck for the privilege?

Union Organizer: Exactly

Business Owner: Where do I sign up?

Looks like the fastfood workers are all about to unionize; 5/29/15, 6:45 PM
rhhardin said...: Three robin babies in a nest on the back porch have all flown away, now emitting wet raspy chirps that are locator beacons around the yard.; 5/29/15, 7:49 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "I don't think that folks realize that people like garage and machine are in this for keeps--life or death keeps. Witness garage's comment about the young banker on the suicide post. Winning is all that matters to them."

Perhaps, but the Left has a palpable air of panic these days. Impressive sand castles but the tide's coming in.; 5/29/15, 9:48 PM
tim in vermont said...: You know, if university professors hadn't abused the tenure process to create an ideologically uniform faculty, from which half the state is barred simply for ideology, I bet they would have more support with the general public.; 5/30/15, 6:06 AM
tim in vermont said...: Read this from Insty, made me think of garage:

The problem for women back in the day was that, if they weren’t pure as driven snow, our culture said either (a) that they’d asked for it or (b) that there’s no such thing as rape when the women isn’t a virgin or when it’s the husband [Democrat president] who brutalizes the woman. Thankfully, we have put those days behind us.

Except garage of course. They are all nuts and sluts if they accuse Bill of anything!; 5/30/15, 6:19 AM
Rusty said...: Looks like the fastfood workers are all about to unionize

Looks like everybody is going to be ordering their fast food through a touch screen.; 5/30/15, 9:55 AM
rcommal said...: A sad thing, not one of the good things, but this post is the most recent open thread, so here it goes:

Beau Biden has died of brain cancer, at age 46.; 5/30/15, 11:26 PM