February 28, 2017

At the Do-Nut Hole Café...



... you keep talking while we discover America.

(Or: Do some Amazon shopping using the Althouse portal, and, without paying more for your stuff, help fund the Althouse explorations.)

73 comments:

Darrell said...

Do-nuts two days in a row? Seems excessive.

JohnGalt said...

Shouldn't it be "Look for America" ?

Big Mike said...

Considering how much trash and human waste -- not to mention two starving dogs and six freezing puppies -- any pretense that the DAPL protestors possess any level of ecological sense simply cannot be sustained.

buwaya said...

Recommend yet again through the Althouse Amazon portal -

"The Moro War" James Arnold
How America Battled a Muslim Insurgency in the Philippine Jungle, 1902-1913

A fascinating, fairly detailed and essential work, considering just how forgotten, and misunderstood, this episode in American history actually is. And so much of it is topical, concerning modern problems and controversies. In many ways also it is "the rest of the story" on many bits of US history - Teddy Roosevelt, Pershing, McArthur, counterinsurgency policies, the nature of Islamic radicalism, Muslim folkways that cause the "bloody borders" of Islam, etc.

Well written, anecdotal, quotable, loaded with surprises and ironies around every corner. There is also a surprisingly large body count. This business probably got more people killed than the entirety of the US Indian wars, 1865-1900. But it was way out there in some jungles way across the Pacific.

Besides this the whole business is a view into an alien, exotic world, one that still exists and is still getting people killed, those who stray into it unknowing -

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/asia/philippines-german-behead-abu-sayyaf/

Big Mike said...

Wherever lefties go they leave behind a despoiled environment. If it was up to me I'd lock our resident lefty trolls in their houses and nail the doors shut.

Sean Gleeson said...

Has your car broken down in that lot, and that's why you only have that one thing to photograph?

TWW said...

A visual metaphor for socialism.

rehajm said...

Do-nuts two days in a row? Seems excessive.

This one here is about the hole, Darrell.

rhhardin said...

The phone is for dialup access.

rhhardin said...

Donuts of wrath.

Rocketeer said...

I like that. Very William Eggleston-esque.

tcrosse said...

On a clear day you can see the back of your own head.

Freeman Hunt said...

Anyone up to date on new laptops? In other words, did someone already do the research that I am about to have to do and would like to avoid?

Bob Ellison said...

Freeman Hunt, MacBook Air.

Danno said...


Adding to JohnGalt's comment, America by Simon and Garfunkel-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W773ZPJhcVw

Michael K said...

"Freeman Hunt, MacBook Air."

I agree. I have one that I've used everyday for four years. The only negative is limited memory size but I also use external memory for photos and the like.

viator said...

Va, pensiero or
Hebrew Slaves Chorus

When Verdi died tens of thousands of people streamed through the streets of Milan singing this anthem at his funeral.



FullMoon said...

TRUMP AND PUTIN ARE TAKING DOWN THE INTERNET, THIS IS NOT A JOKE. THEY WON/

A massive Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage is striking down lots and lots of web pages, leading to huge hiccups on a number of domains. Amazon is reporting the issue on its AWS dashboard, citing “Increased Error Rates,” which is a fancy way of saying that something is seriously broken.
Amazon Web Services is the cloud services arm of Amazon, and its Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is used by everyone from Netflix to Reddit. When it goes down — or experiences any type of increased latency or errors — it causes major issues downstream, preventing content from loading on web pages and causing requests to fail.

YoungHegelian said...

@FullMoon,

A massive Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage is striking down lots and lots of web pages, leading to huge hiccups on a number of domains.

Wait! Isn't that not supposed to happen with AWS? Isn't that what people pay AWS to avoid?

There seem to be an amazing number of cloud services which are sold with guaranteed uptime which have nothing of the sort.

David said...

See. The world is flat.

YoungHegelian said...

@Freeman,

First question I always ask laptop buyers: what do you want to do with the laptop?

A laptop for web browsing & getting your email is a different beast from a laptop for game playing or video editing.

Second question: Do you plan to travel with it? If so, how much?

Third question: Are you going to us this for personal use only or only for the office or both?

rhhardin said...

All systems fail.

Fail-safe systems fail by failing to fail safe.

- John Gall _Systemantics_

rhhardin said...

I explorted the world in the 60s and stay home. Motels are the same everywhere, and mountains just block the view.

David said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nonapod said...

If the AWS outrage is indeed a DDoS attack, my guess is that the mechanism will be another one of those "internet of things" Botnets. Basically these IoT Botnets are composed of a bunch of unsecured internet-connected devices, these include all sorts of stuff from cameras, DVRs, routers and what-not that have been compromised.

David said...

Freeman, the keys are still the operating system and software. I've been a Mac guy for a while but some say the new Windows is good too. Only way is to give it a try. I have a 12 inch MacBook from early 2016 because my old Mac had some expensive hardware breakdowns. It took a while to get used to the MacBook, as the keyboard is slightly different that my old Mac. After a month or two no problem at all.

My experience with Mac laptops is that they start to have hardware glitches after 2-3 years. No recent experience with PC's.

I do like the screen quality on the MacBook.

I had a MacBook Air but did not like it as much as the MacBook. The Air is the one that had the hardware issues. Some people do not like the MacBook because it has only one outlet for plugging in cables and power. (Same port) That has not been a problem for me. The new cable system is far more reliable, and battery life on the MacBook is pretty good.

This is limited personal experience rather than research but it may help.

Please let us know what you decide on.

Bob Ellison said...

The AWS outage looks like a big deal.

Bob Ellison said...

David, good comments.

I've bounced around between Windows and OS/X for several years now. I was a PC guy from way back (WAY back). These days, since the CPUs and architecture are the same, I prefer quality hardware. It's like buying Toyota rather than Buick.

I'm typing this on a Dell all-in-one, for various dumb reasons. This Dell is pretty good, and was really cheap at around $500. We'll see. Plenty of dead computers in the garage to keep it company when it dies.

JZ said...

Today isn't just Mardi Gras, it's Paczki Day -- a tradition known only to Detroiters. It involves large donuts filled with custard or jelly. Prune is the traditionalists choice.

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

Big Mike said...
Considering how much trash and human waste -- not to mention two starving dogs and six freezing puppies -- any pretense that the DAPL protestors possess any level of ecological sense simply cannot be sustained.


That's the Indians, the dogs anyway (probably the trash, too). We often found puppies that Indians had left in the desert to die. And, no they mostly don't have any ecological sense and aren't adverse to tossing bottles out car windows.

janetrae said...

Hey JZ -- I am in Chicago and we just had Paczki for today, Fat Tuesday. Mine was filled with apricot jam.

traditionalguy said...

Double entry Donut Signs. You must be close to Venice.

Known Unknown said...

So my virtual ad agency has done a spec spot for a local brand. They like it, but of course, they want to test it out to see if it resonates. I'm just asking for a click and a watch to get the views up so we get the chance to do more low-budget (not no-budget like this video) versions and help build their brand.

Thanks!!!

rehajm said...

They like it, but of course, they want to test it out to see if it resonates.

I tuned out after umps sweaty sack.

But you still have my gift of a click.

Lewis Wetzel said...

I run an ubuntu server off of AWS. Looks okay to me (but it's low traffic).

David Baker said...

"It's like buying Toyota rather than Buick."

I've had both, and Buick won big time. (And it's still winning)

Just like this 5-year old Lenovo ThinkPad is doing now.

Titus said...

OMG, that looks like an awful place.

Where r u Mary and where are the fucking people?

Titus said...

when r u traveling to fab, expensive coastie cities?

David Baker said...

Meanwhile, the professor and her gallant knight are traveling the country - hopefully in a big, comfortable bus. Like one of those converted Greyhounds.

And me being an expert on country, I still can't figure out where they are. I'd say Nevada, although I don't recall the Do-Nut shop.

Looking forward to more pictures.

Etienne said...

Back in my youth, I got to tour the mainframe computer at the Bonneville Power Administration. It was like walking into the future. The mainframe was huge, it had reel tapes whirring and CRT screens with engineers watching electrical generation.

One of the neat things, was if you had a modem (300 and 1200 baud in those days) you could connect to the computer from anywhere.

Today they call it "The Cloud". Morons. In the late 80's TCP/IP took off and all computing was distributed. Servers everywhere, clients everywhere. No one server could bring you down.

Amazon created a "cloud" and all their customers connect to it, just like a mainframe. You guessed it, the "cloud" died. All of Amazons customers are all left with a chunk of coal in their stockings.

When I abandoned ship at the Bomber command, the base had finalized moving all the servers into one building. Just like Pearl Harbor, they stand there ready for one car bomb to wipe out the whole military computer "cloud" or "farm" as we called it. They even put the building on the map as "Computer Center".

Mainframes are just plain evil... http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/29/technology/amazon_apology/

DrSquid said...

One of the first Althouse posts I ever read was of a photo taken from a low altitude airplane and the caption "Where Am I?" I could tell right away she was landing somewhere along the South Atlantic coast. If she were to try the same game with this picture I could only guess: USA, central or mountain time zone. Not much to work with here.

Kathryn51 said...

Rocketeer said...
"I like that. Very William Eggleston-esque. "

I learn something every day. Now I know who William Eggleston is. Thank you.

tim in vermont said...

The bat commercial was cute

Etienne said...

Sadly, scrap steel is only 3 cents a pound, otherwise those signs would have been cashed in, shredded, and on their way to communist China.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

That pic looks like the beginning shot of a movie i would want to see.

rehajm said...

So I was gifted Gordon Ramsay's Master Class on Cooking. Watching some of the videos- all fun until I get to Video 7, which is entitled: Make: Elevated Scrambled Eggs.

Gordon says, "...take your sea urchin..."

WTF?

Freeman Hunt said...

"@Freeman,

First question I always ask laptop buyers: what do you want to do with the laptop?"

Write. This is not for me; this is for someone who writes for a living. Wanted a convertible one to also write notes on with a stylus, but I haven't seen one with a nice keyboard.

Etienne said...

I bet there isn't a phone or an ATM inside.

I don't know where that's at, but I bet you can get 160 acres cheap. Moo!

Quaestor said...

when r u traveling to fab, expensive coastie cities?

...whines Titus the Provincial.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Dear Freeman,

Recent hands on with the following.

Lenovo Thinkpad 13 (Win 10) +
Dell Latitude E7470 (Win 7) +

tim in vermont said...

I am using a Surface right now and I really don't like it very much. It is better than a phone, but not by a whole lot. And it seems like all of the software vendors are writing software that is extremely simplified, so that things I consider important have been deemed as extraneous. While I was writing this comment, for example, a print window came up, not willfully bidden by me, and the screen also started crawling northwards, after half the comment was inadvertently selected and deleted because of the oversensitive mouse pad that is at the same time under sensitive. It doesn't seem to allow right click. Maybe that's a feature, IDK.

Since I didn't actually pay for this computer, I am thinking that I will go with the Macbook.

David Baker said...

On the other hand, the Althouse wagon-train may be traveling south. After all, crossing the Rockies during winter risks getting snowed in. So that ghost Do-Nut shop could be in the Texas panhandle.

YoungHegelian said...

@Freeman,

Wanted a convertible one to also write notes on with a stylus, but I haven't seen one with a nice keyboard.

Yeah, you got that right. Good Stylus & good keyboard seems to be an "Or" situation right now.

>Write. This is not for me; this is for someone who writes for a living.

Then, the two things that are most important are the size & tactile feel of the keyboard, & the size & quality of the screen.

Unless you're friend is quite young with a youngsters eyes, I'd go for a 15" screen at least. It adds cost & weight, but if you're staring at it all the time it matters. Keyboards are incredibly personal things for many people. If so, then he/she will need to try out a model somewhere at a retail outlet to see how it feels.

The other option I would recommend is, if s/he works in one place for most of the time, get a docking station for the laptop. That way, when you're in that work-place, you can attach a full size keyboard & mouse of your choice, & a large monitor. When you need to travel, just pop up the laptop from the dock & work with the screen & keyboard it's got for the short time you'll be traveling. Come back home, pop the laptop back into the dock & you're ready to go.

Michael K said...

"The Air is the one that had the hardware issues. "

I haven't had a problem with mine in four years. Both of my MacBooks had to have keyboards replaced because I wrote a couple of books on them with my hunt and peck typing which is hard on keys. The air keys are as good as the first day. I even bought external keyboards but haven't used them. I gave one to a house sitter.

Those two MacBooks are in boxes somewhere in the garage. I have a garage full of boxes until we get the floor tile laid. A couple thousand books and can't put them away until the floor is done.

Richard Dillman said...

Ann's conspiracy theory for the oscar flub would have been great material for Mark Twain in his later years. Somehow it reminds me of his Hadleyburg story ("The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg") or even "The Mysterious Stranger,"
Eseldorf version. Eseldorf translates roughly as Jackassville.

Carol said...

Prolly eastern Colorado. Headed for the pot shops, eh.

BN said...

I like this picture. Reminds me of home.

"The Land of 10,000 Crosses"

BN said...

Where Zephyrus Reigns Supreme

madAsHell said...

I run an ubuntu server off of AWS.

Because you run your own personal cloud?.....or is there some other reason?

Bob Ellison said...

Amazing Grace by Aaron Neville. We're lucky to have him still around.

Freeman Hunt said...

Thank you all for the guidance. YH, I think you're right; he needs to try out the keyboards at a store.

Freeman Hunt said...

Saw a forum thread close somewhere because a few people claimed to think that Earth might be flat, and dozens of other people told them that that was absurd. Thread was closed to avoid hurt feelings.

If you think the Earth is flat, do not despair. People think you're a moron, but they still care about your feelings.

Sydney said...

Freeman- I have used both the Fujitsu tablet and the Lenovo Thinkpad and liked them. I have an Apple pen stylus now, though, that is my favorite. I use it to write on my iPad. Use Paper53 and Evernote for handwriting, though it also works for the note app that comes with the iPad.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Whatever you do Don't buy an HP laptop.

YoungHegelian said...

@Lem,

The HP business laptops are okay. The consumer grade stuff is junk.

In general, for all makes, pay the extra money & buy the business grade laptops. There's a reason the business grade units have 3 year warranties & the consumer grade one year.

Robt C said...

I got Bush 43's new book from Amazon today. It's very nice. His paintings are pretty good -- doing a passable portrait is no picnic -- but the emotions are very heartfelt. The vignettes on the vets are inspiring.

All his "net proceeds" go to a charity he set up for veterans traumatized in some way by combat. Worth the $20 or so. I recommend it.

Robt C said...

@ Freeman: I'm typing this on an HP laptop I got from Sam's Club at least 6 years ago. Sam's Club = TOTAL consumer grade stuff. Not a bit or even a hint of a problem in all this time, and I've been using it at home, at university(I teach), and while traveling. Not sure where all the hate for HP consumer products comes from. I'm happy as a clam with mine. (BTW, it's a Pavilion g7, which must have a current equivalent.)

HT said...

From an earlier post--
let's just turn our backs on the Oscars from here on out. Fine with me. Films are no longer films, they are digitized images. I will start watching the Oscars again when people start using actual film again, and those films are nominated.

So, never (probably).

David Begley said...

Near Taos, New Mexico.

David Baker said...

...and the plot thickens.

BTW, SnapChat (NYSE: "SNAP") goes public tomorrow - $17 per (non-voting IPO) share indicated. Any takers?

David Begley said...

David Baker

Market cap out of sight.

David Baker said...

David Begley;

In that case, I'll limit myself to one share. That is, a $34 sell by Friday. Purely a bet because I've never used SnapChat, nor do I intend to - it seems redundant.

The last time I was 100% confident; Google 2004.