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Reason Morning Links: Tobacco, Guantanamo, Land Ho!
• The Senate votes to give the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco. For more on the bill, including the advantages it gives Philip Morris and its peculiar censorship provision, see Jacob Sullum's column from earlier this week.
• Iran prepares to vote. If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad loses, some of his harshest western critics will be...disappointed.
• "The Obama administration has virtually abandoned plans to resettle in the United States some detainees from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay."
• Cable companies stop worrying and learn to love net neutrality.
• Coming at midnight: the great Facebook land rush.
|6.12.09 @ 8:38AM|#
Is anyone really surprised about Obama bin Lyins' sudden about
face? LOL too funny. Only thing he is good at is giving speeches
and giving our money away!
RIff
www.privacy.alturl.com
|6.12.09 @ 8:51AM|#
You said it John Davis! I'm always angered or delighted when
that man or woman does or does not do that thing that he or she did
or didn't do! LOL what a world!
Moxie
www.shill.likeapro.com
Fat Freddy Freekowtski|6.12.09 @ 8:58AM|#
• "The Obama administration has virtually abandoned plans to
resettle in the United States some detainees from the military
prison in Guantanamo Bay."
American prisons are for non-violent drug offenders!!!!
Geeze, didn't he get the memo?
Abdul|6.12.09 @ 8:59AM|#
Iran prepares to vote. If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad loses, some of
his harshest western critics will be...disappointed.
I heard that, as a sign of our thawing relationship with Iran,
Obama sent them some old voting machines from Chicago. Later today
they will announce that Richard Daley has been elected mayor of
Tehran.
|6.12.09 @ 9:02AM|#
I wish Ahmadinejad's defenders would get their story straight. When people point to all the crazy shit he says, the answer is always that "who cares what he says, he has not power anyway." Okay. Fair enough. But now that he might get voted out of office, his defenders say that this means Iran is reforming. If he is just a figurehead and a clown, then who cares if he is voted out of office?
|6.12.09 @ 9:06AM|#
Obama sent them some old voting machines from
Chicago.
At least they don't have the dreaded
DRE 700
Fat Freddy Freekowtski|6.12.09 @ 9:19AM|#
Later today they will announce that Richard Daley has been
elected mayor of Tehran.
Too bad he didn't send them ones from Philly. They could
really use a Mayor like Frank Rizzo
phalkor|6.12.09 @ 9:25AM|#
If he is just a figurehead and a clown, then who cares if he
is voted out of office?
The answer, of course, is other clowns.
Hugh Akston|6.12.09 @ 9:25AM|#
If Facebook is opening its pages to Google searches, it will
also create millions of irrelevant results for every conceivable
search. Search for a local dry cleaner and you'll get millions of
picture captions reading "LOLz heres a picture of me passed out in
front of a dry cleaner!!" Search for constitutional challenges to
eminent domain seizures and you'll get blog posts reading "oh man I
got so drunk tonight while reading about Kelo v. New
London
I only hope Google responds by adding an "ignore Facebook results"
option.
Rrrrrrr|6.12.09 @ 9:37AM|#
"The Senate votes to give the FDA regulatory authority over
tobacco"
Is booze next?
|6.12.09 @ 9:39AM|#
I live within a couple of hours of the border with Mexico.
I foresee many provisioning runs to Mexico in my future, to restock
my humidor.
MaterialMonkee|6.12.09 @ 9:47AM|#
Obviously for the Iranians its good but
but if Ahmadinejad doesn't win
The fantastic political satire show Headcases
loses one of its best characters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KITlWo_qoBs
Great show
Mugabe trying to grow chicken Kievs on his farm and the Angelina
Jolie/Madonna owned sweatshop full of adopted children are more
highlights
|6.12.09 @ 9:53AM|#
• "The Obama administration has virtually abandoned plans to
resettle in the United States some detainees from the military
prison in Guantanamo Bay."
Dear Stupid Mister President:
For the low, low price of ten million dollars, I will agree to take
a prisoner off your hands.
Please send me half up front as a token of your sincerity.
Thanx
Hugh Akston|6.12.09 @ 9:56AM|#
Much obliged Spoonman. Do you happen to know a command that keeps insipid Facebook drama from spilling out into conversation?
ShutterGeek|6.12.09 @ 9:59AM|#
John,
While it's true that the president of Iran has little real power,
who is elected does, in some sense, reflect the mood of the people.
To that extent, the election of a relative moderate would reflect
that people in Iran are getting relatively more moderate (or, I
suspect more accurately, getting more vocal about expressing
it).
It's also nice to have a relative moderate voice in the room when
decisions are made even if that voice has no direct power.
I'll also point out that it's a bit disingenuous to call people who
point out how little power he has "Ahmadinejad's defenders".
|6.12.09 @ 10:03AM|#
Oh, I do not think that Facebook is opening its pages to be
trawled by google.
Those drunk pics at the Waffle House are all safe.
What would be searchable by google would be a page like this:
http://www.facebook.com/mike
Which I might ad, I believe already exists for facebook users
anyway- this "land rush" will simply allow you to have a "vanity"
url.
thus facebook.com/mike
or facebook.com/jessewalker
or facebook.com/shutthefuckuplonewacko
|6.12.09 @ 10:03AM|#
Hugh: use -site:facebook.com in your Google
searches.
If I have to type that in every time I search, I will stop using
Google.
For the low, low price of ten million dollars, I will agree to
take a prisoner off your hands.
I see a new wave of Nigerian spam.
I am the President of the United States, and unexpectedly find
myself with a bank accounts at the United States Federal Reserve
Bank of America that I need to access. A portion of this funding
can be yours if you will assist me with a tropical resort in Cuba.
. . .
ed|6.12.09 @ 10:05AM|#
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Yep, it's for The Family®.
Damn you, Bil Keane!
|6.12.09 @ 10:05AM|#
To that extent, the election of a relative moderate would
reflect that people in Iran are getting relatively more moderate
(or, I suspect more accurately, getting more vocal about expressing
it).
And the likely impact on Iran's actual policies and activities
would be . . . ?
|6.12.09 @ 10:06AM|#
"It's also nice to have a relative moderate voice in the room
when decisions are made even if that voice has no direct
power."
I am not sure how much effect that will have in a room full of
nutcases widening streets for the arrival of the 12th Imam.
"While it's true that the president of Iran has little real power,
who is elected does, in some sense, reflect the mood of the people.
To that extent, the election of a relative moderate would reflect
that people in Iran are getting relatively more moderate (or, I
suspect more accurately, getting more vocal about expressing
it)."
Everyone knows the Iranian people are not suicidal lunatics as a
rule. But that really doesn't matter if the people in charge are
lunatics. Unless and until the people of Iran are willing to start
a revolution, their professed moderation really doesn't mean
much.
"I'll also point out that it's a bit disingenuous to call people
who point out how little power he has "Ahmadinejad's
defenders".
They invited him to speak at Columbia didn't that? I would say that
he has his share of defenders in this country.
|6.12.09 @ 10:08AM|#
From Spoonman's link,
"Swindlers, con men, and thieves could siphon off as much as $1 out
of every $10 spent as billions of dollars in stimulus money begin
flowing into all corners of the economy in coming months."
I am a partisian Republican. But even I think that is a pretty
harsh way to refer to Obama and his supporters.
|6.12.09 @ 10:14AM|#
or facebook.com/shutthefuckuplonewacko
I would fight for it, but it does rightful belong to Xeones.
Abdul|6.12.09 @ 10:18AM|#
Too bad he didn't send them ones from Philly. They could
really use a Mayor like Frank Rizzo
My favorite Rizzo story was when he was asked by a local TV news
reporter to comment on one of his poltiical opponents who
accidentally fired a gun. Quoth the former police
commissioner:
"If he wants to play with it, he should go into a room alone a play
with it."
The reporter's stunned face at the double entendre going out live
to the virginal ears of Philly's local news viewing audience was
priceless.
ShutterGeek|6.12.09 @ 10:31AM|#
R C Dean,
The impact would likely be small. But history has shown that
dictators can't completely ignore the will of their
people. They must, to at least some extent, feed the beast. And, if
nothing else, it would probably mean a reduction in the
inflammatory rhetoric that makes it so hard to have a rational
discussion on the subject of Iran.
Are you suggesting that there are (even halfway credible) people
suggesting that Iran is about to become a land of rainbows and
puppydogs? The positive reporting I've seen has, by and large,
suggested they might be moving slightly in the right
direction.
John,
I don't claim to have any first hand knowledge of the mindset of
those at Columbia. I will note, though, that there are those who
think that refusing to talk to anyone but those we already agree
with can create an echo chamber. So I don't think inviting someone
to speak can be fairly taken as an endorsement of him or his
worldview.
Again, can you cite someone actually defending Ahmadinejad
rather than dismissing his importance or just listening to him
talk? I suppose there are some people somewhere, but hardly a
significant number.
Warty|6.12.09 @ 10:38AM|#
or facebook.com/shutthefuckuplonewacko
I would fight for it, but it does rightful belong to
Xeones.
BULLSHIT IT DOES!!!!! THAT'S MY CATCHPHRASE YOU DICK-GARGLING
FUCKSMELL!
|6.12.09 @ 10:45AM|#
"Again, can you cite someone actually defending Ahmadinejad
rather than dismissing his importance or just listening to him
talk? I suppose there are some people somewhere, but hardly a
significant number."
Certainly those on the whacko left, like no doubt most of the
Columbia faculty, think of him as a peaceful third world leader
being picked on the by the US. But, yes I was being flippant in
calling those who discount him his defenders.
Zeb|6.12.09 @ 11:08AM|#
"John | June 12, 2009, 10:45am | #
"Again, can you cite someone actually defending Ahmadinejad rather
than dismissing his importance or just listening to him talk? I
suppose there are some people somewhere, but hardly a significant
number."
Certainly those on the whacko left, like no doubt most of the
Columbia faculty, think of him as a peaceful third world leader
being picked on the by the US. But, yes I was being flippant in
calling those who discount him his defenders."
So your answer is "no" then.
|6.12.09 @ 11:15AM|#
"""I am not sure how much effect that will have in a room full
of nutcases widening streets for the arrival of the 12th
Imam."""
Preparing for the return of Jesus Christ, or the coming of
Moshiach, every religion has it's waiting for the messiah story who
will change the world for the better of their religion. Do you only
think the Muslims are nutcases?
|6.12.09 @ 11:15AM|#
"Again, can you cite someone actually defending Ahmadinejad
rather than dismissing his importance or just listening to him
talk?"
Juan Cole.
|6.12.09 @ 11:16AM|#
"Do you only think the Muslims are nutcases?"
They are if they incorporate that in their national policy you
useless fuck.
Xeones|6.12.09 @ 11:18AM|#
BULLSHIT IT DOES!!!!! THAT'S MY CATCHPHRASE YOU
DICK-GARGLING FUCKSMELL!
I was going to remind SugarFree of this, Warty, but your reaction
tells me that i must fight for it. Sorry!
Say, are they gonna allow "fuck" in the url?
|6.12.09 @ 11:22AM|#
"""They are if they incorporate that in their national policy
you useless fuck."""
And you french kiss your mother with that mouth?
Warty|6.12.09 @ 11:26AM|#
You're welcome to it, Xeones. I abandoned Facebook a while ago
because of its creepiness and because I got tired of people tagging
my drunk
Still: fuck you, SugarFree.
|6.12.09 @ 11:35AM|#
"Net neutrality" is definitely one of those phrases that seems to mean a lot of different things. Sometimes it seems to mean "no one should have a different Internet experience from anyone else, and especially not be able to pay more money for more service."
shecky|6.12.09 @ 11:36AM|#
If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad loses, some of his harshest western
critics will be...disappointed.
First Daniel Pipes, now Michael Rubin:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/12/right-wing-neocons-rootin_n_214698.html
John:
"Whoever ends up becoming president will have little real power --
and even less influence over Iran's geostrategic direction."
|6.12.09 @ 11:37AM|#
"That would explain the shit talking, so yes."
The only shit talking I see on this thread is your belief in
cultural relativism. Definitely shit-talk.
Seward|6.12.09 @ 11:40AM|#
John Thacker,
What net neutrality reminds me of is the moral panic of the 1990s
which ensued after Microsoft began to dominate the browser
market.
|6.12.09 @ 11:47AM|#
"Preparing for the return of Jesus Christ, or the coming of
Moshiach, every religion has it's waiting for the messiah story who
will change the world for the better of their religion. Do you only
think the Muslims are nutcases?"
Did I miss when George Bush tried to widen the roads in to
Washington to make way for the coming of Christ. There are levels
of belief. Just because two people both happen to believe in a
messiah figure doesn't mean one isn't batshit crazy. That is the
kind of bullshit comment that passes for thinking among
atheists.
|6.12.09 @ 11:47AM|#
"""The only shit talking I see on this thread is your belief in
cultural relativism. Definitely shit-talk."""
Wow, you've assessed if I have a belief in cultural relativism
based on one post that merely pointed out other religions have a
similar belief? Quit making shit up.
|6.12.09 @ 11:48AM|#
"Whoever ends up becoming president will have little real power
-- and even less influence over Iran's geostrategic
direction."
Maybe so. In which case the election is no big deal.
|6.12.09 @ 11:49AM|#
"That is the kind of bullshit comment that passes for thinking
among atheists."
I prefer the term shit-talk. Anal leakage comes in as a close
second.
|6.12.09 @ 11:49AM|#
"Wow, you've assessed if I have a belief in cultural relativism
based on one post that merely pointed out other religions have a
similar belief? Quit making shit up."
there is a different in having a belief and thinking that you can
act on it and bring about the end of the world. Yes, there are
crazy Christians who think that they can usher in the return of
Christ by getting the Jews to rebuild the temple. If they start
running the country and basing our foreign policy on this quest, I
will start to worry. Until then Iran will worry me more.
|6.12.09 @ 11:50AM|#
"Wow, you've assessed if I have a belief in cultural relativism
based on one post that merely pointed out other religions have a
similar belief?"
My bad. I forgot that your posts have no real value.
|6.12.09 @ 12:02PM|#
"""Did I miss when George Bush tried to widen the roads in to
Washington to make way for the coming of Christ.""""
That's not a requirement for the second coming of Christ so why
would he?
True there are levels of belief, Bush said he talked to his
heavenly father before going into Iraq. He did believe he was doing
God's work in general. Our current president is considered
missiahish by some.
Did Iran actually widen roads or just some faction propose it? Sure
it is a crazy idea. We have plenty, fortunately we are not a form
of theocracy.
|6.12.09 @ 12:06PM|#
"Did Iran actually widen roads or just some faction propose it?
Sure it is a crazy idea. We have plenty, fortunately we are not a
form of theocracy."
No shit we are not. Further, not every theocracy is created equal.
Some are definitely more crazy and dangerous than others. Bhutan is
a Bhudist theocracy and they don't seem to be much of a problem.
Malaysia is pretty close to being an Islamic theocracy. You would
certainly call the US one if it followed Christianity the way
Malasia does. Iran would be towards the crazy and dangerous. Why
that is so hard for you to admit is beyond me. It is like it is
written in your character that all believers must be the same level
of crazy and evil. Again, that is the kind of asshat thinking that
passes for thought among atheists.
|6.12.09 @ 12:06PM|#
"""Maybe so. In which case the election is no big deal."""
I tend to agree, but our Israeli friends seem to hold on to his
every word.
|6.12.09 @ 12:10PM|#
""" Iran would be towards the crazy and dangerous. Why that is
so hard for you to admit is beyond me."""
John, you have wrongfully assumed I don't believe Iran can be crazy
and dangerous. I've haven't disagreed that wideing a road for the
coming of the 12th wasn't crazy. My point of my intial post was
that it isn't just the Muslims being batshit crazy with religious
ideas.
Gimlet|6.12.09 @ 12:11PM|#
"That's not a requirement for the second coming of Christ so why
would he?"
What ARE some of the requirements? Just so we know what to look
for.
|6.12.09 @ 12:13PM|#
But you didn't answer the question. Did Iran actually widen the roads for the 12th? Because there is a big differnce between crazy ideas and crazy actions.
Gimlet|6.12.09 @ 12:14PM|#
"My point of my intial post was that it isn't just the Muslims
being batshit crazy with religious ideas."
Deep Points
by TrickyVic
|6.12.09 @ 12:21PM|#
"My point of my intial post was that it isn't just the Muslims
being batshit crazy with religious ideas."
Which is complete bullshit. No Christian country is as crazy or
dangerous as Iran. Again, if we start basing our foreign policy on
bringing about the second coming, I will start to worry.
|6.12.09 @ 12:21PM|#
""Deep Points
by TrickyVic""
If you think so, but I don't. The comment got more discussion than
it was worth.
Warty|6.12.09 @ 12:21PM|#
I like you and all, John, but your god doesn't exist and your religion is false. Just sayin'.
Xeones|6.12.09 @ 12:23PM|#
Actually, Warty, i got out of Facebook over a year go myself. I
probably wouldn't rejoin even to spite you.
Apparently, it is possible to sugarfree references to memes as well
as links.
|6.12.09 @ 12:30PM|#
""" Again, if we start basing our foreign policy on bringing
about the second coming, I will start to worry."""
Which Iranian foreign policy is based on the second coming of the
iman? So far you've failed to answer the question regarding if they
have applied that belief to their roads. Which doesn't arise to
foreign policy.
Did they actually widen the roads or not?
Warty|6.12.09 @ 12:35PM|#
Xeones, do you suppose "Shut the fuck up, X" counts as a meme? I
think memery might be like trademarks, where you can't trademark
something that's in common usage. Whereas "Yo, fuck X" might be
uncommon enough to qualify for meme status, I doubt my catchphrase
is.
Clearly the Patent Office needs to take up this question.
|6.12.09 @ 1:26PM|#
John, I would hazzard a guess that Iran thinks that no muslim country is as crazy or dangerous as the U.S.
|6.12.09 @ 1:31PM|#
At the end of the credits for "Drag Me To Hell", they had a statement from HSOTUS or whoever that "No animals were harmed℠ during the production of this movie". And I was like, how in the world did they trademark such a commonly used phrase?
|6.12.09 @ 3:35PM|#
"Net neutrality" will basically kill the
internet.
And leave people back having to count on the MSM for info (and ads
for revenue).
|6.12.09 @ 4:18PM|#
Cable companies stop worrying and learn to love net neutrality.
Of course they love it! It's a regulation that will keep out the
competition! When it takes an army of lawyers to comply with the
regulations, only firms with armies of lawyers will remain.
phalkor|6.12.09 @ 5:37PM|#
BULLSHIT IT DOES!!!!! THAT'S MY CATCHPHRASE YOU
DICK-GARGLING FUCKSMELL!
I was going to remind SugarFree of this, Warty, but your reaction
tells me that i must fight for it. Sorry!
Say, are they gonna allow "fuck" in the url?
They sure will. I'm playing the spoiler; it's a race, fuckers.
Hugh Akston|6.12.09 @ 6:40PM|#
Warty, "STFU-X" doesn't count as a meme because it is so
widespread and, as an unclaimed meme, it becomes the property of Al
Gore (read the Constitution).
However, for its above-board elegance and completeness in a wide
field of responses to him, "Shut the Fuck Up LoneWhacko" does
qualify for meme status. In fact, it's the odds-on favorite to beat
out Cavanaugh's on-point refutations and Episarch's "LoneWhacko,
the Novel" at this year's Meme's awards.
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