I usually write these threads in a hurry, tossing in notes from the past week and checking them with quick links. Only recently have I been using a PC with (pre-installed) Windows Vista to do that. If you want an OS that crashes your browser in the middle of long stretches of writing, by all means, get yourself some Vista.
I'm on this short al Jazeera segment about race and campaign '08. Also, I forgot to link my appearence a little while back on the fun Washington Week in Review podcast.
Unconvincing Quote of the Week
"If a politician doesn’t wanna get beat up, he shouldn’t run for office. If a football player doesn’t want to get tackled or want the risk of an occasional clip he shouldn’t put the pads on." - Bill Clinton. He then criticized his wife for crying in New Hampshire and complaining about being "piled on" in the debates, and asked her to leave the race. (Also, did Clinton encourage Jerry Brown to keep on running in 1992 even after it was clear Clinton would lock up the nomination? Seriously, what a cur.)
The Week in Brief
- John McCain released his first, entertainingly subliminal, general election ad. It includes both the stunning revelation that he was a POW in Vietnam (why have we never been told this?) and more mentions of the word "America" than a Lee Greenwood b-sides compilation.
- Hillary Clinton botched her Jack Bauer-ish anecdote about visiting Bosnia in 1996.
- Barack Obama appeared to pick up momentum again, especially in North Carolina and national polls.
- Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey endorsed Obama—his first break in the state for a while, and
- All three candidates spoke on the economy and mortgages: McCain preached self-reliance, the other guys less so.
Below the Fold
- News flash: People don't actually think the Obama girl videos are funny. There are two things men like about them, though.
- John Judis speaks some truth about NAFTA. I doubt the candidates will listen.
- Jonathan Kaufman and Kay Hymowitz examine the new epidemic of sexism that has(n't) followed the Hillary Clinton campaign.
- James Carville tries hard to be less likeable.
- James Kirchick makes the gay voter's case for John McCain.
- Scott Rasmussen and his army of robots actually asks Democrats whether they'd support Al Gore if he entered the race to "save them." Forty-two percent support Obama, 26 percent support Clinton, and only 23 percent back Gore.
- Ralph Nader begs Hillary Clinton to stay in the race: "I know something about this." Proof that the current Nader run is less Eugene Debs and more Dave Barry.
Frank Zappa, can you handle this week's Politics 'n' Prog?
The Friday Political Thread: Seriously, Never Install Vista Edition
Comments to "The Friday Political Thread: Seriously, Never Install Vista Edition":
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 3:28am | #
Weigel you fucking noob, if you want to be a true cosmotarian get a Macbook. I've been testing Vista out for months at work and the verdict is that it breaks way too much for very little benefit.I concur, macbook. As well, you might wanna start using a text editor that saves periodically instead, then copy paste it over.
Daniel Reeves | March 29, 2008, 4:27am | #
Concerning the piece on NAFTA: the problem is not as much NAFTA as it is US farm subsidies. Getting rid of farm subsidies would help the farmers just as much as renegotiating NAFTA but with arguably many more benefits.Also, Frank Zappa is a complete bad ass. He delivered a statement to congress defending freedom of speech.
Pig Mannix | March 29, 2008, 4:30am | #
Another vote for the Macbook. And it even comes with an editor with a long and venerable history. It's called "vi". ;-)Jonathan Hohensee | March 29, 2008, 4:46am | #
Any reason why we are all piling on Wigel recently, or is he just this week's official "arbitrary thing we redirect all of our self loathing towards"Jonathan Hohensee | March 29, 2008, 4:51am | #
Anyone see Zeitgeist?Anyone have any comments on the film?
About how it was even worse then Loose Change?
My name is Patrick, and I am a Zappa addict. | March 29, 2008, 4:56am | #
"I believe that people have a right to decide their own destiny; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only as long as) individual citizens give it a temporary license to exist - in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy you own the government - it doesn't own you. Along with this comes a responsibility to ensure that individual actions, in the pursuit of a personal destiny, do not threaten the well-being of others while the pursuit is in progress."~Frank Zappa
"Whatever you have to do to have a good time... let's get on with it... so long as it doesn't cause a murder."
~Frank Zappa
"The United States is a nation of laws, badly written and randomly enforced."
~Frank Zappa
NP | March 29, 2008, 5:50am | #
There are two things men like about them, though.THREE things, you mean. And you should've added: "And yes, they're (supposedly) spectacular."
bite the bullet and buy an xp downgrade. there is no other hope. vista is just... horrible. crashes constantly, no three-finger-salute (all crashes are fatal), change for the sake of change rather than for any performance or utility gain (the obama os), and lots of hardware incompatibility.
tarran | March 29, 2008, 9:13am | #
Or you could stop paying massive sums of money for software bloat and install and actually get for free what Microsoft would charge you thousands of dollars for.Buying Microsoft is like buying cars from Mercedes, you pay through the nose for poor quality and pretty hood ornaments.
Travis | March 29, 2008, 9:13am | #
This is completely off subject but has anybody heard about the Bush administrations plan to increase the power of the federal reserve to make them the "Market Stability Regulator" and would eliminate any distinction between banks & thrift institutions. The FED would have the power to oversee all sectors of the financial services industry.Neil | March 29, 2008, 9:18am | #
Remember everybody: support General Petraeus when he reports to Congress soon.Victory is almost here!
Neil | March 29, 2008, 9:20am | #
John McCain's ad was truly great and showed what a real American he is, unlike his opponent.Where was Barry during Vietnam anyway?
yoshi | March 29, 2008, 9:30am | #
@tarranPeople in the real world have work to do so he should stick with Mac OS X or Windows XP.
Seriously I am not sure what Microsoft was thinking with Vista. Oh that's right - they weren't. Vista is classic development by committee and consensus. At least under the dictatorship of Jobs you get software with some focus to it.
(*Linux works great on servers which I have implemented hundreds of applications on but its still years away from passing my ultimate test - can my father us it? the answer is still sadly no).
Travis | March 29, 2008, 9:45am | #
Neil,You're right victory is almost here! Now if we could just get the Iraqi's to stop daily attacks on the green zone & disarm all the well armed Shia militias in Basra. Oh and kill all the Sunni insurgents & stop all the infiltration of militias into the Iraqi army & police force.
Neil | March 29, 2008, 9:48am | #
Travis the Islamofascists launch attacks in the Green Zone when they're desperate because they know thats where the liberal media is. They're just looking to shake out will, be we shouldn't let them!The Mahdi Army is in its last throws, and so is Al Qaeda and their enablers. Petraeus is going to finish the job sooon. Now isn't the time to back down. Support our general!
Aren't you for victory?
As a longtime Mac guy (since about 1987), and recent Linux user (on an IBM Thinkpad), I say: Go directly to Linux.
Eric Dondero | March 29, 2008, 9:55am | #
Free speech rights for some, but not all?So-called "libertarian" sites who supposedly advocate free speech rights, have cowered with the release of Fitna.
We at Libertarian Republican blog are one of only a tiny handful of libertarian sites, running the Fitna video.
Two months ago, you may recall, many libertarians were screaming all over the internet about Ron Paul's free speech rights, over his controversial quasi-racist Newsletters. Now, all those same blogs that defended Paul, are completely absent in defending Geert Wilders.
Here's a list: LewRockwell.com, LP.org, AntiWar.com, NolanChart.com, Liberty Papers, Free Liberal, Libertarian Girl, Knappster, and of course, all the Ron Paul sites.
Reason.com has relegated it to their off-home page blog.
Some libertarians like Libertarian Republicans, believe in free speech for all. Other poser libertarians apparently believe in free speech only for certain individuals.
Eric Dondero | March 29, 2008, 9:57am | #
Victory was achieved in Iraq, the very moment when those two American soldiers pulled over a dusty rug near a hut in a date palm field, and captured a gun-wielding raggedy-headed Saddam Hussein.It was at that very moment that the War in Iraq was won. And nothing can ever take that away from George W. Bush or those of us who supported the War in Iraq, then and now.
Travis | March 29, 2008, 10:00am | #
Neil,What is your definition of victory? The Mahdi Army is just one armed Shia faction. Maliki is under the control of another Shia militia. This is not about stabilizing Basra this a civil war between Shia factions over who rules southern Iraq. There is no victory to be had, all were doing is picking one set of extremists that hate America to rule Iraq over another set of extremists.
Neil | March 29, 2008, 10:02am | #
"What is your definition of victory? "A stable, democratic Iraq that is an ally against the War on Islamofascism in the region. It will happen soon, and you'll have egg on your face, just like when you opposed The Surge.
If we had listened to you then Al Qaeda would be crowing to the world they had defeated America. But we didn't, and now they're on the run.
P Brooks | March 29, 2008, 10:04am | #
It was at that very moment that the War in Iraq was won. And nothing can ever take that away from George W. Bush or those of us who supported the War in Iraq, then and now.If the war has been won, we can bring our people home.
Right?
Travis | March 29, 2008, 10:07am | #
Dondero,I support Geert Wilders right to say or produce a film saying anything he wants. But why should we go out of are way to support a politican who is merely trying to gain publicity through shock value.
Minion of URKOBOLD | March 29, 2008, 10:08am | #
WEIBSKOBOLD IS DISAPPOINTED IN KNEEL. HIS SURGE DIDN'T LAST LONG ENOUGH TO GET ANYTHING ON ANYBODY'S FACETravis | March 29, 2008, 10:17am | #
A stable democratic Iraq are you serious? Have you even been paying attention to whats happened in Iraq for the last 6 years? About the surge sending 30,000 america troops into any war zone is going to make a impact. But what happens when those troops leave. Both Dondero & you are looking at the war through nationlistic colored glasses. Iraq before the war was ran by a socialist secular gov't(the Baathists)now Iraq is ran by Theocratic extremists.J sub D | March 29, 2008, 10:21am | #
Travis the Islamofascists launch attacks in the Green Zone when they're desperate because they know thats where the liberal media is. They're just looking to shake out will, be we shouldn't let them!The Mahdi Army is in its last throws, and so is Al Qaeda and their enablers. Petraeus is going to finish the job sooon. Now isn't the time to back down. Support our general!
We've defeated the Vietcong and S. Vietnam now has a stable represtative government.
SIV | March 29, 2008, 10:22am | #
get a Macbook.I concur, macbook.
Another vote for the Macbook.
The politically correct position is that they are born that way.
I think it is a "choice".
Here we have clear evidence for the "they recruit" explanation.
Vista? Did you get it at Best Buy?
New Thinkpads are available with XP .
Eric Dondero | March 29, 2008, 10:24am | #
Travis, and why do you say Wilders is "going out of his way" to shock? Couldn't the same thing be said about Ron Paul, when he made statements like "The United States is largely to blame for the attacks of 9/11?"Wilders is a wealthy guy. He's got a hot wife. What does he stand to gain from promoting "shock"? What do you think, he's in this to make money or something?
NotThatDavid | March 29, 2008, 10:25am | #
I've been primarily using Vista since I got a computer that could handle it some five months ago, and it's given me no problems outside of some incompatible software that I upgraded or replaced. My personal, unbiased hypothesis is that the rest of you just suck.Eric Dondero | March 29, 2008, 10:26am | #
You leftwinger libertarians will do everything you can to avoid the Geert Wilders issue, won't you?You deflect. Bring up side issues. Question Wilder's motives.
You just can't bring yourselves to confront the glaring contradictions in y'all's own personal philosophy. You want to support free speech rights, but in reality you only support free speech for some.
If those values conflict with your values, say a Pro-War on Islamo-Fascism stance, well then, you're stuck. You ditch free speech rights, or run away from the issue altogether.
Eric Dondero | March 29, 2008, 10:28am | #
The Geert Wilder film controversy is the greatest libertarian issue of our time, perhaps of our entire lifetimes.And almost the entire libertarian movement is completely absent.
What a bunch of cowards. No better than the British Government ceding into Radical Islamic demands on the movie, or Network Solutions who refused to carry the film.
Cowards, the whole lot of ya's.
Cesar | March 29, 2008, 10:30am | #
Mac User: I can checkm email on my mac!PC User: I can do that too.
Mac User: I can, uh, watch movies and stuf!
Pc User: So can I.
Mac User: Um.....iTunes! Ipod!
PC User: Compatible here, too.
Mac User: Um.....Porn?
PC User: Yup.
Mac USer: Games! Yeah thats it! You can play, uh, SimCity 2000! And the first Quake!
PC User: Windows is the largest gaming platform in the world.
Mac User: Well with me you can be a hipster! And spend twice as much for the exact same preformance!
And thats why I hate macs. Also, if anyone says Windows XP is "too hard", for God's sake I learned how to use a PC at the age of five--with MS-DOS command prompt as the operating system.
Cesar | March 29, 2008, 10:33am | #
Dondero the homeless guy on my street has the right to scream about the coming apocalypse.But that doesn't mean hes entitled to free media coverage.
Travis | March 29, 2008, 10:38am | #
Okay Dondero I'll go watch your precious Fitna video. Since I've already read the Koran I doubt I'll learn anything new.Muttley | March 29, 2008, 10:41am | #
After living 5 years in the Netherlands, I can assure you Geert Wilders is a racist lunatic, who every now and then makes shocking public statements to get more influence with the disgruntled, right-wing dutch voters.He's no Ayaan Hirsi Ali -- he's just an attention whore.
The Winter Soldier | March 29, 2008, 10:42am | #
Our new PC has Vista. Have not had ANY problems to speak of as of yet. Not a techno-weenie, though, so maybe it's something I'm not noticing. mehArt-P.O.G. | March 29, 2008, 10:49am | #
Cowards, the whole lot of ya'sPlease, I'm in the Army, lol.
Neu Mejican | March 29, 2008, 10:56am | #
Artist of the week.Fez Dispenser
A young son of New Mexico does good.
http://fezdispenser.com/
Geert's film is dull, try these instead-
http://fezdispenser.com/images/GrandCentral.mp4
http://fezdispenser.com/FezDispenser_WoodPecker.mp4
Neu Mejican | March 29, 2008, 10:58am | #
Another of New Mexico's fine musicianshttp://youtube.com/watch?v=Kmrz0n6Ed5k
Hey Dondero WTF? If we won the war in 2003 then why are we still there?
P Brooks | March 29, 2008, 11:15am | #
Cowards, the whole lot of ya's.You've got me pegged. I am afraid.
I'm afraid I just don't give a shit.
joe | March 29, 2008, 11:20am | #
Victory is almost here!So many directions I could go here. I'm torn between:
A. What are you, a Sadrist?
and
B. What, again?
highnumber | March 29, 2008, 11:21am | #
[Zappa] delivered a statement to congress defending freedom of speech.Didn't John Denver and Dee Snider, too?
Travis | March 29, 2008, 11:21am | #
Watched the Fitna video, like I said didn't learn anything I didn't already know. There are Sura's in the Koran that promote violence against non-muslims I don't think anyone who has actually read the Koran can deny that and be honest, but there are other Sura's that seem to contradict violence. I think it was because the Koran wasn't written all at once it was written one Sura at a time during Mohammed's rule in Arabia. Now having said that I have also read the entire Bible & there are parts of the Bible that could be interpeted to encite violence(mainly in the old testament & Revelations). The main thing with religion that people need to consider is that most religous people don't actually study the religous texts they go to the mosque,church, or temple & let the religous teachers tell them what to believe.Cesar | March 29, 2008, 11:24am | #
You could interpret even parts of the Gospels (supposedly the nice part) to endorse violence.Ex.. Jesus: "I come not to bring peace, but a sword!"
joe | March 29, 2008, 11:25am | #
I haven't seen the phrase "last throes" used in a non-ironic manner in years!We've got a sever case of Cheetos-dust intoxication here.
The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 11:30am | #
The only way Vista works decently is to install the 64 bit Business edition.And it is still a memory hog and takes longer to boot than my 286 did way back when.
Well, now I'm scared. I just yesterday ordered a new PC to replace this six year old dog I'm typing on now. Althon 64X2, 2GB DDR2 ram, and...vista. I will probably need to upgrade the memory pronto and start saving for the 64 bit version. At least the system is capable. I only know a couple of people that have it and they've had no problems. I'm still scared.
P Brooks | March 29, 2008, 11:40am | #
And spend twice as much for the exact same preformance!My hardcore Macdroid* buddies tell me the price differential for the hardware is no more. I am sufficiently indolent to let the assertion go unchallenged.
*In all fairness, one of my friends is a professional photographer/ graphics guy, and could never walk away from Photoshop.
Mike Laursen | March 29, 2008, 11:41am | #
Oh, Jeez. If Obama becomes President, he's going to need superhuman powers of fidelity.Mike Laursen | March 29, 2008, 11:42am | #
I'm pretty sure Zappa would bristle at being called, "Progressive".Mike I wouldn't worry about Obama keeping his zipper up. His wife would probably murder him right there if she ever found out he cheated on her. That woman seems like she eats nails for breakfast.
Mike Laursen | March 29, 2008, 11:49am | #
Vista will be fine, someday. You just need to know how to interpret Microsoft's release numbering:"beta" is actually "alpha"
"beta 2" is actually "beta"
"1.0" is actually "beta 2"
"2.0" is actually "1.1"
It's best to wait until 3.0 or later.
Mike Laursen | March 29, 2008, 11:51am | #
Didn't John Denver and Dee Snider, too?Yes, and so far Congress has had John Denver and Frank Zappa killed. Not sure why they didn't off Dee Snider, too.
pigwiggle | March 29, 2008, 11:53am | #
Weigel –You’ve been had by the MS push to roll out Vista – maybe you can get in on the “Vista Capable” class action. From what I’ve seen, Vista is OK if your computer has enough horsepower. I recently bought my mother-in-law a new computer and opted for XP for this very reason.
Re, the MacBook. I bought one of the first Intel MacBooks (core-duo), and what a pile of crap. The thing is super buggy. But I hear the newer (core2-duo) MacBooks are better. The only reason I got the Mac was the Unix like environment of OSX. It makes it very simple to remotely work with my Linux desktop at work, and the Linux/Unix computer clusters I use. Given the slick emulation of VM ware and others, my next laptop will likely be a thinkpad.
Incidentally, apparently Vista has outdone OSX security-wise. Interesting – and unexpected.
Neu Mejican-
I just moved to Albuquerque, and I can’t wait to get the hell out of the state (stuck here for another 18 months for my job). I’ve been here six months - I’ve had my car burglarized, several UPS/FedEx packages stolen, pulled my gun on a burglar, and landed in the middle of a physical confrontation over a recent murder – involving the putative murderer himself – simply trying to drop my car off at the tire shop. After looking into it (something I should have done before moving) I found that New Mexico is frequently in the top 5 of states with the highest violent crime rate. At the rate things are going for me here, I’d be altogether unsurprised if I shoot someone before I make it out.
John Rhoads | March 29, 2008, 12:47pm | #
Eric,This is like the fourth time I've seen you criticize reason for not covering a story it has already covered:
http://www.reason.com/news/show/125716.html
I'm not sure how you missed it unless you assumed Reason wouldn't cover it and started bashing it before you checked.
mediageek | March 29, 2008, 12:59pm | #
Dondero, are you truly such a fucking halfwit that you're incapable of using your browser's scroll bar?A copy of Fitna was embedded into Reason's Blog yesterday you goddamned idiot.
Liveleak has since taken the video down, but Reason can hardly be blamed for that.
Jesus you're a retard.
He admitted they covered it, but said it really didn't count since it was only on their blog and not on the front page.
mediageek | March 29, 2008, 1:03pm | #
Re, the MacBook. I bought one of the first Intel MacBooks (core-duo), and what a pile of crap. The thing is super buggy.Pigwiggle, are you running a Logitech mouse with your Mac Book? I've got an Intel Mac Pro at my office, and the first mouse I bought for it was from Logitech. Logitech's mouse driver for the mac just utterly sucks. I was getting at least a couple of kernel panics a week. Then I uninstalled the Logitech, and got a Kensington. Problem solved.
mediageek | March 29, 2008, 1:10pm | #
He admitted they covered it, but said it really didn't count since it was only on their blog and not on the front page.Two things:
1.) The front page is where they post articles that appear in the print edition of the magazine.
2.) No one reads the front page.
Therefore, I maintain that my assessment of Dondero as a mouth-breathing shitwit was dead on.
JW | March 29, 2008, 1:11pm | #
My hardcore Macdroid* buddies tell me the price differential for the hardware is no more. I am sufficiently indolent to let the assertion go unchallenged.Simply not true.
I recently picked up a batch of dual core Dell Optiplexes for less than $600, with a 19" LCD widescreen and a 3 year be-there-on-site-the-next-day-with-the-part warranty. Apple would herniate trying to match that. Mind you, that was with a helluva discount from my Dell rep, but I typcially get these same PCs for under $800.
That said, if you like Macs, go nuts, get Macs. Computers are tools; use the right one for the right job. Just please, for the love of whatever you hold dear, keep your unearned sense of smug superiority to yourself and/or within the Circle.
And yes, Vista is underwhelming, especially as a 5-year project, but I find it to be as stable as XP, which is very stable, tho' it takes some serious horsepower. It's pretty to look at, but I just don't see any significant business value in it. I won't be taking our network off XP until after Vista is replaced.
I hate Dell with a passion due to the fact they sell almost all but their topline computers with integrated graphics and sound. That just blows.
mediageek | March 29, 2008, 1:15pm | #
JW-I run a Mac for my day job doing graphic design, but run a Dell XPS lap top for 3d animation and other stuff at home.
I like the Mac. A lot. Enough that my next home machine will probably be a Mac.
But I completely agree with you about the macdroids. The trick is to just avoid talking to any Mac owner who wears a turtleneck and hipster glasses.
joe | March 29, 2008, 1:21pm | #
I got a Mac.I like it.
I understand they don't get viruses.
But, despite the glasses and the occasional T-neck, I think it's probably little more than a Coke and Pepsi battle.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 1:23pm | #
FWIW, it is my understanding that if the text of the Quran says "Do A" without any qualifications, and somewhere else it says "if B, C, D,... hold, then do A" then the first occurrence can't be taken as a blanket statement to do A. The conditions B, C, D have to hold first. When it comes to the use of force, there are many statements in the Quran constraining its use to acts of self defense or when at a state of war. If OBL argues that there is a state of war, he'd be dead wrong because he does not have the backing of all Muslims and he has certainly acted outside the bounds of the law. He's a non-leader and a non-leader can't declare war. He's a criminal. Period.In some other cases (as in the infamous sura 9), the verses are taken to be general and universal commandments. They are not. They pertain only to a single battle and are NOT universal statements.
Finally, it is interesting to see people like Dondero, Wilders, et al., who (I am guessing) know very little Arabic, let alone an ability to properly read, analyze or interpret and understand the Quran (yes, with its controversies) or the 100s of volumes written as commentaries on it, are so ready to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Now that does not say that I do not agree with these same people that OBL and the terrorists should be brought to justice. They should! But what I am against are such shallow (and very naive) pronouncements that the Quran should be eliminated or that "Islam" and "Muslims" are a danger. This collectivism is very dangerous.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 1:25pm | #
mediageek-A copy of Fitna was embedded into Reason's Blog yesterday you goddamned idiot.
I have to come to the defense of Eric (hehe, that felt weird to say). Eric earlier said:
Reason.com has relegated it to their off-home page blog.
Cesar | March 29, 2008, 1:32pm | #
I understand they don't get viruses.Yes, but not because they have some kind of uber-great security. Its because due to their miniscule market share no hacker is really interested in making Mac viruses.
Anyway Macdroids are annoying but theres nothing worse than Linuxtards.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 1:33pm | #
Therefore, I maintain that my assessment of Dondero as a mouth-breathing shitwit was dead on.My defending him does not mean I disagree with statement.
pigwiggle | March 29, 2008, 1:37pm | #
mediageek-"Pigwiggle, are you running a Logitech mouse with your Mac Book?"
No. Actually, I think most of the most troubling bugs have been worked out in recent OS updates. There was a time that my macbook would forget it had a wireless card with each update (iTunes would also deauthorize all of my purchases and refuse to reauthorize). I would have to manually edit several configuration files to restore the wireless capability. Haven't had to do it recently. The "geniuses" at the mac stores in both Salt Lake and Albuquerque were unable to fix the problem. Their solution was to roll back the updates - security updates and all.
joe-
Check out the story I linked above. At the recent CanSecWest security conference the mac was compromised before the vista and ubuntu laptops. You should be at least as cautious with that mac as you would with a pc.
Pig Mannix | March 29, 2008, 2:00pm | #
New Thinkpads are available with XP .Thinkpads are what my employer supplies us with. I still use a Mac.
Actually, several of my colleagues at work have managed to get OS X running on their Thinkpads, with a little hacking (not as much as you might think). I haven't attempted this stunt myself (yet), but you can Google up all the relevant instructions and mods, if you're so inclined.
Obviously, this configuration is entirely unsupported by everyone involved, but if you don't mind living dangerously it's a great way to get the best of both worlds....
Kolohe | March 29, 2008, 2:02pm | #
I'm surprised Weigel went PC. In this docu-drama, Dave W. is clearly hacking away on a Mac. And I thought once you go Mac, you never go back.Neu Mejican | March 29, 2008, 2:02pm | #
Pigwiggle,Yep. New Mexico is still the wild west and easily the best place I've ever been to find confrontational violent assholes.
Where are you living? Sounds like you are either in the Southeast Heights or the West Central area.
Just for context, it has improved recently with increased law enforcement moving a lot of the really scary types down to Los Lunas (where I used to work).
If you are renting, I can give you some advice on better neighborhoods.
Kolohe | March 29, 2008, 2:10pm | #
'This is completely off subject but has anybody heard about the Bush administrations plan to increase the power of the federal reserve to make them the "Market Stability Regulator"'Travis-
Here is the (15 page!) executive summary of the proposal on the NYT's site. I have not been able to get past page two or three without nodding off.
Special Orange Line Edition | March 29, 2008, 2:12pm | #
1. I didn't bother reading the NAFTA link, but I know it's wrong.2. I'd like to congratulate Reason Magazine for condemning Canada's baby seal hunt. I was really shocked they'd do that.
3. Unfortunately, Reason fails to look into how the Obama Girl videos and others got started: due to promotion by the MSM. When ABC first promoted OG, it only had about 700 views. Reason might want to suggest that they promote videos about real subjects instead.
4. I hate to promote things from the TV, but this is funny.
5. Have you been diagnosed with pernicious prog or other prog-related conditions? This will completely cure you.
Brandybuck | March 29, 2008, 2:14pm | #
Dondero - Shut the Fuck Up!Everyone libertarian here, as well as most everyone else including cosmotarians, are fully in favor of free speech rights for everyone. No one here has said anything to the contrary.
We have talked about this video before, but you are too stupid to notice. Here's a big cluestick for you: the continuing European trashing of liberty in the name of not offending bigots is old news. There is no sense in rending our beards everytime a Eurolefty gets threatened with a beheading. If the same thing happened in the US or Canada, then it would be a much bigger deal, and Reason might have had five or six stories on the topic, instead of a mere two.
pigwiggle | March 29, 2008, 2:17pm | #
Neu Mejican-"Where are you living? Sounds like you are either in the Southeast Heights or the West Central area."
I'm in Knob Hill, which is a very nice place, other than the crime. Good food and shopping within walking distance. I've looked around town quite a bit, and it seems, no matter how nice a neighborhood is, there is a run down section just blocks away. Very spotty.
Mr. Nice Guy | March 29, 2008, 2:27pm | #
I'm not very good with computers. I've had jobs where we had Macs in the office and jobs with the PC, and I think one advantage to the Mac is that it was easier to learn how to use, at least in my experience.In other news, I think McCain, for good or for ill, is unstoppable. The Dems have screwed themselves with some wishful thinking about this being the time a woman or minority with virtually no experience could win the White House.
Neu Mejican | March 29, 2008, 2:30pm | #
Pigwiggle,Rookie mistake.
Nobhill does have some of the nicest features, but easily one of the highest crime rates in town.
You would do better in the North Valley (Far north on Rio Grande), Old Town, or the northeast heights to get away from the crime.
Corrales used to have the lowest crime rate in the state. It is also quite pleasant (a bit pricey, perhaps). A pain in the ass to get to and from (only one road in or out), but that feature is part of what keeps the crime down.
But to really avoid the crime, you need to leave the state.
bago | March 29, 2008, 2:31pm | #
Do you have an NVIDIA card?
The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 2:51pm | #
Sage, I took the advice of a tech guy we know and ordered a stronger more substantial laptop than what you generally get over the counter. It cost a little more but it came with the option to install several different versions of Vista.Mrs TWC ordered the identical machine but installed regular Vista business 32 bit.
You cannot believe the difference.
My only gripe is that my hi dollar hi speed scanner won't run on 64 bit. Fortunately, I use three computers in my work so I can still scan to my XP machine.
The other thing that didn't work out well is that you really shouldn't try to make a laptop into a desktop machine.
Jonathan Hohensee | March 29, 2008, 2:53pm | #
The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 2:55pm | #
Speaking of Macheads, my cousin is the ultimate Machead, he is the Machead of Macpublishing. :-)Little shit was writing programs when he was 8 years old.
The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 3:01pm | #
Guess I should clarify a little Mrs TWC's machine is fine but mine with the 64 bit Vista Business is way, way more stable. And I beat the crap out of it in that I use many more programs and have more open files at the same time. For instance, I have 8 programs running right now and about 20 files open plus all the flim flam crap (A/V, fax, background stuff).This Vista biz 64 bit platform is more stable (for me) than my XP is.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 3:01pm | #
3 out of the 4 google ads at the top of this page are actually for windows vista. If anything, it seems to beat mac in its online presence.The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 3:16pm | #
RE: Vista & the scanner. A regular scanner is fine. my high speed scanner is for turning paper into .PDF. You load it up with paper and it scans 50 pages in a heartbeat. The software is designed for XP and the mfg makes an upgrade to Vista but not the 64 bit version.Art-P.O.G. | March 29, 2008, 3:20pm | #
That Zappa clip was exceptional. I had no idea his band was that talented.Scooby | March 29, 2008, 3:25pm | #
Neil at 9:20am: Where was Barry during Vietnam anyway?Uh, he was barely out of diapers for the Gulf of Tonkin, and probably barely pubescent when Saigon fell.
Rick Barton | March 29, 2008, 3:33pm | #
David:Hillary Clinton botched her Jack Bauer-ish anecdote about visiting Bosnia in 1996
She seems to have no compunctions about just making stuff up!
The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 3:36pm | #
Pig & NM, so I looked up Nob Hill (love the internet) and it looks like a cool place to shack up. I mean, right on old Rte 66? Sorry about the crime though. I guess that goes with the Big City. Apparently there was a time when Nob Hill wasn't even part of Abq.I'm interested in stuff like this (nice to know where people are) but I'm actually supposed to be working but I NEED A BREAK!
I already had to miss going with the Old Lady to Scottsdale for the weekend. Wish I had said screw it and gone anyway.
Sam Grove | March 29, 2008, 3:40pm | #
I've not had this problem with Vista either.Do not assume that the OS is the root cause.
A big difference between a Mac and any non-monopoly system is that the Mac is single source hardware while PC systems have hardware from all over the place and systems may incorporate the cheapest components that will function.
P Brooks | March 29, 2008, 3:52pm | #
Computers are toolsExactly. They do not read minds, and they do not have magical powers.
First Little Pig | March 29, 2008, 4:03pm | #
Neu Mejican and Pigwiggle,I have lived in NE Whites, and Corrales and now live in Madrid. I will buy either of you a beer at the mine shaft if you drop by.
My sisterinlaw lives in Nob Hill. The crime rate is higher there than many other places, but in the 8 years she's lived there she's only had one bad experience... so I don't know if it is all that bad. I have lived in worse neighborhoods in DC.
Anyway, I have no real point. See you at the Mineshaft.
Speaking of Albuquerque; in 1995, I was working there, and living on Carlisle, two or three blocks from Central (rte 66). There was a famous 1970's architectural artifact a block away, but I cannot recall the name of the house.
Travis | March 29, 2008, 4:05pm | #
Kolohe,Thanks for the link I just skimmed through it. It's written in that typical unreadable gov't jargon, but I got the point. Basically they want to increase the power of the Federal Reserve to micromanage this nation's economy.
Someone Who Doesn't Want to Lose His Job | March 29, 2008, 4:06pm | #
I agree with Jonathon Hohensee at 2:53 PM.Very zen, dude.
P Brooks | March 29, 2008, 4:08pm | #
Basically they want to increase the power of the Federal Reserve to micromanage this nation's economy.That should help.
Neu Mejican | March 29, 2008, 4:42pm | #
First Little Pig,Thanks for the offer.
Unfortunately taking you up on the offer would take me mean a round trip of several thousand miles (I am on the coast now).
I love the music festivals out in Madrid.
Played a punk festival out there once where the bands outnumbered the audience by about 4 to 1.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 4:48pm | #
Regarding Fitna, funny that those who translated and interpreted the verses could not even get the title of the film right in Arabic. It is (a) written from left to right (Arabic is written right to left) and (b) misspelled!
Straight outta the Orange Line | March 29, 2008, 5:13pm | #
Returning to politics for a brief shining moment, if you don't want Hillary to be the nominee, ask Hillary about this and then upload her response to Youtube. One of Hill's chairs is even worse than Wright.And, of course, those statements show the absolute fallacy of some of the arguments offered by so-called libertarians.
Ben | March 29, 2008, 5:27pm | #
If you're using Firefox, especially with any add-ons installed, chances are it and its memory leaks are the culprit (not that Vista necessarily helps all that much). Supposedly Firefox 3 fixes most of the issue.Daniel Reeves | March 29, 2008, 5:30pm | #
Do you have an NVIDIA card?As someone who is not liberal, you should be accustomed to analyzing statistics like this. That pie chart may only show that NVIDIA is used more than the rest of the other brands. Hypothetically speaking, if, oh, 90% of Vista users also use NVIDIA, then this would actually show that NVIDIA is good.
Daniel Reeves | March 29, 2008, 5:39pm | #
^ ... at least in comparison to ATI.The Wine Commonsewer | March 29, 2008, 5:45pm | #
Ben, thanks, you would think I have FF 3+ but I don't. Don't understand why but I shall change that.told ya 'bout the anchovies | March 29, 2008, 6:08pm | #
GEORGE DUKE!Art-P.O.G. | March 29, 2008, 6:09pm | #
Returning to politics for a brief shining momentYes, Huerta made some eye-rolling comments and what would seem to be the grossest misapplication of the term "ethnic cleansing" in recent history, but I'm not panicking yet. Yes Hillary Clinton panders shamelessly to the 'Hispanic vote' (that may not be politically correct, but what can I say), but McCain and Obama pander sometimes, too.
Writing this on my Vista desktop, which has never crashed, because the Mac laptop is in the shop.
prolefeed | March 29, 2008, 6:43pm | #
Our new PC has Vista. Have not had ANY problems to speak of as of yet. Not a techno-weenie, though, so maybe it's something I'm not noticing. mehOur Vista desktop almost never gets a virus, while our old XP was constantly getting them. But, almost none of the old programs for XP work on Vista. Unless you really want to play some several-year-old video games, I'd go with Vista on a new machine. Probably not worth the bother to convert an XP to Vista, though, since Vista requires a lot more RAM and whatnot.
Call any vegetable | March 29, 2008, 6:50pm | #
What does Vista have that XP doesn't? Is the attraction simply that it's newer, or are there features that users just gotta have?Ali | March 29, 2008, 6:53pm | #
Long time, no see, prolefeed.David E. Gallaher | March 29, 2008, 8:07pm | #
Have we all decided that Iraq is not worth discussing any more?What's happening there now is a defining moment when Republicans and neocons will have to own up to 5 years, over 4,000 US lives lost, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, and somewhere between 1-3 trillion of our dollars poured down a rat hole.
But the beat goes on.
P.S. British and US air and artillery support in a civil war only makes it worse.
The main attraction of Vista over XP seems to be fewer crashes and way fewer viruses, at least in my personal experience -- more of an incremental improvement than any new breakthrough. I'd recommend it only for a new machine, not an upgrade, and only if you don't have a lot of XP-only software you want to run.
David E. Gallaher | March 29, 2008, 8:24pm | #
One of the biggest stories since 9/11 is happening right now, and Vista has us mesmerized.Baby Harp Seal | March 29, 2008, 8:55pm | #
I'll have a Canadian Club please
Bernd | March 29, 2008, 9:09pm | #
OK, so: I'm a hardcore geek, have been a Linux desktop user, and have been using Windows in the past. Currently, I use a Mac.My observations:
If you're tech-savvy but still in the "normal user" category, Ubuntu is a perfectly fine operating system; you just need a geek friend to get it running properly in the beginning, especially if you have things like dual screens or such, and it'll stay running. That's for a desktop; since you have a laptop, DON'T DO IT. Linux simply blows on laptops.
Windows XP is very stable, fast enough, has lots of game support. The usual installation rot applies.
Macs have just dreamy usability and there's lots of very usable and very cheap extremely high-quality 3rd party software because of their great programming environment; but they're less stable, less secure (if you don't count the marketshare-based virus resistance), the hardware breaks more often and they have worse price/performance than either other options. They have the pretty going for them; but as for the Unix thing, read up on their filesystem. The fucking thing is my nemesis. They didn't have any real appreciation for BSD, it was just the best free thing they could pilfer. Apple's customer service blows.
And stop hating on integrated graphics already, except for gaming they're good enough for everything. I should know, I do Photoshop on a Dell with onboard graphics and it's blazing.
My next computer is going to be a Mac; they may blow on many levels but all you have to know about the thought they put into their usability engineering as compared to Windows/Linux is comparing the Apple US layout and how you reach int'l characters with the festering crap on the PCs (US Int'l layout). Reliability-wise they are behind on all levels and the Mac users who deny it are a bunch of fanatics.
Nephilium | March 29, 2008, 9:13pm | #
Call any vegetable:The features that Vista has that XP doesn't are as follows:
1) A better (but much more annoying) security model.
2) More eye-candy.
3) Better 64-bit support (supposedly, you need to support Vista 64-bit in order to say your app/device will work in Vista, but this is not always the case).
4) DirectX 10.
5) A lot more bugs.
6) Slower performance.
7) Higher system requirements.
I'm sitting on XP64 right now... only issue I've had with it was getting a wireless card that had an appropriate driver. I eventually punted, and picked up a game adapter (run a CAT5 from your LAN port into it, and it works as a wireless card).
Nephilium
Mike Laursen | March 29, 2008, 9:23pm | #
keep your unearned sense of smug superiority to yourself and/or within the Circle.That's iCircle to you.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 9:25pm | #
One thing is for sure, David Weigel should be thankful to vista for making this thread soooooo exciting! Man, talk about unintended consequences :-)the innominate one | March 29, 2008, 10:02pm | #
Zappa rules!Bingo | March 29, 2008, 10:21pm | #
Lotsa nerds around here Ali ;)Thinkpad with XP or Ubuntu is a good alternative. I'm very impressed with Ubuntu's Hardy Heron so far, and I'm far from a GNU/Linux advocate. The only problem is the fact that your operating system isn't supported by almost every major business application. There are usually free alternatives to the major business apps, but they are lacking in a lot of ways.
Also Linux seems very quirky to me, its hard to explain but it definitely has the feeling of having a lot of parts designed by different people all with different priorities. Certain areas make a great deal of sense from a developer or engineer's viewpoint, but are absolute shit when taking the viewpoint of a regular user. OS X gives you a nice stable Unix-derived backend that you can get down and dirty with if you want (I spend a lot of time in Terminal), but you can do almost everything without resorting to it. Not so much with Linux, even though it has made HUGE strides it still has a long way to go.
XP64 would be ideal but the drivers are sometimes wacky. Regular WinXP is great but it can't address 4 gigs of RAM. If Microsoft spent a little more time on XP64 instead of squeezing out Vista it would be a no-brainer to recommend.
mantooth | March 29, 2008, 10:32pm | #
Cesar,So you hate Mac users based on a conversation that you've made up?
"Yes, but not because they have some kind of uber-great security. Its because due to their miniscule market share no hacker is really interested in making Mac viruses."
A different take:
http://daringfireball.net/2006/11/jackass_larry_seltzer
As much as I hate to be known as a fanatic, as far as reliability goes, I'll have to disagree with Bernd. I used to work in tech support in a North Carolina school system and we had 19 Mac schools and 6 PC schools. I never had to visit the Mac schools. The PC schools were a constant headache. The Macs I have purchased as long as 10 years ago are still running strong, a 9 year old PowerMac is running Tiger without complaint.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 10:43pm | #
Bingo- I have to thank vista for screwing up david's computer, because otherwise this thread would have probably the same old same old clinton vs obama, blue vs red, yada yada yada...vista vs mac falls in the same category, but at least its of a different nature... same crap, different pile.
Just kiddin' you all... carry on... I am actually learning something here... basically that my next machine should be a...
... linux!
Brandybuck | March 29, 2008, 10:49pm | #
Hey you Whinedozers, Macdroids and Linuxtards quiet down in there! We FreeBSD users are trying to get some real work done!Bryan | March 29, 2008, 10:50pm | #
Clinton!Obama!
Mac!
Vista!
Hot Dogs!
More Hot Dogs!
Some debates can never be resolved.
the innominate one | March 29, 2008, 10:53pm | #
Regular WinXP is great but it can't address 4 gigs of RAM.Bingo, could you elaborate? I just bought a Dell laptop with XP and 4 gig of RAM. Was that some sort of mistake?
Nephilium | March 29, 2008, 10:55pm | #
the innominate one:Basically, if you're running more then two gigs of RAM with only a 32-bit OS, you're not getting everything.
The system will say four gigs, but it won't be able to use it all.
Nephilium
Bernd | March 29, 2008, 10:58pm | #
mantooth,Let's just say you're steadfast in your principles. ;)
Regarding hardware quality - yes, they used to be good; but it got way worse. Especially major offenders are the newer iMacs and Notebooks; late Power/early Intel era. Logic board faults galore. My MBP, 1st gen is a turd in so many ways...
I heard their QC got a bit better again since about Core2Duo. Let's see. My next machine is probably a MB in half a year or so.
Oh, and Daring Fireball is a bad source to quote if you don't want to be seen as a total fanboy. That guy could see Steve Jobs devour his son and would scramble to find an explanation how his damn kid had it coming.
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:01pm | #
innominate one:Basically Windows XP won't see the 4 gigs of memory. It will only see, at most, 3. It's hardcoded into the operating system. If you install XP64 you'll get the advantages of 4 gigs of RAM, but you might run into driver incompatibility issues, so its very hit or miss depending on your hardware.
I wouldn't call it a mistake, if you ever install a different operating system on it you can use the extra gig no problem. But Win XP will be completely blind to it and only use 3 of those 4 gigs.
In fact, I'd sooner by an Atari Jaguar for gaming than a Mac. Do you realize how bad that is?
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:06pm | #
Nephilium:It's actually not a 64-bit vs 32-bit thing. The limit for RAM on a 32-bit system is actually 4 gigs. Windows Server 2003 32-bit has no trouble seeing 4 gigs of RAM, but for some reason Microsoft decided to put a 3 gig limit on XP.
Who knows why *shrug*
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:11pm | #
Cesar:Not to turn this into a Mac vs. PC flamewar, but you do realize you can install Windows on a Mac, right? And I will concede to you that the default videocards in Apples are seriously lacking.
As usualy, if you are a hardcore gamer, building your own machine is the way to go. But if not then Mac's casual and shareware games are quite good. Blizzard, id, and some other companies make games for OS X if you don't want to reboot into Windows. I think there's even an EVE Online client now.
Ali | March 29, 2008, 11:14pm | #
In this world of Mac vs. PC, where should libertarians stand? The left took Mac, PC seems to be a thing of the populace, not sure where to fit our right wing friends, but libertarians seem to fit in neatly with linux.Cesar | March 29, 2008, 11:20pm | #
Not to turn this into a Mac vs. PC flamewar, but you do realize you can install Windows on a Mac, right?Yeah, and its a pain in the ass and runs really slow. You also pay out the ass for the same exact hardware, and don't have any ability to upgrade.
I'm a fairly hardcore gamer though I absolutely positively despite MMORPGs and believe they are a collaborative effort between Al Qaeda and Satan. All other genre of games are cool by me though.
I built my most recent computer and couldn't be happier. I did install Windows XP on it, though, because I want to see how Vista pans out.
I really haven't been a fanboy of anyone since Sega went out of the hardware business, but I will go for PCs over Macs until Macs have much better gaming support. Then Macdroids and I can talk, but not until then.
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:20pm | #
Probably OpenBSD, Ali. No "communist" GPL License, extremely secure, and built-in cryptography to stop the Feds from getting your data! Also you are guaranteed to never run into a female that uses it, so its perfect for libertarians ;)One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't.... | March 29, 2008, 11:23pm | #
Shut the fuck up!.Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:23pm | #
Lol, I see where you're coming from, Cesar. It's not any slower though, my MacBook has the exact same hardware as any other Core 2 Duo laptop. XP on a Macbook is no different than on a Dell with the same hardware configuration. Intel integrated graphics sucks shit in any machine though.I've been looking to put together a gaming box, everything is so cheap these days. What video card did you end up getting?
Kolohe | March 29, 2008, 11:34pm | #
----------
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:11pm | #
Cesar:
Not to turn this into a Mac vs. PC flamewar,
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 3:28am | #Whatever, Ms. O'Leary's cow. :)
Weigel you fucking noob, if you want to be a true cosmotarian get a Macbook.
Nephilium | March 29, 2008, 11:35pm | #
Bingo:Damn... I'll need to start keeping up more then... I thought I saw something tying it to the 32-bit/64-bit divide... but I could be wrong...
I still remember when Win 98 SE couldn't see one gig of RAM.
Shall we start discussing which is better, X-Modem or Z-Modem? :)
Nephilium
Ali | March 29, 2008, 11:36pm | #
That's all very funny, btw. I am really enjoying this. Thanks to vista.Nephilium | March 29, 2008, 11:37pm | #
Bingo:Also, on the vid card front, dual nVidia 8800 GTS in an SLI config. Only turn off the SLI for some beta testing of games.
At least, that's the vid card choice I went with...
Nephilium
Bingo | March 29, 2008, 11:58pm | #
Woah, sweet setup Neph! SLI kicks ass and that must have cost you a pretty penny when it came out ;) I've been looking at the 9600GT, good bang for the buck and their power usage is very nice.I gotta go to falafel store and hit on the cute chick there and then pick up some wine at Trader Joe's, so Cesar is free to bash Macs all he wants. A cosmotarian must be vigilant in maintaining his lifestyle, regardless of internet flamewars!
Bernd | March 30, 2008, 12:25am | #
Ali: I guess a libertarian would stand wherever he damn well pleased.We should leave this childish platform bickering behind to deal with the real issue: vi or Emacs?
[The right answer is Emacs.]
The Real Bill | March 30, 2008, 2:31am | #
If you're a noob that doesn't game much, get a Mac.If you're good with 'puters, must use Office, or like to upgrade one part at a time, get a PC.
Never EVER buy a new OS (unless your old one is really, really bad. Like Windows 98 was). Wait until the first update/service pac.
Macs are definitely not a libertarian machine; there is no freedom! PCs can use a wide variety of hardware and software, and can be tweeked to your heart's desire. Definitely libertarian, especially with some version of Linux.
Ebeneezer Scrooge | March 30, 2008, 2:50am | #
Seriously I am not sure what Microsoft was thinking with Vista.They were thinking, "we need some more money coming in the front door, and at this point in history we can jam it down their throats whether they like it or not".
And jam they have.
The main attraction of Vista over XP seems to be fewer crashes and way fewer viruses
In two years that will no longer be the case, wait and see.
the innominate one
I just bought a Dell laptop with XP and 4 gig of RAM. Was that some sort of mistake?
A 32 bit OS is only physically able to address 3.xxx GB of RAM (sorry but I don't carry the exact number around in my head). The BIOS will report the full 4 GB though the OS won't be able to use it. I have 4 GB installed on my machine, and 3.xxx GB available under Windows.
I also run Win2k because -- there is not a damned thing that XP or Vista do that I need -- that I can't do faster on my Win2k machine, using any given hardware. I want speed more than anything else and XP/Vista are just sloooowwwwweeeerrrrrrrr.
Plus MS makes you relearn commands with every new OS, and I have way too many other things to do with my time. In fact I would still be running NT4 but I needed USB.
Then again, I grew up on DOS prompts. I can remember when DOS 4 was big news. Boy those were the days.
Ebeneezer Scrooge | March 30, 2008, 2:53am | #
btw, whoever it was above that said McCain has it in the bag -- I think you're right. As long as he can keep his shit together and not do something really stupid for the rest of this campaign. His opponent will be an overt socialist, and they've always lost if they had any kind of competition to deal with.Of course, McCain is entirely capable of doing something really stupid.
Not that I'm voting for any of them. Nor am I voting for any more politically suicidal "liber-idiot" candidates. Giving them my vote would not register a protest, it would register my own stupidity.
I'm on Voter's Strike until there's a rational alternative to vote for.
Art-P.O.G. | March 30, 2008, 3:25am | #
That Zappa clip on Youtube ("Crossfire" '86)was amazing. It demonstrated to me, the conflict in perspective between the extreme social conservative (Lofton) who seemed to think that any sort of exposure to morally abject material would be an irreedemable corrupting influence on the young, and the libertarian (Zappa), who was all for a 'free' exchange in the 'marketplace of ideas'. Lofton was amazingly pessimistic about human nature (especially in the young) and in the content of popular art.Art-P.O.G. | March 30, 2008, 3:46am | #
I was referring to the innominate one's post at 10:02 pm on the 29th, if you're wondering. Good clip.Pablo Escobar | March 30, 2008, 4:27am | #
I hate it when disgruntled employees of Ron Paul become neo-cons... and then hate on libertarians for not being 'libertarian enough'. Idiot Dondero.Fitna is absolute garbage. The Bible has a lot of crap in it too. The difference is, Muslims aren't stationing their troops inside the USA, UK and Australia telling Westerners how to live and radicalising the fundamentalist elements.
It's not the goddam Koran that is creating terrorists. The real motivation is American intervention in the Middle East, starting from when the US overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran in 1953. If Iran isn't a democracy today, you can blame American foreign policy.
Get a grip. Libertarians aren't supposed to trust the government - and that includes on matters of foreign affairs. There's a reason the smartest libertarian of the 20th century (Milton Friedman) was against the Iraq war.
Jim Walsh | March 30, 2008, 4:45am | #
...so far Congress has had John Denver and Frank Zappa killed. Not sure why they didn't off Dee Snider, too.Well, just look at the guy; who's gonna take him seriously...
John C. Randolph | March 30, 2008, 6:45am | #
The Geert Wilder film controversy is the greatest libertarian issue of our time, perhaps of our entire lifetimes.I'd have to put it a bit lower on the agenda than an unconstitutional war, the "patriot" act, the fiat currency, and the war on drugs.
That being said, the dutch shouldn't be trying to shut him up.
-jcr
John C. Randolph | March 30, 2008, 6:57am | #
And thats why I hate macsYou hate a product because of your straw-man depiction of people who buy it?
-jcr
Art-P.O.G. | March 30, 2008, 8:18am | #
The real motivation is American intervention in the Middle East, starting from when the US overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran in 1953. If Iran isn't a democracy today, you can blame American foreign policy.You make a good point, but in our defense, the US is not the only country to meddle in the Middle East. Also, there are elements of paranoia and USA/j00-hating in the Mid-East that can only be partially attributed to events that have actually happened.
You're right that the Koran isn't creating terrorists, but you're fooling yourself if you think there aren't imams and mullahs out there with extremist and vicious political agendas.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the mess that is the Middle East, but the solution lies not just with the US, but with the nations and citizens of the Middle East as well.
Yeah, we've caused a lot of damage to the Middle East, but it's important that all parties move on and try for solutions in the here and now, or otherwise we all lose. Don't let the extremists on any side justify their hate-mongering by harping on recent history.
These aren't just empty words from me. I'm African-American, and believe me blacks and American Indians have had to put up with a lot of crap. It's no excuse not to be a decent human being.
Eric Dondero | March 30, 2008, 9:45am | #
"John McCain released his first, entertainingly subliminal, general election ad. It includes both the stunning revelation that he was a POW in Vietnam (why have we never been told this?) and more mentions of the word "America" than a Lee Greenwood b-sides compilation."And who was it that ever said Reason Editors "hate America." Nah, no America haters around these parts here. That's just how you express your love for your country. Bash John McCain, and make fun of American Country Music stars.
Eric Dondero | March 30, 2008, 9:50am | #
Umm, excuse me "Travis" (notice you don't post your last name??) But the goal of the War in Iraq was to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Building a stable democratic Iraq is a worthy goal, but it is no longer defined as a "War." It is now a Humanitarian mission.We won the War. We won the War the very MOMENT, second in fact, that those two GIs discovered Saddam hiding in that Spider Hole, and took him into custody.
A moment, if one can imagine this, like American GIs storming Hitler's bunker, and capturing him alive.
It was perhaps the most glorious Victory in the History of the United States Military.
Now you can argue, that perhaps we need to end the follow-up Humanitarian Mission; leave the Ira