Reason Morning Links: Corporate Seppuku, Bruno Hearts Ron Paul, the History of Going Green

- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to AIG execs: resign . . . or die!

- Congress now moving to save the newspapers.

- Anne Applebaum on the secret CIA prisons: "The guilty, however senior, should be named, forced to testify and called to account'"because the rule of law, and nothing else, is what makes us exceptional."

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) gets seduced in the new Sacha Baron Cohen movie.

- Ezra Klein: Obama administration's favorite columnist is . . . David Brooks?

- Pope says "contraception mentality" is partly to blame for AIDS epidemic in Africa.

- Public support for war in Afghanistan is slipping.

- The history of St. Patrick's Day.

Comments

[SugarO\'Free]

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to AIG execs: resign . . . or die!

I'll say the same thing to them as I do the grasping underclass:

If you suckle at the public teat, you don't get to complain about the flavor of the milk.

[Citizen Nothing]

It seems Pelosi is actually pushing for a pullback in antitrust, ownership and other government regulations in order to help the newpapers.

And I agree. Is it the apocalypse?

[TofuSushi]

Isn't it nice that we have O'bama in charge of the world now and we can learn the truth about secret CIA prisons?

[Citizen Nothing]

And, I hear bagpipes from the street below my office! It MUST be the apocalypse.

[O\'Taktix?]

The spread of HIV and Aids in Africa should be tackled through fidelity and abstinence and not by condoms, Pope Benedict XVI has said.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SugarO\'Free]

O'Taktix?,

Don't laugh. Think about how well it's worked so far in Africa.

[TofuSushi]

When are we going to get back to the real St. Patrick's days I read about in Revolutionary History? It was a day to revolt against British Imperialism all the way into the 1990s and ended with a whimper.

Now it is all commercial.

[Episiarch]

Is today St. Patrick's Day or something? One of the benefits of not being one little bit Irish is ignoring this stupid holiday.

"This is Kent Brockman from the St. Patrick's Day parade, where everyone's a little bit Irish...except the gays and the Italians!"

[Jerry]

I am amazed that Paul didn't yell something else when he saw that circumcised weenie of Sasha Cohen.

[TofuSushi]

I m glad we are progressing to save the newspapers. As long as we save the right ones things will be fine. Down with Washington Times up with New York Times!

[SugarO\'Free]

How to drink in a green manner.

I have a question: Which is more ecologically sustainable, human or horse hairshirts? The horse is so much more uncomfortable, but I worry about exploiting the poor horses for their precious, irritating hairs that bring me so much closer to saintly asceticism. And what about the imported human hairshirts that might have been grown in sweatshop conditions?

[Citizen Nothing]

Epi, are you saying you're a gay Italian?

[libertarian democrat]

Wasn't Barr in the last one?

Poor Dr. Paul.

[Brett Stevens]

You might want to cover the expanding use of automated red light cameras to take away our civil liberties:

http://www.amerika.org/2009/social-reality/slippery-slope-of-red-light-cameras/

[Reinmoose]

Complaining about what the AIG execs did with the money you gave them is like being upset that the bum you gave a $20 to the other day went out and used it to buy a handle of Bankers Club and some cigarettes

[TofuSushi]

SugarO'Free,

I have a question: Which is more ecologically sustainable, human or horse hairshirts?

Horses should not be raped of their hair for human clothing. Remember, people don't look good in (animal) fur.

[Citizen Nothing]

It's more like complaining that the bum you gave $2,000 to spent $20 on cigarettes.

[mike]

Grassley's sentiment is great, but where has he been the last year? Did he give a rats that the shareholders were defrauded on a scale greater than WCOM? The press likes to focus on CDOs and CDS as they are sexy. What did AIG in was their securities lending program which invested proceeds in long dated, illiquid, risky 'assets' like CDOs, RMBS, etc. This was not disclosed and no analysts focused on there being any significant problems in that area. $45B out the door.

So while Bernie Maddoff can be shown a jail cell in 3 months, those who lost $75B from shareholders (including state pension funds, index funds etc) are walking free as are the board members ($300-400K apiece) who blessed them with bonus contracts in spring of 08.

[General Jack T. Ripper]

"It's more like complaining that the bum you gave $2,000 to spent $20 on cigarettes."

If only it were just $2000. More like complaining about the bum spending $20 after you gave him junior's college fund.

[TofuSushi]

Ezra Klein is the next John Edwards. I hope he is not framed and attacked like the former senator.

[Citizen Nothing]

My son goes to Ohio State. $2,000 IS his college fund.

[toowm]

So, let's see. reason actually comments on Ron Paul. Do you think it's positive or negative? One guess.

[TofuSushi]

Citizen Nothing,

It is refreshing to see someone here who supports public colleges.

[EJM]

Is today St. Patrick's Day or something? One of the benefits of not being one little bit Irish is ignoring this stupid holiday.

Being partly Norwegian, I feel that I must remind everyone that today is exactly two months before Syttende Mai. (If you can, try to celebrate it in Stoughton, Wisc.)

[FrBunny]

TofuSushi from another thread:

Sorry to drop out of my usual style, but . . .

Sigh. If only you knew how unnecessary that apology is.

[John C. Randolph]

Note to self: add Sacha Cohen to the list of people who should be punched out if I ever happen to meet them.

-jcr

[P Brooks]

Ritual suicide is a grievously underutilized species of remorse. I just wish Senator Grassley would practice what he preaches.

[SugarO\'Free]

Ezra Klein is a one-gallon douchebag.

Link is to an article he wrote, not a picture of a one-gallon douche bag. (Scroll down. It has vaginal and anal "fittings.")

[YofuSushi]

FrBunny,

Don't worry, you were never on my dream list of someone to serve breakfast to anyway.

[TofuSushi]

Sorry, typed my own handle wrong at 9:59am.

[SugarO\'Free]

SofuTushi is Epi's stage name when he goes gay-for-pay.

[Citizen Nothing]

Or Italian-for-pay?

[SugarO\'Free]

There's a difference?

[Citizen Nothing]

Good point.

[FrBunny]

Cohen's been busy.

[TofuSushi]

SugarO'Free,

I am not and have never been Epi. Nor am I gay. Not Italian either.

[John]

"Note to self: add Sacha Cohen to the list of people who should be punched out if I ever happen to meet them."

Amen. I watched Borat and all I saw was a bunch of really nice people go out of their way to be really nice to a complete jackass doing nothing but making fun of them. There is nothing funny, original or interesting about him. He is just a jerk.

[TofuSushi]

And I do not serve my fine breakfasts for pay either!

[O\'Taktix?]

When are we going to get back to the real St. Patrick's days I read about in Revolutionary History? It was a day to revolt against British Imperialism all the way into the 1990s and ended with a whimper.

Now it is all commercial.

Well, I'd rather celebrate getting incredibly drunk with lots of people than celebrate some Medieval asshole converting thousands to insanity Catholicism...

[P Brooks]

Speaking of douchebags, the Presidential Suit is addressing the nation, right now.

[SugarO\'Free]

Fu,

Read what I wrote again, you dyslexic joker.

[P Brooks]

celebrate some Medieval asshole converting thousands to insanity Catholicism...

D'oh!!

[Zeb]

Fuck the Pope.

[Lamar]

Gee, I really can't wait to see more embarrassment humor. I just loved Tom Greene's shenanigans. Hauling a camera crew around hoping to catch embarrassing reactions is so innovative! Sacha Baron Cohen is like Tom Greene on ExtenZe. The performance is better, and the size? Well, that's fun too.

[TofuSushi]

SugarO'Free,

OH! ROFLMAO! Sorry. That was quite the funny and it went right past me.

Glad we are still palsies.

[SugarO\'Free]

"I heard the Protestant workman yelled 'Fuck The Pope' every time they drove a rivet in The Titanic."

"You think that's why it sank?"

"Yeah, that or the giant fucking iceberg it hit."

[Pro Libertate]

SugarFree,

You were right the first time.

[mitch]

It is pretty amazing that a Senator running for president doesn't have one person on staff who watches HBO or reads the Entertainment section of a newspaper or something.

[P Brooks]

I watched Tom Greene's show like, once, and all I could think was, "Why aren't these people beating that asshole to a bloody pulp?"

Same for Cohen.

[John]

"celebrate some Medieval asshole converting thousands to insanity Catholicism..."

St. Patrick was one of the first serious thinkers in the world to argue against Slavery. He is in many ways the West's first abolitionist. Know something about history before you say things shitbag.

[SugarO\'Free]

It is pretty amazing that a Senator running for president

Bruno pranked O'Bama too? Now I want to the see the movie.

[Xe O\'Nes]

It is pretty amazing that a Senator running for president

Who, Barack O'Bama? Hillary Clinton?

Ah, Borat. Twas a laugh, but a guilty one.

[TofuSushi]

John,

And the Irish are still slaves of the British! I just hope no horses are injured in the next attempt at Progressive Revolution.

[Citizen Nothing]

Speaking of abolitionists, wasn't John Brown an asshole?

[TofuSushi]

CN,

John Brown accidentally killed that guy in Virginia. If I am remembering the same thing you are talking about.

[BDB]

I didn't get Tom Green or Jackass, and don't get Cohen. That kind of humor I can't even get when I'm high.

[Patrick Fitzgerald]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pS-1d0E9AE

[Citizen N O\'thing]

Just getting into the spirit.

[Episiarch]

How dare you fucking Micks make fun of WOPs. Especially queer ones.

And Borat was great. The nude wrestling scene is possibly the greatest absurdist sketch in all of cinema history.

[Xe O\'Nes]

Sometimes, in some places, to some folks, utter lunatic idiocy has its charms, BDB.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

I mean, honestly, would invite St. Patrick OR John Brown to your St. Patty's Day party?

[BDB]

"Sometimes, in some places, to some folks, utter lunatic idiocy has its charms, BDB."

Look, I think Aqua Teen Hunger Force is hilarious. It's not idiotic lunacy that's the problem in Cohen's movies.

[SugarO\'Free]

Cohen, Knoxville and Greene are the spiritual forefathers of Oww, My Balls. They'll see us all in Crocs if they get their way.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

And without queer wops, we'd all still be living in the dark ages.

[John C. Randolph]

There is nothing funny, original or interesting about him. He is just a jerk.

I think the term I would use is "sadistic prick". This has nothing to do with humor, this is just the same kind of bullying that should get a kid thrown out of high school.

-jcr

[BDB]

Jackass WAS Ow! My Balls!

What's the difference between the two?

[John]

Borat is like Andy Kaufman if Kaurman had been retarded.

[Badger]

"Being partly Norwegian, I feel that I must remind everyone that today is exactly two months before Syttende Mai. (If you can, try to celebrate it in Stoughton, Wisc.)"

My dear friend is a member of the Stoughton Chaber of Commerce and she would love it if EVERYONE came to Stoughton. It's a wonderful town.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

I just saw Idiocracy for the first time last week, SO'F. Mildly amusing, with a couple good belly laughs.

[SugarO\'Free]

Citizen N O'thing,

Columbus only came to the New World to find more tight boyholes to despoil? Finally makes sense. The whole "I'm going to find spices" thing never rang true.

[John C Jackson]

I am a little bit Irish and I can't stand St. Patrick's Day, mostly because of all the non-Irish who care so much about it. My wife is not Irish and she goes to all these queer Irish festivals and sees Irish bands and drinks Irish beer. She doesn't understand how I can have Irish heritage and not give a fuck about some lame Irish bands and queer leprechan fuckers.

[SugarO\'Free]

What's the difference between the two?

The latter dispenses without all that needless set-up.

[Episiarch]

And when Tom Green grabbed the horse's dick in Freddy Got Fingered? Just ridiculous.

I just saw Idiocracy for the first time last week, SO'F. Mildly amusing, with a couple good belly laughs.

Idiocracy isn't remotely as intelligent as it thinks it is, which is sort of ironic if you think about it. It's a shame because I like Mike Judge, but he seemed to be phoning it in there.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

Mike Judge did that? That's disappointing.
But I did laugh when the monster truck tried to enter the arena.

[John C. Randolph]

Speaking of abolitionists, wasn't John Brown an asshole?

I will forgive any number of personality flaws of anyone who's brave enough to fight slavery the way that John Brown did. The man is a hero in my book.

-jcr

[Citizen N O\'thing]

It's like a movie made by someone with a 100 I.Q.

[Episiarch]

It's like a movie made by someone with a 100 I.Q.

Now, if that were Judge's actual point, that would be pretty cool. But I doubt it.

[John]

"I am a little bit Irish and I can't stand St. Patrick's Day, mostly because of all the non-Irish who care so much about it. My wife is not Irish and she goes to all these queer Irish festivals and sees Irish bands and drinks Irish beer. She doesn't understand how I can have Irish heritage and not give a fuck about some lame Irish bands and queer leprechan fuckers."

I am not Irish or Catholic but I agree. FWIW St. Patrick was a really interesting person and worth celbrating. Modern St. Patrick's day in contrast is just a big comercial characterature of the Iris. If I were Irish I would be insulted to.

I was in Ireland for the 4th of July once and it reminded me of St. Patrick's day here. It was actually kind of a big deal, no parades or anything but a lot of partying. But the celebtration was some bastardized cartoon version of America and cowboys and such. So I guess the Irish get their revenge that way.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

I didn't say he didn't do good work, J.C.R., just that he seemed to be an asshole.

(Hey, that discription might fit a lot of us around here!)

[jtuf]

Regarding the Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) gets seduced in the new Sacha Baron Cohen movie, link. I think the incedent mostly bolster's Ron Paul's libertarian credentials. Paul was just trying to give an interview, a task that is part and parcel with his job description. The interviewer maded blatant, unwanted sexual advances on Paul. Paul tried to just ignore him, but the interviewer wouldn't let up. Finally, the interviewer drops his pants and Paul leaves the room to avoid conflict. Granted, Paul should have said the interviewer was a sexual harrasser instead of chalking the behavior up to homosexuality. However the bulk of criticism should go to the interviewer. When did sexual harrassment become funny?

[FrBunny]

queer leprechan fuckers

"I build three houses with me own two hands, and nobody calls me an architect. But I fuck one queer leprechaun..."

[John]

"I will forgive any number of personality flaws of anyone who's brave enough to fight slavery the way that John Brown did. The man is a hero in my book."

The Southerners lost the war but got to write the history. That is the grand compromise we made to move on after the war I think. So, Brown and the abolitionists were extremist nutcases as opposed to the gentile civilized Southerners who just happened to hold 1/3 of their population in bondage and Lee was the greatest general in American history even though he pissed away large portions of his army to win tactical but strategically meaningless victories and lost the damn war and so forth.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

Witness: Anyone who is insulted or offended by modern-day St. Patrick Day festivities is an asshole.

[Reinmoose]

Just as I can't understand the objections to a commercial holiday that endorses chocolate and sex, I can't understand the objections to a commercial holiday that endorses drinking.

Sure, the buttholes who are currently at bars drinking green beer, skipping classes/work, and wearing those shamrock-shaped plastic glasses and shit are asking to get run down by a car.

[O\'Taktix?]

St. Patrick was one of the first serious thinkers in the world to argue against Slavery. He is in many ways the West's first abolitionist. Know something about history before you say things shitbag.

Yes, because Catholics have never enslaved or even generally oppressed anybody. Know something about fanaticism and perhaps grammer before you post, shitbag.

[BDB]

I think our civil war must be the only one in all of history where monuments were built to the losers.

[EJM]

FWIW, Guinness is very popular in Nigeria, even though St. Patrick's Day apparently isn't.

[Episiarch]

Moose, try living on the Upper East Side and coming out of the 86th St. subway station after work on the day that you forgot was St. Patrick's Day. You'll come to hate it too. Every douchebag puking green beer has bar hopped uptown all day and lands right on your fucking doorstep. The streets the next morning are covered in green vomit.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

My ex-wife is mainstream Irish-American. Her brother played in a popular local Irish-American band. They were into Shamrock Club activities. She even spawned a couple of cute little papists for me and helped me develop an unquenchable thirst for the Guinness, don't you know. I always enjoyed the Irish-American "cultural" crap.
Of course, SERIOUS Irish-Americans wouldn't be caught dead drinking green beer.

[John]

"Yes, because Catholics have never enslaved or even generally oppressed anybody. Know something about fanaticism and perhaps grammer before you post, shitbag."

Clearly St. Patrick is responsible for all of the religion's sins. Certainly anyone who is associated with the religion must be an enslaving facshist. Stereotype much? The fact that some people in the world have been irrational, hatful bigoted douchebags does not give you license to be one yourself.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

I knew something was amiss today. Fixed handle for the spirit o' peaceful destruction of the Imperialists.

[bookworm]

"The Southerners lost the war but got to write the history."

If the Southerners had really gotten to write the history, Lincoln wouldn't be be so admired as he is.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

Her brother played in a popular local Irish-American band. They were into Shamrock Club activities.

I hope they were contributing to The Cause.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

They were Republicans, not Republicans.

[Mad Max]

Of the eight links, seven are to stories from the past few days. The exception is a BBC story from 2005 about a speech by Pope Benedict.

Here is the full text of the speech, and here is the offending paragraph:

'4. Family life has always been a unifying characteristic of African society. In fact, it is within the "domestic Church", "built on the solid cultural pillar and noble values of the African tradition of the family", that children first learn of the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian life (cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 92). It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraceptive mentality, all of which contribute to a breakdown in sexual morality. Brother Bishops, I share your deep concern over the devastation caused by AIDS and related diseases. I especially pray for the widows, the orphans, the young mothers and all those whose lives have been shattered by this cruel epidemic. I urge you to continue your efforts to fight this virus which not only kills but seriously threatens the economic and social stability of the Continent. The Catholic Church has always been at the forefront both in prevention and in treatment of this illness. The traditional teaching of the Church has proven to be the only failsafe way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. For this reason, "the companionship, joy, happiness and peace which Christian marriage and fidelity provide, and the safeguard which chastity gives, must be continuously presented to the faithful, particularly the young" (Ecclesia in Africa, 116).'

Note that the Pope includes the contraceptive mentality among a list of things contributing to the breakdown of sexual morality. If you want to see someone explicitly link sexual immorality to AIDS, you may wish to consult the United Nations (notorious for its willingness to carry water for the Vatican):

'it appears that more than half of the surveyed HIV-infected women who were married or cohabiting had been infected by someone other than their current partner. . . .

'Sex work is an important factor in many of West Africa's HIV epidemics. More than one third (35%) of female sex workers surveyed in 2006 in Mali were living with HIV, and infection levels exceeding 20% have been documented among sex workers in Senegal and Burkina Faso. Sex work plays an important, but less central, role in HIV transmission in southern Africa, where exceptionally high background prevalence results in substantial HIV transmission during sexual intercourse unrelated to sex work. . . .

'Several recent studies suggest that unprotected anal sex between men is probably a more important factor in the epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa than is commonly thought. In Zambia, one in three (33%) surveyed men who have sex with men tested HIV-positive. In the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, 43% of men who said they had sex only with other men were found to be living with HIV. HIV prevalence of 22% was found among the 463 men who have sex with men who participated in a study in Dakar, Senegal.'

Possibly off topic, but here is another factor identified by the UN:

''Injecting drug use is a factor to some extent in several of the HIV epidemics in East and southern Africa, including Mauritius, where the use of contaminated injecting equipment is the main cause of HIV infection. In various studies, about half of the injecting drug users tested in the Kenyan cities of Mombassa (50%) and Nairobi (53%) were HIV positive.'

[Citizen N O\'thing]

The Pope might do some good work, but he seems like an asshole.

[Episiarch]

and helped me develop an unquenchable thirst for the Guinness

Guiness is a good tasting beer but, surprisingly, it is a very low alcohol content beer. One of the lowest. And that just won't do.

[BDB]

Ya know, you could prevent HIV transmission by wearing condoms.

Whens the last time the Church endorsed THAT?

[BDB]

"The Pope might do some good work, but he seems like an asshole."

He's a little old lady virgin who engineered his own election as Pope.

[Lepri Khan]

An attractive blonde from Cork, Ireland arrived at the casino. She seemed a little intoxicated and bet twenty-thousand Euros on a single roll of the dice. She said, 'I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when I'm completely nude.' With that, she stripped from the neck down, rolled the dice and with an Irish brogue yelled, 'Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!'

As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up and down and squealed...'YES! YES! I WON, I WON!'
She hugged each of the dealers and then picked up her winnings and her clothes and quickly departed.

The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded. Finally, one of them asked, 'What did she roll?'
The other answered, 'I don't know - I thought you were watching.'

MORAL OF THE STORY -
Not all Irish are drunks,
not all blondes are dumb,
but all men...are men.

[Citizen N O\'thing]

So, St. Patrick, John Brown and the Pope walk into a bar...

[John]

"If the Southerners had really gotten to write the history, Lincoln wouldn't be be so admired as he is."

He is not among many historians. Further, after the Southerners murdered him he was such an icon that even they really couldn't say much bad about him at least until the late 20th Century.

The Southerns lost the war, but wrote the history and won the courts.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm with Episushi--weak beer simply won't do.

My favorite St. Patrick's Day moment came from The Fugitive movie: "If they can dye the [Chicago] river green today, why can't they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year?"

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

With that, she stripped from the neck down

Was she wearing a collar?

[John]

"Guiness is a good tasting beer but, surprisingly, it is a very low alcohol content beer. One of the lowest. And that just won't do."

Guiness is only drinkable in Ireland. The stuff just doesn't travel well. In Ireland it is this wonderfully complex flavored beer. In America it tastes like something you scrapped off a dirty barbeque grill.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

So, St. Patrick, John Brown and the Pope walk into a bar

OW!

[Citizen N O\'thing]

John must be one o' them gay eye-ties.

And, "I thought that drinking just to get drunk was a waste of precious booze."

[Episiarch]

I'm with Episushi--weak beer simply won't do.

You'd be very proud, ProL--often I drink an 8% Scottish Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery.

[BDB]

"Guiness is only drinkable in Ireland. The stuff just doesn't travel well. "

I don't think it has to do with traveling, American Guiness is brewed in Canada IIRC.

[Pro Libertate]

Ooh, nice. If it's not Scottish, it's crap!

[Mad Max]

(Alcoholics please skip the next paragraph)

It seems that some posters on the Reason blog have something of an aversion to evidence-based argument where Catholic issues are concerned.

-Responding to my citation of a United Nations report with the rebuttal that the Pope is an "ashole"

-Claiming that condoms "prevent" HIV transmission, when even modern, hep sex educations only go so far as to say that condoms mean "safer" sex.

-Flunking elementary statistics, ignoring the fact that increased use of the proportion of condom use per sex act, if it's associated (as in the U.S.) with an increased number of sex acts, is pretty pointless.

Remember how the Sangerites promised Americans (and people in other countries) that widespread availability of birth control (including condoms), and the free circulation of information about same, would lead to reduction in the number of abortions and illegitimate births (this was back when Sanger and her associates denounced abortion and claimed to have the remedy for it)? Now that we're reached the Sangerite utopia, with condoms available for sale at convenience stores, gas stations, student centers, etc. across this land of ours, how are we doing with the illegitimacy and abortion rates?

[R C Dean]

It seems Pelosi is actually pushing for a pullback in antitrust, ownership and other government regulations in order to help the newpapers.

Isn't she just pushing an exemption for her hometown liberal newspaper, the one with a long record of supporting her? I don't think there's anything the least bit principled going on here.

[bookworm]

"The Southerns lost the war, but wrote the history and won the courts."

I know two things that the Northerners won at. They freed the slaves and they passed the 14th Amendment to apply the Bill of Rights at the state and local level.

[Feti]

"Now that we're reached the Sangerite utopia, with condoms available for sale at convenience stores, gas stations, student centers, etc. across this land of ours, how are we doing with the illegitimacy and abortion rates?"

Sanger was of the Devil.

[Warren]

Annual obligatory link. I was really hoping to find it on YouTube this year. But my two minute search came up empty.

[P Brooks]

With that, she stripped from the neck down

"You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Randy Newman is in my head, now.

[Pro Libertate]

Warren,

Loved that man.

[ed]

"She's [Pelosi] been a big fan of newspapers her whole life," Daly said. "She wants to ensure their survival, but is also very concerned about antitrust laws."

Hear that? It's the sound of 10,000 chickens coming home to roost.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

Warren,

He was ok, but certainly no Guthrie.

[John]

"I know two things that the Northerners won at. They freed the slaves and they passed the 14th Amendment to apply the Bill of Rights at the state and local level."

Yes they did. But they also pulled out of reconstruction in 1876 and had the Supreme Court give us Plessey v. Ferguson.

[John]

"I don't think it has to do with traveling, American Guiness is brewed in Canada IIRC."

I didn't know that. Fucking Canadians. It also has to do I think with US Bars not cleaning their tap lines enough and also not selling guiness in high volume so the stuff sits in the tap lines and gets stale. There are a few high end bars that sell a lot of guiness where the quality is pretty Irish like.

[zoltan]

The Pope is a moron. I guess he thinks if he gets non-HIV-infected little boys to bonk everyday then everyone else should be celibate like him.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

John,

Sounds like we need some Federal stimulus to correct this health problem.

[yet another dave]

We call St Patricks day 'amateur night' at my local because of all the ukrainian's, polish and italian's etc etc who come out to get sloshed on crappy beer that's dyed green (molson, budweiser et al) and wear big stupid hats.... brutal

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

zoltan,

This pope is very intolerant of homosexuality and NAMBLA freedoms too.

[Warty]

You'd be very proud, ProL--often I drink an 8% Scottish Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery.

Great Lakes Blackout Stout, niggas. Especially great when drunk by the liter.

[Warren]

He was ok, but certainly no Guthrie.

TofuSushi
Arlo or Woody?

[Theo]

"TofuSushi
Arlo or Woody?"

Tyrone.

[prolefeed]

WTF did Ron Paul think would happen if he met with Sasha Baron Cohen? Didn't any of his staffers watch the previous movie and think, "Whoa, this won't turn out well?"

[Episiarch]

Warty, your beer, much like your seed, is weak and watery. Try this.

[zoltan]

Anyone ever tried Victory's Storm King? That is mouth-destroying.

[Episiarch]

I've only had Victory's Golden Monkey and Hop Wallop.

[Warty]

Take your weak sauce and use it as a lubricant, Epi. If you're going to use beer as a test of manhood, you should be drinking Hopdevil.

Either that, or you should swill Baltika #9 for a dollar a bottle at some dive bar. It took Russians to perfect malt liquor's foulness, so it seems.

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

Arlo or Woody?

Either. They both wrote freedom songs.

[Episiarch]

Either that, or you should swill Baltika #9 for a dollar a bottle at some dive bar.

Wow, that looks disgusting. "A shot of cheap vodka dropped into a Miller High Life."

When I drink cheap crap, I get a Longhammer IPA. Wait, I never drink cheap crap.

[yet another dave]

I don't think it has to do with traveling, American Guiness is brewed in Canada IIRC.

...Actually if I recall only bottles of Guiness Stout are brewed under license by labatt in Canada the cans and kegs are imported at least in they are in Canada

[yet another dave]

oh and for those lookin' for a craptastik good time try

http://40ouncebeer.com/40/bigbear40.html

[John C. Randolph]

Just happened across this story, which may explain why Cohen tends to pull his stunts in the south, where people tend to be more trusting.

-jcr

[Zeb]

Mad Max, people can fuck as much as they want. Something about rights and freedom, I think. Everyone is not going to become catholic and be celibate or in a monogamous marriage. So, in the real world, where people live and fuck and do drugs and get abortions, condoms do reduce the spread of AIDS and the Pope refusing to support distribution of condoms in Africa makes him a giant fucking asshole with a lot of blood on his hands. Once you have convinced everyone to be a good catholic, we can get rid of contraception.

And "illegitimacy"? Really?

[Mad Max]

JCR,

This is one of the times that I cheer for the Yankee.

Now, to give Cohen his due, I observe that in at least one other instance, he is willing to take risks for his art. From the article:

'[Cohen's character] sits down with a leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, who tells Bruno to leave after Bruno tells him "your King Osama" looks like a "dirty wizard."'

[Mad Max]

Zeb,

Yes, it's much more realistic to insist that straying African men grow sensitive and decide to use condoms for the sake of women's health. Much less utopian.

[cionaodh (kinnath)]

Nicolas Sarkozy, The French President, is sitting in his office when his telephone rings.

"Hallo, Mr. Sarkozy!" a heavily accented voice said.

"This is Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Clare , Ireland . I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you! We voted to reject the Lisbon treaty!"

"Well, Paddy," Sarkozy replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," says Paddy, after a moment's calculation, "there's meself, me cousin Sean, me next door neighbor Seamus, and the entire darts team from the pub That makes eleven!"

Sarkozy paused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 100,000 men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begoora!" says Paddy. "I'll have to ring you back."

The next day, Paddy calls again. "Mr. Sarkozy, the war is still on. We have managed to get us some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be Paddy?" Sarkozy asks..

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm tractor."

Sarkozy sighs. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 6,000 tanks and 5,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I have increased my army to 150,000 since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" says Paddy. "I'll have to get back to you."

Paddy rings again the next day. "Mr. Sarkozy, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We have modified Jackie McLaughlin's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Bar have joined us as well!"

Sarkozy was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 100 bombers and 200 fighter planes. My military bases are surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I have increased my army to 200,000!"

"Mary and Joseph!" says Paddy, "I will have to ring you back."

Sure enough, Paddy calls again the next day. "Top o' the mornin', Mr. Sarkozy! I am sorry to inform you that we have had to call off the war."

"Really? I am sorry to hear that," says Sarkozy. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well," says Paddy, "we had a long chat over a few pints of Guinness and packets of crisps, and we decided there is no fookin' way we can feed 200,000 prisoners."

[Pro Libertate]

You know, when I lived in Chicago, St. Patrick's Day was the purported big day for drinking, but the real celebration--in my opinion--was Oktoberfest. Lots of undyed brew and heavy, brew-absorbing food. Oh, yeah. And no one-day celebration, either. With much less Irish crap.

[Mad Max]

What does a German say when he wakes up the day after Oktoberfest?

'Mein Gott, I vas so drunk I don't remember vat countries I invaded last night.'

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

PL,

Oktoberfest should be the biggest day in Chicago to celebrate the Workers Victory over the Fascist police during the Pilsner riots.

[economist]

Ron Paul should have endorsed Bob Barr. Maybe then Barr would have warned him about Cohen.

[economist]

Mad Max,
People do all sorts of crazy things when they're drunk.

General Tojo, after a wild sake bender:

"I ordered the bombing of WHAT harbor?"

[alan]

Just happened across this story, which may explain why Cohen tends to pull his stunts in the south, where people tend to be more trusting.

It doesn't appear Cohen is going to stop doing this kind of shit anytime soon despite the fair warning the good Yankee gentlemen gave him.

Good men, I suggest we have a deadpool.

[Honest Abe]

"Wait- what? I freed who? Oooh, my head."

[Shane Brady]

jtuf,

All this interview with Cohen bolstered, was Ron Paul's reputation as an out of touch homophobe.

[O\'jism]

"All this interview with Cohen bolstered, was Ron Paul's reputation as an out of touch homophobe."

Walking away from someone who shows you his penis is now considered homophobic?

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

Walking away from someone who shows you his penis is now considered homophobic?

For the people who selected you as their partner, yes.

[kinnath]

From Slate:

Finally, Paul asks what's going on. "Don't worry about it, Dr. Paul," says Bruno, who then unbuckles his belt and drops his pants. At that point, Paul snaps up and storms out of the room.

As Paul is walking away, you can hear him say, several times, something like, "This guy is a queer!" "The word queer comes out of his mouth three or four times," says an attendee.

Walking away from someone who shows you his penis is now considered homophobic?

When a six-foot blonde in drag says queer, it's OK, when a grey-haired guy from TX says it, then it's clearly homophobic.

Just like black comedians can say nigger, but old white crackers can't.

Got it?

[TofuSushi w/O\'ganicWasabi]

kinnath,

Excellent! You know, it is hard to bring across the dual standard defense of political corret enlightnment without it sounding like a double standard.

Bravo to you!

[Pro Libertate]

iSeppuku. New. Trendy. Functional.

[kinnath]

Bravo to you!

This dumb mic has been burned enough times to recognize a pattern.

[crimethink]

How would Ron Paul react to Dr. Manhattan?

Seriously though, for all those condemning RP as being out of touch, I'm sure Cohen was not using his real name when he contacted Paul's people for an interview.

[crimethink]

I do wonder how the rLOVEution dead-enders are going to react to this movie. On the one hand, they seem to feel they must see every scrap of film that offers a glimpse of Dr Paul, but on the other hand, they probably don't want to support a movie that embarrasses him.

[O\'Taktix?]

I can deal with a guy getting pissed and calling out offensive names when they're being pushed this hard.

Were Bruno real, he'd have crossed the line long before Dr. Paul. Sadly, this is going to be edited in such a way that Dr. Paul will be made to be a gay basher, when even most non-homophobic people would be freaking out at the same thing.

Now if Cohen was in Black Face...

[Moses]

Let my penis go!

[Reformed Republican]

"I build three houses with me own two hands, and nobody calls me an architect. But I fuck one queer leprechaun..."

That is because architects design houses, they do not build them.

[P Brooks]

It's too bad Dr Paul didn't pull out a pistol and shoot Cohen's balls off. One at a time.

[John C. Randolph]

It's too bad Dr Paul didn't pull out a pistol and shoot Cohen's balls off. One at a time.

That would have been excessive. Filing charges however, would have been entirely appropriate. In fact, if I were in Dr. Paul's shoes at this point, I'd sue Cohen for more than the entire proceeds of the film.

-jcr

[jtuf]

Shane Brady | March 17, 2009, 1:46pm | #

jtuf,

All this interview with Cohen bolstered, was Ron Paul's reputation as an out of touch homophobe.

O'jism | March 17, 2009, 2:02pm | #

"All this interview with Cohen bolstered, was Ron Paul's reputation as an out of touch homophobe."

Walking away from someone who shows you his penis is now considered homophobic?

I certainly hope not, O'jism. Otherwise I would be a heterophobe for walking away from the woman who flashed me in college. I tell you, after a certain point, having random women throw themselves at me starts to get annoying.

[John C. Randolph]

I would also expect that a lot of gays are going to be furious with Cohen for pushing stereotypes.

-jcr

[jtuf]

I'm with you jcr. Ron Paul should file sexual harrassment charges against Cohen.

[jtuf]

I too wonder how the LBG community is going to react to this case. On the one hand, Paul did use the word queer as an insult. On the other hand, Cohen pretended to be gay so that he could commit sexual harrassment. I think Cohen's offense was the worse of the two by far.

[Mad Max]

Suing Cohen might put a dent in his loutishness, but I hope someone *other than* Dr. Paul does the honors.

If Dr. Paul files the lawsuit Cohen deserves, a certain class of Ron Paul supporter would be indignant, and some of the good doctor's non-supporters would use a Paul lawsuit as an occasion to portray the plaintiff as an out-of-touch geezer without a sense of humor. Not to mention the free publicity Cohen would get - My Struggle with the American Radical Right.

Let one of Cohen's nonpolitical victims file the necessary lawsuits. At least they should be entitled to a share of the money Cohen made off of them.

[jj]

If the stereotype of gays was the norm, then yes, fuck gays. (Which it's not, and so don't.)

You have no right to sexually harrass someone else. This was fraudulent, abusive, and, as far as Paul knew, a step towards rape.

[Shane Brady]

All the Ron Paul apologists are completely missing the point. When confronted with individual who was committing offensive behavior, Ron reverted to collectivist name calling. He didn't call Cohen a rapist, harasser, etc. He decided to derisively call Cohen a queer, based on aggressive behavior that has nothing to do with being gay.

[short, fat bastard]

And when a blonde in minivan cuts me off on the freeway, I call her a cunt -- not because I don't believe women should have equal rites, but because I know it's hurtful.

[P Brooks]

When confronted with individual who was committing offensive behavior, Ron reverted to collectivist name calling.

Oh, horror!

[jtuf]

jtuf | March 17, 2009, 10:34am | #

Regarding the Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) gets seduced in the new Sacha Baron Cohen movie, link. I think the incedent mostly bolster's Ron Paul's libertarian credentials. Paul was just trying to give an interview, a task that is part and parcel with his job description. The interviewer maded blatant, unwanted sexual advances on Paul. Paul tried to just ignore him, but the interviewer wouldn't let up. Finally, the interviewer drops his pants and Paul leaves the room to avoid conflict. Granted, Paul should have said the interviewer was a sexual harrasser instead of chalking the behavior up to homosexuality. However the bulk of criticism should go to the interviewer. When did sexual harrassment become funny?

Brady, what part of "Granted, Paul should have said the interviewer was a sexual harrasser instead of chalking the behavior up to homosexuality," didn't you understand? Using a derogatory term while stressed is bad. Cohen's unwanted advances were worse. Where is your condemnation of Cohen?

[jj]

Paul didn't do enough to Cohen. He should have called him queer, and, as mentioned by others, shot off his testicles.

[R C Dean]

When confronted with individual who was committing offensive behavior, Ron reverted to collectivist name calling.

I don't get it. What is "collectivist" about calling someone impersonating an offensive gay man a "queer"?

[Shane Brady]

jtuf,

Cohen took off his pants, get a grip on yourself. Unless you have some deep seated fear of gay men, it didn't sound like a particularly threatening situation. No one from the Ron Paul camp has said any such thing. They haven't even categorically denied he called him a queer.

[Shane Brady]

jj,

Methinks you have some issues.

[John C. Randolph]

Shane,

How good are you at keeping your composure when some asshole flashes you? I think you're full of shit.

-jcr

[John C. Randolph]

They haven't even categorically denied he called him a queer.

Dr. Paul showed remarkable restraint in the face of deliberate and egregious provocation by a hypocritical, self-promoting, race-baiting, left-wing rat bastard.

That's the long and short of it, and if his reaction doesn't pass muster as far as you're concerned, then FUCK YOU TOO.

-jcr

[jtuf]

Shane Brady | March 17, 2009, 7:39pm | #

jtuf,

Cohen took off his pants, get a grip on yourself. Unless you have some deep seated fear of gay men, it didn't sound like a particularly threatening situation. No one from the Ron Paul camp has said any such thing. They haven't even categorically denied he called him a queer.

Just to clarify, Shane. Do you believe it should be legal for a coworker to drop his or her pants and flash someone in the office?

[jtuf]

Shane, I object to the flashing, not the orientation or sex of the flasher. I disliked it when a woman flashed me on the street in college. Considering the real prejudices the LBG community faces in marriage laws, it's shameful for you to try to justify sexual harrassment in the name of tolerance towards gays.

[jtuf]

On a lighter note, here's a joke you guys might like.

A prosecutor argues an obscenity case before a judge. "Your Honor," he says, "the accused must be put away for the sake of society. He was featured on a video that contained 20 defecation scenes and over 50 urination scenes. We just can not allow this type of filth in our district."

The defendent presented his case, "Your Honor, in all fairness, the prosecutor's office is the one that installed a video camera in my bathroom without my consent."