Reason Morning Links: Obama To Meet Dalai Lama, Bank Oversight Agency Agreement, DHS Missing Guns

• Obama defies China, will meet with Dalai Lama.
• White House, Senate near agreement on new bank oversight agency.
• American missionaries charged with child kidnapping in Haiti return home.
• The battle over Millard Fillmore.
• Dept. of Homeland Security employees lost nearly 300 guns between 2006 and 2008.

Comments

[Death Panelist]

Buffalo should hold out for a Jim Kelly dollar.

[Ska]

And a Scott Norwood penny.

[FrBunny]

Most unintentionally hilarious headline of the morning:

Can Greece Pull Out of the Euro?

[Ska]

Doesn't the Euro know you can't pregnant that way?

[FrBunny]

C'mon, it's Greece. The Euro is clearly another dude.

[Ska]

So do you think they worry the drachma will come from behind to top the euro?

[FrBunny]

Better to come from behind than not at all.

[JW]

Isn't that what they call the money shot?

[Tulpa]

I just wish they'd pull the grease out of my gyros.

[Warty]

You want a lowfat gyro? ...Are you sure you're a living human being?

[Lord Jubjub]

If they want the dollar coin to be successful, they will have to get rid of the paper dollar.

Not that it matters. The last time I dealt in cash was when I collected funds for the alcohol for the company thanksgiving potluck.

[Nick]

The coin dollar will never be successful until strippers figure out a sexy way to collect it.

[Tulpa]

Most strippers don't even take singles anymore (the surest sign of inflation).

[John Tagliaferro]

I think $5 is the norm for when they come off stage.

[Bambi]

Coin slot, duh!

[C-man]

Never heard of panty shots??? They do it with quarters now. Sometimes I sneak a penny in there...that pisses them off.

[FrBunny]

Obama defies China, will meet with Dalai Lama.

"Do I look like Mrs Obama?"

[Jim]

"Obama defies China, will meet with Dalai Lama."

So at least he's got that going for him.

[Pro Libertate]

Let's just hope that the Lama--who is a big hitter--gives Obama total consciousness. He needs it.

[JW]

10 bucks says that Biden tries to rub the Dalai Lama's belly.

[Rich]

20 bucks says that the DL will laugh heartily about it.

[Joe M]

So Obama is pissing off China at the time when he supposedly needs them on board for sanctions against Iran? Well played, sir.

[Tulpa]

No kidding. The kicker, of course, is that he pissed off our E. European allies by dismantling the missile defense system there, in an attempt to get the Kremlin on board with pressuring Iran (which predictably didn't work); but now he's pissing off China so he can get a photo-op with an ineffectual and meaningless "spiritual leader" who most Tibetans probably don't give two shits about at this point.

[Imperfect Kyle Jordan]

Some of his clusterfucks are really beginning to border on surreal.

I wonder if he might snap in office?

[John Tagliaferro]

Maybe Obama is getting even with China for selling off so much US debt.

That'll teach them!

[Mango Punch]

selling off so much US debt

FALSE

[John Tagliaferro]

Okay, selling the T-bills they hold on the open market and Japan buying most of them.

[Enough About Palin]

APNewsBreak: Top UN climate official resigning

AMSTERDAM -- Top U.N. climate change official Yvo de Boer told The Associated Press on Thursday that he was resigning after nearly four years, a period when governments struggled without success to agree on a new global warming deal.

His departure takes effect July 1, five months before 193 nations are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt to reach a binding worldwide accord on controlling greenhouse gases. De Boer's resignation adds to the uncertainty that a full treaty can be finalized there.

De Boer is known to be deeply disappointed with the outcome of the last summit in Copenhagen, which drew 120 world leaders but failed to reach more than a vague promise by several countries to limit carbon emissions - and even that deal fell short of consensus.

But he denied to the AP that his decision to quit was a result of frustration with Copenhagen.

"Copenhagen wasn't what I had hoped it would be," he acknowledged, but the summit nonetheless prompted governments to submit plans and targets for reigning in the emissions primarily blamed for global warming. "I think that's a pretty solid foundation for the global response that many are looking for," he said.

De Boer told the AP he believes talks "are on track."

He recommended the next talks take a different tack. Rather than convene several negotiating sessions involving nearly 200 countries, Mexico, which is chairing the negotiations throughout this year, should prepare the November conference to work in smaller groups to lay the groundwork of a deal.

The Mexicans should "engage more intensively early in the process, so that you don't only rely on formal meetings but through bilateral contacts and frequent meetings in a smaller setting and an earlier understanding of how the process can be advanced," he told AP.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....tml?sub=AR

[Plague Dog]

The Rats. They appear to be going somewhere. I wonder where?

Bye bye ratties. [waves]

[Enough About Palin]

Duke lacrosse accuser charged with attempted murder, arson

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7068705/

[Fist of Etiquette]

The three children inside the house, ages 3, 9 and 10, were not injured.

Too bad Nifong lost his license. Sounds like she's going to need a zealous advocate at the defense table.

[Tear Down that Text Wall]

Y'know, you could save some space and just say "Check out Drudge, guyz!"

[Enough About Palin]

We cull Drudge so you don't have to.

[Rich]

Careful, EAP.

This site has been reported for racism.

[Ska]

I feel so ashame for still commenting here.

[Naomi Klein]

See! Battered woman syndrome! You patriarchalists were wrong all the time!

[Imperfect Kyle Jordan]

Mouth off again and you'll taste the back of my hand!

[The Mirror]

a council of regulators, led by the Treasury secretary, to identify systemic risk to the nation's financial system

Hey, guys, look at me!

[Johnny Longtorso]

The Baby Lottery: A rational redistributive plan.
...Instead of the old Marxist plan to redistribute property--and let's face it, that always took a bloody revolution and even then, it didn't always work out so well--how about redistributing babies at birth, a kind of big baby lottery?...

The Golden Girls: How One TV Show Turned A Generation Of American Boys Into Homosexuals

The battle over Millard Fillmore.

F-F-Fil M-M-Ore, Filmore Junior High!!

[FrBunny]

Johnny Longtorso, fearlessly bringing you yesterday's jokes today.

[Johnny Longtorso]

I forgot where I originally saw it, but did a google search of Reason for the link before (re)posting it.

Sorry.

[The Ghost of H. L. Mencken]

"You ask a kid in Moravia, what was the first thing that Fillmore bought with the money he saved from working when he was young? They'll tell you?a dictionary!"

** grins **

[Johnny Longtorso]

IMF Announces Gold Liquidation, Sending Bulls Hiding In The Corner

[George Soros]

The IMF board approved sales of 403.3 metric tons of gold in September to create a more stable income model and boost support for low-income countries. About 212 metric tons have already been sold off-market to central banks of India, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

Dibs on Mauritius!

[R C Dean]

IMF sales are never on the open market, but can only, by charter, be made to central banks.

The IMF sale last year (to India) immediately preceded the run-up to record nominal highs (in dollar prices).

Previous IMF sales, and central bank sales, have immediately preceded run-ups in the price.

Gold has already recovered what it dropped yesterday on the announcement.

That said, I'm not sure gold is done correcting from the last run-up in price.

[Enough About Palin]

South Carolina Rep. Mike Pitts has introduced legislation that would mandate that gold and silver coins replace federal currency as legal tender in his state.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2.....7403.shtml

[Ska]

Do you have to register as a revolutionary before using the currency?

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Dept. of Homeland Security employees lost nearly 300 guns between 2006 and 2008.

This problem is not confined to DHS. Other law enforcement agencies lose guns, too, and not just officer's issue weapons: there was a small scandal in D.C. some years back when the municipal PD "lost" firearms out of evidence lockers which meant that the same guns were being used by criminals over and over again.

But of course D.C.'s crime problem still gets blamed on Virginia's gun owners.

(Filing note: file under "only professionally trained law enforcement officers are responsible enough to carry firearms")

[sage]

I think that headline should read:

Dept. of Homeland Security employees "lost" nearly 300 guns between 2006 and 2008.

[Cabeza de Vaca]

12 year old girl arrested for doodling on school desk.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/.....tml?hpt=C1

[Rich]

Whew. Good thing she didn't doodle a picture of a knife or gun.

[Tulpa]

Obviously she shouldn't have been arrested, but she should have received some disciplanary action. Though with Reason's recent cafeteria-style approach to property rights, I might be in the minority here on that one.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Well, I can only speak for myself but I agree that children should be taught not to damage the property of others, and such teaching will on occasion require disciplinary action. In my (admittedly distant) day this would have involved staying after school to clean up the doodles, plus cleaning every other desk in the classroom.

[Slut Bunwalla]

I got in trouble for drawing on my desk once. Had to stay after class and clean it off. Might have gotten detention or something too, I don't remember. The police were not called.

[Tulpa]

From the article:

Kenneth Trump, a security expert who founded the National School Safety and Security Services consulting firm, said focusing on security is essential to the safety of other students. He said zero tolerance policies can work if "common sense is applied."

What a ridiculous statement. Zero tolerance, by definition, precludes any exercise of common sense. It is designed to prevent discrimination lawsuits by removing any discretion on the part of school officials.

[The Other Kevin]

The battle over Millard Fillmore.

I don't find that comic strip very funny, and I'm amazed anyone would care enough to fight over it.

[P Brooks]

Homeland Security "took immediate action" to correct problems, department spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said Wednesday.

Nothing to see here, et c.

[P Brooks]

Reason's recent cafeteria-style approach to property rights

DRINK!

[P Brooks]

Parsimonious President Passionately Praises Parsimony!!1!

[John Tagliaferro]

Assasins from Tesla motors fail to destroy Apple computer headquarters with air attack.

[Mango Punch]

Warrantless search of cell phones ...totally legel according to our overlords.

[Me]

http://www.rollingstone.com/po.....out_hustle

I don't know how to make a link. Matt Taibbi really explains the Wall Street scam artists' craft.

[Me]

Looks like it makes the link for me. Cool