Reason Morning Links: ClimateGate Blows Over, Spy Swap, Obama Endorsement Power Fades

• Hawaii's governor vetoes bill allowing same-sex civil unions.
• U.S., Russia may swap spies.
• Obama uses recess appointment to name new head of Medicaid, Medicare.
• Obama endorsement may hurt candidates in battleground states.
• U.K. inquiry clears ClimateGate scientists.

Comments

[Johnny Longtorso]

Houston's Purple Drank slows another sports career to a stop

The Massachusetts Health-Care 'Train Wreck'

[Astrid]

I think the big question here is if it's also offered in "Orange Drank."

[Ska]

You might want to trademark that before St. Ides does....

[Brett L]

I thought I was smart when I used to dip cigarettes in the stuff, let it dry, and smoke 'em. This way is much better.

[Sudden]

Jamarcus Russell just thought the "Purple Drank" was flavored using skittles.

On a side note, seeing Trey Wingo use the term "purple drank" with journalistic seriousness last night was the highlight of my day.

I love laughing at the Raiders, and hopefully my Chiefs will have improved well enough where I can do it twice this season.

[Johnny Longtorso]

I'm thinking of changing my commenter name to "Purple Drank".

[txgypsy]

had to check the link.....thought it was about city of houstons tap water....

[Johnny Longtorso]

I'm thinking of changing my commenter name to "Purple Drank".

[The Angry Optimist]

"The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day," [Lingle] said. "It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials."

STFU, Gov. Lingle. Legislators are elected by the people to make decisions about governance on their behalf. Punting like this is unadulterated cowardice.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Lingle has come to realise that this whole republic thing just isn't working out.

[PIRS]

So how about government just getting out of the marriage biz altogether?

[Rich]

Are you kidding?! That would cause the fabric of society to unravel!

[Tulpa]

I'll remember that the next time you complain about a law making decisions about governance that you don't like. Such as the Controlled Substances Act, McCain Feingold, etc.

[The Angry Optimist]

Those acts would be just as repugnant if passed by plebiscite. You're misreading me. Is it intentional? Lingle's deliberately punting to the public to cover.

[Warty]

The label thinks it is hilarious.

[Ragin Cajun]

You mean Obama's endorsement might hurt a candidate in Louisiana? No, you don't say.

[Tulpa]

...or New Jersey and Massachusetts...

[Death Panelist]

U.K. inquiry clears Climategate scientists.

Praise Science, that's finally settled.

[Chris]

+1

[Gomer Pyle]

Obama to Bypass Senate to Name Health Official

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

[Obama]

Shut up and take it, bitch.

[New Jersey and Virginia]

Obama endorsement may hurt candidates in battleground states.

Tell me about it.

[James Ard]

Will someone finally call out the climate scientists when the ice cores show co2 lagging warming? We should be getting that report pretty soon.

[Chinny Chin Chin]

James,

They've got that one covered.

The argument goes: absent of human activity, CO2 increase does lag warming caused by variation in the planet's axis and rotation. Paleoclimatologists say that the extra CO2 (released by the warming earth) then amplifies the warming trend.

However, the human-caused increase of CO2 creates the same effect as the planetary shift, and forces warming all by itself.

[dbcooper]

Because Emily Gould's take-down of Jezebel deserves a repost:

http://www.slate.com/id/2259434/pagenum/all/

But especially for Jezebel writers, whose page-view-generating skills are a matter of public record, and whose careers are dependent on maintaining their stats, the pressure to continuously hit "outrage world" topics must be intense. As I write this, two of the five top stories on Jezebel have to do with weight loss: "Isn't It Time We Called 'Curvy Models' Simply 'Models?'" and "Lily Allen's Face Not Thin Enough For British Elle?" In the comments sections, readers are responding with naked bitterness: "The thin and pretty are like rich people. They are freely given advantages they already have," says sensitivitycop. NewWaveBatMitzvah chimes in with "I'm just glad that finally someone is paying attention to skinny women with large breasts. It's high time they get out from living in obscurity in the shadows where they cry themselves to sleep with tears of sorrow and loneliness."

On and on it goes, as commenters click again and again on the same post to follow the conversation, generating the traffic that enables the site to sell ad space. Right now, the ad alongside those headlines is for Cheetos.

[Warty]

HOW DARE YOU YOU SEXIST PIG SCREECH SCREECH SQUAWK

[Fluffy]

Thank you, Frito-Lay corporation or whoever makes Cheetos.

But why on Earth doesn't Prozac buy that ad space?

[Astrid]

+1

[SugarFree]

Market saturation.

[Maverick]

Are you crazy? Are you trying to summon the Baconnaise side banner?

[zoltan]

You should see the bitchy response to this on Jezebel--also the women of the Daily Show wrote their own response to Jezebel's horseshit. They hate beautiful women so much over there (unless said beautiful women are hefty, which hey, YMMV, but don't shit on other people's beauty standards).

[Rich]

U.S., Russia may swap spies.

Just remember, U.S., Anna Chapman is worth a *lot*.

[Karl Rove]

Obama endorsement may hurt candidates in battleground states.

That gives me an idea ....

[mr simple]

U.K. inquiry clears Climagegate scientists.

Right. Well the cops in LA were acquitted, I guess they didn't really beat Rodney King (to use one famous of many, many examples). I see no reason why the university that employs these people or the government that funds them and takes their orders would want to vindicate them.

[Chris]

All's well that bends well.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Radley: U.K. inquiry clears Climagegate scientists.
Principal Skinner: Hahahaha, lets go.
Superintendent Chalmers: Did that contributor say climagegate?
Principal Skinner: No he said climategate, it's about the heating planet.
Superintendent Chalmers: Hmm, it sounded like climagegate.
Principal Skinner: I've had a cold, so--
Superintendent Chalmers: Oh, so you hear t's as g's?

[Ska]

Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?

[P Brooks]

It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual

Especially if that individual was actually, you know, the person most directly affected by that decision.

[P Brooks]

I'm just glad that finally someone is paying attention to skinny women with large breasts.

It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

[PIRS]

"Obama endorsement may hurt candidates in battleground states."

It is refreshing that the popularity of the Obama Cult is decreasing.

[hmm]

Way to take Ronald's totally awesome post down!!!

[PIRS]

I thought it was kind of a zen statement on the nature of modern scientific enquiry.

But what it did need was a

[?]

Way to take Ronald's totally awesome post down!!!

It was cleared, twice.

We have to obey it now.

[hmm]

Canadian dogs are less fearful and more free than US dogs. Or at least they don't get shot by raving lunatic cops as much.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=96d_1278411831

[WTF]

I'm just wondering whether the people who claimed that the record cold temps and snows we got this past winter disproved global climate change (which they don't) will now similarly argue that the record-setting high temps we're currently getting here on the East Coast prove it (which they don't).

[Sudden]

Or the unseasonably cool summer here in Southern California.

[Pope Jimbo]

Nice little report on our own up and coming Joe Arpaio

A gushing story about an 8 year old kid who testified at a city council meeting after his home was burglarized.

"One idea I had was for the police to drive the SWAT vehicle around the city, put some fear in these criminals so they pack up and move somewhere else," he told the mayor and City Council members.

The tone of the comments seems to indicate that the kid could get elected on his platform of more SWAT teams.

[Warty]

And city officials have to get tough on crime. "If we can have zero tolerance in our elementary schools, then we should be able to go back to the '3 strikes and you're out of Brooklyn Park' rule. Let's do it," he told the council. "Please come up with more and better ways to enforce the laws so Brooklyn Park is a safer place to live."

"We need to get mean and we need to mean it. Thank you for listening," he said.

Logan has no shortage of ideas but said after the meeting that he had to come to the council because "I figured I couldn't start a whole program by myself.''

Someone needs a wedgie.

[Astrid]

And a swirly.

[Tulpa]

I was a veritable Black Panther when I was 8. He'll grow out of it.

[Warty]

You need a swirlie worse than this kid.

[Ska]

Joe Arpaio caters to those with the same mentality as an eight year old. Hardly surprising, is it?

[8 year old]

Fuck You Buddy

[Spartacus]

Mr. Ward said the scandal put scientists on notice that they were operating in a highly politicized environment?one in which personal conduct could come under as much scrutiny as the science itself.

Well, yes, it is a highly politicized environment. Because they wanted it that way.

[R C Dean]

Reap what you have sown, bitchez.

[Spartacus]

This is another illustration of Spartacus's Law Of The Bleeding Obvious:

When you depend on politicians for your livelihood, your livelihood will be determined by politics.

[Wind Rider]

With the new whitewash investigation report wrt Climate Shenanigans, that downloading a data file with global read permissions off of a publicly available FTP server share now constitutes 'theft', and 'making shit up as you go along' now constitutes a valid 'scientific method'

[Warty]

Narcissism 2010 has an end in sight.

[Ragin Cajun]

Finally, another barrier falls, the Clippers will have a Negro coach.

[P Brooks]

I think Trial by Combat would be an appropriate way to determine LeBron's next employer. Lock all the NBA team owners in a cage, and whoever emerges alive gets possession.

[Brett L]

Can I counter with Cheerleader Jello wrestling? I'll bet you could almost raise LeBron's salary if you sold pay-per-view for it. Everyone wins!

[Pope Jimbo]

You'd have to impose some sort of lottery ball angle. For example, instead of getting the first pick of the draft the owner who's ball was selected would get a chainsaw (or gun, or whatever).

I'll GAY-RON-TEE that Glen Taylor, owner of my Timberwolves, would be selected as low as mathematically possible and would be the second to last owner killed.

And it would be a mercy to be killed instead of having to endure another season of KG-less hoops.

[prolefeed]

The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day," [Lingle] said. "It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials."

Translation: "I've weighed which decision would net me the most votes when I run for U.S. Senate when Akaka or Inouye dies, and decided I'd get more votes vetoing the bill. And now, some bullshit to rationalize what I did."

[?????]

thanks