Reason Morning Links: Canadian Terror Plot, Hurricane Danielle Florida-Bound, the Prison Rape Epidemic

• Canada arrests three in alleged terror plot, including a former Canadian Idol contestant.
• Facebook attempting to trademark the words face and book.
• Financial world awaits Bernanke's statement on economic recovery today.
• Hurricane Danielle upgraded to Category 4 storm, may hit Florida by Labor Day.
• The federal government's meager response to prison rape.

Comments

[Johnny Longtorso]

Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats

EPA Considering Ban on Traditional Ammunition ? Take Action Now

[Corduroy]

What a joke. Banning lead in ammunition when hunting is probably at an all time low anyway. They're worried about lead poisoning of wildlife. Isn't that the point?

Meanwhile, natural gas wells are spewing toluene and benzene into the atmosphere completely unregulated.

[Brett L]

No worries, mate. They are only known to cause cancer in California. As long as you stay out of Cali, you're good.

Also, they are worried about lead leaching into the ground water. Is it a realistic fear? Probably not.

[Almanian]

Lots of studies say "no", not a concern. Lead is an issue when ingested (think breathing petrol fumes or eating paint chips) - ergo, makes some sense to remove lead from gasoline or from paint (for teh childrun).

"No lead bullets" really = "we couldn't get a gun range closed based on noise, so we'll go this route, cause everyone will be scared when we say 'lead in groundwater!!!1!!".

[JW]

OK, no lead. How about depleted uranium instead?

[Almanian]

How about non-depleted uranium?

[theocrat]

At the lake/park were I hunt (KS) you can't use lead shot.

[bubba]

Lead shot was banned near "wetlands" quite some time ago.

[Phil Smith]

I was told that the reason for that ban is because the waterfowl would ingest lead into their crops. I was also told by the same guy that steel shot puts more pellets where you want them anyway.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Actually, I don't know how seriously EPA really is "considering" banning lead in ammo. Several enviro groups have petitioned EPA to use its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act to do so. EPA has opened a docket to take public comments on the petition.

The petition is here in PDF.

EPA's docket to receive public comments, which are due no later than Oct. 31, is here.

I'm going to guess this is going nowhere. It has been tried before, and went up like a lead balloon (har, har). It would be very unpopular politically, I would think, and EPA would face massive negative comment from sportsman groups, NRA, etc, and not a few congressmen.

I'm guessing the enviro groups assumed that given the apparent inclinations of the current administration and EPA, their chances are about as good as or better than they've ever been at getting EPA to take this kind of action.

[?]

Hurricane Danielle...may hit Florida by Labor Day

It is not expected to come anywhere near Florida, unless Florida is now east of Bermuda.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?5-daynl

[grylliade]

Radley apparently misread this statement:

"I'm beginning to feel more and more confident that the Gulf and Florida will become targets for hurricane strikes as we approach and move through the Labor Day weekend," Rouiller said.

Which is understandable. It said that other hurricanes might hit Florida by Labor Day. I can see how one might misread that on a quick skim.

[alittlesense]

I read the Bloomberg story and it makes me wonder who they are hiring. My senile dog could write a more coherent story.

"...other hurricanes might hit Florida by Labor Day...." why not just say that "other hurricanes might hit Florida by Christmas" and make the prediciton a sure thing?

[Maverick]

TS Earl: Projected to remain in the middle of the Atlantic. Or hit Bermuda . . .

[Pro Libertate]

I intend to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[?]

Relax. You're on the left coast, aren't you? Nothing bad ever happens there.

Tick, tick, tick...

[Pro Libertate]

Well, the west coast gets clobbered periodically--Hurricane Charlie wasn't that long ago--but Tampa hasn't been hit by a hurricane in forty years, and it's been even longer since we've been hit by a major hurricane. That's why paying protection money on time is a good idea.

[JW]

I thought all hurricanes hit New Orleans by default.

What's the point of having an unstable and chaotic atmosphere without drama?

[Hugh Akston]

Hurricanes are prone to peer pressure from other hurricanes. Danielle could change course if the other storms taunt her enough.

[?]

Or if she threatens to build a mosque.

[Maverick]

Hurrican Danielle: Projected to remain in the middle of the Atlantic.

[Wind Rider]

But it's a HURRICANE. I'm beginning to wonder if there's some kind of conditioning that is a part of J-school. Do the professors chase the students around with sticks that have little hurricane symbols on the end for extra sting? Just searchin for an explanation for the Pavlovian Panic Attacks journalists have when you even mention the word Hurricane. Or maybe it's the "could" + "havoc! mayhem! Destruction" formula that's flooding their heads with endorphins or something.

[Spoonman.]

I've assumed it's because most journalists are from the North and Midwest and don't realize that hurricanes aren't usually a big deal, except when they're a really big fuckin' deal.

[Brett L]

Floridians don't even evacuate for anything under a Class 3. Everything that can blow away in a 1 or 2 has.

[BakedPenguin]

Yeah, a 1 or 2 is nothing. If you have a block house and your roof has hurricane clamps, just slap some boards over your windows, stock up on your favorite inebriant, and get a power supply for your laptop.

Of course, I live in the middle of the state, so that may color my view somewhat.

[SugarFree]

Why does the news always show people rushing to buy lumber right before a hurricane? Wouldn't you just keep the lumber you took off after the last hurricane?

[Pro Libertate]

It's a fraud we perpetrate on the rest of the country. We're stealing all of your wood.

[SugarFree]

NOOOO!

[bubba]

Some people do. "Rich" people invest in metal hurricane shutters. But the wood is large and cumbersome and a PITA to store. And you only need it once every few years.

You keep seeing the "ZOMG I NEED PLYWOOD" footage but each time it's in a different city.

Heck, I'm over 100 miles from the coast and Home Depot has a "don't blame us when we run out of cheap plywood" sign.

[Fluffy]

Wasn't there one last year that went all the way across the state west to east, and then turned around and did it again?

My dad lives up by Daytona and he didn't even prepare for a gulf coast hurricane that ended up coming all the way across and kicking his ass.

[Pro Libertate]

The year Charlie hit Punta Gorda, a couple of hurricanes passed through Central Florida. I think they were classified as tropical storms over land, but they made a mess of things. We were relatively unscathed in Tampa, but there were extended power outages, etc. even here.

[Jet]

That was 2004 and the peninsula was hit by Charlie, which made landfall and Punta Gorda and exited the east coast just south of Daytona Beach as a Cat 1 hurricane. Then over Labor Day came Jeanne, nearly 48 hours of Cat 1-2 winds, that made landfall in Indian River County. Frances came by a few weeks later and made landfall just a few miles from where Jeanne did. And then Ivan made landfall as a Cat 3 (iirc) in the Mobile AL/Pensacola FL area. All in all, my power was off for about four weeks. Thank goodness for car chargers.

[Brett L]

Yeah. I moved back to FL in 2004, and was certain that I had angered the gods in some manner. Fortunately their aim was shit, and I continue to inflict myself on the state.

[?]

Yeah, central Florida took it on the chin that year.

[Isaac Bartram]

That's probably Tropical Storm Fay (2008) you're thinking of.

It was never a full blown hurricane but it produced the worst flooding I've ever seen in nearly thirty years in Central Fla.

Fay made four Florida landfalls, first at Key West in the late afternoon of August 18, then early the following morning at Cape Romano south of Naples as a 65 mph (100 km/h) tropical storm.[3] Later that day, while crossing central Florida, Fay unexpectedly strengthened over land to just under hurricane intensity with 70 mph (110 km/h) winds and a pressure of 986 mbar,[3] which is a stronger intensity than Fay had ever obtained over open ocean. The storm developed an eye feature, and continued to hold its strength for the rest of the day.[24] After many hours of land interaction, Fay began to weaken.[25] Fay regained some strength, however, after leaving land at Melbourne and heading northward over the warm Atlantic Ocean waters, only to be deflected westward as it encountered a high pressure ridge. This resulted in another landfall at Flagler Beach in the afternoon of August 21. Fay then emerged into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and made its fourth landfall on the morning of August 23 near Carrabelle in the Florida Panhandle. Fay narrowly missed making yet another landfall, the center staying barely onshore while passing Panama City and St. Andrews Bay. Fay then weakened to a depression later that day. For the next several days, Fay was a slow moving tropical depression. Fay started moving to the northeast over southern Mississippi, where it moved over Alabama and finally dissipated on August 27 over Georgia.

The way the path took it Central Florida was on the fringe of the storm for over five days. Rained constantly for about a week although the winds were never much more than a mild gale and most of the time just blustery. It seemed like half of Seminle County was under water for the next month and a half. It took that long for the St John's River to return to normal.

Also, even though it was only a tropical storm it produced the worst casualties of any storm for quite a while.

[Isaac Bartram]

That was directed at Fluffy|8.27.10 @ 9:53AM.

[Isaac Bartram]

It makes sense to evacuate if you live on or close to the coast, and your just an idiot if you don't evacuate if you live on any of the barrier islands.

But if you're like me and live in the alps of west Taintsville you biggest worry is the wind blowing debris around. Except I do have to sandbag about half of my garage door because it lower than the street and the idiot who build the driveway made it so there's a perfect channel to convey water into the garage.

I did finally buy a generator after the big three of '04, though.

Which reminds me, I prolly oughter gas her up and test it out this weekend. I might finally get to use it.

[alittlesense]

Probably because we are at the 5th anniversary of Katrina. ABC World News Tonight is devoting an insanely huge chucnk each program this week to reminding us of how awful it was and just whose fault it all was.

[W]

Mine?

[Ragin Cajun]

Of course. You were the only Republican involved.

[W]

I hate me some negroes.

[Pro Libertate]

One of the stupidest memes in left-wing history.

[MNG]

You thought the Bush administration's Katrina response was somehow adequate?

[wayne]

Well, if BO had been in charge he would have gone golfing and sent the wife and kids to Spain. He'd probably be just now getting around to taking a look down there.

What would you have done, MNG?

[-]

Shit, now you've done it, Wayne.

[Pip]

I did. It's not the Federal governments job to take care of people in states when there is a natural disaster. It's the job of the state. And LA screwed the pooch. We didn't read about horror stories in Mississippi after Katrina even though the coast (and I've been there) was completely obliterated. Why? Because Mississippi had competent state and local government.

[MNG]

Why is it not the Federal government's job?

As for what should have been done, I don't think I would have put my horsebreeding buddy in charge of FEMA...

[Pip]

"Why is it not the Federal government's job?"

Because they're fucking incompetent, shitlicker. And given that, who gives a rat's aft who was put in charge? It could have been a four-year-old bonobo for all I care. The point is that it's stupid to have the federal government - which is located in Washington, DC - make any kind of effort to help people in NO, which is 1,100 miles away.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Why is it not the Federal government's job?

The way FEMA responses work is to at least facially recognize principles of federalism and notions of state sovereignty. FEMA can't just come storming into the state and say "we're from the government and we're here to help;" it's up to the state to ask for it. LA's governor did not ask for help right away.

Also, remember how the NO city officials responded (or failed to)? All those flooded school buses underwater; cops abandoning ship and just taking off. Did you see the video of the police women, in uniform, looting the K-Mart? Walking around the aisles with shopping carts, taking FREE STUFF!!

Not to mention the fact that the national news was talking for several days about how this huge hurricane was heading their way and that everyone should leave - but thousands of people said, "mmm-mmm, no lord, I aint' leavin'!"

So tell me why it IS the federal government's job to spend my tax money to bail out people who are too stupid, lazy or ignorant to actually pay attention to the news, prepare for the kind of weather that everyone knows they get - and for the kind of event that people had been predicting for years - in a city that is built basically on mud, below sea level - or to get the hell out when they know a massive hurricane is heading right at them?

Oh yeah, and here's an even better idea: now that we know what happened there, let's REBUILD IT ALL in the SAME SPOT!

[bubba]

Why is it not the Federal government's job?

Because it isn't?

[Ragin Cajun]

Because Mississippi had competent state and local government

Let's not get too carried away.

[Pro Libertate]

Not as corrupt is probably the correct description. New Orleans in the gold standard in that regard. Only Chicago competes.

[Ragin Cajun]

I really thought Louisiana was the capital of all things corrupt. Then I found out about the Big Dig. Man, are we pikers in comparison.

[MNG]

I think the biggest difference between MS and LA had more to do with structural issues involved with the city of New Orleans making it such a potential flood disaster, not so much government response.

[RAY NAGIN]

Don't evacuate, the hotel industry might sue the city!!!

[Pro Libertate]

Dude, I live in a hurricane-plagued state. We deal with it, even when there's a cataclysm, without a whole lot of expectation that the federal government is going to "save" us. And, by the way, we don't build things thinking that a big storm will never hit us.

Jesus.

[MNG]

You live in FL, right? They haven't asked for federal assistance in the wake of several hurricanes?

[bubba]

The Federal response to Katrina was bigger/faster/better than the response to Andrew.

Therefore W is incompetent.

[Torontonian]

I wouldn't call it "adequate".

An "adequate" federal response would have been staying out of the way, and letting local and state agencies go about their business.

A "better than adequate" federal response would have been offering to let state and local civil authorities have access to use federal equipment and personnel (defense and civil) for the duration of the emergency. And then staying out of the way, letting the people closest to the situation direct resources to the most urgent needs.

What happened was a fustercluck of every agency at every level trying to assert their authority, with arguments over jurisdiction taking priority over actual disaster relief.

So, no... I wouldn't call it "adequate". What's the appropriate word for too much involvement?

[MNG]

Michael Brown was a disaster, but I'm not sure putting Nagin et al. in charge of federal equipment and resources wouldn't have been a worse disaster...

[SugarFree]

The partisan assumption is that is was a failure of a particular government and not a failure of government itself.

[Pip]

^^THIS^^

[bubba]

I'm pretty sure it was a failure of people to build their houses above sea level.

[Pip]

"An "adequate" federal response would have been staying out of the way, and letting local and state agencies go about their business."

EXACTLY! Look at how the feds fucked up on the oil spill. At some point the stat and local governments had to tell the feds to go fuck themselves.

[Pro Libertate]

As incompetent as BP came across before, during, and immediately after the spill, they were fucking Einstein compared to the federal government.

The recovery efforts after any disaster involve a lot of different agents. Some of them may be government, but most of them are not. Just like most of the rest of the economy is not. And, from what I've seen, the only thing the feds really do is throw some money at the problem, which I bet is less helpful than it sounds (does all of the money go to legitimate disaster recovery needs, or is it spent like most tax dollars?).

[Fluffy]

I think the biggest difference between MS and LA had more to do with structural issues involved with the city of New Orleans making it such a potential flood disaster, not so much government response.

Doesn't this contradict your assertion that there was something wrong with the federal response?

I blame the federal government for the Katrina disaster, but not in the usual manner.

I blame them for building a flood control system, transportation system, and public housing system that took hundreds of thousands of poor people and put them in buildings below sea level within spitting range of the Gulf of Mexico.

I'm going to let you in on a secret: in a big enough disaster, there's nothing the government can do but watch you die. If the government's policies encourage people to place themselves in the path of disaster, eventually their number will come up.

One day the Big One will hit southern California. And lots of people will die, and the federal government won't be able to do shit.

One day a drought will be severe enough to wipe out the water supply to a major city in the southwest. And the federal government won't be able to do shit.

One day there will be a tidal wave in the Pacific Northwest. And the federal government won't be able to do shit.

[zoltan]

Reading the Great Deluge which at some points is quite annoying but it definitely (unintentionally) makes the case that the federal government only made the situation worse. Not having some faggoty lawyer-friend of W's in charge of an emergency agency would have helped too.

[R C Dean]

You thought the Bush administration's Katrina response was somehow adequate?

It was by the book, at least.

The LA authorities refused to allow federal help for awhile, and Bush didn't override them.

FEMA's arrival time is 72 hours after the disaster, and it pretty well stuck with that.

The scale of the disaster was worse in NO than expected, due to the incompetence of the local authorities and due to the idiocy of the locals.

All in all, the feds got a bad rap in NO.

[J sub D]

Govewrnment is only incmpetent when a Republican is president. Pay no attention to the regulatory ineffectiveness prior to and the federal response after the BP gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.

Partisan buffoonsjust don't get it. Sinecured bureaucrats are not the most competent or dedicated workers in the workforce.

[Ragin Cajun]

By the way ProL, I completely agree. One of the most idiotic things to come out of the "reality-based community".

[West Texas Boy]

Danielle is a proverbial "fish storm"

But the other two (and ones later) just might wreck some U.S. shit soon.

[West Texas Boy]

Danielle is a proverbial "fish storm"

But the other two (and ones later) just might wreck some U.S. shit soon.

[DG]

You could say that again.

[Andrew S.]

Earl might. Still unlikely, but maybe the Carolinas (or further north). The early read on the next one (if it develops) is that it stays further east than Danielle.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Obama Inflatable Sex Doll on Display

[Johnny Longtorso]

We can get one for Weigel and MNG to share in a 3 way.

[Corduroy]

I just had to look. There goes my easy night's sleep.

[SugarFree]

Full of hot air with a metal rod up his ass. Sounds about right.

Where's the Michelle doll? I've always wanted to fuck a racist horse.

[DG]

I always thought she looked more like a piranha than a horse.

[SugarFree]

Face is too concave for either really. She looks more like a shovel than anything.

[Ska]

A vampire shovel.

[SugarFree]

I'm pretty sure "Vampire Shovel" is an early Guided By Voices song.

[waffles]

according to google's search suggestions
"michelle obama looks like"
a gorilla
a monkey
a man
patrick ewing
chewbacca
wayne brady
the grinch
predator
a klingon

[waffles]

google is racist

[Fluffy]

Her shoulders are too wide for her to be a Klingon.

[Ska]

A lot of good compound descriptors in there.

I'm feeling Klingon Patrick Ewing.

[Fluffy]

I'm thinking she's like one of those anime robots made out of other stuff, and she's actually a combination of all those things on Google.

She has two Patrick Ewings for arms, an Easter Island statue for a head, Klingons for legs, etc.

[SugarFree]

A Predator mouth for a vagina.

[Fluffy]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a catcher's mitt.

[Ska]

Any Photoshop specialists around with some time on their hands?

[?]

Tough crowd.

I'm going with swarthy piranha.

[sage]

A Predator mouth for a vagina.

Thanks for the visual. And please don't link to that tattoo again.

[SugarFree]

"Youh areh won ughlee soine ov ah bitcht!"

[SFC B]

A spade?

[SugarFree]

A spade has a flat blade, so if I'm suggesting a concave face, a shovel is more apt.

[LT. COMMANDER WORF]

She cannot be Klingon, she has no honor.

[Fluffy]

I'd say she was part of the Duras house, but the chicks in that house were more feminine than she is.

[Spain]

Well, we think she's divine!

[prolefeed]

Michelle is pretty hot looking. I'd fuck her, if I could make her STFU for the duration.

[Bookface]

Facebook attempting to trademark the words face and book.

Oh no they don't.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Canada arrests three in alleged terror plot, including a former Canadian Idol contestant.

People become bitter when they get kicked off the island in that show, eh?

[Mango Punch]

Did you watch his audition? It was so embarrassing, I'm not surprised he wanted to kill himself (jihad or other).

[Fist of Etiquette]

Financial world awaits Bernanke's statement on economic recovery today.

He's definitely gonna see his shadow.

[SugarFree]

Financial world awaits Bernanke's statement on economic recovery today.

And they will still be waiting for it tomorrow...

and the next day...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...
and the next...

Until Bernanke finally convinces Andie MacDowell to sleep with him.

[CoyoteBlue]

Pauly Krugnuts, doubles down with This is not a Recovery -- We need to spend MOAR!

[The Administration] still has options. ... It can use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ... to engineer mortgage refinancing that puts money in the hands of American families

[SugarFree]

The administration has less freedom of action, since it can't get legislation past the Republican blockade.

"Damn you, Checks and Balances! Damn you to hell!"

[Pip]

"the Republican blockade."

Is that anything like Israel's blockade of Gaza? Are the dems sending ships to break it?

[Pro Libertate]

Movie concept: Obama (played by someone like Chuck Heston) is an astronaut that crash lands on a mysterious planet. A planet ruled by. . .libertarians.

[SugarFree]

A planet which he finally destroys because he can't find anyone he can push around.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

"Inhabited by" libertarians, maybe. "Ruled by"? Not bloody likely.

[Pro Libertate]

That's funny, because I thought the same thing after I hit "preview." How about "dominated by?"

[Slut Bunwalla]

"Keep your hands off me, you damn dirty rightwingers!"

[Fluffy]

I'm very surprised they haven't used the Fannie Power yet.

It's unchecked power without responsibility, which should make it completely irresistible to His Scrawnitude.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Knowing what the word "fanny" means in England makes your first sentence humorous.

[Ska]

The Fanny Wagon isn't as catchy however.

[J sub D]

I stopped paying attention to Krugman a while ago. Anyone who can't figure out that the first step in getting out of hole is to stop digging is only worthy of a wave of hand dismissal.

[Double Down]

What could possibly go wrong?

[SugarFree]

The Jezebel Guide To Policing Thoughtcrime

[Ragin Cajun]

That article was totally gay. How do you read that stuff and stay sane?

[SugarFree]

Who said I was sane?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Ragin Cajun]

I guess I meant rhetorically. You are a librarian, so I know the sanity ship sailed long ago; eventually climbing aboard the starship, and heading for the skies.

[BakedPenguin]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. The fact that he indexes and catalogues his porn collection doesn't make him a librarian.

[SugarFree]

Then why did I have to get ARL accreditation for the past five years?

[BakedPenguin]

Wow. That must be some collection.

[SugarFree]

fap fap fap Did you say something? fap fap fap

[Ragin Cajun]

Is it lunch time already?

[Mister DNA]

The comments are gold. That post gives all the lily-livered sob sisters a chance to use words and phrases like "retard", "gimp", "that's so gay", "cripple", and *gasp* "negro".

I especially like the one by the person complaining about her dorm mate's use of the word "whore"; she starts off her comment by describing her dorm mate as a whore.

btw, I am all in favor of bringing back the word "mongoloid".

[Pip]

I have a friend who, when she laughs I sometimes say in an announcer like voice, "Another happy mongoloid!"

(they though she had Downs syndrome when she was born, but it turned out she was just a funny looking baby)

[BakedPenguin]

btw, I am all in favor of bringing back the word "mongoloid".

One chromosome too many.

[Fire Tiger]

On behalf of all third grade drop outs, I would like to say that using the term "ignorant" in a negative fashion offends and hurts me deeply.

[JW]

Few things are more disturbing than someone you're close to suddenly espousing views you not only disagree with but actively abhor.

Welcome to my world.

[Slut Bunwalla]

Basically they're just looking for an excuse to mansplain.

[Greer]

not only gay but probably written by a nigger, or a fat chick, or a towelhead or a retard or someone who got into college on affirmative action.

[Brett L]

Libertarians -- selling the party to buy monocles:

" I have confirmed through multiple sources that Lisa Murkowski has already approached the Alaska Libertarian Party. In exchange for putting her on the Libertarian ticket in November, Murkowski will hand the Libertarians a sizable chunk of her +$1 million war chest."

[Mister DNA]

Real libertarians would use the money to buy weed and porn. Our monocles are given to us at birth, you know...

[SugarFree]

Our monocles are given to us at birth

You didn't buy your monocle?

Get your commie ass out of here.

[Marshall Gill]

Our monocles are given to us at birth, you know...

Clearly not a real Libertarian. Real Libertarians are not born with monocles, they steal them from the poor.

[Citizen Nothing]

Mine was made by five-year-olds in Indonesia. Their tiny hands are much better for the detail work.

[Cabeza de Vaca]

Well mine are made out of Indonesian five-year-olds. Their young bones make a great frame.

[Ska]

Who helped with the petrified cornea lens?

[Cabeza de Vaca]

Indonesian four year olds. They work in the factory making monocles until they turn five, then they become the monocles.

[Pip]

That sounds remarkably sustainable and green.

[Koba, Too]

This was discovered by accident a few years ago when a toddler fell into one of the machines.

She made a spectacle of herself.

[SIV]

That move would totally destroy the LP brand nationally and in all states. I know that's not much to destroy but it would really fuck over all those people who have worked so hard for ballot acccess.

[trhawk]

I would like to ask if there are any libertarians in the Libertarian party. Also this is a prime example why no libertarian should ever vote Libertarian.

[Citizen Nothing]

I think trhawk has just given us the definition of "Damned if you do, damned if you don't."
Thanks trhawk. The world is a better place because of you.

[Brett L]

I'm pretty sure that since the 2008 Presidential Debacle, the Libertarian party has been colonized by Republicans who are too crazy to gain power in their own party.

Note to LP Officials: Former Republican != Electable. Also, the fact that everybody in the party hates your candidate does not make them an acceptable compromise candidate.

[The Angry Optimist]

There really was not anything all that wrong with Bob Barr. Calling the 2008 Presidential Race a "Debacle" is just silly, because the LP did just as well as it always has. Sorry, but the purity candidate that year would have tanked us worse, what with her tolerance for child porn and all.

[MNG]

It seemed to me that Barr had made a very genuine honest journey towards libertarianism.

[BakedPenguin]

I was hoping for Kubby, at the very least for VP. I mean, the former drug warrior with a man who nearly died because of drug warriors going after medical marijuana. What a great narrative - the story could have really gotten some attention.

I couldn't fucking believe it when they chose the used car salesman.

[MNG]

I liked Kuby for VP too. Root seemed like a used car salesman.

[J sub D]

I was stumping for Viking Moose. Alas, too many have read his comments on H&R for him to be viable, even for a fringe, borderline crackpot party like the LP.

[Citizen Nothing]

But, but, but the LP is too worried about purity and whatnot, the platform scares normal folk, if they want to get anywhere they've got to play the game, blah, blah, blah...

[Citizen Nothing]

Now that the Purity Faction, the Gradualists, the Principle Faction, the Utilitarians and the Big Tent Faction have all left the LP, it can finally get down to business!

[SIV]

So run a center-right dynastic incumbent RINO establishment Republican as "Libertarian" against an otherwise lock-to-win insurgent constitutionalist? Some fucking "alliance" there.

[R C Dean]

Murkowski going independent probably hands the seat to a Dem.

It makes you wonder if the Repubs have joined the Dems in treating libertarians as public enemy number one.

[BakedPenguin]

I've railed against "purity" libertarians myself, but there is a line to walk. You don't want a fanatic, but if you wind up becoming Eric Dondero, insisting that Giuliani is really a Libertarian, that's not much use, either.

[Clich? Bandit]

I am too tired to even try to join this thread. For the newbs around here I am the clich?d defender of the LP historically. But even I have lost my faith. It is not the RINOs and LINOs, it is not Bob Barr or Wayne Root, it is the utter systemic hypocrisy and puerile bullshit that is so pervasive that, no matter your contribution or commitment, if you succeed then you are derided and put down. Not by a majority, no. But a large enough and vocal enough minority that it makes the cost/benefit analysis come up short. It took me 7 years to realize this. I am proud of my time being involved but I have decided that my resources are better spent elsewhere.

Sorry for the gripe but this is exactly why the LP needs a solid "scrape, rinse, and repeat".

No true Scotsman

[CrackertyAssCracker]

Hey, if you are gonna sell out, at least sell out for actual money, and not just some BS lip service to maybe one day think about making government grow slower.

[SugarFree]

Canadian Idol terror suspect singing Avril Lavigne's "Complicated."

[Aresen]

If they were plotting to blow up the set of Canadian Idol, I think they should be commended for voluntary public service.

[sarcasmic]

The federal government's meager response to prison rape.

Prison is cruel and unusual punishment.
What is more cruel and unusual than being locked up with murderers, rapists and such for years that you cannot get back?

We need a return to pain and public humiliation.

Gallows, stocks and the whipping post.

Will Michael Fay ever vandalize a car again?
Not in Singapore he won't.

[Rich]

As recently as 1995, stocks and pillories were still being used in Panama.

A serious evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of corporal punishment and humiliation for crime prevention would be interesting. Nice PhD dissertation, prob'ly.

[R C Dean]

If I had to choose between a long prison term and stocks/pillories for a few days, I would definitely take the latter.

[cynical]

Less chance of rape too, counterintuitively.

[Fluffy]

Only if I'm out of town.

[sarcasmic]

Funny how stocks/pillories or a good lashing would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, but being subjected to repeated gang rape over the course of many years is not.

[Pablo]

Agree 100%, as Ive said before the whole idea of locking up people for long periods of time is a recent aberration. Except for the last 100 years, minor crimes have generally been dealth with by fines and public humiliation, major ones punished by death.

[Solanum]

Hotel rooms now with free balloons for your childrens!

[sage]

Note to self: pay the extra ten dollars and upgrade to a 2 star hotel.

[Manager]

the manager at the Wyndham Hotel would not let her take the condom

It's part of the room, Ma'am. You can't take the TV, either.

[The Gobbler]

"the Wyndham Hotel"

They have a very good Cuban restaurant on the first floor. It's owned and operated by friends of my sister.

http://mojitoatlanta.net/about/index.html

[waffles]

I was hoping for a feel-good story. I really was. Now I feel like I need a shower.

[SugarFree]

Now I feel like I need a shower.

So did they.

[Pip]

Wait a minute...

"When they got up the next morning, her grandson found a used condom in their bed."

How do we know it wasn't used by the grandparents the night before? The kid is only four, so it's conceivable that his grandparents might still be young enough to need contraception.

I smell a shakedown / payday attempt here.

[Mark Traid]

Facebook attempting to trademark the words face and book.

I suppose "fuck" was already taken.

As Stossel says, Give me a break.

[Ska]

Drunk Stossel would say "Give a me a break, fuckers."

[Ska]

Uh, Stossel's Italian grandfather would say....

[Ragin Cajun]

Companion to the Male Gaze: The "Man Trance".

[sage]

In one-fifth of a second, before the conscious mind has had a chance to react, the male brain has rendered judgment on whether the oncoming stranger is sexually hot.

Uh, I can tell you that I'm no where near that slow to make the decision on whether "I'd hit it".

[SugarFree]

I tried explaining to my wife once (who really doesn't care about me appraising other women) that the longer men stare the more attractive a woman probably is, but it's not appreciation. A quick glance confirms the overt facts: not fat, not beanpole, ass-check, breast-check, leg/waist proportion. Then what takes time is checking for proportionality and symmetry. If a woman gets to the 2nd stage, she's probably attractive to about 80% of straight men, past the second stage, maybe 90%. It's that last few seconds that make you seem creepy, because that's when you are deciding if she is merely attractive and if she is within the narrow range of women you find personally attractive. This might take more than a few glances in my experience.

[sage]

Yeah, there are levels there. There are those I'd "hit", but only a select few I'd ruin my marriage for. And even then I probably would not go through with it. Probably.

[R C Dean]

No fuck is worth tanking a marriage for. Either the marriage should be done with anyway, or your new playmate should be your new life partner.

If you've never been through a divorce, you have No Idea how bad it is.

[Pip]

My divorce lawyer charge $420.00/hr. It's a very costly endeavor.

[Isaac Bartram]

Hell, I paid $45 for my divorce. My attorney was a drunk, but he got the paperwork right to get it through.

Speaking of divorce, I thought it would be news that New York has just passed a no-fault divorce law and the gov has signed it.

Why I thought that NY was one of them progressive Babylon type places. Now I find out it's one of the few state's left where you have catch your spouse cheating to get rid of her.

OK there' six other grounds but they were all fault based.

[MP]

Street signs kill.

When busy Kensington High Street in central London was stripped of excess [street signs], for example, it helped reduce accidents by 47 percent.

So much for talking on the phone being the biggest driver distraction.

[-]

Yep. One anecdote proves it.

[hmm]

There's a little more than a single anecdote backing this idea.

[-]

I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

[hmm]

# The federal government's meager response to prison rape.

Paging Mr.Smith, Mr. Steve Smith.

[Mark]

Trademark law is so misunderstood. You guys are contributing to the problem by repeating the stupid news media favorite story: X is attempting to trademark Y! Oh noes! Now no one can say Y ever again!

A registered trademark gives the company limited rights to prevent others from using the same trademark, or a *confusingly similar* mark, on the *same* or *similar* goods or services to the ones they use them on.

So, even if facebook is granted registered trademarks on face and book (they shouldn't get those trademarks, because they don't actually use them, and use in interstate commerce is the fundamental requirement for establishing federal trademark rights), they can't just arbitrarily prevent anyone from using the words face or book in any context.

Repeat after me, journalist types: "likelihood of consumer confusion is the touchstone of trademark infringement. Owning a trademark registration does not provide a right to arbitrarily exclude others from using the registered trademark in any context. I will stop publishing wry or panicked articles regarding a company's effort to 'trademark' a common term."

The fact that facebook owns a trademark application for "face" which another entity originally filed does not mean they are attempting to register that mark. Their lawyers haven't filed any documents with the USPTO since mid-July, when they registered a change of ownership. They may have simply bought the application from the previous owner to be sure they won't ever face an infringement suit. Their intention may simply be to let the application die a peaceful death.

And, by the way, the idea that they are trying to own the word "book" doesn't seem supported, either. "Placebook" - it rhymes with and sounds nearly identical to "Facebook." Don't you think there's a pretty strong case of likelihood of consumer confusion there? Don't you think many people on hearing "placebook" will immediately believe it is in some way affiliated with Facebook? I haven't seen any evidence that Facebook has ever attempted to assert any broad trademark claim to exclude anyone from using the word "book" in the title of any website.

I am so tired of hearing this same story, in different contexts, over and over again. If it sounds too ridiculous to be true, maybe it is. How about a little subtlety and nuance in our reporting? How about actually getting the facts and law straight before publishing this garbage?

[Hugh Akston]

We're on to you, Zuckerberg, and it's eating you up. We know the only reason that you want to ? the word "face" is so that we'll have to come up with a new place to want to punch you.

[-]

Jeez, Mark, you take all the fun out of flying off the handle and making wild and hyperbolic suppositions based on disreputable news stories. Next you'll be telling us that we don't have one-in-three chance of having the cops bust down our doors and kill our house pets.

[Greer]

Don't you hate it when someone comes into Reason and throws a bunch of reason at you. Fuck.

[Virginia]

Cops in Virginia lobby to keep reports secret.

Why?

"It's impractical," said [Commonwealth's Attorney] Sengel after the meeting. "Frankly, I just don't think that our court system can handle the workload at this point. We are already stretched to the limit with the resources we have, and I just think this is a lot of potential litigation we don't need to be engaging in."

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Did you attend the SugarFree school of HTML? Linkee no workee.

[Virginia]

Thanks.

Sometimes I forget the end-quote after the URL.

[Virginia]

right html, wrong URL.

http://www.connectionnewspaper.....mp;cat=104

[J sub D]

Overall, we can confidently say that well over 100,000 people are sexually abused in American detention facilities every year.

Thank the heavens we're not talking about real people here.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Ninth Circuit rules no violation of 4th Amendment to sneak into person's driveway at night and stick a GPS tracking device on his car, without a warrant.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

...wondering why my alt text and "open a new window" HTML no longer works...

[EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy]

The rest of us are wonder where you've been lately. We've done that twice already.

[?????]

thanks

[????? ??????]

Thanks