Reason Morning Links: Senate Debates Tax Cuts, Nobel Honors Xiaobo, Snipes Starts His Sentence

• Senate begins debate on Obama-GOP tax cut deal.
• Pakistani newspapers publish fake leaked Wikileak cables about India.
• Three officers convicted, two acquitted for post-Katrina police shooting.
• Nobel committee honors Liu Xiaobo in absentia while China continues crackdown on dissidents.
• FAA has "lost track" of a third of the country's private and commercial aircraft.
• Wesley Snipes reports to prison.
• Bea Arthur, secret marine.

Comments

[Old Mexican]

Senate begins debate on Obama-GOP tax cut deal.

Harry Reid said "This Negro does not know how to negotiate."

[Joe Biden]

Such a shame. He's so clean and articulate.

[deified]

Tragically, Harry Reid's prior successful career as an early-'80s hip-hop superstar is widely underappreciated today.

[Old Mexican]

FAA has "lost track" of a third of the country's private and commercial aircraft.

Yeah, but private companies would lose track of planes as well! So... there! We need government, because they build ROADS!!!

[Slut Bunwalla]

If the FAA lost track of that many planes, imagine how many MORE private companies would have lost track of!

[wylie]

BODIES PILING UP IN THE LOST PLANES!!! WHILE THE LOST PLANES PILE UP IN THE STREETS!111ONEONEONE

[J sub D]

Don't you know anything? Lost planes wind up on deserted islands, inside UFOs or sucked into a time vortex.

[generic Brand]

Or they are purgatory.

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe the planes are in Somalia.

[Chupacabra]

Plus, those coorporations might buy ads during elections.

TEH HORRORZ!!!!!

[generic Brand]

"We're trying to model it more closely on some of the programs that are in effect for automobiles," Brown said. "With the more regular renewal process, you will capture bad data much more frequently."

Yeah, because vehicle registrations and drivers' lisences are never faked. I guess I got into all those clubs in college because I was already 21.

[Almanian]

you will capture bad data much more frequently

And more bad data is what we want to capture, by golly! Bad data for EVERYONE!

[Old Mexican]

Wesley Snipes reports to prison.

Let's start a "Free Wesley" group, as he is clearly a political prisoner. Otherwise he would have been accused of committing a real crime, like starring in all those Blade movies.

[John]

He clearly is. They never got him for not paying his taxes. They got him for not filing a return, which until now never resulted in the offender being put in prison. It is a fucking joke.

Worse still, the media has done a horrible job reporting on it. If you just listen to the media reports, you would think that Snipes refused to pay his taxes and is a deadbeat. That is not true. Why the hell can't the media do their jobs once in a while?

[capitol l]

I'm betting that Snipes gets out of this.

I always bet on black.

[generic Brand]

But unfortunately for Wesley, he's black, not "black"

[John]

It is not like he is "black black".

[Old Mexican]

No, he's just "pretty black."

[wylie]

I can't recall what it was from, but Snipes was the dark end of the spectrum on a black-o-meter in some comedy skit. With Micahel Jackson being the other end of the spectrum, obviously. Anybody out there can remember the skit I'm thinking of?

[Crackuh]

wasn't it on Hee Haw?

[generic Brand]

I don't think it's the same thing, but Eddie Murphy had a stand-up special with a spectrum of black women. From caramel black (and lighter) to cocoa black (and darker).

[SugarFree]

Charlie Murphy noted that he and Eddie were "the blackest brothers around" because it was "before Wesley Snipes."

Community also had the "Human Color Chart," which went from "Seal to Seal's teeth."

[Episiarch]

That's impossible. Crayola has its "flesh" colored crayon, and it's nothing like burnt umber.

I wish I could find the Bloom County bit that made that joke, but specific Bloom County panels are damn near impossible to find.

[db]

Is it in Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things?

[Episiarch]

I can't remember, and though I have every Bloom County book ever produced, I don't have the time right now to find it. Maybe Billy and the Boingers? When was Oliver introduced, anyway?

[John]

Oliver came in about 1983 right before Billy and the Boingers I think.

And the best Oliver strip is at the Bloom County wrap party. In it, Oliver is drawn with a round head and looks like a black version of the kids in Family Circus.

Brinkley asks him, "so I guess you are going to Family Circus?"

Oliver replies "Yup, court ordered. They are busing me in".

My god that was a great strip.

[Mike M.]

Yeah. Neither Willie Nelson nor his accountants ever went to jail when they stiffed the government out of millions.

It's pretty clear that they've decided to make a big example out of Snipes, but I'm not sure exactly why. And I don't believe that it's just because he's black. Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry didn't file returns for like four or five years and he never got sent to prison.

[John]

It is because he hooked up with some tax protester groups. They went after him for his political views.

I am the last person to believe the whole "he is a political prisoner" line of bullshit. But, even I have to admit that is what is going on here. It is just selective prosecution for political views.

[Old Mexican]

Re: John,

It is just selective prosecution for political views.

Hence "political prisoner."

[John]

i was agreeing with you Mexican. That is what he is. Even I can't deny that.

[Steve]

I thought that the "political prisoner" talk was a little over the top, but I don't see how we could call it anything else. He got "uppity" and now he's in jail.

He is a political prisoner.

[creech]

Hope he gets along with his cellmates Charley Rangel and Tim Geithner. Oh, wait...

[Mike M.]

It is because he hooked up with some tax protester groups. They went after him for his political views.

Thanks. I should have figured it was something like that from the deathly silence of all the liberals. If he had murdered a cop or something, at least he would have a bunch of Hollywood friends on his side.

[Pete Mynack]

Didn't they get Schiff for the same thing?

[SugarFree]

FREE WESLEY!

[Almanian]

SF, thanks for the pic - it's now my screensaver at work.

[.]

It's pretty clear that they've decided to make a big example out of Snipes, but I'm not sure exactly why.

You probably shouldn't get your news exclusively from reason.com.

[SugarFree]

You should probably examine all the mistakes you made in your life to end up as a pathetic internet troll.

[Episiarch]

Now, now, NutraSweet...anonypussy isn't a troll. It's a pathetic passive aggressive...uh...schmuck? I don't know what it is, actually.

[SugarFree]

Whatever it is doesn't change the fact that it's really, really, really boring.

[Episiarch]

Well, I think that goes without saying. Which is why I didn't say it. Why can't you read my mind, you dick?

[SugarFree]

I can read your mind. Right now you're thinking about energy drinks and the tragedy of having to work with a NASCAR fan.

[Episiarch]

Holy shit, you can read my mind! What kind of energy drink?

[SugarFree]

Sugar Free RockMonster.

[Anonymous Coward]

He's just being made an example. If everyone who "disrespected" the court were sent to jail, the prison population would be significantly higher.

Tax protesters aren't doing their patriotic duty with a smile on their face andmust suffer the pillory for their impertinence.

[capitol l]

Just looked up the wikipedia article on Mr. Snipes, and found out that he is a Kung Fu dude.

I guess he has like fifty black belts.

[Slut Bunwalla]

I heard that motherfucker has, like, thirty goddamn dicks.

[generic Brand]

Fuck you, George Washington!

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Before he became a famous movie star, he used to be an in-home masseur. I remember hearing him many years ago on Howard Stern, talking about how he would go to rich white womens' homes in Beverly Hills and give them massages.

Depending on the customers, that sounds like it could be an ok gig.

[generic Brand]

Are you sure you're talking about Wesley Snipes and not Leon Phelps?

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

you would think that Snipes refused to pay his taxes

Uhh... didn't he?

[Old Mexican]

Pakistani newspapers publish fake leaked Wikileak cables about India.

Only trust the Assange brand of leaks. Beware of imitations.

[sage]

Look for the genuine Assange seal. It's a condom with a bunch of holes in it.

[Old Mexican]

But it was consensual!

[CavMedic]

This does make me curious though: How would Wikileaks authenticate what is actual leaked intelligence or what is made up? It's not like whatever government agency the leaked material comes from is going to authenticate it and, while they may have the source's word on where the material came from, he or she might have faked it or is being used by some agency to leak faked material for their own purposes.

Anybody know?

[Old Mexican]

This does make me curious though: How would Wikileaks authenticate what is actual leaked intelligence or what is made up?

They only accept notarized documents.

[CavMedic]

OM-I'm not sure if you're joking or not, but part of what I'm getting at with this is that it seems to me that it would have been easy enough for Pakistani intelligence to have faked a dump of Indian intelligence through Wikileaks and then sit back and watch how it played in the media.

The Pakistanis could have sacrificed an asset they have in the Indian Army or security services to do this, and it wouldn't be difficult at all for any halfway competent intelligence service to fake material that looks pretty authentic-to include having it all notarized. If this was all the work of the ISI, then they could have done a much better job of it (unless Wikileaks knows how to defeat such methods, and that was sort of what I was getting at).

[Old Mexican]

Re: CavMedic,

OM-I'm not sure if you're joking or not[...]

Remind me to be more obvious, then 😉

[Nick]

How do we know the Pakistani leaks are fake? Is it only because India denied it? If America had just called Bullshit on Assange saying none of it is real would that have worked? Even if everyone still believed the leaks the US could deny it all just like they deny everything else. Everyone KNOWS they're lying and most people have stopped caring eons ago. The reason this is so great is because the government forgot to just lie and now they are red in the face. I love it.

[cynical]

They're claiming to be from Wikileaks but not actually on Wikileaks.

[Finchy]

I've been a loyal H&R reader since 12/09/2010, and I have never heard of this "Morning Links" thing. Is it new?

[The Other Kevin]

We used to have Morning Links every morning, a long time ago, but then John and Suki kidnapped them until they promised to never include links about the TSA or 4 Loco.

[John]

The 12-9 morning links are currently at an undisclosed government facility in Moldova undergoing debriefing by a high value target interrogation team.

[capitol l]

I heard the morning links published a story that was unflattering to Hillary Clinton, and is locked away in a secret Canadian prison for attempted felonious "happy hands".

[John]

That is just the cover story.

[Clich? Bandit]

Bullshit...the morning links are hiding with the daily brickbats.

[Brett L]

Atheist Vuvuzela band joins holiday parade in College Station, Texas.

"'You've heard the phrase, "What would Jesus do?" and so that was something that was mentioned today and the thought was that Jesus probably would have wrapped his arms around 'em and welcomed 'em to the event and so I hope that our community will be big enough to rise above this and do exactly the same thing,' Zent said."

Vuvuzelas and Aggies, now I know what my worst nightmare would look like.

[Silent Night in vuvuzela]

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

[generic Brand]

Hahaha I passed over this like four times and now I'm glad I finally read it. I don't understand why the vuvuzela is hated on so much, though. I actually prefer it to Latin American beats band. I guess the problem comes when the two are compounded.

[Joe M]

"Wasn't exactly happy about the Christmas Parade this year, I spent many years teaching my children to love and respect other people and to love the fact that they were children of God and I don't feel that they should be influenced in any other way especially not at a Christmas parade," said Tina Corgey, who is a lifelong Bryan resident.

Those who can't, teach.

[P Brooks]

No link to the eunuch's latest National Security triumph?

The United States has expressed regret over India's ambassador Meera Shankar being pulled out of an airport security line and frisked by a security agent.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was concerned about the incident and vowed to prevent a recurrence.

......

"We obviously are concerned about it," Mrs Clinton told reporters.

"We will be looking into it and trying to determine both what happened and what we could do to prevent such incidents in the future."

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, however, said officials had handled the matter "by the book".

"It was a pat-down that followed our procedures, and I think it was appropriate under the circumstances," she told reporters.

BBC

I feel so safe, now.

I wonder if the Presidential Suit will send the eunuch to New Delhi on a goodwill tour?

You can bet your ass I would.

[capitol l]

From an astute and, I'd say hi-fucking -larious, poster on the Friday Funny thread:

If grandmothers, toddlers, and paraplegic war veterans are given the supermax treatment, then why not diplomats and ambassadors?

We don't know that some official doesn't have a chip on their shoulder from a snarky leaked email.

When one of those bastards takes over a plane then we'll all be sari!

[gaijin]

...handled the matter "by the book".

What if the book is wrong?

[capitol l]

The book warned us about this. That one day some punk kid would come around asking questions about the book. Whether it was right or wrong. The book also told us what to do when that punk came around...

Please come with us.

[sage]

Despite court order, town refuses to return seized cash

Because if they can't steal it through taxation, they'll just use armed robbery.

[C'mon man]

Wow, this Morning Links thing is a good idea. Is this new?

[Pro Libertate]

SpaceX doesn't even make the morning links? What, do you guys have a competing spaceflight program or something?

[dbcooper]

🙂

I'd appreciate some highlights of SpaceX's recent progress, ProL.

[Pro Libertate]

Here's a Dragon/Falcon 9 launch link roundup, which includes articles talking about how this is a game-changer and a harbinger of commercial entities taking over manned spaceflight.

Rand Simberg, the guy who runs Transterrestrial Musings, also has an article on the significance of the launch over at AOL News.

[dbcooper]

Awesome. Thanks dude.

[Pro Libertate]

Here, I'll also post something in the style of a Morning Link (stolen from Florida Today):

A private-sector spaceship flew a stunningly successful maiden mission, opening up a new era of commercial space travel.

[waffles]

Thank you! *spacegasm*

[Zeb]

I heard they had some cheese on board, or something like that.

Pretty fucking cool. I hope that this is the beginning of a lot more private sector activity in space.

[Pro Libertate]

It was either a reference to Wallace & Gromit or Monty Python. Or maybe both!

[Brett L]

Monty Python

[Pro Libertate]

You must be right, because this trip didn't involve the Moon. When SpaceX is offering trips to the Moon and back in 2020, then the cheese will be Wensleydale or maybe Stilton.

[Brett L]

I read it somewhere while the Dragon was still in orbit. I think the Gizmodo guys had it? They were speculating it was Spam -- which would have had the MP tie-in, but also homage to the Mercury astronaut revolt against being "Spam in a can" when NASA proposed not letting them have manual control of manuevering thrusters.

[Pro Libertate]

I heard it was because Michael Palin was actually secretly placed aboard the Dragon spacecraft. To be revealed on his next BBC travel special.

[Steve]

Reason's resident science guy is worshiping Gaia recovering from a hangover saving the planet in Mexico. I'm sure we'll see someing when he returns.

[Old Mexican]

He better bring some photos of the bikini-clad senoritas, otherwise he should not even dare prsent his expense sheet to Reason's payroll dept.

[Old Mexican]

Re: Pro Libertate,

SpaceX doesn't even make the morning links? What, do you guys have a competing spaceflight program or something?

Again with that? Don't you know that space is a public good, that only government can efficiently manage space exploration, and that it builds roads???

I mean, haven't you read enough of MNG, Tony and Chad to understand that?

[Pro Libertate]

Government can blow shitloads of money to get there a few times, but cannot sustain anything or establish a permanent presence. Time for the real world to take over.

[Clich? Bandit]

wow...OM, careful, you are fast approaching John levels of MNG troll susceptibility.

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Three officers convicted, two acquitted for post-Katrina police shooting.

Awesome!

While the jury had the option of convicting Warren of murder, they opted for manslaughter.

What?!

Warren testified that he'd shot Glover... because he felt menaced and feared for his life.

Rage building

Glover, who was unarmed

WTAFODGJR_*$TY#&!@$_DJSGH)&G_T$YTETD)GHSD&!!

[John]

http://wattsupwiththat.com/201.....s-economy/

UN Climate conference attendees fall for a joke out of the 8th Grade Science Club playbook. I wonder if Bailey signed it.

[waffles]

If I were there I probably would sign it because it would give me significant secondhand trololols. I hope this is the case and not the far more concerning belligerent stupid.

[John]

I think your hopes will be dashed. Cancun is the world capitol of belligerent stupid this week.

[generic Brand]

I think it actually broke the previous belligerent stupid record for Cancun held by the week of March 8, 2010.

[wylie]

*Applause*

[Old Mexican]

Hey, being concerned about the future of "our planet" does not ipso facto make you a smart person. Not nearly.

Not. Ever.

[Chad]

I disagree.

[Old Mexican]

Chad: I disagree.

See? There's empirical evidence of what I said.

[hmm]

Make that dude a hot chick and I bet you triple the number of retards that sign.

[C'mon man]

Don't touch my junk!

[Nick]

OK, wait a second. The article implies that the Iranian man claiming asylum who didn't want to do the peter meter objected to the porn watching that makes the test work, for religious reasons, a religion that forbids him from being gay (the reason he seeks asylum), but he doesn't object to himself on that? Huh?

[P Brooks]

Would somebody please read Krugabe's column and explain it to me? I got about halfway through and got so dizzy I had to lie down.

As far as I can tell, things are only good or bad depending on who does them. When did Krugabe become a neocon?

[H man]

Try this website for an somewhat austrian view of his articles written by economist William L. Anderson

http://krugman-in-wonderland.blogspot.com/

[Mike M.]

On this whole tax issue, it's absolutely hilarious to sit there and watch Nancy Pelosi and all the rest of the far left bitter dead-ender whackjobs in the House acting like they're somehow still relevant.

It's kind of like watching a five-year-old throwing a raging temper tentrum when he realizes that he's not getting his ice cream cone.

[Pro Libertate]

I knew Bea Arthur was ex-military. She had that kind of bearing. She must've been an assassin or something to have flat-out denied everything. Just like Adrienne Barbeau, who was a partisan during the war. In fact, the entire cast of Maude had military experience.

[Ragin Cajun]

I wonder if Bea Arthur's role in The Star Wars Holiday Special is something that is secretly used down at Gitmo.

[Pro Libertate]

Just keep this in mind: Maybe everything she ever did was part of her role in Marine military intelligence.

[J sub D]

I'm surprised she didn't make the Marines a career.

"Gunnery Sergeant Maude" would have been a helluva show.

[John]

I am surprised she always denied it. It is not like oh 12 million other people didn't join the military during World War II.

[Pro Libertate]

I'd watch that.

[John]

What a vehicle for lesbian S&M double entendrees. I think the Cinimax version would have been better.

[Pro Libertate]

So long as there was a Pvt. Carol Traynor, I think it would work. For other reasons, Cpl. Walter Findlay would be amusing.

[John]

Gunny SGT Maude takes a bunch of young home sick girls and shapes them up into a crack unit. Think Private Benjamen meets the Story of O.

We need to go into the movie business Pro.

[John]

And yes, Gunnery SGT Maude would have been a hell of a lot better than any of the shows she actually did.

[fresno dan]

"...That misconduct determination stemmed from Arthur's contracting of a venereal disease, which left her "incapacitated for duty" for five weeks in late-1944."
Used deadly crabs to assinate.
Actually, she was kinda...I would have tagged, of course before the super crab epidemic.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Daniel Rubin: An infuriating search at Philadelphia International Airport

Is Congress Above the Law?

[JoshINHB]

It's about time the TSA starts looking for runaway wives.

WTF is going on?

[0x90]

wtf.

[cynical]

"Is Congress Above the Law"

Yes. As are quite a few people, provided they limit their victims to people of lower station.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Spiked: Cancun: scavenging around for scientific fact

[John Thacker]

Apparently Chris Christie has received the Brian Aitken pardon application, his people are reviewing the case, and he says he'll make a decision by Christmas.

[MNG]

Christie

He's shown some impressive political courage before, let's hope he shows it here...

[Nick]

It shouldn't take much courage for this.

[deified]

This is huge news. (That is not a reference to Christie's uncontrolled morbid obesity.)

I do not think it would be overly cynical to read this as saying "Christie will be doing some polling and talking to the media to see what sort of potential political harm he may have to 'endure' if he frees a man who is obviously morally innocent."

[John]

You leave Christie alone. We have had generations of skinny guys in power. And look where it has gotten us. Maybe it is time to give the fat guys a shot.

[Facebook]

William Howard Taft likes this.

[deified]

You would think that fat guys might be too embarassed to play "food police" or, by extension, "lifestyle police." Alas, Chris Christie has been a complete obstructionist about implementing New Jersey's newly-, duly-passed medical marijuana law.

On the other hand, here's a fitness fanatic who would make a mighty fine president.

[generic Brand]

I'm not familiar with the Aitken case, but could Christie pardon/free him and then the federal government brings him up on charges, essentially overruling Christie? Or does that fall under double jeopardy rules?

[John]

I think he was convicted under state law. The feds can't try you for violating state law. So, no they couldn't, although under the principle of duel sovereignty, double jeopardy would not prevent them from doing so.

[generic Brand]

Okay thanks. While I'm glad to hear that, my familiarity with this site severely limits my doubts of what the federal government will or won't do.

[Aresen]

Aitken was charged under a state law that had no federal ties. He was busted for a technical violation of NJ law on carrying firearms when he made every reasonable effort to ensure that he was in full compliance with the law.

[Nick]

Not only that, Federal law supports him. It's call the Second Amendment and SCOTUS has been friendly to it as of late.

[Contemplationist]

Dude it was violation of state law that got Aitken in trouble, not federal law. So yeah read the case.

[P Brooks]

FAA has "lost track" of a third of the country's private and commercial aircraft.

The obvious solution is to ban privately owned aircraft.

[P Brooks]

A private-sector spaceship flew a stunningly successful maiden mission, opening up a new era of commercial space travel.

The FAA is mobilizing all its resources to put an end to this private sector menace.

[Pro Libertate]

That's one of the things I'm worried about. Can the government stay out of the way?

[Nick]

Can the government stay out of the way?

That's a good one. Do you do holiday parties?

[Pro Libertate]

Exactly my point.

[hmm]

http://www.fox2now.com/news/kt.....6624.story

City closes pound. Dumps it on nonprofit charity (no kill shelter) that is mostly volunteer run and operates on donations.(Stray Rescue) Shelter outperforms former city pound by huge margins in adoption rate, animal health, and not using euthanasia. Now retarded alderman wants more money to hire more useless health cops because his constituents are irresponsible assholes when it comes to their pets.

Facebook video, so some might not have work access. No clue why they haven't loaded it to Youtube.
9 minute video of the 2010 year for the Stray Rescue
Take that Balko, no dogs shot!!!

Another interesting note is that all the pits and bulldogs are listed as terriers because of absurd breed legislation. It's a kind of sad yet funny fuck you to the legislation.

[wylie]

It's a kind of sad yet funny fuck you to the legislation.

Funny, or a blatant violation of The Law? Send those bastards to PMITA prison, ASAP.

[Nick]

Pit = Staffordshire terrier but isn't a bulldog just a bulldog?

[Tanya]

"Pit Bull" in breed-specific legislation like Denver has, is a catch-all term that means a bully breed dog, including but not limited to American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Presa Canario, American Bandogge, Rottweilers, American Bulldogs, Black Mouth Cur, Cane Corso, and many more.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Many attacks on humans are by an nonprofessional (eg, someone who is not a licensed vet) calling the dog a pit bull.

[generic Brand]

Probably speaking to the choir here, but how do some many people drink the grape drink that says tax cuts will cost us $800 billion? Lost revenue does not count as losses unless you neglect to trim your overhead costs. Which is exactly what the federal government does (or doesn't do... I got confused with all the negatives)

This is the more infuriating part to me:
In a sweetener for many Democrats, the package extends a program of cash grants for wind and solar projects, as well as tax credits for energy-efficient appliances...

[NoVAHockey]

Tax cuts as a "costs" is one of those things that some take on faith. I tend to counter that I consider taxes an "expense" when I do my budgeting. It's another line item -- groceries, mortgage, taxes. It's also my family's biggest line item. People look at me like I'm crazy. like because i don't make out a check to FICA every 2 weeks, it's not an expense.

[generic Brand]

As an hourly employee, I'm not always sure how much money I'm going to make and therefore lose to taxes. A standard 80-hour two-week schedule would be $800 minus about $98 in Medicare and FICA, but with holidays that my workplace is closed and unforeseen sick days, I might drop to a 72 or 64-hour pay period. So budgeting is not really the easiest thing in the world (as far as accounting for taxes).

Because of that uncertainty, I know that I can't be going out to eat every night, or go to the movies once a week as I did in college, or driving all over town and using extra fuel. Those are the sacrifices I make so that I can afford my apartment rent and some WIC-type food rations each pay cycle. If only Congress could make the same kind of sacrifices. Although in their defense (*puke*) I'd like to think I'd still spend frugally with someone else's money, but in reality that might not be the case; especially when I'm not on the hook for paying it back.

[Brett L]

Definitely an expense if you're self-employed. I chant the mantra "motherfucker" over and over again whilst giving Uncle his take every quarter.

[creech]

Meredith Viera was interviewing Rep. Michelle Bachmann this morning and made the same remark about extending the Bush rates "costing the Treasury."
Bachman should have retorted that
"If Uncle Sam doesn't take 100% of your wages and that of other smarmy
tv personalities, do you consider that a cost to the Treasury?"

[0x90]

To the state, the populace primarily represents a resource; it (the state) regards itself as the sole and rightful custodian of that resource. Given this mindset, it is not difficult to understand how a tax cut is naturally conceived of in terms of its being a cost. Uncollected revenue represents potential which exists to be managed by the state, but which cannot be, having been allowed to remain uncollected.

That is to say, when you speak of costs, you are referring to a fundamentally different thing than the state does when it uses the same word. One can only understand the state's point of view when one considers the full meaning of the term taxing authority.

A similar line of reasoning will be seen to manifest in the case of any monopoly. Failure of the monopoly to fully leverage its position is naturally seen by the monopoly as representing a cost to the enterprise; the unspoken implication being that the monopoly owns its market segment.

[Jill]

The sheep are a resource to be herded about and Sheared when necessary. Any wool lost is indeed a cost to your owner. You are free to do as you are told.

[generic Brand]

Is the state immune from anti-trust laws? I don't like anti-trust laws in and of themselves when applied to the market, because in a free market there wouldn't be any monopolies. Someone will find a way to sell the same or slightly different services for less to compete with the jumbo corporation. But when the government IS the monopoly, there isn't anyway to compete with said entity.

Is the state immune in the same way that it is difficult/impossible to sue the government for damages?

[Nick]

You may not be able to sue them, but you can take them down. Revolutions happen for a reason. They don't have a monopoly on governance. They just happen to be the only game in town right now because it hasn't (apparently) gotten bad enough...yet.

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

The better joke is how continuing to keep the tax rates the same as they have been for the past ten years somehow is a tax "cut".

If tax rates were increased for ten years, with the expectation that they would decrease at the end of ten years, and then when the time came, Congress voted to extend those rates, would the Dems characterize that as a tax increase?

The fank and fetid hypocrisy is thick on both sides.

[generic Brand]

Good point. It's because the government uses these assumptions to promote their agenda. Like how the 1 trillion dollar Obamacare plan would save us money, and how the Medicare doc fix was factored in to those costs despite never legitimately considering that fix.

[cynical]

Someone should ask the Democrats how much it costs the government that taxes are below 100%.

[Some Guy]

I had heard about Arthur being a Marine, and was not surprised. As PL points out, there's a certain bearing that a lot of military folks develop. Among Marines, that tendency is even more pronounced.
Short version: I recognized one of my own. Semper Fi, Bea. Even if you wouldn't admit that you were once a jarhead.

[Old Mexican]

Re: sume Guy,

Semper Fi, Bea. Even if you wouldn't admit that you were once a jarhead.

Well, she never admitted to really being a guy in drag, either... There are things one must keep quiet in this crazy, crazy world!

[R C Dean]

I hear you, some guy. I was raised by a Marine, and even though I was never in the Corps, I can usually spot one at about 100 paces.

[John]

My father was a marine and liked it. My siblings and I used to joke that it took us ten years to even start to deprogram him.

[CrackertyAssCracker]

Marines do have a certain aura about them. I could ALMOST pull it off,but not quite. It might be useful as an alternate personality in certain situations. First I have to stop using pussy words like "aura". But I get to use awesome acronymns like "whos the HMFIC here? I got a problem!".

[Old Mexican]

Re: generic Brand,

Lost revenue does not count as losses unless you neglect to trim your overhead costs.

It does count as loss when you use government accounting, not GAAP.

[Aresen]

Bingo.

I have always been infuriated by people who refer to tax cuts as "expenditures."

It is not an "expenditure."

It is the government allowing people to keep more of their own money.

[P Brooks]

All your monies are belong to us!

[Warty]

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

Miley Cyrus Smokes From Water Pipe in Party Video

[John]

Sadly, she will get more flack for that than doing creepy pictures with her father.

[Tex]

"Liu" is surname, "Xiaobo" is given name, FYI.

[Warty]

Daddy must be getting a little worried by now about his meal ticket becoming a drug addict and not bringing in any more money.

[John]

Depends on what was in that bong. If it was crack, I would be worried. If it was weed, I wouldn't worry too much.

In a larger sense, you can't be a 30 year old teen idol. We all know the drill, teen makes millions, gets hooked, poses in playboy, reforms, makes comeback doing serious adult role or music. She is just moving on to the next stage of her career.

[Warty]

Unless the royalties from "Achy Breaky Heart" still pay his bills...

[Brett L]

No universe is that cruel, right?

[John]

Sadly, she will get more flack for that than doing creepy pictures with her father.

[generic Brand]

I saw her becoming the new LiLo. Billy Ray is gonna be PISSED!

[Clich? Bandit]

I think she is smarter than that but I also believe it is the scrutiny that pushed these pop icons over the edge...she needs to learn A. keep legs closed getting out of limmos, B. ignore the press at all times.

[generic Brand]

Not gonna lie though: Party in the USA is an awesome song.

[Spoonman.]

...Seriously? I'm not sure I can read your posts anymore.

[generic Brand]

First, let me just thank you for reading any of my posts in the past, as I was pretty sure I hadn't reached the level of common readability on H&R.

Second, in my defense, I had been living in Japan for a year teaching English when the song came out. So I needed a feel-good anthem to overcome the constant J-pop and enka music I was hearing. If that's not good enough, then I thank you again for your past readings of my post, and apologize for the future eyesores that I may output.

[R C Dean]

Tax cuts as a "costs" is one of those things that some take on faith.

Drives me absolutely crazy. Deficit hawks and spendy-spendy liberals both use this terminology, and so its pretty much universal and impossible to change.

[robc]

I try to get ranty about it as often as I can. But it gets tiring after a while.

[Kolohe]

Everyone knows that FAA thing is a bureaucratic land grab, right? *Small* planes are not a terrorist threat, hell they've deliberately hit in the last 20 years, among others, the White House and an office tower in Tampa Bay without catastrophic damage.

[P Brooks]

Everyone knows that FAA thing is a bureaucratic land grab, right?

Moneymoneymoneymoney!!!!

Something tells me it won't be free to re-register that plane every three years annually.

And I'm going to go out on my favorite limb and guess the FAA and TSA are conspiring to shift as much traffic as possible from private to commercial aircraft. Someday, private planes will be (except for politicians and their preferred classes of "friends") banned.

For the children.

[John Thacker]

Probably so. Though they do have a point that private aircraft are federally subsidized much more than commercial aviation on a per passenger-mile basis.

[generic Brand]

Moneymoneymoneymoney!!!!

You forgot the last "MONEY!"

[P Brooks]

Can the government stay out of the way?

I would bet you a doughnut (possibly two) that somebody, right now, is lobbying his Congressman to put an end to the menace of privately funded and conducted space travel.

[John]

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....e_facebook

Chris Christie is awesome.

[John]

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech.....ear-havoc/

Stuxnet Worm Still Out of Control at Iran's Nuclear Sites, Experts Say

I am starting to think that this might be the greatest covert operation in US history. And that its existence is why Bush didn't bomb Iran on his way out.

Some day there is going to be one hell of a book written about who did this and how it was done. This is just amazing.

[Warty]

Examination of the worm shows it was a cybermissile designed to penetrate advanced security systems. It was equipped with a warhead that targeted and took over the controls of the centrifuge systems at Iran's uranium processing center in Natanz, and it had a second warhead that targeted the massive turbine at the nuclear reactor in Bashehr.

Cybermissle? Warhead? This is why regular reporters shouldn't write about computer stuff.

[John]

They are saying it is the most advanced worm ever created. It really is a "weaponized" form of computer virus to use that term by analogy. The thing was brilliant. The Iranian system is not connected to the internet. So they created this virus and disseminated it via a server in Malaysia to IP addresses around the Iranian nuclear sites. The idea was to infect a personal computer of someone who worked at the site. The worm then replicated itself on removable media. Then eventually one of the employees took a thumb drive out of his home computer and put it in a work computer and it was in.

The worm had been engineered to attack the seimens equipment at the plants. It got into the control of their cyclotrons. All a cyclotron does is spin uranium ore so that the heavier and more common U237 atoms fly off and the lighter U235 fissionable isotopes remain at a higher and higher percentage. The worm caused the cyclotrons to spin too fast but none of the computer controls or instruments said this is what was happening. This did two things. First it made the uranium that they thought was weapons grade into useless slag. Then, it burned out all of the bearings in the cyclotrons because they were built to incredibly small tolerances and couldn't take going at even a slightly higher speed.

Their whole program is now fucked. The only way to get rid of the worm is to replace every computer in their system. But to do that means losing every piece of data in the program. If you copy so much as one text file you risk infecting your new system. This attack was more effective than bombing their program. We can only hope and pray our government is still smart enough to have pulled this off.

[Warty]

Oh yeah, the worm is quite brilliant. The word cybermissle is nails on a chalkboard, though.

[generic Brand]

I didn't have time for breakfast at home though, but I went on the Kellogg's website at work and downloaded a cyberPop-Tart for myself. It was pretty effective.

[Nick]

You think it was our government?

[smartass sob]

One of the things I've heard is that it disappears without a trace when detected...if that's the correct terminology. Something else I've heard is that it contains an element of AI or artificial intelligence: program it with what you want it to do and it finds the best way of doing that - it "learns." If that is actually true - the AI part - it has some serious portent for the future of the internet as well as warfare.

As far as the Bush administration goes, I've read that Stuxnet was more likely an Israeli operation. But who knows?

[John]

it seems to have been a multinational operation. Only the Germans had the knowledge of the Seimens equipment necessary to engineer the worm. Only the Russians had knowledge of the Iranian computer system. And only the Americans had the general access to the internet and the connections necessary to get it planted.

The most likely source seems to be an Israeli Russian and American joint operation.

[cynical]

I've heard that it murdered Ahmadinejad and is now running Iran by using his reanimated corpse as a puppet.

[db]

centrifuges, not cyclotrons.

There is a significant difference. Where did you read about the bearing failures? From reading the Symantec analysis of the worm, it appeared to me that the goal was to disrupt the process without causing the kind of notice that a mass failure of bearings would bring about. Also, the worm acts in 2 stages once a PLC is infected: 13 days after initial infection (based on some preset criteria) it _reduces_, not _increases_ the VFD speeds. It's not until days later that the speeds are run higher.

Check out
http://www.symantec.com/conten.....ossier.pdf
for the actual Symantec analysis.

[Warty]

Idiots

I particularly like the sign that says, "There's some Things Money can't buy...FOR EDUCATION THERE'S MASTERCARD". Fantastic cluelessness on many levels.

[Brett L]

My takeaway -- paint on cops' riot masks looks like an effective tactic, but the horses were less impressed by it.

[generic Brand]

What about "DUMBLEDORE WOULDN'T PUT UP WITH THIS SHIT"? I'm not even sure what that means.

[generic Brand]

I also like papparazo Mario taking a picture of Prince Charles and Camilla while drinking a Four LOKO (number 33).

At least the left never riots violently. That's only those racist tea baggers. /sarc

[cynical]

It means they expect the government to be able to do magic.

[Atanarjuat]

There's a really goofy looking guy making eye contact with the camera in that picture, just under the "coalition resistance" sign.

[joshua corning]

Ok i fucking hate morning links.

What needs to happen is they need to be posted at 10am pacific.

By the time i start reading reason in the morning all the cool snark of the day has already been spent.

[CrackertyAssCracker]

Well don't stay up so late at your fancy pants left coast cocktail parties man!

Ya you are right. all the good snark used up.

[R C Dean]

On the dumbass Brit student gimme-gimme-gimme riot:

I never thought I'd turn on the morning news, and see an actual cavalry charge through downtown London. But there it was. One clip showed eight or ten mounted men in uniforms galloping horses against a mob of the New Lumpenproletariat.

Fair brought a tear to my eye, it did. Shame they didn't have lances.

[John]

Where is Richard II when you need him. Too bad Charles didn't get out of limo brandishing a sword and busted a few heads. God, it would have been magnificent.

[cynical]

Figures that you would favor those parasites over the other parasites, you royalist twit.

[Mike M.]

Senator Bernie Sanders is now on the Senate floor filibustering the proposed tax bill.

And it's a real, honest-to-goodness, old fashioned filibuster. I think he's been going to about four or five hours now!

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

Thanks