Reason Morning Links: Power Juicer Edition

• Al Jazeera publishes the Palestine Papers.
• Military police detain two activists who wanted to visit the accused Cablegate leaker.
• A former cop in Britain claims that officers infiltrating political groups used sex as a tactic.
• Archie Comics joins DC in dropping the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval.
• A civil libertarian beats the TSA in court.
• Southern Sudan votes for secession.
• The World is sinking.

And finally, in honor of the late Jack LaLanne:

Comments

[Johnny Longtorso]

Left wing climate of hate and assassination

GOP budget cuts hit Democratic campaign cash sources hard

[Old Mexican]

Re: Johnny Longtorso,

Wow.

[Corduroy]

No mention of another debt-cutting proposal?

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/0.....s-spending

[Virginia]

Chambliss and Warner's plan would involve streamlining the tax code to abolish or reduce about $1 trillion in popular tax breaks for individuals and corporations. Homeowners, for example, could see their mortgage interest deduction replaced with a tax credit that would apply only to the first $500,000 of any mortgage. Tax breaks for second homes would be abolished.

Most of that money would be used to lower income tax rates, but a portion would reduce the deficit.

More money would be raised for Social Security benefits by increasing the payroll tax on large salaries and reducing benefits in the future. The retirement age would be slowly increased to 68 years by about 2050 and 69 by 2075.

Warner's proposal is one gigantic tax increase. Where are the spending cuts? Raising the retirement age one whole year over the course of 25 years won't cut it. What a joke of a proposal.

[Corduroy]

Cops having sex with anarchists? Sounds better than shooting dogs.

[Wind Rider]

Probably a mistaken take on the phrase "use your guns and make entry"

[Abdul]

I've seen anarchists. i think i'd rather bang dogs.

[Abdul's dog]

SWAT,

Come shoot me

[JoshINHB]

Climate campaigner Sophie Stephens, 27, who knew Kennedy, said there was fury amongfurry women who felt violated by the state:

[Brett L]

I saw this movie, only it was set in Australia. "Children of the Revolution"? I think it was.

[Spur]

That was it - funny little movie about Stalin's Love Child - kid ends up running the Australian police union...

[Johnny Longtorso]

Andrew Sullivan's Glaring Double Standard on Accusations

[Rather]

"Andrew's defense seems to be that there are a lot of right wing jerks out there, and that by combing Loughner's writing, he can find a few sentences here and there that sort of sound like things that might have been said by one of those right wing jerks"

Ya but can he find the location to Trig's birth certificate?

[Au H20]

Read it and weep, Friedman.

[capitol l]

Ha!

Look at where Mr. LaLanne's "fitness" got him...Dead. It just goes to show you.

[Tim]

You know who else is dead?

[Wind Rider]

As opposed to just "dead" to me?

[CoyoteBlue]

Of course he was like 300 years old and made jumpsuits fashionable, so he's got that going for him.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/io.....again.html

[Ska]

We will have to rely on Rusty Venture to boost the popularity of the speedsuit.

[Rage Against the Machine]

Hey, what are we, chopped liver?

[Brett L]

From your lips to God's ear, buddy.

[The Ghost of Jack LaLanne]

I highly recommend this book.

[Lucky]

George Burns lived to 100 and never exercised, and he smoked cigars!

[Ray]

Like my daddy always said, eat right, exercise, still die.

[Au H20]

Okay, so Reason spam filter doesn't like me, but: Read it and weep Tom Friedman.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/asiaview/2011/01/chinas_coal

[ev]

Good evening from Korea, reason!

[Tim]

Which one?

[Rather]

ahh, he didn't say Good evening from Korea and from our beloved leader Kim Jong-il , reason!I>

[Au H20]

Frieeeedmaaaaaaan!!!

[Au H20]

http://www.economist.com/blogs.....hinas_coal

Read it and weep Thomas Friedman. Also, screw the spam filter.

[Au H20]

http://www.economist.com/blogs/asiaview

Friedmaaaaaaaaaan!!!

[Au H20]

How do I get the spam filter to stop hating the Economist?

[SugarFree]

Archie Comics joins DC in dropping the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval.

Probably for the best, considering that Archie is venturing into polyamory.

[BakedPenguin]

Isn't that old news? IIRC from my childhood, his only problem was convincing Betty & Veronica to go along with the 3-some thing.

[SugarFree]

I think the new twist is that after stringing those girls along, he's finally be strung along himself.

Did you see the Archie series where he marries them both and the Betty-and--Ronnieverses run in parallel storylines? Archie is miserable in both.

[Rather]

lol
I hear they are doing a Betty, Veronica, and Paris Hilton do Vegas edition

[Trespassers W]

ROFLMAO

Do you have more where that came from? You should totally start a blog.

[Rather]

ditto 😉

[Tim]

If you can't catch terrorists, guess you've got to do something to generate arrests.

[Anonymoose]

While I do agree that the Marines were being dicks, a printed proof of insurance was a fairly standard requirement for driving on base when I was in the military.

Then again, while the MPs/SPs usually have a large amount leeway in these matters, I've never heard of somebody being DETAINED over proof of insurance.

My guess? The visitors acted high and mighty to the MP, pissed him off, and he decided to be an asshole about it.

I don't think that this is a Bradley Manning thing. I think that this is a run-of-the-mill "abuse of power" by a 19-year-old grunt who got pulled for gate guard duty and didn't want to put up with a couple of folks who didn't want the rules to apply to them.

Regrettable, yes. Conspiracy? Not likely.

[Abdul]

In a lot of jursidictions, they'll tow your car if they catch you without an insurance card.

[P Brooks]

Kochtopus alert! Paging Damon Root....

Justices who flaunt their politics publicly do more than just lecture - they also can raise cash for ideological allies. Scalia and Thomas have reportedly attended events funded by conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch. Last week, Thomas admitted through a spokesman that he "dropped by" a Koch session in 2008. Both justices were even featured in Koch promotional material with Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

Professor Turley am disappoint.

[J sub D]

Dubai reminds me of mega millions lottery winners, spending shitloads of money on tacky, trashy and very expensive status symbols while those who were raised wealthy just shake their heads in wonder.

[Tim]

Hey at least they're spending on nukes or jihadi crap. Probably.

[P Brooks]

How do I get the spam filter to stop hating the Economist?

Why bother?

[Au H20]

Taking a piss in Tom Friedman's cornflakes isn't reason enough?

[J sub D]

Sex was a tool to help officers blend in, the officer claimed, and was widely used as a technique to glean intelligence.

What a novel idea! Spies having sex with their targets! It's amazing that nobody in the entire history of espionage has ever though of using this tactic.

[Brett L]

This is why I make up ridiculous lies during pillow talk.

[Jimmy Bond]

It's also why women always say "We have to talk."

[Sterling Archer]

The Honeypot, my favorite.

[Virginia]

anybody know the credit reduction states for 2010? or Virginia's experience rate? i hatessesss tax time.

[robc]

Odds of the TSA agent at :40 of the video will be charged with assault? The DA can still get one conviction out of this.

[robc]

That was supposed to be in response to the Virginia post below this one.

[Virginia]

Apparently it took the jury all of an hour to find the civil libertarian (who did not testify) not guilty... which is really only about 20 minutes after getting comfortable and going over instructions.

[TSA and Albuquerque police]

The jury found that even without rebuttal, the TSA and Albuquerque police had failed to satisfy their burden of proving ... refusing to obey a lawful order (it was never entirely clear whether this was supposed to have been an order to turn off his camera, an order to leave the airport despite having a valid ticket, or an order to show ID, none of which would have been lawful orders)

That was one stupid-ass jury. The order and its lawfulness were perfectly clear to us.

[Bee Tagger]

The World is sinking.

WRONG. Michael Savage is certain that the problem is that people are getting high.

[Fist of Etiquette]

People are higher so the world seems lower. I get it.

[Au H20]

Just to piss in Tom Friedman's cornflakes:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/asiaview/2011/01/chinas_coal

[Virginia]

Camden police union eats its young.

[generic Brand]

In one of the poorest, most crime-ridden cities in the U.S., these cops are still trying to say that $77,000 plus benefits is too low?

[Au H20]

Just to piss in Tom Friedman's cornflakes this morning:

China is apparently having some central planning problems. I had to split up the link due to the hellion damned spam filter.

http://www.economist.com/
blogs/asiaview/2011/01/chinas_coal

[P Brooks]

This morning on CNBC, Senator Barrasso of Wyoming said he wants to rein in the rule-making activities of such agencies as the EPA. It's a noble pursuit, and I wish him great success, but he neglected to mention the complicity of Congress in letting them run wild; none of the nodding simpletons brought it up.

[A Penguins fan]

Yeah, Barrasso was always a better goaltender than communicator.

[Mongo]

I visit Wyoming often for places like Medicine Bow, the Wind River Range and the Bighorns.

I certainly do not visit it for the culture or nightlife, Barrasso.

[Old Mexican]

A civil libertarian beats uh defeats uh... convinces the judge he had better arguments than the TSA in court.

You should not use such violent rhetoric around here!

[Rich]

Al Jazeera publishes the Palestine Papers.

Would someone *kindly* summarize this in

[Rich]

My attitude about the so-called Peace Process is so bad I can't even comment properly. Just tell me if peace exists for, say, two years.

[Old Mexican]

Peace is the interlude between two major cluterfucks.

[Old Mexican]

The "s" key is a little moody today...

"clusterfucks" - Sorry

[Rich]

RCz -- no prob.

[Tim]

Wars are like buses, there's always another government approved one coming along...

[Ice Nine]

>>Peace is the interlude between two major cluterfucks.

Well, I don't know...those weird couples on 'Hoarders' sure seem to argue a lot.

[Rather]

"cluterfucks"

I love that show. How do those hoarders find the phone to call the show for help?

[Au H20]

The ones I saw on the BBC seemed to indicate that the PLO offered major concessions to the Israelis. East Jerusalem and limiting the number of incoming Palestinian refugees (100k over 10 years).

The PLO is denying that these leaks are legit by saying had the offered such big concessions, peace would be at hand. Israel is saying that the PLO never offered those terms, but that it has offered super-duper generous terms that the Palestinians have refused.

[Bingo]

The PLO is denying that these leaks are legit by saying had the offered such big concessions, peace would be at hand. Israel is saying that the PLO never offered those terms, but that it has offered super-duper generous terms that the Palestinians have refused.

Jesus christ, they sound like squabbling children. Sounds like the Mid East peace negotiations need a pre-school teacher more than anything else...

[Anonymous Coward]

Diplomat/negotiator crap including...wait for it...A MAP ON A NAPKIN.

Israel opts to stick with its solution of the past few years: the West Bank fence works, the economy is good, let the Palestinians stew in their own shit, PROFIT.

[Old Mexican]

Sad news to start the day: Jack LaLanne, who focused on health and fitness every day of his life, has succumbed to respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

I would really love to die looking as healthy as he did at the end...

[CaptainSmartass]

I'd rather not die at all to start with.

[Stairway to Seven]

Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl.

Here we go!

[Old Mexican]

A former cop in Britain claims that officers infiltrating political groups used sex as a tactic.

"Sex was a tool to help officers blend in, the officer claimed, and was widely used as a technique to glean intelligence. His [former officer] comments contradict claims last week from the Association of Chief Police Officers that operatives were absolutely forbidden to sleep with activists."

And everybody can be sure that it was not like they were bragging about it around the pub...

[Ozzy Firr]

a tool to help officers blend in

Come again?

[generic Brand]

Come again?

I think that was the problem. Hiyo!

[Rather]

"Chief Police Officers that operatives were absolutely forbidden to sleep with activists"

They didn't sleep

[Old Mexican]

In the "let's focus on the wrong thing today" section:

RFK's Daughter: Assault Weapons Ban Would've Complicated Arizona Shooter's Efforts

http://politics.blogs.foxnews......rs-efforts

A ban on the production of certain semi-automatic firearms became law in 1994, but it expired seven years ago and efforts to renew it have since been unsuccessful.

"If that statute were still in place, the Tucson shooter would not have had such easy access to the guns or easy ability to keep running his deadly errands," Kathleen Kennedy Townsend told those gathered Friday afternoon inside the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington.

This should teld anyone immediately that the woman has no grasp or idea on the subject she's talking about. Just because she's a Kennedy does not mean she has something smart to say.

[Maryland Voter]

Tell me about it. KKT is the gubernatorial candidate who brought you the "Hispanish" language.

[Ragin Cajun]

Just because she's a Kennedy does not mean she has something smart to say.

When's the last time a Kennedy had something smart to say?

[BakedPenguin]

"Yeah, Bobby, the hot chick from Some Like it Hot!"

[R C Dean]

Just because she's a Kennedy does not means she has does not have something smart to say.

There, that's better.

[Andrew S.]

As dumb as this is, it's still about 100x smarter than anything RFK Jr. has ever said.

[P Brooks]

Guess who:

But let's not kid ourselves: talking about "competitiveness" as a goal is fundamentally misleading. At best, it's a misdiagnosis of our problems. At worst, it could lead to policies based on the false idea that what's good for corporations is good for America.

OMG KKKORPORASHUNZ!

[Lee I]

What's good for us is good for America.

[Virginia]

Krugnuts?

[Anonymous Coward]

The financial crisis of 2008 was a teachable moment, an object lesson in what can go wrong if you trust a market economy to regulate itself. Nor should we forget that highly regulated economies, like Germany, did a much better job than we did at sustaining employment after the crisis hit. For whatever reason, however, the teachable moment came and went with nothing learned.

You know who else wanted America to be more like Germany?

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Suicide bomber in Russia just now.

BBC reports at least 23 dead in Moscow area airport.

[Tim]

Super.

[Bingo]

The TSA will have to make body scans mandatory now to guarantee the security of the American Homeland and prevent terrorists from attacking. Also, more checkpoints inside the US border.

[scrat]

Early local reports suggested Monday's blast had hit the baggage reclaim area of the international arrivals hall.

Someone had a bomb in his/her luggage and detonated after arriving??

Or someone from outside got into the baggage claim area without clearing security??

Weird

[Bingo]

I can't think of any airports that have security checkpoints for entering baggage?

In any case, it doesn't matter if they put them there or not. Any crowded area is a possible target for suicide bombers, whether it's planes or buses airports or subways or sports arenas or concert halls. When you stick security checkpoints on these targets, then the security checkpoints themselves become targets. If some guy is willing to blow himself to bits for his invisible sky daddy there really isn't a whole lot you can do to stop him.

[scrat]

Arriving international passengers must claim baggage after clearing immigration but before clearing customs.

This is a supposedly secure environment to prevent smuggling.

[Bingo]

Who says the explosive was a checked bag? Some guy could have just walked through the exit doors with a jacket full of explosives. It's the middle of January in Moscow, bulky winter clothing is the norm at this time of year.

[JD]

Airport spokeswoman says the area where the explosion happened is open to the public.

[Ice Nine]

>>If some guy is willing to blow himself to bits for his invisible sky daddy there really isn't a whole lot you can do to stop him.

True. And in lieu of that, I'm guessing that in the next few days there are going to be a select group of Chechens that end up something like this (last two paragraphs). LOL. The Russkies have a certain special touch that is lacking here in the West when it comes to this sort of thing.

[Mongo]

I guess this particular airport is known to be rife with corruption and incompetence.

[Destrudo]

Obviously what we need now is security checkpoints that screen people before they enter security checkpoints.

[TrickyVic]

A secure armored car (paddy waggon) will pick you up from your house and take you to the airport. This happens after a complete background check, note from your doctor, 6 personal references, and a SWAT team checks your home for any contraband.

[generic Brand]

...and a SWAT team checks your home for any contraband dogs.

FIFY

[Pip]

Damn those tea party suicide bombers! Damn them all to hell!

[cynical]

"As regards being with women in very, very, very promiscuous groups such as the eco-wing, environmental movement, leftwing, or the Animal Liberation Front ? it's an extremely promiscuous lifestyle and you cannot not be promiscuous in there."

And this place is a total sausage fest. There is no fucking justice in the world.

[SugarFree]

Eco-activism is full of idiots.
Dim girls are easy to seduce.
Girls in eco-activism put out.

[Spur]

Its a good day

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Yes, but they don't shave or bathe. So if that floats your boat...

[R C Dean]

very, very, very promiscuous groups such as the eco-wing, environmental movement, leftwing, or the Animal Liberation Front

The best advertising these nutbars ever got. Way to go, British cop dudes.

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Looks like I'm going to have to start hitting up the local Sierra Club meetings.

[Brett L]

Yeah. I'll bet ALF girls are probably the type who bathe regularly instead of dousing themselves in ever larger quantities of patchouli or whatever Brit bath-dodgers use to advertise their soap aversion. Blech.

[SugarFree]

The former SDS officer, who has now left the Met, said one stipulation by senior commanders was that undercover officers should be married, so that they had something to return to. He said the move was introduced when a spy never returned after five years undercover.

"I have to cheat on you, dear. It's my job."

[cynical]

Awesome. Now they can get the hardline right-wing family values types and the flaky skank patrol pissed off at them!

[P Brooks]

I wonder if Krugabe would resign from the New York Times in shame and disgust (and slink back to noble non-profit Princeton) if he ever found out the NYT is a corporation, and not an autonomous collective.

[Trespassers W]

Rothbard's law: No one ever resigns.

[Brett L]

To be fair to Krugman, they're not a profitable corporation. More like a real estate holding company with a dirty little newspaper hobby.

[J sub D]

Mortgage Giants Leave Legal Bills to the Taxpayers

Since the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud. The cost was a closely guarded secret until last week, when the companies and their regulator produced an accounting at the request of Congress.
...
The legal payments show no sign of abating.

Who could have possibly foreseen this development?

[Brett L]

Do we still blame Palin if:
1) The violence is done against a police station, and
2) 4 officers were wounded and none died?

This has all the hallmarks of suicide by cop.

[sloopyinca]

The four officers wounded Sunday were taken to Sinai-Grace Hospital, where hundreds of other officers came to support them....right after they stopped by their precinct houses to clock in.

[cynical]

Yeah, if they were serious about killing cops and didn't care about dying in the process, a suicide bombing would have worked better.

[R C Dean]

Do we still blame Palin

Of course. She Looms Large.

[P Brooks]

taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud.

You think Franklin Raines should pay his own legal fees? What are you, some kind of anarcho-syndicalist?

[Cytotoxic]

I am surprised to see that Reason hasn't mentioned the story of the Canadian who, after confronting the people tossing Molotov cocktails at his property, was arrested and charged with careless handling of a firearm.

[Trespassers W]

What is this "Canadia"? Is it tucked away in West Africa or something? I can't even find it on Wikipedia.

[joshua corning]

A former cop in Britain claims that officers infiltrating political groups used sex as a tactic.

Technically in Sweden if a cop had consensual sex while undercover wouldn't this be considered rape?

[Brett L]

I thought the problem was Assange wasn't under cover.

[Mongo]

The Minister of Information for southern Sudan said (re: the naming of the new country):
"We've had South Korea, North
Korea, South Vietnam, North
Vietnam, South Sudan, North
Sudan"
I wouldn't be bringing up those examples, Minister of Dumbfuckery....

[GroundTruth]

"A civil libertarian beats the TSA in court."

Too bad the general media won't carry this one.... the sheep might decide it's time to castrate the wolf!