A.M. Links: Nearly 70 Percent of Americans Want Afghan War to Be Over, Democrats Introduce $3.6 Trillion Budget, Newt Gingrich Now Charging $50 for Photos With Supporters

• Sixty-nine percent of Americans think we shouldn't be in Afghanistan anymore. 

• House Democrats unveil a $3.6 trillion budget.
• Newt Gingrich will now charge supporters $50 a pop to have their photo taken with him.
• FTC wants online companies to pledge support for a web user's bill of rights.   
• D.C.'s Metro system plagued with favoritism and a lack of accountability. 
• RIP Priscilla L. Buckley. 

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New at Reason.tv: "Obamacare at the Supreme Court: Day One"

Comments

[Spartacus, AKA Mary Stack]

This is like the worst chat room ever.

[Gambol in the]

Forest!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Newt Gingrich will now charge supporters $50 a pop to have their photo taken with him.

Well, it takes so much film to fit him all into the picture.

[?]

Film?

[o3]

one must use film w ghosts & UFO's (unidentified fat objects) to prove no doctoring.

[Conan Doyle]

Yup.

[invisible furry hand]

Is there a full price list? How much does he charge for a visit to Brokeback Mountain?

[Fist of Etiquette]

$75 for a panoramic shot, if you want to include his ego in the picture.

[BakedPenguin]

Also, he gets to eat both puddings.

[Hugh Hefner]

How much for Callista?

[Ice Nine]

A photo?

[Loki]

The women? How much for the women?

[Ba-dum]

And he charges $40 to have TWO photos taken with him!

[Perfidious Malarkey]

Unfortunately half those Americans think Afghanistan is tying up precious resources that could be used to invade Iran.

[Syria]

that could be used to invade Iran.

What am I, chopped liver?

[T]

Not yet, but soon enough.

[Karburetor Kristen]

One Damasectomy, coming up!

[o3]

who says we cant invade from the east as well?

[Lord Humungus]

Politically-Correct student tests forbid dance, dinos & lots more
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/l.....z1qJkFLggu

In a bizarre case of political correctness run wild, educrats have banned references to "dinosaurs," "birthdays," "Halloween" and dozens of other topics on city-issued tests.

That's because they fear such topics "could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students."

Dinosaurs, for example, call to mind evolution, which might upset fundamentalists; birthdays aren't celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses; and Halloween suggests paganism.

Even "dancing'' is taboo, because some sects object. But the city did make an exception for ballet.

[SugarFree]

Insects are banned too, I assume. Jains might riot.

[Ex nihilo]

It would be really cool to see a Jain riot. Almost as bad as a mime rally.

[I Blame Videogames!]

Jains might riot.

Jains boil their water before drinking it to make sure they don't drink organisms that might be in there. This demonstrates people can do sane things for insane reasons. But they think it's better from the organism's point of view to die by being boiled to death and then be eaten than just to be eaten? Nice guys!

[Kwanzaa Cake]

Remember folks, refusing to subject your kids to this nonsense is inconsistent with "progressive values."

[o3]

Dinosaurs, for example, call to mind evolution, which might upset fundamentalists; birthdays aren't celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses;
_
so these are progressive values?

[Kwanzaa Cake]

"Don't ever offend anyone, ever," is most certainly a "progressive value," to the extent such a thing exists. As is, apparently, sending your kids to public schools where they won't be taught certain things in the name of PC.

[Auric Demonocles]

Spoof?

[Nutcracker Sweet]

But the city did make an exception for ballet.

Fucking elitists.

[Ice Nine]

"With a single punch," the Orlando Sentinel, citing police sources, reported Monday, "Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer ... climbed on top of [him] and slammed his head into the sidewalk several times, leaving him bloody and battered."
"That is the account Zimmerman gave police," the paper said, "and much of it has been corroborated by witnesses, authorities say."

Fuck the lynch mob, fuck Al Sharpton and, maybe, fuck Trayvon Martin.

[Suki]

+1

[The Real Mary Stack]

Yeah, but if Zimmerman had been a real cop, this place would be howling for his head.

[Suki]

+2

[Chronic Handwasher]

If someone was stalking me, I might be inclined to bloody his face.

[Mary Stack]

Play it safe and just out his personal information.

[Francisco d Anconia]

$

[Ice Nine]

Yeah, of course - and he might be inclined to justifiably shoot you in self-defense. He is allowed to walk on the streets, you know.

[Chronic Handwasher]

Stalking is an invasion of privacy and a violation of the NAP.

[Ice Nine]

NAP?

[Rich]

Non-Agression Principle.

** huffily **
And you call yourself a libertarian!

[Ice Nine]

Non-Agression Principle

Oh, it's that. Well then, his comment really is complete bullshit. I'm pretty sure that Zimmerman is not particularly bound by some libertarian principle.

[WWNGD?]

National Association of Popsicles.

[Restoras]

Is stalking the same as following?

[Rev. Blue Moon]

You're begging the question there, Chronic.

[The Real Mary Stack]

I think he was referring to the Prime Directive.

[Chronic Handwasher]

If you were a girl being followed back to your dorm room at 2 AM, would you consider that a threat?

If you were trying to find your car after leaving the bar and someone was following you, would you consider that a threat?

I've been followed, and I've been robbed. Never again, bitchez.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Threats are not definitionally aggression, Chronic. That's why I said you are begging the question.

[Chronic Handwasher]

Yes. The threat of violence is the initiation of aggression, in my book. The taxman threatens you with violence if you do not pay your taxes.

[Chronic Handwasher]

A robber sticks a gun in your face and threatens to shoot you if you don't give him your wallet.

Are you sure you want to go down this road?

[Rev. Blue Moon]

You're bootstrapping through equivocation.

You are saying IF someone is following you, you consider that a threat, and that same threat can be conflated with a threat of "violence", and that therefore said following is a violation of NAP. The problem, of course, is twofold: someone following you may not necessarily be considered threatening, and even if it is, you cannot conflate the word "threat" to mean "threat of violence", imminent or non.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Again, you are assuming the argument. Someone following you is not, by definition, a threat of violence, and you have yet to demonstrate that it is.

[Chronic Handwasher]

It can be, and many times is. Therefore it is not unreasonable to assume someone stalking you is threatening you.

What would you expect from someone that you were intentionally following? A smile and a wave.

[Chronic Handwasher]

ou cannot conflate the word "threat" to mean "threat of violence",

What other definition would you give the word "threat"?

[Chronic Handwasher]

A threat is an act of coercion wherein an act is proposed to elicit a negative response. It is a communicated intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. It can be a crime in many jurisdictions. Threat (intimidation) is widely used in animal kingdom, particularly in a ritualized form, chiefly in order to avoid the unnecessary physical violence that can lead to physical damage or death of both conflicting parties.

[Romulus Augustus]

Can't be - the Mayor Of Philadelphia says it was an "Assassination." And Toure' in latest TIME says, "As far as we can tell, Trayvon did nothing wrong..."

[Obama]

The police acted stupidly.

[The Electorate]

We acted stupidly.

[invisible furry hand]

'I'm too fat to work': Jobless mother-of-six, who weighs 33 stone and spent ?200 a week on takeaways, is demanding NHS weight loss operation

[Suki]

If only they had Maobamacare.

[o3]

NHS is obamacare squared fool

[anon]

Damned brits and your funny weight systems. What does a stone weigh?

[Sharon Stone]

118 pounds.

[anon]

Hah!

[WTF]

A stone weighs 14 pounds.

[invisible furry hand]

33 stone = 462 poinds = 209 kilograms = a whole lotta lovin'

[Lord Humungus]

*Waits for sarcasmic/John post about chubby-chasers*

[Restoras]

14 pounds

[db]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=1+stone+in+Lb

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Also, "takeaway" is "to-go food".

British people invented the language and then promptly proceed to fuck it all up.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

I thank Bon Scott for prompting me to learn the answer to that question.

[Suki]

More than a duck.

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Someone should tell her about the BBW fetish industry.

[Unassimilated Brit]

Stone her!

[Restoras]

Also, chubby chaser alert.

[Kwanzaa Cake]

Face of the modern welfare state here. Looks like they live in quite a nice middle-class home. Kids look healthy, well-clothed. The mom's constant access to high-calorie food and resulting obseity is, of course, the left's current conception of "poverty." All this financed by the Brit taxpayers to the tune of 17,000/year in "benefits." The message is clear: only suckers work.

[Lord Humungus]

and this is our future... the Flukes of the world unite.

[Ken Shultz]

I used to work in a hospital that did gastric bypass surgery, and what you may not be aware of is that Medicaid here in the U.S. pays for bariatic surgery and gastric bypass surgery.

http://www.nationalbariatricli.....erage.html

Medicare does too. The trick is to make sure the diagnosis is "Morbid Obesity".

The problem in the UK is that the National Health Service rations healthcare so severely that their options are more restricted than ours are here for people on Medicare and Medicaid.

Which is all to say that Medicaid patients can expect to have fewer services available to them in the future under ObamaCare than they have now. I suppose that wouldn't bother me so much--if it weren't for the fact that the rest of us can expect fewer options to be made available to us as well.

[Ken Shultz]

Incidentally, it takes a lot of will power to stop eating so much food even with a gastric bypass.

Just because your stomach no longer tells you its full is no guarantee that your fat mind is in sync with that fact.

Generally speaking, morbidly obese people stopped eating because they were hungry a long time ago. And if not eating so it doesn't kill you didn't slow your eating down before you had a gastric bypass, the threat of bursting your gut post bypass may not be enough to make you stop eating afterward either.

There are all sorts of terrible things that happen with your kidneys and liver once your body starts processing all that fat in an expedited manner, too. All because you can't find the willpower to do something--that getting stapled won't give you either?

Diet and exercise, Lady.

[Brett L]

Eh. I used to work for a company that would pay for gastric bypass, so we had 8-10 people in different stages of bypass in the 4 years I was there. I saw 2 who were militant about diet and exercise and made it more than 2 years without gaining significant weight. One died going under the anesthesia (a significant risk for the morbidly obese) and the rest ballooned back up towards their original weight over the course of years 1-3.

[Kwanzaa Cake]

Of course we pay for it -- surgery to counteract the consequences of lacking self-disclipline is a "basic human right" these days. In that regard you have to love the fat Brit's frank admission that she doesn't exercise because it "hurts."

[Lord Humungus]

Supreme Court Case Won't End Republican Obamacare Attacks
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....tacks.html

But McConnell doesn't worry that a court decision to uphold the mandate will make the law more popular or help the Democrats. Most of the arguments Republicans made before the vote on the law concerned its unwisdom rather than its unconstitutionality, and no court decision can undermine those arguments, he says. If the court keeps the law and McConnell becomes Senate majority leader, he vows that "the first item up would be to try to repeal Obamacare."

But he doesn't favor comprehensive legislation to replace it. "We would want to more modestly approach this with more incremental fixes," he told me. "Not a massive Republican alternative."

[Brett L]

Whenever Mitch McConnell speaks, all I can hear is, "Try kicking the football again, Charlie Brown. I promise I won't move it."

[SugarFree]

Newt Gingrich will now charge supporters $50 a pop to have their photo taken with him.

Or you could just have your picture taken next to a carved pumpkin slathered in foundation for $10.

[sloopyinca]

Or you could just have your picture taken next to a carved pumpkin slathered in foundation for $10.

So they're getting his wife involved after all, SF?

[SugarFree]

No way you could get those sharp edges on a pumpkin. Beside, everyone knows that she is a bald eagle that the High Evolutionary moreaued up in the mid-70s.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Will they put a white lego-hair wig on it for an extra $5?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sponsored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee, the $3.6 trillion proposal is not expected to pass, but nonetheless provides the Democrats with a comprehensive plan from which to distinguish their policy priorities from those of Republicans this election year.

So, every four years now we're going to get a meaningless budget proposal for the sake of that year's presidential election?

[Yuno Hoo]

Top. Men.

[Brett L]

"The budget adds $6 trillion to deficits over 10 years...

'This budget will reduce the deficit in a balanced and credible way, making difficult choices while providing investments that help create jobs now and build an even stronger economy for the future,' Van Hollen said in a statement."

WTF? Its like they don't even pretend to give a shit about lying outright about the budget anymore.

[R C Dean]

nonetheless provides the Democrats with a comprehensive plan from which to distinguish their policy priorities from those of Republicans

So, the Dems aren't even pretending that their fiscal "policy" is anything more than a smokescreen.

And, yesterday, I believe I heard Plouffe say that the Democratic platform this year "didn't matter" while he was dodging questions on gay marriage.

They're not even pretending to have any principles any more.

[John]

I heard Plouffe say that the Democratic platform this year "didn't matter"

Well RC it is not like they have an incumbent President running for re-election or anything.

[P Brooks]

Sixty-nine percent of Americans think we shouldn't be in Afghanistan anymore.

And nobody cared.

[?]

You don't read good.

[Mary Stack]

I've been hitting the refresh button since 6am waiting for the morning links. I really am a pathetic human being.

[Spartacus, AKA Mary Stack]

U mad cuz I was first, bro?

[The Real Mary Stack]

"Mary Stack" is John.
You're welcome.

[R C Dean]

You mean, child molester* John?

*This comment is meant snarkastically, and should not be construed to mean that commenter "John" is, or has ever, had inappropriate sexual contact with a child.

[Joe M]

MSM to Ron Paul: "Why won't you just drop out so we can get on with the narrative?

[Drax the Destroyer]

Ron Paul to MSM: "Why don't you go fuck yourselves."

[The Host]

"I think you're a national treasure in this country," the host said.

"Now, shuffle off the stage, old man."

[Fluffy]

These morning links make it sound like nothing at all of any import happened in the world in the last 12 hours.

[All of Yesterday's Commenters]

WTF?!

[The Real Mary Stack]

You really want to go there?

[Quetzalcoatl]

What happened yesterday?

[The Real Mary Stack]

Outings, threats, retribution, counter-threats, hissy-fits, nihilism...the usual libertarian chat-room angst.

[Lord Humungus]

Ryan and the Right
Some conservatives risk falling into Obama's tax and deficit trap.
http://online.wsj.com/article/.....on_LEADTop

The GOP critics are wrong on the economics and politics. Mr. Ryan's plan may not balance the budget within 10 years, but that's the wrong policy guidepost. Mr. Obama can easily balance the budget faster?by raising taxes.

Mr. Ryan wants to avoid a tax increase and reform the tax code because he realizes that the budget will never balance over the long term without economic growth faster than today's 2% a year. By stressing budget balance over growth, Mr. Chocola and the tea-party critics are falling into Mr. Obama's deficit and tax trap.

[John]

The metro article is fascinating and unsurprising. There is a real culture of racism in DC. Things like the metro and the schools are looked upon as jobs programs for black people and nothing else. When the the last mayor tried to fix the schools, with a Asian head, he was voted out of office for his trouble. The fact that black people are the ones who most suffer from an unsafe metro and horrible schools never seems to matter.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Sounds like it would be a really fun lawsuit.

[John]

The story talks about white engineers with masters degrees being passed over for black high school drop outs, including one guy who just got out of jail for dealing PCP.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

The only bad thing about being the class-action attorney in that case is that you would probably need armed bodyguards.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Those engineers should get the fuck out of DC and turn more rural areas into bastions of anti-bullshit. Alas, most of them depend on the gubmint for bullshit busywork.

[Raston Bot]

Whatever they do, at least get out of WMATA. Sounds like a death trap for employees.

I never thought I'd say this, but where the heck is OSHA?

[R C Dean]

OSHA is firmly under the thumb of the administration, where it always is, and isn't about to cause trouble on the plantation.

[T]

Blame Marion Barry. That's how he kept getting reelected. He turned every city department into a jobs program. The only one that actually worked worth a shit was Parking, because that brought in money. The rest of them were trainwrecks.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Insert obligatory "bitch set me up" quote here.

[TeenTexter]

BSMU lol

[Raston Bot]

The demographic figures are exactly what I expected them to be. Everyone knows it's a jobs program. Just don't ride in the very front or very back and you won't die in the next crash.

[Kwanzaa Cake]

It's not just DC. I would be very shocked if a similar investigation of Atlanta's MARTA did not reveal many of the same problems. System is poorly run, incessantly broke, constantly begging for more money, and appears to have a huge percentage of black employees. The metro schools are similar and a national laughing stock after the Atlanta cheating scandal. These government programs have become a sort of welfare for the talentless, unaccomplished, and politically connected.

[John]

Atlanta also is known for never fixing roads in white neighborhoods.

[Bee Tagger]

FTC wants online companies to pledge support for a web user's bill of rights.

Wants, threatens, forces. All just synonyms.

[Lord Humungus]

Bam's Supreme risk
Any ruling means trouble
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/o.....k.facebook

So, yes, the politics of ObamaCare are tricky; they're tricky because liberals like the law but nobody else does.

They're especially tricky right now, because almost any decision the Supreme Court could render would be bad for Barack Obama. Let's examine:

more in linky.

[Gus]

Former NAACP leader C.L. Bryant is accusing Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton of "exploiting" the Trayvon Martin tragedy to "racially divide this country."

"His family should be outraged at the fact that they're using this child as the bait to inflame racial passions," Rev. C.L. Bryant said in a Monday interview with The Daily Caller.

The conservative black pastor who was once the chapter president of the Garland, Texas NAACP called Jackson and Sharpton "race hustlers" and said they are "acting as though they are buzzards circling the carcass of this young boy."

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03.....z1qK5JUCmR

[Al Sharpton]

Is there a point in there somewhere?

[The Martin Family]

We too busy copyrightin' shit to be outraged!

[Raston Bot]

You mean the metro is like the federal govt but for black people?

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Ha ha, I assume you meant this ironically, given the disproportionate number of black federal employees.

[Monocled Top Hats]

Welfare recipients count as employees now?

[Raston Bot]

Really? I did not know that.

I was attacking from a jobs-program perspective.

"I was the only white woman in car maintenance out of 338, and they made my life miserable," Ms. Whorton said, adding that colleagues once electrified a track circuit on which she was working and laughed. "Nothing happened to them."

Holy crap.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

The OBM had the numbers a few years ago that placed black employees at 17% of the federal workforce, despite being 12% of the population. Now, that's not wildly disproportionate, but it is disproportionate.

[Romulus Augustus]

"Sixty-nine percent of Americans think we shouldn't be in Afghanistan anymore"
but, God forbid, they would support Ron Paul.

[Gus]

The mother of Trayvon Martin has filed two applications to secure trademarks containing her late son's name, records show.

Sybrina Fulton is seeking marks for the phrases "I Am Trayvon" and "Justice for Trayvon," according to filings made last week with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In both instances, Fulton, 46, is seeking the trademarks for use on "Digital materials, namely, CDs and DVDs featuring Trayvon Martin," and other products.

The March 21 USPTO applications, each of which cost $325, were filed by an Orlando, Florida law firm representing Fulton, whose first name is spelled "Sabrina" in the trademark records.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03.....on-martin/

[Gus]

Correct link:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/d.....rks-769123

[Bee Tagger]

All standard disclaimers about the copyright system, aside, good for her. I hope she gets tons of money since a fair trial for her son's killing is way out of the question at this point.

[Bee Tagger]

Not to mention, of all the people exploiting profiting from this tragedy, she would be pretty much the only one deserving.

[Ice Nine]

All standard disclaimers about the copyright system, aside, good for her. I hope she gets tons of money since a fair trial for her son's killinger is way out of the question at this point.

Fixed it for ya.

[Kwanzaa Cake]

Her "son's killing" isn't a person and therefore isn't entitled to a fair trial. Zimmerman, on the other hand, is entitled to that. And if he does not get it, I doubt he'll get any Trayvon t-shirt proceeds to make it up.

[John]

Hope Change

With $67 billion of student loans in default, the Education Department is turning to an army of private debt-collection companies to put the squeeze on borrowers. Working on commissions that totaled about $1 billion last year, these government contractors face growing complaints that they are violating federal laws by insisting on stiff payments, even when borrowers' incomes make them eligible for leniency. . . . In failing health, after contracting hepatitis from a blood transfusion, Campos pleaded with Pioneer, owned by SLM Corp. (SLM), the nation's largest student-loan company better known as Sallie Mae. He left a $40,000-a-year job at the Massachusetts health department when he got too sick to work and waited for a liver transplant.

[John]

The 52-year-old former busboy, a naturalized U.S. citizen from El Salvador, earned bachelor's and master's degrees in the 1990s from Cambridge College in Massachusetts."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....n-woe.html

[Suki]

That busboy sure looked young in the 1990's

[Fluffy]

What's a little sad here is that if this guy was a MA employee, he was eligible for 100% tuition reimbursement at MA public colleges.

Shoulda found a way to get that Master's on the taxpayer's dime, dude.

[Fluffy]

I have to say, though, I'm Trayvonned out.

I made the mistake of watching cable news last night, which I never do any more.

I now understand why some of you guys were like, "PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS!!!!!!*#*@(!(!!! 11!!! last night.

I can stick with a good argument here basically forever and not get tired of it, but after watching Anderson Cooper talk about this for literally 90 seconds or so I almost screamed out, "HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO BORING! PLEASE NEVER MENTION THIS AGAIN!"

[John]

It is fucking horrible. And I thought Fox News was some kind of racist Republican institution. They are just as awful as the rest. I don't care what you think about the case. And Zimmerman may be Charles Manson. But Jesus the media coverage of this is disgraceful.

[CoyoteBlue]

I'm praying some white girl goes missing.

[anon]

Seriously, how do these channels keep people watching? Don't these morons have internets?

[The Real Mary Stack]

By "morons," are you referring to the libertarians here who keep watching the "fucking horrible" cable news, then keep whining about it here?

[Citizen Nothing]

Fifteen minutes to Wapner!

[Ice Nine]

Especially since the story is starting to change in such a way as to refute your view of it.

[Fluffy]

No, it's not.

Here on the board we were entirely aware of the witness statements, the claims that Martin was winning the fight, etc. ON THE FIRST DAY of the story.

No new information has been "broken" by the media in the last week that changes my opinion of these events one iota. Pretty much by definition, the only thing that could change my opinion would be if indisputable evidence surfaced proving that Martin attacked Zimmerman by surprise, without warning, and without any attempt by Zimmerman to detain him.

[R C Dean]

From now on, you can assume that my thinking on the Trayvon kerfuffle can be summarized as "What Fluffy said."

[Bee Tagger]

[Insert someone doing a imitation of a Soprano's character imitating Michael Corelone's "pull me back in" line]

[Fluffy]

Yeah, it's really simple to play me on something like this.

It's one reason the atheism threads are as long as they are: my inability to let shit go.

[Joe M]

I don't think that's necessarily true. It's still a he said she said. The cops basically admit they don't know what happened between the end of Zimmerman's 911 call and the gun being fired. That's why doing no investigation was wrong. Not to beat this into the ground even more.

[Karburetor Kristen]

This is why I spent last night watching old Idiot Abroad episodes on iTunes. I'm going into new blackout mode. This is includes getting my weather from the interwebz and the 24/7 local forecast channel - I just can't risk hearing any more bullshit.

[Suki]

D.C.'s Metro system plagued with favoritism and a lack of accountability.
Color me shocked.

[Citizen Nothing]

NPR said "Kochtopus" this morning. Livin' the dream, baby!

[Joe M]

FTC wants online companies to pledge support for a web user's bill of rights.

Government to private industry: "We're the only ones allowed to invade privacy, damn it!"

[Lord Humungus]

Ineptocracies plague Latin America

hey. hey. They aren't the only ones!

anyhow:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/.....lague.html

A new definition of bad governments is spreading on the Internet: Ineptocracy ? a system where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable to succeed, and where the least capable to succeed are abundantly rewarded with goods and services for electing the least capable to lead.

(snip)

I have heard many other definitions to criticize bad governments in the region ? autocracies, hybrid democracies, even kleptocracies ? but this one seems to apply to political systems in the region that can't maintain security or provide decent education and health services, or other basic public services.

[John]

Given are present political leadership, can we really make fun of Latin America anymore?

[WTF]

Ineptocracy ? a system where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable to succeed, and where the least capable to succeed are abundantly rewarded with goods and services for electing the least capable to lead.

Is the region they are referring to North America?

[T]

I think they're referring to the region known as "the world".

[Gus]

An Unfortunate T-Shirt Hits Florida Streets In Wake Of Trayvon Martin Killing

Expanding the definition of "cracker," a t-shirt featuring the photo of the man who shot Trayvon Martin is now available for purchase.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/b.....irt-759832

[WTF]

It's cool - only white people can be racist.

[Suki]

The NYT dubbed Zimmerman a "White Hispanic" recently.

[CoyoteBlue]

Animation of Dick Cheney's heart transplant from those wacky Tiawanesians.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=channel

[Lord Humungus]

Obama's 'secret' plea to Russia plays right into Romney's meme
http://news.investors.com/arti.....efense.htm

Closet Obama supporters will seek to downplay the incident. But his Monday mis-step is huge politically and may well come to haunt and hurt him as Republican Mitt Romney rolls out the attack plan for this fall's campaign and before. Of all the GOP wannabes, Romney has been Obama's most outspoken critic, especially on the Democrat's "failed leadership" in foreign policy.

A main strain of Romney's assaults has been basically, Given the spending, chronic ineptness and apologies for America, can you imagine what Barack Obama would do in a second term unrestrained by any need to face voters ever again?

[John]

It is amazing how stupid and politically incompetent Obama is. Why would you ever say something that stupid out loud? You might think it and act that way. But only a real dope, or vulgar criminal, would come out and say it.

[Fluffy]

I don't know, even I might say it.

Of course, I'd be lying to the Russians.

You know, playing for time the way you assume Iran is playing for time with us.

"Oh, don't worry, pretty Putin baby doll. We can talk about this again after my re-election. Ignore any missile defense tests I do between now and then, and any defense agreements I make with the Poles. That's all for show. Don't worry, just give me two more years, m'love."

You know, stuff like that.

[John]

The Russians think you are lying to them or lying to the electorate. So, I see no reason why they would believe you. I doubt it would get you much.

[Pro Libertate]

Didn't he get caught saying something dumb in similar circumstances before?

[NotSure]

More importantly, what is the percentage of Afghans that do not want Americans in their country ?

[T]

What percentage aren't getting paid or propped up by us?

[Ice Nine]

The FTC put the online advertising and user tracking industry on notice Monday that it's time to clean up its act and start treating users' data with respect,

Isn't this sort of out of character for one of Big Brother's agencies?

[sloopyinca]

Doubtful. More likely, it's the first step in a power grab.
Step 1: call for change in behavior
Step 2: find a few outlier examples of harassment.
Step 3: find Congressman in need of a boost in his re-election campaign where an egregious example happened
Step 4: have Congressman propose legislature "for the safety of [insert children/minority/disabled/etc]"
Step 5: enjoy greater power.

[Rich]

Isn't this sort of out of character for one of Big Brother's agencies?

It depends on what the definition of "treating users' data with respect" is.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ninety-seven percent of the bus and train operators at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are black, with only six white women out of more than 3,000 drivers, according to Metro documents ? a lack of diversity at one of the region's largest employers that has led to an acknowledgment of failure in affirmative-action documents and spawned a series of lawsuits.

That's a new one as far as diversity complaints go.

[NotSure]

Let the feminists lynch me if they must, but honestly how many women really want to be bus drivers ?

[WTF]

Well, the only reason they don't want to is due to cultural conditioning by teh Patriarchy.

[T]

Does the word 'sinecure' ring any bells for you?

[Pat Downs]

how many women really want to be bus drivers

Hey, if bus driving isn't a "helping profession" what is?

[sloopyinca]

The ones that want a cushy government job where you sit for most of the day, you are immune to traffic laws, people have to adapt to your mood, you get incredibly sweet benefits, and you get to retire early with a great taxpayer-funded pension.

IOW, 95% of the women inside the beltway's dream job.

[Joe M]

In a controversial move, the Democrats also glean some of their savings by eliminating future war funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan ? a maneuver many Republicans say is disingenuous because troop drawdowns in those countries likely mean the money would never be spent anyway.

Budgetary tricks? I don't believe it!

[anon]

Only in the federal government is not spending money that wasn't going to be spent anyways "saving" money.

[anon]

Er, "cutting" spending.

[Joe M]

Oh, they count it as both. Multipliers!

[Lord Humungus]

Thomas Sowell on Zimmerman:

The man who shot the black teenager in Florida may be as guilty as sin, for all I know ? or he may be innocent. We pay taxes so that there can be judges and jurors who sort out the facts. We do not need Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton or the president of the United States spouting off before the trial has even begun. Have we forgotten the media's rush to judgment in the Duke University "rape" case that blew up completely when the facts came out?

http://pjmedia.com/rogerkimbal.....n-hoodies/

[John]

My favorite is how they refer to him as a "white Hispanic". I have never heard that phrase in my life. And rest assured, if Zimmerman had been shot by a white guy, he would then be allowed to be a full fledged Hispanic.

Every time I think the media can't get any more worthless, they prove me wrong.

[Joe M]

Definitely agree on the white Hispanic thing being utter bullshit. I read an article recently on HuffPo that said: "George Zimmerman, who was identified by his father as Hispanic..."

Since when do you need to qualify things like that?

[John]

Trayyvon Martin, who was identified by his mother as black.

Yeah, you will see that real soon.

[Sofa King Screwed]

I've seen "white Hispanic" before, but it was used to refer to people like Francisco Franco and Salvador Dali.

[WTF]

I'm pretty sure people from Spain don't count as hispanics.

[Tim]

What about that Columbus guy?

[WTF]

Italian

[invisible furry hand]

or Polish

[Paulie Walnuts]

Polish!? You muthafucka...

[Mongo]

My Pakistani bank teller was lamenting that she has to check 'Hispanic' whenever she fills out forms as she was born in South America.

[T]

I used to know a Jewish South African girl who checked off 'African-American' during college for scholarship purposes. She was perhaps a shade darker than my pasty white self.

[Kathleen Kennedy Townsend]

I'm pretty sure they do.

They speak Hispanish, don't they?

[Pro Libertate]

Sure it does. Hispania is the Latin term for Iberian peninsula.

[T]

Hmm. So Franco was the original Hispanic causing panic?

[Pro Libertate]

His panic was the best panic.

[Bee Tagger]

Have we forgotten the media's rush to judgment in the Duke University "rape" case that blew up completely when the facts came out?

I know this one: Yes.

[John]

Being in the media and slandering white people means never having to say you are sorry.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Ooh, or...the Reason Commentariat's Dominique Francon Disaster.

NEVER FORGET.

[anon]

Forget what?

Hah!

[Chronic Handwasher]

How can there be a trial with judges and jurors if he wasn't charged?

I don't know. Maybe I'm just being silly, but if I am standing over a dead body with a smoking gun and no witnesses to back up my story (at the time), I would expect to at least be charged. And, of course, whether I was guilty or not, the first four words out of my mouth would be "I want a lawyer".

[Mr. John K luge]

I am a rapist.

[sloopyinca]

Let's all take a moment to enjoy the calm before the inevitable storm.

Sadly enough, you all know what I mean.

[anon]

Would you be speaking of a storm comprised entirely of shit?

[Lord Humungus]

yep... I hate to admit it, but as the day wears on, I tend to avoid H&R unless I want to see a train-wreck.

[Tim]

I don't know what you mean.

[CoyoteBlue]

Here's something for the "Really fucking stupid idea" List: have the State of New York run private companies' pension plans. Your money's safe under the watchful eyes of corrupt politicians - totally.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03.....f=business

[WTF]

It's cool - only white people can be racist.

[WTF]

fucking squirrels

[o3]

only white males can be racist

[Eva Braun]

Ja!

[OT Man]

Something that eats away at me: What's likely to be the fate of people on the left-hand side of the intelligence distribution in libertopia?

[Neanderthal]

Oh, eventual extinction, I suppose.

[Arcaster]

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."

[Socialistic Individual Sparky]

One day we'll all be on the left-hand side.

I am the 2%

[SugarFree]

They will become trolls on message boards.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The report adds more weight to the Commerce Department's own recent report and the White House's call for an online bill of rights.

The White House has gotten a taste of that sweet, sweet bill of rights blood, and craves fresh prey.

[Tim]

Let me guess, the Online Bill of Rights will guarantee endless access to porn but Rush Limbaugh will be banned.

[Karburetor Kristen]

So this co worker of mine rides a bike to work every day and then hangs his stinking, sweaty biking clothes on his cube walls. Not in the handy closet provided in each cube. Not balled up in a sealed bag. Hanging on his cube walls for all to see and smell.

How would you handle it? Would you handle it? I'm inclined to let it fester and simmer so I can take out my rage & disgust here and on Facebook. But that's just me.

[invisible furry hand]

wait till it's dry and then set fire to it. Enjoy walking away into the sunny afternoon as the fire alarms go crazy behind you

[John]

Say something. What is he going to say? It will embarrass the shit out of him. Just politely ask him to put them in the closet.

[Tim]

He thinks his manly stink is turning you on. Yes I'm serious.

[Therefore ...]

... hang your used panties on top.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Kristen, I hate to say things like this, but this guy cannot read your mind, and he may not even realize what he is doing is offensive, so be an adult, open your mouth and say something, for your father's sake.

[Karburetor Kristen]

Your Facetious Meter must be broken?

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Apparently so is everyone else's. Wanna help us out?

[Karburetor Kristen]

Seriously, what about "I'm inclined to let it fester and simmer so I can take out my rage & disgust here and on Facebook" says "Like, I'm, lik, totally serious gise!"

I think it's kind of weird, but more amusing than anything. I just look over there and think "what the heck...?" He's a really young guy (maybe 23), so he's probably coming straight from dorm life to the office environment.

[anon]

"I'm inclined to let it fester and simmer so I can take out my rage & disgust here and on Facebook" says "Like, I'm, lik, totally serious gise!"

The entire bitchy rant of a post.

[Karburetor Kristen]

Yeah, because finding hanging dirty clothes in a cube amusing is soooo bitchy! Mr. Perfect anon has never noticed the foibles and quirks of his fellow humans and found them entertaining!

[anon]

I doubt they stink in the first place, this is the kind of nonsense co-workers stew about when they have nothing better to do.

[Karburetor Kristen]

Your Facetious Meter must be broken?

[anon]

what were you being facetious about?

if it was the stinking, then your entire bitchy rant was unnecessary, because that's the only offensive part.

You've said that twice, as though claiming you were being facetious when you weren't makes you look less stupid.

[Citizen Nothing]

So the guy has lived this long and doesn't realize that hanging up his stinking bike clothes in the middle of the cube farm is a social faux pas?
I have to wonder if Kristen's words will move him much. But then again, it couldn't hert.

[anon]

So, I'm assuming the clothes are washed daily, and that they're sweaty and stinking from today's ride, which would mean you're full of shit about them stinking and are looking for an excuse.

[Karburetor Kristen]

Your Facetious Meter must be broken?

[anon]

what were you being facetious about?

if it was the stinking, then your entire bitchy rant was unnecessary, because that's the only offensive part.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Oh, I get it. She likes the smell. Read the post again. She is going to "handle it" and let it "fester and simmer".

[anon]

ah, i thought she was just being a raging idiot bitch making shit up to complain about, my bad.

[Karburetor Kristen]

No, you're just a crabby fucking douchebag who's probably a real treat at parties. My co worker I'm amused by. You? I just feel sorry for you.

[anon]

My co worker I'm amused by. You? I just feel sorry for you.

Luckily, I don't care what some idiot bitch who rants on the internet then pretends she's kidding when she realizes she acted like an asshole thinks.

[Karburetor Kristen]

Honey bunches, I have no problem acting like an asshole when the situation warrants. You're problem is that your entire daily life is composed of assholery, so you can't help but project that piss-poor attitude onto everyone else. Again, pity.

[Citizen Nothing]

Ah. I see. anon is one of our socially clueless brethern (sistern?) as well. Hey, anon -- if you ride your bike any length to work, your bike clothes are gonna stink when you're done -- certainly by the end of the work day. Unless you're some kind of genetic freak, which, I suppose, is possible.

[anon]

your bike clothes are gonna stink when you're done

YOURS will. But that's likely because you're a dirty fuck.

[Citizen Nothing]

Of course, I imagine anon has no need to ever employ any of the social graces, if you get my drift.

[Citizen Nothing]

YOURS will.
Ok. So genetic freak. NTTAWWT.

[anon]

Of course, I imagine anon has no need to ever employ any of the social graces, if you get my drift.

Well, you're the filthy piece of trash who apparently stinks so bad just wearing clothes makes them bad enough to fumigate a room, so maybe spend less time trying to look like you didn't miss the joke and instead, bathe more?

[Tim]

"Ah. I see. anon is one of our socially clueless brethern"

Says the guy who doesn't realize she was kidding about the clothes stinking.

That's the best part, you trying to make a serious argument for her joke.

[Citizen Nothing]

Another genetic freak. Ok. Got it.
(Do you people ever actually do any strenuous physical activity?)

[Brett L]

I hear fire is cleansing. Also, do you have visitors ever? You could passive-aggressively blame them. Or, you know, point out to him that while it may be convenient for him to dry his clothes on the cube wall, you'd appreciate it if he didn't. Especially now that spring is here and the sweat flows.

[Ken Shultz]

Yeah, I guess it's a personality thing, but the first time he did it, I'd tell him, "Dude, your clothes reek".

I've never regretted standing up for myself. Some people think they will, but it never seems to work out that way. I've regretted not standing up for myself, but I've never regretted standing up for myself.

[db]

Does he shower when he arrives or does he just change into office clothes? That's pretty gross. How is he himself not stinking all day if that's the case?

[Raston Bot]

If you smell something, say something. Duh.

[P Brooks]

What's likely to be the fate of people on the left-hand side of the intelligence distribution in libertopia?

"The world needs ditchdiggers, too."

[WWNGD?]

Newt Gingrich Now Charging $50 for Photos With Supporters

What if you are not a supporter but you just want a picture with him?

[John]

Straight Cash Homey.

[Athletic Supporter]

Do I count?

[P Brooks]

Kristen-

You should take up smoking cigars.

[Karburetor Kristen]

I would tewtally do that execpt I just quit smoking cigs a few months ago, so I gotta avoid 'baccy. Maybe I can leave a lit cigar in a closet with that day's work clothes?

[me myself and i]

Miss Universe Disqualifies Transgender Contestant

[P Brooks]

Will Newt's goons chase you down and smash your camera if they see you taking a photo of him without paying?

[John Kluge]

Old women, I rape them.

http://www.newsday.com/long-is.....-1.3388897

From behind 7 proxies.

[shrike]

Are you thinking what we're thinking?

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Hi Mary! Looking forward to the Cease and Desist letter, I hope.

[Mary Stack]

My children must be proud that their mother is a 51 year old obsessive internet stalker who's done nothing with her life. Besides being a parasite, that is.

[Because]

Our John is a 25 yr old in upstate new york?

[John]

Reason will be deleting that soon. And banning whatever IP address she is posting from. So Mary did us all a favor. That will knock her off the net for a bit.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Damn John, that was fast.

[Tim]

Yet another unhinged mental case stalker? Gah.

[The Real Mary Stack]

LOL

[7 proxies motherfucker]

"And banning whatever IP address she is posting from. "

[John]

After the sheep fucking thing, they are pretty good about that stuff. She will have to move to another IP address. That will take her a while. We should have a few hours of troll free boards.

[?]

John|3.26.12 @ 9:46AM
But somehow knowing who she is makes it imminently easier to just ignore her.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

Guess you spoke too soon, John.

[John]

Thanks for admitting it was you. It is a slow morning. Reason will just keep banning you until you run out of IP addresses.

[John]

Guess so. For functionally retarded and mentally unstable, she apparently knows how to switch IP addresses pretty well. I have faith that Reason will delete them all.

[The Real Mary Stack]

LOL. You are so clueless.

[The Real Mary Stack]

PS- Still here.

 
PPS- My handle is ironic. Do you know what "ironic" means, John?

[John]

They will all be deleted bitch. You are just wasting your time. If you were not such a horrible person, I would feel sorry for you rather than just be repelled. Sorry your life is so sad.

[anon]

At -least- 7 proxies.

Funny that she still managed to post her personal info. Oh well, no cure for stupid.

[The Real Mary Stack]

Hey! This is my rice bowl.
Beat it!

[John]

No shit. That comes from being insane. 7 proxies and she still managed to post everything about herself but her social security number. Wow.

I have never seen real insanity this close up. You have to be a real nutball to go to the trouble of getting seven proxie servers just to post on some stupid board.

[Rev. Blue Moon]

What is the possible benefit of having seven proxies? She should just go through a VPN if she's that desperate.

[John]

I have no idea. It apparently makes banning her IP address ineffective. I am not an IT guy. But at some point I would imagine Reason is going to go medieval on her dumb ass. There is surely a way to stop it.

[Spartacus AKA Mary Stack]

John|3.26.12 @ 9:46AM
But somehow knowing who she is makes it imminently easier to just ignore her.