Poll Respondents Say Mitt Sucks Less Than Barry, U.S. Construction Projects Falter in Afghanistan, Nine Arrested in Anaheim Police Protests: P.M. Links

• Mitt Romney has a very slim lead over Barack Obama on issues of leadership, honesty and personality among poll respondents. Uh huh. Yeah, that's quite a contest.

• American plans for massive construction projects in Afghanistan are running so far behind that the U.S. will (supposedly) be long gone before they're built. And after they're in place, they should start crumbling pronto, since Afghanistan's government isn't expected to have the resources to maintain them.
• For the third quarter running, Spain's economy shrank, helping to erode confidence and fuel recession worries across the struggling euro zone.
• Raymond and Thomas Highers spent a quarter-century in prison before their murder convictions were overturned after witnesses fingered another shooter. Now they wonder how they'll pick up the pieces of their lives.
• Republican delegates pledged to support Ron Paul are fighting ouster attempts in Massachusetts and Maine. Hmmm … It's almost as if freedom-minded people aren't welcome in the GOP.
• Three female punk rockers who performed an unauthorized anti-Putin protest set in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral face up to seven years in prison for their actiona. The Russian Orthodox Church, which is tight with Russia's authoritarian regime, is pushing for harsh punishment.
• Nine people were arrested over the weekend as Anaheim residents continue to protest two recent police shootings, one of them of an unarmed man.

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Comments

[Tim]

I'm just glad Pussy Galore didn't live to see this...

[Ted S.]

Um, Honor Blackman is very much alive. (She'll be turning 87 in August.)

[Isaac Bartram]

If any of you are old enough to remember Honor Blackman's first appearance as John Steele's sidekick in The Avengers she was reassembling her FN after field stripping it on her coffee table.

[Fist of Etiquette]

American plans for massive construction projects in Afghanistan are running so far behind-

My kingdom for a shovel-ready project!

[Pro Libertate]

That's a great idea! Let's totally rebuild Afghanistan! Super high-tech everything, with fiber everywhere, bullet trains, ubiquitous wireless, robot servants, domed cities, the works! That should provide massive stimulus for the U.S. and solve the problems in Afghanistan, once and for all.

[wareagle]

why do you hate jobs and infrastructure and investment?

[Pro Libertate]

No, no, let's do it! Huge 3-D Jumbotrons everywhere, giant Japanese robots leading prayers, hovercrafts, AI-controlled cars, all of the deserts reclaimed, etc. A showcase for Western technology.

[RBS]

Huge 3-D Jumbotrons everywhere, giant Japanese robots leading prayers, hovercrafts, AI-controlled cars, all of the deserts reclaimed, etc. A showcase for Western technology.

I imagine this is what Tokyo is like.

[Pro Libertate]

Pretty much. But with more giant Japanese robots.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Raymond and Thomas Highers spent a quarter-century in prison before their murder convictions were overturned after witnesses fingered another shooter.

Prosecutors are, of course, lobbying to keep them in prison anyway.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Because it's more important to not look bad than to ruin two lives.

[ant1sthenes]

The thing I hate about reading Reason is that I can't be sure that you're just joking.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Speculation is that the government will probably argue that since they weren't model prisoners while falsely incarcerated they shouldn't be let out while they decide to retry the case. I wish that was a joke.

[Isaac Bartram]

Hey, if they weren't guilty of that crime they must have been guilty of something, right?

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Anaheim residents continue to protest two recent police shootings, one of them of an unarmed man.

Can't the Anaheim coppers get any credit for not using a drop gun 50% of the time?

[Episiarch]

Where's their sense of professionalism?

[Almanian 1]

They haven't been TRAINED in that. It's not like they can be experts in EVERYTHING.

/derpfy

[wingnutx]

Bloomberg wants to take away infant formula.

[Brett L]

Oh god. I dated a labor delivery nurse who had strong feelings on breast feeding. I'm going to my happy place now because this fight gets worse than circumcision.

[CE]

Not for the infant.

[wareagle]

because infants are known for favoring either the bottle or breast.

[wingnutx]

La Leche Uber Alles

[Killazontherun]

Putting an infant on the end of a nipple is a fucking disgusting thing to do to a titty. Fuck nature. I've never seen a dog look happy with puppies squirming under its belly, yet many fool women desire to be in that bitch dogs place, and the dog would gladly make that exchange if she could.

[RBS]

Clearly he hates women, specifically women who don't produce enough breast milk.

[LarryA]

Or has to work.

[Joe R.]

Making the nanny state literal.

[Libertarian]

+1.

[$park?]

While some are chiding the mayor for imposing a "nanny state," The National Alliance for Breast-feeding Advocacy says it's a good program.

No shit? Who would have thought?

[Brett L]

Sea Hag wants a beer and she will shoot your ass if you don't give her one.

[RedDragon6009]

Why is it always Florida?

[Pro Libertate]

Because all of you people come down here to be crazy.

[RedDragon6009]

Because all of you people come down here to be crazy.

That's racist!

[wareagle]

not you people, you other people.

[Pro Libertate]

No, Florida crazy seems to be more white from-somewhere-else folk and white-Hispanic from-somewhere-else folk. Don't ask me why, because I don't know.

[Sandi]

I took a shit in Florida once.

[SIV]

Shouldn't she have Goon minions for this sort of work?

[Ice Nine]

I'm betting it was about unrequited love.

[Mr. FIFY]

Punk rockers arrested for daring to criticize their own Dear Leader.

Coming soon to America.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The poll found 93 percent of voters consider "policies and competence" more important than "likability" when choosing who to support for president.

They only included 7% women respondents? Those poll results are skewed.

[Almanian 1]

Oh, that's gonna leave a mark

[Fist of Etiquette]

Dude, what's with your name? Spoofed? Forget your password? Get banned under the old one? I smell a rat.

[Pro Libertate]

Likability? WTF? That's not even on my list.

[RedDragon6009]

Likability? WTF? That's not even on my list.

Check again. It should be right below fuckability.

[Pro Libertate]

No, that's not on my president list, either. Maybe I picked up the wrong list when I turned 18?

[RedDragon6009]

I thought everyone just used the same list they use to choose Oscar winners at the Academy Awards. My bad.

[Pro Libertate]

There's a list for that? I always thought the awards were based on who paid the Academy the most.

[RedDragon6009]

Perhaps I confused it with the Teen Choice Awards.

[BakedPenguin]

Right? I once voted for Bob fuckin' Barr, that's how little I care about likeability. (Though I regret not just sitting that one out). I'm not going to the fall dance with the President, I want a competence.

[Pro Libertate]

Exactly. Though I don't regret the Babar vote. I voted for the LP, not for him. And, of course, I not-voted for McCain and not-voted for Obama.

[robc]

I voted for Bush in 88. I regret that much more than Barr in 08.

[BakedPenguin]

Agreed to the essential protest nature of the vote, but I still have a problem with a guy I voted for signing on to try to lawyer back some of the cash Baby Doc looted from Haiti.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeppers. Much more comfortable with my pending Johnson vote.

[CE]

Freedom minded people are always welcome in the Republican Party. As long as they support war. And torture. And ever-increasing military spending. And drug prohibition. And indefinite detention. And the criminalization of undocumented immigration. And traditional marriage.

[Almanian 1]

And "family values". And "The American Dream?". And "USA! USA! USA!" And...

[wareagle]

the preceding is what passes for intelligent conversation in liberal circles. Usually, such fuckbucketry is brought to you by the letter O and the number 3, but today, we are fortunate to have a guest troll.

CE forgets to tell you the Dems support war, too, along with torture, indefinite detention, drug prohibition, ever-increase spending of virtually any kind, you get the idea.

[Almanian 1]

I actually took CE as "right", and "ironic".

Perhaps my Urine detector is on the blink...

[wareagle]

after watching the opening of the Olympics extoll the virtues of NHS, my irony meter is irreparably broken. But you could be right.

[BakedPenguin]

What did CE say that's not correct?

[Pro Libertate]

He forgot to mention that freedom-minded people are equally welcome to the Democratic Party.

[BakedPenguin]

Yeah, that list looks like TEAM BLUE's position plank, too. That is, the ones they actually practice, not the crap that dribbles from their mouths.

[Pro Libertate]

Take away the rhetoric, and there's very little distinction between the two parties. It's really quite incredible how true that is. And even more incredible how many people pretend otherwise.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey! The Democrats are the party of peace and diplomacy! There is nothing more peaceful than humanitarian war! And kinetic military actions are the shuttle diplomacy of the 21st century!

[ant1sthenes]

That sounds like a standard libertarian comment, not a liberal one.

[Brett L]

Male olympians have lots of almost neck tattoos. They look like man-tramp stamps up there by themselves.

[Brett L]

India's grid crashes slightly less than whatever grid my home is attached to.

[RedDragon6009]

Are you in the North East?

[Brett L]

Tallahassee. My power has been down at least once a day for the last week. At this point, the only thing keeping me from bombing my (publicly owned) utility company is that I like not being in prison. But I don't think its too much to ask to have power for all 24 hours a day unless weather of unusual intensity is upon us.

[Pro Libertate]

When we lived in Tallahassee, we had a lot more power outages than we've had down here. And that was decades ago.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Weather Of Unusual Intensity? I don't think it exists.

[Auric Demonocles]

The science is settled!

[SIV]

They never fixed the wires correctly after Hurricane Kate(1985). I remember Tally as littered with electrocuted squirrels for years after.

[RedDragon6009]

At this point, the only thing keeping me from bombing my (publicly owned) utility company is that I like not being in prison.

At least in prison you'd have power. Besides, it's Tallahassee. Not like there's that much else to do there.

[Brett L]

Warm beer and cold women. Actually, I manage to keep myself entertained. I'm just sick of having to reset the fucking coffee maker clock every goddam day. And last night the power went off after I fell asleep so no coffee waiting for me when I got up. Then this morning while I was in the shower.

[wareagle]

you're making PCB sounds like Shangri-La.

[RedDragon6009]

Is Mike's Beer Barn on Tennessee St. still open? And if so, can you still sell your plasma across the street? Haven't been to Tally since the early 90's.

[Brett L]

Yes to Mike's, no clue on the plasma. I had a job when I got here.

[RedDragon6009]

My bad. I thought everyone in Tallahassee was a poor college student.

[Pro Libertate]

You may be as shocked as I was to learn this, but Tallahassee is technically the capital of Florida. Yeah, I know, I thought it was Disney World, too.

[Isaac Bartram]

Well, of course Tallahassee is the capital of Florida. It's in the center of the state after all.

Explanation: Tallahassee is midway between Jacksonville and Pensacola. At the time the capital was selected the peninsula of Florida was considered inhabitable. Except for Indians, that is. That didn't stop white settlers from moving south, of course, leading to the Seminole wars.

[Isaac Bartram]

In the end the only thing that made South Florida inhabitable was lowering the water table, through a system of drainage canals (both public and private), about five feet from about where Gainesville is south.

In those days we called them swamps and they were something to be drained and/or filled. At that time the Federal government would pay you subsidies to do that.

Nowadays they're called wetlands and the Corps of Engineers and the EPA will put you in jail if you do anything to change them.

On Disney property the Tragic Kingdom and Epcot are built on about sixteen feet of fill. Those wonderful lakes on site provided the dirt to do it. I was there. 🙂

[BakedPenguin]

Mike's! Woo hoo! $3 gallons of beer in milk jugs. (I'm sure it's at least $5-6 nowadays).

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Sounds like a job for battery backup.

[Anonymous Coward]

Want to visit Tallahassee?

Step 1)Drive up one side of Appalachee Parkway.

Step 2)Drive down the other side of Appalachee.

Step 3)Get the fuck out of town before you catch an STD.

[juris imprudent]

It's almost as if freedom-minded people aren't welcome in the GOP.

Forget about Jake, it's the GOP.

[Pip]

"When we get out, do you think we could get a gig at CBGB? What's that ...?"

It's closed.

[SIV]

They are behind The Iron Curtain so they don't know that

[Brett L]

Oh fuck. The Hobbit now 3 films. I foresee Starship Troopers level of hate and blame.

[Eduard van Haalen]

You should see the four-film version of Farmer Giles of Ham.

And a film-length music video of Tom Bombadil, "The Best Weed in the Whole Southfarthing."

[robc]

Two was unreasonable (I thought LOTR should have been 6). But three?

[robc]

Two was reasonable, that should say.

[Matrix]

I'm a bit perplexed by this. what is the runtime for each of the 3 movies now? Also The Hobbit is the smallest of the books. They probably should have made each of the LotR movies in multiple parts and added a lot of stuff to the movies. Each book should have had a minimum of two movies with the same length as the current movies were. But I don't see how The Hobbit could have 3 movies unless they were each 90 minutes. It would be better just to have 2 movies that ran a little over 2 hours each. No clue...

[Pro Libertate]

Filler. They're clearly going to frame the story with all of your favorite characters from Lord of the Rings.

[Eduard van Haalen]

The article says they want to incorporate material from the *appendices* of LOTR. You know, the fall of North Gondor, the history of the Dwarves, the Misty Mountain Hop, Willie Nelson and the Pipeweed...

[Pro Libertate]

Well, okay. Personally, I'd shoot The Hobbit and save stuff like that for something else (or skip it).

[BakedPenguin]

...Sauron's Hummel figurine collecting,the bizarre sex life of the elves...

[Pro Libertate]

If Jackson were really a great director, he'd follow this all up with a full-length motion picture of Bored of the Rings.

[wingnutx]

I would pay good money to see that.

[Episiarch]

They're going to add a subplot about aliens and crystal skulls.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

any nuclear proof refrigerators?

[Pro Libertate]

Or, in the alternative, this will be the first theatrical release including director and cast commentary.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

That's a lot of movie for killing one dragon.

[Eduard van Haalen]

A dragon like that, you don't kill all at once.

[Auric Demonocles]

One does not simply kill a dragon.

[Pro Libertate]

I know what Jackson is planning. He's going to do The Hobbit ? la Rashomon, with each major character telling the story from his perspective. Including Smaug.

[Auric Demonocles]

What about the trolls that got turned to stone?

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, sure. Why not? Definitely Gollum.

[Auric Demonocles]

I greatly look forward to the 3 segments of the same scenery shot from a few feet apart.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, has anyone ever heard of DVD commentary done by one or more of the characters? So, for instance, in commentary for the eventual DVD for The Hobbit, Gollum could comment on Bilbo stealing the Ring: "Yeah, this is the part that really pisses me off. Little fuck stole my Precious, then cheats in the Riddle Game. You know that even wicked people like me are scared to cheat at that? Not that Baggins, though."

[Auric Demonocles]

I like it.

[LibertyWolf]

The closest I have seen is the on the DVD commentary for Bubba Ho-Tep. Bruce Campbell does a commentary from a secret hideout as the "real" Elvis watching Bruce Campbell play him in the movie.

[Rich]

"We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance," Jackson wrote.

What is J. R. R. Tolkien, chopped liver?

[Pro Libertate]

The Silmarillion, a new ten-season miniseries from HBO.

[Eduard van Haalen]

The Children of Hurin, on the Lifetime Network.

[Tulpa Doom]

Says the guy who left Tom Bombadill, the Barrow Wights, and the Scouring of the Shire on the cutting room floor.

I guess he ditched his concerns about "pacing".

[Mickey Rat]

We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance,"

The story of the Necromancer and Dol Guldur was not told in "The Hobbit" except as an allusion to explain why Gandalf disappeared for much of the story.

[Wilt Chamberlain]

http://www.salon.com/2012/07/3.....gressives/

Rise of the new atheists
Should non-believers make an alliance with religious progressives?

As an atheist libertarian, this article made me pretty upset. he's pretty condescending to religious people of both parties. It bothers me more that he only views various religions or the lack thereof as voting blocs.

[The Derider]

I think it would make an athiest-libertarian upset because it points out that the libertarian alliance with the Republican party furthers a bunch of crazy faith-based nonsense.

[Episiarch]

Hey joe! Come slithering back, I see!

[Warty]

This obviously isn't joe. He told us he wasn't joe, remember? And joe would never lie to us.

[Apatheist ?_??]

*barf*

[ant1sthenes]

In highly religious communities, a person who comes out of the closet as an atheist can expect ostracism, bullying, persecution and even violent threats. This fact is witnessed by the experiences of young nonbelievers like the high school activist Jessica Ahlquist, who filed a successful lawsuit last year against an illegal "School Prayer" banner in her public high-school auditorium and was targeted by a flood of hate mail and death threats, and shunned within her school and her community

Um, disingenuous much? "Coming out" means saying "Hey, I'm an atheist". Saying "Hey, I'm an atheist, and I'd like you to stop doing your religious stuff" is taking something away from religious people that they were used to having. It might be legally or even morally correct, but it's understandable that they would be kinda sore about it.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

iow, conclusion doesn't follow from anecdote.

she didn't merely come out as an atheist. she came out as an atheist AND filed a lawsuit, which she happened to win

that tends to make people unhappy. i say that as somebody who has successfully sued somebody else.

people don't like to be sued... even if they are objectively wrong, and they KNOW it, they still don't like it.

talk about "begging the question"...

"this FACT" (emphasis mine) followed by anecdote that is not at all related to that "fact"

[Gadianton]

Will it drive people away to attack their deepest beliefs?

The author seems to have missed the difference between criticism (or simple disagreement) which anyone should be able to deal with, and openly expressed contempt.

If you tell me that you don't believe in God (or believe in a different God than I do), or even that you find aspects of my religion troubling, my reaction is "Fine. We'll find out who is correct when we wake up (or don't) after death." We can debate points of doctrine all day long, and still remain respectful and polite.

If, on the other hand, you decide that the way to convince me that your way is correct is to call me a moron, spit on my most deeply held beliefs, and tell me that my belief in God is equivalent to belief in the Tooth Fairy... that's going to be a tough sell.

[Scarecrow Repair]

Here's something which deserves more attention: http://www.sciencedaily.com/re.....134446.htm

"In Massachusetts, 'Individual Mandate' Led to Decreased Hospital Productivity"

It at least deserves a healthy does of snark.

[wingnutx]

Democrats offer bill to ban online ammunition sales

No budgets passed in three years, though.

[Anonymous Coward]

IT'S FOR THE FREAKIN' CHILDREN!

[LarryA]

So are gun owners who believe the lies the NRA tells about how Democrats will push gun control still paranoid.

[wingnutx]

I like how they think that online sales are anonymous.

Do you call the ammo dealer from a burner and then leave a paper bag full of cash at a remote location?

[Coeus]

Aging attention whore goes on a titty crusade.

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

Aging attention whore goes on a titty crusade.

No problem here. All women look naked to me.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

Three female punk rockers who performed an unauthorized anti-Putin protest set in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral face up to seven years in prison for their actiona. The Russian Orthodox Church, which is tight with Russia's authoritarian regime, is pushing for harsh punishment.

Solzhenitsyn was a great man and wonderfully perceptive, but he had some major blinders on when it came to religion. I wish he was still alive to be queried about the current situation in Russia.

[Tulpa Doom]

Aaaaand it looks like the GOP is actively trying to make me stay home in November with the RP shenanigans.

[robc]

Gary Johnson piss you off too?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Three weeks ago, I received an email from journalist Michael Moynihan asking about Bob Dylan quotes in my book Imagine. The quotes in question either did not exist, were unintentional misquotations, or represented improper combinations of previously existing quotes. But I told Mr. Moynihan that they were from archival interview footage provided to me by Dylan's representatives. This was a lie spoken in a moment of panic. When Mr. Moynihan followed up, I continued to lie, and say things I should not have said.

Moynihan's been busy ruining The New Yorker writers with his incessant fact checking.

[NoTalentAssclown]

Twitter suspends account of journalist because NBC got butt-hurt

http://www.uproxx.com/webcultu.....is-tweets/

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

Mitt Romney has a very slim lead over Barack Obama on issues of leadership, honesty and personality among poll respondents.

Oatmeal vs. oatmeal. And I'm a Low Carber. Damn.

[CampingInYourPark]

"(AP) - Britain will help the Iraqi government dispose of what's left of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons, still stored in two bunkers in north of Baghdad, the British embassy in Baghdad announced Monday."

Where's the assclown that was telling me he was sure these weapons were all destroyed in 1991 because he had some photos and Saddam said so.

http://apnews.myway.com/articl.....B9D00.html

[Kaptious Kristen]

All you women's beach volleyball fans should form a mob and beat the shit out of the IOC for having the games in London.

Instead of this, you're getting this.

[SIV]

I blame Sharia. If Britains still based their law on the Magna Carta those girls would be naked.

[LarryA]

In all fairness London lacks one of the essential elements of beach volleyball: Sun.

[LarryA]

I thought it was very appropriate that the Brazilian team wears bras that say "BRA."

[TingRooo]

Sometimes I just dont get the reasoning dude, Not at all man.

http://www.Anon-Go.tk

[C. Al Currier]

"Sometimes I just dont get the reasoning dude, Not at all man" ...TingRooo

I'm confused. Is it sometimes or not at all?

[wef]

It's almost as if freedom-minded people aren't welcome in the GOP.

The republican party must be destroyed.

(and anticipating the sophomoric assholes hereabouts who puritanically want balanced bile, the demothugs must be destroyed too.)

[Monty]

Yes however you are a Gadianton and have no beliefs only hate.

[Monty]

Nice late and threaded in hell

[Monty]

and Volley ball girls in wet suits BOO

[JeremyR]

Sigh. I used to date a girl in college that was the spitting image of the one all the way to the left.

Now I feel the need to go get drunk....