Gather Ye Ding Dongs While Ye May, Benghazi Message Failure, Pack Your Bags for Mars: P.M. Links

• Because striking unionized employees won't return to work at bankrupt Hostess, it's firing everybody and liquidating its assets. Its top creditor is the pension fund for its striking unionized employees.

• David Petraeus says he has no idea why the White House said the attacks on the Benghazi consulate were a response to an anti-Muslim film and not a terrorist attack like the CIA told them.
• As conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas gets worse, Egypt's prime minister wants to try to negotiate a truce.
• A fire at an oil-drilling platform off the coast of Louisiana has killed at least two.
• Mars rover Curiosity has determined that human astronauts could likely survive the radiation levels there.
• We hope you enjoyed your brief respite from political campaigning. Now pay attention as GOP governors start jockeying to stay on voters' radars for the 2016 race.

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Comments

[A Serious Man]

The Road Warrior comes to the UK: Axe-wielding motorcycle gang robs mall jewelery store.

And first!

[Belgian]

You're a week late.

[A Serious Man]

Still an awesome story worth linking.

[Karl Hungus]

Still an awesome story worth linking.

And the "first" - that's what's really important.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I don't know if I want to live in a world without twinkies.

[nicole just can't even!]

I've never actually had one. And now I may never get the chance!!!

[Tim]

Don't let her die a virgin.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Buy one of the factories and make your own.

[Brett L]

Fuck that. I'm just going to start making my own with their recipe. I figure I've two or three years before they resolve ownership and set the lawyers on me. Meanwhile, I'll be selling something-not-called-Twinkies.

[Belgian]

I-can't-believe-they're-not-twinkies?

[Brett L]

I'm cutting you in for 1% of profits for that one.

[Sudden]

Can I become a 1%er if I give you "I can't believe they're not ding dongs"?

[yonemoto]

they were always, much like most american confections, a little bit Too sweet.

If you made them 20% less sweet, (and with real sugar, not HFCS crap) that would be simply amazing.

[Greg]

Evil Twin...kies?

[Ted S.]

I'd suppose you'd be safe if you reverse engineered them.

[Mr Whipple]

Buy one of the factories and make your own.

Not without a licensing agreement. If you are going to make a Twinkie, you had better have rights to the trademark.

Some Chinese company will probably buy the name and make them over in China.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I've never actually had one.

Wait, what?

[some guy]

I don't want to live in a country where someone has never had a Twinkie. Time to secede.

[Belgian]

Isn't nicole Australian?

[nicole just can't even!]

That's invisible furry hand, but of course as ladies we are interchangeable.

[T]

Parts is parts, nicole.

[Belgian]

Right, Sorry. Canadian? I just assume no American women post here, except Kristen, but she also lives in DC by choice, so we know she's a little off...

[nicole just can't even!]

Nah I'm from the States too. And clearly also a little off as I live in Chicago.

[Death Rock and Skull]

Chicago's actually a major hub for Hostess. Outlet stores and everything.

[nicole just can't even!]

A Twinkie

[A Serious Man]

Zingers are way better anyway.

[Karl Hungus]

Zingers are way better anyway.

Zingers are fucking awesome. Where else do raspberry + coconut = perfection?

[Sudden]

To be fair, Little Debbie pwns Hostess. The Star Crunch is a masterpiece of confectionary delight.

[Death Rock and Skull]

Little Debbie's muffins suck ass compared to both Hostess and Otis Spunkmeyer (hehe, 'Spunk').

Everything else, such as cream pies or honey/cinnamon buns, I consider no better or worse than comparable products. Nut brownies are a little too dense.

[nicole just can't even!]

Oh, I see. Yeah, I only liked chocolate-based sweets as a kid.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Awww yeah....

Wait, you didn't mean it that way.

Never mind.

[nicole just can't even!]

Now that I'm thinking of the Hostess snack I did like best as a kid (Funny Bones), your joke is weirding me out. I mean, I'm weirding myself out. Or whatever.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Once you go peanut butter....

[Warty]

Nicole, you might like to know that deep-fried Twinkies are ambrosia.

[Zeb]

I've never had a twinkie either. I'm pretty happy about that fact.

[A Serious Man]

They'll still outlive us all along with the cockroaches.

[C. Anacreon]

What about Ho-Hos? Not enough concern is being paid to their demise. I will miss those much more than Twinkies.

[CE]

me too

[Scarcity]

Hold on to childhood memories; those things are shit as an adult

[$park?]

The hell you say! I could eat a whole box of Twinkies.

[Scarcity]

Well you clearly haven't been doing your part then. Those 18,000 unemployed workers are on your head!

[Belgian]

Does anyone else remember apple-cinnamon twinkies? I had them once, I think. But everyone I've asked doesn't remember them, so it might have just been a wonderful dream...

[LC]

"Got any of that beer that has candy floating in it? You know, Skittlebrau?"

"Such a beer does not exist, sir. I think you must have dreamed it."

"Oh. Well, then just give me a six-pack and a couple of bags of Skittles."

[BladeDoc]

Skittles don't float. They sink to the bottom and dissolve in 8 hours leaving huge, awesome, colored circles on the bottom of the pool that I swear I was nowhere near that night.

[Belgian]

THAT IS NOT HELPFUL, LC.

[Ted S.]

so it might have just been a wonderful dream...

So you woke up to Patrick Duffy in your shower? Eeewww....

[Death Rock and Skull]

I imagine that there is a chance that the better performing brands and formulas will be sold to another company.

Probably not that coconut bullshit, the nasty pies, or lame ass Wonder Bread. I'm afraid that the muffins don't seem that popular in light of competitors' versions.

[T]

Everybody downs on Wonder Bread, but a blogna sandwich with mayo on Wonder Bread? Good stuff.

[Death Rock and Skull]

You could use almost any other kind of bread, and the sandwich will be fine. There are a few other brands of cheap ass white bread locally. But that stuff gums up in the roof of my mouth so the minimum standard for me is cheap ass wheat bread. Whole grains cause my brother to get inflammation, so he is stuck with cheap ass white bread.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Whole grains cause my brother to get inflammation, so he is stuck with cheap ass white bread.

We already have SugarFree, maybe you should get him to post here as GlutenFree.

[amelia]

I've always preferred Dolly Madison Zingers. They have frosting. Or something like it - a semi-soft, sugary coating on top.

[Fist of Etiquette]

David Petraeus says he has no idea why the White House said the attacks on the Benghazi consulate were a response to an anti-Muslim film and not a terrorist attack like the CIA told them.

A West Wing copier truncated the memo.

[CatoTheElder]

The Obama Regime is so weird that even the Director of Central Intelligence can't figure it out.

[Tim]

Not first? not even third? Did you get some bad Meth?

[Fist of Etiquette]

None of the links spoke to me with an obvious joke; I had to read over them twice. Shackford screwed me with bad links. Also, I meant to be third.

[Scott S.]

I screwed myself too. I couldn't think up jokes either.

[R C Dean]

So why the fuck didn't he say anything different? Why did he peddle the same line?

[Drake]

Maybe somebody threatened to release some scandalous information on him?

[Pippers]

Probably because the White House actually said it was a terrorist attack the very next day. The echochamber. It echoes. It echoes.

[Trespassers W]

Um, what? I think you mean the very next week. Eventually, anyway, sort of.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The White House, the very next day, said that the Benghazi attack was a terrorist event and not a protest against a youtube video? Unequivocally, it was stated that the CIA had informed them that the attack was an act of terrorism? Why is everyone hiding the evidence of that statement?

[Jordan]

That must be why they spent the next 9 days making the case that the attack was in response to a video. Derp.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

India textbook says meat-eaters lie and commit sex crimes

[Eduard van Haalen]

Lucky guess!

At least when a vegetarian becomes a world leader, he's like totally peaceful and nice, right?

[Jack-it]

In case you don't know, and most of you don't, Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, a teetotalor and a nonsmoker.

[Zeb]

No, everyone knew that already.

[Jack-it]

How do you know?
This comment section is not as smart as it used to be.

[Entropy Void]

You know who else was a vegetarian world lea ... uh ... never mind.

[Karl Hungus]

India textbook says meat-eaters lie and commit sex crimes

I guess tha tmakes me a lying, raping bastard then.

[Generic Stranger]

"The strongest argument that meat is not essential food is the fact that the Creator of this Universe did not include meat in the original diet for Adam and Eve. He gave them fruits, nuts and vegetables," reads a chapter entitled Do We Need Flesh Food?

The fuck? That's some weird fusionism, right there. You've got a (presumably) Hindu-produced textbook using corrupted Juedeo-Christian arguments to peddle vegetarianism.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

KIDS as young as three are fat-phobic, a new study has found, and it means larger children are being shunned.

[C. Anacreon]

Might I add, no fat chicks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

What happens with the shunning group is the minority?

[T]

I think it's Lord of the Flies all over again, but Piggy and all his fat friends win this time.

[Groovus Maximus]

So, Christ Christie, The Corpulent Jesus 2016?

[Karl Hungus]

So, Christ Christie, The Corpulent Jesus 2016?

There's an nteresting sociological observation in there.

In recent decades, presidents have shared some common physical traits: tall, relatively lean, full head of hair (a couple of possibl exceptions there), and no facial hair. Christie's obviously a departure from the norm with regard to his physique. I don't think there's been a Fat Bastard in office since Taft, am I right?

[Ted S.]

I thought fat-bottomed girls made the rockin' world go 'round. Color me confused.

[Coeus]

It's fat-bottomed, not fat-bellied.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Best Hot water bottle covers!

[Brett L]

Got any buggy whip handle covers?

[db]

What a band! I'm not sure anyone could really ever cover them properly.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...it's firing everybody and liquidating its assets.

It's the first step toward Zombieland.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

That's what I've been saying. Somehow the lack of Twinkies is what led to Zombieland.

[Brett L]

I know its cliche, but....

The police had issued [sic] an arrest warrant for Holdsclaw after an incident involving Jennifer Lacy, who described herself as Holdsclaw's former girlfriend. An incident report obtained by Channel 2 Action News, a local Atlanta television station, indicated that Lacy told police she was working out when Holdsclaw approached her and said she wanted to put some items in Lacy's Range Rover.

Afterward, Lacy noticed Holdsclaw following her, and drove to a friend's house. Holdsclaw then got out of her car with a baseball bat and began smashing windows in Lacy's car. She then took out a handgun, fired at the SUV, and took off.

[flye]

Is telling someone that you want to "put something in your Range Rover" a euphemism?

[Death Rock and Skull]

I hope you have a big trunk. Because I'm putting my bike in it.

[Corning]

Just don't tell me that the Bikini football girls are lesbians and i will be OK.

[CE]

Just switch to the WNBA or the LPGA instead.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

And this is why you don't date co-workers, kids.

[Coeus]

Microagressions!!!

"Is that healthy?" the administrator asks, as we discuss a female student's concerns. Meanwhile, she watches me, an untenured Black woman professor, holding tightly to my handful of journals in which I have chronicled years of microagressions and microinequities levied against me, as I wait until I receive tenure

Too much of our teaching work involves fending off the racist stereotypes foisted upon us by white students (and students of color covetous of whiteness ).7

[NoVAHockey]

Covetous of Whiteness -- great band name.

[Coeus]

Forgot to mention, this is at an HCBU. I think she just didn't want to feel left out.

[C. Anacreon]

I think you mean HBCU

[Coeus]

I did, yes. Thanks.

[Heroic Mulatto]

holding tightly to my handful of journals in which I have chronicled years of microagressions and microinequities levied against me

The fuck? That's creepy...like "when the revolution comes, all these names will be marched down to the Killing Fields" creepy.

[nicole just can't even!]

Pretty much.

[Brett L]

You know who else had a handful of journals in which thy chronicled years of microagressions and microinequities (by the way, I think they meant microiniquities) levied against them?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Rorschach?

[Auric Demonocles]

I don't remember any of the journals talking about people being mean to him...

[Coeus]

microinequities (by the way, I think they meant microiniquities)

No, she's saying that if she was white, her home would be worth more.

[Heroic Mulatto]

No, she's saying that if she was white, her home would be worth more.

Well, there's actually some evidence for that. Look up the articles on the Reason archives about how HUD maps did that.

[Coeus]

Well, there's actually some evidence for that.

And it's just because they're black majority neighborhoods, right. No other reason at all?

[Heroic Mulatto]

*shrugs* I dunno. I'm neither a relator or an appraiser.

[Corning]

No, she's saying that if she was white, her home would be worth more.

Bought a lot up in way north Washington state through a tax sale.

Turns out a Black guy bought it when he found out he had terminal cancer and he wanted to live out the last few years (months? who knows) of his life in the forest.

Anyway he died and five years later the County sold it at auction to me to pay for the taxes.

I bought it at auction for below market value and sold it below market value.

I suppose white people do the same thing (and i would have bought and sold their lots below market value as well)...but my only experience with it was with a black guy's lot.

[Spoonman.]

I live in a nice black neighborhood, and it's very cheap. So I believe that.

[Coeus]

I live in a nice black neighborhood, and it's very cheap. So I believe that.

I live in a high crime one that's also very cheap. And I lived in another when I was in college. So you can guess what I think the price cut is for.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

So you can guess what I think the price cut is for.

The nearby strip clubs?

[Coeus]

The nearby strip clubs?

There is one. 7 or 8 blocks down. A local rapper and two others were gunned down in a driveby a few months ago while they were walking out.

[nicole just can't even!]

Oh, she meant microinequity. Microiniquity would have been far too reasonable.

[Brett L]

And here I am, further microaggressing her for whitemansplaining English to her. LITERALLY changing her words.

[Episiarch]

That's pretty much the entire basis for Christie Malry's Own Double Entry.

[gaijin]

Is that pron?

[R C Dean]

an untenured Black woman professor, holding tightly to my handful of journals in which I have chronicled years of microagressions and microinequities levied against me,

A fucking lawsuit waiting to happen. You'd have to be an idiot not to get rid of someone like that.

[ant1sthenes]

Sounds more like a homicidal rampage waiting to happen. Sane people don't fill up notebooks with detail accounting of petty personal grievances.

[Auric Demonocles]

But isn't that why it's risky to get rid of them?

[Brett L]

"We find it's always better to fire people on a Friday. Studies have statistically shown that there's less chance of an incident if you do it at the end of the week."

[Auric Demonocles]

I am torn on the Bills win. On the one hand, more grown for the Pats in the division. On the other, I got a game wrong that about half of people got right.

[Brett L]

God does the AFC East suck this year with the exception of the Pats. In fact, I think this weekend we'll find out whether the Pats are as good as their record. I don't think Indy can keep winning on guts, nor do I think they can keep up with the Pats offense, but if they do, I'm really glad that Houston can lose twice to the Colts and still get a wildcard.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

God does the AFC East suck this year with the exception of the Pats.

The AFC West would like a word with you.

[Ted S.]

I'm actually leading in a pick-em pool at another forum. Frightening, if you ask me.

[Doctor Whom]

Is "students of color covetous of whiteness" the new "no true Scotsman"?

[Coeus]

It's a way for black professors in black colleges who teach grievience studies not to feel left out of the microagression bitch fest.

[Belgian]

Tamura A. Lomax on November 8, 2012 at 10:28 am
This article is *everything.* EVERYTHING. Thank you for sharing your voice with us?and validating many of our experiences?and giving us the idea to document EVERYTHING that systematically continues to chip away at our spirits!

REPLY

Umm, this seems, maybe just slightly over the top.

[T]

Man, if you let everything chip away at your spirit, you must be one miserable tight-ass bitch.

[Karl Hungus]

Microagressions!!!

Skimming the article, I notice that "Black" is given proper-noun status while "white" isn't.

[MJGreen]

I have chronicled years of microagressions and microinequities levied against me, as I wait until I receive tenure

What a shitty way to live. I would feel sorry for her, if this kind of behavior wasn't so scary.

[hotsy totsy]

Exactly, MJGreen. Who could live with someone like that? Imagine being her husband or daughter or son.

[$park?]

I don't know if you guys have heard about this yet:

HOSTESS IS LAYING EVERYBODY OFF AND CLOSING!

OH! EMM! GEEEEE!

[Tim]

[Generic twinkie joke here]

[Archduke Pantsfan]

right after Colorado legalized pot!
/irony

[Belgian]

That stereotype bugs the hell out of me. When I'm high, I like substantial food. Mexican food and lobster bisque from Brio being at the top of the list.

[T]

Pancho's Mexican Buffet. Run that little flag up and keep it there.

[Brett L]

Damn. I miss Pancho's. I hadn't thought of them in years.

[Belgian]

Pancho's is awful. It's the Texas equivalent of Casa Bonita, but without the cliff divers. Even high, it's awful.

[Brett L]

Sure. I hadn't thought of them in years because a half dozen other places have better food for the same price, but its like Twinkies, now that I live in a mexican food desert, I miss even the cheap mediocre stuff.

[Belgian]

Where do you live? I've been able to find decent Mexican food everywhere I've been except for South Dakota.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I've been able to find decent Mexican food everywhere I've been except for South Dakota.

Montana has similarly horrible attempts at Mexican cuisine.

[Belgian]

Never been there. Seems less boring than Dakota, though. I wonder what the market is like for 29-hour-a-week waiters in Bozeman?

[Robert S]

STOP MICRO-AGRESSING POTHEADS!!!

[Karl Hungus]

right after Colorado legalized pot!
/irony

Now's te time to buy stock in Lay's.

[Pi Guy]

Cheetos. I'm a simple man.

[CE]

Crunchy Cheetos, you mean.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

The Supreme Court of Canada has abruptly dismissed the appeal of a British Columbia man who tried to circumcise his four-year-old son on his kitchen floor with a carpet-cutting blade.

[Coeus]

Obviously, they must hate jews as well, right John?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Here's a first: Jackass banned from running for office

[db]

Why, has it spent the last six months in a mental hospital?

[gaijin]

No, it had an affair with a local official

[Brett L]

I'm not saying crashing a fighter jet on take-off is hard, but my understanding is that one usually waits for lift to significantly exceed the force of gravity before retracting one's landing gear.

On May 31, a student pilot on his second solo Raptor flight at Tyndall neglected to power up his jet's engines fast enough after retracting the landing gear.

"Without sufficient thrust, the aircraft settled back to the runway, landing on its underside," the Air Force explained in its official report, released on Thursday.

[Tim]

Great, them things cost more to fix than Acuras.

[db]

Usually the checklist looks for "Rate of Climb: Positive" before
"Landing Gear: Retract"

[Brett L]

I could be wrong, but usually take-offs are conducted at full power, which, on a plane that is supposed to do better than Mach 1 without the afterburner, seems unlikely to have the rate of climb change from positive to negative when you lower the drag coefficient.

[db]

I think it depends on what kind of takeoff they might be doing.
It's possible the pilot was simulating adverse conditions.

There was a crash of a Gulfstream jet in 2011 during flight testing when they were simulating a one-engine inop takeoff. Evidently the procedure they were trying was designed to maintain Gulfstream's guarantee of a maximum takeoff distance. They had to develop a specific and complicated takeoff procedure to maintain the guarantee partly because the calculated takeoff speed was too low. The plane suffered a partial stall on one wing and banked into the ground because they miscalculated the in-ground-effect stall angle of attack.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I think it depends on what kind of takeoff they might be doing.
It's possible the pilot was simulating adverse conditions.

If he was going to do that, the instructors should have had him try that in a simulator and not the $200 million aircraft with the fixed production line.

[End Child Unemployment]

Brett, for general aviation aircraft you are correct. Turbine engine aircraft are generally more difficult - full throttle authority may cause the engine to exceed it's max spin rate, damaging it. I believe it is possible that the throttle on a high performance fighter aircract is supposed to be advanced after rotation during takeoff and the wheels leaving the ground to keep the engines at or close to max spin. However my turbine engine experience is limited to getting to right seat a King Air a single time, so I am definitely no expert.

[Not an Economist]

In modern aircraft, the electronics make sure you don't damage the engine or the aircraft. You would put the throttle at the take-off spot and the aircraft/engine would keep this from happening.

Glancing at the accident report, this particular accident happened during a touch-and-go procedure. What this is the pilot acts like he is going to land the aircraft and when the wheels touch the ground he increases the throttle, waits a few seconds for the airspeed to pick up and then takes-off again, retracting the landing gear after he reaches a safe flying speed (and before the max gear speed limit. It looks like the pilot landed and pulled back on the stick to take-off again and then retracted the gear, neglecting to use the throttle. So the aircraft was still at the landing speed and it landed again.

A lot of pilots make simple mistakes no matter how experienced they are. Mistakes like these are common in the civilian world.

[R C Dean]

Without sufficient thrust, the aircraft settled back to the runway, landing on its underside

There's a joke in there, I just know there is.

[Brett L]

Premature retraction.

[kinnath]

The writer basically fucked up on this one.

You can fly slower than you can take off (landing occurs at slower speeds than take off occurs).

The student pilot lifted off before reached the desired speed, pulled up the gear, and then settled into the tarmac. It wasn't a thrust problem, it was a lift problem (caused by a speed problem).

[db]

Yeah, like I mentioned above, he probably stalled the aircraft, as the stall angle of attack for some planes is lower than the free-air angle of attack.

[db]

Should read "...stall angle of attack in ground effect for some planes..."

[gaijin]

Why would you let a student pilot fly a $190million aircraft?

[Death Rock and Skull]

To become familiarized with the type. He is not necessarily new to flying.

[Not an Economist]

Also, there is no training version of the F22. He probably had dozens of hours in the simulator (which are good but not perfect).

[Ted S.]

This one was mentioned in the morning links as well, where my comment was, "Settled"?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Mars rover Curiosity has determined that human astronauts could likely survive the radiation levels there.

Get your isotope to Mars!

[Delroy]

It's just Skynet trying to fool us.

[CE]

Mars One is taking astronaut applications next year. The downside is that if you win, you have to be on their reality show. And it's a one-way ride.

http://mars-one.com/en/

[A Serious Man]

David Petraeus Congressional testimony pretty much confirms that the Obama administration deliberately misled the public about the cause of the attack. Relevant excerpt:

Gen Petraeus told the lawmakers that references to terror groups were removed from the final version of the administration's "talking points" on Benghazi, although he was not sure which federal agency deleted it.

[Killazontherun]

The deletion was a work place incident.

[R C Dean]

Speculation: The report was illegally circulated to campaign staff, who said "Holy fuck, that totally trashes our Obama bin Ded narrative!".

[Auric Demonocles]

I can't see any other explanation for it.

[John]

And none of them had any kind of security clearance or need to know. Not that it will matter to his cult followers, but that is a big deal. I would love to see his creepy ass campaign manager spend some time in the bar hotel for national security violations, which is what that is.

[T]

creepy ass campaign manager

I fully expect to see that guy sitting across from Chris Hansen at some point. That creepy grin screams psychotic deviant. He either diddles kids or he's got a skin suit in the closet and victims in the crawl space.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The soulless ginger or the combover king?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

A Balko nutpunch

[The Immaculate Trouser]

The Catholic Church Wants Women to Die

The church did not start from a premise and argue themselves into letting women die of sepsis from principles. They started with the belief that women should die from sepsis and argued backwards to create a rationalization for it.

I'm no one's idea of a Catholic and it's been a while since I've brushed up on the subject, but if that were true you'd think that would make small talk at the ol' convent a little awkward.

[nicole just can't even!]

Now I really am going to go cry into my pillow.

[Episiarch]

I thought you said that you wouldn't let JJ do that to you ever again.

[Coeus]

He can be very convincing. Trust me on this.

[Episiarch]

Oh, I know that better than anyone, I just thought nicole was smarter than that. Well, smarter than me, at least. Why can't I quit JJ?!?

[nicole just can't even!]

Stop projecting. I told you I don't cry!

[Episiarch]

Now I really am going to go cry into my pillow.

Which is it? Huh?

[nicole just can't even!]

Sigh. Clearly the entire point of "Now" and "really" in that sentence was to differentiate one situation (beautiful, loving relationships) from another (hating myself for collectivizing women when they act collectivist and stupid).

[Episiarch]

There's nothing beautiful or loving about what JJ and I do, nicole. And as for your character flaws in regards to being female, well, all I can say is (grunt) (grabs crotch).

[Gojira]

You...didn't find what we did beautiful?

Now I'm going to wreck Nicole in my fury.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Think about it this way, nicole:

The women that we mock on this forum -- wymyns' studies types -- are the ones that failed life by getting a degree that is actually harmful when it comes to acquiring gainful employment. Their stupidity should not be imputed onto other fine ladies such as yourself.

They are fuckups who -- somehow -- have gained some status above their competence level. That they are also women is secondary to the fact that they are fuckups.

[nicole just can't even!]

Oh, it's more than that. I place less value on a lot of things that are "feminine," which I know is a completely bullshit descriptor, but then as it turns out a lot of women really do value those things, and say things I think are stupid, and then I think "ugh, I hate girls," and then I think "ugh, stop it, they are just people, you just hate people."

[T]

Join the Misanthrope's Club, nicole. We'd have meetings, but...

[The Immaculate Trouser]

In that case, I'd suggest that you wear a bowler hat and harrumph portentously whenever someone says something vapid or stupid.

All the cool misanthropes are doing it nowadays.

[Coeus]

All the cool misanthropes are doing it nowadays.

Dammit, I thought I was being original. If i didn't hate people, I would bemoan my loss of ironic status among them.

[nicole just can't even!]

Thanks, Trouser, though bowlers don't suit me. Cloches all the way!

[Episiarch]

When I think about Michael Bay I have to do the same thing, nicole.

[CE]

You think about Michael Bay?

[ant1sthenes]

If the woman in question is Amanda Marcotte, I think the Catholics have the right idea.

[some guy]

I thought Europeans were supposed to be enlightened when it came to women's rights and healthcare availability and all that...

[nicole just can't even!]

I definitely had some people on my Twitter feed when the story about this woman broke the other night who had no idea abortion was illegal in Ireland...

I was actually surprised, because I keep underestimating how much people suck.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Yeah, quite a few countries in Europe have more restrictions on abortion than the US. Obviously Poland and Ireland, but most of the Mediterranean and even some of the Northern European countries have restrictions on second trimester and up.

[Coeus]

Yeah, quite a few the majority of countries in Europe have more restrictions on abortion than the US.

I think that's more accurate. Not 100% sure, but close.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

That was true at one point, but I'm not sure if it is, now. Europe has been trending left on abortion while the US has been either standing still or moving slightly to the right on that same issue.

[Groovus Maximus]

I think that's more accurate. Not 100% sure, but close.

I can't speak for all of EUR, but UKR for sure and most of EUR has pretty strict regs on surgical terminations, especially the second and third trimesters are pretty much verboten in most EUR countries. There are a myriad of reasons why, but the basics are:

1) Universal Medical Care - they are paying for it, so they get say so. Also, their prenatal care (in theory) is more comprehensive and in providing assistance for both single mothers and young couples with newborns is much more prevalent.

2) Cultural - Prevailing attitudes WRT to sex are less Puritan than the USA, but child bearing is rather highly regarded, particularly in countries with stagnant birth rates and higher infant mortality, such as UKR. Men who go around siring a bunch of children then not taking care of them are regarded as louts and are socially ostracized, as taking care of your children is expected, not an afterthought. Men here, from what I gather so far, are much more compliant with condom use than in the USA. Birth control is regarded as much the man's responsibility as the woman's.

[Groovus Maximus]

(cont)

3) Lastly, non-surgical birth control is much easier to obtain, under the idea that it is much easier to prevent an unwanted pregnancy in the first place, since this is one area where preventative medicine is actually cheaper and safer than a surgical termination.

The reason there appears to be a shift to the left in some countries, particularly in Britain, is the both recent immigrants and "lower classes" (like CHAVS) are breeding like crazy and the rest of society grows pretty damn resentful picking up the tab, even though medical care is deemed a right by Constitution.

[Killazontherun]

You lost me at 'sepsis'. Is that a good or bad thing?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

You got me. I'm a math geek, not a doctor! All I know about medicine comes from ER and the CPR scene in Pulp Fiction.

[Killazontherun]

You and me, both. I'm amazed by the fadish things my sister knows about medical matters, but she is abysmally ignorant about everything else. Groovus likely has a word for her type. Where as, I haven't had anything more serious than a scratchy ball sack in thirty years, so I don't pay attention to the subject.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My mom was one of those "walk it off" types and I have a naturally healthy constitution. Haven't gone to the doc in years. I run 3-4 times a week and wifey feeds me pretty well; so long as no one (read: my wife) complains about my health or my looks I don't see any reason to.

[Killazontherun]

IIT. That describes my mom. Anytime I was sick as a kid, she got really mean and pissed off. I learned not to let her know if I even got the sniffles.

[Groovus Maximus]

I'm amazed by the fadish things my sister knows about medical matters, but she is abysmally ignorant about everything else. Groovus likely has a word for her type.

Yes, these are known as "The WEB-MD patient." Now, to preface, I really prefer an educated and astute patient when it comes to health as it makes TX compliance much easier and sometimes can provide valuable data to formulate an accurate DX, but I CANNOT stand the patient who has already self-DX'd and IS ABSOLUTELY SURE they know what ails them because WEB-MD SAID SO!!! "SEE!? Look Dr. Groovus! It's right there!", without me even having the benefit of determining what is wrong myself. And that will get me very unhappy very quickly.

These types really suck since the likelihood of TX compliance is much lower and makes for a very antagonistic patient encounter and that does neither of us any good. They also extremely likely to be hypochondriac, meaning the last thing they read in some magazine THEY ARE SURE THEY HAVE!!"

Feh.

[Groovus Maximus]

You lost me at 'sepsis'. Is that a good or bad thing?

Sepsis is a very bad, doubleplus notgood thing. It simply means a raging uncontrolled infection, either localized and becomes systemic (such as a bladder infection) or a systemic infection proper (such as septicemia, which is blood poisoning) that is very difficult to control and has a high potential to become either lethal or leaves permanent damage to the body (especially neural damage).

I happen to be up late and caught your post Killaz (FUCK JET LAG, though the yummy vodka probably didn't help, and I have shitty sleep habits anyway).

[Killazontherun]

From a Rawstory headline:

Jon Stewart destroys Papa John's CEO: Should've pushed for single-payer

That's what passes for a rhetorical win with these people? Does he not think taxes for business owners stay the same or lower under single payer? Magical thinking doesn't pay the bills, but appears to be a morale boost for idiots.

[Killazontherun]

Does he not think taxes for business

[Brett L]

I don't get this whole argument. The owner didn't do anything to increase his costs, why should he raise prices. Its totally up to him how he responds to government caused cost increases. How dare he not raise prices in a supercompetitive industry!

[nicole just can't even!]

It was such a fucking weak segment. Especially disappointing because he was really good the night before on the legalization referenda.

[Spoonman.]

Aside from that segment, he's just been terrible recently. "Here's another episode of the Daily Show without any jokes."

[Redmanfms]

Recently? When was he ever funny? Even his stand-up was only mildly amusing.

[Cytotoxic]

He used to be funny. Then between Kerry losing and McCain running he became a douche. An unfunny douche. He just got angrier and angrier and the funny died. I stopped watching, came back, and thought 'Did I enjoy this once?'.

The other guys on the show are pretty funny, or they were when I last looked and that was years.

[nicole just can't even!]

He's still funny sometimes. He's pretty funny when he's doing shit about NYC. Not so much about Obama or most national politics.

[Marshall Gill]

I don't get this whole argument.

Jon Stewart doesn't make arguments. He makes politically correct "jokes" that are not funny but skewer any who do not tow the Statist lion.

[Eduard van Haalen]

I watched as much as I could stand, but I didn't actually see him *deny* that the health-care law imposes extra costs on businesses. What I hear is the the idea that businesses ought to be public-spirited enough not to pass the costs of the law onto workers.

This seems to suggest that the success of the law depends on large corporations being altruistic and public-spirited. Tell us again how the Tea Party Rethuglicans have a naive faith in the kindness of large corporations?

Oh, and it's an argument for single payer, too. So maybe this law wasn't a good idea - but the Evil Kochporations don't have a right to complain, since everyone knows that the only legitimate criticism of the law is from the left. Discussing the actual side-effects of the law is illegitimate unless you're doing so in the context of pimping an NHS for America.

[Killazontherun]

Too much dependency involved with female reproduction. You have to go to the doctor for a prescription for birth control. You have to have one up in your crotch for removing the little space renter. You don't have to have one for birth, but it is said to be safer to have one.

If I was a woman I would stick with butt sex. Less complicated and threatening to my individuality that way.

[nicole just can't even!]

You don't have to have one for birth, but it is said to be safer to have one.

Shh, don't say that too loudly, the AMA would love to change it!

Also, you have clearly never read a magazine directed at teen girls, because if you had you would know that you can totally still get pregnant from anal. There is no escaping the BC permission slip! I mean, other than getting knocked up.

[Coeus]

If I was a woman I would stick with butt sex. Less complicated and threatening to my individuality that way.

I have excellent news for you. You don't have to be a woman to do that.

[Killazontherun]

Er -- the conditional began with 'if I was a woman' so the tut tut there doesn't really work its magic since its really about not allowing penetration in the vagina where the problems I list occur.

[Coeus]

Er -- the conditional began with 'if I was a woman'

Correct. But I read it as having a wistful tone.

"If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum."

[Killazontherun]

Ha! Just screwing with you! Damnit you were on to me the entire time.

I like a good ass fucking as much as the next guy

[The Immaculate Trouser]

If I was a woman I'd spend the next two years playing with my boobs.

But, uh, after that I'd lobby for the pill to be made available OTC.

[nicole just can't even!]

I always wonder why guys think playing with their own boobs would actually monopolize their time. I mean...multitasking?

[Gojira]

It wouldn't be multitasking, because that is the single task I would be devoting myself to.

I heard they produce milk or some other such nonsense, so if that obvious bullshit turns out to be true, then I wouldn't even have to stop to eat. Just take a few glugs like I would from my camelbak, and keep going.

[Killazontherun]

It's pure bullshit. Ever see a baby after its suckled on some bosom? Ever see milk dripping off its chin? No, of course not. Women just like the feel of little teeth nibbling on their teets, and made that up as an excuse. Sick1 Sick! Sick! At the cost of ruining a pair they are still willing to do it!

[db]

Women: Nature's Perpetual Motion Machines

[Corning]

I mean...multitasking?

Yeah we men can't do that and it is hard for us to imagine gaining that ability when we become women....boobs on the other hand we imagine playing with all the time.

[Ted S.]

Got that on video? :-p

[Ted S.]

Not that I'd know from experience, but I'd think anal would be more painful than fellatio. (For the catcher, that is.)

[Anonymous Coward]

All I read from Amanda was a lot of strawman arguing and derp. I understand it's Friday, but please, try.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

help!
Had to reinstall Chrome, and reasonable won't install.
ERROR from Chrome Store:

Package is invalid.
details: 'illegal path (absolute or relative with '..'): '/img/icon_16.png"

[Generic Stranger]

Fuck Chrome. I tried to migrate to it, I really did, but 1) it absolutely won't let me manage my cache settings, and 2) it can't handle Flash worth a shit, at least on my computer.

[Brett L]

Man's libertarian dream comes crashing to an end.

Residents of the Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye and others who know him paint the picture of an eccentric, impulsive man who gave up a career as a successful entrepreneur in the United States for a life of semi-seclusion in the former pirate haven of Belize, surrounded by bodyguards and young women.

[Killazontherun]

It is all so perfect until you discover that the monkeys you want to fetch your cocktails and ammo, and fan you with fig leaves are untrainable.

[NoVAHockey]

If you find yourself in Belize, Belkin is a pretty decent beer.

[CE]

Or if you're Aladeen, body guards who ARE young women.

[db]

"I'm gonna go get a hot ding dong.

Hot Ding Dong?"

[0x90]

Or a Twinkie wiener sandwich.

[Auric Demonocles]

Ah, damn it. I left the foil on!

[A Serious Man]

Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight.

Reminds me of Blood Meridian, for those of you who have read Cormac McCarthy.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Yup, gonna be cloudy tonight.

[Generic Stranger]

Same here. One of the things I hate about living in west of the Cascades; it's cloudy a 3/4 of the year, it seems like.

[db]

You might be interested in this. It's a pretty cool project to automatically detect and compute the orbits of meteors entering the earth's atmosphere.

[Cytotoxic]

I hope it's still on tomorrow when I see it.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

In Other News, Fascists Are Still Fascists.

"In the eyes of conservative activists, Agenda 21 is a nefarious plot that includes forcibly relocating non-urban-dwellers and prescribing mandatory contraception as a means of curbing population growth."

You will be forced to live in cities! And forced to have non-procreative sex! What other horrors are in store? Forcible consumption of organic broccoli?!

I'm usually not terrified by the prospect of non-procreative sex, but for some reason associating it with Amanduh Marcotte makes me run screaming from the room.

[Killazontherun]

Amanduh Marcotte

Too many random names and people to keep up with now than I am willing to put up any effort in doing so at this stage in my life.

[Coeus]

But it's just amazing what the right wing imagination comes up with.

Said with out a trace of irony by a champion of the "War on Women" meme.

I'm particularly amused by the idea that those evil urban liberals are so desperate for them to be our neighbors that we're ready to use force.

Then why are the liberals so disdainful of secession?

[Xenocles]

And forced to have non-procreative sex!

Isn't that called... rape? I mean, you know, legitimate rape.

[R C Dean]

Its top creditor is the pension fund for its striking unionized employees

Is that by priority, or by total dollars?

[A Serious Man]

More snack food news: Coming soon, caffeinated Cracker Jacks!

[Belgian]

Somewhere, Chucky Bitchtits just got an inexplicable boner.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

To no one's particular shock, the Syrian opposition leader is a) an Islamist, b) an anti-Semite, and c) really hate Alawites.

In short, he's just the kind of guy that we should be supporting in the Middle East.

[Heroic Mulatto]

And he really, really looks like Steve Jobs. I know Jobs was of Syrian heritage...so maybe a distant (or not so distant) cousin?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Mirror Universe counterpart.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Holy shit, are you on target with that observation. That must have been the look Apple's engineers had to face whenever Steve felt like being an asshole for no good reason.

[Cytotoxic]

whenever Steve felt like being an asshole for no good reason.

IOW whenever Steve was conscious.

[Cytotoxic]

What? Wait. I thought a different guy was in charge and he was a Christian Communist...maybe that was a different group?

It doesn't matter. These 'opposition groups' are completely meaningless.

[Coeus]

I asked this of Dunphy the other day when he used the always retarded "firing a gun into a crowd" analogy for DUI, but he ran away. Anyone else want to take a crack at it?

If you run into a person with your car, you are performing the same action as if you drive down the road. Should you be charged with attempted manslaughter for driving? You are statistically much more likely to run someone down and kill them if you are driving than if you are walking. Obviously driving is irresponsible and should be criminalized.

Now using the same logic you just displayed, tell me why that's false.

[R C Dean]

Firing a gun into a crowd is inherently reckless.

Driving while impaired is (arguably) reckless as well, but that begs the question of whether any particular driver who is over the legal limit is impaired.

It also begs another question: firing into a crowd by definition puts other people at risk. Driving while impaired may or may not: it kind of depends on where you are.

[Episiarch]

The whole "firing into a crowd" analogy is fucking retarded. Driving through the mall like the Blues Brothers is also reckless, whether or not you're impaired.

See, I can make up totally stupid analogies too.

[Coeus]

There's also the fact that a driver can know that he's driven over .08 BAC hundreds of times without incident. There is no rational basis for believing this in regards to firing into a crowd.

[Episiarch]

I've fired into a crowd lots of times! Usually drunk, too!

[Killazontherun]

I think they mean bullets and not jizm at porn shoots.

[Episiarch]

Are you sure?

[Killazontherun]

I just don't know what could be reckless about spewing jizm on hungry little actresses. They need their feed.

[Coeus]

But it can be argued that driving makes you vastly more statistically likely to run someone down, killing them, as opposed to other means of travel. More so than the difference between driving with a .08 BAC or totally sober. Wouldn't that make driving inherently reckless by the same standard driving with a .08 is inherently reckless?

[np]

Well the problem is that impairment isn't a binary .08 vs .079. But then by the rationale of being "reckless" to criminalize DUIs, why limit it to alcohol? Furthermore, people sober up with time. There are other activities that are just as or more reckless, if you want to use probabilities and statistics as opposed to something inherently putting others at risk as in a path of danger.

I recall a study conducted by the AAA long ago when many states were considering cell phone bans while driving, where they ranked cell phones at or near the bottom of their top 10 list for reckless behavior. This wasn't looking at statistics or hindsight, but tracking some sample of people in their cars over a long period of time, placing cameras inside and monitoring driving.

Some of the biggest causes of reckless driving: eating, falling asleep, talking with other people in the car (most drivers seem to love to face others), mothers with children, etc

I mean it seems inconsistent to just have DUI checkpoints from the safety rationale used to justify them. Sleeping medication is even more dangerous, likewise simply being sleep deprived, to say the least about the above situations.

DUI is just another process-oriented approach, where we really should be looking at something more results oriented

[Xenocles]

I guess if we're to penalize DUI, we have the choice of an objective measurement against an arbitrary threshold or a subjective evaluation of an exhibited result. Don't forget it will be a cop doing the evaluation.

[Coeus]

. Don't forget it will be a cop doing the evaluation.

What about dashcams and jury trials?

[Xenocles]

I loled.

[Pi Guy]

It's because, when a drunk driver crosses the center line and takes out a whole rec league soccer team loaded into a minivan it's waaaaaay more tragic than if the the driver was dunking McNuggets in BBQ sauce.

Or something.

[Art Vandelay]

That would be horrible. People eating Chicken McNuggets IS tragic.

[Omni]

But how many times does that happen because someone was driving drunk verses someone dunking McNuggets? I'm guessing way more of the former than the latter.

[Coeus]

But how many times does that happen because someone was driving drunk verses someone dunking McNuggets? I'm guessing way more of the former than the latter.

Good luck finding those stats. If they were compiled the same way that alcohol related crashes are:

if you had a McDonald's wrapper in your car, or had eaten it at any time during the day, it would be the nuggets fault.

[Heroic Mulatto]

While I realize that most courts would probably view DUI as reckless, I feel that until people are implanted with blood-alcohol chips that can read one's BAC, most DUI is actually negligent.

[Coeus]

And that would be yet another reason the "firing into a crowd" analogy is retarded.

[CE]

stop giving them ideas.

[Pi Guy]

While I realize that most courts would probably view DUI driving after cramming all night for a final as reckless, I feel that until people are implanted with blood-alcohol sleep-deprivation chips that can read one's BAC how much sleep you've had the last 24 hours, most DUI driving after cramming all night for a final is actually negligent.

Cool Okay, let's try that with kids in the back seat...

The offense is the accident, not what caused it. It's no less a tragedy - nor any less their fault - because the driver wasn't drunk.

[Belgian]

Because it didn't get enough attention in the earlier thread: Fedex tells DOJ to fuck off when DEA asks them for help snooping in private customers' packages:

http://money.msn.com/business-.....d=15804687

[Juice]

FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald

The Patrick Fitzgerald? Fitz?

[Belgian]

Nah, he's too busy losing football games because somehow a former linebacker can't field a goddamn defense.

[Whahappan?]

"Nice package delivery business you have there..."

[Shocked]

Bet they get a NLRB look see soon.

[Death Rock and Skull]

"Because striking unionized employees won't return to work at bankrupt Hostess, it's firing everybody and liquidating its assets. Its top creditor is the pension fund for its striking unionized employees."

This is why limited liability is necessary. Without it, Hostess's investors would potentially be liable for debts to the pension fund if the company's assets were insufficient. Fuck that shit.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Hostess is private and the union will still be in line with the rest of the creditors.

Where did they file? That will say a lot on who gets priority.

[R C Dean]

The blackletter law (summarized):

In bankruptcy, while claims arising from pension plan obligations may have priority over general unsecured claims in particular circumstances and with certain monetary limits, they are usually treated as general unsecured claims without any priority or subordinated status in connection with any distributions in bankruptcy. Therefore, they usually rank equal with any unsecured lender and senior to subordinated lenders who have agreed to be subordinated to pension liabilities. Many subordinated lenders do not agree to be subordinated to pension liabilities and agree to subordinate themselves only to indebtedness for borrowed money.

Summarized: the pension plan is pretty close to the bottom of the pile. Good luck, unionistas!

I wonder if Barack will ride their rescue with a cramdown of everyone senior to them. His plate's pretty full right now.

[R C Dean]

Oops. Linky:

http://friedfrank.com/siteFile.....0C1635.pdf

[The Immaculate Trouser]

JEZEBEL FRONT PAGE UPDATE:

Today, an aspiring feminist can go to Jezebel to find out why women don't poop at work (and what can be done to resolve this epidemic), why Twilight makes them horny (?!), why college students should study porn, and makeup sales in Africa.

Still nothing on women in the Middle East, practical advice on how women can advance in the workforce, or practical advice about keeping and retaining a healthy relationship with the opposite sex.

I'll keep you posted.

[nicole just can't even!]

I was hoping the post about makeup in Africa would at least be interesting, and it sort of was, but with a ton of horrible mixed in. Oh well.

[Killazontherun]

Today, an aspiring feminist can go to Jezebel to find out why women don't poop at work

I know the answer to that one! Having a wife just like that. Her own private bathroom. Her own key, and not even the cleaning staff allowed in.

[nicole just can't even!]

You're married to George Costanza?

[Episiarch]

George likes spicy men!

[Killazontherun]

It moved!

[Death Rock and Skull]

Where are the toilets?

Oh, nobody at the New Yorker has an anus.

[Warty]

The Latin Grammys pictures were nice, though. I need me one of them Mexican womerns.

[Coeus]

I need me one of them Mexican womerns.

Just try to make sure they're not actually Mexican. Some of VAWA's provisions are designed to make you a sucker.

Also, I'm a total hypocrite on this. But as I ski, scuba, and ride a motorcycle, and will try any drug twice, my risk taking tendencies are clear.

[Death Rock and Skull]

God's great curse on the Mexican man is, that by about age 30, the Mexican women gain about a ton and a half.

[Ken Shultz]

I used to have to go to meetings in the Univision building off the 405. Walking through the lobby, every time you turned around, it was like the most beautiful chick you'd ever seen.

I used to work in the same building with Al Italia, too, and on Fridays, when the stewardess all came in to get their paychecks, riding the elevator was like takin' a Viagra.

[Ted S.]

Have you ever read Michael Totten's experience with Alitalia?

[Corning]

practical advice about keeping and retaining a healthy relationship with the opposite sex.

Short article:

Have sex with him, don't make over arching physiological character profiles about him when he fucks up. Just focus on the fuck up.

[Coeus]

A comment from the rawstory hostess article:

room101 ? 6 hours ago ?
On another note on labor...... My boss has decided recently to take a knife to our part time hours and cut them to no more then 29 a week. (As I have heard other businesses doing on the news) Never mind the pay is just a little over min wage! I called Senator Bernie Sanders office to ask if they knew of any reason like the line of crap I hear about having to pay benefits if they give us more hours...... The staffer at Sen Sanders office told me it is purely a political decision made by right wing business owners. I can get along with less hours if they want to play that game but I'm so tired of this bullshit!

[Auric Demonocles]

What the fuck? Why would your first reaction to "I'd like information on a trend in business" be "Call the Senator!"?

[T]

In general, if I want an explanation of law, I go look up the fucking law. Then I get the in-house counsel to explain it to me if I don't get it myself. Calling Kay Bailey's office for an explanation is so far removed from my thought process I can't even comprehend.

[Trespassers W]

But they have no idea that this is related to any law. That's what's so pathetic.

[Redmanfms]

Calling Kay Bailey's office for an explanation is so far removed from my thought process I can't even comprehend.

Well there's you problem.

Thinking, it's not what liberals do.

[Episiarch]

Wait, what? This super genius didn't go online and look it up, they called a Senator's office...and got an answer? I'm not sure I believe this. Who calls people any more?

[Auric Demonocles]

Oddly, this was my same line of thinking.

[R C Dean]

they called a Senator's office...and got an answer?

Well, the answer was wrong, if that helps.

[Episiarch]

Sure, but I can't believe someone even answered the phone. For a call from a prole?

[Auric Demonocles]

It was probably a janitor.

[Episiarch]

"Scruffy's goin' to get one of them $300 haircuts, this one's lost its pizzazz."

[Auric Demonocles]

Nah, not him. He was on break.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

That... broke my brain.

My wife's gonna have to find that 3-button remote they used to control Spock's body.

[R C Dean]

like the line of crap I hear about having to pay benefits if they give us more hours

That line of crap is found in ObamaCare, in the sense that if they don't give a "qualified health plan" to employees who work 30 hours or more, they are exposed to the fines.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Employees may still have to pay for this "qualified health plan" though.

[Belgian]

Yep. And this pile of shit that was so enthusiastically rammed through Congress will end up costing everyone more. Everyone.

[Juice]

Um, the title is the Affordable Care Act. What don't you understand about Affordable?

[R C Dean]

Yes, Plugs.

But the point is that employers will have to offer it to 30+ hour employees, or pay a fine.

There really is no point thaty you can't miss, is there?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Turn healthcare into a profit center. Offer the plan and extend hand for kickbacks. CEO's need to think outside the Govt box.

[Groovus Maximus]

It's getting to be impossible to do so, Shriek, given the parameters of ObamneyCare as written and there's no telling what Sebelius wants to dream up at her discretion, there's not much wiggle room on either both the medical side nor the employers end.

Oh, and the only reason some corps. are able to take advantage of dealing with docs directly is because of waivers from ObamneyCare, which are temporary (remember THOSE idiot?) at the sole discretion of HHS (read: Sibelius).

Or do I need to school you on this subject yet again?

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Or do I need to school you on this subject yet again?

Why bother? The stupid goon can't even do 5th grade math.

[Warty]

My hours have been cut, so the first thing I do is whine to a pinko senator? Fucking Christ. Have some self-respect.

[Trespassers W]

Yep -- right wing business owners typically make business decisions based on spite alone. You really can't underestimate how evil they are.

[Coeus]

I kind of expected this tactic from liberals when the true costs of Obamacare started coming home to roost, but the sheer insanity of it still surprises me.

[Belgian]

The staffer at Sen Sanders office told me it is purely a political decision made by right wing business owners.

Really? Most business owners I know aren't running for office, and can't afford to put political grandstanding above the good of their companies. Unlike most Senators...

[Corning]

political decision made by right wing business owners.

"I can lose less money if i give less hours and i can afford to stay in business for another year...hmmm....let me consult the right wing political decision manual to see what to do here."

[Auric Demonocles]

I thought the right thing to do was fire everyone so that unemployment numbers look worse for Obama?

[Auric Demonocles]

*right wing thing*

[Redmanfms]

You basically had it correct the first time.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Cool: Aerial photos of London

[Killazontherun]

I didn't do any photos today because no way am I going to top the one of the Eastern Europeans nurses no matter what starlet is showing off her sparkly covered crotch.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Do you know who else was interested in aerial photos of London?

[CE]

Beat me to it.

[Killazontherun]

Kristen Stewert's manly butt is the best I've got:

http://cdn.wwtdd.com/wp-conten.....50x675.jpg

[Ken Shultz]

That's really not share worthy.

I'm just sayin'.

[Killazontherun]

You see, that was my point!

[zandooo]

Those dudes do indeed seem to know what they are talking about.

http://www.Anon-Day.tk

[Ken Shultz]

"David Petraeus says he has no idea why the White House said the attacks on the Benghazi consulate were a response to an anti-Muslim film and not a terrorist attack like the CIA told them."

I said it at the time, and I'll say it again: Barack Obama exploited bigotry against Muslims to deflect criticism away from himself at a crucial moment in the election.

[Cytotoxic]

I said it then, and I'll say it again: that is a metric fuckton of Tony-grade bullshit Ken.

[Ken Shultz]

Obama didn't want to look incompetent at a crucial point in the election cycle, so he deflected criticism away from himself by blaming Muslims in Benghazi for going haywire over a stupid YouTube video--that isn't bullshit. That's what happened...

Are you saying Obama's version of events is really true?! Because Obama's version of events wasn't true. It was complete horseshit.

We know that especially after the people of Benghazi, by the tens of thousands, went ballistic on the militant group that was thought to be behind the attack on our consulate--and crowds carrying signs calling the U.S. Ambassador their friend chased those militants clear out of town.

Obama should be ashamed of himself for exploiting bigotry against Muslims like that--just to get himself reelected?

For shame!

I guess Obama just expects that his opponents will never accuse him of exploiting bigotry. And from the looks of some of my fellow libertarians, he appears to be right if that's what he thinks. Even when Obama blatantly exploits bigotry, who's gonna call him on it if not us?

You don't expect the left to call him out for it, do you?

[Cytotoxic]

Obama didn't want people thinking that Libya was a mistake or that AQ wasn't dead after he personally killed bin Laden.

You should be ashamed of twisting others' words and arguments to fit your bullshit narrative. HM is right about you.

[Ken Shultz]

It isn't a bullshit narrative!

"In a show of mass frustration at the armed groups, protesters seized control of several militia headquarters on Friday night and handed them over to Libya's national army in what appeared to be a coordinated sweep. They also stormed the headquarters of Ansar al-Sharia, a hard-line Islamist militia that has been linked to the attack on the United States Mission in Benghazi that killed the ambassador and three other Americans."

...

"We want justice for Chris," read one sign among the estimated 30,000 Libyans, including families, who marched into Benghazi's main square on Friday to protest in front of the chief encampment of Ansar al-Sharia.

Some held signs reading "The ambassador was Libya's friend" and "Libya lost a friend."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09.....ghazi.html

That's what the people of Bengzai think!

Barack Obama lied--lied! He tried to pain them all as a bunch of wild-eyed Muslims who would overrun our consulate just because of a stupid YouTube video.

If you happen to be one of the people who is especially susceptible to bigoted stories about Muslims like the lies Obama told? That doesn't mean the stories Obama told weren't lies.

General Petraeus says the story Obama told was horseshit--and it was horseshit. If there's a bullshit narrative in the room, it isn't mine--it's Obama's.

[Ken Shultz]

Here's the way the way the math works.

Q: Did Obama's version of events make reference to stereotypes regarding Muslim violence in reaction to free speech?

A: Yes

Q: Was the story Obama told complete bullshit?

A: Yes

Q: Did Obama's story conveniently distract from any chance that his Administration might be seen as incompetent?

A: Yes

Q: Was there an election going on? Did all this happen at a crucial point in the election cycle?

A: Yes. Yes.

What conclusion am I supposed to come to? Do you think Obama's above exploiting bigotry just to better his chances of getting reelected?

Obama's followers need to come to terms with Obama's disgusting exploitation of bigotry against Muslims, and that will never happen so long as we continue to deny the obvious. The left isn't going to press the issue, so I guess it's up to us...

Obama needs to be made to apologize for his exploitation of bigotry, and he refuses to do that, then we should never, ever shut up about it.

[VG Zaytsev]

You've almost convinced me.

But it seems that focusing on the video scapegoating the coptic dude was more of an attack on bigoted anti-muslims and America in general.

I guess the genius of Obama's lie is that there's something there for both sides. Crazy irrational moslems for the neo-cons & nativists and bigoted American insensitivity for the grievance mongers and intellectuals.

[Ken Shultz]

Take a look at these photos of those 30,000 protestors before they decided to take matters into their own hands and chase the militants out of town...

http://www.businessinsider.com.....012-9?op=1

It's really disturbing what the reality appears to have been in Benghazi and what the president said. Look at these photos--and remember what Barack Obama said about these people:

http://www.businessinsider.com.....012-9?op=1

[C. Anacreon]

From the gym locker room that always has MSNBC on, "The Ed Show" was laughing at "right-wing lunatics" who think there is anything substantial about Benghazi besides some communications errors. Nothing to see here, time to move on, you FoxNews watching, knuckle-dragging, drooling idiots.

[Ken Shultz]

Plan A is always to discredit the opposition.

They want to treat us like birthers.

We should be careful not to overplay our hand.

[Coeus]

We should be careful not to overplay our hand.

It should be clear by now that there is no lie, no law broken and no misconduct so egregious that it will stick to this administration.

There is literally nothing he could do that his supporters would care about. And since they're the majority...

[Coeus]

Yet another chapter of "Eek!!! A penis!!!

It would be easy for nudists to borrow the arguments of the LGBTQ communities and rebute with an "If you don't like it, don't look" or a call to respect different lifestyle choices. There is, however, a major difference between this and the fight for equal LGBTQ rights. No one has ever been physical hurt by seeing two women hold hands. The sight of two men kissing does not effect anyone else's autonomy or right to make choices. Countless people, on the other hand, have been flashed, groped or sexually assaulted in public spaces.

Feminist cheat sheet:

Boobs-good, but you shouldn't be allowed to take pictures.

Penises- bad, because rape.

I for one am glad that there's an incredibly powerful lobbying and interest group dedicated to outlawing anything that makes women uncomfortable.

Let this be a lesson to the gays in San Francisco. Fag hags are simply not worth it.

[R C Dean]

Countless people, on the other hand, have been flashed, groped or sexually assaulted in public spaces.

Yeah, and none of them were nude, so why this is supposed to shut down the nudists isn't exactly clear to me.

[Coeus]

I thought we'd been over this. A woman can flash her tits wherever she wants, and it's up to men to control themselves and get over it.

Men, however, need to be in burkhas.

[Pi Guy]

The future Mrs. Pi only let's me take my penis out on the weekends. Stays in a box the rest of the week.

[Episiarch]

All penises are rapists, Coeus. All of them. I had mine put under house arrest so it wouldn't cause any harm.

Carl: You think, uh, maybe I could, uh, get my dick back? Oh, wait, you know what, maybe you should keep my dick...so you could, uh, hump yourself!

Master Shake: Technically, that would not be, uh, doing yourself, just for the record.

[Coeus]

I can never watch that episode. It creeps me out too damn much. Even though Wongburger is hilarious.

[Episiarch]

Don't be a sissy. It's a hilarious episode.

"Apparently, Carl, when you bought that medium drink, you entered a binding contract that enables them to rip off your dick."

[Coeus]

It's the bloody patch on the crotch of Carl's sweatpants that puts it over the top. Too much. I had nightmares as a child about the Lorena Bobbitt case.

[Episiarch]

Right, it's supposed to make you feel that way. It works.

Carl: Oh yeah I get it. You knock me out, dress me like a woman and then take pictures of me. Laughs on me huh?

Frylock: Well you see Carl...heh...uh...you're not just dressed like a woman.

Carl: Oh do go on please.

Frylock: Well, it's very simple really. I just removed your dick so no one will have the need to remove it.

Carl: [Carl's crotch begins to bleed] Then the giant blood stain is uh...is that me having my period I guess? He he.

Frylock: Could be. Or it could be the spot where I snipped your dick off.

Meatwad: You're taking this pretty good, Carl. Kudos.

[Auric Demonocles]

Huh? No one has been physically hurt by seeing a penis, either.

[Ken Shultz]

I'm not a feminist or anything, but I really don't want to see any penises.

I don't want a constitutional amendment banning public displays or anything, but if it's a local ordinance?

Topless chicks, okay. Penises not so much. I'm just like that.

[Auric Demonocles]

I don't want to see any penises. I also don't want to see 2 guys making out. They are arguing that the second preference should be ignored, but the first should be embraced.

The correct answer is that both of those preferences should be ignored and too bad for me.

[Coeus]

We have a winner.

[Coeus]

I don't want a constitutional amendment banning public displays or anything, but if it's a local ordinance?

The exhibitionist gays were there first. Fuck the locusts.

[Ken Shultz]

Yeah, and I've dealt with a lot of that over the years at Black's beach, too. I just can't get behind that.

I mean, I understand the principle and everything. And I believe in equal treatment under the law.

...it's just that the injustices that when corrected end up with me seeing a lot of penises, those are probably the last ones I'm gonna cross off my list to fix. Maybe I start with eminent domain or somethin' else.

Changing in the parking lot at the beach should be protected though.

[Coeus]

.it's just that the injustices that when corrected end up with me seeing a lot of penises, those are probably the last ones I'm gonna cross off my list to fix. Maybe I start with eminent domain or somethin' else.

A) it doesn't need correcting, just needs to be left as is.

B) if you are so unused to seeing penises that it creeps you out, you should probably lose at least 30lbs so you can get used to seeing one again.

[Ken Shultz]

I run four miles every other day at under seven and a half minutes a mile.

Women find me irresistible.

I'd just rather not see other guy's johnsons. Not that I spend a lot of time lookin' at my own either.

Anyway, I didn't say I wanted a law to prohibit it. Just not my cup o' tea.

[Redmanfms]

What does the Q stand for?

[Xenocles]

Questioning. I hate knowing that.

[ant1sthenes]

Q is for Quit asking what the Q stands for.

[amelia]

Sometimes it's LGBTQQ, meaning "queer and questioning."

[nicole just can't even!]

You know, I saw that headline, and I was like "what possible problem could they have with nudists?" Fuck. Us. All.

[Ken Shultz]

"Because striking unionized employees won't return to work at bankrupt Hostess, it's firing everybody and liquidating its assets. Its top creditor is the pension fund for its striking unionized employees."

No need to blame it on the employees!

Because most of the unions who were negotiating refused to accept lower pension contributions, 18,500 people are all losing their jobs.

There were numerous reasons why the unions refused to accept concessions. One of them was because of the moral hazard the Obama Administration introduced by nationalizing GM. Another reason is becasue those unions represent a lot more workers than just the ones at Hostess, and the unions didn't want to appear weak when they go to negotiate for other workers at other companies.

So, like I said, the most direct blame for this really isn't with the workers--it's with the unions who represent them. They sold the people they're supposed to represent down the river.

Ultimately, the workers are to blame for supporting the union, but that's a different issue.

[mustard]

You want to talk moral hazard, this is moral hazard. Any fatcats can get out of a fairly bargained union contract by threatening bankruptcy. Now that we got past the election, it's time to cut the crap and ban fatcats closing their businesses without government approval.

[Ken Shultz]

"Fat cats" don't owe you anything--least of all a job. Nobody owes you anything just becasue they're wealthy.

And there's no reason why a company in bankruptcy should have to ask permission from the government to do what it think is in its own best interests.

Hopefully other union workers will learn from this--there isn't any union anywhere that's better at making decisions on your behalf than you are, individually, at making decisions for yourself. There are a lot of those 18,500 unemployed people who would have been thrilled to work for less than the union contract. And bargaining collectively didn't serve those people well at all--it just got them unemployed.

And incidentally? There isn't any politician or government entity that's better at making decisions for you than you are at making choices for yourself either. Getting the government involved in trying to force management to ask for permission to stop throwing money away on a lost cause--that isn't the solution either.

You know what the solution is? Start making choices for yourself. Take responsibility for your own life. The idea that you'd be better off if you let the union make your choices for you always was a canard, is a canard, and always will be a canard.

[Redmanfms]

What we really need is a coordinator at the Bureau of Economic Planning and Natural Resources to make sure all those damned fatcats stay at their businesses!!

[VG Zaytsev]

Another reason is becasue those unions represent a lot more workers than just the ones at Hostess, and the unions didn't want to appear weak when they go to negotiate for other workers at other companies.

When you're unemployed just remember that:

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

[Ken Shultz]

According to the union's behavior, the union's workers at Hostess were expendable.

That's a choice someone would never make for themselves on an individual basis.

I would never willingly let a union negotiate for me.

[Karl Hungus]

Missouri man arrested for plotting to shoot up the premiere of the new Twlight movie:

http://news.msn.com/us/cops-ma.....ight-movie

[Ken Shultz]

That's about as harsh a review as you can get.

What'd he expect? It's still intended for tweenies and goobers, right?

[Palin's Buttplug]

New wingnut Senator-elect from Texas - "Romney French-kissed Obama"

http://www.politico.com/news/s.....z2CQeTWSwf

Good stuff. The GOP is circling the drain.

[Ken Shultz]

Barack Obama is a shit-eating aardvark.

[Belgian]

He's right. And Politico agrees with him, even though they ignore that in subsequent paragraphs. Too busy with the "eew, gays are icky," crap, just like you, homophobe.

[Belgian]

BTW, these are the people you agree with, you disgusting little maggot:

Party: NA
Reply #13
Nov. 16, 2012 - 6:13 PM EST
Here it comes - tea bagger denial time. Although the only progress Romney made in the polls was when he re-sketched himself as a moderate, the crazies int he GOP will claim that he only lost because he wasn't conservative enough. Good luck with that in 2016!

[Cytotoxic]

He's talking in metaphor you dipshit.

[Generic Stranger]

Buttplug doesn't understand metaphors. His name? Yeah, not a metaphor. Palin doesn't refer to Sarah, but rather a dude named Randy, who looks uncomfortably like Obama.

[The Late P Brooks]

The GOP is circling the drain.

You're using the wrong bait, dumbass.

[Alice Bowie]

I disagree with all u people, this is not the unions fault. They were simply representing the workers that actually make the product. It is simply the owners who don't want to pay for the increase. In fact, they took a loan a few years ago and significantly increased their salaries and filed bankruptcy. This is something they have a right to do as owners and is probably legal. However, its sleazy.

I don't care about how some people say that it is ok since it is legal. I think selling weed is legal and no where near as sleazy as these business practices. In capitalism, companies have a right to pay what they want and people have the right to work for a wage that they desire. These are opposing forces. There will always be gives/takes on both sides...that's capitalism.

If "job creator's" were'nt a bunch of assholes about wages, there would be no unions.

Stop villainizing the working people who fought for what they thought was right and lost. You win some, you lose some.

I wonder if the 15,000 or so employees can afford to buy this company on the chopping block. I feel that this is probably the BEST form of corporate ownership. When I worked for Prudential and it was mutually owned by policy holders, there wasn't a lot of horse-play in paying claims and layoffs. As soon as it went public...well, u know the story.

[Cytotoxic]

I guess when I form a mafia-esque cartel with government backing that refuses to let anyone give you medical care at a reasonable price, you'll be a-ok with it.

[Belgian]

Try reading instead of just repeating rote talking points.

[ant1sthenes]

I disagree with all u people, this is not the unions fault. They were simply representing the workers that actually make the product. It is simply the owners who don't want to pay for the increase. In fact, they took a loan a few years ago and significantly increased their salaries and filed bankruptcy. This is something they have a right to do as owners and is probably legal. However, its sleazy.

Union leaders aren't exactly living in poverty themselves, hoss.

I wonder if the 15,000 or so employees can afford to buy this company on the chopping block.

The last thing a union wants is to own its business. They might have to face economic reality, plus when shit goes sour they'll be as likely to be on the receiving end of rabble rousing as on the giving end. A little easier to turn people against the wealthy lardass labor boss than the poor customers who can't really pay any more.

[Generic Stranger]

Anyone remember when that union (IIRC SEIU) prevented its press release writers form unionizing? Yeah, turns out they're hypocrites.

[Jordan]

It is simply the owners who don't want to pay for the increase.

What part of "they're fucking broke" do you not understand, you economic illiterate?

If "job creator's" were'nt a bunch of assholes about wages, there would be no unions.

Wrong. If unions weren't backed by government force, there'd be no unions.

[0x90]

Has this been mentioned yet?

WordPress sez: Pay Another Way: Bitcoin.

[Alice Bowie]

The company stole money from the worker's and took all the pension fund's people paid into for 20-30 year's. The last CEO is a liquidation specialist. In 2004 they raised all the big wig's wage's just before filing chap 11. The CEO got a pay increase of 300% while the worker's got a cut up to 32%. The company diverted funds from the employee's pay and benefit cut's intended for capital investment, product development, plant improvement and new equipment into executive bonuses and Wall Street investors instead.

If you go to work tomorrow and find out your boss tripled their salary while cutting your wages and benefit's by 32% AND stole your pension you paid into for 25 or 30 year's. I don't think you would be happy! It amount's to putting money from your paycheck into the bank every week. Then you go to retire after working for 30 year's and the bank say's,"Oh you can't have that money because we mismanaged it! Your money is all gone! Woop's"! They were willing to give up even more money from their pay and benefit's. They were not willing to have the money they paid to the company pension fund for 30 year's stolen from them! That is what started the strike in the first place. A union fight's for fair wage's and safe working condition's. If companies treated employee's fairly there would be no need for a union.

[Romulus Augustus]

How did the company steal the pension?
One is vested in the benefits promised at the time a plan is frozen, dropped or materially changed and the PBGC makes good if the company goes out of business owing the Pension money. You are probably trying to say that future benefits are not going to be as high as the past benefits already vested.