A.M. Links: Obama Restrains Himself on Executive Orders, Germany Wants Its Gold Back, NASA and ESA Plan Manned Space Missions

• Rep. Steve Israel wants to ban 3D-printing of "high-capacity" gun magazines, which is a lot like proposing a law telling people what they can do with their photocopiers and drill-presses. Dream on, Steve. Meanwhile, despite much huffing and puffing, President Obama really didn't test the limits of his claimed anti-gun authority with the executive orders he issued yesterday.

• That federal money the president wants to investigate a connection between violent video games and real-world violence is chasing after a lot of other efforts that have never found any such link. But if they just try harder …
• Germany wants its gold reserves back from the United States and France. What? You don't trust us?
• The White House may have brushed off that oh-so-2012 secessionist fervor, but Texas separatists still want out, and they're getting sympathetic hearings from state politicians.
• NASA and the European Space Agency are working together to plan the first manned space missions beyond the Earth's orbit in 40 years. Hopefully, they'll let the Germans do the engineering, the French do the menu-planning, and the Italians …
• Some of the hostages held by Islamists at a remote Algerian gas plant appear to have escaped. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: Another Ben Affleck movie in the making.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Germany wants its gold reserves back from the United States and France.

Wait until they discover it's all chocolate wrapped in foil.

[LTC(ret) John]

Depends, how good is the chocolate.

[Whiterun Guard]

Hint: It ain't chocolate.

[LTC(ret) John]

Ewwwww!

/Obscenity juror

[Kaptious Kristen]

If you were in German schie?e movie, you would tell me, wouldn't you?

[Whiterun Guard]

Yes, if I'm ever in another one, you'll be the first to know.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Yes, honey.

[Karl Hungus]

New Time cover: "The Gunfighters"

Features Biden, Bloomberg, and Giffords

[Whiterun Guard]

You can't actually die from douche-chills, right? I hope not...

[LTC(ret) John]

Maybe Dr. Groovus can tell us if so?

[Drake]

Good thing people will only see it in a Doctor's waiting room.

[Live Free or Diet]

Right before they ask you if you own a gun?

"Own own one? Hell, doc, I got one right here!"

[Rich]

*** Checks box for "Excessive Jocularity" ***

[PS]

I own a gun, but I don't own own it.

[Karl Hungus]

All I see is a picture of three people who have armed security 24 hours a day.

[DJF]

Wow, that cover makes me look forward to six months from now when I get my car inspected and can read the article in the waiting room.

[wareagle]

mentally unstable people kill others in places were guns are banned. These folks blame guns. It is the definition of peak retard.

[Live Free or Diet]

mentally unstable Evil people kill others in places were guns are banned. These folks blame guns. It is the definition of peak retard.

FIFY

[Bee Tagger]

I'll hand it to Biden, when the photographers told him they wanted a concerned smirk, he really gave it to them.

[Quetzalcoatl]

What would Biden do if they asked him for a double-entendre?

[Live Free or Diet]

Ask them if that was the new sandwich at McDonald's.

[LTC(ret) John]

*rummages through drawer*

"Dammit, there has to be an Order of the Golden Monocle - First Class, here somewhere!"

[hamilton]

"How many classes are there?"

[BakedPenguin]

No, he'd think he was being offered a threesome. So he'd say yes if his wife wasn't around.

[Live Free or Diet]

That, and notice the photo was taken from about chest-high to give you that "the wrong end of authoritarianism" feeling of being back in elementary school.

[SugarFree]

Two of the three have brain damage; what's Bloomburg's excuse? Oh, that's right: AUTHORITY BONER!

[some guy]

Biden was born that way, so I don't think it counts as "damage". Oh, and I'm pretty sure they all have authority boners.

[VG Zaytsev]

Biden was born that way,

Partially, but he also had a brain aneurysm 25 years ago that almost killed him.

[Enough About Palin]

"and Giffords"

I would very much like to see the results of a Gabby Giffords IQ test. I truly believe that she is likely retarded and being exploited.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Anyone else feel betrayed for once feeling sorry for her?

[Restoras]

Many of you posted helpful responses to my question yesterday regarding the recoiul difference between .45 ACP and .40 S&W. Thanks very much.

[Whiterun Guard]

Many of us made fun of you for not being born with that knowledge you commie!

[Restoras]

*hangs head in shame*

I expect nothing less from this crowd and would be disappointed if not so vilified!

[Karl Hungus]

It always seemed to me that the recoil of the .40 was harsher, more of a sharp "snap." I owned a S&W 4006 back in the '90s that I never really got attached to, partly because it wasn't very pleasant to shoot (but mostly because it wasn't very reliable).

I still prefer 9mm.

[BakedPenguin]

I was thinking the same thing. I had a S&W .40 Sigma, which I hardly ever shot because the recoil seemed sharp.

[Karl Hungus]

I've always wondered if sharper recoil was partly a result of higher chamber pressures. For instance, the .40, even though it's a smaller round than the .45 ACP, generates higher chamber pressures than the .45, and has (to me) a sharper recoil. To me, the .45's recoil always felt like more of a "slow push."

[mad libertarian guy]

Yes.

Higher chamber pressures mean the gas is moving faster which would be consistent with a sharper recoil.

[BakedPenguin]

Also, it's been a while since I shot a .45, but I believe most of the rounds are subsonic, and the 1911 I shot was heavier than the Sigma, which helped with the recoil.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I still prefer 9mm.

Couldn't agree more. I had a Beretta 92 that I became VERY good with, but decided didn't pack enough punch. I traded "up" to the 96 and my shooting went in the dumper. I miss my 9mm. The correct thing to do would have been to keep it for practice and put the .40 in the nightstand. But I was young and poor at the time.

[mad libertarian guy]

Recoil isn't the only story, however.

If you're looking for a home defense weapon, you also need to think about penetration with each round as well. If you're concerned about penetration, the 45 ACP is the better way to go (the 40, 357 Sig, and 10mm are notorious over penetrators), but you'd probably be better off with an AR or some other smaller caliber rifle rather than a pistol.

Check out The Box O' Truth for all your home defense needs. They have real-world penetration trials with results, shooting in low light, etc.

[Live Free or Diet]

I have a lot of nice guns, but as I get older I find my CCW gun selection is nearly always my little titanium .38+P Centenial in the skimpiest little FIST K5 pocket holster you ever saw.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Ruger 380 LCP.

The best handgun to carry, is one that you'll actually carry.

[R C Dean]

I've always found the .45 to have a very agreeable recoil. Easier to get back on target, less likely to give you a flinch.

[Francisco d Anconia]

.05?

[Fist of Etiquette]

...but Texas separatists still want out, and they're getting sympathetic hearings from state politicians.

There's no I in quitter, Texas.

[Whiterun Guard]

So if they do secede, what will be the net effect on all of my exes?

[LTC(ret) John]

All your exes will live in (the Republic of) Texas?

[Live Free or Diet]

Unfortunately all my exes live within about 20 miles of me.

[LTC(ret) John]

Restraining Orderz!

[R C Dean]

I'm thinking they may have a harder time enforcing all those judgments and restraining orders against you.

[LTC(ret) John]

Gah, must refresh before posting...

[Proprietist]

As a Texan, I'm all for it. I don't see how it could be any worse than sticking around. I'm really not getting why secession has to be that big of a deal for anyone. You'd think Democrats would be overjoyed for Texas or the South to walk, as it would swing the balance of power in Washington their direction. My only real concern would be whether Texas is still responsible for the federal debt we helped rack up to this point.

[Emmerson Biggins]

My only real concern would be whether Texas is still responsible for the federal debt we helped rack up to this point.

short answer : No.

long answer : Hell No.

[SugarFree]

WE ARE DOGS! WE LIKE SOCKS!

[Warty]

Catchy.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Don't judge them.

[Whiterun Guard]

Aww, but I was going to find them wanting 🙁

[Rasilio]

He said Judge, not Weigh and Measure them

[John]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....tid=pm_pop

Woman in Georgia, who doesn't own or drive a car, is charged with vehicular homicide after her four year old son is the victim of a hit and run.

[Whiterun Guard]

Come on, if she was important, she'd have a car.

[SIV]

That's even older than the CDC Dog Fucker story*

*(She's still on the job)

[sloopyinca]

How long before she gets caught having an 8 year old pleasure her with a Glock 9mm while researching the effects of gun violence in video games? I give it three months.

[BakedPenguin]

They'll blame the gun.

[sloopyinca]

Probably. After all, they dropped her child sexual assault charges even though they had plenty of video evidence showing her yelling at an 8 year old while making him dildo her. The dog-fucking charges are still pending, however.

8 year olds, dude.

[Karl Hungus]

Woman in Georgia, who doesn't own or drive a car, is charged with vehicular homicide after her four year old son is the victim of a hit and run.

That prosecutor should be dragged behind the very same car that was involved in this accident.

[Fist of Etiquette]

NASA and the European Space Agency are working together to plan the first manned space missions beyond the Earth's orbit in 40 years.

Hopefully they'll be doing so using clean energy.

[LTC(ret) John]

Anthropogenic Solar System Warming!

[Whiterun Guard]

There were manned missions beyond the Earth's orbit 40 years ago?

[LTC(ret) John]

So some people claim

*ducks as the Ghost of Neil Armstrong swings at me*

[Whiterun Guard]

I'm pretty sure the moon orbits the earth is all I'm saying.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Earth's orbit != orbiting the Earth.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

nm, misread what you wrote

[Zeb]

Yeah, I think they meant low Earth orbit.

[some guy]

Yep. Highest shuttle mission was to repair the Hubble. On that mission they boosted Hubble to an altitude of ~385 miles. That was the highest any shuttle ever went.

[Whiterun Guard]

Only because they would never take Snoop Lion up on his offer.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Apparently you never saw Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

[Pro Libertate]

LEO is for pussies.

[LTC(ret) John]

I always read that as geosynchronous orbit or LEO or such.

[sloopyinca]

*ducks as the Ghost of Neil Armstrong swings at me*

Now you know what every day of my life is like.

[invisible furry hand]

i thought you were ghosting as the ducks of Neil Armstrong swing at you

[BakedPenguin]

Would you rather have a Neil Armstong-size duck swing at you, or a flock of duck-sized Neil Armstongs swing at you?

[sloopyinca]

I'd opt for the latter. While a duck has some serious hops in it and can get to eye-level in a heartbeat, a bunch of little Neil's would be stompable. Hell, I might even smash them with an uprooted mailbox and post for old time's sake.

[invisible furry hand]

considering even a plain vanilla duck fucked up sloopyinca, i think i'd be in trouble either way. Do I get a weapon to even the odds slightly?

[LTC(ret) John]

Thanks, ifh, for reminding me of that - I smiled.

[invisible furry hand]

i've amused you and Elspeth this morning. My work here is done.

[sloopyinca]

Plain vanilla? Plain vanilla?

That bastard was a vicious, fire-breathing monster protecting the nest of his bitches.

And he'll soon look just like his brother did the day before Christmas for his intransigence against the lord of the manor.

[invisible furry hand]

That's hilarious! Did you stick the head on a stick and plant it in the ground as a warning to others?

[sloopyinca]

No, of course not.

My son did.

[LTC(ret) John]

Rep Steve Israel does us all a favor - he stand forth as a shining example of "look how far these slavers will go in their howling pursuit of your liberties!' Asshat.

[Don Mynack]

As many have predicted, the banners are now ready to take out the first amendment in addition to the second.

[robc]

and the Italians ...

dont leave us hanging like that!

[LTC(ret) John]

are in charge of "crew morale and welfare"?

[Whiterun Guard]

Man, I wanted them in charge of mopeds and being surly.

[some guy]

We all know you're just along for the ride.

[Quetzalcoatl]

They bring the cigarettes and booze.

[John]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01.....share&_r=0

The New York Times never misses a single opportunity to talk about the evil Jim Crow South. A Miss New York won Miss America. To most of America that means a Miss New York won Miss America. But to the New York Times it raises the specter of the dark history of the Southern Belle. You can't make this shit up.

[Warty]

These people are incredible racists, aren't they?

I was once in a room with some liberal Jews who were discussing how backward Southerners are. I ignored them until one of them asked me if my grandmother, who has lived in Texas all her life, had ever met a Jew. I said of course she had, and told her that that question was racist. The gobsmacked look of utter incomprehension was priceless.

[John]

How often do you ever hear them write something about the specter of the Holocaust hanging over something in Europe? Rarely if ever. But they write the "specter of Jim Crow over the South" story about once a week.

[SIV]

I ignored them until one of them asked me if my grandmother, who has lived in Texas all her life, had ever met a Jew.

There have been Jews in the South ever since the conquistadors.

We're not some backward anti-semitic shithole like they are up in Yankee-land.

David Levy Yulee

Judah P. Benjamin

[wareagle]

I don't care what anyone says. Still love the part about southerners that says "we can talk shit about our own but you folks can't."

Folks move down here totally oblivious to the reasons that forced them to move, then insist that the region try to accommodate them. I don't expect sweet tea to be the norm north of the Mason Dixon; don't expect us to start saying "pop" just because you do.

[robc]

I expect sweet tea to be the norm in the north because it is clearly the superior product.

[SugarFree]

Can someone come pull this knife out of my back?

[robc]

They could put packets of insulin on the table so you could balance.

[Randian]

I expect sweet tea to be the norm in the north because it is clearly the superior product.

Gross. No. We don't need to supersaturate our tea with sugar to make it quaffable.

[wareagle]

We don't need to supersaturate our tea with sugar to make it quaffable.

any eatery worth a damn also has unsweetened, including the ones in the South. For our friends like Sugar Free. Tables are well-stocked with the current assortment of artificial sweeteners.

[Brett L]

So glad I grew up west of the Sweet Tea Line, which is somewhere around Beaumont, TX.

[Emmerson Biggins]

I'd say the line occurs where you have a 50/50 shot. So I think that makes it somewhere west of Houston.

[Karl Hungus]

I expect sweet tea to be the norm in the north because it is clearly the superior product.

I was having dinner at a restaurant in Baltimore one night a few years ago, and I asked the waitress for a glass of sweet tea. She looked at me like I was a dangerous interloper from a strange land, a thing to be hated and feared. Her response was, "well, I can bring you some tea, and there's some sugar right her eon your table . . ."

[Pro Libertate]

You should've gone all Five Easy Pieces on her.

[Pro Libertate]

Racism has been, of course, an American problem.

[carol]

I live about five miles from Sun City Center, Florida and it never ceases to amaze me that Yankees love to live in the South but manage to hate all things southern. I mean, ya'll, it is the middle of January, it is eighty degrees out and you're on the golf course. Quit bitchin'!

[Karl Hungus]

I mean, ya'll, it is the middle of January, it is eighty degrees out . . .

That is why I don't see myself leaving Florida. Well, unless I had a chance to go back to Hawaii or Guam . . .

[carol]

Don't know about Guam but Florida is a lot cheaper to live in than Hawaii.

It is going to be cold today. Temps are expected to be all the way down in the mid-seventies.

[Restoras]

Similar experience, all the jackass NYers I live with love love love to display their love of Maine, Cap Cod, and the Islands (Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard) and then ramble on about how much they hate the Red Sox.

Assholes. Nabobs. I hate them.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Putting up with Southerners is a small price to pay to stay warm.

No one likes the South. They like your heat.

[Randian]

Isn't South Carolina's statehouse named after a Jewish gentleman?

[John]

Some of the oldest, richest and most beautiful synagogues in the country are in Atlanta and Savannah.

[Karl Hungus]

David Levy Yulee

He owned like 50,000 acres here in Jacksonville and there's a small town just north of us named after him.

[Pro Libertate]

There's Yulee all over Central and North Florida.

[Eduard van Haalen]

U.S. Grant banned Jews from Union lines while the Confederacy had a Jewish cabinet member (Benjamin). Suck it, bigots.

[gaijin]

are jews a race in the genetic sense?

[robc]

As much as any other defintion, yes.

Or, my preferred answer: there is no such thing as a race in the genetic sense.

[gaijin]

exactly. so race is really just a tribal, cultural, label. Meaning it would be impossible to know if one had met 'a jew' without asking the person whom you met, 'are you a jew?' Which, if you do not label yourself that way, makes you a racist. Right?

[Juice]

The question was prejudiced and bigoted, not racist.

[wareagle]

well, she is originally from Alabama, you know, and only two things come from AL.

/Lou Gossett as drill sgt character

[Whiterun Guard]

National championships and catfish?

[Pro Libertate]

Rockets?

[wareagle]

mention of the space center always causes non-southern folks to glaze over.

[KMA Too]

Sweet tea and bigotry?

Would that be a good band name?
Album name?

[rac3rx]

Well according to Charlie Rangel, "some southern states have cultures we have to overcome."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBE5P-ewkm8

It's OK, Charlie, you crooked bastard, the feeling is mutual.

[SugarFree]

Dear Prudence,

My brother and I are having a physical relationship. Our parents are admirable people who took good care of us, but are distant and aloof, and I think that my brother and I turned to each other for warmth and emotional support. He's two years older and looked out for me in high school, and I shared with him what girls are like, which made him more confident socially. After he went away to college, I chose a college in the same city as his, so we continued to see a lot of each other. I'm now a senior and he's a graduate student. About three months ago we were sitting on my couch watching a sad movie and when it was over we turned to each other, exchanged a look, and started kissing. Now we lie on the bed, clothed, and kiss and talk and hold each other. When I'm with him I feel loved and cared for. We have not had sex because there's a psychological barrier that neither of us wants to cross. [...]
?No Sibling Rivalry

[John]

Maybe she should put them in contact with the gay incest twins.

[Whiterun Guard]

IBIMB.

[Drake]

Aren't you betrothed to Robert Baratheon?

[generic Brand]

He's (SPOILER ALERT) dead.

[Whiterun Guard]

Aw man, I haven't read that far a head.

[Pro Libertate]

Don't get too attached.

[Ska]

Applies to pretty much all characters.

[Pro Libertate]

That's what I meant.

[LTC(ret) John]

See, even our trolls can find comfort somewhere, with someone!

[wareagle]

at some point the barrier will be crossed and all the folks howling about marriage equality and all the rest will have to be okay with it. For the whole of human history, we have treated marriage as 1) between two people, 2) of opposite sex, and 3) who are unrelated.

When one of those three is challenged, you have not only changed the definition of the root word. You have also opened the door to the other components being challenged. I don't care what consenting adults do among the and between themselves, but again, let's not act as though things happen in a vacuum.

[SugarFree]

1) is not true, and 3) is shaky considering that first cousin marriage used to be quite common, even expected in many families, and it squicks most people out only in the last 50 years or so.

And if you think incest is some new phenomenon, you are deluded. Incest may be taboo, but it's been broken a lot of times in a lot of places all through history.

I don't care if siblings want to get it on and the state shouldn't be deciding which romantic relationships are legitimate or marrying anyone.

[Whiterun Guard]

Until the Danes took over England for the second time, the Church required being removed NINE times from consanguinity.

Which basically meant you had to import your spouse from China.

It was somewhat selectively enforced.

[SugarFree]

Some TV show made an interesting correlation with the average top speed a population could sustain and the rise in IQ when arguing the benefits of exogamy.

[nicole]

Sug, if you don't care, why are you the one posting the Prudie column?

That was a good one all around though. Sibling incest, crazed fake baptisms, and forcible conversion to right-handedness. And a happy ending thrown in to boot!

[SugarFree]

Just because I don't care that siblings are careening toward sex doesn't mean I can't find it funny.

[Karl Hungus]

and forcible conversion to right-handedness.

I could get behind that.

When we're at the point where these freaks have their own holiday (August 13th), you know that the coarsening of our society is complete.

[nicole]

Oh you don't need to tell me the date, because my mom reminds me of it every year. She's right-handed, but my sister and I are left- (along with several other family members), and every year I get the HAPPY INTERNATIONAL LEFT-HANDERS DAY HONEY email, complete with large, colorful fonts and such.

[Karl Hungus]

and every year I get the HAPPY INTERNATIONAL LEFT-HANDERS DAY HONEY email

Sick. I suppose next you people will be wanting your own "pride parade" at Disney, right?

[JW]

complete with large, colorful fonts and such.

As long as she isn't one of those monsters who uses Comic Sans, I'm OK with that.

[mad libertarian guy]

3) is absolutely false. The royals of Europe from about 450 AD - the late 19th century were full of inbred folk sitting atop their respective thrones.

[wareagle]

because royals are representative of societies as a whole.

[mad libertarian guy]

That isn't what I said.

You said "the whole of human history" which is clearly false. I merely provided a high profile example of just how wrong you are.

[wareagle]

okay, fine. For most of human history, folks outside of royalty/certain religions, and a couple of other outlying descriptors.....

Something is mostly true and there is the knee-jerk move to find the few exceptions that exist.

[Rasilio]

This was not the only example in history and the fact is until the last 150 years (the Victorian Era) the only marriages which were frowned upon were Parent-Child, Grand Parent/Grand Child and Siblings. Aunts, Uncle, and 1st cousins have been considered marriagable territory for most almost all societies in human history.

We can also mention that Sibling marriage was quite common in Ancient Egypt and several other places but it is not all that common.

[invisible furry hand]

first cousin marriage used to be quite common, even expected in many families

Damn straight. It's also not illegal here or in the UK

[wareagle]

of course, #1 is true. Polygamy has always been an outlier and to 3, royalty is a limited pool of participants.

I didn't say anything was new, so stop putting words in my mouth. I said that nothing happens in a vacuum and when you seek to change the definition of a term, you might have to deal with meanings that were not entirely anticipated, but should have been.

[SugarFree]

First cousin marriage was practiced far more widely than just royalty. And there are a billion people on Earth right now that consider polygamy up to four wives to be A-OK and have had it as part of their religion for 1500 years.

And the sibling taboo is exhibited in vast swaths of the animal kingdom and in humans pre-dates the idea of marriage by 100s of thousands of years.

[wareagle]

And there are a billion people on Earth right now that consider polygamy up to four wives to be A-OK

and in Western society, they are treated as kooks and oddballs, just like the few Mormons with multiple wives.

[SugarFree]

Your definition of marriage is not supported by history or current usage in large parts of the world. Your definition of marriage is nothing but precisely that: your definition.

[wareagle]

it's pretty much how the bulk of the world defines marriage. Yes, there are exceptions which, by definition, makes them NOT the norm.

[SugarFree]

Look, I agree that almost always means opposite sex. I'm still leaving you plenty of room to hate faggots.

[wareagle]

I don't hate faggots and my youngest would be taking a swing at you right now. Or asking me to let you up off the floor.

[SugarFree]

Well, if polygamy is not marriage and incest is not marriage and people want to change that because the definition of marriage is being insidiously changed by violators of 2), why don't you hate them? They are destroying the very definition of your precious word that is so important.

Gays wanting to marry is opening the door for "kooks and oddballs" in your words, right? I mean, you just had to bring it up in a thread that wasn't about gay marriage and then defend "traditional" marriage for an entire sub-thread.

The right-libertarian obsession with blocking gay marriage doesn't happen in a vacuum either.

[wareagle]

again, putting words in my mouth. Stop. I have never stated an opposition to gay marriage. That goes back to the initial post that said "I don't care what consenting adults do." What part of that escapes your mental grasp?

You want to quibble over my use of an absolute term like 'whole of human history', fine, that was incorrect. But stop with the other bullshit.

I didn't "defend" anything; I merely pointed out how we tend to define marriage. Stop looking for monsters under the bed when someone's thinking is not in lockstep with yours and particularly stop with the noxious, and more than a bit unfounded, accusations of bigotry.

[SugarFree]

So your for gay marriage? Good, then we agree.

[wareagle]

never been against it. Interesting how your instant reaction was to conclude that otherwise.

[SugarFree]

Do you not notice that dangers of "changing the definition of marriage" is used as an anti-gay-marriage argument here almost daily?

[Warty]

You faggots sure do love your BDSM fantasies.

[mr simple]

For the whole of human history

This invalidates everything you said. Also, first cousin marriage was not limited to royalty in any way.

[Rasilio]

For the whole of human history, we have treated marriage as

1) between two people,
Incorrect

2) of opposite sex, and
Correct

3) who are unrelated.
Incorrect

But hey 1 out of 3 ain't bad.

Of course you also missed the following changes we have made in the last 2 centuries...

Something your parents, lord, or villiage elders chose for you and you didn't really have the right to pick the person

was only recognized and blessed by the Church, civil authorities had no role.

An economic contract to bind families together and establish lines of inheritance, actually living together loving each other or even being sexually faithful were totally optional.

So yeah, you just go along telling yourself that marriage has existed in it's current form unchanged for the last 6000 years (aka since God created the world), that will however not actually make your flat earth beliefs true nor will it make you any less of a moron for holding them.

[wareagle]

here we ago again...something is largely true but let's focus on the exceptions for they are the rule. jesus.

[Rasilio]

But 1 and to a lesser extent 3 were largely NOT true through much of human history.

Historically polygamy is more common than monogamy and only parent and sibling marriage being forbidden was ever common and even those were never universal.

[mr simple]

Marriage was thought of as between members of the opposite sex because it was about making a family, tying people together for the raising of children, and lines of inheritance. Same sex couples had no reason to get married. Now that it's become something run by the state and infers a lot more rights upon the couple, same sex couples want in, and they deserve it. If you want the state out of marriage and for it to be solely a religious word, that's fine, but don't be upset when some religions don't use your preferred definition.

[wareagle]

where did I ask for the word to be religious? I get that my initial post should have avoided an absolute term, use for the most part instead of the whole, but stop putting words in my mouth. It's bullshit. The same post also said I don't really care what consenting adults do. That sound like someone agitating for a state role?

[Bee Tagger]

Germany wants its gold reserves back from the United States and France.

Hold on.. I know I put them right here with the Social Security money... just give me a second...

[LTC(ret) John]

Did you check the "lockbox"?!

[Rasilio]

Wait, couldn't we just give them the state of Kentucky instead of emptying Fort Knox?

[SugarFree]

Very little gold is at Fort Knox. It only stays open at this point because Mitch McConnell wants to support the economy of Radcliff, which is 100% based on pawn shops and strip clubs at this point.

[invisible furry hand]

Pawn shops and strip clubs? What about meth?

OT: Last week one of the bushfires outside Sydney was caused by a father and son meth team burning down their lab to ensure the cops didn't find it. Their plan failed

[SugarFree]

It's hard to tax an underground economy.

[LTC(ret) John]

Soldiers get drug tested quite frequently. No tests for strippers or pawning things tho'.

[Pro Libertate]

It's all in New York.

[BakedPenguin]

And soon, in Munich.

[Rasilio]

Yes I know, an even better reason to give them the state of Kentucky.

Course this would mean having to get a passpoprt to go visit my inlaws who live in Vine Grove, a stones throw from Radcliff but hey I'm really not seeing a downside otherwise.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I thought you already needed a passport to visit Kentucky.

[robc]

Me being forced to follow the bavarian purity law? That is a huge downside.

[sarcasmic]

What does it take for a public school teacher to lose her job?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....sroom.html
'Big Sausage Pizza'

[Ted S.]

Didn't we discuss this one the other day? Or are there multiple teachers doing porn and losing their appeals for reinstatement?

[sarcasmic]

Possibly. I didn't participate in yesterday's MLs.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Germany wants its gold reserves back from the United States and France.

Sell at the top.

U.S. housing starts up 12.1 percent in December, highest since June 2008. The Commerce Department said on Thursday that starts at building sites for homes surged 12.1 percent last month to a 954,000-unit annual rate.

Reuters

[Drake]

Thank goodness we spend $14 billion a year and have 44,000 full-time employees at the Department of Commerce!

Otherwise I would have to ask a real estate agent how the market is.

[LTC(ret) John]

Or someone who works for the number one commercial insurer of construction.

*hint - it sucks out there, unfortunately.*

A rise from the bottom of the grave to 5 feet still in the grave is a rise, but it doesn't mean we are anywhere near healthy after 5 years of this. But, as Turbo Tax Tim said - "we don't have a plan, we just know we don't like yours".

[KDN]

It sucks, but it is improving. Our building supplies division has finally stopped closing plants and removing shifts, instead we're optimizing the infrastructure we have left which is usually a precursor to expansion in the sector itself.

[LTC(ret) John]

I sure hope we have bottomed out - I want those construction wrap around policies to start selling and our Risk Engineers to get going to more sites!

[BakedPenguin]

Your Surety department would probably do better, too.

[LTC(ret) John]

They are smallish, but I want everyone to do exceedingly well, Short Term Incentive Program aside 🙂

[SugarFree]

They are smallish, but I want everyone to do exceedingly well

You guys are still talking about Taylor Swift's boobs, right?

[Francisco d Anconia]

instead we're optimizing the infrastructure we have left which is usually a precursor to expansion in the sector itself.

Europe collapsing
China slowing significantly
Unemployment 7.8% (and improving because folks have given up)
GDP less than 2%
Class warfare
$16T debt
$120T in unfunded liabilities
A government that can't find it's ass with both hands

I'd expand...I don't think the heavy stuff's comin' down for a while.

[invisible furry hand]

Dear Prudie has another incest story

Also, the man who got an accidental happy ending:

I could have stopped it, but it all happened so fast and was over in about 20 seconds.

His poor poor wife

[SugarFree]

HALF PWN'D!

[invisible furry hand]

gather ye rosebuds and enjoy your semi-triumph while you can, Mr Free. The chill hand of Death will claim you soon enough, and I shall rejoice at your doom. Unless you do the decent Kentucky thing ie. shag a rello and write into Slate

[Quetzalcoatl]

A "rello"?!

[SugarFree]

It's a sheep and kidney pocket pie, covered in melted mozzarella.

[Whiterun Guard]

I thought it was caramel flavored jello.

[SugarFree]

That's "pudding" ya filthy yabbo!

[Andrew S.]

"Your stamina is improving, Mr. Pitino!"

[sarcasmic]

Shakira is ready to pop!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....-Piqu.html

[Proprietist]

Is it just me or does Shakira have the most annoying voice ever? She sounds like a sheep with nasal congestion bleating banalities.

[sarcasmic]

NYPD finally learn to disable security camera before beating the shit out of people.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....slurs.html
Nothing else happens.

[sarcasmic]

Gaga for boobies!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....arpie.html

[Rich]

PSA: NSFW

[Ted S.]

Maybe she could be smothered by the boobies, too?

[sarcasmic]

Speaking of boobies, did Taylor Swift get a boob job?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....-talk.html

[SugarFree]

Beats me, but the first pic shows that she definitely shaves her armpit vagina.

[Rich]

armpit vagina

Nice band name.

[John]

If she did, she had a good one.

[sarcasmic]

I would gladly inspect them to be sure.

[John]

Me too. She is adorable.

[tarran]

Why?

Word on the street is that she's so frigid that she makes Audrey Hepburn is a sex-addict by comparison.

My guess is that in 10 years she'll be well down the Whitney Houston road.

[SugarFree]

Word on the street is that she's so frigid that she makes Audrey Hepburn is a sex-addict by comparison.

Maybe half-fag boy-band slobbercocks don't do it for her.

[John]

She was dating one of the Kennedys. Fear of drowning is not much of an aphrodisiac.

[sarcasmic]

So she's got a new boyfriend every four months because she doesn't put out?

Hm. I'd still happily inspect her boobies.

[Ted S.]

Damn you Sarca Smic for beating me to the punch!

[Ted S.]

Maybe that's why so many men have left her?

[mr simple]

Really, so that muppet-haired limey was just staying over every night to watch movies?

[SugarFree]

I'll provide her with years worth of romantic disappoint to fuel her art.

"What rhymes with 'diabeetus?'"

[generic Brand]

I loved a man with diabeetus,
When he died, he only left me this fetus.

[SugarFree]

Where is a flight of stairs?
I cannot stand these hateful stares.

[generic Brand]

Is Young Jeezy coming in on the chorus or something? Either him or Kanye or the ones most notorious for rhyming the same word with itself.

[SugarFree]

"stair" and "stare" are two different words.

[Enough About Palin]

What else should I write?
I don't have the right.
What else should I be?
All apologies.

[Lord Humungus]

cleetus?

[invisible furry hand]

i think you'll find it's spelt "cleeterus"

[Elspeth Flashman]

I lol'd.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

She'll definitely have a new boyfriend soon with that look.

[Ted S.]

Why are we supposed to care about Taylor Swift?

[KDN]

Seriously. Her music sucks and she's got a thoroughly unattractive face. But hey, she's skinny, has nice hair and a good boob job so let's all cream ourselves.

[Randian]

*You like this*

[mad libertarian guy]

That's a damn good lookin' woman.

[nicole]

It's taken them since April to notice it? Either our tabloids are seriously falling down on the job, or I'm going to go with "no boob job."

[SugarFree]

Looks to me like a bra mark. Besides, why go through surgery to go from small-A to less-small-A?

[sarcasmic]

Maybe a mere handful wasn't enough so she went from a handful to a handful and a mouthful?

Either way I'd be happy to check for myself.

[Randian]

We get it, you're in heat. Try not to hump the furniture.

[SugarFree]

Than maybe you shouldn't have bought such a sexy damn couch.

[sarcasmic]

We get it. You don't like boobies. Go hump a dildo.

[Randian]

I like them just fine. I don't feel the need to act like a horny 13-year-old on the subject, however.

[sarcasmic]

Sure. Whatever you say. Mm hm. Yup. Wink wink, nod nod.

[Enough About Palin]

Try not to hump the furniture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UXh-NJtOV0

[SugarFree]

Then why do they call it a love seat?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Could be this.

[sarcasmic]

Proof of space aliens!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....video.html

[invisible furry hand]

14 wonderful words with no English equivalent

I wish I'd known Number 4 when I was at university

[sarcasmic]

6. P?legg (Norweigian)
Sandwich Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything ? ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it ? you might consider putting into a sandwich.

What do you mean no English equivalent? Ever heard of 'inbread'?

[R C Dean]

The incest thread is up there, Sarca.

[rac3rx]

I've heard that called "sandwich makins".

Yeah, not exactly an English word, but still.

[Whiterun Guard]

11. Fremdsch?men (German); My?t?h?pe? (Finnish)
The kinder, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something akin to "vicarious embarrassment." Or, in other words, that-feeling-you-get-when-you-watch-Meet the Parents.

They mean douchechills.

[generic Brand]

Ooh I hate that feeling. Like when I'm watching a classic episode of Boy Meets World and Corey is having trouble asking out Topanga and things get awkward.

[Elspeth Flashman]

thanks, I needed the lols.

[invisible furry hand]

why, are you not full of joie de fuckin' vivre today?

[Elspeth Flashman]

blame it on Bar Exam prep. Joie de fuckin' vivre is hard to come by, so when I get a chance at lulz, I takes em.

[Ted S.]

I could swear this one got posted here months and months ago. Is it all on one page this time?

[Rich]

Obama really didn't test the limits of his claimed anti-gun authority with the executive orders

Don't want the frog to jump out of the pot.

[Bee Tagger]

Hopefully, they'll let the Germans do the engineering, the French do the menu-planning, and the Italians ...

Set the train-ing schedules.

[The Late P Brooks]

Morning Joke was impressive this morning. It was like a bunch of gossipy old ladies sighing and clucking their tongues.

Brokaw pointed out how there were no tanks in the streets when Nixon resigned, which PROVES how devoted to the rule of law the nation is today.

[sloopyinca]

New Milford, CT police officer admits to extorting money from teen in internal investigation, but is allowed to plead guilty to "breach of peace" by a pretty generous DA, and is given a suspended sentence He is also allowed to retire with a pension, but the city played hardball and won't let him get unemployment compensation or a "retired police officer" ID badge.

It's what you and I would get if we extorted money and harassed someone, all while armed and acting under color of law. Right? Right?

[invisible furry hand]

hey at least the teen wasn't raped by the investigating officers

[Teaching Student]

The key words there is acting under the color of law... We would get away with it jut like him.

[Drake]

I thought people here would particularly enjoy today's Day by Day.

http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/

[BakedPenguin]

Very nice.

[John]

http://bostonherald.com/news_o.....rosecution

Carman Ortiz defends Swartz prosecution. I love it that this bitch is feeling some heat. She will never lose her job. But a lot of very important people really hate her guts for this. I would imagine she will never get invited to a decent Boston or Cambridge cocktail party again. And no amount of US Attorney money or unchecked power will make up for that for a creature like her.

[wareagle]

cocktail party alert. Cue Randian in 3, 2, 1.......

[Raston Bot]

no governorship for her.

[VG Zaytsev]

Nah,
She'll be forgive by memorial day.
Sooner if she gets to do a grandstanding bs gun prosecution.

[VG Zaytsev]

Nah,
She'll be forgive by memorial day.
Sooner if she gets to do a grandstanding bs gun prosecution.

[Enough About Palin]

Fuck Morning Joe. Today, this piece of shit was saying that if you look at the crux of the gun rights people's reason for owning a gun, it's to protect himself from the government. In other words, shooting an American soldier. Joe says that just crazy.

Hey Joe, FUCK. OFF. SLAVER.

[SugarFree]

Joe is nothing if not a Royalist.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Joe is a rock-ribbed conservative from the Florida panhandle.

[generic Brand]

Very true, as is the fact that the state of Florida looks like a gun pointed towards the Caribbean. Violent cartography!

[wareagle]

where Joe is from and how he presented himself do not equal where he is and how he acts.

By the way, his assessment of 2A was dead on; protection from govt is exactly what it's about. Then he steps on his dick by moving to the next sentence.

[R C Dean]

Let's not overlook that any agent of the state acting as an armed enforcer for tyranny is a legitimate target.

[wareagle]

they never make that connection, do they RC? An agent of the state, to them, is always the good guy, no matter what he does.

[T]

Which is odd, because the rest of the time they're all about mandating results. But the state is infallible, so then it becomes 'procedures were followed'.

[Lord Humungus]

You know who else used Children as props to push an agenda?
http://www.infowars.com/other-.....-as-props/

[Rich]

The Castro one is inspiring.

It'd be great if the next batch of Obama-props had fake nose moles.

[Ted S.]

Scott Harshbarger?

[LTC(ret) John]

Mr. Rodgers?

[Enough About Palin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic4mEc_6JQ8

[Stormy Dragon]

I was amused when on Drudge this morning, that article was linked directly under one about conservatives getting the vapors because the NRA was compared to the Nazis.

[Caleb Turberville]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KodHAJb6uck

Muscle Shoals Movie. Keith Richards, Bono, and others get together to discuss my hometown.

[John]

The Muscle Shoals folks were some bad funky white boys. I watched a thing on that studio and one of the members of the band there talked about how after the assassination of MLK everything got very tense and all of the fun went out whereas before it was totally nonracial. What a shame.

And Aretha Franklin never did match the two songs she cut there. She was going to cut more but left because her shit head racist husband didn't like her making music with white people.

[Caleb Turberville]

I'm more of a Bob Seger guy, myself. He recorded "Night Moves" and "Old Time Rock and Roll" with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

[John]

The Stones did Brown Sugar and You Gotta To Move there. And I didn't know about Seger doing those songs there. I love Seger. In a just world, he would have been much bigger than Springsteen, since Seger was actually everything Springsteen claimed to be but actually wasn't.

[Caleb Turberville]

Brown Sugar is such a crazy song if you ever stopped to listen to the lyrics. I'm amazed that such a powerfully racy song emerged from that shack on Jackson Highway.

[John]

It is a totally crazy song. If that song were made today, it would be banned. It has such a great beat to it though. Forty years later that riff and that beat will bring it feel like the roof is going to come down in a basketball arena full of people.

[Pro Libertate]

Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields,
Sold in a market down in New Orleans.
Scarred old slaver knows he's doing all right,
Hear him with[whip?] the women just around midnight.

[John]

It is actually

Skydog Slaver

Jagger got the line from the nickname that the people at Muscle Shoals had given to Dwayne Almond because he was stoned every time they saw him.

Thus is the your Rolling Stones Trivia for the day.

[T]

Jesus, John: Duane Allman. This goes beyond bad spelling and typos.

[BakedPenguin]

Seger was bigger than Springsteen - for a while.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Aren't you more the Lee Greenwood type?

[John]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....8144,d.eWU

[Lord Humungus]

Seger? Seger?

grerewgjnf.

[Caleb Turberville]

Wiki says "Night Moves" was recorded in Toronto, but I'm pretty sure that the Rhythm Section was there in the studio with him. I know "Old Time Rock and Roll" was definitely recorded in Muscles Shoals. One of the players on piano came in a little early at the beginning, leading to the distinctive false opening bar of the song.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Keef bought the film rights to the life story of Gram Parsons years ago. I hate that it was never made.

[Jeff]

Aren't you more the BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA MMM MMM MMMMM type?

[T]

I think using MMM MMM MMMMM in lyrics means you owe royalties to Crash Test Dummies.

[Lord Humungus]

Belgian woman blindly drove 900 miles across Europe as she followed broken GPS instead of 38-miles to the station
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....z2IBtuy2cG

you know who else drove through Belgium?

[generic Brand]

Waffle connoisseurs from around the world?

[mad libertarian guy]

The French on their way to to Amsterdam to get hookers and weed?

[MP]

Seth Green?

[LTC(ret) John]

Various F-1 racers?

[Ted S.]

I actually got the chance to ride on the Spa-Francorchamps course, since it's a road course. I was with my German relatives heading from Luxemburg to Liege and Spa-Francorchamps is along the way. The road suddenly got much better-surfaced and wider, and we didn't realize what it was until we got to the grandstand area.

[LTC(ret) John]

"I was with my German relatives heading from Luxemburg to Liege" Sounds like the opening to a World War I novel.

[nicole]

Actually I was thinking more of a young girl on a journey from Milan to Minsk...

[LTC(ret) John]

an erotic journey. Oh, Rochelle!

[invisible furry hand]

Smurfs?

[KMA Too]

Well, I can't confirm it per se, but I would imagine JCVD did at some point.

[invisible furry hand]

It sounds very unlikely. Fought his way, yes. Drove, no.

[Rasilio]

Sign her up for the Milligram experiment

[sloopyinca]

Drunk cop thinks it's a good idea to fire off a bunch of rounds in his back yard at 2:30 am. Gets three month paid vacation for his troubles.

The department refuses to say whether it was his duty weapon and is not saying what he is charged with. He also has a history of disciplinary action in his employee file.

[Ted S.]

He was just following procedures.

And you don't know about the totality of the circumstances.

(Actually, he was lifting his gun up and down as a bodybuilding exercise.)

[h3k86qc35923]

which is a lot like proposing a law telling people what they can do with their photocopiers and drill-presses. Dream on, Steve.

Dream on? The National Firearms Act does restrict what people can do with their drill presses.

[VG Zaytsev]

A lot of copiers won't copy FRNs either.

[generic Brand]

Sidd Finch broke the story for me here yesterday, but this Manti Te'o fake girlfriend news is bullshit. Whether it happened or not, the only reason it's garnering this big of a reaction (my local news channels in Orlando were running stories on it!) is because the media was made to look like fools. It's the same with the Lance Armstrong story; people claim they care about liars, but if that was true than nothing our politicians did would go unquestioned.

[wareagle]

exactly. It's not like the story could not have been fact-checked easily. But it was a sappy narrative and sports folks love "the human angle."

Now, this guy is a bona fide character issue for NFL teams, worse than some player who got into a bar fight or had a child.

[Whiterun Guard]

So...Jaguars, you think?

[Pro Libertate]

He was singularly unimpressive in the Alabama game, too. Though that probably could be said for most of his team.

[T]

My twitter feed last night was stating ESPN knew 10 days ago (ie before the game) and sat on the story.

[John]

Why should I care? We are two days out from the conference championships, NHL is back, the NBA and college basketball are starting to get interesting and the four letter network gives us news of a retired cyclist and some guy who got trolled on the internet.

[wareagle]

on occasion, that network (like all the others) commits a random of act journalism. That act is often inspired by having been played the fool.

[R C Dean]

Aaaand, another news cycle consumed on distraction porn.

[LTC(ret) John]

Anything to not mention 4 years without a budget and an economy 5 years in the dumper.

[Don Mynack]

That vast majority of sports writers and sports media aren't real journalists. They just want "access", and that doesn't come with asking tough questions or investigating.

They are mostly in it for the free food and free tickets to games.

[R C Dean]

Funny, I thought just wanting access and not asking tough questions or investigating was par for the course for journalists these days.

[T]

Anybody else remember how CNN admitted they softpedaled Saddam Hussein and Iraq to maintain access?

[Lord Humungus]

An infantile spectacle
http://www.politico.com/story/.....86311.html

President Barack Obama set a new standard Wednesday for stupidly exploitative White House events by appearing onstage with children to unveil his gun control proposals.

He quoted from letters that the kids had written him. He invoked their Solomonic authority: "Their voices should compel us to change." He signed executive orders as they gazed on adoringly. He hugged and high-fived them.

[John]

That appeared in Politico? When Pravda won't even defend the Chairman, the Polit Bureau is going to have to do something.

[Pro Libertate]

Time for a purge.

[invisible furry hand]

"Their voices should compel us to change."

What other policy stances will their voices compel us to change? The Wiggles to perform for free in every kindergarten? More ice cream, fewer brussels sprouts? The Federal Government to abolish bedtime?

[LTC(ret) John]

And Nintendo DS3's for all!

[Quetzalcoatl]

According to this reliable news source, Toddler Leaders Call For Increased Duck Visibility.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Where's the barf bag?

[Ted S.]

Once again, I believe the kids didn't write those letters of their own accord.

[John]

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com.....an-in.html

Poor Piers Morgan gets pawned again on national TV.

[robc]

re: owning tanks

That is clearly 9th amendment, not 2nd.

[John]

There is a picture floating around Facebook of some police tank with the caption

"You don't need an AR 15 to hunt but we need this to direct traffic".

[h3k86qc35923]

Unfortunately, the 9th amendment to the Constitution is treated like the 13th floor of a hotel.

[Juice]

"Can anyone own a tank?"

If you can afford a tank, go for it. Anyone with enough money to buy a tank has a lot to lose. Also, everyone in town would know "that's the motherfucker with the tank." It's not like you're going to sneakily take out town hall and get away with it.

[Rich]

It was interesting to see the difference between Piers and Larry Pratt.

Why, I dare say even a child could detect the winner of that "debate".

[wareagle]

Morgan and his ilk always fall back on one of two non sequiturs:
--hunting, which 2A has absolutely nothing to with
--if the point is to fight an oppressive govt, should RPGs and nukes be legal, too?

Goddamn. These folks are off the charts moronic. If govt knows that the people are going to inflict serious bloodshed on its forces, there is a deterrent effect in terms of govt behavior. It's like no one ever heard Jefferson talk of which side - govt or people - should fear which.

[Rich]

It's like no one ever heard Jefferson talk of which side - govt or people - should fear which.

Huh?

/95% of America

[sarcasmic]

Liberals don't understand the concept of deterrent.

All they know is 'might makes right,' and they make a point of aligning themselves with might.

[NoVAHockey]

great typo. would love to see Morgan sitting on a shelf next to old TVs.

[R C Dean]

Definitely an RC'z Law winner.

[Lord Humungus]

Mali War Makes The Case For 'Colonialism'
http://news.investors.com/ibd-.....africa.htm

France made the right call when it attacked al-Qaida in northern Mali. And it should be ready to stay on as an occupying power ? with the West's full support.

If we had one bit of advice to offer French President Francois Hollande, it would be to ditch the guilty conscience.

Hollande correctly decided last week to intervene in Mali to keep Islamist militants from turning the north of that country into a new iteration of pre-2001 Afghanistan ? a secure staging ground for terror attacks on the West. The militants could have pushed all the way to Mali's capital, Bamako, if French Mirage jets and helicopter gunships had not swiftly entered the fray.

[h3k86qc35923]

pre-2001 Afghanistan ? a secure staging ground for terror attacks on the West

I'm pretty sure one doesn't need a third-world staging ground to buy box cutters and take flying lessons in the US.

[$park?]

Some of the hostages held by Islamists at a remote Algerian gas plant appear to have escaped. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: Another Ben Affleck movie in the making.

They must have heard the French were nearby and figured they better do it themselves.

[robc]

On a related note to something I said above, but unrelated enough to pull down here:

Is there anything the anti-federalists were wrong about in 1787?

[John]

Economics. If they had had their way, we wouldn't have had a national market.

[robc]

Or we would have 13 national markets!

[The Late P Brooks]

I did a little "market research" yesterday at a couple of gun shops and Walmart. They look like they were visited by a plague of locusts. Ammo shelves, aside from classic hunting rifle rounds (.270, .308, that stuff) are pretty much bare. Lots of empty spots on the shelves; looks like double stack semi auto pistols have all been snapped up; revolvers are still there. Lots of birdhunting shotguns and bolt action rifles, but not much else. A couple of baby (.22lr) AR gopher guns were still in the rack.

Maybe some of these panic buyers will need to raise cash in a few months.

[sarcasmic]

That's what I'm counting on. Cash is king, and it doesn't leave a paper trail.

[John]

Yeah. The panic will die down and people will need cash and sell off their extra.

[mad libertarian guy]

This will happen, but when?

It took nearly 2 years after Obama was elected for the gun market to get right again, and there was only the theoretical threat that Obama could possibly maybe look to perhaps enact some kind of gum legislation.

This is a concrete, gun grabbers foaming at the mouth to punish gun owners, media members beating the gun control war drums threat to ban all manner of shit.

[John]

Good point. Of course the gun manufacturers now have every reason to make more while the market is hot. Supply and demand will even out eventually.

[mad libertarian guy]

The manufacturers are pumping out guns at a furious rate. They are at capacity.

[John]

And that will sop up the demand as every paniced buyer gets the gun he wants.

[mad libertarian guy]

In time.

But right now the wait time for a new AR is well over 6 months from most manufacturers.

I'm just waiting for the market to be flooded with ARs that are being being built now. Then you'll be able to get a great deal.

[Ted S.]

Obama could possibly maybe look to perhaps enact some kind of gum legislation.

Obama is going to have to pry my Doublemint from my cold, dead hands!

[Rasilio]

They Can Take our Hubba Bubba, but they can never take out Freedom!!!!!

[h3k86qc35923]

Maybe some of these panic buyers will need to raise cash in a few months.

Are you offering them cash in exchange for something... ?

[LTC(ret) John]

CITIZEN - PLEASE REPORT TRANSACTION TO DEPTHOMLANSEC!

[Brett L]

I bought the last box of .40 S&W last weekend at my local Walmart, and it was the same. The only pistol caliber they had more than one box of was .44.

[Cdr Lytton]

No single link but two more sheriffs in Oregon either signed on to the original letter or sent their own version saying they won't enforce unconstitutional gun controls. That's 7 out of 36 county sheriffs so far.

[mad libertarian guy]

What I want to know is how is it that Oregon is leading the charge with locals giving the feds the middle finger?

[LTC(ret) John]

Same as Washington, once you get away from the main city/urban areas and campuses, those folks are not exactly statists.

[The Late P Brooks]

What a surprise; the guy who wrote the book about Glock, who has been getting lots of air time lately, is on saying FFLs and large dealers who already do background checks don't think making everybody do background checks is a bad idea.

And he then goes on to insinuate that every single person who makes a private sale (the "kitchen table loophole" I suppose) is a terrorist bent on arming criminal gangs.

Is there no end to the supply of lying shitbags? Fuck him.

[John]

Brooks, you mean gun shops would love to have the government force you to buy from them rather than from a private party? That shocks me. Their economic interest could have nothing to do with it. I am sure they are just committed citizens worried about the safety of children.

Just like if grocery stores wanted to ban private gardens, they would do it out of genuine concern for food safety.

[NoVAHockey]

they could just cite wickard.

[nicole]

Yeah, I posted an interview with him a couple days ago...here it is...definite statist dbag, only different in the fact that he actually knows something about guns and thus isn't a complete moron about an assault weapons ban.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

The NFL is racist

http://profootballtalk.nbcspor.....ar-so-far/

[LTC(ret) John]

But the Bears hired someone from Frenchy Canadania! Doesn't that count for diversity?

[Certified Public Asskicker]

No way, it doesn't get much whiter than Canada.

[Ted S.]

Oh, the chattering classes are obsessed with the state of the "First Nations" people.

[generic Brand]

Hahaha and yet Canadians always try to fall back on how their country is TEH MOST DYVERSE!!!!11!11!

[John]

It was racism that got Romeo Crennel and Lovie Smith fired. The fact that they were probably the two shittiest coaches in the league had nothing to do with it.

[Randian]

Mike Tomlin is a house Negro, obviously. The fact that he is a great coach has nothing to do with his success.

[robc]

Lovie Smith went 10-6 and got fired. And maybe deserved it. But calling him one of the shittiest coaches in the league seems way off to me.

[John]

He is a shitty coach. He had a very talented team and managed to blow it every year in the playoffs.

[robc]

Which is much better than the coaches who couldnt even get to the playoffs.

[Randian]

Chicago didn't go the playoffs this year, though.

[robc]

But they still won 10 games.

Last time I checked 10 6.

Which means he won more than he lost.

Doesnt mean you have to keep him as coach, they want someone better, but it means he is far from 31st or 32nd.

He was clearly one of the top 30 coaches in the NFL.

[Randian]

Oh sorry, I wasn't catching your point there. You are right - John overstated.

[John]

Rob I will give you Lovie. He is not one of the two shittiest coaches. But Crennell certainly is the shittiest coach.

[Pro Libertate]

Lovie isn't shitty--Chicago has its issues, some of which have little to do with him.

Of course, he can attempt to make his case elsewhere. His track record is good enough to get him a head coaching job again.

[LTC(ret) John]

Yeah, Lovie will work again - maybe this time he will discover that NFL play involves "offense" these days.

9 years, three playoff wins just isn't enough in the #3 market.

[robc]

John Fox cant win a playoff game without Tim Tebow. Talk about shitty.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

He won 5 with Jake Delhomme.

[John]

Maybe signing a quarterback in his late 30s with nerve damage isn't such a great idea when you play outdoors in Colorado.

It is funny how the media is just totally ignoring the fact that Manning couldn't throw down field in that game. Do they think Fox had him take a knee before overtime out of kindness to the Ravens or desire to give the fans some extra football? No, it was because Manning was unable to throw the ball beyond 15 yards and unless his neck gets a lot better in the off season is probably finished as a top flight quarterback.

[wareagle]

Fox played not to lose in the closing moments rather than not to win. Manning went downfield often. The last INT was a bad, bad throw. But 3rd and 7, the opponent has no time outs, and Peyton has the ball, I tell him to take a shot if it's there and a sack of it's not.

Regardless, there should be no way an NFL team gives up that long scoring pass in the waning seconds.

[John]

Wareagle,

That reason why Fox played not to lose is because he knew Manning can't throw anymore, at least not in the cold. He had two time outs, 30 seconds of time, and only needed a field goal. No one plays that conservative.

[Brett L]

Peyton has never been able to throw in cold weather.

[wareagle]

Denver didn't need a field goal, just a first down. Broncos had a touchdown lead, Ravens had no time outs, and Manning can make a 7-yard pass as well as anyone. You tell him to take the play if it's there and the sack if not so the clock keeps rolling.

Mike Smith in ATL damn near did the same thing, shutting down his offense in hopes the defense would come through. As it turned out, the who could have avoided having to produce a comeback was put in the position of leading one.

[John]

Wareagle,

We are talking about two different drives. I am talking about the last drive after the Baltimore Bomb where the game was tied and the Broncos has 30 seconds and two timeouts. The fact that they didn't try to get down field and make a field goal and win tells me that they had no faith in Manning's ability to throw the ball more than ten yards.

You are talking about the third and seven play where Denver was up seven and Baltimore had no timeouts. A first down would have ended the game. The word is that Manning audibled out of the pass into a run. That to me is just inexplicable. He must have lost faith in himself. No other HOF quarterback would ever have audibled to take the game out of their hands and give it to even a great running back let alone a third string one.

I really think Manning is done.

[wareagle]

I'm talking regulation, yes. And I thought Fox blew it by not giving his team a chance to pick up the first and win outright. Hard to imagine "word" being accurate when focused on someone who loves to throw.

After the score, Fox did what all defensive guys do - be even more defensive than before.

[John]

Maybe Fox is that stupid. But I doubt it. I think it is more that they had lost faith in Manning's ability to throw deep.

[LTC(ret) John]

Lovie Smith did many a time.

[BakedPenguin]

Fox played not to lose in the closing moments rather than [to win]

THIS. There were at least two 2nd and short plays where the Broncos ran up the middle, and got stuffed. PLAY ACTION, you stupid prick Fox.

[wareagle]

he was a coach with a winning record. Give me a break. His mark is not much different from Andy Reid's and Reid has to have a really bad year before the Eagles cut him loose. And a new team hired before the day was out.

[Randian]

Philly's problem is Michael Vick.

I am half-serious when I say that Chip Kelly should get Tebow.

[robc]

I am whole-serious about it.

Which Vick gets hurt, play Tebow.

[Randian]

Play Tebow first. Vick is done. Toast. Whatever intangible you want to call it - mojo, magic, the right stuff - it's gone with Vick. He needs to go.

[robc]

Im fine with that. Let them compete for starting spot in August.

And bring in a 3rd, cheap spread QB. Some college UFA. Maybe a 4th too, just in case.

[wareagle]

last year's draft make Foles the qb of the future. I'm not sure how much of a fit he is for a Kelly offense. Tebow's problem remains he sucks at passing and Chip's guys were able to throw.

I think Russell Wilson would be as close to ideal for Kelly as anyone, though he's not going anywhere. Maybe Foles just needs to be as mobile as Aaron Rodgers. Curious to see how this will work.

[robc]

See if Carolina will take Foles in a QB exchange?

[robc]

Philadelphia might have to throw in 180k to sweeten the deal.

[wareagle]

See if Carolina will take Foles in a QB exchange?

Cam in a Kelly offense would be a some fit. Cam and Malzahn were made for each other at Auburn, but I doubt the Panthers see Foles as worthy of an even swap.

I think Foles will be okay, just wondering if he can be okay with Kelly.

[Randian]

Regardless, I predict that Kelly will flame out in the NFL and get a fat contract to 'revive' some other college program a la Steve Spurrier.

[John]

I bet Kelly flames out as well. College guys with no pro coaching experience almost always fail. The reason I think is that they have no credibility with pro players. Pro players don't care about college. They were all college stars and a lot of them didn't like their college coaches. So ra ra this is how we did it at Enormous State back in the day doesn't really impress them. To be a successful coach in the NFL you have to get your players to trust and believe in you. And that is very difficult to do if you have no pro coaching experience. You just have no credibility with players.

[Pro Libertate]

One of my great disappointments this year is that Denver didn't doubledown on Tebow and go with an insane power running attack.

[wareagle]

PL,
you have to at least have the appearance of a passing game or you are done. A team that can only run is not going to win. The worm has turned in the league: whereas the run used to set up the pass, now it's the other way around.

Each of the final four teams has a qb who can hurt you passing. Each team also has a credible running game.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, I don't think that's true at all. Defenses are ill prepared for a truly committed running attack these days (not to mention that defense is at an all-time low in the NFL, period). Besides, Tebow did throw with some effect in Denver, even with an offense not built around him.

I think the NFL could use a change like that. And look at Alabama in college--they've proven that deadly defense and owning the trenches can lead to total domination.

[wareagle]

bama also had a pretty good passing game. AJ may not be Joe Willie but he doesn't have to be. The running threat creates numerous one on one situations in passing, and the tide has a good many capable receivers and one really good deep threat. AL had four scoring passes against the Irish.

If all you do is run, you invite 8 or 9 guys into the box and NFL defense will stop that all day long. The Tebow thing typically came down to a good defense keeping the Broncos close and the offense finally putting together a drive.

I have nothing against Tebow; he's just deluding himself with the belief that he is an NFL qb. He could likely be very good at a couple of other positions but he is unwilling to make the switch.

[Pro Libertate]

I don't think Denver's defense is that great. They had good moments last year, but they were inconsistent and hardly smothering.

It's not about Tebow for me--I'd be just as happy seeing it with Cam Newton.

[Ted S.]

Good defense, terrible offense.

Not that I as a Packer fan am complaining.

[Rasilio]

No Lovie is a good coach, I don't know that he is a great coach but the problems with the Bears do not stem from him but rather their GM's amazing inability to actual construct a functional offensive line while simultaneously letting a very good defense get old and therefore unreliable.

It is amazing that an otherwise good team without any serious holes anywhere else could have the exact same positions of need (OT, OG) for the last 4 seasons. It is also amazing that Jay Cutler (whiny bitch that he is) is even able to still walk after being behind that line this long.

[Ted S.]

Ray Rhodes was a disaster in Green Bay. Yet when Ron Wolf rightly fired him, Hymietown Jackson came out and played the race card.

Is it any wonder people are reluctant to hire black head coaches in the first place if they're going to get called racist even when the firing is justified?

[Ted S.]

They haven't hired any openly gay head coaches, either. So what's their point?

[robc]

Chuck Knoll.

[Don Mynack]

+ 1000

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I have always been very disturbed by the lack of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian football players.

[Ted S.]

A lot of Pacific Islander players, though.

And at least one Vietnamese player.

[sarcasmic]

Cops go to wrong house, shoot dog.
http://denver.cbslocal.com/201.....y-mistake/
Nothing else happens.

[robc]

"You need to calm down, you can get a new dog"

If 1) I was a dog person and 2) that had happened to me, I would probably be in jail/grave for cop killing.

[KDN]

"You all need to calm down. You can get a new cop."

[SugarFree]

Fucking assholes.

By the way, they responded to reports of an alarm going off at a business by forcing their way in a home. Moron assholes at that.

[NoVAHockey]

A comment at Greg Sargent's blog. the guy rambles, a bit, but closes with:

"The reflexive anti-authoritarian instincts of progressives are both a strength and a weakness- as is so often the case with many things. How can progressives and DNC come together to agree and more effectively coordinate/cooperate to advance high priority objectives, strategies and tactics without compromising key strengths?"

[wareagle]

sorry...you lost me in the first 7 words of the quote.

[The Late P Brooks]

The reflexive anti-authoritarian instincts of progressives

Wait, what?

[invisible furry hand]

reflexively anti-authoritarian to the idea of your rule, my dear P Brooks, as it would rest upon a brutal refusal to push people around. Their own rule, on the other hand...

[Proprietist]

Real progressives are pretty civilly libertarian, or at least were. Just like "real conservatives" were against government spending, except for when W was in power.

[Brett L]

Katherine Webb lands a TV gig. And will be in the SI swimsuit issue. I think she definitely owes Musburger a handy at the very least.

[John]

Good for her. She is definitely going to be a bigger star than her boyfriend. How long before she dumps him and moves on to bigger fish?

[Brett L]

Sometime around 2am at the Super Bowl after party is my pick.

[Pro Libertate]

Bigger fish like a certain TV commentator?

[John]

You are looking live at my bedroom.

[T]

Ewwww.

/Teenage Girls

Seriously, she can get way better than Musberger. Hell, can't just about attractive woman do better than that shriveled little troll?

[Pro Libertate]

He's rich.

[wareagle]

and he's connected.

[waaminn]

Sometimes man, you jsut have to roll with the punches.

http://www.eu-anon.tk

[The Late P Brooks]

Tom Friedman doesn't want us to forget about his desperate, obsessive yearning for a Messiah.

I think he's right and that the only way to break out of this deadly cycle is with extraordinary leadership.

The column is just more of the same tired old recycled hogwash about our need for Big Ideas, but that jumped out at me. The rabble are dragging us down.

Where is our Savior, Lord?

[invisible furry hand]

Without a Messiah a John the Baptist looks pretty damn foolish. And that's even before you factor in the Ignatious J Reilly moustache

[John]

Top men Brooks. Friedman is the ultimate top man authority worshiper.

[LTC(ret) John]

He should drop the China worship then - Africa is where the Big Man idea still lives on!