Department of Defense Worried about Drone Pilots Getting PTSD, Michigan Spends Money to Lobby Itself, Firefox Introducing New Cookie Policy: P.M. Links

Sesame Street

• The Defense Department is worried about drone pilots getting post-traumatic stress disorder, which may occur at the same rates as for pilots in the theater of war.
• A police officer and a deputy sheriff in DeKalb County, Georgia have been indicted for providing protection to drug dealers. Police officers in Los Angeles, meanwhile, are accused of selling guns out of their armory.
•  "Why are you lobbying yourself?" is something you could ask the government of Michigan.
• Pro-gun control "volunteers" are reportedly being paid an hourly wage to "volunteer" in Chicago.
• Democratic New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind doesn't understand why he's being criticized for appearing in blackface.
• Glenn Beck is campaigning to get back on cable; he's trying to get his network, The Blaze, picked up by cable and satellite providers.
• Mozilla is introducing a new cookie policy for Firefox that'll prevent websites you don't visit from tracking you.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Defense Department is worried about drone pilots getting post-traumatic stress disorder...

They should worry about carpal tunnel, body odor and obesity, like any other gamer.

[Pro Libertate]

This is how Ender's Game gets started.

[Bobarian]

Isn't it kind of how it finishes?

[Pro Libertate]

Of course I meant the practices that are revealed possibly in a book that some here may not have read.

[Almanian!]

Would.
you.

like.

to.

play.

a game?

/Matthew Broderick's worst nightmare next to waking up next to the horsefaced bitch he calls a wife

[Bobarian]

Oh yeah...

kind of a not too specific spoiler alert, after you've already read the post.

So there.

[Killazontherun]

It ends with you carrying around an alien egg, trying to piece an orphan family back together, and realizing your life is being orchestrated in a English lit workshop where the author trying to incorporate lessons learned in John Gardner's The Art of Fiction.

[robc]

There is a reason I only read the first book.

[Bobarian]

There is only one book. Killaz is just making shit up, because I wouldn't mentally block out any fucked-up sequel I might have read...

[Pro Libertate]

I read the second one, which was okay, I guess, but couldn't get through anything else. Doesn't he go around retelling the first book from different perspectives, too? That seems a bit much.

While I liked the first book fine, I don't get the extreme praise it gets in some circles.

[Ghetto Slovak Goatherder]

Ender's Shadow was about Bean. It was pretty good.

[Ghetto Slovak Goatherder]

Although OSC has a new time travel series out now that I would recommend. Two books so far, starts with Pathfinder.

[Rhywun]

Ugh, I hope it's not another retelling of the Book of Mormon.

[Pro Libertate]

Too bad Tolkien is dead, because he could republish The Lord of the Rings from Gollum's perspective.

[Warty]

Already been done.

[Pro Libertate]

One of my favorites in that genre is Fred Saberhagen's The Dracula Tape told, of course, from the Count's perspective. And, incidentally, making him, after a fashion, the good guy.

[Alack]

I thought some of the concepts about cross-cultural communication from Xenocide were really interesting, but the story-telling was pretty flat.

[Aresen]

They keep seeing visions big explosions ripping children apart.

[Pro Libertate]

Maybe there should be some augmented reality used to edit out in real time the actual consequences of the attacks. Like maybe they could overlay Ratchet & Clank?

[Sudden]

Michael Bay is a drone pilot?

[Bobarian]

Michael Bay is a drone.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Police officers in Los Angeles, meanwhile, are accused of selling guns out of their armory.

Wasn't the LAPD chief one of the LEO leaders decrying the dangers of the Second Amendment?

[Anonymous Coward]

Only the police and military can be trusted with dangerous killy-death-mcassaulty semi-automatic weapons of DIE!

[Dunphy (the real one)]

a cop-o-crat (appointed politician) in a city with a liberal mayor (iow his boss) makes public statements against the 2nd amendment (iow a liberal "truth")

wow. shocked

[Enough About Palin]

^^Nothing to see here.^^

Move along.

[Coeus]

Now, for the totally predictable feminist bitchfest about the boobs thing at the Oscars.

But back to the humor. As a feminist committed to funny, I'm not even that upset about the topics of MacFarlane's jokes, as I am the way he frames them. In my opinion, the most effective comedy is comedy that "punches up," so if you find yourself continually falling back on cliched stereotypes, you are either an asshole or have a creative block.

Translation: It's only funny if you make fun of white males exclusively.

[generic Brand]

That does seem to be an apt translation. Michael Richards' epic meltdown at the comedy club would've been okay if he had yelled "Honky!" and "Cracker!" instead of "Nigger!"

[The Immaculate Trouser]

As a feminist committed to funny

Ah -- one of those "open relationships" the kids are into these days.

[C. Anacreon]

As a feminist committed to funny

I fail to see the humor in that.

[SIV]

In case you were wondering This is a police "patrol rifle". Not to be confused with the civilian murder machine cop-killer "assault weapon".

[SugarFree]

Midland (Texas) County Sheriff's deputy was dismissed after he and four other deputies photographed a waitress holding one of their AR-15 patrol rifles while they were visiting a restaurant, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

But if he shot her, he'd probably just be on paid vacation.

[Clich? Bandit]

3 out of 5 in the comments...give it time.

[Brett L]

I'd like to use my gun on her, IYKWIMAITYD.

[Virginian]

Why are they being fired? I've handled department firearms a few times. I've fired them as well. Glocks mostly, never shot a cop's shotgun or rifle. Is it because it's a girl at a Hooter's style restaurant? The rifle is safed, and her finger isn't on the trigger.

[Agammamon]

Its unprofessional conduct. While I'm "meh" about a firing, at the least they deserve a severe reprimand.

[A Serious Man]

Pro-gun control "volunteers" are reportedly being paid an hourly wage to "volunteer" in Chicago.

Goddamnit they demand a vote and a living wage and a mandatory hour lunch break and healthcare benefits!

[Rich]

Progressive USA Voters ... is offering an hourly wage of between $9 and $11 to join its gun-control campaign

Is that all the LIFE OF A CHILD is worth to those monsters?!

[NeonCat]

It would be so damn awesome if they struck for higher wages?

[OldMexican]

Rahm doing his bit to raise employment rates.

[Pro Libertate]

Rahming speed!

[BakedPenguin]

But it's totally grass roots, unlike the astro-turf Tea Party!

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Not sure if y'all talked last week about how Bloomberg is spending big in the race (voting tomorrow) to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. But he is. My BF's parents live in the district and they are away, so he's been picking up their mail, and he says the fliers are coming, as it were, fast and furious.

[C. Anacreon]

Bloomberg, mayor of NYC? Why is he involved in an Illinois race?

[Proprietist]

But the important question is: do they provide health benefits for their hourly employees?

[Xenocles]

Better hope they stay part time; it wouldn't do to incur the Obamacare benefits mandate.

[DesigNate]

They'll get a waiver.

[OldMexican]

The Defense Department is worried about drone pilots getting post-traumatic stress disorder, which may occur at the same rates as for pilots in the theater of war.

*Phew* And here I am thinking I am the only one getting PTSD after a few missions in CoD.

[Rich]

What is commenting on H&R, chopped liver?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

More like a tongue sandwich.

[Bobarian]

Head cheese?

[Apatheist ?_??]

All of these things are delicious if done properly (though I've only had tongue tacos not sandwhiches).

[Pi Guy]

Lingua... Mommy...

[Pi Guy]

Meant to say: mmmm...

Damned spell check

[SKR]

I thought you might be referencing Blue Velvet.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Dirty mind, clean bottom!

[Agammamon]

Well, a couple of things:

1. What, exactly is the PTSD rate for pilots? And is the data broken down by type - ie I bet attack helicotper pilots get PTSD at a far different rate than air superiority pilots?

2. Is it really PTSd and not the operator coming to the realization that his job mostly involves a long periods of watching people get blown up punctuated by blowing up people that he suspects are not really combattants?

[Mechafenris]

I got PTSD after they shot my dog in Fable 2.

I'm still broken up about it...

[Hugh Akston]

The Defense Department is worried about drone pilots getting post-traumatic stress disorder, which may occur at the same rates as for pilots in the theater of war.

Sounds like maybe they should get jobs that don't involve blowing up little kids from the sky.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The CIA drone operators weren't included in the study.

[Episiarch]

You know, I see the picture of Cookie Monster and I thought there would be a PM link that would get our discussion of how Mr. Hooper was a pedophile and Big Bird was a paranoid schizophrenic going again. And yet here I am disappointed. Thanks a lot, Ed.

[NeonCat]

Big Bird was/is paranoid?

[Episiarch]

You should hear some of his conspiracy theories, dude.

[Almanian!]

Big Bird, big chem trails.

U can lookit up...

[Killazontherun]

Of all the conspiracies, that one has an interesting basis. Heavy carbons were released in the 60's by planes in order to study fallout patterns. Perfectly reasonable thing to do.

[Agammamon]

No it doesn't - chemtrails are based on the idea that contrails don't happen naturally and that therefore these civilian aircraft *must* be releasing something dastardly to make it happen.

In the stratosphere, thousands of feet above the ground.

In quantities large enough to have an effect on the surface even though most of it will stay in the atmosphere or cover uninhabited land.

[Clich? Bandit]

snuffalufagus? really?

[Episiarch]

"Dude, I can totally see this huge woolly mammoth and it talks to me in this strange whispery voice and tells me to do shit."

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I thought the whole reason they made Snuffa-whatever real was because they thought kids would worry adults wouldn't believe they were being molested if they claimed it. So the entire discussion you want to get going just proves you are worse than Hitler.

[Episiarch]

I thought we'd already established that.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I would have thought by now you'd be angling for some sort of Worse Than Hitler in the Greatest Possible Number of Ways title.

[Episiarch]

I am now!

[Hugh Akston]

He thinks Luis did 9/11.

[Tonio]

A valiant effort, Epi, but alas...

[Almanian!]

1% of Monster eat 99% of cookie!

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

I love that Cookie Monster is teh evul One Percenter.

[db]

Caviar is a sometimes food.

[NeonCat]

The Count encourages aristocracy and is an immigrant taking a job that could be done by an American.

[Stormy Dragon]

Counting is a STEM job, so the Count is obviously here on an H-1b visa.

[C. Anacreon]

BAH-HA-HA

[jesse.in.mb]

I'm still reeling from the revelation that Bert and Ernie were cousins.

[Episiarch]

In no way does that mean they can't have also been lovers.

MIND. BLOWN.

[Hugh Akston]

What's the big deal? It's not like they can get pregnant that way.

[jesse.in.mb]

Well that's what I mean, they've been living together forever, we've seen no other significant romantic entanglements. We can only assume that they're lovers, but now we find out they're cousins?

I agree with Hugh though, if there are no children with the genetic characteristics of the European royal family involved then I don't see a problem.

[C. Anacreon]

At least it is in these 19 states.

[jesse.in.mb]

Sesame Street is supposed to be NY, no? Bert and Ernie are in the clear. They can legally have their gay, first-cousin wedding! A win for freedom.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Wait, what?

[Agammamon]

Yes, yes and the 20 something hottie on the arm of that rich old guy is his "niece".

Its just a cover man - some of Sesame Streets sponsors jaust ain't that socially liberal.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I'm not saying it was Aliens ? but it was Aliens

[Ted S.]

And Bert and Ernie are gay lovers, of course.

[Brandon]

MI Government Spent $556K To Lobby Itself

Not a penny can be cut!

[Enough About Palin]

"The Defense Department is worried about drone pilots getting post-traumatic stress disorder, which may occur at the same rates as for pilots in the theater of war."

Bovine scatology.

[Coeus]

Food social justice.

Yes, you read that right.

A sample:

Somehow, big food companies have convinced us that drinking a 32oz soda is a matter of personal liberty, and that the government has no place in regulating how much liquid sugar can be sold in a single container.

In fact, we know ? and they certainly know ? that human beings are remarkably bad at judging how much we're eating. Food companies use that information to encourage over-consumption, and to target certain consumers who tend to have less disposable income to invest in healthy food ? poor people, people of color, kids.

[John]

Freedom is slavery!!

[Clich? Bandit]

Like the book was a fucking detailed Chiltons to statism.

[Episiarch]

These people are, at this point, actively arguing for their own loss of freedom. They're such fools and sheep that they have completely adopted and are promoting the ideas of their own enslavement. All because they think it will slightly hurt someone or something they don't like.

It would be hilarious if it didn't affect the rest of us.

[Alack]

I'd have no problems with them begging to be controlled if they didn't insist on making me a part of it.

[John]

We joke about it. But the logic really is "we need the government to restrict our choices so that we are not enslaved by the evil coporahuns!!!" It really is "freedom is slavery". They actually believe that.

[kinnath]

yes. This is the core principle of modern progressives.

[mad libertarian guy]

yes. This is the core only principle of modern progressives.

FIFY

[Corneliusm]

Not just progressives. Statists in general. Socons are in favor of forcing my children to learn some creation fairy tale in school, freedom from birth control, and handing over my civil rights in the name of fighting "terruhr".

But yeah, it's the progressives currently fucking us (until the next election), so I'll agree.

[Rich]

In all seriousness: What good does a focus on body size actually do?
If we're actually concerned about health, then we should focus on health.

Thanks, Ms Filipovik, you have changed my thinking.

The government should not just tax excess weight; it should also tax *illness* per se.

[Alack]

Hey, if we're just going to tax poor health outcomes, why don't we just do away with the whole government-transfer portion of it and allow there to be some sort of market for medical care where you pay to treat illnesses or something?

Nah, that'd never work.

[Alack]

Good thing we have people in power to tell us just how much we should be able to eat or drink. I hope they tell us how much we can work or read, too, so that I don't ruin my life over-indulging in those things either.

Fuck these people.

[$park?]

Seriously. I'm ready to be fitted with my life timer so I know exactly how much of each day should be devoted to specific activities. Maybe a screen in my house with a person that wakes me when it's time for morning exercises.

[SKR]

you know you won't do it on your own.

[$park?]

Somehow! Those DAMN big food companies! I know as soon as I turn on the TV I start eating and can't stop eating until I turn it off. If only we could make the government ban commercials!! *sob*

[C. Anacreon]

That's why all the hospitals have banned pharmaceutical reps from visiting docs. It used to be that the reps would, say, bring bagels and coffee for the staff, and in exchange for this we'd give them 5-10 minutes of our time to hear their spiel or discuss clinical research showing the advantages of their product. But there were complaints from some holier-than-thou docs; we had colleagues that insisted once you took that bagel, you would have no choice but to prescribe meds inappropriately and against your better judgment. When I pointed out that somehow I can watch a football game on TV and not feel I had to buy a Ford as a result, it didn't go over too well.

[OldMexican]

In fact, we know ? and they certainly know ? that human beings are remarkably bad at judging how much we're eating.

Which makes one wonder how can anybody say with certainty that 32Oz is "too much" if we can't know?

My spidey senses detect a perfunctory contradiction there, committed by a self-righteous asshole.

[Trespassers W]

In fact, we know ? and they certainly know ? that human beings are remarkably bad at judging how much we're eating, at least until they're democratically elected.

See? No contradiction.

[Rich]

"If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind? The organizers maintain that society, when left undirected, rushes headlong to its inevitable destruction because the instincts of the people are so perverse. The legislators claim to stop this suicidal course and to give it a saner direction. Apparently, then, the legislators and the organizers have received from Heaven an intelligence and virtue that place them beyond and above mankind; if so, let them show their titles to this superiority." -- Bastiat

[BigT]

Shorter Bastiat: Top Men!

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." Thomas Jefferson

http://www.brainyquote.com/quo.....Wt4HqHT.99

[Trespassers W]

Bastiat pre-pwned people like Tony by more than a century. And I'm not sure that any of what Bastiat said could be said any better.

[Suthenboy]

"Somehow, big food companies have convinced us that drinking a 32oz soda is a matter of personal liberty..."

yeah....somehow.

That is from the Gaurdian, so to be expected.

[kinnath]

Drinking a 32 oz soda -- personal liberty

Snorting Cocaine -- personal liberty

Shooting Heroin -- personal liberty

Fucking as many women as you want -- personal liberty

Fucking as many man as you want -- personal liberty

Watching dirty movies -- personal liberty

and so on and so forth

[BuSab Agent]

I like your bill of rights.

[Warty]

Despite all this work, American income levels remain remarkably polarized, with the richest few controlling nearly all of the wealth. In one of the wealthiest countries on earth, one in seven people rely on federal food aid, with most of the financial benefits going to big food companies who are also able to produce cheap, nutritionally questionable food thanks to agricultural subsidies. The prices of the worst foods are artificially depressed, the big food lobbies have enormous power, and the biggest loser is the American public, especially low-income folks who spend larger proportions of their income on food but face systematic impediments to healthy eating and exercise.

Blind squirrel finds nut, examines it, discards it, starves.

Also, I note that "rely on" = "doesn't need, but is happy to collect free shit".

[C. Anacreon]

And yet, somehow, the most inexpensive foods where I shop are the vegetables and fruit. I can fill up an entire shopping cart at the produce section and get out for less than thirty bucks. Put in processed chips, tv dinners and sodas instead, and you can't even fill one of those carry baskets before you go over thirty.

The claim that produce is too expensive is the biggest lie out there. Here are the two main reasons that poor people buy the other stuff: it takes no effort to prepare it, and it tastes good.

I could eat very well on the equivalent amount of money that food stamps provides each month, contrary to what the whiners say (and I did back in the day). But it means you have to buy food unprepared. You can buy a whole chicken in untrimmed parts for remarkably cheap and make several meals out of it. You can get a head of lettuce for under a buck and make 2-3 salads out of it. But you have to be willing to spend 30 minutes making your meal -- and for some people, they'd much rather just tear open a package.

[Whahappan?]

No shit. I can get USDA prime steak from the butcher, broccolini and shallots from the supermarket, and cook up a gourmet meal for less than McDonald's take out.

[Warty]

Pre-fucking-cisely. If you're fat, it's almost always because you're too lazy and stupid to cook your own goddamn food.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat second dinner. I made Bambi chili today and it's DELICIOUS.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Food companies use that information to encourage over-consumption, and to target certain consumers who tend to have less disposable income to invest in healthy food ? poor people, people of color, kids.

But when those same poor people are forced to send their kids to the shitty school in their district, that is ok.

[SIV]

Wooooo! My tax-home of DeKalb County, GA makes the P.M.links.

[generic Brand]

Can anyone tell me why fucking Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers are showing up in my Pandora rap station comprised of artists like Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Outkast, and B.o.B? Has Pauli Krugnuts taken over the Music Genome Project?

YOU DON'T KNOW ME, PANDORA!!!!

[NeonCat]

Because their awesomeness* can't be contained into one genre?

*For the record, I think they're okay.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I fucking hate Mumford & Sons. In fact, I hate all of that fake-ass bullshit Irish punk. First off, I love punk rock, have played in many punk bands, and lived the life. You know what Irish punk is? It's Stiff Little Fingers. It's the fucking Undertones. That's it. Dropkick Murphy's, Flogging Molly, Mumford et. al can go fuck themselves! It's the same thing every goddamn time. These bands will all have one song that is a "true" punk song. And you kind of like it. Then you hear another song, and this one will be slower, with fiddles and shit. Then you'll hear another song, and this one will be fast, but it will be a full-on Irish folk fuck-fest.

You want to play Irish folk music? Fine, have at it. But keep that shit out of punk rock!

AAAAAaaaaaaaagagaggagagghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NeonCat]

Maybe you should go slam someone to calm down?

[SKR]

Mumford is punk? I thought they we just straight up English folk revival.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

That's the point. They aren't. But they are trying to sell the band that way (at least in LA radio/venues). They are just a folk band. That suck.

[SKR]

you're one of those losers that still listens to KROQ aren't you? Just admit it.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Not usually. But it is ubiquitous.

[Professor Booty]

I'm with you EDG. They have always been bltantly phony and pretensious to me, just selling an image to people who don't see the Oz behind the curtain. I find them insufferable because of it.

[SKR]

oh I wasn't saying they are good. But the only place I can think where they are being portrayed as rock or punk r something harder than what they are is on KROQ. And KROQ hasn't been relevant for decades.

[SKR]

so where do the pogues fit in your continuum of Irish music?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Borderline.

[sloopyinca]

Really? No love for Shane McGowan?

Didn't one of us put them on the jukebox the last time I was down?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Shhhhh.... I was on a roll.

[John]

You forgot The Pogues, you philistine. They wrote the book on that sort of music and everyone else is just "we wanted to be The Pogues but we just were not cool or talented enough"

And Mumford and Sons is The Pogues if they were sober and a whole lot less talented and clever. Imagine if Shane McGowen had a love baby with Jon Mayer. That would be Mumford and Sons.

[Alack]

If I Should Fall From Grace with God is an amazing album.

[John]

It is. No one has ever sounded like that. I have a couple of nephews who are into Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys. And they sound so pathetic compared to The Pogues.

[generic Brand]

My buddy at work is super excited about going to a Dropkick Murphys concert (or maybe it is Flogging Molly... whichever sings Papelbon's old entrance song when he was on the Red Sox) this weekend. I'll have to check out the Pogues and recommend them to him.

[sloopyinca]

Let him know ahead of time that listening to The Pogues will make him lament the money he spent on the ticket to a second-rate ripoff of them. It's only fair.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Funny that people are more interested in music from their own time period. I agree with you that the Pogues are better but I never would have listened to them in the first place if I wasn't listening to Flogging Molly as a 16 year old Catholic kid.

As far as Mumford is concerned, as Pop they are certainly better than most of the garbage out there. As folk revival they are pretty mediocre. Probably would have liked them a lot when I was 16.

[sloopyinca]

You know what I miss? I miss Madness.

[Ornithorhynchus]

Madness were still around last I heard.

[Warty]

I never really liked that kind of music, but I once went to a Street Dogs show and had a drunken blast. Or so I inferred from my bruises and and the fact that I had lost a shoe. I have no memories due to pregaming at a bar beforehand, but I must have had fun.

In conclusion fuck the Dropkick Murphys.

[Auscifer]

Never liked Dropkick Murphy's or Flogging Molly.

I do like Mumford...

Not the same genre in my book.

[Killazontherun]

Not a fan of Mumford, but if I had a personal rap station, yours sounds like a winner. Maybe some of the remixes of Tribe Called Quest the Finnish dude did that use to get a lot of play in the clubs back in the 90s to the list. Sorry, I can't think of his name, but just look for Tribe titles with (club) added and its likely it.

[generic Brand]

Yeah, I nicknamed my station "Lyrical Killing Spree", so it's really disappointing (read: SUPER FUCKING DEPRESSING) when Pandora tries to "predict my interests" and plays The Decemberists (umbrellas! and it's not raining!!! So ironic!!!!!!11!1!11), especially when I have so few "thumbs down" to use each day!

As Cris Carter would (poorly) say, COME ON, MANE!

[SKR]

yeah, but that song about killing your kids after your wife died and not felling bad about it is pretty fucked up.

[Auscifer]

Have you tried Spotify?

[SugarFree]

Can anyone tell me why fucking Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers are showing up in my Pandora rap station comprised of artists like Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Outkast, and B.o.B?

None dare call it payola...

[Brandon]

Why the fuck is Outkast showing up on a "Rap" station next to actual artists?

[Enough About Palin]

Glenn Beck is campaigning to get back on cable; he's trying to get his network, The Blaze, picked up by cable and satellite providers.

[SugarFree]

"Libertarian fascists" are probably standing in his way.

[General Butt Naked]

My dad gets the Blaze on satellite. I know this because he talks about it all the fucking time.

[sloopyinca]

Looks like it's time for you to start looking at those nursing home brochures.

[Warty]

We all make fun of Glenn Beck, but I think we need to recognize his amazing, crazy genius. The guy said, "Fuck you, Fox News, you need to be more crazy!" And then he created a TV network and made it as crazy as he wanted it to be. WINNING

[sloopyinca]

And then he created a TV network and made it as crazy as he wanted it to be himself rich as fuck. WINNING

FIFY.

[SIV]

He needs that money to pay his security detail's first class airfare. Progs freak out on Beck and his family when they see him in public.

[Stormy Dragon]

My big beef with Beck is that I heard him before he went national. He actually had a lot of talent, but he decided take the easy route to success. He realized there was a market of crazy people who'd give him lots of money if he pandered to them.

He's like the Gail Wynand of talk radio, and there's few things that piss me off more than seeing genuine talent squandered.

[Rich]

Obama using fake Twitter messages in fight over gun control

[A Serious Man]

Hey, if the dead can vote in Chicago why can't they tweet?

[Rich]

So *that's* why the WH ignores those petitions!

[Suthenboy]

"Stockman said that in response to Obama's call for people to tweet their congressman in support of gun control legislation, he received just 16 tweets. But he said all of these messages were identical, and that a closer look at them revealed that only six were from real people. The other 10 are fake, computer-generated spambots," his office said"

Couple this with busing in paid 'volunteers' to protest in Chicago and he starts to look pretty pathetic. He must essentially have no genuine support at all.

[Generic Stranger]

The gun control movement is completely and utterly astroturfed. It's a movement controlled by a few big pockets, mostly the Joyce Foundation and Nanny Bloomberg, and just enough people to make a narrow angle camera shot look like like a decent crowd. The only reason it gets any traction is because politicians are a bunch of authoritarian assholes who think gun control is easier than actually understanding the situation.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

From what I understand, this is a tactic that Axelrod initiated in 2008--send out a boilerplate Mad Libs-type template that hits the key talking points, request that the receiver fill in the relevant information, and then send it to their local newspaper or copypasta the note onto various internet forums.

This is a big reason why, when some national drama hits the stage, the shitlibs already have their talking points coordinated and why these concern trolls all tend to sound alike.

[Atanarjuat]

Yeah, I once heard an ex-girlfriend's college-age family member making the same points I read from "T o n y" in Hit n' Run, and both within a few days of each other.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Democratic New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind doesn't understand why he's being criticized for appearing in blackface.

I don't understand it either. Don't the critics know he's a Democrat?

[mr simple]

Maybe he's just been asleep for the past forty years and doesn't realize that there's no humor in NYC anymore.

[Brandon]

No humor in... has it been 40 years since Ghostbusters?

[$park?]

Government inspectors hate it when citizens freely help the homeless.

The Dept. of Health and Hospitals ordered the staff at the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission to throw 1,600 pounds of donated venison in garbage bins ? and then ordered then to douse the meat with Clorox ? so other animals would not eat the meat.

"Deer meat is not permitted to be served in a shelter, restaurant or any other public eating establishment in Louisiana," said a Health Dept. official in an email to Fox News. "While we applaud the good intentions of the hunters who donated this meat, we must protect the people who eat at the Rescue Mission, and we cannot allow a potentially serious health threat to endanger the public."
...
He said the rescue mission serves 200,000 meals a year ? without a single dime of assistance from the state or federal governments. As a result of the confiscation, he said as many as 3,200 meals were lost.

[John]

Words fail.

[Virginian]

If you assume the mission of the government is to help people, this makes no sense. If you assume the mission of the government is to accrue power to itself, this makes perfect sense.

Contradictions do not exist.

[Pro Libertate]

Didn't something along these lines happen in Orlando?

[Tonio]

This happens frequently. Basically, if you have an organized homeless-feeding operation you have to meet all the same standards as a restaurant. Approved, inspected kitchen. Approved suppliers. Food-handling training for the volunteers/employees.

[Tonio]

The local scruffy anarchists found a church with a health-department inspected kitchen that they use to prepare their meals.

[Pro Libertate]

I dunno, I gotta figure feeding them food without strict standards has to beat food provided by a garbage can.

[John]

Perfect meet your enemy, the good.

[Gene]

Fuckity fuck fuck!

[Raston Bot]

Isn't the #1 question you're supposed to ask food and health inspectors is if they have a warrant? And if not, then you tell them to pound sand.

[Suthenboy]

I am stunned.

I am also pissed. I have donated venison and pork to the Salvation Army many times.

[Killazontherun]

The local hunting lodge will go through the trouble of skinning, butchering and prepping before donating to the kitchens to make sure no meat is unnecessarily wasted through sport. Jeez, the state is no substitute for a sound mind and conscience.

[Apatheist ?_??]

It's possible that we have similar rules in Houston. My mother has passed on some elk, venison and pheasant to me that was donated because they weren't allowed to give it out. Don't know if it was the food kitchen's policy or a legal thing. The pheasant was even vacuum sealed and stuff.

[Rhywun]

I am also pissed. I have donated venison and pork to the Salvation Army many times.

You monster.

[General Butt Naked]

You know what's more dangerous than eating venison?

FUCKING STARVATION, DIPSHIT.

How do they not allow venison to be served in LA, seems odd? Here in PA food banks will gladly take extra game meat.

[Anonymous Coward]

The Government giveth, and the Government taketh away. Blessed be the name of Government.

[Brandon]

WTF does the government give?

[Anonymous Coward]

FUCK YOU, THAT'S WHAT!

[Xenocles]

""Deer meat is not permitted to be served in a shelter, restaurant or any other public eating establishment in Louisiana,""

What now? Even in Massachusetts I was able to order venison in some restaurants occasionally.

In the boonies of NOVA (in Front Royal, to be specific) there's a butcher who will process your kills for a price. I've heard they have a system for donating excess meat (as defined by the customer) to the needy.

[Killazontherun]

Louisiana is a weird place. In many respects they be the most seriously statist of fucks on the planet, and then you have the fact you can pull up to a take out window and leave with a Big Gulp sized mojito to sip while you drive.

[Scooby]

Hey, you're not supposed to take the paper wrapper off of the straw while you're driving!

[mad libertarian guy]

Fuck!

[bmp1701]

"Why are you lobbying yourself?" is something you could ask the government of Michigan.

The thing about lobbying yourself is that you know exactly how you want to be lobbied. You can lobby yourself at the time you want to be lobbied, lobby yourself using the lobbying techniques you prefer, and best of all, you don't need to go out and find someone who's willing to lobby you.

[NeonCat]

You never hear "No lobbying tonight, I have a headache."

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Fuck Michigan!

[Almanian!]

Great minds (see down a couple)

[Enough About Palin]

Imaginary Lobbyists,
Never let you down,
When all the others turn you away,
They're around.

[kinnath]

+1

[Bobarian]

When I read this["Why are you lobbying yourself?"], I think of your big brother holding your arms and smacking you in the face with your own hands.

Maybe Minnesota or Wisconsin is picking on Michigan?

[BuSab Agent]

Minnesota and Michigan can only pick on the UP.

[Virginian]

So on Facebook today someone posted the story about NYC's 2 liter soda ban. Actually opposed to it, but there's this guy who's all in favor of it. Now, this is new to me. Usually when I bring up the special stupidity that is Bloomberg, I get "Well he's going to far but it is a problem and his heart is in the right place." as the farthest amount of support. Not this guy. This guy has his tongue ready to polish boot. He is all in favor of it, Bloomberg is going to save the children from the scourge of obesity, and lower healthcare costs at the same time. All by banning two liter soda sales.

I hate people.

[John]

Kids would never get two cokes.

[Pro Libertate]

Or a Sodastream.

[Virginian]

Yeah that's the dumbest thing about it. Pizza places literally just change it from "Pizza and a two liter" deal to "Pizza and two liters" deal

Fucking idiots.

[Pro Libertate]

Illegal circumvention!

I guess they're going to ban free refills, too?

[Virginian]

Loophole!

[SIV]

Tourists in NYC summertime heat will actually die of dehydration as a result of this law.An extra 16-24 fl ozs can make the difference between life and death.

[BuSab Agent]

Tourists who go to NYC in summer deserve to die. Natural selection baby!

[Lord Peter Wimsey]

"I hate people."

Agreed. Now you need to read some H.L. Mencken. The man had no kind words for the do gooders or the mob.

[John]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....himps.html

Man evolved from drunken apes. As a theory it does explain so much.

[Coeus]

Ever heard of Stoned Ape Theory?

[A Serious Man]

White dwarfs may hold the key to discovering extraterrestrial life.

[John]

What about black dwarfs?

RACIST!!

[Almanian!]

What about the Giants?! Size-ist!

[John]

I believe the proper term is "Big Beautiful Interstellar Objects" you patriarchal monster.

[Almanian!]

The Red Giants are proud of their Native Galactic heritage and you, sir, are in HEAP BIG TROUBLE.

[OldMexican]

What about the neutron ones? Particle-ist!

[Almanian!]

The Black Holes shout, "Positivist!"

[Anonymous Coward]

All white dwarves are bastards in their fathers' eyes.

[A Serious Man]

+1 Iron Throne

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

So I saw this tweet earlier and I was like, "Huh? To Google!" Where I found this:

[I]t's a spiral-bound calendar and day planner. It includes space to write your phone numbers, a contact list of radical leftist groups around the globe, a menstrual calendar, info on police repression, and extra note pages to record all your important revolutionary ideas. It also lists popular activist and alternative cultural holidays. The highlight is how to say key phrases in multiple languages; phrases such as "freedom and mutual aid" and "where is the library?" [emphasis added]

I mean, if you're going to add something totally random (read: politically motivated by not logically connected) that is relevant to at best half of your audience, why not just hand out menstrual cups with the day planner? I mean, you can just use the regular calendar as a fucking calendar.

[Spoonman.]

Well that's a nice What The Fuck for my afternoon.

[BakedPenguin]

Well, given the name of the bookstore, perhaps it's not surprising they give extra attention to that part of the body.

[SugarFree]

This kind of nonsense is why I can never wear anything red to work.

[A Serious Man]

I think I may have found the most retarded response to the Onion c-word flap courtesy of Salon:

The Onion's Hipster Misogyny.

[John]

IN all seriousness, what was the Onion joke supposed to be? Forget offensive, it is not even funny. It doesn't even make any sense.

[Virginian]

Dude, it's shocking that someone would call a nine year old a cunt....that's the whole joke. It's pretty basic shocking comedy.

[John]

Doesn't a "joke" require some subtlety to be funny?

[Virginian]

Uh....have you seen Family Guy? Or South Park? Or this guy Howard Stern?

[John]

Some of those are pretty clever. And yes, some it is not funny or even watchable. South Park and Family Guy are both either laugh out loud funny or completely unwatchable, never in between.

[Almanian!]

South Park is ALWAYS funny. This tweet? I diunno, it just strikes me as...not funny at all.

Don't get it.

[John]

Two words Almanian, Terrence and Phillip. South Park is often unwatchable.

[Almanian!]

John, why do you hate Canadians?

South Park is ALWAYS funny. Howard Stern, on the other hand, never was and never is funny.

[Trespassers W]

South Park is always funny.

As is Stern. There, I said it. Stern makes me LMAO.

[Gene]

Agreed, Manbearpig alone makes them the best ever of the genre, IMO.

[RyanXXX]

Thank you! I absolutely hate T&P

[Greg]

You're gonna get slapped like Brooke Shields talking like that

[SKR]

There you guys go with that fag talk again.

[Enough About Palin]

Someone needs...an ass transplant!

[Stormy Dragon]

T&P are anti-comedy though; they're supposed to be unwatchable, as they're a parody of what the show's critics claim the entire show is: random fart jokes with no rhyme or reason.

[Greg]

Exactly! This is even more obvious when you watch the movie.

[Rhywun]

Jesus, the one where the kids save T&P is one of my all-time favorites. You're not watching it right, or something.

[Caleb Turberville]

I think I heard somebody say that The Onion was referencing the general "bitchiness" of the Awards ceremony. It's the context of the thing that matters. Does anyone really believe that The Onion actually meant to be taken seriously?

[Almanian!]

Any publicity is...what kind of publicity? Yeah, I suppose the Onion's lovin' this.

[Caleb Turberville]

It's funny when you mentally juxtapose the innocence of the little girl against the narcissistic mess of her fellow actors. So, it would seem that The Onion was actually complimenting her, not insulting her.

[MJGreen]

Agreed. The joke only works if you take it for granted that Wallis is an adorable 9 year old.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I think I heard somebody say that The Onion was referencing the general "bitchiness" of the Awards ceremony.

That makes sense, every tweet I saw about it was bitchy and stupid. Everyone wanting to talk about how stupid Anne Hathaway looked when they could have been talking about how awesome Helena Bonham-Carter looked, if we have to go down that road at all.

[SIV]

Helena Bonham-Carter always looks awesome.

[SugarFree]

"Never stick it in crazy."

[jesse.in.mb]

Because there are just some things a condom won't protect you from?

[SugarFree]

Because if you end up getting crazy pregnant you are stuck with crazy forever.

[JW]

Helena Bonham-Carter always looks awesome.

You need to stop huffing whatever it is that you're huffing.

[Stormy Dragon]

As mentioned earlier, you shouldn't tell jokes that require context as tweets, because they nature of the medium is that no one is going to be seeing them in context.

[General Butt Naked]

I wonder what Ken Shultz has to say about this.

"This is why the Onion has no female readers..."

[Mechafenris]

This the the same comedy writers that produced the amazing trailer for the non-existent Steven Seagal movie:

Cockpuncher!

I for one would go see that movie...

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

What does it even mean to say that someone "believes" or "doesn't believe" this? Others will respond that it's just an offhand comment. Nope. It's a sexual and racial epithet.

That is officially the point at which I must stop reading.

[NeonCat]

If only the Onion had tweeted that Dakota Fanning was a c-word back in the day when tweeting wasn't a thing yet.

Then it would just be sexist.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I actually saw some "Dakota Fanning never had to deal with this" comment earlier as proof of how racist this was.

[Caleb Turberville]

OH FOR CRYIN' OUT...!

That line of reasoning would only work if The Onion's comment was taken as a literal insult.

In the proper, satirical context, The Onion doesn't even come close to being racist Because They Were Not Insulting Anybody to Begin With!

[Caleb Turberville]

...Well at least not Wallis. It could be construed as an insult to her fellow (mostly white) colleagues.

[Suthenboy]

How is cunt a racial epithet? In what possible way?

[Francisco d Anconia]

That's where I quit too.

And, while I proudly didn't watch, I took the comment as a slam on the rest of the participants.

[Raston Bot]

it was curtains for Onion's joke... meat curtains.

[robc]

I think it was stupid to send it out, the Onion's twitter editor screwed up, but it was even worse to pull it back.

They should have stood behind it. "Its comedy. Its offensive. You didnt get it. Deal with it."

[Almanian!]

MI Government Spent $556K To Lobby Itself

In other news, fuck Michigan.

Also, fuck California.

Also, fried chicken.

THERE IS NO OTHER "ALSO"! That is all.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I see you posted it, already.

[OldMexican]

Mozilla is introducing a new cookie policy for Firefox that'll prevent websites you don't visit from tracking you.

You mean Mozilla has been allowing them to track me until now???

Why, the nerve of those people! I feel so... so... violated !

[Almanian!]

*www.creepystalker.com hides in shadow...*

[A Serious Man]

Scientists say pollution may be causing otters' penises to shrink.

Do otters experience shrinkage in cold water?

[Almanian!]

I see an opportunity for a government-funded study!

[Rich]

Viagra will pale in comparison to the drug that results!

[Matrix]

If they can prove this will happen to humans too, it won't take long for us to put an end to this kind of pollution.

[Killazontherun]

If your life's work revolves around studying the generational differences between penis sizes in otters, somewhere along the lines, you fucked up royally.

[jesse.in.mb]

Imagine my relief when I clicked the link and they were talking animals of the genus lutra and not slim, hairy, gay men.

[Suthenboy]

"Pro-gun control "volunteers" are reportedly being paid an hourly wage to "volunteer" in Chicago."

I went looking to see if I could figure out who was behind this and find zip.
From the article; "The group does not list its staff or directors on its website, and does not disclose its donors to the Federal Election Commission."

From the groups website; "Our issues include social justice, health care reform, environmental protection, economic fairness, civil rights, better public schools and more." Social justice....yeah. Economic fairness I suppose is code for communism.

This is how Obama uses his campaign infrastructure after the campaign. It has his fingerprints all over it. That shitty little fascist took this straight out of Chavez's playbook.

[Almanian!]

With any luck he'll end up like Chavez. Either of them.

YEAH, I SAID IT.

[Virginian]

Yep. Keep your powder dry.

[Rich]

I went looking to see if I could figure out who was behind this and find zip.

Did you ask Valerie Jarrett?

[General Butt Naked]

There was a thread on a local gun forum about a "protest" in a small town outside of philly in january. One of the guys went with a camera to talk to the people and they barely had any idea what they were even protesting and told the guy to get the fuck out of their faces with the camera.

This shit has been going on for awhile.

Sad part is that you'll get many genuine pro-2nd people at the capitols and have no news coverage, but they pay 20 guys to stand out there with anti-gun signs and the local media is all over that shit.

Fucking hell, man.

[John]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....-room.html

Jennifer Lawrence flips off the media at the Oscars. Why? No one seems to know.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Looks like she's saying, "Fuck y'all, I have a fucking Oscar, suck my dick." Which is probably what I would do too.

[John]

She is adorable and probably has one of the three or four best asses in Hollywood.

[SIV]

WTF?

Jennifer Lawrence has the worst 22 year old ass in Hollywood

[Pro Libertate]

It's because they keep publishing photos of the bosom she keeps flashing the world.

[Bobarian]

Why not?

BFYTW!

[SIV]

I hope she is a good actress because I'm not seeing the "totally hot" thing at all. She looks pretty rough for only 22 yo too.

[BakedPenguin]

Seriously? From the guy who loves Lindsey Lohan?

[John]

I don't think she looks rough at all. She doesn't have a line on her face.

[Virginian]

She's 22 years old John. 22. Twenty fucking two. Women look their best from 18-25, as a general rule. It's all downhill from there. This is probably as good as she will look in her life.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Same. She's about average looking IMO -- nothing wrong with that, of course.

[Alack]

That is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. *swoon*

[John]

That body.

[SIV]

Jennifer Lawrence'sflat ass. Half the 22 yo chicks at Southern state universities have better looking asses than that.

[General Butt Naked]

Ain't nuthin' worse than a flat ass...

My buddy used to call it "old man ass"...

Which ruins everything else.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Amen, brother.

[Art Vandelay]

My wife's ass, after 43 years and two kids, looks better than that.

[Killazontherun]

Took a few minutes trying to place her. Oh, yeah. X-Men: First Class. Freakin' cute as a button in that roll.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

... in that roll.

You could just "eat her up"?

[SugarFree]

Damn you, Joker! Tell me where the bombs are!"

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The 22-year-old kept journalists in hysterics with the vulgar gesture, explaining: 'I'm sorry. I did a shot before I... sorry.'

Jesus, this is the best excuse she can come up with? If you're going to go with a vulgar gesture, at least flash your tits or cooter like the other Hollywood hos.

And Jenny, babe--if you're going to flip off journalists, save it for ones who truly deserve it like the White House press corps.

[Brandon]

Am I the only one who didn't read past "flashes" in the URL? Disappointing.

[Paul.]

"Why are you lobbying yourself?" is something you could ask the government of Michigan.

I believe that's far more common than you think. I believe Washington has done this all the time.

[BakedPenguin]

"Why are you lobbying yourself?" is something you could ask the government of Michigan.

Preferably, while using the governor's hand to slap her own face, ala Nelson Muntz.

[BakedPenguin]

Or what Bobarian said above.

[dunkel]

I may as well share this with you lot, since I spend so much time lurking here- I checked myself in to an alcohol detox facility last week. I'm off the booze. I don't even know what my wife did with my craft beer cellar while I was in treatment, and I don't really want to know. This sucks, but I was in danger of fucking my family up. I have an awesome wife and a kick ass 19 month old boy, and they are more important. It took a long time to get to this point, and life is going to be challenging for a while. But I'm cool with it.

[Rich]

life is going to be challenging for a while. But I'm cool with it.

Life is going to be challenging for the rest of your life. Remember how things were.

[db]

If it's not too personal, how much booze was too much?

I wish you the best in your recovery.

[robc]

Good luck.

You should consider changing your "name" here.

[Suthenboy]

*eyes vodka level in glass* Hmmmmm.

Good luck dunkel. Stick with it brother.

[General Butt Naked]

I quit drinking once...

Worst afternoon of my life.

[Suthenboy]

I can honestly say that despite all of my references here to drinking that I dont drink any more.

Of course, I dont drink any less either.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I have a couple of drinks everyday.

And then I have a couple more.

[Enough About Palin]

Me (not that anyone asked)? 3 glasses of wine per day. One for each felony.

[SIV]

Hopefully a glass that would be illegal to sell a Coke in in Blomberg's NYC.

[General Butt Naked]

That reminds me of Mitch Hedburg, "You know... I used to do drugs... I still do... But, I used to... too"

I started drinking vodka too, but had to cut back to beer. Man, my tolerance went through the fucking roof with that shit. Quickly.

I started drinkin Bloody Marys. When I made them I have a little glass that holds 5 shots and 2 ice cubes that I'd measure with. Well, boody marys are a pain in the ass, so I'd just fill my little glass and grab a beer to chase. After a couple of months I could drink 4 or 5 of those glasses a night and a 6 pack of cheap beer. When you kill a fifth and don't get hung over (or drunk) it's time to slow down a bit. Once summer comes I'll be back to my old tricks, though.

[Suthenboy]

Hmmm. Now I dont feel so bad. Same kind of tolerance here, but thinking about cutting back.

[Trespassers W]

In all seriousness, good for you, dunkel the lurker.

[Art Vandelay]

Best of luck, man. My dad was a horrible drunk/pill addict, and it took him a while to finally get sober.

On the plus side, at least you'll probably lose a lot of weight.

[C. Anacreon]

Keep going. One day at a time. You'll make it, believe in yourself.

[A Serious Man]

Professor watches porn during lecture, forgets to turn off projector and ends up showing it on screen to the entire class.

[Pro Libertate]

That's probably common in the Netherlands.

[Enough About Palin]

Thank g-d he doesn't waste time teaching to the test.

[tarran]

This reminds me of an incident during my teaching days: I had just installed skype on my laptop and messed up the privacy settings - allowing just anyone to send me an IM.

In the middle of class, while I was preparing to use my laptop to show a video, up pops an IM with a picture of a naked, bosomy, skanky girl and a bunch of french text presumably telling me how manly and attractive she found me.

If that had popped up ten minutes later, I would have been in serious trouble! 🙂

[Matrix]

What is the Copyright Alert System

[NeonCat]

"Copyrights were picked up on radar over the Arctic Ocean. We've launched Fair Use and Prior Art claims on intercept courses but they are unlikely to keep everything from making it through. It will only be a few minutes before they're here. Tell your families you love them and may God have mercy on our souls."

[Matrix]

Adventurous woman needed to give birth to a Neandertal

Really? Based on the last couple of elections, I figured there were plenty neandertals out there already.

[Matrix]

Another deranged gun owner murders teen

[Suthenboy]

I wonder if I link to a story on FOX if we will get a spittle-flecked rant from one of our resident trolls?

http://video.foxnews.com/v/218.....=obnetwork

[A Serious Man]

What kind of thinker believes in God?

Psychologists who study the origins of religion say belief in God relies on several intuitions, including a teleological bias (the assumption that certain objects or event were designed intentionally) and Cartesian dualism (the belief that mind can exist independently of the body). So to become an atheist one must second-guess these automatic ways of thinking. And recently a number of studies have supported the idea that belief in God is influenced by cognitive style--how much of a second-guesser you are.

[Suthenboy]

Figuring out the whys of atheism seems more interesting to me. I have been a solid atheist since 13 yrs old. Arent we all supposed to be nothing but hormones, emotion, and intuition at that age?

Hmmmm. No wonder I couldnt get along with anyone at that age.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Subjects who'd been asked to write about a situation where intuition had worked well for them or where reflection had backfired indicated a stronger belief in God, compared with subjects who'd written about reflection working well or intuition failing. They'd been induced to put faith in intuition, and the Lord appeared.

Not sure about the logic of that argument -- it could just as well be that atheists' self-identity is consciously motivated by an impression that they are more "sciency" than theists -- or that theists are self-conscious about their metaphysical beliefs. Those are only two of many possible explanations for differing personal self-reflection.

This of course confirms TIT's rule about psychological studies: no matter who you are, you can always find a psychological study that tells you that your dick is bigger than everyone else's.

[tarran]

Gut feeling led fishermen to hidden Wash. crash site where 2 girls huddled near dead mother

As their mother lay dead in the middle of the night, a 4-year-old Oregon girl dragged her seriously injured younger sister from a crashed car and the two huddled under a blanket ? and waited.
With the mangled car stuck deep in the woods, and no skid marks on the highway, the crash site was nearly impossible to detect.

In fact, authorities estimate the sisters were alone in the frigid woods for several hours as many motorists passed it by Wednesday morning.

The girls didn't get help until two commercial fishermen spotted what appeared from a distance to be a basketball-sized gash in an alder tree along State Highway 401 between Astoria, Ore., and Naselle, Wash. Kraai McClure and Scott Beutler travel the two-lane road frequently, and had a gut feeling something was wrong.

That four year old girl is all kinds of awesome, as are the fisherman who decided to turn around and investigate the scene.

[SIV]

Humans are awesome. Particularly that 4y/o girl

[sloopyinca]

The girls didn't get help until two commercial fishermen spotted what appeared from a distance to be a basketball-sized gash in an alder tree along State Highway 401 between Astoria, Ore., and Naselle, Wash.

Why didn't The Goonies find them first? Fucking movies are bullshit.

[Coeus]

Apparently, it's easier to lie to your kids if you don't start out by telling the truth.

[Suthenboy]

Never. Lie. To. Kids.

My first mother in law, a truly awful person, told my son when he was in the first grade that if you pray to jesus and you are a good person jesus will give you a baby. That is where babies come from.

I was pissed. I sat him down and told him the real story straight up. After I finished he sat there quietly for a moment then said ;

Him; "Dad, can I ask a question?"

Me; " Of course you can. What is it?"

Him; "Why do they call them Beavers?"

Slightly shocked Me: " Uh...you heard that in school?"

Him: "Yes"

Me suppressing laughter: " Well son, cuz they are warm and fuzzy and they like to eat wood."

He sat there for a full minute letting that soak in, then it hit him what I had said.

That boy laughed until he couldnt breath. His face was beet red and huge tears streamed down. this went on for seemingly forever. I thought he was going to pass out.

My son trusts me because of that and countless other reasons like it.

[Warty]

they like to eat wood

You know, I had never made that connection. Fuck, I'm dumb.

[Suthenboy]

Ok now I am laughing.

[JW]

This kind of revelation calls for a song.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

So, Ted Cruz is being attacked by various leftists for noticing that there are more admitted Marxists (he say a dozen) in Harvard Law School than there are Republicans.

I'd be shocked if there were only a dozen, myself.

[Pro Libertate]

That seems unlikely. I mean, admitted Marxists? Actual Marxists, sure.

[Virginian]

He went there for law school I think, so he would know.

[Pro Libertate]

I suppose, but it seems a little hyperbolic to me. Then again, if they're admitted Marxists, that should be easy enough to fact-check.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It does seem like it would be easy enough to fact check. Oddly, I haven't seen any leftist dispute it -- merely be annoyed that it's a topic for discussion.

[Pro Libertate]

Accuracy of the claim aside, if it's true or even close to true, that's utterly appalling.

[JW]

You know, they may be on him because he low balled the number.

[Pro Libertate]

I think you're counting admitted Maoists. Big difference.

[JW]

Very true. Two whole letters.

[Pro Libertate]

Of course, people always forget to count the Trotskyites.

[Suthenboy]

"....that's utterly appalling."

Uh....This is news to y'all?

[Pro Libertate]

Admitted Marxists outnumber Republicans? Look, I know academia is fucked up, but this isn't the Liberal Arts college we're talking about. It's the law school. Some ideologues, sure, but this is insane.

I really have trouble accepting it, even at Harvard, but if it's true, it's crazy fucked up.

[Sevo]

Pro Libertate| 2.25.13 @ 6:00PM |#
"Accuracy of the claim aside, if it's true or even close to true, that's utterly appalling."

Wonder how many (*relatively* harmless) Nazis there are.

[Trespassers W]

This weekend, I had a dream that Ted Cruz invited me on the Senate floor while he gave a speech that referenced Ayn Rand and Ron Paul, possibly also Murray Rothbard. It didn't get much applause.

[Suthenboy]

In reality you would have been pelted with eggs and rotten fruit.

[Enough About Palin]

MSNBC's Chuck Todd criticized Monday the new fundraising efforts of President Obama's dark money group, Organizing for Action, calling a scheme for high donors to meet regularly with Obama "the definition of selling access."

Todd was describing the quarterly meetings that will be enjoyed by OFA's $500,000 donors, the New York Times reported over the weekend:

http://freebeacon.com/chuck-to.....looks-bad/

[General Butt Naked]

Obama's dark money group

Do I even need to say it?

[Warty]

Just a guy lifting some weights. No big deal.

[General Butt Naked]

I like the guys on the ends acting like they're gonna do anything other than lose their arms if he drops that thing.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I'm not a weightlifter. Does the bar always bend like that?

[Xenocles]

It does with that much weight on it. I've noticed bars bending with as few as four 45-pound plates (two on each end) on them. (With other people squatting, sadly - I'm not that strong.)

[Generic Stranger]

Only if there's a shitload of weight on it.

[Warty]

Under 905 pounds, most definitely. The bars I use start to sag noticeably around 450 pounds and up.

[widget]

Mozilla is introducing a new cookie policy for Firefox that'll prevent websites you don't visit from tracking you.

Firefox is too damned slow. Aside from buying Bitcoins or buying heroin on Silk Road through a fully torrented bootstap, I'm not sure what it's good for.

I think its a good idea to stock up on Bitcoins and heroin, btw. It's the beta alternative to gold and ammunition. But you have to get your ducks in a row for this to work. If you want Bitcoins, you have to buy them with one of those rechargable credit cards from a store. You buy the card with cash, duh. Lie with reckless abandon on the profile screen when you authenticate the credit card. You're looking at this screen with Firefox (no other browser works here) on a torrented OS.

If you want heroin you'll have to rent a private mailbox with a fake ID. You can get a fake ID from Hong Kong via Silk Road - good enough to get the mailbox. Silk Road is a potential honey pot for government agents. You don't want be a junky eager for a fix. Just check it out once a month or so. There's some risk in this.

[SIV]

The last time I was in a post office they had posters with a "snitch line" to turn people dealing drugs through the mail.

[widget]

Not the post office. Oh for heaven's sake. Rent a commercial private mailbox. These businesses are all over place. I suggest picking one in predominately chinese or filipino area, with owner as such. The owner will understand english but forget how to speak it at first hint of trouble.

[Killazontherun]

What's it good for? Plug-ins are damn easy to write for it, 'sides that, nothin'.

[Coeus]

you have to buy them with one of those rechargable credit cards from a store. You buy the card with cash, duh

Manboobs got a law passed where you have to call in with personal info to activate it now. Doesn't matter if you use cash.

[widget]

Did Senator Manboobs prohibit the purchase of a 7-11 cell phone? What about lying, is that illegal now too? So what if it is.

[Coeus]

Did Senator Manboobs prohibit the purchase of a 7-11 cell phone?

I believe that he did that as well. I know when I got a new card, they used credit check info to determine who I was. I would assume that phones done with cash are processed the same way.

[widget]

I know when I got a new card, they used credit check info to determine who I was.

Who are 'they', Coeus. The 7-11 clerks?

[Trespassers W]

Pro-gun control "volunteers" are reportedly being paid an hourly wage to "volunteer" in Chicago.

Talk about sending coals to Newcastle though...

[Coeus]

Fark felates the FDA.

[Paul.]

Hmm, apparently the Farksters are merely claiming that the law is a good one, because it says that if you claim your product has "medicinal value", your product must be approved by the FDA. Nothing to see here, just Eevul Kochporations trying to scare us into hating this law.

Make a sentence with the following words.

FDA MARIJUANA PREPARE MEDICAL GET TO BY JAMMED THE

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Just a day

[SugarFree]

I love the lemur who's just in it for the ride and the dog that's all like "You bitches be crazy, I'm out."

[Archduke Pantsfan]

John Kerry has suffered his first gaffe as the new US secretary of state, inventing the nation of 'Kyrzakhstan'

[db]

Yeah, earlier I feared that Dr. Groovus had become lost trying to vacation there.

[Sevo]

He mis-spoke. It's Trashcanistan.

[Mechafenris]

It's the facelift and botox... I'm surprised he can say anything with an "r" in it...

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Why is it called Badminton? It should be called Goodminton!

[Coeus]

Russian roulette: You're doing it wrong.

Samuel Castanier, 34, was sentenced to 7 to 22? years in prison after pleading guilty last month to manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Sept. 19 shooting death of Nicholas Ullrich, 34, of Battle Creek.

Investigators said the men often played a game of loading a revolver with one slug, spinning the cylinder and then pointing it at another player before pulling the trigger.

[Pro Libertate]

That's like extra Russian. See, the winner gets to go away for a crime, and the loser dies. So everyone suffers.

[Matrix]

This should be encouraged, though... especially among those who have not had children yet. This might thin out the herd a bit.

But definitely Darwin Award winners.

[Coeus]

Krugman attempts to define austerity:

Words fail me here:

Now, measuring austerity is tricky. You can't just use budget surpluses or deficits, because these are affected by the state of the economy. You can ? and I often have ? use "cyclically adjusted" budget balances, which are supposed to take account of this effect. This is better; however, these numbers depend on estimates of potential output, which themselves seem to be affected by business cycle developments.

So the best measure, arguably, would look directly at policy changes. And it turns out that the IMF Fiscal Monitor provides us with those estimates, as a share of potential GDP, for selected countries from 2009 to 2012

[Irish]

Jesus Christ. Austerity doesn't mean cutting spending. It means 'policy changes.' This is your brain on liberalism.

[Brandon]

Krugman seems surprised that people actually questioned his graph that measured "austerities." I guess he would be, though. I guess his editor wouldn't let him publish "I HAVE A NOBEL PRIZE!!!!!!!!!"

[Sevo]

You know who else has a Nobel Prize...

[Brandon]

Obama?

[Suthenboy]

I read through that 3x trying to find something resembling a definition for austerity, or something related to austerity.

[Alack]

There's some validity to looking at governmental spending as a percentage of long-run potential GDP (compared to just as a raw percentage of real GDP), since that should help account for how much we "should" be spending in terms of normal historical levels, especially if your economic models show that growth is led by (not merely concurrent with) certain levels of spending by the government. But this will have an enormous built-in bias showing the negative effects of austerity so-defined, as spending as a percentage of potential-GDP will almost invariably be lower in periods of sclerotic growth thanks to decreased revenues and, in the case of a global slow-down, decreased availability of intergovernmental loans; increased debt is an option, but people are understandably wary of options like that when there is no apparent rebound growth. The longer the sclerotic growth continues, the less valid the PGDP numbers are; 14 quarters of slow-growth probably isn't enough to adjust PGDP, but it does seem to point to some real and persistent problems that are miring the recovery.

[General Butt Naked]

This is better; however, these numbers depend on estimates of potential output, which themselves seem to be affected by business cycle developments.

Is this fancy economist language for "if we cut shit and things get better, we don't count that as austerity"?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Top High School Basketball Player in The US is Canadian

[Pro Libertate]

So? It's a Canadian sport, isn't it?

[Death Rock and Skull]

"Department of Defense Worried about Drone Pilots Getting PTSD"

THAT WAS A DOG.

[Sevo]

Death Rock and Skull| 2.25.13 @ 6:34PM |#
"Department of Defense Worried about Drone Pilots Getting PTSD"

As I recall, pilots in earlier wars were concerned about GETTING SHOT DOWN BY THE ENEMY, YOU PUSSIES!

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Know Your Beards!

[Brandon]

Is one of them Gisele Bundchen?

[db]

Fuck, I thought this was all about beards in the Gisele sense. I was totally disappointed.

[jesse.in.mb]

6/10

[Mechafenris]

8/10 (I guess I know my old people faces...)

[Matrix]

Missed 2. The Paul Rudd one, which was actually my first guess before I made the wrong choice. Then I missed the last one because I didn't know most of the guys.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

The Norwegian prison where inmates are treated like people

On Bastoy prison island in Norway, the prisoners, some of whom are murderers and rapists, live in conditions that critics brand 'cushy' and 'luxurious'. Yet it has by far the lowest reoffending rate in Europe

[Archduke Pantsfan]

A reader writes:

I insist my girlfriend wears a celebrity mask when we have sex

[Pro Libertate]

Which celebrity?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I insist that she must wear a mask of one of the female celebrities who really turn me on, such as Billie Piper or Kimberley Walsh

[Heroic Mulatto]

Why can't he just close his eyes and imagine, like the rest of us do?

[db]

Billie Piper, I can see. The problem, my GF requires I wear a bow tie and a fez, so we've got the wrong Doctor/Companion pairing.

[db]

Although I'm certainly not opposed to Karen Gillan. I'm just behind a series or two.

[Rhywun]

I'm just behind a series or two.

You must be, because apparently you haven't heard her talk. Unless you're a masochist. NTTAWWT.

[Suthenboy]

Perhaps his girlfriend should reexamine her criteria for boyfriends.

[Coeus]

Why are gas prices so high? Blame the refinerys.

I will withhold my response, and instead leave you with the following response under the article:

Stephen Schwartz ? 4 hours ago ?
Is it the wrong time to bring up the difficulty of opening a new refinery? Antique refineries are kept alive because of grandfathered exemption to regulation. http://grist.org/news/obama-ok... Maintenance and accidents at an oil refinery are a proximate cause of high gas prices. Government is a very important, ultimate cause of high gas prices.

I'm not against government regulation of oil refineries, but when most all refineries exist only because they are exempt from the regulation, the situation is ridiculous.

At the atlantic, there's still a few left fighting the good fight, it seems.

[The Late P Brooks]

This is better; however, these numbers depend on estimates of potential output, which themselves seem to be affected by business cycle developments.

So the best measure, arguably, would look directly at policy changes. And it turns out that the IMF Fiscal Monitor provides us with those estimates, as a share of potential GDP, for selected countries from 2009 to 2012

So, Krugabe likes made up numbers which validate his assumptions.

"According to my model, my model is correct."

[Alack]

I don't think that he's trying to cherry-pick with this one, honestly. There's nothing inherently wrong with looking at PGDP when determining whether the current fiscal policy is "austere" or not, and he's right that it is a better measure than deficits/debt.

For me, the big problem with the graph is that he's comparing the level of government spending (as it relates to PGDP) to Real GDP growth, when comparing it to non-governmental GDP growth would probably be more informative. After all, if one country boosts its spending as a % of GDP by keeping it in line with long-run pGDP trends, of course the rGDP will be higher than in countries where governmental spending is set in line with GDP? that's practically tautological. But this doesn't answer the question of whether the pGDP-peggers are having larger private economic growth than the rGDP-peggers, which is a more relevant point when discussing the effects of fiscal policy on recovery.

[sloopyinca]

OT (even for the PM Links): these are the dumbest fucking people you will have seen all day. Maybe all week!

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I'm sure their families still love them
*snicker*

[sloopyinca]

By the way, isn't that a honey bear in the cupboard in the first pic? That's not very vegan, is it?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

The article says they cheat on ingredients.

[sloopyinca]

Fucking losers. Can't even do "being useless" right.

[JW]

I no longer have any desire to eat vegetables.

[sloopyinca]

FTA: Despite their strong ethical message, Jess, who was put off meat after watching Babe, said that they do not want to pressure people, and that Veganism is 'one option among many different options.'

What the fuck is wrong with people? He's put off meat after watching a cartoon?

Goddamn fucking limey hippies!

[Alack]

Babe was live-action. You're thinking of Charlotte's Web, although they did a live-action version of that as well.

[Alack]

To which the squirrels would not let me link! Damn rodents...

[sloopyinca]

My mistake then. I take back everything I said about this fucking genius.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

At the time of it's release, I heard people chattering about going vegetarian/vegan after watching "Chicken Run.

I think the film people cite today is Food Inc.

[sloopyinca]

Yes, because companies that are able to boost per acre production to the point of eradicating world hunger ought to be vilified.

Fucking hippies.

[Episiarch]

Babe isn't a cartoon you imbecile.

By the way, did you know that George Miller co-wrote that and produced it and directed the sequel? George Miller as in this George Miller?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

also Happy Feet which was a eco terror plot

[Episiarch]

Don't forget Lorenzo's Oil.

[sloopyinca]

He deserves my scorn for Witches Of Eastwick although he redeemed himself with Billy Zane in Dead Calm.

[Episiarch]

He only produced Dead Calm you imbecile. And WoE has its moments; the cherry vomiting scene was some good fun. Reminded me of every Friday night of my life.

[sloopyinca]

You call me an imbecile seven or eight more times and I'm gonna get pissed.

And I always suspected you were a Cher fan. Thanks for confirming it, dumbass.

[Episiarch]

You should have figured that out when I told you my favorite movie was Moonstruck you imbecile.

They're supposedly making a fourth Mad Max. I'm not optimistic.

[sloopyinca]

They've been on the project for a few years so maybe it won't suck too bad.

And it won't even have Mel Gibson it it, so they've gone with Mad Max: Fury Road instead of Mad Max: The Jewish Menace. Bummer.

[JW]

"Lets call it a night, dear."

[sloopyinca]

Also, when we get Monocle Foods ? off the ground, these type of photos will not be on our website.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

right!

wait

what types of photos will be on the website?

[jesse.in.mb]

Clearly it'll be Dickensian orphans who are so hungry they'll just chug the noblesse oblige mayo they're handed by their capitalist betters.

[sloopyinca]

Yeah, "mayo". That's the ticket.

By the way, we're finding that the regulatory structure in place isn't going to be as bad as we thought since we're going to use a restaurant's kitchen.

Now, we just have to master our first few recipes and find a reasonably cheap supplier of jars and it's off to the Farmers Market in a few weeks. We hope to get our business license soon and then we can open up our online marketplace. We're thinking up to full speed in less than 60 days.

[Agammamon]

Its funny - in the group picture the most attractive woman is the one that still has clothes on.

[General Butt Naked]

what types of photos will be on the website?

Attractive naked people.

[sloopyinca]

Well, maybe. We were thinking of contracting hot nubiles (think: snorg t's) to hawk our wares online.