A.M. Links: Hagel Confirmed, ISAF Admits to Data-Entry Error, Federal Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced by Bipartisan Group of Representatives

Credit: Lauren Victoria Burke/flickr

• The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense yesterday by a vote of 58-41.

• Italian politicians are trying to put a government together. The recent election left the left-leaning bloc in control of the lower house but without control of the Senate. Markets did not react well to the election results, and a new election could be called if politicians are not able to form a governing coalition. 

• Senior Obama administration officials do not think that automatic spending cuts can be avoided. 

• ISAF accepts that their claim that violence committed by the Taliban in 2012 dropped 7 percent is incorrect, saying that a data-entry error is to blame. In fact, there was not any significant drop in "enemy-initiated attacks" in Afghanistan in 2012. 

• A medical marijuana bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The States' Medical Marijuana Patients Protection Act would allow patients and dispensary owners to use and sell medical marijuana without interference from the feds. 

• Three people are reportedly dead after a shooting at a wood processing plant in Switzerland. 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Italian politicians are trying to put a government together.

Where is Il Duce when you need him?

[Rich]

His train is running late.

[invisible furry hand]

fronting Pere Ubu

[Way Of The Crane]

Where is Il Duce when you need him?

Apparently, he's here.

[invisible furry hand]

Cafe owner asks mother to call off mob after breastfeeding backlash

more

[WTF]

How dare a private business seek to maintain an atmosphere that they want inside their place of business!

[Rasilio]

How dare private individuals band together to express their opinion

[WTF]

Did I say they had no right to do so? I just think I'm also allowed to criticize the mob for their stupidity and sense of entitlement.

[Rasilio]

Indeed you are, as I am entitled to criticize you for thinking their opinions are stupid and as long as none of us attempts to resolve our opinions by use of force we can all happily go along thinking of each other as idiots.

That said if you have a problem with a woman breastfeeding in public you are a moron.

[WTF]

Who said I have a problem with it? It's the business owner who has a problem with it in their business. If you have a problem with a business owner making rules of conduct for their place of business, you are a moron.

[mr simple]

If you think a business owner can't decide who gets to patronize their place of business or set their own rules as to what activities can occur on their property, then you are a moron.

[mad libertarian guy]

You mean like smoking?

Yeah he must be a moron to think that business owners can set their own rules regarding that in many states/localities.

[Rasilio]

Did I ever say or imply I disagreed with a property owner having the ability to determe how, when, or by whom their property may be used?

No I did not.

The store owner may set any rules they wish, and I as a customer must abide by them if I wish to use their store.

However this does not prevent me from commenting on the specific rules they happen to implement, nor does it prevent me from boycotting the store over those rules if I disagree with them nor does it prevent me from joining with likeminded people to publicly protest against those rules.

The store owner is then perfectly free to ignore us if he/she wishes, they are also free to realize that their decision was so unpopular that maintaining it is a mistake and change their decision.

This in no way shape or form impairs their general ability to set the rules for the use of their property, it just means that actions have consequences and they don't get to make those decisions in a vacuum.

It also means that it is completely logically consistant for me to believe that a Store owner can set any rules they like but that if they say Mothers cannot breastfeed in their store that it is a dumb rule and they are morons for having it.

That said I do agree that rules compelling stores to accomidate Breastfeeding should not exist in a free society.

[Kreel Sarloo]

Ash Houghton, the owner of Newtown's Satellite cafe, said she had received threats, including calls for the business's windows to be smashed and hopes that it burns down.

When they're threatening violence and vandalism, they're going beyond "express[ing] their opinion".

[mad libertarian guy]

When they're threatening violence and vandalism, they're going beyond "express[ing] their opinion".

No they aren't. They aren't going beyond expressing their opinion until they get past their advocacy of violence and engage in it.

[Francisco d Anconia]

What a bunch of boobs.

[Ted S.]

What's with the Aussies' strange use of the word "vilify"?

[Brett L]

If anyone needs a volunteer to give the tit to during a similar protest in FL...

[Ted S.]

If you want to show off your moobs during a similar protest, go for it.

[Brett L]

Let me clarify. I'd rather suckle at a young mother's. Sorry.

[invisible furry hand]

I knew what you meant. Clearly you're looking for a mother substitute ever since your mother dumped you for a son substitute. How's the dressing yourself thing going?

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I thought Brett let his girlfriends dress him.

[Brett L]

That was until I found out about her Top Gun fetish. Now I pick a random hipster about my size and offer them vintage typewriters bought from Goodwill for $2 for their outfit. These skinny jeans don't fit me so well since I started doing squats.

[Brett L]

ever since your mother dumped you for a son substitute

I wouldn't call that ventriloquist's dummy a son substitute. It's just her new hobby.

[Way Of The Crane]

*puts his hand down*

[Enough About Palin]

Lesbians gotta rail.

[mr simple]

So, just like everywhere else, Australians have no idea what the word "right" means.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Senior Obama administration officials do not think that automatic spending cuts can be avoided.

Now comes the task of crafting a reason why a) the cuts didn't result in dick or b) your dog dying is because of the cuts.

[Bee Tagger]

Are you calling my dog a cutter?

[Drax the Destroyer]

If somehow Police Enforcers lose their jobs over this...my dog might have a reduced risk of death.

[DJF]

Sequestration turned me into a newt. Burn the witch!!!!!

[Francisco d Anconia]

You'll get better.

[Ted S.]

What cuts?

[LTC(ret) John]

"devastating slight increase"

[BakedPenguin]

Any downturn in the economy, even if obviously caused by Europe, will be caused by the sequester.

[Ted S.]

It's all BOOOOOOOOOOSH'S fault.

[Fatty Bolger]

Considering there are no actual spending cuts, they seem to have avoided them just fine.

[Bee Tagger]

The States' Medical Marijuana Patients Protection Act would allow patients and dispensary owners to use and sell medical marijuana without interference from the feds.

It's good that it requires interference from the Feds to ensure no further interference from the Feds.

[Zeb]

The Feds interfering with themselves is OK with me.

[Ptah-Hotep]

They could cut the funds for the DEA, that would reduce interference.

[Francisco d Anconia]

No, no, no...nothing to cut here.

[Virginian]

I thought the point of asset forfeiture was to let the War on Drugs pay for itself?

[deified]

You know they'd transfer people from the "detecting exploding meth labs" department over to the "grandma's cigarettes smell funny; let's git her" department.

Civics 101

[Matrix]

Teen Girl is smarter than most gun grabbers

[Rich]

Father charged with child abuse in 3, 2, 1, ....

[Rasilio]

Overall not bad, I'd give her a B-, Could have been an A but there are several critical assertions which she is correct on but fails to support with either logic or references

[Matrix]

Gun Safety classes for elementary school children in Missouri?

[Way Of The Crane]

It would also require teachers to perform a simulated intruder drill put on by local law enforcement.

Nothing like state sponsored PTSD for kids.

[Virginian]

I had my first NRA safety class in 3rd Grade. Eddie Eagle says "Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult." I'm guessing that's the class they're going to have.

Anyone who objects to Eddie Eagle in public schools is not in favor of gun safety. It is a totally focused, unbiased program. It simply tells children if they find a gun to leave it there and go tell an adult.

[Rich]

"But it's the fucking *NRA*!!"

[NeonCat]

How DARE the NRA try to keep children from dying! How will we ever get common sense gun control in this country without a pile of tiny corpses for politicians to stand on?

[deified]

I see what you did there.

[slow clap]

[Fist of Etiquette]

The States' Medical Marijuana Patients Protection Act would allow patients and dispensary owners to use and sell medical marijuana without interference from the feds.

Something else for the DEA to ignore.

[Brett L]

BG fans blame Cylons for confusing headline: Why Are Teen Pregnancy Rates So Low in North Dakota? Fracking.

[Bee Tagger]

Seventy-five percent of North Dakotans live in counties with no abortion provider.

Abortions prevent pregnancies?

[Zeb]

No, but they do reduce pregnancy rates.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Not sure how they count that, but if you are pregnant, the deed is done. Abortion should only be reducing BIRTH rates.

[Zeb]

It depends on how they calculate pregnancy rates. If it is just based on the number of women who are pregnant at any given time, then abortion would lower the rate. If it is based on the number who become pregnant in a given time, then it would not.

[Bee Tagger]

Good point, didn't think about abortions reducing the total overall months women spend pregnant.

[Bobarian]

If it is based on the number who become pregnant in a given time, then it...

could even cause the pregnancy rate to climb. What's to prevent a woman from aborting 6-12 fetii per year?

[Zeb]

The fact that it costs money and is really unpleasant provides a good incentive against that, but I suppose it is possible.

[Bee Tagger]

Is it because abortion providers also typically provide pregnancy-preventing tools? Or is there some counter-intuitive link between access to abortions and reduced pregnancy? I say counter-intuitive just because it would seem that reducing some of the consequences of an act would not result in less of the act.

[Rasilio]

Even if there was it is not like there is a security checkpoint at the county line where they will run a pregnancy test and refuse your right to leave if you are pregnant

[invisible furry hand]

not yet

[Drax the Destroyer]

Of course, even though jobs are created, it's due to evil fracking. Those red state neanderthals don't deserve lower teen pregnancy rates unless they turn into "progressive" enclaves.

I fucking hate slate.

[wareagle]

talk about wanting it both ways: the Administration leeches onto ND when wanting to talk about how much more oil is being produced domestically on its watch, and then the proggies want to lecture on the alleged evils of fracking. Cognitive dissonance rules.

[Ptah-Hotep]

the Administration leeches onto ND when wanting to talk about how much more oil is being produced domestically on its watch,

What they forget to tell people is that the vast majority of that oil is coming from Indian lands, not federal. So not a whole lot he can do to stop it.

[wareagle]

What they forget to tell people is that the vast majority of that oil is coming from Indian lands, not federal
-------

citation please. There is no forgetting; it is purposely leaving out information that would nullify the narrative.

[Ptah-Hotep]

I should have added the "conveniently" to the front of forgot. They know damn well the oil is Indian but there is no way in hell they will let that fact out.

[wareagle]

yup...unfortunately, the electorate is full of morons unwilling to do anything more than cheerlead the talking points of the day.

[Virginian]

Hell, this is new information to me, and it explains a lot. I thought he was just quietly leasing the land while loudly decrying the environmental damage.

[Ptah-Hotep]

Here is some info that just might surprise you then:

http://www.minotdailynews.com/.....l?nav=5010

[Brett L]

But the new numbers (culled from 2008 and 2010 data) also present a puzzle for politicians. Teen pregnancy rates remain highest in New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Arkansas, and Arizona. They're lowest in progressive enclaves like New Hampshire, Vermont, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and in one lone red state?North Dakota.

Hmm. What else do NH, VT, MN, MA, and ND have in common?

[Ptah-Hotep]

Hmm. What else do NH, VT, MN, MA, and ND have in common?

Its cold there?

[Drax the Destroyer]

If anything that should up the amount of preggos.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I don't know if you live/have lived anywhere really cold, but in my experience that is a total myth. Taking your clothes off generally does not make you warmer; it doesn't actually "help" until it's (mostly) over.

[Drax the Destroyer]

I am going off the myth that Russians keep warm by fucking constantly (under the 18 layers of covers).

[deified]

Have you looked at the birth rates in Russia?

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

He meant to say fucking and drinking with would explain the low birth rates.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

(under the 18 layers of covers)

Yeah. I just don't think that's how sex, or covers, work. I mean, if you are moving around, you are going to let cold air under with you and shit. IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER WAY PLEASE TELL ME.

[Kaptious Kristen]

In the shower and/or hot tub.

[Brett L]

IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER WAY PLEASE TELL ME.

Fucking space heaters, how do they work? Go to the bedroom, crank two space heaters, initiate foreplay. Turn off heaters on the return trip from the bathroom after sex.

[T]

Live someplace warm?

[deified]

It's a wonder that Minnesotans can replace themselves at all.

[wareagle]

NH is now part of Big Proggie? Damn.

[deified]

I'mma just leave this right here.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

I'm back and I feel really relaxed now.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

oops, left this little wrong in the wrong place.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

"comment" not "wrong", jesus

[Brian D]

NH is a progressive enclave?

[Zeb]

NH has some progressive enclaves, but so far it isn't one despite the invading hordes of Massholes (who seem to say "New Hampshire is great, lets move there and turn it into Mass.). It is hard to say what the trend is electorally as the last two elections have swung significantly from democrat control to republican back to divided, leaning toward democrat. One nice thing about NH is that there is a two year budget cycle and every state wide office is up for reelection every two years.

[Rich]

There are no RACISTs there?

[Ted S.]

Ugly people nobody wants to have sex with?

A disproportionately old population past the age of menopause, since all the young people go off elsewhere to find good jobs?

[Brett L]

If ugly stopped sex, the English would've gone extinct in the 20th century.

[Corneliusm]

Luckily (for the English), ugly attracts other ugly.

The stereotype doesn't lie. I spent a few days in London a few years ago- there are few pretty girls, some plain ones, but the majority is overwhelmingly weird. What's with the goofy teeth and ears? They look like caricatures.

[Drax the Destroyer]

+ 100

[BakedPenguin]

These women are British, Brett.

[Art Vandelay]

Yes, but those are the only attractive women in Britain, BP.

[BakedPenguin]

Keeley Hazel alone still destroys the myth.

[Brett L]

Great, so they have a breeding population of 50 a year?

[Killazontherun]

If I were to go on the streets of Lisbon and photograph several beautiful women it would no more prove that the women of Lisbon are hot than if I were to do the same on the streets of London. But I assure you, what would take hours of searching in London would take less than a minute to accomplish in Lisbon.

[Brett L]

Exactly right Killaz. Just because Playboy can find a hot coed to represent, say, Rutgers, does not mean that the coeds of Rutgers are hot compared to the coeds of the ugliest school in the SEC (Arkanasas?), although their cheerleadsrs are prettier than aTm's.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Hitler?

[NeonCat]

Worse.

[Spoonman.]

So the best way to get good results for the poor is to make it possible for them to get rich?

And they seem to really heavily emphasize North Dakota's whiteness, as if black people respond differently to economic incentives, which has to be bullshit.

[Brett L]

Should be interesting to see if there's a new migration like the early 1900s that takes blacks and hispanics from their more traditional places to new places where the work is. Like ND.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Not to mention the emphasis on the crackers in ND "subtly" implies negatives about said crackers. Like somehow they are magically keeping people of color out and "improving" their results. I'll tell you what keeps people of any color out of ND: It's fucking cold and there is nothing to do. Believe me, I know. It's snowed in MAY once when I was there. Jesus.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Big baby.

[Drax the Destroyer]

It didn't stick though. Having come from CO, I knew what the hell snow was, but I had never seen it come down in May, even during higher elevation camping trips. But I will admit, living in the east has made me the biggest bloody vagina on the planet.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Lived in Monument (Colorado Springs) for a few years and it spritzed flurries on 30 June one year. That's the latest I've ever seen it, with the exception of way up in the mountains.

Course, Monument is at 7000'.

[Rich]

there is nothing to do.

Midnight basketball!

[Virginian]

Because someone told Clinton that joke once and he thought it was a great idea for an anti crime program.

[Way Of The Crane]

And they seem to really heavily emphasize North Dakota's whiteness, as if black people respond differently to economic incentives, which has to be bullshit.

North Dakota has a population of around 700,000 people despite being larger than the state of Florida. So, it's safe to say that the state is lacking a lot of white people too. Maybe ND has such a low number of african americans because most people in general just don't want to live in North Dakota.

[Spoonman.]

Somebody should look at teen birth rates in the Eagle Ford counties of Texas and see if it's a similar story.

[Spoonman.]

Alright, using the listing of counties here (which also advertises furnished duplexes in the middle of goddamn nowhere renting for $3300) and the statistics from here (2012), here's the rates in the Eagle Ford relative to Texas as a whole (Z-score):

Atascosa: .29
Austin: -1.04
Bastrop: -.71
Bee: .47
Brazos: -1.55
Burleson: -.13
Colorado: -.85
DeWitt: -.07
Dimmit: .94
Duval: .97
Fayette: -1.24
Frio: 1.75
Goliad: -.81
Gonzales: 1.73
Grimes: -.04
Karnes: .72
La Salle: 1.12
Lavaca: -.94
Lee: -1.37
Leon: -.24
Live Oak: -.84
Madison: -.21
Maverick: .57
McMullen: NR
Milam: .06
Robertson: .17
Washington: -1.26
Webb: 2.04
Wilson: -1.52
Zavala: 2.23

Webb probably shouldn't count here because Laredo isn't really Eagle Ford and I imagine it has attractive hospitals for a lot of people from Mexico.

[bostonaod]

Teen pregnancy rates remain highest in New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Arkansas, and Arizona. They're lowest in progressive enclaves like New Hampshire, Vermont, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and in one lone red state?North Dakota.

Let's see.. NM, MS, TX, NV, AR and AK.. hot, hot, hot, hot, hot and hot.

NH, VT, MN, MA an ND... cold, cold, cold, cold, and cold.

Clearly this is a case of TEAM COLD vs TEAM HOT

[Matrix]

Trans girl in Colorado wants to use the little girls room

[Ptah-Hotep]

"Coy's school has the opportunity to turn this around and teach Coy's classmates a valuable lesson about friendship, respect and basic fairness."

But not biology. They have a gender-neutral restroom. Use that; oh wait, you can't make a statement that way can you.

[AuH2O]

Ptah-Hotep, what would be the point of living an non-traditional lifestyle if you couldn't at every moment force other people to bend over backwards to accommodate you?

I mean, what, are you just supposed to reject traditional gender ideas because it makes you feel good about yourself? Come now, dumb-dumb- don't be naive.

[Rich]

her passport and state-issued identification recognize her as female.

Serious questions: How are Pat-downs handled by the authorities? Can't this be used to get away with stuff ("Your Honor, I am *obviously* a male")?

[mr simple]

The reason? Coy is transgendered, born with male sex organs but a child who identifies herself as female.

I'm all for acceptance and equality, but what does a first grader know about gender identity? And the parents just happened to name her Coy?

[Matrix]

As Matt Damon would say, this is what happens because we don't pay teachers enough.
Teacher steals from students

[Drax the Destroyer]

What killed me about that episode was that Damon's main gripe is/was emotionally based because his mom is a school-teacher. Come on, Matt, you're a millionaire and your mom probably doesn't want for anything and until you either realize you actually don't give a shit about teachers other than your mom or you throw every penny you have at them, you can go to fucking hell.

[Loki]

Betti and several friends took the video to the principal.

"He said that he'll investigate it and he told us to delete the video but I had already sent it to my dad."

Good thinking sending it to her dad. I'm sure if she had done what the principal asked, nothing else would have happened. Shithead would have just swept it under a rug to avoid the school looking bad. What a fuckhead.

[mr lizard]

I remember a time when recorders were banned in school with stiff penalties. Don't be surprised when they suspend her for something. That principal needs to face obstruction charges. Actually I think he just opened the district up for a lawsuit.

[invisible furry hand]

North Korea releases recommended hairstyles for its people

more

[Way Of The Crane]

But as many Chinese netizens pointed out, North Korea's sexy leader Kim Jong-Un wears none of these hairstyles.

[Brett L]

Illinois bounces lottery payment checks. Hope the teachers, cops, and firefighters aren't depending on the state pension to keep them out of the Alpo diet in retirement.

[LTC(ret) John]

"Lang says the lottery will pay for any bank fees that occurred because of the checks. The lottery also is apologizing by sending free scratch-off tickets to those affected."

Sorry your ticket could not be redeemed for cash - here, have moar tix!

[Brett L]

Yuck. Real life Mickey and Mallory have sex on top of dead bodies.

[Way Of The Crane]

Joshua Miner remembered his teenage girlfriend confiding "years back that she wanted to have sex with a dead guy,"

Maybe she meant she wanted to fuck someone who could stay stiff for hours.

[Ted S.]

Man #1: When I was young, I was a member of the 4H club.

Man #2: When I was young, I joined the Mile High Club, but I couldn't keep going for four hours.

[Rich]

And, if the guy has been dead long enough, it's safe sex without a condom.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense yesterday by a vote of 58-41.

So then we got all the answers on Benghazi we wanted?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Rand Paul voted for Hagel, iirc.

[fish]

Still pining for Ron.... Shreeky? I think it's time you moved on...that's what TEAM BLUE is all about right?!

[Enough About Palin]

Shut the fuck up you fucking Moore-bot. I bet you're a fat fuck just like your idol. Do you wear flannel shirts and a beat-up baseball cap too?

[Randian]

So, will Justin Raimondo and Libertymike be issuing mea culpas for besmirching Rand Paul's reputation yesterday?

Ha ha. JK. Lunatics never apologize.

[wareagle]

what difference does it make?

Okay, too easy.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Why Asian-Americans are abandoning the GOP:

What's more, Asian-American students tend to concentrate in the STEM jobs?sciences, technology, mathematics, and engineering?that are crucial to our economy. Thus, in a sense, Asian-Americans are not just another ethnic group waiting for a politician to march in a parade, eat some exotic food, and then announce a community grant or shill for votes. Rather, they are also a subset of high-tech America, and one thing is clear: high-tech America is not in love with the Republican Party.

In Santa Clara County, California?the heart of Silicon Valley?Obama beat Romney by a 42-point margin. As Nate Silver documented, Obama received approximately $720,000 in contributions from Google employees, while Romney received a paltry $25,000. At Apple, the story was almost the same. Its employees gave more than nine out of every 10 campaign dollars they contributed to the president.

- See more at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/a.....Ar31Q.dpuf

[Jerry on the boat]

All 1 of them?

[wareagle]

Asian culture is largely collective so in that sense, this is not hard to understand. Also, fuck California.

[Brett L]

I think you might want to check your premises. Neither Google nor Apple are representative of any ethnicity. Except maybe Aspie.

[T]

I have a problem with any demographic that combines Indians with Asians. That's just facially absurd.

[KDN]

I agree, but then I notice how thoroughly alike the two cohorts are as motorists (save for how I never see an East Asian driving a cab) and I rethink my objection.

[KDN]

There's a pretty serious ethno-religious component here that needs to be mentioned. Asian Christians vote in proportions similar to the population as a whole. The problem for the GOP is that non-Christians lean heavily to the Dems, and a high proportion of the latest round of Asian immigrants (Pakistanis, Indians, mainland Chinese) typically aren't Christian.

Again, it's the fingertrap of the religious right. To better grow the party the GOP needs to be less overtly Christian. But if the GOP does so, it will assuredly lose more elections in the short term as its base abandons it.

[The Late P Brooks]

NEEDZ MOAR CHRISTFAGGERY

[invisible furry hand]

Photo Gallery: Germany's Naked Snow Sledding Championship

This is posted here because they're wearing helmets. Clearly the heavy hand of state regulation strikes again. It's not being posted because it's very silly and funny. Oh no.

[Way Of The Crane]

Either the writers at Spiegel or the Germans need to learn the difference between naked and topless.

[Brett L]

However, their staff photographer has a first rate eye for boob shots.

[Rich]

Probably NSFW.

I imagine being naked in the snow makes nipple piercing easier to perform.

[db]

You can get serious brush burns on bare skin from sliding over snow. I've skied in shorts before and you have to careful!

[Rich]

"She was standing out in a park with her friends in a neighborhood blocks away from where my kids?grew up, where our house is. She had just taken a chemistry test. And she was caught in the line of fire because some kids had some automatic weapons they didn't need," she said. " I just don't want to keep disappointing our kids in this country. I want them to know that we put them first."

I can't believe ABC censored the First Lady's point about not needing automatic weapons!

[Drax the Destroyer]

Here's a question: What would have been her chances if she wasn't forced to go to some school to take some test?

[Rich]

Gee, guess the effects of sequester aren't *all* bad!

[Night Elf Mohawk]

"And, by 'put them first,' I mean screw them by borrowing against their future to prop up a fiscally and demographically untenable level of government spending. Also, by trying to take away their means of self-defense. And, by trapping them in government schools beholden to the teachers' unions. So, yeah, I put them first on the list of people my ideology fucks over."

[Drax the Destroyer]

With some perspective, I don't think it's surprising that a government's number 1 threat, their true enemy, is children. Every time I hear one of those mendacious fucks say something about "Our Children are our greatest resource..." I can cryptically read between the lines and see that to them, the children are a source of excuses for endless bureaucrats and whole branches of the subsidized medical and legal professions. Once you can get your enemy in chains and poison his mind, you can turn him into a willing servant. Children, to them, are no different than the slaves of Rome.

[BakedPenguin]

No, they mean it when they say children are a resource. The pols are planning on extracting all they can from them.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

And how is this different from libertarians?

[LTC(ret) John]

We get more monocles and top hats out of 'em!

[Dr. Frankenstein]

+1 diamond encrusted cane.

[Slammer]

I vomited. Thanks.

[Slammer]

Thanks ABC, I mean

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

Now I puked. Thanks ABC.

[generic Brand]

I think it was more so to protect her from backlash for being 100% incorrect on the facts. Apologies if I missed the snark in your comment... early, not awake, no coffee, etc.

[Rich]

Oh, I'm sure that was it.

But "she was caught in the line of fire because [emphasis added] some kids had some automatic weapons they didn't need" is no more bizarre than most of the illogic spewed in our "national conversation".

[Way Of The Crane]

The edits made to Robin's interview with the First Lady were made solely for time."

HAHAHAHAHAHA! BULLFUCKINGSHIT!

[LTC(ret) John]

Hurrah! Now we officially have the dumbest, least prepared Secretary of Defense (formerly Secretary of War - truth in labeling) in the history of the Republic. 4 more years, and it will be harder to get me called up out of the Retired Reserve - just as this goof shuffles off.

[wareagle]

can't have a least prepared POTUS without the aid of a least prepared Cabinet.

[Virginian]

Exactly. This whole thing pissed me off because it became about Israel and his personal beliefs. But the fact that the guy is a retard never came up.

[Ptah-Hotep]

But the fact that the guy is a retard never came up.

I think it is a given that most are retards, so it's not an issue.

[Brett L]

But the fact that the guy is a retard never came up.

He was being confirmed by his fellow Senators. It was like being interviewed by the Special Ed class to be elected school president.

[Jerry on the boat]

So anyone think FC Barcelona is done for? End of an era?

[generic Brand]

Messi's career is certainly over. He missed two shots wide of the goal. Time for him to go the way of Barbaro.

[Ted S.]

I'm more worried about Bayern M?nchen being drawn against an Italian side in the quarterfinal.

[wareagle]

how does having a good lead in La Liga and still in the Champions League make for an end?

[Ted S.]

Is their lead up to 17 points yet?

[wareagle]

i think it's a dozen or so.

[Jerry on the boat]

They lost against AC Milan, and against Real yesterday in the Copa del Rey. Their defense has been terrible and they don't have a good striker to partner with Messi. Xavi, Puyol and Villa are nearing retirement as well.

[Jerry on the boat]

Besides, they are on top of the league because the competition dropped points against smaller teams.

[robc]

Besides, they are on top of the league because the competition dropped points against smaller teams.

That is how you win. Dont drop points against lower teams, and split with the teams you are competing with.

[robc]

Besides, all I care about soccer-wise is that Everton is into the QFs of the FA Cup.

Home match vs Wigan in 10 days. Should be heading to Wembley.

[robc]

Also hoping that Chelsea draws Middlesbrough today so that the ManU QF gets delayed and ManU gets a schedule crush with 2 games every week.

[Jerry on the boat]

And City coming back to retain their title, that would be epic.

[Ted S.]

There's also a not unreasonable possibility of zero Spanish sides in the quarterfinals. The first leg saw one home loss; two away losses with no away goals; and one home score draw.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I have no idea who that is or what you are talking about.

Hockey?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Polo?

[invisible furry hand]

oh for heaven's sake, if you just learnt to google you'd know it's Liechtenstein's number one nude Twister team

[Francisco d Anconia]

Whatever it is...it sounds un muriken to me.

But nude Twister sounds like a sport I could support. Do they need boosters?

[Loki]

Three people are reportedly dead after a shooting at a wood processing plant in Switzerland.

Well, what do you expect in a country that requires every household to have a gun in it? Obviously they need to get with the times and ban those deadly assault weapons. /prog-tard

[Rasilio]

"shooting at a wood processing plant "

So that's what they're calling Brothels over there

[Jerry on the boat]

Gem?ss einem Mitarbeiter hatte der T?ter, der als Maschinenf?hrer bei Kronospan arbeitete, seit l?ngerem psychische Probleme. ?Im letzten Jahr hat er sich ver?ndert. Er hat ?fter Selbstgespr?che gef?hrt oder redete mit Leuten, die gar nicht da waren. Oft wechselte er mitten im Gespr?ch v?llig unverhofft das Thema ? man konnte kaum noch mit ihm sprechen?, erz?hlt ein Mitarbeiter gegen?ber der Neuen Luzerner Zeitung. Aggressiv sei der ehemalige Kickboxer nie geworden. ?Er ist als seltsam aufgefallen, aber mit so etwas h?tten wir nie gerechnet?, so der Mitarbeiter weiter.

So a former kickboxer with a history who talks to people at his work who don't exist.

[Loki]

You know who else posted links in German.

[LTC(ret) John]

Germans?

[The Late P Brooks]

Urban Democrats of the World, Unite!

Multiple sources, though, tell FoxNews.com that about eight hours into last week's 12-hour House debate, Biden called Democrats Mark Ferrandino, Mike McLachlan, Tony Exum and Dominick Moreno to solidify support for the measures and to "remind them about the importance of the legislation."

House lawmakers in Colorado, home to two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, narrowly passed a handful of gun control bills last week. The measures are headed to the Senate in early March where they are expected to face an uphill battle, though it's unclear what steps the White House might take this time to solidify support.

Explaining the substance of the Biden call last week, Exum told The Denver Post the vice president "said it would send a strong message to the rest of the country that a western state had passed gun-control bills."

That's right, people. If those radical gun-totin' Wild West Cowboys out there in Colorado want sensible gun control, then YOU SHOULD, TOO.

[T]

Psssh. When they pass more gun control in Texas or Nevada, call me. The progressives have had a strong foothold in Colorado since I can remember. People's Republic of Boulder was a joke when I was in high school.

[sarcasmic]

People's Republic of Boulder was a joke when I was in high school.

Remember when they passed a city ordinance making it a criminal offense to smoke tobacco in a restaurant?
First offense was like a $100 ticket with possible misdemeanor charges for third offense.
Meanwhile marijuana remained a $50 ticket.
So I'd mock the law by smoking joints in bars. Bartenders would usually grab a hit before putting it out.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Before I left CO, I know the locals were complaining about the deluge of Californians flooding in.

[T]

Californians are like a fucking plague. They leave Cali because they fucked it up and then move someplace and demand the same stupid laws that ruined the place they left.

[Corneliusm]

That's why the ebola virus causes bleeding from every orifice. As its host is dying, the virus is attempting to spread elsewhere.

[Virginian]

Oh, I know. Of course here they're called Marylanders. They move from MD to VA and then start voting for Democrats. Terry fucking McAuliffe is running for Governor. Carpetbagging son of a bitch. We used to chase them bastards off.

[Zeb]

NH has a similar problem.

[AuH2O]

Their complete inability to suss out the connection between cause and effect is rather infuriating.

[Virginian]

It truly pisses me off, because I see Colorado's fall into progtardedness and I know VA will go that way sometime in the next 20 years, tops. But it's just like any other state that has a nice climate and borders a blue state: they flee high taxes, high crime, and terrible schools and never think for even a second why those things happen in their beloved progressive utopias.

[jesse.in.mb]

To be fair, you shake the rest of the country and the crazy falls west. Native born Californians are generally pretty reasonable, but the rest of you keep sending us your idiots, hippies and people that think they deserve to be famous.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I lived on the front range in the late 90s. The state had pretty much become uninhabitable.

[AuH2O]

Denver is still my favorite American city, though. Chicago is number 2, despite its horrific laws and management.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Wife lived in Denver for a while and loved it. She's a lot more tolerant than I.

[Loki]

Colorado is quickly turning into a progressive shithole. My blood pressure still goes up when I think back to a couple of weeks ago when I saw a news report on TV about their stupid magazine size limitations they were trying to pass. Some asshole state rep got up there and said "No constitutional right is absolute." What a cocksucker.

Although IIRC the bill they passed limits the magazine to 15 rounds, not 10 like the proggies wanted, and it does face an uphill battle in the state senate, so I guess we haven't quite gone full retard yet, but close. I also suspect that if Gov. Hickenloopie signs it into law the only votes he'll get for re-election will be from the People's Republics of Boulder and Denver.

[John]

Colorado has long had a terrible infestation of progtard stupid.

[Loki]

It's the thin air. Take someone who's already a little on the dumb side and limit their ozygen to the brain and voila: they go from "kind of dumb" to "full prog-tard".

[AuH2O]

I don't think this passes the senate. Unless the Democrats just hate having majorities in both houses and want to hand the Republicans back at least the House.

[Virginian]

Eh, the Democrats will take one for the team. They can always be found jobs in the Party or the bureaucracy. The ones who got elected from more rural areas swearing they were pro 2A will vote for the gun control, and if they get kicked out they'll get a job in the federal government somewhere. Or they'll go on TV concern trolling about how "simple, common sense gun control does not violate the Constitution."

The difference between the Dems and the GOP is that the Dems play to win. They're always willing to make the sacrifice play. The GOP plays a game, the Dems wage war.

[sarcasmic]

ex-LAPD cops want their cases reviewed
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....mpage.html

In 2012, there were 48 Board of Rights hearings and 30 resulted in termination, according to Officer Bruce Borihanh.

I assume they were all fired for squealing.

[Matrix]

in order to avoid another Dorner incident, they'll be hunted down and shot in their homes... and their little dogs too!

[sarcasmic]

Olivia Wilde. Yum.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....ening.html

[Drax the Destroyer]

Thank you for that one, sarc.

[John]

She is a pig. Way too fat. You are not fooling us Sarc.

[sarcasmic]

Just for you.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....wrong.html
Like horse meat?

[Francisco d Anconia]

SJP needs to visit McDonald's a few times a week. She is disgusting.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Are trousers anything like pants?

I think my grandfather used that word.

[Zeb]

Trousers are worn on the outside, pants inside. In Britain anyway.

[gaijin]

is it just me? heels look stupid with pants.

[sarcasmic]

John wants the one in the middle.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....shoot.html

[sarcasmic]

Woman jailed for false accusations of rape.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ead_module
Seriously, other than John, who would want to fuck her anyway?

[Brett L]

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury... Look at this woman? Do you think any man could maintain an erection in her presence?"

[fish]

I'm flaccid in the presence of that.....woman?

[Matrix]

She should go to prison for the same amount of time a rapist would have to go to prison, and she should have to register as a sex offender.

[Virginian]

Why do they keep believing her? Seriously, at this point unless she shows up with witnesses, I'd assume she's lying.

[John]

Because there are lots of people out there who honestly believe a woman would never lie about rape.

[Zeb]

"honestly"

I'd question that part.

[Loki]

OK, let's go over this again:

There's no such thing as false accusations of rape because technically all hetero-normative sex is rape. Even if a women claims that she gave consent it is only because of false consiousness and brain washing by the patriarchical culture in which we live. /jezzie-tard

[The Late P Brooks]

But the fact that the guy is a retard never came up.

"Did you tell President Lincoln I'm an idiot?"

"No. I thought he knew."

[Brett L]

Kennesaw, GA needs some femsplaining on their ugly gun crime statistics.

After the law went into effect in 1982, city leaders say they witnessed a 29% drop in crime. Over the last 30 years, the crime rate has remained low with just four gun-related homicides.

"Our crime rate is generally less than half the national average," added Lt. Graydon.

This is unpossible!

[Matrix]

This is an outlier that has to be ignored... for the chillunz!!

[deified]

Meanwhile, community organizer Barack Obama can't even keep 15-year-old girls from getting shot less than a mile from his house.

Maybe Sarah Palin was right about that whole "community organizer" gig? Nah.

[NeonCat]

I can't tell you the number of times I've driven through Kennesaw and not been shot.

[The Late P Brooks]

The progressives have had a strong foothold in Colorado since I can remember. People's Republic of Boulder was a joke when I was in high school.

That's true, but in the past, they were restricted to shitting in their own nests on the Front Range. Now they have majorities in both houses, and are busily trying to shit all over everybody.

It's obviously past time to retire the old slogan Don't Californicate Colorado! That war has been lost.

[John]

California's economy and quality of life went to shit because of bad luck. It had nothing to do with protard policies. So you can't blame Californians for moving to Colorado and seeing if it will have better luck.

[AuH2O]

No, John, California's economy went to shit because of RACE TO THE BOTTOM initiated by evil right-to-work states like Texas. Therefore, when they move to new places, it is their duty to vote for the same policies because it isn't "fair" that California doesn't have right-to-work but Texas does. They're just making our national economy more compassionate and fair.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

This quote by Robert Heinlein seems appropriate here

Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded ? here and there, now and then ? are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as "bad luck."

[Brett L]

Tell the guys on the losing side to move to Texas and save them from a similar fate. FL seems to be holding right now. Maybe the old people are getting grumpy now that the pain-meds are no longer passed out like candy.

[Corneliusm]

Magpul is flooding Colorado with 30-round PMAGs before the bill goes into effect, as a final "fuck you" to the gun grabbers before they leave the state.

Can't post the link, but it's on their Facebook page.

[Jerry on the boat]

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 1 and Part 2.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Oh for cryin out loud - my co workers are prairie dogging me cause I'm LOLing.

[Killazontherun]

Naomi Watts, she is one loud masturbator. I like that quality in a woman.

[The Late P Brooks]

Tell the guys on the losing side to move to Texas

I don't think that will fly.

"If God had wanted Texans to ski, He would have made bullshit white."

[Brett L]

Nice.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

We just ski on liquid water.

[John]

According to RAND Corp., as late as the 1970s California's public schools still had an "excellent" reputation. Then, in 1975, Brown (in his first stint as California's governor) signed the Rodda Act, giving government unions the power to take money directly out of government employees' paychecks.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/.....le/2522627

Terrible luck the teachers unions took over the schools right before they went to hell.

[John]

http://www.rightwingnews.com/u.....y-winners/

Illinois so broke, it can no longer pay lottery winners.

[Tony]

Do you ever venture into non-rightwing news sources?

[John]

Quick look over there. Be sure to change the subject Tony. It is sock puppet rule number 12 for when dealing with inconvenient facts.

[fish]

Oh the person that makes your mouth move finally woke up....how nice!

[invisible furry hand]

Ikea pulls out - first the balls, now the wiener

[John]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/.....index.html

Massachusetts child welfare authorities worry about nine year old rapper living dream life.

[sarcasmic]

Hilarious video of a pug that cannot run.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/fem.....uTube.html
I thought my pug was retarded. This one takes the cake.

[John]

I have seen that. It is really funny. There is something seriously wrong with that dog.

[The Late P Brooks]

Denver is still my favorite American city, though. Chicago is number 2, despite its horrific laws and management.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?

[John]

Denver is nothing but a cow town. It is not even actually in or right next to the mountains the way Boulder or Colorado Springs are. I don't get the appeal of Denver at all.

[sarcasmic]

I went to cooking school in Denver. Place is a shithole.

[John]

People bitch about Colorado Springs, but I would take Springs over Denver any day. Colorado Springs is right next to the mountains. Anytime you look west, there they are. And the view is just spectacular. It never gets old. I don't care if it is a small city and full of religious folks. It is big enough and has some nice bars and that view. What the hell else do you need?

[sarcasmic]

Can't say much for Colorado Springs. Only visited a couple times. Place was clean anyway.
I lived in Boulder for several years. That place is a fucking police state. That's where I got the DUI on a bicycle after getting hit by a car that ran a red light, and the report said I staggered in front of the car. That's where I witnessed cops beating the shit out of college kids and destroying their property, and was threatened with arrest for the crime of watching. Hate to think of what they would have done to me if I had a video camera. That's where I would routinely be stopped, interrogated, searched, and run for warrants, just for walking down the street.
Fuck Boulder. No view is worth that shit.

[Loki]

I lived in Boulder for several years. That place is a fucking police state.

What? You mean the proggie utopia they've created there has turned out to be a police state? Nooooo, can't be! /sarc

[AuH2O]

The one thing I would say is that C Springs doesn't have anywhere that draws people in the same way that LoDo does. So the social life, especially if you are young and lack established ties in the community, can be pretty checkerboard, because there is really no place that the town congregates. There's Old Colorado City (really fun, really nice), Downtown, Manitou, the stuff over by Powers, the stuff by North Academy, the Broadmore area if you have money, and I am still missing some.

[John]

I wouldn't want to be in my 20s and in the Springs. But now that I am older, it wouldn't bother me. What the hell do I need with a social life? I can't stand most people anyway.

[Loki]

I don't get the appeal of Denver at all.

Since it's not in or right next to the mountains it doesn't get as much snow, typically, as Boulder or Colorado Springs (although we got ~a foot Sunday, first real big snowfall all winter), yet it's still close enough that you can go skiing and it's just a day trip. The southern suburbs haven't gone full prog-tard, yet aren't chocked full of Rick Santorum style Republicans either, like Colorado Spings tends to be.

As for Denver itself, it pretty much sucks. Especially the downtown neighborhoods that have been infested by hipsters. Actually I'd rather live in seedy parts of Aurora or Commerce City than be surrounded by fucking hipsters.

[AuH2O]

I will say that despite the Hipsters, I do like the layout of downtown. It is nice that the baseball stadium, major theaters, and Pepsi Center are all within a few blocks of each other

[Loki]

True, and I don't mind visiting downtown and doing stuff. I just wouldn't really want to live there.

[Kant feel Pietzsche]

East Colfax...

[Stormy Dragon]

Estes Park, CO

[Rasilio]

Not sure if this is still the case but back in the 80's it had both one of the highest Female to Male ratios and one of the largest concentrations of homosexual males of any major American City, along with a legal drinking age of 18 for Light Alcohol beer and wine coolers.

Meaning, if you couldn't get laid in Denver you were hopeless*.

* And yes I was utterly hopeless at that age

[AuH2O]

P Brooks, you and I both went to Colorado College. I simply found Denver preferably to Colorado Springs, and had a lot of chances to get up there and hang out.

[Sevo]

People buy stuff at one price, sell it at a higher price on the interwebz! And they're NOT REGULATED! Slimy politico seizes opportunity!
"Online resellers grab discounts, peddle overseas"
http://www.sfgate.com/technolo.....311137.php

[Loki]

Oh the humanity! It's like, capitalism, or something!

[Matrix]

How dare they try to sell something at a price that people are willing to pay! There needs to be a law!

[Sevo]

The non-vintage whine of the folks offering the discounts is amusing also.

[John]

And the guy who is pissed is the aptly named "Senator Dick"

[Dr. Frankenstein]

The sequester hits France early.

French unemployment rate is at 15 year high.

http://www.france24.com/en/201.....-year-high