A.M. Links: Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll, Markets Fall Amid Cyprus Bailout Plans, Defense Distributed Gets License to Make Guns

Credit:Gage Skidmore / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won the CPAC straw poll. The Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council has said that Jews should be worried by the result.

• Markets have not reacted well to a possible bailout for Cyprus. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund want Cypriots to pay a levy in return for a $13 billion bailout. 

• Defense Distributed, the 3D gun printing project, has been granted a license to manufacture firearms. 

• The D.C. Public Charter School Board is urging charter schools to eliminate their "zero tolerance" policies in order to reduce the number of expulsions and suspensions. 

• An ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that while a majority of Americans are more sympathetic to Israel over Palestine a greater majority want the two parties to sort out the conflict without American interference. 

• Four New York men are set to begin a trial today which will examine the NYPD's controversial "Stop and Frisk" tactic. 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council has said that Jews should be worried by the result.

They wouldn't be happy if the winner was the greatest Jew of all time, whoever that is.

[Counterfly]

Seinfeld?

[Quetzalcoatl]

Clearly Woody Allen.

[Rich]

Jew eat yet?

[Francisco d Anconia]

No Jew?

[invisible furry hand]

you know who else worried Jews...

[Almanian!]

Don Rickles and Milton Berle?

[LTC(ret) John]

Their mothers?

[Restoras]

Ok, I laughed out loud.

[wareagle]

I have lost all sympathy for the Jewish vote. These folks consistently vote in Dems who, by and large, hate Israel but they never see their choices as part of the problem.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Jews vote Dem because the GOP reminds them of NAZIs. Putting down US Jews has never worked for the GOP - US Jews are easily the most educated and industrial of any US ethnic group.

[VG Zaytsev]

Jews vote Dem because the GOP reminds them of NAZIs.

Funny since progressive democrats are little more than Jew-Friendly Nazis.

[Almanian!]

Lacist!

[wareagle]

nazis AND straw men in a single comment. Early front-runner for the Peak Retard award.

[Ted S.]

We'll never reach Peak Retard.

[Francisco d Anconia]

But we'll keep trying.

[Ted S.]

Speak for yourself. :-p

[Palin's Buttplug]

Democrats hate Israel? That is wingnut false talking point #856.

You mean Democrats don't pander to the Christo-Fascist vote every election.

[wareagle]

didn't say dems hate Israel. They do, however, almost always side with the likes of Hamas.

[R C Dean]

Most progs would have a sad if the Jews actually did get pushed into the sea. They would, of course, refuse to see how their consistent support for those doing the pushing had anything to do with it.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Israel IS seizing Palestinian territory. Not that I care very much.

[Audrey the Liberal]

"They do, however, almost always side with the likes of Hamas." Dude, that is so wrong. Democrats suck donkey ball, but I don't think they support Hamas.

[Jordan]

Meanwhile, the non-Nazi party asserts the right to disarm them and kill them without trial.

[Don Mynack]

Eh. The feeling is mutual. Tel Aviv is not in the borders of the United States, and they can determine their own destiny without any assistance or interference from us. I wish them well.

[Audrey the Liberal]

"Jews vote Dem because the GOP reminds them of NAZIs." Your minder at the group home for the developmentally disabled isn't doing you any favors helping you post here. What ever problems the GOP may have (and they are many) antisemitism ISN'T ONE OF THEM!

[sarcasmic]

It's not like they're going to vote for those Jesus-loving Republicans.

[Counterfly]

You know who else loved Jesus...

[Almanian!]

Mexican moms with sons names Jesus.

[sloopyinca]

His brothers, Felipe and Matty?

[Almanian!]

I'll Alou it.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

Ulfilas?

[Audrey the Liberal]

Quite a few Jews vote Republican. They are just as wrong, but in a different way. I have had many vigorous debates with Democrat Jews, I have lost many of them as well. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm quite bad at debating.

[Gene]

Don Rickles of course.

[Almanian!]

JINX!

[robc]

How come they werent worried about him wanting to cut foreign aid to Egypt?

[Pro Libertate]

Jesus, followed by the Shat.

[Being Waterboarded]

I didn't know Rand Paul wanted to bomb Israel...

[Warty]

the greatest Jew of all time, whoever that is.

Alison Brie, you idiot.

[robc]

Obligatory:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/310053

[Audrey the Liberal]

I think she's only half Jewish. You know, Jew-ISH.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Defense Distributed, the 3D gun printing project, has been granted a license to manufacture firearms.

Or did they just 3D print government approval themselves?

[Counterfly]

They did, but they had to download the schematic from Makerbot.

[sarcasmic]

Bears getting high off aviation fuel.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....rrels.html

[Counterfly]

Isn't that what it's for?

[invisible furry hand]

not amyl nitrate?

[jesse.in.mb]

+1

[Rich]

1) Guess I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing aviation fuel.

2) It's a bear market for aviation fuel.

[LTC(ret) John]

"2) It's a bear market for aviation fuel."

I cannot make up mind to applaud or throw things.

[Rich]

Why not both?

[Fatty Bolger]

I admit I laughed.

[Killazontherun]

Mead is a gateway drug.

[sloopyinca]

Speaking of Mead: my mom and dad recently visited and my mom disclosed to Banjos that I was a model for Mead in the 80's and was part of their print advertising for the Trapper Keeper.

[sloopyinca]

I was not amused.

[Butts Wagner]

Whereas Warty is the current model for Trap Her, Keep Her, a special type of taxidermy kit.

[sloopyinca]

"Don't forget: we stand behind it. And remember, I'm not only the Trap Her, Keep Her president. I'm also a client"

/Warty

[invisible furry hand]

Matt Damon, defend this brave public school teacher!

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott yesterday blasted a Bronx principal for playing a gun-wielding gangbanger in a bloody B-movie.

more

[Counterfly]

But he really wants to direct.

[Ted S.]

What a teacher does in his private life, assuming it's not illegal (SLD: I mean things that even libertarians think ought to be illegal like robbery and murder, and not shit like marijuana or porn), should be no business of the Schools Chancellor.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Love how no one actually read the article. The principal is a woman.

[T]

Like we need to RTFA to make snarky comments. Where have you been?

[Ted S.]

"his" covers both sexes. I was making a generic comment, not one on the instant situation.

[sarcasmic]

I hope Bloomburg doesn't read this.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....t-aid.html
He'd see it as a manual for improved policing.

[Counterfly]

That could never happen in the US. Our citizens are guaranteed a trial.

[stoneymonster]

.... by drone.

[sarcasmic]

Homeless dude accused of murdering American woman in Turkey blames paint thinner.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....s-run.html

[Counterfly]

What is this, 1985? Get that man some bath saltz.

[Bardas Phocas]

He should try aviation fuel. I hear good things about it.

[LTC(ret) John]

You forgot to sign that "Sincerely, Russian Vapor Huffing Bears"

[SIV]

Authorities said Sierra, who traveled to Turkey to explore her photography hobby, died after she was struck in the head with a brick....

The 33-year-old had been linked to at least two different men since her trip to Istanbul and it was believed she had sex with a man named 'Taylan K' in a bar restroom the day before she died.

Slut-shaming

[Quetzalcoatl]

Eli Roth is already optioning the rights.

[R C Dean]

explore her photography hobby

Is that what they're calling it these days?

[invisible furry hand]

Your wife interested in photography? Photographs, he asked him knowingly

[Audrey the Liberal]

Despite the unfortunate event detailed in the news story, Turkey still sounds like a nice place for a vacation.

[sarcasmic]

Video of skydivers in wing suits dodging buildings.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....SUITS.html
They'd get arrested if they tried that shit in the land of the free.

[Counterfly]

Hey, you can totally base jump legally here.

Two days a year at one location, if you win one of the lottery positions.

[sarcasmic]

It's true! Obama is the devil!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....Obama.html

[BigT]

I'm offended #Satan

[LTC(ret) John]

I just knew the Devil would have a Twitter account!

[Rich]

LOL

He lobbied for a 666-character limit.

[Counterfly]

The Romney look-a-like was already booked.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The D.C. Public Charter School Board is urging charter schools to eliminate their "zero tolerance" policies in order to reduce the number of expulsions and suspensions.

But those zero tolerance death panels are what keep the schools over performing!

[sarcasmic]

Katy Perry is unrecognizable without the makeup.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....s-gym.html

[SIV]

She looks sorta like Casey Anthony.

[sloopyinca]

Really?

[unzips pants]

[Ted S.]

Does Banjos know about this?

[sloopyinca]

[zips pants back up]

I was just kidding.

[invisible furry hand]

so you weren't trying to play Mozart on your fly?

[Ted S.]

You could have told her you were trying to fuck Michigan.

[sloopyinca]

Ewwwwwwwwwww!

[teenage female Ohioan]

[Almanian!]

I'd hit Casey Anthony, too

[Drax the Destroyer]

I'll be in my bunk.

[Slammer]

What's "RADARTE"? Is that French for retard or somethin'?

[SugarFree]

It's a line by Rodarte, a brand created by two sisters. The funny thing is, Rodarte refuses to make larger sizes in any of their lines. The clothes are so limited in size, the over-weight sisters can't wear any of the clothes they sell.

[Counterfly]

You say that like it's a bad thing?

I mean for them being overweight is, but as a business model, it's not inherently bad.

[SugarFree]

Not bad, just funny.

[robc]

Unrecognizable?

She clearly looks like Katy Perry without makeup.

[Rasilio]

Not sure how unrecognizable she is, the glasses to more to hide her features than the lack of makeup.

That said to the extent that you can see her face she looks a hell of a lot better without the makeup than she does with the overblown barbie doll makeup job she usually gets

[Zeb]

And she isn't smiling, as is usual in more made up situations. But who knows what her face even looks like. That's not the part of Katie Perry that you look at.

[SIV]

More like Rohm Paul,amirite?

[Ted S.]

A cross between Rahm Emmanuel and Rand Paul? No thank you.

[invisible furry hand]

Star Trek Into Darkness - preview screening on Sydney reveals Kirk has an alien threesome

http://www.news.com.au/enterta.....z2NtcIZ4Qn

[Ted S.]

Kirk has an alien threesome

You mean he has sex with an Aussie and a Kiwi?

[Drax the Destroyer]

Hopefully one of those fine alien ladies is a Klingon.

[Counterfly]

MMF or FFM? Or, uh, are these aliens like REALLY alien...

[Rich]

Moties!

[Fist of Etiquette]

A Devil's Threeway? Or, as it's known in space, a Space Devil's Threeway.

[Mickey Rat]

Oh please, it would have to be a Devil's in the Dark Threeway

[Fist of Etiquette]

Take the F out and it's a Space Lincoln Twoway.

[generic Brand]

Don't worry, it's not gay, when it's in a three-way. With a honey in the middle there's some leeway.

The Golden Rule.

[jesse.in.mb]

Huh, that's what my ex always used to say.

[Professional Target]

Surprised? In the last film Uhura prefered a hybrid and Kirk had trouble getting anywhere with his own species.

[Drake]

Wasn't he nailing Uhura's roommate - and using his cock to convince her to help him cheat?

[sloopyinca]

Wait a minute.

There's a new Star Trek movie? But isn't Shatner like really, really old?

[Quetzalcoatl]

He's too busy with his super-successful CBS sitcom anyways.

[Rasilio]

No, what would be really classic is to have him do a cameo as an intestellar travel agent who specializes in finding you the cheapest rates to the stars.

[WTF]

They'll disguise his age with lens flare.

[SKR]

that chick was green so different species.

[mr simple]

Producer Bryan Burk said after an exclusive screening of 40 mintues(sic) of footage in Sydney that he and long-time partner Abrams, creators of TV hits Alias and Lost, wanted to create a Star Trek movie for people who didn't like Star Trek.

Suck it, people who like Star Trek! This movie's not for you.

[JW]

Suck it, people who like Star Trek! This movie's not for you.

That pretty much describes just about any movie today.

[Drake]

Paul Verhoeven created a Starship Troopers movie for people who didn't like Starship Troopers.

[generic Brand]

I like the movie and the book, although I did see the movie first so I maybe that hid the disappointment I would have had if I read the book first.

[Drake]

I saw the movie first and still hated it. Maybe because I was in the infantry and would think we will have more firepower, not less, by the time we deploy offworld.

That and "Don't Fucking Bunch Up"! First day in the field during Boot Camp.

[Restoras]

Well yeah but dispersed infantry is harder to film and the warcries aren't as loud!

[Palin's Buttplug]

Markets have not reacted well to a possible bailout for Cyprus.

Yet Italians and Spaniards did not line up to withdraw funds from their deposit accounts.

[Rich]

You calling Jim Cramer a liar?

[Quetzalcoatl]

What funds.

[BigT]

That speaks to the economic literacy of Italians and Spaniards.

[some guy]

They're probably depending on the fact that Cyprus is a tiny little country and such a move would only be attempted in a tiny little country.

[Drake]

But there is a lot of Russian mob money there. I think we might finally see some politicians killed for wasting money and stealing more.

[Rich]

This.

[Ptah-Hotep]

This

So who do we root for?

[LTC(ret) John]

We root for a tie.

[Restoras]

After quintuple overtime.

[Bobarian]

This sounds like a good plan to fix our own financial issues...

How do we convince mobsters to invest in US Savings Bonds?

[Drake]

Step 1 would probably involve raising the interest rate above 0.

[db]

Stop the ridiculous practice of taxing interest income from U.S Savings Bonds?

[Restoras]

You didn't earn it, db. Didn't. Earn. It.

[sloopyinca]

Probably because they were in the line where the government puts another blue pill in their mouths, and didn't want to lose their place.

[some guy]

It's still a bad move and unlikely to pass Cyprus' Parliament unchanged. Marketplace was reporting this morning that they will likely end up exempting "small" accounts completely instead of hitting them with a 6.5% tax.

[BigT]

It's gonna get ugly.

Banking Chief Calls For 15% Looting of Italians' Savings

[Professional Target]

Under the mattress is giving a good return these days of 0%.

[some guy]

Unless you've had gold under your mattress for a few years. Then you've made out like a bandit.

[Professional Target]

Unless you've had gold under your mattress for a few years.

Or ammo.

[Way Of The Crane]

Under the mattress is giving a good return these days of 0%.

Is that counting for inflation?

[Professional Target]

Savings accounts aren't subject to inflation?

[Restoras]

Hey that's better than US Treasuries.

[JW]

Under the mattress is giving a good return these days of 0%.

Hey! Just like my bank!

[some guy]

The truly sad thing is that there are plenty of defined benefits these governments could cut (pensions and entitlements) to save this money. But instead they are being asked to steal it from private accounts. It is the exact opposite of what they should be doing if they want to grow their way out of this problem. (Yes, I realize they don't want to grow their way out of this problem.)

[Jerry on the boat]

I believe private pensions got raided in Hungary. Which just goes to show you can't trust governments in any way or form.

[neoteny]

The case was considerably more involved than simply the govt. raiding private pensions.

Still, the govt.'s involvement in everybody's pensions is an obvious source of problems.

[R C Dean]

Yet Italians and Spaniards did not line up to withdraw funds from their deposit accounts.

What, over the weekend, when the banks are closed?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Today.

[sloopyinca]

Do you just jump in the swimming pool, shrike, or do you dip your toe in to see how cold it is first?

[R C Dean]

shriek doesn't swim.

Its too much like bathing.

[Eric Hanneken]

Today is a bank holiday in Cyprus. It's the beginning of Orthodox Lent.

[Eric Hanneken]

Oh, you probably meant that Italians and Spaniards didn't line up to withdraw funds from their Italian and Spanish banks today. Never mind.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Four New York men are set to begin a trial today which will examine the NYPD's controversial "Stop and Frisk" tactic.

Big Apple minorities keep voting Republican and "Stop and Frisk" is what you get.

[LTC(ret) John]

That is typical of the many GOP city machines - someday one of these urban areas will vote for the Donks and liberty will be restored!

[Emmerson Biggins]

They arrested 4 cops? Nice.

[SugarFree]

The Thin Black and Blue Line: 40% of Police families experience domestic abuse, compared to the national average of 10%.

Violent Police Officers Receive "Exceedingly Light Discipline"

The reality is that even officers who are found guilty of domestic violence are unlikely to be fired, arrested, or referred for prosecution, raising concern that those who are tasked with enforcing the law cannot effectively police themselves.5, 6, 7 For example:

In 1998-1999, 23 domestic violence complaints were filed against Boston police employees, but none resulted in criminal prosecution.6

The San Diego City Attorney typically prosecutes 92% of the domestic violence cases that are referred, but only 42% of the cases involving a police officer as the perpetrator are prosecuted.11

Between 1990 and 1997, the Los Angles Police Department investigated 227 cases of alleged domestic violence by officers, of which 91 were sustained. Of these 91 allegations that were sustained by the department, only 4 resulted in a criminal conviction. That means that the LAPD itself determined in 91 cases that an officer had committed domestic violence, but only 4 were convicted on a criminal charge. Moreover, of these 4 officers who were convicted on a criminal charge of domestic violence, one was suspended for only 15 days and another had his conviction expunged.12

No double standard here, move along.

[SIV]

The Thin Black and Blue Line: 40% of Police families experience domestic abuse, compared to the national average of 10%.

Wow That's higher than lesbians.

[DJF]

Just imagine the percent for lesbian cops!

[LTC(ret) John]

105%.

[Almanian!]

You monster

[sarcasmic]

You mean people who are accustomed to using violence without consequence at work use violence without consequence at home?

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

[Quetzalcoatl]

As said in the excellent pilot for The Americans (which I watched last night), "It was a... perk."

[robc]

Ive been enjoying the show, but I wish the regular episodes played with music the way the pilot did.

Im guessing that is hard though and so they did it to get the pilot approved, but I would love for that to be semi-regular.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I liked the soundtrack in the pilot, very effective. I'm disappointed to hear that doesn't continue.

[robc]

Its my biggest disappointment with the show. They are doing everything else well.

The Reagan getting shot/Haig coup episode is great.

[Zeb]

How can one be found guilty without being referred for prosecution?

[Quetzalcoatl]

Internal Affairs is acting as Judge Judy and Executioner.

[Tonio]

I see what you did there, Feathered Serpent. Bravo.

[sloopyinca]

Union contracts often have a separate justice system set up for police officers. Evidentiary procedures are different. Investigations are done differently, with officers not allowed to lie to the accused to try and trip them up. And all hearings are formal with counsel present (meaning no "I just stopped by your house at 6 pm with my cruiser to shame you in front of your neighbors" police drop-ins meant to intimidate civilians).

It's what has in the past been referred to as a "separate but equal" justice system.

[Jordan]

But these are the only people trustworthy enough to own guns!

[Rich]

vigilantes beat ... and then hung them by their feet while some in a watching crowd chanted "kill them!" Both men died, security officials said. The killings come a week after the attorney general's office encouraged civilians to arrest lawbreakers

You thought "Fast and Furious" was bad?

[Counterfly]

What, now everyone can participate in the judicial process.

[sloopyinca]

Time to get your brackets filled out and ready to take on the brain trust that is the Reason Hit & Run commentariat.

That's right people. Here comes the Third Annual (and slightly renamed) Reason Hit & Run Superdrone College Basketball Bracket Pick-Em.

And while the tourney will not be capped off this year by the royal libertarian wedding in Vegas, it will be filled with fabulous prizes.

Well, actually no prizes, but it will be fun goddammit! So get your act together and throw your hat in the ring. Because this will be your last chance at fantasy sports on reason until football season, which is still about 5 months away.

[SugarFree]

No don't care. I don't care about anything! [sob]

[invisible furry hand]

awww, what's the matter sugarpie? Somebody draw something rude on your Justin Bieber poster?

[SugarFree]

UK didn't get into the NCAA tournament. Because they sucked.

[Counterfly]

Hey, at least you can root for your SEC buddies Florida now.

To blow a 14 lead in the Elite Eight again.

[Pro Libertate]

Or win two titles in a row.

[Counterfly]

But that was back when we had Tebow. And Joaquim Noah.

[Pro Libertate]

The Tebow aura. They should hire him as AD.

[sloopyinca]

The Hilltoppers are alive, asshole.

[SugarFree]

Their horrifying mascot keeps them going.

[robc]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tum.....o1_500.jpg

He must feed.

[SugarFree]

Awesome. NOM NOM NOM

[Restoras]

Is that Terrence or Phillip?

[robc]

They are facing Kansas in round 1, so not really. Yeah, yeah, not fully dead yet, but they are already mostly dead.

Im not sure Miracle Max could save them at this point.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Yeah, well, join the club. Neither did American. 😛

[robc]

With neither GT nor UK in, Im struggling to find a rooting interest.

I could get behind WKU, but they wont be in for long.

I guess I can cheer for my grad school, so GO BADGERS!

[SugarFree]

At this point I'm really just hoping Duke loses in the first round again. Then explodes.

[robc]

Nothing unites UK and UofL fans like Duke losing.

[sloopyinca]

We all are. Unfortunately, I bet this is the year Duke wins it all. The field is full of flawed teams and Duke is finally healthy. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they were happy to have lost so early in the ACC Tourney for the extra few days of rest. Coack Krzyzjlkasdkyskyhsysshi is a shrewd operator. He won't royally fuck up two years in a row.

[Virginian]

So VCU looks like they're heading for a date with Michigan if they can win the first game. Richmond shall ring with the most sacred of oaths:

FUCK MICHIGAN!

[Almanian!]

Michigan can fuck itself quite well, thank you very much.

[sloopyinca]

It used to ring (loudly) with that every Saturday in he fall from Breakers on Broad Street (far West End). I guess that location closed after they opened their south side location.

That makes me sad.

[BigT]

Will the scoring system be improved? Having the same aggregate points for each round puts too much emphasis on the final four and severely penalizes anyone taking any underdogs.

[sloopyinca]

I always go with the 1-2-3-4-5-6 scoring system. People that use the 1-2-4-8-16-32 system are assholes.

[robc]

Picking the winner is the ultimate goal.

Im a fan of 1-2-4-8-16-32, but Ive never denied being an asshole either.

However, any system that doesnt award points for round 0 is flawed.

Back when there was just the single play-in game, I would make it the first tiebreaker.

[sloopyinca]

It makes it so tough to get groups set up and brackets turned in, though. I mean, those fucking games start tomorrow, which means there are less that 48 hours from them releasing the brackets until they have to be filled in.

[robc]

It takes like 10 minutes to do a bracket.

When I used to run one at work, everyone ignored me and just skipped the play-in tiebreaker and turned them in on Thursday morning.

[Kaptious Kristen]

I bought lottery tix yesterday, so I might as well make a bracket too.

[Restoras]

I am in with a really boring bracket. Thanks for setting it up, Mr. Sloopy.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

And while the tourney will not be capped off this year by the royal libertarian wedding in Vegas, it will be filled with fabulous prizes.

How do you know?!? And what kind of way is that to get us to participate?

But fine. It can't possibly turn out worst than the last time I did this.

[db]

What's the deadline? I pay zero attention to NCAA basketball but won my friend's pool last year with my homblebuilt stats model. I tweaked the output for your pool last year because some outcomes that actually happened looked extremely unlikely. This year, going witg the straight model output.

[sloopyinca]

Deadline is just before noon Thursday (Eastern) right before the First Round* games start.

*It's still the First Round. Fuck the NCAA renaming shit to make play-in teams feel better about themselves.

[db]

I'm on my way out to AZ--may or may not be there in Apr. for your get together at los Doyers.

[invisible furry hand]

Fashion Cats

[DJF]

And people wonder why some cat owners are found dead with the faces eaten.

[db]

I have a friend who bought a house at a bargain basement price after the previous owner died and was eaten by his dogs.

[Rasilio]

The majority of Americans are more sympathetic to Israel vs Palestine? Important question....

Who the hell cares what the Average American thinks? The Average American is a political dumbass who probably can't even locate Israel on a Map and bases his entire opinion on the conflict on either what his preacher told him or what some politician told him to believe

[Drax the Destroyer]

I remember getting into a fight once with some moron who thought Israel/Iraq/Saudi Arabia were all basically the same thing (congrats to public education once again). He certainly had a "nuke 'em all" attitude. This world is fucked with people like this farting around.

[Ted S.]

Gotta nuke something.

[Drax the Destroyer]

I've always been partial to the whales. Can't trust anything that lives in the water but needs to breathe OUR air.

[Counterfly]

I'd rather use them on the moon. Sitting up there all high and mighty, just randomly deciding whether to be full or quarter or whatever.

Wax and wane this, stupid jerk moon.

[invisible furry hand]

How about this: put a whale on the moon, and then nuke them both. For the lulz.

[Drake]

I say we build an orion and put the launch platform in the middle east.

Let's get some use out of those nukes.

[Zeb]

What we need to do is take all of the nukes and carefully fire them all at the moon so that it spells out "FUCK YOU" in giant letters for the whole world to see.

[sloopyinca]

Yeah, that's a fucking fantastic idea.

Don't you know that will create more man-made global warming?

[AuH2O]

Stupid moon! I walked on your face!

[Quetzalcoatl]

Gotta nuke something.

Otherwise we'll get blue ball-istics.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I say we take off and nuke the entire planet from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[robc]

Semetic is semetic.

[Drax the Destroyer]

RAND. IN. THE. NORTH!!

[Matrix]

Something to give you nightmares.

Bat eating spiders!!!

[LTC(ret) John]

Nah, this is great - a vampire defense spider!

[Rich]

Bat-eating spiders are everywhere, study finds

Inside your house!!

[Counterfly]

Did you know every person eats at least three bat-eating spiders per year in their sleep?

[Rich]

Wow! That explains a *lot*.

[CampingInYourPark]

"Banking Chief Calls For 15% Looting of Italians' Savings"

http://www.infowars.com/bankin.....s-savings/

[Counterfly]

What are they going to do with the $45,000?

[Professional Target]

Yeah.
How long before they start complaining about their savings rates?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Maybe people will finally start to realize that what their bank does with their money actually matters and that they cannot rely on regulators and the government to keep the banks solvent.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Yes.

And Euro/US banks have been bitten hard by real estate and sovereign debt which were considered "safe" investments for most of the 20th century.

[BigT]

RE and sovereign debt are safe as long as the govt doesn't meddle in the RE market and overspend like crazy. When the government is irresponsible it hurts everyone.

[Longtorso]

Colorado's magazine-limit bill further reaching than opponents imagined
Colorado Democratic Rep. Rhonda Fields, whose bill to ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds ignited an ongoing firestorm of protest and which could cost the state jobs if a manufacturer of such equipment makes good on its promise to move to another state, didn't realize that her bill would outlaw practically every magazine currently for sale in the state.

That's because the bill specifies that magazines that can be "readily converted" to hold more than 15 bullets will also be outlawed.

Practically every magazine on the market can be easily converted with readily available extenders, ...

...Fields told 9News that she had no idea her bill would effectively ban nearly all magazines with removable base plates for which extenders are made.

"I'm just hearing about that now," she told the news station. "Our focus was on the number of bullets you can put in a magazine."

She said still supports the bill as drafted....

[Almanian!]

We had to pass the bill to know what was in it.

Seriously - fuck Colorado.

[CampingInYourPark]

"Colo. sheriff refuses to enforce gun-control bills"

http://news.yahoo.com/colo-she.....08155.html

[Quetzalcoatl]

Why can't they ever admit a mistake! Why not say, "I stand behind my intent with the bill, but there was obviously a blind spot in the initial draft".

Infuriating.

[Ted S.]

If they admit a mistake about one thing, people might begin to realize they're wrong about a whole host of things.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

So a law is even more draconian than a legislator thought, but she still supports it. I am shocked.

[Virginian]

Of course she does. Leftists are more ignorant about guns then they are on any other topic. They literally know nothing, because they view guns in the same way hardcore socons view gays or drugs: as evil filthy dirty nasty unclean things that Good People should not know anything about.

[sloopyinca]

I don't see too many people on Team Blue campaigning on ending the War On Drugs. But you're mostly right.

[Rich]

Excellent observation.

"The image of that magazine is seared into into my lower receiver!"

[sarcasmic]

That's not true.
Guns are only bad when in the hands of peasants, because peasants cannot resist the gun's evil magic.
Knights and nobles on the other hand, well they have had training to resist the spell. So they can be trusted.
But guns in the hands of a peasant? Run! He's got a gun! Run before the gun turns violent!

[Restoras]

They literally know nothing, because they view guns in the same way hardcore socons view gays or drugs: as evil filthy dirty nasty unclean things that Good People should not know anything about.

This is an incredibly accurate observation.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Well, if it isn't already, Denver should be ripe to become the next Detroit/Chicago.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Not enough white flight to qualify--and any indication of that would cause a meltdown in City Hall because they don't want a repeat of what happened in the late 60s and early 70s after busing passed.

Denver's a pretty hot market for childless and one-child liberal SWPLs right now, and as long as the city can continue to isolate its Hispanic population in certain areas of town, that's not going to change.

[R C Dean]

Fields told 9News that she had no idea

Stop right there.

[Res Publica Americana]

http://www.examiner.com/articl.....lf-defense

30 days of guns saving lives: A collection of true stories of self-defense

Shit you won't see on the news:

" Guns Save Lives
gun rights
Guns
armed citizens
self-defense
Gun control

Advertisement

In February and March of 2013, the Little Rock Gun Rights Examiner started a series that was unofficially called 30 Days of Guns Saving Lives. The series was in response to a weeklong series aired by NBC which "investigated" "gun violence" in America.

On each day of the week, NBC exploited a single death where a gun was used as the instrument of death. The exploitation was yet another attempt for biased mainstream media to gain acceptance and support for gun control.

The 30 days series was an effort to help show that guns not only take lives, but very often save them. The series highlighted one story each day of a gun being used in self-defense. Most of these stories never even hit mainstream media. This was a fact that was both shocking, yet not surprising. But that fact in itself should be proof positive of the biasness and underlying intentions of the media.

[Rich]

Regardless of what you think of the NRA, their Armed Citizen column is a public service.

[Mad Scientist]

This was a fact that was both shocking, yet not surprising. But that fact in itself should be proof positive of the biasness and underlying intentions of the media.

With quality writing like that, I can't imagine why the rest of the media hasn't picked up these stories.

[Matrix]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won the CPAC straw poll. The Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council has said that Jews should be worried by the result.

Wow, reading the comments, the anti-Semites are starting to get riled up. Not all American Jews give a flying fuck what the NJDC has to say, and many of us support Rand.

[Virginian]

Honestly, that's what it is at this point. The Director of the NJDC blows the dog whistle, and the fever swamp of the Internet spews forth fifty or a hundred quotes he can use to prove he was right in the first place.

[invisible furry hand]

Not all American Jews give a flying fuck what the NJDC has to say, and many of us support Rand.

But... but... identity politics!

[John]

When the National Jewish Democratic Council expresses some concern about hard leftist groups cozying up to radical Muslims, I will start to care what they have to say about Rand Paul or anyone else.

[Chris Mallory]

Funny how anyone you don't agree with is an "anti-Semite".

We need to end all aid to every other nation. We need to bring all of our troops home and close every overseas base. We need to end dual citizenship for every other nation.

[Andrew S.]

1. No, not everyone that disagrees with Israel is an anti-Semite. But there are plenty of anti-Semites in the comments to those types of articles.

2. Yes, end all aid to every other nation.

3. Yes, bring all troops home and close overseas bases.

4. Why would you care about dual citizenship?

[Zeb]

"Why would you care about dual citizenship?"

That's what I was wondering. If another country wants to grant citizenship to a US citizen, I don't see how that is anyone else's concern.

[Matrix]

they don't have to disagree with me to be an anti-semite. Their words and deeds will make it abundantly clear. Just read the comments on there.

[Res Publica Americana]

Posted yesterday, but I think it merits another mention:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.c.....arization/

ACLU Investigates Police Militarization

""American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) latest campaign proclaims. "Federal funding in the billions of dollars has allowed state and local police departments to gain access to weapons and tactics created for overseas combat theaters ? and yet very little is known about exactly how many police departments have military weapons and training, how militarized the police have become, and how extensively federal money is incentivizing this trend. It's time to understand the true scope of the militarization of policing in America and the impact it is having in our neighborhoods." Well there's something we can agree upon. What's somewhat ironic about this . . .

The ACLU is generally considered a left-leaning organization; many members hail from the liberal side of the political spectrum. The fact that their champions in the Obama administration have continued the alarming trend of police militarization may get a pass from its supporters, but the ACLU has finally woken-up to the quiet Rambofication of our nation's police departments . . ."

[John]

Nice of them to get concerned now that Obama is safely re-elected and can't run again. Fuck the ACLU. They don't give a shit about anything except raising money and getting Dems elected.

[Virginian]

Yeah, I appreciate when they do the right thing, but they're not an organization I would consider to be on my side. FIRE is how the ACLU should operate: uncompromising, effective, and nonpartisan in both theory and in reality. I do think the ACLU gets louder and more energetic when a Republican is in office.

Personally, I don't think anyone who votes for the Dems or the GOP can be considered a real supporter of civil liberties. Both parties are simply awful on the issue.

[John]

Police militarization has been going on for years. The ACLU was concerned about it under Bush. But they somehow forgot about the subject for four years under Obama. Now that Obama can't run they have discovered it again. It makes me sick.

[Drake]

I really had forgotten they existed. Do they just take off the first term of a Dem administration?

And they don't give a shit that NY just wiped its ass with the Constitution and made most gun owners criminals.

[tarran]

After 8 years of Bush, they collapsed with exhaustion and it took four years at the Betty Ford clinic to bring them back.

[John]

Do they just take off the first term of a Dem administration?

Yes, always.

[ant1sthenes]

How can FIRE really be non-partisan if it's fighting bad behavior in a set of institutions dominated almost entirely by loyalists of one party?

[Citizen Nothing]

I am the (NRA)/ACLU.
So fuck you.

[generic Brand]

Do you work for the ACLU? I've thought that they may be a good outlet for me once I graduate law school, but I realize I won't agree with 100% of the cases they pursue.

I tend to side more with Institute for Justice, but I'm still open to anybody who leans toward more personal freedom.

[Citizen Nothing]

No. Just a card-carrying member. Which law school? I've got a son who's a first year at Maurer at Indiana U. (He still roots for OSU, where he was an undergrad, so he's still allowed to come home.)

[generic Brand]

Haven't fully committed yet, but it's down to University of Kentucky and one of the schools in Chicago (unfortunately not Northwestern 🙁 ).

[Tonio]

As I've pointed out repeatedly, they are not a perfect ally, but they do lots of good.

[John]

Really? I always hear that. But I never see it. They are completely absent from the campus free speech issue. That is up to groups like FIRE. They are appalling on guns. Other than the odd high profile case of police abuse and suing to make sure Santa Claus is banned from the public square, I don't see where they do much of anything but shill for the Left.

They do some good. They are not the SPLC. But it seems most of the good they have done is in the past and most of the good will they have is on reputation rather than their actual behavior.

[generic Brand]

There are different chapters of the ACLU. The California chapter is going to be a lot more concerned with gay marriage and liberal causes than the ACLU of South Carolina. Don't be so quick to paint with a broad stroke.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Virginia has had an absolutely awful anti-gay law on the books for a number of years now (basically it is codified into law that gay couples cannot enjoy any of the same benefits conferred upon married hetero couples, such as medical decision-making). Where has the ACLU been? They initial showed interest in pursuing litigation, but I haven't heard anything form them since about 3 months after the law went into effect.

[Rich]

Surging Weiner On Roll, Pursuing Big Gulps

[Jordan]

That headline is a thing of beauty.

[Matrix]

Hans Blix: War was a terrible mistake

Aww Hans. You're breaking my bawrs here, Hans. You're breaking my bawrs!

[Counterfly]

Oh sure, that's easy to say NOW. But no one was saying anything like that when it started.

[Ted S.]

He's breaking your gay bears? What a monster.

[generic Brand]

Wow, Hans Blix was actually a real person. I just thought he was the perfect foil for American consultant to North Korea.

[Ted S.]

I believe that, unless he died in the past 24 hours, he's still a real person.

[John]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-po.....igh-court/

Illinois tax payers on the hook for 600K thanks to cops arresting people recording them.

[Jordan]

No wonder these idiots blew through their $27 million yearly police-misconduct slush fund in 3 months.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Actually, John's link is about IL while the $27 million police misconduct fund was just for Chicago. Just to keep our whackness straight.

[DJF]

They should take the money out of the cops pension fund, that would get the cops attention.

[John]

No. That is too far removed. Set up a modest fund to pay misconduct claims. No matter what you will have some dirty cops. But when that fund runs out, take every other dime of payout directly out of their paychecks. Let them have a misconduct penalty.

[Ted S.]

I don't think I saw this on Friday's Morning or Afternoon links:

Thousands of Swedes hit with fake porn-surfing bills

[Rich]

"Can you *prove* you didn't visit that porn site?"

/SCOTUS

[Ted S.]

I'm reminded of the Dirk Bogarde movie Victim, about blackmailing people for having homosexual relations, which were illegal at the time the movie was released.

[Rasilio]

Oooh the horror, you're gonna out me as someone who looks at porn.

What's next, you going to announce to the world that I listen to Nickelback and watch Duck Dynasty?

[LTC(ret) John]

"I listen to Nickelback"

You sir, are history's greatest monster.

[Rasilio]

Yeah well...

Look at this Photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh

Now tell me where the bomb is or I keep playing it, and don't think you can be a tough guy and get through it because the special Donny Osmond cover of Rock Star is up next on the playlist.

[sloopyinca]

[opens Reasonable Add-On]
[opens list of names to block]
[adds Rasilio to list]

[Res Publica Americana]

DHS deploying in Homeland with 'weapons of war'

http://www.examiner.com/articl.....ons-of-war

"The sighting of a Department of Homeland Security Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) at a gas station near Ybor City, Fla. on Wednesday is raising questions, concerns and fears about what the federal government is foreseeing in terms of likely needs for such armed and armored transports. An additional big unknown at this time is what congressional oversight protections exist for if and when they are deployed in domestic situations.

Compounded by the administration's now "on the radar" push to further restrict civilian firearm ownership, the recent controversy over the potential use of drones over American soil to kill citizens without due process, and a longstanding and documented train of abuses tied to the militarization of law enforcement activities, those who keep an eye on such things are noticeably distressed. In the absence of once-pledged administration transparency and a vigorous and motivated watchdog press, civil libertarians are left with only speculation, and some are wondering if the predictable result, keeping activists on edge, is intentional."

[Res Publica Americana]

IL: City settles 3 more lawsuits in cases of police abuse, wrongdoing

http://www.suntimes.com/news/m.....doing.html

"Mayor Rahm Emanuel set aside $27.3 million to settle lawsuits against the city for all of 2013. He's already spent nearly twice that much just to settle cases stemming from allegations of police abuse and wrongdoing.

The City Council's Finance Committee made certain of that on Monday by signing off on three more settlements ? for $4.5 million, $1.8 million and $515,000 respectively."

To protect and to serve.

[John]

http://www.statesman.com/news/.....tem/nWsw5/

Texas actually looking to do something about dishonest prosecutors.

[Matrix]

They'll find some way to weasel out of making them accountable, even if a law is passed.

[John]

Disgraced pol Anthony Weiner is potentially climbing back into politics after recently spending more than $100,000 on campaign consulting and polling ? and sources tell Page Six that one person he's looking to prove wrong about him is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,who urged him to resign in 2011. "Weiner is still fuming over his downfall, and he blames Nancy Pelosi," said a source. After Weiner's sexting scandal, he announced he was going to get psychological treatment and take a leave from the House, but Pelosi released a statement calling for him to resign after he'd informed her of his plan to deal with the situation. Our source further adds, "Weiner has recently been telling pals that 'when Hillary is president,' he will get his revenge." Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, is a longtime Clinton aide.

Insert penis joke here

http://www.jammiewf.com/2013/w.....cy-pelosi/

[Counterfly]

If his revenge involves releasing nude pics of Pelosi, I don't know what I'd think.

In any case, ibimb

[Virginian]

Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, is a longtime Clinton aide.

_______

And a fine beard it is too.

[John]

She really is hot. But ugly lesbians get hot g/fs a lot.

[Virginian]

Eh, you have odd taste in women. She's decent looking, for DC. I guess.

But she makes a great beard for the obviously gay Anthony Weiner.

[John]

I have a thing for Semitic women.

[Ted S.]

I figured you, being a cheerleader for Team Red, would have a thing for anti-Semitic women. :-p

[Palin's Buttplug]

Gay dudes sext pics to hot porn stars like Ginger Lee?

Seriously, delusion is rampant here.

Is Bill Clinton gay too?

[Virginian]

When you're texting a smitten student, and you propose a threesome, and she responds with "I've never been with a girl" and you say "No I meant two guys."

Yeah, I'm thinking you're gay.

[John]

Like most beta male dems, he is a closeted gay. It is okay Shriek. We are all libertarians here. We don't think there is anything wrong with that.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Nothing says "beta gay male" more than "I love Jesus" does.

[Virginian]

Pretty sure Anthony Weiner doesn't love Jesus. Unless Jesus is the name of his secret Nuyorican lover.

[Enough About Palin]

The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Gay Jesus lover or gayest Jesus lover ever?

[Zeb]

Like most beta male dems, he is a closeted gay

That's a bold statement.

[Stilgar]

Well if he thinks he is going to fuck Pelosi he better think again - her cock is bigger than his.

[sloopyinca]

After Weiner's sexting scandal, he announced he was going to get psychological treatment and take a leave from the House, but Pelosi released a statement calling for him to resign after he'd informed her of his plan to deal with the situation.

I never understood the audacity of these people. They claim to be leaders and yet always scapegoat someone else or a "temporary mental episode" for their moral failures.

Has there ever been a time in America when disgraced politicians resigned and went into obscurity? I swear, I wish we were more like feudal Japan. Maybe seeing a few of these dumbshits get forced to commit hari kari would cause the rest of them to not act like they were princes and instead to act like public servants.

[Chris Mallory]

Hillary will be pushing 70 and her current neurological problems will be even more advanced. Why do they think she will run?

[sloopyinca]

Why do they think she will run?

I'm just spitballing here, but I'd say because she's a craven, power-hungry bitch that cares more about her legacy and securing power than she does about America having a President that can satisfy the term of office.

[Palin's Buttplug]

She still won't run.

[AuH2O]

I miss the NY Post...

[kinnath]

There was an epic thread some time ago about the terrorist alliance oganization talking on the empired.

See this:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bro.....video.html

[Stilgar]

So... 30 years of Republican fawning over Israel just wasn't good enough to get the Jews behind them in the ballot box and now Rand seals it for them - never GOP!

When will the GOP wake up and realize that they are the pawns of Israel?

[Tonio]

They are certainly Israel's best friend, but not pawns. End-times Christians are almost exclusively GOP, and this constituency is very supportive of Israel because no Israel means no second coming of Jesus.

[Matrix]

Jesus is a bastard. I paid that guy $10 to mow my lawn, and he never showed up. He better not come again.

[Heedless]

And don't get me started on his life insurance scam.

[Res Publica Americana]

Number of companies refusing to sell to government entities in anti-gun states continues to grow

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8821

The number of companies announcing a formal policy of not selling to law enforcement, individual officers, states or municipalities that have passed anti-gun ordinances or laws since the tragic December shooting in Connecticut is growing - daily- and there's no sign that the trend toward "new laws mean no new products" is slowing. If anything, more companies are getting behind the idea that punishing law-abiding citizens for the acts of crazies isn't acceptable conduct.

As of this writing, there hasn't been a single government response to those notices, but sooner or later, someone in those governments will realize the trend is not going to reverse. If anything, the tone has gotten progressively more harsh toward politicians who believe passing a law will prevent tragedies from happening.

Colorado seems to be the battleground state at this point. Magpul Industries has led the anti-legislation fight, promising to move out of Colorado if four anti-gun bills are passed and signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper. Magpul's major suppliers have also promised to join the relocation, but the governor seems intent on passing the measures, regardless of the outcome.

---------

Awesome.

[Drax the Destroyer]

Gooood. Gooooooood. {Steeples fingers and smiles}

[generic Brand]

While this is temporarily good, I foresee this coming to mean that the fewer companies that continue to sell to government agencies will be able to sell at increased prices, and the government will happily shell out the higher amount of money because "WE NEEDZ THEM!!!" rather than doing whatever it takes to repeal horrible gun laws.

[LTC(ret) John]

Then it is name and shame time, consumers still outnumber the "G" when it comes to sales.

[John]

That's the takeaway for both investors and taxpayers in the 307-page Senate report detailing last year's $6.2 billion trading fiasco at JPMorgan Chase. The financial system, thanks to dissembling traders and bumbling regulators, is at greater risk than you know.

After bailing out the nation's banking system in 2008, taxpayers and investors have been assured that such a crisis will not happen again. The Dodd-Frank legislation was supposed to make our system safe from the kinds of reckless banking activities that brought the economy to its knees.

The Senate report disproves this premise with vigor.

Its pages of e-mails, testimony, telephone transcripts and analysis show that traders in the bank's chief investment office hid money-losing derivatives positions, if only temporarily; that risk limits created by the bank to protect itself were exceeded routinely; that risk models were changed to minimize losses; that bank executives misled investors and the public; and that regulations are only as good as the regulators enforcing them.

The bankers are crooks. The regulators are incompetent or in bed with the bankers. And no one cares because they all know they can just get the taxpayers to bail them out when it all blows up.

[John]

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/165140/

Follow that link to the NYT link, which Reason rejects as spam.

[Drake]

It certainly couldn't be journalism.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Dodd-Frank contains the Volcker Rule - which says that banks cannot bet more than 3% of their TCE in high-risk activities like derivatives.

And the GOP is helping the banks delay it (just like the Consumer Protection Agency).

You're becoming a Democrat, John.

[John]

Says the screaming monkey. And the Democrats are a paid subsidiary of Wall Street. Obama was elected to ensure that TARP continued and no one paid for the 08 collapse.

[Ted S.]

We the people are paying for it. Certainly the elected officials aren't.

[Palin's Buttplug]

The Bush/GOP (and Greenspan) said let Wall St regulate itself. Bush even killed the Net Capital Rule.

You are an idiot partisan, John. Sure, Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country.

[John]

Sure, Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country.

And Obama, who voted for TARP in the Senate, just happened to continue TARP and never prosecute a single person because of 08. Obama is the wall street president. Unemployment and inflation are killing the rest of the country. But wall street is richer than it has ever been. That is what Obama was elected to do. That is his legacy. That is the Democratic Party and you know it.

[Marshall Gill]

Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country.

And, yet again, you show yourself to be even more stupid than seems physically possible.

Quit pretending. No one could be this stupid and still breathe, much less post on the intertubes.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Don't even bother posting your ridiculous CT as to why Wall St supported Obama.

[Restoras]

Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country

This is so full of stupid we've clearly reached Peak Stupid.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Wall St certainly knows that their bad actor brethren need regulation.

Of course you, like the nimwit above you, have no opinion to offer.

[Restoras]

Ok, I know this will be a stretch for your slow-wittedness, but here is my college try.

Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country

In 2008 Wall Street did not support Obama "out of shame". Wall Street supported Obama because...Obama was going to win. Not hard to understand. You see, supporting the winner assures that you have favorable access and thus that your interests will be served via rent-seeking lobbying efforts.

Now, to be fair I am sure Wall Street money was also flowing to McCain/Palin as well, just not as much. It's a common tactic called "hedging your bets" that will still ensure rent-seeking success, though perhaps after a brief spell in some sort of lobbying penalty box.

Also, if you actually knew anything about Wall Street you would know that it does not feel shame.

Hence the complete stupidity of your statement.

[Rasilio]

Hey dipshit, what part of...

" hid money-losing derivatives positions, if only temporarily"

Did you not understand

See if you are hiding things from regulators then all the regulations in the world will not actually prevent you from doing something stupid and/or unethical. This of course assumes that the regulators aren't actively assisting in your off book shenanigans since it is 95% likely that the guy tasked with being your government watchdog is a former coworker at the same bank and is very sympathetic to it's goals.

[Palin's Buttplug]

So what?

You think shifting money around to make the books look spiffier is new?

Banks are subsidized by taxpayers. They need tougher regs like the upcoming Volcker Rule.

[sloopyinca]

Banks are subsidized by taxpayers. They need tougher regs like the upcoming Volcker Rule.

No. They need to not be subsidized.

How the hell can you even begin to call yourself a libertarian when the first principle is to allow the free market to work on its own? Instead, you propose regulations to govern what a subsidized marketplace does, which is horribly progressive.

Seriously. Stop calling yourself a libertarian. You may be OK on civil liberties. (I don't know since all you talk about are fiscal issues) But you're a far cry from being libertarian when it comes to economics, private property rights, the free market or foreign policy.

IOW, you're a douchebag troll that cares not a whit for personal freedom or personal responsibility.

[Jordan]

He's not good on civil liberties either, since he has defended Obama's gun control proposals.

[Sevo]

"Sure, Wall St supported Obama in 2008 - out of shame of what their peers did to the country."

Yes, folks, dipshit really posted this.
Now just imagine all those guys getting together over lunch, hanging their heads and agreeing that they were deeply shamed, so they must support this idiot!
I can see it now.

[R C Dean]

It doesn't matter what the law says if too big to fail means too big to jail.

[Palin's Buttplug]

That is a false PROGRESSIVE talking point. Shame on you.

Name one law the failed Washington Mutual broke. Or Lehman. Or Bear.

[R C Dean]

WaMu, Lehman, and Bear all went belly-up and were not saved, hence were not too big to fail.

[Palin's Buttplug]

So being bailed out is reason to jail you?

And worse, being forced by Hank Paulson to take TARP money is a reason?

[R C Dean]

No, being bailed out demonstrates you are too big to fail, and thus too big to jail.

This really isn't that hard, shriek. The TBTF banks are implicated in all sorts of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, yet none of their rulers has been exposed to criminal prosecution.

Go ahead, though. Argue with the Attorney General if you think I'm wrong.

Then Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the size of some large banks has made it difficult to bring criminal charges. He said "some of these institutions have become too large" and that their size "has an inhibiting impact on our ability to bring resolutions that I think would be more appropriate."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....card-.html

[Trespassers W]

Shriek disappeared in a puff of logic? That's unusual.

[Res Publica Americana]

http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregor.....l-gun-laws

Growing Number Of States Eye Bills To Defy Federal Gun Laws

On March 12 and 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed both Sen. Charles Schumer's (D-NY) "Fix Gun Checks Act," which would criminalize all private firearm sales and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) "Assault Weapons Ban."

These bills have a long way to go before they become law - if they ever do - but states across the nation are introducing their own legislation to preemptively defeat any new federal gun laws.

In Ohio, two senators have introduced SB36, which would prohibit firearms seizures, registration and bans in their state.

Sen. Jared Carpenter introduced a bill that would prohibit Kentucky from enforcing new federal gun control laws if they're enacted. The measure passed by a vote of 34-3.

The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill that criminalizes the act of enforcing any new federal laws than ban, restrict, confiscate, or require registration of firearms or ammunition in violation of the state's constitution.

HB219 passed by a 55-13 vote.

In Louisiana, Rep. Jim Morris sponsored a bill that "prohibits the enforcement of federal restrictions regarding the ownership or possession of semi-automatic firearms."

[Res Publica Americana]

The House Public Safety Committee in Oklahoma passed HB2021 that would also prohibit the enforcement of federal gun laws.

House Bill 1076, sponsored by Rep. Steve Toth in Texas, would disallow state and local police from enforcing new gun control measures passed by the federal government.

In Kansas, the House approved three pro-gun bills, one of which prohibits the federal government from enforcing gun laws or bans on firearms and accessories manufactured, sold, or kept in the state.

The "Arizona Firearms: Prohibited Enforcement" bill would make it a Class 6 felony for the federal government to enforce new laws or regulations on guns, accessories and ammunition owned or manufactured in the state.

Senate bill 63 in Michigan would exempt firearms and firearms accessories made and sold exclusively in Michigan from federal gun restrictions.

And in Washington State, a state that recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the House has introduced HB 1371 which reads as follows:

"Any federal law, rule, regulation, or order created or effective on or after January 1, 2013, shall be unenforceable within the borders of Washington if the law, rule, regulation, or order attempts to: (a) Ban or restrict ownership of a semiautomatic firearm or any magazine of a firearm; or (b) Require any firearm, magazine, or other firearm accessory to be registered in any manner."

[Rich]

And then, OTOH, there's Maryland.

[robc]

States could fix this permanently be repealing the 17th amendment.

[Eduard van Haalen]

So I says to myself, National Jewish *Democratic* Council? Could they have some kind of bias, perhaps? I see this in the press release:

"[Paul's] growing legitimacy among the GOP's base is only another reason why the vast majority of Jewish Americans consistently support the Democratic Party."

And this from their Web site:

"NJDC maximizes Jewish support for Democrats at the federal and state levels of government."

http://www.njdc.org/site/page/mission

So the story boils down to "Democratic group criticizes Republican; film at 11."

[John]

What about Paul, other than his not being a socialist, has them so angry? Obama just told the Israel lobby to go fuck themselves by appointing Kerry and Hegal to his cabinet. Obama is the most anti-Israeli president since Carter.

And you would think Jews, given their thousands of year history of being victims of government oppression would be the most concerned about drones and targeted assassinations.

[Res Publica Americana]

Also, guys, Utah might become a constitutional carry state. Also, an SAS veteran in England is rotting in jail for bringing back an Iraqi pistol.

Lost the links, but thought it was interesting.

[invisible furry hand]

he's just been freed on appeal

http://solowp.mainstreamdata.com/?p=1087

[generic Brand]

Explosive devices, body found in UCF dorm room

My alma mater. I actually used to live in the dorm right next to this one.

The explosive devices were found inside a bag in the dorm room, Heston said. The Orange County bomb squad, police and the FBI were working to remove the devices safely from the building.

Antonio Whitehead, 21, a junior from Hollywood, Fla., said he heard the fire alarm go off after midnight and thought it was a routine alarm. He headed outside where he saw a crowd already heading across the street from the dorm.

"All of a sudden, I felt the crowd move a little faster. And a police officer with a machine gun or something told everyone to start moving a lot faster," he said. [emphasis mine]

[Fatty Bolger]

Ryan Seacrest shaves his beard

[Ted S.]

You're excited that Seacrest is available?

[Rich]

No wonder Weiner is emerging!

[Bobarian]

^^Insert penis here joke.

[sarcasmic]

Emma tweeted on Sunday: 'Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.'

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

I've got one word: Dang!

[John]

You wouldn't even need a script. The mere fact that it was her and that book would make millions.

[JW]

What is the fuck is she wearing?

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

I've been wondering that for days (since I first saw a photo of her in that top). I'm totally unclear on where boobs go in it.

[John]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ds-newsxml

The Devil in history channel's the bible, looks just like Obama. LOL

And can Hollywood be more stupid to abandon the biblical epic? The Bible is last I looked the highest rated show on cable TV. The Passion, which was nothing but a horror flick done in dead languages, made $500 million. Is there any reason other than pig headed stupidity that Hollywood stopped making one of its most reliable money making types of films?

[robc]

Pig headed stupidity is exactly it. Or maybe some kind of weird principle, in that they dont want the "dirty" money.

[John]

They don't want that dirty money, but making movies that show people's heads exploding, that is perfectly okay.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Occam's Razor (or Palin's Buttplug) says that Hollywood types can't imagine why anyone would want to watch such stuff.

Not pigheadedness - just ignorant indifference.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Whatever flaws it has, it has some good stories.

[sloopyinca]

Biblical epics are just too risky. The costs of puing one together nowadays would be staggering. And for that same money, you can simply put out another redux of a comic-book film and set up the printing presses.

Hollywood isn't about taking chances anymore. And in this day and age, a biblical epic would be taking a huge chance.

[R C Dean]

What's the last biblical epic, in any form, that failed?

Nah. Its a weird cultural/social blind spot.

[sloopyinca]

When I mean epic, I mean epic. I don't mean "The Passion". I mean "Ben Hur". And Hollywood pretty much stopped making them in the 60's due to high production costs.

I could be way off, since epics like "Braveheart" and "Troy" have done well. But for every one of those, you had an "Alexander" and a "Kingdom Of Heaven" that not only sucked but drained the entire resources of a studio. That's what I meant by risky.

[Kaptious Kristen]

History Channel seems to be doing incredibly well with its expensive Biblical epic.

But Vikings is way more interesting. And sexy.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

I don't know, Hagar was pretty hot. Plus Bathsheba. But Lagertha is too. I think The Bible wins on sheer numbers so far.

[John]

The Vikings is really good. I haven't been watching the Bible.

[sarcasmic]

Beat you by an hour and four minutes.

[Fluffy]

My first impulse would be to say that at the highest echelons there's nobody in Hollywood who could do one with a straight face.

But that makes it a kind of weird artistic pride thing, and we're talking about people who make Alvin and the Chipmunks movies without batting an eyelash.

[John]

The answer is that they hate American Christians and couldn't imagine making money while appealing to them. Sloopy's point above about the price and risk of historical films makes the case they are stupid even stronger. If you are going to spend a couple hundred million dollars on a historical epic like "Kingdom of Heaven", why not change its topic to something out of the bible and give yourself a guaranteed audience? Not like the same sandals, swords and togas can't be used in both flicks.

[tarran]

I think you have a point; remember that little company that expurgated holywood movies getting sued by the big studios?

Basically, these guys would take the DVD release of a movie, and remove objectionable content (sex, swearing etc) and create a new bowdlerized version of the DVD that was slickly put together.

Then, every time a customer wanted a bowdlerized DVD, the firm would buy a regular DVD wholesale, and send an expurgated DVD to the customer. The studios went batshit and sued them out of existence - arguing that even if the company was increasing their sales, the threat to their artistic integrity was too much.

I thought it fascinating.

[Warty]

This talk of Jews caused me to find a true gem of a website. Possibly a hilariously elaborate spoof, possibly a hilariously inept A3P outreach program.

THE JEWISH MASTERS OF PORN

Jewish domination of porn and related sin industries, it is suspected, has allowed them to blackmail and control politicians. But the pornography itself is the most destructive impact on Gentile and Christian society. Be willing to die to protect your people.

[sarcasmic]

Olivia Wilde was born Olivia Jane Cockburn.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312575/?ref_=tt_cl_t3

I want to feel the burn!

[Kaptious Kristen]

I was in Bass Pro Shops looking for a recurve bow yesterday. Who knew those things were more expensive than compound bows? There were also out of stock on pretyt much every handgun. The display was about 2/3 empty (not that the People's Republic of MD would let a Virginia like me buy a gun). Anyway, that place is fun to visit, but I wouldn't want to buy anything there. I'm going to get a recurve bow with a fishing kit for $120 on Amazon.

[Virginian]

They're more expensive in the same way that horses costs more then cars. It's old tech, so there aren't as many people making them.

[The Late P Brooks]

Jewish domination of porn and related sin industries

Wasn't there some hoopla about teh evul Joo movie producers and their degrading society-destroying "teensploitation" movies back in the 70's and 80's?

[Zeb]

Yeah, what happened to those guys? Someone should put them in charge of Hollywood again.

[The Late P Brooks]

WaMu, Lehman, and Bear all went belly-up and were not saved, hence were not too big to fail.

If only AIG had been allowed to slide over the cliff.

[Sevo]

Your tax dollars at work:
A ferry service that was planned to operate at a $43/passenger subsidy (?!), doesn't get close. It's running at a rate where taxpayers are covering $100/ride.
http://blog.sfgate.com/matiera.....g-feeling/

[sloopyinca]

Wow. I'm shocked that they overestimated ridership and underestimated costs while pushing for this to get approved by the taxpayers.

Didn't somebody say something upthread about prosecuting bailed out bankers for criminality? If somebody from JPMorgan should havebeen prosecuted for mismanagement, these guys ought to have their heads on pikes at the city limits.

Instead, I would imagine they will face the daunting proposition of being reelected to the same cushy local jobs.

[The Late P Brooks]

So being bailed out is reason to jail you?

Is being stupid/reckless a reason to be bailed out?

I'm honestly not sure if criminal prosecutions are justified (although I'm sure accounting violations could be found), but I would have no problem whatsoever with managers and boards being sued into penury by shareholders.

[Palin's Buttplug]

SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: We do not have an immediate debt crisis.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics.....ePage=true

[The Late P Brooks]

Didn't somebody say something upthread about prosecuting bailed out bankers for criminality? If somebody from JPMorgan should havebeen prosecuted for mismanagement, these guys ought to have their heads on pikes at the city limits.

To an ignoramus like me, this qualifies as an egregious fraud. But what do I know?

[The Late P Brooks]

SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: We do not have an immediate debt crisis.

You're right, Shreeek; Boner is an idiot. You can't be wrong all the time.

[Fatty Bolger]

SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: We do not have an immediate debt crisis. But we all know that we have one looming. And we have-- one looming-- because we have entitlement programs that are not sustainable in their current form. They're gonna go bankrupt. Washington has responsibility-- to our seniors and our near seniors-- that we firm up these programs so that they're there for the long term. Because if we don't do it, not only will they not get benefits, we will have a debt crisis right around the corner. We have time to solve our problems. But we need to do it now.

MARTHA RADDATZ: H-- how long do we have to solve our problems?

SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: Nobody knows where this is. It could be a year or two years, three years, four years.

Boehner is right. It's not an "immediate" crisis, but one is looming. Of course there is a big difference between talking about and actually doing something about it.

[R C Dean]

Oh, heck, I'll double post.

If the AG says they're too big to jail, who are we to argue:

Then Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the size of some large banks has made it difficult to bring criminal charges. He said "some of these institutions have become too large" and that their size "has an inhibiting impact on our ability to bring resolutions that I think would be more appropriate."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....card-.html

[Fatty Bolger]

Pure bullshit from Holder, of course. The size of the bank has nothing to do with the ability to bring criminal charges.

[BigT]

The size of the bank has nothing to do with the ability to bring criminal charges.

The size of the bank contribution has nothing everything to do with the ability to bring criminal charges.

[Matrix]

EU wants Cyprus to raid bank deposits to pay for bailout.

If public officials are not killed over this, it is proof that the population is too passive to resist a tyrannical government. They'll go timidly to the gas chambers and firing squads.

[sloopyinca]

From the Wikipedia:

Cyprus
(Comments apply to the internationally recognized Greek portion of the island) Cyprus has strict gun control. Private citizens are completely forbidden from owning handguns and rifles in any calber, even .22 rimfire. Only shotguns are allowed, and these require a license. Shotguns are limited to two rounds. The only shotguns typically sold in stores are double-barreled side-by-sides or over-unders. Pump actions and semiautomatics are prohibited. A private citizen can own a total of ten different shotguns. A citizen is not required to specify a reason for ownership to obtain a license, but most own their guns for hunting. Licenses are issued by provincial police. A gun license is required to buy ammunition, and ammunition sales are recorded. A shotgun owner may purchase up to 250 shells at one time. Cyprus also controls airguns, and airgun owners require a license.[25]

There's your answer.

[Matrix]

There are other ways to kill a man! Just find a way to take down the agents of the state with guns and use theirs!

[sloopyinca]

Yeah, but it's sure easier to guarantee your own liberty when they know you're armed from the start.

[db]

Bummer. I went to turkish gun store in Istanbul and they had a decent selection. I was tempted to pick up this one shotgun but didn't because I wasn't prepared to go throught the importation process.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

This is probably a "camel's nose" type of operation. If it doesn't work and Cyprus goes to hell, they can say, "Well, it's only Cyprus, who cares." If it does--even for the short term--watch the other EU countries follow suit.