Labor Participation at Lowest Rate in Over 30 Years, New FBI Director Sought, Aren't Bars for Getting High?: P.M. Links

• 

  FBI

  Today's slight down-tick in the unemployment rate comes courtesy of the lowest labor participation rate in over 30 years. Ouch.

• President Obama's proposed budget has finally united Republicans and Democrats — in disdain for the horrible thing.
• Help wanted: New FBI director. Must have a sincere interest in other people's conversations, and be able to fit into a sun dress in a man's size 48. Apply in person in Washington, D.C.
• The federal government has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims arising from the nasty habit immigration agents have of kicking in doors without a warrant.
• Slovenia is widely predicted to be the next Cyprus, which was the last Greece. It seems Slovenia's state-owned banks have been used by politicians to make ill-considered loans to their buddies. Good luck, German taxpayers!
• Britain's Conservative Party is concerned about a flurry of local officeholders defecting to the upstart UKIP, as well as a series of election wins by the party's candidates.
• Not so fast, say Washington officials. Just because marijuana is legal doesn't mean you can get high in bars. Reasoning to come later.

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Comments

[Alack]

Today's slight down-tick in the unemployment rate comes courtesy of the lowest labor participation rate in over 30 years. Ouch.

You forgot "unexpectedly"

[jesse.in.mb]

So nice, you posted first twice?

[Irish]

So nice he unexpectedly posted first twice.

[alice846]

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[Ranter]

And yet....

Obama unlikely to pull his head out of his ass and rethink his horrible economic course of action that's brought us to this point.

[Alack]

Today's slight down-tick in the unemployment rate comes courtesy of the lowest labor participation rate in over 30 years. Ouch.

You forgot "unexpectedly"

[Virginian]

Yeah the squishiest RINO alive is more conservative then your average UK Tory MP.

[A Serious Man]

President Obama's proposed budget has finally united Republicans and Democrats ? in disdain for the horrible thing.

But do we know what's in it?

[Fatty Bolger]

Yes, these regulations. So far. They're not close to being done.

[Killazontherun]

I read the report in The Hill about how it will include taxes on IRAs, and the report used the peculiar language that this plan will save xximagine quotation marks there encasing the word save, this stupid device decides when it wants to use themxx 9 billion, as if the non taxed money is just given away to random beneficiaries, and the government is prudentially claiming it back.

[Pi Guy]

You HTML-fu is impressive.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Not so fast, say Washington officials. Just because marijuana is legal doesn't mean you can get high in bars.

I think the feds thought they meant mary jane in bar form. Like a Snickers. A fattening Snickers.

[Episiarch]

CONTROL

[Longtorso]

We're not screwed?
...The new, and startling, feature of the Marcott graph was at the very end: Their data showed a remarkable uptick that implied that, during the 20th century, our climate swung from nearly the coldest conditions over the past 11,500 years to nearly the warmest. Specifically, their analysis showed that in under 100 years we've had more warming than previously took thousands of years to occur, in the process undoing 5,000 years' worth of cooling.

This uptick became the focus of considerable excitement, as well as scrutiny. One of the first questions was how it was derived. Marcott had finished his PhD thesis at Oregon State University in 2011 and his dissertation is online. The Science paper is derived from the fourth chapter, which uses the same 73 proxy records and seemingly identical methods. But there is no uptick in that chart, nor does the abstract to his thesis mention such a ?finding....

[CE]

Maybe his wrist slipped while he was drawing the graph?

[Pi Guy]

I read "Marcotte" *automatic gag reflex*

[A Serious Man]

Dozens of children injured and one adult killed in Illinois school bus crash.

Kids must wear a seatbelt at all times when riding in a vehicle except when the government crams 30 of them into a bus.

[db]

Ban assault buses!

[Pi Guy]

I'd suggest banning high-capacity public school buses but

What difference, at this point, does it make?

[Restoras]

I'm sure they would have been safer in a smaller bus that could only accomodate 10 kids

[DesigNate]

7. 7 is the magic number.

[Bobarian]

Can you have one in the chamber?

[Cheradenine Zakalwe]

That's the one sitting in the driver's lap.

[CE]

No, but banning government schools would have helped.

[Pro Libertate]

I've never understood that. Forget the law, it's just friggin' common sense to wear a seat belt in cars, buses, etc.

Something really sick in not using reasonable precautions to protect kids. What's their bullshit justification for the risk they're taking with my kids, anyway?

[NeonCat]

No vehicle should have more than 10, maybe 7 students in it.

[Mad Scientist]

To prevent this ever happening again, children should be forced to live at school until they graduate.

[NeonCat]

People should have to pass a background check before having children and take their children to a holder of a Federal Child Licensee before so much as a sleepover, stay at grandparents', camp, etc.

[Mad Scientist]

Too much autonomy if you're free to take your children to the FCL. Instead, the FCL should take them from you.

[NeonCat]

That's next, after the bitter clingers' clamor dies down. Common sense childcare for a better America.

[Killazontherun]

Most schools are within a few miles of the homes of the kids that attend them. Surely, we could close the roads for a few hours in the mornings and the evenings so they can be escorted by a safety officer as they walk back and forth from home and school. If it savves even one child, its worth it.

[NeonCat]

And there goes childhood obesity, so it's a win-win.

[CE]

And it would put a sizable dent in that unemployment number to boot.

[Stormy Dragon]

You joke, but most of the schools in PA got rid of their 15 passenger vans in favor of 9 passenger vans a while back because the state passed a law requiring a CDL (as opposed to a normal drivers license) to drive any vehicle with more than 10 students in it.

[Virginian]

Which means a 30% increase in van drivers, which means....JOBS CREATED!!!

[SKR]

don't forget all the extra maintenance. JERBZ!!!!

[Stormy Dragon]

Not really, the vans were primarily used to transport teams to competitions, and the reason the switched to smaller vans was so they could continue having coaches driving them. In practice it just meant the assitant coach was now driving the second van instead of sitting in the passenger seat.

Also, by "a while ago" I meant the mid 90s so it's not really related to the whole "JOBS CREATED" thing. It's just garden variety FOR THE CHILDRENZ.

[db]

The only retirement savings that makes sense anymore is ramen noodles and packa of jello.

[Pi Guy]

I have a feeling Spaghettios and .223s will hold their value.

[generic Brand]

Question to all:

If it could be guaranteed that our country would return to the complete freedoms outlined in the Constitution (minus the slavery, unequal protection under the law, etc.), but you had to sleep with Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, or Lindsey Graham, would you take that offer?

[generic Brand]

The parenthetical statement was to cut off in advance any "BUT WHAT ABOUT SLAVERY!!!111" or "WOMYNZ RIGHT TO VOTE!1!!" comments.

Basically constitutional governance, but you have to have sex with one of the most vile human beings (human?) in our country.

WOULD YOU DO IT???

[db]

Simultaneously.

[jesse.in.mb]

Wait, do you get to be a celebrated folk hero for this? Alternately can I have a go at Aaron Schock after I'm done as a palate cleanser or something?

[Jesus H. Christ]

CRAP, I forgot you were gay so I googled Aaron Shock. I haz a sad.

Aaron Shock is a dude.

[Xenocles]

I would have thought the "Aaron" part would have given it away.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Yeah, I'd fuck all four.

For the team.

[Xenocles]

...Obviously?

[Joe M]

I would rather take it up the backside literally once than metaphorically for my entire life.

[Killazontherun]

Nope. Never been a team player, never will be.

[Episiarch]

No, but I'd make NutraSweet or nicole do it.

[John]

That would be better than you mounting them.

[Episiarch]

That ship has already sailed, John.

[Alack]

Yes, but I doubt that any of them could give a guarantee I would trust. There's the rub.

[Fatty Bolger]

Sure. That's why they invented roofies and viagra.

[Zeb]

Sure, why not? I'll admit I'm a whore (or a potential whore anyway).

[Episiarch]

I'm a total whore, but I like skanks, not vile politicians.

[Irish]

Men can't be whores, because whores are women who have had their purity stripped away by the wretched patriarchy.

Don't you know anything?

[Episiarch]

Asking questions is for betas. I think I'd better mount you now.

[Alack]

Rhetorical questions are alpha, because alphas don't care what betas say in response. The only question, which I won't ask, is whether Irish was being rhetorical.

But since having dubious tone is beta, mounting him is still alpha.

[jesse.in.mb]

What if Irish is just manipulating you into doing what he wants?

[Episiarch]

Then we both win.

[Zeb]

I don't think you can call yourself a "total whore" if you are going to be that selective.

[Episiarch]

I'll think whatever I wanna do!

[jesse.in.mb]

You clearly aren't familiar with Epi's definition of skanks.

[Zeb]

It's more of a willful ignorance.

[jesse.in.mb]

It's not a good thing to cultivate ignorance.

In native Epi, a skank is anything that runs slower than Epi does.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Can it be all of them or does it just have to be one?

[NeonCat]

If one is willing to die for freedom, surely one should be willing to keep one's cookies down and take one for the team.

[kinnath]

Lindsay Graham -- so long as I get to make him squeal like a pig . . . .

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Trick question, g_B. Your dick would shrivel from the radiation emitted by those swamp creatures long before either participant reached, erm, completion.

[Joe M]

Actually, Pelosi wasn't bad looking when she was in high school.

[Ska]

So you're going to tape her yearbook photo to the back of her head?

[BuSab Agent]

Ya, I'd do it. I've fucked world class assholes before, and it's not like you have to keep your eyes open...or do you? Cause if I have to keep my eyes open the deal is off.

[Nooge.]

Only if Hand Banana got to nail them- to death- after I had a go.

[Rasilio]

Do I get to pick which one and if so to we get to pick how the deed is done?

[CE]

I got to the third name in the list and I was thinking "no way", but then I saw the "or" and I had to think about it for a while.

[Longtorso]

Schools push a curriculum of propaganda
The real vocation of some people entrusted with delivering primary and secondary education is to validate this proposition: The three R's ? formerly reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic ? now are racism, reproduction and recycling. Especially racism. Consider Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. It evidently considers "instruction" synonymous with "propaganda," which in the patois of progressivism is called "consciousness-raising."

Wisconsin's DPI, in collaboration with the Orwellian-named federal program VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America; the "volunteers" are paid), urged white students to wear white wristbands "as a reminder about your privilege, and as a personal commitment to explain why you wear the wristband." A flyer that was on the DPI Web site and distributed at a DPI-VISTA training class urged whites to "put a note on your mirror or computer screen as a reminder to think about privilege," to "make a daily list of the ways privilege played out" and to conduct an "internal dialogue" asking questions such as "How do I make myself comfortable with privilege?" and "What am I doing today to undo my privilege?"...

[MJGreen]

Why would you want to undo privilege? Privilege is awesome!

I'm gonna go hit a woman!

[Thane of Whiterun]

Your privilege blinds you to the many downsides of privilege.

[MJGreen]

Fine by me!

[A Serious Man]

Complimenting a woman's looks isn't nice, it's benign sexism.

[Bingo]

is benign sexism a microaggression?

[mr simple]

Let's see. Yes.

[Irish]

That actually is pretty shitty on the mom's part. Telling your daughter 'Oh! You actually are pretty!' after she get's a makeover is just a dick move.

Still not microaggression though, since microaggression is a meaningless word.

[T]

It's a perfectly cromulent word, Irish.

[Bobarian]

I'm only in favor of malignant sexism, none of that benign shit for me.

[Virginian]

H&R Block employee when my best friend (who's black) and I went to get our taxes done together: "Employed?"
Me: "Yes."
H&R: "Any children?"
Me: "No."
H&R, turns to my friend: "Okay, and you. Employed?"
Him: "Yes."
H&R: "Any children?"
Him: "No."
H&R: "Are you sure?"
Him: "Um?"
H&R: "Just checking."
Him: "Yes, I'm sure."

Yeah...must be racist. Has nothing to do with it is quite possible for a man to have children he doesn't know about, while it is essentially impossible for a woman to have children she is unaware of.

[Virginian]

Or wait....I assumed the writer was a woman. Oh please don't tell me there is a man writing these butthurt little stories.

[Stormy Dragon]

Getting your taxes done together has to be the WORST date idea ever.

[Tim]

Michelle gaffe:
"Believe me, as a busy single mother?..."

http://7d.blogs.com/offmessage.....other.html

[BuSab Agent]

I KNEW it!!! She IS a beard.

[Michael]

Dude, with all of the various victimhood classifications available these days it's understandable that someone might occasionally get them mixed up. Cut Her Highness some slack.

[Barry likes the (D)]

Controversy at my school!

amanda marcotte weighs in!

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_.....doesn.html

thought i would contribute her crap today for you guys

[Thane of Whiterun]

She's way late with this. I'm disappointed in her.

Also, why does it matter so much that he's a "libertarian"?

I would give her some credit for prefixing that with "self-described", but I consider that penance for her enumerable other crimes against intelligence.

[Irish]

Pat Moran slammed his girlfriend's face into a metal garbage can and gave her a skull fracture. He then got off with probation, probably because of his daddy.

Self-described libertarian says something fucktarded about rape.

Which of these two does Amanda Marcotte report on?

[Thane of Whiterun]

Sorry for being a moron, but who's Pat Moran?

[Irish]

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.....a-heights/

He's Democratic Congressman Jim Moran's son. Jim Moran, by the way, was accused by his first wife of domestic abuse in 2000, although he was never charged.

Pat Moran got off with probation because his girlfriend claimed her 'heel broke' and that's how she fell into the metal cage. Problem? A police officer observed Moran grab her by the back of the head and slam her face first into a metal trash can cage.

So, not only is this a story of multi-generational domestic abuse, it's a situation in which a privileged white son of a congressman got off the hook in a political town despite being observed beating his girlfriend by a police officer.

Not a big enough story for Amanda Marcotte.

Oh, Pat Moran's also the guy who got caught by Project Veritas trying to tell people how to commit election fraud.

[Xenocles]

See? Juries don't take everything cops say for granted.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The federal government has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims arising from the nasty habit immigration agents have of kicking in doors without a warrant.

A path to litigiouship. AND WHY ARE THEY GETTING BETTER CIVIL LIBERTIES THAN THE REST OF US ANYWAY?

[Longtorso]

Scientist predicts earth is heading for another Ice Age
...More worryingly, the combination of sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow experienced across much of the country recently could be the prelude to a new Ice Age that will begin next year and last for 200 years.

Russian scientist Dr Habibullo Abdussamatov, of the St Petersburg Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, painted the Doomsday scenario saying the recent inclement weather simply proved we were heading towards a frozen planet.

Dr Abdussamatov believes Earth was on an "unavoidable advance towards a deep temperature drop". The last big freeze, known as the Little Ice Age, was between 1650 and 1850....

[Longtorso]

As an aside, thank Cthulhu Gore didn't win in 2000 and pass anything climate-related. Can you imagine how the libs would have treated the 16 year pause in warming if they could claim their law preceded it and thus caused it?

"WE SAVED HUMANITY!!!! GIVE US EVEN MORE POWER!!!!"

[NeonCat]

Eventually, it will, followed by another warming period, etc. until the Sun expands and destroys the biosphere completely.

[Art Vandelay]

You're such a pessimist.

[NeonCat]

All I can think of is "THROW ANOTHER LOG ON THE FIRE" from Fallen Angels.

[BuSab Agent]

In truth, this is way scarier than the threat of warmer nights and a longer growing season.

[Gene]

He offers nothing as far as evidence other than the jet being south of where it normally is in the end of March. I'm old enough to remember the 70s and recall blizzards in March and snow in April. I am all for global warming but I'll take local warming. Also as shitty a winter as we've had I still plan on having my first bananas planted in the garden by The first week of May.

[Nooge.]

This is all quite simple. Global warming can cause temperatures to be very hot or very cold. It can cause too much rain or too little rain. It can cause unseasonable snow, unseasonable heat, unseasonable humidity, and unseasonable precipitation. Because weather and climate are totally the same thing, okay? The science is settled.

[sloopyinca]

OK, so who's up for another "Reason Baby Naming Contest"?

[db]

Woohoo! Congrats!?

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Ditto! Awesome!

[CE]

Who would name their child "Woohoo" or "Congrats" or "Ditto" or "Awesome". THere must be better choices out there.

[Mad Scientist]

Oh no you di-int!

[A Serious Man]

Is she pregnant again? Jeez, you're like my parents who had three pairs of two kids within 16 months of each other.

[sloopyinca]

We're hoping to have this one on December 2nd as well to further cut down on gifts/party costs.

Also, fuck the IRS...again!

[NoVAHockey]

"fuck the IRS"

there's your name.

[A Serious Man]

I like you're style. Congrats to you both!

[Rasilio]

I'm thinking with another one on the way it isn't the IRS you guys have been fucking.

That said there is a benefit if the little one waits around until the 1st of Jan, you can max out your FSA for next year use all $2500 of it, then after the baby is born file a change of life event canceling your FSA and then you basically get $2500 in free money to pay the medical bills.

[Restoras]

Remington

[Fist of Etiquette]

Second! With the punctuation.

[A Serious Man]

Since you announced this news on First Contact Day (which will occur fifty years from now), I'll suggest Zephram Cochran Spicer if its a boy and Token Black Picard Foil Woman Spicer if it's a girl.

[Fist of Etiquette]

She has a name, you know. It's Alfre Woodard's Character.

[Episiarch]

Members of Project Sloopy have a name?

[sloopyinca]

There's a lot to those names. We were planning on going simple with the first names and leaving the middle one up to you guys again (for a fee).
Lysander ________ Spicer if a boy (and we'll call him Sandy)

Girls names are still up in the air, but it's gonna end up a boy anyhow so it really doesn't matter.

[jesse.in.mb]

Why would you call your son Sandy? As someone who has a boys name that has slipped primarily to lady usage in my lifetime, I respectfully request that you don't do that to your child.

[A Serious Man]

Sandy is fine as long as he grows up left-handed and learns how to pitch.

[sloopyinca]

What else do you call someone named "Lysander"?

[Alack]

Lisa

[jesse.in.mb]

Sander, Liz, Mister Mxyzptlk, Andy...

[sloopyinca]

We could call him Zander and prepare him to someday say " "one day, someone like me is going to kill you and your whole fucking race!" when we're at war with the bugs.

[kinnath]

Lyzzyrd Skynyrd

[Xenocles]

Spoony

[sloopyinca]

As someone who has a boys name that has slipped primarily to lady usage in my lifetime, I respectfully request that you don't do that to your child.

Yeah, but just look at the way you tur...

You may have a point.

[Irish]

Jesse was straight until the name usage flipped. All of the sudden his life was nothing but a swirling vortex of hedonism, glitter and H&R postings.

IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?!

[jesse.in.mb]

Hey now, I'm all kinds of awesome. Any parents should be proud to have a child that turns out like me. And technically only the hedonism and H&R postings bit are true; I HATE glitter.

[jesse.in.mb]

Here let me add an example of what happens when you give a boy a name that's better suited to a girl.

Lindsey Graham

[Bobarian]

Lindsey Lohan

See, doesn't work out so well if you're a girl, either

[Francisco d Anconia]

Sandy?

Boy named Sue. Should grow up tough.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

jesse, don't make me have this whole conversation about Lindsey Buckingham again, because these assholes don't like Fleetwood Mac and I have some shopping to do.

[jesse.in.mb]

I think I must have missed previous iterations of this conversation because I don't know where this is going. Sit a spell and tell us Nicole.

[Irish]

Why don't people here like Fleetwood Mac?

There are really random hatreds on H&R. Do Statists not give you guys enough things to hate, that you have to go around hating 70's rock bands, too?

[Episiarch]

I like Fleetwood Mac. I have no idea what nicole is babbling about. She probably has her period or something.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Stop collectivizing us, collectivist!

I bet you call your casserole pizza!

[Irish]

No, but I call your pizza 'cardboard.'

[Thane of Whiterun]

It promotes colon health.

[Killazontherun]

Some of their songs are amongst my favorites. Never going back again, etc.

[Cheradenine Zakalwe]

Wait. Who the fuck doesn't like Fleetwood Mac?

[jesse.in.mb]

Who the fuck doesn't like Fleetwood Mac?

I would say "terrible people" but Epi likes it, so I'm going to have to rethink that.

[RBS]

I don't like Fleetwood Mac. Boring as shit. I think I'm one of only a handful of commenters that dislike them though.

[Xenocles]

I'll bid $10 on Tom Brady for a boy.

[RBS]

Lysander Schembechler Spicer.

[Irish]

Congratulations, Sloopy!

Personally, I'm unsure as to whether I should have children and indoctrinate them into a deep and unyielding hatred of government, or not have children so as to deprive the state of the fruits of my noble essence.

Decisions, decisions.

[Pro Libertate]

Congratulations! I suggest Fecundia.

[Citizen Nothing]

That was quick.

[sloopyinca]

A bit. But now we have a designated driver for the Cal game!

[Citizen Nothing]

Woohoo! Did you make it to the basketball game?

[sloopyinca]

Both of them. One was fun. The other wasn't.

That said, I did involve Baby Reason in smuggling a pint of liquor into the game. So there was at least that.

[Nooge.]

That is fucking awesome.

[Tim]

They're breeding like rabbits...

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Oh yeah! Damn I hope the Raiders play the following Sunday. Football weekend!

[EDG reppin' LBC]

B?by D?nger would be very metal!

[sloopyinca]

Lysander Futy Spicer for the boys in blue when he gets older.

[Virginian]

Mazel Tov!

[Alack]

Might I suggest Abortia Di Rossi?

[Alack]

(Congrats)

[Francisco d Anconia]

Gotta go with "Logic".

[sloopyinca]

We're both fairly religious, so we could go with "Faith" if a girl.

I wanted to go with Jesus H. Christ Spicer if a boy but Banjos has completely nixed the idea.

[Irish]

My dad wanted to name me D'Artagnan, but my jerk of a mom nixed it.

Why do women ruin everything fun? If we could reproduce asexually, there'd be tons of guys running around with names like Optimus Prime, which would be awesome.

[B.P.]

I was all set to name my son Philo Farnsworth [last name], but the wife nixed it. I liked the old tradition of naming a child after an historical figure.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My wife and I have an agreement: I get to name the boys, she names the girls.

Three girls in and we still haven't had a boy. I'm pissed.

[jesse.in.mb]

You need to add a centrifuge to your love making!

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

That's my agreement too if I ever have kids with my boyfriend. He hates my girl name, but I wants it!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I had all kinds of great names for girls. All sorts of historical and obscure. One was even Biblical.

Of course, my wife had to go and pick boring, regular names for my kids. Something about not wanting them to get picked on.

Spoilsport.

[B.P.]

I did manage to extract John Henry [last name]. I figure he'll know at least one historical parable. Maybe get a hammer tattoo, if the kids are still doing that when he's older.

[sloopyinca]

Oh, Jesus. The wife just said if it's a girl, we should go with "Lulu".

[jesse.in.mb]

Just like the yoga pants!

[Apatheist ?_??]

Lilu Dallas Multipass Spicer

[Apatheist ?_??]

Leeloo fuck

[Cheradenine Zakalwe]

Hey, that's my mom's nickname! Episiarch and I won't let you say a bad word about her!

[Cheradenine Zakalwe]

^^ Re: Lulu

[Thane of Whiterun]

Episiarch and I

?

[Cheradenine Zakalwe]

He expressed some fondness for her affections the other day.

[Jesus H. Christ]

Hey!!

[Tejicano]

WTH? Doesn't Banjos know that almost half the male population of the South American continent - and central America as well - is named Jesus? What's wrong with that?

Or was it something to do with the intial H?

[BuSab Agent]

Bloodstorm. I always wanted to name one of my kids this but the hubby would never agree. (He wouldn't even let me use it as a middle name...how cool would that be? Hey, what's the B stand for?)

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Whoa, seriously?

[MJGreen]

Congrats!

I'll be unoriginal and suggest "Seven." That's assuming Soda is out of the running.

[DesigNate]

Congrats y'all!

[Crackers Boy]

Glock

CB

[hamilton]

Congrats Sloop!

(And Banjos for your participation - you may want to make sure Sloopy gets a lot of rest over the next nine months or so; he's done a lot of hard work).

[kinnath]

In 1982, I became unemployed. 30 years ago, in 1983, I was no longer unemployed because I was no longer participating in the labor market. I was buzy being a starving college student with two kids at home. At least the Reagan administration was kind enough to thank me for not screwing up their unemployment numbers.

[A Serious Man]

Wesley Snipes is out of prison.

Snipes had been paying millions in federal income taxes when, according to prosecutors, he accepted the arguments of his two co-defendants, an accountant and an anti-tax idealogue. In lengthy filings to the IRS, the three defendants claimed they did not legally have to pay taxes, citing an obscure section of the tax code that establishes that foreign sources of income for U.S. citizens are taxable.

Obviously they threw the book at him just to make an example.

[Pro Libertate]

I hope he's a total libertarian now.

[A Serious Man]

But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

[Pro Libertate]

Nah, he's Wesley Snipes!

[EDG reppin' LBC]

He's the Daywalker!

[CE]

You don't need to make arcane legal arguments. It's your money, and if they imprison you because you won't hand it over, they're the crooks.

[sloopyinca]

This is what we can expect with a nationalized health care system in place. Women getting turned away from hospitals and having their babies in hotels.

As a side note, the baby already has fucked up teeth, so the father is understandable relieved.

[NeonCat]

"Aaaa-wayyyy in a hotel
No room on a ward
This little British baby
Has ju-ust been born..."

[db]

There's bedbugs and headlice
In many hotels
But babies and mothers
Can just go to hell

N-H-S lacks funding
Or so we are told
So mothers and babies
Can lie in the mold

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Pat O'Brien, UCLH Clinical Director, said: "The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advises that any woman assessed to be in the very early stages of labour, and who is giving birth for the first time, is advised to go home until labour is more advanced, keeping in contact with the hospital by phone to advise on progress.

Christ, the mind of a mangerialist at work--"Don't bother us until your contractions are five minutes apart, and call us with updates!"

Nuke Britain today.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Mapping hate speech to predict ethnic violence

The role played by the station only became widely understood outside of Rwanda after the violence was over. Three of its former executives were eventually indicted by a U.N. tribunal for their part in the genocide, but what if the world had been monitoring Milles Collines before the killing started?

That's the idea behind Hatebase, a new initiative from the Sentinel Project, a Canadian group that aims to use social media and other technology to identify early warning signals for ethnic conflict.

How long until this database, whatever its intentions, gets turned into a SPLC-type outfit?

[Alack]

A real life Minority Report, to be sure.

[John]

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/.....University

Remember gay rights will never be used as a way to oppress people. Never. It is a real shame the gay rights movement has been co-opted by totalitarian assholes like this. If these guys don't like what they are saying at the Newman Center, DON'T GO THERE. Some people honestly believe every organization owes them changing to fit their preferences.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Quite hubristic for the gay rights movement to assume that they will always be viewed in a sympathetic light and that social movements can't reverse themselves. Gay rights even in areas that are non-controversial for libertarians (i.e., anti-sodomy laws) are quite recent, and can be undone by future governments. Gays should look at the fate of the religious right, and ask themselves whether they want to have the same political trajectory.

[John]

How are these assholes any different than some strict Christian bitching about them showing a movie on campus they don't like?

[Virginian]

It's exactly the same thing, honestly.

[Alack]

Because they're oppressed in other areas of life and thus make convenient allies for the left?

[Zeb]

Sounds pretty dumb. But if it is a privatge university and they do it through ordinary social protest, I don't see the problem. You have the right to your religious views, but you also have the right to protest other people's religious views. The priest's freedom of religion does not guarantee him employment at GWU.

Lots of people used to religiously believe that some races were inferior. Now that is pretty rare, largely because of outside social pressure against that sort of thing. If the same thing happens to anti-gay traditional morality, I won't be sad.

[John]

But doing so makes you an asshole. Look at it this way. Mormons don't drink caffeine or alcohol. I drink both. But you know what, I am not a Mormon and have no desire to be one because of that. I don't go down to the local Temple and start protesting how oppressive the Mormon Church is because it discriminates against coffee drinkers like me. Why? Because I think the Mormons have a right to thing what they want and do what they like without assholes like me down protesting.

Sure they can protest Zeb. And I can call them totalitarian fuckwits for doing so.

[Zeb]

Sure. And these people do sound like assholes. I just don't think they are oppressing anyone. Not yet anyway.

[Francisco d Anconia]

But doing so makes you an asshole.

You should go and protest the protesters.

As long as no one is proposing the use of force, who cares?

[Eduard van Haalen]

One factor I'd like to point out. They're trying to get a priest fired for teaching Catholic doctrine on marriage and sex. Then there's this from the article:

"the charge being lodged by Damian Legacy and Blake Bergen"

Who could possibly imagine that someone named Damian would dislike a priest?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Henry VIII tries online dating (featuring Brian Blessed!)

[Pro Libertate]

Brian Blessed is awesome. I love his voice. He's one of those actors we should've seen more of, and in better roles (though he's had some good ones over the years).

[The Immaculate Trouser]

He's great. When they were casting for Game of Thrones, I always thought he'd make a fantastic Robert Baratheon (though Mark Addy did a great job in that role).

[Pro Libertate]

No doubt. He was superb as Exeter in Henry V. Womby vaultages for the win!

I definitely don't get why he hasn't had better roles in movies over the years. He's pretty old now, but what about the previous twenty years?

[Red Rocks Rockin]

He would have been perfect if the series came out 20 years ago. He's getting pretty long in the tooth now, though. The guy was on I, Claudius in the mid-1970s, for god's sake.

One of the classic acting voices, though, on par with James Earl Jones.

[Pro Libertate]

That's what I was thinking. They should do a buddy cop picture.

[A Serious Man]

International Topless Jihad Day! (NSFW photos within)

[John]

Who doesn't love boobs?

[JMos]

I love the woman in the video who attacks them for being colonialist and racist.

[NeonCat]

From the Onion: "Syrians' Lives are Worthless," Obama Tells Daughters Before Kissing them Goodnight

http://www.theonion.com/articl...../?ref=auto

"Sweet dreams. And don't ever think about the Syrian people?not even once. I don't. All right, see you in the morning."

[Libertarian]

"Not so fast, say Washington officials. Just because marijuana is legal doesn't mean you can get high in bars. Reasoning to come later."

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise? Perhaps i t will cause people to realize that "legal but heavily controlled and heavily taxed" is an oxymoron?

[Zeb]

It's not an oxymoron. Just not that great. Still a lot better than having possession be illegal.

[The Late P Brooks]

"How do I make myself comfortable with privilege?"

Tipping the shoeshine boy generally helps.

[NeonCat]

I thought the progressive way was to feel guilty about it but then justify it by pretending to be in solidarity with whomever they feel lacks privilege.

[CE]

A pat on the head should be enough, but if you're really loaded, you can hand out dimes like Rockefeller did.

[sloopyinca]

Violent cop accused of roughing up man who heroically crashed his plane on a runway instead of a populated area. Cop is unavailable to answer questions as he is already on a taxpayer-funded paid vacation for sexual misconduct.

And in typical Washington State fashion, his coworkers are conducting the investigation.

[Virginian]

What the fuck is wrong with these mongoloid fucks? I mean I cannot even fathom the mindset where the proper thing to do is Tase this guy. It seems to me the first response should be "Is anyone hurt?" After that, I'm thinking "Shit, what do we need to do to get this cleared up?"

Then I fucking do it. A cop's first thought seems to be to look for someone to brutalize.

[John]

Newport responded to the airport because of the crash and became hostile while Thomas stayed on the phone with the Federal Aviation Administration after the crash. Newport asked him to hang up and provide his pilot's license ? which he later did, attorney Richard Lewis said

You are just conditioned to fuck up anyone who doesn't immediately do what you tell them.

[Virginian]

So he treated a plane crash like it was a single car accident?

My god these people are literally retarded, and they have guns and electric shock guns and backup who will help them assault people.

[Episiarch]

Who do you think is attracted to a job where you can brutalize people with little to no consequences? Fred Rogers?

[sloopyinca]

It's even worse. When you've got a cool-ass name like "Rex Newport," why do you waste it on becoming a cop? That guy could have done anything with his life, but he decided to be a tazering, rapist piece of shit with a badge.

[John]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50144220n

Michelle describes herself as a busy single mother.

[Pro Libertate]

Wait, what?

[Virginian]

Are you denying that she is a mother? RACIST!

[Pro Libertate]

Sexist. Please properly label my offense.

[Episiarch]

Wait, what?

[Pro Libertate]

So is it--

* Secret divorce?
* She's a beard?
* He's her male prostitute?
* They were never married?
* Scientology?

[Episiarch]

I think it's that wookies have no formal marriage ceremony.

[Pro Libertate]

That can't be right. Didn't you see The Star Wars Christmas Special?

[Episiarch]

No, no, ProL, you don't understand. She got involved with a human, and wookie culture frowns upon miscegenation. So the wookie elders refused to sanctify their union.

You're surprisingly ignorant about this. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing how ignorant you are about everything.

[Pro Libertate]

I bet you've never even seen The Star Wars Christmas Special. I did. I was a kid, full of expectations, believing that all Lucas touched was gold-pressed latinum. WRONG!

[Episiarch]

I saw it. And purged it from my head immediately. I bet you didn't think little kids could do that. WELL I COULD.

[Pro Libertate]

I mean, how could it suck? Lucas, half the cast from the movie, Bea Arthur, Harvey Korman. . . but it did.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It's that damnable Wookie patriarchy double standard. I don't remember anyone complaining when Lumpy jacked it to Diahann Carroll, but a Wookie female wants some human lovin' and suddenly we see the violence inherent in the system!

[Episiarch]

WOOKIE GAZE

[Chris Mallory]

Barry O is one of the reptilians, like the Queen and the Kardasians.

[Alack]

Never married or sham marriage, as per the post-2008 election episode of South Park.

[A Serious Man]

Wait, what?

[sloopyinca]

Michelle describes herself as a busy single mother.

In related news, Reggie Love just got a boner.

[Pro Libertate]

Wait, what?

[John]

How long before Reggie Love writes his tell all?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

How does one mischaracterize themselves so badly? She's fucking married. I don't forget I'm married. What a dummy. And her husband must be thrilled.

[NeonCat]

Obviously she's confused and exhausted. The Obamas need to go on vacation, obviously.

[DJF]

She's a golf widow.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

I'm wondering if this is more a case of her being so inured to common grievancemongering expressions that it just slipped out.

[Eduard van Haalen]

I often have that problem as a left-handed lesbian welder of color.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

90s Nostalgia, Day Five: The Entirely Predictable Feminist Rock Post, With Great Videos

As with alternative rock radio, the forces of suck, however, will reassert themselves, and the backlash at the time was, looking back, a bit traumatic for me?probably one of the most significant learning experiences I've had in terms of learning how much the world will fight back when women just try to do their thing unmolested. It would be easy to focus on the increasing levels of pressure to have sexual objectification in videos, but that would be a bit dishonest from me, because on a purely emotional level, that wasn't even at the top of my list of concerns. It was much, much more than that, a sense that women who were creating from an honest point of view were being slowly squeezed out of popular music and being replaced with women whose voices seemed less fun, more stereotyped, and less human to me.

[Episiarch]

I hope you burn in hell for this.

[Pro Libertate]

The forces of suck?

[Thane of Whiterun]

I'm not reading that. I don't want her ruining music for me.

But I will note that in terms of "creating from an honest point of view", it does seem that most decent rock bands with women in them are quickly typecast as GIRL POWERRRRRRR outfits.

That happens to often be partly the fault of female fans, but still, it sucks.

[NeonCat]

Is she upset because no one cares about Meredith Brooks anymore?

[Joe M]

I am a fan of plenty of female musicians with their heydays in the 1990s, like Suzanne Vega, Luscious Jackson, and Bj?rk. Tori Amos is okay, but I went to a concert of hers once and wanted to kill myself. The endless, mindless screaming of her teen girl fans made it impossible to actually, you know, listen to the music.

[NeonCat]

I liked Tori Amos until I saw her perform on a small stage for a radio station promo. Since then I've agreed with my sister's nickname for her: Totally Aimless.

[The Late P Brooks]

Michelle describes herself as a busy single mother.

Beard.

[Pro Libertate]

That's was quick, answering my question before I asked it.

[A Serious Man]

Naked Australian paddles across crocodile-infested river to win a bottle of whiskey.

[Pro Libertate]

It's weird that the most American other country is Australia.

[phandaal]

It was founded by a bunch of criminals, after all.

[Pro Libertate]

So was Georgia. The state, I mean.

[Virginian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IfWXjRLCDc

[A Serious Man]

Yeah, Florida/Australia, what's the difference?

[Pro Libertate]

Nothing except the lethal fauna, but we're catching up with our pythons.

[DRM]

Weird? They were founded specifically as a replacement for British America, because the Empire couldn't ship their convicts here anymore.

[Pro Libertate]

What about Canada? We're in the same hemisphere and stuff.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Cruel and unusual punishment. The English weren't *barbarians.*

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Question: can someone tell me what the hell this sentence is supposed to mean?

There's very little doubt, I suspect, in the minds of anyone that Kathleen Sebelius's choice, which was vigorously defended by President Obama (and suspected to come from him), to overrule the FDA's decision to make Plan B emergency contraception available over-the-counter without age restrictions, was pure politics.

Remember, proofreading is the enemy!

[NeonCat]

I don't know, but you can bet Republicans are to blame.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Without reading TFA, I'm going to guess it has something to do with femsplaining why the prez isn't part of the WAR ON WOMEN even though he's come in the way of their REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS?

[Alack]

There's very little doubt, I suspect, in the minds of anyone that Kathleen Sebelius's choice, which was vigorously defended by President Obama (and suspected to come from him), to overrule the FDA's decision to make Plan B emergency contraception available over-the-counter without age restrictions, was pure politics.

"Refusing to go with the FDA's plan was purely political." Was that so hard?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

But why use ten words, when you could write an elliptical 50ish-word paragraph that tasks the reader to suss out meaning?

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Well, a lot of words were unnecessary, but it wasn't actually that hard to parse.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

English is my second language -- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

[Thane of Whiterun]

Something to class up the joint a bit with.

[Auric Demonocles]

I don't even have to drop a joke in here, do I

I'll allow it.

[Thane of Whiterun]

This is, in general, so stupid I don't even feel like bothering.

I thought you folks would enjoy this, though:

Ultimately, the cheers were loud for both sides, though it appeared that the "Star Trek" argument came out slightly ahead, reversing what had seemed like an audience stacked in favor of "Star Wars" at the onset.

But to any attendees who felt disappointed with the results, Mattu offered some positive news.

"Here's how we all win: We all have J.J. Abrams now."

[NeonCat]

Goddamn J.J. Abrams?

[A Serious Man]

The last Star Trek movie they made was called Nemesis and that was over 10 years ago.

They did, however, release a new Star Wars movie directed by Abrams in 2009 and this upcoming May he'll be directing another Star Wars movie.

I sure do hope they bring back Star Trek though.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I don't get the Star Trek 2009 hate. It was a decent action movie with caricatured versions of the original Star Trek characters -- I'd rather watch that than Kirk finding God with a space hippie, or The Motion Picture.

[A Serious Man]

I don't get the Star Trek 2009 hate. It was a decent action movie with caricatured versions of the original Star Trek characters.

That's fine, but don't fucking call it Star Trek. It was a mediocre movie with an idiotic story and premise and about as deep as a puddle. Again, fine to watch for some mindless entertainment but don't call it Star Trek.

I'd rather watch that than Kirk finding God with a space hippie, or The Motion Picture.

Those may not have been good movies but at least they tried to be provocative and a change of pace from Star Wars and its many sci-fi clones. I'd rather analyze those movies, even if its for flaws, than watch a mediocre Star Wars clone like the Abrams Trek was.

[Episiarch]

Or you can just watch all of them and take them for what they're worth.

[A Serious Man]

I'll probably end up seeing Into Darkness just for Cumberbatch as the villain.

[Episiarch]

I hope this character is as big an asshole as he is as Holmes. I've come to really enjoy that.

[A Serious Man]

Really, the idea that there is a terrorist blowing shit up on Earth in the utopian 23rd century is a very interesting premise.

My biggest problem with Trek 09 was that the villain was boring and had very confusing motives.

[Episiarch]

Trek 09 had the difficulty of being the first reboot, and had to introduce a lot of stuff. This new one is free to just be a high-octane action movie without having to do a ton of backstory. I imagine it'll be totally watchable.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeah, he's great. I think he's going to be the go-to asshole for years to come. Kind of like Sean Bean is the go-to dead guy.

[Episiarch]

I thought I was the go-to asshole, ProL.

[Pro Libertate]

I meant on-screen.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Agree. I thought the reboot was awesome.

[Joe M]

Yep. I love the original Star Trek, but the reboot was just a lot of fun, and I'm okay with that. And I normally hate that type of thing.

[Pro Libertate]

Blah. I'd prefer a new series, based entirely on Harry Mudd.

[Thane of Whiterun]

I thought it was OK. "Gee, that was an interesting movie about time-traveling space-miners!"

But that was the only Trek I'd ever seen, so I wouldn't know any better, regardless.

[Xenocles]

They made a Star Trek movie 10 years ago? How did I miss that? Was it better than Generations?

[A Serious Man]

I think Nemesis is very much underrated. It's not a great movie, but it isn't as terrible as people say it was. It has redeeming features like an interesting villain and the overall theme of nature vs nurture was intriguing, if frustratingly underdeveloped.

[NeonCat]

The Data prototype subplot really detracted from the movie. I guess they wanted to give themselves a way to have another NG movie but it did not work.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It was entertaining in spite of itself.

[Xenocles]

Ugh. There's not much sense in arguing on taste, but in my opinion it was characterless action BS. I agree completely with Plinkett. Nothing in that movie made any damn sense. The Romulans accepting a human as their leader (You kidding me? The Romulans were possibly the most racist of all the major powers in Trek.), the plot to destroy Earth, the B4 subplot (where'd Shinzon get a specimen of extremely rare technology?), Picard's taking on the entire Scimitar crew alone, Data's death (bring two transporter things! leave a bomb!) - nothing.

You know, the real problem with the TNG movies is that they are inhabited by different characters than the show. Characters who do pointless action instead of thinking.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I agree with all of that, but I still think that some of the elements in the movie were somewhat interesting. I liked the theme of the movie, but the execution of those themes, really poor use of canon (which I normally could give half a shit about), and the bad Data plot were all bad.

TBH, I'm not a big fan of TNG and even less a fan of the TNG movies. First Contact was my favorite of those.

[Episiarch]

the real problem with the TNG movies is that they are inhabited by different characters than the show

I agree with this part, but frankly, when your TV show doesn't have Data hulking out and throwing shit through walls when it's been clearly explained that he can, that actually detracts a ton from your plot. "Why isn't Data just resolving this plot complication using his superior strength and speed? He totally could. This is stupid."

At least the movies got a little more realistic about that stuff. And frankly watching Picard mow down tons of Borg with a holographic Tommy gun is way more fun that watching him order Earl Grey tea. Because I fucking hate bergamot.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

In all honesty, TNG's strong point was never characterization. Any one of the characters except perhaps Data was interchangeable and molded to whatever the script needed them to be.

[jesse.in.mb]

Because I fucking hate bergamot.

Oh no you didn'... It's so on Episiarch.

[Episiarch]

Shut up, jesse, we all know Barclay was your favorite character.

[jesse.in.mb]

we all know Barclay was your favorite character.

Only when he's on Voyager Epi, only when he's on Voyager.

[Xenocles]

They should have just remade The Best of Both Worlds. But they probably would have lost a ton of money.

[A Serious Man]

The Romulans accepting a human as their leader (You kidding me? The Romulans were possibly the most racist of all the major powers in Trek.)

Well he did hold all the cards with the most powerful ship in the Romulan Empire and the nerve gas.

the plot to destroy Earth

Shinzon's plan:
Step 1: Decapitate Romulan high command by killing senate and prateor
Step 2: Destroy Earth in a show of force, thus winning acceptance from rest of Empire for taking out Empire's mortal enemies
Step 3: Conquer rest of galaxy?

the plot to destroy Earth, the B4 subplot (where'd Shinzon get a specimen of extremely rare technology?), Picard's taking on the entire Scimitar crew alone

These two things really dragged down the entire movie.

Data's death (bring two transporter things! leave a bomb!) - nothing.

Meh, I would have handled it differently, but if the movie had been good up to that point I would have accepted the Wrath of Khan retread with Data dying like Spock to save the Enterprise.

[Xenocles]

So the Reman slaves just built the ship in their spare time and with their access to a wide array of resources and industrial processes and technological skill at some sort of hidden site?

Destroying Earth doesn't do anything. DS9 had the Breen crush Starfleet Command in a surprise attack to no major effect. Destroying Earth has only nostalgic effect to a society that has spread to multiple planets and is made of multiple races. Also his beef was with the Romulans in the first place; you'd think he'd want to spend more time crushing them under his heel.

[Francisco d Anconia]

My favorite TNG movie was First Contact.

I loved Zefram Cochrane.

[Xenocles]

Just to be clear, I hated Generations too. In retrospect, they all sucked. I only appreciated any of them at the time because I was a kid.

[Pro Libertate]

Probably the only one I could tolerate was First Contact, but I don't feel much need to watch it again, either.

Really, the only Star Trek movie that approached being a great movie was Wrath of Khan.

[A Serious Man]

Wrath of Khan was the only Trek movie that was great as a serious movie. A few others like The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country were great as fan service with their self-effacing humor.

First Contact succeeded because the Borg are just great villains and Alfrie Woodward.

[Pro Libertate]

Right, I agree. First Contact also had Alice Krige, who is usually pretty entertaining.

Nick Meyer deserves a whole lot more credit than he gets for his role with Star Trek. He was involved in all of the even-numbered original movies. They should let him create a new series.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Your observation is superior.

[sloopyinca]

So let me see if I've got this right. A cop has resigned in lieu of termination after an internal investigation into him shooting a 15 year old to death. But somhow the DA doesn't have the evidence to bring it to trial.

Yeah, that's not fishy at all.

[Virginian]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....02012.html

There's a lesson here.

[A Serious Man]

The Five Worst Things About Dating in College.

[Virginian]

http://www.politicususa.com/ga.....5-pay.html

Weapons grade stupid.

[A Serious Man]

Yeah but this guy trolled them pretty good:

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

Republicans are Silent? ROFL
Oooh, Obama gives back $20,000, but I guess the DEMS were silent when Rand Paul gave back $600,000, 20% of his annual office budget or when Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, returned $160,000 to the federal government, or 12% of his office budget Interesting..

[Irish]

I like going to left-wing sites and only reading the comments that are hidden due to low comment rating.

They're always the most intelligent ones.

[JMos]

Another fun thing to do is to read the comments on articles about Republicans doing something they agree with. The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

[A Serious Man]

Alt-text: I don't even have to drop a joke here, do I?

Lana: OK, fine, I can't prove anything right now.
Mallory: That didn't stop J. Edna Hoover from persecuting Martin Luther King, now did it?
Lana: What does that have to do... Wait, J. Edna?
Mallory: You never heard that? How Hoover was a huge cross-dressing chicken hawk?
Lana: I had not.
Mallory: Well that's exactly the kind of slanderous and unsubstantiated rumor that I will not tolerate at ISIS. Think about that while you're on suspension.
Lana: While I'm on what?!
Mallory: What are you, deaf and racist?
Lana: I'm black!
Mallory: Oh, put it back in the deck.

[The Last American Hero]

Smoking tobacco is illegal in WA bars and restaurants, so why would smoking pot be legal in these establishments? The law is bs, but they are being consistent.

[Episiarch]

"Private" clubs can allow smoking if they want, and it sounds like the state is trying to block extending that to weed. Which is asinine.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Quite bizarre, considering that private clubs would mitigate the alleged social damage of allowing yutes to see public smoking of marijuana.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Anyone seen Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed? I'm watching on H2 as I type.

Interesting. Comparing the Republic's fall to what has happened to Republics throughout history.

Has Dan Rather talking about how all dictators start out by "saying they are going to help the little guy."

It was made in 2007. I wonder if he can now appreciate the irony?

[Thane of Whiterun]

Is H2 the channel that shows things besides Pawn Stars?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Is H2 the channel that shows things besides Pawn Stars?

They also have Ancient Aliens.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Also, looking at Wikipedia, it appears that it acknowledges The Phantom Menace.

[A Serious Man]

I thought one of the biggest flaws with the prequels was that it never really established why it was such a bad thing for the Outer Rim territories to secede from the Republic.

I mean wasn't it all about bullshit taxes that the central government was imposing on trade routes and was thus bleeding the outside systems dry? Yeah, they signed up with the evil capitalist Trade Federation (with the fish-headed Asian aliens), but that's just Lucas showcasing his left-wing idiocy.

Given how the centralized authority of the Republic is corrupted by the Emperor I'd say Lucas unintentionally wrote a libertarian story that proves why centralized authority is bad.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Bad from whose perspective? The separatists'? Or the audience?

[Bobarian]

Everything was bad from the audience's perspective.

[Eduard van Haalen]

+1 Jar Jar

[Francisco d Anconia]

Given how the centralized authority of the Republic is corrupted by the Emperor I'd say Lucas unintentionally wrote a libertarian story that proves why centralized authority is bad.

I was thinking this.

The funny part is these leftists, in a pre-Obama documentary are discussing how tyrants come about during falls in republics. Class warfare, creating crisis to seize more power...

It's delicious.

Gotta find out when this is on again so I can record it.

[Episiarch]

Lucas is just terrible enough of a writer to do that. Completely accidentally, of course.

[A Serious Man]

Right? I mean Han Solo is a heroic smuggler because he's operating against the Empire, but if he were operating against the Republic he'd be a villain according to Lucas' logic since democracy means he has no right to make a living running cargo if the majority says pay your taxes.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Given how the centralized authority of the Republic is corrupted by the Emperor I'd say Lucas unintentionally wrote a libertarian story that proves why centralized authority is bad.

Contemplating the politics of the Republic really hammers home how badly Lucas fucked up the prequels and the Darth Vader character in particular.

Lucas has mentioned how the Star Wars saga is really about Vader's redemption, and I totally buy that. But we're led to believe in IV-VI that Vader was a true badass of the highest order before becoming a Sith--a prodigy with talents beyond anything the other Jedi possessed.

The main problem with the Republic is that it IS corrupt to its core, and if Lucas had portrayed Anakin as an idealist who became disenchanted with how the Jedi helped to prop up what is essentially a war-mongering, corrupt regime, then his turn to the Dark Side makes a lot more sense. But instead Lucas gave him a buttload of Mommy issues and completely neutered what made Vader a truly sinister presence--a fanatic with complete faith in the righteousness of his cause.

[Eduard van Haalen]

He *did* think the Jedi were wrong to have him spy on Palpatine.

Then they made a big fuss about arresting Palpatine for trial by the Senate, then Mace changed his mind and decided to kill him without trial, provoking Anakin's objection (which we're not supposed to take seriously because Palpatine had him kill that Dooku guy, so they're both hypocrites yada yada).

[The Immaculate Trouser]

IMO Star Wars offers one of the most contrived imperial formations of all the major sci-fi franchises. A civilian PM in an extremely decentralized government with divvied up civilian and military functions is going to have a real hard time establishing a base of support, much less the type of support that allows for complete, unquestioned control of every aspect of government.

[Virginian]

Unless he can influence people's minds with the Force.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Yeah, but that's a cop-out. If every plot hole or contrivance can be explained away using the force, it reduces the dramatic tension.

Besides, I doubt that the intent was to have Palpy influencing the lives of trillions of beings across the galaxy. Else, why would Lucas have even needed to show Palpatine rising up the ranks of the formal power structure, if he had that kind of unlimited power?

[Pro Libertate]

[Waves hand] These aren't the plot holes you're looking for.

[Virginian]

Because the best con man doesn't leave you unaware that you've been conned, he leaves saying to yourself "Haha I really fucked that moron over!"

Gradually applying the mind trick over a period of decades would be the way to go.

[Eduard van Haalen]

The Chancellor had the parliament pass an Enabling Act giving him supreme power. I admit that's really implausible...

[Sordid Business]

"The Chancellor had the parliament pass an Enabling Act giving him supreme power. I admit that's really implausible..."

Best Godwin ever.

[Thane of Whiterun]

The Force helps, but it appears to be limited by proximity.

[CE]

Only because they didn't have TV back then, or MSNBC.

[Thane of Whiterun]

I guess it depends on how much control the Empire really has. Is it the galactic USSR, or the galactic NATO?

Also, the Empire hardly has "complete, unquestioned control" at any point.

Not that the prequels didn't do a terrible job explaining... everything.

For instance, why did they stop using clones?

[NeonCat]

Or what the economy is based on, etc.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Spice, robots and slaves, of course.

[NeonCat]

And why call it "The Clone War"? When I was a kid I pictured a situation where some enemy was infiltrating clones into positions of power, etc. Instead, it should have been called the War of the Outer Rim Secession or some such. It makes as much sense to call it the Clone War as it would be for us to call WW the First the Doughboy War.

[Thane of Whiterun]

That's assuming that Lucas knew what the Clone Wars would be when he wrote it into A New Hope.

[Pro Libertate]

Which is total bullshit. That whole business of it all being worked out in advance is so obviously not the case.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Yeah, I think he probably had some vague notions of the history of his little universe while developing the trilogy, but I doubt he had three movies' worth, even shitty ones.

[Pro Libertate]

Lucas deserves credit where credit was due, but his supporting cast was critical to the entertainment value of Star Wars. Once he got cocky, he lost the ball.

[Generic Stranger]

I think it's been consistently demonstrated that Lucas is a great idea man, but he needs a LOT of help to bring those ideas to fruition. Any time he starts taking over and is in a position where no one can tell him "No" is when things start to suck.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I'm guessing that a galactic NATO couldn't just blow up one of its own member planets on a whim. The impression I always got was evil empire which could arbitrarily use its power and overrule any locality's rules.

[Thane of Whiterun]

Well, I just mentioned NATO as an illustration, not as the answer.

In any case, however much power the Empire has formally is only part of the issue; after all, Palpatine dissolves the Senate during ANH.

[Joe M]

As far as I'm concerned, the prequels don't exist. The backstory of my imagination is far superior.

[Pro Libertate]

I hope Disney makes that literally true. In all seriousness, they could yank those movies, treat them like Song of the South, come up with something totally different, and it wouldn't bother me one iota. What would we lose?

[Joe M]

C3P0 was built in a factory that mass-produces protocol droids. There are no such things as midochlorians. Luke and Leia's mother did not die after giving birth to two healthy children. I could go on.

But yeah, hopefully whatever the next trilogy does, it will just kinda ignore that nonsense.

[DRM]

It helps said PM take over if the only military force left in the galaxy is an army of beings that were programmed to be personally loyal to him.

And even then, he spends twenty years presiding over a not-fully-centralized system, not taking the final centralizing step (eliminating the Senate and putting control of star systems under his appointed governors) until he has a secretly-built superweapon able to blow up dissenters' planets.

When that superweapon goes tits-up, the rebellion against his centralization expands far enough that the Rebels are able to, in a handful of years, assemble a fleet with substantial numbers of capital ships, suggesting a serious failure of "complete, unquestioned" control.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I always saw the dissolving of the Senate as a silly homage to the Roman Empire (which never saw the Senate dissolved, only stripped of its powers and expanded to the point of irrelevance).

As far as the shadowy machinations of the clone army are concerned, it's idiotic on the level of lizard people conspiracy theories, and of course if the Senate had no army (which I think they didn't) then Palpy could have just steamrolled them with the Clone Army to begin with. It shocks me that George Lucas or any human being could have come up with something so stupid as a plot device.

I'll grant you that suspension of disbelief is required for any work of fiction, but Star Wars is more of a "shut your brain off and let it wash over you" franchise than most in this respect.

[The Late P Brooks]

Has anyone here heard of an alleged economist named Livingstone?

Apparently he is a house lefty at PBS, and it seems he is engaged in some sort of back-and-forth with the guy who did the Keynes vs Hayek rap videos.

I made the mistake of trying to read one of his "essays" this morning. It injured me. I cannot tell you what his argument is, because the thing was such an impenetrable morass of obfuscatory professorial blather and jargon, all I really learned was that I would like to strap him to a chair and thrash him with a knotted rope until he produces a simple declarative sentence with a plainly obvious point.

Can anyone help me? Apparently he disapproves of saving, but for the life of me, I know not why.

[JMos]

My guess is he probably believes that consumer spending drives economic growth and doesn't realize that other people and businesses borrow the money that you save. I don't know anything about him but that's the standard Keynesian line.

[Virginian]

His stated reasons or his real reasons?

[Pro Libertate]

SPEND! EVERYONE SPEND EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! ALWAYS!

[NeonCat]

If you save money, you could afford the knotted rope to hit him with.

[Irish]

Is it this guy?

Because this review of his book makes him sound like an egotistical asshole.

[T]

Sure, I got some rope out in the garage and I have a book on knots.

[The Late P Brooks]

Why Saving for a Rainy Day is Pointless

Enter if you dare.

[Pro Libertate]

Saving for retirement pointless, too?

I'm so fucking tired of all of these social engineering types, who will lie, cheat, and steal to try to manipulate voter/consumer behavior. Begone.

[JMos]

The sad thing is that even most lefty economists recognize that consumer spending at the expense of saving and investment is a bad idea. It's mostly idiotic politicians and pundits that push the "spend everything you have" line. It's especially bad around Christmas time. You can't pick up a paper without seeing some op-ed telling you to buy lots of presents to stimulate the economy. Here's a funny video refuting that idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uKnd6IEiO0

[Pro Libertate]

Not to mention that savings often mean investment of some sort.

[Irish]

According to this chucklefuck, investment by business is bad because that's what causes speculative bubbles. I'm not kidding.

Let's look at some numbers:

Savings rate from 1999-2001 never got above 3.5%. That's a historically low number. The dot com bubble occurred in 2000-2001.

From 2005-2007, the savings rate never got above 2.9%. Both of these were historic lows, especially when compared to the 9-10% savings rate in the 50's and 60's.

Low savings seems to correlate pretty heavily with bubbles, contrary to Livingstone's claim.

[CE]

Saving over 3 million is pointless.

[NeonCat]

Maybe he's trying to get people to give their spare money to PBS pledge drives?

[Irish]

Want a nice graph to disprove this idiot?

Our savings rate is less than half of what it was in the 1950's and '60s.

If saving causes bad economic times, then why has our savings rate gotten lower as our economies become less stable and more prone to bubbles?

It's almost like people spending all of their money and grabbing hold of cheap credit results in an unstable economy or something.

[Joe M]

You think? Naaaa...

[Irish]

Here's another nice part of that graph: Right before the housing bubble blew to little bubbly pieces, our savings rate was THE LOWEST IN HISTORY. Savings was less than 2% in mid 2007.

[JMos]

Don't forget that all those people with tons of credit debt don't have a spending problem, they just don't make enough money.

[The Late P Brooks]

As I recall, at one point he actually referred to taxes as "enforced savings" by the government.

[SumpTump]

Sounds like a pretty good plan to me dude. Wow.

http://www.GoPrivacy.tk

[Thane of Whiterun]

I guess Obama's budget isn't doomed after all. He's got AnonBot on board!

[The Late P Brooks]

SPEND! EVERYONE SPEND EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! ALWAYS!

By George, I think he's got it!

Aggregate Demand Will Save Us. Keep shoveling money into the boiler; full steam ahead!

[Virginian]

http://www.theonion.com/video/.....mon,14289/

If you love America, you throw money in the hole.

[buybuydandavis]

"the lowest labor participation rate in over 30 years. "

Maybe just the lowest legal, regulated labor market participation rate in years. I believe there was a recent article about a divergence between consumer spending and labor force participation. People are getting money from somewhere.