Three Murder Charges Dropped in Kermit Gosnell Case, Boston Marathon Bomber's Widow Cooperating With Authorities, Parents Fighting Ban on Strapless Dresses in NJ: P.M. Links

Credit: Joe Wilcox/Foter.com

• Three murder charges against abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell have been dropped. Gosnell, who was charged in the deaths of seven babies and one woman will now only be charged in the deaths of four babies and one woman.

• Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow is cooperating with federal authorities. Katherine Russell Tsarnaeva converted to Islam when she married Tamerlan, who died in a shootout with police after the Boston Marathon bombing. 

• Parents of children who attend Readington Middle School in New Jersey are fighting against a ban on strapless dresses ahead of prom. 

• The man charged with sending ricin-laced letters to Obama has been released. 

• Pro-Syria hackers briefly took over the CBS twitter account. 

• Secretary of State John Kerry says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot confirm allegations made by Israel's military intelligence chief that Assad's regime had used chemical weapons. 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The man charged with sending ricin-laced letters to Obama has been released.

Still, the ordeal left him all shook up.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I'm surprised UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc. haven't stopped delivering letters out of respect after this incident.

[Brett L]

If he wasn't paranoid about the government being out to get him before...

[Tim]

You bastard.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That's how that's done.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Defense attorney Christi McCoy raised the possibility in court yesterday that Curtis was being framed for the mailings by a Tupelo man recently arrested on child molestation charges with whom Curtis had a long-running e-mail feud.

It's really been a bad week for foaming-at-the-mouth progtards, hasn't it?

[ThatSkepticGuy]

Nah, they'll just do exactly what they did with the Marathon bombings.

What's that? This wasn't a deplorable and unforgivable act of fanaticism by racist, right wing extremists?

Then it must have been a tragic and preventable isolated incident that only occured because capitalism and RethugliKKKant obstructionuists have made conditions in this country so uninhabitable, and as such these people deserve our full sympathy and understanding.

[Austrian Anarchy]

The magic of a Democrat bumper sticker cannot be over estimated.

[lilian321]

Peyton. I agree that Katherine`s report is exceptional... on saturday I bought a top of the range Mitsubishi Evo from having made $6948 this last 5 weeks and more than 10-k last month. this is certainly the most rewarding I have ever done. I actually started three months/ago and almost immediately startad making at least $70... per-hr. I follow the details on this straightforward website, http://kep2.com/

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Video: Anarchist vs. Libertarian vs. Socialist and a babe of a host.

But can anarchist actually be against capitalism? What the hell is supposed to take the place of capitalism in an anarchist state?

[John]

All of the people working together and not exploiting each other. They actually believe that shit.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

They had to have been able to get a better anarchist on than that. I have my days where I can sort of see an an-cap society, but this guy just seemed to be in a type of fantasy land.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Didn't watch the video, but my personal thought is that anarchocapitalism will only be practical with an intelligent and alert public, but a couple generations of minarchy might get them ready.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I always feel that it will always just devolve back into a minarchist state or worse anyway. I am trying to decide on my ful verdict on an an-cap state, but I have not come to any conclusions yet.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

That's what I'm thinking. A state would form unless a significant portion was actively aware and prevented it.

For now, minarchy is the best option.

[Azathoth!!]

a significant portion was actively aware and prevented it.

And that would, in and of itself, be the seed for the new state.

A State will form whenever there is a need for one.

There wiil be a need for one as long as any adult has needs that can only be met by other adults.

[Sevo]

John| 4.23.13 @ 4:34PM |#
"All of the people working together and not exploiting each other. They actually believe that shit."

Trade has the explainable and observable mechanism of profit which draws people together to produce things through specialization.
'Pure' anarchists simply claim as you state; 'why, Joe over here will make plows, 'cause anarchism, and Jake will make the tractor pistons 'cause anarchism...'

[John]

Trade is great unless you are one of those people who find it easier to steal. If you are really good at violence and not much else, trade really doesn't make a lot of sense.

[John]

And Sevo, lots of anarchists object to the exploitation of "corporations" as if you could stop them from existing without restricting freedom.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

God damn it, my link has the video starting at 4m:16s into it.

[Episiarch]

It could be an anarcho-syndicalist commune. They could take turns to act as a sort of executive-officer-for-the-week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority, in the case of purely internal affairs but by a two-thirds majority, in the case of more major...

[Dweebston]

Shut up!

[Episiarch]

Who do you think you are?!?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Bloody peasant.

[Episiarch]

Oh, what a giveaway!

[rac3rx]

Now we see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

[John]

Nothing says anarchist like going to meetings.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Does it sparkle with the girls?

[John]

Only if the meetings follow Roberts' Rules of Order. You know chicks dig a well run committee meeting.

[T]

My wife does. Amazing what a poli-sci undergrad and law degree do to a person. Shit, she has multiple editions of Roberts'.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

So do your motions for a blow job get tabled in a committee?

[Kaptious Kristen]

True. fax.

[Kaptious Kristen]

(one of the things I hate most in my working life is agendaless, free-form meetings. In fact, I would say it is the thing I hate most).

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Socialist: "We shouldn't have to wait on a Bill Gates to solve cancer, build houses for the poor. We can mobilize government to do these things."

This guy doesn't realize that the government doesn't have money, people do. That a government needs a Bill Gates to loot from in order to solve these problems.

[Boisfeuras]

Because government has not spent any money on cancer research, and as soon as it does, cancer will quickly be cured.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Nation's principal agency for cancer research and coordinates the National Cancer Program...In recent years, NCI's budget has been relatively flat, averaging approximately $4.9 billion per year over the past 6 years

[Austrian Anarchy]

Well, that is one type of Anarchist. The ones who believe they can make government so big that *poof* it disappears. They don't like the price system and they find Marx Labor Theory of Value to be a natural law of nature.

Some of us minarchists prefer the other kind of Anarchy.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Which I more and more consider myself to be (minarchist).

[Austrian Anarchy]

I seriously want to move on to Anarchy, but I am still a bitter clinger to the criminal court system for violent crimes against people. As soon as I hear a good argument for this issue, I'm there.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Same here. I feel that an-cap is the most moral system, I just don't know how that state would last.

[Proprietist]

I would think the most moral system is whichever system minimizes the initiation of force. Barring some change to human nature, I have not been convinced anarchocapitalism minimizes overall initiations of force more than libertarian miniarchism, where the only role of government is to prevent or punish initiations of force.

[An0nB0t]

We're only going to find out once we have a dedicated ancap community--an actual geographical community, not an online group--that achieves some form of security from external threats.

If you have enough people dedicated to the principles of individual liberty and trade, I see no reason why it couldn't work just as well as the early U.S. would have. The chief problems for the early generations of an ancap community would be statist threats (think Israel in its nascent stages) and the possibility that immigrants into a free community wouldn't share the same anti-state values.

Basically, we need enough ideologues, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and artillery to prove that it works, then we need to be careful who we sell land to. Beating down anything that even hints at monopolistic violence is only going to be accomplished by education, and that's going to take multiple generations and possibly hundreds of years. So we may have the Dollar Vigilante's community succeed, but it'll be a long time before ancaps could ever be a real force in the world (which is still a better timetable than anyone who buys into the various anarcho-socialisms that refuse to recognize the impossibility of a community existing without a functional price system--they act like Mises never even lived).

[Heroic Mulatto]

but I am still a bitter clinger to the criminal court system for violent crimes against people. As soon as I hear a good argument for this issue, I'm there.

Umm...some folks just need killin'?

[MJGreen]

What have you read? What arguments have you found wanting?

[Killazontherun]

In an advanced society, political science is indistinguishable from utopian fantasy.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Actually, it seems to just get skipped over or some reference to "private courts" is interjected, as if the International Maritime Court could be implemented for rapists and murderers.

[Austrian Anarchy]

That was supposed to be in reply to MJGreen| 4.23.13 @ 5:44PM

[Doktor Kapitalism]

The comments are the epitome of YouTube stupidity.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Capitalism requires rules. Anarchy is anti-capitalist.

[John]

Jesus Christ Shreek said something that makes sense. That whole Bush Obama approval rating thing must really have affected you.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Rules =/= Laws

[Trespassers W]

Don't lecture Shriek. As a student of Hayek scholar, he will surely school you on the difference between law and legislation.

Show him, Shriek!

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Lecture is a bit much for a 2.5 word comment. How about "feed?"

[MJGreen]

Laws =/= Legislation

[Anonymous Coward]

A lot of anarchists are socialists. They believe, in their heart of hearts, that once they burn down the state, we'll all just pull together and share and give things to each other and voluntarily work without recompense.

Basically, they're huffing flour-sized bags of fairy dust.

[Chaucer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKERC6F7mSM

[#HOLO YOLO]

I love WKUK.

I'M GONNA GRAPE YOU IN THE MOUTH.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Oh, and I have a feeling some folks here will like the Never Song

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Haha that was great.

Their nuclear knowledge is a little incorrect though 😉

[Archduke Pantsfan]

A group is calling for the NZ Government to consider legalising multi-partner marriages.

[Ted S.]

Who wants multiple mothers-in-law?

[Francisco d Anconia]

See, it's the slippery slope. Next someone will marry their dog and it'll be the end of civilization. Mark my words.

Run! Run for your lives!

[Doktor Kapitalism]

As long as the dog consents...but really, how could that stand up in courts? Simple answer: it couldn't. Marriage will stay an inter-human affair until we reach full communication with other intelligent animals.

[An0nB0t]

What about marrying a futuristic AI that offers consent because it's been programmed to?

[generic Brand]

So Friday Jones a/k/a Marjorie Baldwin finally gets to be screwed over by her line marriage, after all.

[generic Brand]

BUT WHO ARE THE CHICKS IN THE PICTURE DAMNIT???? WE DEMAND ALT-TEXT!!!

[db]

They're all dudes.

[generic Brand]

NOOOOOOOO!!!

[Austrian Anarchy]

And those hookers are still better looking than the hookers in this story

[Fist of Etiquette]

Pro-Syria hackers briefly took over the CBS twitter account.

Started tweeting new ideas for Heresy My Dad Says.

[DJF]

Don't all sides in the conflict claim to be pro-Syrian?

[Fist of Etiquette]

How dare you use my joke as a springboard for your social commentary.

[Sevo]

Fist of Etiquette| 4.23.13 @ 4:32PM |#
"Pro-Syria hackers briefly took over the CBS twitter account."

Scanning too fast; read that as "Pro-Syria hookers..."

[db]

Pro-Syria hackers are hardly the day's biggest Twitter related news.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I call this one
Brezhnev on the phone in his underwear

[NeonCat]

"What the phone was doing in his underwear I haven't a clue."

[Ted S.]

One of my favorite Brezhnev jokes involves the Moscow Olympics. It's the ceremonial job of the head of state of the host nation to declare the Olympic Games officially open, so when the time comes for that, Brezhnev steps up to the microhone.

"Oh. Oh. Ohhhhhh..."

"No no no, Comrade Brezhnev! You're supposed to read the text below. Those are just the Olympic rings!"

[PapayaSF]

So it turns out manboobs are not a recent, Western invention.....

[Caleb Turberville]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....g-the-nra/

It really takes a self-described "wonk" to conclude that quadrupling the alcohol tax could have a reductive effect on crime.

[Caleb Turberville]

http://freethoughtblogs.com/ph.....ent-607966

I got this info from Pharyngula. In addition, I wanted to mention Balko's new book. For what it's worth, I got a reply that "Balko is a terrible source for information."

[Irish]

Did they give you a reason why Balko is a terrible source of information, beyond the fact that he isn't a doctrinaire leftist?

[Caleb Turberville]

Reason: "His economic ideology permeates his writing."

[#HOLO YOLO]

So, no, nothing beyond that.

[Dweebston]

Seems solid. Often let my gastronomic preferences permeate my choice of restaurant, but I have the decency to realize I'm being unfairly biased.

[Jordan]

More evidence that leftists care more about imposing confiscatory tax rates and central economic planning than they do about defending civil liberties.

[Caleb Turberville]

It's really ridiculous since Myers is one of the loudest proponents of the "Libertarians are greedy, selfish, cold-hearted pigs" argument.

Meanwhile, his commentariat consists of people who think Radley Balko (possibly the sweetest, kindest, and humanitarian libertarians) is a "terrible source for information.

[Dweebston]

Oh, God, P.Z. Myers. I've stopped taking him seriously since Elevatorgate and his falling out with Dawkins.

[Irish]

P.Z. Myers is yet another leftist who is intelligent in his field and just assumes that that intelligence flows over into every other field of human knowledge.

As a result, he clearly doesn't actually bother thinking about his positions on anything outside of his chosen field, yet manages to be ridiculously smug despite his total lack of knowledge.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Elevatorgate has got to be one of the dumbest "-gates" ever.

[Irish]

Was that the one where some dude said something sexual to a woman on an elevator, Richard Dawkins defended him and then there was an explosion of leftwing butthurt in which friendships were ruined for no good reason?

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Yes, except I don't think what was said was actually "sexual."

[Irish]

Here's what he apparently said

Here's the argument I was making. The man in the elevator didn't physically touch her, didn't attempt to bar her way out of the elevator, didn't even use foul language at her. He spoke some words to her. Just words. She no doubt replied with words. That was that. Words. Only words, and apparently quite polite words at that.

If she felt his behaviour was creepy, that was her privilege, just as it was the Catholics' privilege to feel offended and hurt when PZ nailed the cracker. PZ didn't physically strike any Catholics. All he did was nail a wafer, and he was absolutely right to do so because the heightened value of the wafer was a fantasy in the minds of the offended Catholics. Similarly, Rebecca's feeling that the man's proposition was 'creepy' was her own interpretation of his behaviour, presumably not his. She was probably offended to about the same extent as I am offended if a man gets into an elevator with me chewing gum. But he does me no physical damage and I simply grin and bear it until either I or he gets out of the elevator. It would be different if he physically attacked me.

Note the part I bolded. That's actually a perfect argument from Dawkins. If atheists often do things which they know will offend religious people, why then do they get to freak out when someone does something that offends them?

[Dweebston]

Close enough. The stranger implied sexy fun times via his invitation to coffee in his hotel room, Ms. Watson penned a quick blurb advising men not to be creepy in approaching women, took some heat for reading patriarchy into an innocent exchange, and decided to take the offensive rather than issuing a mea culpa and putting the teapot tempest to bed. P.Z. Myers took up the banner and the thing degenerated into a bitchy freakshow.

[Ted S.]

"Elevatorgate"?

I have no idea what the hell this refers to, and God do I hate the fucking -gate suffix.

[NeonCat]

IIRC, some dude asked a woman at some kind of a conference (atheist conf?) if she wanted to stop by his room for a drink and it freaked her the hell out.

[#HOLO YOLO]

If you're curious

Though it seriously is the dumbest thing ever; don't waste your time.

[Irish]

In June 2011, Watson described an experience at an atheist conference, concerning an approach by a man in an elevator, who invited her to his room for coffee and a conversation late at night, after she had talked extensively about disliking being "sexualized" at atheist conferences.[19] In a video blog, among other things, she stated that incident made her feel sexualized and uncomfortable and advised, "Guys, don't do that".[20] Her statement sparked a controversy among the skeptic community.[21] Her critics said she was overreacting to a trivial incident, most notably Richard Dawkins, who wrote a satirical letter to an imaginary Muslim woman undergoing female genital mutilation, sarcastically contrasting her plight to Watson's complaint. This in turn caused him to be criticized by many, including several figures in the community.[22][23] Watson announced that she would not buy or endorse Dawkins's books and lectures in the future.[22] She also wrote that, as a result of Dawkins's criticism, her Wikipedia article was vandalized and offensive images were posted on her Facebook page. [24]

So the takeaway from all this is that the 'skeptic' community mostly consists of people with the interpersonal skills of seven year olds but who call themselves skeptics as a form of mental masturbation.

[#HOLO YOLO]

I used to dabble in the "skeptic community" and the overarching problem seems to be ego.

Places like "Free Thought Blogs" are not so named because they value free speech -- many want to censor what they (and I, for that matter) see as ridiculous, dangerous quackery -- but rather, because they see themselves as having broken free from the grip of the evil korporashuns and organized religion.

That is, they are Enlightened.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

It's just basic scientism, really.

[Irish]

Again, mental masturbation. Most of those people aren't any more skeptical than any other reasonably intelligent person. They call themselves skeptics as a sort of religious rite in order to separate themselves from the heathen.

It's the same impulse that results in religious cults.

[An0nB0t]

Five minutes reading anything written by PZ Meyers is sufficient condition for that conclusion.

The man is one of the world's most massive and oblivious horse's asses.

[Killazontherun]

IOW, he didnt look like a twenty year old Brad Pitt. Did I freak out when my study partner, one of the ugliest girls at UNC that year, out of the blue, offered to give me a blow job ? No, I accepted the offer because it was the decent thing to do. Feminism is just an excuse to be an asshole.

[#HOLO YOLO]

No, I accepted the offer because it was the decent thing to do.

You are truly a charitable soul.

[JW]

I stopped taking him seriously when it became apparent that he was a raving loon outside of his discipline.

[Brett L]

Radley Balko (possibly the sweetest, kindest, and humanitarian libertarians)

The dude who kicked us in the nuts every Friday for years?

[NeonCat]

Kicked with LOVE, Brett, with LOVE.

[Brandon]

Shouldn't that be "Humanitarianest?"

[#HOLO YOLO]

While this isn't wrong, Balko is a really, really bad source for pretty much anything, because his dumbass economic ideology permeates everything he writes so badly that it skews his output even when he has got real numbers, which he often doesn't.

Seriously? What a dick.

[Andrew S.]

I used to read Myers' blog a lot, but I haven't been there in at least 2 years. This is why.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Seems funny how many folks here used to read Pharyngula. I finally left after enough threads about circumcision and mandatory vaccination. I just had no idea how statist the audience was, because the mindset was so foreign to me. And it seems to have just gotten worse since--or maybe I am more sensitive to it now--but it's one of the few places that if linked here I don't even want to hate-read it, because I actually find it upsetting.

[#HOLO YOLO]

I think it's the same dynamic you see in many communities, where as the derp gets louder more reasonable people leave -- and as more reasonable people leave, the derp gets louder.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Yes, that's what it seems like.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I gave up on the SGU when they fell all over themselves to talk about how anyone who disagreed with the "consensus" on disastrous AGW was an idiot, and on Pharyngula around the time PZ started bitching about how the Minnesota football coach made more money than him.

The "skeptic" community should really be the "We're skeptics about YOUR religion, but don't even think about questioning our perfect perfect progressivism."

[Gbob]

Ditto. I finally took the step of deleting the podcast around the holidays. I still think Randi and crew do important work, but it allowed politics to creep in. The AGW aspect is especially galling. I don't think it's unreasonable to say that there are some aspects that require further study. Calling the other side "deniers" (or even implying that there are only two sides to the debate) is not advancing the cause of free thought. It's a shame. I'll miss the "science or fiction" segment.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

It's one thing to debate whether there's warming caused by human activity. I am not as convinced as I used to be, but I still think there's been some warming caused by humans.

It's another thing altogether to say it's necessarily bad, and that even if there are some bad aspects of it, it's not clear the bad outweigh the good (more arable land in Siberia or whatever).

It's an even further step to say the government programs to "control" warming or climate change or whatever it is these days will actually help and not cause serious harm.

But the SGU crew (I haven't listened in a couple years, they may have changed but I doubt it) believe the there's warming and accept on faith the next two logical steps. There's no skepticism, no understanding of economics. It was too frustrating.

[Irish]

It really shows you how religious modern progressives are. It's irrelevant what Balko is talking about, he disagrees with you about an unrelated topic and is therefore unreliable.

If you have beliefs deemed heretical by a leftist, all your other beliefs are suddenly irrelevant.

[Killazontherun]

Meyers is a moral coward who can't take an honest, sober look at the ruin of lives and societies that socialism has created. Nor does he have the honesty nor decency to admit the only fallback position proglodytes have to avoid endorsing free market libertarianism as the only salvation from their total wreckage is Obama admistration level crony capitalism and the cultural stagnation that comes from reinforcing that sort of status quo.

[#HOLO YOLO]

I looked back on the post about the picture of West, Texas that "debunked" libertarianism and Rand Paul...

...oh my FSM, those people are idiots.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Well everyone stops drinking and starts smoking MJ and ordering a lot of pizza. He may actually have a point.

[John]

Preschool. Don't worry that every single study has concluded preschool has no measurable and lasting effects. There is nothing this liberal article of faith can't do.

[generic Brand]

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION!

We had a guest speaker at work the company puts on about once a month. It was a representative from SunRail, central Florida's newest government boondoggle. Apparently all of Florida gets to fund this system that will have a $2 base rate plus $1 per rider per county line crossed for the first 7 years, after which it will be turned over to the county governments through which the line runs.

I asked, "What happens in 7 years when the local governments take over and realize they can't keep the prices low while trying to remain revenue neutral?" His response was almost word for word "They don't have to be revenue neutral because it's a government service."

And when the luncheon was over my coworker saw me filling out a comment card with a long paragraph about how train transit is a waste of taxpayer funds and I tried to explain to her that everyone is paying for this twice: they are subsidizing the day to day operations and they are paying the ticket price. And when the state money stops flowing in after 7 years, the local governments will end up pitting those who are now dedicated riders at the cheap rate against those who are occasional or never riders when the debate shifts to "Increased Rates vs. Increased Taxes". She said that she would happily pay higher taxes to avoid driving on I-4.

tl;dr version: We're boned when only 1 person in a room of 50 looks at long term effects of a policy (and I was only there for the taco bar).

[generic Brand]

Limited in characters in the previous post, but here is the SunRail page

[Tim]

Not to mention 7 years of deferred maintenance.

[Brett L]

Shit. Didn't we vote it down as a constitutional amendment?

[generic Brand]

This is distinctly different from the super trail along the I-4 corridor that would have connected Tampa to Orlando, and eventually down to Miami. I know that because four people asked four different times that exact same question.

[Brett L]

I was under the impression that I was voting in favor of banning passenger rail in FL... Maybe I should start trying to get that on the ballot.

[generic Brand]

Perhaps this got grandfathered in. I'm not sure when the constitutional amendment was supposed to take effect, nor am I sure when these rail lines were purchased and construction started.

[Brett L]

I was being hyperbolous. I voted against all the passenger rail I could.

[Isaac Bartram]

That vote was against High Speed Rail.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, I see. I voted against that one, right.

[Pro Libertate]

I distinctly remember voting against this and my side winning. How?

[Mickey Rat]

It is keep voting until they get the right answer then the matter is settled, failing that, do it anyway. See: European Union.

[Isaac Bartram]

That vote was against High Speed Rail. It was actually to get reid of the amendment that had been added before mandating the state to pay for HSR.

Sunrail is local commuter rail. It uses diesel cars and is definitely not High Speed.

[$park?]

We're boned when only 1 person in a room of 50 looks at long term effects of a policy (and I was only there for the taco bar).

You're such a rebel.

Most people don't give a rat's ass because they know they're going to be taxed anyway and they don't know what their tax money goes to anyway.

[#HOLO YOLO]

You got the CBS twitter story but not the AP?

Alas, it's in 24/7 though. There won't be a "H/T #HOLO YOLO". Some other time, I guess.

[Ted S.]

But nobody reads 24/7.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Has anybody else noticed that there are commenters that show up in 24/7 threads but not HyR?

I'll get it out of the way:
"No, because nobody reads 24/7"

[Irish]

That's fucking creepy. It's a like a shadow society beneath the real H&R.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Commenters, or comments? The latter, yes, the former, no. I guess they are getting distribution to people who aren't familiar with our little cesspool.

[#HOLO YOLO]

The former.

I think all the trolling and in-jokes can intimidate people. It took me a while lurking to really dive in.

[Irish]

There's a guy named 'Cryptarchy' who seriously needs to post here because of his awesome name. Cryptarchy, if you're out there, come out of the shadows.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Why is this making me feel like we're the ones secretly in a comment ghetto?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

We need to go there!

[#HOLO YOLO]

I dunno how others have felt, but when I first started reading the comments here I actually sympathized with the "you know, for a site called reason [DRINK!], these comments sure are vile" folks.

It's pretty difficult at first trying to figure out all the memes and the "cast of characters". When you don't already know what a miserable fuck Tony is, the comments can seem pretty harsh.

And people calling people by old handles, by real first names instead of handles, etc. is also pretty confusing.

[Irish]

And people calling people by old handles, by real first names instead of handles, etc. is also pretty confusing.

Whatever, Thane.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Hey, I'm proud to be part of the problem.

[Episiarch]

We all are, Art.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Who's Art?

[Episiarch]

Weren't you "Art Vandelay" before being the Thane? Did I get confused?

[Irish]

Those are definitely two different people. Art still posts here periodically.

[#HOLO YOLO]

No, I wasn't. Though I definitely would have used that handle if it hadn't been taken.

I've probably gushed about Seinfeld on here a few times.

[C. Anacreon]

Normally Seinfeld doesn't make me laugh out loud, but it was on the other day and I heard a line that made me bust up. Kramer and Jerry were in the library and they found out they had to see a man named Mr. Bookman. Kramer said, "A guy works in the library and his name is Bookman? That's like an ice-cream man named Cohn."

[#HOLO YOLO]

I don't laugh as much now that I've seen every episode 2 - 6 times, but I still love it.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Secretary of State John Kerry says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot confirm allegations made by Israel's military intelligence chief that Assad's regime had used chemical weapons.

Not counting the cannisters labeled "Saddam's - hands off!"

[$park?]

How much freedom would you give parents in raising their own children?

A couple serving probation for the 2009 death of their toddler after they turned to prayer instead of a doctor could face new charges now that another son has died.

Herbert and Catherine Schaible belong to a fundamentalist Christian church that believes in faith healing. They lost their 8-month-old son, Brandon, last week after he suffered from diarrhea and breathing problems for at least a week, and stopped eating. Four years ago, another son died from bacterial pneumonia.

[Brett L]

Sounds like these people are in their own hell.

[db]

Tragic? Yes. My business? No.

[John]

That is a really hard question. These people are stupid to the point of being evil. I understand the slippery slope issue. But I think "you can raise your kid as you like as long as it doesn't put them in danger of losing life or limb" seems to be a rule we could probably enforce and not abuse. So I am going to say, fuck these people.

[generic Brand]

These people are stupid to the point of being evil.

What does this even mean?

[John]

It means just what it says. I don't think they mean their children harm. But they are so ignorant and fanatical, that they might as well. Through their ignorance and stupidity, they have become morally equal to someone who murders their children.

[Sevo]

I'm with John on this one.
There's harmlessly stupid; betting on the Cubs for the World Series, etc.
Evil stupid means someone's injured or dies.

[Dweebston]

Stupid, yes, but almost certainly not evil. Criminally negligent twits whose children die from heat stroke after being locked in a baking sedan for three hours are closer to evil than someone with bizarre ideas about the magical healing properties of wishful thinking.

I think these parents have fucked themselves well enough.

[John]

I think if you sit there and watch your kid die of diarrhea, you are evil. It never occurred to these people that maybe they should try something else? They were so fanatical about their religious views that they let their kid die rather than admit the possibility of being mistaken?

It is not like they didn't know that medicine existed. That would be ignorance. They knew and chose not to use it because they were so fanatical in their beliefs. That is evil.

[$park?]

I think part of their faith is that if the kid dies then it was God's will. That certainly doesn't make them evil, does it?

[Heroic Mulatto]

I think part of their faith is that if the kid dies then it was God's will. That certainly doesn't make them evil, does it?

From my point of view, as a fairly devout Buddhist, yes, it certainly does.

[$park?]

Is that a religious determination? In other words, are they evil because they don't follow your belief system?

[Nazdrakke]

"as a fairly devout Buddhist"

It's the idle talk part that keeps kicking my ass.

[John]

Then maybe it is God's will that they go to jail?

[Stormy Dragon]

Yes, yes it does.

[generic Brand]

Criminally negligent twits whose children die from heat stroke after being locked in a baking sedan for three hours are closer to evil than someone with bizarre ideas about the magical healing properties of wishful thinking.

This was along my thoughts when I asked what you meant, John. Just because someone's thoughts are outside the norm doesn't mean that they are "evil", which is a much more objective term than "stupid". I wouldn't call someone who fed their kids a certain diet out of religious (or other) beliefs evil, even if they died, but I would call them stupid.

[Joe M]

I just want to know when this morons are going to question their faith already. Fuck.

[Joe M]

*ahem* these morons...

[John]

That is why they are evil. They are so vain that they would rather watch their kid die than admit they might be wrong.

[Joe M]

They probably think they're following Abraham's example.

[$park?]

Again, why would they admit they're wrong? They believe either God will keep the kid alive or not. If God doesn't keep the kid alive, the kid's death was part of God's plan. There's no vanity in that, it's basically pure faith.

[Francisco d Anconia]

If God doesn't keep the kid alive, the kid's death was part of God's plan. There's no vanity in that, it's basically pure faith.

And since there is no god..

Pure stupidity.

[$park?]

I agree with you, many people do not agree with us regarding the existence of a god.

[Joe M]

So probably the involuntary manslaughter/gross negligence type charges are the correct ones. But then you get into a weird place where you say, are they lying about their religious beliefs to cover up for some sick desire to kill their own children?

[Francisco d Anconia]

How much freedom would you give parents in raising their own children?

As with all things. You may do as you wish, PROVIDED in doing so you do not infringe on the rights of others.

Perfectly legitimate to intervene when the child's rights are jeopardized.

[$park?]

I'm take it you're ok with this as well?

Prosecutors on Monday sought to have the couple jailed, but Lerner permitted them to remain free because their seven other children had been placed in foster care.

The rest of their children were taken away because of their beliefs. Or would you be against that?

[Francisco d Anconia]

kinda depends. Were the children taken as punishment for killing the dead child or to protect the others in advance. Punishment is justified for allowing the death. Don't think you can preemptively say their beliefs will necessarily hurt the others.

[Mickey Rat]

Who's asking you to play God?

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as they don't kill, maim, or rape the little crumb-snatchers, I'm cool with whatever manner parents choose to fuck up their children in their formative years.

[Brett L]

Seriously, reason, how can you continue to take money from the t-shirt company with the obviously deranged knife-wielding model after Boston!!1!

Also, why are so many of these t-shirt ad pics taken by people who obviously hate women. I could make that girl look waay better. And get the t-shirt in the picture still.)

[DJF]

What T shirt models, I am getting Christian singles ads. Where have I gone wrong?

[Brett L]

Don't worry. As I said, she was photographed by a misogynist, so she's merely cute when she has the potential to be bunk material.

[db]

I usually get the Christian singles ad with the decent-looking chick looking back over her shoulder at the camera with obvious lust. It's a weird world we inbabit.

[Brett L]

The first honest ad? Everyone knows that Christian singles are the "technical virginity" types.

[db]

Never met a girl who was "saving my ass for Jesus."

[#HOLO YOLO]

I always get ads for Chinese "dating".

They have me figured out.

[robc]

There are ads on the internet? When did that start?

[#HOLO YOLO]

http://i.qkme.me/3u28lc.jpg

Really, it gets old.

[robc]

Then stop whining about ads.

There is an easy solution to it, so apply it instead of whining.

[Brett L]

I'm not complaining about the existence of the ads, just the terrible production quality.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Uh, who was whining?

[T]

Okay, get my IT department to give me admin rights to this POS laptop so I can install it. I'll wait.

[jesse.in.mb]

Can you just replace the hosts file?

[#HOLO YOLO]

You are a lot more likely to be able to install browser extensions in a corporate environment than you are to have access to your hosts file.

[jesse.in.mb]

I vaguely remember booting in using a Linux LiveCD to drop a hosts file on a computer I didn't have admin access to, but it's been a while. I might be confusing two separate events.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Yeah, you can do that, though if they're on top of things they'll disable booting from external media and possibly run some kind of integrity check at every boot.

[T]

There's lots of technical tricks one could use, but the fallout if the IT department twigs can be unpleasant. I like having a paycheck.

[$park?]

Just have a bunch of hot naked chicks holding up t-shirts?

[Brett L]

Tastelessly arrayed so as not to cover up any of the good parts.

[Ted S.]

That depends on what you mean by "good parts". Some people have some odd fetishes regarding which parts of the body can be "good parts".

[Brett L]

No feet, tits, or asses will be covered. Butterfaces yes.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Eww, Brett likes feet!

[#HOLO YOLO]

Ugh, I hate feet.

[jesse.in.mb]

Meh, I'm kinda feet neutral. As long as nobody expects me to do any shrimping I don't have a problem with it.

[#HOLO YOLO]

"shrimping"

I learn a lot from you people.

...none of it good.

[Brett L]

Eww, Brett likes feet

Its not my fetish, but I understand that some would be upset (and others turned on) if I were to have models using their ape-toes to hold up the shirts.

[generic Brand]

What if they're cinnamon butterfaces? Mmmmmm... cinnabutter...

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Confession: I always forget what "butterface" really means, and think it refers to people with sort of squishy, sweaty features that look melty like butter (or like Odo or something). I mean until about 3 seconds later when I remember the right version.

[Irish]

Confession: I always forget what "butterface" really means, and think it refers to people with sort of squishy, sweaty features that look melty like butter (or like Odo or something).

So Warty then? I mean, he isn't really sweaty since his bile ducts don't technically secrete sweat, but otherwise it applies.

[Heroic Mulatto]

So Warty then?

Ignoramus et ignorabimus.

[meta]

wait so no stockings?

[Ted S.]

I wouldn't know. I visit here with only cached images set to display, so I never see the ads.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Teachers told they must not use red ink for marking homework in case it upsets pupils

Yes, red is hard on my eyes.

[Pro Libertate]

What, because it's blood-colored?

[db]

Teachers ought to just blast the tests with a shotgun. 00 Buck = F

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Well, when you work really hard on something and it comes back looking mutilated, it can be rather distressing.

Not something regulation worthy, though. Just a good reason to vary your pen colors.

[Matrix]

Wait... since when do middle schools have proms?

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one wondering this.

[Restoras]

This was my thought as well. I wonder if it's a sop to the non-Jewish kids that can't/don't get to go to a string of bar/bat mitzvah's in 7th/8th grade?

[Pro Libertate]

They have everything now--proms, graduation, the whole thing.

[Restoras]

Best line from The Incredibles.

It's not a graduation! He's moving from the 4th grade to the 5th grade!

It's psychotic! They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity!

[Matrix]

I hate all these stupid graduation things. I didn't even go to my college graduation ceremony. And the only reason I went to any of my work-related graduations was because they were mandatory.

[Pro Libertate]

That's such a great movie.

[Ted S.]

I had an elementary school "graduation" back in 1984.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I had a kindergarten "graduation," but my kindergarten was at a Lutheran day-care, so they could get away with doing something relatively silly and harmless like a grad ceremony.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

We had a "Sixth-Grade Dance" before we moved on the Middle School. But really, it was a waste of time.

[Matrix]

Yeah, we had dances throughout elementary, junior high and high school, but they weren't very formal, like prom. Most of them took place during the school day. So, I don't get this at all.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

It's another attempt to children into thinking they're mature adults. Observe the consequences when you get into a debate with people in my age-group.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

We had after-school dances when I was in middle school, but they weren't especially popular. I think the school dropped it altogether during my 8th grade year because the teachers got tired of policing a bunch of hormone-addled 'tweens.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Katherine Russell Tsarnaeva converted to Islam when she married Tamerlan...

We better not find the couple was registered at Williams-Sonoma or that company is in big trouble.

[a better weapon]

"My goodness Katherine, what are we going to do with all these pressure cookers? We just can't return them all!"

[PapayaSF]

+1, but I think changing Katherine to Tamerlan would improve the joke.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Nothing's ever good enough for you, is it?

[PapayaSF]

I'm a former editor with an interest in humor, so... rarely.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Like a Boss

Police say a man went into the Queens Quay LCBO, selected a rare 50-year-old Glenfiddich Single Malt scotch, and left without paying

[Paul.]

That man should run for office.

[Brett L]

Jesus Christ. They lock up the fucking Hendricks at my local liquor store.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know what tastes better than 50-year-old Glenfiddich? Free 50-year-old Glenfiddich.

[Auric Demonocles]

No alt-text for PM Links? This is a travesty. And it's a picture of 4 chicks in dresses? It would have been so easy: "I know the question you will all answer, and that is why there are no libertarian women."

Also, after an unbelievable thread on the NFL Draft where libertymike claimed that enforcing contracts is socialist, I'm ducking out early to head to a (I assume since it's so old) privately funded ballpark, so I can get the game canceled on my way there.

[generic Brand]

Is it too early to say "Fuck Boston"?

[Ted S.]

It's never too early to say "Fuck Boston".

[Restoras]

Enjoy the game - maybe Aceves will charge the batters box.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Mike Tobin is a smooth operator.

[Irish]

Wow. The double stiff arm and then right back into the report.

That's professionalism, people.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Dunno, it looks like he might've been able to cop a feel on their boobs.

[db]

Is that the guy who wrote Tobin's Spirit Guide?

[Paul.]

The man charged with sending ricin-laced letters to Obama has been released.

Man, this has not been a good week for DemOp media conspiracy theorists.

[Zeb]

Katherine Russell Tsarnaeva converted to Islam when she married Tamerlan

I wonder if she is going to un-convert now that he's dead and everyone hates him.

[Mike M.]

One would certainly hope that this dumb bitch would pull her head out of her fucking ass in light of recent events.

The modern young American women of today really are a rather stupid lot.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Yeah, because the young men involved in the situation look wicked smart.

[T]

And point to Nicole.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Wikkid smaught.

[PapayaSF]

I have a hard time seeing any Westerner who converted to Islam after 9/11 as anything other than a fool, a tool, or a future terrorist.

[Dweebston]

My Reason ads this week are all for various ethnicity/hobby-focused dating websites and online correspondence schools.

[rts]

B.C. students face tough summer job market

No mention of the recent minimum wages hikes, of course.

[Ted S.]

What about AD students?

[Pro Libertate]

It's an obscure Canadian province. Like Nunavut, which is actually not a province at all, but a radical splinter state that defies the Northwest Territories tyrannical rule.

[Dagny T.]

I've heard reports of that alleged territory, but I'm having none of it.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I liked it better when it was Frobisher Bay

[db]

Goddammit I tried to post mine four times before you did but the skwerls ate them all.

[Pro Libertate]

Your anti-Inuit views are typical, Canadian scum. Nunavut is the largest of all Canadian territories and provinces and will, rest assured, dominate you all.

Can you say miles and miles of Arctic Ocean beachfront? They must make billions in tourism.

[Ted S.]

Global warming will make them rich.

[Pro Libertate]

Some bald guy is buying up a lot of land on the coast up there. No idea why.

[Francisco d Anconia]

This is a job for...

[Mickey Rat]

Of course, that violates his Solitude.

[db]

Provincial government? They're having Nunavut.

[Dagny T.]

The cut of your jib, good sir, I likes it.

[Pro Libertate]

I managed a research project many years ago tracking certain on-line initiatives of the states and provinces. Nunavut was liberated during that time, so I had a staffer reach out to them for information. They sent us free Nunavut mousepads. Nobody else in all of North America sent us free anything. I think they were thrilled that we knew they existed.

[Dagny T.]

That is so cute. They probably printed your email to put on the town bulletin board. Legends are probably passed down to this day of the Special Time when actual USA Americans contacted them on matters most important and official.

[Pro Libertate]

You think I got a statue?

[Brett L]

"No... this must be what going mad feels like. "

[db]

"The hero of Nunavut"

[Pro Libertate]

Exactly. I need to go on a road trip to find out.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, here's a conundrum: I went to Google Maps to see how to drive to the capital of Nunavut, and here's what it said: "We could not calculate directions between Tampa, FL and Iqaluit, NU, Canada."

Dangit.

[Pro Libertate]

Upon further reading, I've learned that "Iqaluit is located east of Nunavut's mainland and north of Quebec on Baffin Island, and is only accessible via aircraft, dogsled, snowmobile and some boats" and that "the furthest you can go on a road is Yellowknife in the North West Territories. There are NO public roads into Nunavut as of today. There is a private ice road out of Yellowknife the mining companies have built. But it's slippery, dangerous, and full of convoys of fully loaded equipment trucks racing at top speed. You DO NOT want to be on that road without taking ALL precautions!!"

[db]

I didn't have any say in whether my jib was to be cut!

[Pro Libertate]

I'm distressed that the only town on Earth that worships me like a god is so inaccessible.

[Pro Libertate]

And, since it has no public roads, clearly Nunavut is a libertarian paradise.

[Pro Libertate]

It gets even worse--from Wikipedia: "Most vehicles in the territory are moved from community to community and in and out of the territory by large barges that move during the summer shipping season. Less commonly, vehicles may be flown in on a cargo plane. Car companies will usually fly vehicles in to test them in Arctic conditions."

[Warty]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT I LOVE THEIR ALPHABET

[Pro Libertate]

I really like the random placement of the letters. Think they just make it up as they go?

[Zakalwe]

Are they really libertarian or are they just desperate for some global warming?

[Pro Libertate]

No, they're libertarians all right--no roads. Really, I'm surprised Reason hasn't written an article on it.

You know, the Free Staters should go there.

[rts]

Plenty of jobs rebuilding the temple... you know, broken windows and whatnot.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

What's minimum wage in BC now?
MB is going to $10.45 in Oct.

[rts]

$10.25 / hour, $9.00 / hour for liquor servers.

[Dagny T.]

Pure insanity. And you wonder why the Commercial Drive hippie class is permanently under-employed.

Even Alberta's minimum wage ($9.75) is pretty stupid, which I must admit I wasn't expecting.

[Ted S.]

Does BC tax liquor servers on the expected value of tips?

[Brandon]

Interesting mix of cluelessness, illiteracy and pretentiousness in the comments:

jdizzle
2013/04/23
at 11:19 AM ET
I'm a student. also unemployed. I've put out resumes everywhere, in addition to being near graduated with relative experience! I feel like I have much more to offer than my ability to ensure the doneness of a medium rare steak, or the proper opening of nice bottles of chianti for those who are able to experience times of leisure, in which their employment provides. Time to put on my big-boy pants and walk in somewhere with one of my ideas, chin up, and not be afraid to be turned away - make a position for myself. In saying that, adulthood is kind of frightening.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Hard work will kill you.

[Matrix]

and here they said sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day will do it.

[NeonCat]

"Living Will Kill You, new study suggests."

[Doktor Kapitalism]

In all seriousness, the majority of people survive their lives. How boring is that?

[NeonCat]

But I was told hard work never killed anybody! I never even retorted "Maybe, but I'm not taking any chances."

[Stormy Dragon]

The man charged with sending ricin-laced letters to Obama has been released.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

[Ted S.]

Anybody want to talk about the Champions League? I won't say more in case anybody DVRed it and doesn't want the result spoiled. 🙂

[Archduke Pantsfan]

2 words: Thomas Muller.
NO SPOILER

[Ted S.]

No bitings, either.

[Jerry on the boat]

But some player did get balled in the face.

[rts]

Animal-rights activists wreak havoc in Milan laboratory

Activists occupied an animal facility at the University of Milan, Italy, at the weekend, releasing mice and rabbits and mixing up cage labels to confuse experimental protocols. Researchers at the university say that it will take years to recover their work.

[NeonCat]

Never watched 28 Days Later, I guess.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Ecoactivists don't care about scientific or technological progress in the least.

[Killazontherun]

I'm told that only gun toting right wing rednecks are anti-science. Surely this must be a misunderstanding of sorts.

[Stormy Dragon]

Apparently CNN is planning to continue their marketing strategy of tricking Comedy Central into giving them free advertising by airing more clips of CNN employees saying stupid things:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/.....62439.html

[John]

Cuttler and Gingrich kind of look like each other.

[Pro Libertate]

Remember when CNN first got going, with the first Gulf War? I recall thinking they were truly hardcore back then. Alas, those days are gone.

[John]

They used to be great.

[Pro Libertate]

Ted Turner may be insane, but he knew TV like nobody else. He leaves, and the shit falls apart.

[T]

Ted Turner may be insane

There's doubt?

[Pro Libertate]

I was being kind. After all, he did help get cable TV off the ground.

[Ted S.]

I think they really got going with the SF earthquake of 1989.

[Coeus]

Dude gets owned by game designer after complaining about his big breasted characters and is dumb enough to write another article about the pwnage.

"It seems that Mr. Jason Schreier of Kotaku is pleased also with neither sorceress nor amazon," Kamitani wrote. "The art of the direction which he likes was prepared."

The blurb was posted next to an illustration of three burly, bearded men embracing one another. The implication, as some have pointed out on message boards like NeoGAF, is that because I didn't like Kamitani's female characters, I must instead like an image of muscled men hugging. A gay joke, perhaps?

"I like Kotaku," Kamitani added later in the Facebook thread. "I will be glad if Mr. Jason Schreier is made pleasant with a Dragon's Crown."

[Jordan]

Kotaku's constant drumbeat of "OMG TEH SEXISM" is absolutely awful.

[Jordan]

Oh, and that sorceress has amazing tits.

[C. Anacreon]

I dunno, seems like they'd kind of slosh around and get in the way a lot.....

[#HOLO YOLO]

No. I'm suggesting that labeling the heterosexual, cisgender male perspective's overt hyper-sexualization of the female gender as a "power fantasy" is inherently silly.

Derp.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Kamitani clearly doesn't know nerd sexual fetishes.

Schreier's reaction indicates that he clearly would have preferred an anthropomorphic cat with huge tits and ass, or a 13-year-old Japanese schoolgirl character to fap to instead.

[#HOLO YOLO]

"or"? Why not both?

[Heroic Mulatto]

A 13-year-old anthropomorphic Japanese schoolcat-girl with huge tits and ass?

I like the cut of your jib, mister!

[#HOLO YOLO]

Just for the record, I may like Asian chicks (with small boobs and butts, to boot), but I am not one of those people.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Stop othering Stormy.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I may like Asian chicks (with small boobs and butts, to boot), but I am not one of those people.

How about completely legal Asian women who have a lung disorder which gives them the voice of a 5-year-old girl, talking about how much she likes masturbation?

[#HOLO YOLO]

what the fucking fuck?

[Heroic Mulatto]

My work here is done.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Not gonna click it. Wouldn't be prudent.

[Mickey Rat]

Or the comments:

"Being beautiful as a woman has nothing to do with appealing to horny men, and vice versa."

Not the only thing, but nothing. Really?

[jesse.in.mb]

If the dwarves are gonna be bald, they need to keep their helmets on the whole time.

[Anonymous Coward]

hopefully we'll be able to chat about Dragon's Crown, which, incidentally, I had the chance to play last December, and I enjoyed, character design aside. Hopefully he'll clarify his response.

I think I can summarize his response:

Go buy a ladder, find a fence, GET THE FUCK OVER IT.

[a better weapon]

CNN has an interesting idea for a crossfire reboot.

Stephanie Cutter will have her lunch eaten every day.

[Stormy Dragon]

Literally. You know that fat bastard is the kinda guy that steals from the breakroom refrigerator.

[C. Anacreon]

Well, in the original "Crossfire," the pre-crazy Pat Buchanan used to mop the floor with Michael Kinsley, so at least it would be consistent.

[Mickey Rat]

The original Crossfire lefty was the older looking than dirt Tom Braden.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

He may be Canadian, but this astronaut made an awesome video.

[Brett L]

That fucking mustache gets to go to the space station, despite being Canadian, and I'm stuck here on Earth. Fuck you, universe.

[Dweebston]

I caught this a few days ago. Could not take my eyes of the mic. Then I remembered what I do for a living relative to what this guy does, and my eyeballs imitated a wrung sponge.

[Stormy Dragon]

And briefly believing Joe Biden might be in charge of the country, all hell broke loose:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/.....29454.html

[Matrix]

That, truly, is a horrifying idea.

[Pro Libertate]

What difference would it make if it were him or Obama? Both are idiots from where I'm sitting.

[Matrix]

Biden is a barely functional retard. Obama just can't admit that he's wrong and prefers to doubledown. He has an ego problem.

[Pro Libertate]

Define "functional."

[Matrix]

I might have been generous

[generic Brand]

Obama just can't admit that he's wrong and prefers to doubledown. He has an ego problem.

John is Barack Obama?

(I kid, I kid!)

[itsnotmeitsyou]

fighting against a ban on strapless dresses ahead of prom.

Today's kink discussion... Shoulders... mmmmmmmm

[Rich]

She considers them too distracting for boys.

Why? Do they have crossed rifles embroidered on them?

[Alack]

I read that as "fighting against a ban on strap-on-less dresses". Which was frightening for many reasons.

[jesse.in.mb]

Huh, that one doesn't seem to be taking off itsnotmeitsyou. I can't imagine why.

[mr simple]

Futurama canceled. Again.

I think it might be a mercy killing at this point.

[Episiarch]

The new stuff was fucking terrible. They shouldn't have brought it back at all if they weren't going to do it right. I fear the same for Arrested Development.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Don't say things like that. It will be fine!

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

DON'T EVEN FUCKING SAY IT

[Episiarch]

Look, sometimes you have to prepare for the worst eventuality, like when considering whether to go see the new Indiana Jones movie, or for a remake of The Wicker Man, or when reading past the first Robert Jordan WoT book. Or when having sex with NutraSweet. (lots and lots of crying is involved, and a lot of mucous)

[Brett L]

The "new" Indiana Jones movie is almost 20 years old and featured Sean Connery. What was so bad about that?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I see what you did there.

[Episiarch]

Going into denial helps no one, Brett. Sometimes monsters really are birthed into the world.

[T]

Better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness, Epi.

[Brett L]

Going into denial helps no one, Brett.

3 Star Wars
3 Indiana Jones
2 Godfathers

This is known.

[Heroic Mulatto]

ONE HIGHLANDER

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Well of course. There can be only one.

[Joe M]

I always thought it was weird how they numbered the Star Trek movies, personally.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

(lots and lots of crying is involved, and a lot of mucous)

That sounds not unlike Arrested Development.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

double negative.

[Jordan]

I hate to tell you this, but the new Arrested Development is going to be garbage. I'm calling it now.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

I've never cared for Jordan.

[Irish]

Jordan and Epi are both terrible dream crushers, Nicole.

Terrible dream crushers.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Dream-grabber characters, Irish, they're dream-grabber characters.

[Jordan]

Jordan and Epi are both terrible dream crushers, Nicole.

Well duh. I'm a libertarian after all.

[generic Brand]

You've never even met my sister.

[Episiarch]

I agree, but saying so will get about 50 people here trying to kill me, so let's just wait and see.

[Irish]

I'm already outside your house with a hockey mask and a chainsaw.

You're dead either way, so you might as well tell us how you really feel.

[Episiarch]

It's a good thing I'm at work then.

I would say that I think chances are high that it's "meh"; it'll have a few witty moments but will lack the spark it had before. I doubt it will be "terrible" (when I said the new Futurama was terrible, I meant in comparison to the original; by itself it's mostly "meh" with some funny bits thrown in).

The thing is, the original of both shows can't be recreated. It was a certain group of writers and actors at a certain time who came together and made something great. How can you possibly get that exact synergy back? Even if you could get the exact writing team, they're years older and they've changed.

It's basically impossible in my opinion.

[Stormy Dragon]

I don't think the new episodes are any worse than the old episode. Some are great ("Lethal Inspection", "Prisoner of Benda", "The Late Philip J. Fry"). The same is true about the original run, except that a decade later we only remember the great episodes and not the crap ones.

[Acosmist]

What's to remember? They're re-run constantly. We can SEE that the old ones were better.

[Stormy Dragon]

There are plenty of episodes from the original run ("Put your head on my shoulders", "The route of all evil", "The 30% iron chef", etc.) that are just as bad as anything from the current run.

[Episiarch]

What?!? "30% Iron Chef" is great!

Elzar: [Bender asks for cooking lessons] Absolutely not.

Bender: But I watch your show! You owe me!

Elzar: I owe you nothing! For starters your antenna's in my crotch. Also I hate you. And finally, you can't cook for squat.

Bender: [stands up] What was the first one again?

Elzar: I hate you.

Bender: I thought that was number two!

Elzar: I knocked it up a notch! Bam!

[Stormy Dragon]

Yeah, because the whole "Hey look, we have a cartoon version of Emeril Lagrasse" joke hadn't been done to death in the 10 episodes he'd already appeared in by then, let's base an entire episode around it. Because really, "I knocked it up a notch! Bam!" and the equally beat to death Bender-can't-cook joke are plenty to hold up 20 minutes of one of the most cliche plots ever.

[Stormy Dragon]

Oh, also "That's Lobstertainment!" and "A Leela of Her Own", which were so bad my brain apparently wiped out the memories of them.

[Irish]

Regardless, the worst episodes of Futurama are far better than the worst episodes of latter-day Simpson's.

On that we can all agree.

[jesse.in.mb]

You're just saying that because our resident contrarian is in self-imposed exile.

[Episiarch]

Dude, you must be my arch-nemesis because "That's Lobstertainment" is my favorite episode. The more Calculon the better.

"Everyone walked out. They hated it. I've seen plagues that had better opening nights than this."

[Stormy Dragon]

The fact you can pull one or two funny lines out of a terrible episode doesn't change the fact the episode as a whole was terrible.

[Stormy Dragon]

And I like Calculon too. Part of the reason I hate "That's Lobstertainment" is that it derails the Calculon character. Part of what makes Calculon so funny is that he acts like he's still his soap opera character in "real life". In that Lobstertainment, he suddenly starts acting like a normal person offstage who only hams it up on set.

[Irish]

You're a monster, Epi. There's no excuse for claiming Arrested Development won't be awesome.

[db]

I will see you dragged through the dust of Sudden Valley behind Gob's Segway for this heresy.

[Andrew S.]

I thought Season 7 was better than Seasons 5 or 6 were. I dunno. It's not as good as the original series, but I want this one to live forever.

[Mickey Rat]

"And the series finale, which features a wedding between Fry and Leela, is "a tasteful, emotional gorefest," he raves."

Great, another Red Wedding this year.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Giant fish caught.

[Jordan]

I actually saw a stingray that was close to that size swimming around on one of my SCUBA dives last summer. Pretty damn impressive. He even had an entourage of other fish (they would scoop up the little fish that he disturbed as he swam around).

[Trespassers W]

Did you know "scuba" was originally an acronym?

APPARENTLY YOU DO.

[Dweebston]

There's a word for words like scuba: anacronym

[db]

"Say 'SCUBA.' It sounds funny. SCUBA."

"'SCUBA.' Yeah, it does."

[Dweebston]

I am thrilled they're finally debuting season 5. You have no idea.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Add instant power to your life.

and send one to Piers Morgan

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Tamerlan took an interest in Infowars, a conspiracy theory website.

[#HOLO YOLO]

SF'd. And hilarious.

[db]

If that isn't evidence of a government conspiracy to discredit Infowars I don't know what is.

/tinfoil

[Coeus]

Jezebel has a new hero.

And his chick is definitely what I picture when I read their bullshit.

Here's a video where she loses an argument with a damn evangelist. Honestly, how much do you have to suck in order to lose an argument with an evangelist?

[#HOLO YOLO]

Holy shit, they're actually embracing her? I literally got a headache listening to her.

[Matrix]

You must not be aware of the level of stupidity of the Jezzies.

[Irish]

Watch that second video. I'm like 3 minutes in, and I am laughing my ass off. The evangelist is clearly just trolling her, and she can't do anything about it but loudly bitch.

It's like an hour long, so there's no way I'm watching the whole thing, but God she is insufferable.

[#HOLO YOLO]

DO YOU NEED A WHAMBULANCE TO GO WITH YOUR TONE POLICE?!

lmfao, they really are just walking sets of talking points.

[Irish]

That's the part that set me off laughing. Who in the world talks like that in real life?

[#HOLO YOLO]

What I love about accusations of using tone argument are often themselves examples of derailment.

[Irish]

Not only that, but tone arguments are often valid and aren't actually fallacies.

If we're arguing about tax law, and you just start screaming at me so that I can't get a word in, it's perfectly valid for me to point out that you're drowning out my argument by screaming at me.

In this case, the preacher is being totally rational and calm, and the girl responds by screaming mindlessly and insulting him. Calling her out on tone is acceptable.

[#HOLO YOLO]

I like the slip a bit before minute 5, telling the black dude "You don't wanna see no KKK dudes sittin' there."

[#HOLO YOLO]

I'm not judging other people's morals. I'm not judging people's lives.

She really said that. Oh god.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Ugh, but how much do you have to suck to respond to this BS with something other than death and rape threats? That shit is not helping anyone. And it's actually vile. Ugh.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

sorry, "to *not* respond"

[Coeus]

That's 4chan for ya. They respond with rape and death threats when a guy delivers pizza.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

I know, and I only care at all because it means Jez doesn't have to respond to any real criticism of anything they do or say, because they can just yell RAPE at every turn.

[Coeus]

because they can just yell RAPE at every turn.

But they do that anyway. One of my favorite things about the articles I bring by is how they manage to link rape to anything they don't like. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G. I saw one linking leaving the toilet seat up to rape.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Yeah, but let's make them link leaving the toilet seat up to rape, because that will make them look like fucking idiots. Linking rape threats to rape is not hard.

[SugarFree]

If only it were possible to rape rape, so the rape finally learns the lesson rape should have learned long ago.

[JW]

When everything is rape-y, nothing is rape-y.

[#HOLO YOLO]

I really wish people would cut it out with rape and death threats against anyone, but especially with these professional victims.

[Nikki makes the sign of a tsp]

Exactly.

[T]

Is DIAF considered a death threat? Because I might have a "No Soliciting - FOADIAF" sign on my front door...

[Heroic Mulatto]

If the special snowflakes of the world can't deal with the karmic justice of "a sane and just world," they should be stripped naked and then lead out into the streets where a large angry mob will throw rancid shit and piss at them. The mob will also humiliate them with cruel and vile words concerning their appearance and lack of morality. Then a group of young children will be given large wooden staves and be encouraged to beat them to the encouragement of the mob. As they fall to the ground, no longer being able to stand as their tissues swell, in turn, the nozzle of a firehose will be shoved up their rectums and the high pressure water will blast into their intestines. The pressure generated will cause an extreme anal prolapse, disemboweling them. Their last moments on Earth shall be ones of pain, fear, and abject debasement, as they lie in the gutter, slowly dying in agony, as the mob abuses the corpses of their friends.

[Dweebston]

Trigger warning, dude!

[Coeus]

Saw this in the comments on Jezebel:

Besides, are you really going to defend a crowd of stupid fucks who say, ON VIDEO, that consent can be retracted "after the fact", that sex you end up regretting is actually rape? Really? You've sunk that low? Because the feminist fools in the video actually say that. Watch it again.

Did anyone catch that on the video? I would definitely not be surprised.

[Fool]

It kind of comes out in pieces around the 7 minute mark.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

LOL--she looks like the spawn of the Underminer from the Incredibles.

[Heroic Mulatto]

BHANGRA TUESDAY!

[Archduke Pantsfan]

This is a thing? The MILF diet

[Heroic Mulatto]

The author of said tome.

I'll let you make your own judgements.

[Anonymous Coward]

7/10.

6/10 if she talks a lot.

[PapayaSF]

If all she eats is macrobiotic food, and in real life she looks more like this picture, 5/10.

[Heroic Mulatto]

5????

You are too generous.

[Irish]

Picture HM posted: 7.

Picture Papaya posted: 4.

I hope she looks more like HM's and less like Papaya's.

[PapayaSF]

My scale is corrected for age.

[Ted S.]

Can you survive eating only MILFs?

[Brett L]

Honestly, I thought this was going to be a diet used by Moro Separatists to wage their 125 years of war against the US and their running dog Filipino sympathizers.

[Zombie Jimbo]

Can I have two, if they are small?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

CNN is doing one thing right.

[Irish]

That show sounds pretty awesome, even though I haven't seen it.

If they could mix in Erin Burnett showing a little bit of leg, I'd be all over that show. It would be a ratings bonanza.

[Stormy Dragon]

Meh, Bourdain is too much of an iconoclast for my tastes (in the sense that he seems to dislike popular things solely because they're popular).

[#HOLO YOLO]

Over the course of an hour or so:

Friend: Are you theist or atheist?
Me: Agnostic.
Friend: Do you use Windows or Mac?
Me: Linux.
Friend: Are you liberal or conservative?
Me: Libertarian.
Friend: Ugh, you really are one of those people, aren't you?

[Stormy Dragon]

There's a distinction between liking things that happen to be unpopular, and liking things specifically because they're unpopular and that therefore you are cooler than everyone else for liking them.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Oh I know. It was just a funny situation.

[Irish]

Stormy's got it exactly right.

Also, what the hell kind of a friend do you have that jams questions about your religion and questions about your political beliefs into a conversation like that?

That friend sounds like kind of an asshole.

[#HOLO YOLO]

The conversation didn't actually go that way -- all three of those subjects came up, and then on the last one (whatever it is), he said something like: "So, to recap, you're a Linux-using agnostic libertarian? Sheesh, you really are one of those people"

It wasn't that unusual, either, because though we don't hang out much anymore, when we did most of our conversations were about politics, economics, or philosophy.

Plus he meant it as a joke.

[jesse.in.mb]

I take it you're not a fan of hipsters then Stormy?

[Stormy Dragon]

No, I don't like hipsters. Although I also don't like people who spend all their time talking about how much they hate hipsters either, as being explicitly anti-hipster has almost become a form of meta-hipsterism.

[jesse.in.mb]

Mind. Blown.

[Coeus]

as being explicitly anti-hipster has almost become a form of meta-hipsterism.

So even though your beliefs are anti-hipster, you're against anti-hipsterism because it's popular?

[Stormy Dragon]

Note the key phrase: "people who spend all their time talking about how much they hate hipsters". I don't understand People who get obssessed with something they claim to hate and spend all their time on it. I get not liking hipsters. I don't get setting up a website about it so you can make not liking hipsters a core part of your identity.

[Coeus]

I saw it. I was just going for the easy dig (very busy at work today). Mea culpa.

[GILMORE]

Harvard to Shut Research Center Warned on Monkey Deaths

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....eaths.html

I didn't even RTFA. All I needed was "Government threats over monkey deaths..." FTW

Also interesting = "Terrorist in UK Tries to Raise Money for Terror Plot by Trading Currency; Sucks So Bad at it, Goes Broke"

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

[Dweebston]

Markets solve everything!

[a better weapon]

Headline: House GOP Concludes Hillary blew Benghazi Response

In other news, I asked my barber if I needed a haircut and he said "Yes."

http://www.washingtontimes.com.....-response/

[Dweebston]

Any chance "WATPDIM?" will catch on?

And does this feel about six months late to anyone else?

[C. Anacreon]

Headline: House GOP Concludes Hillary blew Benghazi Response

I think had Hillary blown other things in the past there might not have been the impeachment.

[Comment Handle]

The tone of that "strapless dresses" link is disgustingly feminist. Supposedly the rule violates the fourteenth amendment. These people really believe that shit.

[WomSom]

So, who comes up with all that stuff?

http://www.Dodge-CISPA.tk

[An0nB0t]

http://shropshiresheep.org/FarmedAndDangerous
http://www.trentonian.ca/2012/.....eep-farmer

The Anonbot Agrarian Rage Meter is now sitting at 11. Say "regulations protect the innocent" one more time, motherfucker.

[Rhinonamous]

Ok, which one of you is trolling Time?