CO Legislators Look to Repeal Marijuana Legalization, Shadow Economy Helping Keep the US Afloat, ICE Deports American Citizens: P.M. Links

Credit: smokershighlife / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

• Activists warn that legislators are putting together a measure that would repeal marijuana legalization in Colorado. 

• According to analysts the $2 trillion shadow economy may be keeping the unsteady ship that is the American economy afloat.

• Americans have been deported from the U.S. thanks to the incompetence so many of us have come to expect from federal agencies.

• Memories of the fiasco in Iraq are hanging over the debate on what the American response to the possible use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces should be.

• The pledge of allegiance could become mandatory in Texas charter schools if a state representative gets her way.

• Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) says Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped cooperating with investigators after a federal magistrate judge read him his Miranda rights. 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Activists warn that legislators are putting together a measure that would repeal marijuana legalization in Colorado.

Everyone knows that legislators are the will of the people.

[generic Brand]

Oh shoot! People are enjoying themselves too much! Quickly, pass a law preventing it!

[Longtorso]

The American Woman Has Hit An All-Time Low
...And since Katherine was nothing more than an "All-American girl," it is reasonable to conclude that most American women are exactly like Katherine ? unhappy with their spoiled lives who would gladly give it up just for a chance to be enthralled by a powerful man. The women of this country have no more loyalty to the land that raised them, but instead are opportunists looking for a chance to submit in pleasure.

Until that opportunity comes, they will hate on all men who try to be anything good towards them, and act out against them ? by denying them sex and relationships, by throwing them in jail with trumped up charges, by stealing their money under the pretense of marriage ? until they are forced to stop. And it doesn't take much to stop them ? even a welfare bum like Tsarnaev could do it....

...Just remember: whereas in many countries around the world, women are forced to endure domestic abuse from their husbands with no hope of justice, here in America we have women rushing with open legs into the crotches of abusers despite a legal system that is designed to "empower" them. I hope your exit strategy is going well....

[Episiarch]

No one cares that you can't get laid and that you hate women because of it, dumbass.

[mr simple]

Although it is unclear how he seduced her, my guess is that he got her with some Muslim game...

And racist to boot.

[Trespassers W]

This was much more interesting when my brain read it as being about Katherine Heigl.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

That's hilarious. MRAs really can make anything about their cracked-out theories of how to get into women's pants.

[Virginian]

That's hilarious. MRAs really can make anything about their cracked-out theories of how to get into women's pants.

MRAs work to make family law more equitable. You're thinking of PUAs.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Ah, my bad.

[jesse.in.mb]

That's what they're for, but they can slip into bitterness and misogyny too. A lot of them are coming from a place of being really screwed, so it's not all that surprising, but it can be a turn off when reading.

Fathers 4 Justice still make me incredibly happy. They're fighting an incredibly good fight and doing it in an attention grabbing and interesting way.

[Virginian]

A lot of them are coming from a place of being really screwed, so it's not all that surprising, but it can be a turn off when reading.

I chalk that up with older black folks who can be downright racist toward white people. Yeah, it's shitty, but if you were born in '40 or '30 and came up at a time when you could actually get lynched for looking at a white girl wrong, it's understandable.

Plus a lot of these guys are being screwed over in an explicitly feminist ideological fashion. She wants to divorce, and he gets to pay for it, and only a sexist would disagree that that is a fair system.

[Xenocles]

Same with women's rights advocates. That's why I just stick with human rights.

[Suthenboy]

"About the Author; Samseau is a player philosopher psychologist..."

Is that the long way of spelling "Moron"?

[A Serious Man]

According to analysts the $2 trillion shadow economy may be keeping the unsteady ship that is the American economy afloat.

"The more your tighten your grip the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

[Pro Libertate]

I have wondered how the economy keeps functioning as well as it does (which is not very well for some years now), what with the regulatory, taxing, and deficit-spending pressures on it. Perhaps there's something to this?

[A Serious Man]

People getting around laws and regulations is nothing new. It's just today we have a class of politicians and their supporters that want such people who flout their laws punished and their assets seized for hoarding and not 'paying their fair share'.

[Fist of Etiquette]

PERHAPS IT'S THE REGULATIONS ALONE THAT ARE KEEPING THE ECONOMIC ENGINE RUNNING. Keep your bias out of the analysis!

[Pro Libertate]

I wish we could see the alternative universe where we have minimal regulation, maximal free markets, and widespread freedoms.

[$park?]

Just look at Somalia why don't you.

[Anonymous Coward]

Europeans attempting to impose unity on tribes and clans that have been at war for centuries?

Textbook anarcho-capitalism.

[A Serious Man]

IT'S CALLED SoMALiA! //Dergressive

[Pro Libertate]

Since learning that Nunavut lacks public roads, I'm using it as my example of a libertarian paradise, though I'm sure it's no such thing, being in Canada and all.

[Zeb]

Anyplace with that few people is probably de facto libertarian paradise, whatever the laws actually are.

[Pro Libertate]

No roads! Dogsleds, yes, but no roads!

[Ted S.]

I suppose if we bombed Chicago, there would be a massive stimulus rebuilding the place.

[Longtorso]

Chicks Dig Jerks: When Quantity Is Its Own Quality Edition
...Thirteen female corrections officers essentially handed over control of a Baltimore jail to gang leaders, prosecutors said. The officers were charged Tuesday in a federal racketeering indictment.

Sex, drugs and prisoners were all involved in this recent FBI sting. The Washington Post's Ann Marimow explains what was happening behind the prison walls.

The indictment described a jailhouse seemingly out of control. Four corrections officers became pregnant by one inmate. Two of them got tattoos of the inmate's first name, Tavon ? one on her neck, the other on a wrist....

..."the ringleader of it all, according to the indictment, is Tavon White, a four-year inmate charged with attempted murder. He reportedly made $16,000 in one month off the smuggled contraband. Four corrections officers?Jennifer Owens, Katera Stevenson, Chania Brooks and Tiffany Linder, who are also facing charges ? allegedly became impregnated by White since he's been in jail. Charging documents reveal Owens had 'Tavon' tattooed on her neck and Stevenson had 'Tavon' tattooed on her wrist."...

[Episiarch]

Holy shit you're an idiot. Chicks just don't dig you, loser.

[Longtorso]

Yes they do, because I'm in jail for killing Suki.

[generic Brand]

And we all thank you. Give us the address to send you cigarettes to trade.

[Killazontherun]

Not me. I'm going to miss Suki's massively sloppy blowjobs and enthusiastic anal. Sure, it was just Longtorso in a Sailor Moon costume, but damn it, it was real for me.

[Brett L]

I hear that dude had a tattoo of a rooster in a noose on his right calf.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

That's hilarious. MRAs really can make anything about their cracked-out theories of how to get into women's pants.

[Pro Libertate]

Let me make a prediction: Tavon will be writing (through a ghost writer, doubtlessly) a book on how to pick up chicks.

[cavalier973]

Will it be on Kindle? or Nook?

[jesse.in.mb]

Are you just re-linking the stuff American linked last night?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Americans have been deported from the U.S. thanks to the incompetence so many of us have come to expect from federal agencies.

Would they rather be put into internment camps? Because the government can do that, too.

[Chaucer]

Born in East LA 2

[Longtorso]

Lauryn Hill: I'm a good person, so I shouldn't have to pay taxes
...In a statement she posted on her website, Hill admitted that she intentionally failed to pay taxes, but said she was justified because of her hard work and selflessness.

"Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance," Hill said.

"I conveyed all of this when questioned as to why I did not file taxes during this time period," she continued. "Obviously, the danger I faced was not accepted as reasonable grounds for deferring my tax payments, as authorities, who despite being told all of this, still chose to pursue action against me, as opposed to finding an alternative solution. My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family."...

[generic Brand]

Girls, you know you better watch out.
Some guys, some guys are only about
Tax-es, tax-es, taaaaaax-esss.

[Trespassers W]

I might be on board with what she's arguing, if only I had the slightest idea of what it was.

[Jerry on the boat]

How about becoming a libertarian instead, Lauren?

[$park?]

She probably doesn't like books.

[Anonymous Coward]

Uncle Sam:

"I appreciate your position, Lauren, and you are a good person, but FUCK YOU, PAY ME."

[Zeb]

Jesus, it's not like it's hard to file an extension.

[Brett L]

They still want your fucking money by April 15.

[Apatheist ?_??]

New UConn logo promotes rape culture.

[Anonymous Coward]

Whining ass bullshit. I heard this on the radio and it was awesomely bad.

Well President Herbst, the new Husky logo may not be capable of frightening small children, but the face of real life UConn athletics is certainly capable of frightening college women.

It is looking right through you and saying, 'Do not mess with me.' This is a streamlined, fighting dog, and I cannot wait for it to be on our uniforms and court.~Geno Auriemma stated about the new logo change.

What terrifies me about the admiration of such traits is that I know what it feels like to have a real life Husky look straight through you and to feel powerless, and to wonder if even the administration cannot "mess with them." And I know I am not alone. It is on this note that I ask you to hear these words. And whether you hear me or not, I thank you for the ceilings you have shattered that benefit women in academia such as myself. In the words of Audre Lorde, "this letter is in repayment."

In solidarity,

Carolyn Luby

OMG! Athletics department takes all the money! Jocks! RAEP!!!!

My response would be, "don't like the athletics department? Don't like the logo? Here are some brochures for Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard. Now get the fuck out of my office."

[generic Brand]

I want to feel bad for rape victims, but when they keep changing the definition of rape so much that I find little sympathy for them. It's like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"... eventually I just stop paying attention.

[Killazontherun]

She is a princess and the UConn logo is her pea.

[hotsy totsy]

Men's football earns money for the college. It's the women's sports that are a drain.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I don't know if that's the case at UConn. The basketball teams, both men and women, have pretty much ruled the roost for about 20 years now.

[Episiarch]

The women's basketball team makes plenty of money for UConn. They are a very big deal.

[Coeus]

Jesus-titty-fucking-christ. These bitches have basically only one go to move now. "Everything we don't like is rape". And this isn't even the most extreme example I've seen lately.

[Coeus]

Ok. now I see what they're talking about. Apparently, feminists don't know how meme generator works.

[Virginian]

Haha I love Insanity Wolf. But it's just a parody of Courage Wolf, another meme.

http://www.quickmeme.com/Insanity-Wolf/

[Coeus]

hehe

[Coeus]

trying again

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Carolyn Luby is a senior at the University of Connecticut majoring in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies and Spanish and minoring in Latino/a Studies.

Wow, that resume just screams "Drama-producing bitch." What business in their right mind would hire someone like this?

[Virginian]

She'll go to work in academia or a government funded nonprofit.

But don't you dare call her a parasite!

[Red Rocks Rockin]

That's pretty much the only market left for these types. No wonder academia has become such an intellectually stultified institution.

[mr simple]

I know we all hate to pass up an opportunity to rip on the feministes, but this was debunked in the AM links. The letter was not actually blaming rape on the new mascot, or whatever. The university has apparently been spending a lot of money and time rebranding and rebuilding and this student thought there were other things that needed to be addressed, like student-athlete academics and mentioned a few incidents between male athletes and female students. Now, she does display flawed reasoning abilities, including the usual socialist nonsense and breezing past the fact that the men in the incidents were arrested. However, she does not link the mascot and rape culture, as you and others suggest. She just wants to know when other issues will be addressed while the school remakes its image.

[Coeus]

You sure about that? Her feminist brethren don't seem to think so.

[SweatingGin]

These dowsing rods totally work.

[Scooby]

The police in Kenya say that the devices have prevented grenade attacks.

Are those bomb detectors are like my tiger repellent rock? I'm sure that would work as well in Nairobi as it does in Texas. My anti-lion stick, on the other hand...

[Generic Stranger]

True story: my parents had their well location selected by a dowser. I was of the opinion that they could have drilled anywhere on the property and hit water, but they wouldn't listen to me. They used the fact that the guy guessed the depth correctly as proof, but that's not hard to do if you know the average level of the water table in the area.

[$park?]

Follow-up on the 'anti-semite' textbook: CONTEXT!

Textbook author Rubenstein says his question needs to be read within the context of an entire paragraph, which goes on to explain conflicting Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints on the issue. The paragraph reads:

"Distinguishing acts of terrorism from other acts of political violence can be difficult. For example, if a Palestinian suicide bomber kills several dozen Israeli teenagers in a Jerusalem restaurant, is that an act of terrorism or wartime retaliation against Israeli government policies and army actions? Competing arguments are made: Israeli sympathizers denounce the act as a terrorist threat to the country's existence, whereas advocates of the Palestinian cause argue that long-standing injustices and Israeli army attacks on ordinary Palestinian civilians provoked the act."

Where is Lord Peter Whimsy now?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Who gives a damn what the excuses given by scum are? The people who perpetrated this act went out of their way to kill unarmed civilians who are not participants in the conflict.

When they target the IDF, they can be treated as combatants. Until such a time, they're just scum, and giving in to scum is not the basis for a sound foreign policy.

[$park?]

So, you're not going to read the article?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Just read the article.

The book shouldn't be banned, but it also shouldn't be used as a textbook if the sort of leading question that's excerpted is a representative example. "It's, like, just my opinion, man" is great for The Dude and for some aspects of social studies, but the morality of a terrorist act is not one of them.

[$park?]

Yeah, I suppose it's pretty shitty to have kids hear both sides of an issue that's probably going to be pretty big throughout their lives.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I don't see how the Israel-Palestine conflict affects the lives of almost any American.

More importantly, they're not being told both sides of that conflict, they are merely being told that there *are* two sides -- about as banal and worthless and observation as you can make about any given issue. Being told that there are "competing arguments" is valueless if you are a) not told what those arguments are, and b) have not been equipped with the means of telling a good argument from bad. Statements like these are an indicator that a text is either poorly written or being written mendaciously.

[hotsy totsy]

I wonder whether the KKK had a "side of the story"? "You know we's always been good to our coloreds! They got to be taught a lesson now and then". Retaliation for disloyalty durin the War Between the States.

[Virginian]

No, the KKK's side of the story was that the federal government invaded their land, destroyed their homes and crops, denied them the franchise, appointed political leaders using martial law, and stole their property without compensation.

Not apologizing for slavery, just pointing out that people can be wrong, even evil, and still be treated like shit and feel oppressed. The Germans and Japanese were not happy with the way their cities were treated.

[Eduard van Haalen]

*Birth of a Nation?* gives the Klan perspective. I'm sure this school district would be happy to show that movie in the interest of hearing both sides.

[hotsy totsy]

"No, the KKK's side of the story was that the federal government invaded their land, destroyed their homes and crops, denied them the franchise, appointed political leaders using martial law, and stole their property without compensation"

Which is pretty much the Palestinians argument.

[hotsy totsy]

And I agree both the PLO and the KKK "side of the story" is wrong and heinous.

[Virginian]

I'd actually be interested in making a movie showing the untold history of the Civil War. I have some family history to draw on.

A poor to middling yeoman farmer in the Shenandoah Valley is drafted, fights throughout the war, and returns home only to find that his farm and house have been looted and burned by Union forces. His family has moved in with relatives. He tries to get work, but government corruption combined with the devastation inflicted on the South reduces him to scraping for low wages.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Sucks to be on the losing side of a war.

And government corruption was only incidental to the low wages for Southerners. Southern culture in the antebellum South didn't value education and the South didn't have a diversified economy; post-war Germany and Japan didn't have the economic experience that the Reconstruction-era South did -- and you'd best believe that Germany and Japan (Japan especially) saw significant levels of government malfeasance. Many of the wounds that the South suffered during reconstruction were self-inflicted or the result of their overreliance on a heinous moral crime.

[cavalier973]

*Southern culture in the antebellum South didn't value education and the South didn't have a diversified economy*

"One of the oft-heard put-downs of the Old South was its lack of education, by which is usually meant free public education, which was well-established in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states by 1860 but had barely dented the South. Thus, it is said that the South was uneducated. Yet literacy among white Southerners before the war was more than 80 percent, slightly below that of Northerners but better than the rate in Britain or any European country except Sweden and Denmark."

"The lack of railroad track mileage is another canard against the South. By mid-century, the comparison stood at 112 miles per state in the South and 442 miles per free state. Yet the South in 1860, when it set out to be an independent nation, would have been second in the world in railroad mileage per capita, behind only the North.

The South had fewer railroads in part because it had less need of them. One-crop plantations generate less rail freight than more diverse Northern farms. And wide, navigable rivers penetrate deep into the South in almost all regions."

http://www.etymonline.com/cw/canards.htm

[cavalier973]

"The South was not nearly as poor and backwards as is often assumed: in 1860 it would have been fifth in the world in cotton textile production, behind Great Britain, the North, Switzerland, Belgium, and France. In per capita income, it would have tied with Switzerland for fourth place, behind Australia, the North, and Great Britain. The Southern states of 1860 would have formed the fourth-wealthiest nation in the world, with an inflation-adjusted per capita income not seen in some European nations till World War II. The per-capita-income growth of the South 1840-60 was 1.7 percent per annum -- 30 percent more rapid than the growth in the North."

[cavalier973]

"Yet the plantation-keeping could be delegated, and slave ownership would certainly allow a life of indulgence and ease. But it did not require it. The vigorous careers and astonishing accomplishments of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison (slaveowners all) speak against that assumption of universal laziness. The masterful skill of Confederate generals and cavalry (into which ranks the slaveowning minority was generally drawn) speaks against it being at all widespread. Periclean Athens, with its 172,000 citizens and 115,000 slaves, was hardly moribund. King Alfred's Anglo-Saxons, and the Vikings who founded settlements from Newfoundland to Russia, were hardly effete, decadent peoples. Yet both had slavery in the core of their culture and economy. Spartan slavery was even more comparable to the American model than that of Athens. No one would accuse the Spartans of being a bunch of soft layabouts."

[kbolino]

" ... speak against that assumption of universal laziness"

No one made that claim.

"The masterful skill of Confederate generals and cavalry ..."

Yet they did not win the war.

"Periclean Athens, with its 172,000 citizens and 115,000 slaves, was hardly moribund"

Yet it lost to Sparta within a generation of Pericles's death.

"... were hardly effete, decadent peoples"

What is the point of this?

"No one would accuse the Spartans of being a bunch of soft layabouts."

WTF...?

[cavalier973]

Sparta was also a slave state.

[kbolino]

You ignored everything I said, made a completely irrelevant point, and in so doing assumed that I possessed a level of intelligence slightly below that of a freshly dropped turd.

This site deserves a better class of troll...

[kbolino]

"in 1860 it would have been fifth in the world in cotton textile production"

Having your economy largely dependent on an export is not a desirable characteristic during wartime.

"The per-capita-income growth of the South 1840-60 was 1.7 percent per annum"

Per-capita income statistics are an odd choice when roughly 40% of the capita are legally forbidden from earning any income.

[kbolino]

"Yet literacy among white Southerners before the war was more than 80 percent,"

Fully 40% of the total population was forbidden by law from being literate. Even if we assume a generous 10% literacy rate for slaves, that cuts the literacy rate of the population to 50%.

Moreover, with the North's population advantage, there were more literate Northerners than there were Southerners regardless of literacy.

[hotsy totsy]

Another side? Maybe the PLO is made up of just plain sociopaths and thugs who would usually be serial killers or mass murderers and being in the PLO just gives them an excuse?

Charles Manson thought long standing injustices provoked his gangs murderous acts as well.

[$park?]

I guess the wonderful public education systems should just tell kids how we're totes besties w/ Israel and that's that. Probably better off not letting them come up with their own conclusions just in case they're wrong.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

The public school system shouldn't be teaching kids anything about Israel's internal politics, or indeed almost anything at all about the country except that it was formed after WWII and that conflicts with its neighbors have been a source of regional instability.

[$park?]

Really? Nothing at all? I thought the party line was that publik ejacashun sucks because it doesn't teach kids how to think. Does it matter that this is an AP level elective course?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I can't think of anything less idiotic and misinformed than the current Israel-Palestine debate. A complex issue with a storied history is given short shrift by almost everyone, and has very little impact on the average US citizen. I hold out very little hope that such a subject would be relayed accurately in a school setting; if kids are curious about it there are plenty of good, sourced books on the topic.

Spoon-feeding kids apologia or anti-septic treatment of murderers doesn't teach them to think or do much of any use at all. Better an AP class on logic, economics, or a social studies topic of use (AP US History or Civics, for example).

[Mickey Rat]

"I can't think of anything less idiotic and misinformed than the current Israel-Palestine debate."

So that means you think the Israel-Palestine is the least idiotic and misinformed debate?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The pledge of allegiance could become mandatory in Texas charter schools if a state representative gets her way.

What anti-American prick wants it otherwise? Deport their ass, whoever it is!

[DJF]

Pledge of allegiance to which country, USA, Mexico or Texas?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"...one nation, under a ten gallon hat..."

[Brett L]

"Yo rindo omenaje a la bandera de Los Estados Unidos..."

IIRC from 8th grade spanish class in Tejas.

[$park?]

You wear a bandana of the United States?

[Brett L]

Its a 'Murcan flag bandana, bro. And I wear it around my flowing 'Murcan locks as I ride my overpriced, heavy and loud 'Murcan motorcycle 'round 'Murca. Okay, bro?

[generic Brand]

No, not okay.

You're spelling 'Merica wrong.

[Brett L]

Its 'Murca. Are you Canadian or something?

[generic Brand]

The first vowel sound is definitely more "AIR" than "ER"/"UR". I've lived in Plant City, the place so redneck they don't even name it after a single specific plant but all flora in general.

So you can just go straight to hell!

[Brett L]

Right. But you live in Plant City. I drive to Crawfordville everyday, now. Its 'Murca, boy.

[Apatheist ?_??]

There is a Texas Pledge of Allegiance said in schools actually. The under god part wasn't added till 2007.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Well I hadn't read the article. Apparently it is both pledges they want to force.

[Rasilio]

If this was my kids school I'd raise holy hell about it, and not because of the idiotic but trivial inclusion of "under god" but rather because the very idea of forcing children to recite an oath of loyalty to the state by rote is entirely antithetical to the values this country was founded upon not to mention a violation of their first amendment rights.

[oncogenesis]

Compulsory loyalty oaths are the bestest loyalty oaths.

[Zeb]

Isn't there precedent that says it can't be mandatory? Or is that just how I think it should be? Why are there even flags in classrooms? In case someone is confused about what country they are in?

[Heedless]

Also, haven't any of these idiots read Catch 22?

Do not be Captain Black.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Alright folks, time for another game of Guess Who Said It:

Look, I'm not going to be at Democrats who voted for this bill, despite the naked self-interest involved. Abandoning any part of sequestration is better than nothing, and the air traffic controllers who won't be facing drastic cuts in their take home pay are no doubt grateful for this. Plus, our already struggling economy doesn't need to lose a bunch of pointless money in terms of loss production and the inability to move goods efficiently that is caused by these delays. This relieved a small amount of needless suffering. Now it's time to end the rest of it, you selfish congressional fucks.

[$park?]

Sounds like something John Cusack would say.

[Joe M]

Matt Yglesias?

[Anonymous Coward]

Plus, our already struggling economy doesn't need to lose a bunch of pointless money in terms of loss production and the inability to move goods efficiently that is caused by these delays.

Pointless money like $8 million being spent to propagandize for Obamacare?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

"Pointless money". Great phrase -- apparently, money can be intrinsically pointless. Who knew?

[Trespassers W]

That sentence is full of all kinds of floating concepts. "Loss production"? "Inability to move goods efficiently"?

If it's "pointless money", what's the harm of losing it? I guess because it's being lost in terms of loss production. That's a bad thing.

[Coeus]

Damn. She waded into the comments and got thoroughly schooled. You might want to check it now before they delete it.

A sample:

Amanda Marcotte WJM51 ? 8 hours ago ?
Citation needed for the following claims:

1) That there is a law setting hiring quotas for minorities. If your point is that you're not allowed to discriminate, that is true, but then:
2) That Congress legalized racial discrimination for itself.
3) That a law requiring people not to refuse to hire people based on race is frivolous.
4) That you can come up with any other example besides your imaginary racial quotas one of Congress passing a general law and then exempting itself from it.

Thanks!

5 ?Reply?Share ?

Crissa Amanda Marcotte ? an hour ago
I'm glad someone else was able to answer it. It's a really, really long answer you're asking for, one that shouldn't be in dispute. Congress likes exempting themselves, it's just history.

Amanda Marcotte WJM51 ? 4 hours ago ?
I guess I'm not going to get the documentation for these claims. *sigh* I'm having a lot of trouble finding it on my own and am beginning to think these are the paranoid rantings of a right winger who doesn't give a hoot about truth.?

Then the next comment a few minutes later lays out the law (literally). No response from from her to it.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

That's hilarious, but when it comes to mining humor from Amanda Marcotte's comments section, a Tolkien quote comes to mind: "The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum... shadow and flame."

[Anonymous Coward]

God, don't you know that explaining things like the law to feminists is perpetuating Rape Culture? You're penetrating and violating their pure, innocent feminist delusions with facts, which is no different that using your penis.

[Coeus]

Isn't she just the greatest reporter?

I guess I'm not going to get the documentation for these claims. *sigh* I'm having a lot of trouble finding it on my own

My god. How does she function? 2 seconds on google and my fucking grandmother could find that information.

[Coeus]

I cheated, but the impugning of motives for economic decisions is so clearly her MO, that I was already 75% sure before I clicked.

[Longtorso]

FRC shooter: I targeted them because SPLC list said they were 'anti-gay'
...Family Research Council (FRC) officials released video of federal investigators questioning convicted domestic terrorist Floyd Lee Corkins II, who explained that he attacked the group's headquarters because the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identified them as a "hate group" due to their traditional marriage views.

"Southern Poverty Law lists anti-gay groups," Corkins tells interrogators in the video, which FRC obtained from the FBI. "I found them online, did a little research, went to the website, stuff like that."

The Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard reported that Corkins, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, said in court that he hoped to "kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in victims' faces, and kill the guard." As Bedard explained, "the shooting occurred after an executive with Chick-Fil-A announced his support for traditional marriage, angering same-sex marriage proponents."...

[Pro Libertate]

I don't see how the pledge can become mandatory. It's pretty clearly established that compelled speech is unconstitutional (not counting areas where it isn't, like in many commercial speech situations).

[Joe M]

The neo-cons are really getting after this story. Our old pal David Frum: Rand Paul's Biggest Liability: His Dad

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Yeah, but they have a point.

Ron Paul gives strange characters authority to speak on his behalf when he has no good reason to do so.

[Killazontherun]

Frum would be a good word if we needed one to mean ' the spot where dogshit hits the sidewalk'.

Not even a fan of Ron Paul, I just consider Frum to be the biggest loser to ever toady up to the power elite.

[Brett L]

Welcome to the big leagues. Reporter gets the gatorade shower at her first interview. SFW

[Virginian]

Hmmm....I'd shower with her.

[$park?]

New runner up for mother of the year award.

Lindsey Lowe will spend a minimum of 51 years in prison. She was convicted last month of felony and premeditated murder, as well as aggravated child abuse.

Lowe was arrested in Tennessee in September after her father found one of the dead baby boys in a laundry basket.

Lowe told police she hid the pregnancy and killed the babies because she didn't want her parents to know she was pregnant.

[Jordan]

How do you not notice your daughter is pregnant?

[$park?]

When women get pregnant they get something in common with a type of women who aren't.

[Jordan]

So, you're saying this girl is probably a Jezebel writer.

[Whahappan?]

It's not as uncommon as you might think. There was a girl who got pregnant at my high school who hid it from her parents until she had the baby. And she was thin and kinda hot, not a fatty, either. I don't understand it, mind, but it does happen.

[Coeus]

How do you not look up safe harbor laws on google before committing infanticide?

[Eduard van Haalen]

So why didn't she just exercise her constitutional right to an abortion? She would have gotten 0 years in prison.

[$park?]

My guess: she's really fucking dumb. That would have easily been a better solution than killing live babies.

[Greg]

Republican obstructionism obviously

[Brett L]

Sadly, because of her (probably irrational) fear, she picked the worst possible way of dealing with this.

[A Serious Man]

The 14 best liberal celebrity reactions to the defeat of gun control in the Senate.

[Mad Scientist]

Where are they getting this 90% figure from?

[jesse.in.mb]

It was a Washington Post poll, every other poll hovered between 47 and 56%, but somehow WaPo managed to get a 1000 people to agree on gunshow background checks.

[Mad Scientist]

I'm glad to see they haven't stopped finding excuses for believing whatever they want to believe.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Probably WaPo subscribers.

[MJGreen]

From each other.

[Virginian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr37b-FYj8g

[Episiarch]

"Wil Wheaton"

As if you ever needed more proof that Wesley is the worst. If only they had let The Traveler have his way with him.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

They did.

By the time Wil came back for the Very Special Native American episode, he was a changed man.

[Mad Scientist]

In his defense, without Wesley ST:TNG would have still been terrible.

[Longtorso]

What's better for Wesley Crusher: Assrape or Snirkles?

[Episiarch]

That's not a defense!

[Longtorso]

You're just mad because you can't get ST:TNG fans to assrape you, Epi.

[Mad Scientist]

Look, I'm not saying he's not terrible. I'm saying he's perfect because he fit right in.

[db]

"Sub-creatures! Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, the Traveller has come! Choose and perish!"

If only Wesley had had to face this Traveller.

[cavalier973]

I sort of like Will Wheaton, due to his participation in the Penny Arcade D&D Podcasts. Hi-lar-i-ous.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/podcasts.aspx

[jesse.in.mb]

I liked him on Eureka. He seems to have a sense of himself as an absurd nerd figure.

*runs and hides from thrown rotting tomatoes*

[Coeus]

Agreed. It's the only time I've liked him.

[jesse.in.mb]

I can't think of a different time I've liked him. But I have minimal exposure to him besides TNG and Eureka.

[Dweebston]

Thank you. I needed this.

Shame about Jason Alexander, but I read the tweet in his GEORGE IS VERY ANGRY voice.

[generic Brand]

Just reply back to Jason that "IT'S THE SUMMER OF GUNZ!"

[Dweebston]

Har! I like it. I should probably set up a twitter troll account.

[Coeus]

Michael Moore:

"We are the majority, AND WE ARE NOT DONE"

Good thing we're armed, then.

[Coeus]

Terry McMillian:

"i would like to smack Rand Paul dead in his mouth"

Unfortunately for you, he's still got his guns.

[Mad Scientist]

Americans have been deported from the U.S. thanks to the incompetence so many of us have come to expect from federal agencies.

Clearly, ICE needs more Top Men.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Memories of the fiasco in Iraq are hanging over the debate on what the American response to the possible use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces should be.

So which is it going to be? Chemical warfare counts as use of WMD's or not?

[Rasilio]

No we all know that it is the unlicensed use of Pressure cookers that counts as deployment of WMD

[Longtorso]

USDA/Mexico Spanish-language flyer: Get kids on food stamps without showing documents
...A USDA Spanish language flyer provided to the Mexican Embassy, according to Judicial Watch, reads that if potentially ineligible immigrants want to obtain benefits for their children they "need not divulge information regarding your immigration status in seeking this benefit for your children."...

The welfare angle
...The Patrick administration clamped down the lid yesterday on Herald requests for details of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's government benefits, citing the dead terror mastermind's right to privacy.

Across the board, state agencies flatly refused to provide information about the taxpayer-funded lifestyle for the 26-year-old man and his brother and accused accomplice Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19....

[Anonymous Coward]

Bureaucratic imperialism requires bending the rules from time to time.

[Dweebston]

I listened to a liberal talk show host?Norman Goldman, I think?attempt to head off this argument yesterday. Per Goldman, their dependency is evidence that America failed them, implying that we shouldn't be surprised about the bombings. It's the fault of those awful republicans who limited funding to all-important welfare subsidies.

[Brett L]

Did FL win a bet on climate change? Or is this just a blind-hog/acorn scenario.

Stripped from a bill shrinking the state backed Citizens Property Insurance was this little tidbit:

Allows Citizens to loan out a portion of its $6 billion surplus to smaller private insurers.

SLD, State out of Insurance markets!

[Andrew S.]

Oh, just wait. There's about a 90% probability that within the next decade, we'll have federal disaster insurance similar to federal flood insurance.

(glad I don't have Citizens insurance any longer)

[Brett L]

The funniest part (to me) is this discussion of a "state hurricane tax" if a disaster happens and Citizens can't come through. As if the FedGov won't be shovelling money out of helicopters on Tampa or Orlando.

[Andrew S.]

Yep. But it's something to scare the people with.

Though I do "enjoy" seeing the hurricane surcharge every time I pay my auto insurance.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped cooperating with investigators after a federal magistrate judge read him his Miranda rights.

What kind of idiot helps the people who are working to kill him in the first place?

[Episiarch]

Probably the kind of idiot who might bomb a marathon.

[A Serious Man]

The University of Arizona protects the First Amendment right to free speech supports the Patriarchy and rape culture by allowing guy to protest with "You Deserve Rape" sign.

[Joe M]

Liberals think this is the essence of the Men's Rights movement.

[Anonymous Coward]

"[Saxton] is part of a larger societal culture that tolerates rape, and that's exactly what the Oasis Program Against Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence is here to counteract," said Megan McKendry, a violence prevention specialist with Oasis, a program out of Campus Health Service. "His message is an awful one that we condemn. No one deserves to be raped."

If our culture "tolerates" rape, why then is it a crime?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Ryan Searfoss Echoen ? a day ago ?
All speech is free speech? Major fail. Go back, learn to read, then apply that newfound knowledge to the Bill of Rights. Ready? Go!

You mean the one stay says "shall make no law"

[kibby]

Hey, I just gave him a pen in class today!

Honestly, Dean is pretty terrifying outside of class -- he used to be pretty normal last year when we took Greek together, but got into religion & spun off the rails quickly. At the beginning of this semester he definitely wasn't showering. It was unfortunate.

He's never said anything in any of the classes we've taken together (a fair amount give we're both Classics majors) so I just don't take notice of his crap. It's on the quad, just avoid walking by the Admin building if it upsets you that much.

It's COLLEGE, ladies and gentlemen...people are going to spew ridiculous bullshit you're bound to disagree with.

[Brett L]

We've secretly replaced this chef's MSG with pesticide. Let's see who notices.

A Chinese cook is under arrest after one person died and 20 were sickened because of his fatal mistake. The cook reportedly mistook pesticide for spices

[JW]

He was reaching for the powdered lead.

[Dweebston]

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) says Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped cooperating with investigators after a federal magistrate judge read him his Miranda rights.

Anyone else completely unconcerned with this? Last I checked, the right to silence and right to avoid perjury are afforded to U.S. citizens.

[Jordan]

Last I checked, the right to silence and right to avoid perjury are afforded to U.S. citizens.

When was the last time you checked? Never?

And yes, I'm very concerned with this.

[Dweebston]

I'm maybe a bit glib on the subject, and yes, it's unfortunate that Mr. Tsarnaev won't forfeit whatever he knows. It's something law enforcement, prosecutors, and his interrogators will need to deal with. Shame for them. All the same, I prefer giving federal agencies as little discretion as possible in deciding who does and does not count as a U.S. citizen.

[generic Brand]

That's my thought as well. Same reasoning for why spousal privilege shouldn't exist, because NO ONE should be forced to provide testimony. Fucking do your jobs (police, prosecutors, etc.) better if you want a conviction.

[Andrew S.]

Well, obviously that has to change then. The Constitution is perfectly clear. It's right in the Fourth Amendment. That clause that says "Unless the person in question is brown, or really scary. If that's the case, you can do anything you want.". Same clause that's in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 8th amendments. Right?

[Eduard van Haalen]

Possibly relevant -

Rule 5. Initial Appearance (Dec. 1, 2012)

(a) In General.

(1) Appearance Upon an Arrest.

(A) A person making an arrest within the United States must take the defendant without unnecessary delay before a magistrate judge [except in circumstances not applicable here]...

(d) Procedure in a Felony Case.

(1) Advice. If the defendant is charged with a felony, the judge must inform the defendant of the following:

...(E) the defendant's right not to make a statement, and that any statement made may be used against the defendant.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_5

[Paul.]

I also don't understand the controversy-- the controversy from both sides of the issue.

Some liberal-ish people where horrified that he wasn't mirandized.

I saw this as a mere procedural technicality. It was made somewhat clear that they didn't mirandize him so they could gather information related to possible additional devices which posed a current danger or accomplices that authorities would be interested in and had short time to act. Legal experts were pretty clear to say that the fruits of these interrogation wouldn't be usable in his trial. They felt that prosecutors were willing to forego this information because the preponderance of existing evidence was enough to go to trial anyway.

Then when they finally mirandized him, conservatives went apeshit about him clamming up... ZOMG, NOW HE'S SILENT! SEE WHY MIRANDA RIGHTS SHOULDN'T BE GIVEN TO CRIMINALS!

Jesus fuck...

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Legal experts were pretty clear to say that the fruits of these interrogation wouldn't be usable in his trial.

Is Quarles no longer the law, because the unadvised statements were admissible as hell in that case.

[Rasilio]

"Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) says Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped cooperating with investigators after a federal magistrate judge read him his Miranda rights. "

So? Is this something I am supposed to be concerned with? Even in the very small chance that he is actually aware of others with jihadist intentions the odds that he would have eventually mentioned them but has not yet done so are trivial and I'd much rather they played by the rules and not tried to go all police state on him. Further there is little to no chance he gets acquitted (hell don't even charge him on the bombing, just the shootout where he was captured is enough to lock him up for life) and once he is properly convicted and in jail you can have FBI and CIA interrogators take their time and milk him for everything he knows. Hell they don't even need to use enhanced techniques, it is pretty safe to bet that he won't be very popular once in jail and I am sure they can get him to sing just by offering him protection and the occasional favor.

[Brett L]

Oldest living pro baseball player seems like a fun guy to smoke a cigar with.

[generic Brand]

Oldest living FORMER pro baseball player seems like a fun guy to smoke a cigar with.

FTFY. He does look like a badass though.

[johnl]

Very much so.

[Sevo]

"Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) says Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped cooperating with investigators after a federal magistrate judge read him his Miranda rights."

Yeah, well, that's pretty much the intent.

[Pro Libertate]

Yes, did he miss the whole we're-trying-him-as-a-criminal bit? It was in all the papers.

[Sevo]

Darn guy won't even tie the rope around his own neck!
Ingrate!

[Pro Libertate]

I was mildly surprised the administration didn't go that way, what with all of their "Obama killed Osama" bullshit.

[jesse.in.mb]

Portland has a vegan strip club

[Warty]

Are the whores doughy and sallow?

[Brett L]

No oral in the champaign room!

[Bobarian]

I'll have you know they're entertainers you othering bastard.

And yes they're pasty and flatuant.

[Anonymous Coward]

You're all a part of Rape Culture. Objectifying women by throwing your money at them and stuff.

You're all also accessories to tax evasion for all the strippers who don't pay taxes on their tips!

[Warty]

Speaking of objectifying, the Loonie Toss.

For those unfamiliar with Canadian currency, a Looney is a golden Canadian dollar coin. During the Looney toss, Canadian strippers get completely naked and stick a single Looney to their skin with moisture (saliva), typically on an interesting spot like on a boob, or a butt cheek or near the vagina. Customers must then toss Loonies at that stationary Looney to try and knock it off the stripper.

[Pro Libertate]

Wait, what?

[Warty]

I once shared a campsite in Glacier Mountain National Park with some vegans. They were planning to hike 35 miles the next day, and their dinner that night appeared to mostly consist of raw peppers. I wonder how far they made it, and if their bodies were ever found.

[Pro Libertate]

Aw, man, you've been to Glacier? I always wanted to go there. When I lived in Minneapolis, it was either there or Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. Opted for the latter (which was awesome, too).

[Warty]

It's really cool. I recommend it. Making moose nervous by walking too close is just as fun as you'd imagine.

[Pro Libertate]

I was fly-fishing, sort of, at some campground in Yellowstone, when I saw a moose across the stream. Very cool.

A M??se once bit my sister.

[Warty]

No realli! She was Karving her initials on the m??se with the sharpened end of an interspace t??thbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian m?vies: "The H?t Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge M?lars of Horst Nordfink".

Also, hippy girls abound at Glacier. Don't bring the wife.

[Pro Libertate]

What, do you think they would attack her or something?

We're talking about a family trip out west, probably to Yellowstone (I'm the only one who has been there). It's way too far to drive, so we'll probably have to fly/rent a car, which is gonna cost.

[Warty]

If you're spending the cash to rent a car, you might as well do Glacier. You fly into Great Falls or Kalispell, rent a car, and drive in. Fewer crowds, more glaciers, less chance of being atomized by the caldera exploding.

[Pro Libertate]

There is the death-by-Yellowstone thingee.

I might have to wait a bit for Glacier. Not sure my five-year old is ready.

[Zakalwe]

If it has an orifice it's going to be afraid of you, proximity be damned.

[Stormy Dragon]

I loved Grand Tetons (probably my second favorite park behin Yosemite). I was really disappointed by Yellowstone though. Maybe it was just hype backlash but it's my least favorite of the national parks I've been too.

Zion is a lot of fun too.

[Warty]

I enjoyed the Smokeys more than I expected to. Some of the big patches of virgin forest are pretty amazing, and I also got to chase a bear off by throwing rocks at it and charging it like an enraged chimpanzee.

[Pro Libertate]

We go to the Smokies at least once a year, though we've been doing the Blue Ridge Parkway lately. I love it there. Yes, it's busy, but they have all sorts of stuff to see and some great hikes and sights.

[Warty]

I've always wanted to get a big, stupid touring motorcycle and tour the Blue Ridge Parkway in true asshole fashion.

[Pro Libertate]

It's really great out there. And much less crowded that the parks. You should operate out of the Boone/Blowing Rock area and see all there is to see.

[Virginian]

I was walking down the verge of the Blue Ridge Parkway once because the trail merged with it for a half mile. So I'm walking, and I see a bear ahead. So I stop and look at it. There's a couple cars stopped too, ogling it. Out of state plates.

So then dumbass from Jersey hops out of the car to get a closer look at Mr. Bear. I yell out "Get back in your car idiot!" and he's all "Waddaya tawkin about?".

I should have just let him move closer. Bear probably would have just scampered off. But I might have gotten to witness a real mauling.

[Warty]

Black bears are big pussies and all, but you don't see me having confrontations with them on purpose.

[Episiarch]

So you don't rape bears? I'm confused.

[Warty]

A rape isn't really a confrontation, it's more just like unwanted penile penetration. Totally different.

[Episiarch]

"Surprise sex."

[Pro Libertate]

I was there just a tad early--like end of May, beginning of June--so it wasn't super busy yet. I thought it was really nice, but I'm a hiker, so I saw some stuff that took a little walking to get to.

The Grand Tetons were a blast. Just amazing views.

[Warty]

With any of these places, you have to get a few miles off the roads, away from the crowds of fatty fat fat fucks, to really enjoy it.

[Pro Libertate]

Yes, I noticed that at Yellowstone in particular. I hiked up Mt. Washburn, and I saw no one besides my feet, my then-girlfriend, and some mountain goats. But that was not the case when we stopped at some easy-to-get-to waterfalls.

[Stormy Dragon]

Part of my problem with Yellowstone may just be personal aesthetics. I like dense forests and I found Yellowstone kinda barren. The fact it was 1994 probably didn't help matters in that respect either.

[Pro Libertate]

That was after the big fire, right?

When I went, I drove from Minneapolis, so I saw the Black Hills, the Badlands, Devil's Tower, and the Big Horn Mountains all on the way. I'd love to be able to do that again, but I don't have weeks to blow.

[Stormy Dragon]

Yeah, the big fire was in 1988.

[Pro Libertate]

I was there in 1991, so I know exactly what you're talking about.

Part of the excitement for me was that I'd never seen the western mountains before. All I knew were the Appalachians. So it all seemed a lot less lush but a whole lot bigger to me.

[db]

I was in Yellowstone in '84 and it was magnificent.

[db]

Back country passes in Grand Canyon are the best. Of course, once you get more than 1/3 of the way down Bright Angel Trail, you're likely to lose the day tripping fatties.

[Pro Libertate]

Haven't been there yet, either. I flew over it once, which was pretty cool, but the closest I've ever been was Sedona.

[Stormy Dragon]

As I said, Zion is a really cool park that most people haven't heard of. Bryce Canyon is nice too.

Also, they're not National Parks, but if you get the chance I recommend Estes Park, CO (which is surrounded by Rocky Montain National Park) and Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO, which has to be the most awesome municipal park ever.

[db]

I'd love to get to Zion some time. That and Arches.

[Warty]

Another place that gets overlooked is Kings Canyon NP. Similar scenery to Yosemite, great hiking, much less crowded.

[Episiarch]

Who the fuck eats at a strip club? This has to be some mob front for laundering money or something.

[Warty]

Naw, dude, it's a great deal. $5 for a steak, $300 for an unenthusiastic handjob.

[Episiarch]

"I get to look at women but not touch them or talk to them or have any chance of having sex with them, and pay a ton to do so, and the food is flavorless and has little to no protein! This is great!"

[Warty]

What shitty clubs have you been to? Talking and joking with the whores and getting them out of their Happy Place is what makes it fun.

[Episiarch]

You keep telling yourself that, dude. That glazed look in their eyes is actually terror that you're going to make a suit out of them.

[Virginian]

"You guys I swear she's going to quit soon. She's just gotta save up enough to get a real place. I'm helping her with rent so she can move out of the city, somewhere quiet where her kids can play in the yard, you know?"

[Brett L]

"Its funny, but she only seems to have my payday off."

[Virginian]

Some clubs have lunch buffets.

[Bam!]

I would have thought with your tight game, expert straw hat and hip flask peacocking, and Gibbs slap supreme, you wouldn't need strip clubs.

Guess you just go for the buffets.

[Mad Scientist]

I was at a strip club once that had a surprisingly good buffet.

[Virginian]

I've heard some do. I mean, it's not hard to make good food, and you could probably do it and break even charging five bucks a head.

[Pro Libertate]

They used to have a topless doughnut place here. Of course, Tampa has had nude people doing pretty much anything at one time or another.

[Warty]

Is that the place Penn has talked about? It was run by a retired NASA engineer or something, and he purposely lost a ton of money running the place because he loved being around topless women. The whole business plan was to buy donuts at Dunkin Donuts and have topless girls sell them for $1 apiece. Genius. That is how to age gracefully.

[Virginian]

Wait, he lost money doing that? How?

[Coeus]

Wait, he lost money doing that? How?

He also had to pay the employees.

[Pro Libertate]

I dunno, but it was a real place.

[Coeus]

Ahh, a fellow Penn's Sunday school listener. Did you hear the Lary Gatlin episode? That shit was hilarious.

[Warty]

So many uncomfortable Jew jokes. Hilarious.

[NoVAHockey]

I took a dump at a strip club once. it was exactly how you'd think it would be.

[Warty]

Did you feel obligated to tip the bathroom attendant?

[NoVAHockey]

Had there been one ... I would have.

as it stands, this place didn't even have a door on the stall.

[Killazontherun]

In Greensboro that place was known as Christie's Caberet and in the nineties it was a great place to get lunch during the day and enjoy the best looking strippers and high end booze at night. It was owned by a guy named Giovanni, who was forced out of the night club business by mobsters (was he himself? I'm convinced he settled here to get away from that bs) It got brutal. They burned one of his establishments down. He still owns a resturant named Giovanni's, I can attest it deserves it reputation for excellence, and it has been around since the 1960s. I miss Christies though. The name was slightly changed to Tiffany's Cabaret, but those owners have no class.
One evening, Giovanni hired Miss Nude World and Penthouse Pet of that particular year to entertain the party to whom l was fortunate to be in attendence. I don't think the current owners could arrange anything like that.

[John]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....estration/

The Dems have lost the sequestration battle to this big meany Republicans. Note douche bag is not bothered in the least by the Democrats trying to make things worse for political gain. He is only bothered because now only the politically powerless will suffer. Everyone suffering was apparently just great.

[A Serious Man]

Washington state Republicans draft bill that allows private businesses freedom of conscience and association when it comes to not serving LGBT customers.

Of course this is Salon, so they miss the point:

PSPoolside
FRIDAY, APR 26, 2013 11:07 AM PDT
Have these people ever bothered to read the constitution? Believe what you offer any sort of public accommodation or service keep it to yourself.

I wasn't aware that was in the Constitution. That commentator must possess those special Top Men glasses that allow them to see all the hidden clauses in the Constitution that permits them these kinds of regulatory powers.

[Virginian]

Public accommodation is right there in the emanations and penumbras of the right to privacy.

[DJF]

Interstate Commerce Clause. If a homosexual is prevented from buying flowers at one Washington florist they might go to Oregon to buy flowers so that gives the Federal government the power to regulate florists and who they serve.

[Sevo]

And tax, that's why.

[Jerry on the boat]

Actually they could kill someone if they have to make a detour driving to another business, so it also falls under the public safety exception.

[bostonaod]

cdunlea1
FRIDAY, APR 26, 2013 02:39 PM EDT
My sincerely held beliefs and relationship with Jesus Christ requires me to advocate throwing every Republican into a salt mine to slave for a bowl of rice a day.

Well, say what you want, but it's "sincere".

Permalink Flag
SteveTanner72
FRIDAY, APR 26, 2013 03:16 PM EDT
Well played, cdunlea1!

They really don't see the difference...

[Virginian]

That's because they are stupid.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Josh Friedes, a spokesman for Equal Rights Washington, said the bill "undermines our entire approach to ensuring the equality of all Washingtonians in commerce," calling it "discrimination, pure and simple.""

Oh, no, who could possibly have forseen this or taken measures to anticipate it?

[Nazdrakke]

So if your government kills you with chemical weapons instead of conventional weapons are you extra special dead? Slows down your respawn or something?

Is there a mathematical formula for getting involved in other people's civil wars the US gov follows or do they just fucking wing it?

[Stormy Dragon]

Three rules of getting involved in another country's civil war:

1. Never get involved in another country's civil war.
2. If you ignore #1, pick a side.
3. Make sure your side wins.

[Brett L]

Stormy for SecState!

[Jerry on the boat]

4. If your side doesn't win, have enough fog to cover your tracks.

[Trespassers W]

Speaking of respawning, I'm now playing Borderlands 2 through again in True Vault Hunter mode. Handsome Jack deserves to be killed twice.

It moves along just a little faster if you avoid every side quest.

[Nazdrakke]

playing Borderlands 2 through again

Been doing the same recently. By the early evening I feel the urge to spray pixelated blood everywhere. Too much news, I think.

[Trespassers W]

Taking off somebody's head with a sniper rifle hasn't gotten old yet. The more distance, the sweeter.

[$park?]

I think every WMD kill counts for two flags so you run out of reinforcements faster.

[jesse.in.mb]

There are pictures of the guy who got deported from Saudi Arabia for being "too hot."

[Pro Libertate]

Tavon?

[Mad Scientist]

Swarthy!

[A Serious Man]

Good for you, now you don't have to travel to Saudi Arabia to drug and kidnap ask him out.

[jesse.in.mb]

A bit pretty for my tastes, but I'd probably still drug and kidnap ask him out for practice sake.

[Warty]

He's probably pretty hairy, though. Plus, he's probably all closeted and self-loathing. He sounds like just your type.

[jesse.in.mb]

Actually, when you put it that way, he does sound like just my type. Although he's only a little hairy. He's the arab equivalent of a twink.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Virginia Postrel has a new book coming out.

[DJF]

Is it about how much better Reason Magazine was when she was in charge?

[Joe M]

The Future and Its Enemies was a fantastic book; everyone should read it. The Substance of Style was meh, although prescient to a certain degree.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeah, I like the dynamism/stasism kick more than the glamor one.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Same here.

[Stormy Dragon]

Americans have been deported from the U.S. thanks to the incompetence so many of us have come to expect from federal agencies.

But remember, things will be totally groovy when being allowed to work is dependent on passing an e-Verify check. I mean, we have the false positive rate reduced to only 3.1% now! And what's 4.5 million lives destroyed between friends?

[Joe M]

Best/worst news of the day?

Poll: Hillary Clinton, Rand Paul Lead in N.H. for 2016 Primary

[Bam!]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

[Pro Libertate]

How she's even remotely considered as a candidate is beyond me. How about someone fucking competent for a change?

[Bam!]

You think someone competent is going to put themselves through the media meat grinder?

I was no fan of Mitt Romney, but the media basically depicted him as a woman hating Monopoly game mascot.

[kibby]

I'm sorry, that's the great description of Romney's portrayal ever.

[Joe M]

Pure name recognition is how.

[Pro Libertate]

It's fucking ridiculous the idiots we're enduring these days. Bush, Obama, Clinton, et al. 310 million people in this country, tens of millions eligible for office. Not one who isn't totally venal, incompetent, or a statist fuck? Really?

[Jerry on the boat]

Wait until they run Jeb Bush.

[Pro Libertate]

I'd have been okay with him as a candidate if his brother had never been president, because I thought he was a decent governor. But no more Bush, please.

[jesse.in.mb]

Barbara Bush: We've had enough Bushes.

[Pro Libertate]

She should know.

[Killazontherun]

Which ironically makes me want to consider her for a candidacy.

[Anonymous Coward]

Running for President in America truly is an advance auction on stolen goods.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

My now ex and many of my t-14 law school friends love Hildawg. If you ask why, they can't give a coherent answer, but she "gets shit done" so, you know, prez material.

[A Serious Man]

Rand vs Hillary would entertaining as hell. Rand would kick her ass in a debate, but then, of course, the media, which won't even bother pretending its objective, will do all it can to prop her up.

[A Serious Man]

New Koch Brothers Group Revamps Billionaires' Dark Money Operation.

It's the same shit we read all the time from paranoid proggies, but I do like the headline.

[DJF]

If only the Koch's would give all their money to the Federal Government so that Obama could buy more drones and bomb more people then that money would no longer be dark.

[#HOLO YOLO]

Firm that bought Hostess's snack cake business not using union workers.

[Sevo]

Dog bites man.
I mean, you buy the remains of a company run into the ground by a management that said 'sure' to every damn union proposal. Now, what sort of move do you make to reopen it?
It's sure not hiring the same folks under the same arrangements.

[Res Publica Americana]

http://news.yahoo.com/gop-lawm.....25316.html

GOP Lawmakers Hope to Combat Ammunition Stockpiling by Gov't Agencies With AMMO Act

Republicans in the Senate and House are expected to introduce a joint bill Friday that would limit the amount of ammunition that federal agencies are allowed to buy and stockpile over the next six months, the Washington Free Beacon reports.

The bill, titled the Ammunition Management for More Accountability or "AMMO" Act, is being proposed after several lawmakers have voiced concerns about some federal agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security, seemingly stockpiling large quantities of ammo.

"DHS, for instance, has placed two-years worth of ammunition, or nearly 247 million rounds, in its inventory," the Free Beacon notes.

In a statement provided to the Washington Free Beacon, one of the bill's co-sponsors, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), said federal agencies must provide more "transparency and accountability" in regards to its "stockpiles of ammunition."

[Jordan]

Now this is gun control I can support.

[Calidissident]

"Americans have been deported from the U.S. thanks to the incompetence so many of us have come to expect from federal agencies."

This is impossible. I've been assured we have no immigration laws in this country and have the most open borders we've ever had. And that we need to give these TOP.MEN more resources, power, and control. Or else.

[A Serious Man]

Jezebel writer on why prom sucks.

I didn't go to my high school prom and don't regret it at all.

[Pro Libertate]

I went to mine and had a blast. Had a fun date, hung out with her and my friends (and their dates) the rest of the night. Never understood the anti-prom sentiment, though it seems like most people didn't enjoy theirs.

[Warty]

I smoked some dope, drank some beer, and went to see Road Trip with a buddy instead of going to prom. Other than the lack of handy action, it was probably the right choice.

[Episiarch]

Your mom wouldn't go with you, huh? That must have hurt.

[Warty]

We realized that we loved each other, but we weren't in love.

[Episiarch]

Your incest was just not meant to be. But when ProL's mom turned you down too...that must have been rough.

[Coeus]

Other than the lack of handy action

Come on now, we all know you still got the handy action.

[Nazdrakke]

Never went to the prom. Was already married.

[A Serious Man]

I went to other dances in high school and a good time, but with prom I decided to save the money towards my first car. I'd say I made the right decision.

[Stormy Dragon]

If you have someone you're in a relationship with, going to a formal dance can be fun. If you're going just for the sake of going, it's a huge waste of money.

[carol]

Loved mine. I had super strict parents but they made a rare exception for prom and let me stay out all night. Everything about it was fantastic.

[Killazontherun]

Hung out with some friends who were a few years out of high school, drunk schnapps and got laid later that night. My gf at the time was twenty one and I didn't want to embarass her by dragging her to it.

[Warty]

The Jezebel writers spend an awful lot of time whining about how they weren't popular in high school. I mean, I didn't get to suck the dreamy quarterback's dick either, sweetie. You don't see me complaining about it, do you?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

what are you talking about? it's all you ever do.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Epi's not a quarterback, Archduke.

[#HOLO YOLO]

There are two kinds of people in the world: People excited about prom, and smart people.

Wow, bitter much?

My bitch ex and a cute friend of mine both asked me to prom, but I ended up getting sick and couldn't go. I doubt I would have enjoyed it much, anyway.

[Joe M]

Prom was not even something I was aware of in high school. I didn't give a crap, but I don't begrudge others their fun either.

[Pro Libertate]

I talked some of my friends who were beyond prom into going, which turned out well, because their scorn powered us through the whole business. We actually only showed up for a short while, ate, then went to our hotel room (we split a suite). One of my friends rented a Jag, too, which was also fun.

[Anonymous Coward]

I went alone to my prom, then stole some other guy's date.

Yes, pure scumbag move. I was young, foolish and didn't give a fuck. Now I'm older, wiser, but still don't give a fuck.

[Trespassers W]

I went. I don't regret it, but I don't really remember it either. Not because I was loaded, but because it was uneventful.

Oh, I did get a fat lip right before it. I was pinching a girl's butt while she was bent over, she stood up suddenly and accidentally head-butted me. So not entirely uneventful.

[Brett L]

We had a blast, but my best friend was dating my gf's best friend and we were at the actual prom for all of 20 minutes. However long it took to get pictures taken and say hi to the two cool teachers. Our year was out at Del Lago on Lake Conroe, which sucked. But it was fun stopping at the Sonic in Conroe for just a bunch of lime wedges as we had none for the Corona. (C'mon, we were 17 and it was the mid 90s. If we were really lucky, there might have been some Sierra Nevada around.) Anyhow, a fun time was had by all. And the couple I went with got married 9 years later, so my buddy and I have tuxedo pics 9 years apart. Assuming the gf will consent to marriage after she spawns, we'll probably do the same pic at my wedding (another 9 years on).

[Coeus]

Krugman lies again:

So, the alleged relationship is driven by (a) fast growth in the former Axis powers, which had very little debt and were recovering from war damage, after World War II; and slow growth in Japan and Italy since 1990. The latter cases were clearly a matter of growth slowdowns leading to higher debt, not the other way around; the former a case of spurious correlation.

Yep, that's what I remember about Japan, they've been so frugal these last 20 years.

[Dweebston]

Who's making the case (besides conservative polemicists) that high levels of debt constrain growth causally? It's all the attendant factors, the ever-greater levels of schlerotic bureaucratization, regulatory ossification, and bubble-inducing debt-fueled policy misadventures, that cause the slowdowns.

[Coeus]

bubble-inducing debt-fueled policy misadventures,

This is the cause of high levels of debt. And it results in misallocation of resources, slowing the economy. If we got so much debt any other way, you'd be right. But since they're so inextricably linked in our current economic system, shorthand (debt causes slowdowns) is perfectly accurate.

[Dweebston]

I was under the impression R&R tracked fiscal debt, not private debt, and the strawman assertion that Krugman routinely beats up is their (supposed) attempt to conflate high fiscal debt with slow rates of growth.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Actually, R&R's mistake does not invalidate their research demonstrating that correlation.

The mistake in question, when corrected, still revealed a correlation between high debt and low growth -- what it doesn't reveal any longer is a correlation between 90-100% debt, and *negative* rates of growth. Krugman, as usual, is being sensationalistic and mendacious about what R&R do and do not attempt to show in their research.

Here's a good article on the topic that goes more in depth: http://www.cyniconomics.com/20.....f-dispute/

[Coeus]

not private debt,

Wasn't talking about private debt. Look at how much government spending has been thrown into the green energy bubble, for example.

[Coeus]

Tampa woman gets $5000 diamond pulled out of her ass.

But it was for charity.

[Pro Libertate]

Tampa's edgy like that.

[Longtorso]

'Ex-Gay' Activist Who Was The Poster Boy For Conversion Therapy Is Reportedly Gay Again

[Warty]

"Again"

[jesse.in.mb]

Is that Paulk? If it is he's been popping in and out of the closet since my parents first put me in ex-gay therapy in the late '90s. Good for him if he's stopped shilling for them.

[Nazdrakke]

since my parents first put me in ex-gay therapy in the late '90s

For real, dude?

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, I was given a lot of literature on how awful it was to be gay, mostly case studies of self-loathing guys who were turning tricks to fund their drug habits, and my therapist believed that I must've been molested because only someone who was molested would turn out gay. Because I wouldn't "admit" I'd been molested I was his "most difficult patient ever" which I still wear as a badge of pride.

About 9 months later I was in college and doing "phone sessions" with the guy, which I discontinued almost immediately with no real reprecussions from my parents. To this day (14 years later) my mother is convinced that I just need to "let Jesus in" (it's cool, I snicker when she says it too) and I'll be cured of my unnatural lusts.

[Coeus]

my therapist believed that I must've been molested because only someone who was molested would turn out gay. Because I wouldn't "admit" I'd been molested I was his "most difficult patient ever" which I still wear as a badge of pride.

You should've "recovered" the memory and then described to him himself in detail.

-"And he was wearing a sweater vest. And he had this yellow legal pad and a stupidly expensive pen"

-"wait a minute..."

[Nazdrakke]

and I'll be cured of my unnatural lusts.

Damn, man, that's rough. I suppose that they believe that they are doing the best for you, but I'm sure that doesn't keep it from hurting sometimes.

Reminds me of Caffeine.

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, we have a good relationship at this point, but they're catastrophically awkward if I'm in a relationship long enough to warrant an introduction to them, which I find perversely entertaining.

I filter what they're saying through their life experience and beliefs and for the most part take a "this will make an awesome story tomorrow" attitude.

[johnl]

Wow your parents are so lucky you were a lousy patient. Good for you.

[jesse.in.mb]

I like to think so. I could see it being a really fucked up experience for people who are less self-assured.

[Gbob]

"let Jesus in"

Why would having sex with your Mexican gardener help you be less gay? Also, why just Jesus? Why not Ramon or Manuel?

[Jerry on the boat]

Sounds like a storyline from Shameless.

[Coeus]

Feminist whining about the age gap between love interests in the movies.

Listen ladies, just because you still want to fuck Liam Neeson, does not mean that we have to want to fuck Meryl Streep.

[A Serious Man]

The only point I agree with is the annoying sitcom trope of a boorish, fat, average looking guy with a hot wife.

[generic Brand]

Yeah, why can't I watch a show that's exactly like my life of a fat, boorish, average looking guy with an equally fat, obnoxious, loud, average looking wife?

Bring back Roseanne!

[Virginian]

I like how she blames pop culture, when it has been true since the dawn of recorded history that men typically seek out younger women, and women typically seek out older men.

[Coeus]

Like all feminist theories, they'll just keep saying it until they convince a significant idiotic portion of the population that it's true.

[Anonymous Coward]

Feminists ignore the better metric of human sexuality and sexual mores, which is porn.

MILF porn will never be as popular as Barely Legal, but Lisa Ann and Nina Hartley are still working, so somebody out there is buying it.

[Stormy Dragon]

I'd have sex with Meryl Streep.

[Stormy Dragon]

Although to be fair I'd probably have sex with Liam Neeson too.

[Longtorso]

Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me" Translated into Klingon

[Coeus]

Chris Hayes grasping at straws to tie West explosion to "deregulation"

Concerns were raised in 2002 that chemical plants in populated areas ? like the one that recently exploded in West, Texas ? were vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

The heads of Department of Homeland Security and Environmental Protection Agency had planned to regulate the security of chemical sites, but Dick Cheney's son-in-law Philip Perry stepped in and informed them they lacked the authority to do so without congressional legislation.

So there was no "deregulation", there just wasn't more regulation. And it wasn't safety regs, it was anti-terrorism security bullshit. I can not stand how highly regarded this guy is on the left. They fucking love them some dishonesty, don't they?

[Mad Scientist]

They fucking love them some dishonesty, don't they?

What else do they have?

[Brett L]

Actually, its looking more and more like there were so many regulations that the plant operators thought they were in compliance (although don't get me started on their terrible, terrible process safety, which isn't criminal but should be. A drench system is pretty much de rigeur with self oxidizing combustibles and would have probably saved the plant.) but actually weren't.

[Anonymous Coward]

We've been over this many times.

In Progressive-retard-dishonest-piece-of-shit Land, deregulation does not mean removal or revokation of existing regulation. It means "insufficient" regulation compared to the Progressive's ideal regulatory state.

[Coeus]

John Stewart wakes the fuck up for once. Bought time he started questioning the narrative.

[Virginian]

It's just his monthly criticism of liberals, to show he's balanced.

[Coeus]

Yes, but this wasn't some minor dig. He specifically questioned the "republican obstruction" narrative as to why big gov doesn't work. And he's been preaching it as gospel for years.

[jesse.in.mb]

I was annoyed when the ACA came out and didn't just say "MAKE YOUR SHIT COMPATIBLE WITH VistA BY 2016 OR ELSE." Kaiser is already cross compatible. If the VA and Kaiser on board it makes sense to just set it as the standard and roll with it, but our legislators aren't well informed enough to keep it simple.

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the over/under on how long before John Stewart walks this "rant" back and hides behind the "I was just being a comedian" like the spineless bitch that he is?

[Coeus]

Probably close to 1000 to 1 the next time he starts talking about singlepayer.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

Wow. CO ... that SUCKS!!!

I haven't heard a peep about repealing our legal MJ here in WA. It's working out great. Even some of the anti's I had spoken to before the law had passed are now admitted that... "hey, it's no big deal" which is what I said it would be.

I went to a call the other day and they had their bong prominently displayed on the living room table. How cool is that?

[CatoTheElder]

Nothing conveys the popular American idea of "liberty" so well as being coerced to "pledge allegiance to the flag and to the nation for which it stands, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all".

The kids need to learn what liberty actually means in America.

[Coeus]

Here comes another power grab.

US authorities charged with overseeing the financial sector are worried about its vulnerability to cyberattacks, they said in a report published Thursday.

"Security threats in cyberspace are not bound by national borders and can range widely from low to high security risks," wrote the Financial Stability Oversight Council in its 2013 annual report.

The council is worried, in particular, about the increasing skill of hackers attacking the US financial system.

In an attempt to protect the financial system against these attacks, the FSOC proposed "enhancing cross-sector cooperation, particularly with industries upon which the financial sector is dependent, such as energy, power, and telecommunications."

"Public-private partnership improvements in the analysis and dissemination of robust information to improve real-time responses to cyberattacks will enhance incident management, mitigation, and recovery efforts," the report added.

[cavalier973]

"A middle school in New York has been managing complaints from angry parents after their daughters complained that they were forced to ask each other for kisses and pretend to be lovers during an anti-bullying presentation on homosexuality and gender identity."

http://www.christianpost.com/n.....ool-94523/

[Eduard van Haalen]

But it's all OK, they're trying to protect students from being publicly humiliated and insulted.

-progtard

pics or it didn't happen

-The female teacher currently facing charges for an affair with a female student

[WomSom]

Dude is making a LOT of sense over there .Wow

http://www.GotzMyAnon.tk

[jesse.in.mb]

I'm a guy, it isn't supposed to be fun

I had a blast at my prom, my date was a friend of someone else's date, we all hung out, danced as we were inclined, and went out for drinks afterward. I don't see why you'd define the event in such a way that you wouldn't have fun.

[Calidissident]

Remind where I suggested giving "idiots in factories" legal immunity for their actions or the lawful ability to initiate force against others?