Turkish PM Compares Protesters to Terrorists, Supreme Court Orders More Death Penalty Reviews, Students Report Less Bullying at School: P.M. Links

• 

  Credit: World Economic Forum / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

  Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan continues his charm offensive by comparing the protesters who are fed up with his authoritarian regime to terrorists.

• The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered lower courts in Texas to review six death penalty cases to determine whether their defense attorneys truly put up a good fight.
• As Pfc. Bradley Manning's trial finally begins after years, the prosecutor opened by arguing the intelligence analyst delivered classified documents to enemy hands by dumping them onto the Internet.
• In Detroit, an officer is on trial for involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting a 7-year-old girl during a raid in 2010 while being filmed for a reality television show.
• Students are reporting less bullying in schools and are much less afraid of being physically attacked or harmed. The report also notes a significant increase in police and security cameras at schools over the past 10 years.
• Flooding in central Europe has killed at least seven.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

I got nothing. Go Pens.

[hamilton]

Now I have two reasons to hate you.

[jesse.in.mb]

You only have two? FoE really has been slacking lately.

[db]

Go Pens!

Plus, how long will it be before we see a prosecution of the Defense Distributed folks, witg the argument that they delivered innovative weapon designs into the hands of terrorists by dumping them on the web? Wait, it already is happening?

[Auric Demonocles]

Here's to Crosby making himself look like an idiot again!

[hamilton]

Ideally when Thornton is on the ice.

[Auric Demonocles]

Thorton is my favorite player until Timmy unretires.

[Ted S.]

Yinzers versus Massholes.

Why can't they all lose?

[db]

Hey, not every Pittsburgher is a yinzer.

[Flatulent Monkey]

From the Yinzer wiki page:

As the city regained note for being a desirable place to live,[citation needed]

Citation needed indeed.

[playa manhattan]

Bummed that I probably won't get to drink out of the Stanley Cup again this year. 2/3 of the Kings live in my town and they would bring the cup with them to local bars all the time this past year...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Not with an attitude like that you won't.

[Auric Demonocles]

Cup Tracker: 2013, now with direct link to Expedia.com.

[playa manhattan]

I was drinking and watching the game last night, and that quickly turned into just drinking...

[Gbob]

You might be first, but your team shall be last. Original six showdown or bust.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Last? They already made it to the conference finals. YOUR STATEMENT MAKES NO SENSE.

I should point out that the Pens are the only team left that has yet to face elimination. This is the first time they've been behind in a series AND I DON'T LIKE IT. But they were due.

[NoVAHockey]

they'll be fine. the goal posts played better than rask last time.

[General Butt Naked]

Go Pens!

Even if you don't like them you should root for them because they're the only team left from a state that you can buy a 30 round magazine in. If you don't like the Penguins, you don't like the 2nd amendment.

Commies.

[Generic Stranger]

Can't I root for an asteroid strike instead?

[Brandon]

My team was last, thank you very much. And for that, their reward is a legendary GM and coach and the top pick in the draft. In other words, the foundation of another dynasty.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Avs?

[Brandon]

Who else got a legendary coach this offseason?

[Auric Demonocles]

Missed the AM Links, and it looked like a pretty short subthread.

Game of Thrones spoilers through last night's episode?

[Zakalwe]

Enjoy. https://twitter.com/RedWeddingTears

[Auric Demonocles]

I don't really care what people are saying on Twitter.

[Zakalwe]

Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?f.....8juOpTM3tE

[RBS]

Hahahaha.

[RBS]

I was laughing at the first woman. It's a tv show, why is she acting like she's watching an african warlord butcher a bunch of orphans.

[General Butt Naked]

She had Two Girls, One Cup on the picture in picture.

[CE]

People are used to the good guys winning. Like they said, if you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.

[Zakalwe]

It's a girl thing (Nicole...?). My mom does this every fucking movie I've ever watched with her. Is James Bond in a dangerous situation in the opening scene before the fucking credits? Then I guarantee you my mother is grabbing me with a white knuckles, morally certain he's about to die.

[Zeb]

It must be. My wife cannot watch the episode of The Wire where Wallace gets killed.

It's a TV show. He was never a real person.

[Arkansaustrian Economics]

What happened to Wallace? What happened to the boy?

[Gbob]

I was laughing at the first woman. It's a tv show, why is she acting like she's watching an african warlord butcher a bunch of orphans.

I dunno. My girlfriend screamed and sobbed so loud during that scene that I'm surprised my neighbors didn't call the cops on me. She spent the rest of the night practically curled up in a ball.

[Pro Libertate]

Why? It's not like they killed Tyrion or Ned Stark. Hey, wait a second. . . .

[JW]

SPOILERS.

[Pro Libertate]

Nah, I was just talking about Ned. Or was I?

[Bobarian]

Somebody died that didn't die in the books, but she never had a speaking part in the books either.

[Auric Demonocles]

Maybe I should have made my previous comment:

I want to discuss what people thought of the episode, not feel smug about people who hadn't read the books.

[Floating Weightless]

Hilarious dude!! Hahahahahaa!

[Episiarch]

That twitter feed is amazing. So you're completely invested in the show, enough to shit your pants when a bunch of the characters get killed, yet you never bothered to read the books? And Ned getting executed didn't send you any warning signals?

Half the complaints seem to not even realize there is a series of books behind the show. It's retarded.

[Pro Libertate]

I had attempted the first book before the series and didn't finish it. After starting to watch the series, I read the first three right away.

Surprised most other people watching the show didn't do the same thing.

[Zakalwe]

The first book has some particularly bad stylistic choices. A dude on the Wall walking away "like he had a dagger up his butt" is the one I can't make myself forget. Plus, lots of people burned by Robert Jordan have legitimately stayed away from it.

[Pro Libertate]

I don't know why it didn't hook me the first time through, but since I have a tendency to read several books at the same time, sometimes I don't stick with a book long enough to get caught up in it.

I do like the first two well enough, but I started losing interest as the series (of books) progressed. I may re-read at some point.

[Dakotian]

Martin pissed off a lot of his fan's too. I know it is suppose to be a good show but I just have not been able to watch it.

[Nikki says you caddie well]

Ha, I totally remember that line. Dude should not use the word "butt" to mean ass. It doesn't work in those books.

[Zakalwe]

I sort of get it. I watched a season of True Blood (ugh...) but even if it had gotten awesome I never would have read those books. And lots of people just won't read period.

[Episiarch]

Yeah, but comments like "how could HBO let Martin do this?" are so blitheringly stupid as to take your breath away. Uh, this is what they hired him for. For the stories. That he had already written.

[Zakalwe]

I guess props on changing the wife, then; that probably gave false and retarded hope to some that they were somehow going to to change an immensely central plot point to the whole series.

[Auric Demonocles]

Sometimes enjoying a work isn't just about getting the plot as quick as possible. If you started watching the series before reading the books, wanting to experience everything in the show first is a reasonable desire.

(Though there may be some people who legitimately don't realize there are books.)

[Pro Libertate]

If I like a movie or TV series based on a book I haven't read, I usually read the book right away. Suppose that's not necessarily a common reaction.

I believe some of the actors haven't read the books, which surprises me. Except that many actors aren't entirely literate, I guess.

[Auric Demonocles]

I'm not saying that's not a bad way to do it, but it's not the only reasonable way.

[Pro Libertate]

In some ways, the books read like TV. You can tell Martin is a TV guy.

[Zakalwe]

I believe some of the actors haven't read the books, which surprises me.

I hope their agent, did, at least...

"So they only want to sign you to the first season right now and the offer is a little low, but if they get picked up for a second they say big bucks are in the future."

"Sweet! I really think I can rock this Robert Baratheon character!"

[Pro Libertate]

Discussing this earlier today, I mentioned that I knew Ned Stark had to go, because they couldn't possibly have locked up Sean Bean that long.

[Anonymous Coward]

And because Sean Bean is hired specifically so that he can be killed in some dramatic and/or gruesome way.

[Pro Libertate]

Yes, there's that, too. If he comes out alive at the end of a movie he's in, I'm shocked.

I can only imagine the reaction people have when first watching the Sharpe series now when he's not dead at the end of each episode.

[Auric Demonocles]

I can only imagine the reaction people have when first watching the Sharpe series now when he's not dead at the end of each episode.

Maybe the writers will reveal it's a Sixth Sense thing.

[Pro Libertate]

That would almost be believable, since Sharpe is insanely successful.

[Bobarian]

I just watched 'Cleanskin' and was blown away by the fact he didn't die in the end.

[mad libertarian guy]

I believe some of the actors haven't read the books, which surprises me. Except that many actors aren't entirely literate, I guess.

The actor who plays Robb Stark said this is common practice so as to not allow the books to color the performance unduly. Shit is different, and he wanted to make sure that the purposeful differences remained different.

[Pro Libertate]

I think that's crap, because actors know how things are going to work out plenty--in plays, movies, and often enough in TV series. Heck, it can add nuance to the performance for the actor to know what's coming.

[mad libertarian guy]

He did know what was coming. But because of the script, not the books. He didn't want to play book Robb when it's his job to play screenplay Robb.

That's sound reasoning.

[CE]

The books ought to be irrelevant to the show. They created the characters and the universe. Trying to be "faithful" to them is dumb -- just make a good show. Way more people watch TV than read books.

[Brandon]

The books ought to be irrelevant to the show.

I think T o n y just outed himself.

[prolefeed]

They optioned the right to make a series out of the books because George Martin is a more talented writer than pretty much anyone in Hollywood.

Ignoring the books would be a disaster, and a waste of money from the optioned books.

[rac3rx]

That's a great theory; however, when you make a show from a book, your initial, built-in fan base will be those people who love the books upon which they're based. Once you expand your fan numbers, then it may be OK to diverge from the books, but it's stupid to piss off those who will be with you from the beginning by not being loyal to the written stories. If you screw too much with the characters and stories people already know from reading, you'll probably lose many of those readers later, but you need them in the beginning.

That's why, to me, True Blood is starting to get a little played. I've read all of the books and just don't know about this whole "Bloody Billith and his giant pube forest" story line.

[Whahappan?]

Did you know Titanic was based on a real story?!?!!!??!!

[Floating Weightless]

There's a kid named Frey on my kid's baseball team. Needless to say I'm pulling my kid from that team.

[Killazontherun]

Nietzsche ?@82nietzsche 9h

#GameOfThrones fuck fuck fucking fuck!!!! holy fuck ........ holy fuckin shit! what the fuck!!!!!!!!!!! heeeeeeey what the fuckkkk!!

[Auric Demonocles]

I felt like they didn't do as good a job as making the run up to the wedding seem 'off'. There wasn't quite as much foreshadowing as I saw in the book (e.g. the musicians sucking, Grey Wind freaking out, all the Freys that were friendly with them being 'out').

[Episiarch]

Well, I think that's because they wanted it to be extremely shocking (to those who have not read the books). The way Martin wrote it in the books still managed to be so, but he had more time there. I remember the first time I read it, I went back a few pages and reread it because I wasn't sure if I was reading it right. It was great.

[Pro Libertate]

It was definitely a "Wait, what just happened?" moment.

[Auric Demonocles]

It probably would have been....

If everyone hadn't felt the need to say "Red Wedding! Red Wedding! Red Wedding!" any time GoT,ASOIAF, or the fact that I was reading the books came up.

[Episiarch]

Maybe you shouldn't have been so late to the party. I read the first book in '97.

[Zakalwe]

Look at this fucking hipster.

[Gbob]

Maybe you shouldn't have been so late to the party. I read the first book in '97.

You read it in the 20th century? Man, I read these books before writing was even considered cool.

[Pro Libertate]

I knew about Ned Stark, but the Red Wedding was a total surprise. Though I should add that it was a total surprise about fifty pages before it happened--I knew Rob was dead meat. In fact, I found his agreeing to go there entirely implausible. And he had other options.

[Auric Demonocles]

What do you think Robb's best option was (once we assume "don't marry someone else" has come off the table)?

[Pro Libertate]

Hole up in the north and let the rest of them fight it out is one.

[Auric Demonocles]

He can't get to the North without using the Twins.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

I didn't get the reasoning behind the statements that the Lanisters would win by doing nothing. If you're just trying for secession I would think it's the other way around.

[Zakalwe]

The Lanisters already have the capital, the big alliances, and the bigger armies. The status quo favors them, so waiting ("doing nothing") is just going to peel off more and more of Rob's less committed bannermen, especially in the riverlands.

[Pro Libertate]

They don't have the status quo--they're being challenged from all sides and don't control the entire kingdom. Not to mention that Robb kept beating them.

[Auric Demonocles]

They don't have the status quo--they're being challenged from all sides and don't control the entire kingdom.

By the time this all goes down, the Lannisters don't really have to worry about Renly or Stannis, the Tyrells have come to heel and they are about to get the Arrayns to ally with them. The only real challenges would be the Northmen/Riverlanders and the Iron Men... Who are fighting each other.

Not to mention that Robb kept beating them.

That's true, but he keeps losing men while they keep picking up new ones.

[Auric Demonocles]

Well, it truly nothing happens, the North wins. But if the North doesn't do anything for a while, the Lannisters can consolidate control over the entire South, at which point they can crush the North.

[Gbob]

Auric, seems to me Robb's best move would have been to reclaim Winterfell. His main problem is one of image. Despite not having lost a battle, he was alienating his allies left and right. Best move north where his support is. Rebuild his reputation with a safe fight (Northerners, even those who were pissed about the Karstark thing, would have rallied to his side to reclaim the Stark lands). From there he could rebuild his army, and move south later.

So the Libertarian solution. Don't engage in foreign entanglements.

[Auric Demonocles]

Same comment I have above: How do you reclaim the North if you don't have the Freys on your side?

[Gbob]

The crossing at the twins is simply the fastest way to go. It's not the only way. Now, it's true that the Lannister forces could bottle them up at the Neck if they go the long way, but it seems a better option than relying upon the Freys (who, Red Wedding aside, had a million ways to betray Robb).

[Auric Demonocles]

I think if they tried to go past the twins, through the neck marshlands, and then fight across Moat Cailin (without getting any additional troops, either), they are pretty much guaranteed to lose.

[Pro Libertate]

One of the problems is that Robb was beating pretty much all comers. That doesn't jibe with him not being able to bully his way by pretty much any power other than Tywin or Stannis.

[Zakalwe]

Nah. He was beating everyone else by maneuver, showing up where he wasn't supposed to be, not by being awesome at taking over fortresses and perfecting some magical siege or storm technique. After the loss of Winterfell and the Duskendale disaster, with an offer from the Lannisters in hand, Frey would have plenty of reason to defy a threat to force the crossing.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm almost certain the first time through that Frey felt threatened by Robb. That would go double after his victories.

One thing's pretty clear--Ned and Robert were a military class way ahead of the rest. Tywin was only tough compared to what was left.

[Zakalwe]

I'm almost certain the first time through that Frey felt threatened by Robb.

This is true, but he had a bigger army and it was concentrated at the time. And he had secure lines of communication behind him for supplies and reinforcements, not to mention potential allies in Riverrun on the other side of Frey.

That would go double after his victories.

And halved after Duskendale and losing the North. Frey didn't have to worry about his back. Completely different.

[Pro Libertate]

That's another thing--I found the idea of him losing Winterfell really unbelievable. I mean, in the books, he basically leaves it totally undefended, which made no sense at all.

[Zakalwe]

He left skeleton garrisons in the north because his rear was secure (the Iron Islanders aren't too small a "nation" to present a real threat if the remaining people successfully mobilize and coordinate, which admittedly isn't necessarily a given). And then the Winterfell garrison was pulled out by the diverting raid. And Theon couldn't have held it. Theon only succeeded through a clever strategem that was completely strategically pointless. It couldn't be held, it wasn't worthwile (except as a propaganda coup) to take, and wiser heads would have known that and therefore not taken it.

Theon attacking is the part that made no sense.

[Pro Libertate]

His rear wasn't secure. And what happened wasn't that unpredictable, even leaving out the Theon angle.

[Auric Demonocles]

When it came very specifically to the military aspect of war, yeah they rock. They are really shitty at politics, which matters at least as much, if not more in the totality of winning a war.

Tywin was tough, but more than that he's rich.

[Pro Libertate]

It took some pretty screwed up stuff for the Starks to get defeated. If Ned had escaped to the north, it would've been King Stannis in a week or two.

One of the problems I had with the portrayal of Robb is that he was too successful and too dumb at the same time.

[Auric Demonocles]

It took some pretty screwed up stuff for the Starks to get defeated. If Ned had escaped to the north, it would've been King Stannis in a week or two.

The Lannisters seem to have some miraculous nick-of-time timing, despite winging it half the time.

They also got very lucky for Tywin's army to be close enough to King's Landing to make it in time.

[Pro Libertate]

I agree. It all has the heavy hand of the author in it. On the other hand, reality is unbelievable at times, too.

[Auric Demonocles]

At least in the end of the third the Lannisters finally get something (besides Jamie's hand) that doesn't go their way.

[mad libertarian guy]

Don't engage in foreign entanglements.

Can an entanglement which began with the lopping of your father's head and the imprisonment of your sisters be considered foreign?

[Episiarch]

The thing is, the Ned Stark execution in the first book is where Martin signals to the reader that he's fucking serious. No one is safe, and these books are not about happy endings, they are about the story and the characters. So from then on, whether it's the Red Wedding or Jaime's maiming or whatever, these things are slightly less shocking now that you know that he's willing to do this to any character.

[Zakalwe]

No, the Red Wedding ups the stakes considerably, as does the event that will no doubt happen in the season finale. You're left wondering "if this series isn't about these people, who the fuck is it about?!"

[Auric Demonocles]

Yeah, before it was plausible that while Ned was down, his family could avenge him.

[Pro Libertate]

Tyrion? He's by far the best character.

[Killazontherun]

Who is it about? A hero who was monstrously slain a generation before chapter one of the first book.

[Pro Libertate]

It was pretty gutsy to kill Ned, who was clearly the heroic lead of the first book. It's like Frodo dying on Weathertop. Sorry, folks, false alarm. Your hero will now be someone else. Who we will also kill.

Personally, I think some Stark will eventually kinda-sorta prevail, just to avoid him appearing totally contrary. But who, I have no idea.

[Episiarch]

Well, since I am sure that Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, maybe a Targaryen will "win" somehow. Oh wait, Dany is also a Targaryen.

[Pro Libertate]

There is something off about Ned having fathered Jon. . .off enough that it foreshadows something else.

[Auric Demonocles]

I have thought since early on in the first season that it's going to be revealed Jon isn't actually Ned's son.

[Pro Libertate]

Me, too. He's covering for someone else.

[Zakalwe]

I have only vague memories of the most recent book, but I think some of the Red Priestess prophecy stuff as applied to Jon makes a certain theory pretty much given.

[mad libertarian guy]

Seems very Arthurian to me.

[Bobarian]

I thought he was son of Ned and Rhaegar's sister.

3 dragons ridden by Danerys, John, and Bran.

And Tyrion becoming the real Hand.

[Zakalwe]

I thought he was son of Ned and Rhaegar's sister.

It's overwhelmingly likely (even explains/strengthens the Maester Aemon relationship), but there's no textual proof yet.

[Bobarian]

Epi's solution works for me as well.

[Killazontherun]

The scene of Jon and Aemon meeting in the first season was beautifully done. I told my nephew, 'pay attention to this, it is everything.'

[cavalier973]

I spent three books open to the possibility that Ned hadn't really been executed; that he would pop up alive at some point, based on Stansa's observation that it didn't look like him.

[tarran]

IIRC the run up to Ned Stark's execution is told from the perspective of Ned.

[Auric Demonocles]

There's always the Lord of Light's freaky magic!

[Pro Libertate]

Maybe Bran will channel his dad for total revenge.

[Auric Demonocles]

Not quite total. Throw in something from space and I'm in.

[Pro Libertate]

Nukes?

[Pro Libertate]

As in "Nuclear winter is coming"?

[Auric Demonocles]

Perfect. Though you leave out the explicit call to nuclear winter. Just rain nuclear fire down, and then have someone (Bran?) whisper "Winter is coming" while a scene of radioactive snow falling fades to black.

[Pro Libertate]

It's like the Motie cycles. That's why winter keeps coming. And the wights and other weird things? Mutants.

[Auric Demonocles]

It's like the Motie cycles. That's why winter keeps coming. And the wights and other weird things? Mutants.

Perfect. I think we've just about solved the series. Now, what about dragons?

[Pro Libertate]

Drones.

[Zakalwe]

Bush as Aegon, Maegor as Obama. It's obvious, really.

[Auric Demonocles]

Those are some very advanced weaponry. I want to see their controls programming.

[Killazontherun]

There are three weddings in the book. It could still keep you guessing if you weren't exposed to too many spoilers.

[Brett L]

Setting up the old guy as a "play it safe" character helped in the book.

[Auric Demonocles]

I also thought them doing the bread and salt thing seemed kind of random in the show, without Cat's internal monologue to know what it means/how sacred it is supposed to be.

[Anonymous Coward]

The whole scene felt rather mechanical. There wasn't the sense of Catelyn's dread building until Catelyn's suspicions are confirmed by the chainmail shirt and the Rains of Castamere. Then it was like "okay, cue crossbows. Now you come in and kill Robb. Now you step in and kill Catelyn. Done."

[mad libertarian guy]

I'd say that was done purposefully to extract as much shock value as possible for a TV audience, not an oversight. It also heightens the brutality and tragedy of it all. They didn't want their audience to see it coming.

[Auric Demonocles]

I think they overdid it.

At the very least they should have displayed more caution prior to being given guest right.

[CE]

Well, insulting Rob's bride and verbally disrobing her might have been a clue that the hosts weren't up for any hospitality awards.

[Auric Demonocles]

There's a big gap between being rude and murdering your guests and king.

[Zakalwe]

That was in line with previous characterization, though.

[Killazontherun]

Yeah, I thought they were going to put it off to the next season, making it concurrent to the unfolding of Geoffery's wedding, but good on them for throwing a curve ball.

[Killazontherun]

Mumsie sent a text to me: They done kilt my pretty boy!?!:(

He he he he

[Zakalwe]

Isn't Geoffrey's wedding going to be next episode, not next season? (I haven't watched any of S3 yet.)

[Killazontherun]

I think you are right about that. No spoilers, but a clue to what to pay attention to, Sansa's hair net. Tears.

[Killazontherun]

That's why I thought they needed to delay the Red Wedding a bit to set up enough background story for the other event.

[Zakalwe]

I might be wrong. Was this the book they were going to divide up into two season? So maybe the next even closes out the next season. But not having watched S3 or read Storm in some time, I don't know what's left to cover next season.

[Killazontherun]

Yep, these two seasons are loosely covering the third book, but I'm seeing some story elements from the fourth book being worked in early as well. Mainly ties to the eastern continent being set to advance the next stage of conflict.

[Killazontherun]

Actually, they kept that in. If you notice, she looks up at the musicians when she catches the timing of the bass of the tune not being right. Subtle, like the frown of the assassin assigned with killing Fredo in Godfather II. That dude deserved an Oscar for that one move.

[Auric Demonocles]

Apparently the music wasn't shitty enough for me to realize that's what happened. I saw her glance up there but didn't hear anything wrong with the music.

[Killazontherun]

Also, they were playing the Lannister family's favorite song, another clue. The bass riff is jauncy, but the musician in the balcony mangles it to sounds repetitive.

[Killazontherun]

so it to sounds repetitive.

[Ted S.]

Gah, I was hopeing PM Links wouldn't be soiled with a Game of Thrones discussion. 😉

[CE]

"Adorned" you mean.

[Smells Like Tom Skerritt]

This is way too much bullshit. Go chat about this shit on Facebook.

[kinnath]

NO FUCKING SPOILERS!

[Auric Demonocles]

I generally agree with avoiding spoiling things for people....

But that's why I explicitly said the subthread was going to be about last night's episode. Just avoid it if you haven't seen last night's.

[kinnath]

I appreciate you putting out a warning.

[CE]

How can anything be a spoiler now? The show already cabled.

[kinnath]

cable + DVR means not having to sit in front of a TV every fucking Sunday night.

Of course, every news site (including Google News) is talking about last night episode. So it is really hard to avoid today.

[Raston Bot]

What's unbelievable is how they could run the north for so long and still be so fatally bad at sniffing out an ambush or playing politics.

[Auric Demonocles]

There's a lot less people in the North, so presumably a lot less politics.

[Raston Bot]

Two words: Roose Bolton

[Auric Demonocles]

Who apparently hasn't done anything before this point.

[Zakalwe]

In the books his family had a bad rep and Catelyn warned Rob early about people like Roose Bolton. Not sure what was put there for viewers in the show (I haven't actually watched any of S3 yet), but Rob should know this stuff.

[Pro Libertate]

I think it's less obvious in the show, but I felt that the Red Wedding was pretty unbelievable in the book. The part about Rob falling into the trap, that is.

[Heedless]

The books make a really big deal about guest right. The Rat Cook's story drives it home - you DO NOT harm a guest at your table.

You also have to remember that Rob was ashamed of himself for marrying Jeyne Westerling, and he took his mother's advice on how best to repair the consequences. It's not unusual for a boy to look to his parents when he feels he is in over his head, but in this case his father was dead, and his mother was Catelyn Stark. The personification of the fuck-up. Was there ever a moment in the books when she showed good judgment?

[Zakalwe]

Matt Yglesias defends Walter Frey.

[JW]

I started getting dizzy after the first sentence. No thanks.

[Zakalwe]

"When considering this matter, I think it's worth saying that Robb Stark's actions are arguably even worse than Walder Frey's."

[Auric Demonocles]

He apparently didn't read the books all that thoroughly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Walder's decision to respond to betrayal in kind is extreme. But tit-for-tat is a viable strategy in the iterated prisoner's dilemma and arguably represents a reasonable approach. We, with direct access to Stark/Tully perspectives, know that the Edmure Tully fallback marriage is a perfectly good-faith arrangement but the view from the Twins is not so clear.

Except what the Freys did was the equivalent of burning a church while raping nuns and then shitting the host. The Guest's Right is as much a religious custom as it as a cultural. Robb's death was the price Tywin Lannister demanded for the Frey's pardon. The execution was plotted by Lame Lothar Frey and Roose Bolton.

By contrast, the betrayal committed by Roose Bolton is pure ambition and cynicism with no justification whatsoever.

But Roose did justify his actions prior to committing them: he refused to back a losing horse. He told Jaime and Brienne that the Starks were doomed the day Winterfell was taken by Theon. That if they could not hold the North, there was no point in fighting against the Lannisters. What's more, it is not public knowledge that Roose Bolton s the one who killed Robb with his own hand.

[Auric Demonocles]

I think you could say the response was appropriate if they Frey's simply turned on the Starks. But the way they went about it is what makes it by far disproportionate.

[Anonymous Coward]

True. If the Freys had simply ambushed the Stark forces, or had drawn Robb to some place to parley, then assassinated him and framed Dondarrion or some outlaws, no one would have batted an eyelash. To kill him at his uncle's wedding was pretty reprehensible and in Westeros were murder, rape, theft and torture are called "a quiet Thursday afternoon."

[MJGreen]

The whole thing didn't hit me the way it has so many others. Part of it is that I inferred everything that would happen, due to the onslaught of readers' "vague" remarks about the RW over the past two years. Part of it is that I'm a pretty stone cold asshole. Though Eddard, and W and B's deaths on the Wire certainly got to me.

But another thing that confuses me about people's reactions is not just the line about how there's not going to be a happy ending: It's that several times characters have detailed all the terrible things that will happen if they fail. If Stannis takes KL, they'll all be raped and beheaded. If Robb and Cat lose, they'll be flayed and beheaded. Well, one of the parties finally failed, and terrible shit befell them. It had to happen at some point.

[Auric Demonocles]

Part of it is that I inferred everything that would happen, due to the onslaught of readers' "vague" remarks about the RW over the past two years.

Yeah, that bullshit is annoying.

[mad libertarian guy]

Well, one of the parties finally failed, and terrible shit befell them. It had to happen at some point.

This is it right there.

In war, who you choose to deal with is as important as how you execute the things you do. Robb chose badly, and it ended in the only way it could (according to how the show set it up for us).

[Zakalwe]

Flooding in central Europe has killed at least seven.

Da newb isn't just a guy in an internet forum.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered lower courts in Texas to review six death penalty cases to determine whether their defense attorneys truly put up a good fight.

If this doesn't end with six defense attorneys being executed then my faith in Texas justice will be shaken.

[Zakalwe]

A real pro would have waited to post this, rather than that disgraceful first(!!) effort.

[hamilton]

You don't understand. He is making a point.

[Zakalwe]

I don't understand your comment, and I won't respond to it.

[hamilton]

By posting a content-laden comment AFTER his Firster-style comment, he is demonstrating that he could easily claim First status trivially, but deliberately holds himself to a soi-disant "higher standard" of posting and thus his frequent but non-constant occupation of the first slot is actually much more of an accomplishment than we all think.

Thus he commits douchery in two ways; douchery by firsting, douchery by victory-dancing firsting, and douchery by sly hints at victory-dancing firsting. THREE, three ways...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Technically Zakalwe (if that IS his real name) has first comment of substance. However, in the playoffs all rules are suspended in furtherance of one's team and an offering of first comment to the Hockey Gods is acceptable. So say we all.

[Zakalwe]

Technically Zakalwe (if that IS his real name)

You know who else used a pseudonym?

[Mad Scientist]

Sting?

[Brandon]

Paul Atreides?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm glad I did, otherwise the first thread would be what I'm sure is a spoiler-laden Game of Thrones crime.

The links have been terrible lately, anyway. THERE I SAID IT.

[Some call me Tim?]

More facebook real men of genius, this in regard to Istanbul:

Contrary to what most of us are taught in school, economy dictates the political and social structures, not the other way around. As the electronics revolution transforms our economy?robots, algorithms, and cutting edge technology permanently eliminating jobs?our political and social structures ripple and quake, torn between an old way of being and the new way that the new economy demands. Corporations merge with governments to strengthen their control; everything that once was public is becoming privatized. The people will only take it for so long.

From Istanbul to Cairo, the suburbs of Paris and Stockholm and London, in Spain and Greece and the Philippines, and the ever growing mass movement in the US, people are fed up and the working class is rising up. These are not isolated struggles but a global motion to establish and economy that prioritizes basic needs, human rights, dignity, and democracy.

"These people are my friends. They are my students, my relatives. They have no ?hidden agenda? as the state likes to say. Their agenda is out there. It is very clear. The whole country is being sold to corporations by the government, for the construction of malls, luxury condominiums, freeways, dams and nuclear plants. The government is looking for (and creating when necessary) any excuse to attack Syria against its people's will."

[db]

It is this inability of people to discern crony capitalism from actual free markets that will doom us.

[General Butt Naked]

Contrary to what most of us are taught in school, economy dictates the political and social structures, not the other way around.

Actually, that's a freshmen's understanding of marx's base/super structure and pretty much every lefty educator teaches that, which is to say pretty much every educator teaches that.

People learn a bit of Marx and think it's this super secret information that the evil capitalists suppress, but Marxist historical/cultural analysis is probably the most common way of approaching pedagogy in America, sadly enough.

[Some call me Tim?]

Thy makes sense since he's a Marxist, which is why I don't even bother engaging him.

[General Butt Naked]

Well, he doesn't sound to bright. Putting things like that is how kids who first learn of Marx talk. Most of that shit has been debunked for a century.

I'd bet one imaginary E-$ that that motherfucker couldn't make it through 10 pages of Das Kapital.

[Some call me Tim?]

He's 31 years old and graduated with a degree in Comparative Ethnic Studies...I'm guessing he's somewhat versed in Marx at this point. Doesn't really matter though, I don't care enough to learn the arguments of a disproven theory.

[Joe M]

Putting things like that is how kids who first learn of Marx talk. Most of that shit has been debunked for a century.

That's funny, because I was thinking it read like something from the early 1900s, before we empirically knew better.

[VG Zaytsev]

that motherfucker couldn't make it through 10 pages of Das Kapital.

Who the fuck can?

[MJGreen]

It's just another underhanded way to insult the masses of blue collar workers who didn't go to liberal arts universities and aren't too friendly to leftist dogma, even though it's totally in their self-interest to support socialism, ya know.

[Zeb]

Corporations merge with governments to strengthen their control; everything that once was public is becoming privatized.

What? He thinks that privatized means controlled by the government?

[Some call me Tim?]

No, he's saying that the corporations are directing the privatization and controlling the government.

[Zeb]

So "their" refers to the corporations?

I don't really think there is much difference either way. And neither case is what I'd call privatization. It's called Fascism.

[PapayaSF]

The trouble with most people who complain about this is that they think the solutiion is to give government more control over corporations.

[Some call me Tim?]

Well in the case of this Marxist, the solution is to outlaw corporations.

[Libertymike]

Including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?

[Some call me Tim?]

Of course, that will be changed to the Ministry of Truth.

[B.P.]

In other words, "All of these mass movements? Yeah, they're all in tune with my crackpot theories. All oppressed everywhere are on my wavelength."

Also, I was unaware that there was an explosion in nuclear plant construction.

[Some call me Tim?]

And when those mass movements aren't in tune, well then they're just corporashunz astroturfing (like the Tea Party).

[Fist of Etiquette]

In Detroit, an officer is on trial for involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting a 7-year-old girl during a raid in 2010 while being filmed for a reality television show.

I don't understand how he can be tried for this? Why aren't internal policies shielding him?

[Some call me Tim?]

Of course, as a card-carrying member of the Bigorati, you wouldn't see how our professional police men and womn are held to a hight standard.

[Tonio]

Good effort, but needs a random word in ALL caps.

[Auric Demonocles]

Those damn cameras malfunctioned, but not the normal way where they lose all their footage, but in some weird way where it showed the fine officer doing these things he didn't do!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan continues his charm offensive by comparing the protesters who are fed up with his authoritarian regime to terrorists.

Overboard much? Why doesn't he just call them Fox News reporters while he's at it?

[Flatulent Monkey]

Terrorism is usually defined as: "Use of violence or threat of violence to achieve a desired political outcome" or something along those lines.

Using that ridiculously broad definition pretty much everyone is a terrorist.

[RBS]

Well, the current definition seems to be "people who disagree with me and won't let me have my way".

[Flatulent Monkey]

I thought those were racists.

[RBS]

That too. This is actually a problem, words that have very specific meanings are starting to lose them.

[Flatulent Monkey]

Those in power intentionally misusing words or painting their opposition as whatever pejorative of the day, is hardly a new development.

[John]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50148168n

Glenn Close regrets doing Fatal Attraction because "it played into the stigma that mentally ill people are violent." Ah, Glenn, there are entire wards full of violent mentally ill people out there.

[Some call me Tim?]

Just look at our DoJ, DEA, Congress, White House...the list goes on...

[db]

Michael Douglas revealed today that the pet rabbit was killed by oral sex, not boiling, as was originally thought.

[Brett L]

Had several psych nurse friends do a tour through Florida State Hospital. One in particular remembers the arsonist who liked all the nurses, polite, not physically violent, but hoarded flammable materials and wanted to see everyone burn, literally.

[John]

I have a friend who used to be a public defender in DC. He says St. Elizabeth's, the DC mental ward, is the scariest place he has ever been in his life. This is a guy who was a PD back in the 90s when DC was the murder capital on the country. He doesn't scare easily.

[Loki]

So you're saying some men just want to watch the world burn?

[CE]

And Batman put them there.

[PapayaSF]

It's a sad fact that a great deal of violence is committed by people who are mentally ill. It's politically incorrect to note that, though.

[Palin's Buttplug]

GOP Report Warns Of Party's Apocalypse With Young Voters

Uncommitted young voters may not be enamored with the Democratic Party but they have a terrible opinion of the GOP.

"In the focus group research conducted in January 2013," the report said, "the young 'winnable' Obama voters were asked to say what words came to mind when they heard 'Republican Party.' The responses were brutal: closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.....voters.php

[John]

Since Obma has ensured that none of them will ever get paying jobs and will either be on welfare or living with their parents and welfare recipients do tend to vote Dem.

[a better weapon]

TPMs focus group research may be correct, but I don't see the results being bad news for the GOP. I think the GOP will be perfectly content with young voters simply being uncommitted and unlikely to vote.

[Restoras]

Those kids are so effin' screwed it is actually really, really sad. Hopefully they are dumb enough to not notice it until they are all married and busy creating the next screwed generation. Wouldn't want a bunch of unemployed layabouts getting uppity ideas about changing things.

[cavalier973]

I listened to a Public Radio interview of the young lady who was involved in this. She pointed out that, had the voting age been 30 or older, Romney would have won. As people grow older, they also grow wiser and more experienced, and are less likely to fall for utopian platitudes. Also, they have jobs and stuff, and so have an interest in the outcome of government policy over and above getting the warm fuzzies for thinking they've "helped" people by voting for platitudinous utopians.

[rts]

Because the free market has failed (or something), Canadian cell phone contracts now mandated to be 2 years or less:

The new code will allow consumers to:

- Terminate their wireless contracts after two years without cancellation fees, even if they have signed on for a longer term.
- Cap extra data charges at $50 a month and international data roaming charges at $100 a month to prevent bill shock.
- Have their cellphones unlocked after 90 days, or immediately if they paid for the device in full.
- Return their cellphones, within 15 days and specific usage limits, if they are unhappy with their service.
- Accept or decline changes to the key terms of a fixed-term contract (i.e., two-year), and receive a contract that is easy to read and understand.

[John]

Because getting a phone cheap in return for committing to a contract is just exploitative. They should have to give you the phone for free in return for nothing.

[rts]

The main problem is there is very little competition in the Canadian cell phone market, mostly due to the regulations that this same body (CRTC) maintains. So, we get pretty high rates and crappy service.

The answer, of course, is more regulation!

[Matrix]

oh, glorious government regulation, is there any problem it can't solve?

[itsnotmeitsyou]

oh, glorious government regulation, is there any problem it can't solve make exponentially worse?

FTFY

[JW]

So, basically, these are cell phone contracts that cover pre-existing conditions.

I'm sure that wireless carriers will be rushing headlong into this market to capitalize on this rich environment.

[Brett L]

Eh. I just got a new phone with no contract. Will cost me less including paying full price for the phone in the first year than my AT&T did for service only.

[Ted S.]

How long will it take before the usual agitators start complaining about the higher prices and lesser service available from Canadian cellular providers?

[rts]

See above.

People already complain about the higher rates and crappier service we get here, which is mostly due to limited competition thanks to legislation and regulation.

The answer, of course, is more regulation!

[Ted S.]

See above.

Yes, but I commented before your post above explaining this. 🙂

I listen to various international broadcasters, and two or three days a week download the CBC's morning news bulletin. A few weeks back they ran an infuriating story about some idiot beta dad who let his kid use the Iphone on a trip to Mexico, and the kid watched movies racking up a huge bill for international data charges. The focuse of the story of course wasn't that the father was too stupid to read his contract, but that the cellular provider had a big pile of money, and dammit, that's just not fair!

[Zakalwe]

You know who else changed the rules of an agreement because he found it inconvenient?

[jesse.in.mb]

Andrew Jackson?

[hamilton]

Darth Vader?

[Gbob]

Robb Stark?

[John]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/201.....ugus-mall/

We are as dumb as our enemies.

[Brandon]

That may be offensive to our enemies.

[Irish]

CULTURE WAR!

"We don't think he is going to resign just because we want it," said Berna, a PhD student wielding goggles to protect herself from teargas. "We know that we are the minority in this county now, but we want him to respect the minority as well."

Fucking Rethuglican teabagging obstructionists. They should just do what the majority requires of them.

[jesse.in.mb]

We needs to start using teargas on our protesters, also I need to drive business to my steampunk goggleworks and gas-maskery?.

[rts]

Polyamorists hope for future legal recognition (in Canada).

[Eduard van Haalen]

Stop spreading right-wing haters' talking points!

[cavalier973]

If we give in to the polyamorists, what then? We could have homosexuals agitating for, say, the right to get married to each other.

[rts]

Vancouver Island solar power pilot project sees low uptake

The Solar Colwood plan aimed to entice 1,000 households to convert to solar energy systems through rebates, but so far only 33 households have signed up.

The Solar Colwood project received close to $4 million from the federal government two years ago.

[John]

LOL. Solar doesn't work in a rainy climate. Who knew? Maybe the greens didn't properly pray to Gia.

[Brandon]

They thought global warming would end rain by now.

[cavalier973]

Or maybe they made Gaia angry by praying to Gia.

[Brett L]

Now this is a drone strike I can get behind.

[Bee Tagger]

Students are reporting less bullying in schools and are much less afraid of being physically attacked or harmed.

It gets worse.

[John]

Obama destroys America, minorities, women and handicapped suffer most.

http://www.breitbart.com/syste.....35931-8939

[PapayaSF]

John, John, John... you should know by now that when bad things that happen to women and minorities it's never the fault of Democrats, because they mean well. By definition, Democrats are never "closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned," so there must be some other reason their policies fail, probably lack of money and Republican obstructionism.

[Brett L]

Eating sucks, right?

What if you never had to worry about food again?

For many people, on many occasions, food is a hassle, especially when trying to eat well. Suppose we had a default meal that was the nutritional equivalent of water: cheap, healthy, convenient and ubiquitous. Soylent will be personalized for different body types and customizable based on individual goals. It allows one to enjoy the health benefits of a well balanced diet with less effort and cost.

I thought this was an art project, but it is apparently a real product.

[Some call me Tim?]

I feel like I read about this a few months ago. It's basically "food" for the anti-foodie.

[Irish]

SF'd.

[Matrix]

SF'd the link!

[CE]

But is Soylent green?

[Brett L]

Fuck me, they should just call it Brett L'd.

[Brandon]

You've got a long way to go to achieve that level of recognition, young'n.

[Zeb]

I would actually love it if there were a product like that. Not as a replacement for all food. I love good quality food and I love cooking. But sometimes I just want to be fed, but have little desire to bother with preparing or eating food.

[Brandon]

That's why we have this thing we call fast food.

[Bee Tagger]

The report also notes a significant increase in police and security cameras at schools over the past 10 years.

Dr. Elliot Reid: Carla, when I became chief resident, I wrote a pledge to myself and do you know what it said?
Nurse Carla Espinosa: Mm-mm?
Dr. Elliot Reid: It said, "Dance like nobody is watching," which I do constantly with the shades closed just in case somebody's watching. But it also said not to hide problems away.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Rapper promotes multicultural sensitivity (not!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....Cg&index=8

More celebration of diversity here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYcjMEg1Pm8

Note: It is hilarious.

[mad libertarian guy]

Keep blowing, Mr. President, the bubble isn't big enough yet.

College students, freshly relieved of pressure from term papers and final exams, served as a backdrop for President Obama on Friday as he warned of another impending fiscal deadline: student loan interest rates are set to double in 30 days under current law.

"That means that the average student with those loans will rack up an additional $1,000 in debt," Mr. Obama said at an event in the White House Rose Garden. "That's like a $1,000 tax hike."

[. . .]

Senate Democrats plan to vote to extend the government-subsidized rate ? 3.4 percent for the 7.4 million students with Stafford loans ? for another two years, while House Republicans approved a measure last week that would make the rate variable, tied to prevailing market trends.

"I'm glad the House is paying attention to it, but they didn't do it in the right way," Mr. Obama said. "It fails to lock in low rates for students next year. That's not smart. It eliminates safeguards for lower-income families. That's not fair."

It's NOT FAIR that students might have to bear the cost of their own fucking education!

[mad libertarian guy]

Link for above

[playa manhattan]

"That's like a $1,000 tax hike."

I know people who actually believe this.

[playa manhattan]

Just this morning, a high school classmate of mine had a facebook post about how he was getting involved in the movement to end "debt slavery". He then went on to brag about how he negotiated a settlement with his 2 credit card companies for $.20 on the dollar, and how this was a victory for "workers" everywhere (strange choice of words since he has never had a job).

[kinnath]

Wait till tax season next year. No one explains that the 80 cents on the dollar written off by the credit card company is now income this year.

[Mad Scientist]

I hope playa has the fortitude to keep his giddy laughs to himself. Actually, I don't hope that.

[playa manhattan]

I unfriended him after his "R.I.P. brother Hugo Chavez" post a while back, but a couple of my libertarian-leaning friends from high school take screen shots of his bullshit and email it around...

[Mad Scientist]

That's one good thing about facebook. It's easy to tell who the douchebags are.

[playa manhattan]

I doubt this guy files returns. He is from a rich family and daddy's lawyer will take care of it.

This guy is truly a caricature of what I hate. Upper class white kid from a well to do family who majored in sociology at UC Santa Cruz, grew dreadlocks, and spent the last 10 years of his life trying to be a rapper, and now spends his time organizing occupy protests and trying to "free Palestine".

[PapayaSF]

If only every bonehead who wanted to "free Palestine" would actually move to Gaza.

[ant1sthenes]

You know, someone should probably notify the IRS about that post, in case the poor fellow forgot to include it in his taxes.

[John]

You can't make this shit up.

Richard Windsor never existed at the EPA, but the agency awarded the fictional staffer's email account certificates proving he had mastered all of the agency's technology training ? including declaring him a "scholar of ethical behavior," according to documents disclosed late last week.

[e-mail] was the controversial email alias used by former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, who resigned earlier this year amid questions about whether her agency was complying with open-records laws.

http://www.washingtontimes.com.....extensive/

[tarran]

BTW, this should be a bigger scandal than it is;

Contra the EPA's laughable claims, this was a blatantly illegal attempt to circumvent FOIA laws.

[John]

Yes it should be. She used the email address to secretly coordinate her actions with Green groups. Imagine if Dick Cheney had a fake email address where he secretly talked to oil companies? This should be a huge scandal.

[CE]

She should have just used Yahoo mail, like that one Alaska governor did.

[PapayaSF]

That was trumpeted as a huge scandal by some, but was there anything to it? Was it really a concerted attempt to evade laws related to official communications?

[Agammamon]

Well, using a non-official government email (one that normally wouldn't be subject to FOIA requests) is a de-facto attempt to evade laws related to official communications.

And its not like she wouldn't have known about the *laws* forbidding her from using private email to conduct government business.

But she'll get a pass, just like Napolitano - who *bragged* about using private email.

[John]

No. Having a personal email address is not the same as having a fake Email address. Palin had a personal email address that liberals demanded to see because she might have conducted personal business on it. They had no proof or reason to believe she ever did.

[Ted S.]

But, but, but, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!

[db]

Cover up Erdogan's face below the tip of his nose in the picture above. Look familiar?

[Smells Like Tom Skerritt]

A J.C. Penny's Teapot?

[A Serious Man]

Dunkin Donuts to debut glazed doughnut bacon breakfast sandwich.

[Matrix]

is that Bloomberg ragesploding?

[Raston Bot]

me want now

ME. WANT. NOW.

[Bee Tagger]

Ok, now they're just naming food products after sex acts, right?

[Restoras]

Recipe for Donkey Punch, please?

[MP]

Wow. And only today I found out about Eli's Donut Burgers. Thank you DD for making it so I don't have to drive to Minnesota!

[A Serious Man]

Vegetarians, Seventh Day Adventists, may live longer according to research.

Scientists in California analyzed the diets of 73,300 Seventh Day Adventists, and found that vegetarians were less likely to die from any cause or from cause-specific reasons, except for cancer, compared to those who ate meat.

"Certain vegetarian diets are associated with reductions in all causes of [death] as well as some specific causes including heart disease, kidney-related deaths and endocrine disease-related death such as diabetes," said lead researcher Dr. Michael Orlich, a preventive medicine specialist at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda.

Counterpoint to the Dunkin Donuts article I linked above.

[John]

If you can't eat a bacon, doughnut sandwich, is there really any point to living longer?

[PapayaSF]

Vegetarianism doesn't make you live longer, it just makes it seem longer.

[jesse.in.mb]

Seventh Day Adventist school says Seventh Day Adventism is healthy!

Loma Linda is one of 5 of the Blue Zones though, so maybe they're on to something.

[Irish]

I'm listening to Marc Maron's podcast from a few weeks ago, and Billy Bragg was on. Sweet Jesus he and Maron are idiotic politically. They're talking about how the London riots occurred because 'the kids know that no matter what, the political class will push austerity on them so the people feel hopeless.'

I love that totally without regard for what happens in the world, it is austerity's fault. In a country where the citizenry has been completely neutered and controlled by government, rioting occurred because there isn't enough government.

Never mind that race rioting always seems to occur in countries with an overwhelmingly powerful government like those of Europe, and rarely occurs in a far more multicultural society like America. Clearly the problem is not enough government.

[General Butt Naked]

I like to listen to Billy Bragg's music, but I refuse to listen to him speak.

[Brett L]

If I only listened to people whose politics I agree with, I'd be damn tired of listening to Rush and certain Willie Nelson albums.

[Irish]

I don't really give a shit about Bragg's politics, since I love his music regardless. I'm just astonished that massive rioting can be played off as the fault of austerity.

Can you see the unbelievably savage cuts? CAN YOU!??!

[General Butt Naked]

Do you have Mermaid Avenue?

It's him and wilco doing previously unrecorded woodie guthrie songs. It may be commie heaven, but it's also damn good.

[Nikki says you caddie well]

It may be commie heaven, but it's also damn good.

Indeed, it is both of those things.

[Irish]

I have listened to that and it is very good.

[A Serious Man]

New investigation being launched as to whether Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was murdered by Pinochet.

One of the worst parts about right-wing authoritarian regimes is their tendency to turn Marxoids into martyrs. Of course it is ironic since Neruda was a big Stalin apologist.

[RBS]

So Clenched Soul is about Stalin?

[A Serious Man]

Oh boy: Darryl Issa, the next Joe McCarthy.

In one brief and repugnant interview, the GOP's chief congressional investigator into Internal Revenue Service abuses cherry-picked evidence, overstated his case, and violated the sacred American principle of presumed innocence.

Right, because our government definitely deserves the benefit of the doubt in all matters because, well just because.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

In one brief and repugnant interview, the GOP's chief congressional investigator into Internal Revenue Service abuses cherry-picked evidence, overstated his case, and violated the sacred American principle of presumed innocence.

Just like the IRS presumes innocence, right?

[Marc F Cheney]

Um, do detectives ever presume innocence?

[A Serious Man]

Howard Fineman wonders why the Wizard of Oz can't use his magic to make these scandals go away.

Now the president faces another inevitable piece of second-term physics: a season of accusation. In Obama's case, it's about IRS vetting of conservative groups and Department of Justice subpoenas of news organizations and reporters.

Can the president soldier through it, make his case and get important things done in a second term ?- say, immigration reform, a budget deal and a solid implementation of Obamacare?

He will need to show the discipline and focus of 2012. Think of this as Ohio, Mr. President, and assemble accordingly.

Christ, how do they not realize that Obama's community organizing skills just do not translate to good governance?

[PapayaSF]

And here's Fineman advising: "Just think of it as another campaign!"

[VG Zaytsev]

Fineman hears Obama's music.

[A Serious Man]

From the politicization of everything: why the next Doctor Who needs to be a woman.

A female Doctor would go a long way toward making up for the show's recent regression into tiresome stereotyped sex roles. The Doctor travels with human companions, usually one lovely young woman at a time. As Ted Kissell writes at the Atlantic, the recent companions have been weaker and younger than the ones who accompanied the earlier Doctors.

[hamilton]

I for one will be Beyond Pissed if they PC-ize the Doctor.

[jesse.in.mb]

What if they went back to the idea of Jennifer Saunders? I think she'd make a delightful Doctor.

[Auric Demonocles]

Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders is tipped to be the first ever female Time Lord.

Seriously? The British press messed this up? Only one obvious example.

[jesse.in.mb]

After that they had Jenny in The Doctor's Daughter, and River Song, but I don't ever remember seeing an episode of Doctor Who with a female incarnation of the Doctor.

[Auric Demonocles]

There isn't a female Doctor, but that isn't the same as female Time Lord.

[jesse.in.mb]

Right, I'm assuming the author of the article isn't a fan and thought Time Lord is an honorific instead of a race.

[Zakalwe]

I've never seen an episode of Doctor Who. Anyone think it'll last long enough to be worth my time?

[Eduard van Haalen]

So, you somehow wandered into H&R from Squaresville?

[tarran]

It stopped being good about halfway through the Colin Baker years. Although Sophie Aldred's performance as Ace during the Sylvester McCoy era was a heroic attempt to save the show from sucking.

[Some call me Tim?]

Well played. +1 Tardis to you for that.

[Zakalwe]

But seriously, I've never seen an episode. It just sounds dumb, and I'm suspicious of British sci-fi shows.

[Some call me Tim?]

I think it's entertaining. Never seen anything prior to the 2005 reboot though. The more recent seasons have better budgets because the SFX got less campy.

[jesse.in.mb]

It's entertaining fluff. I enjoy it.

[Generic Stranger]

I've only seen one or two episodes, the main one I remember being the "are you my mummy" one (can't remember the actual name of the episode). I only watched it because a friend had recommended it and said that particular episode was the creepiest damn thing he'd ever watched.

I wasn't all that impressed with it.

[SugarFree]

The upside is that it they did cast a woman as Dr. Who, the dipshits at i09 and Jezebel would flick their clits to mush and explode with crazed joy. They might die happy, but at least we'd get the relief of them being dead.

[Auric Demonocles]

No, then they would analyze every difference between this Doctor's personality/adventures/results to previous ones'.

[johnl]

The last couple of companions have been very strong. Lots of earlier ones were kids.

[A Serious Man]

Nazi dad who named his son Adolf Hitler shows up at custody hearing in SS uniform.

Yeah, that's probably not going to help.

The New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (NJ DYFS) said they took the boy because of previous violence in the home. An anonymous abuse claim was also made to local police.

The couple said they never abused their children and argued they were being targeted for the names they chose for their kids. Officials have denied that to be the case.

If they don't beat their kids and otherwise provide a stable home I don't think the state really has a case.

[tarran]

If they don't beat their kids and otherwise provide a stable home I don't think the state really has a case.

LOL. It's family court: the Chewbacca defense is a legitimate case there.

[Libertymike]

It might be that certain statist parents are not the right type of statist parents and therefore unfit to be parents.

[Agammamon]

On the other hand, showing up to court dressed in Nazi regalia is already making the whole "stable home" thing harder to pass muster.

I mean, its one thing to be stupid and hateful and support Nazi/white power shit - its another to be so completely around the bend that showing up to court in a suit and tie loses out to the SS uniform.

[Matrix]

Vodka... the miracle drink!

[Smells Like Tom Skerritt]

"9. Make your own mouthwash."

Yeah, baby!

[Jumbie]

http://www.dilbert.com/dyn/str......strip.gif

Guest starring Paul Krugnuts, I think.

[PapayaSF]

+1

[Brandon]

I don't know who else it could be.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"FL school district scans students' eyes; parents outraged

"Rob Davis, senior director of support services for Polk County Schools, says the district was going to try a pilot program that used iris scanners on 17 buses at three schools: Bethune Academy, Daniel Jenkins Academy, and the Davenport School of the Arts.

""It was for an extra-layer of safety for the students and the parents and guardians of students riding the bus," Davis said.

"The program would notify parents via text message or e-mail that their student made it to the destination....

"The district was supposed to send out letters to parents informing them of the program and asking them if they wanted to opt out, but they went out late.

""It was an oversight. The letter was supposed to go out on a certain date. I assumed the letter had gone out and found out it had not gone out," Davis said. "My deepest apologies. I have three daughters and I would have the same questions.""

http://www.wfla.com/story/2245.....iris-scans

[Brandon]

But education has been cut to the bone!!!

[Stormy Dragon]

Bipartisan congressional delegation joins Steven Seagal on secret mission to Russia to find out who was really behind the Boston Marathon bombing. Take time during trip to hold press conference on how totally dreamy Vladimir Putin is:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-25.....in-russia/

[WomSom]

So, who comes up with all that smack!

http://www.WorldPrivacy.tk