A.M. Links: Colorado Counties Considering Secession, Ellsberg Praises NSA Leaker, George Zimmerman's Trial Begins Today

Credit: Jacob Appelbaum/wikimedia

• Some counties in Colorado are considering secession from the Centennial State in order to form a new state that may be called North Colorado in the unlikely event it is ever established.

• Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, has said that he is "impressed" by NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

• George Zimmerman's trial begins today. Zimmerman is accused of killing the teenager Trayvon Martin in February last year.  

• Thousands of Germans have been evacuated in response to the flooding of the Elbe river. Flooding in central Europe has already killed at least 21 people.

• The former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela is in a serious but stable condition in a Pretoria hospital, where he is being treated for a lung infection.

• Obama is to nominate his longtime adviser Jason Furman as chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers.

Spice up your blog or Website with Reason 24/7news and Reason articles! You can easily add a widget here.

Have a news tip for us? Send it to: [e-mail].

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and don't forget to sign up for Reason's daily updates for more content.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Some counties in Colorado are considering secession from the Centennial State in order to form a new state that may be called North Colorado in the unlikely event it is ever established.

Then we're combining the Dakotas or something. No new flags, not for the likes of Colorado.

[LTC(ret) John]

Why not merge CT into NY? The whole state is just some suburb of NYC, amirite?

[BigT]

Upstate NY is quite different. Merge NYC and CT, leave upstate NY separate.

[Fist of Etiquette]

THAT DOESN'T GAIN US ANYTHING.

[BigT]

Upstate NY would not be a true blue bastion of retardation. So 2 senate seats up for grabs.

[Zeb]

Here's the proper answer. NYC and surrounding counties, New Jersey, Long Island and SW Connecticut become one state. The rest of CT can join with RI and Upstate NY can be its own state.

Me, NH and VT can join to become an independent nation and have some sort of pogrom to eliminate the Massholes and New Yorkers.

[Bobarian]

Why do you get to join with NH and VT, huh?

What makes you so special, mister man?

/sarc

Seriously, think of the butt hurt in Quebec if that new nation formed.

[Zeb]

Oops. I'm already in NH, so I just get to.

[Rasilio]

"Me, NH and VT can join to become an independent nation and have some sort of pogrom to eliminate the Massholes and New Yorkers."

Given that Vt is by far the most left wing state in the country and NH (minus the Masshole invasion) is about as minarchist as you get I'm not sure they'd have enough in common to found a country on

[robc]

by far the most left wing state

But its a different left wing.

VT didnt have pictures (or lamination) on driver's licenses until forced to by the feds.

VT doesnt have concealed carry permits, because, fuck yes, you can carry concealed. Duh.

Etc, etc. They may be leftist, but they are anti-government leftists.

[Azathoth!!]

Once the last of the old Vermonters is dead, the invading flatlanders'll take those guns, you just watch.

[Gbob]

On behalf of Western New York, we will gladly merge with any state that isn't part of New York state. C'mon, guys. We'll bring wings, beef on weck, Dyngus Day, and two sports teams (one of 'em is half way decent).

Call me. We'll work on it. Must like guns.

[hamilton]

Which is the decent one?

[Gbob]

When the Sabres are lifting the cup next year, I'll let you know.

[Mickey Rat]

So you are expecting a Channel 7 reporter to get the powers of the deity next year?

[deified]

Fuck it, I want to make Rochester its own city-state.

[Spoonman.]

Pennsylvania, then?

[Gbob]

Sure. We can negotiate. Perhaps we could trade Philly for New York city or something.

[Stormy Dragon]

We should give Philadelphia County to New Jersey. Then Philadelphia and Camden can merge to claim their rightful place as the worst major city in America.

[Rhywun]

God I miss beef on weck.

[Ted S.]

Merge CT into RI.

[robc]

Merge ME back into MA.

[Zeb]

That's just cruel.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I don't know what those two things are.

Instead of trying to hold at 50, maybe we should aim for 100 states. Start breaking more up. Perhaps some can stay intact while others are torn asunder, to better reflect differing public desires, resulting in better representation.

[Agammamon]

Any area with more than 20 million people becomes its own state!

[Zeb]

That seems like an awful lot. How about 2 million? 300 senators would make things more interesting.

[Agammamon]

How about a compromise solution?

Every 20 million people will form a state but be divided up into 10 sectors - each sector elects its set of politicians for the state positions. You end up with 10 guys for governor for example.

Then the 10 have to fight to the death until only one remains. The winner gets the seat.

[Agammamon]

To add extra spice, you get the populace argueing over whether the fights should be free-for-all or done up like NCAA play-off brackets.

[2ndClassProle]

Wait a minute... I have seen this movie before.

[Bobarian]

I have it on good authority that there are, in fact, 57 states.

[generic Brand]

Instead of trying to hold at 50, maybe we should aim for 100 states.

So you want there to be even MORE horrible politicians in the Senate?

[sarcasmic]

Merge ME back into MA.

Fuck off.

[robc]

It can only help MA.

[sarcasmic]

No fucking way to I want to live under the fascist laws of the Commonwealth. No fucking way.

[Zeb]

But there are a lot more people in MA. And then NH would have two borders with MA, which I just don't need.

[Rasilio]

Not to mention the whole question of whether NH would have to give back it's seacoast, which was all originally part of Massachusetts and only given to NH to get them to sign off on that whole deal where Maine became it's own state

[Zeb]

I don't think that is true. AT least not all of it. Portsmouth was the capital of NH before the revolutionary war and has been part of NH as long as there has been NH.

[hamilton]

Okay, Okay. Merge the Dakotas, Montana, and Idaho. Split Colorado, merge upper New England. Merge CT/RI/NY but split off upper NY and join it with Pennsylvania. Re-unite the Virginias - I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - and with what's left over there ought to be a spare star on the flag for a seasteading Libertopia. Good? Good. Make it so.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Then I'll allow/force Puerto Rico into statehood.

[carol]

Can we split Florida in two? Manate County and above can be one state and everything below can drift off into the ocean.

[Boisfeuras]

Re-unite the Virginias - I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH

Just curious, but why stress reuniting WV and VA? But as long as you're at it, excise Northern Virginia and merge it with Baltimore/Montgomery/Prince Georges/Howard County. Merge the rump Maryland with Greater Virginia.

[deified]

Northern Colorado includes Weld County whose DA is Ken Buck. Ken Buck is the soi-disant Tea Party guy who almost beat the current Senator, Michael Bennett. Ken Buck lobbied hard against Amendment 64 and continued prosecuting minor marijuana offenses after it had passed.

In short, Fuck Ken Buck and fuck "Northern Colorado."

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The rift has a lot less to do with pot laws and a lot more to do with bullshit like Hickenlooper's obsequiousness to fuckheads like Bloomberg and the influence of progtard Californians in the state.

That said, there's no way in hell the formation would be approved because it would be an embarrassment to the Democrats in the state house.

[thom]

Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia should also be combined into a single state.

[Joe M]

The population of that new state would be about 350,000. Fun fact!

[Bones]

Then it won't be a state. 500,000 minimum to start, but then once at 500,000 you can't lose your statehood.

[Bee Tagger]

New Boards of Canada album is available today: http://warp.net/records/boards.....s-us/draft

[Joe M]

Yes! Exai is awesome.

[Lord Humungus]

Stockholm's male train drivers wearing skirts to work
Male train drivers in Stockholm have circumvented a ban on wearing shorts in the summer by coming to work in skirts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....-work.html

[LTC(ret) John]

They should all claim an affinity for kilts, and if challenged, hit back with all sorts of PC rubbish.

[PS]

My Swedish friend says that the guys won, they've lifted the ban on shorts.

[Zeb]

I'd stick with skirts anyway. They are damn comfortable.

[invisible furry hand]

they really need a new stylist

[Rasilio]

The Football team in my High School did this trick too, even better, they all wore Mini Skirts.

Really pissed off the administration

[Clich? Bandit]

NO better way to meet fine young women than wearing a kilt. Irish or Scottish, tartan or no, doesn't matter (UtiliKilt is a good option). When asked why state that nudity isn't allowed. And when asked what you have underneath it answer "Shoes". Simple.

Ohh, and I have heard that many a gentleman get mildly sexually assaulted by frisky women who "want to know", boon or bane - you decide.

[Fist of Etiquette]

George Zimmerman's trial begins today.

Just now? It sure is taking that prosecutor a long time to get her career kickstarted.

[Rich]

Protesters plan 'National Hoodie March'

Are they having Skittles and iced tea for refreshments?

[invisible furry hand]

I misread that as a National Hoochie March

[free2booze]

What, no cough syrup?

[InfernalBear]

Central FL. In June. In hoodies. More power to 'em.

[Mike M.]

Given the dearth of evidence, this ridiculous trial should go pretty quickly.

[HellsBells]

And then come the riots...

[Rich]

That's ridiculous.

"What do we want? JUSTICE! When do we want it? NOW!"

[mr lizard]

Ya right, it's still Sanford. The populace there is about as hard as wet toilet paper.

[Lord Humungus]

a sacrifice must be made to the altar of anti-racism.

[Lord Humungus]

Truck carrying fireworks hits moose on Trans-Canada Highway, shuts down road for 5.5 hours and lights up the sky
http://news.nationalpost.com/2.....p-the-sky/

"Most of the fireworks reached straight for the sky," Brenda Grundt reported for the Wawa-news. "However, several headed towards Mijin Lake, and others must have given the firefighters quite a start as they detonated just above the fire trucks, and in one case almost seemed to strike the truck.

There was nothing left of the truck after the fire but a metal frame.

Grundt makes clear that the moose threat is not over.

[LTC(ret) John]

A moose once bit my sister.

[Drake]

I've had many women, my life has been loose.
But I've never had anything quite like a moose.

[JurisCani]

"Mind you, moose bites can be pretty nasty..."

[Clich? Bandit]

still funny.

[some guy]

Grundt makes clear that the moose threat is not over.

Will the war on terrorism ever end, or will we simply continue to find hew combatants?

[sarcasmic]

Sober driver charged with DUI... even though he had a 0.000 blood-alcohol content

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....g-him.html

'I've been stopped 10 times in Surprise and given four tickets, it's amazing,' said Mr Thornton.

It's time to leave town, bud. Trust me. Once the cops see a target on your back, leaving town is the only option.

[Agammamon]

Ah, its AZ - its not racism bud, here no one cares if your black - its the Mexicans the cops hate.

[Live Free or Diet]

DUI includes driving after swimming?
M.A.D.D. has gotten tough in that town!

[Stormy Dragon]

I must admit me "Suprise Police Department" seems like a good name for a bunch of thug cops.

[sarcasmic]

Adorable moment an affectionate baby sea lion leaps onto a boat and cuddles up to a passenger caught on camera

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....amera.html
How long before he gets a visit from the feds? Harassing a wild marine mammal is a felony. Goodbye baby sea lion, hello prison!

[mnarayan]

It's cruel to take water-breathing creatures out of their natural habitat. How long can they live out of water?? I have sent this page to PETA and to the RSPCA, as they may wish to speak with Mr Gilkinson. This sort of thing makes my blood BOIL!

[Tonio]

The stupid, it burns.

[Redmanfms]

Indeed.

[Matrix]

I hope that person was being facetious. If not, his/her life functions should cease immediately.

[RBS]

It's so hard to tell these days.

[Clich? Bandit]

HAS to be troll...no one is that dumb.

[Suthenboy]

Holy Holy shit. Looking at some of the comments there it seems the limeys have gone completely nuts. It is all nuclear grade ignorance and emotional histrionics. Has the whole island become schizophrenic?

[Agammamon]

I put in an underwater pipeline in Oman a few years back - we had a seal that climbed up onto one of our inflatable boats and sunned itself every day.

When we were getting ready to sink the anchor platform he jumped up onto it and stayed there all day while we worked.

As it slowly sank under the water he kept moving to higher and high spots - seemed kinda miffed when his sunny spot went under.

[Clich? Bandit]

Ms. Bandit and I went sea kayaking in the Orcas Islands and as I am paddling furiously (because like a dumb ass I was sitting in front and didn't realize that my wife was "taking in the scenery", not to mention her rhythm was atrocious) to compete with the other couple (it is just how I roll), we were approached by a harbor seal. Her pup was on shore and she came out to hunt and make sure we were not a threat...At first I thought "hey little Labrador retriever you're out a little far aren't you...Ohh Shit...NOT A DOG!"

[Stormy Dragon]

I am curious what happened to the sea lion after the video. It's swimming around in deep water alone without it's mother and may be an orphan. Did they take it to animal rescue or just leave it in the water by itself?

[sarcasmic]

Police officer charged with murder in road-rage shooting as his wife and children looked on

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ed-on.html
Had he been in uniform, nothing else would have happened.

[Solanum]

Of oourse something else would have happened if he'd been in uniform. He would've received a medal for bravery.

[Virginian]

Need more info on this.

[Lord Peter Wimsey]

Agreed. I'm sure most NJ cops are savages, but if two men approached him in an aggressive manner before he shot one of them, he at least gets the benefit of the doubt. In TX you don't have to wait until your attackers are on top of you to respond.

Having said that, nothing would surprise me about NJ cops.

[Agammamon]

Even in TX approaching someone "in an aggressive manner" is not cause for killing them.

[WTF]

However, approaching a cop in an aggressive manner is pretty much a death sentence anywhere.

[l0b0t]

In Louisiana, we had a spate of carjackings in the 1980s - 1990s that led to a special addendum to our deadly force laws. One may use deadly force to protect one's motor vehicle. IIRC, there was fellow in the NOLA suburb of Metarie who was acquitted after shooting a car thief. Vehicle owner stepped out onto his 2nd floor balcony, observed a man breaking into his car so he shot him dead (from the balcony, a pretty good distance shot with a handgun).

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Walker is accused of killing Maryland resident Joseph Harvey Jr., 36, in a confrontation on the shoulder of Route 3 northbound near the intersection with Interstate 97, south of Baltimore, police said."

No justice, no peace! No justice, not peace! Justice for Joseph Harvey!

Wait a minute, I'm guilty of a rush to judgment. I need to know a few more background facts. Specifically, was Joseph Harvey black?

Oh, and the accused is black?

Never mind what I just said.

[Lord Humungus]

Senators should have known about snooping, says McCain
http://politicalticker.blogs.c.....ys-mccain/

Lawmakers who are now expressing outrage over the government's surveillance of phone records and Internet activity should have paid closer attention when they were voting to reauthorize provisions in the Patriot Act, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Sunday.

Reacting particularly to fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul's assertion this week the programs amount to an "assault on the Constitution," McCain told CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley that members of Congress had not been left in the dark on what powers to government has in monitoring Americans.

[Ted S.]

And I'm sure that if the Rand Pauls of the world tried to excise those provisions during the reauthorization debate, that fuckstick McCain would have accused them of aiding and abetting terrorists.

[BigT]

Senators: We would have had to read the bill before signing it - and we wanted to find out what was in it.

More frightening - McCain is OK with all this shit!!

[Rich]

Meh. Congresscreatures get "fully briefed" about all this stuff once it's enacted.

[Tonio]

My understanding is that congressmen have the opportunity to attend briefings. According to NPR this morning (SLDs) attendance is pretty small.

So the next question is - Congressman, why were you not doing your duty?

[Agammamon]

Look the meeting notice was on display for a year. In a cellar. In a disused toilet with a sign saying "beware of leopard" on the door. At the bottom of a filing cabinet, a locked filing cabinet. So there is no excuse for not knowing about the meeting.

[robc]

Paul voted against it, so he didnt vote to reauthorize, IIRC.

[DJF]

Didn't Rand Paul vote against the Patriot Act?

And since the surveillance is secret wouldn't he have been prevented from mentioning that aspect of the bill? How is he suppose to argue against it if he can't even talk about it?

McCain once again proves why he was at the bottom of the graduate list at the Naval Academy.

[some guy]

I hope they at least had some classified debates about it before the vote. Then there would be no excuse for a Congressman not knowing this surveillance was happening.

[Bee Tagger]

Obama is to nominate his longtime adviser Jason Furman as chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers.

Clever. He can blame Furman for hiring himself.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Furman? But he dropped all those N-bombs during the O.J. trial.

[inquisitionssuppositions]

"Furman. Furman. The man's a racist. What is he, the Fuhrer? German? Furman. German."

[sarcasmic]

Bling, booty, bubbles and lots of attitude: Inside the world of America's hip-hop honeys

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....oneys.html
What kind of perfume is that? Eau de skank?

[Don Mynack]

In reply, Bossip ranks the best whooties.

http://bossip.com/691348/once-.....-whoville/

FYI - "whooties" = white booties. Very educational slide slow.(SFW, BTW).

[sarcasmic]

I would have put Beckinsale at number one, but that's just me.

[Ted S.]

My word, but journalists are obsessed with Nelson Mandela.

[Virginian]

He's a secular saint.

[BigT]

Wait til he croaks. The entourage attending the funeral from the US will be unbelievable.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

He's a commie POS. Good riddance.

[Bardas Phocas]

He freed the Africans.

[LTC(ret) John]

It was, to many of them, the story they grew up with - noble man opposing cartoonish villains (Boers). A dash of power fists and AKs (see NAC flag) and it was a heady mixture of shanty towns on campuses, divest now!, and moral superiority feelings.

To admit the Boers were thugs and the ANC not much better (notice how Winnie Mandela was shuffled off when her "supporters" got a bit behead-y and necklace-y) would hurt - so they just feature and relive the good parts.

[John]

But to Mandela's credit, he didn't turn into a mass murdering dictator like every other resistance leader in Africa did. The fact that whatever his crimes he emerged from it a human being rather than a monster once in power makes him quite exceptional.

[AuH20]

Yeah. Given that when Mandela took power, there was a real possibility for him to go all Zibabwe on the white people instead of trying, however shittily, to forge a "rainbow nation", its pretty impressive.

Yes, sadly, in Africa, we set the bar a little bit lower, and not becoming a genocidal dictator is pretty impressive there.

[Zeb]

Good point. It would have been easy for him to become another Mugabe, or worse.

[hamilton]

Not to mention, he is one of the few guys in recent history who passed the "serve your terms then step aside" test.

[AuH20]

Once again... we set a super low bar for Africa, huh?

[LTC(ret) John]

That is quite notable - no Big Man in Africa leaves unless it is through the offices of death or coup.

[Agammamon]

No, only his wife did.

[Gbob]

This.

The number of revolutionaries who were able to step aside when the battle was done is depressingly small. (Makes one appreciate George Washington.) He could have easily hung on to power for life, and the world wouldn't have batted an eye. Considering that the majority were living in crushing poverty, the revolution in South Africa could have been far, far worse.

[Rasilio]

Hell a good portion of the US, especially in the army practically begged him to become King George the First

[Lord Peter Wimsey]

Lung infection? Maybe he inhaled too much smoke when his wife Winnie and her band of thugs were putting flaming tires around the necks of children suspected of betraying the revolution?

Fuck the Mandelas.

[Eduard van Haalen]

I wouldn't blame him for the Mrs. going off the deep end.

[sarcasmic]

Houston charity giving away free guns to single women and residents of high-crime neighborhoods

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....hoods.html
Lots of derp in the comments.

[sarcasmic]

Kate Beckinsale. *drool*
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....seman.html

[DontShootMe]

Why is she wearing her living room drapes?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Thousands of Germans have been evacuated in response to the flooding of the Elbe river.

The river needed breathing room.

[WTF]

You know who else evacuated thousands of Germans?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Kohler?

[LTC(ret) John]

Nicholas II?

[Rich]

The Phillips Colon Lady?

[invisible furry hand]

Mom, if you were in a German scheisse video, you'd tell me, right?

[John]

The Czechs and Poles after World War II?

[Bobarian]

Marshall?

[sarcasmic]

David Hasselhoff?

[Ice Nine]

Thousands of Thai hookers?

[Juice]

You sure it didn't need Elbe-o room?

[The Late P Brooks]

I'm surprised it isn't Western Slope counties threatening to secede.

[Lord Humungus]

Mourners traumatised after corpse explodes
http://www.theage.com.au/victo.....2nx3h.html

No amount of air freshener could hide the stench of death. In the heat of late January, a corpse exploded in a crypt at Preston mausoleum in Melbourne's north, oozing fluids through an inadequate seal and down the granite faces of the vaults below.

Despite a clean-up, the smell persisted, made all the more unpleasant for visitors by the swarms of summer insects drawn to it.

[db]

This is part of the reason I don't like mausoleums. When you die, you should have the dignity of your own spot, not get crammed into a storage rack with hundreds of other corpses waiting to play "pull my finger" with your loved ones when they come by to spit on your grave.

[sarcasmic]

'It's like a job fair in here': Mexican cartels tap U.S. prisons to get 'criminal talent' to join as drug runners and assassins on release

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....lease.html

[LTC(ret) John]

Jerbz created or saved?

[Enough About Palin]

American, doing the jobs Mexicans refuse to do.

[Lord Humungus]

Police: Man dressed as Power Ranger defecated on grill cover
http://www.daily-chronicle.com.....r/a5geauh/

According to Kane County Sheriff's reports, part of the incident was captured on a home security video shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, June 1.

The video shows a male wearing a shiny gray Power Ranger outfit, his face obscured by a matching balaclava coming on the property and walking off camera carrying the grill cover ? but not the defecation, as that most likely occurred off-camera.

[LTC(ret) John]

Why does my county always make the news for extreme derp or people trying to act out SugarFree stories?

We aren't all like this.

[invisible furry hand]

Kane County, Home of the Stealth Shitter

You're telling me that wouldn't attract tourists?

[LTC(ret) John]

Certainly it would...Not really the kind ones you would want, however.

[Lord Humungus]

sure you aren't. *gives a knowing grin*

[Zeb]

Was that where the Illinois Enema Bandit did his thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Enema_Bandit

[LTC(ret) John]

See what I mean?!

[SugarFree]

The Night-Pooper strikes again!

[sarcasmic]

I said I'm your Niiiiiight-Crapper, I shit on your grill!

[The Late P Brooks]

Mister Snowden is gong to have a hell of a time getting life insurance.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He'll be in that secret CIA detention center in Benghazi before the end of the week.

[Lord Humungus]

Why Canadians Should Be Demanding Answers About Secret Surveillance Programs
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6869/125/

Privacy and surveillance have taken centre stage this week with the revelations that U.S. agencies have been engaged in massive, secret surveillance programs that include years of capturing the meta-data from every cellphone call on the Verizon network (the meta-data includes the number called and the length of the call) as well as gathering information from the largest Internet companies in the world including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple in a program called PRISM. This lengthy post provides some background on the U.S. programs, but focuses primarily on the Canadian perspective, arguing that many of the same powers exist under Canadian law and that it is likely that Canadians have been caught up by these surveillance activities.

Blame Canada!

[AuH20]

How the Patriarchy Screwed the Starks

In Game of Thrones' case, its fantasy setting becomes its greatest strength for examining patriarchal systems in-depth. A real-world setting would be too difficult to use as an example of a patriarchal system, since it's too "normal"?we're too immersed in it to see what's different. The metaphorical potential of a speculative setting helps?Game of Thrones, with its lords and kings battling for supremacy, is inarguably patriarchal. It uses an agnatic-cognatic primogeniture system where only men can inherit titles unless only a woman is the sole successor. This is obviously bad for women, who are used as political pawns and very rarely wield institutional power on their own. But what Game of Thrones manages to do is demonstrate how it damages men as well.

That is why Robb Stark is dead. In the world of Westeros, Robb's innate goodness was at odds with his job title. As heir to Winterfell, and then as King IN The North, he had obligations that had to be fulfilled, which included marrying for strategic gain?obligations that he didn't keep. Marrying Talisa Maegyr instead of Roslyn Frey wasn't his only shirked responsibility. His inability to maintain relations among his vassals led directly to his death as well, in large part because he was unable to punish his mother after she worked against him.

[Virginian]

Derp derp derp.

[John]

You mean in a world without firearms you end up with a martial society with power going to the biggest, strongest, and best trained? Who would have thought such a thing?

[Matrix]

G-d created men, but Sam Colt made them equal.

[robc]

It uses an agnatic-cognatic primogeniture system where only men can inherit titles unless only a woman is the sole successor.

Not true. Oldest child, male or female, is successor in Dorne, which leads to the whole Myrcella subplot that probably hasnt shown up in the TV show yet. I think its book 4.

[SugarFree]

They sent her to Dorne, but haven't done anything else with it yet. They have called for The Red Viper to be cast, so they are at least going to do part of it next season.

[robc]

Im trying to figure out what didnt happen last night, because there is a ton of stuff between Red Wedding and end of book 3 and they couldnt have covered it all.

[SugarFree]

***SPOILERS***

The Hound and Arya escape from The Twins, but have not made it to The Inn.

Danys conquered the 2nd slaver city, and the slaves called her "Mother."

Jon arrives at Castle Black full of Ygritte's arrows.

Sansa finds out about RW.

Davos talks Stannis into helping fight Mance and WW.

[robc]

Yeah, so I told a friend 5-7* major characters die in book 3, and they only whacked two of them.

*a couple are questionable whether they are major or minor.

[Mickey Rat]

"Danys conquered the 2nd slaver city, and the slaves called her "Mother.""

And much bitching was done about the oppressed brown people worshipping the white princess.

I am not why they thought it was a good idea to end the season on that, due to people being unable to see past the unfortunate implications.

[Irish]

And much bitching was done about the oppressed brown people worshipping the white princess.

Hahahaha. That was actually the first thought that popped into my head too.

It was a bit hard to overlook since a bunch of dirty, poor, half-naked brown people were holding aloft one of the lightest skinned people I've ever seen.*

*Apparently Targaryens are incapable of getting tan, no matter how long they wander around in the desert.

[robc]

Apparently Targaryens are incapable of getting tan, no matter how long they wander around in the desert.

If she is like me, the options are white and bright red. So maybe she has some quality sun-block.

[SugarFree]

What is the sun but fire? Fire cannot burn a dragon.

[Agammamon]

She's magical - that's why she can march an army around the desert with no food or water.

[robc]

They sent her to Dorne in season 2, Ive seen those episodes.

[SugarFree]

SoS is going to be split between S3 and S4, although speculation is that they will have to draw in elements from FfC and DwD to make a full season 4.

[robc]

Yeah, that was my guess. There is no way the rest of book 3 would fill a whole season. But my impression is there are still a bunch of people to kill off to finish book 3.

[robc]

And while Martin claims he will have Book 6 done before they get to it, I doubt it. And there is no way he will have 7 done in time.

[SugarFree]

Winds of Winter supposedly ships next spring. I'll believe it when I see it.

[robc]

DwD finally comes out in American paperback in October. Im waiting on it. For some reason, the British paperback has been out a long time, but I dont like to read from right to left.

[PS]

Wot, ain't got no bloody mirrors where you live?

[Mickey Rat]

Books come in...paper? How quaint!

[Mickey Rat]

But in the show we do not know much about Dorne except that it exists, I think that the writer is focusing completely on the show.

[robc]

The important thing about Dorne is that they were never actually conquered by the Targaryens.

Well, they were, but for like 72 hours and then it was unconquered.

Eventually they became part of the 7 kingdoms via marriage.

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.

My impression is it mostly went unconquered because no one would want the land anyway.

[robc]

Talisa Maegyr

That is a funny spelling of Jeyne Westerling.

[Mickey Rat]

"Both of those actions seem like they should be no-brainers, but because of the world he was in, they combined to ruin the hero."

Robb was destroyed because he would not compromise his love or his honor for politics. Whether the cultural system is patriarchal, matriarchal or who knows what, Robb's flaw was to not play politics well, misreading who he needed to keep happy. Kaiser is trying to force what actually is happening in the show into the little box of his personal bugaboos, and it does not fit.

[Don Mynack]

I hate that show. Please, make it stop.

[Mickey Rat]

In about four years.

[robc]

At current pace, more like 6-7.

[Mickey Rat]

Maybe, but I would HBO not wanting it to go much past The Sopranos in length, due to issues retaining the actors and such. Also the last two books written have a lot of material, but not much happens.

[Raston Bot]

What's up with Asha (Yara in the show) taking a boat to rescue Theon? Will she miss the queensmoot?

[Mickey Rat]

Apparently that's going to be a major change from the books. The Kingsmoot either won't happen at all or Yara will not be among the Captains and Kings.

[Lord Humungus]

FYI: How Do Mosquitoes Survive Rainstorms?
http://www.popsci.com/node/74449/

A raindrop falls from the sky at about 10 miles per hour. When it hits a solid surface at this speed, it rapidly decelerates by 100 percent and generates a force that is about 10,000 times the weight of a mosquito?enough to kill it, Hu says.

But a mosquito is very lightweight, so a raindrop only decelerates by 2 to 20 percent when it collides with the insect in midair, creating a force of about 50 to 300 mosquito weights?still a significant force, but because of the mosquito's extremely strong exoskeleton, not enough to kill on impact, Hu says. "It is like you take a down feather out of your jacket and put it right on top of the mosquito," Hu says.

[Floating Weightless]

Good work. What about gnats?

[Mickey Rat]

The square-cubed rule, how does it work again?

[Bobarian]

If you've ever been to Minnesota, you'd know that it takes #6 shot to kill a mosquito.

[Clich? Bandit]

No question. And when you do get one the squadron will retaliate after a suitable missing man formation and flyby.

[Lord Humungus]

a flash from the past:

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, testifying under oath before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on March 12, responding to questions from Wyden, Democrat of Oregon:

Wyden: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"

Clapper: "No, sir."

Wyden: "It does not?"

Clapper: "Not wittingly. There are cases where they could, inadvertently perhaps, collect?but not wittingly."

[Lord Humungus]

and his "followup"

James Clapper Clarifies Remarks Over NSA Snooping
In interview with National Journal, director of national intelligence says he didn't intend to mislead.
http://www.nationaljournal.com.....g-20130606

[John]

He was lying for his country.

[Matrix]

He was lying for to his country.

FTFY

[Rich]

"What I said was, the NSA does not voyeuristically pore through U.S. citizens' e-mails. I stand by that," Clapper told National Journal

Clarifying yet further, he indicated that NSA may pruriently, albeit unwittingly, pore through U.S. citizens' e-mails.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Fuckstick. They're archiving everything. And the entrenched pols support it. There's nothing quite so attractive to them as the idea that there's a copy of everything that their opponents ever searched for or emailed just there for the browsing when it is necessary.

[Ted S.]

All this data was obvisouly collected unwittingly.

[Rich]

Rep. Cummings: IRS Scandal 'Solved'

Sheesh, Elijah, Snowden just *admitted* he did the NSA scandal, so let's just stop with that one, too.

[AuH20]

What in the holy fuck?

These women's bodies are subversive bodies. Women's power deployed in this way can only be oppositional, always a challenge, always-already embodying and performing the power to refuse. Yet, women's bodies do not have to be unclothed for significant utterance. A woman's daily clothing is already a mode of speech about her life and about her relationship to the situation of her embodiment. In contemporary Kenya, even the banality of women's everyday clothing appears to pose a threat to masculinist domination.

The Kenyan post-colonial social contract is not a political agreement between allegedly neutral individual citizens but a patriarchal and ethnicist order based on the domination of all Kenyan women by all Kenyan men. The seemingly unsayable political problem in Kenya is the post-colonial dominance of the patriarchal ethnic Gikuyu elites, whilst the ethnic virulence of Kenya's patriarchal politics threatens our constitutional democratic opening. The bodies of women speaking from different horizons of political possibility create generative conditions of dissent and democratic renewal. It is very much to my purpose to pay homage to the lineage of Gikuyu women's political protest, in which I include the historical acts of Muthoni Nyanjiru and Wangari Maathai and of contemporary women who continue to use their bodies powerfully.

[Ted S.]

Was this actually written by a human and not a computer algorithm?

[Bobarian]

Looks like a 10 point answer to a 20 point essay question in "FU103: Womyn Studies of Africa"

[DJF]

You forgot the best part, the title for this this overly wordy article is "Silence Is a Woman"

[AuH20]

I sadly couldn't fit it in with the character limit, but damn did I want to.

[Lord Humungus]

shaddup and make me a sammich!

[Mickey Rat]

"Silence Is a Woman"

Since when?

[Rich]

It's all explained by this simple illustration.

[Drake]

Jay Leno absolutely destroys the Administration in his monologue.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/n.....z2VeJG7N2P

[John]

I really think the Germans were onto something when they came up with the term "zeitgeist". Once events start to turn on someone or something, they are very difficult to stop.

[invisible furry hand]

and schadenfreude. Don't forget schadenfreude

[John]

Favorite word in the world.

[WTF]

I kind of like backpfeifengesicht.

[PS]

Anschluss!

[UnCivilServant]

I can't forget schadenfreude, it makes up 80% of my caloric intake per day. I live on my delight at the suffering of others. I don't get paid enough for real food.

[AuH20]

I really think the Germans were onto something

A phrase that, historically speaking, has not ended well.

[mnarayan]

I wonder if there's a German word for that?

[LTC(ret) John]

Deutschesgeschichtebeschissendenendung?

[Drake]

Yep - Fox News, Reason, and the rest can bang away at an issue for months without it really penetrating the national consciousness. But once late-night start truly mocking the Administration, things are bad.

[Tonio]

Yes, a sad commentary on the electorate. But at least they are capable of being aroused.

[Eduard van Haalen]

I don't want to see what the electorate looks like when it's aroused.

[Bones]

Everyone ends up all covered in shit, Chuck. Now, I KNOW there has to be a German word for THAT.

[PS]

Icelandic Legislator: I'm Ready To Help NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Seek Asylum

It's not yet clear whether Snowden has officially applied for asylum in Iceland. A press contact for the Icelandic Ministry of Interior, which handles asylum requests, said that he hadn't yet seen an application from Snowden and that the ministry couldn't comment until one was received.

Snowden, who left his home in Hawaii in May and is taking refuge in a Hong Kong hotel, noted his interest in seeking asylum in Iceland in the Guardian's interview, telling the newspaper that his "predisposition is to seek asylum in a country with shared values, The nation that most encompasses this is Iceland," he said. "They stood up for people over internet freedom."

[BigT]

I would not vote to convict Snowden. If enough people think the same way, he could come back to the US.

[Raven Nation]

Any guarantees he would get a quick trial? Would it be possible for the administration to inter/detain him on some kind of national security basis?

[ant1sthenes]

You think he's getting a jury trial?

[WTF]

Yeah, he's clearly a "terrorist", so he gets indefinite detention with maybe a military tribunal after several years, if he's lucky.

[deified]

Military tribunal?

[Floating Weightless]

I would not convict.

[The Late P Brooks]

Police officer charged with murder in road-rage shooting as his wife and children looked on

"I am the law."

[Lord Humungus]

NSA Prism Whistleblower: Call for Edward Snowden's Extradition
Republican Peter King, who heads house security panel, urges extradition of ex-CIA operative who fled to Hong Kong
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/artic.....ngkong.htm

[John]

King is quite a piece of work.

[LTC(ret) John]

He is still official head of the Security-Uber-Alles caucus, yes?

[Ted S.]

He still supports Irish terrorists too, I believe.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

King is quite a piece of work excrement.

FTFY

[Floating Weightless]

He's such a pussy too.

[BakedPenguin]

John, you misspelled "shit".

I just drove to the store, and Mike Gallagher was yapping about how Snowden should be convicted, our brave NSA scum. etc. etc. That boot won't lick itself.

[AuH20]

Argentina's Gay marriage movement is better than ours, because it is much more radical (read: socialist)

The gay rights movement in Argentina is also strengthened by social connections forged within the organized labor movement. Although union membership is declining, it remains around three times higher than that of the United States, and is constitutionally protected. The existence of powerful (if flawed) worker organizations provides a basis for coordination across left constituencies because members know each other.

Similarly, the existence of socialist parties including the Socialist Party (PS) and Socialist Workers Movement (MST), albeit with marginal electoral presence, provides critical infrastructure for building national momentum for legislative reform. The first LGBT political organization in Salta, Asociaci?n en Lucha por la Diversidad Sexual en Salta (ALuDis) struggled in isolation until 2008, when connections in the Socialist Party brought them into the newly formed Argentine LGBT Federation. Indeed, the first president of FALGBT, Esteban Paol?n, who later ran the nation's first Secretaria de la Diversidad Sexual in the city of Rosario, was an activist in the PS, and knew ALuDis members through the party. When the fledgling NGO had no meeting space, they used the Socialist Party headquarters in Salta.

[John]

Lets make gay right synonymous with "socialism" rather than equal protection. Good luck with that.

[Tonio]

And there was nothing stopping conservatives from getting out in front of this issue. But they didn't, and the gays found allies where they could.

This is what is called an object lesson.

[John]

That or gays allowed themselves to be co-opted by socialists? There are plenty of gay people who are not socialists. Gays in America at least tend to entrepreneurial as hell. They are better educated as a group and are more likely to own their own businesses. Couldn't they have told the lefties thanks for your support but we are not socialists? I think it is a potential tragedy for gay rights to be associated with socialism. When socialism fails like it always does, how long will it take for people scapegoat gays? It is not like socialists are above looking for scapegoats. The story will be "it would have worked expect we never could get the power we needed because people who should have voted for us didn't over gay rights.".

[AuH20]

Eh, given that the author of the article is bitching out the American gay rights movement for not being "radical" enough, I would say while I understand why leftism and gay rights got conflated (because conservatives world wide didn't get out in front of the issue as you point out), I think socialism is not something you want conflated with gay rights.

Because while a social democracy kinda sorta works (although looking at Europe right now... well, maybe not so much), socialism always ends up shitting the bed.

[John]

Here is what I don't get, why would gays, a group that has had its behaviors criminalized for most of history and who risked jail by being gay up until forty years ago, like big government? If anyone should be libertarian it ought to be gays. A gay person being pro big government seems as against their self interest as much as being a social conservative.

[Redmanfms]

One could ask the same question about Jews.

[John]

Yes, yes you could. And the same question about both groups and the 2nd Amendment. The best way to stop gay bashing is for gays to be armed.

[Matrix]

Well, Jews do have Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO), which goes much further than the NRA with what they believe are gun ownership rights.

Also the Pink Pistols is a gay gun rights organization.

[John]

But both of those organizations are a bit fringe. The Pink Pistols ought to be a bigger deal than GLAAD.

[Bardas Phocas]

Or Indians (casino-style).

[VG Zaytsev]

One could ask the same question about Jews.

And black Americans.

[T]

Pretty much any minority should be wary of overreaching government. It ain't like the feds were doing any favors for Indians, blacks, women or anybody who wasn't a white property owning male for a long damn time.

[robc]

and the gays found allies where they could.

???

They avoided the LP like the plague.

[Citizen Nothing]

Everybody avoids the LP like the plague.

[Enough About Palin]

LP = Libertarian Plague

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Everything in Argentina is more socialist than we are right now, and more broke as well.

[AuH20]

A connection that the leftists just refuse to make.

[Enough About Palin]

"A.M. Links: Colorado Counties Considering Secession"

No hat-tip?

[Floating Weightless]

We're so proud of you!

[Guy Laguy]

I totally get Snowden. Life if after I'd been a Lieutenant for 3 months, I could use my vast experience to tell everyone what was wrong with the military

[Virginian]

*slurp slurp slurp* oh yes I love sucking your cock Mr Obama. -Guy Laguy

[invisible furry hand]

German Pirate Party introduces a new transparent style of politics. And then gets rid of it

[AuH20]

Shocking News is shocking: Women really, really like sex.

A really horny woman is like a dude's sex drive on steroids in my experience.

[BigT]

Yes, but only on the right days of the months.

[AuH20]

Ovulating women are vaguely terrifying, yes.

[Lord Humungus]

Of course I hear stories from my male co-workers/friends on how they never get it. I wonder what ice queens they married.

[Rasilio]

Seriously, my wife is hitting her mid 30's and can't get enough. She just got back from 2 weeks away and in those first 3 days back she had at least 35 orgasms** (those are just the ones I counted, could easily have been more) and still wasn't satisfied.

You really gotta wonder how the hell our Victorian forebarers were ever able to sell or believe the idea that women do not like sex in the face of all of the evidence that they want it AT LEAST as bad as the men.

Little known fact, in the middle ages women were considered to be sexually irrepressible and it was the mans job to curb control her innate lustful urges so that she be able to remain relatively respectable in public

And no, I am not exaggerating at all, maybe bragging just a bit but not exaggerating 🙂

[robc]

I wonder what ice queens they married.

Its more like, where are their wives getting it instead?

[AuH20]

Yeah, I refuse to believe that there are women who dislike sex. Just have the wrong partner.

Let me put it this way: I met a girl on OKC and we've been dating for about a week. Sunday, we had sex. Now, she had had a boyfriend for 6 years before me, and told me it was the best she ever had. I actually believe her on that, for various reasons that I can elaborate if needed.

I mean, we need sex a few more times for it to really be great, but... yeah, I think women who dislike sex have just had bad sex.

[Rasilio]

No I am sure there are a small handful who for either psychological or medical issues just can't enjoy it, but you are talking about maybe 2 - 3% of the female population there.

For the rest, I agree, the problem is not with them but with the losers who they have been sleeping with

[Juice]

Yes, basically these men are admitting that they're bad in bed.

[John]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-G.....By-Verizon

Congressional blackberrys served by Verizon. But I am sure that Obama would have never used such information for political purposes. Never. It is not like having dirt on say Burt Stupak in the spring of 2010 would have been useful or anything.

[John]

http://rightontheleftcoast.blo.....about.html

Toy gun buy back program. Guns are becoming what Satanic cults were in the 1980s.

[T]

I saw that elsewhere. With each passing day, I'm more inclined to find some kind of alternative to public schools.

[Rich]

"Thanks, Tommy. Here's your play money in return."

[Lord Humungus]

Dem senator: Obama administration should have been 'more transparent'
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-.....veillance-

"I expect the government to protect my privacy. And it feels like that isn't what's been happening," Udall said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Again, there's a line, but to me, the scale of it and the fact the law was being secretly interpreted has long concerned me. I'm glad we're having this debate. I'm very worried, by the way, about the leaks. I abhor leaks.

"I wish the administration had been more transparent," he continued. "This is an important discussion. We value our privacy as Americans. It's a part of our freedoms and liberties."

[John]

Stage one of the 2014, 2016 message of "we will do better next time, promise" strategy.

[Brett L]

I want to start a 529 (is that the political non-profit?) to run ads where I shop each sitting congresscritter or senator up for election into the Peanuts deal of Charlie Brown having the football pulled out from under him. Is Peanuts public domain yet?

[WTF]

Derp from Slate:
Why Americans Don't Fear the NSA

When it comes to protecting us from terrorists, we trust our government will do the right thing.

[John]

As long as a Democrat is in power. They really must think the entire world forget everything that happened before 2009.

[Irish]

What a bunch of fascists.

[AuH20]

5 ways to make sure your porn is ethically feminist

1. Forget What You Think You Know

For whatever reason, feminist porn conjures up a lot of images, and few of them are at all correct. Carlyle Jansen, owner of feminist adult store Good For Her and founder of the Feminist Porn Awards explains: "People think we're the Lesbian Porn Awards or the Man Hating Porn Awards; they think feminism is pass?. We want women's, men's, and trans perspectives; we're not just looking for what women want." Feminist porn is not only open to and enthusiastic about all genders and sexualities, it's also an expression of a wide variety of desires. Gone are the days of entirely equal and balanced sexual expression in the name of respect ? feminist porn gives space for all kinds of power dynamics to be explored by being clear and upfront about communication, negotiation and consent. Feminist porn looks like every other kind of porn out there, and it features even more risqu? and transgressive content, it's just made with sex-positive feminist ideals you can set your watch to.

[AuH20]

4. Learn More About It

Feminist porn is becoming more widely accepted as a scholarly issue. This year alone marked the release of the Feminist Porn Book and the first ever Feminist Porn Conference at the University of Toronto. There's even going to be an academic journal devoted to porn studies through Routledge, which will no doubt be replete with all the feminist rhetoric you could possibly hope for. The more information you have about the inner workings of feminist porn, the better you're going to be able to address issues of the male gaze, consent, authenticity and representation in the porn you watch and support.

[Agammamon]

"Feminist porn looks like every other kind of porn out there"

Wait, how do you bitch about mainstream porn degrading women and then turn around and release the same shit? Does the simple act of slapping "feminist" on the boxcover make it ok?

Why is it abusive and degrading if a regular woman films a chick getting DP'd and facialed but if the director is a *feminist* its ok?

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Does the simple act of slapping "feminist" on the boxcover make it ok?"

It's like having your business approved by Jesse Jackson. The only difference between being a racist oppressor and being a responsible corporate citizen is that some of Jackson's people have well-paid consultancies or makework jobs with your outfit. Similarly, the only difference between being a patriarchal pornographer and a liberating woman-affirming pornographer is that someone in the feminist community is making a profit on the latter.

[Bobarian]

For whatever reason, feminist porn conjures up a lot of images, and few of them are at all [correct] appetizing.

FTFY

I was going to say arousing, but some people get off on weird shit (e.g. SugarFree).

[John]

Isn't "feminist porn" a brilliant subterfuge for guys to get their girlfriends and wives to watch porn with them? No honey, it is okay, it is feminist porn. Assuming it is actual porn with actual naked women and sex, I can't imagine the fact that it is designed to fight the patriarchy or whatever would make a difference to the average guy.

Unless the term means "porn with fat ugly women overcoming their body image issues", I can't see how this is not a brilliant plan.

[AuH20]

John, I've been to a "feminist porn site" on a laugh, and it means the later. Also, men who look like women, women who look like men, and trannies.

[Juice]

So...porn.

[SugarFree]

If a straight man finds it appealing, it is not feminist porn.

[John]

Figures.

[invisible furry hand]

i saw a doco which interviewed a feminist porn maker / actress*. We were shown a scene from one film in which she was fucking a woman with a strap-on and occasionally slapping her.

* one of our publicly-funded TV networks shows some very surprising things

[AuH20]

Were either of them attractive*?

*Yes, I know your a straight woman, but as much as a straight lady can be attracted to lesbian porn.

[invisible furry hand]

pretty enough, I thought, and certainly OK bodies. Certainly not tattooed runaways with daddy issues.

[Lord Humungus]

but I like tattooed runaways with daddy issues!

[Agammamon]

That's hilarious - you can find the exact same sort of thing done by the patriarchy and its evil, but here its empowering.

[Bobarian]

Unless the term means "porn with fat ugly women overcoming their body image issues"

It also means where once the act is complete the woman tears off the man's head and eats it.

[Ted S.]

Make your own damn porn. That way you can have whatever type of porn you want.

[Agammamon]

The problem with making the type of porn I want, is that the type of porn I want has attractive people in it. Also women.

Phone cam videos of me wacking it just don't do it for me.

[AuH20]

The amateur stuff seems to be getting a lot better, in terms of video quality and shit.

[invisible furry hand]

Phone cam videos of me wacking it just don't do it for me.

But it might for someone else. What we really need is an online porn swap meet.

Oh wait, that's the entire internet

[Lord Humungus]

Rep. Amash working on 'potential lawsuit' against NSA
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-.....gainst-nsa

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) on Sunday tweeted that he was working with fellow lawmakers on a lawsuit against the FBI and National Security Agency to block their collection of phone and Internet data.

[Agammamon]

"Obama is to nominate his longtime adviser Jason Furman as chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers."

Why's he bothering to nominate, he know that all he has to do is wait until Friday night and then make a recess appointment.

[Drake]

What an awesome job. Chair of a council that never meets and never reports to the boss.

[The Late P Brooks]

Fox News, Reason, and the rest can bang away at an issue for months without it really penetrating the national consciousness. But once late-night start truly mocking the Administration, things are bad.

No kidding; if Jon Stewart makes fun of Obama, it will be resignation time.

[WTF]

Jon Stewart has taken a hiatus fron The Daily Show, so he won't have to mock Obama.

[John]

No kidding? A long one?

[invisible furry hand]

a summer break so he can make a movie. John Oliver is filling is

[John]

I was wondering if he finally decided he just couldn't do it anymore if continuing required going after Obama.

[Redmanfms]

I was wondering if he finally decided he just couldn't do it anymore if continuing required going after Obama.

It wouldn't surprise me if he is relieved his break is coinciding with the complete unraveling of his God-Emperor, but putting a film together is a many years long process. The schedule was probably set in stone at least a year ago.

[WTF]

Yeah, the timing had to be coincidental, but I have no doubt Stewart is relieved to be away right now.

[Agammamon]

If John Stewart was smart he'd be back in the studio so fast. He's only funny when he's making fun of people and Obama is giving him so much material right now.

[John]

Yeah, but going after Obama might make his fans angry.

[Agammamon]

Maybe he'd get back all of his fans who tuned out when Obama was elected (like me).

[tarran]

Till September... he's shooting a movie or something.

[mr lizard]

Actually I just saw the other night he was ripping on the O Man and basically comparing him to Boooooosh1111!!!11

[Lord Humungus]

Has the US become the type of nation from which you have to seek asylum?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ek-asylum/

If Snowden had surrendered himself to U.S. authorities, he almost certainly would have faced charges that carry penalties of decades in prison. He might have rationally feared being subject to years of pretrial detention and the kind of degrading treatment Manning faced. And if he had chosen to fight the charges, he would have risked spending decades in prison if he lost.

There's no question that the United States has stronger protections for free speech and the rule of law than repressive regimes like China or Iran. But it's also clear that our courts defend constitutional rights less zealously today than they did in Ellsberg's day. Snowden wasn't crazy to question whether he'd be treated fairly by the American justice system.

we've come to this.

[Drake]

Even if he beat all the charges, Snowden would end up financially broke and unemployed. I'm sure he broke his consulting contract and non-disclosure agreements, so he would lose anything left after criminal defense to civil lawsuits.

I wouldn't come back.

[Floating Weightless]

He'd be a celebrity. Get paid for appearances and stuff like that. I would give him money if he needed it and asked.

[mr lizard]

Actually in seriousness, I'd let homeboy crash on my couch, it's about all I could offer him.

[Drake]

Bradley Manning, George Zimmerman, Nidal Hasan - how long have they been waiting for trials?

Snowden would be held without bail and an old man before he ever saw a jury.

[The Late P Brooks]

Have the usual suspects come out and accused Snowden of actively spying for the Chinese, yet?

[John]

Not by a journalist of politician. But it is a talking point I have seen on several comment boards by Obama defenders. The argument is that because the story broke right before Obama met with the Chinese leader, Snowden must have been on the Chinese payroll.

[hamilton]

The things Greenwald has been mentioning / retweeting - things that people are calling for to be done to him and Snowden - are ugly.

[John]

I don't read Greenwald. Question, are the things coming from the right or from Obama supporters or both?

[hamilton]

Both. The things I am seeing from my liberal friends are, frankly, equivalent to the worst of the republican warboner types.

[John]

Except that the Republican National Security types are at least consistent and predictable. They are just wrong about this. The liberals in contrast are just doing this because they are part of a cult. The Rs are what they are and have always been. The liberals in contrast seem to be completely fucking insane.

[sarcasmic]

Republican National Security types have some principles. Liberals only have principals.

[John]

Their reaction to this means the R national security types support warrantless spying by the NSA and liberals will support anything, so long as Obama is doing it.

Neither is good. But the second seems a bit scarier.

[sarcasmic]

liberals will support anything, so long as Obama is doing it

If Bush was president they'd be protesting in the streets over this.

[Ken Shultz]

I agree that the liberals will support anything so long as Obama's the one doing it, but somebody should point out that the liberals didn't really oppose this stuff back when Bush was doing it either.

The Democrats pretty much rubber stamped everything Bush wanted to do for the first six years he was in office. And I'm a lot less surprised to see liberals denigrating our civil rights--after I watched them rubber stamp everything the Bush Administration was doing for six years.

They've pretty much abandoned the liberal/ACLU, stand your ground on civil rights program, and now it's more about the virtue of sacrificing individual rights for the good of collective as a whole.

They've just become increasingly less liberal and increasingly more progressive. And anybody that votes out of concern for our civil rights has no reason to vote for the left anymore.

[Drake]

The D's are so stupid, they can't comprehend that there is at least an even chance that an R will be elected in 3 years. Does it not occur to them that giving the opposition vast new powers is a bad idea?

[Don Mynack]

The D's used Bush's war boner to add in all kinds of stuff they wanted into his bills, because they knew he would never veto them. Both sides used Bush like a 10-dollar whore, and he was stupid enough to go along with it. How else would spending so up so much under a supposed "small-government conservative"?

Bush was just fucking terrible.

[sarcasmic]

How else would spending so up so much under a supposed "small-government conservative"?

Because he's not small-government conservative, he's a compassionate conservative. That means he's a big government liberal who opposes abortion.

[VG Zaytsev]

They've pretty much abandoned the liberal/ACLU, stand your ground on civil rights program

You can't build a socialist collective by respecting individual rights.

[AuH20]

Yeah. The Republicans really just do believe that greater security justifies giving up liberty. Now, they are fucking wrong on that, but at least they are unwavering in their stupidity, which I can respect more than hypocrisy.

[The Late P Brooks]

Poor Obama; the responsibilities of governing forced him to make these pragmatic tradeoffs. He is duty bound to keep America safe.

No wonder his hair is getting grey.

[deified]

I know that you're not serious but the next time I read an article where the author legitimately professes that Obama is worthy of sympathy, I am going to track him down and punch him in the nose.

[Zeb]

I can't read Snowden's name without thinking Catch-22.

[PS]

Help the bombardier!

[Floating Weightless]

I keep thinking a combination of Jon Snow and Ned Stark.

[Gbob]

I don't think anyone will be saying "you know nothing, Ed Snowden" anytime soon.

[Bobarian]

But they are shooting him full of arrows.

[Brett L]

"For the Watch."

Yeah, I can see Jon Snow.

[db]

Yeah same here.

[The Late P Brooks]

"If he isn't a Chinese spy, why did he flee to Hong Kong?"

[PS]

"He gave money to Ron Paul, why didn't he flee to Somalia?"

[invisible furry hand]

he needed a decent suit or two for the trial

[Agammamon]

'Cause he'd be thrown in jail for years before he even saw the inside of a courtroom if he stayed here in the "land of the free".

[sarcasmic]

Stripped naked in solitary with the lights on 24/7 no doubt.

[The Late P Brooks]

I can't read Snowden's name without thinking Catch-22.

Me, too.

I suspect their "secrets" will turn out to be remarkably similar.

[The Late P Brooks]

If a straight man finds it appealing, it is not feminist porn.

The "Lou Abbot Test"?

[SugarFree]

Excellent.

[Clich? Bandit]

+1 Internets * nostalgia

[John]

http://www.clickorlando.com/ne.....index.html

Florida continues its transformation into Land of the Lost.

[mr lizard]

Well it kinda works for some of us wild life. Speaking of these reptile bitches are all about right now. Flash the dulap, do a few push-ups and it's off to slow scaly humpLand

[Brett L]

More Minnesotans who won't go home. 🙁

[John]

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/0.....ine-taxes/

Pay up suckers.

[Ken Shultz]

Further evidence that the government [state, federal] doesn't really give a shit about the environment.

[Floating Weightless]

James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, flat-out lied to the Senate when he said that the N.S.A. did not 'wittingly' collect any sort of data on millions of Americans.

POS needs to resign.

[Mike M.]

Chances are he probably told them the truth in the classified version of the briefing.

The real off-camera briefings and what gets put out on CSPAN for us rubes in the general public are often two very different things.

[mad libertarian guy]

Aural images from the bleak Canadian plains.

Wilt is a new Atmospheric Black Metal band hailing from Manitoba. This is a group meant for those who enjoy slower, more textural forms of black metal rather than the furious blasting and swirling rhythmic patterns, but it's also more a sonic assault in many ways because of its never ending walls of sound that keep coming like a massive snowstorm of sound.

Enjoy!

[Lord Humungus]

State Department memo reveals possible cover-ups, halted investigations
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-50.....stigations

CBS News' John Miller reports that according to an internal State Department Inspector General's memo, several recent investigations were influenced, manipulated, or simply called off. The memo obtained by CBS News cited eight specific examples. Among them: allegations that a State Department security official in Beirut "engaged in sexual assaults" on foreign nationals hired as embassy guards and the charge and that members of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's security detail "engaged prostitutes while on official trips in foreign countries" -- a problem the report says was "endemic."

The memo also reveals details about an "underground drug ring" was operating near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and supplied State Department security contractors with drugs.

[John]

The latter doesn't surprise me at all. Government contractors overseas are not the best group of people. There was in 2011, 12 American contractors doing long tours in Kuwaiti prison for smuggling drugs into the country via the APO mail service.

And funny how the military routinely gets crucified for not prosecuting very rape accusation no matter how unprovable, but DOS is okay to totally cover up such allegations.

[John]

And when it turns out Hillary was overseeing an organization that was covering up sexual assaults, feminists will still consider her an icon.

[mad libertarian guy]

Only a true feminist wold act as the proverbial fall-guy for every man that has ever been in her life. She covered for Bubba. She covered for Obama.

She is the poster girl for modern feminism.

[The Late P Brooks]

"OMFG that guy didn't even have a high school diploma!!!!!!!"

[AuH20]

Man, a pastrami sandwich sounds like what I should eat for lunch. Sadly, finding really good pastrami outside of the northeast is a bitch.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

I was surprised by this when I moved to DC. There isn't a decent deli anywhere. Here in the CLE, we have great delis all over the place. I'd figured a place as diverse as DC would have fantastic food from all over the world. Not so much.

[AuH20]

To have good delis, you need a large population of Jews and Italians. Its all about the meat, and the Jews and Italians have a long tradition of making damn good cold cuts.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

All the good delis in Cleveland are Jewish. DC has quite a large Jewish population. I even asked several of my Jewish friends down there where they were hiding the good corned beef. They all just sorta shook their heads sadly and changed the subject.

So, either there is a secret Jewish conspiracy to keep the good stuff out of the gentile's hands or there really are no good delis in DC.

[AuH20]

I would assume that this is because DC gets all the educated Jews, and none of the working class Jews (the kind who run the delis).

Also, c'mon: We all know that there is a Jew conspiracy to keep the good corned beef, pastrami, and bagels exclusive to a certain region. Don't ask me why; I'm Irish, we only run the other half of the world.

[Brett L]

Having all your cousins on with the city isn't "run[ning] the other half of the world". Its called "Irish welfare" for a reason.

[2ndClassProle]

I sure do like this Greenwald guy. He was telling truth to power on Morning Joe,today.

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/06/10.....-sunlight/

[2ndClassProle]

and 9:50 rips into Mika.LOL

[All-Seeing Monocle]

He really tore it up in a short segment on the Today show this morning as well. And Savannah Guthrie didn't manage to convey the subtext of "obviously we're just allowing you to speak so that the rest of the country can see how loony and out of touch with reality you types really are" nearly as well as Matt Lauer or Meredith Viera would have.

[VG Zaytsev]

Mika pulls out the they followed the law, so what's the problem card - like that should just end the discussion.

Greenwald should have come back with, Mika thinks the interment of Japanese in WWII was a good and honorable thing to do, because they were just following the law or for that matter She's cool with denying blacks the vote in the Jim Crow south, because they were just following the law.

[The Late P Brooks]

The Democrats pretty much rubber stamped everything Bush wanted to do for the first six years he was in office. And I'm a lot less surprised to see liberals denigrating our civil rights--after I watched them rubber stamp everything the Bush Administration was doing for six years.

No shit. Much of what was in the Patriot Act was straight off the Clinton/Reno left wing authoritarian wish list.

"We're better on civil liberties" my ass.

[Adam.]

Medicinal marijuana stops seizures, brings hope to a little Black Forest girl

Heart warming and heart breaking. Think of the children!

[BakedPenguin]

Tattoo this story on Mike Bloomburg's head.

[Juice]

If you've ever watched Weed Wars on MSNBC there was this guy extracting cannabinoids so that an epileptic kid could stop having seizures. It worked, but giving anything weed related to a kid would land that dude in PMITA prison for life.

[Brett L]

TSA stormtroopers stop Chewbacca for lightsaber.

[Rasilio]

It's just a good thing he didn't have his laser crossbow with him

[itsnotmeitsyou]

It's called a Bowcaster, Ras... Jeez, if you're going to nerd it up, at least do it right.

[Rasilio]

Sorry with 4 kids I've been FAFIAted (for those not familiar FAFIAte is an acronym that was at least somewhat common in the Sci Fi/Fantasy fandom community short for "Forced Away From It All") for more than a decade and in that time my Nerd Fu has atrophied enourmously.

Why it has been so bad that I even married a woman who has not seen Star Wars and have to date been unable to convince her to watch it (in her defense she was born in 77 and the first Star Wars movie she saw was Phantom Menace so that kinda soured her on the rest of the series)

[lap83]

That's no excuse. I was born in 83 and I don't know anyone in my peer group who hasn't seen the original Star Wars.

[Matrix]

It's mostly females that fall into the category of not having seen films like this.

I add these films and series to ones that I've known several girls but almost no guys that have not seen these:
Star Wars
Indiana Jones
Ghostbusters
Top Gun
Back to the Future

Mind you, these aren't people who were banned from TV or movie theaters growing up. They have just never seen them until I introduced them... sad, really.

[Ken Shultz]

"Mind you, these aren't people who were banned from TV or movie theaters growing up."

They might not have been banned from TV or movie theaters growing up, but they certainly should be banned from the remote control or picking which movie we're going to see now that they're grown.

[tarran]

(in her defense she was born in 77 and the first Star Wars movie she saw was Phantom Menace so that kinda soured her on the rest of the series)

I stopped watching Star Wars movies after spending money that could have been used to buy a big mac on Phantom Menace tickets.

That data point is consistent with the hypothesis that your wife has decent taste in sci-fi.

[Bobarian]

I guess the 'Wookie Defense' doesn't work on the TSA?

[Matrix]

It's the Chewbacca defense, n00b!

[Goldwyn Smith]

I think that's a still from It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

[Goldwyn Smith]

from thread!

[Goldwyn Smith]

Damn it! Wrong thread.