A.M. Links: Turkish Government Could Send in Troops To Quell Protests, Obama Rejects Bush-Cheney Comparison, Yahoo Reveals Data Requests From American Authorities

Credit: Master Sgt. Gerold Gamble, USAF/wikimedia

• The Turkish deputy prime minister has said that troops could be sent in to suppress the protests that have spread across Turkey in the past two weeks.

• Obama has rejected that he is "Bush-Cheney lite," saying that he is not rushing into Syria on weak evidence and that he has added oversight to NSA programs.

• Yahoo is the latest company to reveal how many requests of user data it received from American authorities.

• Mass protests have erupted in Brazil over poor public services and government spending for the soccer World Cup next year.

• New Orleans cops found a way to profit from red light cameras by setting up a company to "review" photo citations.  

• Two corrections officers have been charged with dealing pot to inmates at Rikers Island, New York City's jail complex.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Obama has rejected that he is "Bush-Cheney lite,"

After all, intelligence officials have assured him that Syria has used WMDs.

[WTF]

Yeah, he's more like Bush-Cheney on steroids.

[Suthenboy]

WTF WTF? I spent too much time on the last article and you beat me to it.

This is no shit.

[Mandy66y]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job Ive had. Last Monday I got a new Alfa Romeo from bringing in $7778. I started this 9 months ago and practically straight away started making more than $83 per hour. I work through this link, http://www.Bling6.com

[Drake]

Maybe he's trying to disprove the "lite" part.

[Auric Demonocles]

Looks like great minds think alike.

And also whatever the commetariat's minds can be described as.

[Acosmist]

Damn it, was going to say this. Obama's a WORSE version of Bush (I'll see your Medicare Part D and raise you Obamacare, e.g.).

[Auric Demonocles]

Please don't use poker references if you don't know the game.

[Corneliusm]

I'm new to poker analogies, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

The flop were the IRS scandals, Benghazi, and spying on journalists. The burn cards are possible scandals that the media helped cover up. The turn was the NSA leak. What would the river be- arming al Qaeda? Diplomatic breakdown with Russia? No Syrian WMDs?

Someone get Chip Bok on the line- we're going to need lots of labels for this one.

[Acosmist]

I do, so, this was a fun discussion.

[Auric Demonocles]

If you do, why would you perpetuate the string bet?

[Acosmist]

It's just an idiom, dude. I don't think you actually think using this common phrase indicates ignorance of poker, any more than someone misusing "begging the question" is ipso facto incapable of mathematical reasoning.

If so, that's pathetic. If not, this discussion is becoming even more pointless.

[Auric Demonocles]

It's like thinking that there would be noise from explosions in space, because that's what happens in movies.

[WTF]

And also whatever the commetariat's minds can be described as.

Lovecraftian horror?

[NeonCat]

Case studies in abnormal psych?

[DontShootMe]

And Bush-Cheney only surveilled 100's of people. Obama's NSA is surveilling millions.

[bostonaod]

and there's nothing 'lite' about it, he is Bush-Cheney dark roast*

[A Frayed Knot]

dark roast? Racist!

[Lord Humungus]

that's RAAACIST!

[Auric Demonocles]

He's clearly lying about that.

[Monkey's Uncle]

Ah yes, although the new "boss" is same as the old "boss," it doesn't fit the administration's narrative (read: myth) that so many people bought into hook, line and sinker. And if the comparison don't fit, you must acquit! So predictable. So banal.

[Enough About Palin]

If you don't know how to fish, you shouldn't be using angling metaphors.

[Monkey's Uncle]

I just figured you'd just take the bait and I could reel you in, but I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.

[CE]

We would have too, if we hadn't hit the wall when we bit off more than we could chew.

[CE]

Maybe Syria is hiding their WMDs in Iraq, like Iraq hid theirs in Syria?

[Lord Humungus]

Marshall U. dismissed from bottle-rocket-shot-out-of-anus lawsuit
http://wvrecord.com/news/s-402.....awsuit?jhn

Helmburg, who played for Marshall University's baseball team at the time but wasn't on the Thundering Herd's 2013 roster, claimed Hughes became intoxicated and attempted to "shoot bottle rockets out of his anus on the ATO deck."

When doing so, Hughes startled Helmburg, who then jumped back and fell off of the deck of the fraternity house and was injured, according to the suit. He was lodged between the deck and an air conditioning unit.

Helmburg claimed there was no railing on the deck at the time of the incident.

[PS]

Louis Helmburg III sued the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Inc. of Huntington, W.Va.; Richmond Property Group Ltd.

Surely this kid owns a tophat and a monocle.

[invisible furry hand]

and in a few years his employers will engineer his downfall and replace him with a wise-cracking street hustler for a one-dollar bet

[Bobarian]

Will somebody in a monkey suit get the STEVE SMITH treatment?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Mass protests have erupted in Brazil over poor public services and government spending for the soccer World Cup next year.

Though not mutually exclusive, those seem like subjects for two different protests.

[Rich]

The protesters are just more efficient than the government.

[Ted S.]

They're arguing (I presume) that the Brazilian government is spending money on stadia for the World Cup that could be better used on "public services" instead.

Obviously they're not thinking big enough: the government can just turn on the printing presses and print enough money for the government services AND the World Cup!

[MP]

Sounds like a job for...KRUGABE.

[mad libertarian guy]

The protest is complicated, but it all comes down to what we would expect: government corruption and malfeasance. New infrastructure projects demanded by the thoroughly socialist FIFA and Olympic authorities have cost scores of billions in tax expenditures, and the cost, as one should have expected, are ballooning out of control which has lead to dramatic cost rises in public services, specifically transit that your average Brazilian, who is poor as fuck, simply can't afford. As you might expect, government workers, the politically connected elite, and contractors have raked in public cash by the tens of billions.

I recently spoke to a very wealthy Brazilian who explained to me that paying taxes there is far more frustrating there than it is here. A much smaller percentage of people there pay taxes, and so they get raped by a legislative Steve Smith. It's also more frustrating because despite tha fact that government is inefficient here, we do get something in exchange for our tax dollars (though not nearly the value that each taxpayer pays in). In Brazil, even the most basic of things that government should provide is non-existent, yet they keep on raking in the tax money.

[MWG]

"I recently spoke to a very wealthy Brazilian who explained to me that paying taxes there is far more frustrating there than it is here."

This is true for a business. OTOH, as a consultant, I get paid in dividends which are tax free. It took me about 10 minutes and less than a page to file my Brazilian tax return.

[JW]

From what I've seen on the protests, it's just more of the same; GIVE US MOAR FREE SHIT.

Which is not to say that they shouldn't be upset over the spending orgy on the Cup and Olympics, but they aren't helping with their foot-stamping tantrum that they didn't get their cut.

Fuck 'em. A pox on both houses.

[mad libertarian guy]

From what I've seen on the protests, it's just more of the same; GIVE US MOAR FREE SHIT.

Which is not to say that they shouldn't be upset over the spending orgy on the Cup and Olympics, but they aren't helping with their foot-stamping tantrum that they didn't get their cut.

I agree.

Theire biggest failure is that they can't see the problem. They don't see relying on government as the problem, but that the wrong people are in charge. They've spent about $100B on preparations for the WC and Olympics. What they don't get is that even if every penny were divvied evenly amongst the population they would get about $500 a piece. Of course the vast majority of those people didn't add a single penny to that $100B.

[MWG]

From what I've seen it's a bit of a mix, but mlg's analysis is probably correct.

[CE]

Don't you just need a flat grassy area and some traffic cones to play soccer?

[invisible furry hand]

We just qualified for the World Cup. It makes me proud to be Australian. Right up until we get there and lose 4-0 to Germany

[John]

Who do you have to beat to come out of that region? I can't see New Guinea or some Micronesian Island with a population of 300 putting up much of a team.

[BakedPenguin]

They're actually in the Asia group, meaning New Zealand is given the gimme after beating New Caledonia 6-0 three straight games.

[invisible furry hand]

Yep, we kept beating the Solomons 30-0, so now we play as part of the Asian confederation.

We played Japan (who finished top), Oman, Jordan and Iraq

[John]

Japan and South Korea are not bad. So that is a legit qualification.

[Rhywun]

Yeah, Oceania seems to be its own region now - which explains why Tahiti is in the Confederations Cup with the likes of Spain, Japan, and Nigeria.

[robc]

Oceania has been its own region for a while. The new change is that Australia left it for Asia.

[CE]

You know who else went up against Japan and Iraq?

[BakedPenguin]

Oops, my bad. NZ gets to play the 4th place team from the North/Central America group. That's currently Honduras, and they're not a walk.

[robc]

Its Mexico if you go by ppg.

[robc]

And if you remove the "extra" Jamaica game that would have been played tonight, but was moved back a few weeks because of Confed Cup, Mexico is in 5th at the half way point.

[BakedPenguin]

Amazing that Mexico can't score. Hopefully that will last until after we play them again.

Also, I hope the same US team that played beat the crap out of Panama shows up against Honduras tonight. I don't think I've ever seen the US MNT dominate a decent opponent the way they did against Panama.

[Rhywun]

I've never seen them that good - I'm sure it won't last.

[DontShootMe]

Let loose some of native australian animals in the German locker room before the game?

[LTC(ret) John]

"Half the German strikers were eaten by drop bears!"

[MWG]

I was actually at the protest here in S?o Paulo last night. It really is a mix of Tea Party and Occupy types and as such, ends up being somewhat incoherent.

An example:

"We want public transportation that is effecient, uncrowded, and... free."

There is also a lot of anger (FINALLY) spilling over regarding rampant corruption.

[Bee Tagger]

Yahoo is the latest company to reveal how many requests of user data it received from American authorities

I'm going to go ahead and remain skeptical of any information coming from PRISM-related companies.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Until it's verified by PRISM.

[Drake]

I'm waiting for SHADO for confirmation of incoming.

[JW]

Until that time, get me a glass of scotch from the wall dispenser in my office.

[sarcasmic]

He's cheesed off! Moment furious Wendy's customer launched a torrent of abuse at staff after they put cheese on his burger
The vile man curses, points and bangs his fists as he abuses the drive-thru cashier who isn't visible in the video
The customer claims there was cheese in his hamburger and he is not happy about it
The footage was recorded by someone behind the angry customer in the drive-thru line
The appalling display comes after Florida woman Taylor Chapman made a 'surveillance video' of herself berating employees at Dunkin' Donuts

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....urger.html
Being lactose intolerant, I can sympathize. I've given up on one McDonalds in particular because they insist upon putting cheese on hamburgers. I explained very loudly in front of customers that dairy products give me explosive gas and diarrhea, and that was why I ordered a hamburger instead of a cheeseburger. Yet they managed to fuck it up until the manager went and made it herself. After I submitted an online complaint the owner called me personally to apologize. I told him to stop hiring illiterate morons and hung up on him.

[Auric Demonocles]

I was playing poker with some people from work about 2 weeks ago. The host's wife went out to get Dairy Queen and one guy asked her to pick up a "plain" cheeseburger. When it came back with pickles and ketchup on it he just set it aside and didn't have any dinner.

[sarcasmic]

I used to go to McDonalds and order a double hamburger as a snack. I just won't do it anymore. They almost always put cheese on it. Don't matter which store. When they do get it right and leave off the cheese, they usually omit the second patty of meat. Once in a while is one thing, but this is consistent and predictable. Try it. Order a double hamburger. I bet they'll fuck it up.

[General Butt Naked]

Is it cheaper? You could order a hamburger and pay hamburger prices, whilst getting all the benefits of cheese.

You could pocket a cool $.20 with my little scheme.

[a better weapon]

They always put cheese on it in my experience as well.

Not sure where you live, but if there is one near by, have you ever given Sonic a try? They never mess up the plain hamburger or 'no cheese' order.

[sarcasmic]

have you ever given Sonic a try?

I don't think they've made it to New England.

[SugarFree]

Their cheesy tots are awesome.

[Resto Druid FTW]

This^ When you go there, BE SURE TO GET SOME CHERRY LIMEAID. That shit is delicious!

[Drake]

I used to go to McDonalds - then a White Castle opened in town.

[BigT]

You have medical and life insurance, I presume.

[JW]

5 Guys. Cheese-less burgers are the standard. You have to order it with cheese to get it.

[General Butt Naked]

What a brat. Wipe that shit off and eat your fucking burger, you big baby.

[Auric Demonocles]

We all picked on him for the rest of the night.

[General Butt Naked]

Excellent.

[KMA Too]

Yeah, like you can "wipe off" sauces or fucking pickle juice...

[Fist of Etiquette]

I don't like pickles so I usually pull them off and eat them first.

[KMA Too]

Umm...why?

[invisible furry hand]

It must be an American thing. Here you order a burger without cheese at Maccas, they make you a fresh burger without cheese. No dramas, no fuss

[sarcasmic]

American cheese has got to be among the nastiest "foods" ever invented. And it's the default topping for burgers. Disgusting.

[BakedPenguin]

American cheese has got to be among the nastiest "foods" ever invented.

Second. That stuff is shit.

[Auric Demonocles]

I have always assume that American cheese hate is actually a culture war thing.

[SugarFree]

I like American cheese, when it's cheese. When it's "cheese food," no thanks.

[Rich]

How are you with "potted meat product"?

[Auric Demonocles]

Meh. Don't really care either way. It tastes OK, but that's about it. I don't hate it because it's processed.

[SugarFree]

How are you with "potted meat product"?

Canned p?t? has its uses.

[robc]

^^^This

However, although I have no clue what it is, I will always like Velveeta.

[Auric Demonocles]

It tastes good and melts way better than any other cheese. Why wouldn't you like that?

[sarcasmic]

American cheese tastes like paste and has the texture of snot. It's an abomination.

[Resto Druid FTW]

Indeed. I too am lactose intolerant, but not to your extent apparently. A few lactaid caps and I'm usually okay. Thus, when I do eat cheese, it's the real goddamed thing, not some ambiguous "cheese product."

[Auric Demonocles]

Thus, when I do eat cheese, it's the real goddamed thing, not some ambiguous "cheese product."

So far everyone but sarc is proving my culture war point.

[BakedPenguin]

Ok, Auric, I hate American cheese, but I will eat Spam.

[SugarFree]

American cheese tastes like paste and has the texture of snot. It's an abomination.

Why do you care, dairypooper?

Although, I will say that I rarely melt cheese on a burger. I either use beer cheese or pimento cheese as a spread, or make a Parmesan crisp for the textural difference.

[Auric Demonocles]

What's worse, being scared of milk, or being scared of milk chocolate?

[SugarFree]

I can eat both. In fact, I'm on a groovy antibiotic that directs me to eat an ounce of milk chocolate with every dose. omnomnom

[sarcasmic]

Why do you care, dairypooper?

For some reason real cheese doesn't affect them in the same way. I'm thinking it's because the process that turns milk into cheese uses up some of the lactose, while that processed abomination is merely thickened and flavored milk with enough actual cheese to satisfy the FDA's labeling requirements.
Or to put it another way, cheese gives me SBDs, while the processed abomination results in gas propelled diarrhea spraying out my ass.
Enjoy your lunch!

[SugarFree]

That makes sense, actually. Processed cheese is real cheese blended with milk protein concentrate and other emulsifiers and preservatives. Processed cheese has more of what makes you sick.

Cheese fun fact: Next time someone complains about MSG making them sick, ask them if they eat Parmesan. It's full of MSG. Delicious MSG.

[BakedPenguin]

Speaking of Parmesan, if you eat popcorn, try a little Parmesan on it. It smells like cat hork, but it tastes great.

[Enough About Palin]

"or make a Parmesan crisp for the textural difference."

Pretty fucking gay, Sug.

[SugarFree]

Pretty fucking gay, Sug.

If loving cheese is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

[Enough About Palin]

melts way better than any other actual cheese.

[Rhywun]

Except it's not cheese - ever.

[Rhywun]

That was in reply to SF - "I like American cheese, when it's cheese."

And just shut Auric up - I don't like American cheese because it tastes worse than any other cheese except the stinkier Benelux cheeses.

[SugarFree]

There are non-processed versions of American cheese. In Kentucky, it is often sold sliced in store.

[Auric Demonocles]

Yet you lead with "it's not cheese -ever".

[Rasilio]

The problem is that it is not a food, it is a cheese food product, meaning that it is food for cheese.

Presumably it was intended to be used to feed the bacteria that make real cheese and then some moron started feeding it to humans

[Auric Demonocles]

Evidence for my 9:38 comment.

[robc]

I see no such evidence.

[Auric Demonocles]

Rasilio's only listed objection is that it's "cheese food product". Not that he doesn't like the taste, or the texture, or the cost.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

"culture" war

Don't worry Auric, the joke wasn't lost on everyone.

[Stormy Dragon]

Go to elevation burger. They use aged cheddar

[Auric Demonocles]

Whenever I do custom requests I have no problems.

Though I've never tried asking for no cheese, because I'm not insane.

[Doctor Whom]

At the one near where I used to work, when you order a burger without cheese, the counter person's brain locks up.

[KMA Too]

"You mean, you want us to leave stuff off??? How do we do that?

[Suthenboy]

*Sigh*

If you are unwise enough to order food at a fast food place you get what you deserve. Order what you want and then just eat what you get. It is never the same thing.

[Suthenboy]

" I told him to stop hiring illiterate morons and hung up on him."

Ok, now that made me laugh.

[Lord Humungus]

Mystery Substance Prompts Closure Of Indiana Beach
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/20.....ana-beach/

Rowe says that around noon, beach visitors noticed their children coming out of the lake with a silvery, almost metallic material sticking to them, which prompted the beach closure.

Lifeguards walked the shoreline, announcing the water was off-limits.

"They said it with urgency. They told everybody to evacuate the water immediately," beachgoer Jason Pavela said.

[Rich]

I'm thinking plesiosaur snot.

[gaijin]

silvery, almost metallic material

The Silver Surfer was diddling?

[LTC(ret) John]

Warty has some 'splainin' to do.

[Ted S.]

They're turning into Terminators.

[sarcasmic]

EXCLUSIVE: Hidden camera catches wireless company employees passing out 'Obama phones' to people who say they'll SELL them for drugs, shoes, handbags and spending cash
The 'Lifeline' free-cell-phone scheme cost $2.2 BILLION last year alone, all of it from fees added to the phone bills of paying customers
The biggest beneficiary other than low-income consumers is billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, whose TracFone has collected $1.5 BILLION to date
One company told MailOnline it will fire a salesperson who laughed uproariously when a woman said she would sell her phone to buy shoes
Conservative firebrand James O'Keefe sent undercover actors to pose as 'Obama phone' seekers aiming to sell the goods; no one turned them down
Legislation in Congress would remove the cell phone component of the program, which launched in 1984 and covered only land lines until 2008

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-cash.html
"I got mah Bama fone! I got mah Bama fone!"

[John]

Your tax dollars are going to buy drugs and hookers for poor people and to support some corrupt Mexican billionaire.

[gaijin]

Your tax dollars

Whoa there partner! Those tax dollars belong to the Government.

[WTF]

This is why there is nothing in the budget to cut.

[John]

If it wasn't essential, the government wouldn't be doing it.

[VG Zaytsev]

Well, who else is going to give crackheads free phones????

Huh smart guy

[General Butt Naked]

Avon Barksdale?

[General Butt Naked]

Why is he corrupt?

I didn't RTFA, did he donate cash to Obama then "magically" get this phone contract?

[John]

Slim? He is corrupt because he purchased influence in the Mexican government to get what amounts to a government enforced monopoly over the Mexican telecom industry.

He is not necessarily corrupt over this. It is what he does in Mexico that is corrupt.

[sarcasmic]

He's a rich spic. Spics don't get rich by being honest.

[WTF]

But what about the beaners, greasers, wetbacks and cholos?

[invisible furry hand]

There is no racial bigotry here. Here you are all equally worthless. And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps. Do you maggots understand that?

[WTF]

There is almost nothing that can't be addressed with Sgt. Hartman.

[Bobarian]

Old Army joke: Everyone in the Army is green, so... Dark green in the back of the bus, light green up front.

[Tejicano]

A buddy of mine showed me his Marine boot camp yearbook to prove that his platoon had a black White, a white Black, and two Greens, one of each color.

[PS]

I looked up the Skype rates to call landline in Mexico vs various countries, since the Skype rates are basically dependent on the local telecom.

Country price w/vat
Russia 6?
United States 2.6?
Mexico 12.1?

Twice as expensive as Russia. This is why Carlos Slim is rich, charging the poorest people who can't afford internet exorbitant phone prices thanks to a state sponsored monopoly.

[General Butt Naked]

So that's why my gardener talks so fast!

[LTC(ret) John]

So much for Viva la Revolution!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yahoo is the latest company to reveal how many requests of user data it received from American authorities.

They aren't even on anyone's radar. They should have just kept their mouths shut.

[DontShootMe]

wait, doesn't Yahoo have a successful young female CEO who the feminists like to complain about any time she changes the work rules at Yahoo?

[CE]

Except when she gives them 16 weeks paid maternity leave (8 weeks if you don't actually give birth).

[Lord Humungus]

The history of NSA spying, from telegrams to email
http://www.dailydot.com/politi.....elegraphs/

In August of 1945, U.S. Army representatives met in secret with the country's three major telegraph companies, ITT World International, RCA Global, and Western Union. They explained that the Army Signal Security Agency wanted copies of all telegrams sent to and from the United States. World War II was coming to a close and the top secret, multinational Manhattan project had proven the power of foreign intelligence. Executives from the three companies agreed to comply, provided they were assured by then-Attorney General Tom Clark that it was not illegal for them to do so. There is no record any such assurance was officially given, but the operation went ahead anyway.

With that, the organization that became the National Security Agency?the "No Such Agency"?launched its first large-scale domestic surveillance project and set out establishing the policies and practices that would one day produce PRISM.

[VG Zaytsev]

Has NSA spying every led to any kind of success anywhere?

'cause it seems like a multi-trillion dollar 7 decade black hole to me.

[Bam!]

The large scale stuff, probably not. But based on James Bamford's books, the small scale stuff -- ships parked off the coasts of hot countries in the 70s, intercepting radio communications; tapping of Soviet undersea cables -- I'd say so.

[Rasilio]

I am sure they had tons of them during the cold war, but their job was lots easier back then since they had a place they knew useful info was coming from, just spy on anything Russian and it would be useful.

Today with non state actors it is much harder since you have to look everywhere and looking everywhere means looking nowhere because you can't see everything.

[CE]

Information goes in, but it never comes out. Yup, black hole.

[sarcasmic]

Welcome to the 'Glock Block': Vigilante neighbors in Oregon town say they are no longer calling the police and have armed themselves instead
Residents of a Jennings Lodge neighborhood in Clackamas County, Ore., have gotten concealed carry licenses as petty crime increases
'This is a Glock Block. We don't call 911' a flier posted by residents reads
'I will defend myself and my home' one resident said

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....stead.html
Surprisingly, the comments are not pure derp.

[Bee Tagger]

So that's where the Under Armour guy lives.

[John]

IT is all fun and games until someone shoots Obama's son.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Well, there's this one...

The paranoia of americans has reached new heights, only in the colonies would such action be allowed as it is doomed to end in tragedy.

[WTF]

I guess he's not considering the tragedy of the British soldier who was hacked to death in the street by Islamic fanatics. Because that is what an unarmed populace looks like.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

And more than a little projection.

honestly wouldn't feel safe in that neighborhood, all it takes is one angry person and we have a massacre
- the philosopher , staffordshire, United Kingdom, 18/6/2013 13:13

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Paranoia? Sounds like they're taking responsibility for their own security.

Every time you ask these morons how many CCW owners have gone on a shooting spree, you either get silence or deflection.

[gaijin]

only in the colonies

F*uck you and the decaying empire you rode in on.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Yeah, I wanna slap every limey bastard that refers to us as "the colonies" Motherfucker, we kicked your colonizing ass to the curb centuries ago. Go enjoy your nanny state. I'm sure they'll review all the video and may catch the guy that hacks you to pieces in broad daylight because the nearest gun is 10 miles away.

[Marshall Gill]

Not to mention how the "colonies" saved their worthless Brit asses during WWII.

[sarcasmic]

Mobile app that lets drivers earn cash for reporting fellow motorists who have parked illegally
Canadian app SpotSquad aims to crowd source parking enforcement with a cash incentive
App uses GPS-tagged pictures and optical character recognition to record license plate numbers
Pilot test of the app should begin this July in Winnipeg, Canada
Creators hope to bring app to the U.S. soon

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-cars.html
I could have put that to good use in college.

[Ted S.]

It's all fun and games until somebody reports a government car.

[Enough About Palin]

Speaking of which, I emailed both the Governor and the Minnesota DOT Commissioner asking why the MNDOT needs a brand-new, black Cadillac Escalade.

**Crickets**

[sarcasmic]

Man who sent his nephew into the street in a bed sheet and carrying a fake grenade launcher to test for terrorism preparedness is convicted of endangering the boy's life
Turley was also convicted of giving a false impression of a terrorist act
Michael David Turley filmed his nephew, 16, as he ran around an intersection in a baby blue cloth while wielding a movie prop weapon now faces five years of prison or more
Turley insist he was only trying to test the response time of local Phoenix, Arizona police in the wake of the Colorado Dark Knight shootings

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-life.html
Now there's a poorly thought out idea if I've ever seen one.

[Rich]

Don't forget this gem.

[Matrix]

That's why average citizens should not own or carry guns. Someone in that theater could have been carrying and blasted that man, thinking he was a crazed gunman. the only thing that will keep us safe is banning guns!

/libderp

[Auric Demonocles]

That's clearly a stupid idea, but the specific charges "giving a false impression of a terrorist act" and "misconduct of simulated explosive device" sound like really dumb (and overly specific) laws.

[Ted S.]

It only endangers his life if you assume the police are going to shoot to kill.

Oh, wait....

[NeonCat]

Unless he's like an evil uncle who stands to inherit if his nephew is tragically gunned down by the cops.

[Lord Humungus]

Texas becomes first state to require warrant for e-mail snooping
http://arstechnica.com/tech-po.....-snooping/

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed a bill giving Texans more privacy over their inboxes than anywhere else in the United States.

On Friday, Perry signed HB 2268, effective immediately. The law shields residents of the Lone Star State from snooping by state and local law enforcement without a warrant. The bill's e-mail amendment was written by Jonathan Stickland, a 29-year-old Republican who represents an area between Dallas and Ft. Worth.

[Bam!]

State and local, so Feds can still get whatever the hell they want simply by saying "Please?"

[Brett L]

Have to, otherwise it would be unconstitutional.

[sarcasmic]

Protestors strip down to their underwear outside Victoria's Secret to take a stand against 'unrealistic' body images

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/fem.....mages.html
John pron!

[Ted S.]

I could get whiplash turning back and forth between the people who shriek about the "epidemic" of obesity and the people shrieking about "unnaturally" thin models.

[WTF]

Fatties think it's not fair that men don't find them attractive.

[invisible furry hand]

they just haven't met the right guy yet

[Suthenboy]

Why did you do that? Why?
*GAG*

[WTF]

Hah - I knew enough not to click on that link.

[Rich]

Too bad. *Awesome* callipygian formation.

[sarcasmic]

I knew enough not to click on that link.

Same here.

[Stormy Dragon]

There's plenty of men who find them attractive, but they tend to be overweight as well, and while they expect you to like THEIR obesity, they're not going to tolerate anyone else's.

[mad libertarian guy]

Protestors strip down to their underwear outside Victoria's Secret to take a stand against 'unrealistic' body images

When did protesting a place that sells shit you can't use become the go-to strategy over simply not giving a fuck?

Fat people protesting VS is like me protesting a turban shop. It just doesn't make fucking sense. It's like they feel entitled to owning VS stuff even though they aren't made for you. What the fuck?

[NeonCat]

Just you wait and see, soon turbans will be the new monocle.

[sarcasmic]

Kate to bare all in Playboy at 40: Model set to pose next January after her hairstylist lets secret slip

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....-slip.html
Really? 40? Get out the airbrush! Grab the spare while you're at it!

[Lord Humungus]

the spare what?

[sarcasmic]

Airbrush. In case the first one wears out.

[Lord Humungus]

ah... I was thinking spare tire... but I'm dead tired today.

[Lord Humungus]

Squirrel rescued from Winnipeg woman's toilet with BBQ tongs
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/.....nipeg.html

When she finally summoned the courage, she flipped the lid to find a small, drenched squirrel grasping the sides of her toilet bowl.

So Campbell did what any sensible Winnipegger would do ? grabbed a pair of BBQ tongs from the kitchen and put the water-logged creature in her bathtub.

"It was just filthy. I didn't know how it could breathe because it stunk so bad," said Campbell.

So she gave it a quick bath before she tried to release it.

[sarcasmic]

I would have flushed it. I fucking hate squirrels. They steal my comments and hide them in some virtual hole in a virtual tree. Fucking rodents.

[LTC(ret) John]

And now, her comments will always make it through on H&R.

[Auric Demonocles]

Unless the squirrel stole all the comments before fleeing the house.

[sarcasmic]

The revolutionary flying bicycle that means traffic jams, parking fines and road rage could be things of the past
John Foden and Yannick Read have created a bike that turns into an aircraft
Paravelo uses a fan to travel at up to 15mph on land and 25mph in the air
It is powered by bio-fuel and can reach heights of up to 4,000 feet
It is on sale for ?10,000 and can be flown without a license

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....-past.html

I want one!

[Ted S.]

It [...] and can be flown without a license

Not for long.

[Auric Demonocles]

it contains quirky feature including a built-in tent, perfect for festival-goers.

This seems really random. You already have a flying bike. Who is going to pass on that, but jump on it if it comes with a tent?

[LTC(ret) John]

Gah! Flying Juggalos!!!

[SugarFree]

BOW TO OUR OSCILLATING LORD!

[The DerpRider]

Haha. That is the first thing that came to my mind.

[a better weapon]

Clicked expecting the obligatory picture of ET in the bike basket crossing the moon... was not disappointed.

[Enough About Palin]

Great. And when two of these things slam into each other at 1,000ft., I get to have two guys and two contraptions slamming into my roof. Or worse.

[sarcasmic]

The most dangerous places to live in America: Spectacular maps show the devastating effects of mother nature
The maps were created by John Nelson, who used past data to create the spectacular graphics
The illustrations demonstrate a new way to articulate weather data

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....ature.html
Pretty cool.

[gaijin]

most dangerous places to live in America

but where are the gun and terrorist related devastations?

[WTF]

Spectacular maps show the devastating effects of mother nature CLIMATE CHANGE!!

[T]

8 bit maps. Sweet. Either his dataset has shit granularity, or he had to aggregate to get enough incidents to matter.

[BakedPenguin]

The problem with simply counting the number of tornadoes is that they vary greatly in the damage they do. Florida has the most tornadoes of any state in the country. The reason you seldom hear about incidents like what happened in Moore is that FL tornadoes are weak sisters to the ones that develop in the supercell storms in the mid-West.

[gaijin]

they vary greatly in the damage they do

Further, damage can be defined as death or the $ value of property destruction. Is danger to property the same as danger to person? I don;t think so, but it's what makes these kind of headlines (Dangerous places to live) so meaningless imo.

[Lord Humungus]

Heavy Pressure Led to Decision by Obama on Syrian Arms
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06.....d=all&_r=0

His ambivalence about the decision seemed evident even in the way it was announced. Mr. Obama left it to a deputy national security adviser, Benjamin J. Rhodes, to declare Thursday evening that the president's "red line" on chemical weapons had been crossed and that support to the opposition would be increased. At the time, Mr. Obama was addressing a gay pride event in the East Room. On Friday, as Mr. Rhodes was again dispatched to defend the move at a briefing, the president was hosting a Father's Day luncheon in the State Dining Room.

[Drake]

Is "heavy pressure" now a euphemism for Valerie Jarrett's incessant nagging?

I assume any announcement by a deputy national security adviser is for something he doesn't give a crap about - except to get that bitch off his back so he can enjoy a round of golf.

[mad libertarian guy]

It seems pretty clear that he has no interest in being president.

[Enough About Palin]

True that.

[Lord Humungus]

Farm Bill Could Reduce Transparency Of Agriculture Safety Net
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....68102.html

Fifteen members of Congress or their spouses received $237,921 in federal farm subsidy payments last year, according to a new analysis of Agriculture Department data by the Environmental Working Group.

The nonprofit advocacy group's latest survey comes as Congress begins to debate farm legislation that will reform the agriculture safety net -- and potentially reduce transparency in the government's support system for farmers, sparing lawmakers headlines about government help they receive.

[MP]

2 week old news?

[Matrix]

Voter fraud is a right-wing meme!

[Auric Demonocles]

Racist.

[Rich]

Those aren't minorities or poor people, so yes, yes it is!

[Lord Humungus]

Meanwhile in Germany:

Udderly charming: cow beauty contest
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130614-50295.html

Ostk?mper uses a razor blade to trim the hair on Dorflady's legs, as well as that along her belly. "That way one can display the veins better," she said.

Although not necessarily something that human models would particularly want to emphasise, for cows it is important. A good blood supply is an important beauty ideal for heifers, she said, as is are powerful legs, bulging udders and a strong bone structure.

"A bony cow has no chance," said Ostk?mper.

[WTF]

Is it wrong that this made me think of Jezebel?

[Enough About Palin]

"bulging udders"

Good band name.

[Tejicano]

"A bony cow has no chance," said Ostk?mper."

I dunno. I still see a lot of possible support for Hillary.

[SugarFree]

Hit and Run Pal Lindy West Gets Drunk And Still Isn't Funny

Also, the camera angles give you some really sweet close-ups of her neck fat.

And the comments feature delusion:

totallytasteful_nudesULindy West21L
Not at all related but gosh darn, your lipstick is fantastic!

chingachoochooUtotallytasteful_nudes11L
I was just going to comment on that! And the nail color too- fabulous!

totallytasteful_nudesUchingachoochoo1L
I have such envy for her entire look in this video. I wish I was cute.

[invisible furry hand]

what delusion? From the little i saw, that isn't a bad nail colour. Even La West can get something right

[SugarFree]

The bolded part, dear.

[invisible furry hand]

Oh, that. Well, perhaps her ambition is to qualify for this

[Suthenboy]

Goddamnit! Again? Ahhh!

[Rich]

Oh, just stop already! 😎

[invisible furry hand]

fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...

[Thane-kin]

So I haven't checked the BI piece, but to the Good Men Project version the following has been appended:

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Riggs has since clarified his position in a post, here.

The offending text is still intact but that is probably appropriate if it was an editor and not the author responsible for that change.

In other news, the idiots didn't let my comment through moderation (they let others in after me). I hurt their feels by including the word "misrepresented" in my one-sentence statement, I suppose.

[Tonio]

Yeah, I tried to comment over at BI, but my comment didn't go through. Mysteriously.

[Tonio]

Just tried again and the comment is up. Let's see if it stays.

[JW]

How do you clarify something that you never said?

[Rich]

Obama: "I've stood up a privacy and civil liberties oversight board, made up of independent citizens including some fierce civil libertarians."

Nick Gillespie? Penn Jillette? We want *names*, President Transparency!

[John]

We have appointed a board to look into this. Don't you feel better now?

[gaijin]

what is an independent citizen?

[General Butt Naked]

Somebody who's really smart, went to harvard, and is either a government employee or a journalist. Peons need not apply.

[Rich]

Thanks, General!

Now, what is a working family?

[General Butt Naked]

They're the Americans that sit around a kitchen table with huge stacks of papers and worried looks on their faces talking about japs stealing their manufacturing jobs and how thankful they are to the unions and obama.

[invisible furry hand]

like a working girl, but there's a family of them

[NeonCat]

Kinky!

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The managerialist mind at work--set up a committee to deal with the problem so you don't have to make hard decisions or take any responsibility. If they do what they're supposed to, you take credit for setting up the committee. If they fuck up, you can say it wasn't your fault and did your due diligence.

[Warty]

I've stood up a privacy and civil liberties oversight board

He stood them up? What a fucking prick. Way to ruin their prom, fucker.

[BakedPenguin]

There's nothing sadder than a privacy and civil liberties oversight board with mascara running down their faces.

[NeonCat]

We can only hope they have latent telekinetic powers.

[JW]

Standing them up is the proper method for a firing squad.

[John]

Dem controlled Senate INtel committee blocks NSA staffer from talking about oversight. If they let us know exactly what the oversight is, the terrorists have won.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.....ersigh.php

[John]

http://dailycaller.com/2013/06.....his-pants/

If only they worried about child abusers working for schools as much as they do about them working at churches. What a bunch of sadistic bastards.

[Tonio]

Right, that's like criticising the NRA for being all about 2A but ignoring 1A.

[John]

Sure, whatever.

[Lord Humungus]

How duct tape patched up the world ? and why we're still sticking with it
http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_.....ng-with-it

Is there anything duct tape can't do? Well ... yes.

"What's ironic about duct tape is that it's really not the best product for sealing duct work," Malmer said.

[Auric Demonocles]

There is a door on one of the buildings here at work that is currently sealed up with duct tape.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Old joke is old, but...

Duct tape is like The Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

[PS]

"What's ironic about duct tape is that it's really not the best product for sealing duct work," Malmer said.

Duh, that's because its original name was duck tape and it was for taping ducks together.

[Bam!]

I think on one of the MythBuster episodes, they pointed out that in California, it's actually against code to use duct tape to tape ducts.

[Tejicano]

Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver.

[John]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....-home.html

AJ McCarron has apparently traded down for some Maxim skank. I am not sure if that is proof that McCarron is retarded or that no matter how hot a woman is, if she won't get freaky enough in bed, her bf/husband will find someone who will.

[Ted S.]

I figure she dumped him.

[John]

Maybe. At some point she will. He has got one more year of college, then it is on to holding a clip board in the NFL for a few years followed by doing talk radio in Birmingham watching his hairline recede and his waistline grow. I like her future better.

[Brett L]

Eh. Christian Ponder is getting one more year as a starter than I thought he would, and he married his smoking hot reporter girlfriend. So that alone proves he's the 2nd smartest QB in FSU history behind Charlie Ward.

[John]

Good Ponder. Ponder was horrible in college. At least McCarron is a good college quarterback. How Ponder has a job is beyond me. And I love it that their backup is now Matt Cassle. Minnesota may have the worst collection of quarterbacks in football history.

[Brett L]

They really do need to do the George Costanza next time they draft a QB... Pick the guy least like the guy they'd usually draft.

[Matrix]

Roll Turd Roll!

[itsnotmeitsyou]

"No matter how good looking she is, someone, somewhere is sick of her shit."

[John]

This is true. Leo DeCaprio dumped Bar Refeli.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

It's almost like personality matters after the novelty of beauty wears off.

There are a few times I've fallen in lust with a hot celebrity, only to actually hear them talk and lose all interest.

[John]

So have I. I remember watching an interview with Anne Hathaway and watching her get less and less attractive with every word she spoke. It was like her features got more and more pronounced and less attractive as I realized just how stupid and annoying she is.

[Lord Humungus]

I've had that happen at the bar.

Last time I was at the local watering hole, a lovely blonde and her not so lovely friend came in. They sat next to me. The blonde was just plain beautiful... but once she opened her mouth - that's not the King's English!

[Drake]

I've had that experience too. As a non-smoker, it was a 5-point deduction for lighting up. It also made me notice the developing wrinkles and graying skin.

A few times, it has been the opposite experience...

[itsnotmeitsyou]

*Warning: Sappy feelings and shit*

My wife was like that, Drake. When I met her, I didn't really find her attractive. She's plain and chubby. As I got to know her and really become friends with her, she started looking better and better. Now when I look at her, I see an astonishingly beautiful woman.

Amy Pond says it best here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RFJ7Y2wAH8

[John]

http://politicalticker.blogs.c.....targeting/

Nearly half of Americans believe the IRS scandal leads to the White House. That is the good news. The bad news is that many of those are happy about it.

[Auric Demonocles]

Well of course it was good. Obama is finally doing something about those evil obstructinating Rethuglicans.

[kinnath]

After 10 days in the wilderness (not exactly wilderness, but no TV, radio, or internet) I was hoping to find that Obama had been run out of office. Oh well.

[Lord Humungus]

hope spring eternal.

[Lord Humungus]

*springs

[kinnath]

Hope usually runs out about the same time the liquor does.

[John]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/a.....court.html

FBI desperately trying to find out who is embarrassing Obama.

[Rich]

Thirteen days after the Guardian published a top-secret court order ..., the U.S. intelligence community has yet to determine how the warrant, one of the most highly classified documents inside the U.S. government, was leaked.

"Don't *nobody* leave dis room!"

[John]

But they can totally be trusted not to let any of this information be abused.

[John]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/l.....NiJqANhIMO

NYPD commissioner slams NSA spying. When your means are too intrusive for the NYPD to stomach, you may have a problem.

[Ted S.]

He's just pissed the Feds are intruding on his territory.

[PS]

Liberal SCOTUS justices voted for privacy of DNA. Conservative justices voted for privacy of DMV records from trolling lawyers. What's interesting is how every single justice switched sides in these two privacy cases.

In Maracich, as in the earlier case, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion on behalf of three fellow conservatives plus Justice Stephen Breyer, while three liberal justices joined by Justice Antonin Scalia dissented. (This time it was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, rather than Scalia, who wrote the dissent.) And today it was the conservatives-plus-Breyer who chose to display a delicate regard for privacy and professionalism, while the liberals-plus-Scalia were suddenly the ones who didn't want to tie the hands of law enforcement.

[Fatty Bolger]

Tulpa's Revenge

Romney said his Bay State health reforms weren't necessarily suited to other states. Few listened.

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney maintained that the health-reform law he signed in Massachusetts was not the same as Obamacare. "Our plan was a state solution to a state problem," Governor Romney insisted. He was trying to fix Massachusetts' uniquely broken insurance market, he said; Obamacare, by contrast, was a "a power grab . . . a one-size-fits-all plan." Nobody took him seriously ? not conservatives, and not liberals. But today, as the nation braces for health insurance "rate shock," Romney's critique of Obamacare is ringing true. Call it Mitt Romney's revenge.

[John]

He was right. It was Massachusetts. So it is not like they had a free market to begin with. Of course, only the truly deranged or brain dead didn't understand what a disaster Obamacare was going to be.

[VG Zaytsev]

A few hundred billion dollars extra from Uncle Sam didn't hurt either.

[Ted S.]

Post-hoc rationalizations are fun. 🙁

[Lord Humungus]

Ad hoc is even more fun.

[Clich? Bandit]

I'm an a priori kid of guy but hey, that makes me weird.

[Numeromancer]

I just like to kick rocks.

[tarran]

He was trying to fix Massachusetts' uniquely broken insurance market

That is the funniest line of bullshit I have read by Romney in a long time.

He wasn't trying to fix it. He was trying to duct tape over the cracks before covering everything with a spiffy layer of spray paint, hoping he could sell that turkey and be long gone with his money before the paint started peeling and the mess became apparent.

He'd have gotten away with it if it weren't for the meddling libertarians too.

[John]

Sure he was. But what exactly else were you going to get through the Mass state house? Romney's mistake was he tried to be governor of that corrupt shit hole.

[tarran]

Romney's mistake was he tried to be governor of that corrupt shit hole.

Oh I agree. He gave up the honorable life of a businessman to become a racketeer. He deserves nothing but contempt and scorn for his bad life-choice.

[John]

He should have ran for Senate. The only way you could be governor of that place is just to veto everything, which those assholes would override anyway.

[Ted S.]

Veto the legislation, and then let the Democratic majority override it and own the failed legislation.

[John]

But Romney is one of those nice guys who thinks he can work with liberals and solve problems. In short, he has no business in politics.

[tarran]

He and his aids crafted the mandate as a technocratic solution.

The mandate to purchase insurance originated from his office.

All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and let the state house focus on their schemes to rip off taxpayer money for them and their friends. But no, the POS wanted to make a mark on history, and boy did he succeed. Sucks to be us.

[Auric Demonocles]

I notice that Romneycare was going to "lower costs", but they never got around to that part. Despite that, it's still called a success because it got insurance to more people.

[Jordan]

Well, I decided to keep watching the new season of Arrested Development based on advice from you guys, and I'm glad I did. It really picked up around episode 3-4.

[Bam!]

I got to episode 10 before I tuned out completely.

[Auric Demonocles]

The first 2 were brutal.

[The Last American Hero]

I enjoyed it overall, but the finale was kind of a punch in the face.

[John]

The move follows revelations of a startling number of sexual assaults in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the sexual assaults might be linked to the longstanding ban on women serving in combat because the disparity between the roles of men and women creates separate classes of personnel - male "warriors" versus the rest of the force.

http://apnews.myway.com/articl.....0L3O0.html

There is no way anyone who has served ten minutes in the military could believe something that stupid. What a lying piece of shit.

[tarran]

That line screams "I'm one of HAckworth's Perfumed Princes!"

[John]

I met a friend of my wife's fiance this weekend. She is a Navy JAG defense attorney. She tells me the CNO put out a memo to the entire Navy telling them that 97% of all rape allegations are true. Can you believe that shit?

These GOs are such craven assholes they are willing to throw innocent subordinates in jail for horrible crimes they didn't commit just to save their own asses before Congress. Not a single one of them will stand up and tell the truth. The military has done a completely thorough job of eliminating all forms of integrity in its general officer corps.

[Auric Demonocles]

You're getting in polygamy now?

Tony! Get over here and tell John why his love isn't valid!

[John]

If only. Sadly, women just take a harder nosed view about such things than men. I should have married a more liberal one.

[Ted S.]

Damn you for beating me to the punch! 😐

[Ted S.]

I met a friend of my wife's fiance this weekend.

Your wife has a fianc?? 😉

[tarran]

John,

Part of the problem is that the Navy officer corps lost all credibility on matters relating to sex offenses in the aftermath of tailhook.

And, yes, I worked with five officers who showed great integrity whilst in the Navy, all but one were drummed out after their integrity led them to become politically vulnerable; only one managed to somehow navigate around the political hazards uninjured.

The most common problems were:
1) Their integrity led them to stand up to their superiors to protect their guys.
2) They were set up by subordinates who either had a grievance against them or who saw a chance at some short term gain by making their boss look bad to the CO/XO.

All you need is a lazy guy in the chain of command who wants nothing in his area of control to rock the boat, and is willing to sacrifice any subordinate to make things superficially look good as opposed to fixing problems at any cost, and the rot spreads downward fast.

[John]

I had forgotten about tailhook. What a joke that was. The Army is getting to be the same way. When they integrate the combat arms will will be all gone. It is not that the women themselves will cause the harm. It is that once women get in the units the politics will quickly spiral out of control and destroy any integrity in the system.

[John]

http://jenkuznicki.com/2013/06.....overnment/

Micheal Gerson out to ensure that Lind does not get the title of "most craven and stupid former Bush hand".

[Fluffy]

I think Gerson's attitude shows why the time might to right to start seriously talking about the Constitution in Exile.

I know, the leftists freak out when people do that, and accuse you of being a Bircher or a Klansman or whatever.

But it's an important concept.

Because Gerson's whole argument boils down to, "But don't you love this country that brave men died for?"

And the best available counterargument to that is that the Constitution, which represents and embodies that country and is what those men died for, is in exile. We still love it, Gerson. We just don't love you.

[John]

That is a good point. Of course people like Gerson don't mean what they say anyway. If loving the country means loving and trusting your government, I guess we can stop bitching about McCarthyism and Watergate, right?

The very same people whose entire lives have been defined by the government abuses of the past now claim anyone who complains about government abuses doesn't really love the country. Yeah, whatever.

[Lord Humungus]

Most workers hate their jobs or have 'checked out,' Gallup says
http://www.mercurynews.com/bus.....source=rss

Seven out of 10 workers have "checked out" at work or are "actively disengaged," according to a recent Gallup survey.

In its ongoing survey of the American workplace, Gallup found that only 30 percent of workers are "were engaged, or involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their workplace." Although that equals the high in engagement since Gallup began studying the issue in 2000, it is overshadowed by the number of workers who aren't committed to a performing at a high level -- which Gallup says costs companies money.

I checked out years ago...

[invisible furry hand]

Mike Judge really is a prophet

[Art Vandelay]

"I wouldn't say I've been 'missing work', Bob!"

[LTC(ret) John]

"You know, Bob, its not that I am lazy, its that I just don't care!"

[John]

I recently was at a leadership course. In it they talked about a study done back in the 1990s. In it they had groups of six people assigned to work on a problem as a team. In each team they put one person who was chosen specifically because they were creative and bright. That person was supposed to be the driver and the idea person in the group. And the experiment was a success. All of the groups commented on how they enjoyed having the bright and creative person in the group and what a help they were in solving the problem.

So far so good. But then they took each group and told them one person would have to be cut before they started the next problem. Each group had to vote on who got cut. In each and every group, t he bright creative person was the person voted off.

Says it all doesn't it?

[Lord Humungus]

I loathe working in groups - since I end up doing all the work, but get the criticism from all directions.

[John]

You are probably the type who gets voted off.

[Lord Humungus]

probably - plus my social skills makes Spock look like a used car salesman.

[LTC(ret) John]

+1 raised eyebrow

[Eduard van Haalen]

Now *there's* an image - "this old federation starship was only used by its previous owner in routine missions between Earth and Alpha Centauri. It's practically brand-new! Buying anything else would be...illogical."

[Fluffy]

I'm surprised that 30% are engaged.

Most people don't enjoy work. That's why they call it work and not play.

The entire key to management is devising systems, workflows, and incentive schemes that get what can be gotten from the 70% while not allowing them to fuck up the productivity of the 30%.

Or I should say, 29%.

Because there's also a 1% that has shown up to kick fucking ass. You also need to work them into your scheme.

[John]

My favorite leadership maxim is from a German general, Paul Von Manstein. Von Manstein said there were four types of officers;

smart hardworking
smart lazy
stupid lazy, and
stupid hard working.

The job of a leader is to make proper use of the first three types. Smart hard working officers make up the bulk of your staff and get the work done. Smart lazy officers are used to think strategically and figure things out that the smart hard working officers never notice or just accept. Stupid lazy officers are used to fill slots of little importance but must be filled.

And the last and most important job of a leader is to ruthless eliminate all stupid hard working officers. They are the ones who will do the most damage to the organization.

[Fluffy]

Smart, lazy people are surprisingly valuable.

You just have to put them into a process that requires them to do a lot of repetitive work.

They will almost inevitably devise a way to avoid that work.

Voila - new workflow.

The funny thing is that in order to devise a way to do less work, they will bust their ass for at least a short period of time.

They'll destroy your quality control if you give them too much latitude, but they would automate their fucking mother out of a job if they thought it would let them spend five more minutes a week on Twitter.

[John]

Exactly. If you have too many smart hard working people, nothing ever changes. Smart, hard working people are like border collies. They just accept the job and go. That is great most of the time. But you need people who also take a step back and look at how you are doing things. And that is where smart lazy people excel.

[BakedPenguin]

I just wanted to comment here that I hadn't read Fluffy's 10:00 prior to posting my 10:05 comment below.

[Brett L]

Thus the Heinlein short story, "The Man Who was too Lazy to Fail".

[Fluffy]

I wasn't familiar with that one. Thanks for posting it.

[Enough About Palin]

"They will almost inevitably devise a way to avoid that work."

Yes. I worked in a factory. About every six months or so, they'd pull you off of whatever machine you were running and box brushes. All tasks had standard that were supposed to be met, but no one could box at any better than 80%. They did this because it would lower you total monthly productivity rate and then they could put the fear of G-d in you for not hitting 100%.

So I redesigned the way it was done and boxed for two weeks hitting 120%. I did it because I'm lazy.

I also added a guide to a machine that put a bead on the edge of an aluminum window well at another factory. Before I did, it took two men a good two minutes to push the material through the beader. Hard work. With the guide, it just took one guy to feed the material. Didn't even have to take a step and it now could bead about 500% more sheets of aluminum per hour. With one less guy. That's money, baby. I was just a temp there and designed and constructed the guide during my break, but as I said, I'm lazy.

[sarcasmic]

I checked out years ago...

I remember the day. I was ordered to undo a code fix to a known error because the work had not been explicitly approved by some committee of government idiots. From that moment on I ceased to care about the product, the customer, management, or anything else related to this joke of a job.

[Lord Humungus]

for me it was the realization that the manager's cronies get special perks, while the rest of us were just second class citizens.

[John]

My moment was when another lawyer told me that he couldn't allow my client access to his database, even though my client was going to use the data base to help his lawyers do their job and probably catch somewhere in the neighborhood of 3000 people in the country via fraud, because the database contained "attorney client privileged information".

Understand, we all work for the government. There is no such privilege. Anyone who had two days of law school would know that. If he had said, "I think it is a great idea but the leadership will never allow it", I could have respected him. But for him to feed me that line of crap and just mouth the company line was pretty much him telling to fuck myself and he didn't give a shit about actually accomplishing anything. It was at that point, I stopped caring.

[Loki]

I was ordered to undo a code fix to a known error because the work had not been explicitly approved by some committee of government idiots.

Based on my experience in the aerospace industry that sounds like it could have been any day of the week that ends in "y".

[sarcasmic]

It's a wonder anything gets accomplished with government idiots micromanaging the experts every step of the way.

[John]

People micro manage because they have no idea what they are doing and are horribly insecure about it. Think about it. If you know the job your subordinates are doing, you can easily tell if your subordinates are any good and need any oversight. But if you have no idea what you are doing, you can't tell good subordinates from bad. So you live in constant fear of one of them fucking up and making you look bad.

[Loki]

But if you have no idea what you are doing, you can't tell good subordinates from bad. So you live in constant fear of one of them fucking up and making you look bad.

I take it you've met my current boss?

[John]

There are millions and millions of that model of boss out there.

[sarcasmic]

In my case it is beyond ridicule. I mean, fixing a misspelled word requires documentation and committee approval. It's fucking retarded. But with the economy the way it is, it's an employer's market. If your skills don't match up exactly then they tell you to take a hike. Job security is nice, but this shit is eating my soul.

[Auric Demonocles]

Reminds me of my internship at a pharmaceutical manufacturer. I hated everything about day 3.

I also used my lazy smarts to automate the repetitive tasks they wanted me to do all summer, leaving me with about 8 hours of work to spread over the last 6 weeks.

[sarcasmic]

30 percent is still high.

I always thought it was the 80/20 rule, where 20% of the people do 80% of the work.

[Fatty Bolger]

If work was fun, they wouldn't have to pay you to do it.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Work can be fun, but anyone who thinks that "doing what you love" is going to be like professional recess is a moron.

Quite a few people manage to find work where they genuinely look forward to coming in to the office nearly every day. But they also need perspective that there's going to be a number of days where it just feels like a grind.

[BakedPenguin]

I've worked hard at my current job, to an extent. I figured out a workflow method that would take a 6-7 hour a day job and make it into a 1-2 hour a day job.

Which would make me a stellar employee, had I informed them of this and volunteered my free time back to them instead of wasting it here.

[Fluffy]

And a smart, lazy person comes out of the closet workplace man cave.

[SugarFree]

I'll cop to it as well. Although being the most productive person in an academic library is a low bar to clear. Like limbo bar low.

Of course, I don't have a manager that can understand that keeping me interested is not that hard. I don't avoid work, I just do it efficiently then coast.

[BakedPenguin]

After reading your 10:00 comment, I was checking my office for the hidden camera.

[Matrix]

I don't think I ever want to go into the water again...

[Loki]

Not sure if this has been covered here yet.

Applebee's on Coney Island decides to put a couple of hungry sharks in their aquarium. What could possibly go wrong?

[Bam!]

You mean sharks don't behave like they did in "Finding Nemo?" Color me surprised!

[PS]

Applebee's owner, Zane Tankel, said the fish had not eaten during four days of transportation to the restaurant, and the shark probably acted on instinct when it attacked the tropical fish.

Or maybe it just for aesthetic reasons, it felt the tropical fish didn't fit in with the decor.

[Loki]

Sharks are known for their impeccable sense of style.

[Suthenboy]

The shark probably acted on instinct?

Zane Tankel: a one man brain trust.

[The Late P Brooks]

The entire key to management is devising systems, workflows, and incentive schemes that get what can be gotten from the 70% while not allowing them to fuck up the productivity of the 30%.

Or, in the case of the unions, shackle the thirty per cent, in order to keep them from making their "brothers" look bad.

[Clich? Bandit]

lol...yup.

I worked for a union shop once and automated a process much like others above have said, and opened up literally weeks of time. I was you and dumb and I went to my manager and said "Yo, i need some more work. I finished these two projects" He got this angry look on his face and pulled me aside and said "Don't ever say that again. I will get grieved from here to the exit door (and it is quite a large building). You just go back to your desk and pretend. When something comes up I will come get you. Otherwise your job is to LOOK busy."

He is still one of my best friends. I was his go to guy, but id would jerk around for weeks at a time and he wouldn't care.

[Clich? Bandit]

you = young but whatever

[Brett L]

I actually did tell a boss, "why don't you pretend I'm busy, I did all the work you gave me." She told me that was fine unless her boss was doing rounds. I found it an acceptable compromise.

[Clich? Bandit]

same here.

[mad libertarian guy]

Good old American Black(ish) Metal!

Deafheaven hails from San Francisco. Though their trademark wall of sound style of textured black metal is unmistakable on this album (their second), they've integrated many more acoustic parts (as well as those which are pure noise) to give much more depth and dynamics to their music.

Enjoy!

[Sevo]

"Obama has rejected that he is "Bush-Cheney lite,""

More like Nixon.

[Loki]

Obama: "What do you mean 'lite?' I'm way more of a craven, mendacious, dishonest, power hungry demagogue than they could ever be! I mean, here I am trying to be the most vile, despicable shitheel ever to inhabit the white house, and you fuckers are calling me 'Bush-Cheney lite?' Please..."

[John]

It is too bad we don't have anything but a state run media. I would love to see someone ask him to explain just exactly how he is different from Cheney and or Bush. I doubt his aides could get an answer up on the teleprompter quickly enough to avoid the massive train wreck that would follow.

[VG Zaytsev]

He's different because he's good and they were bad. And clearly by asking that question you're with them and not us.

[Fatty Bolger]

Obama says "sure, I do everything Cheney did, but you can't compare us because I also put in checks and balances." Of course he won't say what those checks and balances are. Maybe a reporter or two could be bothered to dig into that. Wouldn't that be nice?

[NeonCat]

To be fair, as far as we know he hasn't shot any campaign contributors in the face.

Yet.

[sloopyinca]

Huh. Looks like an insanity plea can get you off the hook.

FTA: Charges against Sgt. Mark Lee, 45, will be dropped after he successfully completes a three-year pretrial intervention program. As a condition of admission to the program Lee must forfeit his police job, said Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.

and

The prosecutor's office has described Lee's condition as calcium deposits on his brain.

Yeah, that would have worked for a "civilian".

[The Late P Brooks]

Smart, lazy people are surprisingly valuable.

My motto is,

It's never a bad time to make my life easier.

[Auric Demonocles]

I prefer to think of smart and lazy as "efficient".

[Suthenboy]

I remember the day I realized the utility of laziness. I was watching a flock of birds eating seed from a feeder. They all preferred to eat the seed that had spilled on the ground. They would hop over to the spots where they could reach the most food and plop down on their bellies. They took every opportunity to move as little as possible.

First I thought "Lazy bastards". Then I realized that all animals acquire as much sustenance as they can while expending as little energy as possible. This is a valuable habit when resources are limited and you can never be sure where or when your next meal will be.

[Auric Demonocles]

In a philosophy class in college (distribution requirement) I tried to argue that my laziness was an evolutionary trait that I had inherited (based on your reasoning), and thus I should be given reasonable accommodation for it. The other people in the class thought I was crazy, but the teacher gave me a good grade.

[Suthenboy]

" I tried to argue that my laziness was an evolutionary trait that I had inherited "

It is.

"thus I should be given reasonable accommodation for it."

Yes, reasonable accommodation would be none at all.

"but the teacher gave me a good grade."

As they should have.

[Auric Demonocles]

It was an argument about having different standards for preexisting traits (e.g. giving dyslexics someone to read them through the test).

[Rasilio]

I prefer "Work Smarter, not Harder" and "Hard work is for morons who can't find a better way"

[sloopyinca]

WV police stop man for no reason. Detain him for no reason. Tazer him when he tries to leave. And finally (I guess they were tired of the charade) shoot the poor bastard 25 times when he decides to defend himself.

Oh, he got a beating in there between the tazering and shooting. Sorry for the omission.

[invisible furry hand]

we take the beating for granted these days

[sloopyinca]

Fucking retarded-ass Philly cops still refuse to let people photograph them. The ACLU has decided to fight back and has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the journalism students that got arrested for the practice in 2011.

Question for the legal minds here: at what point does this just become contempt of court since so many federal judges have ordered the police to stop the practice?

[Fluffy]

Never. These guys need training.

Can't we look forward to the future instead of wallowing in recriminations over the past?

[sloopyinca]

At some point, that excuse doesn't hold water. Hell, even our very own Fearless Fosdick has said a cop can't be held accountable for their breaking of the law unless they've been specifically trained not to break it. Well, all of these cops have had that training, so they should be held accountable for the false imprisonment, assault, battery, kidnapping and extortion they are committing en masse in these cases.

[John]

It is not about training for the individual cop. It is about what is established law. If the law is established, the cop can be held personally liable. Of course that doesn't mean a lot since cops don't generally have a lo of money to collect.

Now if they were not trained, then it is also the city that is on the hook. And they have money.

[John]

The rule is that when the law is established and known the cop loses his sovereign immunity protection. Basically it is sort of like an every dog gets a free bite rule for cops. The courts will give a cop sovereign immunity protection in the first case. But once the law is established, the next cop shouldn't get it.

We are getting the point with camera cases that it is established law. This has been going on for several years and the cops haven't won a single case in court. So yes it should be considered established law and any cop who arrests someone for photographing them should be subject to personal liability.

[sloopyinca]

By "personal liability", I assume you mean criminal prosecution for kidnapping, assault, battery, wrongful arrest, gross misconduct, extortion and myriad other charges (all with the good, old firearm enhancer stacked on top of it).

Personal liability...WTF? These cocksuckers are knowingly breaking the law and depriving others their constitutional rights and liberty. That doesn't call for civil action.

[John]

Sure they could be criminally liable. But good luck with that. In reality it means you can get a judgement against them that the city can't help them pay.

[sloopyinca]

Until they're held criminally liable, this practice won't stop. Their union will continue to keep them employed and will pay the fine on their behalf...even if a judge takes the rare step of shifting the liability from the city (who the plaintiffs will prefer to sue due to their ability/willingness to pay out) to the pig who arrested the innocent person.

[John]

Having a judgement for an intentional tort like that would suck. The city would be prohibited by law from paying it. So would the Union. And it is nondischargable in bankruptcy. Basically the plaintiff could hound the pig for the rest of his life.

Not the same as criminal liability. But pretty sucky none the less.

[sloopyinca]

The Union can pay it if they want to. And while "pretty sucky", I bet it's a lot less sucky than being thrown in GenPop for about a year, which would be a pretty a short term for a "civilian" who kidnaps someone while armed.

[John]

No they can't. The union has fiduciary duties. They can't spend money to pay their members intentional tort judgements. It would be illegal for them to do it.

[sloopyinca]

"Legal defense funds were set up. Donations were solicited. Judgments were paid."

[John]

Sloopy,

you give pigs way too much credit. They are more than happy to spend your money to bail out one of their own. But their own money? Fat chance.

[Rasilio]

Except of course any prole who pushed too hard on a poor officer of the law to collect on this would find himself under constant police surveillance and getting at a minimum a traffic violation every other day

[sarcasmic]

Until they're held criminally liable, this practice won't stop.

Which is why it will not stop. Remember that the Supremes have declared that you must submit and obey, and if cops break the law you can take it to civil court if you can afford it. Otherwise, well, bend over and take it.

[Outlaw]

The system cannot correct itself. Honest people who want justice equally applied are few and far between and most of them don't become lawyers, judges or cops.

This is what years of indoctrination and obedience training gets us: a population of mewling serfs who praise their oppressors because they are too stupid to see what's going on in front of their very own eyes.

Whenever I see a "support our police" sticker I want to fucking vomit.

[sloopyinca]

The same shit happened to me last week while watching Masterchef. They had a banquet set up for 101 LA firemen. It was all just a sappy, syrupy cock-gobblefest by Ramsay and that fat fuck with the word "hero" being thrown around pretty cavalierly.

The first thing I noticed was them driving two hook and ladder trucks all the way to Pasadena from WeHo with a grand total of 4 people in each of them...all on the taxpayer dime I'm sure...so America could be treated to more bullshit hero-worship on national TV. Little do they know that the average pay of those guys is about $105k a year and they come in direct contact with an average of under 2 fires in that time period.

[sarcasmic]

And Zod forbid they do come into contact with an actual fire, it's OVERTIME! WOO HOO! GONNA BUY A FOUR-WHEELER WITH THE CHECK!

[sloopyinca]

When does an off-duty NYPD cop coming home and shooting their partner to death become such a trend that we make them turn in their duty weapon at the end of their shift in the name of public safety? This crazy fuck is the second in less than a week to come home and light up their partner.

I guess she was going for bonus points, because she also shot and killed a 7-month old baby before offing herself.

[sloopyinca]

I guess drugs really can kill you.

And by "kill you", I mean get you shot execution-style by the police.*

*Don't worry. The officers responsible are on vacation.

[SugarFree]

Police search warrants indicate West Valley officers Shaun Cowley and Kevin Salmon were out on drug surveillance on Nov. 2, when they saw Danielle Willard pull up to an apartment to buy drugs. When she returned to her car, they followed her and attempted to stop her, but she put her car in reverse and began backing up toward them, forcing them to shoot, according to the records and Cowley's attorney's statement to 2News in March.

Willard, who was unarmed, was hit in the head and died at the scene of the Lexington Park Apartments.

"Officers have explained that as they approached the vehicle they both put their badges that were around their necks against the driver's window and the passenger window. They also said 'police' on multiple occasions," attorney Lindsay Jarvis said. "Officer Cowley and Kevin Salmon were in grave danger of losing their lives."

Well, there's one goddamn fucking lie. I wonder how many others they can be caught out on.

[sloopyinca]

That lie was so egregious, I find it hard to believe anybody in a potential jury pool wouldn't show up for opening statements with a torch and/or pitchfork.

[Lord Humungus]

Gallup: Christie More Favorable Among Dems Than GOP Voters
http://washington.cbslocal.com.....op-voters/

Christie was the only one of the five GOP politicians ? which included Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rubio and Ryan ? to be given a positive rating among Democrats. Christie also had the highest score among U.S. adults as a whole.

[John]

It would surprise me if Fatso runs as a Democrat in 2016 or teams up with Bloomburg for the Nanny and Fatty independent run.

[CE]

What should we ban today, Ollie?

[John]

would not surprise me.

[sloopyinca]

Did Rubio take the additional step of calling the poll-takers lazy to ensure his position?

[John]

Some American workers just can't cut it. Yeah Marco, that is true. And most of them serve in or work for Congress.

[sloopyinca]

Some American workers just can't cut it. Yeah Marco, that is true. And most of them serve in or work for Congress for the government.

Let's not go through the charade of pretending government employees by and large work hard. I've yet to meet more than a few personally that weren't either borderline retarded or so lazy as to give that appearance. The remainder were so overzealous in enforcing their unlegislated regulations without using any common sense that I'd consider them to be psychotic.

[John]

I have worked in both the private sector and government. And people are the same mixed bag in both places. The private sector is just as bureaucratic and just as idiotic as the government.

Basically, the only people that I know who are happy and productive are people who work for themselves. Anytime you work for a large organization of any sort, the rules of bureaucracy will take over. Some of my best friends work for IBM and other large mainline corporations. Our work stories and frustrations are nearly identical.

[Lord Humungus]

the company I work for has been around for awhile. And year after year, there is just more and more bureaucracy. And More departments with cross purposes.

I'm thankfully out of the mix most of the time - IT here is a bit of an ivory tower - but when I do get embroiled in the crap, I wonder how this place managed to turn a profit.

[VG Zaytsev]

the company I work for has been around for awhile. And year after year, there is just more and more bureaucracy

That's one of the little discussed problems with fascist economies.

In a healthy free market, competition limits the grwoth of bureaucrat businesses, including by driving them out of business.

When government limits their competition, they are free to become ever more bureaucratic and inefficient.

[Whahappan?]

Also, how much of this bureaucracy is for compliance with myriad laws and regulations?

[sloopyinca]

The private sector is just as bureaucratic and just as idiotic as the government.

Yes, and those losers in the private sector are just as hard to get rid of and are shuffled from department to department like they are in government, right?

You're fucking insane. Private sector employees better show a value to their employer or else they're subject to getting canned. The pubsec employees will just be moved around, farmed out to new departments and generally overlooked until they can be out out to pasture...on the taxpayer's dime.

You've been in the bubble too long if you think for a second it's anywhere close to the same in the real world as it is in the public sector.

[VG Zaytsev]

Do you think GM got to where they are by some kind of exogenous misfortune or because the kept shuffling crappy managers around and becoming ever more bureaucratic?

[sloopyinca]

GM got where they are because of their union contracts and the federal government's refusal to let them relocate where auto construction could have been profitable.

We'll be saying the same about Boeing in a decade.

[VG Zaytsev]

GM got where they are because of their union contracts and the federal government's refusal to let them relocate where auto construction could have been profitable.

And those contracts just wrote themselves, apparently.

And GM never got in bed with government.

[sloopyinca]

Of course they did, but when you go to the negotiating table and the DoL is sitting across the table from you to the right of the Union negotiator, your hands are pretty much tied.

And when you're forbidden from relocating to right-to-work states by the same DoL and forced to keep plants open by the DoL, I'm sorry but you've got a lot less control than you'd like to have.

[VG Zaytsev]

Of course they did, but when you go to the negotiating table and the DoL is sitting across the table from you to the right of the Union negotiator, your hands are pretty much tied.

First of all, I'm probably the most anti-union person here.

Having said that, you are absolving the management that signed those contracts of any responsibility.

The reality is that they didn't give a shit because they weren't subject to competion, thanx to government action, and thought they could just pass on any amount of costs to their customers.

And beyond that, the union contracts didn't force them to design crappy cars by committee, let there qc go to shit or keep expanding their coporate bureaucracy every year, even as they were losing money.

And to your last point, tough shit. They made a deal with the devil that wound up burning them. The sooner they disappear the better for everyone.

[John]

No VG,

GM is the private sector. They are like Gods over there.

[sloopyinca]

That's not what I said, dickface. But if you want to pretend that GM personifies the private sector, you feel free to go ahead and keep deluding yourself.

The private sector is Carls, Jr. It's the Chinese laundry shop down the street. It's the Cat dealership a lot more than it is Cat itself. It's Ikea and Old Navy and your local State Farm agency.

[John]

Sloopy,

Have you ever worked for a large corporation? If you haven't, then you are talking out of your ass. I have. And I can tell you they are no better than government. They just have less power to affect your life.

You are just wrong on this. I have lived both sides. I know plenty of people, including my father who worked for a large corporation for 37 years, to know just how stupid and fucked up and how many worthless people either keep their jobs or worse go right to the top in the private sector.

I am not insane. You are just fucking stupid. I mean like major league never have been out of your fucking house stupid.
\
Private sector employees better show a value to their employer or else they're subject to getting canned.

That is the funniest thing I have ever read in my life. Are you aware there is such a thing called the civil rights laws? Do you know how many people game that system and keep their jobs via the threat to sue or go to the EEOC? It is fucking impossible to fire someone in a large corporation. Corporations are just like government. They don't let their managers just fire people. They have an HR and a system in place. And just like government, most managers are too lazy or don't have time to follow the system so no one ever gets fired.

You are profoundly ignorant about how actual corporations work. I have a news flash for you, it doesn't work like the Ayn Rand novels. John Galt doesn't actually run a corporation.

[sloopyinca]

What, do you think I have never worked for a larger corporation? I've worked for the biggest company in my industry, who did about $4B a year in sales. And trust me, there was some bureaucracy...we were even Canadian-based which meant two levels of bureaucracy to deal with. But every person I came in contact with had to prove their value to the company on a daily basis or they were subject to getting axed.

As to the civil rights laws, they're pretty easy to comply with: you just don't expose yourself or your company to a selective enforcement or wrongful termination suit. And the easy way to do that is to never, ever give an employee a reason for termination. Simply say they are being let go without cause and they have no claim. Try that in the public sector.

And I've never, ever been successfully sued for the way I've handled my employees. And I'm hard as nails but as fair as I could possibly be. So don't tell me I don't know shit. Every job I've had, I've been successful in and made my company better. Perhaps that's why I see things differently. The levels I've tended to be at put me at a level filled with top performers. And I've always worked in industries where sales volume and commission rate are paramount to success. The numbers don't lie and that's what we're all judged by. There's no bullshit "subjective metrices" or other happy-feely HR analysis of employees: you bring value or you go away.

[sloopyinca]

As a matter of fact, I couldn't stand working for a company that didn't operate that way. I despise being around weak players and just refuse to tolerate it. In my new job, I have about 1/3 of my sales team I inhereted not meeting their goals and not taking the steps I've laid out to them to improve. I have about 1/3 that were not meeting their goals but are taking the steps I've lined out and are showing improvement and higher skill levels. And I have about 1/3 of them meeting my expectations the day I showed up and exhibiting a strong work ethic. Guess which one of those groups will be getting their walking papers pretty soon (without cause)?

And you can give me all the bullshit you want about "working for big corporations". The overwhelming majority of the people out there don't work for megacorporations, so that doesn't really apply. They either provide a positive ROI for their owner (who likely sees them perform their duties) or they GTFO.

[John]

You are just incredibly naive sloopy. Lots of people don't provide ROI for the owners. Some are nice people or relatives and just slide by. Some fuck their bosses. Some have dirt on their bosses. Some intimidate their bosses.

And you assume that the owner of even a medium corporation has any fucking idea how productive every employee is. He has no idea. All he knows is the bottom line. And the bottom line is usually the result of a few very productive people and a whole lot of other people tagging along. That is how life really works. It doesn't work like the textbooks tell you it does.

[sloopyinca]

I'm naive? Says the man inside the bubble.

And the owner of that medium-sized company better have people he can count on to identify the value of each employee or else he's destined to fail.

I guess I've just always worked for companies that were growing, ran fairly lean payrolls (at least in the divisions I worked in) and tried to maximize the bottom line. Of course, we all received bonuses based on the bottom line, so it was in our interest to cut dead weight or under-performing people as soon as they were identified.

Perhaps I should try to get on with a failing enterprise like GM so I can get a better perspective on what makes the corporate world like the government. I'd rather keep working for companies that are growing and pay me fat bonuses for keeping my payroll and other overheads in check.

[Rasilio]

Hate to tell you this Sloopy but the private sector is indeed just as bad as the public sector in a large majority of cases, with both large and small employers.

I have seen it happen time and time again, companies tolerate incompetent employees because they are either afraid to fire them or just don't want to go through the hassle of hiring someone new.

Hell I was once a manager of a mostly offshored team and couldn't not figure out what my team was doing all day so I built a system to loosely track peoples time, I could only account for 20% of it. I took the information to my bosses and laid out how we could get the same work done with a team 1/3rd the size by shifting to a 70-30 offshore-onsite model (we were at 95-5) and save the company over $100,000 a year in the process and they just weren't interested in hearing it because they didn't want to rock the boat.

In another case we were going to buy an automation tool, we evaluated the 2 market leaders, one of which was a product I was intimately familiar with and had already developed a working test framework that we could quickly adapt and cost about 1/3rd what the other product cost, the other was the market leader and from HP who we already purchased a large amount of software from, somehow against my recommendation they decided to purchase the more expensive product.

[Rasilio]

Yes private companies are all about the bottom line, problem is the lines of communication and information make knowing what is best for the bottom line impossible leading to the same sort of bureaucratic calcification present in government agencies possible.

[VG Zaytsev]

What, do you think I have never worked for a larger corporation? I've worked for the biggest company in my industry, who did about $4B a year in sales. And trust me, there was some bureaucracy...we were even Canadian-based which meant two levels of bureaucracy to deal with. But every person I came in contact with had to prove their value to the company on a daily basis or they were subject to getting axed.

Bullshit.

Before I started my own business, I worked for companies in a competitive sector of various sizes and all of them had dead weight employees that were kept on for a number of reasons; they were good at bullshitting their superiors or they had been there a long time and the owners psychologically couldn't pull the trigger, or they were some performers friend or the management was worried about a wrongful termination lawsuit.

And the larger the company the more people as a percentage fit those descritpions and the more office politics played in all decisions.

[VG Zaytsev]

John is correct.

The problem is size and lack of competition. Which always effect government organizations but can also effect private ones.

[Fluffy]

There's also the fact that many of our largest corporations by and large make their money by...working with government.

And in the course of making themselves acceptable parties to do business with the government, they...become more like the government.

[sloopyinca]

I've never worked in an industry or for a company that wasn't in an ultra-competitive marketplace. In retrospect, my view of the public sector may be skewed by this.

But I'd never work in the alternative. There's not enough incentive (read: bonus structure) to drag me away.

[sloopyinca]

I just realized John sounds like one of those mongoloids over at HuffPo that laments big corporations and praises the government for doing such a great job.

[John]

Yeah, that is what I said. Or maybe I understand that people are generally the same no matter where they are. And that most human organizations suck and do a good job at things when they do in spite of themselves?

To anyone who has ever worked in business your statements are laughable. Everyone in the private sector produces ROI? Yeah, everyone is just great at their job and loves it. No one ever hates their job and half assses it. And no one ever slides along doing just enough not to get fired. And the solution to every management problem is just to fire everyone who isn't giving an ROI. yeah, because there are just all of these potential super star employees out there just waiting to be hired. The next guy won't be just as bad or worse as the guy you just fired. Nope. The private sector is a model of efficiency at all levels.

Think about what you are saying sloopy. Think about it for a bit and get back to us. I refuse to believe you are actually this stupid.

[sloopyinca]

Talk about mischaracterizing what someone said. I said people either need to justify their ROI or GTFO. I never said there aren't incompetent people in the private sector that either failed at identifying poor performers or didn't mismanage their company, but at the end of the day, if you're not making money, you're going to go out of business. So there is an inherent need to succeed.

I guess I've just been luck enough to never have gone to work for a poorly run small company or poorly run division of a large company. Either that or I got out the hatchet upon arrival and immediately cut away dead weight (which I've done in the past).

And trust me, I've moved around a few times because I was sought out for my ability to make an employer more profitable.

Now, I'm off to the airport...where I'm going to catch an 80 mile flight, which is good value for the money for my owner.

[Eduard van Haalen]

A government code inspector who used to be a contractor in the private sector referred to his job as being almost like retirement.

[Suthenboy]

Oh good. The R's will put up another east coast liberal, call him a conservative, and then scratch their heads and wonder why they got their asses handed to them yet again by their base.

The D's will run another authoritarian/collectivist turd dressed up as a rock star who will make leaps and bounds towards making us an outright dictatorship. Ok, we kinda already are, but the mask will completely abandoned.

[sloopyinca]

The D's will run another authoritarian/collectivist turd dressed up as a rock star who will make leaps and bounds towards making us an outright dictatorship.

That was a long way to say they'll nominate Hillary.

[VG Zaytsev]

It's going to be really tough for them to sell a 70 year old Hillary as a rock star.

[sloopyinca]

Not to the idiots at Kos and HuffPo it isn't.

That's their base. And she's a woman. And the Clintons are adored. And it's sexist to point out a woman's age after Team Red nominated McCain. And blah, blah, blah....

The only thing that could sink a Hillary nomination is a signed letter from her personally telling General Carter Ham to stand down so she can watch Christopher Stevens get beaten to death.

[VG Zaytsev]

Yeah I don't think so.

Kids don't like crabby old women.

[NeonCat]

"With that letter Hillary proved she has what it takes to make decisive decisions to rectify personnel problems. Clearly she's not only the best candidate but perfect for the Presidency."

[sloopyinca]

::golf clap::

[John]

http://www.nbcwashington.com/n.....56971.html

According to charging documents, the victim told detectives she was expecting Mannina to visit her that morning and she let him into her home.

She said he briefly walked back out to his car to get his camera to "take photographs of her cat," but he returned with a red gym bag and used a stungun on her while her back was turned.

He then allegedly struck her in the face several times, used pepper spray on her and handcuffed her hands behind her back. Police said he also attempted to sexually assault her.

The woman said he eventually let her go, and she led him out of the home and drove herself to a hospital. She had been beaten so badly that a plate had to be surgically implanted in her face, The Washington Post reported.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/n.....56971.html

Some attorney at the Department of Labor did that and then offed himself after being arrested for it. How does someone go off the rails that badly?

[Eduard van Haalen]

Was he specifically trained *not* to tie up colleagues and attempt to sexually assault them?

[Fluffy]

It's possible he read one of these pieces that claims that statistically 90% of rapes go unreported, so he figured the odds were on his side.

That's the thing that always made me scratch my head about the "rape culture" people. By vastly inflating the statistics, they make it sound like rape is an easy crime to get away with. And if you think about it, that in and of itself should lead to...more rape.

[Lord Humungus]

Poll shows support to recall anti-gun Colorado Democrat
http://www.washingtontimes.com.....-democrat/

A poll by Public Opinion Strategies showed that 34 percent of district voters surveyed support the recall of state Senate President John Morse, versus 29 percent who oppose it. Another 33 percent said they were undecided on the recall effort, which is still in the signature-gathering phase.

When told that Mr. Morse sponsored an unsuccessful bill to make manufacturers and owners liable for crimes committed with their guns, however, undecided voters took sides. At that point 56 percent of those surveyed said they favor recalling the Colorado Springs Democrat.

[sloopyinca]

Does that mean that 75% of the undecideds said he should go or that 56% did?

Just curious.

[John]

http://www.thegatewaypundit.co.....ers-video/

Sharyl Attkisson

"I think I know. But I'm just not prepared to go into that. We're continuing our investigations. There are multifaceted looks at what to do next? Let me just say, whoever did it, to come into a private citizen's home, whether I'm a journalist or not, and look in my family's computer and look into my work computer? Well, it's outrageous."

Computer forensics can be pretty good. And it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Obama campaign were a bunch of amateurs who left behind all kinds of markers of who they were. What happens if it turns out that someone in the Obama campaign or Administration did this?

[sloopyinca]

Then that person gets thrown under the bus as a "rogue" actor and the Obama fellation from our media continues apace?

[John]

In some quarters sure. But the media actually does get pissed off when the government goes after them. They wouldn't give a flying fuck if Obama were shooting a bunch of Republicans in Kansas. But bug a journalist? That is serious there.

As fucked up as it is, this would probably be one scandal that would stick to Obama. It will be like Al Capone going to prison for tax evasion.

[sloopyinca]

They'll go balls-out for the person the Obama admin sacrifices for the cause. And they'll demand their pound of flesh...but they'll take pains to make sure there is a buffer between that person and the WH. They aren't all too young to remember what happened to Team Red after Watergate. They'll be damned if they let one little scandal cause they same thing to happen to their Team.

[VG Zaytsev]

They won't even do that.

They'll just ignore it as a story.

We've had AG Holder blatantly lie to Congress on multiple occasions and the same with the NSA director and the media just collectively shrugged their shoulders. As they've done with all of the scandals mentioned below.

Face it, we have a less honest press than the old Soviet citizens had with Pravda and Izvestia.

[VG Zaytsev]

What happens if it turns out that someone in the Obama campaign or Administration did this?

If he was a republican they'd crucify him.

Since he's not, they won't.

Are you really naive enough to believe otherwise? After Fast & Furious, Benghazi, the IRS Scandal and PRISM you think the media isn't going to cover for this asshole? Really??

[Enough About Palin]

Two corrections officers have been charged with dealing pot to inmates at Rikers Island, New York City's jail complex.

Charges? They should be getting humanitarian awards.

[The Late P Brooks]

I think I know. But I'm just not prepared to go into that.

"He seemed like such a nice guy, what with the "hope" and the "change". I thought he was different. But then there was that one night when he came home drunk and fucked me in the ass and took all the money out of my purse, AND HE NEVER EVEN CALLED ME AFTER THAT! Why doesn't he call me?"

[BigT]

Dear Dr. XXXXX:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding your desire to see President Obama impeached. Having recently been sworn into office, I appreciate your insight into this issue.

Presently, there has been no legislation introduced in the House relating to the impeachment of President Obama. As you may recall from the 1990's, impeaching a President is no simple task. The impeachment process provides a mechanism for removal of a President, Vice President, or other federal civil officers found to have engaged in "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." The Constitution places the responsibility and authority to determine whether to impeach and to draft articles of impeachment in the hands of the House of Representatives. If the House then votes to impeach and votes for articles of impeachment specifying the grounds upon which impeachment is based, the matter is then presented to the Senate for trial.

[BigT]

Under the Constitution, the Senate then has the power to try an impeachment. A conviction must be supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate. A conviction on any one of the articles of impeachment brought against an individual is sufficient to constitute conviction in the trial of the impeachment. Upon conviction, the Senate must determine what the appropriate judgment is in the case. The Constitution limits the judgment to either removal from office or removal and prohibition against holding any future offices of "honor, Trust or Profit under the United States."

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. Please be assured that I will keep your concerns in mind moving forward. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Sincerely,

David P. Joyce
Member of Congress

[Meerkatx]

http://www.alternet.org/cop-sh.....g-children

Guess there were no dogs around.