A.M. Links: George H. W. Bush Credits Obama For America Being a Gentler Nation, Head of Zetas Cartel Captured, Juror From Zimmerman Trial Speaks Out

Credit: Joseph Lozada/wikimedia

• Former President George H. W. Bush has said that the U.S. is a "kinder and gentler nation" because of President Obama. Seriously.

• Mexican marines have captured the head of the Zetas cartel.

• Juror B-37 from the George Zimmerman trial claims that the jury came to feel that the neighborhood watch volunteer genuinely feared for his life during his confrontation with Trayvon Martin.

• Red tape has forced a popular abortion clinic in Virginia to close.

• At least seven people were killed and 260 injured in clashes between Morsi supporters and police last night in Cairo.

• The Hubble Telescope has spotted Neptune's 14th moon.

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Comments

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Watch the video for #4. Barnes Varmint Grenade

The 7 Most Stupidly Overpowered Hunting Weapons

[Rich]

'Sup, niggas?

[WTF]

And apparently 'cracka' is not at all racist. Who knew?

[db]

What is up, my fellow crackers?

[UnCivilServant]

I've never really gotten that one. Not sure how it's supposed to offend me or somehow be offensive. (I have yet to see a slur for white people that got me even slightly purturbed.)

[Ted S.]

It wasn't until I became an avid Scrabble player that I learned the words OFAY and BUCKRA. Both of them are still in the official (for the NA Scrabble Players' Association) word list, but the dictionary that's published "for home and school" use under Milton Bradley's aegis removed them and a few hundred other "inappropriate" words about 20 years ago.

My favorite removal is the noun FATTY referring to a fat person. The adjective FATTY is still legal, so in school you can play that, FATTIER, and FATTIEST, but not FATTIES.

They also removed COMSYMP, of all things.

[Jon Lester]

I learned "ofay" 25 years ago because there was an all-white jazz band in town that called themselves The Ofays.

[KMA Too]

Never heard Buckra before, but that is hilarious.

Seriously, like Unciv said, I never really understood the "why". In fact, they make me laugh more than anything.

[Juice]

I've never heard either of these words before. I learned them here. I also had, honestly, never heard the term "coon" to refer to a black person until I went to college. And I grew up in the south.

[John Thacker]

Most offensive terms are not on their face offensive by their very meaning (okay, "porch monkey" obviously is), but simply the ill feelings and connotations behind it.

That's why anything used for a low status group can become offensive over time, even if initially a euphemism, and it's difficult to come up with names that stick as offensive to high status groups.

[Rasilio]

Cracka Please

[Mickey Rat]

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

"This article is about the minor league team. For the Negro league team, see Atlanta Black Crackers.

The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966."

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Apparently Ms. Jeantel is intelligent enough to rationalize her seemingly contradictory use of vocabulary. That's a win for the public school system.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Hubble Telescope has spotted Neptune's 14th moon.

And the NSA continues to watch Uranus.

[DontShootMe]

+1 groan

[Xenocles]

That's the TSA.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Not even the left really thinks Zimmerman is a cold blooded predator. How do I know? No liberated women are throwing themselves at him like at the Boston bombers. If the left REALLY thought him a killer, feminist gals would be demanding to have his babies.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I thought feminists were lesbians.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

That or ugly

[Ted S.]

Can't they be both?

(This is why there are no female libertarians....)

[anon]

We really gotta find that one black female libertarian that also happens to be a lesbian.

[T]

I'll get on that right after I find my breeding pair of unicorns.

[Atanarjuat]

I doubt there's much overlap between the two subsets of women "feminists" and "serial killer groupies".

[Lord Humungus]

Nearly 1 out of 10 Americans use smartphones during sex
http://www.digitaltrends.com/m.....uring-sex/

you kinky bastards.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Hey, it's got a really good vibrate function!

[Brett L]

"Pics or it didn't happen!" is the rallying cry of the younger generation.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I prefer to use my bluetooth. It makes my day-trading orders easier and it doesn't interfere with my monocle.

[Live Free or Diet]

How long before the Google-Monocle?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

It's been done.

[anon]

Only 1 out of ten admit to using their smartphones during sex.

[Rasilio]

How the hell are you using your phone during sex? I mean I suppose I could see stopping for a second when you get a message to see if it was important but I would consider that to be taking a momentary break not during the act.

[Brett L]

"Its Mother. No, don't stop, I can do both."

[KMA Too]

Wouldn't this be the more appropriate place utilizing the word sexting?

Or, do we just call it fuxting?

[Not a Libertarian]

I _really_ need to get my eyes checked when Lord Humungus posts.

"Nearly 1 out of 10 Americans use saxophones during sex"

Perhaps 1 out of 10 Presidents do...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Juror B-37 from the George Zimmerman trial claims that the jury came to feel that the neighborhood watch volunteer genuinely feared for his life...

Bingo!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Yes, but then she went and said that they acquitted Zimmerman "because of the heat of the moment and the stand your ground" so be prepared for lots more discussion of that.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

She said "stand your ground"? Really? What the holy fuck? How could anyone sit thru that entire court case and still think that stand your ground was involved?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Like I said on an earlier thread reporting this: what in the world?

[WTF]

It could be that Cooper brought up stand your ground previously and they just edited that out of the broadcast. Not saying they did, but I wouldn't put it past CNN.

[RBS]

Or she's been reading about the case since she went home.

[mad libertarian guy]

Yes. In an interview in which Cooper showed how thorough of a mendacious fuck he is.

The way he was badgering her is shameful to anyone with 1/2 a neuron in their skull. "How dare you, juror who sat through the entire trial and heard every scrap of evidence, NOT come up with the same pre-drawn conclusion as I wanted you to have?"

Fuck Anderson Cooper.

[Not a Libertarian]

Fuck Anderson Cooper.

Well he is bottom after all.

[Hash Brown]

But he wouldn't have wound up fearing for his life if he'd never gotten out of his truck! Or if he'd never bought a house in that neighborhood! Or if he'd never been born!

ZIMMERMAN'S FAULT!

[anon]

Pretty much exactly what I've read from the liberal sites. "BUT WHAT IF..."

What if I beat some of these "reporters" in the head with a fucking shovel until their face was as flat as the pavement?

[Hash Brown]

Exactly.

If Ron Goldman hadn't returned Nicole's sunglasses to her that night, he'd still be a live. So?

[Jeff]

A live what?

[Hash Brown]

A live wire. That dude knew how to party!

[Rasilio]

And it may well be from a moral standpoint.

Legally however this is irrelivant, the only things that matter are...

1) Is there enough evidence contradicting Zimmermans account of the final moments of the altercation to conclude he was be lying

2) Was it unreasonable for a person in Zimmermans position (assuming his account was true) to fear for his life

If the answer to either question had been yes then he could have been convicted.

Any other issues about why he was following Travon, or whether he was a racist, or power hungry cop wanna be are irrelivant

[mad libertarian guy]

Any other issues about why he was following Travon, or whether he was a racist, or power hungry cop wanna be are irrelivant

x1000

What he did, following Martin in his truck then subsequently in his car, may have incredibly stupid (it was), but none of that is criminal.

I'd also take issue, however, with Zimmerman if it could be proven that he started the fight itself. I don't buy the idea that one can start a fight and then get to claim self defense when you're getting a beat down in a fight you instigated. But there isn't anything but wishful thinking and conjecture to show that things didn't happen basically as Zimmerman portrayed them.

The left has simply dreamed up a scenario of Zimmerman seeing a black kid, grabbing his gun, and hunting him down in order to kill him simply because he was black. It's absurd, not to mention nothing more than a fantasy.

[mad libertarian guy]

following Martin in his truck then subsequently in his car on foot

FIFM

[Kaptious Kristen]

Apparently Stevie Wonder is refusing to play Sun City states that have a "stand your ground" law.

Stevie and his armed security guards, that is.

[Silver Fox]

Stevie and his armed security guards, that is.

But he's blind and wouldn't be able to protect himself! He's different!

[Apple]

He has no problem with the "Higher Ground" law, though.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Cleveland man wants Browns as pall bearers so they can "let him down one last time"

[Zakalwe]

If he had a pallbearer for every time this had been posted on H&R he wouldn't need the Browns.

[mnarayan]

The Golden Girls: How One TV Show Turned A Generation Of American Boys Into Homosexuals.

[Jon Lester]

I didn't know CW is a satire site until after I fell for that "Golden Girls" link yesterday, although the "About the Author" bit was a strong hint.

[Juice]

Have you seen the Golden Girls porn parody?

[Mike M.]

+6 feet under.

[Lord Humungus]

PWNED!

[Zakalwe]

Congratulations, I think you were the third person to post it, which puts you several spots ahead of this effort.

[Lord Humungus]

*raises right hand* I have never posted this pallbearer story. My sweaty hands were about to click the submit button, but I wavered at the last moment.

[Moe19]

This is getting to Rick roll territory.

[Lord Humungus]

More women in the boardroom? Europe considers forcing the issue.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World.....-the-issue

Christine Lagarde used to find them "offensive." Now the first female director of the International Monetary Fund sees gender quotas as a necessary, albeit temporary, tool to help women reach top jobs.

"At the end of the day, people will have to be convinced that [women] bring something to the table," the former French finance minister told the Dublin-based Irish European Movement, an independent, not-for-profit group aimed at enhancing the connection between Ireland and Europe, in March.

[ant1sthenes]

Non-European businesses must be torn between fearing the precedent and anticipating the crippling of their rivals' by their rivals' governments.

[Zakalwe]

I hope they don't really think that board composition is a critical factor to the success of many companies.

[ant1sthenes]

There is at least some marginal impact.

[Zakalwe]

"Well, fuck. We used to have this great product and a solid niche within our domestic economic and regulatory environment, but now we have to put 40% women on the board who will have no direct impact on our day to day operations, so we're crippled."

[ant1sthenes]

What people do in their day to day operations is based on the decisions made by people at the top.

[sgs]

"What people do in their day to day operations is based on the decisions made by people at the top."

After said decisions are filtered through 80 levels of middle, where the business equivalent of the game telephone has occurred and the "decisions" are something much different.

[WTF]

It's not like we're too far behind Europe in that respect.

[Zakalwe]

"At the end of the day, people will have to be convinced that [women] bring something to the table,"

Nothing convinces you of the justice of a cause like forcing people to do it no matter what they currently think.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Forcing people upward, rather than promoting on talent/abilities....excellent. This should make it easier for my employer (not based in the EU) to beat on its competition.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

We must not allow a rubber stamp gender gap!

[Silver Fox]

Sweden will be all over this one.

[mad libertarian guy]

albeit temporary

Just the tip, baby, just the tip.

[Eduard van Haalen]

""At the end of the day, people will have to be convinced that [women] bring something to the table"

Coffee and donuts?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Former President George H. W. Bush has said that the U.S. is a "kinder and gentler nation" because of President Obama.

Old timer's disease.

[WTF]

Alzheimer's is terrible, isn't it?

[Rich]

Really. Did you see his socks at the award ceremony?

[Hash Brown]

His trousers had that tell-tale puffiness around the waist.

[Auric Demonocles]

To be fair, all the unkind and violent elements have been removed via droning.

[anon]

"Heh, you got me wrong, boy. I'm sayin' Obama's a pussy."

[Rich]

Sorry, I LOLed.

[Drake]

Nope - HW sucked ass his entire life. Worthless fucker did everything possible to undue what Reagan accomplished.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Decent guy, but the man had been a government bureaucrat for so long that he succumbed to Top. Men. disease right around the fall of the Berlin Wall.

[Drake]

According to Ed Rollins, HW set about undoing Reagan's reforms on Day 1 of his Administration.

[Zakalwe]

So I moved to El Paso last weekend and have found a (pink) house. Anyone have any experience with this town and recommendations?

I've already found many of the worthwhile underground Mexican restaurant dives, but I fear "the country's largest tattoo and music festival" may be as exciting as it gets most of the time.

[Hash Brown]

El Paso? I fell in love with a Mexican girl out there.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, right?

[anon]

At a pink house?

[Hash Brown]

Yep, Marty Robbins.

[Lord Humungus]

sounds like the beginning of an Eagles song.

[Zakalwe]

There are a surprising number of songs that reference El Paso.

[Rich]

I'll ride this thumb 'til I see her again

[Atanarjuat]

Nice, that requires a link.

[Spoonman.]

Why El Paso? In the military?

I am from Texas but the furthest west I ever got was Del Rio.

[Zakalwe]

Yes. I just moved from Lawton, OK (Fort Sill), so this seems comparatively like achieving nirvana.

[Matrix]

Lawton, OK... the asshole of the state. Seriously, it's where all the shit is.

I spent the Summer of '09 there on TDY. I stepped off the plane at the Lawton airport into 107 degree temperatures.

Lawton really friggin' sucks. Typical military town. Just outside the gate "pawn shop, liquor store, pawn shop, liquor store, bar, pawn shop." Yeesh. I know two LTs from my BOLC class that got stationed there. I don't envy them.

I'm originally from Oklahoma. I'm not sure what would ever convince me to move to Lawton.

[John]

If the only other choice was McAlister.

[Matrix]

OU gets most of their players out of McAlister.

[Tejicano]

Is Kiki's still up and running? It is (was?) on Piedras a few blocks north of Richmond (what sceinic drive becomes after it comes off the mountain).

I grew uo in the neighborhood but haven't been back in decades...

[Zakalwe]

I did Kiki's last night, and I'm prepared to fight for the proposition that L&J Cafe is clearly better.

[Tejicano]

I wouldn't say either way. As I said - haven't beenback in a long time. El Paso exists in its own dimension unrelated to th reality most other beings know.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

El Paso exists in its own dimension unrelated to th reality most other beings know.

Based on what others have told me, El Paso might as well be an independent city-state, given its culture.

[Ted S.]

Everything you need to know about El Paso

[Warty]

I drove through El Paso once. From the highway, it looked like Juarez is where the real fun is.

[Tejicano]

You could say that.

In ways it makes Vegas look tame. In other ways it makes Beirut look safe.

[Zakalwe]

Naturally, they don't let soldiers go over there anymore.

[T]

Really? That's a shame. We practically lived there on the weekends back in the 88-91 timeframe.

[Rich]

The last time I was in Juarez they were having a cholera outbreak.

[Ted S.]

Wow! You gave Ju?rez cholera!

[Rich]

I *told* them not to drink my urine, but apparently my Spanish was bad.

[The Last American Hero]

Wow, your life is like a John Mellencamp song.

[Marc F Cheney]

Well ain't that America?

[Tejicano]

Obviously you've never been to El Paso.

El Paso is hardly America. It isn't even really Texas either. It's like a patch of skin from Mexico which they tried to graft onto that piece of the map but it never really took.

[Zakalwe]

With four days experience I wholeheartedly agree, but the far east side is looking more like America as they throw up more retail strips. I need to figure out how to short commercial real estate in the area.

Fort Bliss has this monstrosity of a post exchange/mall complex that looks like someone transplanted half a square mile of Plano to the middle of a military base. It's only slightly less overdone than the Honolulu Naval Exchange.

I was always suspicious of the widely quoted low murder rate in El Paso, but all of my restaurant and retail interactions have been the most polite of any city I've ever been in. I'm guessing it's cultural baggage from fear of being caught and deported that has remained through the generations.

[robc]

If you are still there on Dec 31, go the Sun Bowl. Apparently the locals support it as well as any bowl is supported.

Hopefully my school wont be there again. Two in a row is enough.

[Tejicano]

"widely quoted low murder rate in El Paso"

Yeah, not sure what happened but it sounds good.

I grew up with this guy who was quiet and soft spoken. He was jumped by a carload of guys who held him down and slit his throat five times. It left him with five livid, parallel scars halfway around his neck spanning from ear to collar. He didn't get into much trouble after that because (besides not being in his nature) it left him looking like some howling bad ass you couldn't kill with an army so people left him alone.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

"some howling bad ass you couldn't kill with an army"

Now that is a look!

[a better weapon]

I...I kind of want to go there now.

[Zakalwe]

It's surprisingly interesting and exceeding my expectations so far.

[Tejicano]

One thing I would recommend - learn about good Tequila (yes, it does exist) while you are there - if you haven't yet.

Never drink the standard stuff. Reposado grade is OK but I never drink anything less than Anejo (that "n" sould have a Tilde over it) grade. Top level Tequila can rival scotch and won't give you a hangover if you don't mix it with anything too strange.

[WTF]

Crap like Cuervo literally turns my stomache, but I happily drink Patron straight up all night. There really is a huge difference with the top-end Tequilas.

[Tejicano]

Ha! I'm drinking Patron Anejo as I type this.

Cuervo is for tourists - except for their "1800" line. Brands I will drink are Chinaco, Patron, Olmeca, Don Julio, Aha Toro, and a few other obscure brands when I find them.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Reserva de la Familia, imo.

[Gray Ghost]

You could go get a pair of Rocketbusters.

If you go to Sunland Park (just over in N.M., Billy Crews has o.k. steakhouse fare with an absolutely ginormous wine list and not much markup. I think they've not updated some of the prices since they bought those wines back in the 80's.

That's all I got. Usually, I've try to zip through El Paso as fast as possible, as I'm just passing through and I've another few hundred miles to drive..

[Lord Humungus]

Stork lays siege to village with car attacks
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130712-50839.html

The bird has also been pecking at windows and glass doors, leaving some residents scared to leave their homes.

"How do we protect ourselves?" local woman Johanna Preu? asked the Nord Kurier newspaper. She was woken up at 5am on Friday by the large white bird, beak pressed against her terrace door.

"We saw the bird hacking away at our family car," Bergholz resident Kerstin Werth told the newspaper. "After we scared it away there it was, going at our neighbour's car," she said,

these are obviously not the same Germans who invaded Russia.

[DontShootMe]

Didn't most of those Germans die in the mud and snow?

[Brett L]

I'm pretty sure a 12 gauge shotgun will sort that problem right out.

[Live Free or Diet]

I'm pretty sure a 12 gauge shotgun will sort that problem right out.

Raccoons grab storks all the time. I used to have a tomcat that would go after them, but I'm not aware of him ever making a kill.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Does no one in germany own even a pellet gun or a slingshot? We had a wild turkey in our neighborhood growing up that was chasing all the kids around. While the adults were talking about calling animal control, my buddy and I went out with our bb guns and got rid of the damned thing.

these are obviously not the same Germans who invaded Russia.

That's apparent.

[db]

I suggest a new cocktail called a Turkey Chaser. Wild Turkey and cranberry juice.

[Brett L]

These Germans can't handle Wild Turkey, even mixed.

[db]

I suggest a shotgun.

[Lord Humungus]

Edmonton man wakes up with lipstick on, goes beserk
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/s.....85256.html

The 30-year-old man flew into an inexplicable rage when two women he and a friend had been socializing with applied make-up to his face after he had passed out at a party at an Edmonton townhouse.

As the two men were leaving the home the following morning, the gussied up Gerun realized what had been done to him and became "extremely angry," said Crown prosecutor Laura Marr.

Gerun smashed two windows with a shovel and a propane tank, respectively, and then reached through the shattered window and blasted bear spray throughout the kitchen.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

A. Don't be such a pussy that you're that guy who passes out at the party.

B. Wipe it off.

[tarran]

My love for you is like a truck, Berserker
Would you like some making fuck, Berserker
My love for you is like a rock, Berserker

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

+ 37

[Atanarjuat]

The funniest part is I know many Russians who actually talk that way. They love to curse, but don't care to learn the language very well, so end up saying things like "fucker of mother!"

[kinnath]

bath of blood

[Brett L]

That would be weird because the Russian word for motherfucker is materybetz or something like that.

[Jon Lester]

I have a copy of this book:

http://markrwayne.blogspot.com.....lstoy.html

[SugarFree]

"Coral? CORAL?!? You motherfuckers know I AM AN AUTUMN! ARGH!"

[Ted S.]

Perhaps the make-up had bath salts in it or something.

[db]

I saw this in a Jack Links commercial.

[Brett L]

Way to double down on your reputation for poor decision making and lack of impulse control, ass.

[anon]

What the fuck is bear spray?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

A cologne for large gay men

[Lord Humungus]

STEVE SMITH repellant?

[SugarFree]

STEVE SMITH repellant attractant.

[Ted S.]

I don't think there's anything that repels STEVE SMITH.

[anon]

Female Libertarians?

[Lord Humungus]

now we (really) know why there are no female libertarians.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

"Red tape has forced a popular abortion clinic in Virginia to close."

Regulations strangling something?! NEVER!

I cannot wait for the arguments that come forth on this from the Derp Side.

[Tonio]

Oh, come on. The Derp Side doesn't reason consistently based upon application of principles; it's intentions all the way down. See, this is a bad regulation because the intentions behind it were bad.

BTW, I like Derp Side. Is that yours?

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

I may have absorbed it by osmosis from H&R. Hanging out here sharpens your wits.

[anon]

That's until you start drinking whiskey straight at 8 am.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Don't tempt me...

[Ska]

I have seen DeRps (as in Dems + Reps), but have not seen it applied to one of the two.

[SKR]

this is derp not DeRp. I suggest you google derp and check out the images.

[John Thacker]

That particular one was targeted by regulation, largely because a woman having an abortion there last year, after something went wrong and it took too long for her to get to the hospital. I know she was diabetic; not sure if that contributed.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

"Red tape has forced a popular abortion clinic in Virginia to close."

I love how they describe it like a go-to local hangout spot.

[seguin]

"It's Ladies Night here at the Clinic! Free Bloody Mary with every induced miscarriage!"

[Eduard van Haalen]

The legislature isn't pretending that this regulation won't affect the targeted "business;" in fact, they're trying to make it harder to do abortions in Va.

And they're also trying to make abortions "safe" for the woman, as the Democrats say they're trying to do.

[mad libertarian guy]

Live by the regulatory state, and eventually it comes to get you.

[Lord Humungus]

John Bolton: America has a strategic interest in staying in Afghanistan
http://triblive.com/opinion/fe.....z2Z7PPvuuD

Thus explained, Americans are far more likely to support the necessary war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Of course, if our political "leaders" fail to make this case, we will learn the lesson only when the terrorists attack us again, perhaps this time with nuclear weapons.

We can avoid this outcome but it requires leadership plainly missing from Barack Obama. The question is whether Republicans have the capacity and the will to fill in the void Obama has left.

[Slammer]

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Has John Bolton ever opposed an intervention anywhere?

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Sure...um....in that one place...uh...?

[Stormy Dragon]

Yes, he was opposed to John Bolton being sent to intervene in Vietnam.

[Lord Humungus]

lol

[CampingInYourPark]

Zimmerman's lawyer calls prosecutors 'disgrace' to profession

"They are a disgrace to my profession," O'Mara said, referring specifically to de la Rionda and Corey. "They said my client was 'lucky' to have been acquitted. Really?"

http://www.reuters.com/article.....4R20130716

[Night Elf Mohawk]

de la Rionda is talking shit about Zimmerman's decision not to testify. He really is an odious fuck.

[Seriously?]

Seriously.

[Brett L]

I'd be pissed, too. O'Mara beat them like a rented mule. It's like hearing some dude who got KO'd in the first round talk about the other fighter getting a lucky break.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

If I were a FL lawyer, I'd have already filed the complaint with the fathers of the bar, to get the two assclown prosecutors disbarred. Withholding evidence, slandering an exonerated man, etc.

[a better weapon]

If the Tawana Bradley lawyers lost their license over her case, surely Corey and/or de la Rionda will.

[Ted S.]

Aren't all lawyers a disgrace?

[Juice]

Not all. Some are, in fact, heroes.

[anon]

"They said my client was 'lucky' to have been acquitted. Really?"

Yup. Amazing those 6 female jurors saw right past those appeals to emotion and went for the facts. Also, lucky the prosecution had about jack shit. Luck, all the way down, I tell ya!

[Live Free or Diet]

Zimmerman's lawyer calls prosecutors 'disgrace' to profession

In other news, he says Waste Management crews are trashing their profession.

[Dweebston]

You want an odious profession, let's talk about those fishmongers.

[Lord Humungus]

Mother's anger over 'water refusal'
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.....16011.html

A mother has spoken of her anger after her 10-year-old boy was told not to drink water during one of the hottest days of the year because the teacher feared it might upset other pupils fasting for Ramadan.

[WTF]

Since when does fasting preclude drinking water?

[Zakalwe]

Ramadan fasting does include a prohibition on drinking. When I was in Afghanistan our district governor's bodyguard were lightly but vigorously beating a teenager with their shoes one day. My interpreter told me they'd caught him drinking water...as he drank refrigerated water in my private office in the district center.

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Yeah, never so crabby a bunch of Afghans as Ramadan in the summertime. Gah!

[Fluffy]

Since when does YOUR fast preclude ME drinking water?

[RBS]

Yeah, at least someone noticed that.

[Tonio]

It doesn't.

And this was also in England. 'Nuff said.

[Seamus]

Since when does fasting preclude drinking water?

When you're a Muslim during Ramadan. Yeah, I know it's stupid, but Allah makes the rules, not me.

[a better weapon]

I coached a lacrosse summer camp a few years back during Ramadan and some tough ass Muslim kid didn't take any water breaks. It was really pretty fucking impressive.

[Tonio]

Catholic fasting doesn't preclude that. FTFA: "During the lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset."

Also, FTFA, the student wasn't forbidden, but asked to "consider" the other students. Sorry, but given the dynamics of power which teachers have over students, this is tantamount to refusal.

[Matrix]

Jewish fasting, especially on major fast days (26 hour fasts on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av), are complete... no food or liquids, except for those who have medical needs.

[Juice]

except for those who have medical needs

God didn't want them to follow that rule so he gave them an ailment. It's His way of saying, "take it easy on this one in particular."

[Timon 19]

During Ramadan, you may not:
eat
drink
chew gun
smoke
have sex
have an argument or otherwise be unjustifiably aggressive *

between sunrise and sunset (or rather their associated prayer times).

* - unless you catch someone violating this and you're someone who enforces this garbage

[Brett L]

That teacher was charged with n number of child abuse, same as a parent who accidentally leaves their kid in a hot car, right? Where n is the number of pupils in her class.

[Rich]

It'll be awesome when one of those kids *dies* from dehydration, 'cause he'll be a Martyr.

[Tonio]

Well, it is England so that's unlikey.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The Brits have turned into total pussies.

[Brett L]

Oh, shit. This was Britain? Well,fuck. The hottest day of the year in Portsmouth is probably 78F and cloudy. Those kids are fine. I was thinking this was America where it actually gets hot in the summer.

[anon]

because the teacher feared it might upset other pupils fasting for Ramadan.

Yeah, fuck you bitch, you and your Ramadan fasters are just gonna have to be upset.

[mad libertarian guy]

Yeah, fuck you bitch, you and your Ramadan fasters are just gonna have to be upset.

^^THIS^^

[Kaptious Kristen]

I was in Turkey and Syria during Ramadan in '93. The Turks aren't all that religious in general and most restaurants and convenience stores were open during the day. Syria has (had?) a large Xtian population, so we were able to rustle up grub and were even invited to smoke our cigs in the attic of a shop in the souq. Never had to experience the full-on deprivation of the month, thank dog. But the iftars were awesome. I'm always willing to pig out. As it were.

[Timon 19]

Yeah, the Turks don't really give a damn.

In the UAE, if you're even kinda-sorta flaunting the rules openly, they will come down on you. It's like the only time they actually hold foreigners to anything like the same standard as locals.

Fortunately, there are hotel restaurants that offer service, because eating dinner can be a massive adventure, as EVERYONE is eating out.

[Xenocles]

I thought the age threshold was higher for requiring Ramadan fasting. Like you had to be an adult or something.

[SugarFree]

It's puberty, but children are often encouraged to participate as least somewhat to prepare them for the life-long duty.

[Xenocles]

Ah. My neighbors' kids don't seem to be participating, but they're under seven. Thanks.

[Apatheist ?_??]

When I was in middle school at a Brit school there was an asshole Muslim kid who was already boozing and doing drugs at 12/13 but during Ramadan he made a big point of pointing out that he couldn't even drink water. He sucked on ice cubes and spat out the water instead.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Next thing you know, he'll be wolfing down a BLT in front of the other students and saying "mmm mmm, I love me some nice, crispy bacon!"

(PS - the incident took place in England, though it was reported in a Belfast paper - I initially thought, "gosh, they're trying really hard to be inclusive in Northern Ireland!")

[Fluffy]

The abortion clinics in VA and TX need upgrades in the million dollar range to be able to operate.

So what the fuck? If the feminists needed to raise a million bucks to get Amanda Marcotte a vibrator, they'd do it.

Raise the money, make the upgrades and tell the state governments to go fuck themselves. Why is this that hard?

Stupid shit on Kickstarter raises that much money every day.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Is this sarcastic?

How about we not burden these establishments with these silly regulations to begin with?

[Fluffy]

That is of course my default position.

But the regulations are there now.

We can either undertake the upgrades and keep the clinics open, or not undertake them and let the clinics close.

I don't have a million bucks laying around, but there are pro-choice advocates who DO. And they'll happily spend that much on "the cause" in other contexts.

[robc]

It depends what their real "cause" is. The clinics failing may better help the "cause" of getting the right people elected.

[ant1sthenes]

It's the sheer gall of suggesting that red tape is something that could be used against progressives, instead of being something progressive technocrats use against uppity peasants. Thin slice of the wedge.

[Ted S.]

I wish I could figure out a way to make a million bucks by selling a vibrator.

[SugarFree]

If you could invent anything that would get that look of prim and deliberate disgust off of Marcotte face, it would make you some money, at least in mining and tunnel construction.

[Brett L]

I've got one word for you, son, just one word: Teledildonics.

[Tonio]

Well, if you created a special abortion clinic upgrade funding vibrator, similar to all those pink ribbon products, yeah.

[Fluffy]

Dude.

We must do this.

[Xenocles]

We can donate "the profits" to clinics. Of course, the difference between the price and the cost of making the product will be our salaries...

[John]

Yup. But doing that would take away their ability to bitch about it. And bitching is more important than the clinics. Remember, most of the women who are angry about this would never have an abortion themselves. So what do they care what condition the clinic is in?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

If we only bitched about things that directly impacted us there'd be a lot less bitching. I can oppose the estate tax even though I'm not wealthy enough to have to pay it, and I can oppose burdensome regulations on abortions even though I'm not ever going to get one.

[John]

Sure you can. But if you really think abortions are a fundemental right, you should be willing to put up some of your own money to keep them that way. The law probably isn't going to change. Spending the money to upgrade the clinics doesn't mean you agree with the law. It just means you want the clinics to stay open bad law or not. They haven't even thought of crowd sourcing the upgrades because they want the clinics to close. They would rather have their closure to use as a political weapon than for the clinics to stay open.

[mad libertarian guy]

But if you really think abortions are a fundemental right, you should be willing to put up some of your own money to keep them that way.

This.

I'm forced to spend an extra $30-$40 on every out-of-state gun transfer I make in order to satisfy the regulatory burden of gong through a background check, surely women seeking abortions can be weighed down with regulatory burden of their own.

[Jordan]

Former President George H. W. Bush has said that the U.S. is a "kinder and gentler nation" because of President Obama. Seriously.

Paging Barfman.

[Slammer]

City of Ft. Worth contractors demolish wrong house

[Matrix]

TOP. MEN.

But yeah, the city should be forced to rebuild his home to the same specs and pay for replacement of all the personal items in the home.

[SugarFree]

Bachmann aide arrested in string of thefts in Rayburn building

Capitol Police arrested an aide to Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) after a series of thefts from the Rayburn House Office Building.

Javier Sanchez, 37, was arrested last Thursday, a Capitol Police spokesman said.

Capitol Police were made aware of the thefts "earlier this year" and identified Sanchez after an investigation, said Shennell Antrobus, a spokesman for the department. Sanchez was arrested for theft II ? allegedly stealing less than $1,000 worth of goods.

Couldn't have just stuck to pressuring interns for sex, could you?

[Fluffy]

He needed the money to pay for his gay conversion therapy.

[SugarFree]

If he'd lose weight, Bachmann's husband would "treat" him for free.

[Lord Humungus]

why he's a modern day Robin Hood, taking back what the government has stolen from us!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

No Hispanic neighborhood watchmen in that area?

[Jordan]

The amount of scum and villainry concentrated in that area is too great. It would be like trying to fight the tide.

[UnCivilServant]

You can fight the tide - it requires destroying the moon.

[Zakalwe]

As if Bachmann needed more evidence not to let Mexicans into the country.

[wareagle]

white hispanic?

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

Beat me to it!

[Brett L]

Seriously, this guy is too small to ever make it big in politics.

[Rich]

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY): No, I think it's possible if the police had got a black Zimmerman, the question would be whether they would have beat him to death

No one can deny it's possible that Rangel ... well, you know.

[Fluffy]

I actually think that's a fair evaluation.

If a black adult male with a handgun indicated that he had been following a white female 17 year old around a neighborhood at night, and that she started to beat him up so he shot her, there is definitely a non-zero probability that the cops would have beaten him to death. At the least, they would have laughed in his face and arrested him.

[Hash Brown]

No doubt. But why some people (not you) think this means Zimmerman should have been convicted is beyond me.

[Fluffy]

But why some people (not you) think this means Zimmerman should have been convicted is beyond me.

I don't think he should have been convicted, based on the evidence the prosecution offered and their theory of the crime.

But I am also not willing to completely throw out or disregard black anger over what they see as "systemic" racism in the system.

Because based on your "no doubt" answer, there is substantial latent racism (and frankly much more sexism, and as John points out below classism) in the assumptions people bring to bear when they arrive in the courtroom.

If you claim self-defense and the person you shot is a poor black male, people will inherently be more willing to accept it than if the person you shot is a middle class white female.

And if you're not supposed to consider anything but the evidence actually offered in the courtroom, that shouldn't happen. So the evidence-based positivism people think they're bringing to this really isn't.

[Hash Brown]

I think most people here are saying that there should be evidence-based positivism, and in this case there apparently was.

At the same time, people have prejudices. No justice system is going to get around that.

[ant1sthenes]

If you claim self-defense and the person you shot is a poor black male, people will inherently be more willing to accept it than if the person you shot is a middle class white female.

That sort of prejudice against poor, young black males is not really going to get any better as long as poor, young black males decide the right reaction to the GZ decision is to beat the shit out of some random white or Hispanic person.

[Stormy Dragon]

So if one young black male commits a crime, that makes all young black males suspicious?

[sgs]

Did I miss all the denouncing of Trayvon's actions by the people shouting racism?

[mad libertarian guy]

Did I miss all the denouncing of Trayvon's actions by the people shouting racism?

No. Because there hasn't been any. What there has been is a making up scenarios whole-cloth stemming from nothing but wishful thinking about what the Angel 17 year old boy must have done.

[ant1sthenes]

Not reasonably, but we're talking about prejudice. And I'm specifically talking about the credibility of Zimmerman's story, in which he claimed that a black teen beat the shit out of him without provocation. If the response to that is for a lot of black teens (not just one) to beat the shit out of strangers without provocation, it certainly isn't hurting his case, however statistically insignificant we may find such attacks to be.

[VG Zaytsev]

But I am also not willing to completely throw out or disregard black anger over what they see as "systemic" racism in the system.

And that perception couldn't be caused by race hustlers and grievance mongers could it.

Nope, they have legitimate historic grievances, just like the Serbs in Yugoslavia did.

[Rasilio]

"Because based on your "no doubt" answer, there is substantial latent racism (and frankly much more sexism, and as John points out below classism) in the assumptions people bring to bear when they arrive in the courtroom."

I disagree, I don't think the issues are so much in the courtroom as they are in the police.

Had the races of Zimmerman and Martin been reversed it is FAR more likely that a black Zimmerman would have been arrested on the spot and possibly subjected to police brutality, however the eventual outcome would have either been a plea bargain down to a minor charge of reckless endangerment or an acquittal for the same reasons the actual Zimmerman was acquitted

[Eduard van Haalen]

"If you claim self-defense and the person you shot is a poor black male, people will inherently be more willing to accept it than if the person you shot is a middle class white female."

If your story is that a person was pounding your head into the pavement ad your feared for your life, you would be more credible if the person doing the alleged pounding was a male (of any race) - if you say some woman or 17 y/o girl was threatening your life, regardless of the woman's race, your credibility would be damaged.

[Rich]

In the interest of fairness, the complete quote: No, I think it's possible if the police had got a black Zimmerman, the question would be whether they would have beat him to death and then threw handcuffs on him and dragged him into the precinct.

[Brett L]

Where does he think this happened? NYC?

[John]

I think it depends on who the black man and the teenager are. If the black man is poor and living in a bad neighborhood, and the white teenager is some preppy, sure. But if he is living in a good neighborhood and is by all appearances a middle class guy and the teenager looks like a thug, no way. Class drives police as much or more than race. Being middle or upper class is what gets you a pass from police, not being white. Poor whites get fucked with just as much as poor blacks do. Middle class blacks can get fucked with sometimes, but not if they are in a confrontation with a poor white.

[Dweebston]

Also, Rangel's scenario elides Zimmerman's behavior after the shooting: waiting for police and making an earnest show of having been attacked, head wounds included. I doubt police would have seen fit to beat a cooperative and clearly injured Zimmerman whatever his ethnicity.

[Lord Humungus]

Marc Thiessen: Force-feeding is not torture
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....story.html

If force-feeding detainees really constitutes torture under international law, then why does the United Nations do it? In 2006, the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ordered the force-feeding of Serbian warlord Vojislav Seselj, who was protesting his prosecution. "The trial .?.?. should not be undermined by the accused's manipulative behaviour," the U.N. judges declared in a statement, adding that under international law force-feeding is not "torture, inhuman or degrading treatment if there is a medical necessity to do so .?.?. and if the manner in which the detainee is force-fed is not inhuman or degrading."

Did the U.N. court commit torture? If force-feeding detainees is good enough for the Hague, it's good enough for Guantanamo Bay.

[Jordan]

Good lord, that's pathetic.

[John]

The Brits ran into this in the 1970s with IRA prisoners. And they ignored them and let a few of them starve to death. Once the rest of them figured out starving themselves wasn't going to accomplish anything, they stopped. Force feeding is the dumbest thing you can do. It is torture. And it brings attention to the case in addition to prolonging the protest. If they want to starve themselves to death, let them. Either they will all starve and what to do with them will no longer be an issue or they will give up. Either way the problem will solve itself.

[anon]

Force feeding is the dumbest thing you can do.

Fucking agreed. If they wanna die, fucking let them. Why waste the time/effort?

Also, why are these assholes still locked up? Are any of them actually terrorists, or did they just have a massive stack of parking tickets?

[John]

They are still locked up because neither Obama nor Bush had the balls to run proper military tribunals or let them go. They should have been tried and let go or convicted years ago. The few tribunals we have had have produced fair results. When the government put Bin Ladin's chauffeur on trial, they thought they were going to get this big sentence only to see the guy get time served and sent home. Try them before military courts and hang the few like KSM who really are worthy of it and send the rest home or get a set sentence.

[Dweebston]

The left wanted Bush's feet held to the fire on the Guantanamo issue, and to their credit rallied around Obama's promises to see it emptied out. But his voters are easily corralled and more easily placated, like certain breeds of farmyard livestock, and with only a few outliers on the left and the tiny minority of libertarians not actively trying to shield the administration from its own promises, Guantanamo effectively disappeared from the electorate's collective memories. There are so many more pressing issues now, like universal birth control privileges.

[anon]

Don't forget ABORSHUN!

[John]

The problem is that there are people there guilty of pretty horrible things but that the evidence against them might not meet the strict standards of federal court. The solution is you run a tribunal that gives due process and ensures you don't convict innocent people but also convicts the really dangerous ones. It is not that hard.

[anon]

But John, then all the Trayvon Martins in the world will die.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Didn't he say in the same article that hey, we force feed children, so why is this so bad?

[Ted S.]

Tiffani Amber Thiessen could have come up with a better piece than this.

[John]

She was on Me IN My Place last spring. She is in her late 30s and has a couple of kids. But is still smoking. In the over 35 mom class, she is totally a contender.

[Zakalwe]

She has a weird, blocky face and wasn't even attractive at 20. I'm surprised more people don't acknowledge this.

[robc]

Counterproposal (NSFW):

http://img413.imageshack.us/im.....c132ab.jpg

[Ted S.]

Because there's only one possible standard of beauty, and that's what Zakalwe thinks is good-looking.

[SugarFree]

She has a big head, but mostly makes it work for her.

[John]

It works for Giada. My wife is watching Next Food Network Star. Giada is one of the judges. And she is really not that short. She is around five three. Short but not that short for a woman. When you see her standing next to other women, she looks petite but not unreasonably small. She just really has a big head. It is like she got the boobs and head of a woman five foot eight and the body of a woman four feet eleven.

[Not a Libertarian]

Speaking of Giada De Laurentiis and head...

http://blindgossip.com/?p=39538

[John]

I wonder if her husband hides in the closet to watch.

[John]

No accounting for taste. I think her face is fine and her body a lot better.

[Fluffy]

She wasn't all that on SBTB, but she was incredibly hot for a year or two on 90210.

[Mike M.]

Stevie Wonder boycotting the state of Florida until "Stand Your Ground" law is repealed.

Wait, what?? They've decided that the entire state is to blame for the verdict because of a law that had absolutely nothing to do with it?

It really makes me sad to find out that Stevie turned out to be such a retard, because I always liked the guy.

[Hash Brown]

He's an entertainer/celebrity/show-biz type. One should expect nothing less.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I didn't know Stevie saw race.

[Brett L]

"You mean I'm not WHITE?"

God I love Richard Pryor.

[Jon Lester]

I didn't know he was still touring.

[Gbob]

It's like he's blinded by his quest for social justice.

[Silver Fox]

I heard what you did there.

[db]

When you believe in things
That you don't understand then you suffer
Superstition ain't the way

How low Mr. Wonder has fallen.

[Seamus]

Somebody better tell the NAACP, which is meeting in Orlando as we speak.

[Kaptious Kristen]

How many armed body guards does ol' Stevie have?

[Lord Humungus]

Apple Sued For Porn Addiction: Man Says MacBook Cost His Marriage And Kids
http://www.ibtimes.com/apple-s.....s-1345831#

In a 50-page complaint, Sevier calls Apple a "silent poisoner" responsible for the proliferation of "arousal addiction, sex trafficking, prostitution, and countless numbers of destroyed lives." Sevier is seeking damages from Apple, but said he will drop the lawsuit if Apple agrees to sell devices with a "safe mode."

Sevier claims that his addiction started when he "accidentally" replaced the "a-c-e" in Facebook with a "u-c-k." Sevier said this F***book site "appealed to his biological sensibilities as a male," and he started to prefer the images on the screen to his own wife.

I lol'd.

[John]

How pathetic do you have to be to claim "porn addiction"? If you are going to be an addict, can't you at least be a drunk or a junkie or something respectable? Porn addiction? Really?

[SugarFree]

Thurgood: I'm here today because I'm addicted..to marijuana.

Rehab patient: You in here 'cuz of marijuana?! Man, this is some BULLSHIT!

Cocaine addict: Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke.

Rehab patient: I seen him!

Cocaine addict: Now that's an addiction, man. You ever suck some dick for marijuana?

Thurgood: No, I can't say I have.

Cocaine addict: I didn't think so.

Rehab patient: Boo this man!

[John]

If there is a pecking order in rehab, I would think the porn addicts would be below even the pot addicts.

[db]

Yeah, you'd probably never see some dude sucking dick in exchange for porn.

[Rich]

Weiner!

[Auric Demonocles]

Pathetic enough to blame to it on a "accidental" typo.

[Enough About Palin]

Oh I don't know. One time I meant to type "Ashen South" but accidently typed "Ass to Mouth"

Shit happens.

[SugarFree]

Shit happens.

In the mouth, apparently.

[mad libertarian guy]

I like porn as much as your average male, but I simply do not get the whole ass to mouth thing. That's just fucking nasty.

[Rasilio]

yeah because the A/U and E/K keys are SOOOOO close together.

And iirc Fuckbook isn't even a porn site, it is a hookup site

[Hash Brown]

he started to prefer the images on the screen to his own wife

And this is supposed to state some kind of claim?

[Silver Fox]

he started to prefer the images on the screen to his own wife.

Makes you wonder what kind of woman his wife was.

[Brett L]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. There are two people in a relationship?

[Silver Fox]

Not in this one.

[Rich]

In a 50-page complaint

*Profusely* illustrated, I take it.

[RBS]

The video he made

[Not a Libertarian]

His complaint is apparently all a "ruse" to market his band.

[John]

The Zimmerman case has produced the greatest storm of liberal butthurt and retardation since the 2000 election. But we didn't have facebook back then. So, you really couldn't savor and enjoy the butt hurt and idiocy like you can now. It never fails to amaze me how people I have known for decades, who I know to be intelligent and perfectly reasonable people on any number of other subjects, allow emotion and politics to drive them into going full retard on something. I currently have liberal friends who are attorneys who were on Facebook yesterday questioning the entire jury system over this. It is astounding. As angry as something like the OJ verdict or the various Reason kicks in the nuts about cops killing and terrorizing people and getting away with it made me at the time and still makes me, I have once thought that we need to get rid of juries or the beyond a reasonable doubt standard. What is wrong with people?

[tarran]

AS you've pointed out repeatedly, they have been marinating in a political system/philosophy that subsumes reason to emotion and whose primary goal is to eliminate discomfort or doubt from the practitioner's life.

[John]

That must be what it is. The black people who are demanding vigilante justice bother me less than the white people wanting to gut the legal system. Vigilante justice has always been around. And its existence in the really exceptional case is unfortunate but not a threat to the whole system. People thinking that one bad result means the whole jury system has to go is.

[anon]

That's just the issue; they assume the result is bad. Because they've been fed for a year by the mainstream news "ZIMMERMAN HATES NIGGERS."

It's not about the facts, it's all about the feelings.

[John]

They are nuts to think the result is bad. But thinking wrongly about this case is not the problem. Thinking this being a bad case means the system has to go is the scary part.

[anon]

Thinking this being a bad case means the system has to go is the scary part.

I'm not that worried about it, the same dipshits have been screaming about the same crap as long as I can remember. But you are right, it is scary.

[WTF]

The problem is that people think this verdict is actually a 'bad' result. They think all rules of evidence and reasonable doubt must be thrown aside to ruin the life of a man in order satisfy their feelings about race.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

What is weapons grade stupid is that gutting "reasonable doubt" or whatever is just going to end up putting more of the people they profess to be defending into prison.

[Hash Brown]

I don't know why this case has pushed so many buttons. It's like trying to figure out why a particular song becomes a hit.

[John]

Make that "never once thought..."

[mad libertarian guy]

It never fails to amaze me how people I have known for decades, who I know to be intelligent and perfectly reasonable people on any number of other subjects, allow emotion and politics to drive them into going full retard on something.

I've a friend who has stated that riots or someone killing Zimmerman would be an acceptable outcome from the verdict, but wants me to explain to him just exactly who desires to set the rule of law aside.

[Brett L]

So this is going around as proof of racism being systemic in FL. Because apparently charging someone with one count of first degree murder and three counts of attempted murder for firing into an occupied car racist. If the story is as the shooter's girlfriend described it, I hope they put him away for life, but I'm not sure how trying him before doing so proves that Florida hasn't changed since Jim Crow.

[Spoonman.]

But the Supreme Court was also wrong for throwing out a preclearance system that didn't cover Florida at a state level.

Figure that one out.

[a better weapon]

It's more or less the same story all over again: a white man shooting a black teenager dead in Florida in a tragic dispute that perhaps could have been avoided. Yet, why is Jacksonville trial of Michael Dunn and Jordan Davis not receiving the same amount of media attention or criticism as the George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin case?

I'm just spit balling here, but my guess is because "obvious incident of murder is obvious" and the police had enough evidence to charge. It's not as though this man is walking free waiting for the DOJ to pressure Jacksonville cops to bring him in.

Brett L, this shit has been on my social networks as well and I don't get it any more than you do. It's the dumbest comparison.

[Floridian]

Disclaimer: anecdote

Everyone I know that carries is siding with Jordan Davis. You don't have the right to confront people in their car and then shoot a teen when he gets mouthy. I know this runs counter to the narrative that all permit owners think it gives people the right to hunt down and dispose of undesirables but that is what I have encountered.

[Brett L]

I don't know anyone who is siding with a guy who picks up a gun to go have a confrontation about loud music at a gas station. If he took the gun out of the glove box and went over there, he's going to have a hard time proving it wasn't premediated. Especially with 3 witnesses for the prosecution.

[ant1sthenes]

Charging him with murder? Have the cops thought about the precedent they're setting by saying you can just unload on a car because you felt threatened by the driver?

[BuSab Agent]

This is the case the left thought (desperately wanted) the Trayvon Martin case to be. Except, here the cops arrested the weirdo executing black teenagers for no good reason, which totally doesn't fit the narrative of RASCISM!!eleventy!1!

[Lord Humungus]

Bug bombs cause partial collapse of New York city building
http://news.yahoo.com/bug-bomb.....42443.html

But as she set about repeating that exercise on Thursday, the highly flammable cloud of insecticide was ignited, likely by the pilot light in her oven or some other kitchen appliance, said Jim Long, a fire department spokesman.

The fiery blast caused a partial collapse of some ceilings and walls on the first floor of the building, which contains businesses as well as other apartments, he said.

The woman with the bug infestation was among the 14 people who suffered injuries such as burns, smoke inhalation and respiratory distress.

[Silver Fox]

Stop shooting dogs? But that's how they get EXP!

[db]

They do always seem to level up when they shoot "civilians" too.

[BakedPenguin]

And it takes a lot of dogs for a cop to level up, which is why they shoot so many.

[Fluffy]

Oh, man.

This really needs to be an actual game now.

GTA, but as a cop (as written by Balko during a deep depression).

[Xenocles]

They could just make a San Andreas spin-off from Tenpenny's perspective.

[VG Zaytsev]

Former President George H. W. Bush has said that the U.S. is a "kinder and gentler nation" because of President Obama

But the republicans are totally different than the democratic fascists.

[John]

He was just being polite. What was he supposed to say? The truth? What would have doing that accomplished beyond making Bush look angry and bitter and Obama look like a victim?

[VG Zaytsev]

He could have STFU.

[BelowTheRim]

So my 1st car I have had since 02 has encountered some major engine damage and it looks like I'm going to be in the market for a pre-owned car.

Thinking 4-doors, Manual shift, Japanese manuf, and hopefully under 35K miles for like 16 or 17K. Anyone have any good ideas etc...

[tarran]

Toyota Corolla.

Pricey, but last a very long time.

[Auric Demonocles]

If he's thinking 17 grand for 35,000 miles then I don't think a Corolla will count as pricy. Mine was 18k brand new.

[Mike M.]

The Corolla is just 17K brand spanking new. It's not pricey at all.

[Fluffy]

I've had a couple of Accords in the last ten years that you couldn't kill with a cannon.

[John]

My wife has a late 90s civic. Other than the exhaust rusting out ever few years, which seems to be an endemic flaw in those cars, it is basically indestructible.

[UnCivilServant]

Funny - my Civic would never start. So I let it rot in the driveway until I could find someone to haul it away. Worst piece of crap I ever drove.

[John]

No car line is perfect. Every car company produces lemons, no matter what Japanese propagandists tell you. That said, did you try to fix it? Did you check the gas?

[UnCivilServant]

It was usually the starter motor - had to replace it twice, probably because of some deep down flaw in the electrical system. Also the clutch was so finicky that it could stall out when going from stopped to first, first to second, etc... and when the starter motor was being annoying the only way to get it running again was to push it and pop the clutch. Luckily it was light enough that two people could get it moving fast enough to start it that way.

I've since replaced it with a Ford Focus, which has been solid as a rock for six and a half years so far.

[John]

Focus is a great car. Frankly, I think Fords in general are great cars. I owned one when I first got out of law school and drove the hell out of it for 10 years and had only one break down. My next car may well be a Fusion.

[Lord Humungus]

Fords have no soul - at least the ones I drove 😉

[mad libertarian guy]

Fords have no soul - at least the ones I drove 😉

That's because they weren't filled with the souls of dollars stolen from their previous owners like GM cars.

[WTF]

Hell, my wife still drives the 2001 Ford Explorer I got in 2003 with 20,000 miles on it at the time. It now has 150,000 miles and still runs like a beast.

[KMA Too]

Holy hell-never thought I'd see Ford love here (especially from you, John-FOR SHAME!!).

Never had a good experience with Ford/Mercury products, and other owners I knew when I was experiencing my pain were saying the same thing.

Maybe they've upped their game since then, but I wouldn't know because I have no intention of ever giving them my cash again.

[Joe M]

I drove a 1997 Ford F150 for fifteen years before selling it to my brother last winter. Still runs great after 160,000 miles. Just needed a new transmission a few years ago.

[Lord Humungus]

ditto on the Accord

The Civic is too small for my tastes, but if I was going that direction, the Si model is the way to go.

[BelowTheRim]

Thanks friends. Right now I'm looking to find a Subaru just because Cbus, OH is terrible to drive in from December through March and 4wd sounds great.

But am still open to Honda (I had a 99 civic), Toyota, Nissan, or perhaps a Mazda.

[Rich]

Subaru AWD is great; but watch out for electrical problems.

[sarcasmic]

The only issue with Subaru is they still haven't figured out how to make gaskets that last.

[kinnath]

I had two Subarus that developed head cracks at 120K miles or so (back in the 90s). So when the new Forrester hits 100K, I'll sell it to someone and buy a new one.

[anon]

Yeah, we usually wind up doing head gaskets on every single one by 150k.

[sarcasmic]

On mine (pardon me if I fuck up the terminology) it's leaking around the valve cover gasket, or something. I'm putting in a half quart a week. The place where I purchased it claims to do the head on every Subaru before they sell it. I've got no reason to disbelieve them. After all, I just crossed 200K and the head is just fine. Valve cover? Not so much.

[anon]

Meh, cheap repair. Unless, of course, you have the turbo. Shouldn't cost more than ~$300 parts and labor, depending on year/make/model, but they're all pretty much the same (except the turbo and h6).

[sarcasmic]

Well it's not just that. My brakes are vibrating like a cheap cell phone. So I'm looking at double that, assuming the rotors can't be ground down and need to be replaced.

[mad libertarian guy]

Or Turbos.

My wife and I have owned a combined 4 Subarus since 05. 3 of them were fucking great (an Outback, Forester, and a Tribeca), but the Outback with a turbo was on its 3rd turbo after just 4 years. I traded it in (after installing a brand new turbo) and would have gotten another Subaru sans turbo had I not needed a pickup.

So I bought a Tundra.

[Citizen Nothing]

You're in Cbus? I got a creampuff '94 Saab that was made for you! It's parked under the railroad bridge near the old State Street homeless shelter even as we speak. (Probably got a homeless guy sleeping in the backseat, but, believe me, those kind of stories just add to the allure and resale value.)

[Citizen Nothing]

True story: It's been 20 years since I paid more than $3k for a car, usually more like $1,700. I haven't had a car payment since 1984. That's probably the main reason that I now can afford a substantial monocle and top hat collection.

[SKR]

why do you want a Lesbaru? Are you an old, fat, single lesbian with dogs that can't climb up into an SUV?

[SKR]

note to self: scroll down.

[Pro Libertate]

I, too, recommend the Accord. The Car that Will Not Die.

[Spoonman.]

If you own a house, a Honda Fit. You can fit anything in those fuckers.

And the mileage is awesome.

[kinnath]

I've been driving Subarus and Nissans pretty much exclusively going back to the 80's. That is partly due to being hooked on a particular dealer since '92.

The Forrester ain't pretty, but it is a great all-around, general-purpose vehicle (love the all-wheel drive during the winter).

[John]

If you live somewhere with bad winters and don't have a huge amount of money to spend on a car, Forresters are pretty hard to beat.

[Brett L]

Or if you want to pick up lesbians. NTTAWWT

[John]

I thought lesbians drove Jeeps.

[Brett L]

Really? The Lesbaru never made it out of the granola enclaves like Austin and Tallahassee?

[SugarFree]

Subarus are the lesbian ride of choice. Plain, practical, rugged, butch but not patriarchal, easy to install dog cages int he cargo area.

[John]

That is one thing I like about Lesbians, they often do love dogs.

[Enough About Palin]

But they tend to get males and then have them neutered.

[db]

My sister-in-law used to play in a softball league in Los Angeles. The proper term for the Forester was the "Lesbaru."

[John]

Lesbaru. I will remember that.

[Zakalwe]

Everyone in Colorado Springs drives Subarus. I hadn't made the lesbian connection, but maybe that does explain some of my failures in the bars there.

[Loki]

Lesbians or hippy chicks.

[kinnath]

25 mpg in mixed driving. Comfortably holds five adults. Big tailgate and lots of space in the back. And a huge draw for young vegan girls with hairy legs 😉

[anon]

Honda Accord.

As a mechanic, I can tell you no car will last you longer with less problems.

Corolla's an OK choice if you just hate Honda for some reason. Or if you like Ugly.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

You can't go wrong with a Honda or Toyota. I agree with tarran on the Corolla. It's not a fancy car but it's zippy and fun to drive in manual. And you'll get about 200k miles out of it before it dies.

[wareagle]

you could likely get a Camry for that. My son did, about that mileage and in that price range. Runs like a charm.

[Matrix]

Yeah, I have a Camry, and I love it. I did test drive a Corolla, but I found it way under powered. I went with the Camry instead. More power and a 2mpg decrease. I thought it was well worth it. And it's still a 4cyl.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Nissan Versa hatchback. Not sure if they make it in manual. Maybe a Maxima or Altima.

[Lord Humungus]

The Versa S is available in a 6-speed (or was). The base Versa (with the 1.6L) can come with a 5speed.

(was recently looking for a city only driver)

[John]

Don't buy a small car with an automatic transmission. They are just dogs. A small car with a manual is fun to drive.

I really want a Fiat 500, even though I know that is totally insane and it would probably break down in the first hundred miles. But they are just so different and cool.

[Kaptious Kristen]

I have an auto transmission Versa. It is zippy as hell. I could probably bring it our for the Winternationals and kick John Force's ass.

[John]

My wife's civic is an automatic. And yes, it is zippy in fairness. But it would be more fun with a manual. I love manual transmissions.

[kinnath]

+1 for manual transmissions (except for towing)

[Kaptious Kristen]

I could go back to a manual now that I commute via public transport. I initially switched to automatic when I was driving from Alexandria to Reston every day. I do prefer a manual in general (as long as it has cruise control).

[WTF]

I gave up manual transmissions after my left leg could no longer take the workout you get driving one in the stop-and-go traffic in the NYC metro area.

[Lord Humungus]

Quad cab Toyota truck? - provided you really hate gasoline and want to consume it as much as possible.

[SIV]

A Toyota Hi-lux with twin .50s or a 105mm recoiless mounted in the bed would make an excellent daily driver for the roadless wastes of Libertopia.

[SIV]

A Toyota Hi-lux with twin .50s or a 105mm recoiless mounted in the bed would make an excellent daily driver for the roadless wastes of Libertopia.

[NeonCat]

Or? My God, man, why not both?

[mad libertarian guy]

Quad cab Toyota truck? - provided you really hate gasoline and want to consume it as much as possible.

I love my quad-cab Tundra, but this statement couldn't be more true. It's a GREAT fucking truck, but has the worst fucking gas mileage possible.

[Gbob]

If you can find a Honda Civic diesel then grab it. I had one that I don't think actually used any fuel. I would go months and months without ever running out of gas. Perhaps it was fueled by my BAC or something.

[Xenocles]

If you aren't married to the Japanese aspect you could consider a Kia. They've moved into the value niche Hyundai held ten years ago.

[DesigNate]

Mazda 3

[Gray Ghost]

If you want to go Korean, the various Hyundai Genesis versions are supposed to be bullet-proof. Playing with kbb.com, I found that a 2.0 2011 Genesis coupe with 32,500 miles, can come in anywhere from 14-16.5K, private party, depending on condition.

Whoops, it's two door. The four door Genesis large sedans are quite interesting too, but probably just out of your price range.

My car is a '04 Civic, and I'm not thrilled with it. It's not a bad car; it just isn't the outstanding reliable bargain that it used to be. My family and I have owned Civics and Accords for the last 25 years, and it seems quality has gone down each year.

YMMV, literally.

[Brett L]

Gentlemen, we're halfway to transparent aluminum. In other news from the sci-fi future, Elon Musk will reveal his Hyperloop system plans August 12. But when do we get the green alien hookers?

[SugarFree]

Hyperloop? Sounds like a gay hookup app.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

No, that's CyberSchtupp

[SugarFree]

Tumblr for bizarre Grindr exchanges.

I'm on my way.

I'm driving naked. Will your neighbors care?

I have all my cats with me.
They are very sick.

[Tim]

Beer cans made of transparent aluminum. The future is full of wonders.

[SKR]

gah, why? the beauty of aluminum is that it protects the beer from light.

[Rich]

Sen. Harry Reid: "Obamacare Has Been Wonderful For America"

And if you think it's wonderful *now*, just wait!

[Ted S.]

I thought none of the provisions have gone into effect. How could we know whehter it's been wonderful?

[Auric Demonocles]

You realize, they have voted to repeal it 40 times? What's happened? 40 times, of course, it's failed.

So what does this prove besides the Dems hold the Senate?

Obamacare has been wonderful for America ... If you have a preexisting disability, you're covered.

Liar, or just so ignorant he doesn't know it's still 2013?

Obamacare has been wonderful for America....[Republicans] need to work with us to improve it.

So I guess it's not that wonderful, is it?

[Jordan]

Well, to be fair, it has significantly increased the amount of leisure time available to millions of people, now that they no longer have fulltime employment.

Of course, it has also significantly reduced their income. But eggs and omelets, you know?

[The Late P Brooks]

Wow. Some "billionaire" was just on Bloomberg babbling incoherently about how the Keystone pipeline will raise gas prices. He funded a study designed to prove this, and it did. Like magic.

Also, a tragic railcar explosion proves a pipeline is a bad idea.

[John]

Nothing raises prices like increasing supply. You didn't know this? That is probably why you are not a billionaire Brooks.

[Fluffy]

In theory, it could.

North American crude prices are slightly lower than Brent, because the absence of a decent pipeline network is making it harder to ship that crude to the world market.

More pipelines would shrink the spread between Brent and West Texas prices, which would probably result in North American prices being slightly higher.

It's still the right thing to do, though.

[John]

That is possible. But that money being made exporting it goes back into the Canadian/US economy. That is why being a net exporter of oil is such a good thing. It is not that oil prices in the US wouldn't go up with the world price. It is that when the world price goes up, the negative effects of the higher prices are offset by the positive effects of the additional money we make exporting oil.

[KPres]

Wouldn't it "reduce the spread" by making prices in Brent lower?

[Loki]

That's some first rate stupid right there. What was the guy's actual background? Was "billionaire" his only credential? If so, then I'm not sure why anyone would be impressed. Paris Hilton's a billionaire but I would give much credence to her views on the Keystone pipeline either. Unless "Keystoone pipeline" is also her nickname for her vagina.

[robc]

She has been married to a space attorney for 20 years and has has two adult children.

What...the...fuck?

[John]

Sounds like a new show on Robot Chicken or Adult Swim. I Married a Space Attorney

[Auric Demonocles]

Finally I can stop trying to hire Pro Lib.

[Tonio]

No, this is actually a thing. Mostly about launch failures and on-orbit equipment failure.

[Pro Libertate]

And remote sensing. There's a decent amount of law on that.

The big fun will be when we start having private claims of property in space. Oh, the litigation we will have!

[Brett L]

Every time I see "remote sensing", I think of "remote viewing". I spent about twenty minutes at a bar nodding and smiling while this woman was describing her cool remote sensing work. Then I understood she was talking about satellites, not astral projection and I got way more interested.

[Pro Libertate]

I considered trying to work in the space law field back in 1999 or so, and I exchanged e-mails with the head of a space law program at one of the Mississippi law schools (she was considered one of the leading academics in the area at the time). Liability for launches and in-flight accidents was part of it, as were issues related to remote sensing. There's also been the usual speculation about property ownership in space, but that remains unsettled until someone is actually claiming property in space.

[Dweebston]

What about Remote viewing?

[Loki]

Juror B-37 from the George Zimmerman trial claims that the jury came to feel that the neighborhood watch volunteer genuinely feared for his life during his confrontation with Trayvon Martin.

Oh please, his injuries weren't even that severe. He was just a fat panicky pussy who couldn't take his much deserved beating. /MasterDerp

I find it funny that some people seem to think you should wait until someone's actually cracked your skull open or actually done "severe bodily harm" or caused life threatening injury before defending oneself with lethal force. It's seems like some people think real life is like video games where you have a life bar and can continue to function (run, jump, fight, shoot, etc.) perfectly fine right up until the time the life bar drops to zero, and then you go from perfectly fine to dead.

[Brett L]

As someone, I think it was NME, pointed out, consider the hypothetical of a man beating a woman. How much damage should she take before she can be said to be reasonably in fear for her life?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

If he comes within her five foot safety zone, then she's in fear for her life, because PATRIARCHY.

[John]

I am sure she will feel totally the same when she hears about a case of a man doing that to his girlfriend.

I asked that on Facebook the other day. If the new standard for self defense is going to be that if the other guy is not armed you can never shoot, how is that going to work out for women being abused by their boyfriends/husbands? Stunned silence and stammering ensued.

[Loki]

Women being abused by their boyfriends/ husbands should call the police and then hide in a bathroom or closet in a fetal position hoping that the cops get there in time to stop the guy. /prog-tard

[John]

And if she dies, think how much good her case could do to help other women? Shooting her b/f wouldn't help anyone but her.

[NoVAHockey]

you don't hold candlelight vigils and sell victim merchandise for survivors.

[John]

Exactly. You don't bring attention to the larger problem by shooting your attacker.

[Silver Fox]

The purity of a woman's victimhood will not be tainted by anything like being able to fight back using a gun.

[Gbob]

It's one of the reasons I've always been confused by feminists siding against the second amendment. The equalizing nature of a firearm is one of the best protections against the brutal tyranny of the strong. The whole "god made man, but Sam Colt made them equal" is true.

Then against, trying to sort out feminist positions is always an exercise in madness.

[John]

It is because they consider leftist politics and PC more important than actually protecting women. Same reason feminists get very quiet when confronted with abuse of women in the Muslim world. The PC convention of never insulting other cultures trumps the protection of women.

[Pro Libertate]

If no weapon was used, Martin would likely have been easily convicted of battery, maybe even aggravated battery, without all this outcry, given the facts presented. I think everyone knows that, but they like to pretend that they don't.

[Brett L]

I posed that to a friend. If Martin had hit Zimmerman wrong and killed him, would she be okay with him being tried and convicted of the same charges Zimmerman faced? She didn't think you can kill someone by bashing their head in, so she said it was impossible. I just left it.

[Pro Libertate]

It's hardly impossible, but the death can be left out. Would Martin be convictable on the evidence presented about his actions? Maybe not, but there's no doubt the evidence was sufficient to try such a case. Unlike with Zimmerman, where even the prosecution's witnesses testified more for Zimmerman for Martin. It amazes me how much people are ignoring that truth--the evidence presented did more than exonerate Zimmerman, it also showed, by at least a preponderance of the evidence, that Martin used unreasonable force on Zimmerman. Maybe Martin would have testified to weaken that argument, but from what we know, it's looking more likely than not that he used excessive force and initiated the violence.

[John]

People die in fist fights all of the time. A student at my high school died in a fist fight right in front of the school. The other kid punched him and knocked him out causing him to fall over the curb and hit his head on the concrete. It was a total fluke and a real tragedy for both parties, but it happened. You start hitting people in the head with your bare fists, you can kill them with a lucky shot.

There are more than a few people sitting in prison today for accidentally killing someone in a fist fight.

[Whahappan?]

There was also that ref that recently got punched by a 17 yr. old player, I think just once, on the grass field and went into a coma and died a few days later. Sure, fistfights normally don't end in one of the combatants dying, but it isn't unheard of.

[Killazontherun]

Nephew works at a Qwiki-mart. He put up a sign, 'Don't Ask Me What I Think of the Case.' At six foot six and three hundred pounds, you don't ask him about the case.

[ant1sthenes]

See, this is why I think we should challenge celebrities to prove they are braver than George Zimmerman. Tie their hands and feet, have a guy knock them onto a sidewalk, and then punch their head into it a few times. See how many hits they take before they use a Taser they're given (to simulate a gun), or fall unconscious.

[The Late P Brooks]

Thinking 4-doors, Manual shift, Japanese manuf, and hopefully under 35K miles for like 16 or 17K. Anyone have any good ideas etc...

If Honda still makes the Civic as well as they did in the early '90s, you can't (haha!) go wrong. Subaru wagons are really really popular around here, but DO NOT GET SNOOKERED INTO GETTING A TURBO (especially used) that's just begging for trouble.

[anon]

Yeah, the turbos on subarus are good til about 75k, then shit out.

The good news is they make an upgrade that's cheaper than the stock turbo and doesn't break (the compressor wheel breaks off due to clogged oil feel tube; the new one has a bigger diameter oil feed inlet I believe.)

[mad libertarian guy]

Yeah, the turbos on subarus are good til about 75k, then shit out.

I had to replace the Turbo TWICE in my Outback Turbo in less than 4 years, and way shy of 75k.

[Sevo]

..."DO NOT GET SNOOKERED INTO GETTING A TURBO"...

Shops consider the turbo itself to be a consumable. Figure timing belt, spark plugs, etc, with a much higher cost.

[Mike M.]

Feds admit improper scrutiny of candidate, donor tax records.

"The Treasury Department has admitted for the first time that confidential tax records of several political candidates and campaign donors were improperly scrutinized by government officials, but the Justice Department has declined to prosecute any of the cases."

[Of course it has, they've been a little busy lately trying to railroad George Zimmerman.]

"Its investigators also are probing two allegations that the Internal Revenue Service 'targeted for audit candidates for public office,' the Treasury's inspector general for tax administration, J. Russell George, has privately told Sen. Chuck Grassley."

[Gee whiz, I wonder what sort of candidates were targeted? I'm sure they were all liberal democrats naturally!]

[ant1sthenes]

I guess the question is whether there was more of a bias in favor of Democrats, or incumbents.

[John]

Here is the thing, if liberal groups really were targeted, where are they? There are dozens of conservatives coming forward with stories about the IRS harassing them. Liberals keep claiming that liberal groups were targeted. Okay, where are the liberals with stories of abuse by the IRS? I haven't seen any. Have you?

[Killazontherun]

When the demonrats ran that trial balloon, the IRS's on internal auditing team shot it down as being deliberate misinformation. Less than ten leftist organizations got extra scrutiny versus over two hundred Tea Party groups.

[robc]

"It was just hard thinking that someone had lost their life and nothing else could be done about it," she said. "It's a tragedy that this happened."

I think she nailed the situation perfectly.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Tragedies aren't allowed. They're not nice.

[Floridian]

For American

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/20.....abor-woes/

Now that robots will be picking produce you don't have to worry about those dirty Messicans anymore.

[Silver Fox]

Up next: illegal immigrants complain about their jobs becoming automated.

[UnCivilServant]

I was wondering how long it would take for the robots to be developed for delicate crops. It was inevitable, even with a supply of cheap labor.

[John]

I would think that was just a matter of time. Of course, labor doesn't have to be more expensive than capital.

[Kaptious Kristen]

This has all happened before....

[Pro Libertate]

People say that, but what about Mexican robots illegally sneaking into the U.S.?

[WTF]

DEY TUK ER JERBS!!!!!

[NeonCat]

Bender Bending Rodr?guez is from America's heartland, Mexico.

[Tim]

"Neptune's 14th moon"
Eventually he's gonna moon the wrong guy.

[The Late P Brooks]

North American crude prices are slightly lower than Brent, because the absence of a decent pipeline network is making it harder to ship that crude to the world market.

He was claiming (I have heard this before) if the oil is sent to the Gulf via pipeline it will be exported as gasoline.

I am not a petroleum engineer, but it seems to me tar sands oil is not very well suited for end use as gasoline. It could, however, be used for products which would allow other, lighter, grades of crude to be used for gasoline. More supply is still more supply.

As usual, this particular guy was touting a study plainly designed to work backward from its pre-established conclusion.

[Brett L]

IIRC from talking to the ExxonMobil guys, the big-bigs drill the sweetest crude they can find and refine the heaviest stuff on the market. So the Pascagoula refinery doesn't get much ExxonMobil crude. Everyone who can afford to builds a bigger refinery with better crackers and filters because its more profitable. However, there are always smaller players who will buy your sweet crude and refine it at a smaller margin.

[Spoonman.]

Probably why ConcoPhillips and Marathon split their operations between upstream and downstream, if they aren't even handling the same crude.

[Slammer]

The Zimmerman acquittal: America's Racist god!!

WTF?

[RBS]

So God is a racist too?

[Slammer]

Clearly.

These people are totally insane.

[anon]

Only America's God is racist. Not Africas.

[Rich]

one has to consider our moral responsibility to call out those who clearly are not for human flourishing, no matter what ethnicity a person is. Where are you on that scale? I know where I am.

I have no idea what she is talking about.

Does that make me a bad person?

[KPres]

From the comments:

"Just as I thought; you don't have the slightest understanding of the privilege that comes from being a white male (I'm a white woman, BTW). A good example of that privilege is that if you're a white youth walking down the street in a hooded sweatshirt, you are not automatically presumed to be a hoodlum."

I'm absolutely certain that a white woman would be far less suspected of being a criminal than a white man. In fact, when it comes to criminal suspicion, I'd rank the "privilege" like this:

1. White women
2. Black women
3. White men
4. Black men

Funny how that rank is pretty much exactly what's reflected in the crime statistics.

*Not sure if hispanics should fit into this somehow, since apparently there are white and black hispanics.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

A good example of that privilege is that if you're a white youth walking down the street in a hooded sweatshirt, you are not automatically presumed to be a hoodlum."

It would be a better example if it were actually necessarily true.

[Marc F Cheney]

They're projecting, as always.

I don't presume anybody, regardless of race, wearing a hooded sweatshirt to be a hoodlum solely on the basis of wearing a hood.

[Matrix]

People are so full of shit if they don't think white youths aren't presumed to be hoodlums. It happens all the damn time, but it just doesn't stand out as often in the news. I can tell you that if I see a white male wearing a hoodie, baggy clothes, and looking suspicious, I will treat him with suspicion and keep my guard up. If I saw a black teen the same age wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I don't think anything of it.

White thug looking kid vs black kid in a suit. Who are you more suspicious of? The thug looking kid.

[John]

^^THIS^^ Fluffy above was arguing that if Zimmerman had been black he would have been arrested and charged. Bullshit. Cops discriminate by class much more than race. Middle class respectable black people get more respect that poor whites.

[John]

http://www.slate.com/articles/.....tions.html

William Saleton, one of the dumber liberals on Slate manages to make sense on the Zimmerman case. The Zimmerman case is like a retardation virus. Some liberals seem to have a mysterious immunity to it.

[Sevo]

OK, maybe I missed it. Anyone comment on HW's mental problems?

[anon]

Fist.

[Sevo]

Yep, found it. Thx.

[Killazontherun]

Red tape has forced a popular abortion clinic in Virginia to close.

Popular?
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around No time for dancing, or lovey dovey I ain't got time for that now

[OldMexican]

Red tape has forced a popular abortion clinic in Virginia to close.

"How popular was it, you ask?

It was so popular, even fetuses wanted to go there to be butchered!"

Ba-rum-bum! Pshh!

[Killazontherun]

'Veronica, you have just got to try out the new clinic. The doctor is really a cutie pie, and his use of the forceps is just divine.'

'I think I'll get Archie to knock me up right now!'

[Steve G]

Didn't last too long...

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123355835