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Prominent Democrats Somehow Oppose Racial Profiling While Supporting Ray Kelly for DHS, Labor Participation Likely To Remain Weak, Virginia's Major Gubernatorial Candidates Are Both Real Pieces of Work: P.M. Links

J.D. Tuccille | 7.22.2013 4:30 PM

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Large image on homepages | David Shankbone
(David Shankbone)
  • Ray Kelly
    David Shankbone

    Leading Democrats, including President Obama, are quite concerned about racial profiling and think Ray Kelly of stop-and-frisk fame would be a swell Secretary of Homeland Security. Hmmm.

  • A survey of physicians finds negative opinions and widespread bafflement about Obamacare. Just like the rest of us!
  • Unemployment numbers have remained less bad than they could be largely because of a weak labor participation rate. A new study says that rate is likely to stay anemic for at least another year.
  • Oh, lucky Virginians! Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli, is being spurned by donors for his hard-line social conservatism while Democratic nominee, Terry McAuliffe, has been called out by PoitiFact for Pants-on-Fire untruthfulness about his opponent.
  • Around the country, dozens of mayors have dropped out of Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns over the jihad-level fanaticism and ability to make enemies he brought to the organization.
  • North Dakota's new abortion restrictions are on hold, as a federal judge issues a temporary stay and calls the law "clearly unconstitutional."
  • Police surveillance of a Kansas hydroponics store and a perhaps really, really unreliable field test for marijuana sparked a raid that uncovered … tomatoes! Why yes, the family is suing. 
  • The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy. Yay.

Did you write about liberty between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013? Reason welcomes you to enter this year's Bastiat Prize for Journalism, with a total prize purse of $16,000.

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J.D. Tuccille is a contributing editor at Reason.

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  1. Joe M   12 years ago

    The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy. Yay.

    Yay...awn.

    1. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

      Poor William is starting to look like his dad.

  2. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy.

    They should name it Adolph. Try to bring that name back to vogue.

    1. A Serious Man   12 years ago

      After Adolph Rupp? He was a great basketball coach.

    2. Tonio   12 years ago

      You're slipping, Fist.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        You have a better name in mind? Let's hear it.

        1. EDG reppin' LBC   12 years ago

          Hyman?

          1. C. Anacreon   12 years ago

            How about Diastema? Unique and very reflective of the family.

        2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

          KONG!

        3. Tonio   12 years ago

          Well played, sir.

          "Punk not, lest ye be punked."

        4. Rasilio   12 years ago

          'You have a better name in mind? Let's hear it."

          I hear Reason is rising in popularity as a baby name

          1. BigT   12 years ago

            "Fielder"

          2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

            It grew infinitely in popularity last year.

            This year's baby is gonna be named "Liberty".

            1. Joe M   12 years ago

              I dated a girl named Liberty while in high school. Her dad was a libertarian too.

            2. hotsy totsy   12 years ago

              There was a man who shot Liberty Valance. He was the bravest of them all.

        5. Atanarjuat   12 years ago

          You have a better name in mind? Let's hear it.

          Prince Trayvon?

        6. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

          Blood Pudding

    3. Outlaw   12 years ago

      I demand they name him Tywin after Tywin Lannister.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        Hear him roar.

      2. A Serious Man   12 years ago

        What if he turns out to have dwarfism?

        1. Outlaw   12 years ago

          Then change it to Tyrion!

      3. Andrew S.   12 years ago

        If you're going to go that route, just scare/troll everybody and name him Joffrey.

    4. Ted S.   12 years ago

      They should ask the Cleveland Browns to let them down one last time.

    5. Fluffy   12 years ago

      My kid said they should name it "Mr. Royal".

      I thought that they should name it Crown Royal.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        He's underage, even for a European. Royal Crown, before it goes out of business.

    6. Gbob   12 years ago

      You know who else was named Adolph?

      1. C. Anacreon   12 years ago

        I'm guessing you are thinking of the meat tenderizer guy.

      2. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        Finally.

    7. Warrren   12 years ago

      As Known Formerly Artist The

    8. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

      The baby formally known as Prince

      1. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

        Or the baby formally known as bump

  3. A Serious Man   12 years ago

    The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy. Yay.

    He's only a few hours old and he's already had his first Royal scandal. Awww.

    1. creech   12 years ago

      Will we get to see more of Auntie Pippa?

      1. Enough About Palin   12 years ago

        Will we get to see more of Auntie Pippa's ass?

    2. Shocked   12 years ago

      The patriarchy continues

  4. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    A survey of physicians finds negative opinions and widespread bafflement about Obamacare.

    They should have thought of that before all standing behind Obama with their lab coats on.

    1. gaijin   12 years ago

      Seems apropriate:

      What does baffled mean?

      1. Ted S.   12 years ago

        This is quite appropriate.

    2. gaijin   12 years ago

      Seems apropriate:

      What does baffled mean?

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        But doubly appropriate?

      2. Ted S.   12 years ago

        This is quite inappropriate.

        1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

          Ha! Ruined your rhythm.

          1. Ted S.   12 years ago

            One of these days, I'll get my comments back-dated like the "morning" Brickbats.

        2. gaijin   12 years ago

          I am baffled by the preview button!

          1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

            When you correctly preview, there can be only one.

  5. Joe M   12 years ago

    Around the country, dozens of mayors have dropped out of Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns over the jihad-level fanaticism and ability to make enemies he brought to the organization.

    I think 2A defenders are also against illegal guns.

    1. Metazoan   12 years ago

      the jihad-level fanaticism and ability to make enemies he brought to the organization.

      El Bloombito does seem to have that effect.

  6. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    Around the country, dozens of mayors have dropped out of Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns over the jihad-level fanaticism and ability to make enemies he brought to the organization.

    Finding out when you lie down with miniture poodles you get fleas.

    1. NeonCat   12 years ago

      Miniature fleas?

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        I knew that spelling didn't look right.

  7. Episiarch   12 years ago

    So nicole, who is busy this afternoon, asked me to post this link for your consumption.

    Now remember: this is all nicole's doing, and be very careful what your volume settings are before playing this.

    1. Ted S.   12 years ago

      Nicole finally broke up with you? Good for her! :-p

    2. B.P.   12 years ago

      I hope you get to keep your boat, dude.

    3. Zakalwe   12 years ago

      Never marry anyone with that accent.

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        There is no way in hell he couldn't have known what she was like before getting married.

        1. Mad Scientist   12 years ago

          She could be bi-polar, which tends to get worse with age.

          1. Episiarch   12 years ago

            That doesn't seem bipolar, it seems childish and incredibly immature.

            1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

              It resembles an Asperger's meltdown.

      2. Killazontherun   12 years ago

        There is an accent so regional I can identify a person from that town. Hear for yourself, this American Idol contestant is from there. Quite grating isn't it?

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39DsQ38QjiM

        1. seguin   12 years ago

          Nowhere near as bad as Yinzers. Or anyone from NJ or NYC.

          1. Killazontherun   12 years ago

            I like the sound of a South Jersey accent on a broad. My best female friend is from there. But Yinzers, I have to agree.

    4. Mad Scientist   12 years ago

      That's odd. Jim keeps calling her "Wendy" instead of "Nicole."

      1. Nikkis enthusiastic dissent   12 years ago

        I would never wear a maxi dress.

      2. Clich? Bandit   12 years ago

        "Welcome to Jamaica, Have a nice DAY!"

    5. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

      That resembles an Aspie meltdown.

      1. JW   12 years ago

        Yep. Rigidity, sudden change to expected plans and over-the-top response.

        1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

          I mention it because my son had one 5 minutes ago when he didn't get his way. There are days when it really grows tiresome.

          1. JW   12 years ago

            14 years and counting with mine. On the plus side, the episodes are getting less frequent and less intense. But yeah, fucking draining.

            That video gave me the chills.

            1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

              14? Mine's 10 and I hope we're nearing the top of the meltdown curve, it's gotten really bad lately.

              1. JW   12 years ago

                It's being replaced by teenage girl DRAMA.

            2. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

              Any suggestions on techniques to help him control it or lessen the severity? I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall lately. I'm certain part of it is puberty, but he's starting to scare his sisters.

              1. Episiarch   12 years ago

                Scruffy, have you ever thought about turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?

                1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                  If I could get off this HnR addiction, I would beat them on a regular basis as a proper parent should. But I just can't quit you Epi.

                  1. Episiarch   12 years ago

                    So I'm responsible for bad children? Awesome.

                    By the way, what did you study at Hopkins?

                    1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                      I attribute all bad things to you Epi. Epi made me do it is my excuse of choice.

                      I started as a physics major and finished up in the EE department.

                    2. Episiarch   12 years ago

                      OK. I was just wondering if we might have had any classes together, but with me basically on the pre-med/biology track, I doubt we did. Maybe we came across one another in the Terror Room a few times.

                    3. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                      You weren't the one who stole my textbooks freshmen year were you? I always figured it was some pre-med who hated the techies for blowing the Bell Curve in the required physics and math classes.

                    4. Episiarch   12 years ago

                      (looks around furtively)

                      No, no, of course not. I was too busy getting really stoned and taking classes on ancient Greece.

                  2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

                    I can't imagine what you're going through, Scruffy. I guess that's why I'm on kid #4. All of mine just do what they're told and ultimately grow to resent me in the normal manner and time frame a child is supposed to follow. I wish you the best of luck, man, because I've had friends whose kids ripped their household apart through some mental/emotional/chemical imbalance. It was tough seeing their parents relationship as well as those of their siblings be effected.

                    1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                      Thanks sloop. The wife and I consider it an us vs. them situation, so i think we'll be OK. Might have to separate the girls from the situation somehow though.

                    2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

                      My chimneys need sweeping and my monocle-polishers are going back to their mother's for the school year soon. You can send them out here to apprentice under Banjos tutelage for a while if need be.

                    3. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                      The middle daughter only eats pasta, but since Banjos is a renegade Italian she should be OK I guess.

                2. JW   12 years ago

                  Scruffy, have you ever thought about turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?

                  We tried that! It only made them worse, like you!

              2. JW   12 years ago

                We utilized lots and lots of pre-event warnings and when the episodes went haywire, all you can do is ride it out and keep an eye on them. All we can do with the social issues is to be supportive and challenge her to go outside her comfort zone periodically.

                Most of the time, no matter what we did, she just blew up. I can get through to her better than the wife-unit and she's more willing to listen these days, but there is still a tremendous amount of oppositional defiance. Maturity seems to be the only thing that lessens the outbursts.

                We just spent a week in San Fran and it went much better than anticipated with her, being that the basement is her dwelling of choice. Not perfect, but shitloads better.

                Patience and lots of gin is my advice.

                1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

                  Thanks JW. My son's incredibly gifted in math and music, but it comes at a steep price. I keep wondering if I made some deal with the devil before he was born that I just don't remember.

                  I can't drink hard liquor anymore so I'll just keep waiting for Virginia to decriminalize pot.

                  1. JW   12 years ago

                    Yeah, we missed that "gifted in math" aspie boat. She has definite musical aptitude, but no drive to do anything with it. Bizarrely, she taught herself how to touch-type. She's one of the fastest typists I've seen.

                    She's into art, constantly drawing. Hopefully, the idle rich will latch onto her art and make her stupidly wealthy.

                  2. JW   12 years ago

                    Oh, and best of luck with yours.

      2. Nikkis enthusiastic dissent   12 years ago

        It also resembles an alcoholic meltdown.

    6. Fluffy   12 years ago

      It's awesome that the commenters at Gawker all think the guy is the asshole, for "humiliating" his wife.

      Like they would even think of saying that if a wife taped a rage meltdown of her emotionally abusive husband.

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        I have a suspicion that the ones who are saying he "humiliated" his wife are possibly the type to have tantrum meltdowns themselves.

        1. Nikkis enthusiastic dissent   12 years ago

          A couple of them pretty much admit to it.

          1. Episiarch   12 years ago

            So basically, they just want absolutely no responsibility for their own actions. Have a meltdown and someone films your asinine meltdown? Not your fault, you've been humiliated...by them! Not by yourself, of course.

            1. Nikkis enthusiastic dissent   12 years ago

              All the evidence is right there to see. He's calm, and therefore in control of the situation and has probably provoked her. Meanwhile, she's angry, which is proof positive that this is really really important to her emotionally, and he's not giving her what she needs!

              1. Episiarch   12 years ago

                You know, nicole, when you femsplain it to me, it still makes no sense. God, you are the worst.

                1. Nikkis enthusiastic dissent   12 years ago

                  God, you are the worst.

                  Stop gaslighting me before I freak out on our next trip to the lake!!!

        2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

          If I ever had a woman like that, I'd have Six Flags install the passenger seat in my truck.

          1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

            This was a solid joke, people. And you all fucking missed it.

            1. mr lizard   12 years ago

              I got it, it's stored right next to
              "the scent of spilled skittles and tea ignited his blood lust"

          2. Sy   12 years ago

            I chuckled..

    7. Anonymous Coward   12 years ago

      Bitches be trippin'.

      And no, I'm not talking about the woman in the video. I'm talking about the bitch-made simps commenting about the video on Gawker.

      Jim should have pushed her ass out of the car while it was still moving and let her limp to THE LAKE!

  8. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    Police surveillance of a Kansas hydroponics store and a perhaps really, really unreliable field test for marijuana sparked a raid that uncovered ... tomatoes!

    Police forensic science isn't an exact science, especially when time is of the essence.

    1. NeonCat   12 years ago

      I bet it wasn't tomatoes but tomnnabis! We all know what wily drug fiends those science types are!

      "On the street it's called '57' or 'Heinz'; learn to spot the warning signs before your child falls for this terrifying tomato-cannabis hybrid."

      1. Doctor Whom   12 years ago

        If only one child's life is spared, it will all have been worth it.

      2. Episiarch   12 years ago

        Tomacco?

        1. Joe M   12 years ago

          Tomarijuato

      3. lap83   12 years ago

        aw, daddy! This tastes like grandma!

    2. Slammer   12 years ago

      Tomatoes can be Killers!

      1. gaijin   12 years ago

        haha! Classic starring Robin Matzenauer as the Key Grip AND the Chief tomato maker.

  9. A Serious Man   12 years ago

    Oh, lucky Virginians! Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli, is being spurned by donors for his hard-line social conservatism while Democratic nominee, Terry McAuliffe, has been called out by PoitiFact for Pants-on-Fire untruthfulness about his opponent.

    Why would you need to lie about Cuccinelli? Isn't he the guy that wants to ban oral sex for the children? Am I mistaken there?

    1. John   12 years ago

      No. He wants to keep consensual oral sex as a throw in charge on other sex offenses. Not sure if that makes it any better.

      1. T   12 years ago

        It doesn't. I think it actually makes it worse.

        1. John   12 years ago

          In some ways. The idea is to get someone to plead to an unconstitutional crime and get them to waive their appeal rights so it never gets challenged. McCulliff is the only candidate in America who could make this guy look good.

    2. Metazoan   12 years ago

      Yeah, but these are statists. What fun would it be if they were honest and used logic?

    3. I can't trust my fans   12 years ago

      Re: Vargina Gubernors' candy-dates

      Why would you bring up that the first two are "real pieces of work" and neglect to mention the awesomeness that is this guy?

      1. Ted S.   12 years ago

        I presume his drug policy means getting rid of the ABC stores, too?

      2. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

        Hadn't seen him before. Econ from George Mason? He gets my vote.

  10. Metazoan   12 years ago

    Police surveillance of a Kansas hydroponics store and a perhaps really, really unreliable field test for marijuana sparked a raid that uncovered ... tomatoes!

    I was wondering when this would happen. When I lived in rural PA I always thought the idea was intriguing, but figured the cops would go after it.

    1. jesse.in.mb   12 years ago

      I did a simple version of it in 7th grade. I got a D because I'd only grown them for 6 weeks which my teacher thought was not enough time to prove that hydroponics was viable, even though the tomatoes were tastier and the plants were more robust compared to the ones grown in un-fertilized basic potting soil. My sister, then in 6th grade got a blue medal and an A+ for her project that included two plexiglass plates glued together with sand poured in between to prove that Noah's Flood could've created geologic striation.

      Not. Bitter. At. All.

      1. John   12 years ago

        If you do the math on when the crack epidemic started, a lot of them probably ended up Obama voters. That is some evidence of long term harm.

      2. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

        You should have grown hydroponic marijuana and proposed it as a proof that God meant for marijuana to survive the flood.

      3. JW   12 years ago

        You should go and glue her in between two plates of plexiglas.

  11. The Late P Brooks   12 years ago

    Racial profiling is only bad when civilians do it.

    1. I can't trust my fans   12 years ago

      Crack babies: Not such a big deal after all.

      http://articles.philly.com/201.....nded-study

      Claire Coles said her research had found nothing to back up predictions that cocaine-exposed babies were doomed for life. "As a society we say, 'Cocaine is bad and therefore it must cause damage to babies,' " Coles said. "When you have a myth, it tends to linger for a long time."

      1. gaijin   12 years ago

        all babies come from crack

        1. C. Anacreon   12 years ago

          Wasn't there a sports league that was all crack babies?

          1. gaijin   12 years ago

            on Southpark!

        2. Fluffy   12 years ago

          Not Caesar

      2. EDG reppin' LBC   12 years ago

        Crack Babies your out of time
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zo2k7HPzjc

      3. Mad Scientist   12 years ago

        They're entering the workforce too.

  12. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

    A new study says that rate is likely to stay anemic for at least another year.

    Oh, no expert expects that. Not until after the midterms, anyway.

    1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

      I was surprised that people tolerated this anemic economy the last election, but, at some point, they'll stop doing that.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

        The kind of people who vote in the midterms probably won't be as likely to let it slide.

      2. Hash Brown   12 years ago

        Not as long as there are still concealed-carryin' white Hispanics on the loose, they won't!

  13. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

    Detroit = Starnesville

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n.....e-to-life/

    1. Enough About Palin   12 years ago

      Of Detroit's $11 billion debt, $9 billion is accounted for by public sector salaries and pensions.

      1. Red Rocks Rockin   12 years ago

        Isn't something like 40% of the city's outlays tied up in pension payments?

    2. Raven Nation   12 years ago

      From the comments: "If Obama had a city it would look like Detroit."

      1. AlmightyJB   12 years ago

        Boom

  14. Joe M   12 years ago

    Millions of Sim cards are 'vulnerable to hack attack'

    Mr Nohl said that his research suggested about an eighth of all Sim cards were vulnerable to the hack attack - representing between 500 million to 750 million devices.

    Boggles the mind to think there are six billion SIM cards.

  15. Tim   12 years ago

    In Vermont, Deputy Chief of Burlington PD gives strong anti DUI TV spot on Friday night, then gets busted for DUI the next night. Currently on paid leave.

    http://www.wcax.com/story/2289.....ed-for-dui

    This is not Higbee's first alcohol-related arrest. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to drunk driving after crashing his car in Charlotte. Higbee was temporarily demoted after that conviction but was later promoted to lieutenant, and then deputy chief.

    "Higbee is often the spokesperson for the department. Most recently, this past Friday, talking about the importance of not getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

    "The message needs to be loud and clear. Use designated drivers, use taxis, whatever it may take. Don't take the chance. It's not worth it to the motoring or the pedestrians," Higbee said Friday."

    1. NeonCat   12 years ago

      "Do as I say, not as I do."

      1. Drake   12 years ago

        "Let me demonstrate..."

  16. gaijin   12 years ago

    Earth from beyond Saturn. INterestingly only the third time Earth has been photographed from beyond the Moon's orbit.

    Earth from Saturn Photos

    1. Hash Brown   12 years ago

      Cool.

      1. Raven Nation   12 years ago

        Very

        1. C. Anacreon   12 years ago

          Interesting where they do the shot of Saturn from the London night sky. I never knew the constellation Virgo the Virgin was a drawing of a chick lying on her back with her legs spread.

          1. gaijin   12 years ago

            well done Dr. Rorschach!

    2. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

      I took that photo while vacationing on Titan last week. NASA's self-serving propaganda not withstanding.

    3. Mickey Rat   12 years ago

      "Thousands of Earthlings looked up at Saturn and waved at 2.30pm Pacific time on Friday to participate in the symbolic #DayEarthSmiled and #WaveatSaturn campaigns at the time Cassini was shooting the pictures."

      "Say cheese! Thousands of people posed for Cassini's pictures - though the gesture was obviously just symbolic."

      No kidding. One reason being the light from Earth Cassini was capturing reflected off more than an hour before.

    4. Bardas Phocas   12 years ago

      Interestingly only the third time Earth has been photographed from beyond the Moon's orbit.

      By humans

      1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

        Yes, the humancentricism is offensive.

  17. The Late P Brooks   12 years ago

    Around the country, dozens of mayors have dropped out of Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns over the jihad-level fanaticism and ability to make enemies he brought to the organization.

    What the fuck do those hicks know?

  18. T   12 years ago

    The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy. Yay.

    Nothing against these people, as they seem relatively nice, but didn't we fight a war so that I could ignore British royalty?

    1. John   12 years ago

      No. We fought a war so we didn't have to pay them taxes.

    2. Episiarch   12 years ago

      You can still ignore them. I'm doing it right now.

    3. Tonio   12 years ago

      Two of them, actually.

  19. sloopyinca   12 years ago

    St. Paul, MN crosses million threshold. But not in a good way.

    1. Tonio   12 years ago

      Which is roughly $4.00 per person. And that's just settlements, not all the salary time spent defending these cases, etc.

  20. NoVAHockey   12 years ago

    Riggs is leaving reason according to twitter.

    1. Ted S.   12 years ago

      Is that good or bad?

      (I can't remember what Riggs' particular obsession is.)

      1. I can't trust my fans   12 years ago

        Riggs was second-in-command to Sullum on the marijuana pipe.

      2. Zakalwe   12 years ago

        At least he can leave knowing he made an impact here.

        1. Metazoan   12 years ago

          I lol'd

      3. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

        He was worth it for the people got their panties in a twist when he kept saying "murder-drone"

    2. Fist of Etiquette   12 years ago

      Too big for his breeches.

    3. Fluffy   12 years ago

      Can he be a good egg and drag Chapman off with him?

      1. John   12 years ago

        Dalmia.

        1. Metazoan   12 years ago

          Yeah I used to somewhat like Dalmia (mostly because I'm an open borders person) but have lately realized that the repeated articles on exactly the same thing are pretty boring.

          1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

            She lost it for me with her Madonna Thanksgiving article from last year or the year before. I don't remember which it was now, but as if I gave a flying fuck what she did with her own money or with her family relationships.

    4. gaijin   12 years ago

      Riggs is leaving

      What about Murtaugh?

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        He's getting too old for this shit.

    5. Thane of Whiterun   12 years ago

      Apparently he is going to work at The Atlantic Cities

      tweet

  21. A Serious Man   12 years ago

    Falling television sets have injured over 200,000 children in the last 20 years.

    BAN IT. But really, if liberals want unsecure guns to be illegal why stop there? Why not mandate that every house by child-proofed for the children?

    1. John   12 years ago

      There is some shithead on Slate who is obsessed with reporting every instance of a child accidentally shooting himself and ensuring that the parents are always criminally prosecuted. Somehow, parents who leave their pools unattended and allow their kids to drown never seem to get his attention. Without the magic scape goat, their deaths just don't matter.

    2. Ted S.   12 years ago

      If rounding up the children and putting them into common-sense concentration camps can save even one child, don't we have an obligation to try it?

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        An obligation? Let's make it a mission!

      2. ant1sthenes   12 years ago

        That sounds pretty unpleasant. Now, a ComSenseTration Camp, that sounds fun!

    3. T   12 years ago

      I child-proofed my house, but the little bastard got in anyway.

      More seriously, I can sit there and watch him try to figure out how to defeat the child-proofing. He's not great at it yet, but I can see the wheels turning and each attempt gets more sophisticated.

      Oh, yeah. He's 13 months old. I'm reasonably certain in short order the only child-proofing that will work is going to be brute force that he's too small to overcome.

      1. Ted S.   12 years ago

        I child-proofed my house, but the little bastard got in anyway

        So you're not the father? :-p

        1. T   12 years ago

          Nah, I outsourced the biological portions.

      2. jesse.in.mb   12 years ago

        If pythons can open doors...

  22. Fatty Bolger   12 years ago

    Topless Brewers Fan Jiggles Breasts Behind Home Plate

    1. John   12 years ago

      That is horrible.

    2. Joe M   12 years ago

      I feel a disturbance in the Force, as though that link leads to moobs.

    3. Hash Brown   12 years ago

      For a split second I thought this was about women who make beer with their tops off.

    4. Ted S.   12 years ago

      Next time, warn us if you're linking to a fucking GIF video. (Actually, two of them, with the Tour de France GIF at the top.)

    5. Slammer   12 years ago

      Front Row Amy below the hell that you linked made up for it.

  23. rts   12 years ago

    Climate change is making poison ivy grow faster, bigger and meaner. Rising atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and higher temperatures are to poison ivy what garbage is for rats, dormant water is for mosquitoes and road kill is to buzzards.

    1. rts   12 years ago

      And now, the link.

      1. Joe M   12 years ago

        Too bad no other plants like warmer weather and higher CO2 levels.

      2. John   12 years ago

        That is called knowing how to work the grant system. If your study is attempts to determine if poison ivy has gotten bigger or more virulent in the last 20 years, no one will fund you. But make it about "the effects of global warming on poison ivy growth and virulence" and you have a winner.

    2. Red Rocks Rockin   12 years ago

      Climate change is making poison ivy grow faster, bigger and meaner. Rising atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and higher temperatures are to poison ivy what garbage is for rats, dormant water is for mosquitoes and road kill is to buzzards.

      FEED ME, SEYMOUR!

  24. A Serious Man   12 years ago

    Natural selection: Home-made blowguns pose choking hazard to kids.

    Surgeons at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, reported on three cases of blowgun darts being lodged in the throats of teenagers, who were brought to their hospital during a span of four months.

    "As a surgeon who manages airway foreign bodies in children, this was an interesting series of cases," Dr. Kris Jatana, the study's lead author, said.

    Homemade blowguns can be constructed using common household items, Jatana, a pediatric otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon, added.

    "Most of these require materials that can be found in the home already. So children don't need to go out shopping to get them," he told Reuters Health.

    In the first case brought to their hospital in 2011, a 15-year-old boy reported a sudden cough while playing with his siblings. X-rays showed a four-inch metallic needle stuck in his lower airway, just above the collar bone.

    The boy later admitted to building a blowgun from instructions he found on the Internet.

    The doctors then used a long, flexible tube with a camera attached to the end to find the needle, which was lodged at the entrance to the bronchial tubes, and remove it.

    Whatever happened to slingshots and BB guns?

    1. rts   12 years ago

      Whatever happened to slingshots and BB guns?

      Outlawed, banned. For the children!

    2. T   12 years ago

      We were making those in 5th grade from drinking straws and straight pins. Kids today have no motivation if they're waiting untiil they're 15.

      1. EDG reppin' LBC   12 years ago

        Yep. We would cut the plastic ends off of our shoelaces, push the straight pin through it, and fluff up the lace for fletching.

      2. gaijin   12 years ago

        We did the blow darts with thread, straws and needles. We had more fun making rubberband powered fart machines with close hangars and metal washers. When the teacher's back was turned we'd let the hilarity rip.

    3. Tonio   12 years ago

      Whatever happened to slingshots and BB guns?

      They were banned for safety reasons. Foreseeable consequences, and all.

    4. Floridian   12 years ago

      You can't use those in the house! Now a blow gun is a fun way to hunt roaches that get inside.

    5. PapayaSF   12 years ago

      They're called blowguns, not suckguns, for a reason, people.

    6. Apatheist ?_??   12 years ago

      I still have my real blow gun and darts that I bought in Sarawak when I was 10. That bitch was/is fun.

  25. sloopyinca   12 years ago

    Thank God the feds were there after the "due process" from an internal investigation -read: after his co-workers said what he did was okey dokey- said this dirtbag did nothing wrong.

    FTA: Hughes' Oct. 25, 2012, indictment states that on Oct. 14, 2007, he transported a woman to the jail and then, "acting under color of law," threw her onto the concrete floor, stomped her head against the floor and kicked her "without legal justification," injuring her and depriving her of her constitutional rights to freedom from excessive force and from unreasonable searches and seizures.
    Without a plea deal, Hughes faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    1. Ted S.   12 years ago

      And it only took five years to indict him.

      No double standard there; nosirree.

      1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

        Not only 5 years, but a Fed investigation as well. His "brothers" in IA, the DA's office and state bureau of investigation said he was good to go.

        But we can trust cops to police themselves, because they only care about getting it right, not protecting the thick blue wall.

    2. Rich   12 years ago

      "acting under color of law"

      RACIST!

    3. creech   12 years ago

      "threw her onto the concrete floor, stomped her head against the floor "
      That could have been Trayvon 35 years from now.

  26. The Late P Brooks   12 years ago

    Natural selection: Home-made blowguns pose choking hazard to kids.

    Next you'll tell me I was supposed to breathe out when I did that flaming shot.

  27. sloopyinca   12 years ago

    Well it's a good thing he apologized for his behavior and was not charged with the DUI a "civilian" would have gotten. Otherwise, this stellar officer might have to look for a real job.

    FTA: Harkins said he was doing the exercise because he does take DUI seriously and wanted to make sure the officer was trained properly.

    "She could have let a DUI go, and (the driver) could hurt someone," Harkins said.

    She did let a DUI go, dumbass. Yours.

    Also FTA: According to his personnel file, Harkins was removed as the K-9 officer in May 2010 after he failed to control the dog and it bit a child. He had also failed to attend training and maintain veterinary documentation.
    -and-
    He was demoted again in May 2011 for excessive use of force and given a one-year probation.

    Harkins had pulled over a man for DUI who was also a suspect in a domestic altercation and put his hands on the man's throat and kneed him, Blalock said.

    Harkins' superiors did not see anything on the video that showed the man had tried to do anything to Harkins, but they could only see from the waist up, Blalock said.

    What a great guy. I'm sure the department could never replace him.

    1. Ted S.   12 years ago

      He was demoted again in May 2011 for excessive use of force and given a one-year probation.

      There's an amount of force they'll consider excessive?

      1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

        Yeah. It's the length of a beating in seconds captured and uploaded to youtube/the number of zeroes in the settlement. If the result exceeds 12, the force is considered excessive by the state police. If the result exceeds 8, the force is considered excessive by the Feds. If the result exceeds 1 and the administration thinks it is exploitable, the action is considered excessive by the White House.

  28. Enough About Palin   12 years ago

    "The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy. Yay."

    I doubt it's a cute or as smart as Banjos and Sloop's little one.

    1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

      See for yourselves.

      Now compare that beautiful little girl with the typical English infant.

      1. Raven Nation   12 years ago

        Not to mention those British smiles:

        http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi2781282329/

  29. The Late P Brooks   12 years ago

    Riggs is leaving reason according to twitter.

    Just as long as he doesn't end up at Slate. Then we'll have to hunt him down and kill him.

    1. Floridian   12 years ago

      May I suggest a home made blow gun, sir?

    2. John   12 years ago

      Is it bad I assume he will pull a Weigel and come out as a douche bag liberal as soon as Libertarians are not signing his checks?

      1. Fluffy   12 years ago

        I don't know. Riggs seem a-ite.

        1. BiMonSciFiCon   12 years ago

          Agree with Fluffy.

  30. The Late P Brooks   12 years ago

    My sister, then in 6th grade got a blue medal and an A+ for her project that included two plexiglass plates glued together with sand poured in between to prove that Noah's Flood could've created geologic striation.

    No ants? WTF?

  31. A Serious Man   12 years ago

    Wow. Actor Romany Malco takes Trayvon Martin sympathizers to task for falling for media ploy.

    To be brutally honest, the only reason people are even aware of Trayvon Martin is because it became a topic within mainstream news and pop culture. Meaning: News directors saw it as a profitable, sensational story. Hundreds of blacks die annually in South Side Chicago without even a blurb. Trayvon isn't in the mainstream news for any reason other than ratings and profit. The news coverage on the Zimmerman case almost implies that the killing of this young black man is somehow an anomaly and I resent that.

    In this country, if it isn't streamlined through mainstream media and pop culture, it doesn't seem to warrant national debate. Our "government" continues to wreak havoc on our civil liberties and there is little to no protest from the black community because of media diversion tactics that keep such pertinent issues out of mainstream media. But if Jay-Z or Rihanna were to make mention of it, we'd suddenly be jolted out of our sugar comas and protesting on freeways.

    My point being, people are up in arms about Trayvon based on regurgitated pundits and manipulated facts aired to elicit emotion while fueling America's anger and division. That's how you boost ratings. No different from Piers Morgan's desperate rant over gun control when he knew his ratings were in the dumps.

    1. Outlaw   12 years ago

      I like this guy. A lot.

    2. Episiarch   12 years ago

      He starts out so well, and then sort of veers off into reflexive collectivism, though not too badly. It's still better than most of the shit you'll normally see there.

      1. John   12 years ago

        He is an actor. Be nice, grade on the curve.

        1. Killazontherun   12 years ago

          It's one of the smartest written things I've seen from actor. Its at the level of what Matt Damon wishes he could articulate.

          1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

            MATT DAMON!

    3. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

      How long till his first death threat or accusation of Uncle Tom?

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        Go check the comments and find out.

        1. Scruffy Nerfherder   12 years ago

          Actually, they seem quite positive

  32. Killazontherun   12 years ago

    Leslie Mann, looking damn good as usual --

    http://cdn.wwtdd.com/wp-conten.....mas-LB.jpg

    1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

      Cameron Diaz looks more and more and more like a South Park Canadian every year.

    2. Fluffy   12 years ago

      Yeah, she is maintaining her hotness long after the show should have left town.

      Maybe she and Salma Hayek performed some sort of voodoo vampire ceremony on Lindsay Lohan a few years back. Or "traded" her a few years, like that Twilight Zone episode.

      1. Killazontherun   12 years ago

        It was necromancy well spent.

      2. sloopyinca   12 years ago

        They've been taking cues from Halle Berry apparently.

    3. Enough About Palin   12 years ago

      Kate looks to be sprouting an inner-tube.

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        Kate is not going to age well.

        1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

          Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, Miss Upton.

          1. Episiarch   12 years ago

            If only someone had told you that in time, Ken. It's kind of you to pass it on to Kate.

            1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

              I'm skinny, asshole.

              1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

                Not to the modeling community, you aren't.

                1. sloopyinca   12 years ago

                  Yes, my days of modelling the Trapper Keeper for Mead are long since past.

                  And there is scant evidence still around of it ever happening. Thank you, internet, for not being invented prior to the mid-80's.

      2. Killazontherun   12 years ago

        I didn't even notice that was her, until I browsed the other pics. Damn, she's a mess.

  33. robc   12 years ago

    This is what the Iron Throne was supposed to look like, not what HBO did.

    1. Stormy Dragon   12 years ago

      I call BS, because I have copy of GoT that was printed long before the HBO series, and the drawing of the throne on the cover looks nothing like that.

      1. Episiarch   12 years ago

        Martin has said that that picture is the closest artist's rendering to what's in his head.

        1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

          What's in his head is every single character in the series dead. All of them. Dead.

          1. Episiarch   12 years ago

            In due time, ProL. In due time.

            1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

              A Game of Disappointments

              1. Episiarch   12 years ago

                I'm re-reading book three and just re-read the Red Wedding. A ton of shit goes down in book three.

                1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

                  Lots of dead people, I remember that. One thing I find interesting [STOP READING HERE] is how he doesn't give a fuck that most readers favor the Starks.

                  1. Episiarch   12 years ago

                    They're his creations, he can do with them as he wishes. The unpredictability is part of the appeal.

                    1. Pro Libertate   12 years ago

                      He should fake his own death and fail to publish the last book. Until like thirty years from now.

            2. jesse.in.mb   12 years ago

              If you haven't seen George R.R. Martin destroying someone's guitar after they sing the song "Write Like the Wind" do so now. Bonus Gaiman appearance.

            3. Don Mynack   12 years ago

              I'm convinced he conceived the series as an elaborate joke until it started making him a ton of money - now he just trolls us all.

    2. Fatty Bolger   12 years ago

      A Wiki of Ice and Fire

      The HBO throne has become iconic. And well it might. It's a terrific design, and it has served the show very well. There are replicas and paperweights of it in three different sizes. Everyone knows it. I love it. I have all those replicas right here, sitting on my shelves. And yet, and yet... it's still not right. It's not the Iron Throne I see when I'm working on THE WINDS OF WINTER. It's not the Iron Throne I want my readers to see. "

      " The way the throne is described in the books... HUGE, hulking, black and twisted, with the steep iron stairs in front, the high seat from which the king looks DOWN on everyone in the court... my throne is a hunched beast looming over the throne room, ugly and assymetric... "

      " But [Marc Simonetti] has come closer here to capturing the Iron Throne as I picture it than any other artist to tackle it. From now on, THIS will be the reference I give to every other artist tackling a throne room scene. This Iron Throne is massive. Ugly. Assymetric. It's a throne made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes... a symbol of conquest... it has the steps I describe, and the height. From on top, the king dominates the throne room. And there are thousands of swords in it, not just a few.

  34. Killazontherun   12 years ago

    BTW, I bought Dishonored on Steam over the week end. Pretty much an updated Thief with an RPG system, and Victorian supernatural creepiness thrown in (Granny Rags is pure Neal Gaiman). Well done, the loot is balanced where you want to explore every nick and crevice of the levels to find the items. It makes a huge difference in your character if you get lazy about exploring. It also pays to be evil. The more chaos you create in a mission, the more fucked up shit happens in later levels.

    1. jesse.in.mb   12 years ago

      I thoroughly enjoyed Dishonored, but had already uninstalled it before I realized there was DLC.

      1. Killazontherun   12 years ago

        I believe there are a few more in the works, so holding off for a second play through is a good idea.

    2. Joe M   12 years ago

      The Summer Sale was pretty great. I'm getting to the point where I won't pay more than $10 for a game, even AAA.

      1. Warrren   12 years ago

        Ah, the game of highway car service.

    3. All-Seeing Monocle   12 years ago

      Roger that, picked that one up as well as Bioshock Infinite for 30. I was on the fence about Dishonored but at that price, easy call.

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