A.M. Links: Attack on Iranian Embassy in Beirut Kills at Least 23, Obama Tells Insurance CEOs Obamacare "Fix" May Cost Them, Boston Cops Wary of GPS Tracking

Credit: David Bachrach/wikimedia

• Some cops in Boston are not happy about the prospect of having GPS trackers in their cruisers.
• An Al Qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility for an attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut which has left at least 23 people dead.
• Today is the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.
• Obama has told insurance CEOs that his health care "fix" may cost them. 
• Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has introduced a bill that would ban anyone but law enforcement officials from bringing guns into airports.
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said Americans want "someone like myself" in 2016. 
• A record number of Americans are renouncing their citizenship.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Some cops in Boston are not happy about the prospect of having GPS trackers in their cruisers.

Wicked ironic.

[DJF]

Just wait until they find out that they are being accused of having clenched buttocks and a search warrant is being issued.

[Shirley Knott]

Aren't these the ones who insist "if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about"?
Ironic indeed.

[Doctor Whom]

The rules that apply to the little people don't apply to our heroes in blue.

[janet101]

Google is paying 75$/hour! Just work for few hours & spend more time with friends and family. On sunday I bought themselves a Alfa Romeo from having made $5637 this month. its the best-job Ive ever had.It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don't check it out http://www.Buzz95.com

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said Americans want "someone like myself" in 2016.

"We are the change we're been waiting for. You like that? I just made it up."

[gaijin]

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

[Root Boy]

He's had some good zingers lately. Now that SNL has found the "courage" to make fun of Obama maybe we'll hear more of the ironic hipsters doing the same.

[CE]

He's right. I want someone like myself to be elected in 2016. Now if I can just find 60 million voters to agree with me, we can balance the budget and eliminate the income tax by 2018.

[Lord Humungus]

The Accidental Vagina: Design for Qatar's first 2022 World Cup stadium released

However, now that a virtual rendering of the first new purpose-built stadium has been released, the debate is not about whether the fully air conditioned pitch will solve the heat problem.

Rather a number of commentators and tweeters have pointed to the fact that the proposed Al-Wakrah stadium looks very much like a vagina.

Yes, the conservative country has designed what many believe appears to be a giant ode to women's private parts.

This is not what the architects intended. Instead, the design is supposed to resemble the sails of a dhow boat which is traditionally used for pearl fishing by Qataris.

[DJF]

If that is a Vagina then someone needs to go see the Gynecologist

[AlmightyJB]

I'd hit it.

[WTF]

You must have a Warty-esque Futurecock to be able to hit that thing.

[Root Boy]

Is it better looking than a code pink vag?

[waffles]

Like a hotdog down a hallway.

[wareagle]

"pearl fishing"

well, there you go.

[Ted S.]

Sounds more like there's some pearl clutching going on.

[mr simple]

Wow, that's not even just reminiscent. There's really no mistaking it.

[Elspeth Flashman]

The city I live in has a parking structure with a remarkably vagina-shaped art piece in front of it. It's even in color . . . I think there's no mistaking it either, might has well have been designed by Georgia O'Keefe.

[Gene]

It's a giant ornate shitter.

[Swiss Servator, kirsch anyone?]

See also; Soldier Field, Chicago, IL for a large toilet shaped stadium.

[gaijin]

^ Yes! And after Sunday's game, the turf looked like something that needed to be flushed into the lake.

[Enough About Palin]

"pearl fishing"

Tee hee.

[Snark Plissken]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said Americans want "someone like myself" in 2016.

If Ron Paul had had a son, he would've looked like Rand.

[DJF]

Another story more detailed then most about massive fraud and waste at the Pentagon. Even the accounting systems are failures even though they cost billions to create.

We need to fire half the top Pentagon bureaucrats and generals and tell the other half that if they don't straighten things out they go next. No retirement, no benefits, just out the door. And then use this as an example with the rest of government.

http://news.yahoo.com/special-.....iness.html

[Redmanfms]

No retirement, no benefits, just out the door.

Rule of law is of no real importance to you, is it?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

It's not important to the DOD either, it seems. They're happy to collect money from the taxpayer and spend it on anything and everything, but unwilling or incapable of being good stewards of it.

[DJF]

Your right, they should instead all be charged with criminal fraud.

[CatoTheElder]

and given a fair trial and a first-class hangin'.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Great movie.

[CatoTheElder]

The State cannot deny people of their property or their liberty without due process. So, you are correct: the generals cannot be deprived of their pensions unless found guilty of some crime.

However, public pensions have gotten out of hand. The State as constituted does have the power to tax. I'd make the modest proposal that all all state and federal pensions, except those of the judiciary, in excess of four times the median household income be subject to a 99% income tax. The need for the exception is obvious.

[Rasilio]

Apparently you are not familiar with the UCMJ...

Article 134. General article:
Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.

AKA the FYTW article that basically lets them court martial anyone for any reason and then punish them as the court see's fit to do.

So yeah they'd have to get their due process and all but it's not like it couldn't be done

[Brett L]

Overseeing accounting irregularities should carry an automatic stripping of pension and benefits. Honestly, I think that's the only way to get a lifer's attention.

[Redmanfms]

Overseeing accounting irregularities should carry an automatic stripping of pension and benefits. Honestly, I think that's the only way to get a lifer's attention.

The process already exists to do this, it's called court martial.

I see these arbitrary automatic punishments bantyed about a lot lately by the commentariat for a variety of things. It's pretty unbecoming. The kind of chaos such unprincipled and unequal uses of force represent is precisely what creates most of the problems (police violence, government financial malfeasance, prosecutorial abuse) in the first place.

Demanding something extra and above for specific crimes is exactly the kind of thing progs demand.

[Brett L]

I meant in a more general sense of government bureaucrats. Dismissal from your job for overseeing accounting irregularities means the government gets to keep any future benefits owed to you.

[Redmanfms]

I meant in a more general sense of government bureaucrats. Dismissal from your job for overseeing accounting irregularities means the government gets to keep any future benefits owed to you.

I do believe such is already the case. The problem is that people are allowed to resign, in some cases specifically to protect their pensions (and avoid embarrassment to the power structure who put the guy in place).

Congress can (and has) get around this by recalling generals and then prosecuting them. I don't know if the same can be done to civil employees (I think it can, but I'm not sure), but it certainly should be done in cases of criminal malfeasance.

[DJF]

Or we can just change the law, since it appears that the Court Marshal system has not fixed the problem.

[Redmanfms]

Or we can just change the law, since it appears that the Court Marshal system has not fixed the problem.

Change it to what exactly? Fraud is already illegal.

You've already stated that you want generals fired and prosecuted for doing their fucking jobs in another thread a few months ago, so it's pretty clear your solutions don't come from a position of rationality.

[DJF]

What job was that?

[Redmanfms]

What job was that?

Training their troops.

[Sy]

Training their troops.

Training which troops on what? This isn't a military discipline issue.

[Sy]

Sorry, Redman. I misread the commments. Disregard.

[Redmanfms]

Training which troops on what? This isn't a military discipline issue.

Dude, read the thread.

Specifically:

You've already stated that you want generals fired and prosecuted for doing their fucking jobs in another thread a few months ago

[Sy]

Dude, read the thread.

"Sorry, Redman. I misread the commments. Disregard."

[Redmanfms]

"Sorry, Redman. I misread the commments. Disregard."

Yeah, post wasn't there when I responded, sorry.

[DJF]

I remember, I thought that the US generals should not be training our troops for wars in Mongolia or South East Asia because that is a stupid place to fight and was not worth one drop of American blood or one dollar.

You had the opinion that the US military should be ready to fight all over the world.

Actually being ready to fight all over the world in my opinion would require trillions more dollars and its not worth it so fake training and pretending that the US is ready to fight in Mongolia or South East Asia is just another fraud

[Redmanfms]

Actually being ready to fight all over the world in my opinion would require trillions more dollars and its not worth it so fake training and pretending that the US is ready to fight in Mongolia or South East Asia is just another fraud

And as was pointed out in that thread you are not only delusional with an pathological fixation on firing generals you have no fucking clue what you are talking about.

[DJF]

So we should keep incompetent management?

Why are generals off limits?

[Redmanfms]

So we should keep incompetent management?

Why are generals off limits?

Now you're delving into outright mendacity.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Actually being ready to fight all over the world in my opinion would require trillions more dollars and its not worth it so fake training and pretending that the US is ready to fight in Mongolia or South East Asia is just another fraud

I suspect we'd spend a hell of a lot less on training than on whatever overseas adventures we got involved in.

Does it require a large standing army? Probably not, but anyone implying that training in and of itself isn't really necessary doesn't have a clue about military readiness and its impact on real-world operations.

The fact is, history shows that military forces which don't train rigorously tend to get their ass kicked when the shit finally does hit the fan.

[DJF]

Then train for places that are realistic, not Mongolia and the South East Asia.

How about training to actual defend the USA?

[Redmanfms]

Then train for places that are realistic, not Mongolia and the South East Asia.

How about training to actual defend the USA?

Given your demonstrated ignorance of the military and rule of law, what you consider "realistic" isn't encouraging.

[DJF]

I am realistic to know people who died the last time we went into South East Asia and died for no good reason. And I can look at a map and see that Mongolia is between China and Russia and not a good place to put US troops with their lines of supply being at either the Chinese or Russian whim

[Redmanfms]

I am realistic to know people who died the last time we went into South East Asia and died for no good reason. And I can look at a map and see that Mongolia is between China and Russia and not a good place to put US troops with their lines of supply being at either the Chinese or Russian whim

Your ignorance is so colossal you can't even see you just made my point for me.

Yeah, sending troops untrained and ill-equipped for jungle warfare turned out badly for those troops. They had to learn by body bag. You'd have us repeat that.

[DJF]

Do you think the US military is ready for another war in South East Asia or Mongolia even with all the training in the world? If you do then you are just as delusional as that general.

[Redmanfms]

Do you think the US military is ready for another war in South East Asia or Mongolia even with all the training in the world? If you do then you are just as delusional as that general.

You've already demonstrated that you know nothing about this subject at all.

And that you are a rank LIAR.

Kindly FOADIAF.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Then train for places that are realistic, not Mongolia and the South East Asia.

How about training to actual defend the USA?

You mean jungle and desert steppe warfare? Gee, where in the US do we possess terrain like that? 🙄

The fact is that there's no way of knowing WHERE we're going to need to train for. Considering the variety of geographic zones the US contains, it would be stupid to not take advantage of that and prepare for as many contingencies as possible, including home defense.

[Root Boy]

I'm usually the first to step up and say fire fuckers who fuck up, especially .mil, however, I see more uniforms fired than I have ever seen from the IRS, HHS, HUD, Fannie/Freddie and all the other worthless government agencies. DOD is at least constitutional.

Pentagon accounting has been a joke since McNamera had his best and brightest reform it and it is talked about all the time. It won't ever be fixed, though Sequester will force them to waste less.

[DJF]

Also fraud does not appear to be illegal at the Pentagon, in the above story there is an admittance of fraud in the first paragraph but I bet nobody will be prosecuted. That is because its approve fraud and if they start pulling the string on approved fraud it goes right to the top.

[Sy]

"Or we can just change the law, since it appears that the Court Marshal system has not fixed the problem."

Yeah. I'm sure that'll work on all that brass

[DJF]

I know, that is why my first comment included the top civilians as well as the generals

[Redmanfms]

I know, that is why my first comment included the top civilians as well as the generals

Yeah, DFAS has literally no generals in its leadership.

You just have a hard-on for firing and prosecuting generals, for whatever.

[DJF]

If you bothered to read the story is not just about DFAS

[Sy]

This isn't a problem that will be solved with some guys losing rank. I did personnel administration for most of my enlistment, and the majority of this "fraud" can likely be attributed to the cumbersome and ridiculously inefficient nature of the pay and entitlements system. There were typically 4 or 5 different manuals that had to be referenced for someone being awarded a particular entitlement like per diem or hostile fire pay for each individual person in each instance that it was to be awarded. And any time congress issued a change or a new benefit or some other tweak to the system, the individual branches and their respective reporting systems would have to implement changes and updates to send to DFAS to justify changes in entitlements. Now they've done pretty much the dumbest thing they can do, which is bring in civilians to replace military administrators. Now there's little incentive to fix little mistakes at the bottom or huge mistakes near the top; it's almost impossible to fire these assholes.

[Sy]

If you want someone to go after, go after the Secretary of Defense and Congress. They're the ones ultimately responsible for DFAS.

[DJF]

Ok, fire them too, but then give the new ones the whip to get the Pentigon in line. As long as they get their pensions and promotions the people who actually run the Pentagon are not going to change anything.

If there is no way to effectively punish there is no way for the Sec Def or Congress to force change

[Redmanfms]

Ok, fire them too, but then give the new ones the whip to get the Pentigon in line. As long as they get their pensions and promotions the people who actually run the Pentagon are not going to change anything.

They already have the whip, the UCMJ.

[DJF]

UCMJ does not cover civilians

And they don't use it against generals involved with the approved of fraud such as pointed out in the article.

[Sy]

"If there is no way to effectively punish there is no way for the Sec Def or Congress to force change"

I don't think you really understand the problem. The SecDef and congress are the ones that fund and implemented this crappy system. They're the ones that need to be fired/relieved of command/punished, not random general. The civilian leadership, while they should be accountable for their crap, aren't going to be 'whipped into shape' by the Pentagon. The reason you don't see civilians being punished in the military is because it literally takes an act of congress to punish a GS employee.

[Marshall Gill]

So even though it is a clusterfuck costing billions and employing hundreds of thousands no one should be held responsible for their personal actions? They are all just taking orders, right?

The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for decent men to rationalize it.

[Redmanfms]

So even though it is a clusterfuck costing billions and employing hundreds of thousands no one should be held responsible for their personal actions? They are all just taking orders, right?

Who here is actually arguing that?

[DJF]

You.

[Redmanfms]

You.

Now you are just outright lying.

[DJF]

Your the one who objects to any generals being fired.

[Redmanfms]

Your the one who objects to any generals being fired.

Again, lying.

I object to just arbitrarily firing people and taking their pensions without an actual ruling. You want rule by fiat. They should be prosecuted and if they are found guilty, punished. That is what I've argued, that is not what you've argued.

[Sy]

So even though it is a clusterfuck costing billions and employing hundreds of thousands no one should be held responsible for their personal actions? They are all just taking orders, right?

No one's saying that.

[DJF]

Doesn't seem to be a problem to be fixed in other ways since its been going on for decades.

It appears that their fixes up to now is to waste more money.

So firing is needed to get their attention on the importance of the subject.

If not firing what will get their attention? There has been tons of investigations, reports, etc and its still broke.

[Sy]

I agree. The civilians should be fired that have shown gross incompetence. But more importantly, the entire system needs to be scrapped. The pay/entitlements systems and the accounting system. Otherwise, you're going to get the same problems again.

[Sy]

This quote from the article outlines the problem perfectly:

"It's like if every electrical socket in the Pentagon had a different shape and voltage," says a former defense official who until recently led efforts to modernize defense accounting.

Every branch (airforce/army might have similar systems) have their own, individual systems for reporting administrative changes. Then, they have disbursing branch offices that need to have a system to translate information coming from the admin centers as well as implement a system to report changes to/from sister satellite facilities. Then after they're all on the same page, they have to report those changes and information to a central office who can accept or reject reported changes. If administrative changes are approved, they then go on to DFAS, which typically demands all changes be reported within 5 working days before the next paycheck comes out. Hell, DFAS isn't even responsible for the accuracy of the information it's being sent. Audit teams are usually comprised of branch servicemembers that report to their own Inspector Generals.

[Sy]

DFAS is a fucking joke and a scam. Any military administrator can tell you that. It's just one colossal fucking waste of bureaucratic nightmare. I spent three years trying to decipher their "manuals" and couldn't tell you a fucking thing about how it's supposed to work.

[Bobarian]

DOD spent millions or billions and ten years on DIMHRS to replace DFAS and the personnel systems. Everyone who knew anything about the systems could see six months in that it was going to fail.

They finally killed it, but are still sifting the ashes to see if they can use the DFAS parts of it, because the current DFAS system is so broke.

The real shame is that DFAS had come up with it's own fix before DIMHRS, but mandate said 'nothing before DIMHRS' in 1999/2000.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Obama has told insurance CEOs that his health care "fix" may cost them.

"You guys are okay with losing money, right? Is that something businesses do? I don't really know but we do it all the time and no one seems to mind."

[UnCivilServant]

"You're a lame duck whose spent his political capital, we will not bleed for you."

[fish]

Insurance execs will still fuck it up.... so awed by the presence of his Lordship!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Or cowed by the threat of his regulators.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

They should make a comic villain of Obama.

[Snark Plissken]

His superpower: to have the media praise him no matter how many crimes he committed.

[Rich]

+1 BWAHAHAHAA!!

[Doctor Whom]

Thank the IPU for the media from outside of the US.

[Rasilio]

Well they already made a comic superhero out of him ...

Barack the Barbarian

[Enough About Palin]

Gov. Mark Dayton said Monday that he's decided against giving Minnesotans who buy insurance on their own the option to keep their existing health plans another year.

Dayton said a letter from the state's largest insurance companies convinced him that allowing some people that flexibility, as proposed by President Obama last week, would create too much confusion in the marketplace and could lead to ?premium increases.

"Your letter makes clear that ?making the program changes offered by the president last week would be unworkable for your members and would likely cause more expensive health coverage for Minnesotans," the governor said in response to the letter.

Under fire over the rollout of the federal health law, Obama gave states the discretion to decide whether to allow some individuals to be grand?fathered in on their current policies for a year even if the plans don't ?comply with the law.

Though Dayton initially applauded Obama's plan, he weighed the insurers' arguments and said he would ask Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman to continue implementing the Affordable Care Act and the state's health insurance exchange, MNsure, as it is ?presently designed.

http://www.startribune.com/business/232411991.html

[mr simple]

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has introduced a bill that would ban anyone but law enforcement officials from bringing guns into airports.

Why not just ban guns outright? That seems like an easier solution. Plus, no more criminals with guns!

[UnCivilServant]

That law would allow the criminals to carry, but not the populace.

[mr simple]

Sometimes I worry about you.

[Rich]

We'll ban *criminals*, too!

[Francisco d Anconia]

I've often said we should just ban cancer. It'd be cheaper than all the money we waste on research.

[Rich]

"It defies logic that we would allow anyone other than law enforcement officials to carry a loaded gun within an airport," said the man who worried about Guam tipping over.

[wareagle]

dammit...just beat me.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Said who worried about Guam tipping over, and got re-elected anyway.

Yay for democracy.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

He got reelected? What state was that again?

[Rich]

The gentleman is from the great state of Georgia!

[wareagle]

aren't guns pretty much illegal to have in airports as it is? Then again, this is the same guy who worried about Guam capsizing.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Not illegal prior to the security checkpoint.

[Drake]

I assume (without reading his idiotic ramblings) that he would ban even flying with guns checked in as luggage in locked cases - which is pretty common.

[wareagle]

fair enough. I read it too literally.

[RBS]

Sure, ban all guns. Then melt them down. Then, when the Zombie Outlaw Uprising occurs you will all be defenseless.

[thom]

There's got to be some jurisdiction somewhere that could just declare every citizen under their jurisdiction to be "law enforcement". Problem solved.

[Bobarian]

^^THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

[Troglodyte Rex]

Hells yeah. My neighbors dog is a bit yappy and I'm just itching for a legal reason to pop it.

[Lord Humungus]

Botched ACA Rollout Hammers Obama; Job Disapproval Reaches a Career High

The results overall represent a sharp turnaround in fortune for Obama and his party, which just a month ago were ascendant over the Republicans in views of the budget dispute that led to a partial government shutdown. Today 45 percent of Americans call Obama "too liberal," matching the high, and 46 percent say the same about the Democratic Party. And perhaps adding insult to injury, registered voters divide numerically in Mitt Romney's favor, 49-45 percent, if they had a mulligan for the 2012 presidential election. While the difference between the two is within the poll's error margin, Obama's support is 6 points below his actual showing a year ago.

Indeed, even with the stock market soaring and GDP and the jobs market gaining ground, disenchantment with Obama has damaged his most critical issue-specific approval rating, for handling the economy. Fifty-seven percent disapprove, up by 9 points since May and the most since March 2012.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Given that the NY Post reported this morning that Census workers were basically making up job figures, which obviously in no way square with reality, it's not surprising people are finally turning on him for this one, too.

[Snark Plissken]

A record number of Americans are renouncing their citizenship.

There's a heavy penalty tax on rats fleeing the sinking ship.

[robc]

At least there isnt a wall...yet.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I think we are working on a fence, does that count?

[robc]

Pretty much.

At least there isnt a fence between us and Canada yet. And from Canada you can catch flights to real countries.

[FreeToFear]

Such as?

[robc]

Anywhere that isnt Canada.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has introduced a bill that would ban anyone but law enforcement officials from bringing guns into airports.

For want of a gun free zone, the LAX shootings happened.

[WTF]

Gun free zones totally stop killers, because laws are magic!

[gaijin]

Those LAX gun laws are the problem for sure.

[Root Boy]

The New Yorker agrees with you:

http://www.newyorker.com/onlin.....es-st.html

(yes, bad leftist satire)

[gaijin]

Bad leftist satire bad gaijin pun 🙂

[gaijin]

There was supposed to be a "greater than" in there, doh!

[Root Boy]

Umm...think I get it. Either way, a classic pun that goes over the heads of leftist gun grabbers.

[Lord Humungus]

Vital Signs: The World's Glass Looks Half Empty

According to a survey of 11,000 companies done by data provider Markit, a net 33% of companies expect their business activity levels will rise in the next 12 months. That's up from 30% thinking that in June but still far below the levels seen earlier in the recovery. The global results suggest "weak economic growth," the report said.

According to Markit, optimism is improving among developed economies while emerging markets still show low levels of confidence. Subdued expectations about future activity have led to restrained hiring plans. On net, only 14% of companies worldwide expect to add employees.

For the U.S. alone, a net 41% of companies expect better activity, but only 19% plan to expand staff in the next year.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Net 41%? So something like 70% of US companies are bullish on the economy.

Why not? Inflation is nearly dead, interest rates are low and energy prices are falling.

2000 on the S&P 500 by May 1!

[Restoras]

D-

Needs more spin and deflection.

[WTF]

BUSHPIGS!!11!!!CHRISTFAGS!!11!!!

[wwhorton]

How do you figure inflation is nearly dead? CPI is around 1.9% for this past September. That's lower than it's been, but mostly compared to the higher inflation we've seen over the past decade.

[waffles]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said Americans want "someone like myself" in 2016.

I agree with this statement. I fight like hell with some dyed-in-the-wool (R) acquaintances that running someone like Chris Christy is the same as Romney or McCain. That watered down bullshit warhawk Democrat-lite "electibility" hogwash is crap I don't want. I will either vote for someone who I actually want or not at all.

[Atanarjuat]

The fact that Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, and others have hitched their wagons to the Tea Party shows who they think will win the primaries next time around.

It's really weird listening to right-wing talk radio criticize Karl Rove, then flip over to NPR and have them tar "conservatives like Karl Rove" for only getting donations from big-money donors.

[Game of Gnomes]

Really there are Republicans that dumb that they want to follow the same exact game plan?

[CatoTheElder]

Yes.

[Root Boy]

Never met any, but they seem to be out there. If Fat Bastard makes it in, I'll enjoy the him getting gut punched by Hillary, but either way we're fucked.

[BakedPenguin]

Well, McCain and Romney were electable. Except for when it came time to elect them.

[WTF]

They're not called "the Stupid Party" for nothing.

[Ted S.]

Some cops in Boston are not happy about the prospect of having GPS trackers in their cruisers.

If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide.

[Rich]

Well, it *is* increasingly wrong to eat donuts.

[fish]

Well, it *is* increasingly wrong not to sign up for ObamaCare.

[Rasilio]

Eh they're in friggin boston, no worries about a GPS tracker reporting their pastry habit becuase there is a Dunkin Donuts on every street corner.

Plus for some unknown reason the entire state here is addicted to Dunkin Coffee to the point where if they ever went out of business the entire state would go belly up so they could just claim they were getting their caffiene fix on.

[Steve G]

I'm amazed they don't. I mean think of the situational awareness you'd have in a dispatch or command center knowing where your resources were relative to a situation. Unbelievable.

[Restoras]

OT:

The new Rush live album Clockwork Angels Tour is out today and sounds great so far, for all the Rush Mafia out there...

[gaijin]

+2112

[RBS]

Rush?

[Root Boy]

Don't start a music argument with Rush people - they be crazy.

[Lord Humungus]

Bashir Apologizes for Palin Comments

MSNBC host Martin Bashir opened his show on Monday apologizing for his controversial remarks about Sarah Palin. Bashir on Friday angrily asserted that somebody should defecate in Palin's mouth. In an abrupt reversal on Monday, he called his "words wholly unacceptable" and "unworthy of anyone who would claim to have an interest in politics."

"I wanted to take this opportunity to say sorry to Mrs. Palin, and to also offer an unreserved apology to her friends and family, her supporters, our viewers, and anyone who may have heard what I said," Bashir said. "I deeply regret what I said and that I have learned a sober lesson in these last few days that the politics of vitriol and destruction is a miserable place to be and a miserable person to become."

[Palin's Buttplug]

Nice boy, Marty!

[Brett L]

So they pissed off the seven conservatives who watch for the outrage, then the 12 progressives who watch will get angry at the apology.

[Marc F Cheney]

The guy from DS9?

[Ted S.]

Could you imagine if a commentator said that somebody should defecate in Michelle Obama's mouth?

[Drake]

That kind of blasphemy cannot ever be tolerated.

[Snark Plissken]

Eric Holder would personally arrest them.

[Weigel's Cock Ring]

Bashir is obviously gay, just like my owner. We're very obsessed with sister Sarah.

[fish]

Why aren't you upthread helping your alter ego defend the economy!

[Weigel's Cock Ring]

Please don't ask me to do too many things at once, sir. I am but a simple cock ring; even a brain as tiny and dysfunctional as the boss' is beyond my reach.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

The fact such a thing came out of his mouth in the first place is something to ponder. What's with the left-wing Brits on U.S. teley? What's next? A Canadian?

Jennings, Ketih Morrison and Safer don't count.

[Drake]

I've never heard of this guy. Why do the lefty news networks feel a need to import crazy? We have plenty here.

[Atanarjuat]

There is a Brit on Fox Business too*. They probably just think the accent makes them sound smart.

*His name escapes me but he has a bad comb-over.

[Atanarjuat]

Stuart Varney. So not just lefties do it.

[Root Boy]

Though he actually seems to have some idea of what he's talking about. Bashir seems to be some kind of darker skinned Piers Morgan knockoff who's only talent is leftist outrage.

[Kid Xenocles]

Varney's actually pretty okay as far as I can tell.

[CatoTheElder]

I rather detest Bashir, but at least he knows he did wrong and knows how to apologize for wrong-doing.

His apology may have been insincere (I don't know) but at least it was unambiguous.

(If it were a typical celebrity's or politician's "apology", it would have been along the lines of "I regret that my boisterous commentary about shitting on Palin's face offended the sensibilities of some. If she weren't such a detestable human being, I wouldn't have been inclined to use such language.")

[Heroic Mulatto]

Bashir on Friday ... asserted that somebody should defecate in Palin's mouth.

I find it disgusting that Bashir is being forced to "apologize" for his sexual kinks by frothing-at-the-mouth SoCons.

[Lord Humungus]

Get Paid $100 a Day... to Review Public Toilets

Need some extra cash? If you live in New York and are willing to spend a lot of time in public restrooms, you can earn $100 a day for reviewing the facilities, the Daily Dot reports. Michael Li, the creator of ToiletFinder.com, which helps people find nearby restrooms, makes the offer on Craigslist: He needs a copywriter and business partner, and instead of just accepting r?sum?s and cover letters, he's asking candidates to submit "humorous" toilet reviews that are "creative, helpful, and slightly disgusting."

Paging SugarFree!

[Ted S.]

$25K a year in NYC?

[Gene]

$25K a year in NYC?

Will that even cover parking?

[KDN]

Lrn 2 Metrocard.

[SugarFree]

I usually just piss in the sink.

[Rich]

Um, they are specifying *slightly* disgusting ....

[Fluffy]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/.....67868.html

Look, SLD about having no sympathy for people who are trying to get free stuff.

But the sheer fucking gall of incompetently managing this project, incorrectly telling this woman that she'd get a subsidy, CALLING HER UP AND GETTING HER TO STAND BEHIND THE PRESIDENT, and then saying, "Oops, we screwed up the website and you don't get a subsidy after all," stuns me.

To falsely raise the hope of thousands of people, give them bad information, use them as public relations props, and then take it all away - what fucking dicks.

And the double punchline is the part where she says she won't buy the insurance now. So their success story is not only not a success story, she won't participate at all. And the double punchline part? They'll penaltax this poor lady for not buying the insurance she can't afford.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Triple punchline, she's still a big Obama fan.

[WTF]

Shriek will now explain how it's all good. After he pauses to take Obama's cock out of his mouth.

[fish]

Why would you think he'd do that?

He usually just reaches behind and continues typing...and this while still watching the Bloomberg ticker!

[Killazontherun]

America's Last Daytrader. Amazing he doesn't realize the Obama team wants him out of the market so his kind can't stir shit up. They are Galbraithians who think only macro level players with macro level deals with government to keep the system running at maximum crony actually benefit society. So, he's basically, Steve Martin, in the Jerk, wondering why his best buddies are shooting at those cans.

[Brett L]

If you read the deal, its all about whether or not her kid is eligible for Medicaid. If she insures him, her taxable income drops to less than 300% of the poverty level, making him eligible, but that removes the tax credit which raises her income.

But in no way does this disaster illustrate why the federal patronage system make Byzantine procedure look clear, flexible, and easily navigated.

[Biden's Scroteplugs]

buttplug could explain to her this is a big nothingburger.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

She supports the ACA and voted for Obama.

It's awful what this mess is doing to people, but no sympathy here for her.

[VG Zaytsev]

The arrogance of Central Planners is a wonder to behold, and it's been decades since large numbers of Americans have been directly impacted by it. Which is why Obamacare is going to transformational - just not the way the proggies intended it.

[Root Boy]

Glad this came from CNN. If it was just Weekly Standard no one would hear of it (LIVs I mean).

[Lord Humungus]

This is what would happen in your so-called Libertarian paradise:

Graves in Norway bagged for late payment

A company contracted to run a cemetery in Norway has started putting black plastic bags over gravestones, along with late-payment notices to warn relatives that the grave will shortly be removed.

[crazyfingers]

Ouch. Do they dig up the bodies too?

I thought grave sites were prepaid.

[Zeb]

Some cemeteries rent or lease the plots.

[Brett L]

Who lets people pay for funerary services with cash? Its well known in small towns in the south that the mortician is holding grandma's body until the family gets the money up. Ain't nobody paying you for grandma a year after she's in the ground.

[wareagle]

my wife worked for a funeral home in Gulf Coast FL for a time. No one goes in the ground without paying.

[SugarFree]

I thought Norway was magical unicorn land where no one has to pay for anything except rapine taxes.

[Raston Bot]

You misspelled raping.

[SugarFree]

"Rapine" is perfectly cromulent word.

[Swiss Servator, kirsch anyone?]

"no one has to pay for anything except rapine taxes"

STEVE SMITH AVOID NORWAY!

[seguin]

I don't know how I didn't see this.

[seguin]

RAPING TAX PUT STEPHAN SMITHSSON OUT OF BUSINESS.

[Capt. Rimmer]

That thought of a loved one rotting in the dirt freaks me out. The Rimmers burn their dead.

[Lord Humungus]

me too - I'm going for cremation with my ashes spread in the water - Lake Michigan or the Atlantic, wherever I end up to take my final breath.

[Enough About Palin]

Cremation here, too. My dog is buried in the back yard five feet deep. My sister will take a post-hole digger, dig down a little over three feet and dump my ashes into the hole.

[Troglodyte Rex]

I want my ashes shot into space.

[seguin]

When I die, I want to be shot into space via ICBM, nude except for a Texas flag.

/generaltreister

[waffles]

Part of the waffle-family anti-zombie Act of 2006 clearly dictates that apart from donated organs all deceased in the waffle clan must be incinerated. Pancakes will continue to be drawn and quartered.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Nice one, Ace. I went to a funeral last Saturday, which was followed by a funeral lunch. If I am buried, don't make me wait in the hearse while you all eat lunch. Take me to the ground, then go to the bar.

[Brett L]

I want traditional Irish style. If you want ice in your drink, chip it from beneath my corpse.

[Spoonman.]

My family is big on donating to science. My parents have both requested that path - a long time from now, hopefully.

My wife's 104-year-old grandmother took that route as well.

[Enough About Palin]

Obama has told insurance CEOs that his health care "fix" may cost them Americans.

Jug-eared piece of dog shit.

[gaijin]

Jug-eared piece of dog shit.
You are offending dog shit with your comment

[Lord Humungus]

NSA vowed repeatedly to fix its collection errors

According to court records from 2009, after repeated assurances the NSA would obey the court's rules, it acknowledged that it had collected material improperly. In one instance, the government said its violations were caused by "poor management, lack of involvement by compliance officials and lack of internal verification procedures, not by bad faith." In another case, the NSA said it improperly collected information due to a typographical error.

The intelligence court judge, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, said in the 2009 case that since the government had repeatedly offered so many assurances despite the problems continuing, "those responsible for conducting oversight at the NSA had failed to do so effectively." Bates called his conclusion "the most charitable interpretation possible."

[Brett L]

"I'm done cheatin', baby. I promise I'll never screw another woman again."

[DJF]

And this is only the violations that the NSA itself reported since the so-called court has no power or ability to investigate.

[Lord Humungus]

Morley woman accused of trying to smoke green beans in jail

Jamie Marie Sadler, 34, of Morley was charged with two counts of felony possession of a weapon/dangerous item in the county jail and felony damage to jail property.

According to Sheriff Keith Moore, deputies learned there was a BIC lighter in F-pod of the Mississippi County Detention Center.

As officers went into the pod, they noticed smoke coming from the cell assigned to Jamie Sadler. Officers say she tried to smoke dried out green beans, which she had rolled up in a page from a book.

[Old Man With Candy]

I've been jonesing for some weed ever since I moved away from Austin, but jesus, that's even a bit much for me.

[Lord Humungus]

Of course we all know that banana peels are the way to go.

[gaijin]

They call you mellow yellow?

[Rich]

Quite rightly.

[Marc F Cheney]

Who was Jones, anyway? He must have had a rough life.

[Ted S.]

Leaving the stands at a football match to try grab a referee's throat is a serious offense. Unless you're a cop.

A police officer described by a judge as a "spectator from hell" for grabbing the throat of a football referee spent part of yesterday afternoon playing golf after being discharged without conviction.

[...]

Senior Constable Rose was seen and heard to make "a number of adverse comments regarding the performance of the referees during the game", the police summary of facts said.

After the match, in which his son's team lost 4-1, Senior Constable Rose turned to other spectators in the grandstand and said, "That ref was s***".

He moved down in front of the players' tunnel as the four match officials were walking off.

A group of supporters abused the officials as Senior Constable Rose told the referee: "You are a f****** disgrace".

To be fair, the guy isn't out of the woods:

Senior Constable Rose, who has been in the force for 42 years, has been placed on restricted duties as he awaits the outcome of an internal police enquiry and a code of conduct meeting.

[Snark Plissken]

I think that's just normal behavior for Kiwis.

[Mike M.]

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

And it took about two minutes to deliver. If only more politicians would follow that lead.

[kinnath]

Slate posts something not stupid today:

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

[CatoTheElder]

Not stupid at all, and incredibly profound for Slate.

[CE]

Kind of a pointless argument though. If the Union started with the Declaration, Lincoln was still trampling on the founding principle that allowed secession from an unwanted government. Where is the consent of the governed in states that voted against staying in the Union? If the Union started with the Constitution, it was merely the agreement of the several independent states that ratified it. Lincoln has no logical argument either way.

[CE]

7 score and 10 years ago, the nation our forefathers conceived in liberty and dedicated to the idea of self government was abandoned, in favor of a central state that kept wayward provinces in line.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-Just In Time For That Vince Vaughn Movie, Kansas SoCon Group Calls for Ending 'Anonymous Sperm Donation'

-END ANONYMOUS FATHERHOOD
There is a dichotomous system in America where an unmarried woman who has children can pursue the father of those children for child support but for a woman who conceives through medically assisted reproduction by obtaining an anonymous sperm donation, there is no such obligation for support. The cultural norm seems to be one that is accepting of the creation of fatherless children. The United States should follow the lead of other nations to ban anonymous fatherhood (Britain, Sweden, Norway and others).

http://www.kansasfpc.com/PDF/K.....milies.pdf

[Restoras]

Cool story bro.

[Palin's Buttplug]

SoCons in the USA find common ground with Euro Socialists!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

At least in their rhetoric SoCons in the USA are often indistinguishable from feminists (when talking about porn or prostitution), progressives (when talking about gambling) and Europeans (when talking about 'family policy'). My take from that? Statists are statists.

[Palin's Buttplug]

I began hating SoCons when American hero Larry Flynt was shot by one nearby where I lived as a teen (still do actually).

Although I did vote for Reagan in 84 - my first vote I still stand by. Mondale was worse.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I do not hate SoCons. I know many of them and they are usually decent people. I do disagree with their statist positions. I do not think they are a bigger threat to liberty currently than progressives, but I think it is foolish to rank the threats and only focus on the top one.

[Palin's Buttplug]

You have corrected me. I don't hate SoCons as individuals - my immediate family has several and I don't hate them.

[Restoras]

NEEDZ MOAR KRISTFAGZZZ!!!!1!ELEVEN!!

[OldMexican]

Re: Palin's Buttwipe,

I began hating SoCons when American hero Larry Flynt was shot by one [sic] nearby where I lived as a teen (still do actually).

You're a broken toy, Buttwipe.

This fallacy of composition pervades the whole of leftism. If one crazy fuck shoots at someone or otherwise does something controversial, his affiliations - whatever they might be - are used by collectivists (bigots, racists, socialists, communists, the whole gamut of intellectually-bankrupt souls) against people not even remotely related to that person.

[CatoTheElder]

Larry Flynt, the guy who was banned from the World Series of Poker for cheating, you consider to be a hero? Even Benny Binion thought Flynt was a low-life, but he is a hero to the Buttwipe.

[robc]

My take from that? Statists are statists.

You finally get it.

Now you can shut up about socons and just fucking rip statists instead, like all right thinking people.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I think it is you who does not get it.

If SoCons are statists then why not point out their statism? Why object to pointing out that it is indeed SoCons pushing the statism? Do you object when people point out liberals or progressives pushing statism?

[Restoras]

I think that by and large most of reject statism in all its forms and see no need to discriminate among the varietals.

[Palin's Buttplug]

SoCons vote for the "right" party - therefore don't be critical of them.

[Restoras]

KRRIIISTFAGZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!

[wareagle]

the SoCons' statism is pointed out all the time. Stop acting like this is your first visit here.

Proggies' statism is easier to point out because it is far more encompassing than the so-con version.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-the SoCons' statism is pointed out all the time. Stop acting like this is your first visit here.

Sure, often I do it.

But oddly enough there are a reliable few who get upset about it when I do...

[robc]

Mix it the fuck up.

[robc]

Your problem is you are a one-trick pony.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

And you have no doubt given similar grief to, say, Eduard who posts regularly on abortion?

You have admitted to me that you tend to relate to SoCons culturally, and you have argued in the past they are the lesser of evils. Are you sure your identification with them, or a feeling we libertarians should play down our differences with them to work with them against a greater evil, does not influence your thin skin here?

[robc]

you have argued in the past they are the lesser of evils

No I havent.

[robc]

Im pretty sure Ive never made a lesser evil argument in my entire posting history on reason.

Or maybe I have, but not many. And I have 100x as many posts arguing against the whole concept of the lesser evil argument.

[robc]

Just point out statism as statism.

No one else makes a point of labeling them as "progressive group" or "liberal group" on a freaking daily basis.

They are just groups of fuckers.

[robc]

Do you object when people point out liberals or progressives pushing statism?

I objected with Longtorso was pushing his Golden Girls bullshit day after day too.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Do you object to Immaculate Trouser's daily Marcotte ridicule (which I love btw)?

My SoCon posts started out when I asked him and John why we did not have something similar about SoCons like Kathryn Jean Lopez. They said they would like to see someone do such a thing.

[robc]

I have no trouble with making fun of individuals.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

What is the logic there? 'Post daily about any individual you want, but let us not have regular posts about any group!' That makes no sense.

[robc]

That makes no sense.

It makes perfect sense.

I dont think in collectivist terms. You apparently do. Yet another reason you are Blue Tulpa.

And SoCon isnt some group either. Its some weird collection that is poorly defined at best. Its like "fundamentalist" or "fascist". It has no meaning as commonly used.

See my post way below that you havent yet responded to.

[robc]

If you want to do a daily Lopez ridicule, go right ahead.

[WTF]

BUSHPIGS!!111!!!CHRISTFAGS!!11!!!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I guess I get the joke here, having been as critical of PB as others here, but do you ever wonder that this kid of thing amounts to a creepy pseudo-stalking?

If you disagree with someone, why not explain why? If you think it has become so obvious as to not be necessary, why not ignore them? Following a poster around posting this kind of thing strikes me as a bit odd.

[Restoras]

I move we give Bo a pass on this since he is new here.

[Citizen Nothing]

I vote "Nay."

[Citizen Nothing]

Bo and the Buttplug
Sittin' in a tree...

[Bo Cara Esq.]

My goodness, the sheer childishness.

[Citizen Nothing]

I know you are but what am I?

[fish]

My goodness, the sheer childishness

I come for the posts...I stay for the pure undiluted venom!

[Restoras]

My goodness, the sheer childishness.

I withdraw my motion.

[tarran]

Bo Cara,

You are new here, so you haven't experienced the years of Shriek, reeling into threads, reeking of urine and starting to scream.

Thread after thread, it would show up, squat down, and start shrieking incoherently about abortion and gay Republicans wanting to rape it and other matters related to butt-sex. At first people engaged with it. Then they got argued with it. They even shrieked back at it.

Of course, many people forget that era; it is overshadowed by Mary Stack of Fort Worth Texas and her one woman DDOS attack on Hit and Run. But those of us who did endure that era do remember.

Shrike was one of the first creatures I blocked on Reasonable (in fact its screaming was IIRC a motivating factor in the creation of Reasonable). It has been years since I have interacted with it, and I dream of a time when other people cease interacting with it.

It is mindless. It screams at us in hopes that we will scream back, because that means it matters.

It is the Internet equivalent of a homeless guy screaming at a wall.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

tarran

I guess I see the point, but it strikes me that if we want a culture of honest, interesting discussion here the answer is no for us to shout the homeless man down every time he wanders in, or at the least when he walks in and is not demonstrating the behavior you mention respond to him normally.

[tarran]

But it is incapable of having a discussion.

It wants a wall that screams back.

If it wanted honest discussion, it could start over with a new handle and acutally, you know, have honest discussions.

It doesn't because that's not what it wants. It wants to scream and be screamed at.

[Fluffy]

If it wanted honest discussion, it could start over with a new handle and acutally, you know, have honest discussions.

I long ago concluded that this is what the Bo Cara handle actually is.

It IS a start-over handle.

[RBS]

Seconded

[RBS]

That was for CN...

[robc]

No one should get a pass for being new.

He should lurk for 3-6 months before posting so that he knows this shit.

[Palin's Buttplug]

'WTF' is not articulate enough to engage me. As a loyal Team Red player his sole response is a futile attempt at derision.

[WTF]

Sure, fucknozzle, it's not because you are a dishonest, goalpost-moving, Obama-fellator, who refuses to engage honestly.
You act like a troll, you get treated like a fucking troll.

[fish]

Excellent work WTF....you've given shreeky enough masturbatory materiall for the rest of the morning.

[WTF]

I know, mea culpa, I usually don't actually engage the fucker.

[WTF]

As for an example of his mendaciousness, see how he claims without any cause or evidence that I am somehow a Team Red partisan.

Go jump up your own ass, fuckstain.

[Weigel's Cock Ring]

Yeah, leave my boss alone everybody, just leave him alone!

[mr lizard]

Good thing I installed that glory hole booth a few blocks down.

[Brett L]

Family law's maxim: "Fuck you, dad. Pay her."

[Bo Cara Esq.]

It is truly bizarre to think sperm donors should have to be identified and responsible for any resulting offspring. Any woman who goes into that knows and is obviously looking for something else.

[Restoras]

Statists don't believe in 'personal responsibility'. Hence all the statism.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I think the SoCons here think they are pushing 'personal responsibility,' that is the responsibility of a sperm donor.

[trshmnstr]

It again comes down to "we want to force our morality on you through laws"

I side with a lot of the socon arguments in my personal life, but so many of my socon friends and family struggle with the fallacy of "if it's right it should be law."

[gaijin]

I say END ANONYMOUS BLOOD DONATIONS! Our culture cannot stand to have people refusing to accept responsibility for the outcomes of their bodily fluids.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I know some Jehovah's Witness' who are intrigued with your ideas.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

What was that comment the other day that encapsulated you so well? I think it went something like, "Your schtick is pretending to be new to the internet"

[Old Man With Candy]

The attack on the Iranian embassy was clearly the work of Zionist Joos. After all, it's inconceivable that an Arab could do something like that to his own people.

/CNN commenter

[Fluffy]

'Al Qaeda is an ally of Iran! That means Iran was really behind the 9/11 attacks!'

/neocons any day of the week where Al Qaeda doesn't blow up an Iranian embassy

[gaijin]

it's inconceivable that an Arab could do something like that to his own people

Indeed. Al Qaeda, on the other hand would just apologize

Al Qaeda Apologizes for Beheading the wrong person

[Old Man With Candy]

"My bad!"

[CatoTheElder]

WTF? CNN didn't really say that ... did they?

[BakedPenguin]

I think OMwC was making fun of the average commenter on the boards of CNN.com

[Lord Humungus]

As U.S. default threatened, banks took extraordinary steps

As the United States threatened to default on its debt last month, major U.S. banks set up war rooms, spent many millions of dollars on contingency planning and, in some cases, even prepared to underwrite federal government benefits.

In a series of interviews with top bank executives, new details emerged about the extent of the contingency planning that was undertaken before and during the 16-day government shutdown and as a potential default loomed.

The planning for worst-case scenarios didn't come cheap. JPMorgan alone has spent more than $100 million on contingency planning for U.S. budget crises in recent years including this one, sources close to the bank say. It has reviewed and analyzed thousands of trading contracts, updated computer systems to handle fiscal emergencies, hired consultants, and built new models to figure out what might happen to securities prices.

[crazyfingers]

Wouldn't a "default" only happen if they allowed it to happen? It's not like the Federal government doesn't bring in plenty to cover the interest payments.

[Restoras]

Yes.

[Root Boy]

Doesn't seem to matter and the banks are just showing how wedded they are to the feds. Pure crony behavior.

[Brett L]

No, see, he MUST follow the law exactly as it is written. Except when it helps HIS team.

[CatoTheElder]

It would be explicitly unconstitutional for the Treasury not to make timely payment of interest and principal.

Amendment XIV: "The validity of the public debt of the US ... shall not be questioned."

It is arguably unconstitutional to even suggest otherwise since Amendment XIV trumps Amendment I.

[The Late P Brooks]

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has introduced a bill that would ban anyone but law enforcement officials from bringing guns into airports.

Why has nobody ever thought of this before?

The man's a fucking GENIUS!

(By the way, too bad for all you hunters and whatnot who have safely traveled with your weapons without killing anybody for decades.)

[Voros McCracken]

He's simply afraid that if there are two many pieces of steel in the airports, the airports might tip over.

[Lord Humungus]

Door knobs are teh evil.

Vancouver applies a little leverage in opening door to new trend

But the wise and forward-thinking powers that govern Vancouver's citizens have again been looking to the future. They have taken the concept of "universal design" and like a heroic football player going for a touchdown, "ran with it."

In all seriousness, starting on March 14, construction of new buildings and homes in Vancouver, Canada will be required to abide by regulations in the building code that say the doorknob, the "key" to opening and closing doors, is being phased out. A new rule has been added saying all doors and faucets in any new construction will be required to have levers.

[Fluffy]

These guys are obviously in the pocket of Big Velociraptor.

[Rich]

LOL

"Open Sesame!"

[WTF]

You laugh, until a few years down the road they mandate automatic voice-activated doors. Because the technology exists.

[Atanarjuat]

And a few years after that, they'll be sued by the Mute Lobby.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I'll give it 5 years before it shows up in the US code.

[Generic Stranger]

I absolutely detest lever doorknobs. The things are invariably placed at just the right height to snag one of my belt loops as I walk by.

[Root Boy]

We can only hope we'll be reading stories of swat teams doing a no-knock and all their hi-speed gear gets snagged on the lever after they bust it down.

I will LOL if that happens.

[Rasilio]

Never had them snag a belt loop but I have lost 2 pair of pants to the lever snagging the front pocket and ripping it half off as I walked by

[Zeb]

God I hate building codes. It is suck a racket. It's not enough just to have some standards so that new buildings are safe and won't fall down. They have to constantly add shit like this so they can keep selling new editions of the code for hundreds of dollars a copy.

[seguin]

And also to continue their canoodling with real estate developers...oh are you grandfathered in? Not if you do more work than replacing a few light bulbs you aren't.

[Lord Humungus]

College Students Have No Clue If Lincoln Was Republican Or Democrat

The two-minute video shows a parade of students at the university who, when asked if Lincoln was a Republican or Democrat, hesitate, grin, turn sheepishly away from the camera, and say I don't know. And when they take an educated guess, many answered Democrat, while some said Republican.

[Palin's Buttplug]

What difference does it make, at this point?

Seriously, Strom Thurmond and Larry McDonald were Democrats when it didn't matter either. Modern party alignment began with Reagan.

[WTF]

History began with Reagan. Holy shit, you can't even parody these idiots anymore.

[gaijin]

History began with Reagan.

How else would Being Liberal rationalize FDR as the godhead?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Modern party alignment began with Reagan.

Your lack of reading comprehension belies your less than average intelligence.

[waffles]

Really? Not Nixon? I think a lot of baby-boomer democrats has their opinions entrenched by tricky dick.

[WTF]

Fuck off, slaver. Go back to sucking Obama's cock.

[Citizen Nothing]

So all the Nixon voters are now Democrats. Got it.

[Citizen Nothing]

or what waffles said.

[waffles]

Makes sense to me dude, lol!

[Root Boy]

Roll that beautiful bean footage

[WTF]

Your lack of reading comprehension belies your less than average intelligence.

Pretty funny shriek doesn't know what "belies" means.

[KDN]

Shriek should be the last person giving anybody shit over their lack of reading comprehension. He posts things that contradict his very own arguments at least twice a week.

[Kid Xenocles]

From another person I could see that being part of a subtle joke.

[Enough About Palin]

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick? mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions
1 Heat oven to 400?F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2 In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
3 In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
4 Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

[seguin]

You are boring, stupid, and inarticulate.

Fuck off.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I have to agree here.

For example, what follows for the modern voter thinking about whose position on free trade to support from the fact that through most of their history the Republican Party pushed tariffs and opposed free trade while the Democrat Party had the reverse view?

[Lord Humungus]

yeah, fuck history!

[Root Boy]

Agree with LH. They are asking college students. Shouldn't they have some basic understanding of US history especially around the Civil War and modern political history?

It shows that todays utes are stewed in leftist political correctness and have very little grounding in western civ.

[trshmnstr]

For example, what follows for the modern voter thinking about whose position on free trade to support from the fact that through most of their history the Republican Party pushed tariffs and opposed free trade while the Democrat Party had the reverse view?

Do your research, the "historic flip" in the 60's was much more subtle than people make it out to be.

Really, Reagan was the first Republican to start carrying the South, and that's because the "i'm objectively racist" issue voters had nobody to vote for anymore. Democrats had long since disguised their racism by 1980.

At that point, southern voters had to vote on other issues, and found that the Democrats had long since gotten in bed with the EuroSocialists.

Same reason we're gonna see "big shifts in voting behavior" once gay marriage settles out.

[WTF]

And then for even more fun, ask them whether the slave-owning Confederates were Democrats or Republicans.

[Restoras]

Duh, obviously Teathuglicans!

[CatoTheElder]

Or, more recently, Klansmen and drafters of Jim Crow legislation ... or those who filibustered the 1960s civil rights legislation.

[Bryan C]

They'll explain that all those racist Democrats were not really Democrats, but were actually a type of embryonic Republican called a "Dixiecrats". What is a Dixiecrat? A racist Democrat. See?

[Ted S.]

He certainly wasn't a libertarian like those virtuous southerners.

[/sarcasm]

[robc]

False choice.

He could have followed the paths suggested by William Lloyd Garrison or Lysander Spooner.

[Rich]

TSA Rolls Out 'Detention Pods' at Airport Terminal Exits

"These portals were designed and approved by TSA which is important," said Syracuse Airport Commissioner Christina Callahan

, a blithering idiot.

[db]

"Agony Chambers"

[Warty]

You will expiate on Laogolden itself.

[db]

I was going through my notes on a trip to China I took last month and found this gem under "Funny Chinese Signs:"

"Rump Screw Hair Dryers" -- a sign on a storefront in Yinchuan, Ningxia

[gaijin]

Lies, lies, lies, yeah. They're gonna get you.

Census Faked Jobs Data Leading Up to 2012 election

[Brett L]

Its delicious. They used every dirty trick imaginable to win. And burned up every ounce of credibility to do it.

[db]

Election fraud is totally a 100% Republican thing.

[Snark Plissken]

Naw, at the very worst, if totally called on it and forced to admit it, "Everyone cheats" would be the response.

[Warty]

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

While this is delicious, the true believers won't believer it, nor would they give a shit if they did.

[CatoTheElder]

Phony scandal, phony scandal, phony scandal, phony scandal, la la la la la LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ... I can't hear you.

[Lord Humungus]

Obama implores supporters for help on health law crisis

President Barack Obama delved into his grass-roots organizing past Monday, appealing to his most faithful supporters to help him out of the political maelstrom over the botched rollout of his health care law.

"It is a long race, and we aren't near the tape yet, we have just got to keep on running," a tired-sounding Obama said, on a scratchy phone and Internet call with his Organizing for Action political group.

"I hope you still have as much fight in you as I do. We aren't going to stop until we get this done," Obama said.

"When you are on the right side of something it gives you energy, it gives you motivation."

[Rich]

[A] tired-sounding Obama said, "When you are on the right side of something it gives you energy, it gives you motivation."

[gaijin]

lol! I wonder if the writer was intentional?

[KB Check Release]

Guess who just started using Reasonable...?

Step 1: Add Reasonable
Step 2: ??
Step 3: Have online reputation profit

[Rich]

Gitmo good life: U.S. spends millions on landscaping, art classes for terror detainees

Gee, fellows, maybe it won't be so bad in the camps after all!

[Lord Humungus]

Homes raided, subpoenas issued targeting conservative groups and allies of Scott Walker

n Wisconsin, dozens of conservative groups and allies of Gov. Scott Walker are undergoing political intimidation from the left at the hands of a special prosecutor.

Subpoenas have been issued demanding correspondence and donor information of right-leaning organizations and individuals and raids have been conducted resulting in law enforcement officers taking computers and files in a secret investigation, according to reports.

[DJF]

Nothing to be seen here comrade, this only involves wreckers, counterrevolutionaries and kulaks

[The Late P Brooks]

"I hope you still have as much fight in you as I do. We aren't going to stop until we get this done," Obama said.

I have reached the point where I consider Obama to be the ultimate example of feckless incompetence. Has he ever even opened a door for himself? The notion of that useless dweeb accomplishing anything is risible.

[Rich]

Why, he can't even fire a black supremacist who called for mass murdering whites.

[WTF]

Well, you would have to assume he would actually want to fire him.

[BakedPenguin]

I'm amazed he was outed by the SPLC of all people. I thought they'd be lining up to agree with him.

[CatoTheElder]

The article says that the black supremacist is now able to devote his full-time efforts to the cause while he's on paid administrative leave.

[sarcasmic]

Put down the hot wax... pubic hair is back! Women shun intimate grooming, and men prefer a more natural look on partners
Some 51 per cent of women do not style or groom their pubic hair
And 45 per cent admit they can't be bothered, says sudy by UKMedix
Around 62 per cent say their partner prefers the natural look
Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow are fans of fuller hair

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/fem.....tners.html

[Lord Humungus]

I don't mind pubes, as long as it isn't a jungle down there.

[RBS]

Yeah, as long as they are where the should be and not crazy long it's ok. Once it starts creeping down the inner thigh it might be time to do a little grooming.

[Warty]

"No dingleberries" is the only true hard and fast rule.

[Citizen Nothing]

Or braids.

[sarcasmic]

Dreadlocks.

[Killazontherun]

Or that Italian thing where they grow up to the belly button. Yish.

[sarcasmic]

Pictured: The broken nose and gashes left on a 14-year-old's face after police shot him with a taser while he was handcuffed

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

[WTF]

And....nothing else happened?

[sarcasmic]

SF Mission Residents Angered By City College Student's Videotaped Arrest

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.c.....ed-arrest/

A hostile crowd then gathered around the officers, two of whom suffered injuries in the scrum. One person tried to hit an officer with a cane while another bit an officer, according to Shyy.

[Restoras]

I'm surprised the pigs didn't automatically switch to "Officer Safety Mode" and start capping civilians.

[sarcasmic]

It's only a matter of time.

[tarran]

One important point here:

It is implied in the article that the undercover cop was shouting at DJ, who was riding his bike wearing headphones and didn't hear him.

I often see people riding their bikes with headphones. This is a very, very dangerous idea, because you can't hear things coming at you from behind, such as cars or maniacs.

Situational awareness, people!

[Restoras]

I see that all the time and it is a very bad idea. Runners do it as well. Whenever I point it out the response is "yeah I know but I can't get trhough it without music".

Skiers do it to - also very dangerous.

[sarcasmic]

One time in high school I was on a bike with headphones and decided to cross the street without looking. A minivan swerved around me while laying on the horn. Almost splatted me. From then on I still used headphones while riding, but not so loud that I couldn't hear what was happening around me.

[Root Boy]

I ride with the headphone in my right ear (opposite traffic).

So far no problem, but haven't run into trigger happy cops on my bike yet.

Also not a Crit Mass asshole.

[seguin]

If some random dude is yelling at me, I tend to keep moving. I guess I should try to develop my psychic abilities in case that random twat happens to be a cop.

[sarcasmic]

TSA Rolls Out 'Detention Pods' at Airport Terminal Exits
Making you feel like a prisoner who cannot leave

http://www.infowars.com/tsa-ro.....nal-exits/

[sarcasmic]

Mother fined for giving children leftover beef and vegetable dinner for their school lunch because it wasn't 'balanced' enough
Manitoba Canada mom Kristen Bartkiw got a note when her kids came home from school that said her kids' lunches weren't balanced as per Canada Food Guide rules
The rules say that for each item missing from the child's lunch, the parent will be fined $5

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

[Rich]

A Manitoba mom was slapped with a $10 fine because the lunches she packed for her kids' lunches didn't have any Ritz crackers.

Ha! Ritz crackers aren't on their official food guide!

[Snark Plissken]

There was a starch already, potatoes. What is a grain supposed to magically supply that's not in any of those other foods? Gluten?

[sarcasmic]

The policy didn't say starch. It said grain. Who do you think you are expecting someone who enforces policy to use judgment? Policy is policy. Don't you know anything?

[Snark Plissken]

This is what you have to show people who think gov banning of trans fats is a good idea.

[WTF]

But, they would never dictate what you must feed your own children! That's just paranoia!

[Warty]

Related: the paper hat of obesity.

[CatoTheElder]

Ritz crackers have trans fat, and their current formulation will soon be banned as a health hazard if the FDA has their way.

[OldMexican]

Homeschool them, damned it!

[Restoras]

Holy shit that is totally fucked up. All that cold has frozen their brains.

[Eduard van Haalen]

If only someone had linked this story before!

http://reason.com/blog/2013/11.....nt_4142092

[Eduard van Haalen]

Shoot, it was the other way around, sarcasmic beat me to it.

[Steve G]

I see we're not the only country whose food guidelines are held hostage by big agriculture.

[sarcasmic]

The shocking moment police gun down schizophrenic woman in broad daylight after she points BB gun at them
Adeline Arroyo, 31, had BB that looked like Beretta semi-automatic pistol
She was shot twice, but survived and is expected to recover
At least 10 gunshots can be heard
A camera crew from KCAL-TV captured the entire scene on video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-them.html

This is the 19th person shot by officers in the city of 460,000 so far this year.

[Kid Xenocles]

So... police shot a woman pointing a gun at them?

[sarcasmic]

Only the title said she pointed it at them. Read further in and you'll see she was shot for the usual reason: failure to obey.

[Kid Xenocles]

Failure to obey "put down the weapon," you mean. Maybe it wasn't a firearm but it's hard to tell that - if even possible - from even looking at it in the closeup. You look at the video, she's holding the gun and right before they start to shoot she swings the muzzle around toward them. If you saw someone starting to point a gun at you what would you do?

This is not the sort of case you want to trumpet for your cause. Too many shots and not enough hits is the most you can squeeze out of this one. You're not going to win any hearts and minds complaining that cops shot a woman pointing a real-looking gun at them after being told to put it down.

[sarcasmic]

Whatever trumpeting and complaining you're talking about are just voices in your head, since I didn't make any editorial comments at all. My only comment was an answer to your question. Whatever. Keep arguing with the voices in your head. You seem to have the straw man on the ropes. Knock it out already and give it a rest.

[Kid Xenocles]

Sure, you just thought it was interesting that cops shot someone and you presented it here with no implied comment. You, who never heard of a cop you wouldn't like to see beaten to death. Okay. I believe that.

So why don't you set me straight, then? Why did you post this, if not to tell us all how awful it was that the police shot someone?

[sarcasmic]

So why don't you set me straight, then?

Because you're switching the burden of proof by claiming to know why I did what I did, and demanding that I prove your claim to be wrong. Homie don't play that.

Why did you post this, if not to tell us all how awful it was that the police shot someone?

Go fellate a fallacy.

[Kid Xenocles]

Thanks for the lulz.

[sarcasmic]

Thanks for the derp.

[Restoras]

Isn't it part of the hazards of being a cop being shot at? Why does "Officer Safety" trump the safety and rights of the public these officers purport to "serve"?

[sarcasmic]

Considering the distance between her and the cops, I find it difficult to believe they were in any read danger even if the gun was real and she pulled the trigger. I mean, the cops at stationary positions only hit her with two out of ten bullets. I think the chances of her actually hitting one of the cops, even if she was deliberate instead of waving the thing around, were between slim and none.

[BakedPenguin]

This is the 19th person shot by officers in the city of 460,000 so far this year.

Watch out, EDG

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I avoid the cops here. Like, if I see a cop in a sandwich shop, I'll keep on walking to a different shop. They are animals. Completely out of control.

[robc]

Bo,

I brought this down here because it doesnt fit that thread.

About 5? 6? years ago I made a promise on here to stop using the phrase "c****tarian". Which I havent used since then. Of course, you would know this if you had read my previous postings in the archives like I suggested you do a while back.

Why? Because the term wasnt helping the discussion any.

You are going to ignore me, but I suggest YOU do the same thing with the term "SoCon".

[trshmnstr]

You are going to ignore me, but I suggest YOU do the same thing with the term "SoCon".

You nailed it. Bo isn't a troll, he's just terrible at getting his message across in an intelligent sounding way. (Not that he's necessarily unintelligent, it's a messaging issue).

I'll post the same link as him with different commentary and it won't look nearly as ridiculous.

[trshmnstr]

Yes, the best way to "fortify families" is to give government more control over them

Statists gotta state!

What's up with the "family advocates" on the right being so libertarian about their money, but not about more sacred things such as marriage and children? It seems like they're happy to climb in bed with the Obamas, Reids and Pelosis of the world just to get the icky non-Christians to stop "ruining families."

[sarcasmic]

Revealed: Senate Republicans tried to block Obamacare rule that caused millions of insurance cancellations, but EVERY Democrat voted to save it
In a 2010 Senate vote, Republicans failed to block the Obamacare regulation responsible for as many as 5 million insurance cancellations
The vote was 59-40, with every Democrat opposed
Sen. Rand Paul told a partisan crowd last week that the rule was never part of the Affordable Care Act, but was tacked on later by the White House
The so-called 'grandfather' clause virtually guarantees the cancellation of private health insurance policies that change in any way from year to year

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

[Raston Bot]

'We're not responsible for this,' he described them telling their constituents. 'The president cancelled your insurance, but not us. Because we're running in the South now, and we've got a Republican running against us.'
But Landrieu and Pryor 'voted specifically, not just for Obamacare. They voted for the rule that says if your insurance ever changes, you'll be cancelled.'

HA ha
/muntz

[sarcasmic]

Alien invader? No, the 26ft-long Mangapinna SQUID discovered lurking underneath an offshore oil rig
Footage of the 26ft long squid was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico
Mangapinnas are known as bigfin squids because of their long tentacles
These tentacles can stretch up to 20 times longer than the squid's body
It is thought the long appendages are used to trap food on the seafloor

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....l-rig.html

[Lord Humungus]

I believe the term is "Kill it with Fire". Barring that, a big frickin' harpoon will have to suffice.

[db]

I think "kill it with dry land" will suffice.

[Restoras]

Which kind? The kind launched by hand or the kind launched by guided missile cruiser?

[Brett L]

I was hoping for something more on the megaton range.

[Root Boy]

Still waiting to see sharktopus

[Lord Humungus]

Working from home today and enjoying the fruits of my labor - my newly built tube amplifier.

Anyway, have a good Tuesday if that is humanly possible,

[gaijin]

Happy Tubesday to you!

[db]

Have a tubesteak for lunch!

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Manitoba Government's Early Learning and Child Care fined mother Kristen Bartkiw $10 because she neglected to include healthful Ritz crackers in her kids' school lunches."

http://boingboing.net/2013/11/.....inclu.html

[Eduard van Haalen]

Oops, sarcasmic already posted this.

[The Late P Brooks]

Because the term wasnt helping the discussion any.

You are going to ignore me, but I suggest YOU do the same thing with the term "SoCon".

I have yet to determine the "substance" of Bo's obsession with teh SoCons. Or why he believes himself to be showing us the error of our ways.

[tarran]

He's not obsessed with Socons.

I can't find the thread quickly, but a month or so ago, he asked people why they were so focused on feministing et al.

The people he was discoursing with were arguing that they weren't allied with socons and that they wouldn't mind someone doing to so-cons what they do to Marcotte.

I find the hostile reaction Bo gets kind of comical, since we shouldn't feel any more sympathy for the bat-shit insane socons than we should feel for Lena Durhams of the world.

[robc]

I wasnt on that thread, seems like an obsession to me.

He came on here posting like Blue Tulpa from the first minute. I had him nicknamed that within a short time. The SoCon "obsession" fits perfectly with that.

[Citizen Nothing]

Fuck the SoCons. Fuck the Proggies.
Now that that's settled, let's move on to a discussion of deep dish pizza, what what?

[db]

No, we should discuss circumcision.

[Restoras]

NO!

[WTF]

DEEP DISH IS NOT PIZZA!

[waffles]

Bread-Lasagna?

[KDN]

A pizza pot pie is still a pizza pie.

[Troy muy grande boner]

Corona is the best beer ever. The original Star Trek is the only true Star Trek.

[kinnath]

He's not obsessed with Socons.

Yes he is, and he annoys the shit out of me.

He has been, and continues to be, non-value-added. We really don't need any new trolls, because the old trolls never leave us.

[robc]

He also seems to think that this stuff doesnt did discussed on here.

He hasnt seen the "Bong Hits for Jesus" threads in the archives yet, apparently.

[kinnath]

or any of the run up to the Iowa caucuses in 2011/2012.

or any of the salty ham tears . . .

[Zeb]

I agree. The hostility is weird. People spend all day here making over-broad, sweeping generalizations about "progressives" or "the left" or people who live in New York city. If someone wants to do that with "SoCons" too, have at it.

[SugarFree]

We are a reputation economy, Zeb. If someone else had posted that, we'd have a larf at the silly derpshits. But Bo has been on the left side of every argument he gets into, so it sounds like he's committing the Shrike Fallacy of accusing us all of being social conservative stealth Republicans when he posts stuff like that.

[Biden's Scroteplugs]

Bo finds other people odd. He doesn't think his socon obsession is odd.

[Restoras]

Probably becasue his leftist buddies are obsessed with them

[Eduard van Haalen]

If the Gettysburg Address had the benefit of an editor:

http://www.nyudri.org/2013/11/.....ays-right/

[Juice]

Are those commas for dramatic pauses in the speech? Most of them don't belong.

[Zeb]

People used to use way more commas in writing as well.

[Enough About Palin]

The Gang who couldn't shoot straight:

Bullets flew in St. Paul's Merriam Park neighborhood over the weekend. The outcome: a 21-year-old man shot and critically wounded by police, a University of St. Thomas student grazed by a bullet while in a home, and another house peppered with bullets as young children slept inside.

[SugarFree]

Commenter (the slurping variety):

Why didn't Nelson stay down? Because SPPD went from .40 caliber to 9mm handguns a couple of years ago and there is nowhere near as much stopping power. There are numerous reports of the 9mm not putting down bad guys.

Those marijuana cigarette-crazed Negroes have the strength of 10 God-fearing White Men.

[WTF]

This is why our Heroes in Blue need full-auto and RPGs.

[SugarFree]

And bath-salt-cannibal repellent spray.

[Bryan C]

I haven't seen the bath-salt cannibals in the news lately. What are they up to these days? Did they hire a PR firm?

[BakedPenguin]

Damn it, SugarFree, the Negroes are crazed on cocaine. It's the damn Mexies who are hopped up on the devil weed.

You work in a library, you shouldn't have problems finding information on the predilections of the various ethnicities.

[SugarFree]

Maybe it's cocaweed!

[BakedPenguin]

"You got your cocaine in my hash oil!"
"You got your hash oil im my cocaine!"
(They each dip in a finger and lick it, then together:)
"Delicious!"

[The Late P Brooks]

since we shouldn't feel any more sympathy for the bat-shit insane socons than we should feel for Lena Durhams of the world.

I don't.

I generally skip over all that Jezebel stuff, just as I skip over pretty much everything Bo posts, but sometimes I get the feeling he thinks we really are all a bunch of the BUSHPIGCHRISTFAGS! in Shreeek's head.

[tarran]

Well, if we weren't, we would be laughing at them instead of getting all defensive, wouldn't we? 😉

[Palin's Buttplug]

I don't think that.

I do think many here clandestinely vote GOP and don't give a damn about libertarian gains. They just don't want Team Blue to win anywhere.

If I did not exist Reason.com should invent me just to balance out the Team Red bias here. Matt and Nick know that libertarian success will begin when independents accept the party and then VOTE for libertarians.

[robc]

You know what else pisses me off about Bo?

His failure to quote properly.

Italics or blockquotes, they both work. Learn to fucking use them.

[Zeb]

But he's certainly not the only one guilty of that.

[seguin]

But he's certainly not the only one guilty of that.

True that.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Gettysburg Address commemoration will be graced by the presence of...the Secretary of the Interior.

"President Barack Obama declined an invitation, and parks officials say Rutherford B. Hayes is the last sitting president to attend a Nov. 19 event in Gettysburg."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013.....twitter_fn

[WTF]

They should send Biden, for the lulz.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"I was thinking as I came over here today, that this country should have a new birth of freedom..."

[db]

+ four score and twenty plagiarized words

[The Late P Brooks]

26ft-long Mangapinna SQUID discovered lurking underneath an offshore oil rig

Is this because that evil gaia-destroying oil rig has turned into a little fish mini-ecosystem, allowing him to sustain himself on the delicious little fishies who abound in its shadow?

[sarcasmic]

Yeah, but that oil corporation is making profits! Profits are theft! Profits before people! Profits! Corporations! Profits! Aaaaaaauuuuugghhh!

[UnCivilServant]

No, they were staging a "ripped from the headlines" monster movie where they'd have to blow up the rig to kill the monster squid.

[OldMexican]

Obama has told insurance CEOs that his health care "fix" may cost them.

You didn't get the whole quote, only a piece of it. What the president said was that the "fix may cost them customers of yours enough to sell their daughters into sex slavery."

[waffles]

Good catch. I'm sick of people misquoting our President to make him look bad. It's like you people don't even care about social capital and the common good!

[Eduard van Haalen]

Gettys-burghers "disappointed" Obama isn't showing up.

"White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that Obama's schedule for Tuesday has not changed, and he plans to meet with Defense Secretary Hagel and conduct other meetings."

http://www.foxnews.com/politic.....urg-event/

[So Conz Esq.]

eventually most people grow out of being pissed about having to go to church when they were kids. some don't.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Has someone been discussing social conservatism?

[Libertymike]

Who is hosting the beer summit to which Bo Cara and robc are invited?

[robc]

Bo probably doesnt drink.

I would find that fitting for some reason.

[Loki]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said Americans want "someone like myself" in 2016.

And yet they'll most likely end up with a choice between Hillary or Chris Christie.

[Eduard van Haalen]

10 myths about introverts

http://www.carlkingdom.com/10-.....introverts

[Troy muy grande boner]

I don't think Epi is an introvert, it just no one can stand to be around him.

[Sevo]

Fossil sale stopped, 'cause people with money might buy them:
"Kan. fossils removed from NY auction after outcry"
"The Kansas items included several pieces that Sternberg adjunct curator Mike Everhart would love to have for his museum. But he said the museum doesn't have the money to bid on the collection."
http://www.sfgate.com/default/.....990935.php

[db]

Seriously? Fucking mineral rights, how do they work?

[GILMORE]

I think the explanation would be sufficient stated as,

"Fossil sale stopped: 'cause people with money"

That said...

Do editors at these fucking papers PURPOSELY go out of their way to create cognitive dissonance?

I mean, Paragraph One =

"A California museum has withdrawn 12 fossils it had listed for sale in an auction scheduled for Tuesday, including seven it purchased from Kansas scientist Charles Sternberg in the 1920s"

Last Paragraph =

""Such an action also supports the commercialization of vertebrate fossils that has become so destructive to our science. It is equally disheartening to see the legacy of Charles H. Sternberg used to promote the commercial sale of these museum fossils."

Ok, just so I'm not being totally crazy here...

How'd the museum get the fossils? Oh, they *bought* them? That's odd. So... they don't spend tons of pubic money digging them up by themselves? So... private individuals dug the shit up? And sold them? And they paid Charles? But if the museum *sells* them.... uh, that's disrespecting the legacy of... the guy who sold them ... to them??

What. The. Fuck.

[robc]

Speaking of beer summits, brewery update:

It looks like a very strong possibility it will be in Bowling Green, not Louisville. Real estate search in BG is happening now, looked at a few locations yesterday.

[SugarFree]

Make sure to eat at The Smokey Pig (IYHA).

It's been a decade or so since I lived there, but it's going to be a big change from Louisville. At least Nashville is a short drive away.

[robc]

The downtown is really revitalizing.

Looks like lots of good things going on.

Scottsville Rd, on the other hand, is a special level of hell.

[SugarFree]

Yeah, it overexpanded and then collapsed in the downturn. It's been years since I went down it, but I can imagine it is pretty grim by this point.

[robc]

Actually, pretty nice. Not too much empty and new construction going on.

Worse thing about BG is central time.

[Citizen Nothing]

Keep us informed of your progress. I've been looking for a reason to write about that part of Kentucky.

[kinnath]

Please keep us informed. It's cool to hear about brewers making the step up to professional work.

[sarcasmic]

I was just thinking about the Gettysburg Address, specifically that line "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Is it just me, or is that line complete bullshit? It implies that we are government and government is us. It conflates government and society. It's collectivist socialist drivel.

Oh, and did I ever mention that I despise Lincoln?

[WTF]

"a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

"Except of course for the people who don't want to be part of the Union anymore. Fuck'em."

[Zeb]

It is bullshit. It's the big lie.

[The Late P Brooks]

"The Kansas items included several pieces that Sternberg adjunct curator Mike Everhart would love to have for his museum. But he said the museum doesn't have the money to bid on the collection."

The obvious solution, since those artifacts should be owned by Society, is to send men with guns to confiscate them in the name of the Many, for the enjoyment of the Few.

[WTF]

The obvious solution, since those artifacts should be owned by Society, is to send men with guns to confiscate them in the name of the Many, for the enjoyment of the Few.

Eminent Domain for a public purpose, bitchez!

[Root Boy]

Your choice is the party of zilch or active, efficient government (who apparently will solve our debt and entitlement problems but for the zilchers).

http://news.yahoo.com/party-zi.....itics.html

[kinnath]

http://www.nbcwashington.com/n.....88871.html

In just two weeks, Walmart will open its first stores in the District of Columbia.

Walmart's H Street and Georgia Avenue locations will open Dec. 4 at 8 a.m. Both the 103,000-square-foot Georgia Avenue store and the 74,000-square-foot H Street location will feature fresh produce, a deli, organic food items and a full-service pharmacy.

The stores will hire a combined 600 associates after combing through the more 23,000 applications its received from potential employees

Remember that Walmart is evil, and these people aren't really smart enough to act in their own best interests.

[BakedPenguin]

The stores will hire a combined 600 associates after combing through the more 23,000 applications its received from potential employees.

Jesus. A DC Wal-Mart applicant has a 1 in 38 chance of getting a job there.

Recovery winter!

[Troy muy grande boner]

I just read Maddaddam by by margaret attwood. It should get the hugo.

[Raston Bot]

Thanks, I've been looking for some new reads.

[Root Boy]

Hmm. Isn't she the one who always writes about the dark night of socon fascism descending on America? Yes, handmaidens tail.

Hope the new book is more realistic.

[GILMORE]

That book wasn't science fiction - it was fucking psychotic feminist *victimization fantasy*. She did everything short of nail HERSELF to a fucking cross.

It wasn't even well-written. it was a poor rip-off of 1984 - only the problem isn't the state, NOOOOO its just those awful douchebag MEN!!

I read that book when I was like 14 and it was a major influence on me in helping me to understand: "some bitches will just never stop complaining"

(har har har)

Also, FYI = your use of "Tail" instead of "Tale" is yet another typical example of your phallocentric patriarchal misogynistic discourse of domination and linguistic subversion in an attempt to limit the body of meaning in your bourgeois dynamic of sexual oppression and 'other'ing.

(a translation of the above can be purchased for $200,000 from Oberlin University in the form of an advanced gender studies master degree)

[The Late P Brooks]

Donnie Deutsch, my favorite multi-thousand-dollar-suit-wearing Occupy Wall Streeter, was on Morning Joke moaning about how a few minor glitches and hiccups currently impeding the rollout of the Obamacare could set progressive politics back a generation.

We can only hope.

[GILMORE]

I made a point of correcting someone's use of the expression "Hoist by one's own petard" the other day.

But this is the mother of all fucking examples.

They build the ultimate doomsday PROG BOMB!! AND THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO TURN IT OFF!

[GILMORE]

reposted from yesterday =

Imagine this debate with a proggy =

You get sick - you find a doctor in the yellow pages, you pay $100 and you get well. $70 is spent on your care, and the doctor makes $30 in profit.

You get sick - you go to your government-mandated doctor, you pay $120 and you get well. $50 is spent on your care, the doctor makes $10 profit, and $60 goes to the government system of doctor mandating services regulatory authority which makes sure doctors follow rules and fill out the right forms.

Which is a 'better' system?

Proggies will genuinely argue that the latter is preferred *because less 'profit' is made*.

They may come up with other reasons , none of which are part of the thought experiment (like so many "what ifs"), but when forced to address the stated differences, they will genuinely believe that *reduced profits* make for a better society.

they will also, less surprisingly, characterize the first example as "anarchy!"

When you parse progressives garbled thinking, ultimately the thing they *really* want to get rid of is profit motive.

I've found that by getting them to admit it *to themselves*, it starts to crack up the foundations of their cushy views. because they don't *think of themselves* as deluded socialists... its just that they casually endorse deluded socialist ideas because they are fundamentally intellectually lazy. Telling them so never works, but letting them discover it themselves can work wonders.

[CE]

Profit is the key to using the Earth's limited resources more efficiently.

Profitable firms are those that give people what they want the most (based on what they freely pay), at the least cost in resources (material and labor) to creates those things.

Firms that are the most profitable acquire ever more capital, after proving themselves capable of using it wisely, so the system improves with time, becoming even more efficient. If firms become too big and sclerotic, smaller and more nimble competitors take their place and the cycle repeats.

Contrast that with government control, where there is no competition and failed programs get even more funding in the hope that the original goals will be achieved. Society's limited resources end up with those who have the most political pull, not the most proven ability to manage resources wisely.

[sarcasmic]

Proggies feel that profit through voluntary transactions is immoral, while coerced wealth distribution is fair.

Think about that for a sec.

If someone makes a profit off of a transaction into which both parties entered of their own free will, a great evil has occurred.

But when the transaction involves government taking from one party under threats of violence and giving it to another in return for votes, that great evil has been made right.

So in short they feel that free will is an evil that can only be corrected with violence.

Free will bad. Violence good.

You can't reason with that.

[BigT]

Telling them so never works, but letting them discover it themselves can work wonders.

This is the secret to being an effective teacher. Lead the pupil to the point at which he has the 'aha' moment; understanding follows.

[ibcbet]

amazing.. fast kill people