NSA Had Deal with UK for Citizen Data, Rob Ford's Show Cancelled, Illinois Joins Gay Marriage States: P.M. Links

• 

  Credit: Chicago Man / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

  The latest Edward Snowden releases detail a secret agreement between the National Security Agency and British intelligence to give the NSA access to communications data records of British citizens.

• Despite being a hit with the viewers, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's television show was cancelled after just one episode due to cost concerns.
• Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland Heather Mizeur is proposing legalizing (and regulating) recreational marijuana in her state.
• George Zimmerman is out on bail under orders to stay away from his girlfriend and guns.
• Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will sign legislation into law today to legalize same-sex marriage recognition in his state.
• Florida freshman GOP Rep. Trey Radel has pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in D.C.

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Comments

[playa manhattan]

The NYPD says that in 2012, nearly 20 percent of all burglaries, robberies and grand larcenies involved apple products.

Ban Apple now!

[Zeb]

What, like pies and stuff?

[Killazontherun]

I really had a double take there for a second, too. Saw in my mind' eye a frumpy couple wearing matching angora sweaters with their hands up as the mugger is making off with the apple picking bucket. Yes, the mugger was black, but not threateningly so. Besides, the emasculated white guy in the set up is really the more insulting stereotype.

[playa manhattan]

I was thinking more like the scene from American Pie.

[Aloysious]

No comments? This must be wrong...

[Metazoan]

That's what I was thinking....

[playa manhattan]

3 minutes in and none of the regulars?

[Tonio]

You are now one of the regulars. Don't let us down.

[PD Scott]

So he can't try out for the Browns?

[Tonio]

Noooo...

[Ted S.]

Yeah, you were wrong.

[Aloysious]

Here you go, Ted. Not metal.

[Ted S.]

Equally creepy, and also not metal.

[Aloysious]

oooookay. You win an internet. Spend it wisely. I recommend hookers and blow.

[Rich]

Equally creepy, and also not metal.

[Aloysious]

Gah! More creepy.

[Aloysious]

dammit. I meant for you to see this.

[Rich]

Dammit, man!

[fish]

FIRST......belatedly!

[rts]

New cyberbullying law targets spread of intimate images

Justice Minister Peter MacKay is expected to introduce legislation today to crack down on cyberbullying that would make it illegal to distribute intimate images without the consent of the person in the photo.

[Ted S.]

If the person gave it to you, they've already shown consent and distribution.

Of course, that's not what they mean.

[Killazontherun]

If the person is photographed, and it wasn't the result of voyeuristic malfeasance, like in the case of Erin Andrews (hey, where are you going? Google, you say?), they gave their consent even before that. When the law enforces modesty, and the society encourages promiscuity, its always the guys caught between, the rapist, that have to pay the price of the hypocrisy of others.

[Rich]

Now, simply define "intimate image".

[n8]

You'll know it when you see it

[Killazontherun]

see it and get intimate with it.

[PD Scott]

Be careful of paper cuts.

[Rich]

Would that be "intimate knowledge"?

[Rich]

a secret agreement between the National Security Agency and British intelligence to give the NSA access to communications data records of British citizens.

That's terrible! Unless, of course, British intelligence got access to communications data records of American citizens.

[Andrew S.]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't intelligence quid pro quo going on.

[Rich]

Well, it ain't "quid pro bono", if ya catch me drift!

[Austrian Anarchy]

I suspect this operation costs a site more than a quid.

[Rich]

Bloody 'ell!

[Austrian Anarchy]

So they finally addressed Christopher Boyce's complaints, eleven years after releasing him from jail.

[CatoTheElder]

Brits share raw data from British communications w/ NSA.

NSA share raw data from US communications w/ Brits.

Brits scour US data to heart's content without violating Brit law.

NSA scours Brit data to heart's content without violating US law.

Brits and NSA share interesting gossip.

NSA never violated privacy rights of US persons; the Brits did that.

[rts]

Benefits do not make jobless lazy

High unemployment benefits do not lead to people becoming lazy and satisfied with their jobless status, a Europe-wide study suggests.

Levels of benefit have no effect on the well-being of those without a job, according to the study, which compared how unemployment affected people's life satisfaction levels in 28 countries.

[OldMexican]

High unemployment benefits do not lead to people becoming lazy and satisfied with their jobless status, a Europe-wide study suggests.

They're not lazy at all! Pish-posh! They're all just waiting for that call that will land them their dream job! But who said they can't wait while watching the telly or playing Grand Theft Auto?

Any second now... that call...

[The Bearded Hobbit]

"Eddie's holding out for a management position"

... Hobbit

[Spoonman.]

Wait, benefits have no effect on the well-being of the jobless? That suggests an alternate path...

[Nikki just says no]

Seriously.

[Brett L]

No, no higher benefits. Lower benefits has negative impacts.

/prog "logic"

[Rich]

I haven't RTFA, but can't one be lazy without it affecting one's well-being?

[playa manhattan]

"The survey asked the participants to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale of one to 10, with one being dissatisfied and 10 being satisfied. To highlight the impact of unemployment, researchers took into account other socio-demographic differences between individuals."

I don't see anything about laziness in the survey. I didn't know anything about the University of Edinburgh before reading this article, but I presume it sucks.

[OldMexican]

It's British, so...

[lap83]

The idea that satisfaction and laziness are the same thing shows such an ignorance of what humans are really like, it's appalling.

[Caleb Turberville]

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2.....pt=hp_bn17

Adam Levine is the Sexiest Man Alive.

[Anonymous Coward]

We need the input of an expert on weighty matters like these.

Jesse?

[Tonio]

Hey, what am I, chopped liver?

Ben Cohen is way sexier than that Levine guy.

[Anonymous Coward]

Okay, okay, we'll have a panel.

Jesse, Tonio, Lady Bertrum, Nikki, and an honorary spot for STEVE SMITH.

[jesse.in.mb]

Tonio is correct about Ben Cohen, but I will note that Levine CAN be attractive. He occasionally gives off an impishness I find charming, and he looks better whilst scruffy. Overall though he's a bit skinny for my taste and his tats are ill thought out.

[Gbob]

Warty doesn't get to say who he would like to rape?

[Lady Bertrum]

No.

[PD Scott]

My God, what percentage of recently living men died first?

[Ebriosa]

I am not a People, so I guess it's okay I strongly disagree with People Magazine.

[playa manhattan]

He sounds like Kermit the Frog when he sings.

[grrizzly]

It must be a joke. And I even like this kind of guys, but there's nothing special about Levine. Plus, he has trashy tattoos all over his body.

[Lady Bertrum]

His trashy tattoos are the most attractive part of him.

[Bobarian]

What a maroon.

[Chaucer]

+5

[BuSab Agent]

WTF? He is deeply odd looking and very punchable. He deserves the sexiest man title in exactly the same way as Obama deserves the Noble Peace prize.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

You know, it seems like an odd time to be making business deals with Venezuela.

[PD Scott]

Really? Just offer to throw in a case of Charmin and the deal is sealed.

[Rich]

Squeeze 'em for more!

[PD Scott]

Quilted and that's it!

[playa manhattan]

Joint venture=pay us up front!

[rts]

Exposed: The myth of the global warming 'pause'

Failure to record temperature rises in the Arctic explains apparent 'flatlining', study finds, undermining sceptics' argument that climate change has stopped

[OldMexican]

When Kevin Cowtan of York University and Robert Way of Ottawa University found a way of estimating Arctic temperatures from satellite readings, the so-called pause effectively disappeared and the global warming signal returned as strong as before.

As if by magic! See? Lookie here! Lookie here me numbers, mate! They explain everything!

Talk about torturing the numbers until they talk.

[playa manhattan]

If they didn't bother to record temperatures in the Arctic, how do they know the temperatures went up?

[OldMexican]

Re: Playa manhattan,

how do they know the temperatures went up?

They estimated them temperatures, mate. Can't y'read?

[playa manhattan]

I confess that I didn't RTA.

On a related note, I just "found a way of estimating Arctic temperatures from satellite readings." I estimate that we are currently in an Ice Age.

[Ebriosa]

From the article: "The problem with the polar areas lacking data coverage has been known for a long time, but I think this study has basically solved it," said Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

They fixed it! They don't actually have to record anything now. They studied it and now it's covered.

[fish]

Really? Did you know that Adam Levine is the Sexiest Man Alive?

[PD Scott]

If we accept sexiest as a synonym for hotness, and note 1985 was the first awarding of the title, then further note that the concerned believed we were in for global cooling during the Seventies, clearly the sexiest men alive are the cause of AGW.

[rts]

U wot m8?

[PD Scott]

Claims of global warming have increased since 1985. Only a few of the SMAs have died after winning the title, so clearly their hotness is to blame.

The science is settled.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Kansas SoCons Know Best, Want to Use Law to Determine, When Consenting Adults Should Be Allowed to Divorce (Note: Applies To Cases Where Both Parties Want Divorce)

-Proposal: The Task Force recommends that the waiting period be extended to one year from the date of filing in mutual divorces and two years in contested divorces (previously contested divorces could be final after one year).

-Extending the waiting period would give the parties sufficient time to engage in discussions, attend counseling, and gain perspective regarding divorce. The parties will confront and explore the economic realities of life as a single person or single parent and the effects of the breakup on their children. The current 60-day timeline does not allow sufficient time for these matters to be thoroughly explored. Parties do not realize the consequences of life post-marriage and the effects on children before a divorce is finalized.

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

[Metazoan]

This would all be easier if the government saw marriage as nothing other than a contract.

[Anonymous Coward]

No marriage, no divorce, no alimony, no problem.

[Libertymike]

Good, at least you are not a slaver on this issue.

[Floridian]

Another reason to not get a state sanctioned marriage license. Contracts + ceremony is the smart way to go.

[The Last American Hero]

Common law laughs at your lack of a license. So does palimony law.

[PD Scott]

IIRC some states struck down common law marriages because of teh gheys trying that tactic to get recognition.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Most states don't have that and it doesn't work like that in some that do. Here in Texas the state can't just declare you married, you have to have proof of the following:

(1) an agreement to be married; (2) cohabitation in Texas; and (3) representation to others that the parties are married.

[Atanarjuat]

Unless you're trying to help a sexy exchange student stay in the country, that is.

[Nikki just says no]

Kansas SoCons Know Best, Want to Use Law to Determine, When Consenting Adults Should Be Allowed to Divorce (Note: Applies To Cases Where Both Parties Want Divorce)

State Knows Best, Wants to Use State Power to Determine, When Consenting Adults Should Be Allowed to Do Anything (Note: Especially Applies to Cases Where Consenting Adults Want State-Issued Permission Slips)

[robc]

^^^Better headline, but Bo dont know that.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

The state of Kansas currently requires two consenting adults to divorce after 60 days. Any wait is paternalistic nonsense, but this group wants to up that to a year, which is of course worse.

[trshmnstr]

Statists gonna state!

[Nikki just says no]

You know how to get a divorce with no waiting period? Don't get state-married.

[robc]

Or hop over to a state that does insta-divorce.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-Or hop over to a state that does insta-divorce.

Yes, and if your state creates an onerous corporate formation scheme, no problem, just hop over to a better state.

Silly me, I thought a libertarian response might be to condemn the state's liberty-infringing behavior!

[robc]

Cant I do both?

Both nikki and I mocked the state. We just suggested something else too.

[Emmerson Biggins]

Ya. Wtf Bo? The "you aren't complaining hard enough" attack is bullshit.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

That is like saying, 'don't want to be regulated when you run a business, don't get a state business license.'

Of course people should not have to get state licenses for marriage or business. But if pushed to we should still oppose adding more paternalism and coercion to the mix.

[Nikki just says no]

State marriages are relatively unnecessary in the scheme of things though. Unlike avoiding business licensing and/or income taxes, you can still make a living without one, and the more you can do outside the state...well, the more you can do outside the state.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Wait, nicole is back?!?!

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?

[Nikki just says no]

Hey guy! I'm on a temporary release program from Warty's basement, I think.

[trshmnstr]

That's just what he wants you to think. He's over in Tokyo battling STEVE SMITH and various other sea monsters for sport.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Follow the drinking gourd to freedom, nicole.

[Enough About Palin]

YOU'RE IN THE FUCKING MATRIX!

[Some call me Tim?]

Yes, because after my ex-wife moved out reconcillaition seemed juuuust around the corner.

Why I am sure she would have loved to attend some meetings or something if only the waiting period was longer (ours was 90 days, and it was made final about 7 months after she initially told me it was over).

It's as if people who are in awful relationships are insisting that the rest of us have to be miserable, too.

[robc]

You missed my socon post in the morning thread.

I was disappointed.

[playa manhattan]

Is he in recipe territory yet?

[trshmnstr]

nah, although his "SoCon" to post ratio is about 3:1 at this point.

I seriously think that Bo should take robc's advice from last PM and banish that word from his vocabulary. People would take him much more seriously.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Banish SoCon?

Should we banish 'prog' or 'feminist' and replace them with statist?

Or is it just SoCons you would like me to lighten up on? One wonders why.

[robc]

Read the post yesterday that you intentionally ignored, just like I said you would.

[trshmnstr]

Or is it just SoCons you would like me to lighten up on? One wonders why.

You've used the word "SoCon" so often and in such a way that it has lost all meaning. It's like when ancaps use "statist" to mean anybody who is not an anarchist, or when "cosmo" and "yokel" come up.

It's not that you have bad points most of the time, it's that SoCon has lost any meaning when you say it.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I only use it to criticize actual SoCons. If I have used it unfairly I would appreciate you pointing it out.

[robc]

Define SoCon.

I think I always used the C-word fairly too, but I still gave it up.

[Some call me Tim?]

Cornupcopia? You know one, when you see one...

[Entropy Void]

C-ommunist?

[robc]

I seriously think that Bo should take robc's advice from last PM and banish that word from his vocabulary. People would take him much more seriously.

I agree. Its why I stopped using the C word. I thought, and still think, that its meaningless and so I stopped using it. Unfortunately, no one joined me in it.

I really liked my SoCon post from the AM links. Disappointed Bo didnt comment on it, it was good parody, IMO.

[robc]

Sure, why not

Nut Brown:

8# 2-row
1# Biscuit
1# Crystal 60
4 oz Chocolate Malt

1 oz Fuggle 60 min
.5 oz Willamette 20 min
.5 oz Willamette 5 min

Nottingham Dry Yeast

Went into keg Monday night.

[playa manhattan]

How hard would it be to home-brew something like this?
http://russianriverbrewing.com.....the-elder/

[robc]

DIPAs are easy.

Making one as good as Pliny?

Yeah, thats another thing altogether.

[Nephilium]

Not that hard... you can get clone kits, and the brewer has released the base homebrew recipe that he used. But getting it just as good as the real thing... that's tough.

[robc]

Im assuming your headline is false, since I doubt all Kansas SoCons support that.

Also, like I suggested yesterday, when are you going to learn some fucking html so that you start quoting properly?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-since I doubt all Kansas SoCons support that

You are being bizarrely pedantic and even mistaken on your grammar. If I point to a press release from the Kansas Democrat Party and say 'Democrats Say Raise Taxes' would you really think that refers to all Democrats in the universe (and what, through time?), or just more than one Democrat?

[robc]

Well, as that is an official group that all democrats belong to, I would allow it.

If some official group that all Kansas SoCons belong to is pushing that, I will allow it. But Im pretty sure that is not the case.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

You are being silly. For one reason, not all people who register or self identify as Democrats are official members of the Democrat party.

No answer on my grammatical point?

[robc]

If you arent a member of the party, you arent a member of the party. I dont give a damn how you self identify.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

This is a silly spiral.

Let me ask you, if three libertarians publish a manifesto, is it incorrect to say 'Libertarians Publish Manifesto?' Would it mean I am talking about every libertarian, or more than one, publishing a manifesto?

Besides, you do not call this when people use other group names. It is SoCons you do this with, a group you have already conceded you identity with.

Come off it.

[robc]

Besides, you do not call this when people use other group names.

Bullshit.

Ask John. I do this to him all the time.

And it pisses him off just like it does you.

[robc]

Also, why should I be consistent? When did that become a requirement?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I love this conjunction:
-I do this to him all the time.

Followed by the backpedal:

-Also, why should I be consistent?

But to answer you question:

-why should I be consistent? When did that become a requirement?

It is only a requirement of logic, if you do not want to meet those requirements, fine.

[robc]

It is only a requirement of logic

Nope. My logic is just as valid if I only apply it to A, regardless of whether I apply it to B C and D also.

If I say that Bill Lewis was a suck-ass head coach, that is valid, even if I never criticized Steve Kragthorpe or Lane Kiffin. The logic is sound even though Im not being consistent.

[robc]

You are the one being illogical. You are saying: "Stop criticizing Bill Lewis!!!! You never say bad things about Kiffin or Kragthorpe!!! Wah wah wah!"

That is illogical.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Wow, you really are terrible at logic.

If a coach deserves criticism because the coach is a s*ck *ss, then all coaches that are s*ck *sses deserve criticism.

[kinnath]

NON VALUED ADDED

[Caleb Turberville]

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/1.....cart_river

"Bentley, Wallace stood in the school door. You ain't no better. Open the door of Medicaid. Do the right thang!!!"

[Caleb Turberville]

Also:

Faya Rose Toure, a lawyer and longtime civil rights advocate in Selma, said she believes many low-income whites don't realize how opposition to Medicaid expansion hurts them.

"Too many of our white brothers and sisters in this state have been brainwashed to vote for people who vote and pass policies against their interests," Toure said.

[Tonio]

False conciousness strikes again!

[Caleb Turberville]

Calling white people dumb...Isn't that racist?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hip hop nation, this is Spiz-ike Lee
Been sleepin for too long, wake up..
Wake up - WAKE UUUUUUUUUUP!

[GILMORE]

meh

I'm going back to sleep and try to remember when rap was good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pRHZm8LPZQ

[Heroic Mulatto]

I would think "this is Spiz-ike Lee" was a strong tell about the crappy quality of the song.

[GILMORE]

Yeah, I know. I listened anyway.

I had to put Mobb Deep on repeat to wash away the despair.

[Ted S.]

More fucking allusions to the 60s?

God I can't wait until the Boomers die off and American political culture can advance past Nixon's resignation.

[fish]

God I can't wait until the Boomers die off

Okay Oprah whatever you.....oh...boomers...not racists.

Never mind then!

[Enough About Palin]

It's not about the 60's and boomers. Today, in The Best of the Web, James Taranto pointed out that the race card is now being played because they're so desperate.

They're Desperate Now
ObamaCare supporters crank up the racial rhetoric.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

Speaking of Samsung, the way you know it's not paying Apple $1.05 billion in nickels is that they are still in litigation over that judgement. Because the jury were a bunch of retarded monkeys, the judge cut the judgment to $450 million and started a retrial over the difference, which is actually in deliberations now.

[Tim]

24/7:
Obamacare Site Crashes on Sebelius During Press Conference

HEH.

[Rich]

"We never claimed it would be a perfect improvement!"

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

PRC government draws ire for donating only $100K to relief efforts in Philippines, ups pledge slightly.

SLD on government-sponsored foreign aid

[PD Scott]

Given the insistence by the PRC that they own damn near every drop of ocean in the South China Sea up to the beaches they probably figure not mentioning it to the Filipinos this week is charity enough.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

The pro-PRC trolls that bombard comment sections to insist that Taiwan/ROC is "really" part of the PRC really piss me off.

[Tonio]

Hey, Thane, you know that Taiwan really is... [breaks down laughing]

[Zeb]

On the other hand, Taiwan/ROC claims more territory than even the PRC does. Though they are much less obnoxious about it.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

True, but as you suggest, that is in terms of formal claims that nobody takes particularly seriously anymore, not in terms of most of their rhetoric.

[Ted S.]

I ask such trolls which of the two Chinas they're talking about.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

which of the two Chinas

Hahaha, I'm sure they love that.

[BigT]

Two of my liberal nephews study Chinese and have been to China for extended periods. I always refer to the PRC as Red China. It never fails to get a rise.

[Some call me Tim?]

ChiComs is also a good one.

[GILMORE]

"PD Scott|11.20.13 @ 4:45PM|#

Given the insistence by the PRC that they own damn near every drop of ocean in the South China Sea up to the beaches they probably figure not mentioning it to the Filipinos this week is charity enough.

pppt. That's nothing. They recently claimed all the mineral/aquatic resources in the area belong to China as well and the Pinoys should be happy they're not being charged rent for getting that South China Sea all overlapping their homes and shit in the recent 'excess wind event'.

I really wish liberals would get in the middle of a cross-Asian screaming match so they could learn that virulent racism isn't necessarily a recent American invention.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, why is it China's responsibility at all? At least we in the US have the excuse that the Philippines were a former colony of ours for almost 50 years.

And where's the outrage toward Saudi Arabia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, etc for donating exactly zero dollars? The slick oil-covered and oil-fattened sheiks and sultans only seem to put their hand in their pockets when the jihadis pass around the collection plate to fund the killing of Jews.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

It's not, but they think that the US and the Philippines are too close, and this is a good way to make sure that never changes.

Also, it just plain looks bad:

Instead, officials in Beijing find themselves evading awkward questions about their miserliness. Perhaps trying to save a smidgen of face, Beijing first upped its offering to $200,000 through the Red Cross. That was still less than half of the $450,000 the Philippines gave China after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Even now, China's total offer is far less than the $4.88 million donated to Pakistan after an earthquake there two months ago.

[GILMORE]

"And where's the outrage toward Saudi Arabia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, etc for donating exactly zero dollars?"

You know, this comes up a lot in the international affairs world as a talking point. And I think its probably, as you'd guess, really complex.

One is that Arab states are very leery of getting in the middle between other 'globalist' powers like the US/China. They sell oil and don't want to do high profile political gestures that indicate any international favoritism if its something that may make someone else look bad. A lot of their foreign aid is intentionally undisclosed and goes through back channels. Also = a lot of it is actually fairly localized to their region, as the massive disparities of wealth are something everyone wants to keep a lid on as much as possible. Another thing is that billions of $ in Arab aid has in the past flowed into... shall we say, 'questionable' hands. The fact that there is a muslim insurrection in the Philippines is probably something they want to stay clear of as well.

All this said...

11/15/2013
Saudi Arabia announced a donation of SR37.5 million ($10 million) to the Philippines to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan

http://www.arabnews.com/news/477906

so.... you know, like... uh... check first, right? 🙂

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

Strike a blow for equality, marry a poor man.

[Lady Bertrum]

No.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

Yeah, personally I would prefer marrying a rich woman over marrying a poor man.

[Lady Bertrum]

But would you prefer a rich man over a poor woman - that's the question. I know I would. Reason #1: the money. Reason #2: the Penis.

[Heroic Mulatto]

What if he had a penis made out of money?

[fish]

What if he had a penis made out of money?

Yeah....I know that guy....rides a motorcycle....sheds fives and tens on the Geico commericals!

[Heroic Mulatto]

You have to circumcise him to get an 1,000.

[PD Scott]

Something something "Short changed!" joke

[Lady Bertrum]

generic joke about chafing added here.

[fish]

HATER....CLASSIST....GOLD DIGGER...!

Wow! That was so satisfying! Now I know why the left indulges in mindless screaming!

[Ted S.]

This seems appropriate.

[PD Scott]

How about this?

[Metazoan]

I mean, I'm a man, and I don't choose women based on how much money they have (as if I could, haha), but I tend to be more attracted to intellectual women, who in turn tend (not always, of course) to be at least middle class.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Honey, my wallet may not be think, but let me tell you what is..."

[Eduard van Haalen]

may not be *big*

[Rich]

The first version was better.

[Floridian]

Funny that, about women. When a man makes money it's "our" money. When a woman makes money it's "her" money.

[Enough About Palin]

I was engaged to a woman who wanted to have just a joint checking account. She also informed me that she was really bad at maintaining the ledger and as such, often bounced checks for hundreds of dollars apiece.

Needless to say...

[OldMexican]

I'll marry a poor woman as long as she's hot and knows how to cook, which is like, what, most American women, right?

[Brett L]

I got the important one. She can learn to cook. Or I can cook.

[playa manhattan]

The latter. My wife isn't allowed near the stove except at breakfast.

Added bonus: I always get to decide what we eat.

[Corning]

Every 4th episiode of CSI and law and order and every 3rd episode of Elementary says poor men do have the choice to marry rich women.

[Mad Scientist]

Q: What do you call a musician who doesn't have a girlfriend?

A: Homeless.

[Bobarian]

Stedman: the exception that proves the rule.

[jesse.in.mb]

Having recently gotten my first taste of dating up financially (and given up trying to pay or split everything), I'm gonna go with no.

[CatoTheElder]

I rather like this idea. To be true to egalitarian principles, Julia's spouse should not only be poor, but ugly and stupid. That way her spawn will be mediocre in every way, which is the progressive egalitarian ideal.

[Kid Xenocles]

But where will the top men come from?

[paranoid android]

For the last time, people, Harrison Bergeron was not supposed to be taken as a suggestion!

[hotsy totsy]

High Status for a woman means physically attractive.

High Status for a man means competence in his work which translates to money.

Women with great jobs are not necessarily high status, unless they're also pretty.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Various Congresspersons support a choicer-backed bill to protect abortion against all sorts of restrictions at the state level.

I'm not sure this bill is exactly going anywhere soon, but what's interesting is the panicked butthurt of its supporters as they contemplate the recent cascade of prolife state laws.

"Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.) called [the choicer bill] "a clear and certain response to" a "cascading wave of restrictions" on abortion enacted by state legislatures over the past several years.

"In a letter promoting the bill released November 13, PPFA, NARAL, and numerous other pro-abortion groups asserted that "states enacted a recordbreaking 92 restrictions on abortion in 2011, and over 100 additional dangerous and unnecessary measures have passed into law since then."

"In a November 19 fundraising solicitation on the bill, Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said "it's become crystal clear that we need to go on the offensive.""

http://www.nationalrighttolife.....o0tTSf9ypp

[paranoid android]

Just imagine if they got this worked up over senseless, deleterious regulations imposed on other kinds of businesses...

[Enough About Palin]

One of my super-progressive relatives posted a picture on Facebook of a white family smiling over the carcass of an elephant they shot and she was screaming about how terrible it was and that the family should be hounded for it, I looked at the picture and thought, my g-d, it looks like it was taken in the late-70's early 80's. I figure if you have to go back 40-years to find something you can rail against, then you're really, really emotionally fucked-up

[playa manhattan]

I saw the thing about the chick who shot the lion about 30 times yesterday.

[Enough About Palin]

So when do you think it was taken? For me the color of the picture screamed 1974.

[Enough About Palin]

Oh, wait, your picture was a lion not an elephant. I sure hope it wasn't Tow.

[Pi Guy]

What you did there... I see it

[GILMORE]

playa manhattan|11.20.13 @ 5:29PM|#

I saw the thing about the chick who shot the lion about 30 times yesterday.

JESUS Girl?! 30 times? What, was it a mob hit to make a point to other lions? I suppose close-range mag-dumps may make it more 'sporting' for you, but jesus if it ruins that nice lion-rug.

[playa manhattan]

Sorry, I mean it was on my feed about 30 times. No idea how many times she shot it.

[GILMORE]

dude, I know.

Still, it would be funny:

"Listen Leo, see, we had a deal, see? And nobody welshes on a deal with Scruggs Gamboni...

'Look, Mr Gamboni, I can get you the money, its just the poachers, and the gazelles, they're fast you know, and its been a rough month...'

'Let 'em have it boys'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....g#t=01m49s

[Some call me Tim?]

Pointing out to my feminist gf how she needs to carry the logic of these atrascks into other aspects of commerce has really worked wonders.

I basically take a pet issue of hers and point out how government can (and often does make things worse), and then slowly let her apply this elsewhere.

Thanks to her love of home birth and midwifery, we've really made some solid gains regarding government licensure.

[Pi Guy]

WTF is an atrasck?

[Some call me Tim?]

I think I meant attacks.

[robc]

Its an interesting bill for those of us who are both libertarian in philosophy and federalist in government preference.

Actually, its simple in that case. The fight should be done at each state level.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-The fight should be done at each state level.

Should the fight for gun rights or property rights be done the same way?

[robc]

In any details beyond constitutional requirements, yes.

For example, my state allows open carry. Some states dont. I dont think that open carry is necessarily required by the 2nd amendment, although an argument could be made for it, so it is fine as a state decision.

Certain rights to property is specifically covered by the BoR too, which is why Kelo was a wrong decision and leaving it up to the states wasnt correct. But other aspects of property rights should be left to the states (or even more local levels).

[robc]

Alcohol laws is another good one.

While the libertarian position is clear, I still prefer federalism over a national law (although a supreme court decision is different, somewhat, than a congressional law), including KY's insane take where it goes all the way down to the precinct level (there are 4 dry precincts in Jefferson Co, for example).

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-While the libertarian position is clear, I still prefer federalism over a national law

Look, with all due respect this encapsulates our differences. I am a libertarian across the board, not a federalist states-righter. You clearly favor the latter.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

You're clearly an idiot across the board, too, if you think that those positions are mutually exclusive.

One is a form of government, the other is a philosophy of political legitimacy.

[robc]

One is a form of government, the other is a philosophy of political legitimacy.

Exactly.

A=

[Bo Cara Esq.]

That is silly, unless you want to argue that adherence to a political philosophy is not a criteria to judge governments by.

[robc]

Im a libertarian across the board, but I trust my mayor more the president. I can walk into his office and bitch at him. Ive dont this in fact.

It gets results. It doesnt with the president.

states-righter

Clearly, once again, you havent read my posting history. "State dont have rights" is a constant refrain of mine. States have powers, individuals have rights.

I prefer my minarchy to be as close to home as possible.

[Emmerson Biggins]

So Bo, are you against taxation across the board, at both the state and federal level? If so great. If not then STFU about your libertarian purity.

[CatoTheElder]

A national government fucks up an entire nation.

A federal government has to fuck things up state by state.

Federal is the way to go ... sometimes people realize that some other state is more fucked up than it is, and can say no.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

You want your cake and to eat it too.

The Supreme Court has ruled there is a federal privacy right that trumps some state abortion policies, and it has ruled that there is not federal takings right to stop travesties like Kelo.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Maybe the Supreme Court is sometimes...what's the word...wrong.

[robc]

This is the problem with arguing with lawyers and law students. They wont accept an argument from the way the world should work.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Don't lump us all in with Bo. My father's main piece of marriage advice (and it can apply to other situations) is to not bring your lawyerly arguing home. Our job is to use the current law to our client's advantage, this has no place in any other context.

[Tonio]

So, robc, if you still "have your ears on" this late: are you now or have you ever been state married (gotten a marriage license from government), and if so have you and your missus ever filed taxes jointly, owned property jointly (without forming a corp), made medical decisions or gotten medical info for the other (without having to fill out special paperwork)?

[Tonio]

TWTWSW defines desired outcomes. Law is a system of rules and definitions, iow a process that can only work by strict interpretation of those rules.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I am not arguing the Supreme Court is correct.

I am saying your argument amounts to: I do not want federal law to trump local law, except sometimes when it does, and oh, not every time, then.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"I do not want federal law to trump local law, except sometimes when it does, and oh, not every time, then."

As a matter of fact, that's close to my position.

I thought liberals were able to deal with ambiguity and complexity?

[Some call me Tim?]

EvH likes whatever form of government gets his desired results on whatever issue he's discussing.

I wouldn't bat an eye if he stated that he'd support a monarchy if that system could be guaranteed to ban abortion.

[Libertymike]

How about no government?

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Senator Richard" and "(D-Ct.)" should have been in brackets []

[Caleb Turberville]

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/20.....ncart_2box

Blue Cross of Alabama says no to President Obama's request to reinstate plans.

"A one-year continuation of policies that violates the ACA's requirements could create significant legal and financial risks to our policyholders, the state and our company," said the Blue Cross statement from spokeswoman Koko Mackin.

[OldMexican]

Alabama!

Why, those... Secessionists! Neo-Confederates!

[Anonymous Coward]

How dare you not put your head in a noose for the Lightworker with no assurances in writing and publically that you will not be litigated against by the Justice Department!

RACISTS!

[playa manhattan]

They better get their books in order for the coming audit.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

From the man who told us that, unlike his enlightened-ass self, we were too stupid to know that our health insurance plans were "junk":

Windows Phone looks cool. And I don't think it's going too far to say that the "Metro" design concept is currently inspiring a new wave of redesigns of websites and operating systems. But the platform is basically a joke, and nothing demonstrates that more than the release of Instagram for Windows Phone.

Here's the punchline: You can't take photographs with it[...]

This post is based on a false premise. I got the idea that Instagram for Windows Phone doesn't support in-app taking of pictures from an article at The Verge which has since been updated and now says "Instagram claims the app does not support in-app photo-taking, but we found that it works just fine"

That's some real fine detective work there, Matty.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

I hate the Trolley Problem.

[OldMexican]

You can't win, ever!

[Ted S.]

There's an even worse trolley problem.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

I hate that song.

[Enough About Palin]

+3 rings

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

I hate that song.

[Enough About Palin]

+ 3 clangs

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

At least it's not as bad as "Meet me in St. Louis"

[johnl]

I am a libertarian, not an objectivist. So I don't have any special intuition for trains. It would never occur to me that I am going to improve an outcome in any way by messing with unfamiliar equipment.

[Anonymous Coward]

See what happens when you oppose Stop and Frisk? People get knocked the fuck out:

The NYPD has put extra officers in a Brooklyn neighborhood where as many as eight people have been smacked or punched as part of a known trend that targets random victims, mostly white Jewish people, on the street.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday that some of the attacks were being investigated as hate crimes.The suspects in the Brooklyn attacks have all been black teens, police said.

Some victims have been slapped, some have been knocked down. The assaults are not robberies.

"A phrase that is used is 'polarbearing,' or 'polar bear,'" Kelly said. "Knockout has also been used."

Kelly said all eight attacks in recent weeks have been in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, which is home to large populations of both blacks and Jews. He also said this trend is not new to police.

"We've seen this in the past but I would like to urge anyone who has been victimized by this to come forward," he said.

Community leaders in Brooklyn have called for an end to the violence.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who spent his teens engaging in stupid, self-destructive activity, I wouldn't be at all distressed if a few of these "players" of the Knockout game caught a bullet with their faces.

[Rich]

I wouldn't be at all distressed if a few of these "players" of the Knockout game caught a bullet with their faces.

"Grizzlybeared", as it were.

[Heroic Mulatto]

as part of a known trend that targets random victims, mostly white Jewish people

Wh..I..wh..hm..wait, what?

[trshmnstr]

Their random number generator is anti-Semitic.

[Sidd Finch]

"We've seen this in the past but I would like to urge anyone who has been victimized by this to come forward," he said.

"But not so far forward that you file a report. The general vicinity will work just fine."

[playa manhattan]

Me neither, but nobody is allowed to carry in NYC.

[MJGreen]

Damn, I have to be careful. I live a few blocks south of Crown Heights, and I'm often mistaken as Jewish (though I'm guessing white guy is the determinate factor).

Good thing I have no legal means to defend myself.

[Heroic Mulatto]

(though I'm guessing white guy is the determinate factor)

I think it's more the "Hello My Name Is: M(arty) J(onathan) Green" sticker on your shirts.

[CatoTheElder]

How popular is the KO game in jurisdictions that allow concealed carry?

[Hyperion]

Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland Heather Mizeur is proposing legalizing (and regulating) recreational marijuana in her state.

I was listening to some talk about this yesterday, and guess what? There are apparently 3 Republican candidates thus far(at least, that they spoke of) and 2 of them are vehemently opposed to any marijuana legalization, while the 3rd doesn't want to comment on it right now.

Can we stop calling them the stupid party and starting calling them the totally fucking ignorant moron party?

[Tonio]

Well, let's see how that works out for them.

[Enough About Palin]

Props to everyone ignoring Jesse Walker's JFK thread.

[fish]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE IS A JFK THREAD?????

[Tonio]

There is no thread.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I'll read the article when we get one more on Lou Reed first. I also want to know more about sex offenders in Tulsa, OK. What does Welch think of Rand Paul?

[Some call me Tim?]

It doesn't help that in order to finish the article you have click a link over to Time.com

[paranoid android]

So today I learned that Europe is sliding back into fascism but America will remain strong because of...our robust social safety net?

While the European leaders are now talking about moving to a fully fledged political union (a "United States of Europe") they are doing so within a culture of austerity, which simply exacerbates the prevailing social stresses and leads to further populist challenges to the mainstream...

That's the main reason America has not seen a comparable rise in fascism. In this country, we still have institutions, such as Social Security and Medicare, which were designed during the New Deal and the Great Society and by and large work extremely well. Europe, unfortunately, seems determined for now to go in an opposite direction, reviving old historic enmities and rivalries in the process. That could be in store for us if we follow a similar route, which would make the Tea Party seem like a tea party in comparison.

[OldMexican]

That's the main reason America has not seen a comparable rise in fascism.

"It ain't Fascism when we do it!"

[Atanarjuat]

In this country, we still have institutions, such as Social Security and Medicare, which were designed during the New Deal and the Great Society and by and large work extremely well.

[citation needed]

[Mike M.]

George Zimmerman is out on bail under orders to stay away from his girlfriend and guns.

If the murders of Delbert Belton and Christopher Lane weren't considered newsworthy around here, there's absolutely no fucking way that this event should be around here either, and yet we're now drifting back to Zimmerman, Zimmerman, Zimmerman again. Seriously, what the fuck gives?

[Calidissident]

Reason covered the Zimmerman case because it was national news and there were issues related the case (self-defense law, gun rights, burden of proof) that were/are relevant to libertarianism. It's not like they were the ones driving the coverage. I agree that the Zimmerman case shouldn't have gotten as much attention as it did, but the reason it did was because there was disagreement and controversy about what happened and whether Zimmerman should be found guilty. The racial angle was obviously important, but it was far from the sole factor; there are/were far better examples of heinous white(ish) on black violence to hype up if that was the entire point. Controversy sells, and that's why the media gave it so much attention. There was no doubt as to what happened in the Belton or Lane cases, and no one thought the killers shouldn't be punished. That's why those cases didn't get the attention that the Zimmerman case did. Conservatives demanding that every black-on-white murder be a national story for months are just as bad as liberals who demanded that the Zimmerman case get such attention. And seriously, the Belton and Lane cases got far more national attention than the overwhelming majority of murders in this country (and Reason did have several 24/7 links regarding the Belton case).

[Calidissident]

As to why they're mentioning this latest incident, it's because Zimmerman is, like it or not, famous now. And some people are using this as evidence that he murdered Trayvon, which Reason argued against yesterday. Not sure why you think they have some ulterior motive.

[Mike M.]

I'll definitely buy that the shooting of Trayvon Martin and trial of George Zimmerman involved serious liberty-related political issues, in addition to being played up and sensationalized by the media due to the racial angle.

But this notion that we still have to continue talking about him because he's a "celebrity" whether we like it or not is some of the weakest and most pathetic bullshit I've ever heard here. Sorry.

[Calidissident]

Of course we don't "have" to talk about it, but it is in the news because he's famous, and Reason often has links in the AM or PM links that aren't directly related to political issues. You're the one who was so bothered by a single line that you decided to post a comment about it in the thread and then bitch about how we have to discuss it.

[CatoTheElder]

"Dog Bites Man" is not news. "Man Bites Dog" is news, and even controversial depending on the specifics.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

AOL shuts down WinAmp.

[rts]

The llama wins.

[jesse.in.mb]

Why did nobody tell me that things like this happened at sporting events!?

Instinct:

Aren't there other, more pressing issues the security at Sunlife Stadium has to worry about during a Miami Dolphins game?

Apparently not, as, according to Fandium's Instagram account, these hotties were told to put their pants back on after stripping down to Speedo's emblazoned with the Dolphins logo. Why in the world is this not allowed?!

[Bam!]

How to avoid getting arrested. Schenier's commentariat also link to this tangentially-related video which is pretty awesome.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

Get a white friend

[Dead or In Jail]

12 Reasons Why Obama Is One of the Best Presidents Ever

He is for doing away with pomp and circumstance. Let's be real -Obama is one cool cat. As the 44th president of the United States, he has changed the face of the Oval Office forever. Many suggest Obama's casual demeanor and informal interaction with the American people is inappropriate, and even downright offensive. Millions of people, however -me included -perceive his relaxed deportment, humorous candor and outright honesty as a breath of fresh air. In spite of the fact that he is a politician, and the president, there is something about him that makes him real and relatable. Even though he is the most powerful man in the world, he is, at heart, just a man. In almost four years under perhaps the most intense public scrutiny ever placed upon an American president, he has never lost sight of the fact that he bleeds red, just like everyone else.

Please not that this gentleman has a Ph.D. in Education. It's true that he teaches in Infected Anus University, but still.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....80675.html

[Dead or In Jail]

* not=note

I also can't not use HTML improperly. English and Interwebz is hard. Like Mah DICKKKKKK

[Anonymous Coward]

Even though he is the most powerful man in the world, he is, at heart, just a man.

BEER SUMMIT!

[Bobarian]

I thought Putin was declared most powerful?

[Bam!]

Because Dubya was just so damn formal... Or something.

[Some call me Tim?]

Dubya and Ford were probably the two most casual, unassuming Presidents of the modern era.

Not really sure what strain this guy is smoking, but I am a bit jealous.

[MJGreen]

He was only casual in an icky, rural, racist way.

[Bam!]

Whereas Obama is SWPL casual.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Actually he has a Ed.D. in Education, a completely different animal. A Ph.D. in Ed usually represents someone interested in doing educational research; whereas an Ed.D. represents someone interested in educational management (i.e. an Educrat).

[DJF]

So a Ph.D. in Ed wants to treat kids like lab rats, while a Ed.D wants to be the kids Warden.

[Dead or In Jail]

I think you're uncharacteristically in error here, HM.

An Ed.D. is just a Ph.D. (e.g., terminal degree) issued from a School of Education. You can do your Ed.D. on a topic in Pedagogy, educational psychology, social foundations of education, etc.

Some Ed.D.s focus on administration, but not all.

Of course, lots of people get Ed.D.s so they can be stronger candidates for 6-figure Superintendent jobs.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I think you're uncharacteristically in error here, HM.

Thanks for the "uncharacteristically". 🙂 It should also be noted that I have just finished my pre-dinner cocktail. So if I am wrong, I'll blame it on the bourbon.

An Ed.D. is just a Ph.D. (e.g., terminal degree) issued from a School of Education.

Yes, they are both terminal degrees, but all terminal "research" degrees are not equivalent to PhDs

From Wikipedia (so take it for what its worth):

From the very beginning there was a formal division between the Ed.D. and the Ph.D. in education, and the growing popularity of the applied doctorates was met by faculty in the arts and sciences questioning their legitimacy. They argued that practical and vocational aims were inappropriate for doctoral study, which they contended should be focused on producing scholarly research and college professors. The Ed.D. and the colleges of education that granted them continued to face criticism through the 1980s. In 2013 Harvard University, the first institution to award the Ed.D. degree, will accept its last Ed.D. cohort and instead will begin offering the Ph.D. in Education for the 2014 academic year.

[Brett L]

Nope. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Ed. D does not require adding to the canon of knowledge and therefore does not require new and independent research.

[OldMexican]

He is for doing away with pomp and circumstance.

"Barack Hussein Obama - Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!"
"I pledge - I pledge! - I pledge my undying devotion to our great leader!"

Let's be real -Obama is one cool cat.

"I have a tingling up my leg!"

Talk about a man-crush.

[fish]

...and outright honesty as a breath of fresh air.

Fresh as a summers eve in Texas...sandwiched between the stockyard and rendering plant after you've shit yourself.

Nothin finer!

[playa manhattan]

Somebody has already posted a rebuttal:
http://thelibertarianrepublic......z2lE98Z2oi

[DJF]

Can't the corporations fix this by having 40% of their male board members declare themselves to be pre-op transsexuals? If government is going to be crazy just out crazy them.

""""EU Lawmakers Back Plans for 40 Percent Quota for Women on Boards"""

http://www.businessweek.com/ne.....-on-boards

[Rich]

Brilliant!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

This is going to go juuuuuust swell, Pt LVII

American doctors get paid more than doctors in any other country. Given how much of health care is financed either directly (Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, public-sector workers) or indirectly (tax subsidy for employer-provided insurance) by the federal government, it's natural to make restraining doctors' income part of any program for making health care more affordable. So when you read stories about doctors whining that Affordable Care Act exchange plans don't pay them enough, please throw up a little in your mouth and proceed to ignore the doctors' complaints.

Yes, this seems like a real champion of a message. Our healthcare sector, from insurance underwriters to the doctors you see, are fundamentally corrupt and unethical scum who you will be forced to do business with.

[SugarFree]

If they pay SadBeard in anything but refilling his kibble dish, he's wildly overpaid.

Oh, wait... Saddy believes in the labor theory of value. Since it takes him most of a day to squeeze out 351 words of retarded cockdribble, then those words must be worth at least $15 apiece.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

If you've ever wondered what the market value for undiluted stupidity is, the average hourly salary of a Slate writer is a good place to start.

[fish]

If I was Matt I'd resent paying Dr. Nick Riviera.

[OldMexican]

[...] it's natural to make restraining doctors' income part of any program for making health care more affordable.

Brilliant plan, Dr. Economicus! Now, what would you say about restraining government's income as part of any program to make government more affordable? Whaddya say, pal? D'ya think them pols will go for it, huh? Huh?

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The best part of that stupid article? The captioned photo is essentially the same method of medical self-diagnosis found on Idiocracy.

I doubt SadBeard the Fat Hobbit even caught the similarity.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Congresswoman from NY Attacked, Robbed in DC

Now that she's been mugged, I assume she'll be switching parties sometime in the near future, as the old saying goes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nah, she'll just claim poverty, inequality, and maybe racism made them do it.

And she just so happens to have these shiny new social justice bill that will remedy all of that.

[Sidd Finch]

http://www.politico.com/story/.....html?hp=l2

Late-night TV comics who still need material about the troubled Obamacare website should have kept an eye on what happened to HealthCare.gov when HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talked up the website this week in Florida.

It crashed.

[trshmnstr]

The beer recipe up in Bo's hourly SoCon post got me to thinking. I just bought a house on Monday, and finally have the room to do some homebrewing.

Not only that, but rumor has it that my neighbors like to get together, sit in the garage, and drink beer on Friday evenings.

Where do I start to get into homebrewing? Is it good to mitigate my costs by going with one of those Mr. Beer type all-in-one's? I could always upgrade to good equipment if it sticks.

[Mad Scientist]

You can get a basic kit for under $100. It won't be fancy or make a whole lot, but it'll let you know if it's your bag, baby.

[Floridian]

I don't remember who posted this recipe but I made it last night with fat tyre and it was delicious. Thanks.

Beer bread

3 Cups self-rising flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
12 Ounces your favorite beer
1 stick of butter divided

Heat oven to 350.
Mix together all ingredients except butter and place into 9x5 greased loaf pan. Melt butter and pour 4 tablespoons over top of dough. Bake for 20 minutes, then pour remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over top of dough. Continue baking for another 40 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.

[Apatheist ?_??]

A good starter kit would be around $100 maybe a little more. Don't bother with a Mr. Beer kit.

Also you don't need a house though it can be a pain in the ass in my apartment and I have a wife who accepts me appropriating the bath tub and various corners of the apartment.

[Gbob]

Skip Mr. Beer. You'll learn some basics of sanitation, but that's about it.

I started with a big ol' kettle, a couple plastic buckets and some tubing. I did my first extract batch, and it was the best beer I ever had (although I'm sure, in reality, it was terrible). Mr. Beer makes very small batches, and it's expensive for what you get.

Head to your local homebrew shop. They get the cheap aspect, and they'll steer you right.

[robc]

AVOID MR BEER.

[robc]

http://www.howtobrew.com

The website is out of date, buy the book if you want.

But the website has the advantage of being free.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Old people and history nerds will remember Bobby Baker, the disgraced former Senate staffer who worked for LBJ until resigning in 1963.

Baker in the past few years shared his memories in an interview with the Senate Historical Office. But the Historical Office didn't put the manuscript online. Not to worry - Politico magazine just did.

Highlights:

Some guy named Walter Reuther "bought more United States Senate seats than anybody in my life." Hmmm, Reuther must have been an executive at Koch Industries or Halliburton or something.

Robert Kennedy got confirmed on a voice vote - he wouldn't have been confirmed on a roll-call vote.

Also, booze and sex.

http://www.politico.com/magazi.....99530.html

Full interview online:

http://www.politico.com/magazi.....Page2.html

[DJF]

This can't be true, government was pure and good until Nixon was elected.

[CatoTheElder]

Walter Reuther was a labor boss at UAW, if the Koch sarcasm was unclear.

[Thane is a cosmotarian!]

This is a little old, but I've been meaning to post it:

It's a Man's Phone: My female hands meant I couldn't use my Google Nexus to document tear gas misuse

I cursed the gendered nature of tech design that has written out women from the group of legitimate users of phones as portable devices to be used on-the-go.

I cursed that what was taken for granted by the male designers and male users of modern phones was simply not available to me.

I cursed that I could not effectively document how large numbers of ordinary people had come to visit a park were being massively tear-gassed because I simply could not take a one-handed picture.

I especially cursed that I could not lift the camera above my head, hold it steadily *and* take a picture?something I had seen countless men with larger hands do all the time.

Back in the real world, many women use monster phones like the Galaxy Note.

[Aloysious]

That's a joke. That has to be a joke.

[trshmnstr]

Your big man hands are micro-aggressing that phone!

[Sidd Finch]

In any case, my point is about the narrowing of choice & the shift in the market, not whether I should also carry a separate camera, etc.

My point was to be a whiny cunt, not whether there's simple, obvious solutions.

[PD Scott]

It's a real shame someone forced her to get that smartphone.

[SugarFree]

Think about how terrible the smartphone feels about being owned by an idiot.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Zeynep Tufekci

That is not a human name!

[tarran]

It's a Turkish name. Her last name means Rifleman in Turkish.

[Heroic Mulatto]

That's cool, actually.

[jesse.in.mb]

I have a female coworker with tiny hands. She in fact uses a netbook and can type comfortably on it. She has a Galaxy Note 2 and uses it effortlessly. Unless this woman is a thalidomide baby, I don't understand why she's having a problem.

[Mad Scientist]

Don't go manscusing the obvious patriarchy!

[MJGreen]

So there are some things that "only men can do"?

[rts]

Larrivee guitars to close Vancouver factory

Owner John Larriv?e says that as a result of a preferable tax system and a growing number of Larriv?e factories in California, the company has decided to consolidate all of its operations to that state.

Thanks for killing the HST, BC voters! When California taxes are preferable, you know you're fucked.

[Killazontherun]

Yeah, and so long as Canada keeps doing that, California is never going to get better.

'Beaches, warm weather, snow only where we recreate, and lower taxes! Yippee!'

[rts]

Vancouver to tackle 'epidemic' of abandoned garbage

City changes garbage pick up to just once a fortnight, and slaps on hefty "recycling" fees for larger items (mattresses, etc), is surprised when garbage is abandoned.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

An Economic History of the United States (As Told By a 20-Something Retard)

back in the 1930s, I bet a lot of people thought innovation had stalled out. Radios were there to serve kind of like our smartphones?an example of how demand for a really cool innovative new product can stay robust regardless of what central banks are doing. But radios/smartphones were just one small thing. To really unleash economic growth you needed a whole bunch of new innovations! Not a bunch of nonsense like electricity and cars that were fads in the 1920s but seemed played out by 1935.

The scariest part? The guy who wrote the above considers himself -- and is accepted as -- part of the public intelligentsia

[paranoid android]

back in the 1930s, I bet a lot of people thought innovation had stalled out.

Yes, what a shame that there isn't anyone left today who was alive at the time, and all records, publications, and history of that era have been lost forever, otherwise he would be able to provide at least a shred of corroboration for that gem.

[DJF]

I think Yglesias just writes this stuff to generate page views.

[MJGreen]

There's a way to know whether a lot of people thought innovation had stalled out. It's not very hard, though it can be time consuming. But doing it is the mark of a serious, interested thinker...

[CatoTheElder]

For the innovations of the era to really shine, you needed a return to full employment and rising incomes.

Steve Jobs could only launch the personal computer revolution because the late 1970s had such robust income growth and low unemployment. NOT. Steve Jobs didn't fucking care what the economy was doing; he was too busy on his own project.

[Irish]

The scariest part? The guy who wrote the above considers himself -- and is accepted as -- part of the public intelligentsia

No he's not. Even liberals mock Yglesias.

[SugarFree]

That Nice Socialist Lady In Seattle

Notice that SadBeard only has technical objections to the machinist's union taking over the Boeing plant by force.

And if you brave the comments you can read one of the dumbest back-and-forths on the difference between socialism and communism that exists outside a state college philosophy club debating same while they are all high on hash oil.

[paranoid android]

I have to say I can't find much fault with Yglesias's analysis on this one. Yeah, it'd be nicer to see a principled, property rights-based objection to Sawant's craziness, but even coming from Matty such an argument would be a non-starter with Sawant and the morons who voted for her (though I'm skeptical that a pragmatic argument will work any better).

Gotta give credit where credit is due, since he admits up front that Sawant is peddling madness.

[Sidd Finch]

Sen. Bernie Sanders is in some technical sense a socialist, but his views don't seem distinct from those of a dozen or two other Democratic Party senators.

LOL

[Enough About Palin]

Sad Beard is Fox Butterfield?

[Apatheist ?_??]

ReZ 3 hours ago
@Joshua Trujillo These people should wake up to capitalism's amazing success, which can be seen in such wonderful places as Detroit, Cleveland, and Gary Indiana.

[Mad Scientist]

That is some world-class stupid right there. I am impressed.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Retiring Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa on NPR wants to abolish filibusters. He seems to think cloture still needs 2/3. But the important thing is that the Senate should be based on "majority rule." Because Iowa would benefit *so much* if the Senate were reapportioned on a majoritarian basis with more Senators for more populous states.

[DJF]

If we did that and kept 100 Senators, Iowa would barely rate one Senator

[Eduard van Haalen]

To be clear, Harkin only wants to get rid of the filibuster - that's the context where he mentions majority rule. AFAIK, he doesn't want to apply his "principles" consistently.

[The Late P Brooks]

To really unleash economic growth you needed a whole bunch of new innovations! Not a bunch of nonsense like electricity and cars that were fads in the 1920s but seemed played out by 1935.

WTF?

I assume this gibberish is laying the groundwork for a "Nothing ever got invented without government assistance" assertion.

[Killazontherun]

Some people have developed unhealthy levels of tolerance for Sadbeard's prose. Don't treat your brains like they were merely kidneys, people.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

They're getting bolder...

"The workers should take over the factories, and shut down Boeing's profit-making machine," Sawant announced to a cheering crowd of union supporters in Seattle's Westlake Park Monday night.

This week, Sawant became Seattle's first elected Socialist council member. She ran on a platform of anti-capitalism, workers' rights, and a $15 per-hour minimum wage for Seattle workers.

Now Boeing is threatening to take those jobs to other states. "That will be nothing short of economic terrorism because it's going to devastate the state's economy," she said.
Sawant is calling for machinists to literally take-possession of the Everett airplane-building factory, if Boeing moves out. She calls that "democratic ownership."

"The only response we can have if Boeing executives do not agree to keep the plant here is for the machinists to say the machines are here, the workers are here, we will do the job, we don't need the executives. The executives don't do the work, the machinists do," she said.

Sawant says after workers "take-over" the Everett Boeing plant; they could build things everyone can use.

"We can re-tool the machines to produce mass transit like buses, instead of destructive, you know, war machines," she told KIRO 7.

[Sidd Finch]

It'd be hilarious to see a bunch of machinists and a socialist politician try to "re-tool the machines to produce mass transit like buses."

[Killazontherun]

I doubt if she is speaking for the machinist, who likely know where their bread is buttered, and most of whom would just transfer along when the company moved, but man, if she is speaking for them, and they pulled that shit, the public instruction here would be priceless.

[Kid Xenocles]

It's just that simple. You swap some bits, and the machines make buses instead of airplanes.

[Eduard van Haalen]

"Tina, you bitch, why are you threatening to leave me? You know I could never let you do that! It would devastate me! And what have I ever done to you, anyway?"

[Eduard van Haalen]

SMACK! SMACK! "That should teach you to leave me after all the wonderful things I did for you!"

[Apatheist ?_??]

I hope they try, that would be very amusing.

[Gbob]

No state is too far away from being Venezuela.

[OldMexican]

"The only response we can have if Boeing executives do not agree to keep the plant here is for the machinists to say the machines are here, the workers are here, we will do the job, we don't need the executives.

Yeah, we don't need the stinkin' executives. Or the engineers. Or the guys at Quality Control. Or the guys in Planning and Production. Or the payroll ladies. Or money, for that matter.

"The executives don't do the work, the machinists do," she said.

Oh, I believe she said that. She can't call herself a socialist without spewing economically-ignorant statements like that.

[Some call me Tim?]

Because I am sure the shareholders love paying the exec's to sit around and do nothing.

[Libertymike]

Shades of Gordon Gecko addressing the Teldar Paper stockholders' meeting?

[Pi Guy]

Starnesville?

[Eduard van Haalen]

Another Iowa item:

NPR was giving a rave review to Flannery O'Connor's spiritual journal.* At one point I was confused when the reviewer said that *although* she was a faithful Catholic, she went to Iowa - what? Turns out it was the reviewer's awkward way of contrasting O'Connor's faith with the atheism she experienced (and resisted) at the university.

*I never got used to her style of writing, personally. In (public) school, I had to watch a dramatization of one of her stories where a Protestant minister runs over some poor guy with his car.

[GILMORE]

Dude. Read the complete short stories of F.O'C

http://www.goodreads.com/book/.....te_Stories

She's the shit. Her thoughts on religion are deeply embedded in her writing, but are extremely critical and complex. I think her writing is probably MORE appealing to an atheistic mind than an otherwise 'devout' person. Her idea of god, if anything, is of a dark, merciless, and very amusing motherfucker who delights in the confusion of mankind - particularly those who pretend to serve god.

Just read A Good Man is Hard to Find, if nothing else. That shit is *untouchable*.

I believe your mentioned dramatization is an excerpt/scene from Wise Blood, which started off as a collection of stories, then got glommed into a dubious novel. She really wasn't made to do long form fiction.

But seriously - O'Connor is heavy mojo. Give it a try.

[Some call me Tim?]

I think her writing is probably MORE appealing to an atheistic mind than an otherwise 'devout' person.

Probably not the most convincing of arguments to EvH...

[GILMORE]

Ok, let me revise that!

EXTREMELY INTERESTING TO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT ALSO HAS A LOT THERE FOR THE ATHIESTS

I will say that the real dogmatic bible-beating southern protestant good-god mega-church goers sometimes HATE THEMSELVES THE SHIT out of Flannery O'Connor.

'Vulgar, mean, fancy-pants, violent, full o' sexual stuff, retards, rapists, cripples, liars, cheats, ugly folk, immigrants, and uncharitable to preachers! AND she makes southerners talk FUNNY and sound stupid and she's probably just a yankee fancy talker plus she's catholic and those people aint normal'

Other religiously-inclined people get a great deal out of her work, which is often about damaged souls finding transcendence. in very strange ways.

How bout this = "If you liked Sling Blade, you'll LOVE Flannery O'Connor!"

Its not always funny ha ha but still funny

[The Late P Brooks]

Now Boeing is threatening to take those jobs to other states. "That will be nothing short of economic terrorism because it's going to devastate the state's economy," she said.

As a Boeing shareholder, I enthusiastically approve of this plan.

[SugarFree]

I imagine the totally fair and impartial NLRB will block the move anyway, like they did last time.

[Killazontherun]

I doubt if Boeing has just been sitting on their thumbs waiting around to be victims all over again. They would not be making threats to leave before laying down the ground work, bet they put the NLRB board under an investigative review to find chinks in the armor of individual members, and greased the palms of rivals in the labor movement.

[The Late P Brooks]

The NLRB has issued their judgement. Now, let them enforce it.

[PD Scott]

If you like your NLRB, go to hell.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Now NPR is doing something about food. It's like NPR listeners alternate between eating and being smug. Not to mention combining the two.

[neoteny]

Despite being a hit with the viewers, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's television show was cancelled after just one episode due to cost concerns.

Market failure!

[paranoid android]

Cost concerns? Every other example of television produced in Canada looks like it was budgeted about $5. $5 Canadian.

[neoteny]

$5 Canadian.

This would have been a cutting remark even in 2009 (when the CAD was around .8 USD), but nowadays -- when the CAD is around par with the USD -- the joke is on the USD.

[paranoid android]

Shut up! My jokes are as relevant now as they ever were. They're like zoot suits or acid-wash jeans, they'll never go out of style!

[Libertymike]

Or the 1976 Farah Fawcett swimsuit poster.

[Winston]

Hey Toronto has the former head of the Manitoba Communist Party on City Council!

[Winston]

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

[neoteny]

She garnered 144 and 131 votes respectively, less than 2% of the popular vote.

Roughly what various Libertarian candidates score. That's sad -- and I don't mean that CP candidates ought to get more of the popular vote.

[Libertymike]

It would appear that you are accepting the proposition that there was no funny business in the tallying.

[Winston]

http://reason.com/24-7/2013/11.....ntech-exec

Is part of Virginia's Libertarian Moment?

[cavalier973]

Father in Tennessee arrested for trying to pick up his kids. The officer said he had to join the line of cars. The only problem was that he wasn't in a car; he was on foot.

He was just being childish, you know.

[Winston]

I guess he didn't have a dog?

[neoteny]

"School is out ? My children are to be given to me," the dad said.

"It doesn't say when!" Aytes shot back. "School is out, they will give you your child, but it doesn't say when now does it?"

The father obviously failed to observe the FYTW clause in the law.

[Matrix]

wow... just... wow...

[Winston]

If Society is growing more socially tolerant than why aren't smoking bans being lifted? And allowing tobacco to be advertised on tv, etc.? Or advertising guns to kids?

[JidaKida]

I dont think Jack Sanford is going to like that at all man.

http://www.Privacy-Web.tk

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I appeal to my fellow Reasoners. What's your opinion of the following question:

"Religious pluralism speaks to the idea that there are many faiths in the world, none of which can be said to be superior to the others. What are the benefits associated with adopting this viewpoint, and what are the detriments to adopting religious pluralism. Discuss whether religious pluralism is offering believers anything of an existential truth , or whether it is functioning to minimize conflict only. Why should a person adopt an attitude of religious pluralism?"

[paranoid android]

My opinion is that it's a pretty shitty question.

Pros: all the sex and drugs you want

Cons: makes buying holiday cards very confusing

[Libertymike]

Who asked the question?

The benefits? Religious pluralism, writ large, tends to reinforce several libertarian values such as live and let live, freedom of religion, freedom of association and a touchy feely acceptance and love of thy neighbor.

The detriments? Sharia law.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

My nephew's humanities professor in college. He's struggling with the question and appealed to his mother's help - who in turn, asked for my opinion.

I felt it was a stupid question as well.

The detriments to it, I add, is that it can indulge tribal nationalists in attacking 'others' they don't understand.

Case in point: Quebec.

[Libertymike]

Another detriment is the false equivalence which often travels with anything pluralism.

On a lighter note, the issue you raise reminds me of a scene in which I was in the dean's office seeking a recommendation for law school. I had taken an ethics class from the dean and did well and I knew that he liked me.

So, he is reviewing my transcript and notices that I had taken two religious studies classes from the only Protestant prof in the religious studies department. My school required all students to take two religious studies courses. So, I did not take any religious studies classes taught by any of the priests.

The dean asked me, verbatim, "why the fuck should I give you a recommendation?" He then proceeded to tell me that as a Catholic young man, attending a catholic institution, I should be ashamed of myself.

LM was momentarily non-plussed before a deep, gravelly guffaw emanated from the dean's enormous gut.

He said that he would sign it and then told me (referring to the Protestant prof, who was also a minister who had marched at Selma and had met with Dr. King and who counted Bishop Sheen as a friend), "I hope that ecumaniac didn't give you any funny ideas."

[Killazontherun]

That's a hell of a sense of humor your dean had.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No kidding. Love it.

[Libertymike]

Have you ever heard of Jimmy Joyce (not the Finnegan's Wake Joyce)?

He was a popular stand-up comedian (50s and 60s) who poked lots of fun at the catholic church and life as a catholic. He was absolutely hilarious without being vulgar (no f-bombs, etc.) at least on his comedy albums and his appearances on the Ed Sullivan show.

Yes, it is different when the zingers come from within, but Joyce's comedy, like the dean's, reflects what I believe to be a genuine self-deprecation which, in its way, resonates for many years.

[Killazontherun]

Unless a religion has a direct and exclusive line to a deity who can seriously fuck shit up, its pretty worthless in the scheme of things. Otherwise, you're just dealing with people, and people are only a problem to the extent you are not watching your backside.

[Killazontherun]

Discuss whether religious pluralism is offering believers anything of an existential truth , or whether it is functioning to minimize conflict only.

Any existential truth you arrive at through religion comes through the methodologies and rituals being a useful means to more rigorously examine ones own self, at least that is what I believe from all evidence I've seen. I'm open to the possibility of a particular creed being a doorway to a part of reality that is veiled to me. I recall an exchange with Sugarfree on this matter. There once was a Shinto monk who could stop a charging bull in his tracks with a single blow according to a source I read in a book written by a friend of Bruce Lee's who was interviewing him for it before his untimely passing. It also claimed of film evidence of this occurring. If this happened, it is a physical event as at odds with the laws of mechanics as that of Gronk being denied a catch-able pass in Monday's game. If it occurred as claimed then whatever that monk tells me is the spiritual state of his being as expressed there (chi reaching out, whatevs) I am going to take seriously.

Cont.

[Killazontherun]

As to how the pertains to religious pluralism, well, to be honest, the social aspect of religion is the ugly, worthless part to me. It is like a game being played that obscures and taints any value that might actually be there. I don't even think the intentions of the originators of religious pluralism was merely to minimize conflict though with the Protestant Reforming devolving into a blood bath there was plenty of reason for them to do so. However, it still seems to me to be an aside to ultimate value.

[Killazontherun]

pluralism was were merely to minimize conflict

[Killazontherun]

Protestant ReformingM/sation.

Blech. Got lazy there trying to wrap it up.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Thanks guys.

[Libertymike]

Perhaps the TAO of the Tuck Rule would open the doorways to a part of reality to which, I can attest, is veiled to Pats fans.

Hopefully, this post will not offend Zeb's anti-pigskin sensibilities. But, fuck it, religious pluralism says that gabbing about Gronk or bloviating about Brady or marveling about Manning is fine, just fine.

[lap83]

This question is the cultural equivalent of a mom yelling at her kids to pretend they love each other long enough to take a family picture. Except the theory is that the pretense can be sustained indefinitely, with people who want to kill anyone who disagrees with them.

[Jayburd]

http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/seb.....are-loans/

[Jayburd]

A billion here, a billion there,,,,

[nanc528]

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