A.M. Links: Attempt in Congress to End "Signature" Drone Strikes Fails, FAA Late on Commercial Drone Rules, UN Launches Drones in Congo

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    Three members of the House Intelligence Committee proposed an amendment to the latest intelligence authorization act that would ban "signature" drone strikes, which kill individuals based on their activities without confirming their identities. It failed 3-7.

  • The FAA will not be ready to release rules on commercial drone use by September 2015, as required by law. Senator Ed Markey, meanwhile, doesn't want Amazon to start using drones to make deliveries until the FAA establishes privacy rules.
  • House Democrats will be briefed on the Obamacare website today by a deputy senior advisor from the White House and a bureaucratic head from the Department of Health and Human Services.
  • The SEC has dropped the idea of requiring publicly-traded companies to disclose to shareholders their campaign spending.
  • The CEO of the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei says the company will "exit" the US market over claims by some American lawmakers that the firm helps China spy on Americans. The CEO said it wasn't "worth it" for the company to get in the middle of US-Chinese relations.
  • The United Nations has launched two drones in the Congo to monitor rebel activities near the eastern border of the country.
  • Investigators in Egypt are considering putting the former president, Mohammed Morsi, on trial for alleged links to jihadists.

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NEXT: United Nations Launches Surveillance Drones in DRC

Ed Krayewski is a former associate editor at Reason.

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  1. Investigators in Egypt are considering putting the former president, Mohammed Morsi, on trial for alleged links to jihadists.

    Being president of Egypt is like being No. 2 in al Qaeda. You don’t want the job.

    1. President, no. Pharaoh? Maybe.

      1. So let it be written, so let it be done.

        1. Good point–I’d better shave my head and adopt a Russian accent.

          1. I thought you had already. Get with it, ProLib.

            1. It would be great to have an epic voice like Yul. Or James Earl Jones. Or Geoffrey Holder.

  2. The CEO of the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei says the company will “exit” the US market over claims by some American lawmakers that the firm helps China spy on Americans.

    The Justice Department should sue the NSA’s telecom front for being a monopoly now.

  3. NSA Sent Home Talking Points for Employees to Use in Conversations with Family & Friends During Holidays

    The “talking points” sheet suggests that employees make five key points: (1) NSA’s mission is of great value to the Nation”; (2) NSA performs its mission the right way?lawful, compliant and in a way that protects civil liberties and privacy; (3) NSA performs its mission exceptionally well. We strive to be the best that we can be, because that’s what America requires as part of its defense in a dangerous world; (4) The people who work for NSA are loyal Americans with expert skills who make sacrifices to help protect the freedoms we all cherish; (5) NSA is committed to increased transparency, public dialog and faithful implementation of any changes required by our overseers. (No emphasis added. Underlines appear in the document.)

    Each key point includes sub-points that presumably an employee could additionally cite if a family member disputed their main point.

    1. WTF

      So, basically lie to their relatives just like they lie to the general public.

    2. Being Waterboarded

      Brings this to mind…

    3. Rich

      Sheesh, between that and hyping Democratcare it’s a wonder the NSA folks had any time to *eat* on Thanksgiving.

    4. Not at my house. T-giving table talk is limited to football, the welfare of absent family members, and catching up. You pull some NSA propaganda stunt like that and you’ll be eating out back with the dogs. You won’t even get the dignity of a rebuttal about secret legal rulings, the thousands of violations, or Clapper’s perjury.

    5. (1) NSA’s mission is of great value to the Nation”; (2) NSA performs its mission the right way?lawful, compliant and in a way that protects civil liberties and privacy; (3) NSA performs its mission exceptionally well. We strive to be the best that we can be, because that’s what America requires as part of its defense in a dangerous world; (4) The people who work for NSA are loyal Americans with expert skills who make sacrifices to help protect the freedoms we all cherish; (5) NSA is committed to increased transparency, public dialog and faithful implementation of any changes required by our overseers.

      (1) Citation needed.
      (2) I guess that’s why they’re so worried about the Snowden leaks. Because they’re on the up and up.
      (3) So well they let a contractor walk out of the building with a treasure trove of their secrets.
      (4) Fuck off. If you were loyal, you wouldn’t be spying on Americans without blinking an eye.
      (5) Bullshit.

    6. DesigNate

      I would have straight up punched a relative that said even one of those points to me.

      Especially the loyal one. Fuck you, your loyalty should be to your family first, which means not fucking spying on them or the people they know.

      1. Especially the loyal one. Fuck you, your loyalty should be to your family first, which means not fucking spying on them or the people they know.

        But sacrifice!! The ave to sacrifice your privacy for the sake of the country!

  4. Three members of the House Intelligence Committee proposed an amendment to the latest intelligence authorization act that would ban “signature” drone strikes…

    The Obama Signature Series. No matter your nationality, guaranteed to blow you away.

    1. invisible furry hand

      You do get a better result when you go with a premium brand instead of a generic

  5. Someone needs to get out more:

    Piers Morgan: ‘The Perfect Barack Obama, Who’s a Perfect Physical Specimen’

    CNN host wondered out loud on his show this evening whether the physically unfit Chris Christie could follow the “perfect physical specimen” Barack Obama into the White House:

    “After the perfect Barack Obama, who’s a perfect physical specimen to many people’s eyes, does it matter?” Morgan asked his guest. “Or is actually somebody very different, someone who’s much more of a regular kind of guy who likes cheeseburgers and beer, but appears to be a straight talker, somebody perhaps more of a straight talker than it appears Barack Obama turned out to be?”

    1. WTF

      Because Obama doesn’t ever eat cheeseburgers.

      1. Actually, I can believe he’s whipped enough that he only eats arugula.

        1. WTF

          That’s only when she’s around. I seem to recall several photo-ops of him out and about scarfing cheeseburgers.

          1. Auric Demonocles

            He orders burgers all the time. I remember one where he said he wanted something like a “standard” cheddar burger, because I thought “cheddar is not the standard”.

            1. Jordan

              Did he ask for a liter of cola as well?

              1. Auric Demonocles

                He asked for whatever the arabic beverage container is.

                1. Mountain Dew or Crab Juice.

                  1. Elspeth Flashman

                    Eww! I’ll take the crab juice.

                2. dinkster

                  The skull chalice from Temple of Doom?

    2. gaijin

      well Christie doesn’t smoke fags, so there’s that.

      1. Rich

        Hey, *none* of those terrorists are gay!

        1. Rasilio

          Yeah letting a guy bugger you isn’t gay if it’s done in the name of Jihad

      2. You leave John Wayne alone!

        1. He was, too, you boys. I installed two-way mirrors in his pad in Brentwood, and he come to the door in a dress.

    3. I’m beginning to suspect Piers Morgan is a moron.

      1. DontShootMe

        Beginning!!??

        1. Numeromancer

          You might want to read this.

    4. Rufus J. Firefly

      Wasn’t Obama a smoker?

      Plus he can’t throw a baseball.

      And if he’s such a specimen, what does that make….Booooosh! Adonis?

      Sheesh. The sycophants are in over drive.

      1. Elspeth Flashman

        Neither can he bowl.

      2. Obama is a nerd. His golf swing is among the worst I’ve seen. And he can’t throw at all.

      3. BardMetal

        It’s amazing how much healthier George Bush is, and yet we never heard a thing about it from the media.

        I mean the guy runs marathons all the time, what the hell does Obama do, other then the fact that he just happens to be younger?

        1. Root Boy

          He never body surfed in Hawaii, like Obama, which gives all his sycophants tingles when they see him in his jams

        2. He also rides dozens of miles of mountain bike trails a week.

        3. Speaking of stupid Obama Moments in Media History, I was watching the “Being Human” episodes of NOVA last night, and not once but twice they did this going back in time routine where they would flash images to represent time periods. Images emblematic and symbolic of the times. Like cave paintings for 20,000 years ago.

          For today, was it the Moon landings? Computers? No. It was his Obamaness.

          1. Somalian Road Corporation

            I blame the Kochs.

    5. Suthenboy

      What the fuck?

      NSA employees given talking points to propagandize the surveillance state, the white house publishing talking points so slavish members cult members can propagandize family at thanksgiving…..and the front line shills now spouting complete gibberish in support of dear leader….how creepy can this get?

      We seem to be sliding further and further down the rabbit hole.

  6. DJF

    Article from a local Niagara Falls NY newspaper detailing the cost of some “low income” housing that is being proposed. They are taking an old school and converting it to apartments at aprox $400,000 each and all of the money is coming from the taxpayers

    It seems that some developers can make a nice profit on “low income” especially when the taxpayer pays for everything

    They are proposing this even though Niagara Falls has lots of “low income” housing, has plenty of low cost private renters, and (not mentioned in the article) has plenty of empty lots or lots where the house should be torn down and could be replaced with modular housing (not mobile homes) at far less then the $400,000 each.

    http://www.niagarafallsreporte…..south.html

    1. And when the school turns out to be on top of another Love Canal, it’s not going to be the city or school district at fault.

      1. Apologies; I should have linked to the single-page version.

        1. DJF

          Or worse, in another part of the city they were rebuilding a road and found that the Federal Goverment’s Manhattan project had used the area as a dump for low level nuclear material.

    2. Bam!

      Wasn’t a low-income housing scam a Sopranos plot?

      1. DJF

        The developer is from the Queens and has done other “low income” projects in Brooklyn and the Bronx

  7. Raven Nation

    “The United Nations has launched two drones in the Congo to monitor rebel activities near the eastern border of the country.”

    It’s drones all the way down…

    1. Are they sure the UN isn’t simply delivering relief aid via Amazon?

  8. The hardwired difference between male and female brains could explain why men are ‘better at map reading’

    This difference in the way the nerve connections in the brain are “hardwired” occurs during adolescence when many of the secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair in men and breasts in women develop under the influence of sex hormones, the study found.

    The researchers believe the physical differences between the two sexes in the way the brain is hardwired could play an important role in understanding why men are in general better at spatial tasks involving muscle control while women are better at verbal tasks involving memory and intuition.

    don’t tell the Jezzies

    1. I seem to recall reading something like this 25 years ago and why men do better on “spatial relations” tests.

      1. invisible furry hand

        You know who else does well on spatial relations…

        1. Pelosi's Rabbit

          The Borg?

        2. You know who else was a man…

          1. mnarayan

            Hitler?

            1. Marshall Gill

              Should have known I would be too slow!

          2. your mom?

        3. gaijin

          You are spatial.

        4. Marshall Gill

          Hitler?

        5. Zakalwe

          George Clooney?

          1. *opera applause*

    2. Rich

      “Intuition is thinking without thinking. It’s what people call gut feelings. Women tend to be better than men at these kinds of skill”

      And this “better skill” is measured how, exactly?

      1. WTF

        And this “better skill” is measured how, exactly?

        It’s measured in feelings and womyns ways of knowing, you micro-aggressing mansplainer!

        1. Rich

          “I just don’t *understand*!”

          *** slams door and sobs ***

      2. lap83

        Intuition is real, but I dont know how it could be measured. Also it’s not infallible.

        1. WTF

          Well let’s see – you could measure the likelihood of being correct about something via ‘intuition’ versus random chance, and see if there is a statistical difference.

          1. you could measure the likelihood of being correct

            Well, at least we know that WTF is male.

          2. lap83

            How do you tell whether someones guess is “random” or intuitive?

            1. Agammamon

              If its *right* it was intuition.

          3. Michael S. Langston

            First – none of this is really “settled” but…

            Intuition is likely a type of expert intelligence (or a scenario where expert knowledge base is used), where experts can see a “problem”, explain next steps required, be correct, but not know why they were correct (IE – cannot train someone else by saying “X made me do Y” – it’s also “I”m not sure, it’s the totality or circs” or whatever).

            & lots of people are experts in narrow fields without realizing it directly – as to become as expert one needs to just work in the same industry/skill set and gain varied experiences, and want to improve, so critically contemplate and seek patterns.

            True – most people won’t do this, but (almost) all humans can if they so desire.

            So with that – quick intuitive answers are likely amazingly fast rolodex check against all similar scenarios whereby only major differences are analyzed.

            & measuring it – is pretty simple – just “capture” intuitive predictions and monitor whether correct. Though most of this is captured through self reporting today so is prone to very large issues (no worries though – soon enough all decisions will be tracked and stored by NSA).

            Given all of that, discussions on intuition can lead to all kinds of human explanations.

            But whatever it is, if it’s real, it likely isn’t “guessing” nor some innate ability magically bestowed people based upon the alignment of the stars around your birth.

        2. Intuition is real, but I dont know how it could be measured.

          Intuitively. Duh.

    3. Matrix

      So… cartography is sexist.

      1. Fuck Mercator.

        1. SForza

          You’re projecting.

    4. Long Range Boredom

      There’s been data on the difference between men and women’s neurological patterns for years. Men have more grey matter and women have more white matter, which tends to make men better at information processing and pattern recognition (making them more likely to excel at subjects like mathematics) while women tend to have superior communication and language abilities. I recall feminists damning this a couple years ago as ‘enforced by society’ but they’ve found these patterns in eighteen month old infants.

      1. DesigNate

        You mean things that would help us be more effective hunters? That’s crazy talk.

      2. Numeromancer

        …but they’ve found these patterns in eighteen month old infants.

        The patriachy’s conditioning starts early!

  9. waffles

    Senator Ed Markey, meanwhile, doesn’t want Amazon to start using drones to make deliveries until the FAA establishes privacy rules.

    Ed Markey is still in the Senate? He’s been a professional concern troll for almost 40 years, wow.

    1. gaijin

      the FAA establishing privacy rules? what does that even mean?

    2. DontShootMe

      Sigh, it’s worse than that. He was a House member since forever, and when John “seared into my brain” Kerry became Sec of State, the good people of MA decided Ed Markey was white enough, and cadaverous enough to replace him.

      So, Markey hasn’t even been in the Senate a year. But he’ll be there a long time.

  10. Senator Ed Markey, meanwhile, doesn’t want Amazon to start using drones to make deliveries until the FAA establishes privacy rules.

    Good. We need privacy. I don’t want my neighbors potentially seeing that I’m getting Wrangler jeans delivered to my rooftop.

    1. Pelosi's Rabbit

      I’m glad the government is protecting our privacy.

      1. Smilin' Joe Fission

        I can’t tell the difference between reality and parody anymore. We’ve crossed the threshold.

        1. Drake

          It was always a thin line with Markey. A prototypical MA political hack.

    2. Rasilio

      Don’t worry, they’ll come in a plain brown wrapper

  11. mr simple

    The SEC has dropped the idea of requiring publicly-traded companies to disclose to shareholders their campaign spending.

    With Alabama out of the running for a third title, it just didn’t seem necessary.

    1. Steve G

      +1 war eagle

  12. Ball-squeezing Irishman to fly with victim
    An Irishman who squeezed the testicles of a policeman in Queenstown may be escorted home by the officer he grabbed, a court hears.

    Anthony Joseph Twomey, 25, has been jailed for nine months after being convicted of assaulting four people during a fight in a Queenstown bar in October.

    When he was arrested, a belligerent Twomey squeezed Sergeant Mark Gill’s testicles.

    1. Agammamon

      Hmphh. Ungrateful cop – some people pay good money for that service.

  13. invisible furry hand

    Germans are converting disused jails into swanky apartments

    http://www.spiegel.de/internat…..36949.html

    1. I just stayed in a former county jail turned bed-and-breakfast. It was — interesting — and I enjoyed the winery in the former drunk tank, but I don’t think I’d be a regular guest. I really prefer the walls of my room not be iron bars. But hey, that’s me.

      1. Mr. Weebles

        The Charles Street Jail in Boston has been converted into the Liberty Hotel. I went to an event there with a friend of mine. The place is pretty spectacular.

      2. I’m waiting for the Walking Dead prison theme.

  14. The United Nations has launched two drones in the Congo to monitor rebel activities near the eastern border of the country.

    UN Raper drones.

  15. The chilled waters of Wisconsin…

    Wisconsin DNR struggling to curb sex at nude beach

    Wisconsin authorities thought they could curb libidos at the state’s nude beach by closing it on weekdays, but citation data shows the move just shifted the hanky-panky to the weekends.

    The Department of Natural Resources issued 13 citations at the beach between June and early October this year. All were for sex, and 11 were issued on weekends. Those numbers are down from 2012’s totals, but wardens said the problem is far more prevalent than the numbers suggest. All the citations were issued during just seven days of surveillance and some people seen having sex ran off before wardens could cite them.

    1. DJF

      I am betting that the numbers have dropped considerably now that its December.

      1. Rich

        Yep, members have shrunk considerably.

        1. waffles

          that’s rich

        2. Numeromancer

          You have to keep a stiff upper nip if your going to go to a nude beach in December.

    2. Fluffy

      Have you read the narrative of the superhuman efforts they’re putting in to stop this?

      They clear cut forest so people couldn’t have sex in the woods.

      How that serves the goal of avoiding having sexual activity where people can see it escapes me.

      How about eliminating the budget for trying to fight sex at the nude beach and instead spend $30 to put up a couple of signs that say, “Warning! Nude Beach Ahead. Sexual Activity Possible”?

      1. Because they can’t get their control kink on that way?

      2. DJF

        How about instead allowing motels to advertise their rooms on those signs.

      3. I suggest capsule hotels like the Japanese have. Rent by 15-minute increments, with automatic cleaning after each use.

  16. Rich

    regulations are months behind the schedule Congress set to have drones fly safely with commercial airliners by September 2015.

    Would someone *kindly* explain how developing regulations on a 12-year congressionally-set schedule makes any sense at all?

    1. Fuck you, that’s why?

      1. Rich

        It’s *incredible* bullshit. Have they no shame?

        1. wareagle

          no room for shame if you want to be in Congress.

  17. 300-pound robot is new breed of crime-fighting machine

    The K5 Autonomous Data Machine is intended “to augment private security services on corporate campuses and in large, vacant buildings and warehouses,” according to its developer, Knightscope, which added, “Tedious and monotonous monitoring should be handled by the K5, leaving ‘hands-on’ activities to security personnel.”

    “We founded Knightscope after what happened at Sandy Hook,” the company’s co-founder William Santana Li told the New York Times. “You are never going to have an armed officer in every school.”

    1. 300-pound robot is new breed of crime-fighting machine

      Robot porn for John?

    2. Rasilio

      Eh wake me up when they get the ED-209

      1. invisible furry hand

        They already have it. I have a guaranteed military sale with ED 209. Renovation program. Spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it worked or not?

        1. Agammamon

          Well, the old man thinks its pretty important.

    3. Rasilio

      On a more serious note. I really don’t see the point here.

      I can’t see any possible way that this can be cost effective with simply hard wiring those same sensors into fixed locations.

      Even if it was a question of 50 sensor packages vs 1 robot the sensors would be cheaper and require less maintenance

  18. Pompey

    Obama to reboot ACA marketing effort.

    What discretionary fund is this motherfucker drawing from? Does President Empty Suit get unlimited marketing funds as a provision of the ACA, or is this another Africa vacation?

    His first marketing campaign to “sell” this piece of shit to us was largely a waste due to the tech bungle.

    1. Auric Demonocles

      That wasn’t close to his first marketing campaign.

      1. Pompey

        Seriously, where is the discretionary budget for marketing this abortion?

        1. When you just make up money, everything you spend is discretionary. Obama could build a gold colossus of himself bestriding the Potomac without any specific funding for it.

  19. Family holds funeral at bowling alley
    Family sends woman’s “casket down the lane for one final strike.”

    During the funeral, Sunday’s name was written on bowling pins and her family even bowled her casket down the lane.

    “We believe a family member’s passing is a time to celebrate their life, not mourn their death,” said Golden Gate Funeral Home owner John Beckwith Jr.

    The episode of Best Funeral Ever showcasing Sunday’s services will debut on Monday, Dec. 2 at 10 p.m.

    1. invisible furry hand

      How about celebrate their death?

    2. hamilton

      her family even bowled her casket down the lane.

      Now she’s riding the Great Ball Returner up to play on baby Jesus’ team.

      1. invisible furry hand

        Don’t fuck with the Baby Jesus!

        1. Rich

          Nice bumper sticker.

        2. Agammamon

          You said it man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnS_5tR-K9U

  20. Smilin' Joe Fission

    I came late to both the AM and PM links yesterday so never got a chance to post this, but yesterday was the seventy-first anniversary of the first controlled man-made self sustaining critical fission reaction: December 2nd, 1942.

    Exactly fifteen years following that event, the first power reactor for supplying electricity to the grid went online, the Shippingport Reactor, December 2nd, 1957.

    So, I wish you all a happy belated Critmas!

    1. December 2nd, 1942: A date which will live in entropy.

    2. gaijin

      …a happy belated Critmas!

      +1 neutron

    3. Jordan

      So, when’s Clitmas?

      1. Smilin' Joe Fission

        +1 pink triangle

        1. Root Boy

          More like +1 man in a boat

          1. +1 hooded warrior

      2. Restoras

        I thought every day is clitmas?

    4. Smilin' Joe Fission

      The video is pretty good, even if it was a completely hijacked government program. The guys involved in that first experiment are pioneers of the field. Enrico Fermi (the leader of the team) came up with about half of the equations that describe neutron transport.

      1. Kaptious Kristen

        I find it mind-boggling how humans went from the theory of relativity to practical application of that theory in – what? 30 years? Amazing. I love reading about physics in the first half of the twentieth century.

        1. Still no fusion reactors. I blame all of you.

  21. Jordan

    The SEC has dropped the idea of requiring publicly-traded companies to disclose to shareholders their campaign spending.

    This ought to produce some delicious proglodyte tears.

    1. Rasilio

      Translation: They realized that companies donated more to Democrats than Republicans over the last 5 years.

      1. Smilin' Joe Fission

        Bingo!!

      2. That’s usually the case, I’m sure. Whichever party has more control of the government gets more money.

  22. Playboy at 60: Strange photos of Hef reading to Playboy girls

    On the 60th anniversary of the Playboy empire created by the bathrobed and slippered Hugh Hefner, we present to you these strange archive photos of the man in his lair reading to a handful of Playboy Playmates.

    The occasion was a screening of “Bonnie and Clyde” at the Playboy Mansion in June 2004. In the photos, you’ll see Hugh Hefner reading from his notes.

  23. (UK) Lobby group ‘influenced wind farm noise report’

    The lobby group for the turbine industry was able to influence the wording of a report produced for the Government on how noise from wind farms should be measured.

    RenewableUK “raised concerns” with the Department of Energy and Climate Change over independent guidance produced by the Institute of Acoustics which resulted in changes being made.

    Internal energy department emails released following a freedom of information request show the lobby group met ministry officials, after which it was assured that “the majority of R-UK’s input” was “reflected in the guidance”.

  24. invisible furry hand

    The managing director of one of Australia’s biggest companies is fast gaining a reputation as Melbourne’s champion of correct parking after staff emails were leaked in which he blasted employees for parking lazily.

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/nat…..od-parking

    1. mr simple

      Good for him. I can’t stand it when I can’t find a parking spot in a garage just because some idiots couldn’t park right or thought they were important enough to take up two spots.

      1. Jordan

        Times like that, I wish I drove a beater, so I could box them in.

        1. I DO drive a beater. Bwahahaha!

  25. Entropy Void

    BAN IT! BAN IT! BANI IT!

    IT’S TOO FAST, TOO EXPENSIVE, TOO GERMAN!

    http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/…..crash-car/

    1. waffles

      1) It flies on the road

      ‘Bout time they built me a flying car.

    2. WTF

      The sports car has a top speed of 208 mph, a very high-revving V10 engine and more than 600 horsepower, said Eddie Alterman, editor-and-chief of Car and Driver magazine.

      And the Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 comes with 662 bhp and goes over 200 mph. I guess we should ban it, too.

      1. Don Mynack

        The Mustang GT has traction control, Carrera GT does not. However, it was being driven by a very experienced driver, so who knows whether it was driver screwup (over-correction on the turn, maybe) or some kind of mechanical problem.

        1. Didn’t one of the people who heard the accident report hearing the sound of a tire blowing out a second or so before the big crash?

          I imagine a tire blowout would be really unforgiving in that car.

    3. Rufus J. Firefly

      I told you. I told you so. Porsche and Ferrari are too damn fast. Someone’s gonna get killed but noooo. No one thought of the children.

      Now will people sign my petition to ban German and Italian sports cars that kill people?

      1. gaijin

        Noone ‘needs’ a car that can exceed posted speed limits.

        /banner logic

        1. Rufus J. Firefly

          That’s why in Europe speed limits are a suggestion!

    4. Drake

      It does appear to be too damn flammable. Does carbon fiber burn?

      The news says he hit a pole going 40-45 mph. I would expect to walk away from that in a modern car.

  26. invisible furry hand

    Why Millennials Can’t Grow Up

    1. Rasilio

      You know what will fix “Amy” right quick? Take away her money for grad school, pull out her support system and make her support herself for a year.

      Sure, she’ll probably end up living in a homeless shelter for a little while but a couple of nights sleeping on the streets will wake her ass up and get her priorities in order

      1. gaijin

        haha! you have it right. The whole article on the other hand blames helicopter parents. As if noone has ever risen above poor parenting without resorting to turning tricks.

    2. John

      Perhaps self esteem and safety shouldn’t be the top priorities in raising children.

    3. John

      Perhaps self esteem and safety shouldn’t be the top priorities in raising children.

      1. Real self-esteem would include personal efficacy, and not just be feel-good bullshit.

        1. Yeah. Nothing wrong with encouraging self-esteem, so long as you also teach that it’s earned.

      2. Caleb Turberville

        I think I agree with this article. It’s not *really* a self-esteem issue. It’s a thinking for yourself issue.

        Helicopter parents are vicarious parents on steroids. They’re the ones with the self-esteem issues. Their kids would be happy being janitors for the rest of their lives, but they have been groomed to overachieve in academics to the point that the mere practical aspects of life (like searching for a career) seem daunting.

        1. Caleb Turberville

          Hence, the student with a pretty competitive Masters who thinks he should keep going for his PhD instead of entering the scary job market.

        2. Agreed. Not a bad article at all. I’m thankful that my folks, though loving, pretty much left me to fend for myself outside the home. By the time I was 18 I was champing at the bit to move out and start my own life. But I also didn’t mind staying close to home, because I didn’t feel smothered.

        3. Marc F Cheney

          It’s not *really* a self-esteem issue. It’s a thinking for yourself issue.

          Thinking for yourself is at the heart of self-esteem, properly understood.

    4. Rich

      “I’m thinking about just applying for a Ph.D. program after I graduate because I have no idea what I want to do.”

      Make sure it’s a doctorate in something totally useless.

      1. gaijin

        Make sure it’s a doctorate in something totally useless.

        It would have to be as no useful doctorate could be obtained without some semblance of drive and vision.

    5. Rufus J. Firefly

      Wonder if Amy was an OSWer.

      Man, the future is not looking good if this is what’s taking over the economy.

      1. Smilin' Joe Fission

        There are a lot of morons, but there are a lot of intelligent hard working millennials around. I just wish I ran into more libertarian thinking people. I have only one childhood friend who is an entrepeneur and he is probably the most libertarian leaning young person I know.

        It’s funny, after setting up a business and seeing the government BS one must wade through to do anything, one tends to start running away from the nurturing arms of government control.

        1. Rufus J. Firefly

          Smilin’ Joe, your 2nd paragraph mirrors my own experience in starting my own business.

          And I agree, there are millennials with their heads screwed on properly as 90% of my job applicants are from that generation.

      2. Mike M.

        Man, the future is not looking good

        You’re just coming to this realization now?

        1. Rufus J. Firefly

          No.

          But part of me wants to believe there’s hope.

          Then I see all the ‘ums’ and ‘like’ and ‘you knows’ that are uttered by supposed bright people and I’m depressed again.

          1. trshmnstr

            Don’t confuse being poorly spoken and being stupid. Some of the smartest people I know can’t string two words together, but have mathematical theorems named after them.

            1. Rufus J. Firefly

              Those guys can get away with it because, um, they’re not in the public eye.

              I shoulda made clear mostly people who go out and speak to the public. To me, if you can’t speak without ‘umming’ it then don’t try and convey a message to me.

    6. Caleb Turberville

      To be fair, most Millenials I know resent their over-parenting. They’re still screwed up, so it’s still kinda sad.

      1. Rufus J. Firefly

        Yeah. It is. Simple basic things and concepts like being ‘punctual’ and needing to pace one’s finances to make sure there’s enough to pay bills, living within means etc. have to be explained. When done so, they get it.

        It’s empowering to have a job and be able to cover one’s life’s expenses.

        THIS has to be reminded to people instead of piling on Wal-Mart for not paying a ‘living wage.’

        Find our first why these kids can’t make ends meet. I bet you the solution is easier than we think.

        1. Caleb Turberville

          You know. If a lot of financial aid simply went missing, and forced millions of college students to go out and look for a job to work for a semester or two, I wonder how many would go back to college once the FA kicked back in? My guess: a not insignificant number would actually prefer the self-sufficient, adult lifestyle to having to go to class.

          1. trshmnstr

            Having been in undergrad 2 years ago, and being in law school now, I have to say that there is a distinct divide in the millennials. You can tell which side of the divide they’re on almost the instant after they open their mouth. If you can tell that they think they’re better than you from 2 minutes of conversation, then they’re an entitlement brat. If you can actually have a decent human conversation with them for more than 2 minutes, they’re likely self-sufficient.

            It’s absolutely amazing in the evening program law school to see the dichotomy. There are folks who are still being propped up by their parents at 23, 24, 25. There are other folks in that same age group (myself included), who have a family and a career, and are going to law school in their “spare time.” It’s amazing to see the effort differential between my cohort and the “law school is undergrad 2.0” kids out partying multiple times a week.

            I think this is spurred on by the fact that the Boomers and Gen X were universally prosperous. Now they have the resources to “give our children what we never had”, and they feel guilty that there isn’t universal prosperity any longer. Therefore, they decide it’s a good idea to fund Junior’s foray into graduate school, and delay their accountability for their own life until age 28.

            1. Rasilio

              I think the bigger dividing factor is the number of Millenials who are part of second families of either Boomers or early Gen X’ers.

              Those kids whose parents got married had a kid or two, divorced and then 15 years later remarried and had additional kids.

              Another large chunk of them comes from the kids of the 80’s Yuppies who waited until after they were financially secure to start having kids.

              Given that the average age of first becoming a parent is ~23 it would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between Helicopter parenting and how old the parents were when they had the child they helicopter parented.

              My theory is that Helicopter parents will average close to 35 when they had the child in question. I would not be shocked if it was closer to 40.

              1. trshmnstr

                My theory is that Helicopter parents will average close to 35 when they had the child in question. I would not be shocked if it was closer to 40.

                Assuming that is the age at the first child, yep. Typically, the mother has been wanting a child for 15 years, and has built up a bunch of unrealistic expectations for how her child will be. Then, both parents smother the child for 20 years, leading the child to resent them.

                Growing up, I saw two types of helicopter parents. The “late bloomers”, like you mentioned, and the “keeping up with the Joneses.” The late bloomers tended to have the “my special snowflake” mentality, and their kids were miserable failures at everything because they never built determination or drive.

                The “keeping up” parents were the ones who were constantly in the car taking the kids to sports practice, tutoring sessions, and God knows what else. These kids developed plenty of determination and drive, but never had any perspective. They became sore losers, “ends justify the means” types who are out only to “get ahead in life” and don’t stop to smell the roses. They’re “successful” in their lives, but spend gobs of money at shrinks trying to fix the fact that nothing is enough for them.

    7. BardMetal

      When exactly were millennials born? Not sure sure if I should be defending them or making fun of them.

      1. Caleb Turberville

        Hard to narrow it down, but you wouldn’t be wrong if you said kids born between 1985 and 2000.

        1. BardMetal

          Shit, I guess that includes me too. I guess I have to defend these fuckers.

        2. My older sons, one in law school, one an undergrad (senior), are almost completely self-sufficient. Big-time academic scholarships help, but I like to think that they also benefited from the parenting they had. Either way, I’ve very proud (and relieved they’re not an “Amy”.)
          I still have plenty of time to screw up my 8-year-old twins, however.

        3. Rasilio

          While different people date the generations differently as a general rule it goes…

          1926 – 1945: “The Greatest Generation”
          1946 – 1965: Boomers
          1966 – 1985: Gen X
          1986 – 2005: Millenials
          2006 – 2025: ???

          There are generally considered to be 2 cohorts in each generation (first and second decade) each of which has slight differences in behavior and such and things get really fuzzy at the edges with people born within ~5 years of either side of the boundry possibly identifying more with one side or the other

          1. Snark Plissken

            I’m 1965 and I’m not a stinking Boomer goddamnit!!! 1961 or 1965 seem to be the two most common years for Gen X. I’ve always thought ’61.

            1. Snark Plissken

              Oops, linky.

            2. When they first started talking about Generation X, I distinctly remember there being a gap between it and the end of the Boom. Which encompassed the mid-60s. So you are a Lost Generation.

            3. Lord at War

              Snark-

              I agree that I AM NOT A stinking BOOMER! (born Oct 64).

              See Generation Jones

    8. DesigNate

      What’s the point of working hard when you can get on the dole or work for the government and get paid to sit on your ass, or even better take a vacation with back pay?

    9. Numeromancer

      Poor souls. Maybe this will help.

  27. Obama neglects his power to pardon

    In his first term in office, Ronald Reagan signed 250 pardons for federal inmates; George H.W. Bush authorized 77 and Bill Clinton, 56. Mr. Obama granted just 23. (Including more granted this spring, his total is now up to 39.) According to an analysis by ProPublica, which studied applications for pardons processed by the Justice Department, Mr. Obama has granted clemency to just 2 percent of applicants. By contrast, Mr. Reagan pardoned about a third of such applicants; Mr. Clinton 12 percent; and the elder George Bush about 7 percent. Even George W. Bush, a Texan who took his tough-on-crime credentials seriously, extended pardons at a rate slightly higher than Mr. Obama. (Mr. Obama also has ignored his power to grant commutations of sentences ? typically shortening them to time served; he has commuted just one since taking office.)

    1. Jordan

      Only a Teahadist would admit that government can make mistakes.

    2. gaijin

      Pardoning someone else means he would have to take his laser like focus off himself. There can be only one One!

    3. He’s not neglecting it; he’s gleefully refusing to pardon people.

    4. Rufus J. Firefly

      Maybe I’m missing something, but who cares?

      1. Jordan

        Don’t you think there are a lot more than 39 people who have been unjustly imprisoned?

      2. Think of all the people persecuted by the War on Drugs.

      3. Rufus J. Firefly

        I stand corrected.

        I took for granted it was mostly for beautiful people. Not only that, I actually fell into that liberal trap of thinking this was a pile on.

        My bad. Won’t happen again.

    5. Seems like no one pardons anybody anymore. It must involve too much accountability or something.

  28. From 24/7, Transparency International releases it’s annual corruption survey.

    Is it me, or does that map follow pretty closely with the economic freedom indexes? It’s almost as if societies that follow the rule of law have less corruption or something.

  29. Jordan

    Add electricity to the list of goods in short supply in Venezuela

    Venezuela’s second massive power outage of the year plunged much of the nation into darkness on Monday night, prompting renewed talk of sabotage from President Nicolas Maduro’s government and cries of incompetence from its foes.
    […]
    The blackouts, some due to planned power rationing and at other times to utility failures, have not affected the oil refineries, which are powered by separate generator plants.

    I love that he blames wreckers.

    1. Suthenboy

      Venezuela is the textbook example of how malfeasance and corruption are inevitable in a socialist system. So much so that no parody or fictional state has ever portrayed it as succinctly.

      Socialism, in various form, hundreds of times, has been tried. Every single case showcases that the current state of Venezuela is the end result. The road can lead no where else.

      This is why, since his very first appearance, I have said that Barry O is a moron, as is everyone else who advocates socialism.

  30. Rich

    Obamacare customers urged to double-check insurance status

    Asked directly by reporters if the White House could assure customers who have signed up that they will definitely have coverage by January 1, Carney appeared to suggest it was up to individuals to double-check for themselves.

    Perhaps the government can set up a new website to facilitate this double-checking.

  31. Thank you, AP!

    5 new things about President Obama

    1) He sings in the bathroom
    2) The President Can Cook
    3) Broke his nose playing basketball
    4) World Traveler
    5) Daughter has peanut allergy

    1. gaijin

      The URL is interesting: ‘bigstory.ap.com’

    2. EDG reppin' LBC

      1) Does a disturbingly realistic version of Diana Ross’ “Mahogany”
      2) Microwaves Hot Pockets with the aplomb of a 10 year old latchkey kid
      3) Awakwardly thrust his own knee into his face during a free throw attempt
      4) Scouting countries to spy on, then drone
      5) Wife is allergic to nuts too

      1. Okay, #3 had me laughing.

    3. Suthenboy

      When are they going to start publishing cultish art portraying him with a halo whose glow shines a golden light over the world with crowds of smiling children and lambs and lions lying together in fields of flowers?

      1. invisible furry hand

        No-one would do a stupid outlandish picture like that

        1. Elspeth Flashman

          Um, wish I hadn’t clicked, almost. At least it doesn’t show his perfect, uh, specimen. Though it might be funnier if it did.

    4. Elspeth Flashman

      I had a law school prof who played basketball with the Pres. He tried to bring it up from time to time.

      1. Did he make pancakes for the president after crushing him?

      2. Elspeth Flashman

        I don’t know. Sounds like b-ball was all they had in common, that and being attorneys who went to an expensive school.

    5. Enough About Palin

      5) Daughter has peanut allergy

      RACIST!!!1!11!!1!!!!!

  32. With Three Weeks Left, Consumers Fear They May End Up Without Health Coverage On New Year’s Day

    Tambra Momi has been eagerly awaiting the promise of guaranteed health insurance. Since 2011, she has battled Dercum’s disease, a rare and painful condition in which non-cancerous tumors sprout throughout her body, pressing against nerves. Jobless and in a wheelchair, Momi needs nine different drugs, including one costing $380 a month, to control the pain and side effects. No insurer has been willing to cover her, she says, except a few that have taken her money and then refused to pay for her medications.

    Yet her effort to sign up for the health law’s coverage has been painful in its own way. Momi, a resident of Fort Mohave, Ariz., hasn’t been able to complete an application on the federal healthcare.gov website. Three attempts to submit an application over the phone haven’t panned out. Once when she called back, she says she was told they had no record of the application. Another time, officials told her they could see the application but couldn’t open it.

    1. WTF

      No insurer has been willing to cover her, she says,

      Correction, no insurer has been willing to magnanimously pay her bills.

      1. John

        And Obama will now make up for it by fining her.

        1. WTF

          It’s for the greater good.

          1. Smilin' Joe Fission

            Tough love if you will.

          2. flye

            The Greater Good.

            /Hot Fuzz

  33. Rich

    Underage Drinkers Consuming Cooking Wine

    “It is very high in sodium, so consuming that in conjunction with, if they’re eating a fast-food meal or pretzels or popcorn or snack food, they are eating close to 10,000 milligrams of sodium per day.”
    Which, she warns, could be a problem in the long term, especially if there’s a family history of high blood pressure, kidney disease, or liver disease.

    Oh, I’ll bet most of that sodium gets puked up.

    1. Perhaps if we had a sane drinking age people wouldn’t feel the need to resort to drinking cooking wine.

    2. BardMetal

      Whats the point in drinking if you’re not going to drink something that tastes good?

      And don’t saying “cause it will get you fucked up.” because so will huffing a can of paint.

      1. Elspeth Flashman

        Paint huffing is white trash. Garbage-can parties are not. Just in case you wondered.

    3. Snark Plissken

      If the statists are gonna ban something, I’m okay with them starting with cooking wine.

      Cook with normal wine you idiots!

    4. Pretty sure they’ll figure it out *real* quick that it isn’t worth it.

      Also, I’d imagine after drinking a bottle of salty cooking wine, they’d look at pretzels or popcorn or anything else with salt, and say “Nope”.

  34. All is not lost: three reasons not to count President Obama out
    Don’t write Obama off yet. A variety of things could lift him out of his slump, including an even more dysfunctional GOP

    1. Wait until you see the other guy
    Obama benefits when he can function in full campaign mode and present an “apples to apples” comparison to voters. When the GOP primary ramps up, he’ll get a chance to do this again.

    2. The Republican Party is fighting itself
    While most commentators, including myself, have adopted the shorthand of “The Tea Party versus the establishment”, the schisms range across ideological, attitudinal, generational and even regional lines.

    3. The success stories from the ACA will come out
    The dysfunctional exchange websites have meant that ACA “success stories” ? struggling families gaining health insurance they once could not afford ? are all but buried, while conservatives push into that void the “horror stories” of relatively affluent self-insured households (on Fox at least, many of the featured case-studies seem to have existing ideological objections to the ACA)

    1. (shortened for H&Rs; character limit)

    2. John

      It all just different ways of saying that don’t count Obama out because the media will be there to lie for him about his opponents and his horrific policies.

    3. WTF

      Well, they are correct in that the Stupid Party has an amazing ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

    4. Suthenboy

      “3. The success stories from the ACA will come out”

      Yeah. Glorious paradise is right around the corner. Just over the next hill. One more bend in the road.

      1. Smilin' Joe Fission

        The ACA is the governments fusion. Except fusion doesn’t need to break fundamental laws to work and actually has the potential to provide something useful someday.

    5. DontShootMe

      What is Obama running for now?

      1. Have the op-eds about repealing the 22nd Amendment started yet?

      2. SCOTUS?

  35. sarcasmic

    Anonymous online marketplace that replaced Silk Road VANISHES… taking $100MILLION of users’ money with it

    Sheep Marketplace, an anonymous marketplace accessible only with the help of software that hides its users’ identities, virtually vanished Sunday taking its vendors’ money with it
    Sheep Marketplace became the go-to ‘dark web’ site for drugs, illegal arms, and other shady deals after Silk Road was famously shuttered by the FBI in October
    The site claimed they’d been hacked but cache of 96,000 Bitcoins, the equivalent to nearly $100 million, has been traced back to the site

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..ey-it.html

    1. waffles

      I find it amazing that people would put so much money and trust into anonymous programmers operating out of the Czech Republic. Drugs don’t make people stupid, but stupid desperate people do get into drugs.

  36. sarcasmic

    Mother’s outrage after cops put white daughter, 13, in protective custody after seeing her with African-American dance instructors who were her legal guardians on outing

    Landry Thompson, 13, was visiting Texas from Oklahoma with her two male, African American dance instructors
    She was placed in handcuffs and taken away without being given a reason
    Houston police still won’t say why they took Landry, but her mother Destiny is demanding an apology

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..dians.html

  37. sarcasmic

    Girl banned from selling mistletoe in park to raise money for her braces – but told she can BEG

    Madison Root, 11, picked and wrapped mistletoe to sell at a Portland market to contribute to the cost of her braces
    A security guard told her she had to move outside the market’s boundaries if she wanted to sell her wares
    He told her she needed a permit to see in the city’s downtown area
    He said she could beg for money, or she could give away her mistletoe, but not sell it

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..d-BEG.html

    Spokesman for the Portland Park Bureau told KATU that while selling at the market without a permit is illegal, begging is designated as a form of free speech, and is protected under the First Amendment.

    1. Snark Plissken

      It’s never too young to learn that the State will always try to crush her attempts at independence and entrepreneurship. Especially if she lives in Oregon.

    2. Smilin' Joe Fission

      So, give away Mistletoe for *voluntary* donations…

  38. Bo Cara Esq.

    -After Losing at State Level, Conservative Manhattan Institute’s Fellow Urges NY Localities to Vote to Bar Casinos

    http://nypost.com/2013/12/02/say-no-to-casinos/

    1. The casino: the only place in Michigan where you can smoke and drink at a bar.

    2. Restoras

      What does this have to do with Sno-conez?

      1. Bo Cara Esq.

        They are very involved in the fight to keep casinos from opening in NY. The Manhattan Institute itself is not what I would call a So-Con organization, though like you they are, let us say, quite ‘sympathetic’ to such.

        1. Restoras

          You’ll have to provide a citation of me being sympathetic to so-cons. Go ahead and look, I’ll wait.

          I wonder if there is another reason the Manhattan Institute might be opposed? Or anyone else for that matter? Maybe it’s to prevent the NY government from getting it’s hands on more of its citizen’s private property?

          1. Bo Cara Esq.

            -You’ll have to provide a citation of me being sympathetic to so-cons.

            I’ll confess, I just inferred it from your whining whenever I criticize them here. Why does it upset you so?

            – wonder if there is another reason the Manhattan Institute might be opposed? Or anyone else for that matter?

            I do not know, other than what they state (that it undermines thrift and feeds addiction).

            -Maybe it’s to prevent the NY government from getting it’s hands on more of its citizen’s private property?

            I have not seen that offered as a reason in the groups opposing it I have seen. But if you find that I would be interested to hear about it.

            1. Bo Cara Esq.

              By the way, here is a more comprehensive statement from the Manhattan Institute about why casinos should be forbidden from operating in NY (or other states for that matter). It is the kinds of argument (that it would harm ‘vulnerable’ addiction prone gamblers who might voluntarily choose to gamble in them, that it will not bring in as much tax revenue as some thing, that some people may choose to do business with them rather than other businesses, and that they could indirectly be linked to crime) that, were they noted to be coming from ‘progs’ I doubt you would have any problem with (‘Pr-ogz!’ could be your repeated response).

              1. Bo Cara Esq.

                Link: http://www.manhattan-institute…..p4A9uKJ4Sk

            2. Restoras

              I’ll confess, I just inferred it from your whining whenever I criticize them here. Why does it upset you so?

              You are implying, without any basis in fact, that I am sympathetic to so-cons. So, excuse me if I say “fuck you”. I do like to mock your one-trick-pony posting and implications that we here are just evil teathuglicans in disguise – which incidentally you also have no proof of.

              From the article:

              Voters decided that they didn’t need a business that would suck money out of restaurants and stores and prey on addicts. (“Problem” gamblers, while less than 5 percent of the population, can account for 35 percent of gambling revenues, my colleague Steve Malanga has found.)

              Those evil voters! Or is it, Those dumb voters! They are either teh evil sno-cones or too dumb to know they are being manipulated by teh sno-cones? Which is it, Bo?

              I have not seen that offered as a reason in the groups opposing it I have seen. But if you find that I would be interested to hear about it.

              So, you think it is just a coincidence that state governments look to bring casinos into their jurisdictions and then tax them heavily? Really?

              1. Bo Cara Esq.

                – I do like to mock your one-trick-pony posting

                You do not, to my knowledge, mock any of the people who post repeated and routine denunciations of other groups that violate the NAP (feminists, ‘progs’), so the fact that you feel the need to get so upset about my doing the same with social conservatives does seem to implicate to me some ‘sympathy’ at the least with social conservatives. Double standards reveal things.

                -Those evil voters!

                First, the state voters voted to allow casinos, they are talking about localities that subsequently voted to bar casinos from opening in their locality. So, now that is straight, are you telling me you support the idea of local governments barring people from opening up certain businesses based on voluntary transactions between adults? It would not surprise me if you do, frankly, but I would love to hear your explanation of why.

                -So, you think it is just a coincidence that state governments look to bring casinos into their jurisdictions and then tax them heavily?

                Tax the casinos? You think they are opposing the opening of casinos because they do not want them to be open and taxed (better prohibited altogether?)?

                1. Restoras

                  In NY there is a disproportionate cross section of voters downstate, where there are casinos already. Good for them. I couldn’t care less one way or the other.

                  Odd, though, that the state government wanted to open casinos in other parts of the state and were shot down by the voting public in those localities. Pesky voters don’t know what’s good for them, I know.

                  To the extent that local voters wish to bar certain activities (providing they don’t infringe on the Bill of Rights) it is their community and they should be allowed to organize it as they see fit. As much as I may be opposed to the restriction of activities between consenting adults – well I am free to not live there just as the current residents are also free to not live there.

                  No, Bo, the localities are clearly not opposed to the casinos becasue they will be taxed. That does not change the fact that the larger state government wants the casinos opened in order that they will be taxed. Do you think that the NY state governemtn does not look at all the gambling tax revenue being collected in CT, PA, DE, MD
                  and does not want to figure out how to get there hands on it?

                  1. Bo Cara Esq.

                    -To the extent that local voters wish to bar certain activities (providing they don’t infringe on the Bill of Rights) it is their community and they should be allowed to organize it as they see fit.

                    I did not see this. Wow, so you essentially are not a libertarian, as long as it is local governments which prohibit voluntary interactions between consenting adults.

                    No wonder you do not like me, since as a libertarian I am pretty opposed to that.

                    PS-I would argue that if the Bill of Rights were properly understood the ‘liberty’ guaranteed by the 5th and 14th Amendment, bolstered by the 9th, would include the right of consenting adults to transact in ways that are not harmful or directly violating the rights of any other as protected from federal, state and local actions.

                    1. Restoras

                      I am glad you cleared that up for me. Thanks Bo. What would I do without you? I guess I would be living in utopia where all-knowing Leviathan makes everyhting better for everyone.

                    2. Bo Cara Esq.

                      Look, you can try to walk back from these statements, but if you were trying to persuade anyone that you are not, at the least, sympathetic to social conservatives your ‘a community has the right to organize itself how it sees fit’ undercut that. This is not some arcane, fine point of libertarian thought but a basic tenet, Libertarianism 101.

                      If you are some kind of ‘Constitutional Conservative’ who at times seems sympathetic to libertarianism, well, good for you, but now we see why my libertarianism upsets you so, because the two are not the same thing (though they may overlap at times).

                    3. Restoras

                      Yes Bo, I see your point. Thanks for setting me straight! I really appreciate it. I look forward to learning so much more from you.

                2. Restoras

                  My ‘opposition’ is not to casinos opening up wherever they can do so and where the people who live there want them. My ‘opposition’ is to the state governments that view it as simply another way to confiscate private property from their citizens in the guise of “jobs” and “economic revival”. Granted, individuals can choose not to make use of them, or when they do so in full knowledge that a hefty portion of their casino spending is going directly to state coffers, but this does not change the fact that cash-strapped states (NY, IL, MI, CT, MA, CA, MD, PA, NJ, etc) view the money spent in casinos as a cash flow to be tapped.

                  1. Bo Cara Esq.

                    -My ‘opposition’ is not to casinos opening up wherever they can do so and where the people who live there want them.

                    So you support the right of local governments to bar businesses that involve voluntary transactions between adults from operating in their locales?

                    Of course ideally the casinos would be allowed to open by the state and local government and would have a minimal or no tax burden, but what these locales are being urged to do is prohibit them from operating their businesses altogether. You support that?

                    1. Restoras

                      Do I support it? If you are asking if I lived in that particular locality and had a say, how would I vote? I would vote in favor.

                      I also support the power of a local community to organize itself as it sees fit. Do you support that?

                    2. Bo Cara Esq.

                      -I also support the power of a local community to organize itself as it sees fit. Do you support that?

                      I do not support the power of a local government (as well as state and federal, of course) to prohibit the free, voluntary transactions of adults, no. If the casinos buy property from a willing owner in the locale and set up a business based on free transactions, then yes, a local government should not prohibit them from doing so.

                      You are aware this is a libertarian website, right?

                    3. Restoras

                      Yes , yes, I am beginning to see the light, Bo! This is awesome. So if a community where the majority of voters would prefer to not have a casino within there jusrisdiction they must be forced to because that’s libertarian.

                      Forced to. Got it.

                3. DesigNate

                  It might have something to do with those other groups actually violating the NAP.

                4. Restoras

                  First, the state voters voted to allow casinos, they are talking about localities that subsequently voted to bar casinos from opening in their locality.

                  Remember, there is a heavily disproportionate of the NY population downstate. Where they have casinos.

                  Are you suggesting that people that don’t want them shouldn’t be allowed to bar them? That smaller, rural localities far removed from the NYC megalopolis should not be able to organize their communities according to the wishes of their voters?

                  1. Bo Cara Esq.

                    -Are you suggesting that people that don’t want them shouldn’t be allowed to bar them?

                    Yes, I am suggesting that local governments should not be able to prohibit people from opening businesses based on consensual, adult transactions. That is kind of what it means to be a libertarian, there is no ‘local governments can restrict liberty all they want’ exemption clause that I am aware of to the philosophy.

                    1. DesigNate

                      If you’re going to have government at all, you’re eventually going to work your way down to the smallest most local government possible.

                      While it obviously violates the NAP, the people in that locality are going to have a say over the goings on in that locality.

                      The good thing about winnowing it down to the smallest locality possible is that it’s a hell of a lot easier to vote with your feet (as opposed to moving across state lines or countries).

                    2. Restoras

                      That’s not very libertarian of you, DesigNate. You fail the purity test. Prepare to be ban hammered.

                    3. DesigNate

                      Damn, I guess I’ll have to start trolling like buttplug.

                      At least mine will come with links:

                      For the ones that like girls:

                      For the ones that like boys:

    3. Jordan

      Is there a politician anywhere in New York who isn’t a nannyist asshole?

  39. sarcasmic

    Mount Mordor of Russia: Erupting volcano looks like mythical evil land in The Lord of the Rings

    Volcano has been pictured erupting in Kamchatka, far eastern Russia
    Similar to evil land of Mordor depicted in books by J.R.R. Tolkien
    Volcanic eruption so powerful it spewed a lava fountain a kilometre high

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..Rings.html
    Wow.

    1. waffles

      Kamchatka was always my favorite part of the Risk board. Not much there besides a few ports, snow, and volcanoes is there?

    2. WTF

      It’s Mount Doom, not Mount Mordor!

      Still, pretty cool.

    3. BardMetal

      Always knew Russia was an evil place. I mean look at Cyrillic, and tell me that isn’t some sort of demonic alphabet.

    4. WTF

      I always figured D.C. was more the evil land of Mordor than Russia. All it needs is a bitchin’ volcano.

      1. Kaptious Kristen

        That’s giving DC way too much credit. DC is full of self-entitled douchebags and soft-skinned whiners. It’s like a parody of evil. Like Snidley Whiplash.

        1. Smilin' Joe Fission

          Putin is a true evil villain type in almost every sense. He is trained in killing and has likely done so. He controls a very powerful army that will do almost anything at his whim. Our politicians, for the most part, are Ivy League dooch bags who if ever confronted with the prospect of first hand violence would cower and break down.

          They control the ability to be evil over many but are insulated from the dirty consequences of their decisions.

          1. Kaptious Kristen

            Exactly. Thinking of DC as Mordor, well, *guffaw*.

            1. More like Saruman’s tower after the Ents. A swampy, miserable area with a tyrannical, petulant, narcissistic schemer surrounded by wooden headed enemies after his greatest scheme went awry. His legions of sycophantic followers are now defeated and disheartened, although he still has Wormtongue.

              1. Restoras

                Grima Carney. You made my day BP and I thank you.

                1. It helps that I re-watched the three movies recently.

          2. Numeromancer

            Russia has the bang; DC, the whimper.

    5. Suthenboy

      Hmmmph. Thats odd. Not one mention that volcanos like this typically emit more greenhouse gasses than all of human activity in all of history. Or did I miss it?

      1. sarcasmic

        Not one mention that volcanos like this typically emit more greenhouse gasses than all of human activity in all of history.

        Snopes says otherwise.

  40. The Late P Brooks

    Porsche made only about 1,300 Carreras GTs — and they’re disappearing fast.

    “They’re getting rarer and rarer,” Trimble said. “Most of the time, when they do get wrecked, there’s not much left of them.”

    Darwin, FTW!

  41. sarcasmic

    Mixing alcohol and energy drinks increases the risk of poisoning, experts warn

    Mixing the two is riskier than drinking alcohol alone, U.S. researchers say
    People who mix the two tend to drink more, and become drunker
    Also makes people more likely to be ‘wide awake drunk’ meaning they are more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/hea…..-warn.html
    Ban Irish coffee!

    1. WTF

      Best ban Rum and Coke, too.

    2. Smilin' Joe Fission

      Is there any connection between the *types* of people who drink energy drink and alcohol together?

      I wonder if they tested for that bias.

      1. lap83

        “studies show that douche-y frat boys get drunk like douche-y frat boys”

        1. Smilin' Joe Fission

          Landmark study.

          I went to a school in Canada that banned fraternities so I missed out on dealing with these guys. However, even at schools where frats were allowed, they were pretty lame up here.

          1. Rufus J. Firefly

            Canada and lame go well together just like Canada and mediocrity.

      2. a better weapon

        Frat boys yes, but the vodka red bull types I see most often are the really skinny girls who “don’t like the taste of beer” and that would have been tossed after 2 drinks of any kind.

        It also doesn’t help that the bartender is usually giving these girls the ol’ college pour to drunken them up.

  42. sarcasmic

    Pope Francis reveals he used to be a BOUNCER

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..ntiff.html

    1. Bo Cara Esq.

      Throwing money-changers out of temples, no doubt.

  43. sarcasmic

    Suki Waterhouse scores a rare style success in plunging lilac as she leads the charge of supermodels at British Fashion Awards

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…..ccess.html
    Waaaaaaay to skinny for John.

    1. John

      She is okay. But I am surprised you are putting up a whale like that.

    2. Mike M.

      There’s actually a woman named Suki Waterhouse? Sounds like a name for a Reason sockpuppet.

      1. A Neal Stephenson character?

  44. We have another 12/2 H&R baby. William Beckett. Mom and baby are awesome.

    Seriously, don’t fuck in March if you hang out here and don’t want a baby.

    1. invisible furry hand

      He was born with a 1000 yard stare? Too cool…

    2. Congrats!

    3. Kaptious Kristen

      Congrats you gize!!

    4. EDG reppin' LBC

      Congratulations, old boy! Another lil’ libertarian joins the ranks.

    5. gaijin

      congratulations!

    6. Smilin' Joe Fission

      Congrats Brett!

    7. Rufus J. Firefly

      Congrats.

    8. Fatty Bolger

      Congratulations!

    9. Congrats Brett!

    10. Terrific! Parenting is great fun (after you start sleeping again in about 2 years).

    11. Suthenboy

      Congratulations!

    12. DontShootMe

      Congrats!

    13. SugarFree

      Excellent news!

    14. ‘grats. To you/BrettWife and sloopy/Banjos as well.

    15. a better weapon

      A boy!? This is why there are no libertarian women!

      1. Auric Demonocles

        The seed is strong.

    16. Cute lil guy. Congrats.

      Don’t get him this:
      http://www.amazon.com/Are-All-…..+born+free

      My wife saw ‘declaration’ and ‘free’ and thought it was libertarian lit for kids but it aint.

    17. Auric Demonocles

      Congrats!

    18. Congratulations!

    19. Huzzah! Have him fitted for a monocle yet?

    20. Cdr Lytton

      Congratulations!

    21. trshmnstr

      Congratulations!

    22. DesigNate

      Congratulations!

  45. sarcasmic

    ‘Christmas in his heart’: Bella Thorne gets the romantic treatment from boyfriend Tristan Klier while shopping for trees

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…..pping.html
    Youth is wasted on the young.

    1. Cdr Lytton

      Not for long.

      (Brother’s girlfriend also named Bella. Okaayyy….)

  46. Rufus J. Firefly

    Obama a specimen?

    He’s a pip squeak next to OUR man PM Harper!

    http://ca.news.yahoo.com/video…..00076.html

    1. invisible furry hand

      I’ll see your Harper and raise you an Abbott

      1. Rufus J. Firefly

        Shit.

      2. Maybe he could go beat Putin down in the Octagon o’ World Leaders?

  47. The Late P Brooks

    Obama benefits when he can function in full campaign mode

    Wait, what?

    When is that narcissistic buffoon NOT in full campaign mode?

    1. Smilin' Joe Fission

      He benefits when he can operate from a purely hypothetical stand-point where he can make grand promises that never have to be backed up by outcomes provided by a thing progs often ignore: reality.

    2. Rufus J. Firefly

      He’s only shtick (strategy in his parlance) is to position himself as a reasonable pragmatist while describing his critics and the GOP as extremists.

      It’ll work for his base. I wonder how many people who voted for him but are not cultists see this as wearing thin.

  48. Pompey

    The CEO of the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei saysthe company will “exit” the US market over claims by some American lawmakers that the firm helps China spy on Americans. The CEO said it wasn’t “worth it” for the company to get in the middle of US-Chinese relations.

    Good riddance. My firm works with them. Adjectives that come to mind: arrogant, pigheaded, thieving, incompetent, incapable, overstated, overvalued, stupid.

    What they do deserve credit for its going after the developing low-cost world. Arrogant Silicon Valley boys can’t be bothered to get down in the 3rd world shit and missed out on massive opportunity.

  49. Steve G


    PayPal could embrace Bitcoin

    Wonderful. /sarc

  50. A few days ago I watched the film Senna, about the Brazilian F1 driver. Recommended for documentary junkies, even if you aren’t a fan of F1.

    Youtube apparently has the whole movie:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eWKjpjnipw

    1. Bam!

      Saw it awhile back on Netflix. Highly recommended. Very impressive film.

    2. waffles

      Highly recommended. Makes me want to drive fast and harbor irrational hatred for French sporting officials.

    3. trshmnstr

      Watched it in theater. It was an amazing documentary!

  51. The Late P Brooks

    Utah hikers found OK, report blizzard is really cold, inconvenient.

    Colorado College students. The cream of America’s academic crop, but too fucking dumb to read a weather report. Or a map.

    Something tells me they’re in for a rather disagreeable surprise when they get billed for all those deputies, snowmobiles, and helicopter time.

    1. Clearly, what we need is weather control.

      1. The Spacing Guild wants an awful lot for that…I wonder what is being hidden from our eyes?

        1. I dunno, some sort of secret Fremen project to transform Arrakis into a wet world? [Looks out window.] Hey, what happened to the desert?

          1. Fatty Bolger

            Hey, remember when Paul made it rain at the end of Dune, the movie? Fans of the book loved that.

            1. I remember when I went to watch that movie. Liked the initial look and thought it might be okay. Then I kept watching and kept thinking “Why the fuck did Lynch do that?”

              1. Fatty Bolger

                I was really excited to see it. About half an hour in I said, “screw this,” and spent the rest of the movie making out with my girlfriend in the back of the theater.

  52. sarcasmic

    Star of MTV show ‘True Life: I’m a chubby chaser’ that documented his love of larger ladies sues TV company after it revealed his real identity and address

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..dress.html
    John has a kindred spirit!

    1. life is strange – are we sure it really isn’t John?

    2. And that TV company was owned by — Mary Stack. And now you know…the rest of the story.

  53. The Late P Brooks

    But Bitcoins. No government. Totally safe.

    True enough. After all, nobody ever got defrauded when they paid with DOLLARS.

  54. Fatty Bolger

    Why Pushing People to Code Will Widen the Gap Between Rich and Poor

    Focusing on the additional, costly skillset of coding ? rather than the other more essential, but still lacking, types of literacy ? is the product of myopic technical privilege. There’s a reason such arguments arise primarily from the digerati: In that world, basic access is rarely a problem.

    What’s more, a society where people are expected to know how to code is one where powerful players like big corporations and government are more likely to ignore responsible design obligations ? design decisions such as building in privacy protections and making sure technologies have a degree of transparency about how they operate. It would be like saying safety-enhancing features in vehicles aren’t necessary because everyone learned the basics in driving school? or worse, who needs to learn when autonomous cars do it for us anyway?

    Why should a startup or tech goliath worry about concerns such as not exploiting users when people can examine the source code? When members of the coderati can customize changes, live in private clouds, and protect only themselves?

    1. Protect only themselves against what?!?

      We live in affluent times if society can afford to pay a gibbering idiot like this to pound out turgid essays rather than having to send him and his ilk into the mines or out to the fields to stave off famine.

      1. Fatty Bolger

        I’m just happy to be a member of a new secret society, the Coderati. Soon we will rule the Earth from our custom clouds as we build Techtopia.

    2. itsnotmeitsyou

      In regards to this, I know we have a few coders who are regulars. I have a question for you guys.

      I am trying to learn coding. I have been a hardware/network guy for my entire career and have only done some Basic coding. I am looking for recommendations on where I can find good coding tutorials and maybe some projects to work on. Perhaps some methods of learning different languages?

      1. Kaptious Kristen

        Web or software?

        1. itsnotmeitsyou

          Software. The company I work for now has a few custom programs that were written by a guy who’s looking to retire. They’re looking to me to continue supporting and updating the program. I want to learn software coding anyways because I want a job that I can do from anywhere.

      2. Jordan

        Effective Java. It’s pretty much the Java Bible. The “Head First” series of books is excellent, as well.

        1. Jordan

          Oracle also provides free tutorials for both JSE and JEE.

          1. itsnotmeitsyou

            Thanks. I’ll check those out. I know I should learn Java.

            1. trshmnstr

              http://www.codecademy.com/

      3. Fatty Bolger

        I can’t vouch for any personally, but there are a number of tutorial sites for coding. Codecademy is probably the best known, but there are others.

      4. I’m a mediocre coder / hack at best. Why? Because it really doesn’t interest me all that much, at least not to the level where I feel passionate about it.

        Having said that, it’s been my experience that people can program, or they can’t. A good programmer isn’t made out of courses or books, but a bigger vision of interconnecting parts – much like understanding how an engine works through the different strokes.

        When I’m working on a particularly difficult project, I can get into a trance mode where the rest of the world disappears. This “zen state” allows me to work at the detail level while seeing the entire big picture. I’ve actually looked at code I’ve written a few years ago and, in hindsight, don’t understand how I came up with the solutions. It’s like a stranger wrote it.

        So start small, hack up other people’s code, and realize that the language being used isn’t important, but the concepts.

        or maybe I’m just an idiot.

        1. Auric Demonocles

          The language is not very important at all. We frequently hire people that have never used our main language, as long as we can see that they are capable of programming well. They’ll pick up the specific syntax for this one quickly enough.

          1. itsnotmeitsyou

            Ok, that was going to be another question I had. How different are the languages? are all the major ones similar enough in concept that if I master one, I could pretty much write in any with a little syntax assistance?

            1. Jordan

              Yes, once you learn one language, the learning curve for picking up other languages flattens dramatically.

              I’d recommend starting with a good C-style language like Java, C#, or Ruby. The market for PHP is pretty good as well.

              1. Jordan

                Oh, and include SQL, HTML, and XML. All easy to pickup, and all essential.

                1. itsnotmeitsyou

                  Oh, and include SQL, HTML, and XML. All easy to pickup, and all essential.

                  Even if I’m shying away from web development?

                  1. Jordan

                    Yes, you will still be very likely to use SQL and XML. And you can learn HTML in a day and it may still come in handy.

                    You may not want to shy away from web development, anyway. I’ve found a lot more job listings for web applications, which still require use of a server side language like Java or C#, than I have for desktop applications.

                  2. Even if I’m shying away from web development?

                    I’m a reporting analyst, not a coder, but even I have to know some SQL.

                    Really, unless you’re certain you’ll never deal with a database, you should know SQL. The good news is that if I can learn it, it’s pretty damn easy. (At least until you get to massive ETL processes).

                    XML is really good if you’re going to get data from virtual sources.

            2. sarcasmic

              They all basically use the same control structures.

              if/else, do/while, for, switch/case

              And they all basically use the same data types.

              This is because they all use the same underlying architecture – a whole mess of binary transistor gates.

            3. Auric Demonocles

              The biggest difference you might come across is procedural versus object oriented. Otherwise the concepts are pretty much all the same.

              1. trshmnstr

                The biggest difference you might come across is procedural versus object oriented. Otherwise the concepts are pretty much all the same.

                Even that is a trivial difference. I can write some beautiful object oriented code in ANSI C. Sure, I’ll have to write all the libraries to support objects, and it won’t be pretty, but it is doable. Same with the distinction between procedural and functional languages. They’re only there to make certain tasks simpler.

                I recommend to start with Python. It’s flexible enough to do any style of programming that you want, it’s well supported with libraries for doing almost everything, and it’s immediately useful as a better alternative to shell scripting.

                I work in Python and C++ primarily. Going back to C++ after spending 2 weeks in Python is particularly painful.

            4. Fatty Bolger

              Mastering the differences in syntax is easy. The difficulty is usually in learning coding conventions and whatever libraries are common for that language.

              1. itsnotmeitsyou

                Thanks a million! I knew I had a lot to learn, and now I have a place to start. I didn’t know if codeacademy and such were worth the time or not.

                Now, on to the learning so that I may help in the upcoming war against the machines.

                1. trshmnstr

                  I personally like codeacademy (there’s also a similar thing for web design, and for source control if you’re interested in either). I taught myself the basics of JavaScript in a few hours, and got enough out of it to design a small webpage. Just recognize that codeacademy is a toe-in-the-water look at programming.

                  Also, I just want to throw this out there. I found that learning in C was really helpful to me. The learning curve is much higher, but you learn what is going on behind the scenes. Many of the newer languages obfuscate some of the complicated memory management stuff, which makes it easier to pick up the language, but harder to understand what exactly is going on.

            5. Rasilio

              The main difference is whether you are coding in an Object Oriented style of Functional style.

              If the apps you will be working on are already written in an Object Oriented language then learning any OO language will be fine, if they are not then starting with an OO language like Java might not be the best idea.

              The real difficulty is moving from functional programming to Object Oriented Programming

              1. trshmnstr

                The real difficulty is moving from functional programming to Object Oriented Programming

                I’m assuming you mean “procedural” or “imperative”, not “functional”.

                I don’t know a soul who started out learning code using Haskell or Lisp. That would be painful, to say the least.

                1. Somalian Road Corporation

                  Hey now, let’s not besmirch the good name of Lisp. Kids these days just don’t use enough parentheses.

        2. itsnotmeitsyou

          The little coding I have done came very easy for me. I taught myself how to code in VB out of necessity. 6 months after I wrote my first if/then statement, I was writing programs that were actually useful at the office I worked at. It was a great way for me to learn, as there were some simple needs that had to be fulfilled and I just sorta winged it and tweaked it from there.

        3. sarcasmic

          I’ve actually looked at code I’ve written a few years ago and, in hindsight, don’t understand how I came up with the solutions. It’s like a stranger wrote it.

          Comments!

          1. Fatty Bolger

            Yeah. Always assume that some stranger will be reading your code later and trying to figure out what the hell it does. That stranger may even be yourself.

            1. sarcasmic

              I’m pretty good with using mnemonic names to the point where I only put comments in when I’m doing something clever. But for the most part my code speaks for itself.

              I wish the coders from India and China on my team did the same thing.

              1. Jordan

                We have some code here that was outsourced to an Indian team for initial development. It is god-awful. Java code that makes no use of object oriented principles, jams as much business logic as possible into object constructors, and the comment for each variable/method is just its name.

                1. sarcasmic

                  I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to completely rewrite stuff written by our EOE hires.

                2. Rasilio

                  But hey, their bill rate is only $35 an hour so they are saving you lots of money right?

      5. Emmerson Biggins

        Think of something you want to do. I’ve always found that just reading tutorials or books is an “in-one-ear-and-out-the-other” kind of thing. But if I think “I want my computer to do THAT, it’d be awesome!”, then I’m motivated to go rip the knowledge out of the universe to meet my needs.

    3. Fluffy

      Fine, go fuck yourself, don’t learn to code, then.

      But then also don’t fucking come and complain to me about how the modern economy concentrates rewards on a small number of people with critical skills.

      1. itsnotmeitsyou

        This is exactly why I want to learn to code. Coding takes a particular type of mind. Not just smart, but logical. Many people I know that are intelligent just would not be able to comprehend even the basic coding concepts that I know. (currently restricted to Visual Basic, and not much at that)

        The little I do know has shown me that coding comes natural to me. It just sorta makes sense. That, and I can make a whole lot more money in program development than sysadmin. And I can do it from the middle of nowhere for the most part.

        1. This is exactly why I want to pay you people to do the coding.

    4. Bo Cara Esq.

      -myopic technical privilege

      How can this not be the dumbest thing I will read today?

    5. Auric Demonocles

      Yo, sorry for like, helping make your planes and cars and shit.

      1. Jordan

        You didn’t build that.

        1. Auric Demonocles

          Nope. I helped the people who did.

          1. Jordan

            Fauxcahontas disagrees.

  55. Kaptious Kristen

    I posted the story about the Italian chick who had her baby forcibly removed via c-section and kidnapped by the state. The takeaway from the comments was midwives do a better job than doctors. What? I mean…what?

    1. Kaptious Kristen

      (posted on Facebook)

  56. Got some venison in the freezer and want some rib sticking food for one of these cold, dreary days?

    Wanna read about an encounter with a muley buck I knew was just a few yards away from me but never saw?

    1. How about an encounter with a pile of does that lasted for over ten minutes?

      And yes, this is shameless blog whoring.

  57. Kaptious Kristen

    Yeah, it was a fake.

    If it sounds too good to be true….

  58. Kaptious Kristen

    Little Buddy croaked.

    1. Matrix

      updated 9/6/2005 6:16:30 PM ET

      Thanks for that breaking news!

  59. …House Intelligence Committee…

    Hahahahaha! That’s funny.

  60. The Late P Brooks

    Focusing on the additional, costly skillset of coding ? rather than the other more essential, but still lacking, types of literacy ? is the product of myopic technical privilege. There’s a reason such arguments arise primarily from the digerati: In that world, basic access is rarely a problem.

    What the fuck is that even supposed to mean?

    1. Auric Demonocles

      I think it means “Fuck Nerds and their decent paychecks”.

      1. ^^^ THIS ^^

    2. Fatty Bolger

      It’s like somebody in the late 19th century asking why people should be taught how electricity works, when many areas don’t even have indoor plumbing.

      1. BiMonSciFiCon

        This is exactly how progressives think. I find it repulsive.

    3. trshmnstr

      the additional, costly skillset of coding

      How much does coding cost? $150 for a crappy computer, and $25 for a used “Introduction to ” book?

      In that world, basic access is rarely a problem.

      In the real world, that’s the case as well. The streets of Nairobi and Kiev and Istanbul are littered with folks who know enough about coding to try to steal my credit card info.

      1. Rasilio

        In the real world you don’t even need the how to book.

        Google is your friend and chances are any problem you have run into coding has already been encountered by someone else before and the solution is posted on a blog or message board somewhere

        1. trshmnstr

          I was shooting for the cheapest option available, which would be paying for the book rather than a year of internet service. I guess going to the library and using their wi-fi would be cheaper.

  61. CatoTheElder

    The Guardian says it has only published 1% of the Snowden files.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..story.html

    Article notes: ‘Britain’s top three spy chiefs said last month that al-Qaida and other terror groups were “rubbing their hands in glee” in the wake of Snowden’s leaks.’

    Perhaps so, but only because the revelation of the State is actually doing is so disconcerting. Maybe the State ought to reconsider the propriety and constitutionality of its methods if it wishes to stop all the terrorist glee.

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