Christie Fires Aide as Probe Begins over Bridge Scandal, Nebraska Officials Seize Toddler over Swearing, Brown Wants to Spend All of California's Money: P.M. Links

• 

  Lucas Films

  The U.S. Attorney in New Jersey is opening a probe over the claims that Gov. Chris Christie's office orchestrated traffic snarls by closing lanes on George Washington Bridge as political retaliation. Christie gave an amazingly long press conference about it and fired an aide for lying to him about the incident (not for the incident itself).

• Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler and three other children into custody connected to a video showing the child using profanities, to the amusement and encouragement of nearby adults. A local police union is under fire for sharing the video on Facebook.
• It's not just a frustrating rule for U.S. airports anymore: Two Russian airports are banning bringing any liquids on flights as a security measure in advance of the Olympics.
• On the third anniversary of the Tucson shootings, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said she wouldn't rule out running for office once again.
• Apparently everything's now just fine in California and it still doesn't have an extremely high unemployment rate and bankrupt cities, as Gov. Jerry Brown's new proposed budget is his biggest ever, increasing state spending by more than 8 percent.
• Now that Disney is in charge of the Star Wars empire, it's putting together a committee to determine what various other stories told in the universe outside the movies are actually "canon." Start writing your angry letters now because Jar Jar Binks will most assuredly make the cut.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Christie gave an amazingly long press conference about it and fired an aide for lying to him about the incident (not for the incident itself).

Every Bridgeghazi story brings me closer to Schadenfreugasm.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Fuck the fat bastard but at least he came out and quickly fired someone. In the Obama administration they'd get promoted.

[paranoid android]

I hereby nominate "-ghazi" to replace "-gate" as the ridiculous scandal suffix of choice.

[Entropy Void]

Gates-ghazi?

[Rufus J. Fisk]

fug-gazhi

[gaijin]

Fugazi!

[Austrian Anarchy]

New band, the Fugasis.

[Mad Scientist]

Had that one sitting in the waiting room long?

[seguin]

Well, when someone hands you a birthday pony, why not ride it?

[Pi Guy]

This is not a Fugazi t-shirt

[BigT]

Fugedaboudit

[Pro Libertate]

It means warrior or something like that, right?

[pmains]

The good thing about -gate is that it means roughly the same thing to the left as is does to the right. Republicans, as a group, are honest enough with themselves to admit that President Nixon committing a crime mattered. If we attempt to use -ghazi as a suffix, the Democrats would never be able to pass the ideological Turing test that thinking about the issue honestly would represent for them.

What? You mean Benghazi isn't an evil, racist conspiracy perpetrated by Republicans? Unpossible!

[kbolino]

Republicans, as a group, are honest enough with themselves to admit that President Nixon committing a crime mattered.

That depends on the meaning of the word "mattered". It certainly was why he resigned, no one denies that. But I have heard Republicans old enough to have witnessed the events say that they did not think he committed a crime, or if he did, that it was minor offense not worthy of the attention it got nor impeachment.

Nevertheless, they do not seem to be all that butthurt about it. Whether that's because it's 40 years old at this point or because they've accepted it as legitimate I cannot say.

[BigT]

I was in college at the time. I remember that the break-in at the Watergate, by itself, was the crime, but not the worst offense. When the tapes were released, it became clear that there were payoffs to silence people, and that Nixon was directly involved. I'm not sure those payoffs were crimes (suborning witnesses?), but they made it clear Nixon thought it was bad enough to warrant spending lots of money to keep it quiet. If Tricky Dick had said: What scandal? It's just a few rogue campaign workers. rather than start the payoffs, he might have skated.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Finally, G. Gordon Liddy's plea is answered.

[Corning]

I move to amend your proposal from -ghazi to -zilla.

[Pro Libertate]

Why not -ghazilla?

[seguin]

I say we go retro and replace it with -pot.

[The DerpRider]

He's boned. Drudge has a link that the delays may have killed an old lady.

[playa manhattan]

Yep. Chances are, with a jam that bad on the GW, at least one person died that otherwise wouldn't have...

[DK]

Yes, but how many lives were created or saved?

"Honey, the traffic is ridiculous. Let's fuck."

[trshmnstr]

or "I was gonna go kill my boss, but i got stuck in traffic"

[gaijin]

multiplier effect!

[Paul.]

multiplier effect!

One point five something-or-others for every one we put in the system!

[Rich]

Although he did not say her death was directly caused by the delays, Favia noted that "paramedics were delayed due to heavy traffic on Fort Lee Road and had to meet the ambulance en-route to the hospital instead of on the scene."

Let the lawsuits begin.

[Rhywun]

These pretzels are making me thirsty.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Sovereign immunity, and it is still a few deaths short of a Benghazi.

[Rich]

Sovereign immunity

I doubt if that'll fly in this case.

[Austrian Anarchy]

True, R factor has a way of trumping all that.

[The Other Kevin]

They reported that on the radio in Chicago this morning. At that point I realized this was not going to just go away.

[Brett L]

Its not like he was supervising an illicit interrogation operation and left his employees to die and then lied about it. The media would cover up for him if he did.

[Pro Libertate]

This. . .seems familiar to me somehow.

[RBS]

Probably from some work of fiction...

[Pro Libertate]

Sounds like Dune, maybe. Baron Harkonnen?

[seguin]

FAKE SCANDAL! LLALALALALALAL FAKE!

[Austrian Anarchy]

Christie made the Top Four at Four on Roe and Roeper (890 WLS-AM) just now.

[playa manhattan]

What is that? Some kind of shitlist, I hope.

[Austrian Anarchy]

It is a bit on a radio show.

[Corning]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

[Paul.]

They reported that on the radio in Chicago this morning. At that point I realized this was not going to just go away.

What I find delicious about is that the media is confused and think Christie is a Republican. So they've got their claws in and won't let go. Heeheee!

[Invisible Finger]

George Ryan and Rob Blagojevich went to prison and

NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED

OK, Jesse Jackson Jr. went to prison too.

The best part about Ryan is that the whole investigation started because a truck driver caused a train wreck and someone died - the driver had a license that he seemed to get from the DMV (George Ryan's patronage office at the time) without having to have passed any sort of test.

I hope Christie takes the same shit. Shit, I hope he gets the same prison cell.

[Pro Libertate]

If it goes to a criminal trial, bet a whole lot of evidence comes to light that otherwise would've been quietly suppressed.

[Corning]

I am wondering how long the aid he fired will be quiet about it.

Hell if I was the aid and even if I was completely the originator and never told Christie about ever (how is Christie not knowing about even possible?) i would still lie my ass off and say Christie ordered me to do it.

[Pro Libertate]

See, this is why actually prosecuting politicians and officials is critical to getting at the truth. Because they'll turn like bad dogs the second they get threatened with actual jail time.

[Tonio]

Josh, Josh, Josh...so young, so innocent.

You only get hired for that sort of job if you have connections. Those guys are all operatives and fixers and part of their job is to take a fall for the boss if circumstances require. They or their allies will take care of him.

[Pro Libertate]

That's true enough, provided that the fall is a soft one.

[Corning]

I am amazed anyone here remembers my first name.

Someone knows me!!!

[Mustaf Herod Apyur Poup'r]

My schadenboner has lasted longer than 4 hours, and I like it.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Good evening.

I think I'll start and evening greeting version for the P.M. links.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Get here earlier then. Tomorrow I'll wait for you.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I do work.

[gaijin]

I do work.

Work does me.

[General Butt Naked]

Work does me.

/in soviet russia

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I hope the work doing you is most satisfying.

[seguin]

I do work.

Work does me

I never get no overtime; I'm always freaking late.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Why good evening, Rufus. Splendid day it was.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm still floored by the fact people in NJ can't pump their own gas by law.

[Rich]

I believe you can get around that by having the attendant repeatedly pump into a can, which you use to fill your tank.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Sounds like a good way to get a visit from a SWAT team.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That's retarded.

The law is retarded.

Is NJ filled with retarded people?

[GILMORE]

How do you think Christie became governor?

[Entropy Void]

Um, yes.

[Steve G]

Oregon too!

[paranoid android]

The best part is how when you attempt to pump your own gas, the attendant will always come running up in an absolute panic, absolutely unable to believe that anyone would do anything as crazy and dangerous as attempt to fuel their own car.

[Marty Feldman's Eyes]

This is how I get service when they are being lazy. It might be a 5 minute wait to get service, but start doing it yourself and they magically suddenly have time for you.

[Austrian Anarchy]

So close to the second gas station in all of the Americas too. Such a shame.

[Paul.]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm still floored by the fact people in NJ can't pump their own gas by law.

Or Oregon. Oh, you thought Portlandia was fiction? Another victim.

[montana mike]

JOBZ, also a law in Oregon.

[Mike M.]

Fatso will receive more media scrutiny and criticism for this in the next week than Blocko has received for everything over the last six years combined.

[MJGreen]

Proof that Libertarian Christmas is carrying on into the new year.

[Corning]

Bridges are a type of road right?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

The U.S. Attorney in New Jersey is opening a probe over the claims that Gov. Chris Christie's office orchestrated traffic snarls by closing lanes on George Washington Bridge as political retaliation. Christie gave an amazingly long press conference about it and fired an aide for lying to him about the incident (not for the incident itself).

When asked how this would impact his presidential ambitions, the Governor responded that he would cross that bridge after he shuts it down.

[John]

I hate fatso as much as anyone. But I would love to hear how exactly this is a federal issue.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm not sure what isn't at this point.

[kinnath]

Navigable waterway ?

[21044]

"...hear how exactly this is a federal issue."

An interstate highway goes over the GW?

[Ted S.]

The bridge goes from one state to another.

[Zeb]

It is an interstate bridge, so maybe it is disrupting interstate commerce. It's a stronger argument than there is for lots of other things justified under the commerce clause.

[Pro Libertate]

Civil rights violation?

[Tonio]

Conspiracy of some sort would also seem a good possibility.

[Pro Libertate]

Thinking RICO?

[MJGreen]

They need to catch one of his guy's in the act, flip 'im, get something they can take to the ADA, and then they can take down the rest through RICO.

I have no idea what I just said. But according to contemporary TV, that's how it always goes down.

[Pro Libertate]

What amuses me is that some Republicans are circling the wagons, but many on the left (including the media) think that killing Christie hurts the GOP's chances in 2016. Oh, you silly, silly, people. Thank you. Please, crush him like a bug.

[Irish]

I've seen a lot of conservatives celebrating. I think they realize all of the business and establishment money would have gone to Christie because he's an easily controlled crony capitalist.

By knocking out Christie it makes it more likely that we'll get an actually small government candidate. It's worse for statists than the rest of us.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, sure. That's why I said "some." But, oddly, I don't think the left gets how good it is for the GOP for Christie to be out of the race.

[Raven Nation]

I'm usually torn by things like this. On the one hand, fuck Christie. On the other hand, it pisses me off that the media will make this issue so big it will kill off a presidential run but excuses Benghazi, IRS, NSA, etc.

[Pro Libertate]

I think the contrast could actually catch some people's attention. "Say, why don't they cover the presidential scandals like this? I mean, who cares about NJ, anyway?"

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

"yeah please don't eliminate the worst nominee possible. Anything but that"

[Pro Libertate]

But do please, Br'er Fox, don't fling me in dat brier-patch!

[Tejicano]

I dunno. Somehow I can imagine the GOP finding somebody worse. So far this has been my experience with expecting anything good out of them.

[Tonio]

IANAL, but that single act is nowhere near the definition of a RICO violation in my limited understanding of the law.

Just as the local po-po can always find a reason to charge you with something, the feds can always find an excuse to at least investigate a governor.

[Pro Libertate]

RICO is insanely overbroad, so I bet you could. Besides, it's enough to start an investigation, unless you think this is some single, isolated incidence.

[Paul.]

Commerce clause.

[Tonio]

OMG, it would be a total laff riot if it was a CC violation. Bet we'd see some hasty rexamination of that. Heh.

[Pro Libertate]

It's a tax.

[bassjoe]

Federal public corruption laws, possibly. The shutdown without a doubt affected interstate commerce and that's enough to get the feds in.

[Concerned Citizen]

Interstate commerce was impeded.

[playa manhattan]

Are you reading "The dictionary of cultural literacy" right now?

[Austrian Anarchy]

Okay, this is what distinguished the big parties in the US. If there is an R involved, it becomes a federal case in nanoseconds.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler and three other children into custody connected to a video showing the child using profanities...

On the plus side, it's good to know Redd Foxx has been reincarnated.

[Ted S.]

God bless his smutty soul.

I didn't watch the video; I hope the kids were saying "Fuck CPS!"

[paranoid android]

They're going after Adam McKay next for making this, surely.

[Pro Libertate]

"For a dummy, you make a lot of sense."

[John]

http://espn.go.com/college-foo.....imson-tide

Nick Sabin trolls the entire state of Tennessee by interviewing Lane Kiffin to be the new Alabama offensive coordinator.

[Caleb Turberville]

Alabama was one of the early adopter of the highly efficient Erhardt-Perkins offensive system. Isn't Lane Kiffin a West Coast guy? I'd hate to rock the boat on a pretty good offensive system.

[RBS]

Hahahaha, my wife and I were driving through Knoxville on out way to see her parents in Memphis last year and the local sports guys spent about 20 minutes talking shit about Kiffin.

[John]

Sabin is such an evil asshole, I think he might hire him just to fuck with Tennessee.

[Ted S.]

Wouldn't hiring Lane Kiffin at Alabama make Tennessee better?

[John]

Only if Sabin let him coach, which is unlikely.

[Brett L]

It sure as hell won't make Alabama better.

[Ted S.]

Not that you care, of course. 😉

[Brett L]

Everybody is worse than us until next season.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, he's not Kiffin evil. No one is that evil. And I say this as someone who thinks his dad should be made into a living statue in Tampa.

[Brett L]

I guess he wants to be an ESPN commentator full time sooner rather than later.

[RBS]

Yeah, has he seen film of the post Barkley era Kiffin offense?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Start writing your angry letters now because Jar Jar Binks will most assuredly make the cut.

Maybe the lens flares will obscure Jar Jar's role in history.

[JW]

Meesa can't see nothin'!

[Brett L]

I see you've got the advance copy of the script when he walks in on old Leia coming out of the shower.

[JW]

AAAAUUUUGH!! Meesa eye are a burnin'! [proceeds to run aroud flailing, knocking Leia into the Dis-int-o-let, and bashing the activation button.]

Where she go?

[Pro Libertate]

Meesa so horny. Meesa fucka this here 'droid.

[Brett L]

The only thing I care about is that Kevin J. Anderson gets left out. If he's canon, I'm a heretic.

[mr simple]

I read some of the books many years ago but the only thing I remember is that The Crystal Star by Vonda N. McIntyre was the worst thing I've ever read and I didn't believe she had seen any of the movies.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

Yeah, that one was retarded

I also read one or two dozen Star Wars books and barely remember any of it

[Cyto]

And yet pretty much every Star Wars book on tape is better than the prequel films. And I mean "better" as in better as a movie. Like sitting in a dark room staring at a blank screen listening to the audio only makes a better movie than what Lucas managed to dredge up.

And while I'm venting - all of it is better than the drek composed by Dan Brown. So there is a hierarchy of suck, of a sort.

[Rasilio]

Why yes, because comittee's are the best way to ensure a good story and continuity.

I can see a comittee to discuss and research the issue but the final decision needs to be on the shoulders of 1 person

[PD Scott]

And if that person is George Lucas?

I've got a bad feeling about this...

[Pro Libertate]

Yes. Me. I'd fucking kill if they gave me control of the canon.

[Brett L]

Ewoks, midichlorians, and Jar-Jar are all on my kill list.

[Pro Libertate]

Kill? See, this is why you can't have that kind of power. Never existed is the preferred approach.

[trshmnstr]

I vote that ewoks can stay if they make them 8 feet tall, super intelligent, and of a mean disposition... wait, why wasn't episode VI set on Kashyyyk?

[Brett L]

Apparently, 50 Seven foot plus tall actors eat too much to be affordable extras.

[Pro Libertate]

It was supposed to be, but. . .merchandising. Look, cute furballs of inexplicable death!

Even the Ewoks might've worked if someone had just mentioned that they are natural Force users or something.

[db]

Midichlorians are the worst fucking dodge ever. What a load of horseshit. That more than anything killed the whole Star Wars thing for me. I can still watch eps 1-3 but not.wighout a little anger at knowing what was done to.them later.on.

[Pro Libertate]

It's crazy that Lucas lost sight of the mystical coolness of the Force. It's not like Star Wars wasn't fantasy, not science fiction, right out of the gate. Guess it was easier to get that angle when Campbell lived next door.

[db]

Lucas doesn't even have his standard excuse for that midichlorian bullshit. It's not like you can make a fucking action figure out of one anyway.

[BakedPenguin]

And it was... pointless. There was no reason for it. It didn't add anything to the story, the setting - anything. You could cut that out, and it would not diminish the story in any way.

[Pro Libertate]

Agreed, though, to be fair, you could do that with three whole movies. Seriously, did Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, or the robots get cooler or more interesting, knowing their backstory?

[BakedPenguin]

No, but that's because the stories were crap. Lucas moved away from his Campell-ian heroic structure, and substituted it with not much of anything other than baseline dramatic conflict, with apparently no overarching goal.

Vader came off as a whiny bitch, and Obi-Wan as a clueless tool. But they didn't have to be. There was the potential to build on those characters and add value. Midichlorians had no such potential to add anything to the story.

[Pro Libertate]

I could do a whole lot better than Lucas did, and I'm not a professional. Not that kind, anyway.

[MP]

Since when has any non-film material been considered "canon"?

[Fist of Etiquette]

They might be talking about deleted scenes or director exposition.

[MP]

The blog post refers to the Expanded Universe, which AFAICT covers just about everything.

It's fun for dorks to debate what they might want as canon. But true canon is what's committed the film for the big screen. Even The Clone Wars is not canon. That's like claiming the animated Star Trek series is canon.

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

I believe ST:TAS is considered canon, actually.

[Pro Libertate]

So Kzinti are canon?

[Neoliberal Kochtopus]

Gene Rodenberry put his name on it and more importantly, DS9 recognizes TAS, and we all know that DS9 ne plus ultra of Trekkitude.

[Pro Libertate]

I liked the one where Spock went back in time to hang out with Young Spock.

[Azathoth!!]

So Kzinti are canon?

Yup. And if you go by that episode Thrint are canon too--it IS called 'The Slaver Weapon'

[MP]

Holy cow! There's a whole wiki section just about this.

I'm unabashedly turning in my geek card.

[JW]

Star Trek: Enterprise producer Manny Coto has commented that had that show been renewed for a fifth season, the Kzinti would have been introduced.[13] Starship designs were produced which closely resemble the Kzinti/Mirak ships from the Star Fleet Universe, a gaming universe that includes the boardgame Star Fleet Battles and its PC analogue Star Fleet Command.

MotherFUCKERS. That would have been completely bad-ass.

[bassjoe]

In the Star Wars universe, ALL material -- the movies, books, comics, games (except maybe the Angry Birds ones), etc. -- are fully-integrated to form its "canon".

/God, I'm such a nerd.

[Agammamon]

Sort of - Star Wars has different 'levels' of canon and only the things seen in the movies are considered 100% while the EU stuff has varying levels of 'hardness'.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_canon

[some guy]

R2D2 and Chewie were leaders in the Rebellion and Jar Jar was a figment of Aniken's imagination. Look it up.

[PD Scott]

"Meesa hallusinashun?"

[MJGreen]

General R2D2. I'd love to see that.

[Agammamon]

That's Field Marshall R2-D2.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

On the third anniversary of the Tucson shootings, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said she wouldn't rule out running for office once again.

It's not like brain damage is a disqualification for serving in Congress.

[Mustaf Herod Apyur Poup'r]

It seems to be a prerequisite.

[Rich]

You assume it's a *congressional* office?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Ah good point. But it applies to political office of any level.

[JW]

Wherever there is a live camera, wherever there is a shortage of preening narcissism, wherever there is a need for shameless publicity whoring, she'll be there. The Heroine of Tucson.

[Tonio]

She has quite the advantages - sympathy/martyr votes, nobody would want to debate her because that would be seen as mean, etc. So, I suspect that she has that seat for as long as she remains publicly presentable for brief periods.

[Pro Libertate]

Leaving aside her and her mental state, whatever it is, it does strike me that Obama is the first, tentative step towards a Chauncey Gardener presidency.

[kinnath]

I like to watch

[kinnath]

I can't imagine Chance the gardener murdering women and children with drones.

[Pro Libertate]

I didn't mean to suggest Obama was better than a president with physical brain damage.

[kinnath]

I was just thinking how badly I wanted Chance to be in the White House right now.

[CampingInYourPark]

First Retarded President!

[Tonio]

Retarded normally applies to conditions with which one is born, not to impairment acquired later in life through injury or disease.

[Invisible Finger]

His parents seem like total idiots. Sounds like retardation by heredity. Not unlike George W. Bush. (But I might be too harsh on ol' Babs.)

[904cc]

"Retarded normally applies to conditions with which one is born, not to impairment acquired later in life through injury or disease."

Completely wrong.

[John]

Apparently everything's now just fine in California and it still doesn't have an extremely high unemployment rate and bankrupt cities, as Gov. Jerry Brown's new proposed budget is his biggest ever, increasing state spending by more than 8 percent.

But I thought Jerry saved California from bankruptcy?

[PD Scott]

It's an ongoing save.

[Pro Libertate]

This reminds me of Madge, who'd recommend Palmolive, then tell her clients, "You're soaking in it."

[PD Scott]

Somebody's getting soaked, at any rate.

[Old Man With Candy]

That was apparently the tag line for Olestra.

[Paul.]

It's a pause.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Two Russian airports are banning bringing any liquids on flights as a security measure in advance of the Olympics.

Over Russia, urine pisses you.

[The DerpRider]

You could not get me to go to the Olympics in Russia even if you promised me the job patting down the female athletes when they enter the dorms.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Apparently a lot of sex happens in the Olympic Village. You might want to reconsider, especially if you could at all pass yourself off as a fellow Olympic athlete.

[The DerpRider]

Derprider, luger, lover...

[The Last American Hero]

Anybody can pass as being on the curling team.

[Caleb Turberville]

http://www.theatlantic.com/pol.....witter.com

Is male/jerk commenter behavior responsible for the disparity in the number of female bloggers?

[Ted S.]

Lucy wasn't scared off of H&R by the commenters the way Virginia was.

[Corning]

But Michael Moynihan was.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

Really?

[Corning]

He avoided the comments because we were mean to him.

Basically he would whine about the use of hyperbole and so we would issue upwards of 200 comments comparing him to Hitler.

[John]

It doesn't seem to stop them from going on TV and writing for newspapers. I find it hard to believe that some news babe is subject to any more stalkers and vulgar internet comments than a blogger.

This quote really stuck out.

Now, I'm a 6-foot-2, 195-pound man. I've never worried about my physical safety on the street or about being a victim of sexual violence.

Unless Friendesdorf carries a gun everywhere or is an MMA fighter, he is lying or a moron. Everyone at some point will fear for their safety.

[Irish]

Friedersdorf is a middle class writer for an East Coast magazine.

What are the odds he's ever been in a dangerous neighborhood?

[John]

His is a hipster douche bag. I am sure he has been to a few places in "trendy neighborhoods". You know the ones where the gays and hipsters only slightly out number the dazed bums and crackheads who have yet to escape the horrors of gentrification.

[Irish]

Your hatred of people who are mildly libertarian but not libertarian enough always makes me laugh.

You seem to despise McCardle and Friedersdorf more than actual hardcore statists.

[John]

First, I am not convinced they are not just that. Second, they are annoying elitist, mediocrities who are more worried about fitting into the journalist culture than they are in telling the truth.

[Irish]

Come on. McCardle's work on Obamacare has been the best explanation of its impending failure that has been published at any mainstream media outlet.

And Friedersdorf is about as good as anyone writing for the Atlantic is going to get.

[John]

McArdle spent the last half of 2008 explaining how TARP was necessary to save the world. Mostly she was really concerned that some really important people and worse people she knew might end up losing all of their money with out it. She is a fucking nitwit.

Friedersdorf is a lefty who at least is honest about the NSA. Both them are just annoying elitists who write about things they know little about.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm almost exactly the same size. And I've had the shit scared out of me, even back when I was a gym hound.

[JW]

How many talented women dropped out of the blogosphere rather than deal with hateful Internet feedback grow a spine and some thickened skin?

[Irish]

As someone who actually believes all of the things feminists pretend to believe, this is absurd. There's no reason women shouldn't be just as brave when it comes to writing on the internet as men are.

It's not as if the fact that women are weaker than men is of any relevance when it comes to someone being mean to you on the internet. At that point it's basically all about your ability to ignore morons and to laugh it off. Is Friedersdorf arguing that women are naturally more cowardly than men and would therefore be incapable of laughing off harassment? Because I've seen men get seriously harassed online and none of them have been driven from the internet.

If Friedersdorf really believes women are naturally more cowardly and incapable of handling online commenters then it's him who's being pretty sexist.

[paranoid android]

No, he seems to be saying that more that women are subject to a very concentrated and intense form of hatred which doesn't happen to men.

But then he adds in that bit about Andrew Sullivan, so apparently it does happen to men, but that's not as important.

Anyway, the argument is clearly framed this way so as to anticipate the response that these people should just grow thicker skins and deal with it, so that it can be answered with "Obviously you'll never understand because you're a man/white/straight" and dismissed out of hand.

[Irish]

I have seen extremely cruel and vicious concentrated sorts of hatred against women...women named Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin, and Dana Loesch.

Honestly, conservative women are far more viciously attacked than the left-wing ones that the Atlantic is crying over. Not only are cons attacked with the same sexism but they don't get to take advantage of the feminist hugbox and are therefore forced to bear it on their own.

The real lesson here is that right-wing women are tough and left-wing women are cowards.

[John]

And you wonder why I think this guy is a douche bag?

[Ted S.]

It only happes to Sullivan because he's gay. Or something like that.

[Brett L]

Is Andrew Sullivan relevant to anything anymore? I haven't thought about him in probably four years.

Does this count as especially hateful?

[NoVAHockey]

indifference is the worst kind of othering.

[Corning]

Lots of Women video game blogger/journalists.

And the video game crowd is way more hard core then political bloggers.

Of course women nerd journalists have Lois Lane to look up to...whole women political journalist have Ezera Kline for a role model.

[Paul.]

And the video game female blogger world has been taking some hits lately because of it. Not sure if you watch FeedBackula on Gamespot, but apparently one of their female vloggers did a commentary about the perception of female portrayals in gaming and she got HAMMERED by really misogynistic comments.

[Corning]

commentary about the perception of female portrayals in gaming

Let me guess; she said Super Mario bros was sexist and someone disagreed and therefor is a misogynist.

[Paul.]

I didn't actually see the original piece, but I'm thinking (giving credit to the gaming industry) that she was probably running down the standard questions of over-sexualization of female characters (maybe ala Metal Gear V) and whether or not they're seriously portrayed? I really have no idea. However, knowing what I know about your average 14 yr-old male gamer, I'm guessing some pretty hateful shit was spewed.

Unfortunately, that goes both ways, the gaming industry needs to consider its audience. Not forgive it per se, but realize that the worst comments are probably coming from 14 yr-old boys.

I can't tell you how many times I've commented on Gamespot only to have it go way, way WAAAY over the heads of 80% of the commentariat there.

[SIV]

Conor Friedersdorf needs to wash the sand out of his his vagina.

[db]

Meesa scared deysa gonna airbrush meesa out of history! Dey Stalinisas!

[Enough About Palin]

"Amou" an endearing word in Farsi used especially by kids for kind men to show their affection, and in this story our man is called by that, Amou Haji.

Amou Haji, aged 80, has not bathed for 60 years.

He lives in Dejgah village in the southern Iranian province of Fars.

The last record of longest time going without showers belonged to a 66-year-old Indian man, Kailash Singh, who had not taken a bath over 38 years.

Not to our surprise, when we searched the reason behind Amou Haji's way of life, we found out that he had gone through some emotional setbacks in his youth and from then on decided to live an isolated life.

He escaped from the hands of a few young men who offered him free shower, because he believes cleanliness brings him sickness.

Amou Haji's favorite food is rotten meat of dead animals specially porcupines and when asked to eat clean food and drink clean water he gets mad.

His smoking pipe is filled with animal's feces instead of tobacco and when he feels like smoking cigarettes he lights up a few of them at a time.

[db]

A road apple a day keeps the doctor away?

[JW]

He is...the world's most interestingly smelling man

[NoVAHockey]

wouldn't after say, year 5, he reach Peak Stink? How much worse could it really get?

[JW]

Each layer of skin crud is a fond memory.

[Pro Libertate]

I bet it reverses itself until you actually start smelling good. You know, like a forest.

[Invisible Finger]

I think I rode in his brother's cab once.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The U.S. Attorney in New Jersey is opening a probe over the claims that Gov. Chris Christie's office orchestrated traffic snarls...

Isn't Christie a former US Attorney himself? I guess we'll find out if he was beloved or despised in those circles.

[playa manhattan]

"Brown wants to spend all of California's money"

He can go ahead and put up the "mission accomplished" banner right now.

[Brett L]

Wait, isn't he kind of the voice of sanity in spending discussions? I mean, the least crazy voice. Not actually sane.

[Pro Libertate]

This is inaccurate. He, and the rest of California, wants to spend all of America's money. They have a plan.

[The Last American Hero]

I keep waiting to see that banner turn up in the shop on Pawn Stars.

[JurisCani]

Yeah, isn't he spending that AND all future California's money now?

[Rich]

Two Russian airports are banning bringing any liquids on flights as a security measure in advance of the Olympics.

With all due respect, why not ban all solids and gases as well?

[PD Scott]

Good thing everything I own is uncontained plasma...

[Pro Libertate]

I haven't flown in a while. Can I take dark matter on a flight with me?

[JW]

No, only red matter.

[Pro Libertate]

How much did you enjoy everyone hating the second movie? A lot or a whole lot?

[JW]

It was a truly joyous sound of discontent.

However, they didn't hate it enough it seems. Abrams still lives.

[Pro Libertate]

He can live. I mean, I liked Fringe well enough. What needs to happen is that his abortion of a Trek dies a horrific death.

[JW]

I'll try not to enjoy too much, the ripping of the fabric of the universe from the cries of the Star Wars geeks, who seemed to be the core fans of his first Trek, when they experience what the Star Trek faithful did.

From Hell's heart....

[Pro Libertate]

Star Wars VII: The Search for Jar-Jar.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Bizarre: SoCon Phyllis Schaffley Argues for Minimum Wage Increase

"The Democrats have selected raising the minimum wage as THE issue to protect them from public opposition to the Obamacare fiasco which is dimming their prospects for retaining the Senate in the 2014 elections. But raising the minimum wage may actually be worth considering if it has the side benefit of cutting the gigantic total of our hidden welfare programs."

"People who earn wages near the poverty level supplement their incomes with an array of federal benefits, including food stamps, Medicaid, child care, and cash wage subsidies, plus school lunch (and breakfast) for their kids. All these programs and handouts are based on someone's income level. If raising the minimum wage raises the individual above the government-prescribed poverty level, raising the minimum wage could be a benefit for taxpayers."

http://www.eagleforum.org/publ.....deoff.html

[Ted S.]

So Phyllis Schlafly is just as economically illiterate as the Democrats?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Schaffley has long been a part of the Buchananite protectionist, nativist wing of SoConnery, but this idea of raising the minimum wage to lower the number of people on government support is a new one to me.

[Tonio]

Spelling, Bo, spelling.

[PD Scott]

It's cute the way she thinks raising the one will keep them from enjoying the benefits of the other.

[JW]

She's tired of all of those niggers and spics screwing up her Egg McMuffin.

[Generic Stranger]

SoCons are often nothing more than progressives who are really into Jesus, so it's not that surprising.

[trshmnstr]

The original progressives were really into Jesus.

Although, I find that the average SoCon isn't necessarily progressive, as just puritanical and easily offended. "The fact that I have to witness ________ is violating my rights!!"

[trshmnstr]

although, on second thought, i guess progressives are just puritanical and easily offended.

[Christophe]

^^ This so much.

I started calling them Christian Socialists. Much more accurate depiction of the Huckabee Republicans.

[Aloysious]

I hate Jar Jar Binks. Passionately.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight hate you. But goddammit do I respect you."

[Aloysious]

Nice. Except for the respect part.
There is no respect in any tiny quantum particle of me for either that character or that movie. What GL did to the Darth Maul put me off of SW forever and ever.

[Corning]

How do you feel about Ewoks?

[Pro Libertate]

What's nice about advancing CGI technology is that there will be a day when the Ewoks will be seamlessly retconned into Wookiees. Armed, deadly Wookiees.

[Corning]

seamlessly retconned

Then Jar Jar will be turned into a Jamaican and Watto will be turned into Nazi Anti-Semitic propaganda.

[Aloysious]

Ewoks would make a nice rug for me to wipe my feet on. And to make into a giant fur cape. And a big furry hat. And a costume similar to the Wendo in the 13th Warrior that I could dress up in whilst I hunt down, slay, and consume other Ewoks.

[Pro Libertate]

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [given a Viking sword] I cannot lift this.

Herger the Joyous: Grow stronger.

[Aloysious]

🙂

[SIV]

Yub Yub!

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Ancient sea monsters had black skin

Ancient sea monsters had black skins or scales and these served critical purposes, such as for camouflage and sexual display, a new research suggests.

The study published January 8 in the journal Nature suggests that three reptiles that lived in the oceans millions of years ago, the ancient leatherback turtle, the toothy predator called mosasaurs and the dolphin-like reptile called ichthyosaurs, were near black.

The international team of researchers analyzed three exquisitely preserved fossils of an 86-million-year-old mosasaur; a 55-million-year-old leatherback turtle; and a 190-million-year-old ichthyosaur and found melanin preserved in the animals' fossilized skins. Melanin is the light absorbing pigment responsible for color in humans and animals.

If you've ever encountered a black sea monster, you would know how incredibly fleet of fin they are.

[Ted S.]

I'm trying to figure out whether this is a serious story or a "that's racist!" story.

[PD Scott]

Camouflage AND sexual display?

"I can't see you and it really turns me on."
"I'm over here."

[Rasilio]

Makes it easier to sneak up on them for surprise sex?

[Ted S.]

Warty likes the idea.

[Rich]

camouflage and sexual display

RACIST!

[Killaz]

High concentrations of melanin is expected of life forms with exposed skin for a planet at this distance for this type of sun, you white devils from the dog star.

[Pro Libertate]

Are you Sirius?

[Killaz]

No, but I get often mistaken for him as we look a lot alike. He's much more showy, with that sparkly carbon star circling around him.

[Pro Libertate]

It's interesting that Asimov had a kind of blond-haired, blue-eyed population living on a planet orbiting Sirius in some of his books. Maybe he knew something?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Bi-polar woman writes: The Slow Grip of Poverty

When I was 25 I decided I wanted to really make a difference in my life. I found something I was passionate about, and I wanted to make a difference in the lives of obese people, and those who suffered from diets. So I decided to try again at college, and I enrolled as a health science major. During my time at school, I worked at one or two jobs at a time. I was medicated for part of the time, which is I think the entire reason I was able to graduate or even make it to class. That is not to say it was a walk in the park. I still had a mental illness, it was still disabling, I could barely function. The only reason I didn't get fired from school was because I paid them in order for me to be there.

Poverty sits on top of me, like an intruder in my house that snuck into my bedroom and I can't get it off of me, and I wake up struggling to breathe. Every day. I thought things would be okay. I hoped they would be okay more than I thought they would be okay. Why would I do that? I know I'm a poor person. I know I have a disability. I know I can't keep a job. I know all of this. Why would I have thought something like getting myself into a house would be a good idea? Trying to manage my money myself? I know I can't do that! But I didn't want to ask for help, I didn't want to say I couldn't.

Because we can all relate to this?

[playa manhattan]

That writing style is a mental illness.

[Rich]

The only reason I didn't get fired from school was because I paid them in order for me to be there.

Then you know how you can keep a job.

[Brett L]

She graduated, so I suppose she must have showed up with some regularity. I would view this as step zero in keeping a job.

[Rasilio]

"This is how I came to be in poverty's grip. It was not overnight, and it was not all because of me, and not all because a system that failed me, and not all because of a dysfunctional family, and not all because of overblown capitalism, and not all because of any one thing"

Actually yes, yes it was ALL YOUR FAULT.

To the extent that you have a "mental illness" you still chose to ignore it even though you were well aware of it, you chose not to develop coping mechanism's, you chose to make self destructive life choices outside of your illness like getting married young to a slacker who took advantage of you. YOU chose all of that.

Sure there was some random chance in there, and some adverse impact of bad acts by others but at the end of the day every other person, even the rich ones has had to deal with the same or equivalent issues, your choices are the ones which landed you where you are.

I sincerely hope for your sake you are denied disability and do become homeless because it is your one and only hope of ever overcoming your "illness", learning what true adversity is. Sure it may break you but getting disability will absolutely break you and there are far more deserving people out there who need the money more.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

Actually yes, yes it was ALL YOUR FAULT.

To the extent that you have a "mental illness" you still chose to ignore it even though you were well aware of it, you chose not to develop coping mechanism's, you chose to make self destructive life choices outside of your illness like getting married young to a slacker who took advantage of you. YOU chose all of that.

It doesn't seem to me that she should get disability, because obviously she can work; however, I think you are severely underestimating the debilitating impact conditions like bipolar can have on all aspects of life.

Getting married to a young slacker who took advantage of her probably had a lot to do with her bipolar.

Of course, you're scare-quoting mental illness, so...

[Rasilio]

Not scare quoting it, I am familiar with mental illness, Grew up a parent suffering from it, often dangerously so.

Here is the point, she may or may not have bipolar disorder, however it is clear that she did not have an extreme case of it when she was younger and assuming that she is accurately portraying her story has at numerous voluntarily chosen courses of action which exacerbate the effects of the condition. Equally likely however is that yeah she is slightly manic depressive but not debilitatingly so and has latched onto that diagnosis as the core of her being and convinced herself that her disease is the reason for everything wrong in her life and proof of why she cannot work or succeed

[A wild THANE appeared!]

OK, that's good to hear.

[Tejicano]

I have seen what you describe (proof of why she cannot work or succeed) in somebody close to me and this one here seems to echo what I hear from my acquaintence. It's easy to just stay in bed once you convince yourself you personally have no options.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Read the whole thing, hope she gets denied. She repeats the phrase "I am the antithesis of laziness" multiple times despite the evidence to the contrary.

[The Late P Brooks]

Firing an underling for doing something she believed was what you would want done

That's how you do leadership.

[PD Scott]

Firing an underling for doing something she believed was what you would want done leaving a "paper trail" by discussing it in an email.

[Brett L]

"Will nobody rid me of that troublesome priest mayor?"

[Pro Libertate]

Yep. Not sure how Christie can legitimately evade responsibility here. He either was involved--which is 99% likely--or the culture of his administration made people think they could do this. Or even should.

Think about it, these people were so cocky that they put what they were doing in a discoverable document. You doing that if it could mean your job if your boss found out?

[Brett L]

No. The first rule of fucking someone over using your boss's name is only do it with his blessing. And if it was in an email and no action was taken to notify her boss or the governor at the time, then it is an indication of a sick organization.

[Pro Libertate]

You know what would be great? Let's assume there is a criminal case over this, with all of the investigations that would mean. They do some computer forensics and find out that. . .Christie was blind copied on the e-mails.

[PD Scott]

"You can't prove I read them!"

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, man, please let that happen, exactly like that. Then have a photo of Christie in his office be examined by some kid on the Internet, with the e-mail sitting right on the screen of his PC. With him looking at it.

Then he denies being able to read.

[Ayn Random Variation]

"I get millions of e-mails a day. You can't expect me to read all of them"

[BigT]

So a Hillary-Fattie race would be an even bet.

[Killaz]

Now that Disney is in charge of the Star Wars empire, it's putting together a committee to determine what various other stories told in the universe outside the movies are actually "canon." Start writing your angry letters now because Jar Jar Binks will most assuredly make the cut.

Retcon everything George Lucas did after Empire, and a chunk of that one too while you are at it, make Dark Horse based story arcs along with Drew Karpyshyn's work for the KOTOR video game the official version of events and you might have something interesting.

[JEP]

I enjoyed Timothy Zahn's work as well.

[Killaz]

Yup. He goes into the good pile as well. Disney likely brought in some competent talent to sort this the right way. They were able to snag Warren Specter for a decade long run on Epic Mickey, they know what they are doing.

[Pro Libertate]

Love KOTOR. Hope that gets pursued in gaming (and elsewhere) some more.

[Enough About Palin]

Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler and three other children into custody connected to a video showing the child using profanities, to the amusement and encouragement of nearby adults. A local police union is under fire for sharing the video on Facebook.

I've witnessed the very same thing on the bus a year or two ago. I think I even wrote about on HyR. "GIVE ME MY SHIT" was one of the things they had taught the toddler.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Dear Prudence: Help! Serving jury duty on a sexual assault case has ruined my sexual fantasies!

I am a woman who has always liked the fantasy of rough, forceful sex. It's not the only thing I think about when aroused, but occasionally the fantasy crossed my mind. I know that some might find it repugnant, but one doesn't choose these things. The problem is that this week I served on jury duty of a trial of sexual assault. Not for one moment did I find the evidence enticing. But it has begun to enter my thoughts at home. I find I cannot engage in any type of sex without thinking about the trial and what the victim was forced to do. I'm now having trouble climaxing. Will this go away? I am fine moving on from the rough sex fantasy but what do I replace it with?

Watch porn?

[playa manhattan]

Slate sure knows their target audience.

[Rich]

I am fine moving on from the rough sex fantasy but what do I replace it with?

Nothing.

/Ron Paul

[John]

Or maybe work on your understanding of the difference between fantasy and reality? Next up

Dear Prudence,

I often fantasize about being a war hero, you know a real Audie Murphy type. Last night I watched a documentary on war and it was horrible. How do I replace this fantasy?

[Killaz]

But this is a woman's sexual fantasy life we are talking about. It's sexist to compare something as important as their orgasmic satisfaction in a negative fashion with the mere trivial life satisfaction of a male.

[Brett L]

I don't know. You could try being sexually attracted to your partner to the extent you don't need to be in a totally different fantasy while having sex.

Just spitballin' here.

[RBS]

Hey, spitballing, that might work.

[playa manhattan]

That sounds deviant.
*Checks Urban Dictionary*

[PD Scott]

There's this thing called "role playing" wherein you and your partner pretend to be something besides what you normally are. You can even set rules for the play to prevent things from getting too real.

[paranoid android]

It's all fun and games until you meet the chick who fetishizes disregarding rules.

[Surly Chef]

I'm stealing this. Thanks.

[Rich]

Or likes playing an amnesiac.

[PD Scott]

If she does, develop an interest in making your own amateur videos (i.e., evidence).

[Surly Chef]

What everyone else said and she can do what countless other women have done since electricity became portable and buy a fucking vibrator, a Hitachi if that's not enough or, a Sybian if she's got the cash.

[Enough About Palin]

On the third anniversary of the Tucson shootings, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said she wouldn't rule out running for office once again.

And then her handlers popped a treat into her mouth.

[playa manhattan]

One of the commenters here came up with the "Weekend at Bernie's" joke after her Op-Ed came out. Awful, but I still laugh every time I think of it...

[Tonio]

That's a cheap shot EAP. She didn't deserve to be shot. She does deserve sympathy.

If the people of Tucson want her to represent them in Congress, that's their decision. I do believe that those voters have a right to know the exact extent of her mental impairment and whether she's capable of fulfilling her duties. But that's a different matter.

[Brett L]

And her husband and others who trots her out to advance their agendas? What do they deserve?

[Tonio]

That's a different question, Brett. But a good one.

While I am not familiar with the extent of Cong. Giffords' impairment, they deserve blame if they are exploiting a non compos mentis person.

I have often argued for limited rights for persons (and others) of limited mental capacity here, and this presents an interesting series of questions about carrying out her intents, the rights of the voters of her district, etc.

[Ted S.]

True, but the one thing that really bugged me was how they focussed on her, and the kid and the government employee who died, and not any of the other regular people.

And the kid was praised for having an interest in politics. Barf.

[Pro Libertate]

I forgot about that. Yes, that was fucking offensive.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, I'm sympathetic about her getting shot, too, but I'm not sure I'm all into this people power crap. There should be limits on what we can vote for or who we can vote for. It's not 100% clear how bad her mental capacities are--maybe she's still able to think, vote, etc.--but if she's actually seriously disabled in that respect, not sure she should be in office, regardless of what the people say.

Talking about what should be, rather than the technical legal situation, of course.

[trshmnstr]

according to wikipedia, her disability is primarily physical at this point. She has issues with her speech, but supposedly is cognitively "mostly or all there".

[Enough About Palin]

Well that's exactly what every one of her TV appearances has looked like to me. Someone else does all the talking and then she says something like "Yes." It's like the Puttin' on the Ritz in Young Frankenstein.

[Virginian]

Well that's exactly what every one of her TV appearances has looked like to me. Someone else does all the talking and then she says something like "Yes."

Exactly.

Babs Walters asks a nice leading question, Gabby says "Yes", and then her supposed loving husband expands on that yes.

It's fucking sickening.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I think she deserves sympathy more for the fact that her scumbag husband and her "best friend" Debbie Wasserman-Schultz have essentially exploited her for their own self-aggrandizement.

Give this woman some fucking dignity and let her carry out her life in peace.

[Invisible Finger]

She didn't deserve to be shot.

She was a public official. That's a death wish as far as I'm concerned.

[The Late P Brooks]

Two Russian airports are banning bringing any liquids on flights as a

Have any Amerikanski planes been brought down since implementation of this rule?

DON'T ARGUE WITH SUCCESS.

[Dave Krueger]

Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler and three other children into custody connected to a video showing the child using profanities,

One of my favorite movie trailers.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Could anyone recommend me a good book to read? I'm probably leaning more toward non-fiction. Economics or political I guess. Looking for a new book to read and I'm not sure what I should start next.

[Aloysious]

I hear Mein Kampf is a hot seller right now.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I was actually thinking about picking up a copy of Das Kapital.. I have read the manifesto but would like to read up a little more on the basis of a progs political leanings.

The local Chapters book store stocks absolutely none of the books I want to read though. Will have to go with Amazon for my reading needs.

[Irish]

I love reading Marx for two reasons:

1. He was a terrible writer and it makes me laugh that someone so pathetic had such a major impact on history

2. It makes you realize how much of modern left-wing thought is still identical to Marxism while they're too stupid to realize it.

[Suthenboy]

What makes you think they don't realize that?

[BakedPenguin]

Funny, both of those are true, but they are why I hate reading Marx. Half full / half empty, I guess.

[Ted S.]

Are they even allowed by law to stock American books? 😉

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

They have a bunch of Rand but not much else that I want to read.. at this Chapters anyway.

Amazon usually gets me stuff in 2 days anyway but I like browsing at book stores sometimes.

[Irish]

I prefer bookstores because I like finding books I never even would have thought of looking for.

[Aloysious]

I love Amazon. I guess everyone should read Das Kapital once. All I can say is 'ugh'.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Papaya had recommended this and I read it. Enjoyable:

http://www.amazon.com/For-Good.....1568332351

I have a bunch. Currently reading a history book on Venice.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Thanks Rufus, that looks interesting.

[playa manhattan]

What have you already covered. Freakanomics?

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I have only really gotten into reading non-fiction in the last 2 years.. basically after I found Reason.com

So far I've read:

Rand: Virtue of Selfishness, Atlas Shrugged

Milton Friedman: Free To Choose, Capitalism and Freedom

Marx: Communist Manifesto

Part of Wealth of Nations but that is as dry as dry can be.

Gotta keep it up though.. reading becomes addictive once I get into it.

[Irish]

I have the Everyman's Library edition of Orwell's essays. It's about $30, but the value is great since it's like 1400 pages long.

If you want a relatively cheap collection of good Mencken writing, go with A Mencken Chrestomathy.

I have Prejudices as well, but it's pretty expensive unless you get a copy of it used like I did.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

Perfect, added these to the wish list. Thanks Irish.

[Heedless]

I'll put in a plug for Civilization and Its Discontents too.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

I've heard that several writers hear at Reason have authored books...

I'm only a bit into Doherty's Radicals for Capitalism (which is huge), but it seems decent so far.

[Irish]

Isn't that a history of the Libertarian movement? That actually sounds pretty interesting.

I like reading about radical political philosophies even when I disagree with them. I'm probably on several FBI watchlists due to the fact that I own Mein Kampf, a book by Che Guevara, and the Communist Manifesto.

[Corning]

I'm probably on several FBI watchlists due to the fact that I own Mein Kampf, a book by Che Guevara, and the Communist Manifesto.

There is a fine line between watchlist and recruitment list.

[A wild THANE appeared!]

Isn't that a history of the Libertarian movement?

Basically. It focuses especially on Rand, Friedman, von Mises, Hayek, and Rothbard.

[Invisible Finger]

Non-Fiction:

I read American Nations by Colin Woodward. Against the author's intentions I found a new hatred for anyone north of New York City and reinforced hatred of anyone south of I-70. basically, the Puritans and the slaveowners are scum of the earth and the Puritans won the right to brainwash. To this day we're still stuck in a tug of war between the two asshole factions.

I started reading The God Of The Machine by Isabel Paterson. The first chapter seemed to be somewhat pointless until the end of it where she actually tied everything together so well that I just wanted to absorb those thoughts for a while before continuing. Highly recommended.

[Corning]

Read Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico

[Tejicano]

I'll just throw this out there - different genre but a lot of interesting history pressed into a 700+ page tome : "The Discoverers" by Daniel J. Boorstin

[Tonio]

van Creveld, Martin: Rise and Fall of the Nation State; Transformation of War, The

[Rich]

The Road to Serfdom, if you've never read it.

It could have been written yesterday.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

I really gotta read that. That's now on the list.

[BakedPenguin]

Thomas Sowell is always good, especially his economic stuff. (If you haven;t read him already). Incredibly clear and precise writing. Even lefty would have a hard time misunderstanding him.

[MJGreen]

This reminds me that I was meant to pick up A Conflict of Visions. I saw it and leafed through a little bit in a B&N before Christmas, and intended to pick it up after the holidays.

[BakedPenguin]

It's good. Sowell is a social conservative, but a thoughtful one, so it's not painful to read him even when you disagree.

[Virginian]

Sowell is a social conservative

Huh?

[Marshall Gill]

"Social Conservative" can be pretty broadly defined. Thomas Sowell does not believe that there can be a "victimless crime" which include drugs, prostitution and gambling. I agree that he is not shy about things which he believes are negative influences, but that does not equate with making them illegal.

[Enough About Palin]

Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy by Michael Polanyi

[JEP]

If you haven't picked up Nassim Taleb's trilogy on Black Swan events, you'd find it interesting - nonfiction, related to economics, politics, medicine, stock markets, practically everything.

He has a logic proof of why the Dilbert principle exists in of his books.

Fooled By Randomness
The Black Swan(not the ballet movie)
Antifragile

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Bloodlands and Postwar are both very good and eminently readable general histories of Europe during and after Communism/Fascism.

Thomas Sowell is always excellent.

The Future and Its Enemies is a wonderful treatise on dynamism vs stasis and how that relates to politics.

[Sevo]

+1 on Postwar.
A lefty who can't help realize the failure of the left.

[Joshua]

Black Redneck vs. Space Zombies. I shit you not. I loved it actually.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Someone was giving a speech today suggesting 'welfare' be changed to 'temporary living assistance.' Anyone know who said it?

[The Last American Hero]

That would be perfectly acceptable, so long as they define temporary.

[PD Scott]

Oh no, GMO!: Bioglow sheds new light on indoor plants

Bioglow's approach involves adding genes responsible for bioluminescence from the marine bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi to the cultivated tobacco species Nicotiana tabacum. In this way, Bioglow claims it was able to achieve permanent light emission without the need for chemical additives to the exterior of the plant or the use of UV light.

While the current results emit only faint light, said to resemble the intensity of starlight ? hence the name Starlight Avatar ? Bioglow hopes that in the future autoluminescent plants will be able to produce enough light to illuminate town streets. It is also working on modifying the colors emitted via luciferase mutagenesis, the mutation of enzymes responsible for light generation, and is working to have foliage glow one color, with flowers and petals another.

[Aloysious]

I want a glowing Venus Flytrap.

[playa manhattan]

That's some good tomacco.

[paranoid android]

I have no idea what that means, but now I could really use a glow-in-the-dark cigarette.

[Rasilio]

We'll turn earth into a clone of Pandora, maybe that's what the Avatar sequels are all about?

[mr simple]

Of course I know about Jabberwocky. It's going to revolutionize the way we do business.

[Marshall Gill]

It's not a monster, it is a cyborg that kills without remorse.

[Corning]

it's putting together a committee to determine what various other stories told in the universe outside the movies are actually "canon."

The Marvel Star Wars comics and the Tie Fighter video game and that is it!!!

[gaijin]

OT: What happened to the bullets on the PM links? Is there some kind of shortage?

[Suthenboy]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-G.....ad-Smelter

You haven't shopped for bullets lately?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Meryl Streep turns a National Board of Review ceremony speech into a diatribe against racist, sexist Walt Disney

At last night's National Board of Review Awards, Meryl Streep killed it at the podium, delivering the most memorable speech of the night when presenting the best actress award to Emma Thompson. Streep wasn't just funny and delightful up there ? though she was each of those in spades ? she was also frank. She called out Walt Disney, subject of Thompson's Saving Mr. Banks ? a Disney movie ? for being sexist. She also called him out for being racist. And for being an anti-Semite. All this, despite having just shot Into the Woods for the studio. (She mentions Disney's contract in the speech.) Meryl Streep is scared of no one. So, go on, read what she had to say.

I'm not sure how that's really pertinent to the subject matter of Saving Mr. Banks, but okay.

[PD Scott]

She really showed that guy who's been dead for forty-seven years.

[JW]

"Allow me to ruin this special moment for you with my own brand of self-centeredness."

Stay classy, Meryl.

[Corning]

She is pissed that she did not get the lead role for Saving Mr Banks.

[Ted S.]

I don't understand why we needed yet another movie set in the 60s.

[Corning]

I don't understand why we needed yet another movie set in the 60s.

Cell phones and internet confuse story writers and prevent such dramatic scenes like talking to a travel agent or having your car break down in the middle of nowhere.

[Pro Libertate]

The problem with Saving Mr. Banks, which I enjoyed well enough (Thompson was very good, as usual), is that it's largely historical nonsense. Travers was pretty nutty, and she never really came around on how her story was handled by Disney, who did, in fact, screw her over several times. Lot of money, though. A LOT.

[Pro Libertate]

She also apparently was fond of comfortable shoes, which the movie skipped over altogether. Surprised the lesbian community didn't bitch about that.

[BakedPenguin]

She played for both teams, didn't she?

[Pro Libertate]

Yes, a switch-hitter. She also adopted one twin and ditched the other one. Not a nice lady, all told.

[Rasilio]

Wait a guy who was born in 1901 was Racist and Sexist by modern standards?

Color me shocked.

[Curtisls87]

Streep's attempting to be clever, but of course doesn't understand that the award is not about her, so she can't see how clueless and rude her lengthy diatribe is.

[Pro Libertate]

That's my reaction--why steal the limelight from Emma Thompson, who was excellent in the movie and deserves the award?

In the German equivalent of the Oscars, did the presenter go on a diatribe about how awful Hitler was when awarding Bruno Ganz a best actor award?

[PD Scott]

Nein, nein, nein?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Reminds me when Theron took a shot at France during the WC draw in 2010. It wasn't the place for that. Honestly, who gives a shit what she thought? But celebrities, in all their vapidity, think they matter.

[BigT]

"I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle." - Alfred Hitchcock

Horse-faced bitch fits the bill.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Remember that really dumb Rolling Stones article written by a guy who uses Twitter hashtags like #FULLCOMMUNISM? Turns out it's unleashed a metric shit-ton of idiocy on the left. With this context in mind, I bring you our first entry in wishcasting:

The point of [Rolling Stone article] is to be bold and to start pushing progressives to think big, particularly as there's starting to be a lot more support for progressive economics in the larger public.

Nothing brings out the cheers for progressive economics like watching their failures in healthcare unfold in real time.

[Cont]

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Conservatives, perhaps because they come to the conformist mentality more easily than liberals, tend to be more cognizant of how much political discourse is governed by the Overton window and not by niceties like intellectual honesty and rigor. So they're attempting to make an example out of Myerson for the rest of liberals: Do not even consider bringing up policy ideas to fix our income inequality problems or this will happen to you. Conservatives are clearly afraid, particularly that the public might warm to these ideas. Which is all the more reason for liberals to start pushing harder. If conservatives are this afraid to have a discussion about income inequality, it's because they know that it's a weak spot for them and a strong spot for liberals. This is particularly true for Myerson's first suggestion [Guaranteed Work for Everybody]

Actually, Amanda, the losing issue for the left in my lifetime has always been talking about their Big Ideas and Deep Thinks for inequality in concrete terms. It usually entails explaining to large swathes of the voting public how they are going to be controlled and made to suffer to benefit government workers and the noble poor (in roughly that order of importance).?

[Irish]

The left doesn't win when the express their 'intellectual ideas' because their intellectual ideas are terrible and sometimes evil.

They win when they race and gender bait. They win when they use the media to smear their opponent. They win when they're extremely vague and avoid explaining how their plans are actually supposed to work.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Or when they play on the ideas the public has about their economics to present themselves as a new kind of Democrat (e.g., Bill Clinton).

[paranoid android]

Conservatives, perhaps because they come to the conformist mentality more easily than liberals, tend to be more cognizant of how much political discourse is governed by the Overton window and not by niceties like intellectual honesty and rigor.

I picture her readers all nodding in perfect unison and repeating in monotone, "Yes, converatives come to the conformist mindset more easily than liberals"

[Apatheist ?_??]

Conservatives, perhaps because they come to the conformist mentality more easily than liberals

Projection!

[Ayn Random Variation]

"Conservatives, perhaps because they come to the conformist mentality more easily than liberals, tend to be more cognizant of how much political discourse is governed by the Overton window and not by niceties like intellectual honesty and rigor."

I lol'd

[Ayn Random Variation]

Pretty ironic how this thread contains a liberal ripping on a guy, born in 1901, for being a racist and sexist, and also a blog post implying that a blogger ripping off Marx is coming up with new ideas about income inequality.

And we're losing to these people! Just goes to show that Free Shit and grievance mongering rule the day.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Dan Le Batard I'm on your side. (Some) baseball writers blow.

God, Wilbon, Costas and the others in the aristocracy are becoming insufferable when it comes to their cynical views on new media.

[Ted S.]

I didn't hear what Dan The Bastard had to say. I hope he was calling out the self-righteous baseball writers on not voting for the steroid-era guys.

[Pro Libertate]

Like that Maddux and Glavine went in together. Fucking awesome pitchers.

[BigT]

An article in Sports Illustrated a few years ago made the case that Maddux was the best righthander of all time. He certainly is in the conversation.

[John]

That and how they have made the entire process a joke. See my post below.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

He gave his vote to Deadspin in protest. Particularly about how writers are treating players from the steroids era.

One guy didn't vote for Maddux because he's not voting for anyone from the era. He voted for Jack Morris. For that, he should lose his vote.

[Pro Libertate]

Maddux was an insanely good pitcher. Maybe the best ever. He fucking owned the strike zone. As a Braves fan, I get no end of joy and amusement that the dumb Cubs handed him over to the Braves. See, the Cubs like being loveable losers. That's why people call a sports team, "the Cubbies."

[Irish]

Maddux was an insanely good pitcher. Maybe the best ever.

I agree. He was unquestionably better than Clemens even though Clemens received more attention because he was a power pitcher.

Look at Maddux's stats.

His career ERA was 3.16...but that's because the last 6 seasons were all much worse than his first 17. His first 17 years were absurd. Here are his ERAs:

5.52 (only 6 decisions)
5.61 (first full year)
Then it gets insane.

3.18
2.95
3.46
3.35
2.18
2.36
1.56
1.63
2.72
2.20
2.22
3.57
3.00
3.05
2.62

His ERA did not go over 3.6 for 15 years in the middle of the steroids era.

[Pro Libertate]

He put the ball where he wanted to, when he wanted to. It was insane.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Total control and accuracy. Even with juiced hitters.

[Pro Libertate]

Thanks again, Chicago.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Maddux was great, but Clemens was better. When adjusting for League and park effects, Clemens' ERA+ was 143 vs 132 for Maddux. He also destroys Maddux in WAR.

I would vote for Pedro at his peak as best pitcher ever. He pitched in Fenway in the AL East and put up much better numbers than Maddux did in the NL.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Maddux was great, but Clemens was better. When adjusting for League and park effects, Clemens' ERA+ was 143 vs 132 for Maddux. He also destroys Maddux in WAR.

Fuck WAR--one of the most subjective stats ever created, just so spergs could revel in their fetish for estorica for its own sake. Clemens' greatness was obvious and people shouldn't have to resort to using cooked-up stats to argue his case.

[Rasilio]

Yeah, I think he has by far the worst show on ESPN Radio (Couldn't we just move Sedano and Stink up 1 time slot, or hell promote His-n-Hers from a podcast to a full time showand put that on in the evening drive time) but he is right on this one.

I mean Armando Benitiez got votes for the HOF.

Armando Fucking Benitez

Dude wasn't even an above average closer at any point in his career and the overwhelming majority of it he was well below average.

On the flip side, how the hell is Greg Maddux not a unanimous selection? There is no sane argument for not including him on your ballot and anyone who left him off it should have their HOF voting privleges permanently revoked

[John]

On the flip side, how the hell is Greg Maddux not a unanimous selection?

For the same reason that Steve Carlton, Warren Spawn, Mickey Mantle and Hank fucking Aaron were not unanimous? The baseball writers are assclowns who vote for retarded and vain reasons. The have long since forfeited the right to have control over this.

[Pro Libertate]

You're right. Along with the right to unilaterally control Star Wars canon, I hereby name myself the sole arbiter of the Hall of Fame for all sports.

[John]

Your benevolent leadership would be a vast improvement over the Baseball Writers of America.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

They do let their personal views get in the way. Di Maggio wasn't a first ballot HOFamer.

Le Batard is getting a lot of flak from fellow writers. That tells me he's on the right track.

[John]

Think about this Rasilio. Some asshole voted for only Jack Morris. Biggio missed making it by 2 votes. That is pretty infuriating when you consider Biggio had at least one vote that he had no chance of getting because the dickhead holding it decided to use it to make a pointless and stupid statement rather than as a vote for the HOF.

[Rasilio]

Yeah I noticed that.

I mean I can see leaving Biggio off your ballot because you were limited to just 10 choices and there were other guys you liked better but how the hell can anyone look at Biggio's career, see his name of the HOF ballot and then leave one of those 10 slots blank?

The guy was one of the best in the game at 3 different defensively significant positions at varying points in his career

[Apatheist ?_??]

Not only defensively but he's the only member of the 3000 hit club in in the hall and the first in almost 60 years to not make in within two ballots (both exclude Pete Rose). Also 4th all time in doubles. During the time he played he was #1 in hits, doubles and games played.

Not as important but he's also #1 all time in hit by pitches.

[John]

Yes. It is one thing to conclude "there are ten other guys on the ballot more deserving". That is arguable but at least you are doing your job as a voter. But to do what that asshole did is just spitting in the face of the whole process.

[Raven Nation]

I've heard there are some who won't vote for first year nominations regardless.

[Pro Libertate]

How crazy is that? So if Jesus comes back as a baseball player, hits 500 home runs a season, pitches (he's NL, of course) 100 perfect games (no more than 81 strikes a game), and he's, well, the second coming of Jesus. . .not first ballot?

[Raven Nation]

That would be the thinking. The variation is they look at past greats who got in on the first ballot and compare current nominees. Which is still bullshit.

And, anyway, fuck the HOF after the Veterans' Committee couldn't elect Buck O'Neill before he passed.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeah heard that too. If you do that, your vote should be revoked.

There was a "sports writer" here in Montreal who had a vote. When I say a bigger ignoramus and asshole there can't be - outside maybe some ESPN race-baiters and guys like Mariotti - in the profession there isn't.

His puerile takes on baseball were so sophomoric I couldn't believe the stupid paper paid him.

[Ken Shultz]

"Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler and three other children into custody connected to a video showing the child using profanities, to the amusement and encouragement of nearby adults."

Then the FBI should arrest authorities in Nebraska for kidnapping.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Further exercises in progressive wishcasting:

Enter a snarky, unconventional but ultimately innocuous Rolling Stone article by Jesse Myerson. In it, he proposes five reforms that are pretty far-reaching relative to the country's existing social and economic regime, and would in fact dramatically alter the balance of economic and political power in America.
When you strip away the comedic framing, though, they're a fairly straightforward mix of progressive and radical-centrist reforms. (See Matt Yglesias for a complete breakdown.)

Reconsider your article when you're redirecting your readers to Matt "Organic Frozen Burritos" Yglesias.

So severe was the apoplexy that they failed to recognize that included in these ideas were a bunch of things conservatives like ? replacing income taxes and replacing paternalistic welfare programs with cash transfers ? and that already exist successfully in the non-communist world.

All the conservatives I know are big fans of nationalizing finance, collectivizing wealth ownership, and "A universal basic income, combined with a job guarantee and other social programs" to "make participation in the labor force truly voluntary".

It also reflects an effort to limit the scope of that debate, so that progressive ideas fall outside of the sphere of acceptability.

Sure it does, buddy.

[John]

It also reflects an effort to limit the scope of that debate, so that progressive ideas fall outside of the sphere of acceptability.

Because Progs have never done that. I mean suggesting that maybe the CRA isn't the best way to deal with race relations is totally in the sphere of public acceptability.

Beyond that, maybe policies that have resulted in the impoverishment of Europe and when taken to their logical extremes the death of tens of millions of people, ought to be beyond the sphere of acceptability?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My thought when reading it was -- the natural consequences of these policies is what has rendered them unacceptable to the public not a supposed artificial malus on the part of conservatives. These views are not supported by the public quite simply because they have been tested and found wanting.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Wtf is a radical-centrist? Is that some kind of third position?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Fascism and related ideologies which emerged in interwar Europe, basically.

Not sure if the author realizes the pedigree he cites.

[Sudden]

Apparently everything's now just fine in California and it still doesn't have an extremely high unemployment rate and bankrupt cities, as Gov. Jerry Brown's new proposed budget is his biggest ever, increasing state spending by more than 8 percent.

I really need to flee this hell-hole.

[playa manhattan]

I have been house shopping in several other states this year. Where would you go?

[Sudden]

Problem is the places I imagine I would like climate-wise are not much better. I've always felt an affinity towards the Pacific Northwest, but Washington and Oregon are both nearly as idiotic as California. Plus, being that close to Epi would scare me more than Warty sneaking in my apartment under cover of night.

I think maybe Tennessee or Missouri would be my best options.

[playa manhattan]

You're DTLA, right?

I looked seriously at Florida, Texas, and Utah. If I did Utah, I would make sure to be near the slopes for the winter. The cold wouldn't bother be as long as I could still have fun...

[Sudden]

Yeah. Texas and Florida would both be ideal jurisdictions from an economic perspective given their low overall taxes, but I don't think I could deal with either climate wise. Southern California is bad enough, but at least we have close enough mountains and snow to keep me sane at times.

[Pro Libertate]

How about North Carolina?

[Sudden]

That might be worth considering.

But my hatred of basketball make NC and KY both questionable destinations.

[Pro Libertate]

Simple enough to avoid--just live in western Carolina. All that basketball stuff is on the eastern side.

Asheville is nice.

[SIV]

Asheville is nice.

If you like hippie scum and cold wet winters.

[Pro Libertate]

Look, if it was good enough for Chuck Heston, it's good enough for you.

[playa manhattan]

What about the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area? I could take up boating to the Bahamas as a hobby to replace surfing...

[Griffin3]

No.

You haven't noticed that 70% of the News of the Weird happens in South Florida?

[Pro Libertate]

How about Boone? College town, in the mountains, only partially hippie.

[Old Man With Candy]

Austin is a fucking furnace, but a superb place. Madison, WI is a fucking freezer, but a superb place. Santa Fe... yeah, that's it. Santa Fe.

[paranoid android]

The busy-bodies in Washington are mostly confined to the city of Seattle itself. Sadly, of course, most of the cool stuff is also in Seattle. But there aren't any other municipalities around here electing friggin' socialists to the city council or anything, as far as I know.

Though perhaps it's the same in California. I usually get the sense that the "average person" in California is mostly indifferent about politics, as he is most places, but the small cohort of really dedicated crazies wields all the power.

[Sudden]

L.A. has no shortage of culturally-left, SWPL individuals that I find insufferable.

All I want is a skyscraper-sprawling Gotham like metropolis where I can live an urban and sophisticated life that is economically governed as a libertopia. Malaysia?

[Raven Nation]

Dubai?

[Paul.]

Hong Kong.

[trshmnstr]

All I want is a skyscraper-sprawling Gotham like metropolis where I can live an urban and sophisticated life that is economically governed as a libertopia.

That's unfortunately impossible. First, urban life can be very much disconnected from the realities of life. This leads to people having unchallenged idiocy as a worldview. When you don't see the consequences of your policy, you don't question the policy.

Second, when tons of people live right on top of one another, they have a more vested interest in controlling their neighbors.

While urban living is appealing on some level, the fact that I would have to police my actions constantly has led me to a more suburban/rural lifestyle.

[playa manhattan]

The lunatics run the entire state government here, all though there are different lunatics running the cities of LA, SF etc...

[Creme Fraiche]

Personally, I've considered settling in NH, ID, and east WA.
Unfortunately, I can't return to NC because my wife and my family live there, and there is no safe place out side of their popping in to say hi range.

[playa manhattan]

Do you mean ex-wife then?

[Creme Fraiche]

No, sorry I got some apostrophes.

my wife's family and my family live there

[playa manhattan]

Serious and I are taking the online Jeopardy test tonight at 7 PST. Anyone else interested?
The more, the merrier. I would love to hear a sarcastic usage of "Nothing Left to Cut" on national TV...

[Brett L]

Will try to get on if baby will let me.

[playa manhattan]

It would be a good deal for you even if you only get the audition. Airfare and hotel in LA, and tickets to local attractions....

[Brett L]

Ooh.

[Obese American]

I'm in. I auditioned for the College Tournament in 1989, made it past the first round of the written test (about 90% of the kids failed that thing) but that's as far as I went.

[JW]

Thank you, but I'm fine playing along at home, where I'm never wrong.

[PD Scott]

When Watson was beating up on Ken Jennings and the other dude, I was very, very pleased with myself for getting right a question which all of them got wrong.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Watson wasn't necessarily better at answering trivia, it just had an insurmountable advantage in buzzing in because it's a machine.

The programmers also developed a strategy where Watson would hunt for the Daily Double to deny the human opponents a chance.

[playa manhattan]

Which question was it? Please tell me it was a sex question...

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

That would be a good thing to write on a Final Jeopardy! clue about a government program.

[PD Scott]

I took it on Tuesday. If you've never taken it before, you have fifteen seconds to read the question and type your answer. 50 questions, I wish I had done better (they don't tell you your score, I just don't like hitting "Pass").

[playa manhattan]

I took it in person about 12 years ago. I passed and got a call back, but it didn't work out (I told the story in last night's thread).

[PD Scott]

Any idea how many questions you have to pass for consideration?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Supposedly the magic number is at least 35 out of 50. But even then the selections are random.

[playa manhattan]

It's curved. They just need enough contestants for 1 season of taping. My year it was 40/50.

[JG43]

So how'd you do? I figure I got about 30. Probably not enough though.

[Ken Shultz]

Your dog points to magnetic north when it poops.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw.....-magnetism

I'm just sayin'.

[playa manhattan]

Is this the new Cleveland Browns joke?

[Ken Shultz]

No, it's dead serious!

Read the article.

For reals...

Truth is stranger than fiction, and your dog--the dog in your house--when the poops, it points to magnetic north.

When your dog goes around in circles and seems to want to poop, but can't find the right place? It's because the earth's magnetic field is in flux at that moment.

Dogs won't poop unless they can find magnetic north.

[Ken Shultz]

If you're lost in the woods with your dog...

[Tejicano]

...make sure he gets enough fiber...

[playa manhattan]

The link has been posted at least 10 times. None of the other ones were you?

[Ken Shultz]

One of them was.

I didn't realize it had already been posted.

I guess I"m not the only one who thinks it's pretty amazing.

[Ken Shultz]

The only thing weirder than finding out that dogs poop face toward magnetic north?

Would be finding out that when they poop, they face toward Mecca.

[BakedPenguin]

Considering what many Muslims think of dogs, it would be more apropos if they faced away from Mecca when they pooped.

[Ken Shultz]

Maybe there should be a call to poop.

[Enough About Palin]

My dog faces due west. Always.

[Numeromancer]

And his feces, due east.

[Corning]

Dogs won't poop unless they can find magnetic north.

So what happens during a polar shift? All the dogs die from toxic shock?

[Ken Shultz]

When the magnetic fields are in flux, for a short period, they just wander around in circles and give up.

Anybody who walks a dog regularly has seen it happen.

[Ken Shultz]

"In the [journal] they report that after watching 70 dogs do their business over a two-year period (1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations), they reached the conclusion that they (the dogs) preferred to do their No. 2s "aligned along the North-south axis under calm [magnetic field] conditions."

And when the magnetic field is in flux, "this directional behavior was abolished" ? which might sometimes explain why your dog just can't seem to settle on a place to go.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw.....-magnetism

Blinded me with science.

[playa manhattan]

Now I know why I prefer the guest bathroom. Only north facing toilet in the house.

[PD Scott]

You... you dog, you?

[playa manhattan]

If you ever have an unexplained headache, maybe this is why?

[seguin]

The attractive woman sits down, twirling the toothpick in her martini with an idle finger.

"So, what do you do for a living?"

The dapper young scientist replies, "I watch dogs poop."

[BigT]

I've seen my dog shit more than 5000 times. He does not face north or any other direction in particular. It depends on where there are other shits on the ground or something else he smells.

I call dogshit on this study.

[The Last American Hero]

Technically, they align on the north/south axis, so they could face south.

[Agammamon]

My dog doesn't.

[Paul.]

Jesus, even NPR does alt-text.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Time for another edition of Piers Morgan tweets:

President Obama should watch this @GovChristie and see how you handle a crisis. No waffle, just brutal honesty. #CNN

I can't tell if he is serious or not.

[PD Scott]

Piers loves dominant men, I guess.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Police arrest drunken driver, find a variety of objects in his rectum

olice said they made an "unusual find" in a suspected drunken driver after he crashed in southern York County last month.

Christopher Scheller, 18, no fixed address, appeared to be intoxicated after he slid off Old Hanover Road in Heidelberg Township and struck a tree on Dec. 1, Southwestern Regional police said.

Scheller was taken to York Hospital where an X-ray found "an abnormality" in his rectum, police said.

Scheller initially refused to have the object removed but eventually consented, and medical staff found a bag of synthetic marijuana, a socket wrench used for smoking, four bracelets, four necklaces, and 11 ladies rings, police said.

Police said they later learned that Scheller stole the jewelry from a home, and apparently concealed the items in his body as the officer was approaching the scene of the crash.

At least they asked for and received permission.

[Rich]

concealed the items in his body as the officer was approaching the scene of the crash.

That's incredible.

[playa manhattan]

It really is. That's not the kind of thing you just do. It takes a lot of practice.

[BigT]

It takes a lot of practice.

Speaking from experience, are we?

[Ted S.]

That's a pretty damn big rectum.

[BakedPenguin]

Almost killed 'im.

[JW]

They also found Andy Kaufman in there.

"Fucking hell! I only had another 4 months to go! Now you ruined the entire 30 year bit!"

[PD Scott]

I guess the officer didn't see his furtive movements inside the car, else he'd probably have some copper and lead items, too.

[Tejicano]

Whoa, talk about being analy retentive!

[db]

On the third anniversary of the Tucson shootings, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said she wouldn't rule out running for office once again.

It's weird, many people, when coming out of a traumatic, life-threatening experience, will resolve to do something useful with their lives. But, it takes all kinds, I guess.

Also, what is she.going.to say: "people of Arizona, I really really super pinky swear that I won't use my elected powers to push for more gun control. Besides, it's not like people here really care about that stuff anyway, right?"

[Paul.]

Remember, to the life-long public "servant", being thrown down into the toilet of the private sector is the worst punishment possible.
She's just following her natural inclinations.

[Irish]

Posted earlier but bears repeating.

Six years ago, Justo Cruz Rodr?guez, who runs a small business here designing signs, was looking for a way to generate a steady, if modest, pension for himself and his father.

So when the government passed a law offering attractive rates for solar energy ? and guaranteed them for the next 25 years ? he mortgaged his house, his father's house and even his workshop to install half a dozen rows of solar panels in his father's garden, with the idea of selling his excess electricity.

"It seemed so safe," he said recently. "It was a government guarantee."

[Brett L]

There may be a reason Spain has been in decline for several centuries.

[paranoid android]

But he built them on the planes, which I'm reliably informed from somewhere is where the rain in Spain falls mainly.

[paranoid android]

*plains

Though solar panels on airplanes are an intriguing idea...that much closer to the source!

[Paul.]

*head in hands*

[John]

So Dan Lebitard, a voter for the Baseball HOF, gave his ballot this year to Deadspin and let them fill it out for him. Deadspin then proceded to fill out an entirely reasonable ballot consisting of ten names, including Bonds and Clemmons. It was the ballot any serious person who wasn't pissed off about steroids could have filled out. For this crime the baseball writers of America have banned Lebitard from ever voting again.

Meanwhile, two clowns put Eric Gagne on their ballot, another listed Armando Benitez and a third listed only Jack Morris as a protest against Morris getting in. But Lebitard allowing a "fan" at Deadspin to turn in a ballot that clearly was the result of serious and reasonable consideration must be banned from ever voting again.

We could let chimps choose the Hall of Fame and have a more serious process than the assclowns at the Baseball Writers of America give us.

[Pro Libertate]

Fuck, I'd ban someone for letting Gawker vote on something, too.

[John]

That is a fair point. But he apparently did find the one employee at Gawker who wasn't retarded. So there is that.

[Pro Libertate]

That, my friend, is a real achievement. Do they have a Nobel Prize for that?

[Rasilio]

Actually they apparently had some kind of poll that 30,000 people voted in and went with the results of that

[John]

Which is a good argument for letting the fans vote. It couldn't be any worse.

[Pro Libertate]

How about just letting the players already in the Hall vote?

[Rasilio]

yeah but the ballot he actually turned in was completely reasonable.

Piazza, Bagwell, Biggio, Maddux, Schilling, Bonds, Martinez, Clemens, Bonds, Thomas, Glavine

Every one at the very least worthy of hall consideration and none of the guys they didn't pick are obviously better

[Apatheist ?_??]

Biggio and Bagwell. I approve. Everybody who left Biggio off the ballot should be punched in the face.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It's not an avalanche of leftist stupidity without a Hamilton Nolan Gawker article:

If we're actually interested in helping the poor, we should look even farther back in history, and resurrect the WPA.
The Works Progress Administration started in 1935 and ran all the way until the WWII jobs boom rendered it unnecessary. It was essentially a huge national jobs program. It covered the entire nation. It focused on public works projects, but also put tons of needy artists and writers on the public payroll.

Having problems with implementing a major healthcare bill during a recession? And you haven't put the creator of Piss Christ behind the desk of a government office?! Well, that's your problem right there -- and a surefire vote-getter, too!

The initial funding for the WPA was 6.7% of the U.S. GDP. Today, that would be just over $1 trillion. Sounds steep, until you consider the amount that we spent on bank bailouts.

The only choices, of course, are spending money you don't have on one of two things no one wants.

(It's also less than we've spent on the Bush era's unnecessary foreign wars.)

What's a Gawker article without a past-its-prime "nation-building begins at home"-style talking point?

[Irish]

The Bush wars also took place over 11 years. He's talking about spending almost the same amount of money in one year.

Liberals don't understand math.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

No, they don't. Add that to the long and growing list of subjects progressives don't understand.

[John]

There is a name for putting artists and writers on the government payroll. It is called Propaganda, you fucking half wit.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It doesn't escape notice that Hamilton Nolan is the same author who claimed that his generation was not entitled, and proved it by complaining about his salary.

[Irish]

I thought that was Adam Weinstein.

Admittedly two Gawker writers may have done that.

[Corning]

resurrect the WPA.

Government sponsored segregated work crews to compete against desegregated private workers.

brilliant

[Ted S.]

You should see One Third of a Nation.

Especially the part where the tenement starts talking to young Sidney Lumet. (Seriously.)

And the paean to Robert Moses at the end is retch-inducing.

[Raven Nation]

"Our Daily Bread" was also in that genre. In that case, however, the makers kind of bitch-slapped FDR by suggesting full-on socialism was better than the New Deal.

[Corning]

The New Deal was full-on socialism.

[Raven Nation]

But to many leftists, FDR wasn't a full on socialist.

[trshmnstr]

Yeah, and Stalin just liked sending people on ski trips to the north.

[Raven Nation]

Not disagreein', just saying what people thought.

[Corning]

So we should let the socialists who don't like being called socialists because socialist so thoroughly fucked shit up that the word socialist has become a pejorative choose who we can call socialists.

[Raven Nation]

OK, I'm going to stop here because I'm not actually sure what the arguments is about - or even if we disagree.

[Ted S.]

Out Daily Bread is actually more about a commune than about full-on socialism. Or, if you will, voluntary socialism.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

What this 'tard doesn't realize is that the top salary for WPA workers was about $1650 a month, inflation-adjusted--and that's before taxes.

Sorry, but no one in this era is going to voluntarily work for those wages when they can get Medicaid, food stamps, and an assortment of other goodies for sitting on their ass and doing nothing.

The WPA showed tangible results because the American population of that time still maintained a semblance of embarrassment about being on the dole and didn't see it as something they deserved for simply existing.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

The worst prize for charity ever?

GET THE INSIDE SUPER BOWL SCOOP: ENJOY LUNCH FOR 4 WITH PETER KING OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IN NJ ON JANUARY 29, 2014

[John]

They guy that gives half, gets two lunches.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

It might be worth $1,100 just to show up and punch him in the face.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Marcotte throws stones in her glass house of derp

Now, I realize part of the pressure of being a pundit is trying to come up with novel arguments that stand out from the crowd, and this certainly achieves that goal. However, novelty should always come second to not sounding like a complete idiot.

Yes, Amanduh just said that.

The entire thesis appears to be, "As a reactionary, I know I have to be against anything that liberals are for. So, uh, yeah, pot bad. Liberals bad! Pay me!" Seriously, there's paragraphs like this:

The same argument used against guns is used for pot: that legalizing pot and making it more available will reduce crime. No good liberal would say the same of guns, though there is substantial evidence to prove more guns equal less crime.

She declines to offer that evidence. Maybe she means, by "reducing crime", that Stand Your Ground laws, by legalizing cold-blooded murder in many cases, reduces the number of murders they have to bother prosecuting. Needless to say, she displays an inability to understand the difference between laying dead on the ground because of a gunshot and laying in front of your TV mindlessly watching cartoons for an hour because you hit the weed a little hard. Someone who cannot understand that difference does not need to be a paid pundit expressing opinions.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I always scream when I scroll down and see her picture.

[Killaz]

Comparing the trade laws as they effect apples versus how trade laws effect oranges is not the same thing as 'comparing apples and oranges' in the sense that phrase is commonly used. But don't expect Amanda to parse that out to be able to understand how that applies here in regard to prohibition and two prohibited goods.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

S.E. Cupp appears to believe that liberals intend to throw people in jail for possessing trans fats.

What does Amanda think will happen when people do not pay their penaltax on trans fats?

[John]

They will go to jail. But that is for not paying their taxes and that is totally different.

I am actually surprised Amanda even managed to get over her sense of jealousy and inferiority at Cupp being generally hot to even be able to write this.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Methinks Mandykins is just jealous that there's a female pundit out there who's prettier than her.

[The Late P Brooks]

I saw Elizabeth Warren on the teevee, earlier. She apparently is harboring a grudge against teh evul bankers which cannot be assuaged by the current mamby pamby extortion racket being pursued by the regulators and DOJ. She wants vengeance; show trials. I got the impression she won't be happy until Jamie Dimon is the headline act in a three ring criminal court circus.

[John]

I am sure she won't be. When she is done with the evil bankers, what then? There always has to be an other to hate.

[PD Scott]

Payday lenders? Pawnbrokers? It'd be easy enough to go after them.

[The Last American Hero]

What the hell did Chumlee do to her?

[BakedPenguin]

He's a white male who is generally happy. Therefore, he must be part of the patriarchy and oppressing someone.

[PD Scott]

He speaks with forked tongue?

[Invisible Finger]

Throw the bankers in jail. Fine with that.

Then watch government bonds skyrocket when there's no one left to buy 'em.

I'm starting to like the idea of Warren as POTUS. Only person I can think of GUARANTEED to be a bigger disaster than Obamao.

[Pro Libertate]

Um, you think anyone with the administration has bothered explaining to her just how cozy the government is with these banks? Especially the ones that crossed the line before and after the crash?

[The Last American Hero]

To be perfectly candid, I am also very disappointed that there was no perp-walk after the financial crisis.

[John]

There should have been a lot of them. But I don't think Warren would want to get any of the right people.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, sure, but it's her party that's been protecting them all along. Not because the GOP wouldn't do the same, but the Democrats were in power and bailed the fuckers out over and over again.

[db]

Is she "Tyler Durden" from Zero Hedge?

[The Late P Brooks]

Conservatives, perhaps because they come to the conformist mentality more easily than liberals

I stubbed my toe broke my ankle on this, and could proceed no farther.

[Greg83]

Overstock.com begins accepting bitcoin today, six months earlier than initially announced. First big retailer to do so, hopefully it forces others' hands.

[John]

Now if they could just bring back that Teutonic Goddess Sabine Eherenfeld on their commercials, all would be right with them. I am never going to forgive them getting rid of Sabine.

[The Late P Brooks]

Um, you think anyone with the administration has bothered explaining to her just how cozy the government is with these banks? Especially the ones that crossed the line before and after the crash?

But the stuff WaMu did- that's all Jamie Dimon's fault.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, no, but there is something extremely fishy about the way Chase was basically handed WM's assets. I held on to WM stock precisely because, even with the crash, they had more assets than liabilities.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

The World Air Sex Championships

The salacious sport sees contestants romp their way through the show simulating sex in front of a live audience.

To impress the judges, eager men or women have to act out a full sexual experience with an invisible partner that is part-romance and part-comedy to a soundtrack of their choosing.

The act must include meeting their 'partner', seduction, foreplay and intercourse.

Chris Trew, founder of the Air Sex World Championship, said: "Imagine something we think about every day ? sex ? turned into a sport where the goal is to make people laugh.

"Air Sex is a party. Air Sex is an amazing comedy show. Air Sex is a sport where you are invested in the outcome."

In 2009, the official Air Sex World Championship was born. Five competitions later, over a third of competitors are women, with contests held in 30 American cities before an overall champion is crowned.

The only rules are dictated by the state where each competition is held, though participants are warned not to get completely naked and, as with the on-stage lovemaking, all 'endings' must also be simulated.

Finally, a sport women are naturally better than men at.

[Pro Libertate]

Why would anyone want to see a man do that? I include gay men and heterosexual women in the group of people not wanting to see men do that.

[Aloysious]

ummm... wow. Those dudes.

No. Just no.

[JW]

Seeing that might actually turn me off forever.

[playa manhattan]

"Competitors are told they cannot be naked."

There is a saving grace.

[Tejicano]

WOuld these be called "fucking mimes"?

[playa manhattan]

They moan. Very loudly.

[Tejicano]

I guess I was trying to not go there.

[The Late P Brooks]

To be perfectly candid, I am also very disappointed that there was no perp-walk after the financial crisis.

I would like to have seen Angelo Mozilo and his "friends" in the clink.

Yes, if there were proveable frauds, they should absolutely have been prosecuted. I think Warren and her lynch mob believe profitability is the real crime, though.

[Pro Libertate]

Of course. Not only should a number of people done time over that, the banks and lenders involved should've been allowed to fail.

[Raven Nation]

OT: Colorado senator asked state to downplay Obamacare cancellations:

http://www.americanthinker.com.....tions.html

[Raven Nation]

And under the rats/sinking ship idea:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/s.....e-n1775218

[Pro Libertate]

No, that's fair. Let's call it Pelosicare.

Huh, Pelossic Park?

[Raven Nation]

Oh, I'm going to vote for Pelossic Park.

[Pro Libertate]

I just saw it in Pelosicare after I typed it.

Perhaps they should rename San Francisco Pelossic Park.

[Karl Hungus]

Texas homeowner shoots, kills deputy serving a pre-dawn- no-knock warrant:

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/sto.....nty-deputy

They were looking for weed, naturally.

(Apologies if this has already been discussed, I've been out of the loop.)

[A wild THANE appeared!]

Does anyone know Evan from Evansville's email address?

[playa manhattan]

More dick pics?

[A wild THANE appeared!]

No, just me being anally penetrated by tentacles.

[DEG]

In case this wasn't posted elsewhere, courtesy of The Chive:

The results when Britons were asked to label a map of the United States and Americans were asked to label a map of Europe:

http://thechive.com/2014/01/09.....hq-photos/

[Karl Hungus]

Funny, one of the Brits labeled Illinois "guns." He apparently doesn't realize that Illinois, due to their strict gun-control laws, is largely gun-free.

[seguin]

Maybe he just got confused by all the shootings and assumed guns were easy to get there. That is how your typical prog thinks, anyway.

[playa manhattan]

I like Canada as "Big Scotland w/ Polar Bears"

[DEG]

Yes, that one is awesome. I also liked Scandinavia as "Hot Blond People".

[playa manhattan]

Eastern Europe: "The place Borat is from".

[Tejicano]

Interesting that two had references to Breaking Bad. Also interesting (to me) that they generally seemed to know less about "New England" (where they actually had colonies) but more about the rest of the country.

[Corning]

Sad that no one used the names off of Risk

[RishJoMo]

lol, Fire the scapegoat! The only thing that corrupt, pompous windbag Christie cares about is getting to the kitchen table.

http://www.Privacy-Planet.com