Fluke Mulls Congressional Bid, Scotland Approves Gay Marriage, Putin Arrives in Sochi: P.M. Links

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  Sandra Fluke has filed papers to run for California Rep. Henry Waxman's seat in Congress when he retires, but she hasn't made a formal decision as yet whether she'll actually do so.

• Democrats in Congress are introducing legislation to enshrine "net neutrality" principles into law.
• Scotland is the latest place to legalize recognition of gay marriage. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Virginia heard a challenge against that state's ban and promised to rule quickly.
• That terrible Super Bowl turned out to be the most-watched program in television history. At least the halftime show wasn't embarrassing.
• Vladimir Putin has arrived in Sochi for the Olympics. And so have the first direct threats, which involve two women on Austria's team receiving a scary letter written in German.
• A new study shows a drop in suicide rates in states in the years after they legalize medical marijuana, particularly among men.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Democrats in Congress are introducing legislation to enshrine "net neutrality" principles into law.

Democrats: You know what area of commerce we haven't stuck our dicks in lately? The internet.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Actually, I should reply to say my hello.

I was gonna link to Fluke.

Hold on to your children folks.

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

Hold on to your children folks.

-Allen Stuart Koenigsburg
(1935-)

[Ted S.]

Roman Polanski liked to hold on to children, too.

[Dr. Frankenstien]

I think I'm going to fluke.

[playa manhattan]

Jaguar eats crocodile

[playa manhattan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBNYwxDZ_pA

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That jag is total bad ass. Hunts it coming out of the water.

Jags sitings are preciously rare.

[Lady Bertrum]

Awesome animal. Really make me want to get one for myself:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apRjB4AeYxc

[Lady Bertrum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apRjB4AeYxc

[playa manhattan]

I wish. I have a 5 year old, a 2 year old, and another on the way. I can't have nice things.

[Lady Bertrum]

Yet. You can't have nice things yet. Some things are more important than beautiful sports cars. Children aren't but some things are.

Congrats on the rugrats, though.

[playa manhattan]

I have a fantasy where I buy a Porsche Cayenne and lay down a kevlar tarp under the kids' carseats. Even if I did this, they'd still find a way to mess it up.

[John]

How many kids playa? How old? You can put a couple of the critters in the fake back seats of a 911. Just saying.

[playa manhattan]

Soon to be 3 kids. All 5 and under.

[C. Anacreon]

I had a 2000 S-Type that I bought on New Year's Eve 1999, just so in case Y2K really did mean the end of the world, I would have at least owned a Jaguar in my life.

It did spend just as much time in the shop for dumb-ass things that everyone warned me.

I replaced it with an Infiniti five years ago. Turns out I didn't even need the extended warranty I bought with that. What a difference in reliability from the Jaguar.

[John]

Jags hit rock bottom in the late 1990s. They have improved though. The Jags today are not nearly like the one you had. Much better.

[Brett L]

Any sports car whose reliability was improved by a stint of ownership by the Fix Or Repair Daily Motor Co is off my personal list.

[Lady Bertrum]

You guys are really pissing on my Jaguar dream, but I really like The Heavy more than the car. The ad is a superior piece of commercial art.

[John]

Don't listen to them Lady Bartrum. Jags are a lot better than they used to be. They are fine now.

[Lady Bertrum]

🙂

[Mad Scientist]

I used to know a guy who had something like 40 Jags. He also employed a full-time mechanic who worked on those cars 8 hours a day. At any given time, about 1/2 of them were running.

[John]

There is a shop near my house that specializes in Range Rover repairs. For a long time I thought it was a used car dealership because there were always so many Rovers parked out in front of it.

[Episiarch]

In the 80s and 90s there was a car repair shop in Paterson, NJ that did nothing except take Jags, pull their shitty engines, and put American V8s in them. The place's lot was filled with Jags it was working on. They never seemed to be hurting for business.

[Lady Bertrum]

I worked for a guy who destroyed the undercarriage of his Jag by bouncing off potholes on the NJ Turnpike.

As much as I like sports coupes, my next car will be much like my current: An SUV with 4 wheel and a V6 like a Lexus RX.

[John]

LAdy,

If you are going to by an SUV, get a Toyota. Toyota SUVs never die. In places where people's lives depend on their SUV running, they always drive Toyotas.

[Lady Bertrum]

I've had a lot of luck with Lexus for reliability, but they're really just Toyota with a bit of polish.

[John]

I kind of like them a bit rough. I would love to have a 4Runner or a big Land Cruiser. Still very nice but legit off road vehicles both.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

An SUV with 4 wheel

I've put over a million miles on S-10 type blazers over the last 25 years without any major issues. The one I'm driving right now just turned over 260k.

Over 500k on two Suburbans, too.

That said, it's getting hard to find a real 4WD anymore. I might have to break down and buy a Toyota or an XTerra.

... Hobbit

[Mad Scientist]

A buddy of mine had a Range Rover for a while. One day, inevitably, it broke down and he had to have it towed. The two truck driver told him, "Range Rovers keep me in business."

[John]

Yeah, I love Rover. They are just way cool. But owning one is just telling the world you have so much money you don't give a shit how often your car breaks down.

[John]

People are amazingly stupid about cars. I have about talked my wife into letting me buy a used 911. You can get the initial series of water cooled cars from the early 2000s pretty cheap these days. The main reason is that they had a shaft that connected the drive shaft to the cam that had a bearing that had a bad habit of exploding and ruining the engine. The "996" generation 911s as they are called are cheap because of that.

The thing is you can upgrade the bearing for about 2500 and eliminate the problem and increase the resale value of your care greatly. You will see pristine 996s for sale where the owner has dropped five or ten thousand dollars in aftermarket equipment but never upgraded the bearing. The bearing that is the subject of like a million internet threads and that everyone who thinks of buying a 911 is told about.

Further proof, as if there were any needed, it is the retards' world, we just live in it.

[R C Dean]

People are amazingly stupid about cars. I have about talked my wife into letting me buy a used 911.

Comedy gold, right there. Well done, John.

[John]

They are built by Germans RC. They are over engineered and if properly taken care of, last forever, the odd exploding bearing aside. Hell even a small percentage of Toyotas blow up. The only reason the bearing is such a big deal is because nothing like that had ever happened to a Porsche before.

It is really the only elite sportscar you can buy and drive like an actual car.

[seguin]

They are over engineered and if properly taken care of, last forever, the odd exploding bearing aside.

Ehhh...Volkswagens may be over-engineered, but that sure aren't well-engineered.

Well, the early 2000s ones at least. You can avoid most of the issues by changing your timing belts earlier than scheduled though.

Audis can be trouble too. Flaky ignition modules and whatnot.

(Volkswagens have some pretty stupid details, like water jacket holes positioned RIGHT NEXT to the fire ring...the minute the head warps just a tiny bit, water gets into the combustion chamber. Dumb.)

[John]

Let me guess RC, you drive a sensible snoburu or Honda?

Life is too short to drive boring cars.

[R C Dean]

Let me guess RC, you drive a sensible snoburu or Honda?

Tricked-out FJ Cruiser (just put the supercharger in. Wheeee!), or vintage Silverado pickup, depending.

[Mokers]

The improvement comes not so much with the association with Ford, but by no longer being owned by British Leyland. Jaguars are as reliable as comparable Mercs or Bimmers is most reliability surveys. I think they took a slight dip after Tata bought them, but are much better recently. But you definitely aren't getting Camry or Accord reliability.

things do change. Chrysley has been making strides and they are owned by Fix It Again Tony!

[John]

Most cars are very reliable today by the standards of the past. It used to be "unreliable" meant you stood a good chance of the engine blowing up. Now it means the car will have a few minor problems. If you ever notice, all of the reliability studies always put fidly cars like Jags and Mercs near the bottom. The reason is that they have a lot of electronics that can fail but are not in the scheme of things a big deal. Fords took a hit recently because their new entertainment system had some issues. Yeah, that is not good, but when you see Ford near the bottom of these surveys you would think it means their engines or gear boxes blow up, not that the blue tooth is a pain in the ass.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Fords took a hit recently because their new entertainment system had some issues.

The biggest issue with all these electronics, and the newer vehicles in general, is that it raises the cost of the vehicle, and makes them nearly impossible to work on if you're not a specialist. And Ford's not out of the woods yet on its EcoBoost--it's under investigation now over power loss and deceleration, especially when it's wet outside. Considering they are going all-in with this engine type, they better pray to the automotive gods that the NHTSA doesn't issue a recall.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A lot of sloppy work today. Let's everyone keep our shit wired tight when providing links.

[playa manhattan]

I cut and pasted from textedit. Now I know that doesn't work.

[Lady Bertrum]

I can do better. I choose not to.

[hamilton]

Have you considered a position in government?

[Lady Bertrum]

+1

[Agammamon]

Wally?

[Lady Bertrum]

Yes?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

That terrible Super Bowl turned out to be the most-watched program in television history. At least the halftime show wasn't embarrassing.

Did you not see the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

[R C Dean]

Are you kidding? I thought the Peppers totally schooled the tinkly pop band.

[a better weapon]

Ohio specifies into a law the right of people to protect themselves from illegal intrusions by cops.

[a better weapon]

"If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he's going to say, 'Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,' " said Joseph Hubbard, 40, president of Jeffersonville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 100. "Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law."

C'mon Joseph. Everybody knows that your dash cams only stop working when a civilian dies in your presence.

[Brett L]

Well, I would say that the Ohio cops have a new respect for being on the wrong side of a gun. Good.

[SweatingGin]

Would love to see the look on his face if someone pointed that out to him.

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

"Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law."

Killing dogs and civilians - no big whoop. But HERO FIRST RESPONDERS BOYS IN BLUE CANNOT EVER DIE.

[fish]

'Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,' " said Joseph Hubbard, 40, president of Jeffersonville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 100. "Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law."

Sounds like Joe needs to find another line of work...perhaps something in the floral industry.

[R C Dean]

Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law.

Yes, they are. Of course, only if it an otherwise justifiable killing. Meaning, they should get away with it.

How does that FYTW taste, pubsec parasite?

[db]

Whoa.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Link doesn't work?

[a better weapon]

My bad

http://www.sfgate.com/nation/a.....612347.php

[Juice]

*Indiana

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sandra Fluke has filed papers to run for Congress in California to Rep. Henry Waxman's seat...

How our defenseless little student victim is all growed up.

[db]

She has learned the great lesson of politics: it is.better to.be the bully.backed by the force.of the state than to be little people.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Who better to represent the "free shit brigade" voters that someone who's gone before Congress to beg for free shit herself?

[Fist of Etiquette]

By free shit I assume you mean basic women's health.

[Pro Libertate]

Fist, you ignorant slut.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Exactly.

And I was just providing basic nutrition to the two people I bought cigarettes for at a gas station in West Virginia in exchange for them paying for my food and a soda with food stamps.

[Suthenboy]

She did not go before congress. The whole thing was staged by pelosi to look like she did.

The left never argues in good faith, ever.

[Pro Libertate]

I have no problem with that useless twat running for office, as is her right as a useless-twat citizen of this country.

For those who complain that "twat" is sexist and demeaning, I'll just say that I'd say the exact same thing about a male who publicly whined for my money for such stupid reasons as she has.

[John]

She is what, five years from a sex tape?

[hamilton]

eek.

[Pro Libertate]

From the woman who is overwhelmed by the cost of contraceptives? I think you're way off, unless you mean five years ago.

[John]

I am just saying the girl is going to need some cash at some point and there are a enough nuts out there who will watch anything that includes someone with some notoriety, a sex tape will be the way she goes.

Don't all 30 second celebrities end up on a reality show and doing a sex tape?

[Pro Libertate]

She has a bit of a vibe of a woman who bats the other way, too, which would make the "I need the suddenly expensive pill" business a little stranger than it already is.

[Jon Lester]

Even as someone who's open to universal contraception, I'm wondering how she went from such indigence to having the means to run for Congress, because I know how much it costs to qualify.

[Redmanfms]

Even as someone who's open to universal contraception, I'm wondering how she went from such indigence to having the means to run for Congress, because I know how much it costs to qualify.

I was wondering at the time how a woman too broke to afford a few hundred a year (including the MD consult) for her own fuck pills can afford to be a grad student at a private university in a high COLA city.

[playa manhattan]

She won't win. There are establishment candidates that have also filed. At least 2 that will beat her: Ted Lieu and Wendy Gruel.

I know nothing about Gruel's politics (I assume they suck), but she did blow the whistle on mayor Villagarosa's parking ticket hotline, so there's that.

[Pro Libertate]

Gruel? Oh, my, the jokes are simply too easy.

[Brett L]

Too thin.

[Pro Libertate]

Precisely.

[playa manhattan]

She ran and lost for mayor. Her last name was very small on the campaign signs.

[jesse.in.mb]

We're going to end up with Ted Lieu, aren't we...

Ted Lieu or Sandra Fluke, talk about a no-win situation.

[Pro Libertate]

In Lieu of Ted, we have a Fluke. Or maybe some Gruel.

[Agammamon]

It was a Fluke that we got Ted in Lieu of Gruel.

[Restoras]

Awful.

[a better weapon]

By some grand miracle of God, I would love to see her somehow manage to lose Waxman's district. Even the most liberal student body and rabid members of the free-shit brigade would shun her.

[Tonio]

No, if she loses it will be because of enemies, hoarders, wreckers, kulaks...

[Lady Bertrum]

How's she going to pay off the law school student loan debt on a congress person's salary? Never mind, I remembered. It's called graft.

[Raven Nation]

No, no, I'm sure it's wise investing...

http://nevadanewsandviews.com/archives/2975

[Pro Libertate]

I wish this question would be asked and seriously investigated about politicians more often. They clearly can't all be just making it from books and speaking fees.

I'd also like the fucking insider trading rules applied to them. They should have that restriction more than actual insiders should, for obvious reasons.

[Raven Nation]

Was just last year right that Congress actually passed a law making it illegal for Congress critters to indulge in insider trading?

[Pro Libertate]

What? When?

[Raven Nation]

OK, I got this half-assed. They banned it in April, 2012:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.....blogs&_r=0

Then rolled back some of the bans last year:

http://www.techdirt.com/articl.....self.shtml

[Pro Libertate]

Call me when a member of Congress gets busted for insider trading, because the shit is happening.

[Raven Nation]

Yep.

[playa manhattan]

I sure it's happening in the executive branch even more. Short a stock, threaten administrative regulations, cash in.

[Virginian]

Yeah there was some stat I saw that the average Congresscritter beats the "corporate insiders" by about double when it comes to the market.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Scotland's the latest place to legalize recognition of gay marriage.

[Insert Gerald Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzgerald joke here.]

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

"Insert", indeed.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Don't be crass.

[Pro Libertate]

So, which one wears the kilt?

[Tonio]

The kilt is a manly garment. Also, sheep can hear zippers.

[Bookkeeper]

Both of them, of course.

[Tonio]

Those are anglo-irish names.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Are you pulling a no true Scotsman on me here? You try doing an etymology lookup in 60 seconds.

[Agammamon]

Aren't those, uhm, *irish* names?

[SweatingGin]

Ah, good. Net Neutrality making a comeback. I bet we can even make the checking for prioritization of traffic automatic. Just route it all through that closet labeled NSA (it stands for Network Standardization Actually or something like that).

[Fist of Etiquette]

A new study shows a drop in suicide rates in states in the years after they legalize medical marijuana, particularly among men.

But do we want to prevent the suicides of our worst war criminals?

[PD Scott]

We all know they meant to kill themselves but forgot, the dirty stoners. Instead they'll die the old fashioned way, from binge eating Taco Bell or Doritos-dust-lung.

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

Sandra Fluke has filed papers to run for Congress in California to Rep. Henry Waxman's seat when he retires, but she hasn't made a formal decision as yet whether she'll actually do so.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the first female president of the United States of America. Imagine how much stupider the electorate will be in about 20 years.

[a better weapon]

Here is a woman who stood in front of congress members (while televised) and described the trials of being a college student at a $50,000 a year school and still being unable to afford birth control.

It's hard to believe that this woman, in 20 years time, will be 52 years old.

Yet, here we are.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

It was law school. Which makes it even worse.

[Pro Libertate]

The good news is that quite a bit of the country thought that whole business was a joke. Even some lefties were laughing at her. Not that they won't rally and support her like she were Athena sprung fully formed from Obama's forehead.

[The Last American Hero]

Really? I seem to recall her given a speaking spot at the 2012 DNC coronation and they weren't laughing at her then. What I couldn't figure out is why did they pick a 30 year old law student that couldn't afford a condom as the symbol of the need for Obamacare. They really couldn't dig up some struggling working class guy from a mill town?

[Pro Libertate]

No, no, the DNC loves her. I meant ordinary folk. It doesn't matter, anyway, because they'll all unite to defend her because of identity politics, regardless of what stupidity spews out of her.

[R C Dean]

why did they pick a 30 year old law student that couldn't afford a condom as the symbol of the need for Obamacare.

In so many, many ways, she was the perfect symbol.

[Pro Libertate]

We're far stupider than I used to think. Were we always this stupid? I mean, I get that we're just dumb as a species, but this stuff keeps surprising me.

[playa manhattan]

List of common misconceptions

I learned 1 or 2 things, maybe more.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

tl; dr

[playa manhattan]

Enjoy your ignorance.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

at least it wasn't in the form of a mental floss video.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

I actually ran across that a while back. Very interesting.

... Hobbit

[Brett L]

That's what Wikipedia wants you to believe.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Thanks for that.

It amazes me how many of those things I was taught. I was TAUGHT "lift generation" incorrectly as part of my Aerospace Engineering degree and have been subsequently teaching it wrong to Air Force pilots for a quarter of a century.

That pisses me off. I want my fucking money back.

[Agammamon]

Well, that was a half hour of my life down the drain.

Wiki's are just plain evil, addictive, and should be outlawed.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Putin calms leopard cubs

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I swear they have to get that guy walking on water.

[The Late P Brooks]

she hasn't made a formal decision as yet whether she'll actually do so.

"Where's the fucking money, Lebowski?"

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Sandra Fluke has filed papers to run for Congress in California to Rep. Henry Waxman's seat when he retires, but she hasn't made a formal decision as yet whether she'll actually do so.

What America needs is a good 5 cent pill--paid for by the taxpayer.

[db]

I'd settle for a five-cent round of.ammo.

[Ted S.]

Will a jagged little pill work?

[hamilton]

you oughta know.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's like a free ride, when you've already bought condoms.

[110 Lean]

You Oughta Know

[110 Lean]

Does anyone else have problems with posting while using Chrome? It's like the old days, where if you read through the comments for awhile and then tried to post, it just goes blank.

[hamilton]

Real men don't make excuses for being slow on the draw, Kemosabe.

[Ted S.]

I don't use Chrome. Unfortunately, H&R is a bad memory hog with Opera v12.

[db]

I had that problem for.the first.time.in a while yesterdwy. Used to happen very frequebtly on android.browsers.

[Tonio]

Not recently. They did have some problems but haven't had those for several months.

[C. Anacreon]

I had a lot of trouble like that yesterday, but back to normal today. Maybe the problem is gradually moving across the nation like a rolling blackout.

[DesigNate]

It happens in Safari too. But only if I try to submit my comment after a new comment has already been added.

[Mad Scientist]

What America needs is a good 5 cent pill--paid for by the taxpayer.

I can't think of a better way to prevent the price from ever dropping to 5 cents.

[Corning]

What America needs is a good 5 cent pill--paid for by the taxpayer.

If the taxpayer pays for it it will very quickly cost $5.

[waffles]

A new study shows a drop in suicide rates in states in the years after they legalize medical marijuana, particularly among men

And they say amotivational syndrome is a myth!

[Jarl ? the booty]

Taiwan: The winner in the China-Japan row?

Fishermen in Taiwan's once-sleepy port of Suao are experiencing a heyday because of increasingly ugly territorial tensions between Japan and China. The East China Sea's Senkaku Islands are controlled by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan, who call the islands the Diaoyus and the Diaoyutais, respectively.

To fend off arch rival China, hard-nosed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to win over the Taiwanese by suddenly allowing its fishermen access to the disputed waters. His government granted even more concessions to the Suao fishermen in recent weeks, arguably at the expense of Japan's own fishing folks.

"The [high-value] bluefin tuna loves that particular triangle south of the Diaoyutais the Japanese now let us operate in, because the waters there are deep," said Taiwanese fisherman Li Yuan-zhang. "Before Japan changed course, their coastguard had fined us 4,000,000 yen [$40,000] whenever they impounded our boats for entering those waters."

[Tonio]

Thane, that you? You get promoted, buddy?

[Jarl ? the booty]

IDK about "promoted". I went from Thane of Whiterun to Jarl of Hjaalmarch.

Hjaalmarch sucks.

[Agammamon]

Sucks - cannibal rebels, ghosts, and cold. Lot's and lot's of cold.

[Brett L]

Broncos fans turned to porn to salve their wounded pride. Sadly, many in Seattle turned to porn to celebrate.

[hamilton]

Is "salving one's wounded pride" what we call it these days?

[Brett L]

Rush their quarterback? Sack their Peyton?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tossing a spiral.

[hamilton]

That's a great idea for a future body mod: the rifled vas deferens.

[PD Scott]

Now I'm thinking of Niven's "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex."

[Jarl ? the booty]

I love that there's a frankly-named "Porn Star Gallery" below the post.

Though the porn stars themselves are pretty meh.

[buddhastalin]

in Denver, there was an 11 percent swell..., much higher than the nation-wide rise of 4 percent during the same time period.

I always wondered why men from Denver had a bit of a swagger.

[hamilton]

The CBO report indicating the loss of 2 million jobs due to Obamacare is really good news that the Rethuglicans are spinning as something negative...

Economists believe there are people who are working today who would rather retire or reduce their hours but have remained in jobs because they need healthcare. With the changes brought about by Obamacare, they can get insurance readily through other means, allowing them to drop out of the workforce or cut down their time on the job. As Sarah Kliff notes, some might also want to cap their hours to remain eligible for ACA subsidies.

See? We get free healthcare and get to quit our crappy ass jobs!

[John]

With the changes brought about by Obamacare, they can get insurance readily through other means, allowing them to drop out of the workforce or cut down their time on the job.

Wow. I mean just wow. Obamacare is going to mean they can quit work and go on welfare now. Well that settles that.

[Number 2]

You're kidding me. They actually spin the data this way with a straight face? Really??

[John]

Those people didn't really want those jobs anyway just like they didn't really like their health insurance plans.

It is beyond parody.

[Number 2]

So let me see if I understand this....

Thanks to the changes brought in by Obamacare, instead of staying in full-time jobs in which their employers pay for health insurance, they can now quit their jobs or be reduced to part time status where they are mandated to buy their own insurance out of their own money. Which, having just quit their jobs or cut back their hours, they can easily afford!

[Agammamon]

Of course they can easily afford it. With the job loss or cut in hours that means their income has been reduced enough to allow them to qualify for subsidies!

[Pro Libertate]

How long before half the country is actually and completely living on welfare of one form or another? I bet we're already there if you take out the completely.

[Michael S. Langston]

How long before half the country is actually and completely living on welfare of one form or another? I bet we're already there if you take out the completely.

I believe we are - I think it was mid-2000's right, maybe a little later, 2008, where greater than 50% of the population were either getting some form of government assistance and not paying any taxes, or paying some taxes, but getting more assistance than the taxes they paid.

Assuming my recall.... but if true, I assume it's worse now.

It's a good question either way - I may have to research this one myself (assuming time...).

[Fist of Etiquette]

In that case wouldn't the jobs remain but be filled by others?

[John]

That is a good question. It seems they won't be or the overall hours worked wouldn't go down. So the CBO is claiming that people are going to voluntarily work fewer hours and employers will not look to replace those hours, but Obamacare isn't destroying employment. That doesn't compute.

[Number 2]

Please don't try to make sense out of this.

[Suthenboy]

Yes it would be, but that is not the case. More bad faith argument from the left.

[Corning]

People at retirement age already are forced to get medicare.

Not only is it crazy spin but a complete lie.

[Jarl ? the booty]

This method is so acceptable, the DEA won't even release its name

Training documents released to MuckRock user C.J. Ciaramella by the Drug Enforcement Administration provide unprecedented details on the tactic known as "parallel construction," by which agents reverse engineer evidence to hide surveillance programs from defense teams, prosecutors and a public wary of domestic intelligence practices. But the DEA redacted all references to another, apparently more secretive method of concealing sensitive sources.

Per DEA slides, there are precisely four such methods that are both "workable" and acceptable to the American public.

But the first of these certified, "acceptable" methods is redacted entirely.

As its position on the list suggests, this shielded tactic is "tips and leads paradigm" that is the "primary methodology for protecting [intelligence community] information that is shared with [law enforcement agencies]."

The DEA scrubbed all corresponding mention of the first method throughout the entire document release by invoking FOIA exemption b(7)E, which protects law enforcement techniques from disclosure. Redactions extended even to a separate presentation devoted to the constitutionality of this method.

[PD Scott]

Well thank God they're only using it to create evidence when they know they're going after some scumbag. It'd be a sad day for America if they could just frame somebody.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I think Gawker has hit peak derp: Republicans name their new tech start-up program after a NAZI GUN!

The Republican National Committee today excitedly announced the launch of a new startup lab to bring techies and creatives together, Silicon Valley-style, to get Republicans elected. Oh, and they named it for a Nazi gun, a type of ammo, and a philosophy that puts war before peace.
[snip]
The thing about Para Bellum, though, is that name. In Latin, it literally means "(prepare)* for war." That's dumb enough, probably: Hey, idealistic young programmers! Let's save the world by crushing our enemies, seeing them driven before us, and hearing the lamentation of their women.

In fact, it's part of an old Roman cliche, "Si vis pacem, para bellum"?if you seek peace, prepare for war. That's been quite an inspiring little phrase through history, at least to militarists. It was especially inspiring to Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, the German government's arms manufacturer from the late imperial era to World War II.

DWM started using the "parabellum" phrase as a name for its signature guns?first, the light machine gun used by the Kaiser's best during World War I, and then its most iconic gun: the Parabellum Pistole, or the Luger pistol.

That's right, a gun made BEFORE World War I is a Nazi gun. Republicans are Nazis, QED.

[rts]

When Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers", he was clearly referring to the Colt .45.

[110 Lean]

He was so prescient!

[Pro Libertate]

Which was undoubtedly used by at least one Nazi; therefore, Jesus and all who follow him are Nazis.

[Jarl ? the booty]

Alexander J. Luthor

You know, I'm in favor of pretty strict gun regulation, and I think the NRA is one of the most pernicious organizations in US politics today, but this is asinine.

The 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge was designed in 1902- before the First World War. As a simple Google search might have shown you. Furthermore, the Luger pistol was also designed before WWI, and used primarily during that conflict. By the middle WWII, it had been replaced by the Walther P-38 (a pistol actually commissioned by the Nazis) as the standard German sidearm. Fun fact- the Luger pistol was actually tested by the US Army, during the trials which led to the adoption of the Colt 1911 as their standard sidearm. A test version of the Luger was even produced for a .45 cartridge. Another interesting note, the current US Army sidearm, the Beretta 92 is also chambered for 9mm Parabellum.

It's still a stupid name for a think tank, but get your facts right.

Adam Weinstein

Everything you wrote here is true. And entirely consistent with what I wrote.

KomradKickassUAlexander

I think this article was about setting a records for Godwin's law, as it didn't even have to reach the comments to create a tenuous link to Nazis

[Pro Libertate]

Is there a definition for consistent that means "totally and absolutely refutes?"

[paranoid android]

So I'm guessing the author probably doesn't drive a Volkswagen.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Or a Mercedes(not that he could afford it on his salary). Anyway, I'm no gun expert, but don't the Germans have a well-deserved reputation for producing very high-quality firearms?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yes. So do the Brits, Russians, French, Italians, Americans, Spanish...I was looking through a 'history of weapons' book the other day at a bookstore.

[Coeus]

waahh!!! Don't ruin my fun!!!

PenablerUAdam Weinstein41L
All these gun professors are really starting to piss me off. Today 10:59am

[playa manhattan]

Translation:
"Don't bother me with the truth!"

[MJGreen]

a philosophy that puts war before peace.

...

In fact, it's part of an old Roman cliche, "Si vis pacem, para bellum"?if you seek peace, prepare for war.

Christ. Is any argument in this article actually correct?

[Ted S.]

Porn for Bo:

Man who scammed $850k out of churchgoers jailed

A man who charmed and pressured fellow Seventh Day Adventist Dunedin church members out of more than $850,000 in a Nigerian oil scam has been jailed for four years.

There's more information in an article from last November, when evidence was presented in court.

[The Late P Brooks]

At least the halftime show wasn't embarrassing.

Yeah, right; of course I believe you. I wonder what the second half viewership numbers were.

I switched over to Death Race 2000 at about the two minute warning. It was a huge improvement.

[Brett L]

The original with David Carradine?

[hamilton]

He's that actor who died salving his pride, right?

[Brett L]

He's the one who choked the wrong part, yeah.

[fish]

Congrats to todays winner of the internet! The judges awarded extra style points for incorporating a reference to masturbation he invented seven minutes earlier.

[Ska]

I went for the Making of Caddyshack, but I can only hold the halftime show responsible for 30 minutes (I'm guessing).

[Ted S.]

I listened to the game on the radio, so I didn't even see the halftime show.

[SIV]

Has everyone seen the latest science onThird-Hand Smoke? You may as well enjoy your first hand smoke because smoking isn't any more dangerous.

[PD Scott]

Smoking "condoms". All the carcinogens are kept inside, you peel it off and put it in the approved toxic waste container. Each cigarette will be mandated by law to have the smoking condom attached to it. Smokers caught not using the smoking condom will be tried for attempted manslaughter. Or pollution. Something. For The Children.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Dear Prudence: Help! I let my wife have other lovers and now she's pregnant!

My wife and I have a female-led relationship. Before we got married, I agreed that she could "take other lovers," while I would remain faithful to her alone. She said that she might not ever see anyone else, but she liked that I knew she could. Well, now she's pregnant, and I'm wondering the obvious. We do have intercourse, but not often. She was away on business near the time she would have conceived. I don't know whether she's ever had another lover. I could have asked that before, but now I'm afraid of how it would come across. Should I ask, or just wait to see if the baby looks like me?

The existence of men like that makes me weary of the human race. Dude, just next time stick pegging.

[Brett L]

The Cleveland Browns have already let this guy down several times in the AM links.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

AM Links? Those don't exist as far as I'm concerned.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Philip Seymour Hoffman was just trying to find out if Lou Reed fucked his wife.

[Lady Bertrum]

Is this the Super Bowl thread?

[Calidissident]

That is one of the saddest and most pathetic things I've ever read.

[John]

It is very sad. Like I said this morning, the guy isn't even some kind of deviant who gets off in his wife screwing around. He is just that pathetic.

[playa manhattan]

Seriously. He didn't even negotiate so that he could cheat too.

[John]

No kidding or at least demand to watch. I mean get something out of the deal.

[Coeus]

Seriously. He didn't even negotiate so that he could cheat too

In a bdsm type relationship, there is often a spoken agreement of this sort. The dominant partner is allowed to do what they want. The difference is, I've never heard of anyone actually taking advantage of it. At least not in a marriage, or even a several month long relationship. What starts as basically a warning to not get too attached becomes another part of the fantasy.

[John]

The difference is also the submissive gets off on the dominant having that power. Like I said, this guy isn't getting off on his wife running around or her dominating him. He seems to derive nothing from it. He is just that pathetic.

[Coeus]

The difference is also the submissive gets off on the dominant having that power.

It's rarely all neat and tidy like that. Which is why most people don't act on it.

[John]

But it is at least some kind of a reason beyond "I am just too pathetic to say anything."

[Duke Trshmnstr of Stench]

What the hell is the point of getting married in that situation anyway? They invented the word "fuckbuddy" for a reason.

[John]

Good question.

[Jarl ? the booty]

Yeah, I can be kind of a puss, but seriously, this is just an embarrassment to malekind.

[John]

Everyone has been a bit of a puss when it comes to a woman at some point. They are powerful creatures. But Jesus H. Christ there is a limit to everything or at least there should be.

[Heroic Mulatto]

My thoughts.

[playa manhattan]

I think I like these guys. You linked to a mall song the other day, right?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yep.

[Corning]

If you love someone you should set her free.

But if she wants you to raise some other dude's kid you probably should have spelled that out beforehand.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You're a loser.

[waffles]

*Your

[Duke Trshmnstr of Stench]

*Yore

[~Knarf Yenrab~]

And here I thought that wives who make their husbands piss sitting down was the nadir of male pride.

[R C Dean]

Hey, buddy, when you (a) married her and (b) told her to fuck around all she wants, you pretty much said that it was no concern of yours who fathered her children (that you would be financially responsible for).

I'd say "shut up and take it like a man", but . . . .

[Bobarian]

That's what the strap-on is for?

[Coeus]

When relying on voters who can't read comes back to bite you:

The National Republican Congressional Committee has set up a number of websites that look like they could be a Democratic candidate's campaign page, unless you read the fine print. They may even violate a Federal Election Commission regulation, Campaign Legal Center expert Paul S. Ryan explained to ThinkProgress.
The NRCC has set up these pages for various congressional opponents, including Amanda Renteria (CA), Martha Roberston (NY), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Alex Sink (FL), and John Tierney (MA). Each follow a similar format; they list the candidate's name "for Congress" to ask for donations:

Also, fine print apparently means 19 pt. font.

[SIV]

The Jack Mormon lipstick lesbian from Arizona is kinda cute

[R C Dean]

I've met her. Yes, she is. The picture doesn't do her justice.

[SIV]

There were so many to chose from.

[PD Scott]

"Remember, that's Paul *S* Ryan, not the evil Congressman Paul *D* Ryan, who will surely be dealt with by righteous revolutionary justice."

[Killaz]

Because every loves a good snit, man I sure do when I see the rest of ya's indulge in this, but bear with me:

Killaz|2.4.14 @ 9:16AM|#

Jesus, your dumber than a turnip rooted in and growing out of your ass. Wait, turnip? Make that a tumor. You should get it checked.

Killaz|2.4.14 @ 9:18AM|#

your you is dumber

prolefeed|2.4.14 @ 3:05PM|#

It's "you are" dumber, and if you fail to get it right in two tries, a little humility and nonjudgmentalism would be in order.

My correction was a send up of corrections and was intended to occur from the start. It's a routine I do around here. You should have been able to deduce that from the sub-colloquial level of diction I wrote the first post in, and noted to yourself it was different in kind from my other posts. I post on this board because the class of readers is high up on the reading comprehension scale where I normally don't have to explain these things. So, don't be a dodo and try to keep up.

Humility and nonjudgementalism, no, I'm not laughing at you.

[playa manhattan]

He swooped in on a dead thread almost 6 hours later? Jeesh.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeah, it doesn't pay to play that way on sites with no sense of humor.

[Killaz]

I learned the hard way on a board related to my profession, I posted a simple quip, anyone capable of keeping up with an episode of Seinfeld would have got, hence Anybody. I came back several hour later to see the thread totally derailed by a few thousand responses based on a misunderstanding. I keep it very plain and simple on there now.

[playa manhattan]

A few thousand responses? What is it that you do?

[Killaz]

Coding for graphic rendering, bot AI, and physics simulations. Media assets as well. Often times it is work that is farmed out to us when a development team falls behind on their schedules. Sometimes when they just need assets for beta testing early in the process when they don't have their own ready. You know when you see Additional support in the credits of a game. That is often us.

The board is one of the more well known ones oriented towards geek culture.

[Killaz]

I should have stated 'relevant to my profession' instead of 'related' as it implies specificity, but I also wanted to keep it ambiguous. The 'Two Georges divided against himself cannot stand' and all of that.

[playa manhattan]

Sorry for pushing it beyond the ambiguity, I know some people value their anonymity.

Still surprising that a simple joke could get thousands of responses, regardless of the profession.

[Killaz]

It was Slashdot.

[Killaz]

And it's okay, I'm just being paranoid.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Back when I worked at an investment firm, I was talking to one of the assistants to a broker. She was one of those dog lover nutjobs that considered her dogs her 'children' and loved them more than her husband. Anyway, maybe a half hour later my team got an email from her so in jest I replied "who are you?'

Lemme tell ya. Scandals. My own assistant - who was a flake herself - was practically shaking asking why I would write such a mean thing.

It was so fucking retarded I couldn't even bring myself to explain it was a joke and that they're sad people.

Soon after I realized the sterilized office wasn't a place I wanted to be in.

Oh. Her husband ended up leaving her. Cunt.

I have other stories but will stop here.

[JW]

I emailed an FAQ recently to all staff, and just for the hell of it, ended it with:

Q: Is there any chance the track will bend?
A: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.

I thought it was silly and droll and a good number would get it. No one got it. NO ONE. I even got an email wondering if a newly hired Indian woman would be offended.

Sigh.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Sighing with you.

[R C Dean]

I learned my lesson about office humor aways back. I had been tasked with writing our new employee manual (don't ask).

On April 1 (hint, hint), I distributed the new manual to the execs. IN its entirety, it read:

(1) Do what you're told.

(2) Don't be an idiot.

(3) Unless the CEO says otherwise.

I maintain to this day that it is a good and sufficient employee manual. The bosses were Not Amused.

[Michael S. Langston]

I can imagine they weren't happy - but it is an excellent answer and in studying things like this (org dev, leadership, etc) - I think the best employee handbook would consist more of guidelines than specific line by line requirements.

Of course that would require much better managers than typically exists today.

Not that good managers/leaders don't exist, but to push broad based goals, such as customer service, without leaning against specific metrics like, time on call, forces the manager to pay much closer attention to all that is going on, and enforce/champion the guidelines/goals consistently.

Even to the point that those same goals can be used against the manager.

Or if you're the IRS - just give more money - which always increases morale over the long-term.

[waffles]

This is the internet killaz. People loose they're minds trying to spell shit so you can excuse them for assuming you don't know you're ass from your elbow with regard to grammatical construkshun.

I fear that intentionally putting errors into my typing will lead me to lose my mind like the main character in Flowers for Algernon. Though I'm still not convinced all of John's typos are real, it is certainly a troubling thought.

[Corning]

and noted to yourself it was different in kind from my other posts.

Wait you think we should actually pay attention to who we are debating with and be able to differentiate a single individual from everyone else?

You go too far sir.

Too far I say!

[Coeus]

Third hand smoke just as deadly as first hand smoke, study finds.

The team led by Martins-Green found that the mice exposed to third-hand smoke in the lab showed alterations in multiple organ systems and excreted levels of a tobacco-specific carcinogen similar to those found in children exposed to second-hand smoke (and consequently to third-hand smoke):
In the liver, third-hand smoke was found to increase lipid levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a precursor to cirrhosis and cancer and a potential contributor to cardiovascular disease.
In the lungs, third-hand smoke was found to simulate excess collagen production and high levels of inflammatory cytokines (small proteins involved in cell signaling), suggesting propensity for fibrosis with implications for inflammation-induced diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
In wounded skin, healing in mice exposed to third-hand smoke showed many characteristics of the kind of poor healing observed in human smokers who have gone through surgery.
Finally, in behavioral tests the mice exposed to third-hand smoke showed hyperactivity.
"The latter data, combined with emerging associated behavioral problems in children exposed to second- and third-hand smoke suggests that with prolonged exposure, they may be at significant risk for developing more severe neurological disorders,"

[Brett L]

What the fuck is third-hand smoke? Is this smoke people think they've inhaled when they see a cigarette on TV? There's no more blood in that fucking turnip, idiots. You've basically sucked the cigarette industry dry.

[Jarl ? the booty]

Residual smoke in carpet, cushions, curtains, etc

[Brett L]

Fuuuuck. Wait, are they eating them? Because I don't think the periodic evaporation back into the air is more dangerous than the proven to not be an agent of carcinogenesis known as 2nd hand smoke. But I guess if they snorted the carpet, I could maybe see it.

[Ted S.]

I'd think the carpet itself is more dangerous than anything in it.

[Brett L]

Almost certainly. Especially any carpets or other home furnishings that have any flame retardant/resistant treatment, which most do.

[paranoid android]

Ironically, I think if they keep pushing this angle (that having some sixth-degree connection to someone who smokes is just as dangerous as smoking yourself), it'll eventually reach a point where some non-trivial number of people will decide that if they're going to suffer all the health risks of smoking no matter what they do, they might as well just say "fuck it" and light up.

[CampingInYourPark]

What the fuck is third-hand smoke?

Hang on. I'll cough some up for you

[Heroic Mulatto]

The correct term is "gripping-hand smoke".

[waffles]

No. Just no. Second smoke is smelly, but not dangerous. Third hand smoke? I hope nobody got pain real money for this research.

[Corning]

If I had to guess I would think you and every other taxpayer payed real money for the research.

[The Late P Brooks]

My correction was a send up of corrections and was intended to occur from the start.

I'm surprised you didn't go with "you be", you RACIST.

[Killaz]

The often times pleasing dissonance of Ebonics, is it racist to enjoy it more than it is to ignore it?

[The Late P Brooks]

Of course.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

America the Butchy

Take that SoCons!

[110 Lean]

Maybe the two guys with the cute little girl were brothers.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Lest we think the WaPo is going completely libertarian: Fact checkers declare that the CBO report on Obamacare costing jobs simply means it has given more people the freedom to retire

One big issue: the health insurance subsidies in the law. That's a substantial benefit that decreases as people earn more money, so at a certain point, a person has to choose between earning more money or continuing to get the maximum help with health insurance payments. In other words, people might work longer and harder, but actually earn no more, or earn even less, money. That is a disincentive to work. (The same thing happens when people qualify for food stamps or other social services.)

Thus, some people might decide to work part-time, not full time, in order to keep getting health-care subsidies. Thus, they are reducing their supply of labor to the market. Other people near retirement age might decide they no longer need to hold onto their job just because it provides health insurance, and they also leave the work force.
Look at this way: If someone says they decided to leave their job for personal reasons, most people would not say they "lost" their jobs. They simply decided not to work.

To steal a bit of snark from David Burge: that's like saying the Dust Bowl enabled thousands of Okies to take an extended vacation to California.

[Dr. Frankenstien]

At this rate I think the Democrats should just have law that mandates that people above a certain amount of wealth have to adopt a certain number of people. Maybe something on the order of a mandated patron client system a la ancient Rome.

[110 Lean]

They should do Save the Poor Americans commercials on TV.

For as little as the price of a cup of coffee, you can feed a poor American for a day.

[Suthenboy]

Maybe they could have Salley Struthers pitch the idea?

[Dweebston]

You'd be hearing from Represenative Fluke several times a year for the next thirty or forty-someodd years.

Just consider that for a moment.

[db]

Can we please get.on.with the.whole term limits thing?

There have been far.too.many lifetime holders of.national office. Thurmond, Kennedy (Ted), Byrd, Pelosi, Schumer, all should serve as examples of.why, in a system rigged for.the.benefit.of.incumbents, term limits.are needed.

[R C Dean]

There have been far.too.many lifetime holders of.national office. Kennedy (Ted)

Wasn't JFK in office until he died, too?

[Bobarian]

It was a sort of term limit.

[Redmanfms]

It was a sort of term limit.

The best kind.

[Killaz]

So will the smarter brand of liberals and proggies. It's going to hurt them even more. Wait, the gut punches from Pelosi alone would have killed them if that were true. So, what is it with them? Are they incapable of embarrassment?

My typical reaction to libertarian oriented politicians is 'oh God, oh God, please don't say --' Ah, shit Dr. Paul, what have you done now! Let Tim Russert hoodwink you into using valuable campaign time to talk about the Civil War!?! I'll be in my room, crying.

That never happens to them, does it?

[paranoid android]

The only people who have to worry about betraying their principles are people who have principles, Killaz.

[db]

Media interviews look forbcontroversy and differences from the norm to make an "interesting" show to getbviwlewers. They aren't incentivized to get good info to viewers, they are.incentivized to getbviewers for the betwork.

Whatblibertarian interviewees need to do is to stay on.topic. Sure plenty of libs and cons have weird views thatbdon't get discussedbin public, but tye.interviewersblove to highkight the goofiness of non TEAM players.

[paranoid android]

One of these days db is going to be posting while having a stroke AND NONE OF US WILL KNOW

[db]

You try posting from a phone while performing colorectal surgery on an unanaesthetized rhesus monkey.

[Duke Trshmnstr of Stench]

It's all in the wrist action.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

I just watched some of Jon Stewart interviewing Bill di Blasio and "controversial" is not the phrase that would come to mind. "Sloppy blowjob" would be far more appropriate.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

They get elected. That's the problem. Know another problem? People don't really have a personal political philosophy; they don't ponder policy. To them, voting is just an act that's part of the democratic process. It's why they can literally vote for a stupid dumbass like Fluke in one election and a conservative in another.

I can't tell you how many of my friends have voted for all three parties here in Canada under the auspices of "change."

The Schumer's of this world will always get voted in. Always.

[Duke Trshmnstr of Stench]

People don't really have a personal political philosophy; they don't ponder policy. To them, voting is just an act that's part of the democratic process.

This is why get out the vote campaigns are nefarious.

[Michael S. Langston]

This is why get out the vote campaigns are nefarious.

Agreed - and not one of those campaigns even feigns as though it's trying to reach educated voters or attempting to educate non-voters in order to vote.

Nope - there seems to be a never spoken, but agreed upon assumption that by simply adding voters the results of any vote will necessarily be better.

I don't think any of these "get out the vote" groups really believe this - as they aren't really equal opportunity vote-getters.

They aren't overtly political, least the become actual political groups instead of non-political non-profits, but the focus their campaigns in ares where they know those they're registering, if they do vote, will likely vote for the party which mostly contributers to their efforts.

Which is fine - but no one even questions it, which isn't good. In a sane world, the whole idea that those who cannot seemingly register and vote on their own (which is pathetically easy in the 5 states I've lived in) will make the results of the next election better if only we go to their homes, help them register, then remind them about the election and give them a ride to the polls.

Sorry, but more voters != better result. More informed voters may, but simply more != better.

[Michael S. Langston]

Preview - preview - preview - second to last paragraph is missing a point - only that in a sane world this idea would be laughable... too much anger, too little sleep 🙂

[The Late P Brooks]

Obamacare: now with food stamps!

[Apatheist ?_??]

That terrible Super Bowl turned out to be the most-watched program in television history.

Well, American TV anyways.

[Episiarch]

It wasn't terrible for me or anyone else in Seattle, I can tell you that! MWAHAHAHAHAHA

[hamilton]

Like he said, American TV. Not the Democratic Republic of Starbuckistan.

[Sevo]

You and every advertiser whose major market is Seattle.

[Killaz]

How did you even get in to work Monday? The partying on the street must have been like a Satanic woodland critter orgy.

[Episiarch]

Much like Cartman, I do what I want.

The partying died down by the morning. There will be a parade tomorrow (rolls eyes) and that should be annoying.

[John]

You called it. The physical DBs ate Manning alive like they always do.

[playa manhattan]

Sherman is claiming that they cracked Manning's hand signals in the first quarter.

[Episiarch]

Thank you, John. The thing is, most of you haven't been watching the Seahawks every game, watching their style, so you wouldn't have seen it. But I have, and not only did I see that the defense was going to give Manning a seriously hard time, I also knew that if the whole team, including the offense, was really "on", they would destroy the Broncos. And they did. And the thing is, when they're on, they'll pretty much destroy anyone.

But you'd have to have been watching them to have known that.

[John]

A couple of former NFL players being interviewed on one of the ESPN shows said the Broncos had no chance. The hosts looked at them like they were nuts.

[Pro Libertate]

To Episiarch's point, it was all in Seattle's hands. They've had some off games this year (a whole lot more on offense, but even with the defense), so if the off-day defense had shown up, who knows. But the good defense wasn't likely allowing many points.

The surprise to me was how bad the Denver defense played. Not that it was great during the regular season, but it had played well during the playoffs.

[Mickey Rat]

ESPN hosts are the high priests of the Cult of the Quarterback. They always fall in love with a team led by a big name QB.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Are you sure it was Manning?

[Killaz]

My nephew just pointed out to me that Flea's bass guitar wasn't even plugged in.

Enjoying the Hopslam he brought home last night. Damn.

[R C Dean]

My nephew just pointed out to me that Flea's bass guitar wasn't even plugged in.

I thought it was common knowledge that all the Super Bowl halftime music was piped in.

[Killaz]

I usually skip it, but the talent pool was worth checking out this year.

[Auric Demonocles]

You can go ahead and add anyone that was sick of the Manning hype to the list.

[Pro Libertate]

Brady fan has a sad.

[Bobarian]

I'm a Chiefs fan. Being sick of the Manning hype, compounded by the fact that ol' Fivehead wouldn't even stop in to KC to talk to management made the first half of that game delicious.

When the opening 2nd half kick was returned, it got sad.

[Raven Nation]

The story H&R links to implies that the ratings went down in the second half - obviously not surprising.

[Apatheist ?_??]

The story and the damnable 24/7 link through both state that it is the biggest in US TV History but Shackford clipped that out.

Not that it's a big deal, it's a common thing in those sorts of rankings.

[Pro Libertate]

To be sure, it beat out a game from a couple of years ago. Population growth does tend to mean more viewers.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Yes and to be fair the World Cup finals have a much wider pool of viewers. The most interesting tv viewer estimates I've seen is for Pakistan-India Cricket World Cup matches.

[Pro Libertate]

I wonder what the ratings would be like for the World Cup final if the U.S. made it? Lowest ever?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Every World Cup final is the biggest ever because of population growth like you said and because FIFA and the European clubs have been aggressive promoting the sport in Asia.

I don't think it matters who is playing. I was in Shanghai for the 2006 World Cup and people were going crazy over it even though China sucks and never qualifies.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm telling you, the world would freak out if the U.S. made the final. If we won, we'd be nuked. I'm almost not kidding.

[Virginian]

I'm telling you, the world would freak out if the U.S. made the final. If we won, we'd be nuked. I'm almost not kidding.

I mean, let's be honest, it would be the last thing we aren't the best at. Right?

[Raven Nation]

If the US won the World Cup, I suspect there would be a growth in conspiracy theory thinking in other parts of the world.

[Raven Nation]

I was interpreting this:

saw its best ratings toward the end of the first half

to mean it dropped off in the second half.

[Apatheist ?_??]

My complaint was to the removal of "US" as there are many other events, sporting and otherwise, that get many more viewers.

[Raven Nation]

Oh, OK, misunderstood. I could see the Pakistan-India cricket. And that may get interesting given the shitstorm that is brewing in world cricket.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Hell even the Champions League Final has surpassed the Super Bowl and that is more comparable as a yearly championship.

Disclaimer: all the numbers are disputed.

[Raven Nation]

Problem with counting soccer numbers is that there really are lots of people watching it on the equivalent of the village TV.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Yeah and FIFA has been criticized in the past for how they come up with their numbers. They used to claim that billions of people watched the WC final. Still, even with the completely verifiable numbers it is a much bigger audience than the Super Bowl.

[Corning]

This bill ensures that consumers, not their Internet service provider, are in the driver's seat when it comes to their online experience," said the House bill's cosponsor, Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

And by customers they mean their corporate clients Google, Facebook, and Netflix who want to enshrine their dominance into law.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Cenk Yugar of the Young Turks unleashes tirade on MSNBC for apologizing for Cheerios tweet

Maybe that person at MSNBC who sent the tweet got the idea from a recent ad that caused outrage on Fox News because it included a Muslim woman and her husband who is in the U.S. military. They said this ad was only blocks from the site of 9/11! That is 100 percent bigoted response from the right-wing to an ad that involves two people from different backgrounds. Bingo.

Maybe they would have gotten the idea that Republicans don't like biracial couples because of a poll in the Republican primaries in the South where 21 percent of GOP primary voters in Alabama and 29 percent of the Mississippi GOP primary voters said that interracial marriage should be illegal.

Can anyone in America say with a straight face it is unclear which party in America is more racist? One of the parties had this thing called the Southern Strategy, where they decided being racist toward blacks would get more white voters in the South. Care to guess which party that was? If you're still unclear on that or completely ignorant, maybe the last two RNC chairs could help you because they both apologized for their party's blatantly racist strategy.

It must suck to be that impotent and angry all the time.

[Brett L]

Apparently the lesson of Kos' Diary (that angry impotence has a hard ceiling) has been lost to the new generation of juiceboxers.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Maybe they would have gotten the idea that Republicans don't like biracial couples because of a poll in the Republican primaries in the South where 21 percent of GOP primary voters in Alabama and 29 percent of the Mississippi GOP primary voters said that interracial marriage should be illegal.

And what were the results of Southern Democrats, Yugar? Because you never get around to telling us that for some strange reason.

That Turk is a bigger jerk than Recep Tayyip Erdogan!

[Brett L]

Well, I mean there are a bunch of white dudes who like heavier women, and I think black men play really well to the white overweight woman demographic in the South. Or like a friend of mine who started dating black men exclusively after divorcing a white guy. At least she wouldn't marry the exact same type of guy twice.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, as a committed Right-Wing Teathuglican, I will only marry a half Jewish, quarter Scottish, 12.5%ish Afro-Caribbean, 12.5%ish Indo-Carribean, and 0.5%ish Sino-Carribean, because I don't believe in interracial marriage.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

So....you'll have to marry your sister?

[Ted S.]

I wonder what Cenk thinks of Turks who marry Armenians.

[Restoras]

What Armenians?

[Raven Nation]

You know who else has/had a problem with interracial marriages?

"I give interracial couples a look. Daggers. They get uncomfortable when they see me on the street. Hand in hand and arm in arm. I just hope they'r eon in it for the sex mythology."

White women who go out with black men are "muggy." He quotes one of his characters: "'Most black men don't be having no Penthouse pets, they be having outhouse pets.'" Not the kindest thing he could have said under the circumstances. "And they have nothin' going for them, nothin'. Doesn't matter what she's doing, what she's about, she's just there, and you have a prize?a white woman on your arm. A trophy. Sick."

Not very different from the old white businessman who has to have a decorative girl on his arm, I say. "Why you keep bringing up white men and women?" he says. "I can't worry about that. I can only worry about issues that are relevant to me." Okay. And what do white women get out of this, I ask; what's their part in sexual mythologizing? He makes that sawing-in-sawing-out motion again; there's no mistaking what it means. "Simple as that."

Sleepily he says: "Interracial relationships are possible if there is genuine love." Covering all bases.

Read more: Spike Lee Interview - Spike Lee's Malcom X - Esquire
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[Heroic Mulatto]

At least he "did the right thing" at the end.

[Episiarch]

I've said Spike Lee was a fucking racist--to many people--since seeing Do the Right Thing.

[Raven Nation]

Don't think I've ever watched a Spike Lee flick. Apart from the politics, are any of them as good as people say?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I liked Inside Man, which was a nice little heist thriller.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I found it racist too. All the onus was on the wops to 'do the right thing.'

Asshole.

[Brett L]

Freedom's just another word... when you're Jay Carney.

But it sure is paranoid of me to think that government officials don't value liberty.

[Heroic Mulatto]

My 7-year-old daughter just showed me the chart that she made to divide her class into various "tiers" that determine the quality of Valentine Day Card one shall receive from her.

God help us all.

[playa manhattan]

What are the criterion?

[Heroic Mulatto]

What are the criterion?

From what I can tell, the first tier is her "clique" and the rest follow her computations of social distance from the clique.

[db]

CLASS WARRIOR!

[Heroic Mulatto]

Several times my daughter has exclaimed "Thank God we're not poor!". When I ask her how she knows that she states "I have everything I need or want."

She then spit on a bum.

[Heroic Mulatto]

*spat? spitted?

[Wasteland Wanderer]

I think *spat* is that appropriate verb there.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Spitted would imply she impaled him and placed him over a fire to roast.

[Corning]

My chart at 7 years old just divided the boys from girls.

The boys got just random bullshit while the girls got the one I thought they would specifically like.

There was no intent of getting a girlfriend or anything like that...it was simply to try to get the girls from being complete shits to me.

At that point in time I did not realize 7 year old girls were shits to everyone and was not particularity picking on me.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, what tier were you, Corning?

[Corning]

No idea.

I would throw my sack of valentines away without examining them for quality or quantity.

At that point in my life I had two older brothers who were into sword and sorcery.

Conan would not suffer Valentines so neither should I.

[Ted S.]

This is why there are no 7-year-old female libertarians!

[Killaz]

When your dream in life is to be a princes, you know who your natural born enemies are.

[Killaz]

In fifth grade I stole a writing sample from nine or ten guys from my class. Wrote two lovely Valentines to two girls in the class in the handwriting of each of them to a different girl. All to obscure the source of the one I wrote to the girl I had a crush on. I wanted to tell her how I felt, but also be able to say, 'hey, it wasn't me! It was this prankster guy' in case she rejected it.

[Coeus]

Bill Cosby, sexual predator.

How have I not heard about any of this?

[Episiarch]

Question, since I don't read that pathetic drivel and you do: how did the Jezebel style crowd react to the Woody Allen accusations? I would assume they would support the accuser, since that seems to be their track record, but they might also like Allen. And to be honest, watching them have to choose is often pretty hilarious.

[playa manhattan]

I would guess that they turned on Bill Cosby as soon as he spoke out against ebonics.

[Corning]

I looked at the link.

It would appear this very story is intended to to distract from the Woody Allen story.

Specifically naming the Dylan piece then pointing its finger at Cosby and saying "Quick look over there".

If the Cosby article was a satire of left wing moonbat propaganda it would be a work of genius.

[John]

I can't believe they won't defend Allen. I think that women's bitch is with Mia Farrow. If Allen molested her, she should be asking her mother why the hell she didn't prosecute.

I have no problem with victims of criminals who are acquitted saying publiclly the person is really guilty. If you are willing to testify under oath, you have a right to say in public the jury got it wrong.

But if you decide for whatever reason not to prosecute and won't say your accusation under oath, you need to shut the fuck up. I have pretty much had it with Farrow and her brood. Either they are lying about this or Allen molested a seven year old and they didn't think it was important enough to insist on prosecution. Either way, they are pretty loathsome.

[Killaz]

The fact that she made him stay in the guest house while still adopting kids with him? How do you reconcile that? The only way I can think of, is she was a nut who had no proof but a ton of paranoid suspicion, and he had his head completely up her ass in love with her that he would put up with her humiliation of him.

[John]

They always had a weird relationship. They kept separate apartments in New York the whole time they were married.

They are basically both nuts if you ask me. Who knows what happened.

[R C Dean]

They kept separate apartments in New York the whole time they were married.

And you call them nuts? Would you want to be trapped in an apartment with either of them?

[Coeus]

how did the Jezebel style crowd react to the Woody Allen accusations?

They were pretty clear that they think he's guilty. They've had several articles about it.

[Episiarch]

OK, give them credit for consistency, though it's not nearly as fun as cognitive dissonance.

[Coeus]

Allen is, quite simply, not the type of male they would be moved to defend.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Were these accusations about the time the Cos started speaking out on matters of race?

[Heroic Mulatto]

*jinx*

[playa manhattan]

Damn you both

[Heroic Mulatto]

The accusations of Cosby as serial rapist match up nicely to when Cosby was gaining a reputation as a critic of Black ghetto welfare hand-outs culture.

Curious. Most curious.

At least it would be if we didn't know that Progressives are amoral psychopaths.

[paranoid android]

Sorry, now I can't get the image out of my head of a woman tearfully recounting her horrible assault while Bill Cosby makes funny faces and repeats back what she says in nonsensical baby-talk.

[Episiarch]

You forgot what he did to her with the Jello pudding pops.

(makes nonsense sounds)

[PD Scott]

As long as he doesn't make her watch "Ghost Dad" or "Leonard, Part Six".

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I miss pudding pops.

[Corning]

Democrats in Congress are introducing legislation to enshrine "net neutrality" principles into law.

So what are the chances of this getting enough Republicans to pass the house?

[Episiarch]

About the same as they were before: zero.

Net neutrality is luckily shaping up to be like gun control; it's moronic advocates cannot stop trying to get it passed, but it keeps getting slapped down every time. That's probably because it's fucking retarded, but the retards who promote it, being retarded, are too retarded to see that.

[playa manhattan]

For some reason, they seem to have dropped the Fairness Doctrine and Card Check. For now.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Once upon a time the system was designed to keep retards out. But they've found a way in and they ain't letting go of the sweet gig.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

By the way, when will their be a war on the word 'retard?' It's a matter of time. I know I was scolded in my hockey pool for using it.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

'there.'

[Episiarch]

There's already a shaming war on about it. For the most part, if someone gives me shit for using retard, I cease associating with them. It's a good way of only hanging with people with senses of humor and no huge hangups about retards.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I stopped responding to emails.

What was next?

'Fat' was going to hurt feelings?

[playa manhattan]

My dad joined the board of the Special Olympics after he retired. Since that time, he has tried to shame me and my brothers into giving up the word.

[Episiarch]

That's retarded.

[Heroic Mulatto]

*ahem*

You mean, "That's R-worded", my nigga.

[playa manhattan]

He started using the term "athletes", it has since been co-opted.

[Mad Scientist]

Buy your dad this album.

[JW]

By the way, when will their be a war on the word 'retard?

There already is. Peter Schiff used it on the Daily Show last week and was subjected to to a torrent of ALL CAPS hate emails from the Perpetually Aggrieved Pearl Clutching Shock Squad.

That man has a tolerance for idiots that I will never be able to comprehend.

[Corning]

By the way, when will their be a war on the word 'retard?'

I thought Schiff already got nailed for this:

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

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

TNR: Let's socialize the law by having single-payer lawyers

The only way to bring about the ideal of equal protection under the law is to boost spending on lawyers for the poor and middle class, and to prevent the affluent from spending freely. We must, in effect, socialize the legal profession.

The idea would be roughly as follows: in criminal cases, we decide what the accused should be able to spend to defend themselves against a given charge?securities fraud, grand theft, manslaughter, etc. No one can spend more, even if she has the money, and those who can't afford the limit would receive a subsidy for the full amount beyond what they would have spent on their own (say, beyond a certain percentage of their annual salary or net worth). In civil cases, we decide what the plaintiff should be able to spend to pursue an award of a particular amount, or to pursue a particular kind of claim, and what the defendant should be able to spend in response.8 The same subsidies would apply.

Wow.

[John]

The argument for single payer law is a lot more compelling than for single payer health care. Competent legal defense is a constitutional right. And more people go bankrupt paying lawyers than paying doctors.

[C. Anacreon]

Finally! For some reason lawyers have been the only profession to escape the recent drives to limit salaries.

Thanks John, for recognizing this even though these are your colleagues.

[John]

It is almost like lawyers run things or something.

[Pro Libertate]

To be sure, it's a fucking stupid argument, too.

[Jarl ? the booty]

A government-imposed cap on how much you can spend defending yourself against a government-brought accusation?

That's so retarded it hurts. In the balls.

[paranoid android]

Take careful note that at no point does he advocate limiting how much the state can spend for prosecution purposes.

[Michael S. Langston]

A government-imposed cap on how much you can spend defending yourself against a government-brought accusation?

How about the defendant gets to spend as much money as the prosecution, courtesy of the prosecution?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Isn't this basically the inquisitorial system? (i.e. The state has already won and the trial is basically to figure out how.)

[Heroic Mulatto]

Pictured:The author who in his vast years of experience leading to wisdom (He's 12) is fit to pontificate upon the complexities of the American legal system.

[John]

The guy is a Rhodes scholar who studied economics and he doesn't see any problem with setting a hard limit on what people could spend to defend themselves in a criminal case.

Do they just not teach economics at Oxford or is this clown so mendacious he refused to learn?

[paranoid android]

I find alarming the way he just asserts that it should be pretty easy to find one amount that will cover all defenses of a given crime. That idea can't survive more than ten seconds of careful thought, and he just sort of drops it in there.

[John]

And just think this clown and Maddow both were Rhodes Scholars. They really must have no standards for giving those anymore beyond the ability to mouth talking points.

[PD Scott]

Wasn't Bill Clinton a Rhodes scholar, too? I don't recall if Hillary was.

[John]

Bill but not Hillary.

[Pro Libertate]

He was. So was Kris Kristofferson.

[John]

But that was back when you had to earn those things. Kristofferson has probably burned more brain power drinking and taking pills than this clown ever had.

[Loki]

I clicked on the link expecting to see that the author really was, in fact, 12. Because only a 12 year old could write something so stupid and get away with it. Or so I thought.

[Ted S.]

I've suggested this before, but only as a way to point out how horrible single-payer medical care is.

[Loki]

Sandra Fluke has filed papers to run for Congress in California to Rep. Henry Waxman's seat when he retires, but she hasn't made a formal decision as yet whether she'll actually do so.

Her decision will probably depend on whether or not Congress gets free contraceptives.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Bill de Blasio to boycott New York's St. Patrick's Day parade in protest of parade's exclusion of pro-gay advocacy

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will not be marching in the nation's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, deciding to skip one of his city's signature celebrations because the event organizers refuse to let participants carry pro-gay signs.

De Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit out the traditional march along Fifth Avenue.

"I will be participating in a number of other events to honor the Irish heritage of this city," said de Blasio on Tuesday during an unrelated press conference at City Hall. "But I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade."

The parade draws more than 1 million people each March 17 to line one of Manhattan's most famous thoroughfares to watch about 200,000 participants. It has long been a mandatory stop on the city's political trail, and will include marching bands, traditional Irish dancers and thousands of uniformed city workers.

Since the 1990s, the event's ban on pro-gay signs and banners has spurred protests and litigation and led to the creation of an alternative, gay-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade in Queens. In recent years, several elected officials ? including de Blasio when he was public advocate ? attended the inclusive parade and boycotted the traditional parade.

[John]

protest of parade's exclusion of pro-gay advocacy

Not ban on gays, but pro gay advocacy. If you are not willing to actively turn your event into an instrument of Prog politics, it must be destroyed.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Wow. He's quickly proving to be a totalitarian piece of shit psychopath.

Well done New York.

Well done.

[paranoid android]

Seriously? I got no love for the guy, but how in the world is not going to a parade evidence of being a "totalitarian piece of shit psychopath"?

[John]

Because he is saying that the event must be pro gay or he won't go. That is absurd. Can't it be apolitical? No according to him. Every event must be used for Prog ends or it must be destroyed.

Fuck him.

[paranoid android]

And if he had said, "Allow pro-gay advocacy at the parade or I will use the entire power of my office to make sure that the parade never occurs again in this city", that would be evidence of "totalitarian piece of shit psychopathy". He has a right to not attend the parade for whatever reason he chooses, it's ridiculous for you to suggest he's obligated to go in spite of his objections.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Agreed with PA. But the thing is even very pro-gay Mayor Bloomberg didn't have a problem attending the parade.

They aren't banning gay people, just pro-gay signs that have nothing to do with celebrating Irish heritage which is what the parade is about.

It just seems like silly grandstanding to me.

[John]

He is the mayor. Attending the parade is one of his duties. Basically he is saying he has no use for anything that doesn't further his politics. That makes him a piece of shit.

[paranoid android]

So if a group of Neo-Nazis in New York got all the proper permits and wanted to stage a parade, and the mayor declined to attend, what would you say of that decision?

[John]

Are the guys who do the St. Patrick's day parade Nazis? If not, then your analogy fails.

[paranoid android]

Your claim was that attending the parade was "one of his duties". Is it your belief that there is an official, legal obligation for the mayor to attend the St. Patrick's Day parade specifically? If not, how could it be "one of his duties" to attend that parade, but not my hypothetical Nazi one?

[Loki]

Are you implying that Irish people are Neo-Nazis?

[paranoid android]

Are you implying that Irish people are Neo-Nazis?

Of course not. What's going on here is that de Blasio won't attend the parade because he disagrees with how the organizers have inserted their politics into conducting the parade. In the most extreme conceivable example, that is, if the organizers were Nazis, this would be obviously uncontroversial. But many are saying that in this case, it's unacceptable, and I'm trying to determine why that is.

[Loki]

the organizers have inserted their politics into conducting the parade

You're assuming that they banned pro-gay signs because they're anti-gay. Maybe they just didn't want them to turn an event that's supposed to be a celebration of Irish heritage into an opportunity to grandstand for a political cause that has nothing to do with Irish heritage. It's not like they banned gay people from the parade, just signs promoting their political agenda.

I don't know why they banned the signs because I can't read their minds, but it is possible that maybe they did it for reasons other than "they hatez teh gays."

[paranoid android]

Actually, from the article that was linked, it appears the ban prevents groups marching in the parade from identifying themselves as gay. If the Flaming Emeralds Hurling Club (not a real organization, as far as I know) wanted to march, they'd have to avoid acknowledging or identifying in any way that they are gay, which seems to go a bit beyond trying to stop people from just "grandstanding" and well into attempting to completely marginalize homosexuals.

I haven't done much research into the issue, so I don't know how other "political" displays are handled under parade policy (I'd be very interested to know if any pro-life groups have ever marched in the parade and identified themselves as such). But the evidence presented in the linked article seems to suggest the policy is very narrowly-tailored to minimize the influence of gays for the sake of excluding the gays.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, they were "neutral" during the war....

[Coeus]

"That's the problem with Neutrals - you never know where you stand. Damn them and their neutrality."

[Somalian Road Corporation]

Even though I just bitched about Jon Stewart giving him the interview equivalent of a sloppy blowjob on the Daily Show above, this is like the least objectionable thing I've seen him do. It's a privately organized parade and if all he's doing is boycotting rather than trying to shut it down or otherwise fuck with it, this doesn't bother me at all.

Plenty of other worthwhile things to get worked up about when it comes to di Blasio. Like his obsession with equality by hatchet, axe and saw.

[John]

It is in itself not a big deal. But it is a glimpse into his and people like him mentality. It is not good enough to not say anything about an issue. You must allow people to show up and turn your event into a tool for Prog politics or you are the enemy.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I can't believe that you all are having a serious discussion about Irish Kwanzaa.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It's what makes this place special.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The Black Irish?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Maybe I jumped off my chair a little too quickly.

But something tells me this obnoxious blowhard will earn it.

[Coeus]

How do they feel about pro-gay signs at the Cinco de Mayo parade?

[Heroic Mulatto]

New York's Cinco de Mayo parade is a joke. The Puerto Rican Day Parade on the other hand...

[Pro Libertate]

Cinco de Mayo is a joke. Mexican Independence Day is in September.

[jesse.in.mb]

Let them have something, they're celebrating beating the French for god's sake. Don't take what little they have.

[Pro Libertate]

The Mexicans have Mexican Independence Day: Diecis?is de septiembre. You know, independence from Spain? In fact, their bicentennial was just a few years ago.

Cinco de Mayo is like people in another country celebrating Mardis Gras as U.S. Independence Day.

[Loki]

Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick's day are both just "holidays" that we've co-opted into an excuse to get shit faced, vomit in the street, and get into bar brawls twice a year and have people just shrug and say "Eh, it's St. Patty's/ Cinco de Mayo, what're you gonna do?" instead of being judgemental assholes like normal.

[Pro Libertate]

What, St. Patrick's Day isn't the holiest of Irish holidays? Wow.

Personally, I'd ditch the Irish holiday, move the Mexican one to the real one, and celebrate Tartan Day in place of St. Patrick's, with everyone wearing kilts, eating horrific food, getting shit faced, vomiting in the streets, and getting into bar brawls.

[playa manhattan]

I don't care as long as Pacificos, limes, and avocados go on sale.

[seguin]

It's when a Texan (Ignacio Zaragoza) defeated a bunch of imperialist Frenchmen.

It's worth celebrating.

[Loki]

WTF does St. Patrick's day have to do with gay rights? Maybe the parade organizers simply want the parade to reflect a celebration of Irish heritage and not be turned into an instrument for political advocacy. But it's totally inconcievable to pieces of shit DeBlasio that some people may not want to turn every public event into an opportunity to make some kind of completely unrelated political statement. What a cockstain.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

New York politicians boycotting the St. Patrick's Day Parade? I may have read something about this in the Book of Revelations....

[110 Lean]

Seahawks: We cracked Peyton Manning's hand-signals

[John]

Cue Manning fanboys to claim cheating.

[Pro Libertate]

It's not cheating, but it'll lead to an effort to take away from a good defense beating a good offense, which is usually what happens in these games. The Bucs caught the same flack when they dominated the Raiders' offense. It was bullshit then, too, because guessing some of the signals doesn't explain crushing the other team (that happens fairly often and teams often can't do shit with the knowledge).

[John]

There are several Raiders players who say that Bill Callahan changed the game plan the night before that game in order to sabotage their chances because he hated Al Davis and wanted his old friend Gruden to win.

It sounds crazy. But the Raiders threw the ball some absurd number of times despite having a very strong running game and the Bucs Tampa II defense being known to be a flawed scheme against the run.

[Pro Libertate]

Nah, it's bullshit. The Raiders were in a hole--that's why they threw so much. The fact is that the OFFENSE IS ALL mentality just cannot conceive of the truth that defense beats offense if the two are even equal. Almost every time at the top level.

Bet we hear similar crap about the Seahawks.

[Episiarch]

Yup. Any fuel for whining will be burned like the Joker burning a pile of cash. Losing hurts, huh bitches?

[Loki]

Whatever, I'm sure every defensive coaching staff in the league has people trying to crack his hand signals every game (they change them up for each game, IIRC, so you can't just watch a bunch of tape and figure it out ahead of time). I'm sure some have cracked it before. I don't see why anyone should care. Unless they were pulling a Belichick (which I'm sure everyone else does as well).

[Brett L]

Well, they even admitted that if Peyton had done anything non-Peyton, they'd have been fucked.

[John]

Why didn't he then? He didn't notice that they seemed to always know what was coming?

[Loki]

Unfortunately for the Broncos Peyton is virtually autistic when it comes to being a creature of habit. How hard would it have been to change his hand signals mid game? "Guys when I do X, on the next possession, it means the opposite of what it normally means." Hell, they could have just changed one or two hand signals just to see if Seattle had cracked the code, then change the rest at halftime or the next posession after that. Shouldn't have been that hard. So much for Peyton the uber cerbral genius QB. More like idiot savant.

[Pro Libertate]

Probably takes a while to decide that your signals have been stolen, and the game was lost well before any adjustment could be made. Good defenses usually win no matter what if you spot their team a few scores.

[jesse.in.mb]

Scottish brewery, BrewDog, sends Vladmir Putin beer.

Hello, my name is Vladimir. I am a beer for uber hetero men who ride horses while topless and carrying knives. I am a beer to mark the 2014 Winter Olympics. But I am not for gays. Love wrestling burly men on the Judo mat or fishing in your Speedos? Then this is the beer for you!

The sick, twisted legislation brought about in Russia that prevents people from living their true lives is something we didn't want to just sit back and not have an opinion on. Our core beliefs are freedom of expression, freedom of speech and a dogged (no pun intended) passion for doing what we love. Thus, we are donating 50% of the profits from this beer to charitable organisations that support like minded individuals wishing to express themselves freely without prejudice.

This beer is a double IPA brewed with Limonnik berries. We heard they're great for improving sexual performance, so we've sent a case to the Kremlin as we suspect there is someone there who would appreciate a little helping hand.

Bonus points for the scruffy shirtless brewer photos. Me likey.

[Apatheist ?_??]

The brewdogs guy's show on Esquire Channel was decently entertaining.

[jesse.in.mb]

There is a show? I might be entertained by the antics of a cute, but slightly goofy looking Scottish brewer in some kind of video-based fashion?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Yes, featuring two goofy looking Scottish brewers. The guy holding the horse is the other Brewdog brewer.

[jesse.in.mb]

Since R C Dean has had a hard time finding "ringing denunciations of Russia and the Sochi Games by American gay activist organizations." I figured I'd help out a bit:

That legislation's passage has been followed by unprecedented, effectively state-sanctioned violence against LGBT people, who have been harassed, arrested, beaten, raped, tortured, and killed. Activists had called for a boycott of Sochi and for the Games to be moved from Russia, citing its abysmal human rights record, including its attacks on LGBT Russians.

The protest is the latest in a series of high-profile protests launched by Queer Nation dating to July 2013. They include December 12 actions at two NBC employee Christmas parties and earlier confrontations with Moscow government officials at meetings promoting US investment in Russia. The group has also targeted supporters of Putin performing at the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall as well as "Russia Day" at the New York Stock Exchange.

Queer Nation NY will be protesting (probably obnoxiously) outside the Russian consulate in NY.

[R C Dean]

You're still on about this? I'm just curious about where their main focus has been (private parties, or the Russian government), and I can't help but notice that even in your quote above, the Queer Nation folks are targeting:

(1) NBC (twice)
(2) The NYSE
(3) Musicians

as against an unknown number of confrontations with Moscow officials.

Really, you're not helping yourself.

[jesse.in.mb]

I saw your last comment on the earlier thread after I posted this. As I mentioned there Americans have no direct way to put pressure on Russia. I don't think it's inherently anti-capitalist (although particularly with Queer Nation it wouldn't surprise me), to try to harness larger economic entities that are doing business in Russia to wield pressure on Russia's economic landscape. I still don't think that their efforts will bear fruit, but it's a more rational mechanism of action than screaming into the wind and hoping Putin listens.

[R C Dean]

I don't think it's inherently anti-capitalist (although particularly with Queer Nation it wouldn't surprise me)

That's kinda where I am. I find it curious that their reflex, when the Russians do something bad, is to attack Americans and/or private individuals.

Tactically, I think they are doomed to irrelevance (to the Russians, anyway). So, if you are going to make purely symbolic protests anyway, why do you choose to direct them at people who are not responsible for what you are protesting?

Perhaps there is some other agenda, here?

[jesse.in.mb]

Perhaps for some there is, but this all started with the boycott of a Russian brand (Stoli)* which was particularly popular in gay bars. Once that bubble got popped people felt like they needed to DO SOMETHING and began looking for purchase. The corporate sponsors of Russian based Olympics aren't randomly picked American companies, they're people who are doing heavy business in Russia right now and who, if spooked enough about domestic response would have the best chance to get some concessions from the govt out of any American agents.

And I don't disagree that some of these groups are hard left sympathizers, but while I disagree with their politics, groups like the HRC aren't secret communists looking down to the machine they're political players busy sucking up to wealthy individual and corporate donors so they can maintain their political influence.

*Shackford has well covered why this is a shallow read of the situation and I won't rehash it.

[Coeus]

In The Court Of Public Opinion, Let's Try Preponderance Of Evidence As The Standard

This is something that always bothers me. No feminists that I know of have ever in sincerity said that the court should throw out the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in proving a crime.

bull. shit.

[John]

In fairness must feminists are not smart enough to understand the standard or the effects that their policies would have on it and there is no level of cognitive dissonance that is beyond them.

[Loki]

No feminists that I know of have ever in sincerity said that the court should throw out the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in proving a crime.

Maybe they don't know that many feminists. Or the ones they do know are secretly "gender traitors" or something.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I would be surprised if you couldn't find evidence of Marcotte herself arguing that.

[Also Ran]

A new study shows a drop in suicide rates in states in the years after they legalize medical marijuana, particularly among men.

This seems appropriate:
Star Death and White Dwarfes - Smoking Pot Makes Me Not Want to Kill Myself

[RishJoMo]

Over the mountain dude, I mean like for surte.

http://www.Anon-Works.tk

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Very Canadian up here. Too Canadian if you ask me.

[jesse.in.mb]

Maybe someone making a joke? Besides the gay bar in my neighborhood that has an overabundance of bottled bitch beers, most of the gay bars I've been to have been VERY beer heavy.

Besides this place wouldn't exist if homos didn't drink beer.

[Heroic Mulatto]

That is one entertaining schizophrenic.

[jesse.in.mb]

Less than a minute in and there's already images from mass-produced interracial gay porn, the phrases "sexual depravity" and "queerifying"*, and a reference to the "homosexual agenda" spoken in menacing tones.

It's like being back in the '90s without me feeling self-conscious because I forgot to wax everything below the eyebrows.

*the accepted nomenclature here is "gaying up the place"

[Lady Bertrum]

Short version:

"It's for the goys. Who cares!"

[Corning]

BWAHAHAHAH

The timing of that picture of Kagen playing softball is friggin awesome.

"Even Kagen at the supreme court, yes Jewish An alleged lesbian at that"

- Q photo of Kagen playing softball.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Also, just how many crosses does one person need?

[Pro Libertate]

One is usually enough:

Coordinator: Crucifixion?

Prisoner: Yes.

Coordinator: Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

[jesse.in.mb]

Now, you know it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum. Or... well, like Brian, for example, has thirty seven pieces of flair, okay. And a terrific smile.

[jesse.in.mb]

He clearly hasn't seen Yossi and Jagger or visited Tel Aviv.

The friend consensus is that I ought to find myself a nice Canadian Jew (I honestly have no idea how this became a thing) I think they'd be disappointed to know it's only for the goyim.

[playa manhattan]

Where is the local gay bay? Redondo?

[jesse.in.mb]

Aye, The Dolphin, or I guess it's called Artesia Bar now. The last time I was in there it had just come under new ownership and was undergoing a serious overhaul. Hopefully next time I go in it'll have a better drink selection.