Tonight on The Independents: Go "Off the Grid" With Bitcoin, Anti-NSA Tech, Preppers, Urban Survivalists, Digital Detoxers, Honduran Free Cities, and More!

Olympics, shmolympics: The Independents is coming at you at 9 pm ET, 6 pm PT on Fox Business Network, and you should totally watch it, or DVR it, or watch the repeats at midnight and over the weekend, if you are into things like Bitcoin, evading the National Security Agency, creating alternatives to the nation-state, and/or digging 140-foot tunnels in your yard because of the financial crisis.

The "Off the Grid" theme show starts with urban survivalist Shane Hobel showing off which tools and gadgets (and mental checklists) are most useful for various bug-out or bug-in scenarios, should disaster of any stripe strike. Next, Brickhouse Security founder/CEO Todd Morris tells you what (little) you can do to lessen your digital footprint while still using your beloved devices in this era of near-panopticon surveillance. Reason.tv contributor Naomi Brockwell then explains the alluring and mysterious world of Bitcoin. Speaking of which, why don't you watch her two recent Reason.tv videos right the hell now?

Doomsday Preppers subject Chad Hudspeth then comes on to explain the joys and motivations of building tunnels and elaborate hydroponic systems in your desert compound. Michael Strong, often featured in Reason's pages, talks about the latest (promising) developments in the long-gestating effort to build a "Free Cities" project in Honduras. Levi Felix (if that is his real name) will then explain the comedy, science, and romance behind his "Digital Detox" camps, and as you might expect the episode also covers subjects like the Juggalos, alien invaders, and centrist paranoia toward the fringes.

Again, that's 9 pm ET, repeating at midnight, and you can send your survival tweets to @IndependentsFBN.

Comments

[OldMexican]

Tonight on The Independents: Go "Off the Grid" With Bitcoin,

More like the brokers and exchangers will suddenly go "off-the-grid" with YOUR Bitcoin... that is, with your dollars.

Can you say "Bitcoin Bank run"?

Ah, economics - how does it work, again?

[anon]

To be fair, that's only one bitcoin exchange. There could be any number of underlying factors that we don't get to know about (company's financial stability, assets, currency reserves, etc.).

[Cytotoxic]

Don't confuse him with facts. OM is in love with hating BTC. He's a terminal gold fetishist.

[Christophe]

Bitcoin really did split the Austrian Economics camp. It's been interesting to watch so far.

[SweatingGin]

Seems like it's getting more and more in the pro camp, but yea, that's been an interesting split.

It's fun, too, for the "if the theory doesn't hand this, the theory is wrong" factor.

[Corning]

This independents thread is far to early for my tastes.

What in like 4 hours are you going to bump this thread up causing chaos and ruin among the comments?!?!?

[Bobarian]

They record the show on Friday and Welch didn't want to have to be here late.

Bob: "But Matt, isn't that what the interns are for?"

Welch: "Friday's the night we use the interns for sex trafficking."

[anon]

Well, they could have at least let a slave-child monocle polisher.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Reason.tv contributor Naomi Brockwell then explains the alluring and mysterious world of Bitcoin. Speaking of which, why don't you watch her two recent Reason.tv videos right the hell now?

I did! And I came to the conclusion that you, Matt Welch, have the opportunity to do the sighted world a tremendous favor by giving up your seat as co-host of The Independents to Naomi.

[R C Dean]

I'll second that. I don't care if she has no soul, I think Naomi is adorable.

[anon]

"Adorable?"

Not the adjective I'd have chosen.

[Bobarian]

Why would anyone need a soul to be on "the Independents"?

[anon]

Why would anyone need a soul?\

FTFY

[Ska]

To trade for a donut.

[Pavlov's Cat]

Ribs!

[Episiarch]

Matt doesn't seem to have one, but that might be a result of his deal with Satan. I'm unclear on the specifics.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Well how else do you think the Angels managed to win the World Series back in 2002?

[Episiarch]

Steroids? It can't be amphetamines.

[GILMORE]

"Episiarch|2.7.14 @ 6:37PM|#

Matt doesn't seem to have one, but that might be a result of his deal with Satan. I'm unclear on the specifics."

he went down to the crossroads and told Old Scratch he wanted to be the best damn avante-grade Bagpiper there ever was...

... and that kid went on to be the best damn bagpiper the world ever saw =

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1DX1hZSzEE

However, the guy's still gotta pay the bills and stuff, so = 'cable TV news talk show host' at least keeps him off the streets

[Francisco d Anconia]

Yeah, improve the Ginger representation.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

As a ginger, so do I. She is much more telegenic than me.

[montana mike]

Fuck yeah, naomi..

[anon]

do the sighted world a tremendous favor by giving up your seat as co-host of The Independents to Naomi.

thirded. Fourthded. Whatever.

[Pavlov's Cat]

I did! And I came to the conclusion that you, Matt Welch, have the opportunity to do the sighted world a tremendous favor by giving up your seat as co-host of The Independents to Naomi.

She makes my eyeballs fall out. The carpet has lint and fur on it too, damnit!

[Pro Libertate]

Can you say "Screw you" on TV? If so, I'd like someone to say, "No, screw you, cut spending." I suppose "No, stupid, cut spending" could work, too. I guess. Not sure why you can't say "Fuck" on commercial television, since Bono could.

[Francisco d Anconia]

They used it three time Wednesday night. Not really sure what bleeping it out does when everyone knows what was said?

No, FUCK YOU, cut spending!

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, excellent. I really should make more effort to watch.

[Pro Libertate]

Oops--my FiOS package apparently excludes Fox Business News. Crud.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Slate says yay to big corporations:

The HHS contraception/abortion/sterilization mandate "helps ensure that women can protect their health and control their reproductive lives." Of course corporations should be subject to this mandate despite the religious objections of the owners, which are now being considered by the Supreme Court. And the big, non-religious-fanatic corporations are staying out of this fight - or they're taking a courageous stand against religious freedom! Many of these courageous corporations argue that it would be unfair if they have to obey the mandate while religious objectors don't have to - and so their logical conclusion is that *all* business should be subject to the mandate!

And some corporate law professors are concerned that letting owners exercise First Amendment rights through corporations could endanger the legal fiction distinguishing between corporations and the human beings who operate them.

Oh, and "Correction, Feb. 4, 2014: Due to a production error, a caption on a previous version of this article misstated that no secular companies filed briefs on Hobby Lobby's behalf. A few isolated briefs from companies similar to Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood have been filed."

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

[Bo Cara Esq.]

"And some corporate law professors are concerned that letting owners exercise First Amendment rights through corporations could endanger the legal fiction distinguishing between corporations and the human beings who operate them."

I can see that.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You like Socratic questions, so do you think *this* corporation has First Amendment rights?

http://investors.nytco.com/fil.....on2007.pdf

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I am on a friends computer and I do not click links I am not familiar with when I am so. Can you tell me more about the corporation in question?

[Irish]

It's the New York Times.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Here's a hint. The corporate charter says the purpose of the corporation is "The business of printing, publishing and selling newspapers, books, pamphlets and other publications,
gathering, transmitting and supplying news reports, general job printing, and any and all other business incidental to
the foregoing or any of them or thereunto pertaining or proper in connection therewith. "

[Bo Cara Esq.]

OK, I actually thought you might point to one of many incorporated churches which I think is something hard to argue against in the Free Exercise realm.

My point was, how much can a corporation reflect its owners without the rationale for treating them as a separate entity being undermined?

[Irish]

I think they're only separate entities for tax and money raising purposes.

Whoever owns a corporation (be it shareholders or whatever) has the same rights to free speech as anyone else. If shareholders don't want the corporation taking certain stands, then obviously as owners they have the right to stop it.

I think the argument progs seem to be making is horrible. They're basically arguing that an institution has no free speech rights when it's incorporated, which would negate the free speech rights of newspapers, law firms, and various non-profits.

Does the Human Rights Campaign not have free speech rights since it's a non-profit corporation?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I think corporations and speech should be decided in a different way: Congress has no power and in fact is prohibited from passing an abridgement on the freedom of speech. The question is not 'does this entity have the right to speech' it should be 'is this speech? If so, no abridgement. Next!'

But I think another question is, if the entire point of treating corporations as separate things from their owners and limiting the liability of the corporation's actions to just the corporation's assets is that the owner and the corporation are not the same thing, then I think having corporations be said to be exercising religion comes close to undercutting all that.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Congress has no power and in fact is prohibited from passing an abridgement on the freedom of speech. The question is not 'does this entity have the right to speech' it should be 'is this speech? If so, no abridgement. Next!'"

Well, Congress also has no power and in fact is prohibited from passing a prohibition of the free exercise of religion:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

[Bo Cara Esq.]

True, but that strikes me as a bit trickier. I imagine you yourself would defend Congress' power to prohibit polygamy, though that would surely burden some people's religious beliefs.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

To the Supreme Court, sending Mr. Reynolds the polygamist to prison did not turn on whether Mr. Reynolds was a corporation (he wasn't), but on whether a violation of the polygamy laws was actually a restriction on free exercise (it wasn't).

Maybe the Supreme Court was wrong (I'll reserve that question for a polygamy thread), but that particular decision (the Reynolds one) wasn't about corporations.

(at one point, Congress abolished the corporate charter of the Mormon church, but that was another case)

[anon]

Maybe the Supreme Court was wrong

You write as if this would be the first time in history, which is far removed from the truth.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

When we get to the next polygamy thread, I'll get to the 1st Amendment issues (if I remember).

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Sure, but the Reynolds case was about free exercise. My point was, it is one thing to say there will be no laws that abridge speech, because, well, the precedent of Sticks and Stones, but it is much harder to take the Free Exercise Clause as broadly or you would have to allow Mr. Reynolds and his Sister Wives be. Scalia discusses how difficult this is in his opinion in Smith.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

But Mr. Smith wasn't a corporation either.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I must be explaining myself poorly.

We started out by talking about whether recognizing corporations as exercising religion would undercut the idea that corporations are distinct from their owners. To that you pointed to the Free Speech rights of corporations. My reply was that in my opinion those rights are protected by the blanket ban on speech restrictions. You replied correctly that there is a blanket ban on burdens on free exercise of religion, but my reply was that that provision just can not be read as broadly as the speech one, or else Mr. Reynolds and his Sister Wives are safe from any laws you might want to pass.

So I guess what I am saying is, the more attributes of the owners we ascribe to the corporations I think it is harder to maintain the fiction of distinctness. I would have handled Citizens United by saying it is not that corporations have speech rights but that Congress has no power to restrict speech regardless of who we can attribute it to.

Hopefully that makes more sense.

[anon]

So I guess what I am saying is, the more attributes of the owners we ascribe to the corporations I think it is harder to maintain the fiction of distinctness. I would have handled Citizens United by saying it is not that corporations have speech rights but that Congress has no power to restrict speech regardless of who we can attribute it to.

Sorry to butt in here; seemed as good a spot as any to reply.

Corporations also limit any shareholder liability. This promotes investment; you can now get people to invest in your business without them potentially losing everything they've ever worked for. You can see how this might be attractive for everyone involved.

That said, you're essentially correct that a corporation is a thin "veil" or however you phrased it. The laws that provide that veil protect the investors. Without such laws, it'd be infinitely harder to find people willing to invest in a new idea (theoretically). Whether that's good or bad is an entirely different subject which doesn't warrant discussion at this point.

As far as the Citizens United case, your answer would probably have been more correct than the bullshit the Court actually published.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I guess I do not like the law being made on those kind of utilitarian grounds. 'We would love to see more people investing, so if you do it in our approved way we will grant you some special treatment we do not grant other people trying to run a business!'

To me a much better rationale is: we understand you have invested in this company but that you do not exercise control over it, therefore we can hold the company and its assets (some of which you put in) liable, but not you personally.

[anon]

I guess I do not like the law being made on those kind of utilitarian grounds.

I'm not really familiar with the history or evolution of corporate law, so I can't tell you what rationale was provided, only the effects of that legislation.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's not either/or. If the owners misbehave badly enough they can be personally accountable. If Lex Luthor uses LutherCorp to try and sink the West Coast into the ocean, my guess would be that he would be criminally liable in person.

And even the New Times Company (which won some landmark Supreme Court cases in its corporate capacity) agrees that a corporation has First Amendment rights if it publishes "newspapers, books, pamphlets and other publications."

And if you're one of those Koch-funded right-wing extremists, then you agree with the Supreme Court that even corporations that *aren't* in the newspaper business have First Amendment rights, including the right to endorse political candidates just like the corporation which runs the New York Times!

So I'm not sure how a corporation can have First Amendment rights for some purposes, but it's shocking and a threat to the whole corporate-law system to accept that it has First Amendment rights in the religious context.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I think it has to do with this: if Lex creates Lexcorp and Lexcorp essentially exercises Lex's religion, speaks Lex's speech, and makes Lex's money, in what sense is Lexcorp separate from Lex? The more attributes of its owner it takes on, then why call it a separate thing that should get different liability and tax treatment (among other things)? Is it just some magical form created by state-blessed magical words and forms, so that the state will now pretend your business is different than that sole proprietor's over there?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I suspect Lex would be liable even if he was a minority shareholder along with the Joker, the Penguin and Two-Face. They'd pierce the heck out of his corporate veil.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

His corporate veil is made out of titanium lined with lead. Superman himself cannot punch or see through it.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Because corporations were invented for the purposes of limiting liability.

The rest of their practices are completely irrelevant and have no impact on their rights as groups of people.

You may argue whether they should be granted limited liability, but you may not argue that granting such is justification for limiting their rights as a group of people. If you do, you must make the same claims about ANY group receiving special privileges from government. Unions, farmers, religious groups...

[anon]

Francisco, I find it a bit eerie that we have (for all intents and purposes) the same exact response to just about everything.

Am I your sock puppet, or are you mine?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Francisco, I find it a bit eerie that we have (for all intents and purposes) the same exact response to just about everything.

Well, we must be correct...

...we have a consensus.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

"Because corporations were invented for the purposes of limiting liability."

So they are just some government blessed form of business for no good reason other than that businesses do better when they are not held liable? I always understood that the basis for limiting liability to corporations was that we generally do not hold people liable for things they do not exercise control over, and if the corporation is separate and run by officers that are not the owners it would seem wrong to hold them liable personally.

[anon]

So they are just some government blessed form of business for no good reason

No, it's so you don't lose your entire life just because you wanted to try a business idea. It allows you to take a risk without potentially losing -everything- you've ever done/earned/etc.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Well, why does that apply to the corporation but not the sole proprietor? Is it just that one filled out the right government forms? There has to be a better rationale than that I should think.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's not that I'm endorsing the corporation laws, which is, again, a fruitful source of lengthy debate. I'm just saying that, where corporations exist, they are shielded by the First Amendment whether they wish to publish a newspaper, endorse candidates, or act in accord with the religion of the owners.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I am with you on the first part of the First Amendment claim since I think the Free Speech clause should be read as a blanket prohibition on Congressional speech regulation, regardless of its origin. When it comes to Free Exercise I think Scalia was right in that government should be able to burden exercise with neutral, generally applicable laws, and that should fall on corporations and individuals.

Having said that, my point was just, as corporations take more and more of their owners attributes, then they really just seem like veils to me. I think anon's comments infra are certainly thought provoking, but it strikes me as a terrible reason to treat a corporation as something separate from the owners just because they pay double taxes and fill out a government form. There has to be more to it, like that ownership and management are distinct in some way.

[anon]

Well, why does that apply to the corporation but not the sole proprietor?

In practice, it's kind of a protection racket. You pay "corporate taxes" (read: tribute) for "protection."

If you don't want to pay the corporate taxes, you take a larger risk. That's the tradeoff.

Granted, it takes like zero work to incorporate a business.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

But I certainly share your unwillingness to go to that Web site - I had some qualms myself.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

The last thing I need is for my friend to find out I have been downloading Mauren Dowd on her laptop.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Maybe you were right not to go to the NYT Company Web site - now my computer keeps squawking "Republican extremists," "responsible moderates," "common-sense gun laws," "safety net," "Kenyesian multiplier," and "of course we covered the March for Life, you just have to look harder!"

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Wait til you start getting the ads to date young, single Pajama Boys near you.

[Irish]

The last thing I need is for my friend to find out I have been downloading Mauren Dowd on her laptop.

-Slow clap-

[gaijin]

Thanks to the commenters in this thread concerning 1A rights. I appreciate the reasoning on display.

[mad libertarian guy]

Here's a hint. The corporate charter says the purpose of the corporation is "The business of printing, publishing and selling newspapers, books, pamphlets and other publications,
gathering, transmitting and supplying news reports, general job printing, and any and all other business incidental to
the foregoing or any of them or thereunto pertaining or proper in connection therewith. "

They forgot being an outlet for propaganda.

[anon]

I am on a friends computer and I do not click links I am not familiar with when I am so.

If I had friends like you, I might let them use my computer.

[Francisco d Anconia]

But corporations already have rights, just like all groups of people.

Would you condone rules restricting the teachers unions from speaking out about about teaching creationism?

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I am not supporting any restriction on anyone or any groups speech, just making a comment on the nature of corporations.

For the record, I oppose any restriction on speech, corporate or otherwise, and the mandate strikes me as a par for the course, horribly immoral, cynically employed bit of petty politics by the current administration.

[Mike M.]

Real survivalists don't have cable TV.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Satellite. Especially if you're a good survivalist.

[anon]

Good survivalists only need Thunderdome for entertainment.

[Palin's Buttplug]

DOOMSDAY PREPPERS! GOLDBUGS! BECKERHEADS!

TAKE YER RIFLES TO VOTE, BOYS! THEM BLACK PANDAS ARE GONNA IMITATE YOU!

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I find it very odd that you get off on this.

[Mike M.]

Weigel is a real borderline case.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Slate Article on Late Term Abortion Case

"The day of our anatomy scan was the last day of my third year of medical school. I was 19-weeks pregnant, and we were so excited to have a sibling for our 2-year-old daughter...

Our conversations that afternoon narrowed in quickly on prognosis. For our baby, there was a fairly wide range of possibilities. The essential facts were that he had extremely severe damage to both of his kidneys, to his bladder, and to his urethra, which drains the urine from the bladder...It was possible that he would be stillborn, meaning that he would die in utero at some point during the pregnancy or during labor and delivery.

At birth, he could have breathed spontaneously or not at all. He probably would have needed at least some assistance with breathing, and given the severity of the damage, he most likely would have required mechanical ventilation, if we chose that route.

Why does any of this matter right now? In recent months, there has been high-profile legislation across the country seeking to ban abortion after 20 weeks or earlier. This is precisely the point at which many fetal anomalies are diagnosed in a pregnancy."

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

[Palin's Buttplug]

The Aborto-freaks in the GOP that run the party are even more of a disaster than the War-mongerers are.

Limited government, my ass. Fuck the GOP.

[Sevo]

Yeah, your team is just WUNNERFUL!

[Palin's Buttplug]

I am on the GRIDLOCK team, floor-swabber.

[Sevo]

Palin's Buttplug|2.7.14 @ 7:05PM|#
"I am on the GRIDLOCK team, floor-swabber."

Yeah, spelled DEMOC....

[DesigNate]

That's how you spell DEMFAG these days?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Of course the Texas law has an exception for situations like the one described.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

That's interesting. I wonder how many of the other states working on this do as well, and whether pro-life people are OK with it?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's all or nothing! Better to protect no lives at all, thereby earning the respect of choicers, than to protect only *some* lives and endure the shame of choicer concern-trolling!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I just do not see how many pro-lifers, the same ones that fight euthanasia for even the most debilitated terminally ill, could possibly support an exception for late term abortions for fetuses that are 'really messed up.'

[Apatheist ?_??]

I'm pro consensual euthanasia and anti-abortion.

[Apatheist ?_??]

I'm ok with it but I don't claim to be representative of others.

[Sevo]

Hey, that new-car smell's a killer, right?
"Tesla driver blames fatal crash on new-car smell"
http://blog.sfgate.com/energy/.....car-smell/

The Star got NUTIN' on the Chron!

[anon]

Bit OT, but I find it hilarious how people love the smell of cancer.

[Killaz]

NYT: The End of Snow

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/opi.....-snow.html

Holy shit. Instead of quietly burying this in the graveyard of other failed apocalyptic predictions, the cult is doubling down on it.

[Episiarch]

What's better than cultish morons driving themselves into a ditch? Well, an even bigger ditch?

I want them to grasp at the cultish tiller of global warming as the ship continues going down. Let them drown with it; they deserve nothing less.

[Palin's Buttplug]

What's better than cultish morons driving themselves into a ditch?

Idiots like yourself that repair syntax errors and think you are survivalist he-men.

[Corning]

Are you a big worrier about catastrophic climate change Shrike?

Or are you just taking jabs at Epi cuz he is a big meany?

Also epi is no he-man. He is an urbanite dandy if there ever was one.

[Sevo]

Think of the lives saved from not shoveling that stuff!

[Killaz]

The Kochs see the writing on the wall. They know what is coming. They lobby Congress and pay think tanks to counter the truth. Why do they do this? So they can grab the best caves, saber tooth tiger pelts, warms springs, and stone tools for themselves when the post technological age comes calling.

[Episiarch]

You mean they see the paintings on the cave wall, right?

[Killaz]

Good catch. They probably clone Neanderthals for that authentic touch. Wait. What am I thinking? With all of those Fox News viewers, why would they have to clone them!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I for one would love to see a future Ice Age President lecture the nation on income inequality in terms of pelts and McCaves.

[Sevo]

..."the post technological age comes calling."

Why, just this morning I stumbled onto an ignorant rant about how THIS TIME, it's REALLY peak oil! I mean, after we take the oil out of the sand, that's it, right? There's just no more left anywhere!
So the government had better be propping up all these losers!

[Killaz]

Damn! Of all the turnips to squeeze blood from, that one has long passed anyone's strain for serious discussion.

[anon]

I wish I could go back to the 1900's to see what was written about using oil to power automobiles. I bet you could find some awesomely stupid shit.

[Sevo]

I do remember reading in the '50s that we only had 20 years of proven reserves and asking dear old dad what was gonna happen.
He said 'Nothing'. Same as happened after he read the same story in the '30s.
(yes, I am that old. Hack, cough, stumble; where was I?)
BTW, the Nazis had sny-fuel tech, since I.G. Farben bet on peak oil and started development. The price rise instantly put a glut on the market
Anyhow, it doesn't take a lot of thought to figure that oil companies are NEVER gonna bother spending money to prospect for more than that time. Who knows? Maybe fusion WILL be the energy source of the future.

[Irish]

I do remember reading in the '50s that we only had 20 years of proven reserves and asking dear old dad what was gonna happen.

I feel like every time you talk about your youth you get appreciably older.

By next week you'll be telling us about your time spent as a page in Louis XV's court.

[anon]

I find it interesting that you can generally tell how old a person is on the internet by how much identifiable information they publish about themselves.

60+: Will gladly cash that Nigerian Prince check for you.
30-60: Nothing; don't even bother asking.
20-30: Willing to put just about anything out there; generally requires prompting.

[Sevo]

"By next week you'll be telling us about your time spent as a page in Louis XV's court."

HA!
Did I tell you about Alex the Great's cat? I mean, nasty little sucker!

[Corning]

They taught kids to read in the 50s?!?!

Before the Department of Education?!?!

I am calling shenanigans.

[Sevo]

Corning|2.7.14 @ 8:43PM|#
"They taught kids to read in the 50s?!?!"

Uphill both ways to a one-room school house, heated with cattle-dung fires! 20' drifts!
Pens?! Yeah, go pluck a feather from the turkey!

[GILMORE]

That is an article in the Sunday Times. The Sunday paper is just a basket of hazy emotions compared to the rigorous, disciplined, objective, non-partisan journalism of your weekly NYT

[Killaz]

That pretty accurate. I read on any given week a dozen or so stories from them where no objectionable bias shows.

[Palin's Buttplug]

PJ O'Rourke and bombshell conservative SE Cupp tonight on Bill Maher's 'Real Time' - HBO.

Good times!

[PRX]

the most careful set design since Shane

[GILMORE]

"Reason.tv contributor Naomi Brockwell then explains the alluring and mysterious world of Bitcoin"

I got an idea...

...get rid of the nerdy guy with the glasses, and replace him with the hot Australian redhead.

because.... uh, ratings. And redheads.

[Irish]

Hey now. If I were a homotarian I'd be mighty attracted to Matt Welch.

Don't worry, Welch. Fictional gay Irish has your back.

[Episiarch]

I wonder how man times Matt has had to listen to someone purposefully mis-say his name as "Felch". I'm guessing it's a lot.

[Palin's Buttplug]

You must have had the 6th graders rolling in the aisles with wit like that.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

This coming from someone who has named himself "Palin's Buttplug".

I'm starting to think you are functionally retarded. There really isn't any other explanation.

[anon]

I'm starting to think you are functionally retarded.

You're a bit late to the party.

[playa manhattan]

Functionally?

[GILMORE]

And by, 'nerdy guy', I mean the dude with the earrings.

[Sevo]

I still haven't watched, but isn't that Kennedy?

[GILMORE]

Look, I know what with the whole LGBT thing being *normative* these days, we're not supposed to be judgmental and stuff, and we're supposed to be like, "Chelsea! Manning" whenever someone decides they're like feeling more feminine and all, but I draw the lines at trannies naming themselves after Presidents. That is all.

[Suthenboy]

Kennedy is smart, hot, and a libertarian. On top of that she repeatedly humiliates statist morons.
It just doesn't get any better than that.

Just add a chair for the lovely Naomi.

[anon]

If she really cared about The Cause, she'd dye her hair red.

Yeah, I know, fake redhead, whatever. Better fake than nothing!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Legitimate reason to make Naomi a co-host on the show: she's intelligent, articulate, and has a youthful and attractive appearance (and accent) that can hold a viewer's interest. Her style is different from Kennedy's rapid fire quips so it adds balance.

And a sexist, TIWTANFL reason: her presence on stage means there is a chance, however slight, that a catfight could erupt between her, Kennedy, or any of the attractive female conservatives they have on as guests.

[GILMORE]

TIWTANFL?

Jesus...By the time I'm old (GEN X IS NOT OLD!) no one is going to speak fucking English anymore.

[anon]

I didn't know what it meant either.

It's ok though, I take a smug satisfaction of knowing I was playing text-based online games while they were in diapers!

[Francisco d Anconia]

This is why there are no female libertarians.

Try to keep up, old man.

[Christophe]

This Is Why There Are No Female Libertarians

[GILMORE]

Yeah, no shit there are no girls, who'd want to hang out with a bunch of creepy acronym freaks like you

[GILMORE]

Holy shit =

Grand Moff Serious Man|2.7.14 @ 5:54PM|

...I came to the conclusion that you, Matt Welch, have the opportunity to do the sighted world a tremendous favor by giving up your seat as co-host of The Independents to Naomi.

ooh. that's bad... two people say exactly the same thing sans any prompting. Great Minds? hmmm. Hot readhead. yeah.

matt, seriously, nothing personal. but you're not as hot as her. These things happen. Its not you, its .... uh, us.

We can still be friends?!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

It's like you showed up at the party an hour late and wearing the exact same thing as me.

Em-barassing!

[GILMORE]

Someone's going to have to die, then.

(looks at Epi)

[kibby]

If you all keep talking about this, I may commit some murders.

You have nineteen trillion hot women on tv, let the nerdy guy with glasses stay on.

[GILMORE]

Ok, fine, the Bagpiper stays.

But we might have to ditch the yappy tranny.

[Irish]

Whatever Kibby. Why don't you just admit you've got a crush on Welch already?

Jesus Christ, you guys are like Ross and Rachel if Ross had a t.v. show, Rachel was an anonymous blog commenter, and they'd never actually met.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

How do we know Kibby isn't Welch himself trying to create a fanbase for himself in these threads? **narrows eyes at Kibby**

[kibby]

Have you looked at my tumblr? He'd be wasted an awful lot of time creating a persona like me. I'm weird.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm still not convinced. To prove you aren't him tell me something that Matt Welch wouldn't know.

[kibby]

Uh...having a period really sucks?

[Irish]

Uh...having a period really sucks?

Something Welch wouldn't know.

[SweatingGin]

This is at least the second time someone has irrationally tried to make Kibby prove a negative about herself (other was me).

[kibby]

Have I avoided admitting my ridiculous little crush on Welch? Because, yeah, I totally have one. He's adorable!

I could make you feel really old by pretending that I don't get the Friends reference, but I'll be nice.

[anon]

Nice passive-aggressive move there.

Fuck I'm old.

[Irish]

I'm 24, so I'm probably younger than you.

If anything, you should probably be out shopping for depends, old lady.

[kibby]

Ugh, I forgot about you chitlins on here.

Rude little shits, you are.

[Sevo]

"If anything, you should probably be out shopping for depends, old lady."

Cold!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm 22, so you're older than me as well. I'm also watching the original Austin Powers on one of the movie channels right now. That movie is 17 years old!

[SweatingGin]

Git off my lawn!

[playa manhattan]

I assume this will be the open thread for the Opening Ceremonies after The Independents.

[GILMORE]

Where did you get the impression we were *all* gay?

[All-Seeing Monocle]

Don't know about pm, but the obsession with ear rings is what tipped me off.

[Irish]

I did make that vaguely homoerotic comment about Matt Welch.

[GILMORE]

But hey, if anyone IS watching...?

BIG UP LIECHTENSTEIN!!! Whoot whoot whoot!

[Suthenboy]

Free cities in Guatamala. Hmmm. I wonder how that will turn out....

[GILMORE]

I'll take one! by the beach, please, if they're not all taken already.

[Suthenboy]

As soon as you get things just like you want them, it will be nationalized.

[GILMORE]

Oh? I was planning to take mine home to Liechtenstein. We need beaches!

[Sevo]

I knew you were gonna sneak in some AGW BS! I just knew it!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I'd like to build one on a remote island, with high cliffs with caves overlooking the sea, where I can place my laser cann...uh, telescopes for astronomical observations. I can dig tunnels and rooms into the rocks where I can run my arms manufacturing...I mean, plush toys manufacturing plant. Bring in plenty of hench...I mean friendly staff. In the center of this complex will be my lair...ving quarters. Living quarters. Heh. Any intruders will be met with instant...smiles from my helpful henchstaff.

Then no-one will dare laugh at me again, because I will destroy all my...competitors with my outrageously low prices. Low-priced nuc...New Kids on the Block promotional items.

[EndlessFoodSystems]

Correction: Where this post talks about Chad, it mentions "hydroponic systems", it should actually say Aquaponics Systems. They are different, aquaponics uses fish in the eco-system to provide the nutrients for the plants and is an organic system (no chemicals). That is not the case with hydroponics. See the video on our homepage for more info http://www.endlessfoodsystems.com

[anon]

Good job, Matt; you've now attracted fucking prepper-bots.

[GILMORE]

"Fucking prepper-bots"

Sentient Dildoes that hoard batteries and talk about fiat currency and the New World Order??

Whoa.

[anon]

Be honest: Did you steal that idea from Sugarfree?

[Sevo]

No chemicals?! Chemical-free water?! Hey! Great idea!

[anon]

Now with zero calories too!

[GILMORE]

Dolphin Free!*

(* which is technically only 99.95% non-dolphin, these dolphin filters aren't perfect, you know)

[anon]

I just laughed out loud thinking about the "Dolphin-free" Tuna campaigns.

[Christophe]

I prefer my food free of Dihydrogen Monoxide.

[gaijin]

Di hydrogen monoxide. Not chemical free....like air.

[GILMORE]

Aw, quit lying. Its for GROWING WEED, dude. I saw your ad in the back of Hustler.

[SweatingGin]

We get radio commercials in this area with "Grow your own POT... Of tomatoes."

[PH2050]

Considering that my human body is made up of chemicals I'm not sure what to make of this...

[SweatingGin]

But how much can I make working on the internet from home?!?

And can you set me up with an anonymizing VPN?!?

[Sevo]

SweatingGin|2.7.14 @ 8:45PM|#
"But how much can I make working on the internet from home?!?"

Does the internet have chemicals?!

[Francisco d Anconia]

Fuck, Obama's on the limpiks.

[Francisco d Anconia]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

(Looks like we are already here. So call it a 10 minute warning.)

[SweatingGin]

Threads a little punchy tonight.

I had to DVR the first part, ginlettes are monopolizing the TV. Really only DVR'ing to see what they say about Bitcoin.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

In honor of Clint Eastwood, who saved a life yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vEVhrK_0AE

[Sevo]

"In honor of Clint Eastwood, who saved a life yesterday:"
Story here (with pukalistic comments):
http://blog.sfgate.com/ongolf/.....#4800101=0

[Francisco d Anconia]

Awesome!

*soft raspy voice*

"I gave him three good jolts, and that got it out,"

*squints*

[Byte Me]

You rang?
And btw, nice grab on the '2 minutes of hate' the other night, F d A.

[PH2050]

I know Episiarch is winning on numbers but I prefer quality over quantity: FdA's comment was by far the funniest.

[GILMORE]

meh. quoting 'Full Metal Jacket' gets a C- for 'originality', if an A+ for 'apropos'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....w#t=07m26s

[Lou Dobz]

INDEPENDENTS, GRAB YOUR ANKLES!

[The Bearded Hobbit]

169 comments and the show hasn't started yet? This should be interesting.

... Hobbit

[PH2050]

I forget who shared the zenex.tv link for streaming FBN, but thank you.

Cavuto just made a joke about Google Glass being used by police officers to get the best examination of their donuts. Pretty funny.

[All-Seeing Monocle]

YW

It's better resolution than the "AAJ networks" link.

[Francisco d Anconia]

And BIG earrings.

[PH2050]

HOLY GIANT SNOWFLAKE EARRINGS BATMAN

[GILMORE]

I think all I've learned in the last 15 minutes or so is, "im not really worried about "The Independents" ratings anymore, because, for the love of god, its got to be doing better than Cavuto. Who the hell is watching a C-level version of CNBC @ 8:30?...

[Suthenboy]

Without a doubt, Kenndy is provoking more earring comments. Giant sparkly snowflakes? Cool.

[PH2050]

She gets mad hate about her ear decorations but I still think she's awesome.

[Irish]

Does she really get hate? I feel like she just gets jokes.

[SweatingGin]

It's not hate, it's love.

We're sending /love/ for her earrings.

[GILMORE]

Quit Lyin' Kennedy = You CAUSED the L.A. riots.

[PH2050]

Bug-out bag = essential IMO

[Byte Me]

"You have a lot of stuff, which would you consider to be the most important?"

I don't see a rifle. Ergo, he does not have the most important item.

[PH2050]

They don't want to scare people.

[Suthenboy]

Yes, I was just thinking, if your bag only had a rifle, you could easily acquire everything else. Without a rifle, in a desperate situation, you will lose everything in 5 minutes.

[playa manhattan]

I like to have a handgun so I can protect my rifle.

[Byte Me]

THIS^^ (playa)

[mad libertarian guy]

Eh.

The rule is use a shotgun to fight your way to your handgun to fight your way to your rifle.

Or you could just blow the fuck out of people with some 00 buck shot.

[Byte Me]

With luck, you'll never have to fire it to protect your stuff. W/o luck you'll have 30, wait..10, damn..7 rounds to repel a threat. Fuck you Cuomo. It's a 30 round mag. 30 rounds go into the mag. 30 rounds will be in the mag. That is all.

[playa manhattan]

Another example of liberals re-defining a phrase. Standard capacity is now high capacity.

[GILMORE]

Kmele wears multichromatic shirt = get it? GET IT?

KMELE-EON.

Oh! yeaaaaah.

[PH2050]

Nice. I lol'd.

[PH2050]

Welch with the doo-rag reference. Could he be any whiter?

[kibby]

He could probably try. Let's not encourage him, though.

[GILMORE]

He could be listening to a 'Boom Box'

[GILMORE]

I love how this show gets guests like the Rolling Stone Communist, Anthony Weiner, and makes them seem 'sensible'...

then they bring on this guy and in 10 seconds he's telling us how to smuggle box-cutters on to airplanes.

[Slammer]

Why does the survival guy keep answering questions with questions? Answer the questions!!

[All-Seeing Monocle]

With questions?

[Ted S.]

Andrew Napolitano is the survivalist guy?

[All-Seeing Monocle]

LOL, Kennedy just grabbing shit

[PH2050]

"Snuggle party."

YES KENNEDY YES

[jesse.in.mb]

How are we at 200 comments six minutes into the show?

[SweatingGin]

There was a lot of Bo-ing earlier.

[Bobarian]

More like Bo-ring, amirite!

[playa manhattan]

BOOOYAHHH!!!

*rings belll*

[PH2050]

I'm drinking and commenting, which I never do, I usually just lurk.

[SweatingGin]

I'm drinking and commenting, which I often do. I sometimes just lurk.

You're named after a Fram oil filter, aren't you?

[All-Seeing Monocle]

Toyota Camry rear turn signal light bulb, 1992-2002

[PH2050]

Ha, no.

I used to have a blog called "Posthuman Postulations 2050"...7 years ago when I was introduced to this magazine/website.

Let the mockery/ridicule commence.

[playa manhattan]

Google, BRB

[Byte Me]

Same here, PH. I generally read the comments for entertainment and join in on the weekends.

[GILMORE]

you missed the debate about kicking Matt off the show, and the screaming argument about how the Olympic Opening Ceremonies are totally violating copyright with all the Lord of the Rings stuff. Oh, and how Liechtenstein is TOTALLY GOING TO SWEEP THE MEDALS THIS YEAR

[Bobarian]

This is water...

And it also serves as a an ear-ring, its a dildo, it's a flashlight, ...

[Ted S.]

It's a dildo and a fleshlight?

[Francisco d Anconia]

I use those filter straws all the time when fishing. They rock!

[playa manhattan]

What are you filtering for in Montana streams? Giardia?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Mostly. There is critter shit in every stream. It filters quite a lot, but not all. Claims to get 99.9% of contaminants. FDA insists on 99.99%. I've never gotten sick using it.

[playa manhattan]

I used to spend 2 weeks every summer in Utah. We would just put our cups in the stream and drink, and it was fine. I tried it in Yosemite. Bad idea.

[All-Seeing Monocle]

IS there anything in that bag that will bring this segment to a close?

[PH2050]

Kennedy's "Go Bag": NICE

[Byte Me]

Dear knife and gin?! Hellz yea, Kennedy.

[Byte Me]

Deer**

[jesse.in.mb]

A knife and Hendricks sounds like my kinda go bag.

[SweatingGin]

Hello

[jesse.in.mb]

Wouldn't I need access to a treadmill to access your gin reserves?

[SweatingGin]

I was leaning more towards raiding your go bag.

[kibby]

Why don't we all just promise to bring enough gin in our go bags?

[SweatingGin]

heh. "enough" gin. Like there's such a thing.

[jesse.in.mb]

Oh, well that's quite a bit less fun than I was imagining.

[GILMORE]

Go bag? That's a Friday night out!

[playa manhattan]

Dang, late to the party. No good deed goes unpunished.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's interesting trying to reconstruct a TV show through the comments. Like reconstructing an ancient society based on the ruins of their cities.

"An earring...it must have ritual significance...about the importance of listening?"

[GILMORE]

BRICKHOUSE SECURITY
- Its Mighty Mighty

[All-Seeing Monocle]

when you DON'T want to let it all hang out

[PH2050]

Best reference so far in this thread.

[GILMORE]

"yeah Matt, and don't call me Shirley"

[jesse.in.mb]

I'm watching this on a hotel wifi signal! I'M BEING WATCHED

[kibby]

You're visiting this website, of COURSE you're being watched!

[Sevo]

Just tape over the camera lens on the device.

[playa manhattan]

Jesse has another way of dealing with unwanted surveillance. A collection, actually.

[jesse.in.mb]

Are we discussing my taint or the aneurysm inducing Fred Durst sex tape?

[playa manhattan]

The former. And I'm not discussing it.

[jesse.in.mb]

But somebody at the NSA better be.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I am not watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, but the Washington Post Web Page has this image from it of a giant hammer and sickle being lowered into the stadium.

A hammer and a sickle? What in the world? That strikes me as having the next games in Berlin and having a giant swastika float down from the rafters while SS garbed Rockettes high kicked.

[Irish]

NBC called the Soviet Union a 'pivotal experiment.'

I am not making that up.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

GOOD INTENTIONS! They just wanted a workers' paradise, was that so wrong?

[Suthenboy]

Whoa, whoa. Back up. What?

Who did? In what context?

[Irish]

It was the during NBC's introduction. They had a video montage where they said it was a 'pivotal experiment.'

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

while SS garbed Rockettes high kicked.

Does Epi have some compromising photos of Merkel? How would they know to cater to his favorite fetish?

[All-Seeing Monocle]

having a giant swastika float down from the rafters while SS garbed Rockettes high kicked.

Am I the only one who thinks that sounds AWESOME?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

singing "Springtime for Hitler"

[Slammer]

Well, the hammer and sickle look deconstructed in the photo.

[MJGreen]

I can only think back to the Simpsons episode, in which the Russian diplomat admits that the USSR did not really fall. Cut to a harmless parade in Moscow, with tanks appearing from underneath the floats and Lenin rising from the grave.

[SweatingGin]

MUST CRUSH CAPITALISM

[SweatingGin]

HOLY SHIT WTF BBQ!?!?

Ayn Rand was right

Jebus... I'm going with the survivalist people. Holy crap soviets are back.

WOLVERINES!!!

[playa manhattan]

Relax everyone, it was part of "A tour through Russian history".

Although a "redacted" float would have been pretty funny.

[GILMORE]

Oooh, did they do the Musical Gulag again?? I LOVED THAT.

[Bobarian]

Things that you can do that will make you a target?

If you have nothing to hide, then why are you hiding it, komrade?

[The Bearded Hobbit]

Too bad, dude, you just showed up on radar by being on The Independents

... Hobbit

[GILMORE]

His message, 'you are fucked, there's nothing you can do, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE'

Really, the ratings with the paranoid psychotics is plummeting as we speak.

Note = Epi is now hiding in his closet.

[kibby]

Epi cowering in fear is the best news I've heard in ages.

[jesse.in.mb]

Note = Epi is now hiding in his closet.

As opposed to all other times?

[PH2050]

"It's a win-win!"

What about all those bureaucrats getting their beaks wet? Do you want their children to starve or *gasp* go to public schools?

[PH2050]

Kennedy with the Highlander reference.

[PH2050]

WTF I CANT MAKE A HEART BECAUSE IT USES THE LESS THAN SIGN THIS IS LAME I WILL RAGE

[Derpetologist]

Today's derp round-up

Rep. Pete Stark gives the worst civics lesson ever. Skip to the 2:50 minute mark for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1-eBz8hyoE

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Darn religious fundamentalists!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm not watching. Am I missing Brockwell?

[PH2050]

YES AND SHE IS GLORIOUS

[Irish]

Dude, Brockwell is a fucking policy analyst for something called the Bitcoin Center?

I feel like she's a much more hardcore libertarian than I'd originally thought.

[GILMORE]

OMG MY SOUL WAS JUST SUCKED OUT OF MY FACE BY THE STARE OF THE EVIL REDHEAD

[Francisco d Anconia]

Harriet?

[gaijin]

Daht-er. and red hair.

[Byte Me]

Someone a ways up the thread wanted Kennedy to dye her hair red (or something. I don't recall exactly and am too lazy to look).
At any rate, wish granted, in this Bitcoin fox.

[Almanian!]

So I'm assuming Dan Marino does NOT live in "Sans Marino"....

Stupid fucking opening ceremony. We're so desperate we're watching it. Please pray for our pitiful, lost souls...

[Sevo]

There's a switch on that TV somewhere. I promise.

[Almanian!]

We can't help ourselves...like moths to flame....

"But it's so preeeeeeeeeeettttttyyyyy!!!"

[Ted S.]

Stalag 17 is coming up on TCM later this evening. Well worth watching if you haven't seen it before.

[kibby]

Okay, she is pretty hot. & smart. I might let you guys kick Matt off in favor of her, if he guests at least once a week.

[Irish]

You still have Kmele. He's got roaring pecs.

[kibby]

I am laughing so hard at this & I don't even know why. Can't even use drinking as an excuse tonight!

[PH2050]

Down with the patriarchy!

BROCKWELL FOREVA

[Irish]

This raises an interesting question. If a man loses his job to a woman, but it's because the woman is hot, is that a net positive for feminism?

[kibby]

Feminists don't tend to be attractive, so...

[GILMORE]

I am going to share an awesome joke now.

[GILMORE]

A company HR manager is interviewing three new female candidates for an administrative assistant.

He offers them all a scenario =

"While on the job, your immediate supervisor makes what might be considered an inappropriate sexual reference or a come-on = How would you react?"

Each candidate responds =

Candidate #1: "Well, I take my profession seriously, and I know that the Job is the most important thing and while that behavior might bother some people, I'd just roll with it and get on with business"

Candidate #2: "I'd be completely offended and would immediately report the person to the HR department asking that they be reprimanded: in addition, I'd SUE because this sort of behavior should simply not exist in today's world"

Candidate #3: "Hey, I don't know. What if he's cute? I like attention, and maybe he's my type. There's nothing wrong with interoffice romance..."

So = Which person does the HR Department hire?

[GILMORE]

*(someone has to post "who" so I know someone is reading)

[Slammer]

The one with the biggest tits.

[GILMORE]

The one with the biggest tits.

MAY YOU ROT IN HELL FOREVER

but yes.

And its supposed to be,

"DUH! The one with the biggest tits!"

c'mon man, delivery is everything.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

#3? For her honesty?

/dead-pan smirk.

#2 is trouble.

[PH2050]

I'm not smart enough to answer that.

[GILMORE]

Kennedy's Mind =

"You think you can come on here... with earrings like that... WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE..?

[Bobarian]

Didn't I see her on TV selling hamburgers?

[Byte Me]

When did Rocky become a businessman?

[Slammer]

That's hilarious I thought of a Rocky reference at the same time.

[Slammer]

Ray Youseff must break you.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

So who will serve as eye candy for the libertarian women and jesse?

[jesse.in.mb]

EvH asks the important questions!

[gaijin]

Kmele of course!

[Almanian!]

Holy FUCK! The US wins the Limpiks Ugly Sweater Contest! Looks like someone hurled.

USA! USA! USA! USA!

[GILMORE]

Kennedy's Mind =

"Yeah yeah yeah enough of the yappy redhead.... YOU, MONKEY MAN, SAY SOMETHING!"

[jesse.in.mb]

I find this guy's voice incredibly soothing.

[gaijin]

Youseff. Even the name draws you in.

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, I'd snuggle with him let him explain bitcoins to me while I drifted off to sleep.

[PH2050]

Holy shit this made me laugh so hard.

[gaijin]

Kennedy just said "succulent teat". With her lisp. Indeed!

[PH2050]

Mmmmmhmmmmm

[PH2050]

Kennedy, it's definitely gonna be aliens.

[Slammer]

Nailed it.

[gaijin]

What do all the XTREME preppers do for day jobs?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Maintaining the compound, hunting and fishing, cleaning and gutting the deer, tending the vegetable garden and fertilizing it with sewage, reinforcing the electric fence, cutting down trees for the addition to the log cabin, and calling your agent to get a booking on The Independents.

[jesse.in.mb]

I want to know who is going to "genocide" this guy's family.

[gaijin]

Aliens. Definitely aliens.

[Suthenboy]

Preppers. Hmmm.

I have been noticing the Plug lately getting increasingly insane and mendacious. The left in general seems to be getting more desperate as the steaming pile of shit they have excreted is getting more and more difficult to hide. It truly is giving me a boner watching them squirm.

time for another...uh....refreshment.

[PH2050]

I thought you needed a significant amount of energy for the pump systems in aquaponics. Why isn't the guy from *Phoenix* talking about his solar panels or whatever he uses?

[Bobarian]

He's trying to keep his self sustained nuclear reactor secret.

[playa manhattan]

I have this and the pump is only a couple of watts.

[PH2050]

Yeah but with aquaponics you're dealing with fish feces thus filtration systems and large amounts of water.

[playa manhattan]

Bah! I read that as hydroponics.

[Derpetologist]

This is some very potent, extra-strength, high-octane derp. The speaker may in fact be Tony. Beware:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhZbX05YFGw

[Irish]

I refuse. Nothing you say will make me watch that.

[Suthenboy]

Not gonna watch. All those guys are the same. They are gonna 'prove' libertarianism is wrong, then they begin to beat the shit out of some ridiculous strawman.

[Derpetologist]

It's even worse than that. Much worse.

Worse than Nicole.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

IMPOSSIBRU!

[Francisco d Anconia]

The solar flare thing is an actual possibility. I actually considered making my garage a faraday cage.

[PH2050]

I want one like Gene Hackman had in "Enemy of the State"

[Bobarian]

A copper foil hat?

[Francisco d Anconia]

I'm in direct contact with Jim Kirk at all times. The hat may interfere with that.

[SweatingGin]

Didn't someone post the schizo woman who thought she was in contact with Brent Spiner all the time? Her video featured the word "Nukakke"

[gaijin]

Isn;t your car a faraday cage?

[PH2050]

Nah, if it was a legit one your cell phone wouldn't work inside of it.

[gaijin]

duh, you are right of course. I was thinking only of incoming energy.

[playa manhattan]

Not exactly. It's grounded from the earth, and can protect you from lightning, though..

[playa manhattan]

Then you would have to keep all of your cool shit in the garage.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Generator, vehicles, freezer, radio.

[gaijin]

Freezer? It's the one thing that seems unlike the others.

[Francisco d Anconia]

If it's got a chip...

[gaijin]

ah.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

I tried that too, but it's a pain having to change the litter every day.

[Byte Me]

Anyone else see this "New York, No Taxes" commercial?
IT'S A TRAP!

[GILMORE]

Just like those 'free cities' in Guatemala...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Oh, and one more thing...

"I lied!" [tax collectors grab the businessman, shake him until all his money falls out of his pockets, padlock the guy's business and put a sign on it saying 'tax sale']

[Sevo]

Byte Me|2.7.14 @ 9:36PM|#
"Anyone else see this "New York, No Taxes" commercial?"

Yeah, they raise taxes so high, claiming no one will leave and then to get people back they knock off some taxes for some people.
Sounds like a great way to 'help' certain people, doesn't it?

[Byte Me]

Cronyism at it's finest.

[Byte Me]

its**

Typos are killing me tonight.

[Sevo]

The grammar nazis took the night off.

[Suthenboy]

Most likely disaster? I am remembering a scene from a Leslie Nielson vampire movie where dracula is evicted from his castle by the people's committee of moochers of some sort. That seems the most likely to me when PsOS like Jesse Myerson can openly front for the lunatic fringe.

[PH2050]

MOAR BROCKWELL

[GILMORE]

MOAR RED

[Byte Me]

I approve of her. And her red hair. And her British accent (I like those for some reason I can't explain).

[GILMORE]

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE! OY OY OY!!

'british, my foot'

[Byte Me]

I was close enough. "Aussie" is in analogous to the Southern American accent.

[GILMORE]

'close enough'?

OTHER SIDE OF THE BLOODY PLANET, FUCKFACE

[Byte Me]

And those are the only two sides of the planet left, according to the new Total Recall.

[Raven Nation]

I was close enough

There is nothing close about Australians & Poms. If you can't learn some respect, there WILL be consequences.

*Thinks murderous thoughts*

[gaijin]

Is it british or australian? I can;t tell you what the difference is, but there seems to be one.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

If I was willing to get banned from Reason (and smote by God), I would tell a truly tasteless joke here.

[Byte Me]

Those are the best. And do they really ban people? What about us and 'free speech' 'n stuff?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Unless your sole purpose is to derail threads and make them unreadable by flaming they won't ban you.

We do judge you, so tread carefully sir.

[GILMORE]

Is it me or is this guy like 10 minutes from mixing up the Kool-Aid?

[kibby]

This episode is really interesting, but really making me realize how utterly useless I'll be if anything terrible happens.

[Irish]

So does Naomi Brockwell have like 25 jobs?

[Irish]

There's like an army of Brockwells that some mad libertarian scientist is keeping in a lab somewhere, isn't there?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Army of Redness

[gaijin]

I think there is a site called that. At least that's what my friend says.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

If there was ever a person deserving of a Nobel Prize....

[GILMORE]

"Irish|2.7.14 @ 9:41PM|#

So does Naomi Brockwell have like 25 jobs?"

Well if she does, #26 is

Chief Executive Officer of Breaking My Heart, Inc.

[Derpetologist]

A former libertarian "explains" his rehabilitation and ponders what the world would be like without government:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbNFJK1ZpVg

[Irish]

You stop that. You stop it right now.

[PH2050]

The best comment is the one referencing South Park, talking about going to the DMV to confess his sins.

I know you study the Derp for a living but why you gotta kill my buzz, man?

[Derpetologist]

I don't just study derp. I was born into it. Molded by it. I didn't see anything that made sense until I was already a man. And by then it was BLINDING!

[GILMORE]

Oh, SHIT NAOMI'S THE KOOL AID POURER!?

[PH2050]

I wanna watch that documentary Brockwell just mentioned.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Wow, this is actually very fascinating. I'd watch that documentary.

[PH2050]

Get out of my head you sorceror!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

You and I are of a kind. In an alternate reality I might have called you friend.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

I had no idea there was a Russian pop duo called "Tattoo".

[Sevo]

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

[Byte Me]

I was first made aware of them when they (the lead singers) made out with each other while performing on MAD TV.

[kibby]

This guy looks like a creepy rapist.

[gaijin]

Digital detox. and porn stache. Riiiggghhhtt.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Kennedy likes Stossel too.

[Byte Me]

Don't we all?

[Slammer]

Stay the fuck out of that camp.

[GILMORE]

whos the hipster kidnapper?

[playa manhattan]

I just got back. They better not be interviewing that guy on the Berkeley campus!

[playa manhattan]

Upon further examination, I actually know people who went to that camp. Ironically, they posted the pictures on Facebook.

[GILMORE]

"they posted the pictures on Facebook: Ironically"

FTFY

[PH2050]

Fucking hipsters even go to camps like that, ironically.

WTF is happening to humanity

[Christophe]

Hipsterism comes and goes in waves. It's like the flu: annoying and never disappears, but not a threat to civilization.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

They all seemed transfixed by the mustache. I'd have a similar look if I shaved my beard.

[Slammer]

It looks like a glue on

[kibby]

Don't ever shave your beard, in that case.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I don't know, I've always wanted to look like Wyatt Earp has played by Kurt Russell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ndsXVaPwc

[kibby]

Ummm....

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

No? How about this?

[kibby]

Beards are a much better choice, if you can grow a decent one.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The beard doesn't make the man, is my point. But yeah, I like mine and have gotten positive feedback for it.

Even if it bizarrely grows in red despite me having light brown hair.

[mad libertarian guy]

And if you can grow a glorious beard, you'll be the envy of dudes who can't.

[SweatingGin]

I'm your Huckleberry

Not Val Kilmer?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

And you, Gin lover, you're next. *cocks pistol*

[SweatingGin]

I got two guns. One for the each of ya.

[Francisco d Anconia]

You're no daisy.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Go ahead, skin it. Skin that smokewagon and see what it happens. *slaps FdA*

[Francisco d Anconia]

You gonna do somethin or just stand there and bleed?

[Francisco d Anconia]

You look like a lumberjack?

[PH2050]

I respect the balance he talks about but technology is totally going to become a part of our bodies. Accept it.

Resistance is futile.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Yeah, resistance is futile.

[GILMORE]

Is this whole fucking episode SPONSORED by Kool-Aid?

And Levi looks familiar.... I saw him holding up a number against a ruler...

[gaijin]

Why are Welch and Kemele on this show tonight? Beefcake? They have nothing to add to the (admittedly superficial) discussion on the show.

[GILMORE]

THEY SHOULD JUST GET THE REDHEAD TO SIT THERE AND THEY CAN MAKE COMMENTS FROM OFFSTAGE

NEW FORMAT!

[gaijin]

Ok, so now they wrap up the show with insightful analysis. And then Kennedy fluffs a fetish...what a show.

[PH2050]

Right?! Kmele said more at the end there than he did all show. Which sucks because I like Kmele.

[GILMORE]

You don't "Like" Kmele

No one "Likes" Kmele

You Feel Kmele

[PH2050]

You, sir, are a genius.

Do you have a newsletter to which I can subscribe?

[All-Seeing Monocle]

They should have remoted them in from a survivalist camp/bunker.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Ya think H&R commenters are on a list?

[SweatingGin]

Yes, I do.

A year ago I wouldn't have thought so.

Not actually the NSA revelations that changed my mind. It was the time-travel adventures of Warty Hugeman that did it.

[Slammer]

The State is the biggest prepper of all time.

[Bobarian]

Fluff your fetish?

YES!!

[Bobarian]

AHH LOU DOBBS!

[PH2050]

Oh Lou Dobbs, why would you ever take seriously anything Jon Stewart says? Remember, they're "just a comedy show"

[GILMORE]

AHHH DOBBS!

[RishJoMo]

Sounds like a plan to me dude.

http://www.Anon-Works.tk

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I liked it better when they wrapped up a show with Porky Pig saying, "th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!"

[Pompey]

Oh, Lou Dobbs!

[Suthenboy]

Dobbs is right. The socialist train is going off the rails and the dems are in complete denial.

[Irish]

You're...you're actually watching Dobbs?

[Derpetologist]

And he refuses to watch my high-octane, 110-proof derp?

This outrage will not soon be forgotten!

[GILMORE]

OMG I just got flashed an ad on H&R saying,

"Find True Love With MUSCULAR WOMEN"

WTF?! Please tell me I'm not being targeted by freaks? what did I say?! It was a joke!? TAKE EPI! I DONT LIKE WOMEN MUSCLES!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They noticed that you were watching the Olympics. Which are in Russia. And you can complete their chain of reasoning.

[Sevo]

Hey, I get "Meet Christian Singles!"
I'm a married atheist.

[Byte Me]

My favorite are the late night Cougar Life commercials.

[Bobarian]

Warty posts here.

The most important question is "How much can she squat?"

[playa manhattan]

Opening Ceremonies, Assemble!!!

[Byte Me]

Just turned to it and it was a bunch of red (soviet) shit. And the NBC hosts acknowledge it.

[SweatingGin]

Hammer and Sickle!

Oooh!! Just had Mrs. Gin switch over to it. They're Smurfs!

Socialist Men Under Red Father!

[SweatingGin]

This is a fucking randian nightmare.

This needs to be in Atlas Shrugged Part III.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

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

[Derpetologist]

And now my dear friends, I proudly present the pi?ce de derpsistance. Behold the sanity-blasting horror of "Why Libertarians are Idiots":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbuDPO2LSX4

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Like y'all *need* a reason.

[SweatingGin]

Post it again! I'll watch it eventually!

[SweatingGin]

sorry, that was a different one. You have a trove of those anti-libertarian vids.

[Derpetologist]

I only present the finest, choicest cuts of derp for the commentariat.

[Derpetologist]

The best thing about derp is that it always tops itself.

In all my years, I have never seen such a masterpiece. In the first minute, he explains that people are greedy and stupid and so can't be trusted.

30 seconds later, he explains that this is the reason we need an organization that will protect people.

Will this protecting organization be staffed with angels, superintelligent robots, or benevolent aliens perhaps? He does not say.

Bastiat looms large with this one.

"If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?"

[SweatingGin]

"Your views were refuted by a French economist in 1850. Good Day"

[GILMORE]

I watched it =

It peaks @ 3:26. He uses the word, 'profitized' shortly thereafter.

I was waiting for blood to start running out of his ears.

I'm never doing that again, Mssr Derp

[Derpetologist]

In fairness, I did say it was sanity-blasting.

[PH2050]

Holy fucking shit, that idiot and many of the comments give me an urge to gouge out my eyeballs. Why do you do this to us?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Shaun White is a fucking sellout!

Ricky Vaughn

Cut his hair, pussed out of the slopestyle and for fuck sake, I saw him in suit and tie the other day.

[playa manhattan]

There it is. Communism, a "pivotal experiment".

[SweatingGin]

At least they didn't bust out "nobel"?

[SweatingGin]

Bond villain. Fucking real life bond villain.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Puppet sex on FLIX.

[SweatingGin]

Team America? Or did this thread just get weird?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Aye dirka, dirka.

[SweatingGin]

Here comes puppet vomit!

Somehow I don't think Mrs. Gin would appreciate it.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Dicks fucking asses coming up.

[SweatingGin]

and I was just wanting to watch that again.

Sure, dicks fuck pussies. But dicks also fuck assholes.

[Sevo]

playa manhattan|2.7.14 @ 10:35PM|#
"There it is. Communism, a "pivotal experiment"."

You'd have thought they'd have ended the 'experiment' before they killed 100,000,000 wouldn't you?

[Derpetologist]

Amazing that even after the collapse of the USSR, lefties still won't criticize it.

Did I say "amazing"? I meant "totally unsurprising."

[SweatingGin]

Slate should be amazing for the next week or two. "They showed it's okay to have the hammer and sickle!"

[Derpetologist]

I am mystified by communist symbols. I associate hammers and sickles with drudgery and blisters. My flag would have had a drumstick and a bottle of beer.

Forward comrades to the victory of drumstickism-beerism!

[SweatingGin]

Your ideas intrigue me, and i wish to join your sleeper cell.

[Derpetologist]

First you must learn to quote the Chairman well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qLzQ4uOvio

[playa manhattan]

This looks like it's going to be a parade of hot womenz.

[playa manhattan]

And I was right.

[SweatingGin]

I gave up on the Olympics opening and put on some Rush. Very stereotypical.

[playa manhattan]

I'm done now. Better things to do etc etc.

[SweatingGin]

Bought cheap Vermouth (sweet, Noily Pratt). Never again.

[RishJoMo]

Jack Ryan is not going to liek that at all man.

http://www.Anon-Works.tk

[Bobarian]

"Welch was a lot more attractive before he tweeted that story about fucking Jay Carney"

That would lower anyone's attractiveness.

[anon]

Someone's got to fuck that asshole.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Yeah, anyone know the story with that? I asked my wife if he'd had a stroke.

[Corning]

Get out of here you drunk lowlife.

[playa manhattan]

The ocean view should be a reward. In this case, I had an old lady hop in front of my car and scream for help while I was on the way to the grocery store. A 5 minute trip turned into 30 minutes, and now I'm missing out on all of the inside jokes...

[SweatingGin]

You have a blog?

[Ted S.]

I'm sorry the rest of you have shitty taste in movies.

[Ted S.]

I was going to ask if he ran her over. After all, she violated the NAP by hopping in front of his car.

[playa manhattan]

Ummm, sure. She was having a bout of dementia, and I got her home. She made some pretty crazy accusations though.

[kibby]

I am all for the second amendment, but would not trust myself with a gun.

My neighbors are all functional retards, from what I can gather, so you may be right on that.

[Suthenboy]

What does that mean, you dont trust yourself with guns?

[Irish]

It means she would be worried about having a gun in the house and is making the responsible choice not to own a firearm she's not prepared for.

[kibby]

Reasons.

[kibby]

My vagina disagrees with you.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Yeah I'm not a gun person either. I'm too scatterbrained when it comes to leaving things out where they shouldn't be.

[playa manhattan]

Maybe a scary looking replica would be to your liking.

[Irish]

^ Comments like this are why libertarian women are the best women.

You haven't lived until you've seen one of Nicole's 150 post arguments about the merits of anal sex.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

My vagina disagrees with you.

Just what H+R needs, another disagreeable vagina.

[kibby]

I hope to someday be as prolific & fantastic as the other women that frequent this site.

[playa manhattan]

I must have missed all of those. Link?

And why did it take so long for her man to pop the question?

[kibby]

Can't I just have a machete instead?

[playa manhattan]

I'm sure I'm more "scatterbrained" than you. It's not that hard. Either it's loaded, or it's not. Either it's locked up, or it's not.

[playa manhattan]

I got one in Costa Rica, and figured I would keep it for self defense purposes. Almost immediately after I got home, I found myself using it for everyday purposes.

[Suthenboy]

No.
They require more practice and are equally as dangerous to the user.

[playa manhattan]

At least you aren't too cheap to buy your own domain.

[kibby]

For me it's not an issue of those things -- I am very careful about anything potentially dangerous in my place. Overcautious, really, which is good for guns.

But there are other personal factors that I have to be aware of & those make owning a firearm an unwise decision. At least at this point in my life.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Meh, I'd need my own place and money to practice shooting. Maybe in the future.

[playa manhattan]

I get it. I didn't have (that many) guns when I was a student.

[kibby]

My Mom has a Doberman. That should count when I'm dogsitting for them.

[SweatingGin]

At least the dancing women in jelly-fish light gown things are just weird, not symbols of oppression.

[mad libertarian guy]

She was having a bout of dementia, and I got her home.

That's a lie. I've been assured by liberals everywhere that no gesture of help is possible without government.

[SweatingGin]

well, now they do.

WOLVERINES

[Cytotoxic]

Just what H+R needs, another disagreeable vagina.

Stop trying to steal Tulpa's job.

[GILMORE]

I will do it

'So, an American visits Australia, to see how they manage their farms. On arriving at the farm, he looks into a barn and sees an Aussie farmer making ardent, unbridled love to a rather-uncomfortable looking sheep.

Aghast, the American cries, "Sir! Shouldn't you be *shearing* the sheep, instead?"

To which the Aussie replies, "Hell, no! I'm not shearing this sheep with anyone"

[SweatingGin]

Why don't Calvinists have sex standing up?

They're afraid it might lead to dancing.

[GILMORE]

in retrospect, to make that work better in the written form, the punchline probably goes like,

"'I'm not shearing this sheep with eeeny one!"

Because, phonetics.