Tonight on The Independents: Red Meat Wednesday, Featuring Ron Paul on the CIA, Peter Suderman on Obamacare, Andy Levy on Drugs, Kristin Cavallari on Vaccines, and Two Minutes Hate!

We know you like your Red Meat Wednesdays on The Independents, so tonight at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT, with repeats three hours later) we tie the napkin to your collar and start shoveling up bloody hunks.

Like Ron Paul! The beloved three-time presidential candidate will be on to talk about the catfight between the CIA and its longtime enablers on the Senate Intelligence Committee; and also about his occasionally controversial views on Ukraine, Russia, and Crimea. Speaking of Ronald Reagan, here's how latest Reagan-fight on the right was treated in last night's show:

What about Peter Suderman? The Reason heartthrob will discuss the latest bad news about Obamacare, including its role in Florida's special election yesterday.

Did we mention TV's Andy Levy? The contrarian Red Eyester will square off with Lawfare Project Director Brooke Goldstein over Iran, whether violent rap lyrics should be admissible as evidence in murder trials, and a curious new poll about Americans' views on the comparative harmfulness of pot, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar.

So, who is Kristin Cavallari? She is that gal over to your right, host of the new E! fashion/beauty show The Fabulist, serial star on television programs about Laguna Beach, much-followed (and little-following) Twitterer, and wife of perennial target of Chicago hatred, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Host Kennedy engages Cavallari about politics, pot, gay marriage, and vaccines, and the results are…interesting.

And finally, there will be your favorite segment, Two Minutes Hate. Re-live the love!

Comments

[SweatingGin]

Independents Pregame!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Nobody watches tho... Oh, wait, ISWYDT.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Host Kennedy engages Cavallari about politics, pot, gay marriage, and vaccines, and the results are...interesting.

A fella could have himself a pretty great weekend in Dallas with all that stuff.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'm gonna watch this if it hare lips everybody on Bear Creek.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

and wife of perennial target of Chicago hatred, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler

I guess she finds being around losers that inevitably disappoint appealing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hopefully Suderman loads up on caffeine again. That's the only way to get enough coherent information into the thirteen seconds The Independents gives you to make your point.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

What about being, or pretending to be, Ron Paul?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The exception that proves the rule. The exception that proves every rule.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Have we beheld / after many millennia / our long lost leader / our Philosopher King?

[Peter Suderman]

Have no fear. I drank a pot of coffee, went for a run, and then had some more coffee in the green room.

[Fist of Etiquette]

And it paid off.

[Sevo]

"Andy Levy on Drugs,"

Roy Rodgers on Trigger! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DUEAG5eO6c

[R C Dean]

host of the new E! fashion/beauty show The Fabulist,

I'm guessing nobody at E! has any idea what "fabulist" means.

[Bobarian]

It sounds good.

[PapayaSF]

Language evolves....

[Mike M.]

Definition: see "Palin's Buttplug", aka Dave Weigel.

[Sevo]

"SF has America's second-biggest income gap, study says"
http://blog.sfgate.com/pender/.....tudy-says/

Wonder what it would be like if the gov't didn't pay bums to come here.

[Mike M.]

Do they still let the bums shit in the street in San Fran? I haven't been there in a while, but the last time I was there it was absolutely repulsive.

[Max Power]

Cosmotarian Cocktail Call!
Whatcha drinkin?

[Max Power]

I'm going Old Fashioned now, to be followed by a Sazerac.

[SweatingGin]

I need to make more simple syrup.

I'll be doing a negroni in a few minutes.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

If I'm drinking a good beer, does that make me a cosmo, a yokel, or just a REAL libertarian?

[SweatingGin]

You know Keystone Light doesn't count as a good beer, right?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Stop othering yokeling me, cosmo!

[Max Power]

I have no idea. Who's the arbiter of what's cosmo and what's paleo?

[BuSab Agent]

Paleo is any alcohol NOT made with grains duh.

[Stormy Dragon]

Kumis?

[Peter Suderman]

Depends on whether you brewed it yourself?

[Sudden]

Curse you lucky bastards drinking your booze. I'm still embroiled in my struggle to overcome alcohol dependency known as Lent.

I should say fuck it. I've gone a week now, that should be ample evidence that I am not in fact an alcoholic.

[SweatingGin]

You should give up moderation for lent.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Forsake your god. Come back to us Sudden.

[Sudden]

I have no God. I simply take the opportunity to give up booze for 40 days about every third year just to prove that I am not an alcoholic.

I feel that earns me the right to drink myself into nightly oblivion for the 1,000 days that fall in between.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I went a month a year and a half ago, but I figure that's good for 10 years.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You should give up Lent for Lent.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

Sipping Jack and chasing it with cheap Merkin beer.

... Hobbit

[kibby]

Is there any drink that will make writing this paper less painful? If the ingredients are present, I will make it.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

A grasshopper? Although I doubt you have creme de menthe and creme de coco.

[kibby]

I think they have creme de menthe, actually (who on earth knows why), but not the other one. The bonus about dogsitting is the fully stocked bar!

[SIV]

Got Ritalin?

[kibby]

I broke up with my source for that stuff. Both gave me terrible panic attacks, so it was probably for the best.

[Max Power]

I haven't written a paper in about 10 years, but I think any drink will work.

[Sudden]

Four Loco

I mean that in all seriousness. In my uni days, I used to drink cans of sparks for all night paper writing sessions.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Redbull and Vodka if you want this x10.

[kibby]

Maybe I should specify that I am not a heavy drinker & don't drink caffeine.

[Max Power]

Pimm's Cup

[BuSab Agent]

Green tea with like 50 teaspoons of sugar.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Can we pool our money for the purpose of dollar-electing our favoured bitch-fests on Two Minutes Hate??

I'd pay at least $2.34, Paypal, to see "Roadz!" or "Somalia!" as complete responses...

[SweatingGin]

That is either a terrible or great idea.

Frame it like this: "how much will libertarians bid to have the hosts read obscene in-jokes on the air?"

Which will be great until everyone chips in for an audiobook version of Warty Hugeman and the Doomcock of Doom read by Kennedy.

[Max Power]

I would pay .012 bitcoin for that.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

To be honesty, I'd just consume Tony and Shreek's copypasta.

[Tejicano]

Since there are no libertarian women anyway, what will she be wearing? Oh, and I'm asking for a friend.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Grand Moff Sebelius says no delay in individual mandate penalties this year

There will be no delay in the penalty most Americans face under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law if they fail to obtain health coverage this year, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Wednesday.

Sebelius also said there would be no postponement of this month's deadline for enrolling in coverage through new private health insurance marketplaces or the Medicaid program for the poor.

Speaking a day after her department released new Obamacare data showing private insurance enrollment rising to 4.2 million people as of March 1, Sebelius rebuffed Republican claims that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's implementation was failing to attract enough enrollees.

In response to Representative James Renacci, an Ohio Republican, Sebelius said the sign-up effort would be a success despite the botched October rollout that led the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to pare back its enrollment forecast from 7 million to 6 million people.

"Success looks like millions of people with affordable health coverage, which we will have by the end of March in the private marketplace, in Medicaid, young adults on their family plans," she said.

Look at those goal posts move!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

So, she really is worse than Vader?

[Bobarian]

She's worse than Jar-Jar Binks.

[BuSab Agent]

But Nikki's still the worst, right?

[The Last American Hero]

In the original sales pitch for this law in 2009, we were told there were about 42 million uninsured. How the hell is signing up 6 million, many of whom previously had coverage, and only 4 million of whom will actually pay premiums considered a success?

[Suthenboy]

Who hired her? Oh yeah, the guy who was on video 27 times telling a bald faced lie and had the gall to deny he lied. Oh, the same thing she did.

Nevermind.

[SweatingGin]

Two minute hate futures?

1 epi, 1 gilmourr. 1 wildcard.

[Calidissident]

Why is it so hard for Ron Paul to just say something like "I disapprove of Russia's actions in the Crimea, but I do not think the United States should get involved in this conflict?" Why the need for conspiracy theories about how US bankers are to blame (and given historical connotations, that's dangerously close to "JOOOOOOS!" territory)? If the US was doing the same thing in Mexico (or any other country) that Russia is doing in Ukraine, what would his stance be? I voted for him in the primaries, but damn, the guy really is his own biggest obstacle to greater success.

[Cytotoxic]

Because he is a fucking loon. We became attached to him and ignored those who pointed this behavior out because those people (Kristol, the WSJ editorial board) are assholes who like to use Ad Homs. Sucks for us because they were right.

[Calidissident]

I was never under any illusions that the guy wasn't a little off. Says something about the GOP that he was nonetheless the best candidate in the race. I think he's (publicly) gone further off the deep end since leaving Congress.

[Cytotoxic]

Gary Johnson was WAY better and not just because of his raging sanity. There was a boatload of reasons.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

+GayJay

[SIV]

Fuck the Fair Tax

[Cytotoxic]

Fuck you.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Was that to me or SIV? Because for real, I was a Gary Johnson supporter. Had a successful Governor's record and a very attractive resume/ideological stance, which clinched it for me.

And a funny nickname, heh.

[Cytotoxic]

That was to ape AIDS and his bizarre monomaniacal and economically illiterate hate-on for the fair tax. Your support of GayJay makes you a totes legit homie yo.

[Calidissident]

I didn't really count him since he dropped out so quickly.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I'll only add that, despite their market dominance in the sector, leftists do not have a monopoly on "Blame America First!"

Consult Rothbard, the Mises Institute, et al. for evidence of this phenomenon.

[Cytotoxic]

Rothtard and what his minions did to the Mises Institute makes Ayn Rand's hatred of libertarians seem kinda sensible. Those really were The Worst of Times. I believe Rothtard's malign influence over libertarianism was a big reason for the marginalism of libertarianism for much of the '60s and '70s, GoldWater exempted.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Yep.

Although I have ulterior reasons for doing so, it definitely encourages me to self-identify as a "classical liberal."

[Cytotoxic]

Oh Jesus Christ someone get Ron Paul to shut the hell up before he totally fucks things up for his (refreshingly lucid) son. He has gone completely off the deep end. He is every bit the loony toon his enemies caricatured him as. In the Breitbart link, he seriously blames The Jews 'banker's for influencing governments to 'prop up bad investments' in Ukraine. Hey Suderman do you mind asking the senile old nutter for a receipt or some of other proof of The Great Ukrainian Bank Conspiracy.

[Cytotoxic]

That's not all:

Paul averred that for the US "to be lecturing anyone about violating sovereignty", after we "violated the sovereignty of Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, North Africa, Pakistan's sovereignty" was of a piece with America's "interventionist compulsion to be constantly involved in expanding America's empire."
He said of his countrymen: "Americans always wants their hands in things," because "they have an empire to build."

He's so butthurt over his political failure he now pretends dictatorships have a valid claim to sovereignty and bitches about 'Americans' not respecting them (as if average everyday Americans were invading), or-in the case of Yemen-doesn't have a fucking clue what he is talking about (their government was A-okay with the drone strikes over there). He also never even addresses the possibility that for many of those countries, the motivation of average Americans was actually related to terrorists who want to kill and subjugate them. He just goes straight to the ever-nebulous 'empire' because he is almost Tony-level dishonest.

Best for last: The former congressman neither opposed nor condemned any Russian actions in the crisis.

If you are really interested in getting America out of the world's affairs, you have to cut this guy loose. He is all liability now.

[GILMORE]

What's the benefit of cutting him loose when you have people here (a la Sheldon Richman) doubling down on his empty ideas? At least now they point to him as their 'thought leader' rather than own the patent on these ideas themselves.

[Cytotoxic]

Forget Sheldon Derpman it's the rest of the liberty movement I want to save. Amputation: it has its moments.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

...damn. You really let it rip.

Well, I'll toss you an 'amen', you're absolutely right on this on.

[Cytotoxic]

I know you meant 'right on this one' but your typo is more enjoyable. That's called 'pulling a John'.

[Calidissident]

One of the few times I've ever agreed (for the most part) with you on something related to foreign policy.

[Cytotoxic]

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

I'm not sure which one of us it is unlocked for. Probably you.

[GILMORE]

lol

[Fist of Etiquette]

What the world needs now more than anything is two minutes of love.

[SusanM]

Followed by three hours of excuses?

[Fist of Etiquette]

A real man doesn't care what happens after the two minutes are up.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Real men can go for three or four two-minutes!

[SweatingGin]

That comes every morning that has a new installment of the Warty Chronicals.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm PVRing Law & Order to watch TI tonight.

Better not let me down.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That may be the saddest thing I've ever read.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Sadder than anything Palin or Tony write?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-trmRQXRAA

[Brian D]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHp9oZPqs8E

[Derpetologist]

[Relocated from wrong thread]

The Church of Proglotology

Most of the big religions have a low bar for membership. Islam and evangelical Christianity require nothing more then the spoken word to convert. But even those religions have at least a few rules and rituals you have to half-ass to stay a member.

Enter the Church of Proglotology. Being a prog doesn't require anything at all. All you have to do is call yourself one and, presto! You automatically become a good and wise person in the eyes of other progs.

After that, all you have to do is mouth the right slogans from time to time. And it doesn't matter at all what you do. You don't have to vote. You don't have to give. You don't have to work. Hell, you can even be a complete scumbag and still be in good standing.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to see why it's such a popular group

[GILMORE]

Pregame bets:

- Matt goes back to wearing something horrible
- Suderman finds his faux-hawk again
- Kennedy again firmly states a strongly-held nonsensical opinion about something
- Kmele wears grey jacket (I'm playing odds here...haven't seen in a while)

[Max Power]

I'm thinking Kmele goes houndstooth or tweed. And Matt hasn't worn his weird brown suede jacket for a while (he subbed in the weird brown suede vest), so I'm betting on that.

[GILMORE]

Well the grey (as far as I can tell) is Donegal... so yes there. And I agree on the brown suede.

bring it, Indys

[Max Power]

Damn, we're both wrong. Although Matt has that weird red shirt going on. So there's that.

[Derpetologist]

A non-idiotic clip from the works of Aaron Sorkin?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zBC2dvERM

[Fist of Etiquette]

Prediction: Hoops, but smaller ones.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

This hoop earrings look awfully stiff.

[Episiarch]

Silver hoops? BORING.

[Bam!]

Violet Beauregard dress

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yeah, independents of viewers.

[Episiarch]

Matt looks like Santa's nerdier, skinnier cousin in that outfit.

[Byte Me]

Red Meat Wednesday

I wish they said that before I had shrimp!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Button down collar? Red shirt? Yuck.

[Trials and Trippelations]

I'm skipping free Lenten soup for 2 Minute Hate. This episode better be great

[BigT]

Yuengling Bock - cheap, almost drinkable. Will upgrade later.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I wondered where my picnic blanket went.

[Episiarch]

I think Kmele stole his shirt off the table of an Italian restaurant.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Brooke Goldstein kind of looks like she's wearing a Wrath of Khan-era Starfleet uniform.

[Episiarch]

So she looks like Kirstie Alley?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Sure, she was hot back then.

[Bobarian]

Before she ate Shelly Long.

[Byte Me]

...Wrath of Khan-era Starfleet uniform.

Totally hot. That is all.

[Fist of Etiquette]

PURPLE WASN'T ONE OF THE COLORS.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!

Were you even aware of this?!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, yeah, that was filmed for the pilot and reused sporadically in shots throughout the first season until Paramount came to its senses.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

That actually seems like one of the few prescient things about the future TNG predicted.

[BigT]

Iran is No 1 sponsor of terror. Who is your top 10? Cuba, Venezuela, NKorea, Iran, Syria, ??

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Top 69?

Keep your option open.

[Cytotoxic]

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

[Fist of Etiquette]

United Nations, Iran keeps touching me!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'm crazy.

Yawn.

[GILMORE]

Thank you matt for delivering the red-on-red abomination

Whats the deal with Star Trek chick?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Did she just say oot instead of out?

Great, another Canadian.

[Cytotoxic]

We're not all like that! Only a degenerate minority drinks milk out of a bag!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I had to Google that. Strange land. Must be the cold.

[BigT]

Iran's leaders love their suicide bombers, but the leaders aren't joining 'em.

[Bam!]

How'd she rig those earrings to splay like that?

[SweatingGin]

I'm thinking tape.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Stuxnet doesn't count.

[kibby]

Dear everyone on the panel: can we please pick a pronunciation for Iran & stick with it? At least stay consistent within the same sentence.

[Derpetologist]

How about "The Country Formerly Known as Persia"?

[kibby]

It sounds fun!

[William of Purple]

Eye ran, Eye ran so far away.

[jesse.in.mb]

Musical interlude.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I am disappoint.

[Aloysious]

One of these goddam things had better be Flock of Seagulls...

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

NOT AVAILABLE IN MY COUNTRY?!?!?!?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I couldn't get away.

[Derpetologist]

The Iranians talk tough, but if the leaders really believed that martyrdom hogwash, they would have put on a bomb vest long ago.

[Cytotoxic]

Instead their leader ordered the Pan Am bombing in 1988 and then the Americans and British framed a Libyan.

[Calidissident]

That is certainly far from proven

[Cytotoxic]

This should be on the front page of every newspaper and Reason.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2.....-spy-says/

[BigT]

Uncertainty is the enemy of economic growth (risk-taking), so Obama is the Czar of uncertainty - Ocare's changes, min wage increases or not, EPA rules or not, etc.

[Episiarch]

The Constitution doesn't say a lot of things, dude. You have to be a professional to read what's not there.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The market will handle it, Andy.

[Lady Bertrum]

The so called Arab Spring began in Iran with the protest at the beginning of Obama's first term. We squandered a real opportunity when Obama failed to cultivate an international response to support the protesters. He was all but silent hoping to set the table for future negotiations with the mullahs. Just another of O's mistakes.

[Cytotoxic]

The shame of not supporting the Iranian Spring should be shared by Reason. They were all into the 'don't interfere!' line of dogma. We should have at least provided weapons.

[Derpetologist]

The last time the US intervened in Iran, everything turned out just peachy!

/derp

[Lady Bertrum]

We had strong sanctions in place already. I'm not suggesting we should have intervened by supplying weapons but Obama was almost completely silent and that was disgraceful.

[Derpetologist]

Interventions are like potato chips. It's hard to stop at just one.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I just assumed we were giving them equal treatment to Iraqi rebels during Gulf Fun, Part I...

[Stormy Dragon]

Yes, because arming Muslim revolutionaries has never ended up coming back to bite us in the ass before.

[Cytotoxic]

The Iranian Spring was not a struggle of 'Islamic revolutionaries'.

[Cytotoxic]

The last time the US 'intervened' in Iran, the CIA play a bit role in pushing out a despot whose incompetence nearly threw Iran to the Soviets in favor an enlightened albeit somewhat murderous strongman who ensured stability for decades.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Once upon a time...

[Derpetologist]

And what exactly did the US gain from this stability? Not a goddamn thing!

Oh no! Our strongman was overthrown! No worries- we'll just pay the dictator next door to fight the new guy.

Oh no! The dictator is bankrupt! No worries- we'll just tell him it's OK to invade Kuwait.

Oh no! He actually invaded and now we have to fight him. No worries- we'll just tell the Kurds and Shiites to rebel.

Oh no! He slaughtered the rebels and is stronger than ever. No worries- we'll just sanction him and bomb him once in a while.

Oh no! We need to invade again so he doesn't help terrorists. No worries- it'll be a walk in the park.

Oh no! They've taken to guerilla warfare and they're pretty good at it. No worries- once they have elections, the new government will restore order.

Oh no! The country is hopelessly split into factions and they're having a civil war.

You see now why intervening is a bad idea?

[Cytotoxic]

Wow what a bunch of contrived derp. First, the US gained an ally and a critical listening post to spy on the Soviets. Second, America should have invaded Iran after the revolution. Third, America never told Iraq to invade Kuwait, and in any event it didn't need to intervene to stop that invasion. I know you want to operate from the assumption that some bad interventions mean they must all be bad, but no. Not interested in your contrivances.

[Derpetologist]

Oh, wow a listening post! That's totally worth the millions of deaths and billions of dollars over the next 4 decades!

Invade Iran after the Revolution? Great idea! Then our armies would have been right next to the Soviets in Afghanistan for WW3!

As for the ambassador, here's what she told Saddam:

"We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960s, that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America."

HURR DURR STRAWMAN HERP DERP WAR BONERZ!

[Cytotoxic]

Iran was more than a listening post, and it was kept out of the Soviet sphere. In any event, those deaths aren't the concern of the USG.

Invade Iran after the Revolution? Great idea! Then our armies would have been right next to the Soviets in Afghanistan for WW3!

A calculated risk I'd be willing to take.

What the ambassador said in no way was a condoning of invasion. It was an exceedingly non-interventionist statement and I like it, so of course non-interventionists, being pathologically dishonest, just have to construe it as another sin of THE EMPRIRE.

[Episiarch]

I'll take Faith No More for the bumper.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Who is this guy to say I, as a business owner, don't work hard while being ethical?

[Derpetologist]

Egad, USAA again?

It doesn't say much for the intelligence of vets if they must be continually reminded of their bennies.

[Bobarian]

USAA is a separate independent business. Just got its start by selling to Officers.

[Derpetologist]

Carbonite protection- For people who don't know about Google or flash drives.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

...Or Force-jumping?

[Derpetologist]

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster.

[Agammamon]

. . . no match for a decent set of backups.

[RishJoMo]

Sometimes man you jsut have to roll with it.

http://www.WorldAnon.tk

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Please put this on Two Minute Hate?!

[Episiarch]

Testosterone lawsuit commercials? They sure have Matt pegged.

[Warty]

Testosterone made me go bald! Call my lawyer! Wait, you're my lawyer, right?

[Episiarch]

Well, I do have your power of attorney...

[Fist of Etiquette]

But you're not always there, Peter.

[Derpetologist]

A middle age man had a heart attack? Quick, find someone to sue!

[kibby]

Whoa, Suderman. You look like you've had a stroke with that smile.

[SweatingGin]

Careful, he's in the thread.

[kibby]

Have you seen the things you guys say about Matt when he's in the thread?

[Matt Welch]

It must be terrible!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Not as terrible of what we say about that bossy Kennedy who can't deign herself come down off the mountain like you Kmele!

[BigT]

Kennedy - all the snark that fit to spit!

[Episiarch]

How can Suder-Man look even more like a Muppet every time he's on?!? It's uncanny.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's no coincidence that Welch's hand is never on screen with the Suderman puppet.

[Peter Suderman]

Jim Henson isn't really dead.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Whoever won was going to spin this their way.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Not sure purple suits Kennedy.

I keep thinking of Teletubbies for some reason.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha! Foster just called Suderman by his last name.

[Episiarch]

I distinctly heard Kmele say "Suder-Man".

[SIV]

McArdle?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I call them biters.

[SIV]

So I log in to fb for only the second time in 2014 to find Virginia Postrel calling libertarian blog commenters "anti-bourgeois concrete high-rise parking garages". It was in reference to her favorable opinion on this piece by repentant alleged-Ron Paul Newsletter ghostwriter Jeffrey A Tucker

Haters gonna hate.

[SweatingGin]

When did people start suspecting him for the Ron Paul newsletters? I'd never heard that bandied about until this month. I'd more or less assumed Rothbard.

[SIV]

2008, or earlier.

[SweatingGin]

I thought it was attributed to an intern or other unnamed person, but I didn't think said unnamed person was him.

[SIV]

http://reason.com/archives/200.....newsletter

[SweatingGin]

Ah, gotcha.

So, suspected back then, in as much as two lines in a paragraph on it. Not sure how I missed that article back then.

[SweatingGin]

"Why can't the president just change it again?"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA

[BigT]

If one refuses to pay the ACA piper, how will it play in court? What is the law that will be used as the law? The original? The 28th revision? Or something else?

[Bam!]

Still haven't fixed Ron Paul's aura.

[kibby]

He is speaking to us from the heaven of bad production values!

[Byte Me]

Haven't you heard Suderman? Apparently, all laws are "living", "breathing" documents subject to the interpretative whims of executives.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What to do about Putin?

Well, Canada did its bit by winning hockey gold on Russian ice.

In. Your. Face. Commies!

[BigT]

Canadian foreign hockey policy is merely inciting those pesky Russkies to invade their neighbors.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

So I think figured out Ron Paul: he chartered a flight on the SS Valiant with Bitcoin and ended up being consumed by the galactic barrier, giving him psychic powers and thus that purple aura when he appears on screen.

[Episiarch]

"Kirk traveled through the Great Barrier, met Ron Paul, and wasn't even impressed."

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Are you a god?

[SweatingGin]

You've been waiting months to use that, haven't you?

[Derpetologist]

ARRGH! High cholesterol does not cause heart disease! Half the men who get admitted to hospitals for heart attacks had normal cholesterol.

This bullshit all started with a messed-up Russian feeding meat to rabbits.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeah, I had high cholesterol (my doctor put me on Crestor) but EKG scans showed my heart to be fine.

Now, my cholesterol levels are normal.

I learned that the link to heart attacks was never proven.

[Suthenboy]

I asked around a few months back " What can we do to get rid of Mary Landrieu?" and was told we had no hope of doing so, she has too much money.

Last poll has her down 7 points. Local political commentators are starting to say things like "Mary is dead meat". I hope they are right. I hope the same thing happens here that happened in Florida.

Her losing would be a serious blow to the Dems, both to their moral and politically.

Oh please, oh please, oh please.......

[Lady Bertrum]

I wish we had a glimmer of a hope of getting rid of Robert Menendez or Cory Booker. Booker will be a Senator for life if he chooses. We really need term limits for these fuckers.

[Irish]

I wish we had a glimmer of a hope of getting rid of Robert Menendez or Cory Booker.

Cory Booker is the sanest Democrat, with the possible exceptions of Ron Wyden and Mark Udall.

There are approximately 50 other Democratic senators I'd rather see knocked off before Booker. Can we please get rid of Harry Reid?

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Supposedly this is Reid's last term. We'll see.

[Cytotoxic]

Agreed. Of all the Dems, Brooker is the least hate-able.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Indeed, and considering that Booker is from NJ (meaning either Kristie Kreme-style R or an even worse D to replace him), I don't mind if they crown him Lord Corey Booker, First of his name and Senator of New Jersey in Perpetuity.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

I've loathed Tom Udall since he was Atty General but I have no doubt that he will win re-election by 80%.

We might make a gain in our 1-2 House elections. But not in my district (D3).

... Hobbit

[SIV]

Moon Griffon thinks "Campaign Bobby" is running cover for her.

[SIV]

The Freeman has an Identity Politics Issue.

Thankfully, they're agin it.

[Episiarch]

Ron Paul: the only person Kennedy is physically unable to interrupt.

[Bam!]

The aura protects him from the Kennedy interrupt.

[Episiarch]

Whoops, we spoke too soon.

[BigT]

Spying - good topic for Dr Paul. Keep him away from foreign policy to keep him from full on wacko.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Coming to you straight from the aurora borealis.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

He's making great sense so far.

[Bobarian]

DiFi: Privacy for me; not for thee!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Pigs gonna squeal, "Equal."

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yeah, Feinstein is a lying bitch, but the sex is great.

[Bobarian]

AHHHH! I NEED BRAIN BLEACH!!

[Byte Me]

...but the sex is great.

Considering I would not even 'hate fuck' rachel madcow, I find this appalling.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ron Paul doesn't pretend to know or care what the Independents think.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The crazy train is leaving the station.

[kibby]

Did you book your ticket in advance?

[Bam!]

Chugga-chugga Woo! Woo!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Get a load of Todd Palin over here.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Hmmm, what if the French sent an army to the South to assist the Confederate secession?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Those Frog bastards!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F....._in_Mexico

[BigT]

They would have surrendered sooner???

[Bobarian]

Ron Paul:

Graham and McCain are dicks!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Called them out by name, he did. I love that crazy old man.

[SweatingGin]

WARTY IS COMING UP!

[Derpetologist]

My Clean PC- for people dumb enough to click on ads.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Holy shite, Welch whips it out and lays it on the desk.

[jesse.in.mb]

I got here late and I see Welch whipping it out and "auto fellate" referenced.

WTF guys?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The ghost of ACORN.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

We had a psycho cat.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Auto fellate. Classy.

[Episiarch]

SUN'S OUT GUNS OUT

[Bam!]

Topical Storm plays to Kennedy's strength of saying something and then just moving on.

[Derpetologist]

I plan on being a DIY mummy by eating lots of cheetos in my autumn years.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

He eats his spinach.

[GILMORE]

Independents Attire Review, 12 March 2014

- Kennedy: Shows her solidarity with the LGBTQ community with a bold Tinky-winky purple; we favor Kennedy in her most garish color-schemes, particularly as they provide a visual complement to her shrill, domineering, unapologetic and irrepressible personality

- Matt: We see the return of Old Faithful, the Red-on-Red flagship of Matt's shirt-tie serial-criminality. While we regret the no-show of its favored complement, the 'Brown Rodent-Pelt' sport coat, there is something heartwarming about the Devil We Know never being too far away. All the evening needs is a bout of invisible ride-cybal hogging to be complete.

- Kmele: Suffering from both last weeks Sweater Event, and the surprise outperformance by replacement Moynihan in last evening's shocking Win-Win-Win, Kmele goes back to what made him the Independents leader-board champ since the show's inception = classic understatement, and bottomless reservoir of patterned shirt / sportcoat combinations. The hanky and lapel pin have become an inimitable hallmark of his Beneficent Rule over all Television Pimpdom. We remain his humble subject. Hail!

- Suderman: We continue to express concern over Suderman's apparent increasing shoulder-deficit. Rumors that Peter may in fact be a Robotic Puppet controlled by Megan McArdle have yet to be completely dismissed.

Thank You.

[GILMORE]

*Bonus Acknowledgements =

- Andy Levy = KILLS IT with a classic combo. Lesson, people: get a grey 2-button suit, white shirt and a dark-purple or maroon tie, and you too will look much smarter and sexier than you actually are.

[Cytotoxic]

Oh God I laughed.

[kibby]

Holy Hades, Independents. I am eating my flipping dinner, ugh. Can we not have terrible gross muscular men on screen?

[Strapping Young Lad]

He's not muscular. He's a balloon animal.

[kibby]

Balloon animals are supposed to be colorful & delightful, not vomit inducing. So clearly he's doing it wrong.

[Fist of Etiquette]

As opposed to the really good form of cancer.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, broads. Nice.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What about a ketchup bottle? Can he open that?

[Episiarch]

I thought Kennedy was going to talk shit about George Hamilton for a second there. UNACCEPTABLE, KENNEDY.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Suddenly you love Godfather Part III.

[Episiarch]

It's the best sequel since Young Guns II.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

"Goodbye Bob! Best dollar eighty I ever spent.

[Bobarian]

That dude needs to do more squats.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

He's in danger of getting Yosemite Sam legs and feet.

[Derpetologist]

"Marriage is a special bond, like the one I shared with my ex-wife."

-Charlie Crist, almost actual quote

[Derpetologist]

actual quote:

"Under the eyes of this law, under the eyes of Florida, I believe that the difference is that civil unions are not the same as marriage. Marriage is a relationship like my mother and father had. Like I had before I got divorced."

http://www.politifact.com/flor.....e-crist-s/

[Brett L]

If only she hadn't been born female, Charlie could have loved her. Although, to be fair to Mr. Crist, I don't think he has the capability to love anyone who isn't Charlie Crist.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm surprised public servants don't mind being called servants.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Augustus was "First Citizen," no?

[kibby]

Princeps!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I never decline the opportunity to post this:

"Princeps legibus solutus est."

[Lady Bertrum]

'We're' all decorating our bodies, Matt?

Are you alluding to your Tweety Bird ass tattoo?

[kibby]

You can get piercings in all sorts of fun places now!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Go on....

[kibby]

I'm fairly certain you know how to do an internet search.

Or were you trying badly to find out what fun piercings I have?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

You tossed up a softball.

[Bam!]

That's a long commercial for gutters.

[Derpetologist]

Die Gutterlungenlied

[Gozer the Gozerian]

More like die Gutterlangenlied, amirite?

[Derpetologist]

Ja, das stimmt!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Genau!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I vote poison.

[Lady Bertrum]

Andy Levy is the bomb.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Sugar is pretty bad.

[GILMORE]

Well, at least I'm not eating any sugar right now.

[SweatingGin]

I always forget how much sugar is in campari, until the headache the next day.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Was it rough, your first time?

[SweatingGin]

Goddamn right.

But the second was awesome.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What? You don't open a bag of icing sugar and dig in?

[Episiarch]

Jesus you guys should just bust out a joint and put your money where your mouths are.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Moynihan is diabetic? Pfft. Figures.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

They forgot to add salt to the table.

[BigT]

Salt is a necessary part of any diet. Only serious over-use is a problem. Or for people with special sensitivities.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I know but for the purposes of that survey, salt could have been on it.

[Bobarian]

Tobacco kills you... after about 40 or 50 years, maybe.

[SIV]

Kills 1/3 , IIRC

[Bobarian]

It's the second hand smoke that gets you.

[SIV]

Third Hand is deadliest

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'M JUST BIG BONED.

[Lady Bertrum]

Well, don't brag about it! ...wait...I read that as I JUST GOT BONED. Nevermind.

[Fist of Etiquette]

For the record, neither is true. BMI in the low 20's. FOR THE WIN.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints, and then I smoke some more..."

-Giuseppi Verdi

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I made an error, the name is spelled Giuseppe Verdi.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Glad you didn't quote Shastacabbage Shostakovitch, then!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The composer of Achy Break Heart?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra, so... Close!

[Bobarian]

You don't smoke MJ 12 times a day, unless you're Lady GaGa.

[SIV]

Where did you go to college? Brigham Young?

[Bobarian]

West Point?

[GILMORE]

+1 Cyprus Hill record

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

"Janie's got a gun..."

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm a Whathaveyou-American.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I still remember the Judas Priest and Ozzy Osborne hysteria trying to link their music to suicides in the 1980s.

[Derpetologist]

Their response was great. Something like "why would we want to kill off our fans?"

[Notorious G.K.C.]

If you play a country song backward, he gets his woman back, he gets his dog back, he gets his truck back...

[Derpetologist]

If you watch "Jaws" backwards, it becomes the tale of a shark that throws up so many people that a small town is forced to open up a beach.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

If you watch the Star Wars series backwards, it starts at Part I and goes to Part VI.

[SweatingGin]

Tie in some D&D hysteria, too.

So, somewhere down the line, had the thought or saw it mentioned that teen suicides during the 80's were largely auto-erotic asphyxiation gone wrong, and investigators were kind enough not to be blatant about it.

Plausible?

[Derpetologist]

Those deaths are so common they are not eligible for Darwin awards.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Actually, "VSM" summons a demon, which promptly possesses you and auto-erotically asphyxiates itself.

...So both stories are true.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Oh crap, I think I accidentally turned on TMZ.

[GILMORE]

It sometimes seems as though this show is about a bunch of people yapping incoherently, only to be sensibly corrected from time to time by a sober and intelligent guy named Kmele.

[Episiarch]

Sometimes? I'm pretty sure that's how they sold the idea of the show to FBN.

[Lady Bertrum]

So it's Arrested Development for libertarians?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Matt, if this is a lecture on how we're all supposed to whatever and blah-blah-blah, well, you can save it, because we all know it by heart."

[Cytotoxic]

Oh and I was hoping for libertarian Archer.

[SIV]

So over on Jezebel they were saying "outing" the chick who Thurston Moore dumped Kim Gordon for was "slut-shaming".

[Fist of Etiquette]

What the fuck. Where are we right now?

[Episiarch]

Jesus, Kennedy, you're going to scare her away. Those were some crazy eyes.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Just don't count on Jay Cutler to deliver the baby. He tends to fold up under pressure.

[Bobarian]

And he'd blame it on her.

[Trials and Trippelations]

Lame

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Aw, fuck.

Is this The View?

[Bobarian]

What is this, Chelsea Lately?

[Bobarian]

Kennedy Lately!

[kibby]

I don't know if that show will be FUN enough for me to watch.

[GILMORE]

**I LOVE WHEN KENNEDY GETS A FEMALE GUEST? AND THEY AGREE?! AND THEY SAY NICE STUFF?! OMG!? REMEMBER WHEN THE WITCH VIRGINIA WAS ON? IT WAS LIKE SOOOOO GLAMOROUS!? LIKE YOU!H HA HAHAHAHAHA***

[SIV]

lol Go Kennedy!

[Episiarch]

Uh oh, looks like Kim is retarded. Maybe she caught it from Jenny McCarthy.

[SweatingGin]

Like, OH MY GOD!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

"It has like more mercury and bad stuff..."

And Kennedy bails her out by changing the subject.

[Derpetologist]

[Sam Kinnison scream]

Has this derp not heard of say, smallpox? You know, the disease that caused people to invent vaccines?

[Byte Me]

An was the first (that I'm aware of) to be weaponized.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Well, my penis just fell off. TOO MUCH ESTROGEN.

[kibby]

You won't need it if they keep doing these segments.

[Lady Bertrum]

Calm down and talk a cold shower.... wait ... I read that as TOO MUCH ESTROVEN?. Nevermind.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Oh. So she's a quack about vaccination.

[GILMORE]

OMG, like anecdotes!?

[SweatingGin]

What I heard

[GILMORE]

What I heard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAe6P8LpAag

[kibby]

This interview sounds like the dumbest job interview ever. I want to punch this idiot in her face.

[Trials and Trippelations]

Shoes!!!!

[Bobarian]

Of course she's Ok with SSM, Cutler is a girl.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Wait, what dirty word did Kennedy just saw that got bleeped?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Democrat

[SweatingGin]

Dicks. She called us dicks.

For free.

[Episiarch]

It's a fair cop.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That. Was.

/drops cigarette from lips.

[GILMORE]

GIGGLE!!?

I hope your baby gives you smallpox?!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Repost from the PM links (as a response to NK):

Probably won't see this since it's a dead thread, so I'll repost on the Independents thread:

1) The geographic reality of road systems is that they are massive, interconnected, and non-duplicable on a practical scale. The Autobahn is some ~8000 miles long, much of this in mountainous terrain, places where frequent maintenance is needed, and areas where quite frankly there is no physical way to fit a parallel road next to it even if a competitor desired to do so. Even leaving aside sovereign immunity and eminent domain, there is often no way to realistically approximate competition along highways. In short, a road or highway from point A to B is more often than not a one-shot affair, thus eliminating the greatest virtue of markets -- competition. Here, classical economic analysis of what a firm with monopoly power does applies.

2) It is very difficult to extract rents from a private road in an efficient manner -- it is not an exclusive good, and what is to stop me from hopping in my car and driving down the street without paying anything? Tolls are an option, but they are of limited practicality.

3) Helicopters, planes, etc are not direct competitors, as they a) do not go to all the places roads go to, b) don't have the same associated convenience, and c) roads would still be necessary to connect passengers to airports and any of the places in a city that they would like to go.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Thus, there is neither a) competition, nor b) ability to use price as an efficient allocative device, both of which are necessary for markets to function. There are also rather severe problems with freedom of movement and easements, in that by privatizing roads one has effectively either a) effectively eliminated the concept of easements and thus made travel outside the confines of one's private property a perilous affair, or b) effectively made it impossible for private road operators to extract rents from users, thus making the construction and operation of roads impossible from a practical perspective.

There are several aspects of roadwork, maintenance and operation which can be privatized to varying degrees of success, but the literal privatization of roads and all that entails is a silly response to one of the few things that governments do (and have done since antiquity) with a moderate degree of success.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Dammit, didn't realize the show had started; didn't mean to spam the thread.

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

[Derpetologist]

Commercials sure make old age look great- fart medicine and denture cream!

[SweatingGin]

18 days till baseball season, when you can get medicine to make sure you can piss during a baseball game, and don't wet yourself, as well.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is this an ad for HP or UPS?

[BigT]

Here it comes! The 2 minute warning!

I predict SF.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Thing is, we didn't know, like, autism. But now, like, there's one in eight, um, so, duh. The recipe for vaccines have changed, mercury and shit so, yeah, autism.

[Episiarch]

Bernie rules.

FUCK YOU GILMORE

[GILMORE]

I honestly felt bad how that comment just fell flat on the floor because of its apparent *meanness*.

it was in the context of an attire-review. It sort of made sense at the time.

That said = ...I believe that's #5? (brushes fingernails on lapel)

[BigT]

GILMORE!!!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Gilmore takes the lead

[GILMORE]

extends... extends the lead. 3-5, epi-me.

who else has 2?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I thought you were tied at 3 before tonight.

Somebody needs to make a spreadsheet to keep you two honest.

[Episiarch]

I...uh...I have six now. You can't prove I don't!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I have eleventy-one!

[GILMORE]

I think you're right, 4-3. I made score last month...

"
GILMORE|2.21.14 @ 7:26PM|#

as far as I'm aware there have been 3 hates? 1/22 - 2/05 - 2/19 (*now 4. 3/12)

[Epi] got 2 in the January segment,

("cleopatras tomb" and "Ron Paul: only man never interrupted")...then 1 more in the most recent one.

I got 1 on 2/05 ("pancreatic cancer") and 2 more this week...

That puts us both @3...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Kibby's mom has Foster's number.

[Bobarian]

Does this mean we can make Kennedy's Mom Jokes?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Qapla!

[SweatingGin]

KIBBY and Serious Man

[jesse.in.mb]

Sitting in a tree?

[kibby]

Unlikely.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

M-A-T-R-I-C-U-L-A-T-I-N-G?

[GILMORE]

BOOM!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Life's been good to him... selling out.

[kibby]

I'm upset with my mother for upsetting Kmele now.

[GILMORE]

I think my comment, taken out of context, sounded *mean*?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Nice.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

She's doing much better handling the hate.

[jesse.in.mb]

What's the current count? GILMORE is sweeping, isn't he?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Don't know, but he must have a commanding lead since Epi was shut out this week.

[jesse.in.mb]

Is no one here nerdy enough to have a public Google spreadsheet with this information?

[SweatingGin]

I said I was going to start keeping track, but didn't go back far enough to find all of them.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The tags should help.

[jesse.in.mb]

Speaking of you: I have sweet vermouth now and have had a day that requires imbibing. I have most base liquors, st germaine, a few ginger liqueurs, campari, Cointreau, acid phosphate, angostura and cherry bitters and copious amounts of ice.

Please advise.

[Bobarian]

Buy some alcohol?

[jesse.in.mb]

most base liquors

A few vodkas, a few gins (Hendricks, St. George's Terroir and Herbavore), two bourbons, and a tiny bit of Casa Noble reposado.

[SweatingGin]

First: Manhattan. 2 oz Bourbon, 1 oz vermouth, lots of angostora bitters. Stir with ice. Strain into rocks glass over ice or into up glass, your choice.

Second: Negroni. 1 oz each Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth. Stir with ice. Same, rocks or up, your choice.

Both: garnish with a strip of orange peel (lemon is fine, too).

If you also have dry vermouth and brandy, the Delmonico is a delicious drink.

[jesse.in.mb]

I have an Albanian konjak (Skenderbeu), which has some really heavy vanilla notes, and a couple sample bottles of Camus cognac. The konjak is a superb addition to whipped creams used on vanilla/coffee/chocolate/caramel based deserts.

I think I'll give the Negroni a shot.

[SweatingGin]

Negroni is my favorite cocktail. Don't be shocked if the first sip is horrible. Second one and on is excellent (see the Falwell/Hustler article posted earlier).

With some lemons, the Sidecar is awesome. 2 oz Cognac, 1 oz Cointreau, .5 oz lemon juice. Shake over ice, strain into an up glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Concur with Gin's Manhattan prescription with the following modifications:

Manhattan. 2 3 oz Bourbon, 1 oz splash vermouth, lots of dash angostura bitters, dash cherry juice. Stir with ice. Strain into rocks glass over ice or into up glass, your choice. Add cherry if desired.

I just talked myself into it.

[SweatingGin]

Concur with Gin's Manhattan prescription with the following modifications:

That's a sign you need better vermouth.

[Bobarian]

Putting vermouth in Bourbon is a sign that you need better bourbon.

Branch water is the only thing that should go into good bourbon.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

That's a sign you need better vermouth.

Quite possibly. Wasn't it you the other night saying to keep it refrigerated? Well I've had the same bottle of Martini and Rossi sitting on the shelf for upwards of 10 years.

I'll make do. I used to drink Manhattans a lot years ago. Kinda moved to bourbon rocks recently.

[SweatingGin]

I've never messed with ginger liqueurs. Or acid phosphate, actually (think I understand the concept).

St. Germaine, I grabbed a bottle a long time back but still haven't used it in anything. A bartender set me up with a Manhattan with St. Germaine in it once, and it was quite nice. Have to try it a bit more.

I quite like this Lucien Guadin, and not just because it is named for a fencer.

[jesse.in.mb]

A friend did a simple drink with a hibiscus cooler and st. germaine and it was excellent.

I really like ginger, but haven't done anything especially fun with the liqueurs. I usually just go for that and soda over ice. I've tried SNAP, The King's Ginger, and Domaine de Canton.

I got the acid phosphate (and wild cherry bark [a source of essential prussic acid]) to make cherry phosphates at HM's advice. It's pretty awesome for adding sourness without citrus flavor.

[SweatingGin]

I got the acid phosphate (and wild cherry bark [a source of essential prussic acid]) to make cherry phosphates at HM's advice. It's pretty awesome for adding sourness without citrus flavor.

Nice, I'll have to mess with that.

Have to find some ginger drinks to play with, too.

I keep thinking about trying to make my own tonic. Haven't yet, though.

[jesse.in.mb]

Let me know if you do. That's the type of kitchen project I'll take on if it sounds even vaguely like it'll turn out well.

I've actually ended up using the acid phosphate to jazz up caffeine free colas quite a bit if I'm having them late at night.

[John]

Make a blood and sand.

1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Scotch (use a decent blended nothing fancy)
1 oz Cherry Herring liquor
1 oz Blood orange juice

Shake all four ingredients with ice and strain and serve in a chilled glass.

It is a a fabulous drink.

[GILMORE]

Whiskey
Glass

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I assure you, Gil and friends, the second is quite unnecessary.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

One Bourbon. One Scotch. One Beer.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

4-3 GILMORE I think.

[GILMORE]

actually, I think you may be right. 4

[SweatingGin]

did they spell Almanian wrong, or have I been reading it wrong for years?

[Fist of Etiquette]

AH! Lou Dobbs.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Epi GOES DOWN!

[GILMORE]

uh, What? Has no one been following? yes, Kmele is 'sartorially excellent'. WTF. I do this shit for a reason, people.

[BigT]

Haha Dobbs. Obama drawing a line that has already been crossed!!! He's getting better.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

The panel look to be seriously wounded by hate mail.

[GILMORE]

its not fun if they just sit and seethe.

[GILMORE]

AHHH! DOBBS!!!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Picture of the Day

One of them walks around all day with a stick up their ass, and the other is a green frog that sings.

[BigT]

No after-show tonight?

[mbyrd624]

Following Monday's after-show, I'm surprised they haven't brought the phone calls back.

[jesse.in.mb]

I want a black market car...

[SIV]

The NHTSA seizes and crushes them. Unless your Bill Gates, then they change the law.

[Bam!]

Unless my Bill Gates does what?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

A sphincter does what?

[SIV]

"you're"

[Bam!]

OH! Now I get it!

[SIV]

If the government can't the market will

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Tonights winners:

GILMORE
Kibby
Serious
Almanian

[Francisco d'Anconia]

And tonight's too

[SweatingGin]

I think you mean "Alamanian"

[kibby]

How can I keep mixing with all the little people now?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Gulliver managed.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I personally don't think that was my best worst comment but Bernie's the expert here.

I concede being beneath Gilmore who is the master at this and Kibby and who threw her own mother under the bus.

[Irish]

What was Kibby's comment that made it? I didn't watch, but I can't imagine Kibby coming up with a really great insult.

No offense, Kibby. You're relatively new here and H&R has yet to consume your soul.

[jesse.in.mb]

kibby wasn't being mean. She was just indicating that her mother agreed with everything Kmele said, but didn't like it coming from him. It's probably not because he's so well dressed.

[Irish]

HAHAHAHAHA! That's actually pretty funny.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Yeah, that beats my comment about Kennedy spending her money on earrings, booze, and pep pills.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

No, yours was the best of the night.

We need a category for quality as well as quantity.

[kibby]

What is this "soul" you speak of?

[jesse.in.mb]

It's that thing that gingers lack...

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

How do we know she isn't a ginger?

[jesse.in.mb]

Auric isn't frantically avoiding buttsecks with her?

[kibby]

...No comment.

[jesse.in.mb]

...No comment.

Were you a soulless ginger, might I suggest you actively lie about your gingerness here? As the subset of libertarians who are women you're already at a premium, but if you're a subset of libertarians who are women who are ginger, you might start riots. Nobody wants riots (unless they involve the flipping of Citroens), do they?

[kibby]

I shall, on my honor, cause no riots.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Sad. A ginger libertarian woman would be the ultimate in awesomeness.

[jesse.in.mb]

Look, FdA, I like you (no homo), but you know that a ginger lady-libertarian would bring infighting and doom to the commentariat.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

jesse, for as much as I love the commentariat, I would kill you all for a ginger lady-libertarian. And I would sleep well at night.

[jesse.in.mb]

jesse, for as much as I love the commentariat, I would kill you all for a ginger lady-libertarian. And I would sleep well at night.

Soooooo, basically you agree with me 100%?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Never any question. 100% agreement.

Jon Snow?

IDIOT!

He could be banging freedom loving Ygritte right now, but instead he's wandering the North, full of arrows and soon to be freezing his celibate ass off on an ice wall.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

A ginger libertarian is like a black unicorn that can talk.

[kibby]

That sounds like something that would be a great trophy on a wall for someone so inclined & gives me pause.

Definitely not a ginger. Daywalker, maybe.

[jesse.in.mb]

Ha. I dated a daywalker. You're still a ginger.

Which word best describes your hair color?
Brown
Auburn
Rusty
Red as a communist flag covered in the blood of the bourgeois

[kibby]

It's pretty solidly brown at this point, with a little blonde & maybe some red undertones left. But brown above all else.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

So you have freckles then? You're not helping your case if you're determined to make yourself sound less attractive.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The real winner tonight is me. Cliffhanger is on TV right now.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

However Fist wins, we all lose.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Oh, lucky you, that Stallone fellow is quite the actor.

[SIV]

Where the fake-terrorist Eurotrash try to steal all the worn out $500 and $1000 bills?

Fucking great movie. I came real close to throwing up on the theater floor during the opening scene.

[PapayaSF]

Yes, that one's good and underrated.

[Winston]

Stallone should make a sequel and call it Cliff Hanger and then two more called The Cliffhanger and The Cliff Hanger

[William of Purple]

Pavlov is at the bar. He's enjoying a pint.
The phone rings. Pavlov jumps up and rushes to the door.
"That reminds me, I forgot to feed my dog!"

[Winston]

Hmm if Rockwell, Paul and Co. think Russia should be able to intervene in its sphere of influence then what is the problem with the USG trying to oust Castro, Allende and Chavez? Because they are American or because the USG is the real Threat to World Peace?

I also get the feeling that Rothbard was pissed when the Cold Warriors and the McCarthyites took over the GOP in the 1950s and the Republicans were more interested in listening to the evils of the USSR and Communism rather than libertarianism. So he naturally responded by being an apologist for the USSR since that is the only way to really battle against these guys. Add in his Leninist belief in some libertarian vanguard to hijack a revolutionary movement of various malcontents (be they the New Left or the Paleocons) and he created quite a heady Fever Swamp.

[Winston]

Also I used to be a Rockwellian and one reason I am no longer is their knee-jerk Anti-Americanism. Also they do seem to act as if the problem is that the US intervenes on The Wrong Side when that attidue isn't really all that anti-war at all. And then at times adopt a Friedmanesque notion that American's enemies are being run from by Top Men who Really Do Have The Best Interest Of Their People At Heart and are Able To Actually Get Things Done unlike the clowns in DC. This view is naturally not really all that libertarian.

These attitudes are nothing new really. Just read Randolph Bourne and H.L. Mencken on Germany in WWI. For guys who are supposed to proto-libertarians they seem really fond of German social welfare programs and Otto von Bismarck. I guess Bismarck was a real TOP MAN unlike Woodrow Wilson.

Oh and I listened to Scott Horton's radio show. One episode he had a Maoist on and naturally he defended Mao because he was all anti-Imperialist and shit and said that India would have been better off it had gone Commie and Scott let him say what he wanted.

Oh and Gareth Porter was a Khmer Rouge apologist during Pol Pot's reign.

[Cytotoxic]

That was a Friedmanesque attitude? When did Friedman say stuff like that?

[Winston]

I mean Tom, not Milton.

[Cytotoxic]

OOoooohhhhhh now it makes sense.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

So it was not the creepy Confederate apologia of Rockwell's site that bothered you, but that it was not sufficiently Go USA! and anti-Red for you.

Sheesh.

It is interesting to see at several points in this thread so many attack, and so few (if any) defend, the rather mainstream libertarian critiques of American interventionism from Paul or Richman. There are a lot of 'libertarians' sympathetic to domestic conservative policies here, but I did not know we had so many 'muscular foreign policy' nationalists as well.

[Winston]

So it was not the creepy Confederate apologia of Rockwell's site that bothered you

Where do you think their "creepy Confederate apologia" comes from? Their knee-jerk anti-Americanism, duh.

There are a lot of 'libertarians' sympathetic to domestic conservative policies here, but I did not know we had so many 'muscular foreign policy' nationalists as well.

Apologia for foreign dictators is not the same as noninterventionism. Also you do know that the "creepy Confederate apologia" is simply taking their foreign dictator apologia to its logical conclusion?

[William of Purple]

So Eric Roberts on Justified! so good!!

[Winston]

You Know What Else Eric Roberts was good at?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Everything?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Zing from Rick Perry on Kimmel:

Kimmel: "You once shot a coyote while jogging."
Gov. Perry: "True."
Kimmel: "You jog with a gun?"
Perry: "I do interviews with a gun."

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Real life GTA

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Anyone else heard of the Nork Missile Theory for flight 370?

[Winston]

I am disappoint. I would have preferred something about how Flight 370 does not exist and is part of some HAARP-Tesla-chemtrail mind control death ray that destroyed the World Trade Center.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Are you gay?
HODOR!

[Winston]

Who?

[Winston]

So who is better? Rob Ford, John Tory or Olivia Chow?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

John Tory is very Tulaptastic on his food truck stance