A.M. Links: Pro-Russian Activists Seize Navy Base in Crimea, Israel Strikes Syrian Military Sites, Issa Asks White House For Political Office Documents

Credit: Gage Skidmore / Foter / CC BY-SA

• Pro-Russian activists have taken over the headquarters of the Ukrainian navy in Sevastopol. Western nations are reportedly preparing tighter sanctions on Russia.
• Malaysia's transport minister said in a press conference that some data on a simulator used by one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had been deleted.
• Health industry officials say that despite what the Obama administration has said,  Obamacare premiums in some parts of the country will double.
• Israel has attacked Syrian military sites after four Israeli soldiers were wounded in a roadside bombing in the Golan Heights.
• Bruce Rauner won the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois last night.
• Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has asked the White House to hand over all documents related to President Obama's decision to reopen its political office now called the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Comment embargo! WHO'S WITH ME?

[waffles]

If by embargo you mean we'll flood the comments until the comment supply is so high that the value of any single comment plummets to nothing then I'm with you!

[waffles]

*Refreshes page, still can't comment*

Boycott it is!

[Bee Tagger]

I've been making my comments over the phone and letting them trickle back to Reason through FOIA requests. They aren't heavily redacted, that's just people hanging up on me.

[Rich]

I'm with you. FTS.

[Swiss Servator, mehr Spr?ngli]

Considering how difficult it is to actually get a comment to post, I may join you.

[Auric Demonocles]

The squirrels have already joined you.

I will join if one our demands is alt-text with AM links.

[hamilton]

EDIT BUTTON!

[Lord Humungus]

You know who else couldn't comment?

[sarcasmic]

What's REALLY in your hotdog? You might never eat one again after watching this...

Gruesome images show various stages of manufacturing a hotdog factory
Were filmed by the Discovery Channel's 'How It's Made' series
Dregs of pork, beef and chicken are ground together then reduced to pulp
Later re-formed and made into hotdog sprayed with 'smoke flavour'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/hea.....-this.html
Lips and assholes. Scrotum and foreskin.

[Slammer]

Well, MY hot dog is all me.

[gaijin]

Lips and assholes. Scrotum and foreskin.

That's why they must be eaten with mustard.

[WTF]

That's why you don't want to see the making of sausages and laws.

[Elspeth Flashman]

My sister works at Oscar Meyer (aka Kraft Foods) and refuses to touch any meat like hotdogs or sausages.

[MJGreen]

That sounds terrible, as sausage is one of the best foods man has created. Meat, spices, maybe some cheese, all crammed together into a dong shape? Delicious.

[Zeb]

Shame to let perfectly good lips and assholes go to waste.

Though I only eat kosher hot dogs at this point as they are supposed to be made from parts of a cow that people normally eat. And they don't make me feel like I need to take a nap while sitting on the toilet after eating them.

[sarcasmic]

I only eat hot dogs that have pork in them.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Health industry officials say that despite what the Obama administration has said, Obamacare premiums in some parts of the country will double.

Obamacare was never about controlling costs.

[gaijin]

Obamacare was never about controlling costs.

Correct. It has always been about controlling people.

[KPres]

I thought it was about slapping the warm-and-fuzzy feeling "universal coverage" tag on American health care, despite the fact that conveys none of the meaning it implies in a country that already provided healthcare to people that couldn't afford it.

[sarcasmic]

White House pastry chef calls it quits because he doesn't like to 'demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs' in Obama administration

Bill Yosses has been baking fewer breakfast doughnuts, sometimes replacing them with apple, kale, spinach and ginger smoothies
He was hired in 2007 during the Bush administration, but is moving back to New York where he can continue making souffl?s and sugar sculptures
Yosses' work has been featured at State Dinners, which are among the only events where his full-fat creativity has been on display
'For special, nostalgic occasions, we still make 20 percent traditional desserts,' he says

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ation.html

[sarcasmic]

'The only cast member confirmed is R2D2': Star Wars: Episode VII to begin filming
in May in London while casting remains shrouded in secrecy

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....crecy.html
Some women age gracefully. Carrie Fisher is not among them.

[DJF]

How about an all singing all dancing musical Starwars with Jar Jar Blinks clones playing every cast member?

[a better weapon]

Get out! NOW!

[PD Scott]

Messa don't like dis.

[PD Scott]

Holy crap, one of my comments actually made it!

[sarcasmic]

Boy Scout leaders who toppled ancient Utah rock formation and then posed for photographs high-fiving each other avoid jail time with plea deal

Glenn Taylor and David Hall initially were charged with felonies for destroying the formation in Utah's Goblin Valley State Park
Taylor and Hall were both stripped of their leadership roles with the Boy Scouts
A judge is yet to determine how much the men will have to pay in restitution

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-deal.html
If the guy was able to push the rock over, then how long before it was going to fall on its own? This is dumb.

[Slammer]

They should have said Goblins did it.

[waffles]

Yeah, but it's totally contrary to the BSA way of dealing with nature. Not criminal, but still reprehensible, unethical. Out in the southwest where erosion takes a really long time to make rock formations and other neat stuff it really is a dick move to trample all over that stuff.

[CampingInYourPark]

it really is a dick move to trample all over that stuff

Yeah, just think of how many treasures of dirt and erosion he stepped on and destroyed just walking around there. Walking should be a crime!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Visitors are required to abide by the rules of the owners. They didn't.

[CampingInYourPark]

Angry constituent calls started coming to Rep. Dixon Pitcher, R-Ogden, just days after Hall and Taylor posted their video. People wanted to know why the men weren't arrested and charged, Pitcher has said. So he called park authorities and was surprised to discover there is no law specifically addressing the men's actions.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/h.....r.html.csp

[waffles]

Look I'm not saying the punishment is warranted, just that pushing over hoodoos is morally reprehensible in my personal ethics.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Fair enough. There shouldn't be charges. Still a dick move on their part and social pressure is not out of bounds.

[Atanarjuat]

Actually, I've seen people get yelled at for walking off the path because they were apparently destroying ancient soils. It might have been ancient microorganism structures in the top layer of soils, or some shit.

[CampingInYourPark]

Raking leaves is vandalism

[Cdr Lytton]

Sounds like every military installation.

"hey numnuts! Get the *%#!&$ off the regimental grass!"

[WTF]

How exactly do you "destroy" a pile of rocks?

[waffles]

Don't be dense. They pushed over a hoodoo, a formation made by wind erosion over millenia.

[WTF]

So they pushed over a rock that was going to fall eventually anyway?
Not seeing the criminal tragedy here.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Don't you see? That rock was special to someone with influence over the men with guns. How dare you compare it to your plebian rocks.

[CampingInYourPark]

Don't be dense. They pushed over a hoodoo, a formation made by wind erosion over millenia.

Do you get emotional when you fill your car with gas? Because that shit is old and was the result of natural causes over millenia. I haz a sad 🙁

[RBS]

Look, change is bad, ok?

[waffles]

You're comparing the fuel industry to vandalism? You're hopeless. This rock is more like a natural arch than anything else. Stewardship over nature is part of the BSA way. Part of that stewardship is preserving rarely occurring natural phenomena for other people to enjoy.

[CampingInYourPark]

You're comparing the fuel industry to vandalism? You're hopeless. This rock is more like a natural arch than anything else.

It was like a natural arch and now it's another natural rock on the ground due to the totally natural cause of a man wanting to push it over. I get it, you have the strong feelz for rocks.

Some people consider you eating a hamburger the equivalent of cannibalism. They have the strong feelz for nature too.

[hamilton]

In waffles' defense, it is not feelz. The men were Boy Scout leaders. Boy Scouting is very, very big on "Leave No Trace" principles in the outdoors (yes, that also includes walking off the trail). You don't change habitat, you don't try to leave any evidence that you were in the wilderness.

One can argue back-and-forth about all the other stuff but unquestionably the men were violating something BSA considers a critical (almost sacred) directive, and they were doing it in BSA uniforms on a BSA trip. Charges or not, discipline from the BSA is very, very warranted.

[db]

'Scuse me while I go piss on the Mona Lisa. Because I feel like it.

Plus stuff to mollify the ,otherfucmer skwerlz. Lalalala i can't heqr you skwerlz.

Broken is the Hit and Run
Sad are we who comment
For we are now without a voice
Skwerlz make us.vomit.

Logging out won't work for me
Neither clearing caches
I swear upon God's Firmament
I will piss on Skwerl ashes.

[sarcasmic]

If the guy was able to push it over, then it was soon to fall on its own. His rationale was that it was better for him to push it over than for it to fall on a Boy Scout. Why do you want the rock to crush a Boy Scout?

[sarcasmic]

Web sleuths claim to have spotted missing Flight MH370: Student posts 'satellite' image showing a jet over the jungle as thousands join online search for plane

Images from map search site show potential 'sightings' of plane and debris
The authenticity of the photos has not yet been verified
Investigators believe plane most likely flew into southern Indian Ocean
News comes as villagers in Malaysia report seeing flight at low altitude

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....iland.html

[Lord Humungus]

Medal of Honor: 24 Recipients

Congressional review and the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prompted a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During the review, records of several Soldiers of neither Jewish nor Hispanic descent were found to display criteria worthy of the Medal of Honor. The 2002 NDAA was amended to allow these Soldiers to be honored with the upgrade - in addition to the Jewish and Hispanic American Soldiers. The White House ceremony on Mar. 18 will recognized these 24 men for their gallantry, intrepidity and heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

[Swiss Servator, mehr Spr?ngli]

"review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War."

Gentlemen, we need to diversity up our Medal of Honor count!

[sarcasmic]

Four comments in a row? That's a record!

[Florida Man]

Cops banned from bringing gunz to city council meetings.

Looks like someone in Miami is going to get a "ride along" to the swamp.

http://www.miamiherald.com/201.....check.html

[sarcasmic]

Who's going to enforce it? The cops?

[Tonio]

Maybe the Sheriff's department which is different than the police.

[Slammer]

Duke porn star hit NYC strip club stage

[Lord Peter Wimsey]

I heard she self-identifies as a libertarian. Who says there are no (hot) female libertarians?

She also majors in Women's Studies (?) She must be really popular with the WS faculty at Duke.

AND (drum roll) after being outed as a porn actress, she received numerous death threats and rape threats. She reported them to the cops (campus?) and they laughed it off. Surprised?

[Tonio]

I consider that she's majoring in WS to be perhaps the most epic troll ever.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Who says there are no (hot) female libertarians?

I'm sure there are plenty, but she's not really one of them. I saw a non-nude pic of her in panties and a tank top--she has the body of a borderline anorexic and you could also see scars from cutting. To be fair, unlike most porn stars she doesn't appear to need the power of modern cosmetics to look pretty, but she's clearly not very healthy.

[Soros' Wank-noose]

^^DING-DING-DING!!^^

We have a winnah!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has asked the White House to hand over all documents related to President Obama's decision to reopen its political office now called the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight.

But the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight suggested the president claim executive privilege, so...

[Swiss Servator, mehr Spr?ngli]

Its...its like you can SEE THE FUTURE!

[Lord Humungus]

O'Doul's beer given to Michigan elementary school students during history lesson

According to district Superintendent Ed Koledo, fifth-grade students at Hyatt Elementary School in Linden were given the non-alcoholic beverage while learning about how colonists often drank ale because there was a lack of clean water.

"We talked to the teacher and said this was an inappropriate choice. There were a lot better choices to represent a colonial-era drink than what was chosen here," Koledo told the Flint Journal. "Nobody complained to the teacher, principal or me. We monitored the situation the next day. It was a dead topic so we just left it at that."

The school sent a letter to parents about the situation after the Journal inquired about the issue.

[Matrix]

Non-alcoholic beer?! They should be ashamed at giving those kids a worthless beverage!

[waffles]

But it's actually 0.5% ABV. The horror!

[Ted S.]

Why is this a bad thing?

More seriously, why is it that sex education is predicated on the idea that the teens are going to fuck anyway, and if you disagree with that, you're an evil prude; but alcohol education is predicated on the idea that how dare you suggest the teens are going to drink anyway?

[gaijin]

Why is this a bad thing?

This explains all of the female teachers having sex with students that I read about on here...they are teaching moments.

[John]

My wife drank actual wine at family dinners growing up. Not every dinner. But at holidays. They were Italian. It is what they do.

[BakedPenguin]

Jews, Spaniards, and Italians often give kids small amount of booze on holidays. They also all have much lower rates of alcoholism than countries where that is taboo.

It's almost as if prohibitionism is totally counter-productive, especially compared to socialization and norming behaviors learned in family settings.

[Florida Man]

Cave diving without training: a seriously bad parenting decision.

http://m.palmbeachpost.com/ap/.....ing/nfGT8/

[Bee Tagger]

questioning whether appropriate steps were taken to ensure it did not clash with federal campaign laws.

As long as no one makes a documentary, or even worse a YouTube video, it's fine.

[a better weapon]

Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has asked the White House to hand over all documents related to President Obama's decision to reopen its political office now called the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight.

Honest question, does Issa ever get anybody's scalp from these investigations. I feel like he is constantly investigating something, but don't recall him ever parading around with a victory (and he definitely seems like the kind of guy to parade that shit around).

[Swiss Servator, mehr Spr?ngli]

The House has no power to punish - and if you need the DOJ to cooperate...good luck getting any actual consequences for Fast & Furious or the IRS or such.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That is a good question. Seems like investigations for the purpose public exposure. (Either of the scandal or the lawmaker, take your pick.)

[Florida Man]

And just to balance out the Florida craziness, here is some white trash from Maine.

Man with gun tattoo gets "Swatted"

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?.....oogle.com/

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Today is my birthday. Will Reason let me comment?

[DJF]

I think there is a sock stuck in the intertubes.

[Matrix]

NO!

[Slammer]

Have a good one!

[Certified Public Asskicker]

If you can read this, I said thanks.

[a better weapon]

Oh, and the ? is silent

[Lord Humungus]

I for one welcome our new Belgian Overlords:

Meet The Brand New, And Shocking, Third Largest Foreign Holder Of US Treasurys

However, what was perhaps more disturbing than even that was the revelation that as of January, the US has a brand new third largest holder of US Treasurys, one which in the past two months has added over $100 billion in US Treasury paper, bringing its total from $201 billion in November, to $257 billion in December, to a whopping $310 billion at January 31.

The country? Belgium

The same Belgium which at the end of 2013 had a GDP of just over ?100 billion, or a little over one-third what its alleged UST holdings are.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Open discussion: Why does Belgium even exist?

[Tejicano]

To provide an example of one place where men with balls speak French.

And they have good quality beer, chocolate, and guns. I require very little else in the way of material goods.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

But they also make jello with vegetables in it.

[Tejicano]

What reason is there to eat jello anyway?

[Drake]

FN Herstal makes some really nice weapons.

[Drake]

FN Herstal makes some really nice weapons.

[Slammer]

Open discussion: Why does Belgium even exist?

Germany's staging area for invading France?

[Rasilio]

Yeah but they're just gonna waffle when they have to make any decisions so I'm not worried

[SweatingGin]

I tried and tried and tried and tried and failed to post this to the Independents thread last night.

[Snark Plissken]

Malaysia's transport minister said in a press conference that some data on a simulator used by one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had been deleted.

He asked the NSA to supply it's backup copy.

[Bee Tagger]

Health industry officials say that despite what the Obama administration has said, Obamacare premiums in some parts of the country will double.

Chris Christie suggested these ingrates get a bridge loan to help pay for the increase.

[Tonio]

+1 gratuitous use of "bridge"

[Fist of Etiquette]

Malaysia's transport minister said in a press conference that some data on a simulator used by one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had been deleted.

Yeah, I remember the cassette tape containing the data from my subLOGIC flight simulator was always filling up.

[Cdr Lytton]

Cassette player + flight simulator...

Fist of Doug McMasters?

[Rich]

Malaysia's transport minister said in a press conference that some data on a simulator used by one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had been deleted.

With all due respect, this kind of "revelation" just fans the flames.

"Malaysia's transport minister said in a press conference that one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had recently cancelled his subscription to some magazine."

[Rhywun]

recently cancelled his subscription to some magazine

I dunno why they didn't just go with "sodomy" again.

[Lord Humungus]

McDonald's protests expected in 30 cities across the U.S.

Protests against McDonald's are planned Tuesday for 30 cities across the nation, including areas in Northern California.

Labor groups have been pushing McDonald's to pay their workers $15 per hour and give them the right to unionize. There have also been lawsuits filed in three states where organizers claim McDonald's has been stealing worker wages.

A spokesperson for McDonald's said the fast-food chain plans to investigate those allegations, but they have not yet responded to the planned protests.

[John]

Look what high pay and unionization did for GM. How could Mcdonalds' refuse?

[Pro Libertate]

Exactly when did we become France? This is all so ridiculous.

[Rasilio]

McDonalds workers do have the right to Unionize. McDonalds just happens to have the right to ignore the union.

[Raston Bot]

or automate.

speaking of automation, why do textile mills still use human labor? just seems like a waste of resources.

[John]

Democrats finding out that the "nuclear option" on appointments might not have been such a good idea. Before red state Dem Senators never had to make politically uncomfortable votes regarding the confirmation of the latest flaming banana Valerie Jerrett sent to the Senate. The Republicans would just filibuster the nominations. That allowed Democrats to have it both ways, telling their low sloped forehead Prog base that it was just terrible how the evil Republicans are stopping this nomination and their constituents "I just wanted to get a fair up or down vote, I didn't actually vote to confirm this person". Well, no more. Now they have to vote. And unsurprisingly, the flaming bananas are still not getting confirmed.

http://www.politico.com/story/.....04741.html

[Mokers]

Harry the weasel will find a way to blame the kochs or the tea party somehow, but I love how desperate politicians get when their precious seats have even the slightest challenge.

[OldMexican]

Carney would not elaborate on what connection the White House sees between Adegbile and Murthy.

"They're on to us!" is what probably popped in everybody's mind during their emergency session at the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight.

[Slammer]

Herve Villachaize: "The plane! The plane!"

[Jordan]

The Flight 370 coverage really brings out the whackjobs. This morning, some lady called into the morning radio show here to enlighten everyone with her theory. She says that terrorists took the plane, landed it somewhere, and are outfitting it with a nuclear bomb so they can fly it into DC.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

so they can fly it into DC.

Failing to see the cause for alarm..

[John]

If they don't find this plane, it is going to be the mother load of material for every whackjob in the world. Aliens, the trialateral commission, evil Islamists, oil companies, the CIA, you name it. If you are a conspiracy nut, this thing is ready made to support whatever conspiracy theory you hold.

This thing is like a gift from God for the world's nuts.

[RightofCenter]

If only someone on the Reason staff knew something about conspiracy theories...man, that would make a great book!

[RBS]

She says that terrorists took the plane, landed it somewhere, and are outfitting it with a nuclear bomb so they can fly it into DC.

My wife called your local show?

[CampingInYourPark]

SAN DIEGO ? With a search warrant in hand, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confiscated computers, customer lists and the questionable polymer 80 percent lower receivers from four Ares Armor store locations throughout San Diego County over the weekend.

"There were women and children inside our retail establishment when the (ATF) agents came in with guns drawn," said Ares Armor Executive Officer Dimitrios Karras. "They came into our firearms manufacturing facility saying, 'Arms up!' like they were invading Iraq."

The raid happened three days after Ares owner was granted a temporary restraining by a judge to stop ATF agents from searching their stores.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/0.....z2wPjhfldx

[Tonio]

What were women and children doing in that type of place anyway??/?

/progderp

(also testing)

[Raston Bot]

We were just there for the customer list leads. Referrals are hard to come by so it's time to make some cold calls.

/ATF fuckface

[Cdr Lytton]

Judge amended the restraining order to allow the search prior to the raid.

http://soldiersystems.net/2014.....res-armor/

The real issue is the bullshit reason ATF is going after Ares.

[Lord Humungus]

France limits vehicle use in Paris amid soaring pollution

France is limiting vehicle use in the capital Paris on Monday amid a spike in pollution to health-threatening levels, only the second time the drastic measure has been introduced in nearly two decades.

A system of "alternating traffic", whereby vehicle use is restricted to alternate days depending on licence plate numbers, came into effect in Paris and its 22 surrounding suburbs at 5.30 am (04.30 GMT) on Monday, as the city tries to curb dangerous pollution levels.

The radical move has seen around 700 police officers deployed to 60 checkpoints around the French capital to ensure that only cars with number plates ending in odd numbers are out on the streets.

[Brian D]

In an completely unrelated occurrence, used car sales have surged.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Just ride around in panzers and the French won't stop you!

[Old Man With Candy]

I understand that they have a similar system in the banlieus- only cars with even license plate numbers may be burned on even numbered days.

[Lord Humungus]

Houston man killed after argument about ending of '300: Rise of an Empire'

The 23-year-old was in the bathroom talking about the end of the movie with two friends when the confrontation began.

"I know they were in the bathroom and they were discussing if there was going to be a sequel because of the way the movie ended. They were discussing it among themselves and there's some people in the bathroom and they butted into their conversation and put their opinion in about it," Bridgett Hacker, the mother of a witness, told KHOU.

After exiting the establishment, Emerson approached the passenger side door of the truck after the two men got into it. The driver of the Ford put it in reverse and slammed into Emerson. The truck drove away and Emerson died later on at a local hospital.

[a better weapon]

That was a god awful movie.

[Lord Humungus]

Beloved Armstrong Hotel cat stolen during St. Pat's festivities

Two men in their late teens or early 20s who appeared to have been partying during the St. Patrick's Day parade celebrations in Old Town Fort Collins came to the Armstrong Hotel's front desk multiple times Saturday requesting a room, said Nick Gliszinski, the hotel's general manager. Front desk staff told them there were no rooms available, and when they returned around 7:40 p.m., video shows the pair scooping the hotel's black and white cat, Oreo, from the lobby and nonchalantly walking out the front door and on to College Avenue.

[John]

Find the little bastards and lock them up. Anyone who would steal someone's pet is a piece of shit you needs to be removed from society. And ten to one says they are douche bag cat haters who did something awful to the poor thing.

[Jordan]

Oreo the Armstrong Hotel cat back at home once again

🙂

[John]

Good deal.

[Jordan]

Still would be nice if someone found the assholes that did this and slapped them around a little. I guarantee the cat got away from them when they were carrying it around. Who knows what they intended to do with it?

[John]

I agree. They need an ass kicking. Pets me so much to people. Stealing a pet is just a few steps above kidnapping a child. There are few more cruel things you can do to someone.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"It was fully a week before the villagers noticed that no lights were appearing at dusk in the windows of the cottage under the trees. Then the lean Nith remarked that no one had seen the old man or his wife since the night the cats were away. In another week the burgomaster decided to overcome his fears and call at the strangely silent dwelling as a matter of duty, though in so doing he was careful to take with him Shang the blacksmith and Thul the cutter of stone as witnesses. And when they had broken down the frail door they found only this: two cleanly picked human skeletons on the earthen floor, and a number of singular beetles crawling in the shadowy corners."

http://www.hplovecraft.com/wri.....on/cu.aspx

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"With his new dual biography, Lincoln's Boys: John Hay, John Nicolay, and the War for Lincoln's Image, Joshua Zeitz explains how the two men who served as Lincoln's secretaries shaped the perception Americans have of the 16th president."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/.....e/5463973/

[John]

History is written afterwards and often by people with an agenda. The public perception of R.E. Lee as a noble god of war was created after the war by Jubal Early and Lee's deadbeat nephew. At the time, Lee had lost the war and there was a lot of pointed criticism of him by Confederate officers. But all that was forgotten when the events slipped from living memory. Instead, the "cult of Lee" was remembered because it was relentlessly pushed and it let the South off the hook for a lot of things.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

When Ukraine was Run by Jews

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-.....m-1.580550

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Our red-haired, blue-eyed hordes are just waiting for the right moment to re-assemble and strike.

[Tonio]

You fools! You assume that H&R wants to fix the commenting system. Maybe this is part of a fiendish plot to ditch the troublesome commentariat. Postrel's revenge, as it were.

[Pro Libertate]

Ginnie don't surf!

[John]

I was thinking Mary Stack launched a full on cyber attack.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

I was thinking someone broke something while repeatedly disappering Mary Stack.

[John]

That is probably a good guess.

[Lord Humungus]

Is this Reason's equivalent of the Healthcare.gov?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

...and that was my hilarious response, did you like it?

[Slammer]

The next don't ask, don't tell? Transgendered Army troops

[John]

The culture war never ends for the Left. This is why Libertarians are fools to think that they can make the culture war go away if only the evil SOCONs would just surrender already. There is no surrendering to the Left. As soon as you give them one thing, they just find something else. We let gays in the military, now we will let trannies in. If we do that, they will want handicapped people in or something else.

[Matrix]

Quadriplegics have a right to defend their country, John... you heartless bastard!

[Zeb]

I my experience, you don't usually need to ask to tell.

I think it is perfectly reasonable to let anyone join who meets the qualifications.

[Tim]

lygfc;qwducg q;wedb

[Elspeth Flashman]

IRS director under Nixon dies: refused to audit Nixon's adversaries

Article here.

http://taxprof.typepad.com/tax.....of--1.html

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Well, he was a sucker.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Who says there isn't honor amongst thieves?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

@Elspeth

[Kaptious Kristen]

What's the secret code for commenting now?

[Kaptious Kristen]

Apparently, it's clearing the cache.

[110 Lean]

Really? Why would that be? And why doesn't Reason post something about it. Like, "We're sorry that our shit is fucked up. Here's why..."

[John]

There doesn't seem to be. Reason must have really screwed up their servers. I am shocked this is continuing into a second day. They must have had a server die or something.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

#Maryhadalittletroll

[Kaptious Kristen]

Apparently the secret is to clear your cache every time you want to post a new comment. HOORAY!

[Kaptious Kristen]

And also refreshing the page at least three times.

[Matrix]

click "preview" before you submit. If it shows your post, you're G2G. If not, well... cut the post and keep refreshing, pasting, and previewing until preview shows your post.

[OldMexican]

And then be patient because your post will not appear at first. Eventually, it will.

[John]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....mon-areas/

Public housing tenants have a right to bear arms even in common areas.

[John]

Holy cow, Dave Weigel actually wrote something intelligent. Weigel notices that the further Democratic political fortunes fall the more the media is interested in random "GOP lawmakers". Somehow the media thinks that some nitwit back bencher in a state you don't visit much less live in making a stupid statement is really really big national news. The Ukraine, the economy, the continuing disaster that is Obamacare are just not the really big stories. A big story is some state house candidate in North Dakota saying something crazy.

Man, have they kicked Weigel out of the journolist?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/wei.....right.html

[Cdr Lytton]

Blame the squirrels. The server issues are affecting the journolist side of reason too.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

It's about reassuring progressives that no matter how bad things get, at least they're not stupid Republicans.

[John]

It is that. But it is also about furthering the culture war narrative and convincing people to vote on anything but the actual performance of Democrats in office.

[Mongo]

This site is still effed-up. The 24/7 thingy is permanently frozen on March 17.

[John]

Asian lawmakers prevent California from bringing back affirmative action in university admissions. So do Progs tell blacks well that is just too bad or do they tell Asians they are racist?

http://washingtonexaminer.com/.....le/2545858

[Rhywun]

So do Progs tell blacks well that is just too bad or do they tell Asians they are racist?

They need to crunch the numbers first.

I love how the Asian lawmakers were originally for it before they were against it. As if they didn't already know its impact on "their" children (their words).

[CampingInYourPark]

3 LA City Councilmembers Launch Study to Determine If Fracking Caused Earthquake

Or it might have been someone pushing a rock over in Utah.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/new.....earthquake

[CampingInYourPark]

3 LA City Councilmembers Launch Study to Determine If Fracking Caused Earthquake

Or it might have been someone pushing a rock over in Utah.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/new.....earthquake

[OldMexican]

Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has asked the White House to hand over all documents related to President Obama's decision to reopen its political office now called the Office of Political Strategy and Oversight.

Why would there be an "Office of Political Strategy and Oversight?" Sounds like one of those organizations one reads about in spy novels.

[OldMexican]

The comments module seems to be working now.

[Lord Humungus]

testing

[Matrix]

nope

[Tim]

Is it?

[Matrix]

Police armed with "assault rifles" descend on a man's house because of his tattoo

Probably lucky they didn't shoot him.

[db]

'Scuse me while I go piss on the Mona Lisa. Because I feel like it.

Plus stuff to mollify the ,otherfucmer skwerlz. Lalalala i can't heqr you skwerlz.

Broken is the Hit and Run
Sad are we who comment
For we are now without a voice
Skwerlz make us.vomit.

Logging out won't work for me
Neither clearing caches
I swear upon God's Firmament
I will piss on Skwerl ashes.

[db]

Aaand- this was supposed to be attached to a comment above. Nice work, rodents.

[Pro Libertate]

It's coming. And a lot sooner if the government ever makes this stupid move the unions are pushing.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

It's also a lot less likely to fuck up your order.

[BakedPenguin]

Automated systems won't spit in your food.