A.M. Links: Obama to Address Gender Wage Gap, UConn Defeats Kentucky, Human Ken Disses Human Barbie

• 

  GQ

  President Obama is expected to address the gender income gap today, while critics are likely to point out the gender wage gap among White House employees.

• Army investigators say they believe Ivan Lopez's rampage at Fort Hood was a reaction to being denied leave and not due to mental illness.
• Number 7 ranked University of Connecticut won the NCAA national championship against the University of Kentucky, on whose fans police in Lexington used tear gas.
• A Dutch climate economics professor has left the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling the panel's latest report "alarmist and apocalyptic."
• Police in Ukraine have removed pro-Russian demonstrators from government buildings across the eastern portion of the country, while government officials blame Russia for instigating protesters.
• Justin Jedlica, the "Human Ken," and Valeria Lukyanovca, the "Human Barbie," met for a photo shoot for GQ magazine. Ken called Barbie a "drag queen" while Barbie blamed "race mixing" for an increase in plastic surgery.
• Today is the last day Microsoft is providing official support for the Windows XP operating system.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Obama is expected to address the gender income gap today…

I smell a commission forming.

[Injun, as in from India]

Commission to Criminalize Competence-based Pay (CCCP)

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

Courtesy of the majestic Huffington and its sparkling commenters:

AudreyRafael Sydney (AudreySophie)

3

Super User ? 397 Fans ? libertarian communist From Quebec Solidaire
I want to say something to Ontario who will go to an election. please
do not make the same mistake, do no vote for conservative just like we have done.

you have the chance to elect a left-wing government, a better government, you have a chance we in Quebec do not have, so take it. have some courage.

Courage is the magic that turn dream into reality.
7 Apr 8:35 PM

Libertarian-communist? Wtf? Are commies looking to coopt or expropriate our name?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Most communists don’t even understand communism, let alone libertarianism.

[Injun, as in from India]

That may be a blessing in disguise. Liberals call themselves progressives these days anyway. So we can start calling ourselves liberals again, which was FA Hayek’s preferred word to begin with.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Well, SOME of us are liberals but there is a shitload of genuine anti-Hayek conservatives that post here.

[Ted S.]

I see anti-Hayek statists here. Including in this very thread!

[110 Lean]

I see you used the word “shitload”, which is interesting given your latent interest in anal sex and being a top. And considering your handle as well, it is undoubtedly true that you are really considering anal sex. There is nothing wrong with that of course. Feel free to have a shitload of anal sex with whomever you choose, of course that’s considering that they are consenting and like to be mounted by a top.

[Doctor Whom]

Wie geht’s?

I’ve known a few people who are actually so confused as to think that “libertarian communist” is a workable concept. They don’t appreciate having it explained to them what libertarianism actually is. I guess that only the bourgeoisie accept that words have meanings.

[waffles]

I’ve said it before. I’m a libertarian communist. I believe in common responsibility to protect freedom in this country. Nah I’m just kidding, if there ever were an oxymoron, geez.

[tarran]

Libertarian communism is very real.

[Suthenboy]

Clearly Audrey is a genius.

[Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon]

Honestly this needs to be done.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Army investigators say they believe Ivan Lopez’s rampage at Fort Hood was a reaction to being denied leave and not due to mental illness.

The former seems to suggest the latter.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Yeah, especially when one considers that his actions were singularly unlikely to result in his getting leave, now or ever.

[Rich]

Lopez was obviously suffering from Leave Request Denial Syndrome.

[Injun, as in from India]

You forgot a precursor. Gun ownership implies the latter. According to progressives anyway.

[Matrix]

Juan Williams agrees

[Injun, as in from India]

“I think we need America to be a gun-free zone.”

There you go. What progressives really want, but will RARELY admit in the open. The only upside to this is that hoplophobia is a curable disease.

All of us should take a progressive to the range sometime. Ignorance is the root cause of their fear. Once they understand these things, hopefully they will get over their BS.

[Rich]

All of us should take a progressive to the range sometime.

A noble goal, but one that my experience shows is quite difficult.

Perhaps I’m unknowingly using, um, trigger words.

[Injun, as in from India]

Trigger words?

As you barrel down the highway to the Gun Range at a fast clip, your progressive friend gets a grip on the advantages of an Armed Populace and the shroud of mystery ignites and leaves behind the residue of knowledge.

[Entropy Void]

“shroud of mystery ” …

That’s the shoulder thingie that goes up, right?

[R C Dean]

All of us should take a progressive to the range sometime.

The trick is getting them to stand at the end of the firing lane.

Kidding!

[DJF]

Since the government has the most guns will they give up their guns first?

[JW]

“I think we need America to be a gun-free zone, except for our brave agents of the state.”

Fixed

All of us should take a progressive to the range sometime.

A moving target does make it more of a challenge.

[db]

Seriously. Anyone who reacts to a denied vacation request with mass murder has serious underlying issues.

[Drake]

I remember the great Camp Lejeune rampage of ’90 when all leave was cancelled during the ramp up to the Gulf War. There were bodies everywhere.

[Zeb]

Why do they think there should be a single cause?
As most people don’t react to disappointing news by murdering a bunch of people, I’d say that the main problem was mental illness and the trigger to the shooting was the denial of leave. Why are they so obsessed with determining a single cause? Pretty much nothing in the real world has a single cause.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Justin Jedlica, the “Human Ken,” and Valeria Lukyanovca, the “Human Barbie,” met for a photo shoot for GQ magazine.

Holy eff those are real people?

[db]

Down in the Valley
The valley so low
Uncanny are you, Dear
Hear the wind blow

[UnCivilServant]

They do look like plastic to me. I thought they were manniquins.

[Suthenboy]

No, they are not.

[Injun, as in from India]

They are an impure racial mix of human and icky plastic cylons.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Slate Article-

“Why I Am Still a Neocon
Yes, the Iraq war was a disaster. But here’s what libertarians and most liberals don’t understand about American military power?and American morality.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/…..rican.html

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

A weaker U.S. military will mean a more dangerous world, and that will jeopardize everything that matters.

Citation needed.

[Raston Bot]

Not worth reading. You’re welcome.

1. American military adventurism makes the world worse but if we stopped invading countries and causing the deaths of millions, then countries will start invading each other.

2. Our military’s so expensive because we have to pay more to keep our smart people from moving to more productive sectors of the economy.

Bonus emot about a dead uncle:

Why insist on moralistic crusades, as neocons are wont to do? I suppose I have a personal reason for doing so.

[waffles]

Ken called Barbie a “drag queen” while Barbie blamed “race mixing” for an increase in plastic surgery.

They can both be right. If these people are the plastic ideal then the ideal is some kind of adrogynous latino-afro-white-asian with big googly eyes. Not my ideal, but then again I’m sane.

[Ted S.]

There are all sorts of bizarre fetishes out there.

[gimmeasammich]

David Carradine agrees agreed.

[SugarFree]

Ken called Barbie a “drag queen” while Barbie blamed “race mixing” for an increase in plastic surgery.

Sounds like a charming couple. Here’s to hoping they barbitized their junk as well so they won’t reproduce.

Three generations of Skippers is enough.

[gaijin]

they barbitized their junk

excellent!

[Swiss Servator, Fr?hling!!!]

“Three generations of Skippers is enough”

+1 Plastic Justice Holmes

[Restoras]

Gilligan agrees?

[Swiss Servator, Fr?hling?]

Yes….yes, I imagine he would.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Gumby is in the woodpile somewhere.

[Rich]

?

Is that like “The goat is in the garden”?

[BakedPenguin]

Don’t engage it, Rick.

[tarran]

No, this is good.

Shriek’s neural net kicked out some weird gibberish. A long response will increase the weight given to the gibberish for future comments.

It could be the first step into tuning its neural net into doing something useful.

I am hoping with collective effort, we could get it to start informing us of the Bacon number of every celebrity whose name it sees on a post/comment chain.

[110 Lean]

I have been working on this (see above).

[Fist of Etiquette]

Today is the last day Microsoft is providing official support for the Windows XP operating system.

Probably the most successful desktop operating system they’ll ever produce, judging by the direction they’re headed.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

They = desktops or they = Microsoft?

[DontShootMe]

Both.

[Andrew S.]

Maybe the most successful, but the best is still Windows for Workgroups 3.11

(get off my lawn, kids)

[Snark Plissken]

Today is the last day Microsoft is providing official support for the Windows XP operating system.

Thanks to Windows XP once making a $1000 campaign donation to Prop 8.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Proposition Windows 8.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

“critics are likely to point out the gender wage gap among White House employees.”

OMG this shows how serious the problem is…if even the Obama administration is affected, the situation must be even worse in the corporations!

Wow, this rant made me thirsty…Daniella, get me some coffee.

[Doctor Whom]

It’s bad when anyone else does it, but when the Obamessiah does it, any criticism is racist.

[DontShootMe]

Pointing out things that are racist, is racist. It’s racists all the way down.

[The Late P Brooks]

President Obama is expected to address the gender income gap today, while critics are likely to point out the gender wage gap among White House employees.

Equalizer-in-Chief.

Don’t worry, Comrade, we will bring the wreckers down to your level.

[gaijin]

The WH claims it’s own gender pay gap is less gapful than other employers gaps…or something

WH Pay Gap Better than National Average

[Injun, as in from India]

What a gaping a-hole.

[gimmeasammich]

Goatse-esque?

[Mickey Rat]

Of course it is. The factors that keep down the national average for women’s pay apply less to the sort of woman who would pursue a White House job, given the obvious demands on time. It is a self selection bias.

The squirrels are cranky today.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Let’s hope those Wildcats work on free throws during the short time they await their NBA starts.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Wisconsin would have fared better against the Conns.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Depends on if Kaminsky showed up or not.

[waffles]

Goodbye Sweet XP

[Fist of Etiquette]

A Dutch climate economics professor has left the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling the panel’s latest report “alarmist and apocalyptic.”

I picture a ceremony in a dark chamber somewhere, with the IPCC high priests stripping him of his cloak and then one by one turning their backs on him as he shouts heresy at them before being dragged out and tossed wailing into the muck (which, by the way, is a sign of man made Climate Change).

[Ted S.]

You forgot the paddling.

[waffles]

There was something I heard about how organizations get so insane. Something about a continuous chain of people only promoting or hiring people with like beliefs and being rewarded for the more extreme beliefs leads to this kinds of totally bonkers behavior. Believe it.

[Raston Bot]

Couldn’t ask for a more worthy scientist to put his foot down. The guy looks like a young, dirtier-than-usual hippy. Are those dreds? Perfect.

[Entropy Void]

A Dutch climate economics professor has left the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling the panel’s latest report “alarmist and apocalyptic.”

Which leaves the progtards apoplectic.

[Cdr Lytton]

Economics professor?? He’s not a real scientist!

Btw, the science is settled.

[The Late P Brooks]

Army investigators say they believe Ivan Lopez’s rampage at Fort Hood was a reaction to being denied leave and not due to mental illness.

“DISAPPOINTED!”

[SusanM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R97TsVDC1BY ?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Government Hikes Medicare Advantage Pay Estimate
April 8, 2014 (AP)
By TOM MURPHY AP Business Writer
Associated Press

The government has raised its payment estimate for Medicare Advantage plans months ahead of a busy election season during which cuts to the program promise to be a key focus for politicians and voters.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Monday that 2015 payments to the plans should increase less than 1 percent overall. That compares to a drop of nearly 2 percent that the government forecast in February.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business…..e-23230130

Way to go, GOP. You campaigned on “Obama cutting Medicare” enough to force him to rescind those MA subsidy cuts.

Actually, you both suck. Washington can’t hang on to a cut it passes.

[Ted S.]

There’s a reason they’re called the Stupid Party.

[Rich]

Incredibly, instead of demanding payment of the back rent and late fees from its deadbeat legislative tenant [Charlie Rangel], the state cut him a huge rent break.

Nothing’s “incredible” in the Great State of New York.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Forcing Saint Rangel to pay duly owed money = Racism.

[The Late P Brooks]

Barbie blamed “race mixing” for an increase in plastic surgery.

Rae Dawn Chong says “Stick it up your ass, china doll.”

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The sorcerer’s apprentice may soon discover it’s easier to summon the mischievous spirits than to dismiss them:

“Last week, the online dating site OkCupid switched up its homepage for Mozilla Firefox users. Upon opening the site, a message appeared encouraging members to curb their use of Firefox because the company’s new CEO, Brendan Eich, allegedly opposes equality for gay couples?specifically, he donated $1000 to the campaign for the anti-gay Proposition 8 in 2008.

“But there’s a hitch: OkCupid’s co-founder and CEO Sam Yagan once donated to an anti-gay candidate. (Yagan is also CEO of Match.com.) Specifically, Yagan donated $500 to Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) in 2004, reports Uncrunched. During his time as congressman from 1997 to 2009, Cannon voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, against a ban on sexual-orientation based job discrimination, and for prohibition of gay adoptions.”

http://www.motherjones.com/moj…..ay-firefox

[Bo Cara Esq.]

“The sorcerer’s apprentice may soon discover it’s easier to summon the mischievous spirits than to dismiss them:”

Are we talking Mickey version or Nic Cage version?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Goethe version

http://german.about.com/library/blgzauberl.htm

[waffles]

Nice.

[db]

Oh yeah, let’s see a full-on Soviet-style purge, baby.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Let’s hear it for Mother Jones. They exposed the hypocrites at Hobby Lobby and now OKCupid.

[Dweebston]

Kindling tinder for a smoldering brushfire with damp wood and live vegetation is the new journalism.

Where there’s smoke there must be… more smoke!

[R C Dean]

I forget:

How is Hobby Lobby hypocritical for saying there is no difference between a company paying for something directly, and paying for it indirectly through a third party?

[Mickey Rat]

Donating to candidates as opposed to specific referendums is a bit of a reach, but then OKCupid getting on board a blacklisting was excessive in itself.

[Dweebston]

My favorite part is how they’re imperiling the jobs of Mozilla employees nowhere near Eich’s paygrade, let alone responsible for the contribution in question, in order to reify Mozilla’s spiritual blame.

Except anti-gay marriage slacktivists bailed from Mozilla after Eich resigned, so it’s a wash.

Meanwhile the Mozilla foundation’s left holding the bag.

Great job, guys. Maybe next time you can join forces and get an orphanage condemned.

[Rich]

Pakistan’s strict laws against defaming Islam are often used to settle personal disputes

“Yes, my asshol, uh, neighbor has been repeatedly insulting the Prophet. Please execute him — I mean my neighbor, of course, not the Prophet (PBUH) –immediately!”

[Certified Public Asskicker]

TOPLESS WOMAN IN THONG GOES ON RAMPAGE IN FLORIDA MCDONALD’S

My headline says it all.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Oh, except NSFW.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

It definitely wasn’t safe for the people working at that McDonalds.

[Restoras]

Also, BYOBB.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

It’s just missing a deep fryer accident.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

The video goes on for awhile, she does stop to eat some fries and ice cream.

[Rich]

Posting squirrels AGAIN. 8-(

Are we still OCCUPYING?

[Restoras]

I am warming up to FoE’s call to arms.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Too late. Ask you to believe in me but no, you insist on placing your fingers in my wound before having faith. You’re out.

[Ted S.]

Damn you for beating me to the punch!

Although at least I had the courtesy to provide details. :-p

[Andrew S.]

I’m marching towards GIllespie’s house now. I demand reparations, in the form of a free leather jacket and a signed photo of Lucy.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Every time a squirrel blocks a post, I will take one of their squirrel friends and shave off its fur. You have been warned.

ha ha ha ha ha

[Ted S.]

Is anybody else finding the comment system acting up? More errors than normal trying to post, and some posts that go through don’t show up until I reload the page.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

same here

[Suthenboy]

1 out of 5 of my comments gets posted.

Fuckin’ squirrels.

[UnCivilServant]

I’ve been twarted repeatdly trying to actually add some imitation of substance to some comments.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Isn’t “twart” another word for “queef”?

[SugarFree]

Twart is to Queef as Shart is to Fart.

[Kaptious Kristen]

But what about Sheezes/Snits?

[UnCivilServant]

No, it’s a typo for ‘thwart’.

This commenting problem has left me in no mood for the usual pedantic gamboling.

[Kaptious Kristen]

No, it’s a typo for ‘thwart’.

Like, no wai!

[SugarFree]

Sneezes bring on many things. I sometimes sneeze and get the hiccups.

[R C Dean]

Oh. Sniccups. They suck.

[Clich? Bandit]

I haven’t laughed this hard in yeas…my coworkers asked me to leave the room.

[Restoras]

The whole thing is held together with duct tape, twine, and bailing wire. It’s a small miracle that it accepts any posts.

[UnCivilServant]

But i’m a paying customer! Is it too much to expect to be able to comment?

[KDN]

Preview’s not working for me, and that’s usually a bad sign.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

“Doris Kearns Goodwin: Lincoln was sexy…

“Whenever Goodwin speaks, the issue of whether Abraham Lincoln could get elected today comes up. Steven Spielberg’s 2012 movie “Lincoln” was based in part on Goodwin’s book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” and it made Lincoln hot once again.

“”If I didn’t believe Abraham Lincoln could win today, I might as well give up,” Goodwin said and then added: “OK, shave the beard and get rid of the stovepipe hat. But I think he was actually sexy.””

http://www.politico.com/story/…..05447.html

[Ted S.]

Who gives a shit what Doris Kearns Goodwin has to say about anything?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I’m just a humble troll doing my best to stir things up.

Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln

[Ted S.]

She comes across to me as the sort of person whom only the tiny percentage of upper-middle class whites who watch PBS care about.

[Gbob]

Well, I listen because there’s always a chance she’s plagiarizing from someone smarter.

[Rich]

“If I didn’t believe Abraham Lincoln could win today, I might as well give up.”/i

What does that even mean?

[Rich]

“”If I didn’t believe I could use tags properly today, I might as well give up.”

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Goodwin craves a powerful man in the presidential office, much like 99% of other historians.

[Restoras]

It’s really cute how they think having a powerful man in office will only lead to good things.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Remember the Maine!

[Suthenboy]

“What Germany needs now is a strong man!”

-General Kurt von Schleicher, Berlin 1932

[Suthenboy]

Or the execrable Thomas L. Friedman NYC 2013, take your pick.

[Mickey Rat]

I remember seeing a show on History Channel ranking the Presidents. Goodwin was on the panel. Basically, a great president was judged as one who expanded the powers of the presidency, which was why FDR was ranked at the top. I came away feeling that under that criteria, the greatest president would be the one who declared himself dictator and made it stick.

I lost a lot of respect for historians after that show.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I bet Goodwin dreams of Lincoln tickling her with his beard, NTTAWWT

[mr simple]

I had an American Presidents class in college (c. 2000) where the professor told us basically the same thing. I forget the exact criteria he said historians used to judge Presidents but they included win a war and expand powers. He said FDR was considered the only great President in the 20th century.

[Zeb]

The way I look at it, they are more interested in greatness (in an amoral sense) than goodness. Great in the sense of doing big stuff. And it makes sense. It is a lot more interesting to write about someone who gets into wars and makes big changes than someone who gets out of the way.

[CampingInYourPark]

Number 7 ranked University of Connecticut won the NCAA national championship against the University of Kentucky, on whose fans police in Lexington used tear gas.

Like they aren’t crying enough already

[sarcasmic]

‘I could see the fire coming at me’: This is the moment e-cigarette explodes into fireball engulfing barmaid who amazingly escapes with just a charred dress
Laura Baty was serving at Buck Inn Hotel in Richmond, North Yorkshire
18-year-old barmaid heard almighty bang and saw fire coming towards her
Says she thought ‘the fuse-box had blown up or a firework had gone off’
Felt the heat as she ran away from device and ‘started crying hysterically’
E-cigarette was plugged into an iPad charger on the bar when it blew up

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..eball.html
Battery go boom!

[Loki]

E-cigarette was plugged into an iPad charger on the bar when it blew up

Obvious question: why?

[sarcasmic]

Um, because the non-disposable one are rechargeable?

[Loki]

Right, but an iPad charger is for charging iPads. It’s not necessarily going to be compatable with ecigs. IOW, just because the ecig is rechargable doesn’t mean you can just plug it into any old charger.

[sarcasmic]

They’re made to charge from a USB. Not being an Apple person, I have no idea if an iPad charger is USB or not.

[db]

Yeah, the.ones.I have seen have a USB charge port built in. I bet they don’t necessarily have.good.current regulation, and when.plugged.into a charger capable.of high.currents, charge at too high a rate. Cohld also be.cheap batteries. You have to be really careful.with lithium ion batteries.

[Ted S.]

Why do I get the impression the story is being exaggerated in order to gin up the moral panic against e-cigs?

[sarcasmic]

I dunno. Look at the pictures. It was a pretty big boom.

[Michael S. Langston]

Better than a car going boom I assume – but the solution to both is the same – sue for damages.

Of course statists who hate smokers will use this once incident out of millions to help push for bans – but there were going that way anyway…

[sarcasmic]

Is it all just a fiddle? World’s leading violinists CAN’T tell the difference between a Stradivarius worth millions of pounds and a modern instrument
Stradivarius could be no better than bog-standard violin, says new study
World’s leading violinists could not distinguish between two instruments
This is despite antique Italian violin having reputation for being superior
Antonio Stradivari, from Cremona, also crafted cellos, guitars and harps

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..ument.html
I don’t know about violins, but I can immediately tell the difference between a Gibson and an Epiphone.

[Restoras]

It says Epiphone or Gibson right on the instrument?

[Swiss Servator, Fr?hling?]

Hey, that is cheating!!!

[sarcasmic]

The optical illusion app that makes you HALLUCINATE: Mind-bending moving illusion makes everything around you MELT
DO NOT watch if you suffer from epilepsy or are sensitive to flashing lights
Watch videos in full screen mode for 30 seconds while focusing on centre
Look away and watch the world deform. Effect can last for up to 20 secs
Illusion created when brain cells detecting motion become tired
After the eyes look away, the cells that detect motion in the other direction are more active and a stationary object appears to be moving

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci…..-MELT.html
Ow. My eyes hurt.

[db]

Isn’t that basically the.same thing that makes.the.clown doll move around and glare at you when.you stare at it.for.too long?

[Loki]

No. That’s just a creepy doll.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Lasted about a second and a half, but it was pretty cool.

[sarcasmic]

‘I feel strong’: Dancing With The Stars pro Cheryl Burke reveals 15lbs weight loss, six years after hurtful ‘fat’ jibes left her in tears

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…..tears.html
I don’t know who that is, but I would.

[OldMexican]

I don’t know who she is either, but whoever called that woman “fat” when she had that body back in 2008 will receive a visit from my seconds.

Even though she looks a bit younger 15lb less, she looked deliciously healthy and fertile back in 2008, and that gets me going much quicker.

[sarcasmic]

She looked like an overtanned piece of leather in 2008.

[OldMexican]

You’ll receive a visit from my seconds.

[sarcasmic]

Sorry if the whole “Look at me! I want to die of skin cancer!” look turns me off.

[OldMexican]

You’ll receive a new subscription to “Women’s Health” which should be enough to make you want to become a monk.

[sarcasmic]

Thanks. My wife likes that magazine.

[Swiss Servator, Fr?hling?]

Friar Sarc?

[sarcasmic]

Well, I do make good beer, so I have that in common with monks. But that’s about it.

[sarcasmic]

Could you soon be filling up with SEAWATER? US Navy reveals ‘game changing’ fuel created from water
Has flown radio controlled plane using ‘sea fuel’ in first test of new fuel
New technique can capture 92% of CO2 in water to create jet fuel
Could be used to create fuel for any vehicle without having to modify engines

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci…..water.html
There’s always a catch.

The predicted cost of jet fuel using these technologies is in the range of $3-$6 per gallon, and with sufficient funding and partnerships, this approach could be commercially viable within the next seven to ten years.

[Loki]

with sufficient funding and partnerships, this approach could be commercially viable within the next seven to ten years.

I’m assuming “sufficient funding and partnerships” really means “with gasoline taxes jacked through the roof and massive governemnt subsidies.”

[sarcasmic]

I was thinking the same thing.

[db]

What, Sabatier Process?

[BigT]

Sabatier just makes methane. They are making higher HC’s, so this is Fischer-Tropsch. Still silly.

[db]

It’s unclear to me if they are using Fischer-Tropsch since it needs CO as a feedstock. It is probably a hybrid Sabatier/F-T process since theybsay they are using an Fe catalyst, which Sabatier uses. F-T can use Fe as well. But to get the CO for F-T, it may make sense to make CH4 via Sabatier and then combust it substoichiometrically to get CO.

[db]

I did some research and found this.process is.a likely outgrowth of this patent, assigned to the US Navy.

[db]

So it.implies that CO2 dissolved as bicarbonate.in seawater is recovered through a pervaporation process. They generate a syngas through an integrated process using their novel catalyst. The.syngas can then be used as a feedstock for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of longer chain hydrocarbons.

[BigT]

Making methane would be a waste. They make H2 electrolytically and have CO2, then do a little WGSR (water-gas shift reaction) to get CO and H2O. The H2/CO reaction over Fe gives the S-F (Schulz-Flory) distribution of higher HC’s.

I’ve kind of been doing this for 40 years.

[db]

Yes, I see this now in the patent I linked above. May I ask, are you in research or production?

[db]

Oh, for.fuck’s.sake. they electrolyze.the water.using electricity (watch me pull it out.of my hat, Rocky!) and then basically.use.a.Sabatier.process to make hydrocarbons out.of CO2 (either from the.air or.formerly dissolved.in.water) and the hydrogen liberated during electrolysis.

Works great, as long as.you have a fucking nucleqr reactor.to make electricity for.ya.

[KDN]

Works great, as long as.you have a fucking nucleqr reactor.to make electricity for.ya.

I don’t think that’ll be a problem for the Navy.

[db]

Well, it’s m9stly.only useful for.ships.already.sporting a reactor that.also needlarge quantities.of.light.hydrocarbon.fuels, such as.aircraft.carriers. one could envision floating nuclear “refinery ships” that just cook up.fuel for.others, but.then.the.other.ships still have to come.al9ngside.to take on fuel. If you want to eliminate the need to do.that (a stated goal in the article) you m8ght as.well go.full nuclear propulsion on ships that are aircraft.bases.such.as.ASW ships.and others with helos and S/VTOL craft.

[sarcasmic]

Perhaps nuclear carriers using this to manufacture fuel for the planes?

[db]

I thought that was implied in my response. The sqwerls sure seem to be.nuclear powered today.

[sarcasmic]

You need a keyboard to plug into your phone.
Oh wait. They are illegal. Never mind.

[DJF]

And they develop cheap fusion power to run the whole process.

[Suthenboy]

If you have to put more energy into it than you get out of it…..oh fuck, what is the point of explaining it over and over? These fucking scam artists never give up.

[Loki]

Here’s one act of vandalism I can get behind: Smart Car tipping. Apparently it’s a fairly common trend. Google image search turns up a few.

Because a) Smart cars are stupid little shit boxes and b) their owners are just as smug insufferable little douches as hybrid car owners.

On another topic: looks like the commenting system is all fucked up again.

[Restoras]

I assume it is common because it is much easier than tipping anything else, up to and including cows?

[Loki]

Pretty much. Although my dad and his friends used to have fun with VW bugs back in his younger days. Some of them discovered they that they were short enough that you could turn them sideways in a parking spot and then park a couple of big heavy pickup trucks in the adjoining spots and the bug couldn’t get out until one of the trucks was moved. Apparently another time they picked one up and put it on top of a gaurdrail like structure that was around a fire hydrant (probably to keep stupid people from hitting the hydrant).

[UnCivilServant]

Given that I can’t help bu burst out laughing at the mere signt of a ‘smart’ car, I fully support tipping them over.

[R C Dean]

Nah. Vandalism. Can’t support.

[sarcasmic]

Naturally thin Yale student ‘forced to stuff her face with Cheetos and ice cream’ because school officials who thought she had eating disorder threatened to expel her over 90lbs frame
History major, Frances Chan, from New Jersey, claims she has weighed 90lbs since high school and her entire family are naturally skinny
But since December, she’s been forced to show up for weekly weigh-ins and also sent off to a mental health professional and a nutritionist because the school became convinced she had an eating disorder
Chan tried to put on weight by eating ice cream, cookies, Cheetos and other junk food and taking the elevator not the stairs
But despite her efforts, she only managed to gain two pounds
She claims the Connecticut college wasn’t satisfied even let up when her parents sent in childhood medical records and her doctor called the school
One health professional even told her low weight would kill her and they threatened to put her on medical leave
She claims the school was actually giving her an eating disorder by forcing her to overload on junk food or risk expulsion

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..frame.html
John works at Yale?
Seriously though, she looks like a normal person of Chinese descent to me.

[SugarFree]

The lesson here? Don’t go to the student health services if you think you might be sick. Good lesson, Yale.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I remember going one time because I couldn’t sleep. They gave me Benadryl and sent me away.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Obviously before the days of Office of Student Life tyranny.

[sarcasmic]

They were always good for setting me up with antibiotics when I got sinus infections.

[SugarFree]

We had good health services, but we have a teaching hospital so I actually saw doctors or at least NPs.

[tarran]

I got food poisoning during finals one semester.

My roommate carried me to the health center. The nurse informed me that I was faking to get out of exams.

I decided then and there that I was going to throw up on her. Unfortunately, I don’t have any practice throwing up without warning; I must have telegraphed my intentions because she got a huge pan up to intercept my attack.

Ten minutes later the next guy with food poisoning came in, then another and another, until 2 hours later there were 20 guys from my dorm all puking and explosively diarrheaing. It was so awful, I left.

Looking back, I enjoy that that woman was put through hell that night. She probably had to throw away the scrubs since they were thoroughly impregnated with the smell.

It was pretty clear the dining hall had served tainted meat.

AND NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED.

[Loki]

It was pretty clear the dining hall had served tainted meat.

So you went to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University too?

I still remember the one night I saw a Javelina in the quad, and the next day the cafeteria was serving “ham.”

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

A prime example of how universities have spent their excess money. They’ve gone way off mission. They spend more effort indoctrinating and controlling their students than they do providing an education.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Don’t worry, I’ll save her! I can give he tips on overeating.

-It’s not enough to take the elevator, you have to minimize walking. Try to attend class via Skype.

-Stay in your room at all times. You can do homework or watch a Dr. Who marathon.

-Smoke a lot of marijuana to give yourself the munchies – you’re eating the right foods but you need to eat more frequently.

-Drop that gym membership!

[Restoras]

How much longer until those that don’t fit the standard parameters are obliged to attend a dedicated camp to fix their deficiencies?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I think we’re already there, as evidenced by this case.

[Mickey Rat]

If they don’t save her from her condition of being excessively petite, then they will be blamed for ignoring the plight of women in a patriarchal society.

[Loki]

So, they basically gave this woman all kinds of shit because she was “too skinny” and yet fat people are supposed to be “happy with their bodies not matter what” or some such shit, while simultaneously others beat us over the head with whole “obesity epidemic” crap. Mixed messages much? I have a novel idea: how about the public health nannies shut the fuck up and just let people live their lives in peace?

Nah, that’s crazy talk!

[lap83]

“You clearly have an eating disorder. I’m putting you on a strict regimen of 1,000 additional empty calories a day so you can be healthy.”

[sarcasmic]

‘I’ll never forgive Michelle Obama for this school lunch’: Students sick of smaller, healthier portions take to social media to rail against First Lady’s pet project

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..oject.html

[Juice]

While they are definitely way too small they don’t look at all healthy. Someone in the chain of command between Michelle Obama and the lunch lady doesn’t know shit about nutrition or healthy food.

[R C Dean]

Someone in the chain of command between Michelle Obama and the lunch lady doesn’t know shit about nutrition or healthy food.

Better, no?

[Loki]

One change in the nutrition standards, a reduction in the maximum calorie-count of each meal, came under fire from student-athletes at the high school level who complained that their bodies needed more food in order to sustain long workouts and build muscle mass.

Well, most of those athletes who are complaining about needing to build muscle mass are probably male anyway, and all that extra muscle mass just leads to them being even stronger, and causes their bodies to produce more testosterone. Which further helps peretuate RAPE CULTURE and PATRIARCHY. /femi-derp

[OldMexican]

A Dutch climate economics professor has left the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling the panel’s latest report “alarmist and apocalyptic.”

I now have a frightening image in my head of what had to be said in that report that was enough for that guy to leave NOW instead of 10 or 15 years before.

[tarran]

He’s an economist.

With each passing year, the climate’s sensitivity to CO2 looks lower. To compensate, the cultists are trying to make the smaller temperature increases look more damaging.

Tol was one of the guys trying to keep them tenuously connected with reality.

[Entropy Void]

A Dutch climate economics professor has left the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calling the panel’s latest report “alarmist and apocalyptic.”

Which leaves the progtards apoplectic.

[sarcasmic]

Nah. Progtards feel that ad hominem fallacies are compelling arguments.
Since this guy is an economist, and progtards are economic ignoramuses, they won’t look at anything he actually says because they won’t understand it. The only thing they need to know is that it doesn’t jive with their good intentions. That means he has bad intentions, which makes him a bad person. Because he is a bad person, nothing he says matters. Ad hominem for the win!

[KDN]

The ’77 Cents on the Dollar’ Myth About Women’s Pay
Once education, marital status and occupations are considered, the ‘gender wage gap’ all but disappears.

On average in 2012, women made about 81% of the median earnings of male full-time wage and salary workers ($854).” Give or take a few percentage points, the BLS appears to support the president’s claim.

But every “full-time” worker, as the BLS notes, is not the same: Men were almost twice as likely as women to work more than 40 hours a week, and women almost twice as likely to work only 35 to 39 hours per week. Once that is taken into consideration, the pay gap begins to shrink. Women who worked a 40-hour week earned 88% of male earnings.

Then there is the issue of marriage and children. The BLS reports that single women who have never married earned 96% of men’s earnings in 2012.

[OldMexican]

Then there is the issue of marriage and children. The BLS reports that single women who have never married earned 96% of men’s earnings in 2012.

Hey! Equal pay means equal pay so stop with this showcasing of facts, you male chauvinist pig!

[sarcasmic]

The people shouting about the gender pay gap are the same people who want to raise minimum wage to a “living wage.”

They care about what people are paid, not what they earn.

[lap83]

Meanwhile, black unemployment stays at twice the rate of white unemployment and teen unemployment is atrocious.

But OMG, spoiled white women don’t make enough money sitting on their butts and writing for Jezebel! Stop the presses!

[Suthenboy]

Do the dems have any talking points that are not based on fabricated bullshit? If they have one I am unaware of it.

[The Late P Brooks]

History major, Frances Chan, from New Jersey, claims she has weighed 90lbs since high school and her entire family are naturally skinny
But since December, she’s been forced to show up for weekly weigh-ins and also sent off to a mental health professional and a nutritionist because the school became convinced she had an eating disorder

The real problem here: some Womyn’s Non Verbal Lit student from Nebraska eats a bucket of cheap off-brand ice cream and a package of mint Oreos every time she sees that wispy little bitch fat-shaming her by sashaying hr bony little ass across campus.

Frances Chan is murdering that girl.

[db]

Courtesy of Dr. Girlfriend: Critical bug in OpenSSL allows recovery of SSL private keys

Basically, 2/3 of encrypted web.traffic, including banking, sales, etc., might.as.well not have been. Better.hope everyone gets new SSL keys and upgrades their web servers.

[UnCivilServant]

Thanks for ruining an already crappy day.

Now I’m going to have to see if there’s a patch, rebuild a crapload of webservers, issue new keys and reissue certs.

Ugh.

[db]

OpenSSL has issued a new version, according to the article.

[UnCivilServant]

Joy.

It’s just annoying busywork. Not hard, just tedious. Compile the new openSSL, recompile or at least relink mod_ssl, generate new keys, issue new certs, move onto the next webserver, rinse, repeat.

And they’ll probably insist it be a weekend because of the user disruption.

[db]

It probably also affects a bunch of packaged hardware systems like VPN servers. Doesn’t OpenSSH use OpenSSL, too? There are going to be a lot of unprotected home networks out there.for a l9ng time.

[OldMexican]

This is How Democracy Works Now

By Patrick Buchanan

“There is a gay mafia,” said Bill Maher, “if you cross them you do get whacked.”

Maher, the host of HBO’s “Real Time,” was talking about the gay activists and their comrades who drove Brendan Eich out as CEO of Mozilla. Eich, who invented JavaScript and co-founded Mozilla in 1998, had been named chief executive in late March.

Instantly, he came under attack for having contributed $1,000 to Proposition 8, whereby a majority of Californians voted in 2008 to reinstate a ban on same-sex marriage. Prop 8 was backed by the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church and the black churches, and carried 70 percent of the African-American vote.

Though Eich apologized for any “pain” he had caused and pledged to promote equality for gays and lesbians at Mozilla, his plea for clemency failed to move his accusers. Too late. According to The Guardian, he quit after it was revealed that he had also contributed ? “The horror, the horror!” ? to the Buchanan campaign of 1992.

That cooked it. What further need was there of proof of the irredeemably malevolent character of Brendan Eich?

[OldMexican]

Yet, the purge of Eich, who, from his contributions ? he also gave to Ron Paul ? appears to be a traditionalist and libertarian ? is being defended as a triumph of the First Amendment.

James Ball of The Guardian writes that far from being “a defeat for freedom of expression,” Eich’s removal is a “victory ? the ouster of a founder and CEO by his own people, at a foundation based on open and equal expression.”

Eich’s forced resignation, writes Ball, “should be the textbook example of the system working exactly as it should.”

Ball seems to be saying that what the gay mob did to Eich at Mozilla is what the heroes of Maidan Square did in driving President Viktor Yanukovych out of power and out of his country.

This is how the democracy works now.

[sarcasmic]

Democracy has always been mob rule. Progressives understand this, which is why they always align themselves with the mob.

[db]

Progressives understand this, which is why they always align themselves with the seek the tools to control and influence the mob.

[SusanM]

Somehow I don’t think Pat would have been all broken up if a CEO who gave $1000 to GLAAD got the heave ho.

Honestly, while I’m none too thrilled with the direction LGBT activism is headed this self-pitying victim mentality on behalf of the SoCons is really getting old. They cry because they only get their way 95% percent of the time rather than 100%

[Michael S. Langston]

Honestly, while I’m none too thrilled with the direction LGBT activism is headed…

You’ve been calling this man, for one single donation, evil and wrong and all kinds of other thigns all day long.

None of which you have any proof of – none of which one single donation proves.

Yet you’re not thrilled?

I call BS – this is working exactly as you want it and all your posts confirm it – you are happy those you don’t like are paying and you could care less why they are paying that price.

So long as socons (not that you have an evidence this guy is a socon even…) and other “evil” people pay (evil as you define it of course) and the mob forces it – you’re happy.

Good for you – just don’t expect others to agree – just because you care more about principals than principles doesn’t mean others are so weak to do the same.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Less than 200 comments on a Tuesday? Is everyone on spring break or sumpin?

Speaking of…it’s Cherry Blossom season, which means my commute just got a lot more hellacious.

[sarcasmic]

The squirrels are hiding every third comment.

[db]

More like 2/3.

[sarcasmic]

Try preview before posting. If it doesn’t work, refresh. Repeat until preview works. Then it will post. Though it might take a minute or two.

[mr simple]

Don’t know if this has been posted.

Peter Mayhew returning as Chewbacca in Ep VII.

I still have mixed feelings about these new movies, but they will only be made better by the originals coming back.

[Kaptious Kristen]

originals coming back

And has Lucas added even more unnecessary monsters and machines to every scene? I wouldn’t be surprised if he just did away with the main characters altogether.

[mr simple]

It’s not Lucas anymore, it’s Disney with JJ Abrams. I’m not sure if that’s better, but at least we’ll get more lens flares. =/

[Kaptious Kristen]

The original movies still belong to Lucasfilm, non?

[mr simple]

Number 7 ranked University of Connecticut won the NCAA national championship against the University of Kentucky, on whose fans police in Lexington used tear gas.

UConn wasn’t ranked 7th, they were a 7 seed coming out of their region. Also, Connecticut fans caused their own problems, as have most colleges after a big win or loss, so let’s not try to paint UK fans as particularly bad.

[Kaptious Kristen]

I rather read that as the Lexington police being painted as bad. Which is fine by me.

[GozWa]

So what do I win for this NCAA tourney pool? Monocles? orphans? dibs on any existing libertarian women? I hear that was the prize for bowl game contest.

[Shpip]

A few days after I won the college bowl pick-’em, a large wooden box complete with airholes showed up at my doorstep. I was hoping for a hot libertarian broad, or at least a pack of urchins from Manitoba Jessie’s Orphan-o-rama, but it turned out to be STEVE SMITH.

It was kinda scary at first, but then I learned the benefits of having a tame rapesquatch as your wingman when going to the pub. I could entertain the ladies while he, ahem, “took care” of any jealous boyfriends.

Anyway, I’ll get him back into the crate tonight. He’s yours until CFB season.

Oh, and thanks, Ken, for hosting the pool!

[crazydaisy]

This is so creepy. Seriously. Too far. tummy tuck surgeon in las vegas