A.M. Links: U.S. Troops in Poland, IRS Awards Tax Delinquent Employees, Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders Suing

• 

  Anz-i/Foter

  U.S. troops arrived in Poland for multi-country military exercises scheduled after the Russian annexation of Crimea. An American journalist with Vice, meanwhile, is being held hostage by pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

• President Obama's attempt at an "Asia pivot" received a response from China in the way of a massive military buildup.
• A million dollars in bonuses have been awarded by the Internal Revenue Service to employees who owe back taxes.
• A study by Verizon found that 34 percent of all data breaches in the public sector are due to "miscellaneous error."
• Cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills are suing the team over labor practices. They allege micro-management included directions on how they should wash their "intimate areas" and a "jiggle test" to evaluate their "physique."
• Data collected by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization reveals 26 major explosions on Earth since 2000, all caused by asteroids and not clandestine atomic bomb tests. 

Follow Reason and Reason 24/7 on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. You can also get the top stories mailed to you—sign up here.

Comments

[Snark Plissken]

U.S. troops arrived in Poland for multi-country military exercises scheduled after the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Attack now! We've got 8 1/2 months till winter.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

Wow. The IRS is evil.

[Ted S.]

Hello, paesano!

Gotta love your country's hateful 900-lb. media gorilla. As you know, I download various news podcasts, including one from the CBC two or three times a week.

For the rest of the H&R readers:

Today saw the latest installment of the moral panic over the temporary visas for foreign workers program -- the CBC found a couple of workers who claimed the restaurant they worked at fired them and replaced them with foreign workers. So the CBC news has been running a campaign of "Those evil businesses took our jobs!"

Apparently, some regular people have run with it, turning it into the "Dey took er jerbs!" with the "Dey" referring to immigrants, not the businesses. And the CBC was absolutely butthurt that their hatemongering wasn't going in the place they intended.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What do you expect from a bunch money bloodsucking commies?

[Restoras]

Any Third Reich players out there? I've got my Axis opponent bogged down in France and am considering an attack on Rumania to make him nervous...

[Me Inc.]

How about the Ukraine? It's a sitting duck. It's a road apple. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.

[Restoras]

+1 NTTAWWT

[Austrian Anarchy]

Ukraine is game to you?

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

Avalon Hill's Third Reich?

[Restoras]

That's the one

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

I used to play a lot of that, back in the day. How in God's name could the Axis be bogged down in France?! Almost might as well make it an Allied Decisive Victory.

If Russia can take the Rummies, go for it!

[Restoras]

Well, bogged down only in the sense that it is taking the axis player longer than usual to take France - Paris hasn't been captured by the end of the summer 1940 turn, and I have French and British armor poised for a counterattack against the eventual conquest and occupation of Paris. To good attrition rolls were critical.

I figure if Russia takes Rumania that at least knocks out one minor axis ally, depending on if the axis player then garrisons Hungary (likely) and Bulgaria (unlikely)- and makes him nervous about a Russian move on axis occupied Poland.

[sarcasmic]

a "jiggle test" to evaluate their "physique."

I volunteer to administer that test.

[Restoras]

There's no need. The Bills will just cut the entire squad in response.

[gaijin]

I would have thought demonstrating the proper way to wash intimate parts would have been the top job?

[Restoras]

It's not called "bump uglies" for no reason...

[Zeb]

The jiggle test seems reasonable given the nature of the job. Not so sure about the intimate hygiene instructions.

[Me Inc.]

Don't want anyone stankin' up the VIP appearances.

[Mokers]

They do lots of high kicks and whatnot. May have been a suggestion to get waxed or shave so pubes aren't peeking out of their outfits. They should probably negotiate hazard pay for cheering during western N.Y. winters though.

[Snark Plissken]

Sometimes it seems like cheerleaders are hired simply for their looks.

[Bones]

As a Bills fan I can say that's not always true. Raiderettes, they are not.

[Restoras]

Slim pickin's in western NY.

[Austrian Anarchy]

He was from Kingsburg, CA, not NY, as was his brother Easy.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Why the "jiggle test" is in question is a bit strange. One would think the jiggle is a bona fide occupational qualification.

[Ted S.]

As I said in a football forum, "The Buffalo Bills hava a big pile of money, and dammit, that's just not fair" is the reasoning behind this lawsuit.

[gaijin]

The Buffalo Bills hava a big pile of money, and dammit, that's just not fair"

Well the average cheerleader only makes 7 cents on the $100 Bill that the average male player makes, so inequality.

[AlmightyJB]

That picture should be titled "21 places I would like to be laying on my back".

[Bee Tagger]

all caused by asteroids and not clandestine atomic bomb tests.

yeah, but what are asteroids caused by?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Gays

[db]

+1 landing strip for gay Martians

[AlmightyJB]

Incoming!

[Ted S.]

Global warming, of course.

[Pathogen]

Yeah... probably

[invisible furry hand]

A low fibre diet and resultant straining at stool

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hitler.

[Injun, as in from India]

A million dollars in bonuses have been awarded by the Internal Revenue Service to employees who owe back taxes.

Rewards for government lawbreakers, the penitentiary for us dumb proles.

[gaijin]

How else were they supposed to pay their back taxes, duh?!

[Austrian Anarchy]

Taxes are for little people.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Reminds me of this NPR interview

NAYLOR: That description fits George Schlaffer to a T. Schlaffer is a 40-year IRS employee in Baltimore. He says the shutdown means a lot of stress for him and his colleagues.

GEORGE SCHLAFFER: For me personally, it's an extreme hardship. I have a daughter at Temple Medical School in her third year. I have another daughter in a nursing program at Towson. I'm helping both my daughters with their tuition. And I still have a mortgage debt, so it has a tremendous impact on me.

Cry me a river.

[Snark Plissken]

Why are these daughters studying useful occupations when they could get a cushy gov job like Dad?

[Austrian Anarchy]

Here is an idea, his kids can pay for their own schooling. Like my mom, my sister, me and my son did.

[Tonio]

The most depressing thing about this is how it has not gained any traction. You would think that something like this would have generated outrage, but instead we get a collective "meh" from the at-large public.

[gaijin]

instead we get a collective "meh" from the at-large public.

Well, 47% of them pay no taxes, so there's that.

[Bee Tagger]

included directions on how they should wash their "intimate areas" and a "jiggle test" to evaluate their "physique."

All that jiggling could easily lead to blurred lines being drawn on their bodies to designate areas needing improvement.

[Lord Humungus]

Professor: 'Racist, misogynist, money-grubbing people' want to stop blacks, Latinos from voting

In a four-minute recording of a classroom lecture obtained by Campus Reform, Professor Brent Terry is heard strongly suggesting that conservatives are greedy racists who want to suppress the vote of anyone who might vote liberal.

"It's absolutely possible that the Republicans will take over the Senate as well as the House. And we will live in a very, very, very different kind of country if that happens. I mean, colleges will start closing up if they, if these people have their way.

"...racist, misogynist, money-grubbing people have so much power over the rest of us. And want things to go back?not to 1955, but to 1855," Terry said to his Introduction to Creative Writing class Monday morning.

"There are a lot of people out there that do not want black people to vote, do not want Latinos to vote. Do not want old people to vote, or young people to vote.

[SugarFree]

What does this have to do with Creative Writing? Can there be no part of academia free of political posturing? FFS.

[Ted S.]

It's a sample of his fantasy writing?

[Snark Plissken]

+100 Dragons

[SugarFree]

The Rumpriders of Gorp: A Transgressive Fantasy

[Tonio]

I'm on that.

[Aloysious]

No Warty?

[gaijin]

Creative Writing class huh? Pretty uncreative rant for someone who is supposed to be 'creative' expert.

[bostonaod]

And want things to go back?not to 1955, but to 1855

ugh, what a hack

[invisible furry hand]

That's not very creative. I can get that from any comments thread on a Jonathan Chait article. If i were a student I'd be asking for a refund

[JW]

I was a loud mouth in college, so I would have relished being in his class. The in-class argument over the content of his course would have been epic.

[Clich? Bandit]

I must say, I had an avowed communist for an global econ prof. He assigned 9 books required and 1 recommended, which was Wealth of Nations. It was the only one I actually bought. He lectured for 2 hours every class. He engaged in discussion only somewhat with the exception of his midterm and final...the only two grades. I spent 30 pages poignantly lambasting his assertions about economics in eastern Europe, northern Europe, and NICs all over Asia. He marked me off on some technical errors but ended up giving me the highest grade in the class.

I asked why? Knowing his thesis for his PHD was about Marxism. He said I made the absolute best argument in the whole class.

I still cant stand his politics but I wish more people had his integrity.

[Illocust]

I've had a similar experience with my communist college writing professor. He didn't agree with a single thing I said, but he fairly graded me on my logic and evidence. I've got a running theory that openly communist professors are still minority opinion enough that they are forced to foster fair and open debate to get their ideas heard. Unlike a lot prog professors they can't rely on appeals to authority and consensus. If they ever get truly popular again, though, I expect they'll quickly stop caring about well reasoned arguments.

[Zeb]

colleges will start closing

If there are people who want to do that, he is certainly making their job easier. These people really do live in a bubble.

[UnCivilServant]

These people really do live in a bubble.

Both mental and economic.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Let's improve his rant a little:

First off, I would drop the "people" and just go with money-grubbers. It's more succinct and has a better impact.

[gimmeasammich]

+1 creative process

[UnCivilServant]

I drop in-character rants like this because they're "unrealistic" and people think it's impossible for a professorial figure to be a dingbat. People have strange expectations of fiction.

[PM]

Same racists that want to subject innocent black men to ID requirements and criminal background checks before they can exercise their 2nd Amendment rights...

[Auric Demonocles]

There is a woman who does the marketing for our department. She used to come eat lunch with us, and would insist on discussing politics. One day she went off about how evil and racist voter ID is. Usually I avoid getting involved and just leave lunch early, but that day I asked her why it was racist. She gave the usual "minorities are statistically more likely to not have IDs and it's harder for the poor to take the time to go get an ID", so I asked her if she thought gun purchasers should have background checks (requiring ID, obviously) and she said of course.

At that point I asked her why she's racist and only wants white people to have guns. She could only come up with "but..but, I'm not". I also pointed out that the law she was raving about (a particular one in NH, where she lives and I don't) actually had a clause for free voter IDs if you can't afford one.

She stopped coming to lunch and bugging us with her political rants after that.

[lap83]

There's also no research to support the theory that voter ID hurts voter turnout. The whole thing is a concoction of the people who want to commit voter fraud. I do think many people are naive to that fact and believe the good intentions, but it's bullshit.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Then there are those of us who believe that the push for voter ID laws are merely a stepping stone to national ID, being a cynical ploy by the Washington establishment to play conservatives like harps by using their fears of vote fraudin' illegals bogeymen to destroy what little we have left of federalism.

Jus' sayin'

[PM]

These are state laws though, so I don't see how they would help much in that regard. State ID laws for alcohol purchases, gun purchases, tobacco purchases, and driving haven't led to any national ID schemes.

[Clich? Bandit]

National Driver Registry...seems legit.

[PM]

That's not exactly the same thing as national ID (the database includes only drivers with suspended/revoked licenses and certain traffic violations), although it's obviously not something I support.

[lap83]

"There are a lot of people out there that do not want black people to vote, do not want Latinos to vote. Do not want old people to vote, or young people to vote."

People like him can probably count the Republicans they know on the fingers of one hand, if that. But they somehow know all of the evil, twisted secrets of their minds.

That deeply ignorant and paranoia based propaganda kind of reminds me of someone....

[Atanarjuat]

I heard a local black preacher on the radio the other day say you should vote for Democrats because segregation might come back. Unfortunately since it was radio, I couldn't tell how many congregation members walked out upon hearing that. Way too many prominent black speakers are out there sowing racial strife these days.

[Ted S.]

These days? Hymietown Jackson was a quarter century ago.

[Tonio]

This is a persistent myth/rumor/conspiracy theory among black people. Srsly. It's not exactly a majority viewpoint, but I don't see a lot of pushback against that from within the community, either.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I mean, colleges will start closing up if they, if these people have their way.

I wonder if this projected anxiety is in any way related to recent articles talking about how a lot of libarts schools will have to close up in the next 20-30 years, as milennials come to realize that college doesn't always give the greatest return on investment.

[Rich]

A million dollars in bonuses have been awarded by the Internal Revenue Service to employees who owe back taxes.

The bonuses take care of the penalties and interest, I suppose.

[invisible furry hand]

Australia Treasurer's astonishing revelation:

"nothing is free - someone always pays".

[RFID]

Except for when the government is doing it...then it is free, right?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

+1 Krugabe

[Medical Physics Guy]

Better than free...a multiplier!!

[Rich]

The speech, a keynote address in Sydney on Wednesday evening, was designed to frame the public debate ahead of the budget.

To "provoke discussion" leading to a "national conversation".

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Joe Hockey?

Best name in politics.

[Raven Nation]

It's remarkable how consistent the rhetoric is in western countries. I was listening to "The Weekly Post" and when they went to Labour's shadow minister for this issue (forget her name), it was all the "driving senior citizens into poverty; cutting aid to the poor to help their rich friends."

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yup. CBC radio.

[sarcasmic]

Police swarm Long Island home after vengeful 'Call of Duty' gamer calls cops on kid who beat him
More than 60 emergency responders, including a SWAT team, swarmed a Laurelton Boulevard, Long Island home yesterday afternoon
They received a call about 3pm from someone claiming to be Rafael Castillo, 17, saying he'd killed his mother and brother inside their home
When cops arrived, Rafael's mother was in the kitchen, his brother just got home from lunch and Rafael was playing video games
Police are hunting the prank caller
The response cost about $100,000
Cops said 'swatting pranks' are becoming increasingly common

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....t-him.html
Maybe, instead of declaring martial law over a single anonymous tip, the cops should be less SWAT happy. I know. That's crazy talk.

[db]

$100,000. For a couple hour's worth of SWAT.

NOTHING LEFT TO CUT

[Restoras]

But sarc, then they don;'t get to play with all their shiny military toys from the government! You're such a big meanie.

[Zeb]

Since the caller did apparently give a name, I don't know if "anonymous" is quite the word. But still, SWAT is supposed to be for hostage standoffs and exceptionally dangerous situations, not ordinary murders where the perpetrator is apparently giving himself up.

[invisible furry hand]

SWAT teams are supposed to be for shooting family pets. Sheesh Zeb, don't you know anything?

[Injun, as in from India]

The name the caller gave them was that of the victim he swatted.

[Zeb]

I know. But they didn't at the time. If someone calls and says that they just killed someone, I think they need to respond.

[Ted S.]

We wouldn't have SWATting if we didn't have all these SWAT teams lying around.

[Brian D]

I'm amazed they took the risk of having people actually show up to the house instead of just carpet bombing it and sifting through the rubble afterwards. Thank god those brave heroes made it home to their families.

[creech]

According to SCOTUS that would be a lawful act under 4th amendment.

[SugarFree]

Why give IRS employees bonuses in the first place? If they don't like their jobs they can quit and go do something useful with their lives, like picking up dogshit in parks or being crash test dummies.

[Restoras]

Or just being smelly bums in the NYC subway.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I saw this in the comments of the Deadspin article for the Bills, but it works here too:

Wage theft is wage theft. Just b/c they weren't forced doesn't meant its legal to not pay your employees.

[Raven Nation]

Why does any government employee get a bonus?

[KDN]

I think we should pay them bonuses. At the end of each year, the remainder of each department's budget should be given to employees in proportion to their salaries.

They're already stealing from us, we might as well add some incentive to limit the meddling and waste.

[widget]

Why give IRS employees bonuses in the first place?

I don't have a gripe against the IRS. A government job with a pension is a bonus in itself.

Whenever I've called the IRS, the attendant has been polite and helpful. Call the California Franchise Board if you want abuse. It's like dialing one of the old 976 numbers and asking for Mistress Rachelle.

[Clich? Bandit]

I must say, it has occurred to me that if I were smart I would hide my integrity and just join the bastards so that I can sit high on the taxpayer teat. The I puke...and the flu subsides.

Off Topic: Has anyone been watching TURN? That shit is outstanding.

[Lord Humungus]

The Onesie That Turns You Into A Wi-Fi Hotspot

Borre Akkersdijk began experimenting with a circular knitting machine in 2009 to knit two layers of fine cotton thread enveloping a synthetic fibre.

Now he has pushed the technique further by running copper wire through the material during the manufacturing process.

The wires can be hooked up to chips and connectivity devices, and he has created two prototype outfits called BB.Suits with wi-fi, Bluetooth and GPS capabilities.

gerajirf - is all I can say when looking at the pix

[invisible furry hand]

Spying on Jews, murder, forgery, marriage-for-hire... Oberlin professors are an exciting lot

[Restoras]

Oberlin is a wierd place.

[gaijin]

Oberlin is a wierd place.

No doubt. "Learning and Labor"

[Injun, as in from India]

So these professors teach the kids how to do race hoaxes?

[Bee Tagger]

President Obama's attempt at an "Asia pivot" received a response from China in the way of a massive military buildup.

Next up, a South American jump-stop followed by a Canadian euro-step.

[gaijin]

Siding with Japan in the Senkaku Island dispute will surely help the US and China stengthen their relationship. Oh wait, this is the 'Other Asia' pivot?

[Ted S.]

If it were me, I'd refer to the islands as Senkaku every time I talked with the Chinese and Diaoyu every time I talked to the Japanese.

And I'd always call the body of water the Sea of Japan when talking to Koreans. Just to piss all of them off.

[gaijin]

Equal Opportunity Offender! I like it.

[SusanM]

And then an eastern Europe pelvic thrust

[db]

It drives you insay-ay-ay-ane!

[Lord Humungus]

+1 Columbia

[Homple]

Dibs on Janet.

[Rich]

"You're doing the French Mistake!"

[Tim]

"Let's get 'em girls!"

[sarcasmic]

The computer that plays GOD: Scientists design simulator that predicts the fate of all life on Earth
Madingley model captures the growth, migration, and lives of creatures
It could address environmental issues such as hunting and habitat loss
Software is open-source to encourage more scientists to get involved
But some ecologists believe nature is too complex to model in this way

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci.....Earth.html

[gaijin]

If it were possible to simulate the universe faster than it happens in realtime, well, we wouldn't live in it would we?

Now that temps are not cooperating, sounds like their doing battle prep for the post-AGW war on freedom and progress.

[Rich]

Meh. Conway's Game of Life is better.

[db]

I could watch that old xscreensaver for hours.

[Zeb]

nature is too complex to model in this way

But it's worked so well for predicting climate change.

[Jordan]

But some ecologists believe nature is too complex to model in this way

DENIALISTS! FLAT EARTHERS! HERETICS! BURN THEM!

[Rev Match]

The computer that plays GOD: Scientists design simulator that predicts the fate of all life on Earth

I'm no programming expert, but don't computer models tend to respond to inputs based on how they were programmed to respond? It seems to me that a model is only worth the programmers understanding (or lack thereof) of the system that is being modeled. I bet there are plenty of assumptions present. (see "climate change" models)

[Homple]

The 1970s called, they want their Club of Rome printouts back.

[Lord Humungus]

Is Florida Woman married to Florida Man?

Florida woman calls police over sun halo in the sky

Residents in the Tampa, Fla. area were treated last week with a sun halo in the sky ? a rare phenomenon in which a circle appears to surround the sun. The phenomenon occurs when light from the sun or moon is refracted by ice crystals associated with thin, high-level clouds.

Many people enjoyed the sight, but the view from the sky alarmed one woman enough to call police from a Tampa bus station to inform them of the weird, big black circle in the sky.

"This has never happened before in Tampa, Fla. Please go outside and look up in the sky and look at this weird object," she pleads with the dispatcher. "It's a big dark circle and it's all the way around and it has never been in the United States of America. Never, ever."

[SusanM]

...and she's a voter.

[Pro Libertate]

I saw that ring. As a man of science, I merely cowered in terror, gibbered, and sacrificed a nearby python to placate the gods.

I've seen that phenomenon before, but I can't remember if I saw it here or somewhere else. Pretty cool, though.

Weird thing was that some people thought it was tied to the lunar eclipse somehow.

[Outlaw]

It was pretty cool. I took some pictures of it.

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

"sacrificed a nearby python to placate the gods"

A Mounty Python's Happy meal?

[Pro Libertate]

Indeed, an awesome sacrifice.

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

Surely the Gods were placated, and hence the Sun was returned to us!

[invisible furry hand]

For a minute I thought it was Ragnarok

[db]

WHERE is the many-colored Dome of the Sampo?!?

[Pro Libertate]

Indeed. The sun did return in unringed form.

[Rich]

Obama has assured Japan that islands at the centre of its territorial dispute with China are covered by a bilateral defence treaty. ... Mr Obama said the US would oppose any attempt to undermine Japan's control over the islands.

What with this and the Poland "exercises" and all, could be a food fight a-comin' on!

[Restoras]

Never happen. In the event of a Chinese move anywhere in Asia right now, I guaran-fucking-tee that Obama would do nothing.

Not that he needs to, either. If Japan is worried about China - maybe they should build a fucking navy. They were damn good at it before June 4-7, 1942.

[Illocust]

Are you kidding? Obama has been jonesing for a 'good' war to seal his legacy. Fighting the Chinese for making a land grab against our completely innocent allies is the kind of war he'd sell his daughters for.

[gaijin]

Anything to distract from the coming currency collapse!

/doomer porn

[SugarFree]

Lil' Warty Hugeman and The Diabolical Nursery of Dr. Buttouch:
A Lil' Warty Adventure Tale

Lil' Warty Hugeman scaled the side of the sofa. It was a good vantage point; he could see three entrances to the living chamber they had broken into. Warty reached down to help Lil' Marissa up. It was like she weighed nothing. Lil' Warty Hugeman was a very muscular toddler.

"Thank Ba'al you still have your strength, Warty," Marissa said, her unfused soft palate giving her the cutest lisp.

"Buttouch's weapon was able to de-age our bodies, but it couldn't strip away our essential natures. I have always been strong, all the way back to the day that I tore myself out of my mother." He patted his six-pack with a powerful hand and smiled at the memory.

"Now that we are out of the lab I can get status updates on my bioware," Marissa said. "I think I can instantiate my suit."

Warty nodded and farted wetly into his timediaper. He wasn't sure if what the timesuit had been reduced to was functional at all. His infant nervous system wasn't coupled to the suit any longer and only the crude exterior controls worked. The onboard Limited AI was barely more than a graphing calculator after being hit with the de-aging beam and Warty had been forced to lock it out of general systems. He was afraid if he attempting a time jump, the timediaper might take only his pelvis to a different spacetime. Warty rather liked his pelvis.

[SugarFree]

Marissa struggled out of her "Little Stinker" t-shirt and peeled off her diaper to stand nude on the couch cushions.

"You could have warned me," Warty said, turning his back to her.

"Don't be such a pussy," Marissa said. "Were both babies, for fuck's sake."

"It's just weird."

"You've seen me naked a thousand times," she said, wiping her wispy blond hair back with a chubby hand.

"This kind of shit is how rumors get started," Warty pouted.

Marissa began trying to summon her suit from unspace, focusing her attention on the bioware construct of the suit in her mind's eye. It was usually so easy, ever since hoodwinking the Brainarchy out of the upgrades. She just had to imagine herself wearing the suit and it appeared. She formed the image of her adult body, tall and strong, a silvered abstraction in the suit as it engulfed her completely. She grunted with the strain.

"Are you pooping back there?" Warty asked.

"Shut up, I almost had it."

Marissa furrowed her smooth brow until the answer came to her. She was no longer her adult self. She was not longer strong or tall. She imagined a baby?stubby legs and arms, lolling giant head?and let the silver swallow it. Marissa open her eyes and saw that she was wearing a silver onesie.

[SugarFree]

"Uh, that doesn't look right," Warty said.

"I thought you weren't looking," she said.

"There's a, uh, smell when you instantiate your suit."

"A smell? What are you on about?"

"It's not a bad smell," Warty said, holding up both hands.

"What does it smell like?" Marissa demanded.

"It smells like what it smells like." Warty shrugged and grinned, showing his toothless gums.

"Does it smell bad?"

"Not anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" Marissa put her little hands on her baby hips.

"Look, can we talk about your bioware odor after we get the hell out of here?"

"So now it's an 'odor?'"

"By all the Gods of Death Metal, give it a rest, woman!"

"We are going to talk about this when we get back to the fortress."

"Yeah, yeah," Warty said. He jumped off the side of the couch and held his arms out.

"You are a very weird-looking baby, you know," Marissa said, before jumping into his strong embrace.

[Clich? Bandit]

Is this the first installment? Cause I feel like I am behind.

[SugarFree]

Merely a vignette.

[invisible furry hand]

It's like a perverted Muppet Babies

[Restoras]

good band name!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I'm going to go wash now.

[SugarFree]

Cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills are suing the team over labor practices. They allege micro-management included directions on how they should wash their "intimate areas" and a "jiggle test" to evaluate their "physique."

Is that a lawsuit I smell? If so, wash harder.

[Lord Humungus]

13 Most Ridiculous Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years." ? Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich

"In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution? by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half." ? Life magazine

"The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age." ? Kenneth Watt

etc...

[Me Inc.]

And it all would have happened, too, if we hadn't received such timely warnings!

[PM]

The science is settled, etc etc.

[Don Mynack]

Remember these from the late 80's/early 90's?

''I think we're in trouble. When you realize how little time we have left - we are now given not 10 years to save the rainforests, but in many cases five years. Madagascar will largely be gone in five years unless something happens. And nothing is happening.'' - ABC - The Miracle Planet April 22, 1990

At present rates of exploitation there may be no rainforest left in 10 years. If measures are not taken immediately, the greenhouse effect may be unstoppable in 12 to 15 years. - 5000 Days to Save the Planet - Edward Goldsmith 1991

When I was in college, and active in the environmental movement, they were telling us the world was going to run out of oxygen if Brazil cut down any more trees in the Amazon. This kind of stupidity was everywhere.

[John]

This kind of stupidity is everywhere.

Fixed it for you.

[The Last American Hero]

A lot of it at the time had to do with the year 2000 being on the horizon.

By the year 2000.... (insert name of impending disaster).

[sarcasmic]

Father's fury as his terrified children, aged two and six, are forced to undergo FULL-BODY pat-downs by TSA agents

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....gents.html
This is why I won't fly. Someone did that to my kid and I'd kick them in the face.

[invisible furry hand]

Most paedophiles aren't considerate enough to molest kids in front of their parents

[Jordan]

Don't read the comments. Goddamnit. That explains the TSA's relatively high approval rating. Fucking slaves.

[Mock-star]

I really wish that I had heeded this advice.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They're probably rolling dice to decide whether they'll call this an isolated incident taken out of context, or a commendable security exercise which protects us from terrorism.

[110 Lean]

I flew to San Francisco for Easter weekend and I have got to say that the TSA experience at both MSP and SFO was no big deal.

[Lord Humungus]

Cars Should Be Safe, Legal, and Rare

Public transit has another important thing going for it: community, the idea that while things may not always be going great?and yes, that man sitting in the back is not just scratching himself?we're all in this commute together. Cars encourage the individual operators of the mobile social isolation chambers to compete for position in traffic, at the gas station, while exiting the freeway?the roads are fundamentally capitalistic in that cooperation is possible but not encouraged. People may generally be good on the inside, but traffic brings out the worst in the best of us. And if you think humanity is fundamentally garbage, at least on a bus the person glaring at you over some perceived slight isn't maneuvering 2,500 pounds of potential murder.

We've all seen what cars do. Take the most quality person you know?the one with the most gentle soul, the one you would call if you were in real trouble?and put them behind the wheel and they become rage-fueled monsters ready to go off at the slightest provocation. A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway can easily turn into your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!" you didn't know was under the seat, all because some asshole didn't use a turn signal. Is this any way to live?

[SugarFree]

A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway

Obviously the only solution is to get rid of such a horrible thing.

[PM]

The pacific coast or the highway?

[SugarFree]

Both, according to this dork.

[PM]

Cars Should Be Safe, Legal, and Rare

Nice one.

[Jordan]

Public transit has another important thing going for it: community, the idea that while things may not always be going great?and yes, that man sitting in the back is not just scratching himself?we're all in this commute together.

Um, that's one of the main things going against public transit. You see, nobody has ever tried to assault me or take a shit while in my car.

[John]

Not in this asshole's view. The biggest thing that he hates about cars is that they allow people privacy and to exist outside of the "community" as he sees it.

These people are sick Jordan. They really are.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Never will you ever convince me to take public transit. I'm sane in my private thoughts and in my own car.

"A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway can easily turn into your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!" you didn't know was under the seat, all because some asshole didn't use a turn signal. Is this any way to live?"

The guy is an idiot.

Full blown.

[John]

Public transit sucks. You are totally dependent on its schedule and you are packed in a train car like a bunch of cattle headed for slaughter.

The only thing it has going for it is that you can take it while drunk. Since I don't get drunk every morning, I will pass.

[invisible furry hand]

It all depends where you are, which is part of the problem.

I live close to the central business district, where i work. Parking is rare and thus bloody expensive. Twenty-five minutes door to door on a clean, regular bus filled with boring people like me in suits - it's a no-brainer.

And i assume the writer of this is similarly privileged and close to their work, so the full horror of a long commute is unknown to them

[John]

That only means it is the best of a set of bad options. If you could afford parking, a car would nearly always be better.

Yes, sometimes you commute sucks so bad that public transit is the best option available. That just means your commute really sucks not that public transit doesn't suck.

[invisible furry hand]

Parking, congestion, tolls... you know John, you can declare public transport sucks as much as you like. Sometimes it doesn't suck. Sometimes it will be better than driving. Sometimes it will be pretty bloody good. And sometimes all transport options will be lousy.

But my bigger point still stands: it's all very well for people like me or this writer to promote public transport - we have pretty good public transport. If you're out in the 'burbs then yes, it can be a crappier choice than driving yourself. So this guy is not an idiot blindly ignoring his own lousy public transport. He's so fucking insulated from most people's reality that he actually doesn't understand how unusual his experience is.

Oh, and he's projecting as well, the tool.

[Citizen Nothing]

I like public transportation when I'm visiting a city where some other sucker is paying the real cost of it.

[John]

You are right IFH. If I worked in Manhattan and lived in Connecticut or New Jersey, I would be taking the train. Hell, if I ever said fuck it and moved way out in Washington, I would be taking the MARC or VRE.

Yes public transit makes sense. It is just that it makes sense because your commute really sucks. The fact that traffic is brutal, tolls cost a fortune and so forth means your commute sucks. All things being equal, I would much rather drive than take the train. It is only when the drive really sucks that the train becomes attractive. That was my only point.

[Overt]

All things being equal, I would much rather drive than take the train. It is only when the drive really sucks that the train becomes attractive. That was my only point.

These blanket statements don't become a site that enshrines economic choice- a main tenet of which being that different things have different values to different people.

If I had a personal chauffeur to take me to and from work every day, I'd love it. I get some enjoyment out of driving, but I also get enjoyment out of the stuff I could do while being driven somewhere.

Now under some circumstances, mass transit approaches that. It isn't that my commute sucks more in those places, its that in some places Mass Transit is able to offer enough conveniences that they outweigh the downsides of sharing with people.

I had a friend living right on the gold line in Los Angeles. He left his apartment in the morning, rode into downtown on a train that was largely empty, doing his morning emails, and stopping at bars on the way home at night. His schedule was off hours, and he could drive into downtown without hitting bad traffic- but he usually chose the train. In Silicon Valley, many companies offer cushie busses that take you in soft seats, with wifi and movies, to within a mile of your house.

The point is, we can say forcing mass transit down peoples' throat is wrong while still acknowledging that people have good reasons to use it (not just that it is the best of terrible options).

[Rufus J. Firefly]

When I worked in downtown Montreal for a bank I had little choice but take the train. It wasn't bad and beat the heck out of looking for parking no doubt.

But now my life is completely different and public transit (especially for its own sake) is useless and aggravating to me.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

And i assume the writer of this is similarly privileged and close to their work, so the full horror of a long commute is unknown to them

I did this during college--a 12 mile commute from the suburbs down Colfax Avenue in Denver, so I got to ride wih the dregs of humanity on a daily basis.

It absolutely sucked and the only reason I didn't drive every day is because the bus pass was cheaper than gas and parking costs, even in the mid-90s when it was about a $1.25 a gallon.

[Mustaf Herod Apyur Poup'r]

The 15? I took the 15 from Quebec St. to Metro State. Good times...

[Lord Humungus]

getting to my job by bus would take ~an hour. Versus the 10-15min drive. That's an extra 1.5 hours of time at home.

Also, my parents live out in the middle of nowhere. Getting to them via bus - etc would take hours of traveling versus ~60-70 minutes of driving.

Of course if cars were killed off, hardly anyone could live in the country.

[John]

Of course if cars were killed off, hardly anyone could live in the country.

This asshole views that as a feature. He wants everyone living crowded together like cattle where their overlords can keep a close eye on them and their lifestyles can be restricted so they won't be sinful and harm the earth goddess.

[Restoras]

I think if cars were killed off there would be more people living in the country. There would be no way for people to feed themselves or stay warm if there was no way to get basic necessities to the cities.

[John]

Good point Restoras. This asshole apparently thinks food comes from the grocery store or is magically delivered from the organic farm to the shelves, no evil truck involved.

Get rid of cars and we would all get very hungry very quickly.

[KDN]

You can still take a car while drunk. That's the whole point of pregnancy.

[Tonio]

You see, nobody has ever tried to assault me or take a shit while in my car.

Never had very young children as passengers?

[TwB]

I live in the DC area and I take the Metro train a few times a month. One night I was coming back from getting dinner in DC and the train was packed. Behind me, there were two maybe 60 year old women talking pretty loudly. At the next stop, a seat opened up in front of me and I sat down. After the train began moving, I heard one of the women say to the other: "You know, it's really rude that someone young like that won't let one of us have a seat." The person sitting next to me noticed the remark, but then returned to their phone. I, on the other hand, decided to go against public transit decorum and engaged the woman in conversation. I asked her: "Excuse me, but are you upset that I sat down in this seat?" The woman was a bit flustered because I actually responded to her remark but said: "Yes. I think that a young person like yourself should let an older person like me sit down." I replied: "I gladly would have let you sit here, if you would have asked first. But you didn't. Instead, you voiced your opinion on the matter after the fact. So, I'm going to keep sitting here. You can ask someone else for a seat." The woman was really pissed, and her and her friend moved to the opposite end of the train and then got off a stop or two later. The best part of the whole ordeal was when a guy about my age came up to me after the women left and he said: "I heard that whole conversation. That was awesome." I felt much better about taking public transportation that night.

[gaijin]

Public transit has another important thing going for it: community

Yes. the community spirit you feel as the odor of piss and sweat and crappy food surrounds you as you're packed into a small space with people who refuse to make eye contact. Community for the win!

[Auric Demonocles]

A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway can easily turn into your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!"

I knew this sounded like a gun grabber mentality.

[Zeb]

Yes, people are constantly murdering each other over minor traffic infractions.

[Bones]

The same people that don't want anyone to have guns because they themselves are ticking time bombs of uncontrollable emotion demand cars be eliminated in favor of public transportation because these are the fuckers that have real road rage. The ones who can't just flip the bird, say "Fuck you!" and get on with their commute. These are the assholes that can't control themselves so they snap. These are the people that want to control everyone else because they know they themselves need to be controlled. And then all will be fine. These are progressives and they're projecting again.

[invisible furry hand]

You're attributing a level of self-awareness that just isn't there

[John]

I agree with IFH. They hate freedom and allow that hatred to convince themselves of a bunch of delusions.

[John]

A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway can easily turn into your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!" you didn't know was under the seat, all because some asshole didn't use a turn signal. Is this any way to live?

How many actual road rage shootings happen every year? If there are five of them I would be surprised. I used to think that these people were just liars. Now I think they are just that delusional. They actually think that most people outside their hive run around with concealed weapons and shoot each other on a routine basis.

The heart of the whole thing is that they hate freedom and they hate personal autonomy. Cars are the greatest tool of personal freedom and autonomy in the modern age. Thanks to cars people were no longer slaves to the railroad schedule. People could go wherever they liked whenever they liked. People like this asshole can't stand that. They hate it so much they allow their hate to let them believe any number of complete delusions. These people are dangerously insane.

[Brian D]

Take the most quality person you know?the one with the most gentle soul, the one you would call if you were in real trouble?and put them behind the wheel and they become rage-fueled monsters ready to go off at the slightest provocation.

I remember that cartoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk-c5jlk48s

[Rufus J. Firefly]

From the comments: "couldn't agree more. bikes are also a great and practically free option."

This can only come from the mouth of a clueless, myopic, inexperienced kid or adult who never matured.

And what if you work, say, 40 minutes BY CAR? Is cycling to work really a feasible option? Shit, I've been a cyclist for over 27 years and I rarely take my bike to work which is 8 km away because, you know, I need my car for any surprises life throws at me.

Fuck these people are beyond absurd.

[John]

Bikes are practically free. The bike stores just give them away. Of course everyone who lives in a climate that isn't perfect like SOCAL totally works where they can keep a change of clothes and shower once they get to work. It is completely practical to ride a bike 10 miles to work in January in Chicago or August in Dallas.

How can anyone be that stupid?

[John]

People like this asshole are the reason why so many people hate cyclists. I bet money is the typical noxious geared up cycling asshole who runs lights and cuts in front of people. They are so smug about being a cyclist and thus morally superior to anyone in an evil car they think the normal rules of civility don't apply to them. They own the road as morally superior beings. The only upside to these sorts of assholes is that eventually they run into a good unionized and unfirable bus driver who just doesn't give a shit. At least they can have their ashes spread at next year's Tour de France.

[Restoras]

Jeez John, we all know how much you hate people on road bikes but this guy strikes me as a hipster that thinks Citibike is a great idea and if only there were enough of those dumb things in every city in America they'd all look like Amsterdam.

[John]

I don't hate people on road bikes. I honestly have nothing against cycling as a sport and I know there are tons of responsible cyclists out there. It is just a small percentage of them are total assholes. Sorry if I implied that the assholes give the rest a bad name.

Yeah, I doubt he has the sort of conditioning to do real cycling. I bet he is a hipster in his single gear who rides a mile to his job selling artisanal mayonnaise or whatever.

[Restoras]

Hipsters are the only people I see using Citibike in NYC. They honesly think that if only there were easy access to bikes then NYC would become a bike city, like Amsterdam.

The reason Amsterdam is a bike city probably has more to do with things other than easy access to bikes - ancient, narrow roads designed for one horse and a cart, or even just walking, houses close together for easier defense of the city, etc. London, Paris and Rome are shitty places for bikes, just like NYC and DC are because they are huge cities that long ago left there ancient architecture behind, if it ever existed.

[John]

You know the best part about those bikes? People only use them generally to go downhill. Everyone of those services has to use trucks to constantly transport the bikes from the downhill stations to the uphill stations.

All these hipsters use them thinking they are "saving CO2" when in reality there is a big diesel truck driving around town doing nothing but taking the bikes they use back up the hill.

[Restoras]

I remember reading that - having to use trucks and vans to rebalance the bike racks. Hilarious. I doubt any of those hipsters could manage any kind of climb, even on a road bike.

[Tonio]

Also, flat. Amsterdam is flat as a pancake, like most of Holland.

[Mainer2]

As spring finally manifests in New England, we will see exactly the kind of assholish cyclists you describe. It's as reliable as the sun rising in the east.

[robc]

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

[WTF]

your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!" you didn't know was under the seat, all because some asshole didn't use a turn signal

Oh, yeah, that happens all the time. This is just one of the horrors they claim will become a common event if concealed carry laws are liberalized. Seems like an obvious case of projection to me.

[Warty]

A lazy Sunday drive down the Pacific Coast Highway can easily turn into your brother-in-law screaming at you to "get the fucking gun!" you didn't know was under the seat, all because some asshole didn't use a turn signal.

Way to accidentally tell everyone about your rage problem, dipshit. Hint: normal people don't behave that way.

[shortviking]

"Cars encourage the individual operators of the mobile social isolation chambers"

I don't understand the obsession with everything needing to be social. I WANT to be isolated.

[The Late P Brooks]

A million dollars in bonuses have been awarded by the Internal Revenue Service to employees who owe back taxes.

Let me guess: Bonuses will be PAID, tax balances will be DEEMED PAID.

It wouldn't be fair to give them the money and then take it right back.

[Lord Humungus]

Americans think owning a home is better for them than it is

Perhaps Americans just want to invest in something tangible. Real estate is, after all, real: bricks, mortar, wood, tile. Other kinds of assets seem more abstract, almost imaginary, by comparison. You just have to trust your financial adviser, bank or never-ending, entire-rainforest-killing Vanguard mailings that your other investments actually exist.

Shiller suspects that selective memory may also play a role.

"People remember home prices from long ago better than they remember other prices," he says. "Ask anybody, 'What did you pay for your home?,' and they'll remember even if it was 50 years ago. It will be some ridiculous number like $30,000. They then compare it to today's prices, and it makes a big impression, and they forget there has been so much inflation since then."

[gaijin]

With property taxes, you never really own your home anyway. You're just paying rent to landlord.gov.

[Restoras]

^This was quite the stunning revelation when it dawned on me.

[widget]

It's just 1 or 2 percent of whatever the landlord thinks your property is worth. Annually and forever.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

My taxes, insurance, and maintenance are less than rent on a shithole one-bedroom apartment around here. Those, combined with my mortgage payment, when I was still making it, were the same or less than rent for a comparable house.

Owning a home has worked out pretty well for me.

[wareagle]

Ditto. When we bought, the mortgage was less than half what rent had been, and for a larger place.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

My mortgage payments are way higher than rent but that's because I didn't put down a large amount. I expect to improve this when I buy a second home.

[robc]

Im closing next week and am basically, after fees, getting what I paid for my house 7 years ago.

Maintenance and interest was way less than renting would have been.

[John]

Thanks to our evil tax system, owning a home is the only way the middle class can build any lasting wealth. It is also the only real tax shelter available to them.

Unsurprisingly, Progs, who hate the middle class, have now decided owning a home isn't so good anymore.

[robc]

It is also the only real tax shelter available to them.

401K? IRA? Roth, if you trust it?

Those are much better tax shelters than a house.

[John]

LOLOL Bullshit they are. A house is saved tax money now, today. Those things you mention are saved tax money maybe if some future government decides to let you have it. And you can only put $1500 a year or whatever it is into an IRA. That is not jack shit. Moreover, you can't touch that money or get any use out of it until the government says you can. In contrast you get to live in a house now and you can get a home equity loan if you ever need the money. Try to withdraw from your IRA until the government says you can and they will take all of the taxes you deferred back and a penalty.

IRAs are not totally worthless. But they don't qualify as much of a tax shelter. To the extent that they do, they are only a shelter for retirement money. Some people need to use their income for things other than that.

[robc]

How are houses saved tax money today? They are purchased with after tax money.

Sure, there is a mortgage interest deduction, but that is pretty penny-ante, its just not much.

6k on IRA, maybe higher. $1500? Are you still living in 1978?

And yes, IRA/401k isnt flexible, but it absolutely is tax savings today. Yeah, I got to pay it eventually sometime down the road, but same thing happens with capital gains on a house.

[John]

How are houses saved tax money today? They are purchased with after tax money.

The interest on the loan is deductible. You have to live somewhere and regular rent is not tax deductible. Most of your house payment is interest and thus is.

The math of it can vary. If you live in a truely insane housing market like Washington DC or San Francisco, it often makes sense to rent. If you live in a sane housing market it never does. Your house payment is going to be the same or nearly the same as rent on a similar place and you will effectively get to deduct that money off your taxes if you buy.

The reason why the home mortgage deduction is so infuriating is that it warps the market by making it advantageous to buy when it otherwise would not have been. That is because in anything but an insanely high market, buying is a very good tax shelter.

And yes, IRA/401k isnt flexible, but it absolutely is tax savings today.

No it is not. It can be but only if you would have saved that money for retirement anyway and the government never comes back later and decides it is going to tax IRAs when you go to withdraw from them. Time will tell, but I think they are likely to do just that.

And even $6,000 is not very much. The typical interest paid on a home loan is going to be at least twice that.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Traditional IRAs are already subject to tax at your marginal rate.

[robc]

No they arent. Traditional iras defer taxes on that money just like 401ks.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

He said, "when you go to withdraw from them" so I was talking about at the time of withdrawal. So, yeah, they are.

[robc]

Yeah at withdrawal.

Of course, threading makes it look like a reply to me, and I was specifically talking about at deposit.

I blame the squirrels.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Always a safe bet.

[robc]

1. Not everyone has a mortgage.

2. Even if you do, late in the mortgage life, it wont be enough to itemize unless you have other deductions.

3. Ira and 401k are tax savings today. Yes, you have to pay the tax later, so its only deferred, but most people pay a lower rate in retirement. Roth is what is a risk of them changing their mind on. Not regular ira.

And 6k is a damn good start. Most people dont even save that much towards retirement.

[John]

1. Not everyone has a mortgage.

They might not have good enough credit or be able to afford it or need flexibility to leave the area. That doesn't mean mortgages are not good tax shelters. It just means tax shelters are not the only factor driving decisions.

2. Even if you do, late in the mortgage life, it wont be enough to itemize unless you have other deductions.

True. But most people never live in a house long enough to get to that. And if they do, they can just get a home equity loan and get their deduction back. It would be better I think if people paid their houses off. They generally don't because of the distortions created by the mortgage deduction. Few people ever choose to pay off their mortgage because it doesn't make sense to lose the tax deduction.

3. Ira and 401k are tax savings today. Yes, you have to pay the tax later, so its only deferred, but most people pay a lower rate in retirement.

Maybe and only if you don't save or earn too much money. One of the really evil parts of the tax code is that they require you to withdraw from your 401K and IRA over so many years max. Ideally you should be able to save in multiple ways and cut your expenses so that you can take that IRA money out slowly over time and keep your tax rates low. The IRS won't do that. You have to draw it out by a set percentage a year. So if you have a really big IRA, you are stuck taking it out in big chunks and paying the taxes on it even if you don't need the money.

[Clich? Bandit]

401k and IRA are not easily defended by arms. Homes a little more so. Also, to offset the problem of #2. just start buying investment properties and mortgaging them.

In the end a (somewhat dubious yes) claim to actual land (and structure even) is better than not in my opinion.

[Overt]

The point John is making is largely sound.

A house largely allows you to save a significant amount of money you would have spent on rent, tax free. It is a hedge against inflation, since you are buying an asset that will grow in value as inflation increases, and it also tends to grow (or decrease) with the economy- so it is much like a very-local index fund. When you go to sell it, any of those earnings up to something like $500,000 for a couple is tax free.

When I lived in California, the wife and I earned too much for ROTH IRA's but the cost of living there was so high that we lived a thoroughly middle class life. Our house was the only place we could build wealth outside of our 401(k)s.

[Restoras]

Can you borrow against the IRA? I can do that with my 401K, but only up to a certain amount.

[John]

Good question. I bet you can. I never thought of that.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

You cannot borrow against an IRA.

With a ROTH, you can take contributions out (not earnings) without penalty.

[John]

CPA,

This is why I hate IRAs. We need to end the tax on interest and dividends altogether or at least give say a two million dollar lifetime exemption on such. Let people save and then borrow against or use that money as they please and when they need it. Screw this "you can save and earn something but only if you lock it away for your own good" bullshit.

[widget]

You have a one-time tax exemption for the capital gains on the value your primary home when you sell it.

That is not true for other 'investments'.

[Citizen Nothing]

I finally sold my accidental rental home. I really, really hated being a landlord, so the loss I took is easier to swallow. (Anybody know if I have to take it as a capital loss or can use the loss against income? I've heard both, the latter since it had been a rental property for many years and I'd never lived in it.)

[Brett L]

If it was a rental for more than 12 consecutive months before being sold, it can be a capital loss, even if you once lived in it.

[Ska]

Ask your accountant if it qualifies for 1231 treatment.

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah, 1231 is what I'm thinking. I've never used an accountant, but this is probably the year to start.

[Zeb]

I don't think it is so much hating the middle class. Lots of middle class progressives out there.
I think it is more a combination of the idiotic idea, popular among progressives, that everyone is where they are just because of blind luck and that they think of everything collectively and can't imagine that home ownership is great for some people and less good for others.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Speaking of the Buffalo Bills, Donald Trump says he is serious about buying the team. It will be hilarious when the NFL owners tell him to go fuck himself.

[PM]

Yeah, the thread that night at DU will probably be off the chain.

[Lord Humungus]

Keystone Uncensored
A labor leader calls the Administration 'gutless,' 'dirty' and more.

Republicans are denouncing President Obama's latest delay on the Keystone XL pipeline, six long years after it was proposed. But for cold political fury they have nothing on Terry O'Sullivan, who runs the Laborers' International Union that represents a half-million construction workers.

"This is once again politics at its worst," Mr. O'Sullivan said in a public statement that deserves to be quoted at length. "In another gutless move, the Administration is delaying a finding on whether the pipeline is in the national interest based on months-old litigation in Nebraska regarding a state level challenge to a state process?and which has nothing to with the national interest. They waited until Good Friday, believing no one would be paying attention. The only surprise is they didn't wait to do it in the dark of night.

"It's not the oil that's dirty, it's the politics. Once again, the Administration is making a political calculation instead of doing what is right for the country.

[wareagle]

whatever. Folks like O'Sullivan voted twice for Obama, they'll vote for whomever the Dems nominate in 2016, and they act surprised when told FYTW. If only there was a word for that.

[John]

True. But he is not the union's members. There seriously might not be a white middle class person left in the Democratic party by the time Obama is done. It will be minorities and white progs who are too retarded and too well off to care anymore.

[widget]

Welders and electricians are not as equal as teachers.

[lap83]

"Cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills are suing the team over labor practices. They allege micro-management included directions on how they should wash their "intimate areas" and a "jiggle test" to evaluate their "physique.""

Were they under the impression they were hired for their intellects?

By the way, how could the washing of the intimate areas thing possibly be enforced? It sounds like when employers teach food handlers how long to wash their hands. It's there for posterity, they're not going to run surveillance over hand washing sinks.

[Atanarjuat]

Well if it starts smelling like fish and old batteries every time Cindy does certain dance moves, they might ask her to leave, even if they have to make up a reason because of lawsuits.

[lap83]

She would probably just blame it on her fish scented, battery-powered tampon.

[Lord Humungus]

another Vice gem:

I Ate Live Food from a Pet Store for a Week

According to the EPA, the factory farming industry is responsible for 28 percent of global methane emissions, thanks largely to cow burps. That methane, which contributes greatly to global warming, can and has caused severe droughts in portions of the country where cattle, and the corn necessary to feed them, are raised and grown. And they screw up the water supply, too. From the EPA: "Agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution was the leading source of water quality impacts on surveyed rivers and lakes, the second largest source of impairments to wetlands, and a major contributor to contamination of surveyed estuaries and ground water."

Long story short: We need to find viable, palatable, nutritious alternatives to traditional meat.

With that in mind I decided to replace one meal per day for seven days with sources of protein that can be purchased alive from a pet store.

mouse skinning, crickets, and Mealworms follow

[db]

Long story short: We need to find viable, palatable, nutritious alternatives to traditional meat.

Okay, Mr. Nutritional Science Genius, go ahead and get on that. Wait, what's that? "We need to..." for you means "other people need to pay for..."?

Fuck off.

[PM]

Yeah. When you and that mouse in your pocket turn it into something akin to a granola bar and make it 1/2 the price of beef, get back to me.

[Aloysious]

That methane, which contributes greatly to global warming, can and has caused severe droughts in portions of the country where cattle, and the corn necessary to feed them, are raised and grown.

Interesting claim. I'm sure this is backed by data, and not just pulled out from the old asshole, right?

[PM]

There have been severe droughts. Ergo, they were caused by global warming. If there had been no droughts or excess rainfall, those too would have been caused by global warming.

[Aloysious]

Thank you for clarifying the cow butts = drought thingy. Please join me in petitioning the government to raise my taxes.

[Zeb]

I don't know how people keep getting away with attributing a simple cause to weather events without being laughed at. In an incredibly complex system like the atmosphere, it just doesn't work that way. If there is global warming, then it has something to do with everything that happens. So what they say is sort of true, but not very useful or interesting. The fart I just let out also has something to do with future weather.

[PM]

If there is global warming, then it has something to do with everything that happens. So what they say is sort of true, but not very useful or interesting.

Importantly, it has no predictive value, and so they are constantly post-hoc'ing effects to cause. Which would be fine if they didn't insist on calling it science, which works exactly the opposite way.

[Zeb]

You might as well just say that the weather is all caused by the sun. It's true and also completely useless in predicting anything.

[PM]

Exactly. Which is handy I guess if your only purpose is to justify your meddling with something vague and science-y enough to sound plausible to the scientifically illiterate plebs.

[The Late P Brooks]

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years." ? Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich

Oh, mighty Lord Malthus, why hast Thou forsaken us?

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

*chuckles*

/The Ghost of Norm Borlaug

[Rich]

House committee OKs $100 million for Obama library

Madigan said it's appropriate par for the course for Illinois to commit public funds for the library even though the state is grappling with serious financial problems.

FTFY

[gaijin]

Wonder who will get the contracts to construct and operate this Obamanation?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Well, you wouldn't give it to someone who *opposes* the President, or who only supports him lukewarmly?

[John]

Can you imagine what a tacky monstrosity that thing is going to be? It is going to be high comedy. Presidential libraries should be tasteful and understated. Tasteful and understated is just not something the Chocolate Nixon does.

[Auric Demonocles]

Oh dear... The petite 27 year old redheaded Asian twin with an English accent and a PhD in controls theory is visiting our office for the rest of the week. I don't think I'm getting much done between now and the weekend.

[Restoras]

mmmmm.....Controlzzz Theory.....

fapfapfapfap

[Rich]

"Dr. Demonocles, PLEASE! Kindly CONTROL yourself!"

[gaijin]

Does she wear a short skirt and a long jacket?

I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity
Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
With fingernails that shine like justice
And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

She is fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She's touring the facility
And picking up slack

[db]

+1 Italian Leather Sofa

[Lord Humungus]

Pics or it didn't happen

[Auric Demonocles]

Well, nothing has happened.

[Lord Humungus]

yet *rubs hands together*

[db]

Ohmigod.

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, Bach.

[Snark Plissken]

So the carpet won't be matching the drapes?

[The Late P Brooks]

We've all seen what cars do. Take the most quality person you know?the one with the most gentle soul, the one you would call if you were in real trouble?and put them behind the wheel and they become rage-fueled monsters ready to go off at the slightest provocation.

Quit hanging out in the faculty lounge and get some human friends, Sonny.

[Brett L]

I did kick the shit out of some fucktard's quarter panel on the FSU campus for turning in front of my wife and infant son while we were in the crosswalk. Dude decided he didn't want to pursue it. Probably because my wife was flipping him off and calling him a motherfucker while holding a baby. I was so proud. But I can understand why even nice faculty members hate cars.

[invisible furry hand]

And in almost no time William will be flipping strangers off and calling them motherfuckers - *sniff* they grow up so quickly *sniff*

[Brett L]

Where do you think I learned to pick fights with strangers in front of my kids? Papa L. No shit, he once got into a shouting and shoving match with two drunk dudes at the Paseo de Hemingway in Pamplona during the Running of the Bulls with the whole family in tow. Good times.

[Rich]

Teen Had Loaded Revolver In Her Vagina

Speaking metaphorically? She looks like such a nice girl.

[gaijin]

I would have been more impressed if she had accommodated a 45.

[invisible furry hand]

When told where the gun had been stashed, Souther said, "Oh, gosh." He noted that he would eventually like "the little fellow" returned, but added that the weapon would require "a bath in bleach."

Ha!

Oh, and excellent comments

[Rich]

Agree. Almost worthy of the H&R commentariat.

[Sudden]

Not enough abortion jokes to be worthy of the H&R commentariat.

[widget]

A study by Verizon found that 34 percent of all data breaches in the public sector are due to "miscellaneous error."

I have typed in my password to an H&R with a security camera looking over my shoulder. So have you.

[Lord Humungus]

Ramesh Is Right about Rand Paul

Ramesh, as usual, hit the nail on the head with his brief response to today's misleading NRO column by Senator Rand Paul. To quote Ramesh, "None of Paul's critics at NRO have said anything like what Paul claims about nuance or realism, or called for unlimited involvement in foreign wars." Indeed, Paul seems to have the Obama Disease: accusing his critics of having "no place for nuance or realism . . . no middle ground," when it is in fact he who is the only one actually positing the polarizing options.

How many times has Obama accused his critics of wanting to force "false choices" between two absurd, all-or-nothing extremes, when virtually nobody has seriously suggested that those are the only choices? This is exactly what Paul is doing.

etc... more neo-con handwaving in the link

[PM]

"None of Paul's critics at NRO have said anything like what Paul claims about nuance or realism, or called for unlimited involvement in foreign wars."

Yes, they are committed to limited our foreign engagements only to the number of missiles Raytheon can produce in a quarter...

[Sudden]

It was nice of Putin to at least wait until the sequester was dead and buried before drawing us into another war. Clearly, he is a man that wasn't content playing chess against someone who was starting a pawn short.

[John]

Paul seems to have the Obama Disease: accusing his critics of having "no place for nuance or realism . . . no middle ground,"

Well tough shit. If you have all of this nuance, explain it. It is not like people on NRO's side don't put up strawman of what Paul says. It is called politics. The whole point is to paint your opponents as extremists and you as the reasonable one.

The fact that a mainstream Republican publication like NRO seems not to understand that and thinks it is just not cricket for a politician to do that says a whole lot about why Republicans managed to lose to the Kenyan Village Idiot twice.

[Brett L]

Bill Buckley understood it. Unfortunately, the seem to have run off all of their "nuanced" people, although Jonah Goldberg sometimes has an interesting thought. But yeah, when they purged Derbyshire for being a curmudgeonly, English "racist", I wrote them off.

[Sudden]

I think using the color of racism (SWIDT?) was an excuse to get rid of the last remaining paleo.

[Brett L]

Pretty much. Bill Buckley was smart enough and tough enough to keep people around with whom the only real commonality they had was hating socialists. His successors are neither and have become the GOP party organ.

[John]

Derbyshire said some pretty offensive things. But so what? He was the most interesting writer they had. Basically they got bullied by the PC police into running him off. A decent publication would have said "his views are not ours but we give him a platform because he is an interesting and thoughtful writer on a lot of other subjects" and told the PC police to fuck off.

[Sudden]

So when Rich Lowry asserts that "Paul's belief that the Iraq War may have been about padding a corporate bottom line echoes charges of 'war profiteering' that have been a staple of the Left,"

Except of course that Paul said nothing of this in his column.

[John]

It is bad enough that they use a strawman against Paul. What is really infuriating is that they then have the nerve to whine about him doing it to them. And they try to make up for it by never explaining why Paul's characterization of them is untrue. They just say it is and never say way.

That whole post reads like an argument MNG or Joe for Lowell used to make. One of their favorite tricks was to make an offensively stupid argument and then claim "I don't believe that" when called on it. They would never explain what they believed or how their actual view was different than your characterization. They would just claim "that is just a straw man". Or they would say "of course I think X is bad". I would then ask "Okay, tell me why it is bad and explain the things you don't like about it". They would then proceed to change the subject and scream like stuck pigs that I "lied and claimed they really supported X" without ever explaining what their view was.

That is what NRO is doing here. They are just pulling an MNG and screaming "how dare he say we will support any war" but then never bothering to explain just what wars they wouldn't support.

[Sudden]

NYPD's "#myNYPD" twitter campaign trends to #2 worldwide, but not exactly as they had hoped

I suppose a lack of self awareness is the trademark feature of these people.

[Lord Humungus]

Colorado lawmakers move to tighten edible marijuana laws

Colorado lawmakers are moving to tighten laws governing the sale of marijuana-infused edibles, an issue that has gained attention following two deaths possibly linked to the ingestion of cannabis products, the measures' main sponsor said on Tuesday.

The state House of Representatives this week unanimously passed a bill limiting the amount of concentrated marijuana that can be sold, and another bill requiring more specific labeling of pot-laced products, such as candies and baked goods.

Rep. Frank McNulty, a Republican from suburban Denver, said the measures are needed to protect the public and assure that edibles are not mistakenly consumed by children.

[Ted S.]

following two deaths possibly linked to the ingestion of cannabis products,

Fuckers will link anything they can to ingesting cannabis.

[John]

"possibly linked to cannabis products". The science can't get more settled than that Ted. Why do you hate children you dirty dope smoking hippie?

[PM]

Importantly, even if it were true and conclusively proven it wouldn't justify additional regulation.

[John]

I would be more worried about my toddler ingesting any of about 20 household cleaners such as automatic dish washing soap or clorox than I would him ingesting a marijuana brownie. Not that either is good, but the former is a hell of a lot bigger deal. And you don't need a script to buy dishwashing soap.

[Sudden]

In fairness, a weed brownie is more likely to attract a toddler's appetite than a household cleaning chemical.

[Rich]

You realize it's entirely possible that the possible linking of two deaths to the ingestion of cannabis products is linked to sheep fucking.

[creech]

Obviously, they were tourists from New Jersey.

[The Late P Brooks]

more neo-con handwaving in the link

Ahh... no.

[robc]

Based on District 2 yard signs, which was my indicator that Rand Paul would win his primary in 2010, McConnell may be in trouble. Im not going to predict a Bevin victory, but it wouldnt surprise me at this point.

[Andrew S.]

If only.

[robc]

In 2010, from Owensboro to Bowling Green, there was a 100% Paul sign rate.

I havent driven up the Natcher this year, but I havent seen a McConnell sign in BG yet.

[SugarFree]

Very few McConnell signs in Lexington that I've noticed as well.

[Drake]

Oh no, not a NATO exercise... in a NATO country!

[Sudden]

A yes, one of those traditional NATO allies that stood so firm with us against the Warsaw Pact eh?

C'mon Drake, you really believe that this isn't intended as a show for the Ruskies?

[Drake]

Of course it is - who cares? Russia isn't going to invade a NATO country and we aren't going to do anything about the Ukraine.

[Sudden]

Something about this exercise strikes me as a tripwire, Gulf of Tonkin situation.

[Drake]

NATO already is a tripwire.

American troops training in Poland is nothing new or special. It just never got media attention before the Ukraine crisis.

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

We have had folks there for years, from the ILARNG - we train with Polish Army brigades before they deploy to Afghanistan.

[The Late P Brooks]

McConnell may be in trouble.

Oh, horror. What will become of us, if we lose the services of a true bipartisan statesman like McConnell?

[robc]

Bevin may have soconish tendencies (heck, he might be a socon period), but he will be better than McConnell.

Which isnt saying much. The only "danger" is Bevin winning the primary and losing the general, but that is what McConnell et al were saying about Rand too.

And fuck that. McConnell is only marginally better than a random KY Dem anyway.

[Drake]

Bevin could be exactly the same as McConnell and he would still be an improvement - since he would be at the bottom of the seniority order instead of Majority Leader in Waiting.

[Brett L]

Well said. I guess I should read the whole thread.

[John]

It doesn't matter if Bevin is good or bad. What matters is that McConnell is made an example of to the rest of the crap weasels up there.

[Lord Humungus]

^this^

[Restoras]

I concur with John and the Ruler of the Wastes.

[Brett L]

Just the fact that he has to start at the bottom would make him better than McConnell.

[John]

And if he sucks, the voters can primary his ass just like they are McConnell. Just keep kicking their sorry asses to the curb until you get a good one.

[The Late P Brooks]

Speaking of bipartisan statesmen, is that senile crackpot McCain's head on the block this time around?

One can only hope.

[Raven Nation]

Nope, not this time around.

[Drake]

When is Reid back up for re-election? Should be interesting now that he's started fucking with people from NV, not just the rest of us.

[Raven Nation]

Pretty sure it would be 2016.

[PM]

Yep, 2016. And considering how deeply in bed he is with all of the casino and alternative energy interests in this state, he ain't going anywhere until he has to be wheeled out of the senate chambers on a gurney.

[Pro Libertate]

We need federal recall. Why should we be forced to endure a mistake?

[Tim]

"Even then, the Liaoning will be no match for the American Nimitz-class carriers, which are longer, bigger and carry more warplanes. "

[db]

More mass, greater girth, and a bigger load is all you need, apparently.

[PM]

That's what she said

[Sudden]

More mass, greater girth, and a bigger load than the Chinese. Some accomplishment.

[Lord Humungus]

omg, racist!

[PM]

*lacist

[Sevo]

Proposed boycott of new wonder drug fails, 'cause facts:

"Gilead Sciences' hepatitis C drug a smashing success"
[...]
"The Foster City company said Sovaldi generated nearly $2.3 billion in the first three months of the year,"
[...]
"Gilead, which spent more than $11 billion to purchase and develop the technology that produced Sovaldi."
http://www.sfgate.com/default/.....422604.php

And in speaking with a doc last week, I'm told it's far cheaper than the existing treatments even at $100K to CURE the disease.

[Citizen Nothing]

We are velly simple people with velly small ships!

[John]

Scalia started his opinion in the Michigan Affirmative Action case that came out yesterday as follows:

"It has come to this, called upon to explore the jurisprudential twilight zone between two errant lines of precedent, we confront a frighteningly bizarre question: Does the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment forbid what its text plainly requires?"

Scalia can be an infuriating justice. Between this and his "freedom depriving cocktail line" he had a great day yesterday however. That is some great legal writing there.

[PM]

That's a money line for sure.

[db]

Holy shit, a justice admitting that not one, but TWO precedents could be in error? Is this the end times?

[bostonaod]

The New York Times is quite displeased and expressed that with an extraordinarily idiotic editorial:

Not so, Justice Sonia Sotomayor responded, in a stinging 58-page dissent. "Our Constitution places limits on what a majority of the people may do," she wrote, such as when they pass laws that oppress minorities.

That's what the affirmative action ban does, by altering the political process to single out race and sex as the only factors that may not be considered in university admissions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04.....court.html

Yup, not giving preferential treatment based on race equals "oppress[ing] minorities".

[John]

That's what the affirmative action ban does, by altering the political process to single out race and sex as the only factors that may not be considered in university admissions.

Yeah, last I looked the "equal protection clause" was passed so that sex and particularly race couldn't be used as a factor in making state decisions. That is kind of the entire point of having "equal rights".

The Progs at the Times really are the intellectual heirs of the old segregationists. They didn't have a problem with the law screwing people because of their race. They just didn't like who was getting screwed. They are happy to screw other races. They just felt bad for black people.

[bostonaod]

That's pretty much it John.

Though I am going to enjoy throwing this:

"Our Constitution places limits on what a majority of the people may do," she wrote, such as when they pass laws that oppress minorities.

right back in their faces re: Second Amendment rights.

[Raven Nation]

New Yorker columnist laments a Supreme Court which is returning us to 1950s America when it comes to race:

http://www.newyorker.com/onlin.....ction.html

[Rich]

[Sotomayor wrote] "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race"

First Holder's "nation of cowards"; now this. Would someone *kindly* explain *exactly* what this healing "open, candid speech" is supposed to entail?

[Restoras]

For you to sit down, shut up, and listen to the wise Latina.

[Raven Nation]

Wasn't Sotamayor the one that didn't rule out federal government power to ban certain books?

[Zeb]

I thought that was Kagan. A lot of what I've seen from Sotomayor has been better than I expected, anyway.

[Raven Nation]

You're probably correct; I remember it was one of the new appointees but couldn't recall which one.

[Zeb]

I have no idea what she thinks that means, but it sounds like about the right idea.
But to have that happen, you first need to convince people to stop freaking out over every perceived bit of casual racism. I think that the ultra-sensitive people who freak out about everything are more responsible for continued racism that exists than anyone.

[Warty]

In a society in which those lines are becoming more blurred, the attempt to define race based categories also raises serious questions of its own. Government action that classifies individuals on the basis of race is inherently suspect and carries the danger of perpetuating the very racial divisions the polity seeks to transcend.

Why this would be so, Kennedy didn't explain

Um...he needs to explain???

[Warty]

KOCHTOPUS:

nuatthis48 minutes ago
It is harder and harder to view the Supreme Court with any measure of respect. It has obviously become a political instrument of the Right, given the composition of the Court. Perhaps the Court should have an even mixture of races and colors as a matter of law, since the majority of the Court now is white Catholics, who seem to cater to one viewpoint. We should have both Koch brothers appointed to the Court, to get them out of the country's hair! They would fit right in and could articulate their viewpoint so that it had the force of law.

FlagShare

Affirmative action defeat = Dred Scott decision:

britomartis1 hour ago
I, for one, do not understand the hostility directed against this wise and fair -- nay, more than fair, *charitable* majority decision. A majority decision that was no doubt carefully shepherded through the hallowed halls of our Supreme Court by our sage and impartial Chief Justice Taney. As for the imprudent and benighted dissenting opinions of Justices Curtis and McLean, the less said the better: History will judge their words harshly, I'm afraid.

FlagShare

[PM]

the majority of the Court now is white Catholics

Sotomayor is now a "white Hispanic"

[The Last American Hero]

+1 Zimmerman.

[Zeb]

Catholics and Jews have been overrepresented on the court, but as far as race and color goes, it's pretty close to the national racial/ethnic breakdown (or about as close as you can get with 9 spots) right now, isn't it?

[The Late P Brooks]

How about clear, concise prose in support of Constitutional limits on the scope and power of law enforcement agencies?

Scalia can kiss my ass.

[Lord Humungus]

that's just crazy talk.

[Sudden]

Technically, he wrote as much two days ago. (albeit he's usually on the wrong side of those issues, but i'll take it where I get it)

[John]

He did just that in his dissent in the anonymous tip case. You can kiss his ass Brooks.

I too disagree with Scalia a lot. It is stupid however not to give him or anyone else credit when they are right.

[Sevo]

Looking for the good guy here:

"Indian artifact treasure trove paved over for Marin County homes"
[...]
""The philosophy of the tribe in general is that we would like to protect our cultural resources and leave them as is," said Nick Tipon, a longtime member of the Sacred Sites Protection Committee of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria."
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....422603.php

That guy has every bit of connection to those items as I do with some 4,000YO bone found in Germany.

[Heroic Mulatto]

True, but this was just a dick move:

All of it, including stone tools and idols apparently created for trade with other tribes, was removed, reburied in an undisclosed location on site and apparently graded over, destroying the geologic record and ending any chance of future study, archaeologists said. Not a single artifact was saved.

[Warty]

Yeah, that's a pretty shitty thing to do.

[Raven Nation]

Developer could have allowed them to record them in place then move them.

[Heroic Mulatto]

That's SO in Greece, where you can't dig as much as a vegetable garden without uncovering the archeological find of the century.

[tarran]

The developers aren't the bad guys here.

The local Indian tribe called the shots, and they wanted it jumbled up and reburied as a big fuck you to the colonial history rapers archeologists.

[Heroic Mulatto]

That's true. And it always pisses me off when they act as if they're the only people on earth that archeologists study.

How would Jewish or Christian people feel if we wanted to dig up skeletal remains in a cemetery and study them?

You mean like they do on a daily basis throughout the Middle East?

[Zeb]

And Europe and the US. They find old cemeteries when excavating in older cities all the time. They found that old black cemetery in Portsmouth a few years ago and I think a bunch of similar things have been found in Boston.

It does raise an interesting question, though. Exactly how and where do you draw the line between archaeology and grave desecration?

[Raven Nation]

Umm, guess I should have RTFA. Having now read it, it's amazing how both the reporter and at least one of the archaeologists still manages to dump most of the blame on the developers.

[WTF]

And how long would that have taken? Time is money on construction projects.

[PM]

The most surprising thing about that story is that the SF Gate used the word "Indian" in the title.

[The Late P Brooks]

destroying the geologic record and ending any chance of future study, archaeologists said.

Starbucks is hiring.

[Tonio]

No, if it stays in place and people know where it is they could excavate it in the future. All they need to do is record the location.

[Swiss Servator, K?se, K?se!]

That was harsh...and amusing, simultaneously.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yes! How dare people be interested in how other people lived in the past! That's just egghead cloud-cuckoo-land!

[PM]

Get the stick out of your ass, that was a sick burn.

[Heroic Mulatto]

All I'm going to say is that you and I must have different metrics as to the "sickness" of burns.

[PM]

Or different sticks up our respective asses, perhaps.

[Zeb]

Meh. I don't see any reason to rip on the archaeologists here.

[PM]

I figured it more for a rip on archaeologists in general. Which every academic discipline should endure from time to time lest they take themselves too seriously *looking at HM*.

[widget]

There are seven sacraments.

1)Baptism
2)Eucharist
3)Penance
4)Confirmation
5)Marriage
6)Holy Orders
7)Annointing of the six, I mean sick.

5) and 6) are mutually exclusive, so you can be blessed with only six, unless you are a filthy Episcopalian.

The government's involvement in number 5 is a bit curious.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

I think that the government also does 3) sometime in April of each year.

[Brett L]

Well, five and six can't be active at the same time in Roman Catholicism. Having an annulled marriage (or being a widower) does not exclude you from holy orders.

[widget]

I stand corrected.

[John]

The government is only involved in number 5 if you want it to be. Don't go to court to settle your difference and don't try to use the power of the gun to force people to recognize your marriage and the government isn't involved. You choose to do both of those things. You choose to do so for rational reasons and because it confers advantages. If you don't want the state involved, don't take advantage of its courts and powers of coercion.

[widget]

on't go to court to settle your difference and don't try to use the power of the gun to force people to recognize your marriage and the government isn't involved.

Or don't get married to begin with. I've been with the same gal for going on 20 years. I am not odd, I know a lot of guys and gals like that, kids and all. If you choose to make your time with feisty gal, she'll talk about marriage from time to time, but she won't do it.

[Zeb]

I wonder what the attitude among clergy is about doing marriages without filling in the government form. I have no idea, but I suspect a lot would look at you pretty funny if you came and asked one to marry you, but without a marriage license. It's funny how much we have been conditioned to think that that is what "real marriage" is.

[PM]

I wonder what the attitude among clergy is about doing marriages without filling in the government form.

From what I understand they are legally prohibited from performing marriages without properly reporting them to the state.

[Zeb]

Interesting. I guess that's why they had to call gay marriages "commitment ceremonies" before they were (and where they are not) legally recognized.

[John]

PM,

Those laws should be struck down. If the state wants to define marriage, it should not then be able to require people to partake of their form of it. That is a violation of the right to free association.

[John]

Take it up with your clergy. I would imagine there is some group out there somewhere that is paranoid enough to not want to get marriage licenses. Regardless, nothing says you can't just call yourself married and not bother with a license. If there are laws that say that, I would agree that those laws should go as a violation of people's rights to free association.

[Azathoth!!]

Attended several gay weddings like this done by Presbyterians.

[Warty]

Making robberies into larcenies. Making rapes disappear. You juke the stats, and majors become colonels.

[widget]

Did you know that "Chicago" is a mispronounced american indian name for "shikaakwa"

/Cliff Claven

[Pro Libertate]

"Smelly Onion."

[sgtipster]

Unlike a lot prog professors they can't rely on appeals to authority and consensus. If they ever get truly popular again, though, I expect they'll quickly stop caring about well reasoned arguments.

[widget]

The diversity in question here in California is figuring out just how many Asians will be allowed to attend the publicly funded universities. Thus comes the acronym NAM (Non-Asian Minorities). Those people are a thorn in the side of progressivism.

[Sevo]

"Those people are a thorn in the side of progressivism."

Dammit! Why won't they just sit down and act dumb like the other non-whites?

[Zeb]

Exactly. How is anyone taken seriously when they try to determine whether or not this or that hurricane was caused by global warming? In a system like the atmosphere everything causes everything.