Tonight, on a Can't Miss Episode of The Independents: Paul Wolfowitz, Tom Ridge, and John Bolton Get Interrogated on Foreign Policy (Bumped/Updated)

Friday's theme episode of The Independents (Fox Business Network, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT) is titled "Mad World," and it's about the mixed-up, shook-up planet we live on, and what the United States government should (or shouldn't) do about it. Almost accidentally, the show has morphed into a vigorous debate over George W. Bush-era foreign policy with some of the principals involved.

Former Bush deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz defends the Iraq War, elevates his former boss over his former boss's father, and rejects the historical premises of the co-hosts. Original Department of Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge defends the DHS and the Transportation Security Administration, and rejects the notion that threat alerts were ever politicized. And former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton tussles with the co-hosts (and former Reagan-administration deputy defense secretary K.T. McFarland) over drones, nukes, and red lines. These segments are not what you would describe as typical exchanges on cable television.

What about China? Fox Business Network reporter Jo Ling Kent and author Gordon Chang provide some welcome context and expertise. Three-war vet and radio host Bryan Suits talks about how military deployment creates libertarians, and (of course!) there is a game in the middle of the show called "Name That Dictator," featuring contestants Tracy Byrnes and Ellis Henican.

Follow The Independents on Facebook at facebook.com/IndependentsFBN; follow on Twitter @ independentsFBN, and click on this page for more video of past segments. And yes, I'll bump this post later, you demanding so-and-sos.

UPDATE: This episode will re-air tonight at midnight ET, then again at 2 a.m., and on Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.

Comments

[Episiarch]

I swear Matt is posting these earlier and earlier to give FoE a heart attack. Don't bother denying, it, Matt. We know what you are.

[Almanian!]

And we FULLY support the effort, Matt. FULLY. SUPPORT.

[Aloysious]

Matt is trolling FoE?

2 Minutes of Hate in reverse?

[jesse.in.mb]

He's actively trolling GILMORE at this point

Matt Welch|4.30.14 @ 9:12PM

It's actually light gray. But yes, I'm messing with Gilmore.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Nah. Matt posts early on Fridays so he can drink earlier.

[Swiss Servator, Gnomes FTW!]

I approve.

[Fist of Etiquette]

THIS. IS. AN. OUTRAGE.

By the time the PRETAPED show finally decides to air there are going to be so many comments from idiots here on what is now laughingly called the show's live commenting post that it will look like an idiot convention or something.

[Almanian!]

"idiot convention" lol!! wut?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Also there should have been a period between out and rage. If that omission in any way detracted from the bile I was attempting to spew at everyone I apologize.

[Almanian!]

Those responsible for the ommission in the original post have been sacked.

[Agammamon]

Wait, you were doing that deliberately and not posting with chubby thumbs from your smartphone?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Idiots doing idiot things because they are idiots!

[GILMORE]

I keep telling you guys, the Friday early thread is because Welch et al are hitting the links/the bong/the cosmotarian-cocktail hour early as hell on Friday. These people are 'libertarians' dammit, do you actually expect them to be *working* for a living? What's a monocle for if not drinks @ the Central Park Boathouse on Friday afternoon?

[Sudden]

I'll give Wolfowitz credit for one argument he made in the lead-up to Iraq (the only one that was from a realist perspective instead of a neocon one): he stated that a cassis belli for the Iraq War was that the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia (bin Laden's stated grievance with the West) was necessary due to the bellicose regime of Saddam Hussein. The implication was that removal of Saddam would allow us to remove troops from Saudi Arabia.

Obviously, not exactly how things turned out.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Wolfowitz was lying, of course, in order to further the case for occupation of Iraq.

We could have snuffed out any Iraqi advance into Saudi Arabia in weeks like we did for Kuwait.

Oh, and fuck Saudi Arabia.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Oh, good. You started early.

[Sudden]

I don't know that he was lying, but I'd say it was lower on his priority list and not a big selling point (wrt selling point, I kinda get that as the technical realpolitik explainations are harder for the spublic to grasp than OMGZ ZE DIMOCRASY!!111!!!!).

Not defending his selling point (as I do agree with your central thesis about our ability to thwart such from a distance were the need to arise), merely stating that if nothing else it was nice to see one argument advanced from a foreign policy of realism.

[Cytotoxic]

not exactly how things turned out.

Er isn't that exactly how it turned out? America pulled its troops out of SA to the best of my knowledge.

[Sudden]

I should clarify, its not Saudi Arabia as much as the Arabian peninsula that was the big point of contention for bin Laden. The troops left Saudi Arabia for Qatar, thus staying on the peninsula.

[Cytotoxic]

I thought there were US troops in Qatar for a long time before that?

[William of Purple]

INDEPENDENTS UNITE AS ONE

[Almanian!]

no!

*shakes mouse fist as eagle swoops in for the kill*

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Is this what you were going for?

[Almanian!]

egg-ZACKT-ly

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It's gone now. One of you guys obviously bought it.

[sarcasmic]

Dyslexics of the world... Untie!

[Restoras]

I have to pay extra to Verizon to get this channel. Is it worth it to participate in the comments?

[jesse.in.mb]

I think there a couple of less than reliable links floating around to watch off-network. Unless of course you need a Cavuto or Dobbs fix as well.

[Almanian!]

LOUUUUUUUUUUUU!

[Hyperion]

Just be quiet, and be happy that you don't have comcast.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It came standard with my Verizon package.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Prediction: Palin's Buttplug is going to lose his shit tonight and mess up the entire thread.

[Restoras]

So, no different than other thread?

[Certified Public Asskicker]

booosh!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Well shit. Yosemite is sold out for Memorial Day Weekend.

[Almanian!]

Is he still doin' standup??!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

This guy?

[Almanian!]

No, this guy

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

+ 1 Blasted Yankee

[Hyperion]

I demand that this post be bumped, later on.

[Protagoronus]

Can't wait to see this after hearing how pissed Wolfowitz after the segment!

[Protagoronus]

uf, *Wolfowitz was*

[Hyperion]

Can't wait to see this after hearing how pissed Wolfowitz after the segment!

Phone call to whitehouse:

Wolfowitz: 'Mr. President, how is it that these, these... (seething) libertarians... gawd, I hate even that word!... are not worse than dirty brown fureners?! Look, I see some extra drone business, if you know what I mean...'

[Jordan]

Fox Business Network reporter Jo Ling Kent

SOLD! Fox Business has the hottest reporters on the freakin planet.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Harry Potter vs. Star Wars

The effects are actually pretty good.

[GILMORE]

I'm genuinely pissed this show wasn't announced in advance.

There's like a bajillion questions I'd propose for each of these guys. If anything drives me nuts about The Independents (aside from Matt's crusade against shirt-tie harmony), its that they either throw softballs at guests or dither-blather with them until the segment is over and nothing at all was actually 'discussed' in any detail.

(I contrast this with say, Brett Baier's interview yesterday with NSC spokesperson, who he cornered into having to non-denial-deny the fact that it appears his office singlehandedly inserted the "YoutubeVideo" element and 'demonstrations' claims into the Benghazi talking points =

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014.....-obama-not)

I'm almost invoking the spirit of Lonewacko in demanding that Reason Journalists Ask (former) Politicians Tough Questions and Post Their Responses on Fox Business News Channel

That said, and to be fair = I think Kmele and Matt have each had some excellent 'putting the screws to people' moments in interviews; particularly when Matt asked (was it?) mike Lee if he'd cut defense spending, and when Kmele slammed Ron Paul over the truther gloss...

...just that I think they miss opportunities to do *more* of this, and instead do a bunch of pop-culture hoo-ha (how much more David Sterling coverage do we need?) as filler...

Still - looking forward to this one.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Agreed. Kennedy better show a little leg though, or I'm out.

[Paul.]

Thank you for that link, Gilmore. Watching now.

[Paul.]

Jesus, this kid in the interview is what, 16 years old? We have 16 yr olds crafting talking points for a terrorist attack where an American Ambassador died?

[Paul.]

"The only place on the planet where no one cared about this video..."

That's a fucking lie. No one even KNEW about the video until the State Department started pointing at it and yelling, "Bad video, BAD VIDEO!"

Goddamnit this pisses me off.

[Derpetologist]

Today on Derpbook, a prog responds to the parable of the pool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkJnmWhin90

On the pool analogy. Once again, a completely false and misleading comparison. Our economy is far from a pool that we are all in together. There are TRILLIONS taken out of our economy by the very wealthy and corporations every year and put in offshore investments and bank accounts. A true analogy would be that the people in the deep end are taking thousands of buckets of water a day and pouring them into a series of tanker trucks that drive away with it, whereas everyone else is slowly pouring thimbles full of water into the shallow end. Once again this "redistribution of wealth" conservatives are always screaming about isn't about taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor, it's about leveling the playing field that the rich constructed in their favor over the last 3 decades where all the wealth gets redistributed to THEM.

[Cytotoxic]

I stopped with the 'trillions taken out'. What does she think happens to the money!?!?!

[Paul.]

It's repeatedly counted in a large vault by a Koch brother.

However, all snark aside:

A true analogy would be that the people in the deep end are taking thousands of buckets of water a day and pouring them into a series of tanker trucks that drive away with it, whereas everyone else is slowly pouring thimbles full of water into the shallow end.

So, can we run out of money or not? Weren't we recently schooled by some peace prize-winning progressives that the government can just print more? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

[Derpetologist]

Cont'd

This isn't rocket science. 97% of all economic growth has gone to the top 1%, when the top half of the 99% are the ones putting in all the hard work and effort. If you can't understand that taking more and more FROM the economy and giving less and less back to the economy causes and enormous rift, no amount of poorly constructed half baked videos are going to help you understand. Just like anything else that is alive and grows, if it is not managed properly, it dies. If you cut down all the trees in the forest, without planting new ones, guess what? The forest dies. If you keep extracting more from.the economy than you give back to it, guess what? It dies. The economy should be treated like a business of any kind, or a well.managed forest, you give back to it as you take from it to help it grow and thrive. Too many people at the top are treating it more like a strip mine, and we all know what that has done for West Virginia.

[Almanian!]

Jesus fucking CHRIST! Now my brain hurts...

FUCK!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Why did you friend Tony?

[Derpetologist]

Heh. They do sound alike.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Are you planning to publish the Derponomicon someday, or simply set it alight in a pentagram, once it has been fully assembled?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

97% of all economic growth has gone to the top 1%, when the top half of the 99% are the ones putting in all the hard work and effort.

The obvious observation of this person fallacious thinking economics is a zero-sum game aside, is this a concession that the other half of the 99% doesn't put in hard work and effort?

Sounds like Mitttens was being generous by 2.5 percentage points.

[Derpetologist]

I think he meant the bottom half of the 99% does all the work. This is not true either.

[Suellington]

What is even more funny is that this ejit is probably part of the "one percent" of the world in terms if wealth.

[Bobarian]

If you cut down all the trees in the forest, without planting new ones, guess what? The forest dies You have a pasture.

[Slumbrew]

And what good is that, Bobarian!? Like anyone has ever had any use for a pasture.

[Derpetologist]

Prog has clarified his comments:

To give another analogy, a pond can only support so many fish. If you keep fishing in the pond and removing all the big fish without ever restocking the pond. What happens? Pretty soon, no fish.

This is derptacular for at least 2 reasons:

1. Fish can reproduce; money cannot.
2. And once again we see the economy being treated as a zero sum game. "Rich people are like greedy fisherman who take too many money fish!"

herp. herp. herpa. derp.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

So do you engage these idiots on teh Derpbook?

[Derpetologist]

Yes. Derp is my passion.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Does it make any difference?

[Derpetologist]

You can't make a difference, but sometimes, you can make a dent.

[Derpetologist]

Thomas Sowell used to be Marxist. John Stossel used to be a liberal.

While I breathe, I hope.

[Neoconwatch]

And now Thomas Sowell is a Straussian.

[Rev Match]

If you keep fishing in the pond and removing all the big fish without ever restocking the pond. What happens?

Uhh...I'm inclined think that the little fish would thrive and grow up, given that the larger predators will have been removed. The cycle of life will continue.

[lap83]

To dumb analogy maker:

Who cares what would happen? You're so arrogantly stupid that you think you can sum up all of economic behavior in a fishing analogy.

[Bobarian]

It's not just fishing, it's also swimming and being in the forest. It's just like going to summer camp.

[Derpetologist]

So here's the new derp on Cliven Bundy from MSLSD:

http://aattp.org/wp-content/up.....-48-AM.png

[Derpetologist]

In a similar vein:

http://www.msnbc.com/sites/msn.....k=Xt8RqlfC

Not mentioned: why should ranchers have to pay fees to graze on PUBLIC land?

[Cytotoxic]

Because it's not theirs. Public land means government land, if the government owns it it should at least be managed rationally. Fees, prevention of over-grazing. Same idea behind user fees and road tolls.

[fuck you tulpa]

Because it's not theirs. Public land means government land

If it's government land it is, at least in some small part, his.

Make up your mind, you contradict yourself rioght there.

Also, and OT, how's that fucking rouble doing Mr. Sanctions?

Lol you're an imbecile.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wolfowitz and his squeaky-voiced wife are extremely annoying. Cut them out altogether and give Sheldon more scenes.

[Rev Match]

OT: I have just been informed by my insurance company that:

There are Federal laws that provide you with privacy rights...These rights are important for you to know.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Michelangelo's Statue of David at risk of collapsing

Michelangelo's famous statue of the biblical figure David is at risk of collapse due to the weakening of the artwork's legs and ankles, according to a report published this week by art experts.
The findings, which were made public by Italy's National Research Council, show micro-fractures in the ankle and leg areas.

The "David" statue dates from the early 16th century and is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence.

Researchers found that the carved tree stump at the base of the statue is also at risk because it may also contain micro-fractures in the marble that Michelangelo used. Much of the sculpture's 5.5 tons rests on its left leg and the tree stump.

For more than three centuries after it was completed, the "David" sculpture stood outside in Florence's Piazza della Signoria. It was moved inside to the Galleria dell'Accademia in 1873, and a copy was put in its place in the piazza.

The new research, which was conducted with Florence University, shows that the sculpture has been damaged over the years by the vibrations caused by the millions of tourists who have come to see the work of art. Passing automobile traffic is also believed to have caused the tiny fractures in the sculpture's marble.

Old age takes a toll on everyone's' legs.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Tell me about it.

[jesse.in.mb]

"Time heals all wounds and wounds all heels."

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Ironically, it was the act of moving the statue to "safety" that probably did the most significant damage.

[Paul.]

David got a bailout?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

"In the room the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo."

[Notorious G.K.C.]

150th anniversary commemoration of a Union soldier at Spotsylvania beating a Confederate flag-bearer - North Carolinian Grief Mason - to death and capturing his flag.

"Kurt Lafy is a re-enactor with the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry and author of the book "Draped in Blue and Brave," which includes the Mason story. Lafy will be part of the event Saturday, and he talks of being pleasantly surprised North Carolinians wanted to participate.

""God bless the men who are representing the Confederacy. ... They surrendered this flag. That's the most disgraceful thing that can happen to a unit ? is to lose its flag," said Lafy, noting Mason's flag is of historical importance for countless reasons."

http://www.charlotteobserver.c.....2Qo_PldVUA

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Mason will be portrayed Saturday morning by re-enactor T.J. Miller of Fuquay Varina, a community just south of Raleigh. He's 19 and a veteran of a dozen re-enactments related to the 150th anniversary of the war.

""I imagine it will get emotional when I start thinking about how much Grief Mason suffered," Miller said. "I got a feeling I'll be crying. I think there will be others in the unit crying as well.""

[paranoid android]

"Mason will be portrayed Saturday morning by re-enactor T.J. Miller of Fuquay Varina

I absolutely refuse to believe that someone seriously named a town "Fuquay Varina" and wasn't pulling a prank on the whole community.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Then you're going to love the Falkland Islands -

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

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

So why was being the flag bearer considered an honor when all it did was exponentially increase your chances of being killed by putting you front and center essentially unarmed?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

There is often a link between "honor" and "exponentially increas[ing] your chances of being killed."

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

10 Stock Movie Characters I'm Really Sick of Being Asked to Root For

Some of the points are valid and some make you wonder if he understands that movies are about escapism and would be boring if characters acted like normal people.

[Episiarch]

What a humorless prig.

I went to an all-boys' school until 9th Grade and had no idea how to even be in the same ROOM as a lady until well into my late 40s

Ah, I see. He has other problems as well. Severe ones.

[Paul.]

Sez the guy who can ONLY be in a room with my Mom.

[Raven Nation]

Yeah, I get some of them. But, if you're going to trash Blutarsky and Animal House then you're clearly a moron with no taste or sense of humor.

[Paul.]

I think one of my friends wrote this.

[Corning]

7. Couples Who Barely Fucking Know Each Other

Should they have used a gif from The Graduate to illustrate this one?

If any movie is critical of couples who barely even know each other it would be The Graduate.

[Corning]

I'm ALL for women in movies beating the shit out of dudes, I just think more of them should look like they might actually be able to beat the shit out of dudes. Meaning, they should all be Brienne of Tarth.

meh

I would rather have small slim sexy women beating the crap out of dudes....but in a more plausible realistic way.

For example instead of small slim women going toe to toe with a 6 foot 200 lb man and somehow beat him using shear strength how about she wins the fight by taking advantage of the environment, using her brains, or tricking her opponent.

Hell even Brienne of Tarth beat her opponents by wearing them down with a good defense and superior stamina and letting the men's confidence get the better of them...in the books anyway.

[Slumbrew]

I'm fine with the more realistic "woman uses firearms to compensate for biological disadvantages." Brienne is on her own with that, I suppose.

[Bobarian]

See Lisbeth Salander as a good answer to that problem.

[Slumbrew]

Lisbeth Salander is a goddamn Mary Sue. I finished the first book but couldn't continue.

[Bobarian]

The first was the worst of the three, in my opinion. But Lisbeth comes across as a legitimate and more believable badass as a female.

[Tejicano]

Jet Li is 5'6" tall and weighs 145 lbs but we have no problem seeing him on the screen beating the crap out of a lot of dudes way bigger than he is. Sometimes skill can really blur that gap.

[Slumbrew]

Sure, but not 5'3" 100 lb. Lucy Liu. There are limits to what skill can overcome. 145 lb Gina Carano kicking ass? Hell yeah (I really dug Haywire).

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Let's Get Retarded: will.i.am to be a guest on Meet the Press

Take a look at this Sunday's programming notes, just released to the press several minutes ago:

ROUNDTABLE: NEWLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS ABOUT BENGHAZI HAVE RE-IGNITED THE DEBATE OVER THE ATTACK. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? AND WHAT'S THE REACTION TO THE BOTCHED EXECUTION IN OKLAHOMA?
Anita Dunn, Fmr. White House Communications Director
will.i.am
Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director and Chief White House Correspondent
Kathleen Parker, Washington Post Columnist
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
Notice anything interesting there? Let's see, you've got a former White House flack, MSNBC's lead White House guy, a newspaper columnist, and a congressman active in the Benghazi debates. Oh, and in the second slot, in case you didn't see it: A pop music supah-stah.

Yes, will.i.am ? producer of American classics like "My Humps" and "Let's Get Retarded" ? will sit in for a Meet the Press panel on? Benghazi and the death penalty.

Hey, at least it's not Sen. John McCain for the billionth time.

So is it like a competition to see which panelist can stick their head the farthest up Obama's backside?

[Agammamon]

Don't forget 'Dick Riding Obama'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3biXm77tVD8

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Meow! Hiss! Organic foods fanciers get into catfight!

""We are coming into the second generation of organic consumers: the kids who were raised on this stuff by their moms," Crider said. "They get it about food and sustainability and organic and local. They are part of the drivers of this."

"Which is why the meeting this week of the National Organic Standards Board was more than just an obscure food standards debate and the site of so much contention.

"The start of the meeting Tuesday was delayed for roughly an hour when a half-dozen consumer advocates blocked the panel with a sign that read "Safeguard Organics" and chanted "Don't change sunset." The event resumed after San Antonio police arrived and arrested one of the protesters."

http://www.politico.com/story/.....ml?hp=t1_3

[GILMORE]

regarding their first line about 'antibiotics' used in apple farming...and how this is a 'scary problem'

... I went to find more on this...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesa.....ntibiotics

"Apples and especially pears are vulnerable to a nasty bacterial infection called fire blight that, left unchecked, can spread quickly, killing fruit trees and sometimes devastating whole orchards.

"It's basically like a gangrene of your limbs. It's hard to stop" ... says Ken Johnson, a plant pathologist at Oregon State University.

Got that? The disease is a 'Big problem'

"There have never been any cases where we've been able to link an antibiotic-resistant pathogen in humans to orchards," says Stockwell, who recently conducted a review of the literature on the subject for the National Organic Standards Board.

Research suggests both of the antibiotics used on fruit crops are rendered inactive in soils, she says, minimizing concerns that residues that drift to the ground after spraying would be a problem.

Get it? the human exposure and risk is basically 'nil'.

The takeaway from this story??

"OMG ANTIBIOTICS ARE ON THE ORGANICS!! FREAKOUT!!"

This is considered one of the 'major' complaints of the protestors in the story you linked to.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

[Matt Welch]

Goddamn straight.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Language!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Yeah, this is a family blog!

[Raven Nation]

If you're in a really messed up family.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The Manson Family, to be precise.

[Raven Nation]

Man, that is one seriously messed up dude. I can't believe he actually gets parole hearings. I'm assuming they're required under CA law.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

How many hours you been drinking already?

[Matt Welch]

Depends on how you measure it....

[Rev Match]

It's the rate of intake that counts.

[SweatingGin]

Is gin coming out of your pores?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ock73QRJBto

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

I'll stay over here, thanks. You guys make an easy target when you're all in one place like that.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Assemble? Ever play Mechano?

I did.

I sucked at it.

[GILMORE]

Take your bets on how hard Wolfie doubles down on how invading Iraq was an AWESOME IDEA that has yielded massive benefits in terms of 'destabilizing despotic regimes' like Assad, and 'containing iran' and something something Israel.

[GILMORE]

Ridge will be evenhanded and say, "DHS could do things better" and that "there was a lot of learning"

[Rufus J. Firefly]

2:36? This is when it was posted? Jesus, Matt. Who were you "interviewing" this time?

[Bam!]

Ratings during the week of April 14-20, 2014 were a bit better than the week before.

More interesting than the ratings is a comment left on the ratings post:

Kizone Kaprow ? 3 days ago
On its very best nights, anarcho-libertarian Reason Magazine's cable-TV experiment, The Independents, manages to equal and even exceed its print subscription numbers (50K). So at least its magazine subscribers are watching. Sometimes. Very late at night. When they're really drunk.

If, as libertarians insist, "print is dead," then what is this show? Moribund. Tick...tick...tick...

[GILMORE]

What was the interesting part?

[SweatingGin]

"Sometimes. Very late at night. When they're really drunk."

Well shit. Fucking Sherlock figured us out.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

It's a fair cop.

[C. Anacreon]

Still probably more people watch The Independents than "Girls" on HBO, but that doesn't seem to have a tick-tick-tick death watch.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

You know that's Mary, right?

[BigT]

Regardless of who it is, the point seems well taken. TI isn't attracting many lurkers a, er...viewers. Perhaps H&R commentators should support the advertisers as conspicuously as possible.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I don't need a walk-in bath tub or a single blade razor.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

It's the new Yorker, sure but

[Max Power]

I could probably use some Flex Seal.

[SweatingGin]

Viagra it is!

But yea, that's one of Mary's handles.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Holy shit, I just reviewed that link. It hit 65k viewers on a Friday 2am-3am repeat? Those are the best numbers I've ever seen for the show. Maybe TI really IS better to watch after you get home from the bar (alone, apparently).

[Neoconwatch]

According to Wesley Clark's biography A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country, Wolfowitz told Clark way back in 1991, "With the end of the Cold War, we can now use our military with impunity. The Soviets won't come in to block us. And we've got five, maybe ten, years to clean up these old Soviet surrogate regimes like Iraq and Syria before the next superpower emerges to challenge us."

There is all kinds of wrong with this statement, but observe that Straussians are never held to account for their failed predictions. They can say anything they want whenever they want, no matter how ridiculous, and then when it doesn't pan out in the coming months and years, it's like nothing happened. They just carry on manufacturing more warnings for the public's memory hole, and they are never held to account.

That is going to have to change.

[Cytotoxic]

He kind of had an interesting point. He was right America could and did use its military with impunity. The only thing he got wrong in that statement was the rise of the next power.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Isn't Wes Clark the guy who almost started WWIII by ordering his unit to fire on some Russian observers in Bosnia? (Luckily, his unit, which IIRC was made up mostly of Brits, refused to carry out that order).

[Troof Hurts]

THAT IS A CONSPIRACY THEORY

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Er, whatnow?

Anyway, it was Kosovo, not Bosnia, and he was the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of European forces at the time, so I got a few of the details wrong. Otherwise, yeah, that was the guy.

[DEG]

Is the livestream busted again?

[kibby]

Nope.

[DEG]

Ahh... I have video now. Let's see if it stays up.

[GILMORE]

Bolton will say "we should Invade Syria and Nuke Russia to show China we MEAN BUSINESS, fuck yeah!"

I have to respect Bolton for his ability to plow mercilessly in the same general direction.

Wolfie I have to fucking hate for being an 'intellectual' who fails to recognize that his own policy theories were complete failures, not just in 'execution' but in conception. He's a @#$*&@ policy academic who got his chance to 'drive the bus' and he drove it off a fucking cliff.

[Bam!]

Her hair is covering her hoops, almost as if she's ashamed.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

We're Bo?

[kibby]

Aw, everyone looks so nice tonight!

[DEG]

But Kennedy is wearing too much.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Oh look, my grandpa might be in that footage.

[Rev Match]

Are we in any position to fix world insanity?

No.

[DEG]

AC/DC reference. Nice.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

First we got the bomb, and that was good...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGptO6j3G-U

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Where is Superman when we need him? And I don't mean Superman IV.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Why wouldn't it work?

With great power comes great responsibility.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

So.

Nuke 'em.

Problem solved.

And you can build all the football stadiums you want. Send the Browns to Iran.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The Browns would take the actual football with them and thus let us down again one last time.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

"Damn. We thought it said Iraq. Not Iran!"

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Could you picture Bolton how he looks in the morning?

[kibby]

Wait, this isn't that look?

[Max Power]

Nuke the whales.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Nuke the gay unborn baby seals.

[Max Power]

Gotta nuke somethin'

[Raven Nation]

Ha ha.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

But then you can't make any fabulous fur frocks out of them.

[Slumbrew]

They're self-warming pelts once you nuke them.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What happens when Canada decides it wants the bomb?

[Pathogen]

We'll not build their Keystone pipeline..

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Very dangerous. Fear!

[Rev Match]

Would it not be more prudent to perfect our defenses against such attacks rather than try to dictate to others what they are allowed to do?

[Cytotoxic]

The best defense can be a good offense.

[kibby]

Whoa, there's a lot of people on the screen!

[C. Anacreon]

They smile in your face,
All the time they want to take your place.
The Pakistanis...

/O-Jays

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

And out comes Reagan's corpse.

[Bam!]

Do most of these countries (e.g. Pakistan) have missiles that can reach the US? If not, what good would Star Wars do?

[Rev Match]

Provide disappointment to nerds everywhere? (myself included)

[Francisco d'Anconia]

It won't. The bitch is simply stupid.

God knows the only way to deliver a nuke is with a missile...derp.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Ban backpacks!

[John]

Flying on a commercial airliner isn't the only way to get across country, but it is a pretty good one.

Maybe there are good reasons not to build missile defense. If there are, "well missiles are not the only way to deliver a nuke" is sure as hell NOT one of them.

Jesus tap dancing Christ for not just being a troll you say some stupid shit sometimes.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

John, have you seen Super Troopers? You really remind me of Farva. You are the only one in the room that doesn't realize that you are being an obnoxious dickhead.

[Cytotoxic]

He is but he's right about FDA's point. It wasn't a very good point.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I'll defer to the retired Air Force officer who knows way more classified shit than I do.

[Cytotoxic]

Argument from authority isn't an argument.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

We never got to the argument, because John Farva'd it.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

You know, you really are a stupid fuck.

We'll spend billions upon billions of dollars on a defense mechanism that can be defeated by simply using a simpler delivery method.

Are you really that fucking stupid?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You just got John'ed.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Not the first time. I seriously doubt the last.

[Cytotoxic]

This is still a lousy counter-point. Yeah, the delivery method is 'simpler' but that doesn't make it better. It also would be impossible for Evil Country X to destroy America that way or reliably target anything except a city (and even then it's not as quick or predictable as a missile). I can think of a bazillion better arguments why America shouldn't plow money into a missile shield-right now.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Who, exactly, is going to try to "destroy" America with nukes that isn't afraid of being totally annihilated by the counter strike?

The only nuking will be from terrorists against selected cities and they aren't going to use missiles.

You have limited defense dollars and you are going to piss that money away on a system that:

1. Isn't necessary.
2. Can be defeated without really trying.

Cost benefit, how does it work?

[Bobarian]

3. And will never be effective.

[Agammamon]

OK, how about this then - Star Wars costs tooooooooooooooooooooooooooons of money to provide a low probability chance to stop a *ballistic* missile attack and absolutely *no* chance of stopping any other form of warhead delivery?

[Agammamon]

We would, literally, be better off using the money to build a big wall around the country - that would protect us far better, from far more likely delivery modes, than an anti-missile shield.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Arrrggg Norweejins!

/narrows eyes.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Watch yourself, son.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Norwegians threaten the Canadian identity every day, what, with their skis and oil and...welfare.

[Cytotoxic]

Our beef is with Denmark and maybe Finland over the Arctic.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You realize I'm kidding.

Right?

I think, since we got all serious, but I think the Americans and Russians are slightly bigger threats to Arctic sovereignty. Just a hunch.

[Cytotoxic]

You realize I'm kidding, right? Maybe I should have made that clearer.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I raise my clear to be clearer than yours.

[jesse.in.mb]

Bah. Maybe I should refresh more...

[jesse.in.mb]

Shouldn't you be more worried about the Danes?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What, that flag they implanted on Hans Island?

[jesse.in.mb]

Yes.

Canadian soldiers captured two Danish flags during their recent mission to Hans Island as a demonstration of Canada's sovereignty over the barren Arctic rock, according to previously classified military documents.

The flags were first taken to a Canadian military base in Yellowknife and then at least one of them was hand-delivered to Denmark's ambassador in Ottawa three weeks later. The next day, the ambassador personally repatriated it to Copenhagen, according to Danish officials.

This is from 2005.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

My Norwegian ancestry was diluted by the midwest. I kept the skis, but no oil or welfare.

[Bam!]

Weaselwitz is here.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Drop Wolfowitz; more Sheldon Cooper.

[kibby]

Don't say hello or anything, geez.

[Max Power]

He can't even say hello? Impolite.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

So, if Paul was a sports coach he'd be offensive.

Got it.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Whoa, he actually shut Kennedy down to make a drawn out point.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Taste of her own medicine?

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Payback's a bitch. But don't fuck with our Honey Badger, Wolfie.

[John]

Is there any reason why these guys are on? Is it 00s nostalgia week and I just missed it?

[Cytotoxic]

There's such thing as Aughts nostalgia? WHY

[John]

I don't know. If not, why are these guys on here?

[Cytotoxic]

Oh I know who has Aughts nostalgia: Neocons! Of course!

[C. Anacreon]

Can only have Wolfowitz on when it's not a full moon.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I was not in grade school and didn't think America would get 'hit again and again and again.'

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Vietnam? Really? Did that strategy for counter-insurgency work? Is there such a thing as a successful counter-insurgency strategy that doesn't involve massacres?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I think he was saying that it shouldn't have taken as long to develop a counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq as in Vietnam.

[John]

Since he was one of the ones in charge, isn't that at least partially his fault?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I would think so, but he seems to be saying it was other guys who were to blame.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

If by "counter-insurgency" you mean, "bombing the shit out of North Vietnam and Laos till there was nothing left to defend", then yes, it was effective there.

[GILMORE]

Ouch.

This is an example of where I think maybe kennedy shouldn't be given the point-chair with interviews.

[kibby]

Kmele still wins.

[Max Power]

oh, it's not dangerous now though?

[Bam!]

He didn't want an occupation? So, what, he'd have invaded Iraq, killed Saddam, and pulled out, creating a failed state?

[John]

Not wanting an occupation doesn't make up for mistakenly believing one would not be necessary.

[Cytotoxic]

It wasn't necessary! Don't nation-build. There. Simple.

[John]

Yes it was. Once we invaded we were occupiers and had the obligation to rebuild a government. You can't just destroy the government and walk away.

[Cytotoxic]

You can't just destroy the government and walk away.

Yes we can. We have absolutely no obligation to rebuild their country. None.

[Cytotoxic]

So, what, he'd have invaded Iraq, killed Saddam, and pulled out, creating a failed state?

Sounds fine by me. Kurdistan wouldn't be a failed state.

[Bam!]

How would the creation of a new middle east failed state lead to greater security for the United States?

How would it be better for the US than Saddam?

[Cytotoxic]

The same way the Syrian failed state is helping the US and Israel: becoming a Battle Dome for all our enemies-Iran, Hezbollah, AQ, other Salafists, etc-to kill each other at no cost to us.

[Bam!]

Destroying what little society a country has and replacing it with chaos would lead to an amplification of justified anger against America, anger Al-Qaeda can easily use to recruit terrorists, worsening America's security posture. It would play into the regions propaganda about America, leading to more American hatred, worsening America's security posture.

Israel may benefit from America taking out Israel's enemies and acting as Israel's shield, but America certainly doesn't.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

He's looking reasonable...come on guys, step up your game...

[DEG]

Saddam Hussein didn't like America... surprise surprise.

[Rev Match]

For Iraq to be dangerous to us, we would have to arm them ourselves.

[GILMORE]

Kmele just owned paul, and he's ducking the question

[Max Power]

This guy is so boring I'm having a hard time paying attention to what he's saying.

[John]

I always feel that way about Nick too.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

T

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Don't ask. As I began to type it posted the letter 'T' mysteriously.

[C. Anacreon]

Must be T time at your house

[Rufus J. Firefly]

/stares back blankly.

[C. Anacreon]

It takes a lot to keep the conversation lively here. Not every crack is a home run, sorry.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Well, I was drinking cammomilla.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Is that some kind of Canadian Whiskey?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Tea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamomile

It's a special Italian blend and it's delicious.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Lest you think I'm a retard, I know what chamomile tea is, and it helps me go to sleep.

The question is: Why aren't you drinking whiskey?

[Pathogen]

American troops in Iraq forever, just like Korea... Brilliant!

[Bam!]

"Paul Wolfowitz, Tom Ridge, and John Bolton Get Interrogated on Foreign Policy" -- Nope.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Yeah, needs more 'enhanced' interrogation.

[DEG]

Yuck. Tom Ridge.

[Jesus H. Christ]

live stream not working for me. Is there an alternate site other than video.foxbuesiness...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

http://www.baqiworld.com/2011/.....ness-live/

[Jesus H. Christ]

Thanks!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Didn't get a whole lot of that Wolf logic.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

At least he's polite.

[Pathogen]

Well.. what did 'Customs and immigration' do then?

[GILMORE]

The Independents Attire Review, 2 May 2014

Fuck 'Loyalty Day'-Edition

- Kennedy: Knock knock. Who's there? Orange. And Orange you glad she didn't wear sleeves? Its because its Friday and these Independents are all ready to quit for the weekend and go par-tay har-tay. I suppose Kennedy needs the shoulder-flex to properly bitch-slap her guests tonight.

- Matt: I should be surprised, right? Ok, I'll pretend: "Wow! Matt in a *white shirt!*" Done. As with some of our earlier reviews, we ask other viewers here: an Improvement, or not? I say, "Duh". The white allows his jacket & tie to balance and contrast against each other and end the color-clash dissonance his normal 'costume' creates. He here looks crisp, clean and snappy. The black suit is something I've bemoaned in the past, but here it does its thing *perfectly*. Tell me I'm wrong?

- Kmele: Howdy, pardnuh. Is this called a 'tablecloth' plaid? I declare it so. I like it and think it works great with the Olive jacket, would probably do the same with Navy blue. Along with the Khaki blazer/white oxford, this is the sort of snappy-casual thing i like to rock myself on a regular basis. Once again Foster provides case-studies in Menswear. I am beginning to suspect the man storyboards his attire weeks in advance. We approve.

Thank You

[Max Power]

Stupid Phillies bullpen.

[Bam!]

How did the government try to solve the bureaucratic failures that led to 9-11? Create an uber-bureaucracy: The Department of Homeland Security.

[Bobarian]

Creating the uber-bureau would have worked if they eliminated a whole shitload of the originals, but NOPE!

[GILMORE]

Kennedy seems to have prepared herself to attack all these guests assuming all the "facts" are on her side, and not realized that these guys are all aware of the ex-post-facto positions people have taken since their time in office, and themselves have canned retorts... which SHOULD have been the things she prepared herself to deal with. She seemed unable to calmly rebut any of their comments, or identify any specific ducks/qualifications they're making.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's like not reading the author's book before interviewing them.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It ain't MTV, eh?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

based on this ad, why would anyone take Chantix?

[Atanarjuat]

Homeless people who've run out of bath saltz.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

For the possibility of going absolutely ape-shit on people, then joining a class-action lawsuit to be announced during a future Independents commercial break.

[Jesus H. Christ]

Wow, they could not have been easier on Ridge. Shit, "We never raised the threat level for political reasons." This almost makes it worse. The threat level was raised many times and nothing happened. Basically, they never had a fucking clue, and yet they were doing great work.

[Pathogen]

Can't. stand. dickhead. Ridge... mind.. filling.. with.. RAGE!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Did anyone hear Chris Matthews blame Amb. Stevens for his death in Benghazi? Just when you think that moron can't sink deeper into derpvana...

[Pathogen]

Well... if Stevens didn't make that stupid, blasphemous fucking YouTube video... he would still be alive..

[GILMORE]

I doubt they're going to get any ex-bushies on the show ever again after this. It was too blatantly adversarial and there wasn't any early 'establishing points' that allowed each side to state a simple case to discuss. Again, the problem is probably lack of time, but even so, there needs to be some better prep on how to make these sorts of appearances more productive.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

yes

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Hey, hey, hey, this game should be taken seriously for it to be less embarrassing!

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

GO WITH MATT

[Bobarian]

D. Rand Paul

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The Turkmenistan guy was actually referenced heavily in an episode of Archer.

[Pathogen]

GurpGorp?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Even I know who Cohagen was.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

THE NORTH KOREAN

[Rev Match]

So, are the test results Aladeen...or Aladeen?

[GILMORE]

If I had Paul W. on my own show, the way I'd get them to open up to 'problematic issues' would go like this

"PW - you were arguably one of the key 'authors' of the US decision to invade Iraq (having argued for it since 1993); what were the key goals of the mission, and were they achieved?"

this approach at least forces the guy to restate his own previous arguments (ones he notably DID NOT mention in this interview) and doesn't yet 'challenge' him on anything. He could claim there were goals met -but then the next Q can *nail him to the wall* with the obvious shortcomings...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

yes

[GILMORE]

and BTW - you'd have to assume the following: that he'd *deny* that he was in any way part of the Iraq invasion, and assert that there were "credible threats in the wake of 9/11...etc"

meaning, assume he's going to try and duck the very simple things you DO have on him. That's when you have to provide the 'why then did policy not change when the threats was discovered to be non-existent; you said in 2005 that...' etc.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

This game would be better if Drew Carey hosted.

[Rev Match]

And everyone improvised and the points didn't matter? I already thought that's what the whole show was based on.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Saddam Hussein wrote middlebrow romance novels.

[Bam!]

Twilight of the Middle East.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I bet they'd sell well on Amazon or eBay.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Right up there with "The Man Inside Me".

[GILMORE]

The 'burning his clothes' thing...

Matt?

[Bobarian]

He needs to?

[GILMORE]

its a thought

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

I think it's more likely that WE would burn his clothes on a daily basis.

[DEG]

Kennedy shot down.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Surprised they didn't mention the dictator I share a surname with. He's surprisingly not as infamous as others despite having one of the bloodiest regimes in his hemisphere.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Trujillo?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

And what's your name, Eddie?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Sorry, I thought he said it was Trujillo. But my memory is not impeccable.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Myself, I'm Jos? Gaspar Rodr?guez de Francia.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

No I don't mind. It is and I think I did mention that before. And I like to think your last name really is Van Haalen

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Trujillo pretty much set the standard for mad Latin dictators.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Dios Y Trujillo! But yeah, I think you could call him the Hitler of the Caribbean.

Luckily I'm of Mexican and directly Spanish ancestry so I highly doubt there is any relation.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

His first name is "Father".

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

He may or may not care if you repeated that. Which is the point I was trying to make. Seeing if you wanted your name broadcast.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

And Jesse just messaged me telling me to let it go. Never mind.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Seriously, I thought he already said it.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Okay, okay, there are no bad guys here. If I've said it before (and I did) that means I don't mind people knowing.

But thank you **redacted**, for sticking up for me.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

*whew* - I remember you described everything about your namesake and then said yup, it was him.

I'm not in the business of outing people.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

And there *was* a Name That Dictator contest on the show.

[kibby]

Aw, I think it's nice of you to care.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You're welcome, redacted.

[SweatingGin]

"Man" killed millions in that one country.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

In the blonde's defense, I'd be hard pressed to answer that question off the cuff.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I would ask her to take her clothes off so we could discuss it further.

[Max Power]

I'd like to shoot a cannon at a boat.

[SweatingGin]

I have a boat you can shoot a cannon at, if you come up with the cannon. And after we carefully scrape the registration numbers off of the boat.

[Max Power]

Hmm, a cannon is a tall order. Can we just shoot at it with handguns?

[SweatingGin]

Yes. Probably some rifles, too.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

Try these guys.

http://www.thecannonstore.com/.....lineID=W98

... Hobbit

[The Bearded Hobbit]

Well, crap

http://www.thecannonstore.com/.....lineID=W98

...BH

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Flex Seal actually works. It fixed my rain gutters.

[SweatingGin]

Flex seal won't hold an outboard motor on.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Not with that attitude it won't.

[SweatingGin]

The caulk guy with the cannon and boat has ruined dockers for me.

[Bobarian]

He'll put his caulk in your crack.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

If Obama had his way, which month would he steal?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

NHL. More OT.

[Rev Match]

Ok, so between the cannon and the spokesman saying "holy sh!t", the newest FlexSeal comm is one of the best I've seen on tv lately.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Gordon Chang. Donna Chang's brother?

[Bobarian]

P. F.s?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

"It's a big fucking problem. Big like my cock!"

[Ken Shultz]

Seems like all the really good shows get bumped, which I'd be really peeved about--except I still can't figure out where this show is on the dial.

It would be easier to find them if they were on Russia Today or Al Jazeera!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You have Fios? 617.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

"We won't rest until we get all their egg roll and won ton recipes!"

[Max Power]

Everytime I switch back to the Phillies game the bullpen has fucked it up even further.

[C. Anacreon]

Scrolling at the bottom of the screen: NewsCorp acquires the Harlequin Romance Novel company for $455 million.

I'm thinking that because of this, perhaps future leading men in bodice-ripping fiction will look like Sean Hannity? Hopefully not Lou Dobbs.

[SweatingGin]

It certainly seems worth photoshopping up a cover with shirtless Lou Dobbs on a bodice ripper.

[kibby]

...What is WRONG with you??

[SweatingGin]

Oh come on, that would be awesome.

And an O'Reilly one. Pasty. So much Pasty.

[kibby]

You & I have very different definitions of "awesome".

[SweatingGin]

inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.

It doesn't have to be admiration. It just has to make people cringe

[kibby]

Well, that would certainly do the trick, I suppose.

[jesse.in.mb]

You know this guy was at least as pasty in real life.

And would be an awesome romance cover figure.

[SweatingGin]

wouldn't he be greek?

[jesse.in.mb]

Dying Gallic Warrior. He would've been the same broader ethnic group as the modern Irish or Welsh, but the continental European version of that.

[SweatingGin]

Doh! Shows what I know.

[kibby]

Also, thanks...I've fallen into a Wikipedia black hole now & I'm fervently reading articles about Ancient Persia.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I get that too.
I always end up in 10000BC

[kibby]

Very glad to hear it's not just me that has this problem!

[Max Power]

Cavuto.

[Bam!]

That drone operator was the last good interview Kennedy conducted.

[Rev Match]

Seconded.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Yeah, that was a two-segment interview, if I recall correctly. I miss those.

[DEG]

Bolton dodging the question?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I keep waiting for Bolton to scream, 'get off my lawn!'

[Rev Match]

Drones should be delivering my beer.

[Max Power]

The debate is over. Bolton said it's a non-issue.

[jesse.in.mb]

Drone operator is a good example of someone whose beard needs to be managed better. It was too patchy to be that long.

[kibby]

NON-ISSUE

[AlmightyJB]

Man it pains me dearly to agree with John Bolton on anything but the technology is not the issue. It's the policy that is the issue and I am confident that Bolton and I disagree on the policy.

[SweatingGin]

^ this

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Kmele holds his ground.

Boy, these Bush boys are characters.

[Bobarian]

Drones are assassination tools.

[Bobarian]

So, fine for war, but blowing up people outside a warzone is illegal and immoral.

[SweatingGin]

also blowing up one's own citizens.

[Cytotoxic]

'Warzone' is an outdated term.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

I think "wedding reception" is the new term.

[Bobarian]

No it isn't, it's just a broader area than before.

[Cytotoxic]

Okay. I would say 'more diffuse' than before.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

*Kennedy* says "one at a time"?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

/faints.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

/laughs

[GILMORE]

The follow up there should be "Mr Bolton, are you suggesting we ARE and should be 'bombing' Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya?"

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Drones = bow & arrow?

Gotcha.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I'm starting a rumour that Lou Dobbs is taking over the 'Late Late Show' for Craig Ferguson.

[Bam!]

I think I heard that somewhere.

[GILMORE]

When you draw out a question for too long, it allows the respondents to ignore you, because its no longer *specific* what you asked.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Time for bonus hockey!
Go Penguins!

[Raven Nation]

AWESOME. Three minutes to OT - let's go Rangers!

[GILMORE]

You've TALKED "AT" those people

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Could you imagine sitting at the table with these guys interviewed trying to get an idea in? Holy shit they're....erm, condescendingly cocky? Impatient?

[Cytotoxic]

"the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life,"-Vicente Fox on Bush

[Rev Match]

Here's to the disabled BMW in the background of the Kennedy street interview. Bimmer's suck. That is all.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

http://partsblog.olathetoyota......overrated/

[Rev Match]

Preaching to the choir. German cars are far too expensive to justify their operating costs. I have always had Japanese cars, myself.

[SweatingGin]

The important thing is to get your cars from Axis countries. Get your porn from Allied countries.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Alfas are shit.

[SweatingGin]

Meh, just leave Italy out unless it's a supercar.

[SlV]

Alfa Romeo is the greatest marque in the history of automobiles.

[Raven Nation]

Huh, I used to live a couple of miles from that dealership.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I've had 2 solid VWs in the last 15 years.
Not sure who keeps buying all these lemons.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Ever own an Alfa?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It's from Drummondville.

45 minutes away from Montreal.

Just saying.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I just had a "La Fin du Monde" and now I want to punch someone.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Meaning?

Some of those micros are really good.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

It was soo good. 9%.
I'm on a high.

[DEG]

Quebec brewers are world class.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeah. I have to agree.

[GILMORE]

Has this stream been lag-tastic for everyone else?

[kibby]

Hey, Caesar! I GET THAT REFERENCE!

[DEG]

Yes. It is a good reference.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

F the Rangers.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Heh. At least it ended early.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

how was the game you ask?

Stempniak is the 3rd star

[Bobarian]

Yes, the Pentagon is a bad place to learn anything.

[SweatingGin]

That's it? We're done? Dobbs?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

ooh who's the musical guest?

[Max Power]

Huckabee

[SweatingGin]

Dobbs has musical guests? Maybe a mariachi band?

[GILMORE]

Liberace

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Huh, did they mention Benghazi once during this show?

[GILMORE]

No

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No Sterling too. He's got cancer!

Nor the 17 000 times Bostonians used 'nigger' on twitter after Subban's goal.

[Warrren]

I don't watch hockey so is it slang for "good shot"?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yes.

[GILMORE]

Get Bryan Suits on the show again, and in greater length. He was good FUCK DOBBS!!!

[DEG]

This is Lou Dobbs? I've never watched him before and I plan to never watch him again.

[Paul.]

I too have it in my calendar to not watch.

[Troof Hurts]

White-nose syndrome, the deadly bat disease that has killed more than 6 million cave-dwelling bats in the US, continues to spread across North America, with 25 states and five Canadian provinces reporting the disease in bat caves since it was first documented in 2006.

[Troof Hurts]

Deadly kissing bug disease makes its way to Houston

[Troof Hurts]

The Human Hamburger Factory Farm

[SweatingGin]

Tigers just got a nice two run double.

[Slumbrew]

Oh, we're doing this? Fine - Pedroia finally got a HR - granny. Laser show!

[Max Power]

The Phillies bullpen blew the lead and the offense couldn't bring them back.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Uh

A Winnipeg-area man in his 30s has Manitoba's eighth lab-confirmed case of measles this year, prompting health officials to warn people who went to a local strip bar last weekend that they may be exposed to the virus.

[Slumbrew]

"What? Baby, no! Strip club?! That's crazy! I totally got measles when I was working late last weekend."

[SweatingGin]

itchy?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"NORCROSS, Ga. ? Norcross Police are looking for a man they said robbed a Waffle House with a pitchfork Thursday evening....

""It appears the suspect sustained some injuries from this incident," said a release from Norcross Police Chief [redacted]."

http://www.11alive.com/story/n.....k/8639259/

[AlmightyJB]

Nobody needs 3 tines.

[lap83]

sounds like a sticky situation

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wait, we're doing disease stories?

"A disease that's three times more deadly than SARS just reached the United States"

http://qz.com/205572/a-disease.....ddle-east/

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Man, this woman on Jeopardy! got screwed by Trebek because she didn't pronounce 'Gangnam' correctly.

The resulting loss of money made the game a run-away for the person in first instead of competitive entering Final Jeopardy.

[Slumbrew]

"I'll take anal bum cover for $7,000"

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

"I have to ask you, about the Penis Mightier"

[Slumbrew]

" I'll take Jap Anus Relations for $200"

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I find you people annoying.

[Slumbrew]

I'm done anyway /skulks off

[Notorious G.K.C.]

(SouthPark joke)

[Slumbrew]

(Monty Python reference)

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Suck it, Trebek !

[Bobarian]

Probably the best SNL skit from the last 20 years.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

That's like pole-vaulting over an anthill.

[Slumbrew]

Bad Idea Jeans has to be in the running.

[MJGreen]

Wait wait wait, you guys are selling penis mightiers?

[Sevo]

So, the "interrogation", did anyone ask a question that wasn't finessed by the gov't operatives?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

The Green Police they live inside of my head
The Green police
They come to me in my bed
The Green police
They're coming to arrest me
Oh no

[Troof Hurts]

Has sonar finally found the Loch Ness Monster?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"The image was recorded by sonar equipment on board the flagship vessel of Inverness-based Jacobite Cruises."

I hope their Jacobite cruise does better than in 1715 and 1745.

[Troof Hurts]

A New Theory On How Ancient Egyptians Built The Pyramids

[Sevo]

On a 'science' board some years back, there was a claim the things were made of human-cast stones.
I asked why you'd make molds instead of simply cutting the stone and where the molds went, since they must have been very large.
I got a very long and detailed answer which parsed to 'I think they did it that way'.

[Troof Hurts]

From 9/11 to Ukraine ? The Dystopian Script Foretold

The overwhelming evidence that the events of 9/11 could have in no way been perpetrated without inside complicity is irrefutable. Whether the impossibility of those two massively over-designed structures being pulverized and another dropped into its own footprint, or the abject lack of response by the most defended airspace in the world, the events of that day had to have been at least aided and guided, if not co-perpetrated, by inside, complicit forces.

The least bit of open minded investigation will lead anyone to that conclusion.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The abortive launch of New Coke was a false-flag operation. Didn't you think that Coke gave up on the new product just a little too quickly? That was to give the public a false sense of security. And it worked!

[Warrren]

It was the Secret Council of Undead Popes. We know it and you know it, so why do you keep covering for them?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

We were just patsies. The guys who hired us were [struck in neck by poison dart]...the...the...aaahhh...

[Slumbrew]

I blame the Pentaverate.

(so sorry, G.K.C., I'm in a pop-culture sorta mood, apparently.)

[SlV]

New Coke lacked the all-important decocainized coca extract. If I wanted a Pepsi I'd drink Pepsi

[Troof Hurts]

The Illuminati origin of May Day

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I knew the Illuminati were in on it, but I had no idea the Shriners were in the next room planning to launch the Kardashians' career.

[Troof Hurts]

"Racist" - A Word Invented by USSR's Leon Trotsky

[Notorious G.K.C.]

He also came up with "I know you are, but what am I," and "nanny nanny boo boo."

[Heroic Mulatto]

If you go to the Lizard People links that he keeps posting, you'll see that a certain "Rollo" is a regular in the comments. Methinks we've unmasked Mr. Troof.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

If you provide links, I'm ready to award you another PhD in life experience.

[Heroic Mulatto]

If you follow the Ukraine link, there is this gem (and yes, the following conversation is completely earnest!)

Soverignty Apr 30, 2014 at 3:43 pm

Rollo,

The problem seems to be that we can not get away from the Archons, they are of much superrior intelligence, dimensional and we are just bugs for them to deal with us. The only solution to this cosmic reality is to follow the lead of the Gnostics who could deal with them.
Rollo Apr 30, 2014 at 6:23 pm

Yes, and the Gnostics ingested the Amanita Muscaria in large quantities to gain this universal knowledge, as did Pythagoras and all other ancient sages, because spores are extraterrestrial, from the cosmos, plant life requires symbiosis with differing fungal species to survive, so when the spores arrived on the scene, you had Genesis.

[Warrren]

My spores must be defective because I don't understand how people could believe this shit.

[Heroic Mulatto]

The funny thing is that my wife actually ingested Amanita Muscaria.

She spent two nights in the hospital. No word on whether she successfully battled the Archons on the astral plane.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

And there it is.

[Sevo]

"Methinks we've unmasked Mr. Troof."

Like this?:
..."until he goes all 'murkin on us where only 'white people' are victimized by the term."

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Rollo was Tulpa. So, Tulpa is now getting his rocks off posting like a tin-foiler?

Bit odd for him, but the timing is right, since it's technically now the weekend.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wheels within wheels, man...

[Sevo]

Not a bad post until he goes all 'murkin on us where only 'white people' are victimized by the term.

[Troof Hurts]

BP pipeline sprays 'oily mist' over 33 acres of Alaskan tundra

[Warrren]

The oil is organic so it's all good.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

In other news, most of Alaska has been designated a "NO SMOKING" area.

[Warrren]

You misread the sign, Alaska is now the territory of warlord Nosmo King.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I remember that from Ramona Quimby. That's where you got it, right?

[Warrren]

Er no, a friend of mine played drums in his brother's band that was called Nosmo King and the Malcontents.

[SlV]

It keeps the dust down. Would you rather breathe oily mist or hanta virus?

[Sevo]

Hey, it's British!
Ever follow a Jag down the road?

[Warrren]

That would make for a good euphemism.

[Troof Hurts]

The government of the United States continues to stifle alternative media as part of its long-time policy of feeding lies to the American people

[Notorious G.K.C.]

That will never work because of independent outlets like H&R, which...hey, what are you guys doing here, help!

[Troof Hurts]

Why are Jews Crucifying NBA Jew Donald Sterling?

[Agammamon]

Did I miss something? When did the official changeover of Reason from 'Free Minds and Free Markets' to 'Internet Septic Tank' get announced?

[Warrren]

It's one of the things the media is hiding from you.

[Sevo]

Looking more like Murkin all the time.

[GILMORE]

This racist is also a weird conspiracy monger/NWO/aliens type loser.

I usually suspect that some lefty idiot decides to post this garbage here to taint the board with some 'fringe goofies' lest the 'sane and reasonable' progs ever read things here and suspect we're not all the crazies that Salon et al want people to believe.

[SusanM]

No Clippers yarmulkes?

[Slumbrew]

how do NBA Jews differ from your run-of-the-mill Jew? Bigger vert?

[Warrren]

If by vert you mean green and if by green you mean money, then yes.

[Heroic Mulatto]

NBA Jew, because there's only one.

[Slumbrew]

So, they're like Highlanders? Man, I learn so much from this place.

[Bobarian]

Instead of cutting off heads, they trim foreskins.

The last uncircumcised Jew will be the Master of the Universe (along with He-Man)

[Slumbrew]

dammit, I'm out.

[Agammamon]

But there's *always* one.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"Farmar has a half-sister, Shoshana Kolani."

I have a Shoshana in my fam. Definitely Jewish.

[GILMORE]

- Why are crazy racists also really into playschool economics?

http://www.tomatobubble.com/id39.html

These types of people really should never have been allowed to watch the X files. Stupid people confuse 'minor complexity' with 'conspiracy!' "DERP why inflation?? JEW CONSPIRACY!"

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The Tottenham Hotspurs are behind it:

http://reason.com/blog/2014/04.....nt_4483065

[Slumbrew]

Tottenham Hotspur, man. Not Hotspurs. Or, just "The Spurs". Don't ask me to justify that.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"I give up, why *are* Jews crucifying Donald Sterling?"

"Because they're too cheap to buy boiling oil!"

[Slumbrew]

C'mon, they can make it last 8 days, so the oil ends up being the better buy.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You win this round...

[Slumbrew]

Shacking up with the Jewess finally pays off.

[Troof Hurts]

Is this a UFO flying over London?

[Warrren]

Is it a Ford Anglia?

[SusanM]

with flames up the side?

[Troof Hurts]

The world's first island powered entirely by wind and a lake that's a huge battery

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yes, but how does the Zionist Illuminati Lizard People breeding program known as PROJECT Monarch relate to this?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Irvine, Orange County, California

Amid tense negotiations with Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels baseball team has said it talked with FivePoint Communities, the developer of homes surrounding the Great Park in Irvine. What kind of talk, no one knows ? or will say in much detail.

Angels spokeswoman Marie Garvey confirmed Friday that the team had reached out to FivePoint to possibly build a new stadium. FivePoint spokesman Aaron Curtiss declined to comment. In February, the team had talks with Tustin officials.

Choi said he would treat such a proposal like any that comes before the city: weigh the potentially huge impact it would have on residents against the benefits, including making Irvine a household name.

"I'd be very excited to see a stadium in Irvine," said Councilwoman Christina Shea, also the Great Park chairwoman. Years ago, Shea had sought a home for an NFL stadium where the Great Park is now.

But with the city recently deciding to fill 688 acres at the Great Park with a sports park, golf course and trails designed by FivePoint, there isn't much city land left. It would leave only parcels owned by FivePoint on the perimeter, including near Irvine's train station. That's the location the developer and team were discussing, Shea said Friday after meeting the developer for lunch.

I smell a Zionist conspiracy!

[SusanM]

If they change the name to SixPoint we'll know you're right.

[Warrren]

Jesus Christ! Awesome!

[Sevo]

"I smell a Zionist conspiracy!"

Angels...
Jews...
Los Angeles...
Irving, uh Irvine...
I think you're onto something!

[Slumbrew]

FivePoint! Star of David! Open your eyes, man!

[Max Power]

This thread took a weird turn.

[Warrren]

Welcome to Hit N' Run!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Tulpa is still looking for that special lady.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

God, can you imagine what would happen if he and Mary got together?

[Warrren]

Why would you say that?

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Because I have a horrible, horrible mind?

[Warrren]

---Readies the electroshock probes----

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Esoteric symbolism: The Bilderburgers and the Masons fight for control of the world, as symbolized by a kitten and a parrot fighting for control of a couch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J1bFlKZ4tA

[Slumbrew]

Shadowy groups battling for world domination isn't that adorable, G.K.C.

[Slumbrew]

uh, "aren't"

[Warrren]

I love a good Bilderburger.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

That needs Duel of the Fates playing in the background.

"It's over, Anikat! I have the high ground!"

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Why is the disembodied voice saying "Use the Force, Luke?" when he's got Anakin's stupid braid thing?

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Shit, threading. Reply to FdA's Star Wars vs. Harry Potter thingy.

[Slumbrew]

I am ashamed I even know what you're talking about.

[Sevo]

Troof Hurts|5.2.14 @ 11:13PM|#
"Why are Jews Crucifying NBA Jew Donald Sterling?"

So Troof, agit prop or jokes?

[Warrren]

This thread died with only slightly more than 999,400+ posts to go before an even mil. C'mon people!

[kibby]

Serious Man is blaming me for H&R's inability to reach this lofty goal.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

He's right to do so.

[kibby]

Patriarchy!!!

[SweatingGin]

yup. All that bitching about the patriarchy is why we didn't hit 1m.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Maybe if you added some tinfoil hat wearing links?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

That's because you are the worst. Even worse than Nicole. Or at least the worst West of the Mississippi.

[kibby]

You would be wise to watch your tone, young man.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

THIS IS WHY THERE IS ONLY ONE HIT & RUN RELATIONSHIP

[jesse.in.mb]

Sloopy and Banjos?
Warty and Gimp-suit Episiarch?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'll let you guess which relationship kibby and I wish to emulate.

[jesse.in.mb]

I think you'd make a delightful Episiarch to her Warty.

[kibby]

I, uhhhhh....

[jesse.in.mb]

Don't worry, it takes years of practice to remain articulate one the Doomcock of Doom has been switched on.

[Bobarian]

The bad part? It can never be switched off.

[Slumbrew]

"Even worse than Nicole."

This is why etc. etc.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

The BBC says it has left Jeremy Clarkson "in no doubt about how seriously" it takes allegations he used racist language while filming Top Gear.

The 54-year-old told producers: "I didn't use the N-word here but I've just listened through my headphones and it sounds like I did.

"Is there another take?"

Although the clip was never broadcast on the BBC Two show, the corporation said it had received more than 300 complaints following recent media coverage.

[SweatingGin]

If they fuck up Top Gear, the PC-archy has gone too far,

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

'Do it CBS!' Big demand for Norm Macdonald to host 'Late Late Show' ignites #LateLateNormNorm

[Bobarian]

Absolutely not!

Norm is a funny guy, in small doses. He'd also be an incredibly shitty interviewer. Like 'Chevy Chase' bad.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

What are you basing this on?

[Slumbrew]

Agreed, he's a small doses kinda guy. No way he can bring it night after night.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

well he is funnier than his brother

[Warrren]

I don't know, I read a profile on him some years ago and his stand-up is mostly made up on the spot. He riffs on current events constantly. So if were talking about his monolog getting dull I think you're off-point.

However if you're talking about his interviewing skills being too abrasive or so neutered by CBS that they are unwatchable then that yeah, I see that.

[Bobarian]

His monolog would (I predict) be the only watchable part of the show. He's too quirky to be a decent interviewer.

[Tman]

If you haven't seen Norm when he did the ESPY Awards you are missing out.

[RishJoMo]

Sometimes man you jsut have to roll with it.

http://www.myAnon.tk

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Not even close to 1000 comments.

/shakes head disappointingly.

[DEG]

It's a slow weekend.