Tonight on The Independents: John Tierney, Sherrod Small, Timothy Sandefur and Bryan Suits Talk About Geithner, Solange, Recording Cops, Foreign Policy, and Your Choice of 2nd Panel Topic. Plus Aftershow!

Feels like it's been so long! Tonight's episode of The Independents (Fox Business Network, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT, repeats three hours later) will be notable in part due to the week-long absence of dearly beloved co-host Kmele Foster, who will be replaced tonight by comedian Sherrod Small. To take maximal advantage of the talent in the room, we'll be discussing sister-of-Beyonce Solange's vicious elevator attack on Jay-Z, and what that means for late-capitalist America.

Party Panel tonight will consist of New York Times science writer-slash-friend o' Reason John Tierney and Fox News Correspondent Lea Gabrielle, who will discuss Stress Tester Timothy Geithner's reported instructions by the White House to pretend that Social Security will never contribute to the deficit, and also Obamacare's wasted $474 million on just four failed state exchanges. Then you get to decide what they talk about later in the show: Noted man-kisser Michael Sam finally getting drafted into the National Football League, or Lebron James's ideas about who should own the L.A. Clippers. Go to the show's Facebook page, and dowhatchalike!

The Pacific Legal Foundation's Timothy Sandefur will be on to dissect the crazy story (blogged here minutes ago by J.D. Tuccille) about the Massachusetts woman who was recently charged with wiretapping for recording her own arrest. Radio host and military veteran Bryan Suits talks about the latest nightmare-activity in the world, from Nigeria to Iran. And the broadcast will end with discussion about a recent CBS News poll showing that a strong majority of Americans think that families are getting weaker.

Sexy after-show can be found at foxbusiness.com/independents beginning at 10 p.m. sharp. Follow The Independents on Twitter @ independentsFBN, (Tweet out during the show and we might use your wit). Click on this page for more video of past segments.

Comments

[Dances-with-Trolls]

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Then you get to decide what they talk about later in the show: Noted man-kisser Michael Sam finally getting drafted into the National Football League, or Lebron James's ideas about who should own the L.A. Clippers.

I'll go with C on this one, thanks.

Fkn skwrlz.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Nobody needs more than two choices on their ballot. Are you some kind of anarchist?

[SweatingGin]

"I believe I'll vote for a 3rd party candidate"

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Um, yeah, None of the Above.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

TI sure loves comedians.

[Lady Bertrum]

TI sure loves comedians.

TI sure loves "comedians", but hates its viewers.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Yeah, none of them ever caused me to crack a smile. And I have a *great* sense of humor!

[Lady Bertrum]

So just replace one black dude with another. Racists.

KMELE CANNOT BE REPLACED!!

[Apatheist ?_??]

I'm very much enjoying all the butthurt about the Michael Sam kiss. It's not like those picks at the end matter all that much might as well get people butthurt and apparently sell a fuck-ton of jerseys.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

There is butt hurt about this? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Whatever the action, someone, somewhere will be mortally offended by it.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Some people really want you to know that they think two dudes kissing is gross. It's really important that people understand that.

[Episiarch]

Well how else are they going to indicate that they're really, really not gay?

NO HOMO.

[GILMORE]

"we'll be discussing sister-of-Beyonce Solange's vicious elevator attack on Jay-Z, and what that means for late-capitalist America."

Gee, and I was worried the show was descending into silly twitter-level popculture ditz-fluff. Because you know why I read Reason? TO GET LINKS TO TMZ STORIES I MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE MISSED. Also, we probably need an update on how racist David Sterling is.

meanwhile, I will be eating a bag of nails.

That said = I like this guy Bryan Suits. He was good, bring more of him, and often.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

elevator attack

Sounds like a special move from a late 90s video game. Did she have to level up to get that or is part of her core character?

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Jay-Z would be the Boss level, I suppose.

[David R]

Can someone please explain to me why every shot of Geithner is this creepy over-the-shoulder camera angle? It's like he's selling perfume.

[datcv]

'Bailouts', the New Fragrance by Tim Geithner.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Noted man-kisser Michael Sam finally getting drafted into the National Football League, or Lebron James's ideas about who should own the L.A. Clippers.

While giant douche has its intrigue, I vote turd sandwich.

[GILMORE]

Also, while Sherrod is certainly very Large and Black and a very funny guy, he is no suitable longer-term sit-in for Kmele, who is a) the best dressed person on the show by a mile, and b) probably makes more sense per-word than anyone, including both other hosts. (granted, he gets the least airtime and so must do the most with least)

May he return soon.

[kibby]

Even the libertarian prophet needs a vacation once in awhile.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

I'm really dreading the week that Welch goes on vacation, personally.

[kibby]

Welch was already gone for the Reason cruise & half the jerkfaces here were HAPPY ABOUT IT.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

My bad, I have a short memory. I forgot about the parade of pasty politicos they tried to use to fill in for him.

[Episiarch]

Personally, I don't think they should let Kmele take vacation or even be sick. For the good of the show, of course.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Woman who wrote fake Holocaust memoir ordered to pay back $22.5 million in profit

In her book "Misha: A M?moire of the Holocaust Years," Misha Defonseca wrote of her experience of being a young Jewish girl on her own during World War II, fleeing into the woods where she was adopted by wolves, and killing a Nazi soldier.

None of it was true.

Defonseca was not Jewish. Instead of being raised by wolves, she was in school in Belgium.

A Massachusetts judge has ordered Defonseca to return $22.5 million to independent publisher Mt. Ivy Press and its proprietor, Jane Daniel. Judge Marc Kantrowitz said it was "the third, and hopefully last" ruling in the case.

Although the book, published in 1997, never sold more than a few thousand copies in the U.S., it caught hold in Europe. It Italy, it became an opera, and it was made into the French film "Surviving With Wolves."

The story's high profile there had drawn some skeptical attention. Some historians questioned facts Defonseca had gotten wrong about key dates during the war, including when Jews were first deported from Belgium. Naturalists questioned her raised-by-wolves narrative.

Uh, the raised by wolves angle didn't immediately discredit the book?

[kibby]

Romulus & Remus would like to have a word with you...well Romulus would, at any rate.

[jesse.in.mb]

Psht, but mine included pictures with Madonna-like she-wolf boobs.

[kibby]

Are you dissing Etruscan sculpture??

[jesse.in.mb]

Clearly I'm indicating that it was millennia ahead of its time, or that Madonna was subconsciously influenced by it. I suppose it isn't really that clear.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

What does Star Trek fan-fiction have to do with this?

[kibby]

*glares*

[jesse.in.mb]

Uh, the raised by wolves angle didn't immediately discredit the book?

Umm, empires have been founded on the raised by wolves angle.

[Episiarch]

Book Publisher: I'm sorry to tell you this, sir, but nobody is ever going to publish your memoirs.

Towelie: Huh? Why not?

Book Publisher: Well, just the small trivial fact that people aren't interested in autobiographies of TOWELS.

Towelie: Well, yeah, but maybe people will read my memoirs, and like?apply its lessons to their own lives.

Book Publisher: No, they won't. Because they're people. And you're a towel.

Towelie: (mumbling) You're a towel...

Book Publisher: No, I'm a big book publisher who's not the least bit interested in your stony memoirs. You're a towel.

[Paul.]

Uh, the raised by wolves angle didn't immediately discredit the book?

No shit. There was no way this woman was raised by wolves. I have a niece that was raised by wolves. There's no comparison.

[Agent Cupcake]

When I was raised by wolves I only killed a few KKK members.

[jesse.in.mb]

Then you get to decide what they talk about later in the show: Noted man-kisser Michael Sam finally getting drafted into the National Football League, or Lebron James's ideas about who should own the L.A. Clippers.

It's nice of you guys to include a segment that gives me time to refresh my alcoholic beverage.

[RannedPall]

Ok, went to rock n fish right by the MB pier the other night, was served by bartender Terry, loved it, especially the decor and ambience, I then went again the other night and was served by a real asshole. Oh well. Also: I was at the kettle afterwards with a friend of mine, and we were mistakenly believed to be a gay couple. It was probably my lavender button up, that's fine though, because I looked damn good.

[jesse.in.mb]

Rock n Fish is usually solid. I haven't dealt with the bartenders at all, just the tables. The service has occasionally been...lacking. Have you tried Simmzy's?

The Kettle is a great place to have for when you need a bite after a night of drinking.

[RannedPall]

Well the two times me and my friend have gone, it was just to grab a drink, but the food sounds absolutely delicious, and I love oysters. So maybe we'll try the food very soon. Never tried Simmzy's... But we eventually opted out of the slightly pricey kettle and booked it to in n out for a double double and animal fries, no regrets.

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, the price to quality rate is a little off. It's like an uppity Norms, but the food is pretty tasty.

Simmzy's is worth checking out.

[Derpetologist]

Can't get enough of stupid college students pretending to debate? Try this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKpXQIf9exA

I recommend fast-forwarding to the white kids' turn.

[RannedPall]

I'm drinking lagunitas Czech Pilsner, exceptionally smooth for a 6.2% brew.

[Episiarch]

Everything Lagunitas makes is exceptionally smooth.

[RannedPall]

Well it's my first try at anything from the Lagunitas brewery, I'm usually a Stone regular, but this stuff is delicious

[BigT]

I wouldn't call Sucks smooth. Very tasty, with a little edge.

Founders Porter for me tonight as tornado rolls thru.

[Derpetologist]

English professor claims Stalin never killed anybody:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRPTZF5zSLQ

[GILMORE]

not only is the video unbelievably stupid, but the comments manage to go another huge step farther in multiplying that stupidity thousand-fold.

YouTube is very good at this.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Vimeo is paradise next to Youtube.

[Irish]

His book is called Khruschev Lied because he thinks Khruschev was lying when he apologized to the Communist party for all the murders Stalin committed.

Holy shit.

[Lady Bertrum]

Montclair is a Jersey state school. My tax dollars at work.

Listen to the end and hear the Libertarian guy (with the Russian accent) respond. Nice.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Does he punch him in the face? Because any person who suffered through communism is morally entitled, IMO, to smack a person who says something that horrendous stupid about communism.

[Lady Bertrum]

He mocks him with Stalin's "One death is a tragedy: a million deaths a statistic" quote.

How did this guy get tenure? He seems cognitively retarded. Modern academics .

[Calidissident]

Derp, I just realized that this is the same guy that one of the Reddit posters I quoted below (didn't see you post this before I made mine) used a source disputing the notion that Stalin killed millions of people.

[MJGreen]

Hahahaha. The US has the lowest standard of living of any industrialized country. And he lives comfortably by saying these things.

[Redmanfms]

The US has the lowest standard of living of any industrialized country.

Yeah, said by a guy who has clearly never been to Europe.

The only place I've been to that is competitive is Canada. And it's just that, competitive.

[GILMORE]

I vote=

until Michael Sam kisses David Sterling on TV, neither person qualifies for "actual news"

that said, something to think about =

For generations, gay celebrities/sports stars have concealed their sexual orientation in order to maximize their own marketability.

Now we've crossed over into an era where celebrities/sports stars will in fact "highlight" their sexual orientation... *in order to maximize their own marketability*

(noting, for example, Neil Patrick Harris' nude magazine cover- is the guy interesting because he's such a major acting powerhouse... or is he just one of today's 'most notable gay dudes'?)

'Parity', or 'real equality'? comes when no one actually gives a shit, and its about as interesting as whether you're Right or Left Handed.

[jesse.in.mb]

Neil Patrick Harris' nude magazine cover- is the guy interesting because he's such a major acting powerhouse... or is he just one of today's 'most notable gay dudes'?

He's probably the best example of parity out there. Interest in his personal life seems about what you'd expect for straight celebrities at his tier and while he gets a ton of attention he's doing TV, theater and quirky web series that are enjoyable. He also has that great child-star-comeback backstory.

[GILMORE]

I'm suggesting that, were he NOT gay, he'd be about as interesting as...

... many people who's name I DO NOT know, because he's not, in fact, otherwise particularly interesting.

That said, I think the Dr Horrible thing (and whats his name... the guy from Firefly) was awesome.

[jesse.in.mb]

Is he more interesting or less interesting than say any of the Kardashians? I'm not really sure what metric you're using for the inherent level of interest that would be attributed to him in a sexual orientation vacuum.

He started his stint on How I Met Your Mother and did Harold and Kumar before he came out.

[GILMORE]

"
jesse.in.mb|5.12.14 @ 9:10PM|#

Is he more interesting or less interesting than say any of the Kardashians?

uh, by 'interesting' I assume you mean, "Disgusting"?

Because AFAIK, that's the thing they 'sell'. I'm not sure its a fair comparison. They are not 'people' or 'actors' or anything at all.

I'm not really sure what metric you're using for the inherent level of interest that would be attributed to him in a sexual orientation vacuum.

He's a decent actor who's done some decent TV.

There are lots of 'decent actors who've done decent TV'.

He has gotten a significant extra level of marketability by promoting his orientation.

This is not a value judgment = its an observation of the practical impact of a person who chooses to 'advertise' their orientation as a feature of their public persona.

As a thought experiment = would you find him significantly less interesting as a 'straight guy'?

a side thought - have you noticed how often now actors/actresses have 'press conferences' when they 'come out'?

[jesse.in.mb]

As a thought experiment = would you find him significantly less interesting as a 'straight guy'?

How can you possibly disentangle that? He already had his role in HIMMY, and had started popping up in movies based on him having been Doogie Howser. Between Doogie Howser and Harold and Kumar, he'd been working in some decent theater productions (and Starship Troopers!). How much of him coming back to mainstream entertainment was skill or nostalgia for a quirky childhood TV show? I think he had a deck stacked in his favor to begin with, but will concede that him coming out probably played some role in generating interest.

[datcv]

He doesn't use his orientation for fame anymore than most celebrities use their opposite sex relationship for fame.

[Calidissident]

NPH is funny and a good actor. Not that I give a shit about celebrity gossip

[Francisco d'Anconia]

'Parity', or 'real equality'? comes when no one actually gives a shit

Yep, we're there.

[Tejicano]

Yeah. This is one of the few points about the direction we are heading in which Idiotocracy missed. I think to have covered it at all it would have to have been some kind of acronym used after one's name to represent where in the straight/ gay/ top/ bottom/ X-gendered/ barnyard/ vegetable/ inanimate/ PPV porn published/ free porn matrix you qualify.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Wife just made Sharptail Grouse, marinated in red wine, baked with Rosemary, pecans and Chex crumbles.

AWESOME!

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I had some nice pork chops.

[Derpetologist]

I recently discovered that I can get a ton of free food if I go to the chicken place 5 minutes before it closes.

If only bars were the same way...

[Francisco d'Anconia]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPG1t52GgI

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Happy Limerick Day!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

There once was a woman named Nat
Who had triplets Trip, Tot, and Tat
It was fun with the breedin but hell with the feeding
For she had no tit for Tat

[Calidissident]

Some Reddit gems - note that this is from AskHistorians, which is extremely sane and reasonable by Reddit standards

"Economically, any communist country would have a hard time existing in a mostly capitalist world. Not only would the other countries see it as a threat and actively engage in its destruction (for fear of having their own regimes overthrown), but the capitalist system has a remarkable ability to cross borders (take a look at our current globalized, multinational corporations-led economy) and can never be fully eliminated as long it has a place to "hide" in exile.

But remember: communism in its idealized form would lead to a classless, stateless society. (We do have examples of communal societies who were quite successful, from "anarchist villages" during the Spanish Civil War to the kibutzim in Israel. That is not to say these societies are communist or even informed by Marxist thinking, though.) The "big government" of the Soviet Union and other totalitarian regimes are, at best, corruptions of this system. However, as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, the people who spoke out against this were seen as defeatists and enemies and promptly "dealt with".

Lastly, and please excuse my bias here, but the capitalist system is plenty violent and brutal. It may not line people up and shoot them (and in some places it even does!), but in it's abandonment, exploitation, imprisonment and elimination of it's outcasts, it achieves much the same violence, imo."

[Calidissident]

And a different guy responding to someone who said that Stalin and Mao killed a ton of people

"You're presenting this as established fact. Grover Furr, J. Arch Getty, and Ludo Martins, to name just a few names, dispute this."

Some others defend him

"The 'alternative scholarship,' which is utterly mainstream btw (e.g. Getty, Thurston, Wheatcroft, Tauger, etc.), doesn't dispute that millions died. It disputes that millions were intentionally killed. Statements like 'Mao also killed a ton of people; Stalin also killed a TON of his own people' are ambiguous with respect to intention, but intention is usually implied."

"I don't know of anyone who denies that many people died in that time and place, but as /u/MasCapital points out that specific phrasing is often intended to imply intentional starvation for political reasons, etc. which is simply evidence free."

All of these comments have positive upvotes

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHis....._leninism/

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

but the capitalist system has a remarkable ability to cross borders (take a look at our current globalized, multinational corporations-led economy) and can never be fully eliminated as long it has a place to "hide" in exile.

I had no idea 'capitalism' was sentient. I always figured it was simply the natural result of letting millions of people be free and make rational decisions that serve their self-interests.

So really, the guy takes issue with the existence of liberty in the world as it is a bane to communism.

[Redmanfms]

Economically, any communist country would have a hard time existing in a mostly capitalist world. Not only would the other countries see it as a threat and actively engage in its destruction (for fear of having their own regimes overthrown), but the capitalist system has a remarkable ability to cross borders (take a look at our current globalized, multinational corporations-led economy) and can never be fully eliminated as long it has a place to "hide" in exile.

Translation: All resistance must be stomped out from every corner of the globe to make the Marxian Utopia possible or else people in Communist countries will see how much communism sucks donkey shit compared to even marginal capitalism and rebel.

I would purely love to see these idiots explain why "capitalist" countries generally have had much greater press freedom and even during the Cold War people in the West suffered not for lack of pro-Soviet/Communist propaganda, but the press in every single Communist country is/was completely state-owned and presents only pro-Soviet/Communist propaganda and strictly forbids access to "corrupting" Western news/entertainment media. It would be amusing to see how he slots that into the whole "capitalism must destroy Communism because the wage slaves might learn the revolutionary truth" narrative.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Prediction: Wardrobe malfunction(s)

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

That orange shirt seems to have a pretty low v-cut.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Is Kennedy going hunting?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

She shot the sofa Matt is wearing for a jacket.

[kibby]

I'm questioning if my orange shirts are that grating. Maybe I should stop wearing them...

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

you should only wear orange shirts on St Patrick's Day.

Or when Holland wins a world Cup.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Kennedy is guesting on Orange is the New Black as "crewmember" tonight?

[Bam!]

The Great Pumpkin has come.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Kmele looks different tonight.

[Derpetologist]

Behold, a window onto prog think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELfiVTTb5Jw

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

DIPSHIT DOODLEBUG???

[Derpetologist]

Oh, like you wouldn't click on the Dipshit Doodlebug video...

[Derpetologist]

Oh, like you wouldn't click on the Dipshit Doodlebug video...

[Irish]

Leftists adore dehumanizing the opposition.

It makes it easier when the revolution demands that you herd them into camps.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

There once was a show on TV
Who treated all their guests badly
Prestigious guests stopped showing
The remaining guests were all blowing
And the whole program went to heck.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Navy fighter pilots have a certain something the AF lacks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

TurboTax wrote his talking points.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

What does the gang here think of proportional representation?

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's a service to Tim's bank account.

[Bam!]

Dude is making 6 figures a speech. He has nothing meaningful to say nor does he say it well. What the hell do they pay him for?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Thank God for disgruntled former administration employees.

[kibby]

I miss Kmele.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Valar bullshitus: All politicians must spin

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

What did I miss?

[Bam!]

I would say Kennedy's shirt but I'd bet you could see it with the TV off.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Well they Darren'd Kmele and replaced him with another black guy hoping no one would notice.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They're both black?

No wonder the DMV people told me I need new glasses.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Where ya been?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Work bender. When I have deadlines, I can't fuck around here. It's contagious.

[Fist of Etiquette]

In the 90's I was in love with your daughter Maura, John.

[Agammamon]

OK, I just watched part of a show called 'Continuum'.

OMFG this has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen on tv.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

How on earth can they manage that?

[kibby]

Was that one of the (many, many) shows where an EVIL CORPORATION was the bad guy? I think I watched the pilot & wanted to gouge out my eyes.

[Agammamon]

I don' know all about that - I came in where the chick has gone back in time.

Problems I have

Chick cops in the future wear skin-tight outfits and heals.

Basic science problems (time-travel notwithstanding), like how they didn't end up in interplanetary space unless, *maybe*, they traveled back EXACTLY an integral multiple of years. And even that's reaching.

Cop chick has some sort of implant that some hacker dude from the present can talk to her. Somehow they forget about radio ranges, LOS, how cell phone transmissions work, *and* how network protocols change over time rendering new stuff incompatible with stuff that's too old.

She hacks an ATM with her super-implants by putting her hand on the screen. WTF? Her hacking software somehow knows the available hardware/software exploits available on all those ATMS, made by different manufacturers years previously. Equipment that would be obsolete in her time.

She pays for a decent hotel room with cash and no ID

She somehow manages to get inside a police station in a major city by pretending to be an FBI angent and no-one even thinks to check this out until *after* she is left alone to talk to one of the other time-travelers the police have arrested.

[Agammamon]

hacker boy can not only see what she sees, he can see what she *thinks*, because radiating RF and tons of data are a good idea if you want the enemy to DF you. Oh and his gear can parse this data and display it in a usable form.

One of the local cops arrests a time traveler after he surrenders by grabbing him by the arm and gently leading him to the cop car. Rather than filling him full of bullets (the guy had a metal pipe!) or tasering him, keeing him in the balls, kneeling on his kneck and then handcuffing him?

Some other time travelers rob a couple of cops for their weapons - on opening the trunk they pull out an AR, a couple of SMG's, *and* a shotgun, along with the cops pistols. I guess this isn't really that far fetched though.

Cop chick goes into a fire-fight with her super-skin tight super armor zipped down to give a good view of her cleavage. Doesn't bother to zip it up until she takes a facefull of lead.

This is all in *half* an episode.

[jesse.in.mb]

how cell phone transmissions work, *and* how network protocols change over time rendering new stuff incompatible with stuff that's too old.

The young hacker she's talking to is developing that network which is why he's shocked she's on the line. He's the one who is in the process of developing the technology that is the base of her suit, and his future self has planned her being thrown back in time, so it's not that weird that she can do the things she can do with older tech.

All of your other criticisms are valid, but remember...it's a CANADIAN show. You should keep your expectations low lest you're disappointed by Little Mosque on the Prairie.

[Agammamon]

Yes it is - there will be TONS of changes between the prototyping he's doing *now* and the full-production model she's got.

There's no way a single guy has that much control that he can manage the direction that tech goes to keep that level of backwards compatibility.

And while I know our flappy-headed neighbors to the north aren't exactly up to Hollywood production standard - this is the same sort of drivel (but without the added laugh-track) that we're producing out here.

They don't even have the excuse of 'its a movie, there's not enough time to explain the details' for this crap.

[jesse.in.mb]

Vague spoiler warning...

But if he's the architect of sending her back in time, why not push to make sure his technology is maybe not everywhere but in her suit? He knows what conditions would need to be met for it to be compatible and ends up controlling two of the most powerful corporations in her timeline.

[jesse.in.mb]

Eh, I just pretend that the show is criticizing centralized power and that in that timeline corporatism is the way it's centralized. It's solid background television.

[Redmanfms]

Yeah, but Rachel Nichols.

Fun fact, I knew her as a kid/teenager, she lived across the street from my step-great-grandmother in Augusta and I saw her nearly every summer for 10-12 years.

She's tried playing the bullshit, "I was really a nerd in school, I was goofy and clumsy and nobody found me attractive" bit. Bullshit. She was (well, is still I suppose) really smart, but she was a pretty little girl who went through a 2-3 awkward period around 13 to become a stunning teenager. Grown men would stop and stare at her.

And I got to see her naked, ha!

... when we were like 6...

[Redmanfms]

2-3 week.

[Fist of Etiquette]

HOW DARE YOU INVOKE THE NAME OF TJ HOOKER IN THAT CONTEXT.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

The problem is you can 'recoup' it but you still lost $474 million FOR NOTHING.

This is how you destroy.

[Bam!]

Glenn Greenwald is on tomorrow? Frickin' A.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

But Oregon had those cute little advertisements.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Welch is dominating the convo tonight. And it's not to the show's detriment.

[Bam!]

His Bill Maher appearance charged him.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Oh, I forgot about that. I meant to actively avoid it.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

It was pretty enjoyable. They were expecting/hoping to play "beat on the neocon", and got Matt, instead. +1 Matt. That said, I don't think they'll invite him back, they REALLY like to beat on Repubs there.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

A government camp? Sounds familiar...

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Matt's reaction was pretty amusing. "Have you ever been to a government camp, Matt?" "NO!"

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I don't get it. If, say, the Oregon exchange is down you can go to the Federal exchange and sign up? What's the point of a state exchange?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Did you catch today's DERP from Ontario.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No. And I wished I didn't click on that.

[kibby]

Handing money to your political friends?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

The Habs!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Smells like game sept.

[Derpetologist]

Not a big Hannity fan, but this clip is brilliant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Hz58OKFeY

[Irish]

The dumbest person on Fox beats the shit out of the dumbest person on Earth.

Once in a while, even a nitwit like Hannity gets an opportunity to fight below his weight.

I love right near the beginning when the Occupier claims Hannity has called Occupiers dirty hippies in the past, Hannity asks him to name one time he called them dirty hippies, and the guy says 'well you made fun of my friends.' At that point Hannity says 'Are those the same friends that were raping people, having sex in public, and turning occupy camps into drug dens?'

It's rare to see that kind of ass-kicking on television.

[Pathogen]

Huh... Apparently, the NYPD was sending rapists down to the park, in order to discredit their movement... and sully their sterling reputation amongst the American public. I was unaware of that. I learn something new that I have to Un-learn... everyday.

/facepalm

[Bam!]

TMZ logo.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Oh, of course he must have done something to set this off. Right, Kennedy?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Why is this news?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Why should I care?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Who.

Fucking.

Cares.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Foster doesn't say terms that Welch doesn't understand.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Is this a serious Libertarian show or E! or some other bull shit celebrity show?

Sheesh.

[Bam!]

E! Network Presents The Independents.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

E!-NDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I think we have a new show on our hands.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

are they gonna replace Matt with Chelsea Handler?

[Bam!]

Replace him with Joel McHale.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Replace Kennedy with Handler. I think Chelsea Handler and Matt would have amazing chemistry together.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

There's another one I can't understand got a job on TV.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Guys, you are rapidly approaching the shark with this topic.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

If it involves sports, TMZ, or Z-list celebrities plugging something, please just say no.

[kibby]

The fact that three people in a row questioned why on earth this is news is why H&R is the bestest place ever.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They've just spent more time discussing the Beyonce thing than they did discussing the death meteors.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That comment was worth this worthless segment.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

A few minutes I'm never gonna get back.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Do you feel like kicking someone in retaliation?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yes.

Yes I do.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The Independents needs to come with a trigger warning for each segment.

[jesse.in.mb]

But will it have a trigger warning for its trigger warnings?

Will we have some kind of Xeno's paradox for trigger warnings?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Springfield in Illinois or Massachusetts?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Ha, Kennedy was mistaken!

[GILMORE]

The Independents Attire Review, 12 May 2014

Queen of Manitoba-Edition

- Kennedy: Tonight we see a welcome return of one of the cornea-searing shades Kennedy established early in the show's history; something I labeled (in one of the very first official Attire Reviews) 'Cabela's Hunting-Safe Eveningwear'. While my first impression was that extreme colors like this were potentially headache-inducing, I have since come to consider them part of Kennedy's signature look, and what I like best about her whole television persona.

- Matt: 'The Pelt' Returns. And with it comes The Grey Shirt of Despair. We saw Kmele last week rock the same type of brown woven tie with a natural linen jacket, where it looked simply *amazing*, providing a perfect texture and color compliment. Here it does none of that, and simply piles-onto the 'furry' impression left by the jacket-thing. Images of 'Hobbit', 'Muskrat', and 'French College Professor' are evoked. Last week Matt modeled 3 of his best getups. Perhaps this week will see Sherrif Woody appear to provide a re-run of his Historic Low-Points.

- Kmele: He's not here, but i assure you he's still the best dressed.

- Sherrod: Is his undershirt inside-out? I don't think there's anything else here worth commenting on.

- John Tierney = Suffers from mild 'Hubie Brooks Syndrome'. AKA 'Shoot It In The Head!'

Thank You

[kibby]

"French College Professor" is a terribly apt description of how Matt looks tonight.

[GILMORE]

c'est pas terrible

[Fist of Etiquette]

Foster never laughs at the word oral.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

What did she do wrong? She dared defied a Knight. Such impudence from the peasants cannot be tolerated.

[GILMORE]

Sherrod giggles over 'oral'.

Show's maturity level drops significantly.

[SweatingGin]

Show's maturity level drops significantly a little.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Fucking Massoftwoshits!

[kibby]

Unfortunately, this guy says "unfortunately" a little too often.

[GILMORE]

I think I typed that word because he was doing that.

[Fist of Etiquette]

This just in: Judges can be morons.

[GILMORE]

I think the show should include a Neon Clown doing sign language in the corner of the screen just because the Twitter and Stock Tickers by themselves are not sufficiently distracting enough to completely elide the actual TV program, and unfortunately end up hearing actual full sentences from people from time to time.

[GILMORE]

(correction)...."*I* unfortunately"

[SweatingGin]

two guys standing back-to-back as smiling with arms crossed, as the camera pans around them. Presumably sportscasters.

[Bam!]

Show needs a sign language girl behind Kennedy.

[kibby]

I'm sorry, was the whatever was happening in the elevator story not part of the Topical Storm?? REALLY?

[GILMORE]

No that was the "Serious headline story"

See my first comment way above.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

New York State.
Rah Rah Rah

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Won't you come into my parlor, said New York to the businesses...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Shep is the most plastic looking anything in the history of plastics.

[kibby]

He does look like a couple of Doctor Who villains.

[GILMORE]

Seriously. I was like "ITS A REPLICANT! SHOOT IT!"

[jesse.in.mb]

That's cold, bro. You wouldn't administer a Voight-Kampff test first?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

You see what happened to the guy who tried that on Leon?

[Agammamon]

Just remember not to ask about their mothers.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is that the same shirt only in a different color?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Perhaps the booty grab in the after-show?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

In Putins Russia, Hockey beats you!

[Bam!]

Tomorrow, Kennedy will play a clip of Shep discussing Kennedy's playing of the clip of Shep and Kennedy hugging.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Do you believe in setups? YES!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Bure.

One of the most under rated prolific goal scorer.

He was awesome.

[BigT]

Best game of the Cup tonight so far.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is the space pope reptilian?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Alf reference.

Ha!
I slay me.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2JEmPZi9d0

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Nobody walk barefoot in the kitchen!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Meow.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Tell us how you really feel about Hillary, Mr. Greenwald.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They got Greenwald!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

He said that?

So gay.

/blank stare.

[RishJoMo]

What a nerd man, I am talkijng total nerd!

http://www.YourAnon.tk

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yeah, there's no choice on the left. Vote Democrat and vote often.

[GILMORE]

Interrupt faster!!Kennedy!! Matt almost got one out there...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Those civil libertarian progressives, faced with a choice of Hillary and Rand, may only break for Hillary by 90%-10%!

[SweatingGin]

"civil libertarian progressives"

OxyMoron?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Rand Paul 2016: Because Women Deserve a Better First Than Hillary

[kibby]

Can I please have a shirt with this on it?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Copyright GMSM Inc, all rights reserved. Now, how much?

[kibby]

Pshaw, like I'm paying you.

[Bam!]

You want us to choose between two TMZ topics. We've been choosing the non-TMZ topic thus far. Have you not gotten the message?

[Bam!]

How many takes did they need to get Samuel Jackson not to swear during that commercial?

[SweatingGin]

Is this a good time to bust out the Orson Welles commercial outtakes?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I can't tell if this is racism or not.

[jesse.in.mb]

He's certainly ...unvarnished when dealing with political correctness.

[kibby]

Half the kids in my Persian class were Engineering majors.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Were they into blue carpet and gold curtain rods?

[Paul.]

*looks around nervously*

Who isn't?

[Fist of Etiquette]

DON'T TALK SHIT ABOUT THE TOMCAT.

[GILMORE]

Sherrod's giggling is not only distracting guests but viewers as well.

You'd think he was working on some smart remark, but then... no.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Can that conversion really stick? If my kid came back she's gonna damn stay Christian.

[jesse.in.mb]

Then they're apostates and can be executed. Not being a Muslim is waaaaaaay better than being an apostate Muslim wrt life expectancy.

[SweatingGin]

Pretty sure the point is that if they then "leave" Islam, some other Boko Haram whatever kills them.

(leave, as in, say they didn't really convert or whatever)

[kibby]

Thank you for pointing out that this problem is located in a country that is riddled with religious issues, Matt.

[BigT]

Over 100 boys were killed at a Nigerian school a month or so ago. **crickets**

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No 'they all looked my sons' hashtag from Michelle?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm sure those Boko Harem folks are in the throes of a moral conundrum after they saw Michelle Obama hold up that hashtag.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Can we ban the word hashtag?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

#hashtag

[SweatingGin]

#CancelHashtags

[Notorious G.K.C.]

#stopmetadiscussionsofhashtag

[SweatingGin]

#EveryoneInThisThreadIsOldAsFuck

[GILMORE]

That would be convenient, since so far I've managed to go through life not caring to find out what it means or how it works.

what I know so far = it has something to do with twitter

[Paul.]

Oh shit, you too? Just tonight I was driving home (using fossil fuels, as is my wont) and I suddenly got to wondering, "What is a hashtag? How does it work? When you put one in a twitter message, what does it do?"

Then a Huey Lewis song came on the radio and I completely forgot about hash tags.

[kibby]

We need the first lady to pout & hold up a sign about banning them in order for that process to begin, sorry.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'd rather eat a whole bag of cumin than discuss these topics.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

By the way, Independents, thank you for not using your peculiar brand of sensitivity to cover the Harvard black mass, which, by the way, just got cancelled.

Even though President Faust (yes, Faust) would have allowed it to proceed.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/met.....story.html

[jesse.in.mb]

BEVERAGE REGENERATION TIME!

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

#zima

[jesse.in.mb]

Apparently still available to the Japs.

(sorry Fist, the Japanese)

[SweatingGin]

Really? Seems like someone could make a fun 60 second skit about some yuppie on a quest to drink the last zima.

[Bam!]

Rusty Miller.

[jesse.in.mb]

OH SHIT!

And post it on Vimeo...

Brilliance drips from your gin-soaked lips, sir.

[SweatingGin]

wine-soaked tonight

[Fist of Etiquette]

This isn't the guy who built the railroads here.

[GILMORE]

Bryan Suits is funny, smart, and very sharp about world affairs.

He should be on every night.

(* I was actually going to say something fairly nasty after the first line; instead, use your imagination)

[GILMORE]

Tierney is so white, he makes Kennedy look Puerto Rican.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Seriously.

Nation of fucking pussies.

Doc Rivers. Sheesh.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Isiah hates Magic too.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They've spent more time on the Sterling thing than on the slavers.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Yes, literal slavers got less time than a guy who said some racist stuff.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Yes, literal slavers got less time than a guy who said some racist stuff.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Sterling should just skip the lawsuits and demand a trial by combat.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Does he get a champion and can he be black?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

God, this topic sucks ass.

This is the worst show they've ever done.

[kibby]

Really? Worse than that abortion of a healthcare Friday night show?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

We'll call it a push.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm still calling it Welch's Gripe Juice and will do so until it catches on.

[Fist of Etiquette]

TOTAL RIPOFF.

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

How about "Bad Mattitude" ?

[BiMonSciFiCon]

That's a good picture of Mark Ruffalo.

[Fist of Etiquette]

What's this segment going to be called? "Where's Matt"? "Where it's Matt"? "Werematt"?

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Wermacht

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know who else spoke German?

[Bam!]

Sideshow Bob.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

The, Bart, the

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Ted?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Broomhilda von Shaft?

[GILMORE]

+1 Operation Valkyrie

[GILMORE]

I was joking way way above about how it was important we get a full update on something something about David Sterling.

And fuck me if they didn't bring it.

Is The Independents becoming Fox's version of Celebrity News with a dash of occasional 'serious stuff'?

I can imaging some shithead producer going, "its for like, a Young Demographic and stuff! It needs more twitters and shit! Also, get the black guy to joke around more...he's too serious. Also, make the screechy white girl interrupt anyone who talks more than 3 seconds... kids these days dont' think! They work in soundbytes..."

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Yay, managed childhoods! They're totally being prepared for life!

[Bam!]

Gavin is going to be filling in? Christ, they found a way to make it worse.

[kibby]

They did.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

ah, Lou Dobbs

[Fist of Etiquette]

AH! Lou Dobbs.

[Paul.]

That's some freaky shit.

[Calidissident]

To illustrate how even the libertarians of Reddit are idiots, here's this gem

(Talking about how his comment saying that Lincoln was America's Hitler got downvoted in another subreddit)

"I certainly never expected so many people to defend his genocide of US citizens"

Regardless of your opinion on Lincoln or the Civil War, comparing him to Hitler or saying that he or the North committed genocide in the Civil War is fucking stupid. +9 karma as of the time I'm posting this comment

http://www.reddit.com/r/badhis....._american/

[Calidissident]

Here's the direct link to the thread with his comment

http://www.np.reddit.com/r/Shi.....incoln_in/

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know who else was just like Hitler?

[jesse.in.mb]

Nicole?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Charlie Chaplin in *The Great Dictator?*

[kibby]

!!! YES!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Moe Howard in 'You Nazty Spy!'?

[jesse.in.mb]

Clones of Hitler?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Sorry, mine was better.

[jesse.in.mb]

Technically both of yours were better.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The [SPOILER ALERT] Hitler clone in The Boys from Brazil?

[jesse.in.mb]

Your mom?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Kay Barnett-Clark got a nasty surprise when she bit into her KFC chicken wing.

KFC still serves 'chicken'?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Teenaged manager doesn't have much common sense.

[GILMORE]

Because the problem with the Regular Show is 'way too rigid structure'

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

OH let this happen

Who, What, Why: Could Boris Johnson be UK PM and then US president?

[SweatingGin]

why not at the same time? kind of like an act of union.

[Pathogen]

*Special relationship*

[jesse.in.mb]

Some of us know about the Herndon Climb

[Fist of Etiquette]

NOT EVERYTHING HAS A SEXUAL COMPONENT.

[Irish]

NOT EVERYTHING HAS A SEXUAL COMPONENT.

This is the inaugural episode of what I like to call the Fist Fix. It's where I fix one of Fist's posts by deleting only a single word.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The challenge will be to fix one without simply taking the not out.

[Irish]

The challenge will be to one without simply taking the not out.

Fuck, he was right.

[jesse.in.mb]

The challenge will be to fix one without simply taking the not out?

[SweatingGin]

NOT EVERYTHING HAS A SEXUAL COMPONENT.

[jesse.in.mb]

Rule 34 would like a word with you.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

What does Europe think of Britain?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tierney is in the pocket of Big Nicotine.

[GILMORE]

Government makes billions off of tobacco sales.

product effectively competes with tobacco

Surprisingly, government decides product shouldn't exist.

Shocker.

[GILMORE]

White people drive like this.

[RannedPall]

Brooklyn Jews probably drive worse. Oh shit, hold on, I think that's the hate speech police pounding on my door.

[GILMORE]

You mean the Satmar hasidics in Williamsburg?

OMG you know that? They don't learn to drive until they're like 30-something.

I've never really understood why that is, but then its NYC and a lot of people don't drive. Also, everything about the Satmar is kinda like, 'don't ask'.

Also, they seem to love Minivans. And really disgusting old Puerto rican prostitutes.

[RannedPall]

I had family in Prospect Heights (they've since moved back to LA) that would complain nonstop about the aforementioned crazy orthodox Jewish drivers and their damn minivans. But also, many of them immigrate here to West LA, and bring their shitty driving habits right along with them, weaving and shooting across Pico like the messiah is here or something.

[RannedPall]

Brooklyn Jews probably drive worse. Oh shit, hold on, I think that's the hate speech police pounding on my door.

[RannedPall]

Looks like the squirrels are also conspiring against me.

[jesse.in.mb]

Are they fleet-footed squirrels?

[Army of the 12 Monkeys]

Tape a ?p?e?n?n?y an acorn to a basketball and find out.

[Bam!]

This discussion of vaping is more interesting than the TMZ shit from the normal show. Instead of discussing topical bullshit, discuss topics your guests can make meaningful insights about.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You know what else is more interesting than the normal show?

A *lot* of stuff.

[GILMORE]

" discuss topics your guests can make meaningful insights about."

producer somewhere scratches his head...
....

..."do kids watch shit like that? Do a focus group. Also, plan some more David Sterling segments for next week."

[Fist of Etiquette]

Welch waiting until the aftershow to name drop Real Time.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I realize the entire show is Kennedy's segment, but if they gave Kennedy a send-off mini-segment how about we call it:

The Kennedy Chat-a-Quick-Minute Incident?

[SweatingGin]

KennedyAttentionDeficitRapidFireTopicSegment

(and it contained a word that was too long before)

[Irish]

'The Kennedy A-Chat-ination'

[Irish]

'Kennedy's Magic Bullshit'

'Back and to the right'

She could have a segment where she reviews books called 'The Book Depository' or a gardening segment called 'Grassy Knoll.'

[Fist of Etiquette]

What you talking about, Sherrod?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Someone needs to stage an intervention with this show.

[Michael S. Langston]

Intervention! Intervention!

[kibby]

So I am officially done with my college career (though uploading final grades doesn't seem to be much of a priority for my professors) & will now accept your sincere congratulations.

[Warrren]

-shrugs-

[kibby]

A pox on your house, sir!

[jesse.in.mb]

Soooooo you temporarily have a bunch of free time? I'll make Playa plan another brunch.

[RannedPall]

Yeah, what the hell, I leave for DC on June 14 (summer internship shit), so let's maybe so something before that?

[Irish]

If you want to plan a brunch, you could do so without taking advantage of a governmentally enforced monopoly, you goddamn hypocrite.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I've broken a few libertarian taboos for kibby: I sent her a postcard through the USPS and I'm taking an Amtrak to see her in a few weeks.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

AWWW

[Irish]

I bet if you get married you'll get a license.

And if you have children, you'll register them...with the state!

Any relationship that isn't entirely based on periodic meetings at a compound in the hills, weed smoking, and the stockpiling of firearms is insufficiently libertarian.

[jesse.in.mb]

If you want to plan a brunch, you could do so without taking advantage of a governmentally enforced monopoly, you goddamn hypocrite.

Would you rather she paid the 71.3c gas tax in CA or the 2/3 of the cost of a flight that is "fees and taxes"?

The trains will be going with or without her and the cost of the tickets stay the same regardless. She's offsetting the taxpayer cost for that run if she's on the train.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

$45 one way from LA to Tucson. But there isn't a returning train until Thursday overnight which would require me missing too many days of work.

So I'm booking a $120 flight with Southwest. The opportunity cost of missing a full 8 hour shift is over $80 so I figure it is more cost effective that way. Is my math wrong here?

[jesse.in.mb]

That doesn't sound too bad. I think I only checked weekend and weekend adjacent schedules. I'm not sure about mid-week.

[kibby]

I have no place to stay if I go there & am already going to be out of town for a week & a half this month.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I can think of a place, but he lives with his parents.

[RannedPall]

From what I gather from my lurkings through past threads, you're from Arizona? And everyone knows that whenever an Arizonan says they're "going out of town", they're either going to LA or San Diego, because I see way too many Arizona plates here in LA going miles under the speed limit.
/endLAlocalrant

[kibby]

I'm going back to Ohio, actually, so I shan't be clogging up your roadways!

[RannedPall]

Pfew, thanks for keeping our roadways clear and relatively traffic free!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Where in Ohio?

[Agammamon]

Funnily enough, I see tons of CA plates *here* going miles under the speed limit *and* not understanding that you can turn right from the lane that the cars are parked in.

Wherever your from, the drivers elsewhere are horrible.

[RannedPall]

Well not sure where you're from... But I don't drive like that! Pinky promise.

[jesse.in.mb]

not understanding that you can turn right from the lane that the cars are parked in.

Fuuuck, I hate that. But aren't most of your out of staters snowbirds? Can they really be thought of as representative?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Congratulations!

[kibby]

Thank you!!

[SweatingGin]

Congrats! are you sure you won't just go back again?

[kibby]

If I can scrape together money somehow, I may apply for the M.Phil in Classics at Trinity someday.

[GILMORE]

Congratulations!

As my father said, "This is a happy day. Now I don't ever have to contribute another dime to your well being, ever again!"

[kibby]

Mine feels the same way, though I've hardly ever asked him for anything.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Playtime is over. Get a job.

[kibby]

Playtime? College was not nearly so awesome as I was lead to believe. But, yes, I have applied for dozens of grown-up jobs. Now if only someone would call me back!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

College not awesome?

Best six years of my life!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

http://instantrimshot.com/

[SweatingGin]

"I just want to say one word to you, just one word"

[kibby]

Exactly how do you mean?

[Irish]

There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?

[kibby]

Yes, I will. (I may be lying.)

[GILMORE]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHGCvJjat1E

[GILMORE]

Oh. he already did that.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Also this

[Jesus H. Christ]

Congrats! Now, take that hard won education and start a career in a completely unrelated field!

God speed!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"More than five centuries after Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria, was wrecked in the Caribbean, archaeological investigators think they may have discovered the vessel's long-lost remains ? lying at the bottom of the sea off the north coast of Haiti. It's likely to be one of the world's most important underwater archaeological discoveries."

http://www.independent.co.uk/n.....59330.html

[Irish]

Internet comments never disappoint.

Jesse Peterson 29 minutes ago
The original inhabitants of Haiti are still cursing the jew slavers for bringing in ni qqers.

King Lear 31 minutes ago
The Egyptians beat all the European explorers. Egyptian artifacts were found in the Grand Canyon and mounds located in Ohio river valley.

This is just not true.

AWoLsco 32 minutes ago
Yes it's an odd thing. The first free black society, was doing well.....self-sufficient and exporting tropical produce until.....the USA rolled up in the 1920s.
Then everything has been downhill ever since.

Yes, fucking Haiti never had any economic problems until mean old America ruined things in the 20's.

I must have just hallucinated the impressively named War of the Knives and the multiple coups of the mid-1800s.

At one point, the government made it illegal for peasants to leave their land and move to the towns...which was basically a reinstitution of slavery, just in a different name.

Truly, Haiti was a utopia ruined by American greed.

[GILMORE]

"I must have just hallucinated the impressively named War of the Knives and the multiple coups of the mid-1800s."

Yeah, I know. That's almost as dumb as the guy who said, "Stalin didn't kill anybody"

There is a certain class of idiot who will say shit like this, AND, just to make things more ridiculous, claim that

"Most people don't know this because they aren't *as informed as I am*"

And they genuinely do consider themselves 'informed'.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

It is a shame though that the US was not more welcoming and supportive of Haiti when they overthrew the yoke of slavery, and some of that was due to the rank prejudice of our society at the time.

[Irish]

It is a shame though that the US was not more welcoming and supportive of Haiti when they overthrew the yoke of slavery

It's a bit difficult to be supportive of a slave revolution when you're a slave owning nation yourself.

America has committed its share of atrocities, and some of the things we did to Haiti are on that list. It's just that Haiti was a nightmarish place going all the way back to the 1800's, so blaming America for its current problems is absurd.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

" It's just that Haiti was a nightmarish place going all the way back to the 1800's, so blaming America for its current problems is absurd."

Agreed, it was a silly, simplistic way to understand that history.

"It's a bit difficult to be supportive of a slave revolution when you're a slave owning nation yourself."

Yes, that was really quite unfortunate morally for us.

[Redmanfms]

I've met some black supremacists who believe some really weird shit. Actually, I've met a fair number of "ordinary" black people who believe the following lunacy:

The ancient Egyptians were actually black but racist white egyptologists have covered it up.

The Greeks "stole" Nubian culture and then covered up the existence of a great Nubian empire.

Julius Caesar was actually black (one wonders why they's claim that guy). The "bad" Roman emperors were actually all white usurpers.

Nubians discovered the Americas thousands of years before Columbus and established an empire that covered nearly all of both continents (North and South America) and traded with the Chinese. Olmec statues with broad noses and big lips are offered as the evidence.

The Chinese learned everything they knew from the Nubians.

Eli Whitney was actually black. I've actually heard this about several prominent inventors/early naturalists.

[Warrren]

Eli Whitney Houston.

[Calidissident]

The indigenous people of Haiti are killed by smallpox and the Spanish and its the fault of the Jews and the blacks. Heroic Mulatto must have superpowers.

France deserves far more blame for Haiti's condition than the US does. Even after independence, they continued to interfere and forced Haiti to pay outrageous tribute.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I'm a week behind. Did anyone go to the Reason Video Game thing last week? If so, did shenanigans ensue?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I went by myself and met up with some UCI friends. Also got to meet Jesse who sold me on using the Amtrak.

Kennedy was there but she had her rugrats with her (I think one was hanging on her neck the entire time). And because my friends were late and wanted to eat free food from the food truck we were shut out of the video taping. Still a fun night though.

[kibby]

& you didn't get the picture with Matt I asked for. ONE THING I ASKED OF YOU.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

He's not to be trusted.

[kibby]

Well make up your mind! Is it puppy love or can I not trust him?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

IT CAN BE BOTH

[kibby]

THAT IS CONFUSING.

[Tejicano]

Way too often you will find that life is confusing.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Hey man, you don't talk to Matt Welch, you listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean, sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say hello to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say "Do you know that 'if' is the middle word in life? 'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you'..." I mean, I'm no, I can't ? I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man. "I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas..."

[Big Chief]

Hey...
That was beautiful, man.

You touched me...

[SweatingGin]

"Also got to meet Jesse who sold me on using the Amtrak."

STATISTS! Both of you!

Go back and re-read Bagge's Amtrak comic. (I actually did last week, for some reason I can't remember, and still thoroughly enjoyed it).

[jesse.in.mb]

I got to New Orleans early even though we left late because someone had jumped in front of a connecting train.

Wait, I can do better. Libertarians should take the train because "know thy enemy." Also it's fun to go with a group of friends, a backpack full of snacks, and a deck of cards.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Is Amtrak anywhere as efficient as DeutscheBahn?

[SweatingGin]

And we're gonna put the Arlo Guthrie song "City of New Orleans" on repeat. Forever.

Almost all of my AmTrak hate is vicarious, after various co-workers did 12 hour trips to Chicago (vs. 4 hours driving, or 45 minutes flying). And that whole "if only there was high speed rail to Chicago!" (then it would only take 11 hours.)

[jesse.in.mb]

AvP: I've only taken DeutscheBahn to Prague and back and everything ran on time. I also had good experience with the U-Bahn in Berlin and the S-Bahn in Berlin and Hanover.

SG: My grandparents took me LA to Upstate NY by train with Chicago as the transit hub. I still remember a lightning storm over the New Mexican desert one way and the ride through Colorado the other way. It's amazing, but you have to assume the train travel is part of the trip.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I once had 1 minute to change trains in Berlin, but the trains were on the same platform.
Did you use a EuroRail pass?

[jesse.in.mb]

No, just bought a one-off round trip ticket. Within Berlin I used day passes.

I did miss the last train of the day back to Berlin due to a snaggle-toothed Italian, but that was my fault, not the rail system's.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

yeah for one trip a Eurorail isn't worth it.
But it's cheaper than the train from Dresden to Frankfurt.

[jesse.in.mb]

I took HLX from Venice to Hanover in 2004. It was right after Hapag-Lloyd started offering passenger service. Dirt cheap. Awful experience. They played their theme song for the entire time we were on the runway from boarding to takeoff and from landing to deplaning. "Come fly the taxi of the air (fly the taxi of the air)/it can take you anywhere (can take you anywhere)" on repeat. Badly sung in English by Germans.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

uh, what's a bogan?

[GILMORE]

Are you an aussie, or do you read Aussie/Kiwi papers all the time for kicks?

and if so, fucking hell = what time is it?

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

I read them for kicks.

[GILMORE]

"The term bogan (/?bo???n/)[1] is Australian and New Zealand slang, usually pejorative or self-deprecating, for an individual who is recognised to be from an unsophisticated background or someone whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour exemplify a lack of manners and education.[2] Whilst bogan is widely recognised, localised names exist that describe the same or very similar groups of people.[3]"

That'd make it the southern-hemisphere version of 'Chav' (for the English) and 'redneck' or 'guido' for the American.

[AlmightyJB]

sounds like an aussie hilljack

[GILMORE]

"hilljack

From the southern region of the Midwest (see Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania and the better part of West Virginia). Hilljacks have a penchant for sleeveless t-shirts, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet and low-end regional beer"

Midwestern Redneck?

same shit all over.

Although there is nothing bad one can say about cheap beer, cookouts, and guns. Or Molly Hatchet.

[AlmightyJB]

yeah, I'm about all of that. Of course I like expensive beer as well:)

[Warrren]

Sounds like a shoe.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

strange secrets of North Korea

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

In case you were wondering what kind of show John Oliver would have on HBO

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

paging barfman.

[Rich]

"Ambassador Stevens was not murdered. He died of smoke inhalation in the safe room ...."

[Tejicano]

I very rarely click on anything - but had to see just who could state the above with a straight face. I would like to see that woman agree to being killed by smoke inhalation since she obviously would not have been murdered in that case.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

oh
Capitalism's contradictions mean that the system will fail, says David Harvey. "The longer it goes on, the less likely that it will be a peaceful transition"

[Irish]

They're not even trying to hide the fact that they're buffoonish Communists at this point.

Although David Harvey looks pretty much exactly like the type of person who would hate Capitalism. A man that old actually lived through the alternatives, so he doesn't have much of an excuse.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

"The Bolshevists persistently tell us that religion is opium for the people. Marxism is indeed opium for those who might take to thinking and must therefore be weaned from it."

--Ludwig von Mises

[Irish]

They also have the claim that today we're living in a 'free market' period unlike the Keynesian utopia of the 1950's.

Say, how much did the government spend in the 50's and 60's? And how big were the welfare programs?

Truly, the government has shrank to an unbearably small size since the glory days of 1957!

[Rich]

"I looked at it and thought, 'I can't see how I am going to understand all of this, given the techniques that are available to me, and maybe I should look for something else.' That is when I started to read Marx, just to see if something was there."

But why *Marx*? Why not, say, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

This time...it will work.

We'll have the right Top. Men. and we won't kill 100M people...like the last time.

They fucking drip stupid.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Just goes to show that there are some ideas so stupid only an academic could believe them.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Nope, thiss episode of Househunters International is not playing on gay stereotypes at. all.

[Warrren]

Thisss epissssode....

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

sorry.

thith epithode.

[Rich]

Does it make you want to just *scream*?

[jesse.in.mb]

So, this is a thing, but I can't get Ketchup or All Dressed chips. Fuck you, America.

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

The Gold Standard.

[jesse.in.mb]

Bah, now I need to come to Canada again.

I brought Ketchup Chips in to work and nobody would try them. Then they finally relented and demanded more.

[Rich]

LOL

Too many damn choices!

[Archduke von Pantsfan]

Shut. Down. Everything.

[Sevo]

SF tore down a freeway that provided pretty easy access from the south- and east-bay areas to the western parts of the city. It had been there long enough that residences and property values had changed to reflect the access.
It's gone, an 8-block section of one street now gets sunlight and gov't planners flock to see it. But not at rush-hour; it is HORRENDOUS!

"Road to rebirth? S.F.'s post-freeway Octavia may be a model"
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....470122.php

[Warrren]

You'd think that people freed from the need to make a profit and given security from the vagaries of society via a high salary and insulated from the potential soul-crushing effects of bad decisions (thus they are not paralyzed by doubt) and given the power to effect change as needed would make better choices.

[Sevo]

And their disasters visited on others means they keep their jobs!
Wonderful to be freed from the profit motive.