A.M. Links: Obama Swaps Taliban Fighters for U.S. Soldier, China Prepares for Tiananmen Anniversary, Spanish King Abdicates Throne

• 

  Credit: C-Span

  President Obama has swapped five Taliban fighters held in U.S. custody in exchange for captive U.S. soldier Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

• Spanish King Juan Carlos will abdicate the throne to make way for his son, 46-year-old Crown Prince Felipe.

• Chinese authorities have arrested dozens of activists and increased the number of armed forces in Tiananmen Square in anticipation of this week's 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

• Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.

• Bypassing Congress, President Obama plans to use executive power to create a new Environmental Protection Agency rule on carbon emissions.

• The N.S.A. is collecting millions of images of peope's faces from intercepted emails, text messages, and other communications.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and don't forget to sign up for Reason's daily updates for more content.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Obama has swapped five Taliban fighters held in U.S. custody in exchange for captive U.S. soldier Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Luckily since he’s ending Bush’s war there, there’ll be no US soldiers left to keep kidnapping for swaps.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

-9,900

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

Blackhawks ran out of juice.

Any cycling fans around here?

[Ted S.]

I like stage races for the scenery.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Exactly. Same here. For me, the Giro because of Italy’s endless architectural diversity. It’s nuts. It literally changes from stage to stage.

[invisible furry hand]

Yep, am excited about Le Tour

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Giro, Vuelta, Tour and a few other UCI road races. All good.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Just finished watching Quintana impressively win Giro. It was a great race. Onto the TDF.

[anomdebus]

Fuckin’ Quintana… that creep can roll, man.

[Rich]

News you can use: Buy a shitty bike

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Yeah, I knew the Hawks were done when with 14 minutes left and a one goal lead, they went into a shell.

This is the worst outcome – all the beatings, injuries and long weardown of the playoffs, without a chance at the Cup.

Bleah.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeah my buddy was buzzing on that. He couldn’t understand given LA’s proven and wicked comeback abilities.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

With this core of Hawks I’d be stunned if they don’t win at least one more cup. Six or seven bona fide world class players on that team. They even have a chance at matching Detroit’s 4-2 record in Cups final over, what, a 15-year span?

[KDN]

The Worst Outcome basically sums up the entirety of my sports-watching experience over the last couple of years. I think I’m going to quit watching them entirely and take up a more productive hobby, like meth.

I think a goalie upgrade needs to be targeted. I found Crawford to be unimpressive at best.

[db]

U.S. DOJ attack on French bank BNP called a “masterful slap.”

Obama’s pimp hand is strong.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

After urinating on the heads of Swiss banks, Team Lightworker moves on to France!

[Palin's Buttplug]

Fuck BNP. Sanctions are Obama’s version of white phosphorus.

[db]

Ethically highly questionable?

[Anomalous]

Pastor Manning was right!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU

[Rich]

Awesome. I was unaware of this dude. AMEN!!

[KDN]

“This affair is part of Washington’s hegemonic ambition in law and commerce,” said Jacques Myard, a lawmaker from Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP Party. “Washington has the annoying habit of trying to apply its laws outside its jurisdiction and use its strength for commercial ends.”

Yes, it certainly does. It would be nice for somebody to actually do something about that.

[VG Zaytsev]

The strong do as they please; and the weak bare what they must

[Clich? Bandit]

bare or bear?…or both?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.

Next stop: rehab.

[wareagle]

on the next Oprah…

[Snark Plissken]

Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.

But he didn’t put the pics up on Instagram.

[invisible furry hand]

Slurry sex pervert jailed for vendetta against farmer who banned him from rolling in his manure

Read more

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

“Read more”

Um, no thanks. Not even with SugarFree’s eyes.

[SugarFree]

You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen with your eyes.

[db]

Hemorrhoids on fire off the rim of Uranus. I watched g-showers glitter in the dark near the Stagliano Gate. All those… moments… will be lost in time, like tears… in… rain. Time… to die…

[Slammer]

The FARMER’S manure? Yikes!

[Ted S.]

Some people would ask what’s perverted about that.

Thankfully, I am not one of those people.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The heart wants what it wants

[Fist of Etiquette]

Bypassing Congress, President Obama plans to use executive power to create a new Environmental Protection Agency rule on carbon emissions.

There’s nothing a new bureaucracy can’t fix. Especially economic growth.

[Drake]

The only good news is that Executive Orders can be reversed with Executive Orders – if the next guy has any balls and brains.

[gaijin]

if the next guy has any balls and brains.

Hillary has neither

[invisible furry hand]

A woman has complained to police ? and even volunteered to provide a statement in person ? about cannabis in a stolen handbag. Police are surprisingly relaxed about it

[Ted S.]

Do you get a holiday today like those freaky Kiwis do for the Queen’s Birthday? (And wasn’t she born in April anyway?)

[robc]

Royalty can have a birthday whenever they damn well please.

[invisible furry hand]

Ours is Monday 9 June. She was born in April, but the monarch gets an official birthday for us to celebrate along with an actual one. Much like a thoroughbred racehorse.

When i was a kid, the Queen’s birthday was pretty magical because you could legally buy fireworks and set them off in your background. Out on a cold night, bonfires burning, and blowing shit up. God save our noble Queen!

[robc]

Like the joke about July 4th. We celebrate the independence of our country by blowing up pieces of it.

[Clich? Bandit]

I would pay good money to hear your accent read that paragraph.

[Slammer]

Police dogs on the loose. Karma may be a Bitch

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

The dogs are highly trained, but the sheriff’s office says they are not at all killers. They worry that if approached the wrong way by someone the dogs could react aggressively, making finding them a priority for their office.

Not killers at all, but they could go Cujo on you, so, um, we’d like to find them…

/cops

[Fluffy]

It would be awesome if some family took these dogs in off the street, and then a couple of days later there was a no-knock raid on their house.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

That would be the Irony Award winner of the decade.

[Rich]

Well, you know — It might be nice if we we informed as to the *right* way to approach them.

[waffles]

The article makes it seem like they were intentionally dognapped. And the police claim the three dogs are worth $100,000. How much do they compensate people when they shoot their dogs?

[Virginian]

These aren’t dogs, they’re canine officers. Whoever took them has kidnapped three police officers.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.

$2 billion search for poontang begins.

[Fluffy]

“I’ll take ‘People Who Annoy You’ for $2 billion, Alex!”

Ha! It’s funny ’cause it’s the wrong game show!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Spanish King Juan Carlos will abdicate the throne to make way for his son, 46-year-old Crown Prince Felipe.

They still have a monarch? Didn’t they elect socialists a few years ago? What good are socialists if they leave royalty in place?

[WTF]

“Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.”

[Fluffy]

I was going to post that, but it made me feel old.

[Ted S.]

“You’re only as old as the woman you feel.” — Groucho Marx

[This is why there are no female libertarians….]

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Tourism $? Plus did this particular Rey help thwart a rightie coup attempt back in the day?

[invisible furry hand]

He did indeed. He also had a bespoke perfume created for him by Guerlain, slept with many beautiful women, and shot elephants. Basically all the things you’d hope for in a modern monarch

[Scarecrow Repair]

The whole constitutional monarchy thing makes my head spin. All the articles about this abdication are full of stuff about the crown prince being ready to take on the duties, blather about the king being unpopular partly because he spent money on a lavish safari, then blather about the prince being popular because he likes sailing on the royal yacht.

I just do not get it.

[Ted S.]

If you have to have a ceremonial head of state doing the state funerals etc. thing, I suppose it’s no worse to have an inherited monarch than to have an ex-politician in a sinecure.

[invisible furry hand]

Probably better, as there’s no controversial track record to squabble over and it’s not a prize for political arse-licking or worse. You get it for the lamest, and hence least objectionable, reason, and you have to shut up and support charities and turn up to boring things a lot.

[invisible furry hand]

Probably better, as there’s no controversial track record to squabble over and it’s not a prize for political arse-licking or worse. You get it for the lamest, and hence least objectionable, reason, and you have to shut up and support charities and turn up to boring things a lot.

[Scarecrow Repair]

I understand that part, and even like it in some ways. But I don’t understand the press going along with it, all the talk of being prepared for his duties, all the seriousness they throw in the stories. I read them all with the image of the writer giggling while he types, having to take laugh breaks, I just cannot believe anyone takes any of it seriously.

[Clich? Bandit]

I always wondered, is there a bright line in British history when the monarch became impotent? I know the whole Charles thing but that was reversed. I mean more recently. We, of course, faced off against George III, who no doubt was as absolute as it got at that time. But when since then did the Monarch lose all their power? Or was it just gradual?

[Scarecrow Repair]

George III was not absolute. Many of his problems stemmed from this. The ministers he wanted wouldn’t bend to his wishes, and the ministers who would bend to his wishes were incompetent. He had to do everything through them.

I think the death knell for Brit monarchy power was George III’s successors, who were weaklings, and then Victoria, who left the ministers alone, and she reigned so long that any idea of restoring even a little monarchial power were too quaint for anybody.

[Ted S.]

The N.S.A. is collecting millions of images of peope’s faces from intercepted emails, text messages, and other communications.

This is why I don’t email photos of myself. Well, this, and the fact that while Helen of Troy had the face that launched a thousand ships, I’ve got the face that broke a thousand cameras.

[gaijin]

The N.S.A. is collecting millions of images of peope’s faces from intercepted emails, text messages, and other communications.

Surprisingly, many Americans look like dicks

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Nicely done!

[Snark Plissken]

+100 Carlos Dangers

[Rich]

The NSA: Saving Us from (Carlos) Danger!

[LiveFreeOrDiet]

This is why NSA thinks I look like Bernadette Peters.

[Rich]

Dems to unveil 2014 slogan

Contest! What *will* it be?

My entry: “Are You Serious in 2014?”

[Bee Tagger]

This could be lead to a Yahoo Serious ticket, so count me in.

[Fluffy]

#YesAllFascists

[Rich]

#LOL

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

#BringBackOurTurds

[WTF]

“What difference at this point does it make?”

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

“Team Blue – we haven’t strangled the last of the economy yet!”

[Fist of Etiquette]

“Republicans Did It”

[invisible furry hand]

“Pop pop!”

[Slammer]

Forwards into the Great Future, Comrades!

[Restoras]

“Our Bush is Better!”

[VG Zaytsev]

“What difference does it make.”

[JW]

“Because you’re stupid enough to vote for us, again.”

[Clich? Bandit]

When was the last time there was a Dem back to back presidency (different person no so FDR) NOT due to assassination or death in office?

[Not an Economist]

Bill Clinton was a Democrat.

[Clich? Bandit]

Preceded by an R and succeeded by an R.

Try again.

[mr simple]

Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan? Still they both only served 4 year terms. More than 8 might be too much for the American public.

[Moe19]

Pro choice!!!1!
…as long as it is our choice!

[Bee Tagger]

The N.S.A. is collecting millions of images of peope’s faces from intercepted emails, text messages, and other communications.

The NSA is going to think we’re a race of pouty-lipped people, now.

[Fluffy]

“Yes, sir, the computers are quite sure. We’re about to face a devastating terrorist attack launched by…ducks.”

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

At least somebody knows what to do with all those selfies

[Fist of Etiquette]

The N.S.A. is collecting millions of images of peope’s faces from intercepted emails, text messages, and other communications.

At least they’re not collecting our serial commas. Yet.

[Fluffy]

I think you mean Oxford commas.

Me, I don’t give a fuck.

[Jordan]

We Lost Soldiers in the Hunt for Bergdahl, a Guy Who Walked Off in the Dead of Night

After we redeployed, every member of my brigade combat team received an order that we were not allowed to discuss what happened to Bergdahl for fear of endangering him. He is safe, and now it is time to speak the truth.

And that the truth is: Bergdahl was a deserter, and soldiers from his own unit died trying to track him down.

[John]

They just wanted to close Guitmo and let the scumbags go. This asshole wasn’t a pow. He was a deserter.

[Virginian]

I don’t want him to be, just because I really hope there isn’t anyone dumb enough to think deserting to the Taliban is a good call. But anything’s possible.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

There’s always somebody dumb enough, always.

[Restoras]

Indeed. PT Barnum understood this.

[BakedPenguin]

4 soldiers deserted to North Korea.

[Jordan]

Well, he wasn’t intending to desert to the Taliban. He intended to walk to India. Yeah, still a dumbass.

[DontShootMe]

He intended to walk to India.

why can’t our public schools teach geography anymore? Sheesh.

[Marshall Gill]

why can’t our public schools teach geography anymore?

Well, Afghanistan and India are only this *holds fingers an inch apart* far apart on a globe!

[invisible furry hand]

Spanish King Juan Carlos will abdicate the throne to make way for his son.

He broke his hip while shooting elephants a few years ago, you know.

[BigT]

Off the pigs!!

Protester arrested for impersonating a police officer while wearing a pig mask

[Ted S.]

Well, it was a Muslim police officer….

[Slammer]

Star Wars meets Agalloch/ Opeth metal. Hoth, an unsigned metal band from Seattle. Check out the Vader tie-fighter logo. Concept album about ‘the story of an individual from his conception and follows him down a path that grows darker and darker.’

[Rich]

Bakery Will Stop Making Wedding Cakes After Losing Discrimination Case

What about civil-union cakes?

[Jordan]

So, if people have a right to cake, isn’t closing a bakery violating their rights as well?

[Ted S.]

Someone left my cake out in the rain….

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

“The next time a gay couple wanders in there asking for a wedding cake, they won’t have the experience we had.
“They will have a responsible experience and leave feeling respected.”

Um, no… Now nobody will get wedding cakes from there.

[Rich]

“With all due respect, we don’t sell wedding cakes.”

[Brian D]

“And if we did we wouldn’t want to sell to you anyway.”

Still legal to say, for now…

[Virginian]

“The next time a gay couple wanders in there asking for a wedding cake, they won’t have the experience we had.
“They will have a responsible experience and leave feeling respected.”

Laws are magic!

People like this never left grade school. They’re still tugging on the teacher’s sleeves, demanding that she make Johnny be nice to them, and give them all his cool stuff.

[Restoras]

These people are also supremely stupid. They actually believe, despite 10,000 years of recorded history, that by passing a law you can make people not be people anymore.

Sometimes I feel bad for them, because someday they will get a very rude awakening. But then I get over that and look forward to it.

[invisible furry hand]

They always want cake

[robc]

So my choices are “or death”?

[invisible furry hand]

“You must have tea and cake with the vicar or you DIE!”

[Trouser-Pod]

“We only had three bits of cake, and we didn’t expect such a rush so many gays!”

[Fist of Etiquette]

NO CAKE FOR ANYONE. HAPPY?

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

So…the cake is a lie?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Fucking bull shit. What a couple of idiots those guys are.

Can someone just be discriminated against without making a federal case out of it anymore?

I mean, the Montreal Canadiens have been practicing discrimination for quite some time you don’t see me going to the Supreme Court.

[Slammer]

danheckler takeresponsibility ? 3 minutes ago
The business owner’s rights are intact – his rights have not been violated in the least. Mr. Phillps never had the “right” to discriminate. Owning a business isn’t a right. It is a privilege afforded to those who abide by the laws governing commerce.

[Snark Plissken]

Imagine the Commerce Clause stamping on a human face ? forever

[JW]

Can I get that on a cake?

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

Sure, as long as it isn’t a wedding cake!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Earning a living isn’t a right, it’s a privilege.

We are so fucking doomed.

[mr simple]

But having someone bake you a cake, now that’s a right if i’ve ever heard of one.

[Virginian]

It is a privilege afforded to those who abide by the laws governing commerce.

Citation needed….oh wait, there’s a letter here from the government.

*opens letter*

It says “FYTW” and it’s signed by Eric Holder.

[Trouser-Pod]

Please, sir…May I have a business?

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

DENIED!

/DoC

[lap83]

I would be shocked if the person who wrote that wasn’t from a privileged background. You’d have to be totally unfamiliar with hard work to assume that it doesn’t exist.

[waffles]

Yet another sterling example of “this is why we can’t have nice things”.

[mr simple]

The commission also ordered the baker to submit quarterly reports about the customers he refuses to serve and retrain employees to serve everyone.

Oh, well that seems ok.

[Virginian]

Free country, right?

[JW]

The commission also ordered the baker to submit quarterly reports about the customers he refuses to serve and retrain employees to serve everyone.

“Here’s the census of the Untied States. Printed out.”

WHUMP.

[Clich? Bandit]

It is sad. There are many gay folks who defend this guys rights but they get lumped in with these two morons and the whole argument becomes cultural rather than a principled discussion of rights.

stupid all around.

[db]

Georgia woman shoots would-be home invaders posing as police.

Guaranteed, some asshole lawmaker somewhere is working on legislation making it illegal to shoot at anyone who.claims to be a LEO. There’s just too much opportunity for a hero to not return home.safely at the.end.of his.shift.

[Ted S.]

They’re also going to make it a much more seriously enahanced crime to try to claim you’re the popo as part of a home invasion.

[Virginian]

http://twitchy.com/2014/06/01/…..e-obvious/

Mother Jones brings the derp, Twitter responds.

[LiveFreeOrDiet]

I love the bit about “If only someone was willing to build a pipe… In a line… Maybe like a pipeline.”

[John]

It is so crazy it just might work.

[Rich]

Young girl drowns during birthday party

“I see nothing that indicates that anyone was inattentive, negligent in any manner,” Sgt. Christ [sic] Holzhauser said.

Not even the *kid*?

Ban swimming pools already — for the children!

[waffles]

many of the 75 to 100 partygoers were apparently distracted while singing Happy Birthday to a 1-year-old. The 4-year-old drowning victim was then spotted in the pool.

This scene is stunningly morbid.

[Rich]

“Quickly, Hannah, dear — blow out the candle!”

[Snark Plissken]

In all seriousness, drowning isn’t like in the movies, there can be little splashing or signs of distress like calling out even for an adult, much less a little kid. There are many cases of adults drowning right next to someone without their being aware anything was wrong.

[hamilton]

One of the few useful articles from Slate was on this subject.

[Snark Plissken]

That’s what I was thinking of, yeah, I think it was posted here a little while back.

[mr simple]

Around 20 years ago I picked my little cousin up off the bottom of the pool, luckily in time, when he was around 2. The pool was full of kids playing and the adults were all 10 feet away around a table. I just happened to look over and see him standing on the bottom.

[Snark Plissken]

Scary stuff. What happened? Did you go to ER?

[mr simple]

I think he just coughed up some water but was otherwise ok. He was still conscious when I pulled him up. I remember the adults taking him after I brought him up, but not much after that. I was only around 12 at the time. I just remember seeing him standing on the bottom near the edge in the shallower end with his eyes open and not moving and me thinking, “Wait, that’s not right.”

[Snark Plissken]

I hope he realizes he owes you a life debt, he has to show up when you are getting a gun pointed at you and put a knife through the base of the guy’s skull. Them’s the rules.

[Corning]

My oldest brother saved my other older brother in a similar fashion.

My saved brother is an asshole to everyone including my oldest.

I don’t think those rules are followed very often.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

And incredibly common. Everybody assumes someone else is watching the pool.

[Virginian]

Yep. There is absolutely no substitute for teaching your kids to swim. Trusting a lifeguard or a bystander is like assuming the cops or a good Samaritan will come save you if someone attacks you.

[invisible furry hand]

Do you have mandatory fences around backyard pools anywhere in the States?

[Restoras]

Everywhere, as far as I know.

[Agammamon]

As far as I know – they’re only required to be installed when you sell the house. So if you own a place with a pool, technically you can’t sell it without installing a fence.

But not everywhere can have that rule – or people are getting away with selling their places without complying.

A friend of mine both bought and sold her house (a couple of years later)without a fence around its pool in 2009.

‘Course that backyard was 90% pool – maybe they just considered the houses wall and backdoor to be fence enough.

[Restoras]

I don’t actually know, to be honest, but everywhere I see a pool I see a fence. It might also be a home-onwers insurance requirement – I seem to recall hearing that.

[Ted S.]

Absolutely.

[Virginian]

I’m sure some places have such a rule. Of course it’s just common sense. Or, you know, you could teach your kids to swim.

[Spartacus]

Yes. Not only that, but in Florida any new pool construction has to include alarms on any doors or windows that open onto the pool area. Even if, like me, your only child is 23 years old and no longer lives at home.

[JW]

Doubtful that even a fence would have prevented this, since the kid was in the pool with a float vest on, but went back in without it when no one was looking.

Fucking sucks, what happened, but you can’t completely eliminate risk.

[Virginian]

http://www.timesdispatch.com/n…..c45df.html

Minutes later, Rose heard a loud banging on his outer front door and heard someone yell, “Police.” When Rose opened the inner door, he saw Hancock and a man later identified as Sessions on his front stoop.

I see this a lot in home invasion stories now. Thanks a lot cops!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I’m cuious what law enforcement experts suggest one do in this situation.

[Marshall Gill]

Die.

[WTF]

Well, you can tell it’s not really the cops because the cops would have just busted down the door and come in shooting after throwing a flashbang grenade.

[Agammamon]

Rose heard a loud banging on his outer front door and heard someone yell, “Police.”

That’s how she knew they weren’t cops.

[SugarFree]

Watch Five Women See Their Vaginas for the First Time

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

/Picks up toys and leaves sandbox

[db]

Only if you watch my YouTube reaction video of the first.time I ever.saw.my own asshole.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

I saw that one

[Ted S.]

I don’t want to look.

[Game of Thrones fan]

Prince Oberyn Martell will not be joining us at the small council meeting today. He has a mild headache.

[Fist of Etiquette]

NO SPOILERS.

[robc]

And see my response below.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I always throw up the all caps no spoilers as a warning for those who might be watching the series first or only. If you’re watching the series first (like me) or only, part of the enjoyment is being surprised.

[robc]

Dont worry, the books and episodes are getting further and further apart.

[robc]

Also, sone of us dont watch the episodes until the dvds come out in Feb. So Im expected to shut up for 14 years but you tv people cant wait 9 months?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I agree on the live-slash-disc thing. But in fairness on the tv-slash-books thing, people are only talking about GoT now because of the television show.

[robc]

Ummm…that was like 9 years ago.

Book 3 was about 2005, right?

[waffles]

Some of us can’t read you insensitive literary supremacist!

[SugarFree]

August 8 2000

[robc]

I was thinking that was book 2. So 4 and 5 took forever (and 6).

[robc]

So nearly 14 years.

I dont know the time limit on spoilers, but that is beyond it.

[SugarFree]

The patent has expired twice.

[Ted S.]

It’s Game of Thrones, anyway. Who cares?

[Jordan]

Not everyone reads the books, as you already know. I have no interest in a Wheel of Time-esque slog.

[Game of Thrones fan]

Nynaeve tugs her braid.

[robc]

7 books isnt WoTish.

[Jordan]

Close enough. If they were all good, then I would be interested. I’m about to start the Stormlight Archive even though it will be a 10 book series, because I have faith that Sanderson won’t turn it into a meandering clusterfuck.

[KDN]

“Hohohoho… holy crap! Did you see his head? It was like – PBBLLT!”

[Restoras]

I think GoT is getting a bit tired. Last night’s episode sucked and there are only two episodes left in the season to pique my interest in coming back for the next.

[KDN]

Yeah, they seem to be spinning their wheels a bit. They usually save the most consequential stuff for episode 9, so hopefully next week’s involves more than just Tyrion getting beheaded and the next installment of Westeros’s favorite buddy comedy, Arya and the Hound.

[Virginian]

Next week has a huge battle if memory serves.

[robc]

“Tyrion getting beheaded”… Awe arent you cute?

Plot armor, dude. The imp has all the plot armor the author could provide. He is Martin’s favorite character.

[robc]

Note: this statement required no future knowledge of the books.

[Agammamon]

Not to mention the public’s favorite character and number one on every dwarf and midgets ‘people I am going to kill’ list.

[Rich]

Private pilots say border agents go too far

They asked him why he was flying from Opa-Locka to the islands. They pressed him to search the plane. Banks refused, but he said the agents didn’t take no for an answer. Banks said an agent repeated the question again while squeezing his gun and inching it out of his holster.

Well, at least he didn’t have to take off his shoes.

[Virginian]

Banks said an agent repeated the question again while squeezing his gun and inching it out of his holster.

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

[DontShootMe]

“I would like to consult with my lawyer.”
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
he’s still standing.
Where’s my spare magazine?
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

[db]

I’ve been posting and sending links to various reason staffers on the CBP stops of private flights inside the US based on some secretive tracking system for.months now and no.one has responded.

[waffles]

Maybe it’s because your unique sense of punctuation gets caught in a filter.

[db]

When I write an email I make sure.it’s clean.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

This is why I prefer helicopters. No airport.

[Jordan]

I seem to recall them running an article or at least a brickbat about it quite a while ago. Maybe I’m wrong though.

[db]

I may have missed it.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

In Florida, Banks said he also knows that the agents are simply doing their job. He’s glad they’re there to make it safer for him and others to fly their planes.

This is why I hate these articles. They always end this way.

[Rich]

The operative word here is “simply”.

[invisible furry hand]

Is that a typo for “simplistically”? Or “simplemindedly”?

[Rich]

Actually, it’s a typo for “simpley”.

[Agammamon]

General aviation aircraft is a popular means of transporting drugs across the country. Customs and border agents have seized 1,600 pounds of marijuana and 72 pounds of cocaine over the past two years, according to an agency report

So, this guy is, with a straight face, saying that 800 lbs of marijuana and 36 pounds of coke make up a significant percentage of the total amount of those drugs consumed in this country? Because otherwise, how would they be able to come close to an estimate of the amount being run this way unless they were intercepting a statistically significant percentage of the total?

Or is he saying that, despite aircraft being a popular means of transport for these drugs DHS and BP aren’t actually able to interdict any more than the tiniest fraction?

Or, maybe he’s just parroting what some cop told him without actually *thinking* about it.

And journalism has a fucking *degree program* – WTF are they teaching?

[Virginian]

And journalism has a fucking *degree program* – WTF are they teaching?

How to cup the balls and swirl the tongue around the head and shaft.

[mr simple]

General aviation aircraft is a popular means of transporting drugs across the country

Is it any more popular than it is transporting other things, like people, across the country? Does it actually represent a significant amount of the interstate drug traffic? Or is it just another way for them to wave their dick around and not get too much pushback?

SLD: The whole WoD is bad.

[The Late P Brooks]

“The next time a gay couple wanders in there asking for a wedding cake, they won’t have the experience we had.
“They will have a responsible experience and leave feeling respected.”

Yes, of course. That’s EXACTLY what will transpire.

Nothing fosters respect like coercion.

[The Late P Brooks]

Maybe Bergdahl left to join the Free Tibet army.

He’s from Hailey, in the People’s Republic of Blaine County, Idaho. It’s a plausible explanation.

[Ted S.]

Oh dear, get a look of Jelena Jankovi?’s tennis dress on ESPN2.

Great shape, but that pattern is a disaster. Errani’s outfit is a nighmare, too.

[Rich]

*Mr. Blackwell*?!

[Sevo]

Gilmore?!

[SugarFree]

Sharapova was dressed as Princess Bubblegum yesterday.

[waffles]

That sounds hot, got any pics?

[Ted S.]

And unfortunately she won.

Quite a few players have been dressed in citrusy colors that clash with each other, as though the color schemes came out of the late 70s. You should have seen Kuznetsova’s orange outfit. Yikes.

[The Late P Brooks]

that pattern is a disaster.

Perhaps it’s intended to disorient her opponent.

[Restoras]

Razzle Dazzle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage

[invisible furry hand]

Vajazzle?

[Virginian]

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

Two weiner dogs.

[Rich]

Needs MOAR LABELS.

[Slammer]

Those people drink way too much soda. They should be investigated.

[Agammamon]

Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.

That’s right, apologise.

[Solanum]

Slate: Alcohol Taxes Should Be Tripled

The war on drugs has been a failure. But the war on booze deserves a second chance

[Virginian]

Trolling for clicks. Has to be.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

There’s always someone dumb enough, always

[Spartacus]

Bypassing Congress, President Obama plans to use executive power to create a new Environmental Protection Agency rule on carbon emissions.

I don’t need Congress! I don’t need you, or Congress, or any of this! All I need is my pen and my phone. My pen and my phone, that’s all I need. And my Blackberry. My pen, my phone, and my Blackberry, that’s all I need! Oh yeah, and my golf clubs. All I need is my pen, my phone, my Blackberry, and my golf clubs…

[Sevo]

“Donald Sterling attended services at a predominantly black church yesterday in Los Angeles.”

Nothing about the fruit toss?