Tonight on The Independents: Peter Suderman on the IRS Hearings, Katherine Mangu-Ward and Thaddeus McCotter on the Drone-Kill Memo, Michael Weiss on Iraq and Ukraine, Plus Harry Reid Hypocrisy, Clintons v. Obamas, and Operation Chokepoint

Tonight's live episode of The Independents (Fox Business Network, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT, with re-airs three hours later) will be filled with familiar Reason characters. Besides yours truly, there will be Managing Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward, who will be one half of the Party Panel (along with former GOP congressman Thaddeus McCotter), and will talk about the administration's heavily redacted legal justification for assassinating U.S. citizens, the Republican foreign-policy split between Dick Cheney and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), the laughable notion by Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) that when it comes to financial backers, the Democratic Party "doesn't have billionaires"; plus the lurid claims made in the new Clinton-Obama page-turner Blood Feud.

Are you watching the House hearings with Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinenon the missing IRS emails? Well, Reason Senior Editor Peter Suderman probably is, and since he broke the relevant story about the IRS having a contract with an email backup company, he shall certainly add value. Remember the federal government's controversial Operation Choke Point that allegedly targets politically disfavorable businesses for prosecutorial sanction? Brian Wise from the United States Consumer Coalition will be on to discuss the latest developments, which involve cease-and-desist letters. And remember how international borders are crumbling to meaninglessness in the Middle East and in Russia's Near Abroad? Michael Weiss of The Interpreter will add his two cents.

Sexy aftershow begins on foxbusiness.com/independents a few beats after 10. Follow The Independents on Facebook at facebook.com/IndependentsFBN, follow on Twitter @ independentsFBN, tweet during the show & we'll use the best of 'em. Click on this page for more video of past segments.

Comments

[Carl ?s his privilege]

TEH APP MENACE

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera this morning sent a letter to MonkeyParking, a Rome-based startup that operates in San Francisco. The company's app allows people to post information about the spot they are about to leave. Other drivers can pay for that information. The company currently operates in Rome and San Francisco.

The City Attorney's Office says that business is illegal. A cease-and-desist letter to the company cites the San Francisco Police Code. "It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to enter into a lease, rental agreement or contract of any kind, written or oral, with or without compensation, for the use of any street or sidewalk."

The letter says the city could cite drivers $300 per transaction, and that the company could face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. The city attorney is giving MonkeyParking until July 11 to end operations in the city or face further legal action, according to the letter.

[Sevo]

The city is offering some sort of app which is supposed to help find parking.
They don't like competition.

[Ted S.]

Because fuck you, that's why.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

If they let people pay for information on parking spots, how will the dirty, car-less hippies ever get parking spots?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to enter into a lease, rental agreement or contract of any kind, written or oral, with or without compensation, for the use of any street or sidewalk."

They don't have newspaper vending machines in SF?

[Sevo]

And sidewalk cafes are quite popular.

[Pathogen]

So 'were' phone booths and bus stops.

[Sevo]

Yes, "bus stops."

SF contracted with some outfit to make perfectly serviceable shelters that had enough overhead to keep people dry.
Well, the access from the end wasn't quite large enough for some 'chairs, and natch, some people griped.
They took off one of the rear panels and you bet you can get a 'chair in there! Along with all the rain you desire!
Everyone is now equally wet!

[Sevo]

Oh, and the city has lost tons of parking as a result of bicycle lanes.

[Rich]

*** mandatory "Ha-Ha" **

[Rich]

"It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to enter into a lease, rental agreement or contract of any kind, written or oral, with or without compensation, for the use of any street or sidewalk."

Emphasis added. Ah, but that is not what MonkeyParking is doing. There is no "use" of any street or sidewalk involved with their app -- merely transfer of information. You'll have to try another approach, City Attorney's Office.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

try another approach

So, a penaltax?

[Rich]

Probably. A lot of people who want to park are from out of state.

[Whahappan?]

You're assuming a good-faith ruling by a judge. Never a good assumption.

[PapayaSF]

That isn't so bad, but there's another app called ParkModo, which apparently pays people $13/hour to take spaces, and then give them up when people who really need them pay. I think that's objectionable.

[Warrren]

Not seeing why it would be. It's guaranteeing a space will be available.

This is no different than charging people extra for anything that for which there's a shortage.

Just because they create the shortage isn't any more an ethical problem than trying to corner the market on any commodity.

[Warrren]

Went and found the article, it seems like it is a one-day publicity stunt, not a business model.

Still though that would be an interesting way to do it.

[Agammamon]

Fucking incentives, how do they work?

[Cytotoxic]

How are they going to enforce this?

[Fist of Etiquette]

KMW shouldn't lean over the bucket when doing her tie dye.

[cmace]

She needs her whole head/hair dyed that colour.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Her split ends voted in the last Iraqi election.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Dammit.
http://variety.com/2014/dirt/r.....201242254/

Not welcome here. He can go back to Chicago.

[Ted S.]

You think he can make it back out of the desert?

[Episiarch]

about how big-time Democratic donor Penny Pritzker was gathering funds to buy the Obamas a $35 million house in Kailua, Hawaii

Where are all the complaints about money in politics from the usual suspects?

Please, please do not move to Kailua, Obama scum. That's where Lanikai beach is.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I was looking at houses in Thunderbird Heights about a year ago. What do you think the Obamas will do to property values?

[jesse.in.mb]

Does it matter? Everytime Epi goes for the swim he'll be playing roulette with THIS

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

What a brave man, letting the water get all the way up to mid-calf like that!

[Episiarch]

Honestly, probably very little. I don't recall hearing about other ex-presidents fucking up property values. Once they're not the president any more the Secret Service is way less crazy about their security (and that's the only thing I can see causing a problem).

I just don't want that shitheel anywhere near one of my favorite beaches.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Shut your donut hole, you fucking imbecile.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Rancho Mirage is one of the most Republican places in the country. Gerald Ford and Spiro Agnew retired there, among other repubs. I can see some of the neighbors getting pretty disgusted if the Obamas move there. They seem to be incredibly inconsiderate people, from what I've seen.

[Episiarch]

Meh, most ex-presidents keep a pretty low profile. Obama is a megalomaniac so maybe he won't, but who knows.

As long as he fucks up your property values and not mine or my favorite beaches, I'm cool.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Have you passed your Visual Basic Cert class yet?

[Sevo]

Episiarch|6.23.14 @ 8:40PM|#
"Honestly, probably very little. I don't recall hearing about other ex-presidents fucking up property values"

But he'll be "poor" when he leaves the WH, right? I mean the sleazy lying bastard hasn't stolen enough yet!

[Episiarch]

Yeah, he'll be about as poor as any other DC political creature. Especially when people buy $35 million homes for him.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Have you passed your Visual Basic Cert class yet?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Where are all the complaints about money in politics from the usual suspects?

Where as in "here"? Are you showing your ignorance again?

Fucking Obama wailed on the money, you moron. Us Capitalists don't want some greasy GOP redneck fucking the stock market up.

Now Shut the fuck up, Epi.

[John]

Episiarch is the only one on here smart enough to ignore you. Give it up retard. You are the dumbest sock puppet ever. To fuck herself and die.

[Sevo]

John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39-AgyU3Xg

[DesigNate]

Wow, demfag REALLY wants you to respond to it.

I'd feel bad if it wasn't such a piece of shit crap weasel.

[Episiarch]

I know; I love when it gets desperate. It's so fucking delicious watching it flail around craving attention from me.

[GILMORE]

KMW is officially changing her gender to "Manga character"

Next is the part where her eyeballs are enlarged 2X

Don't 'other' it.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Ron Paul is on Cavuto.

[Ted S.]

That still won't get me to watch Cavuto.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I had Fox Business on in the background, and I glanced and saw him. I generally run it quietly while waiting for TI to come on.

Cavuto was respectful, though I doubt he agreed.

Very few interruptions.

[Almanian!]

KMW, your hair is BITCHIN'! Well done!

[GILMORE]

I note = this hair debuted the night of the "Unexplained Matt Welch Tuxedo"... (later explained via twitter)

I believe at the time it was assumed to be part of some 'party gag'.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Giant Marilyn Monroe sculpture abandoned in Guangxi, China dump site

[Rich]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!

[Ted S.]

Your comment needs a link.

[GILMORE]

"the giant sculpture was displayed proudly by a company in the business hub in Guigang with the mission of showing its international management concepts ...."

and utter disregard for western intellectual property! FTW!

[Dweebston]

Never noticed it, but KMW has a bit of a Kristen Schaal thing going on. And it works.

[Episiarch]

Mel: Oh my God. Jemaine, are you okay?

Jemaine: Yeah.

Mel: You're out? Did the cops try to strip search you?

Jemaine: No.

Mel: Did they find anything?

Jemaine: No, they didn't strip search me.

Mel: Oh, I--I thought you said they did.

Jemaine: No.

Mel: Oh, well, did any of your cellmates, you know, rape you in the a--

Jemaine: No. No no no.

Mel: Oh good, good. Cause if--if I was a convict, you know, and I was in a cell with a pretty boy like you, I would definitely wait till lights out, put my hand over your mouth--

Jemaine: I've gotta--I've gotta go.

[Dweebston]

Murray: He may be dead.

Dave: He maybe did what?

Murray: He may be dead.

Dave: I know, but what did he maybe do?

Murray: He may be dead.

Dave: Yeah, maybe he did, maybe he didn't. What did he maybe do?

Bret: No, he may be dead.

Dave: Are you guys fucking with me?

[Carl ?s his privilege]

I'm not sure how well that scene works as text.

[Episiarch]

Dave: Okay, they're gone.

Jemaine: Thank you, Dave.

Dave: Yeah, don't worry about it guys. I just think it's really cool that you love each other, even though you're from Austria and you're from some place no one's even fucking heard of.

Keitha: Australia.

Jemaine: New Zealand.

Dave: Exactly. Because it shouldn't matter where you're from when love's involved. It's like that movie - "Interracial Hole Stretchers 2" - she was white; they were black. But it didn't matter in the end, did it? Because they were in love.

Jemaine: I haven't...I haven't seen that one.

Dave: Well, it really affected me.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Don't you guys ever listen to John? He assured us that Flight of the Conchords was an insult to viewer intelligence.

[Episiarch]

Wait, what? When did he do that? FotC is fucking brilliant. I wish it had gone more than two seasons. "Unnatural Love" is one of the funniest episodes of any show, ever.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

The Office and Flight of the Conchords are both idiotic and generally an insult to the viewer's intelligence. And even if you don't agree about Chonchords, it is on IFC and like 20 people watch it.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/12.....nt_4215786

[Episiarch]

FotC was on HBO. Though he's probably right that not that many people watched it. That doesn't change its excellence in any way.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Yeah, appeal to popularity (or lack thereof) is not a winning argument on a libertarian site.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"I heard of one rapper, he chopped this guy's whole body off. Just left the dick behind."

"Don't you mean they... they chopped off his dick?"

"No, I mean they held his dick and chopped his whole body off. That's all he was in the end, a dick."

[lap83]

I generally agree with John, but he couldn't be more wrong about FotC

Bret: What happened with the gig at the aquarium?
Murray: It was kind of a misunderstanding. Um, there was a typo in the ad. It was 'Sand' they wanted. Sand. You know the wavy font, it looks like a 'B' but it was an 'S'. But I sent the demo. The good new is that they liked it, they might play it in the lobby.
Jemaine: Yeah, well, that's positive

[Rich]

Just gotta ask: Does KMW drive a BMW?

[GILMORE]

NSFW

[Rich]

Why? I said "*drive* a BMW", not "BMW" -- I already know *that*!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I just learned something, and I blame you.

[GILMORE]

I dont want to know

[Rich]

Then don't check urbandictionary. GILMORE should be ashamed of itself.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

I hope this is fake:

VD-preventing 'G-string condom' gets money shot from VC firm

A student-designed G-string condom will be mass produced thanks to a recent 2 million yuan ($320,000) investment from a venture capital firm in Guangdong Province.

The brainchild of six students at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, the strap-on contraption boasts a detachable condom that screws tightly into place.

According to the team, made up of five women and one man, "The Guardian of Love" is designed to better prevent pregnancy by reducing semen leakage and reduce fluid exchange during intercourse.

Convinced of its fluid-blocking potential, the Guangdong Yuezheng Investment Management Ltd of Dongguan, Guangdong Province invested 2 million yuan in the invention.

According to Li Jiehong, a deputy manager at the firm, they plan to produce a first batch of 10,000 condoms.

[Bam!]

Sounds more like a chastity or bondage device than a condom.

[Rich]

Nice ball support, though.

[jesse.in.mb]

wtf IS this?

[Pathogen]

Money-shot inhibitor v1.0 beta

[Rich]

*** snort ***

You have it on backwards.

[Sevo]

Young-un pissed he didn't get bigger part:

"James Franco, Seth Rogen Slammed by North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un for Assassination Plot in The Interview Movie"
[...]
"The Interview,[...] tells the story of a celebrity talk show duo (host and producer, Franco and Rogen, respectively) who score a sit-down interview with the North Korean dictator. The CIA gets involved and asks the two to assassinate the notorious third-generation dictator during their excursion to the Hermit Kingdom."
http://www.sfgate.com/entertai.....573362.php

[Carl ?s his privilege]

I saw the trailer for that yesterday when I went to see 22 Jump Street, which, like its predecessor, was surprisingly entertaining.

[Irish]

Holy fuck that sounds hilarious.

I loved This is the End.

[Episiarch]

It was certainly entertaining, but (they came out at almost exactly the same time) I much preferred The World's End. Marmalade sandwich, oh yes.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

I loved Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz; I have seen them both at least five times each.

However, The World's End didn't really speak to me. It was merely good.

OTOH, I thought This is the End was great.

[Episiarch]

Of the Cornetto trilogy, I really liked Shaun and World's End and it was Hot Fuzz that I found disappointing.

You know what else was surprisingly disappointing and way less fun than I expected? Bad Milo!.

[Dweebston]

Really? I rank Shaun last of the three, with Hot Fuzz just topping World's End.

Although it's like bickering about which SI swimsuit centerfold you find prettiest... they're all fantastic.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

How the fuck is it that I never heard about The World's End?! Did they not do much in the way of advertising? Because I really don't remember hearing about it. Gonna have to go watch that one tonight, now...

[jesse.in.mb]

This is the End needed someone to lovingly cut 20-30 minutes from it.

Inexplicably, I loved Pineapple Express.

[Episiarch]

You know, I've never actually watched Pineapple Express. I should probably get stoned and watch it very soon to remedy that. I just really, really dislike Seth Rogen.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Have you passed your Visual Basic Cert class yet?

[Dweebston]

No one on the corner has swagger like us.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Al Gore talks about the weather:

"Though the hellish and ongoing civil war in Syria has multiple causes - including the perfidy of the Assad government and the brutality on all sides - their climate-related drought may have been the biggest underlying trigger for the horror."

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014.....al-warming

[Bam!]

He's doing the political equivalent of photobombing: No matter the topic being discuss, inject with your pet subject.

[Ken Shultz]

Interesting observation, but I don't see what it as to do with Rand Paul.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

He's a fire and brimstone preacher. Only he failed out of divinity school, so it's a slightly different story.

[BigT]

Wasn't it the Polish vortex?

[Suthenboy]

"....climate-related drought..."

Holy shit, what a slickshit. This is the kind of shit I bitch about all the time. this is the language of a con artist.

What is going on in Syria has been brewing for centuries, and is not the first time it has broken out. This has nothing to do with weather related climate related droughts.

Global warmistas are liars.

[Cytotoxic]

"climate-related drought"

Did he mean climate-change related drought? Because otherwise it's meaningless.

[Brett L]

There has never been a drought in Syria!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

When squirrels attack.

Motherfuckers.

[Ted S.]

When squirrels attack motherfuckers?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm just angry.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Oldest Known Depiction Of Circumcision Is Now On Twitter...

"The image comes from a relief on the tomb of Ankhmahor, a priest and advisor who lived during the 6th Dynasty -- roughly 2323-2150 B.C.E.

"According to religion scholar Gerald A. Larue, ancient historian Herodotus visited Egypt in the 5th century B.C.E. and reported that the Egyptians "practice circumcision for the sake of cleanliness, for they place cleanliness before comeliness." Herodotus also suggested that Jews had adopted the custom from the Egyptians, though Larue notes there is no way to be sure of the practice's origins."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....07675.html

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Interesting factoid: WiFi isn't short for "Wireless Fidelity"

Wi-Fi doesn't stand for anything.

It is not an acronym. There is no meaning.

Wi-Fi and the ying yang style logo were invented by Interbrand. We (the founding members of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, now called the Wi-Fi Alliance) hired Interbrand to come up with the name and logo that we could use for our interoperability seal and marketing efforts. We needed something that was a little catchier than "IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence". Interbrand created "Prozac", "Compaq" "oneworld", "Imation" and many other brand names that you have heard of. They even created the company name "Vivato".

The only reason that you hear anything about "Wireless Fidelity" is some of my colleagues in the group were afraid. They didn't understand branding or marketing. They could not imagine using the name "Wi-Fi" without having some sort of literal explanation. So we compromised and agreed to include the tag line "The Standard for Wireless Fidelity" along with the name. This was a mistake and only served to confuse people and dilute the brand.

Trigger warning: almost a decade old

[Ted S.]

Why, it's not even nine years old!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

A Lovecraftian horror story about the time an eldritch abomination first came to Earth:

"It came to be in 1943 inside the kitchen of a converted 19th Century mansion..."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/.....5338.story

[GILMORE]

I don't think anyone associates chicago with "food", much less pizza.

Well, OK, McDonalds is headquartered outside the city.

[jesse.in.mb]

Foodie friend may or may not have named her first born after this restaurant.

[GILMORE]

Which is sad, because it doesn't come off as an actual restaurant so much as a 'Brand Consultancy', which is definitely more *Chicago*

http://website.alinearestaurant.com/site/company/

[Derpetologist]

I associate Chicago with good, if not somewhat overpriced food:

Italian beef
late night Thai
fried steak from Golden Nugget
Incredible pork burritos

Ah, memories....

[Irish]

Anyone who says Chicago doesn't have great food has no taste.

[GILMORE]

I'm sure Chicago has 'great food'.

Just like there's probably similarly great food in a bunch of other places.

Its just that no one thinks "Chicago" and then "cuisine" in the same sentence.

[Derpetologist]

Last year about this time, I was at my brother's place for the 4th of July. One night, we stayed up late talking about politics, etc.

I tried to explain that capital comes from savings and savings comes from under-consumption. If no one saves, there is nothing to borrow and no investments happen. He went off on a long tirade about aggregate demand, stimulus, blah, blah, blah. I even showed him the comic book Irwin Schiff did about how an economy grows and why it doesn't, but he refused to look. He said he already knew it was wrong- somehow.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

4th of July was 2 weeks early last year? I was getting drunk and blowing shit up on the wrong day. Boy, is my face red!

[Derpetologist]

Last year about this time, I was at my brother's place for the 4th of July. One night, we stayed up late talking about politics, etc.

I tried to explain that capital comes from savings and savings comes from under-consumption. If no one saves, there is nothing to borrow and no investments happen. He went off on a long tirade about aggregate demand, stimulus, blah, blah, blah. I even showed him the comic book Irwin Schiff did about how an economy grows and why it doesn't, but he refused to look. He said he already knew it was wrong- somehow.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Did you explain it a third time, so he got it?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Mexican soccer fans are, well not rioting, but blocking the streets in South LA and prompting mounted cops to do crowd control.

[WDATPDIM!?]

They won? Or they lost?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

They won to advance to the next round of the world cup. So dozens of Mexicans are waving Mexican flags in the streets.

It's enough to give LOU DOBBS a brain aneurysm.

[jesse.in.mb]

Quick get them some Citro?ns to flip lest their unruly mob seem d?class

[Entropy Void]

Doesn't one need to be Muslim to properly flip a Citro?n?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That happened last time. Huntington Park got pretty smashed up.

[Almanian!]

Those aren't Mexicans - those are AMERICANS! Geez!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

In all likelihood, it's probably about 50/50.

[Ted S.]

Go Netherlands!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

But you're German!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

And out come the cops in riot gear and with an armored personal carrier. Although to be fair the mob is starting to tilt cars.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

Why do people flip cars? I've never understood it.

[WDATPDIM!?]

Because there aren't any newspaper boxes anymore.

[jesse.in.mb]

Call me when they find a Citro?n and flip it.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You're so gay.

[jesse.in.mb]

What tipped you off?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

The way you said 'Citroen.'

[jesse.in.mb]

Was it the diaeresis over the e?

Or was it just that I said it?

I'm sure either answer is correct.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

/cracks knuckles. Pounds fist into palm.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Maybe they'll flip the APC.

[WDATPDIM!?]

Why do they refer to it as the "drone-killing memo"? Shouldn't that refer to a memo that kills drones? Or at least a memo about how to kill drones?

Why not say "killer-drone memo"? Or "assassin-drone memo"?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9e157Ner90

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Independents...assemble!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpDE1H47TGo

[Notorious G.K.C.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrElT8XxptU

[Slammer]

Rep. Mica just asked this to be entered into the record at the IRS hearings

[Almanian!]

KOCHTOPUS!!!!11!

[Palin's Buttplug]

Find a goddamn real scandal, you fucking idiot!

Some bitch in Cincy who had her hate on for TeaBags is not a White House scandal!

Yet it could hurt the image of the IRS! (that was a joke, you Peanuts!)

[John]

Suck Obama's cock harder. Suck it. Even Obama finds you boring.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Lois Lerner is bitch who is 500x the man you want to be!

[Sevo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39-AgyU3Xg

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That is epic.

[Dweebston]

I laughed. Out loud. I'm not sure that's what you're going for, but I did anyway.

Produce the fucking emails or get off the stage.

[Cytotoxic]

Your desperation is delicious.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Prediction: Hoops.

[Almanian!]

I was thinking bad tie and shirt combo.

OH....you didn't mean Matt....my bad.

[Fist of Etiquette]

OMG. The shirts that Foster slides into.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I hope Issa cuts her mic.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Whoa, Kmele.

That shirt. How many table cloths did it take to make that?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Whoa

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Who's the undertaker?

[Fist of Etiquette]

He will make you laugh at some point.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Or cringe.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Disposition matrixes don't need no stinking Constitutions.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Never trust a guy named Thaddeus.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Kosciusko? Stevens?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Damn, Double Indemnity (1944)is on. What to do?

[Derpetologist]

The Team Red guy's attitude towards the dead 16 year-old is disturbingly similar to the police involved in the baby-burning raid.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Wow, now Kennedy has Rand Paul interrupting guests for her. That is power.

[Palin's Buttplug]

I'm worried about Episiarch.

I don't think his Visual Basic skills are up to snuff. Too much Pascal back in the Nirvana days I suspect.

[John]

Everyone hates you. Episiarch only gains by ignoring you

[Palin's Buttplug]

I welcome your hate.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

How much coke this week? Be honest. Do you have a straw in your hand right now?

[Palin's Buttplug]

No, I'm coming off a bender this weekend. I save my hate up for authoritarians like John and EPI-douche.

[Sevo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39-AgyU3Xg

[Cytotoxic]

Is this the real PB or Mary's impersonation of him?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Same difference.

[Greg F]

He/she seems to gone further off the deep end ... stuck in do loop.

[Whahappan?]

I know I shouldn't reply but...it's indicative of Buttplug's intellect that he identifies an anarchist as an authoritarian.

[Bam!]

That was the greatest "I considered running" face ever.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Cotter talks faster in hopes he won't get interrupted.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Now they're sounding like auctioneers.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is that Barry Pepper in the background?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Ask that Goddman McCooter if he regrets saddling up to the CRAZY REDNECK party in Michigan!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

KMW is pretty cute, but I noticed lines on the side of her face that look suspiciously like gills.

TIWTANLF-W

[Fist of Etiquette]

Fish-women?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Editors-in-chief should find a tie when making it to the big time: television.

[GILMORE]

And take a bath, Mike!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I think when the USA invaded a 'new Middle-East' was pretty much obvious. The region entered a new cross-road.

[GILMORE]

The Independents Attire Review, 23 June 2014

Look At Me Glisten-Edition

- Kennedy: Does Kennedy 'tan'? Whether its my TV's color-weirdness, or actual change in skin-tone, is hard to determine for sure, and can only be benchmarked by 'The Next Whitest Thing in The Room' (Matt) - and holy shit, its kinda Tannish too? We think tanner-ish Kennedy should try some whites to highlight the new, "Not A Vampire" look.

- Matt: Holy Rubicons!? The Pink Shirt has found its long-lost mate. A tie that *matches*?? Its is a completely unprecidented event. We have spent the last 6-8 months noting the parade of Wrongness passing across this shirt-front. If we have finally arrived at a place of perfection, it has only come through attempting every other possible failure first. Mazel Tov! Celebrate this day by burning the black suit.

- Kmele: We're sticking by our previous stated law -more than 2 bright colors in the plaid shirts makes them unsuited for Sportcoat wear on TV. As a 'cocktail attire' thing, I'm actually feeling it as a hip look, but not exactly right for hosting a news-ish... news-y... news-lite... uh, whatever the fuck this show is. We give it a minor ding, and grant Matt another rare and prized Victory for the evening.

Mul?umesc

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm beginning to think commenters should be informing you of their attire while watching the show so that these critiques can be inclusive.

[GILMORE]

Wait....

... you all don't post... in the nude... as well.....

...?

Me neither!
(looks for towel)

[Fist of Etiquette]

B-ball shorts, long sleeve jockeys thermal from some reason, while eating a cookie. (It's okay; I appear physically fit.)

[GILMORE]

I am a huge fan of the long-sleeved thermal.

as undershirt with t's, or short sleeved button ups.

(it makes your guns look bigger too)

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm in my...never mind.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

White v-neck undershirt, jeans.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Sexy Hanes-Lee man.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Same thing I was wearing 3 days ago.

[GILMORE]

Bender, huh

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Work bender. I just change into shorts and a tshirt when I get home. Whatever I left on the floor that morning.

[GILMORE]

ah. yes. of course

[Palin's Buttplug]

Ask that Goddman McCooter if he regrets saddling up to the CRAZY REDNECK party in Michigan!

Did I say that already? ASK HIS ASS NOW!

[Fist of Etiquette]

What if we bomb Iran while we're bombing ISIS? Would that help smooth Sunni feathers?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E2vNfClimM

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I didn't know Mr. Moviephone was in favor of impeaching the president.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Costco is now selling Tomahawk Steaks. That is all.

/Caveman Pl?ya

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

A cocktail party?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Suderman! Why didn't someone tell me he was going to be here. I would have taken downers.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Suder-Man, Suder-Man, does whatever Suder-Man does.

[GILMORE]

What color is peter's jacket?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sonasoft, those poor bastards.

[Warty]

It seemed worse than it really was ? blood was pouring down from the tip of my left thumb onto my palm and staining the cuff of my white oxford shirt. But it really wasn't a deep would or anything, the hammer of the Glock 19 9mm handgun has simply ripped off a patch of skin when I fired it. I was obviously holding it wrong by putting my thumb back there; it didn't occur to me in the heat of the moment that the hammer would pull back when the bullet was discharged. It did, and when it snapped back into place it took a small patch of skin with it. It was a mess, but the adrenaline made sure that at least for now it didn't hurt much. I guess I should have taken the time to learn how to shoot the thing but no crying over spilt milk.

Speaking of adrenaline, I regretted not firing more than two shots into Tyler. Not because he needed them, but I just wished I had taken advantage of the opportunity to fire more shots. Then again, my thumb was a bloody mess thanks to the hammer of the Glock 19 9mm handgun pulling back and taking a patch of skin with it. The last thing I needed was to create the sort of situation where my own blood would be dripping all over the place. No doubt the police would find it and trace it back to me. They probably would not buy my story as to why Tyler needed to die.

[Derpetologist]

I detect a Fight Club reference, but can't make the connection to the show.

[GILMORE]

""the hammer of the Glock 19""

houston? we have a problem

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I assume he's talking about slide bite.

[Warty]

Smith quickly reached for the suicide switch. Better to die a Kullollich's death than to suffer as a Rylanjulanio, he thought as he flipped it.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

I really don't think that's the case...

[Fist of Etiquette]

What they've done is against their records retention law, thus criminal.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wait...they cut off discussion of the war in Ukraine and make room for the guy stuck in the naughty statue?

[GILMORE]

Serious Stuff.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Thad McCooter. Allen 'Angry fish mouth' West. Cynthia 'Anti semite) McKinney. Louie Gomer-Pyle. Paul "anti-evolution" Broun, etc etc etc - no wonder people hate Congress!!

7% bitches!

[Pathogen]

Booooosh! is still popular, isn't he?

[Wasteland Wanderer]

More popular than Obama. Bush's approval rating is currently at 53%, where as Obama's is at 47%.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Okay, if they're going to show this Reason Magazine commercial every break, I'm going to have to insist they come up with better ones.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Uh-oh. Norks are going to riot and our embassies are not safe.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Kennedy set him up.

[Cytotoxic]

Bitch set me up!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Isn't Rogen Canadian?

Wait.

He IS Canadian!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Rogen

Welch. I'm insulted.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

"When a man with a .44 meets a man with a rifle, you said the man with a pistol is a dead man. Let's see if it's true."

[Fist of Etiquette]

Jackhammer episiotomy. Band name. Again.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Those tats are so gauche.

[GILMORE]

Oh, good. they brought up the 'hot felon'. I was worried there'd be too much News-News.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Why don't you just marry him, Welch.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I fucking hate this TMZ segment.

/repeat.

He's a scumbag.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Actually, Maradona and Garrincha rival Pele.

But hey.

[Fist of Etiquette]

WHY DO THEY LET NON-AMERICANS ON THE INTERNET?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

kicking the balls Americans won't kick

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Porous borders?

[Brett L]

Maradona gets the obvious cocaine DQ. Without cocaine he wasn't nearly as good as Pele.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You know, Ukraine is stuck in an embarrassing place, too!

Oh, never mind...

[Derpetologist]

I propose they replace the TMZ/Gatorade trademark infringement segment with a Remy song.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Uh, Matt Welch earlier in the show said we weren't allowed to reference the major world event of the 20th Century, and now he just called Bush Hitler!

[Sevo]

So did the duck drop out of the top with the 'hunnert-dollahs'

[Rufus J. Firefly]

http://bit.ly/1l53VTf

They also vote Democrats.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Funny bit on Reid.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

He knows lots of modern slang, keeping in touch with our young people.

[GILMORE]

Kmele bout ready to choke a fool

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Would like to see his Mr. T imitation.

[Fist of Etiquette]

When was the last time we had a Keepin' It Kmele segment?

[GILMORE]

Do you remember when the show used to be good?

It was then.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

It would be so much better if they made the Two Minutes of Hate a weekly segment.

God knows we supply them with enough vitriol. If Neil Cavuto can do it every episode they can do it once a week!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wow, Jimmy Swaggart knows his audience!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Everyone got that commercial?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

If he's narrowcasting to me, he wasted his money.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I already agree with everything this guy says.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Oh, I didn't see the goatee, so enamored with the suit and tie and no button-down collar that I was. Never mind.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pretty Orwellian name.

[Sevo]

There's worse:
"State Board of Equalization - Official Site"
http://www.boe.ca.gov/

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Who the fuck goes for France?

Although one of my all-time favorite players is Dominique Rocheteau. Who incidentally is a full blown , hard core socialist now.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Redistribute points to the disadvantaged teams!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Redistribute points to the disadvantaged teams!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

We don't need your existential theories in this group!

With apologies to Welch of course.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Who the fuck goes for France?

Although one of my all-time favorite players is Dominique Rocheteau. Who incidentally is a full blown , hard core socialist now.

[Sevo]

I found it hard to believe the first time also.

[GILMORE]

New Yorkers always hate America

[Fist of Etiquette]

Everyone so wants to get away from Kennedy down there on Broadway or the Avenue of the Americas or wherever that is.

[GILMORE]

I am so lucky my office moved just before this show kicked off.

I was like 3 blocks from them.

[Brett L]

Are you afraid they'd come heckle your fashion choices?

[Fist of Etiquette]

How can that guy have a toque on?

[Fist of Etiquette]

How does Hannity always show up for these segments?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I'm glad *someone* had some fun with those interviews.

[GILMORE]

Kennedy in her new show = "How many human cliches can i find on one block in NYC"?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

'I was rooting for Spain but will probably root for Germany now.'

/face palm.

I hate fairweather bandwagon fans. Hate them.

[Fist of Etiquette]

AH! Lou Dobbs.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Dear Lord, do you have any idea what it's like watching this show sober?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No, tell me.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's agony.

[GILMORE]

You misspelled, "super"

[GILMORE]

Jesus, kmele... come on. You can't figure out the @*@ rules of 'Soccer'?

its so sad i dont know.... DOBBS!!! RUN!

[Fist of Etiquette]

McCotter isn't sticking around for afterdark.

[GILMORE]

"a facial tic in your sitting parts?"

yeah, and they booted Thad because Kmele was going to roundhouse him in the throat.

[Fist of Etiquette]

KMW has the momentum of a runaway train...

[Irish]

David Brock of Media Matters publishes letter claiming the Washington Free Beacon is unethical, fails to provide any evidence of unethical behavior.

In fact, Reinschmiedt, the former research director of the Republican National Committee, is a founding partner in the Republican opposition research firm M Street Insight. According to Form 990 disclosures filed by The Free Beacon's parent organization, The Center for American Freedom, The Center paid the firm M Street Insight $150,000 for "research consulting" in 2012.

The Free Beacon's "reporting" fails to disclose that The Free Beacon paid a Republican opposition research firm for the information it falsely published as its own journalistic work from the University of Arkansas tapes.

And publishing information you paid for is unethical because

Ultimately what The Free Beacon is hiding is its true nature: The Free Beacon is not a journalistic website at all, but rather a right-wing dumping ground for Republican opposition research that The Free Beacon buys and then distributes under false light as the fruits of its own research and investigations.

What's the difference between publishing newsworthy opposition research and publishing other newsworthy information? Searching for the ethical problem here.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

As Balko put it on Twitter earlier, this fight between MMA and the Free Beacon makes you wish a hole would just swallow up both of them.

MMA is the worst bunch of bootlicking brownoses imaginable but the Free Beacon is nonetheless pushing a pretty asinine argument since defense attorneys are supposed to do stuff like that to vigorously defend their client.

[Irish]

I said their argument was moronic when I saw it repeated on Twitchy a few days ago, so obviously I agree.

What I find funny is that, with the exception, weirdly enough, of Amanda Marcotte, leftists won't just say that there's nothing wrong with defending an accused rapist. They've rapped themselves up in this idea that anyone defending an accused rapist is some sort of rape apologist, so leftists end up having to make these hysterical contortions to argue that there's something else wrong with this story.

They're overlooking the obvious argument because they're such fascists they can't stop demagoguing the rape issue for two minutes.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Not to mention this is basically just bringing more attention to what would just be another GOP anti-Hillary meme.

Of course when you start to lose Joan Walsh that's a pretty great sign that Hillary is not the unstoppable force Democrats and the media played her up to be.

The more she talks the more she says idiotic things about not being wealthy or having had to struggle.

[Irish]

She was an unstoppable force who would roll to the presidency in 2008 too.

How'd that work out?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I stopped paying attention to MM years ago when one of their dipshit flunkies was interviewed on Dennis Miller and came off too naive and disingenuous going as far as to claim his site isn't biss but 'fair and balanced.'

Retard.

[Pathogen]

Are you actually searching for meaning in a Media Matters article? That would be slightly less rewarding than searching for loose change in a friends couch...

[jesse.in.mb]

Cher: Searching for a boy in high school is as useless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie.

[Pathogen]

Spot on... I had that quote in mind when I posted, but couldn't remember who to attribute it to.

[jesse.in.mb]

Glad I could be of service. Just don't tell Epi. I was busy telling him earlier that I'm hopeless at pop-culture references.

[Bobarian]

Except when it comes to Cher?

[jesse.in.mb]

Not the singer, the character from Clueless.

Whether that is more, or less embarrassing I will leave up to you.

[Sevo]

..."a right-wing dumping ground for Republican opposition research that The Free Beacon buys and then distributes under false light as the fruits of its own research and investigations."...

The SF Chron often enough turns over a good bit of its front page to the press-release of one special-interest group or another. You have to check the by-line 'way down there on pg3 to notice.
They claim it's a "newspaper".

[Ken Shultz]

Their ethical compass is all about Obama.

Even though the Washington Free Beacon is openly conservative and, thus, openly anti-Obama, they're still unethical because they're anti-Obama--and that's all Media Matters gives a shit about.

Pro-Obama = good.

Everything else is unethical.

[Pathogen]

Obama exudes an enticing pheromone from his smug glands that the shitbags at the fever swamps like MM find irresistible... Behold nature in all her splendor..

[GILMORE]

I now recall a comment i made in 2008 where i said, "well, at least now that Bush is going to be gone, the Progs will have less to bitch about"...

...

...I was so, so so, so wrong

[Pathogen]

Just having the crow is no good, if they cant force you to eat it... and ask you how it tastes..

[Sevo]

Salt. And cake. You can stomach it. I have.
I once thought that....
Naah, too embarrassing.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Upside down salty crow cake?

[Sevo]

Ya know, I once read something that has made me feel better about things:
If you have to search back 10 or 20 years to find something embarrassing, you're doing OK.
Well, there are minor embarrassments since about then, but nothing like THAT! Or THAT!

[Agammamon]

. . . it falsely published . . .

So, wit . . . the FB *didn't* publish, just *said* they did?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The internet audience is different but just as numerous as the Fox Biz audience.

[GILMORE]

Both of them

[Sevo]

OK, was there anyone taking heat for the missing 18-1/2 minutes?

[GILMORE]

Interesting, they reference the CEI dinner where Matt wore the tux, and when KMW first appeared with the Purple Coiffe

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It's the Competitive Enterprise Institute Comedy Hour!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I zoned out. Were they naming fonts?

[GILMORE]

Someone should do a 'independents awkward moments'-greatest hits.

Tonight's "I'm going to fuck you up, Thad" look from Kmele should be there.

all of this after show is probably food for that as well.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I zoned out. Were they acting out scenes from Gravity?

[GILMORE]

Kmele decided he was done with this dog and pony show and said, "PEACE, i'm out"

[GILMORE]

They are keeping this going just to punish kennedy.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I grade this stuff on a curve, but even so, wow, that was awful.

[GILMORE]

Which was the worst show ever?

Because this one was a close contender. New lows were plumbed.

[Sevo]

I don't watch, but supposedly Suderman had the IRS scandal.
He couldn't do anything with THAT? I mean it begs for a Nixon mashup.

[GILMORE]

They don't have any time for the "actual" news because they need to get to the TMZ countdown about the vagina statue and hot felon and Person on the Street things about 'soccer' and... uhm, more high-priority stuff.

[jesse.in.mb]

Ugh. My stream didn't work, but I thought "it's ok, I'm sure it'll just be an average show" and now you tell me we hit new lows? And I missed those lows!?

[Fist of Etiquette]

It was more of a meh show than a rock bottom show.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Which in many ways is even worse. Give me an A or give me an F, anything in between is just a waste of time.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Late-breaking news from the 1920s...

"Next month, the Library of Congress will open the letters detailing a 100-year-old presidential affair.

"The letters detail the relationship between President Warren G. Harding and his mistress, Carrie Fulton Phillips, from 1910 to 1920. Their affair began in 1905, continued through Harding's term as a U.S. senator and ended before his inauguration in 1921, although the two remained on good terms. Harding was married for the duration of the affair."

http://www.politico.com/story/.....08195.html

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Was there a sex gramophone made?

"Oh golly gee wilikers Senator, ravish me like the Germans through Belgium! You are harder than the gold standard!"

[Dweebston]

Look at that mug. How could a woman possibly resist the Harding?

[Pathogen]

LOL RethugliKKKans!!1!

[Antilles]

Hmmmm...Katherine Mangu-Ward. Love her...

[Pathogen]

Fuck da Po-Leese

[GILMORE]

Clearly this is a problem stemming from "lax gun-control laws" and not about criminal idiots living in public housing projects.

[Pathogen]

I blame society, because.. ummm.. Poverty!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

U.S. Naval War College professor (and Edward Snowden critic) under investigation for "racy photo" which he may or may not have posted -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ingtonpost

[jesse.in.mb]

Ok, I have to go out for a bit, who is going to find the uncensored version of this for me?

Wait nevermind. Gawker's got ya covered. I'll link the article so Reasonable doesn't auto view it.

Someone posted a series of his most obnoxious tweets in the comments.

[GILMORE]

If i ever apply for a job in Government, I'll make sure to include on my resume =

- Never once photographed my own flaccid penis and mailed it to anyone

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Hitler stabs man at Utah nudist gathering

A hippie who goes by the pseudonym 'Hitler' is on the run after allegedly stabbing a man multiple times at the annual Rainbow Family gathering that is taking place in a Utah national forest.

Authorities in Wasatch County today released a photograph of Leilani Novak-Garcia, 32, who they claim screamed 'I'll kill you,' before pouncing on the unidentified man just before 1 a.m. this morning.

Uinta National Forest rangers discovered the man who suffered two stab wounds. His age and current condition are not known.
According to the Heber City Police Department's Facebook page, Novak-Garcia left the campsite before sheriff's deputies could arrive.

They believe, however, she may still be in the Heber City area.

She is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 170 pounds with hazel eyes and black hair, which she wears in dreadlocks.

According to Novak-Garcia's own Facebook page, she lives in New Orleans.

Police in the area had been bracing for nudity, drugs and general free-spiritedness during the counterculture gathering that began near Salt Lake City last week.

The unorthodox crowds even compelled a pair of nearby Mormon church-owned girls' summer camps to move elsewhere.

What is this world coming to when hippies can't congregate without Hitler stabbing someone?

[Sevo]

"What is this world coming to when hippies can't congregate without Hitler stabbing someone?"
That is one TOUGH question! Can we make it part of the "Hippy Studies" curriculum next year?

[Warrren]

Back when I went to a Rainbow Gathering there weren't any Hitler's about stabbing people.

[GILMORE]

Oh, we had them, sure.

But in my day, you couldn't be Hitler unless you were a Man. Old Fashioned!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It said 5'9" 170.

[GILMORE]

That's a real robust Hitler?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You know who else attacked people?

[GILMORE]

+1 Final Solution.

That sir, was *PRICELESS*

[Sevo]

GILMORE|6.23.14 @ 10:21PM|#
"They don't have any time for the "actual" news because they need to get to the TMZ countdown about the vagina statue and hot felon and Person on the Street things about 'soccer' and... uhm, more high-priority stuff."

OK, I'm gonna presume most of you are contributors, and I'm gonna presume that Reason is paying for this time-slot. And I have not watched a single episode, since the only time the Sevo TV is on in the evening is a 49ers game.
Is this proper use of our money? Is anyone's opinion going to be altered by what is shown here and where it is shown?
Serious question.

[GILMORE]

I don't understand either your question or why you quoted my bitching.

[Sevo]

Your bitching was appropriate AFAIK.
My question is, as contributors (paying customers, as it were), should we put up with this use of our money?
Is this the best use that Reason can make of the dollars we contribute? Does this convince anyone of anything other than people like to get their mugs on TV?

[GILMORE]

I think you have mistaken ideas about the business model Cable Television follows.

The Fox Business Network seems to have decided that they'd like to do something "in-between Cavuto and Dobbs."

Before your mind starts visualizing something truly horrible ...

That apparently involves paying to have some libertarianish figures wax hip and insightful about daily news items. The hope seems to be that a younger demographic will stop watching... I don't know, their Twitter feed?.... and pay attention for an hour to these attractive young TV anchors.

Reason has nothing to do with it *(necessarily/AFAIK). FBN pays the bills, and the advertisers pay FBN. If Reason gets some Ad spots, it may be part of some comp deal to get Matt. Who knows.

*as a lame comparison - years ago I'd write feature articles for various CPG industry trade publications, and they'd give my company free ad space along with whatever our comp deal was (often the deal was for their subscriber lists for our marketing dept.)

IOW - what gets featured is what FBN thinks gets the most eyeballs. Re-runs of today's Most-Twittered items seems to be Hot Stuff, apparently. (or at least 'beneath' .... ugh.... Lou Dobbs) i think they'd be better doing more 'feature' stories.

i am not a cable TV executive, it is noted.

[Sevo]

So you're in agreement with NAS that Fox carries the load and the risk; Reason sold them on content.
In that case, there's no gripes about the contributions; crow is good with enough salt.

[NotAnotherSkippy]

Reason has recently been running ads during the show for the mag. I don't think they(reason) pay for the show itself. Fox is making (or trying to make) money off the ads sold to run during the show.

[Sevo]

If that is the case, my question is irrelevant. My desire is to make the contribution count, and if Reason has used that to get air-time without cost, terrific.
Other than than, I'll simply agree with GILMORE's comments regarding 'the important things'.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

After reviewing the IRS hearing, it seems like the Democrats are going down with this turd. Nearly all of them on the panel stuck up for the IRS and repeated their talking points, with only Tammy Duckworth of Illinois asked pertinent questions about the email storing procedures.

I mean what the hell? How can any party be so stupid as to defend the fraking IRS? Especially when the IRS commissioner is brazenly giving the country the middle finger with his ungracious responses and lame-ass excuses.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Even if you don't think the IRS actively and illegally targeted conservatives, their email archiving is a fucking disgrace and quite possibly violates federal law.

I don't see how anyone with half a brain could defend them.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

What's worse is the fact that their primary excuse is they didn't have enough funding to upgrade their backup system.

That's right, Democrats are going on record as saying the IRS. Needs. MORE. MONEY. That's full-Vox, you never go full-Vox on the American people during an election year.

The amount in question that they point to as being denied was $15 million to update their systems. For comparisons sake, the IRS doled out over $2.8 million in bonuses just to employees that were delinquent on their taxes

[Wasteland Wanderer]

I think I read somewhere that their tech budget was on the order of around $2 billion, which makes their 'not enough money' excuse particularly hollow.

[GILMORE]

DONT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS @ IRS WERE IT NOT FOR SEQUESTERS AND BUDGETING AND FUNDS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE STAFF TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN "'CRASHED' HARD DRIVES" AND "USED TOILET PAPER"?

I can't believe they get away with saying shit like this.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Illinois goes for the incarcerated governor hat trick, subpoenas key figures in Patt Quinn program

A subcommittee of the Legislative Audit Commission took two votes, both 4-0, in favor of sending subpoenas to a total of seven top-tier Quinn administration associates. Those subpoenas order their testimony in the midst of a high stakes, highly volatile re-election campaign.

"This [subpoena] is an extraordinary tool that should only be used in extraordinary circumstances like this," said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who co-chairs the commission. "This is over a hundred million dollars ? taxpayer dollars ? for which we do not know yet today whether we even had an effect on preventing violence in the communities that were targeted."

[...]

Under scrutiny is Quinn's now-scrapped Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, a $54 million anti-violence program he launched just before the 2010 gubernatorial election against Republican Bill Brady. The program is under federal investigation and Cook County prosecutors are looking into an aspect of it as well.

Quinn and fellow Democrats have portrayed the Violence Prevention Authority as a now-defunct agency that did a poor job of overseeing the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.

Three Democratic governors in jail at the same time is a helluva of thing.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

And they couldn't dig up some dirt on a community organizer?

[Agammamon]

. . . for which we do not know yet today whether we even had an effect on preventing violence in the communities that were targeted.

Ima going to go out on a limb here and say that it has had about as much effect on violence as D.A.R.E has had on drug use by children.

[GILMORE]

Dear God man - are you insane!? hyperbole like that and they'll throw another $10 BILLION at it!

I believe someone broke a national news story describing D.A.R.E. as a failure of criminal proportions, and an abomination that had no redeeming aspects whatsoever....

...around 1998.

It of course is only bigger now.

[Agammamon]

Well, it was a (kinda) exciting day today.

Bought a sandrail, saw drunk driver. Thought about calling the cops, then said fuck 'em.

Sweet little thing that it is a complete bitch to get my arse out of.

[Agammamon]

Oh, and my internet connection is being throttled to shit for some damn reason.

[Warrren]

Fight the power!

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Cool.

I assume you live near the sand?

[Agammamon]

Are you serious, are you serious?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

No...

He

Grand Moff Serious Man

is Serious.

[Agammamon]

But seriously - I live in Yuma. We have 'Lawrence of Arabia" level amounts of sand here.

The Tatooine scenes from RotJ were filmed not far from here.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Yuma.

I used to drop bombs there.

[Agammamon]

Well, it got better.

[GILMORE]

+1 Fair Cop

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

And now you drop bombs here.

You missed the earthquake today.
Your superpowers are gone.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Alas, mortal once again.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

How was your Richie Rich party? Did you get plastered and embarrass yourself?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I took a train through Yuma last month in the middle of the night. I was pleased by the fact that we pulled into the station at 3:10 AM.

But it was quite a sight to see this pitch black of desert interrupted by the shimmering lights of the city in the distance.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I have a great appreciation for the desert. Anywhere with that much emptiness is awesome.

[Agammamon]

Unfortunately its empty because huge chunks of it are national 'monuments' or 'parks'.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

saw drunk driver

Was it you on a sandrail?

[Agammamon]

"Fraid not. Some old dude in a big pickup. Kept swerving to the right and running onto the shoulder.

[Agammamon]

"Fraid not. Some old dude in a big pickup. Kept swerving to the right and running onto the shoulder.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Which one of you broke Reason.com?

[kibby]

For anyone who bothers to check this in the morning...I'm glad to see I wasn't missed, you bastards. =(

[Rich]

Missing you goes without saying, kibby.

Trust you're getting heavily settled into your digs without institutional walls!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

The criminally underrated The Rocketeer is also on HBO Family. What channel is A Fistful of Dollars on?

[GILMORE]

Yeah...

That's what I see.

Is everyone else getting 'purple'?

[Warty]

It had been a piss-poor year for the Yelton family already, at it was only July. Andy Yelton disappeared back in March, and all his clothes, the good truck, and all the family's meager savings disappeared along with him. Sally Jae Minnower down the street also disappeared around the same time. Not that anybody in the neighborhood really blamed Andy, except for the fact that he left a little girl without a father and a wife with no means to pay the rent. So Terri and Janet had to move into Terri's sister Hallie's place for the time being. Terri was in the process of trying to get her welfare payments increased now that she was a single mom, but that's about all the motivation she was able to muster as far as a career went.

"I'm not going outside," Janet said. "If I go outside I'll die, just like the kitties are all dying."

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Whoa, flipped over just in time for the one of most perfectly shot scenes in movie history.

[Derpetologist]

Studying engineering has robbed me of the joy of many movies. For the aforesaid rocket pack film, I wonder how he avoided burning his legs to a crisp and/or blasting off his clothes from the waist down.

In the case of the light saber, I wonder how the beam could cut through all kinds of metal but did not melt the handle or even make it hot.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That was your kid?!?

[Warty]

Something reminded me of Dan T. I thought I'd introduce the new kids to his excruciating fiction.

[GILMORE]

Someone made money typing that?

[Wasteland Wanderer]

Who?

[Cytotoxic]

Special handle material. Stainless Tungsten?

[NotAnotherSkippy]

Because it's not light but a glow discharge confined by a magnetic bottle. Of course there's no electrode at the blade tip so we need to solve that problem now.

Here's my handwaving solution. The blade is actually a loop with the semi-minor axis so small that the glow makes the loop appear to be a single line. *whew* My arms are tired from all of that.

[Peter Suderman]

It's a blue jacket! I promise! Adjust your televisions!

[NotAnotherSkippy]

Stainless Tungsten??

[Agammamon]

And the jacket, its not cheap. We oughta know, we paid for it.