A.M. Links: Boehner Says No Impeachment, Obama and Perry Talk Immigration, Israel May Deploy Ground Troops

• 

  Credit: White House / Flickr.com

  House Speaker John Boehner has refused to endorse Sarah Palin's call for the impeachment of President Barack Obama. "I disagree," Boehner declared on Wednesday.

• President Obama met with Texas Governor Rick Perry in Dallas yesterday to discuss immigration.

• "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a possible ground incursion into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip as the Palestinian death toll mounted past 40 from intensified air strikes."

• Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 to advance to the World Cup finals against Germany this Sunday.

• "A woman whom police describe as a high-end prostitute is under arrest after they say she injected a Silicon Valley tech executive with heroin and then casually left as he lay dying."

• Bill Hillman, co-author of the book Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona, was gored by a bull while participating in the Pamplona bull-running festival in Spain.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Obama met with Texas Governor Rick Perry in Dallas yesterday to discuss immigration.

Perry's Chris Christie moment!

[UnCivilServant]

He should have stood by one of the camps and said "we'll talk here"

[Rufus J. Firefly]

"Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 to advance to the World Cup finals against Germany this Sunday."

Don't quit your day job Reason. Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 in penalty kicks after a 0-0 scoreline. Ergo Argentina 0 (4) Netherlands 0 (2).

The Dutch I see are back to sucking at taking kicks, eh?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Where are my manners?

Hello.

[UnCivilServant]

Hi, I guess.

[Ted S.]

You're Canadian. Of course you're rude.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Motherfuck-eh!

[Ted S.]

The authorities are going to come after you for not swearing in French.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Gang de chiens, d'hostie, tabernak de chalice!

[Palin's Buttplug]

Manners? Amongst the Peanut Gallery? You are young and foolish for sure.

[Restoras]

Don't lock eyes with it. Don't.

It's Thursday, people.

[Ska]

His comment is not inaccurate.

[Pathogen]

Where would we be without PB's thought provoking insight...

[Ted S.]

I'm not surprised somebody beat me to this.

In other futbol news, Neymar's agent doesn't like coach Scolari.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

For the soccer fans among us. Consider this statistic: There have been 20 World Cups including this one. Which means 40 spots in a final. 26 of those (65%) have been occupied by Germany (8), Brazil (7), Italy (6), Argentina (5). There are currently 209 member associations in FIFA. They represent 2% of FIFA but own 65% of the finals.

Astounding. The figure obviously shoots up when you add other multiple finalists like Uruguay, France, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Holland.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

ITS THE NETHERLANDS, VERDOMME!!!!

[DontShootMe]

So, soon we will have protests from soc-u-tards? It's the 2%!

[Restoras]

occupied by Germany

Heh. Nice one.

[Ted S.]

To be fair, most of those 209 associations didn't exist for much of FIFA's existence. Only 55 teams entered qualifying for the 1958 tournament.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Even if you pro rate the numbers, still pretty impressive.

[Rhywun]

In other futbol news, Neymar's agent doesn't like coach Scolari.

Oh, the fallout is getting more delicious by the day.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Invest in the womenz

Barclays is launching a new index and exchange-traded note (WIL) that lets retail investors buy shares ? at $50 a pop ? of a basket of large U.S. companies led by women, including PepsiCo PEP 0.0446% , IBM IBM 0.641% , and Xerox XRX 2.2131% . This should be exciting news for anyone disappointed by the lack of women in top corporate roles...

The new ETN is not the only tool of its kind: This past June, former Bank of America executive Sallie Krawcheck opened an index fundtracking global companies with female leadership ? and online brokerage Motif Investing currently offers a custom portfolio of shares in women-led companies.

[UnCivilServant]

Having worked for a subcontractor of Xerox, I can tell you, you don't want to own part of it with the current management. It is in atrocious shape and getting worse.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I rented a Xerox machine back when I was inexperienced for my business. I'm getting reamed on the rental. I was quoted half the price from competitors like Toshiba and Richoh but I'm stuck with this evil contract until 2016.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I think investing in anything based solely on the sex of the CEO is pretty stupid.

[Suthenboy]

No shit. I was just thinking "What kind of idiot would use that as a criteria for investment?". Then the answer came to me: a soon to be pennyless one.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

If supporting women is very important to you, you might consider investing in a broad, cheap index and using the money you saved on fees to invest directly in the best female-led companies ? or you could simply donate to a non-profit supporting women's causes.

That should have been the entire article.

[kilroy]

If supporting women is very important to you, you might consider investing in a broad, cheap index

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Something did you there, observe it I did.

[Injun, as in from India]

But, but,.. These are the 1% women!

[Injun, as in from India]

So if you don't support this woman-leadership fund, you are sexist. And if you do support it, you are an evil capitalist stooge. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Symbol WIL? Women In Leadership?

We can do better than that.

[MegaloMonocle]

I'd go with triple-B:

"Bitches Be Bossin'"

[Idle Hands]

Chelsea Clinton earns 75k per speaking agreement.
But its okay because it all gets donated to a charity, the Clinton Foundation, she is so caring.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Who would pay that kind of money for her?

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Only if I am allowed to throw things at her.

[Idle Hands]

people who want to buy political favors?

[Flatulent Monkey]

Hugh Hefner?

[Suthenboy]

Her qualifications are what, exactly? People actually pay that?

[Restoras]

No qualifications, just the daughter of a popular former president and a future president as well.

It's all about access.

[waffles]

That makes it sound so smutty. It's like she's one of the most expensive whores on earth. I guess access to power is worth far more than access to sex.

[Restoras]

Access to power is definitely worth more than access to sex.

[MegaloMonocle]

Access to power gets you access to sex.

Just ask Bill.

[Ska]

There is a much higher supply of accessible vagina than accessible power.

[Idle Hands]

pretty much this, plus the trim CAN be of higher quality.

[Idle Hands]

In the article it compares her to Colin Powell, Jeb Bush and Madeline Albright, you know people who have actually accomplished things, they make around 50k per appearance. Chelsea Clinton gets paid more than Colin Fucking Powell.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Imagine of the son or daughter of a Koch without much experience or accomplishments in life would charge 75k. The NYT would change their tune I'm sure.

[MJGreen]

"Oh my God, guys, my dad was the president, you know? It was pretty cool. Anywhoo... how's it going?"

I'm not sure what else she could say other than the most cliche platitudes.

[sarcasmic]

Police officer pulls over driver because 'he saw and smelled weed' ... but it turned out to be a moldy old FRENCH FRY
The not-so-tasty morsel smelled like pot to the cop, who'd initially pulled over the driver and his friends due to a burned license plate light
It's not clear where the incident took place, though it was caught on video and posted on YouTube on July 1
The tape shows the officer asking to see IDs from all the men in the car and explaining why they were pulled over
He then orders the driver out of the car and claims he saw and smelled weed
But after searching the vehicle, even the cop admits it was a 'moldy old French fry'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....H-FRY.html

[Libertarian]

Was it a K-9 officer? Because smelling a single french fry in that circumstance takes one hell of a nose.

[sarcasmic]

Cops are professional liars. It's what they do. The one and only time my stepson's cop father came into my home I was making a batch of beer. He claimed to smell marijuana. I smoke it here and there, but never in the house. He was lying. Because that's what they do.

[Ska]

If you were cooking up a pot of wort, I could sort of get it. It's not something most people have smelled before, and it does smell kind of funky (though it smells a lot more like beer - who would have guessed that).

[sarcasmic]

It hadn't even gotten to that stage yet. I had a mash in the basement and was showing him the operation. Then he said he smelled marijuana. I opened the mash bucket and said this is probably what you're smelling. Then I vowed to never let the fucking pig into my home again.

[SugarFree]

Just as every dog is a pitbull and every address is the one on the warrant and all circumstances are exigent, all odors are marijuana.

[sarcasmic]

How throwaway idea to get friends and neighbors to pose with a week's worth of their trash turned into powerful message about waste in the U.S.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....e-U-S.html
Stupid liberals are stupid.

[Bee Tagger]

The one guy probably should have burned the raiders hat rather than just throw it away.

[wareagle]

wait a minute; how is this possible in a country awash in the blight of our time, income inequality, where people are dying in the streets, practically starving while the 1% hoard all the money?

When the new narrative you are trying to create kills the previous one, that might be a problem.

[DontShootMe]

You will like this then. Here's a CNN story about a woman renting a home that used to be the home of a serial killer.

linky

The kicker is, right at the beginning of the story, it mentions she gets $810 Section 8 housing assistance. Then watch the video. Leather couches in the living room, and basement. 50" TVs (or bigger) in the living room and basement, two reasonable shape cars in the garage.

I hope she enjoys all that nice stuff I'm helping to pay for.

[DontShootMe]

crud, I meant cars in the driveway. Since it's a single car garage, two cars in there woulda looked in less than reasonable shape.

[sarcasmic]

The few people I've known who were on public assistance had more disposable income than my working self. Without exception.

[Jerms]

Im in public housing apartments every day for various bullshit, and most people living there have huge TVs and iPhones. They pay for groceries with their WIC cards and then always pile the free shit into a car thats much nicer than mine.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Because I am a Chrstfag, I work in a food pantry every month...the people we serve that make me cringe are coming in with shoes that cost more than my entire outfit and carrying phones better than mine...then watch them go out to cars every bit as good or better than mine.

[Restoras]

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the money runs out. I still have time to buy more .45 ACP and .40 SW, I hope?

[Trials and Trippelations]

The Independents already did it

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I like the one with James (the fat black guy). Funny.

Other than that?

The whole exercise is pathetic.

Call me when they're willing to pose in real waste: Their own shit or vomit.

[Zeb]

This is even dumber than the people with all their stuff on their front lawns.

You don't have to buy all that stuff if you don't want to. And you don't have to eat takeout or frozen dinners every day.

[SugarFree]

Excellent comment:

Navcop73, Washington DC, United States, 48 minutes ago

We really need to sell California back to Mexico. Cheap.

[sarcasmic]

'We've got our fingers crossed': AC/DC's Brian Johnson reveals band mate Malcolm Young has been hospitalised as he suffers from undisclosed health problems

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....blems.html

[Ted S.]

Again? Wsan't this just in the news a few months ago?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yes.

It's a long way to the top if you want to something, something.

[sarcasmic]

+1 bagpipe solo

[sarcasmic]

The smoked corpses of Papua New Guinea: Tribe pays respect to the dead by curing them and hanging them above their village to look over them
Villagers smoke dead men, women and children like kippers
They drain the fat from the dead bodies before and use it as cooking oil
Practise has been banned sine 1975 but still carries on in remote parts

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-them.html
That's cool. I hope someone does that to me after I die.

[PRX]

a place where Willie Nelson's dream could come true.

[Trials and Trippelations]

Big Cremation is not happy about this.

[sarcasmic]

A model fan! Belgian teen lands L'Oreal contract after being photographed at World Cup game

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-game.html
The story includes a pic of her and a gazelle she killed on a hunting trip. The comments are pure derp. Cute girl though.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

My cousin in Paris tells me the Belgians are a decent lot. Absent in their country for the most part is a culture of envy like there is in France. There's a mean anti-private, anti-business, anti-rich streak in France he hates with a passion.

Sound familiar? Think left here.

[Zeb]

I've spent some time in the Flemish part of Belgium and it is pretty nice, though I mostly hung out with Irish people. Belgians are alright, though they can be pretty racist. And a lot of them still really hate Germans.
And the beer is cheap and very good.

[Restoras]

a lot of them still really hate Germans

I probably would too.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm pretty sure that's standard fare still in Europe since WWII is not even 100 years old and still resonates negatively in the minds of people.

Belgians are racist. Meh. All of Europe is pretty racist.

[Restoras]

All of Europe is pretty racist

Yup.

[Zeb]

The casual racism among Belgians seemed especially strong compared to most other places I've been in Europe. Though they really hate Gypsies in southern Europe (and I can't really blame them since most of the obviously Gypsy people you see in cities are either picking your pockets or trying to sell you some stupid crap or tell your fortune or something).

[Clich? Bandit]

And the beer is cheap and very good.

understatement of the century.

Belgium is pretty awesome for being a made up country.

[Zeb]

I'm good at understatement. I would venture to say that Belgium is the best beer country there is (sorry Germany). And a haven for people who aren't big on the trend toward lots of hops in the US.

There are some cool stores in Antwerp with over 600 different Belgian beers.

[Clich? Bandit]

I have been to Antwerp, Vierne (awesome mussels), Bruge (best chocolate and beer selections in the world), Brussels (Delerium...'nuff said), and all over the countryside including Orval, Rochefort, Westvleterren, and Westmalle. I will always go to Belgium if I am in the area and the area extends as far as Cheltenham UK.

[Zeb]

It's often ignored or mocked, but I find that people who have been to Belgium always want to go back.

[Ted S.]

Spa-Francorchamps is a road course, and I believe you can still ride on it (at normal road speeds). When I visited my German relatives back in '89, we ended up on the course, not realizing what it was (or why the pavement was suddenly so perfect) until we got to the grandstand.

[Brian D]

Cute girl?! How can you say that after seeing her with that poor dead animal that she murdered?!?!?!! That completely changes her physical appearance even in pictures that I might have furiously fapped over beforehand, you INTOLERANT BRUTISH RACIST TEABAGGER!!

[Zeb]

Anti-hunting people are nuts. The hunting picture makes her way more attractive.

[Restoras]

Agreed. This and the gun-and-bow-toting Texas cheerleader make me want to go Africa for a hunting trip.

[sarcasmic]

I don't support trophy/sport hunting, so I don't do it.

[Zeb]

I'm not in love with the whole idea, but I do think that that sort of thing is really the only hope for continued survival of a lot of large mammals.

[sarcasmic]

I understand and agree in principle, but it's not something I would ever choose to do.

[Mock-star]

I'd normally agree, but the local villages do eat the animal.

[sarcasmic]

but the local villages do eat the animal.

I did not know that. That makes it somewhat better. But still, to kill just for the sake of killing is not something I admire.

[MegaloMonocle]

I don't support trophy/sport hunting,

Couple of things to mull over.

(1) Trophy animals get eaten. Its not like 99% of hunters don't make sure that the meat finds a home, even if they shot it for the horns.

(2) Taking mature males out of a herd has the least impact on herd genetic health (those guys have already spread their seed) and social structure (there's always another mature male around to fill the void).

[Lord Humungus]

''Jews Use Sorcery for Espionage''

Iran's state broadcaster, known as Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, IRIB, has never been the country's most dignified institution. But even by its own standards, the network plunged into a fresh abyss of superstition and fear-mongering with a recent broadcast in which Valiollah Naghipourfar, a cleric and professor at Tehran University, discusses the use of jinns, or genies, in public life. "Can jinns be put to use in intelligence gathering?" the presenter asks ingenuously, as though dragons can also serve as defense ministers and we've all entered the realm of the Hobbit. The cleric nods, as though speaking about a species of exotic elf: "The Jew is very practiced in sorcery. Indeed most sorcerers are Jews."

Sounds legit. Time for a Fireball spell.

[UnCivilServant]

The only sorcery I see them practicing these days is Open Sourcery. It's not directed at Iran.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Why are you trying to Sheldon Richman cry?

[Jensen]

I'd really like to see a couple thousand Iranian soldiers dressed in costumes yelling 'LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!'

[Rich]

"Jew eat practice sorcery yet?"

/Woody Allen

[Ska]

South Park: Stick of Truth has this covered, though the Jew class has some interesting skills that are beyond normal sorcery.

[Pathogen]

It is an asinine spectacle, and thoroughly enjoyable.. as are most things from Parker & Stone.

[sarcasmic]

First man to legally buy marijuana in Washington is SACKED from security guard job after employers saw him on the news and gave him a drug test

Michael Kelly Boyer was spotted by his employers buying pot on television
The security guard was ordered to take and pass a drug test by today
He posted his resume on Craigslist announcing the reason for his sacking
Boyer queued up overnight outside the store in Spokane, Washington

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ngton.html
Duh-oh!

[Auric Demonocles]

Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 to advance to the World Cup finals against Germany this Sunday.

I thought it was scoreless before penalty kicks?

[waffles]

Yeah, way to be completely misleading, Root.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Check your privilege, asshole.

Hi Matt,

First I'd like to say that you are the absolute worst. I've got you blocked on Facebook and I've unfollowed anyone who Retweets your horrible bull sh*t. I think you're a genuinely bad person who somehow stumbled upon a way to make a lot of money writing hateful sh*t on the internet. Congrats. You're one of the internet's most famous douchebags. Your mother must be so proud. I just want to tell you that the world has had enough of cisgender white guys whining about all of the evil women and minorities. Even though I've done everything to avoid your articles, for some reason I still come across them. I decided to read your last couple of posts, and all I saw was a privileged white middle class man telling women how to live our lives. You've been so protected and coddled that you don't even realize how stupid you sound.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Cont...

It's easy when everything is handed to you in life. It's easy when you don't have to worry about rape, discrimination, microaggressions, and systematic oppression. It's easy when OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY is set up to give you, the Straight White Man, all of the privileges and advantages. The patriarchy exists to elevate you above everyone else, and you still have the f*cking nerve to complain that women are allowed to use birth control or gays are allowed to love each other? Life is easy for you. You sit at home and blog all day. You have no idea what it's like for the rest of us. You have no idea what you have to go through when you don't have the benefit of being a privileged white suburban male. I know you like to laugh about all of the "silly girls" in gender studies classes, but maybe you should actually do some research on the subject yourself. I can send you my textbooks if you want. White males have been responsible for the worst oppressions from the crusades all the way to f*cking slavery, and now you cry that your "religious freedom" is violated because women are using birth control? You're f*cking disgusting. Check your privilege, assh*le.
-Kira

[waffles]

Kira is a real charmer that's for sure. But we should forgive her because I'm sure she is constantly dealing with multitudes of microaggressions. I wonder if it occurs to her that her check your privilege screed is a macroaggression.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Matt Walsh can be an overbearing socon at times, but his response back is pretty good.

The 'white male privilege' shtick wasn't invented to foster a dialogue, it was invented to suppress it. You tell someone to 'check their privilege' because you want to discount everything they just said. It's a Get Out of Thinking card. It allows you to push wide swaths of people into a nice little box labeled 'privileged' and summarily disqualify every thought and idea they bring to the table.
This is what I hate about progressivism. It's such a dry, gray, joyless thing. It leaves no room for anyone to have an actual identity of their own. It doesn't illuminate. It doesn't enlighten. It doesn't encourage open expression. It simply turns the lights off and tells everyone to shut up and play along.

[Idle Hands]

yea his skreed was awesome until he went on how the Christians were completely justified of all their actions in the crusade or something.

[lap83]

It's unfortunate if he said that, but he's usually a very wise and astute writer.

[Brian D]

He cited it as an example of men fighting for a cause greater than themselves, but I didn't seem him saying it was justified.

[Idle Hands]

To say the Crusades was an example of men fighting a cause greater than themselves and not blatant land grab and an attempt to corner a trade route to the East is a stretch.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Meh, I bet a lot of the regular soldiers and such might have had the fervor - the leaders were, as a whole, the cynical and thieving lot. Of course, the whole lot participating in the Fourth Crusade are all burning in Hell.

[Auric Demonocles]

A Facebook acquaintance recently went crazy over the abortion clinic buffer zone decision. When I pointed out that her characterization of the protesters was nothing like the plaintiff of the case, her response started off with "As a man you..." She didn't appreciate me calling her out on that.

(This managed to push her over the "too political for hotness" line and get unfollowed)

[wareagle]

unfollow is FB's best feature. It has spared me a lot of mindless derp.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

AD, you're made of strong constitution. I wouldn't be able to handle political FB.

[Auric Demonocles]

I don't really handle political Facebook. Hence the unfollow.

She just managed to avoid it prior to this because she's a smoking hot redhead who lives nearby, and hadn't been all that political before.

[Auric Demonocles]

I think she's too busy filing lawsuits against all the scholarships and preference points specifically for white, straight men. There's a lot of "uniformity scholarships".

Oh, and writing checks for stranger's condoms so she won't be denying them access.

[UnCivilServant]

Dear Kira - Grow the fuck up.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

For a sec there I thought it was our own Matt Welch.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

That asshole needs to check his privilege too.

[PRX]

or check your asshole and thank a white man for toilet paper.

[carol]

I've never worried about rape, discrimination, microaggressions or systematic oppression. I'm obviously doing this whole female thing wrong.

[Whahappan?]

False consciousness!!

[Idle Hands]

His response was a complete and utter dismantling of her entire world view.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I liked this part too:

Also, Kira, how dare you call me a man in the first place? The funny thing about 'cisgender' is that you automatically contradict yourself the moment you use it to describe anyone. If gender is fluid, and if, in this progressive utopia, 'male' and 'female' are but select options on a three-dimensional spectrum which allows all of us to be male, female, neither, both, or some mixture, then you cannot ever confidently identify another human being by their gender. I never told you that I identify by the gender assigned to me at birth, so, by your own convictions, only a reactionary Neanderthal would be so primitive as to hoist that identity upon me.

[Pathogen]

Savaged..

[Warty]

I wonder if Kira realizes she's named after an Ayn Rand heroine.

[Warty]

I wouldn't be surprised if he made up that letter. It's almost too perfect of a leftist caricature to seem real.

...But then I remember that tumblr exists, so...maybe.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

It could be, but there is still an abundance of stupid out there.

[Pathogen]

"..You've been so protected and coddled that you don't even realize how stupid you sound."

The projection irony.. it burns..

[Fist of Etiquette]

Bill Hillman, co-author of the book Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona, was gored by a bull while participating in the Pamplona bull-running festival in Spain.

Did he survive?

[UnCivilServant]

From the previous posting of that event, yes, he did. He was hospitalized but not slain.

[DJF]

I am going to write a book about surviving the Bulls of Pamplona.

Step 1, don't go to Pamplona.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Step 2. If you somehow end up in Pamplona, do not go near bulls.

[UnCivilServant]

Addendum to Step 2. Being on the upper floors of tall buildings helps in this regard.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

That is just what them bulls want you to think!!! I've seens 'em, those critters can climb stairs....and I swears I saw one take an elevator once!!!11!1

/Adjusts foil hat

[PD Scott]

Addendum: Standing in the street, firing a machine gun at the bulls while screaming "Come get some!" is effective but very, very frowned upon.

[Lord Humungus]

Nebbi policeman attacked by tortoise

The policeman, who had just returned home after a long field day training crime preventers, tried to wave off his unwanted visitor.

"I tried to scare it but the tortoise became very aggressive. I took a stick to chase it but it instead became more violent making me to make alarm.

"I immediately picked a plastic chair to hit it. It then got out of the hut and moved towards the latrine as people rushed to my rescue," he told New Vision.

The shaken Onegiu then instinctively reached for his firearm and shot the fleeing reptile dead.

Give this man a job here in the states.

[Ted S.]

I think you screwed up the link.

[Lord Humungus]

meh.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/65726.....toise.html

[UnCivilServant]

shot the fleeing reptile

You've already driven it off, and no tortoise is a threat to a human in a one on one confrontation.

[Stormy Dragon]

Gamera begs to differ.

[UnCivilServant]

Gamera is a turtle, there is a difference.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

*applause*

[Ted S.]

Can't you just outrun the thing anyway?

[MegaloMonocle]

Good eating on a tortoise, though.

[Suthenboy]

What a bunch of olga-booga land bullshit. What do you want to bet that critter ended up in a soup pot?

[Suthenboy]

ooga, not olga. F'ing spellcheck.

[UnCivilServant]

I'd have more respect if the guy said "I saw the tortoise and shot it for dinner."

[Auric Demonocles]

We should impeach Root. Skipping alt-text counts as a high crime.

[Restoras]

At least go with 'click to download pdf'...

[Auric Demonocles]

Hey, coming from Ekins, that was a major victory.

[sarcasmic]

Police officer shoots dead 'aggressive' tortoise 'in self defence' in Uganda

Charles Onegiu said the animal entered his home and attacked him
Incident happened in Nebbi district in the north of the country
After attempting to fend off the tortoise he shot it dead

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....ganda.html
He feared for his life!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Are these different from U.S. tortoises? I hope so, for his sake, otherwise we'll get all the snarky references to Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbits in Monty Python.

[Bee Tagger]

"I disagree," Boehner declared on Wednesday.

He really took the CNN editor's feedback on being more concise to heart.

[Lord Humungus]

A Chinese sex toy company has come out with a GoPro vibrator

When it comes to our vaginas, most hetero women have at best a vague understanding of what, exactly, is going on in there; to paraphrase the opening of MTV's Diary, we think we know, but we have no idea.

That's about to change, however, with the Svakom Gaga, a new sex toy from the China-based adult company Svakom. The Gaga is a sex toy with a built-in camera lens at the tip, allowing you to get an up close and personal (perhaps too up close and personal) glimpse at your lady parts while you're getting up close and personal with yourself. It's like a GoPro, except instead of showing you what it's like inside a grizzly bear's mouth it shows you... well, actually, it's not all that different from a GoPro.

[Obama's Buttplug]

The Gaga is a sex toy with a built-in camera lens at the tip

Just the tip?

[Bee Tagger]

President Obama met with Texas Governor Rick Perry in Dallas yesterday to discuss immigration.

He had two other things to do that day but he's having a heck of a time remembering what they were.

[sarcasmic]

Did she kill before? US call girl 'who poisoned Google exec client with heroin' wrote online about 'love' of killing sprees

Alix Tichelman, 26, appeared in Santa Cruz court on Wednesday to face manslaughter and drug charges
She is being accused of leaving client Forrest Hayes, 51, to die after he suffered an adverse reaction to heroin last November
Just six days before her July 4 arrest, Tichelman wrote about her 'love' of killing sprees on Facebook
Detectives say she is also being investigating in connection to a similar death in another state

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....death.html
Ugh, she's scary looking. Why would someone pay for that?

[Restoras]

There's no accounting for taste.

Besides, if he had millions to spend on hookers and blow heroin he has probably been through all the normal looking hot ones and wanted something more exotic.

[Ted S.]

A corollary of Rule 34 is that anything you find kinky or freaky, somebody else will find a fetish.

[Palin's Buttplug]

One of our Georgia peaches. A money grubbing whore.

[Lord Humungus]

*slowly raises hand*

I would tap that. But not come back for seconds. And perhaps move out of the country.

[Restoras]

I'd hit it, too. However, seeing as I'm an idiot I'd also go back for seconds, thirds, etc.

[Lord Humungus]

I'm an idiot too - but afraid of the crazy.

*remembers the one uber-goth girl in his past*

[Suthenboy]

You are a wise man.

[CE]

Yeah, but not pay 1,000 bucks too.

[Pathogen]

Heroin ain't free..

[Auric Demonocles]

I wouldn't do it for free, but considering she is in good shape and is half his age, I can see why he might be willing to pay, what to him isn't a ton of money, for it.

[Rich]

"she injected a Silicon Valley tech executive with heroin and then casually left as he lay dying."

Did she charge extra for the happy ending?

[CE]

She also watched Dexter, so clearly, a serial killer wannabe.

[CE]

Some stories said she injected him with a "lethal" dose of heroin, perpetuating the "overdose" myth.

None of the stories bothered to ask whether she might have called for help if neither activity were illegal.

[ant1sthenes]

Is there any evidence that the injection was consensual in the first place?

[Restoras]

Bill Hillman, co-author of the book Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona, was gored by a bull while participating in the Pamplona bull-running festival in Spain.

Somebody posted this, what, yesterday? Two days ago? Whoever it was deserves a h/t, Mr. Root.

[Lord Humungus]

Chinese hackers pursue key data on U.S. workers

Chinese hackers broke into the computer networks of the United States government agency that keeps the personal information of all federal employees in March, the New York Times reported, citing senior U.S. officials.

The hackers appeared to be targeting files on tens of thousands of employees who have applied for top-secret security clearances, the newspaper said.

The hackers gained access to some of the databases of the Office of Personnel Management before federal authorities detected the threat and blocked them from the network, the newspaper said.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Damon- 4-2 on penalty kicks, not on goals.

[Fist of Etiquette]

House Speaker John Boehner has refused to endorse Sarah Palin's call for the impeachment of President Barack Obama.

John isn't as excited about the idea of a President Biden as Sarah is.

[Suthenboy]

At this point it is hard to see how it could be any worse.

[Lord Humungus]

Obama's Approval Rating Today Matches Bush in September 2006

Back in September 2006, heading into a midterm election cycle as President Obama is today, on the same RCP average, President George W. Bush was? around 41 percent approval, around 55 percent disapproval.

[The Last American Hero]

So I was right that 2012 was essentially 2004 with the parties reversed. Now since 2008 resulted in a war mongering, civil liberty trampling authoritarian in the White House, does that mean we get a non-interventionist that follows the Constitution in 2016?

[Lord Humungus]

nah. just more crazy.

[Auric Demonocles]

"A woman whom police describe as a high-end prostitute is under arrest after they say she injected a Silicon Valley tech executive with heroin and then casually left as he lay dying."

Is her name Mochachino?

[Lord Humungus]

Germany OKs plan to make creditors prop up banks

European finance ministers agreed earlier this year on Europe-wide legislation on bank recovery and resolution, which sets a cascading hierarchy of investors who would be hit when a bank fails. These rules will come into force in 2016.

Germany will apply these rules already from next year, according to the bill. Struggling bank creditors, in addition to shareholders, will have to help financial institutions, covering up to 8% of liabilities, before the banks can tap Germany's financial markets stabilization fund SoFFin.

In an expertise report presented Wednesday, Germany's independent Monopoly Commission, which advises the government on competition and regulation issues, said its "skeptical whether market participants can muster sufficient capital buffer to effectively prevent the general public from being held liable."

[Ted S.]

Nobody's going to lend any more money to the banks.

[DJF]

Janet Yellen - "Nobody!"

[Palin's Buttplug]

Buffett does at 6-10% with about $5 billion worth of warrants as kicker.

He fleeced the fuck out of Goldman and Bank of America - a regular loan shark.

[Restoras]

Don't. Don't lock eyes with it.

It's Thursday, people.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Our big banks are now flush with capital due to Geithner's stress tests. There is even $2.6 trillion of excess reserves parked at the Fed.

There won't be another 2008 collapse as long as that cushion exists.

(I know, I broke all kind of Peanut rules in this comment)

[Restoras]

Don't. Don't lock eyes with it.

It's Thursday, people.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

This from a guy who erroneously insists the stock markets are a barometer for the overall health of an economy.

[Restoras]

Don't. Don't lock eyes with it.

It's Thursday, people.

[SugarFree]

All of Brazil begs you...

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

I am not sure I expressed my admiration for that, SF, so let me do that now.

*applause*

[SugarFree]

I need to do one with that fat kid eating his shirt.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Agreed!

[Palin's Buttplug]

You're a liar. The S&P 500 is a benchmark for the health of the 500 largest public companies in the USA.

They have never done better - profits up 40% over pre-collapse 2007.

[Jordan]

They have never done better - profits up 40% over pre-collapse 2007.

If he's a liar and you really don't believe the S&P 500 is a barometer for the overall health of the economy, then why is this relevant? The S&P 500 hit record highs during the housing bubble as well.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yes but you conflate this with the ECONOMY. Two different things.

No more feeding. I promise.

[Restoras]

Don't. Don't lock eyes with it.

It's Thursday, people.

[Clich? Bandit]

The bold helps Rufus (Blinking and SF links would be a better deterrent)...I typically give up around noon trying to convince others around noon.. Credit where it is due, he seems to get people to respond no matter what.

[The Last American Hero]

Then the Fed can quit holding interest rates artificially low and stop printing money like crazy, right?

If the companies are doing so well, why aren't they hiring? U6 hasn't budged and workforce participation is at 35 year highs.

[KDN]

U6 hasn't budged and workforce participation is at 35 year highs.

I think you mean lows.

Historically, the S&P 500 has been one of the best leading indicators of GDP growth, and GDP growth a prime leading indicator of employment. The relationship between the three has been unhinged throughout this cycle of market growth. But there are no problems with Fed policy, at all.

[Don Mynack]

Aren't US banks required to hold 10% in reserve? Maybe I am misunderstanding what this article is talking about...

[The Last American Hero]

Basel agreements allow you to hold less if you have certain qualifying assets. During the real estate bubble, home mortgages and gov treasuries counted as among those assets. This helped fuel a perverse incentive to lend (amongst other factors). In addition, a lot of French and German banks hold a lot of Greek debt.

[MegaloMonocle]

That reserve requirement means, roughly, that they can hold as cash or liquid assets 10% of what their depositors have put into the bank.

So you give a bank $100 in cash, they put $10 in the vault, and loan out the other $90.

[Note: grossly simplified for clarity.]

[MegaloMonocle]

Keep in mind, depositors are considered creditors to their banks.

And people deposits have been seized before, in Greece, to pay the bank's bills.

[Lord Humungus]

Rampaging cow tosses officer, charges cop car in Mt. Vernon

Haigh says the cow slipped past city police and Skagit County sheriff's deputies who tried to keep it out of the street and away from a nearby wedding.

When officers tried to catch it a few blocks away, Haigh says it charged an officer, tossing him into the air. He was sore, but not seriously hurt. The cow escaped again by jumping on the hood of a patrol car, trotting across it and running off.

Haigh says police and the cow's owner finally agreed it might need to be killed to prevent further injury or damage. An officer shot the animal.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"So...whatever *did* happen to that cow?"

"*Munch munch*...it was properly disposed of."

ALTERNATE JOKE: Cow vs. Pigs

[Lord Humungus]

Iraq tells U.N. that 'terrorist groups' seized nuclear materials

Nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of uranium compounds were kept at Mosul University, Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the July 8 letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

...snip...

A U.S. government source familiar with the matter said the materials were not believed to be enriched uranium and therefore would be difficult to use to manufacture into a weapon. Another U.S. official familiar with security matters said he was unaware of this development raising any alarm among U.S. authorities.

[sarcasmic]

School leader mocks Michelle O's bake sale restrictions: We can't fundraise 'selling carrot sticks'

http://eagnews.org/school-lead.....ot-sticks/
His days are numbered.

Middle School Suspends Teacher over Alleged Twerking, Drinking, Lap Dance with Students

http://www.breitbart.com/Breit.....h-Students
Unlike this guy who will keep his job.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Why are today's young women so unashamed about being fat?

John:
One was wearing shockingly skimpy crochet shorts, as seen on size-zero models in adverts. But in this case, the shorts made it appear the wearer had an extra bottom hanging below the cut-off hemline.

Another girl wore white stretch leggings with a pattern of cellulite dimples showing through, accessorised with a super-sized sausage of overhanging belly.

Meanwhile, the third sported a cut-away vest top revealing the entire back of her pink bra, complete with chunky rolls of fat above, beneath and around the straps.

Sarcasmic:
Keira Knightley's razor-sharp scapula and fried egg breasts or Victoria Beckham's hand-span thighs and knife-edge hips.

[waffles]

My guess would be because there are so many more fat people.

[Idle Hands]

also they are getting regular sex.

[waffles]

Good point. But I think that only applies to fat women. I also would think that fat people in their 20s will tend to age poorly and will hit a hard wall when it comes to this arena.

[sarcasmic]

EXCLUSIVE: 'I lost 5 pounds by quitting fast food': Paris Hilton reveals she dropped burgers and fries for salads and smoothies to get bikini ready

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....ummer.html
I would.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

*Sighs, looks at ground*

Me too.

Are you one of the crazies around here who thinks Ann Coulter is hot though?

[sarcasmic]

I don't do giraffes.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Maybe it's just Rufus then.

[sarcasmic]

I could see how someone could find her to be attractive. But her voice and the stupid shit she says is a total weenie-shrinker for me.

[Suthenboy]

One glimpse of that adams apple does it for me. Hey, if someone is into that sort of thing, good for them. They can have it all.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

So wrap it in saran wrap or some shit and carry on.

[Suthenboy]

Its not reeeeeeeealy the adam's apple that I find disconcerting.

Three guesses what goes with an adam's apple.......

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Rufus is suggesting you wrap that with saran wrap too.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Buy when on special though.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

All I said was I'd fuck her. Not marry her.

[Auric Demonocles]

Hypothetically a random girl who looked like that, or actually her, knowing about her personality?

[sarcasmic]

Her. Just to say I did.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

The premise of the article though,

It's about time we stopped tiptoeing around the size issue, stopped kidding ourselves that anorexia, however serious, is the biggest eating problem we face, and started to tackle fat for the problem that it is.

Not because celebrities and models are worthy of emulating but because fat is a blight on both individuals and society.

One way to start might be by calling a fat girl a fat girl. No apology required.

I agree with.

[Rhywun]

because fat is a blight on both individuals and society

It didn't take her very long at all to go from "fat people are ugly" to "touch your toes, Montag!", did it?

Fuck her and her collectivism.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I don't think she is advocating for any government control of fat people, just that she thinks it is stupid to be pc and tiptoe around hurting the fatties feelings.

[Carl ?s his privilege]

What a vapid article.

Why are today's young women so unashamed about being fat?

They aren't unashamed. Quite the contrary.

But they think, probably correctly, that they will have more luck with teh menz if they wear skimpy outfits.

After all, who do you think a horny, desparate guy is going to pursue? The slutty-looking fat girl, or the modestly-dressed one who might take some work?

[sarcasmic]

I have been that drunk, but never that horny and desperate.

[Warty]

it should be as unacceptable as smoking.

I'm OK with people smoking, but I definitely look down on them a little. The same goes for landwhales. And by landwhales, I mean begunted knock-kneed Jabba the Hutts with BMIs of 40+. The kind who need the reinforced doublewide chairs to hold their 400-pound asses.

Ordinary tubbiness seems to me kind of like habitually drinking a bit too much. Yes, you shouldn't do that, but whatever. Fun is fun.

[sarcasmic]

Police Pull Rifle Out On Man Trying To Clean Up Dog Poop In His Car

http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2.....ed-in-car/

[Lord Humungus]

Rethinking Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points

Wilson's idealistic formula was a contentious centerpiece of debate at the Versailles peace conference. It was an inspiration to those who felt victimized by the old order and an annoyance to France and Britain.

Britain and France prevailed at Versailles, imposing a peace settlement so selfish and shortsighted that it all but guaranteed the rise of a revanchist Germany leading to World War II, and the endless headaches of the modern Middle East. It was, as David Fromkin titled his great 1989 history, "A Peace to End All Peace." It's this very fabric that is now ripping apart, as civil wars in Syria and Iraq create de-facto partitions of those countries. The question facing policymakers is whether to redraw the lines or let the region devolve into smaller cantons, like the ethnically cohesive "vilayets" of Ottoman times.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

14 points about the 14 points in 14 pointed form!

[Raven Nation]

I forget his name but the French PM (or president?) of the time said:

"Wilson and his 14 points bore me. Even God Almighty only has 10 commandments."

[MegaloMonocle]

I'm hoping they used a 14 point font.

[Lord Humungus]

If Hillary runs for president, it won't be as a Clinton Democrat

It is a commonplace that the Republican Party has become more right-wing in recent decades, as indeed it has. But can it reasonably be doubted that Democrats have moved even more sharply leftward? No would-be Democratic presidential candidate would think of running today on a platform of opposing gay marriage, toughening the Cuba embargo, restricting welfare eligibility, and chopping taxes on capital gains.

Bill Clinton is as popular among Democrats as he has ever been, maybe even more so. He commands whopping speaking fees. Candidates crave his endorsement. According to a recent poll, he is the most popular president of the past 25 years.

But a "Bill Clinton Democrat" wouldn't stand a chance in the contemporary Democratic Party. That includes Hillary Clinton, who has already ? in effect, if not always in explicit terms ? repudiated her husband's legacy on issues from gay rights to Cuba to taxes.

[John]

In other words, the Democratic Party has gone full retard and its politicians have to react to their environment. We constantly talk on here about the need to kill the GOP establishment and fix the GOP. That is certainly needed. But what is needed just as badly or perhaps more is fixing the Democrats. Like it or not we are stuck with the two party system and Democrats are going to win elections. We need to have them be something besides batshit insane. They need to have a soul crushing defeat the way the GOP did in 2008 and be shocked back into reality.

The only reason we ever got the Clinton Democrats was because they spent the 80s having their asses handed to them by Reagan. They were pretty much full retard in 1980.

[Jensen]

George RR Martin on fans speculating on his death: "I find that question pretty offensive, when people start speculating about my death and my health. So fuck you to those people."

[Fist of Etiquette]

NO SPOILERS.

[UnCivilServant]

NO SHOUTING!

[Auric Demonocles]

DON'T SHOUT ABOUT SPOILING LUCY!

[Game of Thrones fan]

YES, THEY DESERVED TO DIE AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!

[Fist of Etiquette]

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.

[DJF]

I hear they are going to give him a fancy banquet which will even have a band playing in the balcony

[Restoras]

Just what he deserves.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

And a nation faints at the indecency of it all.

[Jordan]

I wonder what he thought of South Park's treament of him.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

South Park is still on the air?

*ducks*

[Zeb]

No, it was never on the air.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Bo called, he says you're too pedantic.

[Restoras]

-1 not enough splitting hairs

[Zeb]

Technically correct is the best kind of correct.

I knew you and Bo must have something going on on the side. Does he call every day?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Only when he's accusing me of hiding the dead babies in my basement.

[Brian D]

I don't know why George is so pissed. Everyone else in his books seems to die.

[Warty]

GRRM is a great writer, but is pretty humorless and more than a little bit of an asshole. This is why you don't want to know your artistic heroes.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Like Todd McFarlane. Another Canadian artist known to be an asshole.

[thom]

GRRM is a great writer

I think this is generous. At this point I would describe him as a writer who wrote some great books.

The last two books seem to indicate that his streak of greatness may be over.

[Pro Libertate]

I bet he went and killed a favorite character just because he's pissed and because can do anything he wants. Heck, maybe he'll have Ewoks land in force.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Jar Jar Binks ascends to the Iron Throne...

[John]

That is why I decided not to read those books. It is my understanding everyone who is remotely interesting or has any decent qualities dies. They just seem a bit black for me. And when you consider my normal taste in books, that is really saying something.

Really, do those books have any point of view other than life is really brutal and suck? Not that there isn't a lot of truth to that, but it would seem to get a bit old after a few thousand pages of it.

[Brett L]

To be fair, he kills the uninteresting and unappealing characters, too.

[SugarFree]

Penny lives, so Brett is wrong.

[John]

Life is harsh, but it isn't that harsh. Good things happen too. And sometimes wars and conflicts end if for no other reason than people get tired of fighting.

[Zeb]

It's fun to read and he creates a very interesting and well conceived world. That's why I like it. Not sure if I will get through all of it, though. I'm only on the second book at the moment.

[PRX]

Weiner is coming.

[Jordan]

Chinese Hackers Pursue Key Data on U.S. Workers

Chinese hackers in March broke into the computer networks of the United States government agency that houses the personal information of all federal employees, according to senior American officials. They appeared to be targeting the files on tens of thousands of employees who have applied for top-secret security clearances.

The hackers gained access to some of the databases of the Office of Personnel Management before the federal authorities detected the threat and blocked them from the network, according to the officials. It is not yet clear how far the hackers penetrated the agency's systems, in which applicants for security clearances list their foreign contacts, previous jobs and personal information like past drug use.

It will be rich to hear the U.S. government complain about being spied on.

[John]

That is on the US. Governments spy on each other. I don't view that as a bad thing. I don't hold it against the Chinese for spying on us. We do and should be doing the same thing to them. I hold it against the US government for not preventing it.

[Jordan]

I hate sports, but this damn soccer coverage is unavoidable. The thing that blows my mind is they show all these people crying over a fucking game. Seriously?

[Ted S.]

Your salty ham tears are wonderful. 😉

[Certified Public Asskicker]

People cry over movies and books too.

[John]

Every single NCAA Men's basketball final I have ever seen, and I have seen every one of them since 1977, has the obligatory shot of the crying cheerleader for the losing team.

[Jordan]

I just don't understand how somebody can form an emotional attachment to a bunch of dudes kicking a ball around.

[John]

Because it is make believe. When a real tragedy happens you have to deal with it and try to piece your life back together. So that requires you to have some control on your emotions. When a sports team loses it really doesn't mean shit unless you play on the team. So it is easy to let your emotions out and use it as an outlet for all of the emotions you have to suppress when dealing with the real world.

I think that is what some people do. I get pissed off over sports. I haven't cried about them at least in sorrow since I was a child. But it certainly puts me in a bad mood, at least until my wife yells at me and reminds me two billion people in China don't give a shit.

[Suthenboy]

"I just don't understand how somebody can form an emotional attachment to a bunch of dudes kicking a ball around."

In children's underwear no less.

[lap83]

I understand the emotional attachment thing in theory, although I don't share it. What I don't understand is when people let it affect their day to day life. Like becoming violent over team rivalries, or treating people differently because they went to the wrong school. Some people get really primitive and tribal over it. I think it's pathetic.

[lap83]

I guess I've mostly seen it in college sports because that's big around here. But I've seen it in professional too.

[Timon 19]

Oh well. Continue to wonder until you figure it out or get bored with it.

Coming on here and wondering about it loudly in frustration is...pointless.

[waffles]

Hey! Where the Red Fern Grows is a fucking classic.

[Marshall Gill]

Watched it with the kids a few months back. All three of us cried when old Dan dies. We cried again when little Ann lays down and dies, too.

[Zeb]

I'm all for watching sports and following you favorite team, but if you have an emotional breakdown when your team loses, you need to reassess your priorities.

[John]

In countries like Brazil where the Democrazy is barely functional or Argintina where it rarely functions at all, people understrandably feel powerless. That sense of powerlessness often transfers over into sport. You live in this shitty country with a fucked up government you can't change so you try to make up for it by latching onto the national sports team. Let this happen over generations in a sport the whole country is nuts about anyway and you get what happened yesterday in Brazil.

Think of it this way, the one great shining moment in US international sports is the `1980 Miracle on Ice. And that happened at a time when the government was totally fucked up and things were generally shitty and people didn't know what to do about it.

[Clich? Bandit]

Democrazy

I have said it before, John you are a true H&R treasure.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

More Americans are watching than ever before. The numbers are MASSIVE.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

And the first Chicago Fire MLS game right after the US was eliminated.....might have drawn 5-6,000 people.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

http://www.sportingkc.com/news.....o-1-1-draw

Attendance: 20,858 (45th straight sell out)

[Don Mynack]

I enjoy going to the Dynamo games, and they are pretty terrible this year.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

That was in KC - in Chicago (their park is even decent too!) not so good.

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

Kind of like when the White Sox or back when the Blackhawks were terrible - you'd end up announcing the attendance....and the actual number of butts in the seats were....waaaay lower than that. Odd for Chicago, as their are enough recent arrivals from soccer loving lands for me to think they would sell out constantly.

[John]

And the Royals are over .500 and have a good shot at the playoffs this year. So they are not horrible anymore.

[John]

For whatever reason KC has always been a big soccer town. They had an indoor soccer team back in the early 80s when I was a kid that was wildly popular. When I was in high school in the 1980s Kansas City and St Louis were considered to be the best to metro areas for high school soccer in the country. I have no idea why that was so, but it was.

[Rhywun]

My hometown Rochester was a big soccer town too - we even had an NASL team.

Meanwhile today here in NYC the team hardly ever sells out and nobody seems to give a shit. And we're getting a SECOND team next year.

[Timon 19]

Considering the Red Bulls are in New Jersey, you're really only getting your FIRST team.

[Timon 19]

KC is a weird case. They were among the worse in attendance for ages, partly because they were playing in Arrowhead where there were 70,000 empty seats regardless, and partly because management didn't really give a shit. Didn't help that they were called "The Wiz" for the first several years.

Then, management changed, they built an appropriately-sized stadium, and re-branded the team entirely. Now they are near the top in attendance. Note that the turnaround in attendance started while they were in a HORRIBLE interim stadium situation, playing in a minor league baseball park. It was mostly management and rebranding.

St. Louis has the major history, but no MLS team.

[Timon 19]

MLS != US at the World Cup

Though it sure would be nice if people spent the minimal amount of effort it takes to follow the players from the Cup in their leagues, including MLS, just from time-to-time.

It really is all down to laziness. It's all right there.

[sarcasmic]

I hate sports, but this damn soccer coverage is unavoidable

Other than the stupid google doodles, I've managed to completely avoid it.

[Brett L]

Man kills son, and is shot to death by grandson.

[John]

One thing you learn if you get out and experience a bit in life, is that no matter how fucked up and dysfunctional you think your family was, there is always someone out t here who had it ten times worse. God, what a tragedy.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Today is Troll Appreciation Thursday, and I'm giving you a choice between two articles:

a) Nicholas Kristof's NYT column about religious persecution in the Muslim world, including the murder of a Pakistani friend,

b) The flaky Democratic politician who offered a reward for nude photos of a cheerleader

[John]

Was Kristof trolling? Did he excuse it or defend it?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Regretfully opposed it.

[Zeb]

The cheerleader or the religious persecution?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Kristof, AFAIK, has no position on the cheerleader.

Though he wished he did, know what I mean, guv'nor?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

All right, no votes for either side, so I'll do Kristof:

"In country after country, Islamic fundamentalists are measuring their own religious devotion by the degree to which they suppress or assault those they see as heretics, creating a human rights catastrophe as people are punished or murdered for their religious beliefs.

"This is a sensitive area I'm wading into here, I realize. Islam-haters in America and the West seize upon incidents like these to denounce Islam as a malignant religion of violence, while politically correct liberals are reluctant to say anything for fear of feeding bigotry. Yet there is a real issue here of religious tolerance, affecting millions of people, and we should be able to discuss it.

"I've been thinking about this partly because of the recent murder of a friend, Rashid Rehman, a courageous human rights lawyer in Multan, Pakistan...."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07.....share&_r=0

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

NO! I WANT CHEERLEADER STORY!!!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The voting is closed, you'll have to Google it yourself - keywords "Mike Dickinson" and "Kendall Jones."

There's another poll below - hurry up and cast your ballots!

[Swiss Servator, Alles Klar]

http://www.examiner.com/articl.....dall-jones

[John]

Does Kristof at some point mention the parallels to Tea Party and Christian religious intolerance in America? If not, the NYT editors must have been on vacation this week.

[bdhr]

Auric Demonocles #

Also: what were you doing on something for more than a month ago?

I did a Google (or maybe Bing, can't remember) search for "fascr" and came across it.

[Jon Lester]

Do the allegations against the prostitute meet California's standards for special circumstances?

[Sevo]

Can't find it on the web yet, but a guy named Dean Cortopassi took a full page of the Chron and titled it:
"LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!"
He goes on to point out that moonbeam's "balanced budget" is bullshit.
And he mentions the ad was paid for from 'tax-paid, personal savings'.
This guy needs to get it on the web!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

OK, my last attempt fizzled, but let's try another poll. Which article would you prefer -

a) "Democrats push race issues" OR

b) kinky supermodel photos?

Make your votes count!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Really? You know if you don't vote I'll post the Democrat story, right?

[Zeb]

I'll vote a), even though it has become rather boring.

I can find kinky supermodel photos anytime and H&R commentary doesn't add much to the experience.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

All right, the people have spoken, though the turnout was lower than a primary runoff election.

"Democrats reject charges that the rhetoric is a concerted political calculation on their part as they try to retain their Senate majority and make gains in the House.

""You turn out voters by demonstrating your past performance and what you're promising to do for a constituent in the future," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "I don't call that race-baiting. I call that a political platform.""

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballo.....eir-voters

[lap83]

Democrats pushing kinky supermodel photo issues

(probably the next Jezebel article)

[John]

Now that is a war on women issue we can all get behind.

[Obama's Buttplug]

St. Paul police shoot, kill 2 family dogs in SWAT raid

[lap83]

whatever happened to Minnesota nice?

[John]

Like I said yesterday, Reason had become a toxic stew of dead dog stories and pot fueled Mexican butt sex.

[Obama's Buttplug]

Deputies shoot, kill man after knocking on wrong door

[SugarFree]

Another angle on Obama and the 1/8 reverse centaur.

The fear in Barry's eyes is like a bounteous feast.

[John]

How did he get past The Secret Service? I am not a Secret Service Agent, but I think I might give the guy wearing the big horse head a second look.

[PD Scott]

They knew he was just horsing around?
...

I'll show myself out.

[Raven Nation]

They seem to have been become pretty lax recently. Or, at least, as far as media reports go. There was the "sign translator" at Mandela's funeral and the two gate-crashers at that White House party.

[John]

That is a bit scary. The Secret Service is a really broken organization right now. I don't like Obama, but it would be a real problem if something were to happen to him. Can you imagine all of the conspiracy theories that would sprout up? They would make a martyr out of him and his incompetence and failures would be forgotten. It would keep the country from learning anything from this disaster.

[Warty]

And the guy offering him a doobie. Either the Secret Service is completely broken like John says, or they hate Obama too much to even pretend to keep him safe.

[Suthenboy]

The sign translator. Hooooooleeeeey shit that was funny. The perfect summation of the Obumbles presidency.

[ant1sthenes]

The Secret Service exists to protect the President. We don't have one right now, so they don't have much to do.

[Suthenboy]

Notice the asian SS guy in the background. Where is his right hand?

[Warty]

What the fuck?

Follow

Baltimore RavensVerified account
?@Ravens
Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident.
Reply Retweet Favorite More

Let's unpack the WTF here. 1) Star football player beats up his girlfriend on camera. 2) He later marries her. 3) She says that she's sorry for getting in the way of his fists. 4) His employer publicly announces that she's sorry. What the fuck? I think the Modells need a new PR intern to run their Twitter feed.

[John]

I am pretty sure they tried to stop her. Welcome to a dysfunctional and abusive relationship. This didn't just happen one night. He has no doubt been an abusive asshole since the day she met him. And she is no doubt so fucked in the head and has such a poor self image she no doubt thinks that is what she deserves.

If you are the Ravens what do you do other than cut his ass so you are not associated with it anymore? You sure as hell are never going to fix it.

[Warty]

At least he didn't murder her. But failing to destroy the evidence? That's not the Modell way.

[Rayge]

I'm interested in what my fellow Reasonoids think about the following

I'm looking into getting my PAL/RPAL, and on the application form it asks (section C, Personal History):

"During the past five (5) years, have you threatened or attempted suicide, or have you suffered from or been diagnosed or treated by
a medical practitioner for: depression; alcohol, drug or substance abuse;behavioural problems; or emotional problems?"

Only possible answer is Yes or No to that entire list, not individual ones!

I've been in treatment for depression since beginning of 2012 (was taking Citalopram, have been on Wellbutrin since this past October) and ADHD since summer 2010. I've been in Europe since 2007...I'm inclined to answer no, primarily because Fuck Them and also because I feel it's a loaded question (nor have I threatened/attempted to commit suicide)

Am I correct in intending on answering NO?

Any input appreciated

[Zeb]

That's some sort of Canadian gun license?

If it's anything like the US background check questionnaire, you just answer "no" to everything if you don't want to be rejected.

[Rayge]

Aye, apologies for not mentioning that.

RPAL basically means that in addition to non-centerfire semi-autos or manual actions, pistols/evil features are also purchasable.

That makes sense, I can't think of any way(within reason) that they could check.

[Ted S.]

Owners have the right to cry when their team loses.

[Pope Jimbo]

+1 Carl Gerbschmidt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ0sypPyYc4

[Jordan]

It's Talking Points Memo. That should be all the warning you need.

I remember that their defense of George Zimmerman's acquittal was the only good thing I've ever read there, but the comments were still just awful.

[John]

You don't think the country wouldn't have bonded and had a Miracle on Ice Moment if the US Soccer team had miraculously won the World Cup?

[entropy_factor]

agreed. Facebook (and the net) makes unread people who can find a DailyKos link via google feel like a valid authority on, well, pretty much everything. Behind a keyboard the social restrictions are gone, so people say things that they wouldn't dare in real life. Also, they can use shallow knowledge as a "trump card" when in fact a further reading (especially re: USSC cases) proves them wrong.

I hate facebook etc because it beasically gives morons a megaphone and an echo chamber

[John]

Not even close. And no one on that team is the kind of blue collar every man someone like Dave Craig or Mike Erozione was. That 1980 team looked like a pick up hockey team from a steal mill.

[John]

And Brooks was fucking awesome. I love what he told them at halftime of the gold medal game against Sweden. "You lose this game you will take it to your fucking grave"!!

[John]

Hey. At least I spelled Dave Craig right.

[Timon 19]

You realize there's a reason that they were "blue collar everymen", right? Even though they really weren't and were all, IIRC, college boys.

Comparing Olympic sports then to fully-professional sports now is stupid.