Obama Won't Meet With Netanyahu, Kerry Wants More Investments Against Extremism, New Philae Lander Data: P.M. Links

• 

  ESA/Rosetta

  President Obama isn't planning to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister addresses Congress in March.

• Secretary of State John Kerry told an audience at Davos that the world had to invest more resources and take more risks against global extremism and that it couldn't be driven by Islamophobia. He will travel to Nigeria this weekend.
• The Transportation Security Administration says it found 2,212 firearms in carry-on luggage at U.S. airports last year, a new record.
• Aides to Sen. Marco Rubio indicate the Florida Republican is ready to run for president. 
• The National Football League released a statement on its investigation into deflated balls used by the New England Patriots, saying it had conducted more than 40 interviews already.
• A Florida man wants to trademark the phrase "je suis Charlie".
• Scientists researching the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko released data on "vital statistics" collected by the Philae lander.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Obama isn’t planning to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister addresses Congress in March.

Hell hath no fury…

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

‘Did you deflate the balls?’

40 times.

[Los Doyers]

Hmm, go on…

[Fist of Etiquette]

Pervert.

[Los Doyers]

I’m in good company.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No I will not go on…

moMe NTs.

[John]

These people are petulant children. The entire administration are nothing but petulant children.

We thought we’ve seen everything,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed senior US official as saying. “But Bibi managed to surprise even us.

“There are things you simply don’t do. He spat in our face publicly and that’s no way to behave. Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half left to his presidency, and that there will be a price,” he said.

Read more: Netanyahu ‘spat in our face,’ White House officials said to say | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/n…..z3PgNzdeKV
Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook

All class. And notice it is all about them and the perceived slight. The interests of the country don’t mean shit. They would never paper this thing over and make the best of it because that is what is good for the country. No way. They were insulted and they want their pound of flesh.

You cannot understate how pathetic and loathsome these people are.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Didn’t Pelosi and other high ranking officials go to the Middle-East in defiance of Bush back in the day?

[John]

Yes. They met with Assad. And Jim Wright met with the Sandinistas back in the 1980s in defiance of Reagan.

But rules don’t apply to the good guys.

[Raven Nation]

And Jim McDermott went to Baghdad in 2002.

[Irish]

“There are things you simply don’t do. He spat in our face publicly and that’s no way to behave. Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half left to his presidency, and that there will be a price,” he said.

Remember the time an Obama administration apparatchik referred to Netanyahu as ‘chickenshit?’

There’s nothing funnier than these Obama Administration pajama boys trying to play tough with Netanyahu, a former Israeli special forces operative who fought in the front lines during the Yom Kippur War.

[CatoTheElder]

“Obama Administration pajama boys”

I’m not a big fan of Benjamin Netanyahu, but your last sentence was lol good.

[Enough About Palin]

“Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half”

So he’s resigning in July of 2016?

[JWatts]

Yep, he’s resigning as President of the 57 States

[Rich]

“Je ne suis pas Benjamin soit.”

[C. Anacreon]

If it was the other way around, some people might say that it was BeBe is a racist. Can we thus use the commutative property and assume that Obama is antisemitic?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I’m 1 step ahead of you.

[Rich]

“Jew meet with Congress yet”?

/Woody Allen

[Enough About Palin]

I believe that’s a given.

[Warren's Strapon]

Netanyahu dodged a bullet there.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Scientists researching the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko released data on “vital statistics” collected by the Philae lander.

But what kind of sexist shirts were the NASA guys wearing?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Which makes it all the more better that they named the device taking the readings after a guy who cheats on his wife.

[Tonio]

Philae is an ESA (European Space Agency) probe and shirt guy was an ESA employee.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Ah yes, thanks for the correction.

[Pro Libertate]

But an ugly American!

[Injun, as in from India]

If you combine sexism and vital statistics, you’re looking at:

36-24-36

That was probably imprinted on the guy’s shirt.

[kinnath]

37-25-35

My locker combination in 9th grade. I still can’t forget it.

[waffles]

I’m more into 36-24-38 myself.

[DesigNate]

Nice.

Also, TIWTANLW.

[The Laconic]

Only if she’s 5’3″.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A Florida man wants to trademark the phrase “je suis Charlie”.

I hope Florida Man’s alter ego isn’t even Charlie.

[C. Anacreon]

Je suis un rock star
Je avais un residence
Je habiter la
A la south of France

Voulez vous
Partir with me?
And come and rester la
With me in France

[Pro Libertate]

Charlie don’t surf.

[Los Doyers]

I thought his alter ego was George Zimmerman.

[Puddin' Stick]

I’m going to trademark “je suis”? let’s see how many people i can sue for that! 😀

[Enough About Palin]

Not death panels, death tests:

‘Death test’ could predict chance of dying within 30 days

A test to determine if elderly patients will die within 30 days of being admitted to hospital has been developed by doctors to give them the chance to go home or say goodbye to loved ones.

Health experts say the checklist will prevent futile and expensive medical treatments which merely prolong suffering.

The screening test looks at 29 indicators of health, including age, frailty, illness, mental impairment, previous emergency admissions and heart rate and produces a percentage chance of death within one month and 12 weeks.

Researchers say the aim of Critera for Screening and Triaging to Appropriate aLternative care, or CriSTAL for short, is to kick-start frank discussions about end of life care, and minimise the risk of invasive ineffective treatment.

“Delaying unavoidable death contributes to unsustainable and escalating healthcare costs, despite aggressive and expensive interventions,” said lead author Dr Magnolia Cardona-Morrel, a researcher at the University of New South Wales.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new…..-days.html

[cavalier973]

“aLternative”? Seriously?

[C. Anacreon]

They really wanted to end up with an acronym of the rappers’ favorite Champagne. This should help them get past the bouncers and the velvet rope at the cooler clubs.

[cavalier973]

It’s cheating, and I don’t like it.

[Ted S.]

I don’t think that test would have worked on Eric Garner.

[Tonio]

Not elderly and quite possibly declared dead by the EMT’s (they can sign death certificates in some jurisdictions).

[Libertarian]

I don’t trust EMTs. A friend’s neighbor was being worked on in the front yard for a heart attack and heard one EMT say to the other something like, “he’s gone” or “he’s not going to make it.”

Needless to say, he did make it.

They say hearing is the last thing to go……….

[Tonio]

All I can say here is that overall EMTs do more good than harm. They are human, some are better than others and they do fuck up.

Smell is the last to go.

[Entropy Void]

How much did your friend’s neighbor’s mom make on her laptop?

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

“Delaying unavoidable death contributes to unsustainable and escalating healthcare costs, despite aggressive and expensive interventions,”

Well, we’re all going to die anyway so we could adopt the Christian Scientist health plan and save boatloads of money.

[tarran]

It’s a cost cutting measure to basically deprive people of care hoping that they will die.

The last iteration was called the Liverpool Care Pathway, and it produced some fucking horror stories.

Eventually the NHS was shamed into ending the practice. The incentives that led to them neglecting their patients the way Christian Scientists neglect their sick children remained. Their customer, the state, is only willing to pay so much money and authorize so much treatment, and every patient is an additional source of cost rather than a source of income.

[Zeb]

This is why I hate nationalized health care (OK, one of many reasons). Things like this are actually good. I don’t know if this particular thing is, but the general idea is good. A lot of people don’t want to drag out their lives when their death is immanent and unavoidable, either to avoid pain or to reduce the burden on their loved ones. (Other people want to hold on to life as long as possible and that is their right too. If they can pay for it.) Things like “death panels” (I still think that’s a stupid term, but what are you going to do) or like this or studies on the effectiveness of certain procedures in producing good long term outcomes all should be wonderful things, but the perverse incentives created by government run health care makes it all too dangerous.

[Square]

I absolutely agree – the idea that a reasonably good test could be done to say “hey, we can let you in here and hook you up to a bunch of machines, but you’re almost certainly going to die in about three weeks no matter what we do” is great and could lead to massive health care savings.

On the other hand, if a National Health Service is paying the bill and taking the liability, you can bet the outcome will be forcing people to do one or the other against their will.

[CE]

A test to determine if elderly patients will die within 30 days of being admitted to hospital has been developed by doctors…

Any similarity to the 30-day billing period is purely coincidental.

[Bill Dalasio]

On one condition. Any cases of someone deemed “going to die” who lives beyond the 30-day period triggers the summary execution of one of the assholes who pushed this idea.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Aides to Sen. Marco Rubio indicate the Florida Republican is ready to run for president.

First step: stock up on Poland Springs bottled water.

[Rich]

LOgulpL

[ola]

Get your Cuba travel in before this asshat gets any influence.

[Fist of Etiquette]

…saying it had conducted more than 40 interviews already.

And the league is now fairly certain that Janay Rice had it coming.

[John]

Watch them clear the Patriots of wrong doing only to see a video of Brady deflating the balls himself turn up on TMZ.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That. Would. Be. EPIC.

[John]

Rufus we are probably not living well enough to see that happen. But it would be wonderful.

[Citizen Nothing]

Brady goes into the elevator with an inflated football, and the ball is deflated when he gets out. Who is to say what happened in that elevator?

[HeteroPatriarch]

The football shouldn’t have provoked him.

[Zeb]

I still don’t get this ball thing. For one thing, if deflated balls help, wouldn’t it help both teams? Or does the offensive team get to use its own balls or something. And don’t the refs check the balls? I’m surprised the league doesn’t provide the game balls.

[DesigNate]

Offensive team gets to use its own balls.

[Zeb]

Weird. That just seems stupid and asking for something like this.

When I do follow sports, I’m more interested in baseball, so I am surprised the officials don’t have more control over the balls that get used.

[trshmnster the terrible]

Funny story… Supposedly the NFL used to be as you say, but the Patriots lobbied to let teams have control over the footballs. I haven’t seen anything that confirms this story, but I have heard it more than once from reputable folks.

[Brian D]

Peyton Manning was also a lobbyist for those rule changes when he was with the Colts.

[CE]

Which is stupid. The referees should bring them.

[d3x / dt3]

Everyone knows the refs have no balls.

[Ted S.]

The two-game suspension, with the concomitant loss of income, was still more severe than anything Ray Rice got from the state-run legal system. And yet nobody is reacting with indignatoin to what the state did, or failed to do.

[John]

Yeah, I have yet to figure out why Ray Rice should lose his job over something he did off work. Whatever debt he owes for playing knock out with his wife is to her and the State of New Jersey, not the NFL. If people don’t like it that he didn’t go to jail, their beef is with the DA and judge, not the NFL.

[Rich]

But, John, he’s a *role model*.

[HeteroPatriarch]

He should lose his job because public perception is important to any entertainment industry. A movie studio would also drop Marky Mark from an upcoming project if he was shown on video knocking out his fiance.

[DesigNate]

But not if it was found out that he threw rocks at black kids.

[Zeb]

You are allowed a checkered past if you can talk about how you have reformed.

[Zeb]

I’m pretty sure that throwing rocks at black kid today would get him in trouble.

[CE]

It was actually 2 Asian men he beat up. People thought one of them lost vision in one eye from the fight, but it turns out that he had lost it fighting on the US side in the Vietnam War.

[John]

Most nfl fans did not care and the nfl would not have lost a dime in revenue had the done nothing. So that reasoning doesnt work here

[HeteroPatriarch]

There was a loud contingent of people saying otherwise, so that reasoning overrides something you pulled out of your ass.

[d3x / dt3]

“Stinky reasoning”

[cavalier973]

President Obama isn’t planning to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister addresses Congress in March.

I’m not meeting with Bebe, either, as it turns out.

[cavalier973]

er, Bibi

[Tonio]

You’re not meeting with Bebe Rebozo, either, Cav. At least I hope not.

[cavalier973]

Bebe Neuwirth. She was really good in Green Card.

At least, that’s what I’ve heard.

[Rich]

That is a great name.

Almost as great as Jorge Julio.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Transportation Security Administration says it found 2,212 firearms in carry-on luggage at U.S. airports last year, a new record.

Eclipsing the record number of iPads it stole.

[Enough About Palin]

Oh, I doubt that.

[flye]

My fiancee forgot that she had a single 9mm round in her purse as we went through airport security last month. That was a fun hour of watching TSA do TSA things, mainly involving checklists and calling on the radio for people who weren’t where they were supposed to be.

[B.P.]

I would flip out if the TSA took up all my Skybar time.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

‘A Florida man wants to trademark the phrase “je suis Charlie”.’

‘je suis douche’ sounds better.

[cavalier973]

It’s for a new line of t-shirts with bullseyes printed on them.

[expat]

Can I trademark the phrase “Florida Man”. I would make a mint off of all the headlines…

“Florda Man something something without pants something something”

[CE]

I am a shower?

[cavalier973]

“One who shows?”

[rts]

Craigslist luxury rental scam victims stage citizen’s arrest in Vancouver

Police arrested the suspect, but no charges have been laid. Tran says the police gave the three vigilantes a lecture about their actions, and told them they were lucky not to be charged with unlawful confinement.

Union job protection in action.

[Stormy Dragon]

Tran says the police gave the three vigilantes a lecture about their actions

This is the Canadian equivalent of life without parole.

[The Laconic]

Very well done. I remember reading some Canadian who said, and I paraphrase, “I started to get upset about Canadian stereotypes, but then I remembered the time somebody broke into our house and my parents gave him a lecture about life choices.”

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Senator Sitting Bullshit plans to make Big Pharma tribe pay much wampum to government for breaking the rules

Warren will introduce the Medical Innovation Act on Thursday in remarks at a conference hosted by the pro-health care reform group Families USA. Her bill would create a fund that major pharmaceutical companies must pay into when they break the law and settle lawsuits brought against them by the federal government. That fund, in turn, would prop up research accounts for the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

“It’s a swear jar,” Warren will say, according to remarks provided by her office. “But it’s also a simple form of accountability. Instead of letting companies that break the law get off with a slap on the wrist, the Medical Innovation Act will make sure that they pay up in a way that really makes a difference -? a difference to the health of all Americans, and a difference to all of the company’s competitors who are playing by the rules.”

Warren will likely be attacked for her latest offering by critics decrying a punitive assault on private enterprise. The proposal would create a financial incentive for the federal government to bring lawsuits against big pharmaceutical companies, and for pharmaceutical companies to fight the allegations rather than settle.

[Ted S.]

Maybe they should just stop innovating.

[Los Doyers]

She’ll never be as pretty as Tiger Lily.

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

Hey, Lizzie? Here’s $10, go fuck yourself.

[HeteroPatriarch]

“It’s a swear jar,” Warren will say, according to remarks provided by her office.

Paternalistic cunt.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Notice how progressives explain things in the most childish terms, and in many cases their metaphors aren’t even remotely related to what they’re trying to explain.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Secretary of State John Kerry told an audience at Davos that the world had to invest more resources and take more risks against global-

Thought he was going to say warming there.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

The lower price of oil all but ensures that the Chinese and Indians will be investing a,lot,more resources, Mr Cold Miser.

[rts]

The politics behind Stephen Harper’s fixation on a balanced budget

Stephen Harper is often referred to in the media as a trained economist. As his government celebrates nine years in power on Friday, the better description might be that he’s an instinctive politician.?

How else to explain the prime minister’s stubborn determination to keep a four-year-old election promise to balance the budget by 2015, a promise his finance minister, Joe Oliver, kept repeating all week despite warnings from other trained economists that dropping oil prices will cut into federal revenues, and stunt economic growth this year.

Living within your means is so political.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

They spend like assholes.

And he sure is liking his hockey these days.

[Raven Nation]

Cambridge Utd. hold Man U.

[Cytotoxic]

Harper will find a way to fuck this up and piss of everyone. Word has it that the next budget will have more cash for ‘focus’ on the manufacturing sector, as if the fucking auto bailouts and Linamar cash hand out weren’t enough.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Stop. Stop pretending Canada is a real country that anyone gives a shit about or pays attention to.

[CE]

So you have to be a “trained economist” to understand why balancing a government budget is a bad idea?

[MJGreen]

Let me guess: lower oil prices mean lower federal revenues, and that’s what will stunt economic growth?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

“the world had to invest more resources”

Invest. That word does not mean what you think it means.

[CE]

Neither does the word “world”.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

It’s another girl.

Due June 25th.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Have you told your family yet?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I did when we left the doctors office.

[cavalier973]

Huzzah!

[Mad Scientist]

What are we going to name this one?

[Citizen Nothing]

I suggest Reason 2 Electric Boogaloo

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

James. He likes that name. He can’t stop himself from saying it.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Justice Forall Spicer

Jemima Potts Spicer

Or maybe something else. I was expecting a boy so,I’ve got,to,regroup and come up with something.

[Stormy Dragon]

Must Flow Spicer

[JEP]

Melange is a good one.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Don’t Mess With [last name]

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Hey, I was trying to keep your last name secret!

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Everybody knows,it,already.

[Rich]

But *now* so does the naysayaway! 8-(

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I know, just dicking around.

Congratulations!

[paranoid android]

They have one named “Reason”, how can they possibly forego the opportunity to name another daughter “Rhyme”?

[Citizen Nothing]

^THIS, I like.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Only works if Rhyme is older.

As it stands, we can have Reason, Liberty and Justice. I like it better.

Btw, were you in Dallas,for the game? Fucking fantastic time.

[Citizen Nothing]

I only wish. I went to New Orleans to preview the Sugar Bowl, but I never get to the actual event.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

That was a blast as well. And they let the babies in without a ticket. Jerry World said we’d have to buy them each one so they missed that game.

We went through some,money but it was a lot of fun. Even kept the older,kids,out,of school a few days for the Championship game,,to,their mother’s dismay. I figured they won’t get another chance to go to that game for at least 12 months.

[trshmnster the terrible]

As progeny of two buckeyes, I’m supremely jealous! However, I really couldn’t justify spending $400/head for a school that isn’t even my alma mater.

Congratulations on the girl! My vote is for Hope, because when you have reason and liberty, you gain hope!

[Entropy Void]

… and “Change” for the inevitable next?

[HeteroPatriarch]

You think they’ll get another one in before the NCAA catches up to them again?

[Ted S.]

Isosceles Kramer.

[flye]

Jacket

[Cytotoxic]

Paragon. Or Roarck.

[Rich]

Congrats! How’s Banjos doing?

Also, … “Veronica Pauline”? 😉

[sloopyinTEXAS]

She’s fine.

No Pauline. Mo grandmother was Pauline and she was a mean,mviolent drunk,to my mom growing up. That would not go over well.

[Rich]

Sorry. “Paula”, then?

[Rich]

Sorry about the “Pauline”, not Banjos!

*** gets coffee ***

[Fist of Etiquette]

Supersperm.

[Pro Libertate]

Congratulations! You are naming this one after Armstrong, right?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

There no feminine way to say Neil.

We could,name her Gemini Eight perhaps.

[Pro Libertate]

Nell? Selene after the Moon?

[Tonio]

Nell as a standin for Neill?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Too Jodie Foster for me.

Although Clarice isn’t a bad name.

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, that’s what you should do. Come up with a reasonable girl’s name that you can secretly and indirectly tie to Neil Fucking Armstrong, whom you have criminally insulted.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Janet was his,first wife. Maybe that’ll be the other middle name. As a penance.

And by the way, I never criminally insulted him. Post Office boxes are the property of the federal government. I insulted those bastards.

[Pro Libertate]

It’s easy to say that now that he’s dead and beyond retribution.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

That is what you think…EXPECT A STRANGE AND TERRIBLE VISITATION BY THE GHOST OF NEIL FUCKING ARMSTRONG!!!!

[Pro Libertate]

That would be awesome. I bet he takes sloopy to the Moon and vacuum explodes his body.

[trshmnster the terrible]

Yeah, don’t fuck with Neil fucking Armstrong. I saw him speak at the dedication of his eponymous hall at Purdue, and you can just tell that men in black was a comedic take on his real life experiences kicking space alien ass with Buzzsaw Aldrin. He test pilots warty’s appendages to declare them fit for action.

[Pro Libertate]

No way he’s dead, because they used alien technology to make him immortal decades ago.

[CE]

How about L. Neil?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Congrats!

[Ted S.]

Name her Nicole.

[Mad Scientist]

The kid’s not even born yet. It is still possible she won’t be the worst of the 3.

[JEP]

Man, you know the studies showing that kids live up to whatever name they’re given? So if they’re name Glitter and they grow up to be a stripper, no one’s going to be surprised?

Just imagine what a kid named Nicole will grow up to be like…

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

The worstestest!

[Tonio]

Congrats, Sloopy and Banjos.

[C. Anacreon]

I think you may want to look into the local sperm bank reimbursement rates. As fertile as you are a lot of couple might pay big bucks for the high-probability insemination outcomes! Might be enough to start a college fund for your bunch.

[Migrant Log Picker]

Sloopy’s Better Baby Batter…

[The DerpRider]

Congrats!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Sugar Ann?

[DEG]

Congralations!

[DEG]

I can spell.

[Rich]

That’s OK, DEG. It’s five o’clock *somewhere*.

[DEG]

I swear, only one beer with lunch!

[Cytotoxic]

Congrats. Is this like your 12th kid or what? Are you Morman?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Just five.

[Cytotoxic]

HOLY SHIT how can your life not be hell?

[The Laconic]

“Morman: the Mormon superhero.”

[trshmnster the terrible]

That’s King Morman to you!

[Rhywun]

My god, how many is that now?

[Tonio]

I believe this will be number three.

They could go all Roman and go with Tertia.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Her third, my fifth.

[Pro Libertate]

You guys need to get into synch.

[JEP]

If she’s the fifth, name her Vodka.

[Pro Libertate]

Vodka? What kind of name is that? Tequila!

[JEP]

Tequila Mockingbird Spicer has a nice ring to it.

[Pro Libertate]

How about Amontillado as a middle name? To go with the cask/entombment discussion earlier today.

[Rhywun]

Or “III”.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Congrats.

[B.P.]

Lucy.

[Astra]

+1

[DesigNate]

Congratulations sloop!

Oh, and a belated welcome to Texas!

[DesigNate]

Bah, stupid not having an edit button…

Congratulations to sloop AND banjos!

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Where in Texas are you?

[MJGreen]

Congrats! That’s a lotta kids!

[Rich]

The Transportation Security Administration says it found 2,212 firearms in carry-on luggage at U.S. airports last year, a new record.

Of course, 2,197 of these were Buzz Lightyear pistols.

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

Saw a news report about firearms in carry-on luggage. All the people interviewed thought it was perfectly dreadful to have a gun in one’s bag and everyone should check their bags thoroughly for firearms. It made me wonder if anyone they interviewed told them “Carrying on planes should not be a crime. No damn terrorists will ever take over a plane that I’m on.”

I guess people who think like that are probably on the no-fly list, or headed there.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I’m calling absolute bullshit on this. That works out to over six a day. You,can’t tell me,that that’s not,making at least the local news in the towns and cities it’s happening in. There would be an overwhelming number of stories to,corroborate it.

I just don’t believe it when a government bureaucrat tells me the program that spends billions of dollars to emply him works well enough to continue spending billions,of dollars on it…without citing the actual,cases individually in a sort of clearinghouse. Criminal cases are,,after all, public record so,there’s,no,privacy issue here. They should be forced to release the chargingaperwork on every single one of them.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, you forget all of the tests they run. They probably find pretend nuclear explosives, too, every twenty times they run that test.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Remember Dick Marcinko (sp?) and what he said about military installations? Could you imagine the field day someone like him would have with the fuckups that work airport security for the TSA?

[Pro Libertate]

Fucked we are, yes, hmmmm.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

Yeah I have a real hard time believing this; TSA would be trumpeting successes individually and asking for more funding for sure.

[CE]

The Transportation Security Administration says it found 2,212 firearms in carry-on luggage at U.S. airports last year, a new record.

It should be pointed out that the total included the team flights from the 8 Dallas Cowboys road games, plus a few trips by former Cowboys coaches and players.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Salon: Jon Stewart is genius even when he just tells Republicans “fuck you”

Because it’s so difficult, then, to engage with someone who just talks bullshit without any concern for the truth of their words, I sometimes wonder whether Jon Stewart’s exasperated “fuck you” retorts on “The Daily Show” are actually more appropriate than they at first seem. When a smirking Fox News host makes fun of the president for saluting with a cup of coffee in his hand, or a professional provocateur calls rape victims “girls trying to get attention,” is it better to explain cleverly or methodically the flaws in that thinking? Or is it better to brusquely disengage from bullshitters with a pointed “fuck you”? After all, as Stewart noted: “You have no principle about this. You’re just trying to score points in a game no one else is playing”

[…]

Jon Stewart tilts his chin to the ceiling and screams obscenity in the middle of what appears a tactless rant because his objects of critique aren’t interested in reasoned dialogue, clever jabs or unveiled truths. Sometimes, in other words, the satire we need is blunt and unsavory. In those situations ? frequent, though fortunately not perpetual ? when bullshit is the only thing on the menu, it doesn’t always make sense to bring your fine wine to the table.

[John]

Nothing says intellectual strength and confidence like completely refusing to engage in debate. Liberalism is just a cult right now.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

No, liberalism is dead. The cult is Progressivism.

[John]

True that

[Knarf Yenrab!]

Someone had a deadline to fill with choir-preaching clickbait.

Also, someone’s name is misspelled in the URL of his own Salon.com bio.

[flye]

It’s about time someone gave those Republicans what for.

[Cytotoxic]

he satire we need is blunt and unsavoury.

What JS does isn’t satire but this article and the rest of Salon could qualify.

[MJGreen]

I don’t think the quoted part is wrong, but it’s Stewart’s own fault for going after easy targets. To take one of their phrases: it’s not brilliant to be punching down.

There are plenty of idiots and provocateurs out there who deserve nothing more than a “fuck you.” But it’s not noble or smart or daring or insightful to engage them and say it.

[BigT]

a tactless rant because his objects of critique aren’t he isn’t interested in reasoned dialogue,

FIFY

[Praveen R.]

Am I gong to be the only one who thinks what Obama is doing with Bibi is just fine? Dixie Chicks were private citizens who made a remark bout Bush at a concert and were ostracized on radio. Yet, we have elected senators and other elected politicians mostly from the republican party, but also from the democratic party side with a foreign leader against our President so openly? This is fine with us? And even if it is, why would anyone want Obama to make himself look weak by tolerating the power games Bibi is playing here. Even if you oppose Obama, do you want the President of the US look weak and meet with Bibi?

[Rich]

NO!! He should immediately fly to meet with the Iranian Parliament!

[Praveen R.]

I think Iran is a good bellweather on who the true independents are compared to the right wingers who disguise themselves as libertarians. Some of you lose your shit when it comes to the mention of Iran. Iran is a threat to Israel, but they are no threat to the U.S. We can help Israel of course, but not at the cost of our own security. No need to make enemies unnecessarily especially in areas where history has been complicated.

[Rich]

Note to self: Use less-subtle sarcasm.

[Harun]

Iran is a threat to the United States.

Especially if it had nuclear weapons.

Without nuclear weapons, it is much less threatening.

[BigT]

No need to make enemies unnecessarily especially in areas where history has been complicated.

So, everywhere except perhaps Antarctica.

[John]

Yet, we have elected senators and other elected politicians mostly from the republican party, but also from the democratic party side with a foreign leader against our President so openly?

So when Pelosi met with Assad and sided against Bush and several Democrats did the same thing and met with Saddam, I am sure you were really angry.

And how is letting the guy speak to congress siding against Obama? Bibi is a US ally and the leader of an important country. Congress should want to hear what he has to say. Why does Obama not want that other than because he is a petulant immature small man?

[Enough About Palin]

“do you want the President of the US look weak”

I believe the Syrian “red line” took care of that.

[Tonio]

No, Praveen, you are not alone.

[Irish]

“Am I gong to be the only one who thinks what Obama is doing with Bibi is just fine? Dixie Chicks were private citizens who made a remark bout Bush at a concert and were ostracized on radio. Yet, we have elected senators and other elected politicians mostly from the republican party, but also from the democratic party side with a foreign leader against our President so openly? This is fine with us? And even if it is, why would anyone want Obama to make himself look weak by tolerating the power games Bibi is playing here. Even if you oppose Obama, do you want the President of the US look weak and meet with Bibi?”

It’s absolutely fine to side with a foreign leader when our own president is a petulant, entitled idiot. Just like it was okay for the Dixie Chicks to go after Bush and the subsequent mob reaction to the Dixie Chicks daring to speak their minds was abhorrent.

The Dixie Chicks did nothing wrong and neither did congress.

[Praveen R.]

Dixie Chicks were private citizens. You seriously think this speech is not orchestrated to marginalize the president when he is in the midst of negotiations with another country? And yes, when the likes of Jesse Jackson were giving cover to Castro’s people, I wasn’t too happy with that either in the 80s or 90s.

[Irish]

How was it orchestrated? No one would have even known about it if Obama hadn’t decided to throw a fit.

Also, given that Obama has continuously irritated and ignored virtually every one of our allies (to the extent that Netanyahu already despises his administration) it appears to me that Obama self-marginalized and is now whining at how alone he finds himself.

[Cytotoxic]

You seriously think this speech is not orchestrated to marginalize the president when he is in the midst of negotiations with another country?

If the GOP is marginalizing the president, then good for them.

[Pro Libertate]

Fucking Obama and his administration have earned it. We had better foreign policy back when the U.S. was run by megafauna.

[Praveen R.]

If you want to criticize a president and want to vote him out , that is perfectly fine. I do the same with presidents I do not like. But we have Obama not going anywhere for the next two years. Why would any American want to make him less effective if you are stuck with him. I wanted Bush to do the best he can in his remaining time even if I thought it was time for him to go.

Netanyahu has been consistent in using our politicians to marginalize the president. You may take glee in that, but I am not fine with it. It’s not like Israel is some poor lil country that doesn’t know how to bully our politicians. They do it very well with both parties.

[Cytotoxic]

It’s not like Israel is some poor lil country that doesn’t know how to bully our politicians. They do it very well with both parties.

Israel isn’t ‘bullying’ America please take your nonsense elsewhere. Further, I will continue shitting on this president by whatever means available.

[DesigNate]

Obama marginalized himself.

[Pro Libertate]

You couldn’t make Obama less effective if you replaced him with a cardboard cutout. In fact, that might be an improvement.

I’m actually fine with the protocol argument to some extent, but Congress is well within its rights and its authority. People forget that the branches really aren’t supposed to defer to the other ones.

[Irish]

“Why would any American want to make him less effective if you are stuck with him. I wanted Bush to do the best he can in his remaining time even if I thought it was time for him to go.”

How are we making him ‘less effective?’ He’s shown no interest in maintaining good relations with Israel. How are we making him less effective by maintaining relations with our only serious Middle Eastern ally who Obama has continuously rebuffed?

[Pro Libertate]

Precisely who hasn’t this administration pissed off or scared? Fuck, we’re going to have to do a roll-call of allies when this is over.

[JEP]

Fuck, we’re going to have to do a roll-call of allies when this is over.

Bueller?

[Pro Libertate]

Maybe we can force them to be our friends through drone strikes or something?

[John Titor]

Why would any American want to make him less effective if you are stuck with him.

Wouldn’t you want someone you’re stuck with to be less effective?

[deepspeed]

Wouldn’t you want someone you’re stuck with to be less effective?

Bingo. The less he “accomplishes”, the better.

[Harun]

“Why would any American want to make him less effective if you are stuck with him”

You are buying the Iranian line too much.

Obama has already been very, very nice to the Iranians.

They should have already made a deal. But they delay as they always do.

So, Obama can be good cop, and Congress bad cop.

If Iran really wants a deal why would the threat of a reversal of sanctions if no deal happens be a major sticking point?

Unless its a the window dressing they need to say “no deal.”

Which is what is going to happen in June. Or Obama gives them a nuke if they just sign something/anything, oh please!

Iran should not be delaying.

[JeremyR]

And the Dixie Chicks made a career out of their political statements.

What exactly is the gripe? That some people who disagreed with their politics stopped listening to them, while others, who did, started to?

They got a huge amount of media attention.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

They got a huge amount of media attention.

The irony is that they are completely irrelevant on the music scene now. Country music has banished them and the hipsters that bought their “I hate right-wingers” CD don’t give a shit about them anymore.

This is a group of far-left women that clearly picked a group name to pander to Southern sensibilities in order to make money. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a bit rich to appeal to Lost Cause nostalgia and then try to burnish your progressive bonafides during an overseas concert.

They made a bunch of money with their “Fuck You, Country Music, Toby Keith and George Bush” CD, and then the media complex completely forgot about them when they were no longer easy martyrs in the culture war. I don’t even think they realized they got used as badly as they did. It’s quite laughable when you think about it.

[BigT]

Cindy Sheehan agrees.

[Irish]

Also, I don’t have a problem with Obama not meeting with Netanyahu. What I have a problem with is Obama behaving as if Congress has to run it by him when they dare to have someone speak in their own chamber, particularly given that the Legislative and the Executive branches are equal in our system.

Obama has no right to behave as if Congress owes him some sort of fealty and his behavior in that regard is just one more symptom of the presidency becoming far more powerful than it was ever supposed to be.

[Square]

“I don’t have a problem with Obama not meeting with Netanyahu. What I have a problem with is Obama behaving as if Congress has to run it by him when they dare to have someone speak in their own chamber.”

Exactly my take on it. BN addressing congress is no big deal. Neither is Obama not meeting him. Grandstanding – all of it, but I was irked by NPR’s take that Congress committed some sort of offense by not getting authorization from the President – talk that would have driven them to the boiling point during the Bush years.

[Pro Libertate]

Say, what happens if Netanyahu and Obama run into each other at, say, a DC strip club? Do they pretend not to see each other? What’s the appropriate protocol here?

[Square]

Well, they should both be incognito, so I say they share some belly shots and a lap dance.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

Bibi could just smooth the whole thing over by ordering up and paying for a lap dance for the Lightworker.

[Pro Libertate]

Who will achieve total enlightenment during the experience and will spend his last months in the White House as America’s first libertarian president since the founding.

[Square]

No love for Grover Cleveland?

[Pro Libertate]

I dunno, libertarian?

[Square]

Closest thing we’ve had, anyway (IMO). He and Coolidge. Maybe it’s something about having a name starting with “C.”

[Square]

But it occurs to me that the calculus involved in figuring out who is exploiting whom in that situation is prohibitively difficult.

[Cytotoxic]

Israel is a vital US ally, and Obama is a massive detriment to America. I know which one I’ll choose.

[Praveen R.]

Obama is not a perfect president, by any means. But Israel related policy has caused us to enter more costly wars than Obama being our president. You determine which cost the US more money – Obama being president or Israel related foreign policy which makes our foreign policy way too Mideast centric. You do notice China laughing all the way as they keep negotiating agreements all over Africa and other countries getting stuff for cheap while we focus on one area of the world.
I will take a red line fiasco which cost us no lives or money over a repeat of the neocon wars from a decade ago.

When you guys think of American power, you need to travel more. We used to be the envy of the world not for our military might, but our gleaming skyscrapers, Hollywood movies that sold this magical gleaming world to third world citizens, water people could drink out of a tap instead of bottled water. Stuff like that. Now, tourists don’t seem amazed at our malls or buildings because they have all that stuff in their countries too while our infrastructure is aging. We still have amazing national parks and usable land that is the envy of the world. But let’s see how long that lasts.

[Cytotoxic]

Israel related policy has caused us to enter more costly wars

Bullshit. They kill people we’d have to otherwise. Israel is not the reason America’s foreign policy is ‘ME-centric’. The reason our policy is ME-centric is because various bad actors in the ME keep antagonizing America.

I will take a red line fiasco which cost us no lives or money over a repeat of the neocon wars from a decade ago.

1) False choice 2) Hilarious choice given that Obama’s red line nearly blundered us into one such war. He blundered into another such war in Libya.

[Praveen R.]

How much money did we lose and continue to lose over the Iraq war blunder? Nothing Obama has done compares to that. Almost every prediction mentioned about the Iraq war came wrong. So you trust the same conventional experts to give you what if scenarios now?

[Irish]

What on Earth are you talking about? Iraq was a debacle. Libya was a debacle. Yemen is an ongoing debacle. His founding of rebels in Syria was a debacle.

The fact that the previous administration was even worse than Obama on the foreign policy front has no connection to Obama’s failures. Obama has alienated or lost every ally we have in that region, and Congress is somewhat desperately attempting to maintain relations with one of our only remaining friends who Obama’s administration has diplomatically referred to as ‘chickenshit.’

[Cytotoxic]

Quibble: Obama didn’t found Syria’s rebels, or destabilize Yemen. But Obama’s plans wrt the Syrian rebels is really really stupid.

[Irish]

“destabilize Yemen”

His Majestic Drone Strikes sure as hell failed to save it.

“Obama didn’t found Syria’s rebels”

I mistyped and meant to write FUND.

We definitely supplied them. Obviously I’m not claiming Obama created the rebel groups, it was a typo.

[Pro Libertate]

We’ve had a nice long streak of foreign policy mistakes, but the one advantage I’ll give Bush is that at least other governments were scared of him. Now we’re incompetent, pathetic, and weak-acting.

[Harun]

But France and Canada are now bombing Iraq, so its okay.

[Cytotoxic]

Israel didn’t even want America to go into Iraq. Further, the crappiness of Obama’s predecessor does not in any way justify Obama’s crappiness.

Pathetic.

[DesigNate]

You mean that Iraq blunder that Obama wanted to continue and just said we need to enter again to suppress ISIS?

Yeah, that Obama is a real anti-neocon.

[Pro Libertate]

Like I’ve been saying for almost six years, Obama is Bush+. That is, he’s everything bad about Bush, plus so much more that sucks.

Iraq is interesting to talk about, because so many (not talking about libertarians) that talk about how stupid that war was supported it when it happened. I was a little wary of it at the time, but I admit that I thought the initial invasion and toppling of the government in Afghanistan was okay. That went bad, too, though for different reasons.

[Square]

And many were against the war, but for really, really stupid reasons.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Obama has lit a shit load of little fires he can’t control or put out.

What are you going on about?

And don’t forget he wanted to bomb Syria only to have been stopped. Who knows what ramifications that could have unleashed?

This thing that Obama somehow has an intelligent handle on foreign policy is ridiculous. It should be painfully obvious to any observer not blinded by political partisanship.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Nothing Obama has done compares to that.

Well, more Americans were killed in Afghanistan after he took over than before. I’d say that’s pretty comparable.

Not to mention the fact that we’re sticking our hands right in the Iraq tar baby again, and he’s going to leave that mess for his predecessor to handle.

[Harun]

“When you guys think of American power, you need to travel more. We used to be the envy of the world not for our military might, but our gleaming skyscrapers, Hollywood movies that sold this magical gleaming world to third world citizens, water people could drink out of a tap instead of bottled water. Stuff like that. Now, tourists don’t seem amazed at our malls or buildings because they have all that stuff in their countries too while our infrastructure is aging”

Yes. This is because they embraced capitalism and had access to our markets.

Are you surprised by this?

[robc]

Anything that weakens the office of president is good by me.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Yet, we have elected senators and other elected politicians mostly from the republican party, but also from the democratic party side with a foreign leader against our President so openly? This is fine with us?

Why wouldn’t it be?

[Carl ?s the level]

Thomas Friedman jizzes his pants: Chinese Communist Party Orders Ideological Training at Universities

Universities should “equip teachers and students with ‘socialism with Chinese characters'”, and become key bases for “learning, researching and disseminating” Marxism, the directive said. Theories of Chinese socialism should get into not only “textbooks and classrooms”, but also “[students’] heads”. Colleges would be assessed on their use of set textbooks on Marxism.

Thomas Friedman has a sad: China Asks Officials to Stop Plagiarizing Their Self-Criticisms

…the enforcers of party discipline are worried about another troublesome matter ? too many insincere self-criticisms, according to the People’s Daily. Self-criticisms are reports officials are asked to regularly produce evaluating their own performance.

Those who are holding up a magnifying glass to examine the behavior of party cadres and ensure party guidelines are followed are apparently complaining about the rank and file not taking their self-criticisms seriously. Problem officials seem to be… copying the confessions of fellow transgressors.

[tarran]

When asked to prepare a self criticism, I merely copied comrade Chin’s self criticism. In my enthusiasm to continue the Great March Forward, I thought that writing one of my own would divert me from the great tasks which have been entrusted to me.

In examining my conduct, I have recognized that all my transgressions are identical or very similar to those of my comrades. Thus, in order to avoid any hint of plagiarism and to avoid lying to the party, I will take up new unusual transgressions and deviations which I will then confess.”

[Rufus J. Firefly]

In the long run, I wager America has nothing to worry about.

[HeteroPatriarch]

I wager we’re a step ahead in this category.

[Rhywun]

Theories of Chinese socialism should get into not only “textbooks and classrooms”, but also “[students’] heads”.

You mean they’re NOT doing this already?

[Carl ?s the level]

My — possibly incorrect — interpretation of the article is that there is already some propaganda taught in the universities, but that the party wants it increased. The opening paragraph in the SCMP article uses the term “step up”.

I interpret that sentence as meaning “right now we are teaching it, but students aren’t absorbing it”.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Your tax-dollars at work: State Department attempting to get Disney to make a global-warming themed spin-off of ‘Frozen’

The US government is consulting with Disney on creating a climate change project starring the characters from Frozen.

Admiral Robert Papp, the State Department’s special representative on the Arctic, revealed that he had been in talks with the company’s executives to harness the popularity of the 2013 film to teach children about the impacts of global warming in the Arctic.

“I went to Disney and I had the opportunity to speak to an executive there,” said Papp, speaking at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Troms?, Norway.

“In explaining why we wanted Disney’s assistance on this, I said, ‘You’ve taught an entire generation about the Arctic. Unfortunately the Arctic that you’ve taught them about is a fantasy kingdom in Norway, where everything is nice.’

“And I said what we really need to do is educate the American youth about the plight of the polar bear, about the falling tundra, about Alaskan villages that run the risk of falling into the sea because of the lack of sea ice protecting their shores.”

[John]

Because there is no risk to having government sponsored propaganda.

[CE]

You know who else used blond haired, blue eyed women in propaganda films?

[cavalier973]

D. W. Griffith?

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

YouPorn?

[Tonio]

Since when did this become a concern of the State Department? Will the EPA be doing treaty negotiations?

[cavalier973]

Aladdin should have been about fighting terrorism, and Sleeping Beauty should have raised awareness about sleep apnea.

[Injun, as in from India]

Cars should have been pro-public transit, and Thomas the Train should have been about sustainable solar-powered battery-operated public transit?

[flye]

“Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast should have been about minimum wage hikes and guaranteed sick leave.

[Pro Libertate]

We’re also concerned with all of those people overseas who don’t shower regularly.

[tarran]

The polar bear which is doing just fine because there are plenty of fucking seal to eat? Their plight?

The Alaskan villages thing is rich! The natives used to be nomadic until the U.S. government forced them to settle on villages that were built on geologically ephemeral river banks and inlets. So having built ‘permanent’ villages on impermanent land, we know have a crisis?

Admiral, you might have heard a saying in the Navy; “Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

[C. Anacreon]

what we really need to do is educate the American youth about the plight of the polar bear, about the falling tundra, about Alaskan villages that run the risk of falling into the sea because of the lack of sea ice protecting their shores.

And like the fantasy kingdom, none of these other things are actually happening either.

[The Other Kevin]

I’m sure the new movie will be just as good, and receive as much critical acclaim, as Cinderella II.

[Cytotoxic]

CONSPIRACY THEORY /Jack’n Ass

[B.P.]

Yeah, when I walked out of Frozen, the first thing I thought, after vomiting violently in a nearby trashcan, is “My kid sure did learn a lot about the Arctic”.

[Cytotoxic]

I hope you’re not implying Frozen was anything but great.

[B.P.]

That movie was an atrocity. Having seen the trailers, I thought I was taking my boy to a movie about a funny snowman. Five minutes in and I’m doing a 1000-yard stare at a fucking overwrought, animated musical.

[cavalier973]

My take.

In the end, Queen Elsa declares that all trade with Weseltown is henceforth cut off. For no reason, other than that he was a ridiculous figure who reached the absolutely correct conclusion that Elsa was dangerous, and that something should be done about her?even, perhaps, something drastic. But we’re supposed to sympathise with Elsa, because she’s pretty, and scorn the Duke because he’s ridiculous, and only cares about money, I guess. The thing that really bothers me about this aspect of the film is that Elsa hasn’t really punished the Duke at all; he can just get new trading partners, or secretly trade with Arendelle through some intermediary country, or commence to smuggling. It is Elsa’s people who really suffer because of her capriciousness. They have been cut off from a country that offered goods and services that they presumably found valuable. Even if they could switch trading partners, the limitation of competition means that the Arandellians must endure higher prices and lower quality. Their lives will be worse off going forward, with lower real incomes and a generally lower standard of living. Seriously, even left-wing economists see the value of trade. Thanks a lot, Elsa, you ninny.

[B.P.]

Oh yeah, the anti-free trade stuff. I guess my psychological defenses had blocked out that part.

[cavalier973]

Your psychological makeup is mercantilist in outlook?

[The Last American Hero]

Weseltown did conspire to overthrow the government by trying to turn Elsa’s subjects against her. He was also conspiring with Hans in attempting a coup. Stirring up a rebellion in a foreign land is generally met with much harsher punishment than banishment, but Elsa sensibly wanted to keep her country out of war.

[cavalier973]

96 Sins

[CE]

You mean Norway. Tourism is way up there thanks to Frozen. Kids are disappointed to learn they don’t still cut ice out of the river by hand and haul it be reindeer though.

[B.P.]

Well, the nitwit in the article said: “You’ve taught an entire generation about the Arctic”.

[cavalier973]

I learned everything I need to know about the Nordic countries from the Epcot Center ride “Maelstrom”.

[cavalier973]

Heh, heh. That was a fun ride. I wonder if it’s still in operation?

Let’s see….

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

*takes breath*

NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

the State Department’s special representative on the Arctic

The Ambassador to Poley Bearz?

Plenipotentiary to Ice Floes?

WTF?

[The DerpRider]

My son brought some homework today that said Communism was a type of government (the other ones noted were democracy, oligarchy, monarchy). I’ve always thought of communism as a philosophy, not an actual type of government.

[flye]

That’s pretty odd… did you write “derp?” on it and send it back to the teacher?

[Rich]

Let me guess — Common Core homework?

[Stormy Dragon]

Common Core only covers English and Math, so no.

[Rich]

Oops. Thought it only covered Engels and Marx. 😉

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

The Littoral Combat Ship still sucks.
Let’s keep it focused on one area in particular; just the timeline, milestones, and performance. For our benchmark, let’s look at the FFG-7 class, the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY (OHP), a run of 51 ships, compared to where we are with LCS, a planned run of 52 ships (32 LCS and 20 FF).
OHP Hull-1 was commissioned in 1977.
LCS Hull-1 was commissioned in 2008.
Roll the clock forward roughly six years.
OHP by year six, through the end of 1983: 37 ships commissioned, 34 for the USN, 3 for the RAN.
LCS by year six, through the end of 2014: 4 ships commissioned.
We should note as well the operational history of the OHPs by 1983. FMC in all mission areas, full deployments with all Fleets. By the end of 2014, LCS is little more than creeping through further developmental testing ? yet, we are committed to seeing the class through to whatever end it will have.

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

The ship’s Mk 110 57 mm gun system performed reliably during operational testing, and the ship was able to demonstrate the core capability for self-defense against a small boat in two valid trials. The Navy attempted to collect additional data from swarm presentations, but the data were invalid. The 57 mm gun failed to achieve a mission kill during one swarm presentation, and the target killed by the 57 mm gun during a second swarm presentation had previously been engaged by 30 mm guns.
?The LCS 3 anchoring system could not securely anchor the ship in an area with a bottom composed of sand and shells. Despite repeated efforts, the ship was unable to set the anchor. It appears that the anchor and chain are too light and there are too many friction points along the anchor chain’s internal path from the chain locker to the hawse pipe to allow the anchor and chain to pay out smoothly.

[Pro Libertate]

Clitoral combat? What the fuck is that?

[Stormy Dragon]

Littoral Combat is basically the Navy kiddie pool.

[Pro Libertate]

Really? I never really saw the Navy as a big lesbian organization. More the other way, I guess. You know, like the Village People song.

[cavalier973]

Macho Man?

[Pro Libertate]

No, that other one.

[CE]

It’s rock-paper-scissors, but without the rock or paper.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Neo-Nazi, who ran for Senate in Kentucky last year, arrested for protesting MLK day

Robert Ransdell arrived at the government building in Florence, Kentucky with two placards, one of which read “Happy Marchin’ Lootin’ Killin’ Day,” the other contained a collage of white people who had been murdered by black men.

Ransdell is the former regional coordinator for the Neo-Nazi National Alliance, and the current coordinator for the National Alliance Reform & Restoration Group.

Within minutes of arriving at the King celebration, Ransdell said he was approached by three police officers who asked him to leave. He refused, claiming that he was on public property.

“I think it was just the record of token harassment I have got from this city in particular for my political activity in the past that moved me to just refuse to be bullied around anymore. As we were walking I stopped and said I am not leaving,” told The Daily Stormer, a white supremacist site.

He was arrested shortly thereafter on a third degree charge of criminal trespass.

Assholes have free speech rights too and now the cops just gave this guy a slam-dunk lawsuit.

[Pro Libertate]

Free speech cases are virtually always about some asshole getting shut down. You know, like Illinois Nazis.

[HeteroPatriarch]

I hate Illinois Nazis…But I will defend to the death their right to be assholes.

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

one of which read “Happy Marchin’ Lootin’ Killin’ Day,”

I hate to say it, but I laughed.

[Carl ?s the level]

Friedman jizzes moar (trigger warning: TechCrunch: China Cracks Down On VPN Services After Censorship System ‘Upgrade’

People’s Daily reports that China’s ‘Great Firewall’ internet censorship system was “upgraded for cyberspace sovereignty”, a move that affected the usage of at least three popular VPN services and attacked others with more vigor than usual.

Strong VPN noted on its blog that it is suffering “connection issues” from China, while TunnelBear told TechCrunch it is investigating after reports from some China-based customers who “have been less successful in connecting over the last few weeks.”

Furthermore, Astrill, a service that is well used by China’s expat and business community, this week alerted users of issues with its iOS client.

[Carl ?s the level]

Now, my question for you is, obviously Friedman would find China getting an aircraft carrier jizzworthy, but what about the part where they screw the guy who bought it for them out of $120 million?

[Knarf Yenrab!]

That’s just responsible financial stewardship. Protecting the people’s treasury from capitalists. Individual sacrifice for the greater good. A man of the people would understand these things.

[Injun, as in from India]

If you have not committed a crime, you obviously have nothing to hide.

Only crooks use VPN and Tor.

[Knarf Yenrab!]

I don’t get why you libertardians are always picking on poor Tom.

It’s not that Friedman holds an unnatural affection for monsters and tyrants, he just likes really big omelets, k?

[Officer Jim Lahey]

Watched American Sniper with the GF today. Enjoyed it. Bringing my flask along would’ve made it more enjoyable, as would have the two bitches to my right shutting the fuck up during it, but oh well…
While watching, it struck me that the Assassin’s Creed franchise would do well to explore a modern storyline in that region.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You were going to smack them with it, right?

[Cytotoxic]

Good. I keep hearing bad reviews of that movie.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

From who? Seth Rogen and Michael Moore?

[JEP]

I like the idea of a modern Assassin’s Creed, but I think it would just be Grand Theft Auto

[CE]

Although the pink dots sure would help.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

It’s been a few years since I played an Assassin’s Creed game but I remember one of the lost-memory bits talking about how capitalism was created as a tool of mind control by the Templars. Yeah.

[Injun, as in from India]

If only taxpayers could use defecation on politicians and government bureaucrats as a defense…

Sperm Whale Defecates On Divers, Using Rarely Seen Defense

[Doghouse Riley Jr.]

“it remained at the surface and continued to defecate for a startling length of time.”

So, deeper than whale shit really isn’t that deep.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

OK, here’s the scope of the je suis charlie trademark application (note that trademarks apply within the categories of goods you’re selling, not to all goods)

Word Mark JE SUIS CHARLIE

Goods and Services IC 018. US 001 002 003 022 041. G & S: bags, luggage, suitcases, backpacks, key cases, key chains with leather, wallets, brief cases

IC 021. US 002 013 023 029 030 033 040 050. G & S: mugs, cups, beverage glasses, bowls, dishes, salt and pepper shakers, lunch boxes, porcelain ware, pot holders, serving platters, serving trays, serving dishes, pottery, statues, coasters

IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: clothing and footwear

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

And from the comments of that last article I linked to, a glimpse into the mindset of a progressive:

DriveBy lardheppus ? 4 hours ago
I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t like the idea of unrestricted freedom of anything including the freedom of speech. We’re all driving on this road so let’s set some rules before we all crash into each other and kill us all.

I feel we have to draw the line at hate speech…. speech of the kind that got Dr. Tiller killed and the Gabby Giffords gathering shot up.

Only regulated freedom in moderation is true freedom. Freedoms without moderation can lead to hate speech that takes the freedoms of others, mainly minorities, away so it becomes counterproductive. Let’s not forget that Christianity is a fascist concept and fascism should never be allowed to run amok a civilized society.

Can’t put it any better than that.

[Mad Scientist]

The mindset is they’re craven little cowards, flinching at anything that makes them in the least uncomfortable.

[The Laconic]

People writing in comments sections are idiots. Pay them no heed.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

*head explodes*

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Amazing.

[Cytotoxic]

Derpetologist is ruined. He can’t top this.

WINNER: GMSM

[Rich]

Hmm. There are some who might claim you’re bordering on hate speech.

[Cytotoxic]

“Attention citizens: you have been charged with socio-endangerment level 1. Five ration units deducted” /City 17 announcer

[Derpetologist]

Oh, yes I can. See the Bob Dylan thread.

[Pro Libertate]

This is put-people-in-camps kind of talk.

[CE]

But in moderation.

[Pro Libertate]

Indeed. They will be incinerated at moderate temperatures. After some moderate starvation and torture.

[Cytotoxic]

Of course, the only thing we can’t moderate is the ‘moderation’ and means needed to achieve it.

[Irish]

“I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t like the idea of unrestricted freedom of anything including the freedom of speech.”

Fuck this guy.

“I feel we have to draw the line at hate speech…. speech of the kind that got Dr. Tiller killed and the Gabby Giffords gathering shot up.”

Gabby Giffords was shot by a schizophrenic for no rational reason. It’s literally the least meaningful political shooting I’ve ever seen and had nothing to do with ‘hate speech.’

Plus, thank God for those hate speech laws in Europe! They’ve sure done a great job protecting Jews from potential violent attacks!

[Pro Libertate]

The politics with Giffords was the gun and the fact that the guy used one. At least, I think that’s how these idiots see that.

[flye]

Oh no… they are convinced it had to do with violent imagery and heated rhetoric by the right. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised how sticky that false narrative is, but wow is it ever.

[Pro Libertate]

Wasn’t it all Sarah Palin’s fault?

[flye]

No that would be too easy. She was merely the most convenient and photogenic example of hateful, irresponsible rhetoric towards ones political opponents which should never, ever, never be used again.

And it never was.

[Pro Libertate]

But targets and stuff.

[flye]

Never happened again.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

“speech of the kind that got Dr. Tiller killed and the Gabby Giffords gathering shot up.”
Gabby Giffords was shot by a schizophrenic for no rational reason. It’s literally the least meaningful political shooting I’ve ever seen and had nothing to do with ‘hate speech.'”

+1
They’re just throwing ‘bad things involving guns’ up on the wall and seeing what sticks. Pathetic.

[Irish]

“Let’s not forget that Christianity is a fascist concept and fascism should never be allowed to run amok a civilized society.”

What makes me think that this guy would ban religions if he could and murder anyone who disobeyed?

[Pro Libertate]

Camps, I tell you, camps.

[Wasteland Wanderer]

What’s funny is the guy is probably an ardent supporter of fascism…he just doesn’t know it, because he doesn’t know what fascism is.

[cavalier973]

Let’s not forget that Christianity is a fascist concept and fascism should never be allowed to run amok a civilized society.

I may or may not be a Christian fascist, but I will openly admit to being a Grammar Nazi. Learn to properly write a coherent sentence, or expect a visit from Herr Webster, you schwein.

[John Titor]

Yep, those Christians are certainly fascists…which is why you’re arguing for suppressing your ideological opponent’s free speech rights. And possibly/likely hold the position that private enterprise must benefit the public good.

But no, your opponents are the fascists.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

Pfft, Giffords. Yeah, time showed that all the people crying about “eliminationist rhetoric” were truly sincere in their beliefs and not just indulging in horseshit concern trolling.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Only regulated freedom in moderation is true freedom. Freedoms without moderation can lead to hate speech that takes the freedoms of others, mainly minorities, away so it becomes counterproductive. Let’s not forget that Christianity is a fascist concept and fascism should never be allowed to run amok a civilized society.

Doubleplus good.

[GILMORE]

“President Obama isn’t planning to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister addresses Congress in March.”

Here’s a fucking riot of a political situation =

The president continues to want to insist that his ‘negotiation with Iran’ is a centerpiece of his Foreign Policy

Yet *why do we care about Iran*?

Mainly because they threaten Israel… yes, also because of their various other scheming in the region, but Israel is the sine qua non of the whole US antagonism w/ them. Who exactly is ‘nuclear armed Iran going to Nuke?” (besides saudi oilfields, maybe?)

Yet we have the same president pretending he’s got nothing to talk about with the leadership of Israel.

Effectively, the US president is saying, “I’m doing all this *for your own good*”, but is uninterested in the actual Israeli position on the issue.

Its a bizarre, internally-contradictory set of postures which are entirely the reflection of Obama pandering simultaneously to both Pro-and-anti-Israel components of the Left

The US wants to “help” Israel, but Israel doesn’t want the kind of “Help” the US is offering – so the US takes the position of,

“well, tough-titties for you, we’re going to help OUR WAY ANYWAY whether you like it or not, and now we’re not even going to talk to you, so NYAH!”

Seriously = that’s the level on which these fucking retards are operating.

[Cytotoxic]

The humiliation of this administration an Israeli bombing campaign of Iran would bring is another reason I want it to happen.

[Praveen R.]

Let me guess. you are one of those fools who supported the costly Iraq war too which cost us taxpayer money. Why don’t you finance your wars with your own money? Go fund your own mercenary war.

[HeteroPatriarch]

This is one of the stupider non sequiturs I’ve seen lately.

[GILMORE]

There’s a very-ugly conflict between domestic and international politics for both the US and Israel that is in the interests of no one

Both Obama and Netanyahu benefit domestically from saying “fuck you” to one another

Yet at the same time, they are entirely dependent on one another to coordinate an actual coherent policy vis a vis Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

I assume at the lower State Dept levels that the relationship is still fairly professional; but at the top, they all look like a bunch of clowns.

You’re nuts if you think Israel is going to bomb iran. Why should they? again – the whole point of the relationship is that we exist to prevent an actual “hot war” in the region any bigger than the perpetual boil they’ve had since the late 1980s.

The guy above almost had a point in saying that it was “unseemly” for congress to start engaging in foreign policy independent of the White House; but the fact is that it far more reflects an abrogation of the duty by the president rather than any particular assumption of responsibility by congress. Its not like they can do much more than ‘pass a resolution’ or something.

[ConradCA]

You seriously expect Tyrant Obama the Liar to have a coherent foreign policy? That is unbelievable after the unending disaster, incompetence and betray that has been his foreign policy for the last 6 years.

[Harun]

I hate to be this guy, but the group in Iran which will have the bomb is not the boy scouts but the IRGC.

These guys have attacked Americans before.

Secondly, there is the little issue of Iranian nukes = Saudi nukes.

Wonder what the warning time they would have to retaliate…30 seconds?

Irans main enemies are now gone…unless we are the main enemy, but here we are in peace talks…soo….make peace.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

I don’t think Congress has to get permission or even inform Obama about inviting world figures to speak, especially given how Obama has treated the Congress. But if as I’ve read Israel is having its elections two weeks after Netanyahu is supposed to give the speech it really makes me question Congress’ action there. That kind of thing can be seen as favoring one side of that nation’s domestic politics over the others, which we shouldn’t do. It would have been better to have said they’d invite the winner of the election to speak a few weeks after it happened.

[John C. Randolph]

No big deal, I’m sure Netanyahu has a busy schedule meeting people who actually matter.

-jcr

[Harun]

Iran could head off all of these issues by hurrying up and making an agreement.

Why wait until June?

Oh, because we’re paying them to wait. And because there is no deal.

[userve32]

Obama is such a flim flam man.

http://www.BestAnon.tk

[ConradCA]

Tyrant Obama the Liar has an unending record a failure in foreign police. His incompetence threatens Israel’s existence as he enables the Iranian nuclear bomb with ICBMs through endless and pointless negotiations and taking the side of terrorists against our ally Israel. Netanyahu has come the the USA in search of allies against Tyrant Obama the liar in our Congress. Hopefully he will find them and spark opposition to Tyrant Obama the Liar’s betrayal of Israel and the USA.

[raylcruz]

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