A.M. Links: Hillary Clinton Delays 2016 Campaign, Obamacare Tax Penalty Comes Due, Earthquake Hits Northern California

• 

  Credit: White House / Flickr.com

  Due to the lack of strong primary competition from fellow Democrats, Hillary Clinton may delay the official start of her 2016 White House campaign, which was initially set to begin in April.

• Millions of Americans will be required to pay an Obamacare tax penalty to the I.R.S. this year because they did not have health insurance last year.

• An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck northern California yesterday afternoon.

• The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has officially been declared an "accident."

• The jury will hear opening statements today in the murder trial of NFL star Aaron Hernandez.

• The number of new Ebola cases in West Africa appears to be declining.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The number of new Ebola cases in West Africa appears to be declining.

Didn’t we put an attorney in charge of all of that? He solved it!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

Here’s more on the new Greek finance minister – the ‘Libertarian-Marxist’. He practices something called ‘Steam economics’. He even mentions Hayek and Schumpeter.

http://blogs.valvesoftware.com…../#more-252

[UnCivilServant]

So, he’s schizophrenic?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That’s why I have a hunch things won’t end so well in Greece.

[Ted S.]

He practices something called ‘Steam economics’.

Steam economics means saying this to your money.

[invisible furry hand]

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi

[Free Society]

The Libertarian-Marxist? The seven foot tall midget? The smartest retard?

[SugarFree]

Logically, there must exist a smartest retard. But that doesn’t mean he’s all that bright in the grand scheme of things.

[OldMexican]

He practices something called ‘Steam economics’. He even mentions Hayek and Schumpeter.

Possibly the reason he was mentioned is Schumpeter discovered that capitalism creates destructively, while Marxians destroy creation.

[KDN]

He’s anti-capitalist in a way that’s not reflexively statist, at least not in the conventional sense. It’ll be interesting to see if he tries to use the Valve model to shake up the Greek bureaucracy. That could either end very well or very badly.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

How could it end well? Seems to me once the forces of Marxist beliefs and free market principles inevitable collide, he’ll have to make a choice. And judging from what I interpreted, he’s likely to go with the former.

[KDN]

I’m talking about shaking up the bureaucracy itself: making it less (or non-) hierarchal and empowering the employees to pursue objectives on their own. I could see that making the bureaucracy more efficient, or simply enlarging the opportunity for the endless graft which is their current stock-in-trade.

As far as the macro policies the new Greek government is likely to pursue, I’m fairly certain they won’t improve anything. This guy doesn’t seem to be a willing central planner though, so I think there’s potential upside.

[UnCivilServant]

When one of your major economic problems is the rampant corruption of petty officials, reducing oversight may not be the smartist move. (reducing the number of people in these positions would work much better)

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Don’t forget many Greeks don’t pay taxes. Probably because of the corruption. Not unlike France, Italy and Spain in that respect.

If this is their calculation, then it’s rational. Only problem is, they want welfare – just like other places in Europe.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30949073

“When I registered a new business at the tax office,” he says with a rueful grin, “even they told me I was crazy”.

“We sell Greek coffee for one euro, and we pay 43 cents in tax on every cup. It makes no sense.”

Indeed.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Ah. See your point.

[The Laconic]

Oh, no. Not that guy.

[CatoTheElder]

I think this is an interesting article. For Valve and Steam employees, it might even be relevant to their business model.

However, the guy’s explanation does not accurately describe the way large-scale, capital-intensive firms operate. At least in the integrated refining and petrochemicals business, there are innumerable internal markets within a firm. Koch even wrote a book about that.

[Old Man With Candy]

Hernandez is a great tight end there in the clink.

[Old Man With Candy]

Goddamn you, Fist!!!!!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yeah, but what can you do.

[Old Man With Candy]

Tell Hernandez that you were hanging with his enemies.

[BigT]

He went in a tight end, but he’s now a wide receiver.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Somehow I don’t think old Aaron is the beta dog in prison. Pretty sure he knows how to fight and intimidate, given the little I know about his life and the charges against him.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Millions of Americans will be required to pay an Obamacare tax penalty to the I.R.S. this year because they did not have health insurance last year.

They’re covered, it’s free, and the government gets more revenue. It’s literally win-win!

[RBS]

My PenalTax is still a hell of a lot cheaper than the plan I would have been “allowed” to “choose.”

[Fist of Etiquette]

YOU’RE NOT HELPING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OBAMACARE.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has officially been declared an “accident.”

Sure, why not.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

That is what THEY want you to think!!!!!

*tears more foil off roll, hands back to Tonio*

[Tonio]

I suppose that an attack by robot sea monsters could be described as an accident.

[forms foil into jaunty Homburg]

[Cyto]

They go on to define “accident” under international norms as “the plane was lost and no wreckage has been found and the search is terminated”. So, this is not a determination of the cause, it is a definitional finding that the plane is not found, is not going to be found, and we’ve stopped looking…. so “accident” it is.

[invisible furry hand]

it’s probably to allow the airline to claim under its insurance policy. If terrorism is ruled out as a cause of the loss, then it’s hard for the insurer to invoke, for example, the terrorism exclusion clause

[Tonio]

If it were suspected terrorism, you’d expect the government to be all over that.

If it were actual terrorism you’d expect someone to have claimed it. That doesn’t preclude hoaxers making false claims but I’m unaware of anyone claiming responsibility for this.

If it was the Norks you’d also expect government to be all over that.

That pretty much leaves accident, broadly defined.

[Furburguesa]

75,000 hours of CNN coverage down the drain …

[invisible furry hand]

Raw milk ‘drink-in’ in Melbourne denounced by health experts

Protest by Australian Raw Milk Movement raises fears that uninformed people might try it thinking ‘raw’ means ‘healthy’

http://www.theguardian.com/aus…..th-experts

[UnCivilServant]

Here, whiners, have some raw potato and soybeans.

[Irish]

If anyone is stupid enough to think ‘raw’ means ‘healthy’ there is literally nothing you can do to save them from the consequences of their bad decisions.

[RBS]

Yeah. I drink raw milk occasionally (it’s too expensive to drink on the regular) because most of the time it has a richer, creamier taste. I guess arguing that it tastes better (to some people) isn’t an option.

[Tonio]

You’re unfamiliar with the “live food” movement I take it.

[Zeb]

Is that like when they ate the monkey brains in Temple of Doom?

[UnCivilServant]

No, no, those were chilled monkey brains. Live food, by definition, isn’t dead yet.

[Zeb]

For some reason I thought the monkeys were alive. Maybe I’m thinking of something else.

[Cdr Lytton]

Gagh?

[B.P.]

Faces of Death?

[Tonio]

I think it’s a vegan thing.

[Zeb]

Is it distinct from the raw food movement, I wonder?

[Tonio]

I think they’re the same.

[Rhywun]

If anyone is stupid enough to think ‘raw’ means ‘healthy’ there is literally nothing you can do to save them from the consequences of their bad decisions.

Prolly the same people who think ‘organic’ means healthy.

[C. Anacreon]

Or that don’t realize that ‘organic’ just means ‘pretty much the same vegetables as the ones in the other aisle at a quarter of the price, but you’re stupid enough to empty your wallet to buy these because you’ve somehow been convinced they are that much better”.

[Ted S.]

Shouldn’t “experts” be in sneer quotes?

[Zeb]

They are experts in overreaction and excess caution.

[Fist of Etiquette]

…Hillary Clinton may delay the official start of her 2016 White House campaign, which was initially set to begin in April.

So she’s got a time machine?

[gaijin]

So she’s got a time machine?

Better yet, a hot tub time machine?

[SugarFree]

Hilary Clinton in a hut tub? And you people think I’m the problem?

[Rich]

*John*?!

[Slammer]

Hilary Clinton in a hut tub?

It takes a village.

[SugarFree]

The Red Hut Tub: A Menstrual Documentary

[invisible furry hand]

What will the Kickstarter campaign’s rewards be?

[Rhywun]

Hutt tub.

[Pro Libertate]

I don’t think many Democrats are expecting to retain the White House, barring some gift from the Republican Congress. So they aren’t running. Because she’s a shit candidate, even for them, and many of them know it.

[Fist of Etiquette]

In that event, if they play their cards right, the Democrats can work it so it’s a one-term GOP president and accelerate the pendulum swing back their way.

[Pro Libertate]

“Play your cards right, you live to talk about it!”

[The Last American Hero]

Maybe their taking a page from the Republican play book and running her because it’s her turn.

[Pro Libertate]

They do that just as much as the GOP does. I mean, John Kerry?

[CatoTheElder]

Kind of like the Republican nomination was the Lifetime Achievement Award for Bob Dole.

[MJGreen]

Aren’t we supposed to start having debates by May? I recall the GOP having something like 2 or 3 in May 2007.

[invisible furry hand]

City council sets up email accounts for trees

[UnCivilServant]

The responses are, however, a bit wooden.

[Rich]

Indeed.

“Dear Oliver, Thank you for your lovely words. I am very well. Enjoy your day. Yours sincerely, Tree 1441724.”

What a lovely job *that* must be.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

The poor saps.

[Rich]

Leave ’em laughing.

[Rich]

Oops. I did knot see Notorious’s!

[Charles Easterly]

Of course, the root of the problem is poor governance.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You get an “out of office” reply when they’re on leave.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

They tell you to leaf a message.

[Restoras]

That is awlful.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Don’t bark at me.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Don’t worry, I’m rooting for you.

[Slammer]

Come on, Eddie, branch out a bit.

[gaijin]

The responses are, however, a bit wooden.

You just had to leave that comment, didn’t you?

[UnCivilServant]

Yes, I couldn’t resist. And you know someone else would have done it if I didn’t.

[SugarFree]

Dendrophiliacs rejoice.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Clearly you’re still a problem.

[gaijin]

Would an email response from these trees count as consent?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

[Insert Woody Woodpecker joke here]

[Rich]

“Harelip! Harelip!”

[SugarFree]

The gentle rustling of leaves counts as assent, so I would imagine so.

And most of the emails are request for root and knot pic anyway. “Give me so close ups of those galls, baby.”

And of course the time Rich “accidentally” emailed a sapling. Sicko.

[R C Dean]

The sapling was not unresponsive?

[SugarFree]

I think Chris Hanson got him before Rich could find out.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Email=Ent-mail?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

If you don’t email, they pine away and die.

[Timon 19]

Booo!

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Hey my jokes are great, fir sure.

[UnCivilServant]

Stop needling us.

[Charles Easterly]

It seems he’s got a trunkload of tree puns.

[UnCivilServant]

Things have quieted down, I guess he got board.

[invisible furry hand]

He’s had his chlorophyll of puns for today

[Charles Easterly]

Perhaps he thought that he went too far out on a limb.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Good one, ifh. 🙂

[Notorious G.K.C.]

“Thank you for your concern, I am oak-ay.”

[Rasilio]

Does the Lorax handle the responses?

[Cdr Lytton]

I’m disappointed with all the nitpicking about this. Can’t see the forest for the trees.

[Ted S.]

Video: Sheep Roundup on Skis with Toboggan

It’s the people doing the roundup who are on skis, not the sheep. And the people aren’t looking to fuck the sheep, as far as I know.

[Rich]

The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has officially been declared an “accident.”

At least we finally have closure.

[sarcasmic]

The 11 fathers of Asia: 800 million modern men are descended from a handful of ancient leaders – including Genghis Khan
Scientists from the University of Leicester traced DNA in modern men to ‘founding fathers’ that lived across Asia between 1300BC and 1100AD
The geneticists traced each the eleven lineages back to their potential roots in the Middle East, India, China, Mongolia and south east Asia
They analysed Y chromosomes from 5,000 men from 127 populations
16 million men are thought to be directly descended from Genghis Khan
1.5 million are descended from 14th Century Chinese leader Giocangga

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci…..-Khan.html

[Drax the Destroyer]

THAT’S RACIST!!!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Is that why they all look alike?

/ducks.

[sarcasmic]

Someone had to say it.

[Rhywun]

The NY Times thinks so.

[Free Society]

Political power and the resulting rape, has proven to be a rather successful reproduction strategy.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

HMMM. MAYBE STEVE SMITH RUN FOR TOWN COUNCIL?

[Kaptious Kristen]

Mr. L. Prosser approves.

[sarcasmic]

Not so safe after all? California declares electronic cigarettes a health threat that should be regulated as strictly as tobacco
‘E-cigarettes are not as harmful as conventional cigarettes, but e-cigarettes are not harmless’ said California Health Officer Ron Chapman. ‘They are not safe.’

[Illocust]

Already a full fledged article on Reason. Also based on a study using unrealistic conditions.

[sarcasmic]

Whoops. Forgot the linky.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..hreat.html

[MJGreen]

Oh, well if the California state government says so, it must be 100% accurate. A truly sober analysis, I’m sure.

[sarcasmic]

Travel back in time with a bottle of BEER: ‘Alcohol archaeologist’ creates authentic ales and wines using 2,000-year-old residues in pots
Dr Patrick McGovern from the University of Pennsylvania Museum has been creating ancient alcoholic drinks
He collects residues from containers to recreate the drinks
The oldest he has made so far dates back 9,000 years in China
Some involve odd methods – such as chewing and spitting corn
He says the drinks were likely expensive and enjoyed by affluent people
But today people can buy and make the drinks themselves

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci…..-pots.html

[kinnath]

I have a book or two by McGovern.

[Ted S.]

Old wines were very weak, weren’t they?

[sarcasmic]

It all depends on the sugar content. When I make fruit wine I add sugar to boost the alcohol level. Wine grapes have so much sugar that additional sugar is not needed, though I have no idea how much selective breeding has been required to get them that way.

[Clich? Bandit]

Harvest conditions are actually very important too. The more pissed off and stressed out the grapes the more sugar content. Grapes that are plump and pretty and in large bunches are shit for making wine…see Concord. (Although you can make concord wine, I do not recommend it…to anyone)

[kinnath]

As sarc says, it depends upon the grapes.

There is no reason to think they weren’t at least 8% or 9% ABV.

[Suthenboy]

“Some involve odd methods – such as chewing and spitting corn”

I was tricked into drinking ‘chicha’ once. When they told me what it was it came back up. Immediately.

[sarcasmic]

I’ve started watching Booze Traveler lately, and there was one episode where he was served some drink made with spit. I couldn’t watch that one. Didn’t want to puke on the carpet.

[RBS]

Is that what replaced The Thirsty Traveler?

[sarcasmic]

No idea.

[Clich? Bandit]

I like that show. Better than the one with that other guy who brews beer sometimes or something.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

“In their statement of defence, lawyers for the Harper government argued that it is unfair to hold it accountable for decisions made by lawmakers a cenutry ago, and that Ottawa has no special obligation to wounded veterans.”

Interesting. They can ship them off to be killed or maimed but they have obligation to take of them. Amazing. Just pitiful.

Reminds me of when NYPD contended they were under no obligation ‘to protect and serve.’

[Suthenboy]

That is a pretty straightforward FYTW.

[expat]

Rufus,
I see that on a number of occasions you have been pretty critical of the Harper govt, with solid justification. I am curious what you think of the potential for Justin Trudeau to be the next PM. Personally, I am quite nervous about the prospect – and I am curious about your perspective.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Thanks expat. I guess you haven’t seen my rants against Trudeau!

My take is Harper, with all his problems, is significantly better than the empty-headed, gaffe machine we call Trudeau. Trudeau is Obama-light and the Liberals and their constant flirtation with the NDP worry me way too much.

Unfortunately, for us who sit on this side of the fence have no choice but to stick with the Tories. Man, that means accepting their misguided takes on crime and spending.

[expat]

Yeah, I am afraid I am in the same camp. Trudeau scares the heck out of me TBH. I am afraid that he has all of the populist appeal of Obama, with even less substance.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It’s so obvious, my apolitical wife sees this.

[CatoTheElder]

Less substance?

Is is possible to have negative substance?

[Tonio]

Rule of law is what we say it is, and don’t you proles even think that you can ignore laws you don’t like since that’s different.

[Monty Crisco]

“Reminds me of when NYPD contended they were under no obligation ‘to protect and serve”

Upheld by the SCOTUS.

For fuck’s sake…woke up drunk and it doesn’t even help that…

[sarcasmic]

Doe! Kind-hearted homeowner frees panicked deer left dangling by her hoof after misjudging jump over backyard fence
Homeowner filmed the rescue of the doe which was bleating in pain

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..fence.html

[Steve G]

The authorities will be along any minute now to cite him for
Interfering with wildlife

[sarcasmic]

Dramatic CCTV footage shows mentally ill girl shot dead by Texas police lunged at officers with butcher’s knife
Kristiana Coignard, 17, was killed in the lobby of a Texas police station
Police have released CCTV footage showing the moment she was shot
Videos shows teenager was tasered before being shot
Also shows she lunged at officers while brandishing a butcher’s knife
The video was released following criticism over the use of deadly force
Teenager’s aunt says her niece had a history of mental health problems

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..knife.html

[Ted S.]

I think you SF’d the link. This should be it. 😉

[sarcasmic]

You can stop sucking my dick now.

[UnCivilServant]

Don’t confuse your autofellatio for others doing it to you.

[sarcasmic]

I knew a guy who used to brag about being able to suck his own dick. I was never able to decide if I should be disgusted or jealous.

[Ted S.]

You should have asked him to suck your dick to see if the head was any good. :-p

[sarcasmic]

I figure guys give better head being that they’ve got the equipment and know best what to do with it, but I have no desire to find out if I’m right or not.

[invisible furry hand]

About a year ago Vice tested the proposition That Gay Men Fellate Better Than Straight Women. They lined up a gay dude, a porn star, and a glory hole. This wholly unscientific study ended in a clear win for the porn star. What we need now is a properly designed study with government funding. Future generations will thank us.

[Dweebston]

That’s like testing whether men make better auto mechanics than women by putting an amateur handy-woman up against an industry vet.

[Ted S.]

But the woman was a porn star, not a regular woman.

Q: Why does every bride have a beaming smile as she walks down the aisle?

A: Because the bride knows she’s never going to have to give another blowjob again.

[UnCivilServant]

That’s the problem, Ted. (Not the old joke)

[sarcasmic]

Q: What’s the difference between a job and a wife?

A: After a couple years the job still sucks.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

A: Because the bride knows she’s never going to have to give another blowjob again.

Well that’s just not true.

[sarcasmic]

Well that’s just not true.

To be funny a joke must contain an element of truth.

[Slammer]

So gay porn stars for the win?

[UnCivilServant]

No, they’ll murder you and mail your parts to canadian politicians.

[Tonio]

You are absolutely right, Sarc. Sorry for all you straight guys.

[Ted S.]

My previous comment was a nutpunch. I didn’t know you got off on nutpunches.

[Illocust]

Well this covers the objections brought up by the folks here. They did start with a taser instead of a gun, and she did lunge at them with a knife afterwards.

[R C Dean]

Interesting. I gotta say, looks like a good shoot.

[sarcasmic]

The town that was turned into an ice-block: Russian streets turned into huge frozen block after water pipes burst during storm in sub-zero temperatures
Storm in Siberian town saw waterpipes burst and flood the streets
With temperatures around -40C, the water froze immediately
Pictures show cars and trucks encased in several feet of ice

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..tures.html

[sarcasmic]

Canadian teenager who was assaulted by repeat sex offender while she was HANDCUFFED with him in the back of a police car sues force for $400,000
The woman, who was 17 at the time, suffered from post-traumatic stress
Incident occurred in tiny Inuit village, northern Quebec, in September 2011
Police were called to remove the woman, who had been drinking
She was placed in handcuffs in a police car with a convicted sex offender
Joe Kritik had been arrested earlier, but was NOT in handcuffs
Officer left the pair alone while she gathered details from the complainant
On her return, she found Kritik with his pants down on top of the woman
Lawsuit claims ‘serious lack of professionalism’ as no rape kit done
Kritik later pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was jailed for 39 months
Officer was suspended and later resigned, but internal investigation cleared her of criminal wrongdoing

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..0-000.html
Yep. No wrongdoing. Ever.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

How could that be anything BUT wrongdoing?

[Illocust]

If you have a police witness watching him rape her, and the police officer isn’t trying to claim the assault didn’t happen. Why would you need a rape kit? Rape kits are only for if the sex is in question.

[invisible furry hand]

It would be prudent to get the physical evidence in case your witness dies, is impugned, etc

[UnCivilServant]

They’re also to collect physical evidence of the assault to present at trial.

[sarcasmic]

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Kesha shows off slim figure in a black swimsuit as she frolics on Brazil beach with her handsome boyfriend

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…..riend.html
Sparky has a sad.

[RBS]

Of course she’s dating a neck beard.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The beard’s to compensate for the bikini bottom swimsuit.

[Rhywun]

He’s either European or gay. Poor girl.

[Kaptious Kristen]

handsome boyfriend

Does. Not. Compute.

[Ted S.]

The number of new Ebola cases in West Africa appears to be declining.

That’s because the epidemic moved to the US.

[RBS]

Paging PapayaSF.

[Steve G]

Why is this little Sheldon gem dated today hidden in the archives??

https://reason.com/archives/201…..as-no-hero

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

Too spittle flecked for general circulation?

[Steve G]

Too stinky even for John chum?

[Irish]

I love these articles attacking Eastwood for making a movie about an individual which didn’t spend ‘enough time’ discussing the politics of the Iraq War.

Apparently you aren’t allowed to make a movie about an individual person involved in the war without spending an hour indicting Donald Rumsfeld first.

[Steve G]

I just don’t understand why someone can’t simply say “X is not a hero” because being a hero means doing something heroic and not just being really good at your job. At least that’s what I think anyone ever talks about police/fire/military “heroes” anyways.

[This Machine Loves Koch]

Excuse me, but I have trouble seeing an essential difference between what Kyle did in Iraq and what Adam Lanza did at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It certainly was not heroism.

He really went full retard this time, huh?

[UnCivilServant]

I have trouble seeing an essential difference between what Kyle did in Iraq and what Adam Lanza did

The sandy hook kids weren’t trying to kill people at the time they were shot.

[Bardas Phocas]

Remeber when the Left liked snipers?
They even made an awful song about them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHKjOl9ocR0

[CatoTheElder]

Snipers are only great to the Left when they are defending the glorious Soviet Union from national socialists.

Personally, my favorite sniper is Simo H?yh?. The guy was so hardcore that he used iron sights rather than a scope.

[Suthenboy]

Maybe Sheldon should go hang out at the airport and spit on soldiers returning from Iraq and call them ‘babykillers’.

What a dumb piece of shit.

[The Late P Brooks]

Due to the lack of strong primary competition from fellow Democrats, Hillary Clinton may delay the official start of her 2016 White House campaign, which was initially set to begin in April.

Why spend money on campaigning when so many news outlets will keep her in the public view for free?

[BigT]

In their haste to install green energy resources at any cost, Europe’s policymakers have deployed their beloved solar panels and wind turbines inefficiently. It simply doesn’t make sense to blanket one’s countryside with solar panels if the sun rarely shines, or to erect row upon row of wind turbines in the doldrums. Green incompetence is one of the greatest threats to the future of our planet; sadly, green incompetence is a theme the mainstream press studiously ignores in the mistaken belief that to expose green idiocy is a bad thing. They are wrong: green dogmatism, lackwit policy planning and corruption (special interests using ‘green’ hype to push worthless boondoggles like ethanol and solar plants in the shade) are among the greatest of the dangers humanity faces at a critical time.
http://www.the-american-intere…..y-mistake/

[Drax the Destroyer]

…policymakers ……inefficiently…
Green incompetence …
…lackwit policy planning and corruption…

I love the combination of all these words.

[BigT]

That was all a quote – not my words. I’m not that literate.

[CatoTheElder]

green dogmatism … worthless boondoggles

[Illocust]

One of my teachers in college had a class about projects. He assigned each of us a green project that looked good on the surface, and told us to come back with a report on how it should be designed. Without fail every one of us came back and showed with data that the green projects would completely fail to work much less meet the goals of the project. It was good lesson in sounds good doesn’t mean actually good, and I wish more people had to take such a class.

[Slammer]

Gun range bans Muslims, business booms

Morgan, who claims keeping Muslims out of her Gun Cave Indoor Firing Range is a matter of public safety and not a constitutional issue, says she made the decision in September after two customers she deemed suspicious visited. She said their furtive behavior and cellphone ringtones of “Allahu Akhbar” prompted her to revise her range’s policies.

“We are dealing in lethal firearms,” Morgan told FoxNews.com. “I’m not going to let a Nazi shoot in here, or a Ku Klux Klan member in here, either.”

[Rich]

predictions of a lawsuit brought by federal civil rights enforcers have so far proved inaccurate.

How about predictions of tax audits and ADA complaints?

[Steve G]

They should open up a hetero-only wedding cake business on the side while they are at it.

[The Last American Hero]

Ironically, enough, the cake business would be supported by the Muslim Community.

[Jordan]

A city actually does the right thing in response to Uber:

PORTSMOUTH – In response to Uber ride-sharing drivers now working in the city, the Taxi Commission on Wednesday recommended the elimination of taxi medallions, regulation of taxi fares, city taxi inspections and the Taxi Commission itself.

[sarcasmic]

Wow. I’m shocked.

[Ted S.]

Your winnings, sir.

[Slammer]

+1 Louis Renault

[UnCivilServant]

“We hate our job so much we just want to get out of here.”

/Taxi Commission

[Ted S.]

Are you talking to me?

[UnCivilServant]

Look, you’re not the only one here.

[Steve G]

But without their medallions of restraint, how will they not rape and murder their fares??!?!

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

STEVE SMITH GET TAXI DRIVER JOB!!!

[SusanM]

I think STEVE SMITH is busy enough at his teaching job in Texas already.

[Ted S.]

Free Staters finally having an influence?

[Charles Easterly]

Refreshing.

[Rich]

Watch Obama refer to himself 133 times in a 33-minute speech

or not.

[UnCivilServant]

Not.

I refuse to waste that much of my time fighting to not harm myself because of the sound of his voice.

[Rich]

Excellent choice.

[gaijin]

well, in his defense, you spell India by starting with ‘I’

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Speaking of President King Shit

“Obamacare? The public finds itself justified in its longstanding visceral opposition to a wholesale overhaul of our health-care delivery system, while the president and his supporters struggle to defend a grotesquery of their own making. A program designed as a payoff to Obama’s political core is now morphing into a costly nightmare…”

For his part, Obama told his 2008 campaign political director Patrick Gaspard that “I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director….”

“…Obama barely talks to the Democrats and is incapable of communicating with congressional Republicans (for his part, House Speaker John Boehner can’t corral his caucus). But beyond the mechanics of legislation, Obama appears to be over his head. Winning the hearts of the Democratic donor base is one thing, but imposing America’s will on foreign governments, gaining Vladimir Putin’s respect, and mastering the implementation of signature legislation are different challenges, and right now Obama seems lacking.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/a…..itude.html

[Illocust]

Something to remember, it can always be true that you are better at something than the person you hired to do the job is. But if you start thinking your are better at every job than those that you have hired people for, odds are you are a narcissist with no realistic understanding of your skills.

[gaijin]

But if you start thinking your are better at every job than those that you have hired people for…

This also means you are terrible at hiring

[Pope Jimbo]

Could be also that you are good at hiring, but your main goal in hiring a person is to get someone who won’t outshine you.

At one of my old doomed jobs, I worked with a guy like that. He was in charge of the company’s internal IT staff (who I relied on). He was so insecure about his position that he never hired anyone who had any chance of outshining him (which wasn’t tough to do).

Vendors loved him, because if they kissed his ass and told him how wonderful he was they could slough off their dregs on him as consultants.

Since I needed good support from his team, I wasn’t too thrilled.

[R C Dean]

If your main goal in hiring a person is to get someone who won’t outshine you, then you ARE terrible at hiring.

My goal in hiring people is two-fold: get people who can do all the work without getting into my time, and who will create reflected glory for me to bask in.

[UnCivilServant]

Also, you may have hired a bunch of sycophantic rubes, which doesn’t rule out the narcissism.

[Illocust]

Well hiring people who can’t outshine you is also a sign of narcissism.

[invisible furry hand]

Bugger me, there’s a snake called a children’s python!

Snake dropped out of a car engine looking for a Hungry Jack’s feed at Casuarina

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

Pro L? Is that an experimental model of yours?

[Pro Libertate]

Parents use fast food to feed kids, so you have to appeal to them, too. Python nuggets, python toys, tie-ins with python movies, that sort of thing.

[Swiss Servator, ... Switzy!]

“We’d pulled up to collect our food and the guy giving it to us said, ‘There’s a snake coming out of your car'”

I’ll take commonly heard phrases in Australia for $400, Alex.

[gaijin]

^lol

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I laughed at this one.

[Charles Easterly]

Nice one Swiss.

[Clich? Bandit]

“I got a calico shopping bag and picked it up and put it in.”

Aussi chicks…Damn!

[Rich]

DEA chief: US abandoned plan to track cars near gun shows

Leonhart said in a statement that the proposal memorialized in an employee’s email was only a suggestion, never authorized by her agency and never put into action

yet.

[SugarFree]

No, saying it was never put in action means they tried it a couldn’t get it to work right.

[Ted S.]

Or they’re lying about it and doing it anyway.

[SugarFree]

I think that’s when they claim to never have even heard of the idea and that the person who asked if they were are paranoiacs.

[Tonio]

I didn’t think DEA had jurisdiction over firearms. I realize that DEA agents can (I think) enforce all federal laws, but isn’t their mission drug enforcement?

Next: BATF stakes out pharmacies, monitors sales of cold medicine.

[invisible furry hand]

First rule of Fight Club: Post the video on Facebook

[UnCivilServant]

Technically, that wouldn’t be talking about it.

[Mike M.]

Due to the lack of strong primary competition from fellow Democrats, Hillary Clinton may delay the official start of her 2016 White House campaign, which was initially set to begin in April.

Also, the plastic surgery needs some time to settle.

[The Late P Brooks]

Bugger me, there’s a snake called a children’s python!

One thing at a time.

Now, about the snake; it only eats children?

[Rich]

Artwork showing women’s shoes on Muslim prayer mats is removed from exhibition after warnings of possible violence

“I’m from a Muslim background and my intention was not to shock or provoke, but to offer a vision as a starting point for a dialogue.”

Emphasis added. Sounds a lot better than “give the finger”.

[Ted S.]

Are is supposed to be transgressive and challenging, but only towards certain people.

[Ted S.]

“Art”, not “are”.

[UnCivilServant]

Art is supposed to be decorative and aesthetically pleasing. The allegory and allusion are secondary additions after the primary conditions are met.

[Charles Easterly]

“Art is supposed to be decorative and aesthetically pleasing.”

What are you, an art critic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_v_ubcYsTI

[UnCivilServant]

I’m an opinionated loudmouth. I’ll criticize anything.

[Suthenboy]

“Art is supposed to be decorative and aesthetically pleasing.”

No, That is decor, not art.

[R C Dean]

Well, she got her starting point for a dialogue, didn’t she?

“Cease blaspheming the Prophet, or by Allah’s beard (peace be upon it), we will cut your head off.”

“OK.”

Nobody it was going to be a long dialogue.

[CatoTheElder]

The article does not show the offending art.

SFW unless you work at a madrassa or a halal butcher shop.

[CatoTheElder]

offending art

[TwB]

So the UVA sorority and fraternity system just got more fucked up, thanks to the National Chapter Presidents of each sorority.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..ers-party/

“Oh, oh, we can’t have our precious sorority sisters going to frat houses on Saturday night! They’ll all get roofied and raped by those evil frat brothers!” Good fucking god. I thought when you turned 18 in this country, you are legally an adult, capable of making decisions for yourself, right?

[Illocust]

Hahahaha, yeah like this is actually going to be followed and not flagrantly ignored by sorority member. Sorority girls can smell free booze from a mile away and will climb through razor wire in club clothes to get it.

[Clich? Bandit]

THIS^ is accurate.

Sometimes I miss college.

[gaijin]

I thought when you turned 18 in this country…capable of making decisions for yourself, right?

Nah, you are allowed to go to war and vote…oh, and be charged as an adult.

[Jordan]

I thought when you turned 18 in this country, you are legally an adult, capable of making decisions for yourself, right?

Obama pushed that back to 26.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I just want to clarify one thing in yesterday’s discussion about the inheritance tax. In Canada, there is no inheritance tax. So when I spoke against it, it was principally from a philosophical stand point.

In Canada, when someone dies it triggers a ‘deemed disposition’. That is, all holdings are said to be sold that day and are subject to whatever taxes apply.

There has been talk – mostly among leftists – to bring in an IT bit so far Canada has been wise enough to avoid it.

[Jordan]

That’s not much different than an inheritance tax, is it?

[UnCivilServant]

The only distinction I see is that it can’t be adjusted separately from all those other taxes.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I thought in the U.S. if someone dies it triggers the deemed disposition but an IT is applied on top of that.

Did I misunderstand this?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Also, I read the IT tax is applied on anything above 600k?

It’s what we’ve been told while shopping around for condos and/or land in the USA.

[BilboTeabaggins]

Gift and estate taxes are complicated, but the general rule in the US is that you get a “stepped up basis” when someone dies so that the only tax that applies to the asset when you get it is the estate tax. The estate tax is a lot higher than capital gains taxes in most cases, so all things equal most people in the US would greatly prefer to have a deemed disposition system.

[CatoTheElder]

For the vast majority of estates the effective estate tax rate is precisely ZERO PERCENT.

Something like 99% of estates pay no estate tax at all. Of that 1%, the exempt amount is greater than the taxable amount.

There is a whole lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about estate taxation. The current system sucks, pretty much in the same way all taxation systems suck, but many proposed repeals/reforms that are superficially attractive from a libertarian perspective are even worse than status quo.

Here’s the way to decode any estate tax reform: If it eliminates the stepped-up tax basis, then it sucks even worse than the status quo for 99+% of estates.

Another tip: If your net worth is such that your estate would be larger than the exempt amount, don’t die with a traditional IRA in your estate. Convert it to a Roth.

[OldMexican]

Millions of Americans will be required to pay an Obamacare tax penalty to the I.R.S. this year because they did not have health insurance last year.

I bet Matt Damon will not be there to bang on their windows and say “How d’you like ’em apples?”

[Jordan]

But shriek told me that Obamacare affects literally nobody!

[UnCivilServant]

IF it does nothing, why was it implemented?

[OldMexican]

Re: Jordan,

But shriek told me that Obamacare affects literally nobody!

And Tony told me that we can’t fathom the idea that poor people deserve to live.

[Kaptious Kristen]

That’s rich, coming from Mr. Genocide Brown People Hater

[CatoTheElder]

The ObamaCare tax penalty will be a modestly unpleasant surprise to millions.

However, there is a much larger tax surprise that will affect tens of thousands. The ObamaCare subsidy vanishes when gross household income is over 400% of poverty line. There’s going to be a bunch of people who were completely unaware of this and who earned a little income that just eclipsed the magic 400% mark. They’re going to be in for a tax hit that can be as large as $7000 on a single dollar of additional income.

[Rich]

Do Not Believe Everything You Read About Flu Deaths

According to the National Vital Statistics System in the U.S., for example, annual flu deaths in 2010 amounted to just 500 per year — fewer than deaths from ulcers (2,977), hernias (1,832) and pregnancy and childbirth (825) …. Even that 500 figure for the U.S. could be too high, according to analyses in authoritative journals such as the American Journal of Public Health

From the Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing, this is kind of shocking.

[Ted S.]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the number were a fair bit higher, but that many of the deaths were very elderly people who were also dying of something else, much the way that Alzheimer’s patients often die of pneumonia.

[Jordan]

Anybody listen to the Hardcore History podcast? I just started the WWI one after finishing “Prophets of Doom”. It’s very entertaining.

[Lord Humungus]

yessir – been following the WW1 one(s) too. Can’t wait for the next one in the series since he captures the horrors of fighting in the trenches quite well.

[CatoTheElder]

Yes! I really enjoy Dan Carlin’s way of storytelling history. I’ve been reading a lot about early 20th Century history recently, and his telling comports with everything I’ve read. Carlin is no libertarian, but he does seem to be intellectually honest. My reading, however, has not focused on military history, which seems to be his main interest.

[OldMexican]

So I watched Kennedy yesterday…

Can someone please tell Kennedy that whenever a guest uses a slippery-slope argument like “Would you want people to own Tomahawk missiles?” as a justification for gun control, to ask back if that is his argument to justify not allowing people to carry guns for self-defense? That they are going to carry around Tomahawk missiles?

Also, you don’t need to argue that the lefty should be consistent and argue in favor if repealing the whole bill of rights. Just ask him why does he think the Constitution grants rights, when the language in the Bill of Rights is clear in limiting the power of the government? It does not say “We the government shall graciously grant the following rights:”

[UnCivilServant]

I need anti-air missile to take out the drones illegally flying over my property.

[Slammer]

Napolitano argues that since ALL government derives from the people, the people cannot grant the gov’t powers they themselves do not have.

[RBS]

Look, I need those Tomahawks. How else am I going to protect my property outside of the US?

[sarcasmic]

“Would you want people to own Tomahawk missiles?”

I respond to such arguments by pointing out that those weapons cost so much money that only a government could justify buying them, being that governments aren’t spending their own money.

[Mike M.]

Frankly, I’m kind of surprised that Fox let her do that thing in the advertisement where it looks like she’s fondling an invisible pair of testicles or something.

[The Late P Brooks]

Today’s Morning Joke drive-by featured a story about how a public meeting in Metro St Louis (Ferguson, proper? I don’t recall.) about police oversight devolved into rancorous chaos, after speakers representing the police opposed having a bunch of lowly civilians looking over their shoulders. Scarborough, ever the voice of reason, asked why people can’t just shut up and obey the police, because policemen are noble and awesome.

The assembled nodders nodded and clucked in unison.

[Jordan]

What sparked the chaos in the first place was the police union rep shoving a woman. He was not charged with assault. I’m sure that shocks you.

[sarcasmic]

Had the woman shoved the police union rep you can bet she would have faced charges after receiving a sound beating.

[Andrew S.]

You’re assuming she would have survived the gunshot wounds.

[sarcasmic]

Principals, not principles. Rule of man, not rule of law.

[Irish]

RACIST AND SEXIST!

White and male teachers paid more than females and minorities at UC-Berkeley!

“The gaps aren’t large, nor are the causes clear. But the campus is already planning to act on new findings that average salaries for women and minority-group faculty at UC Berkeley lag behind those for white men in similar fields, and with comparable professional experience.”

Cool – how many studies do the men publish relative to the women and do the men work longer hours?

Because usually these ‘gaps’ are actually caused by differences in hours worked and the actual work done.

[RBS]

The gaps aren’t large, nor are the causes clear. But the campus is already planning to act

Derp.

[UnCivilServant]

And how many of these male profs have been there since the 60s-70s?

[Illocust]

They did at least take into account professional experience, so they’ve probably been working there for the same amount of time.

[UnCivilServant]

Seriously though, what’s the turnover rate at a hidebound ‘progressive’ institution like Berkley?

[Tonio]

^This.

[KDN]

Cool – how many studies do the men publish relative to the women and do the men work longer hours?

I’d also like to know about seniority for each cohort.

[CatoTheElder]

I’d also like to know the breakdown by field of study.

Obviously, a tenured, world-class gender studies professor is worth less than an assistant professor of mathematics at a junior college if he has any talent at teaching.

[MJGreen]

It doesn’t matter! They’re already planning to act on the superficial numbers.

[Coeus]

As it turns out, Berkeley did consider counting academic citations but rejected it (arguing that, among other things, men are more likely to cite other men). But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Furchtgott-Roth said, and in any case, not every factor necessarily has data on it. Given those limitations, she said, the university is likely overreacting.

[Drax the Destroyer]

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck northern California yesterday afternoon.

If only it was a magnitude of 90 and localized completely in government offices.

[kbolino]

If only it was a magnitude of 90 and localized completely in government offices.

Given that the magnitude scale of earthquakes is logarithmic, I don’t think it would matter where such a quake was localized, since the entire planet would be exploding.

[Zeb]

I think the entire universe would be exploding in that case. 10^90 is an awfully big number.

[SugarFree]

The Edible Anus comes in three different flavors.

[Charles Easterly]

I’m not even looking.

[Crusty Juggler]

You had me at anus.

[sarcasmic]

Which one is your favorite?

[SugarFree]

I just watched a video, man. But I think the milk chocolate would be the most authentic.

[sarcasmic]

Cadbury or Hershey’s?

[SugarFree]

Cadbury’s, of course. I’m not some sort of ass monster.

[sarcasmic]

I thought Hershey’s would be more authentic, being that they use sour milk.

[SugarFree]

It Depends.

[Tonio]

Boo!

[invisible furry hand]

Oh wow, they even sell a bronze version!
! That’s my gift-giving for 2015 all sorted

[Crusty Juggler]

Great minds think alike.

[SugarFree]

It’s a bit hard to chew and swallow.

[invisible furry hand]

But very easy to stroke playfully without your fingers getting mucky

[Suthenboy]

I refuse to click that link.

[The Late P Brooks]

Spread the Wealthers of the world, UNITE!

But the report is more than just an excoriation of the hollowness of our professed American values and our ethical quandary. It also serves as an economic manifesto, making the point that allowing child poverty to remain at these unconscionable levels costs “far more than eliminating it would,” calculating that an immediate 60 percent reduction in child poverty would cost $77.2 billion a year, or just 2 percent of our national budget.

For context, the report puts it this way:

“Every year we keep 14.7 million children in poverty costs our nation $500 billion ? six times more than the $77 billion investment we propose to reduce child poverty by 60 percent.”

———

What would we get for our $77 billion, anyway? Things like the creation of subsidized jobs, an increase in the earned income tax credit, a raise of the minimum wage, an expansion of child care subsidies and housing subsidies, and an increase in SNAP benefits.

Increase the minimum wage by raising taxes?

Why do I assume this is an attempt to raise living standards for people other than to poor children?

[Suthenboy]

We keep them in poverty? So we are actively working to prevent them from improving their lives?

Leftists, yeah. The rest of us, not so much.

[Tonio]

Why do I assume this is an attempt to raise living standards for people other than to poor children?

Because that’s how they roll?

[Sevo]

Helicopter Alexis empties the drachma sacks!

“SYRIZA candidate promises rehiring of ‘unlawfully’ sacked civil servants”
[…]
…”promised that if the leftist party forms a government after Sunday’s elections, it will rehire civil servants “who were unconstitutionally and unlawfully fired” as part of Greece’s public sector streamlining.”
http://www.greece.com/news/617…..vants.html

(German population wondering where he found the dough)

[The Late P Brooks]

And then, the big close:

The report holds up Britain, which took some of the same steps as a case study of how such an approach can work because they “managed to reduce child poverty by more than half over 10 years, and reductions persisted during the Great Recession.”

We can do this too, if we just stop seeing helping these children as an us-versus-them struggle between makers and takers, if we stop getting so hung up on prudishness about sex and traditional views of what constitutes a family, if we stem our impulse to punish children for their mothers giving birth before marriage.

By the way, Britain’s out-of-wedlock birthrate is even higher than ours.

Fucking incentives- how do they work?

Sometimes I think putting all those impoverished neglected bastards in orphanages might not be the worst conceivable response.

[Crusty Juggler]

And that is how you create a gang of juvenile pickpockets.

[Lord Humungus]

As long as the orphans are baptized. *looks around for Bo*

[Crusty Juggler]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU CONSERVATIVE RIGHT-WINGERS TO SHOW YOUR FACE!

[Tonio]

if we just stop seeing helping these children as an us-versus-them struggle between makers and takers

If we just ignore the reality of the situation.

[Coeus]

Nightly Show: The Koch brothers aren’t against big government as long as it’s just the two of them

“Here’s why I’m suspicious of the Koch Brothers and these types of people,” Wilmore began. “They’re always for reducing government, they’re against centralized power, but aren’t they setting up an oligarchy by being the ones who make all these decisions?”

“Absolutely,” comedian Hari Kondabolu replied. “The number of different rich people they have working together to consolidate their money and create a system ? it’s real evil stuff. It’s almost corny. You can’t imagine it being so over the top.”

“It’s like Austin Powers or something?” Wilmore asked.

“It’s funny,” Kondabolu said, “because it’s in the open, too.

“I’m a little concerned,” Wilmore interjected. “Are we at the beginning of a political revolution? Are Democrats and Republicans going the way of just Soros and Koch? Are they going to be our political parties?”

Former New York gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout replied that comparing the money pumped into elections by conservative and liberal groups is a “false equivalency thing. Yes, the sun and the moon are both round.

Lovely

[All-Seeing Monocle]

It must be awesome being able to go through life spouting absolutely nonsensical drivel and somehow have a bunch of people treat you like it all makes sense.

[Raston Bot]

Zephyr Teachout replied that comparing the money pumped into elections by conservative and liberal groups is a “false equivalency thing.

Because she’s a TEAM PLAYER with no principles.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

“comedian Hari Kondabolu…

“”It’s funny,” Kondabolu said”

I’m going to disagree with the comedian here.

I can think of only a couple comedy sketches which actually made me laugh (the ostensible goal of comedy). One was by George Carlin, the other by Chris Rock.

As for the rest, I dare them to make me even crack a smile.

[The Late P Brooks]

Former New York gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout replied that comparing the money pumped into elections by conservative and liberal groups is a “false equivalency thing. Yes, the sun and the moon are both round.

“I agree with the goals of liberal donors. Conservatives are just evil.”

[Coeus]

It looks like we might have started banging neanderthals in Israel

An ancient skull found in a cave in northern Israel has cast light on the migration of modern humans out of Africa and the dawn of humanity’s colonisation of the world.

For most palaeontologists that might be enough for a single fossil, but the braincase has offered much more: a likely location where the first prehistoric trysts resulted in modern humans having sex with their heavy-browed Neanderthal cousins .

Discovered in a cave in western Galilee, the partial skull belonged to an individual, probably a woman, who lived and died in the region about 55,000 years ago, placing modern humans there and then for the first time ever.

Homo sapiens walked out of Africa at least 60,000 years ago, but the harsh climate in parts of Europe at the time hampered their spread across much of the continent until about 45,000 years ago.

The skull reveals that modern humans reached the Levant where the population may have given rise to those who later colonised Europe when the frozen climate abated and the territory became more habitable.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Hey, that skull still looks hot!

[R C Dean]

colonised Europe when the frozen climate abated and the territory became more habitable.

See, global warming caused colonization and Europeans, the two greatest evils ever!

Suck on THAT, denialists!