A.M. Links: Voters Want 'Fresh Face' in 2016 Presidential Election, Virginia Investigates Bloody Arrest of Student by Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents, More Snow for Northeast

• 

  Credit: White House / Flickr.com

  According to a new poll from Rasmussen, "54% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Democrats should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016." Hillary Clinton could not be reached for comment.

• Suicide bombers attacked a pair of Mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Friday, killing at least 40.

• Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has ordered the Virginia State Police to investigate the use of force by state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents against a black University of Virginia student. That incident left the 20-year-old honor student bloodied and in need of stitches.

• The FBI is investigating the death of a black man who was founding hanging from a tree in Mississippi.

• The Federal Aviation Administration has given Amazon an "Experimental Airworthiness Certificate" to test drone deliveries.

• Today is the first day of spring. Snow is expected in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Today is the first day of spring. Snow is expected in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Eat a dick, snow.

[Mike M.]

"Global warming".

[hamilton]

Apparently some enterprising soul has enabled one to send one's enemy a bag of dicks to eat.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

'Wongburger!'

[Pope Jimbo]

Doh! I'm too late to this thread!

In my defense, I posted the link in today's brick bat thread

I just got greedy.

[kilroy]

That's junk mail.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

*polite applause*

[Brian D]

But it's the warmest winter ever!

[WTF]

And snow is a thing of the past. Just as predicted.

[some guy]

No, see, warmer air carries more moisture, making bigger snowfalls more likely! Being a climate catastrophist means never being wrong, because ad hoc.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

How to become gluten intolerant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oht9AEq1798#t=150

[Mowkdareocajn]

I've made $64,000 so far this year working online and I'm a full time student. I'm using an online business opportunity I heard about and I've made such great money. It's really user friendly and I'm just so happy that I found out about it. Heres what I've been doing,
http://www.work-cash.com

[Pope Jimbo]

Don't just rage, FOE. Do something about it!

http://dicksbymail.com/

[Zeb]

The weather gods don't give a shit what you or I want. So just do your best to enjoy it.

[Just a thought not a sermon]

37) I read a lot on H&R about how great squats are. Sure, they're fine, I guess, and bench presses and pull-ups and clean and jerks too, but the best weightlifting exercise is clearly the deadlift. First, it works the gluteals and the hamstrings, the biggest muscles in your body, as well the erector spinae in your lower back. No other exercise gets as much muscle mass at once as the deadlift. Second, deadlifts build up real actual, useful strength?what could be a more basic use of strength than lifting shit off the ground? Finally, there's no vanity involved in a deadlift. Now, I think vanity is underrated for getting us to do all sorts of things we should do for other reasons, but there's something pure about doing a thing just because it should be done. No chick ever swooned at seeing a guy's hamstrings, no dude in the gym was ever jealous of another guys' erector spinae. No, squats are good for those with egos to feed, but the deadlift is the exercise for those who simply want to be strong and don't give a damn what others think.

[UnCivilServant]

I thought the Squats got eaten by the 'Nids.

/completely missing the point.

[l0b0t]

That really made me laugh, thanks. Yeah... stupid bugs; my massive armies of late-1980s - early 1990s minis have been campaigning without me in the attic for two decades now. Rogue Trader and 2nd/3rd edition FTW!!

[The Laconic Esq]

Games Workshop has no idea what you're talking about. "Squats" indeed.

[Monty Crisco]

Permanently fucked my lower back doing deadlifts. Jon Paul Sigmarrson, one of the strongest men who ever LIVED, DIED doing a deadlift.

It's a young man's exercise.

[gaijin]

and don;t forget the 'roid rage...hemorrhoids that is

[Rich]

no dude in the gym was ever jealous of another guys' erector spinae.

Now, *that's* provocative!

[Ted S.]

I thought #37 was in the Friday Unfunnies thread.

[Just a thought not a sermon]

I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Mark Ripptoe begs to differ.

http://startingstrength.com/ar.....ppetoe.pdf

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm pretty sure 'squat' is a racist term now.

Please be more careful.

[Rich]

Well, "squaw" certainly is, so you're probably right.

[Steve G]

2 billion Asians can't be wong!

[Steve G]

They're both valuable, but DL taxes the CNS more than squats, so it'll limit the training volume you can get in if you only do DLs. It's not one or the other, but both to get the biggest bang for the buck.

[Eorl Restoras, Esq.]

Are you referring to back squats, front squats, or overhead squats?

Squats are also a generic term for anything related to weight training for the legs. The biggest joke among exercisers that lift is, it's leg day - and everyone skips leg day. To say you squat says yes you bother to weight train your legs.

Deadlift is my favorite but it's only one part of a weight training regimen for legs and core.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Federal Aviation Administration has given Amazon an "Experimental Airworthiness Certificate" to test drone deliveries.

And is awaiting Amazon's package feedback on that certificate.

[Mike M.]

Suicide bombers attacked a pair of Mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Friday, killing at least 40.

"Arab Spring".

[Palin's Buttplug]

"Democracy will spread across the Middle East if we invade Iraq and show them boys how."

[Andrew S.]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

[Mike M.]

Yep, Bush's decision was without a doubt one of the worst strategic blunders in history.

Of course, that still doesn't explain why your cardboard Obamessiah is supporting the radical Muslims. Even as we speak, he's still quietly trying to help the Muslim Brotherhood overthrow the secular and nominally pro-American government in Egypt.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Did you read that on Wingnut.com?

[WTF]

Dreams are a great thing, but you know something? They take a lot of energy. But that's OK. There's a job waiting for you down the block from your house that doesn't require a thought in your head or a hope in your heart. So come on down and work for the artificial flower factory. Why fight it? OK? Thank you.

[Rich]

"Why do you bomb mosques?"

"That's where the infidels are."

[Steve G]

"How can you shoot women and children?"

[UnCivilServant]

"Aim lower?"

[Plisade]

Just don't lead 'em as far.

[Charles Easterly]

Jacket; Full Metal, One each

[Eorl Restoras, Esq.]

Get some!

[Lord Humungus]

Sarcasmic owes John some sort of apology... well... maybe not... uh...

Men Are Totally Hardwired by Evolution to Prefer Curvy Women, Study Finds

A new University of Texas study has found that men express a clear preference for women who have a pronounced back-to-buttock curve.

After asking around 100 men to rank the attractiveness of images of various females, researchers found that men strongly preferred women with a back-to-buttock curve of 45.5 degrees, which they described as the "theoretically optimal angle of lumbar curvature."

They theorized that, in ancient times, such an angle meant that women were more likely to carry out successful pregnancies.

[Brian D]

Sir Mix-a-lot said it better.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Obligatory.

http://www.theonion.com/articl.....lot,12240/

[Elspeth Flashman]

Let me assist you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlItMpGYQTo

[John]

What can I say, some of us have normal genes and a few others don't. I am just happy to be in the normal group.

[hamilton]

As a learned scholar once said, "The angle of the dangle is proportional to the mass of the ass."

[Rich]

AND "to the square of the hair".

[Certified Public Asskicker]

The other day, there was a lively discussion of boobs and ass in a thread, who knows what the story was.

But, don't a nice set of boobs usually come with a great ass? Bony ass, generally means no boobs, gigantic ass generally means giant floppy boobs.

Why then do we split into boobs and ass groups? Why not both?

-Just a thought...

[gaijin]

not a sermon? 😉

[Florida Man]

Augmentation changes the calculation.

[Nihilist Denialist]

As do adult diapers.

[Sudden]

I've known several women with little ass and a huge chest and many women with a plump and wonderfully round ass and A/B cup breasts

[sarcasmic]

Women can be slender and curvy at the same time. John likes extra cushin for the pushin.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Obligatory

[Charles Easterly]

Nice.

+1 miniature Stonehenge

[Officer Jim Lahey]

"Women can be slender and curvy at the same time."

Lucie Wilde, Yulia Nova, and Tessa Fowler immediately spring to mind.

[straffinrun]

She couldn't have but 3 or 4 children with them narrow hips

[Auric Demonocles]

Asking modern men what they find attractive seems like a poor way to determine what men are "hardwired" to like. It could just as easily be a cultural thing.

[gaijin]

Plus on any given day, you might have a hankerin' for something different...I think that's why they call it 'strange'?

[Charles Easterly]

The sample pool was very small too.

[Zeb]

I think a lot of it must be cultural. You can definitely observe that varying preferences for body type tend to correlate with cultural groups (for example a lot more black guys prefer curvier, or even down right fat women). But I am sure there is some inborn part as well.

[Nihilist Denialist]

I always bring a protractor on dates.

[Warty]

As if your stench of failure and misogyny doesn't repel every woman who sees you, Tulpa. Fuck off, dipshit.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Ha. Totally mistaken speculations like the above pretty much neuter any insults you would hope to ding me with.

As stated below, I'm no expert on insulting, but once your target realizes that you don't know what the fuck you're talking about and starts "considering the source" it's over. If I were you I would stick to vague and unfalsifiable insults.

[Zeb]

Makes sense. But a lot of what people consider attractive seems to be cultural or learned.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That incident left the 20-year-old honor student bloodied and in need of stitches.

But left the agents very safe and satisfied.

[VG Zaytsev]

Nah, it left them frustrated that they didn't get to kill anyone (or anything).

[some guy]

When will these vestiges of alcohol prohibition finally be wiped from our bureaucracy? If someone is old enough to be a threat to officers then he's old enough to decide what beverage to drink.

[Zeb]

Or what drug to smoke, snort or inject.

[Lord Humungus]

Ashley Judd explains why online gender violence is very much a "real" thing

What happened to me is the devastating social norm experienced by millions of girls and women on the Internet. Online harassers use the slightest excuse (or no excuse at all) to dismember our personhood. My tweet was simply the convenient delivery system for a rage toward women that lurks perpetually. I know this experience is universal, though I'll describe specifically what happened to me.

I read in vivid language the various ways, humiliating and violent, in which my genitals, vaginal and anal, should be violated, shamed, exploited and dominated. Either the writer was going to do these things to me, or they were what I deserved. My intellect was insulted: I was called stupid, an idiot. My age, appearance and body were attacked. Even my family was thrown into the mix: Someone wrote that my "grandmother is creepy."

[Ted S.]

Ashley Judd explains why online gender violence is very much a "real" thing

Because Teh Feelz.

[Just a thought not a sermon]

Her personhood was dismembered? Her genitals were violated? Wow, sounds like somebody should go to jail for that.

Wait, those things didn't actually happen? They were just something some random person said, not even to her face, and that she was free to delete or ignore if she wished? Doesn't sound like a problem, then.

[Monty Crisco]

Stick to your damn deadlifts, JATNAS, adn STOP OTHERING HER!!!!

[Charles Easterly]

If only men could be taught not to write dismembering, violating things to a woman which then force her to read these horrible things in their entirety.

I actually like Ashley Judd for her acting ability but this is just unrealistic.
Please note that I understand some creep wrote horrible things to her and he deserves our contempt. He certainly has mine.

[WTF]

Words are violence now. Haven't you heard?

[Rich]

my genitals, vaginal and anal,

Good Lord.

[Rhywun]

"Law 103: do not violate my genitals."

[gaijin]

well, I guess we know what she 'will' do

[Zeb]

Maybe she considers turds to be living beings.

[Brian D]

Today I learned that Ashley Judd has anal genitals.

[Monty Crisco]

Show us on the doll..

[invisible furry hand]

Or at least an anal rose

[Elspeth Flashman]

Eww! /teenage girl.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Has this chick not noticed comments on Youtube? A simple video on how to cut an onion will descend into incoherent madness.

You go public, that comes with the territory.

Wtf?

[Cyto]

What we've become is written in the comments.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

"Even my family was thrown into the mix: Someone wrote that my "grandmother is creepy.""

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT AN INSULT TO HER GRANDMOTHER!

[Nihilist Denialist]

If you had to play Wesley Crusher's girlfriend you'd be messed up too.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ashley Judd explains-

Stop right there.

[Enough About Palin]

"in which my genitals, vaginal and anal"

So the anus is now a genital?

[MJGreen]

Sounds like standard Internet attacks. You're not special, hon.

[trshmnster the terrible]

I'm gonna ignore the anal genitals in order to talk about something slightly less stupid. Ashley Judd's ex hubby (did they get back together after he ended up in the hospital?) is a former IndyCar driver. Indycar just had Chevy and Honda release the new aerokits.

Good? Bad? Ugly?

I think they're awesome and ugly at the same time. They certainly appear to have a little too much junk in the trunk... perhaps not up to anal genitals level of junk.

[Zeb]

"Gender violence"? What the hell does "violence" mean again? I sort of thought it had to be physical.

Perhaps Judd's experience has something to do with being famous. I doubt the experience she describes is quite so universal as she thinks. If you are famous, someone is saying horrible shit about you.

[Agile Cyborg]

Kozy Shack pudding. I have no fucking idea what I did to my Google to get that ad on this site.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That was my fault. I just had some of their vanilla rice pudding the other day.

[Agile Cyborg]

Pudding spam from the house of FoE. Google, stop the madness before it thickens!

[Ted S.]

Rice, rice baby....

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

I just had some

Biblically?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

FoE knows pudding.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hillary Clinton could not be reached for comment.

Too busy getting botox.

[invisible furry hand]

On which body part?

[Elspeth Flashman]

Stop giving Sugarfree ideas! The man's imagination is active enough.

[Charles Easterly]

Seconded.

[SugarFree]

I figure they are just lowering her into a pool of it at this point.

[Charles Easterly]

Phew!

That was actually tame. And well done. Keep up the good work.

Surely we're all counting on you.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Nancy Pelosi has had so much, she now secretes it.

[SugarFree]

Nancy secreting a paralyzing toxin makes a lot of sense. If her prey thrashed around to much, it might kill her as she attempted to slow it whole.

[A Frayed Knot]

Huh. I figured she's be tied up with fixing some server issues.

[invisible furry hand]

Kindle covers disasters, for the discerning bibliophile

[SugarFree]

Some of that shit is disturbing. The planets with baby faces won't be going away any time soon.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Dear God...if it is disturbing to SF, NO WAY I AM EVER LOOKING AT THAT!

[RBS]

I found this blurb from How to deal with Hippo Encounter particularly illuminating:

Two ways: by charging understand HipposIf you hunt hippos
Few people realize how dangerous hippos can. They are like the peace clumsy beasts grazing on the grass or just peace floating in the water. But in reality hippos have very sharp teeth and run surprisingly fast, can reach speeds of 25 mph! In Africa, hippos live, they have claimed thousands of lives, even more than the lion.

[lap83]

I love the biker rainbow one

[trshmnster the terrible]

In the hall of the mountain king... what a disturbing cover

[Lord Humungus]

Troubled Iowa veteran sought help from VA hospital before freezing to death

On February 15, Iraq War veteran Richard Miles entered a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, and told the staff: "I need help," according to hospital records obtained by CNN.

He had told friends he was going to check himself in. He was diagnosed with "worsened PTSD," anxiety and insomnia, but Miles was not admitted to the hospital.

Five days later the 40-year-old father was found dead in the woods, having taken a toxic amount of sleeping pills, according to a toxicology report obtained by CNN. He died from exposure to the elements.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

BEHOLD SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE!

[WTF]

We just need to do it MOAR. When everyone has to participate, then it will finally work.

[straffinrun]

I'm sure he'll be bumped to the top of the waiting list now.

[Elspeth Flashman]

True, because his need is greater.

[lap83]

Well the government may not give veterans proper health care, but I'm sure they'll give it to the rest of us because um, we'll pout and stomp our feet until they do?

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Matty Y approves.

[Lord Humungus]

China to lend Venezuela $10 bln in coming months

China will lend Venezuela around $10 billion in coming months, half as part of a bilateral financing deal and the other half for the development of oil fields, a senior official at state oil company PDVSA said on Thursday.

Fresh funds are a boon for financially squeezed Venezuela and will likely increase market confidence over the OPEC country's ability to meet major debt payments and arbitration awards. Venezuelan bonds rose on Thursday following the news.

However, relief may be tempered as the loans appear largely earmarked and will only go so far in countering the steep tumble in oil prices and Venezuela's severe recession.

[Ted S.]

Have fun trying to get it back, PRC.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Venezuela signs on to become Chinese vassal. Sells birthright for a mess of pottage $10B USD

[Rufus J. Firefly]

How quaint. Socialists getting a helping hand from communists.

[crab_apple]

Which ones are which?

[The Other Kevin]

I read that, and thought that $10 billion doesn't sound like much. Many, our government has really fucked up our thinking, hasn't it?

[WTF]

Hey, $10 billion here, $10 billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money!

[Enough About Palin]

"Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has ordered the Virginia State Police to investigate the use of force by state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents against a black University of Virginia student."

I finally saw the video. Here's the thing. The kid is 20. It was illeagal for him to enter the bar. The ABC guys have an obligation to stop him; they did. He was also pretty beligerent and right away pulls out the race card yelling, "I go to fucking UVA!! I go to UVA you fucking racists. I neither heard nor saw the cops being racist in any way. So why the fuck did he yell that?

To review, kid breaks the law, ABC guys nab him and he pulls out the race card.

[Enough About Palin]

Illeagle? Beligerent? We need an edit button stat!

[Rich]

So why the fuck did he yell that?

Because he was certain the incident was being videoed.

[Enough About Palin]

Also, head wounds bleed a ton; it's why pro wrestlers gouge their foreheads and not thei asses.

[Virginian]

Link the video?

[Enough About Palin]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video.....s-29740600

[Charles Easterly]

I didn't see what you saw, EAP.
Additionally, the ABC officers arrived after the employees of the pub turned Mr. Johnson away, having determined he was underage.

Here is tha account of one of the Trinity Pub's employees:

"Pub staff member Brendan O'Toole said he saw the incident happen Tuesday night.
After staff turned Johnson away after determining he was underage, at least two ABC officers confronted him, O'Toole said.

One of the officers grabbed Johnson's arm after he pulled out a cell phone. A second officer then tackled Johnson to the ground, he said.

'[The Officers] instigated the whole thing,' O'Toole said."

http://www.dailyprogress.com/n.....3b7b2.html

[John]

Like a lot of these things it is a collection of morons. As you point out, the kid was an asshole. What did he expect the agents to do? Bow to his superior blackness and UVA status and let him break the law in front of them? The student is a good example of why I should never have been a cop. I couldn't deal with people begging for an ass kicking like that without giving them their wish.

All that being said, the cops totally overreacted and used way too much force for the situation. You have a mouthy self entitled brat who ran into a bunch of arrogant unaccountable violent assholes. And the results were not pretty.

[Ted S.]

Fuck the 21-year-old drinking age.

[Enough About Palin]

I agree 100%. It was 18 when I was a kid. It worked just fine.

[some guy]

Why stop there? I know 17 year olds who are more responsible than most of their elders. Besides, everyone knows how to get alcohol at any age. It's like every other prohibited product. If you want it, you can get it... just less safely than otherwise. We should just drop the charade entirely. Social pressure will keep most shops from selling to minors anyway.

[Enough About Palin]

Well I think there should be no age limit whatsoever, but I can't point to a time in my life when that was the case, so I cited an example based on personal experience.

[Just a thought not a sermon]

Yeah, you're right, when someone yells something obnoxious, it totally justifies slamming their face to the curb.

[Just a thought not a sermon]

I was responding to Enough About Palin, not John.

[Enough About Palin]

Yes, that's exactly what I posted above.

[Tonio]

As obnoxious as the interjection of racism into this is, the libertarian perspective is why are armed police beating up people for trying to drink underage. Why do ABC agents even have police powers? Why are there even ABC agents? Why is there even an ABC?

Apparently a state legislator has called for revoking the police powers of ABC agents. That's progress.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The ABC police are a holdover from the heydays of bootlegging. They're basically a revenue police that pretends to be for the ending of underage drinking.

[Charles Easterly]

Tonio, I think you just channeled Judge Napolitano.

I do agree with you points here.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Did he?

[Beautiful Bean Footage]

Why is there even an ABC?

Because if there weren't, how else world we get our Dancing with the Stars fix?

Oh wait, wrong ABC

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

That was as easy as 1-2-3?

[Derpetologist]

Spot the Not: Ayn Rand

1. When I die, I hope to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that is.

2. The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.

3. The worst evil that you can do, psychologically, is to laugh at yourself. That means spitting in your own face.

4. An attempt to achieve the good by force is like an attempt to provide a man with a picture gallery at the price of cutting out his eyes.

5. It is man's irrational emotions that bring him down to the mud.

6. Insufficient facts always invite danger.

[Florida Man]

1?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

3...?

[Monty Crisco]

Imma go 1...

[straffinrun]

2?

[WTF]

3

[Charles Easterly]

One.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

1

[Andrew S.]

0.999...

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

6 is Spock.

[Derpetologist]

Winner!

Here is your prize.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

GAH!?!

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

uhhh... thanks?

[Derpetologist]

The Not is #6. Spock said that in the "Space Seed" episode.

[The Laconic Esq]

I suspect #1 is apocryphal though.

[Lord Humungus]

Nevada lawmaker wants medical marijuana for pets

A Nevada lawmaker proposed a bill in the state legislature on Tuesday that would grant ailing pets access to medical marijuana.

The measure, put forward by Democrat Tick Segerblom, would let owners obtain the drug for their animals if a veterinarian confirmed it " may mitigate the symptoms or effects" of a chronic or debilitating medical condition.

The proposed bill also includes provisions related to medical marijuana use among humans, including new regulations for dispensaries and dropping penalties for motorists found driving with the drug in their system.

[Teaching Student]

Here's another politician making up laws for things he doesn't understand. Marijuana, like chocolate and other common human foods, is toxic to dogs and cats.

Or maybe that's the plan? "My dog died of Marijuana Poisoning! BAN IT!!!!1!!!"

[invisible furry hand]

Russian wedding photos are magnificent

[gaijin]

that last one...wtf?!

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

That...was...FANTASTIC!

[Elspeth Flashman]

Wow! Speechless.

[Pro Libertate]

Living Viking culture, right there in front of us. Yet not in the Nordic countries.

[WTF]

Awesome

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It was befuddling as it was strangely erotic.

Loved the giant running after the guests.

[Rich]

Hillary Clinton could not be reached for comment.

She disabled her private email, DUH!

[Derpetologist]

Spot the Not: Jerry Brown

1. Multinational corporations do control. They control the politicians. They control the media. They control the pattern of consumption, entertainment, thinking. They're destroying the planet and laying the foundation for violent outbursts and racial division.

2. The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs.

3. I like computers. I like the Internet. It's a tool that can be used. But don't be misled into thinking that these technologies are anything other than aspects of a degenerate economic system.

4. The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

5. I'd shrink government in a minute, if I could shrink GM, Bank of America, and all these immoral corporations that operate by an undemocratic code, with no soul and no conscience.

6. The government is becoming the family of last resort.

[Monty Crisco]

I have a hard time believing he was so fucking ignorant as to say ANY of them, but if I had to guess I would say that 2 is derptastic even by his standards.

Reminds me of that liberal pundit who said that government is wasteful and corrupt (Ezra Klein?) and that is why we need MORE of it, NOT LESS!

Damn, gotta be a member of the intelligentsia to make that argument - no normal man could be such a fool.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I had to look up #2 for I scarce believed my eyes. He DID say that. Sorry Derp.

Jerry Brown has turned my brown eyes blue.

[Monty Crisco]

REALLY?!?!?!

*shakes head, whistles softly, slowly walks off into sunset*....

[UnCivilServant]

Too much spice exposure is bad for the brain.

Or are you trying to become a navigator?

[gaijin]

What can Brown do for you?

[UnCivilServant]

He can shut up.

[invisible furry hand]

Take the bins out and kill spiders

[straffinrun]

Put up his hands. Oh, Jerry. Nevermind.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

*narrows gaze*

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

3...?

You are bringing the difficult ones today, Herr Doktor Professor.

[Elspeth Flashman]

That's ,my guess too.

[Andrew S.]

I'm guessing 6, if only because it's the least insane of the bunch (on a comparative basis).

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Imma say 6, because Brown wouldn't want to put the gov at the end of the line.

[Derpetologist]

#4 is the Not. That is from the groundbreaking essay Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore Kaczynski.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

You are kicking our collective asses today. Hard to beat a pro.

[Lord Humungus]

New York Times drops Razib Khan

Razib Khan, a science blogger and a doctoral candidate in genomics and genetics at the University of California, Davis, was one of 20 writers who signed contracts with the Times to write for the paper's online opinion section.

The Times announced its new stable of contributors on Wednesday. Hours later, Gawker's J.K. Trotter reported that Khan had a "history with racist, far-right online publications." Khan wrote 68 posts for Taki's Magazine, a publication founded by a "flamboyantly racist Greek journalist," Trotter wrote. Khan also wrote a letter to VDARE, "a white nationalist website named after the first white child born in America, in which he discussed [an essay] concerning the threat of the United States becoming "more genetically and culturally Mexican."

[Acosmist]

If Takimag and VDARE give them the vapors, wait til they hear about Stormfront...

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Send them a link! Send them a link!!

[gaijin]

Razib Khan, a science blogger and a doctoral candidate in genomics and genetics

You know who else named Khan had a thing about genetics?

[UnCivilServant]

Genghis?

[Ted S.]

Chaka.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Madeline?

She had the right humor genes.

[Tonio]

+1 Lili von Schtupp (RIP, Madeline)

[Rich]

"It's twue. It's TWUE!"

[Elspeth Flashman]

Most likely not Kubla Khan, who a stately pleasure dome did decree.

[hamilton]

..where Alf, the lovable alien ran...

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Or Saddam...

http://miserabledonuts.blogspo.....ghdad.html

[Elspeth Flashman]

booo. I like not this parody.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Slaman Khan?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

*Salman*

*staggers to coffee machine*

[Monty Crisco]

NIXON?!?!?!?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Nixon Khan
Let me impeach you
Let me impeach you
Nixon Khan
Let me impeach you
That's all I wanna do
Nixon Khan
Let me remove you
Let me remove you
Chaka Khan
Let me proescute you
'Cause I feel hate for you
Nixon Khan
Won't you tell me
What you wanna do
Do you feel hate for me
The way I feel for you
Nixon Khan

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

GAH! FAIL!

[Monty Crisco]

Didn't want to say it, but you're not wrong...

[Fist of Etiquette]

We fought the Eugenics Wars back in the 1990's to get away from things like this.

[Pro Libertate]

I thought Khan escaped on some spaceship? Voyager was secretly sent out to find and arrest him.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Botany Bay...? BOTANY BAY!

[Charles Easterly]

That wrathful guy who also ran Fantasy island?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Herv? Villechaize?

[Charles Easterly]

If I was fired for asking for a raise I might be wrathful too. I just read on IMdB that the show lost viewers in large part because Tattoo was so popular.

[John]

a white nationalist website named after the first white child born in America, in which he discussed [an essay] concerning the threat of the United States becoming "more genetically and culturally Mexican."

If white Americans were flooding Mexico, the Times would write any number of thumb sucking stories about the threat this posed to Mexican identity and culture. This guy even discusses that issue with the US and he is banished from polite society.

The people at the Times really do hate America and white America in particular. Moreover, they seem to actively work for and root for its destruction.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Good point.

We still hear about how the white man destroyed and stole the pristine paradise known as North America from the peaceful but wise Natives in all their visionary glory.

[John]

And that is given as a reason white people should love immigration. To a person who doesn't hate white people, the Indian example looks like a warning of the dangers of immigration. To Progs it means whites must accept immigration. The only logic I can see for that is that since whites are somehow guilty for the sin of destroying the Indian, it is now their duty to allow others to destroy them. The whole thing is just sick when you think about it.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Hell, you don't have to wait for white people to flood Mexico. You can just look at Gawker's own posts on gentrification.

My favorite article on Gentrification I've ever seen was in Chicago Magazine where they gave a sympathetic profile of a Puerto Rican who was fighting against white people moving into his neighborhood. The neighborhood's name...was Pilsen.

Now, when you hear the name Pilsen, who do you imagine lives in that neighborhood? I would guess German's. So what happened in this instance was that Puerto Ricans moved into a neighborhood and supplanted Germans. I'm sure while that was going on, there were Germans complaining that it wasn't 'their neighborhood' anymore. Then the Puerto Ricans started to get supplanted by hipsters and they whined just like the Germans before them. Someday, the hipsters will lose their neighborhood to someone else, and you can expect a lot of whining when that day comes.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Someday, the hipsters will lose their neighborhood to someone else, and you can expect a lot of whining when until that day comes.

FTFY

[sthgrau]

1 Czech, not german.
2 After the hipsters, its going to be a while before anyone else will want to live there..

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

You can spray for hipster, can you not?

[The Laconic Esq]

Pilsen is a corruption of Plzen.

[Free Society]

So they basically terminated his contract because he's too pro-white and he's not even white himself which means he's guilty of violating the SJW ordinance against being an "Uncle Tom". A very serious offense.

[Lord Humungus]

Max Boot: More 'daylight' between Netanyahu's Israel and the U.S. -- is that what Obama wants?

From his first days in office, President Obama has been intent on creating some distance between the United States and Israel, because he viewed the closeness of the relationship as bad for American foreign policy. In 2009, during a meeting with Jewish leaders, he said: "Look at the past eight years. During those eight years, there was no space between us and Israel, and what did we get from that? When there is no daylight, Israel just sits on the sidelines, and that erodes our credibility with the Arab states."

The implication was that Obama wanted a bit more "daylight" between the two countries. He proceeded to get it by pressing Israel for a settlement freeze, even in territories that everyone agrees Israel will continue to control, while not pressing the Palestinians for any comparable concessions.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

This might end up healthier for Israel, if not for our reputation.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Max Boot was all over the TV during the Bush years.

[Pro Libertate]

What, we have too many allies? While I'd like to intervene in the Middle East a whole lot less, Israel is a decent ally and a good trading partner. Not to mention that it's a liberal state, especially compared to the entire region. So we can disagree or not support shit they do, but why go out of our way to distance ourselves from them? What's next, "daylight" between us and Canada?

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Not unless you bow before our curling prowess.

[WTF]

Just saw Canada off and shove it towards the pole.

[WTF]

When there is no daylight, Israel just sits on the sidelines, and that erodes our credibility with the Arab states.

So now, thanks to Obama's "Smart Diplomacy", we have massive credibility with the Arab states?

[Monty Crisco]

Oh Gawker, can you ever get anything right?

http://gawker.com/
ferguson-and-the-criminalization-of-american-life

{sorry, can't link because Reason sucks so bad...]

Actually a decent article:

"More damning is this: in a major American city, the criminal justice system perceives a large part of that city's population not as citizens to be protected, but as potential targets for what can only be described as a shake-down operation designed to wring money out of the poorest and most vulnerable by any means they could, and that as a result, the overwhelming majority of Ferguson's citizens had outstanding warrants."

And what conclusions do they draw? Check the comments:

Of course the free market and private property and capitalism are to blame.

Man, they come so close and just whiff. Goddam there is some derp in those comments...

[John]

If only we had socialism, everyone could afford to pay their fines. I joke by asking the question to progs, "would it make you feel better if we just put more white people in jail to even out the numbers?". And the answer to that is yes, they would. They don't want to help black people. They just want to throw more white people in jail.

[Tonio]

Mismatched brackets? You are dead to me now, Monty.

[Monty Crisco]

I am a lazy, lazy man...

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Tonio dishes out very tough love.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

I saw him beat a fellow half to death with a foil roll, when they disagreed about the Lizard People... I mean, Tonio was in the right of it...they do control things.

*pats foil homburg*

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Whoever heard of a socialist country that oppressed its citizens?

[Virginian]

I would like to draw your attention to a possible rich source of derp.

Onward to Reddit.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

There's a reason it's called "Explain Like I'm 5"

[Lord Humungus]

McConnell Urges States to Help Thwart Obama's 'War on Coal'

Once enacted, the rules could shutter hundreds of coal-fired plants in what Mr. Obama has promoted as a transformation of the nation's energy economy away from fossil fuels and toward sources like wind and solar power. Mr. McConnell, whose home state is one of the nation's largest coal producers, has vowed to fight the rules.

Since Mr. McConnell is limited in how he can use his role in the Senate to block regulations, he has taken the unusual step of reaching out to governors with a legal blueprint for them to follow to stop the rules in their states. Mr. McConnell's Senate staff, led by his longtime senior energy adviser, Neil Chatterjee, is coordinating with lawyers and lobbying firms to try to ensure that the state plans are tangled up in legal delays.

[Palin's Buttplug]

(Reuters) - China produced 240 million tonnes of coal in holiday-shortened February, down 7.7 percent from a year ago, an industry website said on Wednesday, hurt by orchestrated output cuts in major regions.

Csteelnews.com, a website run by the official China Metallurgical News, said that output in the first two months of the year reached 530 million tonnes, down 4 percent compared to the same period of last year.

China has urged local authorities and coal enterprises to restrain output in a bid to support the sector, which has been suffering from persistent losses. It is also trying to cut supplies by closing small mines and curbing imports of low-grade coal.

Obama is really fucking up the coal biz in China!

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Palin. For a classical liberal such as yourself you really love to defend this interventionist progressive. Curious. How do you feel, as a rational, secular classical liberal, about him publicly suggesting mandatory voting? Or when he refused to take a stance on gay marriage back in the day?

Classically liberalized minds want to know.

[Monty Crisco]

Palin's Buttplug|2.25.15 @ 9:21AM|#
I am a radical classic liberal Ayn Rand supporter. Atheist/secularist, pro-gun, pro-capitalist, pro-recreational drugs, pro-prostitution, pro-euthanasia, pro-immigrant, pro-science.

Yes, Rufus, I had noticed that too. For a "classic liberal" his arms must be tired from carrying Obama's water all the time.

Tell us again, dipshit, how you are "pro-gun" but anti-bullet....

[tarran]

It's not fucking sentient!!!!

It has no idea what the difference is between the meaning of "Ayn Rand Supporter" and "crack whore giving handjobs for cash in the men's room of Union Station"

You guys are acting like a cat who wails a wail that sounds sort of like "I love you" is something you can have a meaningful conversation with.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

What is the difference?

[Mike M.]

Weigel is a JournoList. His job is to shill for Obama, Hillary, and the democrats under the guise of reporting news. What he does here is exactly what he gets paid to do every day.

[Palin's Buttplug]

I live in Georgia and went to UGA, you moron.

[Mike M.]

No you don't, you fucking lying piece of shit. You live at 2124 12th St NW Washington, DC 20009, and your phone number is 302-507-6806.

[Pro Libertate]

Shrike is a 'Dawg? Much is now explained. Where's robc?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Mandatory voting is idiotic and no such law will ever be seriously proposed. I am an advocate of Open Society and voting is crucial in it so I understand the comment. It just won't happen.

Where has Obama been MOST wrong? Easy. Citizens United. The SCOTUS got that one right. No speech (even campaign speech funded by foreign corporations) should be restricted.

So if China Inc wants to air campaign ads for a US POTUS election here that is protected free speech.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

So.

With this response, why in the hell do you keep engaging in tu quoques by way of Bush whenever Obama is called to task?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Because there are genuine Team Red members here (Mike M and John are obvious but there are many others) who pretend Bush/GOP are libertarianish. In fact Obama is slightly but noticeably better in libertarian terms. Obama has increased spending far less and hasn't started a disastrous Iraq style war for two examples.

We actually cut spending (Budget Control Act of 2011) for the first time since the early 90s. Who you credit for that doesn't matter. Obama was POTUS and signed it.

[Monty Crisco]

God, the stupidity contained in that comment could power a starship for like, thousands of years....

You should bottle that shit and sell it.

[tarran]

Yet you replied to it. John replied to it.

You call the comment stupid. I don't. Like an ant stimulating an aphids belly to harvest its nectar, it put up a comment of gibberish and you guys rewarded it with juicy responses.

I'm baffled why you guys keep arguing with it; the aphids don't convince the ants to stop by producing more nectar every time the ants ask for some.

[Monty Crisco]

That aphid simile really freaked me out, tarran... I am fucking woozy from that shit....

[John]

Because there are genuine Team Red members here

And you as a complete team Blue hack have been sent here to troll and pull the board left. You have a right to be here but no Team Red members do.

Your are pathetic and retarded and thus completely fuck up your mission. You do nothing to pull the board left. That is none the less why you are here. You never post on any cop threads or pop culture threads. You only crawl out of your hole on threads where you can suck Obama's cock and shill for the Team Blue and try and obscure and detract from anything bad that is said about them.

Go die in a fire you pathetic little worm.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Ok. You were kinda doing fine...and then POOF!

Obama and libertarian goes together like feminist and logic.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Obama is NOT a libertarian. I have never said he was. I said this:

"In fact Obama is slightly but noticeably better in libertarian terms. Obama has increased spending far less and hasn't started a disastrous Iraq style war for two examples."

You cannot dispute those two facts.

[John]

Yes you can. Spending exploded in 2009 and 2010 when Obama had a friendly Congress. It only stopped growing so fast when Obama lost the House.

You just cut and paste the same fucking lies over and over again like anyone is going to believe them.

[Palin's Buttplug]

That is a lie John. Bush spending went from $1.9 trillion to $3.5 trillion. Last year federal spending was less than $4 trillion.

Even Reason posts the numbers in graph form and it makes you Bush defenders howl in anger.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

' but noticeably better in libertarian terms'

No.

Please hand back your classical liberal credentials.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Obama has increased spending far less and hasn't restarted a disastrous Iraq style Afghan war.

Fuck off, Idiot.

[CatoTheElder]

Sure, Bush's Iraq and Afghanistan adventures were a disaster. But Obama has only succeeded in making things worse with his precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, his dithering and incompetent escalation US involvement in the chaos of Afghanistan, his support of insane rebels in Libya and Syria, his incoherent, vacillating relationship with Egypt, his obeisance to Saudi monarchy, and, most importantly, his meddling in the Ukraine.

Say what you will about the tenets of the Bush Administration, at least it had an ethos.

Still, I imagine that a McCain presidency would have been more catastrophic than the Obama presidency has been. Obama's only comparative advantage is that he didn't start a hot war with Iran.

[tarran]

Because it gets more responses when it includes certain phrases that include the word 'Bush' than when it leaves them out.

You guys are literally training it to say "But Boooosshh" by the way you interact with it. Every time it does that, it harvests a large handful of angry responses.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

We're slowly killing tarran.

[John]

We are Rufus. We really are.

[tarran]

After the way you dickishly stomped on my dreams in the Etherium thread yesterday, I don't know if I *want* to live anymore.

[invisible furry hand]

Clay Davis will say "sheeeeeeeeeit" if you fund his Kickstarter

[UnCivilServant]

who?

[Virginian]

Haha that's amazing.

[CatoTheElder]

Brilliant use of Kickstarter. I'm tempted to buy one.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Top story on Huffpo:
.
ARCTIC UNRAVELING

The U.N. panel of climate scientists links the long-term shrinkage of the ice, by 3.8 percent a decade since 1979, to global warming and says Arctic summertime sea ice could vanish in the second half of the century.
.
And then, read the comments for the cultists.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

We're gonna need more cement bags.

[CatoTheElder]

Can't have cement ... it's a major industrial CO2 "polluter". (Cement manufacturing can be a real polluter, too, but CO2 is an inevitable by-product of CaCO3 ? CaO + CO2.)

[gaijin]

Democrats should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016.

Hillary's plastic surgeon smiled and said "I can help"

[Lord Humungus]

Scientists Seek Ban on Method of Editing the Human Genome

A group of leading biologists on Thursday called for a worldwide moratorium on use of a new genome-editing technique that would alter human DNA in a way that can be inherited.

The biologists fear that the new technique is so effective and easy to use that some physicians may push ahead before its safety can be assessed. They also want the public to understand the ethical issues surrounding the technique, which could be used to cure genetic diseases, but also to enhance qualities like beauty or intelligence. The latter is a path that many ethicists believe should never be taken.

"You could exert control over human heredity with this technique, and that is why we are raising the issue," said David Baltimore, a former president of the California Institute of Technology and a member of the group whose paper on the topic was published in the journal Science.

[Lord Humungus]

"But I will show the world that I can be its master! I will perfect my own race of people. A race of atomic supermen which will conquer the world!"

[Elspeth Flashman]

Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cE1fzfOogo

[Lord Humungus]

+1 Pull the String

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

And why shouldn't we seek to enhance intelligence or strength or robustness?

Let's just dead end our species.

[Nihilist Denialist]

I thought our line was that central planning didn't work.

[Free Society]

I didn't realize that the proposal was to create a centralized bureau in control of all genetic modifications. Oh wait, I see now. You don't know what central planning actually is. Nevermind... carry on Tulpa.

[Ivan Pike]

but also to enhance qualities like beauty or intelligence. The latter is a path that many ethicists believe should never be taken.

Because stupid ugly people are better? People are strange.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Keeping it stupid and ugly will be a hit in DC

[Nihilist Denialist]

No, because we'd be enforcing current standards of beauty and intelligence on future generations and getting rid of perceived imperfections that actually turn out well. Nobody's going to order a deaf composer or a manic depressive painter at the baby gene store.

Randomness does just fine at improving our species. Ask the guy from that northern Australian tourist mecca.

[SugarFree]

Randomness gave us you, Tulpa. You aren't a convincing example of your own argument.

Are you pretending to be a police officer again today?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Certified Drug Counsellor

[WTF]

the technique, which could be used to cure genetic diseases, but also to enhance qualities like beauty or intelligence.

Oh yeah, that would be horrible, to have an attractive, healthy, and intelligent kid.

[Mike M.]

The Army's Fort Hood disgrace: No one who supervised the shooter has been held to account, but the victims are still denied pay and benefits.

I'm not sure what's more disgusting, this administration's treatment of the victims, or the fact that Hasan is still alive and living high off the hog at the expensive of the American taxpayers whose eyes he spit in.

[John]

They can't punish his supervisors because they were doing what the Army wanted them to. Any supervisor who had pointed out that Hussein was likely a homicidal lunatic, would have had their career ended by the victim police no matter how obvious it was. The Army routinely ends officers' careers for a single DUI or one night stand with someone other than their wife. Hussein gave a professional development talk on the need to kill for the jihad and was rewarded with a promotion. It is just fucking appalling.

In some ways, you could argue the Army failed Hussein. The guy was clearly psychotic for a long time. His act didn't come out of nowhere. The Army, however, was so steeped in political correctness it never did anything to try and pull him back or help him. They just looked the other way as he got weirder and more and more radical because he was a sacred brown person who could do no wrong. The guy is slowly going insane and talking about how he can no longer take the though of Americans killing Muslims and the Army's response was to send him to Fort Hood to treat American soldiers suffering from PTSD after killing Muslims. Kafka couldn't have made up something that surreal.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Vox has it all figured out.

"Now, four years of data shows those restrictions have not lowered obesity rates or changed the neighborhoods' eating habits, a new study from researchers at RAND finds. Somewhat surprisingly, obesity rates actually grew faster in the areas with the fast-food restriction."

"...The researchers say that in large part, the problem with the ordinance is that it didn't target the right types of restaurants. The zoning regulation only applied to standalone restaurants, which the researchers argue left out many places dishing out unhealthy food, like convenience stores that sell chips and candy."

Lovely. Cute.

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/19/8.....-fast-food

[John]

We just didn't do enough. When they target the other restaurants and that fails, the excuse will be "we just didn't control a wide enough area" or "we didn't cover grocery stores that sell chips and candy". These people really are clinically retarded. It would never occur to them to conclude that the ban just caused people to take steps to go around it and do what they wanted. No. We can forever make a plan work if we just try harder.

[CatoTheElder]

They are not clinically retarded: I am sure that they would score above average in an IQ test.

Instead, they are delusional, and quite possibly clinically insane.

[Monty Crisco]

FIRST RULE OF LIBERALISM: FAILURE OF THE GOVERNMENT AUTOMATICALLY JUSTIFIES MORE GOVERNMENT!!!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Once again, I marvel at how it is not racist for progs to limit the choices of black people. How is that not tantamount to saying black people are incapable of governing themselves?

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

I like that they say 'somewhat surprisingly' when I could have predicted this. And did.

The reason there are tons of fast food restaurants in those neighborhoods is because the people want to eat fast food. Demand creates the supply. Therefore, banning the fast food restaurants from the area does nothing because they'll just search out other unhealthy food.

Poor people have agency, Vox. Just because they don't make the choices you'd like doesn't mean they're defective and must be mended.

[Lord Humungus]

Global warming's scary new record: Arctic sea ice peaked at an all-time low this winter
Sea ice decline is "one of the most visible impacts we see as a result of climate change"

Arctic sea ice peaked early this winter, and at its lowest maximum since record keeping began in 1979 ? yet another sign that global warming is already wreaking havoc on the planet.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reports that on February 25, the ice reached a likely maximum of 5.61 million square miles, which is 425,000 square miles below the 1981-2010 average. It's also 50,200 square miles below the previous record, set back in 2011.

The decline in sea ice is "one of the most visible impacts we see as a result of climate change," Margaret Williams, managing director of the WWF's Arctic program, told Salon last year. The Arctic is heating up at about twice the rate of lower latitudes. And it's the victim of a vicious feedback loop: when there's less ice to reflect it, the sun's rays are instead absorbed into the dark abyss of the ocean, leading to even more warming and even more ice melt.

[John]

But when it peaked at an all time high the last couple of years, that was just weather.

[Ivan Pike]

John, that was the antarctic that was at an all time high, not the arctic.

[John]

I thought it was the arctic but maybe not.

[Ivan Pike]

Here:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ja.....er-record/

But the "1979" thing is funny. If they back the starting date for their measurements to earlier in the century, the arctic sea ice decline will look even worse.

[John]

That of course is evidence that the arctic is warming, which is hardly conclusive of the earth warming.

[WTF]

Actually, it seems to have more to do with ocean currents than any global warming of the atmosphere.

[Ivan Pike]

Actually, it seems to have more to do with ocean currents than any global warming of the atmosphere.

My guess is it is a combination of things. The Pacific Decadal oscillation is not new, so it alone wouldn't account for what is going on. I would think it is a combination of the PDO, sun activity, and natural variation all hitting at once.

[CatoTheElder]

Arctic sea ice has been in decline for over a decade. Antarctic sea ice has been on the rise.

http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

[Just a thought not a sermon]

"since record keeping began in 1979"

This is the part that always makes me laugh in these global warming studies.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Are you saying it's a "Shakedown"?

[sarcasmic]

Not only can you send glitter to your enemies but now you can express your feelings of 'sadness, disappointment and betrayal' by mailing penis-shaped lollies
'D**ks by Mail' is a new website which sends out packets of lolly penises
The site claims that for US$15 it will send the packet to your enemies
A 150g bag of the lollies is sent with a note that says 'Eat a bag of d**ks'
One recipient of the anonymous packet said he was offended but delighted
It is similar to the concept of the Send Your Enemies Glitter website

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....es-15.html

[Rich]

Send that special someone a big stinky pile of poop.

[Lord Humungus]

lollies.

[John]

Nuke Brooklyn from orbit, just to be sure.

http://twitchy.com/2015/03/20/.....ed-photos/

[Andrew S.]

Video shows Massachusetts cop hailed as a hero actually beat the man he "saved"

A Massachusetts transit cop who was hailed as a hero last year after a video surveillance camera showed him pulling a man from falling onto subway tracks ended up punching the man in the face repeatedly.

But the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority clipped that segment from the video before releasing it to the media last year, a perfect example of the Police PR Spin Machine in action.

But now that the man's attorney was finally able to obtain that video, we can see that Detective Sean Conway was not as heroic as originally proclaimed.

Anthony Ferrier, who had been drinking that day, ended up with a black eye. His attorney is now considering filing a lawsuit.

Even the "good" cops...

[John]

Why did he punch the guy in the face? Did he just figure "hey why not"?

[Rich]

"I saved the guy's life, so he owed me."

[Agile Cyborg]

Cops tend to punch when they're pissy.

[Derpetologist]

On the UVA student arrest: the only video I saw was of him already on the ground. I get the feeling he was thrown to the ground for the same reason Eric Garner was- he did not obey immediately.

Here's the thing though- most liberals will tell you that you shouldn't resist a mugging. Just hand over your wallet right away and you won't get hurt. But have you ever heard them say that you should never resist the police? If the logical thing to do is surrender whenever you are confronted with force, why do they defend people who resist arrest?

Why would they defend someone who resists arrest but not a woman who wants a gun to resist a rape?

[sarcasmic]

why do they defend people who resist arrest?

They only defend black teenagers who resist arrest. Because cops are racist.

[John]

It was more than that. The guy was an asshole who pulled the "I am black and go to UVA cards". The cops were still way wrong, no question about that. The kid though was hardly perfect either.

They are going to make this story of course about race. And it will just degenerate into a shooting match between the "the poor innocent kid was just attacked" crowd and the "mouthy little bastard got what was coming to him" crowd. There will of course be no intelligent discourse of the incident. An intelligent discussion would acknowledge that the kid was an asshole and then point out that being an asshole should not give police a license to brutalize someone. We pay police to deal with assholes humanely and fairly, even if they do everything they can try and not deserve such treatment.

[Derpetologist]

A few months ago, there was a young black guy in NY who was beaten bloody by a black cop. The teen jumped a subway turnstile in front of the cop. Didn't make national news for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJvvTJge66s

[Pro Libertate]

Someday, we'll all have body armor and other technologies that will make us practically invincible. Then cops can beat us all day and get the shit out of their system.

[Auric Demonocles]

When can I get Amazon to start delivering alt-text via drone?

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Put me in for a week's worth, please.

[Lord Humungus]

'Notorious' felon was cleared for faster boarding at airports

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved a convicted felon who is a former member of a domestic terrorist organization for expedited airport security last year, according to a report released this week by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general.

The report alleges that the TSA cleared the June 2014 passenger, whose name was not revealed, despite the fact that the traveler had not submitted paperwork for its PreCheck trusted passenger program. The traveler was recognized by security agents at the airport.

[John]

I saw that. Who the fuck was it? I can't get outraged about that story without knowing who the person was. So what if they were a "felon"? What if they were convicted of theft or child porn? That doesn't make them any more likely to blow up an airplane.

[tarran]

Bill Ayres, IIRC.

You know, the guy who kicked of Obama's political career.

[John]

It really was Ayres? Unbelievable.

[tarran]

He hasn't plotted a bombing in 3 decades. I think he has reformed.

As long as the plane isn't chartered by college students in a officer training program and their girlfriends, I don't think he'll get triggered.

[Pro Libertate]

On the other hand, some guy with the same name as a guy who was once busted for having too much pot is on the anal probe list.

[Auric Demonocles]

The "former member of a domestic terrorist organization" is a bit more worrisome (though depends, of course, on their definition of domestic terrorist organization).

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

NRA?

[tarran]

tarran laughed:

New Hampshire Legislators Kill Fourth Graders' Bill, Dreams In Front of Them

But the nine and ten-year-olds were in for a brutal lesson in realpolitik. At the start of the day, legislators turned and applauded to children for coming to the statehouse. When lawmakers began to consider the bill, however, Republican Rep. Warren Groen?who has devoted his career to combating abortion and marriage equality?took the floor to denounce the Red Tail Hawk. "It grasps [its prey] with its talons then uses its razor sharp beak to basically tear it apart limb by limb," he explained as the children watched. "And I guess the shame about making this a state bird is it would serve as a much better mascot for Planned Parenthood."

Rep. John Burt, another Republican, also castigated the effort to name an official state raptor. "Bottom line," he said, "if we keep bringing more of these bills, and bills, and bills forward that really I think we shouldn't have in front of us, we'll be picking a state hot dog next."

[hamilton]

I read that this morning too. Pretty typical for the NH legislature, which I think is a slight notch above the Texas Lege in professionalism.

[tarran]

But the children's dreams hamilton!!!!!

Their dreams!!!!!!!

With no state raptor, what will become of those poor waifs?!? They might become heroin addicts!

[UnCivilServant]

No, Heron addicts.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

*narrows gaze*

[Auric Demonocles]

Oh damn, it's almost meet up time, isn't it. Did anyone invite Mary yet?

[tarran]

Dude, if we invite Mary, it's no longer the offended white *guy* brigade.

[Auric Demonocles]

Does that mean we can't let hamilton come either?

[tarran]

Hamilton's privilege is so high that the SJW grievance categorization system categorizes him as being a white guy.

[Rich]

On a brighter note, however, the legislators *did* name the kids' bill "The Official State Lame Idea".

[Virginian]

I love it.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Numero uno, I hope the kids are accustomed to the idea that they can't always get what they want. If they didn't know that before, they know it now.

Numer two-o, if I were in the NH legislature, I would appease the kids with a bill giving New Hampshire a state raptor for one week in honor of the civic spirit of the children, blah blah, then I'd get a photo op with the class, and no permanent harm done.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

"Bottom line," he said, "if we keep bringing more of these bills, and bills, and bills forward that really I think we shouldn't have in front of us, we'll be picking a state hot dog next."

Hilarious.

[Lord Humungus]

Pentagon to 'Adversaries': Space Is Not A Good Place to Start War

Worried that U.S. military satellites have become increasingly vulnerable to attack, the Pentagon plans to spend a scarce $5 billion on new initiatives over the next five years to protect them.

The defense budget's growth, along with other discretionary spending, is limited by a 2011 law, so providing an average of $1 billion per year for any new military program says a lot about its perceived importance. In this case, U.S. officials are increasingly open to indicating the risk to U.S. satellites from attack by China or Russia has grown in recent years to dangerous levels.

[Auric Demonocles]

They should just buy a couple of policies from AIM.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Gold Bugs Finding Solace in ETF Using Euro to Fund Purchases

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/.....-purchases

BUY YER GOLD IN EUROS BOYS! YOU WON'T LOSE AS MUCH!

[Monty Crisco]

Dipshit

[SugarFree]

All pure classical liberals love fiat currency that can be inflated at government whim.

[Monty Crisco]

IT'S CHOCK FULL OF CLASSICALLY LIBERAL GOODNESS!!!

[Palin's Buttplug]

Back in 2009/10 I told the many goldbugs here that there would be no significant inflation and that QE would not hurt the US Dollar.

I was right and the Peanuts were wrong again.

[WTF]

What you've just said... is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having seen it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul...

[Lord Humungus]

Vox: What would the 2012 election have looked like with 100% turnout? Not like this.

Inspired by President Obama's recent comments on mandatory voting, the Washington Post had the interesting idea of projecting what the 2012 presidential election results would have looked like if everyone turned out.

Unfortunately, though, they chose to use an incomplete data set, coupled it with some bad assumptions, and got some misleading results.

Take a look at the Post's map trying to project, based on racial demographics, how the election would have gone with 100 percent turnout. It shows much of the South (including Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina) suddenly flipping Democratic ? and Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island tipping to the GOP:

[Nihilist Denialist]

The genius thing, of course, is that rich white people would never be prosecuted for breaking the mandatory voting law (as usual). One of those curious circumstances where oppressing your own voting bloc actually helps you.

[SugarFree]

Tulpa, the Cowardly Shitbag.

[tarran]

Be nice. At least he's not implying that he's a cop like he was yesterday.

[SugarFree]

Well, he does have a billy club he uses for ass play. Does that count?

[Nihilist Denialist]

Tarran is still lying like he was the other day.

Care to link to the post where I claimed to be a cop?

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Prisons are overcrowded! Let's make voting mandatory!

[Auric Demonocles]

My experience in Vermont has always been that it was overall much more conservative. It's just that Chittendon County is so liberal, so vocal, and so populated that they end up dominating the elections.

[John]

There are a lot of states like that. Illinois is a fairly sane state outside of Chicago. Maryland is a more conservative and sane state than Virginia if you don't count Baltimore and the DC burbs.

All over America there are decent fairly rational Americans living under insane state governments because they are outvoted by big cities and Prog suburbs.

[Auric Demonocles]

I also think it's harder to care about voting when basically what you want is "just leave us alone" than "OMG! We need to save the world!!!1!"

Especially if there's only 2 cop cars within 20 miles of you.

[John]

And you get outvoted anyway.

[Lord Humungus]

Michigan is dominated by Detroit - outside of that union shithole, Michigan is fairly conservative.

Grand Rapids, for example, is pretty low on the political corruption scale (relatively speaking). And doesn't run huge deficits.

[John]

Outside of Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan is a very nice and sane state. If you kicked those two places out of the state, Michigan would be one of the better governed places in America.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Did Lansing, Jackson, and Flint secede?

Lansing is the 3rd most disgusting state capital I've been to. Behind only Harrisburg and Trenton.

[John]

I would consider Flint part of Detroit. And take Lansing too if you want.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Well, there really aren't that many rural Democrat areas left. Parts of WV, along with heavily black areas in MS and AL, and maybe some areas of NM, plus the ski meccas in CO.

Like viruses, Democrats spread by destroying their states (cells) of origin, then moving on to the next state's big city (cell nucleus) to begin the process there.

It would be interesting to see how things would work if the US had Virginia-style home rule, where a city is separated from its county once it grows to a certain size. No longer would Chicago, NYC, and LA be able to run their states anymore, they'd have to go it on their own.

[crab_apple]

You would also need a fairly strict state constitution to prevent too many state level laws from being passed. Virginia has a very short legislative season each year and there has been a lot of grid lock at the state level for some time now.

I think the incorporated city government that Virginia uses really works out fairly well. The county can tend to more rural needs and the city deals with the urban areas and they cooperate where needed, and it also keeps some level of competition between them so that they don't go full retard on taxes and regulations.

[Azathoth!!]

.Don't national voting maps, when broken down to ward or county levels, pretty conclusively show that there are no blue states? Only deep blue areas surrounded by seas of red?

[KDN]

Strangely enough, this is actually a very good article by Vox. The Post's methodology sucked and deserved to get called out.

Additionally, the gender map that seemed so inexplicable makes a lot more sense when you realize that the only four states it showed backing Romney ? Indiana, Arizona, Missouri, and North Carolina ? were in fact the only Romney states for which there were exit poll numbers. Every other red state flipped to a blue state based instead on the national gender split (55 percent of women nationally voted for Obama, and 52 percent of men voted for Romney).

If you remove the states without individual exit poll data, you get this much less exciting map ? the winner of each state is the same as our actual election:

We did a similar modification for the race-based map. There, a couple of swing states do end up tipping:

This map shows Arizona flipping to Obama, and Pennsylvania and Ohio tipping to Romney. It's an interesting finding, and it's worth a broader discussion about whether this basic methodology makes sense. But using crude national averages to turn deep red and blue electorates purple doesn't make any sense at all.

[Derpetologist]

Vice documentaries: the good, the bad, and the ugly

1. They made a very interesting special about using modified viruses like measles and HIV to cure cancer. It made me wonder if Ebola could be used to cure cancer. After penicillin was discovered, there was a rush to test as many molds as possible for antibiotic properties. I think there will be a similar rush for viruses.

2. Another one was about smoking in Indonesia. You'd think that after visiting many poor countries they would have noticed that smoking is more common there. But no, they blamed it on evil tobacco companies who went overseas after being banned from most advertising in rich
countries. There was much pearl clutching about tobacco being advertised on billboards and rampant child smoking.

3. The global warming one was the worst. They talked to a scientist who said that if some ice shelf melts, sea levels would rise 1 meter. I was wondering how they possibly calculate that accurately. You'd need to know both the area and average depth of the ocean AND the volume of ice that would melt. All 3 are hard to measure and a small mistake in the first 2 would throw the calculation way off.

[sarcasmic]

I was wondering how they possibly calculate that accurately.

Look, they're experts. Are you an expert? No, I didn't think you were an expert. Since you're not an expert then you must defer to the experts because they're experts.

[UnCivilServant]

#3 - plus, if that ice shelf is not on land, melting will cause zero additional displacement of water, in fact, it might cause less displacement of water as it would be more dense in liquid form.

[tarran]

A floating object displaces an amount of liquid of equal mass.

Thus, floating ice displaces exactly the same amount of water as if the ice melted.

Ergo melting and freezing of icecaps does not alter sea level directly.

AS far as the Antartic thing goes, the estimates of ice volumes and the amount of sea level rise are pretty solid. The cartographers have done an excellent job of mapping out coastal regions. How much water is in the oceans is irrelevant; the question is where does the extra volume from melting ice go.

[UnCivilServant]

Yeah, I misremembered. My initial point of 'what is that ice on?' still stands.

[sarcasmic]

Are you a climate scientist? No, I didn't think so. Just because you have knowledge of science and physics and use it on a daily basis doesn't mean you know shit about climate science. They're experts!

[Derpetologist]

The ice shelf was on land.

Here was my thinking: if you imagine the ocean as a box, the volume is the surface area times the average depth. To find the change in sea level, you solve for the average depth with the higher volume and then subtract the average depth with the current volume.

How else could you calculate the sea level change?

I knew about the fact that melting sea ice won't change the sea level. Otherwise, the sea would fluctuate with seasonal changes in the amount of sea ice. A glass of ice water doesn't overflow when the ice melts. The level actually goes down because ice is less dense than water- that's why it floats.

[tarran]

The level goes down because of evaporation, not because the ice is melting.

As far as the change in sea level, what matters is the shore topology.

If you add 10 cubic feet of water into the ocean, the water level will rise until the volume of the ocean is 10 cubic feet greater. So one makes a thin shell whose bottom is the current water level, the volume of which is 10 cubic feet, and whose walls are land sloping upward from the current shoreline, and the thickness of that shell will be the rise in water level.

Current depth/volume doesn't really matter - they appear on both sides of the equations and cancel each other out.

[SugarFree]

But are they figuring in rebound?

[Ken Shultz]

"Another one was about smoking in Indonesia. You'd think that after visiting many poor countries they would have noticed that smoking is more common there."

Back in the '80s, smoking cloves became pretty popular among kids in America, especially in new wave circles. I'm pretty sure that all came from Indonesia.

My understanding is that smoking cloves is far worse for you than tobacco; in which case, smoking tobacco may have lead to genuine health improvements for the average Indonesian.

Yeah, I just looked it up:

80% of Indonesian smokers are smoking cloves.

Cloves have four times the level of tar and nicotine as tobacco.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_Indonesia

If foreign tobacco companies are making inroads into the Indonesian market, they may be saving people's lives.

[Lord Humungus]

mmm... sugared Clove cigarettes.... *coughs out a lung*

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

I am a sensa-tive Artiste
And I smoke the clove cigarette
and I am politically correct

[SugarFree]

I miss them. They still sell clove cigars, but they just aren't the same.

[sarcasmic]

I used to go to this coffee shop called Penny Lane in Boulder fairly regularly where I'd buy a cup and a single clove, then sit down and play chess with some random stranger. Good times.

[Free Society]

Why are you so afraid of cloves Ken? What's your solution? Why are you willing to subvert the constitution because of your clovephobia? When did you stop beating your wife? Coward.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

#1 Ebola is already very effective in eliminating cancer. Not so much in curing it.

[Agile Cyborg]

Your designer vagina is now illegal in the UK. Leave the fucking labia alone. How hard is this, really? Um...

[hamilton]

What if they're just vajazzled? Does that count?

[Rich]

Under existing legislation, any action to cut or otherwise damage a female's genitals is illegal unless there is a genuine medical or psychological reason to justify the procedure.

Emphasis added. Like "she wanted it"?

[Agile Cyborg]

Dissonance glares its ugly head once again. Laws protecting the vagina to this extent cannot help but trapped in their own inanity.

[Nihilist Denialist]

You know it's a fucked up religion that insists on ritually cutting up people's genitals.

Oh, wait....

[Agile Cyborg]

The hot chick next door in a London flat with the spike through her clit is now a goddamn victim of crime! I just cannot...

[Nihilist Denialist]

I would assume that's for the benefit of FM trannies.

[Mickey Rat]

Yes, it is a tightrope walk for progressive legislators to make politically incorrect choices illegal while keeping the politically correct ones legal.

[Nihilist Denialist]

And notice of course that cutting on the penis is just fine. Any guesses on which victim identity group that particular bit of "appeasement" is for?

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

unless there is a genuine medical or psychological reason

STEVE SMITH LIKES THIS AND WILL BE PROVIDING REASONS IF YOU WANT THEM OR IF YOU DON'T

[Lord Humungus]

The Metro Areas With the Largest, and Smallest, Gay Populations

A new analysis of Gallup survey data offers the most detailed estimates yet about where people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender live.

The Gallup analysis finds the largest concentrations in the West ? and not just in the expected places like San Francisco and Portland, Ore. Among the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas, Denver and Salt Lake City are also in the top 10. How could Salt Lake be there, given its well-known social conservatism? It seems to be a kind of regional capital of gay life, attracting people from other parts of Utah and the Mormon West.

On the other hand, some of the East Coast places with famous gay neighborhoods, including in New York, Miami and Washington, have a smaller percentage of their population who identify as gay ? roughly average for a big metropolitan area. The least gay urban areas are in the Midwest and South.

Perhaps Gallup should track Barbara Streisand record sales by location.

[John]

But there is no region around Salt Lake. There is nothing in Utah outside of the Salt Lake Provo area. I have never talked to a gay person in Salt Lake. Maybe gays like to ski and like a dry climate.

[sarcasmic]

How could Salt Lake be there, given its well-known social conservatism?

How could a homosexual be conservative? That's worse than a black Republican!

[SugarFree]

Large cities attract gays and lesbians for the anonymity they offer; and then attract them for the large LGBT they contain. Salt Lake City probably houses all the "non-perfect" Mormons that can't leave the region entirely.

Denver functions the same way. As does Lexington in Kentucky, or Bloomington in Indiana.

[Nihilist Denialist]

You really want to summon Tony to talk about OKC, don't you?

[Derpetologist]

OT: Here's an idea: Mormons tend to be tolerant and self-reliant. They also tend to be distrustful of government.

I wonder why the LP doesn't actively recruit them. Gary Johnson got about a million votes in 2012. There are about 6 million Mormons in the US and they control partially or totally the state governments in several western states. Get the Mormons on your side and you could really shake up the 2 party system.

/latter day ain't

[SugarFree]

There are about 6 million Mormons in the US and they control partially or totally the state governments in several western states.

And how are we supposed to convince them to give up their theocratic strongholds?

"Join the libertarians, and stop being able to tell people what to do..."

[John]

You couldn't. But you could get them to help on the national level.

"Join the libertarians and help get the feds off of your back". At the state level, I can't see Mormons and Libertarians ever getting along very well. At the national level, they really should. I don't think many Mormons want a national theocracy. I think at most they want their states and communities to be left the fuck alone.

[Derpetologist]

" I think at most they want their states and communities to be left the fuck alone."

This. Small, unpopular groups everywhere tend to gravitate to this attitude.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Until they get a hold of power. Then they start fucking with everyone else.

We've seen this movie before. In 2005 Nancy Pelosi was talking about states' rights and Reid and Obama were decrying the budget deficit and executive orders.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Maybe if we stopped discriminating against unequal marriages (ie polygamy). Though you're probably more cut out for polyandry.

[tarran]

Poor tulpy,

He just struggles with banter, doesn't he?

[Nihilist Denialist]

Still waiting for that link to the comment where I claimed to be a cop. Or are you just lying about other people as usual.

[tarran]

Oh, right here tuply:

No. "Beat" has a very specific meaning, involving repetitive striking of the body for the purpose of inflicting injury. In this case, the injury was not intended (though one could argue that the cops acted carelessly considering the guy was drunk). Mr Suave is as usual misstating the actual facts to make the police look worse. It's not pedantic to point that out.

Only the officers know what they intended. You commented that you knew their intentions didn't include bashing his head into the concrete. Ergo, you are pretending you are one of the cops.

It's logic tulpy. Maybe you should take a few mathematics classes and learn about it. I'm sure the local community college can hook you up.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Weak. No reasonable reader would conclude that I was claiming to be a cop in that comment. You're lying (again), and the worst sort of lie, a false accusation about someone else.

[Warty]

Lying? You mean like continually adopting new handles, coming to a place where everyone loathes you, and pretending you're a new poster? That kind of lying?

[Nihilist Denialist]

Regardless of what someone thinks of posting under different names ("Warty" is your real name I take it?) there is no comparison to making false accusations against other people.

[Nihilist Denialist]

BTW, plenty of people here consider my contributions to be positive. The problem is you and your immature jerkass friends who throw a tantrum when I show up... poisoning the well in general and, in this case, lying about me. Admittedly I don't recall you or Epi doing the calumny bit, but SF and tarran are masters at it.

[Warty]

BTW, plenty of people here consider my contributions to be positive.

Who? Name one. One, moron. And I don't mean Rollo or any of your other socks, you lying piece of shit.

[JW]

You mean like continually adopting new handles, coming to a place where everyone loathes you, and pretending you're a new poster?

Tthe troll of a thousands faces.

He's our anti-Norm. He always goes to a place where nobody knows his name, or cares to.

[tarran]

I'm sorry, I'm lying because I made a logical inference that after you claimed to be opposed to speculation and followed up by making a speculation as if you were asserting a fact?

It's my fault that you are inconsistent? My fault that I took your assertions about yourself at face value and made the only logical inference that explained your otherwise inconsistent sentences?

It's my fault that you are a terrible thinker who struggles with basic logic?

I would pity you, but that would imply that you are worth pitying.

[Nihilist Denialist]

No, you're lying because you made a false statement that you knew was false. Either that or you're utterly retarded or insane to the extent that you didn't realize it was false.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Only the officers know what they intended. You commented that you knew their intentions didn't include bashing his head into the concrete. Ergo, you are pretending you are one of the cops.

Really, you've never talked about another person's intent before. Really?

This is such a ridiculous line of argument that I'm not even sure why I'm responding to it.

[Warty]

I'm always amazed at how this moron is at insults. "Though you're probably more cut out for polyandry." ZINNNNNNNNNNNG! BURRRRRRRRRRN!

[Nihilist Denialist]

Being a civilized adult in real life there's not much opportunity for practice. I must bow to your expertise when it comes to anonymous Internet Tuffgaiism.

[tarran]

Being a civilized adult in real life

Snort

[Warty]

lolz

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Tulpa's latest handle should simply be ID'd for all, and not fed.

[Derpetologist]

Hmm. I hadn't thought that part through.

Maybe "join the libertarians, and scare the Republicans into actually being a small govt party. They don't like you anyway."

The reason Republicans can get away with ignoring libertarians is because the LP does not have enough members. If you could peel the Mormons off from the GOP, or even threaten to do it, I think that would give the LP a lot more leverage.

[John]

The reason why Republicans can get away with ignoring Libertarians and a large portion of their base is because at the national level most of them don't give a shit if they lose. Because Republicans were the minority for so many years and because the media and popular culture is so hostile to them, most of their leadership are losers who don't think they can ever really win and are happy to lose and be tolerated and get in on some of the graft. Whenever a national Republican isn't a loser and actually plays to win, like Reagan or Gingrich or now Cruz and Paul, they get branded as an extremist who just can't be reasoned with.

[Nihilist Denialist]

Because Republicans were the minority for so many years

The GOP has held the House for 16 of the last 20 years, the Senate for 12 of the last 20 years, and had control of both Congress and the presidency for 6 years recently. The Dems had it for 2 years under Obama, 2 years under Clinton, and to get to 6 years you have to go back to Carter. They're not losers.

The media demonizes Boner and McConnell whenever they get the chance too. Because they know how to play the game (unlike drama queen Cruz).

[John]

The GOP was a small minority for nearly all of the years between 1932 and 1994. They controlled the White House but they outside of the freak elections of 46 and 52 never controlled the Congress. In contrast the Democrats spent the entire decade of the 30s and 60s with virtually complete control of the government. In addition, there were large areas of the country, the old South, where the Republican party essentially didn't exist. Before the 1970, there were almost no statewide elected Republicans in large parts of the South.

That has all over the past 30 years changed. The Republicans control more state houses and governorships than at anytime since reconstruction. It is the Democrats who are non competitive in large areas of the country while the Republicans are competitive everywhere except California. Even the Republican lows are not as low as they once were. The total number of elected Republicans was higher after the 2008 landslide than it was after the 1992 election. Meanwhile, In from 2002 to 2006, the Republicans were able to control the Presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time since 1952. Even thought they lost Congress in 2006 and the White House in 08, they quickly bounced back and retook the House in 10 and the Senate in 14 and are likely to control the House for the next generation.

The GOP leadership grew up before all of this happened. They are unable to comprehend their power and good fortune and continue to act like a minority party.

[sarcasmic]

Republicans ignore libertarians because Republicans, despite their rhetoric, lust for more and more power.

Libertarians would dismantle government power.

So naturally Republicans mock and dismiss libertarians, no matter what the issue is. Even when they know the libertarians are right. Because giving them any credibility is simply not an option.

[Warty]

Republicans ignore libertarians because we're not important and no one gives a shit about us. Why should they?

[Nihilist Denialist]

Maybe you should do something about that. Light a candle instead of curse the darkness. Oh wait, look who I'm talking to.

[Nihilist Denialist]

I don't know about the gays, but SLC certainly has more than its fair share of panhandlers. The beggar to normal person ratio was noticeably higher than even any Rust Belt shithole I've been in, and that's saying a lot. And they're totally brazen about it.... right in front of the Walmart there were two of them that appeared to be doing copy-editing for each other, working on getting the wording on their cardboard signs right.

I assume it's because there are a lot of gullible Mormons there visiting the Temple, but still it's amazing. At least the aggressive homeless beggars in San Francisco probably really are homeless.

[Free Society]

even any Rust Belt shithole I've been in, and that's saying a lot.

Flyover country is just full of peasants for you to choke and shoot for violating some inane ordinance. I would have thought you love it there.

[lap83]

I'd be more curious about where most gay people are from. I'd think that would provide clues to the debate over whether it's innate or socially influenced.

[John]

That is a really great point lap. If being gay is genetic, over a population as large and diverse as the US, they should be spread homogeneously throughout the country at birth. I bet no one has ever thought of looking at it that way. And it would be very easy to do. You could set up a web site and let self identified gay people enter their names, age and place of birth. I suppose some people could lie about being gay, but I can't see why enough would bother to make your results invalid. Set up your website and get the word of its existence out on social media. It wouldn't take that long to get a very sizable sample. Once you had that, the math would be pretty easy to do. I would love to see that done.

[Enough About Palin]

This can't be right. Minneapolis is lousy with gays.

[Derpetologist]

anti-nut punch

Anti-corruption blogger in Little Rock helps get crooked cop fired. Ex-cop attempts to destroy blogger's hot dog cart. Blogger calls police and beats ex-cop without realizing who he is. Ex-cop dies of injuries. No charges filed against blogger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJthPV9Hlfw

[Free Society]

I feel like today is going to be a good day. Thanks Derpes.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Wow, when is the movie coming out?

[sarcasmic]

I love happy endings.

[Nihilist Denialist]

It's not over yet.

[Free Society]

Tulpa's gonna autoerotically asphyxiate the poor bastard, look out!

[sarcasmic]

here

[Charles Easterly]

Thanks Derpt. I'm not glad the ex-officer is dead but I am greatly relieved to learn that the blogger hasn't been punished.

[Warty]

I'm not glad the ex-officer is dead

...Why?

[sarcasmic]

Obviously the ex-officer was a danger to society. If he tried to set the blogger's house on fire for exposing the truth, then who knows what crimes he committed while working as a cop, and what other crimes he would have committed had he not died. Society is now safer with him dead.

[Derpetologist]

Excerpt from another article on the incident:

To this point, police have expressed no intention of charging Ean with a crime.

As you would expect, police were not happy to hear that an ex-LRPD cop had done this. Here is a snippet of an overheard police radio conversation from around 5:00 AM this morning: "This is going to put a lot of us in jeopardy with his stupid action." "Yeah, that idiot dead dude just put us in a lot of danger doing that crap."

http://forbiddenhillcrest.com/.....kills-him/

[Mr. Bourgeoisie]

The FBI is investigating the death of a black man who was founding hanging from a tree in Mississippi.

"Byrd has a criminal record and was incarcerated in 1980 for the killing of a woman during a robbery. He was paroled in 2006."

From USA Today?"According to the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Byrd spent a little over 25 years in prison for the murder of Lucille Trimm during a robbery in Claiborne County. He was convicted of capital murder on Feb. 8, 1980, and was paroled Nov. 2, 2006."

[Enough About Palin]

Lawmaker: Protect coal plants to help the manatees

WASHINGTON ?

From November to April, hundreds of manatees huddle in the warm discharge canal of one of Florida's biggest coal-fired plants, the Big Bend Power Station near Tampa, as camera-toting families point and laugh from a viewing deck at the gentle creatures lolling near the smokestacks.

Some two-thirds of Florida's endangered manatees rely on discharge waters from power plants for winter warmth, according to federal biologists. It's a fact that congressional Republicans are seizing on to challenge the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's agenda to fight climate change, a plan to slash carbon emissions that could force large-scale closures of coal plants.

The chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources confronted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe on the issue at a budget hearing Thursday. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the Fish and Wildlife Service is required to formally consult on any plan that could pose problems for an endangered species.

http://www.miamiherald.com/new.....rylink=cpy

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Clever bit of Lawfare.

[Sevo]

"54% of Likely U.S. Voters believe Democrats should look for a fresh face to run for president in 2016."

Well, there's a lot of thing Shrillery isn't, and this is pretty high up there on the list.
"Fresh face" wouldn't describe that hag even in Tony's upside-down vocabulary.

[sarcasmic]

They show up to the wrong house and killed the dog. OK. Now comes the important question: Did the officers go home safely?

[straffinrun]

If they remade Old Yeller today, it'd probably be some story like this. Of course the title would be referring to the cop and not the dog.

[Florida Man]

That was a beautiful dog. I'm going to lay on the floor with my dogs when I get home.

[Charles Easterly]

Nice.