Paul Opposes Tax Ploy For Reviving Trade Deal, Trump Eyes Exclusive D.C. Real Estate, FDA Takes Trans Fats Off the Menu: P.M. Links

• 

  Gage Skidmore

  Sen. Rand Paul opposes a small business tax-based ploy to revive the recently failed trade deal. The House voted today to delay the deadline for doing anything about the bill until the end of July.

• Donald Trump's self-marketing ploy presidential campaign kicked into gear today as the real estate mogul and egomaniac announced his intention to move into an an exclusive property in Washington, D.C. Or at least keep himself in the headlines.
• Did the St. Louis Cardinals illegally hack into a Houston Astros computer database? Inquiring feds want to know.
• No trans fats for you, the FDA benevolently decides on behalf of all of us. Baylen Linnekin recently explained why this is a bad, and presumptuous, idea.
• Discussions of racial identity are now a thing, as the Rachel Dolezal trainwreck continues. Here's a discussion topic: We move past obsessing about skin color. Or did I just microaggress?
• Russia plans to grow its nuclear arsenal this year, which is all sorts of swell with the U.S. basing heavy weapons in eastern Europe.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Donald Trump's self-marketing ploy presidential campaign kicked into gear today...

You're not hired.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Hello.

I really hate it when employees leave the Hertel bottle in stream mode as opposed to spray.

[Pan Zagloba]

Rufus, you've been made:

Owner of Quebec daycares has close ties to criminals

[Fist of Etiquette]

Did the St. Louis Cardinals illegally hack into a Houston Astros computer database?

Bill Belichick nods approvingly.

[Auric Demonocles]

He never managed to get this far... before.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'm almost sad this didn't involve the Patriots.

[Crusty Juggler]

That is wonderful.

[Palin's Buttplug]

They signed in with the former GM's old passwords.

I guess it is hacking to some extent.

[Brett L]

I guess this is the first year that story wouldn't be laughable.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Yeah, no shit, where are the Lastros.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

From my alma mater:
http://www.latimes.com/local/l.....tml#page=1

I wonder if rent control played a role in this tragedy. The buildings up there are very poorly maintained.

[Mokers]

And drinking age. When I turned 21 I wanted to get drunk in a bar because, well because. But all of my under 21 friends had to stay home.

[lap83]

The victims were 21 and older

[lap83]

Yes, if by "rent control" you mean evil profiteering landlords!!11

[Square has no wood chipper]

Actually, I heard the building is less than 5 years old. So no. But tempting to think so, given the locale . . .

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Really?? There was no new construction when I was there. Zero. Wasn't worth it.

[Square has no wood chipper]

I should clarify that when I say "heard" I literally mean I heard it over my shoulder as another guy in the office was watching a story about it online. A level of truth I would never swear to.

OTOH, there has, in fact, been a tremendous amount of new residential construction south of the campus over the last 5-7 years.

[Square has no wood chipper]

OK - did the responsible thing and looked it up on Google maps and I can confirm, yes, that building is less than 10 years old, certainly.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Just saw pictures. It looks new to me

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

Russia plans to grow its nuclear arsenal this year, which is all sorts of swell with the U.S. basing heavy weapons in eastern Europe.

Putin's viagra.

FULL DISCLOSURE: As an obnoxious asshat who represents the blowhard stupidity of Reason magazine's commenting peanut gallery, I hereby declare that my comments are typical internet bluster and hyperbole, hardly valuable to public discourse, and must not be construed as "true threats" in "interstate or foreign commerce" in violation of federal statute 18 U.S. Code ? 875. Any precious snowflake or federal judge offended by my worthless comments should see a plastic surgeon to graft thicker skin, or wait and pray for stem cell therapy innovations to grow said thicker skin. Because the word "trigger" is a part of the phrase "Trigger Warning" and may trigger a repressed fear of firearms in some people, no trigger warnings shall precede my comments.

[Pro Libertate]

Fine. More nukes for everyone.

[Rich]

The House voted today to delay the deadline for doing anything about the bill until the end of July.

WHAT?! "Anything"?! Even raising its *Debt Ceiling*?!

[wareagle]

deadline. They keep using that word. I do not think it means what they think it means.

[Rich]

Also, it sounds so, um, morbid. Can't we call it "the grand milestone" or something?

[Mickey Rat]

Would they still make the same pleasant whooshing sound as they fly past?

[Slammer]

Russia plans to grow its nuclear arsenal this year

Don't the Russians love their children too?

[Raven Nation]

Unless they're in a theater...

[Rich]

ZING!

[PBR Streetgang]

Ouch!

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That omelette had a lot of eggs.

[Slammer]

HA!

[Fist of Etiquette]

The House voted today to delay the deadline for doing anything about the bill until the end of July.

Will it be as much fun watching the GOP save Obamacare as it is watching them try to save Obamatrade?

[Cytotoxic]

The "Obamatrade" moniker is silly partisanship. The TPP isn't great but it's no Ocare.

[Libertymike]

So, if Cyto in Cyprus wants to trade with Warty in Walla Walla, do they need a 5,000 page document in order to do so?

Should their agreed upon dispute resolution procedures be trumped by an international tribunal?

[Cytotoxic]

No, but I'd rather be able to do it with one than not able to at all. Of course such nuance is lost on you.

[Brett L]

Which nations in the TPP don't we trade with?

[Cytotoxic]

Woosh/misdirection.

The idea is that the TPP will make that trade freer. Now whether that is true or not...

[Libertymike]

Why would you get bamboozled by the statist proposition that in order to engage in trade, you need to beg your overlords for permission to do so? Or that trade is freer the more nation states control it, interfere in it, and regulate it?

Please stop taking those cognitive dissonance pills.

[Cytotoxic]

Please try not to be an obtuse twat. I understand that perfectly well. I also understand 'reality'.

[Libertymike]

Yes, "reality" to you is submitting to the oligarchs.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

the TPP will make that trade freer

By adding more regulations?

WTF are you on? That's like AC grade hallucinations.

[Libertymike]

He really does need to stop taking those cognitive dissonance pills.

[Heroic Mulatto]

And if there is anyone adding more regulations, it's the US.

According to this Wikileaked document, the TPP has been held up for a while now because the US has been trying to impose its draconian IP protection scheme as well as being the only nation not willing to eliminate agricultural subsidies.

[Marshall Gill]

That's like AC grade hallucinations.

How dare you compare the Agile One to that.

[Cytotoxic]

I said 'THAT'S THE IDEA' and made clear that might not be the actual case. Trade deals can be quite good for freedom ex NAFTA. The TPP is no NAFTA, alas.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The TPP isn't great but it's no Ocare.

I'm not so trusting.

[Enough About Woodchippers]

A cute WSJ Cartoon:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/pe.....1434397075

[Slammer]

Jeez, the shnozzes on those snoops

[Jerry on the sea]

If a bear shits in the woods, will the NSA hear it?

[Libertymike]

But did the tree fall on any wood chippers?

[rts]

Income inequality is bad for everyone, IMF report concludes

Conventional economic theory in some quarters is to suggest that the best way to stimulate economic growth for everyone is to move capital to the top of the food chain, where it gets invested into businesses that create jobs and tax revenues for all. Known as "trickle down" economics, it's thought by some to be a better way to expand the economy than directing that income to income groups lower down, who it is believed don't spend money in ways that might filter through the entire economy.

But the IMF survey turns that thinking on its head, and suggests the numbers don't back that theory up.

Oy vey.

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

How many times should I remind everyone that it is "INCOME DIVERSITY" and not "income inequality"?

[Raven Nation]

WHERE'S YOUR DISCLOSURE??!!

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Whoa there, where's your disclaimer? You sound awfully angry in this post, you know.

[Medical Physics Guy]

That falls into the category of "economic clich?s I have been hearing my entire life". Apparently it never gets old.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

"Conventional economic theory in some quarters is to suggest that the best way to stimulate economic growth for everyone is to move capital to the top of the food chain, where it gets invested into businesses that create jobs and tax revenues for all."

Literally no one has ever argued this. There is not a single free market economist who argues that it is 'best' to stimulate economic growth by 'moving capital to the top of the food chain.' They argue that it is 'best' for the government to stay out of the way and that where capital naturally ends up through individual decisions is superior to any distribution the government could provide.

Trickle down economics is not an actual theory free market economists hold to, it is a caricature invented by leftists to avoid argument.

[Raven Nation]

Exactly. I love all the history textbooks which recite how wealth was redistributed from the poor to the wealthy in the 1980s. I used to explain to my students that this was the equivalent of claiming that, if you were robbed and the money was returned, that wealth had been redistributed from the thief to you.

[John]

And the poor got better off in the 1980s. So how was "wealth redistibuted" when everyone was better off?

[Raven Nation]

Of course, the argument is very telling: it is based on the assumption that your wealth is not really yours.

[Brochettaward]

The left has rewritten history to where the 1980's were some dystopian decade of greed that has paved the way for the horror of...now.

You ask a leftist what they think of the Reagan era, and they will tell you it proved what a failure right wing economics are.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

The left has also unilaterally chosen to ignore the 1970's. It's hilarious because according to progressives history goes like this: 50's - evil conformity (except when discussing unions when the 50's were a golden age of American success), 60's - awesome leftists saved America from war (nothing happened in the early 60's except JFK's assassination - we went from conformity to junkies with nothing in between), then Watergate happened, followed by about 8 years of mystery which is lost to time, after which Reagan ruined America.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

How many of them broke down crying thanks to your micro-aggression?

[Raven Nation]

None. Mostly just looks of incomprehension. Of course, I see that look when I say "Christopher Columbus" or "Martin Luther King."

[Medical Physics Guy]

He then gave them Crayolas and recited passages from Paddington Bear, before returning to supply and demand curves.

[Pan Zagloba]

Have you ever showed them excerpts from Margaret Thatcher's last Question Period?

"When they talk about inequality, they mean they'd rather have the poor poorer, if it meant the rich were less rich!"

[NotAnotherSkippy]

Racist.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Next you're going to tell me that the Laffer curve does not say that lowering taxes will always increase revenue.

[Brett L]

I believe the State of Kansas is discovering that the optimum* does not always lie to the left.

*SLD: Taxation is no more moral for being less except in a utilitarian nature of leaving the taxed with a higher amount of their own stuff.

[Lady Dalrymple]

But when government fails to adequately confiscate wealth from the top then they've 'moved capital to the top of the food chain'. See, because not taking something away from someone is the same as giving it to them.

YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT.

[Libertymike]

How about the related proposition where it is a "cut" for unemployed wood chippers to receive only 2 additional free passes to The Magic Forest next year in addition to the base line number of 10 free passes that each unemployed wood chipper receives and instead will only get 1 additional free pass each because of the heartless misplaced budget priorities of the hardwood party?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"Discussions of racial identity are now a thing, as the Rachel Dolezal train wreck continues"

Speaking of that train wreck:
http://jezebel.com/family-rach.....1711666619

Hat tip: Sugarfree

[PapayaSF]

In case you missed this yesterday:

Top Ten Rachel Dolezal Memoir Titles (collected from Twitter)

10. Yes I Tan

9. Trading Races

8. As I Lay Dyeing

7. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being

6. A Pigment of My Imagination

5. A Raisin in the Tanning Bed

4. Homegirl, Interrupted

3. How Stella Got Her Groove Jacked

2. The Color Purple-ish

And the Number One Rachel Dolezal Memoir Title:

1. The Pursuit of Nappyness

[Slammer]

50 Shades of Cray

[Jerry on the sea]

Black to the Future.
Casanegro.
The Thin Black Line.
Confessions of an Opaque Mind.

[Antilles]

Proxy Brown

[PapayaSF]

+1

Some more late arrivals:

Game of Tones
Twelve Years a Negro
Weave Only Just Begun

[Antilles]

Wish I could take credit for this, but I read it somewhere and thought it was brilliant. Nice additions, though...

[Jerry on the sea]

America's Next Taupe Model.

[Enough About Woodchippers]

Wan Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest

[space junk]

Holy shit. These titles are hilarious. The late additions too.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

DYE HARD!

[Rich]

What a mess.

Indeed. You can't make this shit up. 8-(

[RBS]

That's a whole lot of crazy.

[Raven Nation]

A bunch of my liberal friends on Derpbook have picked up the meme that Dolezal is being horribly persecuted by people. Of course, they're not entirely clear what to call the people "persecuting" her because, well, they're not exactly racists. But they're pretty sure it's a bunch of right-wingers.

Of course, as a number of people here have noted, she has achieved a larger goal: she's now an official victim.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Yeh, you have to be a pretty empy-headed person to remotely take that position at this point.

[PapayaSF]

Have you told them she's also a hate crime hoaxer?

[Raven Nation]

Hah! That would make her a bigger victim.

[SugarFree]

I whispered the link to him as he slept.

[grrizzly]

From the link:

Joshua, an english professor at Central College in Pella, Iowa, wrote a nonfiction memoir entitled Down from the Mountaintop: From Belief to Belonging, which detailed a bit of he and his sister's religious upbringing.

Who writes like this?

Also,

Rachel Dolezal's biological brother Joshua Dolezal is facing four counts of sexual assault. He is currently free on a $15,000 bond while he awaits trial in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Her family says that the whole thing was a lie orchestrated by Rachel so that she could legally adopt her black adopted brother, who she has since passed off as her son.

I finished the whole article and it still made no sense.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"Who writes like this?"

Jezebel.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I'll just wait for the SVU episode to explain it all.

[Hey Nikki!]

he and his sister's religious upbringing

It's not wrong. In constructions like this in English, it is equally correct to write {one noun and the second noun}+possessive marker or {one noun plus possessive marker} and {second noun plus possessive marker}. Native speakers accept and produce both and many style guides allow either construction.

[grrizzly]

Jezebel's style guide: Pick the uglier and more unnatural construction if one can claim it's not grammatically incorrect.

[Hey Nikki!]

I would bet money that native English speakers are more likely to use this construction in speech than the other. I'd bet slightly less money that they were also more likely to use it in writing. Better get used to it.

[grrizzly]

Native English speakers say/write something like "sent to my wife and I" as well. It doesn't make it good English.

[Brett L]

However, the stronger rule is to leave out the "and" and following object and use the correct pronoun for that sentence. Thus "his and his sister's" being the stronger sentence. You say "Jim and I" or "me and Jim" depending in which pronoun better fits the sentence standing alone. Writing is not speech. You have longer lag times and higher cost to answer questions. Communicate more clearly.

Obviously not "you", Nikki. You're a fellow grammarian. But you any second party who might need clarification on why to use a different written construction.

[lap83]

You say "Jim and I" or "me and Jim" depending in which pronoun better fits the sentence standing alone.

This is how I learned it as well.

[Rhywun]

Same here. It's "his and his sister's".

[Catatafish & Woodchips]

Seems like a healthy child-rearing environment.

[Fist of Etiquette]

No trans fats for you, the FDA benevolently decides on behalf of all of us.

I get it for the rest of you, but what about those of us who are physically fit? Why must I suffer, too?

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Having seizures is not the same as being 'fit'.

Just sayin'.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

What's your bench, bro?

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Because you clearly can't control yourself, pleb.

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

Discussions of racial identity are now a thing, as the Rachel Dolezal trainwreck continues. Here's a discussion topic: We move past obsessing about skin color. Or did I just microaggress?

Iowahawk nailed this one. We are all African because humans came out of Africa.

FULL DISCLOSURE: As an obnoxious asshat who represents the blowhard stupidity of Reason magazine's commenting peanut gallery, I hereby declare that my comments are typical internet bluster and hyperbole, hardly valuable to public discourse, and must not be construed as "true threats" in "interstate or foreign commerce" in violation of federal statute 18 U.S. Code ? 875. Any precious snowflake or federal judge offended by my worthless comments should see a plastic surgeon to graft thicker skin, or wait and pray for stem cell therapy innovations to grow said thicker skin. Because the word "trigger" is a part of the phrase "Trigger Warning" and may trigger a repressed fear of firearms in some people, no trigger warnings shall precede my comments.

[Rhywun]

It's always been about culture, not "skin color" - and that's why the topic is so toxic.

[Brett L]

I don't think people are too worried about black MD's culture.

[Antilles]

From this point forward I am going to declare myself to be of African descent whenever I have to identify my race. Seriously. And I hope everyone does the same until the government stops forcing us to categorize ourselves.

[Rhywun]

"Just to mess with 'em!"

[Don'tTreadOnMeChipper]

My redheaded blue-eyed friend from SA has been doing that for years. He has a good hours worth of hilarious stories of dumbfounded officials squirming in their seats as they try to ask, but can't bring themselves to do so. His wife is a psychiatrist so mindfucking is their entertainment....

[Don'tTreadOnMeChipper]

My redheaded blue-eyed friend from SA has been doing that for years. He has a good hours worth of hilarious stories of dumbfounded officials squirming in their seats as they try to ask, but can't bring themselves to do so. His wife is a psychiatrist so mindfucking is their entertainment....

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

High-pitched Jizzebel shriekage.

Jizzebel blogger is refused a tatto by an artist; she throws an online tantrum

Artist's response

FULL DISCLOSURE: As an obnoxious asshat who represents the blowhard stupidity of Reason magazine's commenting peanut gallery, I hereby declare that my comments are typical internet bluster and hyperbole, hardly valuable to public discourse, and must not be construed as "true threats" in "interstate or foreign commerce" in violation of federal statute 18 U.S. Code ? 875. Any precious snowflake or federal judge offended by my worthless comments should see a plastic surgeon to graft thicker skin, or wait and pray for stem cell therapy innovations to grow said thicker skin. Because the word "trigger" is a part of the phrase "Trigger Warning" and may trigger a repressed fear of firearms in some people, no trigger warnings shall precede my comments.

[Juvenile Bluster]

"Jizzabel"... I think according to Jezzie logic, you just raped the author of that story.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Jesus man... a bit NSFW at the response website...

[Pan Zagloba]

Sadly, dear artist, you lost that one. You are a public accommodation, and so you WILL tattoo her neck if you tattoo someone else's. Think of it as a cake tax.

[RBS]

A tattoo is a collaborative effort between the artist and the wearer, if the artist doesn't want to take on a piece then he or she needn't feel pressured.

That's really all that should have to be said.

[Brett L]

What if the Christian artist doesn't want to do a gay pride tattoo?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Feminst outclassed by Tattoo Artist - not that such a headline is surprising, just thought I'd put it in black and white.

[thrakkorzog]

It's not that surprising. Most licensed tattoo artists I've met don't do gang tattoos either. Mostly for practical reasons. (Who wants to be targeted by a rival gang?)

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Shorter Jane: Fuck you DAD! Don't tell what I can't do DAD!

I don't think there's a single writer on Jezebel who hasn't proven herself to be an incredibly petty and mean-spirited human being.

It's truly a site for women who are ugly both inside and out.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Girls with daddy issues are capable of contributing so much more to society than that.

[Slammer]

I'm feeling insecure..HELP! PLEASE OPPRESS ME!

[Illocust]

You've made me think of this exchange.

Dean: The hell did you do?
Castiel: I don't know. I just looked her in the eyes and told her it wasn't her fault that her father Gene ran off. It was because he hated his job at the post office.
Dean: Oh, no, man.
Castiel: What?
Dean: This whole industry runs on absent fathers. It's, it's the natural order. We should go. Come on

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

And she's almost 40.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Gross.

[Slammer]

I wonder if Hillary has any tats

[Raven Nation]

TBH: this is the first time I have ever gone to a Jezebel link.

So, to Injun, and Derptologist, and all the other commentators who brave the site to bring us news. Your courage is truly awesome, possibly the greatest since Hillary took on the old boy's club at State. I really didn't understand what you put yourselves through.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Read with one eye open. You can lose an eye.

[Antilles]

Never heard this before. My girlfriend has a neck tattoo, but she also has 8 others (including a full sleeve). I'll have to ask her tonight what order she got them in. Wonder if this a local thing, or if most tattoo artists have this rule.

[paranoid android]

According to that article they have a "traditional honor code", which makes being a tattoo artist sound something akin to being a samurai.

[Brett L]

I know several tattoo artists and it is a subculture. Yes, they tattoo tramp stamps on sorority girls to pay the bills, but they do consider themselves artists with full power to refuse a commission.

[Rhywun]

I still hate tatts but I have some respect for this guy's position - certainly more than all the idiot sports figures who find themselves swimming in millions and proceed to tatt themselves ASAP.

[thrakkorzog]

Tattoo artists have conventions and expos. Even if the particular artist never had a pissed off customer, it's not hard to imagine that somebody somewhere got a neck tat, got fired and blamed the guy who gave him a tattoo. So the word got out, keep the tats below the neck.

[lap83]

Cut-rate tailors will alter any dress to please a client but couture designers have the right to refuse clients whose wishes don't work with their aesthetic and don't want their name on the outcome.

In this sense at least, designers are like every other service provider. When you don't have to deal with every asshat you come across, you've made it.

[Rich]

Is racial identity a state of mind?

*Everything* is a state of mind, Grasshopper.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Discussions of racial identity are now a thing, as the Rachel Dolezal trainwreck continues.

Maybe she'll do what Obama couldn't and move us to a post-racial America as we all just want this thing to go away.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Only if by post-racial you mean hyper-racial.

[jesse.in.mb]

No trans fats for you, the FDA benevolently decides on behalf of all of us. Baylen Linnekin recently explained why this is a bad, and presumptuous, idea.

Overheard in a coffee shop:

Male Italian opera singer: What if I like my drag queens a bit on the chunky side?
Romanian barista: Wait, WHAT!?
Opera singer: Your sign, "no trans fats". I like my trannies big.

The barista was a friend and it was rare to see him that caught out.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Is he from Transfatsylvannia?

[Fist of Etiquette]

That seems made up.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Do you come with the car?

[jesse.in.mb]

I would've polished it a bit more were I making it up.

A few of us were killing time (and getting free food) waiting for the Romanian friend to get off work and ended up talking to the Italian guy for a bit after he ordered, which is the only reason I knew he did opera, I'd just thought him...theatrical.

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

Thus begins our "Journey to Bernie".

Oh my: Two polls now show Bernie Sanders within 12 points of Hillary in New Hampshire

Among women Clinton led Sanders 47-28%, but among men she trailed 35-32%

Why are Democrat women sexist against Sanders, and also openly anti-semitic? This poll is proof that a series of microaggressions can turn into a macroaggressive tsunami.

FULL DISCLOSURE: As an obnoxious asshat who represents the blowhard stupidity of Reason magazine's commenting peanut gallery, I hereby declare that my comments are typical internet bluster and hyperbole, hardly valuable to public discourse, and must not be construed as "true threats" in "interstate or foreign commerce" in violation of federal statute 18 U.S. Code ? 875. Any precious snowflake or federal judge offended by my worthless comments should see a plastic surgeon to graft thicker skin, or wait and pray for stem cell therapy innovations to grow said thicker skin. Because the word "trigger" is a part of the phrase "Trigger Warning" and may trigger a repressed fear of firearms in some people, no trigger warnings shall precede my comments.

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

From the article:

Exit question: Will there be a place for Bernie in President Hillary's administration?

[Palin's Buttplug]

I tried to tell them that you Peanuts were harmless!

[Slammer]

You're not the rat, you're too retarded.

[jesse.in.mb]

Florida Raccoon rides gator like a boss!

[Fist of Etiquette]

THIS WAS IN AM LINKS ALREADY. Get your ass out of bed at a decent hour.

[jesse.in.mb]

Never!

Well, occasionally, but even then I don't submit to the authority of AM Links.

[Rhywun]

Yeah, sheesh, this is like the 4th time I've seen this story. Come on, people.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...which is all sorts of swell with the U.S. basing heavy weapons in eastern Europe.

Defense contractors need to eat, too.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Texas kooks vote to "repatriate" gold from the Fed - problem is they don't have any there.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/c.....-fort-know

Texas wants its gold back.

On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation that will create a state-run gold depository in the Lone Star State ? one that will attempt to rival those operated by the U.S. government inside Fort Knox and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's vault in lower Manhattan. "The Texas Bullion Depository," Abbott said in a statement, "will become the first state-level facility of its kind in the nation, increasing the security and stability of our gold reserves and keeping taxpayer funds from leaving Texas to pay for fees to store gold in facilities outside our state." Soon, Abbott's office said, the state "will repatriate $1 billion of gold bullion from the Federal Reserve in New York to Texas." In other words, when it comes preparing for the currency collapse and financial armeggedon, Abbott's office really seems to think Texas is a whole 'nother country.

[Palin's Buttplug]

cont:

Indeed, Texas has no gold bars in the Federal Reserve's New York vault. And what the state has is not worth a billion dollars. Instead some 4,200 gold bars bought in 2011 by the University of Texas's endowment fund (the second largest in the country after Harvard's) are stored in the basement vault of HSBC's headquarters at 450 5th Avenue in New York City, just south of the New York Public Library. For the last four years, the endowment has paid an estimated $1 million per year to store their gold there. (If it had been at the New York Fed the cost would have totaled about $15,400 over that period). And the new depository law does not require the university's endowment fund to relocate the gold to Texas.

[Rich]

This presumes the Fed has any.

[Cytotoxic]

I was just about to say. Brilliant phrasing there PB. You accidentally revealed the truth.

[Libertymike]

Even a blind wood chipper every once in a while finds a tree to fell in the forest.

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

Well worth the read.

Dennis Prager on the differences between Left and Right. Note that I don't consider myself conservative in the modern sense, but do agree with a fair amount of what he is saying.

PART 1: To Defend a Position, You Must Understand Both Sides

PART 2: Progressives Try to Reform Society; Conservatives Work to Improve Themselves

[Injun, nonviolent Wood Chipper]

PArt 3: Nothing More than Feelings: The Liberal's Policy Yardstick

PART 4: The Left Rejects Painful Truths

[John]

Ever notice how Progs have completely given up on the idea of reforming government? They don't even pretend to want to reform or fix government. Everything is about reforming and fixing "society", which of course means telling the rest of us how to live.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Scope creeps

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Which is good, since people are inherently hostile to such notions. No one disconnected from politics likes being told how to live or what to think and feel.

They're more likely to irritate the shit out of everyone than actually go anywhere with their agenda.

[PapayaSF]

Don't be silly, John. The only thing wrong with government is that it doesn't have enough money and power.

[Hey Nikki!]

Why does Doom give Sarkeesian and co. such bad feels? (Actually a good read)

[John]

Sarkessian really should go into the professional Dominatrix business. She could make better money and has the perfect nasty frown and demeanor for it.

[Pan Zagloba]

I dunno, she's made TONS of money off doing very little work. One death threat and she gets more donations than a month of sessions.

[John]

I doubt she makes that much. And good professional dominatrix make like $500 an hour.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

How do you know, John?

/looks while raising eye brow.

[John]

How do you know I am not one in my spare time?

[Raven Nation]

If you are, I bet you force your clients to listen to Rush albums...

[John]

Yes unless they are really masochistic and pay extra, then they listen to Boston records. But I charge a $1000 for that.

[Libertymike]

You've recognized that for those clients, its more than a feeling.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Sounds like it'd still be a lot of work compared to what she's doing now (her kickstarter got like $200,000, didn't it?), plus it means losing the fame. And having fame and a posse are what it's really all about.

[Pan Zagloba]

Here you go, breakdown of financials for her non-profit.

Forbes annoying ads included

About $440K in donations last year, almost $400K in last quarter.

This does not include this year's announcement of being the partner in Intel's $300 million "Diversity Initiative."

[Somalian Road Corporation]

And, of course, people in that position where such actions result in a surge of donations would never fake threats, or hate crimes/etc., against themselves.

If you're going for the gold in the oppression olympics you can't always wait for the oppression to come to you.

[Pan Zagloba]

Pfft, typical Federalist article, does not recognize that it's right-wing that wants to ban games, and thus Sarkeesian and Macintosh are acting in a right-wing capacity.

/Shackford

[John]

And they Sakreesian and Macintosh are good people who mean well. Don't forget that. Leftists are always good well meaning people in Shackfordworld.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Yeah, that isn't exactly what Shackford says, no matter how much it's repeated that he's a dirty Cosmotarian.

What Shackford said was that it USED to be the right that wanted to ban things like this. I think he's wrong, since a lot of the book banning came from the progressive era and Hillary Clinton was bemoaning violent video games in the '90s, but he never argued that they're 'acting in a right-wing capacity.'

And the Federalist article actually makes the same claim Shackford did, since it says it used to be the religious right opposing these things.

[Pan Zagloba]

Headline:
Another Right-Winger Complains About Violent Video Games. Oh Wait, It's a Feminist.

But maybe he doesn't write headlines. However, from the article:

First of all, this all sounds like something that would come out of the mouth of right-wing moral video game panic alarm siren Jack Thompson

This is I guess technically correct (which, after all, is the best kind of correct). But it's also a pile of garbage. It sounds like something she and her goddamn partner, Macintosh, have been saying for years. Moreover, it only sounds like something Thompson said if you ignore that he was quite focused on "Think of the children" moral panic, whereas she is offended that adults are cheering demons being dismembered.
Also, she's not freaking out about blood, demons and pentagrams, which, far as I remember, was what religious right was supposed to be freaking out Doom-wise, back when it came out (the real Doom, one from 90s).

[Hey Nikki!]

You'll never believe how many butthurt commenters you can make cry with this one simple trick!

[Pan Zagloba]

Hey, I'm for fair distribution of blame! Want to write about D&D panic (which makes video game panic look more sensible, since at least there's some visible shit)? Then don't involve left-wing, they are innocent of it. Sex in video games? Fox news can take a bow on that one. But violence, militarism, misogyny in video games? Those are leftist hobby-horses.

[Restor-woodchipper-as]

Plenty of Democrats were all for censoring music lyrics. Conveniently forgotten, of course.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

Ode to Tipper Gore.

[robc]

"Banned in Boston"

Has Boston ever been considered right wing?

Also, Tipper Gore. Not right wing.

Frank Zappa, on the other hand, might be considered right wing.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

My favorite Sarkeesian moment was when she complained about violence against strippers in a Hitman game, even though you can literally kill every character on the map in Hitman.

[John]

And that is a good read. The guy is right. Really it is an extension of the old leftist dream of transforming human nature.

[Hey Nikki!]

Yes, I thought you in particular would appreciate it, John. Glad you read it.

[John]

Thank you Nikki. I am still your Minion.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

One of the greatest things I've ever read was when some prog was whining about hookers being killed in GTA 5 because hookers are a 'victim class' who are 'always being brutalized.' Now, this is paternalistic horse shit to begin with, but the real money quote was when the guy ADMITTED THAT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES DOESN'T CAUSE VIOLENCE and argued that even though killing prostitutes in video games doesn't cause people to kill them in real life, we still shouldn't be okay with prostitutes dying in video games because it might oppress their feelings.

It was one of the great prog moments of all time - fully acknowledge the thing you're complaining about has no real world consequences whatsoever, argue that it's evil anyway.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

So leftists believe humans can partake of the divine nature on earth?

[Pan Zagloba]

Partake, no. Be molded into by those who have in turn been molded already, absolutely.

No, don't ask them about where the prime mover comes from, if you can only receive this superior knowledge from other, more enlightened and progressive people. Because they are embarrassed to answer (Marx. It's always back to Marx with them).

[In League with the Dark Ones]

I was talking about theosis...

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Jesus Christ, McIntosh is a fucking idiot:

"In gaming lingo "fun" is often code for feeling powerful and feeling powerful is code for doing violence to people and other living things."

Yeah - doing violence to pixelated computer generated fake representations of real things.

[Hey Nikki!]

And of fake things. Like demons invading the moon.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Look Nicole, if you're just going to deny the existence of Lunar Demons, why are we even having this conversation?

[Pan Zagloba]

No blood for lunar dust! Who is the true monster here, Lunar Demons, or square-jaw, square-head space marines who shoot them?

[Catatafish & Woodchips]

Look, Nikki, if you're going to be the worst, please put some effort into it. Doom doesn't take place on "the moon," which in common usage refers to the lunar body orbiting Earth. Doom takes place on Deimos and Phobos, WHICH ORBIT MARS.

/pedant

[ant1sthenes]

In progressive lingo, "social justice" is often code for feeling powerful and feeling powerful is code for goading the state into doing violence to people and other living things.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

We just saw a packed auditorium full of adults cheering at seeing bodies cut in half with a chainsaw. Really think about that for a moment.

I think it's fucking awesome! You can chainsaw a demon in half!!

It's cool if you're not into that, McIntosh, but you're a prick if you think other people are bad for liking it.

[ant1sthenes]

McIntosh doesn't deserve to be called a prick, he's a bitch.

[PapayaSF]

What amuses me about the trans fat ban is that in the '70s and '80s, reformers declared saturated fats to be very bad, and actively pushed trans fats as better for you. So once again, reformers undo previous reforms. See also: animal testing, HMOs, eugenics, mandatory minimum sentencing, urban renewal, etc., etc.

[RAHeinlein]

Exactly. CSPI and others essentially crushed the butter industry.

FDA is on very shaky ground here. Based-on this type of logic, essentially any ingredient could have GRAS status revoked...

[Raven Nation]

Not to mention the entire dietary pyramid...

[Restor-woodchipper-as]

The dietary pyramid is a reason more people are so fat. Stop eating so many carbs. Of course, I guess Big Ag had a lot to do with that.

[RAHeinlein]

If you make at-least half whole-grain..That. Solves. Everything.

[CatoTheChipper]

I used to believe in the government's food pyramid. I seriously thought bread and pasta should be dietary staples ... actually any carb so long as it wasn't full of refined sugar. And I gained two or three pounds per year for about two decades. My kids persuaded me to question the consensus science of the food pyramid. About two months ago, I became persuaded it was wrong, and have since lost 15 pounds on a low carb diet. My only carbohydrate is a few ounces of distilled spirits every day, and I am never hungry.

[Slammer]

Sowell nailed the micro-aggression crowd.

Micro-totalitarians

[Cytotoxic]

Why aren't we cloning this man?

[Heedless]

He's against it. Perry sure the clone would be too.

[jesse.in.mb]

Follow up to the story posted yesterday about a student (and her parents) trying to get graphic novels "eradicated" from the campus. Not just removed from a course, but removed from the bookstore too.

Crafton Hills College President Cheryl A. Marshall has issued a statement saying the college will not ban any books or alter the content of the course.

We are attempting to avoid this situation in the future and Professor Bartlett has agreed to include a disclaimer on the syllabus in the future so students have a better understanding of the course content. I know he appreciated the differing views presented by Ms. Shultz in his class.

I think they handled that about as well as they could have, but HOLY FUCK, what is wrong with people?

[Hey Nikki!]

Apparently she and her dad are attached at the hip and attending classes together, so...a lot?

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, I cannot fathom why her parents are so involved in this.

[Hey Nikki!]

It's in California, right? Can't you go yank her the rest of the way out of mom's vag or something?

[jesse.in.mb]

It's in California, right?

There's a Paul Bunyan just near it too, but I already got that one.

Can't you go yank her the rest of the way out of mom's vag or something?

I saw the words "force" and "vag" and was triggered, well mostly because of vag.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I uh.... I don't have a license for that.

[Raven Nation]

I taught a class a few years back with a mom and her daughter in it. It was, umm, odd...

[jesse.in.mb]

Does this story end with you using a position of power to get a mother-daughter threeway happening?

[Raven Nation]

Nope, for several reasons.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Go on...

[Brett L]

For one thing, it would violate FERPA.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I bet it was.

I'd be scheming all day long...

[Chip Morningwood Esq]

that's the premise behind the sitcom Classholes

[wareagle]

every time something stupid like this is taken seriously, it emboldens the next one. Com on, man; we have colleges, well-regarded colleges, with 'safe' rooms where students can huddle with a blanky in order to escape contrarian thoughts.

[Lumbar Liquidator]

My theory: Cognitive Dissonance causes brain damage, which makes one more prone to cognitive dissonance.

[Antilles]

Never understood the desire of some people to prevent others from doing or enjoying something they aren't personally into. I tried to watch 'Hannibal' when it first came on TV, but was so disgusted by the gore and violence I turned it off and haven't gone back. However, I don't care that it's still on the air or that others seem to enjoy it.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

Never understood the desire of some people to prevent others from doing or enjoying something they aren't personally into.

Oh, this could make a great parody... a pretend public interest group trying to make society by banning things. You could start with the most popular things to ban -- pornography, violent literature, and move on from there to medical textbooks, science books, children's literature eventually arguing that all art, writing, speech, etc., should be banned.

[Antilles]

It's been done: 'Fahrenheit 451,' a shockingly prescient novel.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Kareem Abdul Jabbar weighs in on Rachel Dolezaal. I think he's just weighed in on one side of the debate, but I am not sure what that side even is.

[rts]

I'm sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!

[PapayaSF]

Surely you can't be serious: An oral history of Airplane!

D. Zucker: That was another lucky break that we got, because Kareem himself was not the first choice for that role. We actually wrote it for Pete Rose.

Abrahams: I'm not sure if Pete Rose actually accepted the role or not, or if we'd even gotten the green light from Paramount to use him. We may never have even sent him the script. I just know that we ended up having to film in August, so he was still in the middle of baseball season.

[rts]

Joey, have you ever bet on baseball and ended up in a Turkish prison?

[John]

I like Kareem a lot. And I think he makes a good point that race really doesn't exist in any objective way. But, he is wrong to think it is okay to lie to people and defraud them or that the good you do somehow makes up for the bad of doing that. Al Jolson never actually claimed to be black. Everyone knew he was just pretending. That is the difference.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

John supports black face?

What does this have to do with plump women or wildly appropriate typos?

[Rich]

So, does it really matter whether Rachel Dolezal is black or white?

Does it really matter which side Kareem has weighed in on?

[SugarFree]

It would have been better as a two-word article: Hard pass.

[Catatafish & Woodchips]

Not to be confused with a hypothetical Kareem article about Caitlyn Jenner: "Chest Pass."

[John]

And everyone knows Kareem is really Roger Murdoch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArHNrCvwq4c

[bacon-magic]

Shirley, you can't be serious.

[Cytotoxic]

Unusual form of flesh-eating disease invades Florida beach. No joke: swimming with open wounds can cost a limb.

http://news.nationalpost.com/n.....ou-at-risk

Caused by a completely different bacteria than what normally causes FED.

[jesse.in.mb]

Hahaha, Suck it Pro L. This isn't even your normal beach MRSA.

[Pro Libertate]

Not my coast. Fuck the Atlantic. It's the ocean of statists.

This stuff, while rare, is truly horrifying. It's high time we become total masters of genetics, so we can cure/prevent, well, everything.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"swimming with open wounds can cost a limb."

It's called Bull Sharks.

[Griffin3]

Could anyone please explain or offer up a link as to why the hardcore Republicans are trying to push Obamatrade through? I really, really, don't understand. I must be missing some ... thing. What are the TAA and TPA doing that would benefit Repubs, such that they want to help Obama even by getting credit for it?

Does not compute!

[Rich]

Sorry. Classified. National Security, you know.

[Palin's Buttplug]

The "good" (non Teabag) Republicans are actually for free"r" trade. American business really wants this trade pact done.

It is the House Democrats who are being stupid.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

PB supports Mitch McConnell?

What does this have to do with completely mis-understanding economic relationships or proclaiming (pretending) to be a libertarian?

[Jerry on the sea]

These trade deals are 8% about free trade and 99% about how to regulate other people's lives.

[iCarl]

Obamatrade

Ugh. The dialogue on the TPP gets more and more retarded here every day.

Anyway, looking at it purely cynically, organizations like the Chamber of Commerce support the TPP, hence it's unsurprising that many Republicans support TPA.

[Homple]

Because there are lots of carve-outs and special favors for fat cat donors to the Republicans.

[Griffin3]

Okay, I'll buy that. Kinda wish I could read it, though.

[jesse.in.mb]

Man gets tired of aggregating news and decides to make news instead. Results are awesome.

The fiction was the work of Ahmad al-Mahmoud, an Iraqi who lives in London and runs a Twitter account called @IraqSurveys. The account usually collates serious news about what's happening in the country, and has nearly 14,000 followers.

But one day, he says, he "got bored", and he tweeted that Islamic State had withdrawn from Shichwa. He even shared Photoshopped pictures of news outlets which appeared to show the battle being discussed.

Before he knew it, he had started a trend. "People started adding to it, making maps like Sim City," he told BBC Trending. Some posted fake news about the fight, and one user even made a map of the battlefield:

Sichwa is, incidentally, Arabic for "cheese bladder"

[Raven Nation]

WTF is a cheese bladder?

[jesse.in.mb]

The name of the place Shichwa is actually a joke - it's Iraqi Arabic for "cheese bladder," a traditional method of making dairy products.

I'm assuming it's when they take rennet-containing animal stomach and put dairy in it to make cheese, but that's just guessing on my part.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Correct.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

Cheese was originally made using the stomach of an unweaned calf.

I assume a cheese bladder would be the whole stomach sewn up to fill with milk for making cheese.

[Raven Nation]

Thanks all: there is literally no end to the learning at HnR.

[tarran]

WTF is a cheese bladder?

It's not meant to be taken literally, but is symbolic for all involved in the manufacture of dairy products.

[Shpip, Shredder of Cellulose]

Florida Man briefly relocates to Utah, paints rattlesnake pink

I'm no fan of rattlers, but whoever did this is a horse's asp.

[mr lizard]

Hey was a slithery one.

That's all I got

[Cytotoxic]

Switzerland has exempted BTC from the VAT. This means that BTC is not treated as just another consumable subject to VAT but as another currency, so when you exchange currency for it there's no VAT charged.

http://www.coindesk.com/swiss-.....exemption/

Switzerland may become the world's crypto-Eden.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Nice. I hope so. I use a Swiss email service called protonmail.ch . It is post-Snowden end to end encrypted service. It was a joint project of MIT and CERN. I recommend it.

[Cytotoxic]

That's a good idea...I thought I heard some people dismiss Proton Mail because it is centralized. I am not sure.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

The NSA likes this post and is now giving you the electronic equivalent of a rectal exam.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Discussions of racial identity are now a thing,

My new hate is trendy progressive pseudoneuroscience. I just can't stand that crap. It is such utter crap there is no good starting.

[Medical Physics Guy]

point.

I swear on my life I hit preview not submit.

[Pan Zagloba]

Bring back phrenology! At least that involved some kind of verifiable measurement.

[Woodchipped Buscemi]

Kiwi Navy hoses $235 Million worth of heroin into the sea.

No word on why they didn't use a Woodchipper, or wether the CIA were paid before the heroin was rinsed away.

[John]

http://www.theblaze.com/storie.....be-served/

this is awesome.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Look, I'm sorry about posting so many controversial comments, so here is my peace offering:

http://america.aljazeera.com/o.....eskin.html

[John]

We had a Rush thread earlier today. So why not a dick thread the finish things off?

[Cytotoxic]

It's amazing that AJ is more pro-individual rights than many Americans on the subject of infant genital mutilation.

[John]

Gee a network run out of Qatar is all over criminalizing a Jewish tradition. Who could have seen that coming?

[Pan Zagloba]

It's a pretty strong Muslim tradition, too. So I don't think it'll make it over to Arabic site.

[Cytotoxic]

Bad motives, correct conclusion.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Circumcision is also a widespread Islamic practice. In some parts of the world, Muslims actually mutilate the clitorises of little girls too, so it's not as if Islam opposes such things.

[John]

As if they would be consistent if taking a position allows them to criminalize Jews.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You have really long fingers.

[Brochettaward]

Rachel Dolezal could not have shown identity/victim politics to be a bigger sham if she had tried. She is walking proof of ever accusation critics of its proponents have ever made.

[John]

How is she any worse than Elizabeth Warren? Is pretending to be an Indian okay but pretending to be black not?

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

Now, John, you've heard of white-hispanics, Dolezal is a white-African-American. Duh.

[Brochettaward]

I think the key word is pretending. It's all the same to me as I don't have some victimhood pyramid. But Warren was never as big of a story as this. It's all the same to me.

Think of the anarchy white people identifying as black would cause for the SJW class? They argue that no one would 'choose' to be part of an underprivileged class all the time.

Watching them explain the differences has done more to reveal their cause as a sham than any critique posted by its critics could. It's pandoras box being opened all at once for these intellectual frauds.

[In League with the Dark Ones]

Think of the anarchy white people identifying as black would cause for the SJW class? They argue that no one would 'choose' to be part of an underprivileged class all the time.

Mindy Kaling's brother on "Why I faked being black for med school".

SJWs, of course, do not understand rent seeking much less Public Choice Theory and, therefore, this makes no sense to them.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Warren's reaction to Dolezal, 'Yes! Finally!'

[Metall Holzhackmashine]

I can't tell if Rachel Dolezal is a delusional lunatic, a fraud, or a genius who came up with the best way ever to troll these SJW asshats. Regardless she has shown how ridiculous all this victim hood identity bullshit really is.

[Loki]

I can't tell if Rachel Dolezal is a delusional lunatic, a fraud, or a genius who came up with the best way ever to troll these SJW asshats.

I doubt she's trolling. By all appearances she appears to be totally sincere in her belief that she "self identifies" as black. Which is all kinds of messed up. I'm guessing that for some SJW types there's a kind of strange appeal to being a member of an officially recognized victim class, and for here being a white woman wasn't enough/ so she upped the ante by pretending to also be black.

[In League with the Dark Ones]

there's a kind of strange appeal to being a member of an officially recognized victim class

This is a good read: "The Economics of Political Correctness".

Also, it would be a form of rent-seeking.

[Cytotoxic]

Canada: the next superpower?

http://business.financialpost......superpower

I can already feel your envy of my citizenship.

[Brochettaward]

A day when Cytotoxic could go off and fight his own wars under his own flag? I'd like to see it...

[Cytotoxic]

Nope. My place is thinking. Fighting is someone else's job.

[Brochettaward]

Oh, so you'll always just be a keyboard warrior, then. Those battles should be fought...just never by you.

There's hopefully a special woodchipper in hell reserved for war mongers who have never actually fought in a war. At least McCain has his cred from being in a Vietnamese torture camp.

[Cytotoxic]

This gets filed under the 'they can't attack my arguments so they attack me' section. You're basically saying no one is allowed to disagree with you narrow dogma unless they are a soldier like Tom Cotton. It's actually impressive the way you can act like this is totally not asinine at all.

[Brochettaward]

No, I could attack your arguments, too. But I find attacking your character on this issue to be just as irrelevant.

You are all too happy advocating others to fight wars. When it comes to America, wars that you aren't willing to pay for. If Canada did the fighting, ones you wouldn't be willing to pick up a weapon for.

If a cause is so great as to kill people for, I question the masculinity and character of the men who wouldn't do it themselves.

Tell me - why are you so special that your role should be 'thinking?' Which is even funnier because it implies soldiers don't have to think.

[Catatafish & Woodchips]

"...I question the masculinity..."

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Brochetta. This is the 21st century. There are now plenty of women getting ready to fail Marine Infantry Officer School.

(ducks)

[Cytotoxic]

I find attacking your character on this issue to be just as irrelevant.

Oh good you agree that my character is irrelevant. So why can't you shut up about it?

You are all too happy advocating others to fight wars. When it comes to America, wars that you aren't willing to pay for.

Canada is bombing ISIS. It was also in Afghanistan.

If a cause is so great as to kill people for, I question the masculinity and character of the men who wouldn't do it themselves.

PFffft seriously? This is what you're going on?

[Brochettaward]

Canada is bombing ISIS. It was also in Afghanistan.

No offense intended to the Canadians who actually did serve in Afghanistan, but are you really going to compare the commitment and resources of the two?

And how about Iraq? And where is Canada bombing ISIS? Is there a Muslim country you haven't wanted America to intervene in?

PFffft seriously? This is what you're going on?

Yes, it is. If you aren't willing to dirty your own hands to do something, it's clearly not something that you find that important. You like the idea of big strong men fighting to protect you in foreign countries. When it comes to foreign policy, you have the same fantasies as Lindsey Graham.

I didn't see an actual rebuttal to any points.

[Cytotoxic]

I didn't see an actual rebuttal to any points.

That's because you don't really have any. They're just puffed-up Ad Homs.

"And where is Canada bombing ISIS?"

Here, there: http://www.torontosun.com/2015.....ia-sources

You like the idea of big strong men fighting to protect you in foreign countries.

Um...yes I do. Guilty as charged. Clearly wanting a military that won't let ISIS create a terror state that will be a launchpad for more murders of cartoonists makes me just like Lindsey Graham.

Protip: just STFU and let people like me do the talking on this subject, because we're also the ones doing all of the thinking. You'll convince no one and give the game to the neocons and other advocates of Team America World Police otherwise. Me and people like me are your best bet.

[Cytotoxic]

Basically, Brochetta, you're committing gross anti-intellectual fraud here and should stop.

[Brochettaward]

ISIS would not exist without America's initial intervention into Iraq to begin with. Nor are you going to defeat them through bombing campaigns or sending in more 'advisers.' That strategy does not work. I know of no historical examples where it has worked. There is not motivated force to stand up to ISIS at this point in time, and until one arises they will continue to make progress.

I've yet to see a large difference between your foreign policy positions and those of neo-cons. Nor did your hawkishness start with the rise of ISIS. They are just the first real boogieman you've had to point to. And yet, nothing you could advocate short of inserting large numbers of American troops is going to make the difference in stopping them.

The only viable long term solution to ISIS is political.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

"Nope. My place is thinking. Fighting is someone else's job."

This is the greatest quote I've ever heard. It should be framed.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It was a.... mistake. He doesn't realize it yet

[Cytotoxic]

I don't make mistakes.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

ORLY?

What did you day that you did for a living again?

[Metall Holzhackmashine]

I really hope that was some sort of joke. Otherwise that might be the most ass thing you've ever said.

[Homple]

To be fair, lots of kings, politicians, think tankers and such have believed that and acted accordingly without honestly acknowledging it.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

With no military it will be a super power?

Dream on, pal. And I'd like to drink what he's having.

I'd like someone to explain the benefits Canada gets being shielded and protected by the United States. If Canada had a different neighbor, would things be different?

"Basically, there is room for a lot more people in Canada."

Yeah, like, in Northern Manitoba, Thunder Bay and other harsh places.

I kid a little. Canada is a nice place even if you jackoffs don't think so but a super power? I no see.

[Metall Holzhackmashine]

Not just Canada but Western Europe as well get shielded by the United States. Personally I'm tired of paying for the defense of the entire free world.

[Brochettaward]

I like to remind people as often as possible that 'civilized' and 'mature' Europe gave us the two most brutal wars in history in just the last century.

The modern leftist doesn't believe a military presence in Europe is still required or buy the argument that America subsidizes those nations because there is nothing to defend them from. Just phantoms in the minds of right wingers. At least until Putin decided to show them otherwise...

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I sometimes look at Europe and don't buy into their socialist-lovey-dovey shtick. They only came to it after two of humanity's worst wars. They were backed into this position. If they rose again, would it be surprising they'd start warring again? Just look at Eastern Europe which still remains a powder keg of a place while nationalism still remains vibrant in most of if not all of Europe.

(North) America is sane next to Europe.

[Cytotoxic]

I am afraid for the future of Western Europe. The near term looks ugly. Be glad to be in America & America Junior aka Canada.

[Brochettaward]

I look at the fact that they still have extreme left and right parties, plenty of anti-Semitism and racism. They are still the exact same people they were before, and the more time passes, the less they remember the bloodshed their extremism caused.

Seriously - how is it that after the Holocaust anti-Semitism could be alive and well over there still? The people have no shame.

[Pan Zagloba]

US should totally threaten to do that, just to see the reaction. One of the stupidest things I heard this week was when Sargon of Akkad was interviewing Adam Baldwin.

Adam: If US is an empire, name one colony.
Sargon: Japan.

I'd love to see reaction of Japanese, Koreans or Germans if US started closing bases down and pulling troops. Or better yet, leave NATO.

[Cytotoxic]

The notion that Japan is a colony of America is pretty stupid.

[Homple]

I remember Thunder Bay when it was Port Arthur and Fort William. It's not harsh at all. Mile Zero of the St. Lawrence Seaway is there.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Hey libertarians: No, we will not leave you alone

leaving people alone, what a radical idea!

...I wonder if the people who repeat this bromide understand just how radical an idea it actually is. Humans are, and always have been, social, hierarchical creatures. In every society since civilization began, it's been all but impossible to be left alone. It's such an unusual thing, in fact, that those who manage to spend a lot of time in solitude are often spoken of with reverence and awe.

Spending even a few days in solitude is powerful enough that it's been a rite of passage in a surprising number of cultures.

But for the other 99.9 percent of us, the norm is to be among, dependent, and answerable to other people. Family members, priests, bosses, governments, neighbors, police, creditors, merchants, and hundreds of others. In any society with more than about two people this is, and always has been, how humans organize themselves. We are gossipy and we are bossy. We are busybodies, we are rulemakers, we are rebels, we are moral scolds, and we are friends. (And enemies.)

So yes: leaving people alone really is a radical idea. Probably unworkable too, but that's secondary. We are all merely hairless primates and we just aren't going to mind our own business. Best get used to it.

[John]

But remember, it is liberals who believe in personal freedom and autonomy. It is the conservatives who want to run your life.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

I'm just amazed that liberals act like this is such a profound critique of libertarianism and individualism.

Like no shit, of course human beings interact socially, it's why we value capitalism, the most obvious example of human social interaction that happens every day.

What makes us human is our ability to use reason to avoid coercive situations.

If I had the time I would troll Kevin Drum on Twitter by posting a bunch of pictures of police beatings and brutality with the caption "No, We Will Not Leave You Alone."

[Winston]

But remember, it is liberals who believe in personal freedom and autonomy. It is the conservatives who want to run your life.

The whole "fiscal conservative, socially liberal" stuff is a bunch of reactionary nonsense anyway; it is an appeal to a mythical nonexistent 1960s past. The closest the Republicans have gotten to fiscal conservatism since Coolidge was Eisenhower who kept Social Security, kept up the Cold War and built the interstates. And the Democrats have been pretty open about using the government to get involved with social issues since Wilson's time.

[Cytotoxic]

NOTHING OUTSIDE THE BORG NOTHING BUT THE BORG

[Brochettaward]

What's really interesting here to me is that leftists make this appeal to tradition with no sense of introspection. Humans also naturally dislike 'diversity' and like people most like themselves to include race. They naturally other people.

So I guess since its always been that way, it's perfectly swell to treat minorities like crap? Humans have always raped and pillaged in war, as well, so that's perfectly ok, too...

Beyond that, it's not even true. While humans have been interdependent and social creatures, primitive societies were far less hierarchical. Hierarchy is not the natural state of man.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Slavery existed in 99% of human societies throughout 99% of human history. Slavery is therefore natural to human existence and stupid libertarians should stop trying to rid us of this necessary aspect of society. - Mother Jones in 1855.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Slavery existed in 99% of human societies throughout 99% of human history. Slavery is therefore natural to human existence and stupid libertarians should stop trying to rid us of this necessary aspect of society. - Mother Jones in 1855.

[Brochettaward]

You could go on and on with the historical references. The party of self-proclaimed 'progress' making appeals to tradition to debunk an idea is just pure gold to me. I remember recently some evolutionary biologist or some such making the argument not too far back, as well. The natural state of humanity wasn't freedom, so the classical basis of libertarianism is wrong.

[Cytotoxic]

The party of self-proclaimed 'progress' making appeals to tradition to debunk an idea is just pure gold to me.

We have a winner.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Something I keep wondering. When people write things like this, do they actually not know what libertarianism actually is, are they purposefully ignorant, or are they outright lying?

[Antilles]

Great question. They seem to find the concept of self-reliance and personal responsibility as some alien concept. Big government does so many 'good' things, how could anyone want to diminish its power? Gotta admit I often struggle to comprehend the ideas that Leftists and Proggies push on the rest of us.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

See the article from Reuters yesterday (Tom Wolfe?) discussed in the A.M. Links. The esteemed college professor wrote that Rand was the leading libertarian thinker of the 20th Century. Ayn Rand, the objectivist who hated libertarians, was our leading thinker. Not Hayek, Friedman, Rothbard or Mises, but Ayn Rand.

To answer your question, I think they are purposefully ignorant.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

Apparently, at Mother Jones, everyone is an extravert.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

Apparently, at Mother Jones, everyone is an extravert.

[Cytotoxic]

Since extrovert is latin for 'douche' that's no surprise.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

Progressives are universally very stupid people in that they're incapable of understanding opposing views. No libertarian has ever argued in favor of solitude or opposed consensual collectivism - they just oppose coerced collectivism. The thing is, it isn't like this is a hidden aspect of libertarian political beliefs - all you have to do is read Hayek until you get to the words 'emergent order' and you'll understand why this is a straw man, but progressives can't be asked to read any books (which is why they're universally such terrible writers), so it's unsurprising that these outright illiterates have never bothered reading books they disagree with.

I read Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, you strawmanning idiots. It was like getting lobotomized with fire poker, but I read it so I could understand what progressive morons actually believe. The least you could do is try to understand the concept of emergent order.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

This exact point is addressed in Individualism: True and False. Who wrote that article? None other than super obscure libertarian author Friedrich fucking Hayek.

Put arrogance and ignorance together and you get a progressive. They're smug, self-righteous assholes who know nothing about history, how shit actually works in government, economics, or their opponents' actual beliefs.

[John Titor]

The Shock Doctrine's great because it really peels back the tired arguments against 'neoliberalism' to reveal the more sinister edge. You can literally replace the words 'neoconservative' 'libertarian' 'capitalist' and 'neoliberal' with the word 'Jew' and it reads exactly like 19th century anti-Semitic insanity about the Zionist scourge. That's not to imply that she's being directly anti-Semitic, just that it's the same conspiracy theory logic and complete dehumanization tactics.

[Slammer]

Did you see the Mother Jones tweet today?:

One Simple Point That Destroys Your Friends' Most Annoying Political Argument:

"All cats are libertarian. Completely dependent on others, but fully convinced of their own independence."

It was the link to that article.

[Brochettaward]

I loathe progressives like no other. I wasted my time typing up a response to the Mother Jones article. No profanity, no insults, nothing of that sort. Was deleted within 10 minutes.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

MJ deleted your response? What a bunch of petty assholes.

[Brochettaward]

I have to retract that comment. I was dumb. Went back to the page and the comments were sorted differently.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

After reading the Drum piece, I think my second sentence still stands, regardless.

[In League with the Dark Ones]

"Brigading?"

[Juice]

Damn you. I lost 10 IQ points reading the comments.

[Juice]

Billy van Baird keeping up the good fight. And commenters responding to him are definitely being intentionally obtuse. It's amazing that any of those people call themselves "liberals".

[ant1sthenes]

It's not about non-interaction, it's about consent. As a rape culture, progressivism can't really comprehend these things.

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

Spectacular: Man Buys 10.000 Undeveloped Negatives At a Local Auction And Discovers One of the Most Important Street Photographers of the Mid 20th Century

http://upshout.com/vivian-maier/

"For decades Vivian's work hid in the shadows until decades later (in 2007), historical hobbyist John Maloof bought a box full of never developed negatives at a local auction for $380. John began to develop the negatives and it didn't take long before he realised that these were no ordinary street snapshots from the 50's and 60's ? these pictures were a lot more then [sic] that."

[PapayaSF]

I recommend the documentary.

[Homple]

I second the recommendation, but see as many of her images as you can. She was brilliant, well up in the league of Cartier-Bresson, Kert?sz and the like. And she did it all by herself, no grants, awards, writeups in Paris Review. None of it.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

I don't know if I ever looked at her photos until now. Those are some tremendous portraits.

[Cytotoxic]

Poll Finds Majority US Support for Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Stay: Young Respondents Overwhelmingly Favor Amnesty

Of the 2,002 adults surveyed, 72 percent said illegal immigrants who meet certain requirements should be allowed to remain in the country legally.

http://panampost.com/panam-sta.....s-to-stay/

PWND

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

And polls consistently say that more Americans want less immigration rather than more immigration.

Don't cherry pick one poll Cyto, especially when that one poll only tangentially supports your position while a bunch of other polls more directly refute it. And being an Objectivist, I don't know why you'd use polls to buoy up your point anyway, given that Objectivism isn't exactly a wildly popular political theory.

[PapayaSF]

+1

[Cytotoxic]

I'm not using polls to 'buoy' my position. I don't need to. I just like poking holes in narratives.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

How are you poking holes in narratives by pointing to one poll? There are plenty of problems with anti-immigrant narratives that you could 'poke holes' into, but what is the point of posting one poll on a relatively esoteric aspect of immigration discussions, when on the more important question (should we allow more or less immigration?) the public disagrees with you?

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Not for nothing, but what the fuck is certain requirements?

The article doesn't say.

[Cytotoxic]

True.

[Libertymike]

Poking holes in narratives is a good attribute. Refusing to cease taking those cognitive dissonance pills? Not so much.

[Cytotoxic]

You don't know what 'cognitive dissonance' is or most of the buzzwords you use.

[Homple]

Yes, if those "certain requirements" are "immigration laws".

[Cytotoxic]

Which America has in spades.

[robc]

I am for open borders but pppose amnesty. Did the poll cover that position?

[Paul.]

Discussions of racial identity are now a thing, as the Rachel Dolezal trainwreck continues. Here's a discussion topic: We move past obsessing about skin color. Or did I just microaggress?

I'm happy to call it all a social construct... is the Identity Politics Industry willing to do the same? Signs point to FUCK NO!

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Why I hate teaching Shakespeare

I am a high school English teacher. I am not supposed to dislike Shakespeare. But I do. And not only do I dislike Shakespeare because of my own personal disinterest in reading stories written in an early form of the English language that I cannot always easily navigate, but also because there is a WORLD of really exciting literature out there that better speaks to the needs of my very ethnically-diverse and wonderfully curious modern-day students.

I do not believe that I am "cheating" my students because we do not read Shakespeare. I do not believe that a long-dead, British guy is the only writer who can teach my students about the human condition. I do not believe that not viewing "Romeo and Juliet" or any other modern adaptation of a Shakespeare play will make my students less able to go out into the world and understand language or human behavior. Mostly, I do not believe I should do something in the classroom just because it has "always been done that way."

I am sad that so many of my colleagues teach a canon that some white people decided upon so long ago and do it without question. I am sad that we don't believe enough in ourselves as professionals to challenge the way that it has "always been done.".

[Cytotoxic]

R&J sucked; I also heard The Tempest sucked. Macbeth is really good while Hamlet was excellent. The Braunaugh film of Hamlet was excellent.

[In League with the Dark Ones]

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

[In League with the Dark Ones]

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

[Jerry on the sea]

Why not stop teaching the Holocaust because of this prickly white German dude.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

"But I do. And not only do I dislike Shakespeare because of my own personal disinterest in reading stories written in an early form of the English language that I cannot always easily navigate"

Holy fuck. "I'm a high school English teacher and don't want to read this because it's hard."

[Slammer]

There's an emoji version of Shakespeare now.

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Even shorter: I'm too fucking dumb to read Shakespeare.

[Catatafish & Woodchips]

Uh, what part of "high school teacher" contradicts "avoids hard work?"

[robc]

Hard is reading it in the original Klingon.

[Pan Zagloba]

I thought that was gonna be some Switftian, Modest Proposal satire. Maybe it is, and I'm too stupid to realize it (after all, I didn't study English in university, and my high school experience was far more geared to French, German and Russian literature). But god damn, why pick on a man whose work is truly universal in themes, plots and characters, and who forever marked the language you speak?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Indeed, there's basically no such thing as a one-dimensional Shakespeare character. A perfect example of this is Shylock.

Do you think Elizabethan audiences were demanding a fair and non-caricatured depiction of a Jew villain in what is actually a comedy?

Probably not, and yet he gave Shylock one of the most eloquent critiques of racism in all literature with the "hath not a Jew eyes?" speech.

There's certainly no reason to not include literature from other nations, cultures and backgrounds but shitting on Shakespeare because he's too white, English, and establishment is utterly bonkers.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

"Do you think Elizabethan audiences were demanding a fair and non-caricatured depiction of a Jew villain in what is actually a comedy?"

The Jew who is obsessed with collecting on a debt is a 'fair and non-caricatured depiction' of Jews?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Shylock wants his pound of flesh not because he's a Jew but because Antonio had personally wronged him before. This is made explicit in the play.

Yes, you can present Shylock as a grotesque caricature but if you actually read the lines it's clear his anger comes from a very real and understandable place. He points out in that same soliloquy that if he's guilty of being vengeful and unmerciful it's only because he learned it from watching the Christians.

[Pan Zagloba]

I'd say, part where he is not collecting out of greed, but out of wounded pride, is where you get complexity. He's still a villain, just not in a way you'd expect him to be if, sight unseen, you're told "he's a Jewish villain in 16th century comedy." He's set up as a typical figure of mockery, a Jewish stereotype, but then he reveals himself to have the same motivation and code of honor as the Italian aristocrats around him.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

There's an anti-Semitic subtext in the sense that the moral of the play ultimately comes down to Shylock, a Jew, lacking a "quality of mercy" that Christians understand through their belief in divine grace. He's only redeemable by converting like Jessica.

But I don't think the play would continue to be staged as frequently as it is today if it didn't depict Shylock as an actual person with understandable motives for his hatred.

[jesse.in.mb]

He's not totally wrong, but he's probably entirely unfamiliar with the concept of "cultural capital" and is clearly not thinking through how much his enjoyment of "exciting literature" is predicated in having a foundation in the western literary canon.

I think everyone should have at least passing familiarity with the Bible for the same reason.

[bacon-magic]

Those damn white people and the western culture they keep shoving down our throats...run to your nearest safe shed.

[John Titor]

I'm somewhat amused that in an article about the evils of Western imperialist culture poisoning the minds of 'ethnically diverse' he utterly fails to provide any examples of alternative writers, just that a 'discussion' must take place.

Also, be careful, those ethnically diverse writers might not have entirely positive things to say about their culture and poison their ethnically diverse minds even further! Mario Vargas Llosa and Rohinton Mistry come to mind.

[Crusty Juggler]

Anything by Naomi Wolf, or Betty Friedman, or Margaret Sanger. Those are cool.

[np]

The witch hunt of Sir Tim Hunt is starting to backfire:
Brian Cox says Tim Hunt shouldn't have been 'hounded' out of his job after 'sexist' remarks about female scientists

He added: "We do have a problem about these mobs - you call them Twitter mobs, descending on people who use language ill-advisedly and cause great professional ruin. I don't think that is the case although he felt that.

"To have a Nobel prize winner and - by all accounts - a great scientist and a good person being hounded out of a position at UCL, after all those years of good work in science, I think that's wrong and disproportionate."

Cox, who described the situation as "serious", presents science programmes for the BBC and is professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson also leapt to Hunt's defense in the aftermath of the remarks.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

From what I understand, Tim Hunt is one of the most accomplished cancer researchers in the world.

Have we really gotten to the point where a guy whose work has helped advance cancer treatments is going to be blacklisted over some stupid remarks? Apparently feminism is more important than all that.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

I think one day we may look back on this the same way we now look back on how Alan Turing was hounded for his homosexuality.

[Puddin' Stick the Dark One]

I think one day we may look back on this the same way we now look back on how Alan Turing was hounded for his homosexuality.

[np]

I hope so. At my job, like the same in any large western corp and university, these kind of tame jokes constitute "sexual harassment" -- even when they're made in private to your friend and someone overhears you or finds out about it who then finds it offensive.

As part of a recent training course (to basically mitigate all potential legal liability issues), we were presented with another ridiculous example: if you invite a stripper to your own home for a party outside of work and someone from work finds it offensive.. you guessed it, that can constitute sexual harassment.

[paranoid android]

So what happens when an Orthodox Jew or a devout Muslim claims any woman wearing a skirt that shows their legs is sexually harrassing him with their lewdness?

[Homple]

Have we really gotten to the point where a guy whose work has helped advance cancer treatments is going to be blacklisted over some stupid remarks?

We have indeed, and will suffer for it.

[Juvenile Bluster]

After "we" hounded a man who had just managed to land a probe on a comet to tears for the shirt he was wearing, this really shouldn't be surprising.

[Antilles]

Besides, the reaction to his joke has pretty much confirmed he was correct. Criticize (some) women and they will cry, shriek and wail for you to be punished for your opinion.

[Loki]

Here's a discussion topic: We move past obsessing about skin color. Or did I just microaggress?

Yes. Actually I'm pretty sure that's a macroaggression to most SJWs.

By suggesting that we stop obsessing about skin coler, you've invalidated the lived experiences of oppression of minorities and womyn everywhere. Check your privelege, you WHITE MALE CIS-HETERO PATRIARCHAL SHITLORD!!!!1!!!111!!!!! /retarded SJW

[Winston]

Has a college attempted to show the Story of Temple Drake? I wonder what the reactions would be to the rape scene. If they refuse to show it then that would be hilarious.

[Winston]

http://reason.com/blog/2015/06.....power-plan

Overall, Niskanen Center analysts point out that implementing a carbon tax even at state level would be a far simpler and less costly option than complying with EPA's impending CPP regulations.

Libertarian moment!

[Crusty Juggler]

American Gods is going to be made into a series.

Exciting. The role of Shadow really is key to the show.

[Crusty Juggler]

A quick look at that the twitter tag has people suggesting Jason Momoa. I do not approve.

[simplybe]

Was it not our very own government that started the trans fat phase of our life. Don't use butter use margerine. Don't use sugar go diet drinks. I am 68 and have yet to see one thing the government is good for unless you want to call fat lazy illiterate clueless childern a success story.

[simplybe]

Was it not our very own government that started the trans fat phase of our life. Don't use butter use margerine. Don't use sugar go diet drinks. I am 68 and have yet to see one thing the government is good for unless you want to call fat lazy illiterate clueless childern a success story.

[simplybe]

Was it not our very own government that started the trans fat phase of our life. Don't use butter use margerine. Don't use sugar go diet drinks. I am 68 and have yet to see one thing the government is good for unless you want to call fat lazy illiterate clueless childern a success story.