A.M. Links: Carson Leads GOP Candidates in Latest Poll, Cause of Russian Airplane Crash Still Unknown, Election Day 2015

• According to a new poll from The Wall Street Journal/NBC News, Ben Carson is now the GOP presidential frontrunner.

• "The format and content of upcoming Republican debates became increasingly uncertain on Monday after Donald Trump's campaign said the real estate mogul would negotiate his terms directly with television executives instead of as part of a joint effort with his rivals."

• Today is Election Day.

• Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is introducing a bill that would criminalize warrantless cell phone surveillance by the government.

• Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi politician who prominently supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, has died.

• Investigators are still trying to determine why a Russian commercial airplane disintegrated while flying over Egypt. A U.S. satellite reportedly detected a heat flash at the time of the crash, but the cause remains unknown.

New at Reason

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• Drone Registration: A Stupid Solution in Search of a Problem it Might Actually Fix The occasional misuse of unmanned aircraft is an exaggerated issue that won't be corrected by bureaucrats. By J.D. Tuccille

• China's One-Child Policy: A Useless Exercise in Human Suffering and Social Deformation Policy being reversed after causing decades of harm. By Marian Tupy

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Today is Election Day.

Vote early and often.

[Crusty Juggler]

More like erection day.

[Swiss Servator]

You say that everyday!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Confucius say: Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.

[Bee Tagger]

Hey, save it for your morning zoo radio program.

[gaijin]

There once was a man from Kent...aw forget it

[Elspeth Flashman]

Whose tool was so long that it bent

[db]

Now he sometimes gets stuck

[Lord at War]

But with the help of a truck

[Lord at War]

He will pull out before he is spent

[db]

Fist is Jim Krenn?
It all makes so much sense.

[Bee Tagger]

Ha, awesome. I had a mash-up of WDVE and some others in my mind when I posted my comment.

[Anomalous]

Do you find it hard getting up in the morning?

[Juvenile Bluster]

Good morning.

So I noticed in the idiots borrowing too much money for school thread last night that jobs spam bot has moved on from "make money on the internet through pyramid schemes" and dropped all pretenses. Now it's "Buy hacked ATM cards, they're completely untraceable!"

Which I guess is *a* way to pay off your student loans...

[Swiss Servator]

And get free room, board and medical in the penitentiary nearest to you!

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Hello.

[Lord Humungus]

A New Report Shows How Often Cops Sexually Assault Civilians

The AP focused on officers who'd faced decertification?"an administrative process in which an officer's law enforcement license is revoked"?for sexual misconduct. The findings suggest a problem that spans the country; 1,000 officers were stripped of their badges in that time due to sexual misconduct, which encompasses a whole host of wrongdoing like sexual contact without consent, sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, rape or attempted rape, and sexting juveniles, among other perverted?and often illegal?acts.

More sobering still is that these numbers don't represent all cases: Nine states and the District of Columbia either don't decertify officers or wouldn't turn over info to the AP.

"It's happening probably in every law enforcement agency across the country," Chief Bernadette DiPino of the Sarasota Police Department in Florida told the AP. She helped study the problem for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. "It's so underreported and people are scared that if they call and complain about a police officer, they think every other police officer is going to be then out to get them."

[Juvenile Bluster]

"It's so underreported and people are scared that if they call and complain about a police officer, they think every other police officer is going to be then out to get them."

I wonder why that is, Ms. DiPino. I wonder why.

[d3x / dt3]

FEW BAD APPLES!

DO NOT DISPARAGE OUR HEROES IN BLOO!

[Anomalous]

+1 Thin Blue Line

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Ben Carson is now the GOP presidential frontrunner.

He has the prescription for what ails the nation!

[Atanarjuat]

More cowbell?

[gaijin]

^Christopher Walken says yes

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Then I want a new drug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uEMOeDZsA

[RBS]

Now things got worse, yes a serious bind
At times like this it takes a man with a style I cannot often find
A doctor of the heart and a doctor of mind.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

That's like the worst haiku ever.

[Swiss Servator]

A Doc for Winter,
Will it be a Carson Spring?
Take a poll, Reason.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Some poems rhyme
and some don't.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

So if you please get on your knees
There are no bills, there are no fees
Baby, I know what your problem is
The first step of the cure is a kiss

So call me (Dr. Carson)
They call me Dr. Carson (calling Dr. Carson)

[Anomalous]

Lobotomy?

[Lord Humungus]

Stonehenge Builders Hosted Barbecues

The ancient builders of Stonehenge may have hosted massive barbecue cookouts where thousands of revelers feasted on meat, new research suggests.

Archaeologists at the Neolithic settlement of Durrington Walls in modern-day southern England, where the builders of Stonehenge likely lived, found evidence that the village hosted open-air meat-roasting parties 4,500 years ago, with animals likely walking to the site for slaughter from regions far and wide.

At the time, thousands of ancient pilgrims may have flocked to the site of Stonehenge to honor their dead, while heading back after hours to party and grill at Durrington Walls, the study authors speculated.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Could you imagine a Stonehenge orgy?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Maybe if you told the story a little better.

[Elspeth Flashman]

To have a good time, all the time.

[Lord Humungus]

obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STHKFlO-zBw

[Elspeth Flashman]

Thank you.

[Limpee Wiltstock]

And who will get the spare ribs?

[Fist of Etiquette]

...the real estate mogul would negotiate his terms directly with television executives instead of as part of a joint effort with his rivals.

Please let him be so arrogant as to no longer participate.

[d3x / dt3]

What do millenials think?

[commodious spittoon]

They think he's dreamy.

Wait, that was the last telegenic nobody.

[Bee Tagger]

According to a new poll from The Wall Street Journal/NBC News, Ben Carson is now the GOP presidential frontrunner.

I'm starting to think these things aren't meaningful.

[Swiss Servator]

President Rudy Giuliani begs to differ!

[Juvenile Bluster]

I'd rather have 8 years of Obama followed by 8 years of Hillary Clinton than 4 years of President Giuliani.

[Swiss Servator]

Fortunately that slaver's time has come and gone.

[lap83]

Because by the end of Hillary's reign they will have perfected their mind control drugs and you will be living in servile bliss?

[commodious spittoon]

+1 soma tablet

[Anomalous]

A dram is better than a damn.

[Atanarjuat]

No, I think it's safe to extrapolate that the slope of the curve at exactly this point will continue unchanged forever. In 2017, the most common baby name will be God-Emporer Ben Carson.

[Monty Crisco]

Surprise!! A Gawker writer wants to jail people for speech!!

http://gawker.com/every-lotter.....1740053675

Why am I NOT shocked that a member of the leftist intelligentsia DOESN'T believe in free speech?!?! Yes, yes, someone remind me of flag burning from the 90's. Bo?
Besides this statement :

Lottery advertising executives should be locked in jail for fraud.

I find it quite amusing that this statist doesn't approve of the lottery because it doesn't bring in more revenue to the government IN THE RIGHT WAY. The fact that the lottery is voluntary is a NEGATIVE to this idiot. OF course, his preferred method is to "tax the rich".

Always on the left. You virtually NEVER see these articles on the right.

God, Gawker is such a sneering, roiling, PREDICTABLE festival of fail that it HURTS?

[Bee Tagger]

I did a quick read-through... is he really just isolating it to the advertising executives? Nothing for the government-run lottery, just the ad campaign?

[Monty Crisco]

Seems that way. That is what is so fucking hypocritical about it - he wants more BIG GOVERNMENT, but he wants to fuck the rich through force, not the poor through their own choice...

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Rape isn't about fucking, it's about control?

[Free Society]

Depends on the rapist.

[Limpee Wiltstock]

Fuck control.

[SFC B]

I thought you had to be misreading it because there is no chance that moron thinks the problem with the lottery's ads are the people doing the ads. Nope. That really is what he's saying.

[Zeb]

It''s a bit of a stretch to call that fraud. But at least it's not someone calling for speech restrictions just because they don't like what someone says. Laws requiring truth in advertising have been around for a while, I think.

[Lee G]

The man is brilliant.

Very rich people sometimes make very large donations to educational or cultural institutions. In return, they ask for their names to be plastered atop buildings. These donations have no moral worth.

I am proposing something very modest: that we view these actions for what they are. They are, in fact, one of the most disgusting manifestations of greed in all the world. They represent an attempt by the ultra rich to buy for themselves the very things that we all like to think are not for sale.

[Free Society]

He prefers than no one donate anything to anyone if it means that person being acknowledged for their tremendously sized financial contribution. The sheer stupidity of published intellectuals is just astounding. What's more astounding, his stupidity fills the world as millions of people agree with him and every other stupid fuck with a soap box. I'll die of a heart attack if I think about it too long.

[Lee G]

He appears to be a modern member of the Mountain faction.

[Zeb]

They really do seem to believe that forcing people to pay for things is preferable to voluntary donations. I just can't fathom that mindset.

[Monty Crisco]

So, standard Gawker writer, then....

[Zeb]

So buying things for other people is bad and counts as buying things for yourself if you want recognition for it. OK. They really do think that intentions count for more than results.

[Free Society]

That author clearly doesn't care about telling truths and spreading "valuable" knowledge among his readers because he has the audacity to put his name above the article, as if to claim some recognition for it.

[Free Society]

The commenters are claiming that having your name put on the building you just paid for "devalues charity", meanwhile the same fuckheads insist that taxes be dramatically raised in the spirit of charitable giving. You can't fabricate this kind of stupid.

[Limpee Wiltstock]

Wanting one's name in bricks is weird and sort of incomprehensible, but it shouldn't be immoral.

[Free Society]

How is it weird or incomprehensible? It's extremely common that a person would want their name and their works to outlive them by some great amount of time. You don't see people paying a fortune to have their name etched in the sides of a log cabin.

[Mr. Flanders]

My comments on Gawker are never approved lol. I don't even use profanity in my posts... they're just always critical of the article, therefore, they are condemned to "pending approval" status forever. Gawker is just a bunch of fake intellectuals circle-jerking each other with their left hands.

[Krabappel]

Me either but half the time I am just trolling them any ways. -_-

[Krabappel]

As one of the commenters pointed out, Hamilton Nolan actually sounds like one of the ridiculous villains from Atlas Shrugged (Philip Rearden).

[Suthenboy]

Just go look at the rest of the drivel this guy churns out: https://kinja.com/hamilton_nolan

Scroll through that and tell me it would be wrong to beat the guy unconscious with his keyboard. I dare you.

[Monty Crisco]

Haters gonna hate, statists gonna state....

[Akira]

More honestly, it should be: "Hey, you've just spent money you can't afford on an unstated tax on the poor and uneducated." (emphasis mine)

"Progressives" really don't understand the concept of voluntary vs. non-voluntary transactions, do they? They think that forcibly taking someone's money and giving it to whomever you deem in the greatest need (while taking a cut for yourself, of course) is the same thing as charity. And here, they apparently think that people purchasing a product voluntarily is a tax - or, in other words, forcing taking money from people.

They're all mixed up.

[Lord Humungus]

Keystone XL's builder faced darkening prospects

Faced with dimming prospects for approval, the Canadian company behind the proposed Keystone XL pipeline chose to plead with the U.S. government for a delay on its fate, signaling that prolonged uncertainty is preferable to rejection of the $8 billion project.

Monday's appeal by Calgary-based TransCanada Corp has been widely interpreted as an attempt to avert an impending "no" from President Barack Obama to the nearly 1,200-mile (2,000-km) cross-border pipeline. Keystone XL would carry heavy crude oil from Alberta to Nebraska and on to Gulf Coast refineries, and has become the symbolic heart of a struggle between environmentalists opposed to oil sands development and defenders of fossil fuels.

The U.S. State Department said it had received a letter from TransCanada asking for the delay but a spokesperson said the review would continue for now.

[Princess Trigger]

INFRASTRUCTURE for some.
Little American flags for all.

[Lee G]

Since the project will no longer be self-supporting, now is the perfect time for the feds to back their construction loans.

/government logic

[Free Society]

Is there one rational reason for the government to halt this pipeline from being built?

[JWatts]

It could be inconvenient for the Democratic vote effort to give it the go ahead during the primary.

[robc]

The use of ED?

Its my only problem with it. Approve it with a no ED condition woyld bevfine by me.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

ED? Erectile dysfunction?

What kind of pipe are you laying? Pushing some wet rope?

[Bee Tagger]

Donald Trump's campaign said the real estate mogul would negotiate his terms directly with television executives instead of as part of a joint effort with his rivals

Like they say, Mo 'gul Mo problems

[Swiss Servator]

Morgul, more problems?!

/Mouth of Sauron

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

*Cloud, shadow, earth, and flesh piercing gaze narrows*

[Robert]

See, this is why it's silly to sue the Commission on Presidential Debates. They have no power.

[Lord Humungus]

Calorie counts on menus aren't working, new research shows

The latest study confirms what many others ? including health commissioner Mary Bassett ? had already found: Calorie labeling has no short-term impacts on how many calories consumers buy.

"Menu labeling, in particular at fast-food restaurants, will not on its own lead to any lasting reductions in calories consumed," said Brian Elbel, the study's author and an associate professor in the population health department at NYU Langone and the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The study doesn't tackle why this is, but one concern has long been that the calorie counts don't provide enough context, and that the average fast-food buyer may not know how many calories are appropriate for a given meal.

[Drake]

Maybe because if I show up at a Five Guys, I've already said "fuck it" for the day.

[RBS]

Some of us go for maximum caloric impact.

[Zeb]

Indeed. The calorie counts can be helpful in obtaining the most energy for your dollar.

[commodious spittoon]

Short of eating straight lard, the best deal I've found is a 35oz container of peanuts at Walmart for ~$6. It works out to a bit under a thousand kcal per dollar, plus peanuts are great.

[Elspeth Flashman]

I do too.

[Atanarjuat]

Clearly we need to increase funding and regulatory power for the FDA to combat this.

[gaijin]

Next up: Compulsory recitation of the nutrition information from the guy taking your order.

[some guy]

Or the FDA will be posting certified food-choice assistants to each fast food joint. Naturally, this will be a union position, represented by the SIEU.

[Sevo]

"Next up: Compulsory recitation of the nutrition information from the guy taking your order."

And if that doesn't do it, it'll be blasted out of the speakers along with a rousing rendition of "The East is Red"!

[Zeb]

Hmm. Maybe people already knew that burgers and fries were high calorie foods and did what they were going to do with that information.
You don't go to fucking McDonalds because you are looking for health food.

[Trials and Trippelations]

Fries are high in calories!!
I'll never eat those ever again

[VG Zaytsev]

Maybe it's because actual consumers don't give a shit about their moral crusade.

[Bee Tagger]

Today is Election Day.

I'll believe it when I see a poll suggesting today is the frontrunner for being election day.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A U.S. satellite reportedly detected a heat flash at the time of the crash, but the cause remains unknown.

More like created a heat flash. Am I right, paid Russian pro-Putin commenters?

[Juvenile Bluster]

Wait, the US did it now? I thought the conspiracy theorists were convinced it was Israel.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's always the Jews' fault, isn't it, Juvenile?

[Juvenile Bluster]

Look, I keep telling you Fist. The next Cabal meeting is in December. The higher ups usually get pretty drunk on Manischevitz before we start sacrificing Christian children, maybe I can steal you a bag of gold then.

[Limpee Wiltstock]

More like the papist jewmason hierarchy in Rome.

[Swiss Servator]

The CIA gave a SAM to a rogue Egyptian military unit to bring down the Russian plane in retaliation for their involvement in Syria!!11!!

/foil hat

[R C Dean]

That . . . actually sounds plausible.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

Or MH17

[gaijin]

satellite reportedly detected a heat flash at the time of the crash

Menopausal aircraft

[Swiss Servator]

*begins narrowing gaze, halts, begins slow clap instead*

[DJF]

"""""Am I right, paid Russian pro-Putin commenters?"""

How do I get some of this pro-Putin commenters money? Do I have to work out of my basement? Do they have a good dental plan? How much do the anti-Putin commenters get paid?

[Swiss Servator]

A good dental plan....from a Russian employer?! How do you feel about stainless steel filings?

[Limpee Wiltstock]

"More like created a heat flash. Am I right, paid Russian pro-Putin commenters?"

Yes.

[Lord Humungus]

Not A Parody

This is a press release from The Nation:

The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine of politics and culture, today launched its first-ever advice column, "Asking for a Friend," by columnist and contributing editor Liza Featherstone(@lfeatherz). The monthly feature will tackle the most prickly predicaments and fraught ethical conundrums confronting leftists in a mean monied world. Featherstone is based in New York City.

Since opening a call for questions last month, micro- and macro- queries have poured in. Concerns ranged from health to wealth and roommates to relationships: Should you call an Uber or hail a cab? Can you date that extremely good-looking man who's voting to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain? Are you a neighborhood gentrifier?

[gaijin]

a lot of alliteration from Liza the lefty

[Illocust]

That's terrible optics. Having these questions collected together out in the open where people who have yet to be fully indoctrinated can read them is going to fuck over the left's ability to deny their crazy.

[Illocust]

Also the advice given is terrible. Get involved with politics to help treat your depression? That is the exact opposite of what you should do. My family has been trying to rescue my mother from political volunteering because it's fucking up her life. She can't see anything but the war.

[Irish ?s ESB]

You desperately need to read that actual advice column. It is goddamn hilarious. This paragraph actually exists:

"Take environment degradation. Dr. Samuels says depression is often caused by feeling guilt when we hurt someone we love. We love the planet, and as we're bombarded with images of its imminent demise??dying polar bears, mass migration, catastrophic oil spills?we may take upon ourselves the responsibility for having damaged it. Neoliberal environmental ideology pins responsibility on us as individuals who should be using locally fermented lip balm, rather than on the CEO of Exxon. This doesn't help."

[commodious spittoon]

HAH! Yeah, I'm certain that pandering to neomalthusian environmental hysterias like AGW and anti-GMO sentiments helps loads.

[lafe.long]

individuals who should be using locally fermented lip balm

So that's what the kids are calling it these days?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

And they say liberalism isn't dead.

It is to me.

[R C Dean]

Its dead.

That column is just the noise made by decomposition gases leaking out a convenient orifice.

[Elspeth Flashman]

It sounds so ripe for trolling. Calling sugarfree . . .

[JWatts]

I'm not sure you could tell if it was being trolled.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

This has to be a massive troll, right?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is introducing a bill that would criminalize warrantless cell phone surveillance by the government.

If the government does it that means it's not illegal.

[Raven Nation]

Next up, stunning revelations about Chaffetz' private life released by authorities.

[Bee Tagger]

If he's not talking to his dear sweet mother, then who is he talking to on that phone? Since we can't know, we'll have to speculate.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Speculation is actionable, therefore the warrant will be approved.

[Trials and Trippelations]

I think the Secret Service already tried that

[Lord Humungus]

Adams County rancher shot and killed by deputies

Deputies were getting ready to put the animal down when the bull's owner, 62-year-old Jack Yantis, arrived on the scene with a rifle. Zollman said dispatchers had called Yantis after the crash, telling him that the bull that was hit appeared to be his, and was down on the highway near his house.

What happened next is still under investigation, but Zollman said there was an altercation and Yantis and both deputies all fired their weapons.

Yantis was fatally wounded and died at the scene. One of the deputies suffered a minor injury.

An emotional Zollman said Monday that his thoughts went out to everyone involved, and that his office took the shooting very seriously. ISP has taken over the investigation to prevent a conflict of interest.

[Juvenile Bluster]

"Oh shit, we shot an old white guy. This one's not going to be as easy to cover up. Quick boys, start brainstorming excuses."

[sarcasmic]

"And don't allow the medics anywhere near the guy until after he bleeds out. That way he can't contradict our story."

[some guy]

One of the deputies suffered a minor injury.

"We gotta draw straws to see who takes one for the team."

[Crusty Juggler]

Yantis' wife, Donna Yantis, suffered a heart attack after learning that her husband had been shot, family members said. She was taken to a Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she was listed in critical condition Monday.

[Drake]

Sounds like a place where those cops really ought to be worried for their lives even of they are cleared. The kind of place I would like to live.

[Chinny Chin Chin]

Clearly, poor Mr. Yantis didn't know how to properly operate his white privilege.

[lafe.long]

... and apparently he was sent to the scene by police dispatch to put down his bull.

This is from a lady whom was there: Susan Gregersen Let me put you folks straight on this. The bull was hit, the cops came, dispatch called Jack to come, they knew it was his bull! One cop shot the bull but didn't kill it, Jack came like dispatch asked of him, with his gun to put the bull down, cops freaked out, and shot Jack 5 times! His wife suffered a major heart attack and was life flighted to Boise! Hope those cops had there all important body cams on!! Prayers please for our community, we are going to need it!"

And of course, boilerplate from the sheriff's office:

As deputies prepared to put the injured bull down, the owner of the bull, Jack Yantis, 62 of Council, arrived on scene with a rifle. The events that transpired over the course of the next few minutes are under investigation but, at this time, it is believed that two deputies and Mr. Yantis all fired their weapons. Mr. Yantis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. One deputy sustained a minor injury.

[R C Dean]

Jack came like dispatch asked of him, with his gun to put the bull down, cops freaked out, and shot Jack 5 times!

OMG. If this proves out, somebody's gonna have to take a paid vacation.

[Aloysious]

The deputies involved are on "paid administrative leave." Paid vacation started almost immediately.

[Raven Nation]

Excitement Down Under over first female jockey to ride Melbourne Cup winner.

Perhaps of more interest to punters, winner was 101-1 shot.

[Swiss Servator]

Oh for a $5 bet....

[straffinrun]

I thought it paid off only 77 cents on the dollar.

[R C Dean]

She's (a) cute as a bug's ear and (b) devoted to her disabled brother.

Feel-good story of the month.

[commodious spittoon]

Sure... if you like stories about animal cruelty.

*glares pugnaciously*

[Lord Humungus]

A Feasible Roadmap to Compulsory Voting
The policy has been dismissed as an impossible pipe dream, but, if applied at the municipal level first, that could change.

There are many policies that, if implemented, would increase turnout. Extended early and absentee voting would lengthen the period for casting ballots. Automatic voter registration would add drivers to the rolls when they apply for licenses. And moving Election Day to Saturday would make it easier for full-time employees to participate. But the most obvious way to get more people to vote doesn't attract nearly enough attention. It's to oblige people to vote.

Compulsory voting isn't as draconian as it sounds. No one is dragged to the polls against his or her will, and no one is thrown in jail for refusing to cast a ballot. Instead, a modest fine (about $20 in Australia) is levied on people who fail to show up and have no good excuse for their absence. There also isn't any danger of political speech being compelled?a no-no under the First Amendment. People are free to do what they like with their ballots, including turning them in blank.

[Bee Tagger]

Instead, a modest fine (about $20 in Australia) is levied on people who fail to show up and have no good excuse for their absence

Cool, any consequences to not paying that fine?

People are free to do what they like with their ballots, including turning them in blank.

What a clever way of using the word "free" to distract from the non-free aspect of this entire thing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You're not being arrested for not voting, you're being arrested for not paying a fine. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

[gaijin]

^John Roberts agrees!

[d3x / dt3]

Penaltax!

[R C Dean]

You're not being arrested assaulted for not voting, you're being arrested assaulted for not paying a fine.

[Juvenile Bluster]

From the comments

Tony Courageousmisterj ? a day ago

If you read the article, you would realize that the author already addressed that concern by noting you can simply cast a blank ballot, thereby expressing nothing. There shouldn't be anything unconstitutional about using a minor punishment to compel you to exercise your rights, especially when there are reasonable exemptions to ensure that the requirement isn't too onerous.

Hmmmm.

[Raven Nation]

there shouldn't be anything unconstitutional about using a minor punishment to compel you to exercise your rights

That's some Grade A stupidity right there - not to mention grammatically questionable.

[Juvenile Bluster]

I was more going by the name of the person who posted it (the second name is the one he was replying to), but yes.

[Raven Nation]

Oh, good point. Totally missed that in my rage over the content of the comment.

[Trials and Trippelations]

So Tony wants to be compelled to buy a gun, right

[Pope Jimbo]

I've had an old lady poll watcher freak out when I turned in a blank ballot.

She really was offended when I walked directly from getting my ballot to the counting machine. When I explained that there was no dog robber on the ballot I would ever vote for, she still wanted me to at least go over to the little voting booth and pretend that I was going to vote for someone.

Things were getting a bit dicey as she was determined not to let me put the blank ballot in the machine, then another poll worker came over and told her to lighten up and let me do my thing.

She was also flummoxed about whether I should get an "I voted" sticker. Luckily I never take those anyhow so it wasn't an issue.

[Irish ?s ESB]

"compel you to exercise your rights"

Jesus fucking Christ. Apparently compelling someone to speak or forcing someone to carry a gun is totally cool now.

[Raven Nation]

People are free to do what they like with their ballots, including turning them in blank.

Umm, so what, then, is the point of making people turn up? I assume they believe people who don't vote will vote if they're forced to. Exactly what we need, people who don't care about the political process being forced to vote (this is different from those of us who choose not to vote to make a point).

Moving election day to a weekend may make a little more sense.

[Pope Jimbo]

I am sure that both parties will instantly come up with helpful outreach organizations that "help" the apathetic lazy bastards who didn't want to vote in the first place.

I'm also sure that there will be small print in the laws that allow you as a voter to designate a proxy voter from these organizations to cast your ballot. However, there will also be bans for any other party (like the LP or the Green Party) to do the same.

[Zeb]

This is really not helping in my campaign to convince more people not to vote.

[Just say Nikki]

There also isn't any danger of political speech being compelled?a no-no under the First Amendment. People are free to do what they like with their ballots, including turning them in blank.

If you can't even perceive that staying home is a different political statement than turning in a blank ballot, you should sit down and shut up.

[CatoTheChipper]

Unless votes can be cast for NONE OF THE ABOVE and NO RESPONSE on every ballot item, compulsory voting is an abridgement of free speech rights.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Compulsory voting isn't as draconian as it sounds. No one is dragged to the polls against his or her will, and no one is thrown in jail for refusing to cast a ballot. Instead, a modest fine (about $20 in Australia) is levied on people who fail to show up and have no good excuse for their absence. There also isn't any danger of political speech being compelled?a no-no under the First Amendment. People are free to do what they like with their ballots, including turning them in blank.

FUCK YOU

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

A $20 fine would be a huge burden to the very folks who are least likely to vote. My neighbor works hard, isn't particularly political, and probably doesn't vote. $20 for her is several days of groceries.

Fucking elitist bastards and their "modest $20" bullshit.

[Akira]

Aren't these the same people who are whining about voter ID laws because ID cards cost $20 or so, and $20 is apparently an insurmountable financial burden for blacks and Hispanics (so they say)?

[Lord Humungus]

Competition for the Fed's Money Monopoly
Bitgold transactions would make the central bank defend its market share.

The legislative compromise that created the Fed in 1913 recognized that the power to print money, left unchecked, could corrupt both the government and the economy. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve System without a centralized balance sheet, a central monetary-policy committee or even a central office.

The Fed's regional banks were prohibited from buying government debt and required to maintain a 40% gold reserve against dollars in circulation. Moreover, each of the reserve banks was obligated to redeem dollars for gold at a fixed price in unlimited amounts.

Over the past century, every one of these constraints has been removed. Today the Fed has a centrally managed balance sheet of $4 trillion, and is the largest participant in the market for U.S. government bonds. The dollar is no longer fixed to gold, and the IRS assesses a 28% marginal tax on realized gains when gold is used as currency.

[Swiss Servator]

Shriek baiting, eh?

[Lord Humungus]

Study: Deaths rates rising in middle-aged whites

Deaths rates for other races have continued to fall, as they have for whites 65 and older. But death rates for whites 35 to 44 have been level recently, they're beginning to turn up for whites 55 to 64, and - most strikingly - death rates for whites ages 45 to 54 have risen by half a percent per year since 1998, said the authors, Anne Case and Angus Deaton of Princeton University.

The increase started in the late 1990s and probably is related to the increased availability around that time of certain prescription painkillers, they said.

"It certainly can't be helping," said Deaton, who last month was awarded a Nobel Prize in economics for unrelated work on consumer spending.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Isn't the death rate for human beings 100%?

[Zeb]

That just gets cleverer every time someone says it.

[straffinrun]

So does that.

[Zeb]

So does that.

[straffinrun]

^This X1000

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

That really wasn't that clever(er).

[Zeb]

It's sarcasm all the way down.

[Trials and Trippelations]

It's 99.9% because of Jesus

[Free Society]

It's those MTVs and skateboards and whatnot.

[Lord Humungus]

Money Flooding Out of Canada at Fastest Pace in Developed World

Money is flooding out of Canada at the fastest pace in the developed world as the nation's decade-long oil boom comes to an end and little else looks ready to take the industry's place as an economic driver.

Canada's basic balance -- a measure of national accounts that spans everything from trade to financial-market flows -- swung from a surplus of 4.2 percent of gross domestic product to a deficit of 7.9 percent in the 12 months ending in June, according to analysis from Kamal Sharma, a foreign-exchange strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. That's the fastest one-year deterioration among 10 major developed nations.

[Swiss Servator]

I am sure electing the Prince of Fools had nothing to do with any recent developments!

[gaijin]

Justin Trudeau is bringing change to Canada...it all makes cents now

*narrows own gaze so Swiss does not have to*

[Swiss Servator]

Thanks, g. Saved me the effort.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

"I don't read the newspapers, I don't watch the news. If something important happens, someone will tell me."

[Illocust]

That's actually a fairly good thing of a president or official. You should have people for that. People who actually have the contacts to know what's really going on, not whatever story the local newspaper has cobbled together. The issue lies in that these idiots put yes men in these positions of information gathering instead of competent folks who will give you answer without sugar coating it.

[Scarcity]

Plus he appears to have said that in 2001, when he did not have "people" - yes men or not - to keep him informed.

[Free Society]

Electing an economically ignorant socialist weasel has NEVER caused capital flight before. /derp

[Lord Humungus]

Hunger Games Theme Parks Are in the Works

Two theme parks, one in China and one in Atlanta, will center on rides and other attractions based on the movies, the New York Times reports. Unlike Disney or Universal Studios, Lionsgate is not building these parks itself, but licensing the stories to developers who will assume the construction cost. The Atlanta location, to be called Avatron Smart Park, needs to raise $625 million and is expected to open sometime in 2019.

Specific details on these parks are not set in stone yet, but another Lionsgate entertainment zone in the United Arab Emirates is closer to completion?that park, to open next year with zones dedicated to other film properties like Step Up and Divergent as well, will feature a "District 12" complete with costumed characters and Peeta Mellark's bakery.

Presumably, child visitors to these parks will not have to fight each other to the death like their on-screen peers.

[J from somewhere]

Maybe that's why the Chinese are now allowing couples to have two children now??

[Swiss Servator]

*opera applause*

[commodious spittoon]

Presumably, child visitors to these parks will not have to fight each other to the death like their on-screen peers.

Then what's the point?

[lafe.long]

Tropicana Club: Man Loses Hand During Fight Outside Club in Bryan, Texas, Police Say

Both men involved in the fight that took place early Sunday morning were armed with machetes, Bryan police said. The victim, 37, was taken to St. Joseph Regional Health Center afterwards.

[Drake]

He should retrace his steps and think where he saw it last

[Mokers]

Common sense machete control would have prevented this.

[Lord Humungus]

MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Owes $70k to the IRS

Melissa Harris-Perry has been in the news a lot for saying ridiculous things. The liberal MSNBC anchor has seen scorn for blaming socialism's failures on racism and even complaining that the term "hard worker" is offensive. These two blunders are mostly harmless, because anyone with an IQ above that of yogurt knows these statements are completely unfounded.

Much more troubling are her continuous calls for left-totalitarianism and state sponsored robbery of those who have earned. Not only is it ironic that Harris-Perry is one of the elites she wants to soak dry, but according to the internal revenue service, she doesn't pay her taxes like she wants you to.

[lafe.long]

Related:

Mike Rowe Explains Meaning Of "Hard Worker" To Race-Baiting MSNBC Host

[Free Society]

Melissa Harris-Perry is Salon magazine in human form. She taps into an endless reservoir of educated stupidity and sophistry.

[Crusty Juggler]

That was great. I now have a Mike Rowe-oner.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Using his given name as a sexual innuendo? That's a Mike Rowe aggression.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

SWISSY!!!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

*Snort*

Made me blow a little snot bubble out my nose.

[Swiss Servator]

*narrows gaze*

[sarcasmic]

I like Mike.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

Mike Rowe is on my celebrity free pass list.

[Illocust]

The rich are always those other people. No matter how far up the food chain you go, until you hit billionaire status you aren't rich.

This is actually pretty understandable. We are really good at adjusting our standard of living to match our income, and until we are forced to a lot of people don't realize exactly how many luxuries they have.

[sarcasmic]

The rich are those with more stuff than you. The richer you get, the fewer rich people there are in the world.

[Elspeth Flashman]

Yes. I had a co-worker whose family inherited I'd say millions from a grandmother's company. She also said "we're not that rich." She also took a two week holiday without pay to go interview for a job in California.

[Monty Crisco]

FLASH: LIBERALS ARE TOTAL FUCKING HYPOCRITES WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES!!!

And in a late breaking report from our on-the-scene reporter, Charlie Rangel reports that water is STILL wet...

[lafe.long]

Polk County, Florida: Teacher Arrested After Allowing Students to See Pornography on His Phone, Police Say

Vadi Valez-Gonzalez, 47, was arrested Monday and is facing charges after four students saw pornographic material on his phone, police said. He has been placed on leave from Mulberry High School.

[Swiss Servator]

"Florida Teacher"

[Free Society]

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is introducing a bill that would criminalize warrantless cell phone surveillance by the government.

If the 4th Amendment just wasn't clear enough, I have doubts that some petty little statute will do the trick. The federal government is too lawless to be bothered by such restrictions that it ostensibly enforces on itself.

[Otis B. Driftwood]

O'Keefe's trolling pays off again:
Administrators literally shred Constitution after reporter calls it 'oppressive' and 'triggering'.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=6946

[Drake]

Vasser and Oberlin - more Marxist indoctrination centers than higher learning institutions.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Carol Lasser, Professor of History and Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Oberlin, likewise concurred that "[t]he Constitution is an oppressive document" because it intentionally makes change a slow process.

"I think birthright citizenship is right," she whispers. "And you know that if that was up for a vote today we would lose it under the craziness of Trump and his seven dwarves."

Those two sentences don't seem to go together.

[some guy]

she whispers

I hate it when someone whispers in an interview in an attempt to sound more profound. I'll bet she's got terminal vocal fry too.

[commodious spittoon]

Yeahhhhh that's annn identity thinnng and youuuuu just don't get iiiiit.

[Crusty Juggler]

Kelly Grab is Assistant Director for Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action/Title IX Investigator at Vassar. That is a job right there.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Make-work is important!

[RBS]

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a device a business client of mine uses in her homeopath practice. I have now learned that the FDA treats this thing like a legitimate medical device (class II). So, in order to get the machine's license transferred to my client from the defendant (and former partner) I have to prove that my client has a certification or license for something that this state does not even recognize.

[RBS]

Explaining the details of the business to the judge at our temporary injunction hearing last week was fun though.

[Elspeth Flashman]

It's always more fun when you know more than the judge, makes it easier for the judge to agree with you.

[R C Dean]

I'm trying to remember if I have ever not known more than the judge. Nothing comes to mind.

[commodious spittoon]

What do you call a law student who graduates bottom of his class?

[Entropy Drehmaschine Void]

You lost me at quackery, er ... homeopath.

[Mongo]

We had a needle in a piece of Halloween candy during the weekend that the local news hyperventilated over. The photo showed a very long needle poked into a piece of caramel.

Of course, the next day it was reported thar the kid did it himself.

[SFC B]

My community's Facebook group exploded over the weekend concerning someone trying to abduct a group of children out trick-or-treating. Turned out it was a group of high schoolers, the suspected kidnapper was one of their friends, and it was all caused by one of the parents completely over-reacting to something they witnessed from a hundred yards away. Every mother in the group though praised the original poster though for how she was speaking up and trying to protect the kids.

Is being a parent going to turn my wife and I into pant-shittingly terrified people?

[R C Dean]

I could easily see that ending with a bunch of kids killed in a hail of bullets blasted at a moving vehicle.

[Derpetologist]

Police in New Haven take valuables from unlocked cars to prevent theft

[Swiss Servator]

I am sure, absolutely sure, 100% of the items were accounted for and returned by our HEROES!

[Rufus J. Fisk]

so the police stole shit and they wont be locked up?

[Lee G]

Now that's some quality police logic

[R C Dean]

I always used to laugh at the announcement at O'Hare. Something like:

"Do not leave your bags unattended, or airport security will take them."

[sarcasmic]

Superjet made-in-China: First look inside the C919 passenger plane as the country's home-made airliner makes its worldwide debut

China unveils first jet made solely by the country in Shanghai today
168-seat narrow-body jet is set to take on Boeing 737 and Airbus 320
517 jets have been ordered by 21 customers from China and abroad
State journalist was given special permission to board the first jet

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....debut.html

Reminds me of an old joke: If Huffy made an airplane would you fly in it?

[RBS]

Journalists have already compared the brand new aircraft with the famous Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 passenger planes.

I can't imagine why...

[sarcasmic]

Flatulence from 2,186 sheep forced plane to make emergency landing after gas set off smoke alarms

Smoke was later identified as the gas and manure of 2,186 sheep on board
The 747-400 freighter plane made the emergency landing in Bali Denpasar
Flight SQ-7108 re-departed and reached Kuala Lumpur two hours later

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tra.....larms.html

[sarcasmic]

To boldly go where Star Trek has been before! Reboot of cult television show announced 50 years after Captain Kirk first explored the universe in starship Enterprise

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs.....ccess.html
Paging all you dorks!

[Swiss Servator]

Yeah, yeah, what d' ye want?

/dork

[sarcasmic]

Oh my!

[sarcasmic]

Statue takes liberty: The shocking moment a Times Square street performer 'comes to life' when he kicks thief in the FACE for attempting to rob his pot of money

Passer-by pretends to put money in tip box but then grabs a pile of notes
Seconds later, the street performer kicks the would-be thief in the face
Shocking incident happened on a busy street in New York's Times Square

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....-York.html
Haaaaaa ha ha ha ha! That was awesome!

[straffinrun]

I love watching irony kick ass.

[Pope Jimbo]

Wait, isn't the statue of liberty made of copper?

[some guy]

And the thief has the temerity to ask the statue to help him up afterwards...

[commodious spittoon]

Common-sense foot control... no room for vigilantism in a civilized country... crime is best left to trained professionals to deal with...

[lafe.long]

From the "Eating their own" department:

Gawker: Social Media Users Express Anger Over Publication's Coverage of Fred Thompson's Death

Gawker referred to former actor and Sen. Fred Thompson as a "predatory home refinancing shill" in the story announcing his death, sparking anger from social media users.

[sarcasmic]

The Tibetan 'sky burials' where bodies are chopped up and left to be picked clean by vultures 'who take the dead to Heaven'

Sky burials are practiced by some Buddhist Tibetans and Mongolians
Bodies of deceased people are chopped up and offered to vultures to feed on
Tibetans believe vultures are angel-like figures that will take the souls into the heavens
They are encouraged to witness the ritual, to confront death and feel the 'impermanence' of life

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....eaven.html
I want to come back as bird shit.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

We need more of this: http://www.latimes.com/socal/g.....story.html

[sarcasmic]

Can YOU solve this high school maths problem? Students still scratching their heads over the '50 cent piece' question in final exams - and parents admit even they have no idea how to answer it

Some Victorian Year 12 students sat the VCE Further Maths exam on Friday
Students are complaining that a multiple choice question was too hard
An online debate has begun online with others arguing it is too easy
Adults are now testing themselves to see if they can solve the question

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....stion.html
Took me like three seconds to figure that out.

[Juvenile Bluster]

I was able to figure it out, and it's been nearly 20 years since I last took a math class (though I did kind of cheat to figure out the answer).

[straffinrun]

That diagram is begging for some graffiti.

[db]

Maybe like 5 seconds for me.

[R C Dean]

Same here.

My only question is whether they want the answer in Celsius or Fahrenheit.

[IndyEleven]

It's the UK, so it should be in hogsheads or possibly rods.

[Derpetologist]

Sum of the interior angles of a regular polygon: 180 degrees x (number of sides - 2)

180 degrees x (12-2) = 1800 degrees

1800/12 = 150 degrees

The intersection is made up theta plus 2 150 degree angles. The sum of the angles is 360 degrees.

So, 360 = 2(150) + theta

theta = 60 degrees

I'll be checking the mail for my Fields Medal.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Hell, you could just eye-ball 60 degrees.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Outside angles = 360

360/12 is one ange

sum of two angles

360/6 = 60

[CatoTheChipper]

It took me about 45 seconds. But I diagrammed the problem to confirm that my intuitive guess from looking at the picture was correct.

[Derpetologist]

Arachnophobic prosecutor who threatened to shoot Halloween decorations also tried to prosecute student for wearing pro 2nd amendment shirt.

[Swiss Servator]

Irony so rich, I could pick it up with a magnet!

[Crusty Juggler]

*squints*

[John]

So every lefty I know is posting on Facebook about Anonymous supposedly outing all of these politicians who are connected with the KKK. The same people who constantly worry about "The New McCarthyism" are totally okay with taking the word of a criminal organization with a totally unsourced list linking people to the KKK.

There is no way to judge the credibility of that list or even determine what it means to be "associated with the KKK" even if the list were valid. The list is nothing but vile slander. It is no different than McCarthy saying he had a "list of 100 Communists in the State Department", except of course we know now his list was likely accurate.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Even the Gawker network is admitting the list is bullshit.

[sarcasmic]

I just skimmed an article on the subject and there was no mention of any political parties. That tells me that all the outed politicians are Democrats.

[John]

A good number of them are local Democratic politicians in the South. It is a bi-partisan list. Even if it were all Democrats, it is still a vile slander that should be ignored.

[RBS]

I had a great uncle who was, according to my grandmother, in the Klan. I guess I too am "associated" with the KKK.

[sarcasmic]

Sins of the fathers...

[commodious spittoon]

...are worth two in the bush?

/unclearontheconcept

[sarcasmic]

hth

[R C Dean]

There is no way to judge the credibility of that list

Yeah, there is.

Its obvious bullshit.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

Posted without comment...or surprise: http://www.kfbb.com/story/3037.....ow-officer

[lafe.long]

Madeline Rogero: Knoxville, Tenn., Mayor Denies Anonymous' Claims She's Affiliated With Ku Klux Klan

I strongly request that anyone associated with the creation and dissemination of this false and defamatory accusation retract it immediately. It is irresponsible and slanderous. (Although, on a positive note, I do appreciate that they are using a picture of me from 12 years ago. Very flattering!)

[Ken Shultz]

The most interesting part of the WSJ/NBC survey is the part (Page 9) where they subtract the percentage who see a candidate as negative from the percentage who see the candidate as positive.

Ben Carson +13
Bernie Sanders +6
The Democratic Party +2
Barack Obama +1
Marco Rubio +1
Paul Ryan -5
Hillary Clinton -7
Ted Cruz -10
The Republican Party -15
Jeb Bush -24
Donald Trump -29

http://www.wsj.com/public/reso.....erPoll.pdf

There are a couple of interesting things about this. One of them is that Bush or Trump would almost certainly lose to Hillary if the election were held today. The second is that not only would Carson trounce Hillary if the election were held today, he's the only Republican candidate that's more popular with the American people than the Democratic Party.

[John]

Time will tell, but I have been saying for a long time Carson is a very dangerous candidate. I think Carson would get, for Democrats, an alarming number of black votes. A decent number blacks are socially conservative and would vote for Carson because he is black where they would not vote for any other Republican. Carson wouldn't get anything like a majority of the black vote, but he might get 15 or 20 percent. And that would doom any Democratic opponent.

[Ken Shultz]

Blacks only make up, what, 12% of the population?

Carson seems to be popular with white liberal swing voters, too--perhaps because he's black. It's like Carson is getting a lot of swing Democrat support for being black and a bunch of Republican support for being a Republican, too.

People don't like Trump because he's Trump, and if Bush's last name were something else, his approval ratings might go up by 20%. In fact, Bush's and Trump's negatives are worse than the Republican Party's, which means they're not only seen as negative by Democrats--Bush and Trump are seen as negative by Republicans, too (people who see the Republican Party as positive).

[Crusty Juggler]

The Republicans who are increasing Carson's numbers are so deceitful about their racism that they would vote for a black man just to hide their racism.

[Ken Shultz]

At some point, they'll go from making fun of his religion to calling him an Uncle Tom, I'm sure.

[Ken Shultz]

So in short?

Yeah, being black may be the only thing that can make up for being Republican in the general election.

Otherwise, you have to overcome a -15% perception hurdle just for being a Republican.

Hillary's negatives are so high, Republicans might be able to beat her anyway--unless they're Trump or Bush.

Bush should have changed his last name to MacGillicuddy.

[R C Dean]

Blacks only make up, what, 12% of the population?

And if half of them voted Republican, Obama would never have been elected or re-elected.

[John]

Ken, blacks switch votes effectively counts as two votes on the margin; one less for the Democrats and one more for Republicans. Go back and look at the numbers. If the Republican nominee had gotten 20% of the black vote nationally, there would not have been a Democratic President since Johnson.

[sarcasmic]

As usual, this election will be decided not by voters who vote for someone, but rather by voters who vote against someone.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

Now the incessant political commercials will stop for about 9 months. No more of that guy standing on his daughter's corpse to push gun control that in no way would have prevented her murderer from getting a firearm through perfectly legal channels.

[John]

I only saw one. It was the one against the woman legislator in NOVA where they linked her to the proposed $15 or whatever it is toll on 66. I am sorry if it would effect you, but I so hope McAuliffe gets his way on that. He is only governor because NOVA voted for him. They wanted his dumb ass and were warned repeatedly how bad his being governor would be. The voters of NOVA so deserve that toll. I hope he makes it $30 each way.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

I don't give two shits about I-66. That's Arlington. The only time I drive that way is to go visit my dad once a year, and that's outside the Beltway (the proposed toll would be inside the Beltway).

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

And how is it possible you've only seen one political ad? Literally 1/2 of every commercial break segment on my TV is campaign ads. Does MD have a different election day than everyone else?

[lafe.long]

Who on earth still watches commercials?

[sarcasmic]

People without DVRs.

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

I haz a DVR, but I watch a good amount of live TV, and I'm actually not a big channel-changer.

[sarcasmic]

I generally record programs ahead of time. If there's something on that I want to watch I'll pause it, find something else to do for ten or fifteen minutes so it builds up a buffer, then watch it until I exhaust the buffer. Wash, rinse, repeat. I hate commercials.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I only watch TV for the commercials.

[John]

I only watch commercials during live sporting events. Otherwise, I DVR it and fast forward through them.

[Rhywun]

I haven't seen a single political ad. There is nothing to vote for in Brooklyn. I think Staten Island is voting for an assistant DA or something but that's about it around here.

[Lord Humungus]

High Beef Costs Lead To More Meat Thefts, Experts Say

The soaring sirloin prices are a sign of the times, according to Schweid. The popularity of high-protein diets, like the Atkins Diet, increases cattle feed costs.

More recently, the drought in the Midwest has also led to a dramatic rise in beef prices ? and more meat thieves hitting the stores.

According to NYPD detective Joe Giacalone, beef burglars get creative, with their tactics routinely caught on surveillance video.

"They'll put it on an eight-year-old or a six-year-old knowing that the police aren't going to arrest them," Giacalone said.

Some stores are even considering putting anti-theft packaging on their meat products ? devices similar to sensors put on clothing.

[R C Dean]

What crap.

Cattle prices are high because of the drought in cow country a few years back. Everybody's herd's got knocked way down, leading to reduced supply. Its completely cyclical and predictable. Everybody I knew in the cow biz predicted this, because they've seen it before.

[Rhywun]

I was looking at filet mignons last night at the supermarket and almost lost my balance. $29.99 a pound.

[Rhywun]

"They'll put it on an eight-year-old or a six-year-old knowing that the police aren't going to arrest them," Giacalone said.

I worked checkstands during college 25 years ago and folks were doing this exact same thing. This is nothing new.

[lafe.long]

Bill Gates: Businessman Discusses Capitalism and Global Warming in November Issue of The Atlantic

Gates said the incentive to invest in new forms of energy is limited and "there's no fortune to be made" in the free market. He suggested the U.S. should triple funding for energy research.

"Yes, the government will be somewhat inept," he said brusquely, swatting aside one objection as a trivial statement of the obvious. "But the private sector is in general inept. How many companies do venture capitalists invest in that go poorly? By far most of them."

[Kristen Bids No Trump]

So Bill Gates doesn't understand the difference between voluntary, private VC and coerced tax money from poor people. Got it.

[John]

Gates said the incentive to invest in new forms of energy is limited and "there's no fortune to be made" in the free market.

Says one of the richest capitalists in history. Of course if you want to be snarky about Gates' ethics and tactics while running Microsoft, I guess you could say from his perspective there wasn't.

Gates is no longer an important person. He no longer runs his own company or does anything important. He is just another celebrity rich guy with too much time and money on his hands.

[Lee G]

He appears to be suffering Newt Gingrich syndrome

[Old.Mexican]

"But the private sector is in general inept. How many companies do venture capitalists invest in that go poorly? By far most of them."

Governments are less inept because they don't lose their own money like the venture capitalists usually do.

Wow! Logic!

Does it occur to Gates that governments generally lose even MORE money, except that a) its not theirs and b) they can always print/take more?

[lafe.long]

Emmie Rossum wants to talk about your balls

[sarcasmic]

She can give me an exam any time.

[DEG]

I'll be down in the Philly area for an upcoming weekend, staying northwest of the city between King of Prussia and the Berks County line. Yes, I'm a little vague here because I don't want to publicly post exactly when I'll be away from home.

Are there any Philly folks who want to meet for beer? If so, send me a line at dgroves140 at gmail dot com.

[commodious spittoon]

Me mum was born in King of Prussia.

Literally the only thing I know about Philadelphia.

[Old.Mexican]

According to a new poll from The Wall Street Journal/NBC News, Ben Carson is now the GOP presidential front-runner.

Republicans are so racist they would even consider voting for a black neurosurgeon born from two black parents and who lived dirt-poor throughout his childhood years instead of living in comfort and going to expensive preppy schools, just to hide their horrible innate racism!

[SFC B]

I'm looking for some handgun advice. My wife wants to replace her .38 S&W Model 60 revolver with something a bit lighter. She has a handicap which limits the use of one of her hands, and as a result she has a difficult time with semi-automatics (one-handed she has a hard time holding her wrist stiff enough to give enough resistance for the slide's action to cycle; they wind up jamming after a couple rounds). Any recommendations for a lightweight revolver suitable for someone with a fairly small hand?

[Lee G]

North American Arms 22 revolvers. Tiny carry weapon with optional holster grip.

http://northamericanarms.com/i.....ms/lr.html

[Monty Crisco]

IN .22 mag, of course.

RIGHT?!?!

[CraterMaker]

Bought my wife a S&W airweight - extremely light, double action, and insanely accurate for only having a 1 7/8" barrel on it... .38 +p. We love it, though with the exposed hammer it's slightly less optimal for concealed carry. Got some sort of hi tech light weight frame. Came with hogue grips with a laser built into them. Bought it for her because her hands werent strong enough or big enough to work the automatics effectively. She can put touching bullets on the bullseye at twenty feet with it now, a couple of times a shoot. I don't remember the exact model number, and all the small s&w revolvers all look alike to me. But the Airweight weight savings are noticable.

[SFC B]

Was it the 637 LaserMax? Others in that line have internal hammers so will have to check them out. Thanks for the advice and recommendation. We'll go check them out.

[CraterMaker]

Checked the paperwork, and it's a 637. Not the lasermax, it has a crimson trace laser built into some comfy hogue grip. I do like the looks of that Lasermax setup though, as when I have my finger off the trigger it usually obscures the trigger. Is it available aftermarket do you kow?

[CraterMaker]

my preference, when I buy another one, is to get the shrouded hammer - it looks like a decent compromise with the ability to draw from a pocket or purse, and still being able to be cocked.. . When I bought I was just looking for a drawer gun, but after a lot of thinking about it that's the way I'm gonna go for the next one. Actually, the next one will be a .357 that can fire .38's in about as tiny a package I can get, so I can carry .38's concealed or switch to .357 when camping. Not sure if they do that in an ultralight package, but a guy can dream. Not too worried about recoil if I'm shooting a bear in the campsite, and the .38 recoil is easy even in the small package - +p's have a little more pop, but well within my tolerance levels.

[Pope Jimbo]

A wife with small hands? You sir are a lucky bastard.

Your dick must look huge when she is playing with it with her tiny hands!

[CraterMaker]

Like a toddler holding a whiffle ball bat.

[Monty Crisco]

Can't go wrong with a Ruger SP-101. Comes in a variety of calibers. Solid as a fucking rock.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Heavy as a rock too. Or at least heavier than the model 60.

Your wife will be able to club a mother-fucker to death after she runs out of ammo.

I like the Airweight suggestion, good, small, and light; works like the gun being replaced, except is DAO (Cant cock the hammer back). almost 10 oz. lighter.

[CraterMaker]

Whups, must have messed up my gun terms - you can fire it double or single action. We love the gun, and fell in love with S&W's because of it. I just wish they weren't so expensive... When she gets back from crossfit I'll find out where the paperwork on it is, to get the exact model number on it. Took a cursory look at the thing earlier and couldn't find it or a model number or a serial number to i.d. it with (where do they hide that thing, anyways?).

[bacon-magic]

ruger lcr revolvers. very light.

[Ardis3]

The polling hyped by the donor class' MSM to oust Trump is getting mighty selective.
Here are the latest national GOP poll numbers:
Reuters/Ipsos Oct 28-Nov 2--Trump 31% Carson: 18%
Huffington Poll Trend Nov. 2--Trump: 29.8 Carson 23.8
Rasmussen Oct. 30--Trump 31% Carson: 20%. 1,000 Likely Voters. Margin of error 3%
IBD/TIPP, Oct 24-29--Trump 28% Carson: 23% (Last month Carson led by 7 pts.)
WSJ/NBC Oct 25-29--Carson: 29% Trump: 23% 400 Likely Voters. Margin of error: 5%
You Gov/Economist Oct. 23-27--Trump 32% Carson 18%. 447 Registered Voters.
Gravis/Marketing Oct 26-26--Trump 36% Carson 22%
CBS/N.Y.Times Oct. 21-25--Carson: 26% Trump: 22%. 512 registered voters. Margin of error 6%-7%
Morning Consuit Oct 22-25--Trump 35% Carson 20%. 714 Registered voters.

So guess which polls the MSM are hand picking?

[Zeb]

Huh?

[straffinrun]

Jsut roll with it, Zeb.

[commodious spittoon]

Everyone knows Gillespie posts under the moniker el chaqueta.

[Robert]

Just trying to imagine someone fucking ethanol's ma.