House Passes Highway Bill, Trade Agreement Text Released, Trump and Carson to Get Secret Service Guards: P.M. Links

• 

  Credit: Oran Viriyincy / photo on flickr

  The House has passed the $325 billion transportation bill, calling for spending $261 billion on highways and $55 billion on transit. It authorizes spending for six years but only actually funds three years. Embedded, but completely unrelated to transportation, is reauthorization of the cronyist Export-Import Bank. It will need to be reconciled with the Senate's bill, but passage pretty much means it's going to be back from the dead.

• The text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was released today, so now people can argue about the actual content rather than speculation and fears.
• Doctors Without Borders has produced its own report about the U.S. military strike of its hospital in Afghanistan and describes instances where "doctors and other medical staff were shot while running to reach safety in a different part of the compound."
• California Gov. Jerry Brown had state employees research and report on whether there was any mining or drilling potential at his family's private ranch in the northern part of the state. They produced a 51-page report for him.
• Donald Trump and Ben Carson will be getting Secret Service details protecting them soon.
• Myanmar is poised to have its first democratic election in 25 years. Well, sort-of democratic, given that the country does not allow its Muslim ethnic minority population to either vote or run for office.
• Illinois Police Officer Joseph Gliniewicz, who staged his own suicide apparently out of fear his embezzlement from a police explorer program was about to be uncovered, also may have tried to get a gang member to kill an administrator he feared would discover his stealing. His widow and son are now also under criminal investigation over the embezzlement.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

California Gov. Jerry Brown had state employees research and report on whether there was any mining or drilling potential at his family's private ranch in the northern part of the state.

Cali has an energy shortage!

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Hello.

To my Canadian brethren. How do you feel about the Shiny Toy government splitting the cabinet between 15 men and 15 women because (magic!) EQUALITY!

No need for merit under Justin.

God I hate progressives and the Liberal party of Canada.

[Notorious UGCC]

I thought 30 was pretty much Canada's entire population.

[OneOut]

Do the women get paid 77% of what the ment get paid ?

[Rhywun]

Great, each of the men has his own woman to fetch him a sammich.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Ewww! Canadian sandwiches!

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

+1 Poutine & Canadian "bacon" on Wonder "Bread"

[Pan Zagloba]

I will speak positively of Montreal-style corned beef on rye.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Is there anything the Jews can't do?

[Crusty Juggler]

Athletics?

[Old Man With Candy]

Produce women who aren't raving bitches?

[SilentCal]

Melt Steel Beams?

Hitler?

[Rhywun]

Melt Steel Beams?

YARRR YE BE CORRECT MATEY

[Los Doyers]

Bacon?

[BigT]

Shake their foreskins?

[Mazakon]

I'm just waiting on feminists to realize how this devalues women, which I suspect will be sometime after they idolizing him.

[brady949]

Jessica Valenti: Canada's new gender equal cabinet is equivalent to rape

[Krabappel]

He should have appointed all women because women are as, if not more capable than men.

I give the Canadian Prime ministers shallow attempts to placate feminists THREE problematics.

*scowlface.gif* *scowlface.gif* *scowlface.gif*

[expat]

meh.

There are bigger things to worry about, like how they are about to spend money like a bunch of drunken sailors on furlough.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Oh wait until the faux-populist champion of the middle-class matches Quebec's insane $1 billion bail out of those bums at Bombardier.

Easily the shittiest piece of shit crony entity in Canada.

[Agammamon]

That is an unfair attack on drunken sailors. We only spend money until we run out. Government's don't limit themselves like that.

[gaoxiaen]

...run out or *or pass out.

[Tejicano]

...and you don't run out until you have sold your watch, shoes, jacket, ...

[Granny Weatherwax]

By pooling every last cent to buy a hideously expensive cheese "pizza" in Monaco to split 8 ways?

[Cytotoxic]

It's stupid but mostly harmless.

I keep seeing all these bullshit headlines about how this new government is going to GET SERIOUS ABOUT SCIENCE. With like money and stuff. And seriousness. Little more worried about that, but still mostly harmless.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

I don't see shit like that as harmless CT.

That crap erodes morale.

Like it would in any business or walk of life.

[Cytotoxic]

I'm more afraid of the climate policies he will introduce.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Don't you mean fail to introduce?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Oh no. They will. They're die in the wool climate cultists.

Ever listen to Chrystia Freeland - former editor at the FT?

Talk about Krugmonian's Disease gone nuts.

[Cytotoxic]

At least she's in one of the not important cabinet positions but still. She's so dangerous. She belongs in the NDP.

We need another bone crunching 2009er recession. That will scare this government out of stupid climate ideas at least for a while.

[Granny Weatherwax]

Well Rufus, since Canada is not renowned for its warm weather, their policies may actually cause them to die in the wool when they can't heat their houses.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

OUR HEAD OF [something] IS A GODDAMNED ASTRONAUT!

Saw this on one of my Canuckistani piping friend's memes about "equal representation and blah blah blah!"

Nauseating, yet - entertaining....

Call me when you tards get to the fucking MOON. Then you have some "astronauts".

[Ted S.]

Aaron Rodgers beat an astronaut on Jeopardy! Says something about astronauts.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Depends on the astronaut. In the old days, they were jet jockeys. They were cigar smoking, hard drinkin', bar fightin', swinging dicks. They weren't the jeopardy types.

Now they're former school teachers.

Which makes Space a zero tolerance zone.

[gaoxiaen]

No trans... head?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Aaron Rodgers went to the best public university in the world. He's not stupid.

[Enough About Woodchippers]

Was in Berkeley on Monday night. Ate at the Mount Everest Restaurant on Telegraph Avenue. The Chicken Karahi is to die for. Would go again.

[Enough About Woodchippers]

@ Pl?ya, btw.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It wasn't there during my time, but I know the owners.

I'm just now learning to like Indian food.

[Ted S.]

Spreading the Butte Community College love!

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Marc Garneau. Decent guy. I could digest him better than Beau Trudeau. But yeah, progtard.

[foghornleghorn]

Out of curiosity, when did science become politicized? I'm still young (almost 30) and I don't recall it being like this when I was still in school. I remember loving science classes and reading about new ideas and inventions on my free time. I can remember building those little rockets and really wanting one of those kick ass chemistry sets when I was around 10 or so.

Now, I can't hardly stand to see the word because I know a bunch of stupid bullshit is about to follow.

It's depressing.

[Gene]

They value proggy optics over the general welfare of the nation.

WTF is with the new portfolio :
Ministry of the Environment and Global Warming

I can imagine some crazy shit going down in Paris at the upcoming progfest.

[Rhywun]

Speaking of which... there are thirty cabinet positions? That seems like a lot.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

Czars gonna Czar, Canada style. Yo

[Crusty Juggler]

You need a Moose Czar, a Zamboni Czar, an Ice Fishing Czar...

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

What's the poutine czar, chopped liver?

[gaoxiaen]

High Minister of Hockey.

[gaoxiaen]

Hoe could this not be first? Minister of Marijuana.

[gaoxiaen]

*How... ...edit button.

[Pan Zagloba]

When you commit to having half your cabinet female, you need a lot of make-work jobs?

That's sexist and unfair, it's 30 because that way departments can overlap and you have better potential for government growth.

[Raven Nation]

Australia: population = 21m

Members of Parliament (2 houses) = 226

Number in Inner Cabinet = 19

Number in Outer Cabinet = 10

Total number of cabinet portfolios (some ministers hold more than one) = 35

[Ted S.]

I'm reminded of when Clinton made the #1 requirement for his Attorney General be having a vulva. He went through two rejects before winding up with the horrid Janet Reno.

[Almanian's Rusty Woodchipper]

So - still no vulva #fail

[Pan Zagloba]

It fills me with modicum of hope that he didn't pick 30 biggest idiots in his party and shove them up there. I mean, Ms. Pickety could have been Minister of Finance, but as Minister of Trade she can't do as much damage.

So, Rufus, I was asking yesterday, any reaction in Quebec to Liberals sticking by denying Toronto downtown airport expansion, which means $2.3 billion contract with Bombardie for small jets is void?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Not that I've heard. I know Toronto is suing Bomb. for something else though.

What a confused mess of crony stupidity this country can be.

[Raven Nation]

Saw your post about Mourinho the other day - thanks for posting. I'm not surprised most of the fans want to keep him. I understand he may be a douche, but he wins. And, yes, douches get fired when they stop winning but 10-ish games into the season seems a little early for panic. They probably can't win the title but does anyone seriously think they're getting relegated?

[Ted S.]

One can always hope!

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

No way.

[Rhywun]

My god I would hop around like a giddy schoolgirl.

[gaoxiaen]

Your overlords are pikers.

[But Enough About Me]

Shiny Pony's new Cabinet is pure comedy gold. ***GOLD***, I tell you!

Although actually having a veteran (and a kick-ass Sikh one, at that) running Defense strikes me as a surprisingly astute move. I'll have to assume that the Shiny Pony had virtually nothing to do with the details of all this -- he's always struck me as the kind of guy who, sitting upon his elevated chair, waves his hands in a vaguely 16th-century French king style and muttering "Don't bother me with the details. It's all so tedious. Apr?s moi, le d?luge..."

[But Enough About Me]

Ahem.

"mutters"

Flippin' lack of edit function.

[gaoxiaen]

+1 agreement

[Akira]

"To my Canadian brethren. How do you feel about the Shiny Toy government splitting the cabinet between 15 men and 15 women because (magic!) EQUALITY!"

Is that real life?

Does it occur to anyone that mandatory diversity quotas are actually pretty racist (or sexist) in themselves? "Hey guys, we need to hire more black people because black people are SO completely different from white people! Black and white people are like, not the same at all in any way, therefore we're promoting diversity!"

[Sevo]

"Disabled job applicants are 26% less likely to get a job, study finds"
[?]
"In a field experiment, the researchers submitted resumes and cover letters for 6,016 advertised accounting positions from well-qualified, fictitious candidates. One-third of applicants disclosed the presence of Asperger's syndrome, one-third said they had a spinal cord injury, and one-third of applicants did not disclose a disability. Half of the applicants portrayed a novice accountant while half portrayed an experienced one.
The fictional applicants with disabilities received 26 percent fewer inquiries from potential employers than those without disabilities."
http://blog.sfgate.com/gettowo.....get-a-job/
Well, Mr. or Ms. HR-Person, how would you like to hire someone who, courtesy of the ADA, can sue your pants off if the door to the rest room gets sticky, compared to the person who could only gripe about it?
We'll give you some time to make sure you don't make a mistake here?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Yep. If you hire somebody with a disability, they'd better be fucking outstanding, because you can never fire them.
Isn't the government SO helpful?

BTW, Asperger's syndrome isn't a disability. Yet.

[Citizen X]

Pl?ya Manhattan.|11.5.15 @ 4:39PM|#

Yep. If you hire somebody with a disability, they'd better be fucking outstanding, because you can never fire them.
Isn't the government SO helpful?

BTW, Asperger's syndrome isn't a disability. Yet.

reply to this
Cytotoxic|11.5.15 @ 4:41PM|#

This would be more interesting if we could find the likelihood of a disabled person getting hired before ADA was a thing.

reply to this

That's a fun juxtaposition.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Because of his Asperger's?

[Cytotoxic]

...?

[SugarFree]

Perfect.

[Swiss Servator]

Indeed.

[Cytotoxic]

"...?" intensifies.

[SFC B]

I think AEI did a study on this and employment for disabled people has decreased under the ADA. Turns out that making it more costly to employ someone reduces how often they're hired.

Who'd have thunk it?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

BTW, Asperger's syndrome isn't a disability. Yet.

Half of Hit -n- Run commenters are awaiting that glorious day.

[Suthenboy]

I never thought about that before but you people have me questioning myself. Damn y'all.

I never panic. I rarely ever feel fear. At funerals I am usually the only one not crying. I always thought of myself as stoic...but maybe that isnt it.

A few years back I was told I had an incurable condition that would certainly kill me. No fear, no panic, no sorrow, just "How long? Oh, ok." Thank Zod the condition is under good control now, but still, eventually I will take a sudden nosedive. My only thought is "well at least I am lucky enough to know how and roughly when. Most people don't have that."

And no Eddie, it didn't make me a believer. There are atheists in the foxholes. Plenty of us.

[Cytotoxic]

This would be more interesting if we could find the likelihood of a disabled person getting hired before ADA was a thing.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Why would you disclose Aspergers on you job application anyways? Hell, don't see why you would disclose a spinal cord injury either unless it was a job that was relevant for (and why would you apply for those anyways?).

[Rhywun]

Dittoes.

I'm sure the Aspergers will come out during the interview, though.

[Brett L]

We had a seriously Aspy IT guy who apparently only interviewed with men. Because the first time he was sent out to work on a woman's machine, he was there about five minutes before getting fired for staring at her tits and grinning. Her manager (male) confirmed that it was way beyond the lines of propriety. And this was at an institution that was not particularly PC.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

We had a seriously Aspy IT guy who apparently only interviewed with men.

All you had to say was Aspy guy. The IT part is presumed.

[gaoxiaen]

A good reason for spine injured people to apply would be this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmtntGu785k

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Her manager (male) confirmed that it was way beyond the lines of propriety. And this was at an institution that was not particularly PC.

Wait 'til it's a disability, then his tit-staring will be protected behavior.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

If she doesn't want to be stared at, then how come she has tits?

[gaoxiaen]

Right. That's their first-stage utilization.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

...?

[Old Man With Candy]

Why would you disclose Aspergers on you job application anyways?

Because you have Asperger's.

[MetalBard]

Yeah it basically does sound like something they would normally do.

[lap83]

I worked at an independent toy store for a couple of years in my early 20's and the manager went out of his way to avoid one disabled guy who was always coming by to ask if they were hiring. If possible, the assistant manager would warn him so he could literally go sneak into the backroom.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I had a boss who did that circa 2002, only he did it to avoid black female UCLA grads with biochem degrees.

[Suthenboy]

This made me laugh. And bite my tongue.

[gaoxiaen]

Ant hotties?

[gaoxiaen]

*Any... ... edit button. My mistakes are next-key. Some of you guys' are all over the place.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was released today...

But those secret trade deals are FANtastic.

[Suthenboy]

I never understood why Obumbles trade deal was secret.

Wait...that isnt true. I know why, I just don't know what his bullshit justification is.

King Obumbles negotiates everything in secret these days. Congress and the people get to find out what their shiny new deals are after they are signed.

A large portion of the country is committed to handing this power to Hillary Clinton.

[Bern-o-Matic 5000]

King Obumbles negotiates everything in secret these days. Congress and the people get to find out what their shiny new deals are after they are signed.

Well, given that all of his "deals" tend to involve one disastrous concession after another with little benefit to America, I can understand why he drags his feet on releasing the details.

[Pan Zagloba]

Eh, my favorite part of TPP is that literally every country's media is reporting on how horribly their delegation negotiated and are now fucked.

I guess maybe it was the Japanese who used their famous Oriental inscrutability to be the only country to reap all the benefits?

[Tonio]

I think a lot of these things are secret. They are very undemocratic.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Embedded, but completely unrelated to transportation, is reauthorization of the cronyist Export-Import Bank.

I haz a Paul Ryan disappoint.

[Lee G]

This is my shocked face.

:=|

[Chinny Chin Chin]

You have a Hitler mustache?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Now let's see your 'oh' face.

[Krabappel]

If we can't even get rid of this one fucking useless agency, then we can just assume democracy is dead, right?

Congress will never make any difficult decision as long as there is some interested party out there benefiting enough that they can lob a few hundred thousand dollars in campaign donations to the right critters.

Fuck you, Boeing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...describes instances where "doctors and other medical staff were shot while running to reach safety in a different part of the compound."

Double taps aren't just for drone pilots.

[Brett L]

They were running towards safety. Jesus, don't words mean anything.

[JW]

This is what happens to un-well disciplined AQ.

Where's joe? He should be here to brag about his unflagging devotion to democracy and his Peace President.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Donald Trump and Ben Carson will be getting Secret Service details protecting them soon.

So nonfavored agents have to other details to be exiled to in addition to Hillary's.

[Notorious UGCC]

I bet that compared to Hillary, getting assigned to Trump and Carson would be like getting an all-expense paid trip to a Bogota brothel.

[Chinny Chin Chin]

Carson, when asked about this, said, "I don't feel the need for it, quite frankly. But the Secret Service thinks that I need it. So, you know, it is what it is,"

Why can't he just say, "No thanks"? Since when did the SS become as inevitable as death and taxes?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Trump's could end up fun. You know he doesn't have any ugly employees.

[thrakkorzog]

Plus if there's a candidate out there with a hookup for hookers and blow, you know it is Trump.

[gaoxiaen]

Complimentary casino chips, yay!

[The Late P Brooks]

"Free trade" bill.

Why do I assume trade will not be made more free by this?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Because you're a cynic?

[Sevo]

Because Obo swears it will?

[The Late P Brooks]

"Free trade" bill.

Why do I assume trade will not be made more free by this?

[Notorious UGCC]

The bill's lips are moving?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

And you're a cynic, too!

[Fist of Etiquette]

...given that the country does not allow its Muslim ethnic minority population to either vote or run for office.

Dr. Carson just got a boner.

[Agammamon]

Half our commenters are checking out job opportunities in Myanmar.

[Just say Nikki]

This law school social media policy is so bad I can't believe it's real.

[Juvenile Bluster]

It's the students that put that together, not administration, it seems.

But it's fucking insane.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That's despairingly.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

That's despairingly..? what?

Problematic?

Hilarious?

Apt for a law school?

[Lee G]

Before posting, re-read your comment to make sure it can't be misconstrued as negative or inappropriate. If you have any doubt, ask someone else to read it before you post it.

Or you could just post at Gawker, where they screen all the comments

[Apatheist ?_??]

Not only Gawker but Above the Law cross posting at Gawker. Above the Law was already the Gawker of legal blogs before they started that relationship.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Respond to questions or inquiries in a timely fashion.

That's the last straw for me. I ignore anyone I like on the internets, whether they like it or not.

[Ted S.]

Isn't law school in general so bad?

[paranoid android]

Huh, turns out I can't read this article about an Orwellian Internet policy because my own office's Orwellian policy has that site blacklisted under the category "Abused Drugs".

[commodious spittoon]

That is so badly written I'm beginning to think I should take the LSAT just to see how I place.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

* Provide positive and insightful commentary to help create a bond and build a rapport with users."

Does 'come suck my dick clean' count?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"for spending $261 billion on highways and $55 billion on transit"

WTF is "Transit"?

[brady949]

Empty buses.

[Agammamon]

Not buses - empty *light rail*,

[Tonio]

It's that telescope thingy that surveyors use. Price seems a bit high, but it is a government project.

[Swiss Servator]

*telescopically narrows gaze*

[Zeb]

I think it's what you get when you cross transsexual and asexual.

[commodious spittoon]

Transit is like Bop It except sexually themed and children are instructed to guess the right genital configuration given the audio prompts. Incorrect guesses really in a painful but harmless shock.

[gaoxiaen]

+1 Milgram

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"His widow and son are now also under criminal investigation over the embezzlement."

DON'T STEAL FROM THE MOTHERFUCKING COPS!!!

[commodious spittoon]

That money was just resting in my account before I moved it on!

[Trouser-Pod (The blowhard)]

Well, if the Lord would do that to you just for sayin' 'feck' to Bishop Brennan, imagine what He'll do....

[Fist of Etiquette]

...also may have tried to get a gang member to kill an administrator he feared would discover his stealing.

But his worst sin is still making his colleagues look bad.

[Just say Nikki]

His widow and son are now also under criminal investigation over the embezzlement.

How about any of the cop friends of his who supposedly helped stage the "murder"?

[Crusty Juggler]

Give him credit, he may have killed the selfie.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

So.... Would?

[Trouser-Pod (The blowhard)]

+1 Swiss Miss Mountain Girl

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Clearly, they need more training.

[Tonio]

Illinois Police Officer Joseph Gliniewicz, who staged his own suicide apparently out of fear his embezzlement from a police explorer program was about to be uncovered

Scott, "staged" makes it sound like he faked it and is still alive. The linked story indicates that he is indeed dead. "Committed suicide out of fear of discovery" would be better.

No Nikki.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

He staged a murder.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

/Yes Nikki

[Tonio]

In addition to the suicide? Wow.

[Just say Nikki]

Well, it was a suicide, but he wanted it to look like a murder.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Jesus. Who's the pedant now?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Jesus. Who's the pedant now?

St. Peter?

[brady949]

The House has passed the $325 billion transportation bill, calling for spending $261 billion on highways and $55 billion on transit. It authorizes spending for six years but only actually funds three years.

I can't even respond to that it's so ridiculous.

[Medical Physics Guy]

Damn Right Amazon Runs a Fucking Deficit and So Should America

Someone in my facebook feed actually posted this.

Forget that the arguments are crap, I am not sure what would excite someone about writing an article that can not possibly convince anyone of anything by calling anyone who disagrees juvenile names. Who would waste their life writing stuff like this?

[Ted S.]

Shikha Dalmia?

[Medical Physics Guy]

Ouch.

[OneOut]

I read the first 1/2 of the article and then skipped to the comments.

never once are expenses mentioned.

Holly Wood claims that Amazon is running a deficit because their net profit is less than revenue.

I read about 10 comments and neither did any of their comments mention expenses.

Evidentially Holly Wood invented a new model of accounting where the difference between revenue, and net profit is a deficit.

[Drake]

Well, expenses are on the debit side of the accounting ledger...

Nope, still makes no sense.

[Cytotoxic]

Man presents with cancer. Cancer cells are not human. Turns out he was infested with parasitic worms, one of which got cancer which spread to him and killed him.

http://www.healthline.com/heal.....orm-110415

[Tonio]

Gross, but fascinating.

Question for the "hooman DNA" yokels - does the presence of non-human-DNA cells make this organism any less human?

[Private Chipperbot]

Interesting. Was he actually human at the point he died?

[creech]

So cisgender or transgender?

[Suthenboy]

Remarkable and terrifying yet somehow I am not surprised. It is one of those "Oh, of course" things.

The tapeworm already has adapted to our immune system so it seems unsurprising that it's cancer cells would be more or less invisible also.

[Juice]

There are some forms of cancer that ARE contagious.

[Cytotoxic]

"Triggering!" /Tasmanian devil

I have heard of a lab where the staff made some human cancer cell line and they were not using proper technique. One of them got it and spread it by kissing. Or something like that.

[tarran]

Remember when South Austrialia went dark because they killed their cattle eliminated their reliable power supplies?

Apparently the same thing almost happened in England last night.

Britain was forced to rely on new "last resort" measures to keep the lights on for the first time on Wednesday after coal power plants broke down and wind farms produced less than one per cent of required electricity.
National Grid used a new emergency scheme to pay large businesses to cut their electricity usage, resulting in dozens of large office buildings powering down their air conditioning and ventilation systems between 5pm and 6pm.
The scheme, which is paid for through levies on consumer energy bills, was introduced last year but had never been called upon before.
National Grid blamed the power crunch on "multiple plant break downs". Several ageing coal-fired power plants had unexpected maintenance issues and temporarily shut down, experts said, reducing available supplies.

[Mickey Rat]

Welcome to the Green Dark Age.

[tarran]

I don't feel welcome; I feel screwed over.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

It's democracy where you get the government other people deserve.

[JW]

Fucking ourselves back to the stone age is something we all do together.

That really never gets old.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Wouldn't Dark Green Age be more alliterative?

[Agammamon]

Its just 'Dark Age' - it doesn't matter what *color* its is when the lights don't work.

[Doctor Whom]

Thing no. 7,469,834 that, I've been told, can happen only in America.

[Suthenboy]

To say that it is the first time in England is a bit deceptive. I happened in Scotland a few years back. Some old people even froze to death. It isnt the first time it has happened in the UK, in other words, under their power scheme.

They really are driving themselves back into the dark ages.

[Krabappel]

But Ayn Rand was totally wrong about the incompetency of the government and bureaucracy.

[MetalBard]

SHE TOOOK SOCIAL SECURITY!!!!!!

At least I believe that is the common rebuttal to everything Ayn Rand predicted.

[tarran]

The Financial Times Article is fucking rage inducing:

The problem has been caused in part because electricity prices are too low to provide incentives to suppliers to build new capacity which can be used at short notice, such as gas.

It's utter horseshit. England electricity prices are among the highest in Europe. The problem is entirely the product that the British Government created a department called "The Department of Energy and Climate Change" staffed it with religious nutjobs who think the angry earth goddess hates industrialization and put it in charge of regulating the electricity grid.

Under the policy conventional power plants that use reliable sources of energy such as oil, gas, uranium or coal are almost impossible to build. They idled numerous coal power plants. And replaced them with fucking windmills and powerplants burning wood imported from the U.S.!

It's amazing how shamelessly the British media lies.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The mayor is perplexed why homelessness is so much worse-- what with all the money they've thrown at homelessness!

[RBS]

powerplants burning wood

GAIA does not approve.

[gaoxiaen]

Brazil fueled (fuels?) steel mills with wood.

[OneOut]

" And replaced them with fucking windmills and powerplants burning wood imported from the U.S.!"

burning wood ?

how the hell is this carbon friendly ?

Is wood greener than coal ?

Or since the wood is imported does that mean the local coal industry has no political power going forward.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

UK wind farms have a theoretical maximum capacity of more than 13,000 megawatts, but produced less than 400 megawatts of power for much of the peak demand period ? meeting less than one per cent of the UK's electricity needs, published data suggests.

why do I feel lied to by the environmentalists right about now?

[DesigNate]

If they have a theoretical maximum capacity of 13k but only produce 400, it's pretty fucking safe to say that the theory has been disproved.

But these are the assholes who "fucking love science".

[ant1sthenes]

It's a theoretical max capacity. Solar has a theoretical max capacity too, but its actual generation is basically zip at night. Doesn't disprove the theory, it just disproves the idea that you can actually run a power grid based on wind and solar.

[JW]

Britain was forced to rely on new "last resort" measures to keep the lights on for the first time on Wednesday after coal power plants broke down and wind farms produced less than one per cent of required electricity.

Ah, the political solution to non-political problems. Works every time.

And the democracy fetishists keep encouraging them, every election.

[Mazakon]

Alligator appears at house's door during the night

He says he was able to look through the window to see what was at his front door. That's when he saw the 10 ? foot alligator.

Bahadir says he has lived in Florida since 1986 but has never seen an alligator that close up.

"It was like the wild kingdom was at my door."

[Ted S.]

Gotta love Florida.

[Brett L]

"Candygram"

[db]

"Florida Man like candy!"

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

"Landshark"

[OneOut]

Candygram ?

Really Brett?

You must be old to know that.

[Swiss Servator]

Because that movie was never shown after, say, 1988?

[Suthenboy]

If you are curious google earth 'Colfax, Louisiana'. Notice ~4 mi NE of the little town is a large swamp/lake: Iatt lake. It recently became clogged up with salvinia. The state drained the lake to kill the stuff. I live on the bayou that drains that lake a couple miles south of the dam.

I can't catch a damn fish. It seems like all of the damn alligators from the lake have moved into my back yard. I cast about three times and they start popping up all around my bait. The damn bayou is chock full of them. I even found tracks in my yard.

I feel for this guy.

[OneOut]

Hey Suthenboy.

We were also over run with it here in our lake. However ours is a saltwater lake with tidal flow. The salvinia had flooded in during a huge rain combined with a bull tide. Everyone was in a panic. They tried to move it out physically but the Texas Parks andWiildlife shut that down. They started trying to get a permit to use some chemical some company is trying to sell the State. I offered to kill it for $80 an hour. I was gonna get a couple of hands, a flat bottom boat and a weed line burner and just burn it.I was gonna bank. Unfortunately before they could get corporate to approve my offer and method it died off because it was in salt water.

I had a sadz but was laughing all the time because I knew salt water killed it.

[Drake]

WTF is salvinia? Some kind of redneck VD?

[Zeb]

So, when candidates get secret service protection, is that free to them, or do they have to pay for it?

If it is free, why the fuck are we subsidizing these assholes' campaign expenses?

A friend of mine rents a house from Charlie Bass (former congress critter from NH) next door to where Charlie lives. In 2012 he had some event for Romney and my friend was about to grab his gun and go see why a bunch of suspicious looking dudes were wandering around the property. Luckily he figured out that they must be Romney's SS detail so he didn't get shot.

It always pisses me off that these assholes think it's just fine to inconvenience and possibly endanger whoever happens to be around so that they can have their precious campaign events. If you need that much security, go somewhere that is already secure.

[grrizzly]

If it is free, why the fuck are we subsidizing these assholes' campaign expenses?

The country still hasn't recovered from Bobby Kennedy's assassination.

[Marshall Gill]

Who?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

That dude what crashed his private plane over Martha's Vineyard.

[Tonio]

It's "free" for them; we're paying for it.

[Zeb]

Goddamnit. How is that not a campaign expense like any other?

Oh well. We have to pay for the president's non-stop campaigning anyway.

[ant1sthenes]

As disunited are our country is right now, you don't think having a major party's leading candidate assassinated might be the spark that finally starts a civil war (assuming enough people believe it was engineered by the other side to steal the White House)?

[Drake]

Your point?

[DesigNate]

Dude, they're your betters.

Of Course they deserve a "free" security detail paid for by the American taxpayer.

[The Late P Brooks]

Speaking of Paul Ryan- Jonathan(?) Alter has a piece up at Daily Beast (find it yourself, IF YOU DARE) making Simon Legree look like the fucking Easter Bunny compared to Ryan.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Thanks for the update, Dennis.

[BakedPenguin]

The horror movie we're all been dealing with.

[Zeb]

Since when is Urkobold restricted access? tgrow666 wants in.

[BakedPenguin]

srsly? It's not working?

[Just say Nikki]

"open to invited readers only"

[BakedPenguin]

Crap. Sorry about that.

Forget I said anything, folks.

[SugarFree]

Urkobold's love ain't like a square's love.

[AlexInCT]

He ain't for real cause there isn't a double "D" in his name to represent the double dose of pimp'n....

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Since Pro Libertate mysteriously disappeared.

[Zeb]

So, is he trapped in there now, like Viking Moose in that "Ham Tears" thread?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Not sure, everyone was wondering where John went for weeks, but I haven't seen one person asked where Pro L is.

Either that or he's changed his handle, but I haven't seen his unique wit much duplicated.

[SugarFree]

He's waiting for you to get soft. And then he will strike.

[DesigNate]

"He's waiting for you to get soft. And then he will strike."

So the opposite of Warty then?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

https://www.facebook.com/FrankSomervilleKTVU/

Read the top entry

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
This is disgusting.
Someone hacked into the Berkeley High School Library Home page.
And I'm not blotting it out.
Because I want people to see what HATE really looks like.
They wrote:
F?K ALL N--GERS.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

So who is interested in making a bet? I'll give you 5 to 1 odds.

[BakedPenguin]

That he did it himself? No bet here.

[Old Man With Candy]

Or a black kid did it.

[Notorious UGCC]

That it's a hoax?

[brady949]

The biggest hoax since the Emancipation Retraction

[paranoid android]

Um...I'd like to buy a vowel?

[Notorious UGCC]

I find that annoying.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

It's amazing to go from Jeopardy to a show with contestants so stupid that they think they need to spell out the entire answer.

C_N_DI_N B_CON

"I'd like to buy an A!"

[RBS]

What is Cinnabon?

[RBS]

Julie Chern Morgan just seeing the "N" word literally makes my stomach sick. Hope they catch whoever did this, charge them with a hate crime and let the punishment, aggressively fit the crime...
177 ? 2 hrs
View previous replies
Frank Somerville KTVU
Frank Somerville KTVU i know.. it's really jarring to actually see those words .. it literally makes my blood boil.
45 ? 2 hrs

Awe.

[Old Man With Candy]

Literally.

[Mad Scientist]

Frank's got very low internal pressures.

[BearOdinson]

"Literally"
+1 the bends

[BearOdinson]

Damn you refresh button!!!

[Old Man With Candy]

I'll forgive you if you send me pictures of your children.

[Tonio]

How did he manage to post after his blood boiled and blew out his circulatory system?

[SugarFree]

charge them with a hate crime and let the punishment, aggressively fit the crime...

Their website should be hacked and someone types FUCK ALL CRACKAS! in an even bigger font?

Seriously, what does this person think an eye for an eye is in this thoughtcrime?

[lap83]

FUCK ALL CRACKAS!

That's just something people in the militant black hacker community say to express frustration and reclaim the power from the trauma they feel as colored tech-savvy activists

[Crusty Juggler]

I do not care for crackers, as they are unhealthy and leave me with a dry mouth.

[Old Man With Candy]

These pretzels are making me thirsty.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Crackers that have been fucked may be more moist than regular crackers.

[MetalBard]

What should the punishment for a crime like this be? I mean it's basically just a cyber version of vandalism. So I guess whatever the cost to getting the website back to normal. Which if they backed everything up is probably zero.

But the guy wrote nigger on the website so everyone has to freak out. It's no different then if he posted a picture of a giant dick, or a bunch of pollack jokes. Who cares

[Zeb]

Yep. It's petty vandalism. If you want to make it more than that, you are trying to punish thoughtcrime.

I'd bet some money that this is pure trolling and not anything to do with any actual racial animus toward black people.

[Apatheist ?_??]

I'm betting there are a bunch of computer crimes, including federal ones, that could be abused by a vindictive prosecutor actually. I don't any of them have hate crime amplifiers though.

[See Double You]

[I]t literally makes my blood boil.

If only.

[tarran]

Maybe they wrote that whilst sitting in a vacuum chamber at 1 PSI?

[Trouser-Pod (The blowhard)]

Yeah, I was noticing a lot of candy-asses in that thread.

If printed words make you physically ill...I dunno what to do for you.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

People who annoy you?

[Agammamon]

Julie Chern Morgan just seeing the "N" word literally makes my stomach sick.

Oh fucking lord.

[Zeb]

Pepto Bismol usually helps.

Words can't be inherently hateful, morons. You give them their power.

[Rhywun]

Oh my gerd I can't evern.

[MetalBard]

perhaps the hacker just has the jungle fever, the message isn't real clear

[Zeb]

Why do people think that using certain words == hate? I'd assume trolling before actual hate with something like that.

[Akira]

The whole thing is very typical of 4chan stunts. I'd bet money that somewhere on 4chan, there is a thread full of neckbeards having a jolly laugh about this. I'd also bet that "literally makes my blood boil" will be a meme for at least a month or so.

[Troy muy grande boner]

Fork Nagger?

[Bern-o-Matic 5000]

The text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was released today, so now people can argue about the actual content rather than speculation and fears

When has the text of a bill ever made any difference in people's speculation and fear arguments?

[See Double You]

I looked at it and couldn't believe it wasn't longer.

[See Double You]

Embedded, but completely unrelated to transportation, is reauthorization of the cronyist Export-Import Bank.

NOTHING. LEFT. TO. CUT.

/lying sacks

[Suthenboy]

This transportation bill, isnt that roughly half as much as Obumbles 'stimulus' bill that was going to pay for shovel ready jobs?

They aren't even pretending anymore. They are just straight up looting us and giving us fuck-all in return, unless you count the finger they are giving us.

[Bern-o-Matic 5000]

unless you count the finger they are giving us.

You're referring to TSA, I take it?

[Old Man With Candy]

Nothing about the NY Attorney General trying to torpedo ExxonMobil for fun, profit, and glory?

[Ted S.]

Haven't heard the story yet.

[Old Man With Candy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11.....ments.html

The reporter who wrote the story stayed very objective and neutral.

HAHAHA HAHAHA I didn't think I could say that with a straight face.

[Drake]

Destroying a major corporation got Eliot Spitzer elected.

[Pan Zagloba]

Once again, Ralph of Ralph Retort links total gold.

I'm isolated 23 out of 24 hours a day

A sad story of a trans-woman who just wants out of isolation and into general pop of a female prison. And is there because of murder and rape of a 13-year old girl. From the comments:

Treatment of Trans individuals in Prison is a giant and serious problem.

So out of all the trans people whose voices deeply need a platform such as this to get people to rally behind them, you pick a woman killer, a child rapist, racist gangster?

Jezebel, you are why people need feminism.

Trigger warning: Jezebel.

Now, lawyer-types, can you explain this statement to me? "Blast was never convicted of raping Ebony Williams, and she adamantly denies killing her. "
The link goes to appelate court decision denying motion to mistrial and confirming the sentence of "murder in the second degree and manslaughter in the first degree".

[paranoid android]

Well, having looked into it no further than what you just wrote, she was convicted of murder and manslaughter, but not rape, making that statement technically correct.

[Pan Zagloba]

Excellent, that explains it. See, I was not reading it in technically correct sense. Which, obviously, is the best kind of correct!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Technically, it's the only kind of correct.

[Swiss Servator]

*technically narrows gaze*

[Brett L]

Let's solve a couple of problems here. Let this person into general population and make sure everyone knows s/he is a child rapist. And make sure they get lots of assignments away from direct supervision on teams with other violent criminals who were secualy abused as children.

[Just say Nikki]

Great plan for someone who was never convicted of rape.

[Brett L]

Well shit. I'm just reacting to the comments, not reading the story!

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Did Mx spare the victim of rape and just kill her? 'Cause that makes me feel a lot better.

[Notorious UGCC]

The link doesn't mention any rape, it "only" says

"Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Martin Marcus, J.), rendered November 4, 1996, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of murder in the second degree and manslaughter in the first degree, and sentencing him, as a second felony offender, to concurrent terms of 25 years to life and 12 1/212 to 25 years, unanimously affirmed."

Maybe they let him off the hook on the rape charge.

[Notorious UGCC]

So basically it would be like shooting the sheriff but not the deputy.

[OneOut]

Exactly. Why spend the extra money to convict for rape when they are already convicted for murder.

[BearOdinson]

"Blast was never convicted of participating in the Holocaust, and she adamantly denies killing her (Williams). "

[BearOdinson]

"Blast was never convicted of grand larceny, and she adamantly denies killing her (Williams). "

[BearOdinson]

"Blast was never convicted of high treason, and she adamantly denies killing her (Williams). "

[BearOdinson]

Dear Jezebel,
Please look up the terms "Straw man" and "non sequitor".

[Just say Nikki]

What do you think you're responding to?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

A non-sequitur?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Synthia you're not going to believe this but there's a bunch of TERFs who are attacking you, Laverne and SRLP. They started a smear campaign calling you a rapist. Saying you're a danger to women."

Is this poor writing or are they saying that Laverne Cox, one of the most famous transwomen, is a TERF?

[Just say Nikki]

Neither, although once more an Oxford comma may have aided clarity. "[T]here's a bunch of TERFs who are attacking you [and] Laverne [and] SRLP."

[Apatheist ?_??]

Yes, googling SRLP before posting would have cleared that up, as they are trans serving law group.

It does say a lot about her claims of innocence that they and Cox dropped support.

Doesn't mean she should be locked in solitary for 20 years though.

[Just say Nikki]

So if a ciswoman is convicted of raping and murdering a little girl, would she be in solitary confinement for all this time, without any evidence of violence against other prisoners?

[BearOdinson]

Would someone please tell me where the hell the term "cis" came from? Asking for a friend.

[Just say Nikki]

Latin?

[Atanarjuat]

Organic chemistry?

Or maybe Hitler.

[Brett L]

In chemistry cus- and trans- denote the chirality of molecules. Cis being the opposite of trans.

[Atanarjuat]

I think that's R- and S-. Cis and trans refer to the orientation of functional groups across a pi bond.

[Old Man With Candy]

That's right. R and S have to do with optical rotation.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

So cis-fats are the good kind of fats?

[Atanarjuat]

yeah. well, unsat are good too.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I was asking for John, BTW.

[Atanarjuat]

explanation for the son of Odin

I was taught to remember it by "cis = same". I think what probably happened was someone in the Newspeak movement said "we need a term for the opposite of trans, let's look that up" and didn't take any time to check that its use was logically consistent.

[Old Man With Candy]

The West Bank was once Transjordan, with Jordan proper being Cisjordan. Don't ask me who got to pick sides.

[Ted S.]

You've got it backwards. The Israeli side of the Jordan river was Cisjordan with the other side being Transjordan.

Interestingly, what we call Transdnistria, the Russians use a prefix which identifies it as Cisdnistria. (??? vs. ??)

[Old Man With Candy]

Thanks for the correction. I still don't know who got to decide about the sides...

[OneOut]

What about Transilvania ?

How does that fit in ?

[Old Man With Candy]

Across the Sylvania.

[Juice]

not chirality but cis and trans are stereoisomers, they mean the functional groups are on the same side (cis) or on the opposite side (trans) of a double bond

http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Or.....of_Alkanes

[Old Man With Candy]

Quibble (but you're basically right): Not necessarily functional groups, it can also include nonfunctional moieties. E.g., trans-2-octene, cis-polyacetylene.

[BigT]

Cis/trans are Not stereoisomers, but geometric (or structural) isomers. Stereo would be R/S (dextro/levo).

[Pan Zagloba]

Latin. As someone explained it memorably, Trans-Alpine Gaul means things are OK, because all the angry naked Celts are over there. Cis-Alpine Gaul is bad news - angry naked Celts are over here, with no big mountains in their way.

[MetalBard]

Can we also stop saying cis? I believe the correct term is normal.

[Apatheist ?_??]

cis is easier and less syllables than normal.

[OneOut]

It is also GoodSpeak.

So that's a plus

/sark

[gaoxiaen]

A cis-plus or a trans-plus?

[Brett L]

Well, if a ciis-man did, it is not unheard of. Again, having not read, it is possible. I did aome work for the Cook County Jail and part of their classification system includes identifying both transsexuals and persons convicted (usually previously because jails tend to hold more arrested than convicted violent felons) of violent crimes.

[Just say Nikki]

Decades of solitary just for being trans is unacceptable. There are reasons not to house prisoners in gen pop, but that one isn't good enough -- not for a stay that extended.

[SugarFree]

Some links in the comments are suggesting that Blast is in solitary because of admitting that she was in the leadership of the Latin Kings and it has nothing to do with her trans status.

Solitary for gang leadership is apparently pretty common given the potential for violence they can orchestrate while in the general population.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Are you suggesting William Kunstler may have misrepresented his client's case to the media?

[Brett L]

You understand that the solidarity custody is often protective in nature for transsexual offenders, right? Its not punitive, just the only way of guaranteeing their safety from sexual assault predation in an environment where they would often be viewed as "asking for it" by the rest of the inmates.

[Warty]

The Jezebelites are expecting this person to get sympathy because she lets her freak flag fly and is being mistreated in prison. The Antijezebelites react with an exaggerated "fuck you and fuck the transvestite!" I think that's all that's going on here.

[BearOdinson]

Sign me for Team "Fuck you and fuck the transvestite!"

[Zeb]

If that's your thing...

[MetalBard]

I guess we're on the same team here.

[Atanarjuat]

Since I'm being all "the best kind of correct" today, I think xe was a trans-sexual, not a transvestite.

[Apatheist ?_??]

He may be aping John who always confuses the two.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Slow down. I got burned on this, only to find that the ID politics industry is melding all the terms. There used to be specific definitions to describe people who:

dressed in women's clothes.
actually had gender re-assignment surgery
identified as a woman but weren't

And so on...

[Apatheist ?_??]

Transvestite isn't a new term or anything, its just cross-dressing and has nothing to do with ID politics, sexual orientation, or gender identity. And its not technically restricted to men dressing up as women either but also the other way around.

Transgender would apply to both the 2nd and 3rd you listed, with one being post-op and the other being pre-op.

Transvestite and transgender having nothing to do with each other.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Specifically, I was referring to the "old" definitions of transsexual/transgender.

Also, yes, I know it applies to both genders, I was giving examples.

Transgender, then, unlike transsexual is a multifaceted term. One example of a transgendered person might be a man who is attracted to women but also identifies as a cross-dresser.

My point is, the terms are getting muddy, and people I've never met on the internet confirm that.

[Apatheist ?_??]

I've always seen those two as synonyms but I guess they are saying that transsexuals are a subset of transgenders. That said, transvestite isn't mentioned in that article so they aren't muddying that (yet).

[gaoxiaen]

Thanxe.

[MetalBard]

Do you really give a shit if a person convicted of raping and murdering a little girl is having a bad time in prison? Fuck em

[Suthenboy]

I would agree wholeheartedly if I had more confidence in the CJS.

Let me see the evidence. If I am 100% convinced I would put that motherfucker on Judas's cradle in a second.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

HE was only convicted of murder, and then SHE was in protective custody in men's prison, probably because trans women with male tackle are problematic.

Putting that person in a female population could have all sorts of problems, and putting that person in male gen-pop runs into another set.

I believe it was on this site that I read about a person in a similar situation having every tooth knocked out of their mouth and being raped repeatedly for many hours in gen pop.

[MetalBard]

I was responding to Nikki's post, but seriously is only murdering a little girl so much better? "Hey it's cool he only murdered the little girl he didn't rape her, don't be too mean to him."

[Apatheist ?_??]

I give a shit about how all people in prison are treated, especially considering how horribly incompetent the government and criminal justice system is. She might not be innocent but others certainly are.

[Cytotoxic]

This.

[Crusty Juggler]

Thank you, Congress, for keeping that small aviation company called Boeing alive.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Boeing is a Chicago company. You know who else is from Chicago?

[Swiss Servator]

The Worst

[Pan Zagloba]

Canadian Libertarian Moment continues!

Mandatory long-form census restored by new Liberal government.

For years lefties have been gnashing teeth that Conservative government removed penalty for not filling the long census form (randomly distributed to households, much deeper than 4-5 page thing most househoulds get). It made it harder to SCIENCE! How are we to Five Year Plan without DATAS?! Now it's back! However, my primary question was not answered.

Bains could not say what the penalty would be for refusing to fill out the compulsory questionnaire, but said there will be a "robust" communication plan. The vast majority of Canadians understand the importance of this data and want to participate in the process, he said, noting that 93.5 per cent of the population filled out the forms last time.

Note: voluntary participation rate is 93.5%. But we still need to penalize people who don't do it. I guess it's true, only government can create anarchists.

[brady949]

93.5% participation was the last mandatory census

Bains noted the participation rate on the voluntary survey was 77% compared with 93.5% for the last mandatory census.

[Pan Zagloba]

Ah, I stand corrected, and angry at CBC for not including that info. In which case, it's not true that "vast majority of Canadians understand the importance of this data and want to participate in the process." Well, first part might be true, but if second was, you wouldn't need the penalty.

[Agammamon]

Screw that. If 51% of the vote is enough to justify whatever, then 51%+ of the surveys returned should be good enough for them.

[grrizzly]

They want to eliminate/minimize selection bias.

[Pan Zagloba]

Interestingly, from the updated article:

All Canadians were to still receive a mandatory short census form, with one in three households sent the new household survey as well. Before it was scrapped, one in five households were sent the mandatory long census form.

I guess sending the long form to more househoulds would have been another way to minimize selection bias.

Ultimately, if it's that important, just send it to everyone and have all the data you need, without needing to extrapolate.

[Cytotoxic]

Still not filling that out, at least not accurately.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Nice shot of the 520, Scott.

[Crusty Juggler]

From the Doctors Without Borders report:

Patients burned in their beds, medical staff were decapitated and lost limbs, and others were shot by the circling AC-130 gunship while fleeing the burning building. At least 30 MSF staff and patients were killed

The AC-130 was picking them off as they were running away? That is problematic.

[Crusty Juggler]

The facts compiled in this review confirm our initial observations: the MSF trauma centre was fully functioning as a hospital with 105 patients admitted and surgeries ongoing at the time of the US airstrikes; the MSF rules in the hospital were implemented and respected, including the 'no weapons' policy; MSF was in full control of the hospital before and at the time of the airstrikes; there were no armed combatants within the hospital compound and there was no fighting from or in the direct vicinity of the trauma centre before the airstrikes. What we know is that we were running a hospital treating patients, including wounded combatants from both sides this was not a 'Taliban base.' The question remains as to whether our hospital lost its protected status in the eyes of the military forces engaged in this attack and if so, why. The answer does not lie within the MSF hospital. Those responsible for requesting, ordering
and approving the airstrikes hold these answers

[BearOdinson]

+1 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Obama

[lap83]

He must have been very sad when he read about it in the paper

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I'm not aware of him commenting on it yet, so maybe he hasn't read the paper?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Try to keep up, Bobarian. The papers read Obama.

[tarran]

I doubt Obama personally ordered this.

But there is 0 chance that the attack was accidental.

It sounds to me like there was a patient that senior U.S. army officers wanted dead, and they were willing to shoot up the hospital and commit a war crime to do it.

I doubt the AC-130 gunship was tasked to attack the building without the attack being approved at the theater level.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Why didn't that matter when Bush was president?

[Pan Zagloba]

Even during actual combat, they have to kick it up all the way there? I figured whoever was in charge on the ground got a request and said, do it.

[R C Dean]

Even during actual combat, they have to kick it up all the way there?

I was watching a documentary (Fighting Season?), and they were tracking a guy on a motorbike, carrying an AK or RPG, as he made the rounds of known Taliban. Every time he went into a building, a lawyer in DC had to reauthorize engaging him when he came out. They could never get authorization in time to make a clean shot, after several tries. He escaped.

So, yeah, I believe it had to be approved at the theater level, at least. Its a frickin miracle they got clearance to attack before a new hospital was built, and the old one abandoned, condemned, and torn down.

[Cytotoxic]

"Every time he went into a building, a lawyer in DC had to reauthorize engaging him when he came out. They could never get authorization in time to make a clean shot, after several tries. He escaped."

That's how you lose wars.

Rand should campaign on ending America's immoral ROC restrictions.

[Agammamon]

Its a function of 'zero defect' thinking and instant global communications. There's little real *trust* in the capabilities of the mid-level commanders.

A squad leader can operate pretty independently, but a Colonel will have to get permission from his boss for everything he wants to do.

I had a (non-combat) incident that exemplifies this.

Was in Thailand, on duty. One of our liberty ferries (civilian contractor) lost power and was drifting. I said I could take my barge out and tow them back in. The OOD couldn't make that call, the CDO, couldn't make that call, my *own Commanding Officer* couldn't make that call - he had to run it by the Commodore.

Two hours later I got permission to get underway - by which time the civilians had called a buddy in and got a tow from him.

[Atanarjuat]

Considering a frog hospital would presumably not be heavily guarded, why do you think they didn't just send in soldiers? The element of surprise?

[Agammamon]

None in the area, plus faster response to re-task a gunship that probably was already orbiting nearby for just this sort of tasking.

[Atanarjuat]

including wounded combatants from both sides

So they did kill some enemies in this attack.

[Suthenboy]

And some allies. And many innocents.

Also, no report on whether the specific target was eliminated.

Mind you, if I were waging war I would make Gen. Sherman look like Gandhi, but then I don't have a peace prize.

[UnCivilServant]

he MSF rules in the hospital were implemented and respected, including the 'no weapons' policy;

Is it wrong that the first thing that came to mind when I read that was "Another mass shooting in a gun-free zone"?

[R C Dean]

The AC-130 was picking them off as they were running away? That is problematic.

Once the attack is authorized, that's SOP. What sense does it make to order an attack, and sit back and watch as the enemy escapes?

The issue was with the authorization to attack, not how the attack was carried out. Going on about the fact that they shot authorized targets (because everyone in a building that is targeted is an authorized target) is missing the point.

[GILMORE?]

Does anyone else think its weird that the Govt wants to sue Exxon Mobil... for 'suppressing climate change science'?

"The New York attorney general has begun a sweeping investigation of Exxon Mobil to determine whether the company lied to the public about the risks of climate change or to investors about how those risks might hurt the oil business."

The latter... i can sort of understand.... even if the way they're doing it incredibly self-serving.... i.e.

"We the Government are going to completely fuck over oil & coal producers with new regulations; we are also going to Double Fuck You by claiming you should have known this shit was coming"

The thing that bothers me about the "lies to the public" claim is that it presumes hat if a company ever funds research counter to what later becomes 'conventional wisdom', that they should be punished for it.

A company with 300bn in oil-related operations should probably be expected to fund *every angle under the sun*, and warn investors of the complete range of scientific views = not simply the 'current consensus'

[Old Man With Candy]

Dude, already posted. Don't I even get a h/t from the fucking COMMENTERS???

[GILMORE?]

I can never keep up with PM links and always end up reading them in the actual PM (like after 6)

[Old Man With Candy]

If you look up above, you'll see links to nude pix of Nikki at The Fappening.

[Juice]

Those Italian scientists didn't warn anyone about the earthquake they didn't see coming, so they should have and did go to prison.

[Suthenboy]

Didn't Italy imprison some geologists a few years ago for not predicting a volcanic eruption? And prior to that imprisoned some for predicting an earthquake and causing panic?

[GILMORE?]

Also =

This has to be the most-news-rich PM links i've ever seen

Its like, did NOTHING happen on Gawker or Vox today?

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

There's a new The Hateful Eight trailer out. Why is Scott holding out on us!??

Ten bucks says Rico includes the Warcraft trailer in tomorrow's PM links.

[GILMORE?]

You're just feeding them ideas now

I just scanned about 20 gawker headlines, and couldn't find anything more significant than a Rapper coming out as Gay...so i guess there really is a drought in the faux-news department

[Pan Zagloba]

Oh if only! Ultimate troll would be to have 4 links dealing with only Blizzcon. But isn't Suderman the dedicated gamer on the staff?

[Crusty Juggler]

There's a new The Hateful Eight trailer out.

Boycott!

[GILMORE?]

Cop acquitted of shooting unarmed person... again. (yesterday there were 3!)

"The shooting took place after Mearkle attempted to pull over Kassick for an expired vehicle inspection sticker and he fled. Mearkle used her stun gun to bring him down. Perry had told jurors that as Kassick lay in the snow, his left hand appeared to be reaching into his coat, presumably for a gun, and that caused the officer to shoot.

Police later found no weapon on Kassick, who served 10 years in federal prison for a heroin sale that resulted in a death."

[Suthenboy]

Nothing else will happen. The victim is far too unsympathetic.

[Juice]

who served 10 years in federal prison for a heroin sale that resulted in a death

Irrelevant. Did she know this when she shot him? Doubtful.

"I've been to hell and back," said Mearkle, breaking into tears.

You poor poor killer.

"We were always convinced that citizens would not second-guess a law enforcement officer under these circumstances,"

But of course any non-cop "citizen" would be second-guessed all day and all night for weeks before being sentenced to 25 years for murder.

[Atanarjuat]

It's darkly amusing that the victim served 10 years for selling someone a thing they used to kill themselves, ie not an actual crime, whereas the jackbooted thug shot a person to death and not only didn't get any jail time, but got paid vacation.

[GILMORE?]

Good point

[R C Dean]

We were always convinced that citizens would not second-guess a law enforcement officer under these circumstances

Yeah, we already knew way too many cops believe this, and act accordingly (that is, as if they can do what they want and will not be held responsible). The fact that a cop says this, out loud, tells us volumes about what's wrong with policing.

Perry had told jurors that as Kassick lay in the snow, his left hand appeared to be reaching into his coat, presumably for a gun,

I wonder if I can shoot anyone who reaches into their coat, before I actually see if they have a gun in their hand? Probably not. Us mere proles are not allowed to "presume" that someone is about to pull a gun; we actually have to see the fucking gun before we can shoot.

And, you had your gun out, and pointed at him. If he tries to pull a gun, you'll have time to grease him then.

[MarisolMoore]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go? to tech tab for work detail,,,,,,,

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