Officer Doesn't Want to Testify in Freddie Gray Case, Powerball Jackpot Balloons, Manatee Status Under Review: P.M. Links

• 

  Credit: psyberartist / photo on flickr

  One of the police officers facing charges over Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore is appealing a judge's order to testify against two fellow officers.

• Nobody won the Powerball jackpot Wednesday, so now it's up to $700 million, the biggest prize ever.
• The New York Police Department has settled two lawsuits regarding the surveillance of Muslim residents. The agreement will result in a civilian representative to monitor police investigations that revolve around political or religious activities.
• A police officer in Georgia may face charges for the shooting death last year of Anthony Hill, an unarmed, 27-year-old veteran who was struggling with mental health issues.
• U.S. officials are considering whether to upgrade the status of Florida's manatees from "endangered" to "threatened." The Pacific Legal Foundation has been pushing for the change, which apparently should have happened years ago.
• According to a leaked police report from Cologne, Germany, police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women.
• Alabama has joined Texas in suing the Obama administration over its plans for refugee resettlement.
• Wall Street is having just a really bad week. I bet there will be a run on lottery tickets.

New at Reason

Don't Fear the Refugees
Americans are skeptical and afraid of allowing Middle East refugees into this country. Should they be?
By Zach Weissmueller 

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

A police officer in Georgia may face charges for the shooting death last year of Anthony Hill...

Back pay?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Hello.

"According to a leaked police report from Cologne, Germany, police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women."

There's gotta be an efficient soccer striker or Audi mechanic among them.

[Los Doyers]

Zidane didn't grope anybody you damn wop!

/bitter about the 2006 WC

[Ted S.]

No, he just head-butted them.

[Los Doyers]

Materazzi absolutely was asking for it, but I'm disappointed Zidane didn't just go all in and throw punches. He was getting red carded either way.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Materazzi was the Ken Linseman of soccer but don't tell me he was asking for it for trash talking. Imagine that happening here with all the trash talking in the NBA, NHL and NFL.

Come on, Los.

What he did was a selfish, brutish act and he never properly accounted for it.

Fuck him for that.

[Rhywun]

Him and Real Madrid deserve each other.

[Los Doyers]

I dunno, Rufus. Where I'm from (the school of hard knocks) if you trash talk someone, you should be able to back it up if push comes to fist in your face. Brutish? Yes. Immature and reactionary? Sure. But it was a WC final, and Zidane was going to retire anyway so he didn't give a flying fuck. I'd say Materazzi played him pretty well, and I am in no way excusing Zidane. I just think they should've made things more interesting by brawling it out.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Yeh, so he's selfish. He put France at a disadvantage. Italy was exhausted after the Germany game and simply lost their legs.

Hey, I like a good fight out but it ain't hockey and Materazzi played and Zidane got played.

Now he's coaching Real Madrid.

Bah.

[Ted S.]

Some of us didn't give a damn about the final after those semifinals....

[Ted S.]

Nigel de Jong didn't get red-carded.

[Los Doyers]

Are you saying that soccer is fixed? Old news.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

I don't know if it's fixed but there has to be some kind of shenanigans I reckon.

[Ted S.]

He should have gone into the stands like Eric Cantona.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Or Mike Milbury.

[OneOut]

With all the problems facing the world.

CAN'T YOU PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT ?

The Cowboys have the 4th drat pick this year should they take a QB or not and who ?

priorities boies

[notJoe]

Right, priorities it is. So... How's Ferrari going to do next year? Good idea keeping Kimi?

[uunderstand]

Ferrari will be faster. So will Kimi. But so will Max Verstappen.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Don't get me going on that mentally weak chump and the French propaganda machine to protect his dumbass actions!

Imagine if he had to deal with Kevin Garnett. He would have fainted.

[Raven Nation]

Still bitter about the penalty call in the Italy/Australia game.

[Ted S.]

M?ller's bogus yellow in the 2010 quarters is worse.

Thorsten Frings, on the other hand should have been given a straight red....

[Los Doyers]

Was it Cahill who had that ridiculous volleyed goal this last WC? Unbelievable

[Raven Nation]

Yep, here ya go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2tmftLN2lY

The man's a goal machine: 45 goals in 88 games for Australia. In the last 3 WC finals, Australia has scored a total of 11 goals and Cahill has 5 of them.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

I haven't followed recently but how's their national team doing these days? Are they ready for WC qualification?

[Raven Nation]

On track but not there yet. AFC is in the second round: 8 groups, with group winners and 4 best runners up going to the third and final round (two groups with top two going). Australia & Jordan have played 6 games each (out of 8) with Australia two points ahead. Australia host Tajikistan and Jordan host Bangladesh. Then the last game is Jordan in Australia. So, if the games go to form, Australia should need a draw against Jordan to go through.

Probably, but not for sure, the runner up in that group will also go through. Jordan only got one point out of 6 against Kyrgyzstan which is not helping them.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

I have to get back into it.

[OneOut]

45 goals in 88 games ?

meh

Emmit Smith once scored 24 goals in 14 games.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Oh RN. Australia was up a man for over an hour after our friend Materazzi was harshly sent off.

Something, something balancing things out. Australia were outstanding in their effort and feel for them because it's a hard way to fall and swallow but let's face it, they likely weren't going to score. If Germany couldn't with all those players the odds were against the Aussies - it took a dubious penalty in the final and an OG to beat that defense and Buffon.

As an aside, a referees blog I follow concluded from where the ref was standing he had to call that. That was a rather imprudent if not clunky tackle. But Gattuso later said it didn't have to be called.

[Raven Nation]

Yeah, yeah, I know. But, hey, from the perspective of the underdog, we were screwed by a ref playing favorites.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Probably.

Big teams in all sports tend to get the calls.

Ted shouldn't complain too much. Germany usually gets its fair share as well!

But I've spoken to so many refs over the years and they swear it doesn't happen. Maybe it's psychological or something.

[Jerry on the rocks]

Yeah, and Benzema did not blackmail anyone.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

The praise that guy gets is baffling.

He's no Henry or Trezeguet.

[Rhywun]

There's gotta be an efficient soccer striker or Audi mechanic among them.

I think anyone with talent is welcomed to Europe long before woman-assaulting age.

[Notorious UGCC]

Really? You need a leaked police report to find this out? Where's the media?

[ant1sthenes]

For that matter, where the hell are the citizen journalists? Oh, maybe their phones got stolen...

[Los Doyers]

"Marine Corps boot camp, job titles to be gender neutral by April"

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Is maggot gender neutral?

[Los Doyers]

Depends...are you an orc?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Marines are now going to be called Maureens.

[Los Doyers]

I prefer manatees, to bring everything full circle.

[Ted S.]

I prefer Marnies.

[Medical Physics Guy]

"Sir Yes Sir!" - "Xe Yes Xe!"

[Brett L]

Every Marine a rifleperson!

[Notorious UGCC]

"Drill Instructor" and "Your Worst Nightmare" are already gender-neutral terms.

[Restoras]

Aren't those terms that specify the female gender, really?

[Pan Zagloba]

I...I don't have any words of praise worthy of this comment.

They should have sent a poet!

[Pope Jimbo]

What the fuck is happening to my Corps?

Fuckety, Fuck, Fuck!

It was bad enough that the WM's pussified up the Parris Island Marines, but now they are even gonna fuck with the real Marines coming out of San Diego?

[ant1sthenes]

Don't want to take a chance we might win next time they have to roll into Tripoli.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Pacific Legal Foundation has been pushing for the change, which apparently should have happened years ago.

So there's too many of them now, I take it.

[Pathogen]

They're an overprotected, invasive species..

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"One of the police officers facing charges over Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore is appealing a judge's order to testify against two fellow officers."

Fuck You That's Why

[Zeb]

Perhaps he can't do so without incriminating himself.

[Pope Jimbo]

I think that is exactly the case. This was the guy who had a mistrial, he can still be recharged. Anything he testifies to could be used against him if the Feds decide to try him.

Not a bad summary of this at Powerline, if you can make it through all the cop sucking.

[Pat (PM)]

Wayward wieners prompt security alert at post office

Florence police blocked off Seminary Street after a suspicious package was found at the post office on Wednesday morning.

Police confirmed they found hot dogs wrapped in aluminum foil inside the suspicious bags.

Police said around 7 a.m., a post office employee noticed a suspicious package behind one of the columns on the entryway to the building.

Police were called in and blocked off the area.

The police chief said two bags were oddly placed out front, which caused suspicion. When bomb techs arrived, they used equipment to scan bags, and because of what they saw and out of precaution, they expanded the perimeter.

Bomb techs used their robot to get the bags put in a special vehicle and take it to an undisclosed location for further examination.

Police said while they were glad the situation ended without injury to property or life, they made no apologies for their course of action.

[Citizen X]

You know who else had a wayward wiener?

[Medical Physics Guy]

Carlos Danger?

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Carry on my wayward son...

[Fist of Etiquette]

A guy with the initials B.C.

[Atanarjuat]

And this other guy, W.J.C.

[Anomalous]

John Bobbitt?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

That weiner was REALLY wayward!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Brett Favre?

[gaoxiaen]

Anthony Weiner's wife?

[Pathogen]

Oscar Mayer?

[thrakkorzog]

Seymour Skinner?

[MetalBard]

I assumed dachshunds from the title...

[Illocust]

"According to a leaked police report from Cologne, Germany, police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women."

And Reason throws it's hat into the ring. What do you say, does this count as a full article, or only one eight of an article?

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

It's one of those "ironic musing" links.

[Microaggressor]

Don't Fear the Refugees
Americans are skeptical and afraid of allowing Middle East refugees into this country. Should they be?
By Zach Weissmueller

I don't know what to think. Help!

[Illocust]

Read and commented on that article. It fails to mention the New Years Eve events.

[jester]

Somewhere, somehow, somebody musta kicked you around some. Tell me why you want to lay there and revel in your abandon?

[Zeb]

Fear is the mind killer.

[Tonio]

OK, if the local Polizei are overwhelmed, don't they have provincials or nationals they can call in? Military? Boyscouts? Anyone?

[Doctor Whom]

There must be someone. Private citizens have no need for guns.

[OneOut]

Iraq refugee who was surporting ISIS arrested in Houston.

http://goo.gl/JPNeGS

[TheZeitgeist]

You know who else fielded mobs in Cologne?

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

CoCo Chanel?

[Swiss Servator]

*narrows gaze*

[Pan Zagloba]

Yeah, I'm sure if it were local racists attacking women of North African or Arab appearance, there would not be riot shields, state police and military in a pinch called in. Nor would it be reported the very next day, with 24 hour wall-to-wall coverage. No, sir xe.

[Gray Ghost]

I'm just amazed that the Polizei didn't wade in and start cracking heads. Things have slipped from the horror stories I'd heard second and third hand from guys with USAREUR.

"Don't fuck with the Polizei."

[Enough About Palin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ-bhM-xuec

[Pat (PM)]

India woman injured by suspected human waste from airplane bathroom

AAMKHOH, India, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A woman in India suffered a shoulder injury when she was struck by a falling ball of frozen matter believed to be human waste from an airplane toilet.

Witnesses said Rajrani Gaud, 60, was struck in the shoulder Dec. 17 by a block of ice believed to contain human urine and feces dropped from an airplane flying over Aamkhoh village in Madhya Pradesh.

"I was only 25 feet away from the spot where the monster came crashing down. Children and villagers witnessed the fall and then heard screams. We ran towards Rajrani's house and referred her to hospital," Deepak Jain, a government school teacher in Aamkhoh village, told the Times of India.

[jester]

OMG! A shit storm.

[Atanarjuat]

Shit happens.

[bostonaod]

That ain't no meteor..

[bacon-magic]

Aziz Ansari joked that everything smelled like shit in India. Why not a poopsicle too?

[BigT]

Holy shit!

[Los Doyers]

Muh Daredevilz!!!!

Spoiler: March 18th

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Nice. I enjoyed the first season.

Haven't gotten around to Jessica Jones.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

JJ:

Overall pretty good but kinda soap-opera-y at points.

Lotta good comic geek moments for some of us.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Woo, 13 more hours of Foggy's whining.

But also 13 more hours of Deborah Ann Woll.

I guess I'll watch.

[Los Doyers]

And you were ragging on Drive earlier...that you, Cytotoxic? 😉

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

I... I don't know what you're getting at.

Daredevil's merely OK. At least it's not boooooooring like Drive, which suuuuuuuucks.

[Los Doyers]

I've heard enough. GUARDS

[Swiss Servator]

Obligatory: http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/seize-him-16505

[Pat (PM)]

'Knife-proof vest' test video goes wrong as reporter is accidentally stabbed in back with steel commando blade

A reporter has accidentally been stabbed in the back after daring to volunteer to test out a 'knife-proof vest'.

Eitam Lachover, from Israel , was accidentally knifed when the vice president of the product's design company tested out the vest while the reporter was wearing it.

Yanviv Montakyo struck Mr Lachover with repeated blows, but his hand strayed and hit the reporter on an area not protected by the vest, causing an injury to his back.

In the video, Mr Lachover puts his hand together in a prayer-like motion as he prepares to take part in the risky experiment.

Mr Montakyo says: "We will demonstrate a stabbing on you."[...]

But as the experiment comes to an end, Mr Montakyo sheepishly tells his 'volunteer': "I missed."

[Illocust]

Well, that sounds useful.

[Ted S.]

If I were the reporter, I would have had the inventor wear the vest, while I got all stabby.

[Florida Man]

I remember the inventor of the bullet proof vest use to shoot himself and then a target immediately after.

[gaoxiaen]

"Better put on your knife-proof goggles, asshole."

[Free Society]

"And we'll do a demonstration on live TV, you can't buy publicity like this!"

[Microaggressor]

But who held his beer?

[Pope Jimbo]

Could have been worse. Could have been a knife proof cup instead of a knife proof vest.

[Pat (PM)]

Man who used penis signature on driving licence loses five-year battle to get it recognised

A man who changed his signature to a drawing of a penis "for a laugh" has lost a five-year battle with Australian authorities for it to be recognised.

Jared Hyams scrawled the eyebrow-raising moniker at the bottom of a form for the Australian Electoral Commission as a joke.

But he had no idea it would land him in a five-year legal battle with various authorities to accept it as a signature.

He said: "I thought it would be a laugh; they would approve it and next year I would sign something different. But when I did this signature all of a sudden the shit hit the fan. I was receiving letters and phone calls telling me I couldn't have it. I thought, that's interesting, why not?"

So the 33-year-old Melbourne man did what anyone would do - he signed up to study for a law degree, determined to take on the Australian government.

[jester]

He should have tried to dicker before launching a law suit.

[Juice]

Gotta give him credit. He follows his passion!

[Anomalous]

Dude, quit being a dick.

[bacon-magic]

Put your John HandCock on the dotted line...

[gaoxiaen]

He should change his name to Richard.

[Zeb]

I'm disappointed. I initially thought he signed it with his penis.

[OO=======D]

Man who used penis signature on driving licence loses five-year battle to get it recognised

That's fucked up.

[Trigger Warning]

ha!

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

One of the police officers facing charges over Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore is appealing a judge's order to testify against two fellow officers.

I'm betting the blue wall of silence beats court orders. But maybe I'm just touchy today.

[Illocust]

"Nobody won the Powerball jackpot Wednesday, so now it's up to $700 million, the biggest prize ever."

Yep, if the right numbers are drawn on Saturday my company is going to lose all the people that know how to design the product.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Spoiler alert: the right numbers won't be drawn.

[Illocust]

It's still fun to dream. Especially for the mass 'ef you to upper management it'd cause.

[Pope Jimbo]

It was almost a nightmare in my case.

For a brief time I thought a bunch of hated coworkers had won a big Powerball in 1999.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

At this price point, every number combo possible will likely be sold.

But to your point, the likelyhood of any of the hundreds of people with thousands of numbers that you actually have any kind of 2 degrees of separation with is still effectively zero.

[Illocust]

Yep, this pot is probably getting split.

[Florida Man]

But somebody's got to win.

I don't know my odds of winning if I play are, but I do know my odds of winning if I don't play.

You're just ants at a picnic.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

The odds are the same.

[Florida Man]

Statistically yes. I'm just rattling off excuses I've heard to play.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

*Florida Man hides lottery tickets behind back*

[Florida Man]

It's a meth pipe, I swear!!!
*stuffs ticket in pocket*

[Lord Rollingpin]

It's a license to dream.

[Zeb]

That's what I go with. I've never actually bought a lottery ticket.

[OneOut]

Pl?ya Manhattan.|1.7.16 @ 5:05PM|#

The odds are the same."

yeah.

50/50

You either win or you don't

[jester]

I'm sure whoever wins will become guilty of...Income InnnEquaaalittyy!!!!! ahhhhhh!!!!!

[Pat (PM)]

Monkey cannot own copyright to 'selfie,' U.S. judge says

A rare crested macaque that took a now internationally famous "selfie" cannot own the copyright to the photograph because he is not human, a U.S. judge ruled in a suit brought by animal rights group PETA on behalf of the monkey.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals brought the case in September on behalf of the seven-year-old monkey Naruto against British photographer David Slater, who self-published the photo in a wildlife book.

Naruto, who resides on a reserve in Indonesia, took the image and several others in 2011 using a camera left unattended by Slater, the suit said. PETA argued he should be declared owner of the photos and receive damages for copyright infringement that would be used for habitat preservation.

[Just say Nikki]

Uh...he's letting them amend the suit though. This is not over.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

PETA General Counsel Jeff Kerr told Reuters on Thursday that the group is reviewing its legal options.

"Although we are disappointed, we are celebrating the fact that this is a historic case," he said. "For the first time we are arguing that an animal can own property, rather than merely being a piece of property himself."

Defense Counsel says
"It's not a complicated situation. All that really matters is that the plaintiff is a monkey."

On of them is right.

[Just say Nikki]

Check out Sarah Jeong's tweets from yesterday afternoon for more awesomeness/insanity.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That's classic. It's going to be my bedtime reading tonight.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Do they similarly believe that Slater can sue the monkey for stealing and using his camera? And will the monkey pay damages, or will PETA?

[Trouser-Pod (The blowhard)]

Speaking of which...Thoughts on the newest It's Always Sunny?

/friggin' hilarious

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I thought it was all new. I set aside some time last night, only to find that I'd already seen them.

[Trouser-Pod (The blowhard)]

Well................That's what you get for thinking!

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

So racist!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

heh... heh...

Took a selfie of macaque...

he-he!!

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Oh shut the fuck up PETA.

Goddamn.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...appealing a judge's order to testify against two fellow officers.

The thin blue line is more sacred than marriage.

[Juvenile Bluster]

If I win Powerball, I'm buying an island and starting my own country. You're all invited. There will be blackjack. And hookers.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

I'd even settle for black hookers and Jack.

[Free Society]

I don't believe in mixing whiskey.

[Free Society]

Home sweet sweet home.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

It'll be like Swiss Family Robinson, but with more cursing. We'll live like kings! Damn hell ass kings!

[Free Society]

Until the Federales invade, killing most of the commentariat, with the exception of Rufus who was off-island at the time in search of the perfect meatball.

[Florida Man]

Fighting for Liberty island is the only fight I would die for.
/sharpens cane machete

[Zeb]

Is whore island the same thing, or is that next door?

[Juvenile Bluster]

If we found out about it in time, we could all leave except Warty, who could have his own kind of party with whatever Federales were brave enough to go in search of him.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Bourbon?

[Juvenile Bluster]

I figured bourbon would go without saying.

[Anomalous]

Pappy Van Winkle?

[Florida Man]

Over rated

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I have my eye on an island, but it's already in Tahiti.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

http://www.privateislandsonlin...../moute-iti

[Restoras]

Can I have my own battleship? And a shooting range for the 16-inch guns?

[Pat (PM)]

This Day in History

1896 - Fanny Farmer published her first cookbook.

1927 - Transatlantic commercial telephone service began between New York and London.

1953 - Harry Truman announced that the U.S. had developed the hydrogen bomb.

1955 - Marian Anderson made her Metropolitan Opera debut.

1979 - Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge government.

1989 - Japan's Emperor Hirohito died.

1999 - The impeachment trial of President William Clinton began in the Senate.

[Juvenile Bluster]

2019 -- The impeachment trial of President Hillary Clinton began in the Senate.

[flaPjacks]

Fuck that's terrifying.

[B.P.]

45 years ago today, Black Sabbath released the Paranoid album in the U.S.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Ah.

/raises a glass.

[bacon-magic]

My first cassette tape...or was it Rush 2112? Eh, I'll give it to Ozzy, since a certain drummer boy is a colossal douche bag.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

#1 - "Fanny Farmer" is just too silly a name to be real. Furthermore, women can't write books.

[Anomalous]

Somebody has to farm fannies.

[Raven Nation]

Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge government.

Pretty sure that's the only time I've cheered for a group of communists (i.e. the Vietnamese).

[Fist of Etiquette]

...police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women.

Ouch.

[Jerry on the rocks]

"Die meisten waren frisch eingereiste Asylbewerber" (warning autoplay).

Don't fear the refugees.

[AlmightyJB]

Clearly those women now need to be stoned to death for being whores.

[perlchpr]

I thought the punishment du jour was being thrown off the roof of a building.

[Jerry on the rocks]

Only the lesbians.

[Juice]

Don't you love how lottery ticket sales go up when the jackpot is really high? What? $200 million just not worth the ticket price? but $500 million or more, well, now it's worth it.

And then people will go out and buy like 50-100 tickets, spending $100-200 on them. Are. You. Insane?

And don't they realize that all these people buying tickets greatly increases the chances that the pot will be split, but really that shouldn't be a concern anyway, but it kind of defeats the logic of buying more tickets when the jackpot is higher.

[Illocust]

It makes a difference when you really only buy in pots with others.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

I get into the office pots out of spite.

[sarcasmic]

When I was taking statistics I learned that the odds of winning with a ticket are statistically the same as winning without a ticket. So I don't buy a ticket and then dream of what I will spend with my winnings.

[Juice]

It's the same as walking around hoping to get struck by lightning.

[AlmightyJB]

Actually it's easier to get hit by lightning when trying not to be hit by lightning.

[Medical Physics Guy]

I don't follow that. Like, the odds are just as good that you suddenly get an inherited royal title from a relative you never knew about, giving you the same amount of cash?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

The odds of you taking a $2 bet on the ponies and parlaying it into $50 mill are probably significantly better than hitting the lottery.

[Atanarjuat]

He's saying the odds of winning are so small they're effectively zero.

[Medical Physics Guy]

what if I have one of those infinite improbability generators from Hitchhiker's guide?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

You'll find yourself as a flying whale, wondering what is rushing up to greet you so fast?

[sarcasmic]

Or a petunia. Again.

[Stormy Dragon]

There's roughly 275 million possible Powerball numbers, so with a jackpot of $700 million, the expected value of the ticket is (for this particular drawing) more than they charge for the tickets themselves ($2). So from a purely statistical standpoint, blowing all your money on tickets tonight would be considered economically rational.

At the extreme end, someone with $550 million could theoretically buy every possible Powerball combination can guarantee themselves a 30% ROI over the next two days.

[Pan Zagloba]

Serious question: If, say, one of them Koches did this, could they claim it as 'investment income'? I mean, it was guaranteed they'll gain something, the only question being how much they'd have to share. At that point I don't think you can call it gambling.

Or do lotteries have their own tax code classification?

[Stormy Dragon]

The answer is yes, and an Austrailian hedge fund actually did it once in 1992:

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02.....wanted=all

[Atanarjuat]

Well, I'm convinced.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Actually, ~50% of any bet you make goes into the lottery winnings, so spending the the $550M would increase the total jackpot to $975M.

That makes the ROI 77%.

But only before taxes, and if you take the long pay-out, and if no one else gets the winning number.

Wth no one else winning, you're probably looking at neighborhood of $350M back on a lump sum payout.

Man, that sounds like a really shitty investment.

[BigT]

"At the extreme end, someone with $550 million could theoretically buy every possible Powerball combination can guarantee themselves a 30% ROI over the next two days."

Before taxes, which would be $250 mill or so, depending on residence. So a big loss. Also possible splits with other winners.

[Stormy Dragon]

As noted from above, they just have to do it from within a hedge fund, so that they only get taxed on net return rather than the whole prize pool.

[Brett L]

Uh, hold up, perfesser. The cash value is only $425M before taxes. You'd have to be the sole winner of an $800M cash value pot to make a return on Powerball.

My solution is to "invest" in the lottery the same way I "invest" in a beer with friends. Expect no cash benefit and do it for fun but not too much or too often.

[spqr2008]

Exactly. I won $60 off of the free scratchers they hand out at state fairs when I was 16, and have spent a total of $40 of it on more lotto tickets since. I figure I'll stop playing the lotto when I hit the $60 I earned back then.

[OneOut]

The odds are 50/50

You either win or you don't and nothing else matters.

[Social Contractor]

You got screwed in your statistics class, they are not the same and it's not difficult to figure that out.

[Juvenile Bluster]

I buy two tickets when it gets high. Figure I'm paying for the entertainment value of spending an hour imagining what'd happen if I win.

But buying 50+ tickets is insane. Remember once when I lived in Philly and the jackpot was pretty high, went to buy a couple of tickets while I was at Suburban Station and had some time to kill before my train. Was in line behind 3 people, one of whom bought 50 tickets and one of whom bought 150. Couldn't understand it.

[Juice]

I was thinking about buying a ticket or two at the grocery store, but there was a massive line. SMH.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Some people buy for the 50 people in the office.

Most are just degenerate gamblers.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

My father and uncle were a tale in contrast thinking when it comes to this sort of thing. When the lottery would get high they'd go buy a bunch of them. I remember when they bought 100 each. Difference is, my father was set having invested wisely and literally was treating it as a game whereas my uncle (who was a healthy gambler) was hoping it would fund his retirement. Fast forward to today, my father is chilling out while my uncle still has to work into his 70s.

[Suthenboy]

I buy one or two tickets per month. I usually break even over the course of a year or so. this week I may spend an entire ten bucks on tickets.

If I win the jackpot it should come in pretty handy. 700 M? I could probably squeeze by for a while on that if I budget carefully.

[Juice]

That's for the annuity. Before taxes.

[rts]

Dana Larsen, pot activist, sends weed to Liberal MPs in legalization push

A well-known advocate for marijuana legalization has sent a sample to every Liberal MP to "refamiliarize" them with the substance's "pleasant effects" ? and remind them to keep their election promises.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

The Liberals aren't gonna do it. The fact is Canadian politics has an internal cabal of super-crats that decide everything. Marijuana legalization was just a ploy by Trudeau to suck in the young vote to appear 'hip.'

That's why people who cackled like a bunch of morons about Harper are, well, morons.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"Nobody won the Powerball jackpot Wednesday, so now it's up to $700 million, the biggest prize ever."

Every mutual fund I've ever owned is required to disclose their administrative costs in their prospectus, known as the "expense ratio". If it's over 1% in most sectors, it's a complete ripoff.

What is the expense ratio for Powerball? 75%? 90%?

[Pat (PM)]

That money goes to fund our schools, why do you hate children?

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

I'll admit to hating our teachers and administrators.

[Medical Physics Guy]

You'd have to hate the innumerate to like a lottery.

[TheZeitgeist]

You'd have to hate the innumerate to like a lottery.

Actually we love the innumerate mob and the lottery.

-Lottery Cabal

[Anomalous]

It's the innumerate who buy all of the lottery tickets.

[Juvenile Bluster]

I think I read something about it the last time there was an insanely high prize. IIRC about 50-60% of the money goes to prizes, depending on the state.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Even if you factor in that it's a future payout (they're effectively borrowing your money at negative interest) and the insanely high taxes?

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

The agreement will result in a civilian representative to monitor police investigations

How do you represent "umpteenth plus one" in Arabic numerals?

[sarcasmic]

I assume those civilian representatives will comprise of retired police officers, family of police officers, and members of the police union.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

The eleventy jillion other civilian representatives don't have any effect on policing. The police must be laughing at such a settlement: "Yep, another idiot fell for monitoring! Haw Haw!"

[sarcasmic]

One of the police officers facing charges over Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore is appealing a judge's order to testify against two fellow officers.

The bond between officers is more powerful than the bond between spouses.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Police: the first purveyors of gay marriage.

[GILMORE?]

NYT = "Ok, we spent a week demonizing the rednecks - now let's do our Faux-Debate thing where we get 4 liberals, a conservative, and an Pocahontas-type Indian, and then write an editorial tomorrow declaring the liberal-view the winner"

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

"Read the Discussion"

Is that what they're calling it?

[The Late P Brooks]

Can you say, "fiduciary duty"?

Mayor Bill de Blasio has submitted a resolution urging the New York City Police Pension Fund to consider exiting investments in companies that manufacture assault weapons for civilians, the mayor's office said on Thursday.

The resolution was submitted on Wednesday, the mayor's office said. It requests the fund's administrators to carry out an analysis on divesting from stocks such as Smith & Wesson Holding Corp and Sturm Ruger & Co.

It makes good on the mayor commitment after the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, in November, to require all five funds in the city's $155 billion public pension system to dump their investments in gun stocks.

"We should not be investing in companies that manufacture and market assault weapons to civilians - ever," de Blasio said in a statement.

Another front in the Petulant Childrens' Crusade.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

It's like he's trying to kill the pension fund. Every time 0bama talks about grabbing guns, the police pension fund's solvency improves.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Why not kill it? He gets to morally preen, and the taxpayers have to make up the difference. Win-win for him.

[BigT]

Mayor Bill de Blasio Is a genius - selling at the peak. When Obumbles leaves and Trump is prez those gun stocks will tumble.

[Reactionary Moment]

true

[GILMORE?]

Can you say, "Since Obama Got Elected, Its Been A Good Call"?

[JD the elder]

I suppose it escaped him that all of those companies also market guns to police and the military, including his own NYPD. In fact, is there such a thing as a gun company that [i]only[/i] markets to the police and military? (Not to mention that there aren't actually that many publicly traded gun companies. I think the article named both of them.)

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Maybe it's the first step toward disarming the police. They've proven they are reckless with weapons, so it's the moral thing to do.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Maybe it's the first step for Bill DeBlasio to invest his personal money into gun companies, immediately after these super funds flood the market and just before BO announces another 'get rid of the EVUL GUNZ' scheme?

[Pan Zagloba]

If only the government can be trusted with owning firearms, then the most sensible solution is for firearms manufacturers to be government-owned, at which point they need no shareholders. See how common-sense solutions work out when you applyl them?

[Pathogen]

"Mayor Bill de Blasio has submitted a resolution urging the New York City Police Pension Fund to consider exiting investments in companies that manufacture assault weapons for civilians"

Soo.. for anybody other than the military? Last time I checked, the NYPD, and ALL other law enforcement organizations operating outside of the military are "civilian".. I guess I could live in a world where the police depts. had no "assault rifles"..

[Free Society]

According to a leaked police report from Cologne, Germany, police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women.

"THERE. We wrote about it. Now you can't say we didn't cover it." /Reason

[SugarFree]

Or you guys could have tried not being cry baby little bitches.

Start your own fucking blog if you don't like the articles here.

[Free Society]

"If you don't like it, you can geeeeeet out!" /dumbfuck statist SugarFree

[SugarFree]

Yes, I'm the dumbfuck statist all right. The tip of dick drips more love of liberty than you'll ever have, Republican.

You're just a race to the bottom. It's like the scraped wart off John's asshole and let it comment.

[Pat (PM)]

You're cute when you're histrionic.

[SugarFree]

And you can suck my liberty dick, moron.

[Pat (PM)]

I know you are, but what am I!

Seriously dude, grab a cup of coffee or something. Christ on a crutch...

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Ad hominems. Almost as convincing as sarcasm.

[SugarFree]

Yeah, more whining. That's what we need.

[Free Society]

Says the guy who shits the bed every time someone criticizes Reason's editorial decisions.

[SugarFree]

You wallow in fear shit all day, you whiny little child.

Oh, noes! De Muslims are coming! Dey gonna get me!

You're not a complete dim bulb like Mickey Rat or your retard princess, illocust, you're just another whiny little fucker trolling the board. "Why won't libertarians just vote GOP and hate brown people like I want them too. Wah!'

[Free Society]

Another intellectually honest and logically sound rebuttal from SugarFree. I just don't see why everyone doesn't employ your impenetrable debate tactics, they're so effective.

[SugarFree]

Yeah, yeah. Vote GOP. We get it.

[bacon-magic]

Get off my laaaaaawwwwwwn. /old man without sugar candy

[Flemur]

Don't worry, the Europeans are assimilating to the dominant culture.

[Juice]

Wall Street is having just a really bad week.

I think you misunderstand. Wall St. is having an awesome week. Traders and brokers live on volatility. It's us suckers with retirement accounts and the like that are having a bad week. Thanks a lot, China!

[Broswater]

Not that I want to be an attention whore, but I know that the AM link shift is not the same as the PM link shift, so I'll repeat my post, just to get some more thoughts.

I've been thinking over the last few months and I'd like to get you people thoughts on this.

I've been a self identified libertarian over the last 10 years, and I've been trying to live my life according to those principles. Yeah, I'm a lurker, I don't comment much mostly 'cause I'm a slow reader and, uhm... I kinda have a life to live every now and then...

But, being out of a job since last September, I've been thinking; I've been an advocate of libertarianism for a while, and a vocal one at that. I did door to door for the PCQ last Quebec elections. I try to tell people that they are getting fucked, but, it's as if they don't care, and they keep voting for the idiots that will fuck them.

My point is, if I'm going to be forced into gay-ass sex (NTTIAWWT) even if I don't want to, shouldn't the Virtue of Selfishness make it ok for me to try to be on top, at least ? I hate civil servants and I voted for the Woodchipper Act of 2015, but uhm... they are the ones that are getting all the perks right now... thinking of applying.

[sarcasmic]

As far as I am concerned, providing for your family trumps principals.

[Just say Nikki]

Perfect typo.

[sarcasmic]

I did John. 'Scuze me while I go shoot myself.

[Tonio]

Principles, even.

[robc]

Providing for your family can be a principle.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I've been thinking over the last few months and I'd like to get you people thoughts on this.

What do you mean, "you people"?

I kinda have a life to live every now and then...

You're clearly out of place then.

My point is, if I'm going to be forced into gay-ass sex (NTTIAWWT) even if I don't want to, shouldn't the Virtue of Selfishness make it ok for me to try to be on top, at least ? I hate civil servants and I voted for the Woodchipper Act of 2015, but uhm... they are the ones that are getting all the perks right now... thinking of applying.

I don't know what you're asking here.

So my answer will default to: Hitler?

[Broswater]

Common Chelsea, tell me where those bad guys in Benghazi touched you, I know your mom warned you. Or was it in Cologne ?

[Pat (PM)]

There are several Reasonoids who work in the public sector. Unless you're an anarchist, there's no inherent hypocrisy in it, as long as you're comfortable ethically with the duties of your job.

[jesse.in.mb]

If our other government employed commenters are any indication, at leas you'll have more time to spend commenting.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

WINNER

[grrizzly]

I guess we all pay indirectly for John's posts. There are worse uses of tax funds.

[jesse.in.mb]

There are worse uses of tax funds.

He said while carrying the bar into a sub-basement, digging a hole and dropping it in.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

Exactly. Every moment they spend here is a moment they aren't crushing our liberty.

[Suthenboy]

Aaaand Jesse slam dunks it.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

If you are asking for our thoughts then there is no hope for you. Sorry.

[Tonio]

^This. Ha.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

You've come to the wrong office, this is abuse.

[Juice]

Here's the way I look at stuff like this. This applies to, say, taking ill-gotten government money, or taking a government job paid by extortion money.

If you were part of a larger group that you knew might have some impact with your actions, then it might be a good idea to sacrifice a bit for your principles and to maybe set an example for others to follow. But, if you're just one person out there in a sea of others who don't think like you, what do you gain from living strictly by your principles and sacrificing your well being?

By not taking it you might feel better in some abstract moral sense, but it didn't lower anyone's taxes. It didn't prevent one person from being threatened by the government. It didn't reduce the power of the state one bit. All you did was fuck yourself. In fact, a person like you being in some civil "servant" job might be better than someone who is really into that sort of thing.

[Broswater]

If anyone would like to link to this morning conversation, that would be interesting. I would do it myself but I guess you forget all of your html once you get laid.... sorry eh.

I'm actually surprised by the amount of people that actually answered, to be honest, and it kind of got me thinking that most of the recents articles on Reason have mostly been about the politics of libertarianism more than the ethics and morals that should be associated with it... I don't know what to make out of it, I find it interesting... got me thrinking....

[Cytotoxic]

There is nothing unlibertarian about going into a government job as long as you perform it in a way that minimizes the negative impact of what you're doing. Infiltration should be praised not damned.

[Just say Nikki]

Link to this morning's version of this subthread.

And you people wonder why the libertarian moment doesn't seem meaningful.

[Lee G]

Go power bottom.

[Broswater]

Been trying to do that for a while, and as much as I've tried to encourage my partner to at least play with me, tried to cuddle afterwards, nope, he still do it all his way and then go out smoking, leaving me alone sobbing in the bed.

We are still talking figuratively about my wallet and the state right ?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I have made a conscious choice to never work for the state, but in all honesty I suspect it's a pretty wobbly conscious choice: Conscious in that I have said I won't do it, but I've never been desperately unemployed facing someone waving a high-paying government job with guaranteed bennies in my face.

I don't see any major contradiction in it if you're not an "anarchist" and work for a department that... for instance... serves a core function of government, and you do a good job-- and openly work against the insidious problems of all governments: Spending to increase your budgets. Always remember it's the peoples' money, not yours.

[Just say Nikki]

To respond to your comment earlier:

But... you do realize that that stolen money has been stolen from me for the whole of my adult life ? And even if I don't want to. I could try to leave, but I don't know anymore if there is any places worth moving to, (Yup, Alberta is starting to suck really bad, and don't get me to talk about the US until Emperor Trump). But, I'm gonna get that money stolen from me anyway.

And wouldn't an anarchist be profiteering from the system instead of letting him or her or Xself abused by it if he or she or X had no choice in the decision ? Wouldn't an anarchist not hesitate to abuse of the system he see as unfair just to better show how unfair it is ?

Abuse of "the system" is just another way to say abuse of your neighbors. "Anarchist" is not synonymous with "amoral" and "profiteering" just sounds like stealing to me.

Everyone talking about how you have to work, support your family, etc.?this is how the state buys you off, with bourgeois comforts that breed complacency.

[Broswater]

Well, I do find your arguments quite interesting.

And I'm thinking you are playing the devil's advocate here, but by reading your last comment I think any sane person would only come to two conclusion ; either you are a trust-fund kid, or one would smell you from a few miles away.

Reality sucks. Obligatory sorry. /CND

[Just say Nikki]

In reality, you could get an under-the-table job just like any illegal immigrant and live well enough that no one would "smell you from a few miles away." Or you could decide you were willing to compromise by getting a formal job and paying taxes in exchange for a more comfortable standard of living. I personally value that comfort enough to relinquish some purity and bear some amount of responsibility for the state by paying taxes. But none of that involves profiting off the government or working for it, and I consume far less than the average amount of taxpayer-funded services.

Reality does, of course, suck.

[Horatio]

Yeah, what she said. You're invariably going to benefit from state violence just living in the US/canadia, so I try my damndest to limit my impact on other people's Liberty. Didn't take assistance when I was laid off, turned down quick job offers from the IRS, TSA, and state gov, etc.

But if starship troopers taught us anything, it's the only person who can make your decisions is you.

Also, congrats on posting on here and not being called a sock puppet or Tulpa or the like. You give fellow lurkers hop

[Broswater]

Why not take worker assistance when you were laid off ?

I don't know how it works in the US but in Canada, they want to make you think it work like some sort of insurance, obligatory of course. But it's quite hard to qualify. In the last 15 years or so that I've been paying for this, it's now the first time that I actually can get some of my money back. I'm not going to let it go.

I got a lots of friends in the military. They still pay for it, do you think they are going to get laid off ? No. I pay them a beer every now and then. I've got a few friends in the public sector that pay for it. Do you think they are going laid off ? No. But they can go fuck themselves.

I'm not gonna go this is my Medicaid ! But the day the State stop taking away from me is the day I'll say you can keep it.

[Sepper]

Ha, as if Notley is going to cut "public" sector jobs. We can only dream.

[GILMORE?]

"this is how the state buys you off"

i thought that was with Free Abortions?

[Social Contractor]

Do you actually have to support a family Nikki? The vast majority of women I know don't have that responsibility and only have optional jobs.

[G?C]

I'm one of those government employees, although I'm not a frequent poster by any means. I've worked for the feds for the last 16 years, and to be honest I have struggled with it at times. The only thing that has helped me keep what remains of my sanity is the fact that the area I work in is dedicated to uncovering government waste (yes, I'll be employed for life). There are long stretches of mindbogglingly dull and soul-killing bureaucracy. But then there are those moments when you can get someone's budget cut by $30 million...

My advice would be only to apply to those jobs that you can rationalize to your political philosophy, or you will drive yourself insane.

[jesse.in.mb]

U.S. officials are considering whether to upgrade the status of Florida's manatees from "endangered" to "threatened." The Pacific Legal Foundation has been pushing for the change, which apparently should have happened years ago.

Apparently manatees may have inspired or reinforced myths of mermaids. It gets lonely out at sea...

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

It gets lonely out at sea...

But only when you're In The Navyyyyyy.

[jesse.in.mb]

Damn you! I refuse to have The Village People stuck in my head.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Where would you rather have them stuck?

[jesse.in.mb]

A woodchipper?

[The Late P Brooks]

Bomb techs used their robot to get the bags put in a special vehicle and take it to an undisclosed location for further examination.

"We're gonna need some mustard over here, and none of that crappy yellow stuff, neither."

[Ken Shultz]

I really don't get bringing refugees here from Syria and Iraq by the thousands. If we absolutely need to help these people, there must be some way to help them without bringing them here.

Can't we just have a big benefit concert like Live Aid or something? Bono and Springstein can headline it, and then all the liberals can dig deep into their pockets to help all the rapey refugees all they want.

[Ted S.]

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States should be taking them in.

[Jerry on the rocks]

Saudi Arabia won't take them because then they might have to accept them Palestinians as well. And they already have too many illegal workers from Somalia or Ethiopia.

[Cytotoxic]

There's not such thing as 'too many illegal workers'.

[Sheriff Bart]

Rapey Refugees would be a great name for a band.

[Pan Zagloba]

Concerts might be a letdown, though.

[Swiss Servator]

STEVE SMITH PLAY DRUMS!

[colorblindkid]

Once something's endangered it should never come off the list. I don't care if there are so many manatees there's not enough vegetation to feed them all. We'll just feed them our people food. They're way more important.

[GILMORE?]

NYT = Actually covers Rand Paul for the entirety of one whole question

Now you can't say they're biased anymore, nyah!

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The reason that's important is if there's going to be any leniency for those who are already here ? the 11, 12 million that are already here ? you can't announce leniency with an open border.

Paul is threading the needle pretty well here. I disagree with him, but he's not coming off as nuts in his answer. (if you read the whole thing).

I think that lenience IS having an open(ish) border. But in the larger picture of things, if you're not going to have an open border (and we don't) then you're lying to yourself if you're think you're not creating an incentive for people to have anchor babies.

[Sevo]

"A year after ban's repeal, foie gras remains hot topic"
[...]
"But a year after the ban was lifted, the issue still isn't fully resolved, with two significant lawsuits still pending in state court ? including one that could reinstate the ban."
http://www.sfgate.com/food/art.....741702.php

Slimy statists grab forever.

[Cytotoxic]

Wow markets are getting in the face.

On a thread about this KS said that China is trying to guide the Yuan lower. This is probably wrong. For one thing, they'd be crazy to do that-yuan devaluation will make USD-denominated debts larger and possibly ruinious. For another thing, China isn't forcing it's currency lower it's giving it more room to float. This is basically a gradual currency deregulation. China's central bank is actually burning through reserves to prop the yuan up and prevent a disorderly devaluation. The yuan isn't even falling so much as the USD is rising (for some reason).

Most the things the Chinese central bank are selling are US treasuries. That could have some interesting side effects.

[Ken Shultz]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/co.....1452178733

[Cytotoxic]

Paywall.

[Ken Shultz]

I pasted part of the text below

[Juvenile Bluster]

Copy and paste the URL into Google search, and you can get to paywalled WSJ articles.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Apropos of this, you may have missed my earlier post today. The one where the fed official admitted openly that the fed had "front-loaded" the markets and the entire 'rally' was fake?

[Cytotoxic]

I saw that but require a better source than ZeroHedge.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The source wasn't ZeroHedge, the source is CNBC. I had heard about it, googled "fed official front loaded market" and it was the first quick link. It happened.

Here's the long wall-of-text link if you prefer:

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/06.....ntary.html

I don't know much about ZeroHedge, but their text summation is accurate.

[Cytotoxic]

Excellent well done. Incredible: it's exactly as people here predicted it was. I like that the mythology has been blown up so fast.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I'm guessing it'll be lost down the memory hole in a few days and we'll be back to blaming Venezuela's economc problems on low oil prices, and our market collapse on China North Korea The Kochs China.

[Free Society]

Summer of Recovery!

[Lee G]

My response would have been something along the lines of "NO SHIT, REALLY? INCONCEIVABLE!"

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Unfortunately, to CNBC, this was shocking news.

And I do agree, it's shocking in that it was openly admitted, also shocking that CNBC should be shocked.

Personally, it was more fun when everyone calls you a Fed 'troofer' when you point out that serial manipulation of currency and markets, printing money and flooding the banks with cash might have negative consequences.

[Lee G]

The money is going to go somewhere in an attempt to make something on it, regardless of the Fed's efforts to have it stay in the bank's reserves. It's utterly ridiculous that anyone would buy into the fiction they've been selling for the last few years.

[Horatio]

You've got it all wrong. I have been told for a decade that since our debt is in dollars printing money and keeping interest rates down will have no negative consequences. There's no massive inflation, right?

[Pan Zagloba]

God fucking damn, man, you're giving me flashbacks to...let's Wiki this shit quickly...

The UN boycott collapsed an economy already weakened by regional war, with the projected monthly inflation rate accelerating to one million percent by December, 1993 (prices double every 2.3 days).

Holy shit! One of these days I'll have to ask my dad how me made it through that shit. Luckily we got out before the following:

The overall impact of hyperinflation: 1 novi dinar = 1 ? 1027~1.3 ? 1027 pre 1990 dinars. Yugoslavia's rate of inflation hit 5 ? 1015 percent cumulative inflation over the time period 1 October 1993 and 24 January 1994.

[Lee G]

I've some 5 billion dinar notes around somewhere.

[OneOut]

buy something today and sell it a week later

and buy and sell like hell

[Ken Shultz]

"It also, Chinese officials believed, gave them the ability to shift priorities from bolstering the yuan in the eyes of the world to enlisting the yuan in the national effort to stimulate the slowing economy, according to interviews with more than a dozen Chinese officials and advisers to the central bank.

Steps they could have taken to increase the ease with which the rest of the world dealt in yuan were put on hold. Instead, the authorities have embarked on a perilous path of trying to gradually weaken the currency to help make China's exports relatively cheaper in foreign markets, these people say.

The massive risk inherent in that strategy became painfully apparent this week, gathering momentum Thursday and hammering global markets from stocks to commodities. The reason: The People's Bank of China's efforts to steer the currency lower were pounced on by investors who sold in droves, effectively engaging the central bank in a titanic struggle over who gets to control how far and fast the yuan declines.

Even after guiding the yuan to its lowest level against the dollar in five years on Thursday, the central bank was forced to start buying again to stop the decline turning into a rout at the hands of global traders, many of whom sit just off China's mainland coast in the skyscrapers of Hong Kong."

From the link above.

[Cytotoxic]

Interesting. It should give us great hope that this vast bureaucracy with tons of guns to back it up is getting all its plans reckt by suits in Hong Kong. WE OWN YOU.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Actually, China owns us. Let's hope they don't call in the debt.

[Cytotoxic]

No, they own debt. They'd better hope we can either pay it back or they can sell it.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

They can always repo the collateral assets. I for one actually hope they do.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

They've been selling Treasuries to fund their currency intervention. They own a lot less of our debt now then they did two years ago.

[Ken Shultz]

That's always true of currencies. They're values based on how much growth you economy has, how much trading you do with the outside world, how much inflation you have, and where interest rates are--all relative to other currencies.

That would seem to give the national banks control over one aspect of currency valuation, but the fed going against the market grain on rates has its own problems. Governments do have ultimate control--through trade policy, regulation, and frugal budgets. Want a stronger currency (C.P.)?

So, when the Euro crashes, people flock to investments denominated in safe harbor currencies. In the U.S., people flocking into the dollar* isn't a huge problem because our economy isn't as dependent on exports. When people flock into the yuan, that's a big problem for China--because their economy is heavily dependent on exports.

*We're one of the prettiest horses in the glue factory.

[Ken Shultz]

"It should give us great hope that this vast bureaucracy with tons of guns to back it up is getting all its plans reckt by suits in Hong Kong. WE OWN YOU."

You're being facetious, but it does give me great hope to know that no matter how foolish our politicians are, they can and will be brought back to reason by the markets and the discipline markets mete out.

Do you know why Greece slashed spending?

Because the markets made them.

Do you know why Germany was able to dictate such harsh terms for a bailout package?

Because the terms the market was offering Greece to roll over or refinance their debt were much harsher than what Germany was offering.

Do you know what's going to happen when it's out turn to go to the glue factory?

The same thing, only there won't be a country like Germany big enough to bail us out--so eventually we'll have to do the right thing. No matter how stupid the progressives get in the interim, eventually the markets will force us to cut spending and lower our debt level so that we can afford the interest. And, yes, I find that comforting.

It would be frightening if we could keep on with the insane behavior forever without any consequences.

[OneOut]

If it could keep on forever without consequences that wouldn't be a problem.

But it can't go on forever without consequences and the longer it goes without the inevitable conseuences the bigger the consequences will be.

That is the problem.

I think you know that but just spoke in shorthand.

[Ken Shultz]

"According to a leaked police report from Cologne, Germany, police were overwhelmed New Year's Eve trying to deal with calls over large groups of men, believed to be migrants from the Middle East or North Africa, assaulting women."

None of this would have happened if they'd been wearing burkas. It's these women's fault. They failed to create a safe space for Muslims.

[John]

That is right Ken. And we don't even know the people doing this were migrants. No one knows that. They could have been Germans who looked like Migrants or maybe evil Christians who happen to be from North Africa or something.

STOP BEING A COLLECTIVIST!!!

[MetalBard]

A bunch of north africans sexual assault women in Cologne, and Nikki actually asked "How do you know they're Muslim?"

[Lee G]

God damn Libyan Scientologists.

[Just say Nikki]

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you guys had positive identifications including religious questionnaires on these people already. My mistake!

[SugarFree]

But is has to be Muslims, otherwise they've gone and given a shit about sexual assault for nothing. Nothing!

[JW]

BROWN RAPE

[SugarFree]

Imagine how they will act when they get the marijuanas in them! Rape all overs!

[JW]

They'll be as strong and unstoppable as hopped up negros!

[John]

Yeah Sugar Free. Everyone on here loves rape. No one would care if it was nto Muslims doing it. I mean, totally I and everyone else would be totally fine with gangs of non Muslims running around raping people

There really isn't any peak DERP for you guys on this is there? You can't admit the truth because that would require you to admit that maybe totally open borders are not always the best idea or without real draw backs. It is pathetic and everyone can see it.

[JW]

MOOSLIM FRIDAY!

[SugarFree]

No, John. You've just gone mad. Maybe it was always there and you could hide it, but not any more.

So fuck off, troll.

[John]

No Sugar Free. You can't admit reality that conflicts with your narrative. Reality is hitting you in the face telling you that perhaps like all ideology yours has limits and you and a few other people can't handle it.

I am not trolling. I am just kicking you in the teeth trying to wake you up. Seriously, you are not Cytoxic. You are smarter and more honest than this. Why are you letting yourself become so stupid?

[SugarFree]

Yeah, here trying to wake us up. Like Tony and shrike and MNG and joe and american socialist and joe 2.0 Jackand Ace.

You're just here to help us. To save us from ourselves.

Fuck off, troll. You're boring.

[John]

Yeah, here trying to wake us up. Like Tony and shrike and MNG and joe and american socialist and joe 2.0 Jackand Ace.

Oh really? Why do you think that? Because I bring up facts you don't like? If anyone is being like Joe or Tony here it isn't me. It is the person throwing invective with no facts or proof to back it up.

[SugarFree]

Because I bring up facts you don't like?

Now I'm just laughing. You fucking trolls always try this. "I'm not the the troll, you're the troll!" And then you break and just start trolling full time.

[John]

Okay SF, what have I said here that is trolling? Which posts? I am curious. You tell me. Don't just call me a troll. Please explain exactly what it is I have said that makes me a troll.

You haven't done that. All you are doing is calling me names. That is fine and all but my posts are here for all to see. So, please explain what about them makes me a troll.

[Just say Nikki]

I mean, totally I and everyone else would be totally fine with gangs of non Muslims running around raping people

Check out the comments on any post about sexual assault that doesn't involve Muslims and let me know how they compare.

[GILMORE?]

"Check out the comments on any post about sexual assault that doesn't involve Muslims and let me know how they compare.'

I would say the principal difference is that the Muslim rapes seem to be real, yet the media doesn't want to talk about them...while the posts about non-muslim rapes are often fake but the media insists there's a "Crisis" of them.

[Pat (PM)]

Jesus Christ Gilmore are you some kind of sister fucking yokeltarian republican racist Trumpenproletariat rat baggging tea fucker?

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

would say the principal difference is that the Muslim rapes seem to be real, yet the media doesn't want to talk about them...while the posts about non-muslim rapes are often fake but the media insists there's a "Crisis" of them.

This.

[Just say Nikki]

I would say the principal difference is that the Muslim rapes seem to be real, yet the media doesn't want to talk about them...while the posts about non-muslim rapes are often fake but the media insists there's a "Crisis" of them.

Does it not seem at all weird to you that despite the media not wanting to talk about them and a strange absence of cellphone video of the incidents that everyone here seems to be believing the absolute wildest claims?

[GILMORE?]

"" despite the media not wanting to talk about them and a strange absence of cellphone video of the incidents that everyone here seems to be believing the absolute wildest claims?"

Ugh.

I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE ALL SURVIVORS, NIKKI

Listen to Michelle and Hear Her. Just listen, for once.

Also, as noted - not only has everyone here been 'fooled'... so has the Mayor of Cologne, Angela Merkel, CNN, NYT, BBC, etc. What you call "wild claims" seem to be described as "news" by these shoddy tabloid sites.

[Suthenboy]

Bingo.

[John]

Niki,

Are there other gangs of peopel running around raping in a major western city? If there are, I am not aware of it. But if you know of any, post away. Those are wrong too.

Jesus Christ I am a total law and order person. Exactly what have I ever said that woudl in any way cause you to think I don't care about that or don't think women are totally justified in shooting anyone who tries to rape them?

This is pathetic. You are grasping at so many straws here. Stop it.

[Just say Nikki]

Are there other gangs of peopel running around raping in a major western city? If there are, I am not aware of it. But if you know of any, post away. Those are wrong too.

I do not believe there are "gangs of people running around raping in a major western city" at all. That is an extremely liberal spin to put on the events alleged to have occurred on New Years Eve in Cologne. You guys are worked up into a fever pitch when the reporting is absolutely atrocious and we have no idea what happened.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

I do not believe there are "gangs of people running around raping in a major western city" at all. That is an extremely liberal spin to put on the events alleged to have occurred on New Years Eve in Cologne. You guys are worked up into a fever pitch when the reporting is absolutely atrocious and we have no idea what happened.

There's a fairly well documented phenomena of men of ME background aggressively sexually harassing women on the street in European cities with largish populations of ME men. While that's hardly a rape epidemic, it is a reality.

Here's a documentary describing it.

[Just say Nikki]

There's a fairly well documented phenomena of men of ME background aggressively sexually harassing women on the street in European cities with largish populations of ME men. While that's hardly a rape epidemic, it is a reality.

Yes, it is. But it's not rape gangs.

I'm not saying "there's no problem." I'm saying maybe we should be concerned with what the problem actually is, rather than sensationalizing it as much as possible so we can freak people out as much as possible about those Others.

[John]

Okay Nikki,

They just grope women. yeah, that makes such a difference. What were we all concerned about?

[OneOut]

I'm with niki.

Something stinks in cologne and we mustn't jump to conclusions.

Female mayor of Cologne says women need a code of conduct to avoid being raped by North African and Arab looking men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgkOb0HrP7U

See Niki's right . These women were just asking for it. It's their fault a bunch of North African and Arab looking men raped and groped them. Even though the women weren't in North Africa they still need to follow a new code of conduct in their home countries to prevent it.

Something definitely stinks in Cologne allright.

On the bright side Germany has yet to experience a long term plan of molesting young German teenagers that was aided and abetted by the local government like England did.

So there's that.

[John]

Yeah Nikki, nothing happened. All of those German women are lying.

[OneOut]

Of course they are John.

See if they weren't lying they would have camly taken their cell phones out and fillmed themselves being raped and molested and the rapists would have let them and posed for the cameras.

Happens all the time.

i telll a lot of my friends who bitch about the influx in our country from south of the border just be thankful that at least they come froma Christian culture and aren't Muslims.

And I don't apologize for it.

[MetalBard]

Modern Europe, and what they're experiencing over there is proof positive that open borders is a failure, but it's become such an article of faith with these people that they'll never admit it.

Besides all they ever do is call anyone who disagrees with them racists, and so to come over and admit that the people they have so demonized were right, or to even consider that side would make them siding with evil racists, can't have that can we? They wouldn't be able to stand so tall and pious.

[SugarFree]

I don't know if you are a racist, but these mind reading powers you have are fucking incredible. Maybe take them to a big poker tournament or something.

[MetalBard]

Maybe if you were actually open and honest i wouldn't have to resort to mind reading.

[SugarFree]

I am honest. I am honestly sick of you boring fucking yokels whining about your paranoid fantasies of Muslim invasion.

None of you give a fuck that girls were raped in Rotherdam, it's just a confirmation of a bias.

None of you give a fuck about sexual assault victims in Germany, it's just a confirmation of a bias.

You don't like Muslims. You don't want them in America. WE FUCKING GET IT ALREADY!

Shut the fuck up about it, you boring scaredy cats.

[John]

I am honest. I am honestly sick of you boring fucking yokels whining about your paranoid fantasies of Muslim invasion.

So those women being raped in German is just a paranoid fantasy? Who is having the fantasy here? The people posting links to actual rapes and crimes being committed by gangs of Muslims or the person shitting his pants calling everyone Yokuls for bringing the subject up?

[SugarFree]

John, go to doctor. I bet there's a tumor the size of Free Society's brain in your head.

[John]

Yeah Sugar Free. You have no response and have lost the argument and are now reduced to ranting and insulting.

That is really sad. I never thought that would happen to you. I really didn't. Just admit the truth and move on. It is not like there are not other ways to defend immigration. Take a tactical retreat and stop dying on this hill. It is getting hard to watch.

[SugarFree]

I kinda always knew it would happen to you, John. You always did love finding the stupidest fucking hills to die on. And this is your mountain.

[John]

So exactly why am I stupid SF? Is it because I looked at the evidence and said "yes a bunch of Muslims in Europe raped women"? Is it because I think importing people from crazy societies is a bad idea?

[Pat (PM)]

None of you give a fuck that girls were raped in Rotherdam...

None of you give a fuck about sexual assault victims in Germany...

Yeah, and stop trying to put words in SugarFree's mouth as if you can read his mind, you hysterical RACIST RACIST RACIST RACIST RACISTS!

Tumblr is leaking.

[SugarFree]

Yeah, PM. I couldn't possibly be because every other article about rape is met with howls of derision, right? And "bitches be lying about rape" comments.

I love how you are all rushing to John's defense. What brave white knights.

You know he's not going to fuck you, right?

[Pat (PM)]

I couldn't possibly be because every other article about rape is met with howls of derision, right? And "bitches be lying about rape" comments.

[citation needed]

Curious that you and Nikki hit on this line of logic at exactly the same time. You know she's not gonna fuck you right? Herpa derpa durrrrrrrr

[SugarFree]

OH, GAWD! HE DONE TURNEDED MY OWN JOKE BACK ON ME!

[Pat (PM)]

Only a dumb yokel would point out when you're acting like a retard, amirite?

[Free Society]

Yeah, PM. I couldn't possibly be because every other article about rape is met with howls of derision, right? And "bitches be lying about rape" comments.

So now you're shacking up with Mattress Girl. She makes a hell of an ally, huh?

[SugarFree]

She makes a hell of an ally, huh?

Eh. She still better looking than John's asshole, I bet. And you seem to be going at that like a dog on an ice cream cone.

[Free Society]

Eh. She still better looking than John's asshole, I bet. And you seem to be going at that like a dog on an ice cream cone.

This is exactly why debating with you is pigeon chess.

[Lee G]

Now who's reading minds?

[MetalBard]

You beat me to it.

[MetalBard]

You accuse me of mind reading, and then you post something like this. Seriously what the hell?

[SugarFree]

You accuse me of mind reading, and then you post something like this. Seriously what the hell?

Find me one comment I ever made supporting actual open/no borders or unlimited Muslim immigration. One. Go find it.

Just because John likes to talk out of his dumb ass doesn't make it true, it just makes you an idiot for believing him.

[John]

Find me one comment I ever made supporting actual open/no borders or unlimited Muslim immigration. One. Go find it.

Okay. If you agree then what are you bitching about?

[MetalBard]

Obviously he's mentally ill. Why else would someone argue against something they believe in? This is the type of bullshit that causes people to start guessing about what their motives are.

[bacon-magic]

You have issues more serious than diabetes. Learn to debate dickhead, you comment like all the people you hate. /yokeltarian

[Social Contractor]

Complains about reading minds in one post, reads minds in the next v

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

I just have tremendous sympathy (I AM A GIRL) for the female victims here. Can you imagine living in a city and finding out you are no longer safe to travel through large swaths of it because you might get finger fucked on the street? I lived in NYC for nearly 10 years and lived in some pretty crappy neighborhoods. Never - NEVER - did I experience that kind of harassment. And I'm hot, so, yeah. Not only that, but many of those women are working, paying taxes to support those rapists. Jesus.

[Los Doyers]

And I'm hot, so, yeah.

Withholding pics at this point is just bad form, maybe even criminal.

[Suthenboy]

"Withholding pics at this point is just bad form, maybe even criminal."

I was just thinking this same thing.

Also, in response to the hot Ms. Lavish - I get pretty angry when I think about people having their right of self defense compromised. It makes me want to punch a gun-grabber in the mouth. I can think of one in particular that would be especially satisfying to knock his fuckin' lights out.

[Just say Nikki]

I do too, Ms. Lavish. I just prefer to wait until I have some reliable reporting about who did what when before I decide to freak out about BROWN IMMIGRANTS RAPING MY WOMEN. But I guess that's probably because I don't own any women. Maybe I'd be more touchy about it if I did.

[GILMORE?]

""BROWN IMMIGRANTS RAPING MY WOMEN""

That's totally cultural appropriation. They're Germany's women.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

As I mentioned to Cytotoxic, the German press is reporting that many migrants - mostly claiming to be from Syria - were detained by the police at the time but weren't processed because the cops lacked the proper backup to bring them in. I respect your desire to not collectivize all migrants or Muslims or Arabs, but it is what it is.

[John]

I do too, Ms. Lavish. I just prefer to wait until I have some reliable reporting about who did what when before I decide to freak out about BROWN IMMIGRANTS RAPING MY WOMEN.

Every major news source in Europe is reporting it as fact. There are videos all over Youtube showing it happening. Just exactly what will it take to convince you?

Give me a fucking break Nikki. No amount of evidence will get you to admit it was Muslim migrants. That fact is just something you can never face or admit for whatever reason.

[Just say Nikki]

No amount of evidence will get you to admit it was Muslim migrants. That fact is just something you can never face or admit for whatever reason.

Sorry, John, but you are 100% wrong about that.

But when I do see some reliable evidence, and I say, "Yeah, there were Muslim migrants raping women in Cologne," something tells me that won't be good enough for you.

[John]

But when I do see some reliable evidence, and I say, "Yeah, there were Muslim migrants raping women in Cologne," something tells me that won't be good enough for you.

Maybe you will but I seriously doubt it. I don't think you are capable. Again, do you think all the papers in Europe including left wing ones like the Guardian are lying? Do you think the huge number of videos on youtube showing this shit are all fake?

If not, then what proof are you waiting for? You say you will admit the truth but then still deny it despite a mountain of evidence and refuse to even say what evidence woudl convince you.

Sorry Nikki, you have painted yourself in a corner and are just talking shit. You will never admit it was Muslims.

[Just say Nikki]

What YouTube videos are you talking about? I haven't seen anything from the Cologne NYE incident.

[John]

Google it Nikki. They are all over the place. tons of videos in German of various horrible crimes committed by migrants there. Go and look. But here is one for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOB4J8xl4BQ

Is that woman lying? Is she just a racist yokul? There are tons of women coming forward. Are they all lying? Do you just not give a fuck about what happened to them Nikki?

[Just say Nikki]

Are you kidding me? That's your video?

Is that woman lying? Is she just a racist yokul? There are tons of women coming forward. Are they all lying? Do you just not give a fuck about what happened to them Nikki?

She could be lying. Like I said, go check the comments on some other rape-related thread. You let me know how much people believe in "believing the victim" normally. What's different in this case?

[John]

Of course she is lying. she is accusing a Muslim. she must be lying. And the fact that there are about a dozen or so more women who are saying the same thing means nothing. They must be lying. They are no different than the woman in the rolling Stone story.

Come on Nikki. Really?

[OneOut]

John John John.

This is obviously a case of mass hysteria ., All the 80 some odd wome decided to spontaneously file a bunch of racist complaints against a bunch of new Germans who follow the religion of peace at the same time. They probably got together at some right wing German woman's group and put this devious plan into play in order to further the false narative that Muslim men believe that women are only slightly above cattle in the ranking of sentinent beings.

Even the female mayor of Cologne kinda blames the women for this gang rape. She kinda sounds like Hilliary during the Bimbo Eruption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgkOb0HrP7U

Ya see john, if these women, who probably don't have armed bodyguards like the female mayor does, would have just followed this simple new code of conduct for German women in their home country this wouldn't have happened.

German women just need to learn to recalibrate their sense of freedom and safety in a multicultural Germany because multiculturalism.

[Lee G]

You should go out get yourself some women Nikki. It's really quite a wonderful experience owning them.

Why I even allow mine out in the street once in a while. But I do make sure they have their burqas on.

[MetalBard]

Look! Another mind reader!!

[Ken Shultz]

What you mean by open borders and what I mean by open borders are two different things.

My idea of open borders is that everyone from Mexico and Canada should be free to come across our border checkpoints--assuming both governments find a suitable way to verify that the citizens of those two countries a) aren't carrying a communicable disease and have been immunized against certain infections, and c) aren't convicted felons.

The idea is that if all the people who were coming across for peaceful and legal reasons could just walk across a checkpoint, they wouldn't be inadvertently providing cover for terrorists and criminals out there in the dark desert. The only people trudging through the desert at night would be the bad guys.

What does that have to do with letting Syrians across the border--just because they show up?

Absolutely nothing.

[OneOut]

I am also for increased availability of cross border travel. I'm against unfettered and illegal immigration.

The US Government ponzi scheme called Social Security depends on it. We need more people paying in compared to the number taking out to keep it from crashing.is one reason.

More workers means more productivity but simply turning our backs on the order and allowing anyone that wants to for whatever their reason is insanity. Our social safety net is too high off the ground and too easy to tap into .

It is reasonable to acknowledge that Islam is more than just a religion. It is also a legal system and a social syetem that their society is organized around. A devout Muslim who adheres to their book cannot adapt to western values. They must take sides. They have to believe in their book or abandon it to some degree to assimilate into non Muslim countries.

it is the height of folly to inject large numbers of muslims into a non Muslim country and expect everyone to play pattycake, Devout muslims are forced by their book to change their new homes according to

https://goo.gl/3tWLgF

The facts are there. This is their history of assimilation into non Muslim countries. Something Europe seems determined to relearn the hard way.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

It is reasonable to acknowledge that Islam is more than just a religion. It is also a legal system and a social syetem that their society is organized around.

Not in this country, it isn't.

A devout Muslim who adheres to their book cannot adapt to western values. They must take sides. They have to believe in their book or abandon it to some degree to assimilate into non Muslim countries.

As is evident by the 3.3 million Muslims living peacefully in the US.

[Cytotoxic]

Indeed. This is an Arab cultural issue more than an Islamic one.

[OneOut]

Actually it is now a German issue.

[John]

So do you honestly believe they are not Muslims? What reason do have to think that other than your total refusal to admit there could be any problem with Islam?

[Just say Nikki]

I don't know why you think I don't think there are problems with Islam.

Pop Quiz: How quick would y'all be to believe this story without video evidence if it supposedly happened on a US college campus and the attackers were white?

[John]

Then why are you denying they are Muslims and they were doing this because of the Islamic culture they come from said it was okay?

If you have so many problems with Islam, why the fuck can you never say a bad word about any actual Muslim?

[Just say Nikki]

Do you want me to criticize a specific Muslim for some specific reason? Or do you want me to collectivize over a billion people and criticize them with no basis in reality?

I am not "denying they are Muslims," I am saying you don't know who did what and none of the rest of us does yet either. And you obviously therefore have no fucking clue what they were thinking when they did it.

[John]

Or do you want me to collectivize over a billion people and criticize them with no basis in reality?

Do you have a problem with the religion or don't you? If you do, then yes you can collectivize the people who choose to follow that ideology and criticize them for following it.

Jesus tap dancing Christ Nikki, if someone says something bad about communists, do you scream don't collectivize? Hell no you don't. Islam is no different. it is an ideology and the people who are Muslims are Muslims because they choose to be so just like those who are communists are that way.

Islam is not a race. Stop acting like it is and take your :I don't' collectivize bullshit elsewhere.

A lot of communists were nice people and worked hard. They still fucking sucked because they wer communists.

[Free Society]

So many libertarians respond to concepts at all involving a "collective" act like my dog when I say the word "squirrel". A frantic nonsensical response ensues.

I think the existence of insurance industry alone should be enough to prove that you can make accurate predictions and judgments about classes, categories and aggregates of individuals while still recognizing the primacy of individual agency.

[MetalBard]

If only the communists had called themselves a religion how different would things be?

[GILMORE?]

"How quick would y'all be to believe this story without video evidence"

Which is weird, because there are claims the most-graphic events took place in a freaking European train station....which has probably got to be one of the most public-camera-filled places on earth, yet there's no footy anywhere as far as i can tell.

But CNN, NYT, BBC, etc seem to be covering the story as though it has some basis in fact.

(*bonus points for Mayor Reker of Cologne in the first link, suggesting it was partly the women's fault for being too slutty, or something)

[Just say Nikki]

Which is weird, because there are claims the most-graphic events took place in a freaking European train station....which has probably got to be one of the most public-camera-filled places on earth, yet there's no footy anywhere as far as i can tell.

But CNN, NYT, BBC, etc seem to be covering the story as though it has some basis in fact.

I fully believe there is some basis in fact.

I don't know what the facts are and I don't think anyone else here does either.

I am damn suspicious about the lack of video footage.

[Free Society]

It's just as likely that it was roving gangs of German men, who are known for putting on make-up to make themselves appear Arab and African to fool the victims and witnesses of their gang-rapes. A class of crime for which everyone knows indigenous Europeans are almost exclusively the culprits.

[Old Man With Candy]

I fully believe there is some basis in fact.

I fully believe that the basic crime here was robbery, and that there's a significant probability that gropes and threatening looks were diversions. That's pretty common in Europe, and not just with "Arabs and North Africans."

Follow the money.

[GILMORE?]

"I don't know what the facts are and I don't think anyone else here does either."

The NYT seems to be fairly specific about things like, "90 victims" and "hundreds of perps" of "North African" descent.

The witness testimony linked to is also fairly specific. Unless you think the victims are lying.

I confess = i've found the repeated, endless claims of "Muslim-Rape Epidemics" in Sweden to be a bit tiresome and overblown.

This, however, seems fairly solid. Unless there's some giant conspiracy by German Neo-Nazis being enabled by Major Media outlets? (*after seemingly having tried to sweep it under the rub)

[GILMORE?]

""under the rub""

Rugs of silence!

(* The Rub was a party that guy above used to DJ)

[Homple]

How do you know the reports are overblown?

[GILMORE?]

In Sweden? because its Sweden and the news from there is all 'unverifiable', yet right-wing sites seem to have a direct-feed into Swedish criminal-statistics.

Whereas this germany thing? As repeatedly noted, is widely covered by major media and has tons of 'confirmation' by public figures.

[OneOut]

Maybe iit's the same reason that the video footage of cops killing little boys with toy guns doesn't always get released right away ?.

That is until the goernment is forced to do so.

[Gray Ghost]

Does Germany have anything like the US FOIA? That might be a reason for the lack of gov't owned camera footage. And the victims of the groping gauntlet were probably too busy running away from the perps to be doing much filming. Outside the train station, all I see is a bunch of people shooting off fireworks and acting the fool---it's too dark to make out much.

Then again, nobody disputes that there were all kinds of rapes and sexual assaults in Tahrir Square, Cairo during the Arab Spring; most notoriously, that of Lara Logan, but there haven't been a lot of videos of those either. (Not that I've looked for any.) And she had a camera crew with her.

Gilmore, you're old enough and NYC-centric enough to know: does this Koln NYE mob sound similar to you like the stories of groping and robbery during, e.g, the Puerto Rican Day parades?

[GILMORE?]

"You're old enough and NYC-centric enough"

And dawgone it... people like me

"does this Koln NYE mob sound similar to you like the stories of groping and robbery during, e.g, the Puerto Rican Day parades?"

Yeah, a bit. But the PR-day criminality was an annually-predicted thing which was almost entirely limited to 'within their own community' stuff. Otherwise known as "Ay Mami-ism"

(* I lived near the park on the upper east side for a while, and PR day was always an excuse to "Stay Indoors" and out of the fray)

If they'd tried drifting away from the parade and started groping hotties on 5th avenue, they'd have been shot. Instead they got drunk and molested puerto rican girlies. So, close but short of 1 blunt-wrapper.

If there's similarity its that maybe there was reticence for police to break shit up because they were terrified of creating a "Rodney King" event in the midst of thousands of fucked-up puerto ricans

[Ken Shultz]

"Pop Quiz: How quick would y'all be to believe this story without video evidence if it supposedly happened on a US college campus and the attackers were white?"

Just about everything I believe comes with some degree of uncertainty.

I read this about immigrants in Sweden . . .

"In particular, immigrants from Africa and South & Western Asian were more likely to be charged of a crime than individuals born to two Swedish parents by a factor of 4.5 and 3.5 respectively. In regard to rape, the report revealed that immigrants were 5.5 times more likely to be charged of rape than individuals born in Sweden to two Swedish parent, although the category of immigrant was not broken down by country of origin in this report [1].

Findings from a previous study published by the Swedish government in 1996 determined that between 1985 and 1989 individuals born in Iraq, North Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), and Africa (excluding Uganda and the North African countries) were convicted of rape at rates 20, 23, and 17 times greater than individuals born in Sweden respectively. In total, individuals from an immigrant background accounted for 61% of all rape convictions [2].

https://ofpsychandsociety. wordpress.com/2015/09/24/ immigration-and-crime-in-scandinavia/

I'm still open to the argument that these statistics are wrong.

Are you open to the possibility that those statistics are right?

[Just say Nikki]

Are you open to the possibility that those statistics are right?

Yes.

[Old Man With Candy]

Are you open to the possibility that those statistics are right?

Of course. And one should be open to the possibility that even if they are, they are irrelevant in the context of the US.

[John]

Are you open to the possibility that those statistics are right?

No she is not. Evidence that doesn't fit her fantasies is always invalid.

[MetalBard]

You're really about to reach peak derp on this one aren't you? There is virtually zero followers of a different faith in north Africa.

[Ken Shultz]

Did you read the article?

[MetalBard]

Look maybe I'm being too harsh. Don't believe their religion matters? Fine just say so, but don't make yourself sound retarded by suggesting that a bunch of north Africans are not Muslim, that they could be any religion in the known world.

[Just say Nikki]

I don't know that they are "a bunch of north Africans," and I sure as hell didn't know that the first day it was being reported. The reporting has changed several times since then. We have almost no reliable information about what happened at this point.

[GILMORE?]

"We have almost no reliable information about what happened at this point."

As noted earlier - NYT, Telegraph UK, above CNN story, etc with witness testimony, etc....

And actually, the 'first reporting' i heard was 3 days ago, and nothing has changed since then that i can tell. It was always, "Big Gang of Moozies in Koln Train Station, Grope & Rob Women", and has since expanded to include a few other cities where there were similar complaints. What changed?

[Just say Nikki]

What changed?

I read earlier today that there was a release or leak of a police report made shortly after the incident that did not fully comport with the reporting I saw earlier this week. There have also been various different messages about which cities were involved, whether the perpetrators were believed to be recently arrived or long known to the police, how many people were involved, the basic timeline of the firecracker/crowd/assault events outside the train station, the extent to which sexual assault vs. pickpocketing was involved, etc.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

Only retards ask for proof, Nikki. It's probably north Africans, so it's ridiculous and dishonest to wait for hard evidence before condemning north Africans for it.

[Just say Nikki]

Personally, I kinda think it was some Puerto Rican guy.

[Los Doyers]

Someone took his mofongo, and he was thirsty for vengeance.

[John]

Yeah MJ Green. The fact that every piece of available evidence, including multiple witnesses who are on public record and multiple videos and the police spokesmen themselves point to a conclusion doesn't mean it is true. Just because there is no evidence to the contrary doesn't mean there might not be somewhere?

Seriously, do you realize how stupid you guys sound? Why are you defending the indefensible and denying the obvious?

[Free Society]

Why are you defending the indefensible and denying the obvious?

You expect them to just up and leave the multicult? That'd leave their anal cavities more sore than the anus of a woman freshly raped by the European false flag rapist conspiracy.

[John]

I love how they are all about indisputable proof before making any conclusions. Good thing they don't jump to conclusions when talking about cops or anything.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

That'd leave their anal cavities more sore than the anus of a woman freshly raped by the European false flag rapist conspiracy.

Too soon.

[Just say Nikki]

If he can't talk openly about freshly raped women, what's the point of even caring about this?

Seriously, and people wonder why this smells bad to me.

[Free Society]

No one wonders. You have a narrative to preserve.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

What am I defending? I'm not denying the obvious; if it happened as described, it makes sense that it was done by immigrants. It'd be weird for German kids to suddenly start groping and mugging women (though I have no idea what German gangs are like). But I distinctly remember seeing it declared "retarded" to question or deny that the Paris attackers were ISIS plants coming in with the refugees. That was so obviously the case! Only a blind cosmo would ignore the truth! And it turned out not to be so simple. Like Nikki, I haven't seen any video or a fully fleshed out story yet.

FS: What makes you think I'm part of the "multicult"? "White people" and the west generally have a better culture than other people. Happy?

[Free Society]

FS: What makes you think I'm part of the "multicult"? "White people" and the west generally have a better culture than other people. Happy?

That's sort of a start I guess. Now if you would just stop insisting that destitute and culturally alien peoples be imported en masse at tax payer expense because of some false moral principle, that'd be progress.

[John]

But I distinctly remember seeing it declared "retarded" to question or deny that the Paris attackers were ISIS plants coming in with the refugees. That was so obviously the case! Only a blind cosmo would ignore the truth! And it turned out not to be so simple. Like Nikki, I haven't seen any video or a fully fleshed out story yet.

The two situations are totally different. It was possible that the Paris attackers were new migrants but native Muslims in France have been responsible for a lot of terror too. So it is hardly surprising they were not recent Syrian migrants, though I think one or two were.

And these guys may have been local Muslims. But what difference does that make? That doesn't make it less of a Muslim problem or make importing more Muslims into Germany any better of an idea.

[OneOut]

Yes we so.

The female mayor of Cologne said that German women should follow a "code of conduct" to prevent this sort of thing .

It makes it sound like she is saying that her fellow fraulines, who probably don't have armed guards like she does, could have preented this by "keeping men at an arms length distance".

Yes. That is one of her codes of conduct for non armed body guarded women to follow because we all know that rapists respect an arms lenght distance.

[Bill Dalasio]

Nikki,

I'm not trying to take John's side here. If anything, I'm trying to give you a means to articulate your argument in response to John. Are you seriously suggesting that there's nothing at all unusual here? That what's going on is completely unrelated to Germany's admittance of thousands of migrants from the North Africa and the Middle East? I mean, sure, it's entirely possible that, as Cytotoxic suggests, this has more to do with Arabic culture than Islam. Fine. Does it really matter?

[Just say Nikki]

Does it really matter? Of course it matters. Some of us like to try blaming specific individuals for specific immoral acts, not saying "Muslims go around raping everyone."

And you know what seems unusual here? The H&R peanut gallery giving a shit about rape. I mean, I haven't seen a single "but was it gangrape-gangrape?" joke in days of these posts now. Why not?

[Bill Dalasio]

Except you didn't really answer my question, did you?

Rapemobs are not exactly a longstanding feature of Germany. And the common factor among the participants is that they match the background of the recent migrants. And this wasn't an isolated incident of a few individuals. As others have pointed out, this seems to have happened in a number of cities. That's on top of the ongoing increases in rapes noted in a number of countries that have taken in immigrants. Are you seriously arguing that it's collectivising to notice a pattern?

[MetalBard]

She is arguing exactly that as long as the pattern goes against her narrative.

[Just say Nikki]

I have no idea what you think my "narrative" is.

Are you seriously arguing that it's collectivising to notice a pattern?

People notice a lot of patterns that are nonsense. We are seeing a bunch of crappy, garbled early reporting of this incident, and whether or not it's because governments or the progressive press have suppressed the truth, there has been very little reliable reporting of other alleged incidents in other countries.

Someone here tried to tell me I was supposed to believe there was a skyrocketing rape problem in Finland because of something like three rapes. Sorry, that's not going to do it.

[GILMORE?]

"We are seeing a bunch of crappy, garbled early reporting of this incident"

I actually thought the more-interesting part of the story is that its a week-old, and plenty of information is known, but the media kept it pretty quiet until today.

[Horatio]

Commenters should be equally apathetic about all rape. I think that's a fair compromise

[Pat (PM)]

And you know what seems unusual here? The H&R peanut gallery giving a shit about rape.

Keep on point, doll. We're doing RACIST RACIST RACIST today, not RAPE APOLOGIST RAPE APOLOGIST RAPE APOLOGIST.

[Free Society]

And you know what seems unusual here? The H&R peanut gallery giving a shit about rape. I mean, I haven't seen a single "but was it gangrape-gangrape?" joke in days of these posts now. Why not?

She's gone full Salon. H&R RAPE APOLOGISTS!!!

[Florida Man]

If I were to venture a guess the problem is not with importing Muslims, it's with importing displaced young males from 3rd world shit holes. I'm friends/acquainted with many Muslims who want to work, raise their family and be left alone. I can't look these people in the face and think just because they follow Islam they deserve to be deported and persecuted.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

The US imports large numbers of men of third world shitholes and they don't gather in groups and sexually assault passersby. I've walked by large groups of hispanic men and never experienced any real harassment.

It's cultural. It is what it is.

[Florida Man]

And I took care of an elderly man gang raped by a Hispanic gang. Must have been their Christian teachings.

[Heroic Mulatto]

And I took care of an elderly man gang raped by a Hispanic gang.

Wait, what?

[John]

Exactly Elanor,

There are tons of single young men from Central American shitholes in nearly every city in America and we do not as far as I know have a gang rape problem.

[Bill Dalasio]

On that, I think you're about right. I'm dead set against the idea that we should impose some sort of ban on Muslim immigration. But, there's obviously a pattern with the guys coming in. And it's not a good one. And whether they're doing because they're Muslim (doubt it), Arab (possibly), or young men from third world shitholes (probably) seems to me kind of beside the point.

I'm hoping I'm misunderstanding Nikki. But, right now it kind of looks like her point is to advocate willful blindness to the fact that there's a problem with Europe's recent surge of refugees.

[Drake]

I'm dead-set against the idea of using tax-money to import welfare recipients called refugees. Yet to hear the Libertarian case on how this is a good use of the money they extracted from me by force.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Yet to hear the Libertarian case on how this is a good use of the money they extracted from me by force.

It isn't.

But, what if a country's actions are responsible/partially responsible for creating the refugees? Would said country be liable liable for its actions? Should they be responsible for cleaning up their mess? What if the country preemptively initiated a war, based on bad data, created the tormentors of the refugees and destabilized an entire region, displacing countless thousands of innocent people?

Is it libertarian to demand accountability for misdeeds?

That is as close as I can come to making an argument for paying the way of refugees. Not sure I believe it myself, but there it is.

If the state wrongly locks up the wrong guy for 30 years, should the state compensate him?

[OneOut]

"Is it libertarian to demand accountability for misdeeds?"

Whatever point the US should consider itself rersponsible for the middle East is dependent upon how far one wants to walk back the cat.

Can we say they started it in Jefferson's administration by demanding tribute and taking American slaves for sailing in the Mediteranian Sea ?

Even if one thinks we are responsible there are saner and better ways to clean up the mess than importing 3rd worlders into a modern western country which they are ill suited to adapt to primarily because of their religion based culture.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Whatever point the US should consider itself rersponsible for the middle East is dependent upon how far one wants to walk back the cat.

Only need go back to March 20, 2003.

[Just say Nikki]

If I were to venture a guess the problem is not with importing Muslims, it's with importing displaced young males from 3rd world shit holes.

That's impossible, Florida Man. It has to be because they're Muslim or else you're a lying idiot trying to desperately maintain a narrative. Don't you know Islam teaches it's okay to rape non-Muslims? And all Muslim men believe that?

[John]

Yeah Nikki

that is why the US has this same problem. We have millions of young men from Central America who come here. So we must have the same problems right?

And I love how you are so happy to collectivize men from any third world country but you are all about never making any generalizations about Muslims.

Do you want your prog friends to like you that much Nikki?

[Just say Nikki]

that is why the US has this same problem. We have millions of young men from Central America who come here. So we must have the same problems right?

Was the Puerto Rican Day Parade really so long ago?

[John]

Yes it was. That was 15 years ago. Meanwhile, millions of new immigrants from Central America have come here and what?

And by the way PR is part of the US. It is not third world. You do realize that don't you?

[Just say Nikki]

So your argument is that it was in fact Real Americans who ran around in a gang sexually assaulting people in a major Western city?

[John]

No my argument is you have one incident 15 years ago that involved people who were not immigrant from a third world country.

Again, if the problem is men from third world countries (a group that you are totally okay with collectively condemning you hypocritical misandry bitch), then why are the millions of single men from third world countries in the US today not doing this?

[Gray Ghost]

And by the way PR is part of the US. It is not third world

Oh, it can be both.

I kid, of course, despite the murder rate for the whole island falling to a 15 year low of 18.4 /100k, (681 murders for a pop of 3.7M) which puts them with the Miamis and Oaklands of the world.

Since sloopy lived and worked there for several years, I'd be curious what his take is on PR's poverty etc.

Funny, that Nikki and I thought of the Puerto Rican Day parade at about the same time.

[Free Society]

I can't look these people in the face and think just because they follow Islam they deserve to be deported and persecuted.

Well apparently they aren't following Islam very closely, the best Muslims are the ones who don't.

[Ken Shultz]

I'm not sure I understand what's driving the controversy here.

Are some of you concerned about our government rounding up Muslims because it violates their First Amendment rights (among others)?

I don't think Muslims should be rounded up even if they were statistically more likely to rape--how's that?

Are some of you concerned that smearing Muslims as rapists will encourage another bad war?

I'd be against putting troops on the ground in Syria even if Muslim refugees from there do have a higher propensity to rape--how's that?

Whatever the cultural or religious identity of the assailants in these sexual assaults, they are what they are, and if you're concerned people are going to draw bad policies because of these assaults, then you should articulate arguments about these policies. Not argue over whether the assailants were really Muslim refugees.

[OneOut]

"Are some of you concerned about our government rounding up Muslims because it violates their First Amendment rights (among others)?'

Muslims don't have 1st amendment rights.

American citizens have 1st Amendment rights.

And therein lies the rub. It is exactly like FS says above.

"Well apparently they aren't following Islam very closely, the best Muslims are the ones who don't."

Truer words have never been spoken. There are isolated historical instances of devout Muslims abiding in a multicultural society. They are few and far between. The island of Zanzabar was once ruled by such a Muslim. he was also a pragmatist. The Wahabis lived on the coast just 60 miles from his island and only by the money he made from trade with non muslims was he able to hold them off for as long as he did therefore Zanzabar was a freetrade port. Once he fell his sister had to escape in disguise and move to Europe with what wealth she was able to smuggle out with her.

But I digress.

The only good Muslim is a bad Muslim . Read their book.

[Florida Man]

I work with a Muslim guy who is probably more libertarian than 99 percent of the country. You can say he is a bad Muslim, but that is what he self identifies as. I'm not going to tell him he is practicing his faith incorrectly or doubt his faith.

[John]

I am sure he is nice guy Florida Man. I had a professor in college who was one of the best and nicest guys I have ever known. He was also an avowed Marxist. Would you have any problems telling him that Marxism is evil and stupid? I didn't and I doubt you would. So why does your nice Muslim friend get a pass where my nice Marxist friend doesn't?

[Gray Ghost]

So why does your nice Muslim friend get a pass where my nice Marxist friend doesn't?

Because not all Muslims believe in the more extreme versions of their religion. Or shelter those Muslims that do. Or are sympathetic to the prior two sets of Muslims, Pew polls aside.

I get the argument that the later verses of the Quran are supposed to abrogate the chronologically former verses, and that those verses are much more intolerant. I also get the argument that 'Good Muslims' are supposed to model their life after Muhammad, and that Mo was a vicious little sot, so a culture filled with those people may not play nice with non-Muslims, or women for that matter.

But there are large countries filled with Muslims (Indonesia, Malaysia, Morroco) that don't behave in the vile, anti-humanist ways that countries filled with Salafists, 12th-Iman Shias, and other fanatics do. Are Indonesians evil and stupid? I'm not comfortable saying that, given the strides they've made towards liberalizing their government from decades of Sukarno/Suharto, and the diversification of their economy.

What makes Islam practiced in those countries different than the Islam practiced by the fanatics? And how do we encourage the former version over the latter?

[Florida Man]

Thanks GG. Much better response than I could pen. To answer for myself, my friend believes in freedom of religion. If he doesn't want to force his beliefs on others, I don't care what his religion says. Same thing with racist. I don't have any problem with racist as long as they don't aggress towards anyone. Believe your race is superior? Good for you, as long as you aren't harming anyone.

[John]

Yeah Ghost and the Soviet Union was not real communism. That is exactly what typical are saying only with Islam.

Further, even the nice courties you list have appalling human rights records by Western standards. They are only good in comparison to the horrible olaces.

All you have said is that Islam is good and communism bad. That is nice and not surprising since Libertarians have a natural affinity for Islam these days. But it is not convincing.

[OneOut]

Here is how muslims act according to precentage of population in non muslim countries.

https://goo.gl/3tWLgF

[Francisco d'Anconia]

According to a website, with no citations, obviously run by the religious nuttery.

Great citation.

[OneOut]

One of my fishing buddies is Muslim. He is from a wealthy Egyptian family. He escaped egypt at a young age and went to college is Switzerland.

i take him out on my boat fishing a lot.

We have an agreement. before the boat leaves the dock he has to drink a beer so he is unclean and can't bomb me. When a mullet for bait jumps out of the baitwell onto the deck we laugh and call it a suicide mullet.

He came up with that joke.

He's a good Muslim just like I'm a good Baptist because I'm not supposed to drink beer either.

[OneOut]

Arabic culture is the result of Islam.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

It was a riddle.

[Pan Zagloba]

Look, they were probably Vandals from North Africa, driven out by General Belisarius. And this is blowback for the Germanic peoples not helping their own kin in their hour of need.

[Los Doyers]

"Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?!?!?!?"

[Swiss Servator]

+1 Red Arrow

[perlchpr]

They failed to create a safe space for Muslims.

Wow.

I wonder how many knee-jerk SJWs that line would work on, if only for a second...

[John]

Yeah, why would anyone fear the refugees?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....mailonline

I think every Reason staffer should have to take in at least three refugees to live in their homes. Put your money where your mouth is reason.

[Cytotoxic]

I'd do it, as long as they pay rent.

[John]

I am sure you would. And when they didn't pay rent and told you to fuck off, you would end up with a bullet in your head for your trouble.

[Cytotoxic]

No they wouldn't. You're full of shit.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

Calm down. Migrants aren't going to shot Cytotoxic. Where would they get the gun from? He's in Canada.

He'll just find a finger stuffed up his asshole, but that's okay. It's cultural.

[John]

http://hotair.com/archives/201.....nvited-me/

Here you go, Give this guy a home.

[Cytotoxic]

Do you have any credible sources?

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

All the credible German newspapers are now covering the story in full. Google if you want a credible source. They've also include evidence that the perps were for the most part migrants.

[Just say Nikki]

Jesus, John, we're already paying for your home. Isn't that enough for you?

[John]

Is there any act no matter how barbaric that you won't excuse as long as it is committed by a Muslim? Are you that desperate to feel tolerant? Is the reality that yes there is an entire religion out there full of people by the millions who have gone barking mad in the name of that religion just too horrible for you to face?

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

John, I'm almost on your side here, but you're conflating the cultural practices of what looks like mostly Arabs with Islam. Yeah most Arabs are Muslims but it doesn't follow that all Muslims have the same cultural practices as many Arabs.

[John]

There is some validity to that point Elanor but it doesn't go very far. Yes, those societies have issues beyond Islam. But Islam does nothing to curb those excesses and in most cases has been adapted to support them. So, the culture and the religion have effectively become the same thing.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

The real reason to denounce (any) religion is because the sacred texts are filled with socialist economic claptrap.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

you're conflating the cultural practices of what looks like mostly Arabs with Islam.

I guess it's possible some of these refugee-rapists were displaced Christians or Zoroastrians. I'll wait for the official fake statistics before I jump to conclusions.

[OneOut]

It's almost impossible for any of the to be christians.

The refugees come from refugee camps full of Muslim refugees.

They don't allow Christians in their Muslim refugee camps.

Google is your friend.

[MetalBard]

Well Islam was basically a vehicle for Arab imperialism in it's beginning, and so the two things are pretty well entangled.

[Social Contractor]

Pakistan and North Aftica aren't very close but had the same problem.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Thank Zod the other 2/3 of the world doesn't judge Christianity based upon the rhetoric of a single Christian like John.

[MetalBard]

Cause we're like totally judging Islam based on the rhetoric of one Islamic individual right?

[John]

When Christians start raping people and blowing shit up and saying their religion justifies it, everyone with an IQ above 90, which sadly wont' include you, will be judging Christianity.

Fortunately, if that ever happens, your lack of IQ won't harm you since you are such a pathetic poser and follower that you will happily follow the mob rightfully judging Christianity.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Bottom line, John, you are a fucking sniveling cowardly little pants-shitting pussy. I didn't think anyone could disgust me more than Tony, but you're there, man.

Fuck off troll.

[MetalBard]

You completely miss-characterize an argument and then when it's pointed out to you, you lash out with insults.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

You completely miss-characterize an argument and then when it's pointed out to you, you lash out with insults.

I'll assume you're speaking to John.

[MetalBard]

You assume wrong as usual. In the end these arguments always end the same way. With you idiots calling anyone who disagrees with you a racist.

I can't wait to see some posts where you guys do your impression of an old 1950s era southern racist complaining about "Dem der coloreds going after our white women." Cause that never gets old.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

The point, my friend, is that asshole is judging an entire religion based upon the actions of a small criminal element within it. THAT is the only argument here. Do we judge America based on the actions of the mob? On the actions of our street gangs? On Chuck Manson? No, we recognise that every culture and religion has its nutjobs and criminals. To indict a billion people based upon the actions of a few idiots is abhorrent, on its face. Its scapegoating on the level of Hitler. And, it's counter productive, unless, of course, you're trying to incite a war or reopen some "happy camps".

As to which of us initiated the insults...

your lack of IQ won't harm you since you are such a pathetic poser and follower that you will happily follow the mob rightfully judging Christianity.

[MetalBard]

Well I can't speak for John, but I'm judging Islam based on the actions of a lot of it's individuals, the state of the Islamic world, Islam's vast history of violence and conquest, the teachings of Islam, the stuff I've read in the Koran, and the life of it's founder Mohammed.

All of these things point to a religion that brings out the absolute worse in people.

But I suppose all those things together just are not enough?

[John]

The point, my friend, is that asshole is judging an entire religion based upon the actions of a small criminal element within it.

Yeah, the fact that the entire middle eastern world is one giant oppressive backwards shithole with universally appalling human rights means nothing.

Are some Muslims nice people? Sure. But a lot of Nazis and Communists were nice people. That didn't make Fascism and Communism any better. The same is true for Islam. It is an ideology not a race and it is perfectly appropriate to judge people who voluntarily make it their religion.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

It is an ideology not a race and it is perfectly appropriate to judge people who voluntarily make it their religion.

It is a religion. Of which the free exercise thereof is protected from government interference.

If a Muslim breaks the law, he's punished just as if a Christian breaks the law. If you are a peaceful Muslim you have the same rights as a peaceful Christian.

We punish criminals here, Adolph, not innocent people.

[John]

Yeah Frank you have no response and have lost the argument as usual. Thanks for admitting that.

Seriously Frank you never seem to be any smarter or any better. You are truly untrainable. its like you want to spend your entire life stupid.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Yaaaawn

[John]

Yes Frank Yawn. You might as well. It is not like you ever have anything to add. Seriously, go and find me one fact or argument or anything of value besides spouting team L talking points you have ever added to this board. I would be curious to see one because I have never seen it. never one.

Jesus, even Shreek is funny sometime. You are not even funny., You add nothing and you never will because you apparently take pride in being stupid. Have you ever changed your opinion on something or said "that is a good point"? Nope. You just have it all figured out i guess.

I don't know why I keep yelling at you. I am really am chasing windmills thinking I could ever get through your thick skull.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

John, I can't tell you how much it pains me that you don't like me. Honestly, I go to bed crying to think that someone of your caliber thinks less of me.

I'm crushed.

[John]

You should Frank. It should bother you that you are a know nothing and can't think straight. Sadly it doesn't but it should. I can't understand people who want to be stupid. That is something that is just beyond my ability to figure out.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Well, John, I may be stupid, but at least I'm not evil.

[John]

Frank, you are smart enough to know if you are evil or not. You don't even understand what the word means. Maybe you should start with trying to understand that concept first. It will be tough for you but it would be a good start.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

John, if you don't think that punishing an entire group of people based upon the actions of a small subset of those people is evil, you are truly one sick fuck.

Criminals attempt to excuse their behavior by blaming their reprehensible actions on their religion?

I'M SHOCKED!

You are truly vile.

[John]

No Frank you are an idiot who has allowed your stupidity to think black is white. You are on here denying evil and calling anyone who sees it for what it is evil. You are the picture of how evil works and the useful idiots who enable it.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Okay, Adolph, roundup them Jews Muslims and get them off to the camps for the Final Solution.

Ya know, John, if there is a god, a heaven and a hell, I'd pay cash money to be witness to your judgement. The expression on your face when you're cast down with the real terrorists would be priceless.

[MetalBard]

Oh if only Cytotoxic got kicked out of his home to make room for refugees like they did to that woman in Germany...

[Free Society]

I'd do it, as long as they pay rent.

I'm sure they would. Rent money that is stolen from tax payers, that is. Provided that your accommodations meet the requirements of three different federal bureaucracies.

[Cytotoxic]

...what?

[MetalBard]

Lets see how did you put this? oh yeah... "Details are for book-lernin' librul faggots."

Who do you think actually pays for these refugee assholes?

[Cytotoxic]

Don't know. Government and charity probably. Wish government wouldn't give anything but this is like one of the least worst things they spend money on.

[Pat (PM)]

Don't know.

Perfect summary of your understanding of this and every other issue.

[Free Society]

Oh right, destitute refugees are an unqualified gain to the economy and to tax payers. I forgot.

[Cytotoxic]

Yup.

[Free Society]

Ill be saving this exchange for the next time a fellow commentarian is experiencing total disbelief that Cytotoxic could be so intellectually dishonest.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

Some of these guys would sacrifice their own mother if it would raise the GDP by 2%.

[Pat (PM)]

"These "refugees" are coming for government welfare."

1) Citation needed. 2) So what? Better they get it than the natives.

Brief reminder that Cytotoxic is an economically illiterate retard.

[MetalBard]

He's just a zealot on this particular issue, and is willing to sacrifice everything else he claims to believe in on the alter of open immigration.

He's not the only one, but he's just a lot more open about it then the rest of these dishonest idiots.

[ant1sthenes]

"Emigration offers some of the things the frustrated hope to find when they join a mass movement, namely, change and a chance for a new beginning. The same types who swell the ranks of a rising mass movement are also likely to avail themselves of a chance to emigrate. Thus migration can serve as a substitute for a mass movement. It is plausible, for instance, that had the United States and the British Empire welcomed mass migration from Europe after the First World War, there might have been neither a Fascist nor a Nazi revolution...

However, because of the quality of their human material, mass migrations are fertile ground for the rise of genuine mass movements. It is sometimes difficult to tell where a mass migration ends and a mass movement begins -- and which came first...

Migration, in the mass, strengthens the spirit and unity of a movement; and whether in the form of foreign conquest, crusade, pilgrimage or settlement of new land it is practiced by most active mass movements."

[Pat (PM)]

Refugee resettlement is a nice little cottage industry, paid for entirely by taxpayers, and mostly benefiting the Catholic church. Here in the US, that is. One of those trivial details you could easily miss if your understanding of the issue is a caricature of Ellis Island postcards.

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

Don't you mean as long as they pay rent to your mom?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I think every Reason staffer should have to take in at least three refugees to live in their homes. Put your money where your mouth is reason.

True story: I'm surrounded by progressives. I know one or two real, honest to goodness "extreme" Christians.

Exactly zero progressive friends have offered or are offering to take in syran refugees. One of the "extremist" Christians is fixing up his basement in hopes of taking in a Syrian refugee family.

Because the "extreme" Christian did a 12 year mission in China and actually believes in turning the other cheek, loving thy neighbor, helping out when people are in need.

Take that how you will.

[Raven Nation]

They should be sending a lot of refugees to live in the dorms at Harvard, Cal, and other colleges that have voted themselves "sanctuary" zones.

[John]

There was a story in the Daily Fail about a couple of idiot Christians in South Africa who took in a bunch of Syrians only to be murdered by them. You think ordinary Progressives are stupid, meet a hard core Christian Prog sometime. They are a new level of stupid.

[tarran]

If you're a devout Christian, martyrdom isn't stupid.

[John]

That is a good point. But, they honestly didn't think they were in danger. It is not like they knew it was dangerous and did it anyway. They were delusional and thought the refugees were going to be wonderful people.

So even though they were martyrs, they were still plenty stupid.

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

If you're a devout Christian, martyrdom isn't stupid.

No necessarily so. You may very well think it is stupid and also think it is your duty.

No different than jury duty really.

[OneOut]

He wassn't murdered though john.

He and his family were told they would be slaughterd for something the government did by those whom he had taken to live on his land.

Unless there has been an update to the story.

[Cytotoxic]

Saudi Arabia seriously considering selling shares in Saudi Aramco.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5709.....z3wb7MCZTV

This is a pretty big deal. For one thing, it's a sign the Saudis think the oil price is going to stay low. For another, it means it may stay low forever because even partial privatization of the state-oil company means they have to operate in the interests of the shareholders not the state or cartel of states. OTOH they might just sell shares in Aramco chemical plants. Even so, Saudi Arabia seems to be embarking on a serious reform drive. Cuts to subsidies and spending. Libertarian Moment?

[Juice]

Thanks for sharing a subscription only link.

[Cytotoxic]

Oops sorry: http://www.economist.com/news/.....o-probably

[OneOut]

Maybe he posts on commission ?

[chipper me timbers]

As soon as everyone is sure about prices staying the same forever (high or low) bet against that.

If the Saudis throw in the towel on oil prices you can be sure of one thing: prices are going up, possibly immediately.

[ant1sthenes]

Yeah, or it means they get idiots to give them money, then they renationalize it and laugh all the way to the bank.

[The Late P Brooks]

Every mutual fund I've ever owned is required to disclose their administrative costs in their prospectus, known as the "expense ratio". If it's over 1% in most sectors, it's a complete ripoff.

If you went to the Nevada State Gaming Commission with a proposal to run a casino with odds like the Powerball, they'd lock you up.

[John]

For years they did lock people up for running numbers rackets that were free money programs compared to the power ball. If the State does it Brooks, its different and noble.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

It helps children, so...

[Rt. Hon. Judge Woodrow Chipper]

I'd be fine if the teacher's pension fund was 100% invested in lottery tickets.

[B.P.]

From the manatee article:

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have proposed relisting the slow-moving, speed bump-shaped marine mammals..."

The writer must own a jet ski.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

If you hit one of those things, keep going, or you're going to be in a lot of trouble. It doesn't matter that it's accidental.

[MetalBard]

Ah yes and if you ever see an endangered animal on your property, kill it, bury it, and never ever tell anyone about it.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Or pretty much anything else.

Pave it over before you get the letter.

[Homple]

"Shoot, shovel and shut up."

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

I posted this last night elsewhere but seeing you guys are an informative and inquisitive bunch here's a nice, interesting essay following the evolution of gun control in Canada.

http://www.cdnshootingsports.o.....ncana.html

[Cytotoxic]

The Libertarian Moment is real but it exists mostly at the state level.

This is the Golden Age of state-level tax reform: http://www.forbes.com/sites/pa.....x-changes/

Other stuff about state-level efforts: http://panampost.com/nicholas-.....-the-feds/

Politics seems to trickle up from the bottom to the top, so this may be cause for some optimism.

It seems that getting The Masses involved does NOT lead to good outcomes (as can be seen in 'Trumpmania' and other populist tardgasms) and is not necessary for pro-liberty measures to succeed. The current justice reform efforts and tax reform efforts are not demanded by the people but come by the efforts of enlightened politicos. Maybe libertarians should forget about educating The People, most of whom are semi-lucid sacks of flesh at best, and reach out to those in power who are willing to listen to us because they are enlightened or beset by problems that need solutions.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

It seems that getting The Masses involved does NOT lead to good outcomes (as can be seen in 'Trumpmania' and other populist tardgasms) and is not necessary for pro-liberty measures to succeed.

People too often make the mistake of viewing democracy as an end unto itself. It isn't. It's just one of the better (but by no means guaranteed) means of protecting liberty. But mob rule is just as much a threat to liberty as tyranny under a monarch is.

[Free Society]

Democracy is one of the very worst means of protecting liberty. I strongly encourage you to read some Hans Hoppe on this issue, particular his book Democracy: The God that Failed.

[Cytotoxic]

Democracy is awful. From Argentina to Greece it ruins countries. Destroy democracy or it will destroy your country.

[Drake]

Democracy has ruined Greece several times. The Peloponnesian War was started with a plebiscite in Athens.

[OneOut]

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others."

? Winston S. Churchill

[OneOut]

The Libertarian Moment is real but it exists mostly at the state level.

Do they have states in Canada ?

What is your fixation with the US?

Will the US not let you immigrate or something ?

[The Late P Brooks]

Start your own fucking blog if you don't like the articles here.

They can call it, "Jus' Axin'".

[AlmightyJB]

I prefer "Wassup With That"

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

"Bitches be Trippin'"

[Florida Man]

"Women be shoppin'"

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

That's the name of my MRA blog

[Notorious UGCC]

Let's just add a couple extra check boxes to the refugee application forms:

"Are you a hot chick like in the Reason video? Yes___ No___

"Do you like to get together with other refugees in public places and assault women? Yes___ No___"

There, that was easy!

[Notorious UGCC]

nb - Yes, I know I shouldn't say "refugee" to describe all migrants.

And Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster.

[AlmightyJB]

You have to treat me kindly. Mrs. Merkel invited me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....ugees.html

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Kid just dropped muffin crumbs all over my carpet. I just vacuumed.

First world problems.

[AlmightyJB]

Why isnt your orphan vacuuming and why does it get a muffin?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

They don't do a good job.

I'm not sure what to do with them.

[AlmightyJB]

Sounds like they need to go to Warty's for a week or two.

[Lord Rollingpin]

It got a muffin for doing the vacuuming. Incentives matter!

[Swiss Servator]

I thought it was "if you give a moose a muffin"????

[Pan Zagloba]

Oh, you Americans. Such horrible racist scum, our State Broadcaster should be giving war zone bonus to their correspondent from your savage lands:
From the article:

It is not hard to imagine what America's armed fanatics were thinking

people who move America ever closer to a society in which everyone is not just armed, but immunized and empowered by stand-your-ground laws, allowing them to open fire at any threat, real or imagined

Some of them probably think "standing your ground" would be a legitimate defence for actually using the assault rifles some gun lovers ostentatiously carry to Obama's public rallies.

Just at a guess, the Secret Service is probably more worried about protecting Obama this week than it was last week.

Cruz was educated at Princeton and Harvard. Ryan is considered to be among the most intellectual of the Republican leadership.
And yet, it seems not to have occurred to either or them, or all the other conservative politicians racing to grovel at the door of the NRA, that the Oregon militia characters actually fit the Republican definition of terrorist

[Pan Zagloba]

(fuck you, Reason, if you have character limit then give me a counter so I don't have to guess)

And the glorious opening:

The National Rifle Association, reacting with fury and loathing to President Barack Obama's attempts to enforce existing gun regulations, displayed a picture of him on its website this week.
It's a head-and-shoulders shot taken from behind, at a moment when the president was hunching slightly, and so emphasized the protruding ears Obama himself has joked about.
But this was no joke. You don't need a membership in Mensa to figure out the subtext: "This monkey wants to take your guns, America."

Now, who can make it all the way through comments? Try and read each one.

[Notorious UGCC]

So the reporter sees a photo of Obama, and the first thought in the reporter's mind is "monkey!"

"And I only made the connection because I'm vigilant against racism, not because I have racist ideas in my head linking black people and monkeys! I'm just pointing out other people's racism!"

[AlmightyJB]

The picture clearly meant to infer he was hunched after a giant bucket of fried chicken and was thinking about raping white women. What else could it have meant?

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Neil MacDonald is proof he stole tax dollars. All those years in Washington and he fails to give a useful insight.

And the comments are frightening. The take so much glee in their smug ignorance.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

And they will be shitting themselves over how the NRA BOUGHT TEH ELECSHUN or some bullshit when they make 2016 about gun control and lose in record numbers.

[Pan Zagloba]

No, that's the people in US. In Canada, it will be about "look at savage subhumans south of the border, they are hopelessly stupid and violent, no wonder there's a mass murder every hour and lynching on the weekends!"

Seriously, if Canadians spoke of Chinese the way they spoke of Americans, they'd be considered world's most racist nation.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

BING-FUCKEN-O.

Same with the stupidity I hear on Quebec radio.

The xenophobia is retarded. Worse, they don't seem to care - until someone dares speak ill of this shitty place.

[jesse.in.mb]

if you have character limit then give me a counter so I don't have to guess

Reasonable and fascr both have a character counter.

[Pan Zagloba]

I'm super-lazy about addons. Took me a year of daily H&R visits to put on AdBlock, which I never needed prior to coming here. For 99% of the web, disabling Flash is enough.
But thanks for the tip! Logorrheic idiots need all the help we can get.

[Gray Ghost]

Pan, it won't help you with character counting, filtering the commentdiots, or adding hyperlinks, but I'm a big fan of Ghostery for blocking a lot of excess garbage that websites like to add. Like you, I also use Adblock Plus, and once you learn how to add extra filters to block autoloading ads that default ABP or Flashblock won't stop on their own, it's great too.

[Pan Zagloba]

I swear, it's shit like this that'll make me install Lynx.

[jesse.in.mb]

Yeah, I prefer to have as few plugins as possible, but those seriously improve the H&R experience. Other big bonuses are streamlining the HTML tags and highlighting new posts on refresh.

I believe Reasonable is now compatible with Opera (if you're secretly Ted S.)

[creech]

"allowing them to open fire at any threat, real or imagined"

Hey you Canucks, stop dissing our noble heroic police officers.

[GILMORE?]

""the assault rifles some gun lovers ostentatiously carry to Obama's public rallies.""

huh?

This happened, once... in 2008? unless i'm mistaken?

[Pan Zagloba]

Follow-on sentence:

The U.S. is probably the only country in the world that allows such openly menacing behaviour toward its leader.

I'm beginning to see the article more charitably as a re-read it. It's a work of (very specific) art that, together with inflation bits above, gives me er...what's opposite of nostalgic?... flashbacks to Serbia in 90s. As a representative of a specific thing, it's one of the best I've seen in ages.

[Cytotoxic]

Canada central bank chief Poloz to savers: fuck your savings.

Mr. Poloz said he's fully prepared to live with a bit more inflation, which he insisted is mainly temporary. "Core inflation is overstating the underlying trend of inflation in the economy," he said.

The Bank of Canada doesn't seem inclined to raise interest rates to quell those inflation pressures. Mr. Poloz said that would cause more damage to the economy.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money.....id=SKY2DHP

He apparently thinks this is necessary for 'adjustments' to Canada's economy. No, not adjustments like 'make labour costs and productivity more competitive' but 'prop shit up with funny money'. When the US rates get higher than Canada's I think this strategy will come under some severe stress. Another choice pick by Harper.

[Juice]

A friend was in Montreal over the holidays and said it was awesome how cheap everything was. Love the exchange rate lately.

[Cytotoxic]

I wanted to take a trip to Vegas! FUCK YOU POLOZ

[Pan Zagloba]

Unironically, if you can get into the country cheaply, now's a good time to go shopping and sightseeing. Except for that Canadian winter thing, it's like going to First World version of Mexico.

[SugarFree]

Fuck you all! My pizza is here!

[Los Doyers]

Cinnabon pizza with vanilla icing?? Bad for the 'beetus!

[The Late P Brooks]

it was awesome how cheap everything was. Love the exchange rate lately.

CURRENCY TERRORISM!

[Old.Mexican]

I posted this in Reason's Facebook posting of the video:

Don't Fear The Refugees

One thing is having refugees coming to the US by their own foot looking for asylum among family or friends. It is QUITE ANOTHER to have the GOVERNMENT use our own goddamned MONEY to bring a bunch of people who the government calls "refugees" and who I do not know. If there is ONE thing *I* loathe is giving away MY money to people I don't know that wasn't the result of a fair trade.

I may or may not have anything to fear from these refugees, but the fact that the government steals from ME in order to pay for their passage over here makes me skeptical of their intentions, as they're no better than accomplices to robbery.

[John]

You are just a yockul Mexican. And remember, it is an article of faith with Reason that the US bombing the ME causes blow back and terrorism. Yet, there is absolutely no danger associated with importing hundreds of thousands of people from a middle eastern country the US is currently bombing.

Logical consistency is such a yockeltarian concept.

[Cytotoxic]

Point status: missed

[John]

No. If blow back is real and causes terrorism, then why is it safe to import people from a country the US is currently bombing?

In fairness, you don't believe in the blow back bullshit. So you cannot be accused of being inconsistent. Reason, however, does and most certainly can.

[Cytotoxic]

Fair point.

[Suthenboy]

And you are exactly right to feel that way.

[GILMORE?]

SORT OF ALMOST NOT REALLY COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC

A few years ago my (now very ex) girlfriend got aggressively hit on by a drunk lesbian.

(i was reminded of this by a video in my youtube feed called, "Is She A Lesbian?" featuring a "smokes cigarette in public"-girl that was the spitting image of the perp)

It wasn't cute either. It had happened once before, and both of us thought its was.... well, sorta hot. I was like, "DONT MIND ME I'LL JUST WATCH". But the second time it was like, pussy-grabbing and alpha-dykey and just 'not cool man'.

So anyway, i told her to take it easy and lay off like a good BF and defused the 'aggrieved catfight' that i secretly wanted to watch.

As i was letting her vent about how uncomfortable it made her feel, i was like, "Serious question: Could I / should I have punched her?" And she actually thought about it and was like, "uhhhhhhh....well....... No...... But!..." which was surprising to me.... Basically, when a dude did it to her before, she was like, "Dont use this as some bullshit excuse to get into a fight". But then a *girl* molested her... and she was strangely way more open to the idea that the bitch would have been better served by a black eye. I found this interesting.

Really, no other point than that. My girlfriend was not a moslem.

[Swiss Servator]

"My girlfriend was not a moslem."

I AM RESERVING JUDGMENT ON THAT, MEESTER NYC DJ!!!!!

[John]

And we don't know for sure the lesbian really groped her. Where is the evidence? We need more than shoddy reporting by Gilmore

[John]

You should have been able to punch her. But if you had of she would have played the girl card and you would have been done. That woman was a pig who deserves to be punched but you did the right thing not doing it.

[Notorious UGCC]

As a compromise, just pull her hair.

[lap83]

slap her while screaming, gets the job done without being intimidating

[Swiss Servator]

I was hoping my time here in the Post Meridian Lynx would see so much....screaming.

Sigh.

[Pan Zagloba]

Hoping for screaming? STEVE SMITH not dropping by like he used to?

[Reactionary Moment]

What's to fear from the "refugees"? they are only going on rape rampages across Europe. Islam has no place in western societies. Importing young violent muslims is a recipe for is a disaster in a civilized society

[lilliesing]

My first job out of High School was at St Paul and over the next 5 years Iearned so very much. Seeing the hospital torn down tears a small piece of my heart out. The Daughters of Charity and the doctors and staff of St Paul Hospital will always be with me.
http://www.HomeSalary10.com

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Heard a guy named 'Mario from Minnesota' today on Mad Dog sports. Wouldn't happen to be you?

[Lee G]

It won't end well for the migrants in Finland

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

No the Vikings and the fact apparently they're not selling out and he was pissed about Griffey getting in the Hall.

TIM RAINES. WTF?

I don't get it. He belongs.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

Hey Tundra, I heard a guy on the radio from your home state of 5.5 million people. Was it you? Definitely you, right?

[Cytotoxic]

Details are for book-lernin' librul faggots.

[MetalBard]

Yeah it's not quite the same, but it was still pretty fucked up.

[Cytotoxic]

It was. It's also not at all the same.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Your friends must hate you behind your back.

[Pope Jimbo]

Hey what about me? Or Enough About Palin?

We are from Minnesoda too! Of course EAP wouldn't get past the screener because of his Dora fixation.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Gun control and paranoia...on the part of the government too.

Notice it has LITTLE or NOTHING to do with the population at large. They were just reacting to one-off events.

And liberals think they're so god-damned educated; it explains why they think gun control is good. They bought the government line full stop.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I have proposed taking all guns away from progressives-- including their bodyguards. Does that make me worse than Hitler?

[Social Contractor]

I think these lies are harder to maintain with the Internet and statistics easily accessible.

[jesse.in.mb]

The behind his back bit is wrong.

[bacon-magic]

I think everyone hates him openly...

[Zeb]

That's what I was saying the other day. Stuff like that doesn't happen in places where there a good chance that your intended victim is armed.

[Homple]

I met a surprising number of (former East) Germans with serious gun collections - legal and not so legal. Don't know about the country in general however.

Suhl, in Thuringia, hosts some high quality arms manufacturers

[Homple]

I met a surprising number of (former East) Germans with serious gun collections - legal and not so legal. Don't know about the country in general however.

Suhl, in Thuringia, hosts some high quality arms manufacturers

[BigT]

"he was pissed about Griffey getting in the Hall."

He must be an Ignorant Asshole.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

But Tundra is Italian and Mario is soooo wop.

[Pan Zagloba]

Living in Canada turned me from "what fuck would want to own a gun?!" into "gun ownership is a fundamental human right" person. If there is such a thing as afterlife, my ancestors breathed a small sigh of relief...

[Homple]

Don't trifle with alcoholic bad asses descended from the Finns in the Russo-Finnish war.

I saw a ferry load of Finnish hardcases land in Tallin, Estonia. Don't mess with 'em.

[Homple]

Fickenden Eichh?rnchen!

[Ms. Eleanor Lavish]

There are many, many, many reasons why you are worse than Hitler. Your proposal is just one minor detail.

[Pathogen]

Simpson Suhl was the purveyor of fine military and commercial firearms. I would of enjoyed a tour of their factory...

[Homple]

An American colleague of mine got a custom made shotgun in Suhl. They measured him for it like it was a tailored suit and had a final fitting and adjustment when he picked it up. He shipped it back to the States to a gun dealer licensed to import. It was a gorgeous piece of the gunmaker's art.

[Pathogen]

"They measured him for it like it was a tailored suit and had a final fitting and adjustment when he picked it up"

They don't fuck around. Shotgun hunting and competition in Europe was the sport of industrial moguls and aristocracy..

[EMD]

This. The Kid is a no-brainer.