San Diego Hospital Locked Down (Again), Serb Leader Convicted of Genocide, Chicago Teachers to Strike: P.M. Links

• 

  "Freddy Got Fingered"

  A San Diego Naval hospital went on lockdown over reports of a person with a gun. A similar report (that turned out to be untrue) shut down the same hospital in January.

• Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted by the United Nations of the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s.
• Chicago's teachers' union has voted to have a one-day strike on April 1. Not exactly the best way to convince folks you aren't a joke.
• President Barack Obama is sticking to his travel itinerary, even dancing the tango in Argentina, despite criticism that he hasn't dropped everything after the Brussels attack.
• A North Carolina man has been arrested for not returning a copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. That is utterly outrageous. He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place.
• Indiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome.
• Today the Cato Institute launched an interactive timeline showing the history of politically motivated government surveillance in America.
• TMZ is reporting that comedic actor Garry Shandling has died at age 66.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

TMZ is reporting that comedic actor Garry Shandling has died at age 66.

You may now flip.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Hello.

Noooo! I loved the Gary Shandling Show.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I would have guessed, based on how he looked in the Marvel Movies, that he was at least 5 years older and trying to hide it through surgery.

But that show was really good.

[Rhywun]

I barely remember it but I do recall liking it.

[Crusty Juggler]

"No flipping."

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Saw your message about Messi this morning. I completely forgot about Conmebol quali. Oh well.

[Rhywun]

Yup. I like these weekends with all the national teams playing. Nice change of pace.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Is this one of those weird times when you post news like this on Facebook, it says "37 People like this"?

[Juvenile Bluster]

This is the theme to Garry's show
The theme to Garry's show
Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song
I'm almost halfway finished
How do you like it so far
How do you like the theme to Garry's show

This is the theme to Garry's show
The opening theme to Garry's show
This is the music that you hear as you watch the credits
We're almost to the part
Of where I start to whistle
Then we'll watch, it's Garry Shandling's show

This is the theme to Garry Shandling's show!

RIP.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Hail Hydra.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Am I the only one who watched The Larry Sanders Show? Also, SPOILER ALERT.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Hey now!

[Crusty Juggler]

Back then Jeremy Piven had less hair then he does now.

[C. Anacreon]

No, I really liked it, I especially liked Rip Torn's character.

His Ed McMahon on the show was they guy who just won an Emmy for being a wacky transsexual on Amazon or Netflix, not sure because I've never seen it.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Two Garry Shandlings will take his place.

[Old Mexican Mighty Aggressor]

Wow. What a shame.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Who?

[HeteroPatriarch]

What's Lou Reed's status?

[Jgalt1975]

Still dead unless there's been some sort of cloning breakthrough or zombie outbreak that I'm unaware of.

[But Enough About Me]

This sucks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place.

STOP TAKING ALL THE JOKES SHACKFORD.

[Citizen X]

DADDY WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SAUSAGE

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

A San Diego Naval hospital went on lockdown over reports of a person with a gun. A similar report (that turned out to be untrue) shut down the same hospital in January.

If we banned guns no hospital would ever go on lockdown if there were reports of a person with a gun, 'cause everyone would know it wasn't true.

[Fist of Etiquette]

But without guns what would hospitals do all day? It's a catch 22 caliber.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Become one giant "wellness" program?

[TheZeitgeist]

But without guns what would hospitals do all day? It's a catch 22 caliber.

Hospitals would become medical Prog-Mart.

Tranny Transitions aisle 6, two-for-Tuesday abortions if one has the coupon from weekly flier. Don't forget to stock up on bulk Ritalin from the Unfun Mind Meds department. Sandra Fluke will be celebrity pitchman; and like Flo from the 'other' Progressive, Sandra will have little price scanner - but Sandra's scanner shows outrageous price and the sucker who unwittingly is paying for it with his taxes on every item in Prog-Mart.

The other forty aisles or so of Prog-Mart will consist of administrators and paperwork.

[R C Dean]

The other forty aisles or so of Prog-Mart will consist of administrators and paperwork.

Well, we're almost there, then.

[R C Dean]

We get these periodically. We have never, not once, gone into lockdown over it. I honestly don't know how you even put a hospital on any kind of house-wide lockdown.

The closest we have come recently was a "Code Pink" - stolen baby report. Turned out to be a false alarm (we put tags on babies like you see in clothing stores, and one got too close to the door sensor). In that case we have a limited lockdown protocol, which I only half-joking refer to as "Release the nurses." If our labor and delivery staff actually laid hands on someone trying to kidnap a baby, you'd have to hose down the area after the remains were scraped up.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

We get these periodically. We have never, not once, gone into lockdown over it. I honestly don't know how you even put a hospital on any kind of house-wide lockdown.

I'm guessing (having worked for many years in a hospital but never been on lockdown), those personnel that don't need to move about are 'asked' to not move about. But the idea that you lock the doors to the public is utterly stupid.

I'm guessing the extent of the lockdown is pretty anemic.

[Playa Manhattan.]

The baby lockdown is pretty serious. If baby lo-jack goes off, it freezes the elevators and closes and locks all of the doors.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Not at my hospital. All 'relevant' personnel were asked to stand by all entrances and exits and harass anyone with a mask sneaking out with a newborn.

I think maybe some doors in the neonatal unit may have have closed. But you can't shut down elevators at a frickin' hospital. Grandma Moses can't navigate stairs.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Oh, but you can. I did it 3 times in one night. The elevator doors stay closed on the maternity and delivery floor until the alarm is reset.

The alarm is automatically triggered if you bring a lo-jacked newborn within 100 feet of the elevators. Or, in my case, if anyone other than the duty nurse takes the lo-jack off of the baby's foot.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Man, I assume that hospital's risk-management department figured that all code pink lockdowns would only last an insignificant amount of time before being resolved. You shut down a hospital's elevators for any significant amount of time--in a place that's full of infirm, old sick people-- and you're on your knees begging for a lawsuit.

[R C Dean]

Sounds like you can lock the hallway doors on the MFM unit, which would work.

Our hospital is one floor (mostly), so elevators aren't an issue. The problem with a lockdown is that you simply cannot leave doors to patient units locked for any length of time at all. Locking the MFM unit for a Code Pink is literally shutting the barn doors after the horses have left.

We basically alert the guards at the desks to our entrances and start a search (hence, "release the nurses"). There's practically we can lock that would make a difference.

[Florida Hipster]

The place I do OB locks the doors and elevators and sounds a hella loud alarm.

[Brett L]

You mean they'd do to the perp what they fantasize doing to non-breastfeeders?

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

No-one's stuck a tag in someone's bag as a joke yet?

[Playa Manhattan.]

There was a problem with the baby lo-jack on kid #3 at the hospital.

He kept kicking it out of his sock and triggering the sensor. He shut down the elevator bank 3 times in one night.

[Princess Trigger]

What an asshole.

[BigT]

Acorns, trees.

I kid, I kid.

[neoteny]

"Release the nurses."

"You give me any more trouble, I break you like a twig. Understand?"

"Yes. I loved your last movie ... what was that called? Conan the Nurse?"

[Playa Manhattan.]

"A San Diego Naval hospital went on lockdown over reports of a person with a gun. "

Was is a person wearing a uniform and badge? Or is that OK?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I have an image of a cop getting reports every few minutes "Ok, he was just seen near intensive care!" with the cop responding, "Yeah, I must be right on his tail!"

[Tonio]

That would be interesting to try. Report the cops in ostensible gun-free zones. But who will bell the cat?

[The Last American Hero]

Please don't put the donut eaters on edge. He'd probably cap 2 or 3 innocent people that he thought were making furtive movements.

[R C Dean]

At least half of our "Code Silvers" - person with weapon - are cops. Either non-uniform, or they have started wearing these really low-key uniforms with small badges/logos.

Of course, Arizona is Constitutional carry, so we periodically get real people with guns. We just ask them to leave them in their car while they are in the hospital.

The fact that we have the scariest security dogs I have ever seen probably has nothing to do with their willingness to comply. Some kind of Eastern European dog. Looks like somebody crossed a German Shepherd with a stone-cold psycho wolf. Very few dogs make me uneasy (I raise pits, for cryin' out loud), but these have kind a dead-eyed stare. Spooky. And very effective.

[Florida Hipster]

My pit degloved his nail yesterday and was refusing to walk with the bandage, so I decided to pick his 70lb butt up and carry him outside. I didn't get a good grip and he panicked and slung his head into my cheek. I thought I was going to have a black eye but just have a sore cheek today.

[Hank Ferrous]

Ha! I've been 'that guy.' But, full beard, black Dickies jacket, camo Case International hat, Carhartts, shitkickers. I say this to paint the picture. I was on leave, my dad was terminal. And, severe emotional quotient limitations, if you catch my drift. Add my 1911, and a dislike for authority and pushy civilians, bam, code time. Worked out fine, minus my father still dying.

[Hank Ferrous]

Is that the right gerund...? Yeah, I got an English b.a. when stateside. Dying. Seems like that would only be for color. Oh, fuck it.

[Pat (PM)]

Way to Go, FCC. Now Manufacturers Are Locking Down Routers

Hey, remember when the FCC reassured us last year that it wasn't going to lock down Wi-Fi routers? And everyone breathed a sigh of relief, because custom router firmware is actually a really good thing? Sure, it's fun to improve your router by extending the range or making your network friendlier for guests. But open firmware is important for other reasons: it enables critical infrastructure, from emergency communications for disaster relief and building free community access points to beefing up personal security.

Well, there goes that. Because even though the FCC said its new requirements were not intended to lock down router software or block the installation of open source firmware, at least one large manufacturer has reacted by doing just that. And more could follow.

Way to go, FCC.

[Playa Manhattan.]

You can take my DD-WRT from my cold, dead hands.

[Private Chipperbot]

I run a bridge from my locked down ATT router through a dd-wrt which I have set with with a vpn changer. Connect the Fire TV and Chromecast through the dd-wrt to get all regions of Netflix, and run my work laptop through the main router. I couldn't handle not having it.

[Playa Manhattan.]

I actually got Fios to turn on the ethernet port on my ONT so I don't need to use Verizon's stupid MOCA Coax router. True gigabit WAN.

I have 2 of these as APs, and the DDWRT handles the DHCP, routing, and VPN client access.

[HeteroPatriarch]

NERD

[Playa Manhattan.]

It's all for porn.

[R C Dean]

True gigabit WAN.

Even though my stupid MOCA Coax router is plenty for what I need, this makes me envious.

[Playa Manhattan.]

You can call them and have it switched over to ethernet, and you'd be able to use the router of your choice. Their router sucks and it's locked down.

You'd still need a MOCA bridge if you're using their cable boxes and DVRs, though (I don't. Tivo.).

[Scalro Humillimus]

Thanks for the info. I don't have TV service and route all my traffic through an internal firewall. I would love to remove their useless hardware.
Amusingly, I am running a MOCA bridge to get a wired connection to the living room.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

+1 useful Slashdot idiot.

[kbolino]

I can buy the parts to make a radio on just about any frequency with just about any power level from an electronics supplier. Why the fuck does it matter if I can do the same thing with software on my consumer router?

[HeteroPatriarch]

And will the Net Neutrality idiots learn anything from this?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

You're kidding, right? It'll be blamed on greedy Kochs.

[Timon 19]

Wired can go fuck itself with its ad-blocker detector, take over the whole screen trying to have a "conversation" with me thing.

Don't allow shitty ads and I might consider not using an ad blocker.

[Yusef Adama]

This +1000

[Trshmnstr, terror of the trash]

*glares at reason*

[CZmacure]

Reason on my phone is fucking terrible because of the ads.

I start wondering what celebrities I didn't know were trannies. But actually I DON'T FUCKING CARE.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...despite criticism that he hasn't dropped everything after the Brussels attack.

What agenda can he use Brussels to push? None. You're on your own, Belgium.

[some guy]

Good for him, really. What value could he possible add to the discussion. Sadly, we've all been through this enough times already that we've pretty much made up our minds how we feel about it (distantly numb) and what we're going to do about it (mention it at the water cooler then get on with our day.)

[HeteroPatriarch]

Yeah, I was afraid he'd use it to push more gun control.

[R C Dean]

They've already got gay marriage, so that's off the table. Their abortion laws are pretty strict, though.

[CE]

Isn't carrying on your life as normal the best response to terrorists anyway?

[Fist of Etiquette]

YOU SOUND LIKE BUSH

[CZmacure]

AMERICA: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

[Playa Manhattan.]

"Indiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome."

But those are the babies that need aborting!

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

"Three generations of imbeciles are enough"?

[Adans smith]

You mean 16 years? [Bush,Obama}

[CE]

I think the count is up to 24.

[robc]

28.

[gaoxiaen]

56

[CZmacure]

Yahtzee!

[Scalro Humillimus]

42

[Jerryskids]

I can imagine though that this is exactly the right thin edge of the wedge - if the baby's a member of a protected grievance group, there's no putting that one back.

[Illocust]

Yep, and see funnily enough, the parents that are aborting due to mental problems are the ones I have most sympathy for. I couldn't do it personally. Great respect for the people who can, but the idea my kid would never be a fully functioning human being mentally, is a terrifying idea.

[Trshmnstr, terror of the trash]

I used to feel the same way, but i slowly realized that some of the mentally disabled folks I know are actually more fully functioning human beings than many mentally whole, but emotionally crippled people I know.

[Illocust]

It's also a matter of degrees. I'm not terrified of the kid that's a little slow, but ultimately can hold down a low skill job and live on his own. I'm scared of the kid that never grows past the mentality of a six year old. The ones that you have to schedule every minute of your day, because if you don't they'll get stressed and fall into a violent temper tantrum. I can deal with slow. I can't deal with permanent child.

[lap83]

No one knows how mentally deficient they are. (Including normal people, I'm sure MENSA members would rather die than be as dumb as me but I'm fine with it. I don't know what I'm missing) I think it's an appearance thing. Some people are embarrassed to have mentally challenged offspring, regardless of how the child would feel about it.

[Illocust]

Appearances don't bother me. My big brother has a bunch of physical problems (and possibly some mental), and I wouldn't mind having a child like him. Because at the end of the day he can hold a conversation on an adult level, and if we all suddenly died he'd be able to fend for himself. Probably not well, but he could do it if push came to shove.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

"Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted by the United Nations of the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s."

Over to Pan Zagloba for commentary.

[Pan Zagloba]

Total asshole and well deserved.

[Swiss Servator]

He has a warm seat in Hell waiting for him.

[Episiarch]

A North Carolina man has been arrested for not returning a copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. That is utterly outrageous. He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place.

Screw you! That movie is a masterpiece of absurd surreal insanity. Plus it's incredibly stupid, which is a requirement.

DADDY WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SAUSAGE

[Juvenile Bluster]

I'm generally against the death penalty, but I'm willing to advocate for it for anyone who watched and enjoyed that movie.

[waffles]

That's the only line from the movie anyone can remember due to the induced cerebral hemorrhaging.

[Mint Berry Crunch]

Not true. I also remember "My hoooooooves!"

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Look at me Daddy! I'm a farmer!

[Episiarch]

You don't *enjoy* Freddy Got Fingered. You experience it. You try to deny it, but you can't.

[Mint Berry Crunch]

I'm the backwards man, the backwards man. I can walk backwards fast as you can.

[CZmacure]

For once, I'm first up against the wall when the revolution comes!

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Scott just hates Canadians. I feel it in my bones.

[Free Society]

Little known fact: Canadians have antipathy detectors in their bones.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Huh.

Learn something everyday.

[Fist of Etiquette]

TOM GREEN RUINED CHARLIE'S ANGELS.

[Crusty Juggler]

Shackford takes over the top spot on the alt text leaderboard over Ed, Jesse.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Your horse race coverage of the alt-text race is more interesting that Trump news.

[Crusty Juggler]

I am glad someone pretends to appreciate it.

[Swiss Servator]

That was an A-1 effort!

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

The bill would ban abortion if the expecting mother is seeking the procedure because the fetus has been diagnosed with certain disabilities. It also bans abortions based on race, gender or national origin.

My old State, resplendent in its "we're not Chicago" state of mind.

How do we determine what the mother is seeking? "The baby will be born retarded." "Oh really, in that case...?"

Are they serious? Again, I think this has everything to do with Pharmaceutical companies being held liable in tort law for babies born with defects due to the mother's exposure to the company's chemicals in utero.

Hide in the cloth of "fetuses are people too" though, instead of considering the multifarious nature of applicable recovery avenues for crippled children.

[BigT]

Indiana wants more retards!

I thought it was full already.

[Crusty Juggler]

The glitter beard is back! Pack of red sprinkles, beard oil and protective bib for ?14.99 promises hipsters 'gloriously glistening face fuzz'

[Rhywun]

And with the exact same photos as last time!

Related: I have noticed the lumber-beard trend is ever-so-slightly dying off. Knock on wood.

[jesse.in.mb]

Still better than the man-bun, but not by much.

[Rhywun]

I'm OK with the man-bun. I like long hair.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Jesse.in.mb hardest hit.

[Krabappel]

If I am going to have to go beardless I will have a lose a few pounds. -_-

[DenverJ]

All we ask is that you keep your beard trimmed, like I did when I was a fatass pleasantly plump.

[waffles]

I hear herpes is cool too.

[The Last American Hero]

Not if you are Chai the Elephant.

[Crusty Juggler]

I wish.

[Free Society]

A North Carolina man has been arrested for not returning a copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. That is utterly outrageous. He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place.

What is "renting a movie"? What is this "VHS" you speak of? I'm confused. I'm going to bed. Get off my lawn.

[waffles]

I have to, uh, go return some videotapes.

[lap83]

+1 Bateman

[Private Chipperbot]

Is the place he rented it from still actually open and renting out vhs tapes?

[Playa Manhattan.]

It said it had been closed for 10 years. He still had a warrant in the system, which should have been purged.

[OneOut]

I recently received a letter from a Texas law firm threatening to sue me over an infraction I am supposed to have committed in Iowa in 1987.

The letter said the infraction had no code but I am supposed to have done something so terrible that I owed the State of Iowa $141.00 from 1987.

I have never been in Iowa in my life. My last name isn't a common name.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Good point, how and where the fuck was he supposed to return it?

Better get Doc Brown and the DeLorean.

[The Last American Hero]

Back to the Future 4 - They go back to 1985 from the present day...

McFly Jr: I come from the future - 2016.

Guy from 1985: If you're from the future, who's the President of the United States in 2016?

McFly Jr: Donald Trump.

Guy from 1985: The real-estate guy? C'mon.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Indiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome.

Sooooo, how do they determine that's the reason for the termination? JUST DON'T ADMIT IT.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

By taking a quick look at your ultra-secure, totally private, government-run electronic health care records?

[Pan Zagloba]

Racist Nativist European State strikes again.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred after allegedly posting a tweet in response to the Brussels attacks.

The tweet read: "I confronted a Muslim woman yesterday in Croydon. I asked her to explain Brussels. She said 'Nothing to do with me'. A mealy mouthed reply."

Matthew Doyle, 46, was arrested on Wednesday night in Croydon.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

To make a tolerant society, you have to crack a few skulls.

[Pan Zagloba]

Oddly enough Anjem Choudary doesn't seem to have these problems. Must be racism of lowered expectations or something.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

"With Omar Bakri Muhammad, he helped form an Islamist organisation, al-Muhajiroun. The group organised several anti-Western demonstrations, including a banned protest march in London for which Choudary was summonsed to appear in court."

"He was investigated, but not charged, for his comments in 2006 regarding Pope Benedict XVI. Choudary is currently awaiting trial for allegedly inviting support of a proscribed organisation, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant."

Um...it looks like Anjem Choudary does have these problems.

[Pan Zagloba]

This is the bit I had in mind:

Following the speech, on 17 September Choudary led a protest outside Westminster Cathedral, where he told reporters "Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment." The Daily Mail reported him as saying: "I am here [to] have a peaceful demonstration, but there may be people in Italy and other parts that would carry that out."[66] The Metropolitan Police investigated his comments, but concluded that "no substantive offences" were committed during the demonstration.

Unlike the idiot above, no arrest.

[Pan Zagloba]

And I posted it because it's unusual - standard procedure is send a few cops, maybe have the Bad Speaker come over for a chat, but arrest for a single tweet is still not SOP in UK. Particularly when I'd expect the first reaction to be "Put it under #shitthatneverhappend"

[Rhywun]

Witness America's future, folks.

[Free Society]

Scotland Yard said Mr Doyle had been taken to hospital "as a precaution".

The indomitable spirit of the Soviet Union lives on.

[R C Dean]

Asshole, meet an asshole in a uniform.

You know what might be interesting? An article on how the Brexit vote is shaping up, and how these terror attacks factor in.

[Free Society]

I wonder if the French are still threatening to invade with their foederati if the Brits assert their sovereignty.

[Pan Zagloba]

Yeah, I don't think we're getting a Brexit article. Brandon O'Neil is the only contributor I can see not having a giant boner for EU. Also, referendums are bad because fuck the mob, who do they think they are to make decisions?

[Free Society]

Well I hate democratic majorities and large political units. So I'm homeless on this issue.

[Pan Zagloba]

I see this shit all the time and it pisses me off. Here's the glorious four times in last 25 years people of British Columbia were asked their opinion:

-Winter Games in Vancouver (city of Vancouver referendum, elites in favor, passed)
-Do we replace First Past The Post electoral system with Single Transferrable Vote (Elites very much in favor, failed)
-Do we scrap Harmonized Sales Tax - background on this: we have a Provincial sale tax of 7% and Federal of 5%. After promising not to create a single tax, governing party created a single tax with the Feds. End effect - 7% sales tax on things that Federal tax applies but Provinical did not. Using MOBRULE provisions, anti-tax group forced a referendum on the issue. ALL Right Thinking People were against scrapping the harmonized tax. Public voted yes.
-Do we add 0.5% to Provincial Sales Tax to fund transit expansion for Vancouver. Right Thinking People said yes. Government called referendum over their screaming, crying and gnashing. Evil Mob said no.
So arguably 3 out of 4 (and I think 4 out of 4 given how the Games went) times, Mob chose right. On three occassions, over what their lords and masters wanted.

[Free Society]

The mob also votes themselves ever-increasing benefits from tax payers, forced association and restriction of liberties in basically every national and provincial electorate in existence. Color me not impressed.

[Pan Zagloba]

Again, Mob votes representatives who then distribute it to special interests. John did point out an interesting thing - after Great Society was passed, Republicans picked up 5% more votes and 40ish seats in the House in 1966. Did the Mob want it, or did the Mob try to get it repealed?

Likewise Obamacare. Pass it and lose House - if it went to a referendum, do you think it would have passed?
Is it awesome? Hell no. But living up here in the Land Of Right-Thinking People Are Talking, Kid, it makes me envious when I see stuff like Citizen Initiatives and Open Primaries. Until I convert to anarchism, I'm down with Mob Rule on big issues (when to go to war, when to enter or leave major international organizations, when to nationalize your health care system).

[Just say Nikki]

Reason's past coverage of EU-related referenda suggests you're full of shit. E.g., Ed on Denmark, Matt Feeney on the UK.

[Pan Zagloba]

I'm quite willing to be wrong on the issue. I'd love to see Reason's take on it.

[Swiss Servator]

Weighing in with her usual charm....

[Pan Zagloba]

Eh, at this point I consider her Camile Paglia of the commentariat. Better strong personality than mealy-mouthed posting like mine (in my defense, a lot of the time mental translation into English still has to take place before sentences are formed).

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

FFS, Brits. The man's stupidity is punishment enough.

[ant1sthenes]

Can't have Islamonazism without Islamoquislings.

[Illocust]

Guys a dumb ass to think a random woman out shopping is going to give him an answer. Even if she was part of the problem by fostering the environment, she didn't plan the damn thing and isn't responsible for what went down.

[ant1sthenes]

Maybe, maybe not. Do you think a random pro-lifer could try to explain to you why someone else might blow up an abortion clinic?

Even if they disagree, they're operating closer in terms of moral premises, so they may have more insight into the thought process that leads a person to justify that sort of action.

[Illocust]

Prolifer agrees with other prolifers on one very narrow issue. An entire religion has a whole bunch of issues that they are going to agree on and deviate on to different degrees depending on the person. Without confirming the woman is at least the same sect as the suicide bombers, she may have radically different views on pretty much everything than the Muslim bombers. Hell, I went to school with a muslim girl that didn't cover her hair.

[Jerryskids]

I would ask the guy to explain Croydon.

[Seamus]

I really hate it when stupid British laws make me sympathize with assholes like Matthew Doyle, 46.

[Crusty Juggler]

Revealed, your body on sugar: From weakening the immune system to triggering thrush, this terrifying tool reveals exactly how the white stuff harms our health

Take your health advice from the Daily Mail, people.

[Playa Manhattan.]

"Nutrition Therapist"

Sounds legit.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

It's a trick. You're linking to the Selleck shower curtain again, aren't you?

[Citizen X]

On the subject of Tom Green, i think Canada still owes the rest of us an apology.

[Crusty Juggler]

He helped spawn a world of idiots filming themselves acting like idiots.

[Ted S.]

Who's worse: Tom Green, or Red Green?

[Private Chipperbot]

Take that back. Red Green is a treasure.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Take that back. Red Green is a treasure.

Wait...you linked to that video to support your case?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I'm a man, and I can change... if I have to... I guess.

[IndyEleven]

Shut your dirty mouth and keep your stick on the ice.

[jesse.in.mb]

Red Green

God, I had managed to totally forget about Red Green and now I've unforgotten.

DAMN YOU CANADA

[Pan Zagloba]

If I tell you Paul Gross was on the show, does that make it better or worse? It was during his Due South years.

[jesse.in.mb]

I thought he was rather dashing when I was first coming to terms with the gay thing back in the late '90s.

[dschwar]

Even better was having both Paul Gross and Gordon Pinsent (who played Benton Fraser's father) on the show.

Remember, we're all in this together.

[Crusty Juggler]

DADDY WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SAUSAGE

[Brett L]

A bib? Why? Is glittery chest hair not cool?

[Brett L]

Threading fail. This is response to Crusty's beard glitter post, not an homage to Freddy Got Fingered.

[Old Mexican Mighty Aggressor]

I still had to puke. Oh, those images...

[Ted S.]

On a woman? Absolutely not cool.

[colorblindkid]

Radovan Karadzic. Isn't that the bad guy from Air Force One?

[Old Mexican Mighty Aggressor]

No, that would be Valerie Jared.

[Swiss Servator]

*polite applause*

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

There was apparently some rape case in Canada where the man was found not guilty. There is now a Twitter hashtag called "I believe survivors" that is completely insane

"Legal "reality" or "truth" & lived experience of vulnerable/marginalized people are often miles apart. #IBelieveSurvivors #BLMTO #Gomeshi"

Who needs truth and reality, guys?

Then there's this guy who seems to really hate transgendered people.

Hopefully the #Ghomeshi case serves as a reminder that sexual predators do exist outside of the #Transgender community. #IBelieveSurvivors

Just called the cops on a #Transgender for walking near a park. At least one sex offender goes to jail today. #Ghomeshi #IBelieveTheWomen

People so furious over #Ghomeshi but support Transgenders. Condemn one rapist, support another.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

Yeah, fuck innocent until proven guilty!

"What's more important, preserving the current legal system or protecting women? Apparently the legal system. #IBelieveSurvivors"

[Ted S.]

Lauren Southern should claim Justin Trudeau raped her, because of course no woman would ever lie about being raped.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I dunno, this is so far over the ridiculous-line, I have to wonder if we're being trolled.

[CZmacure]

The fourth sexual assault charge was based on allegations from a third woman. She said Ghomeshi squeezed her neck and covered her mouth while they were kissing on a park bench.

YOUR KINK.

NOT OK.

[R C Dean]

I have to believe that the transgender stuff is just epic trolling.

[Hyperion]

Well, no one has ever totally lied about being raped before, duh! I mean, nothing like that has ever been in the news, never, so there!

[Pan Zagloba]

It was a glorious case. Comrade Gomeshi was Trudeau before we had Truedau - handsome, eloquent, educated, feminist, super-dreamy. Then allegations surfaced, and it turned out that his deviations from the Correct Party Line were well known, and he went Zinovyev overnight.

Yeah, he was a prick who though "let's have sex" meant "punch and choke me". But the testimony of "traumatized rape survivors" kinda loses its punch when it turns out they later messaged him, sent him racy photos and such.

[Pan Zagloba]

And to point out the obvious, but somewhat lost - he should have been charged with assault because, for fuck's sake, man, you don't just haul and punch someone.

[CZmacure]

What's the citation on him punching anyone? Serious question, the linked article sure didn't supply any evidence he punched anyone except a single claim from a single accuser...

[HeteroPatriarch]

I thought "eloquent" was racist now?

[Pan Zagloba]

Our racism is better than your crude American racism, duh. Up here, Irish would be Welsh.

[Illocust]

I always wonder if those people who believe lived experience trumps facts are actually trolls or not. It's poe's law. I can't tell.

Also, second guy is nuts.

[Rhywun]

Chicago's teachers' union has voted to have a one-day strike on April 1. Not exactly the best way to convince folks you aren't a joke.

No, but it's a great way to bring attention to the folks who are directly responsible for the district's financial woes.

[rts]

Jian Ghomeshi not guilty decision triggers outrage online, outside court

The chorus outside Old City Hall hit its peak once a judge acquitted former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi on all charges of sexual assault and choking, the outraged shouts of "I believe survivors" reverberating off the courthouse steps and in more than 10,000 posts online.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

"Whenever men take the law into their own hands, the loser is the law. And when the law loses, freedom languishes."

Fuck the dead guy who said this bullshit, amirite sycophants?

[Domestic Dissident]

President Barack Obama is sticking to his travel itinerary, even dancing the tango in Argentina, despite criticism that he hasn't dropped everything after the Brussels attack.

I know, God forbid he should postpone his taxpayer-funded family vacation junket over something so irrelevant!

Because nothing should ever be allowed to interrupt the absolutely vital work of the office: bad-mouthing America, apologizing for things other people did decades ago, watching baseball games, and dancing at state dinners.

[CE]

I'm still mad at him for skipping Nancy Reagan's funeral to go to SXSW. Presidents should spend most of their time at public events, standing silently.

[Illocust]

Eh, there is really nothing for him to do about Brussels. He can give a speech on it anywhere, but it's not like he's relevant on this issue.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Today the Cato Institute launched an interactive timeline showing the history of politically motivated government surveillance in America.

Cato Institute. The government better keep an eye on them.

[paranoid android]

Probably backed by foreign interests. "Cato" doesn't sound like an American name.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Somebody (other than the government) keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't book any trips to Utica after Trump wins.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

For steamed hams.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

Get out of here you old assholes; or, CTU cutting the fat

The final vote was 486 in favor of the strike and 124 against. Retiree delegates [including this reporter] were asked to leave the meeting room when the vote was counted; Retiree delegates cannot vote for strikes or for contracts according to the CTU constitution and by-laws. Others who were asked to leave before the vote was counted included union staff and visitors, who filled one side of the hall. The meeting took place at the offices and hall of the International Union of Operating Engineers, local 399. According to the motion that was passed, the strike will begin at 12:01 a.m. on the morning of April 1 and end at midnight that night.

We don't need no education.

[Pat (PM)]

Based on the headline I thought the Counter Terrorism Unit was letting Jack Bauer go. You can imagine my disappointment.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Well, they are making a new season of 24 without Jack Bauer...

[Private Chipperbot]

I'm still waiting for the episode where all they do is stop for lunch and he takes a dump.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

"A North Carolina man has been arrested for not returning a copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. That is utterly outrageous. He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place."

Freddy Got Fingered is a brilliant piece of surrealist art that was simply ahead of its time, Shackford.

[waffles]

Like Eraserhead?

[Crusty Juggler]

And Zardoz.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

And Gigli

[Jgalt1975]

Let's not get carried away.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Chicago's teachers' union has voted to have a one-day strike on April 1. Not exactly the best way to convince folks you aren't a joke

Without public schools, how can we ensure our children will be taught by selfless public servants, rather than profit hungry corporations??

[Hyperion]

Chicago Teachers to Strike

Chicago kids gain 10 IQ points.

[CE]

Ferris Bueller hardest hit.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

"Chicago's teachers' union has voted to have a one-day strike on April 1. Not exactly the best way to convince folks you aren't a joke."

What's a joke is a society that pays its teachers slave wages and forces them to work in diamond mines over the summer.

[Juvenile Bluster]

What else are orphan slaves good for once they grow up?

[Crusty Juggler]

I feel like this should become a Rip Torn appreciation thread.

[Episiarch]

"He said 'Fuck you, dad'. So I said 'Fuck you, fuck me. Fuck you, fuck me'... and I NEVER FINGERED FREDDY."

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Every thread is a Rip Torn appreciation thread.

[paranoid android]

If Paul posted this earlier, I apologize, but everyone get out your shocked faces, because:

City Council May Have Been Misled by Stats About Bike Share Membership Before Pronto Vote

People in Seattle whose minds will be changed about the wisdom of making the city government all-powerful despite being lying cronyist motherfuckers: 0.

[Hyperion]

despite being lying cronyist motherfuckers

Wait, I has a confused. Isn't that the number one prereq for becoming a proggie savior?

[Illocust]

Huh, you think lying to these guys wouldn't be necessary. These guys tend to believe in the need to force people to do what's good for them, so seeing that people don't use something they like should result in more money for that thing.

[Old Mexican Mighty Aggressor]

Indiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome.

If you want to commit murder, you better commit it like God intended: senselessly.

[OneOut]

You suppose that you know God's mind and intentions.

[Social Contractor]

Yeah, that's how religion works.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

Holy shit. I didn't know Cryuff is dead.

Wow.

[Juice]

This is America. no1curr

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

A North Carolina man has been arrested for not returning a copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. That is utterly outrageous. He should have been arrested for renting the movie in the first place.

So libertarians excuse theft now. Nice.

/tulpa

[Swiss Servator]

AND HE PROBABLY PATRONIZED FOOD TRUCKS!

[Trshmnstr, terror of the trash]

Wait, food trucks are bad now??? Fuck y'all, I love my food trucks!

[Swiss Servator]

Tulpa has a beef with them.

[Private Chipperbot]

Detroit's three mile long rail line gets a name.

The original news conference to unveil the name back in November was canceled last year. The rail cars will only travel 35 mph and the Rocketrail name did not indicate the slowness of the rail cars.

Two tweets from Quicken Loans teased the announcement early Thursday, which has been planned for a social media push for weeks, saying "Detroit's modern streetcar is expected to ignite over $3 billion in economic development."

It cost more than $150 million for three miles of track...

[Free Society]

You know who else thought 3 milies of track wasn't worth $150 million?
...
...
...
...
...
...
Somalia.

[OneOut]

That white rapper guy ?

Oh wait...that's 8 miles....

My bad,.

[Illocust]

Is the thing at least near the bars. A street car that went from lots of parking lots and hotels to bars could be fairly successful.

[GILMORE?]

Scott maintains the title of PM-links champ.

Indiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome.

I feel like if i say "that's retarded" that there will be some pun-time-space-implosion

Is the idea that they want to prevent people aborting *because* of some fetal diagnosis? How the fuck do they regulate that? Once you find out yer preggos with a tard, you're locked into it? But ...if they *don't know*, well go ahead and abort away?

I try to maintain a POV where i believe that people on both sides of the "Abortion debate" have legitimate arguments and make them in good faith... but instead, it seems like people on both sides really go out of their way to make me think they're all fucking nuts.

[paranoid android]

It's like a darker version of the Seinfeld bit where the store won't let Jerry return the jacket if his reason is "spite".

[GILMORE?]

I had a similar fucking FURIOUS moment once when I had a new phone stolen by a cabbie and tried to get Verizon to honor my insurance agreement

(*i'd left the phone in a cab, and immediately realized it, and then called my own phone. the cabbie answered, and when i told him i'd pay him $50 to please drive right back to me, he laughed and told me to check Ebay for it)

I assumed i'd be OK since i had insurance. So the next day i went to the verizon store and told them the story and the guy was like, "You *know* who took it?" and I said, "well not really, i just know the bastard wasn't going to return it. Like i said". The Verizon rep then tried to explain that "theft" required me to file a report with cops first, and they'd only honor the insurance agreement after they got a copy of the report.

I'd probably paid 2X the cost of the phone in insurance over the previous 2 years. I just said, "What if i'd just "Lost" the phone?" he was like, "well then we'd provide you a new one but that's not what you just said...." I got so pissed at the guy i was like, "fine you douche, i'll just go 4 blocks to the other Verizon store..." And he goes, "Nuh uh you don't, because i'm putting your account on lock with all this info".

The dude had zero interest in the issue anyway. it was nuts. the insurance cos aren't even connected to the phone companies. he was just on a power trip. Fucking nuts.

[GILMORE?]

*note for clarity = re: the phone was brand new! but it was an upgrade from previous, which i'd been in the plan for like 4+ years, paying $10 a month for their insurance coverage or whatever.

[Illocust]

Wow, what a dick. What does it matter to him if you get a replacement or not. Asshole.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

The entire thing is stupid. There are two possibilities: It isn't murder, in which case you can abort a fetus for whatever fucking reason you want or it is murder, in which case you shouldn't be able to abort any fetus.

Passing laws saying 'abortion of a fetus for this reason is now illegal' is fucking idiocy. They passed a law outlawing sex selective abortion in Britain, which is moronic for the same reason.

[The Last American Hero]

There is a third option, which is that it is state-sanctioned killing and like other state-sanctioned killings (i.e., war, death penalty, cops use of force to protect the innocent, self defense, etc.) there need to be very clear rules about the particular circumstances for which society will sanction the taking of a life.

[Notorious UGCC]

We can't debate this as if the federal courts aren't even there.

Federal courts strike down abortion laws but add "but there are still some laws you *can* pass." Prolifers rely on these assurances, try to pass laws the federal courts will uphold.

Choicers say, "lol, it's either murder or it isn't."

And if prolifers say, "OK, let's just ban all abortions," choicers say, "but the Supreme Court!"

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

Okay, but this law is moronic because it's unenforceable. All you have to do is go to get an abortion and when they ask 'are you doing this because your baby is retarded?' say 'No, definitely not!'

Furthermore, I mentioned that the *pro-choice feminists* in the UK tried to do the exact same thing when banning sex selective abortion, so the issue exists in other countries where the Supreme Court hasn't impacted abortion law.

[Trshmnstr, terror of the trash]

Yep, I'm sitting in class right now learning about this. If you think these laws aren't sculpted _very_ tightly to the smoke signals the appropriate court put up, you're not paying attention.

[Heroic Mulatto]

BUT THAT'S THE SAME THING THE NAZIS DID!!!!!

[PapayaSF]

Attention San Francisco area Reasonoids! Last chance! Our meetup is today, from 6:00 pm to whenever, at the Sugar Lounge at 377 Hayes (at Gough), a 13 minute walk from the Civic Center BART. If you are driving, I would describe parking in that neighborhood as "not impossible."

They have a good happy hour until 7:30 ($5 draft beers/$4 well drinks, appetizers from Hahn's Hibachi Family Style Korean BBQ Restaurant). Look for the "Reason" sign inside.

We've only got about five attendees so far, including a friend of mine, an actual Reason contributor.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

good happy hour until 7:30 ($5 draft beers/$4 well drinks

literally can't even

[Playa Manhattan.]

You can't fool me! That's a gay bar.

[OneOut]

a very good happy hour ?

what's good about $5 drafts ?

If those drafts are craft styles or premier imports ok then but $5 Old Milwaukee's on draft ?

Seriously though it would be fund to meet people who I see eye to eye politically with online in real life to see if we look similar.

[PapayaSF]

These are good prices for San Francisco, for a nice bar in a decent location. And the appetizers turned out to be free (though limited in quantity).

[Pan Zagloba]

Also, I just noticed, but top-notch alt-text there, Scott. Keep it up, please! Both the quality of alt-text and anti-You Know Who measures.

[Old Mexican Mighty Aggressor]

Today the Cato Institute launched an interactive timeline showing the history of politically motivated government surveillance in America.

Which is also under careful inspection by the DHS.

[jesse.in.mb]

Homos and Freemasonry

When the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide last June, a couple of farmers in rural Somerville, Tenn., tied the knot.

[...] "The first letter that we got from the Grand Lodge of Tennessee was that we were being brought up on charges for un-Masonic conduct," Clark says.

I'm kind of curious if there's a firm definition of "un-Masonic" or if it's just the kind of "people in charge don't prefer it" catch-all.

Grand Lodges of California, Washington, D.C., and the country of Belgium, among a growing list of others, have suspended relationships with Tennessee and Georgia. Glen Cook, a lawyer and Master Mason, says there is precedence for exclusionary policies.

"Some of those who argue against the actions of Georgia and Tennessee have said that we don't discriminate. Well, we do," Cook says, in terms of being an all-male fraternity that asks members to believe in a higher power.

Cook himself couldn't be a Freemason in his home state of Utah until its Grand Lodge lifted a ban on Mormons in 1984. Cook suspects that the debate in Tennessee will hinge less on sympathetic appeals and more on whether a ban goes against the founding principles of Freemasonry.

Anyway, fun look at the structure and process of a group that usually likes to stay under the radar.

[paranoid android]

Huh, that's odd. I actually work with a gay guy who's a Mason. I'll also admit I don't know much about it but this sounds more like it's just some local honcho with an ax to grind.

[jesse.in.mb]

Apparently each state's grand lodge operates independently. It really is a neat chance to peek at the structure of the organization.

[PapayaSF]

My friend who's a 33rd degree Mason says that yes, this has to do with local honchos and is not general policy.

[jesse.in.mb]

The NPR issue actually touches on why other Masonic groups are coming out publicly on this:

The suspension of Clark and Henderson in Tennessee inspired the Grand Lodge of Georgia to enact its own ban on gay members last fall. Chris Hodapp, author of Freemasons for Dummies, says this has stirred an international debate. As Freemasonry struggles to attract new members, lodges worry about the label of bigotry.

"When a young man hears that Masons in a state are throwing gays out, they just see that as the whole organization doing that and not being isolated to a particular area," Hodapp says.

[tarran]

A friend tried to recruit me into the masons. Three minutes into the pitch, it became apparent that anarchism and freemasonry are incompatible, so I missed out.

Coincidentally, a decade earlier, a friend in the Knights of Columbus also tried to recruit me, and I declined because, again, it conflicted with anarchism.

So basically, two organizations that are opposed to each other are unified in their opposition to guys like me. 🙂

[HeteroPatriarch]

How's the KoC opposed to anarchism?

[tarran]

Back in the during the heyday of the Klan, the KoC was painted as an anti-american organization bent on subjugating the country under the pope's control. So the KoC leadership decided to make it an explicitly patriotic organization complete with oaths of fealty to the US govt.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Oh, that's...actually worse than a subversive Papist conspiracy.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

In at least some areas there is also separate black and white organizations of the masons.

Separate but equal.

[BigT]

"coming out publicly on this:"

*narrows gays*

[Swiss Servator]

*narrows gaze*

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

"the founding principles of Freemasonry."

You mean communing with aliens at the behest of the Illuminati and Knight's Templar?

[Pan Zagloba]

You're thinking of Stonecutters.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I'm kind of curious if there's a firm definition of "un-Masonic" or if it's just the kind of "people in charge don't prefer it" catch-all.

Guessing this.

"Some of those who argue against the actions of Georgia and Tennessee have said that we don't discriminate. Well, we do," Cook says, in terms of being an all-male fraternity that asks members to believe in a higher power.

That's kind of the crux of it right there. When we form voluntary associations... isn't there some type of discrimination involved?

[jesse.in.mb]

So being gay makes one a woman and atheist?

Usually when people get written up for "un-whatever" behavior it's because someone in charge doesn't like what you're doing but there's technically nothing against it. Whether or not TN and GA Masons decide that homos should or shouldn't be allowed is a voluntary association issue, sure, but I was wondering if there was anything explicitly in Mason doctrine that makes being gay verboten, or if it was based on the state leadership's personal preferences and given legitimacy by referring to it as "un-Masonic"

[tarran]

The masons have a women's auxiliary. My work wife at a previous employer, a woman who is a lesbian army vet, is a member.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with all the Mason Bylaws so I can't really comment much further.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Homasonry.

[PapayaSF]

Masonweeeeeee!
/stereotype

[Notorious UGCC]

All I know is they make some cool jars.

[Notorious UGCC]

And when they get together with the Dixons, sparks fly.

[grrizzly]

I could never figure out what Masons were all about. Also, they were typically referred to as ??????????.

[jesse.in.mb]

You just wanted to see if you could get away with some Cyrillic.

[grrizzly]

It looks like I've been granted a special permission to post ??-?????? from time to time. Unlike you guys.

[jesse.in.mb]

I think if you have enough English text you can sneak a bit of non-roman writing in, but I have yet to figure out the laws that govern this.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Citizens' Climate Lobby recommends a policy known as "carbon fee and dividend," ? a steadily rising fee is placed on fuels based on the amount of CO2 they will emit when burned. All revenue from that substantial and transparent fee is then returned equally to all households as an energy dividend.

So... *rubbing my temples* so if I'm an "energy inefficient" household, I get the same dividend as a guy who switched his entire house to run on solar panels and wind energy?

http://www.seattletimes.com/op.....on-carbon/

[Juice]

Wow. What a ridiculous waste of time and resources that would be.

[paranoid android]

A study from Regional Economic Models found this policy would achieve a 52 percent reduction in CO2 emissions within 20 years. It would also strengthen the American economy, adding 2.8 million jobs.

No, don't you get it? It's actually a free lunch that magically creates money for everyone and requires no sacrifices!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

adding 2.8 million jobs.

In the form of the carbon gestapo!

"Ve haff vays ov makink you green."

[Pan Zagloba]

Yeah, but you paid like 3X tax while he paid 0X. So overall you are 2X out of pocket, and he's +X up on his account.

But yes, one part of government is taxing you, then government pays someone to administer this so another part of government can give you a portion back.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Right, so the guy who runs his entire house with an oil heater run by orphans gets the same payout as me. And it's presumed that he paid 9x the tax.

[ant1sthenes]

It's essentially saying "CO2 causes $ harm to the atmosphere. Everyone owns an equal share of said atmosphere. Here are your damages".

I wouldn't bitch too much, since the alternative is government taking your share for you.

As for captain solar panels, he is purchasing less energy from fossil-burning companies, which will cost even more if it includes the price of the tax.

Economically, it's not that unsound (if you buy the premise about CO2 causing harm), except there is no market clearing mechanism to determine the value that the dividend recipients attach to the marginal unit of CO2.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

What incentive do I have to reduce my own carbon footprint (because remember folks, there is no "corporate" or "energy company" carbon footprint, there's MY footprint which those entities are merely delivering to me based on my demand) if I get a subsidy for my energy usage? The more carbon the collective uses, the higher the subsidy.

[Pan Zagloba]

As in calculation above - if you pay more tax, and get same subsidy as everyone, you want to reduce the amount of fuel you consume - provided everything else was equivalent.

The bold part is where it'll land flat on its face.

The part not mentioned is that these proposals tend to have ratcheting of taxes with passage of time. To prevent government collecting less tax as people change behavior, of course.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Well to be fair, in this case, the government isn't collecting the tax. I am. It also presumes that the reduction of your carbon footprint is 'free' or low cost or doesn't come with other downsides.

I live in an old home, to make it more energy efficient would require a non-insignificant investment that would have a LONG ROI time frame. If I simply installed Solar or whatever alt-energy scheme du-jour was being hawked, it likely wouldn't supply ALL my energy needs and... would also have a long ROI time frame. So, I could just continue to do what I always did-- maybe even more, and take my subsidy.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

Karadzic was right I hate the muzzies.

[Domestic Dissident]

13 plus inches of "global warming" rocks early springtime America from the Rockies to the midwest.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Now this is a masturbation reference that I can understand.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

these m-

[Free Society]

I've been so ripped off this winter it makes me sick. Everyone north of me and everyone south of me got considerably more cold and snow that I crave. Where I'm at, we got one dusting of snow and that's it.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Meh. Yesterday's snow was so dense it shredded two belts on my snowblower. There were Jeeps and Xterras just stuck in the middle of roads because they couldn't push through it. My BMW, however, made it just fine.

[sarcasmic]

There were Jeeps and Xterras just stuck in the middle of roads because they couldn't push through it.

The best car I ever had in the snow was a Toyota Tercel. The thing had these super-narrow tires that cut right down to the road. As long as it didn't bottom-out I could get through most anything. It was really funny when we had to move the cars around at work so the plow guy could do his job. Everyone else, even the guys with big pickups, needed help. While they were out there pushing, I would just rock mine back and forth a bit until I had a little momentum, and then drive right through the mess.

[Free Society]

Rub it in

[sarcasmic]

I'm loving it. Only had to fire up the snowblower a half a dozen times this year, and only had to fill the heating oil twice. If this is what global warming looks like, I say bring it on!

[Free Society]

Half a dozen snows necessitating a snowblower? That sounds downright adequate, but a few dozen times would be better. There's nothing like a bone chilling cold to make you appreciate the natural state of the universe.

[sarcasmic]

You see, weather is just weather unless it is extreme, in which case it is a climate event caused by global warming.

All reality-based people understand this.

[Illocust]

Yep, earlier this week my mom's house got hail and yesterday I got hail. Frick. I was really hoping to skip winter all together.

[OneOut]

Where do you live ?

I'm in the hail damage roof replacement business.

Other than that I was just curious. lol

Did you know that it only takes 10 hail impacts per 100 sq.ft. for your insurance company to admit your roof is a complete loss ? Hail doesn't cause an immediate leak. It destroys the longevity of your roof.

If you have had hail at your house you should investigate it. The leaks might not show up for a year or more and then your insurance company is no longer on the hook. It only takes 10 impacts per 100 square feet for your insurance company to be obligated to buy you a new roof.

Hail is that devastating to a roofs shingles.

[GILMORE?]

i only ever read taki mag for these 2 people, and both have good'uns up at the moment=

Jim Goad, on how the media calling everything "problematic" has been recently upgraded to "horrifying and/or terrifying". Its an analysis of "the rhetoric of pants-shitting", which seems to dominate news media these days.

Gavin, where he admits that he hates the commenters at Takimag, and thinks their groaning about Teh Jooos is retarded

I don't read either of these people because i agree with them all the time; i read them because even when i think they're wrong, i admire their willingness to say unpopular things in candid and unapologetic ways. including calling their own readers stupid.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

I like Dalrymple too.

[Crusty Juggler]

And I presume Derbyshire as well, because...you know...

[jesse.in.mb]

Now you've done it. Now wareagle won't be able to take anything you say seriously anymore.

[Crusty Juggler]

Someone takes me seriously?

[GILMORE?]

I have dalyrmple's feed in my RSS thing but i've never bothered to actually sample him.

gavin and goad have zero literary pretension yet can still turn a pretty witty phrase pretty easily, while i've found some of the others @ Taki to have a kind of faux-intellectual bent, where they try tart up fairly dull arguments as highbrow thinking. Derbs in particular. but also some others.

[Pan Zagloba]

Darlymple is great. His essay on Le Corbusier is a delight.

Le Corbusier was to architecture what Pol Pot was to social reform. In one sense, he had less excuse for his activities than Pol Pot: for unlike the Cambodian, he possessed great talent, even genius. Unfortunately, he turned his gifts to destructive ends, and it is no coincidence that he willingly served both Stalin and Vichy. Like Pol Pot, he wanted to start from Year Zero: before me, nothing; after me, everything.

I read couple of his books (From the Bottom, about English (mostly white) underclass in late 80s-late 90s, and Wilder Shores of Marx, his trips to Cuba, North Korea, Albania and Romania around the time of fall of Berlin Wall) and they are filled with well written, interesting essays. Not sure how his Takimag output stacks up.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I burnt-out on the "Elderly Brit Whinging That His Newspaper Being Delivered 10 Minutes Late Is a Sign That The Fall of Western Civilization Is Nigh" genre a long, long time ago. Even Pat Condell is a shadow of his former self.

[Pan Zagloba]

I spent a lot of time growing up watching stuff like Benny Hill (shut up!), Blackadder, Monty Python, Yes Minister and BBC dramas, so I can never be tired of Englishmen Going Forth On Subjects. Shit, I still read Spectator blogs daily for amusement.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I spent a lot of time growing up watching stuff like Benny Hill (shut up!), Blackadder, Monty Python, Yes Minister and BBC dramas, so I can never be tired of Englishmen Going Forth On Subjects. Shit, I still read Spectator blogs daily for amusement.

Living with my mother was essentially living with "Englishmen Going Forth On Subjects".

[Raven Nation]

"Yes Minister": possibly the finest British comedy of all time.

To your list, allow me to add "Dad's Army," "Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em," and "it ain't Half Hot mum."

[Rhywun]

I will add "Dave Allen", "Good Neighbours", "To the Manor Born", "Keeping up Appearances", and of course "Fawlty Towers". Raised myself on PBS.

[Raven Nation]

"The Two Ronnies" and "Porridge"

[Rhywun]

And who could forget "Are You Being Served?"

"When you look through the peephole you should see my pussy lying on the mat."

[Raven Nation]

For some reason, I never found that one quite as funny.

[Irish ?s Lauren Southern]

Someone put garbage in Peter Hitchens' bike basket so he wrote multiple blog posts angrily declaring that Britain will burn with the fires of anarchy.

"Finally, why am I so exasperated by the dingbat response 'But where should I go?' to my point about emigration? Because it is a stupid, trivial response to an important point. I am actually saying, as graphically as I can, that a whole civilisation is finished. And people want travel advice? It's like asking if there's a dining car on the train to the gulag.

Anyone dim enough to respond in this way has entirely missed the point of what I am saying, and will as a result ignore my advice while it is valuable, and so possibly be among those clutching the sinking dinghy and wondering whether he will get ashore wherever it is that a harsh fate has driven him when the moment comes, and his education, savings and status are all so much shrivelled paper and thin, cold, air."

Again, this was brought on by litter.

[Pan Zagloba]

See, that's awesome!

I will now speak up for Darlymple, specifically Life At The Bottom - a lot of it came out of his experiences as a doctor in a prison and in poor part of town. He never mocks the subjects of his essays, even when they do utterly dumb things, and his true ire is reserved for his fellow elite members, who think those are kind of silly, kind of neat tales, but he's just exaggerating, isn't he?

[Rhywun]

I'm a fan of Dalrymple too. Been meaning to check out his books.

[Tuan Jim]

Picked up a couple of his collections/modern philosophy volumes a about 7 years ago - since then only read his health commentaries on pjmedia.

On the whole a very interesting perspective.

Re: Condell - I've been watching him off and on via youtube for the last 5+ years - not sure how he was before then, but he's still telling it like it is....not sure who else is listening though.

[Sidd Finch v2.01]

Nobody is worse than the people who comment on Gawker, HuffPo, Slate, and Salon. They skipped school during the Logical Fallacies week and make mistakes that are so rudimentary, you feel like you broke into your babysitter's diary when you read them. Almost without exception they say, "Sure, some people are like this, but others aren't," before concluding, "You can't generalize."

no comment

I'll never forget Jared Taylor talking about the "Jews in your sandwich" mentality where you see them everywhere and it becomes a crutch.

That reminded me of the time Gavin moderated a completely fair debate on race between Taylor and R.A. the Rugged Man.

[SIV]

No love for Kathy Shaidle?

[SIV]

Gavin is right about the commenters but that is stating the obvious. Taki- comments suck, and not just because they suck at jew-baitng.

[Pan Zagloba]

Seriously, how many subpoenas does Takimag comment section have?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

As I commented once on a 'The Independants' thread, I ften find my self agreeing with McInnes, but wish he was on the other side, because the contentious way he says stuff convinces people that they should be on the other side.

[Juice]

President Barack Obama is sticking to his travel itinerary, even dancing the tango in Argentina, despite criticism that he hasn't dropped everything after the Brussels attack.

I don't know if he should be tangoing in Argentina, but he certainly shouldn't "drop everything" because of a terrorist attack. They need to be played down as much as possible, actually. Too bad the opposite usually occurs (understandably).

[Crusty Juggler]

It would look worse to panic. It would look even worse to panic after Brussels but not Turkey.

[GILMORE?]

Secret to Finding the Perfect Mate = Sniff Their Underwear

crusty could have explained this long ago.

Some NYC academic people decided to re-enact a cute study done years ago and call it an 'art project'. Its very-millennial in so many ways = re-appropriating someone else's stuff and calling it "art", sexual spinelessness, a plaintive pretense to be seeking 'authenticity', excess use of term 'literally'....etc

[Crusty Juggler]

Artist Tega Brain, who teaches at New York's School for Poetic Computation, and Sam Lavigne, an editor and researcher at New York University, created Smell Dating, which they describe as an art project.

[Crusty Juggler]

The most pathetic section of that story:

Reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Angela Moore; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Lisa VonAhn

Can the four of you please stop it?

[GILMORE?]

Cruz to Trump = "I Fart in Your General Direction"

[Notorious UGCC]

Good for Cruz.

And buried in the article it says how more women have a highly unfavorable view of Hillary than of Cruz.

[Sevo]

Scott, if that's what it takes to avoid Trump, well,...

[Notorious UGCC]

Suspended Upon A Cross, Great and Holy Thursday Hymn sung by Fairuz

[JoWaDat889]

Dude I never even thought about that before. WOw.

http://www.Anon-Net.tk

[DenverJ]

ndiana is poised to ban abortions based on the fetus's diagnosis of a disability like Down syndrome.

So, it's ok to abort normal kids, but the ones that have disabilities can't be aborted? What kind of plan is that?

[Illocust]

It's the same as the whole trying to stop sex selective abortions thing. You manage to get people to go ick or think the person involved is horrible, and you can get pretty much anything banned. It's something I've always despised, but I've never been able to talk someone out of it.

[Stormy Dragon]

malgenics?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

C'mon Barack, grab a fucking M16 and go take care of business. Bring back warrior presidents ffs.

[Notorious UGCC]

Chester Arthur was one bad mo-

shut yo' mouth!

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

The alt-text made me laugh so ty